Magna Carta




King John

 

Next up on the interview list was King John. He was an interesting king, who, uh, did the best he could? Well, I won't tell you too much. I will let you make your opinions on your own.

Q: What happened while you were king?

A: What? Oh yes, being king. Um, well I, I guess I didn't do a great job, but that’s just who you ask. In my defense, it’s a lot harder to be king than you would think! Well, I lost a bit of land to France, and I had a huge fallout with the Pope. Let me tell you, that’s someone you don't want to get in a fight with! I also lost a bit of a battle with the nobles as well. I tried to put them in their place and, let’s just say they didn't like it very much.

Q: Wait, what happened with the Pope and the nobles?

A: Well I don't like to talk about it much, but you won't judge me. Will you? I will trust our friendship! Anyways, the Pope, the nobles and I just had a minor falling out... The nobles wouldn't pay their taxes, so I put them in jail. The nobles rebelled against my taxes and supposed "violation of rights" and FORCED me to sign the Magna Carta in 1215. The Pope and I fought about naming the next Bishop. This did not help my image; it made me look a little bad to be totally honest. The church went on strike because of me too. It was not the best reign as king, but like I said, it’s harder than it looks!

Q: I'm sure it is...What about the "Magna Carta"? What is it?

A: The Magna Carta was a document that states the rights of the nobles. I was told I absolutely must obey this document! This paper restricted my rights as leader! It sucked! It also established two things, the Due Process of Law and Parliament. Also, I had to agree to not raise new taxes. Imagine that! The leader isn't allowed to raise taxes to pay for his country! It was humiliating.

Q: I'm sure it was. What is Parliament and Due Process of Law?

A: Well, Parliament is two houses that have all the money. If you want something, hit them up. I like to say they have the purse. It also has the legislative body. The Due Process of Law is the rules that the government must follow for fair and impartial trials. These were inventive things, I must say. I only wish that I had come up with them before I was forced to sign them. I only hope that in history, it will say that I came up with this and signed it myself. That would definitely make me look good again!

Q: How do you think the Magna Carta will be helpful in the future? About 2010?

A: The Magna Carta was inventive and new, and I'm sure it will be there in the future. I'm guessing it will lay the basis for their legal system. I think that things like warrants will be needed to search peoples' homes and possessions. I think court systems will be used to decide if a person is guilty or not. I also think that you will need to read them their rights when you arrest someone, kind of like "you have the right to remain silent and anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you". I also think that before you search someone, you will need to have a reasonable suspicion. If only I had thought of all of this before they stopped listening to me!