Response to Jill's presentatin

Jill had a great presentation in the fact that she really showed how America was so affected by music. It affected America on a broad scale. It made individuals feel happy, and confortable listening to music that they love. It can give them a sense of memory for example the first song at a wedding will be remembered for the rest of their lives. It will also unite individuals into groups. Music can bond people together because of the genre that they like or the feelings that they share. I totally agree with this. When a good song comes on the radio, it is so much fun to blast it and enjoy it with someone else who enjoys it the same as you do. This bonds the two or group of people together because they apreciate the same song. Similarly on a larger scale, music can bond an entire country. Take for example the song "We Are the World." This song was made to unite the entire country to get them to help Hati with the earthquake. It was so effective that now I really want to help out in Hati. It motivated me because of the importance it showed by having that many artists singing. The fact that I recognized over 20 well know singers and artists makes me feel like that song was important because if it was not then why are all these amazing artists singing it. Not only did it move me by importance but also the feeling I get when listening to it. The song was so good partly because of the artists that sung it, but mostly because of the meaning and the video is shown. It gave a sense of how much help the people in Hati need. This message is what makes music so strong in America. The best music can move you with a message and make you feel good.

Response

I just went through Andrew's presentation on gays and lesbians. Going into it I had believed that it was different to have a same sex marriage. I would uncontrollably look at people differently if they were gay. Unfortunately that was how I was raised. Even this weekend with my grandparents I was at a restaurant and our waiter wan noticeably gay and when he walked away my grandparents started mocking him. I thought it was funny, but now after watching Andrew's presentation I realize it is not. If I knew how much the gays had to go through and put yourself in the shoes of a gay man I would not have laughed. I can only imagine what it would be like to have death threats sent to you by the hundreds like Mr. Milk. It was also good to know why the gay people have a parade in Chicago. At first I thought they were just trying to show off that they were gay and different. However, now I know that the parade is because of the Stonewall riots which is when the gays rebel against the police because of an unjust rule that says that no more than 3 gays can sit at a bar. Overall, I learned a lot about the struggle that gays have gone through and how well they endure the pressures that society puts on them. I will definitely not mock a gay guy again.