Moral Education

While I was growing up, I always had my parents around 24/7 of the time. They would never let me leave their sight for a split second, like I was some sort of treasure for them. One thing they have always taught me, was to have respect, manners and morals. I was always told to never interrupt an adult while they were talking. I was taught how to act at a diner table and how I should represent my self. Most importantly, I was taught by my parents to always have the ten commandments in mind, every time I mad a decision. My parents were responsible for my moral education because without them, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.
Form my experience of growing up with my parents, they taught me a lot about moral education. There was never really a teacher or a family member who took the time to teach me how to act or teach me right from wrong. I think when I was younger, I already knew right from wrong, but from my surroundings it seemed that a lot of kids weren’t as lucky as I was. Many of the kids would tell story’s of how they stole candy from a corner store or how they would come home very late. From finding out the backgrounds of the kids, most of them had a single parent, or some had step mom’s or step dad’s. At that time I knew parents had to play a big role on teaching their children moral education.
I never really thought that teachers helped their students to become morally educated. The reason behind that was because they have a lot of students and the have their own problems or children to worry about. I am not saying that all teachers are like that, but there a few that do care about their students. Basically, parents are responsible for our every movement, after all we are a miniature of our own parents. They are the ones who brought us to this world, and a child is never to be blamed for his/her action.

Thank you, Ma'am - by Langston Hughes (Summary & Opinion)

In the short story Thank you, Ma'am tells a story about a young boy who tries to steal a woman's purse. When he thought he had it, he thought wrong because he tripped and fell on the lady. The lady asked him if she let him go would he run, he responded yes so she didn't let him go. The lady saw that the boys face was dirty, and she didn't want him going home like that. What she did was that she brought him home with her and she fed him food. She asked him why he wanted to steal her purse, and the boy said it was because he wanted blue sued sneakers. Later on, the lady gave him ten dollars and walked him out of the house. The boy wanted to thank the lady but before he did, the lady closed the gate.
This short story will be very memorable for me, because instead of the lady turning in the boy to the police, she instead took him with her. She understood the boy for trying to steal her purse, and she forgave him in a different manner without saying anything (for ex. feeding him food and giving him water to wash his face). The boy was confused throughout the whole time in her house, because she left the door open and her purse out in the open. He had many chances of escaping, but he didn't. He preferred to give her trust as the same way she gave him. I liked this story a lot because there was a lot of trust and a lot love.

Questions of Story of an Hour

1. The story says Mrs. Mallard “had loved him [her husband]–sometimes. Often she did not.” If she was “often” not in love with him, why did she marry him?
- She married him because maybe she didn't have a choice. Her parents must've put them together or maybe he made her marry him.

2. What was life like for Mrs. Mallard in the home of Brently Mallard?
- Mr. Mallard must of been very mean to Mrs. Mallard because when she heard he did she felt free. Mr.Mallard must have made Mrs. Mallard do every house work and he probably was meant to her

3. In the report of the train accident, Brently Mallard's name was at the top of the list of fatalities (Paragraph 2). Does this information mean that Mallard was an important citizen in his community? Does it also suggest that perhaps Louise married him, in part, because of his standing in the community?
- I think she did because back in the day they would put people with good reputations together. Or maybe Mrs. Mallard had a bad reputation and in order to get a good reputation she married Mr. Mallard.

4. Do you believe Brently Mallard mistreated his wife? In answering this question, keep in mind the following: (1) In Paragraph 13, Louise Mallard recalls that Brently was kind and that "he had never looked save with love upon her." (2) However, Paragraph 8 had previously informed the reader that Mrs. Mallard's face "bespoke repression," and Paragraph 14 says Brently had a "powerful will bending her."
- Mr. Mallard probably mistreated her at home, but in public he probably treated her with love and respect.

5. How much of Mrs. Mallard's apparent unhappiness in her marriage was her own fault?
- I think none of it was her fault.

6. After Mrs. Mallard receives news that her husband died in a train accident, she goes to “her room.” Do these two words mean that she slept separately from her husband? Does the fact that no children are named in the story indeed indicate that she and her husband slept apart?
- I think now that her husband is dead she must own the house and now she has her own room.

7. Research the life of Kate Chopin (1851-1904). Then decide whether the death of her husband in 1882 influenced her when she wrote “The Story of an Hour,” published in 1894 in Vogue magazine.
-It did influence her a lot, because she can express her self through her stories.

8. Did author Chopin herself face problems similar to those of Mrs. Mallard?
- Kinda , not really because her husband was abusive to her but she didn't experience what Mrs. Mallard went through.

The Story of an Hour

In the short story, The Story of an Hour, it kept me in suspense till the end. The main idea that the author is trying to portray is how marriage was in the 1800’s. Mrs. Mallard is the main character of the short story and her feelings through it have a good connotation. She expresses herself as free soul because her husband passed away and now she has no one to control her. Basically throughout the short story Mrs. Mallard is happy and free while everyone thinks she is going through a rough time.
In the beginning of the story, the author starts to name out all the characters that are in the story. She explains that Mrs. Mallard’s husband’s friend, Richard, is at her house to make sure the telegram was sent correctly and that her husband did die. The author starts to explain the setting of the room that Mrs. Mallard was in and how she feels good vibes. Later on, Mrs. Mallard’s sister knocks on the door thinking that she was grieving over her husband or simply going crazy because of what happened. But in reality, she’s happy that her husband passed away. She said to herself that she’s “free, free, free!” and that she’s a free soul. Later on in the story, after thinking that her husband is dead, her husband walks in the door and states he wasn’t anywhere near the accident. After immediately seeing him, she dies of a heart attack. Knowing that she was a free soul for awhile.
The author, Kate Chopin, wrote this short story to communicate to the public how marriage was in the 1800’s. I think it was to express how women felt back in those days and to show that they had a rough time with their husbands. The author probably felt this way and to express herself she wrote a short story, and to show the setting how of women felt when they didn’t have a husband during that time period

The Domino Effect

1. How is the "domino effect" affecting the global economy?

     - The domino effect started in the United States because banks gave a lot of amount of loans to low income people. Those people couldn't pay some of their loans back and didn't know how to return the money. So we were the first domino to fall and it affected a lot of countries because they depend on us.

2. What caused the U.S housing crisis?

    - What caused it was the Banks because they gave out their loans to low income people, who at the end had trouble paying back the loans.

3. Why is the cut consumer spending a serious problem?

    - Cut consumer spending is a big problem because, if people cut down on the things they buy then any goods wont make good money and if the goods aren't making good money then the company goes bankrupt. 

4. How is less spending affecting local and state governments?

    - Less spending is affecting local and state governments because they also had to cut down on their budgets. They cut down on programs, raised their taxes, or used emergency funds to balance any budget.

5. What trend does expert Brian Sack predict for the economy?

    - The trend he's predicting is that he's calling this situation a recession, and that we are going to have a tough time in 2009 and 2010.

6. What have the world's key central banks done to stop the crash?

    - Global banks have stopped helping each other financially. Great Britain has helped many banks and they spend $865 billion. Iceland took control of their own bank.

Black Fraternal Society's

Before Reading:
I did not know there was a "Mosaic" group.
I did not know what their purpose was of keeping the group together or what their purpose was.

After Reading:
I learned their history of helping the society, their legacy and it might not be the end for them. Their history was mainly about spreading around the U.S.A and helping people, they published themselves as a Company, a Business College, and a Hospital. Their legacy goes all the way back where Moses lead the Jews out of slavery.The article states that the Fraternity might not stay up because not a lot of people joined the group and in a few years the group will die out. But the Museum in Arkansas will always stay up.

Discussion Question:

I think the most important contribution of the Mosaic Templars in the U.S.A was giving financial protection to the black people because in the late 1800's. Racism was a big thing and helping each other is the best thing to do at hard times.

Government Taking Over Firms

Comprehension
1. Why has the government taken over some U.S. firms?
The nation is in an economic crisis. Taking the firms keep the nation moving.
2. What firms has the government taken over?
The government has taken the mortgage lenders Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac, and it has also taken AIG.
3. What is a bailout?
A bailout is when a government takes over a firm and and giving the company money so that it wont fail.
4.Why does David Walker have doubts about the bailout?
Because the government doesn't have enough experience.
5. What did Daniel Mitchell say about the bailout?
He said "It appears they're doing the wrong thing in the best way possible"

Discussion Questions
1. Do you think it is a good idea for the government to take over and run some U.S. forms? Why or why not?
I think its some what good for the government to take over the firms because it keeps company going and it's a definite that the company won't fail or go bankrupt. But on the other hand the government doesn't have enough experience handling a company, so it could lead to a bad ending.

2. Would you agree with Daniel Mitchell that government officials are "doing the wrong thing in the best way possible"? Why or why not?
I do feel that the government is doing the wrong thing in the best way possible because they are just throwing ideas out there thinking its the only way how to fix the economy. The article also states that one of the senators said that the government will make a lousy job. Its coming from a senator and if he thinks that then everyone can.