Eloquence of Empty Promises

“We love eloquence for its own sake, and not for any truth which it may utter, or any heroism it may inspire”

            Thoreau states that we love the elegance of writing because it is persuasive, not because it is truthful or inspiring. This is true in today’s society. We believe the things that sound good to us whether or not they are genuine.

         Many politicians will campaign to make certain changes in their areas however they most likely will not follow through with them. For example President Obama promised to end the war in Afghanistan in 2014 but continues to prolong the withdrawal. Another example is Donald Trump campaigning to lower taxes and increases the importance of this by saying that America is the most highly taxes nation in the world. However America is more towards the middle in rank for the highest taxes.

            These false claims sound like great ideas. We want them to be fixed to so agree with their claims and promises. We believe what we want to hear and since their big political figures we let believe them.  Pretentious, elegant, good sounding statements make us agree and believe them no matter how much ridiculous they are.

           Often political speeches are long and drawn out. This makes people stop paying attention and analyzing their truthfulness and just mindlessly agreeing with the good things they say. We do not always consider that they would make false promises since they are so powerful and influential. Their words can inspire and change people opinions and points of view even though their promises are empty. The smarter and more profound you sound the more people will believe your words.

The Declaration of Indepe... Sentiments

               Elizabeth Cady Stanton's Declaration of Sentiments was extremely effect in sending its message by mimicking the structure of Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence. Jefferson began by introducing the beliefs, values, and rights of the American people. Then he clearly listed how those rights were being challenged by the British crown. He concluded his piece by stating what the American people are liberated from British control. Following this structure Stanton first states the rights of women, then she lists how those rights have been violated by men, and finally insists that their rights be returned. Stanton directly links her declaration to Jeffersons' by uses direct quotes from his work such as "when in the course of human events" and "we hold these truths to be self-evident". Stanton also mentions the inalienable rights of the people and that if the government interferes with their "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" then the people must insist on a new government. Stanton is exercising this right through her declaration.

               While Stanton uses many go Jefferson's ideas Jefferson's piece has a much more official tone. The Declaration of Independence was an important government document therefore its tone is very formal. In contrast Stanton uses the elements of the Declaration of Independence in an more mocking tone. She uses it connect the liberation of the colonies from the British to the liberation of women from men. Using the declaration as her model draws the attention of men in particular and makes it harder for them to criticize her argument.
               Both declarations state their grievances against groups they feel oppressed by. However the grievances made by Thomas Jefferson were resolved once the colonies broke ties with the British. The American's suppression came to an end when they became an independent country. Some of Stanton's grievances were resolved by women's suffrage. However many of her grievances are still accurate in today's society. 

"He has monopolized nearly all the profitable employments, and from those she is permitted to follow, she receives but a scanty remuneration." 

               Still today women are still not paid the same wages as men. Women of color are paid even less. Equal wages is an issue that is being fought for especially through today's media. One of the main fights in feminist movement is for equal wages for everyone.

"He has created a false public sentiment, by giving to the world a different code of morals for men and women, by which moral delinquencies, which exclude women from society, are not only tolerated but deemed of little account in man."

"He has endeavored, in every way that he could to destroy her confidence in her own powers, to lessen her self-respect, and to make her willing to lead a dependent and abject life."

             When women in today's society act as men do they are seen as inferior. Many men objectify women and make them feel as if they life for men. When women are independent and or as sexually active as men are they are seen as unclean and undesirable. Women are not allowed to stand up for themselves without being seen badly. 

             The Declaration of Independence solved the issues of the colonists but the Declaration of Sentiments has still not been completely resolved. 

John Adam's Letter to His Wife

Whenever Vanity, and Gaiety, a Love of Pomp and Dress, Furniture, Equipage, Buildings, great Company, expensive Diversions, and elegant Entertainments get the better of the Principles and Judgements of Men or Women there is no knowing where they will stop, nor into what Evils, natural, moral, or political, they will lead us.
          John Adams is telling his wife that when higher members of society set principles that benefit their material riches it will cause negative effects on their society. This is clearly present when the founding fathers, including John Adams, created the laws that built America. For example the right to vote was reserved for white, property owning men. These men where the lawmakers and almost all the laws benefit them but not their lower society members. Southern lawmakers often owned slaves to work their land. They made their money and their living off of the labor of these slaves. For this reason slavery was not outlawed in the Articles of Confederation or the Constitution which only caused conflict later in the development of America. Women were not giving any rights at all which led to suffrage movements in the early 1900s. The lawmakers created laws that best benefited them and lowered the power of anyone else. The elite lawmakers continued to get rich while everyone else was not even giving an opportunity to succeed. The focus of gaining riches on the lawmaking of early America caused inequality and immorality among Americans.
          Adams capitalizes certain nouns in his statement. In the first part of the sentence the capitalized words are materialistic qualities: Vanity, Gaiety, Love, Pomp, Dress, Furniture, Equipage, Buildings, Company, Diversions, Entertainments. Then the capitalized words continue to show the effects of those qualities: Principles, Judgements, Men, Women, Evils. All of the words are nouns that create the meaning of the sentence. Adams capitalized these to emphasize them and indicate their importance to his statement.
          Adams' wife had asked him not to forget to give women rights and importance in the American laws. Adams tells her that the selfishness of the men will interfere with the fairness and justness of the laws.