Civics

Dogs really are a man's best friend. But to not pick up after your dog's crap in the grass in the park or in the middle of the damn sidewalk is wrong. There are civic duties people are entitled to. Not picking up after your dog is one of them that annoys me the most when one is ignorant not to do a simple task owning a dog requires you to do. Nobody wants to clean up after you or your dog so why make them do it? Take for example you or your child are in a restaurant or public place, hell a Starbucks. And one of you throws up all over the place. Is the owner/barista really expected to clean that up after you? Nobody really wants to, and not picking up your dog's sh!t is the equivalence of just getting up and leaving that Starbucks after soiling it with the remnants of last night's dinner.

There are duties that are expected of the ordinary person. Like chores that our parents give us. I think that shows us as kids that there are certain duties that we have to do. Now instead of within the household there are duties to society to just be a decent human being and pick up after your dog.

Is Poverty A Choice

Some people cannot choose whether they are in poverty or not. Being born into it or living in an area that is stricken by it are examples of not being able to choose. But the idea of the choice to remain in poverty is in the person's freedom. I believe anyone can get out of poverty if they try. Although some areas can be typically a lot harder, ex: Southie. I think it is not entirely their fault that they are in that state of poverty.

Like the Phillipines, still stricken with poverty because the U.S Government deemed they were unfit to run their country by themselves after fighting against Spain for their independence.Because of outside factors, they remain in poverty and are struggling to better their economy. There are people that rose out of that poverty but it is their will and determination to do so. I believe being homeless is a choice. If they are unable to take the money they receive from begging and find a job, they choose to just keep begging. It is their inability to get out of poverty and that is why poverty is a choice. 

Integration:Separation

The U.S is known for being an integrated country, and "because their government is just and as there is nothing to render them wretched, there is nothing to engender riots and tumults." (Rights of Man, Paine) This quote was made prior to the civil war, and so this defines England's perspective in particular of the United States. Have we ever met those standards that Thomas Paine held to us? I think not. Although we are integrated racism still exists. Would it have been better to be separated instead of segregated? Maybe we would've saved the feelings of a lot of people, but it would have been a lot harder to make the transition to integration if we were separated to start with. Racism can't be stopped in society, because it is taken into account with everything we do with others. Stereotypes advertised all throughout media, are taken seriously even by professionals. Chicago is a more racist city than we know. Beatings and violence over domestic disputes can be considered acts of racism when we look at it. One can see it as being at the wrong place at the wrong time but the majority will tend to look at the situation oh a gang of (so & so race) beat up a couple kids of (so & so race) in the North or the South side. As long as their are two different races there will be people who see it as a racial dispute and wrongful act of violence.

Integration is a decision for most people. I believe that the people who fear integration should move to their homeland and be ignorant there. If they have the nerve to go to America and complain about integration its just sad because America isn't 'theirs'. That is why racism is so frowned upon. America has always been seen as the well diverse country that doesn't care about color or religion. Yet there are still people here that enforce that there should be separation. Which just outright disgusts me.

Malcolm X

"I believe one should forgive the person or persons who have committed atrocities against oneself and mankind. But this does no necessarily mean one should forget about the atrocities committed." (The Dalai Lama)

I don't think I'm in any position to speak about racism in general for others, because I have never gone through it. I can say however that it does exist still today, although it's light. Racism is still there, amongst our friends, family, and complete strangers. Can we really help it? Can we stop it? I don't know the solution to that but Malcolm X did a phenomenal job in showing the wrongdoings him and his brethren had faced due to it. 

The first 12 chapters of his autobiography leading to him being imprisoned was depressing. How his father was murdered, family separated, and the life he was forced to lead because of it. Personally I wouldn't know what to do when faced with racism. I'd probably feel anger. But there would be this question in my mind, constantly, "why?".

Malcolm X is more than justified for his actions through everything he's been through. Throughout the reading, it was just frustrating how the people would be so immoral to oppress him and his people. He has the right to call his enemy the devil, he has the right to use violence but instead doesn't. His attempts at resolving these conflicts were intelligent, rallying people to his side with ethos, logos and pathos.  

Musick Review.

My favorite song for a long time to come
 

 Otherside by Macklemore. Now making it big I've been listening to him since 2011. Yeah yeah I'm sooo cool because I listened to him first. But truthfully this is the song that stands out the most to me throughout his whole musical career. I've seen him live, and he's played this song, and by the end he was crying. Maybe the saddest thing I've seen coming from any rapper. The song is touching, and sends a serious message to a lot of drug users. Its unlike to hip-hop artists today that rap about the ho*s, money, and how good of a rapper they are. Macklemore raps about real problems in this song. A true artist accompanied by a great background/beat maker Ryan Lewis who highlight his voice and his lyrics so that every verse and every bar hits the audience. Other great songs by him that haven't been shown spotlight to include, The Town, Wings, and Victory Lap.

Alone

The very thought of being alone to me seems both good and bad. There are various ways one can view being alone, whether it be at home-alone, at complete silence, being outlandish, or without presence of other live creatures. I think they all relate with one another when the people you know are with and around you that determine true lonesomeness.

Most will agree that barring oneself from nature, from humanity, and society will make them truly alone. I picture it like I Am Legend, without the creatures that come out at night to eat your flesh. If that were to ever happen yes, then that would make that person truly alone. But a more realistic alone to me is being without love. A flaw to it could be that even if you say your family passed away that your never alone because they are always there watching you. But I think one who has nobody to love, no family, no friends, no companionship, is very alone. Then again that seems to be very hard to achieve as companionship seems natural to me, if you don't have friends you make some, if nobody wants to be your friend you get cats. Love for someone I think is what is really required to decide whether your alone or not.

Something I Have Found Meaning In

Thanksgiving has passed, and Christmas time is coming around, the holiday of giving. Both involve heavy family activity. That is what I have found meaning in my life so far. The idea and the purpose of a family to a person. It affects how that person turns out to grow, their actions, and their sense of affection. The idea of a family is beneficial to any individual even if that family is abusive. My reason being that an abusive family can make that person stronger, independent, and give them drive to be better than their family.

Nonetheless, family contributes to each and everyone's unique personality. When I think about it, if my family weren't there for me, then I would be a completely different person. Without them I don't even want to imagine how hard or different my life would be now. I have complete faith and trust in them and through the years of living with them is how I have come to conclude that the idea of a family has meaning to me.