AND IM BACK...Too many ideas! Not enough man power!

So I have been overwhelmed with job hunting and cover letter writing, which is why I haven't written in weeks. It has felt like an eternity since I have written and it's probably because this blog is on my mind 90% of the time, but I am back and ready to write. Though because of how busy I have been the past month I haven't gotten a lot done, and I feel guilty.


I am currently at my public library and I feel empowered here. I am surrounded by the books that will help me create creditable arguments I need for future debates I envision myself to be in. Debates! I was in a debate class in high school for about a week before I dropped out because the prospects of debating scared me. I picked up a drama class in its place, and to this day I cannot tell you why acting was less terrifying to me compared to debating. Maybe its because of all that research you have to do to have a successful debate. Nevertheless, since my freshmen year of high school, I have been a part of many debates because classes have demanded it of me, and I can say that I am more confident than I was nine years ago.


But this particular blog post will be dedicated to the arguments that I could encounter on the path to see this idea come into fruition. These arguments have come from the article that I posted on this blog. The author, Sarah P. Herlihy, has already done a lot of the work for me, but the one difference between her and me is that she wishes that this particular law is opened to all foreign born U.S. citizens, which poses a lot more questions. Nonetheless, below are the 8 arguments to consider. 


Arguments:
1) Fear of Change:
    - This was an argument I already knew I was up against. Although Sarah talks about allowing all foreign born naturalized U.S. citizens to be able to run for President, and I am talking about a smaller population, the fear of change still exists. Herlihy says "people fear that passing a constitutional amendment will somehow destabilize the American legal system because any amendment to the constitution opens the door for others push forward Constitutional amendments to advance their own causes"  (287). Americans believe that this will be a step away from what the Founding Fathers cemented into our Constitution hundreds of years ago and what they proposed was in the best interest for the American people, so why change it (287)? But why not? We have progressed since the signing of the Constitution. We have become a different country than what the Founding Fathers grew up in. Why not show it? But to keep a realistic mindset, its no easy feat changing the Constitution. Not every change proposed will be voted in favor for. Even this one risks that fate.


2) This proposal does not affect that many people
   - This is true, and I didn't think about it until I read this Sarah Herlihy's article. This bill doesn't affect the majority of the public, so why would it concern them? Why even pay attention to it? Because the numbers of adopted children are growing. According to a USAToday article written by Martin Kasindorf, 25,000 adopted children are naturalized every year. Though it's not a huge number, it will continue to grow. More supporting evidence to come.


3) Fear of Foreigners
 - This ties into fear of change, but there is a very true fear that foreigners will come in and infiltrate our government. A take over. Though this argument focuses mainly on the people who immigrate over at a much older age and are raised in another country, it still applies. Though I don't view myself as a foreigner some might because of the color of my skin and the place I was born in, but I was still raised in the U.S. by American parents, which makes me as American as my neighbor. Though this is a growing issue because of unfortunate occurrences like 9/11. Yet, there have been a fair share of  of domestic terrorists that were U.S. born as well, so I think it's safe to say it's unfair to peg foreign born people as the only people to be afraid of. (Though this blog has no intention of making you look behind you in fear. Just to make you think outside the box.)


4) Loyalty
 - This is another argument that may or may not apply to my proposal. There are people that believe that if you are born and raised in another country and than move to the U.S. that your loyalty will always be with the country you grew up with. It depends from case to case, but in the case of this blog, I am talking about people who were raised in this country, but happened to be born in another one. Some might argue that because these people were born in another country that they might have emotional ties to it. Once again, it's case by case. But what's not to say that a Italian-American, born and raised in America, does not have a certain loyalty to the country that their ancestors immigrating from? It's objective.


5) Failing to understand what it means to be a natural born citizen
  - There are people out there that don't know the difference between a naturalized citizen and a natural born citizen. They don't realize that naturalized citizens are in fact American citizens. These naturalized citizens have gone through the strict requirements needed to become a U.S. citizen. A test that natural born citizens do not have to take (293). In this particular case, adopted children do not have to go through those strict requirements, so they are one step closer to being natural born citizens.


6) Racism and Religious Intolerance
  - Well, need I say that we just elected our first black president. I hope that is an indicator that we are becoming more tolerant. A latina woman has also been placed in a very important position of Supreme Court justice. We are becoming more and more progressive. So let's keep it that way. 


7) The signal this amendment would send to the rest of the world
 - Well I would hope that it shows the world that we are progressive and forward thinkers, but there are people who would think changing this amendment "would signal to the rest of the world that American is willing to be one country of many and that Americans are interested in becoming part of a global world culture...that Americans no longer feel the need to be the leading country in the world but are content in being on equal footing with every other country. (295)" They don't want their enemies to believe that we are opening our doors and becoming more lenient. It may be seen as a sign of weakness. You can form your own opinion on this. I can see both sides. 


8) The President as a symbol of America
 - Basically, Americans wish to be led by someone who is born and bred in America. It would be un-American to let anyone else fill that role, even if that person was raised from baby to adult as an American. Like the American flag, the president needs to be pure and true to American ideals. But let's step back and look at our past presidents.
            We have had many amazing presidents, but there have been the few that have lied, cheated and made poor decisions for our country. Ones that were born and raised in the most American towns and cities in this country, but still have managed to tarnish our global and local reputation. Consider that when you think that America needs to be led by a natural born citizen. Not all U.S. born citizens have all the ideals and values that we hold near and dear to our hearts. 


So there you have it. Some of the opposing arguments that will be a part of this project. It's overwhelming. Next time I will write about the arguments that are for this idea!  I need some positive reinforcement and I can say with confidence that we are not alone. There are people that will support this!


Thanks for reading! More to come...


p.s. I will try to not let the posts be spaced out by weeks again. This past month has just been hectic, but I am excited to get back to this project and make some progress! 

Adoption is growing!

(haha I didn't have a catchy tag line this week) 

New post is coming soon!

I have a great long post written, but because it's long and important I have a lot of editing to do. It will be posted by tomorrow! Sorry for the delay! Thanks again for reading this and remember to tell others about this! 


More to come!

The things I learned today...

So today I went to Emerson's graduate program open house, and I wasn't expecting a refresher on topics I have come to forget over the past year a half. Besides being a very informative session, the open house reminded me of my Independent Study and all the communication classes I took during college.


My Independent Study was about the beginning stages of a campaign and how to form the campaign's message. I remember hating the project. I somehow got talked into another IS that didn't really like, but a year and half later I see the significance of it. I see that I made the right decision in finishing it even if it didn't produce the outcome I expected. 


I learned how to interview people and how to collect opinions on important issues. I learned how to create a survey, how to create a webpage, and how to be assertive. I learned how to interact with important people and how to negotiate with organizations. This all has proven to help me in this process. My communication background is finally coming into play, and I can now take that sigh of relief knowing that I made the right decision picking comm. as my major. 


Trust me, I wished numerous times since graduating that I picked something less broad, like biology or psych or even photography. But now I see the importance of my choice. I not only do I see it in this project, but also in my life and the career I wish to choose. I am finally grateful for the education I received. Sounds ridiculous I know, but after so long without a stable job you begin to wonder, "why in the world is a college degree necessary?". It's moments like these when you realize the answer. I am grateful for every minute of those classes I took and wish with all my heart that some of them weren't spent sleeping. I Ccn't take that back now, but at least I have the knowledge I need for this project. 


I am taking what I learned from my IS, and implementing it to this campaign. I still have a ton of research to do and some friends have already helped me find information I am looking for, which is amazing. (Thanks Christine!) But for now, as I write letters, I have come to realize that I need a better understanding of what the public's feelings towards this issue. I have this great paper my friend found (the link is found on the right side bar of this blog), which has given me a lot of insight on how American's might react to this idea. However, my proposal is slightly different from what the author stated in her study. Please read it if you have time! 


To get those opinions I need I have to create a survey. I am excited to do this because it will be so much better than the one I made for my IS. I know what I am doing now, and I will ask my fellow comm. majors for their input. I am excited and ready to go! I am ready to disseminate these surveys and they haven't even been produced! 


I was also reminded at this open house of how important visual aids are. So I will be making informational videos. I will go out on the streets and ask people to contribute what they think of this issue. I will put a face to this issue. After I get these opinions I will finally be able to create a message to share with the audiences I am targeting. I suppose I need to figure out who that audience is too. WOW....this really is my IS. It truly amazes me!


This is such a huge project and I hope at some point it won't just be me writing these blog posts. I envision so much for this project. I see informational meetings, Q&A sessions, and much more.  I just need to create a following, which will take a while. But even if it takes months and months or years and years this will have those those meetings, and Q&A sessions. And maybe just maybe we can all be seen on TV!! haha. I am getting ahead of myself, but its possible! 


More to come! 

Inform the masses!

Thinking out loud

So I have been doing a lot of thinking about this idea of mine. I have spoken with a few friends and family and have gotten a lot of positive feedback, which is great, but I am still hashing everything out. I still have a lot of research to do to make solid arguments if I am ever legitimately questioned and have a lot of people to convince that this is a good idea. There are a few things that I want to clarify. For myself and for people who might have these unsaid questions and concerns. 


First, this would be a bill (I eventually will write a bill) that focuses on people who were adopted by American parents at a young age (an age that has yet to be determined) and raised in America. I wish for them to be able to have the same rights as people who were born on U.S. soil. As I mentioned before, I am as American as my best friends who were born in Massachusetts, Ohio, and Maryland. And yet, people like me, born in another country but raised in the U.S. are viewed as outsiders by the wording of the Constitution. 


(By the way, I need opinions as to the age the bill should say. I liked age 2 because its young enough to not be influenced by outside cultures, ideas or memories. I had my first memory at age 3, and though it was of a zoo, its still a memory that could shape that way I think now. People who I have discussed this with believe the age should be over 5. What do you think?) 


Secondly, I was asked by a friend why this is such an important issue for me if I don't want to be president.  When I started this project years ago I wanted to fill that role. I was passionate about it and upset that something that should be available to me was unreachable. Though my plans of running for president have diminished, my passion for the issue has not. I want to continue this journey for people in my situation who may want to fulfill that role. However, I also told my friend that I may change my mind and want the possibility to run for president one day. This is for not only me, but for the thousands of foreign born children who are adopted by Americans each year. We should be given the chance to represent our country. 


Lastly for today, I have to write out the questions and concerns I have for myself. I have to find out how many foreign born adopted children come into the country each year. I have to find out all the arguments that could be thrown at me to derail my idea. I have to find prominent politicians, celebrities, and public figures who could support me. I have to find ways to gather support outside of this blog and become more public. I have to find an appropriate age to implement in my bill. I have to learn how to write a bill. 


I have a lot of to and learn, but I am willing to do it and to put myself out there for this group of people I am a part of. Though many of them might not be aware of this issue, I am hear to speak out for them. And hopefully I will be heard with your help. 


I am asking you, the people who read my blog, to give me the advice I need to keep moving on. I am beginning to write letters to my government officials, but still need to know what I am missing. Thank you again for reading this post. More to come later! :) 

We need change!

The Inaugural Post

Hello All,

I have started blogs before, but none quite so important to me as this one. I am attempting the impossible. I intend to be part of something that could either fail miserably or go further than I ever expected, and I need your support. But I am getting ahead of myself since I haven't really told you what this blog is truly about.

I can almost guarantee that each of you have made lists and lists of what you wanted to be when you grew up. Heaven knows I did. I could list hundreds of jobs that I had in mind for myself. Veterinarian, police officer, bus driver, nanny (my friends would die if they knew that one), fighter pilot, author, interior designer, marine biologist, lawyer, senator, photographer, etc. Like I said, the list goes on and on. 


As children we are encouraged to have an open mind. To explore the infinite possibilities that are within our reach. We just have to put our minds to our ultimate goals and sooner or later they will come into fruition. This is what we are taught. The American dream. It sounds so romantic, and it is. I am proud to be a part of a country that allows us to work towards the impossible to make it possible. And yet, as I learned more about American history, I quickly found that there are some things that are unobtainable for certain people to work towards.

I can honestly say now, that I have no dreams of running for president any longer. I did, and this is where my idea sprouted from. I cannot imagine being responsible for a whole country and having EVERY SINGLE choice I make criticized by EVERYONE. It must be exhausting and I admire each brave soul who has endured that path. Yet, as a little girl the occupation of "President of the United States" was on one of those lists I had made up for myself. But I was to be sorely disappointed because I was about to learn that I could never apply for that job.

You see, I was adopted. I was born in another country. A country that is a 14 hour plane ride from the United States. I was born in Chile. A place that I sadly know little about. I was adopted by my American parents and taken to the U.S. when I was 5 weeks old. I spent the first 5 weeks of my life in a country I don't remember, and have spent the other years being raised in the American culture. I have only been back once, when I was three, to adopt my younger brother and all I remember about that trip was going to the zoo. That is my only true memory of a country that I only share ethnic roots with. Someday I would like to go back and learn more about my birthplace, but that is not the point of this blog.

I have been raised in the United States almost my entire life, as a true U.S. citizen. I have been given the same opportunities my native born U.S. citizen friends have been given, and have come to expect that. However, I discovered that was not true in all aspects of the law. I would never be able to run for President. I was denied that right due to article in the Constitution.

Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 of the Constitution states:

A President must:
- be a natural born citizen of the United States
- be at least thirty-five years old
- have been a permanent resident in the United States for at least fourteen years 

Though it might not be the something everyone in my situation is concerned with, what I am proposing is to update the first bullet this Article is outlining for adopted child who wish to be the President of the United States. 

Lets be honest with ourselves. This law was created during a time when adopting foreign children was not prevalent in the United States. The country has come a long way since the Constitution was written, and it is about time for an change! We are a melting pot. We come from many countries, have multiple ethnicities and backgrounds, different colored skin, and much more. We are a more diverse country than we were 50, 60, 100 years ago. This is how we can show our progress. We have already shown it in electing President Obama. Let us continue that trend.

So here is the first step of my plan:

I plan on writing to my local government officials, local adoption agencies, and other organizations that might be willing to help me.

After that...well my plans aren't 100% clear yet, but this is the start of something new and I am in completely unfamiliar territory. I just need to know that there is support out there. That I am not alone. That I have a good idea. So please help me. Give me pointers of what I should be doing to make this go forward instead of shriveling up into nothing. 


Thank you for getting through this long post and I appreciate your support more than you know.

PTeresa.

p.s. I do have a idea of how I want to update this article (the rough wording of it can be found under the title of this blog), but that is to come in the next posting! More to come! 

Let this be the start of something new