♪Collect A Poem or Song Lyric ♬

♪Collect A Poem or Song Lyric ♬

   In this Michael Jackson song, “Man in the Mirror”, the significant message is about how if you want to make a change in any issue in the world that you think is wrong, instead of waiting for someone else to stand up and do something, you should stand up and make the change yourself.

            Also, another one of the messages that he is trying to get through is that in order to make a change, everyone has to look inside them selves and change what’s bad about them, in order to make the world a better place. No matter what age you are, everyone can help fix the world—even if it’s just by changing our attitudes about things.

            I think that this world needs to work together in order to make a change, and that we should help other people that are in need, instead of worrying about our little problems. Because, in reality, our problems are not even half as bad as many people that are in need. While many of us worry about what clothes we’re going to wear the next day, there are people in the world who worry about whether or not they’re going to find food to eat tomorrow, or even where they’re going to sleep. We should all help make the world a better place—even if it’s just a little thing, because everyone can make a difference.

                   

The Banning Of Books From Sixth Grade Libraries (Argument Essay)

Dear Ms. Berner,

            Teenage, or young adult books containing mature content should not be banned from William Alexander Middle School 51’s sixth grade libraries. Banning these graphic books from sixth graders would prevent them from learning about the issues that they may soon face when they become young adolescents.

            By banning these books, sixth graders are being hindered from learning about issues that they may confront and have to deal with when they become teens. Take what Adams, from Metropolitian State College of Denver, says: “I think that sometimes adults shortage teens and their ability to grasp complex material and make deeper connections.” Adults are preventing their teens from grasping knowledge about what many young people are facing today. In addition, as an author of some of these teen fiction books, Sherman Alexie states, “they [the adults] are simply trying to protect their privileged children.” These parents who are attempting to ‘protect’ their kids by banning books are essentially just hindering their kids from learning about what might come their way in a few years. (Such as difficult situations, such as drugs, depression, underage drinking, etc.) Not that these things will necessarily happen to them in their adolescent years, however they should be aware of what these issues are and how to deal with them. Reading teen fiction books is one of the best ways for the sixth graders to learn about what other teens are facing.

            Also, many of these books have content that numerous young adults can relate to. These books that adults are trying to ban from their children essentially show their teens how to cope with their predicaments. Some sixth graders might also be going through the same exact problem as the protagonist in their too ‘vulgar’ book and can relate to, or connect with the character. For example, “They [teenagers] read because they believe, despite the callow protestations of certain adults, that books—especially the dark and dangerous ones—will save them,” says Alexie. Also Dr. Shira Gabriel says, “books provide the opportunity for social connection.” What both Alexie and Gabriel are stating is that these “suggestive” books that are being banned are the books that many teenagers can connect with and the solutions in these books give them hope for the future.

            Some people may think that teen fiction books that contain suggestive content should be banned. For example, Meghan Cox Gurdon says, “if books show us the world, teen fiction can be like a hall of fun house mirrors, constantly reflecting back hideously distorted betrayals of what life is.” However, these books do not over exaggerate what life is like for many teenagers today. Topics that many adults try to avoid talking about with their teens are things that many teenagers go through, and topics that are in these books. For instance, subjects like rape, drugs, drinking, etc., are subjects that most parents do not want to talk about with their child. However, many teenagers (maybe even some sixth graders that go to this school) may the same problems. Most of these books that are being banned are based off of what these authors experienced when they were teens, or are made to help teenagers get through difficult situations. Like authors such as Sherman Alexie, Judy Blume, Ellen Hopkins, etc.  For example, Ellen Hopkins says, “some call my books edgy; others say they’re dark…but they bring young adult readers a middle-aged author’s broader perspective. They show outcomes to choices, offer understanding, and each is infused with hope.” These young adult books help teens learn about experiences that people that were once teens once experienced and how to cope with them.  

            In conclusion, books with graphic content should not be censored from the sixth graders at Ms51. Some parents think that books should be banned because they want to protect their children. However, I disagree. Keeping them from reading these books won’t help them, because there’s a chance that they’re going to face the same issues that the protagonists in their books are facing. So why not learn about issues now from the books, instead of waiting until it is too late? Censoring these books will just affect them negatively when they get older. Books don’t just show teenagers situations, but they also show them outcomes to their choices and help us make the right decisions.

Sincerely,

Tadafe Gbaje

                    “Censorship is the enemy of the truth”---Bill Moyers

             

Watching You (Response)

            In an article called, "Watching You" in Upfront Magazine, by Patricia Smith, it talks about how the government is going against our privacy and watching us in order to protect us from deadly threats. The U.S government has been "secretly collecting Americans' telephone records and tracking foreigners over sites like Yahoo and Facebook." I think that it is wrong for the government to be doing this.
          It's violating Americans' privacy. For example, in the text it says, "But this spring's news that the U.S. government has been secretly collecting Americans' telephone records and tracking foreigners over seas on sites like Yahoo and Facebook has raised questions  about how much privacy is worth sacrificing to keep the nation safe." I don't think that it's right that the government can see what we put on social media even though we think that it's private.

         It's also violating the Fourth Amendment. For example, in the text it says, "the idea of a right to privacy comes from the Constitution's Fourth Amendment, which protects against 'unreasonable searches and seizures'."I don't think that the government should be allowed to not follow the Fourth Amendment.

        In conclusion, I agree that the government should find ways to protect us from dangers such as terrorists, however, I don't think that our privacy should be violated through social media and phone records in order to do that,

Where Your Cell Phone Goes to Die (Response)

        In an article in Upfront Magazine, it talks about how our e-waste (electronic waste) is being  

given to other countries and is not being recycled properly. I think that it is wrong for electronic

manufacturers to pay developing countries to take the United State's waste.

        The electronic waste can affect people. For example in the text it says, "In far-flung, mostly

impoverished places in Ghana, India, and China....of children inhaling the smoke from phone casings

as they identify and separate different kinds of plastics for recyclers." And also in the text it says, "most

scientists agree that exposure poses serious health risks, especially to pregnant women and

children....[and] can cause irreversible neurological damage and threaten the development of a child."

The waste can affect people in terrible ways and can put them at risk. It's not right that the United

State's waste is causing this.

         Also, the e-waste is not being recycled properly. For example in the article it says, "Changes in

the way manufacturers glue, screw, and solder components together would make it easier to dismantle

discarded phones and thus reduce the risks posed by crude recycling techniques, like those employed

by children in Ghana." If we don't help change the way that we recycle our e-waste, it can affect our

environment, hurting us. As the quote states, making the components of the electronics easier to

dismantle could help us recycle better. If we did this and recycled the waste on our own, it could help

our environment and the people being affected by the e-waste in the places that the United States is

sending our waste to.

          In conclusion, I think that wrong for manufacturers to be paying other countries to take the

Unites States' e-waste. It affects the people in the countries that the e-waste is being sent to and it is not

being recycled properly. We should recycle our e-waste in the U.S.  If we recycled our e-waste on our

own, it would help the people and the environment.

Every Soul A Star by Wendy Mass Response

           In the book, “Every Soul A Star,” by Wendy Mass, there are three main protagonists: Ally, Bree, and Jack. They all have different issues and they deal with them in various ways.

            So far in the book, I think that Ally’s issue is that she’s lonely. Even though she doesn’t really mention it that much in the book, I think that her living alone on a campground, not being able to experience anything like friends, causes her to feel like shes alone. She deals with her loneliness by pretending that she’s friends with constellations that she calls Eta, Peggy, and Glenn.

            Bree’s issue so far is that she’s insecure. She feels that she doesn’t have the potential to do anything other than being pretty. She deals with this by pretending to be someone that she’s not and by covering up her whole face with make up and by acting like she’s high maintenance. Her parents can see her potential, but she can’t. For example in the text it says, “And the best thing about being beautiful? No one (except maybe my deluded parents who don’t understand that modeling is a perfectly respectable career choice) expects me to be anything else.” Bree thinks that she’s not capable of everything else besides modeling.

            I think Jacks issue is the same as Bree’s issue. However, he deals with it in a different way. Jack doesn’t think that he has the potential to do anything. He deals with this by being independent and keeping his problems to himself. For example in the book it says, “I gave up trying a long time ago. I also gave up trying to pay attention in class. And trying to get people to like me. It’s just too much effort. When they look at me, other kids just see a big pudgy kid who sits in the back of every class drawing in his art book…all I want to do is be left alone.” He only sees himself as the “big pudgy kid” that can’t do anything, and thinks that he will never live up to his older brother who is a football player in highschool.

            Overall, Ally, Jack, and Bree, all deal with their issues in different ways throughout the book. 

"Faithful Elephants" By Yukio Tsuchiya

            In the short story, “Faithful Elephants,” by Yukio Tsuchiya, a war is going on in Japan and bombs are being dropped in the city. At the Ueno zoo in Tokyo, the animals had to be killed because of the war. The reoccurring theme in this story is that war not only affects the soldiers on the battlefield, but also the innocent animals and people.

            Three of the elephants at the zoo, John, Tanky, and Wanly, were killed for the fear that their cages would get bombed, and that they would get loose and roam around the city streets of Tokyo. In the text it says, “By and by, it came time for the three elephants to be killed. They began with John.” Also in the text it says, “Over two weeks later, Tonky and Wanly were dead. Both died leaning against the bars of their cage with their trunks stretched high in the air, still trying to do their banzai trick for the people who once fed them.” The benign animals died because of the bombs and the war, even though they did nothing and were innocent.  

            The elephant trainer was also affected because of the war. John, Tanky, and Wanly, the animals that he cared about and trained were now dead. For example, in the text it says: “ ‘The elephants are dead! They’re dead!’ screamed the elephant trainer as he ran into the office. He buried his head in his arms and cried, beating the desk top with his fist.” The war caused the elephant trainer to lose the elephants that he really loved.

            Likewise, the war had an impact on the zoo keepers. For example, “The rest of the zoo keepers ran to the elephants’ cage and stumbled in. They took hold of Tanky’s and Wanly’s thin bodies, as if to shake them back to life. Everyone burst into tears, and stroked the elephants’ legs and trunks in sorrow.” The zoo keepers were in despair about the elephants’ death, but they were also angry. “Above them, in the bright blue sky, the angry roar of enemy planes returned. Bombs began to drop on Tokyo once more. Still clinging to the elephants, the zoo keepers raised their fists to the sky and implored, ‘Stop the war! Stop the war! Stop all wars.' ” The war caused the zoo keepers to lose the elephants that they cared about and were fond about. 

            In conclusion, war effects everyone, not just the people fighting in it. War is a terrible thing and it can hurt innocent people both mentally and physically. Mentally, because the elephant trainer and the zoo keepers lost the animals that they loved, and physically because the animals were killed because of the war. I think that this story not only shows this message, but also helps to show the reader that war needs to stop, and that we need to find better solutions to fix our problems. 

            

Reading Response--A Long Walk to Water By Linda Sue Parks

         In the book: A Long Walk to Water, by Linda Sue parks, the two main characters are both shown in different point of views at two different time periods. The true story of Salva Dut, a boy from Sudan ( a runaway from Sudan) and a fictional story of Nya, a girl that lives in a village in Sudan. 

         The main idea, or theme in Salva's point of view is that you just have to keep moving forward and it will get better. For example, when Salva ran away from home because of the war in Sudan, he finally made a friend. A few weeks later when they were sleeping in the wilderness on their way to Ethiopia (a fugitive camp), his friend was killed by a lion. Also, when Salva also reunited with his uncle, his uncle was shot right in front of him. And even though a lot of the people that Salva cared about were getting killed, Salva kept moving forward, and eventually it got better when he made it to the camp and he was chosen out of hundreds to go to America.

         The theme in Nya's point of view is that you should be grateful for the things that you have. Throughout her point of view, Nya had to walk all day, for hours, just so she could get only one jug of water from the river. And the water wasn't clean. Salva, now over 20 years later comes back to Sudan and makes a water foundation (A well that gives Nya and her village fresh clean water). Nya was so grateful and this shows that we shouldn't take what we have for granted  because even though its not a big deal to us, its a big deal to other people. Something that seems so small to us and not a big deal can be a very big deal to someone else. '

         Overall, the themes in the book are that we should keep moving forward and that we should never take things for granted.