Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Olaudah Equiano
Olaudah Equiano had to survive brutal injustices at the hands of his captors and owners. It wasn't until he was able to buy his freedom that he could experience the luxury of adventure. Write down your memories of an incident in your life when you felt that one of your rights was being restricted or otherwise jeopardized. What kind of action, if any, were you able to take to protect that right? What did you learn about yourself as a result of the incident?
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I have been in situations and conversations where I felt my right to an opinion was taken away, but I do not recall ever experiencing an extreme situation where my rights were severely infringed upon. I do however remember times where adults have ignored my opinion and thoughts about certain topics simply because I am a teenager. The adults that are neglecting to hear what teenagers and children have to say are forgetting something; we are the future of this world. We have just as much to offer as they do. Adults need to learn to try to communicate with and understand the youth of the world. On the other hand, the youth of the nation has to learn to respect their elders.
ReplyDeleteOne way that I protect my right to an opinion is by showing respect to adults. If I show respect to adults then they will be more open to what I have to say. I have learned that through experience. Adults that I have never talked to before are more of the problem because they assume that I will be disrespectful to them because of my age. Many young people are disrespectful to adults so I believe that if ALL young people can learn to respect adults, then their opinions will be heard more readily.
Morgan, I completely agree with you. Sometimes adults do not realize that we have something that could be important or helpful to say. As teenagers we are often overlooked and you are completely right.
ReplyDeleteRecently, I felt my rights were being taken away. I am going on a trip to South Carolina next week and for the longest time my parents were not going to let me go. I felt that as a young adult I should be allowed to make my own decisions about it. They would not even hear my thoughts about it until about two weeks ago. I felt that my freedom of expression was really being neglected.
ReplyDeleteI approached my parents as an adult when I finally felt that I could not take it anymore. I told them we needed to sit down and that they needed to listen to what I had to say. I may only be sixteen, but at this point in my life I need to start making decisions. It is the only way I am ever going to learn. By sticking up for myself, my parents finally respected my opinion. They decided I did need to make my own decisions and start growing up. That was when the decision was made that I could go.
I learned a lot about myself. I learned that if I respect myself, other people will respect me and my opinions. I need to stick up for what I believe in and if I am able to do that, I can keep most of my rights.
I feel like the both of you have very valid points when you speak of being overlooked and put off by adults. I've experienced many instances where older people move on without asking a younger person for his or her input. It's a shame that the good in teenagers isn't realized by adults because of their misjudgements of the teenage mind.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly said, Morgan. I've never been in a harsh situation either and try to avoid them at all costs. Respecting adults, teachers, coaches, and especially the less favored ones has helped me.
ReplyDeleteAdults in general (not all the time) seem to listen to their idea and their idea only. Sometimes it seems like they use simple excuses to explain themselves. "Excuses are the tools of the incompetent." This is one of may favorite quotes because it sums up many things. We all make excuses, but we (and adults) can easily limit them.
ReplyDeleteSo, my dad and I are avid into Boy Scouts. My dad was pushing me to get everything finished during the summertime so I can get my Eagle Scout award in a reasonable amount of time. But procrastination sneaked up on me and before I knew it, summer was over. Then my dad restricted me from getting my Driver's Licence until I showed progress on this. I do not think he was doing this to be mean, but just to stress the importance of what he wanted. That is similar with most adults and their children. It's understandable sometimes.
I talked with him and he agreed upon helping me through my Eagle journey. All I needed was a little push. I feel like this will help me immensely. I know I have to preserve and get things done. Learing those things now will help me when I have to do similar tasks in college and in the workplace.
Personally, I can't think of a time when I felt like my rights were being infringed because of my age. I can saw that sometimes I know an answer to a more "adult" problem, but I can never give my response because adults figure I don't know what I'm talking about. It's hard to sit quietly and take what we're given. I hope that someday my voice and the voices of teenagers all over the world are finally heard. Maybe then teenagers will seem more mature instead of being pushed aside as children.
ReplyDeleteI have never really had a time when I did not have a say in what I had to do. Not many memories come to mind but, when I was twelve I wanted to quit my piano lessons and that was just not an option my parents let me have. I had been playing for about six years at the time and I just did not really want to play the music that I was told I had to play. I had asked if I could quit and the reason I gave was simple, I did not get to play the music I wanted and I did not have time to practice it. The reason my parents wanted me to continue playing was because I set an example for my brother and sister, who were also forced to play piano. This made me upset and so I decided that I would make a deal with my parents. The deal was that I would play for at least two more years and so I could decide after my eighth year. Those two years came and I found that I was so close to the ten year mark of piano and so, I decided to wait two more years. The last audition and recital came around and I was grinning ear to ear knowing that that had been the end of the ten long years of piano.
ReplyDeleteIn the end I found that I was glad that I stuck with it as long as I did because if I hadn’t I would probably would not be as good at playing as I am now. I learned that I do have some patience and I surprised myself in the end by adding and additional two years. I have learned that my parents were probably right for making me stay with it because later down the road I will still remember how to play piano. But in the end I was so glad that I had finished my piano lessons and now I can play whenever I want and what ever I want to.
I agree with you Morgan. I am a firm believer that sometimes adults underestimate teenagers. I also agree with you Stephanie. I think it takes immense strength to stand up to parents like that.
ReplyDeleteKristy, I think your opinion is so true. Adults don’t seem to really give us a chance to really show them what we are capable of doing or thinking. I sometimes think that teenagers should have some say to some things. Teens are stuck in the middle and suddenly they get the world thrown at them and not everyone can handle the choices they have to make, but I think the majority of us are ready for it.
ReplyDeleteI myself have hindered some of my rights. My right to my own free will and decision making.
ReplyDeleteA person's own mind can be a blessing and a curse. It can make you think in ways that you wouldn't. The human ambition to make everyone around you happy takes control of they're own decision making process.
My personality is the kind that wants everyone to be happy. To satisfy the masses, even if that means I suffer. I try so hard to please everyone, that I lose myself. I start to only think of what others want me to do, especially adults whom I look up to. Ones that I want to think well of me. I restrict myself from making my own decisions and by doing what makes me happy, because I try to please everyone else when I should be trying to make myself happy.
The way I learned to overcome these restrictions was by believing in myself. By searching deep inside my sould to find copius strength. In the end I have to be happy with my decision, with what I believe is right. I have to take control.
I agree completely Elizabeth.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Morgan, I think that we should have more say in things and not be ignored. I also think it is very important to respect your elders. You have to give respect to receive it. When you receive respect, only then sometimes get your opinion gets heard.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, I completely agree with you. Sometimes, even though we hate it, parents do know more than us.
ReplyDeleteRyan, I also agree with you. Sometimes having something taken from us pushes us even harder.
Morgan I completely agree with your opinion, as a teenager, my parents and other adult figures in my life do not seem to realize my opinion counts, even though I am younger than them. We as teenagers have thoughts and feelings too, and they need to be respected.
ReplyDeleteThere was a time once, that I can remember, when I felt that I had one of my rights taken away. It was just this summer when I passed my driving test and was legally allowed to drive on my own. I was excited to go pick up a bunch of my friends and find something exciting to do with this new found freedom. My excitement was cut short when my parents told me that I would not be driving my friends anywhere until I showed them "a little more responsibility."
ReplyDeleteThis did not sit very well with me. I passed my permit test, had my permit for 6 months, and I had now passed my driving test. I completed all of the necessary steps, so I should have been able to drive alone. Though, my parents did not think this way, and they stepped in and took my right of driving from me. This is a very small scale example of losing a freedom or a right and it still made me very angry. I can only imagine what it felt like for Olaudah.
The closest I've ever come to having a right restricted is when my brother and sisters go into my room. They always go into my room without asking and take my stuff. Most times they don't even bother to return it.
ReplyDeleteI feel like it's an invasion of privacy. My sister hates when I borrow her stuff but she always takes my things. It's a double-standard. I lock my door, but they pick the lock. There's just no stopping them.
I have learned to put up with it because sometimes in life you need to make sacrifices to keep the peace.
Class, you did a terrific job on this first blog assignment. The blogging assignment is a tool to help develop critical thinking skills. We'll try to master these skills throughout the school year as we encounter various types of American literature.
ReplyDeleteYour ideas count. You all have so much to offer this class and you have much to offer the future. I appreciate the input you have given here.
Do you believe that each generation encounters the same problems as far as finding adults who will not listen to young people? I ask this because I remember being your age and thinking that my parents and other adults were so far removed from me and my needs. I wonder why there is often such a divide between generations.
Do you think one day when you have children that you will be better listeners than adults today seem to be? I'm curious.
Many of you are very grown up in this class - you are intelligent beings and have very much to offer. Some of you recognized that showing respect will often garner respect for you in return. That was a wise response. Thank you for sharing.
Elizabeth I understand where you are coming from. I also have younger siblings, and my parents expect me to set an example for them as well, even though sometimes I do not want to.
ReplyDeleteLike many other people commenting, I also do not really have anything that comes to mind as far as my rights being restricted in a major way.
The closest thing I can think of is some things that are currently going on in my life now. My parents keep making up excuses to keep me from going to hang out with friends or stay over night at friends' houses. They claim they trust me, however, when they cannot allow me to be with my friends that they have known since I was younger, it starts to make me feel like they in reality do not trust me. I am the oldest, and they keep telling me it will get easier when my younger siblings get to be my age, but this frustrates me, because I find it unfair that they tell me they are going to let up on them, but not with me. I am getting older and they need to start to let me make my own decisions, and if I screw up, they need to trust I can learn from my mistakes.
I can remember one incident in my life that I felt my rights were being limited my freedom was being somewhat taken away. This was two years ago when my mom had made an important decision for me. I had been taking dance lessons and participating in dance competitions for nine years at the time, and I was getting burt out. It had taken up my life for such a long period of time that i wanted freedom to hang out with friends and do other activities that i was never able to do, due to constantly having dance rehearsal. I apprroached my mom about cutting back the number of dance classes I would be in.
ReplyDeleteWe had a long conversation about the issue. We went over the pros and cons, and I attempted to hear her out. She expressed to me her side of the story,which was to stay with dance and keep the same number of classes. Hearing this, I respectfully listened and tried to see things through her view. It was my turn to talk, and I felt as though I was being completely shot down. My thoughts were not being heard and as a young adult I felt as though I had no say in the direction my life was taking me. I was being deceived into thinking that the matter was not my choice to make. That year my mom made the decision for me.
I am now in my eleventh year of dance, and I can honestly say that I am thankful my mom made me stick with it. Next year I will be a senior and it will be my last year to dance (unless I make the decision to pursue it in college, and if I would have given dance up I would have missed countless oportunities. It is hard to accept that you are wrong, especially for me. I feel it is even harder to accept you are wrong when your parent is the one that is right. I learned that we as an individuals cannot make all of life's challenging decisions alone. It is the ones that know us and care about us that often have the best ideas. I learned that sometimes, even though I am stubborn, it is beneficial to consult others on making important decisions.
I agree with everyone when they say we are so caught in the middle. As teenages we are not children anymore, but it is also difficult to classify us as adults. So that being said how much freedom do we deserve? Well, I think that depends on the amount of trust you have earned.
ReplyDeleteI think I will be easier on my kids then my parents are on me with some things, but I know I will also want what is best for them.
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ReplyDeleteSophie, I am exactly the same way. All of my decisions are based on what other people will think or how other people will feel about the decision. I feel i miss opertunities in life worrying too much about the opinion of other people. I think it is important to make decions that benefit yourself sometimes and not worry about other people. I don't mean not to care about other people and be selfish but to make the well deserved decisions to benefit yourself sometimes. I feel making some decisions based on how you feel helps you to be yourself more and can be a relief. I think it is especially important to make these decisions at this point in our lives because these years are really the building blocks to the rest of our lives.
ReplyDeleteSteph I agree with you in that our parents need to start letting us make our own decisions. We will be making our own decisions all the time when we get to college and we need some practice.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, our parents know what is best for us most of the time as Elizabeth and Kristin have shown. Our parents still need to allow us to make our own decisions. Then we can learn from our mistakes and grow as individuals.
All of you made really valid points and there really isn't much more to add. Steph I agree with you but at the same time as Elizabeth said our parents (most of them) have better jugement and have lived through it and have learned from their mistakes so do not want us to repeat them.
ReplyDeleteAbout a few years ago, I had a different group of friends and I felt that my oppinion was restricted because they constantly degrated my oppinion. At least now I know. Sort of what Sophie said, I should not care about what other people think of my oppinions!
Sophie and Kayla I completely agree and I am still working on that. Its hard not to care what people think.
ReplyDeleteMitchell I totally understand what happend to you. You took all the steps and thought bam just like that you should be able to do what wanted. But parents being parents didn't think you were responsible enough even though you didn't slip. I completely agree that that is unfair.
I’d have to say that I have never had my rights taken away from me in any unfair manor. I’ve been given advice and told to do things by my parents, coaches, and other adult figure of society. The closest I’ve probably ever come was going to a swim meet while I was sick, and having to swim my four events while I was struggling to breathe even out of the water. My coaches were going to put me in the 500 meter freestyle versus my usual 100 meter butterfly. When they found out I was sick instead of not putting me in any events I had to swim a different set of four events. I was so cold during the meet I went to take a hot shower before my next event (something very common in swimming, but uncommon for me). I took the shower increasing the heat little by little until the knob didn’t turn anymore. I had turned the hot water knob all the way up with just the smallest tweak of cold water in there, and I was still cold. I put my warm up back on, while visibly shaking, and told my sister what happened I asked her if she thought I have a fever. She didn’t doubt it. I swam my last events (not placing higher than 4th) and at the end of the 400 meter freestyle relay I was seeing black dots on the edge of my vision, trying desperately not to throw up before I could get home. I had made it I got home, listening to the complaints of my family at the irresponsibility of my coaches, and rushed to the bathroom just in time to spend the rest of the night there. To my coaches it was justified, many kids throw up in swimming, but I found it a little insulting that just because we were facing our toughest opponents that they would put me in such an unhealthy state.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, I've been your friend for many years, so I completely get where you're coming from. I agree with what you said that even though it doesn't always make sense to us at the time, our parents’ advice can make the difference in the long run. Besides, look at you now! You're our incredibly talented piano player for F.O.L.L.O.W.!
ReplyDeleteMitchell, I’m sorry but I don’t agree with you. As we learned in Driver’s Ed. driving is a privilege, not a right; a privilege that can be provoked by the police and your parents if you are of a certain age, or driving in a certain way. There is nothing wrong with your parents easing that responsibility on you because even though you’ve been driving for some time, there is still much you need to learn. When you drive you are responsible for the lives of your passengers, the people in the other car, the people on the street, and your own life. If your parents feel you’re not ready to take on the full responsibility of driving yet, they can decide that.
ReplyDeleteYes! Finally got this blog thing to work. Thank you God.
ReplyDeleteThere have been many times throughout my life in which one or more of my freedoms were in some way taken away from me. One such ocasion occurred during this past summer. My friend was having a party at his house and I really wanted to go. However, my parents would not let me go because they said the party was too late at night. The party was really not that late, so I felt like my right to go out and have fun with my friends was greatly violated.
I realize this is nothing even comparable to what happened to Olaudah Equiano. I cannot even begin to imagine what it would be like to go through what he had to endure. I honestly do not think I would have survived like he did.
Mitchell, I agree with you. You should have been allowed to go out and drive around with your friends because you earned that right. You earned that right by passing your permit test, then doing the required driving with your permit. So you should have been allowed to drive with friends, because you already proved yourself capable of driving.
ReplyDeleteI would have to say that the biggest violation of my rights involves my sister, who I share a room with. She will take my clothing and wear it without asking and tends to get most of it stained. I buy most of my own clothing and get very mad about that. I will never get anything back that she does borrow. It goes through the laundry and straight to her closet, where I won't see it until after she wears it again. She does this with evrything I leave out in the open. My parents say that I should let her borrow my things which I would if she actually asked and not just took them.
ReplyDeleteIn saying that I totally agree with Maira. I understand how annoying siblings can be. My sister never lets me borrow her stuff either. I also find my self not saying anything to keep the peace too.
I also understand Elizabeth's point. When I was in seventh grade I started guitar lessons and loved them. After I had learned so much of it I had found that I could teach myself with a little help from the internet. My parents wanted me to stick with the lessons but I saw no point. Eventually I won and have been teaching myself for a few years. I found that I was glad that my parents made me go for as long as they did, it helped me out in the long run.
I have never really felt that my rights were taken away, maybe just changed a little. Living in Ridgway, I know that it is annoying and expensive to drive to St. Marys every day, sometimes twice a day. Both my parents work, so they don’t have time to drive those 10 miles whenever I want to go to a friend’s house, etc. I know that they do enough already, and feel bad sometimes about asking them. Other times, I really want to go but know that it’s not possible, no matter what I want. I understand, but it’s still frustrating.
ReplyDeleteScott, I agree with you in that I finally got this to work also.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think about times when I've felt that my rights have been taken away from me there is one situation that sticks out. Two years ago when I was a freshman my parents decided that I was going to transfer schools and come to ecc. I was informed of this over a text message. I was really upset that I was being forced to go to another school, and that I had no say in something that was such a huge impact in my life. I now am very happy that my parents made this decision for me, and would never go back to my old school. However, I still think that my parents could have at least consulted me about switching schools because it was impacting my life more than anyone else's.
ReplyDeleteAbby, I have the same problems with my parents, too. They always say they trust me, but then when I ask to go somewhere, it's like I'm being interrogated. I understand that they want to know where I'm going and who I'll be with, but it is very frustrating when one second they're saying how responsible you are but then when you ask to go somewhere it is a different story.
Steph, I think it's great that you were able to talk to you parents about going to South Carolina, and I'm glad you were able to go. I think a lot of times when conflicts like this happen between parents and teenagers we have to sit and listen to everything they have to say (which is understandable), but then when we try to say what we think, we just get shut down and interrupted because they "know" what we are going to say.
(Finally got it to work)
ReplyDeleteI have gone through a lot of things in my life, like any teenager. There are things that were easy and things that were hard. Through it all, I had to keep a positive outlook or be overwhelmed by something I could not completely control. Where I hated the fact that I really could not affect the things happening to me, I knew I could at least deal with them in the best ways possible.
What better time to experience life's hardships than as a teenager, though? It's the time when hormones are crazy and it feels like the whole world is up against you. Maybe that's why some of the things that happened to me felt a big as they did. Was I blowing them out of proportion?
I find that in life today, it is easy to be oppressed by factors one has no decision over. The predominant one being the ignorance shown toward some people. "You're young so you don't really matter. Come back when you're more mature." Is the general response a majority of young adults receive when their opinions are just as valuable. This was - and still is - one of my major struggles. I spend a vast amount of time being mistreated or misunderstood by others simply because age is a matter they don't want to comprehend. I strive to get through it simply by not letting it phase me and moving on, knowing that, hopefully, someday my opinions will be heard.
It is this process of being ignored that makes me feel oppressed because I cannot adequately express myself in an effort to make my life, and the lives of those around me, better. I have learned, through all of this, though, that I do have the power to change things and I simply have to try to get my voice heard.
Scott, I read your post and immediately thought of comparisons that we all have. Our parents certainly do not give us enough rights as young adults. I can't count how many times I've missed out on an opportunity to do something simply because my parents have differing opinions. It's stressful and annoying. It is really something we all have to deal with, though. Still, I agree that the treatment we receive from our parents isn't completely fair.
ReplyDeleteWow, Laira! Read your's and immediately got what you were trying to convey! I used to hang out with an entirely different group of people as well and all the while I felt like I didn't really belong. I never spoke up much because I felt like I would be judged harshly for my own opinions. I later found out that real friends don't judge. I'm much better off sometimes but other times I really miss them. Still, I think that if you're friends, you shouldn't pressure your own friends into thinking your way just because you like it more.
ReplyDeleteAlex
ReplyDeleteI can fully understand your point, as so many others expressed too, that young people are often "not heard" or that they are "ignored". I remember feeling this way too when I was about your age. I felt that sometimes my voice was not audible at all - that what I said was insignificant and therefore, overlooked. Now that I have lived quite awhile in my adult skin, I realize that I am on the other side now. I've asked myself the question "Do I sometimes discount younger people for not having the experiences that I've had?" And I have to be truthful because I have. It was unintentional, of course, but I have. I think it is sometimes difficult for the two generations to have a meeting of the minds. Adults have so many other responsibilities such as financial, personal, family, employment, etc that sometimes we become overwhelmed with the busy work of the day. I wonder how things might change in another 20-30 years when you have children your age now. Do you think you'll have the same response to your children as adults do toward all of you now?