Thankful~

This year has brought a lot of change for me.  I am living in a new state, living in a new house, going to a new school and making new friends.  Change, while it is scary, has brought some of the  greatest things into my life.  This year I have a lot to be thankful for! I am thankful that my family's move from Washington to Colorado went smoothly. I am thankful that we moved into our house quickly and without many problems. I am thankful to be at a small and structured school. I am thankful that I have made so many new and amazing friends.  However, with all of theses huge things to be grateful for, it becomes very easy to ignore little things that I have been given.  It’s crazy to think that some of the things that we use regularly, most of the world does not have access to.  This year, I am trying to be thankful for little things, as well as big things.

I am thankful for clean water.  I am so blessed to live in a country where almost everyone has access to cold, clean water (whether it comes from our houses or from restaurants).  I  am thankful that the water that we wash our hands with is clean and that the water that we take showers in is safe.  I am thankful that I have never had to worry about whether or not I had enough to drink, and whether or not that drink was safe.

I am thankful that I have a closet full of clothing.  It’s crazy to look in my closet and see all of my clothes. I have some summer clothes, winter clothes, spring clothes, fall clothes.... However, in many parts of the world, some children do not even have a pair of shoes.  I am thankful that I have more clothes than I need (and probably am able to wear).

I am thankful for my own room.  This is one thing that I take advantage of a lot.  My room is ‘my space’, it’s where I go to do homework, talk on the phone, read and just be.  I can decorate my room, I can organize my room and I can relax in my room. I couldn't imagine sharing a room with my brother for my whole life, let alone my entire family.  I am thankful that I have my own space to go to when I come home.

I am thankful for electricity. Every morning I can wake up and curl or straighten my hair. Every day, I can flick a switch and light instantly lights up my room. I can come home and turn up the heater if I’m cold.  I can cook food in the oven, I can cool food in the refrigerator, in fact I don’t even have to wash my own dishes by hand, but rather, I can put them into a dish washer.  I am very thankful to live in a place where electricity is accessible.

I am thankful for education.  School may keep me up some nights.  I may fail a test. I may get so stressed out I wish to live in the times where women could not go to school, just so I would not have to deal with it. But it is amazing to know that I am able to receive a 12 year education for free! I am so beyond blessed to live in a country where everyone, no matter their race or gender, can attended school and become equally eligible for all types of jobs.  I am thankful for school.

Accept, Act, Accelerate~

How would our communities begin to look different (in particular, our school community), if “...everyone–staff, students, and teachers–[chose] everyday to offer, thank, encourage, inspire, and let others know you notice and believe in them.”? In this day and age it is becoming increasingly more ‘trendy’, to remove oneself from their community environments, and practice a self-centered, self-providing life style.  With this shift from community based societies to individualistic centered societies, people in general have begun to feel less ‘seen’. We can sometimes find ourselves going through our day without having really engaged anyone in a conversation.  As a teenager, this type of mentality is very easy to fall into.  Me teenagers feel that they must keep up a certain independent, confident and selfish exterior in order to avoid being hurt and in order to better fit into the society they are slowly becoming integrated in.  Quite frankly, this is why so many struggle in high school-- this period of time is where one needs to feel as if they are ‘seen’ by parents, teacher and peers, however ironically, this is often the time where it seems they get the least of this. Our divergence from the community based society has left us in a world full of people seeking approval and attention from a world that will not give it to them.

Koinonia is the ancient Greek word meaning “... communion, joint participation; the share which one has in anything, participation, a gift jointly contributed, a collection, a contribution, etc. It identifies the idealized state of fellowship and unity that should exist...”1 .  In larger (and often times more so in public schools), students feel neglected, unwanted, unbelonging and unconnected to everyone or anyone else.  If students and teachers began to practice the habit of “...thank[ing], encourage[ing], inspire[ing], and let[ing] others know [they] notice and believe in them.”, those feelings would begin to disappear. If students and teachers were able to do this, a sense of ‘community’ or ‘family’ would be added to the school environment. This shift in the ‘school culture’ could positively alter behavior, depression rates, academics, social relations and the way students interact with others outside of the student body.  By choosing to ‘see’ others, we are able to open up opportunities for others to in turn ‘see’ those around them, and little by little we can begin to incorporate koinonia back into our society.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koinonia

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/angela-maiers/people-know-they-matter-w_b_3348144.html?view=print&comm_ref=false

A Shift In Culture: Religion~

Throughout history, religion has often dictated a people’s way of life.  For example, in ancient Mesoamerica, the natives never skipped annual sacrifices, for fear that their gods would cause them to suffer.  In ancient Greece, there were countless gods to whom the population worshipped, because if they did not, the gods might send them misfortune.  Religion has played a huge role in society since the beginning of time, but in the modern world of today, the need for religion is beginning to decrease.  As a religious person, this idea saddens me.  However, as knowledge of the world increases, the idea of ‘the gods’ has diminished, as trust in them is no longer deemed necessary to ones own survival.  In the future, it is my belief that we will have gained so much knowledge about every aspect of life, that the need to trust in a god or gods will no longer be necessary, thus religion practices will become a thing of the past.

For centuries, if you asked someone what caused a thunderstorm, they would probably answer by saying that it was the work of a god.  Today we know what causes them, but for most of history, people could not explain things, such as occurrences (like a thunderstorm) in nature.  Due to this lack of knowledge, many societies had to ‘create’ or put  belief in deities in order to explain why certain things happened. In many ancient religions, there were hundreds of different gods who did different things, because if you can’t explain the existence or origin of something, you believe that a god must have initiated it.  If knowledge equals power, than the lack of knowledge these people possessed ignited fear, so many cultures centered around trying to keep the gods happy.  In addition, the ancient world was a more dangerous place than it is today.  In ancient times, kidnappings, murders, village raiding, stealing and enslavement was natural, and in many societies, a non-biased justice system did not exist. Therefore, in order to try to ensure the safety of one’s self, as well as one’s family, devotion, sacrifice and prayer were given to the gods in order to try and gain favor.  The thought of having an all powerful being watch over you was a comforting thought if you felt that you may at any point be in danger. Finally, a certain aspect that was present in the majority of ancient civilizations, was the fear of life after death.  Death, or the underworld, was a place characterized with great fear and uncertainty, so people (naturally) began to fear death, and wanted to believe that it’s not the end.  In turn, many religions encouraged people to do good, or face eternal suffering after death.  This created a sense of devotion to deities, because people wanted to ensure that they would have a good fate after death.

As society moves forward in innovation, we develop a lack of need for a god or gods.  Currently, we can explain how and why many things in nature do what they do, and we have diminished the need to pin our lack of understanding on divine beings.  Especially in western culture, we live in a place where our country protects us.  We have a strict (and non secular) justice system, and pillaging a neighboring village has become less common.  This being said, many people of today do not believe that they need a god to feel protected.  We have began to more and more grab onto the idea that we control our fate. This idea has in response (for many) made the thought of death (and the ‘underworld’) less daunting.  Many religions are becoming more ‘loose’, and people will claim to be apart of a religion just because their family claims that religion, not because they themselves believe it.  I believe that this will causes a lot of the younger generation to not understand their religion, which makes them feel a lack of connection to it, which will create a sense of unimportance of religion in the future.

Even in today’s world, many countries (especially Eastern countries) still revolve around religion.  I believe that a large part of this is due to the fact that in a lot of countries, development and knowledge has not reached their peak.  When technology and knowledge reaches them in full, I believe that they will begin to let go of religious beliefs. Secondly, it also seems that religion is mainly being driven by the older generation.  As a country ‘westernizes’, so does the youth.  Religious tradition is beginning to be lost as this generation of children are generally less ‘plugged into’ religion than their parents.  With more information in the world, people have become less reliant on gods, and more reliant on knowledge, thus the ‘mind’ in essence becomes a person’s new ‘god’.

 
If society keeps up with the advancements in technology of today in future years, I believe that within one hundred year (so by 2113), those who are considered ‘religious’ will be in a vast minority of the population.  As we become more and more self reliant, we will not need gods to bless us, protect us or guarantee a good life for us-- we will be able to do that for ourselves.  It is my hopes that religion will be preserved and that we will never completely lose that aspect of our lives.

The Colombian Drug Issue~

Colombia is known worldwide as the nation with one of the heaviest narcotic problems. This dilemma initially developed in response to Mexico’s efforts to shut down their own narcotic issues in 1975.  When this happened, many turned to Colombia as a drug provider, and Colombia soon began to supply nearly all of the marijuana shipped to U.S.. After the marijuana market had been firmly established, drug dealers began to sell to a newer, more profitable market--cocaine. Colombian groups, such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, use the profits that they accumulate through drug trafficking to finance their organizations.  Organizations like these are responsible not only for the majority of the drug trafficking that takes place in Central and South America, but also for many of the kidnappings, murders and governmental instability that plague these countries.

While Colombian drug trafficking is recognized as a worldwide issue, there is little that the government can do to stop it. Ever since 1980, the Colombian government has attempted to halt it’s drug traffickers, however, the lack of stability the government attains has caused little progress to be made in this area. By the 1990’s, the push for the government to exert control over the Colombian drug cartels had all but diminished as political struggles began to increase. At this point in time, the ‘Left wing’ political guerrillas and the ‘right wing’ political paramilitary organizations had battered down the government’s little stability so badly, that the left-winged guerrillas had gained control over nearly 50% of the country.

As a result of the weak government and the drug cartels that are now able to run rampant (due the the government's weakness), Columbia has become a place of great poverty.  The U.S. has recently activated ‘Plan Colombia’, which supplies millions of dollars in fundings and military aid, in the hopes of shutting down the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.  The U.S. has also funded for a certain amount of herbicides that prevent the growth of drugs, to be sprayed throughout the Colombian jungle . However, even this has led to issues as the crops that poor farm families rely on are now dying.

It is easy to see how the Colombian drug cartels have affected the nation of Colombia in astronomically negative ways. The networks of these drug traffickers have gotten so huge, that shitting them done will now be nearly impossible.  As border security between nations begins to tighten in an effort to prevent drug smuggling, the demand for those drugs will heighten.  If the trend that has taken place in Colombia for the past forty years continues, violence, kidnappings, murders and a general unsafety for all will in correlation, also begin to rise.

The Color of the Changing Seasons~

      Over the course of my life, I have lived in four different states.  I am only old enough to remember three of them, but one thing that has stood out to me in each state is the color that each season brings. It is interesting, as I have looked back over old pictures, that each season looked very different in each state. While the general 'feel' of each season remains consistent, I have enjoyed being able to experience different aspects of each season through color.

      I was born in California, but I moved to Scottsdale, Arizona when I was one year old.  Arizona, being a desert, is very dry, and therefore a lot of the plants appeared to be dead for most of the year, and the general 'color' of nature there was brown.  I remember feeling as if we only had two seasons: Winter and Summer, and the only difference was that Winter was a bit colder.  When I was ten years old, I moved to Seattle Washington.  This is where I learned how green a tree could be.  In our yard, we had three cherry blossom trees that would bloom bright pink in the spring.  In the fall, the leaves of those trees, as well as all the others in our neighborhood, would turn red and orange and yellow.  However, these beautifully colored leaves would only stay on the trees for about three days before the rains came and they all fell off.  As winter approached, everything became bare and white (with snow and ice), but as spring and summer reappeared, color reentered the landscape, and green leaves and vibrant flowers painted the scenery.  I moved again when I was sixteen years old, to Highlands Ranch, Colorado, and I have never experienced such wonderful natural colors as I have here.  I can recall some of our firsts nights living her, looking up at the sky in complete awe at how colorful the sky was.  Now, as fall is here, every time I drive down the street, I am wonder struck by how amazing the fall leaves are.  I love all the reds and the ranges and the yellows and the hints of green that are still left on some of the trees.  I love to watch the sun rise in the morning, as it brings pinks and purples to the sky, and I love to watch the sun set in the evening as it brings blues and reds and golds.  I have never been a 'nature' person, but experiencing the natural colors that occur hear in Colorado has made me realize how beautiful nature is.

     Color appears every where around us.  We buy clothes based off of what colors look best on us. We decorate our houses with certain color schemes, and hang up art work that complements those colors.  We dye our hair and we put on makeup so that we can add color to our appearance.  However, I have come to discover that no color, or compilation of colors, can compare in the slightest to those that our brought about by the ever changing seasons of nature

Syria: A nation in crisis~

The Syrian Civil War is, in essence, a large scale dispute between forces that allie with the current governmental sect known as the ‘Ba'ath’, and those who wish to destroy it. The war was made official on the March 15th. This war is a byproduct of what has come to be known as ‘The Arab Spring’.  In Syria (as was reflected in other Middle Eastern nations), the ‘common people’ began to demanded that President Bashar al-Assad step out of office, and that the Ba’ath Party dismember, however neither Al-Assad, nor the Ba’ath party desire to do so, and thus a civil war was born.

---

Ever since the country of Syria was founded in September of 1961, the nations many ethnic sects have fought continuously amongst themselves. However, in 2000, when Bashar Al-Assad declared himself President, violence quickly began to escalate.  Al-Assad belonged  to a religious minority known as the Alawites.  The Alawites make up about 12% of the Syrian population, and they are reputed for having clashes with the nation’s largest religious group, the Sunni Muslims.  At the beginning of his ‘democratic reign’, Al-Assad seemed to be slowly guiding his country down the path of peace.  However, in August of 2001, Al-Assad ordered the arrest of ten of Syria’s leading activists calling for democratic elections, which had been denied to the people for many years.  In the years to follow, Al-Assad and the Ba’ath party attempted to crush all rebellions and groups calling for reformation.  For nearly ten years, the Syrian people faced inhumane oppression that rarely ever surfaced to the top of international media. However, in December 2010, the world watched in horror the country of Tunisia rioted against it’s government.  This exhibition of intolerance ignited a fire in the Middle East, and began to echo in several other countries, most notably, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Bahrain.  Finally, on March 15th, 2011, news of a Syrian civil war made headlines in every news agency in the country.

The Syrian Civil War started in the region known as Daraa, but quickly spread throughout the country.  As citizens marched up and down streets in protest to the government’s unjustified treatment of it’s people, the government then responded with arrests, torture and cruelty.  Outrageous burst of violence continued to be initiated, however global intervention remained severely limited. Four months after the Civil War began, Al-Assad sent in large numbers of military personals into the region of Hama, after a large protest had brought many of the regions residence into the streets.  The army killed hundreds of civilians, and men, women and children fell in the streets.  In July of 2012, 200 people were massacred in the village of Tresmeh by the governmental army.  In an attempt at retaliation, rebel armies bombed the National Security building in Damascus, and killed several of Al-Assad’s government party. Mass murders of innocent civilians continued to haunt Syria, and in January of 2013, 65 Syrians were found dead the city of Aleppo.  The bodies of these people had been beaten, bound and ‘shot execution-style’.  It is hard to imagine a government so brutally massacring its own people, and even harder to imagine how the situation in Syria could escalate even more. However, on March 19, 2013 the world was struck with abhorrence at the news that the Syrians had chemically attacked several of their own cities.  Pictures of rows of dead children lingered in every news article in many countries.  Many more chemical attacks were made, and both sides (government and rebels) accused the other of being responsible for them.  The worst of these attacks, however, came on August 21st.  The government ordered several rockets containing the deadly chemical sarin, (sarin is “A poisonous liquid, C4H10FO2P, that inhibits the activity of cholinesterase and is used as a nerve gas in chemical warfare.1”, it extremely lethal and extremely toxic) to be launched on the city of Ghouta.  It is unknown the exact amount of deaths that were caused by these explosions, but many estimate the death count is currently at about 1,300 people.

Due to the inordinate amount of sects that cluster in different areas around the Middle East, it is impossible to tell how many rebel forces are currently fighting in Syria.  However, there are several large scale groups that have joined together to fight their common enemy-- Al-Assad.  This is unusual to see in the Middle East, as violence and disputes between nearly every political and religious sect are frequent, but many have chosen to take up arms with one another, in hopes of demolishing Al-Assad's government.  Notable rebel forces include: The Syrian National Council (the SNC was established in August of 2011, in direct response to the Syrian Civil War, with their sole focus being to overthrow Al-Assad), The Syrian National Coalition (established in November of 2012, the focus of this group are... “replacing the Bashar al-Assad government and "its symbols and pillars of support", "dismantling the security services", unifying and supporting the Free Syrian Army, refusing dialogue and negotiation with the al-Assad government, and "holding accountable those responsible for killing Syrians, destroying [Syria], and displacing [Syrians]"2”), The Free Syrian Army (the FSA was established in July of 2011.  They are the most prevalent and active rebel group in Syria, with its main focus being destroying Al-Assad), Mujahideen (established in September of 2013, Mujahideen is a Jihad force.  Jihad is the ‘war’ that Muslims in the name of Allah against non-believers.), the Al-Nusra Front (the ANF was an established Jihad force before the beginning of the Syrian Civil War, and has been labeled as a terrorist organization in both Syria and the United States.), and the Kurdish Forces (and accumulation of Kurds who desire to see President Al-Assad be overthrown).

The war in Syria has not produced astronomical internal problems, but has also given rise to escalating external problems. With violence and murder rates continuing to rise, many desperate people have attempted to flee the country.  In August of 2012, the UN estimated that more than 1 million people had become internally displaced.  Thirteen months later, the number of individuals internally displaced had risen to 6.5 million, and that 2 million had already left the country. Almost 1/3 of these desperate refugees sought safety in the neighboring country of Lebanon, while many others have gone to Jordan, Iraq and Turkey.  These huge amounts of people fleeing to these countries at once has cause unbelievable economic and demographic issues.  The Syrian refugees, having nothing, attempt to seek work in these countries, which has created job crisis in this region.  Many Syrians are now being refused work, as employers would rather hire official citizens than refugees.  Food and water shortages are often present in Syrian refugee camps, because of their inability to work and provide food for themselves and their families.  Finally, many countries that neighbor Syria are now frustrated at how much space the refugees take up.  The Middle East is known for its crowded streets and dense populations, and the number of refugees that have now tried to settle in other areas has made living space even more tight and uncomfortable. While many of the Middle Eastern countries desire to help Syria, the burdening load of refugees is beginning to prove impossible for these nations to bear.

Eating Rituals~

Ever since I was little, I can distinctly remember my family and I sitting around the dining room table, together, eating dinner, every night.  This used to be my favorite time of the day, because it was there that I could discuss (in full detail) what I had done that day, who I had talked to and what grade I had gotten on my math or my spelling quiz.  I remember this is the time when my Dad would come home from work, and I would get to talk and play with him as well. Now that I am older, it has become more of a struggle to have regular, sit-down family dinners for various reasons, such as sports and homework.  There have been times when I have resented my Mom for making me sit down for family dinner because of other things I would have much rather been doing, however, now that I am not able to eat dinner with my family regularly, I miss being able too.  Family dinners provide not only a way for parents to question their children with questions about their lives, it is also a time where families are given the ability to connect and establish a stable family dynamic in their home.

Studies have shown that there are many health benefits to having nightly family dinners.  Among these include: Children who have family dinners on a regular basis reduce their chances of  taking drugs, drinking alcohol, and smoking tobacco and, children with families that eat dinner together are more likely to consume more foods that are nutritious, and therefore less likely to become overweight.  However, these same studies have been able to find many more emotional benefits to having regular family dinners.  Several benefits that were found include: Families who choose to have regular family dinners often enable the children to develop stronger connections to the parents; Children who grew up in households that valued regular family dinners tend to associate those family dinners with having a stable home environment, therefore making it easier for children to make more stable choices in pertains to friends, and who they associate themselves with.

In conclusion, the benefits of having regular family dinners go far beyond those of nutrition and health.  Providing children with the opportunity to sit down with their families once a night helps to reduce feelings of instability, and also opens up doors for them to discuss with their parents issues that might be taking place in their lives.  With that being said, as children get older and become more engaged with extracurricular activities (and more swamped with homework), the opportunities to have family dinners become limited.  However, it is important to remember all of the benefits that can come out of having family meals, and therefore it is important to take the chance to have a family dinner whenever you are able to.

Sources:
http://www.superhealthykids.com/healthy-kids-recipes/10-benefits-to-eating-family-dinner.php
http://eartheasy.com/blog/2011/12/why-eating-family-meals-together-is-still-important-today/

A Pursuit for Justice~

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”  This quote was written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a letter that he wrote from Birmingham Jail.  His point in writing this letter was to, among other reasons, address the hard-pressing issue of the discrimination of the African American population in the United States during the nineteen hundreds.  However, this quote has proven to be applicable in modern day issues.  The unjust treatment of people happens everyday in every country, and this decision to mistreat others often influences those around us, and can lead to the discrimination of even more people.  In essence, this quote tells us that until injustice stops completely, just treatment for everyone else is constantly being threatened.   

This quote was particularly moving because upon reading it, I was immediately reminded of several current world issues to which this quote could apply.  A good example of this would be the Middle East. When we look at what has become known as the Arab Spring, it becomes apparent that when one group of people calls for a cease to injustice, that voice then echos in many other countries and civil wars and massacres follow. In relation to the quote, the injustice from one country has over time threatened and influenced that of others, thus we have rioting populations fighting for the return of what they believe to be just.  The injustice that we see in the Middle East is not often directed at just one group.  Often times, injustice is thrown upon women, religious minorities, ethnic minorities, people who support a political power that is in contrast to the one set up, and also the poor.  This shows us an example of what the quote is saying.  As fighting continues to take place in the Middle East, more people are given more reasons to hate and suppress more people, so the injustice that was cast upon one group can also spur the unjust treatment of another.

Everyone is sensitive to the concept of ‘justice’.  Americans often go berserk when they feel like they have been treated unjustly by anyone, whether it’s a salesman, the president or even another country.  However, most everyone has at least once treated someone unjustly (by cheating off of a classmates test, by not letting someone sit with you at lunch because they were ‘uncool’, by gossiping about someone, etc.).  This is slightly ironic because we often expect to be treated justly, but find no need to treat others justly in return.  Part of what makes Dr. King’s quote so powerful is, that it challenges us to analyze our actions and treatment of others, and encourages us to stop injustice even in our own lives. By doing this, Martin Luther King Jr. was able to personally touch everyone with this single quote, and inspire us to seek and give justice in every aspect of our lives.

The Banning & Challenging of Books~

It is hard for literature teachers to give their students the best education that they can, while constantly having to worry about how the students, and their parents, will respond to the reading material that they choose. Each student comes from a home that may have different ideas on what is appropriate and what is inappropriate in regards to reading materials.  There are many reasons that families and schools challenge, and even ban books.  First of all, approximately 1/3 of the books challenged in the last decade were challenged on the basis of including sexulay inappropriate content.  Several books that were challenged for sexual content include Alice Walker's "The Color Purple", Toni Morrison’s  “Beloved”, John Steinbeck’s “Grapes Of Wrath” and Allen Ginsberg “Howl”.  Another prominent reason for the banning and challenging of books includes violence.  Over 1/4 of all book challenges include that the book being challenged was to violent for students to read.  Books that have been challenged due to the appearance of violence include Lois Lowry’s “The Giver”, Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood” and Richard Wright’s “Native Son”.  A third reason for why people wish to ban books is because it is believed that the book that was read includes magic, sorcery or demonic aspects (usually argued as occultism).  Surprisingly, the “Harry Potter Series” by J.K. Rowling was one of the most challenged books based off of this reason.  “The Lord of The Rings Series” by J.R.R Tolkien was another that was attempted to be removed from both schools and libraries for its sorcery and ‘demonic aspects.  There are many other reasons that people use to challenge and ban books, such as for Religious reasons, the appearance of homosexuality, and substance abuse.  However, no matter what the reason for the challenging of a book, the main reason behind it is typically for the better good of student.  Parents challenge books more than any other group of people. The reason behind this is that they are trying to protect students from ‘dangerous’ or ‘corrupting’ content.  The American Library Association states that, “Often challenges are motivated by a desire to protect children from ‘inappropriate’ sexual content or ‘offensive’ language.’” .  However, this brings up the question of, what benefits could there be for the student to read ‘racy’ or ‘edgy’ books while in school?

One of the largest driving points for being able to teach and read controversial material in the classroom is that of developing critical thinking skills. Procon.org sates that, “Learning and discussing controversial issues in school helps students become more informed and more active citizens”.  The reading and discussing of controversial books enables students to grasp a better understanding of the world around them.  No matter what time period the book was written in, students are able to understand how social and political problems come to be, as well as how conflicts grow (and how they can spiral out of control) through reading them.  Aside from this, students who read controversial books become less ‘sheltered’.  While this can be argued as both good and bad, these books can help to prepare them for what the world will look like after they leave the safety of home, and go off on their own. It is argued that the world is not a censored place, therefore neither should the books that students be allowed to read. The more they know and understand about the world, the better prepared they will be to live in it.

With little knowledge of people and issues going on around you, it is easy to develop stereotypes and bias.  For example, we know the story of how European settlers conquered the Americas, and how they trampled all over the natives and reigned victorious in the end.  It is easy to look at that and view the Europeans as the heroes, conquerors and perseveres that took what belonged to them.  However, through reading the documents that have been found written by Native Americans at that time, one is introduced to the utter horrors that were inflicted upon them by the Europeans.  These documents and stories may be looked at as inappropriate because they include sexual harassment, violence, paganism (native religions) and other aspects that can easily be deemed as inappropriate for students.  However, by reading these, the bias that we built up is broken down and we gain a better understanding of history.  Another example includes the stereotype that all Arabs/Middle Easterners are ‘terrorists”. If we are able to read primary sources of civilians that are caught up in the middle of the conflict that consumes that area of the world, we can see that the ‘terrorists’ make up a very small part of the population. Of course these stories too can also be seen as to violent or to inappropriate to be read by students.  By banning reading materials, students are not given the opportunity to develop well thought out judgments of the world, and they are not given a strong chance to break down the stereotypes and bias they have created.

In conclusion, there are many reasons used to challenge and ban books, and many believe that they are doing it for the greater good of children and students.  However, when a book is banned, the knowledge that a student is able to obtain through reading becomes more limited, and their knowledge when the time comes for them to go out on their own is lacking.  Books, no matter what the content can be helpful to students by both helping them develop critical thinking and understanding.  While the topic of reading content will continue to be an issue, students should be prepared to face deep issues (such as those presented in books) in life, and by reading uncensored books, they will be able to gain the information they need to be able to face this.

Citation:
http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/censorship/bannedbooksthatshapedamerica
http://www.ala.org/bbooks/
http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/curiosity/topics/top-10-challenging-book.htm

About Me~

I'm Mikaela Malouf~
   I'm 16 years old and I'm a junior, and this is my first year at SkyView Academy in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. I moved to Colorado a little over two months ago, and before that I lived in Seattle, Washington for six years.  I have also lived in Scottsdale, Arizona and the Sacramento area of California.  I love the sunshine and the warmth of Colorado, and so far I have really enjoyed living here.  I live with my Mom (who is a professional photographer), My Dad (who is computer programmer/web designer), and my younger brother. I play on the girls varsity volleyball team for SkyView and besides that, I really love to dance.  I love to travel and I love to move to new places and I love trying new things.  My family is mainly Arabic and Ukrainian, and I would like to live in the Middle East someday.  I'm very exited for this year at school, and I hope it will turn out great!