Blog Post #2

"Jem, she's old and ill. You can't hold her responsible for what she says and does. Of course, I'd rather she'd have said it to me than to either of you, but we can't always have our 'druthers." (pg 105)

This quote is told by Atticus to Jem. Atticus is saying that Jem cannot be angry at Mrs. Dubose for what she said or did. She is old, sick, and also quite crazy, which means she cannot be held responsible for what she says; it is not her fault that she is aged and irritable. He also says he wishes she had said it to his face, but he cannot always get what he wants, which is another lesson he is teaching Jem. Jem needs to learn that life is unfair, and that sometimes people are insensitive and ignorant. Atticus is also teaching Jem about respect for his elders, and he is teaching Jem about understanding some people's motives.

This quote applies to my life in many different ways. First of all, when I was Jem's age, I was much like him in that I did not understand why people said what they did, and I did not really understand old or sick people. I was always a bundle of energy, running around and wreaking havoc. But I never understood why my parents or grandparents did not want to, or could not, play games with me. I know now that relatively older people do not have enough energy as I had back then, and I know that older people are not necessarily physically able to keep up with a ten year-old. In this quote, Atticus also tells Jem about how, as The Beatles said, "you can't always get what you want." In this instance it pertains to Mrs. Dubose not bad-mouthing Atticus to his face, but doing it behind his back. This can apply to my life as well. When I was young, not only did I have boundless energy, I was also quite selfish, and to be honest, a bit conceited. I always wanted to have something new, and if I already had it, I wanted more. I used to play novelty card games like Pokemon or the like, and I always had to have more. As many people know, one has to buy single packs of cards at one time. My parents would buy me a pack or two, and I would open them quickly, look at the new cards I had received, be satisfied for about ten minutes, and then want more. This was very unhealthy and costly, if my parents had consented to buy me more every time I wanted them to, which thankfully they did not. I wish someone had told me what Atticus told Jem, that we cannot always have what we want. I did learn my lesson in the end, but it came at the price of my parents wasting too much money for my silly games. After that, I decided never to get involved with novelties again.

Blog Post #1

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/09/23/pennsylvania.swim.racism/index.html?iref=newssearch

"Commission Penalizes Swim Club in Pennsylvania Racism Complaint"--Summary:
This article is about Valley Swim Club, Philadelphia, PA. They revoked the swimming privileges of mostly minority day care. The mostly African-American and Hispanic population of the camp was causing many of the white campers to be fearful, and raised many racial slurs and complaints from other attendants of the swim club. This story gained national acclaim, and the club asked the camp to return, but the camp denied the request, and said decided to take legal action in the future.

"Commission Penalizes Swim Club in Pennsylvania Racism Complaint"--Reflection:
This article struck me as very strange and exasperating. I do not experience very much open racism or segregation in my life here, and to hear about it that close was very unnerving. I hear enough racist comments at school, but many or most of them are meant in a joking matter, and these types of things are generally not segregation-like. I also thought it striking that in an interview, some of the African-American and Hispanic campers said "white club members made racist comments to them during that visit, asking why black children were there and raising concerns that 'they might steal from us.'" This being on the visit when the camp went to the swim club and found out their swimming privileges revoked. I did not think that people in this day and age made those kinds of remarks, let alone in hearing distance of small children. Those white club-members must have serious problems if they are still under the notion that African-Americans and Hispanics are all criminals. It is good that the camp is not going there anymore and are going to press charges. Those people deserve to be taught a lesson.