Meaning of Being Educated

Being educated is one of the most important attributes a person can have. However, there is a difference between being educated from experience and being educated from readings and schoolwork. Though being knowledgeable through experience allows a person to be thought of as well-rounded, the basics of his or her own rights and abilities are often overlooked. Not too many people can recite all of their rights and capabilities and be able to explain them to an outsider. The American legal system is increasingly important with the constant changes in what is acceptable to our society.

Being well-educated in the rights of one’s country allows for a citizen to become more involved and in turn, appreciate his or her country. An exact definition of educated would be termed as “having an education or having knowledge based from fact”, according to the online Merriam-Webster Dictionary. To become educated, a person enters and may commit to a continuous process. Education is a process of gaining knowledge through self-examination and will, interactions with peers or elders, pure experience. One can even say that a person is educated through instinct alone.

However, instinct alone cannot suffice if one wishes to enter the job force and rise in society. There is also a responsibility that comes along with gaining education. With the acquiring of knowledge there is the choice to use it to one’s advantage or to keep it to oneself. Education is variable. One can be more educated in law than another, and one can be more educated in music than another. How educated a person is is dependent on how much they want to learn about a subject. Not every piece of knowledge about the American government is handed to each citizen.

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Though many do not seek further education beyond high school, the resources are there for the use of learning and practicing one’s freedom. An example of a well-educated person in terms of an American’s rights and liberties would be a lawyer. A lawyer is schooled for many years about the legal system, including the laws and constitution of America. It is with their degree that lawyers gain the right and trust to provide legal advice and guidance. Some lawyers further their education and occupational ranking by becoming magistrates.

Magistrates are looked upon has having a high education and understanding of the law, rights, and regulations of our society. Another example would be the occupation of a police officer. A police officer acts as a guide and stable hand to the society of America. A police officer learns and practices the constitutional law and keeps wrongdoers in check as much as possible. They create a safer environment for people to live in and lead by example by enforcing the rules as sternly as possible. When a criminal or delinquent is arrested they are confronted by the officer saying “you have the right to remain silent”.

The police officer is making the citizen aware of their right as an American. When a business is made and operated, the owner or owners practice their legal rights as an American. These rights are laid out in exact detail through a contract signed in the process of starting a business. The owner is well educated in the law and rights that he or she must follow and practice. As a business owner, one will practice property rights most often. “Property is a set of legal rights to exclude others from interfering with one's acquisition, possession, use, and transfer of limited resources” .

By owning a business, a person has the right to acquire, dispose of, and use property freely. According to the Cato Handbook for Policymakers, property is the foundation of every right we Americans have, which includes the right to be free. Therefore, every land owner practices their rights as an American. “When laws are generally and equally applicable they will tend to produce a beneficial social order because lawmakers cannot benefit themselves exclusively but only as they also benefit the populace as a whole”. The laws are set in the U. S.

Constitution in order to provide order and stability in American society. The writers of the constitution were not as learned about society and democracy as people are today, but they were educated enough to realize what laws and guidelines would create a greater society and social system. The constitution allows for certain authorities to lead the United States. These authorities have a greater understanding and education about how society should work and run. With a greater education and understanding of the United States laws and freedoms, an American citizen has the capacity to appreciate and take part in their society.

A well-educated person has knowledge of fact and experience combined whether it is from schooling or by random occurrence. Through schooling, one can become part of the American government and practice the law by providing guidance and stability for citizens who may seem unaware. With numerous resources available to anyone in America, the ability to become well-educated in the subject of the government and the rights of the American citizen is easy.

Works Cited

1. A Summary of the US Constitution. n. d. 15 June 2011 lt;http://www2. waketech. edu/blogs/elcivics/files/2011/03/summary-of-the-USConstitution. pdf;gt;.
2. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. “educated. ” n. d. Merriam-Webster. com. 17 June 2011 ;lt; http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/educated;gt;
3. “Property Rights and the Constitution. ” Cato Handbook for Policymakers 7. (2009): 345-362 17 June 2011.
4. Reed, O. Lee. “Law, The Rule of Law, and Property: A Foundation for the Private Market and Business Study. ” American Business Law Journal 8. (2001): 441-474. Web. 17 June 2011.

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