By Nisie

No Kings

King George III may have seen America as another kingdom to control, another home away from the small, dreary British island he called home, but he was mistaken. Taking away Americans' right to buy land and prosper would lead to a rebellion by the colonists. Treason was now considered patriotism. Once the revolution began, the unpopular king served the equivalent of two terms in office. Americans made it clear; no king would rule these lands. That is the beauty of this country – the people hold the power. 

        After George Washington, there would be many more great leaders to follow. Abraham Lincoln held a broken country together during the American Civil War. John F. Kennedy would shape America into the modern world we know now by supporting the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s and setting us up for the technological advances we enjoy today by dramatically expanding NASA’s space program and sending us all the way to the moon in 1961. In 2008, Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States and made history as our first black president. During his time in office, he would be a champion for broader civil rights for the LGB community. He passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and executed the auto-industry bailout to combat the 2008 financial crisis. Then, almost a decade after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, President Obama authorized the 2011 Navy SEAL raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan, finally taking down Osama bin Laden. These presidents truly embraced the spirit of the American dream, but not all U.S. presidents have been good for our country. 

        James Buchanan, 15th President of the United States, placed the burden on individual states to resolve their issues regarding individual rights, primarily the right to own slaves. But instead of working it out, the South seceded, and the country was thrown into a civil war. His poor leadership almost led the country to an early grave. Then after Abraham Lincoln put it all back together, Andrew Johnson, the 17th President, failed to secure rights for freed slaves, and his clashes with Congress ruined Reconstruction, setting Americans up for decades of Jim Crow Laws in the South. And right now, Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, is failing the country daily with his intense political polarization, crippling economic policies, and failed nuclear negotiations with Iran. The 45th President has been an embarrassing chapter in American History, but it is just that. A short chapter, we will move on from because there are no Kings in the United States of America. The people hold the power through their vote. 

Jus Soli (Right of the Soil)

In 1790, the Naturalization Act was the first law to grant birthright citizenship to Americans, but it was expressly reserved for free white men. It wasn’t until after the Civil War ended that the 14th Amendment was ratified to overturn Dred Scott. It was then officially declared that "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States". Then, later in 1868, the amendment would affirm that children of immigrants born on U.S. soil were American Citizens. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s bid to end birthright citizenship. 

The Supreme Court's ruling reminds us that, after 250 years, the foundation of our Democracy was built to withstand any test of resilience and is strong enough to live another 250 years.