Modern democracy develop in America Essay Example for Free

Modern democracy develop in America Essay The English colonies on the eastern coast of American can be divided into three groups, the North, the Middle Colonies and the South. They all have very different attitudes but they all came here to America to escape from the oppression back in Europe and to develop a new, democratic country. To establish democracy, they all have to face the same enemy, the British. Modern democracy involves the right to vote, check and balance, and an elected representative. The main reasons for development of modern democracy in America were religion, wealth, political freedom, pragmatism and secularism. Religion and political freedom are strongly related to each other because Christianity provided an essential moral foundation for liberal democratic government. The Pilgrims who reached New England in 1620 escaped from religious persecution by the English church and government and the corruptions of Holland. Soon they decided to set up their own government base on Christian ideas, particular the idea of equality. It was one of the early steps towards modern democracy in America. The Pilgrims drew up an important agreement called the Mayflower Compact. The agreement stated that the government would make just laws and equal with the consent of the colonists. In practice this meant that adult male Pilgrims met from time to time to elect a governor and a small group to assist him. The Puritans also hated the hierarchy system in the English church. But comparing to the Pilgrims, the Puritans were more ambitious. They thought it was destiny and Gods will that brought them to America. Religion and the idea of city upon the hill caused them to form a democratic government. City upon a hill was proposed by John Winthrop. He meant that the new colony would be an example for the rest of the world of how God meant men and women to live. The Puritans should build their city well and it would become a model which England might follow. Wealth also hindered the movement of democracy. First of all, the colonists in the south went to American hoping to find wealth and success which they found by growing tobacco and slave trade. Once they got wealth, they wanted to protect their property and to gain further profit. The only way to do  this is to have a government system where it will concern about peoples self interest. As a result, a democratic government is developed where most issues were approved or discussed by the people before it was passed. Pragmatism means human taking practical actions to problems. America is a new, strange land to the colonists. The colonists had to be very flexible to cope with the wilderness. Secularism means the exclusion of religious and supernatural beliefs. These two ideas combined to develop another characteristic of modern democracy that is religious freedom. It was first suggested by William Penn, a Quaker. They believed all men are equal no matter what race or what religion they believed in. The Quakers thought religion does not dictate political decisions, though the moral views originating in Christianity remain. Rather then concentrating on the religious aspect, they concentrate on improving their lives in this new country. The Shakers held a similar idea with the Quakers. They believed in Hands to work, heart to God. This developed the idea of you can believe in any religion or none at all, with little legal or social sanction, that is the freedom of religion. The main cause of the American War of Independence is how the British treated Americans after the Seven Years War. The Seven Years War (1756-1763) had the French on one side and Prussia backed by British gold on the other. The Seven Years War was mainly the result of trading rights. The British colonials (Americans) were pinned up against the Atlantic seaboard, with only the Hudson Bay Company in the north challenging the French trading. The colonists were running out of land. British found the need to expand. But doing so, they would enter the Ohio Valley, controlled by France. In the end, France was defeated. Although Britain won the war, they found themselves in an unfavourable situation. The war was longer than the British had expected and was expensive. Even worse, the colonists were moving west. In order to maintain their new land in America British must send troops to protect it, this was another huge spending. Since Britain had defended the thirteen colonies, they thought tha t the colonists should pay for the troops by various taxes. Starting from 1763, Britain tried to apply its own policy onto the American colonists. The American colonists were unpleased because the reason why there were here in America was to escape from English rule but now the British government was making decisions, disregarding the assemblies that they established earlier. A few events highlighted the colonists resentments and anger toward Britain. In 1764, the Revenue Act was introduced. It stated that colonists have to pay duty for molasses which is used to make rum. It was the first time that the colonists felt the unjust of British rule. The next year, British introduced another tax through Stamp Act. This Act made colonists to buy stamps for newspaper and many other essential items. They even have to buy license for playing cards and dice. The colonists became outrageous, they believed only their assemblies can tax on them, not the London Parliament which is few thousands miles away and they had not much power in it. The anger towards British rule was intense by Britain demolishing all duties in the Townshend Act apart from tea. The colonists regarded this as a bribe to make them end the boycott with British government so that the British can tax them. As a result, a first actual rebellion was broke out and it was known as the Boston Tea Party. Few colonists disguised themselves as Indians and threw cargos of tea into the harbour. This rebellion alerted the British. The British decided to make a harsher plan towards America. The Intolerable Acts were made in 1774 to gain total control over American colonists. The British block ports and only allow American assemblies to meet once a year. This is the ultimate reason for making the American wanted to go to war with Britain. The Acts caused the colonists to stop all trade with Britain and raise their own troops. Americans felt that Britain was taking their democracy away by simply ruling them in British way. Under British rule, Americans did not have the right to vote or to elect government. They did not have religion freedom and must follow the English church. They could not have their own trade. The colonists feelings could be expressed through the Philosophes arguments. As the famous philosophe, Voltaire said, I disagree with everything you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it!, he believed that the Church stood in the way of truth by telling people what to believe instead of allowing them to think for themselves. The American extended this  idea even further and thought that Britain was in the way of their democracy and that the welfare of the colony and the Empire were not always synonymous. The philosophes also emphasised on human rights and this related to how the American thought when a government does not consent the governed, it should be change. The colonists fled from the oppression back in Europe and wanted to start a new life. Their religion, ambition and attidtues finally led them to the road to modern democracy. But Britain disregarded their rights and democracy and this is the immediate cause of the American War of Independence.

Drinking Age Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Drinking Age The consumption of alcoholic beverages is a privilege not a right. The legal drinking age in the United States is twenty-one, and I believe that this is a fair age. There are so many statistics that show drinking to be bad to begin with, but there are many more statistics that show why the drinking age of twenty-one should not be lowered. Teenagers do not show enough responsibility when drinking, and it would do everyone a lot more harm if they could do it legally. There is no argument that drinking and driving is bad because so many people are put at risk when someone does drive drunk. Teenagers drink, which is against the law to begin with, but also drive while they are intoxicated. This is bad because teenagers are still growing and are at the age of rebellion, so alcohol has a different effect on teenagers than adults. Teenagers feel that they are grown up enough to make adult decisions, but drinking and then driving is a sure sign of immaturity. In many studies researchers have found that the number one cause of death among young adults are car crashes and out of all of those, nearly half are alcohol related. Long-term loss of drivers license and large fines and possible jail time, are consequences of driving drunk for persons twenty-one years and younger. There is zero tolerance in all fifty states and D.C. for underage drinking and driving.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The drinking age is also good where it is, because scientists have proof that teenage brains are not...

Game: Online Games Online Essay

Nowadays, online games are famous. People prefer to play online games during their leisure time. They are attracted by high resolution of graphic, story plots, and accessibility of the games. These features would definitely amuse them. But, there are lots of disadvantages of online games. Playing online games is a waste if time, You may say, â€Å"Playing online games is an entertainment. † Yes, I agree with you, but, most of the online gamers would spend a plenty of time in playing online games. Sometime, they are playing the games while they are working. They are wasting their time, aren’t they? Their productivity would decrease. Some students may skip their class and go to cybercafe to play online games too. They are supposed to go to school, but they don’t do so. They waste their money to play online games. Most online games are free to be played. But, gamers could buy virtual equipments and items that only can be used in the games. Their characters in the games would be stronger with these items. Beside that, if they play online games in cybercafe, they have to pay the charge for internet services. Playing online games may harm your health. According to an investigation, more and more teenagers have short-sightedness. It is the consequence of playing online games for a long time. In addition, it is also very harmful to your backbones. Online games are harmful to brain development, cause children neglect reading, and encourage violent behaviour. Health is wealth. We mustn’t play online games for long time to avoid health problems. Online gamers would have less time to communicate with friends and family members. Even though some online games allow you to chat with other gamers, it is simply not the same as we communicate with others when we are doing sport activities. Gamers may have anti-social behaviour. In conclusion, online games can alter the way people spend their leisure time positively or negatively. The gamers ought to have enough self control. Being fully aware of the benefits and drawbacks of online games, the gamers can maximize their advantages and avoid the addiction. 1. The Disadvantages of Playing Online Games Thanks for the Internet’s help; people can deal with things much more efficiently. For instance, sending E-mail to other countries for business, auctioning off anything which they do not need anymore, and searching for the information, and so on. There are too many functions of the Internet to count clearly at a time. However, there is one of the functions of the Internet—–Playing online games. I believe that most people have played them, especially children or teenagers. They enjoy playing online games very much. Online games offer not only entertainment but also visual effect. Most parents object their children to play online games, because they are afraid that children will be addicted to it. Actually yes, being addicted to online games may cause many terrible things. The first one, it will affect your learning attitude. Once you played overhead, you would have to skip the class or be unable to concentrate on your studies. Second, it may affect your relationship. At this time, the relationship between you and your family or friends must get worse. You do not have the same topics o chat with each other. Third, the most important one, it may harm your health. According to investigation, there are more and more teenagers wearing glasses. It is the consequence of playing online games for a very long time. Besides, it is also very harmful for your backbones. Seriously, it can cause many terrible diseases. As a result, it is important to control the time on playing online games. 2. Disadvantages of Online Games †Online games offer not only entertainment but also visual effect. Most parents object their children to play online games, because they are afraid that children will be addicted to it. Actually yes, being addicted to online games may cause many terrible things. The first one, it will affect your learning attitude. Once you played overhead, you would have to skip the class or be unable to concentrate on your studies. Second, it may affect your relationship. At this time, the relationship between you and your family or friends must get worse. You do not have the same topics o chat with each other. Third, the most important one, it may harm your health. According to investigation, there are more and more teenagers wearing glasses. It is the consequence of playing online games for a very long time. Besides, it is also very harmful for your backbones. Seriously, it can cause many terrible diseases. As a result, it is important to control the time on playing online games. † Source: http://isayenglish. blogspot.com/2010/01/disadvantages-of-playing-online-games. html Disadvantages of online educational games are: Students can become brainwashed, causing severe memory loss and students can become too reliant or addicted to online learning and not seek other sources for learning/study. Disadvantages of recreational online games are: brainwash children with result in severe memory loss and an addiction to these games can cause bad health for children, causing laziness and poor eyesight. They often contain or encourage a lot of violence in their games, especially if they are free online recreational games. 3. http://www. teach-ict. com/gcse_new/entertainment/games/miniweb/pg8. htm 4. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Gaming You don’t need me to tell you that the Internet is expanding all the time, giving users more and more information, resources and entertainment than ever before and it’s only ever going to get bigger. Thanks to this constant development, the gaming industry is able to spread its wings away from the traditional platforms – consoles and handheld computers – even those confined to history like the GameBoy – and reach new audiences around the world via the net. Many of the sites offering the chance to play game over the web require very little input from the user in terms of finance or registration, meaning you could be playing in a matter of moments. Sure, you might have to pay a small sum for access to the more recent releases or for access to gambling sites but there are still plenty of sites that offer free gaming experiences. So we all understand that the Internet offers users a wide variety of opportunities to play games, right? Cool, in that case it makes sense to discuss a few of the advantages and disadvantages of online gaming. You might be set in your ways as a PlayStation fan who loves a shoot-em up, or you might be just finding your feet on the web playing a classic game and looking to broaden your horizons. Here are three of each to help you decide whether or not you make the move online: Advantages The first major advantage to any game that utilizes the Internet – either played on a PC or Mac, or using a tablet or smartphone – is that they are regularly refreshed and updated, with any bugs fixed quickly. As any gamer who uses â€Å"apps† on their phone or tablet will know, there are always new updates being released and this can help you to play more levels or play more smoothly. With a console, however, you can only play the game you’ve bought in whatever condition and once you reach the end, that’s the end! Online the possibilities are endless. Also, PCs and Macs are known for their high quality displays making for a much better gaming experience. Playing any game – no matter how new or how good – on a television hooked up to a console is dependent entirely on the quality of the television. But with computer monitors, you get much higher resolutions than the majority of household or bedroom televisions. You also get the variety of genres online. With a console game that you have to pay for in-store, you never really know what you’re getting until you get it out and play and you may realise it’s not for you. Disaster. Playing online, however, if you don’t like the game you’re on you just close the window and find another game, genre or site until you find one. It also offers you the chance to try new games – especially on free sites – that you may not have considered for the console. Disadvantages Unfortunately some of the most high-end gaming computers are very expensive and out of the price range of many gamers. Unless you have the money to spend, you may have to resort to using a standard PC and upgrade where possible. The size of the processor or your broadband connection may also cause you several issues relating to your gaming experience. If you live in a rural area, for instance, you might find that your Internet speed is very slow meaning that the gameplay isn’t as smooth as it could be; and the size of your processor could also play havoc with the speed causing the game to buffer. As technology advances and your passion for gaming grows, however, you could look into better processors or computers as a whole; or, look into a different Internet package with better connectivity. Finally, games played on a PC are often much more complicated than console alternatives. When you have to use several keys at once, and click the mouse, or tap the screen just to do one job, you start to wish you were playing on a EXAMPLE 1. A tragic story happened in southern Russia, where a 14-year-old boy killed his father with a sledgehammer. This reportedly happened after the boy’s parents had taken away his keyboard as punishment after he spent a week playing computer games. â€Å"At around 1am (local time) on April 12, the suspect dealt his sleeping father at least two blows on the head with a sledgehammer,† the region’s investigative committee said, according to News. com. au. â€Å"The man died on the spot from a head injury. † After killing his father, the boy’s uninjured but frightened mother gave the keyboard back. The boy then continued to play computer games for several more hours before he fell asleep, at which point the mother contacted relatives who called the authorities. Russian law dictates that the 14-year-old boy is eligible to be charged for murder. 2. Chinese online gamer dies after three-day session Online gaming is becoming increasingly popular with young Chinese internet users A Chinese man has died after a three-day online gaming session in which he did not sleep and barely ate, reports say. The man reportedly lost consciousness at an internet cafe on the outskirts of the Chinese capital, Beijing. He was rushed to a clinic but could not be revived, the Beijing Times said. The 30-year-old man, who was not identified, was said to have spent more than 10,000 yuan ($1,500; ?928) on gaming in the month before his death. China has more than 450 million internet users, and online games – which can involve multiple users role-playing in a virtual world – are particularly popular with young men. Researchers say tens of millions of Chinese people – many of them teenagers – are addicted to internet gaming, despite curbs introduced by the authorities aimed at tackling the problem. Similar deaths have occurred in other nations. In 2005 a 28-year-old man died in South Korea after playing online games for 50 hours without a break.

The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien Essay - 1646 Words

An Emotional Toll The Vietnam War was the largest, most prolonged military conflict for the United States of America in world history, besides the recent war in Afghanistan. Many Vietnam veterans have written books and novels about their experiences, however, Tim O’Brien, an American who was drafted into the Vietnam war and an American writer, has written numerous books about his war experiences. In particular, Tim O’Brien’s novel The Things They Carried, tells all his experiences in detail about the war, what it was like, and his friends he made because of the war. He reflects his feelings through war stories that are difficult to grasp as â€Å"true†. The Things They Carried depicts that the young soldiers had a bigger burden besides the heavy weight of their required SOP, or Standard Operating Procedure of luggage. O’Brien’s novel shows us his friends and his own personal experiences of love, hurt, friendship, and war and how they affect t hem emotionally and psychologically today, through the use storytelling and recalling flashbacks in their journey as soldiers in Vietnam at the time of war. Short story after short story, true or seem to be true, O’Brien demonstrates how hurt invaded each young soldier, and how difficult it was for each of them and together as a unit to get used to the environment and harshness of Vietnam. It was hard to cope with the war so the soldiers would joke about how their friends’ corpses look, rather than to deal with the brutality of death. ForShow MoreRelatedThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien892 Words   |  4 PagesThe Vietnam War was a long, exhausting, and traumatic experience for all of the soldiers and those who came with them. The Things They Carried, by Tim O Brien illustrates the different affects the war had on a variety of people: Jacqueline Navarra Rhoads, a former nurse during the Vietnam war, demonstrates these effects within her own memoir in the book, T he Forgotten Veterans. Both sources exemplify many tribulations, while sharing a common thread of suffering from mental unpredictability. DesensitizationRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien1377 Words   |  6 Pageslove to have it as good as we do. Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried discusses many veterans who experience the burden of shame and guilt daily due to their heroic actions taken during the Vietnam War. The book shows you how such a war can change a man before, during, and after it’s over.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As I reflect on the many conflicts America has been a part of, none can compare to the tragedies that occurred in The Vietnam war. As told in The Things They Carried (O’Brien), characters such as NormanRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien1457 Words   |  6 Pagesthe theme pertains to everyone regardless of their background. It conveys the same ideas to people from all across our society. Lastly, a classic is timeless, which means it has transcended the time in which it was written. In Tim O’Brien’s novel, The Things They Carried, he offers a new, intriguing way to view war or just life in general and also meets all of the crucial requirements mentioned above to qualify it as a book of literary canon. Though this book is technically a war novel, many peopleRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien1242 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Tim O’Brien is obsessed with telling a true war story. O Brien s fiction about the Vietnam experience suggest, lies not in realistic depictions or definitive accounts. As O’Brien argues, absolute occurrence is irrelevant because a true war story does not depend upon that kind of truth. Mary Ann’s induction into genuine experience is clearly destructive as well as empowering† (p.12) Tim O’s text, The Things they Carried, details his uses of word choice to portray his tone and bias. Tim O’BrienRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien1169 Words   |  5 Pagesbut are set in the past and borrows things from that time period. A story that fits this genre of literature is The Things They Carried. The story is about Tim O Brien, a Vietnam veteran from the Unite States, who tells stories about what had happ ened when he and his team were stationed in Vietnam. He also talks about what he felt about the war when he was drafted and what he tried to do to avoid going to fight in Vietnam. The Things They Carried by Tim O Brien was precise with its portrayal of settingRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien1004 Words   |  5 Pages Tim O’Brien is a veteran from of the Vietnam War, and after coming home from his duty he decided to be a writer. His work â€Å"The Things They Carried† is about a group of soldiers that are fighting in the Vietnam War. The first part of the story talks mostly about physical items that each soldier carries, and also mentions the weight of the items as well. Though, there is one exception to the list of physical things. Lieutenant Cross is a character of the story, and Tim O’ Brien quickly states theRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien896 Words   |  4 PagesTrouble without a doubt is what First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross c arried around his shoulders because he was out in war, where mistakes happen. Lost and unknown of his surroundings he had to lead his men into safety, while destroying anything they found. First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross only holds onto one thing for hope and that is Martha, the woman who he hopes is a virgin to come back to. Tim O’ Brien introduces symbolism by adding a character that has a meaning of purity and a pebble, which symbolizesRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien Essay832 Words   |  4 PagesSummary: â€Å"By and large they carried these things inside, maintaining the masks of composure† (21). In Tim O’brien’s The Things They Carried, the American soldiers of the Vietnam War carry much more than the weight of their equipment, much more than souvenirs or good-luck charms or letters from home. They carried within themselves the intransitive burdens—of fear, of cowardice, of love, of loneliness, of anger, of confusion. Most of all, they carry the truth of what happened to them in the war—aRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien1369 Words   |  6 PagesMany authors use storytelling as a vehicle to convey the immortality of past selves and those who have passed to not only in their piece of literature but in their life as an author. In Tim O’Brien’s work of fiction The Things They Carried, through his final chapter â€Å"The Lives of the Dead,† O Brien conveys that writing is a matter of survival since, the powers of s torytelling can ensure the immortality of all those who were significant in his life. Through their immortality, O’Brien has the abilityRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien1407 Words   |  6 Pages       Our introduction stated that in â€Å"The Things They Carried,† author Tim O’Brien tells us not directly of the soldiers of Vietnam, or the situations they find themselves in, but about the things they carry on their shoulders and in their pockets. These â€Å"things† identify the characters and bring them to life.   I find that to be true as the author unfolds the stories about war and the uncommon things one carries in to war both inadvertently and on purpose.  Ã‚  Ã‚  As it was noted: Stories about war –