Response to Patrick Henry's Speech

"Give me liberty, or give me death!"- Partick Henry's famous words have been heard throughout American history, as both a creed and a battle cry. Life during Colonial times, especially during the Revolutionary War, was strained. Dogged Americans were giving everything they had, to keep everything they had. It was a time when rank and social class made a man, and others were fighting to change this. Americans no longer held on to the "illusion of hope," and took matters into their own hands.

What surprised me most about this speech is the sheer power that resonates from the text. It is as if Henry himself is talking, his voice boomig like thunder, speaking for every American with only one voice. He proves his point clearly, and does not even hint of submission to the Mother Country. Patrick Henry basically states that America will not back down, and that, if Britain refuses to give us freedom, we will take it. That we are a country of individuals, and our voices need to be heard.

No Child Left Behind=No Child Gets Ahead

The gorverment serves many purposes. Some of them are:

• protect the rights and wellfare of citizens
• enforce laws to ensure safety and order in the community
• provide health care
• help make important political descisions
• promote the growth of education

Some say, however, that the goverment is not doing its job. I personally think that some of the higher officials in the government system are not executing their duties properly. The No Child Left Behind Act, I think, is having the opposite affect on American schools. The children who lower test scores and depleate moral in the schools are not the ones who have learning disabilities, or are non-native speakers. These kids work hard, because they know that they have the odds stacked against them. No, the ones who are responsible for the lack of success are the kids who keep the chair warm and don't try because, no matter how you slice it, they simply don't care.

Having the teachers work harder will not solve this issue. Teachers are required to do more than ever, including mastering new "goundbreaking" learning techniques, and taking on as many as thirty-one students for each class they teach. Students are hardly ever held responsible for their academic success or failure. Teachers are required to spend their personal time calling and e-mailing parents and dealing when a child is unsuccessful. It seems that American students are getting used to having the work done for them.

I feel that the goverment is really missing the picture here. I would love to start a mini-revolution, to prove that what may look good on paper doesn't nescessarily work out. (Communism?) Maybe there will come a time when teachers and students alike, who are fed up with the rediculous expectations of public schools, could "fight" together to change the ways of the government. I don't want a war, or huge political uproar; I just want to get my point across.

As with any conflict, getting someone to listen is always the hard part. I don't know if I would be willing to literally fight in a war, because i am not a violent person. I would approach the situation with more of a Martin Luther King Jr. style, as opposed to Malcom X. I don't know if I could serve my country phsyically, such as joining the military and fighting on the front lines. I'm not sure. I just know that something needs to change.

Response to "Incedents in the Life of a Slave Girl"

While reading the chapters written by Harriet Jacobs, I learned of the hellish trials and tribualtions of a slave's life. Jacobs spared no detail, no matter how small or grim, and came across as a strong, and industrious woman.
Life in the colonies, especially for the slaves, was brutal. The slaves were not living---they were simply surviving. Although Jacobs's childhood was carefree, it was too good to last. After the death of her loving mistress, she and her younger brother were bought by a cruel Mr. and Mrs. Flint. Harriet's original mistress had promised that the chilrdren would not know the crueltties of slavery, but the promise was not upheld. Things like this were common then. After all, they were only slaves.

What surprised me most about the article was ther steadyness of Jacobs's tone. There were no furious rants at the injustice brought upon her, simply facts of life.

Thankfully today, slavery for the blacks is no longer an issue. Leaders from MLK to Abraham Lincoln have ensured equality for blacks, whites, and everyone inbetween. Life today is better for everyone. There are still those in the white community who hold on to their "heritage," and their ignorance, and still think they are superior, not just to blacks, but to everyone. As time goes on, one can only pray, and fight to change the minds of these individuals. Stereotypes still plague other races and religions. We like to think that we have changed since the colonial times, and yes, we have, but society still has a long way to go.

Assignment Question One---Answered

Immigration today seems to be just as touchy as it was when the English came to the Americas. As we know, the English settlers came to the New World to seek religious freedom, not to mention freedom from the King's reign. Although immigrants may not be comming to the US to escape a monarchy, many do come from places where the high officials are corrupt. Many Cubans try to escape from the tyranical Fidel Castro, and some do make it to American shores undetected. Impoverished citizens of Mexico come here seeking a better life for themselves and their families.Everyone would love to live in the richest country in the world, but it comes at a price. For a Non-English speaker, simply adjusting to the complex format of English is a burden. Many fear deportation, and therefore put up with just about anything to live in this country. The act of leaving family and friends behind is painful.

I was lucky enough to be born a citizen, and I did not have to escape from anywhere to anything. But, if I had been born in some other country, it there would be several reasons why I might leave and come to America:
If I were in a place such as Haiti, where poverty and crime rule the lives of everyone, I would try to go to America for financial reasons. I would go there so my family and I could eat, and not sleep on the ground.
If I lived ina place such as Cuba or the Middle East, I would come to the US in search of freedom, far away from the harsh leaders that take chrge of the country.