Freedom?

African Americans After The Abolition of Slavery

 A few weeks ago I was watching the movie The Help. I believe that this is one of the best movies I have seen so far. The film is so powerful and beautifully done and the cast is just amazing. As I was watching the movie, it made me think of the question: Were African Americans really free after slavery was abolished? The truth is that even after slaves were "freed", they had to suffer the struggles from segregation and injustices against the African American community. I realized that the abolition of slavery created a different kind of slavery in America. Former slaves did not have an education or any other skills that would help them get jobs behind a desk or anything like that, on top of that they were segregated. These people did not have many choices to make a living, so they did what they knew best. Women and men became servants to those former slave owners with the exception that they were now being paid an insignificant amount of money for their hard labor. They worked hard, got paid, but they were still treated like slaves. Many women worked for the same families and were passed down as if they were property, even after they were so-called-free. They worked for the parents, raised their children, then they worked for those children as they created their own families and so they raised their kids. It was a cycle for them. As it was depicted in the movie, some were nice and some were miserably harsh. I thought that this was such a sad story and it's even more heartbreaking to know that this went on for so many years in the United States. I honestly cried so much during the movie, because it was so sad to see the injustices against African Americans. Even though this was just a movie, it was so powerful and it opened my eyes. If any of you have not seen this movie yet, I recommend you do. It is funny, exciting, sad and it has a great cast. 
-E.V. 

Association is not Causation

The article “Association Is Not Causation: Alcohol and Other Drugs Do Not Cause Violence”, by Richard J. Gelles and Mary M. Cavanaugh, describes a series of various studies that analyze whether alcohol and other drugs are the cause for domestic violence. The truth behind the controversy of association is not causation, showed that the cause of domestic violence is not necessarily caused by the use of alcohol and, or other drugs. On many instances, the people involved in a violent act were not under the influence of alcohol or an illicit substance. The use of alcohol or another drug may perhaps trigger violent behavior in some, but it is not always the case for everyone. The use of alcohol and the purpose of it may be different in other cultures.  According to the article, some cultures understand that the purpose of alcohol is to relax the body and mind and they perhaps drink in moderation. In our culture, the purpose doesn't change, but the difference is that often, people do not know how to control themselves. In our society, people abuse alcohol and may become binge drinkers and alcoholics, which may enhance violent behaviors. What I found interesting about this article, is that the researchers found that out of illicit drugs, Amphetamines were more closely associated to violent behaviors. I decided to carry out my own mini research on the different types of amphetamines, because I was not completely sure of their effects. I came to find out that amphetamines include many prescription drugs to treat patients with ADHD. Many of these drugs such as adderall, Benzedrine, and illicit ones like speed, tend to create violent behaviors among users that had been taking the drugs for long periods of time. I have a fourteen year old cousin who has been taking adderall for years now. My aunt says that for about three years he has become short tempered, so this made me think that perhaps there is a slight relationship between the two even if it isn't the direct cause. Many kids suffer from ADHD problems and the parents might not even know the cause of violent behavior in their kids. Knowing so, I believe that the use of such prescription drugs for prolonged periods of time should be something to look into. Kids under these kinds of medication, could possibly grow up to be violent people, therefore I believe that parents should pay close attention to their kids’ behavior. The studies carried out by this article, prove that alcohol and drug use are not the primary cause for domestic violence. In some cases they have found that alcohol may have been involved in a violent crime, but it does not prove that it is the main factor for someone to behave in a violent manner. Not everyone who drinks becomes violent; some just tend to have a violent personality which might be triggered by the use of alcohol and other drugs. 

Who am I?

      Once there was a little girl named E who lived in one of the smalles countries of Central America. She was grew up in the suburbs with her family, but the person that spent the most time with her was her grandmother. Her grandmother praised the little girl like a flower in her graden. As the little girl grew up, she discovered her love for art. E always loved to draw and created outfits out of Play-Dough for her dolls.  E also had a dream. She dreamed of living in the United States one day. She wanted to see the places her father had seen, she wanted be able to speak English and live the way that the kids in America did. A few years later her dream came true. In July of 2003, the young girl had to say her farewell to El Salvador and all the people that had taught her everything she knew. All the memories and friends she had once made were now packed safely in her mind. E was happy and sad all at once. Reality opened her eyes and allowed her to see that life would never be the same. She was curious and afraid to jump into the unknown. She realized that this was the last time she would see some of the peope that she very much loved.
      Years have passed and now the girl is all grown up. Middle school and High school taught her many things. meeting various people from all different places have taught her to see the world in a new way. She has gathered inspiration from her parents and family members. E remains to love art, music, and fashion and now she wants to be a fashion designer. She loves nature and anything that is beautiful in the universe. Traveling to places in upstate new york and traveling to the South, make her curious to explore the world and meet different people. E wants to collect new inspiration from the places that she might visit one day, so she can incorporate them in her designs and her art.  Although she has only traveled to a few places in the United States, she has been able to gather more insight and appreciation for how blessed she is to live the life her parents have given her. She dreams of the day that will be able to take care of her parents like the same way they have taken care of her.
      Through out the year, E has learned family is a very important thing. She has learned to value the things in life even if they are small, because there are less fortunate people everywhere and you might not even know it. One day when she has enough money, E wishes to help those kids that are in need. She has met people that have it all, yet ungratefully want more. Then there are those that have lost it all, but their sense of gratitude has made her love them the most. She has learned that life in her country differs from the life that she has had in the United States. She has seen the simplicity of living in El Salvador and how people are still content. Of course those people struggle and get frustated, but she has seen the difference in the way that people are still so grateful to have the little that they own. E loves her life in the United States, but she misses the simple things that her mother country showed her once. Today, this young lady believes that everything she has experienced growing up have shaped the person that she is today. She thinks that being able to experiencfe life in two completely different countries has been essential for ther personal growth. She has seen the good and the bad in both., but has learned to appreciate every bit of it.