Dennis Carlson
Gayness, Multicultural Education and Community
Carlson argues that in today’s society that the gay/lesbian community is invisible to the public, and that the “normal” people or people who are straight try to keep gay/lesbians invisible. Although people who are gay/lesbian aren’t persecuted it is still widely frowned upon and tried to be kept secret.
“In 1993, for example, the gay rights movement claimed a major victory in the signing into law of a Minnesota bill that makes it illegal to discriminate against lesbians and gay men in employment and housing. Yet what got ignored in all the celebrating was a provision in the bill that prohibits teaching about homosexuality in the public schools”
This contributes to the article because it is a prime example of how the government throws the gay and lesbian community a bone, but there is a detail that makes it so that homosexuality can’t be talked about in schools. Although they did have a victory they are still losing because society doesn’t want homosexuality to be in schools and fully in the open in society. In the article it said too there have been progressive steps for lesbians/gays. Like ten years ago people who were gay were very quiet about there sexuality because they were afraid of being subjected to violence and abuse. Today people aren’t condemned for their orientation, but people who are Gay/lesbian still aren’t considered fully equal to those who are straight.
“Today, witch hunts against gay teachers are (for the most part) a thing of the past and many lesbian and gay male teachers are relatively “out” among a select group of co-workers. Yet the intimidation continues, much as it does in the military. The official policy in most school districts is in fact identical to that of the U.S. military, namely: Don’t ask, don’t tell.”
This quote puts shows how in education too we want to mold the teachers into what is what we think is right. That all teachers are not straight there are some that are gay/lesbian. If a teacher comes out and says that they are gay then they get condemned and people make up preposterous excuses like they’ll have a crush on students and won’t be able to control themselves. Our society says equality for all, but we pressure people into making themselves invisible because if they showed that they are gay then people would get mad because being gay isn’t the norm.
“One of the most powerful of these symbols, featuring a pink triangle under which is written the slogan “Silence=Death” is associated with most militant and itself marginalized group in the movement, ACT UP. The call, then, is to speak out and be seen.”
This quote is very good because it reinforces the author’s main point. How the gay community needs to rise up and not be silent. By being silent you are not being yourself and you’re letting other people dictate how your life is run. Today gay culture is becoming more prominent in society and in popular culture so by sitting by and being invisible, some people might not know about the gay community and how there not different than anyone else.
I thought this article was very good. It opened my eyes to another part of society we never see the gay culture and how they feel invisible because we make them feel like that. For example most of the stuff I knew about gay people is what I saw in movies or TV. , and many people do base there image on the stuff they see. Although being gay today they are taking many strides forward at times they are getting pushed back. For example in the reading in the education system how they prohibit talking about homosexuality in some schools, and they frown upon teachers who are gay. It is sad to see because just because someone is gay doesn’t mean there going to have a crush on someone in there class or in general. People just make very farfetched assumptions because there afraid of change.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Talking points Part Dos
Richard Rodriguez
Aria
In this article I think Rodriguez argues that although there is a need for people to assimilate into society a side effect is that people might lose a sense of culture or individuality. The author assimilated into society and became “American” and learned the language, but at the same time his family lost a sense of unity and there Hispanic roots.
“What would they not do for their children’s ell being? ... IN an instant, they agreed to give up the language (the sounds) that had revealed and accentuated our family’s closeness.” The family had to give up there language so there kids can have opportunities in America. In that time when the author was a child which I would think would be 1970s or so there was a big push towards assimilation and becoming “American” so by learning English the Rodriguez family would fit into there neighborhood, society etc. By doing this though and assimilating the family lost there identities sort of speak and they became distant from each other because of it. In the story as it showed there dinners weren’t the same once they adopted English everyone was quiet all the time and that happy atmosphere was gone.
“But the special feeling of closeness at home was diminished by then. Gone was the desperate, urgent, intense feeling of being at home; …we remained a loving family, but one greatly changed.” In the story the author and his siblings had to assimilate and learn English the nuns thought English should be spoken at home. As a result the family adapted to society and learned English, but there bonds were a little weaker because there native language kept them close, but now English had to be the first language for them. I think this happens a lot of times with many families that come over here. They have to learn English or they won’t succeed in jobs, school etc, and as a result they lose a sense of identity and there culture.
Although the story was short I thought it was very interesting. The story shows how in America we push for people to become part of society and want this whole melting pot, but in essence it makes people lose there heritage, language or identity. I don’t think this article really relates to other text we have read so far. Most of the other text we have read talked about white privilege and to address the issue and not be afraid to use the words that we fear. This could relate to some of the other text maybe it is saying that in America we put a strong push for immigrants to become white so they become successful I don’t know.
Aria
In this article I think Rodriguez argues that although there is a need for people to assimilate into society a side effect is that people might lose a sense of culture or individuality. The author assimilated into society and became “American” and learned the language, but at the same time his family lost a sense of unity and there Hispanic roots.
“What would they not do for their children’s ell being? ... IN an instant, they agreed to give up the language (the sounds) that had revealed and accentuated our family’s closeness.” The family had to give up there language so there kids can have opportunities in America. In that time when the author was a child which I would think would be 1970s or so there was a big push towards assimilation and becoming “American” so by learning English the Rodriguez family would fit into there neighborhood, society etc. By doing this though and assimilating the family lost there identities sort of speak and they became distant from each other because of it. In the story as it showed there dinners weren’t the same once they adopted English everyone was quiet all the time and that happy atmosphere was gone.
“But the special feeling of closeness at home was diminished by then. Gone was the desperate, urgent, intense feeling of being at home; …we remained a loving family, but one greatly changed.” In the story the author and his siblings had to assimilate and learn English the nuns thought English should be spoken at home. As a result the family adapted to society and learned English, but there bonds were a little weaker because there native language kept them close, but now English had to be the first language for them. I think this happens a lot of times with many families that come over here. They have to learn English or they won’t succeed in jobs, school etc, and as a result they lose a sense of identity and there culture.
Although the story was short I thought it was very interesting. The story shows how in America we push for people to become part of society and want this whole melting pot, but in essence it makes people lose there heritage, language or identity. I don’t think this article really relates to other text we have read so far. Most of the other text we have read talked about white privilege and to address the issue and not be afraid to use the words that we fear. This could relate to some of the other text maybe it is saying that in America we put a strong push for immigrants to become white so they become successful I don’t know.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Defending the cavemen
I went to a jazz festival today at the stadium theater in woonsocket and i saw a show that is coming in march and it seemed like it related to the class so i thought i would share. On March 21st there is a show called Defending The Caveman at 8 pm. Its a broadway show comedy about the sexes so there could be something in it related to our class.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Discussion on Kozol/Goldberg
Amazing Grace: Johnathan Kozol
100 People Who are Screwing up America : Bernard Goldberg
Goldberg argues that today many kids don’t care about learning and many schools are violent. Goldberg states the person to blame for this is Jonathan Kozol who is saying how traditional schools aren’t good and schools should be more liberal. In the story by Jonathan Kozol I think it is basically describing a hell on Earth and how society doesn’t care. Through the story it talks about parts of New York that are really bad and gives vivid descriptions how terrible life is. The author also shows that many of the people who are in these ghettos are made up of minorities.
Goldberg Quote: “We are taught U.S. history out of politically correct textbooks….They take care not to offend America’s past enemies, but don’t seem to worry about offending Americans…Perhaps needless to add, there are no lessons on the virtue of patriotism” This quote was very interesting because in certain aspects we do see this in our society. America is always making sure to watch out for everyone else’s interest, but not our own. Some could even argue that’s why we are in our economic crisis now. America doesn’t want to piss off other people so we make sure to keep countries happy, but at home we do stuff that irritate the citizens. We should be proud of our country, but instead we make others look good and us look bad. What Goldberg is saying is that today in schools when we teach history we lack patriotism.
Kozol Quote: “Most of the addicts and prostitutes are black. Some are Hispanic. But they’re all people of color. It made me feel frightened for my race. The men are killing themselves with needles and the women are laying their bodies down with anyone they meet, not know who they are.” Many of the cities that the author talks about are minority that he has shown through the reading. Through this reading it shows that in parts where the majority is black, Hispanic etc. the conditions there are poor and bad. Where the majority is white the conditions are obviously better. This quote to shows that living in these poor conditions the people didn’t have much opportunity to grow so the guys either became drug users,dealers,gangmembers and the girls became prostitutes. Through these limited choices the people will eventually kill themselves by overdosing, being killed or the environment itself will kill them.
“I don’t know how sick you have to be to qualify for SSI. My girlfriend died from AIDS in March. …After she died, the checks began to come. Now they keep on coming. Her boyfriend sashes them each month.” The author is talking to a lady he interviews Martha Washington, and she tells of the struggles about how hard it is to get help from the government. This quote shows that in this area in New York the government could care less, and that you have to be practically dying and bleeding to get any sort of money to help you. Many of the people have AIDS and the environment isn’t that clean so there health is very fragile. The SSI check should help them survive, but as seen in this story it shows that the government doesn’t care. I think Kozol is trying to show that the society is very flawed and that they have to take care of there people a lot better than they are.
Through these stories I gathered a lot of information. From Goldberg’s I think in society I do think that many people today don’t have a good sense of American history, and they really don’t support or try to help out. In Kozol’s story I do believe that there are some cities in the United states that are in bad shape and the government isn’t doing much to help. I don’t think they are as bad as he describes in the story I think some of it might have been exaggerated for more effect. Kozol’s article relates to Delpit because race is involved in both of them. Delpit says that people who have power should help those who can’t and in Kozol’s article it shows that the people who do have power aren’t helping those who don’t.
100 People Who are Screwing up America : Bernard Goldberg
Goldberg argues that today many kids don’t care about learning and many schools are violent. Goldberg states the person to blame for this is Jonathan Kozol who is saying how traditional schools aren’t good and schools should be more liberal. In the story by Jonathan Kozol I think it is basically describing a hell on Earth and how society doesn’t care. Through the story it talks about parts of New York that are really bad and gives vivid descriptions how terrible life is. The author also shows that many of the people who are in these ghettos are made up of minorities.
Goldberg Quote: “We are taught U.S. history out of politically correct textbooks….They take care not to offend America’s past enemies, but don’t seem to worry about offending Americans…Perhaps needless to add, there are no lessons on the virtue of patriotism” This quote was very interesting because in certain aspects we do see this in our society. America is always making sure to watch out for everyone else’s interest, but not our own. Some could even argue that’s why we are in our economic crisis now. America doesn’t want to piss off other people so we make sure to keep countries happy, but at home we do stuff that irritate the citizens. We should be proud of our country, but instead we make others look good and us look bad. What Goldberg is saying is that today in schools when we teach history we lack patriotism.
Kozol Quote: “Most of the addicts and prostitutes are black. Some are Hispanic. But they’re all people of color. It made me feel frightened for my race. The men are killing themselves with needles and the women are laying their bodies down with anyone they meet, not know who they are.” Many of the cities that the author talks about are minority that he has shown through the reading. Through this reading it shows that in parts where the majority is black, Hispanic etc. the conditions there are poor and bad. Where the majority is white the conditions are obviously better. This quote to shows that living in these poor conditions the people didn’t have much opportunity to grow so the guys either became drug users,dealers,gangmembers and the girls became prostitutes. Through these limited choices the people will eventually kill themselves by overdosing, being killed or the environment itself will kill them.
“I don’t know how sick you have to be to qualify for SSI. My girlfriend died from AIDS in March. …After she died, the checks began to come. Now they keep on coming. Her boyfriend sashes them each month.” The author is talking to a lady he interviews Martha Washington, and she tells of the struggles about how hard it is to get help from the government. This quote shows that in this area in New York the government could care less, and that you have to be practically dying and bleeding to get any sort of money to help you. Many of the people have AIDS and the environment isn’t that clean so there health is very fragile. The SSI check should help them survive, but as seen in this story it shows that the government doesn’t care. I think Kozol is trying to show that the society is very flawed and that they have to take care of there people a lot better than they are.
Through these stories I gathered a lot of information. From Goldberg’s I think in society I do think that many people today don’t have a good sense of American history, and they really don’t support or try to help out. In Kozol’s story I do believe that there are some cities in the United states that are in bad shape and the government isn’t doing much to help. I don’t think they are as bad as he describes in the story I think some of it might have been exaggerated for more effect. Kozol’s article relates to Delpit because race is involved in both of them. Delpit says that people who have power should help those who can’t and in Kozol’s article it shows that the people who do have power aren’t helping those who don’t.
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