Reflection wk 3 September 23 (Samuel Adams essay)

"In the state of nature, every man is under God, judge and sole Judge, of his own right and the injuries done him: By entering into society, he agrees to an Arbiter or indifferent Judge between him and his neighbors; but he no more renounces his original right, than by taking a cause out of the ordinary course of law, and leaving the decision to Referees or indifferent Arbitrations.  In the last case he must pay the Referees for time and trouble; he should be also willing to pay his Just quota for the support of government, the law and constitution; the end of which is to furnish indifferent and impartial Judges in all cases that may happen, whether civil ecclesiastical, marine or military". Samuel Adams

My interpretation of the quote is that man/woman is under Gods’ judgment and his/her sole judge, however they choice to give up this by entering into society and coming into agreement with an Arbiter.  Although, he/she as not renounces his right but has taken the course of law of relieving themselves of the trouble of making a judgmental decision between their neighbors, by doing so they have appointed referees which we call government.  By appointing a referee for time of trouble they should pay for the support of the government by dedicating or extending themselves in time of civil matter and also by paying taxes.

I choose this paragraph because a lot of people question why after they have left their home land for changes, they are bombarded by more laws and taxes.  This paragraph explains  that this is a choice made by an individual for a new life and it come with them choosing a government/referee system to by pass them making a judgmental decision on their own.

Reflection wk 2 September 9 (John Winthrop)

“For the other point concerning liberty, I observe a great mistake in the country about that.  There is a twofold liberty, natural (I mean as our nature is now corrupt) and civil or federal.  The first is common to man with beasts and other creatures.  By this, man, as he stands in relation to man simply, hath liberty to do what he lists; it is a liberty to evil as well as to good.  This liberty is incompatible and inconsistent with authority and cannot endure the least restraint of the most just authority.  The exercise and maintaining of this liberty makes men grow more evil and in time to be worse than brute beasts: omnes sumus licentia deteriores.  This is that great enemy of truth and peace, that wild beast, which all of the ordinances of God are bent against, to restrain and subdue it.  The other kind of liberty I call civil or federal; it may also be termed moral, in reference to the covenant between God and man, in the moral law and the politic covenants and constitutions amongst men themselves.  This liberty is the proper end and object of authority and cannot subsist without it; and it is a liberty to that only which is good, just, and honest.  This liberty you are to stand for, with the hazard (not only of your goods, but) of your lives, if need be.  Whatsoever crosseth this is not authority but a distemper thereof.  This liberty is maintained and exercised in a way of subjection to authority; it is of the same kind of liberty where with Christ hath made us free.” (John Winthrop)

Winthrop seems have found liberty in this country to be a mistake; he described it as a twofold liberty, which was natural and civil or federal.  He defined natural to be one which man do what he list or roam about as he feels free like a creature and civil and federal as one that is bind with moral law and is the covenant of politics.  He further states that civil or federal liberty is exercised in a way of subjection to authority as if without civil or federal liberty man would be in his natural form of liberty free to do as pleased in this country.

I choose this quote because growing up, when asked what is liberty my first thought would be freedom from interference, obligation, restriction from anyone or authority the power of my right to do, think and speak as I would wish; however, after reading this segment of the essay I learnt that this liberty may be define as evil as well as good liberty as this would be defined as my natural liberty and not civil or federal liberty which is based on moral law along with authority over these moral law.  It is strange how growing up you are thought one thing but out in the world it is a whole different meaning to life itself. 

Reflection wk 1 September 2 (G.K Chestorton essay)

“Of course this generalization about America, like other historical things, is subject to all sorts of cross divisions exceptions, to be considered in their place.  The negroes are a special problem, because of what white men in the past did to them.  The Japanese are a special problem, because of what men fear that they in the future may do to white men.  The Jews are a special problem, because of what they and the Gentiles, in the past, present, and future, seem to have the habit of doing to each other.  But the point is not that nothing exists in America except this idea; it is that nothing like this idea exists anywhere except in America.  This idea is not internationalism; on the contrary it is a decidedly nationalism.  The Americans are very patriotic, and wish to make their new citizens patriotic Americans.  But it is the idea of making a new nation literally out of any old nation that comes along.  In a word, what is unique is not America but what is called Americanization.  We understand nothing till we understand the amazing ambition to Americanize the Kamskatkan and the Hairy Ainu.  We are not trying to Anglicise thousands of French cooks or Italian organ-grinders.  France is not trying to Galliscise thousands of English trippers or German prisoners of war.  America is the one place in the world where this process, healthy or unhealthy, possible or impossible, is going on.  And the process, as I have pointed out, is not internationalization.  It would be truer to say it is the nationalization of the internationalized.  It is making a home out of vagabonds and a nation out of exiles.  This is what at once illuminates and softens the moral regulations which we may really think faddist or fanatical.  They are abnormal; but in one sense this experiment of a home for the homeless is abnormal; but in one sense this experiment of a home for the homeless is abnormal.  In short, it has long been recognized that America was an asylum.  It is only since Prohibiton that it has looked a little like lunatic asylum.”

What I interpreted from this paragraph of G.K. Chesterton’s essay is that America is a land that gives those who may not have an identity some identity, by putting cross the idea of nationalism by simply subtracting internationalism.  This idea have made those who were once exiled or considered as vagabonds now patriotic citizens, by making them Americans; by taking old nation of different ethnic background they have managed to create a new nation regardless of the scars that many have bore over historical times. 

I choose this paragraph because of a conversation that was brought up in class about why we are called African Americans instead of being called according to the place we all immigrated from; as I am an immigrant from the Caribbean and like many others from the Caribbean I have embraced America as my new country which make me an African American.  Although, not American born I remain patriotic to the country and continue to make use of this asylum that have become a home for many like myself.  American has given me an identity along with an opportunity to build and be a strong black woman.