So Far...

What we have done so far in this class, I feel that my writing has greatly improved. I can start writing down the first thing that comes to my mind, instead of just sitting there for hours just trying to fill up one page. In my opinion, writing is difficult if you do not know how to properly do it. Writing starts with 3 steps: organizing, writing and completing. Ideas and gathering information always be the first step I started with but the problem was getting those ideas to written down. My mind would move from one thing to another at a rapid pace but my writing was stagnant. I just could not find a way to write. It just became frustrating to do a simple 2 pages essay. From reading and seeing different articles I have expanded my knowledge of writing.
Exploring Language textbook is one of the best guides help me improved my writing. The most interesting I like about this text is that it contains the writing of diverse authors on multiple subjects. It is very interesting to read what each of these authors has to say about whatever topic they are writing about. Beyond what they say, I am studying how they write. I see how they convey their ideas and try to incorporate them into my own writings. What I have noticed is that the more I read the more I see how diverse writing can be. Everyone has a unique voice and if you know how to write, you can express that voice. I can relate to an author in the book like Malcolm X, who was uneducated but when he began to read his knowledge grew and he became a better writer. When he did become a great writer he said it was a freeing experience for him. I can truly understand because when you do not know how to do something, in a way you become fearful of it and tend to avoid it. So when I was frustrated with writing I did feel as if it was a weight I could not get off. As Malcolm X, when I started to improve my writing it did become a freeing experience because I now finally had confidence. I still have a long way to go but this is a great foundation that I have made for myself.

The peer responses also another way improved my writing. It’s one thing to have confidence in yourself and think that what you have written is the best thing ever. You need to be brought back down to reality and peer response is just that thing to do it. Through peer response there is an exchange of ideas and both parties benefit. As I have received peer responses I have taken the advice and it has helped me improve my writing. When I write I feel as if it is the best I have done but when a peer reads it they can find holes and things I have missed and I can take this advice and make my writing even better. There is a chapter in the Exploring Language text that explores the communication gap and how people talk to each other. The main idea was that if people talk to one another then ideas are exchanged and everyone is better off from it and it expands knowledge. By taking this lesson to heart, peer responses are a great way to expand anyone’s writing. Practice, practice, and practice is the way to improve my writing. Not only reading but listening to other people advice is another way. And I shall continue writing more!

Is This Cartoon Offensive?

The controversial political cartoon that offended me came from the New York Post in February 2009. The cartoon featured two uniformed police officers shooting a chimp, shown lying on the ground, as one officer says to the other: "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill." The depiction of the chimp is apparently a reference to the 200-pound chimpanzee that mauled a woman in Connecticut couple days before officers had to shoot the animal to death. "The cartoon is a clear parody of a current news event," explained Post editor-in-chief Col Allan, who denied that it was intended to refer specifically to Obama. "It broadly mocks Washington's efforts to revive the economy," he said. This is a racist cartoon aimed at the president of the United States. This cartoon incorporated two news stories into one. But that terrible incident was taken and put in a political cartoon. The Post should at least clarify what point they were trying to make in this cartoon, and reprimand their cartoonist for making inferences that are offensive and divisive at a time the nation struggles to come together to stabilize the economy if, in fact, this was yet another racially charged cartoon. At the same time this incident was taking place, a massive stimulus package was begin discussed in congress to help boost the economy. There was a lot of heated debate over the stimulus and whether it would be a good thing for the economy. There was massive destruction of the economy and Wall Street almost collapsed a few months prior. There was a need for government spending in order to offset the lack of consumer spending to give the economy a boost. What this cartoon shows in an opposition to the stimulus package and to cops shooting a monkey. The monkey is a representation of the president Barack Obama. The cops saying that someone else would have to write the stimulus bill says to me they are taking a shoot at the president.

This cartoon is offensive on many levels. There is the racial imagery of a monkey being equated to the president who is black. There is also imagery of gun violence and also the imagery of police brutality. I can understand those people who say that this cartoon represents an image of a stimulus package that is so ridicules it looks like a monkey wrote it and that it’s just humor that it’s shoot dead by cops to represent the opposition to the package. I would say that this is not the case. If that were true then the cartoon would have spoken for itself. I argue that something that is great does not need an explanation because it is so genius that it just speaks for itself. When some people see police officers shooting a monkey and then a caption saying someone else has to write the stimulus package they would connect that monkey to the president. In American history the image of the monkey has been used to represent African-Americas. Now that the country has an African-American president who was vocal about passing the stimulus package, it is obvious why this cartoon would be so offensive. There is also the image of police brutality by the cops shooting the monkey and saying what they said. The cartoon shows the police killing the monkey because they disagree with the stimulus and not because it was self-defense. Again with the history of police in America it brings up images of Rodney King. I understand this cartoon was meant to poke fun at the stimulus package but it was distasteful. There are other ways to show that the stimulus is ridiculous without implying that it was written by a monkey.

Expanding Your View

If someone of a known hate group was invited to my campus to speak would be fine by me. I would welcome the opportunity to hear a different perspective and also have a discussion with them about why they feel the way they do. We live in a country where our culture has the freedom of speech. There is no doubt it would cause controversies but we are not the moral authority? Who are we to judge others? What an individual believes is their right and I am in no moral authority to tell them if their beliefs are right or wrong. If there is a problem people also have the option to ignore or take it as a learning experience on a whole different perspective then they have ever confronted.

When this person does come to our campus I would defend their right to be there. What free speech means is the ability for individuals’ to exercise freely opinions and ideas which is the First Amendment in the Constitution of the United States. This would go against the first amendment. I value freedom of speech because of the history of tyranny in where those who lived under it did not have free speech and lived in fear. If the people under the king’s rule spoke out against him they could find themselves muzzled or worse dead. They made sure that the first amendment would be free speech because this was the most important. They wanted people to be free to speak their mind and be able to bring their ideas to the table. Thus if a leader of a hate group was to speak at a campus they would have every right to do so. Free speech is free speech. No matter how we feel about what they say, they have a right to say whatever it is they want to. Most of us would find what they would say as appalling but again it is their right to say that. Free speech is not a one-way street. When we talk to each other we can begin to understand one another. Hopefully when we talk new ideas would be exchanged and minds would begin to open and maybe, just maybe that person would change. Maybe it will not be a dramatic change, just a seed we may plant in their heads about the opposing side of an argument and they will begin to asses if what they truly believe is right. This is why the U.S. is a great country, and stands out from the globe; because we allow and accept other’s view as well as we can comment on their view for the purpose of improvement, not harming each other. If we do not let them speak because their tones are offensive to others, how can we analyze and help to understand one another. People should listen to both sides of the argument in order to make a proper decision. There are times, we need to listen, or step back, so we can speak and go forward to make the world a better place to live.

Self-Respect is the Key to HappYness

What is more important Happyness or Self-Respect? This is a difficult question to answer. These two things go side by side. In my opinion, to be happy is to have self-respect and to have self-respect is to be happy with yourself. Is one more important than the other? I believe that it is more important to have self-respect than to just have happiness. Self respect is one of the most valuable things you can have. It helps you feel worthy of happiness and the respect of others. It reminds you that you are a valuable person-simply by virtue of being alive. When you have self-respect you gain confidence that cannot be shaken and no matter what challenge comes your way you will be able to conquer it without hesitation. This confidence you get from having self-respect will bring you unlimited supplies of happiness and as a person you will know who and what you are. It also sets a standard for others to follow. People take most of their cues from how we treat ourselves, so if you want to be treated with kindness and respect, make sure that you are setting a good example.

If you believe that you deserve happiness and fulfillment, you are very likely to attract and create circumstances that promote these conditions. By feeling that your happiness is a priority, you will be on the lookout for opportunities to do things you enjoy, and that are in line with your goals and desires. Knowing that you deserve to be happy, you will probably not pass up chances to be happy. On the other hand, if you are stuck in a negative mindset, and you believe that everyone else’s happiness is more important than yours, you will possibly forego your chances for fulfillment with flimsy excuses such as time, money, or other ‘more pressing’ commitments. We consciously and subconsciously set out to create an external life that matches our internal beliefs. If you have a good level of self respect, clear ideas of what you want in life, and the belief that you can and should have what you want, it is very likely that you will seek and find opportunities to fulfill these desires. Knowing what you want is a very big factor in having what you want. If you only have a very vague notion of a better life, it is very hard to take concrete steps towards creating one.

On the other side, it is different for the people living in Iran as described in RLit. The women there have been dehumanized and the average people have been put down by the corrupt leaders who never allow them to better themselves. When someone is dehumanized or put down to a level so low they have no understanding of what self-respect is. When they lose their self-respect they have lost themselves. They may find temporary happiness but it would just be that temporary. Without self-respect they would not have goals to achieve or desire to better themselves. How would they truly be happy if they do not have self-respect? When people have freedom of thought they can find their self-respect and then find what makes them happy. Having self-respect is more important than happiness in my opinion. A healthy self respect is one of the foundations of happiness and emotional well-being. It can help you through tough times, and inspire you to follow your heart and your dreams.