Do The Right Thing and "How Bigger Was Born"

There are many similarities between Do The Right Thing and "How Bigger Was Born." Buggin' Out was like Bigger in "How Bigger Was Born". He was ready to start a fight with the white man and ready to use violence to his advantage. He was mostly all talk which is what Bigger was most of the time. He could say that he was going to do something and then not follow through, or get scared when the time came to do what he promised. Buggin' Out also got mad about little things, like Sal not having famous black people up on his Wall Of Fame. Bigger got mad at people who weren't doing anything to directly harm or effect him. There's a difference in "How Bigger Was Born" and Do The Right Thing and that's the different emotions or themes in each. "How Bigger Was Born" was more about the different people's personalities that went into the character Bigger Thomas and how they each were different yet somehow the same. Do The Right Thing was all about race relations and how one little thing can trigger so much hate and uproar that people can be seriously hurt. In "How Bigger Was Born" the different Biggers are angry at someone and they feel held back mostly by white people. In Do The Right Thing Buggin' Out gets along with Sal until he sees Sal's Wall Of Fame which only has pictures of famous Italian-Americans on the wall (because Sal is an Italian-American). Buggin' Out automatically wants to fight Sal to get some black people up on the wall. Sal's sons want to fight Buggin' Out so they can go back to the way things were. Bigger wants to fight every white person he sees because he feels like they are the chains that are keeping him from living his life the way he wants to. The 1st Bigger wants to fight whoever he can so he can seem bigger and tougher than the rest of the people in the town.

Question 3

How did the SCLC explain its assertion that wide economic gaps infringed upon the rights of poor

3.

They said that the poor people are poor because they are kept from power. There are also many people that are poor. They don't have a right to do anything that they rich people are. Rich people saw poverty as the enemy, so all poor people were the enemy that needed to be eliminated.

The Promised Land: The Poor Peoples Campaign

Dr. King and SCLC were fighting for the poor people of America. "...We must include American Indians, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, and even poor whites." There were over 35 million persons in America who don't have enough money for a decent life they earn less than $3130 a year for a family of four or $1540 for an individual. Thousands of poor people came to the center of power Washington DC to demand involving jobs, income, and decent life for all poor people. They said that they would get poor and rich people and stay until the Government responds. They built a camp called Resurrection City. The camp got dirty and had horrible living conditions. Pretty soon the police came in and arrested people, sent some home, and razed the city to the ground. The Poor Peoples Campaign had failed, they didn't get what they wanted and due to the police they couldn't stay until the government responded.

Emerson's Idea

A person defines his/her place in society by being an individual. He says that society can not conform you if you stay ture to yourself. Emerson says "Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members." (21) This means that society wants to change who you are and make you who they want you to be, but you need to stand strong and be who you are. Don't change just so people can like you, you have to like yourself for others to like you. He also says "Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist." (21) This means that in order to be who you are, you must be yourself. That means that you can't become someone else just so others can accept you (not to be repetative or anything). I know from personal experience that you really have to be comfortable with yourself and accepting of other people. I tried to be like the people I thought that everyone wanted to be like. I realized that I was trying to be like the people who make fun of me everyday. I decided to be myslef and I found that I love myself, eventhough I still get made fun of by the same people, I try not to care becasue I am a strong person. I am who I am and if you don't like it, then that's your problem not mine!!!

September 11th Quran-burning threat (on again, off again)

This article was about the Quran-burning threat in Florida. The pastor who threatened to do the burning said he wouldn't follow through with his treat if he could meet with the people who were planning to build a Mosque at the Ground Zero sight. He said that if he could meet with Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf than he wouldn't burn the Quran, but it was unclear if he meant totally stop the threat or just for tomorrow. This pastor is sending mixed signals to America. He is but isn't going to follow through with his plan, and its making Americans worry about what the outcome is going to be. If he follows through with this threat (although some may think it's patriotic) it will send a bad message about America to other countries. Its going to add to the HORRIBLE stereotypes that other countries have about us. Its not fair to stereotype all Americans by the STUPID, IGNORANT ideas and actions of some Americans.