Research paper

Erika Perez
Research paper

          I found an article on the New York Times website: http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/m/aaron_james_mckinney/index.html
(News about Aaron James McKinney, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times).             

This website shows 17 different articles about the Mathew Shepard case. Even an article with the title Mother of Suspect in Killing of Gay Student Freezes to Death. Also, another arguement titled A Year After a Gay Man's Killing, Laramie Braces for a Second Trial. This specific website is perfect because it shows an inside of almost everyone connected to the case. Even more new about Wyoming. 

Presidential debate

Erika

        One thing I did agree with was what President Obama said about the insurance law. Parents being able to have their children under their insurance until the age of 26. This helped me and so many others in so many different ways. It is not easy to find a full time job that offers insurance in this day and age. Also the part about college cost. Cutting Or lowering interest rates for college loans. The college I plan to attend I will have to take out loans for and I know I will be in bebt for years to come. So the lower interest rate will help. 

        What I did not really understand was why Mitt ROmney wants to get rid of Obama care when it is there to help others. Why the need to get rid of it? 

Erika Perez                                                                                                                                         September 24, 2012

                Citizens of Animal Farm you did a wonderful job at gaining power against Mr. Jones. That took a lot of bravery and hard work. I am very proud of you all for working together as a team. You all fought hard and a great outcome came out of it, which I commend you all for. However, you are all to blame when it comes to the demise of the revolution.

Old Major was very smart and his ideas of independence for Animal Farm led him to writing the five commandments. The main idea of his commandments were, “whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend” and “All animals are equal” (Orwell 24) 

1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
3. No animal shall wear clothes.
4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.
5. No animal shall drink alcohol.
6. No animal shall kill any other animal.
7. All animals are equal.

 That changed and you all let this happen. In fact the commandments would have done you good if you all had not let Napoleon change them right before your four legs and wings. Once Napoleon called for his nine enormous dogs he stole from Jessie and Bluebell and ran Snowball out of Animal Farm.

. You all let his horrible, deceiving accomplice, Squealer, use large words to persuade you and prove your naivete. Squealer conned you into believing that Snowball was to blame for the windmill's destruction "Comrades, do you know who is responsible for this?do you know the enemy who has come in the night and overthrown our windmill? SNOWBALL!" (Orwell 69.70) . I believe Snowball was the most similar to Old Major. He actually wanted what was best for Animal Farm. Snowball came up with the idea of the windmill in order to give you all less work so why would he be the one to tear it down? 

 By believing in lies and letting Squealer and Napoleon deceive you all, I blame you for the failure of the revolution. Animals of Animal Farm, next time follow your gut. When you know something doesn’t seem right don’t follow the crowd stand up for yourself. Be as brave as you all were the first time you all worked together to over throw Mr. Jones. Until next time Animal Farm. 

The Laramie Project- Erika Perez

            The Laramie Project is a play about the death of Mathew Shepard. Member of the theatre project go to Laramie to do research for the play they are creating and up end really discovering the truth. By conducting interviews with different members of the Laramie town they discover different points of views of what actually happened.       

            There are so many different points people made about what they think really happened to Mathew that day. Some say Mathew was asking for it by flaunting his sexuality and spreading the AIDS virus to different members of the town. Others show such compassion and are completely moved by what happened to Mathew.

            “And a lot of it is my feeling that the media is portraying Mathew Shepard as a saint. And making him as a martyr. And I don’t think he was. I don’t think he was pure” (Kaufman.64). This statement was made by Sherry Johnson, a wife of a highway patrolman. “Now I don’t know him, but… there’s just so many things about him that I found out that I just, it’s scary. You know about his character and spreading AIDS and a few other things, you know being the kind of person that he was” (Kaufman.64). Mrs. Johnson created her views of Mathew by listening to rumors about him without knowing him. Mrs. Johnson claims Mathew flaunted his sexuality. Mrs. Johnson practically said he was asking for it. A few other members of the community said the same thing and showed no type of sympathy at all or compassion at all.

            Dr. Cantway is the very opposite of Mrs. Johnson and the other members of the community who side with her. Dr. Cantway was very sympathetic towards Mathew and even Aaron McKinney, the man who killed Mathew. The part that touched me most was when he explained the experience of having both of them in his hospital at the same time. “They were both my patients and they were two kids. I took care of both of them… of both their bodies. And … for a brief moment I wondered if this is how God feels when he looks down at us. How we are all his kids … Our bodies … Our souls … and I felt a great deal of compassion … for both of them…” (Kaufman.38). This line showed how much of a strong man Dr.Cantway was. To be able to admit his feelings towards both of his patients, with two very different types of stories.

            Both of these characters in the play have such an important view of Mathew and make you really think about whose side you should really be on. Dr. Cantway showing a great deal of compassion to the victim and perpetrator really shows how we are all human and our misunderstanding towards things or people who are different do not have to lead towards violence. Mrs. Johnson’s point of view just proved of how ignorant and how intolerant people of Laramie still are towards homosexuality and other things they do not understand. After reading and watching The Laramie Project, it has saddened me to see that the death of Mathew is what opened the members of Laramie’s mind and heart towards hatred and homosexuality.