Victims of the Sex Trade

 

 My political blog will be to inform the general public on the issue of sex trafficking. Sex trafficking is a big issue around the world and I think that it does not receive the type of recognition and public concern that it should. Women and children all over the world are subjected to the exploitation, degradation, and victimization of being sold into the sex trade. Society often minimizes the effect of the sex trade because you mainly see young women that are standing on street corners, on drugs, and using their bodies for money or some kind of gain. What society does not realize is that most of these women and children are forced into this lifestyle against their will and are beaten, threatened, and controlled. When we use such language as prostitutes, or other degrading slurs to describe these women and children it often gives the impression that they choose this type of lifestyle for themselves. If society was to think of prostitution and the exploitation as “women used in prostitution” or “sexually exploited children” as Ambassador John R. Miller suggest, then the perception of the trade will potentially be recognized for the severity of the problem. I do believe that people understand that sex trafficking is an issue, but do not think critically enough to raise awareness for the issue. There are children that are used as sex slaves to satisfy people who may have traveled from their own countries to engage in sexual activities with them. These individuals are more likely professionals who have good reputations in their own communities, but then travel to other countries and exploit these children. Ultimately, these women and children are subjected to long term physical, mental, and psychological abuse along with health issues. I think that it is essential for the public to become aware of this issue so that there may be potential for concern in which communities can then become involved.  

In attempt to raise awareness of my blog on sex trafficking I am able to access and utilize social networks such as twitter, and facebook where there are many viewers in which I am able to post information regarding my blog. In chapter one, Shamoon states, “The truth is that much of our society is organized around the public’s sharing of their views and opinions, and as a democratic culture we depend upon the free and open debate about issues, difficult events, problems, and appropriate solutions.” I think social networks are effective because they are popular sites that are able to promote the issue and my blog where people would most likely read upon and may become interested enough to interact and publicly get involved. I think a good strategic way to publicly write about my issue is to join associations who share the same concerns as we did in the beginning of class via twitter. I think that demonstrating some type of interest to the associations that promote awareness about these issues and similar issues are also effective because they allow you learn more about the issue that you may have not known and learn about events that you can also promote on your social network page as well as the political blog. Overall, I want my readers to understand the problem of sex trafficking by posting facts, stories, and information that may influence an individual to get involved as well.

America's 'Maxed-Out' Credit Card!

America's debt is 'bursting at the seams'. You may all have heard this mentioned frequently here and there whenever you fleetingly browse through television or cyber news spots. But what is really going on? America is the richest country in the world! In fact, some say that if China recalled all the debt that America owes her then it's possible that America's economy would be devastated, possibly taking the country to third -world status! This is frightening and I want to focus on this issue this semester. I also want to discuss the various suggestions that have been put forward to try and solve the debt issue.
What is causing a country like America, with its 412 billionaires in a 300-million population (compared to China's 112 billionaires scattered among their total of 1 billion people) to have such a low credit rating?
Some have said that it's because of the cost of Medicare and social security. Some have claimed that it's the endless wars that America is involved with; hardly are we done with Iraq than we get into Libya. Furthermore, the rich have been blamed for the poor credit rating of the country. Which is which?
America fought a world war but came out of it even richer; the rich have always been around (remember Carnegie, Rockefeller and Vanderbilt?) but America did not go broke. And our elderly; they did pay into social security and Medicare when they worked in their prime of youth, so why say that they are the ones bankrupting the country when they are only asking for what they already gave?

Still others suggest that tax revenues have fallen short because some among the working population seem to be paying proportionately less than their fair dues. I shall look into this view too.

Publicity pros and cons...

My main idea to implement change in regards to political mockery is to create small advances toward showcasing this less. If this change becomes the norm then, mockery will then become the abnormal and will change for future generations. Although nothing can be fixed over night, if entities like the media and internet can become a part of this change then, I believe progress can occur. This idea ties into Shamoon’s strategic consideration regarding the term “publicity”. The word publicity has always deemed to be a dirty word associated with the media and celebrities. But, according to Shamoon if a writer uses the tools of publicity such as “advertisement, media coverage, special events” for positive uses in order to advocate or promote their cause great results will occur.

            In order to write effectively to promote my blog my first task will be to capture a target audience. After analyzing the needs of the local public’s needs and constraints I will work toward publicizing my blog. I can do this by utilizing other political blogs associated with the same topics or perhaps writing a letter to an editor of a local paper focusing on a topic that pertains to my blog. In order to ‘above and beyond’ I could reach out to popular bloggers, create a facebook/twitter page for my cause and/or hold a charity event for my cause. In the case of my particular blog I could have a dinner inviting important local political figures while playing a PSA about the dangers of mockery in the political arena and the impact it will have on future generations. The night can be one of featured entertainment and the money raised from the event can go toward a scholarship for college students interested in the fields of either law, politics or economics.

The Public Sphere

5 key words: Skeptical, Public, Past, Fame, Ignorant

·         The public sphere is . . . a metaphorical term used to describe the virtual space where people can interact. . . . The World Wide Web, for example, is not actually a web; cyberspace is not a space; and so with the public sphere. It's the virtual space where the citizens of a country exchange ideas and discuss issues, in order to reach agreement about 'matters of general interest' ([Jurgen] Habermas, 1997: 105). . . .

[http://grammar.about.com/od/pq/g/publicsphereterm.htm]

It looks like no matter what, when defining the public sphere it becomes closely linked to words like media, internet, or “the national conversation”. It is a space in which people can debate policies, current events and popular discussion. Looking at the past, people used to actually have a public area in which they could have these types of conversations like the town square. Today, the public sphere is becoming smaller, and fewer are participating in this public sphere. There has also been discussion about the public sphere being blocked in some countries with their internet rights and policies differing from the U.S. Tying in with public writing and the younger generations, few are actually willing to learn about such debates never mind participate in them.

Start from 3:46...Discussion of the "Public Sphere"

Mockeries in Politics

Mockeries in Politics

Brief description: This blog will be aimed at exposing and analyzing the mayhem surrounded around politics and celebrity status that gets in the way of the important issues. While the media and other public outlets are concerned over topics like scandal, wardrobe or perhaps a birth certificate important subjects like the war on terror, gas prices and marriage equality have become secondary topics.

Your Turn (Chapter 1):

2. It has never been my experience to write a letter to an editor commenting on the pros and cons of his/her work. Although I have been in the position in which I wanted to for whatever reason, perhaps positive or negative, I wanted to express my feelings on a certain issue (s) because the article seemed one sided. I never went through with sending a letter to the editor because I felt that my work would be overlooked and not read. Most of the time in the writing realm, you have to be either outrageously crazy or powerfully cynical to receive attention.  Most people not just my peers are not incline to write public pieces like letters to the editor because they feel that their voice will not be heard, which can be comparable to the reason why many young adults don’t feel like it’s necessary to vote.

3. I actually do agree with these commentators as sad as it may seem. It has been my own experience that young adults do not want to partake in the political process let alone keep up with what goes on in the political arena aside from the caddy debates and superficial commentaries regarding those in office. Unless a major issue occurs like responding quickly to the Katrina crisis, or gas prices that directly impact them, politics isn’t the first thing young people talk about on a Friday night. Unfortunately, young people hold these views because they feel as though they play an unimportant role in politics, as far as they are concerned those with money and power corrupt the system and impact it greatly; there’s no room for lower classes and young people amongst the great political debates.

Local stories: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/b/birther_movement/index.html?scp=2&sq=obama%20birth%20certificate&st=cse

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/18/want-a-copy-of-obamas-birth-certificate-2/?scp=1&sq=obama%20birth%20certificate&st=cse

My blog: http://intervention-wrt303.blogspot.com/

Extra Extra

I choose the topic of climate change and global warming as my focus for my blog for the semester. My reason for this topic was mainly because I didn’t know much about it and instead of choosing something I already know about, why not challenge myself and learn about something I’m unfamiliar with? Global warming has been an ongoing issue for some time now but recently it has come into the limelight because of how rapidly its’ actually happening. I know students and individuals who continuously campaign and spend hours trying to speak and persuade people to “go green” as it is a way that we can help save our earth. It’s not particular forte to create an electric run car or reusable shopping bags but in terms of this cause to me what would help most are the simple day to day things that most everyone forgets about.  Although as the course proceeds I would like to come up with an alternative solution and idea for a way to promote going green but for now my ideas rest on the simple things. In relation to the course the option for right now could also be to compose a piece of writing that I could send to government officials, businesses and companies that would speak directly about the cause and what could be done to help. Because it is something I’ve always had a fear of doing, I would write a letter to a public official or the president. Speaking about my concerns for my generation and my children’s generation may be a guiding force in getting him to take more action or do more to support the issue. A letter to companies and business would also be something I would pursue because in actuality they are many times the root to this problem. This would be something I have never done before but something I’ve always thought about and what better time to push my fears aside.

            Reading about the several doubts and fears that so many other students have in relation to mine was interesting. I know that many people feel the same way as I do, that they just don’t have a strong enough voice or that one person can’t change much, but after reading more into Shamoon’s strategies it became more evident to me that there are things I can do and it just takes some confidence to step up and do them. I look at how I’ve evolved as a public writer already, joining twitter and setting up my own blog, and overcoming those fears and struggles has made me believe that I can do even more. Joining an association or becoming apart of a larger group was something Shamoon pointed out and for my casue and because of my fears this may be a step that I can take in order to feel that sense of “making a difference.” Shamoon also pointed out something that never really struck my attention, which was “acting locally.” I think it is a belief of many people that when someone thinks about helping support a cause they think they have to do something outrageous or monumental in order to really create change. Pointed out by Shamoon, this isn’t the case at all. Acting locally is a great way to really build a stepping stone for support for a cause and can further catch the attention of a larger audience such as public officials in which it then becomes a cause that can gain more widespread attention and help. To promote success for my cause, I could take such steps but for my blog it becomes a little more different. With facebook and twitter this could be very easy. To post a daily article on my facebook wall and my twitter would be great and would catch people’s attention. Doing this would gain peoples attention about the cause but not my blog specifically. Every week I could send out a reminder or note to check out my blog and/or catch up on weekly interesting facts that I found regarding global warming. Interesting and fun interactive initiatives is a great way to get people involved and wanting to support  a cause so to me this is the most simple way that I could promote success for my blog and my cause. 

Can you hear me now?

When deciding to write about immigration for my political blog, I had one thing in mind: learning. It is safe to say I know nearly nothing about immigration other than what I read in the article in my previous post and that it is a controversial political topic. I did not have a specific idea in mind for making change in relation to immigration. I simply wanted to learn more about the topic and possibly form my own opinion on the matter, assuming that I become well informed on the issue. As a result, I would like my political blog, “One nation under immigration,” to be informative and open to interpretation, learning, and opinion. I intend to include issues and arguments that both support and stand against immigration. When discussing an issue such as immigration, it is easy for the reader to think of themselves and how immigration affects their lives whether it be through taxes, safety, etc., therefore, many forget the impact that immigration has on the immigrants as well. In this blog, I will explore the other side, the lift of the immigrant, the reasons they immigrated, and true stories of immigrants. Overall, I want the reader to learn and form an opinion with me.

Being a nonprofessional writer, it is fair to think and/or assume that no one will read your writing. More importantly, it is possible to avoid this feeling of not being heard. Shamoon suggests different strategic activities public writers can employ to ensure success in public writing. The first concept that I found interesting was to have a “civic life.” In doing this, it is possible to gain support and have the opportunity to practice speaking effectively about problems affecting our lives. This allows us to become more articulate about our cause and potentially be heard. Writing publically, and perhaps starting locally allows us to share our own experiences with the problem we choose to write about and offer solutions that could possibly gain the attention of someone important. 

Of course it is natural to feel that your writing will not be read or avoided, however, writing and getting it “out there” is the first step. With all the different types of online writing platforms, being found or recognized is easier than one would think. The act of combining platforms may increase your chance of being heard. For example, to promote the success of my blog, I could “follow” those tweeting on my topic, tweet about the topic, and tweet individual blog posts, or a link to my blog on my account. This is one way to promote my blog and political cause and eventually be heard.

Teen Pregnancy and Entertainment

When I think about teen pregnancy, the word “entertainment” does not come to mind. The show Teen Mom formally called 16 and Pregnant is a popular reality program aired on MTV. The show was originally intended to show the life changes and hardships these young girls encounter after having a child. In 2008 MTV News reported a story about a Massachusetts High school that gained public attention after a few of the female students started a “pregnancy pack” and made it their #1 priority to get pregnant at the same time, which happened to be before they graduated from high school.

In 2008, if MTV’s goal was to educate young people about the seriousness of teen pregnancy than I have to say that MTV has changed gears and over the past three years has made an empire out of promoting and some would argue encouraging teen pregnancy. I will provide examples of why and true stories and articles that relate to this very important issue that I will future explore throughout the course.

I have never personally written a letter to an editor or public official. There has been times that stories and events struck a nerve, but I would have to be involved on a personal level in order for me to make a public statement about anything. I will share an example of how a public statement affected the lives of a family that I am very close to and maybe some of you can recall. This past year the movie Conviction was released, it is based on the true story about a woman named Betty Ann Waters and her determination and hard work that resulted in the release of her brother, who had been serving a life sentence for a murder that he did not commit. This is a wonderful story about a brother and sister bond; Betty Ann Waters was positive that her brother was innocent and she got her GED and successfully graduated from law school in order to re-open the case. To make a long story short, Betty Ann has a large family who all participated with the case in one way or another, but the fact is that she went to law school and was the person movie directors were interested in making a movie about. Her sister was upset about not being compensated and not receiving the attention she felt that she deserved and displayed her aggravation in a letter that she sent to the Providence Journal. She wrote about her anger and aired the families “dirty laundry” for all eyes to see. During this time Betty Ann was receiving a lot of positive media attention from strangers but was struggling with a personal family issue that also became public knowledge. I am really close with Betty Ann and her family and saw the devastation and heartache that this public letter caused.

Dear Providence

"Dear Providence," October 2008

Brainstorming, visual arts, random, public audience, technology.
I found a flikr albumn titled "Dear Providence" that encapsulates public writing in a less traditional sense. It was a gallery set up by New Urban Arts to celebrate the dieing art of letter writing and "snail-mail" correspondence (as opposed to electronic means). It featured various bits of correspondence addressed to the city of Providence or the New Urban Arts address, including letters, postcards, scraps of paper, and other articles of random musings. Most of the pieces I looked at were random thoughts or letters, meant to be more artsy than politically charged (almost like a postsecret project). I think this project is public writing in its most simple form---participants wrote whatever they wanted to a public audience. They may not have had a clear structure or purpose, but they put all their thoughts and issues out there for everyone to see. I've actually come to see this gallery as a visual depiction of the brainstorming stage of public writing; I think this was a very cool idea.

Does the internet create democracy?
The web site I found outlines many 21st century ideas about the public sphere, however it mostly focuses on the role of the media and the internet in public writing and democracy. The authors of this article believe that the media is now being used in a way that is detrimental to democracy; most internet sites and popular media have no capacity for political criticism or debate, and the media has become more about ratings, entertainment and performance.

The article goes on to say what the media should do: help organizations and causes attract support, be representative of the views of their supporters, and outline alternative actions and arguments. It also believes that a web site which aims to have any sort of credibility or influence should be backed by enough money and resources to extensively research its topics; it should be well-written and attractively presented, while also being accountable for its words/actions. The main point that this article stresses is that the media should be representative of a group of people and ideas, not just a single, narrow viewpoint.

Stepping Stones

Tough, hard, smooth, diverse and weathered. These are the 5 words I choose to describe my artifact which is rocks. I choose this artifact to represent public writing because I believe they have many qualities and similar characteristics. As rocks change so has public writing. Over the course of time public writing has evolved and with new technology it has become harder, easier and more diverse. Public writing has become woven into our country and democracy as a way for people to express themselves and their beliefs and opinions. It has influenced the public sphere and become a gateway for freedom of speech. Public writing is diverse in its' nature because people from all over, of different races and ethnicities perform public writing and opinions and beliefs are told and brought together. It has become a way for people to connect with one another and also distinguish themselves through their writing. In my own opinion I believe it has changed our society in a positive manner because it has allowed people the opportunity to express how they feel and given a chance to those who can't stand up in front of a crowd or a roomful of people, to express their opinions and beliefs in a more subtle manner. Facebook, twitter and multiple blogs has helped this new era of public writing flourish and as technology continues to advance I believe public writing will too.

When I typed public sphere into google I first searched images because as a visual learner I thought that this would help me better understand the meaning of the actual word. This is the first image that stuck out to me and one that I believe depicted and spoke about the true meaning and understanding of public sphere. After viewing the photo I then researched into what the actual meaning of definition of the public sphere is and multiple sites all regarded to it as a place in which people can freely discuss and talk about societal problems and further come up with an action or solution to those problems discussed. In terms of public writing, the public sphere is an area in which people can write about issues they strongly believe in or politics that they have opinions about and in this way they can talk with other people but also gain support or help in hopes of changing or supporting a cause. This website I found not only spoke about what the public sphere is but also recommends how one can get involved...public sphere