Money in books 1 by A. Arbona

In some books money has a influential role in the story. Today we are going to talk about how money was a major part of "The Sneetches" by Dr. Seuess. "Sneetches" is about a group of people who are being oppressed. In this case the Plain Belly Sneetches were being oppressed by the Star Belly Sneetches. Money plays its role by resolving the conflicts they have with each other.

Money and greed takes its form as the sales man Sylvester McMonkey  McBean. Who scams the Sneetches out of their money. By losing track of their money and who's who the Sneetches live happily ever after. So in a way it looks like money actually did buy the Sneetches happiness. I make this claim because they wasted all of their money and then found peace in each other.

It could also mean that money is bad for you. I make this claim as when the Sneetches had their money the Star Bellies oppressed the Plain Bellies but after they were peaceful towards them. Making it seem that money just brought out the hate in them.

  

In conclusion money played a valuable role in ending the oppression of the Plain Bellies. Whether you believed  that because they spent all of their money that was keeping them apart in the first place or the opinion that after they mixed each other up and melted into one another they became peaceful. Without McBeans greedy money stealing ways none of it would have ever happened. 

E-Cigs by A.Arbona

Recently published in the magazine Upfront the article Smoke signals talk about E-Cigs. E-Cigs are mechanical cigarettes which contain little to no tobacco. They claim that they only use liquid nicotine and a heater to warm up that nicotine to make vapor. Unfortunately this is not the only thing that is in Cigarettes.

E-Cigs are unregulated by the tobacco law as they have no tobacco. Which means that it is legal for any child to walk into the local Deli and buy one. E-cig companies can also show ads on television something which normal cigarette companies can't do by law. So they're unregulated, advertised, and... expensive, a pack of cigarettes costs about $9, E-cigs cost $50-$100. Also E-cigs have a very interesting ingredient. To keep the E-cig's liquid nicotine from freezing in the winter or in cold weather, companies use anti-freeze to keep the nicotine you smoke liquid.

So why do companies make E-cigs, which are just regular cigarettes with added anti-freeze? Because they want to make allot of money. But the type of money they want to make is worst type of money. Recently E-cigs have been releasing flavored cartridges to attract a younger audience. So that they can make money off of them for the rest of their lives.

This is happening right now in the U.S.A. So are we really the greatest Democracy on Earth or are we the greatest capitalists on the planet? Are we just here to make money? Or are we just here to engulf the planet and spew it out as an onslaught of plastic and things harmful for us. So are we capitalists or are we a Democracy?

Money in Dodger 2 A.Arbona

Money influence on the people in Dodger by Terry Pratchett, In the events occuring in Dodger their are many homeless poor starving people. So money has a large influence on the people as there situation is bleak to say the least. In fact it's not only effecting the people in England at this time, the lack of money for large quantities of people are driving them to England thinking that it's better there.

In Dodger the Rich get what they want. That's that, in the beginning of the story Charles Dickens gets Dodger talking about himself for a half crown which at that time was a large quantity of money. Also later on the villain uses  gold to get a character selling out his friends and neighbors. This demonstrates just how deep the corruption of money has spread through the mind of the poor in this book. If they are willing to  say their personal preferences and knowledge to presumably dangerous people for little to nothing or just enough to get them shelter.

Money even drives people from places like India to England thinking that it's better there. Only to through themselves off of a bridge. As they realize that they probably wouldn't be able to survive there anyway. This demonstrates how far people back then would go just to make a dollar.

In conclusion yes money does have an important role in Dodger and in fact thinking more clearly now the whole book is about Dodger helping solve the issues that rich people have solved. So are there more books like this out in the world definitely, because money both using it for the wrong reasons or having none at all are real problems that go on every day.

Freedom Summer Aidan Arbona

Recently I had read the children's picture book Freedom Summer, by Deorah Wiles. I have been reading these types of children's books as I have been starting to notice that they in fact go into some very mature themes. In this story the author talks about a friendship between a White boy and and a African-american boy. This was dangerous because at that time in the south slavery was still legal.

This story in a way isn't fair as it does not show every ones point of  view point. All though it shows the political correct and my personal viewpoint that everyone should be able to do whatever he/she wants to do. No matter what race or gender you are. Although no one fro the opposing side has their viewpoint shown.

Throughout the story the author doesn't include many racist characters to contrast with the anti-racist characters. Their viewpoint is not shown in any major way other than the fact that they seal up a pool that the protagonists wanted to swim in together as a sign of unity.

Injustice a piece by A. Arbona

What is injustice? Of course I know what I believe it is but what about you? Injustice to me is when a little boy is left alone to fend for himself, when a little girl is married off by her family to make a little cash. When an old man can't go to the hospital because they have no room for people like him. When someone spits at a homeless person just because they have that slightest bit difference financially. So don't tell me that Injustice is when you don't get what you want because there are millions out there who have no food, no shelter, and worst of all no one.

You live with injustice, there is no denying that we the people of the United States of America and the rest of the world live with injustice. Every day when I walk home I see just how horrible this world can be how cruel mother nature can respond to making a few mistakes or being born into poverty.

And I'm sure you all see it as well.

People turn to boxes for shelter. For support, why? Why don't we help Why don't we do something anything!

Because we're scared

We're frightened we try to ignore it because we think that poverty and social class are mountains. Mountains we can't climb, and you think that it's contagious. You're wrong though the only thing contagious is the help you give the emotion, the love, the friendliness, the prosperity, and that's what kills me. The fact that us "high and mighty" believe that we're better than them,  and I can tell you now by not helping them is what makes you worse. So the next time you see a man ask you for a dollar even though he might not be spending the money on the house you want him to just give it to him. Please.

Be brave,
 Aidan Arbona

Book banning essay by A. Arbona

Dear Ms. Berner,

It has come to my attention that some sixth grade parents are attempting to pull some Young Adult fiction from the sixth grade library. This is strange, as pulling books from our libraries is the exact opposite of what schools are supposed to do. Schools are supposed to open gateways of knowledge, both pleasant and harsh, so that the readers can use the knowledge acquired to guide them throughout their lives.

Yes, young adult fiction explores mature content, but that is what these book are supposed to demonstrate, mature and harsh issues that affect teens. Ellen Hopkins (author of Crank) mentions in her article “Anti-Censorship Manifesto” that she has read “tens of thousands of messages from readers, thanking me for turning them around, giving much needed insight, and even literally saving their lives.” Similarly, in his article called “Why All the Best Books are Written in Blood,” Sherman Alexi states that “there are millions of teens who read because they are sad and lonely and enraged. They read because they live in an often-terrible world. They read because they believe, despite the callow protestations of certain adults, that books-especially the dark and dangerous ones-will save them.”  Banning these books takes away teens’ ability to think for themselves.  By trying to protect them you are actually denying them information that may show them how to believe in themselves and not lose hope.

Many times, books are banned because of parents’ misinterpretations and lack of knowledge about the books.  Adults will blindly attack books that they have not even read. In “Book Under Fire,” a segment of ABC news, the reporters cover a school which is attempting to ban a book called “Fahrenheit 451” not because of any reason you might think of, but because it talked about burning the bible, while in reality the book condemns such censorship. It is a common occurrence that a parent or child doesn’t read a book and then assumes that it is offensive towards them based on a few passages taken out of context. An example of this is in the news segment “Banned in Stockton” by HTV magazine where a high school bans the book The Absolutely True Diary of A Part Time Indian because they think that the story is about child pornography while it isn’t even remotely related to that subject. In fact, it is about a Native American boy overcoming his physical disability, and oppression.   

Meghan Cox Gurden states in the Darkness is Too Visible, “If books show us the world, teen fiction can be like a hall of fun house mirrors, constantly reflecting back hideously distorted portrayals of what life is.” If that statement were true, then this world would have no social issues such as racism, homophobia, peer pressure, economic pressure, and felony, sexual abuse and drug abuse. Young adults need to be taught about these issues as in the future they will encounter some of these issues, and they will need guidance, guidance which only people who have gone through the same can give.

In conclusion, Ms.Berner, the sixth graders should have access to any book in the Young Adult fiction category.   School is the gateway of knowledge and sixth graders need to learn about what could happen to them out in the world. These books provide guidance and reassurance to the readers that they are not alone, and the books will teach them how to make decisions for themselves now, and in their future. 

Banning books by Aidan Arbona

This week I've read two articles one of which talks about why  people should ban books and the other which is against it. The Darkness is To Visible by Meghan Cox Gurden and Why the best books are written in blood by Sherman Alexi.  Based off of these articles i see no point in banning books as they cannot harm anyone.

A great point that is brought up in Alexi's piece is that how can teens be traumatized if they themselves have already seen worse, while Cox states that images will just harm them more. In my opinion Alexi is correct, In life we try many new things but sometimes you just end up watching some Disney movie. If you watch that movie over and over again then it will no longer excite. It's like that with experiences. After you've gone through something you know what it's like and it won't hurt you anymore. 

Cox also brings up how everything was better before Y.A. books started to hurt everyone. While Alexi says that people like Cox only want to defend the privileged children  from the outside world. I think that What Alexi says is true and what Cox is doing is trying to keep the innocence in teens for longer periods of time. Which is horrible because after the birds leave the nest they'd have no idea how to handle the real world.

Y.A. fiction can't hurt anyone but instead teach them how to survive when they face this wall and if they already have that others have gone through just the same and even if it wasn't a happy ending, at least they know how to cope with the issues. Banned books can't hurt anyone no words, no images, but people. 

People can hurt anyone.