Freedom Riders

I feel that in today's society, there are countries where people are being persecuted just like this for being of a different race, being gay, or being of a different gender. In America the most similar issue is gay marriage. In both cases people were being discriminated against for being who they are, something decided at birth. The persecution during the Civil Rights Movement was far more open, severe and common. While discrimination against gays is still happens very often, in America it is not as violent, (although it does include violence), and many more people are willing to openly say they support gay marriage.
Many of the non-violent protests are extremely similar. Each side holds up signs stating their opinions, and they gather to make a law change, or to fight to keep things the same. Many factors affect where a person stands on gay marriage, however it is usually tied to religion. However, during the Civil Rights Movement it was usually passed down from generation to generation. Segregation included churches, but religion was not the main reason for the hatred.
I feel that people should stop forcing their beliefs on other people. I think someone needs to teach people how to see things from another person's point of view. This way we could create a general understanding of each other's preferences and accept one another for who we are.
If Freedom Riders were to become a Hollywood film I think the movie would have a lot less information. The plot is very interesting on its own, so I do think a movie on this subject could be accurate, but I think the documentary will have more information that is more straightforward.

Parenting

I believe that in 2012 parents should have a balance between disciplining and friendship with their kids. Parents need to be friends in a way with their children. If their parents are not seen as friends their kid will be less likely to be open with their parents and talk about their problems. Without this communication they will try to solve their problems on their own, which may turn out to be even more trouble. However, parents should not only been seen as friends. If a parent is too much of a friend they will be taken advantage of and their child will still get in a lot of trouble. Setting boundaries with punishments and a fair system of punishment and reward, a couple's child will be more likely to grow up in good relations with their parents and helping them stay out of trouble.

This is the balance I hope to find if I have kids. Depending on how the child responds to certain punishments and rewards I'd have to tweak the system to make sure it fits the kid. Atticus raises his children much differently from the way I imagine raising my own. He doesn't dumb things down and I like that he exposes his children to reality instead of lying about it. I think lying about somethings in the real world hurt the kid later when they find out the truth, it crushes what they know and they realize they were lied to by their own parent. I don't think Atticus is more of an advisor than a father. He tries to teach Scout and Jem good values and sticks to the truth, however he also sympathizes with his children. When Dill comes over Atticus allows Dill to stay, knowing it would make his children happier. Atticus wants the best for his kids, and he believes that telling them the truth from the start will help them more later on in their lives. Growing up without their mother has affected the way they were raised. I think Scout would have had someone she could relate to more, especially as she gets older, if her mother was still around. Atticus kept Calpurnia who stepped up and helped fill a motherly figure for the kids. I think Atticus did a good job raising Jem and Scout. Both of his children avoid racism and were taught to be kind to everyone, regardless of skin color. His parenting technique worked for his children, and I think as they continue to grow the way they were raised they will be better off than many other children.

Race Relations

In the mid 1900's in America racism was very high. The government enforced laws to continue separating races, claiming a "separate but equal" division. Since the beginning of this country racism has existed, causing Native Americans, Africans and many other races to be seen as inferior. Over time racism has improved creating equal opportunity for many races. However racial profiling is still something that effects society today.

In America today we still see the effects of those harsh racial times. Through stereotypes people have created a world full of assumptions about a person based on their appearance and treat them a certain way, solely based on their first impression. The way people interact is effected, based on what people will say to "strangers" of another race and how they act around each other. If a white women passes a black teenage on the sidewalk, she is going to be cautious and stay as far to her side of the sidewalk as possible. While many people try to be open to all races, society has taught us to act a certain way around a person of a different race. However in this country people are still intentionally racist as well, depending where they were raised and their parent's views. Since the 1960's racism has improved a lot, and I think it will continue and over time we may find a truly equal society.