#5: "The 'N' Word"

Having recently watched Tedd Nelson's documentary concerning the N word in today's society, I became aware of how he framed it in order to reinforce the message and give it validity. It was definitely able to shed light on the reality of the situation for those that may be naive to the fact that the word has been used for centuries and continues to be used today. However, while it was used in the past to degrade African-Americans, word variations are used in both positive and negative ways currently.

In  the documentary, Nelson interviews people in a very open and candid setting. The older people can remember the times when the word was used in an extremely derogatory manner, and do not believe the same way about the word as younger people do. We as a society have come a long way since slavery, but many people -white and black- still have memories of different times and different ways of life. These instilled values and traditions have been passed down for generations, and white and black tension has lingered even until this very day.

Historically, black people can associate a lot of negative things with the N word. Slavery, lynchings, the KKK, racism, discrimination, segregation, etc. And all of these oppressions being caused by white people. White kids were being raised to call black kids the N word, and did so even at school. Black people fought for their right's until 1964, only 48 years ago.

Decades ago, black people started using the word in variations amongst each other, in a non-negative way. This led to a movement of taking importance of and sensitivity to the word away. Younger black people picked it up as apart of their lingo, while many older black people still had resentment for the word and did not want the word used in any context. Many white young people use the word, some with their black friends and sometimes with other white people. The word has many usages in today's society. It can still be used in a degrading manner, or it can be used to demonstrate the closeness of a friendship. It has a wide range of meaning.

Nelson used mostly black people in his documentary, to help give it a more realistic view of how actual black people felt about the issue. There were also white people offering their opinion, but almost everyone shown was a celebrity. This gave the documentary more star power and made it more interesting to the audience.  

#4 Political Philosophy

When I think about my political philosophy, the first thing that pops in my head is Democratic. But what does that even mean? What is the democratic platform? And why is it that in my mind, I automatically declared myself as democratic?

After taking a test, I was told that I was a leftist libertarian. Leftist meaning that I am in favor of social changes that support the creation of a society in which all are considered equal. And libertarian meaning I'd be in favor of a slightly smaller government, that emphasized freedom, liberty and progress. I tend to side with Democrats on most issues.

I support the raising of minimum wage, progressive taxes, preserving Socialist programs we have in place, affordable heath care, preserving the environment, providing a students a college education that they can afford, eliminating discrimination against all people, and stem cell research.

Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are very important to US citizens, as well as the other welfare programs that have been apart of our culture and structure for decades, since FDR first passed the New Deal to end the Great Depression. These programs continue to provide benefits that people would be otherwise unable to receive. I believe health care should be affordable, and the poor shouldn't have to suffer because they can't pay for medical treatment. Insurance companies shouldn't be able to drop coverage when people get sick. Children should be able to stay on their parents insurance longer.  Employers should provide insurance to their employees. Employees should have better minimum wages, and be able to receive more raises. We need to stimulate the economy somehow. Creating a strong middle class is a key factor.

Stem cell research could help cure so many ailments, we need to explore it much further to see the full potential. Obama has proposed further research after an 8 year ban. 

#3 Enlightenment

In the first of the two videos being synthesized, "21st Century Enlightenment," the lecture explains how the current systems in place regarding ways of thinking in general are outdated and need to be better suited to the times we live in today. He displays the need of a new 'enlightenment' in order for human kind to be able to face the challenges of todays world, how human morality is often discarded in favor of corporate profit. Education is widely held to be the most important aspect of increasing universal knowledge, however, Taylor argues that increasing the human capacity for empathy is paramount in achieving a world of citizens at peace with each other and themselves. In the current system: science, markets and bureaucracy are most important in our society, whereas humanism should be at the forefront of progress.

The second video shows how the current education systems were designed during the enlightenment period and aren't well suited for our society as it is today. The system says that if you get a college degree, you will obtain employment. This is not always true in todays world. It goes on to show the epidemic of ADHD in America, and how its fictitious in that the medication level isn't necessary because kids need stimulation in their lives rather than sedation to maximize their learning capacity.

I agree with both videos in that the current systems do need to be updated and more well adapted to the real world and real world issues we face today. Standardization and conformity have dominated education systems and as of now these systems aren't working to help people realize their full potential.  There needs to be a reevaluation of standards and ideals so that the global population can work better as one toward the common goal of peace and prosperity.