Upon reading both Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” and John F. Kennedy’s “inaugural Address” you cannot help it but to see the similarities and differences in both of them. In Abraham Lincoln’s address he spoke about their engagement and preparation in a civil war ” Now we are engaged in a great civil war , testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and dedicated, can long endure”. He also spoke about how those who lost their lives to fight for the nation will always be remembered and may rest in peace ” We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that the nation might live”. This was for all the struggles they all went through in order to win that battle which many brave men lost their lives in the process due to their dedication and love for the nation. Whereby John Kennedy spoke about poverty “For human holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. Even though their speech is different it stills shows the different incidence that took place in their time of live. For Lincoln he gave this address after the civil war that took place in Gettysburg while Kennedy spoke during his inauguration which was during the times of their hard living. Although they gave their all to fight in the solving of the nations problems I still believe that it has not been completely solved since there is still a high rate in poverty where people even sleep on the streets, train stations and a whole lot of unkept places, there is still a war going on in the nation although it might not be between nations but its between blacks and whites since there is still a whole lot of racial abuse in the nation. All these problems need to be solved in order to continue the legacies or Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy for the whole nation to be at peace.

Based on Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” and John F. Kennedy’s “Inaugural Address” the similarities and differences between the texts are vividly clear. All throughout Lincoln’s Gettysburg address he discusses his want for listeners to preserve the nation and pay tribute to those who died fighting for this country’s liberty. Nearly 100 years later Kennedy paid homage to Lincoln by going on a pilgrimage to Gettysburg where he delivered the speech known as the “Inaugural Address.” Both speeches advocated for the want to grant liberty in America by any means necessary. Kennedy paraphrased part of Lincoln’s speech by declaring that,” In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course.” Kennedy believed that achieving liberty in America was a collective effort made by the people, similar to how Lincoln believed that the state of the nation depended on its people to be preserved. The main difference between speeches is the execution. Lincoln was confident that liberty would be ensured while JFK seemed unsure but hopeful. Lincoln referred to the civil war as “unfinished work” because he saw the war as a guaranteed win, he was confident in the Union’s ability to win the war which would create a new birth of freedom in America. On the other hand, Kennedy acknowledged both possibilities of success or failure but with every stride he was willing to move mountains to reach real liberty. Kennedy proclaimed,“We shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty.” JFK was set on putting in the work to reach freedom while still accepting that failure might be an end result if the country’s efforts weren’t good enough. Lincoln didn’t accept failure to be an option which is evident in his fierce declarations of both freedom & victory. 

    After all the time that’s passed the United States still hasn’t fully reached the vision that both Abraham Lincoln & John F. Kennedy shared. Since the Gettysburg Address the Union did indeed win the Civil War and those lost at battle were honored both with memorials & holidays. Since the Inaugural Address this country has been successful in continuously fighting for liberty, freedom, & justice but we are still years away from changes that mirrored the longstanding success Kennedy hoped for.

The problems that President Abraham Lincoln thinks that the United States must solve is the people who fought during the civil war to assist those that want freedom. In other words, Lincoln wants the people to know that those who fought in the civil war fought to make slaves free and to live out their lives as citizens of the United States. Then the government would come to help these slaves become citizens of the United States and to preserve their freedom for lives to come and preserve our main ideals of freedom. In other terms, the colonist created this country to be free and fought to be free. So the slaves who were born in America should share the same ideals as Americans of having freedom to live the way that they want live. According to “The Gettysburg Address” it states “…shall have a new birth of freedom-and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” This means that Lincoln wants the government who are people, chosen by the people to help protect the new born freedom that we obtain and not to let it go. The problem that President John F. Kennedy thinks that the United States should solve is go through sufferings in order to gain freedom. In other words, Kennedy want the nation to know that we are going to preserve our freedom and we would go through any hardships that may come our way to preserve our freedom. According to “Inaugural Address” it states “Let every nation know, whether is wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty.” In other words, what Kennedy is address we should show nations whether they support us or not, we would go through many hardships and negative times to preserve our freedom and see it grow as time goes on. In comparison, both presidents wanted the nation to preserve the freedom that had been create for many decades. In both address, I feel like the United States has solved the problems in a certain extent. In Lincoln’s address, he wanted freedom for the people and that the government should preserve it. The slaves did receive freedom but ended up with a new problem which was segregation. The government did preserve the slaves freedom, but they also work their way the amendments and laws to make the African American community separated from the whites. In Kennedy’s address, he wanted nations to see that we can suffer from anything that may throw at us to protect our freedom. So I believe the problem that Kennedy address was solved by the United States.

When reading both Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” and John F. Kennedy’s “Inaugural Address”, you are able to see the similarities and differences. In Lincoln’s speech, he discusses the ongoing problem the nation had been facing during the times of the Civil War, stating “It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us.” The task that he mentions in his speech would be to continue on the legacy that the men at Gettysburg had died for, which was the freedom and equality of all people, so that the “nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom— and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Compared to Kennedy’s speech, he claims that the nation’s problem at the time would be keeping the peace with international relationships, as he states, “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” The difference between these two speeches is the fact that the two are addressing two very different problems,  as is because of the time difference. Moreover, the two are telling these speeches at different moments of their careers, for Lincoln he is giving the speech after the Battle of Gettysburg, while Kennedy was giving his speech during his inauguration. In the end, I believe that the problems that the two presidents discuss about have not been properly solved. In terms of equality, there is still a problem in the way people are treated, with the need for movements like BLM to even exist. And for foreign peace, we have been able to keep the peace with most of the countries, even though there are a couple of issues here and there.

After reading President Abraham Lincoln’s “The Gettysburg Address”, and President John F. Kennedy’s “Inaugural Address”, I had noticed a lot of similarities and differences between the meaning of the texts and their solutions to the problems of the United States. Lincoln’s address was more in regards to the civil war, while Kennedy’s was more about how will contribute in leading a powerful and peaceful nation. In Lincoln’s address he had stated that the main problems were about the civil war and how the United States constitution states that all men are created equal and him wanting to protect that notion and abolish slavery. He believed this when he stated, “Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure” (Lincoln 324). Lincoln’s main goal is to preserve the union and what it stands for and if it failed then the United States was in great trouble. Kennedy’s main goal was different as opposed to Lincoln’s address mainly because Kennedy’s speech was him introducing himself to the nation and telling them to help their own country and to inspire other Americans to be strong and love their country. Kennedy stated this in his speech when he said, “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty” (Kennedy 463). Kennedy was ensuring the public that the American nation shall do anything to make it self a thriving force. In regards to Lincoln’s approach to solving the problems of the American people at the time has been solved for the most part. Lincoln was very intent on getting the issues resolved when he stated, “It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this” (Lincoln 324). Lincoln’s plan was to fight for the equality of every man because we are all created equal and that would include the African American slaves. The Union won the civil war and the African American slaves were free for the most part regarding the civil war. Kennedy had solved some American problem and strongly fought for the issues like he said he would when he stated, “In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger” (Kennedy 464). Kennedy was emphasizing the fact that him being elected right at the heart of  the cold war, he would be a great leader and lead the people through. Kennedy had helped resolved the Cuban missile crisis and helped the United States stray away from nuclear warfare and helped the American people realize the type of president he was.

President Abraham Lincoln and President John F. Kennedy both made speeches addressing the problems they believed the United States were facing at their corresponding times in which they were president of the nation. They both spoke about the nation and how the nation was powerful if they united and helped one another as well as stating that they needed to fight for their nation. However, in Lincoln’s Gettysburg address, he speaks more about the people or the nation and how they will all be able to win the battle they have been fighting for. On the contrary, Kennedy talks more about how he will be able to lead the nation and the people of the nation towards solving the problems they were facing. Kennedy was more directly speaking about himself as leader rather than Lincoln who was more subtle about it and involved the people more. Lincoln believed that the problem that needed to be solved was no more discrimination and for there to be equality for all. In the beginning of his address he starts off with “…Our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” Starting off with this line demonstrates that Lincoln’s address would be focused mainly on the equality of all people. He later goes on to state at the end of his address “that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation… shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” With Lincoln ending his address on this note, it goes to show that he believed that the U.S has not yet fully addressed this problem and that it would be a long process. Present day, it can be seen that there is still a fight going on for equality and any form of discrimination which the U.S has not fully addressed though the many Black Lives Matter protests and the spikes in police brutality as well as hate crimes. Kennedy in his Inaugural speech gives hope to the American people that they soon will be able to achieve peace and progress. Kennedy states that he will “support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty.” Kennedy, by “any foe” referred to the communist countries such as the Soviet Union. Though Kennedy states this, he is rational and reaches out to the Soviet Union in his address, expressing his desire to reduce tensions stating “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” Kennedy also goes on to store hope in the people by suggesting “both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction” which referred to him asking there be peace between the U.S and the Soviet Union in fear of a nuclear holocaust which at the time was a very common and real fear. Kennedy made this speech because just like Lincoln he believed that the U.S was still in a very long process of restoring peace. Present time, it can be seen that there has been some type of restoration of peace with some nations however the U.S still has a long way to go to restore complete peace, if that is possible, not only from foreign nations but within its own nation as well.

Prison has the ability to force a person to confront issues within themselves that they spent their whole lives trying to run away from. Prison unlocked a world to Malcolm X that he ignorantly didn’t know existed. The narrative that literature is freeing comes from the fact that it’s the gateway to power. Malcolm X found himself rising in intelligence with every new word he learned and every book he read, “I suppose it was inevitable that as my word base broadened, I could for the first time pick up a book and read and now begin to understand what the book was saying. Anyone who has read a great deal can imagine the new world that opened.” Prison introduced X to the world of literature that freed him from the mental bondage he maintained for years. Literature is linked directly to freedom because it assists a person in gaining knowledge that would’ve once been unimaginable. If Malcolm X wouldn’t have found the strength within prison to study literature, he wouldn’t have acquired the knowledge needed to be a leading figure in the civil rights movement. Malcolm X rhetorically stated,“Where else but in a prison could I have attacked my ignorance by being able to study intensely sometimes as much as fifteen hours a day.” Ironically Malcolm X’s experience in prison was freeing because it gave him time. Growing knowledge and studying literature takes up all the time in the world, so when placed in a setting where time was endless, X turned what would’ve been a dreadful experience into a freeing one. With studying literature Malcolm found the man he was destined to be and used literature to turn himself into that man. Freedom is finding access to a mindset where anything is possible. Literature gave Malcolm X the tools to reach that state of mind.

The role that language played in Amy Tan’s life was significant since it wasn’t her best subject growing up she decides to take it up herself and become better at writing which along the way she discovers that maybe her mother’s form of speaking English had affected her too. Because of the contrast from her mothers “limited” English and academic English taught in school showed her that she had learned to code switch between both but at the same time limited her academic performance. As Amy describes growing up her mother’s dialect had shaped everything around her, “that was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed things,made sense of the world.” Amy became to become self aware of her own perception of herself and the bias of language. In the beginning Amy gives a t description of the importance that language conveys as she claims “the way it can evoke an emotion, a complex idea…language is the tool of my trade” which helped how to balance between the pro’s and con’s of code switching. Personally, growing up in an immigrant household with the same struggles of language as Amy I wasn’t made conscious of it, until I started school and saw the differences in pronunciation of certain words and the incomplete English sentences my mother would speak in. Many are probably unaware of this language barrier if they’re not exposed to other outlets of learning language. I was made aware of how English is used around me, when I had a business internship was when I first learned what code-switching meant, in order to sound more professional there is a certain English that is spoken. For Instance, when Amy explains how her mother is limited by her “broken” English as banker or even doctors don’t give her the same level of respect as a native English speaker. For example, Amy states the doctors had lost her mother’s CAT scan of a brain tumor and had brushed her off encouraging her to make another appointment and showed no sympathy but as soon as “her daughter, me, who spoke in perfect English– lo and behold…apologies for my suffering my mother had gone through for a most regrettable mistake.” Goes to show the lengths of being deemed of more importance simple because of the way language is spoken. I wish more people knew that simply because of someone’s “limited” English doesn’t mean it’s a limit to a person’s ideas they’re trying to send across, they’re just as rich as the next person’s thoughts they just need to be served with the same kind of respect.

Hello, my name is Laura and my intended major is International Business and Marketing my preferred pronouns are she/her. What I’m most excited about is how much this course promises to teach by the end of it. Becoming a better writer is crucial since it can help you immensely by making your point, some that the syllabus included were, “support a well-reasoned argument”, “read analytically and critically”, along with the engagement with my peers and growing my social network is something to look forward to. What I am nervous about is the element of a full asynchronous course, usually I’m a visual learner rather than reading off instructions but hopefully I’ll adapt. The qualities of good writing include being focused on the task at hand, being coherent and clear in the message you’re trying to send across and overall know your target audience. Like everything, writing becomes a skill that is best when constantly practiced it becomes almost muscle memory to continue to do well. Through constant reading and expanding your knowledge is what makes perfect writing. This becomes an important skill because it’s used constantly whether you’re composing an email, or your resume, professionalism shines through your writing. The easiest part of writing for me is when it’s a free write where I’m in control, I feel like I do best with creative freedom. The hardest for me would be an argumentative essay since sometimes finding the evidence becomes difficult as I second guess which point would benefit the claim the most, I need to work on persuading an audience. The genres I’ll be expected to write in is probably professional since it deals with a business field, mainly emails or spreadsheets for the rest of my coworkers. An effective writer can affect career opportunities because it can be a skill that’s required in many intended majors and overall to show off your expertise in advocating through writing, which can open up a lot of doors because of this skill.