Passion (E.C. Blog)

Throughout my life I have always been passionate about sports. Ever since I can remember I have been active in at least one sport at. The first team I was actually on was a soccer team for a Sioux Falls league when I was around the age of five. I continued to play soccer every year for the Sioux Falls league until the eighth grade when I had to move from Hartford up to Langford. I had to stop playing because there isn’t a team up here for me to join that won’t interfere with my school related sports. I loved to run up and down the soccer field scoring goals and working with my team mates to get better. A couple of years we were really good and I still have my trophy and metals from when I played.

Not long after I started soccer I was finally old enough to start basketball and baseball. Part of the reason I’m so passionate about sports is because while growing up I got to play them with my brothers. My mom and dad also played a huge role in my sports as a kid. My dad coached my older brother and I for a couple of years when we played baseball as kids, and my mom coached us in basketball for multiple years.

Another sport that I got into early was football. I started playing when I was in the third grade for a Sioux Falls league with kids from my school. I did that until I was able to play for our schools middle school team in Hartford, and now I just finished my senior year of playing the game. I’m sad that it’s over, but I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end it.

Throughout my years I have also done track and swimming. I’ll just tell you now that swimming makes track seem easy. I was only out for swimming for one year. I enjoyed getting to try it and having experienced what it’s like but it is not my sport.

I started track in eighth grade, after I moved to Langford, having to do whatever events the coach wanted me to do just to fill in events. Throughout my years of track I personally find myself liking track practice better than track meets. I don’t know why that is but it just seems like I do better and run faster at practice than when I’m at a meet actually racing.

The main reasons I am passionate about sports are all the memories and the fun times you have along the way meeting new people and getting to play with those you know. I also really enjoy being active and being able to be a part of a team.

 

                      

Is it possible to be too nice? (E.C. Blog)

Is it possible to be too nice? That is something that I wonder every time someone tells me that I am too nice. I believe that everyone needs to be nice and care for one another, but I do think that there is a point to where someone could be too nice. But I also think that most people are so worried about themselves these days that they forget to take time and see what’s going on around them.

I personally love helping others and being able to make someone’s day even just a little bit better. I was raised being taught that I should always help others and to think of others first and myself last. I was also started in the cub scouts at a young age. After cub scouts I became a webelos, and then became a boy scout. I recently received my Eagle Scout award which is the highest rank a person can get in the scouts. And one thing I had to learn and follow, something I have to live by, is the scout oath which is, “On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.” The scout slogan also read “do a good turn daily.”

After reading an article on being too nice it was made clear to me that to other people being too nice is unattractive and can lead to different problems with others in today’s world. In another article it talks about how being too nice can make you look weak to others, how you can forget to be nice to yourself, how you can attract the wrong kind of people, how some people with distrust you, and how you could warp your expectations.

I think in today’s world people are so worried about what others think of them and everyone wants to fit in to the “cool groups.”  Even if that means doing something they wouldn’t do, or in this case not doing something that they would do. Like helping someone in the hallways at school or helping someone with a problem they have.

We as people need to care for and be nice to one another. Because taking time to listen to some one and to listen to what they have to say is a way for everyone to get along with one another and a way to be able to understand the other person.

I believe that there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed when it comes to being nice, the line where someone trying to be nice becomes kind of creepy. I think it’s just that some people today just don’t care about others anymore and are too self-centered to take time out of their day to help someone else.  Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Veteran's Day Blog

First things first, I would like to say happy Veteran’s Day to all of the veterans out there that have served in the United States military so that we, as civilians, can be safe and have the freedoms that we have today. After reading this article I can see how this topic could go both ways. There needs to be some set limits so people don’t just go around shooting other people and then say they were a threat just as an excuse to shoot someone with no real reason. But then again, by the time you can get hard evidence it may already be too late and could put the lives of people in jeopardy. I couldn’t imagine having to make that kind of decision knowing that if I make the wrong one other people’s lives could be put in danger including my own. Or if I make the wrong decision, knowing that I could be dishonorably discharged from the military and put in jail for a decision that I made trying to keep those around me and those that I love same.

The second part of the blog, citizenship is a duty not a privilege. I believe that they say this because it talks about how it will require dedicated efforts and that the efforts may lead to discomfort and suffering on some citizens. So even though being a citizen is awesome and we have our freedoms and rights. Some people had to suffer for us to get us to where we are today.

Racism

Part 1

Is Racism a Western Idea

                In this article there was a bunch of information. It talked about what racism is, also it talks about racism and slavery, and it also takes us back in time to find out where it, racism, all started.

                According to dictionary.com racism is a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human racial groups determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one’s own race is superior and has the right to dominate the others or that a particular racial group is inferior to the others.

                Though slavery was a huge part of racism, it is not the origin in which this all started. Slavery has a practice in people’s cultures for thousands of years. The ancient Sumerians, Egyptians, Babylonians, and Assyrians all practiced slavery in the past. The difference of slavery from then to now is that back then, slavery had nothing to do with race. They were mostly of the same race as their masters.

                According to the information that was given in the article about different times in ancient history and what they used for slaves. I believe that there is no racism back then around the world. They used their own people as slaves and not another race that they thought was less than them like we did here in America.

How Racist We Are

                In the beginning of this passage it’s pretty much stating that no matter who you are or what you believe; there is some racism in you. Some people argue this and say that they are not racist at all. But what most people don’t know or forget to see is that racism is more than just hating African Americans or people from any other race. It can be those thoughts in the back of our heads as well. Those thoughts that we have when we are quick to assume things like when you hear about a shooting or a violent crime in a big city most people, without any other information, would automatically assume that it was a black gang member or just a black in general. The truth is that humans today are so judgmental and are so quick to assume the worst just based off of the way they look or where they come from. Just because some people of a race make bad decisions and do bad things does not mean that the entire race is bad and will make the same decisions. The fact is, we are all equal and all created in Gods image. He sent all of us here for the same reason and that’s to worship him through everything we do because of what He did for us on the cross.

Cultural Bias for Racism

       In this article it talks about how researchers are trying to find out why and how Americans and their culture today are contributing to racism. One big thing that they talk about is how American literature and the media play a huge role in social stereotypes. There are so many examples of this that if you just watch the news or read a news article you would probably find your own example. One example that I can think of right now is the whole Adrian Peterson thing and how he went too far while punishing his kid. There are so many people out there today that are white and do way more than that yet you never hear about it. To me it seems like the media goes too far in some stories and blow them up so much that they start to sound and look racist. This article also talks about how literature, movies, TV shows, radio, Internet, etc. There is so much stereotypes and wrong thinking in all of these examples. Also reading books, magazines, news articles have a part of our culture and what information we as Americans are learning. It is amazing how fast news can travel and how it can influence those who hear or read it.

Part 2

Is racism culturally universal or a Western Civilization concept? Is it a byproduct of media and western culture? Where did it come from? When did it start? Is it everywhere?

After reading these articles I do believe that racism is a western concept because though there was slavery in other places around the world, we were the ones who made a different race be slaves instead of our own. We as whites made ourselves think and believe that we were, and some still think we are, superior to them and that by our skin being white, we have the write to literally own another human being just because they aren’t white and don’t look like us.

I definitely believe that the media has a role in how our culture thinks and acts against other races. The way that they blow up stories for some people because of the color of their skin or because of what they believe in.  As humans, especially children, what we hear and see plays a huge role on how we act, what we believe, and who we become.  (Article 3)

Racism was started in Great Britain when they started trading Africans for goods they could use instead of trading their own people like it was done in ancient times. (Article 1)

                Though racism didn’t start off everywhere, I believe that it is everywhere now. With all the stereotypes and all the instant media news gets around fast. Also people today do things that they normally wouldn’t do just to a part of a group and so that they don’t stand out. People today want to fit in and so their actions and words to someone else, maybe of a different race, may not be what they usually would do.

                Now racism isn’t just to blacks either. If some people see a Muslim the first thing that comes to their mind is terrorists. People look at others and judge them for what their people, their race, have done not for them as a person.

Welfare Blog

Welfare makes people lazy	Welfare could make people motivated
Children improved nutrition	Children live just as long as all the others
Democrats are the only supporters of welfare	Many democrats don’t support it
Longevity of life medically	Don’t go to the doctor because they can’t afford it
Higher income to those who have welfare	People on welfare don’t have high incomes
People expect hangouts because of welfare	Some people don’t want welfare but they need it
People on welfare are more susceptible to bad behavior	They respect receiving it and stay in good graces when they are on it
People on welfare don’t commit to jobs	Some are committed to finding jobs so that one day they can support themselves

 

I personally agree with Clinton’s approach to welfare. He says in his approach that welfare is to help struggling families in need of help until they can get back on their feet. But with the help of welfare, the people only have 5 years to try and get back on their feet and to be able to support themselves and their families on their own. That means that in that time they need to find good paying jobs so that they can support their needs to the persons family. I like that there is a time limit on his approach to welfare because then people can’t abuse it as easy or for as long. If they find out that you are abusing welfare by not changing, by getting a job or try to support themselves, they can get kicked off for not trying to do better. I think that it is wrong for people to use welfare when they don’t need it because it takes away from those who really need the help. I think that welfare is a good thing as long as it is not being abused by people that don’t need it. Because when used the way it should be it can help out a lot of families in need.

Final Lord of Flies Blog

               2. If we can’t separate our civilized self from our savage self I which will take over and why? I believe that it could go either way. I believe that people would do what they wanted, and do what they need to in order to stay alive or make better for themselves. For some people it brings out savagery in them. People can become savages when they become scared or loose there mind and don’t want to work civilized. I believe that how you were raised has a huge part in this factor because that could determine how much anger or frustration you have bottled up inside just waiting to be let out. It also depends on how good you are in survival situations and knowing what to do and how to react the right way. But the people that can’t survive in these types of situations can freak out and lose their common sense and will not be civilized any more.

     3. How is civilization created? Are people controlled by society or is society controlled by people?  Civilization is created when people come together to despite their differences and bring together their ideals. They find the most efficient way possible in which to live and grow. After they share their ideals they put them to work not only to make the best civilization they can, but to make it run smoothly at the same time. I believe that at the beginning of a civilization, the people controlled society. But as time goes on I find it harder and harder to believe that it’s the same today. I believe now that the people seem to be living under society and that society influences, not controls, how people do what they do today. And that even though it can seem that society controls us as humans; we can change it whenever we want. It’s just that people don’t like change.

Make or change an amendment

If I could make an amendment and get it appealed I would make it about how the federal government gives free money to Native Americans (Indians). I personally think that the government should not give Native Americans money and that they should be earning their own money just like the rest of the Americans today. I get how it was right to give them money and land right away when we came to America, but now however many years later they should be over that and want to live connected to us, “the settlers.” Instead of just giving the Native Americans money all the time, why doesn’t the government give them a little money right away and then get them a job so that they can start supporting themselves and their families? The reason I say this is because then the government would just save that much more money and plus not all of the Native Americans use that money for what it’s for. I have heard stories about how some, not a lot but some don’t even try to get a job and they sit around all day doing what they want because the government is giving them money. One of the stories I heard was there was a Native American man who got money from the government and bought a house with it. Right after he bought this house he smashed out a hole in the bathroom wall that leads to outside so that his horses could drink water out of the tub. Sure there are a lot of Native Americans out there trying to make a life for them and their families on their own without the governments help. But I think we should pass an amendment that makes the ones that are not trying to make a better life for themselves have to do that. Then get the government to stop giving them money after a certain amount of time and make them earn it on their own.

The 16th and 22nd Amendment of the United States Constitution

Amendment #16

1. Summarize the amendment in 3 sentences or less

--This amendment allows the congress to levy an income tax without apportioning it among the states or basing it on the United States Census. It exempted income taxes from the constitutional requirements regarding direct taxes, after income taxes on rents, dividends, and interest were ruled to be direct taxes. The amendment was passed by congress on July 2, 1909, and was ratified February 3, 1913.

2. Prepare a 'cheat sheet' describing the purpose and effects of the amendment

       -- Gives congress the power to collect taxes on income without apportioning it among the state.

3. Define any vocabulary terms (be ready to answer questions about any words or phrases you use!)
• Apportioning: to distribute or allocate proportionally; divide and assign according to some rule of proportional distribution.
4. Answer the following:

	What is the historical background of this amendment (why was it made?) The amendment was passed by congress on July 2, 1909, and was ratified February 3, 1913. For more history on the 16th amendment go to: https://www.loc.gov/rr/business/hottopic/irs_history.html
	What does this amendment mean today? Congress has the right to collect income tax
	Present examples of current issues involving this amendment. People today don’t want to pay income tax.

 

Amendment #22

1. Summarize the amendment in 3 sentences or less  The 22^nd Amendment sets term limits for the elected President of the United States.
2. Prepare a 'cheat sheet' describing the purpose and effects of the amendment
1. To make sure no one is in power for too long
3. Define any vocabulary terms (be ready to answer questions about any words or phrases you use!)
1. Requisite: required or necessary for a particular purpose or position.
4. Answer the following:

	What is the historical background of this amendment (why was it made?) Passed by the United States Congress on March 21, 1947, the 22nd Amendment was later ratified by the requisite number of states on the 27th of February in 1951.
	What does this amendment mean today? Means that the president can only be in office for a certain amount of time.
	Present examples of current issues involving this amendment. Once a president’s time is up he can’t be reelected even if he was a good president.

Questions for Barnga (the card game)

BARNGA-Reflect on the card game we played in class.

· If you could describe the game in one word, what would it be?

Ø  Entertaining

 

· What did you expect at the beginning of the game?

Ø  That there were different rules for each group.

 

· When did you realize that something was wrong?

Ø  At the beginning

 

· How did you deal with it?

Ø  Tried to pay attention to detail when I go to different groups.

 

· How did not being able to speak contribute to what you were feeling?

Ø  You couldn’t tell others the rules that you were told.

 

·   is my title above appropriate for the game of "culture."  Why or why not?

Ø  Yes, because it can be related to real life around the world and there are different rules for different groups of people.

 

·   is a universal language and set of customs necessary for world peace and harmony?

Ø  It would make things easier but I don’t think it is necessary.

·   What can a simple card game teach us about our culture?

Ø  It is different from other cultures and as people we all think that our way is the right way.