Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Thoughts on Ferguson
A Missouri grand jury refused to indict a police patrolman in the shooting of Mike Brown, a black man. Now, there are riots and protests happening all over the country.
Darren Wilson, the police patrolman, said in a testimony that Mr.Brown aggressively laid his hands on Wilson while the officer was still in his cruiser, alone. Mr.Brown isn't here to tell his side of the story. I was shocked when I found out there were so many people defending Wilson. It's just hard to believe that Wilson needed to shoot Mike Brown more than five times on order to defend himself. It makes you think he must have had underlying rage. Even if they were both the same race, it's the police patrolman's job to ensure the safety of the unarmed individual rather than put an obscene amount of bullets in him. One shot to the leg would've sufficed. This is why it's become a race problem.
Although some of the protests are a bit extreme they're very necessary. You can't expect people to accept this and stay quiet. We need to raise awareness and encourage people to speak up for those who don't have a voice.
This isn't just about Mike Brown, it's about racism. It's about respecting all life. It's about black kids feeling like their lives matter and are just as valuable as everyone else's. It's not just about one person; it's about the ugly face of racism.
Darren Wilson, the police patrolman, said in a testimony that Mr.Brown aggressively laid his hands on Wilson while the officer was still in his cruiser, alone. Mr.Brown isn't here to tell his side of the story. I was shocked when I found out there were so many people defending Wilson. It's just hard to believe that Wilson needed to shoot Mike Brown more than five times on order to defend himself. It makes you think he must have had underlying rage. Even if they were both the same race, it's the police patrolman's job to ensure the safety of the unarmed individual rather than put an obscene amount of bullets in him. One shot to the leg would've sufficed. This is why it's become a race problem.
Although some of the protests are a bit extreme they're very necessary. You can't expect people to accept this and stay quiet. We need to raise awareness and encourage people to speak up for those who don't have a voice.
This isn't just about Mike Brown, it's about racism. It's about respecting all life. It's about black kids feeling like their lives matter and are just as valuable as everyone else's. It's not just about one person; it's about the ugly face of racism.
Book Club Post 11/19
After finishing the book I noticed many changes in Laura Hillenbrand's writing style. At first, she relied on quotes and recalling personal events and in the third part of the book the story becomes more fact based. She does a fantastic job of being historically accurate. I found myself losing interest because there were too many details of battles and other events. It started to sound more like a history textbook than a profile on Louis Zamperini.
I would definitely say that this book is a profile, but one thing I noticed was how the story changed from a profile to an essay of place. In the second and third parts, Laura Hillenbrand is describing the situation during World War II and being a prisoner of war in Japanese prisons. The focus turns away from Louis and becomes more about his surroundings.
I would definitely say that this book is a profile, but one thing I noticed was how the story changed from a profile to an essay of place. In the second and third parts, Laura Hillenbrand is describing the situation during World War II and being a prisoner of war in Japanese prisons. The focus turns away from Louis and becomes more about his surroundings.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Death of a Playmate
After reading this piece, I can see how a magazine feature allows for more creativity and it has less of a strict structure. I had trouble following the story because of the way it was set up, but the writing was easy to follow. At times the story wasn't engaging and it was very long. Teresa Carpenter used multiple quotes. I didn't always feel like they added to the story. She was also able to include other people's thoughts on certain issues. Carpenter unveiled a side of Dorothy not many had seen before and talked about problems with her marriage. The topic was interesting, but I enjoyed reading "Pearls Before Breakfast" more.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Book Club Post 3 - 10/29
By the third part of the book, Laura Hillenbrand has finally gone back to preface at the beginning of the story. Louie and some crew members are sent on a rescue mission to search for the missing B-24. Ironically, on this rescue mission the engines on their plane begin failing and they crash in the middle of the ocean.
The author uses vivid language that forces the reader to become emotionally invested with Louie's story, especially because we know it's a true story. Mac, one of the members on the crew, becomes insane. The trauma of the crash causes him to be so distraught and I really felt for him. I was surprised as to how strongly a person can be shaken. However, weeks later, Mac becomes a hero, and he saves Louie's life. Hillenbrand does a great job showing the multiple sides and layers of every character.
After 47 days, they finally see land, but a Japanese boat gets in their way and they become prisoners of war. The fact that Louie survives under all if the extreme circumstances is a miracle. The odds were never in his favor. The author's description of the torture they endured is historically accurate and intense. Hillenbrand mention the "Night of a Thousand Suicides." In the Japanese culture, people believed that becoming a prisoner of war would bring shame to family, and a family's dignity is above all.
The author uses vivid language that forces the reader to become emotionally invested with Louie's story, especially because we know it's a true story. Mac, one of the members on the crew, becomes insane. The trauma of the crash causes him to be so distraught and I really felt for him. I was surprised as to how strongly a person can be shaken. However, weeks later, Mac becomes a hero, and he saves Louie's life. Hillenbrand does a great job showing the multiple sides and layers of every character.
After 47 days, they finally see land, but a Japanese boat gets in their way and they become prisoners of war. The fact that Louie survives under all if the extreme circumstances is a miracle. The odds were never in his favor. The author's description of the torture they endured is historically accurate and intense. Hillenbrand mention the "Night of a Thousand Suicides." In the Japanese culture, people believed that becoming a prisoner of war would bring shame to family, and a family's dignity is above all.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Book Club Post 2 - 10/15
The story has been fascinating so far. During our group's discussion last week we wondered how Laura Hillenbrand found out about Louie Zamperini because he was much older. Hillenbrand had been writing a story about a Depression-era race horse and she was reading a 1938 clipping about a horse when she happened to turn it around. It was a profile on Louie Zamperini. She heard about him again later on and decided to send him a letter. He replied and told her his story and that's how it came about. We have already read nearly 200 pages of the book and the amount of research she conducted is unbelievable. At times, just one paragraph holds ten stories.There are so many details and she manages to make it really easy to follow. Louie's character shines through and I can't wait to finish reading the book.
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