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As an example, here is one on the repeal of the Townshend Acts / Boston Tea Party , as written by an 11th grade US history student. This is getting out of hand. Only six years ago, the Townshend acts were passed. These acts were modest and reasonable, only charging mild import taxes, not direct taxes. However, the American colonists, as expected, were outraged. They yelled and screamed indignantly, boycotted these goods (most of which were still much cheaper than what we, the English people on the homeland pay for our tea, lead, and other such items. Therefore, as an unfortunate reaction to their violence, Parliament repealed the Acts. This was a huge mistake, my people. You see, as soon as we begin giving into the violence these people create, they are affirmed. To give in to childish and cowardly measures such as these does not relieve the anger and malice these people hold in their hearts, for they can just as easily find another reason to begin biting the hand that feeds them again. Giving in simply tells them they’re winning. It shows them that we are weak, and will succumb to their violence and disorder. Thankfully, in repealing the Acts, they kept the meager threepennny tax on tea. This was, we believe, both intelligent and harebrained. It well keeps a foot in the door, so to speak. It allows the Parliament to assert some sort of power over there, which they desperately do. However, it creates the new grievance. This became their new scapegoat for English resentment. It did not matter that their tea was still much less expensive than what we drink, at the same quality-- due to the monopoly deal with the poor East India Company, who needed something to keep them afloat. If you will remember back to my previous editorial about the tea tax, you should remember the most quotable bit. “Mark my words,” I said “in keeping this tax the Colonists will have a new scapegoat, and therefore resort again to the tactics they know best, crime. Sooner or later, there will be a violent attack on the tea, whether directly or indirectly.” Soon enough, my warning came to fruition in what has been called “The Boston tea party.” The poorly named ‘Sons of Liberty’ (or so we think) snuck onto three tea carrying ships in the harbor, and destroyed all the tea by throwing it into the harbor, crate by crate. This was childish, and downright disrespectful to the shipping companies. As Ben Franklin, the only one of them I believe to be sane, offered to do, the tea must be repaid, including damages. The British have finally done something right, closing the harbor until it is cleaned, and the tea repaid. |
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