In the recent discussions of power, a controversial issue has been whether power restricts a person. On one hand, some argue that power restricts people in possession of it to certain behaviors and responsibilities. From this prospective, people with hold on power are scrutinized and observed in every aspect of their life and people, like sheep following the leader, may blindly follow them. On the other hand, however, others argue that people who have power are free to do as they please without serious consequence for such actions. In the words of one of this view's main proponents, “……LaLa let Lilo off with seven misdemeanor DUI charges in connection with her two arrests for drunk driving in May and July. Two counts, each for driving under the influence, driving with a blood-alcohol count more than .08 percent, being under the influence of cocaine, and one count of reckless driving……..Lohan would serve a whopping one day in jail, with 10 days community service…..” (Miki Turner, np) According to this view, it seems as though anyone with any semblance of power seems to be left on a loose leash. In sum, then, the issue is whether power restricts a person or frees them to commit any act they wish. My own view is that power does in fact restrict anyone within a position that requires it. Though I concede that power does seem to allow people to get off easier than some, I still maintain that the powerful are more restricted than any non-power wielding individual. For example, Mel Gibson’s scandal when he got drunk, cheated on his wife, shouted racial slurs at cops and
allegedly hit a woman (and it only gets worse from there) but consider this: Had this been an everyday Joe, I would read about it in the papers only if I was local to that area while Mel Gibson had half the nation know before breakfast. Although some might object that he didn’t nearly get what anyone else would in the same situation, I reply that Mel Gibson suffered much worse because he has not been in many major movies since this incident which means he’s losing a lot of money. According to my view, people in the position of power are watched more closely and more critically than anyone else. This issue is important because if people assume that power frees you from all responsibilities, then when they do come into power, it may lead to a tyrannical reign.
“Power concedes nothing without demand. It never did and it never will” (Fredrick Douglass, np). Lindsay Lohan, Mel Gibson, and Bill Clinton were all in positions of power but were cast down because of a failure of responsibility. Had an ordinary man committed adultery against his wife and lied about it, he may become the gossip of that town and possibly some out of town family members. But when Clinton does that same, he becomes that gossip of an entire nation (and possibly a few others) and becomes ridiculed and discredited because of it. In the case of the man, he could leave and possibly start a new life without anyone knowing any of his previous mistakes but Clinton will never be able to get away from the shame of having an affair. When people think of Clinton, they think of his affair and how he lied about it not how during Clinton's presidency, 22.5 million new jobs were created and unemployment dropped from 7.5% when he took office to 4.0% by the end of his second term, the lowest in 30 years. Powerful people are branded forever by their stupid decisions.
Power’s literal definition is the possession of control or command over others; authority; ascendancy. In Bioware’s popular game Dragon Age: Origins, the main character plays a powerful warrior known as the Grey Wardens and a wise companion named Wynne gives her thoughts about the power Grey Wardens hold.
“As a Grey Warden, you are guardian of men. And you guard men because their continued existence is more important than you are. Thus it is you who serves, not them. A good king –a true king, who cares for his land—uses his power to rule firmly but fairly. He serves his people first and foremost. A king who does not do this, who believes he is entitled to his power, who abuses and uses it for his own means is a tyrant. If you live apart from others, your actions affect only you, then you may do as you wish. But if you have power, influence, and strength, then your every actions will be a drop of water in a clear still pond. The drop causes ripples, the ripples spread. Think of how far they will go, how wide they will become? How will they affect the pond?” (Wynne, np)
In this lecture, Wynne says that every action has an effect, and every effect can have a larger or smaller effect on the people around the person with power. Take for example, Tim Allen and his drug convictions. “What drug convictions?” I’ve heard many people ask. Well, On October 2, 1978, Allen was caught by drug sniffing dogs at Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport transporting about 1.4 pounds of cocaine. In exchange for not having to go to prison for life, as was the maximum penalty that could have been leveled against him, Allen plead guilty and subsequently ratted out the other drug dealers he knew. However, most people don’t know this because this was before he began his career as a stand-up comedian and his
Gerber 5
actions were hardly heard of. Had he done this after starring in Toy Story, it would have been aired on every news channel from Yuma to New York. Since he had no power, he didn’t cause any ripples in his clear still pond.
I know from experience, that power confines to what the other people around you want. In my home, I rarely receive the remote and it’s only when my mom is busy talking with my older sister or I am faster than everyone else when I wake up. When I do get this remote however, everyone seems to influence my decision on what I watch. My nephew always wants to watch his pre-school shows such as Team Umi-Zoomi or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. My older sister will often tell me to put this on, because her having power as a mom will restrict her to what her son wants to watch but when she doesn’t, he will most likely throw a fit and be grounded for a number of days. My younger sister, however, will argue and demand that I put on something such as Monster High or Family Feud, and will often throw a tantrum if the demands are not met, thus resulting in a household full of headaches and screams for the rest of the day. My mom and older sister however, want to watch medical mystery shows or detective mystery shows (the shows are too numerous to list) and will often be sullen and upset if I choose my younger sister or my nephew over them. Rarely, is my opinion on what I want to watch heard, let alone taken into consideration. Thus power confines me to watch someone else’s show instead of my own.






Obama is an excellent example of how power affects people. In 2006, Senator Obama said, “The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. government can’t pay its own bills.” However in 2013, he said, “To even entertain the idea [of not raising the debt ceiling], it’s absurd.” His lying was caught on by almost everyone and now people focus on his bad aspects rather than his good aspects. Had someone else, without the power Obama had, lied to a group of people and then went back on it, a good majority of people will shrug and say they should have seen it coming. However, not everyone sees power like this. A poem by Terrence George Craddock, shows how he believes power will free him and allow him to do as he pleases.
“I incorporate choices
I incorporate changes
I incorporate divisions
I incorporate decisions

Power of ability is mine
Power of selection is mine
Power of preference is mine
Power of effectiveness is mine

Power to worship is mine
Power to dominate is mine
Power to destroy create is mine
Power to possess materialism is mine

Power to sow hate is mine
Power to seed seek revenge is mine
Power to consume self in lust fits is mine
Power to heal restore soul potentialities is mine

Power to love is gift mine
Power to embrace beauty sublime is mine
Power to twinkle flower into star shine wishes is mine
Power to absorb kingdom of God into immortality eternity is mine

All these diverse choices are potent yours or mine?
All which choices will you I embrace exert decline?”


People believe power can free you to make any decision you please, but in reality, power is more likely to confine you. Every choice you make while in a position of power will be reflected on by several people, who often focus on your wrong decisions rather than your right ones. This has the effect that makes a person, (since power is almost solely based upon how much people like said person), strive to make better decisions and thus forces them to watch their every decision and make them based on how people would react on them. This isn’t always the case, as some celebrities are genuinely nice to people as is the case of Johnny Depp and Tom Cruise, but most people are under the control of the people who revere them.

Works Cited
Craddock, Terence. “What Power Mine will Enfold You” (7 May 2011) n. page Online URL:





.
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/what-power-mine-will-enfold-you/
Chee, Sheryl. Dragon Age: Origins. (3 November 2009) n. page. Online. URL:








.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyr1JR2rV5
Hiskey, Deven. “Tim Allen Was A Convicted Drug Dealer Before Becoming Famous”.

(17 September 2010) n. page. Online URL:

















.

http:// todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/09/tim-allen-was-a-convicted-drug-dealer -before-becoming-famous
Obama Photo.








URL:
















.http://static.ibnlive.in.com/ibnlive/pix/sitepix/03_2013/barack-obama-satan.jpg
Turner, Miki. “La-la land Let’s Lindsay LohanOff Easy.” (23 August 2007) URL:

http://www.today.com/id/20412961#.UX6Jgqzn-Cg