Additional Post---NOLA and the "Little things"

            Watching citizens of the Gulf Coast region persevere through the devastation of Hurricane Katrina makes you sit back and think about what’s truly important. So often people get caught up in material things that intrinsic values get lost. Watching Treme was one of many things that should have opened our eyes to this. The way they persevered without (much) money and with homes in ruins is very admirable. 

            With wind gusts up near 200 mph and the breaking of the levees, most houses didn’t stand much of a chance to retain its form. This destruction forced many people to the street with a loss of most of their possessions. However, we saw a great representation of how a good number of the population was able to—even if it was just a front—get passed these issues and focus on what made them happy.

            The first scene that was a good representation of this was the opening one when they are marching through the streets playing music. Even with the neighborhood in ruins, each of the musicians were smiling ear to ear, and the interaction with the taxi driver further proves that point. 

            One more scene when this is even more apparent is the one when John Goodman and his wife are at a restaurant conversing with a waitress. Amidst the conversation Goodman’s character says that what people care about is “food, companionship,” and food. Then the couple asks the woman a series of questions, and then brings up her home. She seemingly refutes the question and talks about what she can control and has fun doing. 

 

            These are a few examples of things that people who were/are on the outside looking in must admire. As bad as Hurricane Katrina was, this is only one example of situations that show individuals’ perseverance. Too many people—understandably to a point—depend on such luxuries to live a happy life. And seeing how these people were able to get past it and enjoy each other’s company is commendable. It’s these situations and the situations the people of New Orleans, Mississippi, and too many more places to mention that show there is a light at the end of the tunnel in all-bad situations. This is something we all need to realize and cherish the little things opposed to the material goods.

Post #10: Hurricane Katrina and media influence

      Stereotypes come from all over the place. However, we can thank news reporting for a good share of these points of view. They can find a way to spin a story or perspective to tarnish individual’s reputations; and the African American community of New Orleans was the group affected most. Whether it was stories that were reported, stories that were spun a different way, or even stories that never brought public, news media shed a bad light on many people.

      Though there were various things that were twisted somewhere along the line, arguably the most heinous of them was the situation with looters. It is true that some of the people were taking stuff to turn a profit, but the fact of the matter is that the vast majority of them were doing so to provide healthcare or food for those who needed it. However, that’s definitely not what the media decided to air. Instead we saw middle-aged black males carrying out large TV’s or bikes, etc—things you’d think to be pretty useless in comparison to what they could have taken. In addition to the looting was the confrontations that were publicized. Going back to Spike Lee’s film, he entered a piece of the news showing isolated instances of police/civilian altercations, again ignoring the people helping the wounded, and good deeds being done.

      Two of the main issues we’ve talked about in this course are choice and visibility. Both of these are definitely controlled by the media at one time or another. It’s tragic because these two elements are key factors to controlling social justice.

      Media correlates with choice because it’s everywhere. Billboards, radio, television, and any other way they can do it, they can manipulate the way we think about things. In this situation, the way it happened, the African American community was shown in a very dark light, which perpetuates the cycle of injustice.

      Visibility becomes part of the picture because with all of its ability to make things public knowledge, there was still the lack of coverage over those who need their voices heard. The neighborhoods that need(ed) to most help were off to the side struggling to bring everything together.  

     The sad truth is that we can continuously say that something needs to change, but in the end saying that something needs to change is not good enough by itself. We can only hope that thru movements and other actions, social injustices will diminish and everyone can resolve differences; which to me will ultimately help the process.

Post #9: "When the Levees Broke"

      Watching Spike Lee’s “When the Levees Broke” really opened my eyes more than I feel that reading a book could have.  All of the information that a book can bring is very beneficial, but nothing (aside from being there in person) can provide what videos can. From the visual documentations of the levees breaking, to the first hand accounts of survivors, each piece was enlightening. 

      The government’s intervention time—or lack there of—was also very apparent, we were able to see how there were desperate calls for help that went unanswered. It was very humorous (albeit in a gloomy way) when a spokesmen for a respondent team appeared on a CNN show making up facts and excuses while blatantly denying any wrongdoings when evidence pointed to the contrary. This is just another example of how major entities try to cover up poor work practices in an effort to save face at all costs.

      One topic after watching and discussing the film stood out to me. There is the point in the film when there was numerous human dead bodies shown and then an image of a dog (can’t totally recall whether it too was dead or just harmed) in downtown New Orleans. The class reaction to the human bodies was silence, but once the animal is shown there is unanimous verbal sadness. There was even an instance when Soledad O’Brien, a reporter for CNN, was on the streets and saw a dead body lying there, and when she came back the next day the body was still lying there just covered up. Another example of whether it be wrongful priorities or turning a blind eye to the needy, there are far too many examples of horrific happenings.

             I wish I could say that the reaction to the harmed animal surprised me, but it honestly didn’t. Maybe it’s because all we have to do is turn on Law & Order to see graphic portrayals of humans’ dead. It symbolizes how people can accept human loss, but when they see an animal harmed all hell breaks loose.  

Another Post-Katrina thing that is disheartening was the fact that there were bus tours going through the neighborhoods seeing all of the damage and while they were still in shambles. I can see how this is very appalling to people hearing that there are people making financial gains over their troubles. Also, we saw that many of these “tourists” wouldn’t even get out of their busses to see the damage—this is the part that I found most disturbing. But when looking on the other hand, if this is a way that money can be gained to even potentially help re-built the economy, I can understand. 

 

Prompt #8: CIW and Via Campensia

      In an effort to improve working conditions and wages amongst individuals who are exposed to such a horrible environment, there are many groups that speak out and attempt to draw attention to the corporations at fault. Two groups that are recognized greatly are the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (C.I.W.) and La Via Campensia. Even though they are based out of different areas and have slightly different goals, both groups are largely fighting the same fight. Additionally, both are tackling injustice in different ways.

       The C.I.W. —which is a non-profit organization—advocates and pushes for large corporations to raise the wages and working conditions for those picking tomatoes that ultimately end up with major corporations. One of the ways they’ve accomplished much of what they have is through the “Campaign for Fair Food.” As it says on their websites mission statement, they “want major buyers of tomatoes to pay a premium of one penny more per pound for their tomatoes.” Though this they’ve come to agreements with fast food chains such as McDonald’s and Taco Bell to help increase pay.

            Corporations universally lowball illegal immigrants—a population that makes up a large portion of these workers—because truthfully they aren’t able to have much voice. However, in this case it’s a double-edged sword. Yes, illegal immigrants aren’t entitled to standard wages, but to the contrary, these corporations aren’t legally allowed to employ them. This conflict is what corporations rely on…illegal immigrants keeping quiet on treatment and pay.

      Via Campensia is a movement (which includes upwards of 100 organizations) that focuses more on individuals’ rights to produce. It was this group that coined the phrase, “food sovereignty.” By this they were--and continue--to give individuals the rights to legally grow and produce crops on their own land. This fight is so crucial because as their website states: “It is based on the conviction that small farmers, including peasant fisher-folk, pastoralists and   indigenous people, who make up almost half the world's people, are capable of producing food for their communities and feeding the world in a sustainable and healthy way.”

         Elaborating on this, the price of purchasing food and other necessities from corporations is WAY more expensive than the cost of utilizing your own land to survive.

         Both groups rely on many things to get their points across, but none is more important than the sheer number of individuals that are involved in these movements. Each represents well over 100 million people. And by making each of these voices heard, the pressure will continue to rise. Both are becoming a disruption by making so much of this injustice public knowledge rather than have major corporations hide their wrongdoings. However, like we saw with the Taco Bell case –when the CEO claimed to have zero knowledge of such treatment—equal rights is definitely hard to come by in these instances. 

Extra Credit Blog--Food, Inc.

1. I take the statement to be admittance or bringing to light how a lot of times what we are eating isn't always 100% authentic, and by saying they are producing "food" not just "chicken" they are going for flavor and not always authenticity.

2. When we are eating so much of one thing we aren’t getting all of the different nutrients we need to lead a health and full life.

3. I feel this statement is very true to society today. Dollar and value menus are perfect examples of it. The fact that you can get a larger quantity for paying a lot less is a necessity to many people. When he says, “we don’t understand the price that’s being paid,” it shows that consumers aren’t always aware of work conditions and production.

4. It’s hard to say that price should or shouldn’t be the driving force in the industry. Like in the numerous examples we’ve seen and read about, the large corporations are making billions by selling such a large quantity at discounted prices, and we (consumers) are the beneficiaries because it isn’t taking as much of a toll on our wallet. But, like Taco Bell, producers are getting shafted. On the opposite end, as cheap as this food is, we know that it isn’t too healthy. Expanding on this, if you want to find healthier diets, you are likelier to need to spend more money; money which some people aren’t privileged to.

5. The thought of this is gut-wrenching to me, and I’m lucky enough to not have many traditions that are based off finances. If I was told that’s run in my family for generations could no longer be practiced then I’d be lost. But more importantly you’d feel for the previous family members as well.

6. It almost puzzles me as to why many producers don’t want to advertise what is in their products. Maybe it’s due to being able to replicate products that would hurt sales. But at the same time consumers need to have knowledge on what they are buying and putting into their everyday lives.

7. Yes and No. It does mention bits and pieces about these issues, and covers these issues and brings light to them, but it doesn’t feel like it’s a complete central focus.

8. Can't help but be a little grossed out my some of the things shown. I do feel that there could have been a little more depth into some of the issues.

Blog Prompt #7: Secrets about bananas

      When we are in a grocery store, specifically the produce section (which is often near the entrance), bananas are regularly the item we’ll see first. Whether it’s Chiquita of Dole, this fruit—a favorite to many people—is bundled and sold by the pound. Little known to the consumer is the working conditions that people go through to get them to our homes and how little they are paid in comparison to how much we pay for them. 

       As we’ve seen in various movies with the picking and transportation of crops across the world (see Hersey’s and Burger King), conditions are often extremely cruel. Often they are working in upward of 90-degree weather, but the physical toll it takes on their body is even worse. Not only that, but workers are often exposed to many chemicals to either maintain it’s color or modify it in other ways.

     More importantly, the wages that these individuals are making isn’t enough to make a living in Ecuador (one of South America’s more impoverished countries). From statistics I found, it takes a family of four $9.60 per day to pay for “basic necessities” however many of workers make $3 a day and often less. On top of that, it’s not uncommon for children under the age of 10 to be working. Though it doesn’t have to do directly with the secrets banana companies, Patel would still relate these to companies such as Burger King as I discussed in a previous post. These major corporations hate it when their secrets are covered up because they realize that it could affect their business and reputation.

    Even though bananas are now grown worldwide, we often date them back to Central and South America (Africa and southern parts of Asia are also recognized). One reason for their growth in these specific areas is that bananas need a hot and humid tropical climate to grow. Here is a picture of some of the places Dole gets their crop.

      Bananas—as well as the production and transportation of chicken and rice—relate very closely to Patel’s thought on consumer knowledge/freedom. He’s not necessarily trying to get a consumer to think one way or the other about a product; he wants people to have a choice. It’s such a recurrent theme, but the fact of the matter is that in today’s society, whether it is where we choose to eat, places we want to shop, or as simple as knowledge we want to have, the sad truth is that in specific times, the choice is out of our hands a lot like it is for these workers around the world.

Blog Prompt #6: Busch Lights Advertising at Dissmore's

         Because we live in a college town, and Dissmore’s is so close to campus, I was curious how much they advertised alcohol. Just as the stereotype for Wazzu would say, after walking in the door I only had to look 30 feet to see a pallet of Busch Light that was on sale. After seeing that I walked over to the beer cooler to see further how this was advertised.

       When I got to the aisle with beer, I realized that even though it was the main deal offered, and how they initially grabbed your attention, you had to look hard and toward the bottom to find Busch. Instead, they made the more expensive beers at eye level and up. It wasn’t until you went into the cooler that there was an abundance of Pullman’s finest. Going further, another popular place in the store for students is the deli and meet section. Right next to this was an entire aisle of wine and champagne.

      Even though the advertising of alcohol was a main point of curiosity, I noticed that it was this way for many products that would be ideal for a student on a budget. When you get to aisles with juices and pasta/pasta sauce, they put the more expensive products with eyesight, and the cheaper ones near the bottom shelves.

     The supply and demand for beer—mainly Busch Light—is very apparent. Knowing that it’s the cheapest type of product in high demand is why these chain stores are able to have so much readily available.

     Dissmore’s is a good representation of the relationship consumers have with stores. The major corporations are (usually) the ones that represent the more expensive product. However, because they are name brands and well known—along with potentially be of better quality—they have more credibility. Even though these company’s reputation and quality are enough to succeed in sales, the stores that sell the products help them by making them more visible to consumers.

        Because we live in a college town, and Dissmore’s is so close to campus, I was curious how much they advertised alcohol. Just as the stereotype for Wazzu would say, after walking in the door I only had to look 30 feet to see a pallet of Busch Light that was on sale. After seeing that I walked over to the beer cooler to see further how this was advertised.

            When I got to the aisle with beer, I realized that even though it was the main deal offered, and how they initially grabbed your attention, you had to look hard and toward the bottom to find Busch. Instead, they made the more expensive beers at eye level and up. It wasn’t until you went into the cooler that there was an abundance of Pullman’s finest. Going further, another popular place in the store for students is the deli and meet section. Right next to this was an entire aisle of wine and champagne.

         Even though the advertising of alcohol was a main point of curiosity, I noticed that it was this way for many products that would be ideal for a student on a budget. When you get to aisles with juices and pasta/pasta sauce, they put the more expensive products with eyesight, and the cheaper ones near the bottom shelves. The supply and demand for beer—mainly Busch Light—is very apparent. Knowing that it’s the cheapest type of product in high demand is why these chain stores are able to have so much readily available.

            Dissmore’s is a good representation of the relationship consumers have with stores. The major corporations are (usually) the ones that represent the more expensive product. However, because they are name brands and well known—along with potentially be of better quality—they have more credibility. Even though these company’s reputation and quality are enough to succeed in sales, the stores that sell the products help them by making them more visible to consumers. 

 

Blog #5---Consumer Freedom

          After watching “The Center for Consumer Freedom” video, it brought to light how many large corporations refuse to tell us things that contradict what they try to represent. And being in society where we should be able to make decisions on things with sufficient knowledge, I tend to agree with what they are trying to do. However, I do believe that as much as they want to try, not everyone will be for what they are trying to “sell”. 

         Though I’m not a member of HSUS and don’t know too much about the organization, but I’m guessing that they aren’t too happy that the CCF has made it public knowledge that much of the groups donation money doesn’t go to poor dogs and cats that we see in the Sarah McLachlan commercials. In the same way, the Center for Science in Public Interest has to be embarrassed to it becoming known that they’ve wavered on what they support. By doing this, the CCF is trying to help change both an organizations integrity and intentions. 

         Patel brings up the term “bottleneck corporations.” In many ways these organizations fit this profile. Much like Burger King doesn’t wanna release information about labor practices; PETA and the Center for Science in the public interest don’t release where much of their donations and help go. Can you blame them for not wanting to advertise it? No you can’t, because they are going against a lot of what they are supposed to represent. And that’s not how good organizations are, and that’s what the CCF is trying to do…bring everything to light for the public to see. 

        With that said, as important as being informed is, I feel that even with a good amount of knowledge, these facts might not affect an individuals feeling for these specific corporations. For example, the CCF has targeted PETA for euthanizing animals prematurely. I feel that avid members will still support them in general because of the good that PETA still does in their eyes. Like myself, I've had dogs my entire life and loved them. But that still doesn't cover up the fact that they may have acted against their morals. The picture below in no way represents my opinion towards PETA or saying that what Michael Vick did was "ok" but I did find it as a interesting representative of how people feel that PETA has misrepresented themselves.

 

           To me “consumer freedom” is almost non-existent. Other than deciding if you want to go to Dissmore’s or Wal-Mart, whether it is due to convenience or cost, you will likely be consuming the same thing. Further, even if how a food was produced or picked is something that means a lot to you, you don’t really have a choice to eat something that is of higher quality, or even avoid a food that was produced under poor labor conditions if you are on a budget (like many students are in Pullman) or in a lower class.

          But going back to the main point of the CCF. It is definitely important for us to be given adequate knowledge. These organizations are only hurting themselves by holding back all of this information. Because in the end, when the truth comes out and they are losing support, the only people they have to blame is themselves.

Blog Prompt #3: Underground Railroad

     One of the discussed topics in Solomon’s book was that of the Underground Railroad. Discrimination has been going on for as long as there have been organized civilizations. But one that is most relevant to America (not to take anything away from what other groups have went through) is the enslavement of African Americans. Dating back to before the United States was declared a nation in 1776, the population has dealt with the horrible treatment of this specific group. Naturally, wanting to escape the places where they had virtually no rights, the evolvement of the Underground Railroad came to be.

         At its height, from 1850-1860, this served as a route for where slaves could find secret houses and safe havens on their way to what they hoped to be a better life. Various figures are available as to how many were able to escape via this paths but most range from between 2,000 and 100,000 people. These routes prominently sent escapees from the south up the north, especially to the Ohio region and Canada. One historical person that arguable had the biggest impact on freeing thousands of people was Harriet Tubman. Born into slavery, Tubman ultimately escaped and became very vital in the evolution of these passages.

         Before reading Solomon’s book, I was aware of what the Underground Railroad was. However, after reading and discussing it, I have to admit that I was pretty ignorant on the topic and its details before. Knowing about past history and events that have had an influence on our country are very important for everyone to be aware of. Knowledge will (or should) help continue our country to become closer and resolve any issues that are current today.

         The Underground Railroad was one of the biggest movements not just in terms of Civil Rights, but is undoubtedly one of the biggest events ever. It helped save the lives of not just the 100,000 people that fled, but it impacted generations after generations, and showed a perseverance that many people can learn from today.  

Youth Resistance

After reading Bruce Levine’s article, it is clearly apparent that America’s youth isn’t “fighting back” as much as could be necessary. Of this points, there are some I agree, and some I disagree with.

One point I disagree with is his thoughts on schooling. I don’t see school being a sole reason for youth resistance. He seems to say that because in the classroom and are to obey a teacher and take their directions, that alone is reason enough to not go out and voice your opinion. Maybe school doesn’t “teach us to act in a friction causing manner,” but I don’t feel that the classroom is a place where that should be taught.  

He says that schools “teach kids to care about things they don’t care about”. I don’t see how teaching a kid what they aren’t interested in can be something that enables them from voicing their opinion. If you don’t care about algebra, that doesn’t mean you blow it off and not do it. In life everything you do isn’t going to interest you, or be fun for that matter. If your everyday job is to stock groceries, but on a given day you are asked to take “do the numbers”, you don’t blow it off, you do it because it’s part of responsibility. Maybe kids don’t feel that school is the place they feel that they get “most educated,” but the school system is a system that is not just there to help you solve quadratic equations, it’s a place where you learn life lessons and hard work.

One bullet point that I agree is his eighth example when he says:

“Fundamentalist consumerism destroys self-reliance, creating people who feel completely dependent on others and who are thus more likely to turn over decision-making power to authorities…”

I do feel that American youths are becoming more dependant on other people or hierarchies to take control, or simply hope that someone else voices their shared opinion.

Additional Points:

1.)    One reason not mentioned in the article that I feel contributes to this is problem is that people don’t feel that their single voice will make a difference. Whether it’s insecurity, lack of self-confidence, or simply not caring, certain issues will shut people up. If you were to gather 100 students, I’d bet that at least 75 (probably even higher) of them will sit back and watch the other 25 debate certain topics. That’s not to say that the majority doesn’t have an opinion or care about the topic, but many people today are so worried about how they’re perceived by their peers, they fear engaging in animated discussions.  

2.)    Another is the advancement in technology and social media. First, youths are now prone to distraction with so many new gaming consoles, computers, iPads/iPods, etc. These advancements are coming in at the height of social networking as well. Facebook, Twitter, and many more of these sites have become so big that it is changing how individuals interact with one another.

3.)    Peoples dependence on their parents. Some kids many have grown up with their parents doing everything for them, they’ll believe that their parents will always be there to fight their battles for them.

Blog Prompt #4: Troy Davis Trial--Movement not in Solomon's book

I can’t help but realize that there still may be serious flaws in our judicial system. After discussing, reading about, and seeing coverage about it on TV, the story and case of Troy Davis is tragic. Then, after looking deeper into it, you can’t help but wonder how much is the judicial system, and how much of it has to do with relating issues, such as race and class.  

            It’s one thing to be incarcerated when all the jury is relying on is eye witness testimony, and it’s another when you are put on death row when the testimony is faulty at best. On top of that, one of the eye witnesses was the lead suspect before pointing the finger at Troy Davis. This man, Redd Coles, was the one who was identified to have started the altercation that lead to the shooting death of Police Officer Mark MacPhail.

When 7 of 9 individuals recanted their original statements against Troy Davis after hearing new evidence, you have to think that something isn’t right. On top of that, you have statements from people who weren’t called to testify, but have since come forward with stories that would prove Davis’ innocence, and in turn would have kept him from being executed last week. 

The one “eye witness” that I found to be the most absurd was of a lady who said she saw everything happening from her window. The same window that was about 1,000 feet away from the crime scene, with an obstructed view, all while it was late at night. Yet, in her testimony she says that she could identify Troy Davis’ face as he got into a car. This lady’s statements sum up both this case, and how unjust it is to put someone to death when you have no physical evidence.

After attempting to get a new trial many times, Davis kept being turned down. This is what boggles my mind. Even though as Amnesty International says, “without physical evidence, you still can’t prove Troy Davis innocent,” what is stopping Georgia or any other court from granting Davis a new trial? Clearly something was wrong with the first trial. It’s my belief that after so much more has come to light, Davis deserved to try and prove his innocence once again, and if the right people were called to testify, a life could have been saved.  

It’s reasons like these that have brought many recognizable politicians, leaders, and other high ranking people to back Davis. 1,000,000 people signed a petition to further urge the courts to re-hear the case. When looking back on it, you can’t help but think that an innocent man was put to death on September 21^st, 2011. 

 All of the backlash from this has turned into an extreme social movement. Although it started with many rallies to back Troy Davis and how unjust his trial as been, but has since turned into a cultural phenomenon. Always crucial in a social movement is having recognizable people fighting for the cause. Not that one person can change the mind of such high authorities, but their ability to turn issues into national televised coverage bring all the more important attention to it. And that's what has happened with this case. When you have former presidents as well as actors/athletes providing coverage, there's destined to be attention brought.
Further making this a social movement is the shirts, websites, and commercials that air. The motto, "I am Troy Davis," also has a great impact because it gets people to relate. Not in the sense of skin color or being able to put oneself in the position of a prisoner, but many people feel unjust treatment at one point or another and it unites people. Though he has since passed away, this movement is not likely to end anytime soon. His legacy will be ever present in not just the publics eye, but it also serves as a reminder that there are flaws in the judicial system.

Corporate Empires