Mother Nature

We live in a world where we decide our future. Or do we live in a world that decides our future for us? Possibly, but what happens to those who disagree? There are a lot of recent natural disasters occurring around the globe, but who truly knows why they exist? I believe the earth was living prier to mankind existing on it, and still will be alive after our extinction. When we're sick our body naturally fights off the infection. Maybe the actions of humans are making the earth ill. Therefore, maybe these natural disasters are just a way of fighting off the earth's infections, or maybe not. Who really knows the truth?

Family History

         Many people I know can follow their family history so well that they not only know the country they originated from, but they also can follow ancestors to everywhere they went. On the other hand there are some that aren’t so lucky, and I fall into that category. Although I constantly ask my relatives and parents if they have any idea where we come from they often have difficulty answering me. They only have many stories about them and how they got to where they are today. Even though I don’t really know much I do know that we originated from Spain.

         I researched and found out Martinez is definitely of Spanish origin, and it's quite a common name in Spain today, especially northern areas like La Riocha. Like all names ending in -ez it means "son of”, so originally it derives from the common name Martin, which is found all over Europe. The surname Garcia is also of Hispanic origin, coming from the peninsula where Spain and Portugal are located.

         Martinez is my dad, Richard’s, last name and I know more about where his side of the family comes from than I do about my mom, Onofre’s, side of the family, even though I see my mom’s side of the family a lot more than I do my dad’s. I guess that is because my mom’s family hasn’t really migrated anywhere else since they moved here from Spain. I know that my dad’s family has been in all over the country since they migrated to the Americas. Therefore, I figure since they have lived in many places then I probably have relatives all over the US that I don’t even know about.

         I have heard so many stories at family gatherings about where I come from, even though most of them are just repeats, that there would not be enough time in the day to retell everyone of them. So the one I‘ll tell is my favorite one of all, which is just about how my parents met. They met after high school. My mom being from Cononcito and my dad was from Penasco. I guess my mom used to be the “player” type that didn’t really want to be tied down in a relationship, which my dad was fine with because he liked his “freedom” too. So as time went on they got together and tried things out but they just weren’t ready for anything serious. So they separated and went their own ways. Eventually, about seven years later they ran into each other again at a club that they used to go to here in Albuquerque. This time they were more mature and were ready to try things out between them again. They have been together ever since. I don’t know why but this is my favorite story, even though it is the shortest one out of all of them.

         Maybe I’ll be the first to find out about our ancestry since today technology offers us so many opportunities, and then in a hundred years my children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc. can have the opportunity of knowing where they came from so they won’t have the disappointment of being uninformed about their ancestry. It is so easy to lose your knowledge of your roots and I just hope in a hundred, two hundred, even three hundred years from now that my family roots are still deep in the minds of those who live on in our name, and hopefully it won’t just be this little bit of information that I wrote here today, but more and more information that came from farther than my grandparents past.

Starfish

     At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "I made a difference to that one!"  You can read this whole story or just read this one line and understand the moral of the story. I believe that the author of "The Starfish" is trying to show that even the littlest things can make a difference.

     This story applies to my life because everything I do, whether it is big or small, affects the world and the people around me. For example globally, I know that if I throw that piece of plastic in the trash instead of the recycling bin, even when they are right next to each other, I am adding to the hole in the ozone layer. Also for example I know that even a little thing like asking someone how their day is or how they are feeling can make a huge difference on them.

     So nobody can really say that this moral has nothing to do with their own personal lives because the actions of everybody has an effect on somebody, no matter how hard one tries to prevent this.

     So one might say "Well I want to make a difference but I don't know how.", or "Well I just don't have time.", but there are plenty of organizations and things that you can do that take less time than picking out your outfit for the day. You just have to keep your eyes open and actually be willing to help.

     The wisdom of teaching that the author is trying to show is that even when something is small it is still helping in a way, and the little things are the things that especially count. I like having my voice heard and I am sure you do too, or if not there are many things you can do that are anonymous, but remember that it's the thought that counts. Visit http://www.change.org/ and do a little for a lot of people.

Change.org

For over 20 years, possession of crack has been punished at 100 times the rate of sentences for powder cocaine. In other words, getting caught with five grams of crack would be treated as legally equivalent to possessing 500 grams of powder cocaine. Although most crack users are white, over 80% of defendants busted for possession of crack are black. The law's racially disproportionate effect contributes to America imprisoning more people per capita than any other nation. Additionally, minorities compose 70% of this huge prison population. Therefore, making the U.S. an international embarrassment. It shouldn't matter if someone is selling crack, powder cocaine, marijuana, etc. They are still all illegal drugs and the defendants should be punished equally. So help end this racist crack-powder cocaine disparity.  http://criminaljustice.change.org/blog/view/crack-cocaine_disparity_now_15th_as_racist_as_before

The Great Debaters

"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail (McAlindon, Harold R.)." The quote above is a perfect example of the movie The Great Debaters. I say this because this movie takes place in 1935 and in 1935 "blacks" weren't allowed the same privileges as the "whites". Therefore for Melvin B. Tolson, a professor at Wiley College Texas to inspire students to form the school's first debate team, which went on to challenge Harvard in the national championship, is definitely going where there was no path to create his own. This movie shows that you should not give up no matter what challenges life throws at you. This movie is a good example of believing in yourself. It shows that even when society discriminates against you, for whatever reason it might be, if you believe in yourself then you can definitely prove them wrong. Fight for what you want and for what you believe in, and if you like a drama based on a true story then The Great Debaters is a perfect movie for you.

Diego Rivera "Flower Day"

The picture above is a painting done by Diego Rivera. This painting is called Flower Day. In old Mexican traditions they used to give flowers to god. I believe in this painting there is a flower for every sin that has been committed in their town. Offering these flowers to god is their way of asking for forgiveness. Since the color white is pure they offer white calle lilies, and everybody gathers for this so they can have a fresh start together.

Liberty

"The New Colossus" By Emma Lazarus

Not like the brazen giant of Green fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

" Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. " Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

My understanding about this poem is that the United States is offering its hand to anybody that needs help to a better life. We are saying if you want to be free and have rights then come to the U.S., but on the contrary the United States does not follow through with what they say. What I mean by this is that instead of making it easier to get here they build a 2,000 mile long wall to try to keep our southern neighbors out. Also we make it so difficult to make a proper living here that you would have to have something so important you'd be willing to put up with it. I get so emotional when I think of this because the U.S. offers the opportunity for justice but doesn't really give it. I believe if the "American Dream" is so amazing then why not help everybody, no matter where they come from, achieve it.

Ap World history