First Post of 2016

Wow, it's been a while since we wrote on these blogs. The title of my blog post has really nothing to do with the post itself, but I'm not good at titling things. At least that title won't be wrong.
So today we read letters from John Adams to his wife Abigail Adams. We discussed the use of punctuation and capitalization in class, because trying to find a meaning in hard. These were personal letters, and in personal letters and emails, we don't focus on trying to come up with a thesis or argument, it's just communication without actually talking.
So the letters didn't have a purpose, but they did have meaning. They reflected an America that was on the brink of creation-we were still colonies at that point. Though their letters discussed some cool early ideas of feminism (not beating your wives and daughters-who woulda thought?), that isn't what I'm going to right about. Instead, I'm going to discuss a quote from (I think) John's letters:

"Whenever Vanity ad Gaiety, a Love of Pomp and Dress, Furniture, Equipage, Buildings, great Company, expensive Diversions, and elegant Entertainment get the better of the Principles and Judgements of Men or Women there is no knowing where they will stop, nor into what Evils, natural, moral, or political, they will lead us." (pg. 538)

What a line, am I right? (I'm not going to discuss the punctuation of the quote, but wow. He put a lot of emphasis on key words by capitalization. It sounds like he's giving a speech.) Twin was saying how he was an early thinker for his time, and she was right. The colonies were starting to rebel and people were starting to use their voices, it's true. But a lot of people still saw the wealthy as better than them-well, they have more money, they must be better. Yet John Adams saw the correlation between selfish rulers and unhappy subjects. While he was reflecting on the actions of imperial control, where absolute power was leading the monarchy to take and take and take, causing the colonies to suffer, it is a key moment of self realization. John Adams couldn't have been the only person to think like this-it reflects the self realization of colonists and people as a whole, really, as well.
But what does it really mean? I think it reflects human nature. Humans by nature want to be comfortable and protected. We want to survive and raise offspring in healthy environments. Essentially, we want to be able to live easy, happy lives. It's not necessarily laziness or greed that causes the problems Adams reflected on, though that could be a cause of it. There's this term called defensive eating, and it's when a person will eat despite being full so that no one else can eat that leftover bit. (Pretty much me and dumplings. I don't care if I'm full. I want it.) I think people are just like that in general. They worry when something is taken from them, even if it's not really taken. What I mean to say is, if someone with hundreds of books sees someone work hard and hard for just one book, instead of being happy for them, they see that as a book stolen, which just isn't how it works. People become accustomed to having so much, so that when others fight for just a fraction of what they have, they see it as a personal attack.
It's even happening today. People like Trump are upset that the impoverished just want to be able to survive, while his lifestyle would support thousands. Leaders focus so much on their wealth and lifestyles that they seem to ignore what it does to the people they lead.