Journal Posting #15. Border Patrol's Control

DearLeslie Marmon Silko,

   You brought up a topic that is so rarely mentioned, however is a topic necessary to discuss. Your personal experiences and stories throughout your essay, "Border Patrol State," brought up valid points of discussion as well as some potential arguments. Although I have never experienced Border Patrol in such a harsh manner as you, I have read articles or heard stories relatable to your experiences. One novel that came to mind as I read your essay was The Devil's Highway. The novel discussed the struggles of 26 men as they passed the borders from Mexico to the United States and randomly went missing during their attempts at freedom. Hardships were depicted, however, the severity and fear these people felt towards the Border Patrol were also portrayed throughout the novel. It seems that immigrants risk SO much just for the attempt to live freely in the United States. Not only are they risking their lives and fleeing their country, but to have to overcome the US Border Patrol is a nearly impossible task. I truly agree and believe your perceptions towards the brutality and unreasonable treatment that Patrol Officers give, especially to different races and ethnicities. However, I can also understand how suspicious these Border Patrol Officers can be towards different ethnicities. Their job involves immigrants every day attempting to smuggle, cross illegally or flee into the United States, typically from Mexico. It is no wonder that if they see someone of a different ethnicity, they would be suspicious and feel the need to question their motives. However, I am fully against the idea of their brutality and unreasonable treatment, especially after reading your personal experience. Being searched without reasonable motive by a guard dog in search for drugs and ultimately coming clean, the officers were still unsure, reluctant and unnecessarily intolerant of you and your friend. Harsh punishment or treatment is not an appropriate action from Border Patrol Officers. Their job involves detaining immigrants and allowing Federal government to determine further actions. With your personal experience, my interpretation of the novel I read, and having read articles and discussed this topic in previous classes, I feel that your depiction of the Border Patrol portrays a true light of their unnecessary and brutal, racist actions towards immigrants or people simply driving throughout the open plains of America. 

Sincerely,

Amanda Hillary

Journal Posting #14. Along the Broken Road

After reading "The Things they Carried" by Tim O' Brien, I could not help but imagine myself in their positions, or worse, my friend who is about to be in that position on January 3, 2012.  How do these men carry themselves, let alone the weight of their equipment and the burdens from their actions? O' Brien claims they cover their emotions, their deepest fears and feelings, in order to move forward and perform in a proper military fashion. Yet even First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross struggled with maintaining authority and control over his mind, his wants, and his desires. If I was apart of Jimmy Cross's group, I can only imagine that I too would bring pictures. For me, pictures are the greatest form of memory. Just looking at an image refills me with emotions from that memorable event. Furthermore, images tell stories. They relive a moment in your past, either good or bad, but always memorable and significant. I wondered if I would bring a dairy, however, I feel I am not one that would sit and take the time to write out my thoughts and feelings. A picture would be able to take my mind to a different place. A part of my brain would disappear from the worries, troubles and hardships of the war and be able to re-experience a moment in my old life by just glimpsing at a picture. What the pictures would be of, I do not know. Perhaps me smiling with friends and loved ones, to help remind me during hard times that smiling is the greatest cure. Perhaps a hero in my life, one that can help me keep moving forward in order to achieve my goals, hopes and dreams. It was rather difficult to read this story as I constantly thought about my friend leaving in two months. Experiencing the unknown, perhaps he too will be carrying his hidden fear. Will his letters be somber as he will be able to openly express his emotions to me rather than his crew? Or will he too try to cover up his fears in his letters, ultimately trying to create a persona of strength and dignity; however, after reading this story, it is quite apparent just how much these men think about, concern themselves over and yearn for.

Journal Posting #13. Living the American Dream?

"The evil spirit laughed within me when the white flag dropped out of sight, and the hands which furled it hung limp in defeat" (p. 438).

Zitkala-Sa's experience into succumbing to the "American Dream" may seem like a triumphant success as she grew into the American culture. Learning English, gaining a diploma and further expanding her education by willingly choosing college over returning to her home in the plains, Zitkala-Sa's story merely depicts her accomplishment of the American dream. However, looking closer and more intellectually within her text, discrete marks of solitude, despair and regret are discovered as she earns for her previous life before the culture shock she received. Although she laughed after winning against those who ridiculed her race with a white flag, her "evil spirit" took control of her. Knowingly she knew this new attitude and vengefulness came from the American culture. The pleasure she gains from watching these people hang their flag, "limp in defeat" depicts too much the views of Americans who gain similar pleasure in succeeding or winning. America is based on success and overcoming the unthinkable. Zitkala-Sa did just that within the culture as well. She overcame the unthinkable within her Native society and abandoned her mother and home life for education and prosperity. Furthermore, she overcame the discrimination from these people, yet her evil spirit filled her with satisfaction as the defeated them. With thoughts of regret and remorse towards leaving her home town, Zitkala-Sa truly accomplished the "American Dream," working harder for success and triumph rather than embracing the love and support from family.

Journal Posting #12. Small Steps to Overcome

"As she put me down at the entrance of the schoolhouse, I shrank from its doors, with that immediate and strange dead of the unknown so common to childhood."

We've all been there. That moment of uncertainty, no confidence and completely unsure of what the future holds. Perhaps it's the first day of school, as you stare wide-eyed and petrified by the big yellow vehicle taking you away from your mother, as if you are never seeing her again. Those horrifying bus doors open with a screeching noise, and the fear of uncertainty overcomes you. In this sentence, I felt a further dictation than just her experience of the first day of school. This was the beginning of her future. She was uncertain of what was going to come, as Kaikai "put [her] down at the entrance," she will no longer be comforted by a more knowledgeable presence. This figure, "tall, stout" and large, emphasizes that protection Liliuokalani has had from the beginning of her life. However, she immediately "shrank fro its doors," as her future became too overwhelming to her with no certainty of what lies behind those doors. That "strange dread of the unknown so common to childhood," indicates her fear of what her next moves will be. No one is ever certain of the direction their life will go. One day, life may be the most amazing, unbelievable, and overwhelming experience; yet tomorrow may hold emotions and incidents so wretched to contemplate, but no one ever knows. I feel we are always experiencing that uncertain moment, when we shrink from the doors and are filled with countless tests to learn and live by. Constantly we are living in our childhood world, where we feel smaller than we truly are in order to overcome life's struggles. Similarly, Hawaii, though scattered and small compared to the cohesive United States, was faced with the struggle of overcoming the Treaty and learning to represent themselves, no matter how small they were.