Michael walked
into European History class thinking it was going to be
another normal day when the teacher asked the students
to write an essay on the topic “what the European
Union means to you.” The only issue for Michael
was that he didn’t know much about the European
Union. That night, he went home and asked his family for
help.
He first asked
his mother, Michelle, what the European Union was. “The
European Union is the congregation of 27 nations in Europe
that all have a common agenda. Each of the ‘member
states’ are focused on making traveling easier for
people, protecting and spreading democracy, and protecting
the natural rights of all humans.”
After Michael
wrote this down, he asked his father Pavel, “Dad,
what does the European Union do for the people?”
Pavel responded informatively; “The European Union
makes sure that citizens of each member state have a set
of infallible, inalienable rights. Each member state must
sign the European Convention on Human Rights, the ECHR,
which is a document that guarantees citizens these natural
rights, including life, liberty, fair trial, and freedom
of speech, exactly what Voltaire and Locke wanted for
the people.” After inscribing his dad’s words
on his pad, he started thinking about his position on
the theme. “The European Union is certainly a positive
organization!”
Michael than
called his grandmother, Natasha, who follows Poland (a
member state)’s, politics very closely. “Grandma,”
Michael asks, “What does the European Union do for
people around the world?” Natasha thought for a
second, and then answered. “The European Union strongly
advocates democracy. To be a member, you must have a standing
democracy. Members of the Union are also required to give
humanitarian aid to third-world countries. In fact, the
Union is the largest donor of time and money to humanitarian
causes across the world.” Michael wrote all of this
down, and thought about it. His view on the Union then
started solidifying.
Michael decided
to question his sister Christine, an economist on her
view of how have the members of the European Union benefited
economically. Christine stated, “The European Union
has created a single market economy in which all members
participate. Members also have the Euro as their form
of currency, rather than each country having its own money,
making commerce easier between member states. In addition,
citizens can travel between states easier with the European
Union Passport.”
Now that Michael
had the information he needed, he started brainstorming
for the essay. “The European Union means a lot to
me now. I realize that people’s rights are safeguarded.
If I ever wanted to live in Europe, in any member state,
all of my natural rights would be protected. I could also
travel between these countries easier. I also know that
if anything ever happens to my homeland, the European
Union will be there to give aid to us. This Union means
more to me now than it ever has, because now I know it
influences me!”
