In 1722, a 16-year-old Benjamin Franklin had his first work published in the New-England Courant. His older brother owned and published the newspaper, yet discouraged Franklin from writing pieces. To combat this, Franklin wrote under the pen name Silence Dogood, a middle-aged widow. Dogood’s articles were popular among New Englanders and discussed topics such as marriage, religion, and fashion. Silence Dogood was even pursued by eligible bachelors asking for her hand in marriage. Franklin wrote 14 letters in total before revealing the true author to his brother.
Benjamin Franklin is the inspiration for these letters. He was the only founding father to sign all four documents that established America: The Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Alliance with France, the Treaty of Paris, and the United States Constitution. It is my opinion that the United States of America is under attack, from outside forces, and internal corruptions. It seems that there are three groups that make up American society, the extreme Right & Left, and the Silent Majority. Although the extreme Left is much more popular and prevalent, both extremes aim to create division. America is a rope being pulled by the former pair; the more they pull, the further this Country is separated.
The Silent Majority consists of those from the Republican, Democratic, Libertarian, Green, and Constitution parties, along with any other Independent, that wants America to change for the better, but is not prepared to do so at the expense of his fellow Man. The Silent Majority is the Common Man willing to fight for the preservation of God and Country. In order for America to unite again, the Silent Majority must become the Majority. It must pull America’s rope back towards the middle. This is a Tug-of-War we are capable of winning. United we stand, divided we fall.
The purpose of these letters is to give one Common Man’s opinion. It will be used as a voice for the Silent Majority, and hopefully it is a loud expression. It is my hope that America will again become a place where ideas are discussed and debated. The pursuit of objective truth is a vital catalyst for change and improvement. My voice and opinion is not as loud as yours can be. The American Gentleman (www.theamericangentleman.org) was created as a platform for these debates. In accordance with your First Amendment right to free speech, this website will be uncensored, always. Your ideas, values, and opinions will be judged by peers for validity. The American Gentleman’s ultimate goal is to uplift ourselves and others, so that we may all enjoy the American Dream – Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
Sincerely,
Silence Dogood
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