ClaraSimpson English10HON.0Period 24October2013 TheEndofTyrannyAPersuasiveSpeech TyrannyofPlace TheEarthisanunbalancedplanetwhereinequalityiseverpresent,andwheretheoldest formoftyrannyreignsthetyrannyofplace.Whatareyoutalkingabout?Youmaybe wondering.Iamonlytalkingabouthowthewayyourlifewillplayoutispractically predeterminedthemomentyouareborn,whetheryoulikeitornot(1). Sad,yettrue.Ifyourebornintoawealthylandowningfamily,youareguaranteedto becomesuccessfulandliveafulfillinglife.Ontheotherhand,ifyouareborninsideofa dilapidatedshantyintheheartoftheslumsofZimbabwe,youareprobablynotgoingto becomethenextCEOofMicrosoft.Inreality,youarebornintopoverty,youliveinpoverty, andyoudieinpoverty.

Therearesomesuccessstories,usuallyofayoung,ambitious individualborninundesirableconditions,thatwithdeterminationmanagestogo,from ragstoriches(9)andbecomesuccessfulorfamous,buttheyareextremelyrare. Thetyrannyofplacedatesbacksincemancreatedorganizedsocieties.Letstakefor example16thcenturyFrance.Arigid,tyrannoussocietalstructurehadbeenestablished. Theking,chosenbyGod,ruledoverthepeasants.Ifyouwerebornapeasant,youhadno choiceinwhatyouhadtodoyourlifespurposewastowork,payexorbitanttaxes,and die.Ifyouwerebornarichnoble,youwouldenjoyaluxuriouslife,belavishedwithmoney, eattoyourheartscontent,andothersimilaractivitiesfornootherreasonthanbeingborn

anoble. Placeexercisesitstyrannyinotherformsaswell.Usually,oneschoicesarecompletely definedbylocalculture.Growingupinanisolatedfarmorremotevillagelimitsapersons accesstotheworldsseaofopportunitiesandexperiences(2). Thereneedstobeachange.Societiesneedtohomogenizethemselves,andmakethe sameopportunitiesavailableforeveryone,regardlessofsocialposition.Butdoingso wouldrequiretherestructuringofentiresocietiesandgovernmentsystems.Thereforethere areonlytwooptionseitheryouchangeyoursociety,oryouleaveyoursociety(8).Itisour moralobligationtohelptheonesthatdonothavethesameopportunitiesasus.Thankfully, somepeoplehavedoneexactlythat. Severalwealthy,corporationowningpeoplehavetakentheinitiativetoaidtheless fortunatebycreatinghumanitarianfoundationsduetotheirinfluenceMicrosoftCEOBill GatesandhiswifefoundedtheBillandMelindaGatesFoundation,whosemottoisthat theyseeequalvalueinalllives,andwhosepurposeistoimprovethequalityoflifefor individualsaroundtheworld.AnotherexampleisformerpresidentJimmyCarter,who foundedHabitatforHumanity,anassociationwhichprovideshousingforpeoplearound theworld.Itisthrougheffortandthroughperseverance(7)thatchangeismade.Weshould worktowardsthesamegoals.InthewordsofBritisheconomistAdamSmithNosociety cansurelybeflourishingandhappy,ofwhichthefargreaterpartofthemembersarepoor andmiserable..

Butnoteveryoneagrees(5).Onthecontrary,somepeoplethinkthatifyouarepoor,itis

entirelyyourfault.OneadvocateofthismentalityisthepoliticianMittRomney,describingin aninterviewnearlyhalfofUScitizens(47%)aspeoplewhowonttakeresponsibilityfor themselvesorwhoaredependentongovernment,whobelievetheyarevictims,who believethegovernmenthasaresponsibilitytocareforthem,whobelievethattheyare entitledtohealthcare,tofood,tohousing,toyounameit(4).Althoughthismaybethe caseforsomepeople,formost,itisnt.Romneyisblamingpeoplethatdonothavehigh income.Thisisaslogicalasblamingsomeonewhoispoororoldforbeingpoororold, furtherdemonstratingthetyrannyofplaceinthatnomatterhowhardyouwork,ifyouarein apositiondeemedunrespectable,peoplewilldemonizeyou.Unfair,butextremely commonandhardlyjustifiable(10). Itdoesntmatterhowmuch,butaslongaswemakeaneffortinhelpingothers,whetherit bethroughcharityorfundraising,wearetakingastepinimprovingsomeoneslifethat mightbejustenoughofanimprovementtomakeadrasticdifference(3). Dontletsomethingastrivialasplacegovernhowsomeoneslifewillturnout(6). Thankyou.

(1)DirectAddress (2)Metaphor (3)Alliteration (4)Allusion (5)Ashortsentenceafterseverallongerones (6)Imperativesentence (7)ParallelStructure (8)Chiasmus (9)Antithesis (10)Adjectiveopener+antithesis