The Other Wes Moore First Post (pages 1-45) by Sunday, May 5th @8:00 p.m.
Please respond to all of the questions below. Responses should be at least one paragraph. Number your responses so that it is clear which question you are answering.
1. What drove author Wes Moore to write to the prisoner Wes Moore? Why do you think prisoner Wes Moore wrote back to the author?
2. What was the fate of author Wes Moore’s father? Do you think his father might have survived under other circumstances?
3. Author Wes Moore states, “Soon it became clear that the Riots were about more than the tragic death of Dr. King. They were about anger and hurt so extreme that rational thought was thrown out the window – these were people so deranged by frustration that they were burning down their own neighborhood” (19). Does this “deranged frustration” make sense to you? Are there places in today’s America that feel like this?
4. Author Wes Moore talks about the Bronx in the 1980s and early 1990s as an apocalyptic place to be with drugs, burned out buildings, and crime everywhere. Are there still cities like this today? What causes cities to crumble like this? How does living in a neighborhood like this affect a person?
5. What was your first impression of author Wes Moore? What about your first impression of prisoner Wes Moore?
1. Wes Moore heard of a striking story about a man with his same name who ended up in jail. It is clear that the author’s curiosity lead him to the decision of writing to the other Wes Moore but I think it was more than just that. He felt that for some odd reason, he had a connection with the prisoner. It confused him yet intrigued him and presented Wes with a feeling that he just couldn’t shake. So, his decision? Write to this man and find out more about him. I think that the Wes Moore in jail wrote back for multiple reasons. Realistically, he probably had a lot of time on his hands and so writing and interacting with someone else was probably very interesting. Also, once the two men really started to connect and the idea of book was entertained, Wes most likely took it as a good opportunity to share his story and hopefully inspire kids to follow a different path.
ReplyDelete2. Wes Moore’s father went to the hospital with some early symptoms of epiglottis but after a quick evaluation of his health, the doctors turned him away with only saying “get some rest.” Late that evening he died from epiglottis. A curable infection in his throat that caused him to suffocate from a blocked passage. Had Westley been of a higher class with a higher income, the hospital probably would had done a proper examination of what was going on. Rather his old clothes and most likely his race prevented him from getting the care he needed.
3. This deranged frustration absolutely makes sense to me. To be going through such a horrible thing such as racial injustice is already hard enough. So when an important figure who is standing up for your race gets killed because of the same things he is fighting against, the pain and hurt someone feels must be unbearable. And people tend to retaliate. Most followed Dr. King’s lead of non-violence protesting, but at some point that goes out the window and riots do break out. I do still see this in America today. For example, I have heard of such things happening in Chicago for almost the same reasons that they used to happen.
4. It is really a difficult thing to understand why such a peaceful place can turn into “an apocalyptic place.” But I am going to use the reasoning from The Hate You Give. One of the main ideas in that book was that the environment that the kids grow up in, shapes them. If kids notice someone dealing drugs, it can plant a seed in their brain. And the more it happens around them, the more that plant essentially grows until children find themselves roped in. This is what seemed to happen to Toby, the other Wes Moore’s brother and what I expect happened in Bronx. The violence and crime probably started off small but something like that easily grows. I know for a fact that there are still cities like this today. It tends to be cities with the majority of the population below the poverty line because dealing drugs and stealing are sometimes the only things people can do to stay alive. If someone lives in a place like this it will probably have a huge negative impact on them. Because once someone is involved, it is hard to make good decisions and even if they are on the outskirts of the crime, what is happening around them can influence how they perceive what is right.
I like your observations about, and emphasis on, the poverty line. I think that's a really important piece that not everyone "gets."
DeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog post. I thought that you brought up many very good points and articulated yourself very well. I especially appreciate your response to question four. In question four, you used an idea from The Hate U Give to explain how cities change and how the place someone lives in has a big impact on them. I would have never thought to tie the answer of this question into a different book, but I think it made your point so much stronger. I also see how this relates to a neighborhood and I think it is a great analogy. Once one person in a neighborhood brings in drugs or shows violence, it plants a seed in the head of the person who witnessed it. And the more they see it, the more they try it and the plant grows. Then all of the sudden, you have a troubled neighborhood. Once it becomes troubled, the people who can afford to leave do and get replaced by people who follow in the footsteps of the drugs and violence around them. Like you, I also see cities like this today and agree that living in an environment of drugs and violence tends to have a negative impact on people like Wes and his brother Tony.
Delete5. My first impression of the author Wes Moore is that he is very curious, attentive and resilient. Like I explained in my answer to question one, he had all these burning questions that he wrote to the prisoner Wes Moore. Also, throughout these first couple chapters, he has shown a real interest in what other people are doing. I see him as very attentive because he must have been to be able to pull together such a detailed book like this. Lastly, he seems resilient because he came out of such a tough situation successful. He could use his experiences to do something great. My first impression of the prisoner Wes Moore is that he is very tough and kind-hearted. I view him as tough because he has dealt with the hardship of his father choosing to leave him and his family. He even says how this situation didn’t really affect him even though I think it may have. I also think he’s kind-hearted because he is using his built up guilt in a very good way. He is teaching children about his experience to make their lives better by contributing to this book.
ReplyDelete1. When Wes Moore (the author) heard that someone with the same name who lived on the same street at the same time as him went to jail, he was instantly intrigued and very keen to learn more about this other Wes Moore. The author was interested by the similarities between the two of them and he wondered what choices led them to two different paths. The other Wes Moore (the prisoner) might have responded to the letter for a couple of reasons. One might being that the prisoner was also intrigued by another person with the same name, another reason could be of the randomness of the letter and he wanted to exchange conversation with this person.
ReplyDelete2. The author’s father died of an inflamed epiglottis after feeling ill throughout the whole day of his death. His condition could have been easily treated if done correctly using antibiotics instead of anesthetics. If he hadn’t worked a twelve hour shift at work, his condition might not have been as serious as it was. Under proper treatment and better circumstances he could lived.
3. This “deranged frustration” I can not personally relate to, but I can see how other people could relate to it. I would imagine it being a feeling of hopelessness and with so much anger the only other option would be to resort to violence. In recent times in the US there have been many protests, some of them have resorted in violence. But I would not say they felt “deranged frustration” as they did after MLK was assassinated but more just plainly deranged.
4. Yes, there are many corrupt cities today, to name a few in the US, Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Philadelphia. In corrupt cities money is misspent which leads the city infrastructure to crumble meaning that funds to repair necessary things cannot be funded. This could be something as simple as fixing a street or repairing a public building. If you were to live in a corrupt city, crime would be very evident as well as drug trafficking and dealing, because for many people it is their only option. Living in that kind of environment can surely affect a person and influence them to be part of crimes, because it is the norm and it is what people do to survive.
5. The author seems to be a very successful man, his story of his early years are very moving. Losing his father and remembering that day has definitely affected Wes. As for the prisoner his childhood story is also very interesting. The environment that his family were in has clearly affected him in the present day. As I read further into the book I imagine the friendship between the two Wes Moores to grow between each other. I am looking forward to reading more.
Interesting responses Elliott. I'd love to hear a little more about what you mean by this line:
DeleteBut I would not say they felt “deranged frustration” as they did after MLK was assassinated but more just plainly deranged. Why plainly deranged?
1. Wes Moore had seen an article about another man named Wes Moore. He was very intrigued. After all, they did share the same name and grow up pretty close to each other. But they also had a very different life growing up. Wes Moore, the author, grew up in a supportive family and got a good education, but the other Wes Moore ended up in jail. After hearing this story, Wes Moore (the author) couldn't stop thinking about him and that encouraged him to reach out to the other Wes Moore in jail. Wes Moore in jail did end up writing back. I think he also became intrigued about a person with the same name reaching out to him out of the blue.
ReplyDelete2. Wes Moore (the author) unfortunately lost his father during his childhood years. He came home from work one day with a sore throat. After taking Tylenol he decided to go to the hospital. He was sent home from the hospital and told to “get some rest at home (13).” His symptoms quickly worsen and he ended up dying from Epiglottitis that night. I do think that if the family had been more wealthy he might have gotten the right treatment the first time. And I also think that if the family wasn't African American, they would have had a better chance of getting the right treatment when they needed it.
3. The idea of deranged frustration does make sense to me, although I have never experienced it myself. I think, given the circumstances, those people had the right to be angry. And although they could have handled it better, their leader had just been killed and when the person advocating for nonviolence gets killed, it makes sense that a fight would break out and disrupt that. I do hear about riots breaking out today in response to tragedy. I think that that mostly happens in big cities. I heard about a lot of riots breaking out in various places after African Americans were killed by white police officers.
4. I think that there are still cities or pockets of cities that have crime everywhere and lots of people who do drugs. When you live in a place filled with crime I think you are more likely to become a part of that. Whether it’s because you are trying to fit in or you don't know any better depends on the person. Often cities crumble like this due to economics. Jobs shift, the middle class moves away, and the place becomes filled with crime.
5. The author Wes Moore seems very eager. He wants to learn, whether it be about how his father died, in school, or in a letter to Wes Moore because he's wondering about his past. He also seems like someone who doesn’t let the bad stop him. I'm sure losing his father was very hard for him, but he kept going with his life while remembering his father. While the other Wes Moore seems more impulsive. During the football game after he was hit he chose to go back and get a knife to try to harm the person, instead of thinking of the consequences and choosing against it.
I liked this observation, Lily: "...their leader had just been killed and when the person advocating for nonviolence gets killed, it makes sense that a fight would break out and disrupt that." It makes sense to me, too.
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ReplyDeleteThe author Wes Moore heard about a man by the same name as him ended up in jail. I feel like Wes Moore had somewhat of a connection with the Wes Moore in jail. Wes Moore seems very interested in a lot of things, so something like this drew him to the other Wes Moore. I think that the Wes Moore in jail wrote back because he might have wanted to contribute something good to the world. Also i believe Wes Moore, the prisoner, felt a connection to the other Wes Moore for some unseen reason, just like how Wes felt a connection to him.
ReplyDeleteThe author Wes Moore’s father dies from suffocation after he feels ill and his throat closes up. He went to the hospital but the doctors were completely unhelpful and didn't even believe he was ill. I think the fact that he was black had something to do with the fact that the doctors didn't believe he was sick. I think that racism is engraved into society and for some reason the doctors just couldn't help him. If he had been white, for instance, maybe they would have tried harder.
The “deranged frustration makes complete sense to me. It makes sense to me that people would feel this way, and I understand why people without rights would feel this way. I have personally never experienced this feeling, but I understand it. I think that black people still feel this in america today, this is proven with the black lives matter movement. I also feel that women, muslims, gay men and women, and many more people without rights, feel this way.
There are cities like the Bronx in the 90s and 80s all over the world. There are so many cities with drugs in them that you can't just choose one. I think that cities that have a small drug problem are going to have a big drug problem if nothing is done to prevent it. Many people need money and some need drugs, so if you have both of these things in a city, a big drug problem will emerge. If someone grew up in a city like this, it would have big effects on them. It could get them into buying and using drugs, or selling drugs, neither of which are okay.
I think that the author Wes Moore is a very interesting person himself, with an interest in other people and things. He has a very strong curiosity and he seems quite intelligent. The prisoner Wes Moore seems very hurt by life, even though he doesn't really show it. I also think he is kind for writing back to Wes and he wants to do be
I like what you wrote Danny, just not sure what happened with your last sentence. Otherwise, it makes good sense.
Delete1. Author Wes Moore wrote to prisoner Wes Moore because he wanted to compare their two lives. He wanted to do this because their lives turned out so different even though they had lots of similarities. Their names were the same, their family situation were the same, and they lived just blocks away from each other. I think prisoner Wes Moore decided to help write the book because he understood what author Wes Moore was trying to convey. He understood the similarities between them and maybe he wanted an answer to why author Wes Moore was so successful. He also probably thought it would be a nice project to do while in jail.
ReplyDelete2. Author Wes Moor's father was becoming very sick and it started to concern him. One night he decided he needed to go to the hospital. The doctor's didn't seem to find anything that worrying. They told his wife that he may have been overreacting and sent him home. A few days later his symptoms got very severe and he collapsed. By the time the ambulance came the Doctor's said he was already dead. Apparently he died from a condition called epiglottis which causes you to not be able to breath. I definitely don't think it's the wife's fault, but I think the hospital could have taken his symptoms more seriously. Epiglottis is also curable and he could have potentially lived if they found out he had it in time. The Doctor could have taken his symptoms into more consideration.
3. In the book author Wes Moore talks about the riots that were taken place when martin Luther king died. When he talked about this I started to compare to "The Hate U Give" and the crazy riots that happened in it. I've definitely felt frustrated before, but this is different because it's usually a problem that only I'm frustrated about. The "deranged frustration" that happened was felt by a lot of people, which probably helped fuel more anger and power to the riots. I'm sure there's still places in America like this, but I'm not really in-tuned enough to know where.
4. There are many places like how the Bronx use to be, and I'm sure the Bronx still has problems with drugs and crime. I know drugs are a big problem in this country and are everywhere. Prisoner Wes Moore's brother, Tony, started selling drugs before he was even ten. I think drugs, gangs, and lack of police are the reason why city's are still crumbling. If you live in one of these places you are probably more at risk of doing these activities.
5. When Author Wes Moore moved in with his grandparents they were strict. They don't let him walk around at night, and I think it's leading him into the right path. He loves his mother and really wants her to be able to go to college. He seems very smart and wants to do something with his life. Prisoner Wes Moore lives in a less safe environment, and his older 14 year old brother has to be a farther figure to him. I think hes stubborn and wants to be tough like his brother. He also seems like a very likable person considering how many friends he has.
I think that what you said about author Wes Moore's grandparents is really right on. They seem to be a very positive influence on him.
DeleteFrom Sophie
ReplyDelete#1: I think that author Wes Moore wrote to prisoner Wes Moore because he felt that they had very similar lives. They both grew up without a father, there mothers more than one job to support them, sometimes they had to be the adult in the family because there mothers weren't there. I think the prisoner wrote back because a person who had a very similar life to him reached out, asking questions about him and his past.
#2: I think that if author Wes Moore’s father had a different skin color than he would have had a better chance of surviving. The doctors would have continued trying to figure out what was wrong instead of sending him home telling him he needs to rest. He still might not have survived because they might not have been able to figure out what was wrong with him, or figure out what was wrong in time.
#3: I have not experienced or felt “deranged frustration” but it makes sense that people would feel it. to me because at the time of Dr. King’s death people were fighting to be treated fairly, they were trying to integrate public places with little success. African Americans were fighting for equal treatment in an unfair and unjust system. They protested peacefully as Martin Luther King advised them to but as time went on and nothing changed they were upset and angry so the protests turned violent when nothing happened. Over the past few days two anti-trump protests have turned violent. Both were in California, I think they turned violent because people are fed up with the government and its leaders.
#4. Yes there are still cities like this today, I think something that causes cities to crumble is violence. If part of a city experiences violence in some form, people who are scared move leave the city. They take their business with them. Taking their business with them leaves people unemployed. If someone is in need of money, they start selling and dealing drugs. This results in more people using and experimenting. As more people start dealing, drug related violence increases. People notice and because they are afraid stop coming to the city because they are afraid, they tell others and word gets around that its not the safest city. The city ends up with a bad reputation and people stop visiting the city, the people are the reason small business can thrive. Living in a neighborhood like Wes Moore did can affect a person mentally and physically. Someone could get into drugs because it is surrounding you and sort of a way of life.
#5. My first impression of author Wes Moore was he is a person who likes asking questions about things to better understand them, such as when he hit his sister and his mother was angry at him. As we read about author Wes Moore growing up I get the impression that he is a good kid, he wants the best for his family and himself. My first impression of prisoner Wes Moore was he had a hard childhood like author Wes Moore. To me it seemed that prisoner Wes Moore was a bit tougher than author Wes Moore.
Sophie,
DeleteI like what you said that, "Someone could get into drugs because it is surrounding you and sort of a way of life." I think that's really true because it's hard to avoid if it's all around you
1:
ReplyDeleteThe author Wes Moore, writes to the Wes Moore that is in jail. I think this is because there is some sort of connection between the two. They both seem to have grown up very similarly. For instance, they both grew up having no father, and there mother didn’t have a stable enough job to support them. I think that the prisoner wrote back because he too felt a connection between both of them.
2:
I feel like the author Wes Moore’s father could’ve survived if the doctor took a closer look at him. The doctor saw his conditions as small, and he didn’t take him in. The next day he died of Epiglottis, a condition that causes you to not be able to breath. I feel like the skin color of author Wes Moore’s father had an impact on why they didn’t take a closer look at him, and if he was a different skin color it would’ve impacted his chances of survival. I also feel like the doctor should’ve definitely taken his symptoms more seriously.
3:
I think that this “deranged frustration” makes sense to me. When i saw this, it reminded me of “The Hate U Give” because of all the protests that became violent riots. People in that book were angry at the police for what happened to Khalil, and when there was no justice for him, things became violent. In the book that the author Wes Moore is talking about, it takes place at the time that Martin Luther King Jr. died. African Americans were fighting for equal rights, and when nothing changed with their peaceful protests, they became violent. In today’s society, there are many anti-Trump protests, that become violent. This is because of “deranged frustration” where everybody is beyond frustrated and begin to outburst. I think this is because people are fed up with our government and what Trump has done to our country.
4:
Every city should have a working police force, places to work, and overall a stable society and way of living. Without these, in my opinion, a city can crumble. If there is more crime in a city, people are more likely to move out of there, for multiple reasons. With the population decreasing, there may not be as many jobs that can keep running, because they aren’t making much money, or don’t have enough workers. People could turn to drugs and drug dealing. This is what can make a city crumble. All it needs is a stable society and way of living. A functional society where everyone lives in peace, and those who don’t are reprimanded by the police, is what a city should be.
5:
My first impressions of author Wes Moore was that he is very intelligent. He did not have a great childhood, much like prisoner Wes Moore, but seems to be going on the right track. This is because of his grandparents in my opinion. They are strict, and have rules to follow. Those rules will keep him in line and out of trouble, which will lead him on the road to success. The prisoner Wes Moore seems to be a bit on the stubborn side of things. His brother is like a father to him. He seems to be socially stable, because he has a good amount of friends. He also does not live in a great environment right now.
From Mack
ReplyDeleteWhat originally drove Wes to write to the prisoner Wes Moore was reading the story about him. He found it interesting that a person in the paper, who committed a crime, shared his name. For a while he kept having a feeling that he had a connection with him, besides the name. He felt like he had to contact him, so he wrote to him to find out more about the other Wes Moore. I think he wrote back for a couple of reasons. They shared the same name, and they had similar pasts. I also think that once the idea of a book was offered he wanted to be part of it to help others in the future.
2. Wes Moore’s father died unexpectedly of epiglottis, which is when the flap covering your windpipe swells and doesn’t let air in. Wes Moore Sr. didn’t feel well after signing off from his radio broadcast so he went to the hospital. His doctors told him he needed to get some rest and he went back home. Soon after, he fell down and an EMT picked him up. He died before he got to the hospital. I think Wes Moore Sr. would have survived if he had been a higher class white person. I think the hospital didn’t give him a complete evaluation because they thought that he couldn’t pay the bill because of his clothing, and his race.
3. The “deranged frustration” makes sense to me. What the author is saying is that these people in these neighborhood have been kept down for so long and have been kept away from the American promise that they are really angry. They are taking it out on where they live because they are so infuriated about the place that they live they want to tear it down and have radical change for the better. In today’s America I can think of places that feel like this. The cities I have in mind are Detroit and Chicago. Both cities have had uncontrollable riots, shootings, people below the poverty line, and drug problems. All of these cities have a large amount of people that are angry with the system.
4. There are cities that are very similar to the apocalyptic Bronx in the 80s and 90s. Cities like, Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Las Vegas, Parts of LA and Anaheim. Parts or most of these cities have crumbled because of drugs, violence and poverty. So many people live under these tough circumstances and children are raised there as well. So everyone lives through this. These people have to live in these tough conditions and need to make money, so they need to find jobs but jobs are hard to get so people resort to making money illegally. Living in parts of these cities is a vicious cycle of hardship. So the people living in these cities have finally had enough of the system and are so angry they start tearing it apart.
The author Wes Moore seems like a person who wants to find out more about himself and the world he grew up around. He writes about his father, his growing up in tough neighborhoods, and his family struggles. Wes wants to find out why so many people in America live like he lived and he wants to help those people out. The prisoner Wes Moore seems also inquisitive and impulsive. When he felt that something was wrong with his mother, he kept asking what was wrong until he got an answer. When he got punched in a football game he set out to kill the kid who did it which a knife and wanting to know why he punched him. Prisoner Wes remembers being like that and seems like, through this book, wants to reverse what he did in order to help others.