Final Reflection

   When taking observations on "The Fosters" it made me aware of how times are changing. The story line is full of drama while underneath is a much stronger messages that the world needs to know. I believe one of the hidden messages is acceptance. Accepting individuals, families, and different cultures is key to a healthy society. This show wants to reach out to all people and tell them that it is OK to be different and that we shouldn't judge people just because they aren't the way we want them to be. The show also shows us that different cultures, whether Hispanic, African American, Caucasian, is what makes up a society. What would the world be like if everyone was the same? Lastly, "The Fosters" would like to say that blood doesn't make a family. Since all the children are adopted ( excluding Brandon) they are not blood related yet they love each other just as if they were. 

    I decided to make an observation about my judgement of people on the bus because I wanted to do something that was personal to me. I wanted to show that in my society I have flaws. I may be able to point out flaws around me but I also have them as well. With me judging people on their appearance and thinking they are rich, I'm showing that the value of wealth and money is of great status in this society. I want to make people aware of the fact that they are making these judgements and it's not good. People say that it is human nature to judge others, I'm not sure if that is 100% true but I do know that it is not an accurate way going about things. Maybe you are taught to judge from a young age by watching the older people around you judge. Maybe it's a chain reaction that just won't stop. This project has really opened my eyes to what I have been doing wrong but also what so many others are doing wrong as well.

    Sponge Bob was an idea that came to me after I remember hearing on the news that kids who watch the show, become dumber. I thought to myself that maybe it's not so much that it makes children dumb but that it displays all then wrong messages. After taking my observations in realized that woman were arrogant when it came to their intellegence, men were portrayed as stupid and frowned upon when they showed intelligence. I have heard way too many times that woman are more intelligent than men and mature faster. We are all equal and should embrace that. In this society we should work as one unit instead of putting each other down. In Sponge Bob, all the wrong messages are being sent to the minds of the young children and they are too young to realize what is happening. 
  If I could find a common theme in all three of my blogs, I would say that it was equality. I talked about a variety of races in one family and they accept each other as if they were blood related. I've touched upon judging people on the public bus. Lastly I've talked about men and woman not being equal in a child's cartoon. Equality seems like the best fit for a common theme. All my topics branch off from this common ground. 

If nautical nonsense is something you wish....

  I know this young man who works at a restaurant as a fry cook. He works with a mean employee who hates him dearly. His boss is very cheap and barely pays him anything. He lives next door to his mean employee but also a couple houses down from his best friend, who lets just say tap dances on the fine line between idiocy and plain stupidity. Oh did I mention he lives in a pineapple under the sea? Yes you got it, Sponge bob Square pants. The funny yellow sponge that we all came to love but is watching him act as a buffoon good for the brain. Studies show that it is not. In a way, Sponge bob portrays all the wrong things in life.
   For instance in one episode labeled "Patrick Smart pants" Patrick falls off a cliff, loses the point at the top of his head, putting sponge bob in the predicament where he has to put what he thought was Patrick's original point back on his head. But little did they know, they put smart corral on his head, turning him instantly intelligent. The first thing wrong with this episode and many of the others episodes is that they portray men as idiots. That is not true what so ever. Men are capable of being very intelligent. Throughout the show Sponge bob does not like that Patrick has become smart. So right there it shows that intelligence is frowned upon.
   The role of women in this episode is that they are already intelligent and do not like it when they receive criticism from intelligent men. Sandy (the only dominant female role in the show) gets upset when Patrick, and his new found intelligence proves, proves her wrong in a math problem she was trying to solve. Now this situation can also be flipped by saying that men can be egotistic when gaining knowledge because they think they know everything. It's negative either way you look at it.
    This entire episode does no justice for the brain. It sends out all the wrong messages especially to the children. It's not right to think learning and being intelligent is a bad thing. This message mainly goes out to young males who watch the show. Also to the girls, don't think that men aren't suppose to be smart just because of what you see on this show. Men and Woman are  equal when it comes to intelligence. Everyone has an opportunity to gain knowledge. Although sponge bob is entertaining but you must take into consideration the hidden messages behind each character and their personalities.  

Greater Bridgeport Transit

   I have to admit something. I have a bad habit of seeing peoples outer appearance and then judging them but to be honest I know I am not the only one who does this. Say if you see someone that's in the same place as you but they look out of place (I'm not talking about race, I'm talking about clothing attire) and you immediately start to judge them. I do that a lot and the main place that I do it, is on the public bus going home from school. I don't say extremely negative things, I just start making random assumptions.
   I'm sitting on the bus and I see a male or female get on the bus wearing business attire or looking "fancy" as  some may say. In my head I say things like "where is your Jaguar or BMW?" Hateful right? Well this happens to me so often that sometimes I don't even notice when I do it. I automatically label those people with a lot of money and jewelry and big houses.
    I never take in to account that maybe that man is traveling back and forth from New York making close to nothing only able to afford that suit to try an impress his boss everyday and try to keep his head above water. Or maybe that woman is a single mother, raising two kids, and can't afford a car let alone her own house but lives in an apartment and only has the suit that she has because it was given to her as a Christmas gift. Or Maybe even they both lost their jobs recently and is going out everyday on the bus so they don't have to spend the little money they have on gas.
    If my mind was programmed to think this way quicker, I truly believe I would be a better person. That goes for people out there in the world like me as well. It only takes 7 seconds to pass judgement on a person the first time you see them. If people would just step back and take a deeper look at the people they are passing judgement on, they will realise that they are wrong. I know I realize that I am/was wrong. But I've made this discovery of myself and I am turning over a new leaf. When I see someone wearing business attire or even a long gown on the bus, I won't start assuming, I'll remember this blog and step back and just look for the truth.
      

The Fosters, A Family with no boundaries

   Lena is African American, Steph is Caucasian, Jesus and Mariana are Hispanic, Brandon, Callie, and Jude are Caucasian. This is all of the ethnicity's of a family on the new hit TV series "The Fosters" on ABC Family. Lena and Steph are two woman that are married. Brandon is Steph's son from her previous marriage. Jesus, Mariana, Jude, and Callie were adopted by Lena and Steph. Lena is a vice principle at her school in which all the kids attend. Steph is a cop.
    Now that the background story is established we can take the time to give this series a big around of applause. The producer, Jeniffer Lopez, has done a phenomenal job in spicing up what a typical family looks like. Usually you see a mother, father, and children, all of the same race. The mere fact that such a variety of races are mentioned in this family is remarkable.
    Continuing on Lena and Steph being married; this not often seen on TV since gay marriage is not accepted everywhere yet. On this TV show, there is such a flow that it seems as if it is just an average family. There is no difference. They have drama like any other family and they love each other like any other couple.
   When it comes to the female roles in this show, Lena is the girly girl. She carries herself well. She wears feminine clothes and does her makeup, just an average woman. Steph, on the other hand, rolls with the big boys. Since she is a cop she has to be tough and strong. That's also different from what the usual is portrayed of a woman.
    Being Hispanic, Jesus and Mariana speaks Spanish to each other but Steph has taken the time to learn how to speak it as well so she can communicate with them. However, Jesus and Mariana speaks English most of the time through out the show. Majority of shows only have English as the spoken language but this show incorporates more than just english.
    One negative aspect of the show is how they portray the Fostering system in general. This is mostly reflecting Callie and Jude's life story. They've been tossed around so much that they don't know what it is like to live in a real home permanently. Also at one of the temporary homes, Callie was raped but because she was in the Fostering system, the guy who raped her did not get any jail time because it was her word against his. Watching this show makes the public look at adoption and fostering in a different light and maybe even not a positive one.
     "The Fosters" has no boundaries what so ever. It is a very good television show and very well rounded. It's really rare because its not everyday that you can turn on the TV and see such a heart felt family and it makes you wish the whole world was this way, well except for the fostering system. When watching this show you have to transform your brain to a new born baby so no influences will already be there to affect the way you look at it. Trust me it is an amazing show.

What Does it mean to "OWN" something?

When I think of owning something I don’t think of tangible things. I think more along the lines of morals, memories, and values. I guess you can say I’m a bit like Jean-Paul Sartre who agrees that ownership extends beyond objects. Although you may be able to own objects, it has to be taken into account that those objects can be taken away from you. Your values, morals, and memories cannot be taken away from you figuratively speaking. These aspects are a part of who you are and your personality. Because morals, values, and memories are imbedded inside an individual, that person has complete ownership of themselves and not just objects.

Morals demonstrate ownership because it reflects what you strongly believe in and the lifestyle you choose to live. I was raised a Christian child. I attend church every week and sometimes twice in one week. When I am around my family and church members I know exactly how to act because of the morals I gained in church. It was instilled in me from birth; I mean literally from birth. I went to church for the first time the Sunday after I was born and I was born on a Friday. Now my mother always says that when a person who is raised in the church strays away and sin, they will always find their way back. I know exactly what she means by that. She means that since those morals are instilled in that person, they will return to them because they own them. Those are apart of whom that person is. They just can’t throw it away or get it stolen. This relates very similarly to values as well.

Values are more like characteristics that you really care about. For example, I value friendship. That’s mine; I made that decision to make that my value so I own it. Other people may also value friendship but I’m not those people. It’s all about individuality. It is very common for people to value love. We even have a holiday to celebrate it. Christian saint, Valentinus, valued love very much for if it wasn’t for him we would not have Valentine’s Day. While imprisoned he wrote love letters to his jailers daughter, Asterius, signing it “from your valentine”. He valued love so much that not even prison could take it away from him. He owned it and was proud. He even became a historical person for sticking to his values. Learning about Valentinus was just a memory that I had in the back of my mind from middle school. Memories are extremely important too.

Memories are strictly owned by an individual. Without memories a person could not grow because it means he has not lived. Facts show that memories began to form and can be remembered after several years as early as 14 to 18 months. All of those memories are yours to keep. No one can take them from you. Now you may have noticed in my introduction that I said “figuratively speaking”. I said this because when it comes to memories they can be lost due to an illness or tragic accident. You may fall and bump your head, wake up, and not even know who you are or you may develop Alzheimer Disease. What I am speaking about is just a typical day of a regular person with all their memories in tact.

Morals, values, and memories are all crucial to individuals. They make up who that person is and best of all, that person gets to own those traits. Ownership is way more than just objects. You may own a house, car, money, or even a piece of land but all those things can be taken from you in the blink of an eye. What you always keep are your values, memories, and morals. Who can ask for more out of life? You already own so much.