The above quote is from one of my favorite coaches of all time, former UCLA basketball coach, ''The Wizard of Westwood" John Wooden. I will talk a lot about him throughout the year because he's kind of a hero of mine, even though I claim not to have any. Heroes, that is.
This quote, one of his more well known ones, got me thinking about the state of the world we live in, and how one day soon, it will be up to all of you to fix it. No pressure. :(
But, if you even glance at the TV when the news is on, you know I speak truth.
We're in bad shape, and I am seriously doubting the world's so-called political leaders have a clue how to go about reversing the damage.
But, that's what I think is so great about kids. Your potential is limitless, your perspectives are fresh, and your souls aren't yet weary (I truly hope). All that simply means--if the world is going to change, it will be because you guys changed it.
Let's start with what you think is wrong.
Maybe you think it's racism,
maybe you think it's people's propensity for violence,
maybe you think it's ignorance,
maybe you think it's sexism,
or poverty,
or the fact that we've had the same 2-party political system for the past 200 years.
Talk a little about what you think is truly wrong with the world. Think macro or microcosm (society at large (macro), or Oakcrest society (micro)), and really tear into what needs to be changed and what, we, the adults in the room, did wrong.
How could you, would you, should you, do it better or simply differently?
What you're doing is more than a blog posts, pumpkins. It's more than an assignment, more than a Genesis entry--this is your world and eventually your lives. Both of those things matter. Show me how much.
<3
One of the biggest thing I see wrong with the world is how kids have the inability to do anything fun without being scared. For my entire life I have been unable to ride my bike anywhere by myself or to my friends house even though she lives two minutes from my house. I have constantly had to worry that if I went out with my friends somewhere what I would do if someone came with a gun or tried to take one of us. I had to think to myself at 14 years old if I would just run as fast as I could or try to stay with my friends if it came to that. This really needs to change because I don't want my future kids to have to live in bubbles because the world is too dangerous for them to go anywhere by themselves. My mom has always been super overprotective and I hate that she is like that sometimes but I also understand where she is coming from. Every single time me or my brother walk out of the door to our house my parents are forced to worry about us. I know that they trust me to not text and drive or to get myself out of a bad situation but none of that can change if someone crashes into me or tries to hurt me. There is really nothing that adults really can do because there are always going to be people who want to cause damage. That is the scarier part to me. There is nothing we can do to protect people who are at risk for these awful things because everybody is at risk. I don't know how to keep myself, my friends, or my family safe from the world and it terrifies me.
ReplyDeleteThere is not just one thing wrong in this world. I believe it is a combination of racism, sexism, violence, lack of gun control in some areas, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, violence, extreme pressure on children and teens, among many, many other things. For starters, racism is something that should not, under any circumstances, exist. I do not understand how people can view another race as being someone of lesser value, or believe that they should not be treated as well as any other person. Similar to racism, sexism is also a very big issue. Just because someone is a man or a woman, it does not mean one is worth more than the other. Especially is careers. I believe that one should get the job they receive depending on how well they do their job, not based on gender or race. However, that is just not how our world seems to work. In many cases, it seems that employers don’t pay women as much. In politics, have you noticed how we have only had one African American president, and the rest are white? Have you also noticed that all of those presidents are male? Many people have this idea in their head that if we had a woman president and they are on her period or just in a bad mood, she would take it out on the country and make bad decisions. Our whole country, and world, lacks equality. Another big issue is the amount of pressure placed on children and teens. When I say pressure, I mean that they are expected to do well in school, take AP classes, take the SAT’s, get into a good college, do homework, do clubs, do sports, get a job, and they are expected to act like an adult. We are supposed to do all of this, yet still find time to have fun. Personally, when I get home now, the most fun thing I do is sleep because the instant I get home, I just have to do homework. It’s like I never even left school. By the time I do get home, I’m exhausted and I just want to go to bed. Since teens are under so much pressure to just be overall perfect, it leads to depression and anxiety, as well as other mental disorders. It just creates a society of kids who can’t even make one mistake without being criticized. The stress just overflows. If the expectations were just lowered slightly, I think that teens would have an overall better mental health. However, the bar is still held high, and many teens are stressed beyond belief. If everyone was just treated equally and had space to make mistakes and learn from them, this world would be a better place. I just don’t believe that there ever will be a way to fix some of these issues since things have been this way for such a long time. All we can do is just try and make small changes to strive for improvements.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many problems in today's society. Today you see problems like gun violence, sexism, drug abuse, peer pressure, domestic violence, etc. But the one main problem in society that directly affected me throughout my life is racism. People have been racist to me since I was in kindergarten. Kids would physically make their eyes small, so they could look like me. Then would shout phrases like "ching chong" to imitate the way my race would talk. I just thought that was how society worked and that being harsh to people was the only way to have friends or to be respected because they were mean to me but had a group of friends. While I was just alone being bullied everyday of my childhood. So I guest that's when I started being mean to others, and started showing a dark persona of myself. When I was young I told myself the situation will get better. That I wouldn't have deal with the racism anymore and it will be all behind me. I was wrong. All my wishes and prayers were never answered. The racist grew like a cancer, no longer was it just "ching chong" people would walk up to me saying "I wish the Hiroshima bombing hit you" or "Why did you do the bombing in Pearl Harbor?" Like literally not a month ago I am in the hallway, and a white kid comes up to me, and I quote says "Hey communist why are you here, shouldn't you be in the rice fields!" What am I suppose to do!? I can't fire back with a racist comment because that is not fair to the white people that did nothing wrong. Then I get kids asking "oh Max why are you so mean?" or "Max why are you so angry all the time?" It's because of this crap I dealt with. I won't lie I have develop a silent hatred towards people because of this racist trauma that was drilled into my mind since my first day of school. I don't know if there even is a solution to this problem. What could a teacher do? At most send the kid to ISS and then have chat with their parents. If the person is racist you can't change him/her. After years and years the pain became numb. I don't know. I just hope people like me don't go through the same problems as I did in the future.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of things wrong with the world today. You have to fit in with society and look and act a certain way. Sometimes you won´t even get treated the same just because of the way you look. My mom and dad worry a lot about my siblings and I because of the world today. Kidnaps, violence, rape, liars, thief´s, and so many more. I feel like the world gets worse and worse by every day. You really have to watch out because you never really know what someone could do to you. There are so many crazy people using drugs or drinking. Some people don believe that just because youŕe a different race that you shouldn´t get the same things as the rest. Or if you like the same gender, then some people think of you a whole lot different. Even if youŕe a girl, you don´t get looked at the same as boys do. They think that we´re not as strong, and we can´t even do the same jobs as men because appartenly we´re not capable of it. None of this should be happening in the world. Everybody should be treated equally because at the end of the day we are all humans.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was younger, almost every adult that I told I wanted to be the same age as them told me to enjoy the time I had as a child, and I never could understand why they would tell me that. Why wouldn’t I want to be a cool, rule free adult who can make all these decisions and “be happy”? I now know why, as a child I was blind to all of the chaos in the world. Of course I would learn in history class about past events that our country went through like war and segregation, but the majority of my teachers would never touch on what was happening TODAY. I live in, and have lived in for 16 years, a world where one is judged by the brands that they wear or by how many likes they can get on Instagram. I live in a world where everyone will repost and mourn the death of a celebrity, but will scroll past the post about the millions of starving people worldwide.I live in a world that money makes go round. I live in a world where the color of your skin or the gender you identify as, determines who you are in the eyes of our society. I live in a world where almost everyone is familiar with the feelings of depression or anxiety. I live in a world where a student has to think about what they would do if an active shooter came terrorizing their halls. I believe that there are many things wrong with the world we are forced to live in. Almost everything we hear on the news is negative, the world pays more attention to the negative things than positive things. Mental health is avoided in conversation and sucide is sadly common. There are weapons strong enough to wipe out an entire tri state area. There are humans damaging our planet, to the point where one day there will be no more Earth. All of these issues are easy to identify and agree with, but yet all these things still happen. I could sit here and say that someone needs to do something and make a change for the better, but how? How could just one individual change this mess of a world we live in? What could they do, and where do they start? Unfortunately, I don’t know the answers to these questions, however I do know that things need to change before it is too late.
ReplyDeleteThe problem I see in Oakcrest, in Mays landing, in New Jersey, in the country, even in this world is selfishness. It all comes form how you were raised. My Parents, my mom especially, has always taught me, "Don't do something for someone expecting in return, do it out of the kindness in your heart." I've always done that with everything, if I do something I don't expect anything in return, but a Thank you, but for most people I know it's the opposite. My Mom would bend over backwards to do something for anyone who truly needed it, whether its a friend, family, or a person who she's Never seen a day In her life before. She instilled that into me, but not everyone in our generation is like that. I hate to sound like a Baby Boomer pushing our generation, but it's true. Whether it's how their parents taught them that, or the lack of it is a big factor. To them everything is me me me. That's what wrong with this country. A main example is Politics, every politician tells the people of America what they are going to do for "them", when in reality, the things they do pass, and the laws they actually put in, are benefiting them. Something a wise (wo)men told me was, "Put yourself in that situation, and think how you would feel, and think how easier it would be if someone helped you out, how much stress and relief would be taken off your shoulders." Whether the quote helps or not, shows how much you care about the people around you.
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ReplyDeleteThe biggest problem with our society is racism. I can't stress enough how i'm sick and tired of people thinking their race is more superior than other races. The sad part is we still have it today, i will never get why it still exists. This is not progress, yes we've made some changes here and there but mentally we've been in the same position for centuries. Others don't even realize they're being racist. Personally i attempted to live in a world without racism and it took me awhile to realize it does and still exist. I've been letting Coworkers, friends, teachers take advantage of me on racism whether its something they said or did. That is going to change. For now on i will be respected for who i am which is African American. If others won't do something about it, I definitely will make a change on this situation. It could be as little as showing compassion to other races, just that may start a chain reaction.
ReplyDeleteLet's face it. There is a lot wrong with the world and society we live in today. Everyday people are feeling belittled and put down whether it be because of their race, gender, or sexuality. None of this should cater to how much their self worth is. Their self worth should not seem like it's any less then any one else just because they believe in something different, they have a different skin color or have a different preference to who they are attracted to. None of this matters. It makes me sad to even think that there are still parents out there that raise their kids on beliefs that are so brutal and mean. I also feel like humanity as a whole is becoming cold. People don't say basic kind words anymore such as thank you and please or hold doors open for the people behind them. Growing up and still to this day, my mom always tells me "make sure to do at least one good deed a day". This will forever stick with me because even doing one good thing a day such as holding a door open for someone, offering to throw away their trash when throwing out theres or getting them a chrome book when you have to get one in class to make such a difference in spreading kindness in the world. Think about how the world would be just a little better if everyone did one good deed a day. The sad truth is, there is nothing anybody can do to change both of these problems. There is still always going to be someone out there that has these beliefs on people who are unlike them and people who chose to forget about standard kindness.
ReplyDeleteSomething I think strongly enough to change in America that happens every day is drugs, violence, kidnapping, racism, neglected children, gun control, and abuse. I know that is a lot, but it is on the news or in the news paper everyday all over America. Wherever I go I always have to watch my surroundings, see who is around me, and always be aware. At 16, I want to be a free teen just trying to have fun, but in today's world I can't because I am so paranoid of everything around me. About the child neglect, 4 of my neighbors are adopted children because of either child neglect, or their parents don't give a damn in the world for their kid. That makes me upset because there are so many kids going from house to house not having a clue what is going t happen when they wake up the next morning also not having a clue where their parents are. I feel that if you can't take care and support your child, why have one. I understand sometimes it is rape, but just having you kid because you were being dumb isn't right. Racism, gun control, abuse, drugs, and many others things you can just look up on the internet and thousands and thousands of page or articles will come up. I honestly hate watching the news because seeing things like this make me more scared of the world and people around me.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many things wrong with the world that at this point some things seem like they will never change. However, I do think that change could be possible if we all came united as one. I think one of the biggest problems in our country is that exact idea. We are so divided and separated, it blows my mind. Whether it's white or black, democrat or republican, gay or straight, these are all divides that people seem to view as barriers in society. I wish that instead we could all just exist as one, that people could realize we are all human beings. Yes, we may have different opinions and may disagree, but that's just how life goes. That doesn't give an excuse for the hate that seems to exist between a lot of different groups in our country. Although, I can't do anything to fix or change the minds of some of the close minded people in this world, I can hope that as we grow older, our generation can come together and make a real change, have a true impact on this crazy world we live in. Just imagining a world where we aren't divided seems like an impossible concept, but if we were united as one, so many of our other issues as a country would most likely go away completely.
ReplyDeleteAlthough there are many problems within today’s society, judgement of others and their ways of life have created a lot of issues in today’s world. Judgement is visible in our tiny town to the president and even other nations. Whether it be judging someone for who they love, what they’re wearing, or on their religious beliefs to the color of their skin. Judgement has always been an issue. As much as we try to prevent it, society has made it acceptable with social media, and our own president being so vocal about his biases. Judging others is just a sign of insecurity in your own life, and it’s unfair to make others feel less than. Although we can’t necessarily stop people from voicing their opinions due to freedom of speech, there could be better laws against hate speech and bullying. Because those things can truly affect a person’s self-esteem and self-image. All we can do is listen to our parents who told us to mind our business. And we can let others live the way they choose to live, and live our lives the way we want to.
ReplyDeleteOne of the biggest things I see wrong with the world is the stigma surrounding mental health issues. The way that some choose to view mental illnesses like anxiety or depression puts the person under the impression that they're isolated in society. They think one is incapable of living a "normal" life, holding down a job, or even keeping a relationship. Many who suffer from mental illness don't receive the treatment they need. Perhaps it's because they can't afford it, but it's mostly because they're reluctant to even get diagnosed for the fear of being an outcast. We shouldn't have to carve ourselves into something else in order to be accepted.
ReplyDeleteAs I grow older and am able to get a grasp on peoples actions and personalities, I have grown to notice the flaws within not only Mays Landing, but the world. In my opinion inequality is the worst thing going on right now. It is world wide and is such an effective, hurtful, damaging thing to many people The simplest definition of inequality is "lack of equality", which lots of people relate this to the lack of equality for the LGBTQ+ community and people of color, but I find it to be used far beyond those lines. Although people are treated unfairly because of their sexual orientation or skin color, people who have different ideas, clothing style, hair color, personality, religious beliefs or if they are anything other than quote on quote "normal" , are victims of inequality everyday. I am a bystander and a victim every single day. Now a days society is roughly judgmental, the group of mean/"cool" kids in the school are judgmental, parents can also be judgmental. our generation has the strength to be whatever they want to be, its just getting past the ones who create inequality by being judgmental that aren't making it easy. Overall, in my opinion, the world just needs kindness and acceptance. We are all humans and for someone to be looked at differently because they don’t have the same day to day life as you is ridiculous. I may not be able to make a change to my own generation but I can to my kids and my grandchildren and down the line. I can teach them the right way to treat others. I can teach them that whatever they want to be,love,look like,find interest in , etc. is completely acceptable no matter who tells them different. All i can hope is my kids pass that to their own and others join kindness and acceptance as well.
ReplyDeleteOn a micro-scale, we have all sorts of little problems that could be simply solved if we got out of our own heads. On the macro scale, we've got a whole load of barely fixable problems. We have climate change, racism, sexism, and ignorance. All problems that have been almost entirely caused by the older generation. Those who didn’t think all were equal, who didn’t believe in the rising sea level and damaged ozone layer. Those who can’t let go of the past, can’t ever fully belong in the future. Oh, but of course, my generation is plagued with peter-pan syndrome? My generation is the confused and dangerous? We have been put in a position with no options. To fix their mistakes or deal with the consequences, consequences they might not even be around to see. We are moving into a time of acceptance and our future is bright. We must have open hearts and minds, or there really is no hope for our future, or for us.
ReplyDeleteWe’re living in a world where teenagers walk into a bathroom filled with smoke, and consider it a normal day. We’re living in a world where kids would much rather play video games or be on their phone for hours on end, instead of playing outside. We’re living in a world where teens are self-diagnosing themselves with anxiety and depression, just because it’s “quirky.” We’re living in a world where black parents still have fear for their children to be on the roads. We’re living in a world where girls have to download an app or get pepper spray to feel safe on the streets. We’re living in a world where children are too scared to get light-up sketchers because what if the school shooter sees them in the darkness of their classroom. We’re living in a world where teens are using sex as a extracircular activity. We’re living in a world where animals are being poached, killed, and going extinct for nothing that they control. We’re living in a world where we care more about what brand is being produced, over what their production is doing to our planet. We’re living in a world that isn’t our beloved world anymore. People repost awareness videos and pictures on their instagram stories, and act like it makes a difference. If they actually cared about the environment, society, etc, then they’d get off of their phones for once and do something about it. That’s the problem in our world. We all act like we care uncontrollably about what’s going on in the world, but no one does anything about it. We get those metal straws to save the turtles, and hydroflasks to save the oceans, but does that actually do anything? We just crave the attention of others, and to look like a good person, but no one wants to take the extra step to do something. There’s so many more issues with the world, then just pollution and straws in the waters. The type of people and behavior that we have become and embraced is truly heartbreaking. You’d think that by 2019, we, as a population, would have evolved into something great. But really, we’re spiraling into a world of disarray and disappointment. I often wonder who we have to blame, and there’s no one in particular, but ourselves.
ReplyDeleteSo blog, this entry is a tricky one... It's not some deep philosophical question, or a question that only has meaning to US. This is a loaded question, not only about politics, or the world, but our future! Depending on where you grew up, who you grew up with, who you hang with, clubs that you're in, things that you've experienced, etc.. all have an impact on what you think is the most important issue we face today. Personally, I believe that political parties are a toxin that is slowly killing society. If you dont believe me? Hear it from the first president of the good ol' US of A, George Washington. "However political parties may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion." He said this in 1796 and it still stands true. We are so focused on political parties, and just aligning with someone because of their affiliation, that the policies that each individual bring to the table is the last thing we are discussing. Now, political races are just a competition on who's committee can get more dirt on their opponent. This is something that I would love to see changed. It's extremely sad, as a teen who is not insanely involved with politics, that I can tell you that supposedly, trump is a sexist and a bigot and a racist and a sexual abuser, but I don't know any of his stances on any important political issues. It's just a sad circus act. So THAT is the first thing that needs a change before we can start to focus on any other issues. Thank y'all, and goodnight.
ReplyDeleteThe numerous things wrong with this world is a mix of human internal factors emotionally/physically that create a more negatively moral world. The problems start with the parents. When they have kids, they teach their children the way that they learned from their parents. The problems with this however, is that it creates this continuous cycle of bad morals/ideas that can span generations. What I mean by this is that lets say you have a 'bad' parent or bad parents and you learn from them as you grow into adulthood, then now as an adult, you can often push these same bad things onto your own children subconsciously. Its a hard thing to change and is a huge reason as to why things in the world aren't always that great.
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