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The theme of environment

“I asked a question: Do you think we are all just products of our environment” (Moore 126)

Throughout the book of the other Wes Moore we see how the two boys shared similar lifestyle and conclusively come out to live completely different lives. However as we really look into their lives we see the small differences which resultantly leads to the two living completely different lives. One of these small changes are the environment. The book demonstrates how a child is a direct product of their environment. The motto you are only as good as the company you keep is exemplified in volumes. At the start of both Wess’ life they faced similar struggles, both young boys from Baltimore, missing a father figure, same community of people. Throughout the times they shared in the same environment both Wes’s act in a similar fashions, at the young teenage age both boys are faced with arrest. Throughout his time in the poorer area's writer Wes is placed on academic and disciplinary probation. However once he was removed from this scene and placed into Valley forge military academy he had a complete character change which led him to becoming a Rhodes scholar. Meanwhile the other Wes Moore remained in that same environment his whole life surrounded by drug dealers and people who had no drive to become something else which led to his persona to be exactly the same throughout the entirety of his life and continue on that same path that everyone around him followed. From personal experience I can relate to the statement of only being as good as the company you keep. My transition from elementary school to high school demonstrated perfectly how I was a direct product of my environment. From elementary school where none of my friends had any drive or desire to strive in life, this had a direct impact on me. Because although I could not see it in myself, I was behaving in the same manner as they were. However with the arrival at Villanova I was brought to a completely different environment. This brought someone completely different out of me, similarly to how Wes had a character change with his arrival at Valley forge. Being surrounded by people who are striving to be better and succeed in life influenced me the same way that Valley forge and Captain Hill influenced Wes. I began to succeed in school and achieve better grades and similarly Wes achieved a academic scholarship.

“When we're young, it sometimes seems as if the world doesn't exist outside our city, our block, our house, our room. We make decisions based on what we see in that limited world and follow the only models available” (Moore 179)

In the Epilogue Wes even states how as children we react based on what we see. We do not see anything else so react based on what we see and all we’ve known. We are a direct product of our environments. That is not to say that if your only option is to grow up as a child in the slums then you will only ever amount to living in the slums, all you need to do is surround yourself with people who believe in you and have similar morals.

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Deeming someone’s worth

Often times in life children’s ideas of themselves can be limited to only what others think of them. At a young age if a child is thought of to not go anywhere or sees no one else succeeding around him they cannot see themselves doing anything more either. Not every child can find it beneath themselves to prove someone wrong or community of people wrong when they are thought of to become nothing. This is one of the leading reasons why people who are of lower echelon of society tend to stay there. The mind is the most powerful item in the planet, it can push you to do great things or it can hold you back. When you are a child from the poorer areas you are expected to do so much less and accomplish so much less. They are just hoping you make it through high school. When you are deemed barely capable of graduating high school your aspirations are way low. Meanwhile, in wealthy areas the children are expected to attend University never mind graduate University. How is that fair? Of course these children are gonna do better, because they have people believing in them and in their minds they can do this. Now in life there always are the exceptions, some children are able to overcome the standards and prove everybody wrong. However it takes an extremely mentally tough child at such a young age to say no to everything they know and have been told and break those standards. The other Wes Moore was a victim to these standards. Although it may have seemed like the other Wes had support from Tony it was not the right one. His standards were simply “do not get involved in drugs and gangs”, what kind of standard is that for a child. Nothing for a child to aspire to what so ever. I can also say that I myself fell into the standards and had someone deem my worth. Although I was always most highly regarded at home and constantly told the sky was the limit, I still had though to myself that I was going to be nothing more than a trade’s men. This was because of my teachers at school in elementary. They did not think I was smart, they did not think I was capable of anything, they did not think I had any responsibility and due to this I did not I was smart, I did not think I was capable of accomplishing anything and I did not think I had any responsibility, Because of this I did not even try in school. I treated it as a joke and thought to myself who cares because I am not going to do well anyways I am incapable. However this was not the case, I was incapable because I thought I couldn’t do it because someone else told me I couldn’t. I know this because when I attended Villanova and people began to believe in me I succeeded. This is a stereotype and standard that children in poverty fall into everyday. It must stop if we want more people to succeed in life and end poverty. If we believe in these children as much as we believe in the wealthy children they will succeed just as much as them. The mind is powerful and we must use that power for good not the opposite.

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The concept of being placed into standards and living up to these standards is a recurring theme in life. We see this in the book of Indian Horse. Saul was the main character of this book and he was also the one who was affected by this issue of standards. Saul was a Native Indian, living in a time where they were said to be insignificant to society. Saul had a gift which separated him from the typical Native Indian. He was a phenomenal hockey player, despite his size he was marvelous, the way he read the ice to make perfect passes and his blazing speed separated him from the rest of the players. Saul was no so good that he was taken on to a team in a league with only white players. Here is he was the best player by far, scoring every game and tallying up assists. Despite being the best player on the team, Saul’s time in this league was cut short. Shortly after joining the team he was cut, not because he did not have the skill level but rather because he was Native Indian and people said there was no way a Native could keep up with him. As Saul progressed through his hockey years he began to fall into the standard of being a Native. People deemed him to not be able to compete with the white players and it slowly began to eat at his game play. Overtime Saul simply quit Hockey and went to work in the coal mines because “that’s what Natives are supposed to do”. Saul was better then every player on the ice, and could have became a pro hockey player. However because people had placed him into the standard of being incapable of competing with white hockey players his game diminished and he quit. Throughout this book it was directly demonstrated that when Saul had someone to believing in him (Father Leboutillier)he succeeded, however once that was lost and he realized he had standards as a Native he plummeted and simply played right into those standard. Similarly the other Wes Moore was also given standards. Because he was a black male, with no money and from a poor area no one expected him to do anything. By society he would always be a lower echelon member. Because of this standard Wes played right into this standard and thought to himself that the drug business was his best option. Ultimately leading to his downfall and road to failure. Both these stories share similarities as they consist of a child who fell into the standards given to them by society.

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The 80’s were an especially hard time in Baltimore and the Bronx. Both cities had still been shook from the riots of the death of the legendary MLK as these cities consisted of predominantly African American citizens. To make matter worse. America had been taken by storm by one of the most highly addictive drugs, crack. These two factors combined were heavy contributors that led to the increase rate of crime. Deaths were up to 2600 in the Bronx as Wes states in the telling of his story. But simply by reading this book we cannot get a true understanding of how hard times really were. Following the April 4th assassination of Martin Luther King riots arose all over America however much more severely throughout the black community. The assassination started lots of controversy and demonstrated segregation between the Black and White races. During the riots buildings were destroyed and set on fire, streets full of shattered glass making it nearly impossible to walk, properties were destroyed and stolen from, the communities as a whole were destroyed. Simply to end these riots they had brought in thousands of troops per city. The damages tallied tens of millions of dollars. While still recovering from this horrific event the city had been hit hard by crack. The biggest surge of “crack” use also known as the crack epidemic actually took place between 1984 and 1990. The crack epidemic dramatically raised the amount of Americans addicted to cocaine. In 1985 it was reported that the amount of people being admitted to the hospital for the consumption of cocaine went from 4 million to 6 million. Seeing how hard times were during the 60’s gives us an understanding of how hard it was for Wes and Wes growing up as poor young black males.

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While the use of coca leaves as an intoxicant dates back three thousand years, crack cocaine, a crystallized form of cocaine, was developed during the cocaine boom of the 1970s and its use spread in the mid-1980s.

According to the US Drug Enforcement Agency, by the late 1970s there was a huge glut of cocaine powder being shipped into the United States. This caused the price of the drug to drop by as much as 80%. Faced with dropping prices for their illegal product, drug dealers converted the powder to "crack," a solid form of cocaine that could be smoked.

Broken into small chunks, or "rocks," this form of cocaine could be sold in smaller quantities, to more people at bigger profit. It was cheap, simple to produce, easy to use, and highly profitable for dealers.

As early as 1980, reports of crack use were appearing in Los Angeles, San Diego, Houston and the Caribbean.

The biggest surge in the use of the drug occurred during the "crack epidemic," between 1984 and 1990, when the drug spread across American cities. The crack epidemic dramatically increased the number of Americans addicted to cocaine. In 1985, the number of people who admitted using cocaine on a routine basis increased from 4.2 million to 5.8 million.

By the end of 1986, crack was available in twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia. By 1987, crack was reported to be available in all but four states in the United States. Since then, use of the drug has continued to spread throughout North and South America and into Europe and the rest of the world.

By 2002, the United Kingdom was experiencing their own "crack epidemic," with the number of crack addicts seeking help climbing nearly 50% that year. The UK reported an increase of 74% in seizures of crack cocaine in drug raids between 2000 and 2006.

The majority of European crack cocaine users are located in three cities-Hamburg, London and Paris. But crack cocaine use has also been reported as a significant problem in three French overseas territories-Guadeloupe, French Guiana and Martinique-and in some communities in the Netherlands.

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The Crack Epidemic - The History of Crack Cocaine - Drug-Free World

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While the use of coca leaves as an intoxicant dates back three thousand years, crack cocaine, a crystallized form of cocaine, was developed during the cocaine boom of the 1970s and its use spread in the mid-1980s. According to the US Drug Enforcement Agency, by the late 1970s there was a huge glut of cocaine powder being shipped into the United States.

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Although we may not realize it, in our world today we are facing tragedies very similar to those that arose in the late 60’s and lead to destroyed communities. The assassination of Martin Luther King has been recreated in the 21st century, and that is with the Police Brutality of Black citizens, and in a similar fashion the riots have been recreated. Of many, the most publicized incident was the death of teenager Michael Brown from Ferguson. The disputed circumstances of the shooting sparked existing tensions between white and black segregation in the predominantly black city. This situation was the last straw and the city erupted into violent riots and protests. The protests began peacefully with chants such as “Hands up, don’t shoot” as the community had believed Brown had his hands up as if he were surrendering, however these protests quickly became violent with the destruction and looting of buildings. It had became so bad that the police had placed a night curfew. Similarly like Wes told it, the community was destroyed. More than half of the small business’s in the area never opened up again. Over the span of the two weeks that these riots occurred the tallied amount was approximately 6 million in damages. Now although this may seem relatively insignificant compared to the MLK riots, we have to take into account that this was only one incident in one city. Police Brutality is taking place all over America which means these types of riots are occurring in multiple cities. So cumulatively it is extremely similar to the rioting that occurred with the assassination of MLK. Throughout both Wes’s lives in Baltimore we saw first hand how hard the the riots from so long before there time had affected them. Even though it had occurred so long ago the damages from the city reincarnated it as if it were yesterday, the scars of the riots were still there. These damages in certain cities deemed them to be dangerous, poor, unsafe and gave them a reputation that hurt the whole community. We may not realize it now but we are doing the same thing to our cities now. We must realize what we were are doing to our cities before it becomes too late. If we continue to destroy our cities it will just lead to more crime in the future like Wes had explained it did in Baltimore.

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Costs of the Ferguson, Missouri riots still trickle in. The variance of it is still hard to track down due to costs outside the known figures government officials have tallied. The business and personal side still have to be studied. I have tracked down some articles dealing with both the August and December riots.

The Gateway Pundit reported in October the total August costs of the first riot to taxpayers was around $5.7 Million.

The massive police response to Ferguson in the wake of the shooting death of Michael Brown on Aug. 9 will take nearly $1.5M from the Missouri state budget.

According to the Missouri Department of Public Safety, the Missouri State Highway Patrol costs total $1.1M while activating the National Guard will cost the state roughly $384,000.

This estimate is solely for the initial response: from the time protests erupted right after Brown died to the last few weekdays of August.

St. Louis County officials estimated the county's initial cost will be $4.2M. That's a combination of money going to police overtime, fixing damaged cop cars and food and supplies for first responders.

Channel 4 KMOV/St. Louis reported part of the costs in the August riot was overtime paid to law enforcement and civilians which totaled $855,000.

The December Ferguson riots cost $20 Million according to Garry Earls, St. Louis CFO.

The grand total from both riots cost local/state government around $26 Million. Now the unknown costs will take time to calculate. Insurance companies at some point will release damage to business and what they paid out. Property Casuality 360 did give a sobering fact of when disaster happens and the amount of businesses that do not reopen:

Roughly 40-60% of small businesses never reopen their doors following a disaster.

Businesses in Ferguson face additional challenges. Property Casuality 360 pointed out those who do reopen face higher insurance costs which ulimately mean they get passed along to the consumer. Another obstacle is lack of business which KMOX CBS in St. Louis reported on in October. Quoting one business owner stating his sales were down 40%.

In the end, Ferguson will probably never get back to what it was before the riot.

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Costs of the Ferguson, Missouri riots still trickle in. The variance of it is still hard to track down due to costs outside the known figures government officials have tallied. The business and personal side still have to be studied. I have tracked down some articles dealing with both the August and December riots.

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Theme: Overcoming obstacles and not falling towards temptation

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Theme: Overcoming obstacles and not falling towards temptation

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During Wes’s education he decided to take a semester abroad in Africa. During this semester abroad Wes learned as much outside of the classroom as he did inside the classroom. Wes never thought the small town of Lange and the Xhosa tribe could teach him and make him realize so much. As Wes experienced Zinzi becoming a man, he learns an important lesson, the journey of becoming a man, and the struggles that come along with it. Each man encounters a set of obstacles, the men will overcome these obstacles however those who back down will continue along the same path their entire lives. Like the Xhosa tribe manhood is a journey only some will overcome.

Throughout his childhood Wes was faced with these struggles but he could not overcome them, which resultantly kept him immature and undisciplined. Wes continued to be unable to overcome these issues and it continued to lead him down the wrong path filled with uncertainty and trouble. When Wes made the change to Military school a new light appeared. Wes finally found it within himself to overcome his struggles and begin his journey of change and becoming a man. Wes’s ability to overcome his struggles undeniably lead him to into becoming the Rhodes scholar and US military veteran he his now.

The other Wes Moore was unable to ever overcome the struggles of becoming a man like Wes did. The other Wes Moore could not overcome the struggle of the easy money. Even when he was so close after completing the job corps he could not sustain it. The other Wes Moore was simply never able to complete the journey and his fate died off like the boys who do not complete the journey of becoming a man in the Xhosa tribe

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The first person narrative point of view allows for a direct insight of their life through the actual eyes of the narrator. This brings a whole new perspective for the telling of a story as we can visualize someone else's memory as if we were in the moment. However it is important to realize that each component of the information in a first person point of view is filtered through the writer therefore it is simply their opinion and may not be completely true.  The book of the other Wes Moore was an extremely particular narration as it took us through his life from his eyes and also other Wes Moore's life from the opinion of that Wes Moore who was serving his life sentence in Jail while he wrote told his story for the book. Although this book through the narrator's eyes gave us a tremendous first person perspective of the book and allowed us to understand how tough their situation was and what their thought process was for their decision making, we must understand that these stories are one sided and possibly not completely true. We also must take into account of these stories are being told from a man who still has not admitted to a crime in which he received a life sentence for.

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Could they really have shared the same reality?

“The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that his life could have been mine” (Wes Moore 180)

Throughout Wes’s constant appearances with the other Wes at the prison, Wes get’s to know how they shared so many similarities other than just their names. Their hometown, their families both having an absent father and etc. These facts led Wes to a realization, the chilling truth that the other Wes Moore’s life could have been his life and vice versa. However I do not find this to be the case. Throughout Wes’s entire life he received the best education. He did not partake in the public school system, he attended private school. He was placed in a much better environment where the best options was not seen as illegal activity.  He was not wealthy however his family was financially stable. More importantly than schooling and money was family, Wes had a mother who was actively involved in his life. She kept up with his schooling and when she had notice his slacking she sent him off to military academy in the hopes that he would change his ways. Wes also had a loving father that from what he can remember of him he admired. The other Wes Moore had a much different situation at home, his mother was not nearly as involved. His mother had been so disappointed and focused on the cut of her education grant that she had almost become depressed. Not to mention the fact that the other Wes Moore had seen drug dealing and gang violence in his immediate family from his father and his older brother. Now, yes the other Wes Moore could have made decisions and choices to put himself on the right path with writer Wes Moore however these were critical differences in their lives which ultimately differentiated the two substantially. This is why I believe that yes they each could have shared each others legacies however ultimately there were many differences between the two which made their similarities insignificant.

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"As I started to think seriously about how I could become the person I wanted to be, I looked around at some of the people who’d had the biggest impact on my life. Aside from family and friends, the men I most trusted all had something in common: they all wore the uniform of the United States of America…" Wes Moore 132

As Wes thinks about his future for his education, he stops and pauses to think of the people who he had admired most. He thought of his lieutenants and captains. Each one had taught him valuable lessons that he would remember and cherish for the rest of his life. However his old friends had never come to mind, the ones who he had admired so much because they were cool and tough had drifted off and become much more insignificant.

This was section of the book held lots of significance as it demonstrated the complete change in Wes’s character. No longer was Wes another lower income kid with no aspirations. Wes had changed completely and accepted the standards of military students. Wes says it himself that the men who he had trusted most and put complete faith in were all men from Valley Forge. Wes had fully integrated to the Military academy environment. We are able to see in this passage that Wes had become a changed man. After all the struggles he had encountered throughout his journey he had finally joined a community which had properly suited him and helped him .

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“I had never seen a man, a peer, demand that much respect from his people. I had seen Shea demand respect in the neighborhood, but this was different. This was real respect, the kind you can’t beat or scare out of people. That’s when I started to understand that I was in a different environment. Not simply because I was in the middle of Pennsylvania instead of the Bronx or Baltimore. It was a different psychological environment, where my normal expectations were inverted, where leadership was honored and class clowns were ostracized.” Wes Moore 96

This citation occurs to Wes upon arrival at Valley Forge. After only thinking of negative thought about Valley Forge Wes is astonished by the respect Captain Hill receives just by walking into the large foyer with over 120 students. This passage is extremely significant with respect to the theme of environments and how it played into Wes’s development as a character. Prior to attending Valley Forge Wes had only been exposed to one type of environment. The only way he had seen respect been given was through physical violence and gangs. Never before had he seen someone simply be granted respect psychologically. After trying to escape and run away this was the first time that Wes was completely displaced from his natural environment. He had learned that there was much more beyond the bubble of Baltimore and the Bronx. This passage was poignant because he realizes the true definition of respect and being a leader. Wes had never seen the type of respect that was given to Captain Hill before. It was a real turning point because it inspired Wes to become the man he is. His old expectations had been completely flipped, rather than the coolest kids being the slackers, the coolest kids were leaders. This realization is what separated he and the other Wes Moore. Wes was becoming a product of his environment all because it’s what was acceptable in that environment. This was the turning point in Wes’s life which led him on a pathway to success.

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As a privileged child, it is often hard to see the struggles of poverty for children in society. We, myself especially, do not realize that we are in a metaphoric bubble in our day to day lives, shielded from poverty, heartache, hunger, and any menial and basic privilege we have grown accustomed to; our everyday routines are not normal, but rather an outstanding advantage given to us. It is hard to see how our stream of unlimited opportunities differentiate from children in poverty and destitution who have such limited opportunities in life. In the book The Other Wes Moore, children growing up in poverty is epitomized greatly as the reader is able to see how children can so easily drift off to the wrong path when they have no other option and poverty, unfortunately, is all they know. This social issue is most evident in the telling of the other Wes Moore’s story (the young man in jail). As hard as the other Wes Moore’s brother, Tony, tried to keep his younger brother from drifting off onto the wrong path, namely the drug scene, there was no way to prevent it based on a series of mistakes and choices that are the result of situation. Wes Moore was a young kid with no money, and when he saw the opportunity to make money by simply monitoring for police for his “friends”, he took advantage of it. Slowly, Wes made his way up in the drug game, so far up, that turning around was no longer an option. When a child grows up in poverty, his/her options are extremely limited and often, illegal activity is the easiest way to obtain money and thus supporting their families. This issue is all around us; in Canada alone, UNICEF has reported that 967,000 children in this country still live in low-income homes. These 967,000 children are not going to be privileged to the same degree as most children in Canada, which could potentially lead them down the same path the other Wes followed. Every citizen in America and Canada has a right to equal opportunity, however it is evident throughout the book and in life that this reality is simply not enforced. Many people are homeless, jobless, or even both which leads them to financial limitation, the drug game, lack of education, and consequently fewer opportunities. With a little bit of help, we could help open opportunities for children in poverty, just like the opportunities that opened for writer Wes when he was desperately in search of help. Rather than leaving them and having them follow the same path as other Wes, we, as a global community, must do our part in eradicating poverty to ensure everyone, no matter their background, has a chance to succeed

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There are multiple sayings about a Mother and son’s bond, and overall to sum it up i think it is right and just to say it is unbreakable and unconditional. Mothers will stop at nothing to help their son’s succeed, even if it means putting their relationship at risk. Although sons often get mad and frustrated when a Mother say’s “you will thank me later”, a son will stop at nothing to protect their mother. Throughout the book we see this unconditional love between Wes and his Mother. Rather than giving up after the loss of her Husband, she worked even harder to help support her family and give them the best opportunity to succeed in life. Joy sacrificed so much for Wes, even when it meant sacrificing her own relationship with her son because she was forcing Wes to do things that she knew would benefit him but he saw as a punishment. For example when Joy took Wes away from all his friends in the Bronx and forced him to attend Valley forge military academy. Wes was struggling at his school in the Bronx but he was having fun. He was skipping class, going to the local outdoor basketball court and hanging out with his friends, he was completely content. So Wes’s mom decided to send him to military academy. Wes hated it so much he put all his effort into trying to escape, rather than seeing this opportunity as another chance to succeed with better surroundings; like any teenager Wes saw it as a punishment and was frustrated with his mother. However in turn lead Wes into becoming the best possible person he could be. Similarly I was faced with the same issue, however to a lesser extent. By no means did I grow up in a area of poverty, however i attended public school with all my friends. I was struggling in school and did not have a care for it. Although my mom forced me everyday to do extra work and tried to put me on the right path I was happy and I was having fun so by no means did I have any plans on changing my ways. When grade 8 passed by I was prepared to attend a public High School with all my other friends, but my mom had other plans. And grade 9 I started at Villanova College and I was furious with my mother. And like Wes I tried to escape, not by running but through my words. For the first 2 weeks I complained everyday saying how I wanted to switch schools. However after it was confirmed that I wasn’t going anywhere, I came to terms with myself. As soon as I stopped putting all my energy into finding ways to hate the place I realized how great of an opportunity this was. And like Wes became succeeded and became a better person, so did I. Now although Wes and I shared completely different stories, we did have a similarity. That similarity was unconditional love from our mother’s. They only wanted the best for us and although we couldn’t see it, that’s what they were doing all along not trying to punish us.

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The Other Wes Moore: One name Two fates, is written by one of the Wes Moore’s himself. Wes Moore takes us through his journey first person, starting from the slums of Baltimore working way his way up to the reception of the Rhodes scholarship; one of the most prized awards for any adolescent. All the while telling the Story of his of the same name who lived a completely different life. The book takes place during the rough 80’s and demonstrates the drug epidemic taking place through the United States which takes over after a recovering America from the riots. It demonstrates how hard it is to not make the wrong decisions when you grow up in such dangerous and poor conditions and how you must overcome each obstacle for a better life. However no matter your circumstance there is always hope, and no matter the situation if you are able to make the right choices and not fall into temptation your life can change for the better. This theme is demonstrated greatly throughout the book as the story between 2 identical children grow up to live completely different lives. This book takes us through a tremendous first person journey through both the boy’s growth through society. To begin their journey of life they are struck with a tragedy no boy can overcome the loss of their father, one father gone from personal choice and one lost due to fate. As they continue on their similar journeys one point in their teenage years both boys are struck with the same fate that most boy’s in the hood are faced with and are arrested. What ultimately contrastes the 2 fates is how they one react in the face of adversity and through each struggle which leads one to a rhodes scholarship and one to jail. The book is given in the perspective of both the Wes Moores which gives possibility to bias throughout the experiences. Overall this was an amazing book. I found it extreme lt interesting how one could fall into the the trap of the streets and contrasting it with how someone excelled from the same neighborhood by staying off the streets. The theme of having to overcome obstacles and not back down in order to succeed was also truly powerful as the narrator connects it with a important concept he learns abroad in Africa. I would encourage this read if you into inspiring books and interested in truly seeing how it is to grow up in less fortunate areas.