Final Blog post OR

We learn in the last seciton of the book that Brom and Ichy are really the sons of Tom, and Ren is the nephew of Tom. This development is interesting because it gives a new meaning to all three characters, who before this, were pretty much alone in the world. But even with their newfound relations, there was still trouble between the twins and Ren. One day, Brom and Ichy were thinking of traveling back to St. Josephs in the hopes of bieng adopted. Ren, because he thought that it was his duty to tell them, told the twins that no one would adopt them because their mother killed herself. Tinti describes the fight and the aftermath as, "Brom threw himself forward with a cry, He hit Rens stomach and the two went falling back into the house, a jumble of legs and arms. The jar slipped and smashed on the floor. Ren landed hard, sprawled next to Mrs. Sand's money, and something broke loose inside him, and he began to fight with all his strength- kicking; punching with his good hand, elbowing with the other- then felt his ankles yanked from underneath, and Ichy was on top and pummeling him, and the boy was strong, much stronger then Ren ever thought he could be" (Tinti 280). 

This quote and part of the story shows that there is a right and wrong time to alert people of certain truths. In the case of Brom and Ichy, when they were trying to start their life anew at the orphanage was not the time to alert them of their mothers' suicide, there is a possibility that Ren was bieng a little bit selfish here. He might have wanted Brom and Ichy to stay with him instead of leaving, so he had to pull out all the stops in order to accomplish his goal. Later, Tom, who is the twins father, interrupts the fight. Tinti writes, "A flood of icy water splached over Ten's head and clogged his ears...Tom was leaning over them with a rain bucket, and he swung it now over his head and knocked Ren on the side of the face as Brom and Ichy crawled away, soaked and dripping. "Leave them be!" Tom shouted. "Just stay away from them!" (Tinti 280). A father obviously always takes the side of his children, and in this case it was no different. We as humans must not think of only ourselves, we have to consider other people as well.

The good thief post #5

Since I last posted, the threesome has grown a little bit, to include former companions of Ren's from the orphanage and a troubled youngster, Dolly. Brom and Itchy (who were the twins that escaped from the orphanage) found Ren after a long search. Dolly was also with them, he was the man who Benjamin dug out of the ground, the novel never says but I am pretty sure he was in some type of coma. The section of the book that I read really explores the morality of digging out peoples' graves, and this section right here displays the details of the process and what effect it had on Brom and Itchy. Tinti writes, "Sarah, wife of Samuel, had been buried in her wedding dress...Ren tried to focus on the dress and not her face, which was terrifying- her skin stiff and cold as wax, the hair like straw...Her lips were deep purple, slightly open, and pulled apart...'I want to go home' Itchy cried. In the end they rolled her onto her face, severed the back ties, and took the dress from behind, Ren cutting along the seams...Itchy becan to pray under his breath, and Brom soon joined him. Our father, who art in heaven. Ren turned away toward the neighboring grave and saw the naked body of an old man on the ground, his penis like a soft piece of rope, his eyes open and staring" (Tinti 218).

To commit an act such as this in general is terrible in itself, but for children to have to experience the exhuming of graves on a daily basis, just for the purpose of thievery, is atrocious. The lasting emotional scars that can come from something like this will affect these pre-adolecents for the rest of thier lives, and may even cause them to have problems of their own. Benjamin and Tom, the two adult theives who are behind this buisness, already have an obviously low sense of morality and dignity, but to manipulate young children to assist you in matters like this breaches the farthest point of morality. Ren was origionally claimed by Benjamin, and he thought at first that he was bieng put in the arms of a loving father who would show him a good life, but he ended up bieng chosen because of the sentimentality of his missing hand. This passage, and novel in general, shows how life is not fair at all and most of the time, circumstances are forced on you without you bieng able to control it.

OR post #4

In the beginning of the section that I read, Ren and his companions are leaving the town of North Umbrage and were proceeding to the hospital to start a new collection of revenue. They had gotten a tip earlier in the book that a certain doctor was looking for newly deceased bodies to research, and would pay well for the job. It would not be an easy task, though, filled with all kinds of dangers. The three of them proceeded to go to the hospital, where Ren was supposed to be the connection between the two thieves and the greedy doctor. While inside, he got a little taste of this doctor's character, which was an interesting one to say the least.  A row of portraits hung in one of the hallways leading to the operating room, and Tinti describes what Ren infers as, "The man in the portrait was touching his chin, posed in the middle of some illuminating thought. Ren tried to imagine what this thought could be. He guessed that it was scientific in nature, but the more Ren studied the portrait, the more he realized that the man didn't look intelligent at all. He looked hungry. He was probably thinking of sausages, and Ren was nearly decided on this when a scream came from down the hall" (Tinti 130). It is obvious why this man may want corpses to explore, this quote gives a hint as to how this doctor might be obsessed with human anatomy to the point that he does not care about the moral implications of his actions. 

When Dr. Milton sees Ren's arm (or lack of one), he notices that the person who amputated it knew what they were doing because they blocked the arteries while they were cutting it off. He then proceeded to ask Ren if he could take a "sample" of scar tissue from his wound, which Ren reluctantly agreed to. After taking a thin slice of skin off of Ren's stump, Dr. Milton told him how scar tissue was different from normal skin because normal skin interlocks in fine, tiny, scales, while scar tissue is more rugged and lacks hair follicles and glands. Ren feigns interest and finally is asked to leave, but to come back every week at 10 so their meetings seem less suspicious. As he is about to leave the building, a nun who he met earlier sees him and approaches him. She engages in conversation with Ren, and asks him if he is a Christian. He replies yes, and she agrees to pray for him, while interlocking him in a warm embrace. Tinti describes Ren's feelings afterwords as, "The nun rested her palm on the top of his head. Her hand was warm and soft but also strong, and Ren could imagine all the good work it had done... Sister Agnes was standing over him, and he did not want to move until she tok her hand away" (Tinti 136). This quote exemplifies the strong need Ren still has for a loving, religious figure in his life even when he is accustomed to the company of thieves. 

OR Post #3

As Ren and his two caretakers move to a different town, Ren gets to experience many different kinds of swindling tricks that Ben and Tom use to steal money from people. Ren is actually one of the main parts for a certain trick that involves a fake medicine that can supposedly make a child behave. The three of them travel to an Ice Cream social on a Sunday, and Ren is asked to punch another kid in order to start a fight. This scuffle is played out in front of a huge crowd, and then Ben arrives and offers to sell Ren's "father", Tom, some child curing medicine. Ren takes it, and is immediately calm and lazy. Hannah Tinti describes the scene as, " 'All that boy needs is some tonic.' Benjamin appeared, slipping out of the crowd, swinging the wooden case, and smiling. 'And I just happen to have some with me today. Mother Jones's Elixir for Misbehaving Children.' Tom handed him a wrinkled dollar bill, and the tonic was passed over. Ren's lip was split and his ribs ached. 'Im not going to drink it.' 'If you don't, Ill tan your hide'" (Tinti 94-95). After seeing Ren so relaxed and "behaved", many parents rush to buy a bottle. Every bottle works, maybe because the "Elixir" is laced with opium. This passage shows how stupid the common person can be when looking for a fast and easy solution to their problems.

When moving into the next town, they encounter a dismal sight. Benjamin knows the place, and it used to be a bustling mining town until a collapse trapped ten miners, and none escaped. They knock at the door of the local inn, and it is answered by a woman who always seems to yell, but she invites them in and immediately gives Ren a warm bath, and provides dinner for the two older men. Ren had not had a good meal or cleaning for weeks, and so after dinner and a little bit of sleep, he ventured downstairs to the kitchen. A plate with what looked like a large slab of meat and a piece of pie was sitting by the fireplace, untouched. Ren could not hold his hunger in, so he immediately gobbled down the cake. As he was about to leave, something extraordinary happened, and Tinti writes, "A bit of soot began to sprinkle down from the chimney into the fireplace. Ren could hear a scraping noise. Something was caught inside the flue- a bird, or perhaps a squirrel. His heart beat quickly, and the scratching stopped, as if the creature inside had heard it" (Tinti 113-114). It turns out that this rumbling was a man, and from his hiding spot in the corner, Ren could see that it was a deformed, little man, body parts not quite proportionate to one another. The man ate up the meal, and quietly dissapeared into the chimney. It is little plot twists like this that keep you so into Tinti's book, because you are hooked in to the possibilities of what could happen and wonder how this ties in to the rest of the main plot.

Blog Post #2

Isolation is something that can have an immense psychological effect on someone, expecially at an early age. Ren has been brought up in an orphanage for all of his life, and he has basically no idea of what the world is like outside of its walls.The odd berry picking trips in the summer are the only exceptions, and even then he does not venture more than a few miles from his dismal home. When he is taken up for adoption by a mysterious man, they waste no time in starting off on their travels, because that man is a wanderer. After arriving in a port town and seeing the ocean, Tinti describes Ren's fascination as, "The sun reflected off the water, and Ren lifted his hand to shield his eyes. He had never seen the ocean before, and not it laid itself out before him, the waves rippling together in patterns of light, spreading out toward the horizon, a giant rolling creature of openness and space" (Tinti 55). It is obvious that Ren is overwhelmed with emotion, witnessing such an amazing thing that we all take for granted. The reader now feels sorry for Ren and the orphanage boys who will never get to experience this. Benjamin later takes him to a mysterious house, where we meet Tom, Benjamin's "partner in crime". Ren listens to a conversation they are having and is intimidated by the older men. We see Ren's powerlessness when Tinti writes, "'Do you actually believe this' Tom said at last. 'No,' Ren said, although he did. Tom turned the book over and ran his palm across it. 'Could be worth something.' 'I don't want to sell it.' 'That's not for you to decide'" (Tinti 58). The book of saints is Ren's most valued possession, and he is powerless to stop anyone from taking it. He has no sense of self-esteem because he has been cooped up in an orphanage all of his life.

As Ren ventures out in to the harsh, cruel, world, we see just how much power and influence he has, absolutely none. Although not much different in today's world, a 12 year old in the 19th century who came from a weak background does not know how to stand up for himself. You can learn in the front cover of the book that Benjamin will eventually train Ren as a thief, but when those two went to a bookshop to sell a possession of Ren's, something more interesting is revealed about his character. Benjamin barters with the bookseller and finds out that "The lives of the saints" is not worth much at all. But some money is better than no money, so he sells the book. Ren is outraged inside, wanting the book back but knowing that there is no possible way that he can get it back. In a deceiving act, Ren "accidentally" knocks over a huge bookshelf, and in the confusion, he is able to swipe a book off of the shelf. This act of stealing is surprising because he was raised in a Catholic orphanage, but at the same time is not because of our perception that all less fortunate young boys will turn to the dark side of life.

The Good Thief: Post 1

This quarter, I decided to read "The Good Thief" by Hannah Tinti. People often think of orphanages as dirty, rejectful, terrible places. And they are. In the novel I am reading, the central characer, Ren, was placed on the doorstep of an orphanage at a very early age. This book is set in the 19th century in New England, the orphanage run by Catholic priests. Tinti describes the orphanage as a wine making place packed with boys between the ages of toddler and teenager. It is the prototype church run orphanage, with strict discipline and gruel for meals. When talking about the discipline, Tinti says, "The whipping stool had held Ren's weight and the weight of many other boys over the years. Ren remembered the first time he had taken his place across it. Now there were even more scratches in the wood. It seemed close to falling apart. 'Who hit you?' The first strike was always a shock. The boy tried not to move as it seared into his skin" (Tinti 21). It is a sad thing that the brothers of the orphanage had to result to punishment like this, but there was no other way that they could punish every boy in the orphanage. The boys who were brought here were essentially rejected by society, and when they are treated like this it starts a downward spiral of a low quality of life. These situations can lead to great desperateness, as shown when every boy is fighting over a newly adopted kid's wishing stone, when Tinti exclaims, "Ren tried to kick them off, biting and scratching, but he knew in his hear that he was going to lose, and he felt the stone slip out of his hand. 'I want to wish for an arrowhead', said Itchy. 'That's not good enough' said Brom. 'For candy, then'. 'For Father John to break his neck'. 'For toys!' Ren listened to his friends. He had never hated anyone more" (Tinti 17-18). This example shows how crazy boys got over one little stone, a stone they thought had the power to get them out of that horrible place, it shows how much someone will do to get out of bad circumstances.

Every so often, a stranger would come to the orphanage to look for a boy. This was a very big deal, for the brothers and the kids, because the load of kids would lighten and one lucky child would be given a new family. Ren doesn't have as good of a chance, though, because he is missing a hand. Tinti describes the choosing process as, "Underneath Saint Anthony's statue the younger boys fidgeted and pushed, the older ones cleared their throats nervously. Brother Joseph walked down the line and straightened their faces, bumping his large stomach into the children who had fallen out of place..."I want a boy," said the farmer. Old enough to help me work and young enough for my wife to feel she has a child. Do you think you could do that?" Father John came up behind them. "You don't want that one." The farmer stepped back. He looked confused, then angry. "Why not?" Father John pointed at Ren's arm. "Show him" (Tinti 8-9). This process was very disheartening for a ton of the kids, the ones who were passed over. When you live in an orphanage, this is your only hope of a great life, and to see your dreams crushed is a hard thing to bear. It is worse though, if you are like ren. Tinti describes his feelings well when she writes, "The farmer tried not to react, but Ren could see the disgust hidden in his face as he turned away and moved down the line. Ren watched as he lifted his new son into the wagon. "What happens to the ones no one takes?" "They are conscripted," said Father John, "into the army." "Not an easy life" "It's the will of God," said Father John. "We do not question his ways." "I do" (Tinti 9-10). Every forgotten child's only wish is to have someone who will really love them. If they are not chosen before adulthood, their fate is sealed to a life of service. When those random farmers are walking down the line, gazing at every hopeful face, they don't know how much of an impact it makes when they pass someone by.

Final Outside Reading Post

In modern America there are only two major parties that rule the political world: Democrats and Republicans. There are only two sides to an issue, the Liberal side, or Conservative side. At times, one needs to cross over the partisan line so as not to appear totally unbipartisan (forgive my Bush like terminology there). During the budget formation of 1995, Clinton could either choose to collaborate with the Republicans, or cost them politically with his own plan. Mr. Stephanopoulos expresses the situation as, "The former chairman of the House Budget Committee knew how tough it would be to produce a balanced budget that protected our priorities, and he understood the pace of the negotiating process. We accepted that Clinton would eventually have to compromise with the Republicans, but now was too early. They were just starting to pay a political price for their unpopular cuts; why let them off the hook?" (343). The president could either choose to tighten the noose around the republicans necks, or let them go free and appear politically weak. Their were benefits to both situations, a fine line needed to be crossed or left alone. A lone central question remained, with only two possible choices. Clintons choices were, "The 1996 presidential campaign would turn on the budget showdown of 1995. But how? Would voters, as Morris believed, reward Clinton for cooperating with the Republicans and signing a version of their balanced budget and tax cuts into law? Or would they, as I believed, reward the president for vetoing the Republican budget and protecting core government programs against crippling cuts?" (344). This decision, or any major decision made in political office for that matter, would shape the reelection and possibly even future ones because of the magnitude of the choice. Countless hours were spent making that one decision, showing the gargantuan ripple effect one choice can have in the world of politics.

Outside Reading post 11 of 12

A pressing question that grips the sociality of our world today is, "Is it morally right to invade a country just to forcefully impose democracy at the cost of American lives?". A section in the book I am reading, All Too Human by George Stephanopoulos, talks about when Clinton had to make a decision weather to invade Haiti or not. Military dictators had taken over in the past few years, so the entire country was in disarray. Although the Haitian military wasn't exactly a formidable force, American lives could be lost in the process. In the end, Clinton chose to invade, based on many political variables. For example, Stephanopoulos writes, "But although the invasion was not politically motivated, and full of political risk, it could be a political plus. Clinton was constantly being called "spineless" and "wishy-washy" - Doonesbury was depicting him as a talking waffle" (308). The invasion overall was a big risk, but in politics, you have to risk big to win big. In politics, self-image is obviously immensely important. You have to watch what the general public is thinking of you, especially in the year before an election. Many people do not consider how smart a politician is or what his/her viewpoints are, sometimes people just vote for the person they like best. In the book, Paul Miller made a good point when he said, "People want to hear value and cost. But you have to hit them where they live. Tell them there are nine million Haitians off our shores- and they all want to be your neighbor" (309). Miller brings up a good point in that most people, though on the outside they seem to be sympathetic, are faced with unfamiliar people invading their territory they aren't acceptant. These two great political points lead Clinton to the decision to invade Haiti, rational or not. Because in politics, the only thing that matters is winning in a political sense.

Outside Reading post 10 of 12

The whitewater incident was one that caused the Clinton white house to be rattled around quite a bit. This incident, plus some other minor ones in general, caused tremendous stress and chaos in the job of the author of my book, George Stephanopoulos. Because of the crisis, there was craziness in the days of every staffer in the White House. People had to miss appointments, and fill in for other people nonstop, which caused confusion in the administration. This is illustrated when Stephanopoulos writes, "The crisis had scrambled everyone's schedules. White House public liaison Alexis Herman asked me to fill in for Ickes at a meeting with business lobbyist on health care, which made me late for a long-scheduled lunch with two reporters writing a political history of the deficit, during which Heather popped in with a request from the White House social Office. Could I do an emergency "grip and grin" over in the East Room?" (246). Mr. Stephanopoulos was constantly going from place to place, trying to fill the needs of a million people at once. Tremendous stress was building up inside him, but because of the multiple issues that needed to be handled, much work had to be done. His days continued like that, he illustrated this point by saying, "That was it- four encounters totaling about ten minutes over the course of of fourteen-hour period during which I had more than a hundred conversations" (247). In a political job, direct communication is immensely important to get everyone informed and assured of what was going on. Even if it takes all of your energy, it is vital for an administration to connect with many different people, just to keep the boat afloat. In the end, with a plethora of issues and people building up on your plate, you have to meet the challenge, or your ship will sink.

Outside Reading posts 7, 8 &9 of 12

When you are elected president, you are given a great amount of power, but even a tiny mistake using that power can cause great repercussions throughout the world. At one point early in the Clinton presidency, 14 men were arrested in Kuwait for planning the assassination of former president Bush as he was to receive an award in Kuwait City. A meeting was held in the situation room where Clinton and his top guns, including the author and Colin Powell, assessed the situation. The group was contemplating weather to launch a missile strike or stand idly by, and Mr. Stephanopoulos described what his colleague Warren Christopher said as: "Warren Christopher, whose taciturn North Dakota nature appeared to restrain his loquacious Arkansas boss, offered a one-sentence conclusion: 'You'll be judged on whether you hit the target' " (160). This simple conclusion emanates the simplicity of the situation and how simple the mind of the general American person is. In the end, after everyone around the table agreed that the best idea was to shoot the missiles off, Mr. Stephanopoulos said: " 'I don't think there's a choice, Mr. President' " (161). Clinton ended up launching the missiles, some of which hit the target. The book did not say the number of casualties, but the cost of defending the prior president was present.

A major roadblock during the Clinton Presidency was always put in place when the President was forced to nominate someone from a now-vacant position. In March of 1993, a justice on the Supreme Court resigned, forcing Clinton to choose a replacement before June 15th, when  he would have to announce his pick to the Senate. Mario Cuomo, the governor of New York at the time, was the President's top choice for the pick, but the nominee was unsure of his intentions, he did not know if he really wanted the job or not. "That morning, Cuomo was still ducking the president. Clinton had called him the day before, but Cuomo's secretary didn't put the call through, saying that the governor was in the middle of budget negotiations and couldn't be disturbed. Yeah. Cuomo didn't take the call because he couldn't decide what to do- again" (166). This shows that you have to address and act aggressive toward someone who is on the fence, or else you will be wasting your valuable time and energy fighting a lost cause with petty exchanges. Cuomo finally rejected the offer, but then his son Andrew made a push for him to be reconsidered in calling Mr. Stephanopoulos the day before the announcement. He said that he would try to convince his dad to reconsider and accept the president's offer. Mr. Stephanopoulos wanted badly for Cuomo to be on the court, so he took the message to the President. Eventually, Cuomo rejected the offer again and Clinton had to nominate his second choice. Mr. Stephanopoulos was deeply saddened and felt stupid for considering him a second time and Clinton said: " 'My wife, Hillary, gave me a book that says, 'The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.'" (174). This great quote conveys that if you have already failed in an area once, don't stupidly do the same thing again.

The single most important bill of Clinton's presidency was about to be held for a vote in the house. It was his major economic plan, and the result would either boost or ruin his presidency. The outline of the plan was to increase taxes for the rich, and improve programs for the poor and middle class, to help the average American out and bolster the economy. Sometimes, every vote is so important that it is worth giving out endless promises to ensue them. A majority of 218 is needed to win a vote in the House of Representatives, and the Clinton camp predicted themselves about 30 votes short. They were madly trying to gain votes, and Mr. Stephanopoulos described the situation as: "Getting us to 218 would take a lot of hand-holding and hard dealing. The democratic leaders- Speaker Tom Foley, Majority leader Dick Gephardt, and Majority Whip David Bonior- did their part with Howard Paster up on the Hill. Bob Rubin, Lloyd Bentsen, and Mack McLarty called everyone they knew too. But Clinton would have to get the final few votes himself. In the end, this was his plan and his presidency. He was commander and crew" (176-177). The mass chaos that ensued trying to gain those votes was necessary to keep the presidency alive, which made watching the voting on C-SPAN immensely intense. "they turned in their green voting cards, and the Speaker's gavel cfame hammering down. The final vote was 218-216. Not a vote to spare. The president's study erupted in a riot of hugs that soon subdued into sober relief. Clinton wasn't ready to celebrate" (179). Being a part of a presidential staff is one of the most nerve-racking intense experiences on this planet when a vote is close. It is also crazy when votes are needed for your cause. But in the end, the sweet success of knowing you changed America for the better is more than an adequate award.

Note

Indents are hard to see, so the 2nd paragraph begins with the line; Some advice that Congressman...

Outside Reading post 5&6 of 12

Not many jobs require spending half of your time concentrating on them. George Stephanopoulos had to work 14-16 hours a DAY during his time as a White House advisor. The section of the book that I read demonstrates that in order to work in the White House, you need to devote a ton of your energy and time into your job, you have to let it take over your life. When talking about his commitment to his job, Stephanopoulos said, "But my job did come first, for better or for worse. Besides, I didn't have time to be lonely, with work consuming twelve, fourteen, sixteen hours a day, six days a week, and several hours on Sunday. Every day was a dozen meetings, a hundred phone calls, a new crisis, another first" (135). This quote shows that Mr. Stephanopoulos didn't even have time to think, his schedule was so jammed full. If you are going to be part of the body that runs the entire country, you must be determined to work ceaselessly around the clock to keep the cogs turning. When you work in this manner, your personal life gets eaten up too. The author exclaims, "Soon I was too-as a single man...But it was also Joan's final straw, a sure sign of where my heart was. First the campaign, then the transition, now this. My job would always come first. She dumped me a week later-exactly what I deserved" (135). Someone cannot have any distractions when working for the President, including a girlfriend. They do not posses the time to give the adequete amount of attention that a lover deserves, they would barely even be able to see each other! If your job is a serious one with many responsibilities, then you need to be willing to give your full attention to it in order to do it properly.

Some advice that Congressman Tony Coelho gives the author is, "Nobody will remember what happened to you. They'll remember how you handle it" (152). This idea is central in the next passage of my book, where Mr. Stephanopoulos is replaced from the press secretary position. He is talking about how to appear in the best light just before the replacement and recollects, "Listening to the past-tense praise was a little like hearing my eulogies, which was fitting, because that afternoon I would have to perform the political equivalent of speaking at my own funeral. Gergen wasn't set to start for another week, and they hadn't decided who would do the press briefings once he came on board. So I had four more days of facing the reporters who'd become my tormentors. Tuesday noon was the start of my final run" (152). It is necessary to look back at your past accomplishments in order to prepare to transition into a new role. To make your appearence look the best, you need to make it seem like you are not being hurt by the change. Mr. Stephanopoulos needed to make his situation look like a promotion instead of a demotion. When Clinton was announcing that his team was bringing in David Gergen for the job of Press Secretary, Stephanopoulos noted, "Before heading to the Rose Garden, he approached me and congratulated me on my new job. What new job? Nobody's really said what I'm going to do. Clinton's touch was perfect. Now if only I could convince the rest of the world to congratulate me. I hadn't prepared a statement of my own, but my actual words wouldn't matter much. My mission was to look like a man who was bieng promoted" (150). Society as a whole never cares about the intricate history of a situation, they just care about how the person looks while they are confronting it. If they are downcast and dull, then society will view it as a failiure. If the person does the opposite however, society believes that they were successful in their venture, no matter what the truth really is.

The beliefs of the characters in this film vary depending on their social backround and loyalty. Most everyone on the docks inwardly dislikes "their union supervisors" (aka the mob), but would never dream of speaking out against them in fear of them or people close to them bieng hurt. This is a valid fear because the mob has proven that they will persecute those who stand against them, for all to see. Although it may be a valid fear, it is not neccisarily the right thing to do. The men on the docks have a great commaraderie with one another, and lots of them are great freinds. They think of the docks as one big family, feeling others pain, but not always speaking against it. I think that they would define a traitor as someone who tells a party something in order to benefit themselves at the cost of others at the docks. A whistle blower, on the other hand, would be someone who stands up to the mob and valiently tries to tell the truth to set things right. Unfortunatly, anyone who has the guts to do that most likely will be "hooked" by the mob. There are not many examples of traitors or whistle blowers in the film, just the select few who are brave enough to stare death in the face for what they believe is right.

In many cases, there is a not so fine line between a traitor and an informant on riminal activity. Depending on your viewpoint, someone could be either one of them. I think that a traitor is someone who assists the enemy of the group they are a part of and therefore hurts the group. A whistle blower is someone who stands up for their personal beliefs, even in the face of danger, to try to make this world a better place. A traitor lacks the ethics to realize that they are harming their own comrades, or is too blinded by greed to care about their real friends anymore. On the other hand, only a select few people in each society posess the knowlege and moral compass to guide them on the right path, and even fewer also posess the courage that is required to carry out your actions. Society will exclude and shame a traitor, while they revere an ethical crusader and immortalize them forever.

Outside Reading post 4 of 12

The saying "The first time is always the hardest" rings true with the Clinton Presidency. Coming off a win in the 1992 Presidential election and a great inaugural speech, the first issue Clinton faced was meeting with the Military chiefs of staff about the situation of Gays in the military. The new President had to make an ethical decision about weather to go and attack strongly in support of his beliefs or play it cool to not make a bad impression as a new president. Mr. Stephanopoulos says of their situation; "I was proud of his argument, but I also knew that we had no cards to play. If we didn't work out a compromise with the chiefs,, they would sabotage us on the Hill" (124). The Clinton staff was confident in their viewpoint, but they did not want to create political uproar, so they were at a fork in the road. They could go for the aggressive but possibly devastating move, or lay low and come to a safe compromise. What ended up happening was bad overall for the Clinton administration, the compromise evidently not paying off, with the author saying; "The compromise satisfied no one, except Republican political strategist, who now had a killer issue for the 1994 midterm elections. The military resented the intrusion, Democrats were furious, the public was confused, and the gay community felt betrayed" (128). In this particular situation, taking the safe route against your beliefs did not keep them safe. The Clinton administration learned this the hard way, as many administrations have done. This problem shows that you have to stand up for what you believe is right, even though it may be risky, or you may end up falling flat on your face anyway.

Answer to Blog Question Q2 AMS

The choice of weather to benefit your family or society is an interesting one, to say the least. This choice is shown through many different people in the play. Characters in Arthur Miller's play, "All My Sons", decide what is more important based on their own selfish impulses. The story is based around Joe Keller, who operated a factory that made airplane parts for the army in WWII. After 21 cracked cylinder heads made by his factory caused the death of 21 American pilots, him and his coworker were put on trial. Joe was supposedly innocent of all charges, but his coworker was put in jail. This case builds suspense throughout the story, until the son of the coworker comes to get Joe to confess, and Kate misspeaks, giving a clue as to why Joe is guilty. Chris gets angry at his father and is interrogating him until Joe cracks and erupts, "Because you know I don't belong there. Because you know! Who worked for nothin' in that war? When they work for nothin', I'll work for nothin'. Did they ship a gun or a truck outa Detroit before they got their price? Is that clean? It's dollars and cents, nickels and dimes; war and peace, it's nickels and dimes, what's clean? Half the Goddamn country is gotta go if I go! That's why you can't tell me" (82). Joe made the decision to send the bad parts out because he was obsessed with giving Chris a good life and keeping his business alive. He might have known it was morally wrong when he did it, but over the years, he slowly convinced himself otherwise because if he lost the respect of Chris then he would have no reason to live. Kate makes it hard on her fellow family members when she refuses to believe that Larry has passed away after being reported missing in action over three years ago. She constantly retorts at them whenever they suggest that he may have passed on, and is immensely stubborn in her views like when she says, "Because certain things have to be, and certain things can never be. Like the sun has to rise, it has to be. That's why there's God. Otherwise anything could happen. But there's God, so certain things can never happen. I would know, Annie- just like I knew the day he went in to that terrible battle. Did he write me? Was it in the papers? No, but that morning I couldn't raise my head off the pillow. Ask Joe. Suddenly, I knew! I knew! And he was nearly killed that day. Ann, you know I'm right!" (28). Kate's reasoning that Larry is alive because she feels it and God wouldn't have it any other way is just a stubborn excuse not to face the truth. She is selfishly keeping to her own world instead of giving in to reality and allowing Chris and Joe some peace of mind. The actions of Joe and Kate show that they are acting on their own selfish desires to make choices in life.

I think that it is appropriate to put the needs of your family before the needs of society only when you are not directly harming society by doing so. Joe Keller does not share my thinking because he effectively causes the deaths of 21 pilots just to keep the respect of his son and stay away from jail. As a human being that is part of society, you have to take responsibility for your actions even if that means that you take some punishment in the process. Just because you might of had a stroke of bad luck like Joe Keller does not give you the right to pass that on to society, which in Keller's case, caused many deaths. The classic conundrum of stealing bread to feed your hungry family is an interesting match to my view. I would steal the bread only because it does not do a great amount of harm to society and it saves active participants in that society, my family. Stealing bread from another hungry family is a different story, because you would be doing harm to them if you stole it. 

Outside reading post 3 of 12

The section of my book that I read this week started with a scandal that accused Clinton  of dodging the Vietnam draft. Reporters had found a letter from him to Colonel Holmes that started with the line "'I want to thank you, not just for saving me from the draft...'" (74). This letter started a downward spiral that ended up with Clinton being projected third or worse at the New Hampshire primary. In politics, even when you seem to be out of the race, if you work hard enough and strategize well, you can still win. After an accusation that claimed Clinton wanted to give a job in government to someone he allegedly had an affair with, Mr. Stephanopoulos wanted to give up the race. He gives his interpretation of Clinton's attitude by saying, "I was sure all was lost, but Clinton demonstrated that power of pure will. He was determined to touch and talk to every voter in New Hampshire. We staffers left the suite in shifts to accompany him, but we were superfluous. This was all about Clinton-his pride, ambition, and anger, his need to be loved and his drive to do good. Watching him made me wonder if you had to be a little crazy to become president. What did it do to you to want something so badly?" (79). To win, Clinton would almost have to talk to everyone in New Hampshire, but this quote shows that he had the determination and drive to do it. In order to come back from the pits of despair in a political campaign, you need to want to win with every ounce of your being. Clinton's staff, including Mr. Stephanopoulos, worked tirelessly around the clock at their base in Little Rock to fend off every Republican attack that came their way. They used a simple, but deadly, three phrase election manifesto to head their strategies, the ideas were Change vs. More of the Same, The economy, stupid, and Don't forget health care. The author's thoughts on it were, "I thought of it as a campaign haiku-an entire election manifesto condensed to nineteen syllables.  James drilled it into our heads, and every speech, every event, every attack, and every response had to reflect one of these three commandments" (88). These three ideas fended off every attack the Bush campaign threw at them, lessening the distractions and allowing the campaign to gain some ground. With this premise, Mr. Stephanopoulos and his fellow staffers were able to strategize well enough to get right back into the race.

Outside Reading post 2 of 12

The section that I read from my outside reading book, "All Too Human", by George Stephanopoulos, was about how the Clinton campaign emerged as the frontrunner for the democratic primary and the challenges from the media along the way. In this part of the book, Mr. Stephanopoulos conveys that in order to have success in a political campaign, you have to over analyze every situation and think about the outcomes of your actions. During the campaign, Clinton was told a dirty joke by the then front runner Bob Kerrey, which was caught on tape. In order to avoid a major fiasco, Mr. Stephanopoulos strategized; "Of course, we couldn't pretend that Clinton had been offended by a joke he had obviously enjoyed. Explaining that he was laughing just to be nice was disingenuous, and it would call too much attention to the fact that Clinton had laughed at the joke rather than focusing fire on our rival who told it. So we would try to keep Clinton out of the story" (42-43). This long and intricate thought process shows that when analyzing an issue, Mr. Stephanopoulos goes over every single aspect  and reflects on the possible outcomes of the situation. Strategies like this one narrow your possibilities down until you come to the best option. Later in the campaign, the Star ran a story that Clinton had affairs with 5 women, allegations that had been raised in one of his gubernatorial races. Clinton's advisors and aides thought; "We wanted to avoid an on-the-record denial if possible, not only because it could ceate a story but also bcause if Clinton denied some allegations, his silence about others could be construed as confirmation. Since Clinton had admitted to "problems" in his marriage, we knew there had to be at least one woman out there whose charges he couldn't deny. More likely, many more. So we tried to avoid the trap by attacking the tabloid messenger. Paul cooked up some lines about other Star scoops like the discovery of "alien babies" and I came up with a no comment denial: 'I'm not going to comment on that tabloid trash'" (56-57). An originally dangerous article was turned into a laughingstock after Mr. Stephanopolous and his colleagues came up with the right plan of attack and how to coordinate that attack. The world of politics is one of the most intricate and complicated things to ever exist on this earth. With endless possibilities and battles to be fought, the only way to stand a chance is to gather intelligent people around you and go deep into the situation.

First Post on Outside Reading

For my outside reading I am reading a book called "All too Human" by George Stephanopoulos. He reflects on his time in the White House during the Clinton years.

George Stephanopoulos rose from humble beginnings to a political advisor in the White House for more than five years. It took a lot of thought and many decisions but he proved that with the right moves, you can go places in life. Only through many risks and experiencing new things can a person hope to achieve great things. After serving under a few insignificant congresspeople for a number of years, George was offered to be Dick Gephardt's (the majority leader of the house) floor man in 1988. This endeavor was much different from interning for a few congresspeople, and he reflects: "In my old job with Feighan, our successes had been satisfying but small, like successfully petitioning for the release of a political prisoner. With Gephardt, I would get the chance to help set a national agenda for the Democratic Party, to figure out how to blunt Bush initiatives and force Bush vetoes" (22). The simile that Stephanopoulos makes while comparing the two campaigns stresses the fact that he was able to have a whole other political experience. It also illustrates him slowly climbing the ladder toward higher opportunities. You will not always be given the next step, however. George took a huge risk when he decided to run with the Clinton campaign in the 92 election, he was not expected at all to win the nomination. He talks about his choice in an interesting manner by saying: "That evening I felt pulled in different difections. The idea of Kerrey was still appealing, and I thought he had the better chance to win. But compared to Clinton, the man I had encountered was distant and unfocused. He didn't seem to know what he would do as president, and his team didn't seem as enthusiastic about having me on board. Clinton was more impressive up close, smart and ready" (30). George was going on a big hunch when he eventually decided to go with Clinton because of his charming personality and readiness. This proves that you cannot just wait around for life to hand you upgrades, you have to make them yourself.

Work Cited:

Stephanopoulos, George. All Too Human. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1999.

I couldnt underline "All Too Human" for some reason, and the citing may look wrong but I did it right while writing the post.

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The citing looks wrong on the actual post but was right when I was writing it

The plan to kill Obama "White Power"

I read an article on how two white supremacists planned to kill Barack Obama and black students, they were arrested in Tennessee recently. The names of the two charged are; Daniel Cowart, 20, of Tennessee, and Schlesselman, 18, of Arkansas. They planned to drive their vehicle as fast as they could towards Obama and shoot at him from the windows. The killing of 88 people and beheading of 14 African Americans was also in their plan, 88 stands for "Heil Hitler" (H is the 8th letter in the alphabet), and 14 represents a 14 word white power saying. Personally, I feel very sad for anyone who believes in "white power", mostly because it was simply the way that they were raised. Almost everyone whos parents spent a lot of time with them in their childhood begins to mirror their views. For example, if your parents are part of a certain religion, you are most likely part of it too. The only possible way someone could believe in something as horrible as "white power" and the idea that all races not white should be exterminated must have been strongly influenced early on or simply be mentally sick. So even though it might seem crazy to not totally blame them and feel sorry for them, I dont blame them and am very sorry for them because it is not their fault that thier mind is severly screwed up.

Work Cited:

Lichtblau, Eric. "Arrests in Plan to Kill Obama and Black Schoolchildren." NYTimes.com. 27 Oct.

2008. 28 Oct. 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/28/us/politics/28plot.html?_r=1&ref=us&oref=slogin

I could not indent the second time for some dumb reason and could not put brackets cuz of the html thing.