Hooraaay! I'm going to talk about whales, a big yet indirect part of Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher. Now, I'm specifically going to rant on about Humpback Whales. I might get into other species later, but Humpbacks have a very important role in this book, so they have the, er, sea-floor. (<--baaaad pun)
Humpback Whales have a very speical way of communicating: they sing. They send out eerie, but beautiful and peaceful songs that can be heard by people, other whales and all other creatures for miles and miles around in all directions. This way of communication comes in very handy when a whale gets lost from the group, or simply to communicate with other whales within reasonable distance. Whales are, obviously, mammals, since they give birth to live young. Many mammals display a need for company of their own kind from time to time, and who can blame them? Humans are the same way. Whales are among the top ranks of my favorite animals (which is a VERY long list, believe you me) for their grace and peace of mind. And the Humpback is one of my top favorites because of it's beautiful song.
The Humpback Whale gives Whale Talk most of this story's depth. At least, I think so. That's the only reason I chose to read it, I admit; ^ ^ because of the Whales. I read the backs, and none of them seemed too interesting, so I picked the one that had to do with one of my favorite animals: the whale. Real difficult decision, right? Well too bad, that's just the way I think. My life revolves around animals and the wild places still left on Earth. That's what one is supposed to do with their life, right? Follow their heart, and their passion? Well, I'm going to go where the wild animals go. ....And I'm getting off topic AGAIN....really must stop doing that...Actually, that may not be as off topic as it seems. T.J. followed his heart and got his friends letter-jackets, and his non-biological father followed his own and tried to make up for running over the baby by doing what little good he could do for the world. That's what Whale Talk is all about really, finding your place and doing what you can from that place.
The song of the Humpback Whale helped T.J.'s father get over (or at least live with) running over the baby with his truck. He thought about it, and figured out that if everyone would just tell others what they felt, what they thought, then maybe there would be less trouble in the world. Also, if people would just listen to others problems, maybe they could talk it out, and maybe people wouldn't strike out in desperation to be heard. I think a lot of the problems could be solved if we all acted this way, like whales. If we all just talked to be listened to, and listened to those that were speaking. It would be a start to world peace, something I'm sure we would all like to see in our lifetime.
And now to end with one of my favorite quotes: "You have to live with Mother Nature, but Mother Nature doesn't have to live with you."~Anonymous
Monday, January 7, 2008
Works Cited in MLA
Crutcher, Chris. Whale Talk. Broadway: HarperCollins, 2002. Iannelli, Vincent. "Child Abuse Statistics." Child Abuse Statistics. Online. Internet. 16 Jan. 2008. Available: http://pediatrics.about.com/od/childabuse/a/05_abuse_stats.htm The Villages. "Child Abuse Statistics and Facts" Child Abuse Statistics. Online. Internet. 16 Jan. 2008. Available: http://www.villageskids.org/ca_stats.php "Racism Statistics and Charts." Racism. Online. Internet. 16 Jan. 2008. Available: ttp://www.racismeantiblanc.bizland.com/005/06.htm
Research: Child Abuse, Racism, and Homicide
No child is a child safe from abuse. Especially young ones from the ages of 1-4. Every week, the Child Protection Services (also known as the CPS) get 50,000 cases of suspected child abuse. And that's only in the United States of America. Two thirds of these reports can be investigated, and hopefully willl prove sucessful, and a chlid will be saved. Because of these reports, about 896,000 children were rescued from brutal treatment. 60 percent of all child abuse victims experience neglect, which is simply not caring and/or providing for the child. 20 percent of these children are physically abused, and 10 percent are sexually abused. The smallest group, 7 percent, were found to have suffered emotional abuse, which is basically telling the chlid they are worthless and lowering their self esteem to dangerous levels. In the U.S., 57 percent of abused children are white (interestingly enough), 26 are african american, 11 percent are hispanic, less than 2 percent are native alaskan, and lastly 1 percent of child abuse victims are asian american.
The reports made that spare these children's lives mostly came from professionals like doctors, nurses, teachers, legal law enforcment, criminal justice employees and social service workers. (57 percent). Now, almost half (44 percent) of these reports were made by others, like parents, neighbors, friends and relatives. 10 percent of these reports were from anonymous sources. But the important thing is that these statistics show that everybody, whether it's their job or not, reconizes and does all they can to help an abused child in need. On average, four children die every day due to child abuse. 80 percent of these kids are under the age of eight.
Racism. Racism is not just whites against the world. I am only going to talk about whites because I couldn't find any other good information on other ethnic groups, and they are not usually thought of as the victims of racial crimes. A study in 2002 revealed that whites are the second most targeted racial group in America. The information collected by the FBI showed 3763 cases of racial assult on whites, and 17 people were killed just because they were white.
The reports made that spare these children's lives mostly came from professionals like doctors, nurses, teachers, legal law enforcment, criminal justice employees and social service workers. (57 percent). Now, almost half (44 percent) of these reports were made by others, like parents, neighbors, friends and relatives. 10 percent of these reports were from anonymous sources. But the important thing is that these statistics show that everybody, whether it's their job or not, reconizes and does all they can to help an abused child in need. On average, four children die every day due to child abuse. 80 percent of these kids are under the age of eight.
Racism. Racism is not just whites against the world. I am only going to talk about whites because I couldn't find any other good information on other ethnic groups, and they are not usually thought of as the victims of racial crimes. A study in 2002 revealed that whites are the second most targeted racial group in America. The information collected by the FBI showed 3763 cases of racial assult on whites, and 17 people were killed just because they were white.
The Six+1 Traits of Writing Evaluation
Ideas and Content: The theme in Whale Talk is that what it doesn't matter what other people think of you, and that one should stand up for their friends. This is proven because of the fact that all of the main characters are outcasts at Cutter Highschool. T.J. doesn't wish to take part in any sports, Simon is over weight and not very athletic, Andy is a foulmouthed child with anger issues who only has one leg, Tay-Roy doesn't really participate in sports for the most part either, Jackie is small and doesn't talk, Chris has mental problems, but is still a sweet kid, and Dan is a bookish nerd, not suited to sports. The topic is fairly narrow and focused, but wavers in a few places.
Organization: Whale Talk has an interesting enough opening, and proceedes in a logical order. I think that this book exhibited organization fairly well. The pacing is alright, as well. Transitions that link ideas.....they are fine too, all except for the end one. Everything is fine, all is well, and then you see Rich waving a gun, and then shoot's T.J.'s dad. It's as simple as that. "He smiles, and I feel the most familiar feeling I know, that of the deer slipping away. My father was dead." (Crutcher, 212-213)I suppose it was meant to shock you at the end, but all it did was wake you up a little. That's the way the conclusion went. It was like 'oh...well, isn't that nice.' and then you go on with your life. It's like, you think about it for a second, and then you just don't care anymore.
Voice: I really don't hink most people can connect with Chris Crutcher, or many of his charactesr. Maybe the only reason one keeps reading is because you feel sorry for them? The book may not tempt lots of people (at least.... not normal people...) to read more. The book reallly isn't speaking to the reader. I think that maybe these books are Crutcher's way of dealing with personal/childhood problems. Does it not seem odd that almost every character has experienced child abuse?
Word Choice: Now, Whale Talk does this extremely well. Everything fits together like a puzzle piece, and moves freely. The words keep thinks interesting (<,< hey, SOMETHING has to.) A good example for this is the same exampe I used for organization.
Sentence Fluency: Also something that Whale Talk does very well: sentence fluency. Just as the words fit together to form the sentences, the sentences form together to form pages, ect. I love it when books do that. That smooth, seamless feeling to the words. I could use the same quote I have been using, but I'm not. "Around four, the interior fills again with light, and an engine idles in the near distance. Icko is out the door, scrambling up the hill before most of us can clear our eyes, and before we know it, a state snow plow driver has us standing out in the snow while he hooks a chain to the front bumper and hauls the bus to the highway." (Crutcher, 109)
Conventions: Obviously...being a published book...the conventions in Whale Talk are extremely good. There don't seem to be any (duh) spelling or gramatical errors, and it doesn't look like it's a first draft. It doesn't read like a first draft either. Like I said before: smooth and seamless.
Presentation: Also an easily answered question, the presentation in this book is excellent. PUBLISHED...BOOK.....once again, everything seems at ease because of the hard work of editors. There is no specific format for a book, so there aren't any requirements to meet there.
Organization: Whale Talk has an interesting enough opening, and proceedes in a logical order. I think that this book exhibited organization fairly well. The pacing is alright, as well. Transitions that link ideas.....they are fine too, all except for the end one. Everything is fine, all is well, and then you see Rich waving a gun, and then shoot's T.J.'s dad. It's as simple as that. "He smiles, and I feel the most familiar feeling I know, that of the deer slipping away. My father was dead." (Crutcher, 212-213)I suppose it was meant to shock you at the end, but all it did was wake you up a little. That's the way the conclusion went. It was like 'oh...well, isn't that nice.' and then you go on with your life. It's like, you think about it for a second, and then you just don't care anymore.
Voice: I really don't hink most people can connect with Chris Crutcher, or many of his charactesr. Maybe the only reason one keeps reading is because you feel sorry for them? The book may not tempt lots of people (at least.... not normal people...) to read more. The book reallly isn't speaking to the reader. I think that maybe these books are Crutcher's way of dealing with personal/childhood problems. Does it not seem odd that almost every character has experienced child abuse?
Word Choice: Now, Whale Talk does this extremely well. Everything fits together like a puzzle piece, and moves freely. The words keep thinks interesting (<,< hey, SOMETHING has to.) A good example for this is the same exampe I used for organization.
Sentence Fluency: Also something that Whale Talk does very well: sentence fluency. Just as the words fit together to form the sentences, the sentences form together to form pages, ect. I love it when books do that. That smooth, seamless feeling to the words. I could use the same quote I have been using, but I'm not. "Around four, the interior fills again with light, and an engine idles in the near distance. Icko is out the door, scrambling up the hill before most of us can clear our eyes, and before we know it, a state snow plow driver has us standing out in the snow while he hooks a chain to the front bumper and hauls the bus to the highway." (Crutcher, 109)
Conventions: Obviously...being a published book...the conventions in Whale Talk are extremely good. There don't seem to be any (duh) spelling or gramatical errors, and it doesn't look like it's a first draft. It doesn't read like a first draft either. Like I said before: smooth and seamless.
Presentation: Also an easily answered question, the presentation in this book is excellent. PUBLISHED...BOOK.....once again, everything seems at ease because of the hard work of editors. There is no specific format for a book, so there aren't any requirements to meet there.
Information on the Novel
:D Hello hello hello! Now for information on the novel!
Plot summary: T.J. Jones is an American, Japanese, Black guy flying through high school. Then his Journalism teacher suggests an idea that's out of the question-or is it? He wants to start a swim team to get out of coaching wrestling, and he wants T.J. to help him. Sure, T.J. is an athletic guy, and he was on a swim team. But that's the key word: was. A long time ago. And what's more, they don't even have a pool. The nearest one is at a fitness club on the edge of town, but even that's too small. Thinking about how to break it to his Journalism teacher that he doesn't want to be on a swim team, or want a letter jacket, he sees someone he knows, Chris, helping a little girl swim at the fitness club where the hypothetical swim team would swim. Then T.J. gets an idea: what if he could help Chris, and other outcasts from the school earn letter jackets? That would really set Barbour, the football jock, off. And there would be nothing he could do about it, either. Putting out flyers, T.J. gets calls from just the people he wants: Cutter High outcasts. They train and get to know each other in a broken down bus one winter's night after a swim meet. At home, T.J. meets a very angry little girl. He finds out she's Rich's wife's daughter, the guy who helps with the school's football program. She moves in the T.J. and his family. The Athletic's Council for the school decides the letter jacket standard for the Cutter High swim team. It's a scheme T.J. has come up with: it's easy for swimmers to improve their times every competition, and as long as the team keeps improving, they all get letter jackets. While T.J. and the team is away at a State competition, the Council turns the tables on them. T.J. and his Journalism teacher go back and call a re-meeting with the Council. They win, and the entire swim team gets letter jackets: all except T.J., because he came in dead last at State. With the swimming season over, and the street basketball competition coming up, the swim team gets together to compete. After the final match up between T.J.'s team and another's, Rich pulls a deer rifle on his ''daughter'', and tries to kill her. T.J.'s dad throws himself in front of her, and saves her life. T.J. holds his father as his life slips away. At the funeral, Barbour appologizes, and they can be on somewhat easy ground. T.J. and his mother watch the videos of Humpback Whales singing their songs that his dad used to watch when he was depressed.
Setting: Whale Talk takes place in Montana....I think?
Character Description and Development:
T.J. Jones: T.J. isn't in any sports, though he could be M.V.P. on any team if he wanted to be, and had anger issues as a child. He is a pretty mellow person when he's not losing his temper, and is good with kids. He doesn't talk about any real friends accept his girl friend, Carly Hudson. T.J. is trust worthy, kind, chivalrous, and some-what crafty and sly. He goes through changes over the course of the story. For one, he joins the swim team, and thus ends his streak of not playing sports. And then he also gets friends (big change). He starts the story out being one who doesn't really care, and then he ends up with a bunch of friends to care for and protect. He matures, and comes of age, learning to stick up for his new friends, I can say that for sure.
Simon: Simon the fat kid....Well, sadly I think his major character development was losing a few pounds. He really didn't change all that much, except for having a few new friends.
Andy Mott: Andy's major development, in my mind, is that now he might not (key word: MIGHT) rip anybody's head off for just looking at him the wrong way. I think talking about his problems, and telling people about his 'bionic leg' helped him.....a little.....with his anger issues. Otherwise, Andy still yells and swears all the same. -,-
Jackie: Jackie's major development? He SPEAKS! Who would have known?! The boy can talk by God!!!!! By the end he is much less inward and isn't worried about the team deciding to kick him off. Of course, by the end of the book, the swim season is over.
Tay-Roy: Tay-Roy's development....he's even MORE ripped, and he also made new friends. He really didnt' seem to change much-he was always caring and kind.
Dan Hole: Dan really changes his vocabulary...He doesn't seem to be as much of a-for lack of better words-prick, and (which i TOTALLY don't get...) he uses less big words! What's wrong with a large vocabulary?! Also, like most of these characters, he got friends.
Chris: Chris got friends, and he is now understood. He really doesn't undergo much development, besides the fact that now he is less shy, perhaps?
Icko: Well, Icko still lives at a fitness club, but now he has a reason to go on, besides his son of course. He seems a little less grumpy, otherwise, not much character deveopment to be seen in Icko.
Barbour: Mike Barbour started the book as a stuck up football jock, and ended in a sort of peace-making way. He appologizes to T.J. at his father's funeral, and swore he had no idea that Rich was going to do what he did. I guess he's alright, in the end.
Rich: EVIL!!!! EEEEVIIIIIL!!!! Rich started out as a -BLEEP-, but he ended as the freakin' devil incarnate!!! His anger and his rage just grew throughout the story and finally exploded in the end.
Georgia: Georgia wasn't a major character, and we see no character development. She's still the sensible, down to earth therapist (sp?) that helps children overcome their problems.
Heidi: Heidi......ooooh major character development here. She started out as this scared, enraged, little girl who believed she was below her father just because of her skin color. She realizes differently when T.J., his famliy, and Georgia help her. She is a sweet little girl once she gets past her problems.
Heidi's mom: Heidi's mom is insecure, and we see lots of change in her. She becomes more responsible in the end, and more trustworthy. She also learns she has to protect her children, even if that means ditching her husband.
T.J.'s dad: A kind and caring man who tried to make up for running over a small child on accident. He lived self-inflicted pennance every day 'til the day he died, and showed no development.
Plot summary: T.J. Jones is an American, Japanese, Black guy flying through high school. Then his Journalism teacher suggests an idea that's out of the question-or is it? He wants to start a swim team to get out of coaching wrestling, and he wants T.J. to help him. Sure, T.J. is an athletic guy, and he was on a swim team. But that's the key word: was. A long time ago. And what's more, they don't even have a pool. The nearest one is at a fitness club on the edge of town, but even that's too small. Thinking about how to break it to his Journalism teacher that he doesn't want to be on a swim team, or want a letter jacket, he sees someone he knows, Chris, helping a little girl swim at the fitness club where the hypothetical swim team would swim. Then T.J. gets an idea: what if he could help Chris, and other outcasts from the school earn letter jackets? That would really set Barbour, the football jock, off. And there would be nothing he could do about it, either. Putting out flyers, T.J. gets calls from just the people he wants: Cutter High outcasts. They train and get to know each other in a broken down bus one winter's night after a swim meet. At home, T.J. meets a very angry little girl. He finds out she's Rich's wife's daughter, the guy who helps with the school's football program. She moves in the T.J. and his family. The Athletic's Council for the school decides the letter jacket standard for the Cutter High swim team. It's a scheme T.J. has come up with: it's easy for swimmers to improve their times every competition, and as long as the team keeps improving, they all get letter jackets. While T.J. and the team is away at a State competition, the Council turns the tables on them. T.J. and his Journalism teacher go back and call a re-meeting with the Council. They win, and the entire swim team gets letter jackets: all except T.J., because he came in dead last at State. With the swimming season over, and the street basketball competition coming up, the swim team gets together to compete. After the final match up between T.J.'s team and another's, Rich pulls a deer rifle on his ''daughter'', and tries to kill her. T.J.'s dad throws himself in front of her, and saves her life. T.J. holds his father as his life slips away. At the funeral, Barbour appologizes, and they can be on somewhat easy ground. T.J. and his mother watch the videos of Humpback Whales singing their songs that his dad used to watch when he was depressed.
Setting: Whale Talk takes place in Montana....I think?
Character Description and Development:
T.J. Jones: T.J. isn't in any sports, though he could be M.V.P. on any team if he wanted to be, and had anger issues as a child. He is a pretty mellow person when he's not losing his temper, and is good with kids. He doesn't talk about any real friends accept his girl friend, Carly Hudson. T.J. is trust worthy, kind, chivalrous, and some-what crafty and sly. He goes through changes over the course of the story. For one, he joins the swim team, and thus ends his streak of not playing sports. And then he also gets friends (big change). He starts the story out being one who doesn't really care, and then he ends up with a bunch of friends to care for and protect. He matures, and comes of age, learning to stick up for his new friends, I can say that for sure.
Simon: Simon the fat kid....Well, sadly I think his major character development was losing a few pounds. He really didn't change all that much, except for having a few new friends.
Andy Mott: Andy's major development, in my mind, is that now he might not (key word: MIGHT) rip anybody's head off for just looking at him the wrong way. I think talking about his problems, and telling people about his 'bionic leg' helped him.....a little.....with his anger issues. Otherwise, Andy still yells and swears all the same. -,-
Jackie: Jackie's major development? He SPEAKS! Who would have known?! The boy can talk by God!!!!! By the end he is much less inward and isn't worried about the team deciding to kick him off. Of course, by the end of the book, the swim season is over.
Tay-Roy: Tay-Roy's development....he's even MORE ripped, and he also made new friends. He really didnt' seem to change much-he was always caring and kind.
Dan Hole: Dan really changes his vocabulary...He doesn't seem to be as much of a-for lack of better words-prick, and (which i TOTALLY don't get...) he uses less big words! What's wrong with a large vocabulary?! Also, like most of these characters, he got friends.
Chris: Chris got friends, and he is now understood. He really doesn't undergo much development, besides the fact that now he is less shy, perhaps?
Icko: Well, Icko still lives at a fitness club, but now he has a reason to go on, besides his son of course. He seems a little less grumpy, otherwise, not much character deveopment to be seen in Icko.
Barbour: Mike Barbour started the book as a stuck up football jock, and ended in a sort of peace-making way. He appologizes to T.J. at his father's funeral, and swore he had no idea that Rich was going to do what he did. I guess he's alright, in the end.
Rich: EVIL!!!! EEEEVIIIIIL!!!! Rich started out as a -BLEEP-, but he ended as the freakin' devil incarnate!!! His anger and his rage just grew throughout the story and finally exploded in the end.
Georgia: Georgia wasn't a major character, and we see no character development. She's still the sensible, down to earth therapist (sp?) that helps children overcome their problems.
Heidi: Heidi......ooooh major character development here. She started out as this scared, enraged, little girl who believed she was below her father just because of her skin color. She realizes differently when T.J., his famliy, and Georgia help her. She is a sweet little girl once she gets past her problems.
Heidi's mom: Heidi's mom is insecure, and we see lots of change in her. She becomes more responsible in the end, and more trustworthy. She also learns she has to protect her children, even if that means ditching her husband.
T.J.'s dad: A kind and caring man who tried to make up for running over a small child on accident. He lived self-inflicted pennance every day 'til the day he died, and showed no development.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Blog 2, Swim Teams and Hydro-Therapy
Hello again! I've returned to rant on about swim teams! Swim teams are great. I have never been on a swim team, but I have taken swimming lessons against my will, if that counts. I think we all know what I'm talking about: the parent says swim, so, us little seven year olds swim.
Swimming is great for recovery from injuries and therapy. It's also a practical way to exercise. And not just people use pools to exercise and recover. Those who know me well will have seen this coming: Horses! Believe it or not, horses swim. (They're pretty good at it too...) And I would know. Trainers use special horse-sized pools to strengthen the horse's leg and abdomianl muscles. Many trainers who train race horses like using this as an easy workout for a tired or injured race horse. What's amazing about this is, once a horse breaks or sprains something in the racing buisiness, without this option of treatment they don't get another chance. But even a horse can allow it's leg to heal faster and stronger when it swims regularily. People can too. The water supports your weight, allowing you to move your injury without putting pressure on it. It strenthens muscles that can deteriorate while just sitting around waiting to heal up.
And I've found, for those of us who play wind intruments or sing, that swimming and diving helps develop lung capacity. Holding your breath while swimming and diving will eventually let you sustain a note longer, and not go out of tune. I wouldn't suggest sitting in a pool and repeatedly holding your breath for as long as you can for hours at a time, but I have found that swimming underwater has improved my clarinet playing.
Now, back to talking about the book Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher. I think the swim team gained T.J. friends. Real friends. In the beginning of the book, T.J. didn't talk about having any friends other than his girl friend really, and he didn't mention her until about the middle of the book. If you ask me, being a loner like that without any friends what-so-ever would be TORTURE!!! I may not seem like it when I'm alone (and I enjoy time alone every-once-in-a-while, mind you) but when I get together with my friends, I am a social butterfly! I love talking with friends, and aquaitances, especially when we have the same interests. And most of my friend's don't mind going down to the beach for a while, or going to the Community Center for a game of beach volleyball or a swim. One of my friends wants to be a marine biologist, so she loves the water. So do I. I love waterfalls and rivers, lakes, and streams, and especially the ocean. Since 97% of Earth is covered in water, think of how many unidentified species there are left to find! And my marine biologist friend and I are going to help find them! I want to be a biologist, but wouldn't mind going on a few excursions with her to help her with her marine based work. But I'm getting off task again, aren't I? I seem to do that a lot...
T.J. gains real friends who would do anything for him, and he'd in turn do anything for them. Swimming can bring people together, oddly enough, as any team activity can. T.J. found good friends, and in turn, so did everyone else. Every one on that swim team was an outsider at Cutter High, the school that ran on athletics. No one but T.J. could really swim at all in the beginning, but he helped teach his friends, and helped them earn their letter-jackets. And that's another thing, he sacrificed his own letter-jacket so his friends could get them.
Swimming is great for recovery from injuries and therapy. It's also a practical way to exercise. And not just people use pools to exercise and recover. Those who know me well will have seen this coming: Horses! Believe it or not, horses swim. (They're pretty good at it too...) And I would know. Trainers use special horse-sized pools to strengthen the horse's leg and abdomianl muscles. Many trainers who train race horses like using this as an easy workout for a tired or injured race horse. What's amazing about this is, once a horse breaks or sprains something in the racing buisiness, without this option of treatment they don't get another chance. But even a horse can allow it's leg to heal faster and stronger when it swims regularily. People can too. The water supports your weight, allowing you to move your injury without putting pressure on it. It strenthens muscles that can deteriorate while just sitting around waiting to heal up.
And I've found, for those of us who play wind intruments or sing, that swimming and diving helps develop lung capacity. Holding your breath while swimming and diving will eventually let you sustain a note longer, and not go out of tune. I wouldn't suggest sitting in a pool and repeatedly holding your breath for as long as you can for hours at a time, but I have found that swimming underwater has improved my clarinet playing.
Now, back to talking about the book Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher. I think the swim team gained T.J. friends. Real friends. In the beginning of the book, T.J. didn't talk about having any friends other than his girl friend really, and he didn't mention her until about the middle of the book. If you ask me, being a loner like that without any friends what-so-ever would be TORTURE!!! I may not seem like it when I'm alone (and I enjoy time alone every-once-in-a-while, mind you) but when I get together with my friends, I am a social butterfly! I love talking with friends, and aquaitances, especially when we have the same interests. And most of my friend's don't mind going down to the beach for a while, or going to the Community Center for a game of beach volleyball or a swim. One of my friends wants to be a marine biologist, so she loves the water. So do I. I love waterfalls and rivers, lakes, and streams, and especially the ocean. Since 97% of Earth is covered in water, think of how many unidentified species there are left to find! And my marine biologist friend and I are going to help find them! I want to be a biologist, but wouldn't mind going on a few excursions with her to help her with her marine based work. But I'm getting off task again, aren't I? I seem to do that a lot...
T.J. gains real friends who would do anything for him, and he'd in turn do anything for them. Swimming can bring people together, oddly enough, as any team activity can. T.J. found good friends, and in turn, so did everyone else. Every one on that swim team was an outsider at Cutter High, the school that ran on athletics. No one but T.J. could really swim at all in the beginning, but he helped teach his friends, and helped them earn their letter-jackets. And that's another thing, he sacrificed his own letter-jacket so his friends could get them.
Blog 1, Racism
People are subjected to racist remarks and actions everyday, yet most of us don't even stop to think about it. My views on colored people are pretty straitght forward: theres no difference made by skin color or heritage. A person is a person no matter how they may look or where they are from, or even where their ancestors came from. Regardless, the golden rule applys to everyone. While reading Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher, every time Rich made some sort of inapropriate comment of some kind or another, I felt an urge to whack him with a lead pipe. ;) Illegal this may be, but its what he deserves. As well, who tells their child, even it they are an adopted child, to scrub the skin off their own arm?! Come on! And whats sad about that is people actually tell their children stuff like that, and the poor kids do it just beacuse 'daddy said so', or, 'momma will love me if i do what she says'. Messing with someone's mind is worse than beating their body. If someone really starts to believe that they are what someone else tells them they are, they have no spirit left. They are broken in body or mind, possibly both, and can easily be pushed around by the one guilty of making them that way. Making someone believe that they are lower on the pecking order just because of their skin color is a crime: it's stealing anothers soul.
Now I'm going to steer away from the issues the book focuses on. Perhaps some of the dislike we see comes from parents. If a young child hears their parents talking about other races in a bad way, they may be prone to pick up on their parents beliefs and not stop to think about it themselves. An example: Yes, illegal immegrants aren't the best, just because someone is Mexican doesn't mean that they are an illeagal immegrant, so there's no reason to distain them or hold back in getting to know them. (no offense people, I just needed an example)
I have a few ideas about how perhaps Racism came into play. First I'd just like to get it out there, JUST BECAUSE IM SAYING THIS DOESN'T MEAN I NECISSARILY BELIEVE IT!!!!! JUST KNOW THAT!!! In mideval times, black was assiciated with evil and the devil. White was associated with God and heaven. Perhaps mideval Europeans concidered people with darker skin devil-spawn. (SOOO NOT TRUE! JUST STATING MY THEORY!) Therefor the would assume that they were better because they had a more 'holy' color. Natives were often concidered heretics, and this leads me to think that maybe this is how racism got a hold. And second, I think most Europeans hadn't ever seen anybody with any color skin other than white. Perhaps it was just a new concept for them, and they really couldn't, or didn't want to, accept them as equals. And then the Atlantic Slave Trade came into play. Continuing on with my theory, once African Americans gained freedom, they were still looked down on. And that part is NOT a theory. It's written all over the Civil Rights movment America went through in the 1950's. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, all of them were fighting against 'seperate but equal.' I would like to know too: how can two men be equal if they are kept seperate? Especially if one is looked down on, and has to deal with the hand me downs of the other man. Answer me that, KKK!!!!! And that, too. White people in the 1950's didn't have the Koo Klux Klan on their tail every day. What they did was cruel, and the very definition of racism. Taunting, torturing, and even killing someone just because of their race, religion, and/or skin color. NOT cool. Aaaaand those are my views on the racist issues presented in Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher. I really didn't think this was possible, but I completed a full page blog! Horray!!! *blows party noise maker and throws confetti*
Now I'm going to steer away from the issues the book focuses on. Perhaps some of the dislike we see comes from parents. If a young child hears their parents talking about other races in a bad way, they may be prone to pick up on their parents beliefs and not stop to think about it themselves. An example: Yes, illegal immegrants aren't the best, just because someone is Mexican doesn't mean that they are an illeagal immegrant, so there's no reason to distain them or hold back in getting to know them. (no offense people, I just needed an example)
I have a few ideas about how perhaps Racism came into play. First I'd just like to get it out there, JUST BECAUSE IM SAYING THIS DOESN'T MEAN I NECISSARILY BELIEVE IT!!!!! JUST KNOW THAT!!! In mideval times, black was assiciated with evil and the devil. White was associated with God and heaven. Perhaps mideval Europeans concidered people with darker skin devil-spawn. (SOOO NOT TRUE! JUST STATING MY THEORY!) Therefor the would assume that they were better because they had a more 'holy' color. Natives were often concidered heretics, and this leads me to think that maybe this is how racism got a hold. And second, I think most Europeans hadn't ever seen anybody with any color skin other than white. Perhaps it was just a new concept for them, and they really couldn't, or didn't want to, accept them as equals. And then the Atlantic Slave Trade came into play. Continuing on with my theory, once African Americans gained freedom, they were still looked down on. And that part is NOT a theory. It's written all over the Civil Rights movment America went through in the 1950's. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, all of them were fighting against 'seperate but equal.' I would like to know too: how can two men be equal if they are kept seperate? Especially if one is looked down on, and has to deal with the hand me downs of the other man. Answer me that, KKK!!!!! And that, too. White people in the 1950's didn't have the Koo Klux Klan on their tail every day. What they did was cruel, and the very definition of racism. Taunting, torturing, and even killing someone just because of their race, religion, and/or skin color. NOT cool. Aaaaand those are my views on the racist issues presented in Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher. I really didn't think this was possible, but I completed a full page blog! Horray!!! *blows party noise maker and throws confetti*
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)