Jay Buckingham > Recent Status Updates

The novel "Dead Man Walking" by Sister Helen Prejean is presented in a somewhat formal tone. Although the author frequently shares personal opinions and thoughts throughout the book, they do not detract from the formal tone or overall purpose of the writing.

Currently, the author's primary goal in the book is to serve her mission of helping those less fortunate than her. Though it seems the main obstacle she is facing is the lack of interference from other institutions regarding the most significant issues in the city. So, she has to find a way to make a real impact on her own or find a way to get more support in doing so.

Of the 5 books I had to choose from, I decided to read "Dead Man Walking" because it seemed to me like it has the most unusual story, and I think it poses interesting philosophical questions.

A time I felt unity within a community was when I went to the Des Moines Art Festival. There were many people there from lots of different backgrounds who presented their creativity in various ways. Though for many of those people, the jobs they created with their art have been threatened by AI, and I found it interesting how that brought so many artists together in the humanity that makes art so captivating.

I believe the cyclist's song is significant to the message of the book because it correlates to the theme of not being able to alter fate. Moreover, it relates to how the characters have to adapt to fate and learn how to make the most out of what they've got in life in spite of their struggles.

If I were in the place of Nina or Amie in their argument, I would try to be a bit more careful with what I'd choose to say. I understand that it was a very emotionally charged interaction, and I wouldn't expect it to go any other way in reality. But for me personally, when it comes to arguments, not damaging my relationship with the person and having empathy matters more to me than proving my point.

If I knew when I was going to die, I would mainly prioritize doing as many things as I know I want to do while I can — whether that be living out certain experiences, finishing certain projects, refining my skills, and so on. I think if I were to prioritize that as my main goal, I could live out my final days satisfied and not ruminating over what could've been.

I do agree that short stringers are like other minorities, considering that they are being discriminated against. I don't see how laws like those put in place against short stringers wouldn't violate existing laws like the Equal Employment Opportunity Act. Therefore, I think it would also be totally justified for short stringers to push back against their oppressors.

I would not open my child's box without permission, unless there were a compelling reason to do so. And, if I had to, I would tell them and make it clear why I did so. I think it should be up to each individual to make an informed decision on whether or not to open their box. I don't think it should be any different for my child in this case, and I would take responsibility for educating them on the consequences.

I think Anthony Rollins is completely untrustworthy and simply relies on voters being confused or distracted to be successful. For example, when his problematic actions were brought to light, he chose to dodge accountability until society inevitably found something else to focus on, and he could continue putting on a "nice guy" front.

While others alter the way they go about their lives in response to the strings, Hank seems to continue going about his life as he originally intended, just with additional insight provided by his string. I don't think he wants to be limited in any way by the length of his string and would rather ensure that he ends up satisfied and undisturbed by the end of his life.

Though I think the meaning of miracles is subjective, I believe miracles exist according to my definition of what they are. I think it's unreasonable to believe that a miracle could defy fate. That is, if fate is real at all. However, I consider many things that are within our control and unlikely to occur, yet do so anyway, to be miracles. Ex. Someone being accepted to their dream school with a low acceptance rate.

Because of the shooting incident at the hospital where Hank works, it will cause him to reconsider how safe he feels in his position, how the length of his string could correlate to that, and how worthwhile it would be to stay in his position. This incident will also likely cause onlookers to be a lot more wary of people with short strings and stereotype them as being more likely to be a danger to others.

If I had a long string, I don't think trying to "test" it would be worth it. Especially if the news had already been released about it not working, I wouldn't see the point in it. Though I do think it would be interesting to see how the string could affect the outcome of taking risks, just knowing roughly how likely it is to end in one's death.

Maura reacted to the box with fear, and has an almost defeated attitude about her own. Conversely, Amie was also somewhat fearful of the boxes but more so curious about them. I noticed this especially when she talked about the boxes like they were a fantasy come true.

From what I've read about Nina and Ben's experiences, I can tell that Ben tends to derive his beliefs from what he observes in the moment, while Nina tends to believe in what she knows she is in control of and what she has known to previously be true/normal. Though, both of them have also taken a cautious approach to most things so far.

If I received a package like that of the ones everyone in the book received and I knew the contents would show me how much longer I had left to live, I think I would end up opening the box---at least eventually. I would probably want to take some time to reflect on what would change, but I would at least like to have the option to inform those close to me and live out the rest of my days in a fulfilling way.

Jennette explains her relationship with her father in comparison to her mother, the process she went through to become a guest actor, and her true feelings about acting that she doesn´t express outwardly.