Forgotten Patriotism

There are 11 National Holidays that are celebrated in the United States.

As proud Americans, we celebrate each holiday in the same patriotic manner: by indulging ourselves in the sales each holiday brings.

What does Memorial Day mean? For remembering the brave soldiers fallen for our country? Of course not. I am just excited for the amazing sale at Best Buy.

How about Thanksgiving Day? Shouldn't we be expressing our gratefulness for this life?

Gosh no. I'm ready for Black Friday.

In the past 10 years, holidays have essentially completely lost their meaning. The general masses celebrate them without remembering their initial meaning. However, when they are celebrated, the holiday has a unique meaning for each individual.

For many Americans, Independence Day, or the Fourth of July, is the most momentous day of the year. We have barbecues and enjoy the effervescent fireworks. For that one day, we pride ourselves on being the most patriotic patriots we can be. For that one day, we are proud Americans celebrating the day when we understood that "all men are created equal" (Jefferson).

On the other hand, some Americans feel lost on this so-called "momentous" day. Neither do they feel patriotic nor do they feel proud. African Americans and Native Americans could not feel any more out of place on this celebratory day. 

Even as all men were finally considered equal, these two groups were kicked of the pedestal of equality and were forced to look above to see the ideal American. 

For years after independence, Native Americans and African Americans alike were abused and denied their "unalienable rights" (Jefferson).

So what is the meaning of the July Fourth for a minority?

It's just another day in the calendar. Another day of forgotten patriotism. 

What does it mean for you?

It's Not Always Black and White

What is the truth and what is a lie?
From an early age, we have been told what's the truth and what is not. 
Me always struggling in math is a truth, but devastatingly enough, the phenomena of Santa Claus is not. 
Truth and Lie. Have always been Black and White. 
One can never be the other, but one can never exist without the other. 
Sadly enough... much of my original thoughts about these two were brought to the test when thought of as truth and fiction
Quite honestly I always thought everything was a bit overanalyzed in English classes. I mean we invest more time dissecting a book and figuring out the author's motive than probably the author did himself
But this time, surprisingly enough, analyzing The Things They Carried actually made sense

This book, I'll admit, wasn't so bad at first like it was kind of boring but it was no Huckleberry Finn (Sorry Mr. Twain)
But once Tim O'Brien said that almost everything he said was just fiction, I literally had to put my book down and walk away 
Like that's just not okay

But then I realized that I spent 170 pages reading a book and just assuming that just because the character's name was also O'Brien, it would be non-fiction 
And if I had accidentally missed that chapter or not read it carefully, I would have always continued to think it was non-fiction
I mean how could I not... "When she was nine, my daughter Kathleen asked if I had ever killed anyone... 'You keep writing these war stories... so I guessed you must've killed someone'" (O'Brien 135). It makes complete sense. O'Brien was in the war and now he's a writer- both the character and in real life- but I was so very wrong. 

Looking back at the book now, there are definitely some things I can agree to:
1. one man's truth can be another man's fiction: two people can perceive the same event in totally different ways and both think they know the truth (trust me, I also feel like I know nothing now) 
2. there are some definite truths (this blog is due by 5 am, no exception) but also somethings that will never be resolved (I'm still working on being okay with that)

That's all for now.