But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
So we have been talking about the causes of revolution and Jefferson's cry that bloody insurrection must always be the course of last resort. Yet, in his next breath he takes something so radical and adds another "r" word: responsibility. Revolution should never be used for trivial causes but when the "long train of abuses and usurpations" merit it, we do not just have the option but the duty. Oh man, no one likes the word duty. This election year I am sure you remember your parents telling you it is your DUTY to vote. Duty involves obligation, being forced do something whether you want to or not. Wait, isn't that a violation of liberty? Should I not get the right to choose whether or not to overthrow my government? Is Jefferson being a hypocrite (again?) or is there more going on in this part of the Declaration of Independence? Let's dig deeper.
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I apologize for the lack of articles the past few days.
Let's just say I have been pre-occupied with things but I do not want this website or your interest for this site to die. My journey through the Declaration will continue soon and we still have some great guest columnists lined up. So what can we do while Mr. Gibson is slacking on the job? Read the guest columns here, here, here and here. Comment and use this thread as an open forum. Who should we get to contribute? What would you contribute? Ideas for a future topic next summer: Should we keep the theme of using a culminating document or something else? Enjoy your Wednesday! People may no longer be feeling the Bern but everyone's favorite Democratic Socialist gave Hillary Clinton much more of a scare than anyone could have predicted.
The Vermont Senator needed music to pump up the crowds at his speeches across America and I must admit I am always intrigued by the musical choices. For example, Hillary Clinton has relied heavily on "Fight Song" by Rachel Platten which makes sense on several levels. Donald Trump, also fittingly sticks to Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It". Bernie's theme of course is the same theme of this project: revolution. He has often thrown this word around in speeches and the soundtrack fits this ideology. Here is a look at the list Who wins the music contest between these candidates? Another Saturday means another open forum on the website.
Now usually I don't get anything here, and by usually I mean ever but that does not mean I will censor you. I am giving you the opportunity, the choice is yours. Some topics in the news, the failed revolution/coup in Turkey, the horrific terrorist incident in Nice, France and of course the continued political drama in the United States. What stuck out to you this week? What would the Founding Fathers think about Pokemon Go? Imagine if it was Founding Fathers Go, I would try to catch John Jay personally but feel free to pick your own Founding Father. Anyways, light and trivial, deep and meaningful, this website is for everything and we want to hear your voice so try it out! Maybe you check out this site on a whim are intrigued but do not feel the need to contribute because your knowledge of the American Revolution is not up to snuff.
After all, US History class was a long time ago and all those battles blend together after awhile. Thanks to the internet and dramatic music I can offer you a refresher. Campaign 1776 has created an interactive map of the American Revolution but it is much more than a map. It features epic narrators, dramatic music, shooting, marching and the occasional map. It is perfect in our world where we need over-the-top hyper-realistic presentations to keep our attention. The link is here What I find interesting about the very first video of Lexington and Concord is when they talk about colonial motivations. Nowhere do you hear the inalienable rights that Jefferson will later make the focus of the war. It makes me wonder how we can really claim truth on this matter of what the colonists were fighting for. My guess is those reasons are as diverse as humanity itself. So what is the story we tell ourselves and what purpose does that serve? Things to think about while you are listening to the videos.
Revolutions are messy. Violence is terrifying and the result is always in flux.
There is a reason that revolution is usually more talk than actual action and that is because of the dire consequences a full-scale revolution creates. In our journey through the Declaration of Independence we just read the most radical statement in the document about "abolishing" government when it becomes destructive towards our fundamental rights. That sentence is directly followed by the most conservative sentence in the entire document and the focus of this article. So let's take a look: Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. I just wanted to take a moment to thank each and everyone of you for checking out this website.
Doing this project has been quite the endeavor. I have tried things like this before and never lasted more than a week or two but your constant feedback and support have been so critical to this thing surviving as long as it has. To my guests thank you so much for your brilliance and diversity of opinion. Yesterday Tornello's post got the second highest number of "unique visitors" in the history of the project. Mr. Anderson's post still holds the record for the most page views in total though so we will see if we can capitalize on this momentum. FYI, 212 people have looked at this website in just the past seven days and over 1000 in the past month! Not bad for a lowly Social Science teacher in Loudoun County, Virginia and his friends. For those that have written comments, thank you for that as well! Glad to hear from you, even if writing an entire article may seem overwhelming. There is still space if you want to contribute, just contact me @MrG_Unit. Let's keep the momentum going for the rest of the summer and enjoy! By Laura Tornello
This morning, I’m thinking about the danger of accepting things as they are. I’m thinking about one of my favorite lines from Henry David Thoreau’s essay Walden; the author decides to move to an isolated cabin in the woods and reflect on who he is apart from society, but even within a short time there, he finds himself falling into routines: “I had not lived there a week before my feet wore a path from my door to the pond side; and though it is five or six years since I trod it, it is still quite distinct. It is true, I fear, that others may have fallen into it, and so helped to keep it open. The surface of the earth is soft and impressionable by the feet of men; and so with the paths which the mind travels. How worn and dusty, then, must be the highways of the world, how deep the ruts of tradition and conformity." I’m also thinking about one particular line of “The Declaration of Independence” that keeps resonating with me: “All experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.” And most of all, I’m thinking about the movie V for Vendetta, which depicts a dystopian world in the not-so-distant future, where the UK is ruled by a fascist police state. In one pivotal scene, a masked revolutionary named “V” takes over the state-run British Television Network and broadcasts his message to the world: "Allow me first to apologize for this interruption,” he begins. "I do, like many of you, appreciate the comforts of the everyday routine, the security of the familiar, the tranquility of repetition.” And then he goes on to say: "There are, of course, those who do not want us to speak. I suspect even now orders are being shouted into telephones and men with guns will soon be on their way. Why? Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there?...How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those who are more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable. But again, truth be told...if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror.” I’ll admit it’s a difficult morning to be an American. Let’s be honest: it’s a difficult morning to be a human. I woke up to news of the Dallas shootings and am still grappling with the two men shot and killed by police in the past few days. I also still haven’t forgotten, of course, about the lives lost in Orlando, and Baghdad, and Istanbul. And this is all happening against a political landscape that day by day feels increasingly more polarized, corrupt, and disenfranchising to the majority of citizens (or perhaps it’s always been that way, but the spectacle of the 2016 election season is making these problems even more glaringly apparent.) I think everyone would agree that there are large-scale changes that must, absolutely must happen in our society. But why haven’t they happened already? There’s this overwhelming sense in the public discourse right now (whether it’s on major news outlets or your Facebook feed) that it’s simply too difficult to make any substantial reforms. The issues change (gun control, police brutality, systemic racism, LGBTQ equality, women’s rights issues and access to reproductive health, campaign finance reform, the prevalence of super PACs and lobbyists dictating the political agenda, universal health care, even standardized testing), but the response is often six quite simple and, in my mind, dangerous words: “That’s the way it’s always been.” Because it’s always easier to stay the same, isn’t it? We cling to patterns and traditions and routines because they give us a sense of stability and bring order to what can often feel like an overwhelming world. At our core, we are creatures of habit. Thoreau recognized this; in spite of literally removing himself from the constraints of society, he found himself carving the same paths over and over. The founding fathers recognized this too; they acknowledge that we are often far more likely put up with evils rather than “abolishing the forms to which [we] are accustomed.” We did ultimately rebel against Britain, of course; the Declaration outlines a list of very specific grievances and makes it clear that the colonists are no longer willing to put up with the way things are. The scales have shifted; suddenly the “forms to which they [were] accustomed” seem far worse than the unknown. The risk and uncertainty are worth it, for the potential to create something better. But what do you do when there isn’t a ruling power? How do you declare independence from your current selves? I’m struggling to answer this question myself. But I do know this: the first step is always what V advocates at the end of his speech in V for Vendetta: “you need only look in a mirror.” I’m spending a lot of time right now reflecting on my own life experiences (as a teacher, as a white person, as a woman) and trying to stay unbiased and open to others’ perspectives. I’m reflecting on my own privilege and drawing on times where I’ve felt marginalized and discriminated against in order to find empathy for others, while making sure that I don’t presume to step inside someone else’s experiences and struggles. And because it’s me (absurdly enthusiastic English teacher who is borderline obsessed with The Great Gatsby, for those of you new APUSHers who don’t know me), I’m reminding myself of a passage from the screenplay for F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”: “For what it’s worth: it’s never too late... to be whoever you want to be. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”
Last week, Tyler Anderson talked about the idea of "us and them" in the Declaration. When Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, he articulated an anger towards King George III and that anger is certainly reminiscent of the anger percolating throughout this country today.
So in reading this wonderful article my initial thought was this: Who am I? Don't get me wrong, I'm Ben Gibson but who is Ben Gibson? Well, he is a lot of things. I am a teacher, a father, a NoVa resident, a UVA graduate, a husband, a Freedom Eagle, a male, a history lover, a blogger apparently and a Hamilton enthusiast (in no particular order). Identity is a fundamental theme of American history, so much so it is one of the key themes in the College Board AP US History curriculum. What does it mean to be an American? Who is included and who is excluded? A major goal of the Declaration is to define what is an American I would argue. This document lines out what it means to be an American, this is what we believe in and if you believe it then come join our cause. So our bond is not based upon common ancestry or nationality but an ideology. This is very different from many countries in world history. This concept is amplified by the famous question "What is An American?" by Michel Guillame Jean de Crevecoeur. His "Letters From an American Farmer" is often quoted in AP classes throughout the country, the most quotable part being: What then is the American, this new man? He is either an European, or the descendant of an European, hence that strange mixture of blood, which you will find in no other country. I could point out to you a family whose grandfather was an Englishman, whose wife was Dutch, whose son married a French woman, and whose present four sons have now four wives of different nations. He is an American, who leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced, the new government he obeys, and the new rank he holds. This melting pot notion has a modern equivalent in this viral video that I saw on July 4th.
So defining an American is a difficult task and yet one we have constantly been obsessed with throughout our history.
Are Native Americans, American? I mean technically they have the biggest claim to the title and yet they are normally put in that "other" or "them" category. Are non-English speakers American? I know legally they can be but culturally there is a stigma there. Just ask Tim James. How do you "prove" your Americanness and why does it matter so much? I think it stems back to the final point Mr. Anderson made, in order to prop up the American there must be an other, even if it is a straw man. There has to be two identities for a comparison to take place. This becomes dangerous because labels typically do more damage than good. Yes labels can bring solidarity and camaraderie. I watch sports fans bond over nothing except the love of their team. I hugged random people when UVA football beat Florida State in 2005 and I would do it again. Yet that unifying force is just as powerful at dividing. That same passion for your soccer team leads to hooliganism and violence in France, like Russian and British fans did in the Euros this year. Love of one thing can easily lead to hate of the "other". Passions can overflow when we lose sight of what truly matters. Case and point, this week of violence where people of all labels and all backgrounds felt scared, angry and confused at what happened in Louisiana, Minnesota and Texas (among others). Exploiting labels for political purposes is heinous. Ignoring realities of life for groups of people is reprehensible. We could do a lot better in this country and this world if we emphasized one label above everything else. Not the label of your nationality or race or gender, I am talking about the label every single one of us shares. Human. When we lose sight of this label, when we stop treating people like humans, incredibly scary things happen. That is the greatness of this document I am obsessed with studying: "ALL men are created equal". The Declaration is not for Americans it is for everybody. These are not civil rights, they are human rights. It is what we believe and if you are a true American then you believe in the rights of life, liberty and happiness for all. That's an identity I can live with.
This week I thought I would go off course, ever so slightly, with this selection.
A few things you should know about Sam Cooke if you've never heard of him. Just like Elvis is the "King of Rock and Roll" and Michael Jackson is the "King of Pop" most music historians will tell you that Sam Cooke is the "King of Soul". James Brown may be the "Godfather" of soul music but Cooke came first in the heart of the Civil Rights Era where violence and discrimination stained many corners of our great nation. During a seven year period, coincidentally the same years as the Little Rock Nine to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Cooke had30 top-40 hits. Most of his highest charting singles were typical pop songs about young love and feelings of loneliness and infatuation. Yet his most famous work was a far cry from his mainstream musical repertoire. In 1963, Sam Cooke was denied access to a Holiday Inn in the South since the facilities were segregated. Cooke's anger combined with other folk songs that were openly questioning and critiquing racism in society helped convince the crooner to work on what he hoped would be an anthem. The problem is that a "crossover" artist like Sam Cooke could not dare go political or risk losing his rather large fan base. Although involved in the Civil Rights Movement, Cooke wanted to do more with his music. Hence, "A Change Is Gonna Come" was recorded in early 1964. In December of that year, Cooke once again found himself at a hotel except this day he would be shot and killed by the owner of the hotel. The police officers ruled it a "justifiable homicide" and less than two weeks later this song was released as a single. Revolutions bring about change and sometimes you are living in moments of immense change. You are simply anticipating these moments, the precipice of history. Without question this is one of those times of immense change and tension. This song is over 50 years old but it rings true today. Listen. |
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