The story of the founding of the United States is a story of which almost every citizen of the United States understands at least a rough version. The story of how a group of patriots overthrew the British power that was invading their rights to privacy, taxing them unfairly, and overall not giving the colonialists a fair deal. This history gives Americans pride in their identity and government. It also serves to legitimize the current government of the United States, as the current officials follow the same Constitution established by those patriots who fought the British. However, since the founding of the US government there have been numerous instances where the government has betrayed its people and committed corruption. When the media uncovers such a corrupt act, the scapegoat is generally to blame. In this article I will argue that this is wrong, and in reality corruption occurs at different levels and is carried out by multiple people. One of the examples of US government corruption that has had the greatest impact on the American people is often overlooked. Fred Hampton, a leader of the Black Panther Party in the late 1960s, was deliberately and brutally assassinated by the United States government on December 4, 1969. This act not only infringed on his rights in the worst way, but also had a immeasurable impact on his life. the progress of African Americans in American society. Hampton was an emerging leader within the civil rights movement and at the young age of 22 had a lot of potential. There is no way for us to know exactly what his impact would have been if he had been able to live his life until his natural death, but we can be sure that he had great skills and worked hard when it came to the advancement of the African. American... middle of paper... native democracy, meaning the people rule through representatives. When the public has no way of knowing the whole truth about which representatives have been faithful to the will of the people, then we lose democracy. It is certainly easier to simply single out a single person to place all the blame for corruption on one individual. However, it is not a practical way to allow the public to govern. They have a right to the truth and both the media and the government have a responsibility to ensure that this right is respected. Works Cited Hampton, Fred, Mike Gray, and Howard Alk. The assassination of Fred Hampton. Chicago, Ill.: Facets Video, 2007. Krakauer, Jon. Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman. New York: Doubleday, 2009. Print.Lardner, Richard. “Retired Three-Star General Kensinger Censured for Cover-Up After Tillman Death.” Associated Press (2007): Web.