Former president Bill Clinton lied to the American public when he denied accusations of having an affair. The president is the most important person in the world and has the most responsibility, and I do not think it is right that he did not get punished like a normal person would. Do you think that the president should be charged like any other citizen in America?
Phil S.
11 comments:
Today, celebrities and other people of great authority are looked at in a new light because of their authority and how they carry themselves everyday. But, I feel that just because they may make a lot of money and are idolized by many people, doesn't mean that they can be pardoned by the law. Passing laws to be enforced means that they must be followed, and what's a laws that's only followed by everyday citizens. It's not one at all, but instead is there to make a division between who makes all the money that everyone likes, and who is just an everyday person living their lives. It simply goes against what our country stands for: Justice. The president has one of the most important positions in the world, as his decisions affect our everyday lives. So, any leeway in the law allows for someone of this authority to get away with actions that an ordinary person wouldn't. I feel that if the president does something against his pledge, or the law, the full extent of the law should used against him, as that keeps balance in our society, and justice in the right hands.
Seth S.
I completely think that what Clinton did was wrong and that he set a bad example for the American people. But as far as being a president goes, Clinton could have done a lot worse. FDR had an affair and was/is still seen as one of the best presidents in american history. I mean it's not like he lied about nonexistant Weapons of Mass Destruction or anything. I just don't see how Clinton's dodgy sex life makes him a bad president. The fact that he lied under oath was still pretty bad though. I think that a president should be judged by the decisions that he makes in his country... not in his bedroom.
-Mickey J.
Hey Phil.
Yeah, I agree with Seth basically. These days, celebrities, and famous people that make a lot of money seem to think that they can get away with doing stuff against the law. Even though they have a lot of fans, and people that wish they were them, they must abide by the laws that every other person has. When a law is passed, it is passed for everyone, not just certain people. I think that the president ESPECIALLY should be charged with the full punishment that he deserves because he basically passes these laws, and made them!! Don't you think that if he makes the laws, he must follow them? I think that he definetely has to.
-Josh Sklar
Hey... I submitted on Sunday, but it never went up, so sending this through again.
I think that people such as celebrities, professional athletes, and governmental officials need to get a taste of the medicine all American citizens receive. They find themselves above the law a lot of the time. They deserve to pay for their entire crimes even if they are the president.
Bill Clinton deserves to be punished, as any other person would have been. He lied under oath, and then pretended like he was above the law, and had no major punishment. He even got MORE publicity due to these events. Because the president is a citizen as are the other people of America, he deserves to be charged as any regular person. He's just a person doing his job, he deserves to be punished if he did something wrong.
-Anna S.
Hey Philly,
I completely agree. The law is the law. Clearly the law needs revision when the average person is prosecuted to the fullest extent, and a public figure gets a free pass. Even the president of the United States should get the same treatment as me, it is written in the constitution. Overall, i believe that it the government made two wrongs, lying to the public, and then another for not enforcing the rules and laws on the wrongful individual.
I believe that Former President Bill Clinton was not OK in lying to the American people. I agree, that the president of the United States, is the most powerful man on the planet, and he should tell the truth to us, especially under oath. I do believe he should have been charged like any other person in America. Even though cheating is not illegal, lying under oath is. This is why I believe that the former president Bill Clinton should have been impeached. People think that the President can go and break the law, but he has to follow the laws just like everyone else.
Paris.
I agree that President Clinton should be tried as an ordinary citizen and take whatever the punishment is for perjury and lying under oath. However, the people in today’s society are treated very differently. People who are categorized as influential or are famous in some kind of way, get away with things than a majority of us wouldn’t. The law is set so everyone can obey it and when it’s broken you must suffer the consequences that follow. Many people at higher levels of society have taken advantage of their power and status. The President should be the one that always sets the example and follows the rules. It has been taken advantage of by many people in the United States. If people set bad examples it makes it look ok for others to do it too. Proving to the United States that others are treated differently when dealing with the law would be hard to prove. It is a topic that would be very difficult to settle but it should be done in the near future. I think that the people who are treated at a different level will soon take it too far. In today’s society they might even be able to get away with murder.
Katie G.
I do agree with phillip that the president should be treated just like any other human being on the earth. However, no human being gets fired from work because he cheated on his wife. Yes, it shows irrisponsibility on his behalf, which should be strongly looked upon in a president; i just think that the people in the white house should have watched Clinton very closely after the insident. Trying to figure out some of his other flaws or mistakes that would have actually been worthy of impeachment would be a better idea. No regular person would get this kind of punishment for being unfaithful. I think celebrities these days are watched under a microscope, and every flaw is magnified and expanded into something way out of proportion. I am going to have do disagree with Phillip, because all in all, what he did was indeed a mistake, but not nearly worthy of impeachment.
Lisa R.
I disagree with Phil. I personally don't care what the president does with his personal life, all i care about is what he does with my country. I am mad that Clinton lied to our country about the situation. I am mad at him when i think that a man cheated on his wife, but when i think about him as a president all i care about is how he takes care of our country. Clinton was punished for his decision, he was impeached. I personlly think he got a bigger punishment then if a normal man had cheated on his wife.Clinton was a good president.
~Erin B.
In my perspective, no one is above the law and what Clinton did was wrong. Bill Clinton lied under oath during the testimony of his sexual relationship with Monica Lewinski. Hypothetically speaking, if this was an average man in this case he would be behind bars for lying under oath. Bill Clinton, a president, is making crucial decision on laws that affect our everyday lives. This means when a law is passed its passed for everyone in the United States to follow it because we are considered as equals. This would only set a bad example for the United States if Bill Clinton were to go above the law and our society standpoint.
Chase R.
I agree with many of the posts on the situation. I think that the president should be held accountable for his actions, and not be excused from the law just because he is considered a celebrity among us. Although, the everyday person would not lose their job and have the whole world talking about a mistake they made in their personal life. Overall your social status and the law should never affect each other, each person should get the same treatment.
-molly t.
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