“What does our Government do? (Post by Dre Owen)”

I agree with Owen’s statement “Our United States National government is very important for our country. There is a lot of controversy over what is perceived as wrong or right, but without it, our country, our nation, would be a disaster.” The US national government is founded on the opinions of the limited government involving the republican, natural rights, social contract as well as popular sovereignty.  For the limited government to protect the civil liberties and rights of US citizens, they ensure that they have maintained various restrictions. The US governments have different functions that are listed in their Constitutions including managing economic conditions, defending its citizens against the external antagonist, and providing collective public goods to the communities.

    The current government is responsible for developing the conditions for economic development, material prosperity, and growth. However, this is a function that has been assumed by most of the democracies in the new communities. However, in the US nation, private markets decisions are left by the economic policy, where private exchange, competition, and choice are expected to lead to an improving economy.

    The US government also ensures that its citizens are well protected against their external antagonist. In the past, the conflict has been persistent in the life of human beings. This has been due to the development of more nuclear weapons in the nations, which makes the US less likely but a more dangerous country.

Besides, the government helps in the provision of public goods to the communities. These resources are typically the ones that the private markets offer but in a way that is unfair or inefficient.

     Rich governments and people might employ private mercenaries. However, it is a risky approach for protecting society since these mercenaries might turn against the employers and threaten them. For this reason, successful and effective government tends to control national security.

Why We Should Not Legalize Marijuana

       The article “DeBlasio Explains His Hesitance on Legalizing Marijuana” had published in the New York Times on December 20, 2018. Jeffrey Mays, a correspondent of the New York Time, writes that the US national government should not legalize the use of marijuana due to the severe threat addiction that the drug pauses to the young people. Notably, the former mayor of New York City had previously asserted that marijuana should not be legalized due to the negative first-hand experiences he has had with the drug, before his later change of heart. According to the former mayor, the drug leads to addiction which adversely affects the psychological and physical wellbeing of the abusers, making their health to deteriorate and even acquire lifestyle diseases such as cancer and emphysema among others. Based on this, this commentary opines that the US national government should not legalize marijuana to save the country from impending disaster.   

       The tendency of marijuana to lead to addiction, therefore, pauses a significant threat to the future of the young people and the future of America as a whole. For instance, young people would become too addicted to the drug such that their lives revolve around marijuana, while other life processes such as education and academics stall. In the result, the health of the youths will be severely impacted while the economy of America will lose vibrant and energetic people to propel the economy of the country forward. For this reason, we should stop the legalization of marijuana to secure our future as well as the future of the young people.  

      In conclusion, Mays ascertains that the City of New York and by extension the US national government should not legalize marijuana as doing so would be equivalent to opening up a Pandora box or a dynamic for more Americans to suffer. The massive amount of young people who have lost their lives is a testament to the adverse health consequences of the drug; hence it should not be legalized.