Monday, January 27, 2020

US Criminal Justice: Ethics and Professional Behaviour

US Criminal Justice: Ethics and Professional Behaviour Ethics and professional behaviour are an important part of criminal justice administration. Ethics involves making moral judgements about what is good or bad, right or wrong. Ethics help us to make right choices when we are in a dilemma which involves moral issues. The Criminal justice administration faces ethical issues very often and it is important to deal with them in a professional manner. The administration suffers with issues in certain situations that are hard to handle and it is the duty or rather we can say the criminal justice administration are obliged to make moral judgements of what is right or wrong and this is done with the help of proper critical thinking. Good ethics contribute to professional behaviour. Law enforcement plays a major role in professional behaviour and ethics. The unethical acts by criminal justice are serious and there are possibilities for conflicts in the areas of criminal justice leading to unethical decisions. It is necessary that ethics and pro fessional behaviour are practiced every time. If the administration is unethical and there is no professional behaviour then it is obvious for the society to lose faith in the criminal justice system. Ethics and professional behaviour are directly related to each other. Lack of ethics lead to lack of professional behaviour which means a weak criminal justice administration. Ethics are moral values or moral judgements which we make in order to decide what is right or wrong, good or bad. For making this type of decision, one needs to have a sound mind and the moral principles do not apply themselves, a thinking mind is required to asses facts and interpret situations. Moral agents make moral judgements and it is our duty to use the ethical principles in a right way. Moral principles mean something only when manifested in behaviour. For this, force should be embodied in action and this action requires an insight. Ethical persons are motivated to do what is morally right but they can only do so if they know what it is. It is important that the ethically motivated persons should learn the art of self-critique, moral examination to become attuned to the pervasive pitfalls of moral judgement: moral intolerance, self-deception, and uncritical uniformity. (http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/ethics-without-indoctrination/494). Morality and character can be cul tivated without being indoctrinated by putting in the critical thinking into the heart of ethical curriculum, critical thinking for everyone. Hence, it can be said that without critical thinking ethics and professional behaviour cant be maintained. Thus, critical thinking plays a major role. Our greatest training is ethics and leadership is required in order to boost its growth. It is seen that most departments dont conduct ethics training and the consequences of these unethical behaviour is devastating. One of the more detrimental consequences of unethical behaviour is subjecting of an agency to civil litigation. Litigations have various forms: racial and sexual discrimination, sexual harassment suits etc. Lack of ethical behaviour leads to loss of jobs of the officers and many a times the unemployment compensation is not even offered. It is also noticed that many a times the officers commit suicide as they fail to deal with the unethical acts. Hence, one should try and prevent any kind of unethical act as it will help us to save the lives of our officers. The most extensive ethics training survey conducted by law enforcement was undertaken in 1997. This in return, has produced several recommendations for changes in how one should address the ethics today. Hence, ethics training should highly be encouraged and seminars should be conducted so that our officers deal with unethical behaviour without fearing anything and should join hands to eliminate it. The fundamental duties of Law Enforcement Officers include: serving the mankind, safeguarding lives of the people and property, protecting the weak against oppression, maintaining law and order, and to respect the Constitutional rights of everyone. They are honest in thought and deed and obey the laws of the land and regulations of their department. He should make sure that his personal feelings and friendships dont influence his decisions. He should see that he doesnt makes any kind of compromises for crime and that he will enforce the laws accordingly and appropriately without any favour or malice. The officer should realise that his badge is a symbol of public faith and it is his duty to be true to the ethics of the police service. All these areas should be stressed in the seminar on law enforcement. Ethical training overrules all other training needs. Ethical training emphasizes the importance of thinking before acting. It adds value to the organization and to the community. The study of ethics increases sensitivity to the issues of right or wrong and the right way to conduct oneself. Only through studying ethics is it possible to define and detect unethical behavior. The study of the ethics enables the development of tools that enhances ones decision making. The training in ethics helps to develop analytical skills and reasoning abilities which are required to understand the theoretical as well as practical aspects of criminal justice system. The expected benefits of training the officers are: To recognize the ethical problem, To make a sound choice and right decision, To accept his responsibility. Provides ethical tools to deal with ethical problems. Ethics training should provide tools that assist them to think and act ethically in both their personal and professional lives. Ethics training encourages the professional to be an integrated person and this integrity must be personal as well as professional. Ethics training can be thus viewed as Risk Management because their motto is to prevent injuries to people and thats what ethical training aims at. Thus, it can be said that ethics training program provides tools which helps make a right decision which will contribute to the betterment of the community even. Answer to Question 2 Police agencies have got various functions which include preventing and controlling the conduct and behavior that threatens property or life, maintaining security etc. Sometimes the police agencies even take care of those who are incapable of taking their own care, for example physically challenged or mentally ill people. It is their duty to resolve the conflicts that arise and to identify the problems that give rise to danger. The police agencies differ depending on the three levels local, state and federal levels. Local agencies deal with emergency services, routine patrol, and detention for juveniles, community relations, record keeping, creating agendas etc. The primary purpose of these local agencies is to uphold the laws of the jurisdiction and investigate crimes at local level. State agencies are supposed to maintain public relations, safety and the criminal investigations. Federal agencies are specialized, having separate mandates to enforce certain types of federal laws (there are about 200 federal crimes). (http://www.faculty.ncwc.edu/mstevens/111/111lect05.htm) It deal with matters affecting the entire country i.e. terrorism, organized crime etc. Comparison: Local, State and Federal agencies share the same roles and functions as it is mentioned above. Contrasts: The difference lies only in cases of certain jurisdictions that affect the funding, operation and support. Local levels: The officers here are supported largely by the support staffs, detectives, jailers and protect the citizens and to enforce the laws passed at all levels of the government. They differ from the state and federal level as their activities are confined only to the jurisdictions they have been assigned. State Levels: The officers working under state level enforce local, state and federal laws; many are even found enforcing state traffic, civil or criminal laws. Even the officers in the state prison are taken as a part of law enforcement efforts different from others in that they enforce state laws within state institution. Federal levels: Different types of agents are employed including the special agents, ranging from the FBI (federal bureau of investigation), Bureau of alcohol to the Indian Affairs bureau. Their task is not to enforce state or local laws but to intervene when matters at global level are concerned. The law enforcement field is changing in its organizational strategies, methods and various aspects. Organizational management aims in improving the services, and the trends of development at various levels of the policing organizations. As we all know that the police agencies are bestowed with routine functions at numerous operational levels. These agencies highly contribute to the criminal justice systems and contribute to the other organizations. The trends on which the future policing will operate depend upon the way each of the organization is affected. It is these trends which clarify the operational aspects within the policing organizations. The management employs different levels of people to make decisions based on the success of the organization. The organizational management differs at all the three levels as the local levels are confined to the jurisdictions assigned where as the state levels enforces laws of state, locals as well as federal and the federal levels looks a fter the matters relating to the global level. Answer to Question 3 The safeguards against application of criminal laws are the criminal procedures. These procedures are designed to enforce the constitutional rights of criminal suspects and defendants. The constitutional provisions are mentioned in the IV, V, VI and VIII Amendments to the U.S Constitution. Fourth Amendment: (Exclusionary Rule) The right to be free from unreasonable searches and arrests is covered by the fourth amendment. The people shall be free and it is the right of the people to be secure in their houses against any kind of seizures. The warrants against the person shall only be issued if there is an authentic cause and the warrant shall be supported by an oath or affirmation which includes the details of the place to be searched. Since fourth amendment prohibits unreasonable searches hence, a warrant isnt required often. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that the Fourth Amendment doesnt require a warrant for all searches; rather it prohibits unreasonable searches. (http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Criminal_Procedure.aspx ) Fifth Amendment: (Miranda warnings) It deals with concerns which require proper procedures to be followed, like the death penalty, multiple trials for same criminal offence which is also referred to as Double Jeopardy, self incrimination etc. It states that no person shall be held to answer for a capital unless on presentment of a Jury, no person shall be subject for the same offence twice put in jeopardy of life, and that no person shall be deprived of liberty, property without the process of law. Sixth Amendment: (Right to Counsel and Speedy trial) It provides that the accused shall enjoy the Right to public trial by an impartial Jury of State in all criminal prosecutions; he should be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation, he should be made to confront with the witnesses against him and to have processes to obtain the witnesses in his favour. The federal courts must comply with all the criminal procedures that are listed in the Constitution. For State Courts, the Supreme Court has adopted an approach called the selective incorporation approach where fundamental rights are protected which include freedom from unreasonable researches, freedom from cruel punishment; assistance of counsel, protection against double jeopardy etc. In juvenile proceedings, juvenile courts must afford to the juveniles basic constitutional protections. It is also been held that the Fourth Amendment requires that a juvenile who is arrested without a warrant should be provided with a probable cause hearing. The exclusionary rule applies to federal adjudications. In juvenile proceedings, the juveniles are entitled to the Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination despite the non-criminal nature of the proceedings. The Fifth Amendment applies since a juvenile defendants liberty is at stake. The Sixth Amendment applies to juveniles just as it applies to the adults accused of crime. Discuss the impact that these safeguards (e.g., Right to Counsel, Miranda Warnings, and speedy trial, the exclusionary rule, etc.) have on the day-to- day operation of adult and juvenile courts. It has been seen that under the automobile exception, warrantless searches of an automobile may be permitted if the police officer believes that a certain automobile holds the evidence of a crime. This exception is in no ways a violation of the Fourth Amendment because the vehicles are mobile and the drivers dont really have much privacy. This reduced expectation of privacy permits the officers with probable cause to search a vehicle and inspect the passenger and drivers belongings. However, it is not required by the states to adopt this exception as expanded protections are provided by New Hampshire under the Fourth Amendment. The Exclusionary Rule deals with the protection of the rights to be free from unreasonable searches. It holds that the subject matter that is obtained illegally by the officers must not be used as evidence. To make an arrest, police needs to have an arrest warrant and if the police believes that there is a probable cause and there was no time to create the warrant then he can make a warrantless arrest. In dealing with juveniles, police issue Miranda Warnings to youths prior to custodial investigation. (http://cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/A-separate-system-for-juveniles.topicArticleId-10065,articleid-10059.html ) At the time of the arrest it is important that the officer reads out the Miranda warnings to the arrestee, which says that the arrestee might obtain the right to counsel and the right to remain silent. In case these warnings are not read out then the statements he would make after the arrest may be excluded from the trial. Hence, it is visible that these constitutional safeguards affect the adult and juvenile courts and has a huge impact. Answer to Question 4 Impact of globalization on the U.S. criminal justice system Globalization refers to the global outlook of different nations of the globe who unite in terms of economy, society and politics. Globalization talks of all the nations as a whole and thus, it has been successful in reuniting all the nations together as one. Globalization aims at helping nations communicate with each other and therefore, the whole process of globalization is an amalgamation of integration and interaction among people belonging to different nations, cast, and organizations of various nations. Economic integration through investment and trade, political interaction, information technologies and culture constitutes its various magnitudes which directly affect the environment. Globalization has a huge impact on the lives of people and has greatly affected the world. Movement of materials and goods within national boundaries is easily possible, it is easy to procure external financing opportunities, the markets are now interrelated and nations are ready to provide their s upport, any kind of information can now be sent from one part to another with the help of satellites and internet, due to globalization people communicate through social networks and make friends across the globe etc. As technology advances and the power of technologies improve, it is obvious that the opportunity for cyber crimes will also increase. With the advance in technologies, a day will come when it will be real difficult to catch hold of these cyber criminals so it is necessary that a Criminal justice system is formulated which keeps themselves updated with the new technologies. Technological advances have a great influence in crime fighting. Crimes can be prevented by the use of advanced technologies like DNA analysis, radio frequency, surveillance developments etc. Because of globalization the people can even use intelligence databases which are usually carried by the police. Also, bilateral transfer of information between the countries will lead to changes in the countrys criminal justice system. Globalization has improved the technologies and in a way has brought carious nations close together. An anti-terrorism legislation investigates the terrorist cases and the process of screening, investigating has changed. A desire to improve the persisting relations has been expressed and jurisdiction programs and activities have been adopted to improve relations. Hence, it can be said that globalization has had a great impact in improving the U.S criminal justice system. Comparison among Civil Law, Common law, and Islamic Law and Socialist Law traditions The four legal traditions are as follows: Civil Law systems: It is the largest and most prevalent system of justice in the world. It is also referred as Continental justice, Roman law or Germano-romanic justice. Roman law is practiced in places like Germany, France and throughout Latin America. The object of civil law is the redress of wrongs by compelling compensation or restitution. (http://www.diffen.com/difference/Civil_law_vs_criminal_law) Legal scholarships are sophisticated in this kind of system and it has respect for tradition whereas in case of common law anybody can get a scholarship. The leaders of the continental justice are considered above the law whereas in common law nobody is above the law. Common law systems: These traditions exist in the U.S, Australia, England, Canada, India and colonies of Africa. They believe that any law originates in customs. In this system, the lawyers make interpretations and the precedents have control over the judges. Public trial is a very important constituent of this law system. Socialist law systems: This kind of tradition exists in Africa, Asia and parts of Latin America wherever there has been a communist revolution. It is also referred to as Communist Justice or Marxist Leninist justice. It is a positive law which aims at improvement. Administrative law prevails here as the decisions are mostly taken by the non-officials and neither judges nor lawyers are permitted to make law. Islamic systems: Famous as Muslim or Arabic justice. All the procedures and practices in this law are derived from the Koran. These are in the form of commands or orders which rule the life of an individual. It is the only law which believes that each and every law is of divine origin. Like in Roman or Common law, it might happen that an unlawful/unethical behavior is tolerated but in case of Islamic law never. Since, only a few verses of the Koran are used in Islamic law hence, it is mandatory that the religion plays an important role. Impact of cyber crime and technology on worldwide justice systems Cybercrime or criminal crime is a criminal activity where a computer is a source, target and place of the crime. It comprises of embezzlement, forgery, theft, fraud or blackmail and all this involves the presence of computers. Cybercrime ranges from email spams to threats of cyber wars, few of its forms are examples of simple theft such as stealing credit cards, bank account passwords etc. As the technology advances and the power of technologies improve, the opportunity for cyber related crimes will also gain momentum. So, it is important that the criminal justice systems keeps up with the advancing technologies or else it would get difficult to get hold of these cyber criminals. Cyber crime has huge impact on the victims and the criminal justice system despite the presence of network security programs and organizations who work to counteract these crime related threats, cybercrime continue to increase. It shouldnt mean that because cybercrime occurs therefore, we will stop using int ernet to work or play. Majority of sites on the internet are legitimate and our lives are highly enhanced because of the cyber tools. Users susceptibility to cybercrime can be reduced by the conduct of training programs by the employers as a part of security plan. Measures have been taken by the organizations to reduce the spread of cybercrimes. Globalization has greatly influenced the lives of the people by bringing in new methods and technologies and it has its own negative impact too. Advancement in the technologies has also contributed to the increased number of cybercrimes. The policing systems on a worldwide scale Statistics say that more than 800,000 people are employed by 17,500 police agencies at national, state, county and municipal levels. These agencies comprise of 50 federal law enforcement agencies, 49 state police departments, special police agencies 1,721 in number, 3,086 sheriffs departments and 12,502 municipal police departments. (http://cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/polce-systems.topicArticleId-10065,articleId-9950.html) Federal police agencies: these are a part of the executive branch of national government. Major federal law enforcements agencies are : Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): Their duty is to protect the nation from crimes such as organized crime, terrorism, civil-right crimes, and violent crimes. It is also their duty to assist other agencies (local, state and federal) through its crime statistics, training academy etc. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF): the job of this agency is to find out the use of explosives and firearms by the criminals. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA): Al the federal drug-control laws are enforced by DEA. The agents arrest drug traffickers. The Secret services: This service aims at protecting the President and other officials of federal government. The officers of federal law enforcement are being stationed overseas in order to combat the crimes such as terrorism, money laundering etc. State Police The tasks of the State Police agencies involves To assist the local law enforcement organizations in cases of criminal investigations. To maintain crime records for the State. To train municipal and county police; and To patrol the state highways. The Directors of the State police are appointed by the Governor. The California Highway patrol is the nations largest State Police Force. County Police The responsibility of policing the rural and unincorporated areas in the United States is of the Sheriffs. These sheriffs perform various kinds of duties which consists law enforcement and other court duties. They also serve as officers of county courts. Bailiffs are provided by the sheriffs office to provide security and to manage the defendants on trial. The sheriffs even transport prisoners from one court to another as required. Municipal police The responsibility of dealing with the violent crimes rest on the shoulders of city police and these are the ones who swear to protect the nation from the crimes. Big city police departments are headed over by the Chiefs who are appointed by the mayors. Major crimes and criminal issues that have a global impact on justice systems and processes The fall of the Soviet Empire lead to the downfall of various national armies all over the world. For example, in Somalia and Yugoslavia, the end of cold war meant a rapid escalation of instability and conflict as the former allies lost interests in keeping the governments in power. (http://www.themontrealreview.com/2009/Contracting-peacekeeping-operations-to-the-private-sector.php) The experiences of the U.S with security companies in Afghanistan and Iraq lead to serious problems like misconduct of the operations and dishonest business practices. A revolution in peace keeping was brought about by the Cold War; and this peacekeeping tried to keep neutrality. As mentioned above, post Cold-War the need for a new and improved peacekeeping was felt and there was increased instability. The rise and rapid fall of new world order in peacekeeping was seen in the 1990s and Bosnia, Rwanda and Somalia became the nadir in the three acts of peacekeeping. It was realized that some changes need to be made and thus Brahmi Report was brought in the 2000s. The recommendations brought improvements in the U.N. Department of Peacemaking Operations. It is noticed that inspite of the implementations in the peacekeeping order, the pace is still slow and inefficient. The three failures of the 1990s i.e. Bosnia, Somalia and Rwanda it was decided that a new improved peacekeeping order is required which was mentioned in the Brahmi Report of 2000 which resulted in an improved peacekeeping. It was also seen that few militaries targeted their own citizens and were involved in wars with their neighbors. For instance, Rwandas interfering in the Democratic Public of Congo) Todays century peacemaking techniques help the peacemakers to reduce the harm to the peace making order. It took three years for the Democratic Republic of China to gain strong troop strength and the attacks continued for about six years. In the same way missions in Darfur and the DRC suffered from low troop numbers. In the U.S, the Secretary of Defense hired a company to consult with the armed forces to unveil cost-saving measures. This showed that PMSCs had a great role to play. The deaths of 30 U.S military servicemen and the videos of their naked corpses led to the Somalia Syndrome. The infamous case of Rwanda in 1994 threw light on the consequences of lack of action by the international community. PMSCs have been active in Somalia since the beginning of the decade. The serious issues include illegal fishing, piracy, and the dumping of toxic wastes. Each of the three Somali governments has engaged separate PMSCs to secure the maritime trade and counteract such activities. The criminal jurisdiction and responsibilities should be resided with the U.N. as no other State have ensured that crimes should be looked into and answered other than the PMSCs. The UN has taken up the responsibility for the forces which are put under its commands on various occasions.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Online Financial Service Provision in Saudi Arabia

Furst, Lang & Nolle (2000) write that the Internet has been viewed as a valuable tool by bankers as well as lawmakers, other participants in the financial services industry in addition to regulators and business journalists around the world.As financial institutions do away with paperwork and cut costs of employing clerks to handle paper transactions in conventional financial companies – customers’ lives are made easier as they do not have to visit their financial institutions to carry out necessary transactions (Furst, Lang & Nolle, p. 1).   Saving time equates to saving money in this scenario.   Thus, the entire economy benefits through greater efficiency of financial institutions when they open up their virtual branches on the World Wide Web.How has the Saudi Arabian financial industry benefited from the advent of the Internet?   Are their factors that especially impede or support growth of online provision of financial services in Saudi Arabia?   How does e- commerce influence growth of online financial service provision across Saudi Arabia?In order to answer these questions, my dissertation entitled, â€Å"A Study of Factors Influencing Growth of Online Financial Service Provision in Saudi Arabia† would require me to conduct online interviews with managers of major and minor financial institutions in Saudi Arabia.   This research would explore factors influencing growth of Internet banking in addition to online provision of other financial services, for example, insurance in Saudi Arabia.Furthermore, this study would determine whether there are differences between Islamic and non-Islamic financial institutions as far as online financial service provision is concerned.   Lastly, this research would explore the target market for online financial service provision in Saudi Arabia, with the aim to develop customer profiles, taking gender into account.REFERENCESFurst, K, Lang, WW & Nolle, DE 2000, ‘Internet Banking: Develop ments and Prospects,’Economic and Policy Analysis Working Paper 2000-9, Sep 2000. http://www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/workpaper/wp2000-9.pdf.   

Friday, January 10, 2020

La Vita E Bella

lAira G. ManaloAugust 31, 2012 COM31Mr. Edgar Garnace Life is Beautiful (La Vita e Bella) I believe that being free is a matter of choice. We are free because we want to be defined not by other people but ourselves. We make choices together with the thought of making a choice for the good of everyone. We exist not for other people to tie strings on our hands and feet and do the manipulation. I don’t exactly know what to feel about this film. It was a good laugh and a painful thing for me at the same time.Guido (Roberto Benigni) is such an optimistic human being, a positive father to his son Giosue (Giorgio Cantarini) and a loving husband to his wife Dora (Nicoletta Braschi), who he treated like a princess if I may have to mention. As for me, being a person who freaks out when things don’t go right, I have perfectly seen how Guido made life beautiful for his son and wife. It hurts me to see him hiding the truth from his son by reinventing the things that happens inside t he concentration camp.In the midst of that threatening situation, Guido manipulated his world and made life beautiful for him and his family. I think that is the very essence of the film, making life perfect for you, even if it really isn’t for the entire world. It is important that we find beauty even in the darkest and cruelest of places. Dora amazed me too. I will not forget how she willingly set foot into that train containing all Jewish people. I can see how strong her love is for her husband and son that she can give up her life just to be with them.I have seen her change from a spoiled girl who fell into Guido’s arms and turned out into someone braver and stronger, someone who thinks not much of her own sake anymore. This is where I would now start relating it to Existentialism. The very core of this philosophy is that â€Å"Existence precedes Essence†. It emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent uni verse and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one’s own doings. It is just so ironic for me that a person like Guido is living in a world where freedom is the rarest of all terms.The Nazis have defined what living should mean for them, which I also think is very contradicting to the center value of Existentialism, which is freedom. A person defines himself and what he wants to make of himself. No one could ever define him as a person but only what he wants him to be. The Jews in this movie let the Nazis define the world for them, though I know they are left with no other choice but to keep responding to what these people want them to do, because if not, they will cease to exist.This is what Sartre called â€Å"Quietism. † The poor Jews let the Nazis decide for them because they are afraid to die, to get hurt, even if being shot to death while fighting for freedom would be a better death than be degraded by people of other race, in my o pinion. I have seen an authentic person in Guido. In his quiet ways he defined the world for himself. He fought for what he thinks is right and there he exercised his freedom.He tried to fight his way out of the hellish camp if not for himself but for his family, and this he thinks is right not for himself but also for those other people with him. Life is beautiful. It will be if you want it to be. When things are not going right for me, I know ranting won’t make them all right. I know that I always have the choice. I would always remember Guido who has found beauty in the ugliest of places. Because the man who can accept all the barriers and restrictions in life and is not afraid of them is free.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

32 Patriotic Independence Day Quotes

It was a historic moment when Thomas Jefferson, along with other members of the Continental Congress, drafted the Declaration of Independence. The Continental Congress declared the people of America independent from the British colonies. It was the moment of truth all Americans had waited for. If the effort of severing ties from the British succeeded, the leaders of the movement would be hailed as true American heroes. However, if the effort failed, the leaders would be guilty of treason and face death. It was the clever wording of the Declaration of Independence, followed by some smart strategies employed by the leaders that sparked the Independence movement. What followed was a relentless power struggle to gain absolute independence from the British monarchy. July 4, 1776, was the historic day when the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. Every year, Americans rejoice and celebrate Independence Day, or the 4th of July, with great fanfare. Amidst colorful parades, flag hoisting ceremonies, and barbecue parties, Americans remember the suffering their forefathers endured to win them precious freedom. Patriotic Quotes for Independence Day Erma Bombeck: You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.Adlai Stevenson: America is much more than a geographical fact. It is a political and moral fact -- the first community in which men set out in principle to institutionalize freedom, responsible government, and human equality.Elmer Davis: This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.Joseph Addison: Let freedom never perish in your hands.Dwight D. Eisenhower: Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed - else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die.George Bernard Shaw: Liberty is the breat h of life to nations.Woodrow Wilson: The American Revolution was a beginning, not a consummation.Harry Emerson Fosdick: Liberty is always dangerous, but it is the safest thing we have.Ralph Waldo Emerson: For what avail the plough or sail, or land or life, if freedom fail?Daniel Webster: May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely, than this our own country!John Dickinson: Then join hand in hand, brave Americans all!By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall.Hamilton Fish: If our country is worth dying for in time of war let us resolve that it is truly worth living for in time of peace.Benjamin Franklin: Where liberty dwells, there is my country.Thomas Paine: Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.-  Thomas Paine: In a chariot of light from the region of the day,The Goddess of Liberty cameShe brought in her hand as a pledge of her love,The plant she named Liberty Tree.He that would make h is own liberty  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹secure,  must guard even his enemy from opposition; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach himself.Franklin D. Roosevelt: The winds that blow through the wide sky in these mounts, the winds that sweep from Canada to Mexico, from the Pacific to the Atlantic - have always blown on free men.James G. Blaine: The United States is the only country with a known birthday.Paul Sweeney: How often we fail to realize our good fortune in living in a country where happiness is more than a lack of tragedy.Hubert H. Humphrey: We need an America with the wisdom of experience. But we must not let America grow old in spirit.George Santayana: A mans feet must be planted in his country, but his eyes should survey the world.Bill Vaughan: A real patriot is the fellow who gets a parking ticket and rejoices that the system works.John Quincy Adams: All men profess honesty as long as they can. To believe all men honest would be folly. To believe non e so is something worse.Aurora Raigne: America, for me, has been the pursuit and catching of happiness.Gerald Stanley Lee: America is a tune. It must be sung together.Lee Greenwood: And Im proud to be an American, where at least I know Im free. And I wont forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.John F. Kennedy: And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.John F. Kennedy: Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty.Oliver Wendell Holmes: One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, One Nation evermore!Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.Let freedom ring from the mighty mountain s of New York.Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California!But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi.From every mountainside, let freedom ring.Abraham Lincoln, The  Gettysburg Address, 1863: Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.