Bullying

The talk about bullying that we had today was very interesting and it reminded me of a story my grandma told me over the summer. I tried looking for the article but since it happened a few months ago I couldn't find it anywhere. My grandma said she watched on the Mexican news channel that a teenage boy was killed in front of his home by his classmates. He was always constantly bullied because he had recently came from Mexico and was a bit overweight. In his Texas school, they finally realized that the bullying was severe and would let him be excused early from class to avoid the bullies. He would even leave his home early for his own safety. Then, one morning the bullies went to his house and shot and killed him in front of his own home as he was going to school. I found that shocking that people would go as far to kill other classmates because of race and weight. 

Protest Sweep Across Europe

Casert, Raf. "Anti-Austerity Protests Sweep Across Europe". YahooNews.com. 29 September 2010. <http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/eu_europe_austerity_protests;_ylt=AhplddzK4AIjdEfvC0Ea6mms0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNzM2xlZ3NoBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwOTI5L2V1X2V1cm9wZV9hdXN0ZXJpdHlfcHJvdGVzdHMEY2NvZGUDbW9zdHBvcHVsYXIEY3BvcwMyBHBvcwM3BHB0A2hvbWVfY29rZQRzZWMDeW5fdG9wX3N0b3J5BHNsawNhbnRpLWF1c3Rlcmk->

I know this article isn't about the United States, but I found it interesting because it talked about how people all over Europe are protesting because there aren't enough jobs. The U.S. is considered to be one of the richest countries in the world with a strong economy. Considering the recession-- or the after-effects-- the U.S. is not in a good standing and it has probably even affected other countries, like Europe. If one of the highest powers is having problems, how bad must the other countries be? And will it get worse, before it can get better?

Reflection on Class Discussion #2

In the class discussion about Immigration, we had a very heated and intense argument. We talked about the fairness of the benefits illegal immigrants versus citizens who rightfully pay for those benefits. There was a lot of arguments whether they should have the rights for healthcare for free while other people actually pay for that. I think they should have as much right as anyone to come to the U.S. and become a citizen. 


I've heard plenty of horrible stories of what's going on in Mexico right now, and i know that if i lived there I would try to come to the U.S. also, even if it meant coming illegally.  A friend told me about how her cousins have a hard time sleeping at night in Mexico because all they can hear is gunshots coming from an elementary school down the street from their house. Even when I visited Mexico last year during Winter Break I noticed a big change in the usual customs of the town. Kids the age of 5 and possibly younger would walk around freely from place to place with no supervision and now not even adults will walk alone. At night there would be a lot of vendors selling all kinds of food, but this time i realized everyone closed their shops early and went in their houses instead of being out on their porches watching people walk by and socializing. Over the summer a friend of mine visited the same town I go to and she told me that even during the day there is no one outside. My dad even told me that the drug cartel, The Zetas, has already taken control of his hometown. They have already threatened my aunt because she refused to give up her vacation home to them, and they have also threatened many more people with their homes. Those that refuse get their house broken into and the Zetas claims it as their own.


Mexico is a very horrible place to be right now. No one deserves to live in a place like that. Calling illegal immigrants "criminals" because they came here illegally is a harsh judgement. What's so criminal about wanting to go somewhere safe for yourself AND your family? The only criminals I see are the people pushing them out of the country and back into Mexico and the Drug Cartels that are making them want to leave it.

"How Am I Gonna Fill Those Shoes??"

In This Political Cartoon they are showing how Obama has big dreams--or shoes-- and can't fit in George Bush's small ones. He took a big responsibility by being president after Bush.


Kurtzman, Daniel. "Filling Bush's Shoes". About.com. <http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/politicalcartoons/ig/Political-Cartoons/Filling-Bush-s-Shoes.-j2I.htm>

U.S.-Mexican Border Crime a Myth

Rood, Lee. "More U.S.-Mexico Border Crime a Myth, Officials Say". DesMoinesRegister.com. 12 September 2010. <http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100912/NEWS/9120339/1001/news/More-U.S.-Mexico-border-crime-a-myth-officials-say>


The article says that the government is blowing out the perception of violence near the border being out of control to pass the Senate Bill and the funding for the border patrol. More than half of the people living near the border say they don't even feel threatened in any kind of way. Officers say they haven't even had any murders in five to eight years. 

Obama Commemorates 9/11

Werner, Erica. "Obama Commemorates 9/11 With Appeal For Tolerance." Yahoonews.com. 11 September 2010. <http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100911/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_sept11> 

Obama gave a speech to honor the 9/11 victims and spoke of tolerance for religion. He said,"We will not  let the acts of some small band of murderers who slaughter the innocent and cower in caves distort who we are." He never spoke directly about the proposed Islamic Center or the burning of the Quran, but his words managed to deliver that message that as America, we should be the bigger person and deal with it.