Social Awareness

List of Issues

• A sparrow that can’t walk
• A pigeon with it’s feet caught together by string.
• Republicans
• An ownerless cat mewls in my backyard and eats the neighbor’s leftover chocolate cake on the back porch.
• Black smog gushing out of a New Jersey power plant.
• Gaza attacks Israel again and again
• A man smacks his dog for sniffing at the fence keeping him in the  house.
• A homeless man comes up to my car and begs for money
• Protesting gets violent and police resort to pepper spraying the crowd
• Long range missiles are developed and shipped to Gaza
• My aunt has to go into a bomb shelter in Tel Aviv
• Egypt is having problems

World Issue
Gaza repetitively attacks Israel because they have one thing in mind- destroy Israel.  Years ago, the Jewish homeland of Judah was conquered by Romans.  To completely rid the area of any Jewish traces, the Romans renamed it Palestine.  For a long time Jews, Arabs, and other groups lived peacefully together under rule from far away.  After two thousand years, the Romans lost control and the League of Nations appointed Britain to look after Palestine.  Under British control, the Zionist movement of Jews flooding into Israel grew and Britain finally shut Palestine’s doors to the Jews.  Jews fleeing from Hitler during the Holocaust had nowhere to go.  To give the Jews a homeland,  the UN suggested to split Palestine between the Jews and the Arabs in 1974.  The Jews accepted the offer and created Israel while the Arabs declined.  They despised Israel and that’s why they are still attacking Israel.  

Sirens in Israel wail signaling another rocket strike.  Because of Israel's’ top security precautions, people made their way to the nearest bomb shelter and came out with very few deaths and wounds.  The Iron Dome, a military defence program, unleashes rockets to meet and detonate the ones sent by Gaza in mid air so no one is hurt. Not all rockets are destroyed though so people still need to go into bomb shelters.  Israel couldn’t sit and watch itself get pelted by missiles.  For Gaza, peace talks were out of the question so Israel launched an airstrike on Gaza.  Before the strike, they dropped pamphlets on the city telling everybody to hide in bomb shelters so nobody got hurt.  Many people in Gaza ignored the notices and continued on with their daily activities.  A while later, bombs fell on Gaza and many died.  The Hamas exaggerated the news on tv and made it seem that the Israelis wanted to kill.  Do you think that Israel actually wants to fight?  Israel really just wants to be left alone so it can exist in peace but the Hamas terrorists won’t put up with that.  

People have tried peace talks but the Hamas just want to destroy Israel.  So do many of the surrounding countries like Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and many other countries.   You can’t reason with terrorists like the Hamas.  But you can stay strong and Protect yourself.  That’s what Israel is doing.  

Source: http://israelunlocked.wordpress.com/the-basics/the-israeli-palestinian-conflict-in-a-nutshell/


Literary Piece Description

Many cliques aren’t evil.  They are more like a dysfunctional, awkward, hormonal band of teenagers who cling to each other.  Sometimes cliques become so big that being “best friends” loses it’s meaning.  At least one person isn't thrilled when someone joins the group.  Drama begins and everyone is struggling to maintain their friendships by losing their individual opinions.  That's when kids get excluded when one person says something unflattering about a kid and everyone else agrees even though inside that's not how all of them feel.  I decided to break down the slow steps in which many cliques use to get rid of an unwanted kid.  

Literary Piece on excluding

Sleep away camp was great for a group of six teenage girls standing in a misshapen oval laughing and giggling.  You can plainly see the one who wants to be a part of the group; curls bouncing as she tries to squeeze her way in.  Her name is Liz.  No one speaks of the slight shift in the crowd that prevents her from joining.  That’s stage 1 in a series of tactics cliques used to signal to a girl that she is unwanted there.  They giggle and laugh while the Liz cranes her neck to hear what’s so funny.  

“What?  Guys!” The Liz whines imitating the other girls.  One girl with a ponytail whips her head around and looks at her with disgust.  “Come on tell me!”  Stage 2: the other girls ignore her and the ponytail girl turns back to her conversation.

When they laugh at some girl who had an “obnoxious face”, Liz laughs.  One girl makes a rude remark and everyone snickers.  Liz does the same, the girls murmur about how mean she is.  She copies them trying to walk in step with them and move as one like the others do. She stops to tie her shoe and the group keeps walking.  One girl sees her and tries to say something but she is interrupted by her friend whining “Did you notice that...?” in her ear.  Stage 3A: it’s easy to tell that they are talking about Liz.  Stage 3b:Everyone turns their head to sneak obvious glances at her that mean more than just a look.  It’s a way of hinting that they don’t really want her there without being mean.  Liz gets the hint but she still plays the part of the friendly girl who doesn't notice it.  The girls don’t know how to get rid of her.  They discuss plans quietly so Liz can’t hear.   Stage 4: Make it obvious.   Say something that excludes the outsider.  Let her know that just because she hung around with them doesn’t mean she is included in “us”.

“You know what?  We should have a group name.  Let’s see, there’s me, Stacey, Samantha, Jessica, Leah, and Mary.  Let’s call ourselves the Super Six!” Liz doesn't say anything because she doesn’t want them to notice it hurt her.  They mutter amongst themselves.  Why is she still here?  What should we do?

Stage 5: Interact with her is if she’s some random person who decided to hang out with them that day not someone who has followed them forever.  Everyone trades glances that seem to communicate: “Where did SHE come from?”  Stage 6:Last resort.  Finally, the ponytail girl removes herself from the group and comes up to Liz.

“You’re really nice and it’s fun to have you around,”  Liz knows what’s coming.  Stage 5: “but we really want to hang out by ourselves today.  We don’t really know you very much and sometimes we just want to be with our friends.  We don’t want your feelings to be hurt but...  Is that OK?”  Liz isn’t surprised but it still hurts her.  She can’t let them see that.

“Yeah! I get it!”  She chirped.  

“We really think you are cool but sometimes...”<--Lies Lies Lies

“It’s cool.”

“Great!” The girl runs back to her friends and immerses herself in the group.  Stage 6B: Overreact and rejoice when they hear she isn’t coming with them.  The girl’s ponytail bounces up and down as she whispers something to them.  Everyone brightens up and cracks jokes as if Liz was a hindrance to their happiness.  

A girl with a nasally voice clears her throat as they walk on the footpath.  

“OK girls I have some juicy secrets and I trust you guys because you’re my BFFLs!  Can I trust you guys to never say a word?”

“Aww sweetheart my lips are sealed!” one girl comforts.  The nasally whine continues on to gossip and spill the secrets of many other “best friends”.

Over my book I watch them making a fuss over who did what, when, why, how, and oh look at that adorable bikini! It’s strange that this happened right after a bunk bonding meeting themed: “We’re a big non-excluding and bullying family at camp happy!”.  

Reading response
The gay pride parade is a great way to show off and be proud of who you are.  It also inspires gay youths and boosts their confidence.  Some people look forward to the parade and some dislike it. "Helping a Gay Child to Come Out" by John Schwartz, talks of a third group of people.  They are the parents of gay kids who aren't ready yet to be openly gay.  His article make me think of the conditions at home.  For some kids they live in fear that their parents will find out that they’re gay.  If home isn’t secure and accepting, the neighborhood school probably isn't a safe refuge either. Bullying is a problem.  But when it comes to bullying gay kids, it has an even more harmful effect.  The constant threat of being victimized by ignorant bullies makes it harder for them to open up about who they are.

I have been insulted because I'm Chinese before but nothing compared to what some of these kids have to deal with every day.  I was insulted by a kid in first grade who had no idea what being chinese was.  He was always calling me "Chinese Person" so I picked out a cool picture book on China and showed it him and he was nice to me after that.  He probably bullied me because he didn't know anything about China and it confused him.  Because it confused him he didn't like it.  I think the main reason that bullies bully gay people is because they are different.  They don't know anything about what being gay is like and it scares them.  They try to get rid of it by harassing the gay kids but it doesn't seem to be working.  That's what prevents some young gays from coming out.  Many parents already know if their kids are gay or lesbian, they were just waiting  for their kid to say, "Hey ma, I have something to tell you...".   The article says that signs of being gay or lesbian start becoming noticeable at age 3.  Some supportive parents try to get their kids to relax by showing them strength through the gay pride parade.  

Another big issue that scares many gay youths is the fear of what their parents  might say.  Some kids aren't born into accepting families and when they figure out that they are gay it's risky to tell their parents.  According to the article one girl told her mother that she was bisexual because she thought “it wasn’t going to crush her as much.”  These kids need a supportive family.  It's horrible that many don't have one.

It's important that they have a safe environment where they can be who they are.  From home, to school they should be comfortable about who they are.  Bullies bully them because they are afraid.  People need to educate them on the essence of being gay.  The gay pride parade is a great way to lift spirits and boost confidence in these kids.  Maybe if enough people show their support more gay children would open up and be who they are.  

Reading Response

Bullying gay kids is a problem.  That's what keeps some gay kids from coming out of the closet and enjoying the gay pride parades.  Some people look forward to it.  Some dislike it. "Helping a Gay Child to Come Out" by John Schwartz, talks of a third group of people.  They are the parents of gay kids who aren't ready yet to be openly gay.  The threat of bullies frightens some kids and some are just not ready.  Kids need to be taught how to overcome their fears and be open about who they are.  


 I have been insulted because I'm chinese before but nothing compared to what some of these kids have to deal with every day.  I was insulted by a kid in first grade who had no Idea what being chinese was.  He was always calling me "Chinese Person" so I found a cool picture book on China and he was nice to me after that.  He probably bullies be because he didn't know anything about China and it confused him.  Because it confused him he didn't like it.  I think the main reason that Bullies bully gay people is because they are different.  They don't know anything about what being gay is like and it scares them.  They try to get rid of it by harassing the gay kids but it doesn't seem to be working.  That's what prevents some young gays form coming out.  Many parents already know if their kids are gay or lesbian, they were just waiting  for their kid to say, "Hey ma, I have something to tell you...".   The article says that signs of being gay or lesbian start becoming noticeable at age 3.  Some supportive parents try to get their kids to relax by showing them strength through the gay pride parade.  

An other big issue that scares many gay youths is the fear of what their parents  might say.  Some kids aren't born into accepting families and when they figure out that they are gay it's risky to tell their parents.  According to the article one girl told her mother that she was bisexual because she thought “it wasn’t going to crush her as much.”  These kids need a supportive family.  It's horrible that many don't

It's important that they have a safe environment where they can be who they are.  From home, to school they should be comfortable about who they are.  Bullies bully them because they are afraid.  People need to educate them on the essence of being gay.  The gay pride parade is a great way to lift spirits and boost confidence in these kids.  Maybe if enough people show their support more gay children would open up and be who they are.  

Nonfiction Response

     "Along the 26.2 Miles, No Hordes or Cheers, Just Odd Tranquillity" by Jere Lonsman shares the stories of different people's experiences with the Sandy-wrecked marathon.  People felt differently on the subject.  Some found it was a road block that they had to work hard to overcome.  Others thought it was good that the marathon was canceled.  

     When runners heard that the marathon was canceled, some knew that they wouldn't back down.  For some it's their first time getting in or running the race.  Some people had come all the way from out of the country to participate.  A group of 11 ran the marathon and ignored the silence.  Just because it wasn't official anymore wasn't going to stop them: “We are here; we are not giving up, the weather is beautiful. Say hello to Mayor Bloomberg for us.” Oliver Wigniolle said.  Two men fond an other solution to the problem.  They ran the equivalent to the marathon's length in Prospect Park.  For many, the marathon is a huge event and they would find what ever ways they could to bring it back.  To them, the show must go on. 

     Not everybody appreciates the marathon as much as them.  As the marathon runners made their way along the path, one woman yelled at them through her car window.  "That's disgusting.  People lost their homes."  Although doing fun things at the same time as something really sad is considered rude, I think that running boosts spirits.  They aren't letting the cancelation of the race push them around.  In a neighborhood the marathon normally passes through, some appreciated the freedom of parking on your block, the lack of yelling people, and congested streets.  Those people have a point.  If the runners ran to raise money for Sandy victims than that would be different.

      I normally like the marathon but it gets boring to watch after a while.  I never knew how important the race is to individual people.  It's a huge lifetime goal and to them having it canceled Is a tragedy.  For some, it doesn't really bother them.  They don't like it when a lot of major streets are blocked off and  it's hard to get from point a to point b.  To many people the race is really important but so is the condition of people's electricity.  I figured, to make the marathon more likable to people who find it an annoyance, they could turn it into a Sandy relief run.  It would mean a lot to people all over the east coast.  That's how they could do their part.    

Blog post #5

    How we identify ourselves varies depending on who we want to be.  My book, Divergent, is about a girl who finds out that she isn't going to let her family make her someone else.  Beatrice, now known as Tris, must choose between  5 different social groups to decide where she will spend the rest of her life.  When she gets to the test that tells her which "faction" she should choose, the results are divided between Dauntless the brave, Abnegation the selfless and Erudite the knowledgeable.  Her family wants her to stick with what she grew up with, Abnegation, she doesn't.  When she chooses Dauntless, she begins to have doubts.  She is  still uncertain where she belongs.  
    Tris grew up as an Abnegation.  That's where her family is.  Switching Factions would make her family feel betrayed.  One morning, she wakes up and her family moves her : "On these mornings when my brother makes breakfast, and my father's hand skims my hair as he reads the newspaper, and my mother hums as she clears the table-it is on these mornings that I feel guiltiest for wanting to leave them".  When she shares a bonding moment with her family, It makes it harder to want to leave.   I think rebellion is hard for all of us when you see how much you love your family.
   Tris didn't realize that she really wasn't meant to be Abnegation.  Tris, decides that she will be Dauntless: "I  open my eyes and thrust my arm out.  My blood drips onto the carpet between the two bowl.  Then, with a gasp I can't contain, I shift my hand forward, and my blood sizzles on the coals.  I am selfish.  I am brave".  She has the courage to choose Dauntless.  Because she was brave, she chose the more difficult choice.  If we all have a chance to choose something big, the best choice would be the one that is difficult, but for the best.  
   Deep down in the Dauntless home, Tris becomes uncertain about her choice.  She settles her problem by plunging right into the Dauntless vibe with a tatoo: "'Yes' I say. 'Three of the se flying birds.'  I touch my collar bone, marking the path of their flight -toward my heart.  One for each member of the family I left behind".  Tris embraces the Dauntless attitude but also honors her past.  When people go though a big change, it is always good to remember what you left.
   It's tough to betray your family.  It's also tough to life a life that just doesn't suit you.  Tris struggled to figure out where her future lay but she found it.  Although it wasn't easy, she learned that the best things for you don't come without loss.  I think that if people found a way to move on with their life but still remember their past after a big change,we wouldn't have as much trouble.  





























Some random thing of no importance I wrote: I love beef jerky!! Sometimes, it's juicy and tender other times its tough and flavorful.  No matter what texture, beef jerky will always remain in my heart.   Hallelujah!!

Blog post #4

As a peach blossom grows into a peach, a 14 year old boy named Joby must become a man overnight.  He must learn to accept, carry out, and confidently fulfill his task as the drummer boy.  In the "Drummer Boy of Shiloh" by Ray Bradbury, Joby hides from his job as the drummer boy.  The General finds him and successfully comforts, and teaches Joby the importance of his job.  As Joby gradually understands what he must do, a peach blossom develops and transforms with the story.

Thud.  A falling peach stone roughly awakens Joby from his sleep.  Startled, Joby is flooded with his responsibility.   Here, the peach is shown as a graceless annoyance disturbing Joby's sleep: "At midnight a peach stone left miraculously on a branch through winter, flicked by a bird, fell swift and unseen; it struck once, like panic, and jerked the boy upright."(49)  The peach stone is portrayed like a slap to the face; a yank back to the real world.  

Joby reflects on his history under a peach tree; flitting between past and present.  A peach blossom mistaken for a moth drifts down from the tree and brushes Job'y face.  A peach blossom flutters down but it mistaken for a moth.   This gives off a feeling of uncertainty.  "A moth brushed his face, but it was a peach blossom.  A peach blossom flicked him, but it was a moth. Nothing stayed put.  Nothing had a name.  Nothing was as it once was."(51)  As joby's mind wandered, so did the blossom and the moth.  Was it a good idea to join the army?  Will  he survive the battle?  Does his family care?  Joby and the peach blossom wove in and out of reality not sure about anything.  

Joby catches the eye of the General.  The General marvels at Joby's youth: "Do you shave yet boy?  Even more of a fool.  There's your cheek, fell right off the tree overhead.  And the others here not much older.  Raw raw, the lot of you."(51)  Joby's unshaven face reminds the General of the smooth petal of a peach blossom.  Joby, had just turned 14 when he ran away to the army.  Joby hadn't reached adulthood yet.  He is unready for war even though he is not fighting,  He hides from the job looming over him waiting until the morning.

The General successfully teaches joby to stay strong and to overcome his fears.  In other words, h comforts Joby like a father would have done and tucks him in to sleep.  Joby rests as the peach blossoms fall from the tree: "He lay next to it, his arm around it, feeling the tremor, the touch, the muted thunder as all the rest of the April night in 1862, near the Tennessee River, not far form Owl Creek, very close to the church named Shiloh, the peach blossoms fell on the drum."(54)  There, the falling blossoms hit the drum like a soothing a heart beat.  Sometimes, the rhythm of life is comforting.  Joby sleeps soundly with confidence and strength.

The General saw him as a little boy and gave him the courage of all the other men.  When he woke up, he envied the other men's "shields" of pride and the General helped him find his.  As the peach transforms from an enemy to a relaxing comfort, Joby's burden becomes a minor task.  With the knowledge of his importance in the war mixed with a little pride, Joby found strength.  I think that all of us would understand our jobs (including homework) better if someone clearly explained the importance of it in an engaging way.  The story plays out to reveal that knowing the answer to the "why" question isn't enough motivation.  Comforting parental support completed the hole in Joby's courage.  We need someone to cheer us on when we loose out confidence.

Theme!! post #3

Tea appears to be an important part of the Hitchhiker's  Guide to the  Galaxy by Douglas Adams.  Arthur Dent wakes up one morning to find a demotion team preparing to knock down his house.  His friend Ford shows up to return a borrowed towel and informs Arthur that the world will be destroyed in a few minutes.  After a series of strange and bizarre events, the two find themselves on the spaceship Heart of Gold.  There they begin their journeys to distant planets where Arthur expresses his true human faults.    

I realized that Arthur is a cross between a reluctant, anti-hero and innocent protagonist.  Arthur blunders aimlessly into situations where he becomes a pathetic lump.  After waking up with a terrible headache- "Arthur Dent is no more aware of his destiny than a tealeaf is aware of the East India Company".  When he saw the bulldozers,  his mind short circuited and he impulsively sat in the mud in front of them.  When Ford came and pulled Arthur off the planet, Arthur was bewildered to find himself on a spaceship.  Years later, he still hadn't adjusted to space-travel proving that most people don't adjust to things as long as they still think they are impossible.  

Throughout Arthur and' Fords adventures, Arthur's develops a craving for a warm cup of tea.  When they reach the Heart of Gold, he isn't satisfied by the thick brown "tea" the spaceship provided: "He had found a Nutri-Matic machine which had provided him with a plastic cup filled with a liquid that was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea(84)".  Arthur's craving gets stronger the more he mopes by himself which leads me to think that this is a sign of how much he misses earth.  His obsession grows to the point that he succumbs to the human defect of yelling at inanimate objects.  This shows another one of his human faults, obsession.

We all know that humans aren't perfect but some of our faults are just plain frustrating.  Change is hard.  When you move or your friend isn't going to your school anymore it's sad.  When you move and everything and everyone you knew and loved blew up with the earth it's even harder.  Still, you're not going to help things by moping for years.  Another problem Arthur faces is controlling his instinct to act irrationally.  When one person freaks out it makes the people around them nervous and suddenly people are running around screaming.  One of the best pieces of advice in the world is "Don't Panic".  In other words, when something is bothering you, think before you do something that might make the situation worse.  

My Thoughts on Other People's Work

          I read three blog posts and I think my two favorites are Olivia's and Henry's.  I really liked Olivia's on "The Future Of Us" by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler.   She got into detail about the background of the story and how she felt about it.  She also supplied two pieces of text evidence to support her theory on the book.   She clearly explained why she felt a certain way about a consistent theme in the book.  She also made the whole idea of seeing your future self on face-book easier to get.  I found Olivia's article interesting and fun to read.  
         I also read Henry's blog.  He read "From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava" By Jay Kopelman. By summarizing the book and giving context, Henry built structure to help the reader understand his post better.  He combs through his thoughts and organizes them so you don't get them mixed up in the post.  I liked how in the end he recommended the book to his audience.