Would I Cross The Border? (A Response To Marisa's Blog)

At first, I did not think that I would say this – however, if given the opportunity I would illegally enter the United States. Just reading a few of the qualifications required to apply for citizenship made me think “If I was living in Mexico, could I really do this?” Obviously the most ideal situation would be to do everything by the book and within the law, but when in a desperate search for liberation these immigrants just don’t want to wait; they want to enter America as soon as possible, by any means necessary.
The border patrol is most definitely an issue, yet if 250 million illegal immigrants cross over every year, its clearly not infallible. Many of the guards or army patrols are located around the heavily populated areas like San Diego or El Paso. A lot of illegal immigrants have found success in assign through the mountainous regions or desert areas. But many have died in attempting to do so as well.
In researching what I would do if I were put into this situation the only thing I could not understand was the overall appeal of “The American Life.” Yes, we have freedom that many other countries do not have but most illegal immigrants worry so much about flying under immigration radar that they never fulfill the dreams they had when they first set forth to America. Fake social security numbers, not being able to register for a license…that is definitely not the American Dream that these immigrants have.

- Rachel Rosenthal

Native Son

Should this be the new cover for Native Son? 

In Native Son by Richard Wright one of the obvious themes was racism and prejudice. In the novel, Bigger, the main character was a black man who wound up in a rather tough predicament ending up with him in a lot of trouble. One of the underlying themes of the novel that I chose to focus on was the battle Wright created between Capitalism and Communism. 

Many claimed the author was actually a Communist himself but what I think he was trying to do was have people make a decision for themselves. Which is more conducive to a successful, functioning society - Communism or Capitalism? 

For this assignment I would like you to look through the links on my delicious webpage 

After doing that create a blog post to your own webpage discussing which is better...

If the my delicious does not work (which it often doesn't)

the links are also here!

http://www.conservative-resources.com/capitalism-vs-communism.html

http://whyperspective.wordpress.com/2008/10/25/communism-vs-capitalism/

http://www.worldsocialism.org/articles/what_is_capitalism.php

http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/5282

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/african/afam011.html

Refer to these quotes to have a better understanding of what Richard Wright was trying to say in his book:

QUOTE ONE 

"'Listen, Bigger,' said Britten. 'Did you see this guy [Jan] act in any way out of the ordinary? I mean, sort of nervous, say? Just what did he talk about?'
'He talked about Communists. . . .'
'Did he ask you to join?'
'He gave me that stuff to read.'
'Come on. Tell us some of the things he said.'
Bigger knew the things that white folks hated to hear Negroes ask for; and he knew that these were the things the Reds were always asking for." (Wright 109)

QUOTE TWO

“[Bigger] had discovered that he had spoken to Max as he had never spoken to anyone in his life; not even to himself” (Wright 359)

* Max is a prominent Communist figure in the book and Bigger's attorney 

QUOTE THREE

“[The rich people] want to keep what they own, even if it causes others to suffer” (Wright 427).