The Other Wes Moore (Blog Post Three) up to page 137 (by Sunday, 5/19/2019 @8:00 p.m.)
Please respond to each 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. Military school obviously benefited author Wes Moore. What did author Wes Moore go on to do after exiting military school? Do you think there were any other paths that could have set him on the straight and narrow?
1. Military school obviously benefited author Wes Moore. What did author Wes Moore go on to do after exiting military school? Do you think there were any other paths that could have set him on the straight and narrow?
2. Prisoner Wes Moore continued to proclaim innocence, saying he wasn’t there for the robbery. Do you think the author believed him? Did you believe him? Do you think he should have been sentenced to life in prison?
3. At one point, author Wes Moore asks prisoner Wes Moore, "Do you think we are all products of our environments?" How would you answer this question?
4. Prisoner Wes Moore says that we are either products of our environments or products of our expectations. Which is it? What about you? (Are you more a product of your environment or more a product of your expectations for yourself?)
5. What does education have to do with the path that each Wes Moore landed on (then continued on)?
1. While at Valley Forge Military School, Wes Moore changed his life goals from being a professionally basketball player, to wanting to serve in the Army. He decided that he would stay at Valley Forge and attend their early college program then go one to be a second lieutenant in the Army. It is very clear that Wes Moore ended up very mature and having a passion to serve others due to military school. The other experience that may have set him on the straight and narrow is if he ended up in jail. Time in prison may have shaped his life for the better but I can’t imagine a better thing then sending him to military school.
ReplyDelete2. I think that author Wes Moore could not decide whether or not to believe prisoner Wes Moore but I do think he was leaning towards the side of not believing him. In the few passages at the beginning of Part lll, it seems like author Wes Moore is questioning the truth as if he can’t decide. “Did he think that through repetition it would become true?” (126). As for me, I can’t come to a decision either. The number of unfair convictions of black men at that time make me believe him but I can’t bring myself to think that he was totally innocent. I think that he just doesn’t want to except what he did so that’s why he says it wasn’t true. I don’t think a life sentence fit the situation. It seems a little extreme however it is predictable that that would happen because of the roll race played.
3. A little while ago I came across a question similar to this one. ‘Nature, or nurture?’ This is essentially asking are we who we are because of how we were raised, or were we born like that. And I think it’s a little bit of both. There are some characteristics that you just have, but I do think we are all products of our environments as well. The people around us have so much influence on us. How they act, how they treat you, how they talk with you. It all has an impact on how you grow. The one thing I disagree with is the fact that we are “products” of our environments. Our environments keep changing and so do we. So I don’t think we are ever a product, we are never finished, but we sure are shaped by our environments
4. I think that these two things are very much related. Our environments shape our expectations for ourselves which is what shapes us. What someone expects of us and what they think we do right or wrong changes what we expect for ourselves in the future. Whether subconsciously or whether you are totally aware of your own expectations, I think they definitely are responsible for who you turn out to be. For me personally, I would say I am shaped by my expectations as I hold myself to certain standards. However, I do know that the way I was raised made me create these expectations. It was a lot of my ‘nature’ but it was definitely my ‘nurture’ as well.
5. I would say that author Wes Moore was very lucky to have a mother like his. She enrolled him in a private school in hopes that it would keep him out of the drug game but when things started going south, she realized she couldn’t stop there. She sent him to military school and the education he received there shaped the rest of his life. Valley Forge Academy taught him things like basic school subjects such as math and history, but it also taught his to be mature and accountable. As for prisoner Wes Moore, he didn’t lead such a fortunate life. He went to public school where drugs and violence surrounded him. The only education he was provided was by decently taught classes (the ones he went to), not the same life lessons that author Wes Moore was taught such as resiliency. This lack of the skills author Wes Moore obtained got him involved in the drug game.
This comment is for number three.
DeleteGretta, I really enjoyed reading your response. I thought you brought up some good points and this was also written well. I found it interesting that you connected with the question and asked a much more simple and similar question. “Nature, or nurture?” Then you answered your own question first. I agree, I think it is a little bit of both. We are born with certain attributes, if you will, and then the environment we are surrounded by fills in the rest. What I mean by that is the attributes are the base we start with. Then our environment keeps building off of that base and making us the person we are. In your response there is something I disagree with. you say that we are not products of our environments. I think that we are a product of both. However the point you use to argue this is a good one. You said, “Our environments keep changing and so do we. So I don’t think we are ever a product, we are never finished, but we sure are shaped by our environments.” We are a product of our expectations. The expectations we have for ourselves are the base of what we are. The environment that we are surrounded by is how we determine how to fulfill those exceptions. This environment is ever changing and so are are expectations and how we achieve them.
1. Wes Moore had no intentions of going to military school before he was forced to by his mother, but after many struggles, it started to feel like home. And the longer he spent there, the more he felt like basketball wasn't the right career for him. He decided that he wanted to join the army. Being in a disciplined place definitely set Wes Moore on the right path, in my opinion, and I don't think he would have been as successful if he had followed another path.
ReplyDelete2. I think that the author Wes Moore wanted to think that the other Wes Moore was innocent but couldn't. It is clear to me that the two Wes Moores started to have a very good relationship, so I would assume the author would have liked to think the other Wes Moore was innocent, but I don't think he could bring himself to think that. I too would have liked to think that the other Wes Moore was wrongfully convicted, but can't quite bring myself to believe that. That being said, I don't think the life in prison sentence was right. The other Wes Moore has clearly grown and matured, and I think it is unfair that he is being forced to stay locked up forever.
3. The author Wes Moore asked prisoner Wes Moore a very interesting question. He wonders if prisoner Wes Moore thinks that we're products of our environment. That prompted me to think about the same question. I feel like we are all products of our environments to some degree. Of course, we are all different and our own person, but I think that where we grow up has a huge influence on who we are.
4. I feel like I am both a product of the environment and a product of my expectations. I feel like growing up in this area has played a big part in the person I am today. Living in Vermont has made me aware of the environment, put me in a small community of people, and helped to make me a thoughtful person. So in that way, I am a product of the environment. But I also feel like I am a product of my expectations. I would like to think that I have always held myself to high standards and push myself, and I think that too is a big part of who I am.
5. I think that education had a huge impact on the path of both Wes Moores. The author Wes Moore had a mother who clearly valued education and was willing to make so many sacrifices to send her child to a private school and later on military school. But education wasn't as important to the other Wes Moore. He went to his local public school, where he was surrounded by drugs, and I think that that greatly impacted the life he went on to live. Being in such a rigid environment allowed author Wes Moore to work his life out and get on the right path, in my opinion. But the other Wes Moore didn't have that, and I think that's why he turned to drugs so often.
I agree with what you said about Author Wes Moore changing his mind about basketball. I feel like military school was the best option for him, too. I also agree with your answer to the second question. He is starting to grow a relationship with him, but can't really seem to convince himself that other Wes Moore is innocent. And the last one was also one we had a similar response to. Author Wes Moore's family valued education a lot more than the Other Wes Moore's did. That's why he was sent to private school, then military school. I also agree with the fact that Other Wes Moore wasn't able to work his life out and get on the right path. Overall, I thought you have a very good response.
Delete1. Author Wes Moore started to love the idea of the army as he spent his time at Valley Forge. He also wanted to play basketball and go to college, but slowly started to loose interest in it. His decision was joining the army and becoming a second lieutenant. When he started to read books he realized how important it was for him to serve the country. I think he would have still been on a good path if he went to college, but if he decided to go live with his family again he probably wouldn't have.
ReplyDelete2. Prisoner Wes Moore's last crime that he did got him life in prison because of a robbery. Prisoner Wes Moore kept telling author Wes Moore that he was innocent. I don't think author Wes Moore believed him, because he kept questioning his thinking. I also don't think hes innocent, but I don't really know that much about the crime he did. I guess I'm basing my opinion off of his past and how he was a drug dealer.
3. As author Wes Moore was asking questions to prisoner Wes Moore he asked him "Do you think we are all products of our environments?". I took this as him trying to say that we can have different personalities and actions based on the environments we are in. I would have responded to this by saying, "of course". I don't think peoples personality's are already made before their even born. Different environments mean different cultures, and cultures have different expectations. There's probably a better way of explaining that, but that's what I would of said.
4. Prisoner Wes Moore told Author Wes Moore that we are either products of our environments or products of our expectation. I think they both make products of us, considering the environment you live in comes with different expectations. The environment in Vermont and the Bronx are completely different because they have different expectations. I don't really know which one I'm more of a product of because there so similar.
5. Both Wes Moore's ended up having very different educations and I think that's what made them so different from each other. If author Wes Moore didn't go to military school he could have gone to prison like prisoner Wes Moore did very easily. I think author Wes Moore realized that he had other options than just drug dealing by going to military school. Prisoner Wes Moore wasn't really presented that option and only saw drug dealing for it's good. Author Wes Moore was given more opportunities than prisoner Wes Moore.
1. After military school, Author Wes Moore stayed at the military school and attended their college program. After that, he became the second lieutenant in the army. Military school made him change his choice to being in the military. I think that him going to military school was the right choice and that it shaped his future better than anything else would've. Military school shows people how to become responsible, and steers them on the right path. If he hadn't have gone, he might not have changed his ways, and not focused on how his future panned out.
ReplyDelete2. Author Wes Moore and Prisoner Wes Moore have grown a strong relationship. I think that Author Wes Moore wants to believe he is innocent, but isn't really sure. What I mean by this is, he can't fully convince himself that he is innocent. That is how I feel about this too. I don't think, however, a life sentence might be a bit much. Seeing that Prisoner Wes Moore has changed, and grown relationships with people, it doesn't seem right to give him a life sentence in jail. He is working on changing and he is basically there already.
3. When Author Wes Moore asked the other Wes Moore "Do you think we are all products of our own environments?" I was immediately confused. Then, as I started to think about it, it made more sense. To some extent, yes, I think we are. It really depends on how you look at it. If you live in a bad neighborhood, where crimes and drug dealers are, you might become a product of that environment, meaning you could end up committing crimes, or worse. But, if you live in a nice, peaceful neighborhood, you may grow up to do anything. Or, you could live somewhere nice and still end up being bad, and vice versa. So it really depends on how you look at it, you could say a person who lives somewhere bad could become a bad person, or you could say that they have a chance to still do good things. So yes and no is my answer, depending on how you look at it.
4. As I said in the previous response, this question can go a number of ways. I think this one can go a number of ways too. Both I think are correct, because in some circumstances you can become a product of your environment, or expectations. It depends on who you are, or who you want to be. If you want to become a lawyer, but you lived all around drug dealers, are you gonna let yourself become a product of that environment, or will you do your best to become a lawyer? It all depends on who you choose to be. I am a bit of both. I grew up around good people, and I grew up in a theatrical family. Although me aspiring to be a film maker is only somewhat related to theater, it proves that I'm a bit of both. I don't want to grow up to act on broadway, but to be behind the scenes in movies, directing. My expectation is to try my best towards that, but my environment was the acting part of it.
5. Education plays a big role in where the two Wes Moore's ended up. Author Wes Moore's family valued education very much. They saved up money to put him in private school, then when he kept skipping school, they saved up even more money and put him in military school, which helped shape his future. The other Wes Moore's family didn't value education as much. He went to his local public school, and did not grow up in a healthy environment. He was surrounded by drugs, which had a huge impact on the life he went on to live. I think that because author Wes Moore had a much more strict routine, he ended up realizing that he could make better choices, which led him on the right path. The other Wes Moore did not have that, and I think that's why he is where he is now.
Responding to your response for the third question.
DeleteYou bring up a pretty interesting point in my opinion. You seemed to mentioned how being a product of your environment is really being molded into the same situation as the people around you. For instance, you said that if you grew up in a place where drugs and crime was very apparent, being a product of your environment would be you becoming a drug dealer or a thief. To me, this is very interesting because I don’t see it this way. The way you interpreted it makes perfect sense, however, I see it as your environment shaping you into the person you are. For example, surrounded by a drug game, someone may end up involved in it, but this could also push them to do something else with their life. Whether it drawing you in or pushing you away, I think your environment changes you. So not necessarily blending in with the place you live, but rather it pairing with your characteristics such as resiliency or vulnerability to create a product.
Responding to number 5
DeleteLiam, I enjoyed reading your response. This was written well, and the points you brought up were good ones. I liked where you said, “I think that because author Wes Moore had a much more strict routine, he ended up realizing that he could make better choices.” I like that you brought that up because it is important in that Wes had matured. Since he had matured he could make decisions that were the right choice for him and not for what he wanted to do. You also said that, “The other Wes Moore did not have that, and I think that's why he is where he is now.”
You are right about that too. The Prisoner Wes didn't have that kind of decision making and maturity so he made decisions on what he wanted to do, not what was best for him. He kept doing that and that is why he ended up in jail. Looking back on it, I think Wes realizes that’s part of the reason that he ended up in Jail. Another reason these two took separate paths is that author Wes Moore had many guiding figures in his like his mother, her parents and their strict rules.
These things put a base guideline down for Wes to follow. When Wes eventually started breaking those rules, his parents dug down and scraped together the money to send him to military school. Here Wes received his maturity and good decision making. Prisoner Wes did not have that. His mother did set guidelines for him but he dint have others to back those guidelines up. He was a very independent child and didn't gain that maturity from having a good guiding figure.
ReplyDelete1. Once Wes’s basketball dreams slowly disappeared from his view he decided to pursue other options. After reading the book My American Journey, Wes was inspired to continue serving for the military. His mother made a great choice for him to attend military school, I do think it was the best option for Wes at the time.
2. No, I do not think the author believed him, the author said that Wes the prisoner was saying that line over and over to make himself believe that he didn’t do it. No, I do not believe that Wes was innocent, reading about his early life decisions and actions has made me believe that Wes would never stop getting into trouble. I believe that the prisoner Wes should have been sentenced to life in prison. But, after reading the conversations between the two Wes Moore’s and reading about the prisoners children, I think he should have been sentenced to life with the option for parole.
3. Yes, I do believe that in everyone there is some product from their environment. What we grow up with and without is what defines us as human beings. It is carried with us everywhere we go.
4. I don’t think we are products of one or the other. I think that our expectations are determined by our environments. Depending on the environment that we are in, our expectations will also change. I believe I am a product of my expectations.
5. The education determined what each Wes Moore did on their free-time. For the author military school occupied most of his time, and since he was away from home he never got the chance to get involved in criminal activities. As for the prisoner his education was so little importance to him that he was constantly involved in criminal activity and his free time (from his activities) was spent at school.
I agree with what you said in question 2, that author Wes Moore didn't believe him. You said that prisoner Wes Moore kept saying he didn't do it and that's why he didn't believe him, I agree because author Wes Moore kept questioning him he said that. I feel like we didn't have enough information about the burglary to decide if he should of gotten life in prison or not. Question 2 was I really hard one to answer and I think you explained it well, but I think we are products of both. Like you said they come with each other, so why wouldn't they determine us? I liked what you said about author Wes Moore and how he was kept away from trouble by being in military school and how prisoner Wes Moore wasn't and got into trouble.
Delete1. After Wes Moore was forced to go to military school by his mother, he attended their early college program to become part of the army. Originally, Wes wanted to become a basketball player, but the longer he stayed at the school, the more he realized that basketball wasn't the right career for him. The military school really shaped him up and helped his future for the better. Another thing that could have shaped his future is having a really bad run in with the law or maybe a near death experience. He would get set straight and stop doing such bad things.
ReplyDelete2. I am very indecisive and I can't decide whether Wes Moore is innocent or not. I think that the author Wes Moore also can't come to a decision and feels the same way I do. Even if he did it, I truly don't understand what sentencing someone to life in prison will do. Their whole lives will just be a waste and they don't even have a chance. I think that same thing with Wes Moore, I don't think that he, or anyone, should be sentenced to life in prison. Everyone deserves a second chance.
3. I think that environment has an impact on how people succeed and I think that like Wes said, people's expectations also have an impact on how people flourish in life. I also think that if you believe in yourself and think that you can do it, you can do it. Environment only plays one role in life. People's choices and actions also play a part, but those can be persuaded by environment, people's expectations, and how you believe in yourself. While environment is important, I think other things have an impact alos.
4. I think that people are not just products of their environment or just products of their expectations. I think that people have a mix of both and there are other factors as well. I personally think that I am a product of environment more than a product of my expectations. I live in a place where it is an expectation that you do a certain thing a certain way and that's how it is done. I think that because this is the expectation, I don't do it. I think that my environment has an impact on me, but in the opposite way than people would expect.
5. Wes Moore had always gotten more of an educated than prisoner Wes Moore. He went to private school and then to military school, which really set him on the right path. While the prisoner Wes Moore went to public school, which is bad because a lot of drugs and crime would move through that school. The author Wes Moore learned how to be good and civil at the military school, while the prisoner Wes Moore didn't get that opportunity to learn to be good. I think that their education really had an effect on them becoming successful or not.
1. Wes Moore ended up going to Valley Forge’s early college program after he realized his dreams of becoming a professional basketball player wasn’t going to become a reality. He went to their early college program because he realized that he wanted to serve in the army. Wes wanted to be a leader and to serve his country. It soon became clear to me that Wes started maturing and really examining his life. He wanted to help other young men on the path to success including himself and that’s why he joined the army. If Wes hadn’t joined the army, there probably wouldn’t have been another path that would have set him up for success as well military school did. Maybe prison but since we treat ex convicts like we do, it would have been hard to have been hard for him to fit into society.
ReplyDelete2. The author Wes Moore couldn’t really decide what to believe about the prisoner Wes Moore’s story. I think he wanted him to be innocent but to him it sounded like he wasn’t. Like the author, I am indecisive. I want to believe that he is innocent, but I don’t think that he is. However with appalling amount of black men arrested during this time there is a chance that he is innocent. I don’t think he should have been sentenced to life in prison but like I said, his race played a part in how he was sentenced.
3. I think that all of us are mostly products of our environments. Everyone is their own person. We all have our own likes, dislikes, and habits. However I think these things and who you are can be molded by the environment around you. We are not directly shaped by what surrounds but we are pointed in a direction by are environments.
4. I think that these things are closely related. I have set expectations for myself that I try and follow and these expectations are changed and molded by the environment around them. For example, I try in school to work hard and get good grades, I also try to connect with people and have good conversations with them. My environment of living in Vermont shapes how I achieve these expectations.
5. The author Wes Moore was very fortunate to have a mother who pushed for him to go to military school. There he learned very good life principles, such as courage, perseverance, leadership, and teamwork. He also had challenging academic classes that taught him what he had skipped at Riverdale. The Army was a wonderful window of opportunity for Wes and he seized it and it took him far in life. The prisoner Wes Moore wasn’t so lucky. He scraped through public schools, with mediocre taught classes, different neighborhoods, drugs, and violence. His mother was busy working and couldn’t be there to support him. He got so involved in the drug game and other things that he didn't have time to earn and education. He wasn’t taught the same skills Wes was taught and life didn't turn out so well for him.
The above is from Mack.
DeleteThe following is from Sophie:
ReplyDelete1:After author Wes Moore finished military school he went on to continue working at the school as a lieutenant. He was in command of over 700 cadets and enjoyed being a leader. I think that if he was sent to a private boarding school then maybe he could have been turned on the right path. But military school was probably the best option.
2:I think that author Wes Moore wished that he was telling the truth, but deep down he knew that he was at the robbery. After forming a relationship it was probably more difficult to imagine it. I don’t think a life sentence should have been given to prisoner Wes Moore. It seems that he has started to mature and wants to have a real life with his family.
3: I wouldn't say that all people are a product of their environment. Because there are some people who have grown up in extremely poor conditions and have gone on to do great things. But the environment where you grow up in can have a huge impact on you.
4: I think that people are both a product of their environment and a product of their expectations. There are people who are extremely successful who came from similar situations as prisoner Wes Moore, because of their expectations for themselves. I think that I am more of a product of my environment, my parents have always wanted and encouraged me to do well in life and I think that as I got older I began to want that for myself.
5: Education played a large part in author Wes Moore's life. He was fortunate enough that his mother realised that he was on the wrong path at an early age, and she did everything in her power to get him to straighten out. When author Wes Moore realized that his life changed because of school he wanted to help others. Prisoner Moore was not as lucky as author Wes Moore, his mother never made sure he was going to school and getting an education.
I completely agree with you. I think that military school was the best option, although i'm not sure that boarding school would have been much help. I don't think that he could have gotten the discipline there that he got at the military school. I also agree that prisoner Wes Moore shouldn't have gotten a life sentence, in fact I don't think anyone should get a life sentence, let alone for this situation. I can't decide if Wes Moore believes him or not. I completely agree with you in the fact that it is hard for someone to see the bad in people when they have a strong relationship and I think that Wes is struggling with that also.
DeleteI think that even if you grow up in a poor environment, that pushes you to become greater and do greater things, but I agree that not everyone is a product of their environment. But people are still products of their environment whether that be good or bad. I also think that as well as education, the Wes Moore’s mothers had a huge part in their lives. It was his mother who pushed him and worked hard for him to have a good education. The good education was a product of his mother being resilient and working hard.