Individual Rights Versus Community Rights

This week was particularly hard for me. The readings were really difficult for me. The readings by Douglass and Lincoln were really eye opening. As a black man in America, we are faced with suttle forms of racism in our lives. We constantly deal with how we are percieved and how we percieve others.

I believe that some black people use racism as a crutch not to achieve their goals. They blame the "white man" for all of their despair. They believe that their individual rights have been violated. The community that bred this type of behavior is partially to blame for this thinking. Black people believe this kind of thinking is warranted. Some push for slavery reparations and think they are owed something for their ancestors suffering. Sally Joe from New Jersey born in 1982 does not owe them millions of dollars because their great, great grandfather owned two slaves. All Americans need to work hard to get ahead.

Individual rights are very important to the populus and must be maintained. There needs to be a harmonious balance between community rights and individual rights. Community rights re important to establish order within that particular community. There will be instance where these two ideas cannot co-exist but as long as the parties try there is the ability to compromise.