REMEMBER: THIS IS PUBLIC DOMAIN--DO NOT WRITE ANYTHING YOU DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO SEE.
Consider a relationship or membership that you currently have but would like to separate yourself from (it can be fictionalized) such as a relationship to significant others, siblings, parents, coaches, bosses or memberships to sports teams, clubs, community service groups, areas of employment, etc. Please do not use your membership to this class. Follow the outline below as you organize your persuasive declaration.
Be sure to consider your audience and eliminate any language too incendiary or ineffective. When you persuade, use rhetorical devices such as logos (appeals to logic), pathos (appeals to emotion), ethos (appeals to ethics), repetition, parallel structure, metaphor, allusions, simile, alliteration, hyperbole, rhetorical questions, and loaded word choice (connotation). Please use at least four of these devices (one must be an appeal to logic and one must be an appeal to emotion).
In order to be taken seriously, you must also revise your blog for grammatical and mechanical errors. Your declaration blog should be around 200-250 words. Be prepared to present your declaration blog to the class.
Please write your first and last name and period on the top of your post.
I. State the present condition/status of your relationship.
II. List your grievances against the person/group you are parting from.
III. Declare your new rights as an independent person.
Standards: Reading 1.3, 1.4
Walker Huddy
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
Declaration of Independence From the Institution of School
(Fictional)
There is a need to be an independent person from school. They have promised a better life for those who attend but it takes too long to reap the benefits. They say it leads to better pay but the price of college can sometimes cost more than the extra pay a college graduate would receive. A recent study has shown that it is almost impossible to repay student loans of over $50,000. Due to this economy, college graduates are unable to get jobs and the student’s debt just increases and increases. Just imagine a college graduate sitting on the street with an insurmountable amount of debt while there is a high school dropout is happily working in an In-N-Out. Do you want to start making money now or spend a lot more money and probably never being able to pay off the debt in the hopes of making a couple of more bucks in the long run? I now officially declare independence from the corrupt system of education. As an independent person, I am allowed to make my own life choices and make money know! Who is with me?
Eliott Nazarian
ReplyDeletePeriod 6
Declaration of Independence from the Obama Administration
Throughout the last two years, a lack of any real effort from our government has caused quite a downfall in terms of economy, health-care, foreign policies, and education. Our troops are still fighting a rather meaningless war, our people are still unemployed in high numbers, and our opportunities to succeed are deteriorating as does the graph of y=1/x. Obama's election has been the primary enzyme of a catastrophic chemical reaction in the heart of the United States of America. Two years ago, our nation succumbed to the bogus, rhetorical promises made by Barack Obama. Since then, Obama has done nothing but add to his list of promises. Does it seem reasonable to add to a list of promises before completing even one of them? I think not, and until Obama proves otherwise, I want no part of this lazily, ineffectively run government. It is for good reason that Obama's approval rating is decreasing by the month, and it is encouraging to know that Americans are catching on to the actual events, or lack thereof, taking place in the white house. To clarify, Obama has become but a mere celebrity in office. It seems as though the only news we really ever get about him is his most recent joke on a talk show, or his thoughts on the most prominent NBA stars. It makes no sense to sit back and allow ourselves to be governed by lackadaisical politicians, whom we had previously mistaken for passionate ones. I refuse to support a government so unscrupulous as to condone its very own promises. I thus feel no obligation to continue as a dependent citizen of said regime, and declare myself independent of its injustice.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBrian Kudler
ReplyDeletePeriod.3
Declaration of Independence From the Coffee Club Boss
Fictional
People shouldn't abuse power and harass you. Bosses are suppose to guide you through what you are doing and make sure you are doing everything right. I have a part time job at Coffee Club. My boss likes to pick on me and abuse me. I was mopping up the floor and he brought dirt in on purpose and sarcasticaly said "oops sorry". Another time, he locked me out on purpose because I had to run out to my car for the second time, and my bag with my phone and books were stuck in the store all night. I also don't get payed for overtime. Workplace abuse is highly prevalent, and are positively correlated with symptoms of depression. No one should have a feeling being scared or frightened of what could happen at work, and feel the pain of harassment and being tortured. I want to be able to come into the shop whenever I want and not worry about being locked out. No more forgiving, no more being sad, no more being scared to come to work. I want him to pledge he will be nice, if he doesn't I will involve the labor board. No more crying, lying, and dying. I will get paid for overtime and get more benefits. He will not take advantage of me anymore.
Steph Feher
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
My Declaration of Independence From SAT Tutoring
(Non Fictional)
In today's time, it is a dog-eat-dog world, everyone is compitition . Fierce rivals can be found from the work place , to the kid's soccer field. Excelling in making business deals, having more money than your neighbor, and scoring higher then your friend on the SAT's are all dirty tactics used by the government to keep all of us on our toes. Statistics say, if you don't receive at least a 2,000 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, you might as well start looking for job openings at your local Taco Bell.So what has society invented to help the future fast food workers of the world? SAT Tutoring: a sick, demented time consuming course to help raise your test scores. Running from 9 in the morning and going until 3 in the afternoon, these tutoring sessions will make us crumble along with our other preempted extra cariculars. Never, have you seen Taylor Lautner smiling in an SAT boot camp picture in People Magazine. So I declare my self independent from tutoring! No more 4 hour-long English comprehension lessons, just give me a book and a highlighter,and let me be independent!
Jake Cohen
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
Declaration of Independence from Counterfeit Goods.
Many people believe that they are not harming anyone by buying counterfeit goods, i used to be one of those people. Counterfeit goods are usually made by workers in poor conditions and sometimes even by children. They are also distributed by criminals, and that is what you become by buying it. People counterfeit such goods as clothes, creams, toothpastes, toys and even cars. This supply would not exist if there was not a demand. You are not only supporting poor working conditions, you are also hurting the economy. The companies that make these goods lose a lot of money because of counterfeiting, $200 to $250 billion dollars a year to be exact. 750,000 jobs are lost due to the people who buy counterfeit goods instead of supporting American businesses. Despite these facts most people still buy these goods to help themselves or without them even knowing it is counterfeit. I declare myself independent from counterfeit goods and the money laundering, human trafficking, and child labor that comes with it.
Madison Shubert
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
Declaration of Independence from a Freindship
As a little child I was always taught to make new friends but stay close with those friends I already have. When one of my friends would do something wrong I was supposed to stand by her and help catch her when she falls. But how long can one friend be strong and help guide the other friend through the hard times and the downfalls of life. There comes a point, when I sit and looks across the quad at Lily and wonder what I could have done to prevent her from becoming an irresponsible, close-minded, and psychotic person. After all the fights and screaming contests to have my voice be heard, I am done being friends with her. As a child, Lily was a tomboy and a free spirit, but as she has grown and started hanging out with bad influences, it seems to be that she has become a person who I don’t know anymore. Along with that she has become loud, abusive, and a lazy person with no care about what the future holds for her if she continues along the same path. She has been sucked into a whole, filled with bad people where she continues to hurt and upset the friends and family who loved her for who she was. Every time I try to tell her that what she is doing is wrong, she ignores me even though she knows I am right. She has started smoking and not caring about school and I am not going to be friends with someone who could change me and the way I live my life. I repeatedly tell her that smoking is an idiotic and illogical thing to do, and that she can die from smoking. Little does she know that 5.4 million deaths occur each year from the use of tobacco. As a person free from her wrath of negativity, I can live my life without constantly worrying about what hazardous things she is doing that could potentially kill her. I will not have to guide her through life like her mother and be disrespected by her on a daily basis. If she wants to become addicted to drugs, become a drop out, and have no future that’s fine. She can do that without me in her life to try to fix her careless mistakes and me trying to turn her back into the innocent, nice, and thoughtful person that she was in fifth grade.
Kiran Singh
ReplyDeletePeriod 6
Declaration of Independence From Alexa C.
(Fictional)
For decades poor human beings have had to deal with the annoying personality of Alexa C. Luckily I have only had to deal with her for the last 3 years. But no more! When you are friends with her, she constantly asks you 'How are you?' like almost every day! I mean come on! Who wants to tell their friend how they are doing?!?!?! You are expected to keep it all bottled up inside and deal with the c**p on your own. Have you ever heard the saying 'Kill them with kindness?' Well that is exactly what Alexa C. does! I cant stand her with all her hugs and questions about how my day was! I mean come on! Leave me alone! Studies have shown that 35% of killers are nice to you when you meet them. That is called killing them with kindness people! I should be afraid for my life! I will give you another example, one day I was required to go her house to do a project and low and behold, she had a pet! A beagle puppy to be exact. I had to watch painfully as she treated her dog with care and kindness! I mean come on! Who feeds their pets?!?!?!? From here on out I officially declare my self independent from the disgustingly cute clutches of Alexa Carlucci! No more shall I be treated as though I am a good person or as though I am a terrific friend! As a free person I shall go back keeping to myself and search no more for new companions! For all those others who have had enough of her erupting and horrible kindness, I say JOIN ME!
jonathan afra said...
ReplyDeleteJonathan Afra
Period 6
Dear Rosa,
You have been my housekeeper for the past 2 years and since the first day where you cleaned my room it has became a great relationship. But I have issues about our current state and feel that I must fire you. You first have caused me to lose many of my assignments causing the lowering of my GPA and I have also become dependent on you to clean my room on daily basis.
There is a positive view that comes with this ending of our business affairs. One is that you do not have to face the constant nagging from me on where my stuff was put or being the scapegoat of a lost paper. You also do not have to face the mountains of papers that have stacked up on my desk over the past weeks, which should bring a physical and mental relief to you. Another positive aspect will be that there won't be the awkward tension that you our taking my responsibility of cleaning my room. Rosa the way you should view the ending of our relationship is like baby bird leaving the nest with all the knowledge and materials it needs to have a profitable life, which came from the tasks that you dealt with when you worked for me.
Jordan C'Dealva-Lenik
ReplyDeletePeriod 6
Declaration of Independence from the "Political Incorrectness of Green Politics"
Throughout what seems to be the bulk of the great history of the United States, there have been governments run by the "carefree" political parties, such as the Republican Party and the up-and-coming Tea Party Movement who really don't give a flying dingbat about the preservation of our planet's well being. The Earth is in a time of great change and is being put under great pressure from countries around the world, especially the U.S., in matters like forest conservation, species protection, and pollution. Politicians, even the more Earth-friendly Democrats, have been too busy focusing on the progress of the nation, at the cost of our planet. Our planet gave us a home and we only have one home, so it is our principal duty to protect our home from our own selfish desires. How else is Mother Nature going to survive? Shall we just sit on our derrières and pretend that everything is fantastic? There can be no more thumb twiddling. We have to act now to protect our planet. It's time for the professionals to come in. I hereby declare all Green institutions and organizations free from the death grip of the "let's-fix-everything-later" politicians of Washington. You are now free to educate the masses and fix the Earth through government. Your voices will be heard. This is a new era for our nation. God Bless the Green United States of America.
Amanda Rosengarten
ReplyDeletePeriod 6
Declaration of Independence from California (high school life)
There are those who dwell on the past, who see themselves only living in the present. For there are those who will never truly "grow-up," will never leave home and feel secure, and perhaps never have enough ambition to carry out their most coveted desires. I am not one of those people. I see my life apart of the world in Paris, France, New York City amongst the streets of crowded people, or in the midst of a winter storm in Alaska with only a flashlight to guide me. I yearn to travel the world and escape California and my home that I presently feel comfortable. In the near future, I want to venture free, take on my career at Wall Street, and find out who I truly am through my own experiences.
It is life in California that has torn me apart, carried me down, and has made me feel as if I didn't belong. In essence, we are all apart of this jail, locked within bars and unable to escape responsibilities, priorities, and other dramatic endeavors that never cease to overwhelm us. However, the moment we graduate, it is our opportunity to seize. For in that instance we are free to finally grow up and live life on our own as young adults. I cannot wait for my moment, and I have worked so hard to get where I am today and to the place I am going to be upon graduating senior year.
A four year university is what I desire, alas the gateway to my life and my future. Year after year, we can complain about school, homework, and a limited social life; however, where we end up after high school is all that truly matters. Therefore, graduating senior year, I will declare myself free. I will be a young adult, ready to discover the world, start my life, and further pursue the "American dream." Not only will I feel a sense of ambition and gratitude, I will feel as if life will begin again.
Alas, it is for this that I thank California. Thank you for years within jail bars, tormenting teenage stress, and a high school that at times was fairly cruel and agonizing. For in the end, you lead me on the right path to my destiny. Finally, I can become the person I want to be.
Janae Sieder
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
Declaration of Independence from Political Untruths
(non-fictional)
In an effort to gain our votes, political candidates from both parties will say almost anything, irrespective of its veracity. Listening to the banter between candidates, which often have nothing to do with relevant issues, can be discerning. In the gubernatorial race in California, advertisements claim that meg Whitman Lied about her voting record, stretched the truth about how long she has lived in California, dodged questions about her insider stock deals at Goldman Sachs, changed her story about a physical altercation with an eBay employee, talked out of both sides of her mouth on immigration, and aired false and misleading ads against Jerry Brown. Wouldn’t it be more productive and also allow voters to make intelligent decisions, if the candidates spent more time explaining how to fix California’s problems, like balancing the budget and workers compensation reform? Each candidate for each political party can explain their personal philosophy in helping California as appose to personally attacking each other. Political advertisements often cater to using fear tactics in scaring people to not vote for an opponent as apposed to positive feedback in voting for a candidate who has a solid plan for improving conditions. Does Meg Whiteman, hiring an undocumented worker, really affect her ability to lead this state into economic prosperity? In an age of perception, political “name calling”, and political down-grading of your opponent, we are creating a system where our citizens wont turn out to vote. The goal is to have as many people to vote as possible, so they can form a vision of what is best for our state.
Jenna Marks
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
Declaration of independence from part of my family
My family on my mom's side is closely knit and we always look out for each other like normal family members are supposed to do. However, on my dad's side of the family, I have an aunt who tends to get out of hand most on the time. It's inevitable that at some point when we see her, there is going to be a problem. Our current status is more of an unusual one because no matter how nice I am, my brother is, or my mom is, or my dad is to her, she doesn't see that we are trying to improve a relationship. In her eyes there is always someone undermining the other, and it is likely there will never be a true relationship between any of us. This is kind of sad to think that even though you can't choose your family, she doesn't even want to try to be civil. It is atypical and I believe it is unheard of for a family not to even like the other members. I feel the tension every time we meet up with her. When i think of her, I automatically think of her as my aunt who is also the sister to my father, but my feelings aren't as simple as that. Most people would agree that even though families disagree, they still love each other. In my case, the first part is true that most families differ. My dad and mom and brother and I are willing and trying to make the best of the situation, but this isn't what I want. Many times I feel torn about being loyal to my family but, I want to declare my independence from my aunt, and no longer be subject to this disturbance in my family. I am not going to just let her keep hurting my family because at some point i believe that all hell will break loose and my family will be ruined. Therefore, I declare myself independent from my aunt and decline to stoop myself to her level of the playing ground.
Nick Escobar
ReplyDeletePeriod 6
Declaration of Independence from the Honchos at Jersey Mike's
(fictional)
For the past few months, I have been employed with a tiresome job at the local sub shop, Jersey Mike's. A restaurant where young people socialize and consume delicious subs forged from the soul. As a young teenager, I have had the great experience and privilege of working, coping, and meeting new people. However, the bosses of Jersey Mike's always give me a hard time, for I am considered the "scrub" of the shop. I feel like a cat among ligers. When I am scheduled a shift with my bosses, they treat me with no compassion, and they demand that they must be treated with sense of superiority. The restaurant's store hours are from 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. on weekends, in which I usually work from 8 in the morning to the end of "lunch rush." Lunch rush is very busy period and, I work very hard to complete my tasks; however, my bosses always supply me with tedious and humiliating chores, such as: cleaning the bathrooms, waving to customers out front in a sandwich costume, and washing piles of dishes. I should be awarded with more respect for completing these monstrous tasks, for I have been working with these afflictions for months. I demand that I must separate from this dilemma and declare my self as an autonomous, independent sandwich-creator. I should be treated with more respect and authority, and no more will I work for these "demons!" I will withdraw from this corrupted restaurant where I will create my own establishment called "Nick's Picks." This fine haven will be a place where everyone will have equal freedom and the chance to enjoy delicious sandwiches.
Dylan McNamara- period 6
ReplyDeleteDear mom,
I know I've been your baby for 16 years but it's about time I moved out, got my own car, and got a job. First of all, the fact that I have my own place doesn't necessarily mean that I won't get to see you, it'll just mean that I won't constantly nag you when I want to buy something or I need to go somewhere. And just imagine, with the house to yourself, you can go out every night, and the bills (electric, water, etc.) will drastically decrease if I'm not there hogging all the
resources. Think of how happy you'll be with me gone and all that privacy to yourself; also, this gives you the option of moving to a bigger house.
In order for me to achieve all my goals in life, I have to have the freedom to pursue those goals and God knows that as my mother you only want the best for me. Do you think Kobe Bryant could have made 81 points in his game if he stayed with his mom? Could Bill Gates have become a billionaire if his mother kept him in the house, preventing him from being the best he could be? I say nay and I also say that I can't become the greatest I can be until I leave. Mom, you were an excellent mother, but it's about time I lived my own life.
With love,
Dylan McNamara
Amit Levi
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
Declaration of Independence from an employee.(Fictional)
Dear Mr. Jones:
I must inform you that after 8 work quality counseling sessions with our management department and 4 written warning letters about your poor work quality, there has not been a significant improvement evident in your work. As we discussed on Friday the 17th of June 2010, you had to improve your work quality by September 1st 2010 to justify continued employment with this organization. A&A Health Services, Inc. has tried to work with you in every way possible to develop your work skills and to meet our quality production needs. However it has become evident that your work quality is not up to the standards required of our employees in the position you were hired to perform.
This leaves me with no choice but to tell you that your employment is terminated immediately. Please return all company property to the main office including your employee access badge.
To reduce the impact of your termination, we have organized a special benefits package for you, and you will be paid one weeks pay for every month you worked over twelve months, and your dental and medical coverage will continue for two whole months from the date of termination. You will receive your final paycheck at the end of the following week.
A&A Health Services, Inc. requires efficient and professional employees; we are going to have to let you go as for today we can again proudly call ourselves a reliable and respected company with no shame at all, whatsoever, regarding any of our workers.
saranarat wisesla
ReplyDeleteperiod 6
Declaration of independence from your parent
There are many thing people need to have freedom of their parent. such freedom to think by our own, to spend our life alone, to do what we want, to chose who we love ,by the way our age is not allowed to do everything what we want there are many family that their parent decide everything for their children and never give a chance for their kid to decide thing by themselves Have you ever been ask them why? many people say that they do because they love you, they do because they be worry about you they don't want you to deal everything by yourself but have you ever been ask yourself are do you want their help If you never been think or decide thing by yourself when are you ready if one day that you have to spend your life by your own if you have to decide the big thing by your own when are you ready for that? there is a writer that she wrote a book about her life her mistake and the thing that she learn about her mistake the story is about she is the only child in the family every things in her life it depend on her mom decide one day that she have to get marriage her mom find a guy for her and then her marriage life it not working then she devoice and her life be very complicate after her mom died she always blame her mom that why her life going to be like this one day that you have to decide thing in your life alone what would you be one thing that you never have a brave to decide because you afraid to make a mistake be brave to make a mistake by your own mistake whatever the result is you going to be proud by you own.
Alexa Carlucci
ReplyDeletePeriod 6
Declaration of Independence from People
My struggle against my oppressor has been a torturous 16 year journey. It began and will end surrounded by those who pain me most. Leaders like Jefferson, Paine, and Henry all speak in regard towards the people. "We the people.." this, "Our nation.." that. Well, DAMN the people. Starting tonight, I issue my Declaration of Independence from People. "But Alexa, without people you'll go insane!", you'll say. "Well, DAMN the people!", i'll repeat for lack of anything clever to say. People are nothing but the troublesome crows in my garden of personal masterpiece. They are the leaders of corruption and hate. They are the cause of war, insecurities, violence, and so on. You may think I'm the only one, but rest assure others have gone through similar situations and have come out top dog. Take Will Smith for example. In "I Am Legend" he was alone for a good and useless hour of the movie. He had a great dog and an awesome sports car. After heroically fighting the human equivalent of a rabid naked mole rat breed, he finds a girl. DAMN! Once discovering people, what happens? (Spoiler alert.) He kills himself. Next we have good ol' Tom Hanks. In Cast Away, he's alone on his own private island. Beat that, Hilton family. He even has a pet volleyball to talk to. (And no one to judge him for it, of course.) And now, Tom Hanks is one of the most successful of all producers/directors/ AND actors! Wow! Lastly, we have Superman. I don't even have to explain how awesome that guy is. (despite his weakness being a rock?) Anyway, he lives in something called the FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE and has cool awesome powers. You just cannot beat that logic. So, au revoir to the tyrants of my existence, the United States of Alexa has begun.
Jean Dunstan
ReplyDeletePeriod 6
Declaration of Independence from my Riding Club (fictional)
I have thought long and hard over this decision and I am now proud to say I am no longer part of this Club. I have had both physical and mental pain as a result of this affiliation. Let's start with my physical pain. As a result of falling, unfortunately too many to count, I now suffer from chronic back pain. As if this wasn't enough, I am now left with tight hamstrings, back, and neck. I feel like an "Old Man" every morning waking up stiff as a board. Can you imagine that at 16!!! But enough of me, now let's consider the horse. Due to this membership, he is forced to live in a 12x14 stall with only 1 hour of exercise daily. Does this sound a little like prison? PETA is right. All animals have a right of independence from people forcing their own needs on them. My horse that has suffered mental anguish will be leaving this club as well. He will be in greener pastures where he can spend his days eating, playing, and resting. I can now sleep easy knowing my back will no longer hurt and my mind will no longer suffer from the guilt of caging an animal.
Kate Heidenreich Period 6
ReplyDeleteDeclaration of Independence from guitar.
For the past three years, my dad has made me practice guitar for one and one half hours a night, three hours per day on weekends and vacations, take lessons every week, and perform three times a year. My dad never asked me if I even wanted to play guitar. I am tried of committing my life to something I don't even want to do.
Without guitar I would be able to improve my GPA by using the time that I save so I can study, rather than practicing. My dad just does not understand that playing the acoustic guitar is not my dream, it is his dream. I will no longer listen to what he says is "my future" and I am so tired of listening to old, dead guitarist, song writers.
Why should I have to live his stupid dream? Why can't I work toward my goal of being a veterinarian. I believe everyone should be able to choose their own destiny in life. There is no reason for my father to decide what I should be or what I should do with my life. This is why I declare all people to be free to do what they want and to choose what makes them happy in life.
Michelle Lee
ReplyDeletePeriod 6
Declaration of Independence from Facebook
Dear Facebook,
It is a necessity to separate from Facebook immediately. For the past four years Facebook has been my trusty site to get in touch with my friends. Yet, I have noticed as of recently that you are actually a large nuisance in my life. Your website is as alluring as a Venus Flytrap is to a fly. While I try to focus on my homework you have a way of popping up on my home screen and calling my name, forcing me to go on your tantalizing website. As you cause students to not focus on their studies, our homework grades drop lower and lower. You also lead to bad sleeping habits as it is extremely difficult for people to get off of your website. You also entice us to not study for upcoming tests and quizzes. This forces students to do very poorly on these exams, as they could not properly prepare for it. It is extremely depressing as a student to go onto aeries and see a failed test grade. You also sever our relationships with other people. We use to go out and have fun with our friends and families, yet now we sit at home looking at a computer screen. The image of your boring background is inscribed in our minds from overuse. I hereby promise to never go on Facebook again. I hope you all chose to do the same, or else you will all be sitting on your computer at home looking at Facebook with nothing left but broken relationships and failing grades.
Ashkan Alimohammadi
ReplyDeleteP. 6
Have you ever had anyone that you felt was making your life worse than it really was? Or, did you ever meet someone that always made you the scapegoat? Well, sometimes I feel as though I am the scapegoat in all of HER situations. She is beautiful on the outside, but evil on the inside. She is a six year old girl that likes to play princess in front of her parents, but witch to me and her sister. She is a little, spoiled child that receives whatever she wants due to crying. She is my cousin! When I first met her three years ago, I thought she was the cutest and nicest girl in the world, little did I know that her physical appearance outweighed her dirty, little attitude. Once you meet her, two facts you will quickly figure out is, one hour with her contains as much stress as you would ever get in a lifetime, while one day is equivalent to living your life in hell. Usually when I see her, I try my best to ignore her as much as possible because she loves attention more than anyone else in the world and I know that the less attention she gets, the better she acts. Even though her sister, whom is twelve years older than my little cousin, is scared of her, (due to the fact that my little cousin always blames my older cousin for everything) I refuse to give up my rights and get in trouble from lies. I always demand respect whenever I feel my cousin wants to make me the scapegoat. Unfortunately, at the moment, I stand without peace and until she grows respect for elders, she will never have my respect.
Anthony DiCosimo
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
I have officially decided, after much intense thought, that I will no longer be a part of taking the SAT or the ACT. I have concluded that taking the SAT or the ACT is a complete waste of time, and that it should not be a requirement to get into a good college, or for that matter, any college at all. WE as students, should not have to take the college boards crazy and ridiculous analysis of our intelligence. I think it is the college board's goal to completely torture every high school student across the nation, for their own personal satisfaction and enjoyment. They don't care that our junior year is already the hardest year of high school education. They don't care that they are adding unnecessary hours of studying, months of terrible tutoring, and tons of terrible stress, that are all just shortening the little time left to be kids! It has been scientifically proven that too much stress in one's life leads to a shortened life span. They want us to suffer as if we were their prisoners in their torture chambers. But we dont have to take this torture any longer! It will not be easy, but if we can get enough students across America to stand up for this same cause, we will no longer have to endure these struggles! SO WHO'S UP FOR THE CHALLENGE?!?
Cody Bahr
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
Declaration of Independence from my Imaginary Friend Bob! (100% FICTIONAL!!!)
Forever in my life I have been antagonized by the eternal pestilence(1) that is my imaginary friend, Bob. Bob has continually stolen, plagiarized, and otherwise reduced any thought I have had into little more than incomprehensible gibberish. He constantly insults me and encourages me to do bad things like watch television, eat candy, or make me ignore my parents tell me to clean my room.(2) There are positive aspects of Bob, but they are far outweighed by the cruelty he has displayed
Bob and I are on shaky terms at the moment, because we have recently gone through a horrible, disheartening argument.(3) Bob and I are constantly fighting, and can never agree on anything. In addition, he is abusive and never respects my opinion. Therefore, I believe a change is in order; he has abused me for the last time! Even if Bob’s abuse is only mental, sometimes it can be more painful that any physical injury I could ever sustain. It only adds to the fact that his torment is everlasting because he lives within my mind.
Because of the reasons I have given above, and many others which did not make my list, from hereon, and thitherto forevermore, I abolish all former ties or associations that I shared with Bob. I relinquish any hold or influence that he has over me, and forevermore promise to cease communication with him, on the grounds that it will be good for my health to be away from him.(4)
Key-
1. loaded words
2. parallelism
3. pathos
4. logos
Michelle Brait
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
Declaration of Independence from Texting
It is a necessity in my life to seperate myself from texting. Ever since my freshman year of high school, I have relied on texting as my key source of communication. I have relied on it to find out homework assignments, I have relied on it to discover new drama amongst my friends, I have relied on it when I am bored, and I have relied on it to make plans with my friends. Although lately, I have discovered that texting has become nothing more than a large distraction in my life. Recently, I have found myself constantly texting friends and checking my phone in hopes that I will have a text message. I text during homework so I have an excuse to stop and take a break. I do wish I could find a way to balance both, but texting is a brick wall, a wall of which I can not pass. A wall which I must pass in order to achieve full concentration in life. Students who text constantly rather than study have a harder time achieving high academic standards in school. It is a heart-sinking feeling to know that you did not do good on a test because you spent more time texting a friend rather than reading the chapter. Feeling your heart sink when you know you could have done better on a test, watching your GPA slowly decline because you continue to fail assignments, knowing that texting is the only thing standing in your way of success, and being incapable of breaking down that barrier that prevents you from separating yourself from texting. I make a choice to separate myself from texting during school related assignments and activities. Being independent from texting will allow me to concentrate in more needed areas and help me to excel in all the things that I do. I do strongly encourage you to agree and make the choice to become independent from texting during school related activities forever.
Holden Israel
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
Declaration of Independence from Internet
Dear Internet,
It is a well-known fact that more time is spent on the internet than studying and preparing for school. Consequently, I promise to never use this wasteful and stupid technology again, pledging to study more for future tests. As of now, you are taking my grades and demolishing them to a point so low to the ground that they will never rise to where they should be ever again. Why would anyone want to do devastate their academic life with something as pointless as you? Well, many teenagers and I feel that your social networking sites, such as Facebook, are as addicting and luring as food is to a starving child. This hooking and obsessive hobby is crushing the dreams of many students of achieving the grades they expect to get, and furthermore, diluting their chance of getting into a top-tier university. Although you do possess many entertaining and captivating games, you are only causing stress levels to rise and intellectual levels to decrease in all teenagers. Without such a distraction, my grades would improve drastically and my parents would not have anything to badger me about. My having not enough time for schoolwork would no longer be an issue. Those straight A's that have always seemed so far off in the distance would change from a dream to reality. Goodbye internet, you definitely will not be missed.
Clark Lemons
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
I would like to declare my independence from the fast food industry.
Dear Ronald,
You’re ubiquitous golden arches are so hard pass by. The yellow glow calls my name. Open late into the night with various temptations of marginal nutritional value. Open early in the morning with delightful breakfast temptations that make my stomach grumble. Open at mid-day during the peak of my hunger. A scent and taste totally unmistakable and undeniable. Have you ever walked into a fast food restaurant without ordering fries or sampling a portion of your friends? Even as I am writing these words I feel the cravings begin to stir, but I fight this urge so that I can call myself independent from your delicious but equally unhealthful food. Your food is so high in fat and sodium that it is almost certain to increase my cholesterol and blood pressure. This will be by no means an easy withdrawal but it is more than worthwhile. Although you offer healthy alternatives, the real temptation is undeniable. You’re advertisements are ever so deceiving portraying the happy, healthy individual even the olympic athlete. Shame on you Ronald for endorsing such detrimental foods to an enslaved populous. Instead, from here on forward I am going to try to eat more whole, less processed, locally produced foods that will feed my body, brain and soul. Food that gives me energy, keeps me healthy and leaves me active. By the way, I think you are a clown!
Ashkon Masrourrod
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
Declaration of Independence from Algebra II Tutoring
(Fictional)
As the semester goes on, my Algebra II Honors only goes lower. Each week, him and me meet at the library to study for the following test. But as I study, he follows what I’m doing. He doesn’t correct my mistakes, but I correct his. As a high school student, I would expect a college student majoring in chemistry to understand my homework and help me in Math. But with the extremely expensive price, and confusing techniques, I would want to declare my independence from my math tutor. The class has only gotten tougher, and I have met people in my school that may be able to help me in a much more considerate manner. Nobody in my class has a tutor, and I feel that I need to separate from my tutor. I would rather leave my tutor, help myself, study harder, and get the grade I desire. I can just imagine myself getting the A with a smile on my face, knowing that I did it myself. Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever thought that you would feel more accomplished when you carry out that one completed task by yourself? That is why I believe that I must pronounce my independence from my Algebra II tutor, and receive the better grade that I desire and deserve.
Mark Weiner
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
Declaration of Independence from a Broken Relationship
Right now we have a low key relationship, that she does not know about yet. We are a really good couple, but we would be a lot better if she knew we were actually going out. It is not Facebook official, I like to think this is because the world will be too immature about our relationship. I of course am talking about Jamie Fink.
I would like to end this god forsaken relationship. I feel like I have shackles tied to my feet every time I am near her. She is like a puppeteer and I am her puppet, and she does not stop pulling the strings. She thinks I have like five arms, when I of course only have two. Whether its turning her papers in, giving her a pencil, giving her paper, or teaching her the lesson, she never seems to appreciate me. I am tired of this unappreciation, and it needs to stop. And this is why I need to break up with her and turn single.
I am officially declaring myself a single man. Jamie can no longer have control of me or our relationship. For now on, I can take any girl I want into the smush room and not have to think about Jamie. For now on I do not have to look back at that broken relationship.
Declaration of Independence from being a madrichem.
ReplyDeleteTHERE MUST BE A BREAK FROM THE TREACHERY THAT IS BEING A MADRICHEM! A madrichem is a student teacher at a temple. As a madrichem, normally, it should be my job to assist kids in learning Jewish values and to teach them Hebrew. Unfortunately, this is not what is happening. Therefore, I want to rid myself of being a madrichem. This year, there is an excess of madrichem. This has allowed the temple to do with the madrichem as they please. To my dislike, I have been stuck with the job of office manager. Basically, I sit in a chair and do my homework for two and a half hours. This is what I get community service for. I think that it is ethically right to earn your community service, but all I do is sit behind a desk doing my homework. My job is as useless as Noam Soffer is to our english class (sorry, I had to put that in there). I believe that any number of madrichem, even if too many, can be beneficial to a classroom. I have walked into classes that seemed like they were not getting anything done because there were not enough people looking after them. That is why I think that these kids could use my help in order to really enhance their Jewish education. Would you want your kid not learning about their own religion? I need to break from being a madrichem! If I were to get my way, I would go to a classroom that needs me the most, and really help these kids. I would make them really appreciate their religion.
Devin Borjas
ReplyDelete11-1-10
Soccer is an amazing sport. It is filled with good times, bad times, and amazing moments. It is probably one of my favorite things to do. Whether its kicking the ball around with my friends, or scoring a goal in a game, or practicing, soccer is just so much fun. Unfortunately, soccer made me roll my ankle last year. It also gave me a concussion to where I had to stay in bed for three days. These two injuries affected me majorly for my track season. Soccer is fun, but running is my life. Running is probably the most life changing thing I ever got into. Running is like breathing to me. I’m also very good at running. I hope to get a scholarship to run in collage. If I stay on the same running path that I am by senior year I should be able to get that scholarship. I really can’t afford to get injured in soccer again. Doesn’t it just make sense that I should not play soccer anymore? So even though I love the game, I feel like I have to leave. It is just not worth it. Although I love you soccer, my true love is running.
Josh Ehrlich
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Declaration of Independence from Sprint Service Provider
Dear Sprint Service Provider,
I have been a loyal and dedicated Sprint customer for about ten years now and have been generally satisfied with the cellular service. I have purchased numerous cell phones and have always paid for the most expensive, unlimited data plan to satisfy my unquenchable thirst for the newest technology and unending texting. Your customer service has been generally adequate and the lines in the stores have been quite short. However, I have made a sudden, yet rational decision that, I am afraid, you will not like.
I have been noticing a gradual decline in the quality of your devices and your customer service. To say that I am angered would be an understatement. You have continuously stressed on your website that, “Improving the customer experience has been a top priority for the past three years and we have made significant progress.” I find that claim laughable. When is my customer experience going to improve? If you ask me, my customer experience has been something so frustrating my comments would be too vulgar to print in this letter. I have had phones that break, malfunction, emit strange noises, and lose service upon taking a step in one direction or another. I have made enough regular trips to Sprint’s repair shop so that I’m on a first name basis with the staff. Alternatively, I keep hearing that AT&T is the fastest 4G network and they seem to be pitching a pretty good offer. I have tried to ignore these altercations with Sprint and to look at the cup as “half full,” but I think I need to throw this cup away now.
As is clearly stated above, I am discouraged by the overall consumer experience and have made a monumental decision. I, Josh George Ehrlich, being of sound mind and body, do hereby depart from the “service from hell” and take my money and enthusiasm for wireless product to AT&T. There I will encounter no dropped calls, unlimited text messaging and fast web browsing. It is safe to say that the only “sprint”ing I will be doing is to the closest AT&T store to buy my new phone. Goodbye and good riddance Sprint.
Tony Lin
ReplyDeletePeriod 6
Declaration of Independence from Junk Food
(Fictional)
For years, people are becoming obese from eating junk foods from various fast-food restaurants. They have promised to transform their menus to a healthier one but they have not taken any action for it. They advertise new foods and drinks to attract customer for their own profit instead of caring about the others. Study has shown that 50.8 percent of obesity is caused by eating fast foods. People are relying on fast foods now because first, the price for foods in the market are increasing; second, most people are business men which mean they tend to be in a rush thus rely heavily on fast-food restaurant for assistance in their meal without significant time for exercise to digest it. They are like a person who often grabs a can of soda out of the refrigerator without thinking. Do you want to lose those fats around your belly so you could look nice or do you want to stay obese for the rest of your life with health problems? I declare independence from unhealthy food that causes problems to the majority. If you want to be healthy, then stop eating these food and start making your own!
Mohamed Drame
ReplyDeletePeriod 6
Declaration of Independance from Video games.
I feel that it is time to apart myself from the Leisure of playing video games which has acted as a source of distraction towards my studies.It has put a downward slope on my academic graph which has made me feel as a failure towards my parents on not being able to acheive the academic purposes required by them for me. It renders me as an unfufilled child.It is not a beneficail source of a student's life and a average study says that 75% of male teens engage in playing of video games and 45% has had a slight effect or more on their academic peformance.Psychologist sat that deficts or delays in reading,writing and mathematics skills.It's been scientifically proven and not let the devil in disguise which is video games take refuge in our minds and take advantage on what is more important to us.It wants us to not pay attention to our tasks so let's endure this fight for academic perseverance and win the battle against Video games!Now whose with me
Melody Rabbani
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Declaration of Independence from School (Partly Fictional)
Many people say you need school and an education to get anywhere in life. Those people are liars. School is a complete waste of time, so I have decided that after about twelve long and painful years it is time for me to separate myself from it forever. Why should we spend eight hours a day, five days a week trapped in a building where they constantly force knowledge into our brains? Honestly, I am over it. There are other ways to succeed rather than going to school. Kids could be so much happier if they were not constantly stressed out and worried about school. It is a fact that people who are more stressed out in their lives are more susceptible to heart attacks. People could live long and fun lives if they did not have to go to school. School is not fun, not entertaining, and, most of the time, it is not interesting either. There are better ways I could spend my days. Without school I could spend more time shopping, exercising, or sleeping. Over the past few years as schoolwork had been piling up, I get less and less sleep. This is unhealthy and I will not have it anymore. So, you know what school? Goodbye forever. Try not to miss me too much.
Lindsey DeSanctis
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Declaration of Independence from a boy named Josh
Dear Josh,
The time we have spent to together has been more precious than gold, but I feel it is time to move on. You are tall and luscious with smoldering brown eyes, which makes this a particularly hard thing for me to do, but I feel I must. I have come to the conclusion that our relationship, (if you can even call it that), has to come to an end for several reasons. First, it displeases me that you are in a fraternity. I know I really can't give you a hard time about this considering we met at your frat party, but the whole idea of you submitting yourself to all kinds of hazing is very unattractive. Second, you drink way too much. At first it didn't bother me, but it is extremely difficult to get to know someone if they are never sober. Of course, I would be willing to let all of that go if I didn't have this final issue: the age difference. We happen to have a bit of an age difference, which I am perfectly fine with, but unfortunately you are unaware of it. Since we met at your fraternity you automatically assumed I was older than I actually am. Because you are so good looking I never corrected you. I know that the truth will eventually come out, and that when it does you will probably be very upset and will dump me. I don't think I could handle being dumped by someone as gorgeous as you, so I am going to put an end to this before anyone gets hurt. So Josh, (I would include your last name but I don't know what it is, which says something about our relationship right there), this is goodbye. I wish you luck with all your future endeavors.
Aaron Landecker
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Declaration from The Chess Team
Dear Cedric,
For the past four years we have had a great run, but it has become exceedingly difficult to play, the game I love so much, chess due to your tyrannical ways. Your new mandated uniform choices are the straw that broke my camels back. T-Pain put it best that “everytime I step up in the building everbody hands go up and they stay there and they say yeah”, that is how I feel when I step into each and every chess match nowadays. The problem is that their hands are staying up because of the new uniforms and not because of my amazing abilities to play chess. I feel that the new uniforms have taken the fans attention away from my stupendous ability to weave around a chess board like Elton John’s outfits take away from his magnificent musical ability. I am a man that wants to be remembered for his chess prowess not his scandalous attire. As you may know I participated in the 2010 Word Championship of Chess and of course I won, but directly after is where the problem occurred. As I was getting ready for my usual post-game interview the first question out of the reporter’s mouth was “do you think your outrageous get up had anything to do with your win tonight?”. At first I was offended by this comment but as I thought about it I recalled what my brother always says, that “haters gon hate” and “people are always looking to bring a brotha down”. I won because of my skill but to sell magazines I become the crazy dressing Latvian who mesmerizes his opponents into submission. Of course, anyone who follows chess knows I’m not even Latvian.
So please be informed that I will be breaking away from this lunacy effective immediately. I will no longer wear your mickey mouse club ears and your T-shirts that are two sizes too small with the likes of Justin Timberlake and Brittany Spears in compromising positions on the front. I will no longer be paraded around in your short shorts even-though I look good in them. From now on I will be an independent chess player tied down by no dictator and answer to no one except my mom and dad.
Love,
Aaron “The Latvian Prince” Landecker
Emma Shy-Sobol
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Declaration of Independence from 'sneezies' (iphone app)
You sparkle deceivingly. You make cute noises that draw me towards you and your unbearable charms. All I can do is think about my last score that you so horribly commanded me to receive. Then you make me start to believe in the fact that I can beat it as long as I try…over and over again. Devote all my time and energy to you. I trust you because you present to me statistics of what I have done and make me deem you as a genius. A genius that I seem to follow and trust 100%. You never leave me time to think and consider as you load so quickly and swiftly. I see you as reliable, yet, if I look deeper down, I realize you are a mechanism that tricks time. You are made to drain me of any spare moment I might have. Sneezies, you take away time that should be used in a more sufficient manner. I am enslaved to you. Doing your bidding. Checking repeatedly for updates that just make you more powerful. This is why we must part and go our separate ways. I cannot live like this anymore, my mind imprisoned inside a tiny screen. You abuse it, turning it to mush, poisoning its precious contents by imprinting your only goal into it. This goal being that I must never put the tiny screen that holds the gloriously addicting murderer of a game down. Now, independent from you, I will observe my surroundings more cautiously and make my own decisions where you will not be factored in. I will go on through life, into the vast unknown, knowing one thing: you and I are over. Sneezies, we are breaking up!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTorie Cooperman
ReplyDeletePeriod 6
Declaration of Independence from the Repeater
Every couple of weeks for five years I’ve been asked the same question, stuck in the same conversation like a repeating nightmare or a broken record. My uncle a divorcee quickly became involved with a new woman. At the beginning, the usual awkward family small talk occurred, but after multiple moments of her asking me about running, she started running out of questions herself. At first, the repeater seemed nice, always asking my sisters and I how we were doing and what was going on in our lives. However, as time went on, her questions didn’t. Each time we saw each other, she would always ask, “ So Torie, how is school? Are you still running?” I would be trapped into a conversation that I already had with her multiple times before. Once she started a conversation there was no way of getting out. I felt like a piece of gum stuck to a shoe, trying to escape, but unable to. I would be stuck for hours with her asking the same questions. After experiencing many of these conversations I came to the conclusion that what I needed to do to avoid these conversations would be to say hello and then quickly escape. This way, I would be polite, but avoid those conversations. All in all, the repeater is a nice person, but sometimes she doesn’t realize that it is okay to break away from her shell to ask questions out of her comfort zone. I feel bad in my evasion of the repeater, but I will not waste my time in discussions I have already partaken in.
Carly Passovoy
ReplyDeletePeriod 6
Declaration of Independence from my Blackberry (fictional)
For the past year and a half, I have owned the widely popular Blackberry Curve. Yes, A quality phone, but maybe too addicting for someone my age. All day I spend texting, talking, and web browsing. This is getting out of control! All my life, I have been dealing with social issues (thanks to your good friend, facebook) and you are making me even more anti-social! Sometimes I find my self texting someone who is sitting right across from me, or calling my mom to come into the room. In school, I am constantly texting my friends or playing your amazing game, brickbreaker. This is taking a toll on my grades, and I just can’t seem to stop! Every time I check aeries, I see an F on a quiz and think, "hmm, I think I was texting [insert name here] during these notes." This is not only I crying out in agony, it is also the other millions of teenagers suffering from their Blackberry addiction. So listen to this. As much as I am over-joyed every time I see the little red light that flashes with every text, I am saddened that your evil malicious plan is to fail all teenagers out of high school so all they have left to do is sit at home and text until their fingers come off. Well as of today, I am getting rid of this phone once and for all and hopefully balance will be restored to my life and finally look at some reality instead of a 2.4-inch screen. Well, goodbye crackberry, it was nice knowing you.
Elena Contis
ReplyDeletePeriod 6
Declaration of Independence of the "Calabasas Bubble"
BMW’s, True Religions, Iphones, designer this, money that, this is my independence of the stereotypical Calabasas High School student. Is all people see when they look at us no matter how different we may be is a bunch of trust fund kids? Well I am not that kid, the kid who parties all the time, the kid who drives around in my 100,000 dollar car, or even the kid who wears clothes just because they are the brand to be wearing. We are marked as those kids though, and enough is enough, my independence begins now. The people who peg us as “those” kids are looking in from the outside, and don’t know what Calabasas is really all about. From the outside sure maybe we do have kids that drive expensive cars, or go around with the new hottest thing on the market, but there are some of the most unique and talented kids walking among these halls. I bet many don’t know about a girl who just got a 2400 on her SAT, or the boys who is the first boys ever to be on dance team and are some of the best dancers I’ve ever seen, or the club who is getting clean water to other countries, or the girl living her dreams on the stages in NYC thanks to this place. No, that all gets wrapped away in the dark shadows of the “Calabasas Bubble.” I believe people have a right to see our school is not just a place we go just to waste six hours a day so we can go out to party in our mansions with our celebrity friends, but that we are some of the most matchless kids around. But it must begin with one, with me, with you, to show that yes maybe we have a big house, or a nice car, but we have plenty other things to show this world too. This is my independence to being more than the Calabasas High School kid, and to being a girl in high school that has the world at the palm of her hand and is ready to see what she can do with it.
Mia Sanitsky
ReplyDeletePeriod 6
Declaration of Independence from Glee
Dear Glee,
Over the past year, you have provided me with nothing but pure entertainment. Since September of 2009, I have suffered with an addiction to your show. Your emotional story lines, creative plots, exciting music, and talent always keep me wanting more. Your television show has inspired those who feel out of place to be proud of who they are, although they may feel rejected and ridiculed. In addition, your music has over 4.2 million downloads of songs featured in episodes. I congratulate you on all of your success, but what about your fans like me who have spent hours watching your show, spent a great deal of money buying your music, and spent endless amounts of time researching all things Glee? I blame you for my procrastination and sleep nights, as I would rather be watching your show then sleeping. It has become my disgusting, addictive drug. So, I hereby promise to remove myself from all things Glee.
Love Always (your #1 fan),
Mia
Toni Inglese
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
My Declaration of Independence Blog - True Life: I have a stalker
Presently, we are about 3,000 miles away. But, somehow you still managed to annoy me on a daily basis after I left. You called, you texted, you stalked, you e-mailed, you suffocated me in your world, from 3,000 miles away. Though it may make you sad, to say the least, it is time we went our separate ways. Just think of how I felt every day back East, trying to break this string you held onto me with oh-so tightly. For every time the tiniest of strands came loose, you stitched it right back up and lassoed me in again like a Venus Flytrap snatches its prey! I won't lie and say that you hurt me or were rude and that is why I'm doing this all, but you did bring this upon yourself. I can't be there to talk to you 24/7, especially with our hectic schedules and this recent three hour time difference added to the mix, but for some reason you cannot seem to grasp the reality of it all. Everything was all about you, and "us," and the things I did wrong. Now, it is my turn to prove to you and the rest of the world just how stressed you make me. Shall I post the frantic text messages asking whether or not I was at my phone when I didn't respond after the first five messages you sent me saying, "hey"? I don't know about you, but clearly it doesn't take an Albert Einstein to figure out that I either one, wasn't there, or two, was flat out ignoring you. Which, guilty is charged, I was ignoring you. Or, should I mention the numerous inboxes sent to my parents on Facebook asking about posts you saw on my wall and new relationship statuses that I had not yet informed them about? Let me, thank you, in advance for sharing the secrets that I had intended to be left untold. Just writing about these incidents makes my finger tips tingle with vast amounts of aggravation! I don't even know how just the mere thought of being put in such a situation could not get one upset, to tell you the truth.
After getting advice from friends, whom you did not meet the approval of, I feel that the logical thing for me to do would be to cut all ties between us. I've been told one too many times to "just tell him off already," so here it goes. Your number is being deleted, BBM request declined, Facebook friendship terminated, and last but not least... I now pronounce us over and done with!
Noam Soffer
ReplyDeletePeriod 6
Declaration of Independence from Jason Kass
As many of my friends, and now most of my english class know, I am not very fond of Jason Kass. In fact, many times he causes unnessecary stress in my life and therefore I have chosen to declare my independence in our friendship. I feel that it is reasonable for me to have these feelings towards Jason. Many times during class he will make jokes about me that I personally find very insensitive and hurtful towards my inner emotions. You dont see him getting any honorary student awards do you? I feel that this makes him unworthy of my time and friendship. He has been praised to long for his whitty remarks, but people need to start seeing him for the evil person he really is.Whenever I am with Jason Kass I always feel degraded, unworthy, and self-conscious. No one wants to feel that way do they? No one wants a freind like that do they? No one wants to be ridiculed all day long by him do they? Then why should I have to put up with it. Jason Kass is an unjust human being that likes to torture humans just like the little baby animals that are used to sample makeup products. He is a cruel tyrant that thinks he can get away with enything, but this stops now. From now on I will no longer be associated with Jason kass. He is a hazard to me as well as the rest of society. I conclude that we should have him removed from sixth period english effective immediately!
Jamie Fink
ReplyDeleteperiod 3
Declaration of Independence from Ellie
The saying "make new friends but keep the old" refers to those faithful friends who remain forever devoted, no matter what circumstances arise . But what if "the old" friend transforms into someone abominable? When I walk home from school, I pass by my neighbors house, and think about Ellie, the girl who was once my best friend. Ellie succumbed to a dark side which changed her personality and appearance. What was once my bright and cheery friend, seems to be a wilted flower. She has dark circles under her eyes and her clothes smell like musty old, dish rags. When I look into her eyes, I wonder what happened to the perfect, innocent girl that I was once knew and loved. All of the laughing and happiness we shared now seems distant and destroyed. A friend that was once so dear and close to me, is now a complete stranger. I sometimes watch her lighting up, the flame dancing in the wind and the ashes dropping like black snow. I think of the burning hate that builds inside of me, angry at the beast who has transformed my friend. I had to separate myself from Ellie. I didn't want to be seen as "one of them." The price to be cool would have been to do something unhealthy and endanger my life. Smoking causes about 440,000 American deaths per year, a statistic I don't want to be a part of. Ellie is now a dark cloud, which has dissipated into darkness, no longer a part of my life.
Alex Silver
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
Declaration of Independence from the Computer
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the emotional bands which have connected them to one another and to assume under the powers of earth, throughout the feat of man versus machine, and a decent respect to the intellect that is consistently hindered due to the reliant nature of computing, and as such, one people should find it in their remaining power to declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, these rights of which are being stripped daily directly due to the irrational use of computers in the daily life. It is imperative that, before a people is completely under the influence of the technology that is currently intoxicating our society as a whole. There are no positive uses for this technology, and if one declares such a positive, it is bound to ultimately lead to a negative alternative that not only weakens the being, but weakens our social interaction and intellegence.
The computers have taken all the information that we took hundreds upon thousands of years to gather, and abruptly, without prior concent, magnify the audience of which can be exposed to any material. The computers cause the stresses that become established as a result of such dependence on the subject matter. The computers put on the façade that they are here to help, but once their inherit your trust, they will drain you of your knowledge, making you reliant on it for your intellectual well-being. The computers, above all, represent an early failure in the development of technology; a failure in which the technology advanced beyond the expectations and control of the people, and as such, should be exterminated from our society for its depreciation of our state of being.
We, therefore, declare the unanimous decision of total independence from the computers, and will use these newfound freedoms to reestablish a completely failed society, regenerate societal bands, ensure domestic tranquility, recreate a social justice and trust, and above all, advance our society’s well-being in a forceful manner non-inclusive to the technologies that set us back.
Rap music is influencing me in the wrong ways. I am worried I am going to drop out of high school and become a pimp. Education is very important to me and I want to be the first in my family to graduate from high school. Unfortunately, rap has pressured me to sell drugs and hustle on the streets. Rap is also very convincing about the good life. It is going to be difficult to to keep up with my academics with all this inspiration of getting every woman in the world. Everyday I wake up I get reminded by Soulja Boy to “hop up out of bed and turn my swag on” or Notorious tells me to “buck witches, get money.” I am starting to buy a lot of materialistic objects and jewelry because of these motivational rappers such as Big Poppa and Kanye. Without rap in my life, I can focus on the more important things in life like family and friends. I will accomplish my goals of graduating high school and hopefully graduating college. In a world with no rap I will not need to worry about getting dough or hustling everyday. I need to stop listening to rap or else I will die on the streets alone.
ReplyDeleteDaniel Scheiner
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
Declaration of Independence from Society on Behalf of all People Tainted with Red Hair
(Dead Serious)
In today’s society, there is an increasing number of red heads, also derogatively referred to as gingers, that are being endlessly ridiculed for their curse. Gingers in the USA are known as the ugly stepchildren of America and are treated inhumanely. Now I understand that Lindsay Lohan deserves this treatment; however, her actions do not represent all of the red headed people across America. First of all, how can the USA call itself a country created on the principles of equality, when there’s a day devoted to the mutilation of gingers, where red heads around the nation have to endure kicking from classmates. Some of them, like me, were not only kicked, but also flipped and thrown to the ground (thank you Mark Weiner). You hear about alien’s rights, women’s rights, even gay rights, but you never hear about ginger’s rights. Where are my inalienable rights? Where is my prop 8 and a half? Well, starting today, things must change. I declare that all red heads be given the option to relocate to the island of Madagascar, where we can successfully rebuild a peaceful society free of mockery for a person’s hair color. As the great Martin Luther King Jr. once forgot to say, I have a dream, that one day, the reds and the whites will be able to sit together and socialize normally in the same barbershop. But until that happens, we red heads need flee the country in fear for our lives. Starting today, we, the red headed people, are endowed with certain unalienable Rights, including the Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of a Free Spray Tan without having to wait behind the cast of Jersey Shore. Long live freedom and the nation of the United Island of Madagascar.
Ethyn Samuels
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Declaration of Independence from History
I do not believe that history is an important part of formal education. In fact lots of history majors even say that history should not be taught until the college level. History is an extremely boring, dull, and irrelevant part of the normal student's curriculum. History should not be taught because people should focus on innovation instead of old mistakes. History is only a recount of what others have done and I am not trying to say that what others say should and will be forgettable, but I do not need to know who invented the plane. What I should learn is how to create a better version of the plane. But, I do not believe that history is not without merit. I think that under certain circumstances history can be a tool for learning how innovation can effect society and how a person can use previous ideas to create a new, better, idea. So, to recap what I have said: History should be taught, but on a voluntary basis. Innovation should be valued over the study of events that have past. And lastly, I would not like to take another history class in my life and I believe that I would be just as well off as any other student.
chianti
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My Declaration of Independence
Halloween was yesterday，but I lived in a hell house for 3 weeks before I came to CHS ！My life with my prior host family， was a nightmare.The current status is that I moved out and live with a new family in Calabasas now. Thank God!!! My health and safety were in danger during the time I lived in Van Nuys with my first host family.
I was always sad and nervous for many reasons. I can not imagine that my host mother would let eight people share one bathroom. All eight of us used the same toilet and the same shower! Sometimes the two boys used my personal sponge!! At night,I always waited until after 11 p.m to take a shower.Then,one day I found a maggot in my meal! I told my host mother，but she told me it was beef！The worst thing of all is when she let me walk to the store at night on a dark，empty road，and a bad man in a car chased me！
I emailed the drawing of my experience，running to escape the man chasing me at night，to my monitor.I needed to protect myself，like a mother protecting a baby，and get myself out of that house！I told my monitor what was happening and that she needed to take me away from my nightmare immediately！Now，I am in a safe，healthy home，and I am in a great school！
Dear Room,
ReplyDeleteAs much as I enjoy spending time with in you and making you the layout of everything I do, i think its time we took a break from each other. You always get so unbearably disorganized and messy and I just can't be around you when you have those off days of utter disaster. I need to start focusing on my studies and honestly you are such a distraction. There's clothes on the floor, miscellaneous objects in miscellaneous places, bags on your bed, dishes hiding behind things, its ridiculous Room. As depressing as this is for me to even have to bring up to you, after everything we've been through together, I truly believe its for the better of our relationship and my grades in school. Ever since you started being so carefree my grades have suffered and I've had headaches all the time. Do you want me to fail school and have to stay with you forever? Are you trying to make me leave? What did i do wrong to deserve such a stubborn room that doesn't like to clean itself? I think its time we try things on our own. I'll stay in the guest room for a little while and you stay where you are. I will be able to study, to focus, to talk on the phone, to smile without being distracted by any of your nonsense. Have fun without me
sincerely Kenya.
Kyle Owen
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Declaration of Independence from Stress
Dear Stress,
You and I have been together for quite a long time, but I think now is the time we go our separate ways. You have ruined days, weeks, and even months of my life. So, I have decided that I should live my life without you. You are an unnecessary burden on my back and you do no good for me. Why should we continue to be together when all you do is keep me from doing the things I want and need to do? You make me worry about things that don’t really matter in life. You have made me feel sad, angry and alone, but it is over! We are done! Now free from you, I am going to live my life freely and without worry. I am not going to let the little things in life bother me, and I am going to live life to the fullest. Now that you are gone, I feel like a thousand pound weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I ask you Stress, to never come back to me, because my life is much better without you. I am not going to ever let you consume a day of mine again. Stress, I am declaring my independence from you, and from now on, I am going to live my life stress free!