Is it really Protecting and Serving?

Police officers are responsible for the detection and prevention of many crimes. They are also suppose to maintain public order, not disturb it. Police men and women have taken oaths, to serve the citizens, support human rights, and present equal respect to all people. They swear to keep and preserve peace. How are they doing their jobs correctly if the citizens are uncomfortable and scared of the law? It has been shown throughout the media that many police officers abuse their power and have made repetitive harmful actions against citizens. While most of them are doing this, there are very few unique officers that do their jobs correctly and should be rewarded for their efforts. Popular cases such as: Sammy Yatim, Michael Brown, Josee Valiquette, and Robert Dziekanski show unplanned and poorly thought out actions that lead to their deaths, leaving broken-hearted familes and friends, and millions of people furious accusing police of police brutality and/or murderers. This just isn't right and it's not just the famous cases on the media, it is happening to many citizens. Some of them are even unarmed! Over the trials of all these cases, some are let go and dropped of charges, making the families even more angry because there was no justice being served. What we as the people of the government need to discuss with the police committee is that, there needs to be improved training and stronger consequences for mistakes and actions that are not well thought out. It is just unprofessional to not think over the situation and rather go out, guns blazing and taking the lives of other human beings who most likely, have loving families that cares for them. The reason why we need improved training is because we need more police officer's to think before doing. It would be beneficial to both citizens and the police force by training an officers reaction to different situations and what to make best out of it. We also need to have stronger consequences for the police officers who has taken the lives of another human being. It is never right to end someone's life and should not be encouraged. 

Don't Stop, But Keep Moving Forward

"The future rewards those who press on. I don't have time to feel sorry for myself. I don't have time to complain. I'm going to press on." - Barack Obama (President of the USA)
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Throughout my years in high school, I learned many things and enjoyed many courses. Although I am in charge of my own future, education and career path, I struggle at times. I experienced a moment where I didn't know what to do with my life, what courses I wanted to take and what career best suits me or what was interesting to pursue. I complained and felt sorry for myself cause I was lost and just stopped trying. The realization hit me straight in the face. I just can't give up and whine. Giving up and complaining about it doesn't change anything or make progress. It's putting in the effort and perseverance. Now I am trying and giving one hundred and ten percent in everything I am involved in.

Where Dr. Winegard Stands for Soldiers

During the Remembrance Day Ceremony at the Sleeman Centre, Dr. Winegard told everyone about the lives lost separately from the Afghanistan conflict. He said that we as a country lost more soldiers to suicide following their tour of duties in Afghanistan than the war in Afghanistan itself. From the citizen's perspective, we think about the soldiers serving and protecting are healthy, physically and mentally; thinking that the government is doing a fine job for Canada and its soldiers. In reality, they're going through hard times after their duties. The trauma to most soldiers experience, triggers a condition called Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD). Horrific events such as our soldiers and enemy soldiers dying, blood, gunshots, screams and explosions, all inflict damage to the soldier's mind. After developing PTSD, It is hard for the soldier to deal with it by them self and the would need assistance to get through it.  Dr. Winegard stressed about this problem specifically. He said that the government is doing nothing but abandoning soldiers and their families, leaving them to survive on their own with the physical and mental issues caused by the war. This is not acceptable. All soldiers want to live their lives normally when they return but can't because of PTSD. The soldiers that would risk their lives for Canada are being ignored by the government when they need assistance. I believe the government should give compensation to the soldiers in need and show some gratitude for their efforts. I support Dr. Winegard fully and want justice for the soldiers and their families.

Never Too Old For Halloween Fun!

Some say when you reach a certain age or grade, you're too old for Halloween or specifically Trick-or-Treating for those free yet delicious unhealthy treats that you crave for such a long time. I would disagree with that kind of statement. Halloween is a time where everyone from all ages can dress up to be whoever they want to be, there is no limits! Anyone can dress up as a TV, comic, movie, or game character and simply enjoy the fun of wearing a costume for a day instead of everyday clothes. Others can choose to give candy away to children and view the various costumes they wear when asking for the unhealthy sweets! The reputation for Halloween is partly ruined because of the day before Halloween. October 30 is Devil's Night. This day is where all the mischievous people come out and create havoc to other peoples homes by Egging, Tee-peeing,  and other ways of damaging properties. As long as people don't choose to part take in Devil's Night, Halloween overall is about clean family/friendly fun and is allowed for all ages!  

  

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Poetry and Understanding it

What poetry means to me, is that it is a way to speak out in many ways; such as rhyming, free styling, or haiku's while adding emotion and powerful words that makes the audience more attentive. It's either showing the message up close and front, or making the message discreet within the lines for the audience or reader to puzzle the pieces and find out what the poem means. I learned that many poems can be interpreted differently in ways more than one, through different points of views. The structure of poetry also showed me beauty within creating different poems on different topics. It can go from making a stair cased poem, to a waterfall like poem, a poem that doesn't have much punctuation, or making the poem have capitals in the beginning of each line or not. I feel that this unit showed me to be more creative than other units throughout this course.

A poem that caught my attention was from the movie "The Grey" starring Liam Neeson.

Once more into the Fray
-Jon Treloar

Once more into the Fray...
Into the last good fight I'll ever know.
Live and die on this day...
Live and die on this day...  

Education and the students

Education is core in life. To me, learning is a great way to expand the mind and prepare students for the real world. That being said, it really depends on the student's attitude towards learning and how enthusiastic the teacher is. What I mean about the student's attitude is how interested they are in the subject or course. If they're really interested, what I think they would do is enjoy the class, have a positive attitude towards learning that subject and are willing to make the mistakes, learn from those mistakes and keep moving forward in their education. For the teachers, it's really their attitude towards teaching the student and subject with the high level of education they have been taught by their professors in order to become a teacher in that subject. In conclusion, education is great if the students are engaged in the subject/course that they enjoy in and if the teachers can have a great attitude towards teaching students and the subject.

Writer's Quote

Oprah Winfrey. She was born in January 29, 1954. Throughout her life she has been an American television host, actress, producer, philanthropist and entrepreneur. She hosts a show called, "The Oprah Winfrey Show." It is known for interviews with celebrities and discussions of social issues. Although it seems like she has a great life going on and all, she had a rough past; being raped at the age of nine and became pregnant at 14. What's even worse is, her child died in infancy. Aside from all of that, today she is a successful person making a difference in the world.

"When there is no struggle, there is no strength." -Oprah Winfrey.

What this quote means to me is something powerful and says a lot about grit, and having the will to keep going. To be good or strong at something, you must first struggle through it. Eventually, if you keep striving to try and become greater at something, that is the strength you are building at what you want to learn. Something I can relate to this quote is that I want to become better at the guitar, and improve my writing. What will happen is that I will struggle, but if I keep at it, then I will become better.

A Letter of Gratitude

Dear Mitch,

What else can I say about you? You're a great friend. Someone who is truthful, cheerful and different than the average person. I chose you because Mitch, you taught me to be confident and showed me to be myself rather than being shy or be someone else who I am not. You were my first musically talented friend. I always dreamed about playing the guitar, and you encouraged me to do so. You inspire me to be a musician, and with that, I feel like I am at peace with the music I learn and play. If I hadn't met you, my life would be chaotic and stressful to go through without playing and enjoying music. You're never afraid to be yourself, judge others or do anything to hurt anyone. Overall Mitch, you're a good person at heart. My gratitude towards you is infinite. Thanks for being a great friend to me.

Banning Books? Outrageous!

Should books be banned? Absolutely not. In the video "Banned Book Week: 13 Authors Speak Out" shows us thirteen Authors who tells us that banning books is something that shouldn't happen. Brian Garfield, one of the Authors shown in this video said, "If you don't want to read it, don't read it," and laughs right after. I couldn't agree more with him. What I think Brian is saying is that, if you don't enjoy reading or don't enjoy reading a certain type of genre/series, don't read it. No one is forcing you to read anything that you dislike.  I for one don't read as much as others, but the idea of banning books or censoring it because of certain content within a book, series, genre or how it is written is idiotic. Another Author shown in the video, Walter Mosley said, "This sounds ridiculous to me. It's like banning thoughts, banning ideas, banning people." Walter is correct. Banning thoughts, ideas and people is like banning free will and the right to speak. People write books because they either enjoy writing them, it sends a message out to the public, shows entertainment, presents moral ideas, defines people in the world or the Author them self in a experience and such that if you are interested in reading, read your heart out. Repeating this again, no one is making you read, Unless it's English and you're taking up a novel approved by the school board for learning or a ISU. Every type of book should be available to read. Whether it is a violent genre, horrific genre, to a more in-depth and scientific or religious genre that presents an idea or perspective, it is writing and someone wrote that and spent their own time making it. There are no rules for which books are to be banned and which are not. There is just personal choice in whether you don't want to read a specific genre or series. Joseph Caldwell, a third Author out of the thirteen in the video said about the banning of books, ".. if you censor it, what you're doing is that you are reducing the human identity... and that is a very grave crime." He said this beautifully. What I interpret from that is, you mask or hide what is someone's identity. That is inequality and silencing a voice in the world. A Human, a Author, and it is, in fact a crime in my books.

TED Talks: Angela Lee Duckworth Explains Grit

In the video "The key to success? Grit", Angela Lee Duckworth tells us about how she found out what was the key point in being successful in life. She started off as a teacher, teaching seventh grade mathematics in the New York city public school. After all the term work, she then calculated grades from her students. The results were shocking. Her smartest students weren't doing so well; on the other hand, the hardworking students didn't have the best grades. This means that IQ wasn't the only difference between her best and her worst students. I don't think there are any students that would be named "worst student", they're just not as successful like the others but are working at getting better. In a motivational perspective and a psychological one, Angela believes that grit is the predictor to success in all things. If you work hard and long enough, you will succeed! Angela left and became a psychologist to further investigate her idea of what makes someone successful. From here Angela worked with a team of other psychologists. She worked and experimented with people ranging from children to adults; putting them in all difficult settings and see who would succeed and prevail. Angela always asking herself while conducting the experiment, "who is successful here and why"? In the end, Angela and her team found out a characteristic that stood out the most. Every test they did, that characteristic was shown to be successful. It wasn't talent, social intelligence, physical health, good looks, or (surprisingly) IQ. It was grit. What Angela defines grit as passion and perseverance for very long term goals. I agree with Angela with this concept. This concept is told and taught to us from our families and school. Tell us to work hard and find a career that is best suited for us that we enjoy to do (that's the long term goal part of her definition). Grit is the individual to work towards  something, a goal maybe; and making the possibility a reality. Grit isn't something where you can be lazy, procrastinated or half assed. It's a solid work ethic in which case, deserves to be rewarded with high grades. She says that talent doesn't make success, hard work does, meaning grit is the process in which success will come if you stick at it and keep going. You have to be willing to fail, and start over again. Kicked down, and getting back up. After watching the video, I too am currently working really hard to succeeed. To develop a solid work ethic, and to keep working towards a long term goal. The video was inspiring to watch and is great to learn from.

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. - Thomas A. Edison (http://www.azquotes.com/quote/86500) 

Self Introduction

Who is Jacky Ly? 

Salutation stranger, feel free to twerk or whatever you like to do. Starting off a conversation with three words. The question of identification. I am Jacky Ly. A 17 year old teen that squints his eyes and smiles at you. I am proceeding in the academics in Grade 12 and still deciding on what to be when I graduate after High school. I enjoy writing poems and anything related to poetry, other English assignments such as essays and ISU's  are less enjoyable to me. I'm a musician, I play the guitar, I believe that's the instrument with the black and white keys on a horizontal position right? The ukulele is the second instrument I play. Who wouldn't want to pull out a small guitar and play I'm yours, somewhere over the rainbows and other songs that sends you a picture about Hawaii, the beach, summer, or vacation days? I love being active through playing sports or going to the fitness centre. The sports I enjoy playing are tennis, soccer, and badminton. I'm a friendly and easy to get a long with. I hope we can understand each other and say, we're friends.