Biographical paragraph describing the author.
Helen Keller was an American educator, a leader, and a political radar. She was born on June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama. When she was 19 months old due to an episode of illness, she lost her eyesight and hearing. Just as she turned six, her parents hired a tutor, Anne Sullivan who guided her and taught her that every object has names and trained her to use her fingers to spell them. And once she recognized the components of language, in due course she learned to communicate from out of sign language to understanding letters, to studying and writing in Braille. With Sullivan’s assistance, Helen Keller sought a formal education at the Horace Mann School for Deaf in Boston. Then in 1904, she became the first deaf and blind to receive a degree in Bachelor of Arts. Keller was an advocate for the poor, the people with disabilities and the rights of women. She also published several books throughout her lifetime and many articles that confronted people to view the disabled in a new light. She was a founder of the American Civil Liberties Union and also worked with many organizations for the deaf and blind. She received many awards for her work including an honorary Doctoral Degree from Harvard and the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Johnson. Besides her contribution to the handicapped, she also believed in social justice supporting the social change and thus became a significant part of social revolutions during the first world war.
Historical context of the document
The political system was rapidly changing with the growing economic power in the United States. The revolving capitalist society had concerning social problems. The companies and factories focused on keeping the cost down and gaining high profits by keeping the wages low with long hours. The majority of these low wage workers were immigrants who dominated unskilled labor. Even young children were laborers in mines and factories for wages. The workers were not getting rights and protection. While on the other hand, there was an ongoing world war and the US involvement in the war was neutral. The government was preparing for the possible attempts on invasion and was trying to persuade the workers into the war. But, Helen Keller was against this war preparedness and the economic system. She was responding to the possible break out of the war in America and how the government was trying to involve these workers for their own purpose. Keller mentioned that the reasons for the war are to protect its investments in foreign provinces and for its own benefits rather than fending its people. She was encouraging the workers not to join the army and produce bombs and weapons as it would destroy the peace and promote the riot. She appealed people to strike against war, the war preparedness, the manufacturing corporations which would only bring the destruction in the country ripping it apart without achieving anything.
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“You do not need to make a great noise about it. With the silence and dignity of creators you can end wars and the system of selfishness and exploitation that causes wars”.
This quote has its importance because it addresses the fact that the workers were exploited with unfair pay, long working hours and an unsecured future. And it also mentions that despite fighting for rights through violence, people should fight with serenity against the war. The quote carries its importance to me as it speaks the truth about the selfishness of the capitalist industry making profits by dominating and manipulating the workers. Moreover, I do agree that wars and violence can be avoided by taking the actions in silence and this quotation also implies what the author is trying to express to the audience.
“This terrible sacrifice would be comprehensible if the things you die for and call country fed, clothed, housed and warmed you, educated and cherished your children”.
Through this quotation, Helen Keller depicts that involving the workers who were not paid fairly and were deprived of their rights, in the war for the sake of benefitting the capitalism and protecting the foreign investments is obscure. But here the workers are the ones risking their lives and dying for the country’s honor; the same country which coerced them of their own rights and liberty. However, it would be understandable if they were properly fed with their future secured and reliable. This quote stands out to me as it is obvious that when you provide something for the people then you can expect something in return but the quotation expresses the subtle truth about how insensible the government is and to what extent it can go to compel those workers who were never recognized and applauded for their arduous work.
“Be not dumb, obedient slaves in an army of destruction. Be heroes in an army of construction’.
This quote is significant and powerful as it illustrates the main notion of anti-war. It expresses how the people supported the war efforts; the war which is only bringing death and suffering to the country. So, the author’s guide to starting a revolution without the violence and destructive war is to be arrogant and dumb. It shows me that the quote carries the influencing message to all the workers being obedient and joining the war preparedness to hold back and not be a part of the destruction. I feel that this would be the most prominent action for standing against the war.
The importance for today’s world
I feel that this document is relevant to some extent to today’s world as even today many American workers are working long hours with less pay. The vast numbers of low wage workers are immigrants who are not credited for their hard work and aided with any means but they still contribute towards strengthening the American economic power. The fact that Americans are working in a low paying job but aren’t earning enough to attain stable financial foundations. Despite the work effort these workers put, there’s still a biased treatment towards them. The unfair pay and hours and on top of that serving the high-interest rates for the government have left them tuckered out with so little money and yet they are not even recognized for their efforts. For instance, we can see how the ongoing crisis due to the Covid19 pandemic has impacted the general population in America. But the majority of the people working are the same immigrants, farmers, and all other low wage workers while every American is quarantined at home. This reflects how significant are these low paid workers in the economic growth of the country and how is it still pertinent in today’s society.
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