Imagine being born into captivity
TaLaunda Robinson-Washington
2nd period 11-16-2014
Refined and Word Processed 2011 Form B Prompt - Freedom vs. Safety
Imagine being born into captivity. You grow to live the same life as the others. Out of the many difficulties thrown your way, it is tolerable for you. However through all of the complications of captivity you are safe and your needs are met. Now imagine being taken out of captivity. You have your freedom, but what else do you have? Your safety is at risk, and your needs are not met. Would you choose your safety or your freedom? H.L Mencken, essayist and social critic, once wrote, “The average man doesn’t want to be free. He simply wants to be safe.” .In contemporary society, you can still notice Mencken’s observations being reflective in numerous situations such as child labor, gangs, and even the Trayvon Martin case. Dating back to 1832, when New England first condemns child labor, negative speculations about child labor began. When child labor is thought about, many will notice it as a very immoral and corrupted thing. However, many children involved in child labor oppose to these negative speculations. CNN (a famous news station) once interviewed a child captivated by child labor. During this interview, the child elaborated on the choice he made between safety and freedom. He explained within child labor his needs were met and he didn’t have to fear of anything happening to him because he was safe. He went on to say if he did have a choice between child labor and his freedom being granted, he would ultimately choose child labor. The reason being was because of his safety. Mencken’s observation can be perceived in the choice the child made. Gangs play a major role in contemporary society. From the outside looking in, gangs are seen as being besmirch to any individual that is involved. However gangs offer many promising things to an individual in a depraved neighborhood. Within gangs, the individual finds promises of safety and security. On
2nd period 11-16-2014
Refined and Word Processed 2011 Form B Prompt - Freedom vs. Safety
Imagine being born into captivity. You grow to live the same life as the others. Out of the many difficulties thrown your way, it is tolerable for you. However through all of the complications of captivity you are safe and your needs are met. Now imagine being taken out of captivity. You have your freedom, but what else do you have? Your safety is at risk, and your needs are not met. Would you choose your safety or your freedom? H.L Mencken, essayist and social critic, once wrote, “The average man doesn’t want to be free. He simply wants to be safe.” .In contemporary society, you can still notice Mencken’s observations being reflective in numerous situations such as child labor, gangs, and even the Trayvon Martin case. Dating back to 1832, when New England first condemns child labor, negative speculations about child labor began. When child labor is thought about, many will notice it as a very immoral and corrupted thing. However, many children involved in child labor oppose to these negative speculations. CNN (a famous news station) once interviewed a child captivated by child labor. During this interview, the child elaborated on the choice he made between safety and freedom. He explained within child labor his needs were met and he didn’t have to fear of anything happening to him because he was safe. He went on to say if he did have a choice between child labor and his freedom being granted, he would ultimately choose child labor. The reason being was because of his safety. Mencken’s observation can be perceived in the choice the child made. Gangs play a major role in contemporary society. From the outside looking in, gangs are seen as being besmirch to any individual that is involved. However gangs offer many promising things to an individual in a depraved neighborhood. Within gangs, the individual finds promises of safety and security. On