Mexican Minor Migration- SAD. by Taiina Ayala

As more and more people struggle for a good life in Mexico, more young illegal immigrants are caught being smuggled into the United States. The recent scandal, is that a six year-old boy, Juan Gonzalez, was caught being smuggled into "the land of the free and the home of the brave." More and more young immigrants are being sent alone out of pure despiration for a good life. But, if minors are caught, they must stand alone in court because there are no laws that give them the right to a lawyer. Some might find the mental picture of a six year-old boy standing alone and terrified in a court room filled with strangers, to be an unsettling one.
To me, it is just absolutely sad that this has to happen. Although I'm not the most educated person on the subject of illegal immigration, I do believe that minors who are caught trying to cross the border should simply be let in. There's a difference between a murderer entering our nation, and people who are desperate for a good future; people who need and WANT an education, people who need jobs and need to support themselves. These are the people I want in our nation. Hardworkers, go- getters, and perserverers- some words that can't even be used to describe many Americans! We take it all for granted. Stories like these help me to remember to appreciate what I have, and to take advantage of the opportunities I have to live in America. The thought of people smuggling their small children into our nation atop of freight trains and buses absolutley frightens me. These are people who are seeking refuge, and we are simply denying them it. Maybe I'm weird, but I definitely think something needs to change. Do you think the parents of these children WANT to send them alone to somehow make their way across the border? I'm sure hundreds of hearts a day are ripping apart as parents say  their goobyes- probably their last- to their children, sending them off to a hopeful, better life. The fact is, they don't always make it across successfully. Attempting to illegally cross the border, of course, is always a BIG RISK. I can't even begin to try to understand the terror in these kids' souls! They're so young, they don't even fully understand what's going on. They're saying bye to their families, going through harsh weather conditions, crossing big rivers, being caught, being detained, and standing in front of a judge all so fast! These poor children. :(( SAD DAY. If we could just make some kind of laws or SOMETHING so that these things do not have to happen! GET IT TOGETHER GOVERNMENT.


Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/us/more-young-illegal-immigrants-face-deportation.html?pagewanted=all

Flatland Summary (cont.)

After talking to the sphere, the square gets to thinking. He realizes that if there is a Flatland, a Spaceland, and possible a Lineland, that there must be many other dimensional worlds. He brings this theory up to the sphere, but the sphere doesn't understand and is offended, so he returns the square back to Flatland. When back in Flatland, the square has a dream that the sphere has come back to introduce him to another land, Pointland. The square wakes up and really feels strongly about educating other people about all of the other, higher dimensional lands. So he tries to convinve the inhabatants of Flatland of Spaceland's existence. But he gets caught, and imprisoned. But he doesn't give up. He spends the rest of his life trying to explain Spaceland to the other people in jail.

Flatland (cont.)

After dreaming and telling us about Lineland, Square returns to Flatland, where he is visited by a sphere. He is very confused because he has never met a three-dimensional creature. He doesn't understand Shphere until he visits Saceland, Sphere's home land. The sphere visits Flatland every once in a while to tell people in Flatland about Spaceland in hopes that one day all of Flatland will be educated about Spaceland. The people (shapes) of Spaceland can see the people (shapes) of Flatland from their world. While in Spaceland, Square and Sphere see the leaders of Flatland secretly talking about the existence of Spaceland. They secretly know, but don't want the people of Flatland to know. So, whoever is said to know someting about Spaceland, they are either killed or imprisoned.

Flatland Summary (cont.)

Abbott proceeds to tell us about another world, Lineland. This other one- dimensional world, Lineland, is just a thought of the narrator's, who is a square in Flatland, of course. The whole middle section of the book is about Square's imaginative world, and how it is better and more fantastic than Flatland. He dreams he goes to Lineland and tries to convince the ruler that there is another dimension but the monarch doesn't understand. Basically, this whole section of the book tells us what life would be like in such a world like Lineland.

Flatland by Edwin A. Abbott- Chapter 3

Chapter 3 is entitled "Concerning the Inhabitants of Flatland." Reading this chapter, I realized that this book is really weird! I mean really, it's kind of funny. Abbott goes on and on telling us about this world, Flatland: Where everyone and everything is two-dimensional shapes. It's quite interesting actually! In this chapter, he breaks down the different classes of people, shapes, in Flatland. There are straight lines, circles, squares, equlateral triangles, isosceles triangles, etc. Their shape determines their social status. This chapter was prety crucial because Abbott tells the reader about the basic social aristocracy in Flatland.

Flatland by Edwin A. Abbott- Chapter 2

Abbott starts off the next chapter by informing the reader that in Flatland, just like in Spaceland, there are four points of the compass, North, South, East, and West. Since there is no sun in Flatland, they determine the North in an unusual way. You see, in Flatland, there is a constant attraction to the South.  Also, another way they determine direction, is by the rain. The rain in Flatland always falls from the North. The force of attraction tells much more heavily on males than females. Therefore, it is a rule that when a man meets a lady in the street, a man must always give them the north side of the street too walk on.
Because there is no sun in Flatland, an often investigated question was, "What is the origin of light?" After many attempts to solve the answer to this question, the Legislature prohibited any study of the origin of light. The narrartor then claims he knows the answer to the question, but no one in Flatland believes him, although he is a well-educated professor, and the very person who introduced the theory of light from Spaceland. After he shows his passionate opinion for the subject, he continues to tell us about the houses in Flatland.
The average house shape in flatland is a Pentagon. Square and Triangle shaped houses are not allowed because their angles are much more pointed, and this is considered a danger. Most houses have a large door for males, and a much smaller door on the other side for women. Some Triangular and Square houses still exist, although they are rare. Square houses used to be permitted, but for towns that had a population of at least ten thousand, the Pentagonal shape was the only allowed house shape by Legislature. Therefore, it is now the most common shape used in Flatland.

Flatland by Edwin A. Abbott- Chapter 1

This book starts of quite interestingly. The narrarator states that he lives in a world that he knows as Flatland. He describes his land as a two-dimensional one in which the people can only see lines. He gives an analogy to help describe Flatland. The author paints a picture of a sailor in the seas, looking at land from far-off. From far distance,  the land just looks like a line. Although you know it is land, the only visible thing from way far off, is a grayish line. Now in Spaceland, our, three-demensinoal world, as you get closer, it begins to look more like a piece of land. But in Flatland, no matter how close or far you get from a shape, whether it be a triangle, square, hexagon, pentagon, or circle, it was only always appear as a  straight line. After giving this analogy, the author then uses a popular persuasive writing tactic. He guesses the readers' probable question, and then answers it. the question was, if all you see is lines in Flatland, then how do you know what is what? He says that he will start answering the multiple-part answer to this question in the next chapter, by first describing the climate and houses in his "country."