Kevin Sung

Period 1

Ap English 3

2/10/11

Rehugo- Universal Truths

A. “A community is democratic only when the humblest and weakest person can enjoy the highest civil, economic, and social rights that the biggest and most powerful possess” - Phillip Randolph

This is a quotation from Phillip Randolph, a prominent Civil Rights leader. He liked helping his community as much as possible and was part of many Religious institutions such as: the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He mainly fought for social equality and was very gifted in the field of economics.

“The family is a haven in a heartless world.” – Christopher Lasch

Christopher Lasch, who said this quote, was a very versatile intellect. He was a professor at the University of Rochester. He sought to teach Americans how to deal with rampant consumerism. In addition, he wrote a best-seller novel called The Culture of Narcissism.

B. In the first quote, the author puts a community in the context of a democratic institution. The word “democratic” implies a meaning of equality. Randolph brings up the “biggest and the most powerful.” The biggest and most powerful of a certain community are the ones make the most money and the ones who are at the top of the social class. The author also brings up the “humblest and weakest” of a community, which are the ones who are at the bottom of the social class. Instead of having a gap between the weakest and the strongest, as the author implies, the benefits that the elite receive should also be enjoyed by the ones in the lower class. For example, the people who make the most money in their area should donate money back to the community. This way, an efficient and egalitarian community could be established. Ultimately, the author implies that a community can be “equal” when it is balanced.

In the second quote, Christopher Lasch includes a metaphor to help imply the importance of a family. He compares a family to a haven. A haven is usually thought of as a place of refuge, a place for protection. Christopher includes the speculation that we live in a “heartless world,” a world that is harsh and violent. The only way to escape this harshness, as Lasch implies, is to be with the family. Ultimately, the author implies that we cannot really trust anyone except our family. In a world where violence and unfairness occurs regularly, we must run to our family for refuge.

C. Today, we all live in our own specific community. In these communities, there are always the stronger ones, and of course the weaker ones. However, we see the elite giving to the poor more and more. For example, America's population is primarily low-mid class. Bill Gates, the richest man in the world, donated millions of dollars to the poor. There are also many organizations that are trying to help those in need such as: Red Cross, Invisible Children. In a smaller context, we even see equality in the community of Mountain House. There recently has been an organization established to help the ones that are having trouble keeping their house. This organization, called Mountain House Community, is owned by the director of the community. This director could be symbolized as the "stronger" giving back to the ones in need, "the weaker." The gap between the elite and the poor is closing. To live in an effective community, we must all work together to accomplish the common goal of survival.

Today, we dwell in a world where unjust principles are present,as there are times when the world is just unfair. For example, a kid could get bullied and not have any friends. However, when he goes back home, his family would still be there for him. There are countless times in my personal life where my family were the only ones I could trust. For example, I was bullied everyday by older kids when I was in middle school. A lot of the teachers just disliked my attitude and the way I acted. I was basically hated. However, my family was always there for me to talk me out of losing confidence or even giving up. The world could indeed be heartless sometimes, and our only source of protection is our family.

D. Citation:

"Community Quotes." Find the Famous Quotes You Need, ThinkExist.com Quotations. Web. 10 Feb. 2011. .

"Family Quotes, Sayings about Families." The Quote Garden - Quotes, Sayings, Quotations, Verses. Web. 10 Feb. 2011. .