It's Your Civic Duty

There are too many people in our society who act selfishly and think they can do whatever they want, without considering others. One example of this that bothers me most is littering (or degrading the environment in general), which we have touched on in class. The problem we discussed was a young girl in a car with a parent who threw a wrapper out the window, and the parent didn't do anything. Many people in class were saying it's none of your business; it's the parent's job to raise their own kid. But I disagree, I think it is the business of everyone in the community, because it affects everybody. I think people were thinking of the situation as a single occurrence; one wrapper isn't gonna do anything.  But if this girl isn't taught not to litter she'll keep doing it her whole life.  it isn't fair that because she doesn't care the people and environment have to deal with a dirtier world.  This problem goes farther than littering.  Though not always a conscious decision, people who do things like leave lights on all the time are acting irresponsibly. They're polluting the environment even though they can't directly see that pollution.  It's at some far away power plant so it's easy to forget what you're doing.  But I'm sure that if they could directly see or experience the affects of the air pollution they're causing, people would be quick to reduce energy consumption.  Since people act in their own self interest they don't think about the consequences. Hey, maybe global warming isn't so bad after all if it'll show people what they're doing and get them to use less!

All Souls: Is Poverty a Choice?

In some cases poverty can be a choice, but in most cases it isn't. Obviously, being born into poverty isn't a choice, and that's how most people are placed into a situation of poverty. In the case of the MacDonalds in All Souls, poverty is verging on being a choice. Michael's mother could have had fewer children, finished school, and gotten a good job. She definitely had the potential at one point to lift her family out of the projects, more than most of the other families, but overall they enjoyed that lifestyle. It was more of an unconscious decision, but it wouldn't have been too hard to predict that that's where they'd end up. It may be sort of an unconscious decision for others too.  If someone is born into an impoverished family and community, that is all they know. Maybe they have the ability to lift themselves or their families out of poverty, but they just don't know how because no one in the community has done so. These people are not to blame for their situation, but it's possible that it's not as hard for some people to get out of poverty as it might seem.

Malcolm X: Integration

As Malcolm X distanced himself from the Nation of Islam, his views started to grow slightly less radical.  I think that he might have even come to support integration had he lived long enough to develop his views.  Now that we have seen how the integration tactic has played out, we can look back at its flaws and its strengths, even though the process is by no means over.
People of different cultures still like to associate with their own culture, which can lead to self-segregation and neighborhoods of mostly one race.  And this by itself isn't a problem. It's important to keep a sense of cultural identity. It's in places like schools and the workplace that integration is most important.  It develops cultural interaction and understanding.
Integration is a slow process, but I think it is for the better. It can be thought of as a medicine that might first be bitter going down, but will help you in the end. There were some problems in the beginning, and there still are, but overall I think we've seen a positive trend, especially compared to the pre-integration days. And places like Whitney Young are a big help in the process. It brings normal, but smart, kids from all over the city and encourages all of them to pursue higher education, no matter their background. Though social problems still plague many African-American neighborhoods, I feel that in the long run the future will present even more positive opportunities.

Autobiography of Malcolm X: Chapters 1-12

The first half of the book chronicles the foundation of Malcolm's stance as a Muslim and a proponent of African-American rights, from the very beginning of his life. I thought it was interesting that his father, a preacher, was a follower of Marcus Garvey's Back to Africa Movement. Although Malcolm never specifically stated that this influenced his separationist views, it is basically the same principle and likely made it easier for him to accept the teachings of Elijah Muhammad. I also had never known about Malcolm's past as a hustler and a drug addict. His complete turnaround is actually very remarkable, and pretty rare, but I think that his experiences in Harlem and Roxbury give his cause some proof of legitimacy. His story definitely had the potential to attract followers, because it is such an obvious example of what Islam did, and could do for others.

King Still King?

Martin Luther King is no doubt still the figurehead of the African-American Civil Rights movement, and of course what he did brought about amazing improvements in rights for African-Americans. But the fact that King is still king might not be such a good thing. It means that in the past 50 years no one has surpassed him. There haven't been any changes in the situation of the African-American people that even come close to the dramatic changes of the 1960s. With President Obama's second inauguration tomorrow, fittingly on MLK Day, it is obvious that the overall climate of racial relations has improved. MLK's immediate goal has been more or less realized. At that time, basic integration and equal rights were a lofty enough goal. It was necessary to achieve that before striving for full equality. But now, in 2013, full equality should be closer than it is.

Music Review: Broken Bells

Broken Bells is two-man band made up of James Mercer of the Shins on vocals and guitar and Danger Mouse (Brian Burton), better known as half of Gnarls Barkley, doing most everything else including piano, drums, bass, and synthesizer. Their self-titled album was released in early 2010, after the release of a single, The High Road, in December 2009. The band has a unique, sometimes eerie, sound and their 10 track album is one of my favorites. It's rare that I buy a full album, and although not all the songs are equal, they are all good in their own way. Tied for my favorite are The High Road and October. Instead of me trying and failing to describe them, take a listen for yourself: The High Road, October. Close behind are Vaporize and The Ghost Inside. I imagine that this band has a lot of varied influences, which are really what make it unique. The vocals at the beginning of The Ghost Inside, in my opinion at least, are even Michael Jackson-esque. This is a quality album all around, and it deserves some recognition.

Frankl-y Speaking

Man's Search for Meaning is a unique account of the Holocaust. Unlike Elie Wiesel in Night, Frankl was an adult while in the camps and saw it through his background in psychiatry. This allowed him to analyze the mindset of the prisoner, and examine what made people persevere in the face of intense suffering. I was surprised by how much of a difference it made to have something to hope for, to look forward to. Frankl thought not only of his wife but of the manuscript of his book that was destroyed in Auschwitz. He credits his survival, besides some luck, with his determination to re-write the book. The importance of one's mental state was demonstrated in a story about of of Frankl's friends who had a dream they'd be liberated by March 30th. As the day approached, it was pretty obvious they weren't close to being liberated. The man became ill with typhus and died on the 30th. Frankl believes that the man was so set on being free that day, that when he realized he wouldn't be he lost the will to live. Sometimes the difference between life and death was just a mindset.