response post

I got this quote from Ebone's blog:

"After we ended the debate, they brought it up again “I’m just saying when I say it ending in –ga- I mean my homey”, we said “The N-word comes from the Spanish word Negro for the color black, slave owners adopted that word using it as a bad term towards African-Americans, so know matter how u say it how u want to phrase, if your white then it is not appropriate for you to say?"

    Ebone got his quote from Leah when they were having a debate about the N-word with two other classmates and Leah wrote about it. I would like to express my opinion on the subject.
    I believe if a white person says the N-word and it ends in --er-- then that it DEFINITELY not okay because it is used/taken as a derogatory term against black people. If a white person says the N-word ending in --a-- then i believe its okay because, yes, the N-word was used as a derogatory term against black people, BUT since it is used to say homey as Leah stated, then black people can't monopolize the word.
     I think when someone says that word and they mean it offensively it isn't just not okay for white people to say it, or for someone to say it inoffensively then it would be okay for them to say it. I feel when people discuss this word they are targeting mainly white people, when in reality its people of all colors that say it and i find it offensive or inoffesive no matter who you are.

Short Story

         Jaya ran as fast as she could away from this place. Her place of pain and loneliness. She couldn't fathom her reasons for leaving, all she knew is that she had to get out. She had to run, run far away and just go. She knew once she left she could NOT come back to this wicked evil place. It had been the home she grew up in for her whole life. She knew nothing else, nothing from the outside world, but she knew once those men had come through the door her life would be changed forever.
         She didn't know it would be this drastic, this crazy. She played everything back in her head. The voices, the black coats, the screams. It had only been 30 minutes ago. "Will someone get the door?!" Jaya's mother screamed from the opposite side of the house. Jaya ran to get the door, she didn't want her mother getting anymore angry than she already was. "Hello child. Is your father home?" The first man to the right said. His voice was calm, yet scarily soft and hard, a chill ran up her spine as the men walked in with heavy footsteps. "Baby, don't worry these are your daddy's friends."
         Her mother said to her in a soft voice with a hint of regret hidden inside of it. "Hello Mr. Caravelli, we would like to talk to you." One of the men said. "Honey go to your room." Jaya's mom, Sarah said. She slowly walked to her room, straining her ears to hear the slightest part of their conversation. Once she heard noises and commotion she decided to come out of her room. As soon as she walked out of her room, her eyes caught sight of the horrible men and her parents. "RUN BABY! RUN AWAY NOW!" Jaya's mother yelled out. She heard the desperation in her mother's voice and knew their was nothing she could do. She ran into her room and locked the door. She threw everything in her sight into a duffel bag and snuck out the back and ran. She ran as far as she could. Just to get away.

Response

I found this quote I can really relate to in Nawara's blog:.

When I came to Alameda Science and Technology Institute, I learned that I was in a smaller environment and in an area that is full time work, work, work. When it was my first day of school, all I was thinking about was college. I felt like I was not in a high school where they have rallies, dances, and football games. I was in a community where we succeed in higher educational standards. As a freshman, I was scared. I felt like I was not going to succeed even though I was accepted, I did not feel like I was ready.

       I can identify with what Nawara said when she said she was scared, when she came here, of failing at ASTI. When I came here I expected work, and lots of it. We kind of eased into all the work, but it still wasn't easy. I had to make all new habits when I came home and that was a hard transition for me. I didn't expect a normal high school,I expected a serious high school, with serious teachers, and even more serious homework, but after a month it gets easier, My grades at my old school were very good but once I came to ASTI they dropped, alot.
       I'm slowly yet surely getting my grades back up, but its hard at some points. I can understand why kids who don't go here think its a really serious academic school but you have to experience it for yourself and what you think of the school and not what other people have told you. I thought that at first but once I got here I realized that this school is not as hard as people say it is.
      When I came here I also was very afraid of failing at the high school and not being able to go to the college. Now I feel more prepared for the college but it will be a big transition. The whole point of ASTI is to prepare us for college and by giving us the amount of work we have will definitely prepare us for college.

Class Debate: Rebutle: Prostitution CON-Shannon and Lhadze

Prostitution should NOT be legalized. If its legalized the pimps will just go online or continue what they were doing and the prostitute would not report them. Yes, the prostitute is afraid, however she is still emotionally connected and brainwashed by their pimps so that they wont report them because they know about all the bad things that happen in jail and they wouldn't want that to happen to someone that they "love".

"If women and girls are not persuaded by the big money which is sometimes offered, or the survival possibility for women or their families, then they will simply be tricked or trafficked."

- Cecilia Hofmann, Secretary of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women

As Cecilia Hofmann states, IF girls  are not persuaded by "the big money" they will be tricked or trafficked, this means that the girls will be tricked into thinking that this is okay. Most of the time pimps find girls whether they want to be found or not and they put themselves into a position were the girls see them as a father figure or some one who "loves" them and once the girls get emotionally connected to them, about a week to a month, the pimps tell them things like if you love me you'll go make my money or they force them to. If the prostitute "loves" their pimp, or thinks they do, then they don't want a loved one to go to jail or be imprisoned.

A lot of the time girls are kidnapped and forced to be in these situations. When girls are forced into doing this and their "patrolling" the streets, their pimps, along with other people, are watching them and driving around making sure their doing what their supposed to. So a lot of the time it isn't easy for girls to get away and go tell the authorities.

"...an international crime ring was abducting young girls in Europe, importing them, and forcing them to work in Chicago brothels."- Wikipedia, article on "white slavery"

Women and mainly young girls are forced to be in this situation. When girls are brought in from Europe,  they don't know the streets that their on and they hardly speak english, so they can't get to the police, or any help at all.

Sources:
• http://prostitution.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000101
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_slavery#White_slavery