Upfront- All By Themselves

The Upfront article quote “All By Themselves” is about what happens to children who illegally cross the border into America. These children are often fleeing from extremely dangerous situations. One of the stories in the article is about a girl who received death threats in her homeland, Guatemala. A smuggler hired to take her north abandoned her, and she attempted to cross the border into the U.S. six times. She was caught on the last attempt and sent to a detention camp on her own. This nineteen-year-old girl, Ana, was granted asylum, however many cases similar to hers will never be approved by the courts because the children are not given public defense lawyers and have no money to pay for their own. These children should be provided lawyers so that they can properly make their case to the court that they should be allowed to stay in the U.S.

Oftentimes, children immigrating to the U.S. have nowhere safe to go and are coming from bad situations. A quote from the article that illustrates this point is, “When Belkis Rivera was six, her mom and brothers fled Honduras to the United States to escape a street gang that had killed her grandmother and her uncle. She was left behind with other family members. But at thirteen, threatened by the same game, Belkis decided to follow, making a terrifying six-month journey across Mexico by herself.” 

This quote illustrates some of the hardships immigrating children face. In the article it also says, “Now she faces one more trauma: America’s judicial system. In the U.S., anyone accused of a crime has the right to a lawyer. But under U.S. immigration law, undocumented immigrants aren’t entitled to a public defender, even when they are minors.” This quote shows how we as a country could be doing more to help these people when they’re in need. By simply providing them with public defense lawyers they would have a chance at being admitted legally. 

Without lawyers, it is almost impossible for these kids to convince courts that they should be allowed to stay in the U.S.  In the article it says, “…40 percent of unaccompanied children potentially qualify for asylum of some other special juvenile-immigrant status because they fear persecution in their home country, or because they were abused or abandoned by a parent. Yet only a tiny fraction ends up winning their cases. Not surprisingly, those with legal representation, the study says, are nearly nine times more likely to win.” There are laws in place to help these children but they cannot take advantage of them without representation. In the article, it also says, “Without a lawyer, she [Ana] would most likely have been deported, like so many others. That could be the fate of Belkis Rivera, who has to return to court in the fall to make her case. Now fifteen, Belkis has an attorney on her side, but still fears deportation to Honduras - and the violence she experienced there.” If they were always granted public lawyers, a higher percentage of these children would be safe and wouldn't have to go back to their starting point.

In conclusion, the U.S. should do everything in its power to make entering this country legally easier to children coming from dangerous places. These children are usually defenseless and often alone or separated from their families. We have laws that help them, but without a lawyer, they cannot successfully navigate the judicial system. Children should be given special consideration because they are unable to support or protect themselves if returned to their home countries. Even if it’s not possible to change the policy that prevents all undocumented immigrants from being provided public defenders, an exception should be made for vulnerable children coming into the U.S. on their own, because they need all the help they can get. 

Romeo and Juliet - Who is to Blame?

Jane Zeman 811

Romeo and Juliet essay

The events that take place in the play, Romeo and Juliet, all lead up to the tragic ending consisting of multiple deaths, including the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. The character that is  mainly responsible for these deaths is Friar Lawrence. After Romeo and Juliet fall in love, Romeo goes to the Friar to marry them and the Friar says yes. The Friar know that this is not socially acceptable as Romeo’s family (the Montagues) and Juliet’s (the Capulets) have a long-standing grudge. If Friar Lawrence had stepped in and ended Romeo and Juliet’s relationship, lives would have been spared.

When Romeo came to the Friar and asked him to marry them the Friar did it because he thought the marriage of Romeo and Juliet would help resolve the grudge between the two groups. The Friar’s intentions were good, in the play it says, “…For this alliance may so happy prove To turn your households’ rancor to pure love.” This quote means that he would marry them if only to end the grudge between the two families. However, by doing so, he put Romeo and Juliet in a bad position with their parents. In the text it says, “Is Roseline,that thou dist love so dear, So soon forsaken? Young men’s love then lies Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.” This quote shows that Friar Lawrence doesn't believe that Romeo is acting rationally or responsibly in terms of his desire to get married to Juliet. The Friar should have prevented Romeo from marrying Juliet because he knew that he was not using the best judgement and also because the Friar understood the consequences of marrying them.

After Romeo was exiled for killing Tybalt, a Capulet, Friar Lawrence helped Juliet fake her death so that Romeo could meet her in the cemetery. A number of things could have gone wrong with this plan. In Juliet’s internal monolog, she says, “How if, when when i am laid into the tomb I wake up before that time that Romeo come to redeem me?” This quote shows that Juliet is worried about the possible consequences of taking the poison the Friar gave her. Both of them know that there are many things that could go wrong with this plan. Also in Juliet’ monologue she says, “What if it be a poison which the Friar Subtly hath ministered to have me dead, Lest is this marriage he should be dishonored Because he married me before to Romeo?” This quote shows that Juliet is doubting that Friar Lawrence did the right thing by marrying them and is wondering if the Friar would take action to cover up his mistake.

In conclusion, the deaths of Romeo and Juliet could have been avoided if Friar Lawrence had refused to marry them or if he had put a stop to their relationship after Romeo had been exiled. Both the Friar and Juliet had doubts about the safety of their relationship at times in the play. While Romeo and Juliet should have been expected to behave as adolescents, without fully developed judgement skills, Friar Lawrence was an adult and knew exactly what he was doing. Friar Lawrence should have been the responsible one in the situation and persuaded Romeo to forget Juliet the first time she was mentioned. This point illustrates the fact that peoples’ judgement can sometimes become clouded and that they make bad decisions in situations like the one shown in the play.

Should A Hated Word Be Banned?

Upfront’s article, “Should a Hated Word Be Banned?” is about a proposal in Israel’s Parliament to make it illegal to say the word ‘Nazi’ in casual conversation. Supporters of this law want it to be passed because they consider it disturbing and disrespectful to the history involved with this word. Many teens use it regularly when describing someone strict or hash. Some people think it shouldn't be passed because it infringes on the right to free speech.in my opinion, it shouldn't be passed because everyone should always have a right to say anything no matter who it might offend.

This law should not be passed. For one thing, denying the right of the people to say a word is only one step away from denying the peoples’ right to talk openly about controversial ideas. People need to have the right to express all their ideas or opinions openly and publicly. If this right is taken away the government gains more control over the people. If the government makes it against the law to speak out peacefully against the government, they can then get away with doing things people should be speaking out against or simply expressing their opinions on. This is why free speech is necessary and why and why any infringement upon this right is extremely dangerous.

On the other hand, using the word ‘Nazi’ as it is used today in regular conversation can be considered excessive and inappropriate. The Holocaust was undisputedly a horrific event in our history. Using words relating to it so casually is offensive to some people. However, the safety of our rights is more important than whether or not someone is made uncomfortable by the use of a certain word. Amir Fuchs said, “You measure the freedom of speech in a democratic country in the freedom to say these disturbing and annoying things, not in what is nice and pleasant to hear.

In conclusion, this law should not be passed just because people are offended by a certain word. it is an infringement on the peoples’ right to speak freely. Without the right to protest against the government, the people have hardly any power without taking illegal action. In the past, death and struggle have followed countries with the right to free speech. 

sonnet

Four years ago we bought you on the street
Your fur was the color of toasted bread
Now every day you warm my frozen feet
We love you, despite all the fur you shed.
Over the years you have turned mostly white
And there are dark trails under those black eyes.
You jump and flee at noises in the night
Always whining about my precious fries
My sister and I could argue for days
About which one of us he loves the best
She always tries to steal him, "GO AWAY!"
Our poor dog could probably use some rest.
Despite all the fighting and the shedding
you will always remain my favorite pet.

Martin Espada

The poet Martin Espada writes about discrimination towards Spanish speaking people. Three of his poems, "New Bathroom Policy at English High School," "Revolutionary Spanish Lesson," and "Two Mexicanos Lynched in Santa Cruz, California, May 3, 1877" describe injustices related to these Spanish communities. Each of these poems portrays someone or a group of people being influenced by another groups’ resistance to their differences, in this case language. Some of his poems express the point of view of the discriminators while some are from perspective of the person being discriminated against. The thesis is that we should accept eachothers' differences. 

Espada's poem, "New Bathroom Policy at English High School" describes how the principal of a High School reacts when he hears boys talking in Spanish on the bathroom. He doesn't like that he doesn't know what they are saying so he bans Spanish in the bathrooms. In the text it says “The only word he recognizes...is his own name...and this constipates him...so he decides…to ban Spanish...in the bathrooms…now he can relax.”This is an act of injustice towards the Spanish speakers at that school. Just because someone feels uncomfortable around people speaking different languages doesn't mean that they have the right to ban it. The principal of this school could not accept that his students spoke different languages in school. 

Another poem by Espada is "Revolutionary Spanish Lesson." This poem is about a Spanish speaking boy who's name is often mispronounced. He imagines taking revenge on a "busload of Republican Tourists from Wisconsin." In the poem a bilingual SWAT team arrives to stop him. The significance of this is that people only made an effort to pronounce his name after he had put them in danger. If english speakers had made an effort to pronounce his name correctly, this boy would not be so angry.

One more poem by Espada, "Two Mexicanos Lynched in Santa Cruz, California, May 3, 1877" describes the scene of a race riot. The message in this poem is that racism throughout American history was not only directed at African Americans but also towards other races including Mexicans. In the poem it says “In the blur of execution,...a high-collar boy smirking, some peering…from the shade of bowler hats, but all…crowding into the photograph.”This quote shows that the rioters were more concerned with getting into the photograph than the lives that they had just taken away. The Mexicanos were killed because they were different than the rioters and if people were able to accept eachothers’ differences then these people would not have died like this. 

These three poems all by Martin Espada focus on injustices to the Spanish speaking communities. While"Two Mexicanos Lynched in Santa Cruz, California, May 3, 1877" focuses on the past, the other two poems could have taken place yesterday. The underlying message in these poems is that Americans have and are doing things that make it harder for immigrants to fit in with our society. We need to accept eachothers' differences and make an effort to allow them into our lives. 

Upfront: juvenile punishments

The upfront article, "Rethinking Juvenile Justice" is about the controversy over whether to try and punish child offenders as adults. Being tried as an adult means that kids could get life in prison without parole or even the death penalty. These punishments should not be available for children. Many states have already made an effort to get kids and teens out of the adult justice system. 

Studies have shown that teenagers brains are not fully developed. Therefore the decisions they make are not always the ones the would make as an adult. In the text it says, "Research has shown that a persons actions at age 13 or 14 are a poor indication of the kind of adult they will become." In the text it also says, "Ninety percent of teen offenders do not become adult criminals." This is why children and teens should not be tried as adults. 

On the other hand, it would be unfair to the victims of crimes committed by teen offenders if they went unpunished. In the text it says, "For crimes like murder and rape, that is grossly unjust to the next victim." Still, teens should not be sentenced to life without parole or death. They should always be given a chance to change. 

In conclusion, children and teens should never be tried as adults. People under 18 don't have fully developed brains that are reliably capable of making the best long term choices. People can always change.  Sentencing them to life in prison or death takes away all possibility of this. 

Where is the Power in Allegiant?

          Allegiant is the third book in the Divergent trilogy. the main characters are Tris and Tobias, two teenagers who formerly lived in a futuristic and isolated Chicago. They escaped from this corrupted, violent and warring city only to find that the rest of the world was just as corrupted and violent. It is ruled by people who oppress their enemies by discriminating against people with "damaged genes." These leaders think they have all the power.  Tris, Tobias, their friends from the city, and their new genetically damaged allies have more power than the leaders realize. Even though their numbers small, they can accomplish amazing things.

          The  government leaders in the outside world have a tight hold on their people. They keep control of the "damaged" people by keeping them poor. They control the people in cities like Tris' and Tobias's by watching through security cameras and in introducing drugs that cause memory loss and even death when things get out of hand. These cities were experiments trying to weed out the genetically pure people from the more common genetically damaged people . They also control the genetically pure people who have allied with the leaders and their causes by feeding them false or twisted information. If everyone access to all of the pure, true facts then people would be able to decide for themselves what they believed without someone influencing their decisions.

         Tris, Tobias, and their friends try to take some of the power away from these leaders. They use different elements to attack the system from within. Tris goes in as a spy, pretending to be interested in getting a job in the council and others attempt to use the memory erasing drug against everyone with prejudice twoards the genetically damage to people. They are able to use their determination, intelligence, and strength against the most powerful people they have ever encountered.

         The story starts out with these leaders holding all of the power but it is threatened to be taken away from them by Tris and Tobias. This book teaches that you don't need to be numerous or start out with power to make a change in the world. I don't agree with all of the methods used to dethrone the government and I hope that our country is never in the position of needing that kind of fixing. Another constant theme throughout the story is information - or lack of. It shows that information is power and that if you control the information you control the people. It is unjust to keep people misinformed and supporting a cause they don't understand.