THE AMERICAN DREAM KEY EXPRESSIONS INDIVIDUALISM you are

THE AMERICAN DREAM – KEY EXPRESSIONS

INDIVIDUALISM • - you are responsible for your own fate • self-reliance and responsibility • - scepticism about any kind of restriction or interference by the state or church • Problems: • - free enterprise (e. g. no minimum wage) • - welfare programs or legislature nearly impossible to set up

THE PURITANS SOCAL AND RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT INFLUENCE ON AMERICAN CIVIL RELIGION • Came to America in the 17 th century • Virtue • Wanted to cleanse ( clean) the Church, to ``purify“ it again living according the bible • Education • Strict moral principles: piousness (Gottesfürchtigkeit), rejection of any kind of amusement or entertainment • Integrity • Work • Individual freedom • Communitarianism (stressing the responsibility of the individual for the community)

MANIFEST DESTINY • Term first used by John L. O´Sullivan • Idea: it is America´s mission to democratize the world • America´s fate: to manifest to mankind its own (democratic) principles • Consequences of this belief: • justify territorial expansion (into Texas, California, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Arizona) • justify imperialism (in Latin America) • role as global mediator in political conflicts also grew out of this idea

UNCLE SAM • nickname for the American government • First employed during the war against England in 1812 • Later on used to recruit volunteers during World War I and World War II

ELLIS ISLAND • Place: Upper New York Bay close to Manhattan • Was the headquarters of the US immigration authority between 1892 to 1954 • Almost 20 million people entered the US through Ellis Island • In 1990, Ellis Island was reopened now a museum

INDEPENDENC E DAY • Fourth of July • Declaration of Independence was passed and adopted on July 4, 1776 • Day now commemorated ( with celebration including fireworks / parades across the US • Important holiday

NEW CANAAN • ``Canaan“ : term of the Old Testament • Refers to the land west of the river Jordan that later became Palestine • Also known was the promised land • The country to which Moses led his people when Gold told him to free them from Egyptian slavery • People fleeing to America from religious persecution referred to America as ``New Canaan“

FRONTIER • Originally: referring to the line of settlement of civilazation moving westward on the American continent • Concept of the frontier : related to the American idea of manifest destiny and explains the Americans´need for ``frontiers“ • Myth of the frontier is kept alive in American culture (literature, the western…) as well as in political speeches

IMMIG RATIO N AND MO BILI TY

IMMIGRATION AND MOBILITY

IMMIGRATION AND MOBILITY

IMMIGRATION AND MOBILITY

AN IMMIGRANT´S LONG JOURNEY • 1. Listen to the interview with Armando and underline words which you do not understand.

AN IMMIGRANT´S LONG JOURNEY Listen to the rest of the interview. Add to your notes from question 1, considering these aspects: - crossing the border - problems of (illegal) immigrants - the political debate on immigration.

WHY ARE PEOPLE AFRAID OF MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS COMING TO THE US?

CAN YOU THINK OF OTHER CHALLANGES / PROBLEMS IN AMERICA?

GUN POSSESSION – THE SECOND AMENDMENT • The second ammendment (additional article to the US Constitution): • Voc. Help: • Militia: Miliz / Bürgerwehr • To bear arms: Waffen führen • Infringed: verletzt • ``A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. “ • Do you consider this an essential civil right for a modern nation?

TOGETHER WITH A PARTNER, ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS WITH THE HELP OF THE TEXT • 1. Which reasons does the author name for mass shootings in the USA? (4 reasons) • II. Which numbers are given concerning murders and suicide each year? What is said about the difference between the US and other countries? • III. How can you get a weapon in the US? • IV. Which organization influences the federal law concerning guns? • V. How is the ``frontier spirit“ connected to the gun question?

WHICH REASONS DOES THE AUTHOR NAME FOR MASS SHOOTINGS IN THE USA? (4 REASONS)

WHICH REASONS DOES THE AUTHOR NAME FOR MASS SHOOTINGS IN THE USA? (4 REASONS) • - easy access to firearms (l. 7) • - Hollywood and its influence with violent movies and video games in general (ll. 8 -9) • A lot of antidepressant prescriptions (instead of therapy) • Peculiar alienatoin of new white suburbs • (Warp-effect of the media)

WHICH NUMBERS ARE GIVEN CONCERNING MURDERS AND SUICIDE EACH YEAR? WHAT IS SAID ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE US AND OTHER COUNTRIES?

WHICH NUMBERS ARE GIVEN CONCERNING MURDERS AND SUICIDE EACH YEAR? WHAT IS SAID ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE US AND OTHER COUNTRIES? • 17000 murders a year about 15 000 are committed with firearms (ll. 16 -17) • Contrast to other countries: Britain, Australia, Canada combined see fewer thatn 350 gun-related murders each year (ll. 17 -18) • Non-gun-related suicide rate in the US is consistent with the rest of the developed world (ll. 19 -20) • Gun-related suicide rate in the US: twice as high as in the rest of the developed world (ll. 20 -21) • An American youth is murdered with a firearm every four and a half hours on average (ll. 22 -23)

HOW CAN YOU GET A WEAPON IN THE US?

HOW CAN YOU GET A WEAPON IN THE US? • In gun shops and with the help of dealers mandatory background check necessary (ll. 30 f. ) • BUT: dealers at gun shows do not have to run a background check (ll. 33 f. )

WHICH ORGANIZATION INFLUENCES THE FEDERAL LAW CONCERNING GUNS?

WHICH ORGANIZATION INFLUENCES THE FEDERAL LAW CONCERNING GUNS? • National Rifle Association (NRA) • powerful gun-ownership lobby group

NRA

NRA • After several mass shootings in school, the NRA urged to arm teachers in school.

HOW IS THE ``FRONTIER SPIRIT“ CONNECTED TO THE GUN QUESTION?

HOW IS THE ``FRONTIER SPIRIT“ CONNECTED TO THE GUN QUESTION? • Frontier spirit is an important part of the American way of life • Means that the boarder has to be defended but at the same time the American frontier spirit is connected to the image of the outlaw (Gesetzloser) • image of adventure, self-defense • This image has influenced gangsters and crime in the US

DESCRIBE AND COMMENT ON THE PICTURE

PAUL: MY FAMILY HAD GUNS THE WHOLE TIME I WAS A KID. . I’M A SELF RELIANT KIND OF GUY. AND THERE COULD COME A TIME WHEN I NEED TO PROTECT MY FAMILY AND I’M A SELF RELIANT KIND OF GUY.

Joe: The first time I was introduced to guns was when I was 5 years old; hunting with my dad, grandfather and uncle. I remember my dad shooting a ringneck pheasant and a rabbit. I carried those two animals until I thought my arms were going to fall off. As a little guy, that made a great impression on me. I’ve hunted all of my life; (…) I have a tremendous respect for life, especially wildlife. It never ceases to amaze me how much satisfaction I get from just simply being in the Great Outdoors, whether I make a kill or not.

BASHIR: I JUST THINK IT’S A GOOD THING TO HAVE

HOMEWORK • Prepare an analysis (notes!) of the cartoon!

STEP 1: INTRODUCTIO N

STEP 1: INTRODUCTIO N • Cartoon was drawn by a person named ``INKCINCT“ in April 2017 and published on the website inkcinct. com • It deals with the topic ``gun control in America“ (as already the title of the cartoon shows)

STEP 2: DECRIPTION

STEP 3: ANALYSIS

STEP 3: ANALYSIS • Title: hints at the general topic of the cartoon • The man who is buying the gun represents the typical American does not ask much about the possible dangers of weapons • The salesman and his explanation of the firearm represents the American gun control in general: it seems easy to buy a weapon if only you have enough money, no high safety standards or background checks

STEP 3: ANALYSIS • Weapons in the background: show high amount and variety of weapons • Shopwindow: underlines the message that buying weapons is a normal thing in America, you can go to the shop like you would go shopping for clothes • Humour lies in the discrepancy (contrast) between the headline and the man´s speechbubble which symbolizes how easy it is to buy guns in the US

STEP 4: EVALUATION • Helpful formulations and the four steps of the cartoon analysis: p. 251 -252 in your English book!

STEP 4: EVALUATION • In my opinion, the cartoonist successfully presents his criticism against the gun control laws in America. • He effectively shows how easy it is to buy a gun in America, although he makes use of exaggeration because the cartoon does not show that salesmen have to run a background check before they are allowed to sell guns.