JJ's World Views

Tag: History

  • A call for calm

         In this historically trying time where people are scared, angry, and hateful. We must remember who we are as a species. We have a tendency to let our emotions get the better of us. Without really trying to find out what caused these situations. This goes for both sides of the Isle and I admit I have let my emotions get to me as well. We must each take some time to look inside ourselves and do a critical analysis. No one is perfect because there is no such thing as perfection. if there were this would be a pretty dull place. Everyone has their own ideas and opinions but before we go out there and committing acts of violence on one another and before families become so far damaged that they can not be repaired let us take a few minutes to reflect on ourselves. this is something most of us do not do or even know how to do.
              We all feel the pain of our current economy. We are all struggling. This is just like in the 60’s and 70’s when protesters would spit on vets and call them baby killers. Which was wrong.  Just like back then the elitist class with which both Clinton and Trump are a part of are pitting us against ourselves so they can control us with our own fears and hate. Why? Because it is easy to do when we are all distracted with family issues, working long hours, and just trying to get by. it has been like this for thousands of years. There is one thing that is different now than in the past our level of Technology.
           Look at what the possibilities we have the power to change this world for the better if we just have the will to do so.  The rich are not always the smartest people in the world.  Some of them just inherited their wealth, some worked for it and others have stolen it from honest hard-working people.  We give more help to the big corporations that give huge bonuses to their CEOs for maximizing profits by underpaying those they need to run their businesses like: Cashiers, cooks and stock people.  We the citizens of this world need to focus on bring the power to the people.  Not the elites.  We know whats best for us not people who have not spent much time in the failing economy that we are in.  We are the ones with the real power that most of us don’t realize we have.  I do not condone violence in any way.  This is why here in America we have the first Amendment.  As a reminder here it is.  “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion; or prohibition the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for redress of grievances .”  
         The the right to Peaceably assemble if the right to protest which has been used so much over the Past One Hundred or so years.  Martin Luther King used it to fight the Jim Crow laws and the right to vote as a full human,  Women used it to get the right to vote and to have control of their own bodies, and LGBT used it to get the right to marry.  We now need to use this again so that we may have a fair and free society and to keep the peace.  This is going to be a huge hurdle for us to climb but we can do it if we work together as one.  We must set aside our differences to focus on this goal.  We need to hold our leaders feet to the fire and makesure they are doing what is best for all of us not just the privileged few.
    This is our time to shine and rise to the Occasion.
    We have the power and the brains to make this possible.
    Otherwise this civilisation will go the way so many before have gone and collapse in on itself.
    Peace be with you all 

  • Day 4

    Well today was the end of my first week of school.  I had Intro to Cinema and History of World Civilization 2.  After my classes I had a meeting with my TRIO SSS (Student Support Services) advisor.

    In Cinema we were learning about its technical history from the Zoeatrope to George Melies “A Trip to the Moon”.  It was interesting to see how they first attempted to colorize film.  It must have been painstaking painting each frame, even if it was a 13 minute film.  It is remarkable to see how far we have come in such a short period of time ( in the grand scheme of things).  I also started the readings tonight going through the influences of the different countries that had an effect on the industry from the late 19th century to 1947 is where I stopped for the night.  This cover things like the Kinetograph and Kinetoscope developed by William Kennedy Laurie Dickson in Edison’s labs (411 Barsam and Monaham).  Going into the Silent Period (214), The German Expressionists (418) and many more.

    This afternoon I had History in which we watched a video (narrated by the late Leonard Nimoy)and discussed the Black plague, and he answered questions on the syllabus.  The video was something that I had seen before on the History channel so most of the information was not too new to me.  Like I knew they used Bodies of the dead as a form of biological warfare of the time and that doctors of the time were some of the most vulnerable do to the closeness of working with those who had the plague.  What I had missed the first time I had watched the video was the Flagellants ( an extremist Christian sect) that had started to gain traction do to the Catholic Church own ignorance and unwillingness to hear any ideas other than those in the Bible.  I started my reading for this class today as well.  The reading are on some of the creation myths of the world.  I have gone through the Iroquois, which is more of a matriarchal view of the world and the Japanese which from what I read started out quite nice then became very patriarchal.  At least that is how I saw it.  I will be rereading it to get a better understanding of them both.

    After history I went to see my TRIO advisor.  I like going to talk to him we always have interesting conversations.  For those who do not know Trio is an organization that help first generation college students and students with disabilities navigate through college life.  They help you set up your schedules, filling out financial aid forms and help to keep you on track in school.  Some of the most prominent people who have been part of this program through the years (not at Normandale Community college where I go they just started theirs last year) are Oprah Winfrey and Angela Bassett.  This Program has been around since the 60’s and is federally funded.  If you are in college and they have this program check to see if you qualify it is extremely helpful.  Me and James (my advisor) talked about how my classes are going so far, some of my financial aid and a little about this blog.  it was a short meeting but it is the first week and he is swamped with the new semester and people on his team. He did ask me if I “If I thought that I would have any problems with the number of classes or the classes themselves.” I dont really think I will of course while writing this blog my self doubt started creeping up again.  This happened before this time I feel I have the support I need to concur it.  beside I always feel like this until the end of the semester.  By then I have seen where I am at and know what I need to do to get the grades I need and want.  Hell right now I am waiting to get my invitation to Phi Theta Kappa our Honor Society. Over the past 2 semester I earned a 3.53 GPA in my college level courses.  If you add in my remedial courses it is a 3.68 GPA.  So, as long as I keep doing what I am doing I should have another good semester.

    Works Cited

    Barsam, Richard Meran., and Dave Monahan. “10/Film History.” Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film. 5th ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2016. 411+. Print.

  • Home

    I have lived in Washington State, California, Florida and home is Minnesota. I have been a cashier, custodian (Disney World), Photographer/Videographer (Discovery Cove), salesman, Transportation Security Officer (TSA) and soldier.
    I am currently a student at the ripe old age of 41 and am Studying to become a Social Studies Teacher. I am a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (honor society).
    I want to travel more and see this great big world we live in. Explore new cultures and share what I have learned. I believe everyone has different experiences in this life. So, that we can grow and learn from each other. In order to make this world a better place for future generations.

    I have many reasons for starting this blog, one of which it helps to build up my writing skills.  I will be posting each draft of what I have written, this way I can get constructive critiques of my work and people can see my writing process a bit.   If you have constructive criticism of my work please let me know do not be shy.  This will help me to become a better writer which is one of my goals.

    Next I am pursuing a career in Social Studies education sot that I can become a teacher and join the Peace Corp.  This blog will serve as a journal of sorts for me to express my feeling on certain subjects and help me to see how I have evolved as a person and a life long learner.

    Lastly this blog is about me and my experiences over the past 40 years.  There will be journal entries, thoughts on life society, Ideas for thing we can do better and I will even put up some of my work from school after it has been graded, I don’t want to risk plagiarizing myself, lol.

    If you have any questions for me or would like to here my opinion on a subject, you can leave them in the comments below the writings or you can leave me a message on Facebook or Twitter for the time being.  I am still trying get a handle of all the uses for social media so bare with me.