Introduction
In Washington, many leaders represent their electorates in the house of representatives in the national assembly. These leaders are very important in ensuring that the concerns of the people they represent are voiced in the house for an action to be taken to salvage any out-of-hand situation. I choose Andrew Carson as my representative who stands for the US Indiana’s 7th congressional district having been elected in 2008 by the people after her grandmother who was also a former representative of the district succumbed to death. Carson was elected on a democratic party thus assuming office on March 11, 2008.
He was again re-elected in 2010 (Coyne Para. 2). His journey to the office is traced way back when he was still a boy. His public service was highly influenced by his grandmother, the late Carson. He grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, went to school in the same district, did a bachelors’ degree in criminal justice management, and later a Master of Business Management from Indiana Wesleyan University. His professional life has seen him work in various environments.
He worked as a law enforcement officer at the Indiana state excise police and later joined the department of homeland security ascending the ranks to become a supervisor in the anti-terrorism unit. He also worked as a market specialist for the cripple architects company and cum engineer. Carson has contributed and participated in a range of important issues that have made him recognized and appreciated by his followers (Bendery Para.4), I was inclusive.
Technology and the presence of many other sources of information across the globe have contributed to spreading information across the world about Carson. Millions of people across the world have known Carson through these multiple channels of transmitting information, which qualifies him to be my representative.
What Carson is after
Concept of madrassa
I agree with most of the ideologies that Carson has been up to besides disagreeing with some others. From the moment he was elected to be the representative of Indiana’s seventh congressional district, he has been involved in various issues that concern the US and his area of representation. Carson’s opinion that all American schools should resort to the madrassa model is one of the issues that have elicited debate (Hibbard Para.3).
He said this while addressing the Islamic Circle of North America Convention in May 2012. He believes that this is the only way the American people will be able to deal with terrorism. According to Carson, all students should be exposed to the Quran since many schools that were performing well had in their schools’ religious education. He further argued that American schools stand a chance to gain from innovativeness and ingenuity that is provided by the educational system that is offered to Islam in the madrassas. Further, he was convinced that this mode of teaching was appropriate, as it provided multiple needs to children.
I disagree with Carson because I feel that the assumptions he postulates are not true. Education in America cannot be redefined because American society is built and formed based on Christianity. The system of education that is provided cannot surpass that of the US in terms of innovativeness and ingenuity as Carson alleges. America is a big nation and can stand on its own to promote innovativeness in its education system without having to incorporate madrassa. Therefore, the allegations and assumptions of Carson are futile and baseless.
Revision of the education system
I agree with Carson’s effort to ensure that the education system in the US is revised and readjusted. The higher education and employment transparency act on higher education is one of the efforts that Carson has done. He is of the view that college students need to be taught or provided with statistics on employability so that they are well prepared when they come out of school. The act would require that all websites hosted by various universities provide a link that would update students on their occupational employment statistics. Further, the act will require that guidelines be created for all institutions by the department of education.
These guidelines should report job replacement rates besides indicating whether they require post-education secondary education or whether the jobs will be paid or not. For Carson, the bill will ensure equality in the job markets thus allowing students to access a lot of information. They will be able to choose courses and schools of their preferences. This noble idea resonates with my thinking and the basis behind my representative.
Many students are forced out of school because of the challenges that they faced. This system is very reliable and not complex. It is convenient for students because they will have to make affable decisions that will help them get jobs quickly. The statistics information will also serve as a motivation factor for students to work hard in their academics to achieve their goals. The system is also supported because of its capability to provide freedom to the students to choose careers that interest them. Therefore, I agree with this view as suggested by Carson.
How Carson has done his job
So far, I agree with Carson on the way he has been doing his job. He is a leader who has the will of the people at his heart (Wilson Para. 3). His leadership is propelled by the desire to see the people he leads living a comfortable and peaceful life. This case is demonstrated through his quest to defend the people by always playing center stage in passing laws that are geared towards enhancing and promoting a good living for the citizens.
As a worthy representative, during the great depression, he supported the American recovery and investment act of 2009 that sought to stimulate the economy of the US. He has also supported the US’ universal health reform act that seeks to ensure that all Americans can access affordable health care at a low rate. In energy and environment, Carson is optimistic. He wants adequate initiatives to be taken to ensure that Americans switch to clean energy as opposed to fossil fuels.
He believes that the environment of the US should be clean to reduce greenhouse gas emissions hence reducing the problems of environmental pollution. The representative’s efforts and the quest of seeing America without problems are seen in his relentless support of the government’s initiatives. He has also been at the forefront in issues to do with increasing national security, debating on matters dealing with disease prevention, consumer protection, and public safety and among many other fundamental sectors (Congressman Para. 3).
Does He Fit with the Lessons Learnt in Class?
The representative fits with what we have learned. A leader should be committed and selfish. He must abide by the rule of law besides aspiring to represent his electorates until the end. The core values refer to the fundamental, constitutional, and democratic values that are required to be adopted by the people of America for the sake of uniting them. These values include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (Bond and Kevin 65).
These core values have been achieved in the story and depiction of the Carson. For instance, he has always defended life through his participation in fundamental bills such as health care reforms that aim at ensuring that access to health facilities is achieved (Pickett Para. 3). He is also concerned about the environment. He has contributed much to the efforts geared at reducing greenhouse emissions and reforming the energy sector by resorting to new forms of energy other than those that have had negative effects on the US’ environment. Liberty and the pursuit of happiness are also adhered to through these readings. Of the three, the pursuit of life is highly emphasized.
The information allows people to learn new things about their surroundings. Various channels allow this information to reach people such as the internet, print media, and word of mouth among others. In the modern-day, digital technology has enhanced the way people communicate with one another. People can access information quickly in the comfort of their houses. Multiple sources of information about Carson conform to what I would have expected of him.
Even though Carson is a human being with some weaknesses and challenges, he has gone a step ahead to ensure that he brings order in a society based on his agitation for the rights of the minority in the US society. Most of the sources that I have been exposed to communicate similar information about the representative. He is a leader who has put the concerns of his people before his. He always endeavors to see a change even though he is sometimes controversial about certain issues. Carson has also helped in providing technical services to the ministry of security concerning matters of security (Bond and Kevin 35). Therefore, his contribution is of high benefit to society.
How three Core values of Democracy fit with what I have found about Carson?
The three core values of democracy include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The three core values are in tandem with the information that has been found about Carson. He is a person who values life. Life is a democratic right of any citizen in America. The government has a mandate to ensure that this right is protected. Carson is very much concerned about the life of his people. This claim is manifested with his role in the country’s security.
He was one of the members of the ‘Homeland Security’ before becoming a representative of Indiana’s seventh congressional district. Furthermore, he has been at the forefront in fighting against the Al-Qaida threats. He has also been involved in various negotiations that are aimed at seeking solutions to manage terrorist groups. All these efforts are made to ensure that the life of the people of America is protected. Furthermore, Carson has provided the liberty to his people.
The laws that he has contributed to forming in the House of Representatives are geared at ensuring that liberty is upheld. He is a frank and liberal person, as evidenced by the readings. The pursuit of happiness is yet another core value that Carson grants his people. Through the various readings, Carson has enabled people to pursue their alpines as long as they do not cause harm to others.
Do the Values overlap or is there any that he does not represent well
The values do overlap. However, some are represented well compared to others. For instance, he represents the value of a life well. He is determined to ensure that the people of America are well protected from the aggression of the terrorists. He also engages in many other ways indirectly to enhance the lives of people. For instance, he was among the representatives who participated in the passing of health care reforms and economic depression laws.
Therefore, he is an individual who has the interests of the people at heart. Carson has also endeavored to see that the people he represents to pursue their happiness and liberty. For instance, he has requested the electorates to vote for him for three terms without any force. The process has always been democratic. This, therefore, is evident based on his quest to ensure that there is liberty where citizens are not coerced to do something.
Conclusion
Carson is a true leader who has been committed to bringing change in the lives of the American people as demonstrated by his passion and participation in crucial issues about the welfare of the US people. He has shown exemplary leadership, which respects the rule of law and democratic values of the society. He is committed and always aspires to uplift the rights of the disadvantaged in society. Therefore, as my representative, Carson’s stories are inspiring and motivating. They reveal how leadership is about having the right gadget to lead not only from the front but also with examples. He is worth an emulating representative.
Works Cited
Bendery, Jennifer. Democratic Rep: Tea Party Would Love To See Black People ‘Hanging On A Tree’ (VIDEO), 2011. Web.
Bond, Jon, and Kevin Smith. The Promise and Performance of American Democracy. 10th Edition. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth. Print.
Congressman. Congressman Carson seeks to expand year-round access to healthy food for low-income families, 2012. Web.
Coyne, Tom. Stutzman, Carson win re-election in Indiana, Associated Press State Wire: Indiana (IN), 2012. Web.
Hibbard, Laura. André Carson, Indiana Congressman, Says U.S. Public Schools Should Be Modeled After Islamic Schools, (video) (update), 2012. Web.
Pickett, Kerry. AUDIO: Origin of Rep. Carson’s racism accusation toward health care protesters, 2010. Web.
Wilson, Stan. Rep. Carson defends controversial tea party slam. Cable News Network, 2011. Web.