I'm sorry that I'm not sorry.

"You can't go on tonight... your face ain't black enough"

"But if I don't get paid tonight I'll starve!"

"Excuse me? Rub on this coal, or I'll make sure you starve!"

"Okay, Sir."


In a time where minstrel shows were entertainment, and restrictions due to Jim Crow Laws were an everyday occurrence, blacks had it tough. It's been 141 years since the passing of the 15th Amendment was supposed to grant blacks equal rights. By finding loopholes, primarily in southern states, blacks were treated no different after the abolition of slavery in the 13th Amendment, and it was all in legal accordance to the various laws generalized as the "Jim Crow Laws".

The Blind: The board of trustees shall. maintain a separate building. on separate ground for the admission, care, instruction, and support of all blind persons of the colored or black race. (Louisiana)

This type of discrimination just sounds ridiculous now! Who would ever do that? And in the words of Mrs. Cardona, "Woah, dude, that's crazy!"

Then why do I still see discrimination like this regularly? Saying "I'm sorry I wasn't sorry" can't make up for how were treating an entire race in the 18th, 19th, and bigger half of the 20th centuries.

The firestorm I have witnessed the past couple months concerning a group of Muslims wanting to build an Islamic Center in Plymouth is way past absurd. I read countless letters by uneducated citizens, published in the Star Tribune and Sun Sailor explaining in their own demented way that we can't allow this Islamic Center to follow through, because these people were the people behind 9/11. In reality, all they want is a space to practice their religion.

Yes the Jim Crow Laws came and went. However it seems we didn't learn anything from them! Wake up America, I thought we were better than this. We're acting like the immature 141 year-olds whose idea of entertainment was minstrel shows.

Sincerely,

An Emotionally Charged WHS Senior.

Why THEY Write.

Brendan Gill shares about his love for words in a short story from our assigned reading. His interest for words started with be exposed to "ladyfingers" and "chicken à la king", which is eerily similar to some of my first memorable exposure to words. 

I was mortified when my mom was going to serve ladyfingers while hosting a party. I was even more scared when I assumed we had to kill the king of all chickens to eat this one meal. But the first time I remember thinking how cool words could be, conveniently has everything to do with my blog's title. 

In second grade, I had just met Nick Reath, one of my best friends still to this day. We were competitive to say the least, and I'll never forget when we started throwing out the biggest words we knew. "Onomatopoeia" I said, and he replied with "Antidisestablishmentarianism". Dang, he won this round. I asked him what it meant, and he was clueless, so we went to the library in Oakwood Elementary School to check it out. 

"Opposition to the withdrawal of state support or recognition from an established church, especially the Anglican Church in 19th-century England."

Huh? Even now I don't fully understand it. Is that a double negative in a twelve syllable word? Why is there even a word for this? And how on earth was Eminem able to pull it off in the rap "Almost Famous"?

This word will forever haunt me.

Why I Write

I write for myself. I leave post-it-notes all day, everyday. I also write the occasional journal entry, just so I can reminisce on family vacations when I'm drinking coffee outside a Parisian cafe twenty years from now. If I'm not writing for one of those selfish reasons, I'm writing for the other selfish reason of that one letter, A-F, I receive every eight weeks or so.

I prefer writing numbers, symbols, and calculations. But I'll admit writing an anecdote on a personal experiences is growing on me.

I remember I first started writing because my mom bought me a harry potter themed journal at the book fair in first grade. I wrote the names of all my elementary school crushes back then. But now I write (in the same journal...) just so I can remember what was going on in my life. I couldn't tell you what my daily routine was back in 9th grade. So hopefully I can keep this writing streak going, and truly make my senior year unforgettable.

Andrew

Introduction

Hi all. This is my first post of many (apparently). Enjoy!

And here's a poem to hopefully make your day...

Roses are red

Violets are blue

You better follow me,
Or I'll find you.

Nahh I'm just playing.