Essay 3 Topic

Murder

1. Why do people commit murder?
2. What are the consequences?
3. Are the consequences too extreme or should they be more extreme?
4. Are murderers born that way or are they created?
5. When is it acceptable to order a death penalty?
6. How does a murderer feel once they have committed such an act?
7.What type of weapons do murderers use to kill?
8. Are most murderers male?
9. Do all murderers have mental issues?
10. Was it murder or self defense?

The Perils of Indifference Compared with Friendswood

The perils of indifference Compared with Friendswood

The meaning of the word indifference simply means no difference. "A strange and unnatural state in which the lines blur between light and darkness, dusk and dawn, crime and punishment, cruelty and compassion, good and evil". The questions that concerns us are when is it acceptable to be indifferent? Is it necessary at times to be indifferent?As the world around us experiences upheavals is it right to sit back and relax? These are the questions Elie Wiesel considered when thinking back on his suffering of the holocaust. He often wondered why it took so long for people to be saved and where the rest of the world residing in this conflict.

When one express indifference, there is no response that is given therefore it cannot be creative or elicit any type of reaction. This can make others being affected feel neglected, unwanted, or worthless. Elie Wiesel explains how he sometimes felt forgotten by the rest of the world. There was no spark of hope for the refugees, the prisoner in his cell, or the hungry children. 

In Friendswood, Lee felt forgotten or rejected by the majority of her community. What got to her the most were the bystanders. The people standing around "minding their own business" and not putting forth any effort to an important cause which was in this cause environmental issues. The bystanders included Hal, Avery, and Rush. Rush is also a close friend of hers but still stands as a bystanders because she likes to ignore certain issues at hand. Even though she is not deliberately affecting the environment negatively, she is not doing anything about it so therefore she is contributing to the issue by just being a bystander. This provides an example of how indifference can give permission to the offenders in a way. Much like how Elie Wiesel expressed feelings of being forgotten and unworthy, so did Lee. She often reached out for help that was not returned and wondered, where is the rest of the world?

When Is it ok to Dissent Groupthink?

The term groupthink is a common word and action used throughout many societies and organizations in the world. At one point in time, we have all chose to conform to a group. Whether it was to avoid possible embarrassment or lack of individuality and creativity. To dissent groupthink means to break out of the norm that is presented within a group of society. Most people aim to have the same ideas, opinions, or answers, as everyone else in order to feel complete or boost their self esteem. I feel that it is perfectly fine to dissent groupthink when the intellect of your heart and mind tells you to do so. Every individual has their own values they support and believe in. When people go against our values, we feel insulted. At this point it is okay to go with how one truly feels.

In the novel Friendswood, Lee is a character who cannot seem to get over the death of her teenage daughter, Jess. To everyone, she is crazy and addictive, but this does not stop the continuity of figuring out exactly why and how her daughter died. She is willing to pay endless amounts of money for this cause and it is how she would rather spend her days. In opposition, Rush does not pay too much attention to the fact that Lee is obsessed with the digging up the soil and preventing housing from being built in the community she lives in. The issue is Lee does not want houses being built in Banes Field but if there are more houses, this means more construction, which ultimately means more job creation. When she talks about it, Rush tends to subside the matter. The groupthink concerned in the Friendswood is more or less, everybody versus Lee. Much like the mayor in the town, the citizens are sitting back and brushing the issue off their shoulders because it is too much to withhold. Lee on the other hand, chose to dissent the groupthink in order to feel like she has a purpose. When other people’s lives and well being is affected by a cause then it is okay to dissent groupthink.

In contrast to Friendswood, East Chicago’s mayor, Anthony Copeland, orders his residents to relocate after a high level of lead and arsenic around their homes was revealed. The community banded together to ensure that they put pressure on the government officials to meet the needs of the people affected in the area. This is a positive groupthink and is expected of a community. Instead, in Friendswood, it is Lee fighting for herself and her own rights. The fact that they all came together accomplished so much for the community. The difference between the two situations creates two different outcomes. It makes me wonder what the community of Friendswood, Texas, could've done to eliminate this issue. A group of people fighting for a cause makes a much bigger difference than just one single individual. Both Newark and East Chicago are known for their poverty and violence. This may lead to less attention and support from government agencies and senates. It is important to support your neighbors but when it comes to a personal situation, it is okay to advocate for yourself.

Kristen Pearce

Reading Log Questions #1
1. Willa is a mysterious girl who enjoys writing poetry. Her and her dad used to go running and talk about everything but his schedule at work changed and he didn't have the same amount of time. She had a crush on Cully but feels unnoticed. "There had been a girl, reaching up with both arms for Willa to hold her" (Steinke 21). "Yesterday, in the tree outside her window, Willa saw a small, round, gray woman, reaching up her arms as if to be held or  to praise, but Willa refused her any attention, because there was homework to do" (Steinke 57). It seems that her visions have to do with insecurities. It is evident that these visions occur frequently and unwillingly. It's hard for her to get rid of these visions, as hard as she tries. The book says "The poetry she wrote might be tripping her brain to this angle" (Steinke 57). In Dex's part she was described as mysterious and having weird tendencies. 
2. Dex's character is mediocre based on his status in school. He does not belong to the "weird" people but he does not belong to the jocks. Dex's mother is funny to all of his friends and she has a lively personality. His mom has diabetes and he says that " he doubted any man would love his mother again" (Steinke 38-39). It doesn't seem like Dex is very close with his sister but he's responsible for looking out for her. His friends on the football team don't appreciate him as much or let him play. likes her and went to the party to look for her but he couldn't find her. The friends bully him and don't let him play on the team

3. Hal is Cully's father an alcoholic. He works for Avery Taft in real estate and it takes up much of his time even though he still needs money. When Hal talks about Cully its mostly about how good he is a football and how much he admires him for it. Hal often thinks of Darlene in a very sexual way. "When her breasts had looked full and while in the lamplight, and she'd said how much she needed him" (Steinke 44-45).

4. Lee is a woman who lives next to Hal, he describes her as someone who looks good for fifty (Steinke 50). She wears Jack's clothes (her husband) after he left her. She has lost her daughter to cancer. This event changed her life significantly being that she doesn't even like being social anymore. She is gossiped about often in the town and people pity her. "She's actually paid a shitload of money for a study of the ground soil" (Steinke 49). Her dedication to finding the cause of her daughters death still reoccurs. The fact that she's paying so much money shows how much it affected her.

6. In April of 2014, Flint Michigan had a water crisis. It all started when the city decided to switch their water supply. Complaints were ignored and damage to the pipes and lead in the water was too bad to reverse before they realized it was actually true. The communities drinking water had a series of problems including lead contamination. "In flint, between 6,000 and 12,000 children have been exposed to drinking water with high levels of lead and they may experience a range of serious health problems" ("Flint Michigan"). Residents made several lawsuits that were filed against government officials. Millions of dollars were used to try and repair the situation but the damage was already done. The connection I made with the two scenarios is the amount of money spent by Lee and the ignorance that goes along with these disastrous events.

7. The EPA did not take responsibly for all the leakage and damages done, instead they acted ignorant and without precautions. They are not fulfilling their role as it relates to the community members. "Yeah, it's some runoff from the oil refinery, but I checked with the city- the EPA says it's such a small concentration of stuff, it can't hurt anything" (Steinke 28).

Works Cited
Steinke, Rene. Friendswood. New York: Riverhead , a Member of Penguin Group (USA), 2014. Print.                         
"Flint, Michigan." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2017.