Finding Freedom in Forgiveness

How do you forgive someone who falsely sent you to jail for 11 years? You would have to really be one with in yourself and be able to forgive someone so you can be free.  Falsely being in jail for rape can have a toll on a person and miss years of your life on an accusation. In order to find freedom you have to forgive that person.

 Forgiving people who hurt you, because if you don’t they will have power over you. According to Jennifer Thomas-Cannino, in the essay “Finding Freedom in Forgiveness” helping someone free themselves from anger while trying to find peace can help build a strong bond in friendship and forgiveness. Jennifer had picked a man out as the person who had raped her. The man she picked out was a black man Ronald Cotton. Jenifer soon found out 11 years later that the man she identified was not the man who had raped her. The DNA was not a match for Ronald, but was a match for a male in jail that was serving a lesser sentence. When they found the man who allegedly raped Jennifer they had released Ronald from. Ronald forgave Jennifer because they were both victims in this case. Ronald and Jennifer are good friends as of today and live a peaceful life and got rid of all the anger and hate they had though out the years of this case.

I partially feel the same way that Jennifer Thomas-Cannino does with finding freedom and forgiveness. When forgiving someone you can find freedom, even if they falsely accused you of a crime you didn't commit. I believe that you do find freedom and free spirit when you forgive someone because it’s a burden that’s lifted off your heart. When you forgive someone you are letting anger and negative energy release from your body.  I disagree because if I went to jail for 11 years for a crime that I did not commit, I am not sure that I could forgive someone so easily. The understanding of having 11 years taken off of my life just because of an assumption would damage my emotions and heart towards that person. I would forgive, but I would have to take time for the healing process.

That’s why I feel that it’s hard to forgive, but if you take the time to embrace yourself and allow ultra-healing then anything is possible and you can forgive. 

We’re All Different in Our Own Ways

 Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Harriet Tubman, and Abraham Lincoln went off to do great things because they were different. If everyone was exactly the same the world would be filled with robots. Everyone is different and who are we to judge another’s uniqueness. We were made to be different in our own way so we can stand out and shine.

You should never judge a book by its cover you should try reading a page or two. I, too, believe that we’re all different in our own ways because we were all created to be different. If everyone was the same we would live in a repetition world and we copy what everyone else is doing. I don’t like the fact of teasing or bullying someone because their different. There are famous people who are known because they did great things and people thought they were weird because they had strong feelings about something. We all have our own opinions about different things, It’s called having freedom of speech. Everyone should be respected for being different with the understanding that we are all different in our own way.

An essayist for This I Believe has a similar position.  According to Joshua Yuchasz, in the essay, “We’re All Different in Our Own Ways,” imagining everyone being the same, which would make the world boring. Don’t judge someone because their different just embrace it and allow them to be who they are. In elementary school Joshua realized he was different than normal kids. He was teased because of being interested in snakes and lizards and always getting in trouble with the teacher for not paying attention. Joshua was getting teased in middle school for being interest in Godzilla. The students treated him different for knowing scientific facts and being smart. Just because someone is different does not give anyone the right to tease, taunt, or disrespect a person’s self-interest because being different is what makes a person unique.

Next time, you judge someone because they are different try and see why this person is different and accept it or even embrace it.

            

Finding the Strength to Fight Our Fears

Spiders, lizards, snakes, dogs, cats, and even clowns are some things that people fear in life. Being scared is an emotion that can over take the brain and make someone forget the logic of what’s really in front of us. Fear is dangerous if you let it control you, and you might not be able to control your senses and it could put you in harm’s way.  You have to find the strength to fight your fears and overcome your emotion.

You have to have strength to fight your fears because in some situations it can kill you. I agree with Terry Ahwal. With the statement “I believe it is fear we should be fighting not the “other”,” because we are all humans and we are all different. When you let fear overpower you, it can also side track you from your surroundings and make you lose concentration. Fear can also cause death, when you are in a horrific situation you would have to calm down and make the right decisions. When in fear you have to make the right decisions and you need a clear stable mind in order to do so. There has been a time when I was in fear, but I let my logic take over instead of emotion so I could get myself out of the situation safely.

 I’m not the only one who feels this way. According to Terry Ahwal, in the essay "Finding the Strength to Fight Our Fears" believing in people we think are different and fighting against our fears is extremely difficult. Terry Ahwal grew up in Palestine, and is now living in Detroit. At the age of eleven Terry had to hide under a car from the Israeli soldiers. With whom the soldiers would have killed her if she was caught. Years later in Detroit she witnessed many whites fleeing the city out of fear. After the 9/11 attack Arab and Muslim segregated themselves from other resident’s suspicions. Again they allow the differences to separate them because of fear. We should fight against fear but instead we fight people we think our different from us.

So, the next time you are in a fearful situation just remember to breathe and think logically and not emotionally so you can be in control of your fear.  

Cat Calling

Hey what’s up “bitch!” and “yo ma you got a fat ass!” are some words that are considered catcalling. When men perform catcalling there is an effect on women that is realistic. Women are being betrayed when men do catcalls towards them, because they are using words with profanity and saying thing to make women feel uncomfortable. Men usually yell at women and call them “baby” “sexy” and even “bitch.”  This can also be considered a threat, because words can become violent and even lead to harassment.  Women are being betrayed every day and can’t even walk down the street without being harassed.  It can lower your self-esteem and make you feel degraded. Men should understand how women feel when they are getting catcalls from men. When men starts to grab on women it can make women feel threated and violated.


In the video “Shit Men Say,” when catcalling is not okay to talk to women in a disrespectful way. The idea of men telling other men to stop catcalling should be considered. If men are against catcalling they should stand up. Men listen to other men and they usually do things in front of other men to either seem cool or feel like “The Man.” If a man tells another man that woman doesn’t approve catcalling and it’s considered harassing them, a lot of men would understand. Men should confront other men on the matter of catcalling, because the reason they catcall anyway is so that they can fit in with the guys or even look cool. I think men do avoid confronting other men because they don’t want to be looked at as being soft or not a man. I think that if a man tells another man that catcalling is not right, they might think that the other man is a homosexual. When men say or confront other men they can become confrontational and even begin to fight.


When I was fifteen and sixteen years old, I was in high school when I was always harassed by grown men on the street and boys in school. I know how women feel because I used to feel the same way: I would feel hurt, embarrassed, threatened, and harassed. So I didn’t pay attention or I would just ignore them. Eventually I would get upset and stand up for myself and let them know that I was a young lady and I was not going to accept nor acknowledge them, and let them know that’s not my name. Women getting catcalls and having explicit words spoken to them are never alright, and It’s sexist and even racist. It’s hurtful and degrading when men talk to women with profanity. Men just should have respect for a lady, period. 

Doll Face Beauty

“I’m too fat!” “I’m not pretty!” “Why don’t I look like her?” In our everyday life we see pictures, movies, magazines and television of how we are supposed to look. When we look at ourselves we don't see pretty, even if we are a size 0, there is always going to be something else that you will want to fix as to your body or looks because you are trying to be someone you are not.  For Example, in the video clip “Beauty Sketches” a professional artist draws women and how they picture themselves. They had a stranger who just met the women describe them to the artist. All of the ladies were shocked when they saw how they viewed themselves and how strangers viewed them. The strangers had a better view of the women; they described them with smiles and beauty. Everyone has their own uniqueness because if not we would have all been born looking exactly alike.


I think that these topics should be discussed in elementary and high school. I don't see why the subject of beauty and self-esteem issues should not be discussed in schools. Children in school might not want to discuss these issues because of embarrassment, and having people judge them. That was the whole purpose of beauty and self-images of the sketch, because it’s just women trying to fit in. I know that elementary and high school students are young, but that’s when we should start talking about the issues going on in today’s society, instead of hiding the truth and making individuals feel uncomfortable. In reality the magazines, televisions, models, posters, and stars are letting girls and women know that if you want to be pretty you have to be skinny and wear make-up. But there are more models and stars that are unhappy and unhealthy because they are too skinny and bulimic. Students should not worry about self-image but be happy for inner beauty instead of what’s on the outside, because beauty comes from within.


I would definitely say that the media has affected my own self-image. I have never been alright with my weight, but I have learned to love myself for what I am and who I am. I have never been a size 0, but even when I was a size 7 I still thought I was fat because some people would call me that. Society always made me feel as if I have a problem with my image. I realize the media has an effect on everyone and how they feel about their bodies, because the infomercials talk about losing weight and taking diet pills. Diet pills have side effects and could harm your body but people take them because they want to look like the girls on the television, magazines, and even movies.

World Problems

“Oh my, I think I can’t afford the new iPhone 5, I think I’m going to cry!”  Individuals should look at the world’s problems instead of being resentful for what they don’t have. Wondering where they’re going to get their next meal there are many families and kids that don’t have electronics. Some people complain about their cell phones, because when they have an iPhone 4. They just have to have the iPhone 5 like everyone else. People care about what others think of them, and some even worry about what others think because they want to fit in. In the meanwhile there are families and kids out in the world that are starving. These are some examples of how people have their priorities mixed up.

In the video clip “Miniature Earth” it states the major point, which is that “If you have a bed, a closet, and a roof over your head and food in a refrigerator than you are richer than 75% of the entire world’s population;” and the video also states that turning the population of the Earth into a small community of 100 people, would result in: 21 of their 100 people living on around a dollar a day. If the money spent on the military and not education and trying to help the poor how are students supposed to succeed without the proper tools or support to do so? The Last quote that I understood was “The village spends $1.24 trillion on military expenditures and only 100 billion on development aid.” We complain about: phones, hair, taking two trips to the store when some people don’t even have a car or enough money to catch the bus.   

There is a song by 2 Pac and it is called “Keep Your Head Up.” In the song 2 Pac talks about how we have money to fight in wars, but can’t help feed the poor or the homeless. He stated in his song “They got money for wars, but can’t feed the poor.” 2 Pac also states the reality of the academics that are occurring in the world as of today; with drugs, women with no husbands and having children, and the poor and why the rich is getting richer and the poor is getting poorer. We need to understand the real problem that’s being damaging today’s society. Having a home is something to be thankful for and to appreciate because that means you’re well above the entire population.

Past & Present

Knowledge is the one thing no one can take from you. Because once you have it, it’s forever. I am studying business in order to open my own business and further my career options. I haven’t decided what kind of business I want to open up just yet, but I do know I want to go beyond expectations while fitting my bubbly personality. I want to learn college level skills so I can go beyond what I learned in high school. I am in a writing class to build my skills for English 101 in order to transfer to a university, and obtaining my own business is important to me, because I want something to call my own, and eventually help family, friends, and charities.

Since being in college, I have made good decisions and made better choices than before. Since college I have been more responsible then I was in high school. I do my homework on time, I get a tutor when needed, and I actually ask for help from teachers. When you are in college you have deadlines and no late work is accepted and you have to be well organized, as to when you are in high school you don't have so much discipline or deadlines and most teachers do accept late work.

English has never been my best subject, and it is still not but it’s definitely better in college. My first thought when I walked in the classroom was: “I hope I have a good teacher and that my classmates are nice.” As soon as I saw Mr. Henry, I knew he was going to push us to the limit while making sure that we got a good learning experience. I soon found out that I was right about that: the students were very friendly and this became actually one of my favorite classes. Mr. Henry actually pays attention to his students. He is always there if you need help, or if you need to talk. As long as you come to class on time with a positive attitude, you will have a great outcome. Mr. Henry’s class is fun and he always makes us think outside the box with these courageous and intellectual pictures and videos. College is just as fun as high school, and you should want to further your education.

Failure

The falling part is easy; it’s the getting up part that’s hard! It’s easy for students to fail and become successful. Dealing with teachers, counselors, and real life while in school can be complicated if you don’t commit. Students’ coming to class late and sometimes missing class is a way student fails. To identify warning signs that a student is possibly failing, teachers and counselors should look for students who come to class late, who don’t turn in homework, who are daydreaming in class, who are not answering questions, and students who are always using their electronic devices in class. When teachers are lecturing, some students might not understand but they don’t ask for help, because they are afraid of being thought of as stupid or to be embarrassed for answering wrong in front of other students.

Procrastination and real life distractions play a major part in student's failing. Some students have children and family members to attend to. In some cases, these issues make studying difficult. So Students should make a time management plans. Which shows what they do throughout the day so they can make time for school studies.

Teachers could have a solution to this problem, by letting students know that they will stay after school for at least 30 minutes to help them. The teacher can also help them with answering questions that student's have, and to also help them with their assignments. These options will assure students who have difficulties with answering questions during class, and also interrupting class lectures.

Being in college usually gives us less time in class than if you were in high school; college can also give you a less amount of time to understand the lecture. Teachers can also be very observant, as to looking at students and walking through aisle to make sure they are being active.