On Students On the Tea Party, Cont'd

Another interesting reflection...from a foreign student

"Having lived the first seven years of my life in Germany, the concept of living in America was exciting and surreal. From elementary school on, I was taught that the American Revolution was caused by a series of abuse for the mother country, Britain. Britain is portrayed as caring solely about their financial gain and not treating the colonists’ fairly. This notion of what the American Revolution represented was engrained in my mind and it was every difficult to overcome this mindset of American the great and look at the Revolution in a completely unbiased manner. Upon closer study, the real roots and causes of the revolution were revealed. From studying American history, I realized that not everything is black and white; there are a lot of gray areas that leaves the revolution open to biases.

"The Boston Tea party occurred on the evening of December 16, 1773 and was a protest against the British imposing more control over the colonies. The act actually allowed the East India Company to sell the tea at a reduced price to the colonist, who responded by dumping the tea into the water. It is ironic that the modern day Tea Party claims a name of an event that protested the lack of representation not the taxes themselves. Many of the people claiming to know what the core cause of the Boston Tea party really do not know all the facts. The American Revolution was most importantly, a revolt in order to gain individual rights. The modern day Tea Party follows the notion of everyone creates their own American Dream. The Tea Partiers believe that money earned by the people should not help contribute to society as a whole through taxes. The healthcare system in American is horrible, yet they don’t believe in universal healthcare. The American Revolution occurred over two hundred years ago yet there are persistent in claiming to know what the founding fathers wanted. There are major problems such as healthcare, education, and large unemployment rates, yet claim to know what is best for America based on the events that happened during the founding of the United States.

"America is ever changing, in part due to the ideals of the early Americans. The colonists despised the fact that the British government asserted control over their independence.  In many respects, in modern society, we challenge the authority of government. Many want better schools, universal healthcare and more job opportunities, but neglect to take on some of the responsibility. The American Revolution taught us that if people have a common goal and are united, then they can overcome many obstacles. If this dedication is placed on issues just as crucial as the revolution such as education and healthcare there is no stopping positive progress. 

"The Tea Party should be open to progress that benefits the community not only the individual. The pros and cons of the British government are used as the foundation of today’s government. Thanks to the revolution, Americans have rights they would otherwise not have. Even a document such as the Constitution, which is at the core of modern society, is not understood by average American. This often results in the document being misinterpreted and abused. The Constitution was written assuming that Americans would have some level of common sense, but this is an assumption that cannot unambiguously be made.

"As an immigrant to the United States, I see the opportunities American has to offer as well as some of the flaws that need to be addressed. Universal healthcare serves as an example. Doesn’t everyone deserve to be treated at a doctor’s office?  Not to mention the cost that occurs by using of emergency rooms as primary care providers. I believe politics needs to reevaluate the system as a whole, keeping in mind the greater good and not to forget the poor that depend on it most. Denial is preventing movement towards a more aware and productive society.  The American Revolution should be taught at face value and not be elevated to something that it is not. No matter how one looks at it, the revolution was a movement away for the authority of the British and a large step towards individual rights. It is the foundation for modern society and has paved the way for generations to come. The Tea Party adopted their name hoping to bring about images of a glorious revolution. In reality, there is no real comparison or parallel to the actual Boston Tea Party."