Journal #19

“Nobody in the world, nobody in history, has ever gotten their freedom by appealing to the moral sense of the people who were oppressing them.”

---Assata Shakur

         History is filled with examples of oppression and the different forms that it manifests in. The oppressed have tried many ways to fight their way to freedom. However, Assata Shakur argues that a way that the oppressed have never gotten freedom is by trying to appeal to their oppressors sense of empathy and morality. I agree with this statement because oppressors don't care for those they are oppressing since all they care about are themselves and how they benefit from the oppression.

         I remember a quote that asserted that one can't hope for empathy from white supremacists/racists for they have no conscience. Those who have the ability to hurt and kill others because of their skin color are not going to be persuaded by morality and ethical rightness. They simply won't care because it will threaten their power and control over the group that they are oppressing.

Journal #18

“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.”

---Albert Camus

         Freedom has always been an issue that still affects everyone in the world today. Many are deprived of their freedom, whether it be by the government or by other people. Albert Camus argues that the only way to deal with the lack of freedom is by freeing yourself to the point where just being alive and being yourself is considered defiance. I agree with his statement. However, it's a very vague argument that is not easy to achieve due to the different variables that restrict people's ability to be free. The variables are the government and laws, societal norms, and restriction by other people.
         Freeing yourself is easier said than done, especially when the government is there to make sure you don't have freedom. For example, the powerful advocate for black rights, Martin Luther King, dedicated his life to pave way for his people to achieve the natural human rights that they have been deprived of. However, he was shot and killed by the government. He was a famous and influential man who tried to free himself and other people, but he was still shot and killed. Imagine how difficult it would be for a normal, unpowerful person to try and free themselves.

Journal #17

Language has been used to construct ideological norms, but also has the ability to challenge it. For example, through social media platforms like facebook, instagram, twitter, and tumblr, language has been used to organize strikes and boycotts, like for the Muslim Ban and the Women's March that took place recently. Another example is how alternative names have been used as a way to avoid censorship. The twitter rouge twitter accounts were created because Donald Trump ordered their official account to stop tweeting information that countered his beliefs and policies. By using aother name, they were able to challenge Donald Trump and his censorship.

Journal #16

Stephen Arnold argues that society has become one that is selfish and self-centered. People are quick to judge others for their opinions, whether it be pro-life or pro-choice, religious people, successful people, etc. I disagree with Arnold's statement because it is way too overgeneralized and a lot of the things he said made me question his ethos. For example, he posits that people are quick to judge those who are pro-life as a "woman-hating neanderthal". I felt like that was a biased statement and that he didn't really have a right to say that seeing as he is a man. Also, he states that marijuana "takes away ambition and drive" but didn't provide any evidence to back up the statement.

Journal #15

My mask is one that says I'm a girl who is smart, put-together, and confident. My mask is reinforced by the nice clothes I wear, which hides how insecure and messy I really am. To others, I might look smart and put-together but it's just a mask that hides how slow-minded I am and how much I procrastinate on all the work I have to do. My mask smiles at others even though I'm in pain so that I don't bother anyone, but sometimes my mask cracks and I let people see the real me. The me who is insecure and scared of the future. The me who is lost in responsibilities. The me who is just a teenager trying to make her parents proud.

Journal #14

The writer claims that Journalism has turned politics into a "blood sport...and an exercise in lying". I agree with this statement because it's true in the sense that politicians compete with each other for the better image from the press, thus becoming a blood sport. They do this often by lying in order to make themselves appeal to the public. For example, Donald Trump is an example of a politician who lies in order to gain people support, and these lies are then reported by journalists. Unfortunately, these lies are believed by Trump supporters and those who don't do their own research to find the truth.

Journal #13

Ted Turner argues that media is controlled by few companies owned by rich, biased people. This makes media concentrated and unhealthy for the general public, who are exposed to media. I agree with Turners argument.  In the documentary film, "Outfoxed", it showcased how Rupert Murdoch's ownership of the Fox News Channel shaped how the channel was run. Murdoch is a conservative billionaire whose biases affected the information given by the channel. The documentary then gave data about Fox News viewers which illustrated how the biases affected their own opinions and beliefs. This exemplifies how media is unhealthy because it's biased information lead to a biased audience. This relates to the manufacturing consent article by Chomsky, more specifically the first filter, which discussed how the wealthy bought out everything to control it. In this case, Rupert Murdoch bought out Fox News Channel in order to control it.