Outside Reading #2

 

In my second blog post I want to talk about another big reason that he talks about in his book. He discusses the sense of being a burden on loved ones. I have never thought about that as a legitimate reason to commit suicide. Then I started to think, and people who suffer from depression often times distant themselves from their families often times because they resent them because of the shame that the individual feels. That could easily weigh on an individuals mind and drive them to the brink of insanity. One's loved ones are the people they care about most and once that individual feels like they lost them, what else matters?

       Suicide is a very serious topic and so many individuals have lost great futures because of it. Famous people such as Kurt Cobain and Junior Seau have killed themselves and they were icons in their respective fields of work. Kids can look up to these figures and see that suicide is an option. Serious education needs to take place in schools so that kids know that suicide in no way out. It is an awful thing to do and won't solve anything. In my opinion the biggest thing adults can do to prevent suicide is to educate their kids about the dangers of having that mindset.

Outside reading post 1- trying to understand

   

For my outside reading assignment I chose to read the book Why People Die by Suicide by Thomas Joiner. I recently did a project about suicide and its relation to bullying; this is obviously a topic that really interests me. There are certain reasons that I am so captivated by this topic, my friend that I knew pretty well committed suicide and also one of my fifth grade teachers took her life. I always have had trouble thinking about why them committed it and what really drove them to that state of mind. This book taught me a lot about reasons about how people can end up this way and it really helped me understand the deaths and come to terms with them.

     In this post the main reason that I am going to talk about is loneliness and isolation. My friend that committed suicide wasn't the most popular kid in the school to put it lightly. I was one of his only friends, but he was honestly a great guy he was just very shy. What I thought after reading this book was that that was probably the main reason he committed suicide. It really helped me a lot because although I’ve done research on suicide I have never found a concrete reason about his action until now. I believe that I found a great outside reading book.

President Obama- Real or Not?

Recently In an interview President Obama said that he believes that same sex couples should have the same marriage rights as anyone else. In my opinion he was pressured greatly with the upcoming election and Vice President Biden's comments he made previously. Joe Biden said in an interview that he believes that same sex marriages should be allowed. President Obama was kind of frustrated but not mad that he said that before him, because he said that he wanted to say it on his own terms. It was a pretty sticky situation but I thought that he handled it well.

  Although I do think it is a step in the right direction, he still believes that the states should determine whether or not to allow the marriages. I really do think that it is late enough in his term, that by him saying this it is a stunt to get more votes. Even though it could only be for votes, the impact is still the same. The gay community finally has support from the white house. It is a huge step in a huge fight for them. I am very curious and interested to see how this pans out and whether we will see gay marriage legal across the U.S within the next ten or twenty years.

Trayvon Martin

    This is a pretty old story but I never got to share my opinions about it. Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman, but yet Trayvon did not commit any crime and did not have any weapon on him. Trayvon is now dead, yet Zimmerman is still living and he is not behind bars for murdering this young man. He claims it was in self- defense and that Trayvon was smashing his head on the sidewalk and that he sustained injuries. A long range camera showed no signs of serious injury to Zimmerman after the encounter.

   In my opinion Zimmerman is a monster and he racially profiled Trayvon and automatically assumed the worst about him even though all that he had was some candy. It disgusts me how some people are still so backwards even after all of the civil rights work people have done and how much more our society is educated in being tolerant. In all honesty I do not think Trayvon would be dead if he was not black. Zimmerman sees him walking close to houses because it was raining and just assumes that he is up to no good. I am honestly sick to my stomach and really hope justice is served.

   If George Zimmerman is not locked up I think that there will be many death threats to him and maybe someone will take action. It is not only in public interest to lock up a criminal like him but also in his best interest if he wants to keep his life. In my opinion this is a true test whether or not the legal system is biased or not. I pray to god it goes by the facts and gives Zimmerman what he deserves.

Junior Seau- Too young

   On Wednesday of this week Junior Seau was found in his home dead with a gunshot wound in his chest. At first it was wondered if there was any foul play involved but in the end it was ruled a suicide. This is awful because obviously it was a human life but also the fact that he was an icon and so many young people looked up to him for his play on the football field. I was in complete shock when I heard that this had occurred because all that I have known of him was a happy charming man. When I saw him on ESPN for interviews he was always laughing and enjoying himself, so I never expected that he would ever go to this extent. I guess you never can really know someone by just looking at them.

   Seau's family has agreed to let his brain be studied to see if he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy which is a degenerative disease that comes when a person suffers a lot of concussions. Former Ex-Nfl player Dave Duerson had the disease and committed suicide in the exact same way, he shot himself in the chest. Suicide is a mystery to me. So many different things can cause a person to want to commit it and it honestly blows my mind that a disease such as this could have sent to NFL players to death. Although, I do think it is a great thing that his family agreed to let his brain be examined because it could help others understand about the disease and about suicide and who knows it could even save someone's life.

   It is a very sad day because a great person and a great player has died. This is tragic but in my opinion the way the family is handling the death is great. They are trying to move forward and help others using Junior Seau as an example and I appreciate that because who knows it could end up helping me or someone close to me someday.

Derrick Rose- tragedy

         On Saturday the Chicago Bulls defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 103-91. That loss was overshadowed greatly by the injury to Bulls point guard Derrick Rose. He tore his left ACL with 1:10 left in the game. Teammates and coaches rushed over to him quickly but realized that it was awful when he said that his knee had popped and the look upon his face. It was a tragic day in the city of Chicago.

         The news was all over ESPN it was the front page for at least two days, and the storylines were all similar: that the bulls’ championship aspirations had faded away quickly. I refused to believe it because this was the same team that kept on winning even without their floor leader. I still strongly believe that they have a chance to make it far into the NBA playoffs. Also, there was talk that he would not be able to return at the same level, I don't believe that at all either. Chris Paul suffered a similar injury and he has come back full force, if not even better I am a huge Bulls fan and believe in the effort of the team and the effort of Derrick Rose as well.

           In basketball terms they are losing a lot but their depth will help to minimize their losses. One can obviously not replace Derrick Rose, but the consistent play throughout the year of C.J Watson and John Lucas III will hold other point guards at bay and also score and spread the ball a significant amount. In addition the defensive play of Derrick Rose and C.J Watson is very similar so there is not much of a drop off there.

           Nearly every news article I've read about the situation has either been writing off the Bulls or pitying Derrick Rose. Both are not needed the Bulls have fought through adversity all year and will continue to do so on the way to a championship. I truly think the Bulls have a great chance to win it all this year.

Denial

I believe that whites do have more privileges than blacks today in America. There has been a racism problem for hundreds of years and I don't believe that it is going away any time soon. It’s not because of bad intentions; it is because people are too timid to address the problem. As stated in the article Denial by Tim Wise, once people realize that there is a problem, they soon come to the conclusion that it will take too much effort in order to make an impact. That is the sad truth of society today.

         Being born white gives one many advantages today. A black child basically is born with a lesser chance to succeed than their white counterparts. This is prevalent in the region that I live in and is made evident in the article. Tim Wise uses scenarios to make people think while reading his article. It is very effective because it puts you in the shoes of the victim for once and helps people relate. People don't really understand racism until they witness it. I have a couple of black friends and I have heard countless stories of the adversity that they have to face on a daily basis and it really ticks me off. They are all nice polite people, but that doesn't matter to certain people, all that does is the color of their skin.

         Wise illustrates the problem we have in society perfectly. It is the bystanders that are causing a lot of racism as well as the ignorant people.  Some whites are in denial that racism is prevalent today, but they are just blind, all they have to do is look around and see the injustices occurring.   

Hidden Bias

 

  I took the test on Project Implicit's website about hidden bias and the results were that I have a slight preference for African Americans over European Americans. Although there has been research done to prove that people have prejudices and biases unconsciously that they can't control, I do not believe that that is why I had these results. I don't believe this test is very effective because it relies upon reflexes and quick thinking. On certain tests I was just moving along faster and making less errors than on others and I don't believe that reflects my racial views. It is pointless and there are other more efficient ways to uncover hidden bias then some test that is almost like a game.

       While I do not believe that this test works, I do believe that there are hidden biases that all of us have. It is simply in our human nature to follow what our parents do. If a parent shows any prejudices towards a race then that child will simply inherit those. Those biases do not always come up but if a certain presents itself where that group that you have a negative disposition against does something negative than that just reassures you of your bias. I am guilty myself of doing it and I do my best not to let it come out, but sometimes it just cannot be helped. I believe that it takes time to mature being in contact with many different races to finally drop those biases and realize that people are just people.

       Hidden biases are a huge underlying cause to racism in America. In order to irradiate racism those hidden biases must go first. It has been passed down through generations and continues to grow stronger as time continues. We will never overcome these until the entire nation is educated which I don't see possible sadly.

Final Post

          This book focused on the experiences that arab americans have in their daily lives. Some were traumatic while others were uplifting. It all varied based on the person. Arabs are in the spotlight a lot now with the media and the public. It all started with the 9/11 attack and kept escalating because of all of the wars in the middle east. At this moment, arabs do not have a positive view associated with them. Although it is not fair, everything that the media has presented would make an average person not feel very well about arabs in general. In my opinion the media is the main contributor to racism about every race. They only cover the most extreme stories that constitute some sort of attack or the 1% of a race that has lost their minds and the public depicts an entire race based only on those few. This has been a pattern and I don't think it will ever stop because that is really how the media gets a majority of its viewers.
          Being an arab american myself, I can relate to a lot of the experiences in the book. There have been times that I have been denied opportunities just because of my race and it hurts but I learned that I just have to move on from stuff like that and let it go. Some people just aren't mature and feel like they have to put other people down to make themselves feel better. One just needs to ignore that and realize that just because one is a certain race never means one should be ashamed by that. Your race is something that you can identify with and something that you should really be proud of no matter what the circumstances. In regards to rascism, as long as you are always the bigger person and avoiding it and confronting people when the situation calls for it, it should be something that is easily brushed off.
          By being an arab american I have gained strength from all of the prejudice and all of the adversity I have faced. It also is a large part of my identity and who I truly am. This book was easily relateable to and sometimes it really pushed my emotional buttons. I realized that instead of just sitting by and letting it happen I need to be a voice that resists racism and do everything I can so that people don't have to go through what the people in the book or what I have went through.

The positive side

  All of my blog posts have been the negative side of being young and arab in america. I have neglected the positive side, which is a very large part of being arab in america. In the book when things are getting bad, often times a group of arabs just go to mask or somewhere else that they can feel like they belong. It is a great outlet where you can just be yourself and not worry about anyone else. I have done this since I was a child because I attended school until 1st grade at a mask. I was always surrounded by other arabs and it gave me a lot of comfort and a sense of belonging. It shaped me into who I am today.
          I was never exposed to the adversity that arabs had to go through in the real world because I was sheltered in my house and at my school. My whole family is arab and my whole school was too. I think that is a large reason as to why I am not racist, because I just viewed everyone as people and not as a certain race or religion. My parents also rasied me to view others as equals and not to factor in anything that they could not control such as their looks or the color of their skin.
         In 2nd grade after 9/11 that is when I first experienced racism because some kid asked me what I was and I told him and he told me he did not want to be friends with me anymore. I went home and cried and my mom explained to me that things like that are going to happen all of the time in my life and the only thing I can control is the way I react. After that I went back to my mask and just talked to the people there and it really helped calm me down. The mask is a place of peace and a place to just enjoy your life and relax and appreciate the little things. It really has gotten me through a lot in my life and that is one of the biggest advantages to being an arab american.
          Islam has taught me to always be positive and persist in the things that I want and enjoy. Being an arab american is one of my biggest joys because of the support group that I have and the honor that comes with it.

The man who admitted his mistake

     People make mistakes, but it is the correcting of those mistakes that is a true judge of character. An arab woman just got a job and one of her coworkers was racist and was very open about that. She hated the job at first because everyday she would go to work knowing that she was being judged by her race, not by the quality of job that she was doing. This affected her work performance greatly because she just didn't see the point of working her hardest because no one was paying attention to her work. This continued for a couple of weeks until she was fed up and had to confront the guy. She just asked him what his problem was and he told her he did not like arabs. She was outraged at first but then tried talking him out of it and making him realize that he was wrong. At first he was apprehensive in giving up his viewpoint, but in time after all of his conversations with her he gave her a sincere apology and felt awful for the way he acted. She forgave him and then a great friendship was formed.
       Everyone does things at one point or another that they are not proud of. That man showed his courage by admitting that he was wrong and apologizing to her. A lot of people cannot do that today and its discouraging. Even if they know that they are wrong, they simply have to much pride to change their views and admit their mistakes. That is where most of racism stems from. I have been through similar situations and tried to speak logically and explain to the person why they are wrong only to have that person shut me down and have no rationale for their actions except for because. Anyone who only has the word because to back up their actions should really think about their viewpoints and how other people view them. Life as an arab in america can sometimes be difficult, but I am proud of my race and im not afraid to let people know that.
         No one should have to hide who they are for the sake of others. Instead people should learn to express themselves and if someone has a problem with it, address them and if they still have a problem just ignore them because obviously they are not worth your time. Be yourself and try to improve the world and that is what I define as a truly good person.

The wrong choice

       In the book, there was a scene where an arab man was being chased and having names screamed at him and things being thrown at him. People don't understand the rammifications of their actions today. They don't understand what they are doing to that man and his emotional state. They don't understand how idiotic they look chasing and screaming at someone who is just looking for peace. It disgusts me and things need to change or else this world will lose all of its morals.
       It is not like this is the first time a race has been persecuted for little to no reason. Jews were being hunted by the Nazi regime. Blacks were enslaved for over 200 years. Now arabs are being called terrorists and being shunned by society. It is an awful cycle that will not stop unless someone stands up and says something about it. We do not have enough leaders in this world anymore, only followers who are scared of standing up to society for what is right. Obviously not everyone is racist towards arabs, but the people who are just sitting there and letting it happen are just as much at fault as the people who are doing the persecuting themselves. Just because one man who was arab decded to execute an attack on New York, does not mean every person who is arab wants violence. In fact, many arabs are muslims and Islam is a religion based upon peace and treating others how you want to be treated. That doesn't really sound like a group of foolish terrorists to me. Every racist even those who target other races need to take a step back and have a reality check. People are people, it doesn't matter which country their from, all that matters is their character and their choices.
        No person should have to go through the fear that man went through just because of what they look like or where they are from. It simply is not right and it is not representing what this country was established on. Freedom and equality. Americans must take it upon themselves to stop all of this racism and be the first to lead a charge to end it worldwide. There is simply no point to it and it just shows how stupid and ignorant certain people are. I hope in time it changes, but at this rate it will take a lot of work. Do the most one person can and just end racism for yourself.

A teacher's struggle

              I chose to read the book, How does it feel to be a problem? Being young and arab in America by Mustafa Bayoumi. I felt as if I could really relate to this because I am an Iraqi-American and I have to deal with the stuggles of being arab. After 9/11 struck, the racism and prejudice against arabs in general increased drastically. Certain people were actually too scared to even associate themselves with someone who is of arab decent. Its the sad truth and now it is finally starting to change.
             A principal with a brilliant mind and a kind heart was driven away only because of her race. She desired to start an arab school which would not discriminate against other races and would allow anyone who wanted to attend to do so. As soon as citizens around the area started to hear that there was going to be an arab school in their community, most were outraged. They called her awful names like, terrorist, murderer and monster. She was confused because all that she wanted to do was ensure a proper education for young children. Everyday there were protests and crowds trying to do anything they could to stop this school from forming. Anything that she did was under heavy scrutiny from the public eye. In an interview they asked her what the origin of an arabic word was and she gave an honest interpratation of what it really meant. The press took it and twisted it to make her sound like a terrorist and the school ended up firing her because they did not want that image representing them.
              It is a travesty that she was fired because she put forth all of her effort to ensure the school would become a success. If only those people protesting took time to find out who she was and what she was about, maybe then things would have turned out differently.