Politics is a world of criticism, scrutiny, and dirty tactics. One tool used by people to support their personal political philosophy or agenda is political cartoons which negatively portray the target of the cartoon’s scrutiny to promote the artists personal beliefs. I was once sent a like to a cartoon through an E-mail from my very democratic and outspoken uncle. While I am not a fan of President George W. Bush, there are some things that are very inappropriate and can in fact be damaging to the advancement of our nation.
The cartoon I received came after Hurricane Katrina struck the Southern states of our country and was associated to the backlash President Bush received for how he handled the response to the hurricane’s victims. The cartoon portrays President Bush in Louisiana standing out front of an Air Force One helicopter in water about up to his knees. He has is hand on the shoulder of what is drawn to be a darker man which what seems to be his wife and baby look on. While the cartoon is meant to be comical, even the drawing of the wreckage the hurricane caused is saddening and makes the cartoon that much more distasteful. The cartoon only has one blip of speech, but this one quote is very powerful and painful. The quote coming out above president Bush reads “If you had been rich, you would have lost much more”; a mean and cold-hearted attack on the people of Louisiana who were in a great time of suffering.
The cartoon is so offensive to me because it strikes certain people in America at a very dark time. While many people feel president Bush did not respond correctly to this specific crisis, people living in the hurricane-hit areas were so deeply and traumatically affected I do not feel that this cartoon is appropriate nor comical. This cartoon specifically targeted people of America who may be less fortunate or who lives in poverty-stricken areas. These people were already struggling before the hurricane hit and were suffering even more when they lost everything to Hurricane Katrina. To then point out the fact that these people are poor and even make a joking suggestion that they were not treated as well as rich people would have been is simply putting salt in a very large open wound. It’s hard to even tell if the author is bashing President Bush, or if he is being prejudice and nasty to people in poverty.
I feel that political cartoons should be used to express personal opinions in a humorous was that does not stand to hurt innocent people. Political cartoons are a part (ugly as it may be) of the political community and have been for centuries. A politician is prepared and anticipative of being slammed by opposition, but it is very important that the target of these cartoons remain the politicians themselves who choose to involve themselves in the political world, they should not affect everyday citizens of the United States.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Pg 493 Question #1
If I were told that the leader of a known hate group was coming to speak at my school, I would feel very uneasy and unsure on how to deal with that leader speaking inflammatory racist language. Having to anticipate what a person who thinks so differently from me will say would make me very uncomfortable and nervous. If I were to sit there and try to listen what this person had to say, I would find it very hard to keep myself engaged and understanding to a person who is being unfair towards a race. Just because this person was invited to speak does not mean I, as a student of the school, should be forced to listen. Or does it? While the first amendment allows a person to speak freely, I believe we are allowed the choice to be or not be an audience.
I would in no way defend the person’s right to address the student body. Call me closed minded, call my actions unfair, I would not be capable of accepting the thoughts of a known racist being forced upon me. I feel that if this person feels they have the right to voice their opinion, I will have the right to voice my disapproval and disappointment of my school allowing a racist to address the campus, and the right to leave. I feel that a known outspoken racist should be left for discussions in a sociology or related class. The person should not be invited, and given the power, to spread their racist and absurd thoughts.
Unfortunately, if a school decides to invite a person to speak to their students, the school is then forced to accept what the person decides to speak about because of the first amendment. The law of the first amendment makes the school responsible for knowing and understanding that this person is going to speak inflammatory racist language. It is not the racist’s responsibility to hold back on what her or she says, if the person is invited by the school, they are privileged to the first amendment. That is, the freedom of speech. Just as you and I are given the right to freedom of speech, “bad” people are promised the right of freedom of speech.
A racist is a way of thinking. This thought process, I believe, is one that the majority of the people of this great nation have evolved to overcome and now disagree with. Unfortunately, racists are people and are protected under the first amendment. People all across the country have said things that are unpleasant; speaking out against the president or other leaders, judging certain career fields, putting down women, etc, even the most painful and disheartening: negatively speaking about us personally or people we love. These are experiences we, sometimes unconsciously, deal with everyday of our lives. As a part of this country we are forced to accept that people have the right to say what they want and we in response have the same right, or the right to stay silent and allow the negative speaker to make them themselves appear foolish.
I would in no way defend the person’s right to address the student body. Call me closed minded, call my actions unfair, I would not be capable of accepting the thoughts of a known racist being forced upon me. I feel that if this person feels they have the right to voice their opinion, I will have the right to voice my disapproval and disappointment of my school allowing a racist to address the campus, and the right to leave. I feel that a known outspoken racist should be left for discussions in a sociology or related class. The person should not be invited, and given the power, to spread their racist and absurd thoughts.
Unfortunately, if a school decides to invite a person to speak to their students, the school is then forced to accept what the person decides to speak about because of the first amendment. The law of the first amendment makes the school responsible for knowing and understanding that this person is going to speak inflammatory racist language. It is not the racist’s responsibility to hold back on what her or she says, if the person is invited by the school, they are privileged to the first amendment. That is, the freedom of speech. Just as you and I are given the right to freedom of speech, “bad” people are promised the right of freedom of speech.
A racist is a way of thinking. This thought process, I believe, is one that the majority of the people of this great nation have evolved to overcome and now disagree with. Unfortunately, racists are people and are protected under the first amendment. People all across the country have said things that are unpleasant; speaking out against the president or other leaders, judging certain career fields, putting down women, etc, even the most painful and disheartening: negatively speaking about us personally or people we love. These are experiences we, sometimes unconsciously, deal with everyday of our lives. As a part of this country we are forced to accept that people have the right to say what they want and we in response have the same right, or the right to stay silent and allow the negative speaker to make them themselves appear foolish.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Happiness or Self-Respect?
Asking to decide which is more important between happiness and self-respect is like asking which tastes better: ice cream or apple pie? In my opinion, a person needs the right balance of both in order to be at peace with themselves. How can a person be truly happy if they do not respect themselves and everything that they stand for as a human being? How can a person respect themselves if they are not happy in life? These two feelings go hand in hand.
The problem becomes finding the right balance that fulfills a person. We all can identify a person we have come across in our lives that buries themselves in their schoolwork or career. A person who works so hard at what they do can have many motives, but more often than not, a motivation is the self respect they gain out of their success. For some people, the self-respect they gain can lead to their happiness. However, there are people out there who are so focused on gaining respect (both from themselves and from others) that they lose those things that really make a person happy such as family, friends, and hobbies. When a person is too focused on self-respect, the pursuit of happiness takes a back seat.
On the other side, a person who only seeks pleasure, or happiness, can often forget the maintenance of self-respect. I believe that happiness is more dependent on self-respect than self-respect is on happiness. A person can be happy by the self-respect they acquire through hard work, but I feel that some self-respect is necessary before happiness can come. The absence of self-respect will never result in a sense of happiness. I feel that a person who only seeks happiness without seeking self-respect can sometimes lead to an impulsive or irrational person. Happiness is something I believe every human being hopes and strives for, but in our quest to achieve it we cannot forget to stay true to ourselves and our beliefs which in turn, will maintain self-respect.
One problem with finding a balance between happiness and self-respect is that sometimes we don’t know how to go about achieving these feelings. The reason there is some much trouble is because what makes us happy and respectful of ourselves differs between every person. For some, self-respect comes from how they interact with others, their family or co workers, or even teammates. For others, self-respect may come from how much they achieve and their success in different areas in life. The road to achieving happiness differs even more between different people. Every person has their own opinion on what aspects of life are most important. I think that if a person can achieve happiness in their own important aspects of life, the happiness can spread through the other areas of their lives.
Self-respect and happiness are not necessarily one in the same, but are dependent on each other. There are people who go their entire lives finding the right balance to achieve a feeling of contentment. All we can do is continue our journeys through life finding what fulfills us as individuals because it will be different for each and every person, and no one else can find it for us.
The problem becomes finding the right balance that fulfills a person. We all can identify a person we have come across in our lives that buries themselves in their schoolwork or career. A person who works so hard at what they do can have many motives, but more often than not, a motivation is the self respect they gain out of their success. For some people, the self-respect they gain can lead to their happiness. However, there are people out there who are so focused on gaining respect (both from themselves and from others) that they lose those things that really make a person happy such as family, friends, and hobbies. When a person is too focused on self-respect, the pursuit of happiness takes a back seat.
On the other side, a person who only seeks pleasure, or happiness, can often forget the maintenance of self-respect. I believe that happiness is more dependent on self-respect than self-respect is on happiness. A person can be happy by the self-respect they acquire through hard work, but I feel that some self-respect is necessary before happiness can come. The absence of self-respect will never result in a sense of happiness. I feel that a person who only seeks happiness without seeking self-respect can sometimes lead to an impulsive or irrational person. Happiness is something I believe every human being hopes and strives for, but in our quest to achieve it we cannot forget to stay true to ourselves and our beliefs which in turn, will maintain self-respect.
One problem with finding a balance between happiness and self-respect is that sometimes we don’t know how to go about achieving these feelings. The reason there is some much trouble is because what makes us happy and respectful of ourselves differs between every person. For some, self-respect comes from how they interact with others, their family or co workers, or even teammates. For others, self-respect may come from how much they achieve and their success in different areas in life. The road to achieving happiness differs even more between different people. Every person has their own opinion on what aspects of life are most important. I think that if a person can achieve happiness in their own important aspects of life, the happiness can spread through the other areas of their lives.
Self-respect and happiness are not necessarily one in the same, but are dependent on each other. There are people who go their entire lives finding the right balance to achieve a feeling of contentment. All we can do is continue our journeys through life finding what fulfills us as individuals because it will be different for each and every person, and no one else can find it for us.
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