You read three pieces this week in class. I am interested to know what your thoughts are in regards to the piece by Anna Quindlen. What were your first impressions? Were there any facts or opinions you found interesting or disturbing?
Quindlen states in the text that homelessness is one of the major problems in the world today. What do you think is a major problem in the world today? How do you think you contribute to the problem and how could you contribute to a solution?
My first impression about this short story was misunderstanding, feeling the author is messaging us that people who are homeless are just people without homes, but they have a place that they feels comfortable.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with the author, because I think the real problem that we need to focus on is economic and environmental factors, such as global warming, economic deflation, and wastes problem. I contribute to these everyday through lifestyle in the way of turning lights off frequently, reuse paper as long as possible, and finishing dinner without any left. If the homelesses had studied and worked hard through the education, they would not be the way they are.
The impression and theme i got from Anna Quindlen's piece, was that we should not call these people homeless, but rather, people currently without homes. When i revisited the piece, I found myself feeling as if the author also wanted the reader, to not just call these people a different name, but to treat them different, to treat them better as if they are just like every other person. With that said, i have agree with the author, and partially disagree with Taku, in that i feel that it the people without homes, are without homes, because of traumatic events, like wars, and unstable childhoods, and some lack of education; i feel that it is not entirely their fault. If the economy were stronger, there would be more jobs and opportunities for these people, which is why there are so many people like Ann, from the memoir, right now and why homelessness is a major problem today. I also think that there are many ways to help better the problem, like not necessarily just giving these people money, but helping them get and find jobs, to ensure a better future, with hopefully a home,
ReplyDeleteThe first impression i got when i read the Anna Quindlen piece was there is no place like home. That people aren't homeless, but are people with no home at the time. The reason for why they don't have homes is not there fault,but because of something caused them to lose there homes. They either don't have money to pay or of economical problems.If the economical problem would be fixed many people would find good jobs and be stable enough to find a home and pay it. i think the major problems right now are mostly the economy, environmental problems, and people with out homes. This will make a better environment for people with out homes and everybody around them.
ReplyDeleteMy first impression of this story was confusion. I took me some time to contemplate the deeper meaning of the story, or at least what I perceived it to be. However, once I realized the message of the story, that homeless people are not only deprived of shelter but an essential emotional factor, then I came to agreement.
ReplyDeleteThe issue that this story addresses is the unbelievably large number of homeless people across the world. While this problem is of the highest priority and severity, it cannot be confronted without a simultaneous stab at another important issue. This topic is education. Public schools all across America are failing to compete with other developed countries, or even achieve the proposed goals set by the board of education. As a result, America, instead of leading the race to literacy and scholastic proficiency, is quickly falling behind. While it is easy to automatically point fingers at the schools themselves, I believe the problem itself stems from our cultural values. In eastern countries, learning is valued above all other activities, including sports. Students are constantly pushed and expected to succeed by their friends and family. While I have no doubt that any teacher in the US would like nothing more than to see their students flourish, I am less certain of the individual families. If every citizen were to instantly be motivated to learn and do well, all other problems would fall into place. I do not claim to be any expert, but from my limited perspective, it appears that America's most pressing problem can only be solved by its citizens, not its leaders. The future is in the hands of the next generation.
I loved Quindlen's opinion about the homeless, how they don't need a roof over their head or a window, to be happy, they can simply be happy with a memory, or a dream. Like the girl in the story, who did have a home; a manila envelope filled with pictures of a horse, and a beautiful house. Quindlen said that these people aren't just "the homeless," they are the people without homes, this makes them seem more personable, more similar to the people that do have homes.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Quindlen that homelessness is one of our major problems in today's society, but it goes beyond that, it's bigger than just not having a home. I think the biggest problem we face is the larger concept, of poverty. People all over the world struggle with this issue. Those in the poorest countries of the world, may have a roof over their head, but everyday they are worked to the bone to feed and clothe their families. By solving the issue of poverty, though this would be an enormous feat, it would take care of the homelessness simultaneously.
My impression on this particular piece was quite stunning. I never thought that i would be able to reflect upon this text, but yet i did. I realized what opportunities i have around me and how lucky i am to own everything that i have today. The fact that such a little piece of writing can be so powerful to the life of a person. In the story homeless i did not find anything insulting and or disturbing but what i found more interesting was not the text itself but the reflection which was looked upon after wards to be able to know that a home can be anything and or any place as long as there is some attachment to yourself.
ReplyDeleteI believe that one of the major problems is the growing amount of unemployed people. Every single minute of the day the situation gets worse and worse. Everyday the rate of unemployed people is higher and higher. I am not sure if us children have much say in this particular situation but as students we could try to get more involved into the situation and look for other options which can help the people who are currently with out jobs.
This piece I found qiute interesting. My first thoughts on it where just about how even though that homaless people don;t have homes they might still like the situation they are in. As crazy as it seems they might like not having to worry about getting to work, or keeping an image for your boss so you don;t get fired. They do have hard lives and the next day might bring more challenges. But to them it might be worth the relief of not having to worry about the stress that comes along with having a job.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe living on the streets is just as horrible as it seems. Maybe they are just suffering day after day in the cold night ang long, tiring days. If this is the fact then we should help them. If not directly but maybe indirecty. What I meam by this is improving the economy. Yeah I'm to you Mr. President and governmet officals. But anyway, we sjpuld pay more attention to the homeless popel and families on the streets and less on the unimportant things in life. Such as fancy cars and big houses that mean nothing if you really need them (and who really does?).
This issue is just as important as the next, but when it involves fellow Americans thrown in the streets with nothing to do aboutit, shouldn;t it count for more?
Sorry didn't fully read the questions, so her is my anser to the second set of questions....
ReplyDeleteAs important as it is to focus on the state huimans, I personially think we should focus on the welfare of animals. I think this because of how important animals are to the human race. For example, when human where first starting to settle down and farm the domestication was a vital factor in how easy life was. Without animals we probably wouldn't have evoloved farther than basic farmers. Also if you think about it everyone loves animals so why not help them. Well call wrong but if you like meat then ypu technically like animals. Without anilamls there would be no hamburgers (*gasp*). We shouldn't let all these animals die because of simple choices as im not popluting, or getting an animal when you know you cannot properly take care of it. Things like that can keep pets off the streets and wildlife alive and thriving. One maybe impossible theory I have it that one day the human race is going to became extinxt and animals are going to be the only ones left. I know it sounds impossible but there are sveral species of micro-oraganisms that can survive way more intense enviroments than humans. So we should help our future and help the creatures that have helped us evolove and succeed.
This may sound shallow, but my very first impression of this piece was that Anna Quindlen was over-thinking this issue of homelessness waaay too much. “You are where you live.” “Home is where the heart is.” “They are not the homeless. They are people with no homes.” What? My house—which I call my home—is about as much as a part of me as my fingernails are. It’s always there for me, but it doesn’t tell very much about me. Then I think to times where I stayed in hotels, or at someone else’s house. It wasn’t my house that I missed at all; it was my things and my family and my friends. They are my home. I still think it’s a bit ridiculous, the bits about the pride of ownership, and the part about how, generations ago, your life revolved around where you live. I still think the real estate you live in is more important than the fact that you own it, and our generation is caring less for homes. Our idea of a home is just more mental.
ReplyDeleteI think a major problem in our world today is that as a world population, or even as a country of Americans, we can’t work together. We can’t agree on things. If we all believed that homeless people need to be helped, we could do it. If we all believed that global warming is a deadly problem, we could surely swing the carbon emissions down. Even the economic issues that we have could be worked out if we worked together and circulated the money more through others’ hands. But whatever problem we try to address, there is going to be resistance. The resistance is what stops us from solving any problem completely. How do I contribute to this problem? Whatever I think, I’m going to have to take a stand. My stand will ultimately add to the resistance that stalls progress. As minimal as it may sound, I try to contribute to the solution by doing what I think is right. Just as every stand I make adds resistance, it helps contribute to the progress of whatever issue is at hand. This is a problem that can’t really be solved, unless some magical force made us all think the same way, which would bring on a slew of new problems.
I believe that the author is correct in the sense that homelessness is a major problem. However I feel that many homeless have brought it upon themselves from drugs or other substance addiction. There are homless people that did nothing wrong and are forced into the situation however this is increasingly rare. I do not contribute to this problem but could by volenteering my time and money to homeless shelters. My first impression when reading these storys was how homless where lacking in emotion and how they are deprived of basic social interactions.
ReplyDeleteMy first impression of this text was that money can not buy you happiness. The poorest person could be happier then the richest person. Rich people that use there money towards helping people are usually much happier then selfish rich people. Another first impression I had for this story was not to be greedy and think about other people before yourself. Sometimes I struggle with this problem. Sometimes i want something that I don't need when there are people out there that don't even get what they need. I think that it is disturbing that at one point these homeless people had a home, had a family, and had a life at one point and then it all got lost.
ReplyDeleteI think that one major problem today is the economy. The economy is down very low and many people are loosing there jobs. This effects me because I am going to need a job one day and it will be even harder with many people out of their jobs. I think that to get the economy better there should be more jobs given to people so that there is more people to pay for things and get the economy back up.
When I first read the story I had to go back and read it again to get the whole meaning from it and to completely understand it. There were a lot of things that when I first went through I didn’t pay much attention to that I had to look back and really understand. For example, the story of the yellow house and the pride of ownership. When I first read it I didn’t understand the importance, the symbolism, but when I went back and re-read I got that that was what home meant to Ann. That’s why she did not go to a shelter. She wanted her yellow house, the house she owned. I was surprised by the way the author said “the children who do not understand what it means to go to their rooms because they have never had a room.” I never thought of it that way, that there is more things people miss by not having homes then just not having a bed or a roof over their heads. They are missing the small simple things that make up the house and the home.
ReplyDeleteA major problem is public education. Public education is not a main priority for many countries. However, isn’t it important to educate the people that will later run the country, that will later be the voters, the citizens, the people of a nation. If budgets keep getting cut, programs keep getting cut, attention for single students keep getting cut, how is a country supposed to thrive in the future. Education for the entire youth will create a strong core for the country. As a student myself I am affected by the cuts. But it is also a problem the students contribute to. There are the students that ditch, that don’t try, that slack. They are wasting education when there are other people that don’t have the opportunity to learn. As a student I can try my best in school, take full advantage of the opportunities given to me, and show the city, state, and country that public education is worth keeping, worth funding, and worth supporting.
My first impression from this story was guilt. Its depressing to think about everyone who has no home and how some regard themselves as a nobody. I found it interesting when Quindlen talks about what she likes in her home, the simple objects, and just the altogether homely feel. This is what everyone likes, and what many do not have. Homelessness is a big , many homeless people were not presented with proper education or were never given a job opportunity. Now because of the economy money for education is being cut and so are jobs. I think the best solution is to raise taxes. With the money more jobs can be created, better education, and help for the homeless.
ReplyDeleteMarion
I think each piece of text, was unique in its own way, although similar in otherwise. As for homeless, the book left me with many thoughts and feelings. I agree that homelessness is a large problems in the world. However there are also many other important problems, such as war, starvation, ect. I think a major contribution to the problem of homelessness, is those who have mental illnesses or a drug addiction. These are both major contributors to the "crazy" part of the homeless population. An other problem, is jobs, many homeless people, are also just those who lost their job/could not afford to pay for housing. A solution to the first two problems, is rehabilitation, which can help those, who truly want to be helped. An other solution, or positive aspect, is homeless shelters. Homeless shelters provide living situations, beds, and food to those living in it. Many churches also give food to the homeless on a daily, or weekly bases, and often also have events for the homeless to receive food, and vital supplies.
ReplyDelete-Vaughn
The first time I read this article, I was mainly focused on the fact that people today are so savvy and obbsessed with their possesions and their yearly income. So therefor,I was leaning towards that fact that Anna Quindelen was trying to have the reader realize that our world has become extremly materialistic and has forgotten about what living in a home means. By saying "Your home is were your heart is", she has said, in my opinion, that home is where love is, where family, rediculous random accesories that turn a house from just a shelltering shell from the elements, to a loving, expression of a persons individuality. It didnt appeal to me to read that people refer to those without a home as plain old homeless. Yes, in context the word home-less infact means one without a home. This is true, in its literal meaning, but since so many words in our modern language have taken on a completley different meaning, its hard to disinguish bum, from homeless, from hobo. Bum and hobo have implied a dirty, crazy, weird person that stands on the corner begging for money. The difference is clear,but as in this article, it has been implied that people belive homeless people dont have homes, when as in this artlicle home is a form of pride.
ReplyDeleteThere are many major problems in the world that I have contibuted to, but the most impacting on my life in many ways is my impact on the environment. I inevitably pollute everyday, without wanting to,but cant help to. I can definatly make a difference in improving my carbon impact by simply using less energy, riding my bike to school,encouraging friends and family to do the same, and many more senarios.
As I finished reading Homeless, I was full of dismay and confusion of the message. I couldn't comprehend the point Anna was making by discussing how people are homeless if they don't carry the traits that come with a home. Later, I found out that she was using this in a figure of speech. I know that people who have homes, are for a fact, not homeless, but Anna views the ownership of having a home in a more opulent way than a regular everyday human being. Once, I understood the point Anna was arguing, I was in an augmenting agreement. I also believe that no matter how unkempt a house appears, there can be happiness with or without quality. I was touched by the story. I found it interesting that Anna has the same regards as me in account to what qualities a home should hold, i.e. privacy, stability, etc.
ReplyDeleteI have the perception that the most major problem in the world is discrimination. People gibe at others because of race, religion, gender, sexuality, possesions, etc. It is not acceptable. As humans, we are quick to judge, we see people and we automatically have thoughts about them, before we even get to know them. Sometimes, people are bereft of privilages, because of their different traits than another person. I contribute to this problem, because I have first impressions, that are developed through external appearance, however, I tend to not share by first impressions of people with the others around me, because I do not like to provoke negativity. In this way, I am helping the problem, one thought at time.
Nathan K-
ReplyDeleteMy first impression of Homeless by Anna Quindlen was not thinking of it as a reflection but rather a story of a kid asking homeless people about their lives, which was strange in my opinion. I found that someone asking homeless people about their lives is rather rude and unneeded for such a report, I found that disturbing that someone would actually do that to a person who was already low.
In my mind I find that Immigration is a major problem in the world, I find that illegally immigrating is something that must be dealt with or stopped altogether. In the problem I contribute to it because we all live in a society where immigration is needed to find a better life which has happened in my relatives before me. While my solution for Illegal immigration is not what Arizona is attempting but just to strengthen border securities and increase border watch.
Homeless by Anna Quendilen changed how I look at some things. After I finished reading it for the first time I was like, "Wow. I like this!" I thought it said a lot about how we treat minority people such as those without a roof over their heads. But the thing that opened my eyes the most was when it said that in today's culture we have real estate, not homes. I hadn't really thought of it before but I definitely agree now that I think about it. I've moved 4 times in the past 4 years and my past 2 houses were just real estate, the only place I've ever felt home was the house I'm in now where my mom also grew up.
ReplyDeleteOne of the many major problems that we have today is a small amount of water. And I can't say that "oh, I'm perfect. I conserve water!" because I don't. I take long showers, leave the water running a lot, ect. But I could definitely start helping toward a solution. For example, 5 minute showers (that might take a while), or turning off the water while I brush my teeth. They are simple tasks that I could get in the habit of doing if I would just try.
Cameron-
ReplyDeleteMy first impression of this piece by Anna Quindlen was that even though homelessness is a big problem in the world today, a lot of the people out on the street today, are there on their own accord. Whether it be because of a gambling or drinking problem, a drug addiction, or maybe even the latter. I do know that there's a great amount of people that are homeless that are homeless because of bad luck, like stocks crashing or rent just getting out of hand. Some are out there because of a mental illness, it's not their fault, but because people did not help them, they ended up in the position they're in today. The truth of the matter is that a very good percentage of the people on the street today are there because they made mistakes that ruined the rest of their lives.
An issue in the world today I think is more important than just homelessness is the fact that kids and young adults, now more than ever, are able to put themselves in positions that could ruin the rest of their lives. No kid should own or even have the "need" to own a lighter. But they do anyway. And do you know why? Because it's obviously "cool" to be stupid now. Apparently, the worse choices you make now, the higher on the social food chain you climb. This is why it's such a big deal. Kids throw away their lives at such a young age, because they need attention, popularity, people to like them. It's such a big issue, because it's what leads to homelessness, and MANY other problems in the world.