Read this excerpt from Thomas Paine's essay "Common Sense": Mankind being originally equals in the order of creation, the equality could only be destroyed by some subsequent circumstance; the distinctions of rich, and poor, may in a great measure be accounted for, and that without having recourse to the harsh, ill-sounding names of oppression and avarice. Oppression is often the CONSEQUENCE, but seldom or never the MEANS of riches; and though avarice will preserve a man from being necessitously poor, it generally makes him too timorous to be wealthy.

But there is another and greater distinction, for which no truly natural or religious reason can be assigned, and that is, the distinction of men into KINGS and SUBJECTS. Male and female are the distinctions of nature, good and bad the distinctions of heaven; but how a race of men came into the world so exalted above the rest, and distinguished like some new species, is worth inquiring into, and whether they are the means of happiness or of misery to mankind.

What is Thomas Paine's central claim in this excerpt?

Article one: the new york tribune from december 5, 1859on leaving the jail, john brown had on his face an expression of calmness andserenity characteristic of the patriot who is about to die with a living consciousnessthat he is laying his life down for the good of his fellow as he stepped outof the door a black woman, with her little child in her arms, stood near his way. thetwain were of the despised race for whose emancipation and elevation to the dignityof children of god he was about to lay down his he stopped for a moment in hiscourse, stooped over, and with the tenderness of one whose love is as broad as thebrotherhood of man, kissed [the child) affectionately.article two: the cincinnati enquirer from december 3, 1859we rejoice that old brown has been hung. he was not only a murderer of innocentpersons, but he attempted one of the greatest crimes against society-the stirring upof a servile and civil war. he has paid the penalty for his crimes, and we hope his fatemay be a warning to all who might have felt inclined to imitate his aggressive conduct.now it is your turn. you need to synthesize the two articles mentioned above into one or two paragraphs. you may lookat the synthesized paragraphs above for an example, but your paragraph should be different. remember to follow theprocess hints mentioned earlier in this lesson.iuflad