Author's note: This is the essay that I wrote for the 2010 Patriot's Pen veterans essay contest.The theme of this year's contest is "Does Patriotism Still Matter?".
Patriotism means the love or dedication to one’s country. Showing one’s dedication to their country can be demonstrated in many different ways. Patriotism is important because it gives us the freedom to do whatever we want in a responsible matter. This doesn’t mean we can go around doing whatever we want. Citizens of this country still have to follow laws, but have the freedom to make our own choices and live to our full potential. Patriotism does in fact still matter in America.
When someone says patriotism, of course red, white, and blue come to mind. Every day we show patriotism by hanging an American flag in classrooms and saying the Pledge of Allegiance in school. Honoring holidays such as Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day also shows our patriotism to this country. Singing the National Anthem at sporting events is a clear way we show patriotism, but there are more ways that we demonstrate patriotism in our everyday lives.
Anyone can show patriotism. Firemen and police officers show their dedication keeping the community safe and in order. Displaying the American flag, voting in election, and visiting national landmarks are all ways to show pride in our country. Everyone can show patriotism, whether big or small, every act of patriotism is important.
Patriotism can also be shown by helping out the less fortunate. For example, when disaster strikes here in the United States, or even in other countries, the citizens of the US are quick to help out. The United States of America helps by sending supplies and helping to comfort and rebuild communities. This shows that we, as citizens of the United States, want to look out for people and help out whenever help is needed.
Patriotism isn’t reserved just for holidays such as the Fourth of July or Memorial Day. It matters every day of the year. Without patriotism, our country would not have the freedoms we have today. Many men and women show great amounts of patriotism every day. Patriotism does still matter and is a large part of lives in America. The biggest part of patriotism is that we don’t take for granted the freedoms we enjoy in our everyday lives.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely
Wonderful thoughts are running through your mind. Now that you are president, leader of these citizens, you can finally turn things around. Everything would have been better, but now you have total control, all going towards your own well being. All the things you were going to do to help the community won’t happen. Now, anything that offends you must be destroyed. The corruption of power is exactly what the pigs have done to the farm in George Orwell’s Animal Farm. When too much power goes in to the wrong hands, what ever good intentions may have been there are gone and everything is worse than before.
The ideas of the Russian Revolution are clearly represented through the characters and events of Animal Farm. In the beginning of the novel Old Major and his idea of animalism, the thinking that every animal is equal, represent Karl Marx with his design of communism. When Mr. Jones, portraying Czar Nicholas II, is removed from the farm, Squealer, Napoleon, and Snowball, representing Lenin, Stalin, and Trotsky, take the idea of communism into full perspective. In the novel, Napoleon takes complete control of the farm, eliminating Snowball from the equation just as Trotsky was deported from Russia. All the characters have a role to play on the farm, just as the people did in the Russian Revolution.
Power is a thing everyone enjoys having but when all control has been turned over to one person, the human instinct takes over. After the people have no control, everything goes corrupt. Just like Napoleon, who’s main purpose was to make all animals equal, absolute power ruins the principle of communism. Once everyone is equal, nobody is equal. While Czar Nicholas II was removed and all the peasants were alike, a greater wealth had come into play. The power over a relationship, a community, a nation, is what has become the biggest threat.
In the beginning, Animal Farm was a great idea, a chance to get revenge against the humans and to have everything the way that was convenient to the animals. The Russian Revolution was played out to a similar plot, the idea of communism turned into absolute power. Having absolute power will corrupt a nation, sending everything good plummeting to the ground.
The ideas of the Russian Revolution are clearly represented through the characters and events of Animal Farm. In the beginning of the novel Old Major and his idea of animalism, the thinking that every animal is equal, represent Karl Marx with his design of communism. When Mr. Jones, portraying Czar Nicholas II, is removed from the farm, Squealer, Napoleon, and Snowball, representing Lenin, Stalin, and Trotsky, take the idea of communism into full perspective. In the novel, Napoleon takes complete control of the farm, eliminating Snowball from the equation just as Trotsky was deported from Russia. All the characters have a role to play on the farm, just as the people did in the Russian Revolution.
Power is a thing everyone enjoys having but when all control has been turned over to one person, the human instinct takes over. After the people have no control, everything goes corrupt. Just like Napoleon, who’s main purpose was to make all animals equal, absolute power ruins the principle of communism. Once everyone is equal, nobody is equal. While Czar Nicholas II was removed and all the peasants were alike, a greater wealth had come into play. The power over a relationship, a community, a nation, is what has become the biggest threat.
In the beginning, Animal Farm was a great idea, a chance to get revenge against the humans and to have everything the way that was convenient to the animals. The Russian Revolution was played out to a similar plot, the idea of communism turned into absolute power. Having absolute power will corrupt a nation, sending everything good plummeting to the ground.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Flying
Departing…
From the peaceful jade forest
Capturing…
The beauty of the grand clouds up above
Seeing…
The tiny world shrinking as you rise up into the sky
Escaping…
From the restricting world beneath
Soaring…
High above the clouds
Feeling…
The wind on your face
Racing…
Joyful members of the flock
Falling…
Back down to the earth below
Po...
The panic is almost unbearable. Po may not be able to control it anymore. If he fails at this, he may be taking their lives along with his. If the king doesn’t die, then surely Po will. The mission: kill the evil King Leck to save Princess Bitterblue and all of Monsea.
Coming up on the party, fright is the one soul feeling rushing through Po’s body, along with the uncontrollable sense of everything around him for which he is Graced with. The first sight of Leck’s outer guard is a moment of feared joy for this is either the beginning or the end. First, the guard Graced with amazing sight and hearing spots him. Taking him out should be no problem for Po, but he might come out slightly scratched up from the guards Graced with sword fighting skills.
“Halt!” the first guard wails.
Out comes the dagger and the guard is gone. However, the guards of the outer guard have heard all this commotion and have come to avenge their fellow guard. Soon they are all gone and all that stands between Po and King Leck is the inner guard. Here is his chance. It’s now or never for Po to kill King Leck. Before they can even see him, Po shoots an arrow that nicks King Leck’s neck and alerts the men.
“Ready! Aim! Fire!” shouts King Leck to his army.
The arrows fly through the air. Po sees this one arrow, headed straight toward him. The attack of the arrow sends pain throughout Po’s body, all coming back to the wound on his shoulder. So much pain. I must get back to Katsa: the one thought repeating itself over and over again in Po’s mind. The galloping horse whinnies as arrows are lining its mane like a porcupine. The darkness comes. Pain, darkness, and death are erupting inside Po’s mind as he falls into a deep, dark sleep.
Po wakes to the rush of air along his face, the sight of water, and a little girl shrieking. Oh what a wonderful sight this is to Po, until the reality of the situation hits him. Po! Po! Katsa calls to Po inside his head. More than just the wind is knocked out of Po when he hits the water. His foot caught in the stirrup of the horse, sinking fast to the bottom of the icy cold lake. Something is moving towards him. Is it just his imagination? Or is there really a living, moving creature spotting him, coming to him? Just as he is pulled free by this thing, he comes and goes between the realms of unconsciousness.
Po! Po! Please don’t die. Po just look at me. Katsa? Was it she who has saved me from the depths of the lake? It must have been. Po sits up, wincing in pain. The fire’s burning glow seems distant and blurry, not quite the same as before his immense fall. Suddenly he knows what he must do. What they must do to him, for him.
“Katsa. You have to leave me behind.” Po states.
“What! But Po how… how… how could I leave you, you need help, you can barely limp.” Katsa manages to get out between whimpers.
"Oh, but Katsa you must. I am slowing you down. Bitterblue will never get to safety with me along. Tomorrow we will find a place for me to stay while you take Bitterblue to Lienid.”
The next day, as Po, Katsa and Bitterblue are searching for a decent cave of some sort for Po to stay and recover in, the group comes across a deserted cabin in a good condition. Po this is perfect! But where will you hide? Leck’s soldiers will search every inch of this place.
"There is a pond behind this place. Back in Lienid, my brothers and I found a cave in the side of a pond. I have a feeling there might be one in this pond, too.” Po hints to Katsa.
While Katsa is exploring the cave, Po and Bitterblue stand in silence, waiting. Bursting up for air, Katsa says,” There is definitely a cave down there but, will you be able to swim if Leck’s solders come looking for anyone hiding in the cabin?” Po nods his head, yes.
Katsa departs into the forest to find fire wood for the fire Po was to keep going at all times of the day. As Bitterblue asks him a series of questions having to do with his health, Katsa and herself, and Lienid; Po’s thoughts are elsewhere. Thinking Why is everything suddenly different? How can it become like it was before? Bitterblue’s jumble of questions seem to disappear as Po’s own wonders occupy his thoughts.
After Katsa returns, starts a fire for Po, catches many fish and places them into her wooden cage emerged in the pond, Katsa and Bitterblue say a sad and lonely goodbye and are on their way to Po’s castle in Lienid. Now it would be Katsa’s castle, for Po had given her his castle’s ring. Any Lienids the girls come across will honor their request for safe passage over to the castle on the western coast of Lienid.
Days pass as Po struggles to fight his Grace and survive in his current state of health. Suddenly, one day he senses it. The soldiers are coming! Po hops, falls and knows that it is impossible. The soldiers are still far enough away that he might be able to crawl to the pond and swim into his cave, the only place he is certain the guards will not search. Slowly splashing into the cold, icy water, swimming to the dry little cove where Po will be safe.
As Po enters the cave darkness surrounds him. Suddenly it hits him. He doesn’t need to fight his Grace, he can live more peacefully with it rather than trying to pretend it’s not even existent. There is no more fighting. No more believing that his Grace doesn’t exist. Without the struggle, everything becomes more clear. Po knows he lost his sight, but his Grace lets him see.
Coming up on the party, fright is the one soul feeling rushing through Po’s body, along with the uncontrollable sense of everything around him for which he is Graced with. The first sight of Leck’s outer guard is a moment of feared joy for this is either the beginning or the end. First, the guard Graced with amazing sight and hearing spots him. Taking him out should be no problem for Po, but he might come out slightly scratched up from the guards Graced with sword fighting skills.
“Halt!” the first guard wails.
Out comes the dagger and the guard is gone. However, the guards of the outer guard have heard all this commotion and have come to avenge their fellow guard. Soon they are all gone and all that stands between Po and King Leck is the inner guard. Here is his chance. It’s now or never for Po to kill King Leck. Before they can even see him, Po shoots an arrow that nicks King Leck’s neck and alerts the men.
“Ready! Aim! Fire!” shouts King Leck to his army.
The arrows fly through the air. Po sees this one arrow, headed straight toward him. The attack of the arrow sends pain throughout Po’s body, all coming back to the wound on his shoulder. So much pain. I must get back to Katsa: the one thought repeating itself over and over again in Po’s mind. The galloping horse whinnies as arrows are lining its mane like a porcupine. The darkness comes. Pain, darkness, and death are erupting inside Po’s mind as he falls into a deep, dark sleep.
Po wakes to the rush of air along his face, the sight of water, and a little girl shrieking. Oh what a wonderful sight this is to Po, until the reality of the situation hits him. Po! Po! Katsa calls to Po inside his head. More than just the wind is knocked out of Po when he hits the water. His foot caught in the stirrup of the horse, sinking fast to the bottom of the icy cold lake. Something is moving towards him. Is it just his imagination? Or is there really a living, moving creature spotting him, coming to him? Just as he is pulled free by this thing, he comes and goes between the realms of unconsciousness.
Po! Po! Please don’t die. Po just look at me. Katsa? Was it she who has saved me from the depths of the lake? It must have been. Po sits up, wincing in pain. The fire’s burning glow seems distant and blurry, not quite the same as before his immense fall. Suddenly he knows what he must do. What they must do to him, for him.
“Katsa. You have to leave me behind.” Po states.
“What! But Po how… how… how could I leave you, you need help, you can barely limp.” Katsa manages to get out between whimpers.
"Oh, but Katsa you must. I am slowing you down. Bitterblue will never get to safety with me along. Tomorrow we will find a place for me to stay while you take Bitterblue to Lienid.”
The next day, as Po, Katsa and Bitterblue are searching for a decent cave of some sort for Po to stay and recover in, the group comes across a deserted cabin in a good condition. Po this is perfect! But where will you hide? Leck’s soldiers will search every inch of this place.
"There is a pond behind this place. Back in Lienid, my brothers and I found a cave in the side of a pond. I have a feeling there might be one in this pond, too.” Po hints to Katsa.
While Katsa is exploring the cave, Po and Bitterblue stand in silence, waiting. Bursting up for air, Katsa says,” There is definitely a cave down there but, will you be able to swim if Leck’s solders come looking for anyone hiding in the cabin?” Po nods his head, yes.
Katsa departs into the forest to find fire wood for the fire Po was to keep going at all times of the day. As Bitterblue asks him a series of questions having to do with his health, Katsa and herself, and Lienid; Po’s thoughts are elsewhere. Thinking Why is everything suddenly different? How can it become like it was before? Bitterblue’s jumble of questions seem to disappear as Po’s own wonders occupy his thoughts.
After Katsa returns, starts a fire for Po, catches many fish and places them into her wooden cage emerged in the pond, Katsa and Bitterblue say a sad and lonely goodbye and are on their way to Po’s castle in Lienid. Now it would be Katsa’s castle, for Po had given her his castle’s ring. Any Lienids the girls come across will honor their request for safe passage over to the castle on the western coast of Lienid.
Days pass as Po struggles to fight his Grace and survive in his current state of health. Suddenly, one day he senses it. The soldiers are coming! Po hops, falls and knows that it is impossible. The soldiers are still far enough away that he might be able to crawl to the pond and swim into his cave, the only place he is certain the guards will not search. Slowly splashing into the cold, icy water, swimming to the dry little cove where Po will be safe.
As Po enters the cave darkness surrounds him. Suddenly it hits him. He doesn’t need to fight his Grace, he can live more peacefully with it rather than trying to pretend it’s not even existent. There is no more fighting. No more believing that his Grace doesn’t exist. Without the struggle, everything becomes more clear. Po knows he lost his sight, but his Grace lets him see.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Tom Sawyer Final Essay
As the school bus passes, driving down the street back into the world of which it came from, you glance back at where it was sitting just a moment ago. The calm, peaceful world has returned to the way it was, never really changing from day to day. Tom, from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, never really does change throughout the novel. Even adventures as a pirate and a robber can't change Tom's innocent personality. Innocence takes time to diminish, something of which The Adventures of Tom Sawyer doesn't span enough over.
The boys from the novel are immature and innocent; for they will be innocent for time to come. Tom Sawyer has many immature adventures many children dream about-- but are mature enough not to actually go out and have those adventures. Children are certain of their futures up until an evident time in their lives. Tom thinks he knows what it is he wants to bring about in his lifetime, yet he is only a child. Every child at one point in their life wants to be just like Tom actually is -- able to get away with whatever -- no matter how crazy it is.
Along with being immature, childish is something Tom Sawyer is without a doubt. In the novel, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Tom Sawyer is a young boy with friends by his side. All throughout the novel Tom, Huck, and Joe are friends to the end. Pirates who attend their own funerals to robbers who find Injun Joe's treasure, these boys are going to be there for each other. Tom Sawyer and his friends will stick together forever, disregarding the challenges that they will certainly conquer in the romantic world of literature they live in.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a novel about a boy who dreams of adventure, immature enough to go right ahead and pursue his dreams. Children are adventurous, as they always will be, but Tom is a boy of childish nature who will live his whole life always dreaming of new adventures. The three adventurers from the 1800's will always be an American classic for relating to the people of the modern world today. Even though Tom will grow to be a man one day, he will always be a child at heart.
The boys from the novel are immature and innocent; for they will be innocent for time to come. Tom Sawyer has many immature adventures many children dream about-- but are mature enough not to actually go out and have those adventures. Children are certain of their futures up until an evident time in their lives. Tom thinks he knows what it is he wants to bring about in his lifetime, yet he is only a child. Every child at one point in their life wants to be just like Tom actually is -- able to get away with whatever -- no matter how crazy it is.
Along with being immature, childish is something Tom Sawyer is without a doubt. In the novel, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Tom Sawyer is a young boy with friends by his side. All throughout the novel Tom, Huck, and Joe are friends to the end. Pirates who attend their own funerals to robbers who find Injun Joe's treasure, these boys are going to be there for each other. Tom Sawyer and his friends will stick together forever, disregarding the challenges that they will certainly conquer in the romantic world of literature they live in.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a novel about a boy who dreams of adventure, immature enough to go right ahead and pursue his dreams. Children are adventurous, as they always will be, but Tom is a boy of childish nature who will live his whole life always dreaming of new adventures. The three adventurers from the 1800's will always be an American classic for relating to the people of the modern world today. Even though Tom will grow to be a man one day, he will always be a child at heart.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Friendship
As you hear the distinct ring of the doorbell, a sudden hope has arrived. Gracefully moving to the dorway, you know who is at the door waiting for you to unlock the lock and turn the knob. As the door opens, a smile flashes across your face as you see your best friend standing right in front of you. Friendship is one of the most powerful forces in the world as anyone can be a friend, and a friend can be anyone.
Friends are always there for you through the ups and the downs. Whether you win your soccer game or when your dog dies, friends will be there cheering you on or comforting you. Though many tough times come in our lifetimes, our friends are here to comfort us and to be supportive in the decisions we make everyday of our lives. No matter how many friends you have, what really matters is loyalty. Friends have to be as loyal as a servant is to its master. You have to play your part as a friend too. Along with friends being loyal to you, you need to be loyal to your friends. As a friend may come and go, more are never far away.
In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, friendship is something Tom Sawyer is never short of. Huckleberry Finn and Joe Harper are Tom's best friends. They are always with him from the adventures as pirates on the island, to digging for buried treasure. After they return from being pirates, and attend their own funeral, Tom sticks up for Huck when nobody seems to be happy for him to be safe. This shows just how powerful these boys can be, getting a grown woman to care for a boy nobody seems to enjoy having around. Tom Sawyer truly knows what friendship means, and will do anything for it.
Tom Sawyer found out that friends are always there for you, as you should always be there for them. Friends are loyal, kind, and truly something to appreciate greatly throughout your lifetime. Tom, Huck and Joe were definitely great friends always ready for an adventure. Just as all friends should be, these boys were truly loyal. Friends are the key to life -- something we just can't live without.
Friends are always there for you through the ups and the downs. Whether you win your soccer game or when your dog dies, friends will be there cheering you on or comforting you. Though many tough times come in our lifetimes, our friends are here to comfort us and to be supportive in the decisions we make everyday of our lives. No matter how many friends you have, what really matters is loyalty. Friends have to be as loyal as a servant is to its master. You have to play your part as a friend too. Along with friends being loyal to you, you need to be loyal to your friends. As a friend may come and go, more are never far away.
In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, friendship is something Tom Sawyer is never short of. Huckleberry Finn and Joe Harper are Tom's best friends. They are always with him from the adventures as pirates on the island, to digging for buried treasure. After they return from being pirates, and attend their own funeral, Tom sticks up for Huck when nobody seems to be happy for him to be safe. This shows just how powerful these boys can be, getting a grown woman to care for a boy nobody seems to enjoy having around. Tom Sawyer truly knows what friendship means, and will do anything for it.
Tom Sawyer found out that friends are always there for you, as you should always be there for them. Friends are loyal, kind, and truly something to appreciate greatly throughout your lifetime. Tom, Huck and Joe were definitely great friends always ready for an adventure. Just as all friends should be, these boys were truly loyal. Friends are the key to life -- something we just can't live without.
Friday, January 8, 2010
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Essay
How innocent is a baby, just born, only guilty of crying, while the grandfather of that baby is sitting in the room, holding the tiny newborn, and everyone around can see that distinct difference between them. Not in their looks, but in something beyond that, the look of innocnce versus the look of experience. This old man still isn't completely experienced, but is nearing the end of the road, with only death left in his way. Moving from innocence to experience doesn't just happen in an hour, a day, a week, or even a year; but takes a lifetime to complete.
Francie, at the beginning of the novel, is a very innocent girl, quietly reading a book on the fire escape, thinking about the little golden-brown pottery jug at the library with the summer blooming nasturtiums in it. Once Johnny dies, and Laurie is born, Francie has to take over a bigger role in her household, which includes getting a job and giving up something she desperately wants -- the opportunity to go to high school. As the conclusion of the novel grows near, Francie realizes she is growing up. When Francie finally leaves home and goes to college, her mother’s decision to not send her back to high school has paid off with her earning money for college.
As an innocent person, the world looks wonderful, with small flaws and nothing more, while an experienced person, sees the world as a cold, lonely place filled with hatred and cruelty. As a small innocent child we remember rainbows and clear blue skies, but as move to experience we start to remember the loud and frightening thunder storms, but the innocence still in us loves to see the sun come out and a beautiful rainbow appear in the sky. As the experience grows inside of us, and the innocence diminishes, the world changes just as the people in the world change. Just like Francie, everyone has to take a bigger role in the world when something dramatic happens in their life, such as a death, like Johnny, or a birth, like Laurie.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is not a book about a tree growing in a suburb of New York but about one family’s struggle with life and their journey from innocence to experience. Now, nearly 100 years from the time that Francie was growing up, we can relate to what she was thinking, feeling, how she was acting and as time passes, technology improves and minds become great tools to exploring and uncovering the future, people have only changed in the clothes that they wear and the tools that they use to get through their day.
Francie, at the beginning of the novel, is a very innocent girl, quietly reading a book on the fire escape, thinking about the little golden-brown pottery jug at the library with the summer blooming nasturtiums in it. Once Johnny dies, and Laurie is born, Francie has to take over a bigger role in her household, which includes getting a job and giving up something she desperately wants -- the opportunity to go to high school. As the conclusion of the novel grows near, Francie realizes she is growing up. When Francie finally leaves home and goes to college, her mother’s decision to not send her back to high school has paid off with her earning money for college.
As an innocent person, the world looks wonderful, with small flaws and nothing more, while an experienced person, sees the world as a cold, lonely place filled with hatred and cruelty. As a small innocent child we remember rainbows and clear blue skies, but as move to experience we start to remember the loud and frightening thunder storms, but the innocence still in us loves to see the sun come out and a beautiful rainbow appear in the sky. As the experience grows inside of us, and the innocence diminishes, the world changes just as the people in the world change. Just like Francie, everyone has to take a bigger role in the world when something dramatic happens in their life, such as a death, like Johnny, or a birth, like Laurie.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is not a book about a tree growing in a suburb of New York but about one family’s struggle with life and their journey from innocence to experience. Now, nearly 100 years from the time that Francie was growing up, we can relate to what she was thinking, feeling, how she was acting and as time passes, technology improves and minds become great tools to exploring and uncovering the future, people have only changed in the clothes that they wear and the tools that they use to get through their day.
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