Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Day 6 responce Dacia Hill



I think writing about your misfortune's in life helps you to properly learn how to accept them. I believe writing is its own form of therapy and can be use by anyone. Writing give you a sense of privacy and it can be use to create change in the minds of others. If I had ever become a juvenile delinquent I would use writing to turn my life around. I would give people the real incite as to who I am. When you young and black, you sometimes have to instill a notion of respect into the minds of others. Once you mess up in so many ways the good thoughts go outside the window. You have to work and start all over to prove yourself. Writing can be silent so respect is already created in a sense.
Every once in a while I like to write about something that makes me happy. Each time I write I like to speak the truth. I say what really going on my mind. Honesty makes me content with myself. Happiness can sometimes and most times they are in small moments. In Marjane’s life, she is surrounded by violence and confusion. She is forcing herself to follow her parent and rush into adulthood. Rarely does she have a moment of happiness and when she does it is gone in an instant. For example, when marjane’s Parents return from Turkey she loves all of the gifts they bring her. She decides to put it all on and walk out into the street. Moments later she is approaches by two guardians of the revolution and put into danger. Happiness is gone. If I wrote I would remember how scared and upset I was after that. With the truth more people can relate and with happiness you are basically vulnerable.

Day 6 Response Tony Jackson


I come from a very culturally mixed family. There are Catholic, Baptist, Jewish, and Muslims beliefs all in one house hold so I don’t have a real strong pull toward which one is right and which one is wrong. I do feel that there is a higher being up there somewhere but I’m not positive if his name is God or Allah. Even though bad things happen I don’t think that people should pond it off on “it was an act of god” or sit back and do nothing and say “It's in God’s hands”. I feel that he doesn’t exists because of the simple fact that according to god, if I don’t do this I’m going to hell or if I do that I’m going to hell as if I’m suppose to fear something that I can’t see, touch or hear.
“Are you really out there” pg 82 is something that Jimmy and many people find themselves asking and waiting for an answer that won’t come. I do believe in a way but then I don’t believe at the same time. I don’t feel that he has done me wrong and I don’t feel that he has done me any good I just live with all the challenges that get thrown my way.
What he has done for me is helped me get through the traumatic experience of being robbed at gun point in my own house and have everything taken from me. But on the opposite side of things I can ask, why would he put me through something like that?

Day 6 Response to Jorgina (Christopher Johnson)


I would rather write about something positive because it would take my mind off of my current situation. There have been many times in my life when I felt as though everything around me was going wrong but I would always find something to make me feel better even if only for a few minutes (i.e singing, listening to the radio, etc.) I think if you focus on the negative you will never be truly happy because happiness comes from within. The Bible states life and death lie within power of the tongue. If you speak positive things then positive things will happen in your life the same concept goes for negativity. This concept goes for writing as well. I feel that writing is an escape from your current situation so if you continue to write negative things then negativity will always be your state of being. So basically what I'm trying to say in a nutshell is that the boys should write positive things in their classes because ultimately negativity surrounds them all the time so in the time they get to spend with Mark everything should be positive.I think this is the message Sister Janet is trying to get across to the prison guards and Mark as well."It all boils down to one thing; the kids want to feel that they matter to someone."(27) She wants the kids to have something positive in their lives so that's why I think all the writing the kids do should be positive.

TRUST


Yes, i am a true believer that god exist. It took time for me to start believing god really exist my life. I use to only run to god when i was in trouble or when i really wanted something. I question my self plenty of times asking if god was real , and if he so real where is he when im in my time of need. I had the same questions that jimmy had in the True notebook pg 82. "God allows certain things to happen because he's testing our faith". It took me some time to understand what faith was and how do i learn to trust and have faith in god. six years ago i almost lost someone very special to me she is my queen (my mother).The doctors didnt know if she was going to live because she had no blood in her body. They explain to us that a new born baby had more blood than her Right then and there i start praying and trusting in god that he will bring my mom out the hospital with good health. i prayed that every night and day , and when the doctor said no i now god will say yes. My mom came out the hospital two months later with good health . I know it was no body but god that kept her The doctors told us that they dont know how she even made it that far. every since then i build a stronger relationship with god. Many people run to god when there in trouble, not saying thats a bad thing but thats when every body calls on him. Now im able to call on him durning anytime of the day not only when im in trouble but im able to say thank you for blessing me and keeping through rough times and happy times. I learned sometimes we beg god for things and when we dont see nothing happen we start to think he's not real. But really sometimes god doesnt do things right away it takes time. I learn that i may not have everything i want but i have everything i need.
If i was a juvenile delinquent I think my writing would vary. Of course I would be angry at the fact that I made a horrible decision to end up at a Juvenile Hall, but I think I would write about being placed behind bars to release anger. Writing for me, is a way to express myself. Then there would be days that I would be so angry that I wouldn't even want to think about it, let alone write about it. I honestly think that my mood would affect my writing for the day. In the novel True Notebooks, Jimmy states "Sometimes you cant think of anything positive. All you can think about is the negative, because that's all there is in your life." If your constantly thinking about the negative than you will never write about the positive things in life. I'm trying to really imagine being a juvenile delinquent and being in a writing class. I guess like I've stated above my mood would have a great affect on my writing for the day. Okay I have an example, in the novel Kevin writes about helping a former inmate. After helping that person he states, "I felt good that I helped somebody out, because I know that someone helped me when I was struggling." That would be a positive thing to write about.

Expressions- Sam Johnson


If I were a juvenile delinquent I probably would write about my times that lead me to have to call the actual location my home. I would about it because I would want to share the experience with others so they wouldn't go down the same road and the story might persuade them to stay away from the danger of it. Sometimes it can be used as a remembrance for when you actually get out of jail to show yourself where you came from. It can also show you how many silly mistakes you have made. Writing how I feel is a means of therapy(especially when you are in that situation) that would help you come down and be able to relax. Its not so much of writing negative things down, its just about your feelings. Letting everything out will clear your mind. In my opinion I think the negative things have to be said rather than wrote down because by saying it you can actually show your full emotion. When you writing something down its just coming from your head and there's no emotion except when you actually writing it. By holding everything in your brain it can cause damage to you mentally and emotionally. So no I don't think its irrelevant to write down your feelings whether negative or positive, especially when you in certain condition where its really needed for you to do so such as jail. It would defiantly keep you out of a lot of trouble.

Response for day 6 -Jamahl Jackson


I believe that there is a lot of gods that people worship but i believe that there is only one true "enlighten one". This "enlighten one" in a way can control everything but cant control humans because he gave us free will.

I believe that everything happens for a reason.I believe that we all make choices that influnece how our future will turn out.I believe that there is no heaven or hell. I believe that even though we have free wil it can be taken away from us all with one act from the enlighten one or god..

I beleive that when we die nothing happens.i believe that we have pitfalls because of the things we do.Just like karma.I believe that how you treat people is how people wil treat you.


In the book persophilis ,marajane is beliieving in god but later on he kinda fades away because of the revolution.God really didnt play a major rule in her life .But later on she makes refrences to god not hearing her prayers because of the revolution.So in contrast people when they dont need god they tend to forget about him or let him fade away.I think that every religion is somehow connected in someway.I believe that through time there was a universal riligion.Then over period of time people explored conqured new areas, but used the same basis for the religion.

So in conclusion people believe what everyone else believe but in a diffrent way,shape and form.

Day 6 Answer to Chris(Jorgina Kelly)



I do believe in God very much. One reason is because that’s who I grew up learning to believe in, love and trust. My parents pretty much installed God in me then as I got older; I realized their reasoning behind doing that. I believe that he created everything to happen for a reason. With me being here at Columbia College is one of the positive ways he led me to. If I was still living in Galesburg, Illinois I probably would have just been sitting around the house and not furthering my education or my career. I also believe in him because once or twice before when my mother didn’t have any money and she was at her lowest we received many blessing. My mother just like the character in True Notebooks said “People always say God allows certain things to happen because he's testing our faith.”(P. 82) I believe that to be true because in the world you will run into test everywhere you go. You can and will sometimes be tested at school, work or even personal with your best friend or your mate. There are tests everywhere. Another way is him giving me the type of parents I have because if I had different type of parents then I probably wouldn’t have be the person I am today. I highly believe in God.

Day 6 Response to Jorgina Kelly -Arianna King

If I was a juvenile I would not write about my reasons for being where I was. I feel that anyone that goes to jail should not have a second chance. They messed up their life and should pay for what they have done. My family is a very strict family when it comes to doing bad things. If you are committing a crime out of no justification then you should pay for what you have done. Writing can be looked at as a positive and helpful hobby in the long run. It helps you get out how you feel so you are not suffering. Writing helps you express yourself and get out to others what you are saying. Negativity is not supposed to be written down. Writing down negativity can bring down the reader. If I had to write about something while in jail it will have to be something good. The type of person I am is that I have to keep on a good note. Writing to be happy helps me out and keeps me on a good note. If I have to understand why they wrote about their bad things then I would say that it is okay to write about what they did. Hopefully when they do write about it is so they can say how sad they are about what they did. That would be the time to apologies about their actions and not to remember what happen and feel good about it. Some people that go to jail may feel what they did was justifiable. Many that go to jail feel remorse and those are the ones that should be able to write about their feelings. “Bad people are dangerous but forgiving them is too. Don’t worry, there is justice on earth” (53). This shows that not only my family feels this way Marjane family feels the same way also. People that did not care “once upon a time” they will not care now.

Day 6 Reponse- Antonio Hill


Many people express themselves through their writing. Like me, some people elaborate more when they write instead of talking verbally and then stumble on their words. The art of writing is good to have, not everyone can organize what they are thinking and put them into words that make helps people to understand what's on their mind. Just a simple essay can tell so much about a person. It can tell what you're thinking, how you are feeling at the moment, your past or you’re present. Some may not know, but when writing, the choice of words you use depends on your emotion believe it or not. But if I was a juvenile delinquent, I would write about whatever I feel whether it was good or bad. I wouldn't have a specific, one-sided topic all the time because I have too many feelings. If I’m around bad things all my life I’ll write about it as well as write about the good things I have yet to experience. Writing about negativity can be both relevant and irrelevant depending on how you choose to express it. If you're just talking about negativity for no reason then it'll be considered irrelevant, however if you're talking about your background and it has some negativity then I guess it'll be relevant. On page 98 of the text, Kevin states “During difficult times, I think about freedom and what it really is. Some people say that I don’t have freedom because I’m in jail but I have freedom and lots of it.” With that being said, it depends on how people look at the negativity and how they choose to take it. Kevin makes a good thing out of a bad situation, so I would say it’s how the person defines negativity.

day 6 response to jorgina (Sean MacKenna)



Thats a very tough question. it all depends what i get locked up for. if it was something stupid like robbing an old lady or stealing something, i probably would leave that out and talk about the happy times in my life. in juvy there isn't a lot to do. you sit and think about past experiences and what you wish you could have done over. for me i don't like talking about my past because some of it wasn't there greatest and Ive done some things im not proud of. Im human though and we all make mistakes. unfortunately for Francisco his life choices ended him up in prison for a long time. i would probably talk about the good times i had before being locked up. the long days i would spend at Roselle with all my friends and talk about my family. the happier stories is probably what keeps people going in jail because it helps them keep there mind off all the distractions in prison, such as gangs, murderers and probably the food (Ive been told it tastes really bad) i would keep reminding myself of my time on the outside instead of being mad at the world that i was caught in whatever i did and sent there. Ive had friends in jail and they all have said that its the worst feeling ever because if you don't stay positive and keep thinking about the future your past creeps up on you and you either get angry and do something to someone to make yourself feel better or you get depressed and try to kill yourself. hopefully i never have to go there, so far Ive been lucky and gotten out of a lot of trouble that probably would have got me in but as long as i stay on the right track i should be able to avoid it and not have to worry about answering your question from experience other then what i have already.

Day 6, Response to Jorgina: Kiarah Lazo


If I were a juvenile delinquent I would write about everything that comes to my mind. Writing for me sets my mind free and puts me in a comfort zone. So if I were to be trapped behind bars I would write my little heart out. Then again, being in a juvenile hall might make me go crazy so I’m not too sure of what exactly I’ll be writing about. It would have to be all the struggles I’ve dealt with in my life. For example, what was going on in my head at that time, what was actually happening, things I could have done different, maybe things I could have done worse, etc. Come to think of it, I would write a book about my life. I would start it off really peaceful just because when we come into this world we don’t know what to expect. I’m not going to sit here and lie and say my life was perfect because it wasn’t; no one’s life is perfect. If it was or is, you my friend aren’t human. It would be interesting to tell people my life story and everything I’ve been through. All my positive and negative experiences, even things I wish I would have experienced. My book wouldn’t just have words; it would also include sketches and poetry. My book needs to be interesting, where people can relate to some things and hopefully learn from my mistakes so they won’t end up where I ended up.

Chris' Day 6 Question

In the book True Notebooks one of the prisoners states that he doesn't believe in God because he feels as though if God exists he wouldn't let bad things happen to good people. He states "People always say God allows certain things to happen because he's testing our faith. We are only human beings and there is so much we can take. Once we reach our breaking point, most of will just say fuck everything. People also say that the Lord is a jealous one, so if he wants us to rely on him one hundred percent, why does he allow certain to come into our lives and make us doubt his existence?"(82) Do you feel that God exists and if so give examples on how God has affected you in a positive way. If not then explain what made you feel the way you do about him?

Day 6 Question-Jorgina Kelly


In the novel True Notebooks by Mark Salzman, many of the prisoners wrote about negative memories in their writing. It's good to express your feelings because sometimes it relieves the stress that continues to build up inside a person. If you were a juvenile delinquent, would you write about times that lead you to have to call a juvenile hall your temporary or permanent residence? Or would you rather write about something that put a smile on your face? Do you think it is relevant or irrelevant to be writing about the negativity? Why?

Monday, August 9, 2010

Day 5 Response to Arianna: Kiarah Lazo


Have you heard of the SB1070 Law? The SB1070 Law (Senate Bill) is racial profiling against the Latinos and Latinas by law enforcement. This law was going to be passed on July 29, 2010 in Arizona, but it was blocked. You may ask why was it blocked, well it was blocked because of the many people going against this law and demanding Obama to impeach the law. We Latinos and Latinas needed to stand up for our people but yet it wasn’t just us, there were many races going against this law. When you see a Hispanic person walking down the street, what do you think of them? Most people see us just as people who do not know English, thieves, gang bangers, etc. There are some people who think very negative of us, but they are wrong. Truthfully, there are few Hispanics who don’t deserve to be here in the United States. Then again there are those who have families and jobs and pay taxes, these people definitely deserve to stay here in the United States and become a citizen. The quote from Persepolis on page 76,”She should start learning to defend her rights as a woman right now!” makes me think of a Hispanic woman saying that quote but instead of woman it would say Latina. This also reminds me of this young boy who was separated from his mother due to her being deported. Just two weeks ago I myself and hundreds of other Hispanics including Saul, we went to Washington D.C. to march in front of the white house. Saul and five other kids whose parents were deported got to speak to Nancy Pelosi and tell her their stories. That right there is him starting off young and learning how to defend his rights as a Latino. When I meet new people in my very own community and tell them about this law, some of them go against me and try to bring me down in a way of me not knowing what I’m talking about. Therefore I stand tall and debate with this person that this law is not right, it is racial profiling people right off the street. I once told a man who went against me, what if a family member of yours left one morning to go to school or work and never came back because they were stopped by the police and was taken away, deported back to their country. This man stood quiet, and told me I was doing a good thing. This man made me realize that once your voice is heard it changes things.

Response to Question 1 Day 5 Tony Jackson "Too Many Faces"


I believe that everyone no matter color, race, gender, sexuality, or style should have to deal with being put into a box. I like to dress the way I want I like skinny jeans and cardigans and fitted clothes but in my neighborhood the style is baggy, loose fit, dark clothes that make you look like a gangster. I work for the cook county green program, it’s an organization that helps clean up the community and plants flower beds and gardens along the bike path that runs through Maywood. It was Monday and we were going on a trip to visit another garden somewhere in Chicago. I didn’t know the area that they were talking about but my co workers did and when they found out where we were going they made a big deal about what would happen to me if I went to this certain place with the clothes I had on. They said that I would be called gay or that I would get made fun of. They went as far as saying that I would get beat up. So everyone wanted me to dress more like them, more “ghetto”. I didn’t like that I compromised who I am.
Something that mark said in the book really connects to this situation “having to put on a mask all the time. What does it feel like? How Does it make you as if you lose track of who you really are” (51) the boys in the book have to pretend all the time that they are something that they’re not they have to put on different faces for different things that go on in the jail. My coworkers wanted me to be something I’m not so I told them that I couldn’t do that because who I am is who I am I don’t have to be anybody else but me. They all laughed and tried to warn me again but I stood by it. The next day I dressed in what I wanted to dress in and to their surprise people were saying they like how I dress so because I defended myself and didn’t change I was looked at as an individual.

Day 5 response to Skyler-Arianna King


As many families that were born and raised in a certain place they may seem to be comfortable and not want to leave. “Our country has always known war and Martyrs so, like my father said: ‘When a big wave comes, lower your head and let it pass’! (94)” This shows that they were not going to leave no matter what. The mother and the father seem to feel the same way. Marjane was watching her friends leave for the United States and did not understand why. For example in my life: My grandmother has the money to live in a better place. The house she is in now she has been in for 40 years. She feels comfortable and is somewhat ignorant to what is going on around her. As a citizen of the United States I feel that I don’t have a choice but, to stay and fight for the country I believe in. I feel that fighting for my country is my right and should be taken very serious. If you are living in a certain place and were decelerated as a citizen then you chose to live the way the country is run. If you get to a certain age where you feel that your country is under a tyrant rule then you should leave. You have the ultimate choice in your life. Marjane choice soon was to leave at an older age. She will soon see a different lifestyle in another place as a teenager. Which then had me ask myself should she have stayed and fought with her country for what she use to believe in?

I believed Day 5


Yes I believed I had to defend my belief in my goals of music and the way I dress I had to defend my sexuality to my dad and other people Music can change the way people act good and bad, music influses the savage beast. The sweet sound has been around since the beginning of time. It started with the caveman using animal bones to make sounds to communicate. people communicate with music there are no barriers anyone can understand it. Music is a way of life, But not for all people. In some counties music is not allowed and some school do not havemusic class.for example in the movie footloose dancing and music was not allowed.I feel that music should be every where music can influence you to do better.when I listen to music in school it distracts me from the comotion going on and I focus better on subjects.
page .She should start learning to befend her rights as a woman right now! (76)

Response to Arianna's post - Skyler Kelly


I've had to stand up for several things in my life but one situation that really stood out was when I had an adult come up to me and tell me that he was in charge and that he had full control over me. I stated that I was a legal adult and I had the same rights that he did to some extent. Referring back to the quote, Marjane's mother says that she is going to stand up for what she believed was right. This is very similar to my situation because I felt like the man was taking advantage of me which is exactly what it was like for the women in Iran during that time period. I felt great after expressing my thoughts about my rights to the man. At first he was speechless because he knew that he was completely wrong and he didn’t expect me to react the way that I did. Surprisingly, I expected him to go on and endless rant stating why he thought he had more rights than I did, but he took my words into consideration. I felt like this was a positive outcome because not once in my life have I ever spoken out against an adult to find out that I was right. If the all of women in Iran spoke out for their rights it may seem like a bad idea, but eventually the government would have to consider changing the law making men and women equal. I am proud of myself for doing this and anyone with the courage to stand up for their rights should feel the same.

day 4 response to skyler (sean Mackenna)


Yes Skyler, i would stay. if there was a war going on in America i would be one of the many who would stay and fight. America is my home and there are people here that i love so if i had to fight it would be for them. just like Kevin said when he wrote his three part paper "i think about freedom and what it really is" (98) freedom to me is not having to worry about me shot at, doing everyday activities like we do now, and being able to walk around and not worry about other people. unfortunately for Patrick after joining a gang he had enemies he never even seen before. the gang life is like a war within itself. gangs always trying to 1 up the other gang and do horrible things just to get a reaction out of someone. although im pretty sure were not going to have a war here in America, i would stay and fight for my freedom and the freedom of everyone i love. theirs a lot of people that wouldn't stay because of there morals, health issues, or are just plain scared. at the end of the day though the U.S.A. is the place i came from and it would be the place where i would die. of course i would be scared. not afraid to die but too actually kill someone. i don't know if i would have it in me but the way i view it is that its either my life or theirs and i have to many people to protect to get killed. i think a lot of people would leave because they are afraid to die. death is part of life. all things die and eventually we will. i would rather leave this world knowing i tried to protect what i know instead of old age. people have wars in there countries and not all of them can get out. a lot of people die because they cannot escape but there are still many people who stay and fight and come out fine. my friend Jon-Jon is enlisted in the military and is going to be shipped off to Iraq soon. the one thing i will always remember him saying was "we all have something to fight for. mine is my brother." this just shows that people are willing to die for what they want to keep safe. come back soon Jonathan Herrera.

Response # 5


As a child i was taught Jesus died on the cross for my sin's and with out god in my life i am nothing. It took me a while to understand the meaning of what that really meant. It took a small thing called faith to believe in something even if it don't seem like it will come to reality. I had a friend in high school that didn't Believe in ANYTHING she thought nothing was possible. i believe that i could try to change the way she felt and by the end of the school year and i did. I fought for what i believe in, and to get her to notice things that seem impossible are possible.
In true notebook on pg. 55 Kevin feels that his life is meaningless and he's not sure if he know what he want to be in life. After he said that Francisco told him "your ain't meaningless the bible say so". Kevin still don't believe he can see his life becoming better after being locked up. Francisco told Kevin " god loves you, homes, you just gotta love him back and then he'll tell you what to do with your life". I believe that Francisco had to do the same thing, he had to believe that god loves him and with having faith you will be alright. Jimmy still have doubts about it because he said on pg 55. "My brother loves god and look at all the good it's done him" Jimmy feels as even though his brother love god, why is god letting that disease kill him. Sometimes god can allow other things happen to someone close to just for you wake and see what you are doing is wrong.
When you believe in something you have to have faith and keep believing no matter what comes your way. Just because you cant feel the air doesn't stop you from breathing and just because you cant see god doesn't stop you from believing.

Day 5 Answer Christopher Johnson




I'm not reading the book Persepolis but I can most definitely relate to the character defending her rights as a woman. Many times in my life I've been discriminated against because of my sexual orientation and I've had to stand up for myself to prove that I'm not an easy target. During my junior year in high school someone spread a rumor that I was having sex with people in public restrooms but of course this was completely false and of course I was pissed. When I confronted the boy about the rumor he proceeded to attempt to intimidate me and of course this resulted in me hauling off and punching the kid in the face. I do not condone violence in any way, shape or fashion and in truth I think its dumb to fight but sometimes you have to stand up for yourself so people will know you mean business. Junior year in high school was pretty rough for me and alot of things happened but after that situation I had no more problems. In True Notebooks the young men in jail always find themselves having to defend themselves. For example in the creative writing class Francisco Javier is the self proclaimed leader of the group but when Nathaniel Long joins he must flex his muscle in order to keep in his title. "Read it."(82) is what he says to Jimmy when it came time to share because he wanted Nathaniel to know that he was in charge. He takes this writing class seriously and refuses to allow Nathaniel to make a mockery of it.


skyler's blog day 5

Despite the ability for Marjane’s parents to leave, why do you think they ended up staying? As stated on page 84 in Persepolis, "I was all wrong about dad, he loved his country as much as I did." Do you have enough pride as a US citizen to willingly stay if we had a war?

Day 5 answer to Skyler (tationa)


I have read the book before, so I think the parents stayed but Marjane didn’t because the parents wanted best for her which would be moving to Vienna. They saw how much the war made an impact on her and the parents wanted a better and peaceful up bringing than what they had when they were children. In my opinion, I believe that if there was a war I wouldn’t stay. Wars are dangerous and almost any and everyone can get hurt. I have enough pride to live in the US, but if it’s something that may hurt me or my family then I would leave and never come back until things get better. People would understand that leaving for a better life would be much better than living in a war. However, in True Notebooks leaving a gang for a better future is the opposite of facing a war. “If you turn your back on the gang, who do you go left? By the time you’re locked up, how many people you think still care about you? Your family, maybe and that’s it. And they can’t do the time with you. If you leave the gang, you’re a buster, and everybody hates you” (76). If you turn your back on them, then they would look at you as a traitor and in some cases come after you. Gangs are like war you either stay with the group or die by the hands of your gang family.

Day 5: Answer to Arianna King (Jorgina Kelly)


It is nothing major but one time I had to clean the kitchen for a whole week. Usually my sisters and I take turns everyday cleaning each part of the house but this one week I had to clean up for the whole week. If we don’t clean up when we are suppose to then we have to clean up the kitchen for a whole week. When my mother has company over, play cards and drink, then it is an exception that my sisters and I can wait until the next day to clean the kitchen because most likely we will fall asleep before they do. So on a Friday; I had to clean up that day. I went out to my friend’s house and came in after my mother’s company had left and went straight to sleep. The next morning, it was my little sister turn to clean up and she felt that since the dishes was left over from last night then I should clean them up. We tried to work it out amongst ourselves so that our mother would not have to get involved. Somehow she heard us arguing and told us to come here. I explained the situation; she listened and made me clean the kitchen for a week because I could have cleaned the kitchen before I went to bed that night. I was mad to the point where I cried because my mother and everybody in my house knows that my little sister is lazy and tries to get out of any cleaning she can but I also understood why I was cleaning for the next week. In the novel True Notebooks, the juveniles defend themselves by writing on paper. “You write about the negative, then. If you can write about it, you get it out in the open. It eases the pressure,” says the guard. Jimmy states, “It doesn’t change the reality, though. You’re still stuck in your fucked-up life. Nothing changes.”(p.51) I defend myself by actually getting up and saying something but in some way or form we actually both get to the process of defending ourselves.

Day 5-Answer to Skyler-Jamahl Jackson


If america was filled with war I would not stay!I would go back to the filipines in a heartbeat.I wouldnt want to look at the disatster of this country.This country would fail it couldnt survive because of there sense of everything is going to be okay and the way that they are living.Other countries would be better equipped to deal with a war because the have been taught that its okay to fight for what you belive in to stand up for what is right.I believe that other people from diffrent cultures are so in tunned with their culture and beliefs because they are taught from birth to believe one thing and one thing only.I also say its because there living situations might be worster than our current living status .So this in a way makes them richer in knowledge and better equppied to live in a world that has so many problems.


When natural disasters happened in the U.S it seemed like their whole world was diminished.American sense of prosperity had vanished.But in other countries like Africa and Saudi Arabia these things are happening everyday and Americans dont even hear about them.

In persphilis her country is filled with war and revolution (page 10) "She says the revolution is like a bicyclcyle when the wheels dont turn it falls."In iraq there is a war going on as we speak.But as american are we protesting against it , are we writing letters or are we sitting in our homes just waiting for it to all stop.

Believing


There are times that I have conversations with lesbians and I would tell them just as well as homosexuals that what they are doing is wrong. It's my belief and opinion but I defiantly have ways to back up what I'm saying. In the bible God had destroyed a who town because of this same sex things. So what makes people think it's right now? I'm not homophobic or anything,I'm actually cool with some lesbians and bisexuals but I just think the whole thing is nasty. People that do participate in these endeavors, always have disagreements with me but they can never back up there part of the argument. A different time is some people have a different mindset with me about dating outside your race. I don't think there's nothing wrong with it. But some people, even some in my family, says "If they can't use your comb, don't bring them home", which is funny but a horrible thing. A different situation is the argument about me putting my music in front of certain things. My family sometimes don't think it's nessary for me to practice the way I do or put everything in a music form. Like I could be having a conversation and beat would just come in my head and I would just begin to air play the drums. I believe the hard work that I'm putting into my craft will pay off when the right time is near. I feel as long as I have my prospectives in order( God, family, school, music), i should be good.

Day 5- Answer to Arianna


Back in my 11th grade year I had to defend myself physically against a group of people. It wasn’t so much as me believing in something and they believing another; it was a misunderstanding, I guess. People fear what they don’t understand and boys, most likely, have to defend themselves physically. There’s this thing called pride which gets in the way of our peaceful thinking. We see someone “disrespecting” us and immediately have to stand our ground instead of thinking about the future and what could happen if we retaliate. “Some fool from M/N was talking stuff to him in school and Hall talked some stuff back. What’s he supposed to do?” (90). Nathaniel Hall’s actions resulted in him not being able to attend the writing class or come out his cell. He did not think of the future, he didn’t think of the consequences. He believe that if someone talks smack to him then he should talk smack right back to him; he believed in defending himself physically instead of taking the high road and ignoring whatever was said. His surroundings made him believe that if he chickens out in any way then he’ll be considered a punk, and a punk is a bad thing to be because everyone picks on you. It’s human nature to stand up for oneself. That’s what my mother taught me, if someone hits you then you hit them back. No one likes to get picked on and pushed around and bullied, we all want to be respected. Once we find something worth fighting for, we fight for it, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Day 5 Answer Dacia Hill


I am An African American woman. In my life there have been many times where I had to defend myself I failed sometimes but I never stopped trying. Although I felt like I was living in a shell I was alone but I realize that only made me stronger in the end. A few years ago I went to visit a small town with my father and his wife. A woman I was told that the books I read (adventure novels) were point less. They also felt my race was a useless one. How do I begin to tell you have worthless I began to feel? At first I didn't know what to say. Should I leave, I was lost in her words. I then told her that I was a wonderful smart open minded girl and there is she could do to stop me from living my dreams as a proud Black woman. She was wrong. Like in Persepolis the nun told the parents "your children have no respect for anything ...The basis of education (98)" She told me I was disrespectful. I stated to her that respect is earned and at this point she will never have it from me. Then I left. When I told my father he responded: “I went through the same types of problems” nothing else. I wanted him to go back and defend me also but no luck it’s been 2 years since I last visited him. I never forgot that day. I truly felt proud of myself and my race because I did it on my own I never needed my fathers help. I knew who I was and I was okay with it and I still am. That day Just like Marjane I learned no one can make you feel inferior unless you let them. Words are sometimes just ignorance displayed by the ignorant.

Arianna King Question Day 5

In the book Persepolis the mother stated, "She should start learning to defend her rights as a woman right now!" (76). Have you ever felt that you had to defend yourself in what you believed in? Describe the situation, how you felt and the outcome.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Day 4,The Revolution in the Veil

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