Favorite Poem Project

Four Freedoms

Background: Franklin D. Roosevelt was born in New York, on January 30, 1882. He received his bachelor’s degree in business from Harvard University, and he then went on to study law at Colombia University. In 1905, Roosevelt married Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, a distant cousin and the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt was the 32nd President, from 1933-1945. In 1921 he was diagnosed with polio and was paralyzed from the waist down.  He still was able to be president in a wheel chair, and this is something that is truly amazing. I thought it was also cool that he was the president during Pearl Harbor.

Connect: The four freedoms really stood out to me because I am very grateful for those freedoms. One thing that I am grateful for in my life is my religion. I do not know who or where I would be in my life if I were not a part of my religion. It is very special to me that we have the freedom to worship whomever in this country. I think of countries like Islam and it saddens me that they do not have some of the great freedoms that we have here in America.  I am also grateful that we can have freedom of speech. Could you imagine a place where we got in trouble for voicing our opinion? It amazes me that America has so many freedoms. I think that so many of the freedoms are taken for granted and people don’t really think about them a lot. I think that it is very important to be grateful for our freedoms

The Four Freedoms

The general argument made by Franklin D. Roosevelt in his work Four Freedoms, is that there are four essential human freedoms that the US needs to guarantee to its citizens and the world.  More specifically Roosevelt suggests that we need to always follow and keep these four freedoms as American citizens. These freedoms include: freedom of speech and expression, Freedom of worship, Freedom of want, and freedom from fear.  Roosevelt said that it was up to us whether or not we ensured these freedoms. He writes “This nation has placed its destiny in the hands, heads, and hearts of its millions of free men and women, and its faith in freedom under the guidance of God. (p.739)” In this passage, Roosevelt is only suggesting that in order to keep our freedoms we also need to do our part as a citizen to ensure those freedoms, that we are so blessed to have.  In conclusion, it is Roosevelt’s belief that we should do our part to keep the four very important freedoms.

                In my view, Roosevelt is right because he talks about how we should always be allowed these freedoms. He also says that these freedoms aren’t just something that are and were easy to come by. These freedoms are something that we need to work for and do our duty as citizens as well.  For example, if we do not follow the law, that is violating our duty as a citizen. We can only earn these freedoms by using them as well. These freedoms are important to us and therefore we should be able to defend them and do all that is right to keep them around. Therefore I conclude that we should always do our part to ensure those freedoms. We need to make sure these freedoms are always guaranteed toward us as citizens.

List of Qualities I'm Looking for in a Man

• Honest
• Fun 
• Smart 
• Likes the outdoors
• same religious values
• Outgoing
• Tall 
• Attractive
• Personable
• Dependable 
• Responsible 
• Hard Working
• Good Humor
• Athletic
• Caring
• Loving
• Good with kids
• Likes dogs

Looking for My Prince Charming Pgs. 543-544

The general argument made by Shalmali Pal is that it is not very easy to find your perfect prince charming.  More specifically this is a story of an Indian girl who can’t find a husband as easily as she thought she could.  She had three suitors and none of them were her prince charming.  She writes, “If I could take elements of my three suitors and fuse them together, maybe I would have the perfect man.”  In this passage Pal is only suggesting that she expects more in her future spouse. She also said that it would be easier if she married an Indian man so that she wouldn’t have to explain things to him. In conclusion, it is Pal’s belief that it is pretty hard to find a prince charming because she is lazy.

In my view I think that it can be hard for some to find their prince charming. I think that Pal had the wrong approach when deciding to be lazy when looking for a spouse.  For example in one of my favorite Disney shows, Beauty and the Beast, Belle is at first frightened by the beast and his hideous outward appearance.  At first the Beast was mean and did not want to be kind because of the way he looked.  Belle showed love towards him and was very persistent and patient with him.  This showed the beast that he too could be kind, and he had a change of heart. Then Belle and the Beast fell in love.  That story is a prime example of how we should not be lazy when searching for someone that we can love and spend our lives with. Although Pal was lazy when choosing a mate, she should not be lazy at all because she needs to find a good husband and being lazy is not the way to do it.   Therefore, I conclude that it may be harder than it looks to find your prince charming, but if you stick with it you will eventually find your true love. 

Media Portrayals of Men pgs 538-542

The general point made by the Media Awareness Network in their work Media Portrayals of Men and Masculinity, is that the media portrays men in a certain ways that are not always accurate. More specifically the Media Awareness Network suggests that the media defines masculinity, whether it is by stereotypes, or simply just advertising what men should look and act like.  They write, “Families, friends, teachers, and community leaders all play a role in helping boys define what it means to be a man (538).”  In this passage the Media Awareness Network is only suggesting that the media plays a vital role as to how some men define themselves and their masculinity.  In conclusion, it is the Media Awareness Networks belief that they can use the internet to see how men are portrayed.

In my view, I think that they are right because when reading the works and the stereotypes, you can think of men who have at least once in their lifetime said something about that stereotype.  For example one stereotype is that it’s rare to see men or boys crying otherwise showing vulnerability.  I know that many boys don’t like to cry because of this reason, but really I when boys cry it shows that they can be sensitive to whatever it may be and they too have feelings.  Although some people agree with many of these stereotypes and choose to base if they are valuable or not be what the media says, I think that there is more importance in life rather than what the media has to say about how people should look and act like.  Therefore, in conclude that people should not define who they are by the media, people should be themselves and not have to worry about what others think about them. 

The Male Privilege Checklist pgs. 536-538

The general argument made by Peggy McIntosh in her work The Male Privilege Checklist, is that that males have a lot more privileges than women in many things.  More specifically McIntosh suggests that there are 46 specific privileges that men have, and that they need to humble themselves and give up these privileges. She writes, “This checklist is, I hope a step towards helping men to give up the first big privilege.”  McIntosh is suggesting that these privileges that are listed are old and need to be reconsidered when we go about our daily lives. In conclusion, it is McIntosh’s belief that males have derived certain conclusions on what their privileges are, and that people need to reconsider some of these privileges.

In my view, McIntosh is right, because we now live in a society where it is ok for a male to do a job that say a female would normally do. It is also the same the other way around, more females are doing certain jobs that males would normally do.  For example there are more and more male nurses. I think it is awesome that our society can accept that now more than they would have, say 20 years ago. Although some men still believe that they have these privileges, I think that they need to humble themselves and come to an agreement that they will not always have these privileges and that they are wrong. Therefore, I conclude that males play a vital role in everything, but so do females and they should have equal rights. 

Beyond the Cult of Fatherhood pgs.526-531

The general argument made by David Osborne in his work Beyond the cult of Fatherhood, is that being a parent is a lot harder than it looks, and that it is difficult to work while being a parent as well. More specifically Osborne suggests that society places a specific role for men to go out and work, while women stay at home and be the mother.  This is not the case in this passage, it is in fact the opposite.  People don’t understand how hard it is to simply nurture and care for a child.  He writes “That was when I realize what I had gotten myself into-and how much I had to learn (Pg. 527).” He didn’t realize how hard parenting would actually be until he experienced it for himself.  In this passage Osborne is suggesting that it is hard to work and be a stay at home parent as well.  He also writes, “The contradiction between family and career is nothing new; it is perhaps the central unresolved conflict in the lives of American women today (529).”  In conclusion it is Osborne’s belief that it is hard work to be a parent, and it is hard to have a career as well. He didn’t say it wasn’t possible, because it most certainly is, but he said that it is difficult, which most people are able to find out for themselves when they become a parent.  But Osborne said it is definitely worth all the hard work. “Then he propped himself up on his elbows, leaned over and kissed me. If there are any better moments in life, I’ve never found them (531).”  So being a parent is definitely worth while!

In my opinion, Osborne is right because this is most certainly an issue among many families in America, especially if the family is short on income and needs the extra money to support everyone. For example my sister works, but she works part time so that she is able to be a mother as well.  And that is the case with many of the mothers that I know in my life.  Although some people who aren’t parents yet don’t understand how hard it is to be a parent and to work at the same time, I maintain my respect for all of the parents for doing the hard work of taking care and nurturing a child. Therefore I conclude that it is a lot harder than it looks to be a parent, and one only understands when  they become a parent for themselves.  

Civil Disobedience Questions

          A good citizen is someone who follows the laws and who actively participates in community activities.  A good citizen is someone who treats someone else with respect and who shows dignity for themselves and for their country.  Thoreau described a good citizen as someone who doesn’t always follow what the government has to say.  He thinks that people should be less governed. 

          An unjust law is a law that doesn’t make sense in following.  An unjust law would be a law that doesn’t benefit the people and it is just wrong and everyone would seem to think that too.  One can’t show respect for a law when breaking it.  In order to show respect for it you have to follow it.  I guess if you break it and realize you did and not deny it could partly be a form of respect.  If everyone acted according to their conscience our world would be crazy.  Laws are there for our safety.  Acting on conscience could also make a stand on the issue though.

          Dissent is not patriotic.  Some people that have led our country have had different opinions than the majority, and taken a stand for it, but it is not considered patriotic.  I think that it can sometimes be moral depending on the issue that it is based off upon. It can also be Christian as well. Americans have their freedom of choice so differing from everyone’s opinions can be considered American.

      No the mass of men do not serve the state as machines.  There is a wide variety of where and what men serve as. The state punishes people who follow their consciences. If it’s not the law they get punished. They may have a say in certain things, but it is pretty strict.

         We as citizens should be able to trust statesmen and legislators to tell us what is best for our state.  I think in certain situations some people do not trust them.  I think that statesmen should be allowed to define patriotism, a good citizen and justice, but I don’t think that they should define proper morality. They can define morality to an extent, but different people with different views on religion and such tend to differ than people who don’t.  I think there is a line where they can define morality.

      Thoreau’s opinion on wealth and consumption is that the wealthier a person is the more likely they are to show it and be prideful and think they are right, therefore they don’t have to follow the law. The wealthier a person is the more likely they are to be puffed up in pride he says which makes them think that they are right and that they don’t have to practice civil disobedience.  Economic class figure so centrally to the works of Thoreau, Gandhi, and the King, because in the time period where they grew up those issues were prevalent all of the time.  Thoreau grew up in the 1800’s and that was a major issue of that time.

         Martin Luther King, Jr. said “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor,” because the oppressor is someone who burdens the people with cruel or unjust restraints, and if someone is an oppressor they cannot voluntarily give freedom. An oppressor just doesn’t do that, and it is as simple as that.

       When the government grows so large and powerful that it can no longer be resisted effectively, I don’t think that we are still free.  I think that the government has taken over at that point when people don’t have the choice anymore.  Thoreau says that we should not have as strict of a government, and he says that the government that is most successful is the government that is governed the least.  I think when the state goes right to our income before we even see them that they are not being just and need to allow the people the opportunity to see where their money is going first before taking it away, so the people don’t freak out. We can resist the actions of the government by first voting for someone who you think would govern the state/country the best.  If we disagree with something that the government is doing we can take a stand and let others know that you think what they are doing is wrong.  We have that right in America.  A free state is a state that people are not afraid to voice their opinions and that their opinions are taken into consideration.  A free state is where people have the choice to choose their actions whether they are right or wrong.

         King dismantles the argument by writing this letter and addressing it. The four steps that he said were necessary in every nonviolent campaign were; collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action. He said that his followers and allies have carried out these steps in seeking to achieve racial justice in Birmingham by doing things such as taking down racial signs and doing things that followed what he had to say.  He said that the immediate purpose to direct, nonviolent action is that people will take into consideration and start to follow what they have to say.

        People who seemingly undermine the values of society should be questioned yet respected at the same time, because they might have a reason behind their reasoning.  People should have a good so to say relationship with their community so that their voice will be heard and so that they are someone in the community. 

Civil Disobedience pgs. 715-727

The general argument made by Henry D. Thoreau in his work Civil Disobedience is that the government should not affect people’s way of thinking and so to say their conscience.  More specifically, Thoreau argues that many people allow the government to influence how they go about doing certain things.  He writes “I heartily accept the motto, "That government is best which governs least"; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe— "That government is best which governs not at all.” (pg 716) In this passage Thoreau sis suggesting that the most successful government is the government that doesn’t govern as much and gives people their freedom to a certain extent.  If you look at the governments across the country where they govern too much you see certain problems arise because the government is too overruling and forceful.  Also the time period when he wrote this is very relevant to his writing.  It was written in 1817 when slavery was going on.  In conclusion Thoreau was simply saying that the government is too strict and it would be best if they didn’t govern at all. 

In my view Thoreau is wrong.  I think that it is good to have government to an extent so that the people don’t go crazy and take advantage of not having a set system.  I also think that too much government can be bad.  I think that there needs to be a happy medium, and that the government shouldn’t be too strict and also shouldn’t be too lenient.  Although Thoreau might object in having a government that governs too much, I think that government needs to govern to a certain extent.  Therefore, I conclude that we need to have a government that governs, but they can’t be too strict, because then people start to rebel more and to disrespect the government which can also cause major havoc.

Political Message Response 10/17

I was glad that we were able to go that assembly to learn about voting. I think it was very useful and got us seniors more excited to vote.  They gave us the clickers and all to show us how fun it is when we have a say in things. I thought that this assembly was very useful.  It is interesting to see different people's views on certain issues and their reasoning behind what they think. I am excited for when I turn 18 and am able to vote.

Love Poem pg 298

SHE LET HIM IN

She let him in

she did not turn away from him

there was no anger in her words

she simply looked straight at him

as though there had never been

anything between them

I liked this love poem because you can really sense that the couple actually loves eachother.  I liked this poem rather than some of the others because it was simple and was actually love.  Some of the others I got the feeling that they were more lustful and I did not like that about them. When reading this poem I can picture the love and how real love can actually be.  This poem, although simple, makes you as a reader feel like you are a part of them.  My favorite line in this poem is when it says "she simply looked straight at him as though there had never been anything between them." Now that line can be interpreted by the reader in two different ways.  One way is that there had been conflict and stuff was going on between them, yet they still were able to love eachother.  The other way is that they love eachother so much that nothing can ever come between them.  I like to think of it as the second way, because that's just how I am, I love happy stories and happy endings. 

Nature Issues

Sara Nelson and Emily Johnson's pressentation on Ocean Acidification was the one that impressed me the most. It really got me thinking and I thought that they presented it very well.
Ocean Acidification:
Argument: Issue of decreasing pH consistency in Ocean.
Evidence: Harms animal life. It also affects climate change.
Argument: Economic Benifits

Evidence: The gases are expensive.

Polar Bears and Global warming

Argument 1: Caring about pollution will help our world be more healthy. We need to try and save the polar bears.
evidence: By recycling we can help ourselves as well as polar bears live longer.  Polar bears are near extinction.
Argument 2: It is easy not to care about the environment.  People get caught up in getting to work faster rather than thinking about the environment.

Evidence: Almost everyone in our class when asked if they drove to school raised their hand, and only some of them carpooled. 

Fable for Tomorrow/from Silent Spting pgs 370-371

In this passage it talks about how a tragedy has happened.  It sounds like a major disaster has swept through this town and destroyed it. "The roadsides, once so attractive, were now lined with brown and withered vegetation as though swept by fire." "No witchcraft, no enemy action had silences the rebirth of new life in this stricked world.  The people had done it themselves." I thought it was interesting that this quote said nothing had done this to the earth.  The people trashed the earth themselves, and as a result there were hardly any animals.  All of  the bad things that happened to this town did not actually happen, but parts have happened all over the world, and it is sad to see. So we need to do whatever we can to help people and animals who are affected with such dissasters, and try to prevent dissasters, if preventable. 

Polemic pgs. 385-390

Industrial Tourism has arrived.  This means that shops, little museums and other stores are in national parks.  Park officials get stressed out because people feel that they need comfort when viewing national parks. Park officials also don't like the fact that more roads are having to be paved. People demand a lot.  The main issue in this passage is that people are more worried about the comfort of themselves, rather than the park itself.  All national parks have to face the same issue.  Industrial Tourism helps attract people to the park. I don't think that it should be a big issue though because there isn't really a way of stopping it.

Visual Artisit

Paul Peter Rubens

                Paul Peter Rubens was born in1577 and died in 1640. Rubens was a prolific seventeenth century Flemish Baroque Painter.  The Baroque style emphasizes movement, color, and sensuality.  Rubens was a humanist scholar. (2002-2011) Rubens medium was painting.  He typically painted things that had to do with nature or things that were related to mythology.  In is paintings you can tell the time period that he was from because of the style that he used for his paintings. 

                I chose the painting that is called Rubens, his wife Helena Fourment, and their son Peter Paul c. 1639.  The reason that I chose this painting was because it had a picture of Ruben and his son.  One thing that surprised me about this painting was that it says that the child is his son, but yet it looks to me like it is a girl.  That kind of confused me a bit.  Another part of the painting that I wanted to expound upon was the fact that his wife was a little more chunky if you will.  If you look at all of Rubens paintings of women they are all a little more heavy and that was what was considered fashionable and attractive back then.  I think it is very interesting how the times have changed so much. Back then men really liked women who had some meat on their bones and now the media puts it into our heads that women have to be stick skinny to be beautiful.  You can tell that men like women who had more weight on them because in most of the paintings that were composed in the 1600’s the women all relatively look the same.  They are not stick skinny and they typically have a ton of clothes on like Queen Elizabeth.  I thought that it was very interesting how people looked back then.  Men were typically more skinny and women were not so skinny.  And like I mentioned earlier their baby boy did not look like a baby boy at all he looked like he was a girl.  I didn’t understand that aspect of the painting.  But in this painting you can also tell that there is a lot of color and movement. 

                I chose this artist no reason in particular.  I needed an artist and you suggested this one for me to do.  I chose this particular painting because it was one that I thought I could talk about because of the way his wife looked and the way that his son looked.  I also chose this picture because it was of himself rather than something that I didn’t know the story about.  This artist left a significant legacy for his reformation counter-altarpieces, landscapes, portraits, and how he would often paint mythological things.  Rubens was known for  his Northern Baroque style, and was considered one of the greatest at it.  Finally I was surprised that all of his paintings had many things in common.  I liked how ou could easily pin point what they had in common.  Like his paintings either had to do with mythology or they were of nature or of women or queens.  I found it interesting how he portrayed women is his paintings.  I also found it interesting that all of the men in that time were attracted to women that were bigger and were not stick skinny.  It is so crazy to see how the times have changed since then.  I kind of wish that I picked a more recent artist so that it would have been easier for me to talk about , but I guess this one worked as well. 

               

Selections from Walden pgs. 349-365

One of the Philosophies that Thoreau talked about was how we needed to simplify or needs and our ambitions.  Our needs are obvious, food, sleep, etc.  Our ambitions or our goals can sometimes affect what we may think that we need.  It is good to have an ambition or a drive to do something, but you need to take into account your needs first before letting your ambitions steer the way you go.

Another Philosophy was that a man shouldn’t take too much leisure time.  “The student who secures his coveted leisure and retirement by systematically shirking any labor necessary to man obtains but an ignoble and unprofitable leisure, defrauding himself of the experience which alone can make leisure fruitful (quote on page 358).” From that quote it basically says that someone who is always planning their vacation and leisure rather than work, is less likely to experience that leisure with the amount of joy as if they had focused on their work.

Another philosophy was that we must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake.  “We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn, which does not forsake us in our soundest sleep.” (page 363) This quote explains how we need to keep ourselves awake for the expectations of the day. We can get more accomplished when we don’t sleep all the time.

Burrowing Owls pgs. 414-417

The main argument of this passage is the different opinions men and women have on nature. Many poeple don't care about the owls or any of the other species that are starting to become extinct.  It is hard to constantly think of nature issues such as the one of the burrowing owls.  On the other hand some people make it a huge issue as to whether or not all of the animals are safe and healthy.  These owls are threatened, which is a step away from being endangered.  I do not agree with people poaching these owls.

Cultural Activity

I enjoyed going to the Museum with a bunch of friends. My favorite pieces of artwork were the ones that were from the islands.  I liked those pieces of artwork more because I liked how you got to see the cultural background to the art.  I really liked this activity, I thought it was a lot of fun.

Islam Presentation

I learned many new things that I didnt't know before from Maisa.  I learned that Muslims pray 5 times a day, and sometimes, or when they can, they pray on a prayer rug. And they always face the Mecca when they pray.  I also learned that Muslims girls can swim if properly covered.  I had always wondered if they could swim or not.  I learned that during Ramadan they can't eat from sunrise to sunset.  I think that is awesome that they can do that and have the will to not eat for that long. I was very glad that Maisa came and gave a presentation, because I had a lot of questions about Muslims and they were all answered.

Buddhism

Buddhist's follow many of Buddha's teachings.  Buddhist's believe that there is no God, and they do not consider themselves Atheist.  They have no prohets, and they follow Buddah.  Monks are teachers in Buddhism.  Buddhist's believe in karma and in rebirth.  They believe that karma is a part of rebirth. Off to the side this is a picture of Buddha.

Creation Myths: pgs 85-127

The creation myth that I was assigned to read was the Klamath Indian Myth on page 124. In this myth, the chief of the below world wants to marry a woman named Loha. She refuses to marry him, and in anger he was determined to destroy her people. He starts to light fires everywhere.  The below world chief and the above world chief get in to a brawl.  A medicine man sacrifices himself so that his people will be saved. The above world chief wins and he made it rain for many years.  This rain created a lake in the crater. This is a real lake called Crater Lake, in Oregon.  This story is an account of a volcanic eruption. 

What have I learned so far in week 1 and 2 of Humanites?

So far I have learned what Humanities actually is. When entering this class I didn't even know what humanities meant. I learned that  you explore different cultures and you get to learn more about religions.  I learned that you have to critically think when you are in humanities.  You can't just think of things on the surface, you have to go deeper. You have to think outside the box.  I also learned that within every passage you need to look for the argument and the evidence that supports it. Always looking for an argument and the evidence, is an effectual habit that will help me when reading passages throughout my whole life.

"Shakespeare in the Bush" pgs 29-35

Laura Bohannan’s main argument in Shakespeare in the Bush, was that anyone could understand Shakespeare.  She goes to a small community in Africa to try and prove that Shakespeare is a “universal intelligense.”   She found this experience very frustrating because when she was telling the people the story of Hamlet, they didn’t understand the reoccuring motifs because of how they were raised and brought up.  The people in the tribe wondered why Hamlet did certain things that he did and why he didn’t marry Polonius. They wondered why people didn’t have multiple wives to help them do work around the house.  For the most part the tribe liked the story of Hamlet once they were able to understand it more, and it proves that anyone can understand Shakespeare.

Big Question

What is death?
Death to many people is a very sad mourning process. Families of the loved one that passes usually handle it differently.  Some decide to have a very nice funeral, and some have smaller gatherings.  Some people are creamated, and some people are burried in a casket. Death is different for everyone. For instance some religions believe in life after death, which makes the death more bearable for them. 

What is Humanities?

Humanities is the study of ideas and creations of individuals whose values and interpretations are different based on religion, literature, and philosophy.  Humanities helps us learn about many different types of people, their culture, and their religion.  Ideas in humanities can be either complimentary or contradictory, and studying humanities requires critical and analytical skills.

All About Me!!

I am friendly, energetic, and happy.

I like spending time with family and friends. I like doing stuff that is active and that is in the outdoors. I love to play Lacrosse, tennis, and I love to snowboard.