Friday, February 12, 2010
Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine did the most to define “America” as we know it today. Unlike other writers of his time, his writing appealed to the common man. He wanted to reach out to as many people as possible to get his message across. His pamphlet, Common Sense, demonstrated something that is great about America, free speech. Today in America, free speech allows the media to watchdog the government and keep the people of America informed about what is going on. Paine’s Common Sense informed the colonists at the time what was wrong with Britain controlling them and that to become a great country of freedom they must become independent of Britain. Paine was not afraid to point out the faults in their relationship with Britain. He brought up that whenever Britain is at war with another country, we will also be at war with that country, and our trade will be ruined because of it. His writing inspired people to stand up for what they believe is right; something that is still very important in America today. Free speech in America today still shows the power of the written word and what it can do. It allows us to point out to other people what is wrong with how our current system works and how we can fix it. Thomas Paine’s Common Sense did exactly that and because of that we became an independent country.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I like your point about the fact that Paine practiced free speech. I sometimes forget that it is a right of the Constitution and they were just starting to exercise this right. You pointed out also that Paine spoke to the common people which is interesting because he wanted to make sure his audience was large enough to make an impact. I sometimes wonder if what his pamphlet was called was really "common sense" because I think there were some Americans who were very dependent upon the British (as well as other countries) for goods and services.
ReplyDeleteI did not think that Paine best defined America as we know it today, yet I really like how you reasoned why you thought he was. I liked how you mentioned the part about free speech, because that is one very major part of America today. Everyone is always very quick to practice "freedom of speech" and remind others of this freedom. Some countries/cultures don't have this so I'm glad you mentioned it because it is a vital point. I also liked how Paine targeted the "common people" on their level, to better relate and communicate with them.
ReplyDelete