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“Yo Sash!”

That’s a typical conversation starter between my best friend Des and I. She had banged on my front door as usual, demanding that I sit outside in 20-degree weather and listen to how well her day went. I complied of course; she always had something interesting to talk about.

            “So we hit up downtown, job huntin’ and what not, and I saw these banging heels!” she stated excitingly.

            “Forreal? I bet they were like 4 inches high or something!” I replied mostly playfully, but seriously as well. Des was awesome at walking and running in heels.

            “Of course they were! Why would I go any lower?”

            “Des, you are insane! Like, I would totally fall after like, 1 step!” After I said that she burst into laughter even more. I cocked my head sideways in confusion. Surely what I just said wasn’t that funny. She glanced at the expression my face held and laughed even harder.

            “Des! What is so funny?!” She finally settled down, and gave me a reply.

            “Wow, even though you do it all the time, I just had to laugh this time. You just be switching from soundin’ real black, to soundin’ real white!” I gave a light laugh and replied,

            “I guess so.” Though in my head, I thought of all the times that I had received a similar comment, “Why do you sound so white?”

            I am a normal girl who grew up in West Philly. The confusing part about it, I look Asian, live in a black neighborhood, but mostly sound white. This often throws people off as soon as they look at me, but then hear me open my mouth. For as long as I can remember, my childhood friends had always made comments like, “You stay sounding white”, but people I meet for the first time are surprised when I tell them that I grew up in West Philly and have lived there for almost of all my life. They often ask me “How you grow up in West Philly, but talk so proper?” I couldn’t give them a good answer, and would reply,

“It’s just the way I speak”.

            One day, I was on Facebook, and my friend Quaron had sent me a message about one of his “Dumb Squirrel” moments in school.

             “Jeez Quaron, you’re SO STUPID!” I wrote to my friend. He replied 5 minutes later with something I had not expected at all.

“ I AM NOT DUMB! I’m so tired of you always calling somebody dumb, like you’re not all that! You think you better than everybody else just cuz you go to a better school and talk all proper! Well you not, and your’re conceited as hell! I mean, we grew up in the same place, and yet here you go thinkin’ you better than somebody! Why? What makes you better than us?!!”

When I read that, my breath was lodged in my throat, and air was desperately trying to enter my lungs; but I wouldn’t let it. I was too busy sitting there, eyes wide, and mouth agape, trying to fathom what I had just read. One of my best friends felt that I had the audacity to believe that was better than the rest of my friends. All because of the way that I spoke! Apparently, that language that you speak, or maybe just the way you speak that language, affects how you are viewed by society! It even affects how your friends view you!. I was trying to think of a good replied, though I was still baffled by this statement? Did I really make him feel like a dumb squirrel?! I had to explain to him that I- in no way- thought that I was better than any them. I told him that I have no reason to think that I’m better than anybody really. I also apologized. But what was I apologizing for? I was definitely not apologizing for the way I speak, but the fact that I made him feel that way. That day, I realized that the language that I spoke determined where I belonged.

 From experiences like these, I was able to analyze how much my language affects those around me. The fact that simple things like the words you use, and how you pronounce them can affect how people categorize you, makes me wonder why I try to fit in anyway. Regardless, if I carry the words I say and how I say them everywhere I go, someone will categorize me. My closest friends have shown that to me already. But they have also shown me that my voice is powerful, and my words have an effect on people, even if that affect is negative. That gives me the strength to continue to speak as I do, without the worry of judgment from others.

 According to James Baldwin, “…It reveals the private identity, and connects one with, or divorces one from the larger, public, or communal identity. ” Baldwin is saying that language can embrace one into a community, or push one away from a community if it’s not accepted. If a certain group wants to be seen a certain way that has to do with their language, you will be separated from that group if you don’t fit into their mold. I agree very much with the quote because I felt that I was being pushed away from the “community” better known as my friends when I was being singled out because of the way I speak our language. They could’ve completely “divorced” me from our circle of friends because I didn’t fit the mold of a teenager living in our neighborhood. Then again, I think that Baldwin is saying that language can be the “mold” for living in a place and looking a certain way. Because how you sound is one of the most immediate ways that a person can judge you, it makes sense that it could be a frame to judge someone by. If this is how Baldwin feels about language, I agree with him very much.

Language is a determinant of a person and their background, as well as a connector or separator of a person from a certain group. My friends prove this to be true. If they had let my language be the factor that divorces me from our clique that would have show how they want to be viewed as a community. But as it turns, out they don’t push me away. Instead, my friends more than accept me. If anything, my ways of speaking are starting to rub off on them! I realize the value of my voice even more, and I plan to continue to use it, no matter who categorizes me. This also shows me the role of language in the world. It can bring people together, or tear them apart.

I just entered my Algebra 2 class as my teacher played whatever random song he had in his iTunes. My classmates and I were doing our daily routine of checking to see if any assignments were given back to us and taking our materials out of our bags.  As I was pulling my binder and pencil out of my bag my friend came to bother me.

“Go away!” I tell him pushing him away.

He laughed and started to tickle me while trying to discreetly steal my binder. I laughed and snatched my binder and screech, “Oh my god! Stop it leave me alone!”
“Oh my god leave me alone,” he mocks still reaching for my binder.
“Stop you're so mean to me.”
Still in that mocking tone he imitates me, “Stoppp.”
“Dude really?”
“Why do you talk like that?” he asks.

Ever since I came back from over seas I’ve been asked this same question over and over again, “Why do you talk like that?” I never have a real response for this question except that it’s just the way I talk. As my friend stares at me while he waits for an answer I just ask him, “Talk like what?” I already know his answer before the words even pass his mouth.

“Like a white girl.”

I don’t take his response as an insult knowing that he didn’t mean it as an insult but just his only way to describe my speech. I thought back to 7^th grade when I first came back from over seas and felt like an outsider among my friends because of how they talked. They talked in higher voices and talked with using words such as “like”, “oh my god”, or “dude” constantly. Speaking like them meant that you were cool and I was in need to make new friends so I decided to speak like them.  Their language was pretty cool and I got a kick out of speaking the “new” generation’s language. My change in language was a permanent change and became a part of who I am.

            Apparently to people I was viewed as white although my skin is brown and my race is African- American. Although what people say, I always thought of myself as African-American. For a while I was confused with why people called me white, but then as I grew I realized what they meant. I didn’t act like how a stereotypical African- American acts: being annoyingly loud, speaks improperly, etc.  I went against my race’s stereotype. Intentionally. It wasn’t because I wanted to become someone I wasn’t but because I wanted to prove those stereotypes wrong. To show that I’m a young educated African- American girl and not a loud, rude, uneducated African-American girl. That I deserved to be respected. I realized that many African- Americans are disrespected because of their language.  My language was created to prove that I’m not what people assumed me to be and to be cool.

As high school came along I was called the “whitest black girl” or when people listened to me talk they or looked through my iTunes they would say I only have white music. My friends not only would say this about me but also my parents.

            In the words of James Baldwin, ”Language incontestably, reveals the speaker,” your language greatly defines who you are. This is how most people think and how many racial stereotypes were created. Even so, what happens to those who do not fit under those stereotypes? Where their likes and dislikes aren’t like everybody else in their race, or where they don’t act like others in their race? I’m one of those people who don’t fit under a racial stereotype so many people try to place me under another stereotype.  The most common one I get placed under is “white.”

            I realize that not many people are not used to not being able to determine your identity by just observing how you talk. Even I am guilty of judging someone and getting confused because they talked differently than their race’s stereotype. Even though many people talk about how I talk and call me something that I’m not, I will continue to talk the way I talk because people need to understand that language isn’t always the key to someone’s identity.

When you look at me

What do you see?

A copper colored girl

Soft and smooth like Barbie

The girl has hazel eyes

And long soft hair

Full bare lips

Boys can’t help but stare

A nice wide smile

And small chucky eyes

When wind is blown through her hair

It looks like it flies

She seems almost perfect

Always happy and smiling

But she’s hurting inside

So her true feelings stay hiding

When you look at me

What do you see

You can' always judge

People by how they loook

Get to know them

And read the pages of their storybook

They might surprise you

The Passion.

The topic I decided to lobby is the government funding of abortions. When brainstorming a topic to lobby, I thought about the things I've fought against in previous classes while completing previous assignments. SLA really gives its students a chance to venture out into the real world to help fight for a particular cause or issue we feel should be changed. My passions lead me to this very topic of the incompetent acts on the government’s behalf. One incompetent act in particular acted as ammunition in my endeavor to help prevent the useless funding of abortions.

The Past.

            In previous blog posts, I’ve listed public officials, direct contacts and  some organizations working towards the same things I, a lobbyist, is working toward. I plan to physically stop government funding to financially remunerate abortion clinics for the destruction of fetuses. The Hyde Amendment, (passed into law by congress in 1976) became the backbone of my topic. This law acts as the foundation upon which I built my argument. Sometimes there are some things we all want to see changed, but laws act as restrictors. To move forward with this fight against abortion funding, I first had to identify what factors would hold me back.  I previously listed all states that abided by the Hyde Amendment, and the states that do not. The states that abide by the law only fund abortions in the case of rape, incest, or if the pregnancy is causing harm to the mother.  The 17 states that do not exercise the Hyde Amendment are the ones I will try my best to reach out to.  The officials of those 17 states will be contacted about the issue. South Dakota is an exception. South Dakota will only allow the government to fund an abortion in cases of life endangerment. District of Columbia is not considered a state in the United State, but its policy is that the government funds abortions along with the 17 states listed below.

The Proclamation.

            I, Taniera N. Reid, promise to do any and everything in my power to see the obliteration of the irresponsible government funding of abortions in the following states:

1.     Alaska

2.      Arizona

3.     California

4.     Connecticut

5.     Hawaii

6.     Illinois

7.     Maryland

8.     Massachusetts

9.     Minnesota

10. Montana

11. New Jersey

12. New Mexico

13. New York

14. Oregon

15. Vermont

16. Washington

17. West Virginia

I, Taniera N. Reid, will also contact any and every person needed to see that Medicaid no longer funds abortions. I will join forces with any and all groups/organizations fighting for the same or a similar cause as the one I am lobbying against today.

 The  Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 was first introduced to the House January 5, 2007, by George Miller. The first thought would be to write his office a letter about how more change needs to be made, but as of January 3, of this year (2011) he is no longer in office. The next person of power who was one of the bills largest supporters that I would write would be Arlen Specter, as well as Chaka Fatah. As they are huge supporters of the bill and they are the senator and state representative of my district. I chose to write a letter because any other method, such as a PSA or ads would be difficult. A PSA would be difficult jus because Id like to show the suffering people go through from lack of income firsthand and I doubt there is anyone who’d like to volunteer their life to be shown on TV. I also feel as though, ads are very ineffective because I myself see a million ads a day, and remember very few of them.

So, I wrote a letter to the Chaka Fatah, as well as Arlen Specter:

“Dear  ____ :

Hello, my name is Alexis Montgomery and I attend Science Leadership Academy. Recently, one of our assignments in our American Government class was to choose a topic we felt strongly bout and lobby it. I chose to lobby Minimum Wage. From the beginning of time, when people decided to start trading money, jewels, valuables, etc in return for labor, one of the biggest issues was the amount of wages the laborer received. This problem had reached such signifigance in the US that the Fair Labor Standards Act was initially introduced to the House in 1938. The Fair Labor Standards Act applies to "employees who are engaged in interstate commerce or in the production of goods for commerce, or who are employed by an enterprise engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce", unless the employer can claim an exemption from coverage. This first act opened the doorway to change in America, from then on every few years, new acts were created to change the amount of wages paid to workers through bills such as the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Department of Defense Authorization Act of 1986, etc.

In 2008, the wages reached an all-time high of $7.25 due to the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007. This change created  a large jump in the poverty line graph from year to year. Although we’ve made such progress, we haven’t made enough. I’m sure your already aware that 15% of the United States lies below the poverty line STILL. Yes, we cant save everyone, but if we can lower that number as much as possible at least we’ve accomplished something.

Through examination of minimum wage, I’ve researched, in the 2009/ 2010 Poverty Guildlines, that the poverty line, or “poverty threshold” in this country for a 3 unit size household is $18, 310. This number, is considering that all three family members work. What about single mothers with children? Even a single mother with two children, who are too young to work, the poverty line would be $10,830. Is that really all a mother and her children can live off? If the minimum wage is $7.25, and the mother works 40 hours a week, she only makes $7,540. That is still $3,290 below the poverty line. How is the minimum wage effective, if this still leaves some people working their tales off, but still coming below the poverty line. I applaud your effort in helping and voting for the Fair Minimum wage Act of 2007 and I ask that you please take this consideration. I hope that you reply to this email.

Alexis Montgomery

Science Leadership Academy

55 N. 22^nd St.

Philadelphia, Pa 19103

(215) 910 0637

Hello, I'm not sure if you got my email but I'm going to send it to you again. My apologies for responding late but you said an volunteer opportunity was "If you have any connections at area grade schools or high schools, let us know; we are always trying to get into schools with our Humane Education Presentations." What does this mean or involve actually? I am asking because I attended Science Leadership Academy and many people here are vegetarian, and not to long a go in a history class was playing a move on how our food is produce and what they do to the animals. So, if you or any of your members of the Humane League would like to come and talk to our school that be grate. Just let me know. Have a blissful rest of the week. 

Sincerely,

Leeann Nguyen. :]

It took Lydia until today to message me back on the topic. She was happy I followed up to make sure she got the email and responded with this email: 

Hi Leanne,

Thanks for following up with me! I did indeed have miss  your earlier email so I appreciate  your reaching out again.

Our Humane Ed presentations   focus on the ethical issues of factory farming and its impact on animals, the environment and human health.  They are free and virtually always get great feedback from students. You can learn a bit more from clicking on the link above.

The most important information we would need from you is the name and contact information of a particular teacher who would be interested in devoting his or her classroom time to one of our presentations. Appropriate teachers might be biology teachers, ethics teachers, social sciences teachers, or perhaps in your case, the history teacher who showed the movie you described. If you can provide a name of someone who would be receptive to the idea of a presentation, let  me know and I will follow up from there.  

If you need any more information or have other questions, contact me!

Thanks again,

Lydia

I'm thrilled she had messaged me back on this matter but a little disappointed in myself that it was to close to the due date to make this an event for people. If I had more time I would have liked Lydia to come in and talk to students that are interested in the topic as well and go and volunteer at an event with her. I should have followed up with my first email sooner then I did. I know that their are a lot of organization out there that deal with animal cruelty that I could also contacted for example PSACA, WSPA, and FoA. I reflect on this and am glad I had the chance to be in contact with Lydia and for her to give me information on what their organization does to help prevent animal cruelty and I wouldn't change my topic, I would just have wished I could have done more. 

Nasir was the biggest bully in the 5^th grade. I didn’t know what he meant so I responded with “Whatchu mean?”

 “I heard you talk like me mane. You talk hood.”

“Uhm Ok?” (But I didn’t understand what he was talking about).  “I do because I’m from the hood.”

          “Well you need to turn dat around cuz I’m da only white boul dat talk black up in here.”

“Yea whatever u say. I talk the way I talk and if you don’t like it we can walk to walk.”

“I was just saying cuz everybody in this jawn think and call you a ‘wanna be.’”

         “Really?”

“Yep just thought you would like to know.”

From then I reacted thoughtfully and feelingly. I felt as though I wasn’t welcomed or wanted. I was pretty much the only kid that didn’t talk to anyone except for when I was doing my work and the teacher called upon me. I didn’t bother talking to anyone because the kids were all rude and whatnot. I already knew how I was and if I got into trouble with anyone it would not be pretty. So I sat aside from everybody. Then I come to find out no one really liked me in the first place. Consequently I reacted like I cared a little bit but not in front of Nasir’s face. While I was talking to him I acted like I didn’t really care but deep down inside I did. I should have just accepted it originally because I shouldn’t care what people would think. The voice is the power of me, and the power of me makes my internal identity wise. This is important because I’m different from the inside to the outer edge of me. I may act tough externally. But I have a sensibility side inside of me. Therefore, my internal identity is the voice and accent I hold. Even though people didn’t buy/accept my speech, it was just my identity. 

In the words of James Baldwin, “The price for this is the acceptance, and achievement, of one’s temporal identity.” He believes that identity is rated from acceptance and achievement. By rated I mean its settled between acceptance and achievement. Voice is the stability of acceptance. Back to my case I accepted my own act but no one else did. My vocals grew into me by the surroundings and areas I live in. I speak “black English” because of some of my brothers, the people I grew up with put together my voice.

 I really don’t care about how I talk anymore, unlike when I was in the 5^th grade. This changed overtime by maturity levels. From starting off caring at a non-mature level to concerning-free at a matured level. I used to feel embarrassed until people started talking to me. Without this characteristic, I wouldn’t be the person I am now. So the way I speak defines who I am and who I am defines the way I speak. Now the way I look at it, as it’s the trait that makes me internally; it makes me feel good to know whom I am!

After a very long night of fun, my cousins, Josh and Joel and I fell fast asleep while trying to stay up all night.

“Hey, wake up. Get up man.”

“Whaaat,” Josh replied in a dying voice.

“I said get up, me and your brother have been up for a while waiting on you. Why are you so tired anyway, we only stayed up until like 6 in the morning.”

“It’s actually your brother and I,” Said Joel in a joking manner. “You have to say it proper, replied Joel while smiling.”

“Oh my bad, didn’t mean to offend you.  Ard, Josh your brother and I have been up waiting for you to get out of your slumber for a while now. I would really appreciate it if you got up,” I said in a proper voice. “Was that proper enough, Joel?”

             “Oh yeah, that was chillin cous,” answered Joel in a joking manner. “YO JOSH, Get yo butt up now, you hear boy.” “I’m not gown tell ya no mow,” screamed Joel in his best southern enunciation. “Get up Now!” roared Joel while hitting Josh with a pillow.

“Oh My God, I’ll get up if you stop talking like that Joel,” Josh grumbled irritated.

“Is my southern accent getting to you boy, didn’t mean it, sometimes it just comes out, like a fart,” Joel said in a kidding manner.

“Oh would you stop already.” “You sound so stupid,” grumbled Josh. 

“Hahahah, I thought it was pretty funny, come on lets get going. I want to check out your area’s mall, haven’t been there yet,” I said.

“Wait, we have to go get Juan. I told him we would go get him,” said Josh.

“Ok, lets go,” replied Joel.

“Who is Juan,” I asked.

“A kid we met at our new school,” answered Josh.

While walking over, the three of us enjoyed some Laughs, talking about all the good times we had on our old block. Knock, knock, knock. The door opens.

“What sup dudes and other dude who I don’t know,” said Juan. 

“Sup,” Josh and Joel replied.

“Hey I’m Jarred, nice to meet you.”

“Hey, I’m Juan, if the twins didn’t already tell you.”  “Lets go out and rock this place.” “Where are we going exactly?” Asked Juan.

“To the mall,” answered Joel.

“Lets go to the Mall, yeah lets rock and roll dudes,” yelled Juan.

“If you haven’t noticed he’s a really hyper guy,” Joel whispered to me.

“Yeah I see DUDE,” I whispered back in a mimicking way. 

We start walking to the mall. All four of us, full of energy, ready to go hang out and seek out girls to talk too. While entering the mall, Juan began to talk again. 

“Oh yeah ladies, Juan has arrived; gentlemen lets get started shall we. Wow, aren’t you modest, I replied.  I try, answered Juan in a goofy way.

We all started laughing.

“Just kidding, Oh yeah I meant to ask you, where are you from, Jarred?” Asked Juan. 

“Philly,” I replied in a nonchalant way.

“Oh just like Josh and Joel, Philadelphia, the city of Brotherly love. Makes sense,” said Juan.

Why does it make sense, I asked.

I don’t know, because you have an accent, just like the twins. You all sound like city boys to me,” answered Juan.  

Just as he spoke those words, in the back of my mind the word accent rang and rang. I thought me, an accent, this guy talks so weird and he claims that we have an accents. Also I thought, I’m from Philadelphia, no one who speak with a Philadelphian dialect has an accent. I couldn’t believe what he was saying, I wasn’t angry, I was just really surprised of the fact that he said we had accents.  I guess me being so accustomed to the way I speak made me feel that I spoke a natural dialect. I thought that everyone who spoke normal, spoke like us (Philadelphians), and if you didn’t you were not normal and you had an accent. I never thought of myself as being the one who sounded different. But then again, when I thought of accent I thought of southerners and their twang.  My closed-minded thoughts of different dialects, kept me believing that “Philadelphia talk”, was the proper way to speak.  But I wasn’t going to change my diction just to fit in this area. The Great writer, Richard Rodriguez said, “ In public, my father and mother spoke a hesitant, accent, not always grammatical English. And they would have to strain their bodies tense to catch the sense of what was rapidly said by los gringos.” His parents changed the way they spoke in order to fit in with a group of people, and that just wasn’t me. I couldn’t image changing the way I speak, think and act because of some kid! My so-called accent was what made me, me, and I wasn’t about to give up my 14 years of “Philly talk”, erase my speech just so I feel more accepted. I thought about it and said to myself, your own dialect helps to express what you feel. It also helps to make you, who you are and I wasn’t about to change, who I was.

“Wow, city boys, really,” replied Joel. 

“You’re the one with the accent, and you talk weird,” said Josh.

“What, no way dude, I totally talk normal, replied Juan shockingly.

“You say dude, like every 5 seconds, now tell me that’s normal,” answered Joel while laughing. 

“Whatever, I’m not the one who can’t pronounce the “ing” part in my words.  I’m “trippin cous”,” Juan said, in a mocking tone.

“Laugh out loud, you’re pretty funny.” “He is right about that, I admit we don’t pronounce all of our words correctly.” “But at least we don’t start off every sentence with ‘Like’ or ‘Dude’.” “‘And like he totally wrecked Dude’,” I replied mocking Juan in a playful manner.”

“Whatever, man hey you don’t even know me,” answered Juan.

“Oh, I was just playing man,” I replied. 

“I know, I’m only kidding. Now lets go hunt some girls,” shouted Juan.

“Oh My Gosh, we are not hunting girls, we are just here to chill, I said.

“Hey speak for yourself,” replied Juan.

We all burst into a loud uproar of laughter while walking and enjoying ourselves in the mall. 

Silver Stream

1/04/2011

The Identity Behind Speech 

“What rice want?” He snapped at me. 

“Pardon?” I asked. 

“What rice you want?” He asked a little louder. 

“Sticky.” I responded after a long pause. 

Besides the obvious facts like that he had Chinese characteristics and worked at a chinese store, you could tell he was from China. The way he spoke brought that out. He wasn’t a typical Asian-American but born and raised in China. Probably came to America as a teenager. He couldn’t have been older then 20. 

I got my food and left, pondering for a while. You could tell a lot by a persons speech. Walking home, I saw some guys standing at the corner. I don’t have a better way of describing them then ‘gangsters’. Oversized jeans closer to the ground then their bottom, boxers hanging out, nike high tops and dark hoodies. 

“Damn, tha jawn bad.” One of them announced, eyeing a woman that was now crossing the street.

“Yo, she hot.” One of the guys agreed with him.

“She ‘ard.” The third smirked. 

“You just salty cause you know you couldn’ land a chick like that.” The first guy teased. 

They were obviously from Philadelphia. Born and raised in the general area. The little bits I heard of the conversation indicated a clear understanding of Philadelphian slang.  Words such as ‘jawn’ and  ‘salty’  aren’t used anywhere else. And their accent sounded it too. Probably from North or West Philly. Not really surprising since I was in West but it was still fascinating how much the way they spoke gave away. It also made me think of who they were trying to be. They wanted to sound tough and chill. Class didn’t matter but they still managed to get across that they owned the place; Just by the tone in their voice. 

James Baldwin said that “A language comes into existence by means of brutal necessity, and the rules of the language are dictated by what the language must convey.”  He is stating that a language develops when it is needed, when people don’t have the ability to communicate with each other. This shows that with every language comes a history. A reason why it was created and a reflection of the people who speak it. An example would be ‘Black English’, which was pieced together by slaves who came to America from Africa and couldn’t speak to each other. Referring to this example, Baldwin also stated that “...And (he; African Americans) enters a limbo in which he will no longer be black, and in which he knows that he can never become white.” It means that with the language that a person speaks comes not only with a history but an identity. Language reveals a person, but also creates them. 

In the streets of London, England, the way one speaks gives away everything about them. The formality in their tone reflects their education which goes as far as signifying their wealth and the status of their family. Their accent shows the region they are from and their vocabulary gives of what they aspire to be or what they have become. 

The way I speak just as much reveals who I am. I speak a clear, proper English without too much of a specific accent. This makes sense considering I learned to speak the language in pre-school when I was two. I was taught standard textbook English. If you listen to me talk long enough though, I sometimes let German slip, that’s because I was born in Austria and it was my first language. Even odder, I switch between accents and slang when I speak fast. Since I live in Philadelphia, I’ve picked up some Philly slang but I also use Australian words and phrases, having lived there for a fair amount of time. If you heard me for long enough, you could probably guess my life story.

Speech is a dead giveaway when it comes to a person. It reflects your history and your current status as well as your emotions. The way you project your voice signifies how you feel in a situation. Your vocabulary shows who you are as a person. Your accent reflects your history. Though just simple words coming from a mouth, language is an identity. 

Keanu Farrow

January 10^th, 2011

English 10^th:

“Stewed Language”

 My language describes whom I am as and individual. It shows people how I can manipulate myself to not only understand other dialects, but also use them to my advantage to either speak to someone of lower power and higher importance.

Coming from a family of inhabitants with an education level of an esteemed college student, it was very easy to learn the “gifted tongue” of a politician.

Possibly the best demonstration of this was when I was in my last year in junior-high. Back at Cook-Wissahickon, a newly formed student government was formed and in need of a senator, vice-president, and president. I rose to the situation ran for office. I used my intelligence to guide my speech and persuade the community into allowing me to become 8^th grade president.

According to James Baldwin, “Language reveals the speaker.” In my 16 years of life my language has revealed that I was the type of child who had no reference of “casual speech” or in this case having no recall of making the way I spoke to the audience in a more casual way whilst using slang or “Anglicism”, words distorted by the English language.

As stated before, I came from a family who spoke the tongue of highly educated citizen, but when growing up my language hindered the process of making friends.

I once lived in one of the “un-safe” parts of Philadelphia known as Brickyard located just a bit further from Germantown. The inhabitants spoke a somewhat distorted version of English known as “Ghetto talk” by many other people. Slang was a big influence in all types of speech, as Philadelphia needs its own dictionary to understand the way its settlers communicate with each other.  I was put into the environment surrounded by people who talked very different compared to me. In any conversation it would either be repeated due to the fact that barely anybody understood my vocabulary since I spoke with such big words. 

Referenced by James Baldwin, “People evolve a language in order to describe and thus control their circumstances, or in order not to be submerged by a reality that they cannot articulate.” Learning slang to communicate with others is somewhat an evolution in the way I speak. I manipulated my situation as a highly educated child in a bad neighborhood to speak the language of the other citizens in Brickyard.

There were times in my life where my language was put to the test and day by day; Anglicism was made a priority to get by. In the short story “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”, the author Giona Anzadúa said, her language “Chicano Spanish is a border tongue which developed naturally.” I remember my family moving from different neighborhoods, to different cities, and eventually to a different state.

Virginia Beach, Virginia was my latest move back in June of 2004.  Back then I had mastered the “slang” vocabulary of Philadelphia and could manipulate myself to achieve power in conversations. When I relocated to Virginia, everything made a complete 180. I remember trying to talk to one of my newly made friends in Virginia. I asked him for some water, but in the Philadelphian accent I said the term “wood-er” to which raised eyebrows towards me. I never really fit in when conversing with the people of Virginia at first. To do so I had to learn their dialect as well as keeping up with my own “home-bred” language. I started hanging around children and adults who spoke a diluted version of “Cajun-country” a form of country speech that also has roots tie in from Louisiana. After about 4 months living in Virginia, I had mastered the tongue spoken in the state.

My language is really how it defines me as an individual. It shows me how I can literally alter the way I talk to gain not only friends, but power in almost everything. My language started out as one specific thing as simply one language. Throughout the course of my 16 years of life languages from all over the country have mixed in with mine and distorted my native tongue to create a “stewed-version’ of my language. To this day, my language represents who I am, and over the course of the future, I will have new languages mix into my language, manipulating my tongue and altering the way I can converse with the community.

The Problem In School Safety

On December 17, 2008 the School District of Philadelphia adopted a new bullying policy in order to increase the safety of Philadelphia schools. The school district stated the following on their website:

Resolved, that the School Reform Commission hereby adopts the attached primary Policy on Bullying and its prevention/intervention in order to ensure compliance with HB 1067 (PA), amending "Article XIII-A Safe Schools" in the Pennsylvania School Code of 1949, that requires each school entity to adopt a policy relating to bullying.

The newly adopted policy covered just about every piece of bullying, to make sure their procures were up to date with all the rules and regulations given by the state. From defining the act as:

Bullying is characterized by the following three (3) criteria:

• It is aggressive behavior or intentional harm doing.

• It is carried out repeatedly over time.

• It occurs within an interpersonal relationship where there is an imbalance of power (e.g. one person is physically larger, stronger, mentally quicker or socially more powerful).

To laying out the coarse of action if a student were ever involved in bullying. So the issue is not that the system is non-existent but the fact that most kids don’t even know that this is around. Many of the problems that are district has faced in the past couple of months could have been handled better if the schools allowed the students to know of these guidelines. Instead of making the student feel as though nothing could be done, they would have known there were many outlets in order to keep them safe.

How to solve the Problem

ENFORCE THE POLICIES!!

Many schools don’t even mention the act of bullying or violence until something drastic happens. Like the incident that happened at South Philly High that made international headlines. Things like this would not have to happen if we were to crack down on the safety in our schools.

Link to the Policy: http://webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/offices/s/safety/bullying-prevention/bullying-policy3

The future of school safety

If we were to enforce the policies of anit-bullying then the numbers would decrease. Now, that these rules we’re being enforced, and setting up a no tolerance bullying system the safety of our students would take a turn for the better. If students began to understand the effect of what they have done then that would understand the seriousness of the issue, resulting in the drop of bullying.

If things were to stay the same, then the situation would have to choice but to get worse. Students would continue to act the way they do now, and the safety of our schools would never get better. If we continue to let these bullies think that what they are doing are ok, then students will no longer feel safe. It will not only hurt the schools but the future of the students. We have no choice but to enforce these rules, until kids understand.

For my final lobbying assignment I took the time to attempt at establishing communication between State Rep Ronald Waters and myself. I received the same response as before to where my request was being processed and because if the extensive amounts of emails to Mr. Waters delay was to be expected and it would take time from his office to reply on the emails. My first attempt was within either Lobbying assignment #3 or #4. Hopefully this attempt will close a line of communication between Mr. Waters and myself. 

Within the following two days time span of me sending an email to Rep. Waters communication directly with Mr. Waters office in Harrisburg and Philadelphia was also attempted. 

A message was left with one of his telephone office officials and other means of communication is underway. 

My progress will be updated on establishing a clear line of communication. 

After trying to establish a clear line of communication to someone in the Philadelphia field office of State Rep. Waters little to no progress has been made on their part. I called multiple times and due to high volumes of phone calls and emails I was placed on a list of those who will be contacted In the order at which they where received.

IN my first email i restated my objective and its purpose and once i called his office i stated briefly what my objective and purpose was again. I sent two emails and called his office twice with messages that followed after my failing attempts. 

If the office of State Rep. Ronald Waters attempts to contact me I will comply with my elegant contentions and discuses my lobbying issue in hope for change.  

David A. Buckholtz

Sending out emails to me is not effective. I would have to send out hundreds of emails to people who would not have the time to personally message me back in time to finish this project or not knowing if the person that replies to it is actually the person written to. Instead I would like to create a 30 second PSA or commercial with people from all ages and race groups that have been convicted served their time but cannot vote to say "I made a mistake but Ive changed" with a quick profile of the person running by on the screen with their age, race, what they did and how long ago. 

After making this video I would then:

• Publish on a public blogging site.
• Share the link with a News Station.
• Publish on SLA's blogging site.
• Send the link to the Washington Post
• Send the link to the congressman who introduced the law.

Reflection: 

Although I hope to still do this video, it was very hard to find people that would actually be comfortable talking about that they did, especially those who are able or not able to vote today. Instead I took their stories and anonymously wrote a word document that expressed how they felt about the bill and the fact they were not allowed to vote. There were two people who I interviewed and both stories were completely different. Attached is the google doc link.

Sending out emails to me is not effective. I would have to send out hundreds of emails to people who would not have the time to personally message me back in time to finish this project or not knowing if the person that replies to it is actually the person written to. Instead I would like to create a 30 second PSA or commercial with people from all ages and race groups that have been convicted served their time but cannot vote to say "I made a mistake but Ive changed" with a quick profile of the person running by on the screen with their age, race, what they did and how long ago. 

After making this video I would then:

• Publish on a public blogging site.
• Share the link with a News Station.
• Publish on SLA's blogging site.
• Send the link to the Washington Post
• Send the link to the congressman who introduced the law.

Reflection: 

Although I hope to still do this video, it was very hard to find people that would actually be comfortable talking about that they did, especially those who are able or not able to vote today. Instead I took their stories and anonymously wrote a word document that expressed how they felt about the bill and the fact they were not allowed to vote. There were two people who I interviewed and both stories were completely different. Attached is the google doc link.

Sending out emails to me is not effective. I would have to send out hundreds of emails to people who would not have the time to personally message me back in time to finish this project or not knowing if the person that replies to it is actually the person written to. Instead I would like to create a 30 second PSA or commercial with people from all ages and race groups that have been convicted served their time but cannot vote to say "I made a mistake but Ive changed" with a quick profile of the person running by on the screen with their age, race, what they did and how long ago. 

After making this video I would then:

• Publish on a public blogging site.
• Share the link with a News Station.
• Publish on SLA's blogging site.
• Send the link to the Washington Post
• Send the link to the congressman who introduced the law.

Reflection: 

Although I hope to still do this video, it was very hard to find people that would actually be comfortable talking about that they did, especially those who are able or not able to vote today. Instead I took their stories and anonymously wrote a word document that expressed how they felt about the bill and the fact they were not allowed to vote. There were two people who I interviewed and both stories were completely different. Attached is the google doc link.

Sending out emails to me is not effective. I would have to send out hundreds of emails to people who would not have the time to personally message me back in time to finish this project or not knowing if the person that replies to it is actually the person written to. Instead I would like to create a 30 second PSA or commercial with people from all ages and race groups that have been convicted served their time but cannot vote to say "I made a mistake but Ive changed" with a quick profile of the person running by on the screen with their age, race, what they did and how long ago. 

After making this video I would then:

• Publish on a public blogging site.
• Share the link with a News Station.
• Publish on SLA's blogging site.
• Send the link to the Washington Post
• Send the link to the congressman who introduced the law.

Reflection: 

Although I hope to still do this video, it was very hard to find people that would actually be comfortable talking about that they did, especially those who are able or not able to vote today. Instead I took their stories and anonymously wrote a word document that expressed how they felt about the bill and the fact they were not allowed to vote. There were two people who I interviewed and both stories were completely different. Attached is the google doc link.