RosecelaSemedo

Mrs.AHearn
APEuroHistory
23November2015
SalonProject:
Shouldmarijuanabelegalinsocietytoday?
Goodday,ladiesandgentlemen.Allowmetointroducemyself.IamKing
FrederickII,alsoknownasFredericktheGreat.Thealiasisnotjustassignedtoanyone;
tobenamedtheGreatyoumustbethegreatest.BeforeItellyouhowIamindeedoneof
thegreatest,letmeexplainmybackground.IwasborninBerlinonJanuary24,1712.My
parentswereFrederickWilliamIofPrussiaandPrincessSophiaDorothea.Bothmy
parentseducatedmeintwodistinctways:mymothertaughtmemanyofthetreasuresof
theEnlightenmentbutmyfatherpushedtohavemeeducatedinthepracticalmattersof
runninganddefendingastate.Asaresult,Iwasforcedintothearmy.WhenIwas18
yearsoldIattemptedtoescapefrommyfatherbutIwascaughtandimprisonedwhilemy
goodfriendKattewasbeheaded.Fromthatpoint,myfatherputmeingreatmilitary
positionsuntilIlearnedwhatitmeanttorunanarmy.Myfatherdiedin1740andI
ascendedthethrone.
AstheKingofPrussia,IdoubledthesizeofBrandenburgPrussia,vastly
increaseditswealth,madeitagreatcenteroflearning,andtransformeditintooneofthe
mostpotentmilitarypowersinEurope.ThefirstthingImadesuretorekindlewasmy
lovefortheEnlightenmentmovement.IheldfriendshipswithmanyEnlightenment
philosophersincludingVoltaire.Iwrotepoetry,composedmusic,wroteseveralpolitical
studies,andattemptedtoruleaccordingtoEnlightenmentprinciples.Iabolishedtorture
andgrantedreligioustoleration.HowevermymainagendawasmakingPrussiaagreat
Europeanpower.Toachievethis,Iinvestedheavilyinthearmy.Thepopulationunder
armsbecamemorethaninanyotherEuropeanstate.IdidntbelievetheHolyRoman
EmperorofAustriahadsupremeauthorityoverallotherGermanrulers.Somyforeign
policywasconqueringlandsandassertingpoweroverthem.Mymajorsuccesswas
annexingSilesiafromAustria.Aswellas,takingWestPrussiaupto,butnotincluding,

theportofDanzig(Gdansk),whichjoinedEastPrussiatoBrandenburg.
Nowthatyouknowaboutmybackground,Illstatemypositiononthemattersof
legalizationofmarijuana.Isaylegalizemarijuanaforthegeneralpublicbutkeepit
restrictedformilitarymen.Thegeneralpubliccanuseittoobtainenlightenment,
somethingthatthemodernagedefinitelyneeds.However,militarymendonotneedit
becausetheirjobistosimplyfollowthecommandsofagreatruler,notquestionitor
seekanalternative.WhenIusetheterminologyenlightenmentImeanpeoplethinkingfor
themselvestofindanswers.Asaresult,thisleadstonewtheoriesandideas.Marijuana
allowsyoutodoso.Itputsyouinastateofheightenedselfawarenessandself
examination.Thisspiritualenlightenmentwillallowyoutothinkforyourselfandseethe
universeinyourownway,whichmaybringaboutnewtheoriesandideas.Iftherewere
marijuanainmytime,IwouldhavemostlikelysmokeditbeforeIbecameKing.I
wouldnthaveletmyfatherhavesuchatightgriponwhatIwaslearninggrowingup.I
wouldnthaveeasilygivenuponEnlightenmentliteratureandphilosophy.
Asformilitarymen,understandwhytheyshouldnotbeallowedtouseit.Asa
greatmilitaryleaderinmytimeIknowwhatittakestorunanefficientmilitary.Behind
everygreatarmyisobedience.Aslongasthecommanderknowswhathesdoingandhis
menobeyhimatalltimes,thentheresnoproblem.TheJunkers,mymilitarymen,
comprisedoftheimpoverishedlandednobility.Sinceserviceinthearmywastheironly
avenuetowealthandcareersuccess,theygavetheirunswervingallegiancetothestate.
Imagineiftheyhadmarijuanaattheirdisposal.Theywouldquestiontheircommanders
andeventhestate.Somemayresorttofollowingtheirownagendas,ruiningwhatever
planthecommandermayhavehad.Marijuanawouldbetherootofdestructioninthe
army.
Manycouldarguethatmilitarycommandersandleaderscouldsmokemarijuana
andbecomeevenbetterleaders.But,ifsomethingisworkingadequately,leaveitalone.
OrwhatIoverheardpeopleinthisdayofagesaying,Ifaintbroke,dontfixit.Iama
greatexampleofhowallyouneedisgreatmilitarytrainingandastrongsupporter.Even
thoughmydadandIhaddiscrepancies,hepushedmeandsupportedmeontherightroad
tomilitarism.IwasexiledtoseveralcitiesinBrandenburgandgiventhetaskof

administeringthemastrainingformyeventualassumptionofdutiesasruler.Soifits
clearthatgreattrainingcanmakeanymanagreatmilitaryleader,whymustwegoand
experimentwithsomethingthatalreadyworks.ThiscanleadtoagreatdownfallandIam
onlytryingtoavoidthat.