Liberty-Double Standard?

Liberty – a Double Standard?
An Analysis of the Founding Fathers and Slavery

In order to establish ‘Liberty’ at any cost, the founding fathers utilized slavery to form the fledgling nation that would embody this dream, labeled the land of liberty and the home of the brave - America. As inhabitants of America we can choose to believe that America was and continues to be a land of just laws and equality for all. In so doing, we must ignore or rationalize the whole period of history of slavery as a necessary evil, a means to justify the end. We can even justify this action as following some natural law, for indeed it has been a part of the collective history of mankind. In reality, slavery is a brutal system. Some believe without slavery America, as a country would not have been possible. Today, we write off the actions of the past, attributing them to people who didn’t understand what they were doing was wrong. Although saddened by the past, many people have accepted the notion that in order for us to live free today, a certain group of human beings had to be exploited. These unfortunate people were not allowed to possess the very thing our forefathers were fighting for. Today, we glorify and marginalize these people who suffered unbelievable hardship, seeing them now as simple casualties in the war for true freedom.

As the founding fathers mustered support throughout the British colonies, not yet the U.S.A., to rise up against the tyranny of the British yoke, their rhetoric focused on the natural, God-given rights of liberty and equality of men. As the forefathers fervently spoke out on ‘natural rights’ passions were roused as the idea jarred the sensibilities of the common man to awake to action. At the same time, the colonists and those rousing them to action were keeping thousand of African men, women and children as slaves to further their own economic gains. The British were quick to notice this paradox on the part of the founding fathers. The question then becomes why didn’t the colonies notice this paradox, and if they did, why didn’t they change their present course of action?

Un Llanto al Mundo

UN LLANTO AL MUNDO

Para poder pensar que todo esta bien es necesario encontrar el equilibrio de todas las cosas.
Y el equilibrio de todas las cosas se encuentra en un solo lugar; en lo que hay en común.
En la angustia de la desesperación, en la soledad de la tristeza, en toda la angustia del miedo,
hay un llanto que se le hace al mundo. Un llanto de almas entristecidas que gritan y piden auxilio; entre ellas me encuentro yo. Este llanto nace de la angustia y nace de una manera violenta.

Foreign Policy

"Foreign Policy Afcionado" the magazine

This is a helpful website which I end up using often for any grammar issue.
Hopefully someone else can find something helpful in it as well.

Respond to essay “America the Beautiful: What We’re Fighting for” by Dinesh D’souza

This was a great essay to wrap up the semester!

I really like the way the author compares the Islamic culture and the American culture. The Islamic fundamentalist wants to govern their people by means of violence and oppression in the name of Allah; whereas, the American culture, gives the people the freedom to choose their own destiny. In the American culture, the government and religion are kept separate to avoid abuse of power; while, the Islam wants to be the government and the religion as well. Even though the American culture is new compared to the Islam, it has evolved a lot faster for the benefit of the people. I try not to judge a culture, which I do not really understand, but a feeling of indignation overruns me when I read or see how women are treated in some of those Islamic countries. Women have no rights and are like properties of their husbands.

I really like the way the author defines freedom as the liberty to do good or evil. However, by this definition, freedom implies the liberty of doing good or bad things, so does this mean that there are bad people in our culture? Well, the answer is yes, but the good news is that even bad people are protected in our culture; everyone has rights in America. America is not perfect; however, it is the best the world has to offer. It is the job of our generation to make America a better place for generations to come. We cannot let our founding fathers down nor our sons and daughters. The future seems bleak for the American culture to coexist with the Islamic culture but, we have to be optimistic and hope for the best and at the same time be ready to defend our America from its enemies.

Modes

For my research paper, I will be writing about the U.S. foreign policies toward Latin-America and the political changes going on in many Latin-American countries as of result of those policies. The modes which I intend to use for writing this research paper are exemplification mode and descriptive mode. Exemplification mode requires the writer to use examples to back up his claims. And I intend to use some Latin-American countries where some U.S. policies are having negative effects as examples. The other mode which I might use is description mode. This mode gives the writer the freedom to try to appeal to the reader's senses, including Pathos, Logos and Ethos.

“Amor” by Pablo Neruda

Ay, amar es un viaje con agua y con estrellas,
con aire ahogado y bruscas tempestades de harina:
amar es un combate de relámpagos
y dos cuerpos por una sola miel derrotados.

Todo tu cuerpo tiene
copa a dulzura destinada a mí.

Amor mío, si muero y tú no mueres,
amor mío, si mueres y yo no muero,
no demos al dolor más territorio:
no hay extensión como la que vivimos.

Para mi corazón basta tu pecho,
para mi libertad bastan mis alas.
Desde mi boca llegará hasta el cielo
lo que estaba dormido sobre tu alma.

"Love" by Pablo Neruda
Translated by Felipe Navas

Ah, love is like a journey with water and stars,
with asphyxiated air and sudden storms of flour:
To love is a combat of lightening
and two defeated bodies for the same honey.

All of your body is a cup of sweetness destined for me.

Love of mine, if I die and you don't,
Love of mine, if you die and I don't,
Let's not give sorrow a moment:
There is no affection like the one we are living.

For my heart your chest is enough,
for your liberty my wings should set you free.
From my mouth I will deliver a message
of what once slept over your soul
and it should reach the sky.