Gadget Requests...

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Illegal Immigrants are much more useful than the ignorant rednecks who do nothing all day but patrol the Rio Grande, contributing nothing to society

The Tortilla Curtain, by T.C. Boyle

The Assignment.

I believe illegal immigrants are vital to the American society, as well as the American economy. They take jobs that Americans do not want to perform, allowing Americans to take higher level jobs, which pay more and are often less intense than the lower level jobs. In general, Americans prefer to be on the receiving end of service jobs. Many employers depend upon illegal immigrants to function, some of which would have extreme difficulty hiring Americans. The cheap wages which illegal immigrants accept allow employers to make a larger profit, which can be used to grow his/her own business, or invest money elsewhere, promoting other businesses; this promotes Americas economy since there's more money floating around in investments. The only negative I see on illegal immigrants is the drain on the healthcare system: since hospitals are required by law to treat everyone and aliens often do not have insurance and cannot afford to pay the bills, hospitals run up large debts, ultimately burdening American taxpayers. Unfortunately, there's no easy solution to this problem.

I think our country wold be worse off without the current number of illegal immigrants. There'd be a shortage of bus boys, dishwashers, fast food workers, custodians, constructions workers, and many other behind-the-scenes jobs. We may not interact directly with these people all the time, but we depend on them daily. They contribute much more to society than the ignorant, inbred, jackass rednecks who spend all their time patrolling the Rio Grande; these parochial jackass hypocrites are the true terrorists who distort and misconstrue America's principles. Actually, our country and species would benefit if all these people were replaced by immigrants.

My PowerPoint Presentation:

Contributers to Society:

Useless, ignorant Redneck:

Which group is really the larger problem?

Black Culture/Racism Web Quest

Create Rap Song/Poem

Instructions: Browse through the various media sources here to gain an understanding of the hardships that face many African-Americans living in a white-dominant society. In addition, research black culture and racism. Then, create a rap song or poem through the eyes of an African-American, which discusses these challenges, difficulties, and the culture. Post your lyrics on your blog and copy a link into the comments section of this blog with the title. If you would like, you can record your song using a backing beat and post to your blog.

Here is a long list of quotes dealing with racism from the novel, "Native Son," by Richard Wright.  You must use part of at least two of these quotes in your poem (the more the better).  You don't need long quotes at all; just parts.  Remember, in your poem, you can take the place of Bigger and speak as if you are experiencing his situation.