#4. Outcasts

Ch. 6 questions:
READING CLOSELY AND THINKING CRITICALLY:

1. According to Kozol, what are the prevailing attitudes toward the homeless?
They are seen to be dirty, disease carrying, unwanted people.  Even the people that help them, or that want to help them, won't touch them. They are the unwanted. They might as well be rodents. This is such an unfortunate perception of human beings.
2. To what extent are government officials and the general public part of the problem of homelessness?
Whenever they make measures to "solve" the problem of the homeless, they don't actually solve anything. They mostly just relocate the people that they think of as the problem.
3. In paragraph 38, Kozol says that we are afraid of homeless children. What are we afraid of?
These children were born in such lowly circumstances to begin with that we assume that they share the diseases of the homeless that we are so opposed to. Next, they don't have the benefit of a wholesome childhood so we don't know what kind of adults they're going turn out to be. There are those who grow up in homes that have a stable income and place of residence that can turn out to be felons. On another note, we don't enjoy feeling sorry for others when we feel we can't do anything about their situation. Homeless children fit right in that category. We would feel especially bad when children are doing the suffering.
4. Are any examples particularly moving? Which ones? Why do they affect you the way they do?
The stories about people dying (or being killed) without anyone taking any action to prevent tragedy or to help the person out. First off, who in their right mind would just set another human being on fire, or stab them, just because that person was sitting there? Then, why wouldn't those who witnessed it have acted on what they saw? If that were to happen to anyone I know I would hope and pray that anyone observing would at least call the police so the appropriate action could be taken. The thought of people treating the those without a home as sub-human goes against all the hope in humanity that I have.
5. Has your perception of the homeless changed as a result of reading “Untouchables”? Explain.
In a way my perception has changed. I had never really pondered my opinion on the homeless. I am from a smaller city so if there are homeless people there, I'm not really aware of them. My main encounters with them have been when I have visited Salt Lake. After reading the article, I am mostly just more aware of what has happens, and what still happens, and I hope that people would change their thinking so that we could avoid these tragedies.

PS. STOP THAT, MOUSE!!! (That's for you, Ed)

#3 Descriptive essay? Narration? When I'm writing, apparently they're the same.

I should probably definitely pay attention in class. Either that or I should replace the batteries in my hearing aides :P                                        

           In our class on Tuesday, we apparently started talking about our new writing assignment: A NARRATIVE! (Woot!) But, the in-class assignment was a paragraph or two of descriptive writing. First of all, you have to know that I take my time when writing something. As I was jotting down my descriptive paper, Professor B. started explaining the narrative (I'm writing), how it was how he was going to gauge our writing from that (still describing), and it should be our best writing (and I still wasn't finished).
            By the end of class I was stressed out and discouraged because the paragraph I had scribbled out was supposed to be my best writing and it would place my writing skills, and that paper was not even CLOSE to my best writing.                                                  

           Well, I finished the best that I could and turned in my draft, thinking that I needed to bring a finished, polished draft to class.        

           Today, before I had class I rushed to the writing lab to finish up. Turns out I didn't even need it, so, to get a little mileage out of it I decided to post it. Here is the picture of the one I turned in and then the final draft is included after :)                                                                                                              

                My nephew is a perfect example of a busybody two-year old. I can’t explain it, but I’m sure something inside that little body of his will not let him stand still. Without words he uses his big blue eyes to challenge me to a race. He reacts to the sound of his invisible start gun and starts off running even before I have my imaginary sprinting shoes on. Regardless of how much of a head start he has, he is no match for my gazelle legs. As I close the gap he gets the sense that this is no longer a race, but a pursuit. At his first chance he finds his hiding spot and dives under the table. I pretend not to notice and I run by. Not one minute after the strenuous race I hear the sound of rippling paper approaching from behind. “Draw, bee-bee din-saur?” I smirk at the request, but I oblige. Two baby dinosaurs and one baby turtle later he jumps to the floor and is off to conquer the untamed land of the back yard.

           The REAL purpose for this post was supposed to be what topic I chose for my narrative. I got a little sparkle of inspiration during class today, and had the perfect opportunity to verbally flesh it out this afternoon.  

                                                                                                

The subject of my narrative will be the acquisition of my tremendous (almost) Harry Potter-like scar.

                                           

           Seeing as I told the extremely long version of my story to my good friend Annie to keep her mind off of the blood she was about to donate, I know I could type for at least 2 hours about it. It definitely has many fond memories connected with it.                                                            

I guess that's my cue to go out and get writing!

#2 Writing, Re-Writing, Editing, Description

Sometimes I just wish that I could just sit down, write everything that's on my mind, click save, print, and have a perfect composition right there in my hand. Unfortunately there's a little more to writing than that. It not only has to be readable, but I rather like not sounding stupid in my writing. Luckily we have the re-writing and editing processes. In chapter 3 they give very good tips and instructions on how to make the most out of your first drafts and how editing can help you.
In chapter 4 it discussed descriptions. Oh, how I love descriptions!! I can be sucked in so easily to any work when it has imagery that makes my mind reel. In my own writing I don't fancy sounding boring. I'm not always successful, but, hey, nobody's perfect, right?
One thing they pointed out in the chapter was that you should avoid cliches... like the plague. As you can see, I am definitely a culprit with that. With the millions of words I COULD use, I usually just stick the well-known, overused phrase.

#1 My Sentiments of Reading and Writing

I have loved to read since before I started 1st grade. I was taught to read by my grandma and after that I have been ahead of the game. I remember that I tested at a 3rd grade reading level (at least) when I entered the 1st grade. I love to read fantasy and historical fiction. I can't help but almost purr at the idea of curling up with the latest Harry Potter in front of fire with my cat and being stolen away for a few hours by the story.
My feeling about writing is similar, but not quite the same. I seem to have a knack for writing. My dad has been a writer and editor of several papers and one magazine. I don't think I ever read his material, but through conversation he has definitely passed on that fire for writing. My favorite things to write are poems. I'm crunched for time or I would include one here.