My Agenda Item/ Thesis is- While the U.S. Patriot Act helps with homeland security, it is so overpowering that the freedoms that America is based around may no longer be allowed.

This is my favorite poem. I actually do not even like poetry, but every time I read this poem, I love it more and more. I love what it stands for and how it is expressed. It shows so much truth in a land full of false hopes. To me, Langston Hughes does an amazing job of showing that America never was what it claimed to be. It has never been the land of the free. It has never been the land where dreams come true. It is a place where the rich run society and everything in it. I love how Hughes points all of this out and keeps saying “America was never America to me.” I think that line is so catchy and really makes the reader think. Although some may disagree and say that those who work hard will be rewarded, which in some cases is true, I think Hughes’ point is that some people work hard their entire lives and never make it past the poverty line.

My agenda item/thesis for this poem is: In America it does not matter how hard you work, you can never be guaranteed success, fame or fortune.

This article was very interesting. It focuses on the fact that American products are everywhere. Even though countries may say they don't like America, they continue to drink Coke, eat and McDonalds, shop at Gap and watch the latest Julia Roberts movie. America's pop culture influences the entire world, whether they want to admit it or not.

My agenda item/ thesis for this article is: If countries are going to continue to complain about Americanism within their borders, they need to be the ones to do something about it and stop selling and promoting our products.

This comic strip was probably the best thing I have read all year. I can tell that it was very one sided, as the author clearly wanted the reader to see something that most are blind to. Although it was a bias piece, it was interesting, creative, and above all, very informative. I learned so much about our country and what really is going on. I was immediately drawn to this piece for the mere fact that it was not another essay that rambled on and was dry and boring. This used humor to relay very important points to the general public. I would highly recommend this piece to anyone who is oblivious to what is happening over in the Middle East and to anyone who is a Bush supporter. As hard as it is to hear that our beloved homeland is not all it is cracked up to be, we need to hear it. More than that, we need to know it.

My agenda item, or thesis for this article is: America is the creator of the world’s problems. It took 9/11 to see that our government and military target the rest of the world and create more problems than any citizen is aware of.

This essay was written by Thomas Jefferson. He owned slaves, yet in this article, he states all of the things he likes about them and says they should eventually be freed.

My agenda item is, why, in our society, do people feel one way, yet act the complete opposite? In this article, we know Jefferson owns slaves, yet he raves about the things they can do. Why would someone own a slave, aka take advantage of another person and treat them like crap, yet commend them for all they can do?

I am not sure if Assimilation is the 3rd or 4th Agenda Item, but I am just going to do it 3rd.

This essay was about an Indian woman who cheated on her white husband because she wanted to know what it would be like to be with an Indian man. By the time the story has ended, we realize how much the couple loves each other, but we also know that the wife has cheated on her husband. Her husband almost cheated on his wife, but couldn't because he loved her too much. I guess my agenda item doesn't really have to do with race. My question would be, do you think that telling the truth all the time is the best thing to do? This woman knows her husband loves her and she loves him, so do you think she should tell him she slept with someone else? Even though he will probably never find out, it will make her feel better, but it could ruin their marriage.

This essay basically talks about the lack of equality between white and black Americans, even today. I am having trouble coming up with an agenda item, but basically I feel that the only way for whites and blacks to have completely equal power, they both need to have similar power roles in American society. I personally do not think that there is any difference and I think the one way they will gain equal status is if an African American is elected as President of the US. Many think Powell would be a wonderful president, but I have also heard, "he would be the first African American President and the first African American President assinated." I guess my agenda item would be, do you think it will ever be possible for African Americans to gain the level of equality people have been striving for for decades? Or do you think there will always be racist people there to stop it from happening?

This essay is about a man who had always struggled to make it through life. He finally felt he belonged to something when he joined the KKK. He developed a deep hatred for black while in this group, and I think this is just because he wanted to make sure he fit in. Eventually, he ended up changing his views to be completely opposite and gained many black friends.

My agenda item is: Do you think that you can try so hard to fit in that you end up developing beliefs that aren't your own? Almost as if you were brainwashed into believing them?

I personally think it's a lame excuse to say that the reason men want to get out of relationships in today's society is because they feel they are no longer needed to support the family. I really think men in America need to realize that women are infact equal. Women have jobs outside of the home and contribute to a family's income. That's not going to change. I really think in today's society, women would go crazy if they had to stay home all day. Women are educated to a much higher degree now. If you're going to educate a woman, you cannot just expect her to want to stay home all day cleaning. I am not trying to downplay stay-at-home-moms (or dads), but everyone needs to realize that it's not a crime if women want to get out of the kitchen and into the real world. Women have passions for certain things and want to learn about these passions and then put them to work by getting a job. I am sorry if this makes men feel unneeded, but seriously, women need to do what makes them happy. They don't need to put on a happy face and pretend everything's all right just so their "breadwinner" husband can have his pride. Society's changing, and men need to realize women are just as capable as they are.

This poem was about a boy who had died from AIDS and his aunt is piecing together a quilt in his memory. It says before the poem that many people make quilts after a loved one has been taken by AIDS in order to help remember them. I think this poem was written to show that families love each other, no matter what they do. Many people view AIDS as such a bad thing, and therefore hate the people who have it because they think they are disgusting and have done bad things to contract it. This poem, however, shows how a family is piecing together the good parts of Junie's life and are showing their love for him.

After reading Envy, I can't help but blame this little girl for acting the way she did. She lived in a society where everyone had a mother, a father and siblings. Anyone outside of that mold. felt different. She also was a colored person in a school almost completely filled with white people. I think that maybe instead of yelling at her so much, her mother, grandmother, aunt, teacher and principle should have maybe asked her why she did what she did. No one took any time to see what is wrong. I personally think if a young girl who is always pleasant has an outburst like that, there's something wrong and needs to be discussed.