Tashi and Celie are both trapped by the traditions of their cultures. While Celie is crushed by the weight of a fundamental Bible, Tashi has her own traditions with which to contend. Celie does not speak up after being abused because an adult in her life convinced her that it was shameful. The Olinka push Tashi into the scarring and female initiation rituals because it is shameful to show that they are conforming to the white man's ways. Celie believes that it is acceptable for her to be beaten by her husband, while Tashi, despite her desire to learn, is initially prevented from attending school by her parents because of her sex. Tashi comes to learn through Olivia, just as Celie, when denied education, was schooled by Nettie. Tashi underwent a literal female circumcision because of her peoples' customs, and Celie did not find sex to be pleasurable because of both her not-father's abuse and boredom with Mr. Both were rendered Shug's version of a virgin.
The only real difference between Tashi and Celie's struggles was that Tashi's scars were plain on her body. Celie's were psychological.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Three Women
Celie plays a traditional role of a housewife through most of what we've read so far. She complies with her husband's requests, though she admires women who stand up to their husbands. She has been battered but doesn't know how to escape the cycle. She is uneducated but somewhat intelligent, as demonstrated by the way she got Shug to eat. She is completely fixated on Shug as both an idol and a romantic figure.
Sofia is one strongest women that Celie knows. She can fight on an equal level to her husband. Though her situation growing up was nearly identical to Celie's, Sofia always stood up for herself and her sisters. While Celie diverted her father's attention from her sister by making herself more readily available to him, Sofia would have taken up arms against him. She is independent, listening to her husband but doing what she wants to do.
Shug is independent in a different way. She does not need to fight Mr because if she says "no," he obeys. Her beauty makes her a sexualized object, but she not only uses this to her advantage, but also seems to enjoy it. She is outspoken to a fault, but somehow she never appears to truly offend anyone because of the way she holds the attention. She does find a way to connect with Celie, and Celie is empowered by her presence.
Sofia is one strongest women that Celie knows. She can fight on an equal level to her husband. Though her situation growing up was nearly identical to Celie's, Sofia always stood up for herself and her sisters. While Celie diverted her father's attention from her sister by making herself more readily available to him, Sofia would have taken up arms against him. She is independent, listening to her husband but doing what she wants to do.
Shug is independent in a different way. She does not need to fight Mr because if she says "no," he obeys. Her beauty makes her a sexualized object, but she not only uses this to her advantage, but also seems to enjoy it. She is outspoken to a fault, but somehow she never appears to truly offend anyone because of the way she holds the attention. She does find a way to connect with Celie, and Celie is empowered by her presence.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
J.
J. is one of two African Americans in a very awkward ceremony to commemorate John Henry, a famous black folk hero. He is a New York journalist, but he's going into the situation half-heartedly, knowing that his article will short and that he could probably finish it with only basic superficial knowledge. The environment is painfully artificial. There appears to be some genuine effort to bring the building into some semblance of antebellum grandeur, but resistance against modernity is futile. The people at the ceremony are basically divided into two groups: locals and outsiders. Locals adhere themselves to their familiars in a blue-ribbon display of Southern Hospitality, and the visitors either chat amongst themselves or avoid eye contact in an attempt to appear content with solitude. Basically, no one is taking interest in the ceremony itself. It is merely a formality that goes along with the artificial affirmation of African American heritage.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Walter's Decision
Walter's decision was by no means an easy choice. Obviously living in an all-white neighborhood would have its social consequences, but even beside that, money would end up being a future issue. Just because the family can afford the down payment doesn't mean that they will be able to continue putting up the rent.
Of course my first impulse is to agree with the decision, but it's really too complex for me to take a stance. I think that from a civil rights and pride perspective, it was essential for Walter not to let the neighborhood association buy him out of the house. However, I question the family's ability to afford the house. I agree that Walter shouldn't have taken the money, but perhaps it may have been a better choice to take that money and buy a smaller, more affordable house. I think that they had every right to choose the location of their house, regardless of the neighborhood demographic, but it could also be extremely dangerous to live in an area claimed by white people. Change only happens when people act, but the response of the people already living there could result in a lot of excess stress placed upon a family whose ties are already strained, even if no real violence occurred. I can't tell if this decision was a magic cure-all from Walter's perspective, but if it was, I don't think it would work. I don't know if moving into the house was the right decision, but it was a decision, and one had to be made.
I'm not expecting a positive future for the Younger family. Their relations were already worn pretty thin, and they are entering an extremely stressful situation. I don't necessarily expect violence from the people in the white neighborhood, but pressure is likely. Also, Walter's obsession seemed irrevocable, to me. That kind of madness doesn't just slide off like a piece of clothing that's been worn for too long. I doubt that if he discovers some kind of new found love for his wife that it will stick because of the future financial burdens, and they will all probably have to start working more if they plan on keeping the house. Mama's working may keep her from the garden she wanted.
Of course my first impulse is to agree with the decision, but it's really too complex for me to take a stance. I think that from a civil rights and pride perspective, it was essential for Walter not to let the neighborhood association buy him out of the house. However, I question the family's ability to afford the house. I agree that Walter shouldn't have taken the money, but perhaps it may have been a better choice to take that money and buy a smaller, more affordable house. I think that they had every right to choose the location of their house, regardless of the neighborhood demographic, but it could also be extremely dangerous to live in an area claimed by white people. Change only happens when people act, but the response of the people already living there could result in a lot of excess stress placed upon a family whose ties are already strained, even if no real violence occurred. I can't tell if this decision was a magic cure-all from Walter's perspective, but if it was, I don't think it would work. I don't know if moving into the house was the right decision, but it was a decision, and one had to be made.
I'm not expecting a positive future for the Younger family. Their relations were already worn pretty thin, and they are entering an extremely stressful situation. I don't necessarily expect violence from the people in the white neighborhood, but pressure is likely. Also, Walter's obsession seemed irrevocable, to me. That kind of madness doesn't just slide off like a piece of clothing that's been worn for too long. I doubt that if he discovers some kind of new found love for his wife that it will stick because of the future financial burdens, and they will all probably have to start working more if they plan on keeping the house. Mama's working may keep her from the garden she wanted.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
The Soul, According to Du Bois
A Veil divides the world of the white from the world of the black. The Veil divides more than color; it splits the varying degrees of acceptance, freedom, and prosperity. The Veil cuts the "souls if black folk" in half. A part stays rooted into heritage while another part longs to agree to an unfair compromise just to get a glimpse of the other side of the Veil.
The split soul was formed over time. African traditions were broken down, and replaced by a corrupted form of Christianity. This was fed to African Americans with discretion. It was used to propagate the idea of slavery, promising the soul an eternity of salvation to follow an inevitable lifetime of suffering. It resigns the individual, and thus the soul, to submission. As time went on, Christianity was warped by the slaves into something to inspire and bring hope. The soul sprouted wings even while the ankles were in chains. Their souls became defined by their faith.
With abolition, the spirituality of African Americans was consummated; if abolition was the coming of the lord, he came. Spirituality was maintained, but the souls were not joined by the common bond of slavery any longer. Divisions were made within the African American community that caused the souls themselves to divide. Some longed for recognition from whites, others wanted to express themselves freely as individuals. Most wanted a combination of the two. In the world of the "negro problem," it would be impossible for a soul to be whole.
The split soul was formed over time. African traditions were broken down, and replaced by a corrupted form of Christianity. This was fed to African Americans with discretion. It was used to propagate the idea of slavery, promising the soul an eternity of salvation to follow an inevitable lifetime of suffering. It resigns the individual, and thus the soul, to submission. As time went on, Christianity was warped by the slaves into something to inspire and bring hope. The soul sprouted wings even while the ankles were in chains. Their souls became defined by their faith.
With abolition, the spirituality of African Americans was consummated; if abolition was the coming of the lord, he came. Spirituality was maintained, but the souls were not joined by the common bond of slavery any longer. Divisions were made within the African American community that caused the souls themselves to divide. Some longed for recognition from whites, others wanted to express themselves freely as individuals. Most wanted a combination of the two. In the world of the "negro problem," it would be impossible for a soul to be whole.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Ethics
My stagnant ethics are pretty basic. Don't intentionally hurt people. Don't waste. These are things that my parents have taught me since birth. However, much of my ethical system is dependent purely on given circumstances. Don't steal-unless you're going to starve to death if you don't take that loaf of bread. Don't lie-unless the truth is devastating, and even then, there are degrees of deception. Knowing what is acceptable is learned through experience and observation. It is simply processing data and analyzing it to find the most ethical and most effective solution. Ethics are simply a 3-dimensional graph: costs vs. rewards vs. state of affairs. It is not a collection of scientific evidence because everything is subjective, but one graph typically holds to one person.
My dad taught me about ethics in kind of a non-conventional manner. Whenever I presented to him my opinion, he would argue the opposite view, regardless of his own beliefs. These debates would stretch on for days until I could finally gather enough information from research to support my side. It wasn't until my Freshman year that I realized what he was doing. To this day, I don't know what he really thinks about many issues. He tries not to disrupt my development of my own system of ethics.
Outside of home, my friends and my books are probably the most influential to me. I learn from my friends' experiences, and their reactions to certain behaviors often determine what is acceptable in the normal world. That is the kind of socialization to which all children are sensitive from very early ages. Reading books written from a diverse group of authors has helped me to refine my system of ethics. They have provided me with the foundation of my current religious beliefs. They led me to the conclusion that all members of the animal kingdom are linked, giving me reason to stop eating meat. From books, I learned about the earth, and how beautiful it truly is.
My dad taught me about ethics in kind of a non-conventional manner. Whenever I presented to him my opinion, he would argue the opposite view, regardless of his own beliefs. These debates would stretch on for days until I could finally gather enough information from research to support my side. It wasn't until my Freshman year that I realized what he was doing. To this day, I don't know what he really thinks about many issues. He tries not to disrupt my development of my own system of ethics.
Outside of home, my friends and my books are probably the most influential to me. I learn from my friends' experiences, and their reactions to certain behaviors often determine what is acceptable in the normal world. That is the kind of socialization to which all children are sensitive from very early ages. Reading books written from a diverse group of authors has helped me to refine my system of ethics. They have provided me with the foundation of my current religious beliefs. They led me to the conclusion that all members of the animal kingdom are linked, giving me reason to stop eating meat. From books, I learned about the earth, and how beautiful it truly is.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Cooperation and Sticking Put
Booker T. Washington proposes that the only way for any change to take place in the South is for everyone to stay put and try to live full and happy lives. If there were a mass exodus of the newly freed African Americans, the the Southern white man would have no reason to change his way of thinking. The Southern white man needs to see for himself that African Americans can be dull or intelligent, lazy or hardworking, just as white people can. It has to do with the individual, not the race. As evidence for the plausible success of this, he discusses how he, a black man, was nominated to lead inspection of schools, both black and white, by a group of Southern white men. Washington argues that this transition has to be witnessed and processed with the natural course of time, not forced by a Northern out-group. This cannot happen if there are no African Americans to behave as examples.
Booker T. Washington asks Southern African Americans not to turn their foci to political or social change. Pressure would only turn Southern whites away from the idea, just as Northern interference would. However, if Southern African Americans turn their attention toward learning mundane trades, like farming, they would be able to work their ways up the social ladder. Washington explains that success within a family takes precedence over political change, and this can be done without migrating North. Interactions with white people in the South should be cordial and cooperative-instead of boycotting the vote, ask of white neighbors their advice in voting.
Cooperation. That is what Booker T. Washington advises, and it is only possible if there are two parties present to exchange dialogue. That is why Southern African Americans should stay in the South.
Booker T. Washington asks Southern African Americans not to turn their foci to political or social change. Pressure would only turn Southern whites away from the idea, just as Northern interference would. However, if Southern African Americans turn their attention toward learning mundane trades, like farming, they would be able to work their ways up the social ladder. Washington explains that success within a family takes precedence over political change, and this can be done without migrating North. Interactions with white people in the South should be cordial and cooperative-instead of boycotting the vote, ask of white neighbors their advice in voting.
Cooperation. That is what Booker T. Washington advises, and it is only possible if there are two parties present to exchange dialogue. That is why Southern African Americans should stay in the South.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Loathe Largesse
The ladies have determined that they want to give money to the poor. However, they don't want to be exposed to too much. Too much pain, too much grime, too much anger, too much ugliness. Too much. The are proper ladies. High-society ladies. Ladies who were cosseted by proper, high-society mothers. They don't understand the gravity of poverty; they are doing what respectable young ladies do.
When they see the poor, the ladies see them as unfortunate wretches. The ladies believe that they are bestowing wonders upon the pitiful. This largesse that they dispense is a handout. A "here you go, you poor little soul, you" kind of handout. The ladies view themselves as superior angels, sent from the heavens to offer relief.
The recipients of this largesse see the truth. The ladies are ignorant, free of care from troubles like having to use a newspaper as a floor-covering. They go through rituals of self-flattery by troubling themselves with this missionary endeavor, but they decline to bear witness to the truly down-trodden. Instead, they seek out those who are troubled but have tolerable presence. Their condescending manner is more insulting than if they ignored poverty on principle. It is as Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote in Letter from Birmingham Jail, "Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection."
The largesse is "loathe" by all parties involved. The recipients loathe the ladies for being conceited enough to think that their half-hearted attempts at charity were enough to qualify as authentic generosity. Negligence would be better than empty "love." The ladies themselves loathe to be immersed in the nasty life of the impoverished and its absence of niceties. To escape, they turn to the "worthy" poor, and when that is done, they retreat back to their cars.
When they see the poor, the ladies see them as unfortunate wretches. The ladies believe that they are bestowing wonders upon the pitiful. This largesse that they dispense is a handout. A "here you go, you poor little soul, you" kind of handout. The ladies view themselves as superior angels, sent from the heavens to offer relief.
The recipients of this largesse see the truth. The ladies are ignorant, free of care from troubles like having to use a newspaper as a floor-covering. They go through rituals of self-flattery by troubling themselves with this missionary endeavor, but they decline to bear witness to the truly down-trodden. Instead, they seek out those who are troubled but have tolerable presence. Their condescending manner is more insulting than if they ignored poverty on principle. It is as Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote in Letter from Birmingham Jail, "Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection."
The largesse is "loathe" by all parties involved. The recipients loathe the ladies for being conceited enough to think that their half-hearted attempts at charity were enough to qualify as authentic generosity. Negligence would be better than empty "love." The ladies themselves loathe to be immersed in the nasty life of the impoverished and its absence of niceties. To escape, they turn to the "worthy" poor, and when that is done, they retreat back to their cars.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Radical Craftivism
It was Sunday morning at 7:00 am about a week before my freshman year of high school. My dad and I were standing in line at the checkout in Walmart. Glancing at the cart, I made some observations (my OCD came in handy for the numbers). School supplies for my sister and me: 10 notebooks, 2 boxes with 24 pens each, three fresh binders, a package of erasers, two assignment books, and two reams of paper (not recycled). Moving on to the groceries, every bit of produce had its own plastic wrapping. Eggs and meat were in styrofoam covered with saran wrap. A Costco- sized package of paper towels crowded the 32-pack of water bottles, and have you ever looked at the ingredients on toilet cleaner? Every item in the entire cart was wasteful and unnatural. This was my epiphany; I had to learn to take care of myself in a world that honors the artificial.
I started with simple things. I planted a vegetable garden and committed myself to wearing my clothes until they were nothing but loosely woven threads. This way I could avoid paying companies to use unhealthy means of growing food and wrap their veggies in non-renewable resources. There was nothing that could be done about the clothes I already owned, but I could put an end to needless purchases. I stopped eating meat to become a direct consumer. My transition into becoming self-sufficient was at first almost entirely motivated by becoming more eco-friendly.
Eventually, though, my clothes wore out. My shoes smelled so bad that I was required to leave them on the porch. My mother insisted that I needed new jewelry. Everything was centered on the idea of making purchases at large corporations, who had bought the product from someone who had paid small Somalian children a dollar per week to make the product. Consumerism disgusted me. Self-sufficiency became more than being environmentally responsible. It was the only ethical choice for me.
I didn't feel the needle pierce my thumb when I sewed my first pillow. It wasn't until I finished that I noticed my hand was stuck to my project and bleeding on the white fabric. Fixing that was endlessly frustrating, and believe me, it was followed my some pretty disastrous projects. However, I began to cultivate my skills. I made my own clothes, pillow cases, little stuffed things for gifts, ext. For everything I made, I got the fabric from shirts that were just going to be thrown away. I stitched patterns and made jewelry that reflected my own identity, creating truly unique things without giving a cent to corporate America.
I believe in absolute independence. I wouldn't say I'm ready to march of into the world wagging a middle finger at society yet, but I think that there are too many people in the world who talk about self-sufficiency without ever achieving it. You have to be able to make a choice without having to compromise your own set of ethics. That's why I make things; I know where every resource involved came from and that no one was hurt so that I could have it. Plus, it's economically and environmentally sound.
I started with simple things. I planted a vegetable garden and committed myself to wearing my clothes until they were nothing but loosely woven threads. This way I could avoid paying companies to use unhealthy means of growing food and wrap their veggies in non-renewable resources. There was nothing that could be done about the clothes I already owned, but I could put an end to needless purchases. I stopped eating meat to become a direct consumer. My transition into becoming self-sufficient was at first almost entirely motivated by becoming more eco-friendly.
Eventually, though, my clothes wore out. My shoes smelled so bad that I was required to leave them on the porch. My mother insisted that I needed new jewelry. Everything was centered on the idea of making purchases at large corporations, who had bought the product from someone who had paid small Somalian children a dollar per week to make the product. Consumerism disgusted me. Self-sufficiency became more than being environmentally responsible. It was the only ethical choice for me.
I didn't feel the needle pierce my thumb when I sewed my first pillow. It wasn't until I finished that I noticed my hand was stuck to my project and bleeding on the white fabric. Fixing that was endlessly frustrating, and believe me, it was followed my some pretty disastrous projects. However, I began to cultivate my skills. I made my own clothes, pillow cases, little stuffed things for gifts, ext. For everything I made, I got the fabric from shirts that were just going to be thrown away. I stitched patterns and made jewelry that reflected my own identity, creating truly unique things without giving a cent to corporate America.
I believe in absolute independence. I wouldn't say I'm ready to march of into the world wagging a middle finger at society yet, but I think that there are too many people in the world who talk about self-sufficiency without ever achieving it. You have to be able to make a choice without having to compromise your own set of ethics. That's why I make things; I know where every resource involved came from and that no one was hurt so that I could have it. Plus, it's economically and environmentally sound.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Envelopes
I'm doing a project as a fundraiser for Life Impact International right now. Life Impact is a Christian organization that is working on humanitarian relief in Pakistan, Burma, and the Thailand/Burma border. Their primary goals there are to establish orphanages and children's homes/hostels, feeding programs for the poor, development works, and aid to refugees and oppressed women. This is done through the context of spreading Christ's love, but that is secondary to helping the people in need.
My project is selling homemade, completely recycled goods with all proceeds going toward Life International. I've made really beautiful envelopes out of magazine pages that not only look really nice, but also are 100% zero-impact on the environment. I'm going to be selling these for 25 cents each, $1 for five. It sounds expensive for envelopes, but they really are pretty, and the money goes to a good cause. I hope to expand to clothing that I make out of t-shirts that would have just been thrown away, cross-stitched art work, handmade journals with paper I make in my sink out of old newspaper, and possibly other stuff. With one person, it takes a long time to manage these things.
I am also collecting school supplies, gently used clothing, and gently used toys. A current project is supporting and improving a school in Thailand, Burma, and Indonesia. Monetary gifts are also always welcome. Thanks for support!
My project is selling homemade, completely recycled goods with all proceeds going toward Life International. I've made really beautiful envelopes out of magazine pages that not only look really nice, but also are 100% zero-impact on the environment. I'm going to be selling these for 25 cents each, $1 for five. It sounds expensive for envelopes, but they really are pretty, and the money goes to a good cause. I hope to expand to clothing that I make out of t-shirts that would have just been thrown away, cross-stitched art work, handmade journals with paper I make in my sink out of old newspaper, and possibly other stuff. With one person, it takes a long time to manage these things.
I am also collecting school supplies, gently used clothing, and gently used toys. A current project is supporting and improving a school in Thailand, Burma, and Indonesia. Monetary gifts are also always welcome. Thanks for support!
Friday, May 8, 2009
AP US Test
So it's 5th period, and I just finished my AP US test. I'm reasonably certain that I did really well, but sitting for 4 hours filling in bubbles and writing essays makes my brain feel like a poptart left on the blacktop on a 102 degree day. It wasn't even that hard; I just hate long tests.
Tonight my sister is playing her guitar and singing in front of all the parents in a talent-show-type thing. She's really good and I'm excited to see her play since she's probably the best act, but I'm not really looking forward to watching a ton of 8th graders I don't know do a talent show. Those things sort of lose their appeal when you're not connect with the contestants.
I'm on a loaner right now, and every time I nudge the mouse-thing my text starts typing somewhere else. This is probably the shortest blog I've ever done, and I've been working on it for 20 minutes because I have to make corrections.
Tonight my sister is playing her guitar and singing in front of all the parents in a talent-show-type thing. She's really good and I'm excited to see her play since she's probably the best act, but I'm not really looking forward to watching a ton of 8th graders I don't know do a talent show. Those things sort of lose their appeal when you're not connect with the contestants.
I'm on a loaner right now, and every time I nudge the mouse-thing my text starts typing somewhere else. This is probably the shortest blog I've ever done, and I've been working on it for 20 minutes because I have to make corrections.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Joe's Desires
Joe pretty much just rambles out a chain of desires. Now that he is finally able to talk, he can't stop. Not all of his requests are things that he truly wants, but all he can do is spew words. The words come out of anger, out of desperation. What he really wants is to have his body back. He has been driven insane by his condition.
I would certainly want my body back if I were in his state. I would want to talk with universities, with anyone who would listen, about why I ended up how I did. Or at least, that's what my ideal self would want.
If I really truly were in Joe's condition, my only request would be to die, if I were even in a mental state secure enough to communicate that wish. After years of being legless, armless, faceless, and with no senses other than touch, I don't know that I even could tap. But if I could, I would beg and plead for death.
I would certainly want my body back if I were in his state. I would want to talk with universities, with anyone who would listen, about why I ended up how I did. Or at least, that's what my ideal self would want.
If I really truly were in Joe's condition, my only request would be to die, if I were even in a mental state secure enough to communicate that wish. After years of being legless, armless, faceless, and with no senses other than touch, I don't know that I even could tap. But if I could, I would beg and plead for death.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Garden!
Mother's Day is coming up, which means my dad and I can start working our garden. This year we plan on growing cucumbers, radishes, carrots, green beans, snap-peas, broccoli, corn, tomatoes, and a bunch of herbs. I love planting and tending to the garden. Plus, the vegetables couldn't possibly get any fresher considering you can eat them within minutes of harvesting them. More freshness=more nutrients and better taste. For fertilizer, we're going to steal some of my grandpa's horses' droppings. Fertilizing naturally is important because chemicals are good neither to digest nor to allow to seep into the earth and buried water. However, you need the manure to nitrogenize the ground and give something for the nitrogen-fixing bacteria (which live in the nodules of some plants, esp soybeans) to work with.
Right now I'm growing organic basil in my window sill, and I started a tree. It's only about 4 inches tall now, but it's supposed to grow very tall. I can't even transplant it to the outdoors for two more years.
Right now I'm growing organic basil in my window sill, and I started a tree. It's only about 4 inches tall now, but it's supposed to grow very tall. I can't even transplant it to the outdoors for two more years.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Imperialism
What is it with mankind's need to conquest? Why does everything have to be about exploiting something to drain it of everything it has?
Anyway...
This is written as a rallying call, not a well-reasoned argument. That tells me that he's targeting the little guys-the Joes-to get them behind his cause. It sounds similar to what Joe was told when he was getting signed up for war. We're absolutely in the right! It's for the greater good! We're spreading democracy! Beveridge speaks only in grandiose terms. Basically, he's trying to get people to sacrifice their lives for the sake of words. Land. Resources. Why do they matter to one person living happily in the Midwest with a home and family enough to make him want to lay down his life for them? Democracy is an interesting word. The Indians are living happily under our government w/o their consent, so why shouldn't the Philippines? He just has a blatant disregard for the cannon-fodder folk he's getting to fight for him or the people already living in the land he's trying to take over. Just like Joe's war-the squishing of the expendable is a necessary evil.
Anyway...
This is written as a rallying call, not a well-reasoned argument. That tells me that he's targeting the little guys-the Joes-to get them behind his cause. It sounds similar to what Joe was told when he was getting signed up for war. We're absolutely in the right! It's for the greater good! We're spreading democracy! Beveridge speaks only in grandiose terms. Basically, he's trying to get people to sacrifice their lives for the sake of words. Land. Resources. Why do they matter to one person living happily in the Midwest with a home and family enough to make him want to lay down his life for them? Democracy is an interesting word. The Indians are living happily under our government w/o their consent, so why shouldn't the Philippines? He just has a blatant disregard for the cannon-fodder folk he's getting to fight for him or the people already living in the land he's trying to take over. Just like Joe's war-the squishing of the expendable is a necessary evil.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
American the Beautiful
D'Souza would say that making a few sacrifices on the way to spreading American values is without a shadow of a doubt worth it. However, he says that the reason they lost in Vietnam was because Americans as whole did not see a reason to fight. I think it's interesting how he fails to acknowledge this fact in regards to the war in Iraq. A majority of people are not in favor of the war right now. Also, he talks about how Islamic fundamentalist nations are so behind in technology. Well, the excuse for going over seas was a supposed threat of nuclear weapons, and their "inferior" fighting force has been holding Americans off for years. I have a lot of problems with this guy.
Anyway, not relevant to the blog topic.
D'Souza speaks only in terms of the masses, while Johnny Got His Gun is the story of a single individual. One of my issues with him is the fact that he seems to believe in the logic of the Spanish Inquisition, which is also what the Islamic fundamentalists think. It's worth the fate of the world to sacrifice a few individuals. He believes in what he hates. Johnny Got His Gun is anti-war by talking about how war destroyed a person for the sake of something he barely knew about and certainly didn't understand. The book has a view that war is bad because it damages the lives of innocent boys. D'Souza thinks that war is good because even if a few guys get crushed, it's for the greater good, and they should be proud to have made the sacrifice. I think that if it were he who woke up an armless, legless, faceless torso his opinion would change.
Anyway, not relevant to the blog topic.
D'Souza speaks only in terms of the masses, while Johnny Got His Gun is the story of a single individual. One of my issues with him is the fact that he seems to believe in the logic of the Spanish Inquisition, which is also what the Islamic fundamentalists think. It's worth the fate of the world to sacrifice a few individuals. He believes in what he hates. Johnny Got His Gun is anti-war by talking about how war destroyed a person for the sake of something he barely knew about and certainly didn't understand. The book has a view that war is bad because it damages the lives of innocent boys. D'Souza thinks that war is good because even if a few guys get crushed, it's for the greater good, and they should be proud to have made the sacrifice. I think that if it were he who woke up an armless, legless, faceless torso his opinion would change.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Resistance to Civil Government
Thoreau in his argument that government is cold and not bound by a moral compass described soldiers as hard and unfeeling. They are nothing but machines that have been brainwashed to subscribe absolutely to the cause of their government. Joe, however, in Johnny Got His Gun, is only a boy. He barely knew his reasons for war; all he wanted to do was stay home and take care of his beloved Kareen. As he lay dying, he thinks about all of his explanations for going to war, and not a single one made sense. He was a scared boy, not an insentient block of stone.
On page 841 Thoreau says that it is good for a man to wholly cast himself into a cause he truly believes in as long as it doesn't interfere with the dreams of another. The US government does not do this for Joe. They use their authority to shove him into an undesired environment regardless of his personal objections. His plans take a back-seat to the objectives of the government, and he is told that his life is expendable in the fight for "liberty." The word, nothing more. Thoreau proposes this only as the ideal.
On page 841 Thoreau says that it is good for a man to wholly cast himself into a cause he truly believes in as long as it doesn't interfere with the dreams of another. The US government does not do this for Joe. They use their authority to shove him into an undesired environment regardless of his personal objections. His plans take a back-seat to the objectives of the government, and he is told that his life is expendable in the fight for "liberty." The word, nothing more. Thoreau proposes this only as the ideal.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The Handmaid's Tale
I just finished a book that Maddie lent me called The Handmaid's Tale. It's amazing. It depicts a world in which the Bible is taken literally, but this occurs in the future, and the transition is instantaneous. The woman from whom the perspective of the book is written is part of the transitional generation. Her duty is to become impregnated by her Commander because his wife cannot bear children, and because she is nothing more than a uterus with legs, everything that her ruling bodies think she should want is provided for. However, she is trapped. Women can no longer read or own anything. The Eyes spy on you wherever you go, and no one is allowed to leave. Even to leave her home, she must have a pass. All women's skin must be completely covered, but as a handmaid, the main character must also cover her face. Every freedom she once knew is taken from her. She who does not wish to be a vessel of fertility much either be forced to toil in the Colonies, cleaning up toxic spills, or as a whore for the Commanders looking for a more physical sexual experience.
The book is loaded with twists that reflect how complicated human nature really is. It brings religious fundamentalism, misogyny, and basic liberty into question while telling the story.
The book is loaded with twists that reflect how complicated human nature really is. It brings religious fundamentalism, misogyny, and basic liberty into question while telling the story.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Go Green!
10 tips for living a greener life:
1. Turn out the lights! When you leave a room, don't forget to flip the switch. If you're doing work and it's light out, but your area gets little natural light, move near a window or work outside to avoid wasting energy.
2. Borrow instead of buy. Gets books and movies from the library, a movie rental store, or mooch off of a friend. If it's something you're only going to use once, there's no sense in wasting the resources. If possible, find a couple neighbors that you trust to share big things like lawn mowers and snow blowers. If a product cannot be borrowed and is a necessity, buy used. If you can't find it used, buy the brand with the most eco-friendly policies and minimal packaging.
3. Write on the backs of used paper for notes. Why consume when there's perfectly usable stuff that you're just going to throw in the recycling bin anyway? Just 3-hole-punch the homework, essays, and assignment sheets of yesteryear, flip them upside-down, and put them in a binder.
4. Cut back on shower time. The average shower uses a little over 2 gallons per minute, which really starts to add up. If you reduced your shower by 2 minutes and showered every night, you would save 1,606 gallons in a year. Skipping days is encouraged if you've done nothing but sit in your house all day.
5. Plastic baggies are your enemy. A sandwich-sized plastic (but preferably glass) container will save you money and keep all of those bags out of the landfill. The average american kid puts 67 lbs of lunch wrapping waste in the landfills every school year (greenopolis,com). When it comes to saving bags, bring a cloth one to the store. Store bags are even more evil that lunch baggies. Also, carry a reusable water bottle instead of using bottled water, or if you have a friend who does drink bottled water, steal their bottle when they're done with it. Refill and reuse that one until it starts to smell bad.
6. Use stuff for as long as you can instead of buying a new one. We don't wear out our clothes in a single school year (though there are some exceptions), but at the start of fall everyone goes out and purchases a whole new wardrobe. Is it really necessary? If your clothes/school supplies/cell phones/whatever are still good, keep using them.
7. Summers coming up, which means everyone starts blasting the air conditioning. Let the house be a little warmer than is comfortable. Turn of the air on breezy days and open up the windows. The opposite goes for winter; put on a sweatshirt instead of cranking the heat.
8. Bike or walk to places within a distance that you are capable of traveling. Invest in a bike chain and avoid burning up the nonrenewable fossil fuels. Not only is it good for the earth, but you'll also find yourself in great shape! If the distance is far, but you know someone nearby going near where you're going, carpool.
9. Eat less meat! When you eat a steak, you consume not only the cow, but everything that had to be fed the cow as it grew up. The resources you consume when you consume meat are huge when you consider not only the grain and water, but also the transporting of the animal and emissions that come from its processing. Granted plant products must be transfered and processed as well, but less so than meat. Eating mostly plant products is being a direct consumer, especially if you grow your own veggies in your back yard.
10. The most obvious one: Recycle, please. It seems like such a simple thing, and yet so few actually do it. If you don't want to pay for the recyclables pick-up, take them to sites. Libraries and schools always have dumpster-shaped containers for paper, and grocery stores often have ones for cans and bottles.
1. Turn out the lights! When you leave a room, don't forget to flip the switch. If you're doing work and it's light out, but your area gets little natural light, move near a window or work outside to avoid wasting energy.
2. Borrow instead of buy. Gets books and movies from the library, a movie rental store, or mooch off of a friend. If it's something you're only going to use once, there's no sense in wasting the resources. If possible, find a couple neighbors that you trust to share big things like lawn mowers and snow blowers. If a product cannot be borrowed and is a necessity, buy used. If you can't find it used, buy the brand with the most eco-friendly policies and minimal packaging.
3. Write on the backs of used paper for notes. Why consume when there's perfectly usable stuff that you're just going to throw in the recycling bin anyway? Just 3-hole-punch the homework, essays, and assignment sheets of yesteryear, flip them upside-down, and put them in a binder.
4. Cut back on shower time. The average shower uses a little over 2 gallons per minute, which really starts to add up. If you reduced your shower by 2 minutes and showered every night, you would save 1,606 gallons in a year. Skipping days is encouraged if you've done nothing but sit in your house all day.
5. Plastic baggies are your enemy. A sandwich-sized plastic (but preferably glass) container will save you money and keep all of those bags out of the landfill. The average american kid puts 67 lbs of lunch wrapping waste in the landfills every school year (greenopolis,com). When it comes to saving bags, bring a cloth one to the store. Store bags are even more evil that lunch baggies. Also, carry a reusable water bottle instead of using bottled water, or if you have a friend who does drink bottled water, steal their bottle when they're done with it. Refill and reuse that one until it starts to smell bad.
6. Use stuff for as long as you can instead of buying a new one. We don't wear out our clothes in a single school year (though there are some exceptions), but at the start of fall everyone goes out and purchases a whole new wardrobe. Is it really necessary? If your clothes/school supplies/cell phones/whatever are still good, keep using them.
7. Summers coming up, which means everyone starts blasting the air conditioning. Let the house be a little warmer than is comfortable. Turn of the air on breezy days and open up the windows. The opposite goes for winter; put on a sweatshirt instead of cranking the heat.
8. Bike or walk to places within a distance that you are capable of traveling. Invest in a bike chain and avoid burning up the nonrenewable fossil fuels. Not only is it good for the earth, but you'll also find yourself in great shape! If the distance is far, but you know someone nearby going near where you're going, carpool.
9. Eat less meat! When you eat a steak, you consume not only the cow, but everything that had to be fed the cow as it grew up. The resources you consume when you consume meat are huge when you consider not only the grain and water, but also the transporting of the animal and emissions that come from its processing. Granted plant products must be transfered and processed as well, but less so than meat. Eating mostly plant products is being a direct consumer, especially if you grow your own veggies in your back yard.
10. The most obvious one: Recycle, please. It seems like such a simple thing, and yet so few actually do it. If you don't want to pay for the recyclables pick-up, take them to sites. Libraries and schools always have dumpster-shaped containers for paper, and grocery stores often have ones for cans and bottles.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Fencing
Fencing is a pretty cool sport. I'm going to blog about sabre fencing. There are alternatives to it, but sabre is the most physically demanding of the three weapons. Plus, it was my weapon.
Two people face each other in a bout. Each is hooked up to a box with the wires able to retract or extend according to the fencer's movements, and that box connects to a machine that lights up for the person who scored a point. The sabre is connected to a wire, which is connected to the wire coming out of the box and the electric lame. The lame is the fencing jacket, and is covered with a tiny wire net. When one person's sabre touches the other's lame (which is also connected to the wire-covered mask), his/her light turns on. If you know anything about electricity, it's just a big circuit.
Target area includes everything above the hips, excluding hands. In sabre, you can either stab or cut, unlike the other weapons in which you can only stab. There are lots of rules, like right-of-way, that determine whose point is was when both lights come on simultaneously, but I'm not really going to go into them. It's really complicated, and there are too many for me to list right now. A director mediates the bout, and his/her call is final, unless one fencer concedes. If you're incredibly lucky, you can argue until the director abstains from call, but arguing typically just puts him in a bad mood. Screaming after every point is highly encouraged, even if you're not sure the point was yours. You may influence the director, but the real purpose is to scare people and reap the benefits of a much-needed release.
Tournaments are huge. Women's sabre is the smallest event in all age groups, and that averages 120 people per event (one event example is Y14 (age group) women's sabre). Most fence in multiple evens because regarding age groups, you can fence in your own or any above your age group. Events can also be divided by rank (some require you to have at least a B, C, or D rank. You're ranked A,B,C,D,E,or U for unranked). You start with pools, which are groups of 5-8 determined by seed where you fence every person to 5 points. This determines your seed for DEs (direct eliminations). DEs are bouts to 15, where you fence until you either lose a bout or win the tournament. Top 8 medal.
So that's fencing. It's complicated, but it's a lot of fun. Since I left, I've thought about it every day. My coach changed my life, and I am forever indebted to him.
Two people face each other in a bout. Each is hooked up to a box with the wires able to retract or extend according to the fencer's movements, and that box connects to a machine that lights up for the person who scored a point. The sabre is connected to a wire, which is connected to the wire coming out of the box and the electric lame. The lame is the fencing jacket, and is covered with a tiny wire net. When one person's sabre touches the other's lame (which is also connected to the wire-covered mask), his/her light turns on. If you know anything about electricity, it's just a big circuit.
Target area includes everything above the hips, excluding hands. In sabre, you can either stab or cut, unlike the other weapons in which you can only stab. There are lots of rules, like right-of-way, that determine whose point is was when both lights come on simultaneously, but I'm not really going to go into them. It's really complicated, and there are too many for me to list right now. A director mediates the bout, and his/her call is final, unless one fencer concedes. If you're incredibly lucky, you can argue until the director abstains from call, but arguing typically just puts him in a bad mood. Screaming after every point is highly encouraged, even if you're not sure the point was yours. You may influence the director, but the real purpose is to scare people and reap the benefits of a much-needed release.
Tournaments are huge. Women's sabre is the smallest event in all age groups, and that averages 120 people per event (one event example is Y14 (age group) women's sabre). Most fence in multiple evens because regarding age groups, you can fence in your own or any above your age group. Events can also be divided by rank (some require you to have at least a B, C, or D rank. You're ranked A,B,C,D,E,or U for unranked). You start with pools, which are groups of 5-8 determined by seed where you fence every person to 5 points. This determines your seed for DEs (direct eliminations). DEs are bouts to 15, where you fence until you either lose a bout or win the tournament. Top 8 medal.
So that's fencing. It's complicated, but it's a lot of fun. Since I left, I've thought about it every day. My coach changed my life, and I am forever indebted to him.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Anorexia
I am not the usual suspect when it comes to eating disorders. What are the characteristics you think of when you think of an anorexic? Of course she's terrified of what people think of her appearance. She cares about making herself more beautiful. About looking better than the people around her because the thinner the better. You know what? I hate those assumptions. I'm extremely self-assured, and I've never particularly cared about what other people think about me, especially my face and figure. Sometimes I'm flat-out arrogant. My anorexia came out of something completely different.
I remember the trigger. In the book Ender's Shadow, the main character Bean observes of the other children that they are fat-never missed a meal in their lives. At this time I was both fencing in every spare second of my time and running track. I looked at myself in the mirror and realized my soft features. I wasn't fat by any stretch of the imagination (this was the strongest point in my life, physically, anyway). Unless you compared me to say, children in Darfur. I've always been extremely sensitive, and I was struck by my very selfishness. Who am I to eat 2500 calories per day when these kids are lucky to eat a full meal?
I wish I could say that my self-inflicted starving was some noble form of asceticism, but I can't. That was the trigger, but my disease was ultimately a symptom of a deeper problem. I have obsessive-compulsive disorder. My obsession? Food. Restricting my intake, specifically. That's just my strongest one, but by no means the only. OCD haunts you at every moment of your life. Without my medication, I don't even sleep because my obsessions will keep me up at night.
So why am I telling you this? Because I am sick of people calling things anorexic when they're thin. It's a serious disease, and it drives me insane. People see eating disorders as something that happen to rich selfish celebrities. It's not, and it would be really nice if people would stop treating it with suck a lack of seriousness.
Also, I get incredibly frustrated when people claim that psychology-related drugs keep you from being who you truly are. Mine saved my life. I don't like taking them. I've tried to go off of them, but I can't. I am physically incapable of functioning properly without my meds. This is not a question of making me feel better; it's a matter of living.
So thats my random blog.
I remember the trigger. In the book Ender's Shadow, the main character Bean observes of the other children that they are fat-never missed a meal in their lives. At this time I was both fencing in every spare second of my time and running track. I looked at myself in the mirror and realized my soft features. I wasn't fat by any stretch of the imagination (this was the strongest point in my life, physically, anyway). Unless you compared me to say, children in Darfur. I've always been extremely sensitive, and I was struck by my very selfishness. Who am I to eat 2500 calories per day when these kids are lucky to eat a full meal?
I wish I could say that my self-inflicted starving was some noble form of asceticism, but I can't. That was the trigger, but my disease was ultimately a symptom of a deeper problem. I have obsessive-compulsive disorder. My obsession? Food. Restricting my intake, specifically. That's just my strongest one, but by no means the only. OCD haunts you at every moment of your life. Without my medication, I don't even sleep because my obsessions will keep me up at night.
So why am I telling you this? Because I am sick of people calling things anorexic when they're thin. It's a serious disease, and it drives me insane. People see eating disorders as something that happen to rich selfish celebrities. It's not, and it would be really nice if people would stop treating it with suck a lack of seriousness.
Also, I get incredibly frustrated when people claim that psychology-related drugs keep you from being who you truly are. Mine saved my life. I don't like taking them. I've tried to go off of them, but I can't. I am physically incapable of functioning properly without my meds. This is not a question of making me feel better; it's a matter of living.
So thats my random blog.
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