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image image The American Experience …

- - - - "Small islands not capable of protecting themselves are the proper objects for government to take under their care... In no instance hath nature made a satellite larger than its primary planet...it is evident they belong to different systems"
        
        Most of his points were respectable and yes, very obvious, but this one is kind of a stretch. He's acting as if most of the modern world was not under Britain's control for a significant amount of time prior to the states. This attempt had the least strength of any of his other points, and I feel that he could've done better
      - "Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons."
        
        The constitution writing the 3/5 compromise is pretty messed up, assuming it wouldn't be changed anytime soon. I figured the founding fathers would be smart enough to work around putting it directly in the new country's founding document. I'm surprised Fusco was able to even ask wether we THINK slavery is written in the constitution when the compromise is directly in it word-for-word.
  - - - "For I knew right away that America's noisy worshiping success, its mania for ratings and rankings, and compulsive celebration of perfection in everything served only a fascade"
        
        Governments are built on fascades. Most luxuries in America are built on the child labor of foreigners. There is definitely a materialistic emphasis in the states, seen and made apparent all over social media. Popularity is cherished, rewarded, and dare I say, worshiped. His outside view on the US seems more on point with how our culture is than most American views on their own culture.
      - "Behind the optimistic veneer there lies an extraordinary fear of failure"
        
        Agreed. Wholeheartedly. Fear is the driving force of human nature. The American dream and it's politics are no different. When prof Fusco asked if we agreed, everyone stood silent because either they knew or they haven't thought deeply about it enough. If anyone went deep inside themselves, most actions are dictated by fear of the consequences of ulterior actions.
    - - "Proceed, great chief, with virtue on thy side, Thy ev'ry action let the goddess guide. A crown, a mansion, and a throne that shine, With gold unfading, Washington! Be thine."
        
        Her letter to Washington is an important one to me. I agree with Fusco in that she clearly has a point that women need to be highlighted more and should get more credit, and ultimately, have the same rights as men. Her bringing this issue's attention into the spotlight was very important so props to her for being brave enough to commit this honorable act that would have been a risk at this time.
- - - - "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."
        
        I like this ideal language used, but it breaks my hear that it is not how the realistic constitution was written. The fact that "life" is written as an inalienable human right seems very hypocritical with the death penalty being legal in so many states. Obviously a document like the declaration is going to have to stretch the truth to put America in the best light possible but having something so fundamental be turned around in practice is pretty wild
  - - - "My father became a bartender. My mother a cashier, a maid and a Kmart stock clerk. They never made it big. But they were successful... found stable jobs, owned a home, retired with security and gave all four of their children a life far better than their own. My parents achieved what came to be known as the American Dream."
        
        I saw this reading as a very idealistic view of the American dream. Marco Rubio is trying to sell the possibility of reviving this seemingly utopian society of possibilities to its former glory. Although its nice that he's aware that the system has changed, he's still idealistic in his views that changing tax codes will be a total turnaround for Americans.
      - "I chose to make this announcement at the Freedom Tower because it is a symbol of our nation’s identity as the land of opportunity."
        
        This sounds to me like a salesman pitch. It's like I'm being verbally spammed at. It sounds like he's trying to connect to old people that have a blind sense of unwarranted patriotism (on a very extreme and cringe level) . Which is smart since republicans seem to be made up of mostly old people as the left seems to grow in the younger community. It seems ingenuine and showmanistic to even bring this up, even though it's very common and stereotypical speech language.
- - - - " Mr. Gore once undertook to whip one of Colonel Lloyd's slaves, by the name of Demby. He had given Demby but few stripes, when, to get rid of the scourging, he ran and plunged himself into a creek, and stood there at the depth of his shoulders, refusing to come out. Mr. Gore told him that he would give him three calls, and that, if he did not come out at the third call, he would shoot him."
        
        This was a very heartbreaking account thinking of how most people who would be able to write about it at the time would have been prejudice towards the slave and biased in the favor of the person whipping the slave
  - - - "It was about this time I conceived the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection. I wish'd to live without committing any fault at any time; I would conquer all that either natural inclination, custom, or company might lead me into. As I knew, or thought I knew, what was right and wrong, I did not see why I might not always do the one and avoid the other. But I soon found I had undertaken a task of more difficulty than I had imagined."
        
        This rigorous and micromanaging-style approach to self help and self improvement is a great example of American success. The American dream, wether we realize it or not, is very monotonous. Just like Ben Franklin's routine but less "extreme", as Fusco said
    - - "Why does he always want to be somewhere that he isn't? Why can't we stay in one place just long enough to get acclimated? It's this constant rush, rush, rush, that's the curse of American life."
        
        Dorothy Parker wonderfully words an acknowledgment of American greed, especially in the roaring 20's. I think this way of life for Americans hasn't changed, and if anything, it's gotten worse, especially with this new social media age of flaunting luxury goods.
    - - "Everyone fought hysterically. It was complete anarchy. Everybody fought everybody else. No group fought together for long. Two, three, four, fought one, then turned to fight each other, were themselves attacked. Blows landed below the belt and in the kidney, with the gloves open as well as closed, and with my eye partly opened now there was not so much terror."
        
        This part of the invisible man, to me, seemed to represent the inevitable fall after the roaring 20's. In the story, chaos broke out after the men in the story were having the time of their life creepily watching the woman. Just like the partying times of the jazz age abruptly ended when the great depression left people with no money.
  - - - After Fusco's lectures, knowing this story is Poe making fun of Ben Franklin and his Enlightenment ideas, I can't help but find this funny. Fusco talking about this account poking fun of how if using reasoning was best, any reason can be made up for any action, and how if reasoning is good then illogical reasoning would be a point against the enlightenment, just like the narrator kills the man for having a weird eye. (A verry illogical reason indeed)
- - - - "There is a time when a Christian must sell all and give to the poor, as they did in the Apostles’ times. There is a time also when Christians (though they give not all yet) must give beyond their ability…. Likewise, a community of peril calls for extraordinary liberality, and so doth community in some special service for the church. Lastly, when there is no other means whereby our Christian brother may be relieved in his distress, we must help him beyond our ability rather than tempt God in putting him upon help by miraculous or extraordinary means."
        
        This is quite the idealistic eutopia being preached. This would be great in theory but sadly, due to human nature, isn't all that attainable. If it was possible to execute it would have happened back when religion was the ruling force of the world and when there were less objects for humans to turn to. This religion that people fall back on was so powerful back then and it just led to violence, unfortunately
  - - - "On a Sabbath day, the sun being about an hour high in the afternoon, came Mr. John Hoar (the council permitting him, and his own foreward spirit inclining him), together with the two forementioned Indians, Tom and Peter, with their third letter from the council. When they came near, I was abroad. Though I saw them not, they presently called me in, and bade me sit down and not stir. Then they catched up their guns, and away they ran, as if an enemy had been at hand, and the guns went off apace. I manifested some great trouble, and they asked me what was the matter?"
        
        This heroic escape story is a prime example of an idealistic and religious American success story. she beat the odds when backed against the wall and outnumbered and was able to accomplish the seemingly impossible.
- - - - It's about time racial equality was being pushed to this extent and as impactful as Washington's beautiful speech. Its sad that it took a few decades since the abolishment of slavery to move in the right direction but better late than never
  - - - He's absolutely correct and I wholeheartedly agree that the education of african americans and having them get directly involved in social change would be the best course of action, and it was.
  - - - I think this is a very beautiful poem and one that depicts the American dream perfectly. Comparing America with Greece when the country was so young is such a power move. I love it. I'm here for it.
- - - - "The great growth in the love of athletic sports, for instance, while fraught with danger if it becomes one-sided and unhealthy, has beyond all question had an excellent effect in increased manliness."
        
        This mindset of men needing to return back to masculinity because that is a very different way of approaching masculinity then today. Recently it has been rejected that men be very masculine, as femininity is being more encouraged and masculinity seems to be a bad thing according to the new media
    - - "With no steady hand to guide him, [a boy from the tenements] takes naturally to idle ways. Caught in the street by the truant officer, or by the agents of the Children's Societies, peddling, perhaps, or begging, to help out the family resources; he runs the risk of being sent to a reformatory, where contact with vicious boys older than himself soon develop the latent possibilities for evil that lie hidden in him. . . . The result is the rough young savage, familiar from the street."
        
        To me, this is very interesting that, as discussed in lecture, the same stiff is being said. Older generations always have the mindset that the younger generation is soft, weak, lazy, and overall a bunch of bums. It seems that unless the younger generation had a harder life than the older one, the older one will always see it this way
  - - - "Startled by her father’s unwonted passion, Pan picked up the paper, and in the clear passionless light of the afternoon read that which forever after was blotted upon her memory. 'Betrayed! Betrayed! Betrayed to be a betrayer!'"
        
        I'm so glad that mixed race couples and other sort of situations/communities are common and not seen as out of the ordinary anymore. it took a awhile, starting from reactions like these but again, better late than never.
    - - "Two million more immigrant men than immigrant women! Can any one ask what this leads to? In colonial times the consequences of split-family immigration were so bad that Massachusetts and Connecticut passed laws requiring spouses to return to their mates in England unless they were "come over to make way for their families." We are broader-minded, and will interfere with nothing that does not wound prosperity. The testimony of foreign consuls and leaders among the foreign-born leaves no doubt that in some instances the woman cook of the immigrant boarding-house is common to the inmates."
        
        A little hard to interpret what he's saying here, but what I think he's getting at is the men to women ratio is off by a large factor in terms of immigration, which is going to lead to a lot of social issues regarding separating families, which was a large problem a few years back but I'm not sure that events transpired from the statistics that he mentions.
    - - "Objections to the foundations upon which society is based are not in order, because the condition of the race is better with these than it has been with any other which has been tried. . . . No evil, but good, has come to the race from the accumulation of wealth by those who have had the ability and energy to produce it"
        
        This change in wealth distribution was a good thing for the time being. In the short run, everyone was equal for a little bit. More recently, however, the 1 percent hold all of the money and the working class, aka most of America seem to be completely dissatisfied. Rightfully so since they're helping the 1% grow their empire
    - - "Each individual, in the personal stories, describes in his own language and from his own point of view the way he established his relationship with God. These give a fair cross section of our membership and a clear cut idea of what has actually happened in their lives."
        
        This religious view of stopping alcoholism is much different than what we see today in Alcoholics Anonymous. This religious approach would never fly today in our increasingly secular world.
    - - "it’s merely an observation of a social world that is itself a paradox, defined by hypocrisy, ignorance, and illogic. In a society like that, a man attempting a humble and ethical life would certainly appear 'backward': for him, good would be bad, up would be down, productivity would be destruction, and indeed, uselessness would be useful."
        
        This is a very interesting way to say something very simple but make it sound so complex and profound. Obviously a backwards world would see things as the opposite. She's a good writer, and she could have written something better than this to prove her point.