Author: cgrant

Olauda probably thought the world was “full of magic” because he was a young kid that was captured and taken from his family. Olauda had never saw a big boat before or the people that came to get him and his sister, which was the white man. During their voyage from Olauda’s native land to be sold and traded off like cattle and hogs, Olauda was able to see flying fish. He also noticed there were different animals in the water and he dreamed that he could trade places with them and be free as well. He never thought that the telescope could show him the things that he saw, abundance of water surrounding the slave boat. Everything was all new to him. Even though he was a child and frightened, he was strong. Also, he took everything in that was shown to him by the white man (nice slave trader). Olauda had to think that everything he was looking at was amazing to him for he had never been away from his homeland to have known about some of the things he saw.

I personally feel as though both worlds whether being born into slavery or captured and made to be a slave, were bad. Both captured and born slaves were beaten or flogged. Both were made to be servants and slaves for another man and his family of a different color. Both captured slaves and born a slave slaves were treated as though they were not worthy to be humans. It was as though the slave owners were dehumanizing the slaves just to see their house, wife, kids, yard, and sometimes their sexual desires pleasured. My point is there were no such slaves who had it good. Yes, some slaves were being taught how to read and write but they still were flogged if they forgot their place as a slave. Regardless whether you were born into slavery or capture and made into a slave, your fate was all the same. Not even a free man was treated with respect.

I do not like the fact that this county (like many others) like to tell the public and parents that the kids matter and no child is or will be left behind. I have not yet to see a youth choir, someone giving dance lessons to boys and girls or a swim team for the youth. Yes, I know that you may crossover to Columbus Ga. to get that all over experience but what about the kids and people in our own community. All I am saying is I have yet to see multiple things for kids to do after school in Phenix City Al besides the normal or usual school sports and drama classes. How about the parents come together and lets try teaching the youth how to do the basics in the kitchen or the basics in cleaning. Let us help build and shape their character instead of, waiting on them to act out and throw a label on them for society to deal with. We as a society say and scream it is all about the kids, so let us think of the youth and bring positive things for them to experience.

I agree with the statement that was quoted “well! Give me peace in my day”. Why? The quote is a real true statement for all “real” parents. I would rather all wars, plagues, and diseases to come about in my day, so that we can try to rid the world of it and make peace with wars as well. Information can be found out on new disease and documented for our children (if we see that we cannot deplete whatever disease it is). I feel as though I could have done what Paine suggested, taking war in my day so our children could have peace in their day to come. My kids mean a lot and I would love to see them grow up not knowing what disease are, racsim, and the classification of our people no matter the color. I wish we could deplete all the things that could bring harm to our kids and hinder all kids from growing up being knowledgeable adults.

The definition of an American is to love your nation whether good or bad, be true to your word because that is all you have, go above and beyond the call of duty for your family and nation, always hold your held up no matter the situation. Never cross thy neighbor in any type of way, be willing to learn and give knowledgeable information. Do not take from another unless it is given to you. Always be willing to feed your fellow American. Help others when you see they are in need, give a kind word even to a stranger, and find a way to compromise even with your enemy. Most of all, stand tall feet planted to the ground and be free because America was built on different nationalities.

In a way I agree with what is about what being an American is. First, we are not originally from America, some of us are of American descent but majority of us are not. Even though we all are not of American descent, we can at least strive to do good and have a better living for not only just ourselves but our family as well. Some of our ancestors came to this land with nothing but they were given a chance to plow the land and grow their own food. They were paid, not much, but back then it was alt to our ancestors. The government in America allowed our people to work in order to feed their children and clothe them. Yes, Americans should be glad and proud to be able to say they were Americans. I am comfortable saying I agree with the way we are living because back during the day it was very bad.

Some of the quotes I have heard of and they are actually meaningful and good. One of the quotes say “There are no gains without pains”. The quote to me says, nobody can grow in whatever they choose to do in life without having to deal with the pain that follows. You want to be successful, in order to gain more power you will have to deal with pain. Another great quote is “Have you something to do tomorrow? Do it today.” Do not wait until tomorrow you can achieve excellence for today because no one knows if tomorrow is promised to them. The one I chose to go on the 13th street bridge billboard is “Having been poor is no shame; but being ashamed of it is”. You can go from being rich to poor, from poor to being rich. However a person that has been without and have been poor tends to appreciate what they have at any moment.

What is amazing is even though Benjamin Franklin was not a president he did so much to make America better. Benjamin Franklin did amazing things such as, Emancipation of Proclamation and The Declaration of Independence. The most fascinating part was the discovery of electricity. I never would have thought that Franklin was born to a soap and candlemaker Englishman. My thought was that his family was well off or just well established. Learning about Ben Franklin and everything he was a part of, I would have never guessed that he had time to make children out of wedlock because he was a busy man. No the facts of Benjamin Franklin life is not what I would have expected of a founding father. You will think a founding father would have came from some type of lavishing lifestyle.

I will say reading and learning about Christopher Columbus was a good piece to read about. Reading about Christopher Columbus and his voyages especially pertaining to the New World America was very interesting. The image that I had of Columbus was not a pleasant thought in the beginning. I had to read about him (other than what was taught to me in elementary school) to understand why he did what he did ( discovered America). Columbus had his flaws but he was not a terrible person that my old teacher claimed him to be. I would recommend that Christopher Columbus is taught in the other Eng251 classes just in case someone has this terrible thought of Columbus. The Early American Literature class can help them to get a better understanding of Christopher Columbus and his voyages.

Jonathon Edwards place an image of a God who is not forgiving once you have betrayed him or sinned and have done the opposite of what you know is good. he lets you know that hell is waiting on you and that if you do not do the right thing all the time that God can just let you go from his hands and fall into the gates of fiery hell. Edwards tell the congregation that God has no pity for sinners. God will turn his his head away from any of those people that go against him. You should always walk a good path of righteousness no matter what. God will punish you for all eternity and there will be no special treatment for anyone, everyone will get the same treatment. The wrath of God will be unjustly and fiery and he will turn away from you and you will go the bottomless pit of hell. Jonathan Edwards made God seem as though he was the devil his self. The picture of hell was imprinted on the congregations mind pertaining to disobeying God.