Rule of Law

"The rule of law is a principle that all people and institutions are subject to and accountable to law that is fairly applied and enforced; the principle of government by law."  Our police department is the worst culprit when it comes to hypocrisy. For our police being the enforces of the law, they do not enforce the law fully on their fellow co-workers. In particular, resent accounts of many unarmed citizens being killed due to police officers' misconception of alleged suspects. Police officers' actions have become such a major issue within our global society, that it has been the heart of media coverage for the past year or two. In order, to insure the safety of citizens within communities there must be procedures implicated, where officers need to be trained how to effectively use their weapons and how to follow proper restraining procedures. Officers need to think first before they shoot or take action towards others. Lawyers, for example, must follow the letter of the law and if they do not uphold the laws forged by the government, they will lose their practice. There need to be laws produced where police need to follow certain guidelines to proceed in their desired career path, or face consequences for malpractice like that which all other professionals must follow. The police are the protectors of our cities, and if we can not trust them to do their job and truly help make our communities as safe as possible how are we to live? When we are fearful that one day we could be mis-viewed and end up as one of those innocents that have injustice done onto them and their family. These needless deaths, however, can be put to a stop, by officers receiving more detailed training and understanding that their perception is not always correct. As the rule of law states none is above the law even police officers, so just as an average person can be convicted of murder if they kill an innocent, a police officer can be punished for similar heinous acts too. They should not receive any special treatment for their title as our justice system must be equal, unbiased and coherent if our world is to function in orderly function, even if that means officers being behind the bars they guard.

Keep Reaching for the Stars

     Malcolm X was a Muslim minister and a human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of blacks. He was a man who indicted the segregation against black Americans by white Americans. He has been called one of the greatest and most influential African Americans in history. In 1946, at age 20, he went to prison for larceny and breaking and entering. While in prison he became a member of the Nation of Islam, and after his parole in 1952, he quickly rose to become one of its leaders. To this day Malcolm X is an idealistic symbol of opposing injustice throughout the world. He has helped mould the world with the ethics and morals we have present about racism. Although he followed Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech I Have a Dream he too had a dream about an ideal future for America, in particular, the rights and freedoms for black Americans. 

“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.”- Malcolm X 

     This quote holds meaning to me because I find myself continuously looking towards the future and shaping my present actions to benefit myself later in life. My education in particular, I always remind myself the importance of the gift I'm given everyday by going to school because my grandparents were limited on the length of their education system and weren't given the freedom to develop their futures. My parents don't lead the most luxurious life, so I try to improve myself by producing short term and long term goals. If I can get the best education, I will eventually be able to give my parents the life they deserve. My life today is based on improvement, looking at my past analyzing it, addressing the problems I face and then setting my sight on the future and what I have to do or achieve to reach my goal because my goal is my life.

Lest We Forget

November 11, 1918 is a critical point in our history that defines who we are as a nation to date. Before World War 1 Canada was viewed as a minor country and simply as an attachment of England's power. We were pioneers. We were not too familiar with the methods of war or how to stand as a nation against opposition. The most recent war that Canada was involved in during that time was 1812 and that was about a hundred years prior to the shot heard around the world. Ignorance is bliss because Canada came out of war as a new mature nation that was more independent than it was before. It was because of this "great war"and Canada's involvement and persistence throughout World War 1 that we speak the language we do with the rights and freedoms we have present. Remembrance  Day stands for recognizing all we have to be grateful for and the people that helped us live in a peaceful nation. Though many people, in particular teenagers, think November 11 to be a regular day, a day that is not necessary to participate in, Our Lady of Lourdes does one thing I will always admire about this school, and that is community involvement.  Every November 11 that falls on a weekday the "whole" school walks to the Sleeman Centre to watch and listen to special guests and veterans speak about the importance of this day, how much Canada truly contributed and how we should never forget the sacrifices that our soldiers made for the lives we live. Although many students from Lourdes realize the importance of what our school does and what this day means, sadly several do not understand the purpose of this day. As I was walking to the Sleeman Centre I saw many students taking detours whether it be by car, simply running in a direction I'm most certain is not towards the Sleeman Centre or not even showing up that morning. Too many students thought that their act of rebellion was humorous. The truth is Remembrance Day is an occasion that applies to everyone because without this day who knows what history could have in store for us. All it takes is two minutes in your day to stop in silence, contemplate and realize all that we have to be grateful for, however, for some that is too much effort. Even "friends" of mine ditched, and I still haven't expressed my anger, and disappointment until now. Remembrance Day is more than just one day it stands as a constant reminder or the tragic state the world was once in and the promise we made with our soldiers to never forget, "... Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from falling hands we throw the torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders Field." (John McCrae, In Flanders Fields) Appreciate life, let us show gratitude to our own veterans and Lest We Forget.

What is the Need of Halloween?

Halloween to me is a needless "holiday". It does not help society in any means. Halloween is a day simply for the youth or in special occasions where young adults dress up and go house to house retrieving candy, it has no significant moral or ethical lesson. Whereas, Christmas for example has moral lessons that are spread across the holiday, where we celebrate new life and coming together on one day and putting aside our differences. Halloween teaches kids nothing it has no significance because if Halloween was to never exist it would not impact our society in anyway. Halloween has become recently a skimpy occasion since most female teens or young adults are dressed being too revealing. Halloween does not need to be a holiday that is celebrated.

Love - Hate Relationship with Poetry

     Throughout my many years at school poetry was always an obstacle that I tried to avoid. I found poetry tedious and boring, always requiring me to think outside the box and be original. You can say ignorance is bliss, because for several years I always told others and myself that, "I suck at poetry, and that I hate it." This quickly changed when I went into grade nine, and I had Mrs. Wilson as my teacher. We had to do a poetry assignment where we had to write multiple different poems based off of one theme. I hated the process, the countless minutes of me staring at my screen blanking on how to start, how to continue or how to end each of my poems. I put all I could into those poems but I was not sure whether they were good enough to get me a decent mark. I waited anxiously for a week, and when I finally got it I was shocked, I had got ninety percent. The best part though was that she came up to me, and told me in person how much she liked them and how she recommends me to submit one of my poems to a poetry book that Lourdes publishes every year. That one incident in grade nine gave me the confidence I needed to really try and develop my skill in poetry, and ever since then I have improved greatly. Poetry to me is all about self-expression, about how you are able to translate raw emotion at one point in time to written word. To this day I still hate the gut wrenching process of developing poems from nothing to a piece of art. Through the last couple years and especially doing this poetry assignment, I have forged a greater appreciation towards poetry, and the end result of putting so much thought and emotion into one piece of writing. To the point where I feel a great attachment to ever word I write, because it's a part of me. Whether I'm aware of it or not I write about what is transpiring in my life, for example a poem I just wrote called Forever Changing represented my constantly changing point of view, interests, emotions and the future I see for myself, but originally it was supposed to be a poem about autumn and how the seasons change. Poetry is a method of stress relief, a way to release any built up feelings that is residing below the surface. Poetry has shown me the beauty in simplicity, to just write and keep it simple and to not over complicate it, and this has transferred to my everyday life whether it be at work, at home or at school, poetry has many underlying messages that can be learnt from. Poetry and me may have a love - hate relationship but if anytime I feel dreadful I will write, and I recommend to anyone to write what they feel at that moment they will not regret the outcome.  

The Key to Success

     Being a student who has gone through almost fourteen years of education, you quickly pick up on what works and what does not in a learning environment. Although, both students and teachers have obligations that they must meet before they walk out of class on the last day of the semester, I feel that the need for the students to truly excel is misunderstood in the eyes of some educators. As a student I feel that there is a lack of communication between the two parties that must be addressed, because students want to feel engaged in what they are learning, but if the learning environment is turned into a hostile war zone where they must continuously try to tip toe around their teacher without messing up or being put in their "bad-books", the student will not enjoy or want to be in the classroom. This can lead them to develop an unhealthy pattern of not caring what happens around them at their school. If projects or assignments give some space for self expression, where the students can make their project unique, I believe that it can help develop relationship between educator and student as the educator begins to have a sense of who each student truly is. The key to success is communication, because if students have a voice in what their opinions are in the classroom the educator and the ministry can develop a method that benefits the students and the teachers. So that students have the material they need to make the transition into post-secondary as easy as possible. So by students speaking up about their needs, the school environment can become a welcoming environment where students want to go to everyday.    

The Essence of Belonging

     J.K. Rowling a British novelist best known as the author of the Harry Potter series.  Has gained worldwide attention, won multiple awards, and sold more than 400 million copies of her books. They have become the best-selling series in history, and been the basis for the inspiration for other writer's and their novels. Through her continuous perseverance she has overcome many obstacles in her life, and has become the epidomy of "rags to riches." J.K. Rowling was born July 31, 1965 in Yate, Gloucestershire, England. In 1990, while she was on a four-hour-delayed train trip from Manchester to London, the idea for a story of a young boy attending a school of wizardry "came fully formed" into her mind. Later that year, Rowling's mother Anne died. Rowling was writing Harry Potter at the time and had never told her mother about it. Her death heavily affected Rowling's writing and she introduced much more detail about Harry's loss in the first book, as she found a way she could connect to her character emotionally.

     One of J.K. Rowling's quotes about writing was, "The stories we love best do live in us forever, so whether you come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home." I personally feel a sense of enjoyment from this quote, because I have immersed myself for countless hours as I read all of the Harry Potter books and I always felt so engaged in the setting, the characters and the plot. Most of us have one book or several books that we have a feeling of belonging, how no matter who you are you feel connected to a character or piece of the overall story that draws your attention. The books we read clearly depict either who we once were or who we are today, and no matter what walk of life you follow it will always be there. An essence of you, to turn to whenever you wish to go home or to the place you consider to be home if that be a book. I believe this is what J.K. Rowling was trying to convey with her quote, that what we read or our history will always be attached to us like our own shadow.

The Science Of Happiness: An Experiment In Gratitude

     Dear Vovo Mindo,

From the moment I was born you were always there for me. No matter whether it was a soccer game a graduation or a performance you were always in the crowd radiating happiness and smiling cheek to cheek. I will never forget the many memories Alessandro, Selina and I made spending a couple days or a week at your house. Whether it was raining or snowing you would find someway to make us laugh. You are the classic grandfather every time I would come over it did not matter, I knew I would see you there reading the newspaper, listening to the radio, watching soccer or doing a puzzle with Vovo (you two are the definition of an old married couple and I will never get over it.) Even when I was little all my parents would ever tell me is about how much you sacrificed for me. How when you would get off of work from night shifts you would have to drive to Guelph just to babysit me for a few hours. The moment, however, I will never stop saying thank you for is, how when I had my asthmatic attack when I was really young, you were so calm and collected and got me to the hospital as quickly as possible. Even now several years later when I had surgery you would always come by to see how I was doing and also bring me to my physio therapy appointments to make sure I got better. You were a second dad to me, you taught me many important lessons and were a great role-model. You may be quiet but, you always spoke your mind when someone tried to insult your family or someone you loved because no matter what family always came first and that is something I will bring to my grave. Thank you for everything Vovo I'll treat you and Vovo Thersea out to dinner really soon! Hopefully one day you can show me where you were raised in Portugal and tell me stories about you and your Vovo.

     Love always your grandson and newspaper buddy,
     Matteo XOXOXOX

Does Writing Have Limits?

     Should we limit creativity and set boundaries for imagination? By banning books we force writing into a dark corner that prohibits individuality and being able to speak out about our opinions on matters around the world. In Banned Books Week: 13 Authors Speak Out, every single author had the same impression about banning books. They all believed it to be a mistake, however, one author in particular caught my attention. Joseph Caldwell stated, "Literature is the national memory and if you censor, what you're doing is that you are reducing the human identity by removing these books from it and that is a very grave crime." I agree with him because in my opinion literature defines who we are. What we decide to read the genre whether it be horror, thriller, mythological or romantic tells something about us and our interests. By banning books you set standards and rules that authors must follow, and who says where the line is? The thought of there even being a line means some books that many of us enjoy could simply not exist today. It is our legal right as Canadians to have freedom of speech, and in my opinion self expression through writing is also another form of speech. I believe that this was what Joseph Caldwell was getting at when he said, "...by removing these books from it that is a grave crime." Literature to me is a source of knowledge and inspiration and the thought of someone censoring what I can and cannot read is like someone going into my house and telling me how to eat, sleep, speak and breathe, it is simply an abomination. Imagine if someone told William Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll, Arthur Conan Doyle and J.K. Rowling what they had to write about, what a boring world we would be living. If we are to continue to ban books the world could miss the next William Shakespeare, and the captivating adventure we are sent through, and banning should never be the reason our civilization stops being natural storytellers we were meant to be.

The Key to Success

     Angela Lee Duckworth mentioned in the TED Talks The key to success? Grit about a new concept that I had never heard of before called 'Grit.' "Grit is passion and perseverance for very long term goals, Grit is having stamina, Grit is sticking with your future day in day out, not just for the week, not just for the month but for years and working really hard to make that future a reality, Grit is living life like its a marathon not a sprint." To me this TED Talks really motivated me to find my way in life and set long term goals for myself and sticking with them one hundred percent, because in the end it is my future and I want to look back at my achievements knowing that I put all I had into my education to get where I am. Mr. Tersigni, my grade ten History teacher frequently mentioned to my class about Growth Mindset, and how "your genetics do not determine whether your intelligent or not, what determines your intelligence is yourself." At first when he taught us about Growth Mindset I did not truly understand what he meant that I could develop my intelligence, but through the course of the year it became very clear the message Mr. Tersigni was trying to tell us, about how the work we put in now will have long term affects to lead down a path to success. He continuously reminded me about this anytime I would work with him and it is message I will take with me where ever I go and this video was the motivation I need to start off the beginning of another school year and a good little reminder of everything he taught me.  

Leaving My Mark

     The dreaded question that can baffle anyone from teens to parents, "Who are you?" Three words, a simple question to some but to others a nearly impossible question that can preoccupy their minds for hours. Especially being in grade twelve where so much of your time is spent trying to identify who you are, what your morals are and what you want for your future can produce a burden upon the shoulders of many confused grade twelves. Me, being one of those unlucky few face an identity crisis that is manifesting an overwhelming amount of stress knowing that in two to three months my decision will have to be made about the path I wish to follow. Many people identify me as being hardworking, determined, kind, enthusiastic and thoughtful, I agree with them as I have been brought up to hold all these morals to the highest standard however, in this modern society there are thousands of people that share these characteristics and are incredibly talented in many other ways that make them unique and stand out from the majority. "What do I have to give that makes me walk against the crowd?" This is the question I continuously ask myself, how will I leave my mark both in high school and in the world itself? So who am I, I am Matteo Pereira a confused seventeen year old who criticizes myself more than I should, but what I am confident about is that whatever path I follow I will try to leave footprints that will last a lifetime that will give me countless memories to recall later in my life.