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Post by Mr. Thomas on Oct 21, 2013 10:15:58 GMT -5
Post responses here.
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Post by eointunney on Oct 21, 2013 16:50:17 GMT -5
Eoin Tunney
Mr. Thomas
English 11
21 October 2013
E. Even before reading this speech I knew Thomas Paine was an extremely radical guy, but after reading this I fully understood Paine’s hate towards Britain. Constantly Paine says how much more powerful the United States should be compared to Britain. Paine says on page 90. “Not a place upon Earth might be as happy as America.” If Thomas Paine lived in America today, I believe he would be living in the South simply because he seems like he loves the United States. He would fit in perfectly with the people who think America is the best nation in the world. I found his perception of America made the speech a lot more enjoyable.
D. Reading through this speech I came across a few lines which I found enjoyable. This quote is on the top of page 90, which states, “Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to tax) but “to bind us in all cases whatsoever” and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery, then there is not such a thing as slavery upon earth.” I enjoyed this line because from what I learned so far in history this year, I have to say I totally agree with Paine. The colonies at this point are being taxed by Britain, which is unfair because they have no one representing them in Parliament. I also really enjoyed the line where Paine compares the cunning of a fox to the violence of a wolf. I really liked this line because he brought in animals when referring to what America should prepare for then they fight Britain.
A. Even though I find Thomas Paine as a very enjoyable person and great motivator for America, I believe if he was a political figure in the United States today he was do more harm to America then anyone could possibly do. Paine seems like he would want to go to war with any country that he feels may threaten the United States. Our country would be in a lot more wars, and out debt crises may possibly be a lot larger than it already is. Thomas Paine would be too radical for today’s America.
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Post by matthewchan on Oct 21, 2013 17:27:06 GMT -5
Matthew Chan
Mr. Thomas
English 11
21 October 2013
D. A line that I enjoyed was “that God almighty will not give up a people to military destruction, or leave them unsupportedly to perish, who have so earnestly and so repeatedly sought to avoid the calamities of war, by every decent method which wisdom could invent”. Here, Pain states that he believes God supports the Americans every step of the way. Also, God will not give up on anyone and will continue to help the Americans who are fighting so they can try their best to win.
A. I agree with what Eoin said about Thomas Pain being a political figure in today’s world. He said that Pain will do more harm for the US and would want to go to war with anyone that threatens the country. Not only that but the US would be in more debt. The United States doesn’t need a radical ruler like Pain. The US would be in a lot of trouble with financial situations and military problems. Not only that but it would not feel safe living in the US. The US has a lot of alliances with other countries but if Pain was president, forget about the allies.
E. This speech really showed me who Thomas Pain really was. The way he describes the British is truly out of the ordinary. He really wants the United States to be extremely powerful and successful but through a different path of success. Eoin said that the best place for him is the safe but, I think the best place for him would be nowhere. He does have some good ideas but he is too radical and I think no one will listen to him except those who want to hear his sermons or the smartest people in the world.
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Post by joeroperti on Oct 21, 2013 17:37:27 GMT -5
Joseph Roperti
Mr.Thomas
english 11
21 October 2013
E. Prior to reading this speech I knew that Thomas Paine was a man of common sense and radical thought. Paine made his hate for the british clear and profound. Paine glorifies the united states and proclaims how it is the best country. If I were to compare Paine to a man today i would find him to be living in the city of new york into politics and profoundly patriotic. I thought this because he shows he is intelligent and also he is very willing to do thing for his country that other may not.
C. I find this speech very interesting and a little overboard. Even though we were brought to be fully loving an patriotic citizens i don't belevie that one person can show so much valor towards there country. But also during this time everything was carried out by rallying around an ideas and pursuing the goal. Even though I thought it was over board I thought it was very interesting because of the environment where people could just be killed on the street for saying the wrong thing
A. Paine seems to be a strong political figure for his time but i don't belevie he would be suited for todays world. He would be a man of war, making sure America was on top and not below one country in anything especially war.
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Post by johnmarano on Oct 21, 2013 17:41:15 GMT -5
John Marano
Mr. Thomas
English 11
21 October 2013
Discussion Board
D. I really liked this story by Thomas Paine because it gave us readers an understanding of his true deist beliefs. A specific quote that really stood out to me was, “I thank God that I fear not. I see no real cause for fear” (93). I really liked this because it kind of questioned my thoughts. During class we spoke about Deism and we came to an understanding that people who do follow this religion don’t really do anything for God. This quote shows that he really is honoring back God and even praising him in a way. I liked how this quote involved the background of Deism and showed the importance of God.
E. Unlike the Crucible containing many characters, the only character in the story is the narrator, Thomas Paine. I get a feel for him and I am in favor of the way he thinks. I specifically enjoy how he continues to keep a positive attitude throughout the story. I liked how he wanted the American situation to be solved. His good patience and effort made the story worth reading.
I. I would like to point out what Eoin had said. He said that Thomas Paine constantly explains how powerful the Americans should be compared to Britain. I would like to point out that this was kind of a shock to me. As we know from history class, American colonists were trying extremely hard to break away from Britain and had a really hard time doing so because of how powerful Britain was. I like how Eion explained this and compared it to present day. I would also like to point out that Eion did a great job explaining “Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to tax) but “to bind us in all cases whatsoever” (90). I really wanted to comment on this because this quote does show how unfair it was between the colonist and Britain.
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Post by matthewsegarra on Oct 21, 2013 18:35:16 GMT -5
Matthew Segarra
Mr. Thomas
English 11
21 October 2013
D. I liked this story because it was interesting to learn about deism. One quote that was interesting is, “I thank God that I fear not. I see no real cause for fear…” (93). I like this quote because I can relate to it. There is no reason to be afraid of anything. This quote shows how deists did not completely reject God.
E. Thomas Paine is the narrator, main character, and the only character in this story. I admire the way he thinks and his intellect. I like his positive attitude throughout the whole story. I liked how he favored the Americans, just like Wheatley. He made this story interesting and a good read.
I. I like what Eoin had to say about Thomas Paine. He talked about how Paine believed America was stronger than Britain. We all know that army wise, Britain was superior, but the colonists had stronger wills and more determination. They were also fighting with nothing to lose, which was and advantage because there was no pressure on them. I liked the connection Eoin made to modern day. I think Eoin did a good job portraying the colonist and British situation. He explained the unfair tax, which shows us a part of the colonists’ motivation.
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Post by johnrice on Oct 21, 2013 19:46:21 GMT -5
John Rice
Mr. Thomas
10/21/13
English 11
Discussion Board Post
D. "The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it NOW, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman." This quote is interesting for a couple reasons. I love this quote because it is like a guarantee to those soldiers that will stand through the intensity of the "summer" willbe praised when they bear the fruits of freedom at the end of the war. I also believe that summer, and sunshine soldiers is a reference to those citizens who were excited about serving their country but were weak, and bowed out when the going got tough. I also like this because it is rallying the real troops.
E. I really like Thomas Paine. What a radical thinker! I love it! He is a revolutionary scholar and writer in this time period which is awesome to analyze. Actually people in this entire time period were pretty revolutionary. People were changing and trying to break away from British rule. That alone is a radical, and new way of thinking. These actions stay constant with the new world religion, stating that we need to figure things out by ourselves. The men and women in the 13 colonies where trying to figure things out by themselves.
A. Okay so while reading this one social cultural event or movement kept coming to my head. I may being going on a limb but I think this kind of relates to the movement of gay marriage legalization. Before people say "what the hell", hear me out. The British had total control of the colonies, and when the 13 states began breaking away it was a very progressive movement. Legalizing gay marriage is a very progressive movement in our society. It is a movement that is breaking away from the norm of heterosexual marriage that has been the way of common lifestyle for hundreds of years.
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Post by danokeefe15 on Oct 21, 2013 19:57:15 GMT -5
Danny O’Keefe
Mr. Thomas
English 11
10/21/13
D. A quote that stood out to me when reading was “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” The reason why this stood out to me was because it showed an overall view of what the reading was going to be about and because I’ve heard of it before. It saying that when something is very difficult the outcome is much greater than what you would expect.
A. Before reading the story I read the Background on page 88 which explained what was happening at the time and why this was important and it said that Thomas Paine wrote these pamphlets while the battle was going on and they were read by General Washington. He read it as a motivational speech to his soldiers which reminded me of the reading that we last had which was also a motivational speech that dealt with the battle which was read to George Washington and his soldiers.
C. What confused me again about the reading is the language and how it was written. It referred to things as it and I wouldn’t know exactly what that meant sometimes and some of the things that he would compare and refer to didn’t make much sense to me.
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Post by bourdonm15 on Oct 21, 2013 20:20:04 GMT -5
Matthew Bourdon
Mr. Thomas
English 11
10/21/13
E. I really enjoy Thomas Paine’s story and how he details it. We can tell that he definitely believes in nationalism and practices that for his country. He also stands up for the soldiers and says how it was in their perspective. “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country.” (Page 89) The first lines of the story immediately show Paine describing the soldiers and patriotism of the country. This is a insight to the type of feelings Paine had towards nationalism.
A. We could easily relate Paine’s story of war and conflict as a soldier to most soldiers in the army today. Day in and day out the soldiers go through conflicts and times of adversity that each has to overcome. ““If there must be trouble let it be in my day, that my child may have peace”; and this single reflection, well applied, is sufficient to awaken every man to duty.” (Page 90) This shows Paine’s mindset and can relate very well with the mindset of most of the soldiers if not all that serve our country every day. They do their call of duty (no pun intended) to help us have peace each and every day.
I. I agree with the point that Eoin made about Paine not being able to function in today’s America. He is a radical thinker and his persona is to fight to the death to show which is the better country. With the way things are now in this day and age, we cannot afford a war every couple of months.
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Post by rodriguezj15 on Oct 21, 2013 20:24:04 GMT -5
Joel Rodriguez Mr. Thomas English 11 October 21, 2013 The Crisis C. I noticed Thomas Paine mentioned God a lot in this piece. For example, on page 90, “my secret opinion has ever been, and still is, that God Almighty will not give up a people to military destruction, or leave them to perish…” I thought that Thomas Paine was a deist, and that deism doesn’t infuse religion in all secular actions? D. My favorite line from the reading was, “the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph (Paine 89)” I can see what he means by that and how he relates it to the colonists. Beating the British would’ve been a big challenge, but the outcome, freedom, would have been just as great. I also like this line because I agree with it. For example, getting a hundred on a test is a much better feeling than getting a hundred on a quiz. A. Even though this document is a big part of American history and such a influential part of our history, this document can still be used today. This pamphlet was revolutionary, literally, and something we are seeing a lot of today are revolutions. I’m pretty sure if someone in the Middle East was to write a piece of literature with the equivalent meaning as this one, they would be triumphed in their fight against oppression. If this revolutionary writer just replaced the situation America was in with the one his or her country is in, they would give the freedom fighters motivation. |
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Post by epoccia on Oct 21, 2013 20:52:54 GMT -5
Eddie Poccia
English 11
Mr. Thomas
21 October 2013
E. By reading this speech, the reader can reallt tell that Thomas Paine was very patriotic and cared about his country. I could see this speech motivating the American soldiers or even the leaders of the army. I also noticed that he stays positive throughout the entire speech.
C. The language that is used during this time period is very confusing to me. The language used was similar to the poem by Phyllis Wheatley. I just find it strange that people would talk like this on a day to day basis.
A. I think this poem can be related to the speech that we read last night by Phyllis Wheatley. I think her poem was also meant to motivate the people of America. In her poem she praised George Washington for his leadership and in this speech by Thomas Paine he is reassuring America that they will be victorious in the war against Great Britain.
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Post by georgebaroudos on Oct 21, 2013 21:15:27 GMT -5
George Baroudos
Mr. Thomas
English 11
21 October 2013
A – I feel as if Thomas Paine has a strong hatred for the British. Personally I have only hated one thing in my entire life. I hate tomatoes; I hate the look of them, the smell of them and most of all the taste of them. Considering I am Greek and Italian I am ashamed to say I hate tomatoes. But I refuse to eat tomatoes in general. They are the most awful tasting food I have ever eaten. I have given them numerous opportunities to impress me and they always fail to do so. I don’t think I will ever eat tomatoes.
D – “If there must be trouble let it be in my day, that my child may have peace” (90), these are the words of a real man. Only a real man sacrifices for his family. The extra steps that help raise a family will show in how your family functions. You get out what you put in and real men see results. This is the mindset of the colonists, yes they will suffer, but down the line their relatives will have it easier. It is ultimately a never-ending cycle that shows results. We will never see a true utopia, but we can try.
I – The action of thinking is so greatly stressed during this period in time. But, thinking can lead us in all different paths. Not all thinking is good thinking or steers us in the right way. In many aspects Thomas Paine is an extremist who calls for no government. Deciphering his writing style is often times difficult because of his on sidedness. In many aspects he does not see both sides of the spectrum. Although a figure who’s writing is worth analyzing, we must also remember how extreme he truly is.
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Post by frankclarke on Oct 21, 2013 21:49:43 GMT -5
Frank Clarke
Mr. Thomas
English 12
21 October 2013
D. The first page truly speaks wonders (I surprisingly understand it!) The line “Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed, if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.” This relates heavily to the poem we read for homework over the weekend (after it being explained) We know that during this time period, a lot of people were focused on freedom. As said by Paine, even capitalized, we see freedom was the basis for religion, that the freedom is so divine and perfect. Even though our society today was taken advantage of that “divinity”
E. A constant theme whilst reading this is freedom, and settling for less while others may attain even a simple life. (Live simply so others can simply live!) This theme is backed up by the quote “If there must be trouble let it be in my day, that my child may of peace.” This is clearly not the ideology of today, its act now and ask questions later. A bit frustrating to be honest!
A. The same quote and the same ideology (in E) is something that we can relate to in the modern day. Well, actually the exact opposite of that! Today, not only Americans, but most of the world, is very selfish. The generations before mine and my generation is absolutely screwed for the future. We constantly focus on our appearance and the opinions of others we forgot what it means to be human. When we forget our human identity, we act a certain way in situations that corrupts our society, thus the world.
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Post by Sgarlato on Oct 22, 2013 0:13:47 GMT -5
Stephen Sgarlato
Mr. Thomas
English 11
10/22/13
D. I liked the whole concept of the speech in general. I like that the British are trying to assume powers that only God should have. Paine also lays out a plan for the Americans saying that war can only lead to defeat unless a stable army was composed not of militia but of trained professionals. This says that America would need a perfect army in order to achieve success in war.
C. The only thing that confused me was the language at the time and I realize many others had this problem but it is true. The language used makes it difficult to understand certain aspects. I did get most of it though.
A. This relates to today’s world because Americas army is near perfection like Paine wanted or proposed. He proposed that in order to be the top in the world we need to have perfect army which we do now. This shows because our army is very professional and it is the best and is most threatening
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