In society today, kids are free to laugh and play when they are younger and as they get older, they gradually become more independent and responsible and really think about what is right and what is wrong. But what if you lived in a Puritan society? Things for you as a child would be completely different.
Think about when you were younger. You probably spent your time playing with toys and running around the back yard pretending to be a superhero. But if you were a Puritan child, and you were caught playing, you were a sinner. Puritans saw playing games as a sinful distraction. They expected children to know the difference between right and wrong. They basically treated children as little adults. Children weren't allowed to show the slightest bit of emotion either. Happy, sad, angry, NONE of it was allowed. If anyone did catch you showing emotion, you were severely punished.
Some of the punishments for children were much harsher than we can imagine. Those punishments included the whipping post and sometimes being burned or just maybe killed.
In today's society I think that Puritans still influence us but the rules and punishments aren't as harsh as they used to be. For example kids back then for talking in class might be whipped. Today, the teacher may give you a look or just tell you to be quiet. Talking in class still isn't allowed, but the way the situation is totally different.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
The Moment I knew I was an American
The moment I knew I was an American was probably in the seventh grade when I can really remember celebrating our country's independence with my family.
When it comes to the 4th of July, everyone gets excited. School is out. The weather is nice and its now time for fireworks and spending time with family. During this time, I think about how lucky I am to live in America. America is a country that allows you to believe what you want. One example is religion. In some other countries, conflicts over religion still exist today. But in America there are so many different religions and for the most part, people allow other people to have their own beliefs without a problem. Another example is in politics. Our system of democracy allows people to decide who they want to govern them. Even though I cannot vote for a few more years, I definitely plan to exercise this right because I know that many other people don't have this kind of right and I should take advantage of it.
Being an American means being a part of very diverse country. There are so many different races of people in America that it's pretty difficult to find out every one of them.
In America we have more luxuries than some other countries. I'm glad to be living here because I feel that America is one of the best places in the world to be living.
When it comes to the 4th of July, everyone gets excited. School is out. The weather is nice and its now time for fireworks and spending time with family. During this time, I think about how lucky I am to live in America. America is a country that allows you to believe what you want. One example is religion. In some other countries, conflicts over religion still exist today. But in America there are so many different religions and for the most part, people allow other people to have their own beliefs without a problem. Another example is in politics. Our system of democracy allows people to decide who they want to govern them. Even though I cannot vote for a few more years, I definitely plan to exercise this right because I know that many other people don't have this kind of right and I should take advantage of it.
Being an American means being a part of very diverse country. There are so many different races of people in America that it's pretty difficult to find out every one of them.
In America we have more luxuries than some other countries. I'm glad to be living here because I feel that America is one of the best places in the world to be living.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Us VS Them
How many of us have ever been in a conflict? Probably all of us at some point in time. Let's say, someone makes you mad or you make someone else mad. Then you might argue with that other person. Most times conflicts can be resolved but why is it that some conflicts aren't resolved so easily and the after math might be loosing a job, a friend or maybe even physical death.
The reason I think some conflicts aren't resolved (and ultimately lead to death) is people are stubborn and they like to hold grudges. Think about it. Most times when you are in a conflict with someone else, you don't always want to be the first person to apologize or you don't really feel like talking to that person at all. People usually like to be stubborn and wait for the other person to start doing some apologizing. When that doesn't happen, things just go down hill from there. You might stop speaking to that other person for a while and then eventually, lose complete connection with them.
In the case of physical death however, there is a good example of that in the Crucible. People held grudges against each other. And then when they got the perfect moment to get revenge, they accused people of being witches and wizards. Abigail did this to Mrs. Proctor. She kept low and the first chance she got, she accused Mrs. Proctor of being a witch. However she was only kept alive because she was pregnant.
Maybe if people didn't hold so many grudges or stopped being so stubborn, more conflicts would be resolved and they wouldn't ultimately lead to death.
The reason I think some conflicts aren't resolved (and ultimately lead to death) is people are stubborn and they like to hold grudges. Think about it. Most times when you are in a conflict with someone else, you don't always want to be the first person to apologize or you don't really feel like talking to that person at all. People usually like to be stubborn and wait for the other person to start doing some apologizing. When that doesn't happen, things just go down hill from there. You might stop speaking to that other person for a while and then eventually, lose complete connection with them.
In the case of physical death however, there is a good example of that in the Crucible. People held grudges against each other. And then when they got the perfect moment to get revenge, they accused people of being witches and wizards. Abigail did this to Mrs. Proctor. She kept low and the first chance she got, she accused Mrs. Proctor of being a witch. However she was only kept alive because she was pregnant.
Maybe if people didn't hold so many grudges or stopped being so stubborn, more conflicts would be resolved and they wouldn't ultimately lead to death.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)