The Red Planet

We weren’t meant to live here. At least, that’s what some say. They say that our bodies weren’t designed to live on our home, the planet Mars. They say that it isn’t fate, that God or evolution or whichever higher powers you believe in intended us to only live on Earth. Those who inhabit the planet we have made our home think differently. We know that instead of physically evolving, the first humans to cross the stars instead evolved with their minds. It is because of their advanced technology that we can now walk freely without space suits, and breathe the air. Being cooped up in suits or oxygen containment units is distant history. The children born today can’t imagine life anywhere else and hardly believe that humans are originally from the blue dot, faraway in the sky. The story of the first people to travel through the stars is one that inspires us and makes people believe that anything is possible. The original star-travelers were a group of 5 brave souls who knew their planet was in trouble and stepped up to save it. Their captain was named Perseverance. She was chosen for her importance and leadership skills. Many people believe she was the most important member of her crew, but that was a highly debated topic. It was also a popular opinion that her right- hand man, Technology, was the most important. He was the one who made the trip possible, with his innovation building the means to get to the planet we were always meant to go. The rest of the crew are all crucial to the mission as well. Agriculture himself made life on Mars possible, and he single-handedly fertilized the soil on Mars which was thought to be impossible. Even though she didn’t have much experience, Compassion was vital to the mission, and no one would’ve survived without it. She helped the crew work together to solve problems and helped them realize that they were all important and they didn’t have to compete. The last crew member was named Curiosity. Nobody would’ve even dared go out into the stars without her. She drove everyone forward, and some argue she alone was responsible for the idea of going, the rest of the crew volunteering, and all the effort that was put into making the first steps towards what is now our home. They left Earth, and it is said they were lifted by the hand of God. God could only take them so far, because he had to watch over the rest of the people left on Earth. They were on their own, but Perseverance and Curiosity helped the rest through. They narrowly avoided asteroids and comets, and even the Sun threatened to end their journey. The biggest threat they faced was a stowaway named Fear. Fear tried to get them to turn back and tried to convince them that it wasn’t worth it and they were never going to get there. Fear was starting to get to some of the crew members’ heads, creeping in when they were weakest. Just as they became sure that they should turn around, they saw the red planet rise in front of them. It was everything they imagined, and it gave Perseverance her strength back. She banished Fear from the ship, and they continued to the planet. As you can see today, their colonization is now the great civilization that we live in. Although we lost contact with Earth over a century ago, we still believe that they are out there and they may come to us. We offer our  thanks the original 5 members every day for making our world a reality.

Martian Bill of Rights

If and when humans colonize Mars, there has to be a government. They need to protect the people and their rights. It seems inevitable that there will be issues within the colony regarding power and laws, due to past examples of colonizing new areas. There are certain inalienable rights that Martian colonists should retain. In my opinion, the rights should be the following:
1. Right to self-govern; in the future, when the colonies on Mars are stable and independent enough to have their own government and laws, they are immediately no longer a colony of the Earth and are their own government if they should so choose. This will happen without dispute from countries on Earth and have no negative consequences regarding relations to the countries and governments of Earth.
2. Freedom of speech, petition, press, religion, and assembly; taken from the US Constitution, this right should remain an important part of government on Mars because being able to voice your opinion is one of the most important freedoms a person can have.
3. Right to public education; anyone on Mars should have access to a high standard education to help make the future better for a Mars colony.
5. Freedom from inequality: every single person will have equal rights no matter their gender, race, and religion. They will be afforded the same opportunities and will be treated equally.
6. Right to form individual colonies: anyone on Mars may establish their own separate colony if they believe they can be independent
7. Right to a speedy and public trial: also included in the US Constitution, anyone arrested on Mars will receive a trial as soon as possible and anyone can access the information about the case.
8. Right to a fair portion of resources; everyone has a right to the resources possessed by the government for their needs.
9. Right to communication with Earth; everyone must be provided some way to communicate with Earth if they so choose.
10. Freedom from weaponry; no weaponry will be on Mars so they safety of all the citizens will be ensured.