Social Movement: Animal Rights
Why I chose this: Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the interests of animals, such as the interest in avoiding suffering, should be afforded the same consideration as the interests of human beings. Although animal rights advocates approach the issue from different philosophical positions, they argue, broadly speaking, that animals should no longer be regarded as property, or used as food, clothing, research subjects, or entertainment, but should instead be regarded as legal persons and members of the moral community.
Organization: Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (www.caft.org.uk)
Grievance: There is no excuse for murdering millions of animals each year for vanity. Unfair treatment to the animals.
Resources: Documented Photos and Reports, Fact sheets, Campaign Stickers and Posters.
Framing: End the global trade of all products that use real animal fur.
Alliances: Hunt Saboteurs, Fur Free Alliance, Bont voor Dieren (Dutch), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), & others.
Call to action: Boycott any products containing animal fur.
Began: 1990s in the USA
How are proponents of one side striving to achieve their goals? They are boycotting the sellers of real fur and uniting to pressure them to into discontinue.
How do they get attention? They expose the conditions in several slaughterhouses, farms, retailers, and so on by revealing photographic and video evidence of the processes.
What power do they try to exercise? CAFT has branches all around the globe. They use free speech quite often in marches, boycotts, protests, and petitions.
What sort of organization and tactics are they using? They're an informal international coalition of grassroots groups that campaign against the production and use of animal fur.
Is the movement part of the American democratic process or is it destructive of our peaceful democracy? It adds to the democratic process.
Works Cited
Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade. Web. 02 Dec. 2010. .
"Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 02 Dec. 2010. .
Labels: American Government
Political Parties/ Interest groups
Faction - According to James Madison, a group of people who seek to influence public policy in ways contrary to the public good.
Political party - A group that seeks to elect candidates to public office by supplying them with a label, a "party identification" by which they are known to the electorate.
Functions of political parties - They organize competition by nominating candidates at party conventions, caucuses and/or direct primaries.
National convention - A meeting of party delegates elected in state primaries, caucuses, or conventions that is held every four years. Its primary purpose is to nominate presidential and vice presidential candidates and to ratify a campaign platform.
National committee - A committee of delegates from each state and territory that runs party affairs between national conventions.
Congressional campaign committee - A party committee in Congress that provides funds to members who are running for reelection or to would-be members running for an open seat or challenging a candidate from the opposition party.
National chairman - A paid, full time manager of a party's day-t-day work who is elected by the national committee.
Federal money - Money raised to support the campaign of a candidate for federal office. Amounts regulated by federal law.
Soft money - Money raised by political parties for activities other than directly supporting a federal candidate.
Political machine - A party organization that recruits its members by dispensing patronage; tangible incentives such as money, political jobs, an opportunity to get favors from government and that is characterized by a high degree of leadership control over member activity.
Political action committee (PAC) - A committee set up by and representing a corporation, labor union, or special interest group that raises and spends campaign contributions on behalf of one or more candidates or causes.
Lobbying - A person, usually acting as an agent for an organized group, who seeks to bring about the passage or defeat of legislative bills or to influence their content.
Grass-roots lobbying - Stating a position on a specific legislative proposal to the public, then asking the public to urge their legislator to support that stated position. Nonprofits are limited in the amount they can spend on grassroots lobbying.
Two-party system - A form of party system where two major political parties dominate voting in nearly all elections, at every level. As a result, all, or nearly all, elected offices end up being held by candidates endorsed by one of the two major parties.
Single-member district - Legislative districts from which one representative is chosen.
Plurality election - A single winner voting system often used to elect executive offices or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single member constituencies.
Majority election - The party winning more than 50% of the vote in a constituency is awarded the contested seat.
Runoff election - The two-rounded system used to elect a single winner. Under runoff voting, the voter cast a single vote for their chosen candidate.
Proportional representation - A voting system in which representatives in a legislature are chosen by the proportion of all votes each candidate (or party) gets.
Third party - A political party other than one of the two major parties. It also includes independents and write in candidates.
Platform - A document stating the aims and principles of a political party.
Interest group - Advocacy groups that use various forms of advocacy to influence public opinion and/or policy; they have played and continued to play an important role in the development of political and social systems.
Political efficacy - A citizen's sense that he or she can understand and influence politics.
Public-interest lobby - A political organization, that stated goals of which will principally benefit nonmembers.
Pluralist theory - A theory that competition among all affected interests shapes public policy.
Campaigns and elections/ Chapter 7
Activist - An individual, usually outside government, who actively promotes a political party, philosophy, or issue he or she cares about.
Australian ballot - A government printed ballot of uniform size and shape to be cast in secret that was adopted by many states around 1890 in order to reduce the voting fraud associated with party printed ballots cast in public.
Motor-voter bill - A bill passed by Congress in 1993 to make it easier for Americans to vote. The law, which went into effect in 1995, requires states to allow voter registration by mail, when one applies for a driver's license, and at state offices that service the disabled or poor.
Poll tax - Money that must be paid in order to vote. There used to be poll taxes in some places in the USA; this tax kept many poor people from voting since they could not afford to pay the tax. The twenty fourth Amendment to the Constitution (ratified in 1964) made poll taxes illegal.
Media consultant - A term used to describe a marketing agent or public relations executive, hired by businesses or political candidates to obtain positive press coverage.
Primary election - An election prior to the general election in which voters select the candidates who will run on each party's ticket.
Caucus (primary) - A private meeting of party members designed to seek agreement on delegates for a state or national nominating convention based on which candidate they wish to support.
General election - An election used to fill an elective office.
open primary/ blanket primary - A primary election that permits voters to choose on election day the party primary in which they wish to vote. They may vote for candidates of only one party.
runoff primary - A second primary election held in some states when no candidate receives a majority of the votes in the first primary, the runoff is between the two candidates with the most votes. Runoff primaries are common in the South.
presidential primary - A special kind of primary used to pick delegates to the presidential nominating conventions of the major parties.
closed primary - A primary election limited to registered party members. Prevents members of other parties from crossing over to influence the nomination of an opposing party's candidate.
party convention - In politics, a political convention is a meeting of a political party, typically to select party candidates.
Spots (campaign) - Short television advertisements used to promote a candidate for government office.
Visual (campaign) - A campaign activity that appears on a television news broadcast.
Split ticket voting - Voting for candidates of different parties for various offices in the same election, for example, voting for a Republican for senator and a Democrat for president.
Party-column ballot - A ballot listing all candidates of a given party together under the same name of that party; also called an "Indiana" ballot.
Office-bloc ballot - A ballot listing all candidates for a given office under the name of that office; also called a "Massachusetts" ballot.
Straight-ticket voting - Voting for candidates who are all of the same party. For example, voting for Republican candidates for senator, representative, and president.
CONGRESS
Parliament - A national legislature composed of elected representatives who choose the chief executive (typically, the prime minister).
Bicameralism - The practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. This, a bicameral parliament or bicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of two chambers of houses.
Gerrymandering - The practice of redrawing electoral districts to gain an electoral advantage for a political party.
Speaker of the House - The presiding officer of the House of Representatives and the leader of his party in the House.
Majority leader - The legislative leader elected by party members holding the majority of seats in the House of Representatives or the Senate.
Minority leader - The legislative leader elected by party members holding a minority of seats in the House of Representatives or the Senate.
Franking privilege - The ability of members of Congress to mail letters to their constituents free of charge by substituting their facsimile signature (frank) for postage.
Whip - A senator or representative who helps the party leader stay informed about what party members are thinking, rounds up members when important votes are to be taken, and attempts to keep a nose count on how the voting on controversial issues is likely to go.
President - The person who holds the office of head of stare of the United States government.
pro tempore - The designated officer of the senate or house acting in the absence of the regular presiding officer.
Filibuster - An attempt to defeat a bill in the Senate by taking indefinitely, thus preventing the the Senate from taking action on it. From the Spanish filibustero, which means a "freebooter," a military adventurer.
Cloture - A rule used by the Senate to end or limit debate. Designed to prevent "talking bill to death" by filibuster. To pass in the Senate, three-fifths on the entire Senate membership (or sixty senator) must vote for it.
Senatorial courtesy - A tradition that it impossible to to confirm a presidential nominee for office if a senator files a personal objection.
Delegate - A person appointed or elected to represent others.
Trustee - A person to whom legal title or property entrusted use for another's benefit.
Pocket veto - One of two ways for a president to disprove a bill sent to him by Congress. In the president does not sign the bill within ten days of his receiving it and Congress has adjourned within that time, the bill does not sign the bill within that time, the bill does not become law.
Override - The legislature may pass a measure over the president's objection by voting to override a veto by a two-thirds majority of members present in both houses.
Standing committee - Permanently established legislative committees that consider and are responsible for legislation within certain subject areas. Examples are the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Select committee - Congressional committees appointed for a limited time and purpose.
Joint committee - Committees on which both representatives and senators serve. An especially important kind of joint committee is the conference committee made up of representatives and senators appointed resolve differences in the Senate and House versions of the same piece of legislation before final passage.
Line item veto - The power of an executive to veto some provisions in an appropriations bill while approving others. The president does not have the right to exercise a line-item veto and must approve or reject an entire appropriations bill.
Caucus (congressional) - An association of members of Congress created to advocate a political ideology or a regional, ethnic, or economic interest.
Simple resolution - An expression of opinion opinion either in the House of Representatives of the Senate to settle house-keeping or procedural matters in either body. Such expressions are not signed by the president and do not have the force of law.
Concurrent resolution - An expression of congressional opinion without the force of law that requires the approval of both the House and Senate but not of the president. Used to settle housekeeping and procedural matters that affect both houses.
Joint resolution - A formal expression of congressional opinion that must be approved by both houses of Congress and by the president. Joint resolutions proposing a constitutional amendment are not signed by the president.
Discharge petition - A device by which any member of the House after a committee has had a bill for thirty days, may petition to have it brought to the floor. If a majority of the members agree, the bill is discharged from the committee. The discharge petition was designed to prevent a committee from killing a bill by holding it for too long.
Restrictive rule - An order from the House Rules Committee in the House of Representatives that permits certain kinds of amendments but not others to be made to a bill on the legislative floor.
Closed rule - An order from the House Rules Committee in the House of Representatives that sets a time limit on debate and forbids a particular bill from being amended on the legislative floor.
Open rule - An order from the House Rules Committee in the House of Representatives that permits a bill to bill to be amended on the legislative floor.
Rider - Amendments on matters unrelated to a bill that are added to an important bill so that they will "ride: to passage through the Congress. When a bill has lots of riders, it is called a Christmas-tree bill.
Double tracking - Setting aside a bill against which one or more senators are filibustering so that other legislation can be voted on.
Voice vote - A congressional voting procedure in which members shout "aye" in approval or "no" in dissaproval: allows members to vote quickly or anonymously on bills.
Division vote - A congressional voting procedure in which members stand and are counted.
Teller vote - A congressional voting procedure n which members pass between two tellers, the "yeas" first and then the "nays." Since 1971 the identities of members in a teller vote can be "recorded."
Roll call - A congressional voting procedure that consists of members answering "yea" or "nay" to their names. When roll calls were handled orally, it was a time consuming process in the House. Since 1973 an electronic voting system learn the total automatically.
PRESIDENT
Divided government - In the United States, divided government describes a situation is which one party controls the White House and another party controls one or both houses of United States Congress.
Veto - Literally, "I forbid" it refers to the power of a president to disprove a bill; it may be override by a two-thirds vote of each house of Congress.
War powers act - A 1973 U.S. Congress joint resolution providing that the President can send U.S. armed forces into action abroad only by authorization of Congress or if the U.S. is already under attack or serious threat.
Impoundment - The refusal of a President to spend money that has been appropriated y the U.S. Congress. The precedent for presidential impoundment was first set by Thomas Jefferson in 1801.
Commander in Chief - The commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function.
Pardon - Legal forgiveness for a crime. Governors can issue pardons for state crimes and the President for federal crimes.
Electoral College - A set of electors who are selected to elect a candidate to a particular office. Often these represent different organizations or entities, with each organization or entity represented by a particular number of electors or with votes weighted in a particular way. This group formally elects the U.S. president and vice president.
Cabinet - By custom, the cabinet includes the heads of the fifteen major executive departments.
Executive privilege - A presidential claim that he may withhold certain information from Congress.
Trial balloon - Information provided to the media by an anonymous public official as a way of testing the public reaction to a possible policy or appointment.
Impeachment - An accusation against a high federal official charging him or her with treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. An impeachment requires a majority vote in the House of Representatives. To be removed from office, the impeached official must be tried before the Senate and convicted by a vote of two-thirds of the members.
Budget resolution - A proposal submitted by the House and Senate budget committees to their respective chambers recommending a total budget ceiling and a ceiling for each of several spending areas (such as health or defense) for the current fiscal year. These budget resolutions are intended to guide the work if each legislative committee as it decides what to spend in its area.
Continuing resolution - A congressional enactment that provides funds to continue government operations in the absence of an agreed-upon budget.
Budget deficit - A situation in which the government spends more money than it takes in form taxes and fees.
Budget surplus - A situation in which the government takes in more money than it spends.
JUDICIAL
Judicial review - The power of the courts to declare acts of the legislature and of the executive to be unconstitutional and, hence, null and void.
Adversary system - The system of law that relies on the contest between each advocate representing his or her party's positions and involves an impartial person or group of people, usually a jury or judge, trying to determine the truth of the case.
Stare decisis - A Latin term meaning "let the decision stand." The practice of basing judicial decisions on precedents established n similar cases decided in the past.
Precedent - A judicial rule that permits the court ruling settling an old case to settle a similar new one.
Political question - An issue that the Supreme Court refuses to consider because it believes the Constitution has left it entirely to another branch to decide. Its view of such issues may change over time, however. Fore example, until the 1960s the Court refused to hear cases about the size of congressional districts, no matter how unequal their populations. In 1962, however, it decided that it was authorized to review the constitutional implications of this issue.
Remedy - A judicial order preventing or redressing a wrong or enforcing a right.
Original jurisdiction - The right to hear a case for the first time as opposed to appellate jurisdiction when a court has the right to review a lower court's decision. In the U.S. these courts are known as trial courts.
Appellate jurisdiction - Appellate jurisdiction is the power of a court to review decisions and change outcomes of decisions of lower courts. Most appellate jurisdiction is legislatively created, and may consist of appeals by leave of the appellate court or by right
Habeas corpus - A Latin term meaning "you shall have the body." A court order directing a police officer, sheriff, or warden who has a person in custody to bring the prisoner before a judge and show sufficient cause for his or her detention. The writ of habeas corpus was designed to prevent illegal arrests and imprisonment.
Senatorial courtesy - A tradition that makes it impossible to confirm a presidential nominee for office if a senator files a personal objection.
Judicial activism - Judicial rulings that are suspected to be based upon personal and political considerations other than existing law. Judicial restraint is sometimes used as an antonym of judicial activism.
Strict construction - A close or literal interpretation of an issue. Commonly applied to that view of the U.S. Constitution that limits federal powers to those specifically described in that document. As opposed to loose construction.
McCulloch v. Maryland - Trial involving the state of Maryland & their right to tax the federal bank---sets precedent for the "loose clause"---increased Fed's power.
Marbury v. Madison - Supreme Court case decided in 1803 that established the concept of judicial review---the of the Supreme Court to review acts of the president and Congress and determine if they are constitutional.
Constitutional court - A high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether or not laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional.
District court - The lowest federal courts where federal cases begin. They are the only federal courts where trails are held. There are a total of ninety-four district courts in the U.S. and its territories.
Courts of appeals - The federal courts with authority to review decisions by federal district courts, regulatory commissions and certain other federal courts. Such courts have no original jurisdiction: they can hear only appeals. There are twelve in the U.S.
Legislative court - A court that is created by Congress for some specialized purpose and staffed with judges who do not enjoy the protection of Article III of the Constitution. Legislative courts include the Court of Military Appeals and the territorial courts.
Federal-question case - Cases concerning the Constitution, federal law, or treaties over which the federal courts have jurisdiction as described in the constitution.
Diversity case - Cases involving citizens of different states over which federal courts have jurisdiction because at least 75,000 is at stake.
In forma pauperis - A procedure whereby a poor person can file and be heard in court as a pauper, free of charge.
Fee shifting - A law or rule that allows the plaintiff (party that initiates the lawsuit) to collect its legal costs from the defendant if the defendant loses.
Standing - A legal concept establishing who is entitled to bring a lawsuit to court. Ab individual must show personal harm in order to be heard in court.
Writ of certiorari - A Latin term meaning "made more certain." An order issued by a higher court to a lower court to send up the record of a case for review. Most cases reach the Supreme Court through the writ of certiorari, issued when at least four of the nine justices feel the case should be reviewed.
Amicus curiae - A Latin term meaning "a friend of the court." Refers to interested groups or individuals, not directly involved in a suit, who may file legal briefs or make oral arguments in suppose of one side.
Opinion of the Court - A supreme court opinion written by one or more justices in the majority to explain the decision in a case.
Friend of the Court brief - Information on a point of law or some other aspect of the case to assist the court in deciding.
Dissenting opinion - A Supreme Court opinion by one or more justices in the minority to explain the minority's disagreement with the Court's ruling.
Concurring opinion - A supreme court opinion by one or more justices who agree with the majority's conclusion but for different reasons.
Sovereign immunity - A doctrine that a citizen cannot sue the government without its consent. By statute Congress has given its consent for the government to be sued in many cases involving a dispute over a contract or damage done as a result of negligence.
Class-action suit - A case brought into court by a person on behalf of not himself or herself but all other persons in the country under similar circumstances. Example Brown v. Board of Education affects/includes all other similar cases.
STATE & LOCAL
Recall - The act of removing an official by petition.
Initiative - A means by which a petition is signed by a certain number of registered voters can force a public vote on a proposed statute, constitutional amendment, charter amendments or ordinance.
Referendum - A legislative act is referred for final approval to a popular vote by the electorate.
Lt. Governor - A high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor, "second in command."
Secretary of State - Oversees elections and signs it. Keeps official records of legislation and distributes copies to each county. Handles charters for cities and counties. Also handles business licenses and charters for corporations.
CA Supreme Court - Consists of seven justices all appointed by the governor and approved by judicial commission. They're confirmed by a state-wide election.
Superior court - County by county courts of primary jurisdiction. The judges are appointed by the governor and confirmed by election every 6 years.
Term limits - A legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office.
State Assembly - State equal of the House. Consists of 80 members that are elected in State Assembly districts and can serve up to two four year terms.
State Senate - Consists of forty senators that are elected in state senate districts. Can serve up to two 4 year terms.
Redistricting - A constitutionally mandated redrawing of local, state, and federal political boundaries every ten years following the U.S. census. The lines of Assembly, Senate, and Congressional Districts are redrawn to reflect changing demographics and population shifts.
Special Districts - Special purpose districts that are independent government unites separate from and exist with substantial administrative and fiscal independence from general purpose local governments, such as county, municipal, and township governments.
CA Public Records Act - A 1968 law mandating disclosure of governmental records to the public upon request, unless there is a specific reason not to do so.
Judicial commission - ?????
County board of supervisors - The body governing counties in California; the equivalent body is a police jury.
City council - The legislative body that governs a city, municipality, or local government area. They pass ordinances and appropriate funds.
School board (trustees) - School committees in charge of local public schools. They elect trustees to oversee management of a school district and represent the interests of residents.
Mayor - The head of a city government whose main responsibility is organizing how the town is run.
City Manager - An official appointed as the administrative manager of a city whose main duties include: to advise, inform, and recommend actions to the mayor and city council.
Social Movements
Social movement - A group of people with a common ideology who try together to achieve certain general goals.
Grievance - A wrong or hardship suffered, which is the grounds of a complaint.
Resources - The "tools of power." For example money, groups, connections, etc.
Framing - Presenting the issue to the public in one's perspective; defining the issue.
Alliances - Formal agreements that establish associations between other groups to achieve a particular aim.
Call to action - Words that entice recipients to do something.
Freedom of Information Act - Rules that guarantee access to data held by the state.
IN WHAT WAYS IS THE CALIFORNIA REPUBLIC MORE democratic THAN THE UNITED STATES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT?
1. Suppose the school board announced that it intends to close the small, neighborhood grade schools currently dotting your community and replace them with one large school in the center of town. You believe this move would be a disaster (for whatever reasons). What can you do? Outline a strategy to gain influence over this decision, remembering both the concepts we learned in our discussion of social movements and the structure of federal, state, and local government we studied.
2. Would the Founding Fathers recognize the American Government they created through the Constitution? In what ways is it the same and in what ways is it different?
3. "The major theme in America's political evolution is the continuing expansion of popular participation." Respond to this statement. Be sure you use specific examples of how the US has evolved or remained constant over our 200+ year history as a nation.
4. Thomas Jefferson feared that the Constitution was fatally flawed because the Judiciary had insufficient checks to reign in its potential tyranny. With 200+ years of history to use to evaluate his critique, was Jefferson correct? Illustrate your answer with relevant cases in history.
5. California’s political system is an exact replica of the US Political system, but in miniature. Respond to this statement, rejecting it, confirming it, or modifying it. Use specific examples to illustrate your point.
The one difference will be that I am picking one mandatory short answer question as noted above; the other two will still be based on your choice of two from among 4 possibilities. There will be about 40 multiple choice questions.
Labels: American Government
Prologue.
"Truth left, write lies."
Welcome any and all
to the story that makes no sense
The chapter is written by winners
Information at their dispense
Solely there to confuse you
If you can't read between lines
Otherwise a sheep
No, a wolf in disguise
As you skim along the sentences
Picking phrases here and there
You will miss the big picture
Don't try it, unless you dare
But our time has run out
for the intro to go on
Good luck and remember
Find ideas you could spawn
Chapter 1.
"Born to Die"
Knowing what others do not know sometimes is the worst kind of knowing there is. They say that knowledge is power, but what is the purpose of knowledge if one cannot exercise it? Occasionally, I wish that I never knew, so I could continue living a perfectly aimless life; like those people on television do. On many restless nights I dream of moving far away from the golden fleece, onto the uncharted valley that rests underneath the crimson sky. Oh that golden fleece, whose golden tail leaves behind a path of golden glitter. If you ever met the fleece your soul would transform. But this is the part of alchemy that I can't comprehend, so instead I'll mend him a feast. Unlike the other cuisines, this one is awake, timid and powerless. Perfect for the pickings; I am afraid what I am going to tell you right now is strictly classified, thus please keep this knowledge to yourself or there will be dire consequences. Scapegoat, quite lovely weather we are having. A nice warm evening with the sun sitting on the distant horizon. While our water is gradually being amalgamated with eradicating pesticides, let's reflect on the past when the days seemed okay. As dust particles drift upward into the sunset past memories clash with my conscience. I thought to myself. I'll never be normal again. Will she ever like me? The sun was extremely bright and my eyes strained red. Snip, snap, crack. Goes head against the gravel while I struggle. While my body drags across the dirt floor like a doll, I notice the storm clouds forming. My fleece shirt has two sides: one cleansed white, and the other black from the dirt. In the distance, I can hear the wolves cry their mighty howls beneath the towering trees that stand under the awaiting dusk. Howling at the clinging clouds, that will one by one fall to the ground to meet their demise. Soon the face of the sun will show no more, as man has had his more-than-fair share of it's warmth. Unappreciated and abused, never to appear again. Then leaves on the trees will wither and eventually fall to the ground, where they are stepped upon by the herd; the chem trails painted in the night sky look like the scribbles I made so long ago. Most people won't know what is occurring, nor do they want to figure out. For my death is not a true statistic, I wasn't crazy nor abuse, but a victim of sabotage. All this time my head was conflicted by ideas and my body torn by secrets that I kept within me all these years. Alas, I'd rather be a fish in the pond than know we were born to die.
Chapter 2.
"Debit Man"
The gift of a hug
is wonderful
but beware of secrets
When the nights get cold
A blanket is your only hope
The gift of a rose
is beautiful
but beware of thorns
As a blind man can see
Actions speak louder than words
The gift of a baby
is precious
but beware of others
Clay can be molded by any
And some take more than they need
The gift of a life
is divine
but beware of money
It can corrupt any soul
No matter how good the deed
The gift of a mind
is powerful
but beware of mistakes
Pandora's box will eventually open
And soon we'll meet the debit man
Chapter 3.
"Big Brother"
The blur comes and goes. And all I see is the surveillance camera on the speckled ceiling of our Los Altos home. John's voice came from the distance, echoing back and forth, slowly and broadly.His eyes approached me with a smile, but I knew this euphoria would end soon so I held onto his palm as we reminiscence all the moments we had together. Even though I couldn't understand his ideas, I felt empathy when he said he was sorry. John apologized for all the times I was abused both emotionally and physically, without him trying to stop it. His rough scaly hands tell me that he worked hard for this. In the back of my mind I thought to myself. He doesn't really care does he? Does he want me to die? John doesn't care enough to call the ambulance? My mind battled against the negativity, but soon, lost the war. Immobilized and unable to defend myself, I lay there on the tile floor with thoughts racing in my mind. Suddenly, I realized what I had done. I allowed John to watch me precisely enough so that I had no way to escape his grip. Part of me thought this was natural all along. We all know that big brother exists to aid us during our final years, months, days, hours, minutes, or even seconds. So I gave in, closed my eyes and caught a breath of air. Briefly, a tear sparked in my eye. I think I am safe in my big brother's arms, so I'll just rest here. He'll still be watching when I wake up, like he always does.
Chapter 4.
"Lambda"
Chapter 5.
"Our Water"
Water has risen up past my neck, forcefully pushing its hydro-body towards my face and into my mouth. My motionless body lays in the pool of my own filth where my brothers and sister have bathed before. Sweet, sweet water. The element we creatures need to survive. Murky or pure, any will do. Actually not just any. Just because my tired eyes are closed doesn't mean that I am asleep. No, I am far from being enslaved by these chemical addictions. As I swallow, feel, and know the water I realize that this water has been tainted. Not only does it smell, but it tastes repulsive. Where has the beautifully pure crystal water that we've come to know and love gone? Where?! So I flail to call for it. My father is a tall, powerful, and wise man that can clean anything from a shoe to a school. He once taught me how dirty water can me cleansed. You just got to follow the correct steps and don't taint it with the sins from the sand. I would rather be sleeping now in the water, but I got to get things done so I can be a survivor.
Although it has always amazed me how we never wake up until it is too late. We dread the deep end of our abysmal fate, but we never try to swim away from it. Probably because we can't, after all look at our pool of dissatisfaction. People fighting for change, freedom, and truth. But do we even have a clue what change, freedom, or truth really are? We have been born into an age were our water is scarce, our villages dismayed, and our spirits perverted by artificial toxins. As you read this sentence, three seconds have passed you. Soon enough, your chance has passed you as well.
Epilogue.
"Night of a Thousand Stars"
I want to go and hide
Underneath the starry night
Where the stars above are bright
And where I can find delight
I wish I could be alone
On the hill by the jagged stone
By the place I call my home
Its pleasure that's all my own
With a blanket in my hand
And a song that I sang
Solely me on this land
Where the time has no end
I want to travel to Mars on this
Night of a Thousand Stars
With this feeling that goes so far
Deep underneath were the secrets are
Written by Daniel Contreras
Labels: Creative Writing
Life's end
buried deep
underneath
the darkness
and the hoot
of an owl
that subtle
eerie sound
thin frozen air
20 below Celsius
October night
childhood may escape
specter as the day ends
and inevitably shall
when mother calls them
the hooting continues
and night condescends and
eyes follow carefully
simultaneously
slowly to keep a pace
when the crowd leads
up in the tree
he follows
death
without notice
only a hoot
otherwise
concealed
Labels: Creative Writing
The island of sociology is wonderful, yet some is still uncharted. Sociology’s commonality with other subjects is evident, but I learned firsthand how unique it can be as well. What I experienced is far from what I actually expected during my time in class; I got more than I bargained for, which in this case, is a good thing. The commonality shared amongst several sociologists is their viewpoint of life that may differ from the everyday human. Sociologists study how a society functions and how its members cope no matter how taboo it may seem. An amazing piece to consider; not only do sociologists study society, they also inhabit it (Berger 8).
I am experiencing a whole different world in education as a college freshman. This can relate to the sociological perspective, which is described in both textbooks. Henslin begins the chapter explaining how the sociological perspective is a motivating force within sociologists' lives, because it grants a new look at recognizable worlds (Henslin 4). For example, one of my field work tasks was to observe couples naturally hold hands to find hints about any dominant or passive behaviors. At first, I did not comprehend much about couples holding hands, but after the assignment it gave me a new perspective on the matter.
Sociologists do not solely explore within their perimeters. They travel to various countries, both lavish and primitive, to observe how the divergent groups coexist. Although, we do not have to travel any further than a street block to see how our own groups coincide. For example, the film "True Colors" by Mark Lukasiewicz & Eugenia Harvey reveals how our society's dominant groups (whites) and minority groups (African Americans) discriminate on the basis of race (Henslin 226-231). Fundamentally, sociologists study how the myths and reality of race affect a society as a whole. (Henslin 226)
Societies are like flower gardens. A few are small and undeveloped while others are vast and fully blossomed. Regardless of size, they all are fragile. An example of how fragile societies really are was the September 11 incident; the country as a whole felt insecure and feared other attacks. Even through difficult times like these, a society brings a sense of identity. City life offers two contrasting models. One model is alienation within the city, which establishes a sense of impersonality. On the other hand life in the city also has a sense of community. This is apparent in subsections within the city. Communities create a feeling of familiarity and association. (Henslin 416,417)
In closing, every piece of everyday interaction between humans is notable. Sociologists play a role of observant, while residing as a entity. Even simply playing the role of sociologist for a day may open one's eyes to a different perspective. From field working in the local community to observing couples at a different city the field work helps us better understand how society's function or dysfunction. Is a day of loathing in the mall more beneficial than a few hours helping communities at the local soup kitchen?
Labels: Sociology
Friday October 29, 2010
5:00 pm
8:30 pm
Tonya Hall
Music On Main Street
Centennial Park 291 N Main St
Community organization
Equipment Assistant
1.) What research method does this assignment represent?
The research method used for this assignment was unobtrusive methods, since I observed the people around me without having to interact in any way.
2.) What is the overall function of the organization?
The function provides free entertainment to any whom wish to enjoy and listen to live musical acts every Friday evening in the fall and spring.
3.) What are some of the more interesting things that you observed during your work time?
At the time I began working there I noticed that the majority of residents who come to see the live musical performances are elderly. The vast majority were elderly couples whom arrived together.
4.) How did you feel as you were working? Explain.
While helping out the Parks and Leisure services coordinator set up and take down the chairs, I felt like I was helping more than I was actually doing. It felt good to take some time off on Friday to help someone in your community whether it be a small helping hand or a big help.
5.) What other social issues are related to those addresses by your service work? Explain.
Having Music on Main may feel like an alternative to other entertainment such as the movie theater, bowling alley, and relaxing with friends.
6.) Has your work helped you clarify the dynamics of any social issue? Explain.
It helped me clarify some of the aspects of community events, but I don't know if my work was long enough to identify some soft of dynamic social issue, due to my limited time helping. Although I was quite shocked that many younger people rarely come to spectate.
7.) How does your work connect to something that you have read in the course? Explain carefully, and use appropriate MLA style page citations.
Henslin explains that teamwork brings recognition from others. (Henslin 104) I think this is true, because my supervisor thought I was doing this because of punishment, but when she found out that I was doing it voluntarily she said, "Oh you're just a nice guy huh." Also, the atmosphere at the event felt like a little community, where everyone was familiar with everyone since a few regulars went to see Music on Main every Friday. This is somewhat similar to Herbert Gan's research findings. (Henslin 416-417)
Labels: Sociology
E.) Poll Worker Essay
(Questions to answer)
What did you learn? (1 page on this)
What rules were you limited and guided by? (1 page on this)
What role do citizen volunteers play in voting? (1 page on this)
What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of the registration and voting system you participated in? (1 page on this)
Total = 4 pages
Thesis:
Clarity (clear message), content (detailed procedures), completeness (all events), and persuasiveness (is it important). Do NOT write a book report!
Pros:
- Poll workers cooperating well.
- Clean and professional service.
- I know how the voting process works now.
Cons:
- Mildly confusing setup.
- No clear path for voters to follow.
- Some people were somewhat confused.
- Some errors made the process choppy for a couple of people.
I learned:
- Poll workers MUST give proper and friendly service as well as privacy for the voter.
- Do NOT rush the voters! It is illegal and poll workers can get FIRED for doing so! Wait at least until 8:00 pm and after the last voter has left the building before even starting to remove signs and other items.
- You MUST follow printed instructions on what steps you should do while setting up.
Something about Our Republic:
My Experience as a Poll Worker
Everybody likes to have their say and voices heard. That is why the United States has a day set by law known as Election Day in which citizens choose what representatives they want elected as their public officials (Is the United States a Democracy). Louis Brandeis once said, "The most important political office is that of the private citizen." This quote is true; citizens do play an important role as they are responsible for choosing the most qualified candidates. On November 2, 2010, I saw firsthand how the voting process works and how citizens make their voices heard. As a poll worker, I learned and obliged to certain rules while serving my time as a volunteer. I was limited and restricted on some terms, yet that allowed me to focus more on other important aspects such as Election Day's strengths and flaws. The key idea still remains: a person's vote is a person's voice.
Before Election Day came around I had no definite knowledge about the primary or midterm elections. However, as November's elections approached, I did some research on the purpose of these elections and when they occurred. To my surprise I discovered how substantial the primary and midterm elections really are. The November 2010 elections where in fact not primary but midterm elections. What occurs during these midterm elections does not directly decide if the presidential position will be changed, so the president will still remain president after the midterm ends. In contrast the primary elections are when the voters select the delegates that will run in the general election and then soon after the winner of the presidency is chosen (Thebigshowernie, 2007). Either way, both of the elections call for the voice of the people. Remember that the people do not work for the representatives; the representatives work for the people (Muellerleile, 2010)
Even after learning this new information, some of my own views about Election Day continued to modify. During the poll worker training session two things stood out to me: the specified procedures for setting and cleaning the voting equipment and the rules and regulations applied specifically for Election Day. I will first begin by explaining the Election Day rules and regulations. The simple but most important rule is to give the voter privacy while offering professional and friendly service. Smiles and assistance may give the the voter a more joyful voting environment, rather than an one filled with cold demeanors. Most importantly, voters should have the utmost positive and welcoming experience possible so they may choose to vote again in future elections. As for the privacy, people need theirs because it is solely their own business on what they choose and decide on. I as a poll worker could not directly look at the voter's marked ballot because then I would be interfering with their privacy. Per contra, if someone asked for help and does not mind sharing their decision, assistance may override the issue over privacy for this specific circumstance. As polls near eight o'clock and voters dwindle, poll workers have to remain in position until the last ballot is cast. It does not matter if it is ten minutes past closing time; as long as there is still a voter who has not cast their ballot, the poll workers cannot begin the closing process. Workers cannot rush the voter or else the worker can get fired for doing so. Another thing to keep in mind, offering incentives to voters and wearing anything that is affiliated with a political party are illegal under both state and federal laws (Election Day Do's and Don'ts). There is freedom of speech but that freedom comes with responsibility, not freedom from responsibility (TBug, 2010).
Citizens' votes are the oxygen needed in order for the body of the republic to survive. All citizens are entitled to think and believe what they want- as long as they do not place others, and sometimes themselves, in harm's way (Muellerleile, 2010). Election Day is one of many ways for the citizens to have their voices heard without putting anybody at risk. Some may argue that outcome will remain the same no matter if they vote or not, believing that their vote is meaningless. They have a similar ideology that is similar to a quote by Joseph Stalin that says, "The people who cast the votes do not decide an election, the people who count the votes do." However this is untrue in our republic. Maureen Leidy wrote, "Many people think that their vote does not matter. Imagine if everyone felt that way – we would never elect a president! There have been many, many elections – not just on a local level – that have been decided by less than 100 votes. So thinking that one's vote does not count could not be farther from the truth" (Leidy, 2002)
As I have greatly emphasized throughout this paper, the vote of the citizen is his or her individual voice, so they must exercise it. There is a saying directed towards those who do not participate in elections that says, "If one does not vote, they have no right to complain." For example, if an individual does not like how the local government is handling a specific issue the person has the opportunity to voice their opinion when they vote (this applies to national government as well). However, if the circumstance is that one can not vote, the chance at making a statement towards the government is failed. "The peoples' votes hold the local and national leaders responsible for the decisions they make. The votes send a message about the issues people think are important. The votes affirm the rights as free citizens to elect their government and take part in democracy. Without voting, there could be no democracy" (Importance of Voting).
While helping as an assistant poll worker, I realized how most of the voting process worked, So when I become old enough to legally vote I would have prior knowledge on how things are properly settled during the voting process. Election day had a lot of strengths, the most significant being the cleanness and organization of the voting location. The tables were neatly established around the room, with proper table names visible and easy to follow. Poll workers were cooperating very well. Poll workers were working and correcting each other when those small were errors occurred. On the other hand, voters were sometimes sent to the wrong table, causing temporary confusion. It is a small error that was easily remedied by the organized setup.
Election Day is a time for citizens to practice their right to vote that many take for granted. Citizens are not capitalizing, which is sad because voting is one of our own constitutional rights. There are probably more people contemplating who should continue in "Dancing with the Stars" than there are contemplating who should be the next trustee member of a school board that governs their childrens' schools (Bliss, 2010). By volunteering as a poll worker, I realized that my vote is the only way to be heard. Everybody likes to have their voice heard.
Works Cited
Bliss, Shane. "The Real Importance of Voting." The Globe. College Media Network, 19 Oct. 2010. Web. 27 Nov. 2010. .
"Election Day Dos and Don'ts | Recordnet.com." Recordnet.com Home Page | San Joaquin County News, Jobs, Cars, Real Estate and More. San Joaquin Media Group, 31 Oct. 2010. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. .
"Importance of Voting." About Voting and Elections. Pennsylvania Department of State. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. .
Leidy, Maureen. "Understanding the Importance of Voting." Essortment Articles: Free Online Articles on Health, Science, Education & More.. Pagewise, 2002. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. .
Muellerleile, Hermine. "The Importance of Elections." EzineArticles Submission. Ezine Articles, 22 Oct. 2010. Web. 21 Nov. 2010. .
TBug. "Freedom of Speech Does Not Mean Freedom of Responsibility." Daily Kos: State of the Nation. Kos Media, LLC, 16 Oct. 2010. Web. 24 Nov. 2010. .
Thebigshowernie. "What Is the Purpose of the Primary Election ? - Yahoo! Answers." Yahoo! Answers - Home. Yahoo!, 2007. Web. 24 Nov. 2010. .
"ThisNation.com--Is the United States a Democracy?" ThisNation.com-American Government & Politics Online. Web. 21 Nov. 2010. .Labels: American Government