Asbury Park High School Presents: The League of Women Voters

This month in Mr. David Wronko’s history class, his students were engaged in a lesson about the Bill of Rights. The purpose of the lesson was to see of these amendments to the Constitution needed to be modified to fit our of society of today. Throughout the discussion, because of how times had changed, it appeared that the amendments did need some modification especially concerning the Fourth Amendment, search warrants and probable cause needed for search and seizure.

Asbury Park High School on the Bill of Rights

In addition, students came to the understanding that the Bill of Rights when written was not for everyone. When they originally came out, it disclosed enslaved people, Native Americans, and women. Once changes came to the United States, the Bill of Rights eventually included all those groups.

The League of Women Voters on the Bill of Rights

To show how all those groups were finally properly represented by the Bill of Rights was Janice McGowen of The League of Women Voters. Recently Janice McGowen came to Mr. David Wronko’s honor history class to conduct a lesson on how all those who were not represented by the Bill of Rights had to fight and wait until proper legislation was passed. To demonstrate, Janice McGowen gave the students an avatar card. The students would role play the person who appeared on the card regardless of race, gender, and age. Then she showed the students a timeline of historical events with the passing of many important bills such as the 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th and 26th Amendment. In addition, other important issues that were addressed were the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Native Americans Voting Rights act. Throughout each of the time frames that those laws were passed, the students would stand if that time frame properly reflected them based on the avatar character. For example, if a student had an avatar in which their character was a Black American Woman, then they would stand when the Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed as the 19th Amendment failed them when it was passed in 1919.

Students were amazed about how multiple groups had to fight and endure the wait of passing of legislation which would properly represent them.

After the lesson, two of Mr. Wronko’s students conducted presentations for Janice McGowen. Princess Gue presented her essay on which Amendments to the U.S. Constitution should be modified along with an amendment that should be added to help improve society.

Princess Gue’s essay:

The first four amendments in the U.S Bill of Rights are very important, but our world has changed a lot since they were written. Some of these amendments could be updated better to match the challenges we face today. For example, the first amendment which protects freedom of speech could be changed to help stop spreading harmful misinformation and hate speech especially online. Today people can easily spread false information on social media which can hurt people and cause confusion. By setting clearer rules we could make sure that free speech doesn’t harm others and spread lies.

The second Amendment which gives people the right to own guns could also be updated. With so much gun violence today, stricter rules like background checks and safety classes would make guns safer. This would allow people to defend themselves while keeping everyone else safe.

The Fourth Amendment protects us from unreasonable searches, but it doesn’t cover digital privacy today, people’s personal information is often collected without them knowing. Updating the amendment to protect our data would make people feel safer in digital time.

If I could add an amendment to the U.S it would be “The right to a clean and healthy environment.” This would guarantee that every person has the right to live in a safe, clean environment, and that the government must protect the environment for future generations. In my community, this amendment would lead to cleaner air, water and streets. Local governments would have to enforce stronger laws to reduce pollution, making neighborhoods healthier and more pleasant to live in. Nationally it would push the U.S to tackle climate change and switch to cleaner energy sources. It would also create new jobs in green industries and help protect the environment and the entire country.

The next student, Semaj Reid presented his Voice of Democracy essay while being filmed.

Semaji Reid’s essay:

Sometimes it’s the smallest acts that show the greatest passion.
Day in and day out, I show patriotism by picking up any garbage
on the floor that I see and if I have garbage and I’m not near a
garbage can then I will carry it or wait until I find one. This is
something I hold near and dear to my heart and make sure I keep
this country clean every day I wake up. Like Lyndon B. Johnson
once said, “Beauty belongs to all the people. What has been
divinely given to us nature will not be taken recklessly away by
man.” He was known for helping nature by encouraging people to
care of it but it really wasn’t all his plan it was actually his wife’s.
Initially, Johnson only helped her but then he slowly began to
understand why she liked, and more honestly, loved nature.

During his administration President Johnson signed nearly 300
conservation measures into law, forming the basis of the modern
environmental movement. Included among the legislation were
bills to ensure clean air and protect water quality. Laws governing
waste disposal and pesticide use were put into effect. This has
undoubtedly helped nature, but slowly many people have
forgotten about how precious it is to have nature. People have
been littering more and overall, just not helping out. They don’t
have to help but they can at least throw away their items instead
of being lazy and just throwing trash anywhere.

It is not common knowledge that Theodore Roosevelt showed his
patriotism through his passion for the environment that we live
in. However, during his presidency Roosevelt set aside about 230
million acres of public land for preservation. He created the U.S.
Forest Service in 1905 and founded the first federal bird reserve in
1903, which then later evolved into the National Wildlife Refuge
System. His passion and patriotism were integral to this country’s
modern handling of environmental issues and ultimately the
inspiration for my passion to care for nature and the natural
surroundings we live in.

For me, my love for this country goes even deeper than my
love for the environment. Like Roosevelt, I hope to serve my
country in the military as well. Many of my family members are in
the military: 2 of my brothers and quite a few of my cousins- my
one brother is in the navy, and the other is in the army. I want to
join the military for my family and my country to keep not just my
family safe but everyone in my country. I have all the confidence
in the world that I am a capable candidate; I am a resilient person
so I will try my absolute best no matter what problems I may face
on my journey toward the armed forces.

I have visited military bases many times because my brother lives
at one, it was an amazing experience. It was much different than I 
had imagined. I got to go fishing, but then I saw soldiers and I
got to talk to them about it and it is something that I am really
thinking about. They inspired me to make this my path in the
future.

I will use my drive and determination to make this dream a
reality. I have all A’s, and I try my best in all classes. I do sports,
and I’m ahead in my class. I am currently a part of the honors
program in my school that accepts only 1% of the students, so
someone believes I have potential and I want nothing more than
to prove them right by doing my best.

Overall, my passion for the environment and my future goal to
go into the armed forces are a perfect combination for my future.
It is my hope that I can one day combine both of these interests
into a career that can benefit both the citizens of the US and my
future family. My work ethic and my desire to succeed will pave
the way for this throughout the next few years. Patriotism goes far
deeper than just waving a flag or singing the National Anthem.
For me, it is my ability to take my passions and use them to give
back to my fellow citizens in ways that will last a lifetime. That is
all, thank you for your time and I hope whoever hears this has an
amazing day.