Chapter 6
"The key is to know what to turn over and what not to help at different junctures of a child's growth." (79)
This quote says that parents should have control over their child's actions, but to a certain extent. My understanding of growing up has its parts, which are experiencing things half of the time on our own. I believe this takes huge part when building one's character. However, having parental guidance is a must as well. I believe it is most definitely needed to provide control of certain aspects that young people are not ready to control. With that said, this quote is important to me because I most definitely agree with it. I believe that as young people grow up to be adults one has a higher possibility of turning out to be a well put together individual. Because morals and values are created upon oneself experience and decision making and also by our parents wisdom.
Being a teenager myself I have had the opportunity to live by my own decisions as well as by my parents (mother), which is something that I am very happy about. Although there have been times were I've felt suffocated by my mothers protective actions she eventually loosened up and decided that it was time to make decisions for myself. I am content and relieved that my mother understood her limit and did not suffocate me any further. This has demonstrated that my mother trusts me and respects me, which brings a sense of ease to my mind and soul.
Chapter 8
"But just because most people agree to something doesn't make it right. Likewise, this society should empower the powerless to enable them to solve their problems. It's better to stand with a few and be right than to stand with millions and be wrong. Under most circumstances, this is a true hero's stance." (103)
This quote explains right from wrong about how politicians/government choose to handle the troubled youth. This quote explains the comparison between slaves years ago and the troubled youth today. It explains that these youth are not given the opportunity to help solve their problems in other words, they are not given hope. Because the government goes by their personal opinions and the majority vote, which leaves the troubled youth without a say about how they should be helped. The author ends the quote by giving his personal opinion saying that it is best to stand with a few right people rather than standing to a million wrong people. Meaning that instead of drowning the troubled youth he would much rather help solve their issues because doing so could change lives for the better and that to him is the definition of a true hero.
This quote is really important to me because I believe that troubled youth and people in general have the possibility to improve and be changed into better people. To me this leads to having a growth-mind set, which means that there is hope. I strongly believe that people can change for the better with the right help.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Unit 1: Building Community/Facing Violence-Initial Reactions
1. "He was a boy who had been physically abused, shuttled from one foster home to another, one juvenile facility after another. At every stage of Robert's young life, he was blocked from becoming all he could be. Yet there was nothing to stop him from getting a gun, using it and being killed by one in return."(26)
- What I believe this quote is saying is that this young boy turned to gangs because of the physical abuse that he faced, but most importantly because he perhaps sought a place in which he could fit in. I decided to choose this quote because to me it proves that children, teenagers, and adults, people in general, not only become gang related because of influence or by force, but mainly because they lack of motherly affection, love, family, stability, etc. On top of that physical abuse is something I believe can permanently damage someone. Coming across this topic and specifically this quote, it made me realize that abuse and neglect from family can be a major issue as to why people turn to gangs especially at such a young age. This particular quote helps me understand that these type of issues can be such an obstacle when forming ones character, but most importantly ones life.
2. "They organized to protect themselves within a society that had no place for them." (31)
- What I believe this quote says is that, as people emigrated from other countries to the United states they most likely faced problems about their position in society. Considering that they were immigrants I would assume they felt the need to build theses so called "street gangs" as way to keep people of their race together for protection; to create some type of allegiance. However, with time the definition of gangs changed. With that said, this quote is important because I learned that the main reason why gangs initiated was because of immigration and the thought of having protection for one's kind. Another reason why this is important to me is because being part of a family that emigrated to the U.S. I feel I understand how the Irish immigrants and immigrants in general, probably felt about not having a place for them or their ethnicity. And as to why the perhaps felt the need to create their own gangs.
3. "When society at large fails to develop true eldership and mentoring at the most basic community level and when the elders are not there to provide compassion, wisdom, experience, and meaningful and lasting knowledge, the young usually "sacrifice" themselves to drugs, violence gangs, and prisons, many times paying with their lives." (50)
- What this quote says is that when there isn't an outreach to the young people, most times the young gets lost and offer themselves to drugs, violence, gangs. Because they have no one to set a positive example. This quote also ties in with the family and the morals that are not provided for the youth, which in most cases it causes the youth to wind up in violence, prisons or worst. I think this quote is important because it addresses all of the things that are need to build good character and theses things are usually not always provided to the young. I believe it is important that parents, families and communities provide this to every child because it will give one hope and the chance to walk down a good path. Most importantly it can prevent violence, gangs, drugs and death.
- What I believe this quote is saying is that this young boy turned to gangs because of the physical abuse that he faced, but most importantly because he perhaps sought a place in which he could fit in. I decided to choose this quote because to me it proves that children, teenagers, and adults, people in general, not only become gang related because of influence or by force, but mainly because they lack of motherly affection, love, family, stability, etc. On top of that physical abuse is something I believe can permanently damage someone. Coming across this topic and specifically this quote, it made me realize that abuse and neglect from family can be a major issue as to why people turn to gangs especially at such a young age. This particular quote helps me understand that these type of issues can be such an obstacle when forming ones character, but most importantly ones life.
2. "They organized to protect themselves within a society that had no place for them." (31)
- What I believe this quote says is that, as people emigrated from other countries to the United states they most likely faced problems about their position in society. Considering that they were immigrants I would assume they felt the need to build theses so called "street gangs" as way to keep people of their race together for protection; to create some type of allegiance. However, with time the definition of gangs changed. With that said, this quote is important because I learned that the main reason why gangs initiated was because of immigration and the thought of having protection for one's kind. Another reason why this is important to me is because being part of a family that emigrated to the U.S. I feel I understand how the Irish immigrants and immigrants in general, probably felt about not having a place for them or their ethnicity. And as to why the perhaps felt the need to create their own gangs.
3. "When society at large fails to develop true eldership and mentoring at the most basic community level and when the elders are not there to provide compassion, wisdom, experience, and meaningful and lasting knowledge, the young usually "sacrifice" themselves to drugs, violence gangs, and prisons, many times paying with their lives." (50)
- What this quote says is that when there isn't an outreach to the young people, most times the young gets lost and offer themselves to drugs, violence, gangs. Because they have no one to set a positive example. This quote also ties in with the family and the morals that are not provided for the youth, which in most cases it causes the youth to wind up in violence, prisons or worst. I think this quote is important because it addresses all of the things that are need to build good character and theses things are usually not always provided to the young. I believe it is important that parents, families and communities provide this to every child because it will give one hope and the chance to walk down a good path. Most importantly it can prevent violence, gangs, drugs and death.
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