Portfolio: Reflective Letter

Locating, analyzing and synthesizing information into a cohesive whole was the most difficult stage of the writing process for me to achieve in this class. Although it is a pessimistic statement, and I always try to repeat affirmations, I know I have issues within this initial stage. Numerous times, I have had to establish and reestablish a positive state of mind to attempt the difficult, analytical process. I have continued to have issues, continued to be impeded by my own problematic tendencies, which have stopped me within my tracks as I begin to create some forward momentum. While the subsequent phases of organization, simplification and thorough editing (and re-editing) have their challenges, I can accomplish them if I allow enough time – enough time after locating, analyzing and synthesizing the needed information. At first, I was merely frustrated and confused by my inertia. But the assignments of this writing class have made evident that locating, analyzing and synthesizing are my most prominent challenges. Two of my completed essays helped me become aware of – and mentally articulate – my writing issues. Completed through relentless vigor, these were the assignments about Bacon’s Rebellion and the New Hampshire patriots. Both illustrate my gradual success in identifying and then finding a route around or through my problematic tendencies. Thus, I contend that the assignments of this writing class have helped me identify and begin to resolve my own problematic tendencies as a writer.

Considering that the Bacon’s Rebellion essay needed excessive refining, my New Hampshire essay was the more successful of the two. The New Hampshire essay was, from the beginning, much more direct, organized, simplistic, and effective in conveying the intended message. This greater success may have been because I was in a rush to complete the essay, resulting in me not injecting my tendency toward excessive vocabulary, touch ups, and redundancy. A more likely explanation is that Craig, our writing teacher, gave us a three page limit to the essay. Consequently, I maintained a direct, simplistic use of vocabulary and avoided redundancy. This characteristic of my writing is evident in my thesis for this essay: “As I reflect over the past few years, I can easily and simply conclude: I am a patriot because I philosophically favor political democracy over the monarchical politics of Parliament.” As evident, this thesis is specific, clear, and direct. I presume that, after the readers of this essay see this thesis, they easily comprehend my position. Also, this thesis was well placed, at the end of the first paragraph, in comparison to the Bacon’s Rebellion essay, where I initially placed the thesis in the third paragraph. Above all, though, having the necessary informational resources from the beginning of the process helped me tremendously. I had taken the initiative to go to major libraries in Bellevue and Seattle, to borrow books on New Hampshire during the Revolutionary period. All of my needed source material was available in those books. Nevertheless, the analytical process that followed along with my reading was still very difficult.

While I have learned a lot about libraries this quarter – and improved my online search capability – I am still far from ‘comfortable’ with analysis and synthesis of information. The practice provided by this class has helped, however. I found that the notes I took while reading the New Hampshire material were much more useful than the chaos of my initial Bacon’s rebellion pile of papers. Yes, getting clear, earlier, about what kinds of resources I needed, and forcing myself to find them, allowed a calmer, less panicked mode for reading and writing about New Hampshire. Eventually, I was able to identify what I believed were key political, economic and social aspects of life in New Hampshire that needed to be conveyed for the purposes of this essay. I had dissected the reading material, looking for facts such as “the Congregational Church has been called ‘the mainspring of Revolutionary New Hampshire’” and “the King . . . commanded that white pines of twenty-four inches or more in diameter be emblazoned with his mark, and anyone caught cutting one faces imprisonment and fines.” Next, I was able to begin looking for patterns in the information, meaningful patterns that could fit together into a logical, synthesized and readable whole. I decided to communicate the information as a ‘story’, told in first person from a New Hampshire patriot: “My cousin Bartholomew . . . cannot understand why I am a patriot . . . .”

Once I had the raw material at my side, I was finally able to begin what feels like the true composition part of the essay – playing with the words. I learned from the Bacon essay that even terrific information cannot save an essay if it is not composed clearly, directly, simply and concisely. Given enough time, this part can almost be fun for me. (I must add that time for editing comes in second place for what I have learned, and what I must come to better manage. It is best if I write the essay to the best of my ability, then let it set for awhile before returning with fresh eyes.) But without the foundational facts, well analyzed and synthesized, the finest prose will get me nowhere. Ultimately, the inherent cause of my success in composition is to be proactive and persevere in locating, analyzing and synthesizing appropriate information early in the writing process.

Portfolio: Essay#1 New Hampshire Essay

Reflections of a New Hampshire Puritan Patriot

It is appalling to me that people of close relation can be alienated by the current political events of early 1776. My cousin Bartholomew, who works in Portsmouth for one of the royal officials, cannot understand why I am a patriot willing to “turn my back on our King,” as he says, and fight for the independence of all thirteen colonies’ from Great Britain. He goes on and on about the good life he thinks we colonists of New Hampshire have lived. I wish no ill upon my cousin, who would stand to lose his job should he join our cause; but I must take the broad view, and look at the beneficial ramifications of more groups in society participating in government, versus the detrimental outcome of continuing the monopoly of political influence exercised by King George III and the most privileged economic groups. Because my Puritan faith is rooted in religious democracy, it shouldn’t be surprising that I believe in political democracy, not political tyranny. Political democracy is only fair and right, and consistent with the laws of God and nature. As I reflect over the past few years, I can easily and simply conclude: I am a patriot because I philosophically favor political democracy over the monarchical politics of Parliament.

I am especially steadfast and confident as a patriot because of the fervent support from my church. Eighty-four of 118 churches in this province are of the Congregational sect (Upton, p. 208), and I am thankful that most people with whom I attend church are patriots. Indeed, the Congregational Church has been called “the mainspring of Revolutionary New Hampshire” (Upton, p. 60), proclaiming that our freedom and independence are inherent rights that emanate from God and nature. It was primarily to obtain the freedom to worship as they pleased that my Puritan ancestors came to this continent (Auden & Taylor, p. 42); now we must act to obtain independence, to insure freedom to benefit from stewardship of the land we inhabit and work. Almost every day, I look forward to hearing the inspiration of our preachers. Admittedly, since clergy are the main source of our news and political information in New Hampshire, I may be somewhat biased by their opinions. However, clergymen are the best educated element in our colonial society, especially the Congregational clergy (Upton, pp. 56, 60), so they are our most credible source. Increasingly, they are reporting and protesting “the arbitrary and unjust acts of a Parliament and ministry determined to subvert traditional liberties” (Daniel, p. 217). As the Crown has taken note and lusted after our abundant resources, becoming more determined than ever to control them, we colonists once again find ourselves needing to escape the King of England’s selfish demands. Sailing away to another continent is not an option this time, but severing our ties to the maniacal monarchy is becoming our sacred duty.

My first personal experience with the monarch’s ridiculous and unfair policies occurred when I worked in the lumbering industry. From 1762 until 1768, I profited from British trade because land in New Hampshire grows quality pine trees, and the tallest are highly regarded for building ships. For decades, ships produced by New Hampshire have been purchased by English enterprisers and have played a significant role in the British Empire’s trade ventures (Upton, p. 150). Furthermore, the British Royal Navy has used innumerable New Hampshire trees for their fleet; they prefer our pines over any in the world for the masts of their sturdiest ships, built for enormous cargoes (Morison & Morison, pp. 43-46). When the King decided he wanted every single one of our giant trees for himself, he commanded that white pines of twenty-four inches or more in diameter be emblazoned with his mark, and anyone caught cutting one faces imprisonment and fines (Morison & Morison, p. 46-47; Upton, p. 170). Nevertheless, New Hampshire colonists – especially the Congregational Church – strongly disagree with this precept. Their typical attitude is that trees are “gifts of God and Nature” (Upton, p. 171) and, therefore, we colonists ought to be allowed to do with them as we please. Earlier governors did a poor job of enforcing the white pine law, but in 1768, John Wentworth became governor, and he strictly enforced it (Upton, p.171). I disobeyed the King’s law by cutting down marked trees if I saw fit, as did my fellow workers. However, I quickly wearied of playing cat and mouse with the King’s men, and thus decided to try another line of work.

Having chosen to resume farming, I returned to the agrarian roots of my mother’s family, in Hillsborough County. Located in the middle of the state, and consisting mostly of farmers (Upton, p. 52), this central section of New Hampshire breeds the most fervent patriots. Good land is scarce and communication is difficult, so most of our farms are small and self-sufficient (Upton, p. 2). We sell little. The income I produce as a farmer is minimal, but what I farm is my property, and I may do with my crops as I wish. This is as it should be. Unlike lumbering and certain other trades or government positions, my occupation has no direct ties with Great Britain. Being a farmer thus does not conflict economically with my patriotic goal of claiming independence from Great Britain; independence will not decrease my agrarian income. We farmers are united and strengthened by a general religious and economic consensus advocating for patriotism. Our hardy central-state neighbors in lumbering and linen manufacturing join us agrarians to form the backbone of the Sons of Liberty in New Hampshire (Upton, p. 2). Of course our poorest neighbors, being sorely discontent, also side with the Revolutionaries (Upton, p. 2). All of us insist on resisting unfair taxes levied on household products, like the Stamp Act and Townshend Acts, which have affected everyone regardless of occupation (Auden & Taylor, pp. 92-93). Any and all taxes we pay should have nothing to do with the King. Further, my fellow colonists and I should have a voice in what we pay to our own government (Upton, p. 3). Freedom to be and do as one reasonably pleases, having a say in one’s own governance, all this should be the privilege of the many, not only the aristocratic few.

As the God-given freedom to self-determination does not now prevail among the many, but instead exists only for those who are privileged with wealth or political favors, it is no wonder that we New Hampshire patriots have made the difficult decision to participate in a struggle that can be violent. New Hampshire Sons of Liberty, being predominantly Puritan, are not quick to bear arms against another. But we have been provoked and cannot stand by idly watching our ideals and rights be trampled. As I reflect on the Boston massacre that occurred March 5, 1770, I remember the letter that many received, signed “Consideration”. This letter stated, “O AMERICANS! This BLOOD calls loud for VENGANCE! . . . . Let it be the DETERMINED RESOLUTION of every Man, that a standing Army shall never be permitted in AMERICA, without the free consent of the House of Commons, in the province where they reside” (Upton, 9). As I read this, I felt compassion for the colonists and some downright pity along with my scorn toward the British. It was probably this letter that ignited the resentment which compelled me, in December of 1774, to participate in seizing one hundred barrels of British gun powder at Fort William and Mary (Morison & Morison, p. 70; Upton, pp.22-23, 40). I helped to confiscate the powder and hide it in our private homes.

That very gun powder was recently used, on June 17, 1775, when I – a Puritan and a patriot – served in the battle of Bunker Hill in Boston, along with more than 900 other patriots from New Hampshire (Teitelbaum, p. 57; Daniel, p. 242), the largest contingent present. I lost many friends in this battle. Officially, I have killed a total of thirty-two people, all on the bloody Bunker Hill. Honestly, I am still questioning myself on the moral validity of killing another human being. In essence, yes, Cousin Bartholomew, I am questioning the moral validity of my extremity as a patriot. How do I justify the act of killing another person on the basis of differing political thought? Many of my religious companions do justify such extreme acts on the basis of this political differentiation. I feel that religious democracy has an inherent holy purpose. Does political democracy have such a purpose? Guardedly but confidently, I am concluding that it does, and is thus worth fighting for. I am a patriot, Bartholomew, not because I care to turn my back on “my King”, but because I dare to defend the rights with which God has blessed me and every other human being. I am a patriot because political democracy has an inherently sacred purpose and responsibility.


BIBLIOGRAPHY

Auden, Scott and Alan Taylor. Voices from Colonial America New Hampshire, 2007

Daniel, Jere R. Colonial New Hampshire: A History, 1981

Hill, Ralph Nading. Yankee Kingdom Vermont and New Hampshire, 1960

Morison, Elizabeth and Elting E. Morison. New Hampshire: A History, 1976

Teitelbaum, Michael. Life in the Thirteen Colonies New Hampshire, 2004

Upton, Richard Francis. Revolutionary New Hampshire, Kennikat Press, 1936

Wiener, Roberta and James R. Arnold. Thirteen Colonies New Hampshire, 2005

Portfolio: Essay#2 Bacon's Rebellion Essay

Ladder of Opportunity

Lack of opportunity to help oneself is unfair and detrimental to society as a whole. While the goals of individuals vary, most people need some economic status to feel content, and they seek opportunities to improve that status. If there exists little or no opportunity to get from point A to point B, then there is discontent among those stuck at point A; frustration and even desperation are observable. This phenomenon is relevant to moving from the lower class toward the upper class of any society. In between, the middle class provides opportunities, like stepping stones, from lower status to higher. When the middle class is weak, then lesser opportunities offer only a slight chance to climb out of the lower class. Such was the case in 1676, when a deadly uprising called Bacon's Rebellion occurred in Virginia. Historians offer differing opinions, but I contend that the essential cause of Bacon's Rebellion was the economic distance between the lower and upper classes of the early Virginian settlers.

Many factors contributed to creating this economic distance. To develop a well rounded understanding of these factors and their contribution, one must understand something about economic opportunity, as well as know what was happening in Virginia at the time of Bacon's Rebellion. According to Webster’s Dictionary, the definition of economy is “the production and distribution of wealth.” Wealth can take any form, be it a house, land, jewelry, an advanced intellect, a TV, or even a cow; it can be materialistic or non-materialistic. So economic opportunity exists when someone is able to go to school, sell a product, travel, teach, or purchase something; the significance of an economic opportunity is determined by how much wealth inherently exists within the product or experience. During the seventeenth century, Colonial Virginia depended on the tobacco industry for income, and King Charles II of England enjoyed money from taxes he imposed on the owners of those crops. Growing tobacco required huge amounts of labor, and Virginia plantation owners depended heavily on indentured servants for that labor. To entice poor British citizens to work in the Virginia tobacco fields, the emigrants were given free transportation across the Atlantic and were promised land at bargain prices, following a period of indentured servitude in the fields. The promises for a richer life were seldom fulfilled, however. Freed servants who tried to compete by clearing and developing land on the "outskirts" of established civilization usually experienced extreme physical and economic hardship; furthermore, they feared raids by angry Indians who were being displaced as the colonists' borders pushed into Indian Territory. Unable to buy land, the freemen usually became hired workers or "tenant farmers" on the large plantations; as such, they were paid low wages and/or saddled with huge tax burdens. While plantation proprietors could afford to pay the King's high taxes, tenant farmers were first required to pay half their income to the plantation proprietors and then also pay the King's taxes. Thus, all the fees and taxes ate the freemen alive, and there was nothing they could do about it. The lower class had little if any economic, political or social status. And because there was only a weak, virtually non-existent middle class, these poor Virginians had no means – no opportunity – to climb upward. Their hands tied, it seems the poor freemen had two choices of action – one being to accept such hardships, the other to voice their hardships and take action. As their oppression gave way to intense discontent and desperation for change, the lower class was susceptible to Nathaniel Bacon's influence to rebel, thus leading to Bacon's Rebellion.

History books relate similar versions of events during Bacon's Rebellion, but historians and other critics present widely differing theories as to what "caused" the rebellion. Many issues, such as voting rights and the stubborn personalities of both Nathaniel Bacon and Virginia Governor Berkeley, have been scrutinized for their role in precipitating the struggle. One of the most popular theories, namely that the culprit was "the Indian policy", was written by Bacon himself, then elaborated upon by historian Wilcomb E. Washburn. Another prominent theory, put forth by William Noel Sainsbury, points the finger at the burdensomely high taxes. Below, I will discuss why I believe that neither of these explanations is adequate.

Washburn theorizes that the cause of Bacon's Rebellion was due to the Indian policy. In his Notes and Documents: Sir William Berkeley's 'A History of Our Miseries', Washburn states that Bacon's Rebellion was inevitable, due to "Bacon's wanton disregard of the governor's Indian policy and Berkeley's attempt to enforce compliance" (p. 403). To better understand Bacon's position against the Indian policy, I believe it is wise to understand the basics of the policy. The Indian policy was fundamentally intended to maintain peace between the Indians and English settlers. To do so, the policy created boundaries for the settlers and Indians, essentially separating the two groups and minimizing contact. All land already settled by the English was to remain English land, and all land beyond the established settlement was to remain Indian land. With time, however, the poor, newly freed colonial servants (freemen) were pushing up against and expanding out into Indian Territory, also known as the frontier. This expansion was in violation of the Indian policy, and as the freemen continued expanding their frontier boundaries, violent uprisings frequently occurred between the Indians and colonists. Wanting to maintain peace between the two groups, Virginia Governor William Berkeley and his government took various steps to calm the violence (Roark, et al). Nathaniel Bacon, however, justified and supported the poor freemen's frontier expansion, and opposed William Berkeley's calming tactics.

Based on his written Declaration 1676, Nathaniel Bacon was indeed against the Indian policy for many reasons, two of which were unfair trading and protection. Bacon makes the argument that the Governor and his Commission ("Heads of the River") were trading unfairly with the Indians, as well as providing them with protection. In his Declaration, Bacon expresses the unfair distribution of wealth by writing, "let us…see what spounges have suckt up the Publique Treasure and wither it hath not bin privately contrived away by unworthy Favourites" (p. 55). Here Bacon is speculating that the "Publique Treasure" (Public Revenue) is being placed in the "unworthy Favourites" (Indian's) hands, and the wealth is not being made available to the poor freemen. Bacon also states that the Heads of the River warranted the "Darling Indians…Fire Arms soe destructfull to us and by our laws prohibited", and that the Indians "must have Ammunition although directly contrary to our law" (p. 56). In layman terms, Bacon is accusing the government of providing the Indians with firearms and ammunition, even though it was against the law for the freemen to bear such arms, obviously making it very difficult and potentially dangerous for the freemen to expand their frontier. In essence, Bacon believed the Government was protecting and favoring the Indians rather than their own freemen. All of these statements support Wilcomb E. Washburn's theory, but my theory explains the underlying cause of the Indian policy feuds.

In my perspective, the underlying cause of the Indian policy feuds was a result of the poor freemen not having any means to obtain wealth. Consequently, they resorted to claiming their own land to attain economic status, thus breaching Indian territories, violating the Indian policy, and creating conflict with the government. I theorize that the main reason of this aggressive expansion from the poor freemen was a result of the economic gap between poor and rich. Indian policy would never have been an issue if there weren't such an economic gap; if the freemen had access to wealth, they would not have needed more land, would not have breached Indian territories, and would not have fought with the Indians.

Indeed, Indian policy is not the only theory presented as the sole cause of Bacon's Rebellion. The unequal effect of high taxes was just as disconcerting as problems with the Indian policy. Historian William Noel Sainsbury, author of Considerations Upon the Present Troubles Virginia, supports high taxes as a cause for Bacon's Rebellion. Sainsbury mentions that:
The great oppression the people complain of is the great taxes levied on them…and the unequal way of raising them by the poll so that a poor man that hath nothing to maintain himself, wife and child pays as much for his levies as he that hath 2,000 acres of land.
Additionally, an excerpt from the Royal Commissioners Narrative, from 1677, states that every year the poor citizens were "being more and more oppressed with great taxes…which was the cause of [the] [Rebellion] with intents to have our taxes Lowered" (Document #10). These words state that the tax burdens were steadily increasing with time. If this pattern continued it would, in any society, inevitably lead to some sort of rebellious action – weather it be strikes, riots, new voting patterns (in today's society), or a rebellion like in 1676. While this is true, it is my opinion that these taxes were oppressive to the freemen, solely because they were poor and were unable to aid themselves by gaining wealth. These high expenses included paying half their income to the plantation proprietors and then, in addition, the King's taxes, which were levied without representation. It is my belief that having no means to attain economic status led to the poor freemen's severe discontent.

In addition to, and because of, the freemen’s low economic status, they had no means to change government regulation because they were not allowed to vote. Voting rights were unequal between the poor and elite groups. Until 1670, all freemen were allowed to vote, but in that year, the House of Burgesses (the legislative body for Virginia) voted to allow voting only by men who owned land and were the head of a household (Roark, p.90). In other words, only the elite could subsequently vote, for they were the only citizens with enough economic status to own their own land. This ultimately excluded the poor freemen from any and all political decisions, creating an even greater gap between the lower and upper classes. These inequalities eventually proved to be too much for the poor freemen to justify. Previously, the lower class had accepted the "social hierarchy and inequality as long as they believed that government officials ruled for the general good". So, they were willing to tolerate being disenfranchised as long as they felt they were being treated fairly. However, "when rulers violated that precept, ordinary people felt justified in rebelling" (Roark, p. 90). It is my firm belief that those ordinary people felt justified in rebelling due to the economic distance between themselves and the elite upper class. There was no opportunity for the poor freemen to prosper. Had there been a middle class, it could have served as a ‘ladder’, allowing the lower class to climb upward. But the lower class had no ladder. In 1676, the era of Bacon's Rebellion, there was only a very weak middle class, a very weak, unreliable ladder. This was the weakest link in the colonial economy.

Today, in 2008, the strength of the middle class is not taken for granted; it remains a priority for those who are concerned about mobility of the lower class, and thus a priority for the strength of the economy in general. More than four centuries after Bacon's Rebellion, America has a middle class that is arguably the backbone of the nation, but the backbone is in pain. Deep concerns about economic inequality are present. The importance of the middle class is not taken for granted, and fears run deep that a weakened middle class could threaten not only the economic stability of the U.S., but her political and social stability as well.

The United States is not alone in this perspective; other countries are not immune to the problems of economic disparity, and they cite the same deep concerns. In January, 2007, His Majesty King Abdullah of Jordan said that "the stability and comfort of the middle class are two essential requirements for the development and progress of any society, both at the political and social levels (U.S. Jordan Embassy)." Underlining the need to support the Jordanian middle class, King Abdullah noted that "political reform will be achieved if this segment's stability is ensured" (U.S. Jordan Embassy).

Here in the U.S., Abdullah's sentiment was echoed a full year before worldwide trade markets acknowledged the current (2008) economic crisis. In Iowa, on the presidential primary campaign trail, Senator Hillary Clinton expressed concerns that income inequality had risen to the highest levels since 1929. She declared:
I believe that middle class is the backbone of our economy, the key to real growth, and the guarantor of the American Dream. America is only as strong as our middle class. And so I judge the health of our economy by asking whether our middle class is expanding and getting ahead. This Administration has failed that test. Mine will not (HillaryClinton.com)
Clinton did not win the Democratic nomination, but the ongoing presidential campaign was full of rhetoric about rescuing the middle class. Samples of that rhetoric (e.g. Barrack Obama's and Joe Biden's "A Rescue Plan for the Middle Class", a proposal from their own campaign website, and Mike Glover's AP article, "McCain Says Obama Would Harm Middle Class") demonstrate it was abundant and varied. We heard it on the radio and TV; we read it in newspapers, magazines and on the internet.

Are we on the verge of another Bacon's Rebellion? In so many ways, the presidential campaign mirrored the immoral relationship between politics and economics of 1676. It can be argued that President Bush and John McCain compare to Governor Berkeley in the way that they are cornering with the wealthy, neglecting the middle class, leaving them to fend for themselves. Consequently, the rich get richer, and the middle class becomes poorer, resulting in a frail, or nonexistent, middle class as seen in Bacon's Rebellion.

A contemporary American patriot – or rebel, depending upon one's perspective – is Ben F. Terton. In The Moderate Independent: not left, not right, just right, Mr. Terton wrote:
For the first time in a generation, a politician hit a mark so directly on the head. Delivering exactly to the true middle class, rather than to either the poorer people or the richer, Obama's simple, relatively cheap economic rescue plan, if enacted, would immediately and significantly alter the course of the American economy for the better.
The article goes on to explain that Obama's plan involves tax cuts, financial assistance for debt, and business spending regulations – all of which are targeted to help the average, middle class citizens retain their economic independence. Without pursuing such a plan, the tax regulations could remain as they are: unequally favoring the CEO's of successful fortune-500 companies by allowing tax breaks that save them millions of dollars. Meanwhile, the lower and middle classes are not protected in the same manner; a great tax burden potentially strips them of their economic welfare, further distancing the upper and lower classes.

The economic comparison between today and the era of Bacon's Rebellion is simple. In both cases, a middle class was/is crucial for the prosperity of an economy and thus the happiness of its people. The wealthy elite need to recognize they aren't separate from this precept. In essence, they are part of an integrated whole, thus attached to the economy and dependent on its economic success. If the wealthy elite abuse or neglect what they are dependent on, then their actions will be detrimental to their own well being. Yes, the lower class may not rebel with such violent tactics today, but they still rebel in other forms, be it protesting, voting, debating, etc. The lower class rebelled in Bacon's Rebellion and they continue to do so today, because their economic status is being suppressed by and distanced from the wealthy elite. The ladder of opportunity is threatened.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bacon, Nathaniel. Declaration 1676. Reading the American Past. Pp. 55-56.

Beverly, Robert. The History and Present State of Virginia. History 121, Document #8.

Glover, Mike. "McCain Says Obama Would Harm Middle Class", AP article,
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iE2JCSH5p9r2GBkQWS9TWAMzmuvQD9417N180

Hickman, Craig.
http://craighickman.blogspot.com/2008/09/mccain-doesnt-stand-with-middle-class.html

HillaryClinton.com. Media Press Release,
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?id=3618

Obama, Barrack and Joe Biden. "A Rescue Plan for the Middle Class", a proposal from their own campaign website,
http://obama.3cdn.net/009ff9aad4fd7f3acf_58l3mvzb2.pdf

Roark, et al. The American Promise: A History of the United States. Pp. 90-91. 2009

Royal Commissioners Narrative: Excerpt from petition of grievances from citizens of Isle of Wight County, March 1677. History 121, Document # 10, paragraph 1.

Sainsbury, William Noel. Considerations Upon the Present Troubles in Virginia. (1825–1895).

Terton, Ben F. The Moderate Independent: not left, not right, just right.
http://www.moderateindependent.com/v6iOCT142008Baracksplan.htm

U.S. Jordan Embassy. Jordan Times. Stability of Middle Class Essential for Progress. http://www.jordanembassyus.org/01282007001.htm

Washburn, Wilcomb E. Notes and Documents: Sir William Berkeley's 'A History of Our Miseries'. http://moe.ic.highline.edu:2117/stable/1915651?&Search=yes&term...

Portfolio: Final Exam

Automatic Fix

Procrastination is a characteristic of all, and in a sense Microsoft word feeds into that procrastination. Geoffrey Meredith, in “The Demise of Writing”, writes about the terrible literacy rates among America’s youth that existed in the past. He emphasizes on hope for higher literacy rates, in that “today’s 80% literacy rate is an anomaly, the result of dramatically higher education levels.” He proceeds to state that it is evident American youth is dependent on the technological aid of Microsoft word in providing correct grammar. I agree with Geoffrey Meredith’s optimism, in that today’s literacy is very high today, and thus has improved from the past. I don’t wholesomely agree with him on the position of Microsoft being an essential and necessary tool for youth to read and write. Thus, I believe Microsoft is a detrimental program to young peoples writing because youth become dependant on its abilities to automatically provide correct grammar.

In “The Demise of Writing,” Geoffrey Meredith speaks of Microsoft clearly being needed, stating that, “Microsoft’s Word program includes not just spelling checkers but subroutines that suggest and correct syntax, grammar, and even paragraph structure. And clearly these functions are needed.” These functions are not needed, and I justify my position from my own observations in school. From what I have witnessed in school, I have seen Microsoft to be detrimental to student’s writing. For example, one of my peers, named Kevin, at Truman High school, had issues with spelling words correctly and writing well structured sentences. While using Microsoft word, he wouldn’t attempt to learn how to spell his words correctly; he would just click spell check. Similarly, while using word, when he was having issues with writing correct sentence structure, he would just click the option word gave him to fix it. In this regard, his learning process was almost non-existent, and if he faced his issues, I know he would overcome his writing issues very quickly.

I admit, I have become, to an extent, been dependent on word for spell check and correct sentence structure. I have ignored some of the fundamental principles of writing by becoming dependant on Microsoft word. Thankfully, I have recently began to take the initiative in examining what I did wrong in my writing before clicking that automatic fix. But for many, that automatic fix continues to be something they’re dependent on, and will continue to use until forced to do otherwise or eventually fade out of it by the severe demands of writing in life. This automatic fix is abundant in today’s amount of technology.

Today, there are many aspects of technological devices or programs that are counter productive for students. Microsoft word is just another technological program with counter productive as well as some productive attributes to youth’s writing. The possible consequences of this phenomenon aren’t really that severe. I just believe that it is preferable to have youth become as efficient in writing as possible at a young age, and not be dependent on a program until they’re adults. The essential rule of thumb is early growth. If I begin to cultivate a young tree rather than an old tree, then when the young tree comes to be of that old age, it will have surpassed the older trees vitality.

Draft: Reflective Essay

This draft just includes the introduction.

Locating, analyzing, and synthesizing information into a cohesive whole was the most difficult process for me to achieve in this writing class. Although it is a pessimistic statement, and I always try to repeat affirmations, I know I have issues within this process. Numerous times, I have continued to reestablish a positive state of mind to attempt to this difficult, analytical process. But yet, I have continued to have issues, continued to be impeded by my own problematic tendencies, which have continued to stop me within my tracks as I begin to create some forward momentum. This writing class has made evident that this is my most prominent issue within writing. Thus, I contend, this writing class has helped me discover my own problematic tendencies as a writer.

Facilitator Prep Sheet: The Sedition Act

--Who is writing?
Federalists in the United States Congress are writing.

--Who is the audience?
The intended audience is the French. But, of course, Americans are deliberately listening to what this document says as well.

--Who do the writers represent?
The writers represent the ideals of the federalists in America. The writers definitely do not represent the Republicans of America, who were opposed to the Sedition Act.

--What is being said, argued and/or requested?
The Federalists in Congress state that anyone involved in a movement that conspires to confront the government will be deemed guilty of a high misdemeanor. Further, it states that upon conviction of this misdemeanor, he/she will be fined five thousand dollars or less and will be imprisoned no less than six months and not to exceed five years. Also, the Federalists state that, “if any person shall write, print, utter or publish” anything that confronts the government of the United States, they will be convicted and punished by a fine of two thousand dollars or less and imprisoned no less than two years.

--How is it being said, argued and/or requested?
The tone of this document is purely authoritative. The document is simply a list of statements or policies to be enforced. There is no argument or request, the document is a list of statements.

--What proof and/or justification is being used to legitimize the request?
In reality, there is no substantial justification provided in the document. The document doesn’t contain any persuasion through justification. The Federalists were just stating enforced policies. Through describing acts and specifying punishment as consequences for those acts, the Federalists signified that acts of movement or speech confronting government were unjustified. As a result, on these terms, the Federalists were able to justify punishing people who confronted the government.

Reflection for Essay #2

Fighting an Internal Struggle

“To achieve excellence, take initiative to do something out of the comfort zone.” That’s my motto. This essay was a lot easier because I “took the initiative” to visit large libraries and borrow history books which contained all my needed resources. Thus, the most logical explanation for my better writing experience was taking the initiative to do something out of my comfort zone in order to do well. Yes, this ‘uncomfortable’ action of mine, believe it or not, was doing an online library search (after finding nothing useful at Highline) and then taking a trip to the Bellevue library, in the King County Library system, and to the Seattle Public Library. After acquiring the history books, the most challenging part of writing was analyzing and synthesizing information from the books into a cohesive synopsis. The difficulty derived, I suppose, from being overwhelmed by the amount of information at hand. I preferred not to delve into that totally encompassing pool of information. Instead, I attempted to navigate through the pool towards exactly what I needed. This tendency of mine demonstrates laziness. Consequently, I conclude, the difficulties of my writing experience for this essay manifested from a resistance to take the initiative to do anything out of my comfort zone.

I know I wrote this essay well, but I also know I struggled to finish it. Of course, my feeling of being overwhelmed by a massive amount of information manifests from a weak mental state. It’s all mental. There is no physical force hindering my development toward success. In other words, I have the mental capability to achieve this analytical process, but I experience an internal or emotional struggle against truly digging into the information. Taking the initiative to do something that feels difficult and uncomfortable requires a determined, unbound, disciplined/non-lazy state of mind. I do achieve this state of mind in many areas of life, but I have issues conjuring this state of mind while swimming through a pool of information. How can I manifest this quality of mind or emotion while analyzing and synthesizing large quantities of information? There are two useful emotions – or character traits – that I feel are absent when I am involved in this analytical process: patience and confidence. When patient and confident, I believe I can successfully navigate this overwhelming process.

Analyzing a seemingly infinite amount of information takes relentless patience. With this patience I can persist, to search and analyze, extracting not only the seemingly significant information, but the smaller, seemingly insignificant pieces. I am aware that it is a necessity to extract all the most relevant information, and then compile it into a cohesive written format. But I seek to avoid the seemingly insignificant, smaller details, in an attempt to speed up the process of locating the distinctly relevant information. I now realize the smaller details are needed to substantiate the larger ones. When I feel I am not progressing in my extraction and synthesis process, I need to calm and steady myself, then garner the strength and wisdom to manifest patience and confidence, so I can persevere. Patience provides the “oxygen” for survival, for endurance, but the enthusiasm to persevere when the searching process seems like a lost cause manifests from confidence. Having reflected upon my experiences of analyzing and synthesizing large amounts of information, these two emotional traits have been weak and thus direly needed. I need to be patient and confident in order to successfully analyze and synthesize a vast pool of information.