Preserving the Past

  Save our history is a campaign geared toward preserving America's history across the country. Not only does it try to save history, but it also makes an effort to educate young people about history in the classroom. Save our History is sponsored by the History Channel and works toward pushing a state tax to preserve the very foundation that America was founded on. The preservation of significant historical sites sounds good to the mass population until they find out about the means such campaigns as Save our History use to preserve these sites. Most of the funds that Save our History use are mainly through a small percentage of tax dollars. 

    A small price to pay considering the amount of land that is going to waste in America to "big businesses." Numerous sites that have large value of helping shape this nation are being built over, filled in with banks, shopping centers and dead end cul-de-sacs. For instance a city like Philadelphia with all of its historical sites had to close its doors last winter. This converted three-story brick building was the ground of where Joe Frazier forged his dynamic and prosperous boxing career. Plans have the building being renovated and turned into offices; simply what America needs, clearly. 

   My paper will contain examples of how the landmarks of America are endangered due to the rapid expansion of the country. It will appeal to tax payers and future taxpayers, who might be concerned with preserving the past, present, and future of America. The controversy is where is this money going to come from? In these economic hard times, where the power of the almighty dollar is struggling to hold on to its reputation, tax payers don't want to shell out more money then they have too. In order to fuel this campaign, these dollars have to come from more than the usual "rich history buff" investors. The pool of revenue to preserve these historic relics has to come from the mass population who are paying taxes and the majority of people who don't know the details about this campaign just think that its just another government sponsored organization milking them of their hard earned money. 

   Unfortunately there hasn't been a big enough site in the past 10 years that have called most Americans to rally around the preservation of history. However a trip that I recently took through the Virginia country side really made me think due to the fact that signs marked with "Civil War Trails" were overshadowed by Wal-Marts, grocery stores, banks, and recently built residential neighborhoods. It's sad to see how the greed of America has lead us to destroy grounds that once held the footprints of men and women who help forge this great nation. At the rate America is growing in my lifetime some of the most influential sites like Independence Hall, The Trinity Church in New York, Mount Vernon, and potentially other historical sites could be victim to expansion. I'm afraid by the time the people of America realize what is being done to its history it could be too late and that the ignorance and stupidity of America will rein supreme.

Oh.. Mr. Milton

    Adapting to an unfamiliar area, full of new faces, living style and different scenery is hard enough when one is fresh out of high school, but being a 14 year old can make it more of an uphill climb for an institution. The closely-knit community of Milton Hershey School welcomes that struggle to reduce the pain of the struggles under privileged kids by providing an opportunity to get away from distractions. Through the process of extensive premier selection of house parents, faculty, and staff it can make the Milton Hershey School an elite charter school to go to on the east coast.

    Due to the condense living areas that the School offers it is very likely that some viruses, common colds, and most contagious diseases poise a major threat to the mass student body here at MHS. Upon much thought and consideration, MHS, turned down a 14-year-old student who was born with HIV. This child living conditions on a daily basis would consist of co-habituating with two house parents, who were picked by the school, along with up to 13 additional kids in typically a three story house. Considering liability issues for the health and well-being of our currently enrolled students and staff this request is too great for the MHS to accept. It's simply a matter of watching over and protecting the already intact unique community that MHS has. Trying to continue a positive, focused environment that children can learn and grow in. Imaging a mass panic of trying to find out which one of the new faces has a deadly disease inside of him makes the institution alarmed. This could possibly turn into an immediate act of discrimination against one individual that could lead to blood in the water type problems. Home live for would a challenging one for our employees. Turning the slightest scratch into a battleground that mustn’t be taken lightly. The obstacles are too great for us here at MHS to grant. 

    As of now MHS stands by the statement released to the public concerning the incident " In order to protect our children in this unique environment, we cannot accommodate the needs of students with chronic communicable diseases that pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others." This is a private institution that has the right to choice who walks in and out of those doors. Although deeply saddened by the situation it cannot be done here at MHS.

    Listed above are some of the opposing arguments in my speech. The arguments go with the framing of this issue by hanging it on putting forth an effort to protect the investment already made on the current students. By not putting them in harms way there is no potential liability issues that could arise from taking this student. The audience it is geared toward is most likely concerned parents ranging late 20's to 40's. I believe this because of the word choice as well as trying to reach out to the parents whose kids could potentially be in danger. The opposite side of the argument in my opinion is based on mass appeal. Trying to get everyone to rally to fight for the cause of allowing a child an education. Although from what I read MHS didn't go into detail and kept the statements broad. 

    The reason why I chose the side I did because when I lived in Hershey I use to work for the Hershey company. The restaurant I worked for, the profits went straight into the Hershey trust which funds the whole operation of MHS. Through my experience at the Hershey company, an employee is force fed the legacy of the Man Milton Hershey, and then they go and deny a child an education, publicly. It didn't sit well with me and if I had the time I would have been holding up a sign to support this brave 14 year old boy.