the Patriot (I) Values and Rights

What traditional values of America culture do you think where depicted in movie so far? Why?

What American Bill of Rights do you think where depicted in movie so far? Why?

Give examples

Individual Freedom--- the cause of the war is the exploitation and oppression of the intruder England. American fights for their freedom.
Equality of opportunity---when recruit the soldiers for the war, everyone can go and sign their names.
Self-reliance—Martin and his followers did not wait for the help of French soldiers. They fought by themselves.

Speech freedom---when vote for the war, people can choose a representative to stand for them and the representative can make a speech freely.
Keep and bear arms—Benjamin Martin had their guns and used them to protect himself and his family.
Provisions concerning Prosecution—American stood up and fought for their rights. They opposed the taxation levied by the British.

I think the first traditional American value that we can see from the movie is that everyone is created equal. The example is that there are a certain number of black people on Benjamin's farm. They strongly believe that they are freemen and they should have equal rights just as the white men have, which laid a foundation of the equalism in American culture. Second, it's hard working. For instance, Benjamin's eldest son insist on depending on his own and not on his father who has been a hero already.So, he started his army life with doing everything he could and has gained lots of experience. Then he becomes a caporal under the command of his father. He wins his own position step by step with his own efforts.

Second,let's come to the American Bill of Rights.So far in this movie, I can see the following rights. First, it's that everyone has eqaul rights as others do. They have same right to enjoy life, to fight for their future. In this movie, the blacks are deprived of the right of equality. They want to be freemen, but the reality is very cruel and quite to the contrary. Second, it's that every has the right of freedom. In this movie, we can see that the people of US at that time were under the control of the Englishmen. However, they bravely fought for their freedom and their country to stand as a free nation. So that every citizen can pursue their own freedom and enjoy their free rights.

Individual freedom:
Example 1: the American strike for freedom by fighting against the British Army.
Example 2: when Gabriel chose to enlist the army, though his father didn’t want him to go, he was still free to disobey his father and did what he wanted.
The right to vote is also epicted in the movie. For instance, the people in town have the right to vote for or against the war.

For the first question, I think, first, Individual freedom was depicted in the movie. For example, when Benjamin Martin refused to participate in the war, his son insisted on himself to serve in the army. The father didn't want him to go, but he didn't interfere with his son's choice. Then, the value — self-reliance was also demostrated in the movie. For instance, at the beginning of the film, Gabriel and his brother showed their eagerness to serve in the army. They wanted to be a real man and to rely on themselves.

For the second question: the citizen has the right to owe army. For example, in the bar where Benjamin went to find his soldiers, almost everyone there posessed a gun or a pistol.

American people require equality in their life. In this film, the black people in Benjamin's farm states they are freemen and they have the equal rights with the white people. And the people in the church and the people at bar are equal in fighting against the Redcoats for themselves.

For the American values,
Individual freedom- the American people wanted to fight against the British Army, and gained their own freedom and everyone had their own right to support or oppose the war.
Equality of Opportunity- Everybody has equal chance to go to the army to fight against the British Army.
Self-reliance-Many American people didn't want to rely on the French Army and they wanted to use their own force to gain their freedom.
For the Bills of Rights,
Freedom of speech-Before the war, someone often gave the speech about the war for propaganda.
Right to keep and bear guns- When Martin found the people in the bar, almost all the people there kept guns.

1.Individual Freedom--- The English men intruded into the new founded country --America. They try to use violence to opppress the people in this wonderful land. It trigger the war. Americans fight for their freedom.
2.Self-reliance—They did not wait for the help of French soldiers. They fought by themselves.
3.Equality of opportunity---People enjoys equal right when recruit the soldiers for the war. Everyone can go and sign their names.

I think the most impressive value of American culture revealed by the patriots now is Americans value the family relation very much. Family always plays a very big role in people’s life. Martin needs to shoulder his responsibility as a father of seven children. He should take many things into consideration so he won’t behave as impulsive as he did in his youth. His family is always the priority concern, which will make him keep away from war and also make he joined the war later. For example, he didn’t cast a vote on the war. He didn’t enroll the army at first. But after his second son died, and when his first son insisted on returning to the army, he joined the army out of love and care for his son.

As for the bill of rights, the three principles---freedom, equality and the pursuit of happiness were depicted more or less in the movie.
The desire for freedom of the black men left me a deep impression. Especially when the Negro heard the announcement concerned about the conditions under which he can gain his freedom, he seemingly looks at a ray of hope in life. In addition ,Americans have rights to vote for or against war, they also have the freedom to carry arms with which they can protect themselves.
finally ,the eldest son 's pursuit for his loved girl shows clearly people can pursue their happiness freely.

individual freedom :examples:1. the workers in Benjamin Martin's house said that they are free to work. 2. Everyone can join martin to fight against the British no matter what background they have.

the freedom to carry weapons. from the movie, we can see that martin's sons are all good at shooting and in their home there are several guns.

Question 1:
Family------Benjamin loves his family much. He devotes his wholeheart for his children. No matter what choices he made, children are at the primary place to consider.He votes against the war for protecting his children from blooding. He exerts himself to arm his children grow up in a peaceful air. And also he instructs them with wisdom and fighting skills.
Equal right-------Everyone has his right to voice himself. We can see this from the court voting for war. whether you approve it or not, it depends on you. No one forces you to accept what you dislike even the black . They have the right to strive for themselves.

Question 2:
In the permission of law, they have the right to bear weapons. They have the right to use guns to protect themselves. All the weapons Benjamin hold is the best illustration to this point.
Everyone has the right to work freely. And also they have the equal right to join the army. Since you work hard, you have the opportunity to be promoted just like Benjamin's elder son in the film.

For the first question, my answer is self-reliance. When the war breaks out, they recruit militia by themselves. Even though the French have promised to assist, they do not just depend on the outer force. Another example is about Martin. After his second son is shooted by the officer and his elder son is arrested, he does not ask others for help or cry over these successional events but use his wisdom to rescue his elder son successfully.
For the second one, I think it depicits the right to keep and bear arms. Martin has so many guns at home and he can use them freely. And the children can use guns, too.

first is individual freedom,in the movie everyone believe they are fight for american's freedom, their home's safe ,and their personal freedom. not like china, we always believe we are fighting for our country.second is equality, in the movie the soldiers came from the church or the bar are equality, the white or the black are equality. third is self-reliance, people respect each other, like the father didn't agree with the son's idea, he cannot let his son give up, but to help him.
the american bill of rights depicted in the movie is so far, because most people know it is only a picture, can not realize.

By now i think the most impressive value is that everyone was born equel. In the movie, although Benjamin was a owner of the plantation, he was kind to his servants. they felt they were not slave and they were willing to serve their owner. Unlike the traditional slave, they actually enjoyed much freedom and equality. They lived harmoniously with the family. so when the house were burnt, they tried to protect the children. The slaves were loyal and amiable, diverging from the regulation. Furthermore, when benjamin was collecting new soldiers, he accepted the black man. Not every white man was discriminating against slave, some of them could stand in the black's shoes and struggled for the same goal. These broke the gap between the white and the black. It at least revealed a note of equality and it was a hopeful change in the struggle against race discrimination.

If we want to get something, there must be something to lose. There is always a price to be paid. In the course of seeking freedom, wars are playing a vital role. Thousands of hundreds of people sacrifice their happy life for it. It is the heavy price that makes people more cherish the victory. Probably this accounts for why freedom is the integral part of American Values.

In this movie , the most important American value I can feel is the desire for freedom and equality. The story happened before the independence of the US, but the value of this nation had come into being. Their seeking for freedom and equality gave the people the motivation to fight for their own lives. That is also the values brings the happy lives to them .

I regard freedom as the first one. The new country which located on the new land needed its people fight for their freedom and guard it. A tragic war was inescapable but they really fought like warriors.
And the second should be "Everyone is equal". Without considering about race or profession, they regarded each other as equal.
The third one is independence,I think. French men told them they would come but they did not rely on that.

The first is family. In my mind, Americans are inclined to live together as a big family (not in the modern society). They have big family tree, living together happily. As a father of seven children, Martin should shoulder the responsibility to protect his kids from any harm. That’s why he behaved like a coward at the very beginning. All out of love.
The next are individual freedom and human rights. They all had the rights to choose whether they would fight or not, to speak out what they think about the war without any punishment, and to protect themselves against invasion, free from the oppression.
And the equality. Whoever the man was, a priest, a jerk, or a slave, he had the chance to choose for himself, to sign their name and fight.

As for the Bill of Rights
First, every man is created equal. When Martin found the wound in the battle field, he took them home to dress their wound, no matter who they were and which side they fought for.
Second, every man can bear weapons. When Martin came to the bar and shouted “God bless King George”, every man there took out a gun or pistol or knife or something.
The third one is freedom. That was what they fought for. English troops damaged all that they had. Now they endeavor to regain them, especially their freedom.

I think freedom is an important value for every american, everyone is born equal. In this movie I see a kind of fight for freedom and for family. The father did every thing to save his son and family, also for his country .

Equality of opportunity
In America, people are entitled with equal opportunity in any competition and other civil affairs. In the film we can see that in the War of Independence, any American citizens, if they would like to do, they can take part in it. In the enlisting for the war, no matter the priest, the gangs or the slaves, they can fight for the independence and glory of their own nation. It embodies the origin of equality.
Hardworking
Americans are noted for their hardworking. They are down-to-earth people who gain success by their own effort. In the film, the main character----Benjamin Martin is sort of slave owner. But he works with the slaves and makes furniture by himself.

Well, I think it is the untiring pursue for freedom, equality and strong family conception.Although America is a very young nation,it has many events which record its fight for freedom in history. Owing to the diversity of its nations, it emphasize equality more than other countries in the world.From the personal experience of the black slave in the movie,we know this.And from Ben and his children' behaviors of protecting their families,we know their strong responsibility for their families. And in the movie,we saw the friendship between the white man and the black man.At first, the white man prejudiced anainst the black man.But after he was saved by the black man in a war, they began to build friendship.Even the white man would encourage the black man to wait his freedom.This is a kind of illustration of equality.