Letter of Action

Letter of action

Dear Dr. Agriss,

       In light of what I have read and discussed in this Global View of Children’s Literature class, I cannot view the world entirely the same way. Though I thought I was aware of a lot of conflicts and issues going in the world today, (reading the news often and being an advocate of a few organizations) I came to realize this quarter I barely had begun to scratch the surface of the many diverse and life changing conflicts that children have faced throughout time. When I came to this realization my views changed a lot. I realized that if I claim to love and care for all children the world, I must do more to make a difference in my world. Though I do support several organizations such as UNICEF and Compassion International, I still feel there is more I can do to be an advocate for the children of the world. I feel like my biggest goal in life is to be in support of human nature by ensuring everyone has access to what they need to have happy and healthy lives. This class helped me realize how big of an undertaking that is, but by join together with many people with the same life goal, it isn’t too far out of reach. I plan, in every arena to support and advocate for the rights and safety of children. I have already planned to volunteer regularly wherever I can to help children. The Big Brother and Big Sisters organization is one I have been looking into very seriously after I graduate and settle in one spot.

        To be able to just make a difference in one child’s life is probably one of the most rewarding experiences I think a person can experience and to have the chance to do that in my spare would be incredible. I have made contact with Keith from the Big Brother Big Sister program in Spokane to start the process of making that happen. However, I still want to be involved in global issues with children. I want to advocate for children by informing my family and peers about these global issues facing children. Social media makes sharing these global concerns a lot easier. I want to let everyone around me know what is going on and how to help, as I myself take action in aid as well. Another way I want to promote advocacy for children is to promote education for the children in my life of global issues and to be culturally aware. I want to use resources like literature and the internet to expose children to cultural issues going on in the world in a way that is developmentally appropriate for them.

           To remain in ignorance to the conflicts and issues of children around the world is to do them an even greater injustice. In America it is very easy to hide in our privilege and security and never face the daunting knowledge of what these children are facing, but it is so important that we as teachers learn and respond to these injustices, to not only fulfill our commitment to the service of children, but to lead by example for others around us. I am glad this class changed my views in that regard. Thank you.

 

Sincerely,

Alison N. Sims

Graffiti Wall Art

My piece has some pretty obvious statements within it. We use so many euphemisms when we talk about difficult things in regards to war. One of these is causalities of war, meaning people who lost their lives in a war zone. I wanted to show what that means in the lives of individuals. I made the words of casualties of war white and the background black because the euphemism of casualties of war makes a complex issue look so black and white. I made the relationships names of the people in regards to their relation to other people in their community in red because it shows that the issue is more than black and white and it represents the pain these families endure with their loss. The members of the community I used was children, toddlers, women, etc.. I had them start from letters from the euphemism casualties of war because they make up what that euphemism really means. Red, black and white are typically used in resistance art as well. I think that is usually because black is usually the color you think of when you think of death and red is the color of blood both of which are very much involved wherever there is conflict. I wanted to show that there is a lot more than just black and white to any war conflict and the effects reach everyone involved in a personal way. All of the books we read dealt with involved how a conflict personal effects an individual and all those around them-- with Kampung Boy it was how industry effects families, with Sold it was how the sex slave trade effects an individual, with Crossing the Wire it was how the US immigration policy effects a family and with A Long Way Gone it was how war effects an individual. All these conflicts effect each individual and each family differently, that is why I wanted my piece to reflect the individual impact conflict has on people.

A Long Way Gone

This was by far the hardest book for ms to read. The sheavoness of it and the gore. I have a weak stomach and way too many  sections  were too much for me. I had to skip parts. It was very eye opening even though I  have been very aware of the stories of child soldierss,  it was totally different to read a full account. The amount of time he spent alone and in fear has to tear a person apart and then to have to be brainwashed and turned into a killing machine is another thing entirely. I have to admit, I would never have survives in his shoes. I would have given up and just waited to die. When they capture him I cried like a baby. It makes since that they got them all so addicted to drugs so they would be desensitized to their crimes. I still felt anger towards the main character though for how cold and inhuman he becomes. I think that more than anything would be why I would rather die than live to become one of them. They take away all that makes you human, which to me is worse than death. They kill their soul. To think that he was only 12 years old. That is way too young for a 12 year old to even read let alone go through. I would not recommend this book for anyone under 17 at all. I think when I was 17 was actually when I first discovered that this was going on. It is so shocking and horrific to think people would do these horrible things to anyone, let alone children. I did find it really interesting that UNICEF is what found him. When he is so enraged at even them trying to help him, it just shows how far he transformed into this monster.

Sierra Leone civil war

What I find the most disheartening about this war is that so many people lost their lives in this war and I had no idea it even happened, even though the United States was in it. It also seems interesting to me that the United States supported the civilians, makes me wonder how much the diamond rich region was a part of that. It seems like America loves to make sure their products are protected. It does seem like the revolutionary side had more followers. It does make me happy the United States supported them. I just wish we would have got involved sooner. I wonder how that would have made an impact. I think the UN does need to always be involved when a standing government is killing its own citizens. Government should always represent the people of that territory. I am interested to find out how the book ties in with this and I am glad I actually found out that something this horrendous happened to these people. To live in ignorance of it is to do these people who suffered from it a huge injustice.

Revolution is Not a Dinner Party

I do think this book was a lot more appropriate for younger children, aside from the writer trying to kill himself. I do think it did represent what was going on at the time well. How everyone was giving her family a hard time for being bourgeoise. When she faces off with her teacher I was shocked she got away. It just shows how when things are in turmoil in a country people look for scapegoats to blame when they are suffering just like the Germans with the Jews. Even when her father is helping people no matter who they are as a doctor and they demote him anyway and eventually send him to a work camp. Of course he was going to save that writer, it is in his nature. I was glad he was ok and made it back to the girls. You can only think of how bad things must have really been for some of these families. It is really sad what people will do all because of misguided hatred. I know that we are suppose to look at how this is reflected in our own society. I can only see extremist hating people without even knowing them. Aside from maybe Westboro Baptist Church, but I hate them for what they do, not who they are in general. I don't hate them for being baptist or anything. I still wouldn't mistreat their children. I would try to educate their children, but not by being mean to them and threatening to cut their hair. We are not a nation in turmoil though, so there lays the key difference. You have to wonder who we would blame if things went south here. It isn't like we are immune or above it. We blamed all Asia Americans for being spies in WWII. During the Great Depression we blamed the president and the rich blamed the poor and the poor blamed the rich. Where there is turmoil there is blind hatred. I have to wonder if our economic market crashed again if we would blame ourselves or would we blame the Chinese for stealing our jobs or whatever. In 2008 when the market tanked we blamed the housing market and contractors, but financial analyst facts kind of back that one. It just makes you wonder if we have learned enough to stop blaming people for our problems. I would hope that we have learned that it only leads to more problems.

Chinese Revolution

I think the outcome of the Chinese Revolution would have been a lot different had it have taken place a while after WWII, had other countries got involved. Everyone had already used all their resources for the WWII and didn't have the resources to help the nationalist party, though the U.S. did let them accept the Japenesr surrender which gave them weapons, and I am sure that added to the bitterness between the Chinese and Japanese. I am not going to lie I am really pissed because I already wrote this and it somehow got deleted so I am here trying to rewrite it all again. If I was in China, after watching the horrors of WWII I would not want a communist party in my country, but back then I am sure it was hard for them to have access to all that went on in WWII. It makes you wonder how things might have been different if the U.S. hadn't have just got out of a world war and could have offered more support, though I feel like the communist and nationalist party were both not really looking out for the best interest of their citizens. The U.S. just kind of let it happen and then faced off with China in the Korean War which kinda of leads me to believe that might not have happened if the U.S would have got more involved in China sooner. I think it easier to say what if now in retrospect, but the U.S was not ready right after WWII. It does make you wonder though how things would be different for China, the US and the world.

U.S. Immigration Policy

I will be honest, I have never read the U.S immigration policy until now. I knew some of the basic restrictions, but that is it. I guess when something doesn't effect you and your family directly you don't really look into it, which really is an ignorant way to live. I am glad I read it because I will be working with the public at large and I am sure I will meet families that this policy directly is effecting. I found it interesting that the government is ok with you immigrating here if you have your bachelor's and two years experience in a field we deem needed. Like we will let you become a citizen if you offer something we need and are skilled. We need people who will perform less skilled jobs though. Farmers are freaking out now that they have made them have to provide social security numbers for every worker. I see ads on Craigslist all the time by farmers looking for people to work in their fields and they have to say they have to have a social security number to hire them. They also have to pay them more to work which put a new strain on farmers. Undocumented workers are ok with working for less because they still typically make a lot more than they would back home. It is also interesting that if you have immediate family members here you can get your citizenship, but it sounds like that is still a line and a very long process. I feel that you still have to consider many of these "aliens"- people and families probably don't speak English and don't know how they might qualify for citizenship, so they just come illegally and hope they don't get caught. I have heard of several programs to help people with their citizenship but it has to be hard for then to get in contact with then. They would have to talk to other families from their culture who have been through it. There just seems like a lot of ways for people and families to get caught up in a this bureaucratic bull crap that permanently effects their lives. If really isn't fair. I am interested in what our guest speaker has to say about it.