Jennifer Chan
Ms. Kaufman
Humanities 801
21 November 2014
People Always Want Changes
Throughout history, there were wars, protests, elections, violence and non-violence.
Many were murdered and those who were innocent were harmed. Nonetheless, they all
wanted one thing, independence. It is usually declaring for separation between the ruling
country, to self-govern their own state, hometown or even country. People will always want
changes, proclaiming their rights and independence. There are numerous reasons why
individuals get involve in these political issues.
In 1775, American colonists were under the rule of British. They fought against British
soldiers for their right and independence. Protests were also held and it was shown clearly that
autonomy was desired. At last, they made an agreement and issued the Declaration of
Independence. War and protests are more often created by disagreements. These are often
created to respond political situations. For instance, the Umbrella Revolution in Hong Kong
was organized due to the disapproval of the government. In this event, it was obvious that
people wanted change.
Another historical event happened in India in 1918. They were also under control of
British colony. Similar to the American colonists, they commanded for autonomy. There were
large campaigns to show unsatisfactory of the society. British troops tried to stop them, but it
led to more consequences. Leading to no other options, the Indian Independence Act was
signed with acknowledgement. Beyond doubt, large campaigns will usually draw more
attention and spread easily. For example, the July 1 March in Hong Kong held music
festivals to bring awareness to others about their dissenting opinions to authorities.
Sufficiently, in both events, there were a lot of respond and agreement about the concession of
having independence, wanting the change.
Then, it comes to Malaya, claiming for sovereignty from the hands of British rule. It
was a rather peaceful reformation compared to the ones above. An election was held, voting
yes or no for changes to be made. The results had effectuated the decision, causing both
sides validate the Independent Federation of Malaya and a celebration was held. A
celebration is usually a joyful event. Such as birthdays, it is a kind of celebration where
everyone is merry. Therefore, it is most likely that almost everyone had wanted the change
and was grateful about it.
Opposing to the evidence, some may say that the Scottish referendum in September
2014 had more votes disagreeing to separate with the United Kingdom, meaning that most
people didnt want changes to be made. However, according to PressTV, videos and images
were found that individuals responsible for counting the votes put yes votes into the no
pile. Not only one or two videos are found, but a handful of them, making it less likely to be
edited. This proofs that the argument is invalid. Also, even if the population was supported
and given benefits by their rulers, as human beings, it is common to seek for more national
power.
Independence is one of the main concepts that people, from the past until the present
time, are seeking for. Different methods are being used to achieve it, both violence and
peaceful. Such as elections, protests and wars. The larger the campaign was, the larger it
spread. Different kinds of reasons led to the target of self-governing, but they all lead to one
conclusion. Everyone will always want changes to be made, especially about their
independence, involving political issues.