Response...

In response to John's Post - Banning Books, Right or Wrong?

Just incase people might misunderstand, these are just my thought on banning books. I do not resent John, or his writing, I am just simply writing a response. 

Banning books are acceptable to "maintain the order of society"? I totally disagree with this. He quoted that this book should be banned because it contained the opinions of the author. What is wrong with that? Why can't his opinions be shared with the world? To become creative, to develop yourself into someone unique, to become different, you need to be surrounded by different types of people. The world is filled with millions and millions of people, and they are not all going to think the same, act the same, and have the same opinions. Each and everyone have their own 'spark' and I  don't think it's a bad idea to let it shine. His novel reveals realistic experiences and emotions. Yes, it might offend people or even be harmful to them. But not every book they read is going to satisfy them. In fact, this novel can teach you many things. Many life lessons, slightly experiencing what war was like, different styles and techniques that Vonnegut used, and the list can go on. If books were written to please everyone, many of the real experiences that people go through will be excluded, and instead it'd include something about education which leads into a decent career... and all those successful stories that inspire and motivates students to stay in school. But, that's not how life is. you can't just set your life and force it to follow certain instructions flawlessly. People make mistakes, and it is impossible to be perfect. Impossible. Take a step outside and watch people walk by (don't stare like a creep who watches their every movement). Look at their style of clothing, the way they walk, their face expressions, and just look at them. Aren't they all different? It doesn't matter if it satisfies you or not because they are presenting who they are. It is not for you or anyone to judge how someone is. 

The next post I found interesting was Christine's Blog - Kurt Vonnegut as a Massey Mustang. "When I picture Vonnegut on the same level as me as a Massey Mustang, I don't visualize some participative goody-two shoes. I see an outsider who skips class and doesn't put as much effort to do work or become a social butterfly". I definitely agree with this and I can just imagine him straight up. Vonnegut would definitely be one of those care-free kind of a student, who doesn't really... have a care in anything. The chill guy who smokes all the time, but very smart. A very smart guy who does not have enough motiviation to do any work what so ever. A guy who'd ace the English course but because he's good with grammar, or even punctuality, but because of voice. If he had Ms. Dagg, I would think that he'd have the potential to be successful in that course because his voice is absolutely outstanding, and very unique as well.

For the final response I chose Harry's blog Kurt Vonnegut: Underground hipster?

"But he still could be categorized as what I would call an 'underground artist.'"

Wow I honestly did not know he wrote about underground artists.

"While the term comprises a range of different musical genres, they can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity"

I  think this definition is completely relevant to Vonnegut's personality, and even his style of wrting.

"Like a true hipster, Vonnegut knows that the mainstream's emphasis on materialistic values is nothing but a way to make yourself look worse and worse in the end."
Oh my goodness, okay, Mr.Lynn I honestly did not even know he wrote this blog. He totally emphasizes my point, but he phrased it a lot better.

Change.

A song that represents this novel very well-- in my opinion. Changes by 2Pac.

I have bolded the points that are relevant to the text.

The first point I see no changes, wake up in the morning and I ask myself... is life worth living, should I blast myself? Really made me think about Billy Pilgram, and even the prisoners of war. Except for the British soldiers, because they accepted it and played their game. But in the text when Billy allowed the soldier to take another shot at him, it was like he gave up on life, because he was so tired of everything. And it is relevant to the first quote I bolded because the artist is asking if life is worth living? Unless an individual has absolutely nothing or in some kind of unspeakable misery, no one in their right minds would question their life. The lyrics are about real emotions that the artist felt during his time, which is racial discrimination and he's talking about the tough times that he had to go through.

The second phrase I bolded: That's just the way it is, things'll never be the same, that's just the way it is.Reminds me of the Tralfamadorians, and even Billy. Because they believe in fate, they believe that if something is supposed to happen, then it will happen-- that's just the way it is. They just fit together very well. The artist is accepting how things are, like the Tralfamadorians. 

The third phrase I have bolded, And only time we chill is when we kill each other, it takes skill to be real.   It can definitely give an impression that killing each other is a common practice, since 'chill' means to be relaxed and care-free. Or the only time 'we' chill is when we kil each other. So it makes it seem like you can only see someone that's different from you when you kill each other. It sounds alike like war to me, because that's mainly the reason why there is war in the first place. Because of the two opposing team's differences. It takes skill to be real. I think to become real and to really define who you are, you need to see and feel different things in different environments. Or even being around your peers can make you realize things. I think 'it takes skill to be real' can also mean: Without life experiences, you don't know who you are, or where you fit. You definitely do need to try new things out and all that, to see what you are made out of.

Some things will never change. Sounds a lot like fate? That phrase just explained what 'fate' is, and how if things are supposed to happen, you can't change it. If you are 'destined' or 'fated' to marry a certain person, then you will marry that individual one way or another. But since 'fate' is one of the main themes in slaughterhouse 5, I thought I should add it in (it also relates very well). 

Come on come on
I see no changes wake up in the morning and I ask myself
is life worth living should I blast myself?
I'm tired of bein' poor & even worse I'm black
my stomach hurts so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch
Cops give a damn about a negro
pull the trigger kill a nigga he's a hero
Give the crack to the kids who the hell cares
one less hungry mouth on the welfare
First ship 'em dope & let 'em deal the brothers
give 'em guns step back watch 'em kill each other
It's time to fight back that's what Huey said
2 shots in the dark now Huey's dead
I got love for my brother but we can never go nowhere
unless we share with each other
We gotta start makin' changes
learn to see me as a brother instead of 2 distant strangers
and that's how it's supposed to be
How can the Devil take a brother if he's close to me?
I'd love to go back to when we played as kids
but things changed, and that's the way it is

[Bridge w/ changing ad libs]
Come on come on
That's just the way it is
Things'll never be the same
That's just the way it is
aww yeah
[Repeat]

[2]
I see no changes all I see is racist faces
misplaced hate makes disgrace to races
We under I wonder what it takes to make this
one better place, let's erase the wasted
Take the evil out the people they'll be acting right
'cause both black and white is smokin' crack tonight
and only time we chill is when we kill each other
it takes skill to be real, time to heal each other
And although it seems heaven sent
We ain't ready, to see a black President, uhh
It ain't a secret don't conceal the fact
the penitentiary's packed, and it's filled with blacks
But some things will never change
try to show another way but you stayin' in the dope game
Now tell me what's a mother to do
bein' real don't appeal to the brother in you
You gotta operate the easy way
"I made a G today" But you made it in a sleazy way
sellin' crack to the kid. " I gotta get paid,"
Well hey, well that's the way it is

[Bridge]

[Talking:]
We gotta make a change...
It's time for us as a people to start makin' some changes.
Let's change the way we eat, let's change the way we live
and let's change the way we treat each other.
You see the old way wasn't working so it's on us to do
what we gotta do, to survive.

[3]
And still I see no changes can't a brother get a little peace
It's war on the streets & the war in the Middle East
Instead of war on poverty they got a war on drugs
so the police can bother me
And I ain't never did a crime I ain't have to do
But now I'm back with the facts givin' it back to you
Don't let 'em jack you up, back you up,
crack you up and pimp smack you up
You gotta learn to hold ya own
they get jealous when they see ya with ya mobile phone
But tell the cops they can't touch this
I don't trust this when they try to rush I bust this
That's the sound of my tool you say it ain't cool
my mama didn't raise no fool
And as long as I stay black I gotta stay strapped
& I never get to lay back
'Cause I always got to worry 'bout the pay backs
some punk that I roughed up way back
comin' back after all these years
rat-tat-tat-tat-tat that's the way it is uhh

[Bridge 'til fade:]
Some things will never change 

Vonnegut -- let's have a cup of tea.

If I ever had the privilege of meeting Kurt Vonnegut, first I'd tell him to quit smoking. Then I'd ask him questions about his novel Slaughterhouse 5. Questions like, how did you end up writing your novel in that form?! What made you so repetitive (not saying it's a bad thing, I actually think it's pretty unique)? How did you come up with a character like Billy? If I had to choose one question though to ask, I would ask how come you wrote your book the way it is, original, repetitive and all over the place? Or did you know people or judges will ban your book, if yes, what made you keep on writing?

Vonnegut's Funk -- originiality

Vonnegut's funk-- casual, simplistic, and creative. Definitely original and I think Slautherhouse 5 was definitely one of the books I really enjyoed reading because it wasn't like anything I have read. Many books I have read and even books that popular writers publish, a lot of them have one thing in common--Punctuality. The texts can seem very similiar to each other that way, the 'perfect' sentence structures. I really admire Vonnegut's writing and I prefer it. The sentences he develops are real, and readers will feel the emotions that Vonnegut is trying to convey, instead of trying to figure out what the sentence is trying to explain, because of all the fancy words used to construct it. Even though, Vonnegut is very repetitive, the points or the phrases that he repeats they are significant. I hope other authors were inspired by his writing that their is freedom when it comes to writing. People should stop trying to copy each other, instead they should focus on how to be different. The fact that he succeeded being original, is very inspiring.

Pick a moment ...

Jiggles have always enjoyed dancing. As a little ballerina, Jiggles became fairly flexible. In Korea the education system was strict-- not so much when you're young though. Around the age 5 to maybe 6, you had some freedom. So did Jiggles. She was shy, and she did not enjoy speaking out loud in class. Jiggles was tired and had to pee. She patiently waited for the ballet instructor to stop talking-- she didn't. After about half an hour, Jiggles was ready to let go. And so, she did. Jiggles felt a warm lurk of her urine leaking through her little ballerina suit. The ballet instructor finally closed her mouth and saw a little girl wet her pants. The ballet instructor picked up Jiggles and brought her to the bathroom to wash her up. Jiggles saw the other little ballerinas look over at the puddle. She laughed.

And so on. Jiggles then travelled in time to when she went to her first Tae Kwon Do tournament. She didn't win first place though, even though technicially she should have won atleast second place. Jiggles was only 10 back then, but she knew how to throw a kick here and there. Jiggles' opponent was around her height, a little more scrawny than her though, and looked about the same age as her. She looked like an amateur, just like most of the people at the tournament. She had a expression of a squirrel, but she was ready to fight for some acorns. The sparring began. After few minutes, when Jiggles got more comfortable sparring the girl, she raised her right leg and drop kicked her on her chest (they had cushiony protections on). The girl fell down and got right back on her feet. Except this time, it looked as if she has lost her acorns, her eyes filled with tears and she let it drip down her boney cheeks. Jiggles and her team knew she had atleast 12 points, but the referee decided to let her win. Because she cried.

And so, Jiggles decides to travel to when she was 14, when she began obsessing over the hip hop culture. Jiggles have discovered something beautiful. Freestyle of dance. And so on, Jiggles found many groups of people that admired it, as well. It completely took over her mind, and it was always the only thing in her mind. Jiggles went to couple of workshops, but the first one she was forced to do several things. The host has been close with Jiggles for a couple of years, who decided to enter her in the tournament. Jiggles wore heavy shoes, which kept dragging her feet, so she took it off. It was her turn to battle her opponent. Jiggles slipped. Not once or twice, several times. It was her first experience in battling someone, but she enjoyed it. So did everyone else. They were big supporters and gave Jiggles a hug and a high-five here and there.

And so on.

Thank you... [thoughts & feelings toward the text]

What is life-- how did we get here, who got us here, and why are we here? What makes us real, how are we real... are we actually real? Are thoughts that race through my mind every time I read slaughterhouse 5. In Vonnegut's text, he talks about how we are living in specific moments, and fate. Is there really such thing as fate? I think Billy and the Tralfamadorians were calm and accepted life because they only believed in fate. I believe that love is one of the main, one of the most important and one of the most beautiful factor of life. And I think Billy never really felt true love, so he never fought, he never even tried to change anything. But when there is something you love, something to fight for, fate doesn't really cross their mind, because free will takes over. Because you want to hold onto that love of yours, and you wouldn't want it to get hurt in any way. Even though Vonnegut casually described a little bit about his war experiences, I felt many things-- I was able to discover just a little bit about what it's like at war and what soldiers experience, and reading this text made me want to thank the soldiers that fought for us. But also at the same time I feel great sympathy and made me realize the measure of violence at war... and it is just cruel. I really wish that someday there will be world peace, where everyone gets along and everyone can just enjoy their life not worrying about anything else. I honestly cannot thank enough for the soldiers that fought for us for this freedom, and it is sad that we cannot do anything in return. All we can do is thank them... and when even if we thank them a billion times, it's not quite enough.

If I was ever trapped in a zoo...

I would go insane. I can't be trapped, are you crazy? I can barely sit still unless i'm extremely tired. People have to be FREEEEEE, they need freedom! But it WOULD be pretty awesome in a way. Because the audience or the tralfamadorians will be amazed by you. Just simply amazed by everything you do. If you fart or if you pick your nose, instead of getting a disgusting reaction you'll get a 'ooooooh, wow! fantastic!' y'know?! So you can pretty much just run around naked and do whatever you want and go crazy! But I guess if other human beings were there it'd be kind of embarrassing. Honestly though, that's how you should be feeling everyday, even infront of humans. I'm not telling you to strip and go around running like a maniac, but really you are different from everyone else.  Each individuals are different from everyone else and they should really embrace it. YOU are the only you in this world! You can do anything and everything you want in this world, technically. Seriously you are a one in a million. No one should be able to bring you down, because as long as you know what's special and important to you... then just care about what matters. Don't let anyone stop you.