“In Binghamton, someone…allegedly shot and killed up to 12 or 13 people...” explained Vice President Joe Biden today to a crowd which answered him with a clear, pronounced, and collective gasp laden with shock and disbelief.
The reaction observed at the National Action Network’s convention in New York City reminded me of how classmates and faculty at Wilkes University reacted. Much like those listening to Vice President Biden, we had spent our day in a conference, ironically discussing the importance of journalism and mass media, only to find that the world of journalism and mass media had frantically been trying to inform us, since 10:30 that morning, of these events. We gasped to express our shock and our disbelief.
The shock and disbelief felt did not stop at college students and civil rights activists. It extended to the highest figures, both locally in Binghamton, as police chief Joseph Zikuski explained the press, “[t]his is Binghamton, and we don’t have these tragedies,” as well as nationally and internationally as President Barack Obama explained in a statement given from France, "Michelle and I were shocked and deeply saddened to learn about the act of senseless violence in Binghamton, NY today."
Prayer services are being held at churches and on campuses in Binghamton, and I can name more than a few people in Wilkes-Barre who have turned to their faith to react to this tragedy. President Obama and Vice President Biden both asked the nation to pray for Binghamton.
And that is exactly what we’ll do. So how does a presidential administration react to a national tragedy? The same way we all do, perhaps the only way we, as Americans, know: with shock, disbelief, and, of course, prayer.
Monica Turner
Wilkes University, '10
Communications
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Why Dr. Kinney’s Lecture on Heroes Touched Listeners: A Rhetorical Analysis
Kenneth Burke believed that all of life was drama. He believed we could discover the motives behind people by watching how they motivate others in their actions and communication. He set up what he called the “pentad”, which are five questions to ask of any discourse to begin discovering the motive behind it. The five parts of the Pentad are as follows: the act, the scene, the agent, the agency and the purpose.
The act is what happened. What is the action and what exactly is going on. The scene accounts for where the act is taking place and what is the background of the situation. The agent is who is involved in this action and what roles to they play in it. Agency is how the agents act and the purpose is why do the agents act? What is their motive; what do they want from the situation?
For this paper I will specifically be concentrating my analysis on Dr. Bradford Kinney’s speech given on March 19, 2009 entitled “In Search of a Hero.” First, I will discuss the act. On that Thursday night around 6:60p.m Dr. Jane Elmes Crahall took the stage to introduce Dr. Kinney as well as to inform the audience about Dr. Kinney’s remarkable teaching career. She mentioned his impressive credentials which allowed the audience to believe that he is well informed and knowledgeable about the subject which he is lecturing. He then gave his speech in front of about twenty - twenty-five people. His speech concentrated on defining what exactly a hero is, as well as what it’s like to search for a hero in this day and age of war, trying times and the worst economic situation since the depression. He spoke about how there has been an upsurge of hero worship since September 11, 2001 because people are just looking for someone to help them deal with that tragic, life altering event. He gave many examples of real life heroes dating back to the beginning of this great nation, up to the 20th century heroes. Dr. Kinney’s speech ended in a very inspiring way that actually brought me to tears. He talked about how we all have to take that first step to becoming our own hero’s because we deserve to be. He reminded his audience that complaining will not accomplish anything, and ended by saying “let yourself become tomorrow’s hero, today.”
Although it was mentioned that Dr. Kinney had given a similar speech at the prestigious Chautauqua Institute in New York, he was giving this modified speech at the Marts Center on the campus in which he teaches, Wilkes University. As I sat in the back of the room I couldn’t help but be distracted by the numerous pictures that were hanging behind Dr. Kinney. He was very interesting and I’m not saying his speech wasn’t interesting enough to hold my attention; it just seems to me that my attention as well as others could have been more easily held had there not been a wall full of plaques hanging in the background. Like I stated above, Dr. Kinney had given this speech in 2000 at the Chautauqua Institute in New York. As part of Zebra’s 10th Anniversary, it was decided for Dr. Kinney that he would be delivering a speech to the public and so he decided to revise his old speech and update it to fit the times of today.
Because Dr. Kinney was delivering the speech, it would seem to me that he would be considered the main agent in the speech. However, I could argue that the many people he mentioned in his speech could also act as co-agents. For example, he mentioned American heroes such as Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, the men and women of the armed forced, and many more. At first, I didn’t necessarily agree with some of the people Dr. Kinney mentioned as heroes because in my opinion, the word “hero” is a relative term and can only be defined on a personal level. I don’t think that everyone can share one common hero because actions can be interpreted in many different ways, therefore if someone does some “act” it can be seen as heroic by some, but not by others. However, after listening to the lecture and the discussion after, I realized the point Dr. Kinney was trying to make. Although he did mention many specific heroes, I think the point he was trying to make was that we all need to be our own hero therefore even including us as agents.
Agency refers to how the person acts. Dr. Kinney has been a speech and debate teacher for many years and all his experience has lead him to be a fantastic public speaker. His performance was energetic, lively and entertaining. As far as the purpose of his speech, I think Dr. Kinney’s purpose was to inspire those to be their own hero. To take action and not only be their own hero, but try to be the best person you can possibly be and maybe one day be a hero to someone else. Overall I loved Dr. Kinney’s speech and it did everything a speech should do. It was definitely inspiring and motivational.
Maureen Iskra
Wilkes University, '10
Communications
The act is what happened. What is the action and what exactly is going on. The scene accounts for where the act is taking place and what is the background of the situation. The agent is who is involved in this action and what roles to they play in it. Agency is how the agents act and the purpose is why do the agents act? What is their motive; what do they want from the situation?
For this paper I will specifically be concentrating my analysis on Dr. Bradford Kinney’s speech given on March 19, 2009 entitled “In Search of a Hero.” First, I will discuss the act. On that Thursday night around 6:60p.m Dr. Jane Elmes Crahall took the stage to introduce Dr. Kinney as well as to inform the audience about Dr. Kinney’s remarkable teaching career. She mentioned his impressive credentials which allowed the audience to believe that he is well informed and knowledgeable about the subject which he is lecturing. He then gave his speech in front of about twenty - twenty-five people. His speech concentrated on defining what exactly a hero is, as well as what it’s like to search for a hero in this day and age of war, trying times and the worst economic situation since the depression. He spoke about how there has been an upsurge of hero worship since September 11, 2001 because people are just looking for someone to help them deal with that tragic, life altering event. He gave many examples of real life heroes dating back to the beginning of this great nation, up to the 20th century heroes. Dr. Kinney’s speech ended in a very inspiring way that actually brought me to tears. He talked about how we all have to take that first step to becoming our own hero’s because we deserve to be. He reminded his audience that complaining will not accomplish anything, and ended by saying “let yourself become tomorrow’s hero, today.”
Although it was mentioned that Dr. Kinney had given a similar speech at the prestigious Chautauqua Institute in New York, he was giving this modified speech at the Marts Center on the campus in which he teaches, Wilkes University. As I sat in the back of the room I couldn’t help but be distracted by the numerous pictures that were hanging behind Dr. Kinney. He was very interesting and I’m not saying his speech wasn’t interesting enough to hold my attention; it just seems to me that my attention as well as others could have been more easily held had there not been a wall full of plaques hanging in the background. Like I stated above, Dr. Kinney had given this speech in 2000 at the Chautauqua Institute in New York. As part of Zebra’s 10th Anniversary, it was decided for Dr. Kinney that he would be delivering a speech to the public and so he decided to revise his old speech and update it to fit the times of today.
Because Dr. Kinney was delivering the speech, it would seem to me that he would be considered the main agent in the speech. However, I could argue that the many people he mentioned in his speech could also act as co-agents. For example, he mentioned American heroes such as Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, the men and women of the armed forced, and many more. At first, I didn’t necessarily agree with some of the people Dr. Kinney mentioned as heroes because in my opinion, the word “hero” is a relative term and can only be defined on a personal level. I don’t think that everyone can share one common hero because actions can be interpreted in many different ways, therefore if someone does some “act” it can be seen as heroic by some, but not by others. However, after listening to the lecture and the discussion after, I realized the point Dr. Kinney was trying to make. Although he did mention many specific heroes, I think the point he was trying to make was that we all need to be our own hero therefore even including us as agents.
Agency refers to how the person acts. Dr. Kinney has been a speech and debate teacher for many years and all his experience has lead him to be a fantastic public speaker. His performance was energetic, lively and entertaining. As far as the purpose of his speech, I think Dr. Kinney’s purpose was to inspire those to be their own hero. To take action and not only be their own hero, but try to be the best person you can possibly be and maybe one day be a hero to someone else. Overall I loved Dr. Kinney’s speech and it did everything a speech should do. It was definitely inspiring and motivational.
Maureen Iskra
Wilkes University, '10
Communications
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Burkean Analysis: On the Anniversary of Candidate Obama’s “Race Speech”
Kenneth Burke believed that rhetoric/symbols are embedded in all human beings and events. His fundamental methodology, “The dramatistic pentad,” is used as a guide for discovering motive and uniqueness in each rhetorical event. The pentad includes act, agency, agent, scene, and purpose. This is not a “cookie cutter” method, is a flexible means of “framing” rhetorical events, and conclusions are drawn about the motive, uniqueness of the message and purpose. (Then candidate for president) Obama’s speech on Race delivered across from Constitution Hall in Philadelphia is an excellent speech to analyze using this message in order to unfold the drama happening in March 2008 and take into account the 5 major aspects of the pentad in order to have a more thorough interpretation of the speech and what it meant.
An outline of the dramatistic pentad framing the speech is as follows:
Act: Candidate Obama delivering a speech about race, March 18, 2008 in Philadelphia, PA.
Agent: Candidate Obama
Agency: A nationally televised speech
Scene: In the midst of the primary elections. People are focusing in on Obama’s race as a strength and deterrent when considering him for the presidency. Scandal involving Obama’s reverend saying anti-white comments in his sermon—thus could possibly harm his campaign because Obama “associates” with this man.
Purpose: To put the “race” issue to bed in order to move on with his campaign and also to combat the bad comments made by his reverend and spin it in order to play down the hype. Also to unify the nation regardless of race in order to better the country.
The act is rather simple, it is candidate Obama giving a speech about race in March 2008 in Philadelphia and the agency is that it was a nationally televised speech. What makes it more complex is when one examines the 4 other elements of the pentad which give the event a deeper meaning.
Starting with agent, candidate Obama is a strong-willed individual with a turbulent childhood, who persevered through the hard times coming from nothing to make a successful politician of himself. Obama, to many people, is symbolic of the “American dream”—people who come from a very modest background and achieve more than anyone could have imagined for them based on their upbringing. What was refreshing about Obama was that he set himself apart early in the race as not following the “same old Washington politics” and trying to keep his campaign from being too negative. He is straightforward, thoughtful, and smart. If he doesn’t know an answer he will admit it and also admit where his opponents are right, as he did in the debates with John McCain in the fall of 2008. He wanted to unify Washington so all parties can co-exist and work in harmony to get things done. He was a breath of fresh air to the otherwise stale politics of the past. Also being half-black/African, he had the issue of race to overcome since he would be the first African American president if elected.
Looking at the scene, it was not the best atmosphere. Obama was battling the issue of race being brought up by everyone from his opponents and reporters to average citizens. Could a man of color really be the next president of the United States? And to add fuel to the fire, his reverend had made anti-white comments in his sermons which the media took and ran with spinning it and his opposition using it against him. So there were many hurdles Obama had to clear with this speech as well as advancing himself in the primary in hopes to beat Hillary Clinton for the democratic nomination.
Obama’s overall purpose of the speech seemed to be to put the issue of race “to bed” so it was not a factor and he could be looked at for his ideas and proposals rather than his physical attributes. Also it was a great PR tactic in order to spin off the negative comments made by the reverend. He was sincere, honest, and straightforward when delivering the speech as if to say to America, “Look everyone makes mistakes and while I may not look like a typical president my ideas are valid and I can move this country forward.” It’s this straightforward, dealing with conflict head on that drove many people to support him in the primaries and in November. He built credibility by not running away from scandals and problems but addressing them and then moving on.
It was interesting to note how much Obama used narrative in his speeches and particularly in this speech as well. In the beginning of the speech he references Constitution Hall and how the Declaration of Independence was signed “unfinished.” Then he remarks how we struggled to get equality through “protests and struggle.” It was almost as if he was saying this one document did not solve all the problems our country had at the time and therefore electing him wouldn’t be a quick fix, but he was willing “to continue of long march of those who came before us, a march for a more just, more equal more free….America.” Then he launches into a quick autobiography about himself. I noticed how he mentioned he has family of “every hue,” thus saying that he is well rounded and not “black-centric.” Also at the end of his short autobiography he remarks, “…that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.” Here he builds the morale of Americans up and sets us apart while being humble and saying to the people that he realizes that this country is the reason he was able to become something great and realize the American dream.
The overarching theme of this speech was unity. He starts with remarking about forming a “more perfect union” and ends the speech with the reference to Constitution hall and our forefathers trying to form a more perfect union. In a way his speech was saying to the people that while he is a different color, we all are different and we need to band together to form a “more perfect union” in order to get through the hardships that face our country.
He directly addresses Rev. Wright’s remarks by explaining the bitterness and memories of humiliation that have not passed since he grew up during the civil rights era. Also in the speech he remarks that if all one knew about Rev. Wright were the clips of his offensive sermon played over and over by the media then it would cause them to draw fallacious conclusions too. Here he really hit the media and his competitor’s with logic and reasoning as well as a hefty dose of common sense. He does acknowledge that there is hate that still exists within the black community but also points out the white community harbors similar resentment since they are descendents of immigrants that worked hard to get ahead and seeing a black person get a good job instead of them does cause hatred and resentments over time. The he ties the two together by saying that both hatreds are counterproductive and have distracted us from the “real culprits of the middle class squeeze: a corporate culture rife with inside dealing, questionable accounting practices and short-term greed…” Here he shifts the blame and focus from race to economy and business. It is interesting to note how this unifies everyone in this one statement eradicating the race issue and focusing instead on the class issue and how it is more urgent that we take care of this problem instead of squabbling about race.
Back to the use of narrative in Obama’s speeches, he closes out this speech much like his others before and after by using a story about a 23 year old woman, Ashley Baia who organized his campaign in Florence, South Carolina. She organized an African American roundtable and shared her story about when he mom got cancer when she was 9 and how she ate mustard and relish sandwiches so they could afford her mother’s cancer treatments. When she asked an elderly black gentleman why he was there he said he was there because of Ashley. This is Obama’s punch line that hit hard and again stresses his goal of unity by dismissing racial tensions. A black man caring about a white girl is a start of what we could do as a nation to overcome the struggles that face the nation.
No other candidate could give this speech for obvious reasons. But also Obama’s life experience and who he is as a person is the driving force behind what made this speech so powerful and a pivotal turning point in the election. By looking at the major elements of Burke’s pentad it sheds light on the greater meaning behind the speech which was unity of all American regardless of race in order to solve the problems facing the nation.
Michele Flannery
Wilkes University, '10
Communication Studies
An outline of the dramatistic pentad framing the speech is as follows:
Act: Candidate Obama delivering a speech about race, March 18, 2008 in Philadelphia, PA.
Agent: Candidate Obama
Agency: A nationally televised speech
Scene: In the midst of the primary elections. People are focusing in on Obama’s race as a strength and deterrent when considering him for the presidency. Scandal involving Obama’s reverend saying anti-white comments in his sermon—thus could possibly harm his campaign because Obama “associates” with this man.
Purpose: To put the “race” issue to bed in order to move on with his campaign and also to combat the bad comments made by his reverend and spin it in order to play down the hype. Also to unify the nation regardless of race in order to better the country.
The act is rather simple, it is candidate Obama giving a speech about race in March 2008 in Philadelphia and the agency is that it was a nationally televised speech. What makes it more complex is when one examines the 4 other elements of the pentad which give the event a deeper meaning.
Starting with agent, candidate Obama is a strong-willed individual with a turbulent childhood, who persevered through the hard times coming from nothing to make a successful politician of himself. Obama, to many people, is symbolic of the “American dream”—people who come from a very modest background and achieve more than anyone could have imagined for them based on their upbringing. What was refreshing about Obama was that he set himself apart early in the race as not following the “same old Washington politics” and trying to keep his campaign from being too negative. He is straightforward, thoughtful, and smart. If he doesn’t know an answer he will admit it and also admit where his opponents are right, as he did in the debates with John McCain in the fall of 2008. He wanted to unify Washington so all parties can co-exist and work in harmony to get things done. He was a breath of fresh air to the otherwise stale politics of the past. Also being half-black/African, he had the issue of race to overcome since he would be the first African American president if elected.
Looking at the scene, it was not the best atmosphere. Obama was battling the issue of race being brought up by everyone from his opponents and reporters to average citizens. Could a man of color really be the next president of the United States? And to add fuel to the fire, his reverend had made anti-white comments in his sermons which the media took and ran with spinning it and his opposition using it against him. So there were many hurdles Obama had to clear with this speech as well as advancing himself in the primary in hopes to beat Hillary Clinton for the democratic nomination.
Obama’s overall purpose of the speech seemed to be to put the issue of race “to bed” so it was not a factor and he could be looked at for his ideas and proposals rather than his physical attributes. Also it was a great PR tactic in order to spin off the negative comments made by the reverend. He was sincere, honest, and straightforward when delivering the speech as if to say to America, “Look everyone makes mistakes and while I may not look like a typical president my ideas are valid and I can move this country forward.” It’s this straightforward, dealing with conflict head on that drove many people to support him in the primaries and in November. He built credibility by not running away from scandals and problems but addressing them and then moving on.
It was interesting to note how much Obama used narrative in his speeches and particularly in this speech as well. In the beginning of the speech he references Constitution Hall and how the Declaration of Independence was signed “unfinished.” Then he remarks how we struggled to get equality through “protests and struggle.” It was almost as if he was saying this one document did not solve all the problems our country had at the time and therefore electing him wouldn’t be a quick fix, but he was willing “to continue of long march of those who came before us, a march for a more just, more equal more free….America.” Then he launches into a quick autobiography about himself. I noticed how he mentioned he has family of “every hue,” thus saying that he is well rounded and not “black-centric.” Also at the end of his short autobiography he remarks, “…that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.” Here he builds the morale of Americans up and sets us apart while being humble and saying to the people that he realizes that this country is the reason he was able to become something great and realize the American dream.
The overarching theme of this speech was unity. He starts with remarking about forming a “more perfect union” and ends the speech with the reference to Constitution hall and our forefathers trying to form a more perfect union. In a way his speech was saying to the people that while he is a different color, we all are different and we need to band together to form a “more perfect union” in order to get through the hardships that face our country.
He directly addresses Rev. Wright’s remarks by explaining the bitterness and memories of humiliation that have not passed since he grew up during the civil rights era. Also in the speech he remarks that if all one knew about Rev. Wright were the clips of his offensive sermon played over and over by the media then it would cause them to draw fallacious conclusions too. Here he really hit the media and his competitor’s with logic and reasoning as well as a hefty dose of common sense. He does acknowledge that there is hate that still exists within the black community but also points out the white community harbors similar resentment since they are descendents of immigrants that worked hard to get ahead and seeing a black person get a good job instead of them does cause hatred and resentments over time. The he ties the two together by saying that both hatreds are counterproductive and have distracted us from the “real culprits of the middle class squeeze: a corporate culture rife with inside dealing, questionable accounting practices and short-term greed…” Here he shifts the blame and focus from race to economy and business. It is interesting to note how this unifies everyone in this one statement eradicating the race issue and focusing instead on the class issue and how it is more urgent that we take care of this problem instead of squabbling about race.
Back to the use of narrative in Obama’s speeches, he closes out this speech much like his others before and after by using a story about a 23 year old woman, Ashley Baia who organized his campaign in Florence, South Carolina. She organized an African American roundtable and shared her story about when he mom got cancer when she was 9 and how she ate mustard and relish sandwiches so they could afford her mother’s cancer treatments. When she asked an elderly black gentleman why he was there he said he was there because of Ashley. This is Obama’s punch line that hit hard and again stresses his goal of unity by dismissing racial tensions. A black man caring about a white girl is a start of what we could do as a nation to overcome the struggles that face the nation.
No other candidate could give this speech for obvious reasons. But also Obama’s life experience and who he is as a person is the driving force behind what made this speech so powerful and a pivotal turning point in the election. By looking at the major elements of Burke’s pentad it sheds light on the greater meaning behind the speech which was unity of all American regardless of race in order to solve the problems facing the nation.
Michele Flannery
Wilkes University, '10
Communication Studies
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Time for Action
On Friday March 15 2009, ABC news aired portions of an audio tape revealing intentions of Osama Bin Laden. The well known Al-Qaeda terrorist could be heard expressing his views on the conflict in Gaza and calling for the liberation of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq, three countries in which the American military have been heavily involved in over the past six years. President Barack Obama has recently taken forceful measures to move Bin Laden from hiding which is more than we can say for the previous presidents’ efforts for capturing the man responsible for the attacks on September 11, 2001. Although the former President Bush told America we have other reasons for invading the Middle East such as weapons of mass destruction and Sadaam Hussein’s regime for harboring terrorists, the main culprit of the 9/11 attacks was put on the back-burner of American military priority. For this lack of urgency towards those who cause my country pain and despair, I call conspiracy on behalf of the Bush administration for a few distinct reasons.
Osama Bin Laden has been on the run and in hiding from America for several years yet we are supposedly unable to locate him. We, an incredibly advance technological society who can monitor microscopic organisms on Mars are unable to keep tabs on one human being in flip flops with an AK-47. The preposterousness of this comparison opens the conspiracy which leads me to believe that Bin Laden has been allowed to survive for a reason.
As long as one can identify with a common enemy, there will always be a reason to fight. Perhaps Bin Laden has been left to run free so that American will have a common enemy, but this enemy demands that we occupy middle eastern countries in order to find him which means that America will have control over the middle east’s biggest economic resource for the world known as oil.
I also take issue with the immediate attention Bin Laden receives from American media. Every time this man records his voice, there is a possibility of death so I can understand why our news stations would want to keep ahead on issues like that; but it almost seems as if this man has complete control over our country’s operations.
I don’t have explanations for my observations, all I do know is that if there is a reason why this man was left alive purposely by the country which he attacked, I want to free passport to get me to Canada A.S.A.P!
David Lewis
Wilkes Universit 11'
17 March 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Show Some Courtesy Economy
With the economy falling at a rapid pace, many companies are forced to file bankruptcy. On July 29, 2008 I received a phone call telling me that I was no longer employed at Bennigan’s. Many citizens are being laid off, and I experienced this first hand. This is a very big issue in America, not just because I fell victim to it, but because many people can relate to this issue.
I was let go by Bennigan’s because the chain restaurant corporation filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection and are slated to close. This came with no notice to the employees or to those local managers who run the different Bennigan’s around the U.S.
This isn’t right. Employees who counted on their income to provide for themselves and some to provide for a family should have reasonable notice before losing their jobs. I understand the economy is bad, and many corporations have to file for bankruptcy. All I am saying is inform those who work for these companies within a reasonable period of time before the closing.
Failure to give advanced notice of layoffs indicates employers don’t understand that they aren’t the only ones with bills and families to tend to. I applaud companies like Circuit City who gave their employees some type of heads-up so the employees could find jobs elsewhere. But to just snatch jobs from citizens unannounced is just wrong. Companies know when they are having financial problems and are in danger of filing bankruptcy. The least they can do is warn those who are employed for the company.
Although I was just saving money for books, many of my colleagues/fellow workers had bigger things to do with their money. For too many, Bennigan’s was their only income, and were divested when they heard that they were out of a job.
In conclusion, I just feel that cooperation’s should show some type of courtesy and let their employees know when they are on the verge of filing bankruptcy. The workers also have to survive through this tough time.
Darnell R. Corbin
Wilkes 11'
17 February 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
OBAMA: PRO-ENDANGERED SPECIES
On Tuesday March 3rd President Obama celebrated the 160th anniversary of the Interior Department and overturned, to be completely blunt, yet another pointless and stupid ruling which was passed by the Bush Administration that undoubtedly weakened the Endangered Species Act which has been protecting wildlife, both endangered plants and animals, since 1973.
Under Bush's regulation, federal agencies would no longer have to clear any projects with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or National Marine Fisheries Services that could affect wildlife, but rather if those agencies deduced that their projects wouldn't harm any endangered species than it was okay for them to push forward rather than consulting with scientists.
Now President Bush hasn't exactly been an advocator for advancements in science which is obviously noted with his actions to halt stem cell research, but it almost seems like he hates natural sciences and the preservation of such fields when he does things like pass regulations that create potential unnecessary evils for the wildlife that is already dying off the way it is. It's not that George W. Bush is a bad guy per say, it's just that he prefers the concrete jungle to the real deal. Maybe he's intimidated by the Lion King who rules fiercely with no objection and is just trying to steal some of his thunder for his own Presidency. But wait, that doesn't seem to make any sense being that he passed this regulation only weeks before his way out the door back to his good ole' ranch where he is sure to have control over any and all wildlife that crosses his path. Maybe this was his last attempt to piss off anyone who still wasn't mad at the Bush administration for our involvements overseas or the economic crisis and George W. Bush's own denial of recession or what have u. So as so many Americans face struggle, why not the happy, furry little critters in the woodwork too? One doesn't need to be an environmentalist to see what is wrong with federal agency bureaucrats regulating themselves and grading their own projects as environmentally friendly or not rather than the scientists whose job it is to make that decision. How does it make any sense to skip consultations with the people who are educated and passionate about the protection of endangered species and give federal agencies freedom to structure projects as they please? Well it doesn't make any sense as President Obama has pointed out by overturning the regulation.
President Obama is well aware of the divide between those in favor of profiting off of natural resources and those wanting to conserve those resources for future generations. But he also thinks this divide is pointless by referring to it as a 'false choice', and believes that one does not need to be sacrificed for the other.
Whitney Roper
Wilkes University '11
Communications
Under Bush's regulation, federal agencies would no longer have to clear any projects with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or National Marine Fisheries Services that could affect wildlife, but rather if those agencies deduced that their projects wouldn't harm any endangered species than it was okay for them to push forward rather than consulting with scientists.
Now President Bush hasn't exactly been an advocator for advancements in science which is obviously noted with his actions to halt stem cell research, but it almost seems like he hates natural sciences and the preservation of such fields when he does things like pass regulations that create potential unnecessary evils for the wildlife that is already dying off the way it is. It's not that George W. Bush is a bad guy per say, it's just that he prefers the concrete jungle to the real deal. Maybe he's intimidated by the Lion King who rules fiercely with no objection and is just trying to steal some of his thunder for his own Presidency. But wait, that doesn't seem to make any sense being that he passed this regulation only weeks before his way out the door back to his good ole' ranch where he is sure to have control over any and all wildlife that crosses his path. Maybe this was his last attempt to piss off anyone who still wasn't mad at the Bush administration for our involvements overseas or the economic crisis and George W. Bush's own denial of recession or what have u. So as so many Americans face struggle, why not the happy, furry little critters in the woodwork too? One doesn't need to be an environmentalist to see what is wrong with federal agency bureaucrats regulating themselves and grading their own projects as environmentally friendly or not rather than the scientists whose job it is to make that decision. How does it make any sense to skip consultations with the people who are educated and passionate about the protection of endangered species and give federal agencies freedom to structure projects as they please? Well it doesn't make any sense as President Obama has pointed out by overturning the regulation.
President Obama is well aware of the divide between those in favor of profiting off of natural resources and those wanting to conserve those resources for future generations. But he also thinks this divide is pointless by referring to it as a 'false choice', and believes that one does not need to be sacrificed for the other.
Whitney Roper
Wilkes University '11
Communications
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Has Miley Cyrus Become Miley CyRACIST?
If you had a nickel for every time you made a funny face or a rude gesture in a picture, how rich would you be? What if you had to pay every person you offended with that face or gesture $4000? How much in debt would you be? Well, to answer this, all we have to do is look at some music celebrity news!
On Feb 11th, one of Disney Channels top teen stars, 16 year old Miley Cyrus, had a lawsuit filed against her for an offensive gesture made in a picture. While sitting on her boyfriends lap with several friends standing around her, including an Asian-American boy, Miley though it would be funny to stretch her eyelids like many people would do to make a stereotypical gesture about an Asian person. Unfortunately for Miley, having an Asian-American in the picture could not be used as a “get out of jail free” card in this situation.
Lucie J. Kim of Los Angeles, California, and part of the OCA, an organization dedicated to advancing the social, political and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans in the U.S., has filed a class action lawsuit against Miley on behalf of all Asian Pacific Islanders living in Los Angeles County. On the accusation of a civil rights violation, she is requested to pay $4000 in damages to each potential plaintiff, making the lawsuit have a net worth of a whopping $4 billion.
In response to the lawsuit Miley made two attempts at apologizing. The first apology didn’t seem too sincere and possibly could have put her in even hotter water. Her first apology said, "I've also been told there are some people upset about some pictures taken of me with friends making goofy faces! Well, I'm sorry if those people looked at those pics and took them wrong and out of context!" Her second attempt was much more mature, but a little late. This apology said, “I want to thank all of my fans for their support not only this week, but always! I really wanted to stress how sorry I am if the photo of me with my friends offended anyone. I have learned a valuable lesson from this and know that sometime my actions can be unintentionally hurtful. I know everything is a part of GODs ultimate plan, and mistakes happen so that eventually I will become the woman he aspires me to be. Peace and love, Miles."
This lawsuit just goes to show, how anyone in the spotlight is a target waiting to be hit. It is one thing to teach a kid a lesson about a racist gesture, but it’s another thing to squeeze a ridiculous $4 billion out of it. If we all played the game like that, then I could probably file a lawsuit against Miley for being born with, what I think is, an offensive face and collect $4000 for every picture of her with her face in it.
There are millions of other things to worry about in our world today, and much more important problems to solve. Unfortunately racism, is one of these problems, but I think we could work on fixing this problem in much more efficient and cost effective ways then filing lawsuits against children for being children!
Amanda Touch
Wilkes University '10
Communication Studies
On Feb 11th, one of Disney Channels top teen stars, 16 year old Miley Cyrus, had a lawsuit filed against her for an offensive gesture made in a picture. While sitting on her boyfriends lap with several friends standing around her, including an Asian-American boy, Miley though it would be funny to stretch her eyelids like many people would do to make a stereotypical gesture about an Asian person. Unfortunately for Miley, having an Asian-American in the picture could not be used as a “get out of jail free” card in this situation.
Lucie J. Kim of Los Angeles, California, and part of the OCA, an organization dedicated to advancing the social, political and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans in the U.S., has filed a class action lawsuit against Miley on behalf of all Asian Pacific Islanders living in Los Angeles County. On the accusation of a civil rights violation, she is requested to pay $4000 in damages to each potential plaintiff, making the lawsuit have a net worth of a whopping $4 billion.
In response to the lawsuit Miley made two attempts at apologizing. The first apology didn’t seem too sincere and possibly could have put her in even hotter water. Her first apology said, "I've also been told there are some people upset about some pictures taken of me with friends making goofy faces! Well, I'm sorry if those people looked at those pics and took them wrong and out of context!" Her second attempt was much more mature, but a little late. This apology said, “I want to thank all of my fans for their support not only this week, but always! I really wanted to stress how sorry I am if the photo of me with my friends offended anyone. I have learned a valuable lesson from this and know that sometime my actions can be unintentionally hurtful. I know everything is a part of GODs ultimate plan, and mistakes happen so that eventually I will become the woman he aspires me to be. Peace and love, Miles."
This lawsuit just goes to show, how anyone in the spotlight is a target waiting to be hit. It is one thing to teach a kid a lesson about a racist gesture, but it’s another thing to squeeze a ridiculous $4 billion out of it. If we all played the game like that, then I could probably file a lawsuit against Miley for being born with, what I think is, an offensive face and collect $4000 for every picture of her with her face in it.
There are millions of other things to worry about in our world today, and much more important problems to solve. Unfortunately racism, is one of these problems, but I think we could work on fixing this problem in much more efficient and cost effective ways then filing lawsuits against children for being children!
Amanda Touch
Wilkes University '10
Communication Studies
Military Services
One of the many things that this country may forget about is the current war we are in. With the economy the way it is and how people are losing their jobs, everyone is making sure that their life is going to be secure and nothing bad will happen to them, which is understandable. Although, when our troops finally do come home how will they be treated? They should be able to receive the metical attention if need be. Emotional stages also take into account when they come home because we are unsure as to what they are thinking about and what might be bothering them. My dad is currently over in Afghanistan on his second tour in three years, now although he doesn’t tell me much about what went on over there, but he never really talked about any benefits he got when he came back to America. I hope they soon come up with a law that benefits all returning soldiers with the proper health care that they should receive for minimal or no cost at all. They are more than qualified to be able to get the benefits they need in order to come back to America. It wasn’t easy dealing with him being gone for two tours in the past three years, it was not only me that had to deal with him being gone, but our family and friends and especially my mom. Being gone for that long slows down the family emotionally and nothing can be done during that time while he or she is gone serving our country. I propose that some kind of treatment for the service men and women in the military for when they come back form Afghanistan and Iraq.
Chris Jordan
Wilkes University '10
Communications
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