Advanced Essay #3

Introduction

My goal in this paper is to try and relate how the police system, and police violence ties into having an authority figure and what that means. It may not be realized until the end, but the majority of what im trying to explain is that authority hinders the ability for some to act out a reform a system, or more specifically how the police system hinders the people. But at the same time I also want to emphasize the fact this is the product of american culture, because of the history of how violence has been used to make a statement. 


The Police System

As a society we often perceive violence as something that we can use to counteract other violence, or as means of making a statement. Violence constantly surrounds us, and as a result many might perceive it as a normal aspect of life that is part of our world, and is therefore “used to it.” Society, however, assumes that violence is somehow this inevitable force that has occurred due to human behaviour. Although people perceive violence differently, and how to approach it, I am going to question whether or not the decisions that are made within the police system can be improved, and if police violence, specifically, is inevitable?

There is a multitude of layers within the police system that explain why the police use violent methods to control or counteract a situation; One of the methods used to counteract violence by the police system is gun use. The police are told that one of the methods to keep a situation under control, is to use a gun, however, in many other countries, guns are not easily allowed to be used by police officers, let alone citizens. In the U.S we have the right to bear arms, but having everyone have access to a gun, in a sense, invites violence.Instead, if gun use is  abolished completely, in the hands of the people and within the police system, much more methods such as using taser could lessen the amount of unjustified shots made at people. Magnus, a police officer from California proposed different methods in which the police system can use. “Magnus has consistently promoted new training programs and the acquisition of non lethal weaponry, including Tasers and pepper spray, designed to minimize the use of deadly force.” There are many methods that can be used in opposition to using a gun, which can decrease the amount of violence that is being used. Often times, people have their own biases against other, so eliminating the ability to do a major violent act, that can be done by the use of gun, perhaps police violence wouldn’t be viewed as inevitable.

Placing guns in the hands of people, however, sort of hints to another large issue. Why is it that we need to place a figure of authority with power for others to listen? Is that not what police are placed to be in our our society? To be an authority to which people should listen to, to establish peace? Having figures of authority in a societal system is not bad, if that figure of authority uses their power for the wellness of the people. By listening to a lecture done Scilla Elworthy, I think that she discusses how fighting someone with authority can be difficult, since that person with authority will most likely use violence to make a statement of fear. She expresses, however, that people do have the ability to fight violence with peace even though it may be difficult. “And I see that we, ordinary people, can do what Aung San Suu Kyi and Ghandi and Mandela did. We can bring to an end the bloodiest century that humanity has ever known. And we can organize to overcome oppression by opening our hearts as well as strengthening this incredible resolve.” What  Scilla says about overcoming oppression is that by doing it as an organized people, and practicing the method of approaching overcomings with peaceful methods, that we would be more used to peaceful methods, rather than resorting to violent methods.

Police violence, and figures authority are however not inevitable aspects of our society. In fact it may just be a product of american culture. Looking through past histories of how certain overcomings were delt with, a majority used violence as a means to make a statement. As we look back to one of the most well known protests in history, the boston tea party. Before resorting to throwing tea of the boat, many protested against the tax on tea by not buying in it, but as that continuously did not work, people resorted to more violent methods.

In conclusion violence is not at all inevitable, in fact there are many ways in which we can avoid it by replacing the methods that we use to counteract it. By having  figure of authority in society, those figures can be used a means to instill a sort of fear amongst the people. Authority makes people afraid to act out, but at the same time invites violence. So it just does end up being a continuous cycle when violent methods are being used. I don’t think that dismantling a whole police system is necessary, but rather a reformation f it. The system is already so set in place, that perhaps the best way to actually fix it is to implement more peaceful methods of dealing with it.


Cites

https://www.ted.com/talks/scilla_elworthy_fighting_with_non_violence?language=en#t-314454


https://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/police-violence-is-not-inevitable-four-ways-a-california-police-chief-connected-cops-with-communities



The Affect That Violence Has No Families and Veterans

In the society that we live in, violent situations such as war, is a big controversy topic. Some agree it is needed to end conflict and some disagree because a lot of people lose their life to a bullet or much worse. Not only can violence kill somebody but destroy families. But if you go deeper into it you will come across many ways that it is more bad than good. For example, the person who you were before a war isn't who you are after. This is because they are put through many obstacles that will break that sympathetic human creating someone who is very cold. This can impact families who have to deal with a veteran who is mentally damaged with survivor's guilt or PTSD.

According to a study/article done by Guidhi “My faith in nonviolence” discusses how in many situations the law of love has answered more than the law of destruction. This means that the use of sympathy and communication problems were solved better than ones with violence. Guidhi states = “My daily experience, as of those who are working with me, is that every problem lends itself to solution if we are determined to make the law of truth and nonviolence the law of life. For truth and nonviolence are, to me, faces of the same coin.” In other words, violence cannot occur if situations were solved more consciously instead of quick action. The truth will set you free from many situations. This supports it because if families are more rooted they won't have to deal with a loss or the need of a father/mother figure. A family being rooted and together is very beneficial for many reasons; the kids will be secured and not always having to wonder where and when their Father/ Mother will be back or if they died. It's a lot to deal with at a very young age.  

Now for the people who will be life savers and believe violence is the only way world problems are solved will go into the veterans blindsided. The reason why they are blindsided in my opinion is because they do not know what they are gonna be put through; tests that destroy a individual creating somebody they were never meant to be. It sometimes can be a character trait gone or worse like PTSD or soldier’s guilt. When researching how veterans are affected by warfare I found a source written by  MAGGIE PUNIEWSKA “ Soldiers guilt” discusses what goes through a veterans head and how it may impact a family. “Some of these soldiers describe experiences in which they, or someone close to them, violated their moral code: hurting a civilian who turned out to be unarmed, shooting at a child wearing explosives, or losing trust in a commander who became more concerned with collecting decorative pins than protecting the safety of his troops. Others, she says, are haunted by their own inaction, traumatized by something they witnessed and failed to prevent.” In detail of what Maggie is trying to get across with this statement is majority of the time soldiers who seen situations that couldn't be prevented or their own inaction may trigger soldiers guilt. It may lead to that because they will blame themselves for something to the extent of becoming very depressed and on edge. This connects to my claim on how violence can destroy families because soldiers guilt is something that is connected to PTSD just a bit worse. Since it's similar to PTSD symptoms such as loss of interest or pleasure in activities, guilt, or loneliness. This may take a toll on the children's life because they need to be engaged with their parents to feel and know they are loved and not a burden. Loss in interest can cause a lot of issues in a relationship because they are too damaged to sometimes acknowledge they are still in a relationship.

In conclusion violence has had more of an affect on veterans and families than it has on the main problem`w. Violence affects veteran mental health causing them to feel guilty due to situations they had no control over; PTSD that can lead to suicide. Not only the veterans are impacted due to warfare but their families have to deal with this issue that will restart every single day. What I mean by this is that PTSD is something that need more attention and patience to deal with because the feel as if they are still under attack.  



Sources used:

https://msw.usc.edu/mswusc-blog/veteran-mental-health/

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/07/healing-a-wounded-sense-of-morality/396770/

Paper Article written by Guidhi  


Advanced Essay #3: (Music On Society)

Introduction:

My goal for writing this paper was to bring up a topic that not many really think of. We don’t realize how much it could be affecting us and this topic is how violent music can be influential to society. I’m proud of the research I found and how it worked really well with what I was trying to get across. Music is such an important part of who we all are as people. It is used for many different aspects of life and knowing that it could be doing no good to society is important to pay attention too.

Essay:

As humans, we don’t think about how influential music may be in society. Music is a form of art. It is a positive outlet for people and a way for people to express their feelings. These feelings can be good or bad and this is where we need to look deeper. Music can dig deep into someone’s emotional status and can lead to certain thoughts or feelings. Now the question is, is violent music influencing our society? This is important to be mindful of because children and adolescents are so into music nowadays. Hip hop, R&B, and Rap are genres that are so popular and there are the ones that can infiltrate violent messages into society the most. Not knowing what is right in front of you isn’t an option. Music can be a part of the reasons why violence is such a problem to society and why people may act the way they do.

Rap is a creative way to form and pair words together to create a hit. Rap music is what most teens listen to today and rap music can often emphasize the idea of violence. An article by, Nakia Jackson, called What Influence and Effects Does Rap Music Have on Teens Today? talks about different ways Rap music can be effective in positive and negative ways. “Rap was born in poor urban communities where violence may be poorly controlled, but social and economic factors can play a much greater role in the prevalence of violence.” This quote is mainly focusing on the idea of how rap music was already created because of the violence that was spread around into society. As mentioned before, music can be used to express feelings and this quote basically says the area where rap was born was just a way for people to explain what they were facing in their community. Also, how she mentions that social and economic factors take a bigger toll in the society which can be true. Lower class communities are where violence takes place the most because as said in the quote, it is “poorly controlled”. There are bigger issues to be aware of that violent music affecting society, especially where the origins of rap music came from.

Some people may view music as nothing harmless. It isn’t something physical but something that means much more in a emotional, intellectual, and spiritual way. A study was done by researchers from Iowa State University and the Texas Department of Human services. The study was published by the American Psychological Association (APA) and it proved that violent music lyrics increase aggressive thoughts and feelings. This necessarily does not have to do with crimes nor creating violence throughout society. This has to do with the fact about how thoughts and feelings can form negatively within a person, leading to physical action. A person who knows someone in a vulnerable place should take this into consideration. Violent music can cause someone to make choices they will later regret in life and knowing these type of facts can prevent that in the future.

Music can be used as a coping method for those who want an escape from the world. In these times, females can be more driven into letting music affect them negatively than men. An article published by the American Academy of Pediatrics goes into depth about how music and all of its aspects can have an impact on children and adolescents. “Female adolescents are more likely than male adolescents to use music to reflect their emotional state, in particular when feeling lonely or “down.” This proves females are more likely to lean on music in their rough times because of their emotional status. As we look at adolescents, it is more important to pay more attention to them since they are still trying to figure themselves out. At times they might feel like no one is truly there for them because they are going through the changes of life and becoming adults. They might feel like music is the only way to uplift them and sometimes even bring out the worst in them.

As a society, we should begin to realize what is right in front of our faces. Certain genres are what bring this trait to music and music artist should see that it won’t always do good for the society. They probably aren’t aware of what they are actually doing to their community. Most violent music is songs about the struggle and the horrible things they had to do to survive. If we don’t want our people to be under the impression then a change has to be made. Science and the Medicine field are giving out proven facts as well. We don’t want our children and adolescents to be mistaken that some of these actions are okay by the music they are listening to. Creators, listeners, viewers, and bystanders need to step in and see violent music does have an impact on society.


War Before and After

War before and after

War doesn’t just come with victory and loss. War comes with a lot of consequences that are permanent in some people's lives, such as, PTSD, destruction, tons of money lost, etc..Civilians that live before war live their life peacefully and in harmony. When a war hits they can’t anticipate what might happen next. War affects a person in a lot of different ways before and after.

One country that has one of the highest rates of mental illness in the world is, Palestine. A quarter of Palestinian adolescents have attempted suicide. About 23.2% have post-traumatic stress disorder (according to a survey of 1,369 over three years) compared to around 6-9% in the US; and the Palestinian territories have by far the highest levels of depression in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Those living in Palestine endure ongoing trauma. Someone who has their house demolished by the Israeli government in East Jerusalem, because it was deemed illegal, must then pay fines to the Israeli government for failing to destroy their homes themselves. (Nearly every Palestinian building is deemed illegal by Israeli authorities.) Up to 40% of Palestinian men have spent time in prison, often for minor offenses such as throwing stones. And many families face the threat of Israeli-army raids and interrogations. All this happens within and out of war. In Palestine there is no, war has ended, war in Palestine is continuous.

Before soldiers go into a war zone, they are healthy. Their lungs are healthy and clear, their minds are stuck only on the mission at hand. When soldiers come back from a warzone or war in general, they have to face things that can not jus go away. They face PTSD, depression, and suicide.

In the film, “American Sniper”, actor Bradley Cooper plays a soldier who goes on 4 tours  in Iraq. Throughout the whole movie Cooper experiences traumatic things such as, shooting a young boy, seeing his partner get shot in the face, and having to watch a brutal man drill into a little boys legs. In a certain scene in this movie, Cooper is at a garage and he starts to start experiencing deja vu from the tools the mechanics use. This film shows how soldiers going in and out of war zones start to slowly but surely have a messed up mentality.

From two perspectives: A soldier going into a warzone and a little boy facing soldiers with guns bigger than himself. The soldier going into a warzone has the mindset of going in and never coming back out, but for those who do come out of a warzone alive they suffer from the mental illnesses discussed before, the most common being PTSD. The little boy facing soldiers has the mindset of praying enough to live or knows well enough that death is coming his way, he will never understand why. The little boy if survived automatically is traumatized, depending on the case he may have lost family, friends, and loved ones.

The conditions after war are inevitable. Buildings are destroyed leaving hundreds of families homeless. Families that are just bystanders in the war are forced to face the consequences brought to them. As an example Palestine is one of many countries that faces this tragedy almost everyday. Some say its a free jail. War affects a person in a lot of different ways before and after. It brings, pain, depression, suicide, PTSD, and a lot more. War is forever inevitable to humans.









Sources:


https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/reel-therapy/201501/american-sniper-0

https://qz.com/1521806/palestines-head-of-mental-health-services-says-ptsd-is-a-western-concept/

https://www.bu.edu/sph/2016/04/10/the-population-health-consequences-of-war/

Advanced Essay #3: Victims of War and Violence

This essay sheds light on the hardships and burdens of war from multiple points of view. There is not only violence and war impacting the soldiers but also the families and innocent people at home. I would like the reader to take  in the information about the refugees who were once everyday people, just like we are. 
For many years, war has caused mass destruction within families, countries, and the economy. When war occurs, the people involved have to endure the horrors of watching their homes and families be destroyed. A common misconception is that the soldiers take on the most hardship, the civilians are often disregarded. 
The expenses from war cause poverty rates to increase, the money supply gets cut off. The civilians then have no homes or safety net to fall on. There are many families in high stress because of the absence of their loved ones. This also increases traumatization in younger children. That increase in traumatization can cause their symptoms to mirrors those of their loved ones. In many cases, soldiers who come home can not reconnect with their loved ones again. The PTSD that soldiers carry with them after the war can go on for the rest of their lives. The impact of violence goes farther than just on the battlefield. Some instances, there is no support from the spouses’, soldiers have even lost their homes returning from deployment. The long term impacts lead to fatal addictions to prescription medications, incurable psychological disorders, and even suicide. As a veteran, those who fought on the frontlines are unwilling to speak horrors of war.
Violence is instilled into the society and therefore we allow war to destroy everything around us. Beyond the physical destruction of homes, the family’s financial stability is impacted after the war.  A present issue in our military is the lack of financial support. The most recent Department of Defense report, from 1999, found that 40 of lower rank soldiers face "substantial financial difficulties. Soldiers require treatment and support recovering from the combat, this level of support can not always come from the immediate family members. Soldiers making ends meet post-deployment has been acknowledged by the military as an issue but there has been no final solution to aiding veterans and their families. The cost of ensuring veterans’ comfort and family after the war can be very extensive. Even the minor factors of war have promoted violence to be prominent in our society, in our human nature to fight and destroy what is surrounding us without thought. Men and women turn to the military in hopes of financial support in the long run, which increases the risk for families at home that can not support the household alone.
On the other side of the battlefield, the families who live within the war zone have been forced to flee from home without looking back. The demands for violence has dehumanized and deprived people of their ability to enjoy life. “War denies civilians agency and voice, disempowering them and transforming them into objects of manipulations,” a quote from Korostelina, an associate professor in S-CAR.  Civilians are overlooked continuously but those very people carry more burden than what is broadcasted worldwide. The intensity of the battlefield causes the displacement and dehumanization of innocent people. Children and infants die from sickness and malnutrition. The record of documented deaths are an understatement compared to the undocumented death of civilians. There is no reinstatement back their homes because of the ruthless murder and desecration. Victims must also endure the deliberate demolition of their economic, social and cultural worlds. Often, the victims of war in their homeland are shown in social media, but not enough attention is being brought to this issue on a more informative platform. Under serious conditions, innocent families have become refugees with no voice or way to help themselves. Violence has become the new oppressor, there is lack if safety or support for the people who truly need it.
War and violence, the common solution to solving our social and worldwide conflict. The continuous impact even after the war is over can destroy and hinder the growth of a nation. Often, we only look at the broad image of soldiers who go through trauma and stress. The  psychological toll it takes to hold a household up with no help, children become overwhelmed with traumatization. This is not only the impact of violence, the innocent have become refugees and displaced from their homes without a voice to say for themselves. 

Cited Work: 

Voa, & Voa. (2009, October 29). Thousands of US Military Families Live in Poverty. Retrieved from https://www.voanews.com/a/a-13-a-2003-01-15-5-thousands-67286427/380364.html

 “Researchers Examine the Effects of War on Civilians.” Mason Research, 9 Mar. 2012, masonresearch.gmu.edu/2012/03/researchers-examine-the-effects-of-war-on-civilians/

 Carolina. “The Impact of War and Atrocity on Civilian Populations: Basic Principles for NGO Interventions and a Critique of Psychosocial Trauma Projects.” ODI HPN, odihpn.org/resources/the-impact-of-war-and-atrocity-on-civilian-populations-basic-principles-for-ngo-interventions-and-a-critique-of-psychosocial-trauma-projects/.

Advanced #3 - "Violence in Social Media"

As children grow up, especially now in the age of technology they are exposed to a lot of information. While a lot of the media can help with their development and education, there is too much that is promoted on social media that can negatively affect a child and shape their mindset as they grow up. Social media and the internet is one of the first places that many children first encounter violence, just by tapping through videos on YouTube, or scrolling through an Instagram feed, violence is ingrained in most aspects of American life. Children who are exposed to violence through social media at a young age are very early desensitized and normalize violence making them less likely to interfere or stop violent acts as an adult.

In an article called “Does Social Media Induce Violence Among Youth”, by Shreesha Ghosh, she writes on the effect that exposure to social media has on children. The articles speaks on how social media is part of our everyday life and that it can’t be avoided. Yet, violence is embedded into our media and can have many effects on children, from violent behavior, increased feelings of hostility, and  antisocial behavior just as some of the few examples. In the article she quotes a paper by Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center at the University of Michigan that reads Meta-analyses of the unhealthy effects of media-violence have shown that youth who view media-violence on a regular basis are more likely to exhibit... acceptance of violent behavior…  and desensitization toward violent behavior,” The society that we live in depicts violence so frequently that children create a “desensitization toward violent behavior”, this means that they begin the process of normalizing violence at a very young age, which can impede many other aspects of their life as they grow up. One of the the aspects that it can affect is feeling sympathy for victims of violent crimes such as bullying and abuse. This means they are less likely to try and stop a violent act when they see one, they would be “accepting violent behavior” because it’s something that they see everyday.

This normalization of violence from young children then creates what is known as the “Bystander Effect”.  The bystander effect as explained by an article titled “Understanding the Bystander Effect”, writer Kendra Cherry writes “The term bystander effect refers to the phenomenon in which the greater the number of people present, the less likely people are to help a person in distress.” She then begin to explain why the effect is so common amongst people. The first reason is people feel a diffusion of responsibility when there are many other people around and a violent crime is taking place because everyone expects someone else to make the call. The second reason Cherry explains, “The second reason is the need to behave in correct and socially acceptable ways. When other observers fail to react, individuals often take this as a signal that a response is not needed or not appropriate.” which leads back to the normalization of violence. When there is a large group of people and they all are witness to a violent act they do not react because they are waiting for someone else to tell them “this is wrong”. The problem is that no one can make the call because they see this act as unalarming; they feel like they have seen it too many times on social media to care. If a fight were to break out in front of a group of people more likely than not most people would just walk by; they would go about their day because no one else is taking action. No one is taking action because they see fights on social media and believe that it is a normal occurrence in their day. The bystander effect works hand in hand with the desensitization of violence that is developed as a child.

In a TED talk Philip Zimbardo tries to explain how people are able to commit these horrible acts and why people do not report or try to say anything about the situation. He says that when we are children we are not raised to interfere with things that seem unjust if they have nothing to do with us. He tells the audience “Most people are guilty of the evil of inaction, because your mother said, "Don't get involved. Mind your own business." from a young age children are told “mind your own business”, that is feeding into the role of being a bystander, now when children see violence on the media then are told that they should mind their own business, it makes sense to why no one seems to stand up and why most violent acts go unreported. The mix of being desensitized and then being told that it’s not your problem or issue, is the reason that so many adults now have a hard time knowing what needs to be done during acts of violence. Our society and media have made people grow up on the idea that not saying anything is better than intervening and that violence is a normal act. To combat this idea Zimbardo continued to say “Heroism as the antidote to evil, by promoting the heroic imagination, especially in our kids, in our educational system. We want kids to think, "I'm a hero in waiting, waiting for the right situation to come along, and I will act heroically,”. The same way that children are taught not to interfere and not to do anything, they need to be taught that they are capable of stopping any act of violence that they see, that they need to report and they need to help.

The only way to teach a child that violence is not normal is by teaching them the same way they first learned it; by putting more positive videos and censoring part of the violence then children will grow up knowing what is not okay. This will then translate to the way that the act as adults. If they are raised to learn how not to be a bystander then there will be less cases where violence goes unreported.


Advanced Essay #3: Waging Wars

In this essay, I explored the mistreatment of black communities through the use of violence against black communities and the use of violence black communities use to retaliate. 

The enslavement of African-Americans ended in 1865 with the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation, but the violence brought on that group persists to this day. With the knowledge that the only reason that so many African Americans are in America today is that their ancestors were sold as objects still brings tension between citizens today. The freedom of enslaved people didn’t mean immediate equal treatment. The era of reconstruction and Jim Crow followed and began with hate groups such as the KKK emerged, spreading the belief of white supremacy. There are people still alive today who have been affected by the civil rights era; the segregation of white and black people has left scars in this country. The internalized frustration of being dehumanized and treated as less than for so long still exists in the minds of individuals. These frustrations in the past have led to extremist groups. The way the government has mistreated black people has led to a country in which the violence and an internal war within the US.

In 1972, a Philadelphia-based black liberation group called MOVE was formed by John Africa. He and his followers all took on the surname Africa; the deeply religious black nationalist group was involved in many violent occurrences in the city of Philadelphia. Their name derived from a quote from the founder, “Everything that’s alive moves. If it didn’t it would be stagnant, dead.” This belief has brought the group to remain active even today. The war between the Philadelphia police and MOVE began during a shoot out in [] leaving [] officers dead and left nine of the members convicted of murder. These members were sentenced to 100 years in prison and denied parole in 2008. The group relocated to a house in West Philadelphia where the end of the war would occur. In 1985, Wilson Goode, the first black mayor of Philadelphia would order for “military grade” weapons to be brought upon the MOVE house. The house was hit with two bombs resulting in 11 deaths of members of MOVE including 5 children. Before the bombing, the police were initially trying to arrest the MOVE members, reportedly saying over a loudspeaker, “Attention MOVE: This is America.” The layers of this statement begin brought to mind the 2017 released song This is America, a song whose imagery brings to attention the injustice that has taken place in black communities

The bombing gave Philadelphia a new name: “The City that Bombed Itself.” The escalation perfectly captures the war between the black citizens of America and the government. The group was formed out of frustration of inequality. Through years of mistreatment the black communities will eventually manifest itself with retaliation. When fighting back, MOVE was drastic and refused to play by anyone's rules but their own, and with that brought the coming of the escalation. The bombing burned down homes across the the predominantly black neighborhood, showing that the government of Philadelphia was more concerned about eliminating the denial of their power than black citizen’s lives and wellbeing. They were more concerned with the power they possessed and the threat that MOVE was to that, then the displacement of hundreds of families and the lives of five children.

In the past and even in recent years, the lack of care for black lives the justice system and government of the US has shown has been jarring. This created unrest and violent riots. In 1992, when three Los Angeles cops were acquitted after the assault of Rodney King, infamous riots erupted throughout LA. Another instance of this occurred in 2014, with the death of Michael Brown, which led to unrest in ferguson. Both cases had video evidence of the violence brought upon the people, however the deaths and assaults were seen through a lens of necessary force. The lack of justice brought to the loss of black lives is a direct contradiction with ethics upheld  in US society. When people die, someone is held responsible, and the lack of action to convict shows that black people are viewed as unworthy of justice. The notion that innocent until proven guilty doesn’t seem to apply when a black life is lost.

The internal war of America has been waged on black citizens that haven’t been equally been treated or considered. The way in which black life is viewed is disposable. Until the government and justice system truly sees the average black citizen as equal to every other person, the war will persist. Essentially causing frustration and acts of violence across the US. The government is meant to advocate for all, but have fallen flat when it comes to black communities.

Work Cited

https://www.npr.org/2017/04/26/524744989/when-la-erupted-in-anger-a-look-back-at-the-rodney-king-riots

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/08/13/us/ferguson-missouri-town-under-siege-after-police-shooting.html

https://www.thoughtco.com/move-philadelphia-bombing-4175986

Violence and Social Media

INTRO: My paper discusses the idea that violence is spread throughout social media and how impacts people. One of the topics I explored were videos being spread on social media causing awareness to violence in general. It opens our eyes to the hard truths of the world and will maybe make an impact on us to make a difference.

Social media can help and harm people in many ways. It could help by being the last resort piece of evidence for a trial and harm by putting someone behind bars or ruining their reputation. Violence is something that is broadcasted almost every night on the news and throughout social media. Has violence always been a part of our lives, or has it come to light with all the new technology we have? Social Media has been influencing us since it became worldwide. We have access to anything and everything through YouTube, Instagram and especially Twitter; showing us videos of good things and bad things. Which includes graphic videos of shootings and violence. These videos spread around large platforms are truly awful and horrendous, but it brings out the cold truth to our sensitive eyes. People who are and aren’t innocent are harmed almost every day. One hundred are shot and killed every day, and one hundred others have survived but are or were severely injured. Kianga Mwamba was an innocent bystander who saw another man getting assaulted. She then took out her camera and started filming it, but unfortunately, the police went after her as well, causing her to be in jail. In Witness Media Lab, an article wrote, “The story of Kianga Mwamba, however, forces us to ask, how does the truth come out? With all the videos that have flooded our news feeds and turned names of victims into hashtags of a social movement, how many videos have we not seen?”. This story justifies that social media can bring light to the ugly truths of this world; violence. Not only has violence been exposed to the world by the Internet, but it has also changed our perception of certain issues. People are killed every day for their race, or religion or even when they reached in their pocket for gum. When violence had light shed upon it, it also uncovered bigger problems such as racism, oppression, and even hatred for practicing religions. Social media uncovers the truths of the world and what really goes on behind closed cameras. Phillip White was an unarmed man who had been approached by policemen. An article reiterates the story stating, “Phillip White was unarmed when he was approached by Vineland, New Jersey, police officers. The encounter, caught on video by two anonymous bystanders, included officers attacking him with a canine while White appeared to be unconscious. After arresting him, officers took White to a hospital, where he was declared dead“ Violence is exposed throughout security cameras as well as racism for he was killed for no apparent reason except the color of his skin. Because of this, we now can recognize the issue of racism and white privilege throughout countless deaths similar to White’s. WIthout social media and the awareness of these issues, it would take us longer to recognize and try to make better of this issue. Video recordings are solid evidence to bring justice upon others who are not wronged and social media spreads that awareness through multiple platforms that we see every day. In an article written by Murat Mengu they write, “It is undoubtedly the human beings that have created social media and ensured its continuity. It is also the human beings who establish the social and ethical laws of the communication in social media.” This elaborates on the bigger idea of how others use social media for good or bad. We could spread awareness by reposting videos and pictures to show others the real world and start to bring justice to everyone who has been a victim of violence in general. Our usage depends on the message we want to spread. Mwamba had almost been saved from incarceration because she filmed that man getting beaten. White’s story had been spread onto the news and into our phones; close to a worldwide story for everyone to see. Social media helps spread awareness to violence, but it depends on how people perceive it; do we spread awareness or just watch it once and never see it again? We as a whole could make a difference by stripping the world and showing the messed up side of it to everyone. This will help people better understand that these events are real and people truly have evil motives to kill people. Throughout the Internet, the more violence is uncovered and spread, the more issues are uncovered as well which includes oppression. As humans, it is up to us how to take on certain situations. By these types of videos being shared around, we should help make a difference in the world by making others be aware of what happens in real life.

Advanced Essay #3: Is It Too Late To Change Our Ways?

​Introduction: My goals for this paper are to shed light onto more non-violent ways to approach situations. Us Americans are so used to violent acts that they begin to seem regular. Most of the time we don't consider the non-violent routes.

In today’s media, we’re exposed to more about war and violence instead of non-violence in the world. It could be because people assume war rewards people within the U.S and they want to make sure people continue with that mindset, or it could be because violence brings in more attraction for the media. We fail to recognize the effects of war on people that experienced it and only look at the benefits for the higher parties. War gets advertised as if it’s a good thing for a person’s mental health and violence in general always gets displayed on the news. Younger people hear it in the music they listen to and older people have experienced that too. America is just a violence driven country.

A majority of Americans specifically ones in the military industrial complex perceive war as only a form of gain, and we don’t worry about the consequences we’re putting other people through. A strategy they use to bring more potential soldier in is the Army Experience Center. The center showcases the pros of wars and being within the army. They don’t necessarily speak on the hardships; when they do it’s not a lot. They have a simulation that’s like a video game. It doesn’t show too much concern about putting these men into wars to fight battles they most likely wouldn’t go to on their own free will. They’re only worried about bringing more men in to continue these wars that they love so much. They advertise the jobs and opportunities in a way that’s very interactive. It’s on a big screen that allows you to look in depth at the different position you could have within the Army. Don’t get me wrong it’s not all bad it’s actually a good way to get young men off the streets and out of bad neighborhoods but it also is aiding to a larger problem of giving too much money and devotion to the military.

I wish America could see that there’s much more beyond the violence route and maybe take a step back on being so violence driven. It’s not only the Army it’s regular cities also. My own city Philadelphia is a prime example of this; we’re one of the most dangerous cities in America depending on the neighborhood you’re in. When an area is so used to violence it’s hard for those areas to blossom out of that norm. You get an “if it isn’t broken don’t fix it feeling.” In those areas I feel like we need bigger people; people like neighborhood heroes in a sense to come out and show people that it’s not all about fighting each other and spreading positivity. If the government wasn’t so war focused maybe more jobs could be made in those low-income areas to stop the inner city violence.

There are so many alternatives to violence that people don’t tend to realize at first glance. Things like speeches, marches, and even songs of protest. No, they might not work as fast as you want them but why resort to bloodsport in exchange for a change with just a longer wait. There are plenty of websites and organizations that advocate for non-violence such as the Encyclopedia of Peaceful Societies. This website does the opposite of the Army Experience Center whereas through the shining light onto peaceful societies. A society that’s spoken on is the Amish which most of them live in the Lancaster, PA area. There a very old school society in terms where the man is the leader of the home and is supposed to be the provider. They raise their families on respect and handle any altercations within themselves and don’t make problems large scale. I feel like we could take pages from the Amish within our own neighborhoods and bring the family aspect back to communities.

A person who was a strong advocate for non-violence was Gandhi. He had a fight your enemy with love mindset. That’s something us Americans usually don’t have. Gandhi felt as though love is the only weapon a person needs in this world that we live in and that we must be stronger than the violent temptations around us. Compared to the Army Experience Center that had a good idea of getting kids off the streets to just play video games but they still were promoting violence. Shooting and war simulation video games aren't the only ones out there. In my opinion, there were different ways they could’ve gone about the situation if they wanted to get kids off the streets to just play video games or learn about the Army if they wanted to.

With everything being said there is plenty of different approaches a person or group can take to achieve their goals with non-violence. Sadly as Americans, we’re just used to violence getting what we want. We even conquered the land that we live on. If there were more Gandhi’s in the world maybe there could be a change.


Work Cited

"The Army Experience Center." The Vision Machine. Accessed May 06, 2019. http://thevisionmachine.com/2015/04/the-army-experience-center/.

"198 Methods of Nonviolent Action." Albert Einstein Institution. September 23, 2015. Accessed May 06, 2019. https://www.aeinstein.org/nonviolentaction/198-methods-of-nonviolent-action/.

"Encyclopedia of Peaceful Societies." Peaceful Societies. Accessed May 06, 2019. https://cas.uab.edu/peacefulsocieties/societies/.

Advanced Essay #3 Historic Symbols Causing Violence

Introduction: This paper is about how the different ways we preserver history can cause violence in the modern world. I talk about the recent wave of people who are moving to tear down historic statues and monuments. I also discuss the confederate flag and its opposing symbol to different groups of people. Hope you enjoy!

  Historic Symbols Causing Violence

Throughout American history, many triumphant and tragic events have occured. As a way of remembrance some choose to save artifacts, or even make art to commemorate history. These famous monuments and symbols have become much more relevant in recent times, due to the fact that some of these things should not be celebrated. Many people are now seeing statues and flags as a sign of racism and discrimination.  In many cases, these symbols are even at the center of many of the violent acts we have seen in recent years. Theses symbols are not the reason for this violence, but definitely give people a push in the wrong direction.

In 2017 riots erupted in Charlottesville, Virginia over the efforts to get an infamous statue of Robert E. Lee removed. Progressive groups protested around the statue, but the situation quickly turned when white supremacists arrived on the scene to oppose the protestors and fight for the statue to remain standing. White supremacists claim that the statue has deep roots and and should remain for the historic factor it was once built for. Richard Spencer, the man leading the group of white supremacists sees the statue as a sign of his heritage. In an article written about the protests, David Morris describes this as, “Spencer, at least, clearly regards the Lee statue less as a symbol of Southern heritage than as a convenient proxy for an explicitly racist agenda.”(2017)  Many people would agree with this point, that these symbols are just excuses for people to be racist and violent towards others. The violent actions of the protestors in Charlottesville injured 28 people, and killed one.

The Confederate flag originated when it was flown by the southern troops of Robert E. Lee during the civil war. After the war, it was used as a symbol of southern heritage by veterans of the war, and in many parades. The flag would also be used in many instances long after the civil war to commemorate the many battles fought. Now, the flag stands for a much different meaning in many people’s eyes; the flag is seen as a racist symbol used to discriminate against African Americans. In the Charlottesville riots, heavy use of the Confederate flag by white nationalists instilled violence in the people, even ending fatally for one woman.  The discrimination and underrepresentation of African Americans during the civil war, lives on in the modern world and is used as a racist tactic by white supremacist. This is a perfect example of how a small symbol that represents heritage to one, can cause violence and instill rage in another.

At the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, there is an infamous statue known as “Silent Sam”. The statue displays a confederate soldier and stands in the college’s campus to this day. In August of 2018 a protest was held because a group of people wanted the statue removed. This was a protest that quickly turned when a group of white nationalists arrived and enticed the protestors. The police were called to the scene and 7 people were arrested, along with many injuries do to the actions of the protestors and opposers. Something as simple as a statue was able to cause such destruction in the lives of many within hours. This statue was created as a way to preserve a historic figure and ended up turning into a symbol for hate and destruction; causing violence and chaos.

Chumani Maxwele was a student at the University of Cape Town when he sparked one of the first fights to have a statue removed. The statue was of Cecil Rhodes, a colonial politician and know white supremacist. Maxwele dumped a bucket of feces on the statue grabbing global attention and sparking a protest and movement on the campus to have the statue removed. He is quotes saying, “There is no collective history here. Where are our ancestors?” (Maxwele, 2015) This was the first of many statues to come down in an ongoing fight for representation of history. The main issue with these pieces of history is that they are only representing one thing, the white man. This can make people feel uncomfortable and unwelcoming to the celebration of this kind of history. That uncomfortable feeling people get, can be the one that causes violent outbreaks between divided groups of people.

The preservation of history represented in the United States today is very one sided. It in many cases showcases white men who were racist and discriminatory people. There are few famous statues or symbols for people of color or women in history; this is unfair and needs to change.  If there were an even amount of monuments built for all types, and generations of history, we could avoid the violent protesting and the destruction of these symbols. Instead we could learn from them and use them in positive ways in the modern world.


Advanced Essay #3- Honorable or Evil?

Introduction: This examines many of the examples we as American Citizens need to take it into perspective from the Iraq war before making any claims to the acts that the U.S Marines have performed in Iraq. I want people to understand that what was done to the innocent lives of the people in Iraq wasn't primarily because they were the terrorist or threatening, but because of the power got to the head of the soldiers and the government. I also want people to learn to understand the story of both sides of a war, before claiming their own judgment.


You salute to the American flag, train your life away, wear the uniform proudly and travel thousands of miles to do exactly the opposite of what you think you were going to do. You believe the purpose was to fight off terrorism and bring justice back to America, but instead, you end up finding your self killing off innocent people that are only trying to protect their land and families. You find yourself stripping victims front their human rights and you grasp the idea that these humans don’t deserve not one bit of what's being done to them, because at the end of the day they are humans just like yourself. The war in Iraq failed to accomplish the purpose of the war and instead it dehumanized Iraqis. The essential question that we citizens interrogate ourselves with when it comes to the U.S soldiers is can we honor people for their sacrifice and also recognize the evil they did? Even the soldiers themselves don’t know how to grapple with this question. American soldiers have Self regret because the war has turned them evil. In addition, we have to recognize and analyze the evil that has been done, which was the torture of innocent Iraqi civilians. The final blame being the government’s misuse of power.

Iraq veterans are reminded every day for their heroic acts and shown gratitude for their bravery, however not many accept those compliments. These Veterans believe that they do not deserve to be honored for the terrible acts they were forced to perform in Iraq. These soldiers were put in situations where they had to perform actions that they knew were wrong. They were forced to come back to America to live their regulars lifestyle once again, but this time with a guilt twist in their stomachs and an aching heart for the thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians that were murdered for simply protecting themselves. The war, in fact, turned them evil. Philip Zimbardo during his ted talk presents many different experiments that all tie together to represent this larger idea that good people can turn evil with some simple alterations in their lifestyles. He mentions that, “evil is the exercise of power.”(TED, 2008) He justifies his point by giving an example from the Iraq War. He presents a series of pictures from a prison in Iraq that holds Iraqi prisoners and are run by American guards. These guards began to abuse their power, by dehumanizing the prisoners. so that they can weaken them mentally. This tactic was used to retrieve as much information from them as possible.  In fact, these Iraq veterans felt so awful for what was done that they made a union that accumulated over 12 thousand participants. They have performed non-violence protests and have done anything they can do to stop the continuation of the Iraq war.

Iraqi civilians are being labeled the terrorist in our perspective, but in their perspective, the US, in fact, is the terrorists. The US military is invading innocent homes, lighting fire at any sudden reason they believe is threatening. They’re tearing homes apart, and separating each other from their loved ones leaving them stranded or dead. Many of the Iraq veterans that speak today about their traumatizing stories tell the awful destruction that has been done to the Iraqi homes. One veteran, that goes by Grant Collin, tells a story about a call he had to make during the war and how it caused him to break out crying in the scene during the attack he ordered. He ordered missiles to set off this apartment building that contained many Iraqi families. Once he saw the damage that has been done to the families, he couldn’t perform any more tasks. He instead laid up against a wall and cried; the Iraqi woman, who lost her family to the attack, accompanied him. She placed her hand on his face and said “inshallah”, this means “in God's will”, he stated. The veteran continues by stating that “no, it wasn’t God's will, it was my f***ing order! I gave the order to fire those rockets into that building and I killed her family. I thought I had to do that to keep myself and my Marines alive.”(Youtube, Pure Gold, 2010) During this speech the veteran used very short sentences that emphasized the sorrow he felt for what he and his Marines have done to the families. His repetition and stutter before claiming that it was his fault also gave away his anguish for his actions. This story was one of the many stories from the veterans that emphasized that the U.S. didn’t see them as other human beings that deserved to live as his marines did but more of a threat, and he came to realize that all along he was wrong: there was no threat.

The U.S. government has misused its authority and power over the military. The U.S, the government continued to send and risk the lives of thousands of U.S. military soldiers to perform these dehumanizing tasks. The war stretched over 7 years after the reason for the war had been accomplished. On December 4th, 2003, Saddam Hussein, the once and powerful leader of Iraq, had been captured and arrested by the American Soldiers. President Bush announces to the public, "In the history of Iraq, a dark and painful era is over.”(NYT, 2003) However, it wasn't until many years later that the war was finally shut down by Barack Obama in 2010. This shows that even after they have accomplished their mission, the government used their power and risked the thousands of the lives not only speaking on the American troops but the thousands of Iraqi civilians only due to one reason: they felt threatened.

In conclusion, the dehumanizing acts from the U.S. military soldiers towards the Iraqis were uncalled for and should have not been the purpose of the war. These dehumanizing acts have left Iraq veterans with self regret and empathic for the thousands of lives that were terminated for no good reason. The excessive power turning the American Soldiers evil. The touring acts of the innocent victims that were performed from the U.S. military demonstrate the dehumanizing acts that were being done to the legitimate civilians of Iraq. last but not least, the government’s misuse of power over the military and their reasonings. As for the American Citizens, now looking at the different perspectives of how the American Soldiers took upon the war it is possible to recognize them for their sacrifice and the evil they have done.


Citations


Gold, Pure. "Iraq War Veteran Tells The Truth." YouTube. February 16, 2010. Accessed May 06, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOqPBC3ZMn8.

Sachs, Susan. "Arrest by U.S. Soldiers - President Still Cautious." The New York Times. December 15, 2003. Accessed May 06, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/15/international/middleeast/arrest-by-us-soldiers-president-still-cautious.html.

TED. "The Psychology of Evil | Philip Zimbardo." YouTube. September 23, 2008. Accessed May 06, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=161&v=OsFEV35tWsg.

Lei Zheng Capstone


I firmly believe that no matter where you want to be successful, you must put it in a global perspective. When it comes to having a global perspective, we have to talk about China. It is widely known that China has become a rising star on the international stage and has made great achievements in many aspects. However, we also have to admit that our understanding of China is one-sided and rather biased. Therefore, for my capstone, I created a website to introduce some Chinese culture and customs. In the website, I cover the foods, drinks, games, and tour sites. I really hope through my capstone, people can have a better understanding of China. 

Source #1: Talk about China in English
https://www.worldcat.org/title/yong-ying-yu-jie-shao-zhong-guo/oclc/886238642
My sister was helped me to do my capstone. Because this book stored in the library which in the China, she helped me to borrow it from the library. And she also help me to find the informations from the book. This book introduces the most classic Chinese urban culture, human history, scenic spots, national treasures, and folk quintessence. Even though I have lived in China for 17 years, I have not introduced the experience of China to others in English. This book taught me how to introduce China to others in English and also provided me with a lot of information.

Source #2: Insights into Chinese culture
I also found this book in the China by my sister's help. This book captures some of the most distinctive content and highlights of Chinese culture. It introduces concrete and in-depth introductions with typical examples and materials. While introducing knowledge, it try to explain the spirit of Chinese culture, inner meaning and core value of Chinese culture. And it also provided a lot of help for my capstone.

Source #3: The Eight great traditions of Chinese Food
https://usa.lkk.com/zh-hk/cooking-stories/the-eight-great-traditions-of-chinese-cuisine
The website is Chinese, it introduces the eight great traditions of chinese cuisine, and also show the most notable cuisine in each style cuisine. In the capstone, I introduced the eight great traditions of chinese cuisine in the food page.

Source #4: Google Images
https://images.google.com/
All of my website pictures were search by Google Images.
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Advanced Essay #3: Trauma Troubles

Introduction:

The purpose of this paper is to talk about what kind of issues people experience after suffering from a traumatic event.  As well as what people have done to cope or to recover from the trauma. Discussing accounts and events that have occured as well as statistics of people in the U.S. who suffered from PTSD.
Trauma Troubles

In March 2019, Sydney Aiello, a parkland shooting survivor committed suicide from survivors guilt. She said she didn’t feel safe anywhere, remembering the event that scarred her and left her feeling guilty. With the growing amounts of violent acts in the U.S. more people have started experiencing PTSD.  For some, recovering from these events is simple and doesn’t impact their everyday lives. However, many people are unable to recover from these violent experiences and it can stop them from having their desired futures.


In the book The Things They Carried, the author Tim O’Brien discusses things he and his fellow soldiers witnessed in Vietnam; He talked about some people weren’t able to recover from the experiences they witness. One man in particular was named in the book as Norman Bowker; on page 154, O’Brien discusses that Bowker committed suicide leaving no note or reasoning behind. Tim believes he did this because he was unable to save Kiowa, a fellow soldier from an attack. Throughout the chapter, Bowker brought up how “I let the guy go” (147) with the guilt deteriorating him. Bowker committed suicide because he was unable to recover from this experience. When he did talk about it seemed to allow him to breathe, as a way of recovery. however he was a quiet person who didn’t want to bother others, and so he held everything within himself bottling it all up until he snapped.


P.K. Phillips was a man who suffered from PTSD throughout his entire life facing multiple traumatic experiences. At age 17 he suffered from his first panic attack, and Phillips wasn’t diagnosed with PTSD until he was 35. Phillips said “I cannot express to you the enormous relief I felt when I discovered my condition was real and treatable. I felt safe for the first time in 32 years.” Although Phillips feels better he says there is no cure or final healing, but he's no longer at the mercy of his PTSD. Phillips started taking medication as well as behavioral therapy to cope with his PTSD; which is something that is available to most people. However, Phillips repeatedly stated for him there is no true or real cure.


According to PTSD United, 70% of adults in the U.S. have experienced at least one traumatic event in their life. Within that 70% of people 20% go on to develop PTSD, equivalent to about 24.4 million Americans. Those who are victims of PTSD can’t be truly cured in some cases, although they can receive treatment that can make things easier on them. These numbers will most likely continue to grow with the rising amount of violent events within the U.S. and most likely worldwide.


As with many things in the world, PTSD is growing and affecting more people, like  all those who’ve experienced or went to war, and those affected by the violent events that happen everyday. People who suffer from PTSD can get help, with medication or types of therapy. However, in some cases people are unable to recover. This trauma can lead them to drastic events including suicide. While it’s important to look at what types of treatment or effective for handling PTSD, it’s also important to look at what is causing the psychological trauma in the first place.


Work Cited


Bloom, Harold. Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried. Chelsea House, 2011.


“My Story of Survival: Battling PTSD.” Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA, adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/personal-stories/my-story-survival-battling-ptsd.


“PTSD Statistics.” PTSD United, www.ptsdunited.org/ptsd-statistics-2/.


“Sydney Aiello, a Parkland School Shooting Survivor, Kills Herself.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/survivor-parkland-school-shooting-sydney-aiello-kills-herself-n986266.


“What Can I Do to Recover from PTSD on My Own?” Screening 2 Supports, screening.mentalhealthamerica.net/content/what-can-i-do-recover-ptsd-my-own.


Advanced Essay #3 // Women in Military

Amira Gouri

Mr. Block

English 3

Introduction:

My goal is for readers to learn more about women in the military. I focused on the pros and cons of having women in the military. I’m proud of my analysis because I picked really good quotes to support my statement.

 

Essay:

As of 2017, women make up 16 percent of the active-duty military. During World War I from 1914 to 1918, women didn’t have any role in the military, but they were working in other fields such as munitions factories and farming to replace men who had gone to fight in the war. They had a role in providing soldiers with military equipment including weapons. Women’ role increased as in during World War II, about 350,000 women had the ability to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces, both at home and abroad. Most of these women didn’t serve in combat because they were afraid of public opinion. To this day, the military is still mostly men. This made people wonder how women's roles in the military differ from men? And how women in the military are changing over the course of years.

Women representation in the military is small and it is slowly growing. Many female stories tend to be ignored in favor of legacies left by men who have shaped the statement of service to the country. Despite the disagreement, servicewomen are successfully creating new career paths for themselves and the next generation as they enter jobs that were once only for men.

Being a woman also means facing criticism from the men. According to the New York Times magazine titled, “40 Stories From Women About Life in the Military” an article about women's experience in the military. Here is a quote from the article, “In 2006, a male shipmate got into my barracks room and placed a camera in my bathroom and set it to record. I found it only after getting out of the shower. I took the camera to my male chief, whom I had known for only about a month. He assured me that he would get to the bottom of it. By lunchtime, the strange looks from everyone became obvious. Another shipmate told me that everyone in the company office had passed the camera around and saw the video of me naked, getting into and out of the shower.”. We can see many different views from women, some claim they enjoy their job and they are proud of what they are doing, while some claim to be experiencing hardships such as sexual assault, and discrimination due to being a woman. This quote clearly shows the hardship women experience at a job where there is a majority of men. We can clearly see how some men view women as sex objects to the point where a man had to place a camera into the woman's bathroom. Some women chose to change themselves in order to blend in with the men. They eliminate their feminine characteristics, and cut off their hair, just so they could be respected by the men.

Now not all women were treated as inferior or experienced bad moments such as sexually assaulted. In fact, some women actually enjoy their job because they are following their passion, and they like being a minority, so they could be role models for other women who wish to pursue that career.  According to the same source New York Times magazine titled, “40 Stories From Women About Life in the Military”, there are stories about women who showed pride. A quote states, “I am currently Mrs. Texas Galaxy. When I was a National Guard recruiter, I came across many young women who said they couldn’t join because they were too “girlie.” So I started to compete in beauty pageants again to prove that you can still be and feel beautiful and follow any career path you want.”. This quote is a good example of a woman breaking stereotypes since the military is often considered as a job for masculine men. But in this case, the woman decides to also join a beauty pageant to prove that you can still be too “girlie” but also join the military or any other job that is considered not appropriate for “girlie” girls. She’s proving that a woman can do whatever she wants, and the stereotypes followed by society shouldn’t be a barrier to following your dreams.

This issue matters because it’s followed by stereotypes. Gender stereotypes act as a barrier for girls to follow their certain dreams such as being in the military. Gender stereotypes are one of the root causes of discrimination, abuse, and violence in various areas which can lead to violations of a wide array of women and human rights. Female participants argued that they are treated really different compared to men. For instance, women had to work twice as hard as men to prove themselves. Also, most of the time men did not trust women’ opinions and ideas or value the quality of their work, particularly in male-dominated ratings or specialties. Although it seems hard and it may take time, women have to continue to fight for their rights including the equality of treatment as men to create more freedom, jobs, and opportunities for the next generation.

Sources (MLA format):

Katzenberg, Lauren. “40 Stories From Women About Life in the Military.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 8 Mar. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/03/08/magazine/women-military-stories.html.

“How Roles Have Changed for Women in the Military.” Norwich University Online, online.norwich.edu/academic-programs/resources/how-roles-have-changed-for-women-in-the-military.

McKay, Dawn Rosenberg. “Options for Women Who Want to Join the Military.” The Balance Careers, The Balance, 30 Apr. 2019, www.thebalancecareers.com/women-in-the-military-4177666.

“How Gender Stereotyping Affects the Enjoyment of Human Rights.” OHCHR, www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Women/WRGS/Pages/WrongfulGenderStereotyping.aspx.


Advanced essay#3 On camera

I want to focus on the use of photography and the laws to use cameras for war. Also, I'm interested in how nations used photography and cameras as a weapon. There is a law that we documenting you can not crop, modify or enhance the photo in any way because this act is a modification to what is happening. The idea for police officers to start wearing body cameras. Some people and police officers were against the idea; it shows there is no trust in our authority. When there is no trust in the protection that people need to be safe. There are 3 different ways A camera can be used as; Protection, regulation, and as a weapon.

We see security cameras all the time, Do you know that some of the cameras on the street, in buildings and Nations around the world, use these cameras in a way to protect themselves for example in Russia there is a law where because of the massive size of 6.602 million mi²  and the relaxed country made it hard for enforcing road safety and laws. There's a population of people that try to fake getting hit by cars to risk their lives to get money from the insurance;  the protection from fraud.

In China under the rule of Xi Jinping Has created a new market for security cameras and putting them on the street. The increased amount of the vastly stretched cameras around the nation; lower prices have made it more accessible for stores and residents to use for their own use as protection. The police watch footage from the 4,300 cameras around the nation. This line of work employs more than 3,000 employees in Ecuador, started in early 2011 the idea to bring Chinese footage across the Atlantic to Ecuador where the police “Manually” overwatch the Chinese population.  With great power comes great responsibility, there are some nations that do abuse this as certain censorship called “public opinion guidance” with the misuse of Chinese made a controversial system that started to profile Muslim individuals, the program detected the detected these minorities using facial recognition this isn't the ones in your iphone jib jabs.

What to take away from this small dive into the use of cameras. Theres is also the other uses the cameras in so many more ways that I cant even write because of the word count but  in short there is a good a way and a bad or every way. You might find it creepy or strange. In Chinas case there is a definite sense of invasion of privacy.


The School Shooter Demographic

Introduction 

The reason I wrote this essay is because I feel that we never really talk about why all school shooters are white guys, and really important to acknowledge in order to actually stop mass violence. We can't just pray about it, we actually have to notice what's causing it. And solving mass murder isn't as simple as banning guns. I hope that the reader notices how gender and race intersect when we are talking about violence, because everyone is socialized differently. I'm proud of how I was able to structure this essay. I also think I did a good job of including relevant information from other sources. 

​Essay

Picture a school shooter: what do they look like? I’m 99% sure you pictured a guy. More than likely he is a white guy. According to an article published by Campus Safety in 2018, since 1970, only about 4.3 percent of school shootings were perpetrated by a female, and only 21% of school shooters are non-white. An investigation in 2015 found that since the 1999 Columbine shooting the "more than 40 people ... charged with Columbine-style plots" were almost all white male teenagers, like the Columbine perpetrators. (CNN, 2018) These statistics aren’t borne out of coincidence. The unique position that white men hold in society, along with socialization practices that differ for boys and girls both contribute to the establishment of this demographic.

“What’s become clear over the past 30 years of research is that there’s virtually always a personal grievance that will start a person on a pathway to mass murder,” said  Dr. J. Reid Meloy, a forensic psychologist. (New York Times, 2018) So is there a pattern in the type of personal grievance that motivates shooters? In a word, yes. It has to do with the intersection of both white and male identity. This identity comes with a lot of potential power. From birth, you are promised to be at the very top of society, and this position feeds entitlement. When you don’t get what you believe is entitled to you, you can lash out. Elliot Rodger, who ran down six people in 2014, was a self-proclaimed “involuntary celibate”- part of a man’s internet group that expresses their hatred for women for not wanting to have sex with them. Before committing the murders, he wrote a manifesto explaining his frustrations with the women who spurned his advances. The sense of ownership felt over women's bodies is just one example of the type of entitlement that feeds many white male shooters.

The promise of fame seems to entice white male shooters as well. Mark Potok, who researched hate groups and their followers for the Southern Poverty Law Center, said in 2015 that many gunmen turned out to be “people who are looking for something larger than their own small lives, to be seen as a hero standing up for a cause. (NYT, 2018) The want to be a famous hero isn’t uncommon in our society, but the supposed ‘heroism’ behind hate crimes shows that these men are acting upon the belief that they are superior, in addition to the want of fame. Their “superiority” makes them feel entitled to fame, and they will do extreme things simply to be remembered.

The differences in the ways we socialize boys and girls also contribute to the high percentage of male shooters. Most boys are not taught healthy ways to deal with their emotions. A CNN article published in 2018 stated, “...boys are largely not taught to navigate their feelings and, as a result, to secretly fear them. They're taught to "play through the pain," emotional and physical.” They are encouraged to hold their feelings in; to ignore them. The most socially acceptable outlet for their feelings is releasing anger through violence. And activities that are deemed more masculine, or at least have a largely male demographic have to do with violence, such as contact sports and video games. So it is not surprising that boys who feel that violence is the best outlet to air their frustrations would be compelled to perpetrate violent crimes.

In addition to the encouragement of violent outlets for emotions, violent crimes are not punished nearly as harshly when they are done by white people as opposed to black people. According to the death penalty information center, “In 96% of states where there have been reviews of race and the death penalty, there was a pattern of either race-of-victim or race-of-defendant discrimination, or both" This sort of security essentially gives white boys permission to murder. They have been taught their whole life that they will be held less accountable for their actions than any other group. They are removed from the consequences of their actions.

There are many factors that have contributed to the ‘school shooter’ demographic, and they have to do with both race and gender. First, the influence of traditionally acceptable male hobbies encourages violence in boys. Second, boys are not taught healthy ways to deal with their emotions; asking for help is deemed weak and violent reactions are deemed acceptable. Third, many school shooters are influenced by want of fame, something white boys think they are inherently deserving of. Fourth, white boys are taught that they are entitled to the world, including other people. The influence societal factors have on white boys is one of the main reasons we have so many school shootings in our country. We will never stop the violence if we do not change the gender norms and pervasive racism that cause it.

Citations

Drexler, Peggy. “This Is an Unspoken Culprit of School Shootings.” CNN, Cable News Network, 1 Mar. 2018, www.cnn.com/2018/02/28/opinions/raising-boys-violence-opinion-drexler/index.html.

“Mass Shooters Have A Gender and a Race.” Political Research Associates, www.politicalresearch.org/2014/06/19/mass-shooters-have-a-gender-and-a-race/.

Staff, CS. “The K-12 School Shooting Statistics Everyone Should Know.” Campus Safety Magazine, Campus Safety, 26 Apr. 2019, www.campussafetymagazine.com/safety/k-12-school-shooting-statistics-everyone-should-know/.
Victor, Daniel. “Mass Shooters Are All Different. Except for One Thing: Most Are Men.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 17 Feb. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/02/17/us/mass-murderers.html.



Which is more effective non-violence or violence?

There were four college students that were standing up for segregation rights so they went to the local dinner and was not served food. Other people that saw this begin to stop coming to the diner because the racism that was taking place at the diner. These students from A&T a historically black college.  This was called the “Sit in” in Greensborough, North Carolina. Their protest was to sit in at a segregated Diner. The Greensborough four said the waiter said: “they can’t be served and you're going to get yourself in a lot of trouble.” Franklin Mccain stated “ I was too angry to be scared. We're not going to leave until you serve us.” This is a primary example of a peaceful protest. There have been numerous debates about what is more effective violence or non-violence. I am on the non-violence side. Notable figures like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King has also had their opinion about what is the most effective way to bring change in the world. 
Multiple activists in the world have different views of what is the most effective to bring change. Malcolm X believed an eye for an eye, to not be weak and not sit there and take mistreatment. Malcolm X wanted black people to stand up for each other when they were being mistreated. In this quote Malcolm X believes that there will be a clash between “The oppressed and the oppressors”. This quote shows that Malcolm X believes violence is the most effective way to bring change and not to talk it out you have to take freedom by force and not just sitting there and trying to bargain with your freedom.“Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you're a man, you take it.”...” Malcolm’s dream was different from Martin’s, Malcolm saw that there will be fights between blacks and whites and some altercation.  When he says taking it it's referring to taking it with force and not just reasoning with the person taking your freedom it's by force. Some say this method was really effective and gathered a lot of people together but it also turned a majority against Malcolm. The same thing that worked against Malcolm helped Martin Luther King. The non-violence factor gave Martin more people because it gave more people an idea of how black people were being treated and lead more people to join the movement. 

Martin Luther King took the non-violence approach which seemed more popular because it got not only blacks on board but also white people also. A death in a non-violence protest was believe it or not it was beneficial for the protest because people questioned why are people getting beaten and killed and they are protesting peacefully.  This quote Martin is choosing love instead of causing more hate which he realizes will only cause more problems because the whites were in power so if Martin’s protester fought with force they would lose because of how little power they have. “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” The Selma marches were organized by nonviolent activists to demonstrate the desire of African-American citizens to exercise their constitutional right to vote, in defiance of segregationist repression, and were part of a broader voting rights movement underway in Selma and the best technique was to not fight back. The Selma-to-Montgomery marchers fought for the right to vote, President Lyndon Johnson addressed a joint session of Congress, calling for federal voting rights legislation to protect African Americans from barriers that prevented them from voting. Although the process of the non-violence march took some years it did influence a change. It is hard for some to look at all the deaths that transpired and actual say change is coming from people keep getting killed but there’s a price for freedom and Martin Luther King believed that and unfortunately died for it. 


The freedom ride was organized in 1961 by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), a civil rights group committed to direct, non-violent action. More than a decade earlier, the U.S. There strategy was to protest till the other side would fight them and be so angry. This is like a boxer in a fight, the boxer is willing to get hit until the other person is tired then the boxer tht was getting hit makes his move  “We felt we could count on the racists of the South to create a crisis so that the federal government would be compelled to enforce the law.” They wanted to change the law by being the ones taking the punishment. 

In conclusion, there are many debates that non-violence and violence which one is more likely to bring change. Change is always a process and non-violence is the most effective but it always comes with a price. 

Advanced Essay #3: The Reality of Adults and Children Living in War Zones

Introduction: 
WIth this essay, I was trying to focus my writing on one theme and make it as clear as possible. I hope I accomplished my goal. I am proud of the sources I found and that I learned something new about war zones. 


Essay: 

People do not realize just how harsh war zones are. They are the things that can make or break a country. War zones have a major influence on people. They add to the stress of people, and can produce insecurities, fear, depression, etc. When children are added to this, it creates a whole different type of problem. Children can become influenced by what they see and hear in their environment. In a violent, militarism environment, children may be drawn to the violence and the mistreatment of others. Children are vulnerable and our actions can leave a print on them that can never be changed.


War zones are hard places to be in. For a lot of third world countries in war zones, families have to live in little spaces, barely getting by in life. “Abu Yahya, his wife and four children are squeezed together on a sofa. This is their living room and now it is also their bedroom. Like most houses in their area, the second floor has been blasted by shells” (Hattenstone, Mahood 2014). This is just one example of what life is like in war zones. This place, in particular, is Syria.. With this family, the dad used to ride through his neighborhood in his truck selling fruit, but now, he cannot do that anymore. The war made it unsafe and impossible for him to just ride around in the streets of his neighborhood. As a result, he and his family are not getting money, cannot properly eat, and do not have enough money to live in a stable home in a safe neighborhood. His children may never know what it is like to wake up every day without having four rockets dropped on their neighborhood every morning. Loud, disturbing noises can cause one to have PTSD, and if that is all these children know, then they are most likely to develop it.


Children are dependant on the adult(s) that provide them care and affection. This attention helps build character in the child. During times of war, they might not get this. “Their attachments are frequently disrupted in times of war, due to the loss of parents, extreme preoccupation of parents in protecting and finding subsistence for the family, and emotional unavailability of depressed or distracted parents” (Santa Barbra 2006). When this happens, the child is left with a substitute guardian whose love is not enough for the child. If these children do not get the affection they need, they have a higher chance of having behavioral, emotional, and social problems as they grow and get older (Harmon 2020).



There are a lot of unjust actions that happen when people are in war zones. Adults and children have a higher risk of losing a limb and becoming paralyzed in a war zone than if they were not in one. Sometimes it is hard to tell whose on which side and as a result bad things happen to innocent people. “Hundreds of thousands of children die of direct violence in war each year. They die as civilians caught in the violence of war, as combatants directly targeted, or in the course of ethnic cleansing” (Santa Barbra 2006). The saying “kill or be killed” comes to my mind with this example. In order to not be killed, soldiers have to take over a lot of land to plant booby traps and keep watch. As a result, schools have become the next battlefields. Children have become the next target to get the enemy’s attention. “Increased fighting in urban areas and the growing use of bombs in densely-populated areas has seen a dramatic increase in the number of children killed or maimed - 73,000 of them in 25 conflicts since 2005. Children are also being targeted with more brutal tactics, such as the use of young people as suicide bombers, said the report The War on Children(Watt 2018). Since 2005, about 73,000 children have been killed or maimed due to attacks. Children are not meant to be used for escape plans or plan B’s. Children are the future of the world and should be treated better.



In conclusion, innocent people in places where there is an active war are being treated without respect or consideration. Adults are forced to quit their jobs and find another way of making money while children are being forced to commit suicide as a tactic to scare their enemies. It is not right and this has to change. Adults are our mentors and children are future mentors.


Citations:

Hattenstone, Simon, and Mona Mahmood. “Life in a War Zone – Syria.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 5 July 2014, www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/05/life-in-war-zone-syria.


How Does War Child Provide Vital Psychosocial Support to Children?” War Child Holland - How Does War Child Provide Vital Psychosocial Support to Children?,  www.warchildholland.org/psychosocial-support/.



Harmon, Katherine. “How Important Is Physical Contact with Your Infant?” Scientific American, 6 May 2010,

www.scientificamerican.com/article/infant-touch/.


Watt, Ewan. “'Schools and Playgrounds Are Battlefields': One in Six Children Living in Conflict Zones.” Theirworld, Theirworld, 15 Feb. 2018, www.theirworld.org/news/one-in-six-children-live-conflict-zone-attacks-on-schools.



Advanced Essay #3: The Bystander Effect

Introduction

For my essay, I decided to discuss the bystander effect and its effect on those outside of violent situations. I attempted to discuss multiple factors that allow the bystander effect to remain. Through my sources, I analyzed these factors and created a thesis for my essay.


Essay

The effects of violence are different for each individual. Those exposed to or directly affected by violence are influenced by its effects in different ways. However, those who are not influenced by violence react to it with contrast. Those who are not affected can be considered a bystander to the situation. They are able to view the violence without becoming involved with or being affected by it. However, bystanders are also able to insert themselves within a violent situation. Thus, they are able to involve themselves within a situation but are more likely to disregard the effects of violence than those who were not given the option to become a bystander.

In terms of more physical violence, a bystander is able to place themselves into the situation to stop it from happening. More often, it is consciously seen as right to avoid becoming a bystander. This forms a moral dilemma for bystanders as to their involvement with violence.

In many cases, bystanders are able to feel involved while not necessarily taking action. This common pattern has become an issue; bystanders adopt a belief that they are solving situations without supporting those affected by violence. An article for Quartz, a website for historical and reflective articles, by Keshia Naurana Badalge proposes that this problem is caused by the a recent push for social activism on social media. “Psychologists Bibb Latané and John Darley, who first demonstrated the bystander effect, attributed this phenomenon to two factors: a perceived diffusion of responsibility (thinking that someone else in the group will help) and social influence (where observers see the inaction of the group as evidence that there is no reason to intervene)” (2017). Recording and discussing injustices through violence online is seen as an efficient option for creating social influence. If one person posts about an event on social media, others are more likely to join them. However, this spread of social influence through social media fails to solve the issues of the bystander effect. If people are more inclined to record and write posts against violence, they are not actively attempting to stop the violence that is currently happening. This is how social influence connects to the diffusion of responsibility. People feel that they are doing their part by simply posting online. They are no longer responsible for stopping the violence because a focus on social media allows them to feel as though they have solved the issues. Social media’s effect on a bystander is massive. It allows them to feel as though they are involved in stopping violence, while still remaining a bystander.

In the same article, the writer discusses further the actions of bystanders and their goals through social media. This author also discusses a potential unconscious trait that is shown through the posting of these videos. She sites a video from a situation on April 9, 2017, saying that “a video of a man being dragged off a United Airlines flight was posted on the internet and went viral. But I don’t need to tell you that. Each of your most outspoken Facebook friends probably posted about the event, highlighting the aspects of it that best reinforced their worldview” (2017). Social media is a powerful tool in attempting to reveal violence. However, it’s potential becomes blurred as the focus on violence shifts to bystanders attempting to prove their thoughts on a situation. Many people attempt to bridge the violent situation into their personal beliefs, essentially making the situation about themselves.

In a report written by Bibb Latené and John M. Darley, the authors discuss the cause of the bystander effect. They write, “If an individual is to intervene in an emergency, he must make, not just one, but a series of decisions” (1969). The causation of the bystander effect lies in self-preservation. This “series of decisions” includes many factors, most of which balance the benefits of intervening against the drawbacks. Potential harm and incentive are just two of the considered factors that result in said decision, and both directly affect the bystander. By the time the decision is made, the violence could have expanded or shifted somehow, causing said bystander to consider additional factors. This creates a cycle, which causes more bystanders to not involve themselves in dangerous situations. The idea of self-preservation forms the bystander effect and allows a bystander to stay one without feeling repercussions.

Social media and self-preservation are just two of the elements that reinforce the bystander effect. There are many other components, and discussing several of them allows for more discussion on the topic, including potential discussion on how to change of remove this effect with positive results.


Works Cited

Our phones make us feel like social-media activists, but they’re actually turning us into bystanders (2017) by Keshia Naurana Badalge

Bystander “Apathy" (1969) by Bibb Latené and John M. Darley


Cultures of Violence - Advanced Essay #3

Acts of anger and violence are hard to miss in United States history. As it appears in American culture, through our entertainment and through our core values, is only enabled to be problematic via the environments it is cultivated in. It is often questioned whether this violence is by nature or nurture. However, because environments which systematically encourage it are entirely responsible, this answer will not have an impact. Looking at the human mind will be rendered insignificant if we fail to pick apart the systems that mind is processed through.

At an initial glance of the many scenarios in which violence occurs, it might be difficult to find a unifying factor between all of the variables at play. One article from Scientific American entitled Understanding Violence goes over some of the reasons violence plays a role in the human experience. Findings from research on our counterparts, monkeys, has explained how other species use violence more practically. “They do not start a fight to alienate themselves from another individual, but rather to renegotiate the terms of an ongoing relationship,” and goes on to say that “peacemaking, an important part of this negotiation, appears to be in part a learned skill.” Looking at how these observations relate to the way monkeys work, it is clear that the learned skill here is not the violence, but what it is used for. Regardless of how their brains impact their actions, the bulk of their decision making comes from their learned routines. Had they grown up around an environment in which violence was used for another purpose, that is the purpose they would use it for as well. In this instance, the violence utilised by individual monkeys is influenced by the culture cultivated by the group, and considering their relation to the human race, it can be inferred that a similar phenomenon might be at play in people.

Observing how monkeys express and deal with issues using violence is not the only way to understand how it relates to the human experience. Philip Zimbardo, an American Psychologist known for his work on the Stanford Prison experiment, often discusses the complexities of violence in the human mind. In a Ted Talk on this subject, he asks the question, “where do people go wrong?” heavily exploring the lines between learned violence and people that are, hypothetically, intrinsically violent. In his conversations regarding violence, Zimbardo outlines some reasons for the violence that comes out in people. More heavily, he blames “blind obedience to authority,” and “conformity to group norms.” Most notably, it is important to point out that this would obviously have an effect on people when their environmental context is that of violence, anger, etc. In his work, Zimbardo discusses the events at Abu Ghraib, in which American soldiers not only torture their prisoners, but documented their horrific endeavours, posing with a smile and thumbs up. These American soldiers were dropped into a world in which violence against the other was acceptable, and so that is the path they took. Along with the fact that these people had previously been functioning, normal members of society, this shows that their behavior was heavily influenced by the environment they were in, both in their peaceful and violence environments.

In 1968, third grade teacher Jane Elliot designed a social experiment to conduct on her students. She wanted to test how the students would react to dividing them up and assigning stereotypes to separate groups. After seperating the class into blue eyed and brown eyed students, she told the students with blue eyes of their intelligence, and brown eyed students that they had inferior traits. Within the day, she noticed brown eyed students becoming more anxious and less confident, in addition to their grades and comprehension dropping. Additionally, the blue eyed students would begin to bully the brown eyed students for their differences, and take advantage of the privileges they were given because of their blue eyes. The next week, the students were informed that they had been misinformed; those with brown eyes were in fact superior. Almost immediately the roles were reversed. This shows, that regardless of their actual intelligence, students based their actions and beliefs on that of the group; when students felt superior, they bullied those in the other group. This shows that the environment set out for a group of people, either by an authority or higher system, is entirely responsible for the way that they take out anger and violence on those around them.

Knowing the impacts of the environments people are placed in, not only in their development but throughout their life, is significant because it can help us to create a more peaceful environment, confident that it will create a peaceful outcome. Regardless of a person’s baseline mental state, they will end up going with the grain. In the end, realizing the impact of systems and environments as influences will help us shift the responsibility on the bigger picture, and come up with larger scale solutions to problems of violence in the world. This is important because it shows that the changes we make in the world should not be with the soldiers or the students, but in the government systems and in the schools.


Bibliography:

  1. https://www.ted.com/talks/philip_zimbardo_on_the_psychology_of_evil?language=en

  2. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/understanding-violence/

  3. https://www.pbs.org/video/frontline-class-divided/

Advanced Essay #3: [Invisible Violence]

Introduction:

     In this paper my goal is to point out the flaws with our society and how we view abuse, I want readers to question their own judgements and assumptions. I am proud of the research I did for this paper, I think i have a good balance of personal stories and scientific research. I hope when reading this you can better understand what those being emotionally abused are going through. 

Essay: 

                                                                       Invisible Violence

     Psychological violence is the act of using manipulation, and verbal threats to control of another person. It is one of the four major types of abuse in relationships, those being: physical, emotional, sexual and psychological. In today's society, only the physical forms of abuse are deemed worthy of recognition. Specifically focusing on parent-child relationships, often psychological and emotional violence are not recognized as real abuse by child protective services because there is no physical evidence. In reality psychological violence is just as damaging as physical violence to growing adolescents.
     A bruise, a red mark, the fear of a belt, a sob, a yelling mother, slamming doors, the sound of hand pressed against skin, a sting, a burn, the lack of a home. This is a description of  how society sees abuse. We only see the loud, the dramatic, and the physical, but psychological violence is not as visible as this. This violence is a threat to harm oneself or someone else; it's unjust blaming. It’s constant lying to make another feel crazy, it’s berating and name calling and threats to abandon. Psychological violence doesn’t attack the body, but the mind, a tactic used to make someone feel worthless and out of control. You can’t see the physical effects of this kind of violence, which is why it is disregarded by society - we as people only believe what we see. Children who are victims of psychological violence are told they are lying, or are not believed because there is no proof; this stigma furthers their own devaluing of self. 
     An article from Psychology Today entitled The Enduring Pain of Childhood Verbal Abuse dives deep into the personal stories of abuse and how it affected the individuals’ brain development: “I didn’t know that the way my mother talked to me wasn’t the way other mothers talked to their daughters. I was an only child, and her constant criticism and putting me down made me feel terrible about myself, and it made me double my efforts to please her. More than anything, I wanted my mother to be happy with me.”(Aileen, 2016)  This quote shows that those struggling with verbally abusive parents do not realize that it’s wrong; it is all that they know. Children are taught that being physically hurt is wrong, but they are never told what to do when their parents hurt their emotions. From the moment they are born, children are taught that adults are always right, and that they must respect their parents. Along with that, emotional battery is a common occurrence in many households, and because it isn’t physical, it’s swept under the rug. Without having an outlet for all of their feelings the children internalize what their parents say to them and start to believe it, such as with Aileen. The abuse affected the way she viewed herself and lowered her self esteem. And that made her focus all of her efforts into pleasing her mother, therefore her mother benefiting from the situation and remaining in control. Some people label this as simply “strict parenting”, but in reality it is manipulating a child's vulnerable mind for selfish gain.
      Insecurity isn’t the only outcome of psychological abuse, however, as the pain becomes deeply rooted. “If you want to get a sense of how abuse affects a person’s life...in the long-term, imagine skipping a stone over water and then watching the ripple effect. There’s the direct effect of the verbal abuse in the moment, which inflicts deep emotional pain”(Peg Streep, 2016). This metaphor of skipping a stone represents verbal abuse, mindlessly hopping over the traditional definitions of abuse, and sinking into the water cleanly, escaping the consequences of being labeled abusive. But with every hop comes an emotional bruise to the victims brain, which turns into more and more bruises until the person has been fully broken down. This system of emotionally wounding a child makes them more compliant and dehumanized in order for the parent to reign in control. 
     But what, specifically, are these bruises doing to the adolescent mind? In a research paper from the Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences entitled Parental Psychological Abuse Toward Children and Mental Health Problems in Adolescence, the author states that, “In many cases PA [psychological abuse] is considered to be the most developmentally damaging dimension and has been linked with negative outcomes such as impaired emotional, social, and cognitive development, including helplessness, aggression, emotional unresponsiveness and neuroticism. Research consistently suggests that PA and neglect in childhood have negative effects on normal development.” This shows that psychological violence is having a larger impact on development than expected, and that all research points to society taking this form of abuse more seriously, but why it is still ignored. We as Americans have built up a reputation of being strong willed, and wary of being sensitive. We popularized the expression “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” We are a country afraid of showing weakness, and fragility. Therefore we will not express emotion, a country that doesn’t recognize violence until we see it with our own eyes. We are a country that ignores peaceful protests, makes every blockbuster and video game filled with gore, and that idolizes the strength of war and fighting. We will never see words as weapons, and children of generations past and to come will suffer because of it.

Works Cited: 
1.  Defining Violence and Abuse https://www.gov.nl.ca/VPI/types/
2. Parental Psychological Abuse Towards Children https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3998989/
3. When Parents Are Too Toxic To Tolerate https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/health/20mind.html

Advanced Essay #3: Nationalism and Militarism: The Real Enemies

Introduction:
The focus of my paper is the connection between nationalism and militarism, and the resulting adverse consequences on a macro level and micro level. The goal was to show how nationalism breeds xenophobia, and militarism has shaped a society that encourages violence. The ultimate point was that the intertwined nature of these concepts contribute to the preservation of an unjust social hierarchy through the continuation of systematic violence. I am proud of the way I integrated the quotes I chose to include, as well as the way that my paper uses my intro paragraph as an outline, following the points in the order they were first presented. I feel that this is important to note.

Essay: Nationalism and Militarism: The Real Enemies

The intertwined nature of militarism and nationalism within the United States produces violence, and results in adverse consequences within the nation and across the world. Nationalism operates on the basis of believing oneself to be a part of a superior group, and viewing other nations as inferior enemies. From this stems the nationalist desire to demonstrate and maintain dominance over the group perceived as the enemy, generally through violent actions. This same prejudice permeates society, in how people see and react to each other. When individuals view each other as a threat, violence is the result. This violence links back to militarism, and reinforces a dangerous cycle resulting in countless unnecessary deaths.

Nationalism, or the belief that one’s nation is inherently superior to all other nations, encourages the idea of an enemy. According to Emma Goldman, a writer and anarchist political activist of the early 1900s, “Patriotism assumes that our globe is divided into little spots, each one surrounded by an iron gate. Those who have had the fortune of being born on some particular spot, consider themselves better, nobler, grander, more intelligent than the living beings inhabiting any other spot. It is, therefore, the duty of everyone living on that chosen spot to fight, kill, and die in the attempt to impose his superiority upon all the others.” (1908). A militarist nation operates on the belief that the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. In the case of nationalism, the people of the nation believe that they represent the ‘good guy’, and therefore must have the right to a gun. Naturally, the view of oneself as the “good guy” cannot exist without viewing another party as the “bad guy”. A militarist nation views nations that are fundamentally different from it as a threat; these nations are portrayed as the “bad guy”. Nationalism condemns differences of culture, values, beliefs, and other practices or ways of existence. This is founded on xenophobia, which is deeply ingrained in society.

The structure of a nation is mirrored by the society within it. This applies to core values, as well as the ways of dealing with a perceived threat to these values. Just as the military prepares for a non-present war, individuals prepare for a non-present threat. A militarist nation is one that anticipates war, even in the midst of peace. If conflict is not present, a militarist nation will use this as an opportunity to prepare for any potential future conflicts. This is done in the name of protection, yet ultimately achieves the opposite effect. “The contention that a standing army and navy is the best security of peace is about as logical as the claim that the most peaceful citizen is he who goes about heavily armed. The experience of every-day life fully proves that the armed individual is invariably anxious to try his strength.” (Goldman, 1908). Just as a nation perceives other nations as the source of this theoretical threat, individual people view other people as a threat. This is the basis of prejudice, and the resulting violence.

This nation stockpiles weapons in case of a need to protect itself. On a smaller scale, each person acts as a nation. Some see the right to bear arms as vital to the protection of oneself and one’s rights. The people of this nation have grown accustomed to constantly having an enemy they must triumph over. Because militarism is the default, people are inclined to create an enemy when no threat is present. As noted by Robert Elias, an author and a professor at the University of San Francisco, “Americans have been preoccupied, perhaps uniquely, with the problem of our ‘enemies’.” (April 19, 1993). Quite often, the people framed as the enemies are those who pose a threat to the social hierarchy of the nation. “Dissidents are not alone among our domestic enemies. We often perceive other threats, especially to our economic well-being, such as from other races, ethnicities, religions, classes, or genders.” (Elias, April 19, 1993). The majority gains privilege from oppressing the minority, as this oppression works to maintain the social hierarchy that advantages the majority, especially those at the top. As a whole, the privileged majority has a superiority complex, believing themselves to be the “good guys”, treating groups of people that are the minority as the “bad guys”, thus using this as justification to oppress them. The primary perpetrators of this are white people, and the victims of this tend to be people of color.

Because the US stockpiles weapons, and there is a president who threatens to use them, other nations react. North Korea is activity testing nuclear weapons. If this works on a macro level, it also has an effect on a micro level. Heavily armed individuals, such as people in law enforcement, are always prepared to use their weapons. Because of the right to bear arms, there are more guns in this country than there are people. It is not always possible to tell who has a gun and who does not. This makes police feel threatened. They act on their prejudices, believing people of color to be the enemy, using this as justification for horrific acts of violence.

In conclusion, the United States suffers from the combined effects of militarism and nationalism. Nationalism creates the nation’s superiority complex, which breeds xenophobia. Militarism has shaped a society in which violence is seen as a viable solution. These concepts and the resulting actions on a macro level are mirrored on a micro level by the people of the nation, and can be seen in the way individuals interact with each other. The result is the preservation of an unjust social hierarchy through the continuation of systematic violence. Ultimately, the intertwined nature of militarism and nationalism within the United States produces violence, and results in adverse consequences within the nation and across the world.


Works Cited:

Goldman, Emma. & Paul Avrich Collection (Library of Congress).  (1908). Patriotism : a menace to liberty. New York : Mother Earth Publishing Association


Turpin, Jennifer E & Kurtz, Lester R (1997). The Web of violence : from interpersonal to global. University of Illinois Press, Urbana



Advanced Essay #3 - The Phases of War

War causes violence throughout many parts of the world. This includes Vietnam, Syria, Iraq, the United States, and many other places. The morality of the soldiers fighting in these wars is questioned from the moment they decide they wanted to become a soldier. The U.S launched an attack on Iraq in 2003 of that year. The soldiers went over to Iraq to lift off bombs, raid their houses, and kill people. It’s hard when a soldier is asked to do difficult things, and once they’ve crossed those lines, it’s hard to navigate back. For an infinite amount of veterans, coming home doesn’t end with kisses and hugs. Now there is an increasing awareness, and some say an urgent need for America and Americans to step up and share the pain of our returning veterans and help them reclaim their lives. An important factor in the return of some vets is that much of the country has not shared the pain of the wars they have been fighting. This essay will analyze the psychological effects that soldiers go through and how that changes them for the rest of their lives. The pain people feel after going through war can be just as traumatic as anything else. War conditions create memories and wounds that outlive the wars themselves. In an article for CNN “I’m Prepared to Talk About the Things I Did in Iraq” Samuel Madel says, “Their images and sounds persist in many parts of peoples lives through multiple generations.” Soldiers can remember things that take decades to work through, and it is not definite that their soul can ever recover. Studies show that there are higher rates of physical and mental illness after coming home from war. These memories can create psychological conditions that are often hidden in the way we write history. In textbooks, we only see the facts, not the opinions, but a person’s perspective emphasizes on their opinion. That can stop us from seeing how war can affect soldiers, specifically in Iraq. People hear about the things that these people did when they were in Iraq and have trouble believing that the soldiers they know and love actually did this. Their experience forever changes the mentality that soldiers go through after going to war. They have seen so many traumatic things that mental illness is increasingly likely to happen. Sonya Timson, writer for the New York Times says, “In evaluation of successes and failures, scholars and policymakers have a responsibility to recognize these intricacies, beyond logistics and statistics, and to resist the urge to reduce a people’s wellbeing to the toppling of a regime.” This quote shows that the question that instead needs to be at the forefront of any discussion about the effects of war is what it means for a “liberated” society to live in conditions of constant rupture. To be “liberated” while experiencing enduring loss and grief caused by the death of hundreds of thousands of civilians and soldiers; or to be children growing up in exploded neighborhoods and raided houses, internalizing and suppressing wartime anxieties. Unless a person experiences what these soldiers go through, it is unlikely for them to ever understand. For example, many movies and T.V. series cover topics of the PTSD that is created after experiencing war. In the T.V. show, Grey's Anatomy, one of the surgeons fought for our country against Iraq and had experienced PTSD on the show. In the next season, it was as if that character had never been to war. That proves that even if people do extensive research like famous T.V. shows have to do, it is hard to believe that these soldiers will never be the same. People want to believe that their loved ones mental illness will magically go away, but the exploits that these soldiers go through compare to nothing of an American's regular daily life. In conclusion, soldiers have to go through so much pain that there is a question if they will ever recover from it. We don’t know if they will ever be the same, we don’t know what happened while they were there, and we don’t know their perspective on everything they saw. These soldiers will never be the same to the point where they could now have to deal with mental illnesses. They will forever wonder what is right and wrong and what is black and white. They will never forget what has happened to them and will continue to have flashbacks and dreams of being at war. They could wonder what they could have done differently, but in the end, soldiers know that there is nothing that they can change about their pasts. Us as Americans should try our best to help them cope, and hope that the tiny things we can do can make a change in their lives for the better. If you know someone who is a soldier keep an extra eye on them because not only have they helped you in more ways then you know, but they also could be dealing with something you have no clue about. 

Advanced Essay #3: Can nonviolence be the solution?

Introduction- In this paper I discussed about nonviolence and how that can end many wars going on now. I explained about two activists Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi. These two powerful men overcame situations in their society nonviolently.

Essay

How often are you scared about your loved ones getting killed every time you step out of your door? America’s trust in nonviolence strategies are nonexistent, even though there were many successful nonviolent movements in our history. There are many ways people can approach a situation nonviolently. If we look into the Afghan war compared to MLK strategies during the civil rights movement, we see how the civil rights movement Nonviolence can solve the problems that war tries to solve, yet constantly fails at. Today, in the United States, we can venerate and follow activists as a role models to end all the violent wars.

Throughout history, many activist leaders approached problems in a nonviolent manner. This brought peace and unity to the nation. An outstanding example is when the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ended segregation, but not by starting war. Instead, he led protests, strikes, drafted and delivered speeches, and much more. MLK is the reason that we are all able to sit in classrooms with people of many different races, ethnicities, religious backgrounds, persuasions. “Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon, which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals,” MLK stated. This is a very powerful quote about how nonviolence is metaphorically a type of weapon that could end violence altogether and, as well, engender tranquility, should people allow it to transpire. MLK united his followers and arrived at a variety of nonviolent acts, yet effective, strategies to peacefully end segregation.

In one of the third world countries, India, this nation achieved its own liberation from a powerful country, the United Kingdom, but in a nonviolent approach. Mahatma Gandhi, was the Indian activist who proposed this approach. It certainly was a major achievement for a third world country to over power the United Kingdom in the 1940’s. This alone is a historical event that has been often overlooked. One may inquire, ‘How did Gandhi accomplish this feat?’ nonviolently, of course, although it may seem unbelievable. Gandhi had two main concepts that he followed, ahimsa and satyagraha. Ahimsa is common in Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. This concept translated to “not to injure” or “nonviolence.” Gandhi used this concept to overthrow the colonial rule set by U.K, including the racial discrimination and social divisions. Satyagraha translated to “Holding onto truth” or “truth force.” Gandhi developed this concept as a weapon to fight injustice. It is a way of nonviolent resistance that he used to overrule the British. He was a very peaceful, but  powerful man at that time.“Non-violence is not a garment to be put on and off at will. Its seat is in the heart, and it must be an inseparable part of our being.”said Gandhi. As one can see, Gandhi believed even if you react to a situation violently, it does not solve the problem or come to any sort of a resolution. The problem would instead perpetuate, and may even exacerbate. He believes that people need to have the inner faith and change. Gandhi’s morals and speeches were not the only way India became a country; He started a series of hunger strikes, salt marches, and prohibited Britain from their goods. This all brought independence to India without any deaths or casualties.

Next, is the question, “Why does the U.S constantly deploying missiles and bombing innocent homes?” Afghanistan is constantly being attacked now. The U.S has been doing this for years, and continues without any sense of discontinuation. Further, the Iraq war was going on for 15 years and the Afghanistan war has been going on from 2001, with no foreseeable termination. In an article by Kimberly Amadeo, she stated, “In June 2017, President Donald Trump authorized sending 3,000 to 5,000 more troops into Afghanistan to strengthen training efforts there. On January 11, 2018, the Pentagon announced it will send in drones and 1,000 new combat advisers in advance of the spring fighting season. The administration's focus is on attacking terrorists and not nation-building.” This quotes explains that the U.S government is continuously sending troops to Afghanistan till this day. The president sent troops there just to make their training better. This shows that the Afghanistan war has no specific reason why it is still going on. Sadly to say, the U.S government spends so much on these wars for many unknown reasons. Instead of being vicious, the U.S could easily make peace with Afghanistan and put an end to violence altogether.

When the government take action nonviolently is causes more unity among the nation. It is not just about the government, but also society. Many mass shootings are going on in our neighborhoods. We can all end a situation by approaching it in a peaceful manner. Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. both successfully brought unity among their own countries without causing crucial destruction. Today we can use these two role models to end many wars going on now. Approaching situations in a negligent manner leads a nation to disintegrate. This is all happening in our society now, as in the aforementioned cases of Syria and Afghanistan. The United States retaliates in a violent way, hundreds and thousands are being put to death because of the sudden bombings. The U.S government can end this and bring unity in a non violent manner. There are more leaders that follow a non-violent approach other than MLK and Gandhi. The United States government could use its tactics and bring unity. Many human lives could be saved and the money could be used for more important needs. If Gandhi can gain independence from Britain, I believe these unnecessary wars can all come to an end. These two events I stated show that taking action nonviolently has a positive and peaceful outcome.  

Citations:

The Balance, Kimberly Amadeo, March 15, 2019. Afghanistan War Cost, Timeline and Economic Impact. https://www.thebalance.com/cost-of-afghanistan-war-timeline-economic-impact-4122493


Srcharitycinti, Pray for Peace and Nonviolence. http://www.srcharitycinti.org/opjcc/images/Nonviolence_prayer.pdf


Tampa Bay Times, January 24. “People Need to Remember King’s message of Nonviolence.”

https://www.tampabay.com/letters/thursdays-letters-people-need-to-remember-kings-message-of-nonviolence-20190124/




 


 


Advanced essay #3

Introduction- My goal for this essay is how violence changes people. Also that its not always recognizable firsthand. People need to be aware of how serious violence is.

Violence is not inevitable. It's used in many different ways and causes several different emotions in people. Some of those emotions are; suffering,pain, danger, and fear. Violence is known to change people. There are many types of violence. We have brutal beatings, murder, stabbings and so forth. People use violence as a resolution to something or a way of power. The big question is How does violence change who we are?.

The definition of violence is strength of emotion or an unpleasant  destructive force. Another meaning is behavior involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone or something. When people refer to violence, normally they are referring to the second definition. Violence is also known as cruelty. Most times violence is physical, but we can also suffer mentally from it. There's many ways to tell if a person has changed from violence. You can notice the changes in their body language and how they begin to act. Normally we see violence expressed through anger.    

Everyday on the news you hear that someone has been killed. The source of killing is another form of violence. What's heartbroken is the victims are either families, children, or an innocent individual. Each story behind each victim is about something insufficient. violence is being used in a reckless way; they use cruelty for anything without thinking about the consequences. As a community we have to do something to stop all of this. Instead of witnessing these attacks, let's do something to stop them.  

You never acknowledge how much violence can affect you until you experience it firsthand. In my family, we experienced violence and it cost people their lives. The worst experience of all is my uncle. In 2018 I recieved news people fear getting. I remember this day like it was yesterday,, so here we go. An article the violence around us, said “Children (and even adults) may simply imitate the violence they observe”.  The way we see others behave is the same behavior we imitate. Its normal for humans to start acting like one another. When we see violent behavior then eventually that's our new behavior. Unfortunately violence is something that has been used in one point of our lives.

It was a regular sunny day on may 23, 2018. Everyone had just came home from school and work. My mom came home and needed to rest. A few minutes later my step dad also came home. Me and my siblings were downstairs watching tv. Suddenly, i heard my mom on the phone saying” what, I'm coming auntie. Her voice was in a panic and she rushed downstairs and out the door. When my stepdad came down the steps I asked him “what was wrong” . In a normal calm tone, he said your uncle has been shot. The words echoed and I started feeling anxious and confused. I grabbed my phone to distract myself. When I unlocked it i saw a post made by sister. The post said “ I hate getting worst news.” A few minutes after, there was a follow up post. That post said “ and just like that”. As soon as I saw the post i instantly knew what she meant. So i grabbed my phone and texted my sister. The text said any updates on uncle jeffrey. She responded “no baby he didn't make it”. Tears formed my eyes and I dropped my phone on the floor. My heart was hurt for my mother. That was her brother I knew she would be in pain.

Following this sunday, I had to attend school the next day. During the car ride my mom kept repeating how my uncle was shot 37 times. By the time we reached sla i was on the verge of tears. When I went to class I was quiet and tried to explain why I was late. No words came out everything was silent. My mind was somewhere else. Ms. hull took me in the hallway and I explained what happened. The way I told her was through tears and it just blurted out. I was a total mess and couldn't do anything.

 After losing my uncle I realized how much violence can destroy people's lives. The person who commits these violent acts doesnt think about the consequences. He/she just moves on like its nothing. Violence can make someone angry enough to harm someone. Physically hurting someone is not the solution to anything.  

So many things can trigger what makes someone violent.  What they went through in their childhood. Parents, etc. Violence can be inherited within a person. Phillip Jet once said “I think violent crime has more to do with a combination of maltreatment, circumstance, and emotion”. Angry people tend to take their anger out on other people. The amount of anger is enough to destroy someone. Its not about having power, it's about having an outlet to release.  

As humans we don't how violence psychologically affects us or our families. In children we see fear. In adults we have guilt, low self esteem, and isolation. It's not always obvious how violence affects our people. We just begin to act different. In our society, all you see is one of us attacking the other. So when people see us they instantly have fear. No one knows how far someone is willing to go. In any situation someone who commits violence is the person who has control over everything.  

As a society we should realize what violence does to our community. Yes violence is inevitable but it should never be your first choice. In some cases violence is necessary. One  case is when your in danger and need to protect yourself. There are times when violence can be prevented. Something triggers inside our minds and causes us to commit harm on an individual.  

No one is perfect each and every one of us have flaws. Its ok to express our emotions and release what's upsetting us.Every situation and obstacle we face mold us into the people we are today. There are certain experiences we never come back from. Violent situations are where people lose themselves. They become different people and there's nothing you can do. Surround yourself with people who push you to be your best self. When your around the right people they will help you heal and be your best self. Violence can not define you unless you let it.

Works Cited

http://www.criminalelement.com/can-violence-be-genetic-and-inherited-comment-sweepstakes/

https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/anger