Journal 12.6.17

I think this quote is very accurate. We as human beings tend to look at a situation with "last event goggles" and try to act as if it's the same. It never is. I took a class called World Crises in high school which is essentially an international relations class. We built our foundations through analyzing the decisions and policies in the historical context of major wars and events. So incredibly often when looking at one crisis, policymakers inherently attempt to treat it using the lens of the last major crisis. We do not feel comfortable with the unprecedented, but in many cases, trying to figure out something new is more effective than retrying a failed tactic. That is not to say we can't use the past, but instead of replicating, we should learn. We are also not good at predicting events that have never occurred, as Al Gore says.

This reminds me of the responses to the major threat in "The Really Big One" and how many live in a state of ignorance of some sort. All the science points to mass destruction and an unparalleled amount of lives lost, and yet because there hasn't been an earthquake to quite that level, many just simply can't wrap their heads around it. They refuse to take as many, or if any, precautions as necessary because of the human mindset that Gore describes.
-Katie Hession (WRI I 21)

Journal 11.6.17

Hearing this poem spoken alongside the visual emphasizes the unique structure. Not only is the physical structure changing visibly but hearing the lines not fully finished spoken enhances a point of the poem. Many of the lines lack the last word and it seems to get closer and closer to finishing the sentences, especially those ending in "our" as the poem goes on. The poem could represent white oppression in the United States, made clear by the second line. I think the structure of the changing placement of physical lines represents the journey to overcome this oppression in a two steps forward-one step back kind of way. Placed alongside unfinished sentences that represent the fact that, while things are better than say times of slavery, they are unfinished. Even without knowing the final words of these sentences, the story told sets the reader/listener's mind to immediately jump somewhere. The repetition emphasizes the closeness of progress, but also the lack.
-Katie Hession (WRI I 21) 

Journal 3 (Late Post)

I think this asks a question that is very prominent in today's era of developing technology. Much like in "Generation Why," with the question of simplifying ourselves to fit technology, this quote implies a transition from strong innovators and thinkers to people that are lazy and reliant on technology. This building reliance could create an interesting contradiction. If today's technology is the outcome of great innovation, but influences a lack of innovation, what does the future of technology look like? Will we have to snap ourselves out of this or will we turn the upwards trend of development into a plateau? Will we get to a point where we have so reduced and simplified ourselves that the emotionless technology becomes the strong thinker in comparison to these people influenced by these new beliefs?
-Katie Hession (WRI I 21)

Journal 12/11/17

That's really sad. I think there is a cub under the polar bear but I can't tell. The polar bear looks out of place, but the sad thing is, I'm sure it's in the exact place it's supposed to be, geographically. That's the bear's home, and it's been taken away. They're not humans, they can't just hop on a place or car or boat and find a different place to live. The best situation may be that they are found and brought to either a zoo or a some rehabilitation place with others of its kind. But that's only hoping that the bear is found. The system is not perfect, there are animals that are missed, and they have no way of communicating with others in a cry for help. The bear looks defensive and distressed. I always get annoyed when people tell me animals get stressed. Like when a fish gets transferred from one tank to another it will get stressed and not eat, but when I do that when I'm stressed, I'm being dramatic. But this bear is actually stressed, you can see it. We'll call her a mama bear, because there is a potential cub. I'm sure mama bears are stressed anyway, imagine what kind of state of mind she's in now.
-Estelle Boo (WR1-21)

Wildfire

I think there are some really despicable people in the world, but the most despicable are the ones who "don't believe in climate change." That is active ignorance. I think those people know that climate change exists, they just don't care because it isn't visibly threatening to them right now. It is, though. I'm from Los Angeles, and there are some pretty massive wildfires happening there right now. I'm really freaked out. The winds have died down a bit, which is really good, but to see the place I grew up in flames is devastating. I keep seeing photos and videos on the news of the 405 - this one particular stretch I always drive on - it is being scorched. A ton of my friends families have been evacuated, and they are all getting calls from their families asking them what they want from their houses. My house and family are fine as of now. The fire is on the other side of the 405 from where I live. It's so scary watching that footage, though. I know a girl whose house burnt down. My sister was telling me about this barn that had to be evacuated, except they left the horses. 40 horses died. So crazy. Roads that I drive, trails that I hike, places I love - burning. It's even scarier that I'm not there and my family is. I feel remarkably helpless. There is nothing I can do. The last time I checked it was only 15% contained in LA. That's just LA. There are 4 fires in California right now. Maybe it's 3 now, I'm not sure. 

Journal 10/30/17

(5 minute, half journal)
I won't like the fact that I have to write that word, so I won't. I'll call it the n-word. This is an old KQED segment with a young looking African American man describing the n-word. I agree. White people invented it. Invented it due to fear. But it's completely made up. This guy was saying how this thing that they've made up and feared so bad wasn't him, so then who was it? Who exactly are they so afraid of? Kids make up monsters in their head that don't exist, yet they're so afraid of it, why is that so? I can't jump into child psych, can I phone a friend? I've got multiple friends who aren't awake right now studying psych. I guess when I was a kid the media helped me invent my monsters under my bed. There wasn't much media back then, so how did this mindset occur?
-Estelle Boo WR1-21

On the declaration, Bill Dorsey

"Declaration", Tracy K. Smith

"He has

sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people.
 

He has plundered our—
 

ravaged our—
 

 destroyed the lives of our—
 

taking away our—
 

abolishing our most valuable—
 

and altering fundamentally the Forms of our—
 

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for

Redress in the most humble terms:

 Our repeated

Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury.
 

We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration

and settlement here.
 

—taken Captive

 on the high Seas

  to bear—"            

          The issue of slavery was brought up at the First Continental Congress in 1774.  Unsurprisingly, the founders, all but seven of whom were slaveholders either currently or formerly, decided to postpone a solution¹. This practice continued through the decades with compromise after compromise, concession after concession, and most importantly, thousands dead after thousands more dead. People talk now about George Washington's farewell address and preach about what he told posterity to avoid: factionalism, political parties, intervening in foreign affairs, and so forth. He did not mention the specter of forced servitude within the fifty paragraphs of his speech. The only reference that can be found is in the ironic argument that "[t]he nation which indulges towards another a habitual hatred or a habitual fondness is in some degree a slave." The most important question of the 900,000 or so who were in every degree a slave, was not called out or discussed. It would ultimately be answered by 600,000 dead soldiers on top of the countless others already murdered, raped, held captive, and in every way abused by the tradition of bondage the Civil War reckoned with. If George Washington, revered as he was, or any other founder, had chosen to press the issue of slavery and hold himself accountable to the higher justice he claimed to answer to, maybe this destruction could have been lessened. Instead, he and every other man of power and station in the world's newest democracy kicked the can down the road to ruin. 

1. It was agreed to end the practice of slave trade, but not slavery itself. This is difficult to be seen as much more than a pragmatic or symbolic decision, as-

a. the population of enslaved African-Americans was by this date large enough to sustain itself without continuing imports, 

and-

b. abolishing the slave trade could generate useful political currency or public goodwill while having no real effect on the future of chattel slavery in the United States.

11/6/2017

Get Out is one of my favorite movies from 2017. Spine-tingling moments, perfectly insane antagonists, it has everything a sarcastic, satirical horror film could embody. The man in the picture, Chris, is basically kidnapped and used by a wealthy, white family. They exploit his attraction to a girl in the family, and eventually break him down to physically use his body for themselves. As sick and disgusting this sounds, the film strikes at how this somewhat does appear in society today. People say we live in a nation where white and black are finally equal. Whether it be blacks from the ghettos, whites from the high-class communities, apparently we now understand one another. Yet, as we dive deeper into the movie, we see this idea that black and whites are still worlds away. On the outside, we show ourselves to be kind to each other. Essentially, to speak with manner and a smile whenever a social interaction occurs. The other, genuine part of kindness however, is what is really lacking. That sense of emotional and mental equality. This movie portrays how beyond the masks are far, overarching thoughts that people hide, evidently due to law. Many whites still hold blacks to this notion that all they are is a physical body of flesh with a different colored skin. In other words, another species that will never be the same.

Journalism

         I do not know much about journalism. I am going to guess it is common knowledge though, in which writers and journalists take notes on other people and record their oral thoughts and stories. In a way, I do believe it gives us genuine sight on the ignorance of the community. Considering how polarized our nation is, most people spotted on the streets are probably going to have different opinions from one another. For example, the topic of abortion. This act of killing a baby before it is born may sound disgusting and inhumane yet there are many people that believe in it. Clearly, I am on the opposing side and do not pledge for abortion, which evidently explains the controversy that America is facing. Writing allows us to recognize how exactly disputed an issue is. People from the ghettos, people from the gated communities, people on the streets. We are all people and we all have a sense of what we want to follow and believe in. Usually in civilized countries, a strong amount of the whole voice is controlled by the government, which tend to be a powerful group of politicians, whatever position. Even democracy, said to be run by the people, is still in the grasp of people higher up. People do indirectly have a say, but the final decision and opinion is never their’s. A world without journalism would almost be a world without opinion.

Weird art thing warm up

The man is standing under an arch which if we were to go back to the ancient times of rome and greece we can see that emperors such as constantine used arches as a symbol of power, and stability. This shows that the man is a person of authority and power. The use of gold is the symbol of royalty and riches portraying that he is rich and can do whatever he wants. The columns on either side are also a sign of power since the creation of the temple of Athena we know that the tower aspect of the pillars resonance a sense of dominance to the viewer. Despite all the surroundings that suggest that he is a person of the utmost power the outfit that he is wearing shows off a bit of a sense of humbleness showing that despite all that he stands for he is just like everyone else. Although the hue shows again that he is above others by not showing his legs, his torso seems to be supported by a ghost like tail that makes him seem that he is looking down at you from a place above. This is enhanced by the eyebrow, the eye itself is looking straight but the eyebrows adds a descending tone to his eyes. The black cloth seems to be type of cape maybe alluding to that of an upper being or a king which is then helped by the fact that the gold swirls above his head seem to be in the shape of a crown, which of course is made of gold.  Going back to the pillars they are decorated with an assortment of riches such as vases and jewelry which adds on to the aspect of power. He seems to cleverly hide his royalty by using the two colors that make the color of royalty red and blue which make purple. This maybe be his attempt at humility once again, however once again contradicted by the fact that the background is green showing maybe that where he is the grass is greener.