Write about a poem or song lyric

I picked the song “Same Love” by Macklemore because it is about gay marriage and all the hate that people who like the same sex have been getting. I think that the song creates a message about a social issue that is argued about and expressed in a bad way. In the first verse he starts out with, “The right-wing conservatives think it’s a decision, and that at you can be cured by some treatment in religion.”  These lyrics explain how some people think that being gay is a decision and that it can be fixed by some sort of medicine. I think this is very true and should not be happening. This is a big issue right now and is being argued about a lot. Some people think it should be illegal and some people this it should be legal.  Like Macklemore also says in his song, “If I was gay I would think hip-hop hates me have you read the YouTube comments lately? “”Man, that’s gay”” gets dropped on the daily…” People say “Man, that’s gay” and “You’re so gay” a lot. Even when you’re walking down the street or in a restaurant. It is a choice and anyone can have a feeling for or believe in. Just like Macklemore says in his song

Letter to Ms.Berner

Dear Ms.Berner,

I have come to think that some content in 6^th grade libraries is not appropriate for children. I think you and the school should take control and label these books appropriately instead of banning books. I think that the banning of books is taking away from a child’s world of books and fantasy.

                As Dr.Shira Gabriel says, “reading can affect your personality.” Gabriel also thinks that books should definitely NOT be banned. “We should not ban books” Gabriel says, “It takes away possible pathways and brainpower that they will not get.” Gabriel recently conducted an experiment taking 140 undergraduates and gave them excerpts from The Harry Potter Series and Twilight. After 2 weeks, the students were found to be healthier, smarter, and more imaginative. This shows that reading can definitely effect your ability to be imaginative and healthy.

                Also, as “Age-related Books: Right or Wrong” says, “Children are taught to read covers, age guidance is available already… This is not what kids want.” Another source says that Perks of Being a Wallflower is being re-evaluated for banning. “If eight year old's want to read an 11+ book, they can’t, this is definitely not what kids want. This is another example of how reading can effect a child’s world of imagination and a child’s fantasy.

                The article, “Why Captain underpants is the Most Banned Book in America” states that the book contains, “Potty Humor” and words like “That old guy” and “mean”. I understand that adults might get offended by the “That old guy” stuff because it can be offensive to older people, but if I was to ban every book that said that, there would be no books left to read! This is yet another reason why books should not be banned.

                In conclusion, I think that banning books is not right for a number of reasons. But overall I think you should have a good, legitimate reason to ban a book before trying to ban it. But it makes you think, why would people be this aggressive towards books? What can we do to stop banning? And finally, what book will be banned next.

Persepolis RRE

In the book "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi, the main character Marji, wants to go out into the world and do something. She grew up in Iran where there were bombings, war, and death all around her. Her neighbors house was bombed and she lost a lot of people she loved. This contributed to one of the main issues in this book. Even though there is war and bombing,  Marji has a lot of issues going on in her life.\

One example of an issue in this book is war. Marji's parents are trying desperately to get her out of Iran because there is bombing and destruction everywhere. But most planes are not running because of the war. When they finally get her out of the country she is 9 years old. They are sending her to England to board with nuns in an old chapel. Her parents say they will meet her in 6 months after the war passes by but she knows they will never want to leave there home country. She also knows that it is quite possible that they get killed. She feels very bad for leaving. For example, in the text it says, "It was the beginning of the war, had to run to the basement because we were being bombed. It was horrible." This shows that war is a major issue in this book.

All in all, There were many issues in this book. Some of these issues being war and child neglect. I think that Marji has a hard life that was greatly affected by war and that she was just trying to live a normal life. I also think she had a hard childhood because she didn't have much parental guidance.

Samuel Eckstein

           Samuel Cohen-Eckstein was not just a person, but a symbol. To me, he was a symbol of peace, friendship, a loving brother, and overall a great person. You could just picture him now, riding onto the turf on his red scooter, taking free-kicks, and catching footballs. When you think about it you think, it shouldn't have been him. But should it have been anybody? Just saying it was the wrong person at the wrong time is not true. The wrong time, yes but the wrong person? Samuel Cohen-Eckstein may not have deserved it, but I don't think anyone did. Sammy was loved by all and adored by students as well as teachers.
          The shock was the hardest part. Walking off the bus and seeing everyone huddled together and asking, what happened? Then thinking everyone was joking until you saw there faces and realized it wasn't a joke. After that it was a tidal wave of crying and hugging and tears. Saying, should we go inside? Should we stay out here? Everyone was so disoriented that nobody knew what to do. We eventually herded ourselves inside and sat down. All you could hear from outside was crying and yelling "Sammy!"
          Even though dealing with Sammy's death was hard, it helps you learn how much people actually love a person. It also brings you to ask yourself, what will tomorrow be like? What will next week be like? What will the rest of the year be like? I don't think that matters, as long as we have each other. He is in a better place now, God bless him.

Reading Response Essay #2

In the book Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, There are many issues. One of these issues being war. This issue are not treated that well throughout the course of this book.
      One way the issue is not treated is that 'Verity', the main character, is captured during World War II when her plane is crashed in Nazi-Territory. When her squadron finds this out, they don't go after her and don't help her. For example, in the book it says, "I cannot believe that they did not come back for me, rotten buggers..." This proves that issues are not being treated.
      Another example of how issues are not being treated in this book is because when Maddie, Verity's best friend writes back to the RAF's (Royal Air Force)  headquarters to tell them that they have left behind Verity, they say that she wasn't qualified to write to them because she was a woman. And at that time nobody cared. For example in the text it says, "You cannot receive or write to anyone in the RAF because you have not the necessary qualifications. Women cannot write to RAF figures." This is another way that issues are not being treated in the book.
      In conclusion, I think that Code Name Verity taught us that sometimes you have to face situations like this alone. It also teaches us that even though it may seem that you have the hardest hardships of them all, that is most likely not true.

Reading Response Essay #1

In the picture book, Faithful Elephants By Yukio Tsuchiya, A war is hitting Japan and the government is making Ueno zoo kill all the animals due to the safety of the people. One of the themes in this book is you have to make sacrifices you don't want to make.
      One example of this is true is because if bomb's were dropped on the animal's cages then the cages could break and then the animals would escape and run wild. They could injure or hurt innocent people. For example, in the text it says, "If the cages broke and the animals escaped to run through the streets, it would be terrible!" Because of this, they had to kill all the animals. This is one reason why sometimes you have to make sacrifices you don't want to make.
      Another example of why this is true is because at first, they wanted to send the animals to Sendai but if the bomb's fell on Sendai then the cages would break and the animals would escape. For example, in the text it says, "But what if the bombs dropped on Sendai? If the elephants got loose and ran wild in the streets?" This is why sometimes you have to make sacrifices that you don't want to make.
      In conclusion, Faithful Elephants shows us that there are a lot of pain and sacrifices that sometimes you have to endure,  but on the inside you will know that what you did ensured someone else's safety.

From Baghdad With Love

     This summer I read a book called From Baghdad With Love by Jay Kopelman and Melinda Roth. It is a true story about a soldier who was a commander in the war with Iraq. In the beginning of the book, John finds a stray dog. The species is a Lava dog so his squad named it Lava. They are not allowed to keep pets in the Army so they had to keep the dog in secret. They were supposed to let him go but they got too attached. The reason they are not allowed to have pets in the Army is because they think that if you get too attached to your pet, then you could forget that you're supposed to kill, and it will make you not able to focus on the war at hand. You could get distracted. A warm, fluffy, friendly creature is usually not the best way to think about fighting a war.
      Throughout the book, John has to find ways to get this puppy out of Iraq and to the United States before anyone finds out that they are keeping a pet. He is trying find a way to send Lava out and when he finds that his friend is going on leave for six weeks, he asks him if he can take Lava back. He can, but Lava needs vaccinations to leave the country.
      Eventually, at the last minute John finds a way to get the vaccinations. He gets him out of the country safely and it's a happy ending! I think that this is really heart-warming and touching book about two faithful companions who help each other get through difficulties like war. Definitely a must-read.