All individuals have a role in society, whether it is as a government official or a citizen of a nation. The duties of an individual and the duties of government are very important in order to establish a relationship between the two, especially in times of struggle and despair. An individual's duties are to treat everyone equally, stand up for what is right, and fight together for the good of all . The government's duty is to keep its people united and away from harm. All of these duties provide for a united nation that will offer its citizens life in a safe environment and a place to turn to, when help is required. During hard times, it is harder for individuals to fulfill their duties, especially the duty to fight for one's country. As the citizens of a country, people need to fight for what is right and support the government, when what it calls for is moral and necessary. If a country is in need of change, just like the colonies needed to separate from Great Britain, the individuals in that country have to work together in order to reach a mutual goal. Patrick Henry, in his speech, proclaimed that if he didn't fight for what he believed was right "[he] should consider [him]self as guilty of treason towards [his] country" (Henry 232). An individual has the duty to fulfill the needs of the country, especially when they are called upon. Not only does an individual need to fight for his or her country, but for justice within that country. There is no reason for there to be any violence amongst different nationalities, races, or sex within a country when it is deemed, "that all men and women are created equal" (Stanton 379). It is the duty of the individual, therefore, to maintain an environment where all people are treated eq... ... middle of paper ... ... between the government and the governed. If the government does not fulfill its duties, it will lose the support of the people. If the individual does not fulfill its duties, the government will be more dubious as to whether or not it could rely on the individual and his or her loyalty to the country. As the components of a country, the government and individual need to work together to find common ground and a trust-filled relationship. Works Cited Henry, Patrick. "Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death!" Virginia Convention. St. John's Church, Richmond, VA. 23 Mar. 1775. Speech. King, Martin Luther, Jr. "I Have a Dream." American Rhetoric. Michael E. Eidenmuller, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014. Stanton, Elizabeth C, et al. "Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions." 50 Essays: A Portable Anthology. Samuel Cohen. 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford St. Martin's, 2010. 379-82. Print.
“Give me liberty or give me death!” This statement from Patrick Henry’s “Speech to the Virginia Convention,” delivered to the House of Burgesses, has been quoted by many, becoming almost cliché. However, the declaration is truly understood by a select few. The unjust Stamp Act passed by the British crown in 1765, brought fame and notoriety to Henry as he spoke out against the unjust taxation without representation. Ten years later on the eve of revolution, Henry calls upon the Colonial government of which he is part, to act for the betterment of the people. Patrick Henry attempts to persuade the House of Burgesses to revolt and declare war against Britain by logically convincing them that it is their natural right to be free and calling on their patriotism and pride as leaders of colonial America.
Jefferson, Thomas. "The Declaration of Independence." The McGraw-Hill Reader: Issues Across the Disciplines. 8th edition, Ed. Gilbert H. Muller. New York: McGraw Hill, 2003. 305-308.
“Give me liberty, or give me death.” Patrick Henry is forever noted in history for this famous line during the American Revolution. His contributions to liberty did not stop with the British, however. Patrick Henry was the leader of the Anti-Federalists in the early years of our country. The Anti-Federalists did not want a federal government system, where there is a strong central government, then smaller, state governments. Patrick Henry had his own ideas for a decentralized national government, which he added on to the Constitution during the ratification convention in Virginia.
Emerson, Ralph W. "The American Scholar." Give Me Liberty!: An American History. Brief Third ed. Vol. One. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. 270. Print. Voices of Freedom excerpt
Most people’s knowledge of Patrick Henry begins and ends with his famous speech. However, his influence was just beginning. Some great orators are content to simply stir up the populace and then step back and let others do the dirty work. Patrick Henry acted. He joined the militia and became a colonel. He stirred up so much trouble that the royal governor issued a proclamation decrying his efforts. In 1776, he was elected governor, leading the critical state of Virginia through the early years of the war. During the dark days of the early revolution, George Washington faced internal threats from other leaders who doubted his ability. Patrick Henry defended him, and even exposed a plot to have Washington replaced. The fate of the Revolution
The speech of Patrick Henry really gave a sort of enlightenment throughout the colonies of that time period, but people wonder why this speech has a relevance to today’s society and people. Today in American society we as the people read Give me Liberty or Give me death a certain way, this speech represented a government where the people should be the one to decide it’s country's leader and not be a subject under a king or ruler. According to an article on American Remedy it tells us the way America interprets the way a government is supposed to be they say “We are supposed to have a Republican form of government, a government that comes from the consent of the people”(Ainsworth). People of America feel that we are at a state the the colonies
Henry, Patrick. 23 Mar. 1775. Give me Liberty or Give me Death. St. John's Church. Richmond, VA. 7 Dec 2013.
King, Martin L., Jr. "I Have a Dream." Archives.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2013.
of the people for the people and therefore should work in favor of the people, with all do
Sometimes to get freedom for you and others, you have to sacrifice your time, effort, and life. Patriots didn't not like they ways of the king. The Patriots wanted to separate from England and create their own united country. To separate from England they knew that there was going to be a war and with a war they needed people to fight. This was going to be a problem. Not many Patriots were willing to risk their lives: They wanted to take and give back. Only a few, the proud were willing to take the risk. Even with these willing volunteers the Continental Army was severely under sized. At times it was so bad that is was 5 British soldiers to 1 Continental soldier. They reason why I chose this slogan was because not many people are willing to
...s responsibility to determined winners and losers in business and in the everyday lives of the American people.
On August 28th, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous and powerful speech I Have a Dream, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. The purpose of his speech was to fight for the civil rights, equality, and to stop the discrimination against African-American people. His use of imagery, repetition, and metaphor in his speech had created an impact with his audience. King used the three rhetorical devices, ethos, pathos and logos to help the audience understand the message of his speech.
government’s ability to hold true to its true purpose, which is to establish a government
Bates, Claire. "Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech: What does it tell us about him?." BBC. BBC History, 23 Aug. 2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. .
...a swift hand in defending others: one day no one will be left to help defend us. We as a whole have to put our foot down to our leaders and do what it right by our own mind.