Parenting

       Parenting is an impossible thing and I have learned through watching my own parents. I have a brother who is 19 years old and a sophomore in college. He is only two years older than me, yet totally different. For instance, my parents were always very hard on him with his schoolwork, not to say they aren't hard on me, but they're not as tough. My brother struggled all throughout high school because he never fully applied himself and he didn't always but his best foot forward. My parents are still tough on me, but they don't have to be. I put that immense amount of pressure on myself and always apply myself in everything I do. So is the good parental thing to do to put that pressure on their child, or no?
         Parenting has definitely changed throughout the years, and I believe that it is even harder right now in 2012. A lot of factors weigh in such as college and technology. Back in the 30's through the 80's, you didn't need a college education to get a job, so it wasn't a necessary course of action. In modern day America, it is impossible to get a job without a college degree due to the economy. Companies are looking for the most educated people to do their jobs. Also, technology plays a big part in parenting because children have more access to, well...everything. If I were a parent now, I would limit my child to their access to the internet and television to attempt to keep their minds innocent for as long as possible. I would also encourage them to play an instrument as well as getting them in the habit of reading, because both things are proven to have increase grades in school.
       When I grow up, like I said before, I will encourage my child to read, play an instrument, play a sport and also expose them to religion. Exposing them to different things such as theater, sports, dance, books, I think will give them the opportunity to find a passion and pursue it. It will also teach the child to have respect for those different things, making them a more well rounded person. As for religion, no matter what kind, I believe it is a good idea to be present in a child's life. Whether or not they want to practice that religion when they grow older is their decision, but exposing them to it I think is very important. For rules and standards, I would probably use the same ones my parents gave to me. No t.v until homework is finished, schoolwork comes before everything but family, easy chores starting at a young age to teach discipline and responsibility, show respect for all of your elders and your siblings, and most importantly, be a kind and loving person. 
     

Race-Relations in America Today

          Today, races are seen a lot differently then they did back in the time of To Kill a Mockingbird in the 30's and Freedom Riders in the 60's. Back then, the big issue was black and white. Oh how things have changed! Now we have an African American president, prominent African American singers, actors and other entertainers, teachers, political figures and law enforcers. Back when the book and documentary took place, African Americans couldn't ride in the front of the bus, let alone run an entire country. That time period was certainly a huge flaw in American history, but things aren't exactly rainbows and sunshine now.
          After the tragic attack on September 11th, things changed drastically. Right after the event, hate crimes targeting the Muslim decent rose to a new level. Kareme Abdul Amed and Abdullah Namier were both American citizens for over 12 years. After 9/11, they were both shot and killed, leaving behind their children and wives. Those two people aren't the only two people in America killed for being Muslim after September 11th, may other people died as a result of the attacks.
         Being very interested in the arts, I read an article about how racism has affected Broadway in the current running season. There are shows playing such as Memphis, Hair, Finnian's Rainbow, Avenue Q, and West Side Story, just to name a few. I realized that the common plot within these show is racism. In Memphis, a white and a black musician fall in love while having to battle with the consequences of being a bi-racial couple. That is similar to West Side Story between Tony and Maria, a white man and Latina woman.  There are gang fights about their love because in their society, white people don't fall in love with Latino people. A very popular one out of that list of musicals is Avenue Q. The 2003 Tony Award winning show for best musical, best book of a musical, best original score, best actor in a musical, best actress in a musical and best direction has an entire "R" rated song about racism, sugarcoating nothing. Going after all races in the song, the audience still loved and supported it. Maybe the 6 Tony's gave that away. Not to mention, shows like West Side Story, Hair and Finnian's Rainbow are considered classics. What does that say about our country in the past and now? I,  myself, am a huge fan of all of these musicals because of the gorgeous music that accompanies the actors and dancers. Its an art form, but am I one of the only people that notice that, sure, racism has changed since the 60's, but has it changed that much? Do we support racism by loving these shows? Or is it simply because of the art? It is said that the only way to truly get emotion across is through song in musical theatre, "We sing because we have nothing left to say" says Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth. Does that mean we are still very emotional and passionate about the topic of racism? Or do writers write about it because its not?









http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-finkle/broadway-looks-at-racism_b_353753.html