American poem

we are different
tall, short, fat, skinny, tired, deprived
yet we join as one

Puritan or Not?

After reading the article online I think it’s pretty obvious that America still upholds its puritan ideals, or at least the majority of us do. I think a lot of it is extremely personal though. We now are home to so many different cultures and beliefs so to say we all have puritan ideals would be quite a stretch. I think the majority of America follows these ideals now a days, but I think it is less obvious and more personal. I think many people are motivated more by predestination and salvation, but then again many aren’t. I’m sure most people would try and argue that overall America is now home to a more secular work ethic and belief. Although many people are motivated secularly I do think the majority still holds true to puritan roots and work ethics. Personally I think it’s one of those topics that you can never come to an ultimate conclusion because America contains so many different kinds of people and those people have so many different beliefs and motivations. I can say first hand that I do not follow puritan ideals in the slightest and am completely secular and am more open to anything instead of being stuck in my rigid ways.

Inaugurations Bring Us Together

I thought it was interesting that most of the presidents used words like nation and government. They seem like obvious words to use while addressing the nation during the inauguration, but most of the presidents used the words differently than you’d expect. Many used the word government by saying that it almost isn’t important, but we the people are more important and self-government is way more important. Regan used this a lot in his speeches for example : “we are a nation that has a government- not the other way around.” He is clearly trying to make us feel more together and that the citizens of this country mean more than the government. A lot of the presidents also talk about the nation as a whole and trying to make us feel like a giant team and that we are all on one side. A direct quote from Clinton : “…of our past remains the challenge of our future –will we be one nation, one people, with one common destiny or not?” By addressing the whole nation no one feels left out.

Personally I think all these words that are used so much in inaugural speeches are so popular because you can use these words in ways to make the country come together. After candidates are elected it is almost their job to try to make the losing party feel better and come on board with their ideas and to trust them. After many debates and elections the nation feels split into left and right and the inaugural speech needs to bring everyone together again to look toward common goals and work as a team. It doesn’t always work but with the help of these words it can make people feel more comfortable again and remember we are all citizens of this country and we need to work together.

Apocalypse Wow!!

In the opening of the film Apocalypse Now there are several intriguing things that add to the overall effect. As trees and land are burning with helicopters shooting overhead the shot fades to a man lying on a bed. As he’s lying on the bed you see faded shots of the destruction of war at the same time. This is extremely effective because you understand that the man is thinking about a memory from the war without being told that he is. You can tell he remembers this horrible memory and can’t get it out of his mind. There is also the song "The End" by The Doors playing while all this is going on which adds to the sense of danger and sadness to this memory. It is a nice addition because many people probably died in the destruction, and I’m sure witnessing it one could have thought that it was going to be the end of their life. As the scene progresses the destruction fades into a shot of a ceiling fan with the noise of helicopters in the background. This ties together everyday items and war together, and how veterans go back to awful memories so easily. Little everyday things that no average person would take notice of suddenly bring back horrible memories and thoughts to someone who experienced something of that caliber. The opening scene is super effective at making the viewer understand things and see what someone feels after something like war.