English Essay 16

“Did the Gettysburg Address use Christian language and imagery to support the Union cause?”

November 19th, 1863, unprepared for President Abraham Lincoln’s future renowned speech, the United States was shocked. The Gettysburg Address was finally published. This speech was powerful, known today as the most important piece of literature published during the American Civil War. The Gettysburg Address was remarkably shorter than Lincoln’s predecessors, but it did not fall short of impact. Perhaps more impactful than a two-hour-long speech, every sentence, paragraph, and word was placed so precisely, it was hard to comprehend such a revolutionary piece of art.

Abraham Lincoln does not quote scripture, nor does he reference the Bible or God at all. Instead, he focuses on a theme that the Bible focuses on, equality. We are all equally sinners. All fall short of the glory of God. This is why we are all equally in need of God. We are all equally made by God. God does not discriminate. While on earth, Jesus showed love to the lowest regarded humans, considered by others to be less than dirt. Abraham Lincoln states that we are all created equally. He does not expand on it further, as a further explanation would take away the magnificence and power this essay holds.

“Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” -Abraham Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address.

Economics Essay 14

“Is it counterfeiting when government-licensed banks create money out of nothing?”

If people were allowed to print money like it was nothing, money would have no value. There would be an endless supply, but its worth and purpose would amount to nothing. It is one of the government’s jobs to handle the printing of money so that it’s citizens have real money they can legally use. This is also to protect its citizens from being paid counterfeit money. There is a question I propose, does the government need to print more money? Supposedly, if the government prints more money, there will be more economic flow. But the problem with this logic assumes if there is more of something, the value will stay the same. This does not apply to money because when more of it becomes available the inherent worth lowers as it is now easier to obtain.

Sources: The problem with printing money – Economics Help

Government 1A Essay 17

“Is there a difference between state-subsidized churches and state-subsidized schools?”

When the government is involved in any financial aid to any organization, you should suspect that there is an agenda behind this “donation.” The government does not give handouts for free. Whether they control what is being taught in schools or preached in a cathedral, the differences are not. When a sponsor selects an organization to push out their product, they control what the organization could say about their product. We see this often with influencers who are sometimes forced to give good reviews to a product as they are sponsored with a brand deal.

The government wants to control. This is the sad truth, that time corrupts governments. Over time, people have accepted this amount of control because we have been taught to believe the government will take care of us. A good government will protect the rights of its citizens. The right to own property, to have religious freedom, to speak freely, to carry personal protection. In America, these rights over time have lost value, why? Because state-subsidized schools have downplayed the rights of their citizens. We have been taught we owe the government. We owe them nothing. State-subsidized churches are no different. The government preaches its agenda, further engraining ideas, beliefs, and values into our heads. We are taught what to believe, not how to believe. We are told what to think, not how to think.

English Essay 15

“How fair was Twain’s critique of Cooper’s literary style?”

Mark Twain, the famous writer known for “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” gave a cynical critique on James Fenimore Cooper. Cooper was famously known for his novels, “The Last of the Mohicans” and “The Deerslayer.” Twain gave Coopers’ novels critique for being verbose, pretentious, and ludicrous.

Cooper’s writing can be hard to follow, as he forgets details that affect the story, leaving readers confused. The writing style is not consistent. There are moments characters’ speech is poetic and flowery, then Cooper switches back to country dialect. The dialogue from Cooper is not as interesting to read as Twain’s. Characters seem to speak rehearsed, they deliver it “correctly” for the story to progress, but nothing about Coopers’ writing style is gripping. Similar to how Shakespeare is criticized for having long melodramatic scenes drawn out far too long, is who I would compare Cooper’s writing too. Cooper’s story meanders, taking time for the stories to begin.

Twain is a better author. I prefer his writing’s to Cooper’s because it is engaging, I prefer stories that have a point, a message. If a story takes too long to begin, I am likely to never finish that book because I enjoy the fun that comes from entering a world outside of my own.

Government 1A Essay 16

“Did all four of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms promote liberty?”

“In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms… The first is freedom of speech and expression–everywhere in the world.”

This first part of Roosevelt’s speech discusses the freedom of an individual’s speech and self-expression. The protection of an individual’s rights to speech highly promotes liberty. Simply put, people have the liberty to believe what they want and express it in any form they choose, as long as it is not illegal. Roosevelt dreamed of a world where free speech was granted to everyone, not just the United States.

“The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way–everywhere in the world.”

The freedom to have your own belief is common to see. In the United States, we still indulge in the freedom of worshiping God openly, when, and where we desire. This is one of the basic principles in our constitution. Roosevelt wanted to influence the world to have them follow in the United States’ footprints.

“The third is freedom from want–which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants–everywhere in the world.”

Roosevelt’s desire to influence the world for a change, I do not doubt came from a good heart, Roosevelt’s execution is flawed. The President of the United States should be focusing on the issues in America instead of tackling issues outside of our control. For the world to have “freedom from want” would result in a massive government expansion. The government would be providing the bare necessities for their citizens, resulting in high taxes. The entire free-market economy would need to be “reworked” to fit into the new standard.

“The fourth is freedom from fear–which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor–anywhere in the world.”

Roosevelt is talking about controlling human behavior. This idea is ludicrous. There is no way to control human behavior. If this was possible, governments worldwide would be exploiting this technology to control their citizens. Crime all around the world would be stopped but at the price of you losing your mind, thoughts, personality, and identity. Countries would be tempted to steal this technology to control the world. Roosevelt had an idealistic world he wanted to see lived out, yet realistically there is no possible way for a perfectly idealistic earth.

Government 1A Essay 15

“Can the Remnant in one historical era become the majority later? Why or why not?”

The remnant, a small group believing in something. When talking about the majority vs. any group we have to acknowledge there is a reason why something is widely believed or liked. With something like chocolate, there is a reason the majority of people like it. It could be the texture we find satisfying but more commonly people just like the taste. It would be unfair to point at chocolate and call it a bad-tasting thing only because you do not like it because the majority of people do. This is not to disregard your opinion but rather to prove that the majority believes chocolate tastes good. If a belief is widely held it either means through history it has been proven to be true or it is passed down through generations, which is less common to see in the 21st century.

There is no reason why a remnant can not become a majority later on in history. But you have to convince people that what you are selling is true. Throughout history, different religions and beliefs were “in fashion.” When atheism was introduced during the Enlightenment many people claimed to be atheists. But Christianity has remained one of the most widely believed religions throughout time. Quite honestly, it is unlikely to see a remnant grow into the majority or even a more common belief, but there is no evidence suggesting that it can not happen.

English Essay 14

“Were the detailed descriptions of the people around the two main characters equally important in the two stories?”

Washington Irving, a writer with extensive imaginative creativity, author of the most famous, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle.” Both written in an exceptionally engaging style, the descriptions used in these stories does not leave the reader needing to imagine much. Irving created worlds you could get sucked into and he created characters seeming so real that the only thing keeping them from being alive is the pages they are forced to reside on.

In “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” we are introduced to several characters, our main lead being Ichabod Crane. Mr. Crane is not so unusual as to stand out in a crowd but is characterized by his strange fascination and belief in the supernatural world. The gorgeous Katrina, known to be a playful flirt, leaves a remarkable impression on Ichabod as well as Karina’s wealthy father. Brom Bones, brash, booming, another young man after Katrina’s heart. Each character has a simple description and motivation differing from the other so readers can better identify and remember each character. The motivations of each character challenges or motivates another character’s actions, moving the plot forward grabbing our attention.

In “Rip Van Winkle” other than our main character, Rip, there aren’t any other significant characters in this book. The only character given a sliver of personality is Rip’s wife, who has a sharp tongue, is overbearing and nagging. Rip’s wife serves as a plot device to begin the adventure that Rip will go on as Rip is so fed up with her nagging. In this story, others outside of Rip are seen as a collective group rather than individualistic. This is a clever way to isolate and force ourselves to latch onto Rip as there is no one else to fill in that role. It also isolates Rip from the “people” to show that he is no longer in his town from twenty years ago.

In conclusion, Washington Irving was a clever writer. He knew how to immerse readers into a story. Mr. Irving clearly writes with intent. He thinks through how the plot develops and what that means for each character.

English Essay 13

“If you wanted to make money by writing a self-improvement book for Americans, what topic would you choose??”

The importance of therapy. With the extreme rise of mental health awareness over the past decade I believe this is a topic that would intrigue a large demographic, mostly Millenials and Gen Z. When you are in a better mindset you have a better life. Does this mean demons go away, no. Some never do but that doesn’t mean the burden can’t be lifted. Depression and anxiety are huge issues in America and around the world. Many don’t seek therapy for personal reasons and good therapists are few and far. This leaves us wondering, what is the impact of mental disorders?

There is a huge problem with self diagnosing depression when sometimes people are simply sad. If people were to understand the importance of having a professional diagnosis, there would be less confusion about what depression is, how it alters the mind and the ultimate impact it has on people. I would consult and interview a therapist throughout the whole book to get direct information so I could be accurate.

Anxiety is another misunderstood cognitive illness. Many say it feels like you are slowly being suffocated until you can not breathe. It claws and grips at your mind never ceasing to rest until it infects every aspect of your life. Social interactions, work environment, shopping, eating, breathing. Ultimately I perceive anxiety as a type of fear. Fear of what will happen, the future, your loved ones. How you are perceived and how that will effect your treatment from others.

These are just two of the most common mental illnesses that effect people daily. Many more make life hard, unenjoyable and sad. With therapy you are able to explore your emotions and get to the root of the issue which is the ultimate goal of therapy. To give you the tools to combat these illnesses and help you understand why it is happening.

Government 1A Essay 14

“Which promotes greater personal responsibility, the free market or the welfare state?”

The welfare state. Created to support those in financial need. The free market. Where you must earn every penny yourself, combined, they create chaos. The free market is designed where each worker must pull their weight and work equally as hard as every other worker and harder if they want to be distinguished on their own. This system works by having businesses compete with other businesses to keep quality high and prices low. This system relies on the competition. Without it, the free market can not operate. When entering an organization like the welfare state into the free market, there will be disruption. The welfare state is an organization run by the government, helping its unstable citizens to create a life that isn’t entirely miserable. The welfare state’s actions are most noticed in the form of a monthly check from the government or food stamps. Is this a bad thing? Not entirely the idea and intentions are good. The issue is that this money was taken from taxes, nonconsensual yearly payments to the government from its people. If the government-funded the welfare state from their own pockets, there would not be a huge issue with the organization. There is a concern that instead of working, those who receive this check will not be looking for a job. Instead of meeting the requirements and continuing to be paid monthly, a better solution would be the citizen must provide proof they are looking for a job and/or are working, trying to make ends meet.

Economics Essay 13

“Do Labor Unions Cause Price Inflation?”

Labor unions were created to ensure that hired workers would have computable working conditions and be treated fairly by their employers. While a labor union is not forced onto any business as it is a bargain between an employer and the hired workers, the demand for an increase of protection at a job skyrocketed. This resulted in giving laborers job security, better wages, safety while working, and reasonable hours. These conditions are necessary. Labor unions were a step forward back in the 1820s when most employers would pay unfair wages in harsh working conditions. This started a movement to hear the voices trampled by corporations. Workers marching in the streets, striking to retaliate against greed, rising from their doom. The labor union is not perfect, however. When a business starts to fail and can no longer pay their workers their wages if secured by a labor union, they can not be let go. This forces the business owner to raise product prices, causing inflation.