Dumpster Hell !

blog post #5

"Where Sweatshops are a Dream" is an article written by Nicholas D. Kristof, published in the New York Times on January 15, 2009. He argues that sweatshops are not the cause of poverty it is only a symptom. In other words, there are more severe issues involving poverty in these poor countries such as Africa and China. He begins his article by inviting our former president Barack Obama to a tour of the garbage dump in Phnom Penh. Although, Obama probably isn't going to respond to his message, he made a great point. The government loves to talk about "labor standards" but does not take initiative to actually make a change. He refutes his argument by stating," Mr. Obama and the democrats who favor labor standards in trade agreements mean well for they intend to fight back oppressive sweatshops abroad". But little do they know, sweatshops aren’t the worst focal point in the poorest countries, the garbage dump is!

Nicholas uses awesome figurative language such as metaphors, imagery, similes, and allusion to describe the dirty dumps in Phnom Penh. For example, he says “this is a Dante-like vision of hell (simile & allusion). It’s a mountain of festering refuse, a half-hour hike across, emitting clouds of clouds of smoke from subterranean." for those who don't know, "Dante's Inferno" is not only an epic poem but also a game about the journeys Dante took through the stages of hell and Nicholas was comparing the dumps to hell. He then goes into further details using imagery by stating," The miasma of toxic stink leaves you gasping, breezes batter you with filth, and even the rats look forlorn". Not only does this make me want to throw up, but i feel bad for the civilians who slave every day in these dumps collecting recycle for only one cent per pound. 

Nicholas is credible due to the fact that he personally experienced the living standards in East Asia as well as his wife who lived in a village in Southern China. He states that "in the hierarchy of jobs in poor countries, sweltering at a sewing machine isn't the bottom". He also talks to victims of the garbage dumps who claim that they rather be working in the factory. Pim Srey Rath, a 19-year-old woman, states that "at least that work has shade, here is where its hot". Not only is working outside in the heat stressful, but it’s also extremely dangerous. Nicholas seeks further information by talking to Vath Sam Oeun who hopes that her 10-year-old son grows up to work in a factory due to her encounters of seeing other children getting ran over by dumpster trucks or loosing limbs. By the use of pathos, Nicholas appeals to his audience profoundly creating a disturbing image in the minds of others. 

Many Americans go against sweatshops because we live in a society that has more appropriate working and living environments compared to other poor countries but to them a sweatshop is high class. overall, Nicholas does a magnificent job portraying his message and defending his argument. he uses a great amount of figurative language, the rhetorical triangle and evidence to help support his argument. His purpose is to bring to light a situation that many misinterpret. As a former civilian living in the poorest country, Nicholas knows the sorrows faced by many in his country and he simply wants Americans to be informed. Instead of protesting against sweatshops, Americans should help promote manufacturing.

Text VS Visual

blog post #4

When interested in something would you rather read about it or see a picture? Many people, including me, would rather see a picture and analyze from there. Sometimes people need a visual prospective to understand things like in math class for example. Instead of step by step instructions on how to solve a problem, others would rather see a visual example broken down into the steps. Long texts that don't have any images come off as boring or dull and the reader immediately loses interest. Colorful pictures or videos can help attract the reader making them want to read what you have to offer. Although text isn't fascinating, it does in fact come in handy.  just by looking at something doesn't exactly reveal the true meaning of an image. Text is beneficial because it gives us the logic or description of an image. 

In the photo essays , The pictures and the texts correlated well with each other in order to make the reader understand the background of the image. For instance, my picture was of a young boy, who looked like he was about 8-years-old, hugging a stuffed animal. I instantly assumed that he was happy, innocent and satisfied due to the bright and joyful vibe I got when glancing at the picture. however, when reading the text, I was shook. This little boy is actually going through rough times knowing his mother is HIV positive. The text then includes that the concern of children's well-being should be our number one priority and I agree. All kids deserve a beautiful life in such an ugly world. I chose this picture because it was a perfect example that will get my point across. The writer set two moods in their essay. Looking at the image alone, it made me assume positive outcomes but reading the text alone gave me the complete opposite feeling. When reading, I imagined a black and white picture of a boy crying with his mother and that the little boy was living unhealthy and in pain due to his mother’s tragedy.  The message I portrayed from this picture essay is that writer wants readers to know that we are all facing hard battles but we should always smile through the pain just like the young boy in the picture. It also raises awareness of children's health and well-being.  Although an image can be appealing, it can also be deceiving.  Don’t get me wrong, there are many writers who use discreet imagery and you would be able to paint a picture in your head, but then there are others who need a picture to complete the piece. 

Young Minds and Violent Media

blog post #3

In the article "Violent media is good for kids", Gerard Jones believes that violet media can be beneficial for kids who are timid or who may not have a source of outlet to release their anger or aggression. He then goes on about violent media such as games and comics that include blood, guns, violence, mentioning that it can help children achieve the feeling of "powerlessness".  Jones gathers more evidence of his heroic strategies that have influenced real life children such as a little girl named Emily who claims that drawling violent fantasies helped her deal with her parents' divorce. fortunately, although Jones gives many detailed evidence and includes credible sources such as, psychologist Melanie Moore, he doesn't fail to mention refutations from parents, teachers, and other psychologists. They disagree, declaring that violent stories are harmful to kids and that parents should keep it away from their off springs. 

I personally agree due to the fact that our world today is corrupt and full of violence. Young kids should be exposed to innocent, kiddy shows not violent media. My baby brother, Jaylen, is a perfect example. He got in trouble in school for saying inappropriate things about guns to the students such as "I’m going to blow your head off". Of course, my parents handled the situation, but as a young child who I still developing and is soaking up everything he sees and hears, he would’ve been better off watching SpongeBob or something. Although violet media may not affect every child the same, some become dangerous. After doing some research, I discovered that a teenager was arrested after a school shooting in France. This attack occurred less than two weeks before the two-round presidential election in France, in which 3 students and a teacher was injured. The education minister, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, described the attack as “the crazy act of a fragile young man fascinated by firearms”. I wonder where he got this desire from. Could it be from violent media? Witnesses say he was armed with a rifle, two handguns and two grenades. If you ask me, that sounds like a clear description of those characters in "Call of Duty".  Police indicate that the teenager’s recent history included videos of massive shootings. This could only mean one thing. Whatever this young 16-year-old boy was going through, he used violence in a negative way to portray his feelings and that what I am afraid for my future kids. Of course, I’m not going to be able to fight every battle my child is going through, but if putting positive gestures in his/her mind will help, then so be it.