What did jews teach about the responsibilities of the individual and community to combat injustice?
In the modern world everyone talks about THEIR rights; we protect rights in bills, courts etc. However, Judaism does not talk about the rights of an individual, it talks about the OBLIGATIONS of the individual! The major difference between rights and obligations is selfish, individualistic apporach (MY rights) vs a community obligation (my obligation to do actions for others). Taking this into acocunt, Judaism obligates us to look after the poor, the marginalised, those who have been relegated to the outskirts of society and find themselves defenceless or oppressed etc. We are OBLIGATED to act to help them
Explain the relationship between rights and responsibilities?
Rights are things you are allowed to do, that you are born with, and can never be taken away by anyone except God, (i.e laws aren't rights, they're privileges). For example, I have the right to existence, dead or alive. That's just one example. Responsibilities, however, well, it's hard for me to explain that, but I'll do so to the best of my ability. The best way that I can explain it is that responsibilities are jobs for a person to do, that are essential, or pretty close to essential. Responsibilities can range from minor ones, such as making your bed without someone asking, to major ones, such as doing your job if it's say the runner of a government agency, (that would be essential). Hope I helped.
Which historical figures represent responsibility?
Nelson Mandela of South Africa, an anti-apartheid activist imprisoned for 27 years, became the first to be elected in a fully representative democratic election of President of South Africa. Abraham Lincoln of the United States, led his country through its greatest internal crisis, the American Civil War, preserving the Union and ending slavery. Mahatma Gandhi of India, his resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. Agnesë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu otherwise known as Mother Teresa of Albania, internationally famed humanitarian and advocate for the poor and helpless, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, and for over 45 years she ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying, while guiding the Missionaries of Charity's expansion, first throughout India and then in other countries. Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso otherwise known as His Holiness, the Dalai Lama of Tibet, in 1959 at the age of 24 escaped Chinese invasion of Tibet to become the head of the government-in-exile and the spiritual leader revered among the people of Tibet and countless people around the world, never deserting his people, never shedding his responsibilities, and still preaching peace and giving hope to millions worldwide at the age of 74. Simon Wiesenthal of Austria, dedicated most of his life to tracking down fugitive Nazis so that they could be brought to justice for war crimes and crimes against humanity for his own people, for victums of other nations, and for all the soldiers and citizens that gave their own lives to rid the world of Nazism.
What does citizenship in this nation mean?
Rachel, that is not citizenship, what your talking about is a sense of entitlement. Citizenship is what you are supposed to do as a member of this country not what you are entitled to! Sheesh! You and a couple of others on here have to be either Undergrads or just have an incredible sense of entitlement! Did you miss the whole "Ask not what your country can do for you" speech in High School History? A good citizen has an obligation to vote, protest if he/she does not agree with something, pay the taxes he/she owes, serve in the Military or other National Service in time of War or National Emergency, obey the Laws and if one does not agree with those laws to fight against them via protest, the courts, etc..be a good citizen at the local level too and HELP there fellow citizens if they can in time of need or crisis. Look at the flooding in the Mid-West, the out pouring of support for the families in New Orleans, the volunteers who go into the Peace Corps or the Military or other National Service Orgs as examples of putting the Nation before yourself. That type of idealism that continues to get people in those lines of work and to help when help is needed is an example of what a good citizen is.
How are WWI and WWII taught in Japan?
The governments of Japan feel that it is not good to teach the new generations of the guilt of their forefathers. They don`t want their kids to feel sorry for the past. WWII, or as it is commonly called in Japan, "The Pacific War", is glossed over. The Rape of Nanking(1937) is still disputed by "historical" experts(read:propaganda). 200,000, possibly 300,000 people, mostly old men, women and children were murdered, face-to-face (how strong must racism be, to do that? Even Dresden was done at the push of buttons, on faceless victims) in a period of 3 weeks, some days worse than others. Japanese government officials like to say they only attacked Chinese army irregulars, and only killed maybe 30,000. The "Exploits" of their armies throughout Asia during the war, is described as a great unifying project, building roads, schools, hospitals (for the Japanese army and settlers) throughout Asia, under a great, kind. Asian Co-prosperity Sphere. In reality, this was the euphemism for murder and enslavement of the various peoples of captured lands, while their secret police went about murdering all local opposition and forcing people to study Japanese, in order to make better slaves. The Japanese know nothing of the concentration camps in Singapore, the Phillipines or China. WWII to most Japanese appears to be: "We were spreading our good fortunes and kindness to the rest of Asia, liberating them from the bad old Europeans, when the US came along and dropped Atomic bombs on us, making Japan the only victims of the "Pacific War". What Japanese history lessons leave out - BBC News
Where do U.S. citizens get their rights and powers?
Theoretically from our Federal and state constitutions, as well as the laws and court decisions pertaining thereto.In reality, we get our rights and privileges (not powers) from the belief of the rest of our fellow citizens that we actually have them. Desegregation occurred after WWII because men like the Tuskegee Airmen—among others—had demonstrated that they were not stupid subhumans to many Americans, North and South, and the old arguments for segregation were BS.See my 2007 OpEdNews article “Rights, Powers, Privileges, and Responsibilities,” for more on this subject.
Ben Franklin said, "Anyone who trades liberty for security deserves neither liberty nor security." Agree?
Do you agree or disagree with his statement? We fought against the Nazis during WWII, and faced down Russia and their thousands of nuclear missles during the Cold War but now we are sooooo scared of a bunch of terrorists that we have to give up our liberties? Not me! I'd rather die in a terrorist attack than have my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren grow up in a world of diminished liberty. How does the War on Terror, the Patriot Act (which has given unprecedented invasive powers to the government) and the Military Commissions Act, (which has trashed the Bill of Rights) jive with Ben Franklin's statement? Please don't ask me to verify my statements about these two laws... do some work and find out for yourself... our forefathers would expect us to be concerned, engaged, informed, patriotic Americans!