I, Julia Aaron, am a Freedom Rider

"At our first stop in Virginia . . . I [was] confronted with what the Southern white has called `separate but equal.' A modern rest station with gleaming counters and picture windows was labeled `White,' and a small wooden shack beside it was tagged `Colored.'"
-- Freedom Rider William Mahoney. Freedom Rider. When you hear that name, what do you think of? What comes to my mind is one who fights for what is justly deserved, one who stands tall to the oppressive, and one who isn’t afraid to sacrifice for what they know is right. I, Julia Aaron, am a Freedom Rider. In 1946 the Supreme Court ruled that segregation of seating on interstate buses was unconstitutional. So what does that mean for me, my friends, and my family down in Alabama? Almost nothing. As many expected, southern states were slow to comply with this ruling. So what are we supposed to do? Sit around until the bus conductors decide us blacks can finally sit with the whites? Are they going to hand us a golden letter when they become okay with integrating busses? Well, I can tell you that I sure believe they won’t do any of that.

So, I joined the Freedom Riders. They were doing something about this! They were standing up for their supreme court given rights! The plan was to ride a bus route through a stop in Birmingham, AL. The white freedom riders would sit in the back of the bus, and blacks would seat themselves in front sections. During stops and rest breaks the black freedom riders would enter white only areas and whites would do the opposite. I was very well prepared for what I was signing up for. I had seen violent protests on the news all my life. I knew whether you stood still or came out swinging, people were going to be violent towards you if you were fighting for civil rights. It is a sensitive topic. I honestly don’t understand why some people are so opposed to equality. How would you feel if you were on the bottom end? The day of my freedom ride comes. Of course I was nervous, I was a twenty-two year old girl. But, I knew what I was fighting for was bigger than myself. I was fighting for one step closer to gaining equality, the eradication of racism, and to provide a better future for the generations ahead. I get to the bus stop, climb the few steps, and take a seat in the very first row. Once I am seated I keep my eyes down, and stay to myself. At a rest break I gather my courage and step right into the section marked “WHITES-ONLY” with a sharp red and white sign. I pretend I belong as angry glares and harsh whispers are being pointed in my direction. Inside I am strong. I know that whatever happens today, in the end I will know that I made a difference and that I was brave enough to stand up for what I deserve.

Hours pass with no real physical danger or harm. I begin to relax. The bus driver announces our stop in Birmingham. As we pull up to the stop a small mob quickly boards the bus and begins to beat my fellow riders and I. I don’t remember much. I wasn’t seriously injured, but I did gain some serious bruises. One rider got seven stitches above his left eye. Overall, we had a good ride compared to some of the others. I only participated in one ride because of my mothers concerns. My mom understood the importance of the rides, but always persisted in asking me why I had to be the one to fight for it, or why can’t you leave that up to someone else. What I had to explain to her is that most people have that attitude already. If everyone counts on others to do their work for them, then how long are we going to have to wait for a change to happen? I want a change now. And I am willing to fight for it. I, Julia Aaron, am a Freedom Rider. Works Cited: Cozzens, Lisa. "Freedom Rides." Civil Rights Movement. Web. 31 May 2012. . "Freedom Riders." Web. 31 May 2012. . "Retracing the Freedom Riders Route." News Detail. Web. 31 May 2012. . "Freedom Riders." A Union of Professionals. Web. 31 May 2012. .

Medical Advancements during the Great Depression

The period of hardship between the late 1920’s and the late 1930’s is called the Great Depression. The average American families income went down 40% and almost everyone was affected. In these years the American public was subject to harsh conditions, but we survived.
During this difficult time Americans were still progressing in the medical field. In 1931 the first clinical use of Penicillin was conducted. Penicillin was a large medical breakthrough for the treatment of harmful bacterial infections. Penicillin is most likely in some form for any antibiotic that you take. I believe most people have suffered a sinus infection, Strep throat, or even a case of pneumonia. Antibiotics treat all of these, and antibiotics all start with Penicillin.
In 1935 the heart-lung machine was invented. This allowed surgeons to attempt to preform open-heart surgeries. These surgeries were never an option before this important invention. When this was produced the doctors of time could perform invasive heart surgries that were never an option before. The machine works by taking the job of the heart during surgery. This instrument has saved thousands of lives by allowing doctors to internally treat the heart.
In 1937 George Beadle and Edward Tatum presented the gene-one enzyme theory that stated that all chemical reactions inside the cell are enzymes and that all enzymes is controlled by one gene. This is still an accepted theory and has provided the basis for many new gene experiments and discoveries. George Beadle and Edward Tatum received at Nobel Prize for their achievements in physiology and medicine in 1958.
During the Great Depression new and safer ways to preform blood transfusions were being created.The blood for these transfusions needed to be cared for so in 1937 the first blood bank opened in Cook County Hospital, Chicago. Nowadays, blood banks sprawl across the country and are strictly regulated. This was a big step for medical safety.
Through the hardships of the Great Depression Americans in the medical field persevered and pushed for new advancements. These important steps ahead have provided us with great knowledge today, in our day and age. The medical theories, discoveries, and new inventions from the Great Depression have given us the foundation for how far we have come in the medical world.

Memoirs of a Geisha

I am currently reading a few books, but this one definitely came to the tops of my list of the one I wanted to write about.

The book begins with the main character Chiyo talking about her childhood, with her parents and sister. She explains how her father had a family before them who all died. Also, her mother becomes very ill and she explains how that affects her, but she never imagined that her mother would pass away. The prominent business man of the town visits Chiyo's house and Chiyo believes that he is adopting her and her sister because they slept over his house for a night. She soon finds out she is wrong when after a long train ride her and her sister are separated. Chiyo goes to live in a geisha house called the okiya. She is put to hard work as a maid and she is told if she works well they will begin to train her as a geisha.

The current geisha living at the house is a beautiful but horribly wicked woman named Hatsumomo. The woman who run the geisha house are called Granny, Mother, and Auntie. Granny is also wicked, but Auntie seems to try to help Chiyo out at times. Hatsumomo is a very successful geisha and is extremely conceited about her beauty. She seems to have it out for Chiyo, tricking her into mean traps and Chiyo is constantly getting in trouble for things Hatsumomo has set her up for.

All along Chiyo has been searching for information on where her sister is and when she finally figures it out she begins to plan on how to see her. One night Chiyo has to deliver something to Hatsumomo, and after she hurries to find her sister. She finds her sister working as a prostitute along at her young age I don't think she realizes that. They agree on a time to meet and run away together, they only get to talk for a few minutes.

When Chiyo gets home it is very late and Hatsumomo is angry at her and gives her money saying that she wants her to run away because she hates her so much. Then just as Chiyo is getting hopeful that she will actually be able to leave, Hatsumomo drags her up to Mothers room yelling that Chiyo stole jewelry from her and sold it. Mother searches Chiyo and finds the money that Hatsumomo gave her and Chiyo is beaten.

Chiyo comes to find out that eventually she must pay back all of her expenses at the geisha house. Her rent, food, clothes, doctor bills, and things she has stolen or damaged are all added up and eventually she must pay them back to leave. And realistically, unless you are a huge success at being a geisha you will always be indebted.

Since Chiyo's date to run away with her sister is the next day Chiyo isn't sure how she will be able to leave. So when the day comes Chiyo goes out on the roof, but falls off breaking her arm, unable to meet her sister. Chiyo got the worst beating of her life and has no idea of what happened to her sister.

A few weeks later Chiyo gets a package in the mail from the business man from her small town that originally sold her into slavery. It contains a letter saying that her mother passed away and that her father passed away soon after. Also that her sister made it back to their small village and ran away with her old local boyfriend and that if Chiyo should hear form her to please contact him. She comes to the realization that she has no one left and honestly doesn't know what to do with herself.

This book is different than many others I have read before but I am seriously captivated by it. I just cant wait to read more :)

Scientific and Medical Advancements from the 1920's

The medical advancements made in the 1920's were very significant. A large contributuion to these advancements was the discovery of immunizations. A bacterial disease, Diphtheria, became better controlled in the year 1923 by new immunizations. Albert Calmette and Camille Guerin in France create a vaccine against tuberculosis.

Another huge discovery that took place in the twenties was the discovery of penicillin. Alexander Fleming of Britain observed a yellowish colored mold on a petri dish and his investigation into it lead to the worlds first antibiotic. This breakthrough in 1928 changed the medical world forever. This antibiotic has saved countless lives to date and is still in active use today.

Not only was the 1920's a time for medical advancements, it was also a revival of cultural appreciation. With the flourish of the Harlem renaissance and the rapidly changing America, medicine and science were also moving ahead of the times. These discoveries reflect the progression of America in the twenties.


Web:

"The Roaring Twenties." Think Quest. Web. 4 Feb. 2012. .

PubMed Health. Web. 5 Feb. 2012. .

Image:

"Facts About Fungi." Web. .

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

I have heard amazing things about this book so I decided that it would be a good choice for my next read. To be completely honest I almost gave up on it for the first few chapters. Maybe it was because it expected so much of this book, but I found it completely boring that I almost put it down. But as the book progressed I became more and more engrossed in the book and increasingly happy that I didn't put it down.

A man named Blomkvist is a journalist and in the beginning chapters has been convicted on guilty of publishing libelous material about a man Hans-Erik Wennerström who apparently set him up somehow. His job is to report on those who are corrupt in financing. Blomkvist is really innocent but was convicted so must pay a fine and serve 3 months in jail sometime in the future. Blomkvist works at a magazine named Millenium, but after the conviction feels that he needs a break. He has a sort of odd affair with his co-owner of the magazine Erika Berger.

The next section of the book switches to another set of characters. A man named Armansky who is an older CEO of a security company. Through a turn of events a girl in her twenties name Lizabeth Salander comes to be Armansky's assistant but she turns out to be the best investigator he has ever come by. She is different from anyone else he and many others have ever met. She is reclusive, afraid of being touched, and such a tough exterior.

An assignment that Lisabeth is put on is to investigate Blomkvist and Wennerström's court case. Her immediate thoughts and unproven theories are true about the case. It shows her intelligence and her natural intuition. About a chapter later Blomkvist get a call from the Vanger corporation and they insist a meeting with him, Blomkvist reluctantly agrees and arranges a meeting. Thats where I left off!!!