We are almost to the end of the Founding Fathers section of Unit One!
We are going to spend some time this week looking at Patrick Henry's famous speech.
According to historian George F. Willison, at this time Henry was "some six feet tall, [and] trim… [He] was not ahandsome man, but personable and engaging. His manner toward all men, from the humblest to the highest, was quiet, friendly, and unaffected… Henry when speaking publicly was often something of an actor… Even so, his words and his posturing [often] carried the day."
Henry was a lawyer who specialized in the plight of the common man. That ability to relate to the common man and to the lawmakers of his time earned him the respect of his fellow Americans. Putting his money where his mouth was, Henry then went on to be a military leader in the Revolution. He also assumed responsibility for the emerging American nation by becoming governor of Virginia.
Thomas Jefferson remembered Henry as "the idol of his country beyond any man who ever lived...It is not now easy to say what we [Americans] should have done without Patrick Henry.*"
Here's what he said about you: "The voice of tradition, I trust, will inform posterity of our struggles for freedom. If our descendants be worthy the name of Americans they will preserve and hand down to their latest posterity the transactions of the present times."
So this week, I am asking you the same questions that men such as Henry, Franklin, Jefferson, Washington and others consciously asked themselves:
What does it take to be a great American individual?
What is my job in society?
What freedoms do you have that you appreciate?
What American traditions have been handed down to you?
Remember; answer any or all, but get some conversation going!
*Schmittroth, Linda, and Mary Kay Rosteck. "Henry, Patrick." American Revolution Biographies. Ed. Stacy McConnell. UXL-GALE, 2000. eNotes.com. 2006. 15 Oct, 2006
6 comments:
My job in society?
My job is to be a model citizen. It sounds innocent enough. What about all the model citizens that I see every day? There are good model citizens, but more times than not, there are the anti-citizens. They're all around me, almost suffocating me. life is the World War One no man's land and the mines and bullets and bombs are the anti citizens and the bad paths. My job is to find the right path between those mine sand bullets and bombs. My job in society is to attempt to be the model citizen, but if I can't then I'm bad and abnormal. It's difficult. When it drags you down and lets you up constantly it weighs on you. It's easy to give into pessamism over optimism when everything around you is negative. The flower doesn't thrive in darkness. It takes the radioactive flower. But you know what? Only a rare few are the radioactive flowers. The rest of us that are normal can't take it. The lucky ones have the easy life and a lot of things are easy for them. They are also quick to judge the less fortunate than them. The not so sheltered individuals see the world and how it really works from an early age while the "sheltereds" only see what their protectors let them see. They are ignorant and innocent. They have all the time in the world to be perfect model citizens. The "unsheltereds" must deal with what is at hand at the present time. If they do in fact make it, they flourish. They are provided with the survival skills to face reality. I often wonder about our politicians. They seem to have a difficult time doing what is right for our society. Maybe it's because so many of the people are the the "unsheltereds". How can you help the people that you spent so much time pitying and ridiculing? It's not so easy. Our "model" citizens are madmen at the wheel of the ship. They're incompetent and ignorant or maybe just a little bit careless.
What is my job in society?
Maybe it is to survive. Sometimes there are more important things than being perfect.
Hum, everyone who wrote about freedom of speech is right. It's about saying what you feel, what you want. Not was others want, or keeping it inside so that your opinion doesn't get to be heard. Bethany is totally right, our freedoms are easily taken for granted. People go past the maxium point with this. Americans have every right to go and say, "i hate so and so." and da da da and blah blah about someone, but it's somewhat overrated! I want Americans to understand what's going on right now, people are standing up using their voices so they can get troops back home, why be in war for another six years and kill more than 500,000 innocent people while we can settle everything in person or by phone, what ever works. But there's so much rage that no one wants to sit down and talk about it. But they'd rather blow someones head off. Geesh
After reading everyone elses posts, it really makes me feel proud to have the freedoms that we do today. I think to be a great american is to utilize those freedoms in which ever way you see fit. Blaine talked about the "anti-citizen." I thought that was a great way to name the people of such character, but it makes me wonder. How do those people view themselves? Do people see me or those around me in such a way? I know what I see as the people that do not act as model citizens, but how do they see themselves? To be able to act in such a manner? Is it that they dont care or that they don't see. I feel that they are the people that make it hard for the rest of us to try to be as great of an american as possible. I know sometimes I have trouble doing what I know is right because of other people, ones with anti-citizen sort of views.It is truly great when you can overcome those around you to stand up and to be proud and utilize your freedoms, and to be respectful. I think that some of those people over use their freedoms. That they take everything that is handed to them, yet do not show that they are greatful. Its the people that misuse the freedom of speech, with things that hurt other people. Its when the cross the line and infringe on the civil rights of other people. I guess this isn't exactly a post on just what makes a great american but I've tried to be clear on whats not.
My job in society is to simply follow the Constitution. This legendary document gives us all, as Americans, a sense of identity. (Yes, just like those Native Americans had from last year's class). If you think about it, the constitution is the base for all of our reasoning, and it is what we refer back to. Of course, don't take this literally; all of us do not think, "Hmmm, what would the Constitution do?" everytime we make a decision. But the Constitution is there subconsiously - whether we have memorized every exact law it states or not - we still were raised in a society that lives around this criteria.
Unfortunately, there is a much larger world out there than one that is under the Constitution. As we all know, governments do not last forever (and who knows, ours might or might not). If our government ever did collapse, just imagine what that would do to the people. Many people exercise the thought that "hate" the government, but they do not realize just how much we depend on it. A government is a collar to our leash, and it is vital for any large society to function.
i agree with REL about the fact that more often then not, freedom of speech is very politicaly covered up. We saw it a lot at those trials to in the way that Mr. Gilbert was almost making fun of the oponent but used some very stong and comfusing word. To the point that if i almost missed it but caought it and reallized it. You also see all these advertisments that are not trying to hide it, when they say things like "do you want a govenor who supports bla bla bla" (something that is unatractive in a poitiction). well there you have it J.C. White
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