To start off the blogging part of our class participation, lets talk about government. I'm sure that we all have a story. Lets hear it.
Do you have any positive or negative experiences interacting with government officials?
And by government official I mean in the broadest terms: it could be a US Senator, a park ranger, a DMV clerk, a judge, a tax clerk, etc. Maybe someone was aided by a public official--their house was saved by firemen. Or perhaps someone was ticketed by county sheriff or a state trooper. The point is that, whether you like it or not, you are regularly interacting with governmental agencies.
If you check your mailbox and find a bill or a check waiting on you, then you know that the government has been there. If the pothole on your morning commute is filled, then you know the government has been there. If your tap water is parasite free, then you know some governing agency is at work. At the same time, sometimes the water is contaminated, the meat is infected with e coli, and the pothole on your commute goes unfilled for months on end--the government is not perfect and is only partially successful and making its presence felt on a daily basis.
It could be worse, however. You could live in Somalia. There, the federal government is practically nonexistent. Warlords serve as governing agents. The roads, where there are roads, are never fixed. You eat at your own risk and the water, where it is in fact drinkable, is hard to access.
Here in the USA and most countries around the world, the government is a more or less important part of peoples' everyday life. How has the government touched your life? Lets hear your stories.
During my short lifetime, I have really only had positive experiences with the government officials. This however, might be because I work for a local government and so does my mother as a Clerk. Also up until recently I lived in that local government. So this might contribute to my good fortune that I have had with government officials.
ReplyDeleteAn example of a positive experience that I have had with an government official is about a year ago my grandparents kitchen caught on fire. Before the fire department or the police showed up, the mayor showed up to make sure that my grandparents were ok and got to the hospital safetly. He also made sure that I was notified and excused from work until everything settled down with my grandparents.
I have now been caught 3 times swimming in a resevoir near my house by D.N.R. (Department of Natural Resources). The policy is that if you are caught swimming the ranger is supposed to use your ID and put into the system that you have been given an official warning. After that, you can be fined in increasing increments.
ReplyDeleteMy first time the officer just told us to leave, and was really nice to us. He told us the rules and to just get out. The second time a friend of mine recognized the ranger as one who is notorious for being an ass, so we ran and got away. The third time I was caught by the not-so-nice ranger again but had nowhere to run.
He spent an hour and a half lecturing us, trying to scare us, and trying to accuse us of being under the influence of drugs and alcohol. We were not, and luckily at the end he got an emergency call and took off without recording our personal information.
In my 18 years on this earth I have been fortunate enough not to have to deal with many political issues. And i have also not had interaction with government officials. The best thing I could think of to date would have to be my speeding ticket. I was driving to the beach and going a little fast I suppose... Well being the usual distracted driver I am, I was not aware the speed limit had changed from 65 mph to 55 mph. I was pulled over by a Delaware state tropper going 75 in a 55. I expected to see a large muscular man step out of the car and was stunned when it was a young blonde female officer with braces! I tried to cry my way out of it but she had little sympathy for me, she made me call my mom and tell her, being i was 17 at the time which was horrible. Not to mention I had to appear in court a month later 3 hours away from my home, with my mother. Oh and pay an 80 dollar fine. Lets just say speeding is not such a good idea and I watch out for cops now.
ReplyDelete"recording our personal information" -- is an important way the government governs. After reading for next class, think about how recording personal information is a mode of governing. How does it work?
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to the government, in this case I'm referring to the police officers, I've been involved with both negative and positive experiences. About 2 weeks after I got my driver's license I made a left hand turn at a light where it said you can't make a left turn. I was unaware of the sign seeing as how it was my first time driving in that area and didn't know. Well next thing I know a cop pulls me over and tells me about the sign and I said I wasn't aware and he didn't give me a ticket. There were plenty of other times when I got pulled over mostly for speeding and the cops were nice enough to just give me a cheaper ticket such as a no seatbelt ticket. But this one time I was speeding home because I forgot my jersey for my lacrosse game and there was a cop outside of his car talking to someone and as I drove past he hollered at me to pull over and gave me a speeding ticket. When I told my one friend about it she said that if the cop wasn't in his car at the time then he has no right to give me a ticket. I wasn't aware of that if it is true so that kind of turned me off even more towards the police.
ReplyDeleteI havent had to many experiences with the government. I did get pulled over about a two years ago for going 45 in a 25. He got out of his car and came to mine and asked me fro my license and registration. I was so scared because i knew my dad would kill me so i was shaking. He walk back to his car. A few minutes later he came back handed me my license and registration and said I don't want to see any points on this license so just slow down. He said have a nice day and walked away. He was very nice. So it made me have a higher respect for police.
ReplyDeleteMy only experience with an goverment official was with the Mayor of my town. We were having my neighbor's (who was pregnant at the time with my neice) babyshower at the city park building. We had already paid the down payment and showed up early to decorate. The people who had rented the park building before us said they had smelled gas and called the fire department. Turns out a tank of gas was leaking and they had to let the building air out. The mayor had showed up to see what was happening and my mom was trying to talk to him about a refund or when we could go in but he ignored her so I walked over to him and got his attention and asked the questions. He was very rude to me so I told him about himself. I believe as the mayor he should have been a lot more polite and helpful. I would never reelect such a rude person.
ReplyDeleteMinor involvement of government has been a very essential part of my life ever since I was born. Although I have had no significant governmental issues with police officers, or judges, but for the last eighteen years of my existence the government has ran, owned, and payed for my life, basically. The Hospital I was born in is government and tax funded. The public school system I spent twelve years of my life in is also a product of state government involvement, and regulations. Public Libraries where studying occurs, the process of getting my drivers license and standing in front of a county judge was well worth the governmental action. The TV we watch, the roads we drive on are all tied in to the theme of government. And these are just to name a few of the very influential things our government has its say in. All of my involvements with government have always been just fine, if it works, and it’s not broken why change it. Our government, and policies and laws have all been the outline for our lives, and my run ins with it have always been needed, or deserved to keep order in society, and life.
ReplyDeleteI haven't really dealt much with the government in my 21 years.I have though been pulled over a couple times for little things like head light being out or going threw a stop sign (ok not that little..) but I have never been ticketed. Every time I've been pulled over they have always been nice enough to let me off with a warning. There are some cops in this town who will do there best to help you but there are also a lot that will write up the ticket without really explaining it and send you on your way.
ReplyDeleteAs I'm from Virginia (about 25 minutes outside of Washington D.C.), I have had many experiences with the government. Since I was a junior in high school, I've been a volunteer for various political campaigns, one in which was with Tim Hugo, who ran for Delegate in Virginia. I have worked with him and his team for about four years now. During his campaign I would go door-to-door, answer/make phones calls and do mailings. My second experience, was when I met Senator Jim Webb (VA-D), and Senator Mark R. Warner (VA-D). They both spoke at the community college I attended prior to coming to Shepherd.
ReplyDeleteLastly, back in 2007 I got into a car accident and totaled my car, my experience there was with the police officers and firefighters. They all were very helpful and reassured me that everything was going to be alright. As I was panic and in much pain, I couldn't help but worry about what my mother would say. Just that morning my mother said "I don't want you driving in the snow" it was (Dec. 5th 2007) and of course I told her I'll be fine. Just my luck, a couple hours later she had gotten the call that I was in a car accident. I worried more about how she would react rather than how I was after the accident. Before my mother saw me the police officer pulled her aside and spoke to her. Letting her know that I would be okay and be strong as she walked in the room. To this day I'm very thankful for the police officer, and for everything he did for me. It has also been an honor meeting Senator Webb, and Senator Warner, as well as continuing my volunteering with the political campaigns over the past years, and to this day.
Yes i have had a encounter with a governmental official. Last year in my 12th grade civics class we got to write to a state official of our choosing. I wrote to Shelly Moore Capito. I wrote about an issue that was a concern of the state. I soon got a response that showed total concern for the issue that i had addressed and what was being done to solve the problem. It showed that she did care instead of ignoring it and thinking it was just some teenager writhing her a letter about something that he probably just acknowledged instead she showed she cared and wrote back to show that she did. I still have the letter that i got from her.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I have stories about polices services around the area, it seems that that subject has already been well covered. So the question is how has government touched my life? Well the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear "government" isn't as much as something that "touched" my life but more like literally draining my life. When I hear the word "government" the first word that comes to mind is thievery. Government takes my money then, in most cases, spends it unwisely. So then, everyday I so touched by taxes. :) <<fake smile
ReplyDeleteIn my life I have had various contact with the government and government officials. The expirence that stands out the most to me was an interview I had with a Jefferson County Official, in which I spoke to him on behalf of the Special Olympics and dissucssing his possible contributions or donations he could spare to help support Special Olympics in our area. I believe this was an enjoyable encounter with a government offical, in which they help contribute to a non profit organization and helped the community, though not all encounters are positive e.g a speeding ticket or a "fix it" ticket.
ReplyDeleteI come from a small town where local government thrives and affects every aspect of my life. Weekly a large portion of the town gathers for an open meeting while the rest of the town sits at home and watches the meeting on television. Throughout my 18 years of life most of these meetings focus on the transformation from a rural town to a suburb. The town council has had so many turnovers in members in the last few years because of deaths and other unfortunate occurrences that not much progress has been made towards their goal. Recently, after the last town election, we began to see progress resulting in an industrial park directly next to my neighborhood. Like with most industrial parks comes a stop light which now adds a few minutes to my commute wherever I choose to go. I’m thankful for the government but I wish they had less of a direct impact on my morning commute.
ReplyDeleteProfessor Stump,
ReplyDeleteTo address the statement of recording individuals personal information, it seems necessary for the government keep track of such this such as legal issues, medical records, etc. If the government did not record personal information it would have no way of knowing who has broken law, which may be potentially dangerous for society.
I have had a couple of experiences with government officials. Most of which have been with police officers. My friend and I were walking to the store from his house one evening and took a shortcut behind a house, as soon as we came out from behind the house there were two cop cars in front of us and a police officer on foot behind us.They questioned us as to why we were behind this house and then searched us. WE had nothing on us and went on our way after about ten mins. I felt like this was a bit over the top but I have been pulled over in the same area for minor offenses and realesed with just a warning.
ReplyDeleteI have not had many encounters with government officials, but the few that I have had I can say were just as great as they were horrifying. Growing up, I was best friends with the Sheriff's daughter, so that should count for something, right? A positive experience I have had was being pulled over for doing 77 in a 55 mph and not getting a ticket (though being searched by the K9 unit and having my Dad drive by on the way home did not go over so well, considering I was 17).
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, being is court is by far not exciting.. In the least. I have been in court many times, nothing because of what I have done, the judge and every official/lawyer in the building know me by name, and though everyone is nice I can say that I have never even had an 'ok' time. Must be their job.
"recording our personal information..."
ReplyDeleteFrom birth to death (and sometimes even after that), the government files away a pretty extensive paper trail detailing our lives (our being registered citizens or registered visitors). Birth certificates, grade reports, credit reports, background checks for jobs, loan eligability/bank membership eligability, legal wills, medical records, insurance, speeding tickets, scholarship and college applications, the 2010 census to name a very limited few are some of these "recording methods" that I have personally experienced so far. To my knowledge, the purpose of such documentation is not out of policital malice, but it is rather the government's way of keeping track of the country's inhabitants. As Orwell might have said, the paper trail has extreme potential of becoming a weapon of mass destruction which could welcome a "Big Brother" system into reality. Pretty scarey if you think about it that way. But by the same token, I'm pretty cooperative with the current system because I still believe that it ultimately works for me. One day it might be the reverse, but for now, the paper trail gives me a sense of security.
During the second semester of my senior year I was an intern for my town's local paper. One of the articles I wrote dealt with a food collection that the post office was sponsoring on behalf of the community. Basically, people would leave nonperishable food items in their mailboxes, and the postman or woman who delivered their mail would pick the food up. For the story I spoke with the head of the local post office, and the postmen who were in charge of picking up the food and organizing the whole event. The head of the post office was very excited about the collection; I remember him saying that he was just a small part of the government, but he hoped by initiating the food drive that he representing the town and state in a positive way. All in all, the interview went well. I can’t say that I’ve ever really had a bad experience with any government official.
ReplyDeleteI've never had an opportunity to interact with a government official or the government in general. I feel that a strong government does touch the lives of other citizens and can allow them to embrace the freedom that they are born into. As often as we, as Americans, take our own personal privileges and freedoms for granted, we do not realize that many nations have little to no government to maintain a stable and political grasp as drug lords and other violent groups do, in fact, exist. I feel that as the tensions and struggles that are rising in American society today are only of mere significance to other cultures that are struggling to survive today.
ReplyDeleteI leave and enter the country on many occasions and have had many of run-ins with the government. The most recent time and most challenging time was this past summer. I was robbed while in Costa Rica and had my passport stolen, which meant a nice 5 hour drive to the United States Embassy. I never dreamed it would be so incredibly difficult to have a temporary passport issued, however it ended up being a 3 hour process. The worst part was my little brother who is 14 was with us. Since his biological father was in the United States we needed to have his permission for my brother to be issued a temporary passport to get back home in 2 weeks. So multiple phone calls were made to all over the US, racking up one heck of a phone bill I may add. But, in the long run it was all sorted out, and the people who worked there weren’t the least bit helpful. Besides that incident I’ve dealt with Customs in the US also, which is another world in itself.
ReplyDeleteAs many others have talked about, I have also encountered the lovely experience of getting pulled over. It was on moving day, and I was told to drive my parents vehicle. On one of the drives back to the old house I got pulled over for going 83 in a 60. I recieved a ticket for wreckless driving. Later that day, my best friend was driving my car on the same road. The same cop pulled us over and since she was only going 73 in the 60 zone, she did not get a ticket. Less than an hour later the cop called me to inform me that he was dropping the ticket to just a warning. My experience with the government wasn't as excrutiating as I thought it was going to be.
ReplyDeleteE.Yingling offers a nice shift in perspective in regards to the government. Most people have thus far talked about life inside the US. Yingling shifts our perspective to life outside the territorial boundaries of the US.
ReplyDeleteI have never had any personal conflicts with the government until recently. I’ve been working for a real-estate lawyer for 3 years now and I have learned more then I could have ever imagined.
ReplyDeleteWhen everyone was mad about the government bailing out big businesses, I honestly didn’t pay much attention. It didn’t apply to me (so I thought.) Wow, was I wrong. Working for a lawyer, I’m forced to work with the big businesses and the banks all the time. The bailout was supposed to “redistribute the wealth.” But I soon realized that the money that was given to the banks and Lenders is doing the complete opposite. The money is now being put towards funding foreclosures. When a bank or lender forecloses on someone, they’re still making money, a lot of money. They actually make MORE money foreclosing than they do working with and negotiating loan modifications with the homeowner. Only about 4% of loans actually wind up being modified and even then, the payments are only going down about $5. Because of this, there are thousands of people left without homes in Jefferson and Berkeley County alone. It is unbelievable to me that this is still going on. The money that was given is doing nothing for the common people.
The part that really frustrates me is that people don’t have any idea that this is going on. I wouldn’t know if I didn’t have to work with it every day. The government sugar coats it and acts like it is this beneficial thing and it’s not. I know this is just my opinion, but it is very frustrating none the less.
I have not had alot of experience with government officials and what I have had has thankfully been good. My friend's house burnt down a few years ago while we were out together. When we got to her house the were tons of fire trucks, police, ambulances, etc. All of them were so nice and tried to comfort my friend and her family even amidst the chaos. The compassion they showed will always be remembered. As to Professor Stump's later question, I believe it is important for the government to keep track of every time there is encouters with the public. Personal information needs to be stored to see who are repeat affenders and how serious the offenses are and if maybe they are escalating. This helps the government govern the masses
ReplyDeleteMost of my encounters with government officials have been good; However, I have had a bad experience with a DMV clerk. When I went to take my permit test I was extremely nervous so my mom was helping me fill out my papers. She was just helping; she wasn't filling them out for me. The clerk told us that mom helping me was fraud because they were my documents not hers. When mom and the clerk were done arguing, having decided it was not fraud, i waited to be called to take the written test. I was so upset about being accused of fraud that i lost my nerves and failed the test. I don't handle stress well. But other than this situation, I've had good experiences with all other officials.
ReplyDeleteFor starting, i am very Thankful to be living in the United States. The government has impacted me alot with my education by helping me pay for college first. In my home country there is no such aid. You are basically on your own paying for your school tuition and books, in all these colleges are way too expensive back home. Most of my encounter with the government officials are positive and i plan to leave it that way. However ive seen the government deal with my parent as i am a full time student and dont pay bills. I remember it is because of the government that i had to leave Frederick,MD and move to Martinsburg,WV due to my dad not wanting to pay the bills in the town house i used to live. In other hand, i am very grateful to the government for offering my mom loans to buy a single house in WV,Martinsburg. It is because of them i can further continue my education and i tend to take advantage of this offer for it only comes once or non in a life time. People should be thankful for what the government does for us or we wouldnt be a strong nation. It is because of the government our rights are enforced and protected. True the government might be oftenly strict, but it is to protect the citizen. Plus the taxes we pay that may seem alot for some people are placed at important places to ensure our security and privacy.Ttue the government might have made some mistakesm but not government is perfect and everyone should be grateful to be living in the U.S.
ReplyDeleteThere's one particular experience that I can think of that kind of annoyed me. During my senior year of high school, I was asked to accompany some singers on the piano at the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts in Hagerstown. So I drive there, put an hour and a half on the meter, which was plenty of time. I ended up talking a few extra minutes with a former teacher of mine, and I get back to my car literally five minutes late, where there is a fine left on my windshield, and the meter maid is walking away from my car. I guess she's just doing her job, but the timing was awful, which is why it was annoying. In response to the examples of what government does, such as fixing potholes, I'd like to say that, in my experience, whenever he potholes are filled, it usually seems worse than it was, and even bumpier.
ReplyDeleteI have had both positive and negative experiences with government officials. The most recent encounter was the people who work for post office. I went to the post office recently and sent a package oversea to my family. The government make sure of that package being delivered to my father oversea. Several months ago, I traveled back to Hong Kong, China to visit. I had to go through the security and the experience wasn't unpleasant but it was so strict compared to before. I was not allow to bring my water bottle through the gate. They even made me take off my flip flops (I walked through with flip flops before but they've never asked me to take it off). They made a rule where any liquid you bring aboard has to be smaller or equalvalent to travel size and this gentleman had a giant bottle of lotion and the security guy made him throw it away. The rules they have are very annoying but I understand they are just doing it for our safety.
ReplyDeleteAs you made clear in the intro to this particular discussion, I've had tons of interactions with the government. Both of my parents are retired military and now work for the government. The government will be paying for my next degree. I DO participate (if you can call it that) in the united states postal service and there are more annoying potholes on my way to work and back than I could ever hope to count. Beyond these daily interactions I've also received two extremely exciting speeding tickets that were very much my own fault. Besides the fact that they were expensive and on my 'record' somewhere, neither of those were terrible experiences with the police officers. They were professional and about as nice as one can be about traffic violations. I was active in the NJROTC program when I was in high school, which gave me several opportunities to interact with government officials. The most memorable to me occurred during my sophomore year when our NJROTC unit was invited to be ushers at an event at Sen. Mark Warner's (then Governor of VA) house. I was a member of the color guard so we presented the colors and helped set up the event. It was exciting as a 15 year old to meet someone I had seen on TV and assumed was an important figure to the state I live in. At the time, however, I didn't know much about him. We all got the chance to hear EXACTLY what the Sergeant Major in charge of our unit felt about him though. Not a huge fan. All in all my interactions have been positive. I have voted in every election since I turned 18 and I couldn't avoid being up to date with politics and government if I wanted to be. My parents are Tea Partiers.... it is quite literally shoved down my throat.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't want to change it. I've had the opportunity to travel and have even briefly lived outside of the country. Thankfully my family has always lived on military bases, but having those experiences certainly makes me very grateful for the government we have.
The government doesn't relate to me personally, but I am soo thankful for it! If it wasn't the government, we wouldn't have a lot of the things we do. However, sometimes I do not always agree with them and they piss me off, esp. when they make a Medical Bill that is like over 2000 pages and they pass it and people vote for it and don't even know what is inside of it exactly.. But it's not time to get into that. The government makes me feel very safe about our country and I am very grateful.
ReplyDeleteIn my 18 years I can't really say anything serious has happened to me regarding some form of government. The most I can say that has happened to me is when i got pulled over while in Florida. It was late at night and I was trying to keep awake. I guess I was focusing so hard on staying awake i didn't realize how fast I was going. I got clocked going 18 over. I think he realized how tired i really was and that I wasn't from Florida. He let me off with just a simple speeding ticket, even though it cost me 160 dollars..
ReplyDeleteNicole Doxsee
When I think of the government and myself the first I think about is security, to be more detailed Social Securtiy. When I was two years old, my father died on his work site. My mother was left widowed with two young children(my brother and I). When I think back I can always remember my mother receiving SS checks for my brother and I. It has always got us by, my mother never really could get a great job she didnt even finish high school. I remember for the most part it was the only source of income we recieved. Most of mine was saved for college and now I am the first of my family to be in college. I am very grateful for the government and really all of country for such a great thing to do for families in need.
ReplyDeleteI've lived with a police officer for the last 3 years, therefore I have had many "run-ins" with the law. Fortunately they were only positive experiences. I cannot say I've experienced being stopped at the border, or even given a simple speeding ticket - which I consider "lucky", but upon further reading of everyone else's post, I see it's quite frequent how often we are dealing with the government.
ReplyDelete(Melani Lewis)
I have had many experiences my most recent was with a frederick county sheriff. He wrote me a ticket for expired registratikon which I had no idea was dead. I guess this also goes back to the dmv also because I was not sent anything in the mail to remind me that my registration was about to expire I guess it is all in all my fault but someone was getting paid for a job they didn'd do at the dmv. If they had told me or I would have realized I would have taken care of it but now I had to pay for the registration and the ticket so there goes almost 200 dollars.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had many experiences with with government officials, except for the time that i got pulled over here in Shepherdstown and the police officer thought i was drinking and driving, and then he pulled me out of my car and asked me if i had any drugs, weapons, or anything illegal i shoudn't have with me. He went into my car brought his K9 out and started checking my car like if i was a drug dealer or like i was doing something bad. After he didn't find anything i don't know if he fell stupid or something but he was like, get back in your car and go home and have a goodnight.
ReplyDeleteI havent had any real experiences with political figures that are very interesting to talk about. Although the Martinsburg Police have actually giving me a lot of good experiences while i lived there. One intense i was filming on a rail road track and as i was walking back to my car three cops rolled up and asked me questions. I told them what i was doing and they found it funny. They also took pictures with me with i found somewhat unprofessional but it was better then getting arrested or fined for trespassing. I wish the cops liked in Shepherdstown as much because i've only been here for a week and have already gotten two parking tickets.
ReplyDeleteI have had a lot of experience with government. I work for a state park in maryland so i get to deal with them everyday. Most of my experiences with the government have been good. Most DNR officers and park rangers are nice people and usually are just trying to do there job and make sure everything is safe. Sure sometimes they can be jerks but everyone has a bad day. So overall my experience with the government as been pretty good.
ReplyDeleteI admit my latest experience with a government official was very personal,to say the very least. I decided to date a member of local law enforcement, and it was not long before it was brought to my attention that exceptions can be made for certain individuals in our society.He made exceptions constantly for his friends and his colleagues. Although I am quite certain many law officials take their jobs seriously, it was evident to me that this person did not, or it at least things were only taken seriously when the perpetrator was a regular 'Joe." It angered me to hear him joke about the things he had turned a "blind eye" to simply because he knew the person involved in the case. He came across as arrogant and above the law. I felt like he was abusing his authority and not measuring up to the expectations set forth in his job description. Aren't the laws the same for everyone? He should be setting examples for everyone to follow.
ReplyDeleteElliot Reid said "I work for a state park in maryland," which means that you are part of the government.
ReplyDeleteI have had many experiences with the government, I even have family who work for the government. The experience I have had lately is a negative one. A few months ago the state of West Vieginia was making changes to the 81 Interstate. For a while the roads were rutted and grooved, slowing the speed of traffic because people were scared to drive the speed limit on the grooved road. Then the highway went to one lane for a few miles. This slowed traffic drastically. Between the everyday traffic, rush hour, commuters, and the truckers ( we all know 81 is the main trucker route) the travel was slowed almost to a halt. Also when the highway was one lane and then went back to two after getting past the road work the two lanes weren't an even height. The left lane was almost three inches higher than the right. Because of this you had to slow down a good bit before making a lane change. When the state finally got the interstate completed it was a relief. The problem I had was that it took way too long to comlete. They started on it, then stopeed, then picked it back up again. It was dragged out unneccasarilly. I have had many experiences with government but this was the most prodominant as of yet.
ReplyDeleteI have had a couple experiences with the government throughout my lifetime. One in particular dealing with a speeding ticket that I received while moving down to Myrtle beach last summer. I have always been afraid of getting pulled over by cops, so I am always usually always careful when it comes to driving anywhere. I try not to go too fast and like everyone I always keep an eye out for cops. I always get nervous when I see a cop or there is one right behind me when I am driving. On this particular day while I was driving down I was driving with a group of cars like I normally do, but on this ocassion I was a little tired and didn't realize that I was going a little faster then I should have been going so a cop that was setting radar and got me. This was the very first time I had ever been pulled over so I was pretty nervous about it. The cop did the usual asking for license and registration so of course I gave it to him. As I was sitting there waiting for him to come back I was thinking that I would get a warning since it was the first time but instead he gave me a ticket. I was a little shocked at first when he did that. From then on I have been extra careful to watch how fast I go so that I do not have to experience that again.
ReplyDeleteOver my life I have had a few experiences with government officials, but this time just stays with me. One day a few years ago me and a couple of my buddys are sitting at this park watching everyone skate and run around. Just having a good time. Then we see three police cruisers pull into the parking lot and they immediately got out of there vehicles. All of them walked over to me and my buddys first and told us to stand up, then they start to check us like we were felons or something. After checking us they went and checked all the other kids in the park. After the police checked everyone they got us all in a group, and they told us all the reason that they were checking everyone. Later when they gave us the explaination they told us to stay out of trouble, then just walked away.
ReplyDeleteWilliam Sawyers
Growing up with a Montgomery County Police Officer as a father, I have been surrounded by law enforcement my entire life. Knowing many police officers off duty, I have come to know that many off them are regular guys that just happen to have the job. On the other hand, I have also met some police officers that abuse the power given to them and seem to be on some kind of power trip. In addition, all police officers have a job to do, a very important job, and one that should not be taken lightly; but like anything else, there is a right and wrong way to go about doing things. In conclusion, from my personal experience most all law enforcement that I have had dealt with have been professional and gone about their job respectfully.
ReplyDeleteThrough out my life I have had many encounters with government officialsand more specifically with law enforcement. For starters, my father is a police officer. I learn lots of policies and laws from him that many people may not know.
ReplyDeleteApart from my father, within the past week I have been issued three parking tickets. One of which is incorrectly dated and will probably be voided. Also, I have been issued a ticket for a moving violation. My personal opinion is that maybe a little more time be invested in more serious things rather than competing to see which officer can write more tickets. Even though some agencies are dropping the "quota" system, they are enacting a points system. I'm not exactly sure how the system works, but i know it operates close to the same as before.
Outside of these experiences a majority of my encounters have been positive. Usually, in my best interest. I personally believe officers are required for keeping and ensuring safety of each citizen. Otherwise organized crime would become a lot more abundant and you might fear leaving the safety of your house.
Well I suppose one interaction I've had with the government is the water in my area, Charles Town, where we were actually sent letters from the city that the water was tested and had unhealthy levels of different things that could be cancerous or otherwise unhealthy if we drank the water of the course of a couple of years. They also stated that the water had been this way for several years already and that they would be doing nothing to fix it. There is our government at work again.
ReplyDeleteI haven't encountered too many government officials. I know they're there. They collect taxes out of my paycheck. They pull me over in Martinsburg. They have signs in people's yards telling you to vote. My experience isn't great, but I can almost promise myself that there will be more to come. Like one of the other students said, I'll probably be getting into trouble for trespassing, to take photos. Because I'm not afraid, to take that extra step that could get me the right angle, but could also set apart from all the others.
ReplyDeleteI interact with government officials every day. I dont see them as government officials because they are my parents. My dad is a WV state senator and my mom is a postal employee. Despite their roles in government, they are still my parents. Without them I wouldn't be where I am today. They have positively influenced my life. Other than being my dad, he has also helped bring money to our area for various projects. Usually my interactions with government officials go unnoticed, but I am surrounded by them.
ReplyDeleteIn my 19 years I have spent a lot of time talking to government officials, mainly police. I live in a neighborhood that is not so popular with the police. I was pulled over at least once a week for a month and for no reason. I was not speeding or doing anything wrong. They questioned me about where I was coming from, where I was going, what I had been doing and how long I had lived in my development. A few of them questioned me about my car and how I paid for it. I never received a ticket, or warning. The last time I was pulled over I was followed home by the officer. Since that has happened I feel some officers do waste some time on innocent people when they could be out getting those people who are actually doing wrong.
ReplyDeleteA recent encounter that I had with a government official was around two months ago. I was driving in Hagerstown in unfamiliar territory during heavy rush hour traffic; it was also storming and raining heavily. I tried to change lanes and pulled into a car that was in my blind spot, causing him to hit the back left panel of my family’s suburban. This was my very first accident so I was pretty shaken up afterwards, needless to say. Where the government official comes into this story is, the man who hit me just happened to be an off-duty police officer, who was driving his father-in-laws vehicle, who happened to be an on-duty police officer. But they were very nice about, they even asked how I was doing, and reassured me that everything really was fine seeing as no one got hurt in the accident. So even though it was a very negative experience for me, it turned a little bit positive just because of the off-duty cop’s graciousness.
ReplyDelete-Jessica Lisk
Thankfully I have not had many interactions with political figures or law enforcement, but those I have had were not bad situations. One situation which struck us more as a family was when we got a notice in the mail that my oldest brother, who was 18/19 at the time, was wanted on Interpol The International Criminal Police Organization, for a form of draft dodging. Currently this meant that he was wanted in all of the EU countries and will be arrested and detained on site. When we made out war to the Finnish Embassy in D.C. we straightened out the paper work so my brother was not wanted anymore, and it would not happen to my other brother or me in our future. The cause of the confusion was the mandatory military service that is served in Finland at some point past your 17th birthday for about 9-13 months. It is required by all Finnish citizens, but because we are here in the US currently, it was just a mix up and confusion of whether or not he was going to take care of his mandatory service. With dual citizenship of Finland and the United States, the two countries were able to get things sorted out on their ends so we did not have to worry about becoming internationally wanted at some point in our lives.
ReplyDeleteI myself have been extremely fortunate in not having a bad experience concerning government or politics. The most interaction i've had was when I first got my license 2 years ago. I did not make a complete stop at a stop sign, I was pulled over and fortunately the cop was very nice and let me off with a verbal warning. I was extremely surprised because in my town, the cops are known to be really strict and almost always screw you over. I was shocked to be let off so easy. However, a few of my friends back home have had countless bad encounters with the police that resulted in many court dates. Luckily, one of my friends parents is our town prosecutor so he was able to drop most of their charges. This ordeal went on for about a year and a half and although I wasn't personally involved, I felt like I was considering I heard and knew every single detail and became very acquainted with the laws and policies. Because of this, I am not much more educated with anything that ranges from Illegal tint of windows, the right to have your car searched, DWI, and possession. I also learned that the law can be extremely unjust from witnessing all these things happen to people at my school. Its not so much the outcome of it all, the judge or what happened in court, but more the initial cause for all the drama which were the officers. I'm not complaining about our legal system at all, I honestly just think that most cops are bored (especially where i'm from because there is literally no crime rate) and they'll do anything to screw over any kid. 90% of the stuff you can read on my towns police department website is them just arresting kids for the stupidest things and taking it way too seriously. Relax, theres more important things you should be worrying about than the kid with the "non factory tinted" windows.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI come from a small town where some government officials, mostly police officers abuse, their power. I have no problem with them protecting and upholding the law, but i don't think its right to take advantage of a job that important. An example would be when i was younger and i got pulled over on my bicycle for apparently running a stop sign that didn't even exist. Why would you pull an eight year old on a bike over, especially for no reason. Another example is a time when i was driving home and I got pulled me over. Having done nothing wrong I was nervous and confused. It turns out it was just a friend of mine that's a cop who was bored and just wanted to talk. It's not that i minded talking to him but like I said before you shouldn't treat an important job like that.
ReplyDeleteOne year ago I was pulled over by a state trooper for failing to come to a complete stop while making a right turn. There were no other vehicles in the area other than a few at the Sheetz that I had just left, one of those was the trooper.
ReplyDeleteHe approaches my vehicle and begins angrily scolding me; telling me that he is sick of people in this area not obeying the law. A city officer arrives and begins looking through my passenger side windows with his flashlight. I'm speechless due to the anger of the officer in relation to the offense. They leave to check my info. I expect the mood to lighten as they find that my record is clean, but it does not. He returns with a ticket and continues on his tirade. "Those signs are there for a reason! You could have killed a family!" (Now, mind you this is a small 25 mph backroad running behind Sheetz to the Walmart up on the hill, where I am heading to get a few more balloons for my daughter's 1st birthday, and there were absolutely no cars anywhere near me. No, I wasn't speeding.) Whether it was my nerves or simply the ridiculousness of the situation (He's yelling at me like I'm a dog) I let out a giggle. He bends at the hips and sticks his face to my window opening. With his widebrimmed hat he looks just like a drill instructor from some movie we've all seen. "YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY BOY?!" (He knows I'm 34 years old.) The other officer begins tapping his flashlight on my cab. It's surreal! I'm in highschool again surrounded by bullies. I'm aghast. I say, "I realize my truck is a piece of junk, but he doesn't need to be hitting it." I take a breath and ask, "Where do I sign?" He hands me the ticket, I sign it and we all go about our lives.
I have a friend of mine with me who, with wide eyes, thanks me for keeping my cool. He was afraid that we were gonna get tazed. Me too.
It's been a year since this happened and I'm still fuming. Who can you complain to that will take your word over that of an officer, let alone two? I can't afford a lawyer. I did say something to the person that I had to call in regards to the ticket. I was simply told, "Sounds like he may have been having a bad day. It happens."
My encounters with most government officials are both good and bad. For the short time that I have had my liscnece I have been pulled over three times. The first I was pulled over, I was going 20mph over the speed limit in a construction zone at 1 a.m. in the morning. Luckily I was able to convince him to give me a warning or I would have gotten my liscence and driving privelages revoked. The second time I was pulled over was because the cop clocked the car in front of me going 10mph over the speed limit and pulled me over for it, but once again, I was able to get away with just a warning. The final time I was pulled over I was driving in a line of traffic, going 27mph in a 25mph zone. When he pulled me over he gave me a warning and made me show up in court to show my proof of insurance. So after all these things that have happened the only good thing about them is that I somehow have enough luck to get away with a warning each time.
ReplyDeleteI've had very little experience with government officials. I've never been pulled over on the road, and have never needed to call a firetruck or ambulance (knock on wood). I do have a few friends with brothers who are police officers. I've met them a few times, at parties or just happening across them on the street. They've all seemed prety relaxed with a good sense of humor, but more than once they've been called away on an emergency. The police in my home town are serious about their work, but not too serious themselves.
ReplyDelete20 Aug 2010
ReplyDeleteI was born in into a navy family. My father served for 22 years. He met my mother in Scotland and after a few years, married in 1974. A year later I was born. I have three siblings. My brother born in Japan, my sister was born in RI, and my last sister was born in Puerto Rico. When I was 18 my father retired and soon later I graduated high school. I served in the Navy for over 10 years. I have seen 13 European, 2 African, Australian, 1 Asian, Caribbean, and various other countries around the world. I have been to the North Pole. I saw many countries and culture. Art, music, local events all over Europe, Africa, and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, I had a great time. I also learned much of their beliefs and politics.
This country we live in benefits from many of the beliefs inherited from many cultures. We still have much more work to do but need to maintain our true history and the platform of the fundamentals that created this country.
Today we see a big threat to our country but it is mostly politics and a far left agenda that is creating this chaos. Peaceful demonstrations or being falsely accused of hate speech and more. No matter how much you might disagree with what is being said, we need to protect the right for peaceful protest and freedom of speech. We are in a global economical crisis and spending is not the answer nor is taxing us greater. The best way for us to see what works is learn history and what has worked and what has not and use this to our advantage in restoring the economy. We were once looking at a big economic failure in 1993 but one of the saving graces that kept Clinton in office is a congress of republican majority. Yes many of the politicians have failed us but we need to be greater informed of who is running and what they will do for us regardless of party. We will eventually see anarchy in small groups soon as there was in Greece recently. We need to be more informed on how things work and not just follow but lead the way.
I have had very little experience with the government or any kind of government officials. Like a few others who have posted above me, my encounter involves the police and speeding. I was just recently pulled over on my way to work. I had worked until 2:30 that morning and had to be back at 11:00. I was pulled over doing 76 in a 60 mph zone. I honeslty did not realize that I was speeding, I was a tad bit late to work but didn't notice how fast I was actually going. I was exhausted and when the officer came to my window he could obviously tell because his words were, "Have a late night last night?" I then explained to him the situation and told him where I worked and why I was there so late. He was very understanding and just told me to slow down because he was concerned about my safety and didn't want me to get hurt. He let me go with just a written warning even though I had been pulled over once before for speeding and points were still being held against my license. He was very friendly and very understanding.
ReplyDeleteI personally know someone who was previously a law enforcement officer and even though he looks rather intimidating, he's very friendly. On numerous occasions he has asked me how I would defend myself in various situations and has really just shown a concern for my security and safety. Just knowing that two officers have actually told me that they are concerned about my well-being just gives me a good feeling about their part of the government system. I have no complaints about my encounters with them thus far.
I've had a decent amount of experience with government officials. A few years ago, my mother and I went to a party/cook out that was hosted by the former mayor, Jim Grimes. Obviously there were probably many other government officials there so we were also interacting with them. Jim Grimes was very polite but also treated us like people. He didn't act like he was being extra nice to us to benefit himself as a politician and to make sure he got a vote. He joked around and treated us like friends. He even knew of our interest in horses and took us out to the stables to show us the miniature horses he owned.
ReplyDeleteBlaine Young has also been a family friend of ours and I saw him often in my youth. I was part of a]the Junior Orioles Club in Frederick and he was one of the adult that helped out with the club. I believe that was when he was the Alderman. He was always making me, along the other children in the club, laugh. I thought he was very nice. Then I remember hearing quite a few yers ago about how his name (as well as a few other government officials) appeared in a "black book." I was also a bit younger when that happened and my opinion of him was influenced by this. I didn't think as highly of him anymore.
Also, my mom has been pulled over twice for speeding when she was running late for work. The first time was for going 40 mph in a 25 mph zone. During both of these occasions, she was let go with a verbal warning. Over the years I've seen and heard of this happening a decent amount of times with other family members and friends. They have kind enough to spare people from tickets and fines when they should be giving them.
My most memorable experiences with a government official have to be with police officers. Living in Shepherdstown and being an avid sports fan I always enjoyed going to Shepherd sporting events, mainly football. One day about two years ago my buddies and I came up with what we thought would be a great idea to support the Shepherd football team on homecoming weekend. We dressed up in our gorilla suits and wore Shepherd apparel over top of the suits. As we made our way towards the stadium we passed a cop directing traffic who told us that if we wanted to watch the game we would have to take off the suits and put something else on. We, being teens, went in anyway. At around halftime the same cop approached us and escorted us from the stadium which at the time was very embarrassing. Since then I have had a couple more experiences with police officers but this one is probably the most G rated.
ReplyDeleteOne of my encounters with the government happened when I made my first "long distance" drive away from home. It was only about forty-five minutes to an hour away. I was out of school at that time and going to pick up a friend of mine from school. Everything was fine on the way there and even when I first arrived there we were good to go. After my friend was out of school, we had to wait in line to leave the school parking lot, pretty much bumper to bumper. Well, then we were bumped into by another student driver, who actually ended up hitting us hard enough to make me stall out and jerk forward and hit the car in front of us. Then the guy who hit me put his car in reverse and hit the car behind him. (Not too bright if you don't look first). He was trying to get out of calling the cops, but the guy I bumped into was much older and said he was making the call and the kid could either leave as in "hit and run" or wait for the officer. So, we were waiting and since no one hit hard enough to cause damage to the other's cars, the officer just took the regular information from everyone, but of course blamed the guy behind me for the accident. He also told me to contact my parents since I was seventeen at the time, which I did. My experience wasn't that bad, but I also have had worse, yet no tickets.
ReplyDeleteI have a summer job at a state park in West Virginia; it’s been my summer job for the past 5 years. My job is park aide, simple duties as picking up any trash in the park, helping park guests, giving information, stuff like that. I enjoy my job and the people I work with. My salary is minimum wage determined by the state, and my hours I work are determined by the state. Last year I had a comment card written about me by a guest who was visiting and was thinking about coming back to stay at the lodge. I gave him information about the park, tourist places to check out. In his guest comment card he wrote “Extra thanks to Tim very pleasant young man. Very helpful. Took extra time with us and would to have someone like him as my son-in-law. Extra thanks to him from us.” The gentlemen got a free weekend stay at the lodge. I got a letter from the state and a pat on the back from our superintendent. NBA legend Charles Barkley once said “There’s only about a six inches between a pat on the back and a kick in the ass.”
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I have had to call the police many times in my life. It has only ever been good experiences though. Usually it was the same few officers who came. After they took care of the situation, they would stay for a little and make sure my mother was ok, and give her advice on what steps to take next. They seemed like they actually cared. I am not one of the people who think police are jerks, they actually care and want to help. They aren't out to get you all the time.
ReplyDeleteI have not really had much experience with government officials. The only person I can think of that I know personally within the broad sense of government officials would be my dad who is a postmaster. I have noticed that being a federal employee has its advantages. My dad is off for all the federal holidays, gets a lot of vacation time, and they have a great insurance plan. Other than my dad, I have not encountered many other officials. I have met a few cops at school and work and it has always been a fairly positive experience. My brother on the other hand has not been so lucky. He has received numerous speeding tickets. One of these days I think he will learn his lesson. In the meantime, I will learn from his mistakes.
ReplyDeleteOne of the last major experiences with government I had occurred last summer. A few friends and I were having a fire in this old train tunnel, and the police came to break up the party. They arrived with a posse of six officers, and told us that someone had reported seeing our cars in a no parking zone nearby. Five of the six officers were nice and simply tried to let us go on our way, but the corporal insisted on writing tresspassing tickets since we were supposedly not allowed in there.
ReplyDeleteWhen the time came to pay the tickets, I was shocked to find out that it was for $200 dollars, and I told the County Clerk that I wished to take the ticket to court. Before the court date I researched the local laws and found out that my ticket was over the limit for how much tickets for that offense could be. On court day I explained this to the judge, and after looking up the offense himself, dismissed the charges against me.
Besides the police corporal, every government figure I dealt with in this situation was pretty nice.
Unfortunately i have recently had an encounter with a government official. I had witnessed a wreck between two people and had to tell the police officer what i saw. Like other wrecks, the officer on the scene goes around and gets everyones story and puts you down as a witness. This is one of the few times i have talked to a government official. Each time i do, i always get really nervous even when i am not the one who has done something wrong. Overall my experience with government officials has been good.
ReplyDeleteIn 18 years I have had little experience with government officials. I have been lucky enough to have never been pulled over by a cop. One of the closest times I've had experience with a government official is when my dad got pulled over when we were coming home from Kentucky. Unfortunately he didn't get a warning and ended up getting a ticket.
ReplyDeleteI live far enough out off town so that I don't get bothered to much by anyone. I live so far into nowhere the police cannot find my house! ;Not that I have broke the law or something, Simply stating my experience. I also have traveled outside the US and seen other forms of government and I must say I would rather be here. I am not saying are government is perfect by no means; I do however think it is the best from what I have seen.
ReplyDeleteBeing only 17 years old, I would say that I have had a few too many encounters with police officals. Now I am not a bad person, I simply get pulled over a lot, except in one case. Just this summer a few friends and I all went to the beach together for a week. When we were there we found out one of our friends had a drinking problem because she was in a serious car accident a year before and she was still having problems due to it. We were all coming back from the beach and just hanging out at the house watching tv and out one friend got a little too drunk. Everyone was out doing their own thing except me and one other friend. We had no idea what to do so we called our parents right away. They told us to call an ambulance right away to get help becuase she was convulsing. At this time one of HER friends came to help out in addition who was an EMT in training. We called 911 becuase we were so cuncerned about this girl. Keep in mind, we were not drinking. When the ambulance arrive it was followed by a cop car. They came inside and didn't assess the situation and hit on my friend and I. After this incident, he gave us a citation for not reason, we were not drinking. But get this, the girl who was dligerent and had to go to the hospital didn't even get a citation. She was able to walk away from it all with nothing.
ReplyDeleteBesides the bad encounters with the police I have also had positive encounters with them too. This year I went to Preakness with a bunch of friends. One of them lost their keys and we went to the police for help. They were being really supportive and helped us get the number to call the lightrail where we lost the keys and give her dad directions on where to pick her up so she could get home in time to get to work. Later with all the information, the lightrial did have her keys and she was able to get them back!
Being 19 and in college i feel that even though i might have had a few run ins with the government i have never had a bad one. I have yet to be in the dmv for any longer than twenty minutes on the six different ocasions i've visited. I've been pulled over for cutting off a state trooper, speeding, and having expired tags but have never gotten ticketed or felt mistreated. Every cop has been polite and just looking out for other peoples safety, not some dick trying to give a teenager a ticket. I enjoy our policing force and hope they continue to do the good job they always have.
ReplyDeleteI can't think of any terrible experiences with government officials. I've been pulled over before and the officer actually let me off the hook so i guess that would be a positive interaction. I am, however, only 18 and surely will have many more either negative or positive run ins with government officials. I've never been ticketed so hopefully next time I am pulled over I'll be shown mercy again!
ReplyDeleteI haven't had any bad experiences with government officials. My dad and brother are both Maryland State Troopers, and the only time I did get pulled over I was let go as soon as the cop saw my name and asked who my dad was. This has also come in handy for my mom on a couple occasions. I know many of the troopers from around my area and the barrack at which my brother works, and because of this I have a lot of respect for police officers of any type.
ReplyDeleteI have not had many experiences with the government but one that i have had recently was that i was pulled over in hagerstown because my tail light was out. The offier was very nice and just gave me a warning telling me to fix my light within the next week. This is probably the only incounter i can remember with the cops and It was a good one. Some people get the impression that cops are such jerks but I really have come to think that they are just out there to help the community.
ReplyDeleteI have had many postitive and negative experiences with the government. Not long ago, I went to the campus police station. I asked if there was anyway I could get a temporary parking pass because my parents were going out of town and I needed a car...but only for one week. They said they don't give out temporary passes,but I shouldn't worry because they wouldn't be ticketing the first week of classes, so I would be fine. Needless to say, I got a ticket. Although they eventually voided it, they treated me as if I was stupid and had made the whole story up just to get out of the ticket. Today I found out I will need the car for two more weeks because of my job, but after that I can leave it at home. My dad and I drove around town and then campus today trying to find a place I could park my car and attempt to avoid a ticket. I saw a campus cop and decided to ask them one last time if there was any other options for parking my car. He said absolutely, we can issue you a temporary parking permit. I am not sure if it was because my Dad was with me or because I spoke to a different person, but why should it matter?
ReplyDeleteEmily Suranno
Section 100.03
I have been fortunate to have never had any negative experiences with government officials.A postive experience that I had was getting my drivers licence.In the state of Virginia you have to go before a judge to receive your licence.This was a very intimidating for me,never in my life had I been in a court house let alone in front of a judge.I feel like it was a very beneficial experience for me though.When the judge handed me my licence it helped me to realize what a tremendous responsibility and privilege it was to be granted a drivers licence in the state of Virginia.
ReplyDeleteBlair Jewell
section 100.04 (tueday-thursday)
Responding to mattkueglers post, I too go swimming at what we locals call the Rock in Montgomery County. We ran into a cop and he too tried to say that I was high because my eyes were incredibly red. All my friends laughed because I have never smoked in my entire life. Once he figured out we were just high school kids trying to have a good time he let us go.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI haven't honestly been in contact with the government on a personal level. I do have an aunt that is a Judge in my town. She has told me before how tough of a job it really is to have to prosecute people that you may know or know of. I can imagine at times it would be hard for a government officials to have to make punishment decisions. I wouldn't want to do it. The bad part about it is, is that all of us can sit around and complain all we want about the government at all levels but there aren't too many of us who would like the job. I personally would not like to be a government official who has to make decisions for their community, state, or worse yet country. I think we are lucky to live where we live and have the opportunities we do. If we didn't have government officials this country would be mass chaos. I don't want to sit here and act like I agree with every decision that is made but it's just like when and umpire makes a bad call at the plate. We all may hate the call but not a whole lot of us would like to take the position.
ReplyDeleteSamanthia McQuade
Section 100.03
In the past 17 years of my life, I have never had a negative interaction with the government, yet I still have been involved with them. When I was 16, I had to stand in front of a judge to receive my license. This was my first real interaction with the government to my knowledge. The 2nd interaction I had is with loans. My parents took a loan out to help my brother pay for college. The way the government interferes with that is they pay for what you need and then you pay them back. Although these are not big interactions with the government, they are the two biggest ones I have had.
ReplyDeleteGwynn Allison
100:04
Tuesday-Thursday
I've grown up around politics. My dad and granddad were both United States Congressmen, so it's sort of been in my blood. Every family get-together is full of big political discussions and debates around current events and hot topics; we're a Catholic family too (needless to say we're a big family.) Though I've grown up with moderately liberal parents and family members, I've formed my own opinions on issues that fall further to the right or left of various relatives. I'm more liberal on abortion and gay marriage but more conservative on issues such as gun rights. With having a direct link to government officials and insiders, my young adulthood has been filled then with direct interaction with the actual workings of government: from discussing policies with WV delegates to experiencing President Obama speak. It's been an unusual but very satisfying experience being in this family.
ReplyDeleteMy interactions with the government are basically like everyone else's. I have my times when I get pulled over and parking tickets and things of that nature. I also was in a car accident a couple years back and of course the police were involved in that as well. My other experience with the government is, I once tried to walk through a park that was restricted at the time which I was unaware of and the park ranger made it very clear, very quickly that it was restricted. I've never had any serious negative interactions with the government, but I have had to deal with them multiple times.
ReplyDelete