Interpreting Editorial Cartoons

  

Facebook has always been a popular social network that lets people update their status, upload photos and videos,  and communicate with new and old friends from around your city to around the world. However, when the protests of Egypt erupted the country, people started to use Facebook for other reasons other than to update that someone got out of class. The people of Egypt used the social network to create groups to help the cause of its revolt with events being posted for people to attend and to spread the word around. This act of unity against the unjust experienced in Egypt has been possible with Facebook and its continuos spread of communication. America on the other hand is not using this networking tool to help fellow Americans with problems but just add useless status updates that really no cares about. People need to learn from the Egypt event and know that there are more important things that this social network can do other than talk to friends. I personally am I victim of this sort of Facebook useless status updates and with the current news, I've realized that it needs to be put to use not just entertain me when I'm bored. America needs to follow Egypt's example and put Facebook to good use. No one cares about you ate for dinner or that you don't know what to wear. Really.

Arizona Shooting Incident

A horrible tragedy that could have been avoided if the government had stricter regulations on gun ownership. The Arizona shooting incident claimed the lives of six people including a federal judge and injured 14 including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Jared Lee Loughner, responsible for this horrendous crime, legally purchased the gun involved in the assassination. This incident should really make America think twice on who should be able to purchase guns or not. However this aftermath has shown no sign of the government's interest in regulating and prohibiting gun purchases to ex-cons or the mentally ill. This form of gun violence has not pushed Congress to amend the Constitution or pass a law banning gun ownership rights that could make its citizens feel more safe. America should find a system to stop these violent outbreaks to happen anymore because government does in fact have the power and right to do this...they just choose to ignore this and hope it doesn't happen again. This incident like future ones soon to happen will take the lives of innocent people that don't deserve this. Congress needs to act before President Obama yet again makes an address about another shooting rampage affecting America. Real action of regulating gun ownership needs to be taken before it is too late. 

'Huckleberry Finn' N-word Controversy

These editorial cartoons show how a recent controversial outbreak has occurred regarding Mark Twain's 'Huckleberry Finn'. It has been proposed that the n-word should be censored because it makes students uncomfortable reading it. I believe that this censorship is just a waste of time and people should focus on more important issues such as how to better the economy than to try to censor an American classic. The second cartoon also emphasizes that rappers nowadays also use the n-word but do they get censored? No. They make millions and thousands of their records are sold across the nation. If they should start to censor that word it should also begin with all the lyrics all these rappers like Jay-Z and 50 cent than to start with a book that shows how life was back then. The book showed that back then people like Jim were called this word but just because it makes a few people uncomfortable to read doesn't mean that gives editors the right to edit this word out. I personally had no problem reading this word when I read it my junior year in high school and neither did any of the students in my class. However I suppose some others find some offensive in that n-word and believe it should not be repeated or seen in literature. Huckleberry Finn shows how history was and is part of American history. You can't just censor that. 

My Attempt To Accomplish My New Year Goals!

Every January 1st, people around the United States attempt to accomplish some sort of goals that will help improve their lives. I have never taking part in this tradition because I know myself and know that after the first two or three days I will unconsciously stuff my face with junk food or stop going to the gym because I feel "too tired". However this year, I have planned to overcome that temptation and go forth to make some goals that can help my unhealthy lifestyle. I have planned to regulate the amount of junk food that I eat and try to limit a little more each day. I am super addicted to eating chips and tons of cookies but this year I plan to avoid these delicious sweets. I have to start telling my parents to hide these treats around the house so I won't find them. Another goal I want to accomplish is to start heading to the gym and try to work out. I know myself and know that I will not work till I drop dead with exhaustion with sweat and hunger. A final goal I would like to accomplish is to not be too addicted to the social network Facebook. I have been noticing that I have become to addicted to it and just wanted to spend all day looking up photos and reading friend's status updates. I have been Facebook free for about 3 days now and plan to continue with this for a while. This year I plan to accomplish my goals in pursuit of changing my life for the better.

My Self Assessment

At first look, I don't appear to many as a very talkative and confident person. I always look down as I'm walking and try to avoid eye contact with anyone coming my direction, especially if it's a cute guy because I'll start hyperventilating as well. I used to have the habit of not talking to anyone unless they themselves first tried to have a conversation with me. The thought of sounding stupid and weird would make me paranoid with fear of meeting new people so I would push the small amount of self-confidence I had in me away. My lack of communication skills leaves me feeling trapped when I so desperately want to tell people how I feel about them and maybe certain issues around me. I realize that communication is key to help me succeed in life and I need to overcome my fear so I started working at the hospital where I would be forced to talk to complete strangers wanting to go visit family members or pick up patients and send them home. I have also forced myself to talk to people around me that I never had the courage to do.

My listening skills have always been attributed to the lack of talking that I used to do. So instead of talking to people, I would just listen to their conversations and occasionally nod or shake my head. I listen to my friends whenever they have problems and closely observe everything to say so I can provide them with some sort of advice that my head can come up with.

Since the 7th grade, I have kept a journal where I would write down my thoughts about whatever was going in my life. I would write about the torture of school or any new puppy crushes that I had which only lasted a couple of weeks. Soon instead of writing about boys and teenage nonsense, I started to write short stories, poems, and lyrics for songs. My vocabulary expanded and my thoughts became more mature and intellectual as I started examining the world and its complexity. I also joined the Journalism team for my school's UIL and that pushed me to continue writing.

I have a great curiosity that allows me to explore new topics in writing and a great variety things happening in the world. I, however, do not watch the news regularly and I know sometimes I don't know some news that is going on in my own city. I can be oblivious to important news and I need to start watching the news so I can have a greater amount of information.

My self-confidence is under construction right now as I am barely starting to work my way to become more social with people. I still have my moments of self-doubt when I wear my baggy clothes or glasses and I become sad and think I look ugly. However I am slowly starting to tell myself that I need to accept who I am and how I look. With this construction that I am undergoing I slowly try to become less shy, more curious, and more self-confidence that can help me communicate with others and write more interesting blogs that can show people that I have a voice.

Smartphones

Questions:
1. Are you or people you know less likely to buy any of the products listed as a result of the development of smart phones?
                -I personally don't like the new touch screen smartphones. I know many of my family relatives and friends would love the idea of having all these neat apps on their phone from surfing the Internet to playing games. People are attracted to wanting more and more and these smartphones provide a great number of things to do. I believe a phone holds only a primary purpose to communicate with others and that's about it. Everything else is just extra capabilities that I don't need.

2. In general, do you think it is an advantage or a disadvantage to have so many of your technological functions in a single device?
             -I believe that having a single device hold so many technological functions is a huge disadvantage to society. Teenagers already are glued to their phones with texting their friends and updating their Facebook so if smartphones are used more, their addiction will only increase and become worse. Not only will teenagers be addicted but adults as well will only want to be updating apps and glued to their phone screens. Its a problematic addiction waiting to happen.

3. How have smart phones improved our lives?
             -Despite the various amount of problems that can come with smartphones, this device can also help people be more resourceful and economical. It can help people save money from buying new computers or other technological devices that will soon not be necessary. This gadget is portable and your information will always be at your reach wherever you go. It has also caused society to grow in the technological industry and experiment with new inventions.

4. What do you think has been the most important invention of your lifetime? How do your answers compare with the most important inventions of your parents’, grandparents or great-grandparents’ lifetimes?
                  -Digital camera. I have always loved taking pictures as a young kid and when the chance to see how the picture came out before we ordered them was like a dream come true for me. My parents said that the color tv was a great invention to them as they saw in their childhoods the transition to black and white to the color burst on the television set.

5. “There are plenty of studies which insist that smart phones will begin to replace the PC as the common vehicle for accessing the Internet.” Do you agree? If so, does this mean PCs are on their way out? Would you ever stop using them?
                 -I believe that the technological devices of smartphones can easily replace the PC if the demand of these gadgets continues to grow. With the popular advertisement of the smartphones and the many capabilities they have, the PC is sure to be forgotten. I personally would never prefer to search the Internet with a smartphone. For my studies, I would continue to use my PC and sit down at a desk to do research and other things.

6. Do you have any need for TVs, radios, and other devices, rather than just using your computer for everything? Would you ever want to use your phone as a TV or radio? What are the barriers to either of these things happening? 
                -I do use the computer more now for school work as teachers are relying more and more on the Internet to let students interact and finish their homework from home. I do sometimes watch TV and listen to the radio every night so I don't think I am completely relying on my computer for everything. I would never use my computer as a TV because I believe that a computer is a privilege that should be used for my studies primarily. Even if the TV and radio get outdated, I think I will continue to use them despite smartphones growing in society. 

Veteran's Day

          Veteran's Day is a special holiday apart from the rest throughout the whole year. It's not a time to dress up in costumes and go door to door asking for candy, nor is it a time to stuff your face with turkey or receive millions of presents that sometimes we dont necessarily need. No, Veteran's Day is a time to reflect and give thanks to those brave and loyal enough to fight for our country and through that struggle defend its citizens with their blood as a sacrifice. This cartoon shows how sometimes people don't appreciate what a true hero can signify. It's not a popularity contest that attracts the media but a simple decision to do what is right for others and for the future of the nation. None of my family members have participated in any wars so I do not have great-great grandfather veteran stories like many others. Despite that, I really admire and respect those fallen in the name of freedom and justice. A hero, in my personal opinion, is not defined by having a million hits from people on Youtube but a person that despite their human nature to be selfish and lazy, they fight, struggle and shed blood for me...for you...for our nation..and future generations.