Assignment Twelve

"As such, Reverend Wright's comments were not only wrong but divisive, divisive at a time when we need unity; racially charged at a time when we need to come together to solve a set of monumental problems - two wars, a terrorist threat, a falling economy, a chronic health care crisis and potentially devastating climate change; problems that are neither black or white or Latino or Asian, but rather problems that confront us all."

      This quote states that first of all Reverend Wright's comments that he mad on race was wrong and unnecessary in President Obama option. President Obama also states that the comments that Reverend Wright made is a distraction from the real problems that needs to be faced in our counties. This problems include, two wars, a terrorist threat, a failing economy, a chronic health care crisis and the horrible effects of climate change. In order for use to face and defeat this major issues American citizens most come together and overcome their issue with race. The fact of the matter is that these major issues effect every citizen in the United States of America regardless of race. Without this unity the Untied States of American will have greater difficulties dealing with these current issues in society.

      The reason why I pick this quote was because I felt that race is one of the main reasons why this country is having issues with fixing the numerous amounts of problems in the Untied States today. Some citizens, including people in congress, are too focus on the race of the President instead of focusing on the current poor state this country is in and how to fix it. It is true that what is needed in this country is for people to work together more and try to come with a solution to help all people who are citizens in the Untied States. If we the people do not work together it will probably end up to hurt all of us at the end. I hope this speak allowed some people to come to this realization, but there are still a lot of people that still are not there. This showed in congress were people who we vote in to make the decision the improve the country are fighting like children. This also needs to stop so that we can move toward a better economy, reducing the amount of wars, better climate condition and a better overall county.

Assignment Eleven

"In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all—regardless of station, race, or creed.
Among these are:
The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;
The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;
The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;
The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;
The right of every family to a decent home;
The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;
The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;
The right to a good education.
All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being"

This quote states that everyone in the Untied States of America should have certain economic rights. That in orders to have security, human happiness and well-being these rights must be given to all people. Roosevelt stated that if all people in the nation had these rights then it would bring in a new prosperity in the United States of America. The rights that he spoke of were, the right to a good education, healthcare, a decent home, adequate food, clothes and recreation, protection from monopolies, and protection from old age, sickennes and, unemployment.

The reason why I picked this quote was because this is very relatable to what going on currently in the United States. There are a lot of elderly who need healthcare in this country and their are many people who are unemployed  Recently their have been protesting downtown with regrades to them most rich of Americans to share the wealth with the rest of is so that everyone can have decent housing, clothes and food. Even in regard to education the cost of it has gone up making it hard for people to attend college. The prices at our own Lehman College had even gone up. I believe that this problem should have been dealt with in the 1930's that maybe the same problems would not be a issue today. It ironic that if you would take this speech and not tell a person what time it was, one would think it was recent. It is also said that the same problems are still occureing today. Unfortunately, American is not the place of new prosperity, human happiness and well-being.

Assignment Ten

1. Why are African-Americans supposed to be more sensitive to the gap between our inner essence and external appearance? African-Americans are more sensitive between their inner essence and their external appearance because they were faced with major inequalities in society due to their skin tone or appearance and no one care about their inner essence.


2. Why does DuBois say the history of whites and blacks are inseparable?

The history between white and blacks are inseparable because white and black have shared this country since the start if it. Blacks have built this country through slavery and under the guidance of whites. Whites people wrongfully used blacks to advance the Untied States. I personally believe it is also inseparable due to the raping of salves by white owner. This had caused most black people in america to have white ancestral and vice visa. 

3. Why is the 'color line' the most pressing problem of the 20th century according to DuBois?
The color line was the most pressing problem in the 20th century because is stop African-Americans from having the same economic, political, and social opportunities as of the white people in America. It hinder the changes of African-Americans being able to better themselves.


4. Why is the South considered a 'marginal region'?

The south is considered the marginal region because it is the part of the county that is separate from the rest and followed different rules and economics. It also had less money and worse living conditions.  




5. How do low wages damage the work ethic?


Low wages damage work ethic because workers are there to get paid and support themselves and if they feel like they are working harder then they aren't getting paid, then they are not going to want to work as hard or keep a good work ethic.

6. Why is the church as an institution so important in African-American communities?


The church is important in African-American communities because it gave African-American families an place to go where they would be accept and even loved by all. It also support African-American communties economically and spiritually.

7. What is fatalism?


Is the belief that all actions and events are predetermined by fate.

8. How is fatalism associated with sensualism?

Fatalism is associated with sensualism because fate my give you a good feeling and sensualism states that a feeling is the only way to test or know what is good.


9. How are themes of emancipation used in the Bible?

Themes of emancipation is used in the Bible because in Exodus the Jews were enslaves by the Egyptian, but they were let free and led out of Egypt my Moses.

Assignment Nine

"The problem of our age is the proper administration of wealth, that the ties of brotherhood may still bind together the rich and poor in harmonious relationship. The conditions of human life have not only been changed, but revolutionized, within the past few hundred years. In former days there was little difference between the dwelling, dress, food, and environment of the chief and those of his retainers. . . . The contrast between the palace of the millionaire and the cottage of the laborer with us to-day measures the change which has come with civilization. This change, however, is not to be deplored, but welcomed as highly beneficial. It is well, say, essential, for the progress of the race that the houses of some should be homes for all that is highest and best in literature and the arts, and for all the refinements of civilization, rather than that none should be so. Much better this great irregularity than universal squalor. Without wealth there can be no Meccenas."

This quote states that the lives of humans have changed in the last hundred years due to the advances in food, dress and shelter. These advances have made the gap between the rich and the poor bigger. but he states that this has not been a bad thing but a good thing. He also claims that due to the advances in civilization the people who are poor have also benefits from these advances and have better lives. The lives of the poor have been better and basic necessaries have still been met. He supported these changes and states that the fact that humans have advances is a great thing for the human race. It is a way the make sure that the human race can still succeed in the future and continue to populate. Moreover he claims that is is better for a few member of the human race to have wealth then no one at all. This way at somewhere their will be members of the human race that can experience the best in arts, literature and other wonders society has to offer.

The reason why I pick this quote because he showed the start of the capitalistic mind set. Today there are people protesting against the wealthy having all and the less fortunate having nothing, but back then this was supported  Today this is look at as unfair. A few people should not have all the wealth and power. People believe that this should be shared. That it is better for the human race if everyone is able to experience the best in life instead of a few being able to.  Back then Carnegie believe that some people should have wealth and the will advance the human race with their wealth. The good thing about Carnegie is that he believe that the wealth should help society and other with their money while they are alive. Since it is impossible to spend all their money in their lifetime they should try and do good with it while they are alive. He also believed that it was better to do this then to leave the money to hiers who might spend the money recklessly. This is something they weaethy people today shoud do, but insotead most of them keep their money to themselves and their familiues. 

Assignment Eight

"The Constitution was ordained and established by the people of the United States, through the action, in each State, of those persons who were qualified by its laws to act thereon in behalf of themselves and all other citizens of the State. In some of the States, as we have seen, colored persons were among those qualified by law to act on the subject. These colored persons were not only included in the body of ‘the people of the United States,’ by whom the Constitution was ordained and established; but in at least five of the States they had the power to act, and, doubtless, did act, by their suffrages, upon the question of its adoption."

This quote states that the Constitution was made for all people including African-Americans. The Dred Scott decision stated that African-Americans did not have the right to sue the untied states court. This is basically saying that African-American are not considered the "all people are created equal" under the Untied States Constitution. Lincoln states that this was not true. He informed the country that African-Americans were considered in making the Constitution. He also informed the country that during the making of the Constitution five of the thirteen states included African-American in the creation and approval of the Constitution. They were qualified to live free and have the same rights as the white people in America. Therefore they should have the same rights in the United States court systems as anyone else.

The reason why I picked this quote was because it showed how the country was divided on the idea of African-Americans being included in the Constitution and how people did not look at African-Americans as people or even human. I think it is absurd that a document can say "all people are created equal" and still a whole group of people be excluded from their natural rights. This is also the same for women, they were also excluded from government and their natural rights. Yet goverment was suppose to be made to protect humans against others humans evils, but the laws of government still allow humans to harm, hurt and exclude others from their natural rights. The one good thing about this quote is it shows movement in the right direction. The fact that someone with power had the courage to stand up for inequalities in the Untied States is better then no one at all doing anything. It is a shame that more people during this time did not feel and see the wrongness and cruelty in slavery as did Lincoln did. It is also a shame that the courts who us suppose to look and protect all people rights in the Untied States, did not do so at the time.

Assignment Six

"There are laws concerning bankruptcy in some States. Some States have laws regulating the values of foreign coins. Congress are empowered to establish uniform laws concerning bankruptcy throughout the United States, and to regulate the values of foreign coins. The exercise of either of these powers by Congress, necessarily involves an alteration of the laws of those States"

                                                                                                                     -Hamilton

The is quote states that during this period of time the Untied States of America has states that had different laws concerning bankruptcy and foreign money or coins. Hamilton thought it was the congress job to come up with federal laws that would allow all the states to be on the same page. He wanted to country to have the same laws in regards to what the value will be of foreign money in the Untied States of America and what the law should be in regrades to bankruptcy. By creating a national bank, Hamilton wanted to fixed the issue of states having different exchange prices for foreign coins and states having different laws on bankruptcy.

The reason why I picked this quote was because Hamilton was trying to unify the Untied States of America even more then it was by creating a national  bank. I do think this was a good idea at the time. Before the Constitution federal government was weak and it did get stronger, but this was one way that help increase its power. The fact that each state had different laws on the exchange of foreign coins was just as chaotic as the when the states had there own coins themselves. It is good that government can in and regulate the exchange of foreign coin because it allowed for a more cohesive conuntry, instead of states being run separately . As for the bankruptcy laws the same thing goes. Government needed to make sure that the laws were fair and the same for all states. By doing both of these things, its make it easier in citizens to move from state to state, without dealing with the stress of in countering new laws. This confusing with law could have separate the country even more instead if bringing it together.

 

Assignment Seven

"The wife who inherits no property holds about the same legal position that does the slave on the southern plantation. She can own nothing, sell nothing. She has no right even to the wages she earns; her person, her time, her services are the property of another. She cannot testify, in many cases, against her husband. She can get no redress for wrongs in her own name in any court of justice. She can neither sue nor be sued."

"True, the unmarried woman has a right to the property she inherits and the money she earns, but she is taxed without representation."

This first quote basically states that a wife has no rights under the law. It states that she can not own property or really own anything at all. When a wife does work she may get paid but since she is married she can not keep her earnings. Her money has to go to her husband and her time is not hers. Everything she does she has to be accepted by her husband or within in her husband presence. She also compares woman to slaves since they can not own property or is allowed to keep there own money. So they may not be working for free but it is still like being someone else property.

The second quote basically states that a unmarried woman does have the right to her own property and can keep her money. The problem is that she will get taxed and she doesn't have the representation to do so. This goes against everything that Americans fought for.

The reason I picked this quote was because I found that it is interesting that she compared woman's rights to African-american. I think that she is right in some aspects because women were not able to vote or have there own property and you can compare a slave master to a husband. At the same time I do believe that the slave was worse off. Unlike a slave a woman can work for a pay. How it is the same is that they both have to answer for to someone else and aren't able to live with the natural rights god gave me.

The reason why I picked the second quote was that I found to be a contradiction that a woman can have property and still be taxed without representation. I feel that America was built on these beliefs but somehow is had overlook a whole group of people. You would think that anyone that had property no matter man or woman, black or white should at least be able to vote. Yet it still take women until the the 1920's to receive thses rights. I feel like the Constitution was interpreted at the time to keep people in there place instead of really having all people equal, like it says.

Assignment Five

"That excessive bail ought not to be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel nor unusual punishments inflicted."

   This quote states that at first a person should not have an excessive amount of bail imposed on them by the courts. Second a person should not have a excessive amount of fines imposed on them and thirdly a person should not be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment.

   The reason why I picked this quote because I found it to be so vague, that today this is not the case at all. As for excessive bail, this is given out by the courts all the time. Some people get arrested and have bail amounts set for hundreds of thousand dollars. Now I would assume if you are a millionaire that that amount would not be excessive, but there are time that a regular working person receives an amount of bail that they could never come up with in there life. it seem to me that now the amount of bail that is given is determined on a persons character or on the crime they did, with no regard to an excessive amount of bail. The same goes with excessive amount of fines imposed. Today we can get fined for a lot of different things. These fines can very from a small amount to again thousands of dollars. I believe that a fine to be determined by a person salary because an amount that may not seem excessive for one person could be a very excessive amount for another person. Lastly as for cruel and unusual punishment, this is something that our country is suppose to follow but does not completely. The fact that we even used to the electric chair the execute people proves that we don't follow this how would should.The electric chair is a horrible way to die. It sends about 2,500 voltage of electricity through a person body which heat the body to 210°F and damages the person internal organs. There has been cases of people screaming in dire pain and their skulls setting on fire. Sometimes people don't die from the first application and have to be electrocuted three or more times. I believe this would count as being cruel. Even though the electric chair has been replaced by lethal injection, this methods is not much better and can still be considered cruel. People also seem to suffer doing this form of death. I think is country want to be true to the statement of cruel and unusual punishment, we need to find a better and more peaceful way to complete executions.

Assignment Four

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government"

  This quote states that all people have the right to be treated equal in a government. These rights were given by God and should be taken away by any government. Included in these rights are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Governments are created to preserve and protect these rights and to protect the people that it governs. If this government becomes hurtful to the people or is not protecting the people's rights then the people should be able to get rid of it. Once the people do get rid of this government them the people have the right to create a new government that protects the peoples rights.

I picked this quote because for one it is one of the most famous quotes from its time, but I don't believed that it was taken seriously. It does sound like a good thing to say but at this time there were slaves that didn't have any rights at all. So I don't understand that anyone can say that all people are equal and during this time there was a whole group of people that were considered property. Moreover I find it unbelievable that this quote mentions that God gives people certain rights and again slaves were still without anything. If all have the right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness, then that should indeed included slaves of the time, but it didn't. Is is hard for me to understand that slaves weren't considered as people, humans or anything. Animals had more rights to liberty then slaves did at the time. I also find it ironic that the same people that wrote the Declaration of Independence had slaves themselves. I think that it is unimaginable to think that a whole group of humans were not considered to be citizens or people. What happened to their rights to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness. It is impossible for people to have these rights when they didn't have any say and had "masters" that controlled every aspects of their life. If a slave did try to change or overthrow their "maters" and/or the government they and maybe even their family would have been killed or badly hurt. I also can not believe that it took 87 years after this document for the Emancipation Proclamation to be written and then another hundreds of years for African American to have equal rights. So in theory this document was good for the people, but in reality it didn't do what it stated for everyone in America.

Assignment Three

"The natural liberty of man, by entering into society, is abridged or restrained, so far only as is necessary for the great end of society, the best good of the whole."

"In short, it is the greatest absurdity to suppose it in the power of one, or any number of men, at the entering into society, to renounce their essential natural rights, or the means of preserving those rights; when the grand end of civil government, from the very nature of its institution, is for the support, protection, and defense of those very rights; the principal of which, as is before observed, are Life, Liberty, and Property. If men, through fear, fraud, or mistake, should in terms renounce or give up any essential natural right, the eternal law of reason and the grand end of society would absolutely vacate such renunciation. The right to freedom being the gift of God Almighty, it is not in the power of man to alienate this gift and voluntarily become a slave."

 The first quote basically states that if a society does take away anyone's natural rights, it should only be to protect or ensure the greater good of the people in that society or just to ensure a good civil government in general.
The second quote states that it is absurd to accept that a society can take anyway anyone's natural rights just because a person enters that society. The point of civil government or society is to preserve and support a person's natural rights instead of taking them away. Moreover Adams states that man should also have the right to life, liberty and property within a society and civil government should be there to protect these rights not take them away. He also believed that a person's natural rights was a gift from God and therefore should not be taking away. Furthermore since these natural rights are a gift from God only God has the power to take them away or judge them. Lastly Adams states that it is absurd to voluntarily become a slave by giving up one's natural rights due to a society or civil government. He felt that no one should every have to do that in any civil government. Overall Adams doesn't believe that government should have the power to do anything that will infringe on anyways natural rights as it is a part of everyone that should never be removed.

The reason why I picked this quote was because i fully agree with what Samuel Adams states. I believe that government should only allow others to be safe. In this allowing the people of that so city to be safe it shouldn't interfere with anyone's natural rights. Government should also be in place to allow every person in that government to practice there natural right freely and safely, without the worry that someone else would interfere. I believed that Adams didn't seem to have the fear of people's natural rights such as the puritans and John Winthrop did. They both believed that a person's natural rights were evil and had to be tamed and diminished by government in order to have a good society. Contrary to the puritans and Winthrop, Adams believed that that a person's natural right was a gift from God instead of a curse. As Adman's did, I believed that it is absurd to thing that all men are evil and only government can make a man righteous, moral or good. Civil government isn't something that has always been around and somehow during that time people were still able to co-exist and prosper. So it may be necessary, but only to a certain extent. As Adam's says a necessarily evil for the greater good.

Assignment Two

"For the other point concerning liberty, I observe a great mistake in the country about that. There is a twofold liberty, natural (I mean as our nature is now corrupt) and civil or federal. The first is common to man with beasts and other creatures. By this, man, as he stands in relation to man simply, hath liberty to do what he lists; it is a liberty to evil as well as to good. This liberty is incompatible and inconsistent with authority and cannot endure the least restraint of the most just authority. The exercise and maintaining of this liberty makes men grow more evil and in time to be worse than brute beasts: omnes sumus licentia deteriores. This is that great enemy of truth and peace, that wild beast, which all of the ordinances of God are bent against, to restrain and subdue it. The other kind of liberty I call civil or federal; it may also be termed moral, in reference to the covenant between God and man, in the moral law, and the politic covenants and constitutions amongst men themselves. This liberty is the proper end and object of authority and cannot subsist without it; and it is a liberty to that only which is good, just, and honest. This liberty you are to stand for, with the hazard (not only of your goods, but) of your lives, if need be. "

           This quote states that there are two types of liberty. The first type is natural liberty. According to Winthrop natural liberty is the liberty that man is born with and is evil and immoral. Nature liberty is what allows man to be evil or good, just like beasts or animals. He states that even though natural liberty includes both good and evil, evil will shine through more then good. So if man has a choice, they will naturally turn to evil and only get more evil as time goes on. This natural liberty is also what prevents peace and truth and is what God has man fight against. The second type of liberty that Winthrop speaks on is Civil Liberty. This liberty is the kind of liberty that is moral, good, just and honest. This is the liberty that man and society should follow in order to live in peace and justice. This is also the only liberty that God wants man to live by. Without this form of liberty man will eventually become worse then beast. 

      

         This reason why I picked this quote is because I found it interesting that Winthrop thought man was naturally evil. I don't completely agree with the quote, especially the part where he says man will become worse then beast if they follow their natural liberties. I do agree that man has the power to do both good and evil, but it doesn't mean that evil will always prevail. Some people try to live their lives around was morally good no matter what a law tells them to do. Then there are who no matter what a law may say, tend to do what they want. And then there some who don't even care about good or evil, but about the consequence that may arise from disobeying a civil law or law in general. I believe that man would have been able to coexist without any civil laws if it was necessary. If anything common sense would have stepped in and made man come to some sort of agreement, so they we can live in relative peace. Even all types of beast know a way to coexist with their species and others species on earth. I don't think that man would be any worse off. If anything they should be better off then beast. Due to the fact that man has some concept of what is good and evil, compared to beast. Moreover sometimes man's laws are not moral, just, good or honest. There have been many laws within this country that have stop the progression of man and have taking away ones natural liberty without giving a better alternative. If someone was to break a civil law that was unjust would that make them a immoral beast or evil? I don't believe it would but, I think Winthrop would say it might. I believe he thought that not one civil law could be unjust or dishonest, which we know isn't true.

Assignment One

"Travel ought to combine amusement with instruction; but most travelers are so much amused that they refuse to be instructed. I do not blame them for being amused: it is perfectly natural to be amused at a Dutchman for being Dutch or a Chinaman for being Chinese. Where they are wrong is that the take their own amusement seriously. They base on it their serious ideas of international instruction."

 This quote states that when one travels they should be able to learn from their experience and not just focus on the comedic differences in cultures. That it is natural and not wrong for people to find new customs and cultures comical, but that shouldn't stop a person from trying to understand these differences. This amusement should remain as amusement and not be confused with an understanding or fact. Once a person seriously starts to analyze these differences in culture, they may not seem so strange or comedic after all.

The reason why I picked this quote was because laughter was my first responds when I first moved to San Diego, CA. A lot of things are different in San Diego compared to New York City. The cultures and customs  in San Diego are mostly surround around Mexican culture. New York City has many cultures that blends together to make its own. San Diego is also a slow moving town or as the natives say "laid back". An example of this would be I was the only one who jaywalked there. After a while I started to think of why these differences were and things seem to make more sense. Honestly I did still find it funny when a person would wait for the light to change before they crossed the street or how there was a taco shop on every corner, but this comedy had turn into more of a understanding. With this understanding the taco shops of San Diego have a similar appearance to having a pizza or Chinese restaurant on every corner in New York City.