Oppression In Baseball

The life of a young baseball player is a very enjoyable one. Baseball has always been my favorite sport, it requires the highest amount of concentration and mental strength. Physical strength is also required to be able to hit and throw the ball; these are all skills required that apparently my freshman year of highschool I did not posses. I had always believed that I had the necessary skills to play baseball and play it well. However, tryouts my freshman year proved me wrong.

Thomas Paine arrived in America for the first time in 1774. He was impressed by the colonies and soon became an advocate for their rights in the slowly increasing tensions with Britain. Paine’s belief in the rights of independence not just for white Americans, but for all men, was made clear

My breakfast started to creep back up my throat as game time got closer and closer. I walked across the patch of grass behind home plate and was towered over by the 30 foot backstop with a huge net suspended from it. My bulging bag of equipment was beginning to make my shoulder hang. I walked down the steps into the cement dugout and placed my bag under the bench that spanned the entire length of the dugout. I sat down, laced up my cleats, and put my warm-up jacket on in preparation for batting practice. I stepped onto the grass surrounding the dugout to get the feeling of how wet the grass was. I dug my cleats into the grass and began my usual routine of taking certain practice swings as I gazed upon the press box in the wake of the backstop. Preceding the burn in my forearms, caused from the practice swings, I marched behind the dugout to the rows of batting cages to wait my turn in line. Pacing back and forth I knew I had to keep my nervousness to a minimum. I popped in a wad of Big League Chew and continued to

He had already written papers about the injustices and cruelties the Americans had to face while being overruled by Britain. Thomas Paine was the only American who had the audacity to write about gaining independence from Britain. He was the one who believed in America and its citizens to become a world superpower, and to grow into making their beloved country special. Written in his essay Age of Reason, he said, “I saw, or at least I thought I saw, a vast scene opening itself to the world in the affairs of America; and it appeared to me, that unless the Americans changed the plan they were then pursuing, with respect to the government of England, and declared themselves independent, they would not only involve themselves in a multiplicity of new difficulties, but shut out the prospect that was then offering itself to mankind through their means,” (44). In this passage of The Age of Reason, he stated his motive to write Common Sense. His motive to write Common Sense was for his patriots and the country as a whole. Not to make his political status rise, but to help America progress as an independent country. It wasn’t about him and his career as an author, but about having colonial unity amongst it’s citizens, and fight together to make America advance. Not only was their motive from the American public, but also from his fellow comrades, like Ben Franklin. They would frequently discuss upon this matter of independence and other international news, and this would have a significant influence into the writing of his persuasive essay. He spent hours daily discussing with his fellow moderns. It is obvious that Paine incorporated the conversations and correspondence with his compatriots into his essay. The long discussions that he had with Ben Franklin and his other friends gave him good ideas and a good understanding of their current situation. These long discussions were

1. Thomas Paine was nothing but an English craftsman who had emigrated to Philadelphia. He was a minor government official as well. Thomas Jefferson was born in America and like Americans in his time, he believed that Britain had a corrupted constitution. Paine soon finds himself joining the advocates where ideas were being created. From there, Paine was influenced to write the pamphlet called, "Common Sense." Both individuals promoted American Independence and made ideas plain to American colonists. Thomas Paine's advantage was the fact that he wasn't raised under Great Britain's Constitution, that gave him ideas and questions to why is America still under British control considering the fact that there are angry Americans.

He thought that people should know about the way Britain is treating the colonies and that people must fight against the unfair ways of British Parliament. Thomas Paine saw that colonies had every right to revolt against the government. He knew the taxes being imposed on colonies were wrong and that the fact colonies did not get the right of representation in the Parliament was unfair. There was no need for the colonies to stay dependent on England. So on January 10, 1776 Paine formulated his ideas on american independence in his pamphlet known as “Common Sense”

Thomas Paine was an Englishman turned Patriot during the time of the Revolutionary War. He moved to the colony of Pennsylvania from England a year before the Revolution started. At first, he thought that America and England should be at peace but soon after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, he developed into a Patriot. Thomas Paine had the greatest impact on American history because of writing the pamphlets Common Sense and The American Crisis.

- In 'Common Sense', published in January 1776, Thomas Paine said that the Colonists should aim for complete independence from Britain. Among the arguments he used were that Britain governed the Americans for its own benefit, not theirs, and that, in any case, the distance between the two nations made governing from England very inefficient. The pamphlet sold in its thousands and was very influential. It helped to turn a local uprising into a War of Independence and Thomas Paine was given the title Father of the American Revolution. He helped the American Revolution to succeed. He wrote stirring pamphlets which was so popular. He even wrote songs that inspired the soldiers of the American Armies to fight on, even when things looked hopeless. For example, he published a Crisis Paper, which starts with the stirring words “These are the times that try men's souls” which encouraged the beaten and demoralized Revolutionary soldiers to remain true to their cause. In this way, he helped the revolution to succeed. He gave his own money to try to make sure that the American soldiers were fed and clothed properly and he held important positions in government. He was secretary of the Congressional Committee on Foreign Affairs. As such, in 1781, he sailed with a delegation to France, to try to get more provisions for the Army. The mission was successful. Without it, the American Army may well have had to surrender to the British. (http://norfolkheroes.e2bn.org/hero/achievements/81/print). He was staunchly anti-slavery, and he was one of the first to advocate a world peace organization and social security for the poor and elderly. But his radical views on religion would destroy his success. He was derided by the public and abandoned by his friends. By the end of his life, only a handful of people attended his funeral (http://www.ushistory.org/paine/). Toussaint however was not anti-slavery he

Thomas Paine was a man that was very influential for the America society. He was a leader, and activist that made America the way to it is today. He was born in 1737 in England and was an excise officer until he met Benjamin Franklin in London. This was during 1774, and Benjamin Franklin was one of the influences for Thomas Paine emigrating to the Americas or the colonies at the time. He was the right man at the right time because he expressed and used his public speaking skills. He gave Americans a sense of rebellion at a time that it need to be demonstrated. His most famous pamphlet was Common Sense. A term that can be used to this day for inspirational purposes. He gave Americans a way of dreaming and trying to go for something that seemed far fetch to them. A sense of independence from at the time, Great Britain whether it be

Thomas Paine was concerned about the American need and cause for independence. Until independence is declared the continent will feel itself “like a man who continues putting off some unpleasant business from day to day, yet knows it must be done, hates to set about it, wishes it over, and is continually haunted with the thoughts of its necessity.” He was inspired by Benjamin Franklin and the revolution. In Common Sense he argued for the colonies independence from Britain, saying the government that denies representation should be replaced. Should not be a revolt against taxation but a demand for independence. Paine hated monarchial government and he knew that if there was any reconciliation with Great Britain it would only cause the current situations to repeat themselves.

At the root of Thomas’s speech is pathos and his usage of a call to action and patriotism that is in every colonists. The first remarkable occurrence of pathos is an anecdote about a tavern keeper who Paine portrays as a poor father stating, “With as pretty a child in his hand, about eight or nine years old, as I ever saw, and after speaking his mind as freely as he thought was prudent, finished with this unfatherly expression, ‘Well! Give me peace in my day.’” (Paine 2). Criticism came quickly as many male figures hated the way this man completely disregarded the well being of his young child and was strictly concerned of himself. Not only does he as that he have peace, but is also representing his failure to care if his own child suffers later on in life at the cost of peace during the father’s life. Later on in Paine’s writing, he refers to a man quite well known around the colonies. Thomas will go on to compare King George, leader of Great Britain at the time, to a thief. His cause for this can be explained by, “for I think it murder, but if he that breaks, into my house, burns and destroys my property, and kills or threatens to kill me, or those that are in it, am I one to stand by and suffer?” (Paine 4) The idea of breaking into Paine’s house is an allusion to the British troops that have invaded and stationed in the colonies. He then goes on to talk about burning and destroying the items in his house whether it be taxing items or destroying property of the colonies. Finally, Paine’s reference to death or threaten to kill is connected to the Boston Massacre as well as threats of death for anyone who goes against the crown. Paine wishes to expose George and his many taxes and does so successfully by calling George a thief as he continues to steal from

Meanwhile, tensions between America and Britain skyrocketed, and Thomas saw his opportunity. Seizing the moment he began writing articles about the condemnation of British-ruled America. After Lexington and Concord he resorted to the Revolutionary point of view.(http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/paine.html) He wrote the scathing 50 page pamphlet that went by “Common Sense” that advertised how the colonists’ right were being reduced to pay for the French and Indian war. Thomas Paine wrote in riddles and pondered Latin words and their meaning, even resorting to use the Bible and there verses to gather religious people to his cause. Common Sense also explained that how, in Paine’s opinion, America needed to revolt against Britain in any manner possible, and another idea that Thomas converted colonists to his side was to open their eyes to their limited representation that was held with British rule.(biography.com/thomas-paine) What

The first pitch was a 74 mph fastball that whizzed by him for the first strike. “Man, he pitches fast!” Billy thought. The next pitch was also right down the middle, just a little slower, but had slowed down enough that that he swung and missed by a mile, being way ahead. He thought, “Yikes! I need to step up my game a couple notches.” The next pitch was outside, maybe to try and throw him off. The count was now 1 and 2. Billy was determined to make the big hit happen. The next pitch was a slow pitch right up the middle, and he knew it was now or never.

I licked my lips, baked from the dry air, in an attempt to calm myself. After four long seconds, the umpire gave the signal and the ball set was in motion. As the baseball was released from the pitchers finger tips, I forced myself to get into ready position, lifting my leg up and extending my arms back for a big swing. I immediately recognized it was an inside curveball but hesitation took over me resulting in a late swing. My heart skipped a beat as I waited for the umpire to make the call.

Consider the years 1908 and 1939. They are roughly 30 years apart, and yet society’s views on African Americans we relatively the same. 1908 was approximately 30 years after the reconstruction era ended, where slaves were no longer slaves, but not truly free either. The segregation of African Americans and Caucasians made it challenging for them to find where they fit into society and reach their full potential as members of a new society. Now 60 years after the reconstruction era ended, in 1939, segregation was still occurring, world war two is starting, and African Americans are still through of as less. This negative outlook on African Americans did not just occur in everyday situations, but also in pop culture. This is especially evident