If I were a boy...

My life would be very different if I was born a male, and many aspects of my life would have to 
change immediately. I would have to find a new favorite color, therefore my entire room would have to be 
remodeled or destroyed. My interest and activities would definitely have to change as well, it would no 
longer be appropriate to shop on the weekends or watch Titanic every single time it airs on television. I 
would have to learn the rules of basketball, football, baseball and soccer. Instead of leaving video games as 
in my childhood, I would have to not only relearn how to play video games but master them as well. 
Personally, I do not think that I would be as close to my sisters as I am now. As a male I would not be able 
to relate to them as they well as they are able to relate to one another. 

BOY or GIRL??

Overall, I am glad that I am a girl. :-)


Being a different gender would definitely change my life.  Society 
demands that men, become extremely versed in sports. They are called  
to remember statistics, scores and schedules. As stated above, as a man 
I would have to learn the rules to these games. In addition, I would have 
to spend countless hours on a Sunday watching other men run around 
on their respective fields. Society has also taught us that women are supposed to be dainty.  Although, it is not a sin for a woman to love 
sports more than shopping. However, as a male it would be wrong for me to have a pink water bottle, book bag, watch and cellphone etc. In general, society's gender roles allows me to ignore ESPN and to wear pink heels without opposition. 

 

This blog gives more insight on what life would be like as the opposite gender.
http://awokenfatality.xanga.com/687995045/if-you-were-born-a-member-of-the-opposite-gender-how-different-do-you-think-your-life-would-be/

My Thoughts on Notes on the State of Virginia

This week my reading response is about the myth of the melting pot.

In this excerpt Thomas Jefferson , a founding father of the United States of America writes about what should be done with black people once they are freed from slavery. He lists many differences between white and black people; the majority of these differences being in favor of white people, thus these observations set out to prove that black people are inferior to white people.

Jefferson begins his comparisons of the two races, with skin color. Black people have an "immovable black veil that hides emotions" on the other hand white people are blessed with a "fine mixture of white and red tones." He also speaks of differences in hair and secretion glands. White people excrete less and have flowing hair – another blessing. On the contrary, black people, not only excrete more than white people but they excrete a terrible odor as well.

Thomas Jefferson surprisingly says that black people are "brave and adventuresome" but he takes the complement back by saying that black people are only brave because they are unable to think ahead and therefore they cannot see danger until it is present. Jefferson concludes his passage by declaring "When he is freed he is to be removed beyond to reach of mixture".

Growing up I was taught that Thomas Jefferson was a great man, who fought for our country’s freedom, by writing the Declaration of Independence, declaring that all men were created equal.

Later in life I read a book about Sally Hemmings, Jefferson’s slave mistress and mother of his children, and I was shocked to find out that a man who believed in equality for all men was a slave owner. Moreover, a man that did not want white blood to be stained had already went against his own ideals.  

I then realized that he was a hypocrite and this essay really shed light on how much of a fraud he was, as well as on his supremacist ideas. The founding father’s choice of words was hard to comprehend mainly because of the time in which this essay was written. Also as a founding father, he should have realized that his audience would not be limited to the world of 1785, thus his harsh and brutal words would reach those reading in the years following. In general, Jefferson was very biased and one sided in his approach, due to his beliefs that black people were inferior. Therefore, his passage was inhibited by his twisted logic caused by his lack of knowledge and truth about the so called “inferior race.”

-Twin.Numero.Dos

http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101040705/tjforum.html

Reading Response - My Big Fat Straight Wedding

Hola,

This week I am blogging about "My Big Fat Straight Wedding" by Andrew Sullivan from Rereading America.

           In this selection, Sullivan speaks of the similarities between his homosexual marriage and heterosexual marriages. He also quotes a passage from the ruling of the Supreme Court of California which states; an individual has the right to marry another individual, and that they should be protected and officially recognized as traditional unions are regarding the law. He then speaks to remove many stereotypes and accusations that are attached to homosexuality, and to prove that gay people are the same as straight people.

         I agree and disagree with Sullivan's points, agreeably I believe that the history of gay people in America is constantly evolving for the better. I have observed that homosexuals are seen as "normal, well-adjusted, human individuals." I know that a gay couple can be loved an accepted by their families as Sullivan and his partner were. However I disagree with a quote form Hannah Arendt that is used. This quote says one has "the right to marry whoever one wishes is an elementary human right compared to which the right to attend an integrated school." I disagree because children were not allowed to integrate because of their skin color, which is an external characteristic, however a person cannot be labeled gay or straight based on their outer appearance.

This link goes to the online article written by Sullivan in 2008, but it includes comments from many varying perspectives. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/09/my-big-fat-straight-wedding/6931/

Who I am

Hey guys,


It's Janette Clarke from English 1102. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. I have a two older sisters, the eldest by four years and my twin identical sister is older than me by thirty minutes (if that even matters). My sisters and I have the same initials. My family and I moved to a suburb of Atlanta, GA in 2005. It was a big transition, and I am working on getting adjusted. I love the color pink in all of its forms and variations. 
This the second semester of my freshman year at Georgia State. Many of my friends would agree that I always have an opinion and that I think for myself. I believe my sister and I think alike as well, in many instances we either give each other a look or just say the exact same thing. In my opinion, many of the classes at GSU strive to make the students think critically. For example, in World History we are required to form our own opinions and go against the text. The majority of English 1101 was spent on critical thinking. We learned that a Critical thinker grow intellectually and shapes their own knowledge, and learns to recognize contradictions. I realized that I had many of the qualities of a critical thinker and that I look forward to learning more this semester.    


Twin.Numero.Dos