Baylor: Manifesto

Normative statements

There should be foster care system reform.
The foster care system is extremely flawed. Children who are unfortunate enough to be placed into it are at risk of being abused, neglected and exploited. Our country is supposed to be one of the most developed countries,yet this system is poorly developed on an extreme level. I created this statement because I believe that every child should have the right to grow up in a safe home with loving, attentive and proper guardians. The foster care system is detrimental to a child’s well-being. A victim of the system shares her testimony that the system placed her in a room with guardians she requested not to have. As a result, her foster care parents made her feel uncomfortable in her new environment (Dupere). Additionally, there are not enough foster parents to support all of the kids in the foster system and as a result children are placed in group homes (Dupere). Group homes usually do not provide children with much attention and children are more at risk of facing dangerous situations from other children in the foster care. If everyone were to agree to this and spread awareness of the tragedies of the foster care system then we could make a difference and have a positive impact on the lives of many children. This matter should be taken seriously because it affects how these children will act when they are older. If children are not raised properly, then it will be hard for them to excel and succeed in life because of the lack of guidance.
This country’s future are our youth and we have to take care of them, so that they can succeed and help build our country.

Dupere, Katie. “6 Problems with the Foster Care System -- and What You Can Do to
Help.” Mashable, Mashable, 4 June 2016, mashable.com/2016/06/04/foster-care-problems/#FvE6WYej4qqc

2. The big tax cuts for big businesses is not beneficial for our country and should not be allowed in the future.
The Trump administration has been boasting about their big tax cuts that are planned to take effect. These tax cuts are made to save big companies a lot of money. Trump expects the businesses to increase the trickle down effect as a result of relieving them of taxes. This tax cut will only help the wealthy (Kessler). They’re not going to spend more money or help the lower classes because of this. They’re going to save their money and keep it for themselves. Additionally, because of this there will be less money allocated to programs and organizations that are in need of it the most. For example, social programs that are already financially struggling will not be able to continue because they will be receiving less money than they already are from the government. In addition, without the all the money the government can be receiving from the big businesses, the country will further their debt. Advocates of the large tax cut argue that the businesses who are beneficiaries to this tax cut will give their workers bonuses. However, this is not beneficial in the long run. First, this only affects a small amount of people. Second, the bonuses given will most likely act as a one time thing. I adopted this viewpoint because of all the previously mentioned statements that will act as a detriment to our country’s already flawed economic system. If other were to agree with me and take action then we could possibly save our economic system.This situation is a serious issue because if Americans show Trump and his administration that this is okay then there will be other bills passed that benefit the wealthy and act as a detriment to those who are not.

Kessler, Glenn. “Analysis | Is the Trump Tax Cut Good or Bad for the Middle Class?”
The Washington Post, WP Company, 12 Jan. 2018,
www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2018/01/12/is-the-trump-tax-cut-good-or-bad-for-the-middle-class/?utm_term=.e464742d23ff.

3. Every police officer who shoots an unarmed, non resistant person should immediately be under investigation and put on unpaid leave.
Thanks to social media, awareness has been raised about police brutality and its presence in America. To this day, many innocent people have been brutally murdered by the police in America. Most of these people who are unjustifiably murdered by the police are African American men.“Black people accounted for 31 percent of police killing victims in 2012, even though they made up just 13 percent of the US population” (Lopez 2). Even though these men are murdered for no valid reason, the police are not even penalized. There have been many cases where the police have been able to return to work right after they killed an unarmed victim. This country’s justice system has proved that the lives of African Americans are worthless. I have adopted this statement because what is happening is not okay. It is against my morals for me to ignore this while people are losing loved ones and in fear of their lives every day. People’s lives are being taken away just because of the color of their skin and how they look. That is not okay, and this is racism. If others were to adopt my opinion and take action then more lives would be saved and less people would be living in fear. These officers need to be held accountable for taking people’s lives away. This is not okay, and if this matter is not taken seriously then the tension in America will continue to grow as well as the number of innocent people being brutally murdered.

Posner, Joe, and Alvin Chang . “There Are Huge Racial Disparities in How US Police
Use Force.” Edited by German Lopez, Vox, 17 Dec. 2015, www.vox.com/cards/police-brutality-shootings-us/us-police-racism

4. Women should be paid just as much as their male counterpart.
It is unbelievable that to this day men and women are not paid the same. Men are paid more than women just because they are men and that is just sexist. I came up with this statement because it is not fair for women to have to experience sexism in the workplace. In addition, there is no valid reason for why men should be paid more. Women are doing just as much work if not more, yet they’re being paid less. “For full-time, year-round workers, women are paid on average only 77 percent of what men are paid” (Women Deserve Equal Pay). A 23% percent difference in pay is quite the significant gap. Even a one 1% difference is unfair. It is sad to think about the fact that there is an equal pay act in place, yet this issue still exist (Women Deserve Equal Pay). If others were to adopt my idea then maybe women would be paid just as much as men, and more things would be made fair. Women are already treated like second class citizens, and unequal pay is just the cherry on top. “According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), if equal pay for women were instituted immediately, across the board, it would result in an annual $447.6 billion gain nationally for women and their families” (Women Deserve Equal Pay). With this money that these women are losing, their families could be taken care of as well as themselves. This matter should be taken seriously because if we do not speak up for women then they will continue to be oppressed and seen as unequal.

“Women Deserve Equal Pay.” National Organization for Women,
now.org/resource/women-deserve-equal-pay-factsheet/.

5.There should not be a wall built separating the US territory from Mexico.
The wall separating US territory from Mexico should not be built for a myriad of reasons. To start, I want to say that the President of Mexico has stated on multiple occasions that Mexico will not be funding the wall. Therefore, we as Americans would have to pay for it to be built, and that is not a good idea. First, the wall will cost billions of dollars that we do not have. Second, these immigrants coming into our country act as more of a benefit than a detriment. Last, immigrants will find other ways to get into our country. I believe in my statement because of the aforementioned and because of the act that the money that would be spent towards building the wall is much needed elsewhere. President Trump claims that he is trying to make America great again, but there was no wall
whenever he claims it was “great”. If many people agree with me and vote against the wall then we would be saving our country from debt, an economic crisis and an extreme waste of time. As aforementioned, there are many other things that are in need of funding more than a wall. Trump has asked for $25 billion to build the wall (Prochaska). $25 billion could be used to help the public school system in all inner cities. It could be used to help the places in America with lack of clean water (Flint, Michigan). This money can be allocated towards scholarships for those who cannot afford college. This money could be used to fix our struggling welfare systems. The money could go towards hiring more teachers for schools all over America (Prochaska). The money could go towards hiring more people and making more materials to reduce pollution and try to clean up America. Lastly, the money could go towards “...294,000 homes and end homelessness for families in America. A Habitat for Humanity house averages $85,000 to build. With $25 billion, we could build more than 294,000 houses” (Prochaska). There are so many other important things that we could use that money for other than a wall.

Prochaska, Mike. “Donald Trump's Border Wall: 10 Things to Use the Money for Instead
Opinion.” 30Seconds Dad, 30seconds.com/dad/tip/15406/Donald-Trumps-Border-Wall-10-Things-to-Use-the-Money-for-Instead.

6. The Neo-nazis and KKK members should been seen as terrorists by all and should be treated as such.
Groups like the black panthers were made to protect themselves from the constant oppression they faced from primarily the white population. As a result, they faced consequences such as brutal abuse or even losing their lives. However, groups like the KKK and Neo-nazis were made to oppress, terrorize and kill primarily African Americans, and these groups were accepted. My guess is because these groups consisted mainly of white males. From 1866 to this day, the KKK and still is alive and active, yet it is not nationally viewed as what it truly is: a terrorist group. The same goes for the Neo-nazi groups as well. Recently, after the KKK/Neo-nazi protest in Charlottesville, VA, it has once again been made clear by the government that these groups will face no punishment for their actions. In the protest, an African American male was beaten very badly by the protesters and had to go to the hospital, yet none of his abusers were arrested. How long are we going to show the world that it is okay to be racist and anti-semitic? Just because these men are not brown does not mean they’re not terrorists. Just because they’re white Americans going after minority groups does not mean they’re not terrorist. These groups are causing harm to other Americans and should be seen as terrorist and treated as such. Not too long ago, the KKK would commit “...bombings of black schools and churches and violence against black and white activists in the South (Ku Klux Klan). Although they’re actions are not the same as previous years, they’re still working to oppress African Americans and other minority groups. It is important that this be eradicated.

History.com Staff. “Ku Klux Klan.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2009,
www.history.com/topics/ku-klux-klan.