A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

As cliche as this title is, there is truth behind it. Pictures tell stories. Often, the stories of those who have no voice are told through the bold, candid images of photography. These photographs lock in the emotions and scenes of a fraction of a second for the world to see and for the world to remember. It’s those photos from the terrorist attack on September 11th, the wreckage of Hurricane Katrina, and the devastating earthquake in Japan that make us remember the frailty of life. It's those photos from the fields of war, the streets and houses of developing nations, and the ravages of poverty that remind us of our own privileges and faults.

Memory fades. Details become fuzzy, and events become skewed. Thus, it is important to archive memories not just in out fallible minds, but also in photographs to pass onto future generations. Those photographs create an infallible account of events. Whether it’s a birthday, funeral, tragic disaster, or human blight, archiving the world around us and sharing those images is undeniably crucial. Whatever stories might unfold, pictures will tell all there is to be told.

A Modern Proposal

In response to Thomas Swifts "A Modest Proposal", I present a modern-day take on his essay. It is to be noted that much of this structure follows directly from Swifts' own. 

A Modest Proposal

For Preventing the Elderly in America

from Being a Burden to Their Children or Country,

and for Making Them Beneficial to the Public

It is a melancholy object to those who walk through this great town or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads, and the buildings, crowded with elderly of both sexes, dependent upon the prosperity of those around them and Social Security, importuning every taxpaying citizen for an alms. These elderly people, instead of dying at the projected age of sixty-five, are outlasting the amount of pay allocated to them by ten, twenty, even thirty years. Additionally, the commercial aspects of this country are also in danger from this extended longevity, as any pensions owed to these beasts of burden will be extended for far longer a time than any profitable enterprise could ever hope to consider. And among these issues, with our rapidly advancing technology, the projected percentage of this parasitical population will rise from twelve percent to nineteen percent. I think it is agreed by all parties that this prodigious number of elderly digging into the coffers of the young is in the present deplorable, debt-ridden state of this country a very great additional grievance; and therefore whoever could find out a fair, profitable way of disposing or employing these elderly would deserve so well of the public as to be allowed avoidance of the measure they devise. 

I do therefore humbly offer it to public consideration that of the current thirty-nine million elderly, those over the age of sixty-five, should follow the following instructions based upon their current situation. For those wealthy elderly, as in any member of this age group that has enough monetary or material capital to sustain themselves for the next one hundred years: this group should be allowed to maintain their status quo, but contribute a certain portion of their wealth to the rest of the country, or they can follow the next proposal. For those elderly who are not tied to affluence, they will be given a coin to flip five times. Should this coin land upon the tails side even once during the five flips, they shall be promptly executed as to reduce any burden. Should this coin land upon the heads side every time, then they shall become subject to any human experimentation deemed appropriate by various institutions around the country, thus becoming an important resource in the advancement and progression of our nation. I grant that any elderly member who is lucky enough to become the cattle of experimentation will be held very dear, for those taxpayers who gave and gave for the survival of the elderly have the best title to the lives of said elderly. I can think of no one objection that will possibly be raised against this proposal, and so hope that my designs be carefully considered. 

Naivete

People are often easily influenced. When a person has little opinion or knowledge about a topic, of which there are many that the public is clueless of, his or her view can be easily swayed by an argument that seems legitimate. Who are we to question this expert doing that research in whatever town? This naivete can become dangerous and, especially in untested fields of research or science, ultimately detrimental. This aspect of gullibility is partly examined in Chet Raymo's "A Measure of Restraint", where Raymo warns about the dangers in advancing technology and more importantly the danger in blindly following it.

In one story, Raymo explains the tale of two men who found a stainless steel cylinder in an abandoned radiation clinic. There was some "seemingly magical material" inside of it, and the men didn't think twice before distributing it to their family and friends. The canister itself came from a cancer treatment machine - an "instrument of healing". However, they did not know that the "lovely light" emitted was actually from the decay of Cesium-137. Thus, this innocent gesture unwittingly led to the death or serious ailments of those who had been contaminated by the substance. From this, Raymo makes a transition into current times and genetic engineering, with the unforeseen dangers that it may present to us. This remarks on how society still believes most of what is presented to it without a second thought. Until we stop devouring information without hesitation or question, we will continue to be swallowed by our naivete.

Puzzle Paragraph

This week, we were asked to puzzle our post together around the following set of words and punctuations
Words to use: 

1. ;
2. Once upon a time
3. everyone
4. today
5. rhetoric
6. pink elephants
7. :
8. Jesus

Today, both women's suffrage and the elimination of child labor have become a reality in the U.S., but during 19th and 20th, the thought of either becoming reality was probably as far fetched as pink elephants waltzing down the streets of D.C.. By opening with the plight of children, Florence Kelley elicited the sympathy of her audience and, when linking it to the enfranchisement of women, easily advanced the path to women's suffrage. Thus, Kelley's masterful use of rhetoric in her speech serves two purposes: to bring about a "line of action" that will reverse the injustices of child labor, and to generate support for the women's suffrage movement. Kelley's use of sarcastic tones and vivid imagery illustrates the "pitiful privilege" given to the "little beasts of burden" that are forced into toiling during the wake of night. Perhaps the most compelling argument against child labor that Kelley provides is her usage of statistics and pathos. The "two million children" employed into this system are undoubtedly a great source of resentment for Kelley; their cruel working conditions and common attributes within their work link everyone in the audience, mothers, daughters, wives, maids, together. Along with linking the end of child labor to the enfranchisement of women, Kelley uses men’s perception of the female role to argue for women’s rights. Once upon a time, most men believed it was a woman's job to take care of children, and thus Kelley's logic that giving suffrage to woman will lead to eliminated, or at least bettered, child labor systems is rather hard to refute. So Kelley's argument has a convoluted route but it undeniably echoes the teachings of Jesus and the equality for men, women, adults, children, and everyone else.  

Public Space

Public Space -- Any place that is publicly owned and regulated.

Writer Brent Staples wrote in Black Men and Public Space about the power that black men have had through the annals of their history and violence - the ability to alter public space. As a graduate student in 1986, Staples suffered bouts of insomnia and often "stalk[ed] sleep" in the streets at night. One night, a woman walking in front of him kept looking at him, imagining the worst possible scenario of becoming the "victim" of the "menacing" black man behind her, and ran from fright. This sweeping generalization and image of violence pervades just the few instances described by this essay, and continues to even recent times.

As Trayvon Martin was visiting his father's fiance and her son in Sanford, Florida, he had a power he was certainly not aware of and would not have wanted. Eventually, it was what got him killed - gunned down by a nervous member of a neighborhood watch. Trayvon Martin altered public space for his killer, George Zimmerman, on February 26, 2012, and he suffered the fate feared by Staples, being at the receiving end of stereotypes and violence. To Zimmerman, Martin, with his hoodie and the dark color of his skin, was in fact wearing a "cloak of stereotype" (Rivers). During the weeks previous to the shooting, Zimmerman had made several calls to the police, and in each of the calls, Zimmerman only offered information about their race when specifically asked by the officer, reporting that the people were black males. To Zimmerman, Martin was not an individual of himself, but a representative of a group Zimmerman identified as criminal.

Mom vs. Dad

The two short stories we read this week, "Shooting Dad" and "Arm Wrestling with My Father", dealt with father-daughter and father-son relationships. They spoke to the understanding that develops through time and how their relations differ and resemble. On the other hand, we can consider a child relation with his father and mother. The difference between styles of parenting is definitely there and possibly compounds over time.

As addressed by the two narratives we read this week, a father tends to take his own hobbies, interests, and expectations, and place them onto his children. Fathers are also generally more focused on having high expectations of their children and encouraging them to deliver on those consistently. With my own dad, I have found that he focuses more on results rather than the methods used to achieve them. Meaning, as long as I meet his expectations, he doesn't really have much opinion upon how I spend my time to do so. Fathers, while they do not verbalize as much as mothers do, tend to be more direct and with fewer words. They may seem to be "too tough" to the moms, but their toughness is rooted in helping kids be prepared for real life.

And on the other side, mothers tend to find themselves generally in a more nurturing role. There seems to be an emotional connection between mother and child that a father simply doesn't get. In addition, mothers tend to verbalize a lot more with the children. Mothers generally put their children's needs ahead of their own. She seems to come pre-wired to self-sacrifice; perhaps that starts with pregnancy where a Mom's full time physical care role is so dramatic. With my mom, I can definitely see more concern about the process than the result. Although she may act like a "Tiger Mother" (Chua) sometimes, she is overall more involved with my daily events and concerns than my father.

Now from my perspective, these differences are accentuated as the child grows older. With my little sister, my Mom and Dad act relatively similar in terms of babying and pushing. However with me, I can clearly feel the differences. Maybe its the difference between son and daughter, but the older I become, the more I feel the changes. But no matter the differences in styles of parenting, the affection and care are always present and ready.

F Scott Hess' "Soul", 2005

Faces

I have finished my gallery.
My Seven Laughter's of God.
This collector stands before me, in his expensive suit
and with his lustful wife.She is pale white, like a vampire.
He offers his hand to me.
His hand is warm, and exudes wealth and authority.
I will wear a smile.

I shake hands with this young artist.
My wife warms up to him.
He wears the same celebratory red as my wife,
but also the gold of wealth, and the stench of aspiration.
He stands erect, brash, and with a broad smile
that must be a result of my presence.
I am so cool.

I am moved by this painting.
Even among this clamoring crowd, there is an air of appreciation.
In my many years as a critic,
there have been none as captivating.
My excitement is tangible,
manifesting itself in the face of this lewd, crouching girl.
I can't show emotions though.

I stare at the tentative prices for these works.
My lover is pointing out a painting,
but I don't know whats going on.
She forces me here every week
because she likes to scrutinize art as a critic might.
And I stand beside her, mute and stoic.
I will pretend to understand.

Inferiority and Superiority

Fish Cheeks by Amy Tan argues that although it is important to somewhat assimilate in order to fit in with the majority, it is also important to retain cultural pride. In Fish Cheeks, Amy narrates how she tried to view herself and her family through the eyes of white society, and thus the Chinese background she came from seemed strange and grotesque. For several decades, people of many minorities were viewed as inferior to whites. Even today, this bias persists throughout our culture in several places, but it has also become severely warped in the past decade. No longer are Chinese, Indian, and Asian persons considered to be inferior, but they are in fact praised through a "new strain of racial, ethnic and culture reductivism" (Mehta) that has swept the American psyche.

Contrasting between how little was expected of Asians in the past, how they did the cheapest and dirtiest jobs, and the expectations held for Asians today is like comparing the Earth and Sky. The stereotypes today are plentiful, and although flattering on the surface, hide a different strain of racism and isolation.

• Most likely to be nerds (2010 Study by Qin Zhang)
• Academic overachievers
• Lacking in social and communicative skills

These are the most prominent among the various stereotypes offered in mass media, and each one is severely degrading to those sensitive to mainstream culture - which is about everyone. The expectations set by an ethnic background already rooted in hard work as the path to success is trying enough, but these cultural influences add upon another layer of stress in order to be accepted. Being applauded by the media for their intellectual 'superiority' is not at all flattering to many, and often leads to social isolation and detachment. These "model minorities" are just another form of racism.

What Did I Just Write?

I ask myself this question a lot sometimes, and a lot of the time it comes in different forms. The question ranges from writing, obviously, to what I say, do, read, and choose. When I read over the essays I wrote this past year, I kept thinking to myself "what did I just read?" and I'm sure I could have read over it a hundred times and still made no sense of it. Accordingly, I was curious as to how bad it was before this year: how terrible my essays and responses were during my Freshman and Sophomore years. I wasn't disappointed in the confusion the offered me.

Writing has never been one of my strengths. While I excelled in classes like math and science with slightly more definite answers, the concept of no true right or wrong in English always eluded me. So when it came down to writing papers, I ended up sticking to generic structures and bland development. Thus, a formulaic approach would come over when writing in class and sometimes at home. This was further perpetuated by the teachings of APUSH last year, where every essay was basically the spewing of facts onto paper. I have tried to move away from this a little bit this year, and hopefully I will be further along the road when the AP test comes along. Starting late last year, but really beginning early this year, I started brainstorming before I started writing an essay. I always thought this step was merely a time consumer, but have come to understand that writing down passing ideas, no matter how seemingly irrelevant helps a long way when actually writing. So hopefully by the time AP's come along, I don't walk out of the room thinking "What did I just write?"