THANKFUL

There are many people in 7^th period English that I’m thankful for. All in all the top four are Antonio Arana, Martin Barragan, Karmyn Doughty, and Samuel Kajah.

Antonio is a person to be thankful for because he is a cheerful person and is a person who keeps me on task. He is very nice and is enthusiastic about learning but when it comes to basketball we know who’s better… ME. He is one of my favorite new friends of sophomore year. The last three peoples are oldies but goodies. Martin is my sports buddy we known each other since freshman year from mock trials to Socratic seminars we’ve proven ourselves to be formidable adversaries. Martin has proven to be a good friend and I’m most thankful that I have more time to convert him to team LeBron. Karmyn is a free spirit and is an outspoken person like myself. Though we’ve known each other since freshman year our friendship has developed more this year. I’m proud to call Karmyn my friend. Sam is a dear friend of mine ever since freshman year in piano class we’ve been kickin and I’m thankful that I have a whole new school year to make more memories.

 

 

John Proctor, Hero or Stooge?

Hero:
A hero is a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.  John Proctor possesses qualities of such a man, honesty, bravery, and candor.  In the end John Proctor denunciation of the witch trails and public confession of his adulterous relationship with Abigail, after the battle of conflict with himself, puts him in a heroic position.  He refuses to sign a false confession, which would have dishonored his fellow prisoners, who were willing to die for the truth.
Stooge:
A stooge is a lackey, a person used for the purpose of another.  John Proctor fits this term lackey, because Abigail manipulated him in order to get revenge on Elizabeth.  This was achieved by Abigail, relying on the fact that John Proctor would stay in conflict with himself, over keeping his name clean or saving his wife.  Abigail knew the conflict John had with himself would last long enough for her to put the final nail in the coffin of Elizabeth.
John Proctor, Hero or Stooge?

I Celebrate Myself

Henry David Thoreau once said it’s not what you look at that matters, it's what you see. To me perception is everything. It is the simplest of dividers in our society. A divider which separates the rich from the poor, good from evil, fact from fiction, and the possible from the impossible. To me what defines us as individuals is our perception. Though, they can be similar, no two perspectives are the same. Diversity of this magnitude is not only cause for praise but cause for celebration. I honor my individuality through perceiving all that I can. Formulating new opinions, ideas, and truths that are unique to me. I shed light on discoveries entitled to me through my innovative thought processes that are mine and mine alone. I transcend to higher levels of greatness not just to be the best but in order to break the chains that enslave us to conformity. Perception empowers me, it allows me to be self-reliant and through self-reliance I CELEBRATE MYSELF.
Is the Celebration of one’s self a good thing or a bad thing, and if not how do you Celebrate yourself?

The Line

We have all heard the saying there is a fine between genius and insanity. Those who walk on this preverbal line are forever immortalized as the brilliant thinker or as the quack philosopher. The jury still isn’t out on Poe but today we will all come to our own opinion of what Poe really was. Edger Allen Poe was born January 19th of 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts Son of actress Eliza Poe and actor David Poe Jr. His mother Eliza died and his father also died/disappeared. Leaving Poe to be adopted by John and Fanny Allan in. Edgar worked very hard to write. He drank often. And in 1836 He married his cousin, Virginia Clemm. She was 14 years old. Virginia, his young wife, dies Poe gets involved with a few other women, but does not stay sober or successful long enough to please them. Poe’s writing are writing of ominous and gothic storylines. This can be seen as fore shadowing of his life. An example of this is the poem “Ligeia” which can be interpreted as a story of the death of his wife. Themes and symbols of his stories are Love and Hate, Self vs. Alter Ego, The Power of the Dead over the Living, and Eyes serve as window to the soul. To quote William Shakespeare Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. Some people believe Poe to have had greatness thrust upon him. Due to his chronic alcohol addiction critics argue that the under toning themes, motifs, and symbols of Poe's writings are by happenstance more so than Poe coming up with the creative and complex under toning. All in all I believe the man was great because there not enough luck in the world to produce the themes, motifs, and symbols exemplified in Poe’s writings. Now it’s your turn genius or insanity.

Modern Day American

 In present day an American is defined as a citizen of the United States of America. Surly that isn’t what the founding fathers of this nation wanted.

After the oppression of the English government, English settlers set out on a journey in order to find a place where they could create the basic building blocks of a modern day democracy. To the forefathers of this great nation to be an American was to be a person that; had upstanding morals, was wise and stood for liberty and justice for all.

 I believe this definition of American was, still is, and will never be an obtainable goal. Bringing me to the all important question what is a modern day American? I believe it’s a figment of our imagination because no one is completely pure and free of wrong doing. Also moral and wise beliefs are subjective which means no one can definitively say something is right or wrong.  

What do you think dose an American exist at all?

MODERN DAY PURITANS

Puritan is defined as a person who is strict in moral or religious matters, often excessively so. Today I like to think of modern puritans not as a person or a group of people, but as the direct decedent of the puritan ideology… Government. The cornerstone of government is the law, just as the bible severed in the puritan society, “It’s either your saving grace or your eternal damnation”. The two are synonymous there is no middle ground; you’re either innocent or guilty. This exemplifies the term “Simplicity in its rarest form is a beautiful thing”. Perhaps, the biggest similarity is their tendencies to eradicate anything that contradicts their ideology be it the law or the bible.
Do you think that the government is embodying Puritan like behavior?

There Goes The Neighborhood

Many of us have heard the saying, “There Goes the Neighborhood…”  It is a common consensus that the saying definitely generates negative connotations.  This statement was originated as an expression of resignation and disapproval of racial minorities moving into previously all white neighborhoods,  It also means that something has just happen that will damage the quality of life in that social environment.

 

The first time I remember hearing someone use the saying “There Goes the Neighborhood...” I was a young boy of the ripe age of twelve and my family and I was over my cousin house.  The adults were in the house talking and I went to sit outside on their porch.  My cousin who was only two years older than I told me that I did not need to be sitting outside on the porch, because their neighbors did not know me and that they would be afraid.  I did not totally understate what she was trying to say, until I heard two of their neighbors implied that just because I was sitting on the porch, it would not be long , before the whole neighborhood was going to be filled with African Americans sitting on their porches and bringing down the property value.  Then one of them said loud enough for both of us to hear, “There Goes the Neighborhood!”

 

So, what is it about certain people that causes other people to instinctually say “There Goes the Neighbor…”, when they see or hear about them?

 

Me

Welcome to the Instigator! 

I am your host Justin Commings, the ultimate send off.  I enjoy the uncomfortable and forbidden topics of society.  I live to address controversy and to challenge and elevate the minds of my followers.  So join the discussion every Sunday night for the Instigator and prepare for the insanity...