Trust

So I noticed that a theme of my weekend was trust...or more like the lack of it.  What has always frustrated me is how many parents think that the harder they push down strict behavior, and do not trust their children the more likely they are to rebel.  I'm lucky because my parents understand this quite well, but because I am a teenager I see all types of parents disciplining my friends.  I also get to see the other side that most parents don't because I hear the thoughts of their kids on the matter and the real effects that some disciplines have.  So, I believe that people need to give out more trust.  I am not saying that punishment for doing something wrong is bad, but there comes a point when it gets to be over the top.  When this happens it goes from a learning experience to wanting to do the exact opposite of what your parents are telling you.  I can't count the times when I have been with friends they said that they want to be good because their parents trusted them to come and didn't make a big deal of it.  I also can't count the times where I have heard "I don't understand why they don't trust me, I have never done anything bad...maybe I will just give them something real to not trust me about if thats what kind of person they think I am." I mean it just seems common sense to me that if you give trust then most of the time you are going be respected out of it, but a lot of parents don't see it that way.  I don't get why. 

Random

I seriously never have anything to write about.

The AP English exam is a DAY away.  I am not too nervous, but then I realized that I need to get a bit more on top of it because if I go into it thinking I will pass without reviewing that much I could end up not passing.  It would be EXTREMELY ironic if i ended up getting a 4 on the history exam and not english, now that would be upsetting. 

I still don't know what to write about.

I decided yesterday that I am going to prom...that should be interesting. hmmmmmmmmm

I am very excited that I am almost a senior...It's really weird how fast it seems like it went, but when you actually going through it, it seems really slow. 

When do we get our scores back for the exam? i heard that it wasn't until late in july.  I hope it's sooner, because I am not a very patient person when it comes to waiting on test results.   

Random again...

I didn't think I had any homework this weekend, and was very excited until I just found out that I have a psychology test tomorrow... but oh well.  Today is mothers day.  My aunts, uncles, and grandma are downstairs for mothers day brunch.  I am also upset because one of my friends came home from college yesterday because she is one SUMMER BREAK alreadyyyyy!!! This makes me depressed because we have a month left.  I hope it goes by extremely fast.  I don't think I am gong to have like any actual testing finals, except for environmental.  All my other finals are big papers.  In history we have this 10 page paper to write, which I am not looking forward to.  History is not that exciting to write about to me.  I might not even have an environmental final.  Like 3 months ago we convinced him that if any one of us win this water project thing that we would not have to have a final.  I am defiantly hoping that someone will win it!  Not many people enter this contest so we count for about 50% of the entries in the contest.  The person that wins gets to go to Alaska. 

If I were Joe...

if I were in Joe's position I would have to believe that I would want nothing other than to die.  Throughout the book I kept wondering why he wasn't going crazy.  I could not believe that years were going by and he was still insane.  When he was communicating the the doctor I kept wanting to yell "tell them you want to dieeee!!," but he never did!  There is something about being that confined that just really freaks me out.  I think it's like a phobia or something, because when i was first reading that he was just a stump it was almost too hard for me to read.  I kept getting freaked out.  When I read the chapter about how he thought he was being eaten by a mouse and couldn't do anything about it, I had to put the book down because it was so hard for me to read imagining if that was happening to me.  So, if I were in his position I would have to think I would concentrate on killing myself, because living would be torture.  Okay, I really have to get back to studying APUSH.

Random...

All I have been up to is studying for the APUSH exam on Friday.  I think i might have ADD now or something because i haven't been able to concentrate on studying.  But maybe anyone would have a hard time concentrating studying for like 5 hours straight.  I really am not nervous for the English exam.  I feel pretty prepared for it, and there is not much you can actually study for.  Umm...I'm really excited for the weekend, not because I have anything planned but because i will be done with the freaking exam!!! soooo excited!!!  I have decided that I can't take it too seriously because if i don't pass, which I probably won't I will not be too disappointed.  I can't think of anything else to say...these blogs are harder to write than our normal ones becuase there is a certain thing to write about.  Usually I am excited for the day to be over but not today becuase then I will just have to go home and study! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

March of the Flag

In this speech Beveridge argues that Americans are blessed by God, and because of this blessing it is our duty to control other countries that cannot control themselves.  Because we are "blessed" with such a strong governmental system, we have the means to easily take over and help govern those counties who are full of anarchy.  We have proven to be very successful in war because of this strong governmental system.  The book almost shows the counterpoint to this idea.  It might sound all good when you are talking about it, but talk does not show you how it really effects the American people.  Beveridge talks about a broader picture.  Yes, we are a powerful nation and do have advantages that others do not, but even when we go to war there are horrible consciences that effect the American people.  We might win in the end, but not without sacrifices.  Joe is an example of the other end of the spectrum.  He demonstrates that deep emotional pain that an American is experiencing because of the American government wanting to spread it's democracy.  By his account we realize how horrible war can actually be, even when it seems that we are on top and winning. 

America the Beautiful: What We're Fighting For

D'Souza argues that the reason America is such a strong country is because collectively we have pride in what we are fighting for, and many Americans will support the cause behind this fighting.  This is the sole reason for why we are so successful behind our fighting, with the exception of Vietnam.  But, this is only because not many were behind the war in Vietnam, which caused a lack of unity and strength in our fighting and determination.  D'Souza then goes onto to elaborate on this say thing in order to fight successfully one must believe in what they are fighting for.  This is similar to Joe's experience, because he realizes that he had no idea what he was fighting for.  Even though he entered into the war at first with no thoughts of being against it, he still did not have a tangible reason for going.  Americans are expected to fight for "freedom" and "liberty" and this is usually what brings us together as a nation when we are fighting.  But, Joe realizes that this really means nothing when you are out on the battle field.  You have a hard time understanding and connecting to the idea of "freedom" when you are killing men and trying not be killed at the same time.  Now, Joe is regretting fighting in the war because he feels no reason for being in it in the first place, and because of this he lost his life for an irrelevant cause in his mind. 

Resistance to government

The book and the article are both a like in that they have a theme of being somewhat against the governments tactics.  The article talks about how people do not feel directly connected to the government because many of the issues they try to enforce have no connection to its people.  This is similar to when Joe talk about how he doesn't understand why he was fighting, and how he got tied into the war in the first place.  It was not his war. He had nothing against the people he was fighting.  Yet, the government does.  Joe wanted to feel like he was fighting for something or someone, so he connected his fighting to his family, friends, and girlfriend, Kareen.  But, without that he really did not know what he was fighting for.  This is why many people feel so unconnected to the government, and where the idea of the best government is the one who governs the least.  The agenda of the government and the agenda of its people are always going to be different.  The government has the best wishes of the people, but often those concepts and ideas are not tangible to ordinary people.  Fighting for liberty or freedom is not something you can directly see, so it doesn't seem to relate as a major importance to most.