Prompt: Write a five-stanza song — four lines per stanza — for either the Rebels or the Loyalists.

 

Old England, they’re denying us liberty

So we sailed across the sea so we could be free

But their taxes kept on rolling in

They’re avaricious, and that’s a Puritan sin

 

Old George don’t believe that we’re downright blessed

Guess we gotta up and leave him with an empty nest

They think their tea is so great, but I’ll take a cup of joe

I hear when Boston throws a party they make tea outflow

 

Washington shot a guy, and that started a war

But I know deep in my bones just what I’m fighting for

It ain’t as simple as pride, no it ain’t to impress

It’s for my right to life and liberty and happiness

 

We are not just a colony for you to exploit

We’ll win win our liberty from Lexington up to Detroit

We got the men, we got the brains, we got philosophy too

We shall fight and show the strength of our red white and blue

 

So take arms everyone, and lets fight for our nation

Cause who wants to be taxed without some representation?

England thinks its so grand, Americans don’t need em

As Hamilton says lets raise a glass to freedom

 

Prompt: “Is there anyone you think is more of the archetypal American than Franklin?”

Ben Franklin was an inventor, a philosopher, a scientist, a politician, and an entrepreneur in colonial America. He moved to Philadelphia in 1723, where he opened a printing shop. He was determined to maintain a good reputation within his business, and through his initiative slowly but surely began replacing the other printers around the city. He printed a newspaper and a yearly almanac, and within these he remained stubbornly unbiased. In his autobiography he advises that this unbiased printing method is the best way to stay virtuous while also becoming successful.

Franklin was an American, but he had a fervent love of European culture. Franklin spent much of his time in Europe during the American revolution, particularly in France. Walter Isaacson, the president of the Aspen institute, argues that the Americans would not have won the revolution if not for Franklin’s diplomacy within France. Franklin was also quite the flirt, charming many of Europe’s most elite women. One theory states that this was apart of Franklin’s strategy, if he won over elite European women they may speak approvingly of him to their politically powerful husbands.

His religious views were anything but average for the time. He was a Deist, believing in an all knowing, all loving God who ruled with justice. Virtue shall be rewarded, while evil shall be punished. Though this isn’t to say that Franklin didn’t indulge in darker theologies throughout points of his life. Franklin was associates with Sir Francis Dashwood, a wealthy English politician with a fondness for debauchery. Dashwood created The Friars of St Francis of Wycombe, a ceremonial establishment meant to attract Europe’s most debaucherous intellectuals. In this club Europe’s elite engaged in many distasteful, usually sexual rituals. There’s plenty of evidence pointing towards Franklin attending these sorts of parties, where he certainly mingled with European nobility and policy makers.

Seeing as how Franklin’s religious taste was quite unusual for the time it’s no mystery as to why he was so tolerant of other peoples spirituality. He rejected Christianity, but he didn’t condemn it. He became friends with many devote Christians, such as the preacher George Whitefield. He also built buildings of worship within the colonies, and insisted these spaces be used by everyone no matter their faith. Preachers would no longer have to give sermons in fields, for because of Franklin now Christians, Puritans, and even Muslims had a place in which they were free to worship however they like.

Franklin was very fond of assisting his fellow colonials in whatever ways he could. For example many American roads were nothing more than streets of mud, and Franklin went through the effort of installing clean brick roads for all to travel on. He also invented the Franklin stove, a fireplace that required much less wood than a usual one and would burn hotter and longer. He found satisfaction in aiding his fellow Americans, and used his wealth, engineering knowledge, and personal discipline to make it happen.

Franklin represents the American archetype in many ways. He was a respected and unbiased entrepreneur, printing the facts and not letting anyone buy his point of view. He was hardworking and kind, putting much of his energy into aiding colonial Americans. He was also determined to maintain proper virtues, and created programs and schedules for himself in the pursuit of personal improvement. He was also very sociable, especially in his escapades throughout Europe. He proved to European elite how intelligent and charming American politicians could be, and ultimately had an enormous impact on the Americans winning their freedom.

Prompt: “Is a tax-supported school different in principle from a tax-supported church?”

Tax funded education is a battlefield. The battle being fought is between people who have different ideals they want taught to their children. The outcome of what ideals are taught effect the sociology, economic efficiency, and political ideology of the next generation. Whoever wins this battle of education decides what children are intellectually spoon fed day after day. The losers are not only legally pressured to send their children to learn ideals they disagree with, but also have to pay tax to teach children ideals they disagree with.

Tax funded churches are places of worship and religious education. There is a variety of ideology and practices which relate to different churches. Going to church is not enforced by law, but many people attend voluntarily for emotional and spiritual motivation. Maintaining a church is not cheap, and the amount of funding that goes into a church determines the quality of services provided by it. If one churches funding is higher than another’s their service is going to become superior, and thus the ideology preached by the church is most likely going to become more mainstream.

Tax funded schools and tax funded churches and fundamentally identical. They both teach their own ideals, and they both attempt to convince people to trust in their ideals. There are three main differences between churches and schools. The first of these is that tax funded education is enforced by law. People attend church by choice, people attend school because they’re legally obligated to. The second difference is churches teach religious and spiritual ideology. Schools teach everyday ideology such as economic stimulation, organizational skill, intellectual competition, and hierarchy. The third difference between churches and schools is that while churches are intended for all ages schools are generally pushed on children and young adults. Schools are intended to sculpt the minds of the youth. Whoever is victorious in the battle for education decides how those minds should be sculpted.

Prompt:  “If you had heard these two sermons, would you have assumed that you were the target? Why or why not?”

Johnathon Edwards and George Whitefield were Christian preachers during the 18th century, they played major contributing roles as priests during the first great awakening. The two toured around the American colonies preaching their beliefs, at times performing in front of thousands. Whitefield’s usual sermon was named “Marks of a True Conversion,” while Edwards was “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. Both men (Edwards especially) used terror as their conversion method.

Whitefield’s sermon starts out quoting Matthew 18:3 “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” He spoke to Christians who believed their childhood baptism, good deeds, religious affirmations, tithings, and overall devotion to Christ would be enough to get them into heaven. His main point to these people was no, they were not doing enough. They were all still lined up for hell. The issue with Whitefield’s sermon is he didn’t give a clear enough reason as to why the Christians efforts were insufficient, and he didn’t give a clear explanation of what they needed to do to reform.

Edwards sermon is the one that sticks with most people, purely because of how much existential terror he used to get his point across. Edwards point to the people was that God hates most everyone. Not just hates, but despises most everyone. According to Edwards God looks at us the way we would look at a viper, and apparently that’s with universal hatred. God will trample you in the afterlife, crushing your blood from your veins and taking great pleasure in causing your horrific demise. He will also stain his tunic with your gore, as a pleasant memory of the day he destroyed you. Your sins make you heavy as lead, and in the afterlife you’ll drop into hell the way a stone drops through a spiderweb. For according to Edwards you’re nothing more than a loathsome spider in the eyes of God, and God is dangling your spidery self over a bonfire. You need to do way better in your religious practices unless you want to burn for all eternity.

I would say I’m about as far from Edwards and Whitefield’s intended demographic as you can get, because I find this kind of fear mongering as disgraceful as it is manipulative. Its a tactic to gain control over the masses by limiting their potential and making them dedicate themselves completely to your cause. It is not, I repeat it is not in the slightest what Jesus taught. In fact it is spot on opposite. Jesus taught love, not fear. Jesus taught that God didn’t just create us, but that he is us. He is within us, and he loves us with all the love that there is. He created us to express ourselves, to explore ourselves, and to love each other just as much as we love God. We are not loathsome insects that God looks down on, for God does not look down even on the smallest of insects. Every human, animal, plant, and spirit that resides in this plane is adored by God. We are all God’s creations, and we are loved simply because we are God’s creations.

Our journey in this mortal life is to improve ourselves, give love and support to the people around us, revel in empathy and forgiveness, and act to others the same way we’d act in the presence of God. Because we are constantly in the presence of God, just by existing in these physical forms we are in God’s presence. We are created by, and made up of God. We are his children, and we have the ability to act as his angels. But we cannot find divine love if we are consumed by fear, the way these preachers of yesterday demand us to be. We can only find God’s holy love if we allow ourselves to feel and express nothing but his love. Everything other than love is a mortal illusion, and I believe these preachers were threatening people into living in illusion. Only by living with gratitude, forgiveness, patience, bravery, joy, justice, and pure unfiltered divine love can we truly behold the full grace of God.

Prompt: Write a 350-word page on your blog site describing your successes in detail. Include the link to this page in your 100-word email application.

I’ve worked in Ampro productions, producing and organizing various political buttons, cuff links, yard signs, and other accessories and advertisements. Through this I’ve learned vital skills in mass manufacturing, organization, and professionalism. I’ve also worked with children for many years. I’ve attended Westlake Highschool’s one year long child development program, and through that I worked and studied in a well established daycare. I also earned my CPR license through this program, and am able to apply this knowledge in the case of an emergency. I’ve worked in a nursery with young children, and also have a preschool age sister who I’ve helped raise. This has taught me discipline, responsibility, patience and eagerness to assist.

I’m also proud of my creative successes. I’ve been writing for many years, words are a beautiful medium that I enjoy stitching together. I write essays such as this one, poetry, debates and stories. I love creating characters and inventing plotlines for them. I also love to draw. My style is a mix between realism and cartoon. I can draw anything from landscapes to action sequences, advertisements to character designs. Creating beautiful things fills me with immense satisfaction. I’m also a songwriter and singer. I can write catchy jingles, emotional ballads, wordless melodies, poetic musicals and everything in between. I adore creating and performing, and if any of these skills and passions can translate over to my job I’d be ecstatic.

I’m quite physically fit, I’ve been doing cardio and intensive strength training for several years now. I know the proper bodily alignment when lifting heavy objects, and can easily carry and rearrange any products that need to be moved. I can do any job that requires a healthy body and a sound mind. I can do paperwork, carry cargo, organize products, create convincing arguments as to why a customer should buy, write up advertisements, create jingles, draw up artistic banners and decor, enthusiastically engage with customers and coworkers alike, and do anything else a job requires of me.

Prompt: Write a 100-word job application

This is a link to the sister essay of this application, my successes: https://anikan.online/2020/04/16/economics-week-8-part-2-my-successes

I’m going to write this as if I’m applying to work at a local antique store, since this is what I feel personally drawn to.

I’ve admired your line of work for quite sometime, and I’m thrilled at the possibility to contribute towards this fine profession. I absolutely love antiques. To me they are objects which have been imbued with the souls of times gone by. They have witnessed and created memories, passed through many hands and lives, and have now ended up back on the shelves ready to give the modern era a taste of the past.

The opportunity to organize, beautify, and re-home these relics of the past is very exciting to me. The chance to learn a little about where they’ve been and what they’ve been apart of is even more exciting.  I’m ready and able to take on all the responsibility that goes with it, and I’m looking forward to meeting fellow antique enthusiasts who share my feelings about the treasures of yesterday.

Prompt: Write a list of the benefits of hiring you.

I’m a very motivated worker, the experience of employment is just as valuable as any paycheck.

I make my own schedule and am willing to work part time or full time, whatever the job is needing most.

I’m very stubborn and determined, if I commit to completing something I’m going to go above and beyond to get it done.

I’m upbeat and helpful, my goal is to improve the atmosphere of the establishment and make my coworkers and customers happier than they were prior to our engagement.

I’m a great listener with a great memory. If someone notifies me of something I will be absorbing the information and actively thinking of ways to improve the situation.

I don’t get bored of simple jobs, and I enjoy the challenge of more complicated jobs. I am flexible and devoted, and will do my best in every scenario.

I love engaging with customers, I will do everything in my power to prove the customer service of this establishment is top tier.

I arrive early or directly on time.

I’m willing to devote unpaid time at home to improving the business if necessary.

I appreciate any and every opportunity, and honestly want to prove how good of an employee I can be.

I am very creative and am able to apply out of the box thinking to a situation whenever needed.

I am strong in body and mind. I can do physical labor and heavy lifting with no complaints whatsoever. I can also manage tough projects, you can count on me to figure out the puzzles of the trade calmly and enthusiastically.

I am proud of my organizational skills. Everything has a place, a home if you will. Be it paperwork or products, I find it thrilling to organize everything into its proper place.

I won’t give up on a project once I’ve started it, even if the going gets rocky. Once I’ve committed to something I’m going to see it through to the end.

I will not waste time. If there’s a moment when no customers are in the store I will spend it cleaning, organizing, or restocking. I will not spend time waiting around, I will spend time perfecting the atmosphere and/or the cleanliness of the establishment.

I take jobs very seriously. It doesn’t matter to me if I’m being paid minimum wage or a seven figure wage, I will take the job seriously. It is my reputation on the line, and I want to make a very good name for myself.

I will commit myself and all of my abilities into making the establishment the best that it can be. I take the reputation of my work personally, and will give all I can to insure the place I’m working at is seen as respectable, honest, and held above the competition.

Prompt: “If you had been a member of the General Court, how would this sermon have influenced your politics? Why?”

Cotton Mather was a minister born into Boston in the early 1700’s. He wrote the sermon Theopolis Americana: An Essay on the Golden Street of the Holy City in 1710. His sermon spoke mainly about his religious theology. He also spoke of incorporating those theologies into politics and trade, he believed that if the marketplace functioned within the “golden rule of Christ” it would blossom into a much more virtuous economy. This golden rule was charity, honesty, and viewing your consumers as your brothers. Instead of seeing those who bought your goods as cash cows ready to be milked, look at them the way Christ insisted we should all look at each other. We are all human in the end, and our shared humanity is much more valuable than any trade good. We should not swindle each other, steal from each other, or deceive each other. But instead we should treat our neighbors as we would treat our family; if we ever trade with our family we do it in a fair, honest, and charitable way.

Mather was also an early radical in the sense that he completely condemned slavery. He made a point that many in those days would never consider, the fact that the capture of Africans for the slave trade was kidnapping. In the same way kidnapping your neighbors child is horrendous, kidnapping foreign peoples for slavery was just as terrible. We should look at each other as brothers, our humanity binds us together. Kidnapping others for slavery is letting avarice and sloth blind an individual from the truth, it was a terrible corruption and should be treated as such.

I believe these two arguments are quite true, and extremely virtuous for that time period. Mather was ahead of his time in many ways. But sadly Mather did have some negative views, mainly his views on the Jewish people. He believed Jews would eventually be converted to Christianity, and that once this occurred the world would become the garden of God. He believed that Jerusalem would be rebuilt, and New England’s streets would be metaphorically paved with gold. He did revoke his beliefs about Jewish people near the end of this life, but that sermon was never officially released and therefor never widely viewed by the public.

If I were a member of the General Court listening to Mather’s sermon I would take away several main points. The first is his views on humanity. I highly admire his beliefs on the free market and on slavery. If I had any power in those days I would encourage those views to grow within the public. We should see each other as family and friends, especially when we are engaged in commerce with each other. We should treat each other kindly and fairly, and at the end of a trade both the producer and the consumer should walk away content with their shared engagement. We should also never kidnap each other or steal one another’s freedom.

If we truly are the children of God then we are all equal, and should treat each other as such. We are humanity, and each individual is an essential piece of humanity. We should treat each other with respect and care, for no individual is any better than another. I believe Mather was correct in his view that if we want our world to be the kingdom of God we must treat each of our fellow humans as if they themselves held Gods divine spark. Christ said that God is not a force separate from us, but instead he is within all of us. If each of us interacted with each other the same way we would interact if we were in the direct presence of God, well, then the world may already be the kingdom of God.

Prompt: “In what ways was Penn an advocate of middle class morality?”

William Penn was an early Quaker leader who wrote the book Fruits of Solitude in 1682. His religious ideology was uniquely beautiful in many ways, one being his views on nature. He saw nature as a pure creation of God, an oasis of truth put apart from the artificial structures making up the world of man. He believed that if one needed to revitalize his spirituality he should take time to be fully immersed in nature. If he watched and listened he would in time learn the laws and truths hidden within every part of the natural world, and through those truths one could also learn the forgotten secrets of humankind.

He also believed that true virtue laid on a tightrope of middle ground. If a person wished to be virtuous they must walk this tightrope in every part of their lives. They must not accumulate too many material items, but they must also not be overly frugal to the point of personal suffering. They must seek adventure and face the unknown if they wish to mature, but they mustn’t throw themselves blindly into danger. An individual must be charitable, for by giving to another they are indirectly feeding their own spirit. But they mustn’t be so charitable as to give away all their assets, for one must be able to support themselves if they wish to support their brothers.

Penn believed that when sitting down to a meal one mustn’t eat until they are full, they should not stuff themselves. But instead eat only until the first twinge of satisfaction fills them, then when the next meal arrives they will be truly hungry and happy with their meal. This creates personal discipline, and it also helps an individual to truly appreciate the miracle of the food laid out before them. His views on dressing oneself was rather similar. According to Penn attire should be used to warm oneself and make them more comfortable, it shouldn’t be used as a way to impress people. It shouldn’t be over conservative to the point of discomfort, but it also shouldn’t be too fantastical.

Penn saw common things of everyday life as blessings and miracles worth celebrating. Being alive is absolutely beautiful, and every little gift that comes our way is something glorious which you should thank the universe for. A life full of common little blessings, even in the dullest day, should be honored and striven for. A humble life full of gratitude, love, and forgiveness is the backbone of enjoying existence to the fullest.

He believed marriage should be for love and not for money, and that two people in love should not let zealous passion blind them. Both partners must be fully content in their individuality before they can truly come together as one. He believed a society must have some system of hierarchy to function at its best, but at the time he was radical in his belief that this hierarchy should not transfer to marriage. Both partners in the marriage are equal in every way. One partner should not have any authority over the other, for only with both partners functioning in their entirety can their communion shine with its own divine light.

Penn also believed that knowledge is only a stepping stone. An individual can accumulate all the knowledge in the world, but it is wasted if the individual cannot translate it towards wisdom and good judgement. Worldly knowledge is of the body, universal wisdom is of the soul. A moment of good judgement is more valuable than a lifetime of ingrained knowledge, for a hand who has only read of carpentry can carve no better than child experimenting with a blade.

Knowledge gives us a bridge, a series of stones covering a large expanse of river. But we must choose which stones we step on, and in what direction. If we are going to use the stones of knowledge to lead us over a waterfall it is better that we stay on the shore and watch as wiser people make their way across. Each of us has the opportunity to accumulate stepping stones of knowledge, and each of us have the choice of what path we wish to walk. If we let wisdom, love, and personal fulfillment guide our feet we will always arrive at the other side of the river safe and content. We will take the path of our own destiny, learn the lessons we personally need to learn, and arrive on the other side with the light of truth shining in our heart and guiding our soul.

Prompt: “Do I have what it takes to become an entrepreneur?”

I believe lots of people have what it takes to be entrepreneurs, but most are discouraged from pursuing it at a young age. Our school system teaches us to stay within the box, to follow authority figures with no questions asked, and to put considerable effort into subjects we find no fulfillment in. These teaching methods train children to aim for the “best” jobs, jobs like doctors, lawyers, office workers, and other professionals that work under large corporations. They teach us that taking risks and trusting in our own abilities and talents will lead to failure, its always easier if we give in to the system and forget about our personal dreams.

As a child I felt like anything was possible, I felt that if I followed my passions I could make the world a better place. Then public school taught me that intelligence is based on how academically competitive you are. It taught me that because I didn’t excel at following orders and fighting for top grades that I would always be a failure. It taught me that suppressing my creativity was the only way to make something of myself. It taught me that new ideas are against the rules. It taught me to spend my life working for someone else. It taught me that money is the ultimate goal in life.

Being an entrepreneur is all about big ideas, taking risks, believing in your own abilities, and not selling yourself out to a preexisting company. Being an entrepreneur is about creating a company. A company based off creativity, mental flexibility, independent manufacturing, and personal passion. Being an entrepreneur is about chasing your dreams in a way that also benefits the economy. Our education system should encourage kids to chase what makes them happy, to go against the grain, and to value their personal fulfillment over excessive wealth. This is the door that entrepreneurialism unlocks, and if someone smart enough puts their all into it they can make their dreams come true.