Illegal Immigration

A problem that the United States is facing and has been facing is illegal immigration. Many illegal immigrants come to the United States wanting to better their lives and thier families lives and people in the United States are opposed to the idea of immigrants living here illegally, as we see in the above cartoon. This cartoon displays very well the role of an illegal immigrant in the United States as well as the opposing view. The man on the left is an illegal immigrant and the text behind him shows very well what he does daily. The man works hard for very little sending that little amount of money to his family back home while the man on the right simply opposes. It is sad to see that people that actually want to better their lives have a hard time getting by therefore there should be a policy that lightens the process of citizenship.

Journal Response

Q: Think about the last time you saw a homeless person. What was your reaction? Did you help them in anyway? Why or why not?

A: The last time I saw a homeless person was when I got off the freeway going to school. I  did not really have a reaction to seeing the man. It was expected since I take the freeway to school. I did not help them because I did not have any cash. I have before, like when they have signs that say "hungry" I have given them food that I had. However, I am a little uncertain about helping all homeless people because of the stereotypes that have been imposed about homeless people using their money for drugs or alchohol but when I can and have it in my heart to help someone, I do.

We read three articles about homelessness. One of the articles called “The Meanest Cities” was about the many cities throughout America that impose laws against the homeless population and “…criminalize such activities as sitting, eating, or sleeping in public spaces by making them violations of local ordinances.” So basically, instead of helping the homeless population get out of that state of homelessness, they make laws that make things like sleeping on a bench a crime. This article also discusses how the help that homeless people may have received in the past also is cut in certain cities. The author explains that “[s]tatues in some cities even go so far as to restrict charitable organizations from providing food to poor people in public spaces, with threats of fines up to $2,000.” These regulations cut back the help homeless people receive and may even fine charitable organizations. Another article we read was called “Throw the Bums Out: But Do So with Compassion –Coolidge Style Compassion.” This author is completely against homeless people and he basically believes that homeless people should fend for themselves and why cities “put up with” the homeless people that inhabit those cities. Another article named “Culture of Cruelty” discusses how an author named Mickey Kaus wrote a booked called The End of Equality where he discusses his view on the population that are on welfare and bashes on the poor black community and asks why they can’t just get a job and join the mainstream of society. I agree with the author that wrote “The Meanest Cities” because he discusses the cities that impose laws against homeless people which aren’t right and even things like getting thrown off the bus even with a valid bus ticket is a little extreme in my opinion. Most importantly though, he discusses things that should be done to help homeless people move out of that position, or even help prevent homelessness before it actually happens. I disagree with the author that wrote “Throw the Bums Out: But Do So with Compassion –Coolidge Style Compassion.” I dislike how he just says everyone should just take care of themselves. Yes, everyone needs to learn how to be independent but there are some homeless people that are mentally ill and really need the help of others. We should learn how to be a little more selfless and care about others more instead of looking down on them. If we were in their shoes, homeless and needing to find food on a daily basis, we would all understand the hardships they truly go through and beg for help.

Final Draft- Essay 1

Jocelyn Castañeda

Professor Martin

English 114B

5 March 2012

Children Need Rules?

            When people think of discipline, they might think harsh restricting rules and spankings when really discipline simply “…means establishing and adhering to rules of behavior” (“About Raising Children”). Many times, children hate rules and think restrictions are not necessary for a healthy life. However, it is quite the opposite. Children need rules and regulations are essential for a child’s healthy development because the child will know right from wrong, will grow up to be civilized and will be prepared for the future and its obstacles, and be able to handle life’s responsibilities.

            First, setting rules for a child will teach him or her right from wrong and it is important for children to understand morals so they can comport themselves well in society. Many parents found

“…the importance of actively teaching values and basic morals so the children can comport themselves well in society. Parents found the following methods of socializing their children useful: assigning household tasks and responsibilities; religious affiliation; insistence that the children treat others with kindness; respect and honesty; emphasis on table manners and social graces in the house; part-time jobs outside of the house when the children are old enough and setting examples of integrity and honor.” (“About Raising Children”)

It is important that children understand that being civilized is important for the future just like all rules are necessary for the future benefit of them and those surrounding them. Parents should also explain why morals are important. We see that even in The Glass Castle where Jeanette’s’ parents did not enforce many rules upon their children, yet they still managed to impose manners on them. “’Such good manners,” the waitress would exclaim, because Mom and Dad made us say. “sir” and. “ma’am” and. “yes please” and. “thank you’” (66). We see that even in the midst of their parents not setting any rules for their children, they still managed to teach them respect and this made them a pleasure when being around other people.

            Furthermore, rules that are restricting and possess consequences are necessary so that the child knows that those rules are enforced and this way later on they will understand that there are rules in the outside world and those rules are enforced as well. After all, what are rules without consequences? When the child does something wrong, parents must be firm when enforcing consequences. “Be firm saying what you will do and doing what you have said. Punish them as soon as possible after the bad behavior. Discipline is an essential preparation for the outside world” (“About Raising Children”). Parents cannot let the child think they can get away with bad behavior. We see an example of this in The Glass Castle when Jeanette speaks against her mother and is punished for the way she disrespected her. “Dad seemed to be waiting for me to drop my eyes, to apologize and tell him I was wrong…I expected him to turn and walk away but there were six stinging blows on the back of my thighs…” (263). We see that she did not want to apologize so her consequence was a whipping and I’m sure she learned her lesson after six stinging blows.

            Moreover, making rules but also being lenient with adolescents is useful. As a parent you want your child to grow up to have a healthy lifestyle. “With adolescents, negotiation is a useful approach. Once in a while, it is good for the parent and child to adjust to the rules a little” (“About Raising Children”). Being lenient is mostly helpful with adolescents because they have a better understanding of rules and can comply better with them than if they were younger. However, a parent also does not want to appear as a hovering parent or in other words a “helicopter mom”. Parents have to set rules, enforce them and be lenient when necessary, but cannot let the child think that they can mold the rules to their own benefit.

            In addition, some rules are age appropriate and very necessary. For example, imposing rules on curfew is more for adolescents. A parent would not set this rule for their five year old. Many times adolescents do not understand the point of curfew but is for the safety of him or her and for the best interest. I remember when I was in high school, my parents were pretty lenient with my curfew and let me come home at 11 p.m. and since I lived down the street from my high school I always thought that that was pretty early for curfew. However, one day, when a football game ended early a couple of friends and I were all walking to a fast food restaurant, when we were pulled over by the police and were lectured on the dangerous of the streets at those hours and almost got a curfew ticket. I learned that coming home late not only would disappoint my parents as well as get me in trouble, but would also be dangerous even if my friends and I were all together and it was illegal for students to be out late at night.

On the other hand, if parents set too many rules for their children they will not have a healthy lifestyle and will not know how to deal with hardships by themselves. “No less important, though, is that a generation of kids who’ve been overindulged, overprotected, and generally over-parented seems to be overwhelmingly unprepared to live in the real world” (McGrath 2). Setting too many rules can reduce their own independence as well. Many people argue that parents set too many rules and it is either because times are getting harder with all the current problems or streets are getting more and more dangerous, more so than the previous generations.

In addition, being lenient can work on both ends. The child will learn how to deal with hardships on their own and will teach them more responsibilities. As for the parents, it sets standards for their children and encourages them to make goals on their own. “Initially, children should be given the liberty of deciding minor issues; later the range of issues can be increased little by little” (“About Raising Children”). It is good to let children gain insight on issues and chose by themselves so that later on they will learn how to deal with bigger problems on their own and they will gain independence along with dealing with their own issues.

Many times parents forget that their children will grow up to become adults themselves and this may affect how strict their rules will be towards their children. This often happens to youngest children and/or only children. But especially as parents, they should understand that kids grow up just as they did. “Developing realistic expectations about raising children was also mentioned. It was advised that one should expect mistakes and recognize that external influences—such as peer pressure—will increase as the children mature” (“About Raising Children”). There are many things that parents do not have control over such as external influences but that is when thinking realistically has to come in.

In brief, setting rules are essential for a child’s healthy development so they can grow up to be successful people. They will recognize what is right from wrong. They will learn what it is like to deal with issues on their own, gain independence, inner strength and responsibilities as well. Most importantly, they will be well prepared for the real world. We see that even in The Glass Castle, the parents imposed few rules and still three of four children grew up to very successful people with the exception of the youngest child.

Works Cited

“About Raising Children”

http://www.aces.edu/pubs/speng/razngpub.pdf

McGrath, Tom. “Bad Parents.” Sept. 2007:1-8 phillymag.com web. 1 February 2012

Walls, Jeanette. The Glass Castle. New York: Scribner, 2005. Print.

Community Service

http://us.reachout.com/bullying?gclid=CMjs7KbHzK4CFcoZQgodPnshXw
Above is the link I found that helps people out with bullying. The website is very useful and I even learned things that I did not know before. This website explains what cyberbullying is, it helps people and guides them on what to do if he or she is being bullied. The website also has stories of people that were bullied themselves and it also has audio stories. The website gives the facts about bullying like what are signs of people that are being bullied and it has real stories as well as how to help a person that has been bullied speak out and share their own personal story. Most importantly, it has ways of getting help if a person is getting bullied, for example finding people to support you and finding different kinds of treatment.

Blog Post for February 27

After watching the first half of Pay it Forward, you are already introduced the concept of “paying it forward”. What do you think of this concept? Do you think it works? Discuss a time where you feel like you “paid it forward”. How did it make you feel?

The concept of “paying it forward” is very interesting! The idea of doing good deeds and expecting people to carry on those good deeds so that it eventually spreads on to the world is very surprising. Like someone said in the film, it takes a huge amount of faith to put that kind of concept into motion. I think that it can work, however, everyone is different. If someone does a good deed, hopefully that would touch the other persons heart and that would inspire them to do a good deed themselves. I also believe that if the person truly wants to do good deeds, it has to come from their heart to truly inspire others to do the same. There have been a couple of times where I feel like I have “paid it forward”. Once, when I was having a bad day, I rode my bike down to the beach and I had a peanut butter jelly sandwich in my back pack that I didn’t eat at school earlier that day. So on my way back home from the beach, there was a young guy with a sign that said “hungry”, so I stopped riding my bike, went over to him and told him I had a sandwich and I gave it to him. He was very grateful for it. It made me feel good and happy despite my rough day. I felt accomplished because despite my rough day, I made his even rougher day that much better with a simple act of kindness.

Blog Post 2/19/12

Read Epstein’s list on page 49 in his article, “What Makes a Good Parent?”, and identify how each parent from The Glass Castle individually rates on this list. Pick at least two of their strongest points and at least two of their weakest points and explain why you assessed them the way you did. Be specific and defend your assessments and don’t forget to assess the parents individually because they were two different parents with their own methods of parenting.

Both Jeanette’s parents scored similarly on Epstein’s list of “What Makes a Good Parent”. The first on the list is Love and Affection and I rated her parents individually from zero to ten, zero being the lowest rating and ten being the highest rating, I would say her mother scores a four on the love and affection and her father scores a seven. This is so because her father was more affectionate and tried to spend time with his kids and tried to do things like give his kids a star. He would try to show he cared for his kids when he could. Her mother on the other hand was less affectionate. She was always in her own world, working on a painting but I never saw she did anything affectionate with Jeanette or her siblings. When it comes to stress management, they both scored a two because I never saw an example of her parents practicing relaxation techniques. They did not really have a positive way of dealing with stress; they individually dealt with it in a negative way. Her father would disappear for days and her mother would be depressed. In relationship skills, they both got a one. They did not have the best relationship with each other and the example that they were setting for their kids was a negative one. There was sometimes when her father would beat his mom or just be aggressive towards her when he was drunk. They did not really hold any relationships with other people either so they didn’t have positive examples to show. Her parents were both rated a six when it came to autonomy and independence. They did encourage independence in their kids. They had that kind of attitude of being self-reliant. On education and learning, they both scored an eight. They scored the same because they both in some ways had their own way in encouraging their kids to pursue education, if not directly it been subtlety. For example, her mother wanted to become a painter, so she would always be working on a painting and didn’t give up on her dream despite the harsh reality, and that inspired Jeanette’s sister to pursue painting as well. Her father had a dream as well to make a more efficient way of burning fuel and despite his harsh reality as well, he didn’t give up on that plan either and that influenced his kids as well. Life skills was also on the list, and the description was providing for a child with a steady income and planning for the future. Jeanette’s parents had zero of those kinds of life skills. They never had a steady income because her father could not keep a job for too long, her mother didn’t work; only when absolutely necessary. And they didn’t make realistic future plans. Their situation was always an adventure; they would just pick up and leave. In behavior management, Jeanette’s mother scored a three and her father a six. They never really did punish their kids, her mother had a careless attitude and her father did enforce punishment when Jeanette or one of her siblings spoke against an elder person. Modeling a healthy lifestyle was on the list and they both scored a two. They hardly had food for their kids to eat, Jeanette was forced to look in the trash can for scraps of food that other kids left, and sometimes they would go days without food. Religion was also on the list and her mother scored a two and her father a zero. Her mother tried to go to church a few times but her father on the other hand never liked it. He would be drunk and speak against what they would say. Finally, her mother scored a one on the safety and her father a three. The one occasion that comes to mind was when Jeanette was severely burned at the age of three and her mother was not there to insure her safety and after she was burned she was strangely calm. Her father said would say that he would keep them safe and for the most part he did.

Jeanette’s mother strongest points were that she encouraged independence as well as education and learning. She inspired Jeanette’s older sister to pursue art and that pushed her to move to New York. Her weakest points were relationship skills and health because she did not show positive relationship skills with Jeanette’s father. They would not communicate and they would sometimes result in physical violence. Health was a weak point because she never went out to do exercise. She was depressed and would just be lying in bed.

Her father’s strong points were love and affection along with education and learning. He would try to spend time with his children and give them some sort of hope, that one day they were going to build the glass castle. He also had plans of making a more efficient way of burning fuel and that showed his children that he was smart and subtlety implanting an example of learning. His weak points were religion and relationship skills. He did not agree with religion and spoke out against them in the middle of a mass. His relationship skills were not the best; he often got into physical altercations with Jeanette’s mother and even held her out of a window once.

On one hand Jeannette Walls describes the squalor she and her family lived in: hunger, poverty, garbage, lack of basic necessities. On the other, she describes the rich intellectual world her parents imparted: discussions of geology, math, literature, art. In light of the fact that three out of the four Walls children became successful, productive members of society, what do you think is more important to children’s development: comfortable living conditions or an enriching intellectual environment? 

Both, comfortable living conditions and enriching intellectual environment are essential to a child's development because if there is a good balance to these things the child will grow up to be successful. If there was a child with comfortable living conditions but no enriched intellectual environment, then the child will not know how to handle him or her self later on in the future. When someone gets so comfortable with a certain type of life style or living conditions they might not know what else to do with their life, they stay complacent. However, when a child has a comfortable living condition and knowledge he or she can be successful and having knowledge can gain them independence later on in the future.