6th Grade--Democracy 民主

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"The dictionary defines democracy as a government by the people exercised either directly or through elected representatives. It also defines democracy as social and political equality and respect for the individual within a community. But what does democracy truly mean to the people of America? The citizens of America today have known nothing but freedom in their life times. We are all free to practice the virtues of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as stated in our Declaration of Independence (declaring the US's right to separate from England) written over 200 years ago. However, this was not always the way of life in America. Over our nation’s brief history, a great number of men and women fought and died for the many freedoms we take for granted today."The US has several very important documents. The first one is the Declaration of Independence, which said that the US was separate from the UK. The original American colonies did not want to be governed by the British government because they felt they were not being represented. The Constitution is important because it limits the power of the federal government. It tells the federal government what it can and cannot do. The Constitution plays a huge role in American politics, legal system, and government structure. The Bill of Rights is one specific section of the Constitution that basically tells the federal government what they can't do.

字典上定義的民主就是：政府是由人們直接或透過被選出的代表運作。它也界定民主就是社會和政治平等並且尊重群體中的個體。但民主對美國人真正的意義是什麼？美國人民今日在生活中只知道自由。我們都有自由去實踐生活、自由的價值和追求幸福生活，就在我們兩百多年前獨立宣言（宣稱美國有脫離英國的權力）。然而，這不全然是美國的生活方式。檢視我們國家的歷史，許多男人和女人為了我們現在視為理所當然的自由抗爭或者死亡. 美國有許多很重要的文件，第一件是獨立宣言，它宣示了美國脫離英國而獨立。最初美國殖民者並不想要被英國政府所管轄，因為他們感到他們並沒有被尊重。憲法是重要的，因為它限制了聯邦政府的權力，它告訴聯邦政府它的權力與限制，憲法在美國政治、司法系統和政府結構上扮演重要的角色。權利法案是憲法中特殊的部份，它主要是告訴政府他們不可以做的事情。

Highlights of the Bill of Rights 權利法案的條文要點
#1. The freedom of religion (to believe or not believe in any religion), speech (to say what you want as long as it doesn't endanger people), press (to publish what you want as long as it doesn't endanger people), and assembly (to gather in public places for meetings or protests)
1.宗教自由（相信或不相信任何宗教）、言論自由（可以說任何你想說的言論，只要不危害他人）、出版自由（出版任何東西只要不危害他人）、集會結社自由（在公眾場合聚集開會或抗議）。

#2. The right to keep and bear arms (own guns)
2.持有武器的權利。

#4. Protection from unreasonable search and seizure (police cannot search your or anything that is yours or take anything without a good reason)
4.禁止無理由的搜索和巡查的權利（警察不可以無理由的搜查你、你的東西或拿走任何屬於你的物品）。

#5. The right to not incriminate yourself and to be treated fairly under the law
5.在法律下接受公平對待和不被褫奪公權的權利。

#6 and 7. The right to an unbiased trial and to be judged by a group of your peers to determine if you are guilty or not
6.和7.擁有受公平審判以及陪審團決定是否有罪的權利。

#8. Protection against cruel and unusual punishment
8. 不得施與殘酷和不人道的懲罰 .

#9 and 10. Any rights that the Constitution doesn't say are the federal government's belong to the people and the states
9.和10. 任何憲法尚未囑明的權利，屬於人民和國家所組成的聯合政府。

Questions:
1. What does democracy mean to you?民主對你的意義是什麼？

2. What rights do you have as a citizen of Taiwan? 什麼是你身為台灣公民的權利？

3. What rights in the US's Constitution do you think are important? Why?在美國憲法內的哪種權利你認為是重要的？為什麼？

4. Why do you think citizens of a country should have rights?
你為何認為國家的公民需要有權利？