Who were the real savages in the 1600s?

     Throughout our reading in class we have talked a lot about colonization and the interactions between Native Americans and the English. John Smith and Mary Rowlandson both in their writings called the Native Americans savages and had terrible opinions about them. The one thing that catches my attention is the fact that no one ever got the Native Americans side of the story, anybody can be a victim if you only let them tell the story. Its pretty well known though that the Englishmen that came over to the New World were savage-like in ways. The Englishmen might have been more "civilized" than the Native Americans, but that doesn't make them superior.

     The Native Americans have been ridiculed and discriminated against for decades just like the African slaves, and once again through history the English come out kind of untouched in the bigger scheme of things. In history, the English are credited with participation in the slave trade and the destruction and exile of Native Americans. Destroying the culture and history of two races and being credited for the holiday we all know as Thanksgivings is what we associate with the English, but more so Thanksgivings than anything.

     The English lost a lot of early settlers by the hands of the natives, but the natives lost EVERYTHING to hands of the English. The proof in the pudding to revealing that the natives lost everything, including culture:

The map of the United States is the proof because of the 48 states that were accumulated over time was either barren land or land occupied by natives that were eventually killed, captured, or forced off their land. The land we know as North America was taken from people who did not deserve it and now we roam their lands, with our democratic government and american culture ruining it bit by bit.

The Native Americans killed for self - defense. Intruders come from overseas to start fresh in your territory, the smart and instinctive thing to do, especially for males is to protect, and that is what they did. 

At the end of the day, I believe the Native Americans were just in some way for their "savage" ways, but the English on the other hand were GREEDY, taking what they want as they see fit. The English helped the natives which is indeed true, but it was help until they got what they wanted, then it was take your land and death to you. Similar to our situation in "America" now with the real - estate economy, we want your land to build a shopping center so we are gonna pay you to move and build on your land. In most cases this leaves the seller of the home out to dry because the american dollar isn't worth much, makes it harder to buy home also in this economy. But the people at the top do not care.

Was Thomas Paine apart of the Free Masons?

"In Deism our reason and our belief are happily united"  

                                                                                                          - Thomas Paine
   
   
     Thomas Paine in his era was known as many things, but one thing I begin to question is his connection to the Freemasons. Paine wrote about George Washington (who would eventually become the first president of the United States) in his writing The Crisis, Number 1. George Washington was well known for his connection to the Freemasons, so I researched to see if Thomas Paine was connected to Washington and the Freemasons.
     I Google searched specifically, "Was Thomas Paine a Freemason" and clicked the first link World Union of Deists. Thomas Paine's Thomas Paine on Free Masonry, Part I was available for me to read. Its interesting how Thomas Paine actually has pages written about the origin of Free masonry. He begins to compare Free Mason principles to Christian principles, but its understood that Paine doesn't believe in religion, he believes in only one God so he calls the christian faith a "parody on the worship of the sun".

What intrigues me the most is the fact that Paine knows in detail about the inner workings of the Freemasons. My father is a Freemason and told me their sworn to secrecy and cannot reveal what goes on within the organization. This organization houses people from all walks of life, different cultures, different languages, but they all have common knowledge. Men known worldwide have been associated with Freemasonry, Da Vinci,   George Washington, Benjamin Franklin. Even presidents like The Bush's are associated with the secret society. So how does Thomas Paine know so much if he is not a Freemason?

     This YouTube video documents the hidden faith of the Founding Father's. It can answer a few questions about Thomas Paine. The thing that get me is the fact Thomas Paine in his writings, never said he was a Freemason, so it is all still speculation. The one fact I know for sure is that no man can discuss meanings and inner workings of the Freemasons and for Paine to know so much detail about the secret society has to mean more than meets the eye.
     Another reason I believe you consider Thomas Paine connected to the Freemasons is because a lot of the early members were prominent figures in their society with great influence. Many of them were astrologists, philosophers, artist, mathematicians, scientist, and had many other influential careers. Paine fits the mold completely, being known as an author, pamphleteer, radical, inventor, and revolutionary. With his influential writings and talks during his era, Paine had to be a target for a society of their influence and intellect.

"An eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind" - Mahatma Gandhi

How is Religion and Psychology tied together?

Religion: The belief or worship of a superhuman controlling power, esp. a personal God or gods.

Psychology: The study of the human mind and its functions, esp. those affecting behavior in a given context.

Definitions found via www.google.com

     Jonathan Edwards was a pastor during the Great Awakening and his mission was to influence the masses and voice the lifestyle and opinions of Christianity, but to do so you need more than just words to influence people to accept your beliefs and ways of thinking. Understanding basic ideas of psychology can make the task of influencing people easier. Religion and faith is more of a psychological influence, meaning any influence religion has is internal and will impact a person from the inside out.
     Edwards sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God was very vivid and had a lot of imagery;

"There is a dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of God; there is hell's wide gaping mouth open; and you having nothing to stand upon, nor any thing to take hold of; there is nothing between you and hell but air; it is only the power and mere pleasure of God that holds you up."(Page 5 of printed version) http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/history/spurgeon/web/edwards.sinners.html

     His sermons left still pictures in many of the peoples minds who saw and heard him speak. Through his many metaphors and imagery he slowly shaped the mind of the people with his influence. Through constant repetition also a human can be shaped and molded. Edwards constant repetition of verbal images about hell and walking without guidance, is a basic behavioral analysis principle called shaping. Shaping in psychology is the strengthening of a behavior or a certain thought process through repetition.

     To show how religion and psychology is tied together, I move forward to present day and the battle between people and religion. The fight that Jonathan Edwards and many like him fought decades ago. Over the years from Edwards time on earth until now, people have died over religion and people have changed their religion. Through the years psychology developed the principles of conditioning, and conditioning a group of people to think a certain way and behave in a certain manner has been done since the beginning of religion. Religion persuades a person through faith and belief that what ever done under their faith, for their faith, is just.

Religion is no more than a psychological tool that is used to keep people separated and thinking different. Belief elicits emotion and when emotions run too high, violence increases and the tranquility religion is suppose to bring is diminished. 

Does Bradstreet's poetry reveal faith bringing prosperity to her life?

     Anne Bradstreet was known for her faith in God and wrote about it in many of her works. She was a loving mother and wife, but she also endured her times of trouble and doubt. She wrote about a lot of her trials and tribulations, and contributed the pain and sin to being weak in her faith.
     In her poem "The Flesh and the Spirit" she compared twins as night and day, good and evil. Flesh being the sister that lives life too fast and forgets that God or (a higher sphere) has a plan for them. She is dreaming  and in search of materialistic things instead of filling her soul with righteousness, as Bradstreet reveals:

         "Then let not go what thou maist find

          For things unknown only in mind" (http://www.annebradstreet.com/the_flesh_and_the_spirit.htm)

    Spirit is the complete opposite, having good morals and living life right, or at least trying too. Living life calm and at peace with meditation and knows glory comes from up above.

         "Thy sinful pleasures I do hate,

          Thy riches are to me to bait.

          Thine honours do, nor will I love,

          For my ambition lies above." (http://www.annebradstreet.com/the_flesh_and_the_spirit.htm)

     Bradstreet revealed in the stanza above, all the pleasures we dwell in and tempt us to do bad are instruments used as bait. And to cure ourselves from being lost in temptation, we are suppose to keep our spirit open to God, because with God good things are to come. She begins to further reveal prosperity through faith when in "To My Dear and Loving Husband", she says "The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray." She was saying how much she loved her husband and she prayed the heavens rewarded her for having a strong faith and carrying out God's plan. (Line 10)

     The enlightening "To My Dear Children" is where she really revealed a lot about her faith and battles with good and evil. She revealed how she lived a life where she could not keep evil on her soul and always had to pray til she was relieved of the pain. She tells her children that she had to pray and pray until she was blessed with a child. (http://mith.umd.edu/eada/html/display.php?docs=bradstreet_tomydearchildren.xml&action=show)

     I believe through Anne Bradstreet's writings she revealed that in her life she got where she was through faith in God. The bad she encountered, she realized it and confessed and as she did so she began to prosper in life. So with the ups and downs, she began to realize and reveal in her works to stay on the path of righteousness, prayer is the way. Let God guide your footsteps is what I feel she tried to live by, and it guided her to prosperity and the knowing that after her death, her writings lives on.

WATCH this video, its a poet that expresses feeling about religion, good vs evil, and life, and ties in with Anne Bradstreet's way of letting God guide.

         

         

Were John Smith's goals the reason for Jamestown's success?

John Smith's Goals -----

• Encourage a policy for farming to replenishing food for the colony.
• Enforce a strict code pf discipline.
• Strengthen Defense.

John Smith is well known from his part in the Disney movie Pocahontas, but he is also known for his leadership in shaping the new world and the colony of Jamestown. Jamestown was a colony set up, at that time in 1607 for Englishmen and boys to go out and search the new world for gold, in hopes for coming up successful like the Spaniards in South America. 144 total people came over on the initial voyage to the New World, Virginia to be exact. Doing little farming since they were sent out to search for gold, the colony began to suffer as food diminished and the harsh winter struck the colonist along with malaria, a serious disease.
After the first year, 38 people were left from the original 144, then John Smith brings his leadership to save the colony from perishing. He was very strict and had the motto "Work or Starve", and anybody hearing those words would be smart to follow the motto as code. He also made it rule that every person had to spend four hours farming each day, which began to replenish the food. In 1609, John Smith had to return to England after a gun powder incident. He would never return to the colony.
History shows that John Smith was the reason for Jamestown's success due to the fact the goals he set out to accomplish improved the colony a full year leading up to his departure. The colony was on the verge of perishing and being executed by the Powhatan tribe. Smith becoming a subordinate chief in the tribe can be credited with keeping the Powhatan's from attacking the colony. And even after his departure he still promoted the further colonization of Virginia. He encourage more men and woman to follow and go to Virginia, convincing everyone that the new world was the "land of opportunity."
John Smith did receive another chance to return to the New World, but not Virginia, he made a successful voyage to Maine and the Massachusetts Bay area, and he named it New England. It would be his last successful trip to the New World. 

More Information on John Smith and the colonization of the New World can be found in the links below:

http://www.ushistory.org/us/2c.asp

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/ah-johnsmith.html

Below is a video about the Jamestown Colony, a lot of great facts:

The Real Me

I'm formally known as Jordan Ahmad Simmons, but people close to me call me Smoove, get to know me and you will understand why.

I'm from Atlanta, GA the best city in the land, but in my younger years stayed in New York (Syracuse), and also Fort Campbell, KY, my dad was in the military.

I'm 20 years old and I'm an Aries, and I have a 5 1/2 month old son named Cayman Cashmere Simmons, and everything I'm working toward is for him. And below is a picture of my little man:

I also make music and I'm apart of the rap group known as LEAD (Loyalty Everyday All Day), and we make quality music, for the people. Here's the link to our YouTube Channel and some of our music:

• http://www.youtube.com/user/LEADMOVEMENT?feature=mhee

And here is a video from that YouTube Channel ------> Check it out:

Assignment #2 --------- Troy Davis: Injustice

     I know a lot of people have been hearing or watching news about the Troy Davis execution that took place on the night of September 21, 2011. It was a sad day for many people. I am one of many people that did not know a lot about the Troy Davis case and the upcoming execution. A man ridiculed for the last 22 years and called a "cop killer", killed by another human being under capital punishment. Even after having prominent figures backing him and trying to save his life from being taken in a seemingly adverse situation, the Supreme Court and also the President of the United States did not intervene in his execution. 


I have read two articles on this case and gained insight from each, but a little bit more from one then the other.


USA Today 

Troy Davis executed; supporters cry injustice

• USA Today ran the story on Troy Davis setting a somber mood for the reader from the start of the article from the title "Troy Davis executed; supporters cry injustice" and the photo of the man consoling a crying woman, and it also had a lot of supporting facts. The article gave the feeling that it was a mistake made executing a man who's case has so much doubt included. USA Today quotes former President Jimmy Carter, a beloved president, when he said he hopes Davis' execution will spur us as a nation towards total rejection of capital punishment. This article was clearly bias and only stating that the whole outcome from the execution was bad judgement from higher powers. I understand the fact he was executed with so much doubt still in the air, but they started very little from the prosecutors and the family of McPhail's family.
 
• USA Today might not have referenced any videos except the main video at the top of the page to watch about Troy Davis, but they did have links posted to redirect the reader to more stories on Troy Davis, a timeline on his case, and photos from the execution. 
• The link to the "photos" unfortunately only has one photo and its not of anybody surrounding the trial or decision. 

ABC News

Troy Davis Executed After Stay Denied by Supreme Court

• ABC News ran the same story, but since I read the USA Today article first the ABC article basically repeated information. On the other hand though, ABC News stayed very general and reported about the same amount of information from both sides of the case. This article indeed was not bias, but lacked as much insight as the previous article. But in journalism we will take honest facts and information over bias opinions. INDEED!
• ABC News with a straightforward title actually gave a better insight into the Troy Davis case outside of the actual article, referencing side panels on the same page of the article linking videos of other media coverage from past trials and rallies. So even though the article was short and straightforward ABC News did a great job giving the reader a chance to take a closer glimpse into the Troy Davis case.