Response to Danielle Hecker's Blog: Interrogation Addiction

While reading Leslie Silko's "Border Patrol State," I was so appalled to learn how Border Patrol officers abuse their power and mistreat innocent Americans. Previous to reading Ms. Silko's essay, I had very little knowledge regarding the discriminatory actions of Border Patrol officers and how violent these situations could become. As I was reading her story, I found myself truly getting angry and feeling ashamed that this happens in our country; a country that promotes it's acceptance of diversity and proclaims freedom for all its people. Though I have no personal experiences relating to mistreatment or witnessing mistreatment at the hands of Border Patrol, I was surprised to learn of my classmate, Danielle's, experience when traveling to New Mexico for a dance convention. The fact that Border Patrol let a TCU Charter bus pass through simply because the driver was white supports Danielle's claim that "Border Patrol officers probably are more prone to asking colored people to 'step out' or strip down for the officers or to have dogs search their trunks." Based on the incident described in Ms. Silko's essay, in which Border Patrol put a cocked revolver to the head of a Mexican-American football coach transporting his team to or from a game, I wonder what would have happened to the TCU Charter bus had the driver not been white. I also like how Danielle related the issues with Border Control to the discrimination occurring on behalf of the TSA. I think that power-abusing, discriminatory actions occur just about anywhere and that the TSA and Border Control are just two examples of it that are getting a great deal of attention. As long as people hold prejudices against others, discrimination is going to happen. Based on Danielle's testimony and Ms. Silko's assertions in "Border Patrol State," I agree with Ms. Silko's argument that inappropriate action against people of color at the hands of Border Control is the case far too often; that it is "an everyday occurrence." Ms. Silko also made an important statement in her essay that I agree with and greatly admire: "Deep down the issue is simple: the so-called Indian Wars from the days of Sitting Bull and Red Cloud have never really ended in the Americas...The Indian people of southern Mexico, of Guatemala, and those left in El Salvador, too, are still fighting for their lives and for their land against the cavalry patrols sent out by the governments of those lands. The Americas are Indian country, and the 'Indian problem' is not about to go away." I find a lot of truth in this statement and greatly admire Silko for making it. I agree that the concept of Border Control isn't just working to keep our nation safe, but that it also reinforces deeply rooted prejudices in our nation's history, such as the idea of an "Indian Problem," and continues to create hardship for those that have already suffered greatly in our nation's past on behalf of Anglo Americans.

"The Things They Carried" Reflection

Contemplating what I would carry if I were a soldier in Lieutenant Jimmy Cross’ unit, the list of both tangible and intangible things I would carry with me seems too massive to describe. The necessities, such as food, water, weapons, first aid kit, and clothing, I won’t describe in detail, as this doesn’t differ much from any other person. However, tangible things I would carry, or “hump” as O’Brien calls it in The Things They Carried, that are specific to me are a journal, photographs of my loved ones, letters from my loved ones, a book of my favorite poems, and a locket my mother gave me when I was very young. I would carry a journal with me because journaling has always been a great way for me to express my emotions and helps me to relieve stress. It would also be important for me to document my time during the war because it could be an important literary source later on, as it would be a first hand perspective on the Vietnam War. Carrying letters and photographs of my loved ones would give me some hope and would be my light in the face of death, destruction, and great sorrow. The locket would be a reminder of my family’s love for me and would help me to feel connected to them over the great distance we are separated. The book of poetry would be a source of inspiration and strength for me, and would be a tangible means of escape for me when I felt like I would need it.

The intangibles I would carry would be hope, fear, anxiety, memories of the past, uncertainty for the future, sorrow, and guilt for lives lost on my account. I can’t even begin to imagine the fear and anxiety I would carry as a soldier, knowing any moment could be my last. I would constantly wonder if I were to have a future beyond the war; if I was going to survive. Memories of the past would be my escape from the circumstances, and the guilt I would carry for those souls that died by my hand would be great. I imagine I would carry a vast array of emotional baggage that someone who has never experienced war could ever contemplate. In The Things They Carried, O’Brien expresses that soldiers carried a great deal of weight on their backs, but the emotional baggage, I can imagine, would be so much heavier. I know that if I were in their position, the emotional baggage would be almost too much to bear.

Response to Olivia's post: Living the American Dream-- The Wrong Way

After reading Zitkala-Sa's essay "The School Days of an Indian Girl," I would have to say that I agree with Olivia's opinion that Zitkala-Sa's story is certainly not one of the American Dream coming true.
The American Dream as an ideal is not culture specific and American perceptions regarding the achieval of this ideal should be relative to the culture and beliefs of the individual. As Olivia stated in her blog, "The American Dream is a patriotic ethos in which freedom includes a promise of prosperity, success, and independence." For Zitkala-Sa, the ways in which she perceived independence, success, and prosperity were very different from the perceptions of her white peers and those who taught and attended the Quaker boarding school she was sent to in her youth. This is specifically illustrated when Zitkala-Sa describes her first couple of days in the "Land of the Red Apples." Although white Americans perceived sending Zitkala-Sa to school as a great opportunity for her to prosper, Zitkala-Sa felt like freedom had been stripped away from her and that she was not free to be her best self: "And though my spirit tore itself in struggling for its lost freedom, all was useless" (430). Zitkala-Sa becoming "civilized" and being forced to disregard and devalue important aspects of her culture indicate that the Anglo American perception of the American Dream was flawed and excluded differing ideas and cultural values. As Olivia stated in her blog, Zitkala-Sa's story is not a "rags to riches" story, but a story of marginalization and the misconceptions of what the American Dream entails.Therefore, because Zitkala-Sa was not given the opportunity to achieve the American Dream in a way in which she could remain true to herself and her values, her becoming educated and adapting to white culture cannot be viewed as an achieval of the American Dream.

Hawaiian Autonomy

After reading Liliuokalani''s book, Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen, I would have to say that my favorite sentence of the work is actually the last one found in Chapter 57: "As they deal with me and my people, kindly, generously, and justly, so may the Great Ruler of all nations deal with the grand and glorious nation of the United States of America." This sentence particularly stood out to me because underneath the simplicity of the sentence resonates great power. While the sentence in plain language can be interpreted as peaceful and a blessing to the United States by readers, the voice of the speaker underneath the surface meaning is bitter, allowing the sentence to be interpreted as a warning to readers. Liliuokalani's use of Christian ideology ("Great Ruler of all nations") and pervasive, glorifying language used in reference to America and its grandeur (glorious, justly, kindly) appeals to American readers reading her book, but also warns readers of the divine and/or colossal consequences of unjust actions taken against Hawaii's people. This clever entendre illustrates the power of the language utilized by Liliuokalani and the large impact one simple sentence can have on persuading others.