Blog #6 Barriers Faced by GLBT

I think the material that we have covered in this unit regarding Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, and Transgenders, has been very interesting thus far.  This is an issue that we do not talk about on a day to day basis so it has been more eye opening compared to the other units.  Many of the students, including myself, have thought of this material to be "weird" because it is such a different lifestyle than what we are used to.  Individuals who fall within any of these categories face closed doors because it is seen as morally wrong against the society we live in today.  I have noticed that any individual who is gay or lesbian who i interact with is looked down upon and made fun of because of their choice in sexuality.  I believe that this makes it very difficult for these people to interact with others and fit in any group in our society today.  Just because they chose to be sexually attracted to the same sex doesn't make it right for people to think that they are so much different than other people. 
One thing that does get to my nerves is gay individuals who display affection for the same sex in public.  I do not really mind if gays get married and live a happy lifestyle, but I think sexual actions in public by them is very disturbing.  If these individuals chose to live a gay lifestyle and that is what truly makes them happy that is okay, but i do not feel the need to be lectured about gay rights because it does not apply to me personally.  I am able to interact with homosexuals in the real world but i would rather not get involved in the issues of sexual equality that they face.
We watched a video clip in class about the Westboro Church and their thoughts regarding gays.  I found this video to be quite shocking and rediculous.  The information that they presented and their reasons for protesting gay relationship weren't even relevant or true.  The preacher's wife was convinced, and the other followers, that our soldiers were being killed over seas because of the allowance of homosexual relationships in the United States.  How could this even be a possible reasoning?  I thought of this to be very disrespectful to our troops and their families who serve and die for our country and the church group was seen as ignorant and rude.  I thought of church goers and servicers to be caring and good spirited? She also tried to make the point that being gay was against the Ten Commandment and that it relates to committing adultery.  In now way shape or form is being gay seen within the Ten Commandments which is just another false reasoning that they tried to bring to terms. 
Middlesex focused more on the trouble of Cal who was transgender.  Raised as a girl and originally called Callie, noticed various feminine and masculine traits which made her double guess her sexuality.  Callie had sexual experiences with her best friend, The Obscure Object, and her brother at age 14.  She must have lived a troubled lifestyle and her head must have been all over the place from time to time.  I think it would be hard growing up in a lifestyle like this because you would never truly know who you are and would have to figure it out from experimenting with different sexes.  The fact that the main character was transgender made the book more interesting as I read because it constantly gave me an image in the back your head about what Callie was going through.

Blog #5 Monster and Incognegro Creating "Conversation"

The two books Monster and Incognegro press the issue and obstacles of being black in our country.  It  is a priviledge to be white in America because it is as the superior race.  Racism is seen in both of the books and how black individuals are treated opposed to whites solely bases on their skin color.  In Monster it is less evident and you have to be able to decode the inner meaning of the text to really see how blacks are at a disadvantage being the inferior race. Racism and cultural identity is more viewable and prevalent through the characters of Zane and Carl when they travel south to Mississippi.  When the trial starts in Monster, Steve Harmon is instantly sterotyped and grouped along with Bobo Evans and James King the true criminals solely because he was a young black man living in Harlem, NY.  Attorney Petrocelli judges Steve and labels him as a "Monster" before the jury even decides the case.  Even though Steve was considered as an accomplice and didn't commit the crime, he is instantly looked down upon by the jury and it was hard for O'brien to convince them that he was truly a good kid.  I believe if Steve was white the trial would have gone a lot differently and wouldn't make much of a story.  Having Steve as a black teen helped to get the issue of racism and social inequality across to the reader.  Throughout Incognegro racism was depicted brutally through lynching and beatings towards all blacks who were in the south opposed to up north.  When Zane and Carl get off of the train in Mississippi the first thing they see is a black man being harrassed who was just minding his own business.  Any black man who walked the streets was thought as a disgrace to the community and were punished because of their skin color.  Zane had an advantage because he was a light skinned black man who was respected because he could blend in with the white community.  He wrote under the name Incognegro in the column of the Harlem newspapers because he was able to disguise his black identity and infiltrate clan gathers and beating so he could write about these horrific behaviors while fitting in with the others.  Appearing to be a white man is probably the only reason why Zane was offered the job in the first place even though he was very intelligent and was a skilled writter. Carl who disguised his African American accent, spoke with a British accent and mingled with the other whites and fit in to their behaviors and drinking habits.  He was even offered a place to stay by a wealthy land owner because he thought that he was a white man.  When Mr. Huey revealed Carl's real identity as a black man all of their views changed towards him and treated him like dirt.  He was mistaken by the identity of "Incognegro" and was beaten and lynched because of his race and disrespect towards the white community.  Zane's twin brother Alonzo was imprisoned for a crime and continued to get questioned even when the Sheriff knew that he was innocent.  What would drive this man to keep him locked up even when he knew that he hadn't committed any crime?  It was easier in the south to blame a crime on a black man because no one really cared about his life.  Cultural identity is very evident in this instance because Zane was more light skinned and respected by the community, whereas Alonzo was kept locked up because he was more dark skinned.  It is a priviledge to be white in our country today and as seen in the two stories we read.  Black individuals are looked down upon because of their race and are at a huge disadvange in many aspects.

Blog #4 Unit 2 Material

After watching the numerous videos assigned for class it was evident how racism exists in our everyday lives.  In the film "A Class Divided" the children's made friends with one another and soon changed their views and attitudes towards one another solely on their eye color.  In only about twenty minutes these young children learned to prejudice others and discriminate because they thought they were better than the others.  In our society today numerous families raise their children to discriminate and think a certain way towards other races because they think that their race is superior.  Are these children able to have their own opinion at this point?  If children at a young age are "brainwashed" to think a certain way then they may become racist towards others in the community, and it may take them their entires lives to actually give these minorities a chance and realize that all human beings are alike.  Racism will always exist in our world and there are many factors that lead to this horrible act.  Everybody should be given an equal change no matter what color, race, or gender they are.  When you are part of the inferior race it is hard to find your true identity, this is displayed through the character Steve Harmon in the book Monster.  He is labeled in the same group as James King, Osvaldo Cruz, and Bobo Evans because he is a black teen that lives in Harlem, NY even though he is a good kid.  We picture Steve in his jail cell as we read his diaries and he struggles to think if he is indeed a "Monster" or if he is innocent.  His attorney O'brien is always unsure and doubtful of a good outcome of the court trial because she knows it is going to be hard to convince the jury that he not the same as the others involved in the robbery and homicide.  Do you think that Steve lied under oath to be proven innocent becuase he admitted to going into the conveinience store to buy gum? Stereotyping is a big issue in this book and makes it very hard for Steve to seem innocent infront of the jury because their views are already prejudged.  Steve has to realize that he has a good heart and falls into a different category than these other "Monsters."  I believe that he finds his true identity after he is proven innocent and not viewed as a criminal with the others.

Blog #3 The Book Thief

The character I chose to trace was Hans Hubberman.  Hans is a laid back, caring man who loves to smoke cigarrettes.  Hans and his wife Rosa took in Liesel after the death of her brother and her mother abandoning her even though they are not a strong, loving couple.  Throughout the book Hans displays trust, help, and love especially towards Liesel during her difficult times.  Hans would sit up late at night and comfort Liesel during her dreadful nightmares.  Hans begins to educate Liesel and teaches her how to read and learn the German language.  He also would help her out when his wife Rosa would get on her case and screaming profanity.  The two would always bond and spend time with each other by rolling cigarettes, reading and playing music.  Even tho Hans is a German he does not agree with the Nazi party or their tactics.  He is looked down upon for standing behind the Jews by not only the public but also his son.  With all of the stress in Hans' life he still finds a way to be someone's hero.  If you could look into his eyes you would see a good man in spirit.

Blog #2 Themes in Maus

Prisoner on the Hell Planet


The biggest theme that i noticed most when I was reading Maus was the comic Prisoner on the Hell Planet written by Artie.  As i flipped to page 100 in the book it immediately caught my eye and struck me as different than the regular storyline.  Instead of continuing to write in the same format, Spiegelman chose to illustrate differently to show the  emotional pain he felt caused by the suicide of his mother.  Spiegelman illustrates the characters as humans not as animals because is seems more graphic and real.  The illustrations are much darker with shading and all of the character's faces are detailed and close up.  The jail cells represent his guilt for blaming himself about his mother's suicide.  His actions and lack of care for his mother in his early years were displayed  so we can confirm this from within the scenes.  Spiegelman did a great job displaying the inner theme from his change in style in Prisoner on the Hell Planet.

Introducing Myself

Hi! My name is Simon Rice and I am a sophmore here at Shippensburg University. I am from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and graduated at Central Dauphin High School in 2009. I come from a large family and am very close with all of my siblings, and my pet goat Chester. I am a Geography-Land Use major because I am interested in the landscapes that surround our everyday lives. I received an athletic scholarship from the school to wrestle competitively in Division 2. I recorded the most falls on the team last season. I like to spend my free time out near the water fishing with my friends from home. I took this course because it was a general education course and I have yet to take an English course while attending Shippensburg University. The last book that I read was Hearing From God Each Morning which includes 365 daily devotions to read each day of the year. It gives me something to think about and relate to for the day and keeps me close in spirit with God. I like how our world today is made up of so many differents people who all have different personalities and customs. All kinds of races, ethnicities, and languages make up where we live and who we are today. I wished that every American citizen spoke English though. I expect to learn about how everyones customs and beliefs made up our world as we know it today over a long period of time.