French Revolution Blog Post #2
Due by 10pm on Monday, 1-29
Read the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen (located in packet) and post (as your social class):
To what extent do you agree or disagree with these articles and why? How do you predict they will affect change in France? Specifically reference AT LEAST 3 articles in your entry.
You must submit your original post and comment on at least 1 other persons post.
Respond as one of the following based on your last name:
Respond as one of the following based on your last name:
Peasants/ Urban Workers (A - D)
Bourgeoisie (E - H)
Noble (I - L)
Clergy (M - P)
Queen Marie Antoinette (Q - T)
King Louis XVI (U - Z)
Overall, as a noble, I would say the statements made in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen are generally fair, reasonable, and understandable for people of the Third Estate; however, I disagree with several key points, and I feel that the overall purpose of the declaration threatens my position in society. For example, in article one, it is stated, “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights.” Nobles like myself are distinctly higher in social class and work, such as with my military position, than common people; people in the Third Estate shouldn’t necessarily be given the same or equal rights and opportunities as us. Our social status alone should show that we are superior to common people. However, there are some nobles who feel that it is worthy to give up certain rights and benefits that come with being an aristocrat in order to promote the common good of all people, so I can partially understand why the idea of equality is becoming more widely accepted and pushed. Additionally, article three states, “The principle of all sovereignty resides essentially in the nation.” I do not appreciate the idea of people in the Third Estate having a hand in the ruling of the nation particularly because people in the middle class have taken up positions in the bureaucracy that would have once been given to aristocrats like myself. If only nobles and the upper-class had political power, France would be more successful, and there would be a better lifestyle for the people that matter most in our society: aristocrats. On the other hand, the idea of having a group of people rule France is a refreshing look on the government because I despise absolutism and the supreme power that the king has over all subjects. I simply feel that more political power should be given to nobles. Also, in article thirteen, it is stated, “[Tax] should be equitably distributed among all the citizens in proportion to their means.” This statement suggests that all people, including peasant workers, should be taxed fairly and equally, something that I do not believe in. The third Estate is the working force of society. People in that class make up the large majority of France’s population, and because of this, they engage in more trade than any other estate, meaning they should have the most money circumventing amongst themselves. This money should be taxed by the government at will because the government is the ruling force of society that governs the people; the people should serve and promote their government and their superiors in society. There are also times when I need to tax my peasants more in order to obtain more money, especially in recent times with the economic depression of France. I feel that this action is justified because I do not have many other sources of financial income, and my elite status justifies my oppressiveness of people worth less than me, which also shows my disagreement with article two. With the implementation and enforcement of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, I know several changes will be made to the society and systems of France. Nobility like myself will have an elite status less than previously held, and the elite status may be taken away completely because of common people believing that they are equal to an aristocratic and superior like myself. Also, I will have less control over my peasant workers and less ability to tax them, resulting in even less income and production for my estate. Another prediction is that society will see less emphasis on the previous ruling and elite classes because of the outnumbering by the new ruling class. This new source of sovereignty is made up of people from every estate, but particularly the common people from the Third Estate because they make up the majority of the population. Even though I will be able to vote in the new systems of France, the large majority of the population will outweigh the vote of nobles, who make up only a small fraction (about two percent) of the population. Hopefully, my predictions are wrong.
ReplyDeleteNoble / JJ Janosik
For the most part I agree with your reasons for disagreeing with the articles you have cited. The Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen gives too much power and freedom to the general population of France, especially the Third Estate, which could prove harmful to the power of the positions that you and I hold over them. I agree with your support of government and aristocratic power over taxes, even though your reasons are purely personal, because the government, my court and I, should indeed have control over taxation. You also have good reason for wanting control of taxation as well. However, one of the ways that could solve our economic crisis is actually the taxation more than just the Third Estate, which, unfortunately, includes nobles like you. I understand why you'd disagree with such an article but it could possible benefit France as a whole. In regards to your predictions for the future of France, I agree them for the most part as well. Nobles like you and monarchs like me will most likely lose the power we originally had over our subordinates, which will not bode well for us in the future. I also hope that our predictions are wrong.
Delete- King Louis XVI/ Angela Zhang
I agree with our noble and the king. I think that the declaration gives way too much freedom to peasants. This freedom undermines the role of the Church. As people who work for our Church, it makes sense for us to have more privileges and power than peasants. Just like how the noble was saying, Article 1 states that all men should have equal rights. This would mean that all men were as equal as the king, who is responsible for ruling France. If this right was given to all men, think of the chaos that would ensue. Those with more money and power would start fighting for power and control of France. Civil wars would erupt everywhere. Our nation would become like Japan before the Tokugawa Shogunate. Our glorious nation would melt into little pieces. Just like how the Enlightenment shouldn't be allowed to come to France, this declaration should also be rejected. As for how to solve the economic crisis, I propose enforcing taxes through the use of our military. If we use our military to show dominance over the peasant population, they would have to pay taxes out of fear. Even if a rebellion did occur, the peasants are too poor and undisciplined to put up a good fight. So, not only could we tax the peasants a little more, we could also maintain our positions in France. If need be, we can also lightly tax the nobles. However, you should not tax us clergy, as we only make up a small population and work for the Church. Our job is the most important, so we should be rewarded through making money instead of being taxed.
DeleteKrishna Patel/Clergy
DeleteAs the King of France, I see the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen as a bold move on the part of the advocates who wrote it. For the most part, I disagree with this declaration since I am quite threatened by the power it gives the citizens of France. I understand why my citizens want these rights, but there is reason that these rights were never set in the first place. The first article that I do not agree with is Article 3 that dictates that (essentially) no one can rule unless chosen to do so by the nation/its people. This article undermines the tradition and legacy of monarchy in France, where power is rightfully passed down through the family that managed to obtain such power in the first place. In addition, the French people can't be trusted to elect a leader worthy of ruling France; the Estates have conflicting interests and needs, which means they won't be able to come to a common and reasonable choice of leadership. The second article that I do not agree with is Article 15 that states that people should know what their government is doing (transparency). This is absolutely unreasonable since the public does not need to know what the government, my court and I, are doing or planning. All they have to do is obey what comes of our plans and actions since we are the most qualified to make such decisions. What does the population of France know about running a state? They know nothing, which means transparency is useless. Despite all that I disagree with, there is one article that somewhat aligns with one of my possible solutions for France's financial crisis. Article 13 states that everyone should pay taxes based on their means, which aligns with my plans to tax the upper class to make up for our war debts. I agree with this article for the most part as it may bring us closer to solving our economic crisis, but only if the taxation does not include taxing my family since we should be above things like taxes. Also, this article would be ideal except for the fact that the First and Second Estates would not be too happy about being taxed, which could potentially spark some issues for my rule. I predict that these articles proposed by the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen will drastically decrease the amount of control that I hold over my country. They will give more power and freedom to the citizens of France that will likely overthrow my rule if citizens get the right to elect a leader of their choosing. The new taxation system may solve the economic issues of France, but it will disrupt the existing distinctions between Estates (which may not sit well with the First and Second Estates). The Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen will give the majority of the French population what they want (at least for the men), but it is definitely not what I want nor it is the most beneficial for the royal family. I predict that I will no longer have absolute power if these articles are set in place, for it gives the French population the ability to overpower the existing political system as well as pre-existing structures of France.
ReplyDelete-King Louis XVI/ Angela Zhang
Hello, King Louis XVI. As your wife, I agree with many of your statements. The Third Estate is not one to have leading our monarchy and should not know what we are planning to do for our country. As stated in my post, the Third Estate is composed of the laborers and peasants. These men are not qualified enough to lead a country out of its dark ages. Moreover, as officials of this fine government, we have contributed our greatest expertise for France... The Third Estate is clearly not aligned with our interests of furthering France through new alliances and reforms and, thus, should not be given the power to change the course of France in history. If this declaration is followed through with, unfit leaders may become part of the monarchy, or even worse, they could erode everything we have created, including our positions. Although, some statements may prove to be useful. For instance, some of their articles support our views about Enlightenment ideas, like the abolition of torture and slavery. With that being said, despite our disparate views, we should consider a few of their reforms.
DeleteAs a peasant/urban worker, I must disagree with most of your statements. First of all, when you speak of article three, you talk about how the tradition of France's monarchy will be ruined because of it. While yes it will break the reign of blood inheritance, it is completely needed. You monarchs are so blind to being royalty, you are unable to see the real problem happening in your own country: the Third Estate. We are suffering under your rule because of your greed and want to make the First and Second Estate happy. As a majority of your country, it is only reasonable that we get a say in government, as most of the choices and decisions will be affecting us, not you. Second of all, transparency is completely necessary! Without article 15, the First and Second will continue to be shady. You say how we should just trust in you, but it's hard to trust you when you are raising taxes on bread, which is the only food I can support myself on, which now I can't even purchase! However, I am glad to hear that you agree with article 13. The First and Second estates need to be taxed! They have a lot of money and need to give back to their country somehow. Alt
Delete^
DeleteUrban and Peasant Worker/Nikolai Apilado
As a peasant, I do not believe giving those in the third estate freedom of speech is giving them too much power. While I do think it would hurt your power from where you stand, but I believe it is for the better. France should not be controlled by one voice, and to a certain extent, should be controlled based off a combined voice being all of the three estates, including the one which I am part of, along with the rest of 95% of France. Why would we not be able to control what we can and can't do? Will continued to be forced to blindly work on our lands hours upon hours a day only to give our earned money to the First estate? Us peasants are at the bottom of the barrel, to the extent of not being able to buy enough food as you had to raise the price because of the economic depression the First estate caused through the countless wars. We have experienced the worst, so I believe we would know which changes would effect us, and that there could be compensation for all three estates.
DeletePeasant Carlos Baez
I agree with you in that this document can cause chaos and urge our citizens to rebel against the government and create uprisings. However, I do support some ideas that are presented within this document such as a focus on enlightenment ideas as well as the representation of all of the three classes. We need to make sure that the lower classes are satisfied, because chaos will break out if we let that slide. We do need to make sure that we continue to have control over our society, and that those in the lower classes don't start to develop ideas about taking the power out of our hands. All in all, we need to take precautions in order to make sure that our government system will not be taken over, but we should try to embrace some of the good ideas prompted in this document, such as the enlightenment ideas as well as the representation of all three social classes and equality throughout.
DeleteQueen Marie Antoinette / Erik Till
As a bourgeoise I'd have to disagree considering that these articles greatly appeal to the third estate. You say that article three would stop the French tradition of a monarch, which it would, but I still strongly disagree because article 3 would prevent France from having a king with too much power and every citizen would have the right to vote for who they believe is best fit to rule. I would also have to disagree with your opinion on article 15 because as the third estate, we are the only ones paying taxes and it would be nice to know what the government is doing with our hard earned money that you simply take away. I think that as the monarchy you should be taking in the account that this declaration of rights would please the third estate and I feel that this is the most important thing the monarchy should be focusing on as of the moment since it is causing great commotion.
Delete-Bourgeoisie / Bella Huang
Hello King Louis XVI, I'm a member of the clergy, and I agree with your statements. I feel that this declaration is giving too much power back to it's writers. There were reasons why citizens (members of the third estate mainly) had specific limitations and other things that they needed to follow. As you stated, many of the third estate members feel that they are being taxed unnecessarily to make up for the costs of war. However, your plan to add taxes to the higher estates to make up for this is something that must be done. While it might not please everyone, making up the money to solve this large debt is something that must be done. Overall, I agree with your statement, as well as your plan to fix our large war debt.
Delete- Clergy/Colette McClanahan
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from the monarchy! This is Queen Marie Antoinette. To some extent, I agree with this declaration of law, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. For instance, since I support the Enlightenment idea of the abolition of unnecessary torture, I support the statement, "The law shall provide for such punishments only as are strictly and obviously necessary, and no one shall suffer punishment except it be legally inflicted in virtue of a law passed and promulgated before the commission of the offense." No one should be too harshly punished. Through experience, the more suppressed a population is, the greater their power is in revolt and rebellion. The reason this declaration was written in the first place is because the Third Estate feels oppressed and sees itself as lacking legal rights. Moreover, during the meeting of the National Assembly, nobles voted to give up their own privileges like their special legal status and old manorial dues. I appreciate this decision, for in my last blog entry, I stated that nobles actually halted most of the reforms the King and I proposed. Although, I disagree with the statement: "Law is the expression of the general will. Every citizen has a right to participate personally, or through his representative, in its foundation. It must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes. All citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law, are equally eligible to all dignities and to all public positions and occupations, according to their abilities, and without distinction except that of their virtues and talents." To begin, most of the Third Estate is being used to bring revenue back into our empire through agricultural processes; I feel that they would not be ready to serve our government with their knowledge. Even more, from what I can see, they are dissatisfied and radical people, who may threaten my position through assassination or by undermining the government slowly. Further, the following statement is also one I do not support and would not like to see enacted: "All the citizens have a right to decide, either personally or by their representatives, as to the necessity of the public contribution; to grant this freely; to know to what uses it is put; and to fix the proportion, the mode of assessment and of collection and the duration of the taxes." It is completely up to the monarchy to decide what is best for France. As a government, we know what funds are lacking and who can help us bridge this gap. We know that the Third Estate provides so much to our empire and if they would like to see their harsh conditions lessened, they should see fit that we will impose necessary taxes on them to do so. As part of the upperclass, we contribute our expertise to run this country; we need the Third Estate to provide more than just labor. How do I predict this declaration will change France? If this follows through, I may loose great power, along with my husband. Order will be lost because the responsibility of this empire will be transferred to the hands of an estate (the Third Estate) that is clearly rebelling and is not in the right mindset to lead because of this. It is necessary to have a hierarchy that cannot be surpassed. With this, France can prevent a revolution that could, ultimately, bring us back into the dark ages we are experiencing right now.
ReplyDeleteQueen Marie Antoinette/Anya Rajan
Hello Queen Marie Antoinette, I am a bourgeoisie and a member of the Third Estate. You stated that people in the Third Estate "would not be ready to serve our government with their knowledge" and I would like to disagree with you on that opinion. Not everybody in the Third Estate are peasants, and contains many intelligent upper middle class citizen who are very knowledgable about the government and knows how to improve the country. Especially lawyers, who practices and learns about the laws of France, are more than enough capable of serving in the government. However, I do agree that not everybody in the Third Estate or people who are also a bourgeoisie can work in the government but we should at least deserve a chance and with enough knowledge, I think we can make a positive change to this country.
Delete^ Bourgeoisie / Hannah Hu
DeleteI understand your concerns for France and they are reasonable thoughts when a declaration like this rises. However regarding your thoughts on the estates, I disagree with how you view us as well as part of yourself. The people of the second and first estates are important to France, however you stated that those in the higher classes understand what funds are lacking, but you still spend parts of those the funds on parties rather than paying off the debt that France is in. On top of this, all taxation is placed on those in the third estate, taking almost all of our money. This will obviously create a huge problem with the trust and health of the people of the third estate, which leads to how you see those in the third estate. You stated that we are not in the right mindset to have a voice in a country, but really we are just trying to survive. We rebel because of the starvation we are facing and the lack of rights, and if equal rights are established from this declaration, us people in the third estate will be much happier and these rebellions and problems would not persist.
Delete-Peasants and Urban Workers/Kyle Aranas
As a member of the Third Estate, I think the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen are mostly favorable by our social class and they can also positively benefit not only our Estate, but the country as a whole. To start off, the first article of the Declaration states that “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good”. Not only does this ensure the Third Estate an equal standing in society, but it also allows the people to gain new opportunities and most importantly, freedom in France. The peasants in our estate have suffered for years and years as they were burdened with taxes and treated badly and this article can definitely do some good for those hardworking men. Moreover, according to article six, “Law is the expression of the general will. Every citizen has a right to participate personally, or through his representation, in its foundation. It must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes. All citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law, are equally eligible to all diginities and to all public positions and occupations, according to their abilities, and without distinction except accept that their virtues and talents”. I do think that this article can increase the amount of people in the upper middle class, which includes merchants, lawyers, factory owners, etc. As a bourgeoisie, I can participate in more professions and take more opportunities in advancing our country while making a pretty good wage at the same time. With more opportunities, more talented and skilled people can seek into the profession they would want to be in and not only would this let our country prosper and grow, but the overall wealth of France will increase as well. Lastly, in article 14, it stated, “ All the citizens have a right to decide, either personally or by their representatives, as to the necessity of the public contribution; to grant this freely; to know to what uses it is put; and to fix the proportion, the mode of assessment and of collection and the duration of taxes.” With this article, it will allow people/citizens of all estates to obtain equal rights when it comes to contributing to the creation of tax laws/codes and for us, especially the Third Estate, to contribute more to the government and making decisions for our country. With this article, not only will all estates have equal rights, but also equal contribution for changes to the growing country. To sum up, I think the Declaration is very beneficial for the Third Estate as the peasants begin to gain more rights and freedom. Before, the bourgeoisie weren't allowed to participate in the government at all and this article can definitely give us the chance to put our opinions into politics. Although, one thing that I do have an opposition is that me, as a bourgeoisie and being in the middle class, I would have to start paying taxes as I did not have to before. However, as long as everybody have equal rights and are treated the same and that everybody in my Estate are satisfied, I would love to contribute to our government and helping our country prosper.
ReplyDeleteBourgeoisie / Hannah Hu
As a peasant/urban worker, I am very pleased with the Declaration of Rights of Man and citizen! The first article, which states "Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good." As a part of the Third Estate, I agree with this article wholeheartedly. I have been at the bottom of the social class and have been ignored for all the hard work and labor I have provided for my country. All of these nobles have done nothing for this country, yet they still believe they are above us just because of the amount of money they have, which is not fair. They have more freedoms and rights than us which is absolutely ridiculous when we're the ones pulling the weight. We are just like them, just without the money. Another great article is article six which states, ". Law is the expression of the general will. Every citizen has a right to participate personally, or through his representative, in its foundation. It must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes. All citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law, are equally eligible to all dignities and to all public positions and occupations, according to their abilities, and without distinction except that of their virtues and talents." As a peasant, I have had no political say in anything until this assembly and the writing of the declaration. All of these laws being put in place solely by the king is absolutely unacceptable, especially when the laws aren't affecting him and or instead making the majority of France suffer to make sure there continuously being benefited. As I said before, we are the majority of France, so it only seems logical that the opinions we have are for a reason, in that they will mainly be affecting our livelihoods, and not yours. This now leads into article 15 which states, "Society has the right to require of every public agent an account of his administration. " This article is crucial for us, as it gives us a right to know everything that is going on in the government. We continuously are being taxed without reason. Landlords sometimes tax us extra for no apparent cause. Bread taxes are being raised on us without rational logic. Does the king and nobles know we cannot even afford food, an essential for our lives. We need complete transparency in the government, as it will at least provide us with a clear reason why we are receiving absurd taxes and laws. Not only might it fix up some problems, it will also build a sense of trust between us and the First and Second Estates, as they are telling us what exactly they're doing and why they're doing it. With these new changes, I definitely think France will prosper. As the majority of France, we deserve equal rights, a say in government, and transparent knowledge. It is together that we can make this country even better.
ReplyDeletePeasant and Urban Worker/Nikolai Apilado
As the Queen of France, I disagree with most of the believes that are expressed by the peasants. Everyone should be seen as equals, however, that does not mean that everyone needs to participate in the government, even through representatives. Although the urban workers and peasants are great at their jobs, I believe they do not posses the skills needed to run our government as the preexisting government actually knows what they are doing. However, if more transparency is needed, that may be helpful so that the third estate can learn to trust in their government, and will hopefully understand that everything is under control, and find no need to participate in the government themselves. Through a compromise between parties, an agreement and peace is achievable, however, I do not believe this document is a good solution that will benefit all of France.
DeleteSincerely, Queen Marie Antoinette/Isabel Simmons
As a devoted member of the clergy, I understand that your words are coming from years of frustration and upset. However, we need to consider the repercussions of these articles, and what life would be like if men were to choose their laws instead of looking to God for these laws. The king, our previous ruler, was chosen by Him to serve and do his bidding. The king was the spokesperson for God in matters of law. Without him, how can we know what it is that He wants? The people should not be so concerned with their current life, and instead consider how to live so that they can go to Heaven. In making your own laws, you are denouncing the laws He has given you in the Bible. The Lord must come first when any change is to be made.
DeleteClergy/Pandora Ondo
As a member of French nobility, I disagree with your viewpoints. I do not believe that every citizens should have the right to participate in politics. Posts in the government have always been reserved for the exceptional members of nobility. It is ridiculous how a peasant should be allowed to occupy the high bureaucratic positions. A member of the Third Estate shouldn’t be able to have a political voice due to your inferior social status. Also, with commoners occupying political positions, my elite status will only decline.
DeleteNoble/Michelle Jiang
I am of French nobility, and I disagree with what you believe to be advantages of the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen. The Third Estate is compromised of the largest percentage of the population. Nobles such as I and clergy provide specialized services to the nation, and this declaration strips us of exclusivity to our positions. Nobles have the most experience with government positions, so I fear for the nation if the Third Estate were to be allowed to obtain any job they please. Nobles give you peasants places to live and work, so we are not useless.
DeleteNoble / Alyssa Lagua
As the Queen of France, I personally agree with some of these ideals, however, believe that this bill will allow for a more chaotic society, and greatly harm France, overall. For an example, the 13th article states “A common contribution is essential for the maintenance of the public forces and for the cost of administration. This should be equitably distributed among all the citizens in proportion to their means”. I disagree with this statement because the lower classes, as they make up a majority of the population should be taxed the most with no taxes for the upper estates as we are the administration, and therefore are already contributing. If the taxes for the peasants are “proportioned to their means” that would imply that peasants who make less would pay less, which is not how our government should be run. Poor families would have no incentive to make more money just to give to the government, and therefore would not be motivated in their work lives. This would lead to a decrease in tax revenue, and, therefore, be unable to solve this nations pressing problem of debt. I believe there should be a flat tax rate for the third estate that would properly address the government’s need for income, as well as the ability to provide a fairness to all citizens. Another statement I find troubling in this document was article three in which explains, “The principle of all sovereignty resides essentially in the nation. No body nor individual may exercise any authority which does not proceed directly from the nation”. I believe more power in the people are unwise, and will result in chaos in the French government, and in chaos among the people. Sometimes, the people do not fully understand the job of the King, or other high leadership positions, and also are unaware of the circumstances under which decisions are made. Peasants may disagree with a raise in taxes because it would harm their daily lives, but are unable to realize the overall helpful impact this increase in revenue may be for the government. Allowing for the people to decide who has authority in this country would cause the people to become ununified and possibly elect officials who only do good to the people and not the country. Because of the reasons above, more power in the people would be unwise during this stage of the French government, and only cause more problems. Finally, the sixth article in this document presents some concerns as well as it explains, “...Every citizen has a right to participate personally, or through his representative, in its foundation. It must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes...”. This particular statement about government representatives worries me because of the additional power it gives to the people. As previously explained, the common people aren't able to fully understand the workings of the government, and, therefore, would make incompetent decisions on what laws are made. As a whole, I disagree with some of these statements as they will cause harm and chaos to France if too much power is given to the people. France has been prosperous under the previous government system and even through hard times, it will be that same government to help better the living conditions for the people. The people themselves will not be able to provide for the country what is needed, and therefore this bill will only cause harm to the French society overall.
ReplyDelete-Queen Marie Antoinette/Isabel Simmons
As a member of the catholic clergy of France, I disagree with many of these ideals because they focus on what the people want and not on what God wants. The law should be based not on what men want, but on the words of the Holy Bible. While some of these ideals I agree with, such as the need for the individual rights of man and that political associations should be based around the protection of these rights, many of these laws consider people to be their own governing body, when the true lord we should be looking to is our Lord. The third article of this declaration states 'No body nor individual may exercise any authority which does not proceed directly from the nation.' While this may seem good in theory, it completely eradicated the importance of the catholic church, which stems not from a political nation but from a love, worship, and obedience to God and His will. God has chosen us few to represent Him on His Earth, and this article invalidates this. We must consider the repercussion of allowing power to come simply from a state when a large power in the church, bestowed by God himself, is at risk from this article. Article 1 states that 'men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.' This, I feel, is only partly true. While all men are born and remain free and equal in the eyes of God, social distinctions have already been made for the general good. While some may feel that these social classes were unfair, and I am willing to admit that there may have been flaws in the execution of these practices, the social classes exist to give every man the correct life, the life that He has planned for us. Revolting cannot change this. Article 10 I agree with on the most part, even the religious tolerance. However, we cannot let other religions run rampant in our great country, because we cannot allow our good Christian subjects to be taken by other religions, and thus lose their way to Heaven. These articles are going to usher in an age in France unlike anything we have ever seen. God will be seen as secondary to the will of man, and chaos is sure to follow where sinners are allowed to set the laws. I believe that without the influence and power of the Catholic church, both of which are threatened by this declaration, people will deteriorate and devolve into sinful, wretched people who need guidance that they have already denounced.
ReplyDeleteClergy/Pandora Ondo
Looking at the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen, I can say that this document is pushing France in the right direction with equality between the estates in social equality, political voice, and a more complex law system. As a member of the third estate, I have personally been part of the worst part of the population with insane taxes and no political voice. Being such a large part of France's population there should be more freedom with people of the third estate, however this was not the case until this document. The various rights of man make sense in bringing France into a more stable status in many aspects like political equality and a stable economy. The first article that I would like to reference is the first article which states, "Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.". Seeing the first sentence is pushing France in the right direction with equality and freedom which is something that us peasants and urban workers lacked. Then the article goes onto how social distinctions will depend on the general good of the people. This brings more equality within the community because all I want to do is better our country so I should not be seen lower than the people in higher estates. Another article that I would like to refer to is article 14 which, summarized, states that all citizens will have a voice in the government and what goes on, either personally or through representatives. Having a voice from the whole population in a country is important to keep everyone happy by making compromises. As seen before, the government ran by the first and second estates, and of course they were not going to make decisions to benefit us peasant or urban workers who put in the most work into the country. The last article that I feel brings France closer to a better country is article 15. This article states that the people of France have the right to know what the government is doing, rather than the government making decisions without the public knowing. Not only would the public have a better understanding of the reasoning behind the choices of the government, there is less tension because we feel more involved. Although, we, the people of the third estate might not be happy with some decisions, at least we have background of the reasoning behind the choices. Overall this declaration will allow France to grow because of the equality it brings between the estates, as well as more involvement of third estate to better their country, rather than hungry and angry citizens.
ReplyDelete-Peasants and Urban Workers/Kyle Aranas
As a Peasant, I agree with the Declaration of Man and the rights of a citizens. The first rule states that "Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good." As a part of the 95% of France (the third estate) I would gladly be treated the same as the second and first estate because I am a citizen of France as they are. I would gladly turn a blind eye to our past of being ignored as hard workers and providing the goods and products that the majority of France uses, including those on the first and second estate. I do not want to be forced to pay most of my hard earned currency towards the churches and taxes, which the higher estates do not contribute to at all. I agree with this law as it would now make 95% of France identify as normal France citizens rather than the forced and shunned workers who make up most of the economy for France, and have to endure the downfalls that are only caused by the First and Second estate, with no fault on our side. " No one shall be disquieted on account of his opinions, including his religious views, provided their manifestation does not disturb the public order established by law." Also stands out to me more than the laws (which I also believe are very important). I agree with this as I wish to have a voice that is judged by my character, and personal belief, and not the fact that I was not born into money and make up the 3rd Estate. My words carrying weight equal to those of the first and second estate gives me hope on a 'balanced' France social structure in which opinions are taken from all sides, rather than the First estate having total control over what goes and what does not. "Society has the right to require of every public agent an account of his administration. " I find the most important out of all the rules. For many years, we do not know exactly where all of our taxes go to and what happens to the money we are required to pay. The third estate now knowing what goes on in the first estate will allow us to form our own opinions on our government, and combined with the law that allows freedom of speech among all estates, we will be able to voice our own opinion on what we wish could be changed in the government to make it better for everyone else.
ReplyDelete^
DeletePeasant Carlos Baez
ReplyDeleteHello, I am Queen Marie Antoinette, and I both agree and disagree with the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen. I am very surprised that this document was written due to my husband’s great rule over France and that I do not want him to lose any power or control over the monarchy. The reasons why my husband and I agree with this article is due to the fact that it supports some of the enlightenment ideas and traits, and that is something that we really try to focus on. One of the main enlightenment ideas is that there shall be no unnecessary mistreatment of humans, and that all humans have rights and are equal. People of a higher class should not have better rights than those in lower classes. My husband and I strongly try to represent all of the classes in France, and we want to make sure that we have full support from all three classes. This is shown in article 1 when it states “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.” Both of us, my husband and I, know that once the lower classes become unhappy with the government and they begin to feel mistreated, then they will start to revolt and attempt to overthrow the monarchy. Another article that I agreed with from this document can be found in article 10 where it states, “No one shall be disquieted on account of his opinions, including his religious views, provided their manifestation does not disturb the public order or established by law.” My husband and I have accepted different religions into France and we have a very high tolerance for the extra diversity. We believe that this strengthens our nation and that we can build off of this in the future. The third factor that i agree with is found in article 11 when it states, “The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man. Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law.” I support this because all men should have freedom, but they shall be punished by the law if this goes to far. This will satisfy those who would like some more freedom, but they won’t have any true desire to overthrow the government. However, I disagree with this document in the fact that this shows that the people, especially the lower classes, are upset in the direction that our nation is going. This seems to threaten our positions, as we aim to maintain control of France and its government, and to keep the lower classes from uprising against us. I believe that this document will help straighten things out in the future, but it will also shows that the public isn’t afraid of making changes to the way that the things are. I am nervous about my husband’s rule, but I hope that he will be able to use this document to figure out a solution and continue to be the leader of this great nation that we have currently.
- Queen Marie Antoinette / Erik Till
As a French noble from the Second Estate, I am against the articles in in the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen, because it emphasizes equality, which lowers my social status and power. First, I am against Article 1 since it threatens my position. Article 1 states, “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights.” Due to my position in society and in the military, nobles should have different rights than the commoners. Also, I disagree with Article 6, which states, “... Every citizen has a right to participate personally… in its foundation…. All citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law, are equally eligible to all dignities and to all public positions and occupations.” As a member of nobility, I should be superior than others. I find it absurd that people with positions and statuses lower than me should have equal admission to political offices. The Third Estate is inferior to us and should not be allowed to have the same positions as us. We occupy all of the high ranks in the military and own thirty percent of all French land. Therefore, we should be considered as more higher-ranking than the businesspeople and peasants. Additionally, I disagree with Article 13 as it declares a common and equal distribution of taxes on every social class. I believe that nobles should be privileged and exempt from paying taxes. Being exempt from taxes allowed me to maintain my social status in the economic situation France is in right now. I do not receive enough financial income, so I believe that the Third Estate should pay all of the taxes since wealthy merchants and businesspeople have the ability to earn money. Also, we need all the money we have to sustain our luxurious lifestyle and preserve our status. The Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen will lower my social status by taking away my privileges and giving more rights to the Third Estate. These articles will also allow the Third Estate to have a stronger political voice as the nobles’ political power will decline. Additionally, I will not be able to continue to be exempt from taxes or continue to tax my peasants unfairly, and this will result in lower financial income for me.
ReplyDelete- Noble/Michelle Jiang
I agree with your viewpoint on the first article, as it would not only make the third estate equal in rights as the first estate, which I am part of, and the second estate, which you are part of, but also give the different levels of clergymen the same rights and power. I agree with your viewpoint on how nobles should not have the same rights as commoners, since the clergy also has divisions. A cardinal like me should not have the same rights and power as a parish priest. Thus, we are both upset that the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen are breaking down the social norms that our estates have followed for many a year.
Delete-Clergy/Raj Patel
All of the things you said are true, but I don't believe that they are necessarily bad. It is true that the social status of nobles will be lowered, but it is a necessary step to be taken in order for France to become more stable. The country as it is right now will not last, as far too many people are unhappy with it's current conditions. Everyone needs to begin paying taxes, and your argument that you do not have enough income to pay them is invalid. The third estate has the least amount of income, yet pays the most taxes. Or, they used to, now everyone has to pay a tax in accordance to whatever income they make. All the taxes are being regulated. Your status and wealth can take a hit if it means saving the country.
Delete- Peasant/Kristian Chau
As a clergyman, I would say the the articles in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen are biased towards the third estate. In addition, they are the words of man, and some disagree with the words of God. Thus, this is an abomination to the church, and we clergy must voice our opinions on these articles if we are to continue to have influence from God on the country of France. As a member of the second estate, there are some articles that I would have to blatantly disagree with. For example, in the first article, it states: “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.” This is undesirable for members of the first estate, since it would mean that the lowly parish priests have the same amount of power and rights as us, the cardinals. If I have a higher up position in the church, why should i have the same amount of rights as someone who is at the parish level? For this reason, I do not support the first article. Another article I would like to voice my opinion on is the third one. It states that “The principle of all sovereignty resides essentially in the nation. No body nor individual may exercise any authority which does not proceed directly from the nation.” Basically, this article is taking away power from the Catholic church. We clergymen should be able to have a say in the government, as we would represent God. Thus, the church would no longer be important as it does not proceed from the nation, but is an entity of its own. For this reason, I do not support the third article, as it is taking away the power of the Catholic church. The last article I would like to express my views on is the 10th article. It states that “No one shall be disquieted on account of his opinions, including his religious views, provided their manifestation does not disturb the public order established by law.” I disagree with this viewpoint since I am a clergyman of the Catholic church. I believe that Catholic religion should be the only religion present in France, since the clergy has been promoting it for so long. Allowing religious tolerance would taint the Catholic church with other religions, and it would also undermine the importance of God in France. I think that these changes will allow for the public good in France by satisfying the needs of the third estate, but will draw importance away from the church, which is something I strongly disapprove of. However, I would have to agree with some of these changes, as they would promote peace, something the clergy needs to educate the populace on religion.
ReplyDelete-Clergy/Raj Patel
As king of France, I agree with most of your ideas. I believe that if the French people gain more rights, they will end up rebelling and overthrowing the throne. Also, the idea that France should be ruled by the people is completely unacceptable. The king and church should have the right to rule France as we were chosen by God to become the leaders. The commoners have no experience leading a nation and will only bring the downfall of France. I also agree with your third viewpoint as I too think Catholicism should be the only religion. If other religions were allowed in France, the people would be corrupted and follow their new religion instead of their leader. The introduction and tolerance of new religions will only corrupt the populace further.
DeleteKing Louis XVI/Eric Wang
I, King Louis XVI am in full agreeance with points you are making. Regarding Article 3, I fully justify your statement. I also feel like Article 3 is stripping away the power and authority that we hold that is very valuable to our country and aids for France to be what it is right now. In addition, I also feel like the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen is biased because it was written mainly by people in the third estate. I enjoy the clergy and I feel like they are a big part in France, so it wouldn't be such a good idea to strip away power from the second estate.
DeleteAs the leader of France, King Louis XVI, I generally do not support the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen; however, there are a few articles in which I could be on board with. Majority of the articles that are displayed undermine my authority as well as the Second Estates, and I, being king, don't want that to happen. I want to keep my authority and my political hierarchy. On the other hand, there are some articles in which I think make complete sense because it goes with my values of trying to reestablish a better economy for my country. For instance, I do not agree with Article 3, for it undermines my authority and is essentially stripping away from my power and the second estates' power. Article 3 would not be great for my country because the third estate is biased and are not seeing clearly; they are so stricken with anger and revenge that having such rage ruling my country would not be great, for it would cause more harm than good. I see malicious behavior and chaos because eventually there would be too much upheaval amongst the citizens because every one would want something different from one other; there would be no consensus. Another article that I highly disagree with is Article 15, starting that the administration is required to tell the citizens every thing that is going on. I do not support the article because the citizens should not have the privilege to know anything and everything going on in my empire. There are things that should remain private, and there are things that should go public, and I know, for the best of my country, what those limitations are, not the people. If France citizens knew everything that was going on the people would react in havoc and not conduct manners in the most efficient and effective way. On the other hand, I do agree with article 14, stating that all citizens should get a vote on taxes. I am in full compliance with Article 14 because I know that creating a fair amount of taxes between each estate is what will bring my country back to a good economic standpoint; causing minimal upheaval as possible. As King Louis XVI, my regards on the Declaration are mutual in some standpoints, I feel like there are some valid points that I could vouch for, but there are some points that seem to be very in reasonable and not in the best interest for my country.
ReplyDeleteAs the king of France, I disagree with most of the articles stated in the Declaration of Man and the Rights of Citizens. Many of the articles demand that I give up power and that the people get to do what they please. For many, these demands seem beneficial, but what they don't realize is that my authority is what is holding the nation together. For example, the article demands "every citizen may speak, write, and print freely, subject to responsibility for the abuse of such liberty in the cases demanded by law." This demand, if given, will result in lies and propaganda being spread by traitors who seek to undermine confidence in the government. If these lies are allowed to spread, the people will start disobeying my authority. Another demand that "men are born and remain free and equal in rights," is not beneficial for our society. Everyone must do their part in society to keep things stable and steady, but if the commoners start demanding equality and better jobs, then no one will be left to do the harder jobs and society would collapse. The idea of equality would corrupt the people and cause them to demand more rights, leading to the collapse of the strict social system that has kept France stable for centuries. The most audacious demand, that "the source of all sovereignty resides essentially in the nation; no group, no individual may exercise authority not emanating expressively therefrom," is a direct challenge to my rule. What the citizens don't realize is that my authority came from Heaven and that I am essentially the state. Without my rule, the people will have no idea how to rule France and will end up bringing the downfall of the nation.
ReplyDeleteKing Louis XVI/Eric Wang
As a peasant and urban worker in France, I completely disagree with your opinion of the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen. The rule of your power is not what is holding the country together, it is exactly what is tearing it apart. Your over taxing of the third estate is what sparked the revolution against you. The incessant partying and inviting of nobles to your home has cost the people far more than they are willing to pay. Liberties and freedoms that should be given to man, like the right to representation, are withheld in your power. The freedom of speech will not spread propaganda meant to undermine you, it will release us from your view of government, the only view we've had for a long time, and will give us the ability to spread our own movements and views without fear of doing so. The freedom and equality also will help our people because it will stop any dependence on forced or indentured labor, and will give us the freedom to move through the economic hierarchy of France, rather than staying in one place since birth.
DeleteAs the leader of France, King Louis XVI, I generally do not support the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen; however, there are a few articles in which I could be on board with. Majority of the articles that are displayed undermine my authority as well as the Second Estates, and I, being king, don't want that to happen. I want to keep my authority and my political hierarchy. On the other hand, there are some articles in which I think make complete sense because it goes with my values of trying to reestablish a better economy for my country. For instance, I do not agree with Article 3, for it undermines my authority and is essentially stripping away from my power and the second estates' power. Article 3 would not be great for my country because the third estate is biased and are not seeing clearly; they are so stricken with anger and revenge that having such rage ruling my country would not be great, for it would cause more harm than good. I see malicious behavior and chaos because eventually there would be too much upheaval amongst the citizens because every one would want something different from one other; there would be no consensus. Another article that I highly disagree with is Article 15, starting that the administration is required to tell the citizens every thing that is going on. I do not support the article because the citizens should not have the privilege to know anything and everything going on in my empire. There are things that should remain private, and there are things that should go public, and I know, for the best of my country, what those limitations are, not the people. If France citizens knew everything that was going on the people would react in havoc and not conduct manners in the most efficient and effective way. On the other hand, I do agree with article 14, stating that all citizens should get a vote on taxes. I am in full compliance with Article 14 because I know that creating a fair amount of taxes between each estate is what will bring my country back to a good economic standpoint; causing minimal upheaval as possible. As King Louis XVI, my regards on the Declaration are mutual in some standpoints, I feel like there are some valid points that I could vouch for, but there are some points that seem to be very in reasonable and not in the best interest for my country.
ReplyDeleteKing Louis XVI / Kate Wong
Seeing as it was your rule that crippled France, I do not believe you have a place to mention what's wrong with the Declaration. It is what's written within that will stabilize France's economy, the one that crumbled under YOUR rule. After the wars you spent money irresponsibly and caused the greatest debt France has and will ever face. The whole reason this Declaration is being put into place is because of your position.
DeleteOverall, I agree with several of your points. You and I are both nobles, and we are both in the Second Estate, which brings us into a very similar mindset regarding political dilemmas. I agree that the power to rule the nation should not be given to all the people of France. Our society should shift back towards the superior times of France when nobles ruled the nation, and the aristocrats were highly emphasized as living in a social status above the peasants, not equal to them. We are called nobles for a reason; our nobility and superior wealth make us the rightful leaders of our state. There was a time when nobles were reserved a place in the state’s bureaucracy; however, now, even simple peasants can rule in such positions, which will bring France into terrible times and has also put many nobles without a position in government. Because I feel that aristocrats are the superiors in society, and because of their military work which promotes our state, I have to strongly disagree with your position on all the estates being taxed. My kind have been given tax exemptions from our government for hundreds of years, and it is a privilege that is rightfully mine due to my elevated position in society. We should place heavier taxes on the lower people in society, for they should have the most money circumventing amongst themselves due to their people making up a majority of the population. As a noble, I do not have many sources of income, and providing me with a tax burden may lower my elite status. Nobility should be treated as the privileged of society; let us feed off of the struggles of the Third Estate.
DeleteNoble / JJ Janosik
As a bourgeoise, a citizen on the 3rd estate, I completely agree with the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen. Starting from the first article, “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good,” I think that this is an amazing thing for the third estate because it allows the people of the third estate to finally be as equal as those of the first and second estate which is something we have been wishing for for a long time. Article 1 will definitely please the third estate, especially the peasants, which will ultimately help balance the amount of chaos in France. The next article is Article 6 which states that: “Law is the expression of the general will. Every citizen has a right to participate personally, or through his representative, in its foundation. It must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes. All citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law, are equally eligible to all dignities and to all public positions and occupations, according to their abilities, and without distinction except that of their virtues and talents.” Article 6 is one of my favorites because it will finally allow me to participate in the government which I was previously not allowed to do despite my achievements. But with this article I can finally input my ideas into the government because I believe I would make great contributions to the government as I already do as the upper middle class. For the longest time I was unable to apply for a better job but, Article 6 will allow me to finally apply for a better job that I feel I deserve. The last article that I state, I completely standby which is article 14: “All the citizens have a right to decide, either personally or by their representatives, as to the necessity of the public contribution; to grant this freely; to know to what uses it is put; and to fix the proportion, the mode of assessment and of collection and the duration of the taxes.” As someone of the third estate, we were the only ones paying tax and many of the third estate already had no money and with this article hopefully the tax will become more regulated in that the third estate is not the only ones paying it. I think that this will greatly benefit the peasant class and a majority of the third estate as our money won’t be taken from us just to hold parties. The peasants will also be able to finally collect some money instead of losing it all to the first and second estate.
ReplyDelete-Bourgeoisie / Bella Huang
I understand why you would agree with the Declaration of Rights Of Man and Citizen, but as King of France, I disagree with you. If these articles were to be established, my rule would be threatened and possibly the whole government system changed, and I do not like the idea of that. I understand that this Declaration gives the third estate more freedom, but there are other ways to achieve this without making this Declaration official.
Delete^ King Louis XVI/Alondra Ugarte Perez
DeleteAs a member of the National Assembly, who approved of these articles, I agree with them quite considerably. The Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen were created in order for France to take one step closer towards equality and stability. This is demonstrated from the beginning - as Article 1 addresses the idea that all men are born free and with equal rights. This will spark a change in the intensity of the social classes. If all men are born equal, then the large gap of rights between the estates will become noticeably smaller. Additionally, Article 6 states that the law applies to all citizens equally. Nobody is free from the law, and everyone can voice their opinion on them (as Article 11 grants freedom of communication). This will spark a change also, as only the first and second estates really had a voice in the formation of the law before.This means that most laws were in favor of them, and nobody else had a strong enough voice to alter it. Another major change that these articles can lead to is stated in article 13: everyone must pay taxes, and the amount is based upon their means. Before, only the third estate (peasants) paid taxes. We were paying ridiculous amounts considering how much we were making. Now, however, taxes are distributed equally among the citizens, and they have been made more practical in accordance to the amount of wealth that is possessed. These declarations will alter France considerably, but they are necessary changes to be made in order for France to reach a state of stability once again.
ReplyDelete- Peasant/Kristian Chau
I disagree with you, member of the Third Estate because the Declaration threatens my position in French society, and may even help the Third Estate rise the social ladder and even rise to such power. As you mentioned, Article 6 states that the law applies to all citizens equally, which make members of the Third Estate have a voice in the royal bureaucracy, unlike before. This can be detrimental to my social status and power, since the majority of the population are peasants of the Third Estate. As for the taxes, I disagree that everyone should pay taxes, since we nobles are struggling financially.
Delete- Noble/Rebecca Jimenez
I disagree. As a member of the second estate, the Declaration destroyed the second and third estate as it practically merged it into one estate. The declaration took away my rights that I once enjoyed as a noble. The equality of rights and giving peasants the right to rise up in rankings threatens my position as a noble. The taxes that was stated in article 14 is destroying my income as a noble. We should not pay taxes as it is a job for the peasants to supply the country with money.
Delete- Noble/Daniel Lee
As a noble in the second estate of France, I feel like the “Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen” supports those of the third estate, which include peasants. More importantly, I feel like this declaration threatens my position in France’s society. I disagree with some of the declarations made because of my position in the French nobility. For example, in the first article, it mentions that “men are born and remain free and equal in rights”. I disagree with this because the third estate should not have the same advantages that us nobles have. Nobles are superior to those in the third estate. We should have a place in the royal bureaucracy, since we benefit from the government. Adding on, I don’t think that the royal bureaucracy should employ these middle class me, since these positions were reserved for nobles like myself. Additionally, articles 13 and 14, state, “for the maintenance of the public force and for the expenses of administration a common tax is indispensable; it must be assessed equally on all citizens..” and “citizens have the right to ascertain, by themselves or through their representatives, the necessity of the public tax..” I disagree with imposing taxes on us, since we should be living a tax-free life, unlike the peasants in the third estate. To make it clear, us nobles are receiving little financial incomes and profit from our lands, so we are struggling economically. With this new declaration imposed, I think that the importance of nobles in society will decline, and the third estate will rise in the social ladder. As for us in the nobility, if the third estate rises socially, we might not be able to profit from our lands or tax the peasants like we used to do. Since the third estate makes up the majority of France’s society, they might rise in power, which will threaten us as nobles.
ReplyDelete- Noble/Rebecca Jimenez
Noble, I do not agree with your views. As a peasant in the third estate, when you state that "Adding on, I don’t think that the royal bureaucracy should employ these middle class me, since these positions were reserved for nobles like myself. " Why are they reserved for nobles only like you, how are you guys more special than us, can we learn to be like you? Another thing i disagree with you on is that you got shouldn't "be living a tax-free life". You guys might be receiving little financial incomes and profit for your lands, but how about us. We are doing all the farming on you lands, working for you guys, and all you guys is sit back and relax while stealing from us. You guys aren't giving back to us which is causing not only you, but the rest of the country to struggle economically. One thing I do agree with you is that we do make up a majority of France's society which will lead us to rising to power and making France a better and equal country that it has to be.
Delete-Peasant/Kebron
I disagree with the articles of the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen. Everything that this declaration stands for helps out the Third Estate for the most part. Although everyone benefits, the second and first estates already have these rights and now we have to share these rights with the rest of this massive population and diminish the importance and tradition of nobles. “1. Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.” This article serves to make all estates on equal ground. I disagree with the equal treatment of all estates, as nobles have worked all these years to maintain a certain culture and tradition to stay above the Third Estate commoners. The whole status of being a noble and being above others is diminished to only wealth advantages. “6. Law is the expression of the general will. Every citizen has a right to participate personally, or through his representative, in its foundation. It must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes. All citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law, are equally eligible to all dignities and to all public positions and occupations, according to their abilities, and without distinction except that of their virtues and talents.” We nobles will not have any higher status and our traditions of having these exclusive luxuries such as military positions all to ourselves will be gone. The positions once available to only nobles will go to some inferior commoners, and the pride of nobles and the nation alike will only be insulted through people of the Third Estate ruling the nation. I believe that only the upper class including nobility such as myself are fit to rule a nation. The commoners do not know enough about politics in order to rule and we nobles outclass them anyways. “13. A common contribution is essential for the maintenance of the public forces and for the cost of administration. This should be equitably distributed among all the citizens in proportion to their means.” This would end up putting taxes on all of the estates and I heavily disagree with this. The peasants make up most of the population, so they should be in charge of financing the nation. The Third Estate lives mostly for labor anyways. Nobles and clergy reserve the tradition of not being taxed due to the useful contributions we make to the nation. We nobles manage the Third Estate as they work our property, so their taxes cover for our property. For giving the Third Estate a place to stay I would expect that taxation would be on my residents. Change in France due to this Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen will probably consist of the Third Estate gaining new ground for themselves. The Third Estate will be able to vote and hold rights for possessions as well as reserve the right to express themselves. France as a whole will voice their wants more and the government will not be the same. The absolute monarchy we had will most likely end up being a parliamentary monarchy with all estates participating. Though I do not like my predictions for the future of France, at least my rights are not being decreased in any way. I will continue to fight for the supremacy of nobles, but I will take whatever opportunities I can get and at least the absolute monarchs will be taken out of the government system.
ReplyDeleteNoble / Alyssa Lagua
I agree with you. Although I am a lower class than you are, I feel the same way as you when thinking about the peasants being able to do the same things I can. I feel like the lower class should remain inferior to the higher class. But it would be great for my class to be able to stand as equal to the nobles. Yes, France won't be the same anymore because every estate are considered equal and so everyone has a say. I feel that this could lead to more corruption in France, so France should remain the same and everyone should not be equal to each other to prevent chaos.
Delete~ Bourgeoisie/ Tiffany Fung
As a peasant and urban worker of France, I am so amazed and joyous because of the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen. This article will give the third estate the power and freedoms that we have never even had the chance to taste. Those estates above us have reaped our goods and taken away anything that is rightfully ours, and this is the only way we can take back what we deserve. We will finally be able to choose who leads our great country, and there will be no fear of absolute monarchy ever again. We know this because the sixth declaration, which states, “Law is the expression of the general will. Every citizen has a right to participate personally, or through his representative, in its foundation. It must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes. All citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law, are equally eligible to all dignities and to all public positions and occupations, according to their abilities, and without distinction except that of their virtues and talents.” This means that the nobles will not be able to keep their positions in their bloodlines, and we will all have a chance, if we are fit enough, to lead the country in high positions that would never have been available to us without the declaration. With this power, we can grow and expand past our economic statuses, and become more than what we are now, without having to marry into nobility. This declaration also means that we will no longer be the backbone of taxes for the wealthy to leech off of. For years we have been the only estate to pay taxes, even though we are the poorest, and it has only lead to the death and starvation of our people, and with the declaration’s fourteenth section, “All the citizens have a right to decide, either personally or by their representatives, as to the necessity of the public contribution; to grant this freely; to know to what uses it is put; and to fix the proportion, the mode of assessment and of collection and the duration of the taxes.” Taxes will now be spread throughout the populace and will not be put upon us unfairly or in a way that leaves us crippled. A major change that will occur because of these declarations is that more of us peasants will be able to own land, in accordance with the sixteenth part of the declaration, which states, “Since property is an inviolable and sacred right, no one shall be deprived thereof except where public necessity, legally determined, shall clearly demand it, and then only on condition that the owner shall have been previously and equitably indemnified” This means that all men will be able to hold property, and do with it as they please, rather than living on the property of the nobles, and doing what they wished with it.
ReplyDeletePeasant/Mohammad Baseer
As a Bourgeoisie, I agree and disagree to points made in the Declaration of the Rights of man and citizens. I strongly disagree with the first article when it states "Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good." Although I am the Third Estate, I am still superior to the peasants because I am still considered to be the middle class. With this article, I would be considered equal to the peasants!?! No, no! This won't do. I have more money than the peasants meaning I can become a landlord and obtain power. I can not be equal to people inferior to me. I agree with article 6 when it says, "...All citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law, are equally eligible to all dignities and to all public positions and occupations, according to their abilities, and without distinction except that of their virtues and talents." As a Bourgeoisie, there are certain jobs that I am not allowed to have because they are reserved for the nobles. So being able to have the same occupation that nobles have will make me look like a higher class. But my problem is the peasants. They are inferior to me. They shouldn't be able to get the same job that nobles have nor should they be able to get jobs that I can have. They need to stay inferior. Lastly, I disagree with article 13 when it states, "A common contribution is essential for the maintenance of the public forces and for the cost of administration. This should be equitably distributed among all the citizens in proportion to their means." According to this article, I have to pay taxes!?! What? Although I was given taxes to pay before, I would always get away with not paying the taxes because that should be what the peasants have to do. I shouldn't have to pay taxes. In conclusion, I mostly disagree with the Declaration of the Rights of man and citizens.
ReplyDelete~ Bourgeoisie, Tiffany Fung
As a member of the peasants/ third estate, I can surly guarantee that I agree with this Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizens. This is what we needed and may not have it all, but its the the first to so much freedom that has to come. The first thing on the Declaration I agree with is “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.” This Right explains that everyone is equal and would equal freedom which is what we, the peasants have needed for a long tome. Another right that I agree with is, “ The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man. Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law.” This law demonstrates the third estate getting our voice back. Freedom of speech is a huge thing for us since everyone thinks we’re just poor and they can just steal from us. With this law, we can say our ideas and opinions as long as its not taken too far. Lastly, “All the citizens have a right to decide, either personally or by their representatives, as to the necessity of the public contribution; to grant this freely; to know to what uses it is put; and to fix the proportion, the mode of assessment and of collection and the duration of the taxes.” This law is the best of the best, us peasants usually have to pay the most taxes because we “somehow can afford it”, but now we can vote independently or by our representative on a portion of tax that we need to owe to the state. I feel like with this declaration, everyone will be happy and the nation is all with be growing socially and economically. This will help you improve our estate become better and brighter.
ReplyDelete-Peasant/ Kebron Abebe
As a sworn member of the French clergy, the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen” is something that I disagree with. This declaration absolutely goes against the will of the Church, and I commend anyone from following this for it violates the word of God. Many of the articles in this declaration don’t follow church law, and as the devoted clergy member I am, I’m compelled to point out the mainly flaws within this piece of writing. I feel that the first article I should address is article #11. It reads: “The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man. Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law.” This is absolutely outrageous! Speak one’s mind is something that should never be done, and if one were to do so, checking with the church and getting guidance from God is the correct way to go about this. I feel that this is going to cause major change in our church, as well as in France. This will cause many people to leave the church because they believe that speaking their mind is correct over listening to God. This will take people away from the church and give them the feeling that they can do whatever they want. The next article I want to question is article #7. “No person shall be accused, arrested, or imprisoned except in the cases and according to the forms prescribed by law.” This is something that I found inaccurate, and I disagreed with it. Being a member of the clergy, I find that the court of law and when a person is being judged before our Lord are two different things, and many transgression that wouldn’t be considered wrong in the normal court of law would be before God. This will affect the church and France because people will allow themselves to feel that things that might not be wrong to do in the court of law are okay. This however, is not correct. Even minor transgressions could be followed by serious punishment when being judged before God, and this is something that the French people should know and live by. Lastly, the final article I want to address is article #5. “Nothing may be prevented which is not forbidden by law, and no one will be forced to do anything that is not provided for by law.” I feel that this is inaccurate for a specific reason, and I addressed this in my response to article #7. While the court of law cannot prevent even small crimes from happening, when a person is being judged by God, they will be charged with every crime they committed, no matter the size of the transgression. This will affect France because many people will feel that they can get away with the small things that the court of law won’t charge them with. Overall, I feel that this declaration is incorrect in many spots, causing me to disagree with it. I hope that France will turn away from these ideals, and look back at their Lord for guidance.
ReplyDelete^ - Clergy/Colette McClanahan
DeleteI would have to disagree with your view of the declaration seeing as it provides the third estate, the majority of France's population, the chance to speak up and be apart of action when it comes to benefiting France. You say how article 11 "... is absolutely outrageous! Speak one’s mind is something that should never be done, and if one were to do so, checking with the church and getting guidance from God is the correct way to go about this." I see how you see that without the guidance of God, speaking publicly may cause some change to your church, some might even see it negatively, but I see the change quite beneficially. I would see many more people coming to your church seeking advice, seeing as you claim it is the right way to go if we, peasants, speak publicly. Therefore I disagree on your viewpoints on how these articles of the declaration would damage your church, as I see it not only equalizing the rights of all 3 estates of France, but also bringing more people to your church for advice.
DeleteClergy, I disagree with you I think the Declaration of the Rights of Men and Citizen will be something that helps. Article #11 is what will help us get where we need to be, everyone should be able to have a voice. What if you couldn't speak up with what you believe in? I do agree with how people can get away with little things and won't be charged with anything and things should be done when it comes to that. I do know that peasants should have a bigger voice and opinion just like with some of those articles.
DeleteAs a member of the third estate, a peasant, I find myself in the highest state of agreement with the Declaration of Rights Of Man and Citizen. Due to my position in the Third Estate I believe in the past France has operated on too many levels of unfair. Those of the Third Estate contribute the most and receive the least; with this declaration I have hope to believe this will change, that this will be the future of France. Article 3 particularly works out in my Estate's favor. No one man should have superior rule, this is what caused France's chaos in the first place was superior rule placed in the hands of those who could not handle it; in order to avoid this all citizens perspectives need to be taken into account. This will even out decisions having to do with the political and economic state of France, controlling the ruler means controlling the economy. Another article, Article 14, states that citizens should be allowed to vote on taxes. This is the problem that caused the peasants to start uproar. It makes no sense to only tax the poorest class, no wonder this country was broke for so long. The Clergy and the Nobles, the richest estate next to the monarchs, need to be taxed in order to stabilize the economy in any way. As a peasant the thing I'm protesting against is the fact our voice, the Third Estate's voice, is ignored. Article 11 states that all citizens voices should be heard and acknowledged, taken into account. This is exactly what my estate is fighting for and with this Declaration I should hope that it will be implicated for it is what's best for France.
ReplyDeletePeasant -Mina C.
As one who is a peasant in France representing the third estate, which does so happen to be 95% of our population, I agree with the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizens as it gives us citizens, regardless of the estates, to be equal with each other. I mostly enjoy article 11 from the declaration as it says, "Free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man... every citizen may speak, write, and print freely..." The reason why I enjoyed this article so much is it gives me the freedom to speak and discuss matters without having to be afraid of being taxed more or dying if you will. Even article 6, "Law is the expression of the general will... all citizens... are equally admissible to all public offices..." This give us peasants, a chance to represent ourselves in a higher political standing, as we now have the chance to speak our voices about the law, something we didn't have previously before. Therefore, as a member of a third estate, I agree with what the Declaration of Rights of Men and Citizens has to offer for France as it has given us peasants the opportunity to speak freely and have some play in decision-making when it comes to law and government, and the same doing so by writing and printing as well.
ReplyDelete~Peasant / Selam Desta
Peasant Selam, I find great joy in the idea of freedom of idea in France, This will lead to a greater France in the long run as all will be more in favor through voice. However, you must hold your horse. As a peasant, I look down upon the idea of having you take part of higher social standings in the government. Although I am also part of the Third Estate, my riches draw a great division between you all and my fellow bourgeoisie and I. As peasants, all you have been doing is tilling the land, we the bourgeoisie, give you. This has bordered what you guys become for time now and in order to keep bringing France prosperity, I feel as if we shall not disturb the work you bring to us. Therefore, I beg you not to excite yourself in such way, as I believe that peasants are simply better off being away from higher social positions.
Delete- Bourgeoisie Michelle Garcia
DeleteBeing a peasant of France I do agree with the Declaration of rights of man and citizens looking at the document telling us how their will be equal rights within the estates. In the first article it states that "Men are born and remain free and equal in rights", this states that everyone is born equally to each other just like all the different estates.Us peasants are such a large part of the population and should have most of the freedom being 95% of it. I think we all of this it would bring all of the estates together which would help out more between all of this. Another statement that was made was, " All citizens being equal before it, are equally admissible to all public offices, positions, employments, according to their capacity, and without other distinction than that of virtues and talents." All of these laws shouldn't just be in place by the king because other people will think differently of them and while they're affecting us, he's not being affected at all. They say that we're all equal but when it comes to it we feel like we are so much more below the rest of the estates. We might be peasants but doesn't mean we should be treated like this and have no say in anything. We should be able to do and be whoever we want to be. The final statement is, "free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man. Consequently, every citizen may speak, write, and print freely, subject to responsibility for the abuse of such liberty in the cases determined by the law." This law is the probably one of the best laws because everyone can individually say how they feel about what is going on. There will be no one that is left out or put down because of what they have to say and this is what should happen more often. Overall I think these will help France for the better and put it more in order and be more help to the peasants and what they need.
ReplyDeleteAs a bourgeoisie of France, I find myself in conflict of where I stand with the Declaration of Rights and Men. I do believe that "social distinctions may be based only upon general usefulness," as a bourgeoisie, I feel that I contribute a lot to the economy and life of France. I give land to peasants to till which ultimately ends in my prosperity. The contribution of the people throughout the social classes of France is essential in order to be able to see the country prosper. The unity of the working class is the support system of France. I also strongly agree with "free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious rights to man". Although being wealthier than most of the citizens of France, it has not disregarded from the fact that I am still part of the Third Estate. This has silenced by voice in the government despite my grand contribution through the economy. My riches should not simply be for luxury, but they should be able to grant me voice in the government. The Declaration of Rights and Man stands by as it calls for the people to have a voice. With the addition of my voice, I feel as my influence will greatly transform hands through the contribution of better economical stances. However, I am not in such favor of "the security of the rights of man and of the citizen requires public military forces. These forces are, therefore, established for the good of all and not for the personal advantage of those to whom they shall be intrusted," in a society, I feel as if there should be some lack of balance of power between people. Just imagine having someone of the lower Third Estate try and contribute to the government significantly! In my eyes, they are not sophisticated enough to be making large contribution on France. Alongside this, " a common contribution is essential for the maintenance of the public forces and for the cost of administration. This should be equitably distributed among all the citizens in proportion to their means." EQUALLY DIVIDING THE COSTS?! What kind of a world are we in? As a bourgeoisie, I have managed to stay away from the shadow of taxes and I feel as if I should have lower taxes. My contribution to France should not be across money. but through ideas. This is already partly sponsored with the idea of freedom of ideas. The Declaration of Rights and Man obtains ideas in which I am in favor of, while also presenting me ideas, which I believe, will have no positive change in French society.
ReplyDelete- Bourgeoisie Michelle Garcia
As a peasant, I believe that the articles of the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizens are especially applicable in improving me and my fellow colleagues of the Third Estate's lives. It pleases me to read the 6th article, in which a law is for all citizens regardless of social status or talent. In the current society of France, the Royal family, aristocrats, and Church pile and pile taxes and labor from us peasants and urban workers, showing the large separation of two parties in the French society as opposed to many classes. If laws were made to restrict the amount of taxes social classes get and the political power of the Royal family and the other two Estates, the society of France will come back to balance again. The 1st article appeals to me as well: all men are born with equal rights and freedoms. Like with the 6th article, all Frenchmen are one, regardless of social status. I hope that the society of France can be reformed to regain balance and equal share of profit and right to speak up. It can't just be the Church and aristocrats getting what they want --- us peasants and urban workers deserve to have equal demand for profit and better life conditions after all the hard labor that we put up with for years! And, lastly, the 11th article for freedom of speech asserts the public's desire to speak up for our demands as much as the article does for my own desires. Eyes cannot unsee the conditions of France's common citizens, and it must be proven on paper or by speech of these poor conditions! Therefore, I plead and beg, please use the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen to reform our country's society and improve the lives of myself and several other people!
ReplyDelete- Peasant/Urban Worker, Ariana Aragones
As a noble of the second estate, I only agree with one article of the Declarations of Rights of man. The only part where I agree with is that people should be given freedom of religion. This gives people freedom to believe what they want to believe and does not take away power from me. I do not agree with the rest of the articles. As a noble, I do not want to give up my rights to these filthy peasants as there is a difference of estates for a reason. The article in which every man has right to hold a position in the office is one of the worst articles in the Declarations of Rights of Man. The office positions were meant for nobles and people of first estate. Now that they are available for the 3rd estate, our job positions are going to become more scarce. The article of making taxes levied according to the ability to pay is a disaster for a noble like myself. I do not want to pay taxes as they are supposed to be meant for the peasants to pay in order to keep the nation afloat. The third estate is made up of 95% of the population so they should pay the taxes as they are the majority of the country. The Declarations of Rights of Man will affect France by destroying the second estate. The noble class will not exist after this because the first estate is forcing us nobles to pay taxes, giving our job openings to the peasants, and giving the peasants same rights as us nobles. This change will merge the second and third estates as there will be no defining difference between us. The change of taxes enforcement will lower our income, the lower amount of job openings will leave us with little opportunities that were once reserved for us, and giving the peasants same rights will allow them to move up into standings that were once ours. The Declarations of Rights of Man were a disaster and we hope that it can be reverted back to what it once was.
ReplyDelete- Noble/Daniel Lee
Listen here you dirty noble, we are taking anything from you incompetent people. Just because these rights don't make you special doesn't mean they are wrong. There are plenty of people here in the third estate who for sure could do a better job than you ever could of fixing the country. First of all, yes I agree with you on the idea of being free to believe in religion, however, you must be the most incompetent noble(like all the nobles) I have head of if you cannot see a benefit within these articles. Rather than separating classes and claiming that we should stay poor and below you don't you think it would help our economy more if we were all on the same level at a reasonable equity in wealth rather than having 95% of the population dirt poor. Furthermore you claim the office positions were made for the second estate, however, if more competent people who were among the peasants were in charge of the country over you and the rest of the 2nd and 3rd estates maybe you wouldn't have had as much trouble with the peasants that you have now because of the way you guys handled it. Also we are not taking any opportunities away from you. The article specifically stated in article 10 that "No one shall be disquieted on account of his opinions" which means that each person gets to have a voice and show his ability to take on the opportunity shown to him. All you have to do is show that you are better than the rest of the third estate if you really believe so that much.
Delete-Peasant, Nicolas Dimaano
DeleteHello! As a bourgeoisie, I’d largely disagree with you, as the third estate should have the equal rights to those with higher status as yourself. I would think that the matter at hand, the right to have representation, outweighs the issue of religious freedom. The article states that every man has the right to participate in the government or be represented and I believe that is fair since your higher class should not denote more significance in the government. Because we are a great part of the population, the third estate should have a larger say in the decisions of France with a large representation in the government! We should see all estates as equal and this would also mean having the first and second estates pay tax. The third estate makes up, as you stated, 95% of the population of France. Both the bourgeoisie and urban workers toil to form the foundation of French society, but nobles and the clergy cannot bear to pay a bit of their wealth to support the country? Your resistance to paying taxes should not mean passing on the burden to those of lower status. I hope you see that the Declarations of Rights of Man and Citizen are for the good of all the people of France.
DeleteBourgeoisie / Britney Guillermo
As part of the third estate of everyone's favorite so called "dirty" peasants and urban workers I have resolved that the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen will be beneficial to our country. The articles themselves support a value of individualism which can be achieved through the equal treatment of men with a further criterion being that of judging individuals by their worth and well being rather than the group they were born into. It ensures that the most competent of men will be employed with the larger responsibilities and that none shall be used for improper purposes. The most important of all of these articles is the first one which states "Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good". This entails that each of us as human being were born equal to each other and that none of us are given an initial lead ahead of another man. Because no one gets a "lead" in their social class or view, it ensures through each individual proving their worth, that those employed with the responsibilities of society are the ones fit for the job rather than the incompetent ones being employed because they were born to the right people. Further more the second article states that "the aim of all political association is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man. These rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression." This will ensure that those who are put into a position of responsibility who are competent enough to take the job will retain his right to be able to keep his rights opposed to if anyone from a higher social class would attempt to take advantages of his individual rights. These articles also support article 10 where it states "No one shall be disquieted on account of his opinions, including his religious views, provided their manifestation does not disturb the public order established by law." This means that each man will be able to, through their individual opinions, be entitled to being able to show themselves responsible for the roles they wish to take in society. This article can generally boil down to the idea that while preserving each individuals rights, the most obviously responsible and competent will be able to take responsibilities within this country which would effectively cause France to change in the form that each individual is worth more and that the leaders will be those who can lead and not those who will take advantage of their peoples. I find this important because I believe that although I was just a lowly starving peasant in the former society, many of my fellow peasants and I would have been able to save France without inhibiting the lives of each other. I would like to remind everyone here that my point is not to give the third estate the power, but to ensure only the best from each estate be picked to lead the people over the worst of the highest estate.
ReplyDelete-Peasant, Nicolas Dimaano
DeleteAs a member of the clergy, I find the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen completely stupid. The declaration is completely stupid as it is trying to increase the rights of peasants. I think that these peasants should not be given as many rights as us clergy and nobles. Article 1 in the declaration states, " Men are born and remain free and equal in rights." While the article does say that social distinctions can only be made for general usefulness, what is this general usefulness? For all we know, this could mean that the peasants want as much power as us, the 1st Estate. However, this should not be so. Trying to achieve the status of us, God's servants, the peasants will anger god. As Church workers, us clergy have the most important job, which makes it obvious that we should be on top of the social class. However, these peasants are trying to change this, saying that farming is just as important as serving God, which is definitely not true. These peasants are also saying that all men are able to speak freely. In Article 10, they write, "No one is to be disquieted because of his opinions, even religious,". This shows how these dumb peasants think that all religious ideas can be promoted. However, this can lead to a religious split, as other religions, like Protestantism can influence our population and gain converts. By allowing this, the peasants will make France harder to rule, as the population will no longer be united. Finally, the peasants want to tax all estates equally. They write in Article 13, "For the maintenance of the public force and for the expenses of administration, a common tax is indispensable,". This shows that the peasants think that they have the power to establish a tax for us clergy and nobles. However, by doing so, they will be going against God. The pay us clergy get is the reward God gives us for our services. If the peasants try to take it, they will be going against God's generosity. This will bring His wrath upon us, and if this happens, we will all die. However, we can avoid this by simply rejecting this declaration
ReplyDelete-Krishna Patel/Clergy
As a part of the Third Estate, I fully support the articles in the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen. It states in the first article, “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights.” This statement ensures that the Third Estate would have the same rights as the First and Second Estates. I don’t believe that those with higher status in the First and Second Estate should be reaping many more benefits than the bourgeoisie and peasant workers. Because members of the Third Estate have less of a voice within the government, the first article would allow for all of the people of France to have an equal opportunity, regardless of status. Along with the acknowledgement of our rights, I believe that we should be equal in political office. As a result, another article that I strongly support is the sixth article, stating, “Law is the expression of the general will. Every citizen has a right to participate personally, or through his representative, in its foundation. It must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes. All citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law, are equally eligible to all dignities and to all public positions and occupations, according to their abilities, and without distinction except that of their virtues and talents.” Members of the Third Estate should undoubtedly have equal representation in the government as the nobility or the clergy. Since we make up a large mass of the population, we should be able to participate or be represented fairly! Fair participation in the government is a right that many of us in the Third Estate were not fortunate to have and through article six, the bourgeoisie would have the right to decide what’s best for our country. Lastly, I’d like to touch on article thirteen which states, “A common contribution is essential for the maintenance of the public forces and for the cost of administration. This should be equitably distributed among all the citizens in proportion to their means.” The First and Second Estates are exempt from paying all taxes and with this article, all estates would have to take on the burden equally. Members of the Third Estate provide all of the labor and pay more tax compared to those with higher statuses. As a bourgeoisie, I have put a lot of effort for my achievements in trade and many bankers lend money to the government. One aspect of the article that I would clarify is that the First and Second Estates need to contribute by paying taxes instead of pushing the burden onto the lower classes. Though I realize I do not pay the largest tax (as that would be the urban workers), I wouldn’t like to increase the amount of tax placed on the bourgeoisie but rather increase the amount that the First and Second Estate are required to pay.
ReplyDelete- Bourgeoisie / Britney Guillermo
As the king of France, King Louis XVI, I generally do not agree with the Declaration of the Rights of Man. It is a direct threat to my rule and authority. Article three explains how the people get to elect their leader and their preferred style of government, and I do not like that idea. I find it unfair that one can change the ways of the government that have been established for several years. The leader should not have to be chosen, one is simply born a leader. I also dislike article 15, which states that the government should have full transparency with their people. Why should we tell them what is happening? They should simply continue their normal life and not be involved in government business as we are the ones maintaining the government efficient and well, not them. There are certain articles that I agree with. I have always believed that taxes were unfair to the third estate, which is why I agree with article 13, that taxes should be taken from everyone. If the Declaration of the Rights of Man is passed, my authority and rule might be endangered, changing the emitiré France government system, which I am strongly against.
ReplyDeleteKing Louis XVI/Alondra Ugarte Perez
As your dear wife, I would have to agree with you on these matters. I support the dislike of article 15 as I was also born into rule and would like my dear children to continue to rule this great country. Also, as I have helped create the tax system referred to in article 13, I obviously support it. I have always said the lower class will take action if they are treated poorly for much longer. Finally, I support the statements written under article 16. I support this because the separation of powers is quite unattractive to me. Since we have a constitution now, I hope that that will help us remain in power and not divide it up with the common folk as, once stated, that would be horrendous.
DeleteQueen Marie Antoinette x Jake Schwalier
ReplyDeleteGood evening fellow citizens. As your Queen, Marie Antoinette, I must contribute my thought on the Declaration of the Rights of Men and Citizens. I support many of the ideas from this declaration as they are within my beliefs and, in addition to those, Enlightenment ideas. Among these are the ideas of the idea of a common tax, even among the 1st and 2nd class. In the 13th article, "For the maintenance of the public force and for the expenses of administration a common tax is indispensable, it must be assessed equally on all citizens in proportion to their means", as the founder to the idea of equal tax, I fully support this as a means to overcome our growing tax problem. The 1st estate is responsible for a good portion of our debt and this tax will appear to the common folk that we are doing our part, they cannot complain. I also support the the abolition of torture, in the 8th article, "The law is to establish only penalties that are absolutely and obviously necessary; and no one may be punished except by virtue of a law established and promulgated prior to the offense and legally applied." Although punishments are necessary, extremely harsh punishments are barbaric. The 3rd Estate complains that they are being too harshly treated and those add fuel to the growing social strife in our kingdom. If they are continued to be harshly treated, I fear they will take up action and arms. Finally, I support the statements written under the article titled 16. "Every society in which the guarantee of rights is not assured or the separation of powers is not determined has no constitution at all." I support this because, since I would like myself and my husband to remain in power, the separation of powers is quite unattractive to me. Since we have a constitution now, I hope that that will help us remain in power and not divide it up with the common folk as, once stated, that would be barbaric.