Propaganda
by Leslie Hargis
ENG 102
Propaganda is an extremely powerful tool that has evolved into a dominant force, which has singlehandedly ripped apart the democratic process and jaded the original agenda of our country. Like most other highly effective devices conceived from desperation and greed, it can lead to absolute destruction when used improperly or irresponsibly. In his autobiography Mein Kampf, Hitler says, “: for even propaganda is no more than a weapon, though a frightful one in the hands of an expert.” (Hitler, 1943, 179). Much like the production of the atom bomb, its invention opens a floodgate of damage and will ultimately lead to the demise of the creators. According to the World English Dictionary, propaganda is “the organized dissemination of information or allegations.” It is, “information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, or nation.” (Dictionary.com).
As with every element of life, there are at least two sides to every debate; and so in the simplest of terms, propaganda can be used for good as well as for evil. Of course there are various shades of grey that color the spectrum of propaganda. Unfortunately, the negative uses of propaganda vastly outweigh the positive motivations. Propaganda can be found in nearly every television and radio advertisement; the good type and the negative forms. Organizations such as the American Cancer Society and PETA are two of the many groups that utilize the media, especially television, for their causes. For example, when the American Cancer Society launched their major advertising campaign, stating a claim to being the “official sponsors of birthdays”, they utilized a propagandistic technique known as positive endorsement and testimonial. Celebrities such as Keith Urban, Usher, Colby Colbert and others were used to endorse the movement to gain the attention of the viewers. It is highly effective. In this example, propaganda is not used with ill intentions and does not have the underlying tone of deception as say a political smear ad does. An example of a grey area of propaganda would be the animal rights activists PETA. PETA has a genuinely honest and moral mission; however, their demonstration techniques and radical one-sided barraging of opinions tend to overwhelm the masses and produce a counterproductive effect. Their uses of propaganda seem to sit on the outer limits of tolerable. Their intentions are pure at heart, but the means to demonstrate their opinions are in the grey area of propaganda. There are far better ways to go about expressing one’s opinion than to harass someone and ruin others’ property in the name of animal rights.
As the motivations and uses of propaganda move on, the scales begin to tip to the side of evil when the consequences of the propaganda’s actions prevail over the intentions of good. It is this type of propaganda, the negative influences, that society today has come to know and grown accustomed to. In terms of propaganda, evil resides in the blackened hearts of the men and women of power who cowardly use techniques to wage wars, to rally for destruction and who claim to be advocating for the greater good. Religious movements, political figures, advertising companies and the mass media industries control what information is dispersed to the public, and their actions are carefully calculated, as if playing a permanent game of chess. To think that a driving force in our society today is preconceived manipulation and planned to a “T” by a group of people who claim to be morally responsible and ethically correct creates a cause for great concern.
Historically, propaganda has evolved from a means of disseminating information to the Ancient Roman society into total control and the repression of free thought. Pope Gregory XV founded the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda, whose task was to initiate the spread of Christianity. (Graves 2010, 1). Although a religious movement with noble intentions of instilling faith, the Catholic Church was and always will be a major player in the game of negative propaganda. The use of visual symbols is another technique to influence the masses and was a popular choice of the American government to rally the nation against an enemy in WWI. (Graves 2010, 1). Perhaps for the first time in history, the true nature of propaganda and ultimately horrifying ramifications of its use reared its ugly head during the Nazi movement of World War II. Once the world witnessed the effectiveness of a hate speech, one of the most evil propagandistic methods, the human psyche was forever altered and new heights of evil and deception could be reached. Time magazine can be quoted saying, “…no Nazi has helped Adolf Hitler so much as the taut, vivid, sometimes hysterical, little man whom all Germany knows as "The Doctor," famed Dr. Paul Joseph Goebbels, now Minister of Propaganda and Public Enlightenment.” (Time, 1933,2). Together, Hitler and Goebbels quickly gained popularity and support through condescending, demanding hate speeches. It seems that as soon as propaganda took on the face of Nazi Germany, it has reached a point of no return; an irreconcilable new normal in the way propaganda and mass media work in collaboration. Since then, it seems that American culture revolves around a fixed set of information that is strategically marketed towards an audience who is losing their right to free thought and slowly transforming into a conformist community. Negative propaganda has taken a gaping lead in the race to the most effective form of mass persuasion.
In America today, the message that our leaders are sending through the mind control of propaganda is that everyone has the right to an opinion and everyone’s rights are constitutionally protected; everyone except the general public, the mass population. Through the techniques of half-truths, false realities, distorted information, character assignations, hidden sources and double speak, the government has found a very successful way of swaying the masses into action; action that the puppet masters needed all along. (Copeland, Johnson-Cartee, 2003, 164-171). It seems that with every election comes a new low for political campaigning. Perhaps it is a new strategy to assassinate an opponent’s character rather than lobbying the good a candidate intends to do. With advances in technology came new tactics and innovative tools for the art of deception. The media is no longer driven by the constitution, or compelled to deliver an unbiased information bank from which the public is able to draw conclusions and opinions independently. The motivation now is profit, whether it is monetary, stature, political power or influential force. The bottom line is that propaganda works.
Propaganda in America today is so successful because it manipulates and creates a no-way-out situation for the subjects. This unwinnable predicament that the victims find themselves in was carefully planned to allow zero room for reason or debate. As the years went on, propaganda techniques have shifted; however, the original formula holds true. Similar to blackmail, propaganda leaves its victims with no other option but to comply and submissively fold. The puppet masters feed the general population something to fear, and then quickly rise to the role of the protector before any truth or rationality is exposed. They bully action out of us and antagonize anger and fear, capitalizing on emotional blackmail and extort sympathy. As Adolf Hitler reflects, his mastery of propaganda becomes evident: “The whole art consists in doing this (calling the masses attention to something) so skillfully that everyone will be convinced that the fact is real, the process necessary, the necessity correct, etc. (Propaganda’s) effect, for the most part, must be aimed at the emotions and only to a very limited degree at the so-called intellect.” (Hitler, 1943, 180). All things considered, this may not be so bad if the creators were up front with their motives and agendas. However, being noble and forthright is dangerously close to being in compliance with our constitutional rights and, not to mention, would create a less than desirable effect in the eyes of the overseers. Propaganda is one of the greatest weapons of mass destruction ever created by man.
When exploring the finer mechanics of control, one underlying concept remains constant. There seems to be a sure fire formula for influencing the masses, i.e., fear plus anger equals control. The American government, by creating a monster to be fearful of and by evoking anger, has successfully gained the upper hand against free thought and rationality. By controlling the media, the government utilizes propaganda to its fullest capacity. In the forward of his book, Gerry Spence noted that, “We have become a culture that is fed hate; that has grown to crave hate, a hate-addicted culture that, like any other psychotic entity, can destroy itself absent treatment at the hands of those who still retain their ability to love and forgive.” (Spence, 2006, xii). This simple emotion seems more easily accessable and far more powerful than its counterpart, compassion. The real question of propaganda is who is being affected. Who is being targeted? Who is actively participating in this charade?
Anyone and everyone are affected by propaganda and we all have something to lose. There is a fine line between being educated and influenced by experiences, and perception and being conned into a frame of mind through manipulation and deceit. Fortunately for the government, it is more cost effective to gain popularity through the latter. Propaganda easily crosses generational lines by both the source and the victims. After all, we learn from those who have gone before us, and unfortunately, the ones who have gone before us have found the plutonium equivalent to swaying the majority. When examining the “silent generation”, ages 65+, we tend to find individuals who are set in their ways and tend to take a slower and steady course, unfaltering and unchanging. These folks tend to hold an ambiance of nostalgia. Having said that, older generations would most certainly benefit from taking a temperature check on their actions throughout the years and seeing how many if any were directly influenced by propaganda. The younger baby boomers and older generation Xers tend to be the most damaging to the cause. Here we tend to find ones who are easily swayed and tempted by materialistic idols and monetary gain- the go-getters. The younger generation, the “Millennia’s”, those who are just coming of age, feel socially and ethically responsible and are less inclined to be tempted by the darker arts of persuasion hold a slight advantage in this front. (Samuelson, 2010).
It would be unfair to generalize the generations and pigeon-hole a particular group into being a certain way. Equally, several other factors come into play when shaping an individual’s social scope of practice. It has been proven that propaganda only works when the audience is actively listening and then responding through actions. True, that when the deck is stacked it is hard to beat the house; however, with the right ammunition and education, propaganda can be diminished into the pages of history once again. Under the right conditions, hope can be found in all of the generations. Similar to the counter culture of the 1960s, the younger generation may, too, hold the key to changing the face of our country, by bringing in new blood and exposing the tainted. The future is anyone’s guess; though the direction it is headed in currently is not a sunny one as our government would like for us to think.
Works Cited
"Germany: We Demand!" TIME Magazine. July 10, 1933: 2.
Graves, Lisa. "Propaganda." Source Watch. March 9, 2010.
Hitler, Alolf. Mein Kampf. Cambridge: The Riverside Press, 1943.
Johnson-Cartee, Karen S., Copeland, Gary A. Strategic Political Communication: Rethinking Social Influences, Persuasion, and Propaganda. New York: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2003.
Miller, Mark Crispin, interview by Ken McDermot Roe. "Propaganda 101: How to Manufacture Consent." History Counts (July 4, 2010).
"Propaganda." Dictionary.com. 2010.
Samuelson, Robert. "The Real Generation Gap." Real Clear Politics. (March 8, 2010)
Spence, Gerry. Blood Thirsty Bitches and Pious Pimps of Power: The Rise and Risk of the New Conservative Hate Culture. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2006.
Straker, David. "A Brief History of Propaganda." Changing Minds (2010).
Showing posts with label ENG 102. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ENG 102. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Christa Blackwell: Why Nicotine Should be Illegal
"Why Nicotine Should be Illegal"
Christa Blackwell
ENG 102
440,000 deaths are associated with smoking every year (CDC, 2010). That alone should open up our eyes to see that this is a very serious issue in today’s world. Tobacco is a multi-billion dollar industry that is killing our population. If smoking were illegal we would not have as many people suffering from health concerns in America that there are today. Our hospitals are overcrowded with patients that are getting diseases from something that they are putting in their body, not knowing all the consequences of what they are doing from the start. Nicotine is not doing anything but harming Americans and showing our youth that it is ok to slowly kill ourselves. We are setting up an example that is ok to do these things when in reality it is not. Even with the continuing costs of nicotine on the rise this does not help fight the ongoing war with nicotine.
Nicotine has a much more powerful hold on smokers than alcohol does on drinkers. Whereas about 10 percent of alcohol users lose control of their intake of alcohol and become alcoholics, as many as 80 percent of all heavy smokers have tried to cut down or quit smoking but cannot overcome this dependence(Hales, 2009:375). Alcohol and nicotine are both legal here in the United States. With nicotine being more addictive than alcohol why is nicotine not illegal? You don’t see people going into rehab because of tobacco abuse. It is treated differently because it does not alter your state of mind as does alcohol and other drugs. But just as Alcohol has withdrawal symptoms, nicotine does as well. Nicotine withdrawal usually begins within hours. Symptoms include cravings, irritability, anxiety, restlessness and increased appetite (Hales, 2009: 377). Ultimately nicotine users need just as much help if not more to start the quitting process. It would be very beneficial for users to get to go to a 30 day rehab where they can be surrounded by others who have the same problems and have counselors to talk to about their issues. It is still a process and addiction that needs to be addressed according to the person.
Nicotine causes major health concerns for people who use it regularly and to people who have quit. Even for people who have smoked for years a lot have already done irreversible damage to their bodies that cannot be taken back. The diseases that you can get that are associated with nicotine are Cancer, (especially lung cancer), emphysema, heart disease, and other respiratory diseases. These are just a few things that your body can go through just by using nicotine. Smoking is linked to at least ten different cancers. It is the cause of more than 80 percent of all cases of lung cancer. The more people smoke, the longer they smoke, and the earlier they start smoking, the more likely they are to develop lung cancer (Hales, 2009: 379). The chemicals that are in nicotine are extremely hazardous to our health which is why they cause cancer. From my personal experience a family friend was diagnosed with lung cancer and she had quit smoking almost 20 years ago. This just shows how it affects our lungs. Even when people do eventually quit they have done damage that cannot be fixed. If nicotine was illegal, a lot of the healthcare issues would be addressed but would not be at the level they are now with nicotine being legal. We would not see as many cases of people in the hospital for smoking related diseases. And since nicotine would be harder to find and you would not be able to light a cigarette up wherever you wanted, causing people to be more inconspicuous about smoking. I work at UK and there is not a day that goes by that I do not drive by the hospital to see patients lined up with their oxygen tanks puffing on their cigarettes. The saddest part of it all is that they are more than likely in the hospital for nicotine related issues, continuing to kill themselves. If nicotine was illegal people would not be able to smoke as freely as they do now, but also they would be saving their bodies from these harmful diseases.
With women being just as dependent on nicotine as men it is inevitable that they would continue to use nicotine during pregnancy. Women who smoke present different challenges to doctors. The impact of their smoking on the fetus is a major public health issue(Bradley:2009, 371).Infants born to smoking mothers appear to suffer from reduced lung capacity, with the infants experiencing an average of 10% reduction in their lung functions. Infants born to women who smoke a pack a day or more were found twice as likely to grow up and become cigarette smokers as to children of non-smoking mothers. Finally, infants who are exposed to cigarette smoke suffer a significantly higher rate of SIDS than infants who are not exposed to this hazard (Doweiko, 2009: 247). What is happening is that mothers are consciously making a decision to put hazardous chemicals in their body when they know that this could harm the child. Right now when you go into a hospital if a mother is knowingly taking drugs, the child is drug tested upon birth and if they find drugs in the child’s system the child is immediately taken away. The same should be done in these cases as well for nicotine. The child could suffer from devastating problems that would carry on into the child’s adult life. With SIDS the child could die, and all because the mother wanted to continue using nicotine. If nicotine was illegal, we could punish the people that are doing this to infants who have no say in the matter. They could have consequences for their actions especially if it was found they had done damage to the child from their decisions. I don’t think that nicotine is any different than drugs when a woman is pregnant, both nicotine and drugs do damage to an infant. If smoking were eliminated, it is estimated that there would be 25 percent fewer low birth weights in infants (Robertson, 2002:49). This would help our children’s healthcare immensely with them being born healthy and not having to go to the hospital or getting checked out as much as they would if they had health problems. As a whole this would cut down on healthcare costs, which in our overspending country would be very beneficial.
More than 126 million nonsmoking Americans continue to be exposed to secondhand smoke in homes, vehicles, workplaces, and public places. Most exposures to tobacco smoke occur in homes and workplaces. Almost 60% of US children aged 3-11 years –or almost 22 million children—are exposed to secondhand smoke (CDC,2007). Just recently has it been said that secondhand smoke could cause health problems to those who do not smoke. Children are at the greatest risk for health problems due to secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke in the home poses great hazards for the children present. More than 350,000 respiratory diseases are found in children each year that are directly related to secondhand smoke(Robertson, 2002:49). Children are at such high risk for getting different infections and get sick a lot more than children who are not exposed to secondhand smoke. It is so toxic because even though you are not actually smoking the tobacco, you are breathing the same chemicals as smokers are. These chemicals can come from the tobacco or the soil, paper and ingredients added to make the tobacco taste better. Carbon monoxide (car exhaust), Toluene (paint thinner), and cadmium (batteries) are just a few of the toxic chemicals that we breathe in by secondhand smoke. To an infant or small child with a poor immune system these chemicals could harm them irreversibly. Secondhand smoke is very deadly and a very serious problem. We don’t ask to be exposed to secondhand smoke sometimes we just are. There are different levels of secondhand smoke but with either being in a room with a lot of smoke or just a little bit they all affect you the same way. As adults we can leave the room, or ask the person not to do that around us. Children on the other hand don’t have that voice to choose if they want to be exposed to secondhand smoke, especially if their parents are smokers in the home. If smoking were illegal children would not have to deal with this health concern. Non-smokers wouldn’t have to worry if they go somewhere that they may be exposed to smoke. For example, I had to go to a retirement party for my uncle. This was in Ohio where smoking is permitted in private facilities. The whole room was full of smokers and I could barely stand it to stay in there. The next day my throat was hurting and I know it was because I am not around smokers that often. Secondhand smoke is just as bad as smoking if not worse because at least with smoking the people are choosing to smoke. Non-smokers are not choosing to be exposed to second-hand smoke.
Lexington, Kentucky was the first city in the state of Kentucky to put into effect a smoke-free ordinance and went into effect April 27, 2004 (Anderson:2007, 1). They have made restaurants, businesses and campuses a smoke-free environment. IT has affected all the bars here in Lexington with not allowing customers to smoke inside or on the premises without being fined for their actions. Penalties for violating this begin at $100 for the first offense, $250 for second offense, and $500 for each other offense after. Individuals who are smoking in a prohibited area and have been asked to leave can have trespassing charges brought against them if they refuse to leave (Anderson: 2007, 1). For people who are non-smokers this really was a breakthrough moment because now we could go out in public or our favorite restaurant and not be bothered by a cloud of smoke over our heads. It was very exciting time but now that some time has passed, even though people are not smoking inside buildings we are still being exposed in public places. This is such a great step in the right direction but I don’t believe that the ultimate goal was fulfilled here. The goal is to eliminate smoking and cause people to want to quit smoking. With smokers they will always find a way to smoke, so even though now there are fines they could receive for breaking these rules a lot of people either don’t get caught or are being over looked now. I think if smoking were illegal it would be helping us strive for a healthier way of life here in Kentucky and show people that we are serious about the regulations we are putting on the community.
On campus, University of Kentucky became smoke free on November 19, 2009. A few years after Lexington became smoke free. UK decided this was what they wanted to do because of all the money that is being spent on treating people who get sick from using tobacco products and being exposed to secondhand smoke. This is in turn directly related to their students, patients, employees and visitors at risk for disease. University of Kentucky has a high level of respect in the community and I don’t think that they would want people visiting the campus being disgusted at people using nicotine. As a UK employee, I have been directed affected by this smoking ban. I have seen the regulations go into effect and how upset people have become because of this ban. I have seen the worst possible thing happen, fire an employee for not smoking in the designated area. These designated smoking areas are being used instead of people being able to smoke wherever they want to. So now instead of seeing people smoking everywhere on campus they are just huddled up in certain areas. At the hospital the patients, visitors, and employees smoke on the corner of limestone. I do not see the benefit of smoking in one designated place or smoking campus wide. It is still smoking both ways and needs to be abolished.
$96 billion of the total US health care costs each year are attributed to smoking. This is below the total cost to society because it does not include burn care from smoking-related fires, prenatal care for low-birth weight infants or mothers who smoke, and medical care costs associated with disease from secondhand smoke. In addition, the costs of lost productivity due to smoking are $97 billion a year, making the economic burden of smoking to $193 billion per year (NIDA:2007). The direct costs of nicotine on our healthcare system are why nicotine should be illegal. Research that has been done on health care costs among former smokers suggests that quitters incur greater health care costs for up to four years after quitting. So if a smoker does not have health insurance either the hospital has to pay for the expenses he/she is racking up or we are using our taxpaying dollars to pay for healthcare expenses. I feel like there are a lot better things that we can use our money for than to pay hospital bills to a smoker. We have just now almost gotten out of the recession the economy has been in, and to continue to keep paying for these expenses will put us right back to where we do not want to be. I have seen now that companies are not willing to hire smokers and are giving their current employees time to quit or they may lose their jobs. Not only for the reason they are promoting a nicotine free workplace but because their healthcare costs are rising and it is effecting everyone in the company.
As you can see, Nicotine is affecting the community we live in. This is a multi-billion dollar industry that is taking control over our society. If we made nicotine illegal a lot of things would be changed. A lot of the health risks that smoking causes like lung cancer, asthma or emphysema would not be as prevalent as it is right now. We could be fighting back against these diseases because they are preventable diseases. Women being pregnant would be addressed at a more serious level than it is right now. Women wouldn’t be putting these chemicals in their bodies as freely now because they would face serious consequences. Just the same that a baby born with drugs in their system it would be treated the same with nicotine. Both are harmful to babies and both can leave them with irreversible damage. This also goes along with second-hand smoke. You would not be allowed to smoke in public places or even the privacy of your own home. This would be very beneficial to children who have no voice when it comes to secondhand smoke. They can’t choose if they want to stay where they are and breathe in these chemicals. They would not have to suffer the consequences of their parent’s actions any longer, leading to healthier, active and happy children. With the smoking ban being around for some years now, we have seen the results and how it is helping our community stay healthier. This is the first step to get nicotine illegal and showing society how we are fighting for the health of our community. And if you still believe that smoking isn’t that bad just look at how smoking is affecting healthcare costs but also the costs of medical insurance. We can be a part and help the national budget stay low by eliminating smoking. We will live in a much more proactive society that is concerned about the well being of others.
Anderson, Deborah. "Smoking Laws In Kentucky." Associated Content (2007): pg. 1-4. Web. 16 Nov 2010.
Brady, Kathleen. Women and Addiction: A comprehensive Handbook. New York, NY: The Guilford Press, 2009.
"Data & Statistics: Secondhand Smoke." Centers for Disease Control . N.p., 06142007. Web. 9 Nov 2010.
Doweiko, Harold E. Concepts of Chemical Dependency. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning, 2009.
Hales, Diana. An Invitation to Health. 2009-2010. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009.
Robertson, Cathie. Safety, Nutrition & Health in Childcare. Albany, NY: Delmar, 2002.
"Smoking and Tobacco Use ." Center for Disease Control. Center for Disease Control , 03 11 2010. Web. 3 Nov 2010.
"Tobacco Addiction." National Institute on Drug Abuse (2007): 1. Web. 16 Nov 2010.
Christa Blackwell
ENG 102
440,000 deaths are associated with smoking every year (CDC, 2010). That alone should open up our eyes to see that this is a very serious issue in today’s world. Tobacco is a multi-billion dollar industry that is killing our population. If smoking were illegal we would not have as many people suffering from health concerns in America that there are today. Our hospitals are overcrowded with patients that are getting diseases from something that they are putting in their body, not knowing all the consequences of what they are doing from the start. Nicotine is not doing anything but harming Americans and showing our youth that it is ok to slowly kill ourselves. We are setting up an example that is ok to do these things when in reality it is not. Even with the continuing costs of nicotine on the rise this does not help fight the ongoing war with nicotine.
Nicotine has a much more powerful hold on smokers than alcohol does on drinkers. Whereas about 10 percent of alcohol users lose control of their intake of alcohol and become alcoholics, as many as 80 percent of all heavy smokers have tried to cut down or quit smoking but cannot overcome this dependence(Hales, 2009:375). Alcohol and nicotine are both legal here in the United States. With nicotine being more addictive than alcohol why is nicotine not illegal? You don’t see people going into rehab because of tobacco abuse. It is treated differently because it does not alter your state of mind as does alcohol and other drugs. But just as Alcohol has withdrawal symptoms, nicotine does as well. Nicotine withdrawal usually begins within hours. Symptoms include cravings, irritability, anxiety, restlessness and increased appetite (Hales, 2009: 377). Ultimately nicotine users need just as much help if not more to start the quitting process. It would be very beneficial for users to get to go to a 30 day rehab where they can be surrounded by others who have the same problems and have counselors to talk to about their issues. It is still a process and addiction that needs to be addressed according to the person.
Nicotine causes major health concerns for people who use it regularly and to people who have quit. Even for people who have smoked for years a lot have already done irreversible damage to their bodies that cannot be taken back. The diseases that you can get that are associated with nicotine are Cancer, (especially lung cancer), emphysema, heart disease, and other respiratory diseases. These are just a few things that your body can go through just by using nicotine. Smoking is linked to at least ten different cancers. It is the cause of more than 80 percent of all cases of lung cancer. The more people smoke, the longer they smoke, and the earlier they start smoking, the more likely they are to develop lung cancer (Hales, 2009: 379). The chemicals that are in nicotine are extremely hazardous to our health which is why they cause cancer. From my personal experience a family friend was diagnosed with lung cancer and she had quit smoking almost 20 years ago. This just shows how it affects our lungs. Even when people do eventually quit they have done damage that cannot be fixed. If nicotine was illegal, a lot of the healthcare issues would be addressed but would not be at the level they are now with nicotine being legal. We would not see as many cases of people in the hospital for smoking related diseases. And since nicotine would be harder to find and you would not be able to light a cigarette up wherever you wanted, causing people to be more inconspicuous about smoking. I work at UK and there is not a day that goes by that I do not drive by the hospital to see patients lined up with their oxygen tanks puffing on their cigarettes. The saddest part of it all is that they are more than likely in the hospital for nicotine related issues, continuing to kill themselves. If nicotine was illegal people would not be able to smoke as freely as they do now, but also they would be saving their bodies from these harmful diseases.
With women being just as dependent on nicotine as men it is inevitable that they would continue to use nicotine during pregnancy. Women who smoke present different challenges to doctors. The impact of their smoking on the fetus is a major public health issue(Bradley:2009, 371).Infants born to smoking mothers appear to suffer from reduced lung capacity, with the infants experiencing an average of 10% reduction in their lung functions. Infants born to women who smoke a pack a day or more were found twice as likely to grow up and become cigarette smokers as to children of non-smoking mothers. Finally, infants who are exposed to cigarette smoke suffer a significantly higher rate of SIDS than infants who are not exposed to this hazard (Doweiko, 2009: 247). What is happening is that mothers are consciously making a decision to put hazardous chemicals in their body when they know that this could harm the child. Right now when you go into a hospital if a mother is knowingly taking drugs, the child is drug tested upon birth and if they find drugs in the child’s system the child is immediately taken away. The same should be done in these cases as well for nicotine. The child could suffer from devastating problems that would carry on into the child’s adult life. With SIDS the child could die, and all because the mother wanted to continue using nicotine. If nicotine was illegal, we could punish the people that are doing this to infants who have no say in the matter. They could have consequences for their actions especially if it was found they had done damage to the child from their decisions. I don’t think that nicotine is any different than drugs when a woman is pregnant, both nicotine and drugs do damage to an infant. If smoking were eliminated, it is estimated that there would be 25 percent fewer low birth weights in infants (Robertson, 2002:49). This would help our children’s healthcare immensely with them being born healthy and not having to go to the hospital or getting checked out as much as they would if they had health problems. As a whole this would cut down on healthcare costs, which in our overspending country would be very beneficial.
More than 126 million nonsmoking Americans continue to be exposed to secondhand smoke in homes, vehicles, workplaces, and public places. Most exposures to tobacco smoke occur in homes and workplaces. Almost 60% of US children aged 3-11 years –or almost 22 million children—are exposed to secondhand smoke (CDC,2007). Just recently has it been said that secondhand smoke could cause health problems to those who do not smoke. Children are at the greatest risk for health problems due to secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke in the home poses great hazards for the children present. More than 350,000 respiratory diseases are found in children each year that are directly related to secondhand smoke(Robertson, 2002:49). Children are at such high risk for getting different infections and get sick a lot more than children who are not exposed to secondhand smoke. It is so toxic because even though you are not actually smoking the tobacco, you are breathing the same chemicals as smokers are. These chemicals can come from the tobacco or the soil, paper and ingredients added to make the tobacco taste better. Carbon monoxide (car exhaust), Toluene (paint thinner), and cadmium (batteries) are just a few of the toxic chemicals that we breathe in by secondhand smoke. To an infant or small child with a poor immune system these chemicals could harm them irreversibly. Secondhand smoke is very deadly and a very serious problem. We don’t ask to be exposed to secondhand smoke sometimes we just are. There are different levels of secondhand smoke but with either being in a room with a lot of smoke or just a little bit they all affect you the same way. As adults we can leave the room, or ask the person not to do that around us. Children on the other hand don’t have that voice to choose if they want to be exposed to secondhand smoke, especially if their parents are smokers in the home. If smoking were illegal children would not have to deal with this health concern. Non-smokers wouldn’t have to worry if they go somewhere that they may be exposed to smoke. For example, I had to go to a retirement party for my uncle. This was in Ohio where smoking is permitted in private facilities. The whole room was full of smokers and I could barely stand it to stay in there. The next day my throat was hurting and I know it was because I am not around smokers that often. Secondhand smoke is just as bad as smoking if not worse because at least with smoking the people are choosing to smoke. Non-smokers are not choosing to be exposed to second-hand smoke.
Lexington, Kentucky was the first city in the state of Kentucky to put into effect a smoke-free ordinance and went into effect April 27, 2004 (Anderson:2007, 1). They have made restaurants, businesses and campuses a smoke-free environment. IT has affected all the bars here in Lexington with not allowing customers to smoke inside or on the premises without being fined for their actions. Penalties for violating this begin at $100 for the first offense, $250 for second offense, and $500 for each other offense after. Individuals who are smoking in a prohibited area and have been asked to leave can have trespassing charges brought against them if they refuse to leave (Anderson: 2007, 1). For people who are non-smokers this really was a breakthrough moment because now we could go out in public or our favorite restaurant and not be bothered by a cloud of smoke over our heads. It was very exciting time but now that some time has passed, even though people are not smoking inside buildings we are still being exposed in public places. This is such a great step in the right direction but I don’t believe that the ultimate goal was fulfilled here. The goal is to eliminate smoking and cause people to want to quit smoking. With smokers they will always find a way to smoke, so even though now there are fines they could receive for breaking these rules a lot of people either don’t get caught or are being over looked now. I think if smoking were illegal it would be helping us strive for a healthier way of life here in Kentucky and show people that we are serious about the regulations we are putting on the community.
On campus, University of Kentucky became smoke free on November 19, 2009. A few years after Lexington became smoke free. UK decided this was what they wanted to do because of all the money that is being spent on treating people who get sick from using tobacco products and being exposed to secondhand smoke. This is in turn directly related to their students, patients, employees and visitors at risk for disease. University of Kentucky has a high level of respect in the community and I don’t think that they would want people visiting the campus being disgusted at people using nicotine. As a UK employee, I have been directed affected by this smoking ban. I have seen the regulations go into effect and how upset people have become because of this ban. I have seen the worst possible thing happen, fire an employee for not smoking in the designated area. These designated smoking areas are being used instead of people being able to smoke wherever they want to. So now instead of seeing people smoking everywhere on campus they are just huddled up in certain areas. At the hospital the patients, visitors, and employees smoke on the corner of limestone. I do not see the benefit of smoking in one designated place or smoking campus wide. It is still smoking both ways and needs to be abolished.
$96 billion of the total US health care costs each year are attributed to smoking. This is below the total cost to society because it does not include burn care from smoking-related fires, prenatal care for low-birth weight infants or mothers who smoke, and medical care costs associated with disease from secondhand smoke. In addition, the costs of lost productivity due to smoking are $97 billion a year, making the economic burden of smoking to $193 billion per year (NIDA:2007). The direct costs of nicotine on our healthcare system are why nicotine should be illegal. Research that has been done on health care costs among former smokers suggests that quitters incur greater health care costs for up to four years after quitting. So if a smoker does not have health insurance either the hospital has to pay for the expenses he/she is racking up or we are using our taxpaying dollars to pay for healthcare expenses. I feel like there are a lot better things that we can use our money for than to pay hospital bills to a smoker. We have just now almost gotten out of the recession the economy has been in, and to continue to keep paying for these expenses will put us right back to where we do not want to be. I have seen now that companies are not willing to hire smokers and are giving their current employees time to quit or they may lose their jobs. Not only for the reason they are promoting a nicotine free workplace but because their healthcare costs are rising and it is effecting everyone in the company.
As you can see, Nicotine is affecting the community we live in. This is a multi-billion dollar industry that is taking control over our society. If we made nicotine illegal a lot of things would be changed. A lot of the health risks that smoking causes like lung cancer, asthma or emphysema would not be as prevalent as it is right now. We could be fighting back against these diseases because they are preventable diseases. Women being pregnant would be addressed at a more serious level than it is right now. Women wouldn’t be putting these chemicals in their bodies as freely now because they would face serious consequences. Just the same that a baby born with drugs in their system it would be treated the same with nicotine. Both are harmful to babies and both can leave them with irreversible damage. This also goes along with second-hand smoke. You would not be allowed to smoke in public places or even the privacy of your own home. This would be very beneficial to children who have no voice when it comes to secondhand smoke. They can’t choose if they want to stay where they are and breathe in these chemicals. They would not have to suffer the consequences of their parent’s actions any longer, leading to healthier, active and happy children. With the smoking ban being around for some years now, we have seen the results and how it is helping our community stay healthier. This is the first step to get nicotine illegal and showing society how we are fighting for the health of our community. And if you still believe that smoking isn’t that bad just look at how smoking is affecting healthcare costs but also the costs of medical insurance. We can be a part and help the national budget stay low by eliminating smoking. We will live in a much more proactive society that is concerned about the well being of others.
Anderson, Deborah. "Smoking Laws In Kentucky." Associated Content (2007): pg. 1-4. Web. 16 Nov 2010.
Brady, Kathleen. Women and Addiction: A comprehensive Handbook. New York, NY: The Guilford Press, 2009.
"Data & Statistics: Secondhand Smoke." Centers for Disease Control . N.p., 06142007. Web. 9 Nov 2010.
Doweiko, Harold E. Concepts of Chemical Dependency. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning, 2009.
Hales, Diana. An Invitation to Health. 2009-2010. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009.
Robertson, Cathie. Safety, Nutrition & Health in Childcare. Albany, NY: Delmar, 2002.
"Smoking and Tobacco Use ." Center for Disease Control. Center for Disease Control , 03 11 2010. Web. 3 Nov 2010.
"Tobacco Addiction." National Institute on Drug Abuse (2007): 1. Web. 16 Nov 2010.
Monday, November 01, 2010
Leslie Hargis: ENG 102 Personal Essay
Leslie Hargis
September 20, 2010
Portfolio 1 – Personal Essay
The ocean, so incredibly intricate and delicate and so easily taken for granted. It is miraculously woven together in a complexity that can only be compared to the universe with its infinite mysteries. Like a weathered grandmother gently smiles with the wisdom and the absolute knowing that all is in its own perfect order, the ocean, too, smiles as if holding a precious secret in the cavernous depths closest to her heart. She breathes the steady breath of life as her breast gently rises and falls with every carefully coordinated respiration. Her tantalizing truths tear at the very center of my subconscious as I search for self-identity and a higher state of awareness. I recall my encounters with this seductive landscape both as a child ripe with innocence and as an adult who has come full circle with her demons.
From these memories I draw strength, appreciation, respect and inspiration; and form an ideology that drives my life. The sublime attraction of the ocean holds an aura of divinity for me, and it is from this that I begin to grasp a deeper sense of myself. It is more than poetic irony how the ocean can be one of the earth’s most unrelentingly destructive forces and a source of tranquility at the same time. This may seem like a paradox, but to me it is simply the best explanation and most vivid demonstration of the human condition. It is the essence of me. My pursuit of self-awareness begins where the surf meets the sand.
The first time I encountered the ocean was not on a family vacation but when I was three years old and my mom attended a weekend conference. I was more or less along for the ride. Not expecting to visit the beach, she did not pack a swimsuit, an umbrella, toys, or any other traditional beach gear. We pulled over at a public beach, and apparently before my mom could catch me, I ran headfirst into the surf. Much like my attitude later in life, I threw caution to the wind and dove right in. I had no prior conception of what waves were, what the salt water tasted like, how hot the sand would be and without a shred of apprehension I was immersed in the wonder that is the ocean. My mom laughs, now, at the size of the tantrum I threw when she plucked me from my spot in the water at nightfall. My first encounter with the enchanting call of the ocean was driven by a force much larger than myself or my free will. It was governed, much like the ebb and flow of the waves, by an unseen energy.
It was not until I was 9 or 10 that I had the chance to consciously and collectively experience the ocean again; at the Outer Banks of North Carolina. In these memories I find a metamorphic basis for my outlook on life. Our caravan arrived at the rental house in late afternoon; all three cars were pack to the brim with my extended family. The house was on stilts, the interior walls were painted every gaudy color of the rainbow and the furniture was boldly outdated. The house was on a dead end street which gave way to a battered boardwalk that crossed the protective sand dunes. Scattered throughout the dunes were tufts of wild sea oats. This wild foliage pierced the defensive sand dunes much like my own free-spirit would stand alone on top of the carefully constructed shelter my parents encapsulated me with. The thick ocean breeze would dance with the sea oats leading them in a fantastic waltz that rivals Fred and Ginger’s impeccable chemistry and timing. Like Alice traveling through the looking glass, the other side of the dunes and oats lay the most magical place I have ever encountered. The sand was grainy and sharp with bits and pieces of broken shells blanketing the floor yet seemed to hold an inviting ambiance. At the water’s edge, a never ending symphony of sounds filled my ears and lifted my soul. The waves, in all their glory, kept time like a metronome on top of a grand piano. It was as if the waves were subliminally setting the pace to my breaths; a calm rhythmic march. I can remember running into the waves with such conviction and determination that it did not matter how blazing hot the sand was or how frigid the Atlantic ocean was. Out in the peripheral distance a bridge punctured the coast line giving me a sense of seclusion. Even further, a lighthouse towered into the sky holding its post like a noble and vigilant watchman. Overhead, the seagulls cawed and circled. The remainder of the day my Aunt and I scoured the beach for unique shells. I can clearly remember racing my cousins over the boardwalk into my personal Narnia. At that moment, when I had the pleasure of meeting the Matriarch of Nature in person, I was absolutely spell bound.
What I thought was childhood excitement I now believe was the pure electrical energy the ocean generated and its waves pulsating through my veins. A thunderstorm blew up the second night we were there, and the screened in porch was the perfect place to marvel in the elements. Thunderstorms also hold a special place in my psyche, for they evoke a sense of excitement and danger. The next day, after the storm, the beach was littered with washed up jellyfish. The waves were bigger and unruly, and they thrashed wildly as the remnants of the storm dissipated. So overpowering in fact that one particular monster managed to knock me off balance, and I struggled to counter the constant turning of the crest. At that time, I still felt no panic, no imminent threat to my safety as the waves rolled me like a crocodile rolls its prey into submission. The storm on the water, much like the storm that was brewing inside of me, left debris as evidence of its fury. There was still something soothing about the ocean, despite its volatile moods. It was free and raw, it held an unadulterated vibrancy. After spending all day in the water, when lying in bed, I could still feel the push and pull of the ocean. The pulse, the heartbeat of the ocean was still counting time against my body. This brief but monumental encounter with the ocean may have been the beginning of the end of my childhood, of my innocence.
Over the next few years, the waves of adolescence crashed into my bubble and I was carried off with the rip tides of teenage awkwardness. I was suddenly swimming with sharks, without a cage and with only a limited supply of oxygen. I regarded the stilts that held up my life and the sand dunes that took the heaviest blows not as protective guardians anymore, but as restraints and confines. To rebel, to go against the current, I answered the bewitching call of the sirens and plotted a course of destruction and addiction. I was no longer building sand castles or collecting sea shells. I dove head first into life, and like the Atlantic Ocean, it was cold and unforgiving. No matter how hard I tried, I could not stand on my own two feet in the crest of my waves. I was Dorothy asleep in the poppy fields. For the next 11 years of my life I was indulging myself with the most irreverent display of disrespect. It was as if I were a surfer trying to harness the sheer power of the wave instead of allowing the wave to carry me. It did not take long for my levies to break and I was drowning in a flood of addiction. Like a natural disaster, the tides of my behaviors left a path of destruction that affected a countless number of other people besides me. My storms had washed up jellyfish, deserting them in the exposed sun leaving them to rot. Finally, one day in August of 2006, a beam of light caught my attention. It was as if a light house’s beacon had pierced the fog and was beckoning me back home.
As I lay in my third and final hospital room, the haze of the last overdose was beginning to lift and one image stood out brighter than anything else. This image was so real, so lucid that I was suspicious of its origin. I was standing on the water’s edge, staring off into the vastness into the distance. If I stood there for too long, I knew the waves would take the sand from under my feet piece by piece. I would sink a little further with every lap of the tide, solidifying my existence on the shoreline; making it impossible to ever to play in the waves again. Then, instantly, I say myself running across the rickety splintered boardwalk, crossing into my sanctuary and taking a breath of relief and surrender. Suddenly it all became so clear to me. I knew that I had to harness my inner ocean, my inner drive to find my inner peace. Gradually, I found my rhythm again. As a reward, fate found a way to bring me back to myself, to my element, to the ocean.
This past summer, after 17 years of being away, I once again stepped into the looking glass. This trip was especially meaningful. It was the first time both my parents and I took a family vacation together. It was much more than a family vacation. It was a chance to mend, to move forward, and to rebuild after the flood. I had alienated them, disappointed and disrespected them. My selfish choices had destroyed our dynamic. As I stepped on each splintered and warped plank of the boardwalk, and as the soft tails of the wild sea oats caressed my hands, tears welled up in my eyes. We sat in silence; my mom, dad and I, and a simple prayer of gratitude kissed my lips. I vowed to never take this image that sprawled out in front of me for granted again. The sun’s rays glistened like a thousand diamonds as it pulled the cover of the horizon over its head; as if a loving mother was tucking in her child for bed. Ironically, a sea storm blew up within the first hour that we were there, but as quickly as it came in it left. It was as if to remind me that no storm is too bad, no storm is worth giving up. It was only fitting that my dad had never experienced the ocean until this trip. I believe that the muse that influences fate knew that this was the right scene for forgiveness, for reconciliation, for tranquility. More so, this force knew that this day would come. The three of us never enjoyed each other’s company like this before. During my journey leading up to this moment, I found it easy to forgive others for their wrongs, but clutched onto my own guilt and shame. Here, at the water’s edge, sitting next to my dad waiting for the sleepy sun to rise over the sea of tranquility, absorbing the song of the waves; I found the strength to forgive myself. I found the inspiration to let go and to be free.
The ocean is a weathered grandmother, smiling ever so slightly as she takes on the role of the observer. She breathes the steady breath of life as she rocks back and forth in rhythm. She acts in calmness and a clairvoyant knowing that this too shall pass. A sly mischievous smile plays across her face and a sparkle of excitement twinkles in her eyes as she brings joy to others. Much like the matriarch of a family I go to the ocean for guidance, for wisdom, for serenity.
September 20, 2010
Portfolio 1 – Personal Essay
The ocean, so incredibly intricate and delicate and so easily taken for granted. It is miraculously woven together in a complexity that can only be compared to the universe with its infinite mysteries. Like a weathered grandmother gently smiles with the wisdom and the absolute knowing that all is in its own perfect order, the ocean, too, smiles as if holding a precious secret in the cavernous depths closest to her heart. She breathes the steady breath of life as her breast gently rises and falls with every carefully coordinated respiration. Her tantalizing truths tear at the very center of my subconscious as I search for self-identity and a higher state of awareness. I recall my encounters with this seductive landscape both as a child ripe with innocence and as an adult who has come full circle with her demons.
From these memories I draw strength, appreciation, respect and inspiration; and form an ideology that drives my life. The sublime attraction of the ocean holds an aura of divinity for me, and it is from this that I begin to grasp a deeper sense of myself. It is more than poetic irony how the ocean can be one of the earth’s most unrelentingly destructive forces and a source of tranquility at the same time. This may seem like a paradox, but to me it is simply the best explanation and most vivid demonstration of the human condition. It is the essence of me. My pursuit of self-awareness begins where the surf meets the sand.
The first time I encountered the ocean was not on a family vacation but when I was three years old and my mom attended a weekend conference. I was more or less along for the ride. Not expecting to visit the beach, she did not pack a swimsuit, an umbrella, toys, or any other traditional beach gear. We pulled over at a public beach, and apparently before my mom could catch me, I ran headfirst into the surf. Much like my attitude later in life, I threw caution to the wind and dove right in. I had no prior conception of what waves were, what the salt water tasted like, how hot the sand would be and without a shred of apprehension I was immersed in the wonder that is the ocean. My mom laughs, now, at the size of the tantrum I threw when she plucked me from my spot in the water at nightfall. My first encounter with the enchanting call of the ocean was driven by a force much larger than myself or my free will. It was governed, much like the ebb and flow of the waves, by an unseen energy.
It was not until I was 9 or 10 that I had the chance to consciously and collectively experience the ocean again; at the Outer Banks of North Carolina. In these memories I find a metamorphic basis for my outlook on life. Our caravan arrived at the rental house in late afternoon; all three cars were pack to the brim with my extended family. The house was on stilts, the interior walls were painted every gaudy color of the rainbow and the furniture was boldly outdated. The house was on a dead end street which gave way to a battered boardwalk that crossed the protective sand dunes. Scattered throughout the dunes were tufts of wild sea oats. This wild foliage pierced the defensive sand dunes much like my own free-spirit would stand alone on top of the carefully constructed shelter my parents encapsulated me with. The thick ocean breeze would dance with the sea oats leading them in a fantastic waltz that rivals Fred and Ginger’s impeccable chemistry and timing. Like Alice traveling through the looking glass, the other side of the dunes and oats lay the most magical place I have ever encountered. The sand was grainy and sharp with bits and pieces of broken shells blanketing the floor yet seemed to hold an inviting ambiance. At the water’s edge, a never ending symphony of sounds filled my ears and lifted my soul. The waves, in all their glory, kept time like a metronome on top of a grand piano. It was as if the waves were subliminally setting the pace to my breaths; a calm rhythmic march. I can remember running into the waves with such conviction and determination that it did not matter how blazing hot the sand was or how frigid the Atlantic ocean was. Out in the peripheral distance a bridge punctured the coast line giving me a sense of seclusion. Even further, a lighthouse towered into the sky holding its post like a noble and vigilant watchman. Overhead, the seagulls cawed and circled. The remainder of the day my Aunt and I scoured the beach for unique shells. I can clearly remember racing my cousins over the boardwalk into my personal Narnia. At that moment, when I had the pleasure of meeting the Matriarch of Nature in person, I was absolutely spell bound.
What I thought was childhood excitement I now believe was the pure electrical energy the ocean generated and its waves pulsating through my veins. A thunderstorm blew up the second night we were there, and the screened in porch was the perfect place to marvel in the elements. Thunderstorms also hold a special place in my psyche, for they evoke a sense of excitement and danger. The next day, after the storm, the beach was littered with washed up jellyfish. The waves were bigger and unruly, and they thrashed wildly as the remnants of the storm dissipated. So overpowering in fact that one particular monster managed to knock me off balance, and I struggled to counter the constant turning of the crest. At that time, I still felt no panic, no imminent threat to my safety as the waves rolled me like a crocodile rolls its prey into submission. The storm on the water, much like the storm that was brewing inside of me, left debris as evidence of its fury. There was still something soothing about the ocean, despite its volatile moods. It was free and raw, it held an unadulterated vibrancy. After spending all day in the water, when lying in bed, I could still feel the push and pull of the ocean. The pulse, the heartbeat of the ocean was still counting time against my body. This brief but monumental encounter with the ocean may have been the beginning of the end of my childhood, of my innocence.
Over the next few years, the waves of adolescence crashed into my bubble and I was carried off with the rip tides of teenage awkwardness. I was suddenly swimming with sharks, without a cage and with only a limited supply of oxygen. I regarded the stilts that held up my life and the sand dunes that took the heaviest blows not as protective guardians anymore, but as restraints and confines. To rebel, to go against the current, I answered the bewitching call of the sirens and plotted a course of destruction and addiction. I was no longer building sand castles or collecting sea shells. I dove head first into life, and like the Atlantic Ocean, it was cold and unforgiving. No matter how hard I tried, I could not stand on my own two feet in the crest of my waves. I was Dorothy asleep in the poppy fields. For the next 11 years of my life I was indulging myself with the most irreverent display of disrespect. It was as if I were a surfer trying to harness the sheer power of the wave instead of allowing the wave to carry me. It did not take long for my levies to break and I was drowning in a flood of addiction. Like a natural disaster, the tides of my behaviors left a path of destruction that affected a countless number of other people besides me. My storms had washed up jellyfish, deserting them in the exposed sun leaving them to rot. Finally, one day in August of 2006, a beam of light caught my attention. It was as if a light house’s beacon had pierced the fog and was beckoning me back home.
As I lay in my third and final hospital room, the haze of the last overdose was beginning to lift and one image stood out brighter than anything else. This image was so real, so lucid that I was suspicious of its origin. I was standing on the water’s edge, staring off into the vastness into the distance. If I stood there for too long, I knew the waves would take the sand from under my feet piece by piece. I would sink a little further with every lap of the tide, solidifying my existence on the shoreline; making it impossible to ever to play in the waves again. Then, instantly, I say myself running across the rickety splintered boardwalk, crossing into my sanctuary and taking a breath of relief and surrender. Suddenly it all became so clear to me. I knew that I had to harness my inner ocean, my inner drive to find my inner peace. Gradually, I found my rhythm again. As a reward, fate found a way to bring me back to myself, to my element, to the ocean.
This past summer, after 17 years of being away, I once again stepped into the looking glass. This trip was especially meaningful. It was the first time both my parents and I took a family vacation together. It was much more than a family vacation. It was a chance to mend, to move forward, and to rebuild after the flood. I had alienated them, disappointed and disrespected them. My selfish choices had destroyed our dynamic. As I stepped on each splintered and warped plank of the boardwalk, and as the soft tails of the wild sea oats caressed my hands, tears welled up in my eyes. We sat in silence; my mom, dad and I, and a simple prayer of gratitude kissed my lips. I vowed to never take this image that sprawled out in front of me for granted again. The sun’s rays glistened like a thousand diamonds as it pulled the cover of the horizon over its head; as if a loving mother was tucking in her child for bed. Ironically, a sea storm blew up within the first hour that we were there, but as quickly as it came in it left. It was as if to remind me that no storm is too bad, no storm is worth giving up. It was only fitting that my dad had never experienced the ocean until this trip. I believe that the muse that influences fate knew that this was the right scene for forgiveness, for reconciliation, for tranquility. More so, this force knew that this day would come. The three of us never enjoyed each other’s company like this before. During my journey leading up to this moment, I found it easy to forgive others for their wrongs, but clutched onto my own guilt and shame. Here, at the water’s edge, sitting next to my dad waiting for the sleepy sun to rise over the sea of tranquility, absorbing the song of the waves; I found the strength to forgive myself. I found the inspiration to let go and to be free.
The ocean is a weathered grandmother, smiling ever so slightly as she takes on the role of the observer. She breathes the steady breath of life as she rocks back and forth in rhythm. She acts in calmness and a clairvoyant knowing that this too shall pass. A sly mischievous smile plays across her face and a sparkle of excitement twinkles in her eyes as she brings joy to others. Much like the matriarch of a family I go to the ocean for guidance, for wisdom, for serenity.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
ENG 102: Documenting Our World
Bloom, Alexis and Tsewang Dandup. "Bhutan: The Last Place." Frontline (PBS: May 2002) [Tsewang Dandup is from Bhutan]
California Is a Place: Stories From the Golden State
Capturing Reality: The Art of Documentary
Chamberlin, Mark. "Refining the Art of Preservation." Journal of Aesthetics & Protest #6 (2009)
Chatterton, Paul and Jenny Pickerill. "Autonomous Geographies: Activism and everyday life in the city." Economic and Social Research Council Report (2009)
Cole, Cassie Keller. "Sweet Execution." Juice Box #4 (Spring 2009)
Community Arts Network
El Oso
Franceschini, Amy and Christina Ulke. "SF Victory Gardens 2007+." Journal of Aesthetics & Protest #6 (2009)
Franklin, Joey. "Working at Wendy's." 20something Essays by 20Something Writers. New York: Random House, 2006.
The Freedom Archives
Global Voices Online (Harvard University project that translates Blog reports from locals reporting on events in their communities/regions from around the world)
Hemley, Robin. "Field Notes for the Graveyard Enthusiast." New Letters 75.1 (Fall 2008): 39-50.
A History of American Technology (University of Mary Washington: Student Projects for History of American Technology & Culture, Spring 2009)
International Guild of Visual Peacemakers
Isay, Dave. "Mom: A Celebration of Mother's Day." Democracy Now (May 7, 2010)
---. "StoryCorps: National Social History Project Records Ordinary People Telling Their Stories to Each Other." Democracy Now (December 25, 2009)
It Gets Better
Madden, Patrick. "Carnaval, Montevideo." River Teeth 6.1 (Fall 2004): 115-123.
---. "Divergence." The Chariton Review 30.1&2 (Fall 2007): 125-128.
---. "Divers Weights and Divers Measures." North Dakota Quarterly 75.1 (Winter 2008): 154-160.
---. "Gravity and Distance." Mississippi Review 8.2 (Spring 2002)
---. "The Great Escape." Northwest Review 45.1 (Winter 2007): 6-25.
---. "Hepatitis." The Laurel Review 39.2 (Summer 2005): 69-75.
---. "I Saw a Mountain." Crab Orchard Review 6.2 (Spring/Summer 2001): 161-169.
---. "On Laughter." BYU Magazine (Spring 2009): 48-53.
---. "The Week of the Beer." The Chattahoochee Review 21.2 (Winter 2001): 114-119.
---. "We Lost Gonzalo." The Evansville Review #12 (2002): 89-97.
Martin, Kelly Marie. "Cooking Together at the Bicycle Kitchen: Infrastructure of La Bicicocina." Journal of Aesthetics & Protest #6 (2009)
Moris, Scott. "Nothing in Particular." Prick of the Spindle 2.2 (Summer 2008)
Murmur: Hear You Are
Notes From Nowhere, eds. We Are Everywhere
Qzap: The Queer Zine Archive Project
Spot.us: Community Funded Reporting
Story Corps
UK Social Centres Network. "What's This Place?: Stories from Radical Social Centres in the UK and Ireland." (PDF Booklet: 2008)
We Make Zines (Online Community)
York, Jillian C. "Morocco: The Ramadan Diaries." Global Voices (August 17, 2010)
Zine Library: Revolution in the Streets (Archive/Distro)
Zinn, Howard, et al. The People Speak, Pt. 1
---. The People Speak, Pt. 2 (Archive of Sources)
Zone Zero: Galleries (Archive of Photo Documentaries)
California Is a Place: Stories From the Golden State
Capturing Reality: The Art of Documentary
Chamberlin, Mark. "Refining the Art of Preservation." Journal of Aesthetics & Protest #6 (2009)
Chatterton, Paul and Jenny Pickerill. "Autonomous Geographies: Activism and everyday life in the city." Economic and Social Research Council Report (2009)
Cole, Cassie Keller. "Sweet Execution." Juice Box #4 (Spring 2009)
Community Arts Network
El Oso
Franceschini, Amy and Christina Ulke. "SF Victory Gardens 2007+." Journal of Aesthetics & Protest #6 (2009)
Franklin, Joey. "Working at Wendy's." 20something Essays by 20Something Writers. New York: Random House, 2006.
The Freedom Archives
Global Voices Online (Harvard University project that translates Blog reports from locals reporting on events in their communities/regions from around the world)
Hemley, Robin. "Field Notes for the Graveyard Enthusiast." New Letters 75.1 (Fall 2008): 39-50.
A History of American Technology (University of Mary Washington: Student Projects for History of American Technology & Culture, Spring 2009)
International Guild of Visual Peacemakers
Isay, Dave. "Mom: A Celebration of Mother's Day." Democracy Now (May 7, 2010)
---. "StoryCorps: National Social History Project Records Ordinary People Telling Their Stories to Each Other." Democracy Now (December 25, 2009)
It Gets Better
Madden, Patrick. "Carnaval, Montevideo." River Teeth 6.1 (Fall 2004): 115-123.
---. "Divergence." The Chariton Review 30.1&2 (Fall 2007): 125-128.
---. "Divers Weights and Divers Measures." North Dakota Quarterly 75.1 (Winter 2008): 154-160.
---. "Gravity and Distance." Mississippi Review 8.2 (Spring 2002)
---. "The Great Escape." Northwest Review 45.1 (Winter 2007): 6-25.
---. "Hepatitis." The Laurel Review 39.2 (Summer 2005): 69-75.
---. "I Saw a Mountain." Crab Orchard Review 6.2 (Spring/Summer 2001): 161-169.
---. "On Laughter." BYU Magazine (Spring 2009): 48-53.
---. "The Week of the Beer." The Chattahoochee Review 21.2 (Winter 2001): 114-119.
---. "We Lost Gonzalo." The Evansville Review #12 (2002): 89-97.
Martin, Kelly Marie. "Cooking Together at the Bicycle Kitchen: Infrastructure of La Bicicocina." Journal of Aesthetics & Protest #6 (2009)
Moris, Scott. "Nothing in Particular." Prick of the Spindle 2.2 (Summer 2008)
Murmur: Hear You Are
Notes From Nowhere, eds. We Are Everywhere
Qzap: The Queer Zine Archive Project
Spot.us: Community Funded Reporting
Story Corps
UK Social Centres Network. "What's This Place?: Stories from Radical Social Centres in the UK and Ireland." (PDF Booklet: 2008)
We Make Zines (Online Community)
York, Jillian C. "Morocco: The Ramadan Diaries." Global Voices (August 17, 2010)
Zine Library: Revolution in the Streets (Archive/Distro)
Zinn, Howard, et al. The People Speak, Pt. 1
---. The People Speak, Pt. 2 (Archive of Sources)
Zone Zero: Galleries (Archive of Photo Documentaries)
Thursday, March 11, 2010
ENG 102: The People Speak Pt. 2
Remember, your assignment is to develop a research project inspired from the documentary The People Speak and/or the book The Voices of the People's History of the United States
A People's History of the United States (on Google Books)
Watch more readings from the Voices of the People's History of the United States
Howard Zinn
Previous ENG 102 posts
Here is a list of the resources I'm going to be putting on reserve for you at the BCTC library circulation desk, in the HUM 220 section:
Crips and Bloods: Made in America
Mooney, James, ed. American Dissenters: Volume Two. Maplecrest, NY: Brandywine Press, 2005.
Includes chapters on:
Ida B. Wells-Barnett
Agrarianism
Henry George
Bill Haywood and the IWW
Thorstein Veblen
Emma Goldman
Upton Sinclair
Sinclair Lewis
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and the Port Huron Statement
Reflections on Power and Self-Righteousness
The Battle in Seattle
The Arrogance of Ownership
Ruane, Kevin. War and Revolution in Vietnam, 1930-1975. Bristol, PN: UCL Press, 1998.
Buchheit, Paul, ed. American Wars: Illusions and Realities. Atlanta, GA: Clarity Press, 2008.
McCarthy, Timothy Patrick and John McMillian, eds. The Radical Reader: A Documentary History of the American Radical Tradition. NY: The New Press, 2003.
Also in regards to the documentary:
The Zinn Education Project
Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States: 1492 - Present. NY: Harper-Collins, 2003.
Howard Zinn on Democratic Education (Z Magazine)
Howard Zinn on Holy Wars (Democracy Now)
Anderson, Benedict. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. Brooklyn, NY: Verso, 1996.
Loewen, James. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. NY: Touchstone, 2007.
Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Propaganda Model of the Media
and an ongoing archive of materials on Howard Zinn
A People's History of the United States (on Google Books)
Watch more readings from the Voices of the People's History of the United States
Howard Zinn
Previous ENG 102 posts
Here is a list of the resources I'm going to be putting on reserve for you at the BCTC library circulation desk, in the HUM 220 section:
Crips and Bloods: Made in America
Mooney, James, ed. American Dissenters: Volume Two. Maplecrest, NY: Brandywine Press, 2005.
Includes chapters on:
Ida B. Wells-Barnett
Agrarianism
Henry George
Bill Haywood and the IWW
Thorstein Veblen
Emma Goldman
Upton Sinclair
Sinclair Lewis
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and the Port Huron Statement
Reflections on Power and Self-Righteousness
The Battle in Seattle
The Arrogance of Ownership
Ruane, Kevin. War and Revolution in Vietnam, 1930-1975. Bristol, PN: UCL Press, 1998.
Buchheit, Paul, ed. American Wars: Illusions and Realities. Atlanta, GA: Clarity Press, 2008.
McCarthy, Timothy Patrick and John McMillian, eds. The Radical Reader: A Documentary History of the American Radical Tradition. NY: The New Press, 2003.
Also in regards to the documentary:
The Zinn Education Project
Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States: 1492 - Present. NY: Harper-Collins, 2003.
Howard Zinn on Democratic Education (Z Magazine)
Howard Zinn on Holy Wars (Democracy Now)
Anderson, Benedict. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. Brooklyn, NY: Verso, 1996.
Loewen, James. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. NY: Touchstone, 2007.
Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Propaganda Model of the Media
and an ongoing archive of materials on Howard Zinn
Monday, March 08, 2010
ENG 102: The People Speaks, Pt. 1
This is the place for my ENG 102 students to post their responses/questions to the first half of the documentary The People Speaks
For more background on Howard Zinn check out this documentary about him and his work:
Ideas drawn from this documentary can also be used as inspiration for your research paper.
Here is the comment section for my Peace and Conflict Studies students who are also developing research projects from the Zinn book/documentary: Student examples
For more background on Howard Zinn check out this documentary about him and his work:
Ideas drawn from this documentary can also be used as inspiration for your research paper.
Here is the comment section for my Peace and Conflict Studies students who are also developing research projects from the Zinn book/documentary: Student examples
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