Why so much hate??

Why? Everyone is a human, no matter the appearance. White, Black, Hispanic, Asian… what’s the difference besides skin color? In the movie Lone Star there is so much discrimination and racism against Blacks and Mexicans. It takes place in Rio County, Texas where there are actually more Mexicans than Anglos. Both my parents were born and raised in Mexico and even though I was born here in America, I have both seen and experienced this racism.
The reason that I have seen more of this racism than other Mexican- Americans is probably because my mom is still a complete illegal immigrant. In the part of the movie where the sheriff wanted to send back all the illegal immigrants that were working in the restaurant, all I imagined was my mom being sent back and leaving us. My dad became a U.S. citizen, but he is now out of the picture. So now my two brothers and I are left with my alien mother left to raise us.
There has been quite a few times where a racial slur is said against Mexicans towards us. At Publix once, another customer made a racist comment towards my mom about either “controlling your disrespectful son, or go back across the border” just because my little brother accidentally bumped into her. This has not been the only case in where Mexicans have been degraded and bashed for their race. I really cannot stand it when people hold themselves up on a pedestal just because of their race. I was extremely disgusted with the part where Sheriff Charlie Wade belittled Otis and made his look like a fool and even hit him just because he wouldn’t listen to his degrading orders. Wade took advantage of the Mexicans in Lone Star. He has an underground system where he got paid to not deport them so he could make easy money. It’s not like he liked the Mexicans and wanted to help them, he actually hated them and just wanted their money.
I am not saying immigration is okay; there are many problems that illegal immigration is causing in the United States. But it is not okay to discriminate and be racist against them either. It’s not okay to be racist against ANYONE. When it comes down to it, EVERYONE in America is an immigrant, excluding the Native Americans. So why is any race better or held higher than another??? People stereotype too much on race. America wouldn’t be America without all the diversity, so instead of putting down all the diverse cultures from elsewhere, we should embrace them.
There is still racism up till this day in America, as we have all seen throughout this 2008 presidential election between Obama and McCain. It is ridiculous how many people voted or didn’t vote for Obama just because he is black. Skin color DOES NOT MATTER, and neither does your nationality nor background. It’s pitiful that organizations such as the KKK still exist. Racism needs to end… period. Not every Black is the same as all the other Blacks; not every Hispanic is the same as all the other Hispanics; not every White is the same as all the other Whites; not every Asian is the same as all the other Asians. Humans are humans, and that will never change.

Selfish much??

What would you do in Sheriff and Tony’s position?? They are asked last minute to spend between 3 to 6 years in Malaysian prison for a stranger that they befriended 2 years ago in Malaysia. Sheriff should have felt the most obligated due to the fact that it WAS HIS FAULT that Lewis got caught with all that marijuana. Lewis was doing the right thing in still bringing back the bicycle even though it was damaged to return it to the person they rented it from. Sheriff however, tricked him and ended up pushing it over the cliff. Lewis got arrested because the bicycle was never returned, the police came to search the house, and marijuana was found. Everything leads back to the bicycle. If Sheriff hadn’t thrown it over and it was simply returned how Lewis wanted it… nothing would have happened to begin with. Lewis just so happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Sheriff was the most responsible for the situation and should not have hesitated as much as he did. I would have gone for the 6 years if I was in Sheriff’s shoes, but would have been grateful for Tony going to reduce it to 3. I was EXTREMELY disturbed by Sheriff’s selfishness in the beginning in not even thinking twice about going back for Lewis. He didn’t have a wife with intentions of starting a family like Tony did. All he did was drive people around. He didn’t have too much going for him; therefore not much to lose. If anyone should have had any hesitation it would be Tony. But he was the first to agree to it. With time passing by and the date getting closer to Lewis’ death, Sheriff’s selfishness agitated me even more. I really couldn’t believe that he wasn’t going to go back for 3 years to save his friends life when it was ALL his fault since the beginning.
I didn’t like the ending at all. It was really really really sad that Lewis ended up dying because of MJ’s stupidity. Even after Beth warned her that it would be fatal for her to report on it, she still went through with it. MJ should have been somewhat held responsible for his death. Lewis would have been alive and out of jail if it wasn’t for her ignorance. I also didn’t like how Tony bailed out at the end when he was already there. Yes, he did have more to lose than Sheriff did, but he was only going for the 3 instead of 6 years. I understand where Tony is coming from and why he bailed out when he did, even though I wouldn’t have done what he did.
However, I am proud of Sheriff and his decision at the end. He finally realized that he needs to stop being so selfish and stop caring only about him. I’m amazed that he agreed to stay there for the whole 6 years after Tony said he wasn’t going to do it. That is truly taking responsibility of his actions. And I felt as if only 6 months in jail was an indirect reward for his caring actions. This whole event changed Sheriff for the better. He developed into being mature, unselfish, and responsible… and he even got to meet a girl during all of it. Beth and Lewis had this impact on him.

Canada vs. America

Sarah Vowell is an American writer who believes that Canada’s society is better than America’s society. Yet we are not given information where we are told how valid her argument is. She was born and raised in America, so how much does she really know about Canada’s society? Visiting is not the same thing as living there and getting the whole perspective. She compares American cowboys with Canadian Mounties and argues that Mounties are so much better. They only have one rule and they treat everyone equally, while America is still dealing with inequality. She can criticize America since she has lived here and dealt with it, but I don’t think she really has the right to say that Mounties are so much better. It can appear that way at first on the surface, but since she hasn’t really lived there and experienced everything she can’t know the whole true story about what really happens underneath everything. She says that Mounties are “squeaky-clean icons” and they don’t have a “dark side”. But how would she actually really know this?
Vowell also criticizes on America’s patriotism. She states that America hates and puts down other countries to make it look better. This could be true to a certain extent. But then she goes on to say how Canada is very patriotic also, but not to the extreme case of the United States. She states that Canada is humble in loving their country. This could be true, could not be true. Vowell does not have enough experience to see past the surface. Her whole argument of Canada being better than America is not valid.

Into the Wild

Christopher Johnson McCandless aka “Alex” is crazy. Yes, I understand people get tired of society and everything about it, but to leave everything and wander off to Alaska? That’s a bit extreme. Why couldn’t he have just moved away on his own and started a whole new life away from his family? He didn’t have to give up his $25,000 in savings to charity, nor abandon all of his possessions and car. He should have started a new life in a different, more rational method. He graduated from Emory, excelled in academics and athletics, and grew up in a “well-to-do” family; it’s not like his life was in horrible circumstances to where he just wanted to up-and-leave. He basically left everything, for nothing. He was very irrational in his doing of all of this. He traveled west through the United States, even ended up in Mexico at one point. But Alaska? He was basically committing suicide traveling there with nothing but a little .22 caliber rifle. Jim Gallien, who was the last person Alex hitch hiked with, warned him and told him that he was insane to be heading to Mt. McKinley. Gallien gave him his boots, and his lunch for the day. Most of the people that gave Alex rides became connected to Alex. People liked Alex. Ronald Franz even wanted to adopt him! Jan and Bob Burres also became attached to Alex; Jan felt maternal towards him being that she wasn’t close to her only son.
Alex didn’t believe in the whole materialistic view of the “American Dream”. That was what he disliked so much about his family. He was also a non-conformist, and disliked society very much. Running away into the wilderness with nothing whatsoever however, does not fix anything. It just endangered him abandoning everything and going off into the wild all alone. Christopher Johnson McCandless was overly irrational in his decision to leave everything and travel out west and to Alaska with absolutely nothing.

citizen-student?

According to Wikipedia, a person who has “membership in a political community” and has “rights to political participation” is a citizen. A student is “anyone who is learning.” So what exactly is a citizen- student? It is very possible to be a citizen- student just as I am and most people in our class are. Both of my parents were born and raised in Mexico, coming to the United States at a young age. I was born here in America along with my two younger brothers. I was automatically a citizen, and soon became a citizen- student when I started school. Most people take their citizenship for granted. I however don’t. Even though my father has become a citizen through naturalization, my mother is still a complete illegal immigrant. The process of becoming a citizen is extremely long and complicated, even though my mother has been living in the United States for over 20 years now, paying taxes and all.

American citizens should feel obligated to their country to vote. Most people don’t see this as a huge privilege. In most countries the citizens aren’t even given the right to vote. We not only take our citizenship for granted, but also our voting right. I will be voting on November 4th, 2008. I have the right to make a difference, and I will use it. I won’t deny that I need to become more informed on all the political issues and candidates, but I will be informed by then and make my decision.

I will never be serving in the military. It is not necessary for me to serve. I do, however, feel obligated to help those who are and support in any way. It takes a lot for someone to risk their life for their country and people. I try helping in any way that I can, whether it is sending money to the troops or sending old phones, etc. My family has always donated to veterans. And yes, I do thank the random soldiers that I see in the airport. =]

House of Sand and Fog

Kathy Nicolo. Most people would just see her as an incompetent whore whos life is going nowhere. I however, sympathize with her. Being a recovering cocaine addict, having her house stolen from her by the county makes life harder than it already is for her. She is still depressed from her husband leaving her, has no friends, and is seen as a failure by her whole family. She basically has nothing to live for even before she is homeless. Lester seems to be a ray of light in her life. He is her source of hope in everything in the world. When she jumps to conclusions and thinks that Lester has left her, she attempts suicide, twice. Kathy is just one of those people who needs help to go on. She feels bad for Mrs. Behrani, and Esmail. She didn't want anything bad to happen to them. She just wanted her home back which was unrightfully taken from her. The house is the only thing she can come back to and know it is hers. At a point, she even sympathizes with the Colonel, until the point where he hurts her by bruising and strangling her. But who wouldn't have negative feelings for someone who is living in their house and being greedy and not caring bout anyone but him and his family. Mr. Behrani could have easily bought another home after the mistake was known to him. He could have had a heart and agreed to moving whenever he found another home. It's not like he didn't have the money to move somewhere else. He simply just wanted a profit out of Kathy's home. Kathy didn't kill nor hurt any of the Behranis. She even appreciated all that Mrs. Behrani did for her. She felt bad that they had to move.