Blogger #6 Exhibition

Denunciation

Child abuse: is when a parent or caregiver, whether through action or falling to act, causes in jury, death emotional harm or risk of serious harm to a child. Every year more than three million reported child abuse are made in the United States. Every ten seconds a child is abused, for every report two more go unreported which is equal to many million abuse more in the United States. About one point five million kids run away each year from their abuser. About forty eight percent of them are male and fifty percent are female, every race and religion sees child abuse each year in the United States.  Child offenders are more likely to be people we know, more likely a father, stepmother, grandparents, or any family member close to us. Prevention is the best hope for reducing child abuse and neglect and improving the lives of children. Through children advocacy centers and exhibitions like this one, will bring awareness to families across the nation. Child abuse requires commitment in every community. People in the community have to be more alert and aware of any child abuse, within the community, friends, and families. Some of the big obvious signs that we encourage parent to look out for are things like emotional damage, low self concept, poor academic, language devilment, anxiety and aggression. This can lead to anti social life, abuse of alcohol, drugs and prostitution.  Additionally, Major effect of the untreated child abuse eighty four percent of all prison inmates has been abused as a child. Eighty two percent can grow to be a pedophile themselves or more likely to commit violent crime. Children under the age of eighteen are more likely to commit suicide due to child abuse. Western countries prevent child abuse in a high priority, with laws and policies. Let’s raise our voice, let’s make a difference, lets encourage other countries to break the silence and end child abuse now and for all.

 This art piece is very unique and one of the most powerful; time was put into this art work. Artist by Jennifer S. not much background knowledge of her art or of her. The mind of a child is fragile. Their emotions touch their future. Your words shape their destiny.  The words are white, thick and bold the letters are above the drawing underneath. The art is very arousing. A young Brunette, female, slim girl, she looks very young in her late 20s, you can only see the side of her right face, her right ear, right eye, half of her nose, side of her lip, the drawing only shows a little of her chest which seems she’s wearing a black tank top. She’s facing toward a young boy he looks about ten years old, you can see the full front of his face, the drawing finishes on his neck, his eyes are facing towards the young lady, he has long brunette hair with bangs, some of the pieces of hair are light, his eye brows are tin, his eyes are sad and small he is crying, he has a tier on his left eye running down his cheek, his mouth is open, you can see his top teeth. Right in the middle of the female and the child theirs words coming out of her mouth and it leads to the kid top head some words are bigger than others, those words are bolder brighter words, words like BRAT, THIS IS YOUR ONW FAUL, FAT, I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS, GET LOST, you are annoying, you are driving me crazy, you want more, you can’t do it.

My song “Hell is for children” by Pat Benatar is an American singer-songwriter and four-time Grammy Award winner. Top hits in 1980, "Hit Me with Your Best Shot", "Love Is a Battlefield", "We Belong" and "Invincible". Other popular singles include "Heartbreaker", "Treat Me Right". Benatar was one of the most heavily played artists in the early days of MTV. It states she was never abused as a child; however it clarifies that her songs were written after reading a couple of New York articles regarding child abuse in her early age of her career. She was inspired to write this song for the children that have been victims of child abuse.

They cry in the dark, so you can't see their tears
They hide in the light, so you can't see their fears
Forgive and forget, all the while
Love and pain become one and the same
In the eyes of a wounded child

Because hell
Hell is for children
And you know that their little lives can become such a mess
Hell
Hell is for children
And you shouldn't have to pay for your love
With your bones and your flesh

It's all so confusing, this brutal abusing
They blacken your eyes, and then apologize
You're daddy's good girl, and don't tell mommy a thing
Be a good little boy, and you'll get a new toy
Tell grandma you fell off the swing

Because hell
Hell is for children
And you know that their little lives can become such a mess
Hell
Hell is for children

            Film by Oprah show, a boy who was chained up and tortured by his own family. You can find it on youtube. The short film of Clayton Moss; The short film of Clayton Moss; this is Clayton's survival story. At 6 years old Clayton Moss was terrorized by the same two people who were suppose to protect and care for him, his father, Joseph, and stepmother, Carmen in Indiana. For months, Clayton was locked inside an airless, dark bathroom closet. He was bound in wire fencing and chains. His tiny neck and chest bore scars from the wire and chains cutting into his bare skin. When Clayton had to use the restroom he was forced to go to the bathroom on himself. As his punishment his stepmother would rub his feces in his face. His father would then urinate on him. (no child hurt.com/ clayton moss) They would both laugh and make fun of him. Poor Clayton didn’t know why his father and stepmother would do this to him. For months Clayton suffered such inhumane circumstances    it wasn’t in till his stepsister ran away from home and police stopped her. She than confessed of the appalling conditions young Clayton was living in. Police then rescued Clayton where he was found just like his stepsister had confessed to the police. I saw this story several years back on the Oprah show; I thought it was the property story to write about and bring awareness to these kinds of stories. Not just Claytons but the millions of children that don’t have a voice. His story changed my life and gave me an understanding of how vicious and cruel people can be. I hope to bring alertness to this issue and make a difference.

Blogger #3

1. Veteran Homelessness

2. http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/30/why-don%E2%80%99t-we-take-better-care-of-our-veterans/

3. I chose this article because I liked the fact that it gave multiple people's opinions on why we as a country don't take better care of our Veterans. The comments made on there remind us that these are the men and women that are risking their lives to keep ours the way they are going. Ultimately, many people agree and should realize that if it costs too much money the government doesn't want to fund it much like the money for guns but not wheelchairs comment made by one of the individuals. It seems as though the government feels it's cheaper to lose a life than to constantly support hundreds or even thousands of others that need constant medical treatment and evaluation to survive after active combat overseas. On the contrary we have people like the individual who believes that it's the Veterans that don't want the help yet, the progress that we've made today isn't the same that was offered back then and statistics prove that a lot of the homeless Veterans out there are from WWII or Vietnam drafts. We grow accustomed to ways of life much like the military grows accustomed to life at war therefore, life on the streets can't be any more dangerous or inhumane than it was for them before.

4.
Genre: News Article/Radio Discussion
Topics: Homeless Veterans/Government/Government Funding/Political Standpoints/Factual Declarations/Personal Opinions
Rhetorical Strategies: Personal Experience/Facts/Word Choice/Emotion

Blogger #6

1. The artist of this piece which is unknown is trying to reach out to people with this anti bullying picture. It represents the names many girls will or are called during their lifetime.
1. The denotation of the piece is describing the piece itself.
2. The piece has many words that a bully might use against someone while bullying their victim. Bullies tend to use words that make fun of your appearance which can cause insecurities about yourself and that is where it starts affecting you emotionally and mentally as well.

1. Richard Johnson, the photographer of this image, created this image to voice an opinion on bullying. This image is from his photo project “Weapons of Choice.” In this project, he is trying to get society, mostly parents, that verbal abuse can sometime have a stronger and negative affect than physical abuse.
1. The denotation of the image is implied but obvious. Words hurt just as much as if you’ve been physically hurt.

Blogger #6 Police Brutality

In this exhibition I will demonstrate to you the outrageous tactics that are being used amongst law enforcement to cause harm to our society’s minority groups.  Police Brutality is defined as using excessive or unnecessary force to arrest or bring down an individual. Ever since the 90’s police brutality has became a social issue, but has recently became a diminishing matter. Due to terrorism occurring abroad and the upcoming presidential elections the media has lost its eyes on the police brutality issue. Police brutality didn’t really become a trending social issue until after the death of Florida native Trayvon Martin. After this horrific incident we continue to see frequent cases of police brutality. What’s disappointing is that these policemen are primarily targeting our nation’s minority groups. Overall, they are bringing harm to the African American and Latino communities. We are coming to the end of a tumultuous year and I still see no justice being brought. We are heading towards the future and we the citizens are the only ones who can create a change. This has been a hectic year. We have seen activists engage in riots with policemen. We have seen our people stand up and March on our nation’s capital, but is our word ever going to be heard? Is our voice ever going to create a difference?

This art symbolizes the pain African-Americans go through on a daily basis from being abused and tormented by police officers. The sign one of the individuals holds high over his shoulders says " Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are!" This quote was written by our founding father Benjamin Franklin. This quote is being used to show equality and justice for African-Americans.

                

                              
    Blogger # 6 Domestic  Violence.

  The exhibition aimed to show the lack of voice fear and shame that women trapped in a cycle of domestic violence. Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44 in the United State more than car accidents, muggings, and rape combined. A woman is more likely to be assaulted, injured, raped, or killed by a male partner than by any other type of aggressor. So how can we get folks talking about these issues to drives more awareness and break down the barrier of stigma, silence and shame that keep people from seeking help and taking action before problems arises.

This graffiti art depicts an angry man raising his hand to hit the women. Abusers may be act very jealously, and work to control victims' access to family and friends or employment. The abuse may be extreme enough so that the victim loses a job because of absenteeism or decreased productivity while at work, or is prevented from working at all. In its most violent form, domestic violence will involve actual physical and sexual violence, kidnapping of children, torture or murder of pets, etc. Some victims are driven to suicide.

These are the group of protesters gathered to demonstrate their concern about women that are facing domestic violence holding a difference color of signs green, purple and blue with a different meaning on it.The green color show how women are being killed every week by their partner. The purple color which stand for good judgment on the numbers of women facing domestic violence and the last one is telling the victim to speak out, why because talking with someone is the first and most crucial step in getting the help you deserve. There are people in your community willing and able to help you.

    Each state has acknowledged this is not just a family issue, but a crime and a significant legal and public health problem. They have helped bring awareness to domestic violence by putting laws on the book that make it illegal in every state to abuse a spouse or family member. Continuing down this path of acknowledgment will ensure that fewer people are affected by violence in the future, and help bring healing to those who have survived.

Blogger #5

Part 1:
Title of the song: (41 Shots) https://youtu.be/aQMqWAiWPMs
Artist: Bruce Springsteen
Genre: Rock

Summary: This song was written and inspired after the police shooting of Amadou Diallo. Bruce expresses his feelings and emotions towards police brutality. In his lyrics he explains how you can get killed  for simply having "American Skin".
What the lyrics are trying to explain to us are that we can lose our lives simply by the misjudgment of a police officer. He also explains how a police officer will shoot you with them having no feeling or emotion. In the lyrics he also brings up the point that we should not run from police because it can cause our lives.

Part 2: Bruce Springsteen created this song after Amadou Diallo was gunned down by policemen in New York. Amadou was a Guinean immagrant who was shot after mistaking his wallet for a gun. Springsteen felt that the shooting was a bad shooting and a unreasonable raction by the police who shot down an innocent man.

I personally believe that Bruce Springsteen is a credible source towards Police Brutality. We should take him seriously because after the death of Trayvon Martin, Bruce paid a tribute to him and asked for justice for Trayvon.
Bruce personally created this song and gave all his respect towards the death of Amadou Diallo.

Blogger #6 Police Brutality Exhibition

Police Brutality Exhibition

The exhibits in this presentation show a pattern of abuse and the same narrative repeatedly and successfully used by police officers to continue their violence against people of color. —Police brutality is the excessive and/or unnecessary use of for against civilians. In modern day times, police brutality is still a constant issue for people of color. The effect of police brutality can have a devastating impact on the existence of people of color. Police brutality is just one symptom of this country’s larger structural racism, which segregates our schools and cities, increases the poverty and unemployment rates for people of color, has psychological consequences for families and young people, and decreases our life expectancy. African-Americans disproportionately bear the brunt of this structural racism.

This graffiti art depicts an angry Elmer Fudd, holding a shotgun, standing next to a sign that reads “NEGRO SEASON.” Elmer Fudd and the sign is outlined in black spray paint, over a beige brick wall. Elmer Fudd is wearing a police uniform which includes a police hat.

African-Americans are the primary targets of law-enforcement profiling and violence. To me, this art represents how people of color feel regarding police brutality. Police brutality towards people of color have become as common as a hunter, hunting to kill his prey. Hunting is the practice of killing or trapping any animal, or pursuing it with the intent of doing so.  People of color are being sought out and killed by the police for little to no reason at all. Hunting to kill a generation of people who is looked upon as inhuman. People of color and equality.  

Protesters gather to demand an end to police brutality and mass incarceration of people of color. The people protesting are from different ethnic backgrounds. Some protesters are holding a orange rectangular sign which has a red stop sign on it that reads “Mass Incarceration, Police Terror, Repression and the Criminalization of a generation must be STOPPED!”

October 22nd is National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation. October 22 is a day when those who have suffered police brutality have a platform to speak about the devastation of this issue. Protesters have gathered from Oakland to Washington D.C. for the last 20 years to bring awareness to this form of institutional racism. Some of the most high-profile cases of institutional racism and brutality have come from the New York Police Department. Those cases have resulted in massive lawsuits against the city.

 

Bullying Exhibition

Taylor Swift - Mean is a song by the popular country-pop artist with an upbeat tone and a tone that makes the song seem very positive. In the music video Taylor sticks to the country-like situations she has used previously and begins the video with her playing the banjo on a farm. The rest of the video continues along with examples of someone being bullied such as a young man in a purple sweater vest, slacks, and a bow tie being harassed by a group of football players, or a young woman having trash thrown at her and cups being put on her star costume as she stands outside the front of a restaurant. The song concludes with the same upbeat tone it began with but this time it shows the same people who were being harassed as becoming very successful, such as the young man who was being harassed by the football team walking down a runway at a fashion show accepting a bouquet of flowers and taking a bow and the young woman who was being made fun of at her job is scene in an office with skyscrapers in the background and her college degree on the wall hanging up as she signs for something.


Taylor Swift has been an advocate for bullying for as long as she has been in the spotlight and this song is no exception to that as Taylor still adopts the same tone and uplifting beat she uses regularly but within this song is a subliminal message that although you may be bullied by someone who may seem bigger than you in whatever aspect as long as you aspire and continue to be yourself you will rise above the people who are your bullies.










In the image depicted a young woman is drawn in pencil and is seen sitting down on on a box with her head slightly tilted down. Most of the woman's face is covered except for her obvious frown. She is slouched over and there are words written in blood, drawn in a red pen/paint, and that are penetrating her back. The words that are written in blood seemingly have handles on them and say malicious things such as "Waste of Flesh", "Fat", "Stupid" and many more. The words that are drawn in blood penetrating the woman's back are also drawing blood which is pouring down her backside and onto the box she is sitting on.

Something as simple as words can effect the way someone may think of themselves. Words may not only have a psychological effect but also a physical one as a person being harassed/bullied may lead someone to self harm. The old saying "Words cut deeper than knives" really has a powerful meaning here as the picture depicts words cutting deep into the woman who is seemingly depressed or sad. Finally, we never really think of how our words may affect the way someone may feel and some words may make someone feel like the words are cutting deep into them, or making them feel like they are those things when in reality they are not.

A woman depicted in a gray scale-esque picture is seen with just her face and hands showing. The woman's hands are clawing at her face leaving deep wounds in her cheek area. One eye on the woman is a darker shade of gray leading and she is seemingly crying blood. Her eyes are aimed up towards the top of the picture where the caption reads "Bullying: A Legal Form of Torture" The rest of the image is mostly gray and black and the few parts that are colored are her lips, tongue, and the blood from her eyes along with the captions having a red background. The image is computer generated but well done in the message it conveys.

"Bullying: A Legal Form of Torture" reads the caption, and nothing more true has ever been said. People day in and day out are forced to endure their bully's wrath with little to no repercussions coming towards their attacker. The suffering a person who is bullied has to endure is enough to make someone cry and tear at their face much like this woman is here. Bullying makes someone not want to do something as simple as go to school or a workplace because they are afraid of their bully. It is sad reality we deal with where a bully may harass their victim freely and when they are caught they are simply told to apologize and both parties are told to go on their own ways. Often people forget about the psychological effect it may have on someone who is being bullied and the things they had to deal with. Pushing the issue to end the suffering of people who have been bullied by giving them the support they need is what this image is trying to convey.

Homeless Veteran Exhibition (Blogger #6)

Inside of an abandoned warehouse there is a ceiling with exposed wooden beams that meet very old brick walls.  A quarter of the ways down on each of the walls lays a beautiful pink with gold floral patterned wallpaper that really draws attention to the place. On those bright walls hang other no so colorful photos to include a spaceship that looks like Saturn and a surfer catching some waves. The room is made to be a makeshift living room actually, a vintage floral sofa, a burgundy floor rug, a couple of lamps, and some end tables to be exact. There’s something even more attention grabbing though and she stands off to the side of the sofa. She is clothed solely in pink children’s paint that is accented with a gold floral pattern. Exactly like the wall. At thirty-seven years of age, and 8,000 pounds she is the center of attention in this room. Although she is painted to blend with the wall she stands out because she is supposed to. She is an elephant. A pink and gold floral patterned elephant in the middle of a pink and gold floral patterned room for the world to see.

The world has become complacent. Unconcerned about the way society and overall life functions these days. The urbanized idiomatic expression, “there’s an elephant in the room” perfectly depicts what it means to become complacent. Most of us go through the motions of life in attempt to keep up with the ever-rising costs just to live. We work to pay rent, for food, for clothing, for childcare, for transportation and sometimes, after those basic necessities are met, there’s no spending room left. Even more often, some don’t have the luxury to even pay rent and those are the people that us complacent jobholders pass every day on the streets. The elephant in this case is the homeless population. A common occurrence that many consider natural these days therefore no one addresses or attempts to figure out a solution for the rising epidemic. Yet if we painted all the homeless people’s skin pink with a gold floral pattern would it raise attention? Imagine a world with such colorful people in the black and white complacency of society. An elephant in the room will never go unnoticed and it has to be addressed in order to remove it from its unnatural setting.

Sitting Indian style in front of a paint-splattered wall is a stenciled piece of art; a black and white man, capped in a black beanie and clothed in what appears to be a hooded sweatshirt. This black and white image so plain among the burgundy wall with gray and white paint splatter as if it’s ran down from something else above him. He sits in the cold with his full beard, hooded sweatshirt and over-sized pants being the only things keeping him warm. In his gloved hands that expose his knuckles, he holds a white paper sign that reads in in bright red ink, “Keep Your Coins, I Want Change.” In front of him, sits a plain white Styrofoam cup to catch the coins his passerby’s might drop in. As I look at this burgundy wall with paint splatter I see a simple piece of art with a straightforward purpose. I see a homeless man on a cold winters day asking me to question how he has become the elephant in the room that we call society. Will I continue to assist in limiting his agency?

Anyone has the ability to take control of and influence his or her life and this is something that psychologists consider our agency. In clearer words, this is the conscious effort we make to adapt to all things it means to be human whether it’s the need for intimate connections, power or success, or even the ability to just achieve independence. Theoretically, we are supposed to have complete power in controlling how our lives turn out. Success driven by hard work is what America was founded on and in theory, the harder you work the more you achieve but that is not always the case. Take for example our Veterans, the men and women that put their lives on the line, give up part of their agency in order to give you full control of yours. This man in the painting gave his life in order to protect yours and the message on his sign written in blood red coloring to signify his pain of our ignorance toward who he was, is, or could be for that matter.  He asks us not to contribute to the weakness society has already given him but to validate his existence and give what has not been given. “Perhaps the first step to really addressing poverty is to examine ourselves as well as our reactions to poverty … Panhandling is the manifestation of racism, classism, lack of housing. So let’s not just give them money and say, ‘Oh I feel fine now’ Giving people money when they’re panhandling isn’t addressing poverty. It’s helping out a fellow human being and that’s a cool thing to do. And perhaps a good place to start, though certainly just a beginning.” (Figueroa) Agency can be a powerful thing and this man is asking to put all of ours together to liberate his from the social, economical and political restraints. Together, we can change the world.

Blogger Entry #6: Exhibition Rough Draft

Due Friday, Nov. 20th

Rough Draft Exhibition 

Directions:

• rough draft of your introduction piece
• rough draft of 2 of your pieces 
• include: image/song/video, summary, & analysis 

Blogger #5

Song: I Drive Your Truck by Lee Brice
Genre: Country

This song was created from a story that was told on Memorial Day via radio show by a couple who had lost one of their sons in Afghanistan.

The song doesn't touch on Veteran homelessness specifically but I believe it connects people emotionally and reminds us what military members risk and may leave behind. Their importance to not only our country but their families. After all, the song was based on a true story and how a family coped with the loss of their son. "Momma asked me this morning if I'd been by your grave but that flag and stone ain't where I feel you anyway.. I drive your truck"

I don't know much about Lee Brice except that he's an upcoming country artist and many, many people listen to him as he has quite a few songs that relate personally to many others lives especially on the romantic/emotional side.

Three other song writers put the song together for him but the song was initially heard and started by Connie Harrington. The story she heard moved her so much that she felt it deserved to be put into a song and because it was a male who passed she also brought in a male songwriter to bring all perspectives into the song.

The video also adds a heaviness to the song giving a visual of descriptive lyrics like the opening lines for example, "89 cents in the ashtray, half empty bottle of Gatorade rolling on the floorboards" this makes the event of loss very real in the sense that who knows how long it's been since who he is singing about has been gone yet his truck is exactly how he left it on the inside. Very emotional and connecting it directly to a military member with the dog tags and army shirt lyrics remind me that we lose military members every day for whatever reason. That then brings an open mind or an open heart for that matter to dilemmas that they and their families face even outside of the service.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBEBbgQEJy4
Article: http://www.countryweekly.com/music/behind-song-i-drive-your-truck-lee-brice

Blogger #5

Part I:
Title of the song: Pa'l Norte
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBYO1ZfxxSM
Musician: Calle 13
Genre: Reggaeton

Summary: The song is talking about the emotions and the process of crossing into another country and their struggling process. He is talking about how he is being talked by other people trying to find out how and why is he trying to cross the border to the north. He also mentions how he wants his grandmother to know about how he wears the cross around his neck.

The lyrics are saying how difficult and challenging it is trying to cross to the north.

Part II:
- They're speaking about the social issue because they are always going to be middle class people  or minorities working the hardest and having to deal with issues most upper class people wouldn't, They have a few songs talking about politics and how the government is unfair to minorities
- Calle 13 is a band of brothers from Cuba. So they're brothers lived through similar events in their life with being immigrants and such. The music video really speaks to you because it shows footage of immigrants going to the north and the challenges they face. I feel like the music video and the lyrics are what really bring out the meaning of the song because its very touching and it does get personal to whoever has gone through the expierence.

Blogger #5 Activism in Art & Music

Friday, October 30, 2015

Part 1:

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

Crooked Officer by The Geto Boys/Hip Hop Music

In this song, The Geto Boys are rapping about being fed up with the constant mistreatment of black people. They are tired of crooked police officers beating up black people and then celebrating with high five hand gestures. They are also tired of being falsely accused of crimes they did not commit. Crooked police officers have forced them to dislike all police officers. They plan to take matters into their own hands, especially since justice is blind.  They will shoot to kill any police officer that attempts to mistreat them, even if the crooked police officer is black.

The lyrics are saying that police brutality is an issue in the black community.  Black men are tired of being beat, the way Rodney King was beat by police officers. Black men are tired of being falsely accused and imprisoned for a crimes they did not commit. The Geto Boys plan to retaliate against police with gun violence. It’s time for crooked police officers to choose their coffin because The Geto Boys plan to shoot and kill any officer who tries to mistreat them.  

http://www.activistpost.com/2014/08/police-brutality-continues-unchecked.html

The title of my art piece is Good Cop/Bad Cop by Anthony Freda. The genre is activism. The art piece I chose represents a good cop/bad cop. The police officer in this art piece looks normal on the outside but underneath he has hatred towards people. The skull represents evil and death which is hidden within.

I chose this art piece because it is a good representation of my social issue. I do believe that there are good police officers and there are also crooked police officers.

Part 2:

The Geto Boys are discussing my social issue because they are people of color and they are very aware of police brutality because of the neighborhoods they lived.  The Geto Boys are speaking about police brutality because they have witnessed people of color being brutalized by the police.  They are also speaking about police brutality because they have come in contact with the police and crooked police officers.

The group’s connection to the social issue is the fact that they are people of color and they more than likely know someone who has been a victim of police brutality. I believe the musicians are a credible source to discuss the issue of police brutality because of their current and past interaction with the police.

I don’t believe we should listen to this song or take what they are expressing seriously.  They are expressing their hatred for the police and also expressing how they would like to kill the police. I don’t believe retaliation is the solution to the issue of police brutality. I’m not a fan of rap music and I don’t care to listen to people rapping about murdering a human being. I believe male victims of police brutality would listen to this music because they would be able to relate to the way the artists are expressing themselves.

A total of three people were involved in making the song. Two of the three people are group members. The music video that goes with the song displays real video footage of police brutalizing people of color, which does add meaning to the song. The song was a well known song when it was first released in 1993. The song could have been effective if the lyrics were not so offensive.  The song spotlights a national issue, but at the same time, promotes violence.

Blogger 5

The song whole damn year, hip hop song by Mary J Blige, the song is all about her experience with domestics’ violence. She also describe how many women are being abuse every day, she used three different women as an illustration in her song, and also with her mother’s experience while growing as a child. Mary J Blige putting a spotlight on domestic abuse how it takes whole damn year to repair the body. She is a huge support in raising demotic violence awareness by opening a center for battered women in New York in 2013. Mary J Blige has multi Grammy award as a winning artist. According to her she learn to love and accept herself despite a trouble she has being through.  The lyric Tryna find a way to explain this Why you can't touch me tonight. I can feel you're getting impatient, but really can't let you inside Bad, how deep the pain is, or you just couldn't believe And yes I'm good on the surface, I’m a mess underneath, see winter took most of my heart, and Spring punched right in the stomach, summer came looking for blood, and by autumn, I was left with nothing. She is speak mostly on the gravity of domestics abuse and how it take long time for the victim to get over it. It's been about five years

 Part 2

 The reason why she is discussing  this social issue, because of her mother’s experience on  abuse from her  father, after beating the mother, he left  them when she was 4 years old, but he ‘did  come back from time to time and abuse her the more. There is a saying that experience is the best teacher. She is creating awareness how women suffer in the hand of their male counterpart all in the name of love and marriage and how the healing process take much years.

The song was written by Sande Emeli/Mary J Blige/ Brown Knox, the meaning is the information is passing across and the song is well know because of the artist involve and is was a collective effort.

http:// YouTube/smarturl.it/thelondonsessions

Blogger5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYa1eI1hpDE

In the song Country-esque Pop song, "Mean", by Taylor Swift, it begins by describing the way the words are like "Swords, knives and weapons that are used against me" used to make someone "feel like they are nothing. The song continues to describe the way that bully's affect a person by effecting their self-esteem or confidence. It brings up a positive note that the the victim of the bully will "Be big enough not to hit me" or "Live in a big city, while all you are going to be is mean.". Taylor talks about trying to block the bully's out and trying to ignore them but also trying to be proud of herself. The lyrics speak volumes to what a bullying victim may hope for after they escape the torment of their bully. Also, the lyrics speak about the bullying issue in a way that alludes to Taylor Swift also being bullied, possibly leading to why she created the song. Finally the song speaks about the way you can beat bullying by aspiring to do big things and eventually accomplishing those goals.

Part II.

Taylor Swift does have a relationship with the problem because she herself used to be bullied. She speaks about it because she wants to show if you aspire enough you can eventually make your dreams come true much like she did. Finally her connection to the social issue is that she was bullied while she was in junior high. (Source: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2014/09/read-taylor-swifts-message-to-fan-being-bullied/)

We should listen to Taylor Swift because she has gone through the same thing that other bullying victims have gone through. Taylor is someone we would listen to because not only is she a popular pop-artist but also she is an activist in anti-bullying.

The song was written by Taylor Swift herself and there is a music video that enhances the meaning of the video showing some people being bullied but eventually making it out of that situation to do big things much like the song says they would. The song is very well-known as it was on the top 100-billboard for some time. The song is effective because it is catchy but also very deep in the meaning.

Blogger #5 Song and Art

This beautiful song is called I Ain't Goin' Down by Shania Twain, has a lot of thoughts and feeling involved. A young mother pregnant she’s all alone people tell her to give away the baby but deep inside her knows is not right. She decides to keep the baby but her family is disappointed, the father is nowhere to be found and she knows her life is going to change. However, she wants to keep this baby and give her as much as she can it doesn’t matter the sacrifice and hard work the stuff she would have to give up as long as she’s with her daughter and see her grow and know in her heart she did the right thing.

The song is interconnected to my social issue of teen pregnancy. A young teenager who gets pregnant at a young age She does not know what to do, because her parents do not support her, the baby father has disappear and she feels very alone just like the millions of teenagers that don't have the support. With this organization we can provide for them with our professional facilities across the United States. These teenagers can feel safe and secure at all times.

http://www.metrolyrics.com/i-aint-goin-down-lyrics-shania-twain.html

The art picture i'll be using for this project is of a young teen pregnant mother that looks in her last term of pregnancy. the young girl  is sitting down with her legs wide open her full belly is exposed her private parts are being covered with a giant world globe that i believe signifies her new world as a mother and the changes and sacrifices  that baby will bring to her. This art work is unique and very powerful it has a lot of thought to it. the pictures has two different colors black and white which i think means the good and the bad. The Black means bad and the white means good.

Blogger #1

Homeless in California

 The example of the vet who lives in the streets of a LA he served in the Vietnam War after losing his family in the tragic death. U.S. veteran living in the streets has the headlines of the past couple years. It seems that we have been ignoring our fighting warriors to find a decent fight. I have seen veterans living in the streets of LA asking for money. Wondering how they will get their next meal of the day. These brave veterans have been ignored when it comes to getting a job. They get past or ignored when it comes to their job application. They are not good enough for jobs to get hired and make a living on their own. Many vets of today live in the streets like this guy in the wheel chair asking, begging for change. We as Americans haven’t done anything haven’t said anything haven’t they done enough for us. They have put their live at risk for us. So we can live in a better country.

Blogger Entry #5: Activism in Art & Music

Due: Friday, Oct. 30th 

Part One: Looking at the Product

Find a song and piece of art related to your issue.  Include the links to these songs and art pieces in your entry.  For your song and piece of art, write a response paragraph that includes the following:


Response Requirements

• title of song/art piece, musician/artist, genre of music/art 
• summary of song/art piece *what is it about based- do not include your opinion (3-7 sentences)
• what are the lyrics or instrumentals saying about the social issue? (3-7 sentences) 

Part 2: Looking at the Composer 

Look into the musician of your song and the artist of your piece.  You are going to do some research to find out two things  1) their credibility-  ETHOS and 2) their PROCESS.

Response Requirements (2)

3-5 sentences per question:

• Why is this person discussing your social issue?  
• Consider: the musician/artist background to see if they have some type of personal relationship to the issue. Why are they speaking about it? What is there connection to the social issue?
• Is the musician/artist a credible source to discuss the topic and make comments about it?
• Consider: why should we listen to this person or take what they are expressing seriously?  what makes that person someone you or others would listen to? 
•  How was the song/art piece was made? 
• For the song consider: did the musician write the song? are there other people who are involved in making a song? is there a music video that goes with the song and does that add to the meaning? is the song well known? what does it take to make that song EFFECTIVE?
• For the art piece:  what types of materials were used? how long did it take? is the piece well known? what does it take to make this piece EFFECTIVE? 

Blogger #4

          Misogyny and sexism have been a problem plaguing our society for generations and

even before the common era. A few examples of misogyny are a man expecting a woman to        

have the house straightened up before he gets home from work, to have a hot meal ready for        

him when he gets home, to have his laundry done and shirts ironed. It is so much more than that:

Misogyny is the general contempt and prejudice against women. This problem cannot be fixed

immediately, nor in the next few years. What I am proposing to spend the one hundred million

dollars on, is to use forms of media and other types of communication such as pamphlets to help

spread awareness at how harmful this can be to the women of the present and future.

Spreading Awareness
           A man cannot be forced to treat a woman equally, therefor this is a list of ways to spread

awareness.

1. Pamphlets of the causes and harmful affects of sexism/misogyny.
2. Commercials of a woman talking about how natural it is for a woman to be inferior to a man.
3. A divorce contract, with the main cause being the discredit and limited agency of the woman.       

Blogger #4 Teen Abortion

Rough draft

Teen abortion: No more silence we must confront the social issue of teen abortion and allow them to make their own decision without their parent consent. Only thirty four out of fifty states allow teen abortion. About a quarter of all teenage pregnancies in the U.S. end in abortion. Four in five teenage pregnancies are unintended. In the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a woman, in consultation with her physician, has a constitutionally protected right to choose abortion in the early stages of pregnancy-that is, before viability.(web) Abortion is one of the safest surgical procedures for women in the United States. Winning these funds will help distribute money across the states for clinics that can help any teenage girl get a safe abortion. Help pay abortion for those who can afford it and allow them to make their own decision. Have a voice…

Coming to a Decision

A teen considering abortion is influenced by where she lives, her religious beliefs, her relationship with her parents, access to family planning services, and the behavior of her peer group. Her educational level and socioeconomic status also play a role. According to the Guttmacher Institute (web)

About a quarter of all teenage pregnancies in the U.S. end in abortion. Four in five teenage pregnancies are unintended.  Teens choose to have an abortion because they have concerns about how having a baby would derail important personal goals.  Teen worry about the financial responsibilities associated with parenthood; or they feel that they are not mature enough to become a parent.

• Not wanting their lives changed by the birth of a baby
• Not being able to afford a baby
• Not feeling mature or responsible enough to raise a child

Blogger #4

 Illegal immigration is a big controversy subject all throughout the United States. Many people are in this country illegally because they are trying to live the "American Dream", they want a better future for themselves and their families, and to get away from their own country's mal doings. With the fund money that is going to be available they are going to be able to find the strength and support to help the families and individuals back onto their feet.
2.This organization is an organization that helps the illegal immigrant migrating from many countries into helping them get back to their feet with medical screenings, food, shelter, and clothing. It would also help the organization by helping the children with school supplies and clothing as well.
3. This program was formed because many families become separated when a loved one is deported and they were the ones that helped them go along foward. This program is to help those families go foward, help their loved one return with their family, and be able to surpass the deportation.
4. This may take somewhat of a while to be able accomplish but as soon as we can get used to it and helping these people out many willl have a positive outcome and many people will not face deportation over the situation they are in .
5. It can take months to help the families because of their delicacy and their different sutations that lead the same outcome.

Blogger #4

Mithona Keng
Amanda Reyes
10/09/2015

Gun Violence

   Guns have become a part of the American social fabric ever since the first wave of European settlers arrived to the new world in 1620.  When the founding fathers constituted the U.S. Constitution, they inducted the rights to bear arms as the country's second amendment.  They believed that a well armed population is necessary to establish the security of a free State.  They could never have foreseen the consequences that will plague the future generations.  America is the most armed nation in the entire world.  No other nations come close.  For every 100 people there are 88.8 firearms.  Gun violence and mass shootings have become an everyday occurrence in America.  Young men and women are being murdered every single day in America's communities and schools by guns that have fallen into the hands of deranged lunatics.

   There are many federal and private organizations across the U.S. that are trying to change gun law and regulate the sale of firearms which are seen by some as a threat to their second amendment rights.  Students For Concealed Carry On Campus is a national, non-partisan organization that has around 43,000 members which includes college students, professional, parents of college students, college employees, and concerned law abiding citizens.  Their goal is not to change the second amendment or put any restrictions on gun ownership but rather to get the states to allow state-issued concealed weapon license holders to carry their weapon on college campuses.  The organization believes that the best deterrent to stop a would be mass shooter is responsible people with concealed weapons.

   American people have grown accustomed and tired of all the gun violence that are occurring everyday across the U.S. that the idea of an organization that promotes people carrying concealed weapons is ludicrous.  But numerous studies that have been conducted by federal agencies and private groups have shown that concealed handgun license holders are five times less likely to commit violence crimes than non-concealed handgun license holders.  Their studies have also shown that the eleven U.S. college campuses that allow concealed weapons on their campuses have not seen a single shooting on their campuses in 88 semesters.  

   The truth is that preventing concealed weapons at schools only hurts law-abiding citizens and prevent them from being able to protect themselves and other people around them who might be saved if there are concealed weapon license holders around.  Students For Concealed Carry On Campus will use the $150 million to campaign to get the government to implement the change.  The money will also go to educating people about firearm safety and to inform concerned citizens.  Americans should not have to give up their rights to own firearms, after all firearms do not kill people, it is the mentally unstable people that kill people.  

About

Oregon shooting: Gunman killed self, official rules - CNN.com

Blogger 4 Draft

Kim Allen

English 105

Amanda Reyes

October 9, 2015

Police Brutality

Police brutality is a human rights violation and it occurs in almost every community. The number of civilians that have died or allegedly brutalized at the hands of our police department, has increased over the past several years. The $150 million would be used to provide police officers across the nation with body cameras.  The cameras would serve as a form of accountability for both police officers and civilians, in an effort to eliminate or significantly minimize the number of deaths which has occurred at the hands of our police department.

Police brutality can happen in many different ways. Physical brutality is the most obvious forms of police brutality. The stories of Michael Brown, Eric Garner and Sandra Bland are just a few of the countless situations that could have possibly been avoided, if police officers were being held accountable at all times, with the use of body cameras. Each time a precious life is taken, families are broken and left to pick up the pieces. Unfortunately, the mothers and fathers that have been killed, are no longer there to provide for their children and parents are left with big empty holes in their hearts and no true answers as to what really happened.

A new law was recently passed, The Huffpost reports, “California police will have to publicly 

report race and other demographic characteristic of any person stopped by officers under a new law 

intended to respond to high-profile deaths of unarmed black men and charges of racial profiling. The 

law, authored by state Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D) and signed into law by Gov. Jerry 

Brown (D) over the weekend, expands the state's formerly vague definition of racial profiling to 

include “identity profiling” based on gender, national origin or other characteristics protected 

against discrimination. The law requires law enforcement agencies to record the racial and 

identity characteristics of any person stopped or detained.”

Nwana, Florence

Amanda Reyes

English 105

9 October 2015

Blogger 4

    Government and many organizations are working together to put a stop on spousal abuse.

Commission has conducted trainings to better equip lawyers to assist victims of domestic and sexual violence, provided legal resources to support lawyers who represent victims, connected lawyers with local organizations through For many victims of spouse abuse, the  victims are likely to feel guilt, shame, low self-esteem, and a conviction that they have somehow deserved their own damage or humiliation. Many feel a split sense of obligation, with their commitment to their abusive spouse overriding their original commitment to their own health and well-being.

While some victims prove strong, with unexpected emotional resources that allow them to reflection from abuse in surprising and healthy ways, the truth is that most victims suffer one form of dysfunctional reaction or another. This isn’t due to weakness, but due to the unnatural demands the abuse places on the victim As a result.

With the $150 million primarily going to funding a salary of highly trained and well experienced, lawyers and counselors for them to handle this issue called spousal abuse. The help of a trained, skilled counselor specializing in helping a victim deal with the many reactions and fears abuse causes can do much to improve the outcome for men and women who have faced spousal abuse.

  While few argue the for the victim of abuse, many fail to fully understand the need for a repentant or unwilling abuser to get therapy. As the aggressor, there is a tendency to assume the abuser is in full control, and wishes to cause the kind of harm he or she commits.

Unfortunately, many abusers are a miserable blend of willing and unwilling, in control but not in full self-awareness. Many honestly don’t know how else to deal with feelings they have been taught to channel into violent behavior, and many more are. Still others men and women alike have been taught by their cultures or family environment to regard the rights and full humanity of their spouses as irrelevant or non-existent.

     Within the period of the event the abusive spouse is often best helped by counseling. With both victim and abuser in need of counseling help, as quick as possible to start working on how to   start a new life, and often all family members needing attention, it is important to find a skilled counseling resource to provide the necessary aid. In many instances, the court system, state and county family services departments, hospitals, religious institutions, and other community groups can provide superb local references.

From the table this how the money can be channel through different categories

Victim	25million
lawyer	35million
Counselor	40million
Hospital	30million
School	20million