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JUSTICE AND THE CITIZEN
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Ralph Nader
Consumer Crusader
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The beauty of citizen involvement is that when your horizon expands and you think more of your own personal significance, then all your little personal hang-ups, which loomed so large in your daily life, suddenly begin to recede and fall and melt away. And you look back and you say, "How could I have ever been bothered by whether my appearance was just right according to the latest Vogue magazine, or the Revlon ad?" That's why it's so important to look at citizen action as a form of human happiness. It is a form of human happiness. It is a discovery of human happiness to go into this society of ours and grapple with problems and come out looking back and saying, "Well, the life of a lot of people is better because of what I did." If people will look at citizen action as a source of joy, I think they are more likely to go into it. There are tremendous rewards. You can't put a dollar figure on them, but you can put a permanent impression on them. You'll find they are the most enjoyable times of your life.
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[ Interview ] Ralph Nader |
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Ralph Nader: I grew up thinking one person can change things. Where did I get that idea? First from my parents, and second from reading American history. So many of the major steps forward in our society's progress started with just a handful of people. The abolitionist movement against slavery, the women's right to vote movement started with six women in an upstate New York farm house where they met in 1846. The Civil Rights movement. Environmental rights. Worker rights. The whole labor movement. If you grow up in a mass society and think that nothing can be done unless you have masses of people who all agree all at once to start doing something, then you are not going to count yourself as very significant. You are not going to think that you can begin a thoughtful strategy to change things for the better.
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[ Interview ] Ralph Nader |
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Doris Kearns Goodwin, Ph.D.
Pulitzer Prize for History
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There were enemies. There were people in the South who didn't want the blacks registered to vote. But more importantly, there was a sense of a brotherhood, of working for a goal that you knew was an important goal, that the country itself would be made better, and you were doing something not just for yourself, but something larger than yourself. That makes you feel bigger somehow.
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[ Interview ] Doris Kearns Goodwin |
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Johnnetta B. Cole, Ph.D.
Past President of Spelman College
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Margaret Mead once said, "Never doubt the ability of a small group of committed individuals to change the world." It's the only way it ever happens. I think once you believe that, once you believe it really is possible -- to use the most frequently articulated phrase --"to make a difference," then you become an empowered force to do that. Surely, that's what was a part of someone like a Martin Luther King, Jr. He could not have done what he did if he didn't believe in the possibility of change. How could Nelson Mandela have sat for 27 years in prison if he didn't believe in the possibility of change? How could those great sisters, suffragettes that they were, have held on -- until finally in 1920 we women folk got the right to vote -- if they didn't believe that their action could lead to change?
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[ Interview ] Johnnetta Cole |
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The Hon. Colin Powell
Former Secretary of State
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Colin Powell: We can't just sit around waiting for government to solve some of these intractable social problems that we've had for years. Government has a role to play. It is time for all of us to live up more fully to the concept of citizenship. And for those of us who as citizens of this nation have been blessed with treasure, and wealth, and good position, and comfortable homes, and all the blessings of this land, to be a good citizen, to be a big citizen, requires you to do more in the way of sharing with those who are in need. So that a family that has three wonderful children ought to try to see if they could find three hours a week to share that life with a kid in need who doesn't have a mentor, who doesn't get to play in Little League and do the other things that we take for granted. Somebody in that family who might go tutor a school on an afternoon off from a job, and we're encouraging corporations to give them that afternoon off. And so that's what we mean by big citizenship.
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[ Interview ] Colin Powell |
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Civil Rights Law Project
Civil rights have been an important part of the United States of America ever since The Declaration of Independence stated that, "all men are created equal." Yet it wasn't until the Civil War put an end to slavery eighty-four years later, that this concept began to become a reality. Minorities, women, people with disabilities and others have all had to fight for civil rights. Ensuring that all Americans enjoy equal rights and privileges is still a major concern of policy makers today. Using the Resource Links, research the history of a civil law of your choice. Some possible areas to look into include criminal rights, public accommodations and facilities, education, employment, voting, housing, immigration and minority communities. Create a plan for a Web site about this law, including: your essay on the evolution of the formation of the law; biographical information on significant people who were involved; and an update on how that law is implemented today (have there been any recent amendments to the law?). Your site should of course include a list of links to helpful online resources.
Big Citizenship
In the video segments, Spelman College president Johnetta B. Cole says, "Never doubt the ability of a small group of committed individuals to change the world." There have been many examples that prove this to be true, from Martin Luther King, Jr. to the six women who met in a farmhouse in 1846 and started the women's right to vote movement. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell calls upon all Americans "to live up more fully to the concept of citizenship" and consumer crusader Ralph Nader calls citizen action "a source of joy." Read Nader's interview in the Gallery of Public Service. What has motivated him to embrace certain causes? What are some of the tangible results of his advocacy? Then think of something in your community, or even in your country, that frustrates you. It could have to do with air pollution, vandalism, illiteracy, homelessness, animal rights, human rights, gun control, censorship or government spending, to name a few. Research your topic using the Resource Links. Brainstorm possible solutions and chose the one that you think is the most feasible. Create a petition that outlines the problem and the solution. Try to get at least 50 signatures from people at school or in your community who agree with you. Finally, write a letter explaining your ideas to a public official, such as your governor, congressman or city council person. Include a copy of the petition with your letter.
Immigration Debate
Unless you are a Native American, your ancestors were immigrants. Because it is a nation of immigrants, America has a rich history of cultural and ethnic diversity. Today, one of the most contentious civil rights issues in our country today has to do with illegal immigration. INS says about 40 percentof undocumented ["illegal"] migrants are in the United States after overstaying their legal visas and that there are about 5 million illegal aliens in the United States right now. Policy makers disagree about what should be done about them. Some suggest we let them stay illegally, or try to legalize them, as was done with the amnesty of 1986. Others argue that undocumented immigrants should be deported no matter how many years they have lived here. Use the Resource Links to investigate the immigration debate and decide where you stand on the issue. Consider questions such as: What if undocumented immigrants have children who are U.S. citizens because they were born here? What are some of the pros and cons of assimilating immigrants into American life? What are some pros and cons of trying to seal US borders from illegal migration? In some nations, illegal migrants must be identified and removed within one year of their arrival, or else they are allowed to stay permanently. Is this a good idea for the U.S.? Write a position piece expounding your views on this issue to be presented orally in a classroom debate. Create a PowerPoint presentation to help clarify your argument.
Coalition Building Project
Spelman College president Johnetta B. Cole says in the video segments, "Never doubt the ability of a small group of committed individuals to change the world." Activists from Martin Luther King, Jr. to the six women who met in a farmhouse in 1846 and started the women's right to vote movement have proven this to be true. Consumer crusader Ralph Nader calls citizen action "a source of joy." Read Nader's interview in the Gallery of Public Service. What has motivated him to embrace certain causes? What are some of the tangible results of his advocacy? Chose one issue in your community, or even in your country, that you feel very strongly about. It could have to do with air pollution, vandalism, illiteracy, homelessness, animal rights, human rights, gun control, censorship or government spending, to name a few. Research your topic using the Resource Links. Brainstorm possible solutions, choosing the one that seems the most feasible. Next, form a coalition with two or three other like-minded classmates. Create a name for your coalition and draw up a Web site plan, outlining your coalition's concerns and proposals. Find out what businesses, organizations and people might oppose your plan and come up with constructive ways to address their objections. Contact other organizations in your community working on similar issues and tell them about your coalition. Create a newspaper advertisement about your coalition. Write up a plan for how to raise money and how to get your word out through speeches, letters and petitions.
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