The Government Kind of Sucks | Teen Ink

The Government Kind of Sucks

February 6, 2019
By ceevo2002 BRONZE, Salem, Massachusetts
ceevo2002 BRONZE, Salem, Massachusetts
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it. -Psalm 118:24


The government kind of sucks. Admit it. Celebrities run our country and social media treats politics like reality TV. We just experienced the longest government shutdown in history all because of a wall and our president spends his precious time turning to twitter to call out the democrats and complain about the lack of compliance. Our country is divided between meaningless red and blue; right and left, when we all should just be people; American citizens, fighting for a better future. States united. Right now, undoubtedly, America is a mess, but we have the right and we have the duty to change it.

I know what you're thinking. How can someone like me make a difference? How can some kid, young and barely significant initiate change? There is a whole country of adults who call us sensitive and lazy. Adults who think we don’t have the experiences or the knowledge to understand the “real world”. No one said taking action would be easy. But it's necessary and it’s worth it.

Recently, I read Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau. It was a long and tedious read so here is a summary: It is the duty of the people to make the government work for them, rather than the other way around. This essay, though published in 1849, develops ideas that should still hold importance to us today. We must be advocates for change. If no one was ever willing to defy government standards and break a few rules, we would have never made any progress. Slavery would still exist, women would not be allowed to vote, the recent steps we have taken toward equality would not be reality. Slavery was abolished because people built up the courage and decided to fight for the basic rights of human beings. Women can vote because they took a stand and fought against society to make their voices heard. We have made so much progress since the birth of our nation because someone, somewhere decided enough is enough.

Our society is in the midst of a revolution. We have the wonderful opportunity to be the generation of change. Every day I am inspired by the people my age fighting so diligently to make this country better. We are a part of this beautiful generation of young people who decided we could not be silenced. The government kind of sucks. We’ve noticed. And now we’re fighting.

It is important to be a good citizen, but sometimes we must sacrifice following the rulebook word for word in order to be a good person and fight for the betterment of life. Students in Parkland, Florida raised a whole movement against gun violence. They walked out. They protested. They challenged the government, but because they spoke up, they had an impact on the rest of the world and led a nationwide struggle that is still being fought for today.

We all have a voice and the power and duty to use it. We are the future and soon we will be left with the responsibility of caring for this powerful country and all its wonderfully beautiful people. We, the people, were not made to serve the government, but rather the government was made to serve us. It is stated in the Constitution that this very country was forged from hundreds of years ago. The Constitution that so many Americans disobeyed England, protested, fought, and died for.

It is our duty as American citizens to fight. So make your voice heard every chance you get. Those of you who are able to vote in the upcoming 2020 election, join me at the polls. Take advantage of your freedoms and use your intricate and marvelous minds to team up with others and see a brighter future. Your opinions and your voice will never be heard if you don’t open your mouth. Join this beautiful and powerful generation of change. Yeah, the government kind of sucks. What are you gonna do about it?


The author's comments:

This piece was a product of an assignment for my AP Lang class and I am very happy with how this turned out. Our country is in a very controversial position right now and it is extremley important to acknowledge the power we as teenagers have.


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This article has 20 comments.


on Feb. 7 at 11:03 am
EpsteinIsland, Cripston, District Of Columbia
0 articles 0 photos 12 comments
Womp Womp

on Oct. 31 2023 at 2:01 pm
justarandomguy, Florida, Florida
0 articles 0 photos 29 comments

Favorite Quote:
don't let people define you, only you can.

I 200% agree with this article, we need to be willing to break the rules for a better future.

on Aug. 17 2021 at 9:37 am
WolfGurl PLATINUM, Not A Real Place, Indiana
20 articles 5 photos 177 comments

Favorite Quote:
Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened. –Anatole France.

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself. –Josh Billings

Men are from Earth, women are from Earth. Deal with it.- George Carlin

A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people. —Franklin D. Roosevelt

Never lose. Either win, or learn. - Me

Awesome, and I def agree

Schmola said...
on Jun. 15 2021 at 8:58 pm
Schmola, Seattle, Washington
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments
@JAGO0578 , I'm a little confused. I don't know about you, but I learned that the Confederates went to war because of abolishment's effect on the Southern economy, while you're saying that freeing slaves was caused by the Union because of an impending war?

on Apr. 29 2021 at 10:26 am
RosesInDecember BRONZE, St Mary's, Maryland
2 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
The fiend in his own shape is less hideous, than when he rages in the breast of man.
-Hawthorne

Your writing is good, but your premise is based more on opinions and skewed facts, rather than true facts. The truth is so mangled with the untruth that it is frustratingly laborious to find. We must question: "Is this done on purpose to mislead us?" We can no longer blindly believe what we are being told, whether it be via media, government, teachers, friends, or parents. We must be that generation that digs for the truth. We must be willing to hear the opposition with open minds and with a determination to seek the truth. Our predecessors sought knowledge without compassion, and then compassion without knowledge. We must find a way to do both.

florida_boy said...
on Mar. 2 2021 at 2:31 pm
florida_boy, Grant, Florida
0 articles 0 photos 10 comments

Favorite Quote:
"When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on."
-Franklin D. Roosevelt

Well written, but...
Trump, in fact, was in charge of an operation called "Operation Warp Speed" which pretty much developed and delivered the covid vaccine faster than any vaccine in the history of the world. So no, Trump was not just twiddling his thumbs. Soooo check yourself before you wreck yourself.

The main point of this article was quite the generalization. Yes, I strongly believe in small and limited government power, but our government is there to represent us, which is what makes us a Republic. Yes, a lot of the government does suck... look at our new president... but not all government sucks. For example, if one of your representatives suck, it's technically the people that voted for him/her that suck. Again, that's what makes us a Republic.

Though I did not completely agree with this article, I COMPLETELY agree with young people standing up for what we believe in. It doesn't matter what someone believes, they have the RIGHT to protest about it.

on Nov. 4 2020 at 2:59 pm
pflorasmith BRONZE, Roanoke, Virginia
1 article 0 photos 1 comment
This was very well written! I couldn't agree more.

Chantal2021 said...
on Oct. 21 2020 at 9:06 pm
Chantal2021, Ewing, New Jersey
0 articles 0 photos 17 comments
This was written so well I have no words. You are very correct we as Genz need to have the Government work for us to protect the equal rights of people and get rid of the rules which stop us from having a more improved well-run government than a circus.

Caydee BRONZE said...
on Jul. 2 2020 at 5:07 pm
Caydee BRONZE, Oakland, Illinois
3 articles 2 photos 7 comments
Well said! Totally agree with you. Ignore the people who whine and say all the left does is complain and blame Trump for everything. The right does the same thing. That's why I consider myself an independant.

Extremely well written! I'd probably vote for you if you ran for president some day. 😂❤

Elf said...
on Mar. 18 2020 at 2:22 pm
Elf, Bath, New York
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
"...under everything, just another human being..." ~Pearl Jam

"...And he still gives his love he just gives it away; the love he receives is the love that is saved; and sometimes is seen a strange spot in the sky, a human being that was given to fly. He's FLYING..." ~Pearl Jam

you said you read Civil Disobedience by HDT... I did too, last year, that was part of my school program, and I totally agree that it still pertains to now. One question though~ have you ever heard of "The Walden Project NY?"

Wisi said...
on Mar. 12 2020 at 2:32 pm
Wisi, He, Wisconsin
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments
Yes I agree

h2obossman said...
on Feb. 11 2020 at 1:10 pm
h2obossman, Batesville, Arkansas
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
@22rbhattacharyya is right

weeeberboi said...
on Feb. 10 2020 at 10:58 am
weeeberboi, Springboro, Pennsylvania
0 articles 0 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
Ricky Bobby - As the great Colonel Sanders once said "I'm too drunk to taste this chicken."
Max Getz - The laziest pickle is always the last one in the jar.

Good writing, but poor and incorrect facts.

on May. 11 2019 at 4:31 pm
22rbhattacharyya GOLD, State College, Pennsylvania
18 articles 2 photos 18 comments

Favorite Quote:
Among my most prized possessions are words that I have never spoken -Orson Scott Card

"Iur president spends his precious time turning to twitter to call out the democrats and complain about the lack of compliance."
And what do the dems and CNN do? They spend 2 years complaining about how he "colluded" with russia non stop without any proof. Then when it is over they refuse to shut up about it. We could even call CNN a trump live feed. Every morning when I hear CNN news the first thing is: President Trump did... (some horrible topic).
Our election is biased so that swing states really determine who wins. And in 2020, people are gonna be sick of this blaming done by the left (and their noncompliance of government norms) along with socialists like AOC and re-elect President Trump. The left is stabbing themselves in the foot.

hillbilly96 said...
on Apr. 24 2019 at 9:58 am
hillbilly96, Tx, Other
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments

hillbilly96 said...
on Apr. 24 2019 at 9:58 am
hillbilly96, Tx, Other
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments

on Apr. 1 2019 at 12:55 pm
erssssssssss000, Plano, Texas
0 articles 0 photos 7 comments
LIBERAL.

Acee SILVER said...
on Mar. 21 2019 at 1:57 pm
Acee SILVER, Lake In The Hills, Illinois
9 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor."
Desmond Tutu 1931

I wish there were more people who recognized the issues in our government.

on Mar. 11 2019 at 3:17 am
JAGO0578 SILVER, Tirana, Other
5 articles 0 photos 7 comments
What you said about Slavery isn't entirely true, Slavery was abolished because a higher government power at war with its rebellious states, saw a weak point in the states economy and decided to use it. The union freed slaves not because they cared about human rights but because the southern economy relied on them, no slaves, no weapons, no weapons no war.

roniap said...
on Feb. 28 2019 at 10:09 pm
roniap, Salem, Massachusetts
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
Good job! This is really good. ❤️