Final Annotated Bibliography

Grabe, Shelley. "Concern Over Strong Media Influence On Women's Body Image." Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, 13 May 2008. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.

Postdoctoral researcher Shelley Grabe and psychology professor Janet Hyde from the University of Wisconsin-Madison perform a detailed analysis of 77 previous studies on more than 15,000 subjects.  They explore the immense effects of exposure to media images with the way that women view their bodies.  Their analysis concluded that media, no matter what the type, influences women in a negative way, and consequently women are experiencing body dissatisfaction.  Grabe and Hyde conclude that the problem is increasing with increased technological advances.

Deere, Jennifer. "Body Image, Media, And Eating Disorders." Psychiatry Online. N.p., 01 May 2006. Web.

Jennifer Deere, a psychiatrist affiliated with the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital in Boston Massachusetts explore eating disorders, including obesity in America Today.  Deere explores the factors, the main ones being politics, social pressures, and media.  Deere highlights the negative impact on health, and the ways in which this problem can begin to be solved.

"ANAD." Eating Disorders Statistics « « National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.

The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Diseases is a non-profit “dedicated to the prevention and alleviation of eating disorders.” (NAANAD)  The website contains general information about eating disorders, current statistics pertaining to the issue, and a detailed description of each different type of eating disorder.  The website also includes a wide array of information for those who suffer from an eating disorder, or those who want to help a friend with an eating disorder.  The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa is very respected in the Health Community as being a valuable resource for information on the topic of eating disorders in the United States.

FINAL Revision

Dear freshman college girl, 

Commercial break!  As Americans, it is nearly impossible to ignore the constant blast of advertisements that are shoved in our faces on a daily basis. These advertisements often include a beautiful, tall, thin, flawless woman who appears confident, successful and has plenty of attention from the opposite sex.  The unstated message is that you must look like the womenportrayed in these ads in order to be considered beautiful and desirable in today’s society.  It’s not a secret that women love to look at other women. So, it’s no wonder beautiful women are often used in the media to sell products and send out messages.  And let’s be honest here, who doesn’t love to consult a glossy magazine for style and fashion advice? However entertaining it is, I urge young women to think twice about what these media images are truly telling girls.  It’s one thing to seek out tips on how to wear our make-up, our hair, our clothes, or how to have an attractive body, but is it normal for the average girl to flip through the pages of Glamour magazine and think that if she buys the products being advertised she will actually achieve the look of the women on the pages?

Throughout history, the ideal image of beauty has been difficult for women to attain.  In the United States today, we are constantly bombarded with images of the “ideal” man or woman, and these images effect us and shape what we come to know as our “generalized other.”  Our generalized other “functions as a sort of monitoring or measuring device with which individuals may judge their own actions against those of their generalized conceptions of how members of society are expected to act.” (Devor, 530) We see the faces in media as a part of this judging device, and we tailor our behaviors and our appearance accordingly.  In our world today, media is one of the main factors that shapes and idealizes our conception of the what we think society expects from us.  As a very young girl I loved to play with Barbie’s. From their perfect hair and skin, their long legs, flat tummies, and giant breasts, I idolized Barbie and thought that she was perfect.  From the moment I could walk and talk I was surrounded by dolls personifying the perfect woman, and it instilled in me a false belief that in order to be pretty I needed to wear makeup, wear trendy clothes, and maintain a rail-thin figure. My experience is a perfect example of how early this standard of beauty is impressed on little girls. Unfortunately, it never really goes away.  On the contrary, it gets much worse as girls grow older and they feel even more pressure to look attractive, especially to the opposite sex.  Growing up as a female without some insecurities or body issues isn’t easy.  From the moment baby girls open their eyes they are bombarded with images of beautiful women, and are deceived into believing that a normal woman can look like a super model or reality television star. 

Women everywhere, whether they like to admit it or not, are subconsciously comparing themselves to what they see in movies, television shows, magazines, and on billboards and ads. The corporations that manufacture and distribute every product targeted to women know this and use this knowledge to their full advantage.  The beauty industry, the diet industry, fashion industry and the like rake in billions of dollars in revenue each year selling products to women who feel their appearance doesn’t measure up.  If the model uses the product and she is beautiful won’t I be beautiful if I buy and use the product too?  This way of thinking makes no logical sense, however media images are powerful.  Advertising agencies use all means at their disposal to pull at the heart strings of female consumers and exploit their deepest insecurities.

In a patriarchal society, it is easy for women to be pressured into placing priority in vanity and appearance, since females in our society have always been told that life is easier when you are attractive, and appearance is extremely important.  As women in today’s society, we are expected to look pretty and “done-up” in order to be thought of as attractive, and this can have extreme consequences for girls who compare themselves to the Kim Kardashians and Kate Moss’s adorning every billboard and movie screen.  Shelly Grabe, a professor at the University of Wisconsin stated in her article, "I want to stress that it's totally normal for women to want to be attractive, but what's happening in our society is that many women are striving toward something that's not very realistic or obtainable, and that leads to a lot of health consequences." (Grabe)  In a society with rising rates of obesity and eating disorders, girls face impossible obstacles to fit into the expectations of our society’s idea of what is attractive and desirable.  The most devastating consequence of our medias skewed portrayal of beauty: the distorted and unrealistic standards females hold themselves to and the consequences they have on girls self-esteem and body image.

Girls are pressured to place a high priority on their looks above all else.  This pressure to be obsessed with appearance has devastating effects for many girl’s body image and health.  Women are striving to achieve a weight that is unrealistic for them. The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders affirms that “the body type portrayed in advertising as the ideal is possessed naturally by only 5% of American females.”  Clearly, only a miniscule percentage of women actually have the body type displayed in the media that others so deeply desire.  Jennifer L. Deere, a psychiatrist with a special interest in body image and eating disorders explains, “children exposed to excessive TV viewing, magazines, and movies are at higher risk of obesity. When other variables are controlled, TV exposure independently increases the odds of becoming overweight by 50% for both men and women. Furthermore, the type of exposure, not the amount, is correlated with negative body image. Specifically, rates of exposure to soap operas, movies, and music videos were associated with higher rates of body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness.” This drive for thinness has effects on not only self-esteem but it has tremendous health effects for the women that feel pressured fit themselves in the mold of the Barbie doll figure.  Negative self image effects not only their ability to feel content with their weight and looks, but many women take it to extreme and unhealthy proportions to become skinny like their media role models.  In a survey published by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, “91% of women surveyed on a college campus had attempted to control their weight through dieting. 22% dieted “often” or “always.” 47% of girls in 5th-12th grade reported wanting to lose weight because of magazine pictures. 69% of girls in 5th-12th grade reported that magazine pictures influenced their idea of a perfect body shape. 42% of 1st-3rd grade girls want to be thinner, and 81% of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat.”  This statistics are shocking.  Although these little girls may not be reading Cosmopolitan Magazine or Keeping up with the Kardashians, they are still immensely effected by the pressure to be skinny, consequently imbedding these ideas of unworthiness or ugliness when they look in the mirror for years to come.

The current media culture is complicated and very confusing. Women are told that they can and should “have it all.” They expect the perfect man, the perfect body, the perfect hair, and their beloved models, actresses and celebrities tell them how to do it. The media confuses them with mixed messages about what is sexy, making it difficult to choose a role model. The heroin chic waif made popular by Kate Moss in the early 1990s competes with the voluptuous Baywatch babe personified by Pamela Anderson, that competes with reality TV’s fashion icon Lauren Conrad, and everyone wants to reflect what they see.  

There can be a solution to this problem.  Girls deserve to feel great about themselves and feel beautiful by their own standards.  I believe that the solution to this problem is addressing these unrealistic ideals of beauty at an early age.  Children need to learn, both in school and at home, that they do not need to try to achieve unattainable looks and weights that are unhealthy for them in the long run.  Parents can also help  by refusing to buy toys for their children that perpetuate this flawed conception of how a girl should look.  Let’s face it, the times are a-changing, and the rain-thin flawless portrayal of beauty is so rare that it’s crazy to even imagine that the average girl can look like a supermodel with the right make-up, hair-style, and diet (or lack of food at all if that’s what it takes), no matter how much the people selling those products to us tell us they will.  As young women enter college, they have an opportunity for personal growth. Unlike high school, where judgmental groups of immature adolescents may have shaped  views of the world and self, college is a place where a woman can formulate her own opinions.  So I urge college women to keep these truths in the forefront of their minds during their school experience.  With maturity and education comes room for scrutiny and question.  Everyone has the power to control how they feel about themselves, and there is no reason why anyone should alter their self-esteem for a fallicy that corporations have concocted.

Final Paper 2: Final Draft

Dear freshman college girl, 

Commercial break!  As Americans, is it nearly impossible to ignore the constant blast of advertisements that are shoved in our faces on a daily basis, and these advertisements usually include a beautiful, flawless woman.  Women love to look at other women and so do men, so its no wonder that a beautiful woman is often used in media to sell products and send out messages, however being a female isn’t easy.  From the moment baby girls open their eyes, they are bombarded with images of beautiful women, and are told that the ideal image of beautiful is what they see in the media.

Throughout history, the ideal image of beauty has been difficult for women to attain.  In the United States today, we are constantly bombarded with images of the “ideal” man or woman, and these images effect us and shape what we come to know as our “generalized other.”  Our generalized other “functions as a sort of monitoring or measuring device with which individuals may judge their own actions against those of their generalized conceptions of how members of society are expected to act.” (Devor, 530) We see the faces in media as a part of this judging device, and we tailor our behaviors and our appearance accordingly.  In our world today, media is one of the main factors that shapes and idealizes our conception of the what we think society expects from us.  As a very young girl I loved to play with Barbies. From their perfect hair and skin, their long legs, flat tummies, and giant breasts, I idolized Barbie and thought that she was perfect.  This is a perfect example of how early this standard of beauty is impressed on little girls, and unfortunately, it never really goes away.  In reality it actually gets worse as girls grow older and feel even more pressure to look attractive.

 Since women are subconsciously comparing themselves to what they see in movies, television shows, magazines, and on billboards and ads, women are striving for an image of beauty that is not realistic and certainly not healthy.  The images portrayed in the media contain attractive females, with bangin’ bodies, beauty, and sex appeal.  In a patriarchal society, it is easy for women to be pressured into placing priority in vanity and appearance, since females in our society have always been told that life is easier when you are attractive, and appearance is extremely important.

As women, we are expected to look good for the opposite sex and can consequently turn themselves into objects for men in this male dominated society, and this can have extreme consequences for girls who compare themselves to Kim Kardashians and Kate Moss looking women that they see in the media.  Shelly Grabe, a professor at the University of Wisconsin stated in her article, "I want to stress that it's totally normal for women to want to be attractive, but what's happening in our society is that many women are striving toward something that's not very realistic or obtainable, and that leads to a lot of health consequences." (Grabe)  In a society with rising rates of obesity and eating disorders, girls face many obstacles to fit into the expectations of our society’s idea of what is attractive and desirable.  The most devastating consequence of our medias skewed portrayal of beauty: the distorted and unrealistic standards females hold themselves to and the consequences they have on girls self-esteem and body image.

The images in media portray extremely beautiful woman in skin-tight and skimpy clothing, with perfect symmetrical faces and rockin’ bodies. Take Cosmopolitan Magazine for example, with a different beautiful bombshells on the cover every month surrounded by sex, dieting, and beauty tips.  The message of the magazine reads loud and clear: stay skinny, always look pretty, and use sex to your advantage.  Girls are pressured to place a high priority on their looks above all else.  This pressure to be obsessed with appearance has devastating effects for many girl’s body image and health.  Women are striving to achieve a weight that is unrealistic for them, which brings me us to the next issue caused by this the unrealistic image of beauty portrayed in our media: negative body image and weight issues.  Jennifer L. Deere, a psychiatrist with a special interest in body image and eating disorders explains, “children exposed to excessive TV viewing, magazines, and movies are at higher risk of obesity. When other variables are controlled, TV exposure independently increases the odds of becoming overweight by 50% for both men and women. Furthermore, the type of exposure, not the amount, is correlated with negative body image. Specifically, rates of exposure to soap operas, movies, and music videos were associated with higher rates of body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness.” 

The current media culture is complicated and very confusing. Women are told that they can and should “have it all.” They expect family, career, and home to be perfect, and Martha Stewart tells them how to do it. The media  them with mixed messages about what is sexy, making it difficult to choose a role model. The heroin chic waif made popular by Kate Moss in the early 1990s competes with the voluptuous Baywatch babe personified by Pamela Anderson and the athletic soccer stars who celebrated a World Cup victory by tearing their shirts off.  Thankfully, Barbie’s designers revamped her figure back in the late 1990s . However, with increased availability of plastic surgery, today’s women are faced with similarly unrealistic expectations every time they open a fashion magazine.

There can be a solution to this problem.  Girls deserve to feel great about themselves and feel beautiful by their own standards, not the ones that corporations portray as beautiful and females are pressured to conform to.  I believe that the solution to this problem is addressing it at an early age.  Children need to learn, both in school and at home, that they do not need to try to achieve unattainable looks and weights that are unhealthy for them in the long run.  Times are changing, and the rain-thin flawless portrayal of beauty is so rare that it’s crazy to even imagine that the average girl can look like a supermodel with the right make-up, hair-style, and diet (or lack of food at all if that’s what it takes).

Rough Draft formal paper #2

How exposure to media effects a woman’s standards of body image

Dear, _________

Women everywhere are being constantly bombarded with images of beautiful, half-naked, skinny “role models” and it is effecting the way that girls view themselves, consequently lowering their self esteem.

In our society today, it is becoming increasingly harder for a woman to fit the standards of what the media portrays as beautiful.  We all want to be seen as attractive, and that’s not a crime, however 

In the United States today, we are constantly bombarded with images of the “ideal” man or woman, and these images effect us and shape what we come to know as our “generalized other.”  Our generalized other “functions as a sort of monitoring or measuring device with which individuals may judge their own actions against those of their generalized conceptions of how members of society are expected to act.” (Devor, 530) In our world today, media is one of the main factors that shapes and idealizes our conception of the “self.” This __?___ particularly effects the females in our society. Since we are subconsciously comparing ourselves to what we see on movies, television shows, magazines, and on billboards and ads everywhere we go.  The images we see contain attractive females, with bangin’ bodies, beauty, and sex appeal.  In our patriarchal society, it is easy for women to be pressured into placing priority in vanity and appearance, since females in our society haven’t exactly been (something about how women were confined to the home and domestic tasks

 Media has created this idea of beauty that we are pressured to conform to, and consequently we learn what is acceptable to be considered beautiful in our society.

As women, we are expected to look good for the opposite sex and essentially turn ourselves into objects for men in this male dominated society, and this can have extreme consequences for girls who compare themselves to the images of women that they see in the media.  Shelly Grabe, a professor at the University of Wisconsin stated, "I want to stress that it's totally normal for women to want to be attractive, but what's happening in our society is that many women are striving toward something that's not very realistic or obtainable, and that leads to a lot of health consequences." (Grabe)  In a society with rising rates of obesity and eating disorders, girls face many obstacles to fit into the expectations of our society’s idea of what is attractive and desirable.  The most devastating consequence of our medias skewed portrayal of beauty: the distorted and unrealistic standards females compare and judge themselves by.  This unrealistic portrayal of beauty in our media greatly effects women in our society to strive to be the rail-think barbies that they see on TV and in magazines.

The images in media portray extremely beautiful woman in skin-tight and skimpy clothing, with perfect symmetrical faces and rockin’ bodies. Take Cosmopolitan Magazine for example, with a different beautiful bombshells on the cover every month surrounded by sex, dieting, and beauty tips.  The message of the magazine reads loud and clear: stay skinny, always look pretty and use sex to your advantage.  Girls are pressured to place a high priority on their looks 

Formal Paper Proposal #2

Topic-  For my second formal paper, I will explore the double standards in American 

culture with regards to gender.  I will focus on dating, hooking up, looks, and gossip.

Exigence: What prompts me to write this paper is the fact that I experience these double standards in my everyday life, and I know that the same is true for my peers.  These double standards, such as difference in treatment of men and women for partaking in the same activities, for example, girls are often labeled as sluts for being promiscuous, while boys are congratulated and praised for hooking up with as many girls as possible.  This difference of treatment from society greatly effects men and women everywhere and the bottom line is that it is completely unfair and wrong.

Claim: Women are treated unequally from men, mainly in regards to sexual encounters and using sexuality to their advantage.  Women seem to be constantly penalized while men are encouraged.

Main Evidence:

The evidence I will use will come from a variety of sources, some research will be done from web articles or magazines, and the rest of it will come from the articles we have read and discussed in class. One quote I will use is from Kimball’s Bros Before Hoes, that says, “ Never listen to a thing a woman is saying, but express immediate and unquenchable sexual interest.”

RA #3

The Death of Macho by Reihan Salam is a provocative piece about the decline in male dominance and the increasing role of women in positions formerly held by men.  Salam calls it a “monumental shift of power from men to women.” (629)  Salam explains that men have been hit harder by the recession, giving women a chance to climb the economic ladder into more equal paying jobs.  Salam explains, “Although not all countries will respond by throwing the male bums out, the backlash is real - and it is global.  The great shift of power from males to females is likely to be dramatically accelerated by the economic crisis, as more people realize that the aggressive, risk-seeking behavior that has enabled men to entrench their power - the cult of macho - has now proven destructive and unsustainable in a globalized world.” (630)  He is saying that men’s “manly” behavior is not something to be respected or revered, it is actually destructive and has usurped women’s power for too long, and it’s finally time for women to receive the same opportunities, wages, and respect as men.  Salam predicts the outcome of this power switch and investigates the effects that this will have on our infamous “macho men.”  Men will have to either conform or rebel to this new social and economic dynamic.

Salam uses cause and effect to show the huge impact that machoism has had on society and the serious implications of it.  He also explains the effects that this will have on the dynamics of the household and workplace, now that women are climbing up the economic ladder and men are forced to take a step back.  Salam explains that male dominated jobs such as manual labor type of jobs as he refers to as the “housing bubble” are startin got diminish so that female dominated jobs can find a place in the economy.  Salam also quotes US President Obama, he says, “though construction and manufacturing jobs won’t vanish altogether, they will constitute a smaller percentage of the economy.  As a result, women are just as likely to be the primary bread earner, if not more likely, than men are today.” (632)

I really enjoyed reading this article.  I am a working woman and also a full time student, and I completely take care of myself and never dreamed of not making it on my own.  I see that women are taking a greater role in the economy and toward being completely self sufficient, and I intend to support and feed this change by continuing to climb up the ladder to success and show women everywhere that unequal treatment in the job market is absolutely wrong.  I think its about time that someone assigned this type of article in an english class so I could write about it!

Morgan

The first thing that came to my mind when reading From Fly Girls to Bitches and Hoes was that men are obviously not as emotionally, cognatively, and evolutionarily capable to handling everything that women can handle.  It seems that currently in our world, most of the problems that we face are created and perpetuated by men.  From their macho attitudes that have spawned much of the economic mishap in the United States, to the violence around that world that comes from patriarchical societies denying the rights of women and inflicts violence upon them, it’s obvious that men have some serious changing to do. 

This article really opened my eyes to not just the torment and hidden depression behind black men rappers, but of the lacking emotional capacity that almost all men have.  It’s not only black men rappers and “brothas” that purposely discriminate against women to feel like men, but almost ALL men.  White men absolutely partake in the discrimination and patronization of women (maybe using different terminology), and it is just as hurtful to women and society as a whole as derogatory rap music.  

7.  I think that Kimmel and Morgan’s articles are undeniably related.  They both touch on the negative impacts what society expects of males on their emotional and psychological well-being.  Rappers are expected to be violent, get to the top, think of girls as only objects, use toys, technology, and equipment to prove their status and power, never give up, partake in risky behavior, and show no emotion.  Kimball describes being manly as almost exactly the same thing.  When I read these two articles, even though one is written about men in general and one is speaking specifically about black rappers, in my mind there really is not a whole lot of difference.  Men are men.  We are living in the 21^st Century and I truly think that race, when pertaining to this matter, is pretty irrelevant.  Men everywhere are forced to hide their emotions.  I can’t even imagine what would happen if women were told that they needed to supress their emotions and act tough like nothing could hurt them.  We would all go crazy and our heads would explode! Women may have more hormones than men, but when it comes to emotions, I think we are more alike than any man would like to admit.  We all have feelings and for one gender to supress their feelings while another feels comfortable expressing them can only lead to disaster.  I think that this is the root cause for a lot of problems in the world.  In Bros Before Hoes, Kimball states that men fear that they will be seen as gay if they show emotions, and I think it’s a very true battle that many men face.  The funny thing is, that if these men that say they’re straight were to actually open up to a woman about their true feelings, a woman would probably find it admirable and love them even more.  Kimball also says that men only seek the confirmation of other men, but doesn’t THAT seem a little bit more gay than expressing your emotions?

bros before hos

I really enjoyed reading “Bros before Hos”. I thought it was really eye opening and truly clears up some questions that I have been asking myself for a long time about why guys do the stupid things that they do.  I found myself highlighting almost every line and agreeing with a lot of the things that were written.  I did however disagree with a few ideas about what being a man is, because I felt that they were a little outdated.  

1.The rules associated with the man code are toughness, show no emotions, don’t cry, show no weakness, have the best and most expensive stuff, be successful, don’t care what people think, get to the top, and show no fear.  If you fail to do these things then you are considered to be gay, a pussy, wimp, faggot, mama’s boy, or sissy.  To be honest, I don’t think that this is really something that is true in this day in age, it might have been in the past. I know plenty of guys who partake in what could be seen as feminine things and they are totally straight and don’t feel self conscious or judged about it.  My dad is a manly guy but he also shows his emotions and is in tune with his feelings. He also listens to and cares for me and my mom to no end.  This article kind of made guys out to be rude statues, but who knows maybe they all are (except for my dad of course)! Jk.

I found it really interesting and eye-opening that the reason that men act like “manly men” that society tells them they should be, not to impress women, but it’s actually to impress other men, to be seen as a “man among men.” But I have to wonder where the hell do all of us women fit in? If men only think of men and what men think about them, then do women’s opinions and influence even mean anything?  It is really sad to think about.  If men are told that they shouldn't show emotions at all or be vulnerable or loving, what do they do if they truly want to be all of those things?  They must feel like they are trapped inside of a box of their own emotions, and that could maybe be related to violence issues.  It really is hard to keep things like your feelings bottled up for years, and maybe violence is a way of them showing their emotions in an unhealthy way.  It’s okay to cry boys! No one’s gonna laugh at you, really.  I think that women kind of get the shit end of the stick in this situation because everything that we know best, love compassion, tenderness, vulnerability, emotions, etc, but when a guy acts in the way that we do he is seem as gay, and that gay is usually meant in a derogatory way. 

Overall this article just made me confused! I love guys!  And I really hope that this is not how most guys think, because if it is they are really not aware of how awesome the world is when you don’t have to trip out about these things all the time!

No on Prop. 30

It is clear that the educational system in the state of California is at one of the lowest points in decades. Schools are forced to deal with teacher cuts, overcrowded classrooms, lack of funding for supplies and textbooks, and inadequate opportunities for students due to a lack of resources. We are facing a crisis in our state.  California once had an incredible system of education, envied by the rest of the United States, but with economic decline and an overstrained state budget, the educational system is failing right before our eyes.

California Governor Jerry Brown proposed Proposition 30, which supporters claim will raise about $6 billion in new revenue each year for a variety of programs, education being the largest, through a 0.25% sales tax increase lasting for 4 years to save our schools.  The proposition would also increase income tax on individuals making more than $250,000 and couples making more than $500,000 per year.  If the proposition does not pass, then automatic “trigger cuts” will slash about $6 billion from K-12 schools, community colleges, and universities. 

As a community college student with plans to transfer to a California State University, I have personally experienced the negative effects of the educational deficiencies in California.  I have waited outside of classrooms desperately hoping to be able to add a class, sat in through two weeks of classes and still not been able to get a spot, and have seen course offerings slashed.  I am dedicated to my education and determined to excel in my major, but the budget crisis makes it incredibly difficult to push forward as expenses for education are rising, and opportunities for students are continuing to diminish. 

Of course we want excellent schools in California.  Students deserve affordable education and access to future success.  We need to make our schools more efficient, eliminate waste, cut duplication, and standardize procedures. We also need to recognize achievement and create a mechanism to remove unproductive personnel and programs.  Raising taxes, however, is not the way to accomplish this. Raising taxes to fix a greater problem puts us farther away from solving our budget crisis and creating a sustainable higher education system. Our economy is simply too fragile in our current state to enforce higher taxes on the public.  We are just beginning to recover from a crippling recession, and, if Proposition 30 passes, California’s income rates will be the “highest in the nation - 21 percent above the second-highest state of Hawaii and 34 percent above the third - highest state of Oregon” (Greenhut.) Although a quarter-cent sales tax hike may not seem so noticeable, the “median U.S. family income has declined more than $4,000 in four years,” (OC Register) and this seemingly small tax-hike really does make a difference.  

The lack of the funding promised by the passage of Proposition 30 will have devastating effects on the state’s educational system and public safety, but we have to consider the alternative.  The passage of Proposition 30 will set California back even farther in rebuilding our economy, creating stability and developing a sustainable balanced budget for the future. An argument supported by retired California State Board of Education Executive Director, Tom Bogetich, cited in The California Official Voter Guide opposing Proposition 30 states, “We need to grow our economy to create jobs and cut waste, clean up government, reform our budget process and hold the politicians accountable instead of approving a $50 billion tax hike on small businesses and working families (over seven years) that doesn’t provide any accountability or guarantee new funding for schools.”  Yes, Proposition 30 does reverse budget cuts being made to education, but in no way does it actually improve the school system.  Our problems are not the result of a lack of funding; they stem from funds never making it into the classroom, and instead being spent on the perpetuation of an inefficient bureaucracy, funding pensions and benefits before students. According to Contra Costa times, “Proposition 30 is like taking an Alka-Seltzer for your aching head when you need brain surgery. Sure, the pain might lessen for a while, but the root cause remains.” (CCT)  Like so many flawed propositions, Proposition 30 seeks to tie public safety and many other issues into educational funding, when these issues are clearly separate and should be treated as such.

Another negative aspect of Proposition 30 is the burden on small business owners who pay individual tax rates on their earnings. This is further depleting California’s job market and economy by making California a less-desirable place to live, and forcing Californians to move their businesses elsewhere. My father owns his own business and has built it from the ground up, so I have seen the turmoil he has gone through to keep a business afloat in this economy, and it is heartbreaking.  Most people work their entire lives to be successful. If Proposition 30 passes, success will be penalized by higher tax rates; that is simply unjust.  There is nothing right about forcing one group of people to pay more taxes than another.

In conclusion, Proposition 30 is hurtful to California.  It threatens slashed funding for schools if defeated with no accountability or assurance that the new revenue will go where it is promised if passed.  California is in need of long term reform.  It’s time to do the hard work, get to the real core of the problem in our state which is inefficiency, waste, and improper allocation of taxpayers dollars.  We need to vote for what will benefit California in the long-run, instead of passing quick-fixes that appease but do not resolve long-standing problems. Opposing Proposition 30 is the right thing to do in order to initiate necessary reform and positive change to move us forward.

VERY roughdraft

It is clear that the educational system in the state of California is at one of it’s lowest points in decades. With teacher cuts, overcrowded classrooms, lack of funding for supplies and textbooks, and inadequate opportunities for students due to a lack of resources, we are facing a crisis in our state.  California once had an incredible system of education, envied by the rest of the United States, but with the budget decline in our current situation, the educational system is falling apart right before our eyes.   California governor Jerry Brown proposed proposition 30, which is said to be able to raise about $6 billion in new revenue each year for education and public safety through a 0.25% sales tax increase lasting for 4 years.  The proposition would also increase income tax on individuals making more than $250,000 and couples making more than $500,000 per year.  If the proposition does not pass, then automatic “trigger cuts” will slash about $6 billion from K-12 schools, community colleges, and universities.

As a student community college student with plans to transfer to a California State University in this day in age, I have personally experienced the negative effects of the flaws in California schools because of the lack of money to fund education. I have waited outside of classrooms desperately hoping to be able to add a class, sat in through 2 weeks of classes and still not been able to get a spot.  I am dedicated to my education and determined to excel in my major, but it makes it incredibly difficult to push forward when expenses for education are rising, and opportunities for students are at a steady downward climb.  Times are tough and changes need to be made in California to help this debacle we’re in, but I don’t think that simply raising taxes is the answer.  Our economy is simply too fragile to enforce even more taxes on the public.  We are finally recovering from a the crippling recession in 2008.  If proposition 30 passes, California’s income rates will be the “highest in the nation-21 percent aboce the second-highest state of Hawaii and 34 percent above the third-highest state of Oregon”. (Greenhut) California is high on the list of most other taxes and regulations, and its wasteful public services are not reform-able because of union power. It raises baffles me why, even though we are in the middle of a recession, and prices prices are inflating, that the inflation in the cost of an education has inflated exponentially more.

______ that I just don’t understand is why public safety and education are lumped together.  They are completely separate issues that should be adressed separately.  

“productive people are leaving and they will do so more rapidly if this “just tax and spend more” advice is followed”  Higher tax rates are making it close to impossible for private business owners in the state of California.  Unions, corporations

We are in need of reform, not higher taxes.  This problem is not caused by a lack of money for schools, moreso the problem lies with money being channeled into the wrong people’s hands and going god knows where.

“Governmental instability is an understandable reason to flee. In cities that have overspent on lush pensions and wasteful redevelopment projects, traditional public services (infrastructure, public safety, parks, etc.) suffer—something that will get worse as more localities file for bankruptcy.”

The American Dream? Small business owners get the shit end of the stick I have spent much time debating over this issue and have come to the conclusion that if I want something done, I want it done right.  Raising taxes in the middle of what is the one of the worst recessions in United States history is not the answer to fixing our national budget crisis.  I want to vote for what is MORALLY right, and if we have any chance at a future that will can pull us out of this sticky and complicated situation, we need to ignore those threats of funds being cut, because theyre probably going to be cut someway or another anyway.  Instead we need to adress the ongoing question, “where is our money REALLY going?” 

proposal

Writers strategy 1-Logos

I will use logos in my op-ed by using facts, evidence, and logical reasoning to persuade my readers into favoring proposition 30.

Evidence I will use:

• prop. 30 will provide funding billions of dollars to K-12 and higher education from the tax increase posed on all californians
• If it does not pass, tuitions at CSUs will increase
• Community colleges, Cabrillo in particular, will lose spaces for at least 180 full-time students 
• This causes students who are motivated and dedicated to school could lose their motivation to succeed and excel
• Raise in tuitions will cause many students to not be able to attend school, when they are able to now.
• Counter-argument: even though income taxes will increase even more for higher income individuals, their are way more people who make less money than that who need this help

The evidence and reasoning I provide will persuade the reader to favor proposition 30 because I will bring to light solid facts proving that prop. 30 is more beneficial than hurtful to Californians.  I will also cover the counter-argument and empathize with the other side, while still arguing that my opinion is smarter.

Writing strategy 2- Ethos

I will use ethos in my essay to show my credibility on the topic of education in California.

Since I am a college student in California, I have experienced many let-downs and flaws in my few years of schooling here.  I have not been able to get into classes that I need for my major, causing my schooling to take longer than it should and in turn cost me more money while tuitions are still climbing. I have also had to sit in classrooms without a seat and be rushed through time to ask questions because classes are so impacted.

The effect I hope for is that the reader will see that I am knowledgable about the flaws in the school system caused by lack of funding and I am directly effected by them.    Readers who are not students will hopefully be able to see the problem through my eyes and empathize.

Writing strategy 3- Pathos

I will use pathos in my essay to appeal to the emotions of the readers by referring to the passing of prop. 30 helping kids  who don’t have the power to make a change on their own.  We want our country to keep improving and not be a bunch of uneducated idiots because education is too stressful and unfair.

I hope that this will make the reader to empathize with me and feel sad for all the little kids that might not get jobs in the future because of their inadequate schooling. I hope that they feel a sense of obligation to help the nation’s youth who are still searching for and preparing for future careers.

Annotated Bibliography

Rivera, Carla. "Cal State System to Hike Tuition 5% If Prop. 30 Fails." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 18 Sept. 2012. Web. 24 Sept. 2012. <http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0919-cal-state-fees-2-20120919,0,5650848.story>.

Carla Rivera reports on the effects of Proposition 30 on tuition increases at California State Universities, trustees of CSU approved a plan to raise tuition 5% if Prop. 30 fails, raising the annual undergraduate tuition to $6270, not including books and supplies.  Failure of Proposition 30 would trigger a $250 million funding cut to the Cal State system.  If the proposition passes, Cal state would have to refund tuition checks, grant tuition credit and recalculate financial aid packages, because the passing of Prop. 30 would rescind the 9% tuition hike that took place this fall that could raise millions in revenue.  The finance panel approved the measure by a vote of 6-1.  Lillian Taiz, president of the California Faculty Association, spoke against the tuition increase saying that other options to save cost had not been properly considered.  The board of trustees at CSU are urging for the passing of prop. 30, even with some reluctance from a few members, because it will help families and students drastically.  

"NEWS & PRESS - Schools & Safety Protection Act - Yes on Prop 30." NEWS & PRESS - Schools & Safety Protection Act - Yes on Prop 30. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2012. <http://www.yesonprop30.com/index.php/news-press>.

        Bill Freeman explains that California once had a school system eviable by most.  It was blessed with up-to-date textbooks, supplies for classrooms, excited and respected teachers and produced successful adults, but the education system has taken a turn for the worst.  Without proper enrichment programs, current textbooks, special classes and support staff it is not doing the job it once did to prepare children for college and future careers. In the last 4 years, nearly $20 billion has been cut from the funding of California schools, leaving 30,000 educators without jobs.  Since we’ve lost this excellent school system, measures must be taken in order to get it back. Reinvesting in education is the answer to fixing these flaws in our school system.  Proposition 30 is the only measure that stops cuts, steep tuition hikes and puts the focus back on the students to insure them a bright future.  Although this proposition will not completely alleviate the bad situation in our schools, but it is the closest thing to bringing them back to a stable and progressive state.

Idiot Nation

Michael Moore's essay "Idiot Nation" is an opinion editorial explaining Michael Moore views about the idiotic people in the United States.  He believes that Americans are ignorant, lazy people, and the politicians of this country are to blame for it.  He explains the negative school experience that America's youth is faced with and the effects of a seriously flawed educational system.  Moore points out the most obviously idiotic actions of our country's elected officials and asks us all to question our role in our idiot nation.  We all have the power to make a difference in our nation, let's do something good by using our brains!

1. The general education requirements at Cabrillo I think are definitely adequate for educating me to be a well-rounded individual.  I am required to take a variety of classes that have helped me in the real world, and that I use apply to my daily life.  My general education has required a variety of math classes, english, communications, history, arts, and science.  I believe that Cabrillo in particular is a great school as far as community colleges go. 

1. The most interesting part about reading this piece was Michael Moore’s examples of our nation’s idiocracy.  One example that shocked me as just completely ridiculous was Fred Barnes’ comment about children being uneducation about the lIliad and the Odyssey.  But when Fred Barnes was asked to explain what the lIliad and the Odyssey are he was stumped and mumbled “fine, you got me.”  This type of example is a recurring trend throughout this essay.  It really goes to show that people will do a lot of pointing fingers in the wrong direction without first looking at themselves to see what change they could make in their own behavior.  I really enjoyed that his retort to that comment was, “you gladly hawk your ‘wisdom’ to hundreds of thousands of unsuspecting citizens, gleefully scorning others for their ignorance.  Yet you and your guests know little or nothing yourselves.  Grow up, get some books, and go to your room.  Another example from this piece that I enjoyed was the reference to American politicians being obsessed with standardized testing in our schools. Kids already hate taking tests and forcing them to do more tests will just make kids absolutely dread them and in turn be less motivated to do well, producing lower scores, and more politicians taking the wrong approach to produce higher scores.  

I actually read this article when I didn’t even know it was assigned for this class and Imo glad that it was one of the ones on the course syllabus.  I don’t totally agree with a lot of Michael Moore’s harsh opinions, but as far as his view on education I believe he really hit the nail on the head.  It’s as if he sees the truth and everyone else is seeing the world with a blanket over their eyes.  I believe that the problems in our education system could be more easily solved if we all stopped to look at things practically like Michael Moore.

Week 2

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinion-la/la-ol-sand-prop32-blowback-20120824,0,2890404.story

1. Para Theresa is partly written in English and partly in Spanish to show the different cultures influencing the girls in the poem.  They are Latina girls in an English system, and the lines in Spanish help to show the contrast between the culture they were raised in, in comparison to the culture that they are being educated in.  Teresa is rebelling against the system and the lines pertaining to her are in Spanish, while most of the lines  are in English to show that Ines is conforming to the English way of pursuing her education.  The two languages show the conflict between the two girls, because they are both experiencing outside pressures to become something other than what they naturally are
2. I believe that narrator wrote the poem reflecting back on her past with Teresa because she forgives Teresa for the past and wants to let her know that she cares for her anyway.  Ines overcame the bullying that came from Teresa’s anger towards her dedication to her education and in the end became successful from it.  When she was a child, the fight was much more meaningful in her daily life and it made her schooling hard, but as Ines looks back on it, she realizes that the fight was forgivable and she understands why Teresa acted the way that she did.  When we are children the people that hurt us shape the way that we view the world and how we act towards people.  Ines wrote the poem to show Teresa that even though she was harsh and hurtful towards her for trying to please her family through school, she understands why she did it and sees her as a sister anyway.  The poem is a way of showing Teresa that she is letting go of the past and trying to move on.

6. Larry Sand believes that taking payroll deductions for political purposes from union workers is immoral and wrong.  He believes that the CTA is skimping teachers on paychecks and is being dishonest towards parents about the education that their children are receiving.  He says that Prop. 32 is the best hope to rescue the next generations from less than adequate schools.  Also, the passing of Prop. 32 will eliminate the tie between special interests and politicians, and in turn insure a better education for our future generations.

In response to this article, I think that I would have to agree with Larry Sand.  I think that  corporations should not be able to contribute endless amounts of money to political matters.  It overrides individual voices in the general public whose voices are ignored because people listen to money. When politicians are awarded unlimited funds towards their campaigns, democracy goes out the window because the voice of the people is overrided by the voices of a few powerful people with fat pockets.

I am...

I am Madeline Thompson.  I am a 22 year old Cabrillo student studying nursing and hoping to transfer to San Francisco State.  I have a passion for traveling, and I am always busy doing something.  I am currently a full-time student and also work at Bunny's Shoes downtown.  Although I don't have a lot of free time, I always find something fun to do with my friends when I do.

 I think I will bring many gifts to this class. I have always enjoyed english and reading, and i'm very talkative and outgoing which I believe is a positive attribute for this class.  Like the tiger, I am bold and daring, and I like to encourage others in discussions and put my ideas on the table.  I think my positive attitude and passion for the subject will make the classroom a fun and interesting environment, and I am very excited to be a part of this class!