Equality is important! ONE LOVE!

When you think of great and inspirational speeches throughout history what type or which ones come to mind first? For me there are a few some are older than others and some are of different topics and issues. There are the ones that people and history consider the greats and the most memorable. And then there are the most heartfelt and meaningful ones. But all were amazing and powerful in their own way. But when I narrow it down there are two that rise above the rest. One is Doctor Martin Luther King Junior’s “I Have a Dream” speech and the other is Ms. Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Women?” even though they were about different things, slightly but still similar they were both important in what they were fighting for. When looking Martin Luther King Junior’s “I Have a Dream” speech and Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Women?” they are both very inspiring for different yet similar things. One thing that both Mr. King Junior’s speech and Ms. Truth’s speech share is that they both use repetition. Which I have always heard that repetition leads to retention. They both repeated a line that they felt significant for their own reason. Both had a similar look of equality but one was for blacks to be equal with whites and the other was equality across the genders. Both were speaking to show that discrimination was not good. Women are just as capable as men; we can work the same jobs and do the same chores because we were made the same. And we should also not be bothered because of the color of our skin. It does not matter if you are white, black, brown, purple, yellow or poka-dotted you’re a person and should be treated the same as the next person because you were made the same. You were just kept out in the sin more than the other person. And nobody should be isolated because of his or her race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation or anything that makes you different. Different is what makes us great and diversity helps us to adapt and advance. These speeches were very moving and very appropriate for the time they were given. I believe that if both of these speakers had heard the other one’s speech they would agree and be as impressed as we are today. Mainly because they both speak for equality, they are freedom fighters in a way. One may have fought or spoke for colored rights while the other spoke for women and how we are the same. We are strong, can fend for ourselves and do not need to be taken care of even though it is nice to have at times. So whether we are light in skin color or a bit on the darker side, a man, women, or child we are all people and should NO MATTER WHAT be considered and treated the SAME as the next person. Do not treat others badly or differently. We all need to follow the golden rule that we must treat others the way we want to be treated not to be nice but so that we in turn get the same proper treatment.

Language is FREEDOM.

Like the authors in this chapter I to have felt the power of language in a few moments actually. There was one time that an elderly lady was having issues and no one could help her. The main reason is that she only spoke Spanish and nobody around, besides me spoke Spanish. I felt so bad for her because everybody was being so rude to her and were just not willing to help her, all because they did not understand what she was saying. Instead of looking for helping they just yelled and got louder, as if that was going to immediately make her comprehend what they are saying. So since my parents always told and taught me to respect, help and appreciate my elders because they have done so much with their lives, I mean come on they survived that long, :D already. Also it is nice to lend a hand whether it is asked of you or not. I decided to go and help but when I did all I did was get yelled at by the older lady and they person that was helping her. But it was okay because after translating for the older lady and explaining it to the person helping her and from the person back to the elderly lady, pretty much just talking to both parties, the problem was resolved and everybody was happy. I mean all she wanted was to know where the nearest phone was that she could use and where she can find some change for her phone call. Helping people is a good thing, especially when you do it just to help out not to get a thank you or anything in return. Random acts of kindness improve the world one smile at a time.
My parents as well as my grandparents all came LEGALLY from Mexico. I interviewed my mom about her view on the importance of language. When I interviewed my mom she feels that language is the most important thing because it is the best and easiest means of communications. My mom stated that the most important thing she had to do when she moved here was to learn the primary language of the population. So she spent lots of time learning how to speak English because she wanted to do anything she could to be the best off she could be at fitting in and doing what she needs to do. My mom said that looking back she made a good decision because her brother, which is my uncle, never learned the language and is now in a way paying the price for it. He has a harder time working because he does not really understand what is being said. He understands a little bit so he can put two and two together but that’s it. And for my mom Spanish went from being her first and primary language to being her secondary language. She also believes that she is more American than Mexican because she has lived her mostly all of her life and has done her absolute best to succeed where people of our race are set up to fail. In a way :)

reading or thinking critically. woo hooo!

First of all let me start off by defining what critical thinking is to me based on its actual definition. By definition critical thinking is “the thought process used to evaluate information and the practice of using such conclusions to guide behavior. While the process of critical thinking is associated with accuracy, logic, depth, fairness, credibility, and intellectual clarity” (yourdictionary.com). My definition of critical thinking or how I would execute this act would be when I read or research a topic I would question what is being said as well as check how legitimate the sources are. If it is a reliable source or a firsthand account then I could possible believe it more than anything else. Stories that are written, published or told in magazines, newspapers are all open for interpretation. I was always taught to question everything so no matter what it is so that is what I have a habit of doing. When I read something I always have a tendency to, whether it is a simple little thing or an outrageous happening, question the legitamacy of the story. Questiong always makes for a more interesting thought process. Thinking about a topic more in depth makes it more believable and processing the thought in different ways helps to make it stick in my mind. When reading critically, in my opinion, one should have an open mind until theyre done so that it sticks and makes sense. Then you should go back and break it down and question the happenings. It is good to take notes while reading, either the first or second time, and mrak anything that seems somewhat interesting. If your reading critically to help with answering questions it is good to know what the questions are before hand or know what they are about so while you read you can mark information that seems like it would be consistant to or dierectly pertains to a specific question or topic of a question. When I read critically I also think critically, while I take notes and mark on the text anything that seems to have some importance or some relevance to the topic or question. There are even times when I use study notes cards with the questions written on them so when I read I can have questions on hand and highlight in the book or article what seems to be involved and write down the page number on the card in order to know and be able to refer back to it quicker than having to reread everything. I use these techniques of reading and thinking critically whenever I do homework, write essays, do research or just anything that has to do with or is for school. When it comes to other things like politics I tend to not do it as much because politics are so twisted and crroked anyways thinking or reading about it would only give me a headache. And most politicans are insane, in one way or another, or old anyways so it seems a little pointless. The media is bias because they only show one side of the news never show both sides of the stories. They like to amplify the bad side or the side they think would get more attention. Hopefully by the end of this class I can change my simple ways of thinking and view the broad side or things. There is always room for improvement and changing for the better is fun so I can only hope this will help