Blog #2 Parenting

Parents in 2012 should parent their children with restraint yet have restrictions.  Children of 2012 are the future, they shouldn't be trapped inside with so many pointless rules that are only going to drive them to rebel.  Children of 2012 are to think outside of the box but are shut down by parents and authorities for not being appropriate or out of guidelines.  But isn't that the point?  Parents of 2012 need to learn to give their children space.  I strongly emphasize this because my parents know nothing about space and trust.  I am constantly looked down upon and expected to do exactly what they tell me to do and when to do it.  They never let me go out into the world on my own to even put their values to use.  So to all parents, not just my own, need to learn to balance between having reasonable guidelines and restriction.  If I were a parent, the number one rule I'd give my child to follow is "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."  Due to my childhood and imprisonment, that rule pretty much sums everything up.  I would clarify certain things in situations that I'd had to.  Other than that, the world is their oyster.  My child would learn from the beginning not to take their privileges for granted and for that, they'll be rewarded with space and trust.  The standards that I would strongly impose is to be respectful, civilized, and polite.  With that, I'd expect my child to make sure that school comes first before activities and fun.  All in all, if I were a parent, I'd want my child to know what to expect in the world and be ready for it when they're out on their on.  While they're young, they'll be able to come back to me for help or an explanation and I'd be there to give it to them.  I think having a good relationship with your child is key to the way they'll turn out when they get older.  More parents, and definitely parents of 2012, need to recognize that fact.

Blog #1 Race-relations

Race-relations today are not as drastic as they were back in the day but they still unfortunately exist.  Certain states and even just specific cities, including Pennsylvania, still have a strong discrimination against African-Americans.  The good news is that slavery has been abolished in America a long time ago, yet, some races are still looked down upon.  My personal experience with the race-relations in our society today has never been anything out of my liking.  To be honest, everywhere I go, whether I'm at the grocery store or the mall, it puts a smile on my face to see all races in one place without "special attention".  When I say races I mean:  Whites, Blacks, Indians, Asians, and Mexicans.  Although me being African-American could have an effect on me to be resentful or hateful towards Whites, I like to treat everyone with respect and equal.  Some important issues I still happen to come across are rude and ignorant racial posts on the internet.  Whether it's on YouTube, Google, Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr, some people mindlessly, sometimes purposefully, post something to offend another race.  I'd say that's an important issue because not everybody can brush off and ignore some of the things that are said or symbolically offensive.  It's never bothered me personally, but the thing that has the most impact is how other people react to it; I'm shocked every time.  But, it is the internet and people search the web at their own will and should expect posts, pictures, or websites like that to pop up.  All in all, in public where everybody is face-to-face, rather than having a computer between them, race-relations are in seemingly peace for the most part.