http://kansasexposed.org/2014/11/29/ku-journalism-major-shreds-case-against-mike-brown/
Recently a student at the University of Kansas, Shelby Lawson, wrote this article. It is all about the Michael Brown case and clearing up any questions we may have had about it. This article made me completely re evaluate my stance on the case. It brings up various different points I thought to be true and proves them to be false using the actual grand jury transcript. The ability for this one girl to do all this research and completely change the story that we all probably thought to be true is not only astounding but courageous.
tenebrism
Caravaggio, The Taking of Christ, 1602
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
9. Low-income families trying to survive in modern day America
In present day society, getting by of weekly paychecks seems to be the only way how to survive. No one is ahead. You’re always owing someone money, or behind on payments. It seems as though it’s hard to even save some money without having to zero out your account on the next bill. Even day to day life nowadays feels futile.
Coming from a lower income family myself, I personally understand the difficulties in the struggle to get by. Even with all the assistance the government offers, just surviving seems out of hands reach. Once you fall below the poverty line, building your way up is incredibly difficult. For one thing, when out of work for a long period of time, and in need money for food, you can apply for food stamps. At first, it comes off as a huge relief, like a burden has been removed from your shoulders. You feel protected, but soon or later, you eventually won’t need those food stamps any more. Yes, there are people who somehow “break the system” and rely on food stamps their whole lives, but those who don’t have to pay back. And not “payback”, no they actually have to pay back the government for what they borrow.
So maybe those who hold onto food stamps when not necessary anymore, actually fear the repercussions of their actions. They know that deep down without them, they wouldn't be able to afford the way of living they had gotten used to, and that they wouldn't be able to live AND pay back their dues. I’m not saying that they system our government has created is wrong, or needs to be fixed, but maybe if we fixed our economy first, and maybe made average living more affordable we wouldn't have issues like this occurring. People wouldn't feel the need to trick the government in order to get by, and maybe the government would be better in the long run.
Coming from a lower income family myself, I personally understand the difficulties in the struggle to get by. Even with all the assistance the government offers, just surviving seems out of hands reach. Once you fall below the poverty line, building your way up is incredibly difficult. For one thing, when out of work for a long period of time, and in need money for food, you can apply for food stamps. At first, it comes off as a huge relief, like a burden has been removed from your shoulders. You feel protected, but soon or later, you eventually won’t need those food stamps any more. Yes, there are people who somehow “break the system” and rely on food stamps their whole lives, but those who don’t have to pay back. And not “payback”, no they actually have to pay back the government for what they borrow.
So maybe those who hold onto food stamps when not necessary anymore, actually fear the repercussions of their actions. They know that deep down without them, they wouldn't be able to afford the way of living they had gotten used to, and that they wouldn't be able to live AND pay back their dues. I’m not saying that they system our government has created is wrong, or needs to be fixed, but maybe if we fixed our economy first, and maybe made average living more affordable we wouldn't have issues like this occurring. People wouldn't feel the need to trick the government in order to get by, and maybe the government would be better in the long run.
BLOG 8
The movie we recently finished in class opened my eyes to a variety of things i have never considered before; one being how educated and concerned our generation is becoming about what goes on in the government. We are enthusiastically curious about politics, and that is not something you would expect from regular teens. I'm glad we get to talk about what goes on in politics in class and have mature, educated conversations with each other; and to me that is extremely rare. The drive we have alone as a simple class filled with 20+ students is amazing. I am very proud to call myself a member of the class of 2015 at ESM because of the personality, and intelligence. As we all begin to turn 18 we have to come to the realization that we are going to be able to vote in the 2016 election... which is huge. 40% of Americans don't even vote, and don't even bother trying to understand the way our government works; but we right here understand. We are educated, and we care about the future of America.. because WE are the future of America.
Monday, January 19, 2015
Robert Reich (9)
While researching Robert Reich, I found a video on his website titled "What Low Wage Workers Need Most." He spoke about six main necessities, but I would like to focus on the first: Living Wage. Living wage is an income that is sufficient enough to support a life, including food, shelter, and clothing. When Reich created this video, minimum wage was $7.25 an hour, and he claimed that no individual could live on this income. He also elucidates that, if we had the same minimum wage that was around decades ago, and it had kept up with inflation, minimum wage workers would be making $10.40 an hour today. Although this minimum has increased to $8.75, I am sure Reich would consider this insufficient still.
Although Robert Reich is way more knowledgeable and educated than I, I can't help but question some of his points. For example, are minimum wage jobs really intended to provide someone with a living wage? In my opinion, minimum wage jobs are for high school and college students who are just entering the job force, and are not yet equipped for higher-paying jobs. With more experience and/or higher educational degrees, they can then reach for a better job.
Of course, there are many valid arguments that can be made against the above case. Some people can not afford a higher education, and therefore resort to minimum wage jobs to support their families. Although raising the minimum wage may seem like a win-win, teens get paid more while adults can better provide for their family, this is not a perfect solution. When wages are raised, employers usually resort to job cuts in order to maintain or increase profit. Additionally, heads of companies may choose to raise prices for this same reason, and less people will purchase their products. This takes away from the circulation of money in our economy.
Robert Reich raises many valid points, but I would just like to remind everyone to maintain their own opinions. Although his movie and videos are extremely eye opening, there are no simple solutions to our economic crises, and therefore we can not accept his suggestions as being the absolute answer to our problems.
Although Robert Reich is way more knowledgeable and educated than I, I can't help but question some of his points. For example, are minimum wage jobs really intended to provide someone with a living wage? In my opinion, minimum wage jobs are for high school and college students who are just entering the job force, and are not yet equipped for higher-paying jobs. With more experience and/or higher educational degrees, they can then reach for a better job.
Of course, there are many valid arguments that can be made against the above case. Some people can not afford a higher education, and therefore resort to minimum wage jobs to support their families. Although raising the minimum wage may seem like a win-win, teens get paid more while adults can better provide for their family, this is not a perfect solution. When wages are raised, employers usually resort to job cuts in order to maintain or increase profit. Additionally, heads of companies may choose to raise prices for this same reason, and less people will purchase their products. This takes away from the circulation of money in our economy.
Robert Reich raises many valid points, but I would just like to remind everyone to maintain their own opinions. Although his movie and videos are extremely eye opening, there are no simple solutions to our economic crises, and therefore we can not accept his suggestions as being the absolute answer to our problems.
Illegal Immigrants (BLOG #8)
With over 11 million immigrants in the United States illegally (as of 2012), the issue of illegal immigration continues to divide Americans. Many people have different opinions dealing with illegal immigrants. "Illegal immigration (also referred to unauthorized or undocumented immigrants) refers to the migration of people across national borders in a way that violates the immigration laws of the destined country." and a "Immigrants are persons admitted as legal permanent residents (LPRS) of the United States. The conditions for the admission of immigrants are much more stringent than nonimmigrants, and many fewer immigrants than nonimmigrants are admitted. Once admitted, however, immigrants are subject to few restrictions; for example, they may accept and change employment, and may apply for U.S. citizenship through the naturalization process, generally after 5 years.
Like everything else, people either agree or disagree with illegal immigration. I personally I cant choose a side. An illegal action is illegal and is not right and these people are living here without paying taxes yet they are very hard working and take jobs that most Americans would not do. There are two very strong arguments dealing with illegal immigrants.
They include:
Illegal immigration benefits the US economy through additional tax revenue, expansion of the low-cost labor pool, and increased money in circulation. They contend that immigrants bring good values, have motivations consistent with the American dream, perform jobs that Americans won’t take, and that opposition to immigration stems from racism.
Opponents of illegal immigration say that people who break the law by crossing the US border without proper documentation or by overstaying their visas should be deported and not rewarded with a path to citizenship and access to social services. They argue that people in the country illegally are criminals and social and economic burdens to law-abiding, tax-paying Americans.
Since these two sides and both convincing and persuading, will we ever just ignore illegal immigration? Or will it always be a problem?
Like everything else, people either agree or disagree with illegal immigration. I personally I cant choose a side. An illegal action is illegal and is not right and these people are living here without paying taxes yet they are very hard working and take jobs that most Americans would not do. There are two very strong arguments dealing with illegal immigrants.
They include:
Illegal immigration benefits the US economy through additional tax revenue, expansion of the low-cost labor pool, and increased money in circulation. They contend that immigrants bring good values, have motivations consistent with the American dream, perform jobs that Americans won’t take, and that opposition to immigration stems from racism.
Opponents of illegal immigration say that people who break the law by crossing the US border without proper documentation or by overstaying their visas should be deported and not rewarded with a path to citizenship and access to social services. They argue that people in the country illegally are criminals and social and economic burdens to law-abiding, tax-paying Americans.
Since these two sides and both convincing and persuading, will we ever just ignore illegal immigration? Or will it always be a problem?
American Sniper
Over the weekend, as I do annually during Oscar season, I went out and saw a few of the nominees for Best Picture at the 87th Academy Awards. One of the celebrated films that was up for this honor was "American Sniper" a patriotic biopic of America's deadliest war hero, starring this excellent Bradley Cooper. Cooper, wholly deserving of his nomination for Best Leading Actor, portrays Chris Kyle who, With 255 kills, 160 of which were officially confirmed by the Department of Defense, is the deadliest marksman in U.S. military history
While the film has been a hit with audiences with a record setting $90.2 million at the box office, and A-plus rating among critics, its subject matter is causing controversy among some in Hollywood for its perceived pro-war message. For example, just listen to a quote from documentarian Michael Moore, he says "So here's what I think about "American Sniper": Awesome performance from Bradley Cooper. One of the best of the year. Great editing. Costumes, hair, makeup superb! Oh... and too bad Clint (Eastwood) gets Vietnam and Iraq confused in his storytelling. And that he has his characters calling Iraqis "savages" throughout the film. But there is also anti-war sentiment expressed in the movie. And there's a touching ending as the main character is remembered after being gunned down by a fellow American vet with PTSD who was given a gun at a gun range back home in Texas -- and then used it to kill the man who called himself the 'America Sniper'." His words have garnered outrage from Hollywood and everyday Americans alike
The large response also from social media has translated to widespread racism, also, against Arabs with people saying that this movie made them want to murder them. What I mostly had for this film was respect and I understood the patriotism conveyed through the masterful performances and great actors. Entertaining, tense and thrilling, "American Sniper" devolves into glorification by sugarcoating the truth and creatively changing details to assure we see the hero Chris Kyle was without most of the much darker anti-hero he also was. Eastwood has stripped things back so that we observe the action through American eyes only, our focus as blinkered as that of its titular killer which makes the American response justified and predictable. However, despite its many flaws, 'American Sniper' is still an engaging war drama with some excellent set-pieces and Bradley Cooper continues to showcase his superb acting chops.
While the film has been a hit with audiences with a record setting $90.2 million at the box office, and A-plus rating among critics, its subject matter is causing controversy among some in Hollywood for its perceived pro-war message. For example, just listen to a quote from documentarian Michael Moore, he says "So here's what I think about "American Sniper": Awesome performance from Bradley Cooper. One of the best of the year. Great editing. Costumes, hair, makeup superb! Oh... and too bad Clint (Eastwood) gets Vietnam and Iraq confused in his storytelling. And that he has his characters calling Iraqis "savages" throughout the film. But there is also anti-war sentiment expressed in the movie. And there's a touching ending as the main character is remembered after being gunned down by a fellow American vet with PTSD who was given a gun at a gun range back home in Texas -- and then used it to kill the man who called himself the 'America Sniper'." His words have garnered outrage from Hollywood and everyday Americans alike
The large response also from social media has translated to widespread racism, also, against Arabs with people saying that this movie made them want to murder them. What I mostly had for this film was respect and I understood the patriotism conveyed through the masterful performances and great actors. Entertaining, tense and thrilling, "American Sniper" devolves into glorification by sugarcoating the truth and creatively changing details to assure we see the hero Chris Kyle was without most of the much darker anti-hero he also was. Eastwood has stripped things back so that we observe the action through American eyes only, our focus as blinkered as that of its titular killer which makes the American response justified and predictable. However, despite its many flaws, 'American Sniper' is still an engaging war drama with some excellent set-pieces and Bradley Cooper continues to showcase his superb acting chops.
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Fetch the Anaesthetist (7)
What would happen to you were you to, suddenly, have a horrible accident? A car accident, for example? Likely what would happen is you would be trucked off to the nearest hospital and be treated. Your car would be scrapped and you'd receive a pitiful lump sum of insurance money for it. Then you're left up to your neck in hospital bills that you couldn't dream of affording. Sure, you have health insurance, but unfortunately for you you still get to pay a ridiculous percent, more than you could even make. This situation is not far fetched. Every day things such as this happen in America. Why is it that we must plunge into poverty because of an accident, even if it wasn't our own fault? (Don't forget, if you sue don't expect any money for roughly ten years, assuming you win at all of course.)
The following song by British metal band Enter Shikari, "Anaesthetist", was written about the United Kingdom's National Health Service becoming privatized, however without that knowledge one could swear it was written about the United States' health care system. (Warning: explicit language)
Lyrics such as "You sold us short/You will not profit off our health" or "We drink to your health/We capitalize on your condition" seem to really hit home hard to us Americans. How is it any different? In this country, our medical professionals charge absurd amounts of money for their services and will turn away those who cannot pay. Physicians have become businessmen, quite literally capitalizing on our condition. It's a common sentiment to believe that doctors pressure patients to take unnecessary precautions to make money off of them, and I can speak from experience. My sister is a veterinarian, ans she often complains that she has to essentially sell her services to her patients' owners in order to make the company money, as her salary essentially depends on it.
Is the prime motto from the Hippocratic oath not "do no harm"? Is turning away those in need not doing harm? Those doctors who studies for years and years because they were passionate to help had to become capitalists in order to survive in the field, and you pay the price.
And what of insurance companies? Are they in the wrong as well? Or course they are. Insurance companies exist for profit. The only reason we need health insurance is because of the completely absurd cost of medical care in the first place. Other countries have publicly funded health care paid for with taxes from the people. There is no middleman trying to make a quick buck, like there are too many of here. The health care system in America is now health care industry fueled by greed and a brutal lack of morals. It is the responsibility of a government to protect the welfare of its people, so why is ours allowing private institutions to "suck the blood of the afflicted"?
"Illness is not an indulgence that you should pay for, nor is it a crime for which you should be punished."
The following song by British metal band Enter Shikari, "Anaesthetist", was written about the United Kingdom's National Health Service becoming privatized, however without that knowledge one could swear it was written about the United States' health care system. (Warning: explicit language)
Is the prime motto from the Hippocratic oath not "do no harm"? Is turning away those in need not doing harm? Those doctors who studies for years and years because they were passionate to help had to become capitalists in order to survive in the field, and you pay the price.
And what of insurance companies? Are they in the wrong as well? Or course they are. Insurance companies exist for profit. The only reason we need health insurance is because of the completely absurd cost of medical care in the first place. Other countries have publicly funded health care paid for with taxes from the people. There is no middleman trying to make a quick buck, like there are too many of here. The health care system in America is now health care industry fueled by greed and a brutal lack of morals. It is the responsibility of a government to protect the welfare of its people, so why is ours allowing private institutions to "suck the blood of the afflicted"?
"Illness is not an indulgence that you should pay for, nor is it a crime for which you should be punished."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)