Wednesday, May 9, 2012
censorship
Scott Watson
Mrs. Koch
English Honors 2
March 18, 2012
Title
Long ago when the United States was first starting out, it was unique as a country because of the fact that our government gave its citizens exclusive rights towards freedom of speech. Over the years many different forms of communication have appeared, whether it be through the phone, or mail. Along with these advancements in communication came new ways to express your opinions. With the creation of the internet, the United States entered completely new territory. Originally the internet was very small, but now its single handily one of the most important pieces of technology ever created. With the introduction of video hosting web sites and social networking, people are literally a post way from each other. Along with these connivence's, the internet is also a powerful tool within America’s classrooms. However, many schools block student’s access to vital information, citing that many web sites that student’s read as interruptions to the classroom. By doing so, many schools violate what our forefathers set out to do so long ago. Instead of giving students the information they often need, they often censor web sites indiscriminately, often ignoring the actual content on the web sites. Because of this,,instead of protecting students from disruptful web sites, more often than not, the consequences usually cause more harm then not censoring the web sites in the first place. But also along with this form of censorship, there are many more forms of censorship. Literally anything could be censored; clothes, ideas, and books could be considered worthy of a ban.
Schools often censor web sites because they contain information on one or more subjects that the school deems harmful to students. The information could be about drugs, guns, or anything illegal or unimportant to learning. However, schools usually neglect to examine the web sites thoroughly. For example, some schools block Wikipedia’s article on Tobacco. Students who are trying to learn about Tobacco’s long history are unable to do so. If the school moderators had given a quick look through of the article, they would’ve seen that there was very little if any information that students could use for unlawful means. Another example of this relates to Minnesota school district. When Doug Johnson wanted to show his class an educational web page about the effects of atomic testing, the web page was blocked because the information inside of it was about a chain of islands called the Bikini Islands. When schools begin to use internet censor programs, the programs don’t take into effect the actual information pages contain, instead depending only the title and keywords in the pages. It’s not uncommon for information to be inaccessible to teachers, especially when it has anything to do with things considered controversial.(Wagner, Mitch)
Another form of censorship that schools enforce is that students are not allowed to wear certain types of clothing to school. Some examples of clothing that schools don’t allow include clothes have chains on them, clothes with provocative holes in them, clothes with patches, pajama pants, shirts advertising alcohol or tobacco, among others. Many students could be considered opinionated and exercise their first amendment by wearing their own shirts. Many consider wearing a shirt advertising Bud Light the same as wearing a Cardinals shirt. However, schools consider these kinds of shirts detrimental to learning and don’t allow them. A popular trend is having holes on your pants. The holes are often made in the jeans where the quads are and on the knees, and sometimes on the butt or crotch of the pants. While there is a common agreement that provocative clothing disrupts the classroom, most schools have zero tolerance policy towards holes and don’t allow them anywhere. Brad Matthewson was a junior who was sent home twice and who faced trouble after he wore shirts advertising gay pride. In response to anger towards the censorship, the principle of the school said that people might become offended by Matthewson’s shirt. However, matthewson said that no one had complained to him about the shirt. When he asked pressed the matter further, he was told that he still wouldn’t be allowed to wear the shirts because the school feared that the shirts would spark controversy. Because of this censorship, the American Civil Liberties Union has come to Matthewson’s defense.
The final form of censorship that schools impose on their students is the censorship of books that the schools deem hurtful towards the learning environment. An example of this would be Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer. Written 1876, the use of derogatory terms for African Americans is a common sight within the book. Because of the changes concerning civil rights within American in modern times, the use of such terms could be considered very inappropriate within the classroom. However, the authenticity and the literature value contained within the book wouldn’t be the same if it were edited. Another series of books that occasionally come under fire is the Harry Potter series. One elementary school would not purchase Harry Potter books, saying “They knew that they would get complaints (because of the witchcraft themes), so they didn’t buy them.” There have also been events in which students have gotten in trouble for reading religious texts within the school, and it’s not limited to certain religions. The fear of students learning controversial information, or of parents become angry over what the school allows their children to read can cause schools to ban important and vital books from the curriculum. Books can be used as very important tools within the classroom and the use of controversial material can be some of the most effective ways for students to learn. It’s not uncommon for religion to appear in history class, no matter what the time period that students are studying. this general education may come under fire because of parent’s complaints. Instead of outright banning the reading of religious texts, students should be given the choice of not hearing about other religions before the material is presented. This way students that don’t want to hear can be satisfied, and others who want to learn are able to do so. (Kelly, Melissa)
While many schools began their censorship policies with good intentions, in the end they only cause more grief and annoyances then what they would’ve gone through without the censorship at all. Often times students are unable to access information because the school deems it controversial, or that it goes against the learning environment. However, it could be argued that students in highschool should be allowed to access many things that they aren’t. It’s up to individuals and their maturity, but it could be considered unfair for students who need information to be denied it simply because others are to immature to access it. Along with internet censorship, students should be allowed to express their ideas, regardless of whether or not others consider it offensive. If students are blatantly trying to be offensive, that’s a different story. the final form of censorship that should be reviewed are the bans put on certain books. Students should never be unable to read literature or ideas from the past. The ideas that our country were founded on included freedom of speech, soemthing that schools shouldn’t be able to regulate.
Wagner, Mitch. How the Internet Harms Schools. 2010. Computers World. May 8, 2012.
Kelly, Melissa. censorship and Banning in America. 712educatiors. 2010. Secondary Education. May 8, 2012.
my trip
Scott Watson
Mrs. Koch
English honors 2
March 14, 2012
The Suite Life
It’s an everyday occurrence for a teenager to look at something, only to look away with the realization that they don’t have the money to buy it. But always hopeful, teenagers wait for the day that they’ll be given the opportunity to prove themselves to be mature enough to get their own money. They pray for the time when they would be considered enough to travel on their own, buy their own things, and learn things they want to know. Being a teenager myself, I can only think of getting enough money to go on a vacation of my choosing. I would visit different countries, try out different things, and meet new people.
The first place on my stopping list would be Japan. Spending some of my money, I would sail across the ocean to visit. Once there, I would find a nice hotel to stay in. But as soon as I would book myself in, I would immediately be visiting across the country. I would meet and learn about the culture, and I would spend most of my day eating the various cuisine the country would have to offer me. After some time, I would leave the cities and begin to move inland, towards the mountains. By myself, i would adventure into the wilderness, seeking out any small villages that still existed.
After spending time on the beaches of Japan, I would go to visit Russia. After landing there, via plane, I would take time to explore the vast lands of the country. In the cities, I would spend money doing traditional Russian dances inside of the countries’ many dance clubs. Outside of these festive activities, I would spend time learning about Russia’s long, rather bumpy history. In Moscow I would look at the city’s famous architecture, taking note of the crazy looking domes that are atop many of the city’s buildings.
Upon a quick tour of Joseph Stalin’s memorial, I would move on to France. After a long rail road ride, I would exit the train and open my eyes to Paris, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I would travel the streets, walking into bakeries, sipping fine wines, and enjoying the local beauties. Beneath the Eiffel Tower, I would sit and watch the world around me pass by.
With my stomach full of bread, and my mind a bit dizzy from Paris’ delicious wines, I would travel to the grand country of Germany. I would sample every single piece of sausage that would be offered to me, and drive cars at screaming speeds on the Autobahn. Taking a tour in Berlin, I would travel to the Berlin Wall and imagine the history that lay around me. Looking around, while listening to Pink Floyd, I would walk up and down where it used to be. I would eventually ask for a tour of Germany’s famous car owners stores, taking looks at some of the best automotive technology in the entire world.
As soon as I would get my first speeding ticket from the German police, I would head out of the country, taking a float over to Great Britain. As soon as I would land, I would go visit Big Ben, London’s famous clock tower. Thoughts of the Hunchback of Notredame would pop up in my head as I would look at the tower’s clock hands ticking away. After some time looking at London’s beautiful clock, I would seek out someone who could teach me the history of the Famous English band, The Beatles. With my vacation money I would slip the teacher some money, convincing him to give me some memorabilia. With my new found merchandise, I would go visit parliament. I, being the history junkie I am, would take the time to stand in awe at the sheer amount of importance around me as I would stand inside of English parliament. I would realize that monarchs, noblemen, knights, and all other English heroes could have stood in the very spot that I would be.
Soon I would travel to the beautiful and mysterious deserts of the Middle East. Moving deep into the deserts, I would look for cities to spend my time in. renowned for the natural recourses of the lands around them, I’m sure that i wouldn’t be disappointed with what the cities’ many stores would have to offer me. Perhaps I would take a stroll within the cities markets, looking for the perfect kinds of exotic fruits to taste. One of the major religions within the region, islam, has a long and diverse history that has effected many things in the world today. Without a doubt, at some point during my adventures in the Middle East, I would be given the opportunity to learn about the contributions that Muslim culture has made. But eventually my times traveling around the Middle East would come to an end, and with it, I would turn my sights towards Northern Africa.
At this point in my worldwide travels, I’m sure my taste for locations near the equator would still be strong. Traveling South from the Middle East, I would go Egypt. Littered with literally an endless amount of things that have historical value, Egypt would have the most to offer along my travels in my opinion. My first stop would be in the streets of Cairo, the capital of Egypt. Just recently, massive protests were had to end the the rule of the country’s president. Feeling the air within the city would be an experience that I would never forget. Comparable almost to a revolution, the feeling patriotism within the country would most likely be very apparent. Leaving the city behind, I would travel to the Great Pyramids. Taking a tour as soon as possible, images of myself being Indiana Jones would begin. Ancient curses and deadly traps would be behind every corner. At this point on my trip, much of my money would probably have been spent on traveling expenses. But there would be nothing stopping me from enjoying authentic Egyptian delicacies. After experiencing what Egypt had to offer me, I would begin moving back North towards Italy.
Rationing the money that I have left, I would spend a portion of it quickly within Italy. Stopping first in Rome, moving towards the ancient Colosseum. Standing in the stands, I would look down in the area where battles, that put gladiators against each other, were fought. Leaving this place, I would stop into any bakery within sight and enjoy delicious breads and many different foods. Pizzas, spaghettis, and pasta would all fall before me during my crusade to ingest all of Italy. But Italy wouldn’t be Italy if it wasn’t for the country’s love for Soccer. before I would leave the country I would stop to enjoy a game of futbol. Renowned for their soccer players, italy would display the greatest sportsmanship and skill the world as to offer when it comes to the sport. After many goals and hours of yelling chants with the crowds, my time in italy would be over.
I would end my tour at the western tip of Canada. There I would enjoy Canada’s beautiful wildlife. Taking time to hike around the country, I would take note of Mother Nature’s beautiful effect on Canada. Of course, I would go the largest Ice rink in Canada to show the natives my unbelievable skill and prowess on the ice. With out a doubt, soon all of Canada would know and fear me, “The Loud, Proud, American Mouth.” I would truly earn the last edition to my title because of my inability to control my words in the heat of battle. None the less, self control, or not, my time spent dazzling the crowds would be the most enjoyable out of my whole trip.
One day, I will enjoy my responsibilities as an adult. No matter how hard the road gets, or how impossible things might seem at some point, I will appreciate the privileges
that are given to adults. Even if that means I won’t be sipping wine beneath the Eiffel tower, or driving an Audi on the Autobahn, I will still be in complete control of my life. Whether or not I have enough money to take train rides through Russia, or to stay in five-star Japanese Hotels, I will still enjoy what I have regardless. In the end, no matter what happens, when I’m an adult, I’m going to live like it’s the sweet life.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Package deal
Scott Watson
May 1, 2012
English honors 2
Mrs. Koch
A Package Deal
Every house has it’s own problems and quirks that it’s owner comes to eventually accept. The wooden floor may creak in certain spots, the basement laundry room may be prone to the occasional spider epidemic, and the bathroom door frame might be chewed by the owner’s puppy. While these household “attributes” may be considered negative additions to the house, the owner may come to terms with them, perhaps even thinking affectionately on them. But what were to happen if the house owner needed to sell the home? How could they make possible buyers feel the same way about the house’s flaws like they do? With intelligent wording and a bit of charm, any household seller can make buyers fall in love. Despite the fact that my own home may have a “few” things “wrong” with it, I know exactly how I would put my household into the curious buyer’s heart.
Welcoming those who are interested into my house, I would first show them the living room/kitchen. This room is a combination of the two and is a perfect example of where a family-get-together should occur. A mixture of a stylish living room furniture side-by-side with country styled kitchen decor, perfectly harmonized. The hardwood flooring may at first seem creaky and to have the occasional scratch, however I would assure the buyer by explaining the quality and workmanship put into the flooring. Oak flooring, stained by my father so that it would last a life time, would assure buyers that the flooring wouldn’t need to be replaced and that the occasional spill wouldn’t effect the beauty of the floor. Next I would point out the handwork that had been put into the decorations on the walls. Beautiful handmade wooden signs, masterful paintings, and vintage kitchen utensils used in America’s early history hang on the walls. One may at first believe the decor to be a bit odd, however they would quickly come to appreciate the uniqueness of the decorations, making the kitchen/living room even more appealing.
Guiding everyone along, I would take them to the basement. Stepping around, buyers may note that the flooring is all tile. Although the flooring could easily be broken or cracked by someone determined enough, I would ensure buyers that the flooring could easily be replaced and installed. But regardless, I would explain that flooring in the basement would be mainly for displaying the beauty that tile has over wood. Formed in clay by hand, heated over several thousand degrees, and placed in ice water to harden, the tiles are perfect examples of household applicable art. After this, I would point to the massive television on the TV. Although I’ve come to live with the fact that remote controller only works if it’s pointed at an extremely awkward angle towards the TV, I’m sure the buyers will require an explanation. Moving the TV a few inches diagonally would fix the problem, and doing so would only take ten minutes. If I’m asked why I haven’t already done this, I’ll simply answer, “It’s been up there like that for three years, it’s not good to break a tradition.” With a smile, the buyers would follow me out of the room.
Going outside into the backyard, buyers will immediately noticed that pure beauty of the nature surrounding them. High above us, the trees will look down at us, showering the area in leaves. Small local wildlife will scatter at our approach. The grass will sway in waves in the direction of the wind, not taking notice of us. The more snobby buyers will immediately notice the small ditch in the corner of the yard, as well as the chunk missing from the largest tree in the yard. I will immediately calm them by telling them of the old apple tree that used to rest in the corner of the yard, up until the day it unexpectedly began to dry up and die. Everyone will appreciate the story behind the tree. As children, I would explain, my friends and I were in the backyard playing with fire works. Usually monitored, one day my mother wasn’t home. On that day, my friends and I made a cocktail of fireworks, all slammed into one. Lighting it, the tree soon paid for our antics. Flying up, the fire works immediately brutally ravaged the trunk of the tree, ripping off it’s limbs. Although my story could be considered unfortunate for the tree, I’m sure any potential buyers will appreciate the unnatural ugliness of the tree, relating with the childhood stories behind it’s scars.
After the tour, I will close my doors as the buyers walk away. Although my house has many things about it that some may considered weird, or unattractive, behind everything is a reason. With some smooth explaining, anything scar, scratch, or inconvenience can be explained in a humorous or emotional way. There should be no reason why a person shouldn’t appreciate the history behind something, especially something as intimate as a house. But sometimes things about a house aren’t easily accepted at first, anything is possible with time. Despite this, any potential buyers of my house should keep in mind that if they buy my house, it includes all the attractive things, as well as every single quirk that they can imagine. In other words, they get it all. Good and bad. To put it simply, it’s a package deal.
May 1, 2012
English honors 2
Mrs. Koch
A Package Deal
Every house has it’s own problems and quirks that it’s owner comes to eventually accept. The wooden floor may creak in certain spots, the basement laundry room may be prone to the occasional spider epidemic, and the bathroom door frame might be chewed by the owner’s puppy. While these household “attributes” may be considered negative additions to the house, the owner may come to terms with them, perhaps even thinking affectionately on them. But what were to happen if the house owner needed to sell the home? How could they make possible buyers feel the same way about the house’s flaws like they do? With intelligent wording and a bit of charm, any household seller can make buyers fall in love. Despite the fact that my own home may have a “few” things “wrong” with it, I know exactly how I would put my household into the curious buyer’s heart.
Welcoming those who are interested into my house, I would first show them the living room/kitchen. This room is a combination of the two and is a perfect example of where a family-get-together should occur. A mixture of a stylish living room furniture side-by-side with country styled kitchen decor, perfectly harmonized. The hardwood flooring may at first seem creaky and to have the occasional scratch, however I would assure the buyer by explaining the quality and workmanship put into the flooring. Oak flooring, stained by my father so that it would last a life time, would assure buyers that the flooring wouldn’t need to be replaced and that the occasional spill wouldn’t effect the beauty of the floor. Next I would point out the handwork that had been put into the decorations on the walls. Beautiful handmade wooden signs, masterful paintings, and vintage kitchen utensils used in America’s early history hang on the walls. One may at first believe the decor to be a bit odd, however they would quickly come to appreciate the uniqueness of the decorations, making the kitchen/living room even more appealing.
Guiding everyone along, I would take them to the basement. Stepping around, buyers may note that the flooring is all tile. Although the flooring could easily be broken or cracked by someone determined enough, I would ensure buyers that the flooring could easily be replaced and installed. But regardless, I would explain that flooring in the basement would be mainly for displaying the beauty that tile has over wood. Formed in clay by hand, heated over several thousand degrees, and placed in ice water to harden, the tiles are perfect examples of household applicable art. After this, I would point to the massive television on the TV. Although I’ve come to live with the fact that remote controller only works if it’s pointed at an extremely awkward angle towards the TV, I’m sure the buyers will require an explanation. Moving the TV a few inches diagonally would fix the problem, and doing so would only take ten minutes. If I’m asked why I haven’t already done this, I’ll simply answer, “It’s been up there like that for three years, it’s not good to break a tradition.” With a smile, the buyers would follow me out of the room.
Going outside into the backyard, buyers will immediately noticed that pure beauty of the nature surrounding them. High above us, the trees will look down at us, showering the area in leaves. Small local wildlife will scatter at our approach. The grass will sway in waves in the direction of the wind, not taking notice of us. The more snobby buyers will immediately notice the small ditch in the corner of the yard, as well as the chunk missing from the largest tree in the yard. I will immediately calm them by telling them of the old apple tree that used to rest in the corner of the yard, up until the day it unexpectedly began to dry up and die. Everyone will appreciate the story behind the tree. As children, I would explain, my friends and I were in the backyard playing with fire works. Usually monitored, one day my mother wasn’t home. On that day, my friends and I made a cocktail of fireworks, all slammed into one. Lighting it, the tree soon paid for our antics. Flying up, the fire works immediately brutally ravaged the trunk of the tree, ripping off it’s limbs. Although my story could be considered unfortunate for the tree, I’m sure any potential buyers will appreciate the unnatural ugliness of the tree, relating with the childhood stories behind it’s scars.
After the tour, I will close my doors as the buyers walk away. Although my house has many things about it that some may considered weird, or unattractive, behind everything is a reason. With some smooth explaining, anything scar, scratch, or inconvenience can be explained in a humorous or emotional way. There should be no reason why a person shouldn’t appreciate the history behind something, especially something as intimate as a house. But sometimes things about a house aren’t easily accepted at first, anything is possible with time. Despite this, any potential buyers of my house should keep in mind that if they buy my house, it includes all the attractive things, as well as every single quirk that they can imagine. In other words, they get it all. Good and bad. To put it simply, it’s a package deal.
Friday, March 23, 2012
lockers
Scott Watson
March 21, 2012
English Honors 2
Señora Koch
Title
Señor Watson: Thank you for having me today Mrs. Pitter!
Señora Pitter: Its my pleasure, I’m glad to see that the student body has taken some time together and sent you to me.
Señor Watson: Well as you know, recently there was a search of the student’s lockers in the hope of finding drugs or some other paraphernalia. Did you support this?
Señora Pitter: Yes, I did. In fact, I was the one who initially organized it.
Señor Watson: I see! What was your reasoning behind this?
Señora Pitter: The office is constantly getting reports of students who are possibly under the influence of drugs. After a while of getting reports, I decided it should be time that the lockers be searched.
Señor Watson: Some would say that that would be against students’ rights. Any comments?
Señora Pitter: When students decide to go to Civic Memorial, they agree that they won’t bring anything or perform anything considered illegal on school grounds. So, when its suspected that students are storing illegal drugs in their lockers, which is technically school property I’ll remind you, it’s the school’s duty to retrieve the drugs and punish those students who broke the rules.
Señor Watson: I never thought of it like that. However, many students feel as if they’ve been violated by these searches. As I’m sure you know, girls hate their purses and whatnot being rummaged through; and boys feel the same way about their things. What do you think about how the students feel?
Señora Pitter: It’s my job as principle to connect with my students and help them to achieve their highest goals. It hurts me when my students feel like they do right now, however, it’s also my job to make sure that nothing harmful happens to them. If students were allowed complete privacy in their lockers, then how could we regulate and stop students from storing and selling drugs from their locker. Ultimately, my goal is to protect my students.
Señor Watson: Even if that means they get upset?
Señora Pitter: Sadly, yes.
Señor Watson: I think I’m beginning to understand why the searches happened. May I ask, how effective were the searches?
Señora Pitter: Of course I can’t tell you any names, but there we’ve uncovered quite a few pieces of contraband. I hate to say it, but there was a quite a few more pieces then when we searched the lockers in November.
Señor Watson: And what do you think this shows?
Señora Pitter: From what we can tell, drug trafficking and storage is on the rise at Civic Memorial. From many student’s points of views, these actions are invisible, so when we search through lockers they feel confused and don’t understand why its happening. But from the administrative point of view, we know pretty accurately what’s going on around the school. In the end, the fact that these actions are on the rise only shows that more searches are necessary.
Señor Watson: This quite a startling statistic, even I didn’t know the extent of why these things were happening. Perhaps if the students realized why these drug searches are so necessary, they’d understand. Is it possible that you could inform them?
Señora Pitter: I see no reason why it’s not. I didn’t realize how upset the students were getting until they sent you to me. It’s amazing how long a little bit a communication can go. However, we obviously can’t realize any names of students who have been caught doing anything illegal.
Señor Watson assumed so. One last question if I( may?
Señora Pitter: Be my guest.
Señor Watson: What is the punishment for being caught doing something illegal on school grounds. I’ve heard anything from students being put in ISS to being sent to the county jail.
Señora Pitter: There is some truth and some lies in that. Depending on the severity of the actions performed, we usually only suspend students from CM. Repeat offenders that are expelled if we deem it necessary. And if the actions are worse, then we may have the police come immediately if necessary.
Señor Watson: Mrs. Pitter, it was my honor coming today. You’ve helped me come to realize quite a few things today. I hadn’t even thought how big of a problem we had at our school and how necessary it is for us to take action against it. Thanks to you, the school body will be hearing from me very soon.
Señora Pitter: I’m very happy that you came to me today so that I could answer all of yours and the student body’s questions. Believe me, a principle feels good when she knows that her students are willing to come to her with their problems. I know that often times it seems the administration does things without a purpose, but the action being taken against illegal things at our school is one-hundred percent necessary. Once again, thank you for coming.
After today, my eyes have been opened to all the problems at my own school. I had never even began to think about how bad it was. If the students were to stop complaining for a minute, they;’d be able to stop the problem that was causing the administration to search our lockers. While it may be against our freedoms t have our lockers searched, one needs to take themselves away from the situation nd then to look at the situation gin. There’s a bigger problem here then what we originally thought. I had once thought that Mrs. Pitter had no right right going through my own locker, but now I think a little bit differently. I still don’t really like the thought of it, but I don’t like the thought that druggies around the school are what are the actual problem. If the student body hadn’t selected me for this opportunity, I may still be in the ignorance I had surrounded myself in. It’s actually really obvious now how many people around her use their lockers as storage, to hide things away from the administrations eye. In the end, I learnt a lot of things today from Mrs. Pitter, and for the rest of my life I’ll never estimate how far a little bit of communication can go.
March 21, 2012
English Honors 2
Señora Koch
Title
Señor Watson: Thank you for having me today Mrs. Pitter!
Señora Pitter: Its my pleasure, I’m glad to see that the student body has taken some time together and sent you to me.
Señor Watson: Well as you know, recently there was a search of the student’s lockers in the hope of finding drugs or some other paraphernalia. Did you support this?
Señora Pitter: Yes, I did. In fact, I was the one who initially organized it.
Señor Watson: I see! What was your reasoning behind this?
Señora Pitter: The office is constantly getting reports of students who are possibly under the influence of drugs. After a while of getting reports, I decided it should be time that the lockers be searched.
Señor Watson: Some would say that that would be against students’ rights. Any comments?
Señora Pitter: When students decide to go to Civic Memorial, they agree that they won’t bring anything or perform anything considered illegal on school grounds. So, when its suspected that students are storing illegal drugs in their lockers, which is technically school property I’ll remind you, it’s the school’s duty to retrieve the drugs and punish those students who broke the rules.
Señor Watson: I never thought of it like that. However, many students feel as if they’ve been violated by these searches. As I’m sure you know, girls hate their purses and whatnot being rummaged through; and boys feel the same way about their things. What do you think about how the students feel?
Señora Pitter: It’s my job as principle to connect with my students and help them to achieve their highest goals. It hurts me when my students feel like they do right now, however, it’s also my job to make sure that nothing harmful happens to them. If students were allowed complete privacy in their lockers, then how could we regulate and stop students from storing and selling drugs from their locker. Ultimately, my goal is to protect my students.
Señor Watson: Even if that means they get upset?
Señora Pitter: Sadly, yes.
Señor Watson: I think I’m beginning to understand why the searches happened. May I ask, how effective were the searches?
Señora Pitter: Of course I can’t tell you any names, but there we’ve uncovered quite a few pieces of contraband. I hate to say it, but there was a quite a few more pieces then when we searched the lockers in November.
Señor Watson: And what do you think this shows?
Señora Pitter: From what we can tell, drug trafficking and storage is on the rise at Civic Memorial. From many student’s points of views, these actions are invisible, so when we search through lockers they feel confused and don’t understand why its happening. But from the administrative point of view, we know pretty accurately what’s going on around the school. In the end, the fact that these actions are on the rise only shows that more searches are necessary.
Señor Watson: This quite a startling statistic, even I didn’t know the extent of why these things were happening. Perhaps if the students realized why these drug searches are so necessary, they’d understand. Is it possible that you could inform them?
Señora Pitter: I see no reason why it’s not. I didn’t realize how upset the students were getting until they sent you to me. It’s amazing how long a little bit a communication can go. However, we obviously can’t realize any names of students who have been caught doing anything illegal.
Señor Watson assumed so. One last question if I( may?
Señora Pitter: Be my guest.
Señor Watson: What is the punishment for being caught doing something illegal on school grounds. I’ve heard anything from students being put in ISS to being sent to the county jail.
Señora Pitter: There is some truth and some lies in that. Depending on the severity of the actions performed, we usually only suspend students from CM. Repeat offenders that are expelled if we deem it necessary. And if the actions are worse, then we may have the police come immediately if necessary.
Señor Watson: Mrs. Pitter, it was my honor coming today. You’ve helped me come to realize quite a few things today. I hadn’t even thought how big of a problem we had at our school and how necessary it is for us to take action against it. Thanks to you, the school body will be hearing from me very soon.
Señora Pitter: I’m very happy that you came to me today so that I could answer all of yours and the student body’s questions. Believe me, a principle feels good when she knows that her students are willing to come to her with their problems. I know that often times it seems the administration does things without a purpose, but the action being taken against illegal things at our school is one-hundred percent necessary. Once again, thank you for coming.
After today, my eyes have been opened to all the problems at my own school. I had never even began to think about how bad it was. If the students were to stop complaining for a minute, they;’d be able to stop the problem that was causing the administration to search our lockers. While it may be against our freedoms t have our lockers searched, one needs to take themselves away from the situation nd then to look at the situation gin. There’s a bigger problem here then what we originally thought. I had once thought that Mrs. Pitter had no right right going through my own locker, but now I think a little bit differently. I still don’t really like the thought of it, but I don’t like the thought that druggies around the school are what are the actual problem. If the student body hadn’t selected me for this opportunity, I may still be in the ignorance I had surrounded myself in. It’s actually really obvious now how many people around her use their lockers as storage, to hide things away from the administrations eye. In the end, I learnt a lot of things today from Mrs. Pitter, and for the rest of my life I’ll never estimate how far a little bit of communication can go.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
loceker search
Scott Watson
March 21, 2012
English Hnors 2
Señora Koch
Title
Señor Watson: Thank you for having me today Mrs. Pitts!
Señora Pitts: Its my pleasure, I’m glad to see that the student body has taken some time together and sent you to me.
Señor Watson: Well as you know, recently there was a search of the student’s lockers in the hope of finding drugs or some other paraphernalia. Did you support this?
Señora Pitts: Yes, I did. In fact, I was the one who initially organized it.
Señor Watson: I see! What was your reasoning behind this?
Señora Pitts: The office is constantly getting reports of students who are possibly under the influence of drugs. After a while of getting reports, I decided it should be time that the lockers be searched.
Señor Watson: Some would say that that would be against students’ rights. Any comments?
Señora Pitts: When students decide to go to Civic Memorial, they agree that they won’t bring anything or perform anything considered illegal on school grounds. So, when its suspected that students are storing illegal drugs in their lockers, which is technically school property I’ll remind you, it’s the school’s duty to retrieve the drugs and punish those students who broke the rules.
Señor Watson: I never thought of it like that. However, many students feel as if they’ve been violated by these searches. As I’m sure you know, girls hate their purses and whatnot being rummaged through; and boys feel the same way about their things. What do you think about how the students feel?
Señora Pitts: It’s my job as principle to connect with my students and help them to achieve their highest goals. It hurts me when my students feel like they do right now, however, it’s also my job to make sure that nothing harmful happens to them. If students were allowed complete privacy in their lockers, then how could we regulate and stop students from storing and selling drugs from their locker. Ultimately, my goal is to protect my students.
Señor Watson: Even if that means they get upset?
Señora Pitts: Sadly, yes.
Señor Watson: I think I’m beginning to understand why the searches happened. May I ask, how effective were the searches?
Señora Pitts: Of course I can’t tell you any names, but there we’ve uncovered quite a few pieces of contraband. I hate to say it, but there was a quite a few more pieces then when we searched the lockers in November.
Señor Watson: And what do you think this shows?
Señora Pitts: From what we can tell, drug trafficking and storage is on the rise at Civic Memorial. From many student’s points of views, these actions are invisible, so when we search through lockers they feel confused and don’t understand why its happening. But from the administrative point of view, we know pretty accurately what’s going on around the school. In the end, the fact that these actions are on the rise only shows that more searches are necessary.
March 21, 2012
English Hnors 2
Señora Koch
Title
Señor Watson: Thank you for having me today Mrs. Pitts!
Señora Pitts: Its my pleasure, I’m glad to see that the student body has taken some time together and sent you to me.
Señor Watson: Well as you know, recently there was a search of the student’s lockers in the hope of finding drugs or some other paraphernalia. Did you support this?
Señora Pitts: Yes, I did. In fact, I was the one who initially organized it.
Señor Watson: I see! What was your reasoning behind this?
Señora Pitts: The office is constantly getting reports of students who are possibly under the influence of drugs. After a while of getting reports, I decided it should be time that the lockers be searched.
Señor Watson: Some would say that that would be against students’ rights. Any comments?
Señora Pitts: When students decide to go to Civic Memorial, they agree that they won’t bring anything or perform anything considered illegal on school grounds. So, when its suspected that students are storing illegal drugs in their lockers, which is technically school property I’ll remind you, it’s the school’s duty to retrieve the drugs and punish those students who broke the rules.
Señor Watson: I never thought of it like that. However, many students feel as if they’ve been violated by these searches. As I’m sure you know, girls hate their purses and whatnot being rummaged through; and boys feel the same way about their things. What do you think about how the students feel?
Señora Pitts: It’s my job as principle to connect with my students and help them to achieve their highest goals. It hurts me when my students feel like they do right now, however, it’s also my job to make sure that nothing harmful happens to them. If students were allowed complete privacy in their lockers, then how could we regulate and stop students from storing and selling drugs from their locker. Ultimately, my goal is to protect my students.
Señor Watson: Even if that means they get upset?
Señora Pitts: Sadly, yes.
Señor Watson: I think I’m beginning to understand why the searches happened. May I ask, how effective were the searches?
Señora Pitts: Of course I can’t tell you any names, but there we’ve uncovered quite a few pieces of contraband. I hate to say it, but there was a quite a few more pieces then when we searched the lockers in November.
Señor Watson: And what do you think this shows?
Señora Pitts: From what we can tell, drug trafficking and storage is on the rise at Civic Memorial. From many student’s points of views, these actions are invisible, so when we search through lockers they feel confused and don’t understand why its happening. But from the administrative point of view, we know pretty accurately what’s going on around the school. In the end, the fact that these actions are on the rise only shows that more searches are necessary.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
censorship
Scott Watson
Mrs. Koch
English Honors 2
March 18, 2012
Title
Long ago when the United States was first starting out, it was unique as a country because of the fact that our government gave its citizens exclusive rights towards freedom of speech. At the beginning and for quite a while, the freedom of speech was unchallenged and rarely questioned. It was accepted that when someone said something, it was their right to do so. But as time went on, new forms of communication and ways to express your opinions were made. With the creation for the internet, the United States entered completely new territory. Originally the internet was very small, but now its single handily one of the most important pieces of technology ever created. With the introduction of video hosting websites and social networking, people are literally a post way from each other. Along with these conviences, the internet is also a powerful tool within America’s classrooms. However, many schools block student’s access to vital information, citing that many websites that student’s read as interruptions to the classroom. By doing so, many schools violate what our forefathers set out to do so long ago. Instead of giving students the information they often need, they often censor websites indiscriminately, often ignoring the actual content on the websites. Because of this,, instead of protecting students from disruptful websites, more often than not, the consequences usually cause more harm then not censoring the websites in the first place.
Schools often censor websites because they contain information on one or more subjects that the school deems harmful to students. The information could be about drugs, guns, or anything illegal or unimportant to learning. However, schools usually neglect to examine the websites thoroughly. For example, some schools block Wikipedia’s article on Tobacco. Students who are trying to learn about Tobacco’s long history are unable to do so. If the school moderators had given a quick look through of the article, they would’ve seen that there was very little if any information that students could use for unlawful means. Another example of this would be Youtube. Many schools block all means that its school members could access Youtube, even if teachers are trying to show their students an educational video. Youtube is one of the largest video hosting websites; on it is an unbelievably huge amount of educational videos. While there are just as many, if not more videos that could be considered harmful to the learning atmosphere, teachers themselves should have the option to choose for themselves what is and what isn’t an interruption to their classroom.
Another form of censorship that schools enforce is that students are not allowed to wear certain types of clothing to school. Some examples of clothing that schools don’t allow include clothes have chains on them, clothes with provocative holes in them, clothes with patches, pajama pants, shirts advertising alcohol or tobacco, among others. Many students could be considered opinionated and exercise their first amendment by wearing their own shirts. Many consider wear a shirt advertising Bud Light the same as wearing a Cardinals shirt. However, schools consider these kinds of shirts detrimental to learning and don’t allow them. A popular trend is having holes on your pants. The holes are often made in the jeans where the quads are and on the knees, and sometimes on the butt or crotch of the pants. While there is a common agreement that provocative clothing disrupts the classroom, most schools have zero tolerance policy towards holes and don’t allow them anywhere. These forms of censorship go against student’s rights. If a student wants to wear their own clothing, they should be allowed to do so. In the beginning, the first amendment was used mostly for vocal speech, however that doesn’t exclude wearing clothing that voices your opinion. Whether you like the Blues over the Blackhawks, or New Port over Marlboro, that’s your own opinion. No one should censor that.
While many schools began their censorship policies with good intentions, in the end they only cause more grief and annoyances then what they would’ve gone through without the censorship at all. Students go without the information they need because of neglectful moderation, and otherss are stopped from voicing their own opinions. Individual students who show themselves to be repeat offenders when it comes to misusing the internet or wearing disruptful clothing should be taken care of individually, instead of forcing other, more responsible students to pay for others’ actions. Censorship, no matter how small, has no place in a country founded on the lack of it. If the forefathers had not seen a problem with censorship, they wouldn’t have made an American’s FIRST right the freedom of speech. If the government isn’t allowed to challenge an person’s freedom of speech, no school should be allowed too.
Mrs. Koch
English Honors 2
March 18, 2012
Title
Long ago when the United States was first starting out, it was unique as a country because of the fact that our government gave its citizens exclusive rights towards freedom of speech. At the beginning and for quite a while, the freedom of speech was unchallenged and rarely questioned. It was accepted that when someone said something, it was their right to do so. But as time went on, new forms of communication and ways to express your opinions were made. With the creation for the internet, the United States entered completely new territory. Originally the internet was very small, but now its single handily one of the most important pieces of technology ever created. With the introduction of video hosting websites and social networking, people are literally a post way from each other. Along with these conviences, the internet is also a powerful tool within America’s classrooms. However, many schools block student’s access to vital information, citing that many websites that student’s read as interruptions to the classroom. By doing so, many schools violate what our forefathers set out to do so long ago. Instead of giving students the information they often need, they often censor websites indiscriminately, often ignoring the actual content on the websites. Because of this,, instead of protecting students from disruptful websites, more often than not, the consequences usually cause more harm then not censoring the websites in the first place.
Schools often censor websites because they contain information on one or more subjects that the school deems harmful to students. The information could be about drugs, guns, or anything illegal or unimportant to learning. However, schools usually neglect to examine the websites thoroughly. For example, some schools block Wikipedia’s article on Tobacco. Students who are trying to learn about Tobacco’s long history are unable to do so. If the school moderators had given a quick look through of the article, they would’ve seen that there was very little if any information that students could use for unlawful means. Another example of this would be Youtube. Many schools block all means that its school members could access Youtube, even if teachers are trying to show their students an educational video. Youtube is one of the largest video hosting websites; on it is an unbelievably huge amount of educational videos. While there are just as many, if not more videos that could be considered harmful to the learning atmosphere, teachers themselves should have the option to choose for themselves what is and what isn’t an interruption to their classroom.
Another form of censorship that schools enforce is that students are not allowed to wear certain types of clothing to school. Some examples of clothing that schools don’t allow include clothes have chains on them, clothes with provocative holes in them, clothes with patches, pajama pants, shirts advertising alcohol or tobacco, among others. Many students could be considered opinionated and exercise their first amendment by wearing their own shirts. Many consider wear a shirt advertising Bud Light the same as wearing a Cardinals shirt. However, schools consider these kinds of shirts detrimental to learning and don’t allow them. A popular trend is having holes on your pants. The holes are often made in the jeans where the quads are and on the knees, and sometimes on the butt or crotch of the pants. While there is a common agreement that provocative clothing disrupts the classroom, most schools have zero tolerance policy towards holes and don’t allow them anywhere. These forms of censorship go against student’s rights. If a student wants to wear their own clothing, they should be allowed to do so. In the beginning, the first amendment was used mostly for vocal speech, however that doesn’t exclude wearing clothing that voices your opinion. Whether you like the Blues over the Blackhawks, or New Port over Marlboro, that’s your own opinion. No one should censor that.
While many schools began their censorship policies with good intentions, in the end they only cause more grief and annoyances then what they would’ve gone through without the censorship at all. Students go without the information they need because of neglectful moderation, and otherss are stopped from voicing their own opinions. Individual students who show themselves to be repeat offenders when it comes to misusing the internet or wearing disruptful clothing should be taken care of individually, instead of forcing other, more responsible students to pay for others’ actions. Censorship, no matter how small, has no place in a country founded on the lack of it. If the forefathers had not seen a problem with censorship, they wouldn’t have made an American’s FIRST right the freedom of speech. If the government isn’t allowed to challenge an person’s freedom of speech, no school should be allowed too.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Scott Watson
March 14, 2012
Mrs. Koch
English Honors 2
Guardian Angel
More often then not, at some point in a person's life, they have to experience a moment that they can't shake out of their head. Usually, these events could be avoided if the person had taken some precaution before hand, but it's usually to late. I myself have experienced these feeling first hand, and if I could go back as my own guardian angel, I would do it in a heartbeat.
If were able to go back and be my own guardian angel, then i would go back to the day I nearly crashed. It was a rainy day, the roads were covered in water. I was in the back seat and my brother was driving in front with his friend next to him. It was like every other time he drove. The music was loud and we were going faster then we ought too. We started up a conversation, talking about anything and everything. He had said something quietly and didn't hear him, so I looked over the chair. Looking up, I saw the light was red. He was running it! Involuntarily, i looked to my left out the window. Coming at me head on was a truck. He squealed his tires, the smell of burnt rubber filled the air, and we barely got away without getting t-bone. Ever sense that day, I've had a fear of red lights, almost like it's become a phobia. We were lucky that we got away, but it was such an oh-dear-lord moment that I've been unable to forget. If I had the chance, I'd go back and change the situation. I'd make my brother pay attention to the road, point out the red light, and by doing so, rid myself of this burden that's been put on my mind. No one can really understand how it feels until they have to go through it themselves. To know that you have to suffer over something that could have easily avoided can be unbearable sometimes.
March 14, 2012
Mrs. Koch
English Honors 2
Guardian Angel
More often then not, at some point in a person's life, they have to experience a moment that they can't shake out of their head. Usually, these events could be avoided if the person had taken some precaution before hand, but it's usually to late. I myself have experienced these feeling first hand, and if I could go back as my own guardian angel, I would do it in a heartbeat.
If were able to go back and be my own guardian angel, then i would go back to the day I nearly crashed. It was a rainy day, the roads were covered in water. I was in the back seat and my brother was driving in front with his friend next to him. It was like every other time he drove. The music was loud and we were going faster then we ought too. We started up a conversation, talking about anything and everything. He had said something quietly and didn't hear him, so I looked over the chair. Looking up, I saw the light was red. He was running it! Involuntarily, i looked to my left out the window. Coming at me head on was a truck. He squealed his tires, the smell of burnt rubber filled the air, and we barely got away without getting t-bone. Ever sense that day, I've had a fear of red lights, almost like it's become a phobia. We were lucky that we got away, but it was such an oh-dear-lord moment that I've been unable to forget. If I had the chance, I'd go back and change the situation. I'd make my brother pay attention to the road, point out the red light, and by doing so, rid myself of this burden that's been put on my mind. No one can really understand how it feels until they have to go through it themselves. To know that you have to suffer over something that could have easily avoided can be unbearable sometimes.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
The Midland Reach
The Midland Reach
It has been 499 years since the Great Devide, a time of relevant peace and friendliness. Several centuries ago, through the conjoined efforts of the Humans and the Dwarves; these two races began to successfully reach out to the culturally diverse Elves.
As the Human and Dwarven diplomats entered their lands, the Elves were weary of the foreigners . With poor first contact and because of several things the diplomats did, the Elves felt insulted. What originally should have been a meeting between three friendly nations, turned into a war that lasted two decades.
The Dwarves had several colonies near the Elven border prior to the war. But with the slaughter of thousands of their kin, the Dwarves withdrew from the war and returned to the mountains of their homeland. With a hatred for their enemies, and resentment for the feelings of betrayal for their former allies, the Dwarves turned their backs on the world.
The two remaining nations battled for many years, neither gaining the upper hand for long before giving it up. At the battle of Pronged River, without their former allies, the Humans agreed to a cease fire with the Elves on shaky terms. After years of demands being sent back and forth, eventually the leaders of the two nations changed and soon, the new leaders successfully attempted to erase all past animosities, favoring peace.
For the years to come, the two races would mix together. With time, diplomacy became a favored tactic of the Humans. Like before, they reached out to the other nations including the Hobbits and the Gnomes, with far better success then in the past. Now, in the year 499, all the nations are connected through various road and river systems throughout the Midland Reach.
But the lingering curiosity connected to the ancient Dwarven race is beginning to creep up in the universities of the World, and with the advancement of ship technology, a completely new question is being asked. What should the peoples of the Midland Reach do about the fabled East and West islands?
It has been 499 years since the Great Devide, a time of relevant peace and friendliness. Several centuries ago, through the conjoined efforts of the Humans and the Dwarves; these two races began to successfully reach out to the culturally diverse Elves.
As the Human and Dwarven diplomats entered their lands, the Elves were weary of the foreigners . With poor first contact and because of several things the diplomats did, the Elves felt insulted. What originally should have been a meeting between three friendly nations, turned into a war that lasted two decades.
The Dwarves had several colonies near the Elven border prior to the war. But with the slaughter of thousands of their kin, the Dwarves withdrew from the war and returned to the mountains of their homeland. With a hatred for their enemies, and resentment for the feelings of betrayal for their former allies, the Dwarves turned their backs on the world.
The two remaining nations battled for many years, neither gaining the upper hand for long before giving it up. At the battle of Pronged River, without their former allies, the Humans agreed to a cease fire with the Elves on shaky terms. After years of demands being sent back and forth, eventually the leaders of the two nations changed and soon, the new leaders successfully attempted to erase all past animosities, favoring peace.
For the years to come, the two races would mix together. With time, diplomacy became a favored tactic of the Humans. Like before, they reached out to the other nations including the Hobbits and the Gnomes, with far better success then in the past. Now, in the year 499, all the nations are connected through various road and river systems throughout the Midland Reach.
But the lingering curiosity connected to the ancient Dwarven race is beginning to creep up in the universities of the World, and with the advancement of ship technology, a completely new question is being asked. What should the peoples of the Midland Reach do about the fabled East and West islands?
Monday, March 12, 2012
suite life
Scott Watson
Mrs. Koch
English honors 2
March 14, 2012
The Suite Life
It’s an everyday occurrence for a teenager to look at something, only to look away with the realization that they don’t have the money to buy it. But always hopeful, teenagers wait for the day that they’ll be given the opportunity to prove themselves to be mature enough to get their own money. They pray for the time when they would be considered enough to travel on their own, buy their own things, and learn things they want to know. Being a teenager myself, I can only think of getting enough money to go on a vacation of my choosing. I would visit different countries, try out different things, and meet new people.
The first place on my stopping list would be Japan. Spending some of my money, I would sail across the ocean to visit. Once there, I would find a nice hotel to stay in. But as soon as I would book myself in, I would immediately be visiting across the country. I would meet and learn about the culture, and I would spend most of my day eating the various cuisine the country would have to offer me. After some time, I would leave the cities and begin to move inland, towards the mountains. By myself, i would adventure into the wilderness, seeking out any small villages that still existed.
After spending time on the beaches of Japan, I would go to visit Russia. After landing there, via plane, I would take time to explore the vast lands of the country. In the cities, I would spend money doing traditional Russian dances inside of the countries’ many dance clubs. Outside of these festive activities, I would spend time learning about Russia’s long, rather bumpy history. In Moscow I would look at the city’s famous architecture, taking note of the crazy looking domes that are atop many of the city’s buildings.
Upon a quick tour of Joseph Stalin’s memorial, I would move on to France. After a long rail road ride, I would exit the train and open my eyes to Paris, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I would travel the streets, walking into bakeries, sipping fine wines, and enjoying the local beauties. Beneath the Eiffel Tower, I would sit and watch the world around me pass by.
With my stomach full of bread, and my mind a bit dizzy from Paris’ delicious wines, I would travel to the grand country of Germany. I would sample every single piece of sausage that would be offered to me, and drive cars at screaming speeds on the Autobahn. Taking a tour in Berlin, I would travel to the Berlin Wall and imagine the history that lay around me. Looking around, while listening to Pink Floyd, I would walk up and down where it used to be. I would eventually ask for a tour of Germany’s famous car owners stores, taking looks at some of the best automotive technology in the entire world.
As soon as I would get my first speeding ticket from the German police, I would head out of the country, taking a float over to Great Britain. As soon as I would land, I would go visit Big Ben, London’s famous clock tower. Thoughts of the Hunchback of Notredame would pop up in my head as I would look at the tower’s clock hands ticking away. After some time looking at London’s beautiful clock, I would seek out someone who could teach me the history of the Famous English band, The Beatles. With my vacation money I would slip the teacher some money, convincing him to give me some memorabilia. With my new found merchandise, I would go visit parliament. I, being the history junkie I am, would take the time to stand in awe at the sheer amount of importance around me as I would stand inside of English parliament. I would realize that monarchs, noblemen, knights, and all other English heroes could have stood in the very spot that I would be.
Enjoying time spent learning, I would end my tour at the western tip of Canada. There I would enjoy Canada’s beautiful wildlife. Taking time to hike around the country, I would take note of Mother Nature’s beautiful effect on Canada. Of course, I would go the largest Ice rink in Canada to show the natives my unbelievable skill and prowess on the ice. With out a doubt, soon all of Canada would know and fear me, “The Loud, Proud, American Mouth.” I would truly earn the last edition to my title because of my inability to control my words in the heat of battle. None the less, self control, or not, my time spent dazzling the crowds would be the most enjoyable out of my whole trip.
One day, I will enjoy my responsibilities as an adult. No matter how hard the road gets, or how impossible things might seem at some point, I will appreciate the privileges
that are given to adults. Even if that means I won’t be sipping wine beneath the Eiffel tower, or driving an Audi on the Autobahn, I will still be in complete control of my life. Whether or not I have enough money to take train rides through Russia, or to stay in five-star Japanese Hotels, I will still enjoy what I have regardless. In the end, no matter what happens, when I’m an adult, I’m going to live like it’s the sweet life.
Mrs. Koch
English honors 2
March 14, 2012
The Suite Life
It’s an everyday occurrence for a teenager to look at something, only to look away with the realization that they don’t have the money to buy it. But always hopeful, teenagers wait for the day that they’ll be given the opportunity to prove themselves to be mature enough to get their own money. They pray for the time when they would be considered enough to travel on their own, buy their own things, and learn things they want to know. Being a teenager myself, I can only think of getting enough money to go on a vacation of my choosing. I would visit different countries, try out different things, and meet new people.
The first place on my stopping list would be Japan. Spending some of my money, I would sail across the ocean to visit. Once there, I would find a nice hotel to stay in. But as soon as I would book myself in, I would immediately be visiting across the country. I would meet and learn about the culture, and I would spend most of my day eating the various cuisine the country would have to offer me. After some time, I would leave the cities and begin to move inland, towards the mountains. By myself, i would adventure into the wilderness, seeking out any small villages that still existed.
After spending time on the beaches of Japan, I would go to visit Russia. After landing there, via plane, I would take time to explore the vast lands of the country. In the cities, I would spend money doing traditional Russian dances inside of the countries’ many dance clubs. Outside of these festive activities, I would spend time learning about Russia’s long, rather bumpy history. In Moscow I would look at the city’s famous architecture, taking note of the crazy looking domes that are atop many of the city’s buildings.
Upon a quick tour of Joseph Stalin’s memorial, I would move on to France. After a long rail road ride, I would exit the train and open my eyes to Paris, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I would travel the streets, walking into bakeries, sipping fine wines, and enjoying the local beauties. Beneath the Eiffel Tower, I would sit and watch the world around me pass by.
With my stomach full of bread, and my mind a bit dizzy from Paris’ delicious wines, I would travel to the grand country of Germany. I would sample every single piece of sausage that would be offered to me, and drive cars at screaming speeds on the Autobahn. Taking a tour in Berlin, I would travel to the Berlin Wall and imagine the history that lay around me. Looking around, while listening to Pink Floyd, I would walk up and down where it used to be. I would eventually ask for a tour of Germany’s famous car owners stores, taking looks at some of the best automotive technology in the entire world.
As soon as I would get my first speeding ticket from the German police, I would head out of the country, taking a float over to Great Britain. As soon as I would land, I would go visit Big Ben, London’s famous clock tower. Thoughts of the Hunchback of Notredame would pop up in my head as I would look at the tower’s clock hands ticking away. After some time looking at London’s beautiful clock, I would seek out someone who could teach me the history of the Famous English band, The Beatles. With my vacation money I would slip the teacher some money, convincing him to give me some memorabilia. With my new found merchandise, I would go visit parliament. I, being the history junkie I am, would take the time to stand in awe at the sheer amount of importance around me as I would stand inside of English parliament. I would realize that monarchs, noblemen, knights, and all other English heroes could have stood in the very spot that I would be.
Enjoying time spent learning, I would end my tour at the western tip of Canada. There I would enjoy Canada’s beautiful wildlife. Taking time to hike around the country, I would take note of Mother Nature’s beautiful effect on Canada. Of course, I would go the largest Ice rink in Canada to show the natives my unbelievable skill and prowess on the ice. With out a doubt, soon all of Canada would know and fear me, “The Loud, Proud, American Mouth.” I would truly earn the last edition to my title because of my inability to control my words in the heat of battle. None the less, self control, or not, my time spent dazzling the crowds would be the most enjoyable out of my whole trip.
One day, I will enjoy my responsibilities as an adult. No matter how hard the road gets, or how impossible things might seem at some point, I will appreciate the privileges
that are given to adults. Even if that means I won’t be sipping wine beneath the Eiffel tower, or driving an Audi on the Autobahn, I will still be in complete control of my life. Whether or not I have enough money to take train rides through Russia, or to stay in five-star Japanese Hotels, I will still enjoy what I have regardless. In the end, no matter what happens, when I’m an adult, I’m going to live like it’s the sweet life.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
english paper for koch
sadas
asdas
asdas
asdas
asdassadasasassadads
Everyday, kids torment their teachers, annoy their peers, and wreck havoc on the learning atmosphere that takes place in the classroom. Often times disciplinary actions takes place, during other times one must deal with it. On a regular basis I find myself becoming upset and angry with those around me.
For example, one of my major pet peeves is talking while the teacher is. When I’m trying to comprehend what is being taught, I’m constantly bombarded with noise and distractions around me. If my teacher refuses to take action against the talkers, I usually tell them to quit myself. Usually this problem could be solved if the teacher were to just split up those who are talking, mainly because talkers usually are friends. From time to time, I’m the talker myself. But as soon as I’m asked to stop, or warned that me and my partner are going to be split, I stop.
Another thing that kids do that often annoys the teacher is being tardy to class. When someone is tardy, the teacher is forced (by the rules of their job) to take note of the student’s absence and must report it to the class. This takes it’s toll over time, the constant tardiness creates a strain on the student and teacher’s relationship. Also, everyone in the class has to take time away from learning so that the teacher can reprimand the tardy students. However, there may be some things contributing to the problem. Students often cite the small amount of time given to get between from class class, other’s point out the crowdiness of the hallways preventing them from getting to class on time. Regardless of the reasoning behind the students being late, I believe something must be done to end this problem.
A major problem plaguing the classroom is cheating. Many students spend time studying and learning so that when the day a test is given on thee material, they will be prepared. However, there are many students who disregard studying. Instead, they plan on finding another student who will allow them to cheat off them. Often times, the cheaters bully others into doing their bidding. This causes unnecessary strain on students who have legitimately studied. A complete lack of motivation often is to blame for students deciding to cheat, while sometimes a student can be encouraged to study if the material is given in lighter loads.
asdas
asdas
asdas
asdassadasasassadads
Everyday, kids torment their teachers, annoy their peers, and wreck havoc on the learning atmosphere that takes place in the classroom. Often times disciplinary actions takes place, during other times one must deal with it. On a regular basis I find myself becoming upset and angry with those around me.
For example, one of my major pet peeves is talking while the teacher is. When I’m trying to comprehend what is being taught, I’m constantly bombarded with noise and distractions around me. If my teacher refuses to take action against the talkers, I usually tell them to quit myself. Usually this problem could be solved if the teacher were to just split up those who are talking, mainly because talkers usually are friends. From time to time, I’m the talker myself. But as soon as I’m asked to stop, or warned that me and my partner are going to be split, I stop.
Another thing that kids do that often annoys the teacher is being tardy to class. When someone is tardy, the teacher is forced (by the rules of their job) to take note of the student’s absence and must report it to the class. This takes it’s toll over time, the constant tardiness creates a strain on the student and teacher’s relationship. Also, everyone in the class has to take time away from learning so that the teacher can reprimand the tardy students. However, there may be some things contributing to the problem. Students often cite the small amount of time given to get between from class class, other’s point out the crowdiness of the hallways preventing them from getting to class on time. Regardless of the reasoning behind the students being late, I believe something must be done to end this problem.
A major problem plaguing the classroom is cheating. Many students spend time studying and learning so that when the day a test is given on thee material, they will be prepared. However, there are many students who disregard studying. Instead, they plan on finding another student who will allow them to cheat off them. Often times, the cheaters bully others into doing their bidding. This causes unnecessary strain on students who have legitimately studied. A complete lack of motivation often is to blame for students deciding to cheat, while sometimes a student can be encouraged to study if the material is given in lighter loads.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
TITLETIELTIEL:
Scott Watson
Mrs. Koch
English Honors 2
February 15, 2012
Innocence Lost
Under two and a half centuries ago, The Declaration of Independence was written so that it could be used as the philosophies of a new prototype country, one based completely on democracy and personal freedoms. The first of it’s kind, America was meant to be a place free of all oppression. However, although America is thought as having humble beginnings, in reality, the opposite is true. While the Declaration of Independence values freedom, the original founders of America completely ignored what it truly wished to convey, the belief that all people deserved life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They did this through slavery, the practice of which completely undermined anything the Declaration of independence wished to complete. But through the efforts of abolitionists and those who wished to truly uphold the philosophies that America was founded on, slavery was officially abolished. Although a major step towards total citizenship for African Americans, many people wished to heed the progress that was being made. Some racists did anything in their power to scare, terrorize, and manipulate African Americans into doing what they wanted. The level of how deep racism’s roots are in America’s history is conveyed when one observes major cases in the Civil Rights movement’s past. Biased juries, racist judges, and lack of justice ran rampant in America’s courts. This often resulted in that guilty whites would consistently be found not guilty if the actions were performed on an African American, or the opposite, Blacks would be found guilty for crimes they didn’t commit. The Emmett Till case was a major example of the former, while both the Scottsboro and the Tom Robinson trials were major examples of the latter.
On the 28th of August, the mutilated body of a fourteen-year-old black boy was found on the shore of the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi. The grotesquely disfigured body was that of Emmett Louis Till, a boy from Chicago visiting his grandpa for the summer. One day while with his friends, Emmett walked into the market store of Carolyn Bryant to buy some bubble gum. While he was leaving, Emmett allegedly whistled at her. The belief that a black man was forbidden any contact with a white woman was an integral belief within racism in the south, a belief that was also held with Bob Bryant, Carolyn’s husband. Once informed of Emmett’s actions, he and his brother Jesse kidnapped Emmett five days later and murdered him, dumping his body into the river. Bob Bryant’s motivation lied solely in the fact that he felt that Emmett had disrespected his wife; Bob’s racist beliefs fueled him to commit the horrible murder of Emmett, dragging his brother along the way to take part in the deed.
Much like the trial of Tom Robinson, in 1931, nine black teenagers were put on trial and found guilty. Accused of raping Ruby Bates and Victoria Price, Victoria testified against the nine boys with little evidence to back up her claims. Both these cases were based on purely circumstantial evidence. Despite having little evidence to back up Victoria’s story, all nine boys were found guilty of rape. Both the Scottsboro and Tom Robinson trials, as well as the Emmett Till case show how deep racist hatred ran in the South. Southerners believed that blacks were animals that if given the slightest chance, would brutalize and rape a white woman. Victoria Price, who spoke without hesitance, fueled them. She herself was possibly a prostitute; the thought of sexual intercourse was one paid little attention to. Price was also observed to be attention hungry. The thought of being put in the spotlight, the action of which fueled by America’s racism, was something to convenient to pass up.
The fictional case of Tom Robinson was conceived by Harper Lee in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, in an attempt to bring light and concern towards the injustice and racism that was being hammered against the black community. The case takes place during the 1930’s, during the Great Depression. After being asked to perform a task for Mayella Euell, Robinson reportedly followed Mayella into her house and proceeded to beat and rape her. Despite a very moving trial, along with evidence pointing towards his innocence, Tom was found guilty. When one looks farther into the case, evidence provided shows that Mayelle was lonely and often would lust after Tom. When he entered his home, she made advances towards him, an act witnessed by her father. Much like the other cases, Tom was accused and although with evidence in his favor, was found guilty. This fictional case recognized how poorly African Americans were being treated, as well as pointing out the wrongs in white society. Through the use of Lee’s unbiased narrator, she showed how reckless racism could be in society.
After Emmett Till’s body was found and sent home, the media shared his story around much of the country. For the first time in America’s history, some of it’s white commuties wished that justice would be given towards an African American. Despite the revolting nature of Emmett Till’s murder, his killers were never found guilty. Even after Bob Bryant and his brother had been charged with abduction, a charge allegated from Emmett’s grandfather who was present during his abduction, their was no time served for their crimes. Emmett’s mother was present at the trial and witnessed this injustice. A year later, both his killers would admit their part in Emett’s death. Protected by double jeapordy, justice continued to evade the case.
After further investigation in the Scottsboro trials, the amount of neglect in them is resounding. The first show of neglect involves the two white girls, Victoria Price and Ruby Bates, who accused the nine black boys of raping them. Both girls’ families lived in rundown homes in black neighborhoods. They both were mill workers, and evidence points that Victoria and possibly Ruby were both prostitutes. The Great Depression left both the girls and their families with little money, and they boarded the train in which the rapes supposedly happened with hopes that they would find work. The second show of neglect was concerning the Scottsboro boys themselves. Most of the boys had never been taught to read or write, and some were unable to obtain or denied access to medicine. They were all on the train, much like the girls, in hopes of finding work. The final and most obvious form of neglect was in the trials themselves. One of the boys was nearly blind, another had a syphilis infection so bad, he was found lying in agony far away from the scene of the rape. He was in so much pain; it would have been nearly impossible for him to jump into the girl’s cart to take part in the rape. A farmer was allowed to give testimony against the boys, claiming he had seen them on the train from his farm nearly a mile away. Victoria convinced the court not to allow Ruby much time speaking, out of fear Ruby’s testimony would conflict with hers.
In the Tom Robinson case, the signs of neglect were, in some ways, unique. While Harper Lee attempted to show the harmful results of racism, she also pointed out the fallacies in the rigid social system in the South.In To Kill a Mockingbird, Mayelle Euell asks Tom Robinson to come inside the house. Although never explicitly stated, it’s implied that Mayelle kissed Tom out of lust. She and her family lived behind the town dump and because of this, most of the town and the town’s children looked down on their family for being lower class. Her loneliness is what leads to her acting out. Much like all three cases, in the courtroom tremendous amounts of neglect are shown. Tom was physically handicapped and would have been unable to keep Mayelle down. Another piece of evidence in his favor was that it would have been impossible to specifically cause the bruises that were on Mayelle’s face because of his handicap. Tom’s Lawyer continues to nearly pound a confession out of Mayella, but one is never made. Instead, he almost makes it clear that Mayella’s father had beaten her and that no rape had ever occured. Despite this, Tom was still found guilty.
After Emmett Till had been murdered and his killers were let go, the NAACP offered their help to Emmett’s mother’s plight. With their help, Emett’s mother toured the country telling others of her son’s murder. At the same time, the NAACP was fundraising for her. With their help, Emett’s mother helped show how racist and corrupt the court system was in the South. Blacks and many whites across America began losing faith in the court systems. As time has went on, various laws have been passed promising that crimes commited against blacks would be taken just as seriously if they were performed against others of any race.
Throughout the Scottsboro trials, despite the animosity from the mob that had formed outside the courthouse while the trials took place, their were two organizations that wanted to aim the boys. The NAACP, which wanted to take behind the scenes action in favor of the boys; and the American Communist party which desired a much more radical approach, using the boys as a form of showing their good intentions by bringing as much publicity to them as possible. While different boys took different parties, in the end both parties effort into helping them. The Communist party posted their story in newpapers, and the NAACP offered their services in the form of lawyers.
During Tom Robinson’s trial, Harper Lee created two forces that helped Tom out. The first was the black community as a whole. Through their efforts, they raised awareness of the trial among the black community and also raised money for Tom’s wife. The other factor that aided Tom was his lawyer, Atticus. Despite being looked down upon for helping an African American, he defended Tom with all of his ability. Had another person been Tom’s lawyer, there is a good chance they wouldn’t have tried at all to defend him.
Although a part of America’s past is stained with racism and injustice, over time, things have gegan to change. Because of rising awareness of the black community’s plight, efforts have been made nationally to help all races coexist. It has often been said that if one ignores history, they’re doomed to repeat it. Even while being pressured, there are those who continue to fight for continuing justice, while remembering the injustices of the past. Thanks to these heroes, America has prospered towards becoming a completely tolerant nation. While there may never be a time of complete racial peace, there will always be those who will stop at nothing to make it a reality. The Scottsboro boys, Emett Till, and Tom Robinson will forever be martryed as innocent victims of racist hatred. They will continue to be examples of the destructive nature of racism will nevr be forgotten.
Works Cited
American Civil Liberties Union. Report on the Scottsboro, ALA. Case. Hollace Ransdell.
New York: American Civil Liberties Union, 1931. To Kill a Mockingbird and the
Scottsboro Boys Trial: Profiles in Courage. EDSITEment. National Endowment
for the Humanities. Web. 15 Feb 2012.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1982. Print.
The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till. Keith A. Beauchchamp. DVD. Velocity
(Ventura), Feb 28, 2006.
Keith A. Beauchchamp. “The Murder Of Emmet Louis Till.” Black-collegian. Web. 10 May 2004.
Scottsboro: An American Tradgedy. Daniel Anker, Barak Goodman. DVD. American Experience, 2000.
Mrs. Koch
English Honors 2
February 15, 2012
Innocence Lost
Under two and a half centuries ago, The Declaration of Independence was written so that it could be used as the philosophies of a new prototype country, one based completely on democracy and personal freedoms. The first of it’s kind, America was meant to be a place free of all oppression. However, although America is thought as having humble beginnings, in reality, the opposite is true. While the Declaration of Independence values freedom, the original founders of America completely ignored what it truly wished to convey, the belief that all people deserved life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They did this through slavery, the practice of which completely undermined anything the Declaration of independence wished to complete. But through the efforts of abolitionists and those who wished to truly uphold the philosophies that America was founded on, slavery was officially abolished. Although a major step towards total citizenship for African Americans, many people wished to heed the progress that was being made. Some racists did anything in their power to scare, terrorize, and manipulate African Americans into doing what they wanted. The level of how deep racism’s roots are in America’s history is conveyed when one observes major cases in the Civil Rights movement’s past. Biased juries, racist judges, and lack of justice ran rampant in America’s courts. This often resulted in that guilty whites would consistently be found not guilty if the actions were performed on an African American, or the opposite, Blacks would be found guilty for crimes they didn’t commit. The Emmett Till case was a major example of the former, while both the Scottsboro and the Tom Robinson trials were major examples of the latter.
On the 28th of August, the mutilated body of a fourteen-year-old black boy was found on the shore of the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi. The grotesquely disfigured body was that of Emmett Louis Till, a boy from Chicago visiting his grandpa for the summer. One day while with his friends, Emmett walked into the market store of Carolyn Bryant to buy some bubble gum. While he was leaving, Emmett allegedly whistled at her. The belief that a black man was forbidden any contact with a white woman was an integral belief within racism in the south, a belief that was also held with Bob Bryant, Carolyn’s husband. Once informed of Emmett’s actions, he and his brother Jesse kidnapped Emmett five days later and murdered him, dumping his body into the river. Bob Bryant’s motivation lied solely in the fact that he felt that Emmett had disrespected his wife; Bob’s racist beliefs fueled him to commit the horrible murder of Emmett, dragging his brother along the way to take part in the deed.
Much like the trial of Tom Robinson, in 1931, nine black teenagers were put on trial and found guilty. Accused of raping Ruby Bates and Victoria Price, Victoria testified against the nine boys with little evidence to back up her claims. Both these cases were based on purely circumstantial evidence. Despite having little evidence to back up Victoria’s story, all nine boys were found guilty of rape. Both the Scottsboro and Tom Robinson trials, as well as the Emmett Till case show how deep racist hatred ran in the South. Southerners believed that blacks were animals that if given the slightest chance, would brutalize and rape a white woman. Victoria Price, who spoke without hesitance, fueled them. She herself was possibly a prostitute; the thought of sexual intercourse was one paid little attention to. Price was also observed to be attention hungry. The thought of being put in the spotlight, the action of which fueled by America’s racism, was something to convenient to pass up.
The fictional case of Tom Robinson was conceived by Harper Lee in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, in an attempt to bring light and concern towards the injustice and racism that was being hammered against the black community. The case takes place during the 1930’s, during the Great Depression. After being asked to perform a task for Mayella Euell, Robinson reportedly followed Mayella into her house and proceeded to beat and rape her. Despite a very moving trial, along with evidence pointing towards his innocence, Tom was found guilty. When one looks farther into the case, evidence provided shows that Mayelle was lonely and often would lust after Tom. When he entered his home, she made advances towards him, an act witnessed by her father. Much like the other cases, Tom was accused and although with evidence in his favor, was found guilty. This fictional case recognized how poorly African Americans were being treated, as well as pointing out the wrongs in white society. Through the use of Lee’s unbiased narrator, she showed how reckless racism could be in society.
After Emmett Till’s body was found and sent home, the media shared his story around much of the country. For the first time in America’s history, some of it’s white commuties wished that justice would be given towards an African American. Despite the revolting nature of Emmett Till’s murder, his killers were never found guilty. Even after Bob Bryant and his brother had been charged with abduction, a charge allegated from Emmett’s grandfather who was present during his abduction, their was no time served for their crimes. Emmett’s mother was present at the trial and witnessed this injustice. A year later, both his killers would admit their part in Emett’s death. Protected by double jeapordy, justice continued to evade the case.
After further investigation in the Scottsboro trials, the amount of neglect in them is resounding. The first show of neglect involves the two white girls, Victoria Price and Ruby Bates, who accused the nine black boys of raping them. Both girls’ families lived in rundown homes in black neighborhoods. They both were mill workers, and evidence points that Victoria and possibly Ruby were both prostitutes. The Great Depression left both the girls and their families with little money, and they boarded the train in which the rapes supposedly happened with hopes that they would find work. The second show of neglect was concerning the Scottsboro boys themselves. Most of the boys had never been taught to read or write, and some were unable to obtain or denied access to medicine. They were all on the train, much like the girls, in hopes of finding work. The final and most obvious form of neglect was in the trials themselves. One of the boys was nearly blind, another had a syphilis infection so bad, he was found lying in agony far away from the scene of the rape. He was in so much pain; it would have been nearly impossible for him to jump into the girl’s cart to take part in the rape. A farmer was allowed to give testimony against the boys, claiming he had seen them on the train from his farm nearly a mile away. Victoria convinced the court not to allow Ruby much time speaking, out of fear Ruby’s testimony would conflict with hers.
In the Tom Robinson case, the signs of neglect were, in some ways, unique. While Harper Lee attempted to show the harmful results of racism, she also pointed out the fallacies in the rigid social system in the South.In To Kill a Mockingbird, Mayelle Euell asks Tom Robinson to come inside the house. Although never explicitly stated, it’s implied that Mayelle kissed Tom out of lust. She and her family lived behind the town dump and because of this, most of the town and the town’s children looked down on their family for being lower class. Her loneliness is what leads to her acting out. Much like all three cases, in the courtroom tremendous amounts of neglect are shown. Tom was physically handicapped and would have been unable to keep Mayelle down. Another piece of evidence in his favor was that it would have been impossible to specifically cause the bruises that were on Mayelle’s face because of his handicap. Tom’s Lawyer continues to nearly pound a confession out of Mayella, but one is never made. Instead, he almost makes it clear that Mayella’s father had beaten her and that no rape had ever occured. Despite this, Tom was still found guilty.
After Emmett Till had been murdered and his killers were let go, the NAACP offered their help to Emmett’s mother’s plight. With their help, Emett’s mother toured the country telling others of her son’s murder. At the same time, the NAACP was fundraising for her. With their help, Emett’s mother helped show how racist and corrupt the court system was in the South. Blacks and many whites across America began losing faith in the court systems. As time has went on, various laws have been passed promising that crimes commited against blacks would be taken just as seriously if they were performed against others of any race.
Throughout the Scottsboro trials, despite the animosity from the mob that had formed outside the courthouse while the trials took place, their were two organizations that wanted to aim the boys. The NAACP, which wanted to take behind the scenes action in favor of the boys; and the American Communist party which desired a much more radical approach, using the boys as a form of showing their good intentions by bringing as much publicity to them as possible. While different boys took different parties, in the end both parties effort into helping them. The Communist party posted their story in newpapers, and the NAACP offered their services in the form of lawyers.
During Tom Robinson’s trial, Harper Lee created two forces that helped Tom out. The first was the black community as a whole. Through their efforts, they raised awareness of the trial among the black community and also raised money for Tom’s wife. The other factor that aided Tom was his lawyer, Atticus. Despite being looked down upon for helping an African American, he defended Tom with all of his ability. Had another person been Tom’s lawyer, there is a good chance they wouldn’t have tried at all to defend him.
Although a part of America’s past is stained with racism and injustice, over time, things have gegan to change. Because of rising awareness of the black community’s plight, efforts have been made nationally to help all races coexist. It has often been said that if one ignores history, they’re doomed to repeat it. Even while being pressured, there are those who continue to fight for continuing justice, while remembering the injustices of the past. Thanks to these heroes, America has prospered towards becoming a completely tolerant nation. While there may never be a time of complete racial peace, there will always be those who will stop at nothing to make it a reality. The Scottsboro boys, Emett Till, and Tom Robinson will forever be martryed as innocent victims of racist hatred. They will continue to be examples of the destructive nature of racism will nevr be forgotten.
Works Cited
American Civil Liberties Union. Report on the Scottsboro, ALA. Case. Hollace Ransdell.
New York: American Civil Liberties Union, 1931. To Kill a Mockingbird and the
Scottsboro Boys Trial: Profiles in Courage. EDSITEment. National Endowment
for the Humanities. Web. 15 Feb 2012.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1982. Print.
The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till. Keith A. Beauchchamp. DVD. Velocity
(Ventura), Feb 28, 2006.
Keith A. Beauchchamp. “The Murder Of Emmet Louis Till.” Black-collegian. Web. 10 May 2004.
Scottsboro: An American Tradgedy. Daniel Anker, Barak Goodman. DVD. American Experience, 2000.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
sadfsdfewfareft
Scott Watson
Mrs. Koch
English Honors 2
February 15, 2012
Innocence Lost
Under two and a half centuries ago, The Declaration of Independence was written so that it could be used as the philosophies of a new prototype country, one based completely on democracy and personal freedoms. The first of it’s kind, America was meant to be a place free of all oppression. However, although America is thought as having humble beginnings, in reality, the opposite is true. Although the Declaration of Independence values freedom, the original founders of America completely ignored what it truly wished to convey, the belief that all people deserved life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They did this through slavery, the practice of which completely undermined anything the Declaration of independence wished to complete. But through the efforts of abolitionists and those who wished to truly uphold the philosophies that America was founded on, in 1865 slavery was officially abolished. Although a major step towards total citizenship for African Americans, many people wished to heed the progress that was being made. These racists did anything in their power to scare, terrorize, and manipulate African Americans into doing what they wanted. The level of how deep racism’s roots are in America’s history is conveyed when one observes major cases in the Civil Rights movement’s past. Biased juries, racist judges, and lack of justice ran rampant in America’s courts. This often resulted in that guilty whites would consistently be found not guilty if the actions were performed on an African American, or the opposite, Blacks would be found guilty for crimes they didn’t commit. The Emmett Till case was a major example of the former, while both the Scottsboro and the Tom Robinson trials were major examples of the latter.
------------
On the 28th of August, the mutilated body of a fourteen-year-old black boy was found on the shore of the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi. The grotesquely disfigured body was that of Emmett Louis Till, a boy from Chicago visiting his grandpa for the summer. One day while with his friends, Emmett walked into the market store of Carolyn Bryant to buy some bubble gum. While he was leaving, Emmett allegedly whistled at her. The belief that a black man was forbidden any contact with a white woman was an integral belief within racism in the south, a belief that was also held with Bob Bryant, Carolyn’s husband. Once informed of Emmett’s actions, he and his brother Jesse kidnapped Emmett five days later and murdered him, dumping his body into the river. Bob Bryant’s motivation lied solely in the fact that he felt that Emmett had disrespected his wife; Bob’s racist beliefs fueled him to commit the horrible murder of Emmett, dragging his brother along the way to take part in the deed.
Much like the trial of Tom Robinson, in 1931, nine black teenagers were put on trial and found guilty. Accused of raping Ruby Bates and Victoria Price, Victoria testified against the nine boys with little evidence to back up her claims. Both these cases were based on purely circumstantial evidence. Despite having little evidence to back up Victoria’s story, all nine boys were found guilty of rape. Both the Scottsboro and Tom Robinson trials, as well as the Emmett Till case show how deep racist hatred ran in the South. Southerners believed that blacks were animals that if given the slightest chance, would brutalize and rape a white woman. Victoria Price, who spoke without hesitance, fueled them. She herself was possibly a prostitute; the thought of sexual intercourse was one paid little attention to. Price was also observed to be attention hungry. The thought of being put in the spotlight, the action of which fueled by America’s racism, was something to convenient to pass up.
The fictional case of Tom Robinson was conceived by Harper Lee in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, in an attempt to bring light and concern towards the injustice and racism that was being put against the black community. The case takes place during the 1930’s, during the Great Depression. After being asked to perform a task for Mayelle (ADSFJDSFJ), Robinson reportedly followed Mayelle into her house and proceeded to beat and rape her. Despite a very critical trial, and evidence pointing towards his innocence, Tom was found guilty. When one looks farther into the case, evidence provided shows that Mayelle was lonely and lusted after Tom. When he entered his home, she made advances towards him, an act witnessed by her father. Much like the other cases, Tom was accused and although with evidence in his favor, was found guilty. This fictional case recognized how poorly African Americans were being treated, as well as pointing the wrongs in white society. Because of Lee’s unbiased narrator, she showed how reckless racism could be.
After further investigation in the Scottsboro trials, the amount of neglect in them is resounding. The first case of neglect in this case are the two white girls, Victoria Price and Ruby Bates, who accused the nine black boys of raping them. Both girls’ families lived in rundown homes in black neighborhoods. They both were mill workers, and evidence points that Victoria and possibly Ruby were prostitutes. The Great Depression left both the girls and their families with little money, and they boarded the train in which the rapes supposedly happened in hopes that they would find work. The second show of neglect was concerning the Scottsboro boys themselves. Most of the boys had never been taught to read or write, and some were unable to obtain or denied access to medicine. They were all on the train, much like the girls, in hopes of finding work. The final and most obvious form of neglect was in the trials themselves. One of the boys was nearly blind, another had a syphilis infection so bad, he was found lying down in the front of the train, far away from the scene of the rape. He was in so much pain; it would have been nearly impossible for him to jump onto the scene, as described by the girls. A farmer was allowed to give testimony against the boys, claiming he had seen them on the train from his farm nearly a mile away.
In the Tom Robinson case, the signs of neglect were unique in some ways. While Harper Lee attempted to show the futileness of racism, she also pointed out the fallacies in the rigid social system in the South. It can be inferred from To Kill a Mockingbird that Mayelle Euell asked Tom Robinson to come inside the house. Although never explicitly stated, it’s implied that Mayelle kissed Tom out of lust. She and her family lived behind the town dump and because of this, most of the town and the town’s children looked down on their family for being lower class. Her loneliness is what leads to her acting out. Much like all three cases, in the courtroom tremendous amount of neglect is shown. Tom was physically handicapped and would have been unable to keep Mayelle down. Another piece of evidence in his favor was that it would have been impossible to specifically cause the bruises that were on Mayelle’s face because of his handicap. Despite this, Tom was found guilty.
After Emmett Till’s body was found and sent home, the media shared his story around much of the country. For the first time in America’s history, some of it’s public wished for justice for the acts against an African American. Despite the revolting nature of Emmett Till’s murder, his killers were never found guilty. Even after Bob Bryant and his brother had been charged with abduction, a charged supported from Emmett’s grandfather who was present during his abduction, they served no time for their crimes. Emmett’s mother was present at the trial and witnessed this injustice.
In these cases, the amount of racism and neglect to give African Americans fair trials are universal. In an attempt to ensure African Americans justice within the courtroom, as well as outside it, NAACP as well as other organizations have made progress in the form of pushing for new laws to be passed and performing historical events. In 1948 president Truman signed an act in which the people of America would not be discriminated against, regardless of their race. In 1954, schools in the South were desegregated. In 1957, Martin Luther King JR. made his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. As more time passed, efforts all across America were made to completely end any form of racism. While the battle has never ended, equality for African Americans has been improving over the past century. In 2008, Barack Obama became the first African American president.
Works Cited
American Civil Liberties Union. Report on the Scottsboro, ALA. Case. Hollace Ransdell.
New York: American Civil Liberties Union, 1931. To Kill a Mockingbird and the
Scottsboro Boys Trial: Profiles in Courage. EDSITEment. National Endowment
for the Humanities. Web. 15 Feb 2012.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1982. Print.
The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till. Keith A. Beauchchamp. DVD. Velocity
(Ventura), Feb 28, 2006.
Keith A. Beauchchamp. “The Murder Of Emmet Louis Till.” Black-collegian. Web. 10 May 2004.
Scottsboro: An American Tradgedy. Daniel Anker, Barak Goodman. DVD. American Experience, 2000.
Mrs. Koch
English Honors 2
February 15, 2012
Innocence Lost
Under two and a half centuries ago, The Declaration of Independence was written so that it could be used as the philosophies of a new prototype country, one based completely on democracy and personal freedoms. The first of it’s kind, America was meant to be a place free of all oppression. However, although America is thought as having humble beginnings, in reality, the opposite is true. Although the Declaration of Independence values freedom, the original founders of America completely ignored what it truly wished to convey, the belief that all people deserved life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They did this through slavery, the practice of which completely undermined anything the Declaration of independence wished to complete. But through the efforts of abolitionists and those who wished to truly uphold the philosophies that America was founded on, in 1865 slavery was officially abolished. Although a major step towards total citizenship for African Americans, many people wished to heed the progress that was being made. These racists did anything in their power to scare, terrorize, and manipulate African Americans into doing what they wanted. The level of how deep racism’s roots are in America’s history is conveyed when one observes major cases in the Civil Rights movement’s past. Biased juries, racist judges, and lack of justice ran rampant in America’s courts. This often resulted in that guilty whites would consistently be found not guilty if the actions were performed on an African American, or the opposite, Blacks would be found guilty for crimes they didn’t commit. The Emmett Till case was a major example of the former, while both the Scottsboro and the Tom Robinson trials were major examples of the latter.
------------
On the 28th of August, the mutilated body of a fourteen-year-old black boy was found on the shore of the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi. The grotesquely disfigured body was that of Emmett Louis Till, a boy from Chicago visiting his grandpa for the summer. One day while with his friends, Emmett walked into the market store of Carolyn Bryant to buy some bubble gum. While he was leaving, Emmett allegedly whistled at her. The belief that a black man was forbidden any contact with a white woman was an integral belief within racism in the south, a belief that was also held with Bob Bryant, Carolyn’s husband. Once informed of Emmett’s actions, he and his brother Jesse kidnapped Emmett five days later and murdered him, dumping his body into the river. Bob Bryant’s motivation lied solely in the fact that he felt that Emmett had disrespected his wife; Bob’s racist beliefs fueled him to commit the horrible murder of Emmett, dragging his brother along the way to take part in the deed.
Much like the trial of Tom Robinson, in 1931, nine black teenagers were put on trial and found guilty. Accused of raping Ruby Bates and Victoria Price, Victoria testified against the nine boys with little evidence to back up her claims. Both these cases were based on purely circumstantial evidence. Despite having little evidence to back up Victoria’s story, all nine boys were found guilty of rape. Both the Scottsboro and Tom Robinson trials, as well as the Emmett Till case show how deep racist hatred ran in the South. Southerners believed that blacks were animals that if given the slightest chance, would brutalize and rape a white woman. Victoria Price, who spoke without hesitance, fueled them. She herself was possibly a prostitute; the thought of sexual intercourse was one paid little attention to. Price was also observed to be attention hungry. The thought of being put in the spotlight, the action of which fueled by America’s racism, was something to convenient to pass up.
The fictional case of Tom Robinson was conceived by Harper Lee in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, in an attempt to bring light and concern towards the injustice and racism that was being put against the black community. The case takes place during the 1930’s, during the Great Depression. After being asked to perform a task for Mayelle (ADSFJDSFJ), Robinson reportedly followed Mayelle into her house and proceeded to beat and rape her. Despite a very critical trial, and evidence pointing towards his innocence, Tom was found guilty. When one looks farther into the case, evidence provided shows that Mayelle was lonely and lusted after Tom. When he entered his home, she made advances towards him, an act witnessed by her father. Much like the other cases, Tom was accused and although with evidence in his favor, was found guilty. This fictional case recognized how poorly African Americans were being treated, as well as pointing the wrongs in white society. Because of Lee’s unbiased narrator, she showed how reckless racism could be.
After further investigation in the Scottsboro trials, the amount of neglect in them is resounding. The first case of neglect in this case are the two white girls, Victoria Price and Ruby Bates, who accused the nine black boys of raping them. Both girls’ families lived in rundown homes in black neighborhoods. They both were mill workers, and evidence points that Victoria and possibly Ruby were prostitutes. The Great Depression left both the girls and their families with little money, and they boarded the train in which the rapes supposedly happened in hopes that they would find work. The second show of neglect was concerning the Scottsboro boys themselves. Most of the boys had never been taught to read or write, and some were unable to obtain or denied access to medicine. They were all on the train, much like the girls, in hopes of finding work. The final and most obvious form of neglect was in the trials themselves. One of the boys was nearly blind, another had a syphilis infection so bad, he was found lying down in the front of the train, far away from the scene of the rape. He was in so much pain; it would have been nearly impossible for him to jump onto the scene, as described by the girls. A farmer was allowed to give testimony against the boys, claiming he had seen them on the train from his farm nearly a mile away.
In the Tom Robinson case, the signs of neglect were unique in some ways. While Harper Lee attempted to show the futileness of racism, she also pointed out the fallacies in the rigid social system in the South. It can be inferred from To Kill a Mockingbird that Mayelle Euell asked Tom Robinson to come inside the house. Although never explicitly stated, it’s implied that Mayelle kissed Tom out of lust. She and her family lived behind the town dump and because of this, most of the town and the town’s children looked down on their family for being lower class. Her loneliness is what leads to her acting out. Much like all three cases, in the courtroom tremendous amount of neglect is shown. Tom was physically handicapped and would have been unable to keep Mayelle down. Another piece of evidence in his favor was that it would have been impossible to specifically cause the bruises that were on Mayelle’s face because of his handicap. Despite this, Tom was found guilty.
After Emmett Till’s body was found and sent home, the media shared his story around much of the country. For the first time in America’s history, some of it’s public wished for justice for the acts against an African American. Despite the revolting nature of Emmett Till’s murder, his killers were never found guilty. Even after Bob Bryant and his brother had been charged with abduction, a charged supported from Emmett’s grandfather who was present during his abduction, they served no time for their crimes. Emmett’s mother was present at the trial and witnessed this injustice.
In these cases, the amount of racism and neglect to give African Americans fair trials are universal. In an attempt to ensure African Americans justice within the courtroom, as well as outside it, NAACP as well as other organizations have made progress in the form of pushing for new laws to be passed and performing historical events. In 1948 president Truman signed an act in which the people of America would not be discriminated against, regardless of their race. In 1954, schools in the South were desegregated. In 1957, Martin Luther King JR. made his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. As more time passed, efforts all across America were made to completely end any form of racism. While the battle has never ended, equality for African Americans has been improving over the past century. In 2008, Barack Obama became the first African American president.
Works Cited
American Civil Liberties Union. Report on the Scottsboro, ALA. Case. Hollace Ransdell.
New York: American Civil Liberties Union, 1931. To Kill a Mockingbird and the
Scottsboro Boys Trial: Profiles in Courage. EDSITEment. National Endowment
for the Humanities. Web. 15 Feb 2012.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1982. Print.
The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till. Keith A. Beauchchamp. DVD. Velocity
(Ventura), Feb 28, 2006.
Keith A. Beauchchamp. “The Murder Of Emmet Louis Till.” Black-collegian. Web. 10 May 2004.
Scottsboro: An American Tradgedy. Daniel Anker, Barak Goodman. DVD. American Experience, 2000.
T(ITLTLDfjoeWSFOJEWJFOM;EWA
Scott Watson
Mrs. Koch
English Honors 2
February 15, 2012
Innocence Lost
Under two and a half centuries ago, The Declaration of Independence was written so that it could be used as the philosophies of a new prototype country, one based completely on democracy and personal freedoms. The first of it’s kind, America was meant to be a place free of all oppression. However, although America is thought as having humble beginnings, in reality, the opposite is true. Although the Declaration of Independence values freedom, the original founders of America completely ignored what it truly wished to convey, the belief that all people deserved life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They did this through slavery, the practice of which completely undermined anything the Declaration of independence wished to complete. But through the efforts of abolitionists and those who wished to truly uphold the philosophies that America was founded on, in 1865 slavery was officially abolished. Although a major step towards total citizenship for African Americans, many people wished to heed the progress that was being made. These racists did anything in their power to scare, terrorize, and manipulate African Americans into doing what they wanted. The level of how deep racism’s roots are in America’s history is conveyed when one observes major cases in the Civil Rights movement’s past. Biased juries, racist judges, and lack of justice ran rampant in America’s courts. This often resulted in that guilty whites would consistently be found not guilty if the actions were performed on an African American, or the opposite, Blacks would be found guilty for crimes they didn’t commit. The Emmett Till case was a major example of the former, while both the Scottsboro and the Tom Robinson trials were major examples of the latter.
------------
On the 28th of August, the mutilated body of a fourteen-year-old black boy was found on the shore of the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi. The grotesquely disfigured body was that of Emmett Louis Till, a boy from Chicago visiting his grandpa for the summer. One day while with his friends, Emmett walked into the market store of Carolyn Bryant to buy some bubble gum. While he was leaving, Emmett allegedly whistled at her. The belief that a black man was forbidden any contact with a white woman was an integral belief within racism in the south, a belief that was also held with Bob Bryant, Carolyn’s husband. Once informed of Emmett’s actions, he and his brother Jesse kidnapped Emmett five days later and murdered him, dumping his body into the river. Bob Bryant’s motivation lied solely in the fact that he felt that Emmett had disrespected his wife; Bob’s racist beliefs fueled him to commit the horrible murder of Emmett, dragging his brother along the way to take part in the deed.
Mrs. Koch
English Honors 2
February 15, 2012
Innocence Lost
Under two and a half centuries ago, The Declaration of Independence was written so that it could be used as the philosophies of a new prototype country, one based completely on democracy and personal freedoms. The first of it’s kind, America was meant to be a place free of all oppression. However, although America is thought as having humble beginnings, in reality, the opposite is true. Although the Declaration of Independence values freedom, the original founders of America completely ignored what it truly wished to convey, the belief that all people deserved life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They did this through slavery, the practice of which completely undermined anything the Declaration of independence wished to complete. But through the efforts of abolitionists and those who wished to truly uphold the philosophies that America was founded on, in 1865 slavery was officially abolished. Although a major step towards total citizenship for African Americans, many people wished to heed the progress that was being made. These racists did anything in their power to scare, terrorize, and manipulate African Americans into doing what they wanted. The level of how deep racism’s roots are in America’s history is conveyed when one observes major cases in the Civil Rights movement’s past. Biased juries, racist judges, and lack of justice ran rampant in America’s courts. This often resulted in that guilty whites would consistently be found not guilty if the actions were performed on an African American, or the opposite, Blacks would be found guilty for crimes they didn’t commit. The Emmett Till case was a major example of the former, while both the Scottsboro and the Tom Robinson trials were major examples of the latter.
------------
On the 28th of August, the mutilated body of a fourteen-year-old black boy was found on the shore of the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi. The grotesquely disfigured body was that of Emmett Louis Till, a boy from Chicago visiting his grandpa for the summer. One day while with his friends, Emmett walked into the market store of Carolyn Bryant to buy some bubble gum. While he was leaving, Emmett allegedly whistled at her. The belief that a black man was forbidden any contact with a white woman was an integral belief within racism in the south, a belief that was also held with Bob Bryant, Carolyn’s husband. Once informed of Emmett’s actions, he and his brother Jesse kidnapped Emmett five days later and murdered him, dumping his body into the river. Bob Bryant’s motivation lied solely in the fact that he felt that Emmett had disrespected his wife; Bob’s racist beliefs fueled him to commit the horrible murder of Emmett, dragging his brother along the way to take part in the deed.
america
Scott Watson
Mrs. Koch
English Honors 2
February 15, 2012
TITLE
Under two and a half centuries ago, The Declaration of Independence was written so that it could be used as the philosophies of a new prototype country, one based completely on democracy and personal freedoms. The first of it’s kind, America was meant to be a place free of all oppression. However, although America is thought as having humble beginnings, in reality, the opposite is true. Although the Declaration of Independence values freedom, the original founders of America completely ignored what it truly wished to convey, the belief that all people deserved life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They did this through slavery, the practice of which completely undermined anything the Declaration of independence wished to complete. But through the efforts of abolitionists and those who wished to truly uphold the philosophies that America was founded on, in 1865 slavery was officially abolished. Although a major step towards total citizenship for African Americans, many people wished to heed the progress that was being made. These racists did anything in their power to scare, terrorize, and manipulate African Americans into doing what they wanted. The level of how deep racism’s roots are in America’s history is conveyed when one observes major cases in the Civil Rights movement’s past. Biased juries, racist judges, and lack of justice ran rampant in America’s courts. This often resulted in that guilty whites would consistently be found not guilty if the actions were performed on an African American, or the opposite, Blacks would be found guilty for crimes they didn’t commit. The Emmett Till case was a major example of the former, while both the Scottsboro and the Tom Robinson trials were major examples of the latter.
------------
On the 28th of August, the mutilated body of a fourteen-year-old black boy was found on the shore of the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi. The grotesquely disfigured body was that of Emmett Louis Till, a boy from Chicago visiting his grandpa for the summer. One day while with his friends, Emmett walked into the market store of Carolyn Bryant to buy some bubble gum. While he was leaving, Emmett allegedly whistled at her. The belief that a black man was forbidden any contact with a white woman was an integral belief within racism in the south, a belief that was also held with Bob Bryant, Carolyn’s husband. Once informed of Emmett’s actions, he and his brother Jesse kidnapped Emmett five days later and murdered him, dumping his body into the river. Bob Bryant’s motivation lied solely in the fact that he felt that Emmett had disrespected his wife, Bob’s racist beliefs fueled him to commit the horrible murder of Emmett, dragging his brother along the way to take part in the deed.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
(SCOTTSBORO BOYS)
Much like the trial of Tom Robinson, in 1931, nine black teenagers were put on trial and found guilty. Accused of raping Ruby Bates and Victoria Price, Victoria testified against the nine boys with little evidence to back up her claims. Both these cases were based on purely circumstantial evidence. Despite having little evidence to back up Victoria’s story, all nine boys were found guilty of rape. Both the Scottsboro and Tom Robinson trials, as well as the Emmett Till case show how deep racist hatred ran in the South. Southerners believed that blacks were animals, that if given the slightest chance, would brutalize and rape a white woman. They were fueled by Victoria Price, who spoke without hesitance. She herself was possibly a prostitute, the thought of sexual intercourse was one paid little attention to. Price was also observed to be attention hungry. The thought of being put in the spotlight, the action of which fueled by America’s racism, was something to convenient to pass up.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The fictional case of Tom Robinson was conceived by Harper Lee in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, in an attempt to bring light and concern towards the injustice and racism that was being put against the black community. The case takes place during the 1930’s, during the Great Depression. After being asked to perform a task for Mayelle (ADSFJDSFJ), Robinson alledgly followed Mayelle into her house and proceeded to beat and rape her. Despite a very critical trial, and evidence pointing towards his innocence, Tom was found guilty. When one looks farther into the case, evidence provided shows that Mayelle was lonely and lusted after Tom. When he entered his home, she made advances towards him, an act witnessed by her father. Much like the other cases, Tom was accused and although with evidence in his favor, was found guilty. This fictional case recognized how poorly African Americans were being treated, as well as pointing the wrongs in white society. Because of Lee’s unbiased narrator, she showed how reckless racism could be.
(TOM ROBINSON)
-------------
-------------
(Paragraph two: how can society so neglect some portion of its citizens? How can this lead to the types of cases we have discussed and you have discovered in your research?)
^^^^^^^
Scottsboro boys
After further investigation in the Scottsboro trials, the amount of neglect in them is resounding. The first case of neglect in this case are the two white girls, Victoria Price and Ruby Bates, who accused the nine black boys of raping them. Both girl’s families lived in rundown homes in black neighborhoods. They both were mill workers, and evidence points that Victoria and possibly Ruby were prostitutes. The Great Depression left both the girls and their families with little money, and they boarded the train in which the rapes supposedly happened in hopes that they would find work. The second show of neglect was concerning the Scottsboro boys themselves. Most of the boys had never been taught to read or write, and some were unable to obtain or denied access to medicine. They were all on the train, much like the girls, in hopes of finding work. The final and most obvious form of neglect was in the trials themselves. One of the boys was nearly blind, another had a shphylic infection so bad, he was found laying down in the front of the train, far away from the scene of the rape. He was in so much pain, it would have been nearly impossible for him to jump onto the scene, as described by the girls. A farmer was allowed to give testimony against the boys, claiming he had seen them on the train from his farm nearly a mile away.
^^^^^^^^^
In the Tom Robinson case, the signs of neglect were unique in some ways. While harper Lee attempted to show the futileness of racism, she also pointed out the fallacies in the rigid social system in the South. It can be inferred from To Kill a Mockingbird that Mayelle Euell asked Tom Robinson to come inside the house. Although never explicity stated, it’s implied that Mayelle kissed Tom out of lust. She and her family lived behind the town dump and because of this, most of the town and the town’s children looked down on their family for being lower class. Her loneliness is what lead to her acting out. Much like all three cases, in the courtroom tremendous amount of neglect is shown. Tom was physically handicapped and would have been unable to keep Mayelle down. Another peiece of evidence in his favor was that it would have been impossible to specifically cause the bruises that were on Mayelle’s face because of his handicap. Despite this, Tom was found guilty.
^^^^^^^
After Emette Till’s body was found and sent home, the media shared his story around much of the country. For the first time in America’s history, some of it’s public wished for justice for the acts against an African American. Despite the revolting nature of Emmett Till’s murder, his killers were never found guilty. Even after Bob Bryant and his brother had been charged with abduction, a charged supported from Emett’s grandfather who was present during his abduction, they served no time for their crimes. Emette’s mother was present at the trial and witnessed this injustice.
------------------
(WHAT SPECIFIC ACTIONS/ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN REATED To PREVENT THESE TYPES OF UNMERITED COURT cases, and what can still be done to prevent them from happening again?)
^^^^^^^
In these cases, the amount of racism and neglect to give Africaqn Americans fair trials are universal. In an attempt to ensure African Americans justice within the courtroom, as well as outside it, NAACP as well as other organizations have made progress in the form of pushing for new laws to be passed and performing historical events. In 1948 president Truman signed an act in which the people of America would not be discriminated against, regardless of their race. In 1954, schools in teh South were desegregated. In 1957, Martin Luther King JR. made his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. As more time passed, efforts all across America were made to completely end any form of racism. While the battle has never ended, equality for African Americans has been improving over the past century. In 2008, Barack Obama became the first African American president.
Works Cited
American Civil Liberties Union. Report on the Scottsboro, ALA. Case. Hollace Ransdell.
New York: American Civil Liberties Union, 1931. To Kill a Mockingbird and the
Scottsboro Boys Trial: Profiles in Courage. EDSITEment. National Endowment
for the Humanities. Web. 15 Feb 2012.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1982. Print.
The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till. Keith A. Beauchchamp. DVD. Velocity
(Ventura), Feb 28, 2006.
Keith A. Beauchchamp. “The Murder Of Emmet Louis Till.” Black-collegian. Web. 10
May 2004.
Scottsboro: An American Tradgedy. Daniel Anker, Barak Goodman. DVD. American Experience, 2000.
Mrs. Koch
English Honors 2
February 15, 2012
TITLE
Under two and a half centuries ago, The Declaration of Independence was written so that it could be used as the philosophies of a new prototype country, one based completely on democracy and personal freedoms. The first of it’s kind, America was meant to be a place free of all oppression. However, although America is thought as having humble beginnings, in reality, the opposite is true. Although the Declaration of Independence values freedom, the original founders of America completely ignored what it truly wished to convey, the belief that all people deserved life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They did this through slavery, the practice of which completely undermined anything the Declaration of independence wished to complete. But through the efforts of abolitionists and those who wished to truly uphold the philosophies that America was founded on, in 1865 slavery was officially abolished. Although a major step towards total citizenship for African Americans, many people wished to heed the progress that was being made. These racists did anything in their power to scare, terrorize, and manipulate African Americans into doing what they wanted. The level of how deep racism’s roots are in America’s history is conveyed when one observes major cases in the Civil Rights movement’s past. Biased juries, racist judges, and lack of justice ran rampant in America’s courts. This often resulted in that guilty whites would consistently be found not guilty if the actions were performed on an African American, or the opposite, Blacks would be found guilty for crimes they didn’t commit. The Emmett Till case was a major example of the former, while both the Scottsboro and the Tom Robinson trials were major examples of the latter.
------------
On the 28th of August, the mutilated body of a fourteen-year-old black boy was found on the shore of the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi. The grotesquely disfigured body was that of Emmett Louis Till, a boy from Chicago visiting his grandpa for the summer. One day while with his friends, Emmett walked into the market store of Carolyn Bryant to buy some bubble gum. While he was leaving, Emmett allegedly whistled at her. The belief that a black man was forbidden any contact with a white woman was an integral belief within racism in the south, a belief that was also held with Bob Bryant, Carolyn’s husband. Once informed of Emmett’s actions, he and his brother Jesse kidnapped Emmett five days later and murdered him, dumping his body into the river. Bob Bryant’s motivation lied solely in the fact that he felt that Emmett had disrespected his wife, Bob’s racist beliefs fueled him to commit the horrible murder of Emmett, dragging his brother along the way to take part in the deed.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
(SCOTTSBORO BOYS)
Much like the trial of Tom Robinson, in 1931, nine black teenagers were put on trial and found guilty. Accused of raping Ruby Bates and Victoria Price, Victoria testified against the nine boys with little evidence to back up her claims. Both these cases were based on purely circumstantial evidence. Despite having little evidence to back up Victoria’s story, all nine boys were found guilty of rape. Both the Scottsboro and Tom Robinson trials, as well as the Emmett Till case show how deep racist hatred ran in the South. Southerners believed that blacks were animals, that if given the slightest chance, would brutalize and rape a white woman. They were fueled by Victoria Price, who spoke without hesitance. She herself was possibly a prostitute, the thought of sexual intercourse was one paid little attention to. Price was also observed to be attention hungry. The thought of being put in the spotlight, the action of which fueled by America’s racism, was something to convenient to pass up.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The fictional case of Tom Robinson was conceived by Harper Lee in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, in an attempt to bring light and concern towards the injustice and racism that was being put against the black community. The case takes place during the 1930’s, during the Great Depression. After being asked to perform a task for Mayelle (ADSFJDSFJ), Robinson alledgly followed Mayelle into her house and proceeded to beat and rape her. Despite a very critical trial, and evidence pointing towards his innocence, Tom was found guilty. When one looks farther into the case, evidence provided shows that Mayelle was lonely and lusted after Tom. When he entered his home, she made advances towards him, an act witnessed by her father. Much like the other cases, Tom was accused and although with evidence in his favor, was found guilty. This fictional case recognized how poorly African Americans were being treated, as well as pointing the wrongs in white society. Because of Lee’s unbiased narrator, she showed how reckless racism could be.
(TOM ROBINSON)
-------------
-------------
(Paragraph two: how can society so neglect some portion of its citizens? How can this lead to the types of cases we have discussed and you have discovered in your research?)
^^^^^^^
Scottsboro boys
After further investigation in the Scottsboro trials, the amount of neglect in them is resounding. The first case of neglect in this case are the two white girls, Victoria Price and Ruby Bates, who accused the nine black boys of raping them. Both girl’s families lived in rundown homes in black neighborhoods. They both were mill workers, and evidence points that Victoria and possibly Ruby were prostitutes. The Great Depression left both the girls and their families with little money, and they boarded the train in which the rapes supposedly happened in hopes that they would find work. The second show of neglect was concerning the Scottsboro boys themselves. Most of the boys had never been taught to read or write, and some were unable to obtain or denied access to medicine. They were all on the train, much like the girls, in hopes of finding work. The final and most obvious form of neglect was in the trials themselves. One of the boys was nearly blind, another had a shphylic infection so bad, he was found laying down in the front of the train, far away from the scene of the rape. He was in so much pain, it would have been nearly impossible for him to jump onto the scene, as described by the girls. A farmer was allowed to give testimony against the boys, claiming he had seen them on the train from his farm nearly a mile away.
^^^^^^^^^
In the Tom Robinson case, the signs of neglect were unique in some ways. While harper Lee attempted to show the futileness of racism, she also pointed out the fallacies in the rigid social system in the South. It can be inferred from To Kill a Mockingbird that Mayelle Euell asked Tom Robinson to come inside the house. Although never explicity stated, it’s implied that Mayelle kissed Tom out of lust. She and her family lived behind the town dump and because of this, most of the town and the town’s children looked down on their family for being lower class. Her loneliness is what lead to her acting out. Much like all three cases, in the courtroom tremendous amount of neglect is shown. Tom was physically handicapped and would have been unable to keep Mayelle down. Another peiece of evidence in his favor was that it would have been impossible to specifically cause the bruises that were on Mayelle’s face because of his handicap. Despite this, Tom was found guilty.
^^^^^^^
After Emette Till’s body was found and sent home, the media shared his story around much of the country. For the first time in America’s history, some of it’s public wished for justice for the acts against an African American. Despite the revolting nature of Emmett Till’s murder, his killers were never found guilty. Even after Bob Bryant and his brother had been charged with abduction, a charged supported from Emett’s grandfather who was present during his abduction, they served no time for their crimes. Emette’s mother was present at the trial and witnessed this injustice.
------------------
(WHAT SPECIFIC ACTIONS/ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN REATED To PREVENT THESE TYPES OF UNMERITED COURT cases, and what can still be done to prevent them from happening again?)
^^^^^^^
In these cases, the amount of racism and neglect to give Africaqn Americans fair trials are universal. In an attempt to ensure African Americans justice within the courtroom, as well as outside it, NAACP as well as other organizations have made progress in the form of pushing for new laws to be passed and performing historical events. In 1948 president Truman signed an act in which the people of America would not be discriminated against, regardless of their race. In 1954, schools in teh South were desegregated. In 1957, Martin Luther King JR. made his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. As more time passed, efforts all across America were made to completely end any form of racism. While the battle has never ended, equality for African Americans has been improving over the past century. In 2008, Barack Obama became the first African American president.
Works Cited
American Civil Liberties Union. Report on the Scottsboro, ALA. Case. Hollace Ransdell.
New York: American Civil Liberties Union, 1931. To Kill a Mockingbird and the
Scottsboro Boys Trial: Profiles in Courage. EDSITEment. National Endowment
for the Humanities. Web. 15 Feb 2012.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1982. Print.
The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till. Keith A. Beauchchamp. DVD. Velocity
(Ventura), Feb 28, 2006.
Keith A. Beauchchamp. “The Murder Of Emmet Louis Till.” Black-collegian. Web. 10
May 2004.
Scottsboro: An American Tradgedy. Daniel Anker, Barak Goodman. DVD. American Experience, 2000.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Scott Watson
Mrs. Koch
English Honors 2
February 15, 2012
TITLE
Under two and a half centuries ago, The Declaration of Independence was written so that it could be used as the philosophies of a new prototype country, one based completely on democracy and personal freedoms. The first of it’s kind, America was meant to be a place free of all oppression. However, although America is thought as having humble beginnings, in reality, the opposite is true. Although the Declaration of Independence values freedom, the original founders of America completely ignored what it truly wished to convey, the belief that all people deserved life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They did this through slavery, the practice of which completely undermined anything the Declaration of independence wished to complete. But through the efforts of abolitionists and those who wished to truly uphold the philosophies that America was founded on, in 1865 slavery was officially abolished. Although a major step towards total citizenship for African Americans, many people wished to heed the progress that was being made. These racists did anything in their power to scare, terrorize, and manipulate African Americans into doing what they wanted. The level of how deep racism’s roots are in America’s history is conveyed when one observes major cases in the Civil Rights movement’s past. Biased juries, racist judges, and lack of justice ran rampant in America’s courts. This often resulted in that guilty whites would consistently be found not guilty if the actions were performed on an African American, or the opposite, Blacks would be found guilty for crimes they didn’t commit. The Emmett Till case was a major example of the former, while both the Scottsboro and the Tom Robinson trials were major examples of the latter.
------------
On the 28th of August, the mutilated body of a fourteen-year-old black boy was found on the shore of the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi. The grotesquely disfigured body was that of Emmett Louis Till, a boy from Chicago visiting his grandpa for the summer. One day while with his friends, Emmett walked into the market store of Carolyn Bryant to buy some bubblegum. While he was leaving, Emmett allegedly whistled at her. The belief that a black man was forbidden any contact with a white woman was an integral belief within racism in the south, a belief that was also held with Bob Bryant, Carolyn’s husband. Once informed of Emmett’s actions, he and his brother Jesse kidnapped Emmett five days later and murdered him, dumping his body into the river.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
(SCOTTSBORO BOYS)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
(TOM ROBINSON)
-------------
(Paragraph two: how can society so neglect some portion of its citizens? How can this lead to the types of cases we have discussed and you have discovered in your research?)
(WHAT SPECIFIC ACTIONS/ORGANIZTIONS HAVE BEENC REATED To PREVENT THESE TYPES OF UNMERITED COURT cases, and what can still be done to prevent them from happening again?)
Works Cited
American Civil Liberties Union. Report on the Scottsboro, ALA. Case. Hollace Ransdell.
New York: American Civil Liberties Union, 1931. To Kill a Mockingbird and the
Scottsboro Boys Trial: Profiles in Courage. EDSITEment. National Endowment
for the Humanities. Web. 15 Feb 2012.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1982. Print.
The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till. Keith A. Beauchchamp. DVD. Velocity
(Ventura), Feb 28, 2006.
Keith A. Beauchchamp. “The Murder Of Emmet Louis Till.” Black-collegian. Web. 10
May 2004.
Scottsboro: An American Tradgedy. Daniel Anker, Barak Goodman. DVD. American Experience, 2000.
Practice Online Source:
Costello, Matthew. “Herp Derp Page.” Shooppdawoop. The Foundation of Scott Watson,
Web. 15 Feb 2012.
Last, First. “Name of Page.” Name of Web Site. Name of sponsor. Web. 15 Feb 2012.
Mrs. Koch
English Honors 2
February 15, 2012
TITLE
Under two and a half centuries ago, The Declaration of Independence was written so that it could be used as the philosophies of a new prototype country, one based completely on democracy and personal freedoms. The first of it’s kind, America was meant to be a place free of all oppression. However, although America is thought as having humble beginnings, in reality, the opposite is true. Although the Declaration of Independence values freedom, the original founders of America completely ignored what it truly wished to convey, the belief that all people deserved life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They did this through slavery, the practice of which completely undermined anything the Declaration of independence wished to complete. But through the efforts of abolitionists and those who wished to truly uphold the philosophies that America was founded on, in 1865 slavery was officially abolished. Although a major step towards total citizenship for African Americans, many people wished to heed the progress that was being made. These racists did anything in their power to scare, terrorize, and manipulate African Americans into doing what they wanted. The level of how deep racism’s roots are in America’s history is conveyed when one observes major cases in the Civil Rights movement’s past. Biased juries, racist judges, and lack of justice ran rampant in America’s courts. This often resulted in that guilty whites would consistently be found not guilty if the actions were performed on an African American, or the opposite, Blacks would be found guilty for crimes they didn’t commit. The Emmett Till case was a major example of the former, while both the Scottsboro and the Tom Robinson trials were major examples of the latter.
------------
On the 28th of August, the mutilated body of a fourteen-year-old black boy was found on the shore of the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi. The grotesquely disfigured body was that of Emmett Louis Till, a boy from Chicago visiting his grandpa for the summer. One day while with his friends, Emmett walked into the market store of Carolyn Bryant to buy some bubblegum. While he was leaving, Emmett allegedly whistled at her. The belief that a black man was forbidden any contact with a white woman was an integral belief within racism in the south, a belief that was also held with Bob Bryant, Carolyn’s husband. Once informed of Emmett’s actions, he and his brother Jesse kidnapped Emmett five days later and murdered him, dumping his body into the river.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
(SCOTTSBORO BOYS)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
(TOM ROBINSON)
-------------
(Paragraph two: how can society so neglect some portion of its citizens? How can this lead to the types of cases we have discussed and you have discovered in your research?)
(WHAT SPECIFIC ACTIONS/ORGANIZTIONS HAVE BEENC REATED To PREVENT THESE TYPES OF UNMERITED COURT cases, and what can still be done to prevent them from happening again?)
Works Cited
American Civil Liberties Union. Report on the Scottsboro, ALA. Case. Hollace Ransdell.
New York: American Civil Liberties Union, 1931. To Kill a Mockingbird and the
Scottsboro Boys Trial: Profiles in Courage. EDSITEment. National Endowment
for the Humanities. Web. 15 Feb 2012.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1982. Print.
The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till. Keith A. Beauchchamp. DVD. Velocity
(Ventura), Feb 28, 2006.
Keith A. Beauchchamp. “The Murder Of Emmet Louis Till.” Black-collegian. Web. 10
May 2004.
Scottsboro: An American Tradgedy. Daniel Anker, Barak Goodman. DVD. American Experience, 2000.
Practice Online Source:
Costello, Matthew. “Herp Derp Page.” Shooppdawoop. The Foundation of Scott Watson,
Web. 15 Feb 2012.
Last, First. “Name of Page.” Name of Web Site. Name of sponsor. Web. 15 Feb 2012.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)