After playing Prisoner's dilemma, I felt as if I really didn't learn anything. I understand that the objective is to try to cooperate with another individual to meet an objective or meet in the middle. It seems like this type of stuff can happen in reality, but the game really didn't help explain it.
Nash equilibrium- A stable state of a system involving the interaction of different participants, in which no participant can gain by a unilateral change of strategy if the strategies of the others remain unchanged.
Game theory- A theory which focuses on the interaction of groups or individuals. It looks into the depths of social interaction
Prisoner dilemma- A situation in which two people whose depends on the choices made by the other. If both confess, it could be bad for both unless some remain silent.
Prisoner's Dilemma/Game Theory
In history: The Cold War and each side had the choice to arm or disarm
In Government: International Negotiations
In economics: Negotiating
related to sociology:Putting blame on another minority group a.k.a Germans blaming the Jews
related to psychology: Making a good impression a first date
In your everyday life: Overfishing
Monday, May 9, 2016
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Gary Webb
Was Gary Webb a journalism hero or zero? In my opinion, he was a hero. He went into uncharted territory and uncovered truths that many people had a hard time to swallow. He was under a lot of fire for his work of "Dark Alliance", which was a three part news report that uncovered that our national government pitched in money for drug deals and guns in Nicaragua. Everyone pointed their fingers and discredited him of his work and called him a liar and he had no good proof of any of that actually happening. This whole situation forced Gary to resign from his position from the Mercury Sun News and years later took his own life.
Webb's Dark Alliance discovered that the CIA took part in drug trafficking and illegal drug trade. When drug leaders testified in court, they admitted that the CIA even threw some money into the whole deal. Webb wasn't the first person to know about it, but he was certainly the first to dig deep into it and uncover more truths about it. Any situation where you talk about a huge intelligence agency or anything government and their involvement in some type of conspiracy will always be heated. Gary Webb was only telling the dark secrets of our government and CIA and later paid for all of it by being thrown under a bus and being brushed off in the journalism world. Anyone who can discover any dark confidential information about what our government has done or been involved in should be given some sort of credit. It was unfortunate a guy like Gary Webb was basically thrown off the face of the planet for his work. He really showed the world how our government can be questionable in some of their decisions they make. It just makes the American citizen more skeptical about our government and the officials that are part of it. An American citizen like Gary Webb only wanted the truth, and when he finally found it, he paid the price by being shunned and unfortunately would leave his family behind by suicide. But was it suicide or could it be that the government killed him off? I wouldn't doubt it after viewing the conspiracies our government has been part of in the past, but I guess the American citizen will really know the truth.
Webb's Dark Alliance discovered that the CIA took part in drug trafficking and illegal drug trade. When drug leaders testified in court, they admitted that the CIA even threw some money into the whole deal. Webb wasn't the first person to know about it, but he was certainly the first to dig deep into it and uncover more truths about it. Any situation where you talk about a huge intelligence agency or anything government and their involvement in some type of conspiracy will always be heated. Gary Webb was only telling the dark secrets of our government and CIA and later paid for all of it by being thrown under a bus and being brushed off in the journalism world. Anyone who can discover any dark confidential information about what our government has done or been involved in should be given some sort of credit. It was unfortunate a guy like Gary Webb was basically thrown off the face of the planet for his work. He really showed the world how our government can be questionable in some of their decisions they make. It just makes the American citizen more skeptical about our government and the officials that are part of it. An American citizen like Gary Webb only wanted the truth, and when he finally found it, he paid the price by being shunned and unfortunately would leave his family behind by suicide. But was it suicide or could it be that the government killed him off? I wouldn't doubt it after viewing the conspiracies our government has been part of in the past, but I guess the American citizen will really know the truth.
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Are You Smart or Dumb? Emotional or Intellectual?
1. Your score on the test.
Does this score have any meaning? No, it's just some random test on the internet that can't really measure what you know or don't know.
2. Your impression of the validity and reliability of the
test. Is the score an accurate measurement of intelligence? Use the psychological definition of validity
and reliability found in your textbook.
Be specific. No! It doesn't have the right to record the mental capacity of a human being.
A. What is
intelligence? - Ability to learn and understand and gain knowledge.
B. Which is more
important: emotional intelligence or
intellectual intelligence? Present
reasons to support your answer. Choose
one side. I don't even know anymore. According to some random I.Q. Test found on the internet, I don't have a very high intellectual capacity so therefore neither intelligence would relate to me. I scored alright according to emotional intelligence so at least I know what others may be feeling.
C. Is intelligence
learned or inherited? I believe it's both. Smart runs in the family, but I believe a person can become smart if one applies themselves hard enough.
D. What did you learn
about yourself after completing these tests? I'm dumb and maybe being a fry-cook at McDonald's would be the best suitable job based off of my intellectual abilities. I do have an okay sense of emotional intelligence.
Monday, April 25, 2016
JFK
On November 22, 1963, the President of the United States John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, where he was in a parade. This event will go down in infamy and be known as one of the biggest cover-ups of all time. After watching the movie JFK, it's really scary to think about what hidden secrets exist amongst public domain. In 1963, Lyndon B. Johnson set up an investigation regarding the assassination of President Kennedy. This is known as the Warren Commission. The 888 page report came to the conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone perpetrator in the plot to kill Kennedy. This was met with doubt and a heavy load of criticism. The way Kennedy was shot and how the bullet traveled made it seem as if there were more than one person firing a gun. People began crying conspiracy. Eventually the HSCA (United States House Select Committee on Assassinations) came to the conclusion that Lee Harvey wasn't the lone gunman and Kennedy was killed in a conspiracy So many theories exist out there on who was the real mastermind of the demise of JFK, but no one really knows who was the real brains of this operation. From Fidel Castro to LBJ to the CIA, there are theories that will forever float around the skeptical atmosphere until proven otherwise.
This event may have not been the first of America to shed some innocence off, but a huge chuck came off with this. This whole JFK assassination affected us in a psychological and sociological light. Many Americans put the burden on them that the President was killed and that they were all involved in violence. It put many in shock and made citizens open their eyes and question what our government, a body of people that we trust to run our country, was presenting to the American people with reference to JFK's death. Events like these make the citizen of a country that was based off of justice and integrity paranoid and skeptical. It made individuals around the world stop and think for a while. The future for those next in line for the President changed course, as more protection precautions would be taken so it looked like the government actually cares. It wasn't the first time a President was assassinated during their presidency, it was however one of the first assassinations to be a conspiracy and be questioned by many if the government had anything to do with the death of their leader. The slaying of JFK changed things forever.
When we talk about conspiracies, one event that might come up that could be a possible conspiracy is 9/11. While we are led to believe that it was an act of terrorism, some believe that it was actually a government cover-up in order to have an excuse to fight over in the Middle East so we can obtain their energy resources for a period of time. There is an argument about the towers and how they were destroyed. Science says that jet fuel can't melt steel beams and therefore the towers were part of a set-up demolition. It would be a shame if this was actually an inside job due to how many innocent lives were lost that day. It would be pretty low if America had to do that just to have a reason to do something. I think there were people that thought 9/11 was their fault, but that's a common stage in the grief process, believing they could have done something. It was misfortunate and unexpected event, just like the JFK assassination. Both incidents have a plethora of questions left unanswered and will forever have skeptics looking for the right answers.
Out of all the theories of JFK being killed, I believe the Lyndon B. Johnson had Kennedy killed off. He was seen to be smiling after being sworn in and heard saying "We got him," which may refer to them killing of JFK. Plus, it only makes since he was the Vice President and wanted to take over the reins of being one of the most powerful positions in the world. When it comes to Robert Kennedy, I don't know who the main culprit for his demise, but I believe that too was also a government cover-up. The Kennedys were powerful, influential figures that, in my opinion, were feared by our U.S. government. When Robert went down, only more confusion was created. In 1969, another influential figure was killed, Martin Luther King Jr. The government makes plots to kill off the most influential revolutionaries of our time. America is afraid of change or people who have the potential to change things for the better. Also, these men both have a K at the end of their initials: JFK, RFK, MLK. Coincidence? I think yes. It's all part of the government's plan to create conspiracy, for liberty and justice for all.
This event may have not been the first of America to shed some innocence off, but a huge chuck came off with this. This whole JFK assassination affected us in a psychological and sociological light. Many Americans put the burden on them that the President was killed and that they were all involved in violence. It put many in shock and made citizens open their eyes and question what our government, a body of people that we trust to run our country, was presenting to the American people with reference to JFK's death. Events like these make the citizen of a country that was based off of justice and integrity paranoid and skeptical. It made individuals around the world stop and think for a while. The future for those next in line for the President changed course, as more protection precautions would be taken so it looked like the government actually cares. It wasn't the first time a President was assassinated during their presidency, it was however one of the first assassinations to be a conspiracy and be questioned by many if the government had anything to do with the death of their leader. The slaying of JFK changed things forever.
When we talk about conspiracies, one event that might come up that could be a possible conspiracy is 9/11. While we are led to believe that it was an act of terrorism, some believe that it was actually a government cover-up in order to have an excuse to fight over in the Middle East so we can obtain their energy resources for a period of time. There is an argument about the towers and how they were destroyed. Science says that jet fuel can't melt steel beams and therefore the towers were part of a set-up demolition. It would be a shame if this was actually an inside job due to how many innocent lives were lost that day. It would be pretty low if America had to do that just to have a reason to do something. I think there were people that thought 9/11 was their fault, but that's a common stage in the grief process, believing they could have done something. It was misfortunate and unexpected event, just like the JFK assassination. Both incidents have a plethora of questions left unanswered and will forever have skeptics looking for the right answers.
Out of all the theories of JFK being killed, I believe the Lyndon B. Johnson had Kennedy killed off. He was seen to be smiling after being sworn in and heard saying "We got him," which may refer to them killing of JFK. Plus, it only makes since he was the Vice President and wanted to take over the reins of being one of the most powerful positions in the world. When it comes to Robert Kennedy, I don't know who the main culprit for his demise, but I believe that too was also a government cover-up. The Kennedys were powerful, influential figures that, in my opinion, were feared by our U.S. government. When Robert went down, only more confusion was created. In 1969, another influential figure was killed, Martin Luther King Jr. The government makes plots to kill off the most influential revolutionaries of our time. America is afraid of change or people who have the potential to change things for the better. Also, these men both have a K at the end of their initials: JFK, RFK, MLK. Coincidence? I think yes. It's all part of the government's plan to create conspiracy, for liberty and justice for all.
Monday, April 18, 2016
Flat or Progressive Tax
They always say that the only thing guaranteed in life is death and taxes. There are many types of taxes. America runs on the Progressive Tax system. This system allows people with higher incomes to pay more in taxes compared to people with lower incomes. However, debates rise on whether we should keep this type of tax system alive or if we should adopt the flat tax. Flat tax is a tax rate where it would be all the same to everyone. It means the rich and poor would pay the same rate and we would all be equal. It might sound like a good idea, but I believe that it's a little unfair. If you're a billionaire and you have to pay the same rate as a McDonald's worker, I find it inequitable. People with a lot of money should be able to contribute more to taxes, based on the income they earn. If you are poor and have to pay the same tax rate, it could be disaster for them. A flat tax system would only make the rich richer and poor poorer. Yes, we would all be equal in terms of paying the same tax rate but not we are left with financially when the taxes are paid. This type of system only assumes that everyone will be able to pay the same tax rate. No, not true. The United States should just stick to their roots and keep the Progressive Tax system. We already have enough problems with unemployment and debt in American as of right now that we shouldn't mess with tweaking the tax system. We've had this type of tax system since Abe Lincoln was the President of the United States. It's been established for a LONG TIME! If it isn't broke, don't fix it. Make the rich pay more and the poor pay less. It's only fair.
Friday, April 1, 2016
Reality Reflection
“Our art is a reflection of our reality.” N.W.A. rapper Ice Cube gave this answer to journalists when N.W.A. was asked about accusations of the group promoting gangs and violence. It might be one of the best quote from the movie. There is a lot of truth behind those eight words. Yes, N.W.A. was in a lot of heat with the world, especially law enforcement, with their controversial lyrics, but all because all of those member have lived lives in which they were fairly mistreated by police and where violence and drugs was common. It's like a big sociology experiment involving nature and nurture. They live in a rough nature that influenced many to go be raised in a disorderly fashion. If you grow up in a vicious reality, most of that will be carried on and reflected in what you do. In the case of Ice Cube, Easy-E, Dr. Dre, DJ, Yellah and MC Ren, they meditated upon their realities with music, as many other music artists of our generation do. Have all artists sing songs about their upbringings? Some may choose not to, but it's a good way to express themselves through the art of music.
When we think of art, the majority of us humans think of paintings and sculptures. Paintings and sculptures can reflect people too! For example, many of Vincet Van Gogh's works have some type of religious theme due to the fact that Van Gogh was heavily religious because he was raised that way! Now, art isn't just about the cubed works of Pablo Picasso or Leonard Da Vinci's Mona Lisa.
According to Merriam-Webster, art isn't just about that. It also means a skill by experience, study, or observation. It can also express feelings or ideas of someone. You could possibly tie in books and films into this category. When it comes to books, there are many of examples of authors reflecting their own personal life into their works. Ian Fleming was known for his James Bond books. Ian Fleming was a real WWII spy for the British naval intelligence. He would plan and execute very dangerous missions just how James Bond does. Many of Ian's likes and mannerisms were put in the Bond character. James Bond has became a popular and profitable character in the world of literature and cinema, but it has a magical element to it because it was written by a guy who actually was the James Bond character. Another acclaimed author who did the same things was Stephen King. King is arguably one of the best horror novelist of all time. He had a very tough childhood. With issues with his dad leaving him and his family and witnessing one his friends getting killed by a train, these shocks in life helped him develop a better feel for making horror novels. The realities of Fleming and King were made into fictional works enjoyed by a vast majority of entertainment seekers. Even if their weren't luxurious nor easy, they made it work by making it a source of amusement.
Movie directors have used reflections of their life and have poured them into their movies. Some examples include Stephen Spielberg using themes such as divorced parents and anger toward because he had to deal through divorced parents and his feeling toward the situation when he was growing up. One of Spielberg's most famous movie is Schindler's List. He said that the Anti-Semitic themes made him feel sick because he had to deal with the same type of problems that involved anti-Semitism. Alfred Hitchcock is a master of horror films. He had a very lonely childhood and was tormented by his father. His father once took him to a police station had them lock up young Alfred for misbehaving. His fear of police and frequent horrors his father bestowed upon him were later used as themes for his many famous movies of horror and suspense.
But what about other things that might not involve paint or a camera? What about the feelings and ideas people learn from their life experiences and expressing them in their own kind of way? Terrorists express their ideas by carrying acts of violence and intimidation. Many grow up learning to defend their country, or maybe their religion gives them ideas that may lead them to how they carry out their attacks. Maybe it's not the extremist type of terrorist, but maybe kids who start school shootings or serial killers going on murderous rampages. Were these people misunderstood? Many of these murderers are known to have troublesome childhoods and were raised in an unfortunate way. Even though there were some who may have had mental disorders, it doesn't help that their upbringings were not very prim and proper. It all cycles back to the sociology topic of nature vs. nurture. One example that trumps this is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King's reality was filled with mistreatment and violence, even when he was a kid. However, he used his reality as a tool for peaceful protest. He didn't engage in violence but rather took a peaceful approach to expressing himself. There also may be arts of doing good. Mother Teresa may have been the best artist when it came to doing good. There are many different types of art in this world and we must choose wisely how we may convey it in different ways.
Art is influenced by our nature and nurture. Good or bad, if you live in the rough, you are going to have a rough time growing out of the rough. It's possible to change your life around,but it takes the commitment, which may have never been present in a home of an alcoholic father or in ghetto in California. That is why it is hard for the younger generation in the ghetto to get out, or any kid with a set of parents or any guardian holding them back. Ice Cube's quote is completely accurate. However someone may present themselves, even if they decide to express it in ways that may be considered art. Pretty or hideous, art is reflected upon a person's reality.
When we think of art, the majority of us humans think of paintings and sculptures. Paintings and sculptures can reflect people too! For example, many of Vincet Van Gogh's works have some type of religious theme due to the fact that Van Gogh was heavily religious because he was raised that way! Now, art isn't just about the cubed works of Pablo Picasso or Leonard Da Vinci's Mona Lisa.
According to Merriam-Webster, art isn't just about that. It also means a skill by experience, study, or observation. It can also express feelings or ideas of someone. You could possibly tie in books and films into this category. When it comes to books, there are many of examples of authors reflecting their own personal life into their works. Ian Fleming was known for his James Bond books. Ian Fleming was a real WWII spy for the British naval intelligence. He would plan and execute very dangerous missions just how James Bond does. Many of Ian's likes and mannerisms were put in the Bond character. James Bond has became a popular and profitable character in the world of literature and cinema, but it has a magical element to it because it was written by a guy who actually was the James Bond character. Another acclaimed author who did the same things was Stephen King. King is arguably one of the best horror novelist of all time. He had a very tough childhood. With issues with his dad leaving him and his family and witnessing one his friends getting killed by a train, these shocks in life helped him develop a better feel for making horror novels. The realities of Fleming and King were made into fictional works enjoyed by a vast majority of entertainment seekers. Even if their weren't luxurious nor easy, they made it work by making it a source of amusement.
Movie directors have used reflections of their life and have poured them into their movies. Some examples include Stephen Spielberg using themes such as divorced parents and anger toward because he had to deal through divorced parents and his feeling toward the situation when he was growing up. One of Spielberg's most famous movie is Schindler's List. He said that the Anti-Semitic themes made him feel sick because he had to deal with the same type of problems that involved anti-Semitism. Alfred Hitchcock is a master of horror films. He had a very lonely childhood and was tormented by his father. His father once took him to a police station had them lock up young Alfred for misbehaving. His fear of police and frequent horrors his father bestowed upon him were later used as themes for his many famous movies of horror and suspense.
But what about other things that might not involve paint or a camera? What about the feelings and ideas people learn from their life experiences and expressing them in their own kind of way? Terrorists express their ideas by carrying acts of violence and intimidation. Many grow up learning to defend their country, or maybe their religion gives them ideas that may lead them to how they carry out their attacks. Maybe it's not the extremist type of terrorist, but maybe kids who start school shootings or serial killers going on murderous rampages. Were these people misunderstood? Many of these murderers are known to have troublesome childhoods and were raised in an unfortunate way. Even though there were some who may have had mental disorders, it doesn't help that their upbringings were not very prim and proper. It all cycles back to the sociology topic of nature vs. nurture. One example that trumps this is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King's reality was filled with mistreatment and violence, even when he was a kid. However, he used his reality as a tool for peaceful protest. He didn't engage in violence but rather took a peaceful approach to expressing himself. There also may be arts of doing good. Mother Teresa may have been the best artist when it came to doing good. There are many different types of art in this world and we must choose wisely how we may convey it in different ways.
Art is influenced by our nature and nurture. Good or bad, if you live in the rough, you are going to have a rough time growing out of the rough. It's possible to change your life around,but it takes the commitment, which may have never been present in a home of an alcoholic father or in ghetto in California. That is why it is hard for the younger generation in the ghetto to get out, or any kid with a set of parents or any guardian holding them back. Ice Cube's quote is completely accurate. However someone may present themselves, even if they decide to express it in ways that may be considered art. Pretty or hideous, art is reflected upon a person's reality.
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
1968 Election and Donald Duck...err I mean Trump
1. When Trump canceled a rally in Chicago, violence broke out, leaving innocent bystanders beaten and bloodied. During the 1968 elections, Chicago broke out in turmoil regarding protests of the Vietnam War. Chicago is a popular choice for political violence.
2. There's bigotry involved. Trump has been known to be racist by targeting Muslims and many other minorities. Richard Nixon's running mate Spiro T. Agnew was known to use racial slurs when talking to reporters.
3. In tying in with number 2, Richard Nixon and Donald Trump were not popular among minorities.
4. Richard Nixon and Donald Trump were both outspoken. Each were against what were called the "Silent Majority".
5. While Trump vows to have a secret plan against ISIS, Richard Nixon also stated he had a secret plan to end the war in Vietnam.
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
2. There's bigotry involved. Trump has been known to be racist by targeting Muslims and many other minorities. Richard Nixon's running mate Spiro T. Agnew was known to use racial slurs when talking to reporters.
3. In tying in with number 2, Richard Nixon and Donald Trump were not popular among minorities.
4. Richard Nixon and Donald Trump were both outspoken. Each were against what were called the "Silent Majority".
5. While Trump vows to have a secret plan against ISIS, Richard Nixon also stated he had a secret plan to end the war in Vietnam.
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Friday, March 4, 2016
Mommy, I'm Hungry for Food, Wealth and Education
We've all have probably been "hangry" before. The combination of being hungry and angry is actually real science. When you eat food, the carbs, proteins, and fats that we digest travel through our bloodstream and give us the energy in order for us to be able to get through the day. When the nutrients in your blood decrease, the brain will react as if would if you were in a stressful situation. Another factor is that your blood glucose levels drop. Blood glucose help stimulate brain activity during the day. When your blood glucose levels drop, your brain will get "tired" and it will be hard for you to pay attention. This is how this may tie in to the graphs that we are looking at.
These graphs show scores from fourth and eighth graders and their reading and math scores that they get in school. If you look at the pattern, kids who are eligible for free or reduced meals tend to have lower scores then those who are prohibited from having the free or reduced meals. Kids that apply for free meals usually don't come home to a nice meal waiting for them on the table. The cold hard truth is that the sometimes their only meal they receive is at school. If kids are hungry in school, their minds will probably wander off and have an irritable attitude towards learning. They probably don't feel like dining into a math assignment! They probably want a ham sandwich with a side of chips.
There could also be more explanations to kids just being hungry. Things like social classes could also tie into how kids perform in school. If you are in a family that does financially well, you make try harder in school. The graphs suggest that if you don't need free meals, you do better academically compared to having free meals and struggle in an educated setting. Learning habits can also be learned by how the parents performed in education institutions or how they present themselves in today's society, whether their broke, rich or earn enough to support everyone under the roof. All these things make an impact on how kids perform in school: Food, Wealth, Education
These graphs show scores from fourth and eighth graders and their reading and math scores that they get in school. If you look at the pattern, kids who are eligible for free or reduced meals tend to have lower scores then those who are prohibited from having the free or reduced meals. Kids that apply for free meals usually don't come home to a nice meal waiting for them on the table. The cold hard truth is that the sometimes their only meal they receive is at school. If kids are hungry in school, their minds will probably wander off and have an irritable attitude towards learning. They probably don't feel like dining into a math assignment! They probably want a ham sandwich with a side of chips.
There could also be more explanations to kids just being hungry. Things like social classes could also tie into how kids perform in school. If you are in a family that does financially well, you make try harder in school. The graphs suggest that if you don't need free meals, you do better academically compared to having free meals and struggle in an educated setting. Learning habits can also be learned by how the parents performed in education institutions or how they present themselves in today's society, whether their broke, rich or earn enough to support everyone under the roof. All these things make an impact on how kids perform in school: Food, Wealth, Education
Friday, February 26, 2016
"Big White Ghetto" Q&A
What does the average coal miner make (wages per hour)? $25 an hour
Who are some types of people a person might find in the
big, “White Ghetto.” Drunks, those who do and deal
drugs, people working to get out of there, people that use items such as Pepsi
to buy a pack of cigarettes, jobless
Why do you think the author calls it the “Big White
Ghetto.” It is a poor and filthy community with the
majority of the people being white
What does the author suggests “keeps the underclass in place?”
Welfare programs and how it prevents people from “trying.”
The author suggests that “poverty is the natural
condition _of the human animal___.”
How does Pepsi play into this? Pepsi
is used as a currency in The Big White Ghetto. People buy cigarettes or drugs
with cases of Pepsi.
List five things/facts you took away from this article.
- People use Pepsi as a form a currency
- Parents actually pull kids out of school to collect money from Social Security
- Women in the drug-economy who give pop or sex for drugs are $12.99. Cheap deal.
- Town gossip consists in white ghetto consist of who’s cooking meth or whose meth lab burned down or who’s growing weed.
- There are white ghettos after all.
Ted Cruz Scandal
In order to become the President of the United States, you must be a resident for 14 years or a natural born citizen. One of the candidates running for President is under heat for not being a "natural born citizen." According the Constitution, Article II, Section , Clause 5 states that only citizens born in America are qualified to run in America. Ted Cruz was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, therefore that makes him ineligible according to the Constitution. The little loophole that keeps Cruz in the race is that his mother was an American so it gives him citizenship rights. If you are American in a foreign country and you give at a nearby hospital in a different place, they will still consider that baby an American citizen. His father, however, was a Cuban with no citizenship rights so that's where everyone argues the case if Ted Cruz should still be considered for a Presidential bid. There are no such thing as a "Real American". We all come from a line of ancestors from different parts of the world. Most Americans got European bloodlines but also there are many other continents that people have their origins from. If Ted Cruz is paying his taxes and has done good enough in his political career to run for President, more power to him. He deserves to be running but everyone is a critic.
Articles: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/cleo-hamel/us-citizenship-problems_b_9070622.html
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2016-01-27/ted-cruz-is-not-a-natural-born-citizen-according-to-the-constitution
Articles: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/cleo-hamel/us-citizenship-problems_b_9070622.html
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2016-01-27/ted-cruz-is-not-a-natural-born-citizen-according-to-the-constitution
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Saints & Roughnecks
- One of the reasons that the Saints were overlooked for their delinquent behavior was their academic success. The Saints usually maintained an A or B in classes while the Roughnecks would fail or get very low grades. The Saints would drink and get drunk in bars while the Roughnecks would be drunk in public. The Saints did also financially okay while Roughnecks had tougher times financially. Of course, people usually look at people’s backgrounds to see if there way of life is influenced by their home-life. The Roughnecks had it rougher and therefore were blamed for many of their criminal acts. Since the Saints didn’t have it as tough, people really didn’t point fingers at them. It’s all about the environment everyone grows up in. If you have it rough, you’re going to have rough stereotypes on you, even if you aren’t that bad.
- Not necessarily a serial killer but he killed someone. I forgot his name but we went to one of his motivational speeches that he has to do for community service. He killed someone while texting and driving. His life changed forever because of what he did. He served his time and jail and now has to go around doing talks for part of community service. He can’t drive and relies on people to drive him to work. Not only does it affect him but it affects his wife and kid. One small action can change one’s life forever. Now he has to live with guilt of killing an innocent man for the rest of his life.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Freddie Gray
Did Freddie Gray let down his country or did his country let him down? In this whole situation, I believe that Freddie Gray is not innocent, but his rough upbringing probably did not help the case. More importantly, what happened to him in the police van that was transporting Gray was uncalled for. He had a tough upbringing and even lived in a house with lead paint that poisoned him and led him to developing disorders such as ADD. Freddie lived in a tough part of Baltimore; a place many people try to avoid. One day on April 12, Freddie Gray was pursued by cops by foot when Gray started running when seeing a cop. I find it strange why he started running when he saw the cops and then why the cops decided to chase after him. Either Freddie did something that he thought he had to run from the cops (since he had numerous run-ins with the law previous to this particular arrest) or did the cops have some type of stereotypical idea that some black man was running from them and there for he must be guilty for something. The police found a switchblade that apparently was illegal in the state of Maryland and broke the code of possessing a weapon in the city of Baltimore. When taken into custody, bystanders witnessed Freddie screaming in agony when being dragged to the police van that would transport him. When the van made its stop at the police station, medics were called to take Gray to a hospital because he slipped in a coma. His family stated he slipped in a coma by fractured vertebrae and that his spine was severely severed at the place of his head. He also suffered a heart attack but was successfully resuscitated even though he never gained consciousness. Gray would later die a week later from his injuries, leading to Baltimore to go in an outrage, especially the black community.
Police brutality is something that happens. When cops think they have all the power in the world to do whatever they want because they sport badge. That's not the case. There is no reason to beat up on someone even if they are guilty. They are still human. Six Baltimore cops were suspended for their actions and handling of Freddie Gray. Riots ensued in the city of Baltimore. The story of Freddie Gray was widespread and on the news every day. Even though Freddie Gray may have not been the most innocent man to live, he certainly died in an unlawful way. Police, who are supposed to protect civilians from harm, were the reason Freddie Gray died that day. Police officers let their country down. Police officers let down the city of Baltimore and Gray himself.
Police brutality is something that happens. When cops think they have all the power in the world to do whatever they want because they sport badge. That's not the case. There is no reason to beat up on someone even if they are guilty. They are still human. Six Baltimore cops were suspended for their actions and handling of Freddie Gray. Riots ensued in the city of Baltimore. The story of Freddie Gray was widespread and on the news every day. Even though Freddie Gray may have not been the most innocent man to live, he certainly died in an unlawful way. Police, who are supposed to protect civilians from harm, were the reason Freddie Gray died that day. Police officers let their country down. Police officers let down the city of Baltimore and Gray himself.
Guns, Power and White Privilege
As of today, we live in a society where the majority of the people are white. The white race is the dominant race in America, as many white-ran media outlets will try to show you. As much as you would like to say that our country America, land of the free and home of the brave, is racist-free, it's not. Racism still lingers in today's air. The news will show you many shootings and robberies committed by blacks or even blacks getting shot down. Many will generalize that they had it rough growing up, and that they are all just a bunch of young "thugs". However, if you see white kids fooling with guns you see nothing wrong with it. They are just harmless. Media has influenced the human ideology into believing that the blacks or the minorities are the reason for all the violence and the trouble that brews. White privilege, the idea that if you are white you have the upper hand in today's society and can easily get away with things that non-whites can't, exists. It is no myth because you can see it with your own eyes. Turn on the television, maybe go read the newspaper and see for yourself. But, if you look at all the school shootings that have happened, 97% of the perpetrators are white. We don't call any of them "thugs". Their motives are to shoot as many people as possible and then take their own life in the end of their kill spree. That is one of the only times you will actually see white people on the news for killing people. When Sandy Hook happened, it was on the news for weeks. It just happens that Adam Lanza, the Sandy Hook villain, was white. Other than that, I can't recall watching the news and hearing about a white guy shooting others, due to the fact that White Privilege is alive and well and that media will show mostly minority screw-ups, just because they are minorities and the whites are the majority.
The 2nd Amendment, which states that we all have the right to bear arms, was drafted by white men. Black people or any minority in particular back then had no say on anything, regarding making up our country's foundation. Our country was found basically by the white man. Rules were drafted by the white man. America's society make-up was created through the eyes of the white man. We are a white man society. A long time ago when America was only 100 years old, the National Rifle Association was created.The NRA, of course was made by white people One of the main reasons for the creation of this association was to improve marksmanship, especially those that were to fight in any war. It promotes the 2nd Amendment and gun safety. There are over 5 million members in the NRA as of today. The NRA, because it is a huge gun promoting association, is a scapegoat for the misuse of firearms, such as school shootings or slayings of others by a gun. The one thing I found interesting was back in 1967, when the blacks wanted to carry a gun for protection, the NRA supported the Mulford Act, which restricted people from carrying hand guns. An organization who promotes the usage of guns and all of a sudden they are supporting the restriction of guns. Is it because they are scared? A study backs this up a little by saying whites are more likely to shoot someone who isn't white. They have a quicker reaction to fatal decisions. The whites seem to be trigger-happy when it comes to decisions like this. Is it the stereotypes that we see on television or any news outlet the reason we are scared? Honestly, every race is guilty of murder! No race the superior race. No race is perfect. Yet, when we live in a society where whites have the privilege, the whites tend to get away with a lot. If you see a white cop kill a black man, it was the black man's fault for retaliating, even if the cop was using unnecessary force.
What is the future of guns? Guns will one day become an ancient artifact. Guns and the control of them are becoming such controversy that America will one day get rid of guns as we know it. Or, guns might be like drugs. Some people use drugs even if they know their illegal. A man or woman might secretly still keep a gun with them even if the laws says otherwise. When people get caught with drugs, they go to prison for possession of drugs. You can go to jail with possession of firearms but that's only if your in public. We're talking about them just being your house! "Oh honey, the cops are here, hide our guns!" The 2nd Amendment would change forever and the NRA wouldn't exist. Only the army can possess firearms. But how would the world fare without firearms? Well, there would be less paranoia. A white man can't fire his pistol at a minority if he's scared. Maybe there should be an experiment for one moth or maybe a year where the 2nd Amendment doesn't exist and guns are illegal under any circumstance. Emotions and economics would be effected greatly. Honestly, we couldn't live in a society without guns. Gun sales bring in good money for the USA and even if guns were illegal just like drugs, people would still smuggle them.
What would happen when one day, the whites are no longer the majority in America. In fact, Hispanics are slowly becoming the majority. Would the paranoia whites have lived since the creation of the gun increase? I believe gun sales at this time would soar. Same for any other minority. We are all going to be paranoid by all those stereotypes that we learned about that we will buy guns to protect us. Guns will be our new homeland security. Deaths of firearms will increase due to the human race looking over their shoulder every minute, fearing if they are about to die. Guns wouldn't be a big issue if everyone knew how to properly use one, but since their are idiots in our society that have no idea how to use one properly, we will continue to live in a world with paranoia.
The 2nd Amendment, which states that we all have the right to bear arms, was drafted by white men. Black people or any minority in particular back then had no say on anything, regarding making up our country's foundation. Our country was found basically by the white man. Rules were drafted by the white man. America's society make-up was created through the eyes of the white man. We are a white man society. A long time ago when America was only 100 years old, the National Rifle Association was created.The NRA, of course was made by white people One of the main reasons for the creation of this association was to improve marksmanship, especially those that were to fight in any war. It promotes the 2nd Amendment and gun safety. There are over 5 million members in the NRA as of today. The NRA, because it is a huge gun promoting association, is a scapegoat for the misuse of firearms, such as school shootings or slayings of others by a gun. The one thing I found interesting was back in 1967, when the blacks wanted to carry a gun for protection, the NRA supported the Mulford Act, which restricted people from carrying hand guns. An organization who promotes the usage of guns and all of a sudden they are supporting the restriction of guns. Is it because they are scared? A study backs this up a little by saying whites are more likely to shoot someone who isn't white. They have a quicker reaction to fatal decisions. The whites seem to be trigger-happy when it comes to decisions like this. Is it the stereotypes that we see on television or any news outlet the reason we are scared? Honestly, every race is guilty of murder! No race the superior race. No race is perfect. Yet, when we live in a society where whites have the privilege, the whites tend to get away with a lot. If you see a white cop kill a black man, it was the black man's fault for retaliating, even if the cop was using unnecessary force.
What is the future of guns? Guns will one day become an ancient artifact. Guns and the control of them are becoming such controversy that America will one day get rid of guns as we know it. Or, guns might be like drugs. Some people use drugs even if they know their illegal. A man or woman might secretly still keep a gun with them even if the laws says otherwise. When people get caught with drugs, they go to prison for possession of drugs. You can go to jail with possession of firearms but that's only if your in public. We're talking about them just being your house! "Oh honey, the cops are here, hide our guns!" The 2nd Amendment would change forever and the NRA wouldn't exist. Only the army can possess firearms. But how would the world fare without firearms? Well, there would be less paranoia. A white man can't fire his pistol at a minority if he's scared. Maybe there should be an experiment for one moth or maybe a year where the 2nd Amendment doesn't exist and guns are illegal under any circumstance. Emotions and economics would be effected greatly. Honestly, we couldn't live in a society without guns. Gun sales bring in good money for the USA and even if guns were illegal just like drugs, people would still smuggle them.
What would happen when one day, the whites are no longer the majority in America. In fact, Hispanics are slowly becoming the majority. Would the paranoia whites have lived since the creation of the gun increase? I believe gun sales at this time would soar. Same for any other minority. We are all going to be paranoid by all those stereotypes that we learned about that we will buy guns to protect us. Guns will be our new homeland security. Deaths of firearms will increase due to the human race looking over their shoulder every minute, fearing if they are about to die. Guns wouldn't be a big issue if everyone knew how to properly use one, but since their are idiots in our society that have no idea how to use one properly, we will continue to live in a world with paranoia.
Monday, January 18, 2016
Article on Deviance
I found an article on deviance that deals with a serial killer and how his home life was based off of deviant behavior. The serial killer, Kyle Alegria, was found guilty of kidnapping, raping and sexually assaulting a seven year old girl. A psychologist inspected Alegria and stated that if Kyle's parents' goal was to bring up a kid who has a good chance of being a criminal with sexual and violent deviance, they did a great job. As a young boy, Kyle Alegria was exposed to domestic violence, pornography and violent horror movies as a young kid. By the age of three years old, Kyle was already watching porn in which both of his parents encouraged. His parents wanted his addiction to these types of things to flourish. When Kyle was about seven or eight, he was raped by another neighborhood kid. Even though Alegria's parents both knew about this raping, they took no action and thought nothing of it. Alegria would go on to tell his psychologist that he would often times have sexual fantasies about his mother and that most of his life, images of sex and violence were engraved into his head. It goes to show that if you are raised in a certain way, it will most likely carry on as life progresses. If you are taught as a young child that sex and violence are an okay thing, you will most likely take these teaching and accept them as moral standards. If a set of parents would like their son or daughter to grow up and be someone society can respect, do us a favor and raise your kids the right way. Young kids look to their mom and dad as influences and if parents aren't very good people and have unacceptable principles, your kid will most likely soak up the way they live and follow the example of his or her parents.
FYI: Article used for this blog.
FYI: Article used for this blog.
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Me
There are different ways that determine the
personality a person has. The four main ones are: birth order, heredity,
parental characteristics, and cultural environment. Each is like an ingredient
that is combined to make one big recipe. I guess I am a fruitcake after all. I
am the middle child, or what some make call “the forgotten child.” The middle
child as traits such as a peacemaker, independent, creative, attuned to others,
and a “chameleon”. I guess I do like the feeling of being independent and not
having people telling me how to do things. That’s one reason why I’m still
single, I believe. I do try to help anyone who needs help, but I don’t see
myself much as a peacemaker. If there’s any trouble or conflict, I try to stay
out of it and walk away from it. I do believe I’m creative! I love writing
because I feel like I can express myself better than actually talking. I like
making stories and do a little drawing at times. I feel creativity is a big
characteristic of mine and hopefully will help me find a job that will build on
it more. As for being a social chameleon, yes and no. I will get along with
anyone who gets along with me. I don’t care if you’re popular, unpopular,
athletic, not athletic, purple or yellow, If you give me the time of day, I’ll
do my best to give you mine. I have friends in different social circles and
that’s okay.
When
it comes to heredity, I’m a mix of my parents. I’ve been told I look like my
mom while others comment I look like my dad. I got my dad’s round face and eye
color but other than that I see a lot of my mom’s traits, like hair color or
how my eyes look. Both my parents are fairly average in height but short height
is very common on both sides of the family and probably contributes to why I
only stand 5’9’’. I was blessed with low metabolism that both my parents share
but also blessed with good taste in food.
As
for parental characteristics; when I look at my mom and dad, I see some
characteristics from my dad and more from my mom. My dad is an introvert which
I identify as myself. He doesn’t really look for conversation unless he is
approached. He will talk with you as long as you start talking. This is
definitely me. He’s not very patient and neither am I. He’s not really good at
comebacks or receiving what he dishes out and neither am I. Dad’s sense of
humor is a hidden treasure, which I think I inherit some of it. As for my mom,
I get her sensitivity, forgetfulness, care for others, able to perform in front
of others, creativity, and able to know what’s right and what’s wrong. She also
has a good sense of humor that is also embedded inside of me. If there is
anyone who is feeling down or needs help cheering up, I will do anything just
to make someone happy and smile. That is what my mom does best.
And
finally we have cultural environment. My mom is Catholic and has heavily
influenced my religious beliefs. Ever since I was a baby, mom would take me and
my sister to church. We didn’t have a cable when I was a toddler so my mom
would read stories from the bible to me and teach me what Jesus was all about.
By the age of five, I would be praying a rosary. Now that my dad converted to
Catholicism, we are strict in a religious sense. Mom still makes sure we all
get to church Sunday morning or even Saturday evening if we have to. Even
though there are things I disagree with that the Catholic Church says, my mom
thinks it’s all right. I believe that homosexuality is fine while she believes
that gays go to hell. I asked her once what she’d say if I ever said I was gay
and she would tell me to “get back in the closet.” As I grew up a boy, I was
surrounded by mostly female. My dad worked a lot as a kid growing up so I hung
out with my mom or my older sister. I was really close with my Grandma too! I
feel that since I was around girls a lot as a youngster, I get along with a lot
of girls. I’m not bragging because I get friend zoned by every single one, but
I feel like I can relate to them easier than most guys could. I try to be nicer
to them just because I know they can be a little more sensitive than boys. I
remember if I made my mom cry when I was little, I would feel devastated and
would try anything to cheer her up. I think moments like that really influenced
how I help girls who are experiencing sadness.
Out
of all of these, which is most important? I think all of them are important. Each
helps me shape who I am. It’s interesting how your personality is built on many
different types of blocks. Many of it comes from your parents. I think it’s
really important for parents to be there for their kids. I’m blessed to have
great parents who took care of me properly and taught me good morals who made
me…..me.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Happy Veteran's Day
First and foremost, I would just like to thank every veteran who have served their time in the military and courageously fighting to preserve our freedom. Without any of you, we wouldn't be the country we are today. Happy Veteran's Day!
Now onto the debate for today. Today's debate is brought you by the letter M. What are my thoughts on murder charges during a war? Lt. Clint Lorance was sentenced to twenty years for misconduct. He violated a rule of ceasing fire unless they have evidence of hostile action or intent. Clint ordered his band to open fire on three men on a motorcycle that was headed right toward them; not intending to stop. Not only did he get jail time, but his pay was forfeited and was dismissed from the military. Please free this man. All he was doing was protecting himself and his men from potential danger. Last time I checked, people die in wars all the time. Death is going to happen in a war. People are going to kill other people in the war. No, murder charges should not allowed in war situations. Protect yourself in any aspect before you get wrecked by your enemy. If were in Clint's situation at that moment, what would you do? Soldiers are under so much pressure during scenarios like that so it's their right to act upon whatever they might see as a threat. Honestly, I would probably tell my men to open fire if I felt as if they were intending to do harm on me. George Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin because he thought he was a threat, but George was found innocent and is roaming the streets freely as we speak.
"Citizenship is a duty, not a privilege." Yes and no. We should be privileged to our liberties that we are all given, but it's not all fun and games. It is our duty to abide by the rules and try to keep good morals. We are obligated to do these things thanks to our troops. Hope everyone has a good Veteran's Day and God bless.
Now onto the debate for today. Today's debate is brought you by the letter M. What are my thoughts on murder charges during a war? Lt. Clint Lorance was sentenced to twenty years for misconduct. He violated a rule of ceasing fire unless they have evidence of hostile action or intent. Clint ordered his band to open fire on three men on a motorcycle that was headed right toward them; not intending to stop. Not only did he get jail time, but his pay was forfeited and was dismissed from the military. Please free this man. All he was doing was protecting himself and his men from potential danger. Last time I checked, people die in wars all the time. Death is going to happen in a war. People are going to kill other people in the war. No, murder charges should not allowed in war situations. Protect yourself in any aspect before you get wrecked by your enemy. If were in Clint's situation at that moment, what would you do? Soldiers are under so much pressure during scenarios like that so it's their right to act upon whatever they might see as a threat. Honestly, I would probably tell my men to open fire if I felt as if they were intending to do harm on me. George Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin because he thought he was a threat, but George was found innocent and is roaming the streets freely as we speak.
"Citizenship is a duty, not a privilege." Yes and no. We should be privileged to our liberties that we are all given, but it's not all fun and games. It is our duty to abide by the rules and try to keep good morals. We are obligated to do these things thanks to our troops. Hope everyone has a good Veteran's Day and God bless.
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Racism
Racism is a man-made conception. It's an idea that we humans made up inside our minds to try to cover up our fears of different people by belittling them by calling them vulgar names or maybe even enslaving them to do their work. In the first article that was basically twenty paragraphs of intellectual insight, the author gives his view on racism and explain racism was an idea that man created when we started enslaving different races. Once the idea of slavery became a world-wide phenomenon, the idea of racism floated around into different parts of the world. Somewhere in his article he goes on to say how the concept of religion influenced the concept of racism. Religion is to believe in a set of deities and beliefs, which could be anything you want to believe. With the rise of Christianity, crusaders would go on to persecute the followers of Islam and try to conqueror the Jewish city of Jerusalem. Persecution is racism; it's the ill-treatment of a person, and in the case of racism it's the minorities. I could agree on the fact that religion helped shape the idea of racism because if you believed or practiced something different from the majority, you were persecuted. It's funny how religion is supposed to preach holiness and peace yet many wars and outbreaks of violence occurred due to religion.
In the second article, the author's main purpose is to tell us how racist America is. Our culture is made up of many racists. It just isn't prejudice against the blacks, but even Asians have been discriminated. Citizens of America are known to have passed laws that either ban or encourage discrimination against different races. In fact, we had to add Amendments to our Constitution just so we could attempt to keep everybody equal. Even though we have these Amendments, we are still a racist society. We are always putting unfair stereotypes on different races. I believe one of the reasons of this is how the media portrays them. Things like movies or the news can manipulate how we view people. It can also give people a fear that shouldn't even exist. For example, Blacks are unfairly stereotyped as thugs due to what television and movies show us. We looks at cases like the shooting of Trayvon Martin or Michael Brown and see young African American boys getting shot because the perpetrator had stereotypes in their mind about the media version of Blacks. You also see Islamic people being discriminated because a couple radicals who practice Islam decided to do unfortunate things on 9/11. We all now stereotype Muslims as terrorists due to this day. Just because a minority of a race do bad things doesn't mean the whole race should be oppressed. That's just how it is with every race.
The third and final article is basically what I hit on in the last paragraph. Media is always putting unfair stereotypes on different races. Media portraying different races wrongfully dates back from a long time ago. In fact, many movies and cartoons (yes, the things that young children watch) from the 30's, 40's and 50's displays many elements of racism. For example, a very popular cartoon that we've all seen and love is Tom and Jerry. Tom and Jerry was known to show many pieces of racism. The cartoon shows a black maid with a strong black dialect and showing low intelligence. Tom and Jerry also showed many scenes with "Blackface." Blackface was a popular thing back in the day that occurred in film and television. Blackface is when a performer puts on make-up to make them look black and then they act like the stereotypical black person. Around the 0:57 mark of this clip from Tom and Jerry, you can see an example of it. This is another good clip showing what Blackface was. Things have really changed as now we have evolved into a more politically correct state when it comes to what the media shows. Still, many of the things we see on television lead us to still believe in the stereotypes in races. We are shown African-Americans getting in trouble or illegal Latinos sneaking into America. The media brainwashes us into believing in these received ideas of races that we all fear and hate each other. Racism is the worst man-made conception to ever be made up and can easily destroy mankind.
We are racist because we are scared. We are scared of how different people can be. There is nothing wrong with being different but the fear of the unknown is what gets us hating on others. Racism is an idea. Just because your skin is a different color or your God is different from their God doesn't mean you should differentiate people. We are all humans! We all have feelings and ambitions! We all bleed red and are born only to die later and be covered in dirt! Even though we are all trying to end racism, how come we are still deeply promoting it? For example, when you have to circle in what ethnicity you are on a test or a form for employment. Does it really matter if your Asian or Latino trying to take the ACT or applying for a job or trying to get a driver's license? It shouldn't because the document that gave us freedom (Declaration of Independence) states in the second paragraph and I quote, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." The only way we will stop racism is to stop viewing people as "black" or "white" or "Asian" or "Hispanic". Why can't we just look at the big picture and realize that we are all human. There are good and bad people in every race. We got to pull our heads out of our behinds and realize that sometimes we got to see the good in everybody. Not everyone will be a goody two-shoes and it's going to come with every race. Let's put our differences aside and finally realize that we are all humans and not judge people unfairly because that's what racism really is.
I would like to share this video of Morgan Freeman's solution to stop racism. Very intelligent man that I agree with completely. #Freeman2020
In the second article, the author's main purpose is to tell us how racist America is. Our culture is made up of many racists. It just isn't prejudice against the blacks, but even Asians have been discriminated. Citizens of America are known to have passed laws that either ban or encourage discrimination against different races. In fact, we had to add Amendments to our Constitution just so we could attempt to keep everybody equal. Even though we have these Amendments, we are still a racist society. We are always putting unfair stereotypes on different races. I believe one of the reasons of this is how the media portrays them. Things like movies or the news can manipulate how we view people. It can also give people a fear that shouldn't even exist. For example, Blacks are unfairly stereotyped as thugs due to what television and movies show us. We looks at cases like the shooting of Trayvon Martin or Michael Brown and see young African American boys getting shot because the perpetrator had stereotypes in their mind about the media version of Blacks. You also see Islamic people being discriminated because a couple radicals who practice Islam decided to do unfortunate things on 9/11. We all now stereotype Muslims as terrorists due to this day. Just because a minority of a race do bad things doesn't mean the whole race should be oppressed. That's just how it is with every race.
The third and final article is basically what I hit on in the last paragraph. Media is always putting unfair stereotypes on different races. Media portraying different races wrongfully dates back from a long time ago. In fact, many movies and cartoons (yes, the things that young children watch) from the 30's, 40's and 50's displays many elements of racism. For example, a very popular cartoon that we've all seen and love is Tom and Jerry. Tom and Jerry was known to show many pieces of racism. The cartoon shows a black maid with a strong black dialect and showing low intelligence. Tom and Jerry also showed many scenes with "Blackface." Blackface was a popular thing back in the day that occurred in film and television. Blackface is when a performer puts on make-up to make them look black and then they act like the stereotypical black person. Around the 0:57 mark of this clip from Tom and Jerry, you can see an example of it. This is another good clip showing what Blackface was. Things have really changed as now we have evolved into a more politically correct state when it comes to what the media shows. Still, many of the things we see on television lead us to still believe in the stereotypes in races. We are shown African-Americans getting in trouble or illegal Latinos sneaking into America. The media brainwashes us into believing in these received ideas of races that we all fear and hate each other. Racism is the worst man-made conception to ever be made up and can easily destroy mankind.
We are racist because we are scared. We are scared of how different people can be. There is nothing wrong with being different but the fear of the unknown is what gets us hating on others. Racism is an idea. Just because your skin is a different color or your God is different from their God doesn't mean you should differentiate people. We are all humans! We all have feelings and ambitions! We all bleed red and are born only to die later and be covered in dirt! Even though we are all trying to end racism, how come we are still deeply promoting it? For example, when you have to circle in what ethnicity you are on a test or a form for employment. Does it really matter if your Asian or Latino trying to take the ACT or applying for a job or trying to get a driver's license? It shouldn't because the document that gave us freedom (Declaration of Independence) states in the second paragraph and I quote, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." The only way we will stop racism is to stop viewing people as "black" or "white" or "Asian" or "Hispanic". Why can't we just look at the big picture and realize that we are all human. There are good and bad people in every race. We got to pull our heads out of our behinds and realize that sometimes we got to see the good in everybody. Not everyone will be a goody two-shoes and it's going to come with every race. Let's put our differences aside and finally realize that we are all humans and not judge people unfairly because that's what racism really is.
I would like to share this video of Morgan Freeman's solution to stop racism. Very intelligent man that I agree with completely. #Freeman2020
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Welfare?
Eduardo Porter of the New York Times wrote an opinionated article about our welfare system in the States. In his article, he lists his opinions and beliefs about it. He believes that there's a lot of stereotypes about welfare. Some of the things included:
I agree with the views these men have on welfare. I can see where welfare could possibly be a victim of abuse. If people are only use welfare money just so they can go buy a pack of cigarettes or some alcohol, then they are not using it the way it was intended to be used. I agree that people who are applying for government assistance need to go through background checks or drug tests so we can find out if the recipient will actually use it for help or just to help it's habit for drugs or alcohol. I can also see where people will sign up for it just because they might be a little "lazy" to actually go find another job, but that could be a small portion of recipients. Some people actually do need the help in order to feed their kids or put clothes on their back, so the idea of assistance shouldn't be eliminated from society just because a small group of receivers of welfare take advantage of the system. We all need help and the people that really need help should get some!
- Welfare encourages bad behavior
- Poor people only buy things like alcohol & drugs
- Reduces work
- Single mom are one group that are on it (Welfare Queens)
- The recipients are lazy
- It only teaches that money can be handed to them easily
- It's not really effective
- It's easily taken advantage of
I agree with the views these men have on welfare. I can see where welfare could possibly be a victim of abuse. If people are only use welfare money just so they can go buy a pack of cigarettes or some alcohol, then they are not using it the way it was intended to be used. I agree that people who are applying for government assistance need to go through background checks or drug tests so we can find out if the recipient will actually use it for help or just to help it's habit for drugs or alcohol. I can also see where people will sign up for it just because they might be a little "lazy" to actually go find another job, but that could be a small portion of recipients. Some people actually do need the help in order to feed their kids or put clothes on their back, so the idea of assistance shouldn't be eliminated from society just because a small group of receivers of welfare take advantage of the system. We all need help and the people that really need help should get some!
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Civilized or Savage?
Monsters do exist. There not the big, hairy creatures that hide under your kids' bed or maybe camps out in the closet and watches you slumber. The monsters that exist are the humans that are all around us and who we interact with everyday. Humans can be scarier and even more mean than any stereotypical monster. Every human being all have qualities that might scare other. Each human has differences that may make someone uncomfortable. It's kind of like going back to norms and stereotypes and how each stereotype group together because they are most comfortable with those qualities in a person. We can be mean to people who are different and only accept the ones who bring comfort. We are monsters. The monsters live within ourselves.
If we can't separate our civilized self from our savage self, which one will take over? As human beings, we have the conscious mind to decide how we act. We can act well-mannered and what society accepts or you can act as a complete beast and follow your darkest desires that lie deep inside of you. We all want to do what we desire, but sometimes our desires are not acceptable. It all depends on what type of person you are. If you got desires within yourself that are more savage, then your savage side will most likely be more apparent. Hopefully there isn't feeling you have that would turn you into a beast, but sometimes people are not what they seem.
We can all be a savage at times. Bullying can be looked upon as an act of savagery. We don't rip our bullied apart physically but we rip them apart mentally, leaving them scarred emotionally. Like I said earlier, we as humans are all monsters. It's just a matter of time where civilization will be all types of screwed.
If we can't separate our civilized self from our savage self, which one will take over? As human beings, we have the conscious mind to decide how we act. We can act well-mannered and what society accepts or you can act as a complete beast and follow your darkest desires that lie deep inside of you. We all want to do what we desire, but sometimes our desires are not acceptable. It all depends on what type of person you are. If you got desires within yourself that are more savage, then your savage side will most likely be more apparent. Hopefully there isn't feeling you have that would turn you into a beast, but sometimes people are not what they seem.
We can all be a savage at times. Bullying can be looked upon as an act of savagery. We don't rip our bullied apart physically but we rip them apart mentally, leaving them scarred emotionally. Like I said earlier, we as humans are all monsters. It's just a matter of time where civilization will be all types of screwed.
Monday, October 5, 2015
28th Amendment
I, Sam Sanderson, would like to propose an amendment to our Constitution. This issue is argued all the time and is a huge issue in our society. This issue I am talking about is abortion. I believe that abortion is completely wrong no matter the circumstances. As an American citizen, I believe everybody deserves a chance to live even if you haven't been born yet. It's sad to think that unborn will never be able to breathe life due to abortion being legal. Abortion is murder! It's killing an innocent life form without it even knowing what a life is. If I stabbed somebody with a syringe of poison and stabbed someone with it, killing them, I would probably be labeled a murderer. That is what an abortion is.
Abortions effects the carrier physically and emotionally. Women tend to feel sick afterwards when they get an abortion. Symptoms include stomach pains, vomiting, nausea and bleeding. Women also tend to find their menstruation cycles inconsistent and not in a pattern like it should. It also tends to disappear on occasions for 4-6 weeks. Cervical and back pain is also felt. Not only does it affect the person who got the abortion physically but it also affects them emotionally and also the people around her. Many feel guilty and some suffer from PAS (Post-Abortion Syndrome). Studies show that some women get depressed and tend to starting drinking and doing drugs to get away from their guilt. Trauma, sleep problems, and eating disorders are also common. What is the point for all of this?
Abortion just isn't worth it. I know people can argue the case that people who have been victims of rape should get a pass, but I believe that even though rape is unfortunate, it should not give anyone the excuse to destroy the life of an unborn. The 14th amendment actually states that the woman has the right if she wants to bear a child or not, but the only choice that should made is life. This amendment should read as follows, " Abortion is murder and shall be considered illegal. The 14th Amendment statement that states that women have the choice is no longer valid. Abortion will be treated as murder and all abortions will be treated like murder at the court of law."
"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." -Jeremiah 1:5
Abortions effects the carrier physically and emotionally. Women tend to feel sick afterwards when they get an abortion. Symptoms include stomach pains, vomiting, nausea and bleeding. Women also tend to find their menstruation cycles inconsistent and not in a pattern like it should. It also tends to disappear on occasions for 4-6 weeks. Cervical and back pain is also felt. Not only does it affect the person who got the abortion physically but it also affects them emotionally and also the people around her. Many feel guilty and some suffer from PAS (Post-Abortion Syndrome). Studies show that some women get depressed and tend to starting drinking and doing drugs to get away from their guilt. Trauma, sleep problems, and eating disorders are also common. What is the point for all of this?
Abortion just isn't worth it. I know people can argue the case that people who have been victims of rape should get a pass, but I believe that even though rape is unfortunate, it should not give anyone the excuse to destroy the life of an unborn. The 14th amendment actually states that the woman has the right if she wants to bear a child or not, but the only choice that should made is life. This amendment should read as follows, " Abortion is murder and shall be considered illegal. The 14th Amendment statement that states that women have the choice is no longer valid. Abortion will be treated as murder and all abortions will be treated like murder at the court of law."
"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." -Jeremiah 1:5
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