English
Liam Neeson’s ‘Carriages Belong in Central Park’ is an article, which addresses horse-drawing carriage business in the Central Park. The author notes that such an activity has existed over the centuries, and sees no harm about it. However, Mayor Bill de Blasio intends to eradicate the activity. His reason for this step is that the industry was inhumane, and as a result, he suggested that he would replace the horse-drawn carriages with vintage cabs. Neeson had as his main aim the urge to argue against such abolishment, for he saw no reason for the horses to be banned for health issues (Neeson, “Carriages Belong in Central Park).
Apparently, Liam Neeson grew up in Northern Ireland where horses are widely used. During his stay in New York City, he has witnessed several people using horses for transportation purposes. Being a big fan for the horses, he is against the move by the mayor to ban the horse-drawing business in New York City. The mayor argues that the practice is inhumane and that it does not meet the required sanitation, among many reasons cited. However, Neeson aims to counter this in the article by arguing that the horses themselves are happiest when they work (Neeson, “Carriages Belong in Central Park). He intends to communicate the reasons horse drawing should not be banned.
Neeson’s Carriage Belongs in Central Park has its thesis statement being: ‘He called the industry inhumane, and proposed to replace the retired horses with replicas of vintage cab’ (Neeson, “Carriages Belong in Central Park). In a way, the whole article aims to address why the practice is not inhumane.
Daniel Haybron’s ‘Happiness and its Discontents’ is an article that examines the whole mystery of happiness. To different people, happiness may mean different things. Haybron is compelled to do this article by the fact that there are several theories that intend to explain what happiness is. In most cases, people have associated feelings with happiness. Others have associated happiness to being satisfied in life. In essence, his argument reveals that there is no single denominator of happiness, and to different people, happiness may mean different things (Haybron, Happiness and Its Discontents).
Daniel Haybron intends to give a general opinion of what is and what is not happiness. Different people regard different issues as being happiness. Staying away from troubles may be classified as being happiness. Another person may see the lack of problems as a source of happiness. Emotions and feelings also connote a certain aspect of happiness. Overall, the author intends to communicate the things that may bring about a person’s happiness in life.
In his article, Haybron employs several phrases that support his thesis. In essence, his core argument is based on what happiness is and what happiness is not about. According to him, ‘Happiness embodies your judgment about your life, and what matters for your happiness is something for you to decide” (Haybron, Happiness and Its Discontents). This explains his whole argument that happiness depends on individual perceptions and judgment.
Neeson has developed his article in a very mature manner to put forward his point. He introduces the topic by addressing the origin of the issue (by referring us to the campaigns). He then goes on to give his brief history of his past, through which we get to understand that he has been associated with horses for a long time. Neeson then goes further to argue why he thinks the horses should not be done away with, providing solid reasons to counter the mayor’s arguments that the practice was inhumane. He gives evidence to the effect that the horses are happiest when they work. By such, he effectively communicates his opinion.
Works Cited
Neeson, L. “Carriages Belong in Central Park." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. Carriages Belong in Central Park,., 14 Apr. 2014. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
Haybron, Daniel. "Happiness and Its Discontents." The Opinionator. N.p., 13 Apr. 2014. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. <opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/04/13/happiness-and-its-discontents/?ref=opinion>.
