Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth Essay Example

Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth Essay Example Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth Paper Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth Paper Essay Topic: Literature Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth is a work containing elements of satire, portrayed through Thady. It is to these satiric elements that it owes much of its subtlety. Castle Rackrent is an achievement because of what lies in the subject matter and the narrative methods through which Maria Edgeworth presents her characterisation, language, imagery, tone and satire. These methods are wrapped in the subtlety that comes from total control. The most substantial and remarkable aspect about the novel is the subtlety of its implications. In her dealings with the Edgeworthstown tenants Maria Edgeworth gained first hand knowledge of Irish peasant life and of the peculiarities of Irish peasant character, which form the basis for the success of Castle Rackrent both as a social document and as a work of fiction. At the centre of Maria Edgeworths work is the Big House itself, which is the symbolic focus of the Protestant Ascendancys preoccupation with its own decline. The big house, the manor houses of the Anglo Irish ascendancy, are often used as a metaphor which might allow the author to explore the socially disintegrated world of the protestant ascendancy Castle Rackrent was published in 1800, the first Big House novel set on an ascendancy estate, was the first Irish family chronicle, and the first fictional book to make Irish history and politics central to its story and theme. The critic Patrick Murray states that Maria Edgeworth allows many of her characters to reveal them selves by indirection. Thady is an outstanding example. It is interesting to observe how much we learn about Thady himself from his descriptions of other people, particularly when his feelings are strongly engaged. One of his more diverting habits is to praise or censure his various masters and their wives according to their generosity or meanness towards himself the classic attitude of the old retainer. This habit produces some extremely satiric and at times subtle effects. As well as being the first regional novel in English literature, Castle Rackrent has a strong claim to be considered the first of the saga novels, since it traces the fortunes of a single family through several generations. The novel has been often commended as a work of profound historical significance The most ironic word throughout the novel is the word faithful faithful Thady, the steward, who tells this tale, in the first person when he is beyond his eightieth year. So skilful is Maria that the quick and careless reader may finish the story without detecting the deviousness with which Thady had managed to turn his employers weaknesses to his own advantage. According to Patrick Murray Thady Quirk is commonly taken at his own valuation as an honest, faithful, unselfishly loyal servant who feels deeply for his ruined masters and is willing to excuse their worst failings. But on of the triumphs of Castle Rackrent is the subtly ambivalent presentation of the old steward. To regard him as an artless, simple-minded old man is to miss completely the wealth of irony, which pervades the whole narrative. The irony of Castle Rackrent is that Thadys much-vaunted loyalty to the Rackrents should be the principal means of his sons acquisition of their estates. The critic, Thomas Flanagan finds the novels acts and statements ambiguous and unsettling and comes to grips with the problem of Thady in a much more forthright matter: Thady is a partisan of the family, or rather, of the honour of the family. Only when the story is finished does the reader realise that Thady has his own wry view of the matter. Even so he does not fully understand the story, which he is telling. The meaning and passion with which he instinctively invests the words honour and loyalty lead him to bring forth evidence which prompts the reader to a quite different judgement of the Rackrents. Thady tells the story of the Rackrents with a hint of satire running through it. A memorable satiric piece within the novel made with Sir Kits cruel vengeance on his Jewish wife in having pig meat of all kinds brought to her table against her wishes, even though she has visited the cook in her kitchen for the precise purpose of averting this. Satirically, when she is unexpectedly released after seven years, by Sir Kits death, her first act is to sack the cook. Thomas Flanagan states that the effective satiric detail here is shown throughout the book, particularly in the first part, where the madness of the Rackrents seems to rage most wildly. Thady quirk is the most alive and complete of all Miss Edgeworths character creations and one critic has considered him The most subtly drawn and skilfully presented character in the whole course of the Irish novel. The reader is shown in the passage below the satiric nature that Thady portrays each character with. The swaggering Sir Kit, who throws a guinea to the servile Thady with such bravura, cuts a very different figure as he is brought home from his last duel up the avenue on the hand-barrow while his wife watches incredulously from her window, scarcely able to believe that the tables have been so thoroughly turned on her bizarre spouse. The alcoholically hospitable Sir Patrick is granted the final Irish accolade, a fine funeral, but just as all was going on right, through his own town they were passing, when the body was seized for debt. The litigious Sir Murtagh, so proud of his forensic capacities, is literally talked to death by his domestic opponent, the Skinflint widow, and bursts a blood vessel while the servants crown the back stairs to eavesdrop on his final apoplectic submissions. There is an unmistakable darkening of tone of the work in the second part the History of Sir Conolly Rackrent. Where the earlier Rackrents were tragic-comical characters, Sir Conolly is pitiable. The next incident illustrates the ambivalence in Maria Edgeworths presentation of Honest Thady. When Jason visits Sir Condy in the hunting lodge to pester him with a final piece of business. Sir Condy is asleep and Jason insists on seeing him at once but Thady seems to resist. Ill not be disturbing his honour for you, Jason, says I; manys the hour youve waited in your time, and been proud to do it, till his honour was a leisure to speak to you. His honour, says I, raising my voice, at which his honour wakens of his own accord, and calls to me from the room to know who it was I was speaking to. Jason made no more ceremony, but follows me into the room. Thadys raising his voice on recurrence of his honour is a fine satiric touch. This may serve as a rebuke to Jason or as a means of focusing the sick man so that Jason may wring the last penny out of the Rackrents before Sir Condy dies. Castle Rackrent has considerable historical importance. There is a good deal of evidence that represents Edgeworths attempts to capture the speech, rhythms and idioms of the Irish peasants with whom she came in contact. Maria Edgeworths novel confused fiction and history. In her preface to Castle Rackrent, Edgeworth attacked conventional histories as unreliable while claiming that the recollections of an Irish servant were more genuine and important as a historical record. Edgeworth claims that in her novel the civilisation of Irish life involved its Anglicisation in every facet and that she presented a stereotype of the native Irish, designed mainly to convince an English audience of the validity of her preferred approach. Edgeworths colonialism was a benevolent one and she stressed the amenability of the Irish character to this, and by contrast its degradation by the abrasive and tyrannical colonialism, which she felt still characterised Irish society. Her fascination with and delineation of, Irish character focussed on language, and in particular its exploitation as a mechanism of survival by the vulnerable servant. Thady makes an effective use of irony and uses it as a satiric weapon against Sir Murtaghs wife. She was a strict observer, for self and servants, of Lent and all fast-days, but not holidays. One of the maids having fainted three times the last day of Lent, to keep body and soul together we put a morsel of roast beef into her mouth, which came from Sir Murtaghs dinner, who never fasted, not he;. There are references of irony to Lent, fast days and holidays. Irony as a satiric weapon is effectively wielded by Thady to ridicule Sir Murtagh. Castle Rackrent is episodic in structure, but the consistent use of satire helps to lend consistency and unity to what might other wise be an ungainly collection of episodes and incidents randomly strung together. Maria Edgeworths title to Castle Rackrent is to minimize the readers alertness to the question of irony. Within the novel itself there is a body of evidence, which casts shadows upon the short title. Within the larger area of Irish culture one can find the material for an ironic interpretation even of the short title. Maria Edgeworth allows many of her characters to disclose themselves by indirection. Thady is an excellent example. We learn a lot about Thady from his portrayal of other people, particularly when his feelings are strongly engaged. One of his diverting habits is to praise his various masters and their wives according to their generosity towards himself. This produces several extremely comic, and subtle effects. Maria Edgeworths chief purpose is to tell an entertaining story, and consequently she does with enthusiasm. As well as being a regional novel, a saga novel, and a social and historical document, Castle Rackrent is a work containing elements of satire. It is in fact to these satirical elements that it owes much of its subtlety. There is some doubt as to whether Maria Edgeworth intended this novel to be anything but a comical revelation of the Rackrent family and its failings by using the tragic happenings of each family member to portray what could only be described as a work of satire. Maria Edgeworth presents her characterisation, language, imagery, tone and satire, all wrapped in the subtlety that is portrayed throughout the novel.

Own question about the book Attitudes toward Sex in Antebellum America Essay

Own question about the book Attitudes toward Sex in Antebellum America - Essay Example Intimate issues are approached diligently and therefore many people had experienced sexuality based on racial, gender difference and cultural perspectives. All these contribute to the views that sex as an activity was rejected but ironically taking place.2 The main deterrent for premarital sex in Antebellum US was the fear of women and girls getting pregnant. However, sexual desire always existed between the men and the women. This occurs regardless of social class, position, slave or not slave. At some point, control of casual sex was basically done by the families and the superiors in the society. In away, even these facilities were also under control by the superiors. However, premarital sex was totally not allowed for anybody. This is very concerning because it is the same people who are not allowing to have sex but they are in need of the same. However, the sexual taboo majorly applied to women in practice.3 This reflects gender bias in this issue of discussion. Men had many opt ions as far as sex was concerned. They were enforcing the rules effectively. Unfair treatment and discrimination made Margaret Sanger who was born in 1883 fumed in search of reasonable means of birth control. Women were pressed and needed ways of having freedom by looking for birth control measures. The fear of getting pregnant was very high. The Comstock laws had put her under several arrest warrant. The pioneer woman nurse had to fly to Europe having built a strong backing from several friends and other associates to spearhead the need for birth control measures.4 Through persistence of this particular nurse, the court offered opportunity through other activists and birth control measures were ensured in Antebellum. Sexuality as away of exploitation was the only way that the women could fight for liberty. The men on the other hand were enjoying freedom on sexual matters. Birth control mechanisms for women were also ironically geared towards freedom in having sex just as men were d oing. The limitation on right for women movement could be ended through this birth control move. This reflects much study on gender equality from endurance on sexual exploitation and deterring movement of women. In addition, it is claimed that the purpose of sexual intercourse and general meaning of marriage shapes most of the families in Antebellum. 5 It would be the right explanation why women were on the argumentative end when their rights were ignored. They had to champion it by themselves to achieve the hard found freedom. The question is that why were they championing on this freedom? More explanations from the book show that there was commercialization of sex. Women wanted to be like men and move around once they succeeded in birth control option they were geared towards. The author states, â€Å"Women could now enjoy sex outside the marriage† It is very ironical because through sex, they were exploited. Sexual repression stereotype in 1800’s impacted diverse pu blic argument. All the professionals, including the doctors and religious leaders all had to contribute in the debate about sexual exploitation and experience in Antebellum. Sexual exploitation however called for reforms and internalization of values of middle class. These reforms included chastity, hard work and thrift. Many honest citizens were able to indulge in crimes, sinful activities and implicit sexual behaviors.

The Development of the Paris Haute Couture Essay

The Development of the Paris Haute Couture - Essay Example The essay "The Development of the Paris Haute Couture" analyzes the Paris Haute Couture. The upper class citizens of the country came up with the haute couture in 1860, a fashion which would differentiate them from the lower class in the society . The fashion became popular in France, but it disappeared during the Second World War. The Second World War led to the fall of the haute couture because Germans occupied Paris, the city that bore the fashion. The upper class in the French society struggled to recover the status of the fashion in Paris after the war. The fashion has since grown to the extent of being exported and earning the country foreign exchange. The haute couture was developed in 1858 by Charles Fredrick Worth who was born in Lincolnshire. Fredrick travelled to Paris in 1858 with the intention of introducing new techniques of sewing clothes in the city. The founder who targeted women in the upper class in the society built the first houte culture shop in Rue de la paix i n the city. Charles sewed dresses for women using the most expensive fabric in the country at that time. Women came to the shop to order for dresses according to the design that they preferred. Fredrick then measured the bodies of the women so that he could determine the size and shape of the dresses. In the course of the business, Worth became a designer. The designer formulated dress designs, and labeled them with the worlds, â€Å"Worth 7 Rue de la paix .† The label contributed to the spread of the fashion not only in France., but the whole of Europe. In 1868, Fredrick developed the Chamber Syndicale De La Couture, an association that was in charge of registering and satisfying new haute couture houses. The Spread of Haute Culture in Europe The slave trade that took place along the Atlantic contributed to the spread of haute couture to the whole of Europe. Women who earned high income at that time travelled along the roads that were built by slaves to Paris where they boug ht the expensive designs made by Fredrick. The travelers who came from far regions spent their nights at the Hotel De La Paix where they were served with haute cuisine. This means that even the hotel and the haute food contributed to the development of the fashion. The women who bought the haute fashion dresses mainly used the clothing for special occasions such as horse racing and beauty pageants (Dejean 2005). Researcher found out that the number of models in France increased drastically when the haute couture was developed in Paris. The spread of haute couture led to the upcoming of new designers before the Second World War. The designers include Coco, Vionnet, Banciaga, Fortuny, and Poiret among others. These designers developed the haute couture further, and this led to the increased popularity of the fashion in Europe, Italy, and America (Ruppery, & Jana 2009). Fortuny developed a technique of pleating silk in a column-like silhouette. Banciaga who worked in a fabric firm deve loped silk gazar, which he used to make voluminous coats and dresses. Poiret, on the other hand, developed new designs, and he expanded the fashion to perfume and beauty products apart from dresses3. The increase in the number of silhouette sewers in the couture industry verifies the spread of the culture. In 1910, for example, the number

The Effects Of Globalisation On Indonesia Politics Essay

The Effects Of Globalisation On Indonesia Politics Essay Over the course of this paper, I will discuss how globalization has not been good for Indonesia. I will support this position by showing how population and consumption, hunger and poverty, the environment, disease and healthcare, disappearing indigenous populations and protest have been negatively changed in the country of Indonesia. History The Republic of Indonesia is located near Southeast Asia, with the Pacific Ocean to the northeast, Southern China Sea to the northwest, Indian Ocean in the southwest, and Australia lies southeast. Indonesia is made up of 13,677 islands with 6,000 inhabited and a population of 240,271,522 (I-4). It is one of the most culturally diverse and ethnically tolerant countries in the world (Robbins, p. 268). The vast number of languages and religions practiced on the islands demonstrates this point. Though Bahasa Indonesia is the official language of the Republic, there are 583 languages (Lyle, p. 22). Muslim is the most commonly practiced religion, though Roman Catholic, Protestant, Hindu and Buddhism are also regularly practiced (p. 9, 40). Indonesia has a strong Dutch influence. Indonesian spices brought the Dutch to the country looking to make a profit on the European market. The Dutch remained in control of Indonesia for the greater part of four hundred years. Throughout that time, the Dutch, the British, and the Japanese have had control over parts of Indonesia. After World War II, The Republic of Indonesia was born. The fight for Independence, freedom and diplomacy was a long hard road. As the nation was growing, globalism played a major role in how Indonesia became was it is today (Asian Info.org, 2010). Population and Consumption In 1979, under the leadership of General Suharto, president of Indonesia, a transmigration program was established to help poor and landless families in overpopulated areas of the country, find work and land to farm. This program took people from overcrowded areas, usually Java or Madura, and relocated them to less populated areas. Through transmigration, a labor force of farmers, miners, and loggers would be formed to work in these labor-intensive fields. Over a five-year span, from 1979-1984, 535,000 people were relocated. The government gave landless families unused farmland and a house on a less populated island, providing food until the family produced a self-sustainable crop. This program gave unemployed, hungry people in Java and Madura, a job, food and a better chance at surviving. Also, every family that transmigrated to a less populated island helped to feed the remaining people a slightly bigger portion of rice (Lamoureux, p. 77-78). From 1984, the transmigration program began to deteriorate until it was ended by the Indonesian Government in August 2000. The program failed because of resentment between the trans-migrants and indigenous peoples, lack of funding, and the distance placed between friends and families with strong multi-generational connections (p. 77-78). Overpopulation has still placed stress on the countrys resources, despite some success Indonesia has had in reducing its birthrate. Family land is divided over and over again as new generations inherit acreage from their parents, the plots given for rice fields become smaller and smaller. Large numbers of the younger generations consequently have moved to the cities looking for employment. An extensive labor force accumulating in the cities has resulted in devastating unemployment (p. 81; 83). Hunger and Poverty According to Economic Reform Today (2000), the Indonesian government has to take initiative to be more proactive in making industries and businesses competitive worldwide. Globalization has given Indonesia responsibility for development in the business sector internationally and locally. However, the negative image of globalization has presented major challenges for Indonesia to manage. The income gap and instable access to economic opportunity between different societal groups, regions and smaller-scaled businesses, has lead to an impression of reinforcement exaggerated by globalization, rather than justification for reform (Soesastro, p. 51, 53, 54). The growing population of Indonesia has placed increased pressure on the countrys access to food and water supplies. According to, Indonesia: A Global Studies Handbook, the population of Indonesia from 1929 to 1938 increased by 15 percent. However, food production only increased 3.5 percent (Lamoureux, p. 59). Approximately 225 million people lived in Indonesia in July 2001, with a 1.6 percent annual growth rate (p. 7). According to IndexMundi.com (2010), Indonesia has, as of July, 2009, a population of 240,271,522. July 2009 showed a 1.16 percent change over the same time in 2008. Large families were needed to work the fields; therefore it was common for women to give birth to ten or more children. However, several wouldnt live to be adults (p. 130). After World War II, infant mortality decreased largely due to antibiotics and other medicines, allowing more babies and children to survive. Less children dying resulted in an increase of population and an increase in government dependent resources, as well as, international aid, forcing Indonesia to import food (i.e. rice) (p. 130). In the 1970s, in response to the rice shortage, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) developed a strain of rice plants that produced more rice per plant. This development helped alleviate the problem of self-sufficient rice production. However, fewer people were needed to work the rice fields, resulting in younger generations migrating to the cities for work (p. 130). Today, Indonesia is more dependent on imported foods, fruits and other manufactured goods produced by farmers and Java manufactures, because they cannot compete successfully with the imported goods (Nasution, p. 2). At the same time, due to a deficiency of raw materials, labor costs must be kept minimal to be able to compete in the global market (Soewandi, p. 6). Reducing the inflation and instability of the cost of food supplies coupled with agricultural investments to increase productivity, has encouraged rural incomes to grow and rice prices to stabilize. This in turn has allowed farmers to become self-sufficient on rice (Kartasasmita, p. 7). According to Weatherhead Center for International Affairs (2001), Indonesias national poverty line fell from 60 percent in 1970 to 40 percent six years later. The year 1990 showed a decrease to 15 percent to 11.5 percent another six years later (p. 8). Environment The most devastating amount of damage globalization has done to impair the environment in Indonesia is the destruction of the rainforests. Logging companies have destroyed the delicately balanced rainforest by over-logging to sell overseas. Forest fires have also become a concern. Fires have originated in the logging company camps, as well as, naturally (i.e. lightning), burning acres of timber and land. Many animals and species have become endangered due to over-logging and expanding villages due to population and for farming. Illegal animal traffickers of the orangutan, the Javan rhinoceros, and the Sumatran tiger have helped to bring these animals close to extinction. Rare orchids and exotic plants have also become endangered due to the rapid elimination of the rainforest. More recently, pharmaceutical companies are interested in the potential for new medicines in the rainforests (Lamoureux, p. 159-161). Also, slash-and-burn techniques that are practiced by villages with larger populations leave the region when soil is drained of nutrients to grow crops. The villagers clear trees and vegetation and burn it over the area to be planted. The plots are used for one to three years and then vacated to regrow with natural vegetation. A new area is then chosen. As they relocate the slash-and-burn technique is repeated as the forest area shrinks (Robbins, 2008, p. 179). In response, the Indonesian government has protected a number of areas: Komodo National Park, Gunung Leusser National Park, as well as a number of nature and game reserves; marine, forest and recreation parks; hunting and marine nature reserves; and national parks (Lamoureux, p. 161). Disease and Healthcare Increased globalization in Indonesia has also led to an increase in HIV and AIDS. The virus is most commonly found in women involved in the sex trade. Among prostitutes in Jakarta, the percentage of HIV/AIDS reported is about 17 percent. Among village women in some regions of Papua, not involved in prostitution, the percentage reported is as high as 26 percent. Many Muslim men refuse to wear condoms, exacerbating the spread of this disease (Lamoureux, p. 133). Intravenous drug users also encourage the spread of HIV/AIDS. According to an article in the Jakarta Post in December 1, 2002, it was reported that 43,000 people out of 120,000 people infected with HIV/AIDS were intravenous drug users (p. 140). In 1997, forest fires ravaged Sumatera and Kalimanta, destroying hectares of forests by the thousands. This created additional hazards, health and environmental, to existing problems in Indonesia (Kartasasmita, p. 10-11). Indigenous Populations Richard Robbins (2008) uses an example of the Meratus Dyak people living isolated in the Meratus Mountains of Indonesia to show hoe the indigenous people are effected by global. The Meratus have remained hunters and gathers and are dependent on slash-and-burn agriculture, traveling to fertile land within the mountains. The Indonesian government believes their culture makes them uncivilized and a threat to national security. The government has created a program, Management of Isolated Populations, to help discipline the 1.5 million groups of Indonesians, including the Meratus, and control their way of life (p. 269-270). The government has built housing settlements close together to relocate these groups to. They have also implemented nutrition and family plan programs to educate them on what the government feels they should consume and how and to limit the size of their families (p. 270). This concept of government has helped to eliminate the cultures of indigenous people. Protest In 1997, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a loan of $42 billion to help the bleak financial outlook of Indonesia. Two months later General Suharto, president of Indonesia, irritated the IMF by presenting a budget that went against the IMFs loan criteria. This angered many Indonesians. As food prices soared in 1998, riots erupted across Indonesia. General Suharto was re-elected causing great disapproval throughout the country. Protests broke out on college campuses as students showed their disapproval of Suharto being re-elected (Lamoureux, p. 80). The Chinese, having been wealthier under Dutch rule in colonial times, is often a target for brutality when Indonesians are experiencing difficult times (p. 82). Rioters robbed and burned Chinese shops. The Chinese were allowed to be merchants and own shops, separating them from the Indonesian farmers during colonial Dutch rule. Very few Chinese were farmers, therefore not subject to the large amount of farming needed to meet Dutch quotas, as the Indonesians were. Violent riots and rapes occurred in Jakarta during the protests in 1998 (p. 82). The combination of a growing population and diminishing resources and environment, have put immense pressure on food and water supplies. As previously discussed, the IRRI and technology have helped to alleviate some pressure on the food supply. However, the diminishing water supply has potential to be a source of tension and conflict in the future (Johnstone, 1999). Conclusion All the different aspects of globalization covered are all intra-related and have had a negative effect on Indonesia. Overcrowded islands, such as Java, have a high unemployment rate due to too many inhabitants and too few jobs. People transmigrated to less populated islands by the government in hopes of alleviating the stress of over-population to become self-sufficient farmers. This had a negative effect on both the original inhabitants and the newcomers to the islands. The growing population has put tremendous stress on the food and water supply of Indonesia, creating a need for imports, which takes money out of the country. The environment has been destroyed as rainforests are cut down for precious timber, animals, and plants. The disruption of the delicate balance that is the rainforest has created an unbalance of resources and health conditions. The introduction of tourism has brought outside diseases, such as HIV/AIDS that have detrimental to women and children in Indonesia. I ndigenous populations being forced to conform to the norm according to the Indonesian government has destroyed cultures. Protest has been an outlet for the disgruntled citizens of Indonesia. The Chinese have been targeted based on entitlements given in the past. All of these have come about because of globalism; therefore, I believe that globalism has affected Indonesia negatively.

Osmosis Experiment :: Papers

Osmosis Experiment Aim: The aim of this experiment is to show how osmosis works in a plant cell. Plan: Method The ways we will do this experiment is firstly by getting a beaker and put a 100ml of water in it, then get a visking tube and put it in the beaker, so we don't block the holes with natural grease on our hands. After, we will get another beaker and pour some 1% sugar solution in it. When we have done this, we get one end of the visking tube and 'ruffle' it, then we get some string and one person will tie the end of the tube, while the other person hold it. The visking tube then will go back in the water, while we get a dropper and the beaker of sugar solution. After we will use the dropper to slowly and neatly pour the 1% sugar solution in the visking tube; we will fill it up  ¾ of the way. Then again one person will tie the other end; while the other person holds the tube, so now we have both end tied- we will make sure they are no leaks. When we have done this, we will take the beaker with water and visking tube to a weighing machine; we will then take the visking tube out and measure the mass of it (in grams). After, we will put the visking tube back in the beaker and leave it there for about 20 minutes. When the time is up, we will measure the mass of the visking tube again (in grams). During the experiment, we will observe the visking tube during the 20 minutes and see if the mass has increased or decreased at the end of the experiment. This experiment could be repeated, but using a 10% sugar solution, which would have helped us differ the different mass increase or decrease in both of them. We were planning to do this one to, but unfortunately-due to fewer supplies of visking tubes we could only

Freedom of Speech: Abused from Abroad Essay

The constitution was designed to protect us from tyranny and abuse by government and dictators. Our policies need to protect us from those that would slander a segment or our population. Foreign hate groups direct their views to those protected by the same document that affords them their right to post. Freedom of Speech: Abused from Abroad The first amendment protects the rights of Americans to have free speech even if that speech is hate speech but it should not be used to protect foreign hate speech just because it is hosted on an American server. The First Amendment really does distinguish the U. S. not just from Canada but from the rest of the Western world. (Liptak, 2008) Given the nearly unanimous international institution of regulations restricting online hate speech, the United States stands alone in its support of free speech—including Internet hate speech. (Breckheimer, 2011) These are good examples of our first amendment and how it is perceived across the globe. We are known for our liberal view of free speech protections and based on our history of oppression by monarchs and the purpose for us to seek a new land to call our own it fits our nation well to have such an amendment in place to protect the rights of our citizens. I feel that this very right is being abused by foreign hate groups who not only direct their rhetoric towards others in their own countries but also towards U. S. Citizens who are being protected by the very document that allows them to be harassed from afar. Many countries that we consider our allies have laws that prohibit hate speech and they level severe penalties upon those who break these laws. I support the right to free speech for every American as accorded by the first amendment. I do not support providing that same right to those who are not Americans and do not hold themselves to the same values that we Americans hold ourselves to. Free speech is just one of the things that make Americans unique in the world. To claim the right of first amendment free speech you need to be an American citizen. Our first amendment was not meant to be used as a shield for foreign dissidents wishing to bypass their countries laws. As a world citizen the United States needs to make certain that we respect each country for it rules and regulations as we would wish them to respect ours. We need to change our foreign policy to reflect the fact that our constitution was meant for Americans and not for the world. To allow foreign groups to host their messages on our servers even if we agree with their message shows that we as a nation do not respect the governing body of the nation and it’s laws. We should be extra vigilant to protect our citizens from the ranting’s of foreign hate groups. The first amendment was meant to protect the citizens of the United States and not those wishing to belittle and malign its citizens. Paul Przybylski wrote that because many servers, and especially those that spread hate speech content, are stationed within the United States, any solution without U.

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