Opening Argumentative Essay: Let Me Out West
Opening Argument
By: Alexander (Lex) Luther
Are you a person who likes to do all the work and let someone else reap all the benefits? I didn’t think so and neither am I, but that is what has happened to me. I was one of the first to come out west and fight with the Native Americans over land. I made this land safe enough for people to live on and I still protect it today. I think as one of these first pioneers I should be given the land I rightfully deserve. But my land has been taken away and given to others to use as they please. My land that I fought for and planned to use for cattle raising is now gone.
My grand plan of making a life for myself out west has been ruined. It was my chance to really make something of myself and make …show more content…
a lot of money. I wanted a life of adventure in the west and cattle raising offered me that. I would be free to roam the lands with my cattle and not be forced to settle down somewhere or be fenced off from anything. But I have been fenced off from everything that I had hoped for. All the water has been fenced off so my cattle are growing weak and dying. These homesteaders have taken things that aren’t rightfully theirs, my land, my water, my life.
Yes I didn’t have a deed for the land when I headed out west, but neither did any first settlers in the United States. This is how territory was first claimed, why change now? This land should be mine. So why shouldn’t I be allowed to get it back.
My men and I feel cheated by the Homestead Act. And I admit that when I feel cheated or wronged I fight back. So I may have had a few fences cut down so my cattle can get to the water. I may have let my men let their frustrations be known to the homesteaders. But I have never done anything that I didn’t think was justified, because let’s face it; these people are trespassing on my land. And what do I get? My brother murdered.
These people, especially Mr. Kent have stolen from me and countless others. They have already broken the law by stealing and now we can add murder to that list. Should we encourage this behavior by allowing these criminals to continue on as they please? NO!!! I know that you good people of the jury will not stand for this injustice. Mr. Kent needs to be sent away so that he can pay for what he has done to the good people of the west.
Closing Argument
By: Clark Kent
I committed murder and am right now I’m standing trial for it.
You might be asking yourself why a simple homesteader with a family of five would result to killing a man. Well I felt it was completely justified and for the general welfare. I have been making a life for me and my family for eight years now on my land in northwest Colorado. I love living in the solitude of the west with my family. It is so beautiful and tranquil. I thought it was a great place to raise a family and teach my children about hard work and family values. All I wanted was a little section of land to be cultivated and utilized for my family to live off of. I thought it would be a nice simple life full of rewarding work and pleasant times watching my family grow. But it has been difficult from the moment we arrived. Ever since my family arrived on our land we have been continuously harassed by Alexander (Lex) Luther and his posse. We were awoken one night to find our stable burning to the ground and just barely got the animals out in time. My wife and children are constantly in a state of fear for what they will do next and if we will be able to recover. And the law doesn’t work because they are too far away to get
involved. We have seen family after family be intimidated into leaving and it is a very disheartening. My children have lost playmate after playmate. My wife has lost friend after friend. This land had become a part of the family and I can’t see raising my family anywhere else. It took a lot to pick up and move out here and I didn’t want to have to do that again. So I felt if my family was going to survive I had to take matters into my own hands and send a message that “The Kent’s weren’t going anywhere!” Julian Luther (Lex’s younger brother), although not the mastermind, was the man who carried out all of the aggressive behavior against the homesteaders. I know for a fact he had Mr. Sullivan beaten to a pulp and ruined countless families lives. So one day I confronted Julian about all of the heinous acts he has committed. I soon learned that this man had no moral values and saw nothing wrong with what he was doing. After some debate with my wife and my inner self I decided what must be done. So I did the only thing that I felt would get through to these types of people. I answered violence with violence. I shot and killed Julian Luther. This was a hard decision for me as I believe I am a religious man with good moral values. But I felt I had to protect me family and the other families around us who couldn’t protect themselves. I believed that if someone hadn’t taken care of Mr. Luther that many more people would suffer. It was murder acting for the general welfare. So I ask you a question. Am I now a bad man for the act I have committed? Should I be killed for killing a bad man?
By: Alexander (Lex) Luther
Are you a person who likes to do all the work and let someone else reap all the benefits? I didn’t think so and neither am I, but that is what has happened to me. I was one of the first to come out west and fight with the Native Americans over land. I made this land safe enough for people to live on and I still protect it today. I think as one of these first pioneers I should be given the land I rightfully deserve. But my land has been taken away and given to others to use as they please. My land that I fought for and planned to use for cattle raising is now gone.
My grand plan of making a life for myself out west has been ruined. It was my chance to really make something of myself and make …show more content…
a lot of money. I wanted a life of adventure in the west and cattle raising offered me that. I would be free to roam the lands with my cattle and not be forced to settle down somewhere or be fenced off from anything. But I have been fenced off from everything that I had hoped for. All the water has been fenced off so my cattle are growing weak and dying. These homesteaders have taken things that aren’t rightfully theirs, my land, my water, my life.
Yes I didn’t have a deed for the land when I headed out west, but neither did any first settlers in the United States. This is how territory was first claimed, why change now? This land should be mine. So why shouldn’t I be allowed to get it back.
My men and I feel cheated by the Homestead Act. And I admit that when I feel cheated or wronged I fight back. So I may have had a few fences cut down so my cattle can get to the water. I may have let my men let their frustrations be known to the homesteaders. But I have never done anything that I didn’t think was justified, because let’s face it; these people are trespassing on my land. And what do I get? My brother murdered.
These people, especially Mr. Kent have stolen from me and countless others. They have already broken the law by stealing and now we can add murder to that list. Should we encourage this behavior by allowing these criminals to continue on as they please? NO!!! I know that you good people of the jury will not stand for this injustice. Mr. Kent needs to be sent away so that he can pay for what he has done to the good people of the west.
Closing Argument
By: Clark Kent
I committed murder and am right now I’m standing trial for it.
You might be asking yourself why a simple homesteader with a family of five would result to killing a man. Well I felt it was completely justified and for the general welfare. I have been making a life for me and my family for eight years now on my land in northwest Colorado. I love living in the solitude of the west with my family. It is so beautiful and tranquil. I thought it was a great place to raise a family and teach my children about hard work and family values. All I wanted was a little section of land to be cultivated and utilized for my family to live off of. I thought it would be a nice simple life full of rewarding work and pleasant times watching my family grow. But it has been difficult from the moment we arrived. Ever since my family arrived on our land we have been continuously harassed by Alexander (Lex) Luther and his posse. We were awoken one night to find our stable burning to the ground and just barely got the animals out in time. My wife and children are constantly in a state of fear for what they will do next and if we will be able to recover. And the law doesn’t work because they are too far away to get
involved. We have seen family after family be intimidated into leaving and it is a very disheartening. My children have lost playmate after playmate. My wife has lost friend after friend. This land had become a part of the family and I can’t see raising my family anywhere else. It took a lot to pick up and move out here and I didn’t want to have to do that again. So I felt if my family was going to survive I had to take matters into my own hands and send a message that “The Kent’s weren’t going anywhere!” Julian Luther (Lex’s younger brother), although not the mastermind, was the man who carried out all of the aggressive behavior against the homesteaders. I know for a fact he had Mr. Sullivan beaten to a pulp and ruined countless families lives. So one day I confronted Julian about all of the heinous acts he has committed. I soon learned that this man had no moral values and saw nothing wrong with what he was doing. After some debate with my wife and my inner self I decided what must be done. So I did the only thing that I felt would get through to these types of people. I answered violence with violence. I shot and killed Julian Luther. This was a hard decision for me as I believe I am a religious man with good moral values. But I felt I had to protect me family and the other families around us who couldn’t protect themselves. I believed that if someone hadn’t taken care of Mr. Luther that many more people would suffer. It was murder acting for the general welfare. So I ask you a question. Am I now a bad man for the act I have committed? Should I be killed for killing a bad man?