On December 21, 2001 the first American Puritans landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts, claiming it as their own. The Puritans were a religious group that separated from the Church of England because they believed it to be corrupt in its morals and views. This particular Separatist group wanted to go back to the ways of the Bible- hence living pure, unsullied lives. From the newly established Plymouth colony, their ideas spread. The strict society forced its members to conform to stringent standards or else be dispelled from civilization. Though this Puritan method of dealing with rebels might seem a bit extreme or even dictatorial, it is no different than how we deal with today's "rebels." Times have changed drastically since the chilly December morning when the pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, but the pressures of conformation still weigh heavily upon the shoulders of the American people.
             In the 1600's, citizens of the Puritan community were forced to accept the highly rigid Puritan way without question. Likewise, especially in high school, members of today's society are expected adopt a uniform lifestyle. However, instead of implementing higher moral standards, people are compelled to abandon their ethics and seek an accepted routine. This type of living includes drinking, partying, and living life to the fullest, so to speak. Name brads and labels have become more important and a better source for judgment than an individual's personality. If, by some phenomenon, a person chooses not to conform to society's principles, that person would cast out of the most highly esteemed cliques and forced to wander aimlessly through the jungle of loneliness.
             Though the comparison is entirely metaphorical, the pressures to conform and the ultimatum are as powerful today as they were nearly 400 years ago. It's a shame that individualism is worth nothing. What people don't see, however, is that it too...