My Lack of Opinion

People have been saying that my entry about the Political Cartoon should have been longer and that I haven't said how I felt, and that is most defiantly true. My reason for this is I don't want my view on the situation to influence anybody else. I will be posting my view on the topic after receiving more feedback and will be presenting all the different sides of the the topic.

Political Cartoon

This entry is going to be short... due to many things going on in right now, but I had to speak on this issue.

It was brought to my attention that the NY Post's political cartoonist might be comparing our president Barack Obama to the ravaged monkey that was shot and killed by the police.

Now, some of you might think... well wasn't it okay when they said it about George W Bush.... But I guess it really wasn't. Yea we said Bush was stupid... but that was just a matter of opinion. I guess the problem here is African American's once again being referred to as monkeys is the cause for this alarm. People are seeing this as a racial blow. In the world of politics and political cartoons... all is fair... that's the reality. Although it can still be wrong... All is fair.

Rev. Al Sharpton is saying we should all boycott The NY Post. I'll leave that decision up to you.

Here is a quote from Al Sharpton taken from the Huffington Post's website.

"The cartoon in today's New York Post is troubling at best given the historic racist attacks of African-Americans as being synonymous with monkeys. One has to question whether the cartoonist is making a less than casual reference to this when in the cartoon they have police saying after shooting a chimpanzee that "Now they will have to find someone else to write the stimulus bill."

"Being that the stimulus bill has been the first legislative victory of President Barack Obama (the first African American president) and has become synonymous with him it is not a reach to wonder are they inferring that a monkey wrote the last bill?"

I am still on the fence at who exactly they are going after. But I just wanted to bring this to everyone's attention because I know not everyone reads the NY Post.

Also people have been saying they want to comment and do not know how... If you look right below this line, there is a bunch of information about the post and the very last thing says the number of comments (in an green text) click that and you will be able to comment.

Making a Difference

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

Speaking with my aunt today has led me to dedicate this post to a topic I've felt strongly about for quite some time. I think that today's youth are not as conscious about making a difference as they should be. I'm not saying that we should all strive to be the President (not that that would be a bad thing) but a lot of people don't realize the small things they can do to change this world.

I'm going to start off with what is probably the first lesson we learn as children about making a difference, Recycling. I cannot believe how many of my friends and family do not recycle. Maybe its because personally it has become part of my daily life. I think the government can lend a had to people by placing recycling bins next to trash cans for people morning newspapers and plastic water bottles. I hate when the facilities exist for people to recycle and they ignore it. Its just as easy to place your empty Poland Spring in the correct recycling bin as it is to throw it in the trash can right next to it. The only thing that makes me more mad than people not recycling is people who litter. Living in NYC I am so tired of seeing trash all over the train on my morning commute. Every single train station has at least one trash can why can't you hold on to your garbage til you get off the train? I think if you can't do that much the you are not even mature enough to bring the food items, newspapers, etc. on the train to begin with. I understand that there is not a trash can on every corner in NYC but there is most likely one on at least every other corner, use them.

People also need to be more energy efficient. Everybody began driving less when gas prices went through the roof and even more in our failing economy but people need to continue that practice. Walk, ride bikes use public transportation its simple.

Pollution is something that we need to get a hold on. I don't think people realize the effects of global warming, but a day like today is a prime example. A temperature of 63 degrees Fahrenheit in February is just not normal. And for anyone to think it is, is absurd. I remember when one December in the past two years I was outside in a spring jacket.... not normal at all. And people keep saying stop complaining its nice out. Okay so it not freezing but the polar ice caps are melting, polar bears are drowning and the salinity of sea water is decreasing but hey... its a nice day. Just yesterday Tornadoes ripped through parts of Texas and killed 8 in Oklahoma due to unusually warm and we weather. Global warming. Look at all the hurricanes we've experienced these past couple of years. People need to start going green and stop acting like its so hard. There are so many INEXPENSIVE ways to make a difference. That will be my next post. The following is a clip of a polar bear fighting to survive.




I think youths need to get involved in thier communities as well as outside their communities. If every American young and old who was fueled by the past election put the same energy and time into a cause whether it be ending childhood hunger, poverty in America, the AIDS epidemic in Africa, Blood Diamonds, global warming, the war in Iraq, breast cancer, heart diseases or LGBT rights just to name a few, we could make a major difference in this world. So many people badgered me to vote on election day when honestly I didn't ask for or need the motivation. If people spread the word about any cause the way they did the election information so many people would be informed and so many people would know how to make a difference. Every Sunday I will write about a different nonprofit orginization to spread the word about how we can make a difference. One person can help start the wave of change.

There are so many other things I would love to talk about and express my opinions on but I will save them for another entry. These are just the top 3 pressing matters in my opinion that I wish people would focus on and really take an intitive to change.

Please comment feel free to add additional information you feel might help or just express your thoughts. Thanks for reading!

This being my first post, I will explain how my blog will work. I want to inspire people so I will always start off with a quote famous, or not so famous that relates somehow to what I have to say.

"The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because the control the minds of the masses" - Malcolm X

For a long time... I said I wanted to change the world... And I didn't agree with many policies set forth by our government and even more I disagree with our public school system. Having the mind that I have, the determination and fearless attitude I was blessed with... It only made sense that I would pursue law and when I was younger I had my eyes set on the supreme court. As I grew and learned about different career fields I stumbled across what I believe is the most powerful influence on Americans, advertising.

You see Americans let the media decide what to believe. They allow the media to dictate what's right and what's wrong. The media manipulates and Americans are like putty in their hands. To a certain extent the media is controlled by the government but really only in the form of censorship. Journalist, new reporters, writers, directors, advertising executives and other people in communications/advertising seem to have more freedom, more rights than regular people. Is it really that they have more rights? Or is it that they exercise the ones given to them by our constitution more freely than regular Americans? Are the laws that protect them as long as they remain inside of their ethical code of conduct what allow them to speak their minds publicly about what the people are afraid to say? Or is it that they are like me, some of the few American people not afraid to say publicly and to any who will listen what they really think about politics, policy or even fashion for that matter. Why do people take published work as the opinion we should follow? When did people stop thinking for themselves and start relying on the newspapers and the evening news to tell them who won the debate, what shoes are in, or if that convicted criminal really was wrong. When did we forget that although the news is supposed to deliver straight fact, its often bias. When did we forget that its not illegal for people to interject their own opinions? When did it become okay for people to stop thinking for themselves and relying on others to tell them how to think and what to follow.

The media and advertising is so powerful and the average American doesn't even realize how much it effects the decisions they make in their everyday lives. I'm not saying its wrong, because it isn't. I just think people need to be more aware of the manipulation, for lack of a better term that is taking place and question why they make the decisions they make. Or maybe even take a step back and think for themselves before allowing the media to make the decision for them. Now you may agree, or you may disagree. You may think I'm talking utter nonsense and your entitled to that opinion just as I'm entitled to mine but I'm glad you made that decision without someone influencing you to do so.

I'm open to comments, video replies, anything you feel you need to get your point across. =)