" We Are Training Our Kids to Kill"

      In this essay by Dave Grossman, Grossman talks about how the world today is a much more violent place. He first introduces his background a bit and how he worked for the military and studied how to enable people to kill (497). Using this knowledge he points out that children and military soldiers are now conditioned in different forms to associate violence with pleasure. Today's society of young children experiance a form of violence everyday of their lives; whether its through television and the media, or video games. Video games have now had a great influence on children. Grossman argues that it not only does it teach children who have never picked up a gun to be good shooters, but since it's a game that's how they see it in reality as well; a game. Through television children experience violence and are "unable to distinguish clearly between fantasy and reality" (500). Grossman also points that as a human race it is hard for us to kill our own kind, so when it comes to military soldiers they are either classically condtioned or through a form of operant conditioning trained to "kill or be killed". They are trained to associate killing with pleasure and trained to making shooting at something and killing it a reflexive skill. Grossman argues that the "virus of violence is occuring worldwide" (497).
      I thought this essay was really interesting and Grossman made a lot of good points when it came to the violent affect of children playing video games. Children cannot yet distinguish the difference between fantasy and reality so parents and future parents need to be careful what they expose their children to. I think its really sad about the soldiers and what they are put through so that they can fight for the country. I have friends that joined the military and to read that they are pretty much being "brainwashed" to accept murder in their lives is horrifying. Grossman wrote " we have raised a generation of barbarians who have learned to associate violence with pleasure" (502) is a line that stood out to me because it put what he is arguing into perspective. Its a very scary thought.

"How Bingeing Became The New College Sport"

     In the essay "How Bingeing Became The New College Sport" by Barrett Seaman, Seaman argues the cons about having an over twenty-one drinking age limit, and how it would benefit our society to reduce that age. He talks about how most accidents happen due to the restrain on college students and not being able to drink legally in public. If the legal drinking age were to be eighteen than many students wouldn't find the necessity to get drunk behind doors and then go out, which will result in less accidents. Since students are forcing themselves to over drink in dorm rooms because they can not drink in public more accidents and even deaths have resulted in the over consumpiton of alchol. Seaman argues that "tighter enforecement of the minnimum drinking age of 21 is not the solution. It is the problem." (491) Students are already drinking and especially in a college enviroment that instead of restricting them which only makes students want to drink more, we should allow them to drink so that they can do so responsibly.

     I really liked this essay I thought that Seaman made a good argument. I do agree with what he is talking about. Being part of the college environment I definitely see a lot of fellow friends and students "bingeing" or "pre-gaming" because they cannot legally drink. I think that it would be a good idea since young students are doing it any way. Its easy to see why it would be a good law to pass if you are in college, you are already exposed to an older crowd of people/students. At the same time you wouldn't want to bump into eighteen year olds who can act immature at a bar. Maturity has a big part in what the legal drinking age should be, because it depends on the individuals.

"Is Your Workplace Personality Out of Birth Order"

      Ben Dattner's essay "Is Your Workplace Personality Out of Birth Order" talks about how the order you are born in defines your personality. He talks about how success can be determined through your birth order. Dattner's theory explains how as the first born child you are more likely to be a natural born leader and that are constantly taking your parents into consideration. First borns care more of what their parents think of them. Second born children or "later borns" (334) are more flexiable. Middle children "tend to be more diplomatic and poltically skilled"(334). Since they are middle children they are able to negotiate well with their parents and older and youger siblings. Dattner explains his theory for twins and only children as well; only children are more achievement oriented. Dattner explains that the sequence in which your born determines the success you will have in your future because of the characteristics you develop because of your birth order.
       I really enjoyed Dattner's essay, I thought he brought up some really good points and think that it definitely does have a big impact in shaping your personality. I am the oldest of four and can say I related a lot to his prediction about the first born child. I am really independent and take on the responsibility of looking out for my younger sisters. I would consider myself a leader and I do like to boss people around. I think Dattner's theory holds a lot of truth but there are also other factors such as culture and enviroment that have a big influence in shaping a person's personality.

"Homeplace"

      In the essay "Homeplace" by Scott Russell Sanders, Sanders talks about how "psychologists tell us that we answer trouble with one of two impulses either fight or flight"(339). Sanders talks about how as humans we decide to either station ourselves in a particular place or we allow ourselves to explore the world. As people we don't let are minds expand by staying in the same place which is reflecting in the the way we treat our enviroment. We have choices yet we choose to standby when one of the greatest things we are capable of is make change. According to Sanders we only have ourselves to blame for destroying the world, he says that in the furture people "will demand to know how we could have been party to such a waste and ruin"(343) meaning we see things going down hill yet we do nothing to change that. Sanders points that as a race we have a lack of commitment to a certain place which can be both good and bad. On the bad going place to place shows our lack of commitment and how we as a race don't confront our problems. On the good side moving so much allows a person to expand and gain a better awareness of the world.
      This essay was interesting, I thought it was very true about humans that we either to chose to fight or flight and thats what in a way defines us as individuals. We all chose to interpret the world around us in a different way so I think Sanders essay is really a matter of opinion. I liked how he talked about the human race destroying the world, I think that is true and that since this is our home we should do more to take care of it. The American society needs to be more greatful to everything they are given and that is something I think we take for granted.

Multi- Colored Families

      The essay on "Multi-Colored Families" by Tamala Edwards is an informative article about the pros and cons of raising mulit-colored children and having integrated families in todays modern society. Edwards points out that although its great that society has evolved and adoption and intergration of multi-colored children is great. Many families tend to forget that its still a delicate situation of raising a child that is outside of your own race. As children parents are the most influential people one could have. Edwards includeds testaments of how difficult it can become for both children and parents growing together in an intergrated family. Children will always raise questiones as to why they look different from their parents and how the parent needs to be able to answer such a question carefully. Edwards shows how familys often have to chose a special type of enviroment where it is more diverse so that fingers are not pointed at their intergrated family. They can raise their children without having to deal with the rude remarks people make. The article was written to raise an awareness that people probably don't think about when they are getting ready to take on the role of the intergrated family.
      I like this essay a lot. It was like "food for thought" and sparked my interest a lot. I felt that although Edwards talked about greatly intergrated families, I was able to relate my own personal experiance to it. I am Mexican and Spanish and although these two ethnicities can seem the same or very similar to people they are two very different things to me. I never knew my biological father and as a young child that bothered me but not that much anymore. Even though I grew up having a great father figure through my "step" dad I still saw that I was different from the rest of my family. They are all tanned and dark like the people from Mexico are and I grew up really faired skinned and with really curly hair like my father's side. The skin color always threw me off as a child but I thought the Edwards made a good point. People should consider the pros and cons of the responsibilty they are going to take on when raising multi-colored children.

The Barrio

      The Barrio by Robert Ramirez is an essay about the world that natives create from the Barrio as opposed to the Anglo community. Ramirez depicts the Barrio lifestyle and how it can be very beautiful in tradition but it also comes with a lot of hardships. Ramirez shows how the Barrio lifestyle is a lot more traditional and family based. Family is a very important aspect in the barrio. Ramirez uses a lot of sensory language so the reader gets a vivid picture of how The Barrio is different from the Anglo community. He uses the example of fences to show this difference. In the Anglo community fences are tall and made of wood and you can not see through them; they are built to keep things/people out. In The Barrio the fences are made up of wire or bushes and you can easily see through them without feeling like your invading someones space. Ramirez uses the fences as a metaphor to show how different the two communities think. The Barrio is filled with cantinas and panaderias. Its a place of family and tradition, a worn out neighborhood where running water is a luxury, and culture is something to be proud of. 
      Ramirez  essay was pretty good, I liked how his descriptions gave me a good image of The Barrio looks, what I might see and smell if I was there. There was a line that I especially liked "The old the child, the greater the responsibility to help the head of the household provide for the rest of the family". I felt that I could relate to this line a lot because in my Mexican culture that is definitely true and especially since I am the oldest girl in my family I get the responsibility of taking care of my younger sisters.
      

"Belief about Families"

      Mary Pipher's essay discusses the notion of family in today's society and how different the definition of family is now as opposed to back in "traditional times". Pipher defines the difference between a biological family and a formed family; how they each bring a certain strength and flaw to a person's life. A biological family is important because you are tied together through  blood. They are the ones that most likely help you out when things are going bad for you. A formed family may not come through for you and can easily walk out of your life. The bond is always stronger in a biological families " blood is thicker then water". Pipher however doesn't believe the problem is the family institution but rather "commitment and inclusiveness" (409). She believes that what a person defines family to be is the most important. Today's society has a big impact on the way we perceive our own family. For example Pipher say's "when teenagers most need their parents they are encouraged to distance themselves from them". Society in Pipher's eyes has showed children to grow up  rude and arrogant. Money and pop culture have become more important and influence people's belief's tremendously.
       I liked Pipher's essay I thought it brought up some really good points about family, and it brought some awareness to me. I felt that she thought formed families were more important then biological family's. I personally think they are both really important. There have been times where my formed family was more important then my blood related family, but I do see how even in that my blood is still there for me after all the down falls. I liked that she said "What tiospaye offers and what family offers is a place that all members can belong to regardless of merit". I agree with this statement.

Hey Nostradamus! Reg 2003

      The last section in the novel is about Reg. In this chapter Reg talks about his past and current relationships with each of the character's, in a form of a letter that he is writing to Jason. We also get to see Reg's childhood and the reasons for all his actions. Ironically just like Jason, Reg aspired to grow up opposite of his father. He saw that his father was an angry man who had little faith. Reg resented his father's fierceness towards him and didn't understand "a God who would create an animal like my (his) father, a religious man without faith".(233) Reg also confesses to Jason that he was envious of him and saw him as his "competition". He was upset that he had become a "massacre hero" and God had given his son a mission rather than him. This letter to Jason is Reg's liberation of confessions. Reg talks about his relationship with his wife and why he felt like a coward in front of her because he thought she could see right through him and see the truth, that although he portrayed himself as religious he has a lot of self doubt. Reg moves on to talk about his girlfriend he had, Ruth. How Ruth accepted Reg and saw how he could be a great person. However because of his own arrogance and commitment to his religion, their relationship didn't work because marriage was till death for him and he refused to get a divorce. Ruth didn't see a future with Reg and so she left him too. Feeling lonely Reg reached out to Heather and despite Heather's way of thinking when it came to religion and faith, the two had a lot in common. Reg tells Jason that after Heather found out the truth of the psychic she quit her job and went on to make stories about all the imaginary characters she shared with Jason. Finding Jason's letter gave her more hope. Reg finds out from the RCMP that they have found a piece of Jason's flannel shirt and debit card in the woods. Although it seems that there is little hope that Jason might still be alive Reg has not given up. He is going to take the letter he is writing and make a thousand copies to pin on the trees in hopes that Jason will see one and read it.
      Reg's chapter by far was my favorite. It was just a chapter of pure reflection and I think that since Coupland made it like a reflection chapter he was able to make it a lot more intimate. I got to really see Reg's reasons behind his rationalizations and it made me like his character and not see him so negatively. I still don't know wheather I personally think if Jason is dead or alive but I hope he is and Coupland makes another book so I can keep reading. Reg doesn't know that the twin's are not Kent's but I think he suspects. Reg's chapter was the ultimate revelation of the novel and I think Coupland tied everything into this chapter to make the story clear. Although there was a whole story about the massacre I felt that Couplands main message was through Jason and Reg and their struggles to make amends with themselves and each other.
    

Hey Nostradamus Heather: Part 2

      In the second part of Heathers chapter she is anxiously awaiting another message from Jason through Allison. However as opposed to before Allison is now charging Heather large sum for each of their "sessions". Heather has become a wreck, she feels herself slipping back into depression due to Jason's disappearance and has become more then obsessed with Allison's "visions". In this chapter we are introduced to Heather's past and how she was once depressed because she was lonely. Heather talks about her depression being so severe that she had to take medicine just to help her get back on her feet. Heather is at the edge of her insanity in her struggle to keep hope that Jason is still alive. Feeling that Allison is her key to finding Jason she begins to do her own investigating and takes down Allison's license plate numbers. Heather then discovers that Allison's real name is Cecilia and follows her home. After hours of watching Cecilia, Heather discovers that she has a daughter and her obsession drives her to follow her. When Heather and Cecilia's daughter finally come face to face Heather is informed that Allison who is really Cecilia has been lying to her the entire time. She is not a psychic and knows all this information because months before he disappeared Jason left her a letter to open if he "should so happen" to go missing one day. After Heather finds the truth she storms back to Cecilia's house and demands that she gives her the letter from Jason. Heather then realizes that this is probably going to be the last concrete item she will receive from Jason ever again.
      I thought this chapter was really intense. I like that Coupland went more into depth about Heathers life it helped me spark a better interest in her character like I did with all the other characters. I was in shock when the truth about Allison (Cecilia) was revealed, and felt that that was a really low thing for her to do seeing that she knew the immense grief one can feel when they lose someone really dear to them. I like that Coupland was able to change my point of view about Reg through his relationship with Heather. He showed a more compassionate side to him and that he was changing for the better.