United as one the Environment and I

“ All ethics so far evolved rest upon a single premise: that the individual is a member of a community of interdependent parts. His instincts prompt him to compete for his place in that community, but his ethics prompt him also to co-operate. The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, water, plants, and animals, or collectively: the land.” ( Leopold 907)

How to deal with the environment and the impact it has on individuals have been much debated on over the last century. Morally and ethically humans knew it was wrong to harm another species, yet for as long as we have ruled as the powerhouse of the kingdom, many species such as animals, planets, and even the environment have been in the impending downfall of our actions.

As Aldo Leopold states in his excerpt “The Land Ethic” humans should be more resourceful and thoughtful when making decisions that have a direct impact on the environment. He clarifies the role in which individuals should play and the relationship we should have with the environment. We need to co-exist and co-operate as Leopold states with our surroundings and the environment for a healthy and peaceful resolution to occur. We need to start seeing the land and our environment with the same compassion we have for our communities.

Over the century I can say that sadly this has not happened and I agree that we need to treat others including the land and environment with the same respect we would like to be treated ourselves. Our tiny action can cause catastrophic outcomes, and keeping that in the back of our mind can lead to the prevention of these events. What many don't consider is our world will not stay beautiful and pristine forever if actions like deforestation and mass extinction of species continue. The level of seriousness for this problem has become an understatement, it is no longer about informing and hoping people follow, it is about promoting effective actions to start now.

I find that the environment in danger to be a new concept, we are used to hearing animals or plants in danger. In reality, the environment is in danger, and it is our thoughtless and naive actions that lead to the endangerment of the environment. We have inadvertently turned a blind eye to a climactic situation such as the extinction of animals/plants and climate change, hoping that these problems will fix itself. It’s time for a wake-up call, we need to actively be trying to form better habits when it comes to our environment and treat it with better care because if we don't clean the mess we made who will.

Me and My "Englishes"

My family is a big melting pot of different languages. That may sound funny, but when your first cousins speak only english, your aunt speaks spanish, and your niece speaks nepali, you get the hang of adjusting to your surrounding. My parents grew up in Nepal, where there is 123 different languages,out of that, my parents understand and fluently speak at least five as well as English. As a child I would hear my parents speak Nepali, while my aunt would laugh and accidently insert some spanish slang and my cousin and I spoke English. I grew up to understand and speak Nepali, (apparently with a prominent American accent, but I choose to believe that I speak fairly well), but unlike Amy Tan there was not a drastic difference in my English when speaking to my parents. While my parents would speak in Nepali to each other, they would speak in English with my brother and I. Other things aside, my big and diverse family loved reunions and get togethers, anything that would put the Thapa Family under one roof. When these special occasions occured, I would be surrounded by different languages and religions, however even though there were differences, we all spoke english with one another.The combination was weirdly comfortable for me, but one thing that stood out was how I spoke Nepali with adults and elders compared to people younger than me. There is a certain way in which you should address adults, in Nepal there is formal and informal language that is directed towards a specific groups of people. When speaking with adults I have to switch my Nepali to a formal communications, however with kids and peers younger than me I speak informal Nepal. This holds true English as well, just not as intense as Nepali, where a mix in formality can be interpreted as disrespect. At school, my english changes based on the person I am talking to, If I am talking to a teacher I will speak in a formal way, in contrast when I speak to friends I speak informally. I have learned to adjust to my surroundings and change my way of speaking so it is appropriate.

My “Englishes” give me very different personas as it really depends on the context and the people I am speaking with. At home with my direct family, I speak with a mix of formal and informal, I still joke around and add slangs but am more respectful to my parents. In comparison, when speaking to my friends and texting I speak very informally, and use “text language” with slang and shortcuts and with teachers, I speak formal English. Likewise, when I am speaking to a stranger I use formal English, but as I gradually get closer to someone I start to use informal English. English gives an individual power to communicate the appropriate message to people around you. However, it is important that there is a balance between these two ways of speaking. One must possess both formal and informal english to properly communicate with different people.

The Writing Reflection

In the beginning of the year, my writing lacked many qualities and was something I could improve. My thesis and analysis was one of the major challenges that I had encountered. Especially the analysis, I found that most of my essays and quick writes failed to answer the crucial question, “Why was this important?”. Not having that question answered in my writing made my essays sound amateur. I could pull all the evidence I needed but when it came time to explain why I did so, I could not answer it. Because of this my score was lower than I would have liked it to be. To improve my writing, I frequently asked others to read my writing out loud, that way I could hear anything that was wrong or not how I intended it to be. This method helped me determine where I should focus on and what I should fix. Gradually, my scores on my essays and quick writes improved and my overall confidence in writing also improved. 

After having more experience in writing, my thesis is more concise and focused. I can see that it sounds more professional, but also more focused and well rounded. However, I can still improve more on my reasoning and analysis but I am happy that there is was an improvement. To achieve my goal, I need to ask myself the central question of why? That way my audience will understand what my thought process is, and give an explanation to my writings significance. I am most proud of my argumentative quick write and Satire Quick write. For my argumentative quick writer, my position on the topic was clear, and my word choice was improved from the beginning of the year. The Satire quick write was also an assignment that I was proud of, it shows my improvements and all the skills that I have accumulated over the year. In this quick write, I had a clear and concise thesis along with good analysis that supported and strengthen my claim and evidence. To develop my writing even further, I need to practice more. The more feedback I receive the more I can grow and improve as a writer.

If I were A Man

I belong to a classification of people known as Women.

I am a Women. And with that title, there are many responsibilities. These responsibilities, however, differ from men. I was talking to some of my friends not too long ago, and one of my friends was telling me about his life, his struggles, and his actions. He was fresh out of a break-up with a girl he thought was “the one”, so to help him ease his pain, he and his buddies decided to party until the sun came up. I laughed at that and said I would call him later that night. That day when I left, I had a lot on my mind, when I got home it was past five and I was tired so I decided to take a nap. But a question came to mind, what would it be like to be a man. What would I do as a man?

If I were a man I wouldn’t care about how sloppy I am, I would roll out of bed and go about my daily routine. I wouldn’t have to worry about what the other guys may think if my hair looks bad if my outfit today matches my shoes, or the pressure to look presentable. If I were a man, I would eat whatever I wanted, and hit the gym with my buddies later. Because there would be no pressure to maintain a certain body shape. 

If I were a man, I would be easily qualified for any job regardless of my education, hard work, and my productivity because I am a man. I would be more reliable and hold better ground because men are more product, men are more reliable, men get the job done, men are better. If I were a man, I would have respect and gain higher-end jobs, because I am worthy enough to lead. 

If I were a man, I would be confident, dominant, and assertive, because that’s what men are supposed to. The strong, and independent hero for all women. I would take what I want, and not bat an eye. I would be the leader; my word would be above all else. In a relationship, I wouldn’t have to worry about my partner because she would be lucky to have me. I would always put myself first because what I do matters more, it’s more important…

If I were a man, I wouldn’t be able to show weakness, I wouldn’t be able to express my pain, I wouldn’t be able to cry. Men do not cry, that’s for the weak. If I were a man, I would have to pretend that I am alright, everything is good. Because no one can know that I need help. If I were a man, my job would have to support my family, “I would like to go back to school so that I can become economically independent, support myself...support those dependent upon me” (Judy Brady) and in a relationship, I would have to act dominant and assertive because that’s what is expected of me. If I were a man, I would be expected to look and act like the tough guys in movies, magazines, articles, stories. Because otherwise, I would be considered a wimp, or not good even when compared with other men who are more refined and look and act the part of strong men. If I were a man, I would be pressured to be a leader, independent, strong, dominant, assertive. To be a man.  

Who Would Want to Be a Man? 



It was past seven when I woke up, I reached for my phone and called my friend who just broke up with his girlfriend. 

“Hey, it’s me, how are you holding up?” I asked

“I’m fine... I’m ok, I’m alright” He replied with a sigh

All you need to know about the ending of Crucible

Have you ever been so into a book, so captivated, that when you are close to finishing, you are anticipating the most glorious, most riveting conclusion ever! Well, let me tell you, Arthur Miller did just that when writing The Crucible, but the ending may not be the one we hoped for. The play was famous for discussing many important topics like the extent of power for any individual and conformity to social norms. During that time period, America was also in a turmoil,  the red scare and McCarthyism were prominent, and many African Americans were speaking out against discrimination as the civil rights movement progressed. The Red Scare can be described as a period of time where widespread fear and hysteria among Americans were caused by the idea that communism might spread. McCarthyism was a result of the increasing hysteria in America. Joseph McCarthy, a politician used this fear to elevate his status by accusing people of being communist based on their beliefs. As a result of these accusations, many that were accused were out of jobs and shunned from society (hint hint, does this remind you of something, maybe a certain play). The Crucible similarly discusses the power of fear and the ability it has to make people conform to society.  Going back to the play and its ending, the most frustrating part about the whole ordeal, is not Abigail, or the uselessness of Mary Warren(you had one job Mary, one job), but the strangely didactic, and completely infuriating ending.

(spoiler alert ahead, warning! ) The events leading up to the endings consists of Abigail accusing people and stating she “saw Sarah Good with the devil” and many others ( 904-905 Miller). This leads to the creation of the court, whose main purpose is to try and cleanse the community of any witches with the help of Abigail and her friends. Towards the end, Proctor is called in for questioning, he tells the truth about Abigail and his affair, and her confession that she was lying about seeing the devil. What is expected is that the court would holds Proctor to his word, and realize the absurdity of their wrong actions, however that is very much not what happens. Proctor ends up dying and this begs the question, what was the purpose behind his death, and why couldn't Miller give us the ending we wanted! The Crucible was based on a real life event, which made the ending even more lamentable. In many ways, Miller’s ending of The Crucible reflects the position of the accused back in the 1960s. More so, the death of John Proctor signifies the importance of the truth, and the power of social conformity and peer pressure. Even after many decades our society still faces the issue of conformity. It is human nature to follow the population, the herd if you will, because we use these norms to guide and direct our decisions in life. On the other hand, it is our nature to be independent, and want our own voices to be heard within the crowd. There are two sides to the coin, should we conform and be accepted into a society where maybe the wrong answer is considered right, or should we speak out and address the wrong, knowing it will only outcast us from the community. This complex relation of individualism versus conformity are the building blocks to decisions humans make. These decisions were what all the characters in The Crucible had to face at one point when decided to be the accused or the accuser. John Proctor's death signifies the winning decision in the end, Proctor chose to speak out and not conform to society. Do you think it was wise of Proctor to have a martyr's death, or should he have lived and helped his family, who he left behind? 

Salem Witch Trail, and Could it Happen Again

For better or worse, America has been through the trend of paranoia and throwing accusations left and right. Our history has had some dark times regarding hysteria and it may be because of the lack of knowledge from the general people. Blaming and accusing is one of the ways we tend to deal with issues that we do not understand. The Salem Witch trails will go down in history as an event that has the most baseless accusations. Bear in mind, Puritans considered an individual a witch if one floats in water, the notion now is very amusing, but at the time it was life or death for an individual.

As hard as it is to understand how the Salem witch trials happened, it is not the first time it has occurred, and there is no doubt it will be the last. In the few decades after the Salem Witch Trials, there have been countless historic events that are very similar, relating to mass fear. The anti-German sentiment, which was the fear of Germany, and the general German culture and language was brought about by the notion that "Germans were bad because America is fighting them". Americans tend to see things through a bais lense, and like many other countries, we have pride in our own people and nation. However, there is a degree to which this pride becomes our Achilles' heel. For instances, the onslaught of discrimination for Germans and their culture was mainly because of World War 1. At the time of World War 1, America’s opposing team was the Germans, the fear and hysteria was an added factor to the tension growing for the war. When the Zimmerman Telegram was discovered there was even more hysteria, new propaganda was created by news outlets to discredit and scare the people into fearing Germans. Many of the German-Americans living in America were outcasted, humiliated and thrown to jail. Alongside that, there was McCarthyism, Red Scare, Anti-Japanese champagne, and more. What all these events have in common is the fact that there was a lot of blaming and false accusations, however, there was no need for it. McCarthyism by definition is “a vociferous campaign against alleged communists in the US government and other institutions carried out under Senator Joseph McCarthy ”, this rise of hysteria was caused by the fear of communism through postwar. Joseph McCarthy used the hysteria during the time period for his own benefit. He was viewed as a respectable man trying to better the community, but in reality, he was hunting people who either opposed him or wronged him. It spread quickly when there were many other individuals who also started to accuse others of believing in communism or being a spy.

What I find striking is the similarities between McCarthyism, Anti-German Sentiment, and the Salem Witch Trials regarding mass fear. It is hard to think that The Salem Witch Trail could happen again because the faults and wrongdoings are clear within the text, but maybe it really could. The only real cause of all these mass paranoia was the fact that people were afraid of the unknown. McCarthyism was led by the belief of communism spreading towards America, this was unnecessary considering the reprisal it was receiving. There was no need for the fear of communism spreading with all the hatred it was received by the masses. The same thing goes for Anti-German sentiment and the Red Scare era, these events were the snowball effect of a person or a group of individuals who were influencing the public opinion. So, back to the Salem Witch trial, could it really happen again? The events after prove that the Salem Witch Trail can happen, and have happened. There are many possibilities that our community will look at something different and consider it a threat because of the lack of knowledge for the topic. This is essentially what occurred during the Witch Trails, the individuals who were thought to be unique and different from the rest were outcasted and named a witch. Individuals who valued certain morals and ideologies were compared to the general public and ostracized for their differences. In many ways, society is still viewing differences as a threat, the first instinct is to scrutinize those unique aspects of an individual or group rather than understand it.  

Christopher Columbus looks like the meme of the baby with painted eyebrows.

Long before the every so popular Christaphor Columbus came to South America, thinking it was India, there were Natives. Native Americans that rules over the high lands of America, and had every right to that land. However, as all of you know Christopher Columbus sailed the big blue sea in search of Indian spices and gold that was much wanted in that time period. The lack of information and knowledge of the world would lead Columbus to some Caribbean islands, now known as the Bahamas, and South America. The big lesson learned here is that Christopher Columbus never did set foot on the North of America, nor did find India and all the gold and spices it had to offer.

So why exactly do we have a Columbus Day, when the founding of America; the land of opportunities was never discovered by Columbus? Why in this day and age is there no celebration for the Native Americans, that had to relocate and surrender their homes to the colonists?

I realized with a start that educational lessons taught in school can be wrong, mostly that which pertains to our history. Throughout elementary school, middle school, and high school, the topic of history has always been taught and mandatory. The adventurous, story-like lessons on Christopher Columbus has created an extraordinary character of who Columbus might be. But, the fact is Christopher Columbus was not the hero of the story, nor did he help in any way to directly contribute to lead America into the right path. The history of our country can in many ways change the way we see certain things and come to understand how and why America came to be. And for the most part, it is really interesting to hear about life when long dresses and horses were in fashion. But seriously, let's get real here, isn't wearing ankle length dresses a hassle, anyway back to the topic. We are only looking at a one-sided mirror, and can only know one side of the story. Like Sherman Alexie said its time to “ tell the truth” (Source 1) about Native Americans and ask the more urgent questions. How were the Native Americans affected by the age of exploration? And how did manifest destiny restrict their lives?

The concept of Columbus Day was to express the age of exploration, but there is a whole other story from the Native Americans that have never been brought to light. “ A lot of crimes were committed against the natives and indigenous people that we should be aware of “ (Source 4) is the next big thing that we should all be talking about. The idea of having an Indigenous people’s day recognizes the pain and suffering that Native Americans had to go through during the age of exploration. Anywho, have you seen Christopher Columbus, he looks like that meme of the baby with painted eyebrows.

(Ok, so it might just be me, but this is what I envision Columbus looked like when he discovered "India" ps. actually South America )