A question was presented to us in class and it was, "If you were given 5,000,000 million dollars to help better a school, how would you use that money?". There were several suggestions in class and there is probably no right answer. Some ideas included putting money into technology, others wanted to hire famous people that came form inner cities, and others wanted to give money to the town. One excellent idea that was presented was to give money to the police force and make them more available. Maybe if they are more available, people in the inner cities would feel like they are being protected and cared about. Maybe then, children would rather be in school and not have to worry about watching their backs constantly.
Vandelism is a huge issue in any school, especially inner city schools. However, maybe it a new outside basketball court or indoor basketball court was put in students might want to go to school so afterwards they can play. Sure the court will probably be vandalized but kids need a place to go away from the streets. This designated area will allow them to do that. Maybe if more afterschool activities were provided, kids would be off the streets for longer. These activities do not necessarily need to be academic. Maybe if members of the police force came to teach self-defense classes, or it there was a cooking club, wood tech club or drama club. Maybe kids would be interested in participating in these activities. I feel that anything that would keep them off the streets longer the better. Maybe if money was given to the evelopment of part of the town people would want to make the town or city nicer so they would go to school to learn how to do that. Basically, 5,000,000 dollars is not enough. Improving the school system will take years and a lot of people that care to develop the inner cities. However, even though this sounds completely horrible, in a restorative justice class I am taking, in structural violence and power based ideologies, people of other classes do not help inner cities because they need power and if they help the inner cities they are giving them knowledge and power.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
A week without violence
This week, the Sr. Thea Bowman Women’s Center from Siena College held a Week without Violence. This week had several events and there was a lot of information on display. The days included Love your Body Day, International Conflict Zones Day, Domestic Violence Day, Sexual Violence and Personal Safety Day, and tomorrow, Friday October 26, 2007 will be Peace Day. The Women’s Center uses this week to try and make people aware of what happens outside the little, nice, safe community of Siena College. On Love Your Body Day, there were pictures of models everywhere. When one was standing at the table helping support the day, mumbles and groans by passer-bys could be heard. A lot of people on the Siena campus do not appreciate the Women’s Center. They think it is a group of annoying, bra-burning feminists who hate men. This is not true, I know several of the students and the advisor and some of them have boyfriends and I have never heard one of them say they hated men, unless they got into a fight with their boyfriend, which any girl will say. The pictures of the models were actually frightening. Tyra Banks, who apparently is all about the empowerment of women, allowed a segment of America’s Next Top Model to be on girls modeling as dead or near death. The way these girls were portrayed is not at all empowering to women. An advertisement for jeans had a girl with the jeans on, but unbuttoned, with no shirt, and a man kneeling next to her. They say that sex sells, but this is just plain degrading. The deviance here is advertisers that believe it is ok to portray women this way. More deviance is ignoring the fact that girls think they need to be like these models.
International Conflict Zones Day was based on the Congo and the oppression of the people. There was a speaker that came to speak about sweatshops. People in these areas are treated horrible. They work very long days for extremely low wages. Americans support this because we buy companies products. Is it not deviant to make someone work for long hours, who are treated poorly and underpaid? Americans would never allow this to happen in the United States, but they allow it in third world countries. The situation in Darfur is not getting better either. In Darfur there is mass genocide. Who helps these people? Michael Walzer, who is a philosopher and human’s rights activist, said countries who are able to, need to help those in trouble and those whose rights are put in danger. It is wrong and deviant to not protect others, especially when they do not deserve to die. It seems like powerful countries such as the United States tend to pick and choose, which countries they help. We are “helping” Iraqis, but we just show some sympathy for Darfur and allow sweatshops in third world countries.
One final huge deviant act is domestic violence. Martha Warner, the mother of Liza Warner who was killed by her husband, came to speak. Every day, three women are killed by their partner, whether he is a husband or boyfriend. Violence is deviant. One cannot always see signs of domestic violence either. There are several different types of abuse and usually they are noticed before it is too late. It is extremely important to become aware of the things that go on in relationships.
The Women’s Center does and excellent job of giving out information and informing people of different kinds of violence and different things that are going on in the world. This week they showed that deviance can be found anywhere, in third world countries, in the United States, and in families.
International Conflict Zones Day was based on the Congo and the oppression of the people. There was a speaker that came to speak about sweatshops. People in these areas are treated horrible. They work very long days for extremely low wages. Americans support this because we buy companies products. Is it not deviant to make someone work for long hours, who are treated poorly and underpaid? Americans would never allow this to happen in the United States, but they allow it in third world countries. The situation in Darfur is not getting better either. In Darfur there is mass genocide. Who helps these people? Michael Walzer, who is a philosopher and human’s rights activist, said countries who are able to, need to help those in trouble and those whose rights are put in danger. It is wrong and deviant to not protect others, especially when they do not deserve to die. It seems like powerful countries such as the United States tend to pick and choose, which countries they help. We are “helping” Iraqis, but we just show some sympathy for Darfur and allow sweatshops in third world countries.
One final huge deviant act is domestic violence. Martha Warner, the mother of Liza Warner who was killed by her husband, came to speak. Every day, three women are killed by their partner, whether he is a husband or boyfriend. Violence is deviant. One cannot always see signs of domestic violence either. There are several different types of abuse and usually they are noticed before it is too late. It is extremely important to become aware of the things that go on in relationships.
The Women’s Center does and excellent job of giving out information and informing people of different kinds of violence and different things that are going on in the world. This week they showed that deviance can be found anywhere, in third world countries, in the United States, and in families.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
weekly blog
Last week while I was at the gym, I was watching the news while exercising. The breaking story was about a shooting in an Ohio school. The story then went on to talk about the several shootings in Ohio school systems. When I was watching this, deviance definitely came to mind on the part of the shooters, and the victims. Taking or attempting to take away anyone’s life is deviant and a right to punishment. However, murder and attempted murder has become a common thing. Every day people are killed. However, there is something that usually provokes the murderer or attempted murderer, unless they suffer from insanity, which would be pathological deviance. It is my belief, maybe because I have never had to be involved in shootings, no one just shoots people for fun. Again maybe this is a naive perspective, but it is still my belief. Especially when looking at high school students. Not all groups of students are excepting. There are gangs at a lot of high schools with scores to settle, and always a group of the “oddballs.” However, let’s face it everyone has their odd moments. The students that are not accepted into social groups and are made fun of can only take so much. In instances of gangs, people often have scores to settle. Not accepting people for who they are and not forgiving people for things, are deviant. Violence is so normal these days that it is difficult to decipher whether it is wrong, deviant, or not. There are several kinds of violence, which include social-structural violence, and physical. Both are detrimental to others and deviant. Basically, there are always two sides to deviance. In this case, it is the students that oppress, or make fun of other students, and the students that take revenge/rebel.
The saddest part of this is people get so caught up in the actions that they forget to look at causes and what might have provoked the shooters. For a few days the news will focus on what happened and how it might have started, and then the parents sometimes get blamed. Then the topic of a ban on guns comes up. However, I have learned one thing from all of the shootings that have occurred in the United States, there is usually something to provoke the shooter, which is wrong, the shooter shoots, which is wrong, and guns do not shoot on their own.
The saddest part of this is people get so caught up in the actions that they forget to look at causes and what might have provoked the shooters. For a few days the news will focus on what happened and how it might have started, and then the parents sometimes get blamed. Then the topic of a ban on guns comes up. However, I have learned one thing from all of the shootings that have occurred in the United States, there is usually something to provoke the shooter, which is wrong, the shooter shoots, which is wrong, and guns do not shoot on their own.
Human Rights Speaker on October 18, in place of canceled class
On October 18, 2007 at four p.m. in the Roger Bacon Key Auditorium, key note speaker Michael Walzer spoke. His speech was on human rights. The point of his essay was not necessarily to explain to people what our human rights are. In fact, he only mentioned a few. What he did talk about mostly in his speech were things like genocide and famine. He stated in his speech that everyone has a right to life and the right not to be killed. Therefore, people also have the right to protect themselves and be protected from being killed. An example that came up in his speech was the country of Rwanda. He said that the people being killed had deserved the right for other countries to step in and protect them. He also mentioned the necessity for the UN to one day have armed forces that will be able to do this with no trouble. He then also talked about famine. The human right considered here is, people have the right to their needs and if they cannot get them, they have the right to receive help from other countries to get the proper resources.
After his speech, there were several questions asked during the open forum. A lot of these questions had to do with the United States of America and Iraq. People questioned if he believed Iraqis had the right to our aide in removing Saddam Hussein. His answer was that we are there now and there is nothing we can do about that, but we should have asked for more help from other countries. Also he stated that our first war with Iraq in the early nineties was necessary because of the mass genocide that had just occurred and the Iraqi people deserved the right to be protected. He then went on to say that at the time America went to war in 2003, even though everyone knew of past mass murder and genocide, because there was no proof of this in present times then we should not have used that as part of an excuse to go to war. He said that Darfur is in more need of protection from any country than Iraq. He also mentioned that a country should only help another as long as they themselves are also not at risk. He then again mentioned Darfur and other countries whose humanity has been jepordized. Generally, when helping a country that’s human rights are being taken away, the aiding country or countries are not usually putting there citizens, except for their soldiers, at risk.
While this speech was based on human rights, I can see where deviance might sneak in. Ignoring people’s human rights is deviance. It happens a lot and is not right. What I took away from the speech was, to ignore human rights, is to commit a crime against others. Every person alive deserves the right to not be murdered, the right to their resources, and the right to be protected from murder. There for by not protecting and supporting these rights, one can argue that deviance occurs.
After his speech, there were several questions asked during the open forum. A lot of these questions had to do with the United States of America and Iraq. People questioned if he believed Iraqis had the right to our aide in removing Saddam Hussein. His answer was that we are there now and there is nothing we can do about that, but we should have asked for more help from other countries. Also he stated that our first war with Iraq in the early nineties was necessary because of the mass genocide that had just occurred and the Iraqi people deserved the right to be protected. He then went on to say that at the time America went to war in 2003, even though everyone knew of past mass murder and genocide, because there was no proof of this in present times then we should not have used that as part of an excuse to go to war. He said that Darfur is in more need of protection from any country than Iraq. He also mentioned that a country should only help another as long as they themselves are also not at risk. He then again mentioned Darfur and other countries whose humanity has been jepordized. Generally, when helping a country that’s human rights are being taken away, the aiding country or countries are not usually putting there citizens, except for their soldiers, at risk.
While this speech was based on human rights, I can see where deviance might sneak in. Ignoring people’s human rights is deviance. It happens a lot and is not right. What I took away from the speech was, to ignore human rights, is to commit a crime against others. Every person alive deserves the right to not be murdered, the right to their resources, and the right to be protected from murder. There for by not protecting and supporting these rights, one can argue that deviance occurs.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Difference between legal sex and illegal sex
In my research methods class, we had to read a study about the “Tearoom Trade.” This study was conducted by Laud Humphreys and is about the oral sex acts that were performed by men for men in public male restrooms in the 1970s. This is an extremely controversial topic that is illegal and not only for homosexuals. There were straight married men in the working class found in these bathrooms, along with closet queens, homosexuals, and ambi-sexuals, who were straight married men from middle/upper-class families. The point is that some of these men found refuge at these places, or a place to release their pent up sexual energy. Others, specifically, the ambi-sexuals just participated in this for kicks. The men that sought out these places reminded me a lot of the men that sought out the legalized prostitution of Mustang Ranch. The differences being Mustang is a cleaner and safer environment.
The point to this whole comparison is, homosexuals are still not always socially accepted, neither is legalized prostitution in Nevada. However, people who have sexual needs need to be satisfied. Yes both situations are looked at as deviant and immoral, but wouldn’t it be safer if these places were socially accepted. It seems to me that things that are not socially accepted cause heartache, pain, suffering, violence, and disease. The girls who worked at the Mustang Ranch were safe, why can there not be a safe haven for homosexuals and other men who seek a sexual thrill. If there was and the idea was more acceptable, maybe there would not be an AIDS problem in the United States. It just seems to me that the things that are considered deviant turn out to cause people so much emotional stress and other harms. If things like homosexuality were accepted, there would be more peace in the world.
The point to this whole comparison is, homosexuals are still not always socially accepted, neither is legalized prostitution in Nevada. However, people who have sexual needs need to be satisfied. Yes both situations are looked at as deviant and immoral, but wouldn’t it be safer if these places were socially accepted. It seems to me that things that are not socially accepted cause heartache, pain, suffering, violence, and disease. The girls who worked at the Mustang Ranch were safe, why can there not be a safe haven for homosexuals and other men who seek a sexual thrill. If there was and the idea was more acceptable, maybe there would not be an AIDS problem in the United States. It just seems to me that the things that are considered deviant turn out to cause people so much emotional stress and other harms. If things like homosexuality were accepted, there would be more peace in the world.
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