There is a fine line between what American society was like during World War II and contemporary America. The dilemma is that society has moved from patriotism and the fight for freedom to “everyone walking around with a chip on their shoulder” (Carr 2). These two distinct differences in American culture and society are manifested in Howie Carr's "Take $2,000 and Call Me in the Morning" and Ronald Reagan's speech, "The Boys at Point du Hoc." illustrates and criticizes the abuse of legal defense by citizens of the United States of America and the feeling that people have a sense of entitlement to many things. Unlike Ronald Reagan's speech, "The Point du Hoc Boys" takes us back to a time in American history when people fought and died for what they believed to be a just cause; while reiterating that America's goal was to avoid conflict with the Soviet Union. In these two writings, the two authors use different tones to convey their message to the audience. Carr's uses a sarcastic and humorous tone to poke fun at the way American society and his humorous but important analogies to support his argument that people abuse the legal system to get money. Regan's main argument is that peace with the Soviets is possible, but war will always be an option if necessary. Regan makes his argument with a serious tone, moving words that evoke memories of America's strength and determination. In a humorous and sarcastic tone, Carr addresses the seriousness of this “emotional distress” from which the American people seem to suffer. Carr uses this sarcastic tone to show people how pathetic and chronic this situation has become. Carr begins his essay with: "Alm... middle of paper... untouchable, and anyone who touches America will not live long." Life in American society is different, and reading both texts by Carr and Reagan, it becomes clear that society has evolved for the worse. Society has gone from a courageous "piper in the middle of a bloody battle" (Reagan) to "a guy who sues after his dog mistakes a restaurant for a fire hydrant" (Carr 2) . Both authors show a huge contrast while using different tones and analogies to capture the attention of the people they are trying to reach. Has American society declined so much since World War II? Carr seems to think so, and reading Reagan's speech shows what a stark difference there is. Works Cited Carr, Howie. “Take $2,000 and call me in the morning.” Boston Herald (March 1995): 1-2Reagan, Ronald. “The Boys from Point du Hoc”. Course package. (June 6, 1984)26-29