Doing Nothing is Doing Nothing

When does a person finally get fed up with being complacent. I' doing nothing and it is doing nothing for me. I am inspired by so much yet I can't seem to find the capacity to do anything about it. I go through the routine of being a student and it feels so dry at times. I am writing papers and doing mindless homework that is only a time filler. I am sick of being bored with school, being bored with myself. I am not completely apathetic, or at least I hope not. I am recognizing the things in my life that need to turn. I have walked in the garden and ate of its fruit. I want to change not only my way of thought but others as well. I want people to run with freedom. Freedom to create, to ask questions, to seek the truth. It time for me to move out of my comfort zone and expand my life. To grow in love. To express the song, my song, that resides in my spirit. It beacons to be released, to be given as an expression of gratitude.

21st Century American and Opportunity For the Dream

The 21st Century American is hard to define. There is a vast difference between different parts of the country in both culture and opportunity. The U.S. lacks a real sense of cultural identity. What does it really mean to be an American? It is hard to answer because this country was built on the diversity of some many. The history of this nation isn't rooted in any tradition above turkey on Thanksgiving. The typical American feels entitled, and is looking out for themselves above the greater good of all. I do believe that people are more globally aware of what is going on, but it is becoming harder to give and give like we have in the past. The economy sucks and the government is making itself harder to trust. The American of today finds it harder to make ends meet. It sucks for sure but, with unemployment above 10 percent, life is more of a struggle than it once was. Opportunity is available but it is harder to get. If only from a purely numbers perspective, the competition for jobs is greater. There are more jobs going overseas, more people are coming to the states, and the requirements for jobs is increasing. Opportunity itself is not even equal to all. I didn't always believe that or at least I didn't want to believe that but opportunity is not available in the same capacity to all. Anyone can do just about anything is they try, even to the point of death it might seem, but people can do what they want if they work at it. The difference is the starting point. Some people are at a disadvantage from the get go. If a kids growing up in poor Urban America, he will not have the same opportunity or will have to work harder to get them than a kids growing up in upper class white suburbia. The American dream can be had by anyone, but the work put forth to achieve it is not always the same.

Gender Roles

There is no doubt that the U.S. in a male dominate society, or at least a male run society. The government is run by men and most of corporate America is run by men. With that said, there is a definite place for women. Women have become a vital part of the corporate scene. Women bring a different mentality to the way business is done. As for the roles at home, the traditional line is being blurred. Women are going to work while the men stay at home with the children. The tradition of the homemaking woman is no longer an expectation. The idea of a man staying home with the kids would seem like a joke in the 50's, but now it is a part of American life. The roles of the man and the woman are really no different any more. I have never been in a situation where women where paid less but I am sure that sometimes happens. The gender roles are no longer divided like they once were. Honestly, it is hard to write about because I don't see a line between what men and women do. Even the sex roles are no longer defined. There has been a rise in a the awareness and acceptability of homosexuality. So now, sex has become less of a taboo and one cannot be defined by that either. Sure, there is still an underling prejudice toward women at home but it is becoming less and less an issue.

Woman Warrior

I am mixed about Woman Warrior. At times the stories that Kingston Wrote were easy to follow and felt like a real memoir. Other stories like the one about Brave Orchid, were not so easy to follow. I don't know much if anything about Chinese culture and history, so the stories of ghost could be true in some sense. The story of the sitting ghost and the ridding of said ghost was awkward. I feel like the ghost had greater meaning than purely face value, but I failed to see the significance. I believe the reason we read this story was to gain perspective on what it means to be an Asian American and the difference in views that today we hold as Americans. Also to get perspective into what it means to be a woman. The arranged marriages, the fear being left alone, and brutal village people carrying torches with a hatred for adulterous women. Also reading through the chapter of the woman warrior, felt like reading the script for Disney's Mulan. I figure that is an ancient Chinese tale that both the book and the movie have drawn from. The White tigers chapter was probably my favorite. It with the chapter about brave orchid gave a boldness to the women in the book. It was a contrast to the opening of the book that chronicled her aunts suicide. The book claims to be memoirs of a girlhood, but seems like there is a lot of fiction throughout. I liked the fictional elements and I really don't want to get hung up on the fact that it was or wasn't a true memoir. It did bring to light the crap that Asian women deal with. Rape was a big part of what happens to women in that culture. In the book it is mentioned and the effects are still seen today. Sex trafficking continues to be a large problem in the Asian world. The stories in the novel also show the social issues felt by Asian Americans through prejudice and the like. Woman Warrior was much better than Beloved was, and for that I am truly grateful.

Beloved, Give Me "Uncle Tom's Cabin"

Reading Beloved I can see the meaning behind writing. It is a very strong message about the horrors of slavery. The United States was founded upon the principle that all men are created equal, but what really happened was a different story. The U.S. was not the biggest slave nation in the world but surly has made a mark on the history of the world's slave trade. Today we still feel the effects of this, as many people wrote about in their descriptions of discriminatory acts. The book sent a powerful message. I'm not saying that because it won an award, but because of the way it was written. At times I felt I was swimming in a pool jello with the occasional stab of a syringe. With an, "Oh, that's nice, get me the hell outta here." The theme of the book is the effects psychologically that slaves felt. I have been so far removed from slavery that it is had for me to realize the impact that it really made on the people involved and the nation. What we see now in this nation is simply the dregs of the issues that started in the slave era. What I don't understand is why it won the Pulitzer prize. By my previous statements you might wonder why? Yes, it was a powerful message, but it was painful to get through. OK, so your life sucks and your house might be haunted, get the hell out of there. The demons of slavery will chase you anywhere, that is why none of the characters were willing to talk about their past life in Sweet Home. I know that Morrison was sending a message that slavery is more than a crime that once relieved of, is all forgotten. But the story of her killing her children in the barn and the complete exception of Beloved is nonsensical. How did Sethe not question the reasons for Beloved's existence or at least her stay at the house? Perchance I am coming down on this book too hard but it was not a Pulitzer prize winner. Indian Killer had me hanging on every page, while Beloved was laborsome. Give me Uncle Tom's Cabin any day before this desperate mother's love of a fictitious poltergeist. I was really hoping Pauly D would say no to the pussy and kill that braud, but no such luck. Instead, he wants Sethe's baby and it gets really Maury Povich. I liked it for the message it sent but the execution was dreadful. I'm hoping Kingston doesn't leave me with such dissatisfaction.

Acts of Discrimination

When thinking about an act of discrimination, I know that I have been guilty of it. My room ate, Levi, is from Orlando. He has had very different life experiences than me, and I have learned a lot from him. I have never been a raging bigot, but I have come to see the importance of culture within different groups. For Levi, he grew up with many Hispanic friends and that has become a part of who he is. That means he sits in his room, cranks up the salsa music, and yells Spanish gibberish over the top. But there are times when I have crossed the line with him. There are times when I feel I'm joking around about black people or Hispanic people, but he comes from the background where that sort of talk doesn't fly.
I have my worst racial outbursts when I am driving. I think in general, I use my time driving as a time to vent and yell, but I digress. I was driving, on my way home, when three black kids walked out into the street with complete disregard for me. They then proceeded to stand in the road with some 'no big deal' facial expressions. So rolled down the window and yelled some choice words before they got the hell out of the road. But the worst part is I began to think that is just like a group of black kids. They don't give a damn and I hate them. I realized that what I was pissed about was turning into a racial rant. It shouldn't have mattered that they were black but I still made issue of it.
It has be a learning experience coming from my small middle America school, with only white students. I never hated anyone but I have grown to see that I was compromising. I think it is fine to point out stereotypes in the right setting, but not to allow those to become a reality in your thoughts and actions. I love Dave Chappelle for that very reason. He makes fun of every racial or ethnic group, but does it in a manner that doesn't cause a hatred. And maybe I'm wrong, and no one should ever point out stereotypes. That all people should be held to the same standard and accountability.

Indian Killer: The Struggle of Existance

Sherman Alexie's Indian Killer was an amazing book. His ability to develop characters and use of flashbacks made the book engaging throughout. Alexie uses the murders as a way to stir up the underling racial tensions between Native Americans and the 'white man.' In an act as simple as naming the serial murderer, the Indian killer, the city of Seattle was torn into two groups with fear being the one shared emotion. For me, the most telling parts of the book were the chapters John imagined his life on the reservation. He looked at what his life would be like if he had grown up as a real Indian. The reservation is a place of love and acceptance that he didn't feel in his life. This is something that all people do, imagine their lives as it could have been. What would life be like if the choices made in our life were made different? This becomes John's obsession, one that he can only deal with by his lust for the blood of the one who caused him the pain in life. John undoubtedly had some mental instability. He was constantly hearing music and saw father Duncan who had disappeared years before. This mental handicap probably played into his pain, but John had no way of coping with it.
This idea is also seen in Marie. On page 61, the narrator reveals that Marie feels her life is a constant struggle. As she confronts her teacher, she does it out of necessity. Struggle is her existence. This is what I believe is the theme of the novel. It is certainly about the racial hatred of the first nations people, but more than that, it is the struggle of the Native Americans. Marie's character is the most outspoken Indian in the book. She knows her history and believes in the Native American culture. She stands up to her professors, organizes powwows, and feeds the homeless Indians. For her, Alexie writes, "For Marie, being Indian was mostly about survival, and she'd been fighting so hard for her survival." This struggle for survival is effected every Indian in the story, from the homeless who had nothing, to John who was raised by a family that had everything. Even Reggie was trying to survive. He was beat by his father at a young age, and when he attended the University of Washington, his teacher broke the trust they shared. Reggie was the most promising student in Dr. Mather's class. When Dr. Mather's found the tapes of the Indian stories, Reggie asked him to destroy them. And then the falling out happened, where again Reggie was back being a ten year old boy, simply surviving.
Who the killer is doesn't really matter. It could be any Indian. It could have been in the cast of characters Alexie introduces, or more likely in my mind, some Indian the reader never meets. The killer's identity is not ultimately important, what is important is the genocide of the Native people and the elimination of their culture. The struggle to stay Indian, to understand what it means to be Indian.

American Dream Reprise: A Contemporary Apathy

The American dream in Fear and Loathing was to be found in Las Vegas. On the surface its a bright, shining beacon of what can be attained. The riches and the glory of victory over circumstances, the rags to riches mentality that we discussed in class. But the underbelly of the whole scene, is grimy and desperately hopeless. Thompson is trying to say that the American dream is not not everything that people believe it to be. This nation was built on hard work and dedication. A people truly united and wanting to create a free state that all men have the opportunity to make a place for themselves. Now its a cesspool of desperate men grabbing for whatever they can get the fucking hands on.
Now we see this nation in a crisis in the gulf coast. This is the worse than Katrina, maybe not in the death total, but the effects of this oil spill will be felt for the generations to come. And what do we do about it? Everyone bitches and moans that its Obama's fault or BP's fault. Now we are standing in one big pissing match where everyone is pointing their dicks at someone else. "Its not my problem and I sure as hell ain't gonna fix it, that's for the guys in Washington or the oil tycoons across the pond." Well, now its everyone's problem. Eight weeks has gone by and the leak is still in full strength, with an entire industry completely destroyed. This isn't Haiti or some middle-of-fucking nowhere place, this is our backyard. The American dream has never been about being apathetic, but that is the way things have been going. During WWII, the country got off their lazy, self-centered ass and made it work. We became the greatest nation in the world, built on the backs of parents and women here at home. Now its time again to do something. If your tired of the way things are, which I surly am, then can't something be done?
In class, someone mentioned a division between realism and idealism. This is true, there is a distinction between the two, but at some point idealism needs to be made a reality.. I'm not asking everyone to run for political office, but get in touch with what it going on. Get your damn priorities straight. Provide for your family, but look out for others. Maybe it's not so 'golden rule' as it sounds but where has the sense of community gone? we didn't get here by just covering our own ass. If change is to come and the American dream to be realized, it will take more than one person. It will take a group of people with one voice.

The American Dream

A three bedroom house with a white picket fence and 2.3 children, that is the American dream. Or at least it was. Or maybe it never was. I invented a drinking game once that was called the American Dream. It was based on the dream of getting smashed really fast, maybe not the real American dream but something like it.
The real American dream is about getting some. Some of what? Anything and everything. Its a dream of greed whether we are willing to admit it or not. It could be blamed on consumerism but really its innate. People want power and money. The modern American dream is about doing nothing and getting everything. Its not just the money, but its the money with coupled with the complete lack of effort put it to obtain it. Its about the sex, drugs, and rockN'roll. We all expect freedom and liberty, that is an American value, but the American dream goes beyond just simple human rights. The American dream goes beyond the borders of this country. The world wants the same dream. Other nations and people groups want to have the rights, privileges, and opportunities that Americans enjoy. Everyone wants a home to call their own and a job that provides in a lifestyle that is just beyond living comfortably. The dream is that anyone can do anything, or almost anything, and make the coin that they feel deserved to. I hope that Americans want more than just money, power, and sex; but those seem to be a main motivating factor. The American dream has changed and continues to change, but it is still and will forever be based on the idea that anyone can make a name or a living for themselves. Maybe that includes swimming in a pool of money (Scrooge Mcduck style), or living a pleasantly comfortable life in a house with the white picket fence. Or maybe its just an attempt to get drunk.

The Quintessential 21st Century American

It is hard to define what the quintessential American is. Really, what is an American other than someone who is born in this country or has been patient enough to go through the "wonderfully" administered citizenship process. The fact is that the United States has no culture of its own. It is a country in a constant identity crisis. the U.S. is truly a melting pot with the ideas of real opportunity and the chance for prosperity mixed in like all-spice. I cannot define what is American culture, I'm not even sure of the values that she stands for any more.
The quintessential 21st Century American should be one that is more culturally diverse than most. It doesn't matter is you live in Miami with Cuban refugees or if you live in small town middle America, at some point you will be faced with another culture, ethnicity, religion, and the like. I believe it has become impossible to escape someone that is different than you in one way or another. So shouldn't Americans be accepting of everyone is a greater measure than any other nation? The quintessential American should, but he isn't. He doesn't know what he believes or what he wants to do. I read an article by a sociologist at Harvard that explained the contemporary American is not sure of who they are or what they want form life until they reach 35yrs. old. If this is true, which I hope its not, then the common American is focused on themselves for at least the first 35yrs of his life. It isn't that Americans can't accept others, rather it is a sense of entitlement that has developed. Its a need to get it for myself, to get what mine and screw everyone else. Sure enough, we can see Americans rally behind a cause like the earthquake relief in Haiti, but there is a sense of what is due to me.
The quintessential 21st Century American has potential to bring the greatest impact and influence on the world if only he could get out of an entitlement or welfare mentality. Even with all of the greed and corruption in American politics and big business, I still believe that the U.S. is the greatest nation. That is not to sound nationalistic or ethnocentric, but we have great opportunity and freedoms that other nations don't have the luxury of. But a shift needs to take place, a realization of what it means to be an American, from the humble beginnings to the powerful nation we see today.