The Horrible Truth

Many years ago African Americans put up a good fight and received the equal rights that they deserve. Although the law states that they should be treated equal; some of the law enforcement chooses to act in their own way. A huge problem that still presents itself today is racial segregation. Everyday people of different ethnicity get picked out of groups and targeted by others.

The image on the left is meant to address a very serious problem with some humor. Although the image of the young African American boy getting pulled over by a Caucasian cop is humorous, it is realistic. The image is not addressing this problem on the youth level, but more on the teenage and adult level. This image sparks controversy because of how Americans are raised. Some Americans are raised old fashion and taught to dislike people from other ethnicity. Since they are raised this way they don't know any different and just assume that they are always in the wrong and causing trouble. Racist Caucasians are the target of this image but it is also very offensive to African Americans.

When cops go after African Americans just because of their skin color they are violating rights. This causes the African Americans to fill with anger and feel as though they are less of a person. Personally I have seen this horrible act in action. As a Caucasian male I felt embarrassed. While on my way to a party with two of my friends I got pulled over in a small neighborhood for a burnt out tail light. When the cop came to get my information, he saw my African American friend in the passenger seat. At first I didn't realize what was going on and was a bit nervous. After taking both of our information the officer went back to his cruiser, typed in information, and then returned to my truck. Upon his return he walked around to the passenger side and told my friend to get out of the truck, and place his hands on the hood. He asked for my friend's backpack and began to rummage through it throwing stuff on the ground. Innocent as a saint, my friend stood still and waited for the cop to release him. Sure enough the cop didn't find anything and told my friend to pick everything up or he would be fined for littering. At this point I knew what had happened and wasn't about to let it go. When the cop handed me my warning I got his badge number. A few weeks later after we reported him the situation was resolved, but I was still completely outraged with his actions. It was an embarrassment to myself and the rest of Caucasian people for him to act like this. The only reason the cop searched my friend was because he was an African American with a backpack. This cop had no probable cause to search my friend, except that his belief that all African Americans are criminals.

This horrible experience opened my eyes to the huge issue that this picture addresses. When I see this picture I think about that experience, and all of the other Caucasian cops that are segregating people based on their race and not their actions. This image is very effective and it will appeal to people of all races. It is controversial to people that have been segregated because of race. It is also effective on those that have witnesses segregation and those who are embarrassed because of the people committing the segregation.

Overcoming Stereotypes

The lottery is a game played by many Americans each day. Although the chances of winning are slim, many spend money on a ticket just to try their luck. Those who are lucky enough to guess the random number drawing for the lottery, are blessed with riches. This large sum of money is a blessing, but it comes with a number of curses as well. Nine times out of ten, a large sum of money like this will change a person's life, along with their personality. That ten percent of people houses a family that is as kind, warm hearted and helpful as they were before the lotto. Deep down inside behind all of the material things these folks are still truly wonderful people.

Twelve years ago a friend of mine was living a normal American life. She worked a nine to five job and her husband ran a small construction business. They had two kids both of which were young at the time. Occasionally when they had some extra cash and were near a liquor store they would buy a lottery ticket. Every time they would play my friend would discuss what she would do with her winnings with a co-worker. Without any hesitation she would tell him that the first two things she would do is, start a cat rescue, and give a portion to her family. Never once did she include herself in the plan for her winnings; that is just the type of person she was. She always put others first. Her co-worker would always say, "just wait until you win; you will change your mind right away." Little did he know that she would get the chance to prove him wrong.

One morning over Labor day weekend while reading the newspaper her husband decided to check their ticket. After matching all of the numbers and not believing his eyes, he rushed outside yelling to his wife that they hit the lotto. She was also as shocked as he was and immediately went into denial thinking it couldn't be true. They waited until the Tuesday after Labor day and went into the liquor store to confirm their numbers. Sure enough they really did win. The next step was to go to Baltimore and collect their winnings. Upon arriving they found out that they won seventeen million dollars. After taxes and finding out they had to cash it over twenty years it didn't seem quite as much. Still excited and shocked they met with a financial planner to prevent spending the money on things that were not worth while. Sticking to her plan the friend of mine told the planner that a portion of the money from each check every year would go to their families and to her rescue. After word spread rapidly in the small town things began to get hairy.

Being money hungry Americans, people started to make threats against her kids. They also started coming out of the woodwork asking for money. This madness astonished these kind people and they didn't want any part of it. After giving winnings to their family and setting it aside for the rescue they built a new house on a decent amount of land. Many people would stop at the property stereotyping and ask if they were the people who won the lotto. After their answer, the people would snicker as if they had just met someone completely stuck up. My friend didn't want this, she wanted to be remembered for all of the people she had helped and the good things she had done. Now years after, things have settled down and rude people have begun to leave them alone. She still continues to stick to her plan and help others. The cat rescue is fairly large now and she is placing friendly kittens into the good homes they deserve. It takes a lot to defeat the greed but someone so whole hearted like her, has no problem.

No matter what shape, size, or color, anyone is welcome into her home. She will take care of anyone or anything that needs a helping hand. Character traits like these are hard to find in a person. Finding these before and after an event so significant as winning the lotto is a gift. I feel so lucky to have met such nice people. Anyone who has had the time to get to know this amazing family will remember each and every one of them as true kind people. Their character will overwhelm their association with the lotto and it will be placed in the back of peoples' minds and relatively forgotten about.

"The Golden Arches"

I've finally figured out how McDonald's made a name for itself in America. The everlasting fast pace lifestyle of Americans helps McDonald's stay alive. The quick and easy fulfilment of a meal brings people to this food joint each and everyday for all three meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When sitting down and observing the environment around me it was easy to see that many people were in a rush and were not here for a good well prepared meal, like they would be at a five-star restaurant.

The first thing that caught my attention when walking into the fast food restaurant (McDonald's), was the man holding the door for Katie and I. Although he was being courteous the look in his eye said, "hurry up, i don't have all day to stand here for you and you better say thank you." Of coarse the common thing to do was to say thank you and I did so just as I returned the favor by opening the door for an elderly lady walking out. This moment is when I first got the impression that everyone one was in a rush. My assumption was soon to be confirmed as we took a seat at one of the tables and started to look around.

As I glanced at the counter where people were placing orders my mind was constantly getting interrupted by a ear piercing noise. Not knowing what it was I kept looking around until a little flashing light caught my attention. I quickly noticed that as the beep would pierce my ears the light would also light up without missing a beat. After a few seconds I realized that this noise was the screen that orders popped up on after people decided what they wanted. The next noise that I noticed was the sound of chairs moving back and forth across the tile floor as people got up to leave or get condiments. A confusing sound of a conversation between two Hispanics sitting closely to us made me realize that this was also a fast lunch stop for workers. These workers were quickly shoving food into their mouths while trying to have a conversation during their lunch break. Another man was on his laptop trying to finish up some work while eating so that he could get off early and spend some time with his family. While money is flowing in and out of the register, i sit and think about how fast everything is moving. The shuffling of feet and chairs is constant, the production of food is continuous, and the conversation between everyone is never ending, except in between bites.

This chain of events is never ending. People continue to come in and out along with the workers. Until I sat down and took the time to observe this place I didn't get the same feeling that I do now. Now that I came in to McDonald's looking to see what is going on, instead of getting my own quick meal; I realize how hectic and none stop the American lifestyle is. The events in this fast food restaurant are independent but the speed and nature of them, greatly reflect upon many American lives.

Recalling an Experience

One of the greatest things God has blessed us with is memory. As relatively intelligent people we have the ability to remember phrases, songs, and recall events that happen in our lives. Everyday each one of us experience hundreds of events; many of which just flow through our brains with no specific meaning. Occasionally we will experience something that has a significant occurrence and we will learn from it. At the beginning of spring break sophomore year I made a ginormous mistake that had many consequences. Fresh out of class a few of my friends and I decided to have a little camp out to kick off our break. Little did we know that our camp out was going to turn into a fight with the neighbors that the cops would have to resolve.

The first night of spring break my friend Nick sent me a text asking if I would like to have a camp out with a few of our other friends. Without even thinking I asked my dad if I could go. Although he was a little hesitant he let me go. Around ten o'clock my friends and I all met at Austin's house right down the street from mine. We started to play some games on his Xbox and then decided to get some alcohol and have a campfire in his backyard. At the time this sounded like the best idea any of us had ever came up with. Two of my friends went and got some beer while the rest of us stacked wood into the fire pit and started a fire. As soon as they got back we all cracked open a beer and started to tell stories about previous parties and certain things that were happening in school at the time. While we were laughing and carrying on Austin's neighbors were having a horrendous fight.

During the middle of one of my famous stories his neighbors came bursting out the back door of the apartment yelling and screaming at each other. Quickly we all jumped to our feet and began to listen. As we listened we all began to notice that this women was fighting with her boyfriend and was tearing him a new one for something he had done. Slightly impaired and being immature guys we began to yell across the street egging her on and making fun of her boyfriend. This was the biggest mistake of the night we were soon to find out. After having our fun and pissing him off even more we cleaned up the campfire mess. We took our trash to the dumpster across the street to throw away the beer cans so Austin's parents wouldn't find out. Without any warning the man across the street came running across the yard with a baseball bat and began screaming down our throats about being on his property. Angry and drunk the man was getting his revenge for what we said to him earlier in the night. Scared and uneasy we did everything that he told us to up until he said he was calling the cops. We all knew this was not a possibility.

Darting one by one we ran back down the road to the house; weaving just in case the man decided to throw the bat at any of us. By this time Austin's dad had came outside and was up in the man's face telling him to leave us alone. Feeling bad we spilled our guts to his dad telling him everything that happened that night. After being relieved of the guilt we walked up stairs to go to bed. Just as I turned the corned to go into Austin's room; flashing red and blue lights lit up the house. My heart dropped and I fell to the ground thinking my dad is gonna kill me if he finds out about this. The cops made their way into the house and set us in the living room. While his partners were outside taking the neighbors side of things and searching the yard. The cop grilled us forcing the truth out of us. After he declared the situation as an underage drinking party and asked for our parents phone numbers. He called each of them telling them to come remove their kids from the premises.

Living the closest my dad was the first one to his house and I could tell it was going to be a long night. Knowing my dad very well I can tell what my punishment will be just by knowing how angry he is. When I looked at him this night there was no telling what was gonna happen. Silence was the beginning of my punishment. My parents didn't talk to me for the entire spring break after this event. It didn't matter if I started conversation or not they were not going to say a word to me. As they did this they built up my curiosity of what the rest of my punishment was gonna be. The night before I went back to school they informed me that I had to give a statement of what happened to the principle at school and made me give them my phone and computer. The principles punishment was that I had to miss 20% of my current sport's games and that I had to take an alcohol class along with a drug test. After hearing this I knew that this would be a life changing experience.

Although the punishment is over with now I still am affected by my mistake. I learned many things from that night that never will be forgotten. One lesson was that alcohol majorly impairs judgement. Now I understand why you cant drink and drive and why you need to be twenty one to consume it. I understand that you need to know how to make good decisions before and after consumption. This experience was very painful and made me feel like a horrible person but I understand that it was just a sign showing me what could happen if I continued to do illegal things. In my opinion I got off very easy and am lucky that I didn't get hurt. My memory of this experience will continue to stay with me and one day I will tell my children about it just so they don't make the same mistakes that I did.

"Take what is given to you and make the best of it."

If I had to create a bumper sticker that modeled my philosophy for life, it would be "take what is given to you and make the best of it."

Life can take some wild turns and nobody can predict what, when, or how it is going to happen. In my life I have found myself happy and content and then suddenly something will go wrong and I'll be upset, regretful, and just want out. Just like all of my peers I don't have the perfect life that everyone strives for everyday. There are kinks here and there and I don't always make the best decisions. This slogan will always help to make the best better and the worst okay enough to live with. Life is like a baseball game, its gonna throw strikes eventually but sometimes you just have to be patient and wait out all of the curve balls and other junk pitches.


When it is a nasty rainy day I think of the nourishment that the plants are receiving to make the next sunny day even more beautiful. When cell service is out of reach, the peace and quiet without my ringtone (Motley Crue) singing every two minutes cheers me up, and when someone close to me hurts me I realize that everyone makes mistakes and I give them a second chance. To some people these things will really get under their skin, but if they look at the bright side of things and accept what happens, they will remain much happier people. It seems that every time I let something bad bother me, something worse happens. When the first bad event gets to me, it seems to open a door for a chain of other bad events to come in. Over the years I have learned to be "chill" with everything and just let whatever happens, happen without getting worked up. This slogan has helped me become a much happier and enjoyable person...hopefully it will help you too.