Values of Frederick Douglass and Benjamin Franklin Essay

Values of Frederick Douglass and Benjamin Franklin - Essay Example But it soon became apparent that education was incompatible with chattel slavery, Mr. Auld wisely concluding that no educated Negro could ever truly be content with a life of perpetual bondage. When the wisdom of the statement became apparent, that self actualization in the interest of education would forever unfit him for slavery, young Frederick resolved to make that his mission. Most men, such as Benjamin Franklin of the prior century seek learning and knowledge that they might become something worthwhile. The man of ingenuity betters himself to become suitable for a future pursuit. But for Frederick Douglass, an ironic twist of his fate required that he educate himself to become unsuitable, that he might be useless in the life of menial drudgery under the overseers whip. Only by becoming worthless at his imposed vocation, could young Frederick succeed at becoming a self-made man. It was an unsuitability that would stay with him for the rest of his days and usher in his true lifes work. Douglass exemplified his commitment to progress, and self-improvement not only through his own advancement, but during his youth in Baltimore he aided in the education of others, such as his surrogate father whom he calls "the pious Lawson". He imparted instruction to other slaves that desired self-improvement, while at the same time receiving instruction from sympathetic white boys. For his entire life, Douglass wrestled with the common conceit among whites that African Americans are soulless animals without human feelings.

To See and Not See Essay Example for Free

To See and Not See Essay Have you ever been blind and then regained your sight even for a little while? Here’s another interesting question. If you have been blind and regained your sight for just a little while then, how would you think and how would you feel? It is imaginable that you might experience happiness and excitement at being able to see a world that had been hidden from you for so long; then, after a bit you might experience anger and frustration because of the difficulty adjusting to life as a sighted person. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that these and many other emotions were felt by Virgil, Amy, and his family when he regained his sight after being blind for most of his life. However, despite an operation to regain his sight Virgil loses his sight again.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Both the book To See and Not See by Oliver Sacks and the dramatic movie called Love at First Sight starring Val Kilmer as Virgil and Mira Sorvino as Amy tell Virgil’s remarkable story as his travels from darkness to light back to darkness again. The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the story and the movie. In addition, I will provide some personal reflection concerning how I would function in everyday life if I were blind.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The movie called At First Sight and the story To See and Not See has many differences. Some differences between the story and the movie are important to how the reader/viewer makes note of the key differences and some differences between the story and the movie aren’t important to how the reader/viewer look at the differences between the two mediums. There are many case studies of other blind people who have regained their sight for a while just like Virgil’s case. In fact, the story illustrated these other case studies such as a patient who went by the initials H.S. in order to compare and track Virgil progress and regression after the operation (Sacks, 1994, 10). The movie didn’t talk about other people who had been blind almost the entire lives and then regained their sight for a short time. This difference isn’t important to the evaluation of the two mediums.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In contrast, there is a difference between the story and the movie that does make an important difference in looking at the key points between the two genres. In the story Virgil and Amy had met and dated many years before they met again and ultimately married and in the movie Amy and Virgil had never met before they met at the spa. In addition, Amy in the movie had never been married and Amy in the story had been married before when she met Virgil. This is an important difference because some people when they have gone through life changing events such as moving and divorce would contact someone they liked and felt comfortable around. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that Amy would contact Virgil who she had dated before and felt comfortable with him. Also, the fact that in the story Amy and Virgil got married and in the movie Amy and Virgil are just dating make a huge difference because married people might stay together in times of crisis and a dating couple may decide that being together in times of crisis isn’t worth it and they may break up.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Also, I think that the fact that Amy has health problems in the story and she doesn’t have health problems in the movie provides her with different motivations for Virgil having the operation to restore his vision. In the movie At First Sight, Amy motivation for Virgil having the operation may be grounded in the fact that they are involved in a new love relationship. Also, she could wish Virgil to have the eye surgery because she is a perfectionist and if he has the operation to restore he will be perfect in her eyes (At First Sight, 1999). In the movie it seems as if Amy equates having the operation with having the â€Å"perfect† life with Virgil. In contrast, Amy in the story has health problems herself such as diabetes and asthma. In fact, Amy had to quit her job as a botanist due to her asthma (Sacks, 1994, 5). In the story, it seems as if Amy’s motivation for Virgil having the operation involves trying to help Virgil get better using the doctors that Amy uses to help her with her eye check ups due to diabetes (Sacks, 1994, 5). Due to the different motivations that prevail for Virgil having the operation the viewer of the movie might see Amy as selfish whereas the reader might feel for Amy and root for her and Virgil because of their health problems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I think that it is hard to give a concrete answer to the question whether operations to restore sight should be performed. It seems as if both in the movie and in the story Virgil had more problems when he could see than when he was blind. In the story when Virgil was blind he enjoyed life more because he loved going to the zoo to touch the gorillas and the giraffes. He also loved listening to baseball games when he was blind. However, when he could see and he went to the zoo he wasn’t allowed to touch any of the animals. Therefore he didn’t enjoy the zoo. Also, he lost his job due to complications from the operation (Sacks, 1994, 15, 20). Therefore, it seems that Virgil had freedom and independence when he was blind and he acted like a scared little child when he could see a bit. In fact, in the movie Virgil screams when he hears loud horns and sees bright colored cars coming at him (At First Sight, 1999). Therefore, based on these two examples it would seem that there needs to be more discussion and thought before allowing operations that restore sight. I think that people who have had their sight restored should have the option to have a Seeing Eye dog until they adjust to the world as a sighted person.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If I were blind then, I would have to have to have much help in learning to adjust to not being able to see. I am an avid reader and I love to cook and bake. Therefore, it would be hard getting used to reading with my hands and learning a different way of cooking and baking. I would be frustrated if I regained my sight and then lost it again I feel for Virgil in both the story and as I watched the movie. However, I felt more sympathy for Amy in the story rather than Amy in the movie. I think the moral of both the story and the movie is sight doesn’t always give you the freedom or perfection that you seek.

The Role of the Supreme Court in the Civil Rights Movement Essay

The Supreme Court was important in both suppressing and aiding the Civil Rights Movement. However, decisions taken by the President, the continued white opposition and improvements in media communications also had an effect. Although all were important, the Civil Rights movement alone would have reached the same end without the help of the Supreme Court, and the devotion of its many members and leaders is the major factor in advancing Civil Rights. The Supreme Court is perhaps most well known for the Brown vs. Board of Education decision in 1954. By declaring that segregation in schools was unconstitutional, Kevern Verney says a ‘direct reversal of the Plessy †¦ ruling’1 58 years earlier was affected. It was Plessy which gave southern states the authority to continue persecuting African-Americans for the next sixty years. The first positive aspect of Brown was was the actual integration of white and black students in schools. Unfortunately, this was not carried out to a suitable degree, with many local authorities feeling no obligation to change the status quo. The Supreme Court did issue a second ruling, the so called Brown 2, in 1955. This forwarded the idea that integration should proceed 'with all deliberate speed', but James T. Patterson tells us even by 1964 ‘only an estimated 1.2% of black children ... attended public schools with white children’2. This demonstrates that, although the Supr eme Court was working for Civil Rights, it was still unable to force change. Rathbone agrees, saying the Supreme Court ‘did not do enough to ensure compliance’3. However, Patterson goes on to say that ‘the case did have some impact’4. He explains how the ruling, although often ignored, acted ‘relatively quickly in most of the boarder s... ...day .23 Mark Rathbone, The US Supreme Court and Civil Rights, History Today .24 James T. Patterson, The Troubled Legacy of Brown v. Board, p. 10 .25 Mark Rathbone, The US Supreme Court and Civil Rights, History Today26 The Troubled Legacy of Brown v. Board, James T. Patterson, p. 6.27 Martha Gellhorn, Justice at Night, The Spectator 193628 Douglas A. Blackmon, Slavery by Another Name, p.729 Paterson and Willoughby, Civil Rights in the USA, 1863-1980, p.200.30 Douglas A. Blackmon, Slavery by Another Name, p.53.31 Mark Rathbone, 20th Century History Review, The US Presidency.32 Mark Rathbone, 20th Century History Review, The US Presidency.33 Clive Webb, Modern History Review, The Ku Klux Klan.34 Clive Webb, Modern History Review, The Ku Klux Klan.35 John A. Kirk, History Toady volume 52 issue 2, The Long Road to Equality for African-Americans

The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Fifteen

As she headed for the door of her dorm room, Elena rummaged through her bag, checking off a mental list: wallet, keys, phone, lip gloss, eyeliner, hairbrush, student ID. As she swung the door open, something fluttered to the ground. A perfect white daisy had fal en to the floor. Elena reached down and picked it up. Turning it in her hand, she felt a sudden sharp ache in her chest. God, I miss Stefan. She had no doubt the daisy was from him. It was just like him to let her know he was thinking of her while stil respecting her space. The ache in her chest was slowly replaced with a sweet glowing feeling. It seemed so sil y and artificial to avoid talking to Stefan. She loved him. And, beyond that, he was one of her best friends. Elena pul ed out her phone to cal him. And then she stopped. Taking a deep breath, she put the phone back into her bag. If she talked to Stefan, she would want to see him. If she saw him, she would want to touch him. If she touched him, it would al be over. She would find herself fal ing into him, entangled in love. And then she would look up and see Damon's dark unfathomable eyes watching them and feel that pul toward him. And then the brothers would look at each other, and love and pain and fury would pass over their faces, and everything would start up again. It had felt good to walk away from them for a while, even though it was heartbreaking and awful and terribly lonely, too. But, since then, Elena had felt a calm settle over her. She wasn't happy, exactly – it was like she was covered with bruises, and if she wasn't careful, pain would flood over her as she remembered what she had done. But she also felt as if she had been holding her breath for weeks and now was able to exhale. She knew that Stefan would be waiting for her when she was ready to face him again. Wasn't that what the daisy meant? She tucked the flower inside her bag and set off down the hal , her heels clicking firmly. Elena was going to go out with her friends, she was going to have fun, and she wasn't going to think about Stefan, or Damon. Or even the disappearances, or Christopher's death. Elena sighed under the weight of it al . For days, they had been mourning, and now Elena and her friends needed to embrace life again. They deserved an evening of freedom. They needed to remember what they were fighting for. â€Å"There she is,† Elena heard Bonnie say as she entered the crowded bar. â€Å"Elena! Over here!† Bonnie, Meredith, and a girl Elena didn't know were sitting at a smal table near the dance floor. They had invited Matt to come out with them, but he'd said he had to study, his face politely closed off, and they knew he wasn't ready yet and that he needed some time alone. Meredith, graceful and relaxed, gave Elena a cool smile in greeting and introduced her friend Samantha. Samantha was lean, bright eyed, and alert. She seemed like she had energy to spare, shifting from side to side, chatting without stopping. Bonnie, too, was clearly on tonight and started talking as soon as Elena reached the table. Bonnie was brave, Elena thought. Christopher's death had shocked her, and she was as worried about Matt as any of them, but she would stick out her chin and smile and gossip and go on with life just as hard as she could, because they had decided that was what tonight would be about. â€Å"I got you a Coke,† Bonnie said. â€Å"They carded me, so I couldn't get anything else. Guess what?† She paused dramatical y. â€Å"I cal ed Zander, and he said he'd definitely try to make it here tonight. I can't wait for you guys to meet him!† Bonnie was practical y bouncing out of her seat with excitement, red curls flipping everywhere. â€Å"Who's Zander?† asked Samantha innocently. Meredith gave Elena a sly glance. â€Å"You know, I'm not sure,† she said with mock confusion. â€Å"Bonnie, tel us about him.† â€Å"Yes,† Elena added, smirking. â€Å"I don't think you've mentioned him at al , have you?† â€Å"Shut up, you guys,† Bonnie said amiably, and, leaning over the table to Samantha, started to extol al of Zander's virtues to her fresh audience. Elena let her mind wander. She'd heard it al , night after night in their dorm lately: Zander's eyes, Zander's smile, Zander's bashful charm, Zander's very hot bod (Bonnie's words). How Zander and Bonnie studied together in a tucked-away corner of the library and Zander brought Bonnie secret snacks even though it was totally against the library rules. The way they talked on the phone every night, the long velvety pauses when it seemed like Zander was on the verge of whispering something intimate, something no one but Bonnie could know, but then instead he would make a joke that made Bonnie laugh like crazy. There was something so sweet about Bonnie with a crush. Elena real y hoped this guy was worthy of her. â€Å"He hasn't kissed me yet,† Bonnie added, eyes wide. â€Å"Soon, though. I hope.† â€Å"The very first kiss,† Samantha said, and wiggled her eyebrows. â€Å"Maybe tonight?† Bonnie just giggled in response. That ache was back in Elena's chest, and she pressed her hand against her sternum. During her first kiss with Stefan, the world had fal en away and there had been just the two of them, lips and souls touching. Everything had seemed so clear then. She took a deep breath and wil ed away tears. She wasn't going to remember anything tonight; she was just going to have a good time with her friends. Having Samantha there, Elena soon realized, was going to be a huge help with that. If it had been just Elena, Meredith, and Bonnie, they would have ended up discussing Christopher's murder and the disappearances on campus, combing obsessively over the very few things they knew and theorizing about everything they didn't. But with Samantha there, they had to keep the conversation light. Somehow Bonnie got off the topic of wonderful Zander and on to palm reading. â€Å"Look,† she said to Samantha. â€Å"See the line that crosses down your palm, across the other three lines? That's a fate line, not everybody has that.† â€Å"What does it mean?† Samantha said, gazing at her own palm with great interest. â€Å"Well,† Bonnie said, her brow furrowing, â€Å"it changes direction a lot – see here? and here? – which means that your destiny is going to change because of outside forces influencing you.† â€Å"Hmm,† Samantha said. â€Å"How about love? Wil I meet somebody amazing tonight?† â€Å"No,† Bonnie said slowly, and her voice changed, taking on a flat, almost metal ic, tone. Elena glanced up quickly to see that Bonnie's pupils were dilated, her eyes looking away from Samantha's palm into the distance. â€Å"Not tonight. But there's someone waiting for you who wil change everything. You'l meet him soon.† â€Å"Bonnie,† Meredith said sharply. â€Å"Are you okay?† Bonnie blinked, and her eyes snapped back into focus. â€Å"Of course,† she said, sounding confused. â€Å"What do you mean?† Elena and Meredith exchanged a glance – had Bonnie slipped into a vision? Before they could question her, a whole group of guys was suddenly at their table, laughing, shouting, swearing. Elena frowned up at them. â€Å"Hey, gorgeous,† one said, staring down at Elena. â€Å"Wanna dance?† Elena started to shake her head, but another of the guys dropped into the seat next to Bonnie and threw his arm around her. â€Å"Hey,† he said. â€Å"Did you miss me?† â€Å"Zander!† Bonnie exclaimed, her cheeks pink with delight. So this was Zander, Elena thought, and watched him covertly as his three friends settled at the table, too, introducing themselves cheerful y, seeming to make the maximum amount of noise dragging chairs over and jockeying to sit next to the girls. Zander was cute, sure, she had to admit that. Pale blond hair and a gorgeous smile. She didn't real y like the way he was pul ing Bonnie close, turning her head toward him, his hands running restlessly over her shoulders even as he talked over her head to his friends. It seemed real y possessive for a guy who hadn't even kissed her yet. Elena looked over at Meredith to see if she was thinking the same thing. Meredith was listening, with an amused smile, to the guy next to her – Marcus, she thought his name was – Zander's friend with the shaggy brown hair, explaining his weight-lifting routine. â€Å"Shots,† another friend of Zander's said succinctly, joining them with a tray ful of shot glasses. â€Å"Let's play quarters.† Bonnie giggled. â€Å"They're not al owed to serve us here. We're underage.† The guy grinned. â€Å"S'alright. I paid for them, not you.† â€Å"Wanna dance?† Spencer, the one who had asked Elena a minute before, said again, asking Samantha this time. â€Å"Sure!† she said, and jumped to her feet. The two were quickly lost in the crowd on the dance floor. â€Å"God, I was so drunk last night,† the guy next to Elena, Jared, said, tipping his chair back on two legs and regarding her cheerful y. His friend on his other side gazed at him for a minute, then poured a shot into his lap. â€Å"Hey!† In a moment, they were on their feet and shoving each other, the guy who had poured the drink laughing, Jared red-faced and angry. â€Å"Knock it off, you guys,† Zander said. â€Å"I don't want to get kicked out of here, too.† Too? Elena raised her eyebrows. This guy and his friends were definitely too wild for innocent little Bonnie. Elena looked at Meredith again for confirmation, but she was stil lost in jock world, now giving her opinion on the best weight training for martial arts. Bonnie squealed with laughter and bounced a quarter directly into one of the shot glasses. Al the guys cheered. â€Å"Now what?† she said breathlessly, her eyes bright. â€Å"Now you choose someone to drink it,† the guy who had brought the drinks said. â€Å"Zander, of course,† Bonnie said, and Zander gave her a long, slow smile that even Elena had to admit was devastating and drank, then winked at her as she laughed again. Bonnie looked †¦ real y happy. Elena couldn't remember the last time she had seen her laughing like this. It must have been at least a year ago, before things had gone crazy in Fel ‘s Church. Elena sighed and looked around the table. These guys were rowdy – tussling and shoving at one another – but they were friendly enough. And this was the kind of thing people did at col ege, wasn't it? If it made Bonnie happy, Elena ought to at least try to get along with them. Samantha and Spencer came back to the table, both laughing, and Samantha col apsed in her seat. â€Å"No more,† she said, raising her hands to fend him off. â€Å"I need a water break. You're a madman, you know that?† â€Å"Wil you come dance with me, then?† Spencer said pleadingly to Elena, widening big brown puppy-dog eyes at her. â€Å"He'l try to pick you up,† Samantha warned. â€Å"And dip you. And spin you around. But don't worry, I'l be back out on that floor in no time.† â€Å"Pretty please?† Spencer said, making an even more pathetic face. Bonnie laughed triumphantly as she bounced another quarter into the glass. Dancing with a group of friends isn't betraying anyone, Elena thought. Besides, she was single now. Sort of, anyway. She should try to enjoy col ege, to embrace life. Wasn't that the whole point of tonight? She shrugged. â€Å"Sure, why not?†

How It Feels to Be Colored Me †Arguement Essay

In â€Å"How it Feels To Be Colored Me†, Zora Neale Hurston presents her attitude about racism while growing up as an African American. Hurston’s views are very similar to Dr. Martin Luther King jr.’s. When talking about racism, she uses her heritage to help present her attitude. Her feelings toward the white folk aren’t hostile, but they aren’t exactly agreeing either. Hurston’s views are like those of Dr. Martin Luther King jr.’s. Both of them acknowledge that they are different than everyone else around them. They are an individual. They don’t agree that they should fit in and be the normal, African American. Both overcome hard times and discrimination and had successful parts of their careers. Hurston uses her heritage to discuss her views on racism. She grew up in a town full of blacks, so she was basically the same as her neighbor. She says she never felt colored until her family moved to Jacksonville. Then, she was constantly reminded how she was the descendant of slaves. She tells about how she was always so alone. She also discusses how she escapes the prejudiceness and gets away by going to listen to music, though; some white folks come in and make conversations with them. She speaks about her feelings towards the white folks. Hurston talks about how â€Å"among a thousand white persons, I am a dark rock†, she feels as though she is different, and she sticks out. She speaks about how she is her, she has no race. Though, she also doesn’t understand how someone could be so prejudiced against someone’s skin color. She makes a point of how they get along Hurston presents her views in a very understandable way. She speaks about how she feels about the white folk. She uses her heritage to help her deal with racism. Her views are almost the same as Dr. King’s. I feel the same way Ms. Hurston does about Racism..