7 Times

After reading Erica's post and the Article on the 13 year old boy who was shot for caring around a fake fire arm, I begin to look at myself kind of scared, yet relieved. Because when I was around the age of 7-8 years old I too ran around with a fake gun, (like most younger boys would) but my gun was a old rifle that did look very real if you looked at it. Me and a friend of mine at the time were outside playing with our guns, and as we played we thought as a joke to hind behind parked cars and as soon as we saw a car pass by we would jump out and aim our fake guns at the cars passing, well from a innocent impulse of fun turned into a very serious situation, because the driver stops her car and  immediately runs out with her phone in her hand yelling to drop the weapons and that she was calling the police. Thankfully my parents saw the situation and came running out to clear the air of confusion, I was amazed to see the lady get so afraid, that after that moment I never brought my gun outside like that again. Now the reason why I bring up this story is because well, what if what happened to this young boy happened to me? What if the lady did call the police? Now I wouldn't have aimed the fake gun at the officer but I would've definitely been traumatized by the officers presents. Now looking at my view on this tragic moment, the question comes to mind... Why did the boy aim the gun at the officer in the first place? I mean I was 7-8 years old if the officer came up to me at the time I would've dropped the gun immediately! But this boy was 13 years old about a 4-5 year difference, wouldn't the boy have more common sense to have put the gun down like I would have at a much younger age? The situation could've ended on a much better and less tragic note then how it did. Now I'm not on the officers side because shooting the boy more than one time is pretty ridiculous, because one shot would've just been enough to end this terrible situation, so the officer is wrong for that, but yet the officer had a right to fire his weapon, because what if the gun was real? If the officer waited to figure out whether the weapon was fake or not, their life could've been just as easily put in danger as of anyone else who was around to witness. I just don't think it makes sense for the boy at his age to have made such an honestly stupid move such as to aim the weapon at the officer. So my view on this is this situation goes both ways, but its tragic and terrible to have happened, but it could've easily ended on a much better note than it did if only the young man had obeyed and put down the weapon like he should have, he would still be a live, a mourning mother wouldn't have to bury he own son and possible a police officer wouldn't have to go to sleep every night knowing he killed a young 13 year old boy.

Racial Profiling Lives On

As I read the article it began to make me a bit furious because some of the examples of actions that Bloomberg stated did actually happen to me. During my sophomore year me and a friend were walking down to this new Dollar Tree that just opened down the street from our houses at the time. After receiving applications for a job at this Dollar Tree, me and my friend head back home where we unknowing are being followed by a Santa Barbara County Sheriff. Now me and my friend didn't notice but the officer was literally following us on the side of the road in his patrol vehicle until he finally drives up and pulls us to the side saying in a very sarcastic tone "So what... you two couldn't notice me trying to flag u both down?" Now me and my friend were confused because we never noticed that the Sheriff was even following us? Then he began to question us asking our names, home address, and if we were on probation or not. Now, this whole situation was completely irrelevant from the beginning because why did this officer have to stop two Latinos who are not doing anything at all but walking home and question them like they were doing something wrong? It makes me mad to know that some officers take there badge a bit to seriously, its in uncomforting because when u read on every patrol vehicle they all say some quote like "protect and serve" well who are they protecting and serving if there basically harassing 2 teen aged Latino boys for no apparent reason. Its one thing if we had an ankle brace on, dressed like thugs and or in a bad neigbor hood but we both hold clean records, dressed like any average teen, and were walking in a very calm and quiet neighborhood in Orcutt, CA ? This article to me just shows how certain people don't see the other side of the badge and how it effects everyone in there own way. Til this day I shall never fully respect a Sheriff or Police official, now I'm not saying I'm going to be rude and disrespectful, but if the officer is going to be cool with me, I'll be cool with them about the situation, l but if they are going to be rude like the Sheriff that pulled me over then yeah, they can basically kiss my rear end! Police officials shouldn't base there suspicions on race, because race doesn't commit crimes, people do such as guns don't kill people, people kill people.

"To be or not to be"

As) In the soliloquy "To be or not to be", Hamlet basically talks about his hardships and strains of life, by contemplating on how he should handle these situations or escape them. He thinks of possibly taking his own life as a way of escape or even killing the person who causes these hardships for him. He constantly struggles to understand a way of living a much better life than he does now, but he has no idea if escape or he is too afraid of what ideas may pop into his mind. He over thinks everything he thinks of and that simple what if factor comes to play that simple note of curiosity takes hold but he is to afraid to take on the challenge and actually try to escape to a better life.

B) The level of meaning to live or die speaks to MD in a sense that we live to die. Which in some form of way is true. We live our lives everyday knowing one day we will die and it will all be over, but what I don't understand is why don't we life as much as we possibly should? Now, I'm not saying for us to go wild and live like a complete free spirit, because we need some form of order in our lives to keep hold of some sanity. But, why do we as human beings not enjoy our lives as much as we possibly should? Why is it that when ever someone gets a chance to do something they actually would like to do they don't take the chance as much as they should, there's always an excuse or reason behind there absence whether it is school, work, family issues... Etc. Isn't life all about exploration, experiences, and trying new things? I believe religion, government, work, and other forms of power play a huge role in why we all don't take as many risks as we should. Whether we'll be judged, arrested, or considered unholy for an action that may seem wrong to others, but right to you. I believe we own the right to our own lives and the we should truly take control of our sacred rights, but now day society is so contaminated by what is being said or told what is "right and wrong", that we fear what the out come and consequences may be if we do a random off the wall action. To live or die, pretty much speaks to me in a sense that one must look live life the way they feel is best for them or die trying.

C) In my own personal life I currently take the path to following and achieving my goals one step at a time, taking control of my life and focusing on what it is I truly want to do with my life. Now my plans may seem a bit extreme or even impossible to some extent, but, I believe if I have the strength and will power to fight for these goals that one day I will reach them and look back at my past and feel that it has finally paged off and I am finally a success. Life is about choices and following your dreams, and I will learn to follow them take the risks and continue to choose to reach my future.

Vocab Fall #5

Adroit: Clever or skillful in using the hands or mind.
Amicable: Having a spirit of friendliness; without serious disagreement or rancor.
Averse: Having a strong dislike of or opposition to something.
Belligerent: Hostile and aggressive.
Benevolent: Well meaning and kindly.
Cursory: Hasty and therefore not through or detailed.
Duplicity: The quality or state of being two fold or double.
Extol: Praise enthusiastically.
Feasible: Possible to do easily or conveniently.
Grimace: A sharp contortion of the face expressive of pain, contempt, or disgust.
Holocaust: Great destruction resulting in the extensive loss of life, especially by fire.
Impervious: Incapable of being affected.
Impetus: An impelling force; an impulse.
Jeopardy: Risk of loss or injury; peril or danger.
Meticulous: Extremely careful and precise.
Nostalgia: A bittersweet longing for thing's, persons, or situations of the past.
Quintessence: The most concentrated or purest essence of something.
Retrogress: To go or move backward.
Scrutinize: To examine or observe with great care; inspect critically
Tepid: Lacking in emotional warmthvor enthusiasm.

My Big Question

My Big Question would have to be if you grew up with a broken family and hate for a certain parent, wouldn't you want better for your children?... Wouldn't you rather see your children live the life you never had?... Wouldn't you rather have your children not experience what you may have endured?... I have always wanted if it is even remotely okay to say you hate a certain parent or at least recent them?... But it seems as I get older the more the hate and resentment seems to grow... I'm not saying I want this parent out of my life in fact I would love for them to be a part of my life, but one question I would really be interested in finding the answer to would be if this parent truly loves me?... And if so, why don't they show it?