Mommy Can I Watch TV?

    The things shown on television and played on the radio today should not be aired to the public most of the time. These things especially relating to situations of the racial statuses can sometimes be offense to other people who may be watching. Things within the media have a major affect on those who take part in watching it or even allow their children to watch. You may not think these things are mentally affecting you but, the internet, television, music, video games, and even cell phones play a major role in how people continue to act in their everyday lives.  When you look at it these are everyday activities that we all engage in and we may not think it is causing us to act certain ways but really it do.

    Also in media now there are a lot of things that do not take part in showing certain situations the correct way. For example, comedy shows. Comedy should be funny but should not have to put people down or make others feel segregate in order to show humor. This is not the correcting way to portray comedy because now it is not about gaining true laughter from the heart, but instead putting the next race under the bus through racial jokes made by famous comedians that are shown nationwide. Issues within the media also bring about what parents are allowing their children to watch. For example, some shows that African American parents allow their children to watch, Caucasian families do not allow their children to watch because they know it is not appropriate for children to view these things. This then can connect to issues of how people raise their children differently from others or what is appropriate to me that may not be important to you.

   Shows shown today especially cartoons are even racially connected to issues that concern everyone such as Southpark, the Simpsons, and even SpongeBob. All of these shows including many more portray bad language and racial comments that are viewed by children along with their parents all the time. Even though when these shows are being viewed by millions of people at all times throughout the day no one ever stop to think why am I wasting my time watching shows that are degrading me as a human being? Or better than that, why am I allowing my children to watch these shows?

    Not only are cartoons racially connecting issues in today’s society, but also we as people connect ourselves with issues of this concern. Especially through upcoming social media sites and through the use of cell phones, people are continuously being partnered with issues that should not be of any concern to anyone. This is another big reason on how a lot of problems and miscommunications are brought about, which is simply through the everyday use of media that every one of all ages that people decide to engage themselves with. However, in good terms media does not always show the bad things, but also the media can be very helpful to important situations that should be shown to the world.

(520)

                                      

Excuse Me ?

    Walking in the streets of DC are not the same as it was in the 1990's when most of my generation were born. Now, u hear "Aye sweetheart", "Excuse Me Beautiful”, or "Red shirt". This is an extreme concern of mine. I really dislike when I am out and people are constantly being out of character and acting as if they have no home training. Most of this is objectification to my own sex as a female, and from my personal perspective I do not like it. Males think this is cool, fun and shows that they have the heart to do something. From this I do not understand why people feel as though they have to prove themselves to their friends to make it seem like they are worth something. I look at it as though, what if this is someone yelling at your mother or grandmother or even your little sister. How would this make you feel? Also, the only thing that is worth anything is the fact that we are all able to live another day, not because of how many numbers you are getting or how many girls wearing red shirts you get.

   
   Many people do not look at the fact that this is not out of respect but it makes you look ignorant and like you have never been taught how to treat people the correct way. Most of this is a show, and people only take part in these ignorant antics to fit in. This shows that in today's society people are objectified against themselves because since they do not have respect for their self they feel as though it is no need to respect others. Now, many people may agree that men objectify women, or women objectify men, but if you look at it we cause these issues amongst ourselves because why draw bad attention, when you can as easily receive good attention. When people look at this they do not realize that all attention is not good and should not be accepted in any other way under any circumstance.

    Things now that are really supporting the ongoing objectifications, are the upcoming rappers and even past rappers who are already successful and famous. For example, male rappers such as the new modern Lil Wayne and back in the day Biggie Smalls, and female rappers such as Nicki Minaj and Lil Kim, they all use objectifying words against women and men which is shown all over the world to everyone who choose to be exposed to this. But something that people do not realize is that if these rappers would not come off in certain ways they would not be objectified and this has been going on for years, not just with rappers now but also with rappers from the past. This is only continuing because people allow this to happen and in order for them to feel better about the situation they feel the need to retaliate, which causes things like this to become an ongoing process that is repeatedly shown in each generation through the use of media.

                         

(517)

Another Gone

The violence and neglectfulness amongst each other must stop! Whether if it’s because they are trying to out shine someone or because they just have hatred of no reason. Recently I have noticed that in my age group and amongst a lot of my peers WE have a great sense of dislike against one another. I use the word WE because even though its not myself in particular, issues of this concern never really hit me until people who I knew personally was affected by these actions and have caused me to think about what is in store for tomorrow.

On April 7, 2011 a friend of mine who attended middle school with me was shot and killed, and since that day when I heard the news I have been skeptical about my surroundings and the company I keep. However, even though I am not the person to be concerned about if something will happen, hearing about his death have proved that many people loose their lives through being unaware of surroundings. This make me take time to think twice about where I am or who I am with. Also I continue to stand by the saying “If something is going to happen it will happen”. Whether if it is in Anacostia S.E Washington D.C or Anne Arundel Maryland, if something is meant to happen it will. This is why I don’t understand why people think it’s the neighborhoods all the time because really its not. The cause is the people who are in those neighborhoods who have nothing else better to do with their life rather then to harm and hurt people.

Not through words or negative thoughts are people being hurt, but through SHOOTINGS and STABBINGS are innocent people being taken away. I think about this a lot since people who I've personally known has been engaged with these things and are now gone, not because they are actually gone physically but because of how these things happen. When I look at this and how these things happen all I can ask is, why? or what was the reason behind this, and the only answer I receive is a I don't know or he/she wasn't apart of this or that, but then I say well what is the importance behind this and is it a real answer besides the excuse that you have to hide your hatred you have within yourself. Not only do I think I look at these situations in this way but people in general look at the younger class as being ignorant or having no self-respect only because of what they see and hear and that's all they can go on. Then people get upset when they are put into a category and affected by ageism. Even though ageism is not the best category to be put in, if we act like kids and do antics that are not appropriate for certain situations then we should be treated like children because it shows that we are not matured individuals. Also this is revealed through when something bad happens whether if it is a small matter or big people always say “Oh I was just playing” and this also show that things in life are not always a joke and can not always be resolved with a “My fault, or I’m sorry” especially when people lives are taken because of this. So a solution that need to be put into place is for younger people to realize that life is not always about joking and playing around and some things can be more of a issue to someone else than it may be to you and you have to have a sense of a sentimental side to other people and importance’s and beliefs to them.

Also, connecting back to Ra-heem Jackson who was killed, he is a great example of a young individual who had a goal for life and was going to attend college and play basketball. Also he was a great writer and a helpful individual within his school community and as I sat in at his funeral they told us that at his school he attended which was HD Woodson senior high school he always had wise words who ever walked around with fear and in quote he gives the advice “Don’t look scared,” recalled Kevin Bjerregaard a new AP English teacher “Because noth­ing bad will hap­pen to you if you aren’t scared.” To this advice Ra-Heem also writes the poem:

No one speaking a word.
Walking through the dark street
you run away with a long dis­tance scream.
You’re running from dark faces you’ve seen,
all the nightmares you have ev­er dreamed.
It’s just you fac­ing re­ality as you get to your house
still in a daze, trying to fig­ure out
what it’s like to
walk down Benning Road.


From this horrifying situation and something done to a person who had plans this here should set an example to every other young person to strive for their goals and put a stop to the violence and the problems which are continuing to occur right now. Don’t be influenced by the bad but influence people to be like you in a good way.



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