Blog November 2, 2011

Paul Tough stated that Geoffrey Canada wanted everyone to do well, in that selecting some children to succeed, and letting the rest fall though the cracks was a bad thing.
"It was partly a gut feeling, a personal thing: he had always hated the idea pf picking and choosing, helping some kids and letting the rest fail" (Tough, 4).
Four pages later however, this idea is blatantly contradicted.
"...the only students Canada really wanted in his school were from central Harlem..."(Tough, 8)
While it is impossible to make sure that every child is given the best education possible, I ind fault in those who say they wish to help everyone, and then only help those who are expected to fail.
In helping only the children from Harlem, a certain message come across essentially saying that if you don't live in Harlem, you don't need help, and if you do live in Harlem, you are going to fail if you don't get help.

Who did he want to help?
He wanted to help poor children.
What was his goal for them?
He wanted them to be able to grow into fully functioning participants in mainstream American middle-class life.
What did they need to do to accomplish that?
They had to survive adolescence, graduate from high school, get into college, and graduate from college.
(Tough, 3-4)

Who deserves help?
Those who are willing to help themselves.
What is the goal for them?
To be fully functioning, healthy, and happy members of society.
What do they need to do to accomplish that?
They have to survive adolescence, graduate from high school, get into college, graduate from college, get a job doing what they enjoy doing, and maintain healthy and stable relationships with those around them.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/53313483@N03/5248666390/
http://library.lclark.edu/projects/graffiti/index.php?state=images&p=worktype&v=poster

I found this image on the Lewis and Clark Street Art Project.
I like is because it uses play on words to make a point.
The text says: "Graffiti is a Crime. Sanctioned Graffiti is a Crime against Humanity."
I agree with this. Graffiti is illegal, but most people do it to make a point. The second an act like that becomes sanctioned, or expecteed, the weight behind the message is lessened.
The point of graffiti is to be daring, dangerous, and to make a statement.