The Longest Sentence Ever...

"And having for this desirable end already laid the foundation of peace and reconciliation, by the provisional articles, signed at Paris, on the 30th of Nov., 1782, by the commissioners empowered on each part, which articles were agreed to be inserted in and to constitute the treaty of peace proposed to be concluded between the Crown of Great Britain and the said United States, but which treaty was not to be concluded until terms of peace should be agreed upon between Great Britain and France, and His Britannic Majesty should be ready to conclude such treaty accordingly; and the treaty between Great Britain and France having since been concluded, His Britannic Majesty and the United States of America, in order to carry into full effect the provisional articles above mentioned, according to the tenor thereof, have constituted and appointed, that is to say, His Britannic Majesty on his part, David Hartley, esqr., member of the Parliament of Great Britain; and the said United States on their part, John Adams, esqr., late a commissioner of the United States of America at the Court of Versailles, late Delegate in Congress from the State of Massachusetts, and chief justice of the said State, and Minister Plenipotentiary of the said United States to their High Mightinesses the States General of the United Netherlands; Benjamin Franklin, esq’re, late Delegate in Congress from the State of Pennsylvania, president of the convention of the said State, and Minister Plenipotentiary from the United States of America at the Court of Versailles; John Jay, esq’re, late President of Congress, and Chief Justice of the State of New York, and Minister Plenipotentiary from the said United States at the Court of Madrid, to be the Plenipotentiaries for the concluding and signing the present definitive treaty; who, after having reciprocally communicated their respective full powers, have agreed upon and confirmed the following articles."

- From The Treaty with Great Britain 

Wow! I think they officially beat Charles Dickens for the longest sentence ever prize :)

You can read the rest of the Treaty here.

A Short Ramble on Soda and Political Power

       Did you know that the average american drinks 45 gallons of soda per year? Don't believe me? Here's the math: three large cups of soda equal approx. one gallon of soda. That means it only takes 135 cups of soda to make 45 gallons. How many cups of soda do you drink each week? Two, maybe three? Well, two to three cups of soda a week actually adds up to 45 gallons of soda per year! It sounds ridiculous, but it's only too true. There are approx. 39 grams of sugar in one cup of soda. The FDA suggests only consuming 25 grams of sugar per day, but by consuming a soda, that limit is easily exceeded. Doesn't this seem a little bit ridiculous? Did you know, that in other countries, selling a food item with that much sugar in it is illegal?  

       Recently, me and some of my friends were discussing this matter. It seems so wrong that people should just be able to buy drinks with so much sugar in them! After all, most people don't realize that two to three cups of soda a week equals diabetes, obesity, and a host of other health problems that America is flooded with. The big mega-corporations have weaseled their way around correct labeling, and today it is hard to know what is inside your drink, even with the 'ingredients' listed. 

       What is the solution to this major issue in our society? One of my friends suggested regulations. She said that the government should simply not allow people to contaminate our food that way, and that the government should put regulations on it. I thought about this, and at first it seemed like it made sense, but then I thought about how many regulations we already have. It seems like once the government gets control of one thing, they want to have control of everything, and political power gets out of control. 

       My mom suggested that the government should not have anything to do with it. She agreed that political power gets out of control way too easily, and she thought that no regulations should be put down. I also considered this, but found that it really seems like some sort of rule should be put down at least for awareness!

       I came to the conclusion that the government should put rules on how companies label their ingredients so that people know what is in their drink, and how much of it is in there. I understand that there are still problems with this, but it seemed like the best idea to me. 

       If you have any solutions or ideas about how the government could solve this problem (or whether they should even try to solve it) I would really enjoy hearing what you guys have to say. I think that when we are talking about these kind of issues, it is important to have ideas from all viewpoints and backgrounds. For example: someone who has struggled with diabetes due to a lifetime of drinking soda might feel differently about the matter than someone who has not gone through the same experiences. In lieu of these facts, I heartily hope you enjoy your next cup of soda!

One Nation Under God

I have been reading Whatever Happened to Justice by Richard Maybury, and think that it is SUPER interesting. In chapter two, Maybury quotes John Quincy Adams, saying, "Our political way of life is by the laws of nature and of nature’s God, and of course presupposes the existence of God, the moral ruler of the universe, and a rule of right and wrong, of just and unjust, binding upon man, preceding all institutions of human society and government."
Wow! So, this means that unless we believe in God, then our political life, our laws, the constitution, will not make sense. But there are plenty of people who don't believe in God, and I am sure that they feel like they understand the law perfectly well! Maybury himself, in a later chapter, explains that there are really only two fundamental laws: do not encroach on another person or their property, and do all that you have agreed to do. He clearly states that no matter what God you believe in, no matter what religion you follow, most everyone agrees upon these laws. So, why is Maybury implying that unless we believe in God, our Constitution will not make sense?
Well, let's go back in time a little bit, to the year 1787. In that year, the Constitution was written by Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was asked by a Committee of Five to write the Constitution. The Committee consisted of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Rodger Sherman. Why did the Committee want Jefferson to write the Constitution? These four men wanted Jefferson to write the constitution to secure their freedom and rights. The pilgrims had fled England so that they might worship their God in peace. Our founding fathers were not about to give up the rights that they had fought for so hard to any other kings, monarchs, or sovereigns. They loved being able to worship their God their way! So Thomas Jefferson wrote a document that clearly stated our freedoms and our laws. He was able to do so because the pilgrims had founded a new land so that they would be able to worship God in peace! The whole idea behind the New World was freedom of religion!
Thus, the constitution was written to protect religious rights! So what John Quincy Adams is really saying, is "Since our country was founded on religious rights, beliefs, and freedoms, anyone who does not know and love God, will not ever be able to fully appreciate or understand our constitution." Sure, America has other freedoms and rights that other countries do not, like freedom of guns, speech, and of assembly, but the main freedom that America, and every American, possesses, is freedom of religion. Even though the two fundamental laws keep us in order, and non-believers can still understand the constitution, it will never mean as much to them as it does to Christians.
So, what is the point of all this? Well, maybe it's because I myself didn't quite understand what Adams meant until now :). But I also think that it is extremely fascinating how and why America works, and the more I study it, the more I become intrigued. God and America's government are inseparable. No matter what the government says or does, God's power has been knit into the foundations of America, and sooner or later, politicians will have to realize that. Every time we say the pledge of allegiance, we agree that this, our country, was built upon the foundations of God's Word, and that cannot be changed.

Character Study - Pericles

The Lives of Plutarch - Pericles 

Pericles was a truly remarkable man. He lived in Athens, Greece, about the time of the Peloponnesian Wars. From his rise to power, to his last breath, one thing separated Pericles from other rulers; this was the virtue of self-sacrifice. As Lord Acton once said: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." Let’s look at a timeline of Pericles’ life to see how, even though he had ultimate charge over Athens, he always used his influence for the good of his city, not himself.
Pericles first exposed himself to the world of politics by making friends with the poorer class. He found that Thucydides, another orator, had already gained the confidence of the richer class.
Although he was certainly a good friend of the people, Pericles did have some enemies. One day, while he was handling some business in the market, a certain old man began hurtling curses at him, finding every way to destroy his political position. This man followed Pericles around ALL DAY, never stopping to take a breath! He even followed Pericles home! However, instead of squabbling with him, Pericles simply ignored him for ALL OF THE DAY! And to make matters even stranger, Pericles sent a servant back with the old man when it became dark and hard to see so that he could lead him home! This is a glorious example of the kindness and level-headedness that Pericles showed to those around him.
After he had ostracized Thucydides and Cimon, yet another orator, Pericles changed his ruling methods. Instead of being so free with his money, and instead of forming intimate relationships with the people (namely the poor) he rather secluded himself. He never walked the streets like he once had, and his friends and servants tended to most of his minor business. He also restricted the amount of parties that took place, and was great deal more serious than he once had been.
Even though at first these changes might seem cruel and harsh, there were some advantages to Pericles’ new method. To keep the people entertained and happy, he began to enlarge the empire, He would then send off Athenians to populate the new islands and cities. He also brought back to life the Athenian ships and marine.
As we all know, with the conquering of a city comes the gain of much money, Athens was no exception. Riches and precious metals were practically duping into Athens. Instead of using this money for his own good, Pericles used it to beautify his city. He had many famous structures built, some of which we still admire today. One the things that Pericles is most famous for is what he did to beautify Athens. Pericles considered Athens to be in its golden age, so he did all he could to make a beautiful age.
Unfortunately, it seems that growing tension between Athens and Sparta was only made worse by these expeditions, primarily because all the cities that Athens was conquering, had once been part of the Spartan Empire. After multiple revolts and rebellions, what we call the Peloponnesian War began.
There were many battles and rebellions, all of which ended in the blockading of Athens. Yes, the Spartans actually succeeded in driving the Athenians all the way back to their capital. Eventually, from lack of food and water, overcrowded areas, and a lack of necessary supplies, the Athenians developed the dreaded Black Plague.
This disease spread like wildfire, destroying anyone in its way.
Pericles himself walked the streets of Athens, trying to heal and comfort anyone he met.
Eventually, this great man caught the Plague, and, like so many others, was unable to survive.
While he could have shut himself up in his home, and saved all of the food and water there was from himself, Pericles graciously gave his time, money, and provisions to the Athenians, not saving any for himself.
Can you see how merciful, giving, and wise Pericles was? His last moments were spent caring for his people.
It is truly a joy to read of leaders who are wise, kind, and thoughtful, I hope that I will read of more people like Pericles, and learn to lead like he does, even if that means just leading my family.