Ms Gruwell made her class write or draw a picture describing their neighbourhood. The student does not believe Ms Gruwell is making them do this task. The student hates writing. Although, the student describes her neighbourhood as being surrounded by gangsters and drug dealers twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. He/she says it is hard to ignore these events. If you do, you will only get caught in their wars and be the next victim. Dealing drugs or kicking it with gangsters is not his/her type of thing.
Instead, the student got into tagging. Tagging is when mark your name anonymously against other work. The student says that it helps him/her be free from all these unnecessary day and night fights. During school, the teachers say that they are there to help, but in a couple months even days time, they give up on you. That is the gist. So the student skips school, hiding from staff and goes to the restroom to kill time, just tagging. Tagging gives thrill to him/her. The student thinks that hearing people talk about her tags givers him/her the Ganas (strength).
My thoughts and feelings for this student is deeply empathetic, not being supported by teachers or even their own parents, being severely scared by the underworld activities twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and can only tag for happiness and attention. This aspect of escaping from the world just to tag is ominously tragic. The student can only tag to get everyone's attention. How could a simple task about writing or drawing, Ms Gruwell asked to complete, turn into a teen's life story, threatened, lonely without a hope for goodness.
The student says in their diary entry, they have no goal, just tackle what comes to you in presently. To me, this is a quote or motto of someone who is suffering, loosely grasping the edge of their lives with their middle finger. Word Count: 324
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Diary Entry #2 - Racial Segregation
Diary Entry #2 - Racial Segregation is about a white boy who has entered his English class, and to disgust, has found other students to only be black. He is outraged, feels uncomfortable amongst 'these rejects'. He described malignantly how Ms. Gruwell is although young and determined, won't last very long as a teacher. Unsurprisingly, during Lunch, everyone sits in his or her racial and ethnic groups.
The student descriptively evaluates where each race group hangs out. The rich, white kids hang out at 'Beverly Hills' and 'Disneyland'. The Asians, 'Chinatown', Hispanic (American Latinos) at 'Tijuana Town' or 'Run The Border' and finally the blacks in 'Da Ghetto'. All the students' friends are in the distinguished class cross the corridor. The student wants to get out of this class as soon as possible, to join the true, white class. To end his entry, the student wants out (out of this class) so badly, he/she wishes the bell went soon and does not want to stay a minute longer.
My feelings and thoughts towards this diary entry, disgusts me entirely about racial segregation. To me, the term 'Racial Segregation' should not exist. We are all humans; we should accept each other as one. We are not different; we all came from the same land. It is all right to hate a class of black students when you are the only white kid in your English class, but it is wrong to try to get out of this class because there are black students is wrong. To me, it is all in your mind.
Would it hurt to exclude the racial comments and issues for a minute... and realise what we are doing to ourselves, others and third-person people (the innocent) and what is becoming of our society. Instead of creating safe, peaceful societies, we are scared to even walk during broad daylight. Instead of resolving problems, we add to the already long, unnecessary list eventually leading to death or of close relatives that causes even more dispute between the gangs. Word Count: 339
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