Civic Duties

There are many things/duties that every citizen of the nation are required to do such as pay taxes, vote and follow the numerous laws. There are many people who have no problem doing these things without questioning them at all. I am one of those people. While I may not agree with it all I feel that there is no other way to live happily in this country without doing these things. If you dont agree with paying taxes well that sucks because if you don't they will send you to jail. I'm not saying that by doing these things that I am a good citizen because I certainly don't think I am. I just choose to follow the basic civic duties so I can get on with my life while not being bothered by the government or anybody else.

Is Poverty a Choice?

I do believe that poverty is a choice. People may say that some things are out of your control but I do not feel this way. I feel that as human beings we are in control of every choice we make and everything that we do with our lives. Sometimes the choices we make may lead to a life of poverty. We might make the mistake of having one too many children or marrying  and having kids with someone who is unfit to raise them. Both of these things could lead to a life of poverty and whose fault are they? They are your own fault. Life doesn't always turn out the way we want it to and there are a lot of people out there who are jerks. But it ultimately comes down to the decisions you make that lead to the way your life turns out. That is why I believe that poverty is indeed a choice.

Malcolm X

A lot has been going on in this book that I have been reading. The stuff that stands out most to me is this whole Yacub's theory foney baloney nonsense. It is understood amongst many scientists that the original people came from Africa or Pangea. As the continents shifted and people began to live in different climates their skin colors started to change. Eventually we ended up with all of the different colors that we have today. The theory is right in saying that the first people on earth were black. This evil scientist crap just blows my mind. It's even more ridiculous than scientology. I understand that throughout history the "white man" has belittled other races at times and has been the cause of many issues, but so have other races. To think that the overall purpose of the "white man" is to be devilish is just silly. There has been genocide in Africa and in Asia that the "white man" has had nothing to do with. It is too general of a statement to accuse the "white man" as being devilish and generalization is one of my pet peeves. People have the right to believe in whatever they want to and I don't want to get into my views on organized religion, but believing that another race is there to make your lives miserable? Doesn't that just seem like a potential cause of trouble? You cannot live your life full of hatred. You eventually have to look for a truce or a way to work things out.

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.