N.W.A.

I agree one hundred and ten percent with the quote. The main motivation behind their music was their way of life. There lives were not easy at all, in fact many of their lives were the exact opposite. Many of them had to worry about whether or not they were going to get any food that day, they had to worry about how they were going to help pay the bills around the house, and in some even more severe cases they had to worry about whether they were going to make it through the day or not. Groups like N.W.A. channeled these everyday occurrences into their music. This made it not only more meaningful and allowed them to put more emotion into their songs, but it allowed them to tell the truth about their everyday struggles in life.

Groups like N.W.A. were not looking to become famous groups from the start. They started rapping to make a living for themselves, to make something out of their lives. They decided that the easiest things to put in their songs would be their everyday lifestyle. I think that besides wanting to make a living for themselves, they wanted to truly tell people who they were. They wanted to inform the public of what living in the ghetto of Compton really was like. They used rap as a form of freedom of speech to get a message across to the public. It allowed them to say whatever they wanted to say. F*** the Police is a great great example of this. They made this song right after they were wrongfully arrested and forced to go to the ground. This of course was how it happened in the movie. I do not know if it actually happened like that in real life or not, but either way the song allowed them to tell the public what happened to them. It allowed them to express their true feelings about the situations they were put in. They were allowed to tell the public about how badly they were treated. The police and the FBI did not like this very much and they wrote N.W.A. a letter. The letter was warning them that they better not keep singing their song about police brutality. I think that more than anything the police were worried about what kind of outbreak or uproar the songs could bring. Authorities thought that N.W.A's songs, and other rappers songs, were promoting violence and guns too much. I think that one big thing that really scared police and other agencies was the fact that rap was new. Many people had never heard it before. Some did not know how to feel about it. Some like it a lot and they started following it more closely. Still others were completely against rap music. It was new and it was change and many did not like this.

The 80's was a very harsh time in some parts of the country. People were getting beaten for no reason, shot down in the streets, arrested just because the police had the authority to do so. A change had to come sometime, somehow. People couldn't keep living the way that they were. The world was much too brutal of a place and something had to change. N.W.A. and other rappers like them helped to pave the way for change. The media did not want to cover some of the things that were actually happening. They wanted to cover them up so that most of the people in the public did not truly know what was happening. Discrimination was still viewed as a bad thing back then, it's just that many people did not care and they still did it anyways. Rappers had more power back then than anyone else. They had the ability to truly speak their minds without getting in trouble for it. They had the right to sing what they wanted and to say what they wanted. Other people were not allowed this right. The best thing about rap music back then is that they were very good at it. They were able to relay true life experiences into their work, which made it very meaningful. Since their music was very meaningful they believed in every word that they said. They were able to effectively rap and they made very catchy music. People started to hear it and many people started to listen to it. Like anything else, word traveled fast and their music was spread all over the United States and I am sure other parts of the world as well. Their music was very influential to many different types of people. People young and old and anywhere in between were affected in some way or form by their music.

In the beginning I think that they all wanted to start something new. They wanted to be cool and start a new trend. At the beginning they were all friends, They always had each others back and they wanted what was best for the group. This was rare for people growing up where they did and having to deal with what they had to deal with. This is what held them together and made them strong though. They all had problems and things wrong in their life. They used this to put into their music which gave their music a diverse range.

When things were simple and they were just making music and art to tell a story, everything was going great. But as they say nothing good lasts forever. Once people started listening to their music they started to gain momentum. They became more well-known and they started to make more money. They had no idea what they were doing and some people tried to take advantage of them. This created a lot of tension between people outside and inside the group. It tore the group members apart and it made a giant cluster out of everything. After this the group split up. Different members of the group started writing songs dissing the others and it made even more of a mess. Everyone's tempers were flaring. Eventually a change had to be made and they decided to started over new and fresh. They decided to bring the group back together and it was definitely for the better. Their music was all over throughout their career, talking about how and why everything happened.

The things that N.W.A. did were very incredible and ground breaking. They were the first major rap group of their time. What they did changed the game forever. It is pretty incredible to look back at all of the music that they created throughout their career. Starting off they rapped about how they grew up and what life was like, then they moved on to the good times and fame. After that they talked about problems in the world and problems within themselves. In the end they rap about things that happened in their life, and how they world helped to shape their career. Looking back on it their music tells a better story than any person really could. Their music shows how the world they grew up in shaped their lives. They told the brutal truth and they were not afraid to tell you that straight up. Their art portrayed their lives and how reality really was, and it left a lasting impact on the world and everyone in it.

Flat Tax

I believe that a flat tax should be used in the United States of America."To make sure that the poor don't suffer the brunt of these sales taxes, the government would send a monthly check called a prebate to families that would cover taxes on necessary expenses. The idea is that "no American pays tax on necessities." This quote to me really shows how dumb of an idea the "fair" tax people want is. People want the government to pay the poor people back for taxes that they have to pay. They expect the government to do this while people with more money will be paying more taxes anyways, and overall will be funding the government. 

I do not think that people in today's day and age really realize that you have to work hard to get what you want. The people who have a lot of money have worked hard to earn their money. They have put in a lot of time and effort to get where they are today. I am not saying that everyone that has less money is lazy, but this is a lot of times the case. Too many people think that things should be handed to them without them lifting a finger or getting down and dirty. There are many people all over the world that rely too much on disability checks or on welfare checks.

People who have more money have earned their money and they should not be taxed more because of it. With a flat tax everyone is charged the same percentage, so overall it is fair. People who have less income pay less, while people with more income are still paying more in taxes. An example of this is a person who makes 35,000 dollars a year will have to pay about 3,500 dollars while a person with an income of 100,000 dollars will have to pay about 10,000 dollars. This example is based off of a tax that is 10 percent of a persons income. The person with a higher salary will have to pay over double in taxes of what the person with a lower income will have to pay.

Overall the flat tax system would be an overall more fair system for every person. People with lower salary will pay lower taxes while people with higher salary will be forced to pay more tax. This system will also charge people with a higher income a higher tax, but without taking away or punishing the people who worked hard to gain their wealth.

Deviance in Society

In society there are many forms of deviance. One of the most common forms of deviance that we see everyday are outlaws or criminals. People everyday are testing the norms of society and helping to create boundaries. One thing that I find very interesting in the way that criminal activity fits into society is the way that criminal acts are handled. Everywhere throughout the world people treat different crimes with different punishments. Murder is one example of this. In some societies this is viewed as the worst crime possible, and many people are put to death using many different methods because of it. Some people instead of being put to death are forced to live their days in jail where they will rot. Another example can be stealing. In some places stealing is dealt with by cutting off a person's limb, while in other places they are forced to pay a fee or they are put in jail. These examples show how different forms of deviance occur throughout the world. Every place has different norms that people are expected to follow, so that creates different forms of deviance. Another thing that deviance has a large affect on in society is change. Different forms of deviance occur everyday and they create new norms for everyone to follow. Different forms of deviance make people adapt to new conditions and new norms. Deviance sets boundaries for each person's everyday life. It helps them create a lifestyle that is acceptable to society. Deviance is what first help to create laws, and it is what helps keep everyone in check today.

Freddie and Grey and Mike Tyson

Both Freddie Grey and Mike Tyson were put into harsh situations in this world. Society set them up to fail form the beginning. The environment they grew up in was very harsh and it created the outline of who they were. Although they were thrown into these harsh areas, I believe that they shaped their overall life with their own actions. I believe that people like Freddy Grey and Mike Tyson fail themselves.

Sure growing up in the environments for both kids was difficult, but their actions lead to the outcome of their lifestyle. At the age of 10, Mike Tyson was in a gang with guns and lots of violence. Throughout life both of these men had many run-ins with the law. The law enforcement in Freddy's neighborhood new him by his first name because he was in trouble with the law so much. Mike Tyson was in and out of correction facilities and juvenile detention centers throughout his childhood. Both of these men caused their own problems throughout life. Sure they didn't have the easiest lives growing up, but they could have done something about their situation to make it better. Instead they got into trouble and made their situation worse.

Freddy Grey kept getting into trouble throughout his life and he overall caused the outcome of his life. His finally day in this world may not have happened if he would not have been causing trouble. Did police officers treat his cruelly? Maybe they did and maybe they didn't. Overall though the situation could have been avoided. Luckily for Mike Tyson, he used his bad ways and aggressive fighting habits for good things and he got into boxing. He was also willing to work hard and become better and become a better overall person. This is an example of how someone growing up in a bad environment can work hard and become better and make a good name for himself.

People like Mike Tyson and Freddie Grey fail society by following the bad situations and bad examples put into front of them. They have a choice to work hard and get out of the bad situation. Hard work and dedication can help make your life better. You can't always choose where you grow up, but you can choose how you live your life. People that keep their nose to the grind stone and work hard will be rewarded. People that fall into bad habits and get in trouble a bunch will fail society and this can lead to a harsh way of life.

Culture Clash

This article starts itself off by saying that you do not get to choose what race you are. You are labeled the moment you are born, whether or not you realize it or like it. When you are born into this world you are pretty much forced into a race whether you like it or not. Even if you change your religion, the area you live, your beliefs, or anything else, you cannot change the race you are born into. Throughout the ages though, people have always viewed certain races of people as more dominant than others. Although you cannot choose the race you are born into, you may get lucky and be born into a race that is more powerful, or at least viewed as more dominant. The article says that racism really developed and took hold in the 14th and early 15th centuries. One good example of racism in early America is when Christopher Columbus landed in search of a new territory. They saw the indigenous people, they compared them to the people who they called the Canary Islanders. Once they started colonizing America, they developed a class system and the indigenous people were on the lower end of things. Throughout time racism has developed more and more into a bigger issue. Through colonizing and creating new civilizations, class systems and new laws have created more restrictions. Racism has grown very strong in the last two century, mainly caused by many political issues. Many civil rights activities, and other political leaders have try to make a change for the people. All around the world in today's day and age, people are fighting for more power and for equal rights, and this leads to a lot of stereotypes and classification. Much more than that it leads to revolting people and harsh racism. Racism started in the 14th century, and not it has taken hold and may never stop.

The next article starts off by saying the guy writing it is racist. The way he opened the article up, the guy is very racist in my opinion. He says that he takes the race of  a person into consideration when making practical decisions.  People judge each other based on their color or their race instead of basing their judgement off of a persons true work ethic or true ideals. The article then talks about different races of kids going to school and it talks about cultural diversity in these places. Later on the article talks about individualism rather than racism. It talks about how some people take into consideration the true identity of someone instead of judging them on their appearance or race. Some people take into consideration another person's work ethic, their morals, their values, and other individual characteristics when judging a person. Racism is not just a "white person problem" in our society today. Racism is everywhere, in everyone. If a person doesn't like something about another person based on their race, they will make it known. People hate each other for no reason, and every race does this. Racism problems have increased in recent years due to political issues. Also, as society had evolved and developed more class systems have evolved. People will discriminate against each other based on how wealthy they are or where they live. People will always find something to judge you for, and each person's culture, race, and more or less identity has a big part in this. People have come together and created more or less culture dominant groups. People of the same culture come together. The three main culture groups are the white culture groups, the black culture group, and the Latino culture group.

The last article talks about how American culture has contributed to racism. American technology has lead to a developed form of racism. Literature, radio, television, magazines, newspapers, and other forms of technology and have created norms that influence a lot of peoples decisions. Many people throughout the world base their decisions off of what they see throughout the day. If they see racist or stereotypical information on the television or if they hear it on the radio, they think it is acceptable. This leads to a chain and causes more political and racial issues. A study was conducted by the Georgia Institute of Technology on racism and prejudice. The study showed that people in our society are prejudice or racist without even thinking about it. We just say what comes to mind and don't really think in detail about what we are saying. It is our gut reaction to say these racist or prejudice remarks, and we cannot completely control what we do. These reactions and things we say are normal. Our reactions have been shaped by the world around us. The cultural diversity in our society has created prejudice no matter if you think so or not. The most important thing is not prejudice remarks that you say in the spare of the moment. The most important thing is your overall behavior and how you truly feel or act.

I think that racism is a cultural universal. "Culture lies at the root of racial differences."Racism, or at least a branch of it, has been been around forever. Since the beginning of time people have discriminated one another in some way, shape, or form. People have had slaves working for them, they have had people working in the fields and tending to their farms, and people in history have killed people because they are different. Throughout history people have always had class systems, and in all class systems you have a higher race or people ruling lower level, less fortunate people. "Societies throughout history have shown a tendency to view some groups and nations as inferior, and have therefore treated them differently." I also think that media does affect the way racism has evolved. "Literature, movies, TV, radio and the Internet all contribute to the problem by exhibiting the same stereotypes." With the forms of media we have today, information travels everywhere within hours. Everyone knows everything all over the world. Along with this, any racial or prejudice sayings or information that gets put our there spreads quickly. With this information traveling everywhere, the people that see it think that this is acceptable and okay. This leads to more racial problems throughout the world. Racism as I said above has been there forever. Since the beginning of time people have discriminated against one another. People of the same culture and race have even discriminated against each other. It has always been with us and has always been a problem. Racism is everywhere whether people want to admit it or not. Since the beginning of time people have had different cultures. People have always been able to find something they dislike about another person based on their culture. They don't like how a person dresses, who they worship, and or even how they live. People will fight with each other no matter. No one can get along. People always have to put each other down and people always are fighting for power. Racism has been a problem forever, and it will continue to be a problem. The best thing we can do is individually try to limit the amount of prejudice you show. Hopefully this can limit the amount of racism in the world, and make it a better place to live.

Lord of the Flies Chance

Prompt 1 - Our class system in society has ways that we can put down people or make them feel like less, without even knowing it. This is shown in Lord of the Flies. In the beginning of the story the boys come together and create a civilization. They all work together and try to survive. As the story goes on some of the boys do not like order and working together, so they branch off. Jack becomes the leader of the new group and he pressures many of the younger boys to join his group. The last people to not join Jack's group are Ralph, Piggy, Simon, and a few little kids. At the end of the book Jack makes Ralph feel so bad by taking away all of his friends and by making him feel insane. They make him feel alone and like there is no hope, and that can be worse than dying. You are alone and you have so many thoughts going through your head you might not know what to do, and that can drive you crazy. More or society or the lack of society that the boys missed caused them all to become crazy and do radical things, and I think that the mental state that they were in was worse than dying. The crazy things they did will haunt them forever and they will have to live with a guilty conscience.

Prompt 2 - If we can't separate our civilized self from our savage self I believe that our savage self will take over. This is demonstrated in the book as well. At the beginning the kids of the story the kids try to stay civilized and have order, but as the story progressed all of their savage selves came out in true color. Jack starts killing kids because he thinks that it shows leadership and he thinks that there is nothing with it. Our savage selves come out in us because the instinct inside our body and mind makes us go into survival mode. We will do whatever we have to do to survive, whether it is right or wrong.

Prompt 3 - A civilization is started from the bottom up. First you have to have people or a majority crowd. From there you can build up into higher, more sophisticated levels. You can select a president, or person in charge. You also need to select specialized people for certain areas, such as workers who do a lot of strenuous jobs. You need smart people who will help improve your living areas and way of life. You can also fill in other miscellaneous jobs as the president or people see fit. A civilization is created when there is a need for order and specialization in order to survive and thrive. I think that overall people are formed by society. Society kind of forms people and tells them what to do. Over the years a norm of society has been established, and people who go against it are considered outcasts. The way we live shapes our everyday lives, and it decides how we live. People conform to society and act how society says is fit. All of our lives are controlled by society. It has been like this forever, no matter where you go. A society created in many different forms by many different civilizations always seems to run the people lives. A leader or person of higher power along with people of lower authority make up a society. They all work together to create norms or acceptable behavior in order to run effectively. People conform to society whether we know it or not.

The Lottery

1. I though that it was going to be Bill for a while, until I later learned how the rules worked. He starts talking about how everyone is so nervous and try to joke slightly with one another to ease the tension. He also shows that Tessie is very worried for her father and says it isn't fair. Jackson titled this story the lottery, so I figured it'd just be a story about a lottery,and he also sets it in a small town where you feel like something great is going to happen to them.

2. A small town of about 300 people. It allows us to know more of the characters and it creates a stronger bond. I think that it makes it more likely to anticipate the ending.

3. Some of them are relaxed about the day because they have done it so many times, others are there for the first time or drawing for other people and they are very worried and nervous about it. Also some people want to stop the lottery but others think they need it and say it is necessary.

4. The lottery to me means a ticket where people have a chance to win money, not a drawing to decide who is going to get killed in the town. In the beginning the setting is very happy and it seems like a good day and then you find out that its actually an awful day.

5. Delacroix - Name means the cross, in the story there is religious turmoil
Graves - Show that someone/something is going to die
Summers - Summer time is a happy time of year, also it means that new life forms are growing
Hutchinson - Protests the lottery and goes against the "norm", stands for change
Warner - Thinks the lottery is good and wants to keep everything the same

7.  Both of them to me sound dark and gloomy and I think they both foreshadow that death is coming. The black box is battered because this shows that it has been used for many generations and it is just something that they did back then. It shows that they follow the traditions. The stones in the story symbolize death to me because they are used to kill Tessie. Also the table the black box is set on to me symbolizes all of the suffering and grief the killing has caused the village.

8. I believe that the writer disagrees with with the stoning. She says throughout her story that some other towns are changing and they do not have the lottery anymore. Also she shows emotion through the characters that portray the sadness she feels for the people of the town. Different times in the story characters say it isn't fair and that they want a redo. This to mean shows that she wants to get rid of the lottery.

9.  It represents old laws or traditions that need to be changed for the betterment of our society.

10. The Holocaust

I think that the lottery demonstrates to us that our human nature is hard to change. Once we have everything set in stone and when it becomes a tradition, most people want to uphold the traditions that we have set up. Most people don't like change, they like tradition and they like to uphold it. People tend to do what society says is right, instead of going against it. People like to keep the peace and the don't want to upset most people. Most people don't want to go against society because they are so scared of the outcome. Some people are scared of change. They want to give it a chance because they know it could be better for everyone, but they are scared that there is a possibility that the outcome will be worse than the original.This is demonstrated in The Lottery. Some of the people want to go against tradition and stop the lottery. The person that runs the lottery says no they can not change it because it has been a tradition  for so long. Once the townspeople here him say this they don't even mention it again. Some people also quietly protest and say that it is unfair but they don't make it publicly known. Also the lottery demonstrates to us that violence is part of who we are, and I think that this is true in life today. We are used to seeing beatings, stabbings, shootings, and other acts of violence in everyday life and on the TV. It is a normal part of our everyday life and violence doesn't overly affect us. This is shown in the lottery, they are pretty much sacrificing human life to help their crops grow. This is insane, and it shows how messed up our society can really be.