Technology Isn't the Enemy.

Technology gets a bad rep from the doomsday preppers. "Oh man Orwell was right, technology is gonna kill us all". This is absurd to me, technology opens up so many possibilities for innovation. Even though it does have its negative impacts, we shouldn't fear it. What we should be fearing are the people that have technology and want to use it for evil. I don't want to go with the easy example but kim jung un is using technology to brainwash and control his country. He's using technology to possibly kill us all. The tech isn't the issue, it's what the people want to do with the technology that can be our downfall. 

The patriot act assaults our technological freedoms and is a tool that the government uses unconstitutionally. "In a resolution passed on June 29, 2005, they stated that "Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act allows the government to secretly request and obtain library records for large numbers of individuals without any reason to believe they are involved in illegal activity." Sounds pretty awful to me. So at this very moment, everything that you ever searched could be looked at.Here's the kicker though: "the bulk collection of data has not stopped a single act of terror or aided a single federal terrorism prosecution since the Patriot Act became law on October 26, 2001.That's what should terrify all of us. They can look at everything for no reason, and perhaps i would be ok with this if it actually prevented terrorism, but it hasn't.

So yes in essence technology could kill us all, but it isn't technology itself. It's the ones in power of it that will inevitably control us.

  

Honor?

"On today's game we have The Jacksonville Blacks Vs. The San Francisco Chinamen".This would be very offensive to many chinese and black people, especially if they had a logo that had them stereotypically drawn. Imagine how Natives feel. It must suck to turn on a game and be subjected to seeing a team play thats called the "Redskins" as a native american. If it offends a group and would offend another group then why is it still around? Washington could be called the "senators" and cleveland could be called the "Coasters" or the "Rockers". Redskin is an epithet. Change it. Now. Indians too. Warriors too. Seminoles too. 

People are too sensitive nowadays. The names do not have the intention of malice. It's just a sports team name. No goal of harm, it's just honoring their heritage through the name.We might as well change every name that could offend people. The giants could offend little people. The angels could offend atheists. The blue devils? That could offend satanists!! If we start with this team name, where does it end? Besides, it doesn't even offend natives! All of these social justice warriors should relax. You are driving to a "Redskins name change protest" in your jeep cherokee. Please relax, it's just a name. Complaining about a name won't help natives and help their treatment. Perhaps real initiative should be taken, I'm sure natives would prefer to have clean water and have their holy land not pillaged anymore. You don't care though. You don't want to actually do anything to help natives, you just want to complain about a team name from a sport that is the least of native's worries. 

Sure this argument may be outdated and not as prominent as it was in 2013 but it's bound to come up again. As the MLB season approaches rapidly, there will arguably be more protests against the team name of the Cleveland Indians as well as the Washington Redskins. Either you think all teams that have a Native American mascot should be changed or you think people are too sensitive and it's supposed to "honor" native americans, besides native americans don't even mind. 

For me, I think its a little insensitive, but changing the name doesn't matter. It won't feed natives. It wont help them. Why would changing a team name do anything. But thats just me. What do you think?

Obama Tapped Trump Towers

President Trump had his phones tapped by Barack Obama during the election. So he claims. As I read into the story I was intrigued because: why would obama tap his phones and not do anything with it? But as I delved deeper into the internet and read about what trump had done over that time span, my suspicions were proved correct. I suspected that trump made up a false story to take media attention from something he did concerning something political, and well, it was true. Trump cut 25% of funds to the EPA, removed 3,000 jobs, and essentially ended the project dedicated to cleaning our great lakes. Absolute buffoon. Opinions aside, climate change, global warming, and destruction of our earth is an actual thing. Removing the white house page on climate control won't change the fact that our planet is dying, Donald. There is concrete proof that all of these things are real but some still claim it's not. Unfortunately one of those people is our president.

Why don't we care about the environment? I don't want to sound like an environmentalist because that's played out, but regardless the earth is really all we have. I understand that industrialism will never cease and that we will always be making pollution, but if there was a way to reduce our carbon footprint by funding research or making more regulations it would allow future generations to prosper as well. Instead of shoving 55 billion dollars to an already inflated and immensely funded defense system, if we even used a fraction of the military's budget for the environment, leaps and bounds would be made. I'm going off on a tangent that no one cares about. That's how it is. Our attitude has been the same for the past 100 years regarding the environment. So naturally, if no one cares why should I? Screw the great lakes, screw the environment, everything will be fine. Besides, who doesn't love those warm summer days swimming in the beautiful brown lakes?

Maker's Mark

Class this week was quite heated. There was a loud debate between many members of the classroom about women being "marked" and men being "unmarked". I wasn't involved with the argument because there was no debate to be had. I didn't agree with either side because every single person of every single race. sex and religion is marked. Everyone is identified as something and have something that marks them. I am marked as a 5'10, 16 year old, Albanian from New Jersey. Everyone is labeled in some shape or form. The argument that women are unmarked is very absurd. But the argument that because women are marked that they somehow go through harsher judgment for the choices they make about fashion and other things more than men is also absurd.

If I were to wear the freshest clothing everyday for months and months and then all of a sudden wear bummy clothes, there would be a comment made to me. I would be marked in that sense. It's no different for a woman, there will be a comment made to her as well. Point is, everyone is marked. Gender marking isn't a big deal to me because i think they are equal in regards to those issues.

Race marking on the other hand, is an issue and is a problem. Blacks and muslims are wrongfully marked as dangerous and as a threat to society. Their fashion choices are used to discriminate against them. Muslims who wear hijabs and other traditional clothing are feared. Black men who wear baggy jeans and their hat sideways are labeled as a "thug", but when they wear a suit and have a high paying job they are called "uncle tom's" and ostracized for being successful and dressing "white".

Of course, sexism hasn't been resolved but as the country becomes more united in the fight for women against someone who opposes it, there's real progress. Racism on the other hand is farther away from being resolved in the country as the country is split down the middle. Instead of uniting we have become more and more divided. Ending stereotyping and marking is the first step in a long journey to true equality.

Why are there so few women chefs?

Have you ever heard of the term "pizza girl"? Or "pizza woman"? Chances are, you haven't. There more commonly referred to as "Pizza guys" or "pizza men". This is because pizza making is a male dominated field. Where I work, there is not a single woman on the pizza line, or in the kitchen for that matter. I've always found that to be quite odd. At home the "traditional" role for women is to be in the kitchen and to cook, but in restaurants that I've worked at, there's no women cooking. If the kitchen is made out to be a place for women, why is there no women in kitchens at restaurants? Now I'm certain that there are women working at high class and common restaurants all around the world. Research and studies have shown that approximately 20 percent of all chefs are women. Let that sink in. Only 20. Why is that? Perhaps the expected role of a chef in restaurants is to be a male, while at home the chefs should be women and mothers. 

I think there should be more women in the kitchens of restaurants. Somehow we've built a culture where women should cook for families but not as a way of income. There is a flaw here. The aura of being a chef has somehow become masculine. There is no reason that women shouldn't be head chefs at 3 star michelin restaurants. Personally, I would love some diversity at my employer. I think that gendered spaces are detrimental, especially in places where it shouldn't be.

Comedians: Extra Credit

The stand up comedians at your local cafe aren't important in the grand scheme of things. Chances are, they'll never make it to a platform big enough to make a true social difference. Nothing against your local Adam Sandler but being a famous standup comedian is rare. Just think about how many comedians you know. Kevin Hart? Trevor Noah? Jon Stewart? there's probably about 10-15 comedians that are truly known. Now I don't want to discourage any up and coming comedians because their jobs are truly important. They talk about issues that no one else will and they make topics that are boring to many, and make it entertaining. 

I encourage you to watch the following video over your break: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUizvEjR-0U

This whole video is Jon Oliver talking about a disastrous event that no one else seemingly wants to truly talk about. He discusses the problem of Flint, and although it's a grim subject, he's able to make you laugh but also be outraged of the atrocities occurring. This is why comedians are important. They make necessary news accessible to the public. How will there be true change without an informed public? Comedians have an important job, they can really make a difference. 

In our PC culture many comedians are criticized for going "too far". Fact of the matter is, the truth hurts. I believe this is a good thing because they are pushing social boundaries. "Stories and expressions that are normally unacceptable are met with laughter and agreement when they are told on stage. The fact that the content is encrusted in humor is like a sugar coating to bitter medicine. The laugh takes away the sting."(Cohen)

Of course, some jokes may go too far but most of the time these offensive jokes have an underlying message that many people don’t see. Instead of being offended right away and complaining about a joke, perhaps these jokes should be taken past surface level because they may reveal something more. So to all the local Letterman's out there, keep doing your thing. Keep telling jokes. We are going to need laughter. Make America laugh again. 

Wealth and Happiness

Money isn't bad as everyone says it is. Money isn't the root of all evil, money is the root of all people. Every goal, whether good or ill revolves around the almighty dollar. Money DOES buy happiness. So don't listen to those people who tell you chasing money is pointless! It's not pointless. You can't take money to the grave? No way, you can definitely be buried with it if you know the right people at the funeral parlor. Would you rather go to work on a bike or in a custom made mass produced italian luxury sports car? Don't let anyone tell you that your materialistic goals are empty. They are not! Think about it. Why are richer countries happier than poor ones? 

Why do you do the things that you do? Do you take ap classes because you love a higher paced education? No you do it so you can get into a good college. Why do you want to get into a good college? So that you can get a high-paying job after. What do most of your goals revolve around? What's the final outcome? Sure you  want to be a doctor or a lawyer, but why? Do you actually love helping people? More likely than not, it's the fact that they make good money. "But no David!! I love science!" OK, so would you do it for the salary of a teacher? Money makes a difference. 

Money is the true decider of our life. Everything is based off of a piece of paper and it's disheartening and I realize it. I know money wont buy me happiness but I still crave it. I still crave something that has no real value. I still strive for the thing that I know won't do anything for my happiness. We all do. We all know money doesn't create happiness but still it is the motivator behind all of our actions.

Growing Up

"Arm Wrestling With My Father " is a story all about the ever-changing growth and complexities of his relationship with his father. In many ways people can relate their own relationship with their parents to what Manning is saying in some way. Every child has the realization that their parents are getting older and that they won't live forever. The story is more about the effects of time on their relationship as well as showing love for his father. Time changes parent-child relationships because eventually roles are reversed and the child is now the caretaker.

As I get older, this is always in the back of my mind.This complexity affects my relationship with my mother more than eve. As we both get older we realize that we should spend more time together. My mom realizes that in a year I will be off to college and I realize that they we won't spend much time together. As i entered high school, my mother and I spent less and less time. I started taking ap classes, I studied more, I got a job, and slept whenever I had free time. This combination was detrimental  to our relationship. Eventually I realized that I needed to spend more time with her. Growing up changes a lot within the mother-son bond but there should always be time left over for the loved ones in your life. Brad Manning misses the time spent with his father just as I miss the time spent with my mother but we both realize that soon even more time will be lost. Unfortunately this comes with growing up. Everyone has to experience it and for me, I wish I realized this when I was younger.

Disability and the workplace

As I was working last night I took a look around the restaurant. I was trying to analyze if anyone could possibly work or even eat here if they had a disability. As I looked in the kitchen, there was nothing to help aid anyone that was physically disabled. The restaurant has lots of tight spaces, no wheelchair ramps, and nothing else that could help anyone disabled. Perhaps it's just the work needed and perhaps a disabled person couldn't do the tasks needed. But as I pondered about this on the way home, why couldn't a physically disabled person be a waiter? Why couldn't they make sandwiches in the back? Why couldn't they be a manager? I realized that there is no reason, it's just that the restaurant made the conscious decision not to do so and to not implement helpful things for disabled people. I tried not to be too critical of my workplace, so I went ahead and went to three different restaurants after work. Mcdonald's, chipotle, and bahama breeze. At all of these locations there was absolutely nothing there to help disabled people work there. No ramps. No railings. Nothing.

It made me sad because I realized that disabled people can be turned down just because the workplace can't accommodate for them. For me, I was only able to look at the restaurant industry. Hopefully in other service and manufacturing industries, there are more tools available to help disabled people work there. All in all, there needs to be a change in the restaurant industry at least. There needs to be resources available to those who need it. There needs to be equal opportunity for the physically disabled.

Blockbusting and Redlining

The raisin in the sun displays the effects of institutional racism on African Americans during the 50's and 60's."Them houses they put up for colored in them areas way out all seem to cost twice as much as other houses. I did the best I could"(act 2) In that quote mama describes how hard it was for blacks trying to buy a home and pay for it. Whites created the inner city ghettos we see today, due to the practices they enacted in the past. Two prominent strategies they used were redlining and blockbusting.  redlining is "the practice of denying services, either directly or through selectively raising prices, to residents of certain areas based on the racial or ethnic composition of those areas." While blockbusting is "an illegal practice in which licensees or others encourage homeowners to sell because of an influx or expected influx of minorities into the area."

In many people's opinions these practices created the ghettos of America today. Statistics also show a stark contrast between the living conditions of black neighborhoods in comparison to white neighborhoods.  The scariest fact is that redlining still occurs today. A study done in 2002 showed that "small businesses in black neighborhoods received fewer loans, even after accounting for business density, business size, industrial mix, neighborhood income, and the credit quality of local businesses"(Immergluck) The grocery store video also proves this point even more. Racism still exists and racism still affects the living quality for blacks. Just look at flint, it’s a perfect example of environmental racism. The irony in all of this is that whites created the ghetto but expect blacks to fix it immediately? 

Money and Being Morally Corrupt

In the Diamond as big as the Ritz we could all see that the washingtons were morally corrupt and it was discussed in much detail in class. I couldn't help thinking about a question about the washingtons though. Are the washingtons morally corrupt because of their wealth or are they wealthy because they are morally corrupt? It's a perplexing question, but in this blog post I'm going to compare both views and I want you to decide in the comments.

So let's look at wealthy people today, most of the moderately wealthy people go to school and get a 4 year degree and make good money. That's the traditional route. Other ways of making lots of money is through sports and owning small businesses. These are all honest professions and don't necessarily need corruption to get to the top. On the flip side though there are people who have used corruption to get to the top and make loads of money. Bernie Madoff and Jordan Belfort are two examples of that.

Well what exactly happens when you are at the top and you are making lots of money? Well, according to scientists the answer is corruption. There have been numerous times where the public have seen this unfold. Tiger woods and Warren Buffet are two examples. They both made their money honestly and reached the top but with all this money at their disposal they both became corrupt. Tiger Woods cheating on his wife, while Buffet has partnered with goldman sachs who is another company known for their corrupt and dishonest ways. He has been evading taxes as well.

So in terms of The Diamond As Big As The Ritz I believe the family was corrupt because of money.  They were born into it, but what's your opinion? Do you think more money just exposes the moral corruptness we have anyway? Or does money create the corruption?

My Favorite Gatsby Passage

“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.

“Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” (Chapter 1)

         This passage is my favorite in the book. It's quite powerful and probably applies to the majority of us in Troy. It definitely applies to me. At times I complain about something quite trivial and then I sit back and realize that my problems arent really problems at all. I may be irritated with a person and may dislike them but everyone has a background that we don't know about. Someone may cut me off because they are in a hurry to the hospital. Someone may be arrogant to hide the fact that they are extremely insecure about themselves. Someone may be rude because their day is just awful. The point is that everyone is going through something we don't know about. Some bigger than others, but nonetheless, Fitzgerald's aphorism is great. 

        

          Criticizing others is something we all do and this passage really reminded me of thoughts that I always have. I understand that I do have advantages over many people. I go to the best high school in michigan, I live in the safest city in michigan, and I have basic necessities, which is something much of the world does not have. Yet, at times I find myself always castigating others. I wouldn't say I'm mean I'm just very analytical and it can come off as pretty selfish. 

          This book offers a lot of lessons and this is just one of the few that I took away from it. my mom always tells me to be grateful and up until this point I don't feel that I have been grateful enough. However who do I be grateful to? How can I possibly show how much my mom means to me? This is something that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.

Extra Credit Post

Ahh it's black friday. I didn't go shopping today though...I went yesterday at 6 pm.  Every year it seems that black friday starts earlier and earlier and of course me and my family bought into the hype. It was insane at great lakes crossing yesterday, I waited an hour and a half just to buy two t-shirts. As I was standing in line trying not to go crazy, it occurred to me that there are many parallels between the consumerism of the roaring twenties and the consumerism around the holidays in our society today.

After waiting very long in line for two shirts I realized that I had wasted my night. What happiness would buying this give me? It's literally 10 dollars off of a shirt. The great gatsby does an excellent job of showing how pointless materialism really is.


Fitzgerald was disillusioned with how america had turned into a materialistic driven country so he wrote gatsby. If fitzgerald was alive now I'm absolutely positive he would be even more disgusted than he was back then. The amount of advertising on our buildings, televisions, radios. and games is ridiculous.  This all ties back to my experience yesterday.We all know how destructive chasing money and materials is, and how money doesn't equal happiness, but we continue to buy into black friday. Why do we all go crazy on black friday? Why does buying clothes and appliances on minimal sales make us so happy? Fitzgerald and all of us had this same question. I'm afraid that we are all aware of our stupidity but we will never break the shackles of consumerism. With that being said, I'll see all of you next year for the sales! :)

Lost Generation

I'm quite happy actually. I'm happy because I got to do some more research on one of my favorite eras from american history: the 1920's. I aced this unit in APUSH so I was excited to do research on it.

Anyways, modernism in the 1920's is really interesting to me. It was a time of industrialization, a time of change, a time of new ideas and values. Long gone were the days of rural lifestyle, the place to be was the city. Screw community and family living, independence was the goal.Forget the farms, the stock market was where the real money was at. Modernism was embraced by many but modernism was also rejected and frowned upon by many.

One such group that were disillusioned with all the changes were the writers of the lost generation. Ernest hemingway made the bold statement "You are all a lost generation." Many other writers of the time believed in this such as F Scott Fitzgerald. The disillusionment of all these writers were because of "the lack of purpose or drive resulting from the horrific disillusionment felt by those who grew up and lived through the war, and were then in their twenties and thirties. Having seen pointless death on such a huge scale, many lost faith in traditional values like courage, patriotism, and masculinity." (O'Connor, university of oxford)

The lost generation is important. Some of the most influential and praised books were a product of the writers of the lost generation. The Great Gatsby and a Farewell to Arms are both essential pieces of american literature. I'm excited to read the Great Gatsby.

Loving you is complicated

Butterflies are beautiful, and there are no attempts from anyone to make them more beautiful. People are also beautiful like butterflies , yet white America continues to attempt to "Pimp" these butterflies. Why? The parallels between Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye and Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly are uncanny. Both projects tackle the themes of white america bearing black america down, racism, self hatred/love, beauty, and socioeconomic standing. There are many songs from this album that could be analysed within the context of The Bluest Eye, but I want to focus on "u" which arguably is the most difficult song to listen to sonically, but arguably the most personal and deep song to listen to lyrically. The song is all about depression, more specifically self-depression and self hatred, which is something Pecola deals with in Morrison's book. 

You preached in front of 100,000 but never reached her
I fuckin' tell you, you fuckin' failure—you ain't no leader!
I never liked you, forever despise you—I don't need you!
The world don't need you, don't let them deceive you

Here, Kendrick acknowledges being hailed as a great by hip hop legends, yet not feeling as if he's accomplished anything. He says he never reached "her" which is women in general and more specifically his sister. He realizes he can have critical success but without making a difference in people's lives he feels useless. This is quite similar to how Toni feels in the foreword, she is unsatisfied because readers felt “touched but not moved”. Morrison also says that self loathing is worse than being disliked because it's internalized and it can lead to self destruction. 

Self destruction. Which is exactly what Kendrick is going through in the song. He's drunk, he's crying. He's wailing. We see a man literally hate himself so much that it leads to near destruction. He second guesses his accomplishments and second guesses living. 

You ain’t no brother, you ain’t no disciple, you ain’t no friend
A friend never leave Compton for profit or leave his best friend

This song is a stark contrast to "i" which is an upbeat song about positivity and self love. 

(I love myself)
Illuminated by the hand of God, boy don't seem shy
(I love myself)
One day at a time, uhh

Kendrick himself says "there can be no 'i' without 'u'." Life will always be hard, but self hatred can be avoided. Self love can be achieved, you must battle the struggle of loving yourself in the face of strife. 

But then again...Loving you is complicated

Ugliness and Beautiness

OK, quick question. Who the hell decides what makes a person beautiful and what makes a person ugly. Seriously though. Also, who the hell decides that we all have to agree to this standard of beauty. You know when I read the question "Is race a social construct?" I scoffed and didn't think much of it. But after much research i concluded that race is indeed a social construct. Now if someone were to ask me "Is beauty a social construct?" I wouldnt research it at all because the answer is obviously yes. The concept of beauty and reaching the perceived standard of it has ruined many lives and made many people feel terrible about themselves. We are constantly being bombarded with how we should look and what we should wear by society. Billboards, movies, television, and advertisements all perpetuate the backwards standards about beauty that we all have to live with.
The Bluest Eye delves into the emotional effects that these beauty standards can have on people. "Each night, without fail, she prayed for blue eyes" (page 46) Pecola wishes and wishes for blue eyes and she hates herself because she doesn't have them. This is a terrible thought and a terrible feeling. Imagine hating yourself because of how you look. Something you have no control over. There are times when everybody thinks this. Sometimes I wish I was taller but at the end of the day I can't control that and I'm happy. For other people though, they don't realize that and they start to hate themselves over what they can't control. To solve this issue I think that there needs to be more emphasis on self love instead of the same old standards everyone strives for.

Puzzle Paragraph 2

While others say beauty is in the eyes of the beholder; others disagree with that sentiment and strive for what they believe is society's standards for beauty. Disliking yourself because of the way you look is worse than being disliked by others for the way you look. It's worse because you are accepting this and internalizing it. You are the one believing that you are ugly and you start to loathe yourself. Loathing yourself is arguably worse than gambling all of your money in a casino in the author's opinion. Loathing yourself and being lonely can make you feel like the Lone Ranger. Toni Morrison describes Pecola in the foreword as an important character who was meant to have people look into themselves however she tries to show Pecolas suffering without making the other characters villainous. In this passage Morrison examines her friend wanting blue eyes even though she is black, she tries not to make it seem like she's profiling but she does not think her friend needs blue eyes because it's not right.  She believes she needs to embrace her race and all the beauties of being black. This book is not a memoir but it feels like an expression of feelings and thoughts of the author. There may be truth in this book and there may not be truth, but the author will create verisimilitude about life through writing about the main characters battle with herself and with society. This book will have passion and hopefully, it will evoke a fire from the readers.               

The Idiotic Theory of Scientific Racism

Scientific racism is "the use of  scientific techniques and hypotheses to support or justify the belief in racism, racial inferiority, racialism, or racial superiority" Thankfully this theory has been denounced by the scientific community since the 1950's, however at one point in history, this was widely believed and used to enslave, kill, and mistreat other races. One particular example of this theory being used for evil is the holocaust and nazi movement. The Nazi's used this theory to justify their awful treatment of jews in concentration camps as well as the whole holocaust in general. They believed that the aryan race was the only race fit enough to be worthy of life. They also classified many other types of people into the "unfit category", which led to the extermination jews, homosexuals, and mentally disabled. 

The one thing that MAUS does exceptionally well is portraying what the nazis did in such an accurately historical manner. On page 58 of volume 2 they show this theory of "unfit" being applied. They selected who was fit enough to live and who was unfit to die. 

The thing about scientific racism that scared me the most was that it was used in the united states as well. I was doing research and I stumbled across what scientific racists believed in regards to blacks. Scientific racists "described black men as uniquely fitted for bondage, because of their "primitive psychological organization".In 1851, in antebellum Louisiana, the physician Samuel A. Cartwright (1793–1863), considered slave escape attempts as "drapetomania", a treatable mental illness, that 'with proper medical advice, strictly followed, this troublesome practice that many Negroes have of running away can be almost entirely prevented'."(Samuel Sillen "racism and psychiatry, 1972)

This theory is probably the worst theory ever created, it's even worse that it was applied as vehemently as it was in the U.S and nazi germany. This has caused so many unnecessary deaths in our world. At the end of the day, there is only ONE race; the human race. 

MAUS

I'm not gonna lie. When Ms. Valentio handed me MAUS and told me to read the first chapter I looked at the cover and I was really confused. Why is there a swastika? Why does hitler look like a cat? And why is there mice hugging each other? Before even opening the book I decided to analyze the cover and i realized what it was trying to portray. It was trying to say that during the holocaust, jews were mice to the german, who were cats. It made total sense to me and I was excited to read it, but then I actually opened the book and it was in comic form. The whole thing. I've never actually read a comic before so I was excited to do so. This whole book has been very enjoyable and very effective for me and  actually think that this form may be more effective than a book in portraying the pain and emotions in history. The page that I want to show will exemplify this.

Page 108/109


This panel is so incredible to me because it is able to show so many things that just words alone could not do. We see that vladek is looking incredibly skinny which is because of not being fed at the concentration camp. This is subtle but can only be shown through pictures. I think that an author just describing to us that vladek was skinny wouldn't do the actuality of it much justice, but since there is a picture to show us it does. His emotion are portrayed in this panel as well. We see the anger and the sadness, and the nervousness by just looking into his eyes. Without the words the reader could still interpret what he is feeling just by the drawing alone.

I'm not necessarily saying that comics are better than books, but i do feel that comics are very important and can show the reader many things that just words on a paper could not.
Thanks for reading! What are your thoughts?

Misconceptions

When I first read the calender and saw that we were reading feminist literature, I groaned and rolled my eyes expecting to read the typical man bashing, bra burning  type of work but boy was I wrong. The first mistake I made this week was expecting to read that type of work, but the real underlying issue is that I assumed all feminists were radical, when in reality only a small minority of women are in this category of "bra burning". Feminism is so much more than what I thought it was at first. Thanks to the Hooks piece, the Kingston piece, discussions with Mrs. Valentino, and discussion with the substitute I was able to realize that feminism is demonized thanks to the outspoken minority and that feminism's goals are realistic and should be attainable. As Bell Hooks said,"Future feminist movement will be sustained only if the needs of the masses of women are addressed." So this is a call to action and one that I believe should be worked towards. 

The main thing that I really took away from this week aside from my new stance on feminism is that misconceptions are evil. As I said before, my views on feminism were skewed thanks to the minority being the loudest. I think this can apply to lots of social issues we have in this country today. Just because a small militant group (ISIS) is killing people doesn't mean that all muslims are terrorists, but because ISIS gets the most attention and the most coverage, people are swayed to believe in this. This is exactly what happened to me with feminism, I heard the radical minority because they were the loudest, but I ignored the reasonable majority because they were quiet.