http://books.google.com/books?id=aQz5ZpkQn7AC&dq=a+brave+new+world&pg=PP1&ots=LQgESG2Njs&sig=MzUWPrclR3sgUd7keQoeNKXYLkc&prev=http://www.google.com/search%3Fhl%3Den%26q%3DA%2BBrave%2BNew%2BWorld&sa=X&oi=print&ct=title&cad=one-book-with-thumbnail#PPA110,M1
A Brave New World was written by Aldous Huxley. It was published in London in 1932. My sophomore year of high school I took British Literature. In one marking period we focused on the books 1984, by George Orwell and A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Both of these books parallel each other. They both represent utopias that are trying to be created but there are always flaws in the system that make these nations dystopia's. People that go crazy are excommunicated or given somma in A Brave New World. Also, children are taught to celebrate death and babies are born in test tubes. Both societies show that there is a power that lies and takes control over others. Not for the sake of others but for themselves.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Song Lyrics for Code of the Street
In class we have been reading Code of the Street, written by Elijah Anderson. We are more than half way through it now and I have found lyrics to songs that remind of the Code and life for people of innercities. All of these rappers have either been shot or become millionaires from their music and I think it is interesting to connect these lyrics to the book.
2Pac - Changes
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Changes-lyrics-2Pac/4B5E5C3281E191954825686A002CDF1C
2Pac- Life Goes On
http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/2pac/Life-Goes-On.html
Scarface- My Block
http://www.lyriczz.com/lyriczz.php?songid=8683
Geto Boys- G Code
http://www.lyrics007.com/Geto%20Boys%20Lyrics/G-Code%20Lyrics.html
Notorious B.I.G.
http://www.lyrics007.com/Notorious%20B.I.G.%20Lyrics/Big%20Poppa%20Lyrics.html
This song reminds me of the decent people from the book:
Grits-Ooh Ahh
http://www.onlylyrics.com/song.php?id=30937
2Pac - Changes
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Changes-lyrics-2Pac/4B5E5C3281E191954825686A002CDF1C
2Pac- Life Goes On
http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/2pac/Life-Goes-On.html
Scarface- My Block
http://www.lyriczz.com/lyriczz.php?songid=8683
Geto Boys- G Code
http://www.lyrics007.com/Geto%20Boys%20Lyrics/G-Code%20Lyrics.html
Notorious B.I.G.
http://www.lyrics007.com/Notorious%20B.I.G.%20Lyrics/Big%20Poppa%20Lyrics.html
This song reminds me of the decent people from the book:
Grits-Ooh Ahh
http://www.onlylyrics.com/song.php?id=30937
Into the Wild
Watching Into the Wild, directed by Sean Penn, was definitely an eye-opening experience. I did not admire Chris, the main character, but I did not disagree with his ideas of material things. It is very hard to decipher whether he was wrong or not. He did not belive in money and material things, which was a different view from what I am used to. Usually when someone decides they want to rid them selves of our corrupt society, they just donate money to a charity. They do not go as far as Chris went. To burn your own social security card so you cannot be found is mind boggling.
With that said, I do not respect what Chris did. I grew up in a loving family, my parents have their moments but they love each other and have never been violent towards each other. They also have never tried to put my younger brother and I against one or the other. Because of this I cannot fully understand the way Chris felt and the turmoil he had suffered. However, I believe he had a responsibility to his younger sister and he gave that up. He did not call her or write her a letter. To me I saw a boy who was fed up with his parents and wanted to be alone and not have to deal with anyone. The movie makes me wonder if in real life Chris ever considered what his sister might go through because of his disappearance. My feeling is that he was being selfish. All he cared about was finding happiness and he believed that he would find it in Alaska without anyone. However, accept for right before his death, the only times I saw him truly happy and smiling were when he was with others; the hippy couple, the criminal farmer, and the old man. For some reason he still needed to search. He ended up dying alone, and right before that he came to the realizaion that there can only be happiness when it is shared with others. I feel that it was a shame for him to have to find that out the hard way.
With that said, I do not respect what Chris did. I grew up in a loving family, my parents have their moments but they love each other and have never been violent towards each other. They also have never tried to put my younger brother and I against one or the other. Because of this I cannot fully understand the way Chris felt and the turmoil he had suffered. However, I believe he had a responsibility to his younger sister and he gave that up. He did not call her or write her a letter. To me I saw a boy who was fed up with his parents and wanted to be alone and not have to deal with anyone. The movie makes me wonder if in real life Chris ever considered what his sister might go through because of his disappearance. My feeling is that he was being selfish. All he cared about was finding happiness and he believed that he would find it in Alaska without anyone. However, accept for right before his death, the only times I saw him truly happy and smiling were when he was with others; the hippy couple, the criminal farmer, and the old man. For some reason he still needed to search. He ended up dying alone, and right before that he came to the realizaion that there can only be happiness when it is shared with others. I feel that it was a shame for him to have to find that out the hard way.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
crack cocaine and the new prison sentence
As of Friday, November 2, 2007 the prsion sentence for crack cocaine as been reduced from 10 years and one month to eight years and 10 months. A sentencing commission is deciding on November 13th whether or not the new guidlines will apply retroactively to about 19,500 prisoners. One of the main reasons for changing the sentence is because in a Supreme Court case in 2005, federal judges were allowed to apply lower sentences depending on the case. This caused a lost of credibility for United States Sentencing Commission. Now that this new sentence is in effect, there is an estimated reduction of 3,800 prisoners in the next 15 years.
The point of this article is it applies to the book Code of the Street. In this book, Elijah Anderson writes about deceny, street, and codes of inner cities. As one gets further into the book, he/she will see the enormous problem of the underground economy of drugs. These drugs include everything, however, the biggest one is crack cocaine. Men that cannot find jobs because of lack of resources and jobs turn to dealing crack cocaine and they persuade women to become hooked on it. These women then depend on the drug and do anything to get money. The begin to get involved with prostitution, steal money from their mothers, and spend all of their welfare checks on the drugs.
There are several problems with the lowering of the sentencing. There is also talk to eliminating a minimum of drugs found on a person to be arrested. There are different standards for whites and blacks, there always have been and unfortunately there probably always will be. I do not know the sentencing terms for regular cocaine, heroine, or marijuana. I do not think I am wrong though when I say that an uppermiddle class white man who deals or is caught with cocaine probably does less jail time than a black man who deals or uses crack cocaine. Whatever the terms are, by lowering the sentence, dealers of all kinds, white, black, Hispanic, or Asian, will be put back on the streets to deal drugs again. I am not saying that drug dealers should be put away for life, but there has to be a way to fight drugs more effectively and by getting rid of minimum amount to be arrested is not going to help. If this law is passed, federal prisons will overflow with violators. While it is important to try and keep jails filtered because they are overcroweded, it is more important to find more affective ways of providing jobs for the innercity population and to fight drugs.
The point of this article is it applies to the book Code of the Street. In this book, Elijah Anderson writes about deceny, street, and codes of inner cities. As one gets further into the book, he/she will see the enormous problem of the underground economy of drugs. These drugs include everything, however, the biggest one is crack cocaine. Men that cannot find jobs because of lack of resources and jobs turn to dealing crack cocaine and they persuade women to become hooked on it. These women then depend on the drug and do anything to get money. The begin to get involved with prostitution, steal money from their mothers, and spend all of their welfare checks on the drugs.
There are several problems with the lowering of the sentencing. There is also talk to eliminating a minimum of drugs found on a person to be arrested. There are different standards for whites and blacks, there always have been and unfortunately there probably always will be. I do not know the sentencing terms for regular cocaine, heroine, or marijuana. I do not think I am wrong though when I say that an uppermiddle class white man who deals or is caught with cocaine probably does less jail time than a black man who deals or uses crack cocaine. Whatever the terms are, by lowering the sentence, dealers of all kinds, white, black, Hispanic, or Asian, will be put back on the streets to deal drugs again. I am not saying that drug dealers should be put away for life, but there has to be a way to fight drugs more effectively and by getting rid of minimum amount to be arrested is not going to help. If this law is passed, federal prisons will overflow with violators. While it is important to try and keep jails filtered because they are overcroweded, it is more important to find more affective ways of providing jobs for the innercity population and to fight drugs.
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