...Over 58,000 Americans have died in the Vietnam War. We may have won the battle, but it was only the beginning. Many survivors have been traumatized for what they have seen, done, and experienced. Ron Kovic happens to be a well-known Vietnam Veteran, who is paralyzed from chest down. He wrote a book called Born on the Fourth of July to show his point of view on what truly happens during the Vietnam War. Kovic tells us that people do not know what war really is until they experienced it. After he returns back home from the war, he thought he would be treated as a hero but people saw him completely different, as if they were disappointed in him. His concerns with today’s generation are that there will possibly be another war like Vietnam but with Afghanistan and to warn the young adults who are joining the military what they are exactly signing up for. After Kovic was release from the military, he wished that he could have heard a person who got injured from War to tell him what really happens, and that is his goal today. Ron Kovic became a protester today because, how he was treated in the hospital,...
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...Makayla Cowles Professor Snow History 100 04 February 2015 The Meaning of the Fourth of July The Fourth of July is a national holiday celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, which declared the United States free from England’s control. This day gives Americans the great opportunity to renew our dedication to the principles of liberty and equality. It speaks to all who strive for liberty and seek to show the principles of self-government. Unfortunately, not everyone living in America felt the same American pride on the Fourth of July. The freedmen and slaves living in America has different views about the United States and the documents securing freedom and equality. One man, Frederick Douglass, spoke out for the slaves and freedmen in his speech “The Meaning of Fourth of July for the Negro”. In 1852, Frederick Douglass was invited to speak about what the Fourth of July means for America’s black population. In his speech, Douglass questions what the Fourth of July means to a slave. His answer: the Fourth of July is, “a day that reveals to him … the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim”. Douglass continues by saying, “your celebration [is] a shame, a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages”. Douglass states there is no other nation on Earth guilty of the bloody and crimes made by Americans during this time. Douglass makes it known that equality is not within America. The high independence...
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...The fourth of July I remember when I came to America it was the first time in my life that I felt different from the people around me and I felt out of place in my surroundings. I believe that’s how Audre Lorde felt grown up as African American in the 1930s and 1940s. At this time in American history racism against African Americans was very common. In Adre Lordes story “ The fourth of July” she expresses her frustration and anger towards American society and also her parents for ignoring obvious racism and not properly expresses what was happing to her family and why. She seems to be irony to expresses this anger she feels toward American society. Adre Lordes story is a about her family's trip to Washington DC, during the summer after her 8th grade graduation audre lorde thought that Washington DC as a capital would be different from how it was. She was not expecting to find racism in the capital of a country that’s stands for liberty, freedom and equality. But still her and her family felt discriminate. In her story she writes, “The waitress was white, and the counter was white, and the ice cream I never ate in Washington D.C., that summer I left childhood was white, and the white heat and white pavement and the white stone monuments of my first Washington summer made me sick to my stomach for the whole rest of that trip and it wasn’t much of a graduation present after all” she uses the word “white” a lot in her story to describe people...
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...In “The Fourth of July”, Audre Lorde express her anger toward American society. Her angry was caused by discrimination and racism in our Nation. I agree with Lorde, during this period in our nation’s history racism was treated differently. Lorde describes the excitement she felt before her family trip, her reaction to the first encounter of racism while on the trip, and how her parents did or did not deal with racism. To begin, I feel that Lorde was excited to receive a trip to Washington D.C. as a graduation gift. Lorde believed the trip was a gift of accomplishment for graduating the eighth grade, which turned out to be a train wreck. She didn’t understand what people meant by “it’s time to grow up” until her trip that summer in 1947. Her eyes were opened to what her parents had been hiding from her during childhood. The trip that was to celebrate her achievements and the beginning of her journey into adulthood turned into an abrupt experience that would change her aspect of our nation. Conclusion: Lorde provided a personal experience on how cruel our racial society could be. …….. I grew up in a mostly white neighborhood with only a few African Americans that went to my school, so racism was not an issue in my childhood. From the history books, movies, and articles like “The Fourth of July”, it helps me understand what it must have been like. With the Civil Rights Laws in place today, people are supposed to be treated equal, but unfortunately , that does not always...
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...Sydni Craig 000108021 Professor Bailey T and TR April 6, 2016 The Fourth of July In the story, the Fourth of July, by Audre Lorde the little girl is telling the story of a graduation present of going to Washington D.C. As a graduation present from graduating from the eighth and older sister from graduating from high school. And it says that she received the best graduation present but I agree to disagree with the people, who would say she received the best graduation present. I agree with going to Washington D.C. was the best graduation gift the eighth grader could receive. I agree because at a young age especially since she will be going to high school, it is great for her to see everything at firsthand of what the world was like during that time. It gives her an idea of how the world looks like in 1947, were as she is always being hidden from it and not telling what has been going on. But I can also disagree because her parents should explain to her in detail of what was going on, and I also disagree with that being a graduation present and it being the best present she will ever receive. She went through the process of seeing how and what life really is at her age and how it will be for the next couple of years. The world at the year if 1947 was full of racism and discrimination in which it is bad in some states, but also horrible in others. The young girl in the story witnesses her family and not be treated right at firsthand. The thing that was messed up about the...
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...The Fourth of July Audre Lorde’s “The Fourth of July”, is a very descriptive essay about racism and how it affected her deeply on a family trip to Washington, D.C. Audre uses sensory language to captivate her audience. She starts her essay out as an innocent child on vacation because her parents have tried to hide the ugly truth about racism from her. She tells of how she learned of her sister Phyllis not being able to go on a senior trip to Washington because they didn’t let blacks in the hotels. She explains in her writing that she was told at a young age not to trust white people but was never told why, this was confusing to her because her mother was light skinned along with her aunts. She uses verbal irony when she describes the brightness her eyes are exposed to in Washington, squinting up at the Lincoln Memorial. She states, “I was squinting because I was in that silent agony that characterized all my childhood summers.” She uses narrative commentary to describes an incident in the Breyer's ice cream and soda fountain...
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...Frederick Douglass, a well-known self-taught former slave, gave a speech about the Fourth of July on July 5, 1852 that challenged the institution of slavery and revealed the hypocrisy of the Fourth of July to slaves. Douglass uses ethos, pathos, and logos throughout his speech in order to convince his audience that there is no conceivable reason for slavery to exist. His audience were rich white citizens, including the president. Douglass first uses ethos by introducing himself to his audience and explaining how he got there, “… the distance between this platform and the slave plantation, from which I escaped, is considerable…” which establishes him as a former slave. The use of ethos isn’t a traditional one in this speech. Frederick Douglass, a very well-known speaker during this time, wouldn’t need ethos to prove himself credible. In this introduction he’s trying to appeal to the audience by acting like a grateful Freedman while subtly showing his credentials He talks about only speaking to he has a “little experience and with less learning” and had only spoken at “public meetings, in country school houses” yet states he has spoken to...
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...In Frederick Douglass’ “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” Douglass gives a well written empathetic speech on the ignored truth and irony about the celebration of Independence Day. His descriptive and impactful retellings of the inhumane practices used in the slave trade gave listeners a revelation that slaves were more than items and laborers but were people just like them. His description of the slaves’ trials and tribulations as families, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters gave a relative point for listeners to second guess the trusted idea that slavery was only a business practice akin to selling cattle. He finally made slaves look like people in the eyes of the American citizen Douglass’ history as a former slave further pushes his point of how terrible slavery can be. Being a part of it firsthand gives a sense of surrealism to the situation since Douglass is not only speaking of slavery from things he’s only seen but situations he has experienced. If he was a man that had never gone through slavery I doubt his words would have made as much as an impact. Being an ex-slave Douglass can give the ugly but necessary truth of what slavery does to people. Douglass’ overall tone of the essay, to me, does seem angry. He puts down the unjust celebration of freedom by the American citizens all the while recalling the atrocities of slavery that exist alongside it. It’s impossible for to see his speech come off as anything but angry. To summarize, Frederick Douglass’ speech...
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...For Frederick Douglass the Fourth of July was a day to reflect on the hypocrisy in America at that time. It was a day to celebrate freedom for the free citizens and simultaneously imprisoning a race of people by keeping them in bondage. How could the citizens of America celebrate a day of independence while enslaving a race of people? It was a day to call attention to the principles of true freedom and ask oneself why the Negro is not included in this day that marks the Declaration of Independence. Life, liberty and pursuit of happiness is extended to every race, except the Negro. It was a day to mark the victimization of a race of people. In comparison, the founding fathers celebrated a day of gaining political independence from Britain and henceforth able to chart their own course. All free citizens have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for themselves. The Fourth of July was a day to recognize the growth and progress made since gaining independence and to dream...
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...end slavery, would you? Frederick Douglass, a former slave, presented his speech “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” at a celebration of the Declaration of Independance, but took it upon himself to make it known that the Fourth of July was not a day of celebration for him or his people. Douglass utilized pathos, rhetorical questions, and repetition to drive home his argument against slavery and to encourage his audience to also fight for equality between everyone. Pathos is a quality that evokes sadness and pity. Douglass used pathos all throughout his speech to continuously catch the attention of his audience and to give them a surreal realization of the world surrounding them. For example, in lines 60-67, Douglass referred to the slave and to humanity as “bleeding”, “fettered”, and “trampled upon.” He needed to use such thought-provoking words in order to catch the attention of his audience and to maintain that hold throughout the entire speech. Douglass also tried to incorporate his own emotion into his speech....
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...In the beginning of Fredrick Douglass’ famous speech, he’s embarrassed to be asked to speak about our nation’s Independence Day, the Fourth of July. At one point he questions, “Fellow-citizens, pardon me, allow me to ask, why am I called upon to speak here today?” (pg.503). Douglass requests his audience to be patient and respectful toward him, for he has endured as a former slave. Through much of the first half of the speech, Douglass describes how our fathers must have felt in 1776. Most were still loyal to Great Britain. The public didn’t know which side to take and if taking one, would seal their fate. Douglass is clearly speaking to a crowd of white and black citizens, by constantly reiterating that he respects the men that brought our great nation together. However, during the speech, he suggests that disastrous times are ahead if things don’t change. The United States are still a young nation that may not be forever. There’s a hidden anger during Fredrick Douglass’ speech of America. After quoting a passage from the Declaration of Independence, his view on the Fourth of July is obvious. “Resolved, That these united colonies are, and of right, ought to be free and Independent States” (pg.500). He continues to say to the people, you were granted freedom and you reap the fruits of their success. “The Fourth of July is the first great fact in your nation’s history” Douglass says (pg. 500). To a slave, there’s no independence and there’s no country they could call their...
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...“What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” is a compelling praise and condemnation of the history of America. Frederick Douglas wrote said speech and was able to make perfect points and examples of this country’s faults with enough passion to draw a listener/reader in. Based on the time the speech was said and the people with the amount of patriotism the audience must have had, one can assume that Douglas’ almost belittling manner of speaking to them, almost as if they were children that needed to learn a lesson, was also a technique Douglas used to his advantage to be able to make his speech listen-worthy and as compelling as it was. Douglas’ very own patriotism can be questioned throughout this speech as one can infer that his patriotism and...
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...America was founded on freedom and equality. Americans were given rights that they were entitled to. Many people argue whether freedom is actually granted to everyone. Frederick Douglass argues that slaves are not free or given the rights that everyone else has as Americans. In his speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” he claims that the United States cannot consider itself a free country if all its people are not actually free. Similarly, Elizabeth Cady Stanton argues the point of women’s equality in part of her speech from the Declaration of Sentiments of the Seneca Falls Woman’s Rights Convention. Women were not treated as equally as the men were. By comparing and contrasting Douglass’s and Stanton’s speeches it is clear that...
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...Why is Christianity so central to Douglass’ argument? Why does he make numerous references to the Bible? Christianity is a religion based on values of love, respect, forgiveness, and understanding, and the Bible is the book from which those values are taught. Frederick Douglass, born into slavery, was a prominent figure in the fight to abolish slavery, and a great speech giver. In his speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” Douglass centrals his argument around Christianity to bring to light the sham under which his audience resides, and makes numerous references to the Bible to support his claim. It has been, and still is to this day, said that the United States of America was built upon a foundation of Judeo-Christian values. In what feels to be increasingly heated words, Douglass speaks on behalf of the American slave, presenting to his audience the travesty they have made of the Christian faith. He explains that “American Christianity” is “to [the American slave], mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy – a this veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages” (Douglass 485). Through the use of harsh words, Douglass is hoping they will penetrate the souls of those listening, resulting in sorrow and guilt for allowing such a travesty to arise from a religion based on love and respect. Further into his speech, Douglass emphasizes on how the lives of his audience are a sham, and he feels he is helping them to do right by making...
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...The Guilt bestowed upon to none Tim O’brien, A well-known Vietnam war veteran author, and 1977 national book of the year recipient, uses a notable and unusual style of writing throughout his career as he in a sort disparages the the U.S in some ways, but mostly about going to the Vietnam War, and how America is doing unnecessary things. Born in Michigan, O'Brien thought many times to flee to Canada, to escape the draft that changed his life forever. Instead of leaving he was a “coward,” and was taken by the army, and learned many things about life, how to live it, what life is worth, in what a real soldier is. His use of blunt and sometimes extremely elaborate detail to immerse the reader in the experiences he had to push through, but to also go straight to the point and not “fluff up” the story like America does. O'Brien's unique style of objection of truth to storytelling has a great impact in the readers mind, because he is portraying his life experiences back to the reader in such a human like an emotional way that sometimes he substitutes other characters projects as his emotional or physical burdens. Tim O'Brien a Vietnam War veteran whose purpose is to address the misconceptions of war and illustrate the gruesome fax of how war really is, all using his own life experiences and his works and we a rating with the emotional and physical burdens at the soldiers carry both emotionally and physically. In almost every single one of his novels including The things they...
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