Final Self Assessment

Looking back on all of my blogs I realize that I write about issues that affect minorities. By seeing this, I realize that I truly have the desire to help those who cannot help themselves. The major theme that reoccurs in my writing is injustice. It angers me and I become affronted when I read of it. My posts concerning these injustices have changed. At first I was jus angry that the injustices occur and in my recent posts I realize that I am actually speaking about taking action to help prevent injustices. This change is due to my college experience. At Howard I am taught to put my words into actions and take control of an issue. I must take the issue by the horns and control it that way if I truly wish to see change. It surprised me to see that I felt so strongly about issues that others see as unimportant. Although I was surprised I was very elated to see that what others think about me does not matter and that I spoke up for what I believe in. I feel the need to revisit my letter for awareness. The issue of gun violence is so important to me. I lost my cousin to a gun and I really don’t want anyone else feeling the pain I feel every day. I love blogging and I am happy we were required to do it in this course. It helped me voice my opinion and in the end I always felt better.

Writing research papers on the other hand I find a little difficult. Considering the amount of time I spend in class I understand why. Unfortunately I was very busy this semester, juggling work, school work, family, expenses, drama and my new life on my own. I see this though as a lesson and a time that I learned what to do and what not to do. I realize that I must spend more time in the library and online actually researching not just on Facebook or in a textbook.  I also should have consulted with my professor more during her office hours. I feel like my class participation was good. I always had something to say and I believe I articulated it well. If possible I would start over and gain an A in this course because I know I could. My attendance and failure to not attend office hours resulted in my shortcomings. I feel like I could have learned more about writing however I do believe that I learned a great deal in this course. I use technology much better now and I view things with a broader perspective, traits important for me to possess since I desire to become a lawyer. Thank you Dr. Diaz for your enlightenment. 

Forever I Will Fight

Fight….forever I will fight.

I will rise against this place and these people and this life

I will fight for an existence free from  all the strife

I will not become you, I will not be who you want

I will become a better person, I will be a better  font

And only time will tell you if this life has worked for me

But only I can tell you if I am truly happy

And no I will not cry, no not another tear

I will not run I will not hide I will face this this fear

And you can see me shining as only I ever can

And you will see the the road I chose has made me  a better  woman

My Comments on Other BLOGS

Brooklyn's Blog

Semi Melyssa said...

Ignorance is bliss. And for her she is just trying to make up excuses for her ignorance. It is a shame that people even believe things like that. It's even more of a shame that they feel it is okay to state their prejudices world wide. 

Ashley's Blog

Semi Melyssa said...

It is a shame that so many people have died because of drugs. Drugs are so harmful already and the fact that they cause additional deaths is horrible. I agree with you when you said that the US should not get involved because we are always sticking our finger in something and creating a bigger mess.

December 3, 2010 7:16 AM 

Zakiya's Blog

Semi Melyssa said...

The convocation was so encouraging. I agree with you on that point most definitely. It opened my eyes to why I am in college and how I can get through it. I enjoyed it thoroughly although I was not able to attend. I did however view it online. Amazing!

December 3, 2010 7:11 AM 

Kiya's Blog

Semi Melyssa said...

I totally agree with you. Willow Smith is amazing and I find so mind boggling how someone of her age and stature can perform the way she does. She will definitely become a superstar and Jay-z was very smart to sign her.

December 3, 2010 7:12 AM 

Derrick's Blog

Semi Melyssa said...

I totally agree wit you! I think the Tea Party is a disgrace. It especially upset me to find out that they held a meeting on the day that a march for Martin Luther King Jr. took place. I find them to be arrogant and unimportant.

December 3, 2010 7:28 AM 

College: The Negatives That Accompany It

 College life is amazing. It's what most kids dream of and what teenagers cannot wait to live. There are so many opportunities and experiences that are handed to you the minute you step onto the campus, especially if you are residing there for some time. You make new friends, meet new people and you basically start a new life. At this point in your life you learn new things and take in so much new material including academics and street smarts that you are overwhelmed. Yet there is still a beauty and fun factor in college. Although college and its experience its enjoyable, there are some factors of college that can cause it to be "not so fun".
          Most teens begin to drink and do drugs when they enter college because they are finally released from under the wing of their parents. On a college campus they are exposed to substances like marijuana and alcohol which can hinder their advancement in education if abused. A popular alcoholic beverage called Four Loko is classified as an energy drink and very popular on college campuses. This drink however is very dangerous and most users were not and still are not aware of it. This alcoholic energy drink is equivalent to two large cups of coffee and 5 beers. A mix of caffeine and alcohol is deadly and should be taken seriously but it usually isn't because users love the drunk and wide awake feeling. Some students have even almost lost their lives because of this beverage and they are still attracted to it because of its cheapness. 
          Regardless of the fun time you want to have in college, be aware of the things that can retain you and keep you there longer than you need to be or kick you out and have you miss out on the most important thing, your education. Enjoy college and be aware. 

http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/parenting-family/teen-ya/2010-11-10-alcoholic-energy-drinks_N.htm

Teen Gun Violence

                                                                                                                       Tamika Beatty
                                                                                                                        3546 Hi Lane
                                                                                                                        Los Texas, California, 28976
Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Mayor of New York City
12 Wall Street
New York, New York, 10345


Dear Mayor Bloomberg, 
          Gun violence is a very prevalent issue in New York City. Guns are dangerous and harmful and they take the lives of our innocent. Someone needs to work to get these guns off the streets and into the hands of officials because there is no reason why people should loose their loved ones to a weapon that is supposedly illegal to carry without a license.
         Why do so many people possess guns? Where do they get them from? These are some of the questions that need to be answered in order for this gun violence in New York City to be stemmed. Already this year 1,590 have been reported to be victims of gun violence and unfortunately for my family and for me, my cousin Genice is included in those numbers. She was shot and killed in August in front of my brother. They were at a store that we saw as the hangout spot. Nothing ever went totally wrong there. We were always relaxing and chilling but now that is not the case. I lost my cousin, who was like a sister to me in front of that store and my wounds will not heal. This gun violence needs to stop! 
          Once again, please try your hardest to do something about the gun violence in New York City so that less people don't have to deal with the loss of a loved one. I wish someone would have took actions too stop or just even decrease gun violence among teens in Staten Island because I would not be suffering the pain of my cousin being buried in the ground instead of around me joking and laughing making my day brighter. So please make efforts to take guns of the streets of New York to decrease the cold deaths among teens.
                                
                                                                                                 Sincerely,
                                                                                        A heartbroken teen
http://www.nytimes.com/keyword/gun-violence

Levy Finally Set Free?

          Chandra Levy was an intern in Washington D.C. She disappeared nearly a decade ago and her disappearance was questioned. Some people thought it had something to do with a romantic connection between her and congressman Gary Condit however officials established that that was not the case. After time, inspectors found similarities in recent murders and the murder of Chandra Levy when her remains were found in Washington's Creek Park. They traced these patterns to a cold blooded killer named Ingmar Guandique, a Salvadorian immigrant. Recently, Guandique was tried for Levy's murder and a verdictrt has been made, yet not put out to the public. 
          It is a shame that people must live in fear because of cases like these. No one would ever think something like this could happen to them, I bet Chandra Levy didn't, yet it happened to her. We all must be aware of our surroundings and trust no one because unfortunately this is where it could get us. So spread awareness and be aware. 


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/specials/chandra/

There Is No Planet B

Environmental Racism; who would have thought that such an issue exists in our world? I definitely wouldn’t have. Yet it does and it is very prevalent in the United States. Is racism that important to the offender that people of color are even targeted and purposely placed in harmful polluted communities where factories are present?  Environmental racism is a shame.

Not only are communities of color being targeted but also people in general. The government and elites in the political system are keeping quiet on crazy facts that we as citizens of the United States who possess human and civil rights should know. Like the fact that 80% of juice boxes that we consume contain lead or that 40% of rain forests were torn down in Central America to pasteurize cattle for the U.S. market burgers. Our environment and our bodies are being destroyed by the government who feel that depopulating the earth is one solution to help the earth. We Americans are unconscious of these facts and more that ultimately affect our bodies and our lives. But one major point that we people must be aware of is the fact that everything is business in this society and in business emotions aren’t taken into consideration. Mr. Zaccai stated that “There is no planet B.” Therefore we must be aware of the tactics the government has to destroy the human population and the earth and we must be aware of the things we do unintentionally that harm the world in which we must live. Go green and help save the earth. Love yourself enough to make a change in your lifestyle and enlighten others about the government and what is happening to the earth so they can make a change also.

 

Self-Assesment

As I sat and read my blogs, I realized that my writing has evolved into something that has been long awaited by me and my English teacher in high school. I now incorporate details and emotion into my writings and one of those emotions I recognized included anger. I wrote many blogs about minorities in society, groups of people who are often times discriminated against. These minorities include Black people and homosexuals. Understanding that this topic was very prevalent in my blogs, I realized that I care about the public and I desire to be a voice for those who cannot speak up for themselves. I was surprised when I read about how passionate I felt about a topic that has been frowned upon by society for so long; homosexuals in the army. I was proud of myself for speaking up for what I believe to be right and I am happy that I used my voice for something positive. Although I was a little skeptical about blogging every week, I have come to value my chance to speak up and say exactly what is on my mind.

Research papers have never been a favorite of mine to write. I never looked forward to conducting research and citing my sources because the process seemed so tedious to me. When Dr. Diaz announced to my English class that we were going to have numerous research papers to write my heart dropped and my eyes closed. However, I had no choice but to complete each assignment. Little did I know, I would soon warm up to writing research papers. As of now, I love conducting research because in the process of it I learn new things. I am comfortable with using technology now because I am so used to conducting research. A weakness of mine is citing sources fully and thoroughly, however, I am strong in the area of doing research. I’m proud that I have evolved so much in my English class and I plan to grow so much more in the next few months.

Reclaim Your Future

             Dr. Ben Carson’s speech at my school, Howard University, truly left me inspired; feeling the need to run out into the world and make a difference. His many words of wisdom struck me in a place I never knew existed. In that moment, I was urged to do things I have never thought of doing before. Listening to his story of him as a young boy in school showed me that just because you made mistakes in your past doesn’t mean your future is going to be a definite failure. His words told me that regardless of mistakes and how you start off in school, whether it is receiving bad grades or disrespecting other students or even teachers, the most important thing is to make a turn around. Then your future will turn out brighter than ever because there was a lesson learned and a struggle to produce great progression.

                Dr. Carson inspired me to speak up for what I believe in and how I feel because that is exactly what “a university is for”. (Convocation Speech) We were brought here to refresh the world with different views and ideas about important issues in our lives; for if we think like others have thought, we are nothing “special”. We are merely a repeat of what others have done and we stand out in no way. Conformity is a form of suicide and if we choose to hide who we really are and how we think, the world will find itself in self-destruction.

                Dr. Ben Carson stated that “The person who has the most to do with what happens to you is you. You can actually control your own destiny.” (Convocation Speech) He is absolutely right. I choose whether or not to do work for class, I choose when I will sleep and when I will study. I choose whether to go out or stay in. And today, because of Dr. Carson’s inspirational words, I choose to always stand out and become exactly what I wanted to be years ago. I will keep my dreams regardless of what others say and I will reclaim my future.

www.howard.edu

Black Church or No Church

     Many people believe that Black churches have evolved into something that should be interrogated and frowned upon. They recall Black churches in the past to be completely focused on religion and all aspects of it; Jesus and the fullness of the Bible. They remember praising in sincerity and concentrating on living right to ensure their entry into the pearly gates of heaven. 

     As of now, Black churches are viewed as materialistic and monetarily motivated. Pastors, preachers and ministers are not expected to have a yearly income that contains six digits or more, for if they do it is suspected that they forgot where they came from and are now caught up in the world. A lot of pressure is being placed on the pastors of today especially after the Eddie Long case. However, I still believe that one person shouldn't screw up the views of others. And it must be kept in mind that people make mistakes and no one is perfect; even the man or woman leading the house of God. 

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20022204-504083.html

Don't Ask Don't Tell

For years, American citizens who are homosexuals, have been told that they are not able to serve openly in the military with the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy. This law seems outrageous to many people who believe that this is an act of discrimination. However, others simply want to keep up the traditions of America. They believe that being gay is an abomination and they view homosexuals, especially gay men, as weak and incapable of serving. But where is the "liberty and justice for all" located in this law? There is none. The liberties that we have are shadowed upon because America is built on lies and materialistic endeavors. The most important things, like serving your country and making and impact on someone's life, are overlooked because the vast majority of Americans are instead focused on money and power. This Don't Ask Don't Tell law deprives human beings of their natural rights and also with a blow to the heart because it basically states that homosexuals are not welcome in society and that they might not be humans either. I don't understand how one can have the freedom to be gay, yet keep it a secret. This large secret is causing many homosexuals to commit suicide. By hiding who they truly are, homosexuals lose themselves and their identity. America needs to get it together because right now our constitution and pledge of allegiance are nothing but mere statements that prove the total opposite of what America represents.


http://www.sldn.org/pages/about-dadt

Understanding and Progressing

          African Americans possess a painful past that seems hard or even impossible to forget. For instance, we find it difficult to let go of the harsh memories that include our ancestors being forced to endure frequent beatings and watch as their loved ones were taken away from them to never be seen again. Furthermore, other parts of our history are stained with the element of racism at  work  and even on the streets. D.W.B., also known as Driving While Black, is an example of the racism that we face even now. Getting pulled over and receiving a ticket for no apparent reason (besides race) is despicable. Still, President Barack Obama stressed in his speech A More Perfect Union, that in order to solve the challenges of our time, which definitely include racism, we must understand that we have many differences i.e. our appearances, our origins and our stories; however, we all desire to “move in the same direction.” We all wish to create better lives for our future generations. Therefore, it is the duty of us African Americans to strive to let go of the past because progression accompanied with a grudge is impossible. 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrp-v2tHaDo