Alyson Brady's post

"When we cave into bullies, we will create a nation of cowards"

Alyson Brady

     I saw this story on the television show Huckabee over Easter break and it stuck. Originally it was about the bullying of a young girl, and how there is a movement now called "Stand With Shay." When I went looking for the piece online, I came across another clip titled "When did America start Caving to Bullies?" The definition of bullying Huckabee described was when they "use force to silence or intimidate another." He said that mean people ruin the joy other people have. People who demonstrate intolerance are those that try to "shut down with force a viewpoint they do not want to hear." He made a claim that Americans are allowing these types of people to destroy the liberty of America. He goes on to talk about the instances where a majority group bullied an individual out of a company or an event because of their differing views. Phil Robinson, of the Duck Dynasty television show, was one such example. A&E banned him from the show after he made comments in an interview about what he believed in. It was not until fans protested that he was allowed back onto the show.
     As Americans we have the right to take a stand for what we believe in.  However, people are still unable to do so in America, the supposedly "land of the free." Most the time intimidation wins in decisions and actions instead of people doing the right thing. Huckabee stated that "when we cave in to bullies, we will create a nation of cowards."
     This just goes to show that no matter at what age anyone can be bullied. No matter who you are, or how much money you have, anyone can be the victim of bullying. The question is then, how can we stop this never ending cycle? Do we start with our young impressionable children? If a majority group can attack one individual, an even bigger number should be able to stand up and support that individual as well. This applies to not only politics or major figureheads, but also in our day to day lives. In order to succeed in the big picture we all have to start small somewhere. How can we continue to live our lives desensitized to what we see in our day-to- day activities? The cycle must end at some point.

DONT BE BORING!

Hey Guys! So I know this class is based on violence, and we have been talking about it all semester; but I think we all need a little pep talk. I decided to take my blog post towards a different route, and not talk about violence at all. Sometimes I think we need a little break from everything bad happening in the world and take a look at something more uplifting.

This video I posted is from Kid President, I’m sure some of you have seen it already; but, every time I’m having a bad day I throw this video on and seem to have a lot more inspiration to do good. The Kid president is a boy named Robby; he is ten years old and has the personality of a forty year old. He was diagnosed with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a brittle bone condition, which leads him to having over 70 broken bones since he was born. 70 BROKEN BONES!!  When watching these video clips you probably wouldn’t expect anything to be wrong with Robby; however, he’s been through a lot for a ten year old kid.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-gQLqv9f4o

DON’T YOU FEEL INSPIRED!!!! I love that kid, it’s amazing how someone that young, and with the condition he has, have such an amazing out look on life. Basically the Kid President is telling us is that kids can change the world, they are the future so it is up to them. So what do you think? I want to know what your own opinion is on Robby? Do you think he’s doing a good thing, or do you think he’s too young to be an inspirational speaker? “Give the world a reason to dance, so get to it!”- Kid President  

-Amanda Mascarello

Savannah's post (at last)

After a brief hiatus, the blog is back up and running! Your comments welcome.
*****

The other day in class we came across the topic of internet and the way people use it as a comfort for issues such as self harm and suicide. It is easy to access thousands of groups and websites that are meant to help people in times of extreme stress, depression, or confusion. If used correctly, the internet can be extremely beneficial. Anti-suicide campaigns, a kind person, or detailed stories may be just what a person needs to reconsider taking their own life or harming their own body.

 

Although the internet has very valuable, positive resources, it is not guaranteed they will be found. Sami and Alyssa said that they saw someone tweet a depressing, worrisome message. One of the first comments on it was, "go kill yourself already." We have thousands of wonderful people on this planet that work hard to try and make a difference in people's lives by proving they are worth something, but the first thing this poor girl has to see is this comment? What is the point of having all of these resources if someone is going to see the hate from others first?

 

We also talked about one of the trends on twitter about a year ago: #cutforbieber. Young girls were posting images of themselves self-harming in order to try to persuade Bieber to stop smoking marijuana. This trend grew out of control and did not go unnoticed. The same issues still happen everyday, however. People on Tumblr post images of themselves with deep gashes on their arms and bleeding wrists. There are numerous amounts of people that encourage the end to self harm on the website. There are also people that promote this behavior and use the site to enable each other. I have seen some of the strangest, absurd quotes, such as "blood never looked so pretty until its coming out of your wrists."

 

I recently found  out that Tumblr has set new policies:

 

A New Policy Against Self-Harm Blogs

One of the great things about Tumblr is that people use it for just about every conceivable kind of expression. People being people, though, that means that Tumblr sometimes gets used for things that are just wrong. We are deeply committed to supporting and defending our users’ freedom of speech, but we do draw some limits. As a company, we’ve decided that some specific kinds of content aren’t welcome on Tumblr. For example, we prohibit spam and identity theft.

Our Content Policy has not, until now, prohibited blogs that actively promote self-harm. These typically take the form of blogs that glorify or promote anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders; self-mutilation; or suicide. These are messages and points of view that we strongly oppose, and don’t want to be hosting. The question for us has been whether it’s better to (a)prohibit them, as a statement against the very ideas of self-harm that they are advancing, or (b)permit them to stay up, accompanied by a public service warning that directs readers to helplines run by organizations like the National Eating Disorders Association.

We are planning to post a new, revised Content Policy in the very near future, and we’d like to ask for input from the Tumblr community on this issue.

 

So what do you think? Is Tumblr taking a step in the right direction? Or is this situation similar to our blog situation with the word rape? Who determines what line is crossed with freedom of speech? What else could Tumblr and other sites do to prevent people from promoting self-harm, suicide, and eating disorders?

 

Projects for Wednesday 4/16

Diana and Victoria, who have possibly the most awesome blog title: http://doyouknowvictoriassecret.blogspot.com/2014/04/athlete-acceptance-seminar-goal.html


(more coming soon, I imagine)


http://jennarchapman.wix.com/alcohol-on-campus

Steps to writing a most painless and only quasi-shitty first draft

Pick one position. It can be the one you hold, and/or the one with which you’re most familiar.

 

Write a 1-sentence summary of what that position would say.

Write a 3-sentence summary of what that position would say, giving their reasons why.

What would this person say if you gave them 10 minutes on a platform to speak?

Who is in the audience, watching and listening? How do they feel?

What type of claim is this person making?

How do they use emotion to make their point(s)?

How do they try to convince the audience to believe what they say?

What evidence, data, factual arguments to they make to support their position?

Now repeat with position #2. You'll add research, as well as position #3, later.

He Leaves the Door Unlocked and the Lights On.

Hey guys, soooooo I decided for my post to take an approach that has not been discussed. Not frequently. Maybe some of you reading this may not even know that these types of issues even exist. However, I would like to take my opportunity and share with all of you something that really has an effect on me, poetry. Poetry is a great way to express emotions and get thoughts down on paper and then into pictures for those who are listening.

 Now you may be saying to yourself 

"pshhh poetry isn't violent! It doesn't belong in this class!" 

well, you're kind of right, but it's what stands behind the poetry, the person sharing their lives to others, that can relate to the topic of this course.

This man, his name is Neil Hilborn, is presenting a poem of his own.

Before I give you more details I'd like you to watch his presentation.

*Disclaimer: One F Bomb is dropped*

So hopefully, his presentation has given you some type of feels. ya' know, pathos and such. As you have observed from Neil's poem... he is living with OCD... and he has some obsessive ticks that he tries desperately to control. Now this women that he had the privilege of having in his life walked out on him because she did not have the patience for Neil's ticks any longer. 

Most,not all, of these posts are the blunt, easy to see, media influenced violent topics.  I can not turn on the news with out hearing about a shooting, a rape, a murder or a drunk driver. All of the negatives in society are just thrown through that magic photo box that we spend hours in front of. 

The point of this post is to get you all to think about this: What about Neil? What about those who live with OCD, ADHD, Eating Disorders, Depression and other mental illnesses? What about the ignorance given to those surviving with these situations in their lives? Are their stories not as important? They are humans too. We are all equal, aren't we ?

The you tube group for Button Poetry is a great inspiration to those with issues in their lives that they deal with every day. If you would like to check it out I'd recommend any of their videos and I suggest exploring their channel. These individuals poems really have an effect on me and I hope you enjoy them as well. 

Button Poetry Youtube Channel

In a final thought: You never know how much a smile can change a strangers life.

- Darrin J Mayotte

Quoting and paraphrasing

For Wednesday's class, please select 2 passages from any of the following links that you think you might quote in your project. These should be passages that will serve a relevant informational and/or persuasive purpose. Once you have chosen your passages, write your own paraphrase next to or under each one. Please have these ready to share on your blog by the start of Wednesday's class.


Remember, Google Scholar is your friend.

Video games: http://www.theguardian.com/science/brain-flapping/2013/sep/20/video-games-cause-violence-claims-cause-violence

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/video-games-spark-aggression-article-1.1293112

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140197103000976

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-2958.2001.tb00787.x/abstract

 

SSRIs:

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/cds/2006/00000001/00000001/art00006

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/anxiety-help/201111/anti-anxiety-medications-explained

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jan/7/mental-illness-in-youth-could-prevent-gun-purchase/?page=all

Bullying:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-9507.00083/abstract?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false

http://cjcmh.metapress.com/app/home/contribution.asp?referrer=parent&backto=issue,7,16;journal,39,65;linkingpublicationresults,1:120150,1

http://www.stopbullying.gov/

LGBTQ rights:

http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.91.11.1869

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=879246&show=abstract

Music:

http://pwq.sagepub.com/content/15/1/49.short

http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/psp/84/5/960/

Sexual assault:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1471-6402.2005.00237.x/abstract?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false

http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2002-01701-007

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272735898000750

Domestic violence:

http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/united-states-v-castleman/

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272735803001119

http://bases.bireme.br/cgi-bin/wxislind.exe/iah/online/?IsisScript=iah/iah.xis&src=google&base=REPIDISCA&lang=p&nextAction=lnk&exprSearch=170567&indexSearch=ID

http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1997-36305-000

T.J. Lane Shooting in Chardon Ohio - Sami Misheck

CHARDON, Ohio -- T.J. Lane will spend the rest of his life in prison for killing three students and wounding three others in the Chardon High School cafeteria Feb. 27, 2012. Before his sentence, Lane, wearing a white T-shirt with the word "killer" written across the front, said: "This hand that pulled the trigger that killed your sons now masturbates to the memory. F--- all of you.” Gasps were heard around the courtroom at that point and some in the gallery began to cry. Geauga County Common Pleas Judge David Fuhr ysentenced Lane for the slayings of Daniel Parmertor, 16; Demetrius Hewlin, 16; and Russell King Jr., 17, in a rampage that has tortured a small town and its students for the past year. Lane sat silently as the sentence was read. Defense attorney Ian Friedman says Lane plans to appeal, and has asked the court to appoint him a lawyer for that process. "The defense is deeply sorry for the families, all of the families’ pain, all of the families that have been affected by this," Friedman said. "There’s nothing we can say that’s going to lessen that. "However, my hope is that this community and the families that have been affected can at least begin to seek closure." Fuhry acknowledged before before sentencing that Lane had a "tumultuous" upbringing. But he said Lane knew what he was doing when he committed the shootings, and his lack of motive or remorse makes him dangerous. "What was the motive for this merciless rampage? The answer is we don't know," Fuhry said. "We have not been provided a clear answer, or even a murky one."It appears to the court that the defendant simply wished to make a name for himself, to make a big splash, to make front-page news." Emotional parents and family members were allowed to address Lane before sentencing. "You're really lucky there's so many police in this room," said Holly Walczak, mother of shooting victim Nick Walczak, who was left paralyzed, during her statement. Lane smiled back at her. "Because of you, our quiet little town will never be the same. Why? Why did you do it? Why?" Chardon Student Nate Mueller after TJ Lane sentencing Dina Parmertor, victim Danny Parmertor's mother, said: "You're a pathetic excuse for a human being. In fact you're not even human. You're a monster" "I want you to be ensured years and years of pain, which in my opinion is not enough. You don't deserve to take another breath while my 16-year-old son lies in the ground because of your cold, disgusting actions." "You're a weak, pathetic, vile coward." Prosecutor James Flaiz also responded, saying: "What we're dealing with is a disgusting human being. ... He still refuses to offer any explanation for why he did this. The only explanation I can offer the court is he is an evil person." Lane, 18, pleaded guilty Feb. 26 to three counts of aggravated murder, two counts of attempted aggravated murder and one count of felonious assault. The plea came a day before the one-year mark of the shootings. Because he was a juvenile at the time of the shooting, he could not face the death penalty. It was up to Fuhry to determine when or if Lane would be eligible for parole. The earliest Fuhry could have set a parole hearing was in 26 years.

Besides killing Demetrius, Russell and Daniel, Lane also shot Nick Walczak, Joy Rickers and Nate Mueller. Nick is in a wheelchair because of injuries he received in the attack. Joy was treated and released from the hospital shortly after the shooting. A bullet grazed Nate's ear. Nick declined to comment after the hearing. Lane attended Lake Academy in Willoughby, an alternative school. Authorities said he fired the shots from his uncle's .22-caliber Ruger handgun as he waited for the bus that took him from Chardon High School each morning. After he bolted from the school, Geauga County Sheriff's Deputy Jon Bilicic found Lane seated along Woodin Road, about a mile from the school. There, he sat muddied and wet, with a shirt that read "Killer" on the front. Family members of victims in Chardon High School shooting give statements in court. Bilicic told Lane his rights, and the youth quickly admitted that he, alone, was the gunman. Asked why, Lane said he didn't know. Bilicic said Lane told him he just "killed a bunch of people." When Bilicic asked him why, he said, "I don't know." At another point when asked why, he said, "I don't really understand myself." The deputy said Lane told him he was aiming for heads so students wouldn't suffer. Bilicic asked Lane if he was suicidal, used drugs or alcohol, or suffered from depression; Lane replied, "No."

I chose this article I came across recently, although it happened over a year ago. After reading the article below I was in complete shock. It disgusts me that someone can go into a school and shoot people to begin, but what the shooter does to the families of the victims makes me sick to my stomach. I chose this article because school shootings are becoming more prevalent in our society today, although I have never heard of something as messed up as this. It makes me wonder how someone could get to the point in their life where they believe bringing a gun to a school and shooting students is entertaining. Also, the level of disrespect that T.J. has for not only the victims, but the families and friends of the victims of the shooting blows my mind. This article makes me think, what drives someone to do something as evil as this? There is a video on YouTube, of T.J. in court when he says what he did to the families of the victims and it made me sick to my stomach. He seems to get some sort of sick happiness out of this situation. This whole scenario makes me wonder if someone like T.J. had something in his past that brought him to these ideas and made him act upon them?

Violence in my Own Backyard

Sorry about being so late, there was a miscommunication and delay, please excuse the difference in time:

As most people have heard others say, “violence is all around us.” But you don’t really notice it until the situation comes to light. This at least holds true for me. In class we talked about school shootings and preparedness, and above all, gun violence. But you never really know what you’d do in a situation unless you’re put into it. Last Thursday, as most of you know, there was a shooting in Romeoville of all places. The incident happened about 5 minutes from my house, at a place with I run past regularly in the warmer months. At the time it happened all I knew was that there had been a shooting and the shooter had not been caught. Panicked, and unsure what to do I went straight home and locked all the doors and closed all the blinds.

Within a few blocks where the shooting was there are 3 schools. Irene King Elementary, A Vito Martinez Middle School, and Romeoville High School. All schools were put into soft lockdowns with police all around Irene King because it was the closest (only a block away). I texted my friend who lives on the street over from Emery to make sure her and her family were okay, and she told me how the cops were outside the elementary school rushing the children who were being dropped off by their parents inside. Everyone was assuming the worst at that time.

Even though I was about a mile away from the scene I was still freaked out to go outside, with the picture of a creepy guy walking around outside trying to hide stuck in my head. Nothing like this has ever happened so close to home before, it was so unexpected. I remembered seeing all the cop cars speeding that way as I was on my way to my 8 o’clock class that morning with no idea of what had actually happened until I got out of class. (Emery is only about 5-10 minutes away from Lewis as well). Later that day I went to work and to my surprise people hadn’t even heard about it. I was shocked! How could you not of heard about a shooting in Romeoville! Chicago I would understand, but not this little village. If you sneeze you’ve missed almost the whole thing. The shooting was the talk all day.

As the news reported more, I learned it might not of been a random shooting as originally thought. But that didn’t make me feel any safer. Knowing that the son of a bitch had been arrested and was in jail was the only thing that would make me feel better. The fear that was put into everyone close by, and the loss that family suffered because of that one stupid man is not something you can tell. It has to be experienced first hand. This incident was kind of an eye opener; it made me realize that even in the dinky village of Romeoville, there are still crazy people, outside from the usual crazy people, like the woman that walks around looking like a Barbie doll, and Lou, the man I always see in Fountaindale Library who is related to Al Capone.

The sense of fear that I felt for just a short time is felt by tons of people daily living in unsafe neighborhoods. There are shootings all the time in some parts of Chicago, and all over the world. Do the shooters feel no mercy? Gangs thrive on that fear, but why? Anyone can pick up a gun and shoot someone. Why does that make them feel empowered, and why do they think they have the right to choose who lives and who dies? That 15-year-old girl although not shot by a gang, didn’t deserve to die. Most people don’t deserve to die, but it still happens. No place is totally safe from guns and violence.

How did this man get a gun so easily? Why was he dating a 15-year-old? And I wonder if he had a history of violence that lead to this vicious act.

Megan Naylor

Teens Charged With Torturing Disabled Boy 
Updated: Monday, March 17 2014, 06:46 AM CDT

 Two teenage girls are behind bars following allegations that they carried out a campaign of harassment against a mentally-challenged boy including stabbing him, dragging him by the hair and forcing him to engage in sex acts with an animal. The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office said 17-year-old Lauren Bush and an unnaned 15-year-old girl - both students at Chopticon High School in Morganza, Maryland - recorded the assaults against the autistic 16-year-old victim on their cell phones. ALSO READ:  3 Horses Saved After Repeat Animal Abuser in Gallatin Jailed Footage shows the suspects force the teen to walk on a partially frozen pond, which resulted in him falling through the ice several times. Each time, police said, the suspects refused to help the boy out of the frigid water. Sheriff Tim Cameron said that the allegations leveled against the girls are among the most disturbing he has dealt with in his career. He says that several times between December and February, the suspects preyed on the victim – assaulting him with a knife, kicking him in the groin, dragging him by the hair, coercing him to engage in a sex act with an animal, and forcing him to walk on the partially frozen pond. ‘Another video depicts the male on an icy pond being told to continue to walk out further, actually falling in the water several times and pulling himself out,’ said Cameron. Bush, who lives in a rural part of the county south of Mechanicsville, knew the victim well, according to investigators. Police say the girls have admitted to videotaping the incidents, but officials are still trying to figure out why. 'Who could harbor this ill will to do something so completely heinous?' said Cameron. 'I don't know. It's hard to fathom, really.' Both girls have been charged with two counts of 1st degree assault, two counts of 2nd degree assault, soliciting subject in the production of child pornography and false imprisonment. Bush was charged as an adult. She is being held at the St. Mary's County Detention Center. The other teen is being detained at the Waxter's Children's Center.

Read More a
t: http://www.fox17.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/teens-charged-torturing-disabled-boy-20249.shtml?wap=0

Sooo to start off, this makes me outrageously disgusted and disappointed to be in this generation of people. Anyone else? Coming from experience of being a stupid teenage boy, falling through ice flat out sucks and is one of the scariest things I've experienced. After the initial scare of the ground disappearing from your feet, it gets painful and doesn't take long for your body to go numb and cause every movement to become a major effort. Now I know this boy had autism, but i don't know if he had physical disabilities as well. Regardless, the thought of forcing a well functioning person to do this is bad enough, but forcing a disabled person to do this is some stupid shit that makes myself feel violent. As for the rest of the acts forced upon this boy, I'm dumbfounded. What could this boy have possibly done to these girls for them to feel justified to do this? Seriously.. like WTF!?

The question asked on the page of the article is "Should these girls be tried as adults?", so I'll stick with that question. Also, as sadistic and counter-productive as it would be to our class, did anyone else wanna throw these girls on thin ice as well?

Topic proposal board shot and additional ideas

I've noticed something: a lot of your topic ideas, while great, tend to be about subjects *I've* suggested. If you're truly interested in what you've chosen, by all means pursue it. Otherwise, feel free to explore other areas - for instance, is no one interested in doing a project about violence in video games, movies, art, etc.? Is anyone interested in college-specific projects, issues, organizations? The sky's the limit - even if you're not yet sure (like Darrin) how what you want to explore relates to the course theme, don't give up on it. I guarantee there's a way to may it work.

And now, here's a snapshot of me the week before the semester started:


OMG I have no idea how I'm actually going to make this class work. What if the theme I pick doesn't interest anyone? What if no one else cares about it? What if I go off an tangents and rant on and on about my own ideas? What if they don't like it? What if they don't like me? What's it going to look like when it's finished?


If this even approximates the way you're feeling about your research project, let me reassure you that this is TOTALLY normal and you're on the right track. There's a saying that writing is like driving a car at night - you can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.


See you Wednesday - don't forget to email me your proposals by tomorrow!

So what do we do?

(I LOVE this. You couldn't find a better text for analysis of logos, ethos, pathos, audience, and all 5 claim types if you tried.)

We've spent the semester so far reading, talking, writing, watching, and observing the world around us for the causes and effects of violence, its impact on various communities, its prevention and possible cures. We've examined different types of claims and persuasive appeals, analyzed specific audiences, and shared our thoughts here on the blog.





So now what?





What do we DO with all of this information, and our growing awareness of violence as a social, family, gender, individual issue? We COULD write a traditional (e.g. boring) research paper where you dump a bunch of information onto some pages, and I mark it up and give a grade and no one outside of this class ever sees it.



Here are a few other things you could do, which might be more useful:

Students at High Tech Chula Vista are working with 2 of their teachers on a video project called Beyond the Crossfire, which explores what young people in San Diego (and everywhere else) can do to combat gun violence in their communities.

Remember our friend at Purdue University who invited us to participate in the flashmob? (We couldn't arrange it, but there will be more opportunities.) One of her professors emailed me this morning to say this:
I was talking with a Psychologist friend yesterday and she told me that after the flashmob their clinic received 5 calls from women who had been raped [in the past], and our Lafayette Crisis center was also busy with similar calls...
It's amazing what the power of art can do. By speaking out, the Purdue students let other survivors of violence know they are not alone, and help stop the cycle of silence and shame that allows violence to flourish.

Kids who live in the Back of the Yards neighborhood in Chicago (where 13 people were shot by someone with a semiautomatic rifle last year, including a 3-year-old boy) are creating art to post in public spaces that urge an end to the violence in their community. Here are some even younger Chicago kids who live with the very real fear of violence every day, and are using art to speak against it.

Public awareness campaigns like It Gets Better, the Trevor Project, and others work to stop bullying and discrimination against LGBT youth. Alyssa G.'s group works with survivors of sexual abuse, as do After Silence and many other organizations.

What do all these movements and projects need in order to get off the ground? Commitment, dedication, organization, and RESEARCH. Each of these organizations is making some persuasive claim (often of policy, though there may also be others) that targets people who need most to hear it. They're not vague or unfounded ideas or imaginings - they're real, concentrated efforts that know how to present their claims and anticipate counterarguments from opponents or simply indifferent naysayers.

(Btw, people once said that desegregation would never work, that women couldn't possibly be trusted with the right to vote, that Mothers Against Drunk Driving would never work, and that even if it did, drunk driving laws would be a threat to liberty everywhere, and they've been proven wrong.



I really do think that writing is the path to a better world. As a civic action, its power is immeasurable. As a mode of learning and of expression, it requires an active effort to organize ideas and express them precisely. It helps us define issue, take stands, and expose our ideas to critical evaluation. Most of all, it's a crucial first step towards translating ideas into action. (Thanks, Creighton University!)

I'd like you to spend spring break thinking (and hopefully even doing some internet research) about what idea(s) YOU want to think about translating into action - preferably action that prevents or counteracts violence. What do you want to convince people to do, who do you need support from, why is this a crucial issue, why should they care about it, how will they need to be persuaded to act?


Post your what-I'd-like-to-do statements below!

Diana C.'s blog post

Romeoville Shooting

If you didn’t hear; Last Thursday, February 13, a mother and daughter were shot in their car by the 15 year old girl’s ex-boyfriend.

Original Story: Mother, daughter shot in Romeoville; 4 questioned

Update here

               

The question rises now, why did he do this? What made this guy go to his ex-girlfriend’s house to shoot her and her mother? Could the girl have done anything that was bad enough to her ex-boyfriend that she deserved to die? The violent acts that we have discussed in class weren’t local to us, but this act occurred just a little over 2 miles away from our campus. Another thing we’ve discussed in class in how LU would handle a potential threat like this. Below is the email that was sent to all students and faculty in light of the incident. Do you think this was a good way to alert everyone and attempt to keep everyone safe? In my case I just happened to check my email before I left, but otherwise probably wouldn’t have seen it.

Good Morning:

The Romeoville Police Department is currently investigating a shooting in the area of 135^th Street and Hickory. Schools in the immediate area have been placed on a “soft” lock-down. Several news agencies are running stories on the incident.

This incident poses no apparent threat to Lewis University community. Drivers are encouraged to avoid the area until the incident is resolved.

We will keep you updated with any new information.

Sincerely, 

                                     

Deputy Chief of Police

Lewis University            

One University Parkway                              

Romeoville, IL 60446

815-836-5021

www.lewisu.edu/police

facebook.com/LewisUniversityPolice

 

Question 1: What’s the most shocking part of this incident? And why do you think the girl’s ex-boyfriend committed this act of violence.

Question 2: Had the incident become a threat to LU, did the LUPD do enough? If not, what more should they have done?

Victoria R.'s post

Attachments:

For this post, I wanted to continue the discussion on the topic of the film “A Clockwork Orange” and the idea of “moral choice” by tying it into a somewhat personal situation.   My parents are divorced and my dad has been dating this woman for the past few months and don’t get me wrong, she’s sweet and she has three kids. My brother and I have only met one though-her daughter. We have asked where her other two kids were and the oldest is busy with his own family and her other son- who is only 15 was in a juvenile detention center at the time. WHAT THE HECK?! What is a sophomore in high school doing in jail? Turns out he’s in a gang and has committed several crimes. This kid has even had a gun in his possession-as far as I know, he had never used it against anyone- but still! He had to serve, I want to say, close to a year in juvie and he just got out this January. My dad says he’s a changed person now, he’s going to school, getting good grades and he doesn’t associate with his friends in the gang anymore. I thought about this during our class discussion on Alex and “moral choice”. Is this kid really different? Has he actually changed his ways or is it all just for show because he’s on probation?  Alex’s character kind of reminded me of this teenage boy and I was never fully convinced that he could have changed while in jail but after watching this movie I’m definitely not convinced. Maybe I’m just being paranoid but if I'm completely honest, i don't even feel bad about it.

"It's like, against society!"

This will be a long post - please bear with me.

First: I've finally finished uploading the responses to your drafts of Part I of the Rhetorical Analysis. This means that, if we were to keep the deadline of the 21st, you would have less than a week to process my feedback for your revisions. Instead, let's have the final version of the complete Rhetorical Analysis due by the 28th - we won't meet that week, but you can upload them to Blackboard and I'll look at them over spring break.

Second: Now that we've finished watching A Clockwork Orange, you can choose to write Part II of your Rhetorical Analysis about it if you want. OR you can choose to write about another persuasive text of your choice - an article, a video, a film, a song, a visual advertisement or meme - anything that has to do with the area(s) of violence that you are particularly interested in addressing. Be sure to choose a text that has a persuasive thesis and makes a specific claim - follow the instructions on your assignment sheet to write Part II of your analysis.

Next: Today would have been Jordan Davis's 19th birthday.

Unfortunately, Davis was murdered at a gas station on Nov. 23, 2012, by a guy who felt threatened by the loud music Davis and his friends were playing in their car. (I know his name; I'm not going to write it here.) The verdict came in yesterday that the killer was convicted on 4 of the 5 counts against him, which involved 2nd degree attempted murder....but was NOT convicted of actually killing Davis. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on that count, and so the judge declared a mistrial.

There are several different ways to look at this case, and I'm going to do so by comparing it to A Clockwork Orange:

1) Alex is solely responsible for his own actions; he behaves violently because of his own sadistic delight in hurting people.

AND

1) The man who fired 10 shots at Davis and his friends in the car did so because of his own violent tendencies (both of his ex-wives have accused him of domestic abuse in the past). His actions are the isolated act of a disturbed individual.

Another interpretation:

2) Alex cannot help but be violent; the society he lives in is vicious, brutal, and corrupt. The police and government do nothing to protect the people - in fact they actively prey on and exploit them. Alex is simply the end product of a society that has actively worked to maintain violence for its own purposes.

AND

2) The man who fired 10 shots at Davis and his friends in the car is the end product of 50 years of lobbying and legislation by gun manufacturers and the NRA, who wrote the Stand Your Ground laws that allow people to shoot first whenever they feel their lives might be threatened.

OR

3) There is no valid comparison between this science-fiction/dystopia story and the actions of a man who claims he was defending himself against a legitimate threat.

Remember Emily's blog post about the man who was convicted of sexually abusing girls. Remember Brett's blog post about terrorism. We could choose to look at these things as simply the actions of individuals, or as the inevitable outcome of a society that does not care about preventing such forms of violence before they occur, or working to change  the circumstances that lead to such extreme behavior, Instead the focus is simply on punishment. (Or worse - simply shrugging your shoulder and saying "Oh well, what can you do?" Or the classic line, "Boys will be boys.")

Can criminal acts like those committed by Alex - or by sexual abusers, or by terrorists, or like Jordan Davis's killer, or anyone else you can think of - ever be prevented? Can any of these people be rehabilitated? Do they deserve our sympathy, our help, our contempt and punishment? 

There are no easy answers.

This week I'd really rather focus on what we CAN do, through writing and lobbying and legislation and film and literature and art and music and dance, to make our society less violent. But first I need to go bang my head against a wall, because it's been a hell of a week for violent news.