Article 2: Change

Is Change Good or Bad?

Change can either be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the amount of change, and when it happens. Many people believe that change is good. Many people are also afraid of change, because it brings them into an unfamiliar situation. Others embrace change so that they have something exciting in their life.

I think that change may come at a bad time, but it is always a good thing. Without change, nothing exciting would ever happen. It is inevitable that change will come. As time passes, people will make decisions that affect their own, and other people’s lives. A change can cause great pain, or great joy.

Change is the thing that creates history. There would be no events without change. Each event is a change. This is because there is no way to prevent it. There are many great examples of this in history such as the election of Barack Obama. One of his main slogans was “Change we can believe in,” (Smith). He believed in changing all of the problems that George Bush, the previous president, supposedly created.

Another example of this is the Council of Nicea. This was when Constatine took over the Roman Empire. There was not a common religion or belief system in place. He brought 318 religious leaders to the town of Nicea. Here, they discussed the differences in religion and agreed to share one religion. This was the first time that leaders from the Church gathered together from all across the world. The Council of Nicea is what formed the religion that we know as Christianity (Live Science).

A third event that drastically changed history is Gregor Mendel’s work with genetics in peas. Gregor Mendel was a monk and examined the genetic inheritance of peas in the garden at the monastery where he lived. He was the first to discover inheritance and find the actually patterns that it takes. He led the way in a genetic frontier (Live Science). His discovery opened the doors for scientists across the world.

All of these examples have changed the way that people live. They all changed history dramatically. Without these, we wouldn’t be where we are in a political standpoint, religious beliefs, or genetics. These are only three examples of major events that caused changed. Thousands of events have caused even more changes in human history. These examples have shown that changes are good for humanity, although some people may not like these changes at the time. After time has passed, they will realize what benefits each of these events has created.

But there are some changes that made the world a worse place to live, such as the Holocaust. This was when the Nazi regime, led by Adolphe Hitler, murdered everyone that did not fit into their idea of a superior race. This included socialists, communists, homosexuals, and mainly Jewish people. Before this tragic event took place, there were over nine million Jews occupying the space that the Nazis would soon control. In the end, over six million Jews were killed. There was not a single good thing about this tragic event. It changed, and is still changing, the course of history (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum).

The American Revolution changed not only how people lived in America, but also how people lived in Europe. This is when America separated from England and became its own country. The Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are the two main documents created during this time frame. The leading writers of the Declaration of Independence took a chance in writing this document. If they got caught, they would surely be executed. But, because they took this risk, America changed from a colonial body, to a country (Ferling). This was a major change in the world. Writing this document affected people all around the world. Britain did not have the supplies that they used to have. Without these materials, they could not sell them for money. This means that other countries did not have the materials that they needed. They also could not use them for their own needs, and because Britain is an island nation, it does not have as many resources as other mainland countries have.

A final example of change is the Civil Rights Movement. This was when African-Americans started to be treated as equals. Even though the civil war had ended over a hundred years before, Africans were still not being treated the same as Caucasians. Rosa Parks sparked the movement by not sitting in the back of the bus which was designated for African-Americans. Martin Luther King Jr. was a huge leader. Many Africans see him as a leader and a role model (Cozzens). The Civil Rights Movement ignited many new laws to be passed and inspired many Africans to follow their dreams. This was a major change in the course of United States history. It ended a very prevalent racist time in this country. Racism is still a problem in America, especially in the south. These people cling to their beliefs that blacks are not equal to whites. This still causes many problems in the south and needs to be taken care of as soon as possible. When there is a problem as large as this conflicting between people in a country, that country cannot be whole. If a country is not together then it is impossible for that country to succeed.

Overall, change is a good thing. It creates new opportunities and allows for growth around the world. And although can hurt others indirectly, change is for the better. Change is unavoidable, and it usually makes the world a better place to live. Without it, we would be living in a world that was no different from when it was first created. While some people are afraid of change, it is almost always for the better. And when it does not seem like it is a good thing, a more positive result will usually show up as time passes.

Citations

Smith, Ben. "Ben Smith's Blog." Politico. 26/10/2008. Capitol News Company LLC, Web. 29 Jan 2010. .

"10 Events that Changed History." Live Science. Tech Media Network, Web. 29 Jan 2010.

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"Holocaust Encyclopedia." United States Holocaust Memorial

Museum. 04/05/2009. United States Holocaust Memorial

Museum, Web. 29 Jan 2010.

Ferling, John. "The American Revolution." The American Revolution. The American

Revolution, Web. 29 Jan 2010.

Cozzens, Lisa. "The Civil Rights Movement 1955-1965." African

American History. http://fledge.watson.org/~lisa/

blackhistory/civilrights-55-65 (25 May 1998).