APUSH Blog #2: Slaves' Right to Kill

Did slaves have the right to kill to secure their freedom? Normally I would argue no one has the right to kill, but I think in some cases it would actually be justified. I believe every slave had the right to rebel with disobedience or running away, but not every slave had the right to murder.

We learned cruel slave owners were actually the exception, and the stories of incredibly harsh punishments were fairly rare. The slaves who experienced this though had every right to kill for their freedom because not only were their rights as humans being ignored when forced into slavery, but they were also being brutally mistreated. If the owner was cruel enough to kill a slave, I believe the slaves had the right to kill the owner. In our brief class discussion many people argued “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind” or “they shouldn’t stoop to their level”, but when it comes to slavery, you can’t expect blacks to just passively suffer through it and not stand up for themselves. Has anyone witnessed someone else being whipped to death or gotten their foot chopped off for running away recently?? I don’t think we’re even capable of putting ourselves in their shoes- otherwise I think almost unanimously people would say they do have that right. In my eyes, it was necessary.

Some slaves were treated well by their masters- but they were still treated as another person’s property. Some may say that just from that fact alone, they should be able to kill for their freedom, but should they really have the right to kill someone who doesn’t know any better? Slavery was socially accepted in the South before the Civil War, it was an economic system they depended on- and even people without slaves still believed blacks were inferior to whites because that was just what they were taught. I always wonder if I had grown up in that time period if I would have been against slavery and racism, or if I would have been a part of it because it was just the norm. That is why if the slave owners were not cruel or especially inhumane, then I believe they shouldn’t be killed. If they were benevolent masters, their murder would not be justified.

Although rebellions should have avoided violence as much as possible no matter the lack of compassion of their owners, sometimes it was needed. Slave codes and efforts against slave rebellions made it extremely difficult to escape any other way than but to use aggression. Slaves were not allowed to travel without a white person present or permission, so if someone found them they would immediately be returned and face appalling consequences, so sometimes they didn’t have a choice. Any slave conspiring to rebel also received the death penalty, so to evade that, I actually think the use of violence is excusable. On the other hand though, slaughtering every white person in their path was not the answer either. Killing their masters is one thing, but killing whites who have nothing to do with it is another, especially considering most families even in the South did not own slaves or owned very few. I do believe though, that if someone was trying to recapture them and return them to their owner, they had the right to kill them because that is really the only way they would be able to remain free and escape extremely severe punishment.

It is very hard to know where to draw the line; although we try hard to study the subject, we don’t know what exactly went on and how it felt to be a slave. We will never fully understand how degrading and intimidating and restricting it must have been to be enslaved, so how can we say they should just wait for the North to free them? We have also learned about both loyal slaves protecting their masters and defiant slaves trying to poison their masters, so obviously some were good and some were bad. Because of this, it’s impossible to say all masters deserved to be killed or that none should have been. So, did slaves have the right to kill to secure their freedom? My answer: It’s complicated.

LC Exercise #1 Part 1: Top 5 Signature Strengths

My top five signature strengths are (1) appreciation of beauty and excellence, (2) leadership, (3) curiosity and interest in the world, (4) fairness, equity, and justice, and (5) creativity, ingenuity, and originality- surprising mostly because I didn’t realize “appreciation of beauty and excellence” or “curiosity and interest in the world” could be classified as a “strength”.

I also would never really describe myself as grateful or even as all that positive— normally when I’m being my most unenthusiastic and pessimistic self, people tell me how much positive energy I give off, and I’m always thinking “Where have you been? I was complaining the entire time”. And I don’t think it’s me not realizing it- trust me, once something annoys me, basically everything else does too- so I don’t really know if I completely agree with that, especially as my number one strength. The only reason why I kind of see that is because of my third strength, curiosity and interest in the world. When I’m even slightly interested in something, I tend to get extremely excited about it. Also, things like the universe, the world, and our existence are just fascinating to me, so that sort of makes me appreciative of them in a way. ^[1] I guess what I’m trying to relate it to is the quote “If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change”, meaning if we can appreciate the tiny little wonders of our world, we’ll be able to appreciate everything- Buddha had it all figured out.

I guess I appreciate things a little more than I realized, but besides that these all seemed rather accurate to me; I tend to like to be in control only because I have a hard time trusting anyone else to get it done the way I want it, I’m literally obsessed with traveling and I love learning and experiencing new things, I try to be as fair as possible I guess, and I definitely try to be different, so overall I agree with the test results.

I would like to think I’m authentic because I don’t feel the need to do things to please others. Obviously I don’t mean I don’t like to do things to make others happy, I mean I don’t like to be fake just so people will like me. I loved the quote, “We know our behavior is authentic when we can consistently say what we mean, do what we say, and say what is so when it is so”, and although I may not be perfect, I feel as though I follow that statement fairly well.

My actions, motivations, speech, and appearance are also quite consistent with my character strengths. I at least try to be true to myself in all aspects of my life, whether it’s stating my opinion on something or simply dressing the way I want to dress. The only area I can really think of that could use work is actually school life. I want to do my best and do well for myself, but a lot of times I also find myself trying harder than I normally would to compete with others. One of my best friends lives and breaths school- or more specifically grades- and at times I feel she has a negative influence on me. Most of the time I don’t really care how well I do on a test, I’m proud if I do well, indifferent if I do mediocre, and I laugh it off if I do poorly, but when I see how much she cares about her scores, I start to worry about mine- and I shouldn’t let that happen.

Otherwise though, I feel I’m pretty good at being me. Not to say that I’m this crazy non-conformist, but I definitely value individuality a great deal, which goes hand in hand with being authentic. I’m “unwilling to compromise [my] integrity in order to satisfy the expectations of others or win their approval”. And I’m proud of that.

^[1]Wow, I’m just so deep.

LC Exercise #1 Part 2: Random Acts of Kindness Log and Reflection

September 5^th (no school)

1. Two people let me pass first at an intersection

2. While searching for a venue for my best friend’s surprise party, even though people were having a family party in the room at the time, they let us come in and look around anyways

3. My sister and her friend made their other friend a cake for her birthday and delivered it to her house since she couldn’t hang out

4. Someone forgot their money for soccer socks and it was the deadline to get them or you couldn’t play, so someone who they weren’t that good of friends with lent them the money

5. One of the sophomores had to ride their bike home after soccer practice, and three seniors’ cars all slowed down to ask her if she needed a ride

September 6^th

1. Many people held the door open for each other if they happened to be walking in at the same time

2. Mrs. Gasman greeted all the girls dropping off their sports bags in the locker room

3. Someone’s brown bagged lunch ripped, spilling all over the hallway and numerous kids walking by helped pick the stuff up

4. Someone asked the person next to them to borrow a pen, and they said they could just keep it

5. When my team was picking our soccer uniform numbers, two people wanted the same number, but then they both fought over how the other person should have it, and eventually they both decided neither of them would have it

September 7^th

1. First period someone voluntarily took down all the chairs that were still on the desks when class started

2. Someone’s pencil case fell off their desk and everything spilled out and the surrounding kids helped pick it up

3. Someone at lunch in the courtyard purposely left a penny on the ground on the heads side so that someone else could find it and have good luck

4. Ms. Trahan picks up all the trash outside that kids leave everywhere everyday

5. Someone held open the door for me when they saw I was carrying a lot

6. My dad let some strangers in the parking lot with a flat tire use his jack because they didn’t have one

September 8^th

1. Once again, saw someone hold open the door for someone else on their way into school

2. My Chinese class is huge and there aren’t enough chairs for everyone, so multiple people offered to share their seats or sit on the radiator in the back so other people could sit down

3. During Eagle Block a few people drew pictures and funny notes to the other classes on the white boards

4. At lunch someone got someone else who was on crutches a fork so they wouldn’t have to get up and get it themselves

5. Someone else carried the person on crutches’ stuff to their next class

6. At a concert I went to the person at the door was about to scan someone’s ticket when they said to scan another person’s ticket first because they were really next, even though everyone was pushing and shoving to get in first

7. The bass player in one of the bands was someone you could tell was really shy and at one point someone in the crowd screamed “I LOVE YOU!” and the biggest, most genuine smile spread across his face

September 9^th

1. Altruism Club members held open the doors and greeted everyone as they walked into school

2. Someone’s pen rolled under someone else’s desk, and instead of just kicking it closer to them like he suggested, the other person actually picked it up for him

3. A freshmen forgot their cleats and a junior who had an extra pair let them borrow them for the game

4. During our soccer game the team we were playing was really aggressive, but this one girl on their team kept apologizing for them for when they knocked us over or hurt one of us

5. During my driving lesson, a motorcyclist behind me kept honking at me and I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong, but then I realized the instructor had left his binder on top of the trunk outside the car and he was just trying to tell me

Most of these random acts of kindness were small, probably forgotten a few days later by the receiver, but for a tiny moment they brought a grin to someone’s face or a little light to brighten up their day. Although some went unnoticed, most people were appreciative of these small acts, saying thank you or flashing them a smile. A lot of times people were surprised at people’s kindness; they didn’t expect it, which made it all the more special, but it also showed that people don’t think others care. When I told my sister about this project she asked, “How are you suppose to do that? No one does anything nice for each other anymore”. I don’t agree with that, but I understand what she’s saying, my generation seems to be more selfish and rude than ever- but not everyone’s that way. For example, I just assumed the motorcyclist behind me was trying to be obnoxious since I was driving in a “Student Driver” car, but really he was just trying to help me. It’s sad that we don’t think people are going to do anything nice for us.

Observing these random acts of kindness made me feel better about people. Our species can be pretty awful to each other, but this showed me that most people actually do have some kindness in them. Most of the time we wouldn’t even realize these events are happening, but when you look for them they’re there. And even though all these gestures were small, they add up. These random acts of kindness shouldn’t be so random though, we should make a greater effort to do them all the time. The more you help others, the more others will want to help you.

The random act of kindness that made the biggest impression on me was when someone in the crowd shouted “I LOVE YOU!” to the shy bass player at the concert I went to. He immediately smiled so wide and began to visibly feel more comfortable. Anyone could tell he appreciated it, you could read it on his face. It was a huge confidence boost for him, and his smile said it all. It was just a good moment. I didn’t really realize that an act of kindness could also be verbal- and showing your appreciation for someone or letting them know they mean something to someone- or simply making someone feel accepted, goes a long way. It was one of those instances when just witnessing it you also smile.

I’m not sure I completely believe it, but I would like to think “love actually is all around us”. I tend to have a fairly negative outlook on the world, but it’s things like these that remind me it’s not all bad. People care. Almost everyone has good intentions, and almost everyone wants to help out. The thing about a random act of kindness is that they make the donor feel just as good as the recipient- so in a way you’re always indirectly helping yourself. To tie this back in to our happiness research, I think one of the most sure ways to bring yourself happiness is to bring happiness to others- it’ll work every time. If more people realize this, the “actually” part of that statement won’t be necessary; it won’t be so surprising.

This exercise made me look more closely at people’s interactions. Sometimes I struggled deciding whether an act of kindness was really “random” or if they were close friends- but either way it made me pay more attention, seeing that people actually are a lot more considerate and compassionate than I thought. It also showed me that the small things I do will actually be recognized and I guess the whole point of the assignment was that we should all try to do random acts of kindness more often because even if it really doesn’t make that much of a difference, for a split second it makes someone else happy.

APUSH Blog #1: Success- or Rather Stress- at SHS

Sharon High School is full of overachievers, grade grubbers, and simply competitive kids, and because of it, our lives are made miserable. I completely agree with Success?!, we’ve taken this to a point where it’s just too much. School should not be the only thing that matters in the first 18 years of our life.

What kids don’t understand is that killing yourself over school might not win you happiness later on. We are constantly preparing for college applications, thinking that getting into a good school will somehow make us happy in the future. Everyone’s dream would be to get accepted into Harvard- but do they even know what they want to do once they get there? Probably not. Happiness isn’t something you should put off. These years are supposed to be the best of our lives, but instead all we’re really doing is waiting for the moment that might never arrive. I loved the quote, “Test scores measure where an individual is, they don’t tell you where an individual will end up”. That is to say, don’t cry over it.

Unfortunately though, I am a part of that. The problem is the pressure we feel from our peers; you have to keep up. I may not care as much about grades as some, but I compare my test scores with everyone around me, secretly getting satisfaction from having a better score than the person next to me. I’ve taken classes for the wrong reasons; at first thinking I can handle all of them, but then realizing there’s no possible way I can do them all at once. In fact, I am taking this class, A.P. U.S. History, mostly because it has the words “Advanced Placement” in front of it. I’m not proud of it, but it’s true. Everyone says “colleges will like that you challenged yourself with an A.P. course junior year”, my parents pushed me into it because I didn’t want to take Honors Pre-Calc, and my two best friends are taking A.P. Chem and Honors Pre-Calc and would openly judge me if didn’t take an A.P. class. I realize there’s more to life than school, I feel extreme pity for those who are only passionate about studying- but just being in the environment of Sharon High School makes me feel I have to prove myself.

As other students have said, most teachers don’t seem to understand that we have other things to do besides homework and studying after we are already spending over 30 hours a week in their classrooms. They pile on the work, not seeming to care that we also have five other classes. However, I do not blame the teachers for this epidemic of academic insanity. In fact, on the first day of school almost every one of my teachers made fun of my class for already worrying about grades. A lot of it is us doing it to ourselves. We over schedule ourselves, and push ourselves far harder than what is healthy. I believe it’s because we compare ourselves to each other too much. For example, you find out some one studied five hours for a test you studied two hours for, and now all of a sudden you feel unprepared. Or, you look over and see that someone is unhappy with an A- on their project, and now your B, which you were fine with before, now seems that much worse. So what is actual success? I believe it’s being proud of yourself- and others being proud of you is unrelated.

So I may not care when someone else does better on a test than me (I can’t stand people who say things like, “…I can’t believe I only got a 96… What’d you get?”, “an 84”, “Oh! That’s so good!”. They’re either lying to you, or insulting your intelligence.), but I am equally caught up in all this. We all need to take a deep breath and realize grades don’t necessarily define success, and they definitely don’t define us.

LC Blog #1: Happiness Machine

I don’t believe that true happiness is possible without some unhappiness. I barely had to think to know I would not plug in; the idea of the machine really freaked me out, it seemed more like a scary science experiment rather than the solution to humanity’s dissatisfaction. And how could you be satisfied with your new “life” if you never had to work for anything, never had to struggle? To me, the machine seems quite impossible, not because scientifically it’s not achievable, but because I believe it is impossible to be happy all the time. It wouldn’t really be happiness. Nothing would have meaning because if you knew you would get everything you wanted, it wouldn’t be special anymore. You would feel bored, and thus discontent. A utopia just doesn’t exist.

Of course, who am I to say that no one should use this machine? I’ve never experienced loss or heartbreak, nothing bad has really ever happened to me. I’ve been given perfect living conditions, my life is full of opportunities, and I’ve never had to go through anything serious. Not only do I live in America, I live in Sharon, the apparent 11^th best city in the country- everything has been handed to me. I’m sure if I had a terrible life, this machine would seem extremely tempting.

Think about if every human was given the choice to plug in. I believe most would. Not only would your life loose all purpose from wasting your time floating in a tank like you’re brain dead, but life for the few who remained would become stagnant; all progress would come to a halt as more and more people plug in. Eventually humans would actually become extinct because, since you are plugged in to this fake world for life, people would never have children in reality. This machine would not only be life changing, it would change all life on earth.

Besides the fact that this machine would end humankind, it’s also just a shortcut that is not worth taking. Life, although unfair, bumpy, and confusing, is worth actually living. You could compare this machine to suicide; it’s a way to end the pain, but it ends everything. How would we learn if we never made mistakes, never fell in and out of love, never had to start over? We would no longer appreciate anything, and that’s what happiness is: appreciating the moment. If we were given everything, nothing would matter anymore. Life is about making choices and sometimes the choices being made for you; you’re not supposed to get everything you want. Our hardships are also a part of what defines us as a person, without them no one would be very interesting.

And what good is happiness if it is all fake? To me, this fantasy world doesn’t seem very appealing. A friend is someone who is there for you even in bad times, so if there are no bad times, are there no real friends? And if no one will hurt you, you’ll never have fights with anyone, and you’ll always be content no matter what, is there no such thing as “the one”? Could you fall in love with anyone? Would love even exist? To love someone is to care enough to make sacrifices for that person, and sacrifices mean temporary unhappiness. And if everyone around you is also happy, you could never help anyone, so would your life ever have meaning? These doubts I have make this “dream” seem more like a nightmare.

While pondering this prompt, I actually googled “Define: Happiness”. It came up with things like, “state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy”, “‘Happiness… Is Not a Fish That You Can Catch’ is the title of Canadian alternative rock band Our Lady Peace’s third studio album”, and “(1) a good stomach and an evil heart. (2) tranquility and occupation. (3) ignorance. (4) to be very busy with the unimportant”. Nothing very helpful. I decided on my own definition.

Happiness (n.): The feeling of true satisfaction that comes from the company of others, excitement or fun, accomplishments, personal interests, or finding and fulfilling your purpose in life. Happiness is only attained if shown only occasionally and in contrast to unhappiness. Memories of when you were happy can also recreate happiness. Happiness is contagious because it also comes from making others happy.

So although everyone’s goal in life is to achieve happiness, I don’t believe plugging into this machine is the way to get there. I am a skeptic of the machine, and I prefer reality. I also believe that sadness is an ingredient of happiness, which you can’t get from the machine. Life is rough, but it’s worth it in the end. As Robert Frost once wrote, “Happiness makes up in height what it lacks in length”.