Let's Be Honest

It's 6 o'clock in the morning; another day is about to begin. You go to school, fighting to stay awake throughout the day. Then, after-school activities start, only to deprive yourself of much needed rest. Although the day has already been hard enough, it is soon time to start studying. The responsibilities pile up, and life becomes a never-ending cycle of work and more work. This type of life undeniably turns into a burden, something just to get through. Instead of stopping to smell the roses, you take a head-on approach to simply plow your way through all the mayhem. Thoughts are "automatic" and "self-centered". Although "it is unimaginably hard to do", to be able to enjoy what you have the opportunity to do, you must constantly be viewing the "petty" and "frustrating" events in light of other's perspectives. If you are feeling like "crap", how do you think they are feeling? "You can choose to think to loo...

In Sherman Alexi’s piece, “Because my Father Always Said”, he identifies the reality of Native American lives both past and present. Indians’ entire history “has to do with survival.”   Survival not only includes past threats from others but also the reserve system implemented in Indian society today. Upon contact with white settlers, Native Americans began a harsh battle against Americans that continues. Although many reforms have been implemented to help their society, problems still exist. According to the Huffington Post, only 51% of Indians in the class of 2010 graduated high school. In addition, Indian women are 3.5 times more likely to be raped than women of other races (Huffington Post). Their lives are filled with hopelessness as land that was once belonged entirely to them has been completely taken away. While such a return of land would not be feasible today, many alternatives can be taken to ensure Indians can have fulfilling and purposeful lives. Until actions are ...

The way we choose to remember directly impacts how history is told. Both who we think of and how they contributed create our perception of historical facts. Consequently, these factors define what history means. Sarah Vowell sarcastically says, in “The Partly Cloudy Patriot”, that “Mel (Benjamin Martin) just risked his life so that the kid’s kids can rape their slaves and vote to be the first state to secede from the Union.” History often has two sides to the story. On one hand, Martin was an American patriot. On the other, he was a Native American murderer. As we construct different ideas, we are unconsciously establishing the future. What people will believe about history comes from us today just as we have formulated our own views based on what others have taught us. Facts are facts, but they can be interpreted in many ways. Such difference is the basis of arguments. While each person has a right to their own opinion, it also important to think of the effects of those perception...