Modern Puritans

I know Puritans to be very strong believers in their beliefs. A modern day example of Puritans, in my opinion, would be political parties; the Republicans and Democrats. Both parties are very attached to their ideas of what government should and should not do. There is almost no room for other foreign ideas to enter into their realm of thought. Being so narrow minded can be the downfall of such groups. The ability to compromise is essential to the growth and development of society and our country. Another example of why I refer to the political parties as modern Puritans: whenever a member of one political party has a view which is contrary to their party's general beliefs, they are looked down on by other members of their own group. The media publicly shames and rips apart their name on television and magazine covers across the nation. This kind of public shaming could be compared to public humiliation or hanging which was such a popular form of punishment in Puritan societies. Members don't get backed by their political party if they dont comply or vote with certain legislature or policies. The same was true for members of the Puritan society. If you chose not to follow the rules dictated by the leaders of the community, then you were not supported by those in the society. These are just a few reasons why I refer to political parties to modern Puritans.

John Proctor: Hero or Stooge

he·ro
noun \ˈhir-(ˌ)ō\ : a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities
  
John Proctor is not without fault. Like every hero, he has a point of weaknesses. He became vulnerable and gave a verbal confession; something he was so strongly against doing. But when Danforth wanted him to sign a written confession, he refused because he didn't want to be another follower who succumbs to the court when put in a desperate position. He chose to hang rather than be humiliated by not upholding his own beliefs. I don't think that Proctor chose this route to prove anything to the town, I believe he chose this route because he felt the the strong urge to stand by his individual values. Self-accountability is, in my opinion, one of his many heroic qualities. Proctor laid down his life in order to lead the town to follow in his honest footsteps. This makes him self-sacrificing. John Proctor is the definition of what is means to be a hero.  He proved his bravery by possessing the courage to stand by his beliefs till his death (literally).  Though he faltered when he gave a verbal confession, in the end he stood his ground. 

he·ro
noun \ˈhir-(ˌ)ō\
: John Proctor

There Goes The Neighborhood

Looking at the brightly colored Mexican corner stores, you wouldn't think my neighborhood was once populated by Greeks, Serbians, and Croatians. My neighbor, an elderly Serbian woman, is one of the few remaining people of the now desolate European population who once resided in my neighborhood. The area is now plagued with rim shops, Mexican restaurants, corner stores, tamale stands, and paleta carts. With new neighbors comes a new social and economic norm. Stores and restaurants cater to the needs of the incoming culture.

In my neighborhood, there are few homeowners now and more residents who pay rent to landlords. During the summertime you can hear squeals of barefoot children running through sprinklers on the front lawn, while family members gather to eat and party until the early morning hours. And no, they don't bother to wait for the weekend, Tuesday night is good enough for them. Meanwhile, the elderly Europeans stay inside their fortresses with the blinds shut and the gate locked around their perfectly edged grass.
Cars with over-sized mufflers, loud bass that rattles the windows, and new shiny rims, blaze down the road listening to Mexican banda or mariachi (trumpets, guitars, etc.) music for the whole street to hear and set off car alarms.
Bells and horns sound from the elote (corn with toppings) and paleta (something like a frozen fruit bar) carts as the men push them down the middle of the street.

The question is: What gives way for a new group of people to come into a culturally established community?
The generation dies, and their children move on to other things. Homes go up for sale and new families move in. When that starts, it influences the others of the same culture to follow the lead. It makes the residents less likely to stick around to see the neighborhood change. It's almost always true that cultures flock together. People stay in their comfort zones. In some cases, you'll get the rare opportunity to find a great mix of cultures all in one neighborhood. But most likely, you'll find the cultural makeup to be pretty biased.