My Rights

This past weekend was homecoming weekend. As a tradition, half way through the homecoming football game (which we won) the seniors go to the intersection of Deerfield Rd. and Waukegan Rd. right in the middle of town. Dressed in black and equipped with whistles the seniors run/leapfrog/craw across the road and the correct time. As a result there are police there to make sure that nobody gets hurt in the process. Overall there were not that many times when we were doing something that was technically against the law. We would cross when the cross light came on and we didn't jay walk. Granted there were a few times when we did go into the middle of the intersection and mosh or lay down but it was for a brief amount of time. Then all of a sudden when everyone was crossing the street this one cop grabs me and two other guys by the shirt and tells us, "you are under arrest for the obstruction of traffic." There were at least 200 kids there and he decides that he wants to arrest us three for something that 197 other kids were doing. He ended up just yelling at us and told us, "either go home, or go to jail." So I walked back to my car and then walked back to where everyone was and that was that. But the cop still grabbed me hard by the shirt and threatened to arrest me for a law that I was not even breaking. I see where he was coming because he might have wanted to make a statement saying that what we were doing was not okay, but none of the other policemen cared and if he was that upset, he could have made an announcement for us to stop. I do believe that the police officer did violate my rights but it was not that big of a deal.

9/11; How it changed America

I remember the day like it was yesterday. Just two weeks before, I was standing at the base of one of the World Trade Centers looking up at what I thought was one of the coolest things I have ever seen. I have a picture in my room of me and my mom at the Statue of Liberty with the World Trade Centers in the background. This memory has stuck with me ever since. I remember exactly where I was when I heard that the first plane had hit. Since my mom was in Washington D.C. at the time, my dad decided to take me to school. We were sitting in the White Hen parking lot so my dad could get coffee and just before he was about to leave the car the message was broadcasted over the radio. At the time I was 7 so I didnt think too much of it. But me and my dad were scheduled to fly out to Washington D.C to meet my mom and spend time there. But unfortunately I did not get to go to D.C. and my mom was stranded in D.C with no way out. I always think, what if my dad booked our flight a day earlier, how much my life would be different. I would say 9/11 changed my life a lot. I'm not afraid of flying, in fact flying is one of my favorite things to do. But it's made me appreciate my country moer and not take our rights and freedoms for granted. I have a strong sence of patriatism, in which I would like to serve my country one way or another.
          The documentary that we watched was one of the most moving things I have ever seen. Most of the footage that I saw in the video I had never seen before. One of the scenes that really made an impact on me was when the fire fighters were in the lobby and you kept hearing this crashing noise and it was the bodies jumping from the top floors. The jumping of the bodies was shielded from the news because that was not something the people of America needed to see on such a horrific day. On this 9/11 the same documentary was aired and I recorded it and still watch it time to time. I believe that we should all have that reminder of what happened that day and never forget it. This documentary really shows and emphasizes the loss of all the first responders who lost their lives that fateful day. A lot of the news and documentary footage about 9/11 is all from the civilian's point of view. What was special about this one was that it was from the view of the fire fighters who were first on the scene. Remarkably everyone from Ladder 1 returned safely and unharmed. Unfortunately not everyone was so lucky. Over 135 fire fighters and 25 policemen died that day trying to save  other peoples lives. If that's not a hero then I don't know what is. They will never be forgotten.
         The article that I read talked about how America was impacted by 9/11 event 10 years later. Even after a decade, the affects of the attack are still present. The family members who lost loved ones still don't have their family members back. The families of the fallen soldiers still have that void from where their son or daughters used to be. The 9/11 attacks are something that should never be forgotten.

Colt League

Colt League is a baseball league that is for kids 15-17. It is a house league that is open to everyone. This year we were the green team. Our team was amazing, everyone on our team was my age and we all played travel and high school together. At the end of the year our record was 13-2 winning a 4th of July tournament and the overall Colt League Championship. But this isn't your normal baseball league. It is very relaxed and laid back when it comes to playing. We show up 30 minutes before the game, warm up and the game starts. For the most part we chose our own positions each inning, however we had a set batting order. The best part about the league was that we got to play baseball and have fun with all of our old baseball friends. I ended up having a really good year. My goal this year was to hit a home run, and I almost did this one game against another Deerfield team. I stepped up to the plate and pitcher threw the perfect pitch to me; it was right down the middle, waist high. I stepped and ripped the ball directly to center field. The center fielder ran all the way back to the fence and reached his glove over the 4 foot high fence and caught my ball. I have never hit a home run before and that was my chance, but it got robbed. Nevertheless I was a very fun game and we ended up winning. Colt League was a great experience and was one of the major highlights of my summer.