Reflections..

Reflections is what this post is supposed to be about. Reflections mainly on my school work, writing and performance, mostly concentrating on English class. So far my writing has been up to par, although I do feel that overall I could use a bit more skill in making my words flow nicely. Though my biggest issue so far has been reading, I have been putting it off till last minute which has probably shown in my reading comprehension. To improve I should plan more time for my reading, but I think was the core book changes this will not be so hard.  I did not really enjoy To Kill A Mockingbird, which is partly why I did not give it priority in my workload. Other then these few things I think I have been a pretty good student so far. In other aspects of school so far year has been a bit boring. The majority schoolwork has been good, although I do need to work on being more organized, but this seems to be something that I can constantly work on.My favorite class so far has been AP USH, this is mainly because of the teacher. I have also greatly enjoyed art so far this year; though I have not really made anything I am in love with yet. Some of my goals as school continues is to keep my grades high, and to hopefully make it less boring; although, I am not sure that will happen.

Waiting...

To Kill A Mockingbird is a a book that is filled with frustration. Frustration of the racist views in the town, frustration that Tom Robinson was found guilty, frustration that Maycomb is still so far from changing. This frustration is felt especially by Scout, she is angered when she sees just how wrong the trail is, ignoring the evidence that  clearly shows Tom Robinson is not guilty. "Now we see everything that's going wrong with the world and those who lead it, we just feel like we don't have the means to rise above and beat it." This quote from the song "Waiting on the World to Change" by John Mayer is a perfect fit for this scene in the book. This song perfectly exemplifies the frustration that Scout feels, as she sees how wrong the jury and trial is. She is unable to do anything about the outcome of the trial, because she "doesn't have the means to rise above and beat it."

Social Injustice Today

One of the largest social injustices that many teens, people are age are facing today is cyber bullying.  In many American high schools this has become a huge problem. The internet and social groups like facebook are easy ways for people to lash out at each other. There has always been bullying in schools, but usually the victims can escape this abuse by leaving to hostel environment. Most kids see there homes as a safe place, the place they can escape too. But with cyber bullying this is no longer true. Bullies have used the internet was a way to break into others safe places, making the victims feel forever trapped. Sadly this has lead to many suicides and many unreported cases of depression, in no doubt adding to the average kid's loneliness.
This is a sad but realistic truth. Many social injustices like this are over looked in our society these days, until something big blows up in the media, like some one killing themselves. Yet how can we was people allow injustices like this go so far? It should not take huge sad events to make so think. Hopefully as time goes as, and humans as a race grow and develop more social awareness.
Awareness is key to seeing what truly goes on around us, and that is the first step in stopping social injustices. We need to learn how to stop and see what goes on in society today,  and if we take the time to realize what is going on around us we will be able to make better decisions and see what we need to change.
It is a very large goal for every one to do this, but if we all take the time to be better, nicer, more loving people many social injustices will start to disappear. It all begins inside of each of us, to stop social injustices we need to start by stopping them just in our own lives. We can learn to use tools, and technology like facebook for good uses, not to bully others. The internet has allowed for many good things to come about, the spread of knowledge, charity, and connections between people. We should concentrates on these uses and use the internet as a way to become closer as a global community, not as a way to hurt each other.

Brown vs. The Board

Brown v. The Board is a case that changed America forever, breaking down lines of segregation and helping America become a less racist nation. But there is much more to this case then one would think. First off this case was combined with 4 other trials by the Supreme Court. The other trials included; Belton v. Gebhart, Briggs v. Elliot, Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, and Bolling v. C. Melvin Sharpe.

The trial Brown v.  The Board is the story of one little girl against a whole school system, her name was Oliver L. Brown her dream to get the best education possible. At the time the segregation laws where separate but equal, yet it was anything but. The schools for black children where in poor condition, falling apart with out dated books and little supplies. That is why she was so driven to attend a better school, the school closer to her house, a white school.
The supreme court ended up ruling in her favor, and finally allowing all kids to be schooled as one. This case has allowed America to develop more fully, and allowing us to become the society we are today. Think how different life would be is we were still separated, that is why this case is so important.

Gossip

The scene from doubt left us all with a deeper resonating feeling. It is the feeling that gossip is uncontrollable, and before we know it one comment can take power over us and others. Twisting and contorting what the words we said meant as it is passed from person to person. Gossip is a fatal game of whisper down the lane, that can lead to friendships, lives, and feelings hurt or ruined forever. It can rapidly shape the way we view each other, changing people lives forever. Especially in small towns like Maycomb.
The most powerful part of the scene from doubt to me was when the women cut open her pillow. She was told to do this by her priest after she came to him confessing she had been gossiping.

 As white feathers fluttered over her town, she and the viewers realized the power that gossip has, and once a small lie is released into the minds of others you can never get it back. This metaphor was deeply powerful, I think the fact that the feathers where white added a lot of symbolism. White usually stands for innocents, and most of us view gossip as small white, innocent lies, that will do no harm. But this is not true. We are shown this when the woman reports back to her priest and asks him what to do next. When he replies collect the feathers, she is puzzled, and admits there is no way she can return all the feathers to him.

Gossip and lies spread like these feathers, quickly and with no return. This theme runs deeply in the book To Kill A Mockingbird. Gossip and lies shape how the people in the town of Maycomb judge each other.

One can see as they read To Kill A Mockingbird how much these lies and gossip can hurt the ones it is directed act, for example Boo Radley. He becomes an outcast to the town after much gossip has been spread about him. The town begins to gossip about him because he is slightly odd, and was raised in a very strict ‘foot washing’ Baptist household.

The town’s view of him becomes more warped as he stays in his house more and more, till it gets to the point where he rarely ever comes out. Now the children in the town pick on him by trying to sneak into his yard at night, peeking into windows. To them he has become a mysterious monster of a man, whom they are afraid of, yet still very curious about. He has become the victim of many small white lies till it got to the point where he is held hostage within his own house.

Poor Boo Radley is lost with the feathers, his life gone in the wind forever. He will never be able to enjoy a more social life as the other towns people do, just because a few small white lies. Nothing is ever as small as it seems, so the next time you are tempted to gossip, or share a few small white lies, think. Who will fall victim next, who will be flown away with the feathers?

Harper Lee

Harper Lee, born in Alabama in 1926, was one of four. She grew up as a tom boy with a love for reading, this may have been induced by her father (a newspaper editor). She grew up in the town of Scottsboro, where she would encounter trial cases that would later inspire her now-famous book To Kill A Mockingbird. These cases regarded white women who had been reportedly raped by black men. At the time these cases started she was only 5 years old, a very impressionable age. She went on to attend college at University of Alabama, also studying a year at Oxford. As an adult she worked as clerk in New York, writing in her spare time. Until one year a friend gave her a year worth of wages as to provided her with the time to fallow her passion, writing. With in this year she wrote To Kill A Mockingbird, her only book. Published in 1960, and later made into a movie, her work was rewarded with a Pulitzer Prize. She was also later added to National Council of Arts by President Johnson.

References
http://www.gradesaver.com/author/harper-lee/
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1825.Harper_Lee
http://www.biography.com/articles/Harper-Lee-9377021