The Pebble Mine

The Pebble Mine discussion is a heated topic that has no immediate solution in sight. It seems to me that both sides are sticking to their guns and will not reach any compromise. I can see both sides of the argument and some cases where the mine would benefit Alaska's residents, but I can also tell that there will be animosity and negative consequences (possible pollution, damage to the people living in the area, damage to wildlife...)that will ensue if the mine comes to be. It is difficult to trust any one source on this topic because there is always a bias. Whether or not the Pebble mine is created there will always be an opposition, so it seems senseless to me to engage in the argument.

A Teacher's Guide to Fixing No Child left Behind by usedgov

Although No Child left Behind has done many things to help the education system in the U.S., the education in our country is still declining. The video seems to be very geared towards the Obama administrations plans to imporve No Child Left Behind. I found the video to be overall pretty biased, it neglected to acknowledge the idea that not all teachers are qualified or have the means to teach student effectively. The video stated that teachers were recieving the short end of the stick under the unreformed NCLB, but education and teaching is a mutual interaction between students and teachers, and whether or not that teacher is able to appeal to their students is their responsibility. I don't think teachers are solely to blame for the education problem in our society, many times students and parents are the problem. If people want to drop out of school, then that is there choice, but in that case they should be aware of what consequences and future troubles they will encounter because of that choice.

"What did you learn in school today?" by Pete Seeger

Pete Seeger's rendition of the song, "What did you learn in school today?" is a criticism of what teachers are able to teach children. Although this song is over a half a century old, many people today see similar issues in the education system. By glorifying and romanticising war, a teacher may either directly or indirectly influence a child into thinking that way. Pete Seeger's song reminds me of the scene in the film "All Quiet on the Western Front", when the school teacher is telling the boys in class that joining the war effort is the only way to be patriotic. The teacher convinced many of his students to enlist, and they have a glorified idea of what war was going to be like, until they get to the trenches and realize they didn't even know or believe in what they were fighting for. I don't see the education system as the only reason children think this way, I also the the media and certain organizations put soldiers on a pedestal and tell children that if they work hard they can one day get that recognition.

The Daily Show: The Bush Years- The Iraq War

Although Jon Stewart is a satirical "news" reporter, he does a great job of pointing out the hypocrisy and stupidity in pop culture and politics. The Iraq War video seems to be a  compilation of George W. Bush's bloopers, contradictions, and overall lack of intelligence while he served as president. Even though many presidents have said things they didn't mean or made mistakes, George W. Bush and his presidential campaign was by far the most uncertain and unpredictable that Americans have ever seen. Bush flip flopped on more issues than any president/presidental candidate I have seen in my life. The Iraq War and lives lost by civilians and soldiers should not be a candid topic, but one treated with the upmost importance and respect, which George W. Bush did not seem to have while discussing the topic. I believe that history will not look kindly on George W. Bush, from his foreign policy to his domestic policy, he has only helped contribute to the distrust in government that many people have today.

Homo Will Not Inherit by Mark Doty

The 100 line poem by Mark Doty is a very interesting interpretation of homosexuality and its place in Christianity. Instead of making a rant-like poem in opposition to the "Homo will not inherit: repent & be saved" poster Doty saw, he wrote a poem which stated that homosexuals did not need acceptance because the act of embracing the flesh is a way of acknowledging God. Needing acceptance and redemption in a religious sense is not necessary to Doty, because he feels homosexual activity is not a sin but more like a religious possession. After reading the poem in its entirety, I found it to be very thought provoking. Although many people (homosexual and heterosexual) most likely would not agree with his interpretation of what Christianity and religion means in the homosexual community, it is still fascinating to see his perspective on the situation.

Stonewall Uprising (PBS)

Although the documentary is very interesting and gives the perspective of many homosexuals that lived through the Stonewall riots. It seems as though civil rights have increased for most minorities in the U.S. (women, african americans...) except homosexuals. The idea of arresting and harassing gay Americans only for their sexual orientation is a travesty. The fear of the unknown is usually the root of ignorance, and this documentary demonstrated not only the ignorance of many Americans in the 60s but that many of these feelings still remain today.

My Lai

It is very interesting to watch and listen to the soldiers and civilians of the Viertnam war, discuss their initial trust in the U.S. military forces. Prior to the my Lai massacre that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of innocent men, women, and children. From the soldiers' stand point, they seemed resiliant to the idea of killing, yet their superior commanded them to. I suppose this is a good example of misplaced power and trust.

The Feminine Mistique by Betty Friedan

This text discusses the issues women of the mid 20th century were faced with. Most importantly it discusses the plight of women that wish to branch out of the housewife position into strong independent figures that deserve respect. The author brings up the fact that many women of the time (when this was written) were satisfied with marrying earlier, bearing children, and being supportive to their dominant husbands. While others, wished to have an education, experience life and not be tied down by societies boundaries for women. Many times those who did not want a family, but instead opted out for an education were described as homely, unfeminine, and selfish. As if the only way to be feminine was to be a housewife, mother, and more concerned about the happiness of others than your own. Although many women of the time became housewives at early ages, the author addresses the point that many of them reached a point in their life where they questioned the decisions that they made, and were feeling unfulfilled by the life they chose. Although the excerpt of this book was written many years ago, these issues are still apparent in today's society. During college and even in high school (in some cases) girls look for fulfillment through starting a family at a relatively young age. Although now I believe this choice is more of a personal one than societal one, outsiders looking in don't condone the behavior as much because times have really changed. Today women have such great opportunities for educations and careers, and in some girls ruin their chance to achieve it before they even realize it.

The Most Dangerous Place fo Black Children...

The author of this blog entry brings up some good points about racial inequalities that black children encounter. There is no doubt that the world has changed alot in the past 60 years for black people. Although there have been a lot of advancements in the reatment of black people, there have also been many hardships in black communities. Violence, gang involvement, prison, and many other things are pleaguing black communities across the U.S. This article does a good job of addressing the issue, but it doesn't present solutions for the problem.

"Rodney King Broadcast"

The idea of police brutality is nothing new to Americans. Especially for minorities in the U.S., racial profiling and excessive police violence has been an all too real fear. In the 90s the opinions of police were at an all time low, particularly in Los Angeles and surrounding cities. All of these mixed feelings about police officers came to a head when the 1991 beating of Rodney King was broad casted around the U.S., this instance of police brutality was not the first and definitely not the last, but it was one of the most publicized. Although not all police officers or even a majority of them abuse their authority, the idea that some do, causes more harm then help for officers in public opinion.

"Strange Fruit." Abel Meeropol and Billie Holiday

"Strange Fruit" is an important poem/song in American history. It gives historical insight to a legitimate fear that most black people had in the south, the fear of being lynched. I reflects on the murders and lynchings of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith, two men hanged in Indiana by a mob of both civilians and police officers without ever being given a fair trial for their suspected crimes. Although the practice of lynching was nothing new to many southerners, the publicity and attention the song/poem brought to the issue made many people see it in a different light. By comparing fruit to rotting bodies was an eye opening realization for many people that no matter the skin color, people are people, and deserve better treatment than that.

Panther Power by Tupac Shakur

Although some may see Tupac Shakur's "Panther Power" in a negative light due to some of the violence that the Black Panther movement caused in its history, I view it in a different light. Instead of asking for violent action to those who are oppressive, Tupac more or less criticized the idea that everything was equal when there were outstanding evidence that minorities were still treated worse than their white counterparts. Tupac also criticizes the minorities that choose to settle for what they have, they should stop insisting that its as good as its ever going to get, and instead of strive to be better. Overall, I didn't see Tupac's title "Panther Power" as a direct endorsement of everything that the Black Panthers did, but more as a suggestion that minorities need to attack the social issue with the same energy and purpose as the Black Panther movement. The pretext to Tupac's Black Panther, makes a reference to Tupac's song "Changes", I base most of my opinions about Tupac's political and social beliefs off of that song. Shakur more or less, tried to light a fire under minorities in America, saying that there is no reason in complaining about your situation if you can be the solution your own problems. Claiming to be a product of one's environment can only go so far, we as a people need to stop making excuses and blaming others and start making social changes.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs

Jacob's narrative deals with her struggle of being a slave in hiding. Her where-abouts are unknown to most people, except her grandmother. She must even keep her location a secret from her two children, Ellen and Benny. Jacob's goes to all of these extremes in an attempt to hide from Dr. Flint, her owner. From Harriet Jacob's narrative, it goes to show the determination and persistence she was willing to exert in order to escape the horrible fate that many slaves had to deal with. It also goes to show the mindset people in that time period had about the life a slave, they were purely property and objects to be used, abused, and thrown away at will. I took particular interest in the way Jacob's structured her writing; taking the audience into the small prison like room she confined herself to, detailing her daily struggles as they progressed through the seasons, then relating it to the congressman's quote about slavery being a social and political blessing. It is both very interesting and sad the way some people viewed the lives of slaves.

Nickle and Dimed by Babara Ehrenreich

Compared to the other essays and excerpts I have read and blogged about, Babara Ehrenreich's writing style was by far the most unique. Although there were certain parts of the essay I would've preferred to skip over like the comparisons of sh*t; there were also very well put together phrases that really made me think. Perhaps the most interesting concept that I got from her writing was that "the working poor...are in fact the major philanthropists of our society", the idea that the less fortunate and working class are here to ensure that the rich and well off are comfortable, their children are cared for, and their houses are in pristine condition, is a very interesting and sad thing. Eventhough, it is true that in order to provide for their family, it often meant sacrificing the limited amount of time they had, it's still sad to think about. Ehenreich's writing style was truly unique, and this essay was meant to envoke a feeling of shame rather than guilt as she stated in one of the last paragraphs. Although some may see this essay as hostile and in your face, I find it resonable, considering that she related herself as a social critic to people like Upton Sinclair and Jacob Riis.

How the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis

Jacob Riis' "How the Other Half Lives" (1890) is very similar to the conditions in which homeless and needy people live in America today. As time has changed, so have the wage gapes in America, and in most cases the living conditions of people living under the poverty line are still reflected in the writings of Riis. Jacob Riis' writings were effective for the time period, but as described in the pretext he went for shock value as opposed to empathy. In today's society I'm not too sure people would feel as compelled to take a stand against poverty and blindly help the needy as they were in the time of Riis. I feel this way because people now-a-days are too concerned with their own household, how much they can save, and don;t take as much time to think of how lucky they are in comparison to others. We are more willing to fight poverty in other countries than to acknowledge our own poverty stricken citizens.

A Reaction to Glenn Beck's 'History of Unions in America' broadcast

As always Glenn Beck was entertaining as he tried to defend an argument by claiming that the real issues were Socialism, Marxism, and government conspiracy; this episode really made me think he was delusional. Beck actually said that unions were a way of trying to take down the class system, which honestly doesn't make sense because if everyone in the company was equal (managers, CEOs, presidents), and they all made the same amount of money there would be no point in trying to make progress, no reason to introduce new ideas or incorporate new technology because there would ultimately be no gain. Beck tried to make an argument that the unions in America were of more destructive power and require more attention than the national debt, which is just absurd. In any case, I feel sorry for any people that actually listen to any of his rants without questioning a single thing he says; just because he has (had) a television show does not make him an expert on anything.

Sadie Pfeifer and Making Human Junk

I recently read the section pertaining to Lewis Hine in the American Protest Literature (Trodd) book, and struggled with a way to write this post. Considering that it doesn't have much in common with my previous posts, I was finding it hard to write about. But then I remembered the concepts of equality, oppression, and justice and realized how this entry of the book was important to American history and the forming of it's future. It is sad to think that the idea of child labor used to be commonly accepted and freely practiced, not only in the U.S. but in many other places in the world. Comparing the conditions children were working in, the lack of safety, and the extremely low wages, I am glad that someone like Lewis Hine took the time to shed light on the situation. His photograph of the children helped the people in those times create an emotional connection to the issue, although the progress of this children's movement seemed somewhat slow, it was much needed.

Common Sense

Upon reading this document, and drawing comparisons to the Declaration of Independence which was the focus of the previous post this document has been extremely influential to the formation of the country. It is a well constructed document that in a lot of ways sums up the way many if not most of the colonists felt, regarding ill treatment from British rule. This document also stated that the purpose of the struggle and the revolution as a way to obtain independence and democracy for for the colonist. In my opinion this document was much more effective in rallying people around the idea of independence than the actual Declaration of Independence was, Paine addressed many of the same points but they were written in a much more personal level than the declaration was. One thing I found as strange after reading both documents is that both pretext descriptions of the documents (referring to page 5) have mentions of original sin. The Declaration of Independence's original sin was slavery and the act of ignoring it in the final draft, and in Thomas Paine's 'Common Sense' it refers to the king uses the idea of "divine law" (pg 5 Trodd). Although I found this document very interesting, I still think its strange that people at that time period could be so inspired to fight for independence while remaining in a culture that denied others the right to be free (slaves).

Declaration of Independence

Although the Declaration of Independence is perhaps one of the most important documents in our Nation's history. I can't help but feel that even though the document demands independence and equality for the citizens of America, it continues to neglect as James Madison called it America's  "original sin" pg 15 (Trodd). I feel that this was a great opportunity to finally put slavery to an end in in U.S. but it wasn't given a second thought once the final document was created. To me it seems hypocritical to request equality and separation from British rule, while carrying out an even greater oppression on people in your own nation. I understand that its difficult to make such immense changes in the social dynamic overnight and that slavery was not going to be easy to live without. However, in a time where things in America were changing for the better, this would've been the opportune time to take a stand against slavery instead of allowing it to drag on and ultimately get out of hand when the Civil War came around.