Comparison-Contrast Essay
Various people have made a tremendous contribution to the society of the United States in history. They changed some aspects of the United States that negatively affected people’s life. Such icons sacrificed themselves through refusing some prestige of life given to them by the supporters of the negativities just to ensure that such things were eliminated in the society. Such people are still remembered and celebrated to the present dates. This is because, without them, people would have been subject to some inhuman practices in society. Many people draw lots of inspiration from leaders who have demonstrated distinct personalities and leadership qualities. These people look up to such leaders for guidance and inspiration. They read their stories and pick the qualities that they can emulate. This is because such leaders have differing qualities. One leader may demonstrate the quality of unmatched courage while another may display a great deal of wisdom. By proving that the brick walls are not there to keep them out but are there to give them a chance to show how badly they want something, the two leaders ended up proving that they were roller coasters that only go up[1].
One of the American icons that are picked in this paper is called Lyndon Baines Johnson. He was often referred to as LBJ. In his entire career, Lyndon soared like an eagle[2]. He started as a teacher but worked for congress like a dog[3] and gained knowledge on how the congress worked and developed interests in being a politician. He served as the 36th president of the US after being the 37th vice president for 2 years[4]. He served in all the elective seats of the country, which is senator, president, vice president, and representative. One would mistake his meteoric rise with a walk in the park. This is far from the truth. The political landscape is not some mythical blue ocean devoid of competition. It is a teeming jungle-with plenty to eat, and plenty that wants to eat you. Riding on the overwhelming support that he got from the Democratic Party, he ensured that the life for the Americans moved forward into broad, sunlit uplands[5].He designed societal legislation laws such as civil rights, the protection of the environment, and urban-rural developments, he stood in the forefront when it came to wars against poverty[6]. He worked like a dog[7] to ensure that there is the maintenance of democracy in the United States and this was quite evident when he swept the act of 1965 that was on immigration nationality[8]. He also facilitated the building of the right to vote that was so powerful. His main interests were in American society and did many things in favor of his people. His heart for Americans was as soft as feather. Still, he weathered stormy skies. When he was broken, he was a sparrow. But he was an eagle when he flew[9]. He worsened the war on Vietnam after the congress meeting of 1964 gave him the authority to impose additional military force in the southeast of Asia. This led to an increase in the number of military personnel of the US to Vietnam and there were increased bombings in the cities of Vietnam. He fought and ensured that states that were sweltering with the heat of oppression, sweltering with the heat of racial injustice, were transformed into an oasis of justice and freedom[10].
As Lyndon soared like an eagle to reach the peak of political heights, Christopher Columbus decided to sail away from safe harbor, catch the wind in his sails, explore, dream, discover[11]. The journeys between Lyndon and Columbus were like day and night but both beheld a light at the end of the tunnel[12]. They both saw the light of the day. Columbus was a sailor who, together with other sailors managed to cross the Indian Ocean. He was the first European to settle in America after his voyage landed in America. He developed interests in sailing because he wanted to do something unique. After all, the era in which he lived was an era of discovery and development of new ideas. It is in his time also, that people were making maps of the new places and to facilitate this, they made ships that enabled them to sail to new places. He built his ship and set sail on august 1492[13]. He used a compass in navigation and plotted marks on the interesting directions to follow. They found an island in the Bahamas and he named it San Salvador. He made various discoveries when he was sailing on his ship (Primary History)[14]. He sailed to different places and this helped Europeans discover the new world. He made many discoveries on knowledge and brought gold to his land. One unique thing about Columbus is that he never gave up. The queen gave him a hand by funding his interests. If he gave up, Europeans would not have been able to explore America then.
For both personalities, giving up was like rotting inside a dungeon while trying to keep going was like struggling to walk past a storm[15]. Johnson worked hard to know how the House of Representatives functioned and this is what made him develop interests in politics. He worked hard and did things that interested people and this is what steered up his political career to the point of being elected as a president. Columbus on his part worked hard and this made him develop interests in navigation. Many people laughed at his ideas but he cold-shouldered them all. He was strong enough to the point that when he could not direct the wind, he could adjust the sails by seeking financial support from the queen to fund his ideas[16].
In politics and exploration landscapes, Lyndon and Columbus stood out. Johnson was a political figure and had an interest in finding a solution to various matters affecting society. On the other hand, Columbus is a navigator whose main interests were the exploration and discoveries of a new world[17]. His interests drove him to discover some islands and facilitated the exploration of America by the Europeans. He was a realist because while the pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; he cold-shouldered these and instead adjusted the sails.
Works cited
Bauer, Marion D. Christopher Columbus. New York: Scholastic, 2010. Print.
Peters, Charles. Lyndon B. Johnson. , 2010. Print
[1] Metaphor
[2] Simile
[3] Simile
[4] Peters, Charles. Lyndon B. Johnson. , 2010. Print
[5] Metaphor
[6] Echo
[7] Simile
[8] Peters, Charles. Lyndon B. Johnson. , 2010. Print
[9] Simile
[10] Metaphor and Echo
[11] Splitting the second
[12] Simile, contrast, and metaphor
[13] Bauer, Marion D. Christopher Columbus. New York: Scholastic, 2010. Print.
[14] Bauer, Marion D. Christopher Columbus. New York: Scholastic, 2010. Print.
[15] Contrast and simile
[16] Metaphor
[17] Bauer, Marion D. Christopher Columbus. New York: Scholastic, 2010. Print.