"A Modest Proposal"

There were countless impressionable pieces of literature we read in class throughout the school year, but there was one in particular that stood out for its unique style, fashion, and topic. “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift was an unexpected sarcastic essay written originally as a letter to a higher authority in England. One would assume the piece is formally and properly written as it misleadingly begun with such grace, poise, and solemnity. Swift logically begins his essay by stating and elaborating on the problems of poverty and overpopulation in Ireland. He continues by saying that although the Irish are Catholic and they do not believe in the use of contraception, the children should be useful in some manner. Until this point, Swift’s argument sounds reasonable and there is no reason to doubt his intention to better society. At this point, Swift has appealed to logos and ethos, but he still has not provided the audience with a scheme or proposal. Swift proposes that they begin to eat the one year olds by selling them to the rich of England as a delicacy. Although it was aimed to be sarcastic, people took it seriously because he presented so many logical reasons as to why this benefits the English. This piece was my favorite because of the satirical aspect and the misinterpretation of many, although it was such a radical and unreasonable solution to such a large issue. I remember this piece because it was so different from the others; not only did its uniqueness help it to stand out next to the other pieces of literature, but Jonathan Swift’s style was one that was like no other.

Tensions Rise in Nigeria

"Nigerians Vote in Crucial State Elections As Tensions Flare in the South"
By: Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/11/nigerian-state-elections_n_7045896.html?utm_hp_ref=black-voices&ir=Black%20Voices
Source: Huffington Post

Nigerian citizens approached the election for state governors and assemblies, where the opposition “hopes to make gains following its victory unseating President Goodluck Jonathan two weeks ago” (Huffington Post). Nine people were killed in the oil abundant state of Rivers. Dakuku Peterside, the gubernatorial candidate for the opposition, claimed that eight of his supporters had been killed; a police said that one officer was killed. President of the Kalabari Youth Federation Livingstone Membere spoke to The Associated Press from Asari Toru area, telling them that “A lot of gunshots in the air as I speak to you, but the military is trying their best to bring the situation under control” (Huffington Post). Both the house of the state commissioner for women’s affairs and a polling station were burned down. The rivalry is brutal since Nigerian governors are among the country’s most commanding politicians and regularly control budgets larger than those of numerous African countries. An electoral official that spoke on condition of anonymity because she is not authorized to speak to reporters claimed that eight youth corps polling agents were kidnapped on the day of the election and the police managed to rescue only four by that afternoon. Igbo people in Lagos, the financial heart of the nation, have filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission “after the king of the Yoruba tribe allegedly threatened to kill them if they did not vote for his opposition gubernatorial candidate” (Huffington Post). The opposition coalition hold fourteen states to twenty one for Jonathan’s Peoples Democratic Party, which has undergone many defections since his loss in the presidential election to Muhammadu Buhari, a former military dictator. Voters are appalled by the corruption that swallows billions of dollars. Even worse, they are sickened by Jonathan’s inability to restrain Boko Haram’s nearly six-year-old Islamic uprising in the northeast that killed a reported 10,000 people in the past year alone. According to U.N. statistics, nearly two-thirds of Nigerians struggle to survive on less than two dollars a day, despite their wealth of oil.

"Once in a Lifetime"

All my life I have dreamed of being able to make a difference for the innocent dogs that have been beaten, neglected, and abused. Just because they are dogs, it does not suddenly become morally acceptable to treat them in an inhumane way. Dogs are the most common victims of animal cruelty, and reported abuse against pit bull-type dogs has been on the rise the past few years. There are hundreds, possibly thousands of cases related to animal abuse that go unreported. In the U.S. only, approximately 3.9 million dogs are entered into animal shelters and 1.2 million are euthanized. The number of stray dogs cannot be counted, but one stray dog is one too many. Animal abuse statistics show a depressing scenario when it comes to the suffering of animals at the hands of a man.

            For my “once in a lifetime” I choose to transform the lives of the innocent. I would travel to various destinations to find dogs that are in need of assistance and tend to their individual needs. Often times, pregnant female dogs are kicked out because the owner does not want to take care of the litter. To prevent these situations, all dogs will be spayed or neutered. Once the dogs seem ready to be given a new home, they will be put up for adoption. Potential owners will be put through a thorough investigation to determine whether or not they are fit to take care of this dog. Once the family has been determined eligible to adopt the dog, they will be able to take it home. The goal of this project would be to have various locations where one will be able to relocate dogs into homes where they know they will not be neglected, beaten and abused.

Gender Roles

What is the impact of gender roles that society creates and enforces?

Gender roles are false phenomena that have been crafted by humanity which have been nothing but a nuisance and have contributed nothing positive to society. The emphasis society puts on gender roles has created a world where children know the stereotypical roles of a man and those of a woman before they can decide for themselves what they think about gender. A little girl grows up learning that a woman works at home aside from having a day job. Women having jobs has been an advancement, but there is still much work to be done. On a brighter note, in the U.S. women are now in the majority of college degrees, yet they only make up about five percent of all CEOs.  It is ridiculous that in the U.S. there are more CEOs named John than all women combined. Only thirty two percent of national constitutions protect a girl’s right to an education higher than elementary school. This is the impact of the creation and emphasis of gender roles. Even though more and more women are studying, receiving degrees, and getting jobs, they are still affected by society in the field they ‘decide’ to study. There are so many women in fields like nursing, and so few in fields like engineering. Since women are seen as caretakers, it is common and expected for them to study nursing. Very rarely does one see a woman pursuing engineering, since gender roles have filled both men’s and women’s heads with the idea that women cannot manufacture anything. Women have proven to have the intellectual capacity to study in the field of engineering and succeed, but as long as society keeps feeding people with the ignorant, made up roles of men and women, these distressing statistics will never be reduced to equality.

"Bloody Sunday" Commemoration

"'Bloody Sunday' Anniversary Commemorated With March Across Selma Bridge"
By: Reuters
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/08/bloody-sunday-selma-march_n_6826932.html
Source: Huffington Post

To commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of a turning point in the civil rights movement, a weekend of events was planned which consisted of reenacting the 1965 “Bloody Sunday” march across Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. Some individuals who gathered in Selma were also planning to set out on Monday on a march to Montgomery. They plan to march along the same route that Martin Luther King Jr. and his supporters walked in the stir of Boody Sunday, which was crucial in helping the outgrowth of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. President Barack Obama attended the event and declared the work of the U.S. civil rights movement “advanced but unfinished” due to the presence of ongoing racial tension and limitation of voting rights. Standing near the bridge, President Obama said, “Fifty years from Bloody Sunday, our march is not yet finished, but we’re getting closer” (Reuters, 1). The fiftieth anniversary has come at a crucial time; the focus on racial discrepancies has been reintroduced with the unfair treatment of black civilians by white law enforcers, such as the shooting and killing of Mike Brown by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Several instances similar to that of Ferguson have ignited widespread protests all over the country. United States Representative John Lewis, who led the march over the bridge in 1965, told NBC that what happened fifty years ago had led to permanent transformations in civil rights. When speaking about the bridge, the Georgia Democrat said, “That’s where some of us gave a little blood and where some people almost died. What happened on that bridge has changed America forever” (Reuters, 1).

            Events like the march across the bridge in Selma are actions that have changed America both in history and in the present. It is pitiful that racial discrimination occurs today fifty years after occurrences like this one. The work of the civil rights movement, as President Obama said, has progressed but is still incomplete.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

In this satirical seven-minute clip from “The Daily Show,” Jon Stewart addresses the “Rage Against the Rage Against the Machine.” Because of the failure to indict police officers involved in the shooting and killing of multiple unarmed black men, nationwide protests have sparked and Fox News reporters seem upset. They state ridiculous reasons as to why these protests should not be happening, and Jon Stewart comedically crushes their unreasonable commentary. One of the news reporters claims that protesting is acceptable until the protestors are blocking traffic; once they block traffic it becomes violent. Stewart sarcastically agrees and says that if the protests for the lives of unarmed black men are violent and should be banned, then so should events such as the New York Marathon, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Puerto Rican Day Parade, the Gay Pride Parade, the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, the Halloween Parade, the German-American Steuben Parade, and most significantly the giant Christmas tree that is put up every year since they block just as much traffic as the protests, and at times more. Another reporter claims that Christmas shopping is being affected because of these protests, implying that not being able to shop at Macy’s is more of an issue than the deaths of these innocent individuals, and that Black Friday matters more than black lives. Stewart later discusses professional athletes wearing shirts that call for justice, claiming that this does not block traffic nor does it prevent people from shopping at Macy’s, so it “should be a perfectly acceptable way to express one’s feelings about political issues,” followed by a reporter who embarrasses himself by hyproctically making comments on LeBron James wearing the “I Can’t Breathe” shirt. Another report claims that the Cleveland Police Department demands an apology from the Cleveland Browns because one of the players came out wearing a shirt calling for justice for Tamir Rice. Stewarts shows how the officer who shot and killed Tamir Rice was unstable for the job, and concludes with a clip of Andrew Hawkins from the Cleveland Browns that has the power to shut the mouths of any individual who is against the black community.

            The main items being satirized are the Fox News reporters that make the outrageous comments on this issue. Stewart effectively uses parody by making fun of the reporters and the content. There is no need to add in exaggeration because what these individuals are saying is already absurd and embarrassing enough. Stewart’s use of satire is precise, just as every time he uses satire. He is obvious enough when he needs to be and the audience is never confused or bored with his content. Stewart was comical while addressing an authentic, serious issue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGbHxjjrCFE