The Tongue Twisters. Economist; 10/13/2007, Vol. 385 Issue 8550, p66-67, 2p, 2c
This article discusses worldwide censorship, particularly its increase since the beginning of the War on Terror. It discusses how countries are limiting freedom of the press and also internet sites. It also addresses George W. Bush and how he has imposed forms of censorship in the United States.
Better Seen and Not Heard? By: Garcia, Michelle. Advocate, 6/19/2007 Issue 987, p34-36, 2p
This acticle addresses censorship of high school newspapers. One of the specific instances is of a teacher from Woodland High School in Indiana that faced losing her job over an op-ed piece over homosexuality.
Bad Counsel. Economist, 4/7/2007, Vol. 383 Issue 8523, p58-59, 2p, 1c
This article discusses cenosrship of religion by the United Nations, particularly Islam. At the point that this article was written, the UN had only criticized Israel and completely ignored human rights issues in other nations.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Powerpoint Images
http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/c/Images/censorship_eyechart.1.gif
All three of these images are functional in provoking negativity toward censorship. The eyechart uses a simple phrase and layout to catch an audience's attention. The couple at the dinner table with the bags over their heads shows that censorship is beginning to leak into every part of our lives, including the parts in which we are supposed to be most comfortable with our thoughts and opinions. The series of locks also shows how much censorship is becoming a part of our lives, but breaks it down into categories to show how much it really does affect us.
Bok Essay
I completely agree with their views that free speech should not be restricted because it is displeasing to others. I also agree that Derek Bok's essay could have used more statistics and personal testimonies from students to strengthen his argument. While I do not agree with hate speech in any way, I feel that it should not be restricted. In doing so, we would be finding just one more way to put blinders on and trying to make the public less aware of the opinions of their fellow countrymen.
I agree with Bok when he says that if we restrict flags that we display, restrictions on speakers will follow shortly. The best way to deal with this kind of a situation on a campus would be to talk to the students about hate speech, not force them to take the flags down. Persuasion is definitely a better choice in this case because then the students would be doing what they wanted to and possibly changing their outlook on the issue. Force, to some students, would be just one more reason to continue displaying the flags.
As a free country, we should be able to say what is on our minds, but each person should also realize that there are certain lines that should be thought carefully about before crossing. Someone that I know had a similar situation. He chose to display Confederate flags on his car, which he was then forced to take off by our high school administrators because it was offensive to so many of the people at our school. Needless to say, whenever he was not parking his car at school, he had the flags right back where they were in the first place. This is a clear example of how force does not change a person's opinion nor does it keep them from continuing their offensive actions.
I agree with Bok when he says that if we restrict flags that we display, restrictions on speakers will follow shortly. The best way to deal with this kind of a situation on a campus would be to talk to the students about hate speech, not force them to take the flags down. Persuasion is definitely a better choice in this case because then the students would be doing what they wanted to and possibly changing their outlook on the issue. Force, to some students, would be just one more reason to continue displaying the flags.
As a free country, we should be able to say what is on our minds, but each person should also realize that there are certain lines that should be thought carefully about before crossing. Someone that I know had a similar situation. He chose to display Confederate flags on his car, which he was then forced to take off by our high school administrators because it was offensive to so many of the people at our school. Needless to say, whenever he was not parking his car at school, he had the flags right back where they were in the first place. This is a clear example of how force does not change a person's opinion nor does it keep them from continuing their offensive actions.
How Far Will It Go?
In this image, a small child is in an art museum, obviously confused. All of the artworks have "Censored" signs on them to cover anything that could be deemed inappropriate or offensive in any way, such as a statue of a nude woman with the sign covering her chest.
This cartoon is fairly effective in conveying its meaning and provoking a reader to rethink the issue of censorship. The claim in this is that censorship is going too far, and that, if it continues on the path it currently is, everything that was once considered beautiful, culturally important, a basis for learning, something to look up to, and the interesting parts of our everyday lives are going to be the next victims of what is becoming an overly-cautious approach to our surroundings.
Media Control
In this, the image and the text work together to formulate the claim that what is being reported in newspapers is not necessarily the complete truth, but the censored version that the corporate news companies and government want the people to hear. The woman saluting at the typewriter reminds the public of a poster seen in war times, much like the Uncle Sam posters or Rosie the Riveter. The text only adds to the meaning, such as the modification of Department of Homeland Security to read the Ministry of Homeland Security, and also the line, "We couldn't control the people without you." By including these, it brings the audience to feel as if they are being manipulated. Also, using "Ministry" brings a more controlling connotation to the idea of the Homeland Security sector of our government. It then seems more similar to governments like in England where they are more controlling of their citizens.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Questions
Do you believe that programming should be censored, even though it could violate one's freedom of speech?
Do you believe that censoring television programs is necessary in positively influencing our youth?
Does censorship of televison programming violate our freedom of speech?
Are daytime soaps sometimes too provocative and risque since young children home at that time of the day could be exposed to them?
Considering that primetime television is aimed toward adult audiences, should the same level of censorship apply to nighttime programming as to daytime programming?
Do you believe that censoring television programs is necessary in positively influencing our youth?
Does censorship of televison programming violate our freedom of speech?
Are daytime soaps sometimes too provocative and risque since young children home at that time of the day could be exposed to them?
Considering that primetime television is aimed toward adult audiences, should the same level of censorship apply to nighttime programming as to daytime programming?
Censorship
Sense & Censorship. Walters, Anne K.; Birchard, Karen; Troop, Don. Chronicle of Higher Education, 5/19/2006, Vol. 52 Issue 37, p3-4, 2p
While this article includes information on multiple stories, it includes one in which a student's exhibition was cancelled due to the university's hate speech policy. His paintings were inspired by photographs and television footage of Palestinian terrorism in Israel. After the student newspaper covered the incident and drew much attention to it, they offered to reopen his exhibition to correct the situation, but the student declined.
THE TV INDUSTRY'S VALENTI-TINE. By: Paskowski, Marianne. Television Week, 2/13/2006, Vol. 25 Issue 7, p6-6, 2/3p
This piece discusses the efforts of Jack Valenti to censor television more. The author also criticizes the Ad Council for allowing him to speak at their meeting because she feels that they should have been doing more to promote freedom of speech, not considering limiting it more.
Mötley Crüe Sues NBC For Banning the Band. By: Leeds, Jeff; Steinberg, Jacques. New York Times, 5/25/2005, Vol. 154 Issue 53225, pE1-E7, 2p, 1bw
After Motley Crue used an expletive on air during a performance on The Tonight Show, NBC banned them, which band members say violated their freedom of speech. Therefore, the band decided to file a lawsuit against NBC, also saying that the ban weakened the band's record sales.
While this article includes information on multiple stories, it includes one in which a student's exhibition was cancelled due to the university's hate speech policy. His paintings were inspired by photographs and television footage of Palestinian terrorism in Israel. After the student newspaper covered the incident and drew much attention to it, they offered to reopen his exhibition to correct the situation, but the student declined.
THE TV INDUSTRY'S VALENTI-TINE. By: Paskowski, Marianne. Television Week, 2/13/2006, Vol. 25 Issue 7, p6-6, 2/3p
This piece discusses the efforts of Jack Valenti to censor television more. The author also criticizes the Ad Council for allowing him to speak at their meeting because she feels that they should have been doing more to promote freedom of speech, not considering limiting it more.
Mötley Crüe Sues NBC For Banning the Band. By: Leeds, Jeff; Steinberg, Jacques. New York Times, 5/25/2005, Vol. 154 Issue 53225, pE1-E7, 2p, 1bw
After Motley Crue used an expletive on air during a performance on The Tonight Show, NBC banned them, which band members say violated their freedom of speech. Therefore, the band decided to file a lawsuit against NBC, also saying that the ban weakened the band's record sales.
USA Today Snapshot
I have not found a way to upload the snapshot that I used, so here is the link for it: http://usatoday.com/news/snapshot.htm?section=N&label=2007-10-19-oil
It is the fifth snapshot. It is entitled Adults Behind Bars and has statistics showing that 1,853,386 men and 196,820 women are currently in jail.
Claim #1: Women are less likely than men to commit crimes, resulting in lower numbers of females in prisons.
Claim #2: Women do not necessarily commit less crimes than men, but instead are more strategic in their criminal acts and do not get caught as easily.
Claim #3: Men tend to commit more serious crimes than women, such as murder, rape, etc., that cost them more time in prison. Women's crimes tend to be less serious, like shoplifting, therefore resulting in lower numbers of women behind bars due to a shorter amount of time sentenced to them.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
OVRC
I was fairly unsure of exactly what I wanted my topic to be before looking at the Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center's webpage. When looking through the topics listed, political corruption caught my eye. I will probably have to narrow my topic further, but it was nice to get an idea of what I am going to write my paper about.
While most of the viewpoints hold that there is definitely corruption in our government, a few give legitimate arguments that the corruption is not as severe as others make it out to be. Many people have taken a stance on this, so I will be able to get a lot of information to help create my own viewpoint.
While I believe that there is undeniably some kind of corruption in our government, I am not sure that it is as widespread as it seems. Anything political I believe people should be interested in because it deals directly with our lives and how we live. Every decision that politicians make affect each and every one of us.
While most of the viewpoints hold that there is definitely corruption in our government, a few give legitimate arguments that the corruption is not as severe as others make it out to be. Many people have taken a stance on this, so I will be able to get a lot of information to help create my own viewpoint.
While I believe that there is undeniably some kind of corruption in our government, I am not sure that it is as widespread as it seems. Anything political I believe people should be interested in because it deals directly with our lives and how we live. Every decision that politicians make affect each and every one of us.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Op-Ed Piece
In the article "What, Me Worry?" in the New York Times, the author points out that most of the Republican presidential candidates seem out of touch with the economy. One even described it as "rosy."
One of the main reasons that I am interested in this article is because I have always been interested in politics. Also, I am a Democrat, so it is interesting to see what people are saying about the Republican party and what it is doing.
This is actually something that relates to every American's life. These are the candidates to be the next leader of our great nation. Americans should be looking into this information and stay knowledgeable about the election in order to make an educated vote for who is the best candidate.
This would be easy to research in finding what platforms each candidate holds and who has what as thier high priority issues.
One of the main reasons that I am interested in this article is because I have always been interested in politics. Also, I am a Democrat, so it is interesting to see what people are saying about the Republican party and what it is doing.
This is actually something that relates to every American's life. These are the candidates to be the next leader of our great nation. Americans should be looking into this information and stay knowledgeable about the election in order to make an educated vote for who is the best candidate.
This would be easy to research in finding what platforms each candidate holds and who has what as thier high priority issues.
Police Brutality
I believe that so many types of surveillance both undermine and enhance our society. In some situations, it can be beneficial, but can also hurt our society's image at the same time. Police brutality is one of these circumstances
For instance, situations such as that at the drivethru in the YouTube video easily cleared the drivethru attendant's name. It was very clear that she put the bill directly into the slot for tens. When the manager came to check her drawer, you could hear him say that she did not even have any twenties in her drawer. Through the tape, you could also see that she did not try to slip any bill into her pocket or steal it in any way.
However, it captures a downfall of our society, and that is the misuse of power within our social system. Even after the attendant said that she didn't take the money, instead of looking in the drawer or searching the woman (which she willingly offered many times), he resorts to spraying her with mace.
While these technologies are beneficial in proving a person's innocence, it can also tarnish another's reputation. Some would say that recording technologies have gone too far with cameras available on cell phones, digital cameras, and even laptops, not to mention how cheap recording systems have become.
Although it is somewhat ridiculous that everything seems to be equipped with some sort of camera or camcorder, it is a good way to keep people in check because of the risk of someone videotaping any wrongdoing and therefore getting caught.
For instance, situations such as that at the drivethru in the YouTube video easily cleared the drivethru attendant's name. It was very clear that she put the bill directly into the slot for tens. When the manager came to check her drawer, you could hear him say that she did not even have any twenties in her drawer. Through the tape, you could also see that she did not try to slip any bill into her pocket or steal it in any way.
However, it captures a downfall of our society, and that is the misuse of power within our social system. Even after the attendant said that she didn't take the money, instead of looking in the drawer or searching the woman (which she willingly offered many times), he resorts to spraying her with mace.
While these technologies are beneficial in proving a person's innocence, it can also tarnish another's reputation. Some would say that recording technologies have gone too far with cameras available on cell phones, digital cameras, and even laptops, not to mention how cheap recording systems have become.
Although it is somewhat ridiculous that everything seems to be equipped with some sort of camera or camcorder, it is a good way to keep people in check because of the risk of someone videotaping any wrongdoing and therefore getting caught.
Exercise 1
Hurricanes are increasing in number and ferocity. I would not argue this to a college audience because it is fairly general. It is difficult to dispute these facts because, well, hurricanes are increasing in number and ferocity.
Many people die annually of cancer. This would be good to argue to students if the point was to promote awareness. At the same time, this is a topic that has been lectured on many times over, which could possibly result in a loss of interest and therefore a smaller audience.
Fewer people would die of heart disease each year if more of them paid attention to their diets. This would be a good topic because college students are typically known for binge eating and drinking whatever comes their way. Were college students to focus on eating more healthily, they could lower their risk of heart disease and also have more energy throughout college.
Japan might have come to terms more readily in 1945 if the Allies hadn't demanded unconditional surrender. This would be good to address to college students if the group is made up of history majors and students. Since it has a small hint of opinion, it could be argued and could also spark an interesting debate.
Boys would do better in school if there were more men teaching in elementary and secondary classrooms. Great for education majors and men with undecided majors! It is an interesting theory and also provides ground for discussion. It could also sway some men to pursue and education degree.
The ever-increasing number of minorities in higher education is evidence that racial problems have just about ended in the United States. This claim seems to say that just because more minorities are in higher education, that means that they are also being treated better. However, the United States, in many people's opinion, has a long way to go to eliminate prejudice and racism.
There aren't enough high-paying jobs for college graduates these days. I would not argue this to college students just because it would discourage students from finishing their college education. If they do not get a college degree, then they will have virtually no chance of having a high-paying job anyway.
Hydrogen may never be a viable alternative to fossil fuels because it takes too much energy to change hydrogen into a useable form. This would be good to argue to science majors. It could pull interest from the students and push some to go into a specific area in which they could find an easier way to change the form and make it a better alternative.
Only one of the first forty-three presidents of the United States was a catholic. This is just a straight fact and would not be a good thing to argue to students. It is very easy to look up and therefore offers little room for opposition.
Political activists have grossly exaggerated the effects of the USA Patriot Act on free expression. This would be a great topic of discussion for political science majors and law students. It can be easily disputed and, again, could have a very interesting argument arise from it.
Many people die annually of cancer. This would be good to argue to students if the point was to promote awareness. At the same time, this is a topic that has been lectured on many times over, which could possibly result in a loss of interest and therefore a smaller audience.
Fewer people would die of heart disease each year if more of them paid attention to their diets. This would be a good topic because college students are typically known for binge eating and drinking whatever comes their way. Were college students to focus on eating more healthily, they could lower their risk of heart disease and also have more energy throughout college.
Japan might have come to terms more readily in 1945 if the Allies hadn't demanded unconditional surrender. This would be good to address to college students if the group is made up of history majors and students. Since it has a small hint of opinion, it could be argued and could also spark an interesting debate.
Boys would do better in school if there were more men teaching in elementary and secondary classrooms. Great for education majors and men with undecided majors! It is an interesting theory and also provides ground for discussion. It could also sway some men to pursue and education degree.
The ever-increasing number of minorities in higher education is evidence that racial problems have just about ended in the United States. This claim seems to say that just because more minorities are in higher education, that means that they are also being treated better. However, the United States, in many people's opinion, has a long way to go to eliminate prejudice and racism.
There aren't enough high-paying jobs for college graduates these days. I would not argue this to college students just because it would discourage students from finishing their college education. If they do not get a college degree, then they will have virtually no chance of having a high-paying job anyway.
Hydrogen may never be a viable alternative to fossil fuels because it takes too much energy to change hydrogen into a useable form. This would be good to argue to science majors. It could pull interest from the students and push some to go into a specific area in which they could find an easier way to change the form and make it a better alternative.
Only one of the first forty-three presidents of the United States was a catholic. This is just a straight fact and would not be a good thing to argue to students. It is very easy to look up and therefore offers little room for opposition.
Political activists have grossly exaggerated the effects of the USA Patriot Act on free expression. This would be a great topic of discussion for political science majors and law students. It can be easily disputed and, again, could have a very interesting argument arise from it.
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