Reading an Writing for Social Justice: Looking at at the world through a lens of justice and fairness

Article

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The article, "Obama's Immigration Action Addresses 'Huge' Uncertainty for Many Students" by Stacy Treicher Khadaroo, is about Obama's immigration reform policy.  The article addresses the choice of students to come out of the shadow or stay in hiding.  I believe that the fact that their are so many students in our education system who are afraid of admitting that they are undocumented immigrants because they are afraid of deportation is incredibly unfair.  In the early 1900's the U.S. accepted thousands of immigrants from Europe, and the as a country, we would not be the same without them.  But now that the immigrants are coming from Mexico and Central and South America, people are against immigration.  I believe that there should be an equivalent of Ellis Island mad along the border of U.S. and Texas which would have the U.S. continue to be a nation of immigrants.  In my life, I think about how so there are so many people too set in their ways to reach out to others and they want everything to stay the same, and will try to go out of my way to be more accepting of others.

School/Neighborhood observations

•  Homeless people asking for money on the street.

•  Two drug addicts who spend time near my school.

•  An alcoholic who hides his flask and is always drinking next to the nearby deli.

•  Domestic violence (I don't see it but I know it's out there).

•  Untreated mental illness.

The issue I would like to talk about is homelessness.  I feel that it is wrong for the government to put money into criminalizing the homeless, such as making it illegal for people to sleep in public or in cars, as many cities and states have done, while they could be putting money into shelters and programs to help people get back on their feet.  There are so many people, particularly children, who are homeless through no fault of their own.  Whether they were abandoned, kicked out of their home because of their sexuality, or their whole family lost their home but the rest found a place to stay.  I feel that there is so much that people can do to help, but they stick up their noses and walk away.  Anyone can volunteer for a soup kitchen, donate money to programs and shelters, or do something as simple as giving your spare change to someone on the streets or buying them a bagel or coffee.  It's important for people not too ignore the homeless and those in poverty, otherwise there will just end up being more and more people in need.

An interview with my mom, Vicki Sher, about what is good and what is unfair about our world.

What is good about our world?

     There is so much that is beautiful. Nature for instance is constantly arrestingly beautiful and up lifting.  I can be moved by the smallest moment, a cloud over a hilltop, or a bigger thing like a huge waterfall.  And music, and poetry, and sports-what the mind and body can do are amazing.  I'm amazed at the human spirit and capacity to make things, or do things that have never been made or done before. A recent football catch by a rookie named Beckham was such an achievement, and as impressive as any scientific, or artistic achievement to me.

What is unfair about our world?

     Hard to choose just one thing.  Obviously torture, poverty, discrimination, mental illness,  and the willful ignorance of those in power, and their reluctance to  make changes.  But maybe all of these are examples of stubbornness and the weakness that is part of human nature, a fear of others.

The point is, humans are the true beauty of the world as well as the main cause of grief.  We, as humans, are almost never content with what we have.  This is what brings out the best and worst of us.  We always want to have more and to be better.  Even if we are happy with what we have, if given the opportunity, we would get more.  The best of human nature is shown when someone strives to achieve something and then succeed or even fail but put their best effort in and beat expectations.  The worst comes out when people strive for something, but end up hurting others, intentionally or unintentionally, in the process.  There are people who are too focused in making money for themselves to see the people's lives they're destroying.  Then there are people that feel that the world they were given is unfair and they want to make a change but the way they do this involves intentionally hurting others, physically, economically and emotionally.  In life I feel that it's important to strive to both make yourself happy, but in doing so help others achieve their goals.

News

On November 24, I watched the news coverage of the results of Darren Wilson's indictment and the protests and president's speech that followed.  A newscaster was talking about hearing gunshots when President Barack Obama gave his speech urging for "peaceful protests." Sadly enough, along side his speech, the riots were escalating and images of tear gas and smashed police car windows were shown, along with the cameraman being threatened by a protester who had just smashed a car window.

I have no idea what it feels like to be a minority in this country where despite the progress we've accomplished, there is still much racism and stereotyping.  Among the police, whether it be "stop and frisk" or shooting under questionable circumstances, racial profiling is a problem.  I try to put myself in the shoes of the protesters and see how frustrating it must be to feel that the very same people who are meant to protect you, are out to get you.  Had Michael Brown been a white preppy boy and the other circumstances been the same, would Wilson had shot him?  I sincerely doubt it.  On the other hand, I feel that the protesters are going too far.  Smashing car windows will not make a change, while peacefully protesting might.  Also, the news coverage seemed to be provoking the protesters instead of condemning them, which Obama referenced  in his speech when he spoke about the protests making "good TV."  As a country, we've come so far, but there is still so much that needs to be done to end the racial divide.

Interview with someone who you feel makes the world a better place

Is there any one person who you feel that you made a really important impact on their life?

Yes, possibly-I don't want to take credit.  There was a defendant in my court, who in my opinion clearly needed drug treatment.  She refused treatment. Her attorney asked me if I might make a jail offer to her.  I said, I would give her one year jail, which is the maximum- in other words I wasn't making an offer to her because I wanted her to go to treatment. I looked through her rap sheet, and I noticed that there was a long period of time without any arrests.  So I brought that up, and asked her what happened, what led to her getting addicted again because I saw that she knew how to live a crime free life.  She burst into tears and told me about a crime that she was a victim of.  She said she'd been in drug treatment before and was willing to try it again.  And that was the breakthrough, she decided to give it another shot.  I'm waiting to see how she does in treatment but at least she's trying again, which is better than jail.

My dad, John Hecht, works in the domestic violence and prostitution part of in the Brooklyn judiciary system.  Often times he sees prostitutes who are the victims and aren't criminals.  In this case he was able to convince a prostitute to go back to drug treatment and hopefully get her life back on track.  Also, not only did my dad help her drug problem but he also dealt with her prostitution case.  This story, as well as other similar ones, inspire me to keep trying when I see someone who refuses help.  There are so many people who want help, who need help, but are too afraid to ask.

Song

Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People

Robert's got a quick hand.

He'll look around the room, he won't tell you his plan.

He's got a rolled cigarette hanging out his mouth, he's a cowboy kid.

Yeah, he found a six shooter gun in his dad's closet hidden with a box of fun things.

I don't even know what but he's coming for you, yeah, he's coming for you.

All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you better run, better run, outrun my gun.

All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you better run, better run faster than my bullet.

Daddy works a long day.

He be coming home late, he's coming home late.

And he's bringing me a dark surprise.

'Cause dinner's in the kitchen and it's packed in ice.

I've waited for a long time.

Yeah, the sleight of my hand is now a quick-pull trigger.

I reason with my cigarette

And say, "Your hair's on fire, you must've lost your wits, yeah."

All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you better run, better run, outrun my gun.

All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you better run, better run faster than my bullet.

Ru-ru-run, run, run, run

I believe this song is about a kid who feels isolated and lost and wants shoot the kids with the nicer shoes.  The first verse is in the third person while the rest is in first person, which makes me wonder whether Robert is a school shooter and the speaker is influenced by Robert and decides to shoot the richer, most likely more popular kids in an imitation shooting.  The speaker also seems to have a hard life at home with a father who is often not there for him, but the speaker still is waiting for him for dinner. The song is meant to put the listener into the shoes of what it feels like to think that there is no one out there for you and mindset of a school shooter.  This song brought out the ideas that there are people that need to be reached out to, that need someone to help them not feel so isolated.

TV

One of my favorite TV shows is Freaks and Geeks from 1999.  This is one of the few shows that I feel realistically and respectfully shows teen life.  In Freaks and Geeks, not all of the main characters are good looking and rich unlike many shows where everyone has perfect features.  However, one thing that annoys me about the show is that all of the major characters, and most of the minor, are white.  For a show that is prided as one of the few shows that is fair towards teens and it lacks any racial diversity.

     However, some people may find this show less offensive than Glee, a current popular show, another show that doesn't depict teens as perfect children.  On the outside looks like an incredibly diverse show, but is filled with incredibly offensive stereotypes.  These include, the dumb blonde with a negative GPA, the Jewish girl who considers getting a nose job, the gay boy with a great fashion sense, the sassy overweight black girl, and the two overachieving asians, one of which gets an "Asian F" more commonly known as an A-.  It angers me that often shows have no people of color, or have incredibly stereotyped ones, when in the real world very few fall into their stereotypes.  Because these stereotypes are constantly reinforced in TVs, movies, video games and commercials, people begin to make assumptions about others in their life.

Reading Response on Animal Farm by George Orwell

In the world, persuasion and influence is necessary in the pursuit of power.  George Orwell's novel, Animal Farm, is the story of a group of mistreated animals who revolt against their owner, Mr. Jones, and take over the farm.  Through the ability of the pigs, who become the ruling class, to exert influence over the other animals, it is made clear the power of persuasion on the vulnerable.

Early on in the story, the animals first agreed to the idea of rebelling against Mr. Jones because of the pig, old Major's influence on them.  Before his speech, old Major was already well respected on the farm and had stature that gave him authority over the other animals.  The book states that, "Old Major … was so highly regarded on the farm that everyone was quite ready to lose an hour’s sleep in order to hear what he had to say."  Looking back on it, I find it very interesting that so early in the book the seeds of pigs being viewed with distinction are coming through.  Had one of the other animals gave a speech, I presume that they would be considered insane.  When oId Major does give his speech he gives the animals hope of freedom and utopian society.  In his speech, old Major states that " 'Only get rid of Man, and the produce of our labour would be our own. AImost overnight we could become rich and free.' "  Old Major is speaking of a utopian world and persuading the animals by giving them hope.  At this point all the animals on the farm strongly believe in the ideas of the Rebellion, due to old Major's ability to persuade.  Old Major ends his speech with the singing of a song that he vaguely remembers from his childhood and recently rediscovered, The Beasts of England. The singing of the song represents the first use of propaganda in the book.  It is made clear early on in the story that in order to gain the support of the animals a strong influence is needed.

The pigs use different forms of influence to gain the animals' support both before and after the Rebellion.  After old Major died, his ideas were composed by three pigs, Snowball, Napoleon and Squealer, into the principles of Animalism.  The animals soon begin the teaching of these principles to all animals.  By spreading their ideas through education the pigs are able to force all of their teachings onto the animals, young and old, they normalize their ideas.  Particularly in the less intelligent animals, who don't think for themselves, the pigs gain easy support for the rebellion.  After the Rebellion occurs the animals throw materials that were used to maim, kill or harness the animals as well as clothing (the mark of man) were thrown either down the well or onto a fire.  When one horse, Mollie, asks to keep ribbons that go in her hair, Snowball states that " ‘Ribbons,’ he said, ‘should be considered as clothes, which are the mark of a human being. All animals should go naked.’ "  Mollie is the first, and one of the only, animals in the book to be dissatisfied with the farm under the rule of the animals.  But because of their superior intelligence, the pigs are able to govern the animals over what is and isn't allowed and gain the support of almost all of the animals.  Without their influence over the animals, the pigs would not have been able to effectively institutionalize their beliefs.

When the pigs become power hungry and their original prospects fall apart, they continue to exert their power through propaganda.  After its creation, the ideas of Animalism are reduced to seven commandments.  To compensate for some less intelligent animals', namely the sheep, inability to grasp the commandments, Snowball created the maxim, "Four legs good, two legs bad."  When Napoleon ends the tradition of Sunday-morning meetings in which all of the animals vote on questions concerning the farm and replaced it with a special committee of pigs, four young pigs protest but are drowned by the sheep's bleating of "Four legs good, two legs bad."  Every time these four pigs protest they are drowned out by the same bleating.  This form of propaganda not only increases support for Animalism, it also represses any protests the animals may have.  Napoleon realized that as he grew more powerful it was necessary to get rid of any thing that got in his way, this included both protests and Snowball, who Napoleon has chased off the farm.  As the pigs begin to break the original seven commandments, they write in changes to them.  The first of this is the commandment stating that "No animal shall sleep in a bed" being replaced by "No animal shall sleep in a bed with covers," when the pigs move into Mr. Jones' former house.  This is followed by the replacement of "No animal shall drink alcohol," with "No animal shall drink alcohol in excess" and many subsequent changes in the commandments.  When Napoleon realizes he wants more than what he originally wanted, he and the other pigs change the rules that the other animals so closely follow.  The destroying of the commandments signals the complete totalitarianism.  Towards the end of the story, the pigs walk on their hind legs and Squealer teaches the sheep to now bleat, "Four legs good, two legs better."  At the same time the seven commandments are replaced with "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."  By playing on the sheep's inability to think for themselves, the pigs are able to control all of the animals and subdue the animal's free will.  The pigs are able to have total authority by the end of the book by suppressing the previous ideas of autonomy.

In  Animal Farm, George Orwell makes it clear that to gain power, an ability to sway the opinions of a group of people, or in this case animals, is necessary.  This story which parallels the rise of the Soviet Union, is a message to many people around the world to not just do what their told but to think for themselves.  While the Soviet Union was in power, the government used different forms of propaganda to persuade its citizens to blindly follow their rules and ideas.  But around the world people achieve power by influencing others.  Everyday we see billboards and ads all over, which are all ways of influencing people to buy a product so the company can get economic power.  This book teaches readers to not accept what they're told and become independent people.

Reading Response on The Perks of Being a Wall Flower by Stephen Shbosky

Eli Hecht 802

For many teens, high school involves a struggle to figure out identity, and understanding who they really are and how others view them.  Stephen Chbosky's novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, paints a riveting picture of life for Charlie and his group of semi popular friends.  Through the endeavor of Charlie and his peers, it is made clear that the need to classify and group teens into stereotypes impacts many teens.

One example of this is the realization of Charlie that he is considered an outcast by his peers.  At a party a few weeks into his meeting Sam and Patrick, his new found friends, Patrick says to their friend, Bob, "He's a wallflower."  In response to this, Charlie states, "I didn't know that other people thought things about me. I didn't know that they looked."  This is interesting to me because it shows how even though Charlie is a silent observer, people do notice him, and that while he was watching he didn't realize that they even noticed him.  This also shows how despite their awareness of Charlie, many of his peers don't make an effort to involve him because he didn't try to be involved or break the standards of being a "wallflower".  Another example of Charlie's discovering his identity as an outcast is when his teacher, Bill, whom he has a close relationship with, tells him to "participate" more and be involved with social activity.  Bill says to Charlie that, "sometimes people use thought to not participate in life."  Bill is making an effort to push Charlie out of his comfort zone and be more involved in the world around him.  In telling Charlie this, Bill puts Charlie in a place where he sees himself in new ways, and helps him try to break the boundaries he's set for himself.  Many people in Charlie's life see him as a social pariah and they help push him to see that, so he can help himself change.

Another example of teens struggling to figure there lives out, is the secret relationship of Patrick and Brad, the schools' football quarterback.  Brad takes many measures to hide his relationship with Patrick, including having a "girlfriend," who he goes to school dances with.  In explaining their relationship to Charlie, Patrick tells Charlie that, "Brad doesn't want people to know … because he's scared."  Brad worries about turning from being classified as the football quarterback to being known as a homosexual.  Because of this he buries himself in his lies and only allows a select group of people to see his true identity.  Also, Charlie states that "They only fooled around at parties on Fridays, but Patrick said Brad couldn't even look at him in the hall, let alone speak with him. And it was hard, too, because Patrick really liked Brad."  Patrick wants to be open about his relationship but outside of parties, Patrick means nothing to Brad, who wants to preserve his social status and friend group.  This quote made me feel sorry for Patrick because even though he has come to terms with his homosexuality and is open about it, Brad's fear of being classified as "gay" is still affecting him.  Brad is afraid of his identity so he keeps his friends from seeing who he really is, which also directly impacts Patrick.

In addition, both Sam and Charlie's sister have low respect for themselves because of the way the boys in their life view and treat them.  Charlie's sister and her boyfriend fought a lot and she was very bitter towards him until he physically abused her, and then they were suddenly happy together.  When Charlie spoke to Bill about his sister's abuse he replies with, "Charlie, we accept the love we think we deserve." In modern society, we believe that many of the gender roles in relationships no longer exist, but Charlie's sister's boyfriend was discontented when she was classified by their peers as the stronger of the two, but they were both accepting when he was in control.  This quote also shows how if you accept the stereotypes others fit you into, you are often limited to them for had Charlie's sister broken up with the boy after he hit her, she would be asserting herself and breaking down his perception of her.  Also, when Charlie is talking about his friend, Sam's, relationship with her boyfriend, he says that "It's very hard for me to see Sam feel better about herself just because an older boy sees her that way."  Sam satisfies her need to raise her self-esteem by dating a boy that's older than her because she is unhappy with who she is without the reassurance of others.  Sam is unsatisfied with how she perceives herself so she seeks out others to give her what she thinks is an authoritative opinion and makes her feel important.  In the book, both Charlie's sister and his friend, Sam, accept the ways their boyfriends perceive them.

In The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky explains the attempts of teens to discover, and in some cases hide, their identity.  This story and its message connects to me and many teens in the world because even in middle school, everyone feels the need to classify or be classified into certain groups.  Many teens don't affiliate with the group they're classified into by their peers or don't feel that they fit into stereotypes. This novel is an important message to many teens in that it teaches them to be themselves, and not expect the standards others limit us to.

Reading Response on Ashes by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Eli Hecht 802

Reading Response on Ashes by Susan Beth Pfeffer

“I stood over the teapot and stared sat the money. Mom's emergency money. Her earthquake money. Her Martian money. Ten Andrew Jacksons stared right back at me. They offered me no advice on what I should do.”  Susan Beth Pfeffer's short story, Ashes, is the story of Ashleigh, or Ashes and her struggle to choose between her divorced parents.  In the story, Ashes' father asks her to steal from her mother to pay off a debt.  Through Ashes' relationship with her parents, Susan Beth Pfeffer shows the struggles of teens to make decisions that may impact their lives

Throughout the story, Ashes faces the dilemma of choosing between her parents and their attempts to gain her affection.  For example, when describing her mom, Ashes say that, “she's the most practical person I know, always putting aside for a rainy day.  With Mom, there are a lot of rainy days and she takes a grim sort of pleasure in being ready for them.”  I feel that even though her mom is never mentioned as being fun in the story, it's clear that Ashes knows that her mother will always be prepared and ready for anything giving Ashes a feeling of security.  On the other hand, Ashes' dad makes Ashes feel special and wanted.  Throughout the story, Ashes father calls her a “One-in-a-million-girl.”  The first couple of times he says it, it seems sincere, but after he asks her to take a couple hundred dollars from her mother, every time he calls her “One-in-a-million,” it seems like he's just trying to coax her into stealing the money.  I think that the father believes the more he makes her feel special, the more she'll love him and in the end, the more Ashes will be willing to steal for him or do other favors when he needs it.   Both of Ashes parents try to make Ashes love them, and want her to understand their point of view.

After her parents' divorce, Ashes struggles with loyalties between her parents, especially when they disparage each other..  Ashes' mom is said to often describe the dad as “an irresponsible bum.”  I think that Ashes' mom was incredibly hurt by Ashes' father and because of this tries to get Ashes to see his flaws.  She feels a need for the emotional support of Ashes and she hopes to achieve this by speaking negatively of her father.  On the contrary, Ashes' dad claims that he has more to give than her mom.  In the story, Ashes recalls him saying, “All I can give you is dreams, Ashes … But one good dream  is worth a thousand flashlight batteries.”  The father's cruelty to the mother's readiness angers me because the father doesn't follow through with his promises.  In this quote, the father was able to both give Ashes false expectations and put down Ashes' mom.  With very little communication or interaction, both of Ashes' parents find ways to fight for her affection.

Further more, Ashes uses the environment she perceives to show her feelings towards her parents.  At the beginning of the story, Ashes claims that, “it felt like every time I saw my father, the sun cast off just a littler more warmth than it had the day before.” The description of the weather when Ashes sees her father made me realize that Ashes only sees what she wants to.  To fulfill her desire for him to be stable,  Ashes imagines that the environment around her father is steady and that he provides her with warmth, as we all want our parents to do.  However in the quote it is unclear whether the weather is only nicer in her imagination, and that Ashes is feeling what she wants to.  Similarly, towards the end, when Ashes is entering her apartment, still deciding whether or not she'll steal the money, she states that, “It always felt a little colder when Mom wasn't there.”  I was surprised at this quote because it was the first time Ashes expressed a positive feeling towards her mother.  For much of the story, her mother is portrayed very adversely, but in this quote it is finally clear that Ashes understands that her mother will keep her from unwanted feelings.  From these two quotes I understood that Ashes sees her father as occasional warmth while her mother is her protection from cold.  Her father is unreliable but when he comes through he gives Ashes pleasure, as opposed to his mother who keeps Ashes feeling secure.

In Ashes, the idea that teens have a hard time being decisive is shown using Ashes, her parents, and their influence on her.  This story and the message it teaches connects to me personally, especially currently going through the high school application process.  There is a lot of pressure that many of my peers and I are facing, coming from other students, teachers and most of all parents.  I feel that many others in the same situation as me empathize with Ashes in that no child wants to disappoint their parents, but sometimes we feel that the decision we're making isn't honest with ourselves.  In the end when Ashes makes her decision she is by herself but looking for advice or anything to help her.  This story has an important message to teens that they should take advice and help from others, but in the end the decisions we make should be our own.

Reading Response on the Old Man and the Sea

Eli Hecht 804
ELA Reading Response

     The Book, The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway is the story of an old Cuban fisherman and his catch - and loss - of a giant marlin.  The book explains how the old man, Santiago is considered to be the unluckiest fisherman in his village.  On his eighty-fifth day out at sea without catching a fish, he gets ahold of a great marlin, larger than he or anyone in his town has ever seen, who pulls him and his boat for two days refusing to give in and surrender to death.  On the third day without returning to his village, the old man finally catches the marlin.  As the old man returns to his town, many waves of sharks, bite off pieces of the dead marlin tied to the side of the boat.  Eventually there is only a carcass of the formerly grand marlin.  The theme of The Old Man and the Sea is having love and respect for the world we live in.

     The old man throughout the book references his respect for the sea and the fish that inhabit it.  The old man's admiration of the sea is shown shown when he calls it the feminine la mar, "He always thought of the sea as la mar which is what people call her in Spanish when they love her." [29] This is then compared to the young fisherman with motorboats who refer to the sea as el mar, the masculine name for the sea, and refer to the sea as an enemy or a challenge.  Also, both before and after the old man catches the marlin he speaks to it as a worthy opponent and with respect.  A habit of the old man is speaking to himself, after he hooks the fish but before he catches it he says, " 'The fish is my friend too,' he said aloud. 'I have never seen or heard of such a fish. But I must kill him. I am glad we do not have to try to kill the stars."[75]  This shows how the old man has such a great respect for the fish that he compares it with the stars.  When sailing back to his village with the fish caught the book states that, "They were sailing together lashed side by side and the old man thought, let him bring me in if it pleases him. I am only better than him through trickery and he meant me no harm."[99]  Despite killing the great fish, the old man sees it as an equal.  The old man's love and respect for the sea makes the loss of the marlin seem even more tragic.

     The old man has an unbreakable love for the sea.  He shows his love, by treating the sea with honor and pride.  Unlike the younger fisherman who regard the sea as a challenge and refer to it as el mar, the old man prefers the feminine la mar.  Even to the fish that the old man kills, he shows his respect by calling it a friend and comparing it to the stars.  Once he catches the fish he doesn't treat it as his his inferior but as his partner.  In The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway uses the old man as a symbol and a lesson for readers to appreciate the world that surrounds them.