...What the American Flag Means to Me Having immigrant parents who left their own country to come to a foreign land so they can live the “American Dream” gave them and their future family a better opportunity to live a successful life. As the first American-born generation in my family, my family and I appreciate everything that our country has done for us. The American flag, one of the most prominent symbols of America, waves high and proud as a welcome sign to the world. To me, the American flag means more than just stars and stripes. It symbolizes freedom the United States gives to its citizens, the pride that Americans have towards their country, and the sacrifices soldiers have made to keep the nation safe. When most immigrants think of America, they picture a country where people have the...
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...burning of the American flag is one that continues to be a topic of controversy. 2) The burning of the United States flag should be illegal. 3) Limits in Freedom of speech, flag desecration, and the right to protest and the actions of individuals and messages carried out by others has lead me to believe that freedom of speech shouldn’t be absolute only limited. 4) Although people wish to express their political discomfort. There is no need for them to express it in a way that desecrates the American flag as it represents the nation that gives them the opportunity to protest their discomfort in the first place. II) Body 1) According to Armstrong Williams, the freedom of expression, of course,...
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...Grinberg Due: December 3, 2010 Mr. Baldwin E5X-09 That Flag Should Not Be Protected The United States is known for being ‘land of the free’, a nation with a Declaration of Independence, as well, as a Constitution protecting the rights of it’s citizens. Wars have been fought and many people have died so we could have the rights that present today. The freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, and most importantly the right to petition our government; all of which fall under the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights. Our nation’s flag is an everlasting symbol of freedom and hope that stands as a testament to our nation’s power. Most importantly our flag represents the freedom of the individual to express his ideals as they see fit. Therefore when the very essence of Americans freedom is challenged by the “flag amendment,” that would forbid the desecration of the American flag, a dilemma forms. While flag burning is highly offensive, it is none the less a means of expression and is protected by the constitution of America. Forbidding an individual from expressing themselves is the opposite of what our flag represents. By protecting the American flag under a constitutional amendment not only conflicts with the First Amendment, but opens a door for the government to take away even more of our rights. The First Amendment to the United...
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...People would usually use the term “American” to refer to someone who simply lives in America, but there is more to this word than just that. When I think of an “American” I think of someone who is free to do just about whatever they want, someone who is patriotic and loves what their country stands for, and someone who has the opportunity to acquire a job and work in order to provide for their family. John McCain explains this idea in his short story, “Veterans Day”. Walt Whitman also backs up this definition up in his poem, “I Hear America Singing”. In “Veterans Day,” the author, John McCain tells us a story about his days in Vietnam. He introduces a fellow named Mike Christian who “didn't wear a pair of shoes until he was 13.” He met Christian at a P.O.W. Prison where they were cellmates along with a group of others. When the soldiers are allowed to receive some care packages Mike Christian gets his hands on some cloth and a bamboo needle and begins sowing an American flag on the inside of his shirt. Eventually, one of the guards finds the flag and Mike is beaten. When he returns from his punishment his eye is almost swollen shut, but he whips out his bamboo needle and starts constructing a new flag all over again. It's easy to see that he takes being an American very seriously and loves his country. This is supported by the quote, “He was making the flag because he knew how important it was for us to be able to pledge allegiance to our flag and country.” And also by McCain...
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...accept people who are different from ourselves.” This quote is shown through, “American Flag Stands for Tolerance” and “My So-Called Enemy” however in contrast it is not shown through, “The Wife’s Story”. In the editorial, “American Flag Stands for Tolerance” the author, Ronald J. Allen, shows acceptance. In this editorial Allen is commenting on the controversial court case Texas v. Johnson. Johnson, as means for political protest, burned the American flag and was...
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...stuck out to me not because he recently passed but they it sounded it just spoke to me. I am going to tell you about how he was brave, a true American, and how he is important to me. I think Neil Armstrong was very brave for multiple reasons. First is that he had gone out there without knowing anything. He didn’t know what was there or what could have happened. I mean yeah they had a basic idea of what was out there but still. He had no clue what he was getting himself into no idea at all. And he was the first person to step foot on the moon and plant the flag that would be pretty scary. Not only was he brave in my opinion but he was a true American. To me Neil was a true American for a couple of things. He did this not only for himself but for the world and mostly our country. And to have that flag on the moon is just special and I bet he felt great putting it up because I know I would. This also proved to the person that pretty much nothing was impossible. That they could get up onto that rock in the sky we call the moon that we could do anything. He was a true American, and he was also important to me. Neil Armstrong in my opinion was a great man and he was important to me. He did this huge thing that made history and completely changed the world. He made history for himself and America. And I think that is awesome great and cool. When I was little I wanted to be just like him and I still do but it is just so cool I look up to him as a great role model. He showed me that if I...
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...Langston Hughes Racism and discrimination in general are things that are sadly practically inevitable. It is very unlikely that you ever will be able to find a society with no discrimination at all. Langston Hughes, who is an African-American writer, shows this in his short story “One Friday Morning”. Langston Hughes sheds light upon things like: The American Dream, equality and The Declaration of Independence. The story is written in the 1950’s which is at the same time The Civil Rights Movement just had been founded. Nancy Lee, the main character, is ‘proud of being American’. She undergoes a big development throughout the story. She gets introduced to discrimination and the fact that discriminate behavior and opinions are frequently encountered, no matter where you live. Nancy goes to a school where the students and teachers do not have any racist views: “But seldom did her high-school classmates see her as colored. (…) fitted in well with the life of the school” (p. 1 ll. 25-27). The students and teachers overlook that she is colored and see her as a normal, talented young girl. Nancy is very grateful that her classmates have received her well: “When I came here from the South a few years ago, I was not sure how you would receive me. You received me well.” (p. 7 ll. 16-18). Nancy’s school is very positive and does not have any discriminate views, therefore the name of the school: ‘George Washington high school’ may get to seem a bit ironic because George Washington himself actually...
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...My freedom cost many lives, and now it is my turn to pay back the debt to the men who fought for my beautiful country. My responsibility as a citizen to America consists of voting, respecting, submitting, and to serving my country. Responsibility is defined as the state or fact of being responsible, answerable, or accountable for something within one’s power, control, or management. Personally, I agree with that statement, but responsibility means more to me than just being accountable it means to fulfill your jobs, own up to your actions, but most importantly follow the commands given to us in scripture by God. When I think of America, I think of it’s history, and all of the battles and wars that were fought to bring us to where we are today....
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...Ivy Tech Community College Region 14—Bloomington Multilingual English Composition (Fall 2015) Syllabus Flag this Flag! All your college classes should have a syllabus—a schedule and list of course requirements, goals, and policies. Syllabi are like course contracts. By staying in the class, you agree to follow the “rules” of the syllabus. If you lose your syllabus, you can get another from Blackboard/Start Here. Flag this Flag! All your college classes should have a syllabus—a schedule and list of course requirements, goals, and policies. Syllabi are like course contracts. By staying in the class, you agree to follow the “rules” of the syllabus. If you lose your syllabus, you can get another from Blackboard/Start Here. Class & Section Number: ENGL 111-16N Tuesdays and Thursdays (T/R), 11:00-12:15, B209 Instructor Information NAME: Julie Kraft EMAIL: jkraft10@ivytech.edu OFFICE HOURS: By appointment SUPERVISOR INFORMATION: Annie Gray, English Department Chair, Room C118, Phone: 812-330-6038, agray@ivytech.edu Required Materials REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS: * Wilhoit, A Brief Guide to Writing from Readings, 6th edition, Pearson (Custom edition for Ivy Tech) * Hacker and Sommers, A Pocket Style Manual, 6th edition, Bedford/St. Martin’s * Ivy Tech Bloomington literary magazine, mê tis, Volume 8 ADDITIONAL MATERIALS & EXPENSES: * Printouts of Blackboard readings and items you research for essays * Electronic storage device * Folder...
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...“Tuff” “Tough and tuff are two different words. Tough is the same as rough, tuff means cool, sharp- like a tuff-looking a Mustang or a tuff record. In our neighborhood both are compliments.” I will explain what I think is “tuff” in the book, “tuff” in society, and “tuff” to me. In my opinion “tuff” is a slang term meaning cool, sharp. “Tuff” is similar to other slang words like swag, clean, or lit. Tuff from The Outsiders has many examples. One example was cars such as Mustangs and Corvette Stingrays. The Socs drove tuff, expensive cars. Another example of tuff was the Greasers hair. Their hair was long, slicked back, and covered with grease. Greasers believed their hair was a sign of being tuff. A third example of tuff was family. Family for the Greasers was everything. Johnny did not have a good home life, so the gang was his family. Since Ponyboy’s parents died, his family were his brothers and the gang....
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...do God's Will without ever discovering what they are doing. Such a team is called a "Karass".(Vonnegut 5) The complete opposite of this is a "Granfalloon". A granfalloon is defined as a "false karass" or a seeming team that was meaningless in terms of the ways God gets things done.(Vonnegut 55) Vonnegut said "if you wish to study a granfalloon just remove the skin of a toy balloon".(Vonnegut 55) Granfalloons are nothing once you remove that outer layer, there is no meaning to them. Humanity must create these granfalloons in order to connect with something or else we are nothing. The...
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...My American Identity The five key values that were studied and learned about in class were civic engagement, freedom, equality, patriotism and democracy. I do not believe that one of these values is more American than the other though three of these mean more to me personally than others. Patriotism, freedom, and equality. Together they make the United States of America unique from any other country. Yes, some countries have freedom, but no other country in the world is like ours because we hold these values nearest and dearest to us; at least most of us do. These five values are the values that we strive for in perfecting to make us so great. Some are more rounded than others but they are all what makes the United States so unique. I decided to chose was patriotism as one of the values that describes me as an American because I feel like no matter what the situation is in America, every American should be patriotic. Not saying that a person has to be a die hard patriotic person and willing to take a bullet for his, or her country, but one should love their country, not the government for say. I feel like patriotism defines who I am as an American because of the support and respect I have for my country, even though I do feel like there are flaws all throughout this country and it’s history, I still stand up and by my country. I decided to do my part and show my love and devotion for this country by joining the military and enlisting this past February. The...
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...2013 What Does It Mean To Be An American? For hundreds of years the United States has been attracting immigrants from a variety of different countries, races, and religions to come live in a land full of freedom and opportunity. These people were looking for more than just rights and privileges. Their real desire was to become something that represents pride and honor, an American. Being an American means much more than living in the United States. Along with the name come a number of different benefits such as, freedom of speech to express your own opinion, freedom of religion, and equality for all, including different sexes, races, religions and status. As an American you have the right to speak your mind. Expressing one’s opinion is a big part of being American. This particular freedom enables us to serve our country, as we stand up for what is both right and just. Being American also means that not only do we have the opportunity to overcome challenges by coming together to find solutions that those from other countries can’t but we also have the freedom to worship as we please. Unlike other countries, American’s are not defined in terms of religion. This question was posted on my Facebook page for some insight. As expected, some of the comments were uneducated dribble. One comment that stood out came from my brother-in-law. He is a Swedish citizen but resides in the United States. He wrote “The question is mind-bogglingly complex. To be American (or...
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...not built on fear. American was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand”. So therefore our country was built with all these great things and ideas in mind. America is still a growing nation and we can get stronger. We have room to better ourselves, we as Americans can be better. This great nation that I live in was built on unbeatable determination to do the job at hand. That means we can do the work and have the determination to do it. The kind of America that I believe in is a growing, confused country. We as the citizens have so much going on right now in our thriving country. Another way that I think of our country is that we are free to do whatever we want. We don’t have to have permission to cross our borders or stuff like that like other countries have. America itself is the greatest country but it has a lot of flaws. It has a lot of problems right now and we are doing literally nothing about all the problems in our country....
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...in parade. Many of us will seek the companionship of other veterans; they’re the only people who really understand. Flags will fly at half-mast. Bagpipes will wail. “Taps” will play. Formations will fly with a missing man, and riderless horses will walk. Guns will fire in salute. Some of us will remember brothers lost generations ago. Others among us will remember losses far more recent. Some of us will silently remember. Many of us will talk about them, and wonder why it wasn’t us. Some will say we were just that good. Most will say we were lucky. Others will concede it was simply God bailing us out. Whatever the reason, however, we will remember. We will reflect. We will mourn. Often, when soldiers go about the business of soldiering, the rest of the world goes on and barely notices us. Monday will be no different. As we stand in salute, grills will be fired up. Pools will be splashed into. Beaches will be visited, and beers will be popped open. The people of this country will enjoy their day off, but how many will realize what it is for? How many people will consider what it means? While many will know there is a parade, how many will know why there is a parade? Please understand, I have nothing against bar-be-ques. I have nothing against beaches, pools, or beer. These are all great things. But I think most Americans take them for granted. I don’t know if it was always this way, or if this is the result of the general apathy associated...
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