Final Evaluation

Doing this final project was hard for me to carry out due to various negative experiences I have been going through. The positive thing was that I was able to get to know my 3 other classmates a bit better. Also, in this final project our group investigated the world wide issue of Child Sex Tourism also known as CST. We learned how kids were being kidnapped, abused, and sold causing them to end up with Aids or other severe life threatening diseases. In our case, our proposal was completely ironic and in defense of a more educated way to “donate and sell” these children for pleasure. Our purpose of doing this was to demonstrate how serious this issue was and that if these kids are being stolen for sex, then they might as well be just donated and kept in a lot better conditions for future consumers. This was not the first time I had heard of this issue and I have always thought it should be taken into concern by governments of all over the world. Instead of the children of Cambodia and other third world countries being sent off to school to better themselves they are mentally, physically and emotionally scarred for the rest of their lives. This is not a choice these children make on their own; they are forced to do sexual acts with people who pay their pimps. I strongly believe that since these innocent children can’t do anything about their situation on their own, we as moral people and other governments should make an effort to better their lives. The impact this issue has made on my ways of seeing life, is that, it has allowed me to be more grateful for all that I have here in the United States of America. Here, I am not forced to do any acts I do not wish to carry out on my own, no one is selling me on the streets and I have a mind of my own and the freedom to choose whatever I wish to do.

A Day Without A Mexican

To start off I have to say that the fact brought up about how Americans call all Hispanics and Latins, Mexicans is completely wrong. They should recognize each individuals cultures and background.
Anyways, the movie we started wacthing on Tuesday, "A Day Without A Mexican" although it was presented with extreme dramatization had many truths as well. "A Day Without A Mexican" literally shows the state of California where all Hispanics and Mexicans have vanished into thin air. Complete chaos breaksout as there is no one to work in the fields, supermarkets, carwashes and even as maids. An appeal to pathos is presented as the life of an American wife and her daughter is changed because her Mexican husband has disappeared one morning without a trace, as well as the lives of many other families. This shows the emotional appeal of the breaking up of a family due to prejucide against other cultures and ethnicities. Also, flashbacks are utilized to bring back memories of how happy the people used to be for example, when the American wife thinks about having her husband in her arms and helping with the band, as well as when the only Mexican American still present thinks back to her birthday as it was celebrated so harmoniously with her Mexican parents.
Furthermore, anb appeal to logos is also brought out in the movie as examples of how society would be living without Mexicans are shown. Many facts are mentioned in the movie such as the percentage of Mexicans who work in the fields, as teachers, as maids or nanny's etc. The American people would no longer be living with such ease without the Latino community working so hard. Americans and Latinos compliment eachother and it shows how in many aspects of the economy without Latinos things would not be so stable.
Moreover, it is seen that the point of this movie is to mainly present the audience no matter what their background may be that all immigrants should be given an opportunity here in the United States. They should be able to work just as hard to earn a living without being discriminated against. They should be able to come from wherever and if they have the motivation grow to become professionals in whatever they wish to be.

"Fidel"

To tell you the truth I thought the movie "Fidel" shown in class was infact educational. It allowed us as a whole to realize how Fidel Castro actually may have been in his younger years. It shows how back then as he saw his country going down a bad path with the current president and the candidates running in the elections he obtained a positive idea in his mind for a revolution to Cuba. As he made a great effort by gathering people with his same point of view to invade Moncada he was so focused on what he wanted to do that he did not realize they were not a big enough group to succeed. Most of those people were killed and the attack seemed extremely disorganized. He went in with the mind set of making Cuba a better place for its people but obviously throughout the years, an abundance of money and power he has turned into a tyrant with excess control over every existing Cuban on the island. But it is clear that Fidel does not begin with the confidence he maintains today. From the day he got ontop of the car to talk about how the United States and its government has been robbing of Cuba's resources he seems extremely hesitant of his actions and words against the U.S. On the other hand, throughout the movie he becomes the leader and instructor of the group of people he is leading into the attack of Moncada. He seems as if he is doing something positive for his country and tries to do everything possible, even sleeping with a wealthy, married woman while staying in her home as a source of shelter. He refuses to loose his dignity and conform with Batistas party and argues with his wife's brother resulting in the gaining of an enemy. Fidel is caught up in the position between caring for his own family who is associated with the Batista party or fighting for the revolution of Cuba in his name.

MY WEEKEND (:

Since, we don't have a promt this weekend I will feel free to write about what I have done this weekend. This weekend has been pretty great for me. First off on friday night I headed to South Beach with three of my close friends to hang out. There we first went to a Chinese restaurant which was really great and then we went to the movies. We ended up watching "The Kingdom" which really is a SERIOUS movie. This movie was action packed, sad, revengeful etc. In case many of you don't know the movie was about terrorism throughout the years and a group of American FBI agents who went to Saudi Arabia to investigate a community massacre. This movie shows the point of view of both the terrorists and their families along with the Americans and their families. Both sides feel invaded and feel the need for strong revenge of killing everyone last one of their enemies. On the other hand, there was a couple sitting behind us that would NOT stop talking. I must have looked back at them about three times and my friend too but they just kept on yapping!! How annoying is that. The girl had a comment about every single scene in the movie and she was talking in a normal tone voice so it's not like she was actually whispering or something. So anyways, on saturday I stayed home for most of the morning and studied for a test I have on Monday and then later went shopping. Me and my best friend went to Dolphin Mall and as we were walking we saw the new "Bass Pro" Store which opened about two weeks ago. The layout is absolutely amazing. The store is mainly for fishing but they have everything you would need to suvive on land and water. They have a boat section where you can actually go into them. It looked like one of those disney stores you walk into and they have like all the characters hanging from the roof and its all painted. They have a pretty big fish tank and huge imitations of fish and sharks as demonstrations. It was pretty great. Then today sunday I am doing homework in the morning and then later on I have a picnic for work at a Ranch and im supposed to go horseback riding for the first time so we'll see how that goes later on today. Well that was my weekend. Hope you had as much fun as I did. Bye!!

Social Issue

It it obvious that throughout the United States and even some other parts of the world Obesity is spreading at a quick rate. Obesity for many is it the cause of many illnesses and a closer step towards death. Although Obesity may be caused by malfunctions regarding one's Thyroid Gland (which regulates the rate of metabolism in the human body) or other possible inherited genes that may lead to obesity, many other people who suffer from being overweight reach this point from not being aware or not even caring what they eat and their amount of essential excercise for their body.
A negative point that has been brought along throughout the world due to Obesity is the way people react towards fat people and how fat people are treated. While doing some reasearch on this topic i ran into the "Fat Acceptance Movement" also known as the "Fat Liberation Movement". I learned that this was a movement started around the late 1960's. This movement argues the fact that everyone no matter their shape or size should be accepted. Also, it describes how in regards to discrimination and mockery of fat people women have it the worst because they are the ones who are more subject to greater social pressure. For example, women who see themselves as fat and then flip through magazines and see how perfect stick figure models are representing the American Woman will be more likely to feel different and have lower self esteem towards things they can achieve in life and who they can be. Furthermore, criticism towards the "Fat Acceptance Movement" argues that by making people aware that being fat is OK many obese/fat people will not have the motivation to loose weight and obtain a certain weight limit where they are naturally healthy and stable.
A second negative outcome of obesity is the numerous people with eating disorders. When people are called a "fat ass" or "fatty" these simple words can harm ones emotions to a certain point that many resort to making themselves throw up or even starving themselves. This is another major issue which may result from Obesity because of the fact that these specific people reach a level of depression feeling there is no other way out.
Moreover, like Natasha said in her prompt post on a social issue, people are aware of this situation but many just ignore it because "there is nothing ONE person can do about it." In a way I do think that way because by just one person changing their habits it does not mean that everyone else will automatically do the same but it is a step to causing a greater awareness into the future generations and it is important for small children to learn how to eat and excercise properly. The awareness is not meant to be a negative one which is drilling in childrens heads that "YOU CANNOT BE FAT IN THIS WORLD TO SUCCEED" but on the other hand it should be educating the kids on how to eat healthy and maintain a healthy and stable weight depending on your own body's needs.

Carlos Mencia

Ha, ha. I really thought those two videos were hilarious. Although, I love comedy I had never really taken a great interest in Carlos Mencia, but it was great. In his America stand up that he's mentioning all races and how people get offended for everything I think that is super true. Now a days anyone saying a joke feels they have to be careful of offending anyone and everyone that surrounds them. Many people feel threated and severely insulted when their race or ethnicity is being joked about.

Dark Days

That movie Dark Days was serious.. I hadn't ever seen a documentary film like that on homeless people. I didn't even know they made those. Ever since I was small I've been afraid of bums and homeless people because of an incident I had with one of them. To tell you the truth sometimes i don't feel bad for those people asking for money on the streets because most of them only use that little money they get for drugs or alcohol. To a certain extent I felt respect for some of the homeless people from the film because of the fact that a few of them tried to get some money from selling other people's garbage. They "hustled" to be able to buy food and keep themselves alive. I didn't think the government approached them in the most correct way because they only told them that they had to evacuate to somewhere else. But on a more positive note they did it to prevent them from getting killed by the trains or highly infectious diseases. I was very glad the government found them apartments where they could rebuild a more improved life. This movie made me think of all the great things many of us have yet we don't take time to realize it because we are so caught up in everything else that we want. Also, in regards to the topic brought up in class about opportunities I believe most people have or are able to acheive whatever they want. Although, the amount of money or where you come from does play a huge factor in your success nothing should make you stop trying to get what you want. Everyday opportunities are overlooked because the person feels that if they are too poor, or black, or female they will be discriminated upon but that is when the person has lost. They have passed over an opportunity that may not ever come back to them but if they really want it again they can go out and do anything possible to be able reach for it once more.