Experience of the American Legal System
When I first came to Michigan State University, I went to buy some beer with my friends after dinner. The shop keeper however declined to sell beer to us because we were 18 years old. I tend to think that is an American culture characteristic of sense of safety. This is because it aims at preventing teenagers from drunk driving since teenagers always lack of possessiveness.
In American history, America has been a very safe country. Although America has a lot of resources, its mainland has never been attacked other countries. The American citizens have always enjoyed the sense of safety for staying in a safe environment for hundreds of years. The Americans always want their living environment to be safe and continuously strive at maintaining the level of safety. There is therefore a strong sense of safety among Americans which is observed as a cultural characteristic. This paper aims at describing the sense of security among the Americans a cultural characteristic.
Americans have been very confident with their security systems over the years. This is as a result of the strong security mechanisms established by the federal government. The Americans have always their state to be very safe especially before wake of the 9/11 terrorists attack. The US has established a culture of ultimate safety and security among the citizens.
The Americans usually feel safe and protected in their daily ventures. The culture of security in America forces them to be confident with their security systems and perceive their country as the safest in the world. The security culture held by the Americans makes them believe that insecurity can only be derived from outside sources. This view has made Americans blame the immigrants for the insecurity sentiments in the country. The notion that Americans are safety and security oriented makes outsiders to bear the blame for insecurity issues in the country (Del Duca&Levasseur, 2010).
According to Del Duca&Levasseur (2010), the federal government of America has sought to make the country the safest for its citizens in the world. This has been done through establishment of various bodies and institutions geared towards safeguarding security in the country. Consequently, the citizens have adapted feeling secure and have little regard for insecurity. They however perceive that insecurity is resultant from outsiders.
Both legal and illegal immigrants are treated with prejudice in matters of security. Americans have a perception that insecurity problems cannot be perpetuated by the American citizens. The situation worsened when a terror attack was launched in America arguably by Muslim terrorists. Most Americans held a notion that outsiders are jeopardizing their internal security. Immigrants of Muslim origin are prejudiced with terror and criminal activities. Americans safety culture was shaken by this terror activity as they observed that their country was vulnerable with serious security threats.
The American safety and security culture is deeply rooted among the citizens and is facilitated by the strong legal structure of the country. From the article discussed in class, it is evident that the system of legal justices seeks to address all the injustices involving the civilians. When Crystal Walters’s husband dies in unclear circumstances after a trench accident, it is observe that a depth investigation is conducted to establish the real cause of death.
The investigation seeks to know whether there was violation of any set law or legal standards that led to his death. This is indeed established where the plumbing company is found to have violated two security standards. In many countries in the world, accidents are never investigated to find the root cause and are documented as reported. It is observed that the legal structure in American seek to establish justice for every individual and offers legal insight to every event where a citizen is at loss (Barstow, 2003).
The strong security culture of Americans is identifiable from this text where Crystal Walters is highly confident that her husband’s death will be revealed. She shows great trust in the legal system. She also portrays discomfort in the nature her husband died. Although it was an accident, Crystal Walters holds that her husband’s death was avoidable if the plumbing company followed proper security procedures. This indicates that Americans have a very strong security and safety culture (Barstow, 2003).
America Overreaction towards Safety
Recent security breach and safety compromising situations in America has forced the country to adapt to tentative security measures that signifies overreaction to the scenario. The American governing body has instated strong safety measures and guidelines that aim at protecting innocent citizens. The safety standards and regulations are however difficult to keep up with and limits the freedom of the citizens they are deemed to protect.
For example as discussed in my previous paper, I highlighted that in America persons under the age of 21 are restricted from selling beer. This is observed as an excessive safety measure standard by the authorities. In other countries in the world, a person of 18 years and above is allowed to sell and consume beer at will with no restrictions. This safety measure in America is observed by critics as oppressive and an overreaction to the current problem (Katelyn, 2013).
As observed earlier in this paper, cases of insecurity are on the rise in America hence the country has sought to implementation of tough security standards. In the recent past, an American citizen know as James Homes went on a shooting rampage killing twelve people on the spot and causing injury to fifty nine others. This was a shocking scene in the modern American setting. This was a challenge to the American policy makers since the culprit used a gun that legally acquired together with ammunitions. This situation elicited different sentiments from the liberals who called for increase gun use control regulations. Other policy makers argued that more civilians should be armed in order to protect themselves in such cases. Isolated cases such as this one has forced the government to take strong measures on civilian security (Katelyn,2013).
Overreacting in respect to terrorism
Terrorism acts have shaken the American homeland security especially after the 9/11 terror attacks on the giant nation. The American administration feels that the nation is target by terrorists hence have retreated to strict security measures. Since 9/11 terror invasion, the US government has set up complex immigration procedures coupled with depth security protocols that are observed by critics as overreaction to security threat. In 2001 when the 9/11 attacks occurred, the security procedures in the Airports were not as strict as today. Current security screening procedures are very detailed and aim at identifying terror threats at the earliest stage.
The terror attack led to the formation of American Transport Security Administration that is responsible to identify any possible threat at all points of entry to the nation. In the airports, rigorous security procedures were consequently implemented. These security checks are usually tiring and time consuming to the travelers. The security checks are observed as excessive and irrational. For example, the demand of travelers to remove their shoes at certain check points is observed at inhumane. Some other security checks in the airport are observed to contradict with human rights (Blalock, 2007). The diagram below shows a devastating scene of the 9/11 terror attack.
Source: AP (2014).
According to Blalock (2007), “the Federal government enacted new legislation to increase passenger safety.” Immigration policies were also modified with invention of new border security measures. Besides physical screening of the travelers at country entry points especially the international airports, visa checkup have been enhanced. More attention is however given on Muslims since the terror attack was carried out by terrorist of the Muslim religion.
This is an overreaction as most Muslims are innocent and have no links terrorists. Immigration control measures after the 9/11 attacks were directed to people thought to be partisans of the illicit Al Qaeda group. This has had negative impact on Muslims and people of Semitic origin. Most of them have been victimized of security threats and prosecuted illegally. Currently, immigrants from Muslim oriented countries are stigmatized and demonized based on their religion. Immigrants face immediate deportation or probable jail term.
The war in Iraq is observed as another overreaction of the US to security and safety measures. The reason behind America invasion in Iraq was widely criticized and termed as cowardly and one violating human rights as well as sovereignty of an independent nation. On the other hand, the US argued that Iraq harbored terrorists and it was their duty to destabilize them. The American government argued that Iraq invasion was for the good of all people as terrorists are enemies of humanity. The invasion of Iraq led death of innocent civilians which is a violation of the human rights. The US has been very sensitive to terror attacks after 9/11 a situation that has been observed as an overreaction in equivalent to real threat (Gifford, 2005).
Gifford (2005) indicates that during the Iraq war, the “US soldiers used inhumane methods to extract information from the prisoners”. The US soldiers made numerous arrests of suspected terrorist who were then tortured to give solid information about terrorist activities. Other suspects were detained illegally and tortured while in custody. This signifies the depth of extremism in American way of fighting terrorism and safeguarding the security of its citizens.
Torture was observed as the most desperate measure Americans used to fight terrorism. Although the American government refused the Iraqi prisoner torture claims, there is enough to that claim. The Iraq incursion was a cited to be based on the PATRIOT Act established by the US in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks. The act is has the sole aim of obstructing terror activities inside and outside the US. The act grants the US the power to punish and deter acts of terror from around the world. The America state has been overprotective to its citizens a situation that resulted to harm of other people’s rights. The diagram below shows a couple of US soldiers torturing prisoners in Iraq.
Source: Wilkie, (2014).
In conclusion. The paper has described the nature of the American legal system as well as how the country maintains vigilance in security and safety matters of the citizens. As observed in my previous paper, the American legal system tries the best it can to safeguard the rights and security of its people. In a bid to provide maximum safety to Americans, the American government has severally breach the rights of other people. Such include attribution of crime activities to immigrants as highlighted in my previous paper.
This exemplifies on the American culture of safety as highlighted in my previous paper. This has however been observed as an overreaction to the security and safety issues facing the American nation. The American government is observed to be overreacting through instituting extreme security and safety control measures (Blalock, 2007). The American citizens want to have a safety environment because they always be safe in their history. Those thought becoming their culture, a culture to have a good sense of safety. That is why they make overreaction after terrorism.
RAIDS and SWAP Analysis
This paper revises the works done on my previous paper. From the beginning, this paper discusses safety and security issues in the U.S. The paper first revises the security framework of the U.S and then further describes the security and safety matters in the country. This paper focuses on some of the issues that have caused America to overreact in its security measures and safety standards. From the paper, it is visible that America has constantly undertaken unnecessary measures to curb crime and provide safety to its citizens.
In respect to the paper’s arrangement, a detailed description about the experience in legal framework of the US has been given after which America’s overreaction towards safety has been given. America safety measures overreaction in regard to terror activities is then discussed. This arrangement provides the paper with a chronological flow of ideas. Insightful inventions in this paper have been observed through articulate use of diagrams. These diagrams demonstrate nature of facts discussed in the paper.
Delivery of the work has been effectively carried out through vivid description of every point in independent paragraphs and use of subtopics. This has been done to facilitate adequate understanding of the work by the reader. A formal style has been used to deliver the message in the paper. The paper has been structured in form of a formal academic essay paper.
A significant strength observed in this paper is the ability to perfectly integrate relevant information from different sources. The weakness identified from the paper is lack of material data to provide evidence for the claims established there in. The audience for this paper is my professor since it is my final paper on which marks will be awarded. The purpose of writing this paper is to fulfill the course requirements as well as developing my skills in writing as a recursive procedure.
References
AP (Associated Press). (2014). Video shows NYC police helicopter view on 9/11 terror attacks. Retrieved on 20th April 2014 from <http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/03/post_394.html>
Barstow, D. (2003). A trench caves in; a young worker is dead. Is it a crime?.New York Times, 34-5.
Blalock, G., Kadiyali, V., & Simon, D. H. (2007). The Impact of Post‐9/11 Airport Security Measures on the Demand for Air Travel. Journal of Law and Economics, 50(4), 731-755. Retrieved on 16th April 2014 from < http://www.jstor.org.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/stable/10.1086/519816>
Del Duca, L. F., &Levasseur, A. A. (2010). Impact of Legal Culture and Legal Transplants on the Evolution of the US Legal System. American Journal of Comparative Law, 58, 1-29. Retrieved on 16th April 2014 from < www.heinonline.org.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/amcomp58&id=765&collection=journals&index=>
Gifford, B. (2005). Combat casualties and race: What can we learn from the 2003–2004 Iraq conflict?Armed Forces & Society, 31(2), 201-225.Retrieved on 16th April 2014 from<http://afs.sagepub.com.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/content/31/2/201 >
Ma, Q. (2011). The modernization of Chinese legal education: From the perspectives of traditional Chinese culture and American law ideology. Retrieved on 16th April 2014 from < http://search.proquest.com.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/docview/904105836/previewPDF/D90A9A3A76614C25PQ/1?accountid=12598>
Katelyn, F. (2013). Crime: Insecurity The “Achilles’ Heel Of Development” In Latin America. Retrieved on 16th April 2014 from <http://search.proquest.com.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/docview/1334932650/fulltext/8E8595BAA14C48C2PQ/11?accountid=12598>
Wilkie, C. (2014). Abu Ghraib Torture Victims Ordered To Pay U.S. Contractor’s Legal Fees. Retrieved on 20th April 2014 from <http://www.popularresistance.org/abu-ghraib-torture-victims-ordered-to-pay-u-s-contractors-legal-fees/ >