30 days

Today we watched the show 30 days. This particular episode was about a man who spent 30 days in jail to see what it was like. I thought he was insane. All of the men in the episode that he had encounters with were all in jail for drug related activities. I truly don't believe that locking someone up for drugs is necessarily the right punishment. I do agree that there needs to be some punishment in place but putting them into jail teaches them absolutely nothing. When they get out, my guess is that 99% they will go do the exact same thing again. I think that people with real drug problems should be spending time in rehab, not jail. For example, the guy that was in jail and was having extreme withdrawals was going through more pain and not even getting help until way later. Someone I know has gone to jail twice, and rehab more than enough times and he has never changed and I don't think he ever will either. A person will never actually change unless they truly want to change so putting someone in jail for drug related activities teaches them nothing. I know from him that he is still the same person he was even after he went to jail. But I also think that if you put a drug addict in rehab and they also do not want to change, then they won't so I don't really know what you would do with those people either. I think that this show showed a lot about the devience of people in the jails and I think that if these people want to change their lives, they need to do it themselves and I don't think jail is the most obvious way to help someone.

When is a person really considered an adult?

In class we went through a timeline of events we considered to be big milestones in your life. Things like learning to walk, talk, hitting puberty, getting your license, being able to buy cigarettes, being able to legally drink, being able to rent a car...etc. In our society, when you turn 18 you are considered to be an adult. Being eighteen still has certain limits and you are not allowed to do everything. In our society, an eighteen year old can go to war, buy cigarettes, buy porn, and not have a legal curfew, but they are not allowed to drink, rent a car, etc. I think that you become an adult when you are able to take care of yourself in all aspects. Just because you are considered an adult, doesn't mean that you won't always need the love and support from your parents. The home with your parents has a significant meaning to your life because it is where you have grown up most of your life. When you become an adult and live independently, coming back to this place brings back memories of your childhood. Being an adult also means that you have to be able to take care of yourself financially. My mom always tells me that even my job now, at the JCYS and in the Little Patriots room, working there for the rest of my life I would never be able to support myself, or a family. Most people think that once your done with college, that its time to get an apartment and live your own life. My neighbor Kevin recently graduated college but moved back into his parent's house because he needed to be able to save money and get a real job before he was able to live on his own. Of course this was not his ideal situation but it was most logical for the time period that he is in his life right now. Growing up and moving out to be independent is a gradual process and I don't think that any parent really expects to just throw you on the street with some money and says, "here figure it out on your own." I think that living on your own comes with a lot of steps and learning processes like: laundry, meals, and earning money. I'm not really nervous about living on my own because I already do my own laundry, and am able to make my own food for myself. When I don't know how to do something I always ask my dad and mom for help because at some point I'm going to have to do everything on my own.

Masculinity and Socialization

Today in class we talked about how different situations in our life shape us to become a different person. In the video we saw that people that attend boot camps tear each other down in order to make them stronger. I can connect a lot to this situation because almost every single male on my dad's side of the family has served in the military in either Iraq or another place or attended these kinds of military boot camps, including my dad.

My dad attended Virgina Military Institute for college and I can completely see how is demeanor is different from other dad's his age. My dad has always wanted to be in the army ever since he was a little kid but when he received a full ride lacrosse scholarship it was a two in one deal for him. My dad would hands down do anything in the world for any of his kids. He already tries to have my 11 year old brother have this "tough guy, brush it off your shoulders" idea in his head, partially because I think it is what he has grown up by from the military. My dad is so proud of the person he has become from the military because he thinks that it has helped him into the person he is today.

My Uncle Anthony who just recently came back from Iraq over a year ago has changed completely from the military. Before the military my Uncle Anthony was a complete smart ass who took life as one big party. When my Uncle came back from Iraq I couldn't even believe that I was talking to the same person that I had known before he had left. He always said that Iraq really gave him one big kick in the butt and now he had more self respect for himself and respect for other people too. The military helped him get his life back on track, got married and now has a step-son that he also has to take care of.

The military has shaped my dad's side of the family and it is one thing that has brought all of them closer together. Everyone on my dad's side of the family says that the military absolutely stinks at first but in the end you become a stronger person who isn't afraid of anything.