Open Letter to all Parents

Dear Parents,
The main thing I'd like to tell you all is "Let them." Let them stay out till 4 AM. Let them have a week-long sleepover. Let them fail a class. Let them take the train at two in the morning. Let them get a job. Let them have the house to themselves for an entire weekend. Let them learn.
By a certain age, there's not more teaching that you can do. At that point, it is up to your kids to figure things out on their own. And you should let them, no matter how much of a fail you know it's going to be. Clearly, they don't think it will, so give them a chance to prove you wrong. Give them your opinion, tell them why you think something is a bad idea but in the end don't tell them to not do it. No matter how stupid. If they want to do something, there's a reason behind it, even if that reason may just be "It's fun." Let them have their fun then, no matter what they consider to be fun. Sure, sometimes it really may be the worst idea in the entire world, but they'll learn. Maybe it'll turn out okay, and then both you and them may learn that that something was not in fact stupid.
Don't worry about us. We have a way of getting out of situations and if we know that you're trustworthy and won't get mad because we're not making the best choices, maybe we'll even ask you for help if we need it. And if we don't ask for help, don't worry either: we're working it out and you don't have to know everything. If we see that you're okay with us trying random things, there's a possibility that we'll tell you a bit more about ourselves. And whatever we may tell you, be okay with it. Offer your opinion but don't do anything. Chances are, if we really did do something bad, then we already learned from the situation and now know either A) don't do it again or B) do it differently or C) how to not get caught doing that again.
Yes, you have more life experience than us. But that doesn't affect us in any way. We have to have our own life experience, the whole "learn from your mistakes." And not everything that was a mistake for you, has to be a mistake for us. Somethings will work out for us, even if they didn't for you or anyone else that you know.
But the thing is, let us because even if you don't, we'll still figure out a way to do what we wanted to do. The difference is whether you'll make it easier and help us out (hint: don't stay up waiting for us to come home, we eventually will) or whether we'll have to do it all in secrecy. And once you start letting us do more, still don't expect us to tell you everything. And don't do the "I told you so," because we remember what you said.
So let us.
Sincerely,
a daughter

Civic Duty: All People Should

There are some things that are expected of all people, things like simple manners, saying please and thank you, and so on. But then there are things that the government expects of us, such as voting, serving on a jury, signing a petition, paying taxes, volunteering. I think it is completely natural of the government to expect such things from us. After all, we are citizens of this country and not another. That is why all people should participate in the responsibilities that come with being a citizen of a country. These responsibilities also allow us to take part in the government. We're lucky that we can sign petitions, protest, and vote, so we should take advantage of these opportunities that many other people in other countries don't have. Civic duty is a way of showing that we are grateful for having these responsibilities. Along with these government-related activities, we should also remember to respect the rights of others. Just because we have the freedom of speech and a lot more freedoms than other people, doesn't mean that we can abuse that power, which is why we're also expected to be respectful. We should help others when we see that they need it, starting with simple things such as giving up your seat for elders, pregnant women, or anyone who needs it more than you,  or holding the door for others or saying thank you when someone does something nice for you. Sometimes people forget common courtesy and I think being courteous is included in civic duty.

Of course the government also shouldn't abuse its power. Just like citizens should respect each other, the government should respect its citizens. It can do so by listening to citizens' concerns and reacting to their needs and demands.

We've all heard the "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" thing, and even though it doesn't always work, we can hope that others will notice the example we're setting and remember their responsibilities. And even if they don't, we can do nice things simply because they feel good.

Is poverty a choice?

There isn't one standard for poverty. It differs across the world. And as it differs, so do the opportunities for getting out of poverty. It is easier to get out of poverty in a country like the United States where 15% of the population lives under the poverty line versus in a country such as Haiti where the poverty rate is 77% and about 80% of the country lives on less than $2 per day. In the United States, we have several welfare programs to help those in need. This greatly increases one's chances of getting out of poverty. But that doesn't mean poverty is a choice. I'm certain that no one is choosing to live in poverty. The choice one does have is whether they take advantage of their opportunities. Of course, not every country will have these opportunities and taking advantage of these opportunities doesn't necessarily mean one will get out of poverty anyways. Even after working hard, one may still not get out of poverty. And not working at all doesn't mean one will live in poverty. It's not like one single decision can place someone in poverty. We have no choice on the first "decision," which is the family one is born into. If someone is born into a rich family, they probably won't ever get to poverty.
So poverty isn't exactly a choice. There isn't one clear path to avoid poverty. Sometimes there isn't even a path to get out. But there are steps to take that can help one improve his or her situation and make getting out of poverty a reality.

Integration

We live in a bubble here at school. Our school is really diverse, so it’s strange to look around and see places that are segregated and not diverse. One doesn’t have to look far: Chicago itself is a diverse, yet segregated city. There are often neighborhoods that are just one race. I assume that one of the reasons for this is de facto segregation, which is segregation that happens that isn’t required by law, usually out of habit. Once segregation ended, people were used to where they were living and didn’t want to move, so they just stayed in their segregated neighborhoods. As generations passed, there has been moving around and more integration, but many stayed in those same neighborhoods. Some people may feel more comfortable around their own race and therefore try to stay near them. Of course, this isn’t a general rule. Some people may segregate subconsciously and others may be making a conscious choice, while some people simply don’t care. I’m glad that I go to a school like Whitney Young. I think I’m much more open-minded than I would be if I had gone to a different school. I think integration starts from schools: depending on what a child is exposed to at a young age will affect their views later. Therefore schools should be as diverse as Whitney Young so that children are taught that integration is a good thing from the beginning. 

Malcolm X

What I really like about "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" is Malcolm's honesty. He is always upfront about everything. When he talks about his times of being a hustler, he tells all the details of his hustles. He includes how he was a drug dealer, a burglar, and more. He even gives advice through the eyes of a burglar: to protect your home against burglars, leave the light on in the bathroom. He speaks of his constant drug usage and how he was "trigger-happy." All of these details make Malcolm's story much more memorable and realistic. We see the whole story, not just parts that make someone seem better. We see what Malcolm has come from and what he's gone through, which has all led him to the person he is today.

Malcolm's attention to detail also helps complete his story. He remembers where he learned what in which book. He remembers big chunks of his speeches. He describes what he felt during each situation. He also includes the story of Mr. Yacub. While I don't agree with the story (one shouldn't blame an entire race for all of one's problems and not everyone from that race is the same), it's one of the sections I remember most in the book. It's full of information and sets the basis for Malcolm's religion. 

In general, Malcolm X is a talented writer. The way he tells his story interests me and I want to see what would happen next. The reader gets a good idea of what led Malcolm to become who he was.

Is King still King?

Of course Martin Luther King Jr. is still king. Just the fact that he has a holiday helps prove this. Everyone knows who he is and what he did. I even had to memorize part of his "I have a dream" speech in Spanish for spanish class. King's ideas still live on. He fought for human rights, and, to this day, we are still fighting. His methods of peaceful demonstration and boycotting are well-known and widely-used. King set the stage for future generations to come. He prepared well and helped lead our country to be a better country. We can take from his example and see that individual people can help bring about big changes. It is hope for the future. It is assurance that every group of people can fight for their equal rights. King helped start something big and it still lives on today.

Music Review: Matt & Kim

Matt & Kim and are an upbeat duo from New York. My favorite song from them is Daylight. It has a happy rhythm and gets stuck in my head easily. The lyrics are carefree and, simply put, convey joy. They don't necessarily make that much sense all the time, such as "and in the daylight we can hitchhike to Maine, I hope that someday I’ll see without these frames" or "slip and slide on subway grates, these shoes are poor mans ice skates, fall through like change in the daylight," which only leads to the song being more carefree. What makes Matt & Kim even better is their performance. I've seen them live and it was great. Their stage presence is unique and the fact that they are a couple sort of puts it all together. After the concert and seeing some of their interviews and the way they interact with each other and others shows that they really love what they do and they love that they do it together. Even the way they write songs- their album, Grand, was recorded in Matt's parent's house or how they come up with a beat and melody first and lyrics last. The process of writing their lyrics is bizarre, in the words of Matt; Kim writes random sentences when she hears the melody and Matt chooses random parts of these sentences and then fills in the blanks. Their songs are cheery and as Kim says, they "just want people to have a good time," which is exactly what their songs convey.

Links:
Daylight  

Interview with Matt and Kim