Written by Maansi
Without the people, the government would endure a pointless existence, yet without the government, the people would fall into a helpless anarchy. To this end, the United States Government bears the purpose of serving and protecting its citizens, regardless of the number of despicable (yet unimpeachable) decisions it has made throughout its history. The American Government protects the common good of the people; this is evident through recent events, where complications are admiringly handled by our Government. Our officials showcased their validity when Hurricane Harvey struck Texas, leaving a lingering devastation, and when New York’s state government committed its efforts to the construction of a new and improved NY bridge.
To begin with, Hurricane Harvey left a myriad of Texans mourning and homeless; as described by CNN, “[t]he storm and subsequent flooding left more than 70 people dead and ravaged nearly 300 miles of the Texas coast and parts of Louisiana, flooding homes and displacing more than a million people” (Elam 4). It is evident that Harvey had disturbed the lives of millions of people, leaving them shocked and desperate for aid. This natural disaster provoked the alarm of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, also known as FEMA. FEMA eagerly focused its efforts on supplying Texas’s state and local officials with the assistance they needed to continue their search and rescue attempts (CNBC 4). In addition to this, FEMA supplied survivors in texas with a multitude of necessities, which included “more than 1,900,000 meals; [m]ore than 1,960,000 million liters of water; [m]ore than 4,700 blankets; and [m]ore than 1,400 cots” (“Federal Government Continues Response to Hurricane Harvey:” 4). America’s citizens were reminded of the importance of the US Federal Government when FEMA deployed its rescue and recovery attempts to save the people from Hurricane Harvey’s catastrophic aftermath. However, while our government invests its efforts in keeping the people safe from harm, it also attempts to make its citizens’ lives easier and more comfortable.
To assert another example, New York’s state government invested some of its efforts into a project that would benefit the people; a new NY bridge, which would replace the Tappan Zee Bridge. Though the old bridge was a “. . . vital artery for residents, commuters, travelers, and commercial traffic”, the “[b]ridge traffic [had] grown to about 140,000 vehicles per day, far more than the Tappan Zee was designed to support” (“About The Project” 2). Considering the fact that the Tappan Zee was consisted of narrow lanes and nonexistent emergency shoulders, this bridge needed to be replaced, in the interest of the drivers' safety. Of course, the New York State Government funded this project, as an attempt to better the lives of its people, including any other visiting Americans. This new NY bridge would mean “...less congestion and frustration for motorists” (“About The Project” 3). Supporting this needful project displays how New York’s state government has the common good of the people at heart.
Overall, it is perceptible that the American Government protects the common good of the people; considering the way the government had so effectively responded when presented with these complications, there is no denying that it exists only to serve and protect the people. This is evident when FEMA offered assistance to Texas’s state and local officials in the aftermath of Harvey’s rein, along with supplying the survivors with the necessities. The government’s preciosity is also apparent when New York’s state government supported the building of the new, beneficial NY bridge that would ensure the safety of drivers, and offer other fruitful advantages. Based off the way our government so graciously handles these kinds of problems, it’s safe to say that the government strives to serve and protect the citizens of America.
Works Cited
Elam, Stephanie. “Parts of Texas still in rescue and recovery mode, 2 weeks after Hurricane Harvey.” CNN, www.cnn.com/2017/09/08/us/hurricane-harvey-recovery/index.html. Accessed 9 September 2017.
“FEMA expects more than 450,000 Harvey disaster victims to file for assistance” CNBC, www.cnbc.com/2017/08/28/fema-expects-more-than-450000-harvey-disaster-victims-to-file-for-assistance.html. Accessed 9 September 2017.
“Federal Government Continues Response to Hurricane Harvey:.” FEMA, www.fema.gov/news-release/2017/09/01/federal-government-continues-response-hurricane-harvey. Accessed 10 September 2017
“About the Project.” New York State, www.newnybridge.com/about/. Accessed 10 September 2017.
Maansi is a 17-year-old writer from Colorado. She hopes to one day publish one of her articles in the New York Times. Until then, she writes articles for her school newspaper and on her blog.
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