Is King still King?

Every third Monday in January we observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day but is the king is still king? Of course he is. Just because we don’t celebrate him with rituals and decorations like Christmas, Halloween, or Thanksgiving he has lost any significance. The fact that he is one of the 3 people with a national holiday shows his significance.  

Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was a hero of modern American liberalism and arguably the greatest spokesman for the civil rights movement, which successfully protested against racial discrimination in federal and state law.  Thanks to African American civil rights movement, the Civil Rights Act was passed; banning discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin in employment practices and public accommodations and the voting rights of all people were protected and restored.

Many people would argue that he has lost significance because we don’t honor him but I believe that that when that descendants of those who were discriminated against vote or further themselves academically, they honor the wishes of Martin Luther King Jr. and this has happened and is continuing to happen. 

What It's Like

One of my favorite songs to listen to is What It's Like by Everlast. The group Everlast was at first a semi-popular rap trio. They had I think only one hit song in the 90's and I cant' even remember what it was called so it must be irrelevant. When they released their new album titled Whitey Ford sings the Blues it caused many people to go into a state of shock. It was a very depressing and bluesy album that nobody saw coming. The most powerful song from this album is What It's Like. This song talks about how many people look down on others. The first example is of a businessman passing by a hobo and cursing him out for being poor. The second is about a girl who got pregnant from a dude that left her and how she was taking heat for going to get an abortion. The third is about a boy who was desperate for money who got involved in drugs and ended up dead. The moral of these stories is that we have no idea what these people are going through. We have never taken a single step in their shoes. We don't know what it's like.

Alone/Solitude

At some point in everybody's life they have either been completely alone or felt the need to be. Being alone every once in a while is a necessary thing, in my opinion, to be able to think clearly and function properly. I remember the time when I was in Italy during the summer of 2007. I was having a bad day with my parents and before leaving to go visit the Colosseum we got into an argument. I angered them so much that they left without me, leaving me, a 12 year old boy, alone in an Italian hotel. Being unable to understand anything that was on TV I decided to try and make my way to the Colosseum and meet up with my family. I grabbed a map from the front desk of the hotel and set off.
I soon realized that while traveling by myself I noticed a much greater amount of detail. When walking about with my parents I become too focused on not wanting to be seen with them and not on the beautiful architecture of Rome. Even though I only had a vague idea of where I was headed I was in the best mood that I had been on the entire trip. I was finally able to think clearly and I realized what an amazing country Italy really is.
As I continued to travel I became lost and since I was unable to communicate with the locals I just kept walking. I eventually stumbled upon a group of tourists and asked for directions. Imagine my surprise when I learned that I had actually wandered off the map. Normally this would freak me out, but after realizing that I need to enjoy everything around me I laugh and ask them to point me in the right direction. I soon was approached by a police officer who asked me my name. I gave it to him and he said that my parents had reported me missing. He then took me to the police station where they were happily/angrily waiting. While I got in loads of trouble for my wandering it remains to be one of the best experiences of my life. It taught me to take in my surroundings and to appreciate everything that I have.

I Know This Means Something

I believe that everything in life has a meaning and that everything that happens, happens for a reason. One night while I was sleeping I had a dream that the bus would come 5 minutes earlier than it normally did. When I woke up I didn't know what to think of it. After all it was only a dream. I then remembered that everything in life has a meaning so I hurried through my morning routine and got to the bus stop 7 minutes early. Sure enough the bus arrived 5 minutes earlier than it normally did. It may be that I can see into the future, but it proves that everything has a meaning. When I got home that day from school I learned that my dog had thrown up all over the floor that morning when I normally would have been home. Thanks to my premonition I was able to miss that unfortunate event and I didn't have to clean it up.

What I Am Thankful For

This is the week of Thanksgiving, so saying who we are thankful for is appropriate. If there is one person in fifth period Philosophy In Literature that I am thankful for, it would be Artem Potemkin. Why? I have known Artem for four years and have never had a real class with him until this year. He seemed like a cool person so I was naturally happy that I had a class with him. In class, I can always count on him to make a joke or make me laugh. What he adds to the discussion everyday is very well spoken and well thought out. He is a very deep thinker and I respect that. Also whenever we have to break into groups for classwork, I know that there is someone who I can listen to and write down what he says without even looking at the questions. Even though you throw the the occasional insult my way and tell me that I'll be putting my glasses in two pockets I still enjoy your sense of humor. So, thanks Artem for being a cool person and making fifth period Philosophy In Literature better.

Voltaire and Camus would vote for...

I honestly think that Voltaire and Camus would not participate in any kind of political affair. They would simply sit back and enjoy the madness that occurs so they can satirize it in the future. They view government as a comical thing, not something that necessarily has to be respected, so why vote? Why take part in such an unreasonable thing? Voltaire satirizes the government in Candide especially when talking about the six kings. The kings serve as an extended mockery of the arrogance of the aristocracy. Although they believe they are naturally endowed with the right to power, they continually lose power through wars and political upheaval.As far as Camus goes he doesn't satirize government necessarily he just shows it from the point of view of a man who just doesn't really care that much. While both gentlemen are extremely intelligent beings I do not believe that either one of them would vote in a political election if they had the chance to.

Our Stranger Meaning

In class we are reading a book called the Stranger. The main character is a man named Mersault. He does not seem to care about much that goes on life. For example, at the beginning of the book his mother dies and he doesn't even know how old she is. He doesn't even cry at her funeral. He is a very strange man to say the least. However does he represent our stranger meaning? Is Mersault actually normal while we are the ones who are weird? Being normal is not something that can be defined. Everybody is normal and yet nobody is normal. We all have our own little quirks that make us just as weird as anybody else. So is what Mersault does normal? I think that it is. For him it is normal. Normality is just something that is perceived and it is different for everyone. So in a way this is our stranger meaning. We all have a little weirdness in us and we will all make questionable choices. I think Mersault represents our stranger meaning.