Malcolm X 1

While many people do not particularly like Al Sharpton, he is a man that spreads his influence that African Americans deserve more respect.   He is commonly compared to popular deceased Malcolm X who also spread his influence.  They both shared the same idea that blacks deserve more rights and respect than they are given.  "The guilty, two-faced white man can't decide what he wants.  Our slave foreparents would have been put to death for advocating so-called 'integration' with the white man," (Haley 245).  This and other arguments made by both Malcolm X and Al Sharpton express their feelings on different issues against African Americans.  The quote expresses Al Sharpton's beliefs and things he has said about different issues.  The quotes are similar to things Malcolm X would say and support.  In this way, they are very similar, brave men that believed stating their opinion and expressing their beliefs could make a difference for the better.  In my way of thinking, I respect Al Sharpton for defending his people and trying to fight against racism.  He is a man that has taken action on what he believes in and I think that is the way things are done.  Nobody hands anything to you in life.  Anything you want, you have to take by being persistent and not quitting on it.  Al Sharpton believes this even though there are people that hate seeing his face everywhere and feel he is unneeded.  He is persistent, confident, and never stops believing in himself and the cause he stands for.  This is why I do not find him annoying and a nuisance whenever he appears on TV for every issue that has to do with African Americans.  I fully respect what he is trying to accomplish and I think there is nothing wrong with feeling that you must stop at nothing until you achieve your goal.

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/al_sharpton.html

Chapters 7-10 of The Autobiography of Malcolm X display how Malcolm hit a level that took him so low, he reached the abyss of prison and made a life realization that his beliefs parallel the religion of Islam.  It began when Malcolm lost the trust of a dear friend to him, Sammy the Pimp, when he struck one of Sammy's women.  Sammy pulled a gun on Malcolm and their relationship would never be fully healed.  They made amends but could not trust each other for as long as they shall live.  Following this, he works in a series of odd jobs such as a gambler, hustler, and a steering job.  When he is accused of robbing a craps game, claiming winnings he did not bet on with West Indian Archie, and getting chased by the police for punching a hustler in the face and almost getting stabbed, he is chased by many opponents that want his blood.  In a time of desperation, Malcolm's old friend, Shorty, picks him up and takes him to Boston.  Here, he begins his plot to start a burglary ring with Shorty and a black, italian man named Rudy.  The plan was going well, using Sophia and Ella to search out the houses to be robbed.  Sadly, one night when Malcolm is high on cocaine, he spots Sophia, her sister, and a man that is friends with her husband, passing in a car, and he speaks with the women intimately and blows Sophia's cover.  This causes the friend and Sophia's husband to go on the hunt for Malcolm, when he gets taken into police custody peacefully.  He ends up getting in more trouble for having relations with a white woman than the burglary crimes that he committed.  He is sentenced to 10 years in prison, where he finds himself making the life realization that changed his future forever.  His brother Reginald informed him of the religion during his visits and Malcolm realized that it was the right path for him and supported his beliefs.  My opinion of the events in this reading is that they might be the most important chapters to be read in this novel.  They are the upbringing of what brought Malcolm to the thinking and status of person that he is famous for: an insightful preacher and teacher of respect to African Americans.

Ethnic Notions

The video in class showed different stereotypes of blacks that are still used today.  It showed many images of them eating watermelon and chicken.  One of the prime stereotypes of blacks today is the theory that they love to eat watermelon and chicken.  This is a very popular racial remark among whites and other races and apparently got its upbringing from the original television shows.  Another stereotype mentioned in the video that we still use today is the character of Manny, an African American maid.  This stereotype exists today also and there is a theory that exists that maids are fat, black women.  The problem is that blacks were highly discriminated against at that time and still today get mocked from the stereotypes even though racism has dulled down a bit since those hateful days.  This shows that there has been some improvement but not as much as some people think. 

I personally am of the Caucasian race, which has spent many years sending messages and creating the example that we are the "normal" people.  The whites decided what things were considered normal to do and what looks were considered normal just by their actions.  My nationality is Italian, Hungarian, and Irish.  Italian stereotypes include being considered "greasy" and being part of a mob.  Italian stereotypes include the theory that we drink alcohol a lot and that we get angry very easily.  I do not currently know of any well known stereotypes for the Hungarian race.  This might be because my race is not a very common race in America and the people do not get involved in many conflicts.  Regardless of how the stereotypes of my races started up, they still exist today and hurt the people that share the same race that I have.

My other thoughts on the video watched in class was that he television shows that were shown in the video showed blacks that were very joyful and happy to be slaves of white men.  They ate watermelon, danced around, and sang songs.  One show portrayed a message of a black man that was very dumb and did not treat people with manners because he was a free black man.  This insinuated the point that black people are dumb, useless, and classless without white people.  Clearly the messages in the television shows not only said that slavery was a good thing, but it promoted slavery as well.

Catcher in the Rye response

Since the second half of the story, Holden has come more into touch of his feelings of his family members and those he has ignored and wishes to see again. He remains as depressing and pessimistic as ever, but begins to open up by giving in to what he knows is the right thing to do. Even though he disagrees with religious beliefs, he still lends ten dollars to a pair of nuns and insists that they take it. Being away from school has enabled him to think about his past and his family. He reminisces about his lost brother Allie, who he considered to be the most successful and likeable person in his family. Also, he thinks about his younger sister Phoebe and how much she means to him. In Holden's eyes, she is the only person that truly listens and understands what he says to her and she makes the sun come up in the morning.