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?”