Another week, more failure

Angels and ministers of grace defend us!
Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damn'd,
Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell,
Be thy intents wicked or charitable,
Thou comest in such a questionable shape...

--Hamlet, Act I Scene IV.

You know, perhaps I really DO hate everything and everyone.

This week has been interesting, snow days aside. It feels like school never really let out of session.

I've been greeted with puzzling ignorance.

First I should mention my African American history class has been integrated--it's me and another black student, and now there's 3 black folks total in the class, 3 minorities in all! Buuugh. I did make a fuss about it at first but eh, as time goes on t'is not a big deal as I'd have you think.

We were awful energetic Thursday morning (it's a Tues/Thurs class btw) and the teacher ended up engaging in my favorite activity of ILLUSION SHATTERING.

I really was paying attention while we talked about Reconstruction. Our Professora mentioned that Lincoln's plan for the Reconstruction of the "rebel states" (whooo) was for the southern states to rewrite their constitutions and add a section to abolish slavery. Naturally the Southern states weren't too happy with this and--

Wait, Ma'am, I thought slavery was already abolished by the 14th Amendment?

Nope, that didn't come until afterwards--and it didn't actually abolish slavery at all.

Indeed that was the 13th.

Oh. Wait, then what did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

Oh dear. That's where the glass started tinkling as our professor explained just what the Emancipation Proclamation did--which, in the scheme of things, wasn't a whole lot.

Whoa. Whooooa, what? Now, don't get me wrong, it was an important step forward. Lincoln said "Alright, this is silly, stop practicing slavery Southern states." Right? And the slaves were freed--for a short time, as we learn!

...Oh, but no. See, the problem was the Southern states had already seceded by this point and didn't recognize Lincoln as an authority from, I dunno, Captain Ahab. The other thing was, while this order was sent to stop slavery in the rebellious states, what about the ones that DID NOT rebel or were otherwise part of the Union? Yes, not all northern states condemned slavery--Kentucky (well, okay it's not really a northern state), Maryland, Delaware--the order was just for the rebellious states.

Ah, you could hear the glass shattering as the class had a bit of a light bulb moment. I found it all really interesting myself--not that I'm authority on what the Emancipation Proclamation did or did not do, but as I understood from my 11th grade US Hist HONORS (!) class, it was actually the 13th amendment that abolished ALL slavery (whether that really stuck or not is for another day though).

So that was interesting. What was interesting Friday was a confused young fellow I know coming up to me and telling me black people don't eat sushi. Because--I don't actually know his basis for that, as I know plenty of people all over that like to eat it raw.

I more expected him to ask about my WHOLE breakfast, which was sushi, Raisin Bran Crunch, and chocolate soy milk. And he keeps asking about the "thing on my head". I've explained what it is and I'm not particularly keen on explaining it any more because when I wear it, it's a damn head scarf. What does it LOOK LIKE? HAHAHAHA, you aren't funny dipwad.

I didn't go off on him or anything, I just stared at him in my awe at his randomness; he admitted he was joking and scampered off. I really can't have that so early in the morning before classes. You know, he's a nice guy and I'm sure he's well-meaning, but inside I am deeply mean-spirited and early in the morning I can't tolerate much. So he can take a long walk off a tall mountain.

And that was my week *blink*