Apologizing for Slavery

Recently I read an article that talks about how the US Government apologized for slavery. The author thinks that this was not enough. She writes from her personal opinion, that slavery was horrible and we need to do something to fix its effects. She even says that she feels bad being born as a white female, whose ancestors were slave traders, because she lives off of slavery's benefits.

First off, was it necessary for the government to apologize for slavery? Sure, it was a nice gesture, but does that help anyone feel better. Personally, I think slavery does need more than an apology, but is there anything we can really do? The more trying to fix it might just make it worse.

So then, what, if anything, should be done to fix the effects of something that ended years ago?

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/19/browne.slavery/index.html

Ballon Hoax

Recently two parents used their son in an attempt at stardom, as described in this Article. They released a floating balloon device into the atmosphere and then called the Police saying their son was attached to it. It turned out that the aspiring reality Tv-star parents staged this whole event. They hid their 6 year old son in the attic for 5 hours while the public was in panic. Although there is nothing wrong with wanting to be famous, this couple went about it all wrong. They risked their son's safety to try to fulfill their own goals. Their entire plot for fame is just morally wrong.

The sad thing is, they probably got the attention they had hoped for. During the stunt, the story was all over the news. Now news stories about it are all over the internet. In a way this story is like the boy who cried wolf. The parents cried for public help, but did not really need it. They are now facing up to 6 years in prison and fines of $500,000. Personally I think these parents deserve the punishment for creating a public misunderstanding and putting their children in danger. But, what do you think? Do they deserve jail time and fines for trying to become famous?

What do Grades Really Mean?

A long class discussion today left me wondering about the grading system in school. For years I have been both frustrated and saved by grades and points. I have received some grades i think should be higher, and ones that honestly should have been lower. The problem is that a percentage grade does not always tell how much someone learned. When grades that are determined by points, students often lose focus on the actual material. They worry about the number of points they receive on an assignment instead of actually learning, what school is really all about.

But, is it fair for a teacher to give grades based on how they feel a student is doing? One could argue that teachers might be bias and give students higher or lower grades for unjust reasons. The point system can be fair because it is the same for everyone.

If there are no grades, as new classes at our high school are attempting, then there is no real measure of a students progress that others can see. But then another point comes up, who are grades really for? Most kids would say that they are for the colleges that want to get into. So then, how should grades be given out? What do you think is the right way to do it?

Race

After a class discussion about race last week, I noticed something about many kids in our class and people in general. Including myself, why are people so hesitant to associate race with the color of skin someone has?

During the discussion, I realized myself along with many others really determine what race someone is by the color of their skin. People tried to say that race was was determined by something else, but after talking about it we found out that it was not really true.

I also find it interesting when people are afraid to call someone black. It is not a bad thing so why are they afraid to say it? I have heard kids trying to be official call black people in Africa African Americans when really they are not American at all and the kid was just trying to say black. We have to realize that being one race or another is not any better than the other and say how we really think races are determined.