American+Ideals



http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/465.Alexis_de_Tocqueville

"It is above all in the present democratic age that the true friends of liberty and human grandeur must remain constantly vigilant and ready to prevent the social power from lightly sacrificing the particular rights of a few individuals to the general execution of its designs. In such times there is no citizen so obscure that it is not very dangerous to allow him to be oppressed, and there are no individual rights so unimportant that they can be sacrificed to arbitrariness with impunity." — [|Alexis de Tocqueville]

"America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." — [|Alexis de Tocqueville]

"Democracy extends the sphere of individual freedom socialism restricts it. Democracy attaches all possible value to each man; socialism makes each man a mere agent a mere number. Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word: equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude." — [|Alexis de Tocqueville]


 * The Declaration of Independence**

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/

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Its true this country has many flaws but the fact that in some respects the people of this country can choose to change the nation and shape it in the way they want is what makes this country great.



A great example of the positives in the U.S democratic government is the passing of the Dream Act in Illinois. http://www.hispanicallyspeakingnews.com/notitas-de-noticias/details/il-house-passes-illinois-dream-act-on-a-bipartisan-vote/7990/ Reflection: http://amlit-kaplan.wikispaces.com/Reflection+of+American+Ideals Next page http://amlit-kaplan.wikispaces.com/Education