This Bud of Love

My American Studies class continues to dive deeper into Arthur Miller's The Crucible, and recently explored the concept of the "Conversion Experience". For those of you who don't know, Puritans believed in predestination, and that one's behavior indicated their predestined fate. In order for puritans to be considered one of God's "chosen" (future Heaven residents), they had to have, and re-tell the story of how they truly found and felt God with in them. The Church then proceeded to vote on whether their conversion experience was legit, and whether or not they were accepted as "one of the faith".

As we discussed this concept, our whole class gawked at the ridiculousness of this ritual. Many found it appalling that all Puritans firmly believed in "conversion experiences". How could someone just one day feel God? How could everyone around them buy their story? I found it just as ridiculous as everyone else until I realized we do the exact same thing with love.

Believe it or not, a HUGE part of American culture is centered around true love. Thousands of movies, TV shows, and books all re-tell unbelievable love stories that move the hearts of millions. We even have a holiday for it! For a lot of cultures, marriage is just something men and women do. It's something expected, and love isn't always a variable. But for Americans- love means everything. Just ask yourself: How many times have you seen The Notebook? (I counted six)

The point is, hundreds of years from now, people may not believe in love. We look back and say, "Those Puritans were CRAZY for believing in 'conversion experiences'. There is no way those actually happened". How is our idea of "love" any different? Love, just like God, is described as something that one just has to feel. It's indescribable, and for many, "you just know". Conversion experiences were in the hopes of everyone, and no one ever sat back and said, "Did you really just feel it one day or is that just a bunch of bull sh*t?" See any similarities yet?

Haters Be Hatin'

As our class dives into The Crucible, the concept of hate crimes and civil liberties have started stirring in my head. Aurther Miller's The Crucible is a play about the Salem witch trials of 1692. The town of Salem hanged 19 people after accusing them of "witch craft", something they clearly did not possess. These trials and hangings may be considered the earliest form of "hate crimes"in our country, and these trials occurred even before the founding of our country. 

I'm passionate about a lot of things, but hate crimes tend to really bother me. I've never understood the incentive for hate crimes. I'm aware that everyone has the right to free speech in America, but I don't understand how hurting or harassing someone solves anything. Hurting them doesn't change who they are, now does it?
I came across this article (link below), and it describes a recent retrial of a hate crime in California. In 2008, a 14-year old middle school student, Brandon Mclnerney, shot his openly gay classmate, Lawrence King, due to the fact that Mclerney had "white-supremacist leanings and had planned to shoot King over unwanted sexual advances". 


Although I had heard of similar hate crimes before, this one really shocked me. Although Mclnerney already had prejudice against King, he took his life just because King had a crush on him. What boggles my mind even more is the fact that it didn't occur to Mclnerney to say: "Hey, I'm sorry, but I like girls". Would that really have been so hard?


It makes me wonder if our country is headed down the wrong direction. This nation was founded on freedom and liberty, and crimes like this go against the groundwork that our very constitution is based off of. Mclnerney has every right to hate homosexuals if he so chooses, but he can't turn America, the land of liberty and justice, into a nation of prejudice and segregation. Last time I checked, neither of those things have worked out well in the past. America, it's time move forward. 




>>>>Article:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/05/justice/california-gay-student-murder/index.html?iref=allsearch

Touchdown for Team America

I don't get football. I know it is (for some reason) a quintessential American sport, but I watched the Bears game with my family the other night, and as I sat there, listening to the announcers ramble on about stats and players, I couldn't help but think: "What is so great about this...? They do a lot of yelling, throw a ball, and hope the guy who catches it runs like the devil across some white lines"

Don't hate me. I understand that not everyone loves football for the same reasons, but I don't hold it near and dear to my heart. And before you think it- Yes. I am in fact a female. And maybe for some reason beyond me- that makes a difference, but it doesn't automatically justify why I dislike it so don't even go there.  (Not trying to sound hostile, but just wanted to make sure I didn't get any 'cause-you're-a-woman comments)

Where I get lost is whether or not people love the sport because it's interesting or because it's part of our culture. Football IS America. That may sound childish typed out, but if I had to define "American Culture" using three words, "football" would most definitely be in there.

So now that we've agreed on the fact that football defines a considerable chunk of American culture, it's time to figure out why.
When I think of football, the first thing I think of is "tough". Is that a reflection on how Americans want to be viewed? Americans invented football, developed the reputation, and claimed it as our "thing". Did we develop the football phenomenon solely for the purpose of representing our country?

Our nation was founded on freedom. Freedom to do what we want and say what because we are a strong, and powerful nation. Has football captured that? Is it a way of showing other countries the strength of America? 

Daddy, Did I Win?

We spent a lot of time in class today discussing why Americans feel the need to be the best at everything possible. This sounds absurd because no one person, or one country could ever be the best at everything imaginable. However, Americans still find a way to make it seem attainable, therefore our best clearly is never good enough.

New Trier High School in particular really likes to spread this poisonous mentality among their students. Only, the prize we're all trying to win is college. We take ridiculously hard classes, get off-the-charts test scores, and, of course, get those A's every competitive university looks for. Not to mention being captain of the soccer team, co-head of Aids Coalition Club, and the editor of the school news paper... all the essentials right?

The question I want to know is WHY? 


For example, I work hard like any dedicated student at New Trier, and "college talks" are virtually daily in my household. I've always wanted to go into Broadcast Journalism when I get older, and I've been told by tons of people that Syracuse University is one of the best places I could attend for that particular field of study. My dad's reaction this option? "You could get into a much better school than Syracuse"

Outside of the New Trier Post-High school counseling office is a sign that reads:
"College is a match to made, not a prize to be won"


Say this to my dad and he'll reply with a lighthearted: "Honey, that's bullsh*t."

Even though New Trier may swear by this saying, everyone around here knows that my dad is right. He claims that "downgrading shuts so many doors". I may love Syracuse, and the program, but if I get accepted to Brown University how could I possibly say no?

Does the sign New Trier hangs carry the most important message? or is it just a way to make sure every kid goes to a college? After all, we got to keep our 99.5% college-bound students stat up.

Or is my dad the one we should listen to? It may be the American way of thinking, but who ever said it was totally wrong? After all, it is Brown...