Freedom.

Freedom is the sole reason why human beings are allowed to live in a way that suits who they are. It is what allows us to make personal decisions. The concept of freedom is what the United States is based off of. Freedom is probably the most clear description of the American Dream. Currently, one of the biggest controversies of our country is about whether our populations freedom is still eminent.

When the Bill of Rights was written, our founding fathers believed that the amendments they had created would build a strong basis for our country; an everlasting strong basis. Evidently, amendments would be added and adapted to suit modern times to come but they are very difficult to change. Government officials who take part in the evolution of laws, take into consideration their own ethics and morals. The problem with ethics and morals is that they're hard to change. It is very difficult to convince a stubborn person that opposes you to believe the way that you do.

In America, government is essentially a two-party system. On one side there are the democrats. On other, are republicans. As people, we're all very stubborn no matter how hard we try to avoid showing it. This is where politics becomes difficult; nobody likes compromise. There are always two or more sides to each story. That is why we have a court system. When a compromise takes place, nobody wins. When nobody wins, everybody settles. If a compromise occurs, it is very unlikely that the solution will remain resolved.

When policy and government become inadequate to a population, things will fall apart. One of the ultimate goals of every type government is for structure that prevents things from breaking down. In the book Lord of the Flies, a stranded group of children believe that having a government is vital to their survival. By establishing a ruling system, there were certain rules that each member was to follow in order for the system to run smoothly. Each child was granted certain freedoms including the right to arm themselves; a current controversy in America is over our second amendment which grants American citizens the right to carry a weapon. Looking back on worldwide history, it has shown us that disarming a population grants government too much power.

Is getting rid of or rewriting our second amendment worth the possible negative outcomes? The answer to this question is different to everyone. It could be yes if you are directly related to the person that is harmed by weapons but if you were stand on the other side of the argument, the answer is most likely a no. Tradition takes a big part in our morals and ethics. Like I mentioned earlier, they are parts of us that very difficult to change. Each are formed from experiences, the way that we were raised, and many other factors. Traditions cause us to be opinionated over certain topics. For say, if you grew up hunting, you would probably feel as though gun laws should not be added. On the other side, if someone that you have loved is deceased by somebody holding a weapon, you would probably feel as though more laws or bans should be added.

Freedom or lack of freedom is different to everyone and to every location. Determining what freedoms we should be given is even harder. Freedoms do have their consequences. Whether being granted a freedom is worth it, depends on the populations opinion; do the benefits outweigh the costs?

Quest

Learning is about elevating your thoughts, building upon your experiences, and discovering new perspectives. Quest English taught me how to think. As a student, I was challenged to change my opinions and to look at the world in a way that I had never discovered. As a class, we made broad inferences that became conclusions with evidence beyond the textbook. That is what Quest is; thinking, opinions, and conclusions.

Whether we were reading books based on different cultures such as Things Fall Apart, or a the classic book the Lord of the Flies (which looked in on not taking anything for granted: even blueberries) we had deep discussions not on what the author was meaning or on comprehension, but on what we liked, how it relates to life. I guess Quest is life too.

I have identified so much about myself and about what I want in my life in Quest English. I have been surrounded by people who even if they do not want to, support me and have my back in anything that I want to accomplish. The people in this class have pushed me in the right direction. I was out of my comfort zone the majority of time. Especially when I first started as an eighth grader. I walked into my first class of the day overwhelmed and nervous to be with this group of people. I sat down and waited for class to start. We began discussing fear. The majority of class, I had NO idea what was going on. I walked out of class wondering "does everybody feel like this too?" After the first quarter, I was ecstatic the moment that I walked into English. The people understood me. I soon learned how to look at things in a way that I could almost perfectly express my thoughts. I thought deeper. This class wasn't a class about grammar or about "what does the author mean?" it was about making us better people, students, and thinkers.

I am so grateful that I was invited to experience Quest. Honestly, I can say that I will miss this class and the people that are in it. I will miss my test free classes led by McCallum. But, because of determinism, I am here to write a semi-formal blog that I would have had no idea how to write if I would not have been in this class. I started blogging in fourth grade but I don't think that really counts. From my first blog that I wrote on Fear, to my 20th which I am writing about Quest, I have come so far as a writer. I think deeper now and I know how to look at something from a different perspective. After Quest, I am changed. Changed in a good way that is.

Thank you for helping me discover who I am, what I am, and the difference that I make in the world. I have become more of myself the past two years. Quest has given me opportunities I wouldn't have been given if I was still an Enriched English student. I probably wouldn't be an editor for The Hoofprint, and quite frankly, I probably wouldn't be apart of newspaper. Because of Quest, I have met people that I can trust with nearly anything. So thank you for all of the experiences that Quest has given me, and taught me.