The Wordy Shipmates Page 1-72

Author Sarah Vowell opens her book by stating that a belief is more dangerous than an idea, (and ideas are bulletproof). SinceVowell goes into detail and gives many examples of why this is, I find it hard to disagree with this statement, but also find it difficult to fully agree with. Beliefs and Ideas can also generate one another, making it hard to think one is more dangerous than the other. A belief just seems too similar to an idea to be considered more dangerous.

Some might argue that followers of a certain belief are attached to it, where ideas can be altered in many ways. This is not fully true, as it is possible to abandon one's beliefs. To some, it would be as easy as forgetting an idea.

Vowell (somewhat sarcastically) describes John Cotton views on the immigration that was occuring. His reference of bees having to eventually leave their hive could still be used to describe immigration in the modern world. Without a doubt, immigration has transformed. Back then, the crazy Europeans would risk their lives traveling the sea, only to arrive in a land of no familiar colonization. Today, people in already settled areas, like the Mexicans, come to America due to poverty and whatnot.

Constantly, Vowell is making references to things that the average American can understand or relate to. A bit unusual, but the the blend of comedy and history work surprisingly well. She says, "as a child I learned almost everything I knew about American history...from watching television situation comedies." (P. 17) She references The Brady Bunch, The Simpsons, and Happy Days, only to bring us to her opinion that "Maybe the people who founded this country were kind of crazy." (P. 19)

Equality, or lack of it, plays a big role when discussing John Winthrop's "A Model of Christian Charity," and "The Declaration of Independence." As mentioned in the previous blog, Winthrop makes it clear that God created men unequal, "some must be rich, some poor, some high..." (P. 37) This is only contradicted over a century later in the Declaration of Independence, where we state "all men are created equal." (P.37) Vowell even describes Winthrop's speech as a declaration of dependence.

The expression a city up a hill is continued to be a topic of mention. Vowell seems obligated to mention Ronald Reagan, as he took advantage of the saying in his politcal career. He made it so well known, "Winthrop's city on a hill became the national metaphor,"in the 1980s. (P. 59) Odd how much the nation seemed to love the slogan that initially came around before we were even a nation, back in 1630.