The Stolen Party

"As soon as she arrived she went straight to the kitchen..." (1 Heker)

As a white man, I have not had to face the sickening struggle of being a victim of racism or judged because of my ethnicity. To be able to judge someone because of how they look or because of the single-story that has been painted into your mind about how that person(s) should be treated and then be able to look in the mirror and not feel disgusted has always baffled me. In line 1 of "The Stolen Party", Rosaura is ignorant to the reason that she's accustomed to walking into a house and going straight to the kitchen. This pattern that Rosaura just sees as "routine" is just one of the examples of the ethnic discrimination that she and her mother face.

In line 17, the speaker says "Rosaura loved everything in the big house,..." If after this (and line 12 where Rosaura's mother tells Rosaura that she's simply "the maid's daughter") you could not figure out that Rosaura was just a part of "the help" and was not viewed as a person in a position to have any power whatsoever, then my only advice is to stick to SparkNotes. However, let's delve deeper into the class distinction so blatantly present. At the end of "The Stolen Party", Señora Ines directs a micro-aggression towards Rosaura.

"Señora Ines didn't look in the pink bag. ...'Thank you for all your help, my pet.'" (lines 134-136)

Señora Ines didn't mean to be a complete b**** (I don't think so, at least), but she was mostly raised in a house where she had help that was only ever thought of as just that, and only ever thanked monetarily because they were viewed as poor. It's micro-aggressions just like this one that can tear apart groups of people.

Hate is not innate, but rather a useless trait inherited by bigots that one is surrounded by at a young age.

Boy (Rewrite of "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid)

Always wear your clean button-up shirts and shined shoes; always have a clean shaven face; shave with the grain because you don't want to irritate; go to church on time and always put your faith in God; make sure everyone knows that you are in charge; never cry or show weakness; but what if I get really upset?; Suck it up and direct your pain elsewhere; find a woman who will cook and clean and raise the children right; reprimand them when needed so they know you're in charge; don't you dare cry like a little girl; always make sure you have a steady job; bring home money or else nobody will ever love you; be presentable; people won't respect you if you appear weak; sometimes you must bully to show your authority; what if they don't deserve to be bullied?; are you listening?; only bully to show power; learn to grill better than your neighbors; make sure to watch SportsCenter every night and Fox News every morning; find a wife who will satisfy all of your needs; she must be the trophy in your life; your friends mustn't have a better looking wife; she must know how to have hot meals for you after a long day at work; she must pack your lunches; don't forget about your kids, they must respect you; show authority when it comes to them; your daughter will not be as slut; your son will not be a sissy; your wife will stay home and take care of them and the house; what if my wife wants to get her own job and do what she likes?; are you telling me that after all of this you'll be the husband that can't provide for his family and lack the authority to put her in her place?

"Guest of the Nation" and "Diameter of the Bomb" Connection

The main components of "Guest of the Nation" written by Frank O'Connor highlight the major roles that brotherhood and isolationism both play in war. Hawkins and Belcher were held captive by the Irishmen, however, they were not viewed as prisoners. Noble and Bonaparte both saw the Irishmen for the good men that they were, thus unifying them all as exemplified by Belcher's constant use of the endearing term "chum". This example of brotherhood is also prevalent in the poem "Diameter of the Bomb" by Yehuda Amichai. In this poem, "brotherhood" is used in terms of linking feelings rather than the actual emotional connections shared by multiple individuals. The speaker speaks of how one single explosion unites the victim, his/her parents, their cousins, their cousin's cousins, and so on. This example of brother portrayed by Amichai shows that although brotherhood in war can be a major key to survival, it can also be the link in the chain that destroys us all.

As for the idea of isolationism, O'Connor successfully focuses on this idea after the execution of Belcher and Hawkins. Bonaparte and Noble both return to the house where the old woman waited; in this house, it was realized that one of the men felt like the execution in the bogland felt magnified, whereas the other described the situation as extremely far away. It is because of these two conflicting feelings that both Noble and Bonaparte both feel isolated from one another, ultimately tampering with their sense of brotherhood and unification. Amichai also speaks of isolation in "Diameter of the Bomb". Towards the end of the poem, the speaker focuses on a "solitary man" who is mourning the death of a young woman (Amichai 6-10). It is this sort of isolation that stokes the fires of evil; the man's loneliness in the situation of the death of the woman causes the bad in war to transcend far beyond any bomb's blast radius.

Conflict Poem

Chains and shackles hold us down;
What can lift us up?
In a society where we are oppressed,
We are forced to play catch-up.
We are not black,
We are not white.
Colors are figments of our imagination,
So why should we fight?
Equality. It lurks around corners,
Wishing it could break free.
Equal rights can only solve problems;
Making you no better than we.

Unfortunately, we all live in a world where equality constantly escapes our grasps, leaving us divided. In class, we have discussed conflicts involving man versus society; this particular conflict is what I wrote my poem based off of. In America, black men and women are subjected to unfair treatment by those "superior" to us all. This demonstration of superiority is what is slowly turning our country's people against one another. I purposefully used inclusive pronouns like "we" and "us" because the fight for racial equality lies within us all. As a white man, I have experienced nothing but a privileged lifestyle. With that being said, just because I am privileged does not mean I do not strive for equality amongst everyone. Whether you are white, black, purple, green, or a combination of a plethora backgrounds, equality should be the main goal, not only in our society but in life. In the second to last line, I said, "Equal rights can only solve problems:". No, equal rights will not cure racism or annihilate those ignorant to proper morals, however, equal rights are the beginning to the solution. In order to provide a world where racism and fear are no longer killers, we all must work towards one goal: equality.

Venezuela Rising...or Falling?

You didn't even need sound on the video, "Venezuela Rising", to be able to decipher just how terrible it must be to live in Venezuela. Henrique Capriles stated that "approximately 25,000 Venezuelans were murdered [in 2013]." The conditions in Venezuela shown in the video clearly are barely livable; Venezuela is clearly in dire need of help.

Tear gas, rubber bullets, and even riot shields were used on civilians by the Venezuelan government. "Colectivos" ran the streets, instilling fear into every member of society encountered. The video depicted the conflicts of Man v. Self, Man v. Society, and Man v. Man.

Man v. Self:
Having to wake up and decide whether or not leaving the house to protest because of physical dangers that await must be a tough decision. Some might even have to ask themselves, "is it even worth fighting for?" "It" being freedom from the reign of a dictator-like leader who clearly only cares about himself.

Man v. Society:
In "Venezuela Rising", the one year anniversary of their ex-leader's, Hugo Chavez's, death was shown. "This is the majority of Venezuela. These are the people who love Chavez..." This majority of the country in ruin is clearly blinded by the information that has been fed to them, not enlightened by what is really happening in their country. Each day, men and women of Venezuela fight to provide those ignorant to what is really happening in Venezuela with the information necessary to seek a change for the better (democracy).

Man v. Man:
The Colectivos and members of the Venezuelan police are only the beginning of the problem. From what is shown in the video, yes, they are the physical problem in Venezuela, however, the problems do not cease there. It was said in the video that Venezuela is home to the world's largest oil reserves. In addition, the world is experiencing record breaking oil prices. With that, the country of Venezuela and its people should be among the richest in the world (Venezuela Rising, 9:13-9:22). Venezuelans not only have to actually fight against those physically harming them, but they also have to demand that the government handles the country's business in a manner that benefits everyone.

The majority is isolated from what is happening in Venezuela. Everyday, families lose loved ones to the extreme acts of violence committed by Colectivos and their associates. The guilt? The guilt lies within the government officials allowing this barbaric behavior to provide "order" in a country going under.

Think and Grow Rich- Blog Post 3

As I have mentioned in my first blog, MY BOOK IS NOT ABOUT BECOMING RICH...well it is, but that's not how it should be interpreted in order to get the most out of it! Personally, I've taken more away from this book than any other crappy book that has ever been assigned to me (sorry Siddhartha). It's helped me pinpoint my weaknesses and turn them into strengths, and one of those strengths is being able to "Clear the Brain for Riches" (Hill 261).

Every single person has had to overcome adversity at some point in their life. Some people struggle with this each and every day. A step in the right direction to prepare your mind for success is to prepare to receive success. What I mean by this is that there are "three enemies you shall have to clear out...indecision, doubt, and fear!" (Hill 261) Being able to move past these three concepts will truly propel you towards success. Looking a little closer, "fear" is such a broad term; my book has broken it down into "The Six Basic Fears":

1) The fear of poverty
2) The fear of criticism
3) The fear of ill health
4) The fear of loss of love of someone
5) The fear of old age
6) The fear of death (Hill 262)

Now what do all of these fears have in common? They all boil down to letting our thoughts get the best of us.

"Nature has endowed us with absolute control over but one thing, and that is thought." (Hill 264)

The common misconception in our troubled society is that money equates to power, meaning the more money that you have, the more powerful you must be. It is because of this thought that "the fear of poverty" is even a fear at all. The sooner you realize that money is only an object, the sooner you can start to see how life really should be lived: carefree (within limits), of service to others, and of service to your own health, both mental and physical.

Another fear that I would like to draw your attention to is the fear of death. No matter what happens in anyone's life, whether it be good, bad, happy, or sad, everyone dies. That's just science. The sooner that you can accept that, the better off you'll be. However, if that thought really just doesn't sit well with you, look at it like this: no matter what you believe happens after death, you must be content with what exactly happens once you kick the bucket. Whether it be heaven, reincarnation, a giant, endless celebration with multiple Morgan Freeman clones, whatever, you need to accept at least that thought of afterlife, strive to make your time on Earth as enjoyable as possible (but not at the expense of others), and prepare yourself for your time.

Blog Post 2

We all do it. Procrastination is an iniquity that brings us to the point of gray hairs, eye bags, and visual sleep deprivation. But what separates the proud nation of procrastinators from those who will most likely have a full head of hair into their 50's and succeed far beyond those who wait until the last minute to get stuff done, if they decide to do it at all?

"Procrastination, the opposite of decision, is a common enemy that practically everybody must conquer." (Hill 157)

I'm not saying that if you procrastinate then you automatically are a failure at life, however it is a fact that those who make decisions more promptly are put "on the road to riches and diamond rangs" (Kanye West). Why should you believe a 17 year-old who notoriously cranks out research papers in a matter of hours? You shouldn't; there are a few people cited in "Think and Grow Rich" who may convince you to start that project just a little earlier than you would like:

Henry Ford was known for reaching his decisions "quickly and definitely, and changing them slowly." When he invented the Model "T", it wasn't long before his laborers, consumers, and board members began to realize just how ugly a car it was. Mr. Ford paid no mind to these men and women because his sales continued to go through the roof. Eventually, he made the decision to switch up the design, but through his decision making skills he became rich off of just one idea.

With decision making comes courage. If it were not for Abraham Lincoln's decision to create the Emancipation Proclamation, who knows how America would have turned out. Although Lincoln's decision to defy most of his supporters and political advisers cost him his life and the hundreds of lives of those who battled over this decision, it was clearly the right call. President Lincoln's courageous efforts to create equality among the blacks ad whites in America is possibly the greatest example of the good that can come from prompt decision making.