State of the Union Address

I think Obama is an excellent speaker and think he did a great job on his speech this time. His main focus of the night seemed to be uniting the Democrat party and Republican party. Also, investing in important and new technology is of great concern for the president if we want to move forward, but we need to do it as one country. Obama said, "Progress is measured not by what Wall street does, but by how the American people are doing." I take from that he sees the potential in the average American to aspire to do great things. I think this is true and everyone should be given an equal opportunity to a job. I agree with Obama when he said "America is founded for the sake of  an idea and freedom of thought." He means we should be able to follow up on an idea we each have to improve the country and invest in new things, after all "this is our generations Sputnik moment." What Obama means by that is that we should invest in new technologies and new ideas and later it will bring us profit. I agree with this when talking about clean and abundant energy. We should no longer invest in things that require oil as an energy source because we will soon run out and its very expensive.He wants America to be the first company to have 1 million electric vehicles on the road and I think this is a good goal to help the environment and decrease our dependancy on oil. Obama's  new goal is to have 80% renewable energy by 2035. Obama's theme throughout his speach seemed to be "Lets fix what needs fixing and move forward."  But the final critical step is not to be buried under dept. Our gov. spends more than it take in, people work to stay in credit, why not the us government? That is why Obama is proposing cuts of government spending. However, some say he isn't making enough cuts. I like Obama's speech because he proposes many good ideas, but some of these ideas require a lot of government spending. How can we find the right way to invest in the future so that we won't be over encumbered by dept like we are now? This is a very important question and according to the Republican rebuttal to Obama's speech we should spend a lot less. If we do not, the Federal government will double in size in order to help maintain all the problems its created through spending. According to the rebuttal, we need less of government interference and less spending. The government is simply supposed to be our safety net. Perhaps this is true, we must consider all opinions on this matter. One thing is for certain, we must do something to get out of debt because we have a lot of it. I believe we should invest in new technologies also because the will be more efficient and we will eventually see profit from them.

Zeitoun: Part 5

It was the kind deed of a missionary in the jail that enabled Zeitoun to begin the process of bail. Zeitoun had asked him to call Kathy and he did, all it took was one phone call. The justice system should have allowed Zeitoun his phone call from the start, but he wrongly was never given one. Finally, Kathy knew the prison Zeitoun was held at, but no one would tell her the whereabouts. This worried Zeitoun's brother because he knew "a Syrian in an American prison in 2005 -- this was not to be trifled with...he had to be freed immediately." (Eggers 274) It's an unfortunate truth that he's right about that. Post 9/11 was an unfair time for people from the middle east. They were discriminated against and suspected for almost anything anywhere. The justice system would treat them unfairly like Zeitoun. Kathy was outraged she couldn't be told the whereabouts of the jail, but once she got the press involved they told her right away. However, they didn't allow her or anyone else testifying in the defense of Zeitoun in the court hearing. How could anything like this happen in America? At times, I wonder what is wrong with our justice system. Kathy had to get proof Zeitoun owned the house he was arrested in, she found the papers and he was soon released. What if that piece of paper had beed destroyed in the destruction of the hurricane? "Her husband might fall deeper into the abyss of this broken judicial system for lack of the paper." (Eggers 286) Without that paper, Zeitoun, innocent and highly respected citizen of the United States could have been in jail for years. How could our justice system have these major malfunctions? If there is one thing I've learned from reading this book, its that our justice system isn't perfect because innocent people can be thrown in jail. 

When Zeitoun was released, he and Kathy pursued information on the reasoning behind his arrest and the jail he stayed at. The government worried that "terrorists might target evacuation routes, creating 'mass panic' and 'loss of public confidence in the government.'" (Eggers 308) After 9/11, it seemed like the government, or at least George Bush's top priority, was terrorism. Sure there are terrorist out there somewhere, but that doesn't mean you put all your recourses toward finding them. Thats a whole other issue, but the point is that the government seemed to be more concerned with terrorism over saving its own people in its own country. "This complex and exceedingly efficient government operation was completed while residents of New Orleans were trapped in attics and begging for rescue from rooftops and highway overpasses. " (Eggers 311) This quote pretty much sums up the governments role in the devastation of New Orleans. It is true that the government is capable of doing many things very efficiently when its on top of their priority list, obviously New Orleans wasn't at the top. How could the people of the United States not be at the top of their own governments priority list? This book has really opened my eyes to see the faults in our, what I thought was near perfect, government. Zeitoun was an average man, and his experience could happen to anyone, and have happened to many. Its a scary thought.

Zeitoun: Part 4

Wow. This book is really interesting. What makes it interesting is the fact that its true. For part four, I was in disbelief the whole time reading this. I had to keep looking on the back of the book to re-read that this book truly was non-fiction.

While at one of Zeitoun's houses, Todd, Nasser, and a resident named Ronnie that had been using the phone, all were arrested without question. Zeitoun and the others complied and believed there was just a big mix up and they would send them back after questioning. However, as soon as they got out of the law inforcements' boat, they were takeled to the ground, tied up, and brought to what seemed to be a military base for questioning. Todd asked why they were there, and one soldier said because the were al Qaeda. Todd was in disbelief to this reasoning, but Zeitoun feared this day would come and knew they would be there for a while. I think the reason Zeitoun and his friends were targeted by this military force was because there were two men from the middle east with them. "After 9/11, he and Kathy knew that many imaginations had run amok, that the introduction of the idea of "sleeper cells" ...meant that everyone at their mosque, or the mosque itself, might be waiting for instructions from their presumed leaders." (Eggers 212) Unfortunately, many Muslims are discriminated still to this day because of 9/11 and the idea of undercover and waiting al Qaeda living within the U.S. As a result, bad things happen to good people like Zeitoun and Nasser, and the others in the group. When they brought Zeitoun in, they provided no information for him. "Zeitoun had not been read his rights. He did not know why he was being held." (Eggers 216) Does this sound like our American government? To take someone from their home, accuse them of being a terrorist, tell them virtually nothing of the reasoning for the arrest, and then give them no rights in prison? Not even one phone call. When reading this happened to Zeitoun, I was furious that our federal troops would do such a thing to an innocent person. That America would stoop so low as prejudice. Isn't that what America is supposed to be against? Not only this, but they were in caged in an outside prison made entirely out of cage similar to that of Guantanamo Bay. Everything and every body was visible from the outside and they were unprotected from the elements. In each cell there was only a portable toilet and a steel, upside down U-shaped bar cemented to the ground used as a guide for lines of people in the bus station. Perhaps what made me most mad, was the fact that this prison had to take time to build, so the government was planning to create a prison in New Orleans. "Within a day of the storm's eye passing over the region, officials were making plans for the building of a makeshift outdoor prison." (Eggers 226) So instead of planning how they would have to save so many people and evacuate them out of the city, the government was busy thinking of terrorism. I can't comprehend why they were planning to make this prison. Why wasn't the government's main priority saving people? During Zeitoun's stay at the prison, he witnessed things I would never believe our federal troops would do. They bribed prisoners before they were interviewed, they would give Muslims pork for food, and they would torture people with pepper spray when they touched the fence or wouldn't keep quiet. Zeitoun was later transferred to another high-security prison and learned he wasn't the only one that was arrested for no apparent reason. One sanitation worker was doing his job of cleaning up the city, when the National Guard pulled up and arrested him on the spot. They even arrested a fireman who had been asked to stay. Zeitoun came to the conclusion if a "man came to be suspected by the U.S. government, and, under the president's current powers, U.S. agents were allowed to seize the man from anywhere in the world, and bring him anywhere in the world, without ever having to charge him with a crime." (Eggers 255) I think the government is capable of many things and, although it goes against America's values, I think what Zeitoun's thought was right. When the government puts their mind to something, they are very capable of doing what ever it takes to get what they want, even if it means arresting innocent people. By the end of the section, Zeitoun began to think this country was fallible after all and that mistakes could be made. If I were in this position, I would think the same. I still am shocked to see what the government did to Zeitoun.  Zeitoun's situation, was one of those American mistakes.

Zeitoun: Part 3

What frustrates me the most when reading this book, is the thought that perhaps many more people suffering could have been saved. While patrolling in his canoe, Zeitoun noticed a helicopter hovering over a body. Zeitoun thought it was a rescue mission, as I would have thought, but it wasn't. "No. A man was pointing a camera at the body. He did so for a few minutes and then the helicopter rose, tilted, and drifted off." (Eggers 148) When reading this, I felt disgusted to know that helicopters were flying around looking at the damage and dead bodies, while people were trapped in their homes and in the super dome. I think that every resource possible should have been in New Orleans getting these people out of the toxic flooded city. That helicopter should have been picking up all sorts of people to save, but instead it was used to observe the destruction and suffering. Anyone with a sufficient vehicle could have saved many. For example, Todd, who lived in the neighborhood, had a motor boat and saved many people. "Todd told him stories of his own rescues -- how he'd picked up dozens of people already, how he'd been shuttling them to hospitals and staging grounds, how easy it was with a motor boat."(Eggers 138) This shows that one person can make such a difference for the lives and safety of others. Federal forces could have done so much with their fan boat, and perhaps they did eventually, but why didn't the ones that Zeitoun saw help? Those boats could save so many people even though it may seem like a little for each boat, it adds up to many saved in the end.

I am contemplating what the goal of the media during Katrina was. For Kathy, the media only brought disparity. Every time she watched it she could not believe what she was seeing or listening to she turned it off so she would not get upset. "There were roving gangs of armed men. That's all the media could talk about -- that it was the Wild West out there." (Eggers 169) I don't see how this could help the situation other than sending in troops, but for the wrong reason. Everyone just needed help to get out, and needed food and supplies sent. Chief Eddie Compass would exaggerate the crime in the Superdome perhaps to get the attention of law enforcements so they may be sent. He said, "We had babies in there. Little babies getting raped...the people, in my opinion, they got to this almost animalistic state, because they didn't have the recourses." In the video we watched in class, there was someone who was in the Superdome and said none of that type of violence occurred. In fact we saw video of the Superdome and in the hard times people started singing not "raping babies." In Compass' self defense, I think he was desperate to get recourses to the people, but that is no reason to over exaggerate. I'm still unsure of the media's purpose, but I know it didn't help kathy in her time of need when she could not get a hold of Zeitoun. Right now in the book, Kathy hadn't received Zeitoun's phone call for about 2 weeks and she assumed the worst. Until someone called saying Zeitoun was in jail. Thats where I stopped. So far this book is pretty good, I cant wait to see why he's in jail.

Zeitoun: Part 2

Hurricane Katrina finally hit. Zeitoun was ready for it, putting all his valuables and more on the second floor of his house. Then he put buckets and garbage cans under leaks in the house to gather the water. Besides a few windows broken, some shingles lost, and a fallen gutter, Zeitoun's house was in pretty good shape for being in a "category 5" hurricane. The truth was however, that the hurricane had not directly hit New Orleans and the damage was less than anticipated. The next morning, Zeitoun realized the worste was not over. He woke up to the sound similar to that of a river. That sound was the water from the levees escaping due to the lack of structure needed to hold back water from a category 2 hurricane.This is another issue; why was something built by the government and paid for by tax payers and was supposed to save many lives and property, built so poorly? The people of New Orleans were dependent on the levees because the city is 6ft below sea level! They expected the levees to hold back the water like they were supposed to, but they didn't. For this, many people were unprepared for the event including Zeitoun. "It made him sick, the anguish this would cause. Know one, he knew, had prepared for this, adequately or at all." (Eggers 95) This is why hurricane Katrina was such a catastrophe, because no one expected the levees to break and flood the city, so no one was prepared. As a result, it cause immense damage and the lives of many.

One might think, in an incident like this, that the government would send federal troops there right away saving all sorts of people, but they seemed to take their time. As Zeitoun was patrolling the neighborhood in his canoe, he saw some type of armed government force driving by in a fan boat. He and Frank waved for their help to save an elderly woman in her house. The soldiers gave no attention to them and drove past without helping. Zeitoun was thinking, "Where were these boats going, what were they looking for, if not residents of the city asking for help? It defied belief." (Eggers 101) These are questions I am pondering as I read through this book. Perhaps one reason for the governments slow response was an issue with race. Most of the people that needed help in New Orleans were black and they had been described over the radio to be in a "third world" state. "Residents were being referred to as refugees." So when Governor Blanco said, "I have one message for these hoodlums, these troops know how to shoot and kill, and they are more than willing to do so if necessary, and I expect they will." To me, it seems that the Blanco is saying that the people in New Orleans are hoodlums because they are black and because they are looting. I think Blanco, along with the media was blowing the crime way out of proportion to make it seem like they have to send in armed forces to stop them rather than helping them. I recall seeing an article about two instances about looting. One instance was a black person being described as looting a grocery store, while the other was a white person described as searching for necessary belongings. I will tell you, based on the pictures I saw, they both were taking essentials for surviving in that city. You cant tell me that the New Orleans situation had nothing to do with race.

Zeitoun: Part 1

I've separated this book into five equivalent sections and after reading one I will post a blog about the issues and what I think. The first section of this book what sort of uneventful mostly because all books start off slow because they need to introduce everything. However, there was the issue of religious intolerance and prejudice to the main character and his wife. This book takes place a few years after September 11th and people are still hateful toward Muslims. Zeitoun is Syrian and some people deny his services as a carpenter because he's Syrian. For example, people would ask where the last name Zeitoun originated and where he's from. Once his wife and secretary, Kathy, says he's from Syria, some people don't want their services. I can't believe some people would chose to not hire one of the best carpenters around just because of his race or religion. Reading this book, it seems like Zeitoun is the most loyal and reliable person someone could know, but some people can't see past his name of religion.
Kathy is Zeitoun's wife and used to be Christian, but later converted to Islam. She wears a hijab, what some women of Islam wear to cover most of their head. Kathy doesn't mind wearing this and is proud of her faith, but she knows other people don't like it. She knows she'll encounter "ugliness" sometimes when she goes out. "The frequency of incidents seemed tied, to some extent, to current events, to the general media profile of Muslims that week or month. Certainly 9/11 it was more fraught than before, and then it had calmed for a few years. But in 2004 a local incident had stoked the fire again."(Eggers 45) Basically the incident was a tenth grader of Iraqi decent being harassed by her history teacher for her race and he pretty much got away with it. After that, there had been a noticeable increase in harassment toward people from the middle-east. Kathy had people repeatedly sneak up behind her and quickly remove her hijab in public as a joke. She hated it it and at times felt like an exile in her own country. I think people should be more informed about other religions and races so they could learn to respect them. Kathy claims people, "don't know or don't care, that Islam, judaism, and Christianity were not so distantly related branches of the same monotheistic, Abrahamic faith."(Eggers 66) She also says thats how she felt until she looked into the Islamic faith and realized it was right for her. I think if people are well informed about other religions and races they would be so quick to hate and harass them. No one should be judged for their appearance of religion especially in America.