A Person's Thoughts

By A Person

In their series of essays ranging from politics, culture, history, economics and more, A Person’s Thoughts is an insightful look into the mind of a fifteen-year-old high school student. In their collection, they share their thoughts on a range of controversial topics, providing the facts and offering their opinion in order to spark discussion on issues plaguing the world today, and how to solve them.
Exceptionally written and researched, A Person’s essays show the value in listening to the next generation of leaders and their ideas and plans for the future of our country and the world.

About the Author
A Person is a fifteen-year-old high school student who loves history, politics, and economics and writing essays on such topics. In their spare time, they enjoy playing Dungeons and Dragons.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Company
• Release date: Mar 12, 2024
• ISBN: 9798890278685

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The contents of this work, including, but not limited to, the accuracy of events, people, and places depicted; opinions expressed; permission to use previously published materials included; and any advice given or actions advocated are solely the responsibility of the author, who assumes all liability for said work and indemnifies the publisher against any claims stemming from publication of the work.

All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2024 by A Person

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted, downloaded, distributed, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, including photocopying and recording, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented without permission in writing from the publisher.

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ISBN: 979-8-89027-370-3

eISBN: 979-8-89027-868-5

In this book you will find the essays of A Person. These essays span many topics, from valuable parts of society, to suggested unifications, to political beliefs. The table of essays can help you navigate if you are curious about only one subject. Sorry for any confusion, as some of these essays are written in first-person and others are in third-person. Have a good day and hope you enjoy these essays.

-A Person

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Value of the Agricultural Sector

In an industrial and commercial world it is easy to look down on farmers. Farmers work on their land to produce crops, while others make money off of hard work in a factory or have to deal with nuisances on a daily basis. While farming is generally not a respected job, it is important and should be regarded well. Agriculture helps all other jobs majorly. Farming allows others to work without worry of starvation, builds a solid base for a country’s economy, and helps other jobs.

Being able to eat allows someone to focus on tasks other than wondering about where their next meal is coming from. By producing a surplus of food farmers can instead be construction workers, teachers, or managers. Leisure is allowed as people don’t need to check if they will go hungry for the winter. Modernization and industrialization were only possible as people had the time to try new innovations without starving as a result. Mass production allows farmers to make more with less work, thus allowing a greater number of people to invest in trades.

Agriculture is a solid base for a country’s economy. Agriculture is a steady source of wealth that maintains the population. Being a universal resource means that it can always be traded or sold without worry of rejection, like luxury goods. Farmers also help with population, allowing people to grow and expand an economy with extra hands for labor. There is a reason Jeffersonian economics was valued at all.

Agriculture helps other jobs. Factory workers can feed themselves easily with cheap grains and potatoes. Certain crops, like cotton, can be used in clothing and canning. Food of all kinds is important to the supply chain. Animal and plant by-products can be used in other industries like medicine.

Agriculture is valuable, and by extension so are those that work with it. Keeping food on the table will always come first. Agriculture, whether with livestock or just plants, allows many important resources to be gathered. The base of civilization is agriculture. We must all recognize the value of agriculture, even if we don’t like worshiping potatoes.

The Value of Rivers

Rivers are a valuable piece of geography. No single part of the terrain was as useful as rivers. Many have used rivers to their benefit. From ancient times to the modern era rivers have always had strategic utility. Rivers supply clean water, are a nexus of trade, and allow for easier communication.

Clean water is vital, and rivers provide it. Whether mountain streams or otherwise, rivers have always supplied fresh drinking water. Clean water is a great boon to crops as well. Ancient civilizations grew around rivers for these reasons. If you need water, go to a river.

Rivers are a nexus of trade that few surpass. Water is far quicker and easier to navigate than land routes. Rivers allow for easy trade of bulk goods to and from settlements and towns. Estuaries and deltas allow access to larger networks through seas and oceans. Speedy trade over water is preferable to slow trade over land.

Communication is far easier over rivers than by land routes. Due to the strategic value of rivers, many settlements are likely settled on their banks. Sailing along rivers allows for communication with those also settled on the same or opposite bank. It is faster to sail along a river than walk or ride a cart for the same distance. It is easier to communicate by river than by other options.

Rivers were the lifeblood of civilizations for thousands of years. Industrialization eventually led to the machines that would outcompete rivers in their uses. Even after industrialization, rivers are still useful. Whether for beauty or fishing, rivers have their uses. Don’t pollute rivers as pollution reduces rivers’ strategic values.

The Value of Discussion

Discussion is crucial to life in general and political discourse. Allowing people to communicate allows people to improve their lives. Speech and the way it has been used have helped humans since ancient times. Censorship has caused more harm than good in its many forms. Discussion has helped understanding between cultures, created new ideas, and has been censored by many different people over the years to the detriment of all.

Many cultures have grown from what they have started out as. A lot of cultures have grown and changed thanks to discussion. Through the spread of cultures, new cultures were created from the old. Cultures were carried by people and then diffused into new ones through discussion. Language facilitates discussion, and language in and of itself is a form of cultural heritage.

New ideas have come through discussion. Many intellectuals have debated and theorized in conversations and discussions in order to find meaning in the world, understand nature, or simply to have a challenge in debate. Democracy, as an ideology alongside Republicanism, was built through and meant to work through discussion. In order to teach ideas to new generations, many have had to discuss them. There is a reason freedom of expression is the First Amendment in the United States Constitution.

Censorship has been a common method of control. Dictatorships often have strict laws regarding expression to control the people. In the modern day, political activists try to use canceling as a way to censor political opponents such as James Gunn, Donald Trump, and Laci Green. Sometimes those who simply request moderation are censored too. What is the point of discussion if you must read a script?

Discussion and debate are vital. Whether you are discussing what is best for a business conglomerate, republic, or what to cook at a barbecue, being able to speak your mind is required for good results. You cannot learn if you close your mind to all other possibilities. A culture that promotes censorship to help feelings doesn’t understand that feelings become more resilient to criticism by being criticized. Refusing to discuss or debate others weakens all involved and helps no one.

In Flanders Fields

Many have died for others. People have thought of great leaders on campaign or civilian heroes. Few think of the soldiers who gave their lives for their nations and their people. To quote Otto von Bismark, The Matters of the day will be decided with iron and blood. People have sacrificed their lives, destroyed their own homes, and lost their minds for others and their nations.

Travel to any great city and you will see a graveyard. In these graves are not just civilians and politicians, but soldiers, those who sacrificed their lives for their neighbors. WWI had 9.7 million military deaths and WWII had twenty-five million. While the world wars saw the deaths of many civilians, soldiers fought to stop disastrous occupations and millions of extra deaths. In the end many families are missing sons and fathers, so others don’t have to experience such a feeling.

During many wars, property was destroyed. Destruction of property is to be expected during war. During wars and occupations, soldiers would fight house-to-house, resulting in the destruction of many buildings. Soldiers were willing to let the enemy destroy their houses if it meant an extra few minutes for their comrades. It is easy to say people have experienced no hardship while in college or an air-conditioned apartment if you have never been to the rubble of a soldier’s house.

Veterans often have mental problems. The nature of war results in many soldiers developing PTSD or other mental problems. When the Department of Veterans Affairs deals with veterans a significant number have mental problems. Mental health problems with veterans are compounded with the decent number of them who are likely to be homeless. It is hard to see mental wounds, but they are no less real.

It is easy to argue that the military is evil, and soldiers are a demonstration of this when you forget all of the issues that soldiers go through. On November 11, head to Flanders Fields. The reality is that soldiers and veterans have sacrificed so that we have the right to complain about them. Let us show respect to veterans, at least in November. Remember that all humans are where we are now because we are standing on a mountain of those who have fallen. Never forget them even if you don’t know their faces.

Value of Violence

Many nowadays look down on violence and war. With the scars of the World Wars on the world it is not hard to see why. However, people have taken pacifism too far to be effective. Sometimes violence must be considered. Violence has purpose. Some will always choose violence to get their way, and war can be fought to save others.

Violence has a purpose. When you need to stop others from harming you or others, violence is often the only way to protect yourself. To ensure that others don’t take advantage of those they know, retaliation is a good threat to defend those around you. In a life-or-death situation sometimes the only way to defend yourself is to use violence. Whether by sword or firearm it is best to be ready to defend yourself.

While many wish for others to be peaceful, there will always be bad apples. Some people simply do violent acts because they want to. You cannot train these people to not act against others. Some criminals will simply harm others because they want to. You cannot control these people, so you must control your own behavior.

Wars have been fought for the benefit of others, and trying to avoid an inevitable war will simply result in more lives lost. During the Civil War slaves were freed, so, whenever one such as the KKK acted against the freed, the US Government was able to stop them. The KKK was all but eradicated under Ulysses S. Grant and it was only through sheer incompetence that Woodrow Wilson let them resurface. World War 2 could’ve had a much lower death toll if the Allies had put their foot down earlier. Intervention before the Polish invasion of 1939 would’ve saved millions of lives as the Nazis hadn’t fully built up their forces. Pacifism on the world stage helps no one except those with the worst intentions.

Pacifists often think that it is moral not to fight. Others say only the heartless would send men to fight and die in war. The reality is there is a reason millions are now in the ground other than ego. Sacrificing one soldier to save ten civilians may sound heartless, but it is an understandable decision when those are your only options, and indecisiveness will lead to more deaths. Life isn’t peaceful, and trying to stick to peace when violence is the only way to defend others will merely lead to your destruction.

The Importance of Work

Many