(Yes, I know it recommends a song by Kanye West in the handbook but I have been making this comparison since before then.)
"My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" is a hip-hop album by Kanye West that was released in 2010 to high sales and critical acclaim. It is a concept album following a character played by Kanye: a rich, cocky socialite on the surface who is privately an empty shell. The comparisons with Gatsby are immediately obvious, as Jay Gatsby is a similar character: he surrounds himself with shallow people, holds or attends frequent parties, uses money extravagantly and yet does not quite fit into his surroundings.
There are differences between the characters, most notably in personality. Gatsby, while not exactly humble, is not nearly as brash and smug as Kanye, who revels in his success and his enemies ("Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it/ I guess every superhero need his theme music", he muses at one point). However, the most crucial differences are that Kanye's character eventually becomes disillusioned and decides to leave the upper class world in which he lives (as opposed to Gatsby, who is killed) and, of course, the difference in skin colour. Tom Buchanan, part of Gatsby' social circle, spouts racism and refers to himself as a civilized "Nordic". Indeed, there is not a single black member of this circle. Kanye's own social circle, meanwhile, is the opposite - all the characters he interacts with (portrayed by other rappers) are black, and he makes references to racial issues. "In this white man world, we the ones chosen!" he says at one point, and the impression given is a similar one to Tom Buchanan's racial musings: that they have not paid the issue much thought, despite it evidently being important to them. This is the most obvious manifestation of an impression we frequently get of the characters in both texts, thus portraying the rich elite as shallow. It also makes MBDTF an interesting update of The Great Gatsby, as black Americans are not in anywhere near the same situation as they were when it was released; now many are rich themselves. The culture now may be different, but the album is nevertheless speaking about the same cultural issues as the book, thus making it an almost direct modern equivalent.
Thursday 12 December 2013
Wednesday 11 December 2013
Gossip Girl: A Contemporary Gatsby
Gossip Girl is an American television drama
series that ran from 2007-2012. It is aired on the television channel called
the CW, which shows a lot of other teen drama television series. The series is
a great representation of a contemporary Gatsby and gives a critique of
American life. She show is about a group of high school teenagers from rich upperclass families who live in New York City. It is rich with scandals, parties, love and lies. Just like The Great Gatsby. The characters host high class parties one would typically expect from rich people in New York City to show off their wealth and status. There are also drug scandals, money scandals, and affairs in the show too. You can see from the short video there were at least two affairs with the teens and that there is some sort of drama between the parents of the teens.
This can be a modern day Gatsby novel, tv series for a couple different reasons. One is the extravagant parties. There are many parties throughout the series from big all out parties, kind of like what Gatsby throws, to small intimate get togethers like the one Tom and Myrtle throw. And to add to it there is a lot of drama at these parties just like the parties in The Great Gatsby. Another reason is the love aspect. In the series there are many people who date and who then cheat on the person they are seeing. For example Dan and Serena are dating and she cheats on him and Blair and Nate are dating but Nate cheats on Blair. In Gatsby there are also love affairs such as Tom and Myrtle and Daisy and Gatsby. Another similar aspect is Dan's character and Gatsby's. They both came from poor families and had to work to get where they are and they also lie about different thinks like where they come from.
It also critiques America because it shows drama and scandals of the upperclass and rich people who are at the top. It shows that even at the top people can fall since that is what happens to some of the characters and it's very likely to happen real rich people if they lie and cheat their way to the top and get caught. It's also just a general critique about how rich people in NYC act.
Wednesday 4 December 2013
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 live-action advert
This is a promotional advert for the first-person military shooter Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Naturally, as an advert for a military game it can be expected to include gun battles and explosions but this trailer glamorizes them. Death is portrayed in a humorous light (referencing the ability to "respawn" in these games) while the gunfights are heavily stylised, made to look very unrealistic and placing emphasis on how "cool" the action looks. Throughout it all there is distinctly American, very overtly masculine hard rock playing in the background. The progression of the "noob" (slang term for new, unskilled player) to a veteran is celebrated and with the words "there is a soldier in all of us" at the end it is implied that becoming a good fighter is something to aspire to. In a country founded out of a war, where most of the national heroes are military generals, this idolisation of military prowess is expected but also important. It is also worth noting that not one female is present in the trailer, reinforcing the traditional view of war as a man's job even in the context of a video game.
It could be argued that the lightness with which violence and death is treated is down to the advert being for a video game, where death means little and violence is commonplace. I would offer two counterpoints: firstly, the advert is live-action, thus separating itself from the unreality of video game CGI. Secondly, this is not the common attitude among modern war shooters, which often try to be more realistic in their depictions of war. For comparison, here is the promotional trailer for Battlefield 4: China Rising, a similar game:
The music in this trailer is very different, being understated electronic music with a mournful and menacing air. The bloodiness and danger of violence is also emphasised, in opposition to the Call of Duty trailer. War here is portrayed as a horror, if an exciting one in which the player takes part. The Call of Duty advert is thus unusual and yet distinctly American in the way it depicts the violence inherent to the game.
"So American you can taste it".
Ball Park Beef Patty
"Since 1957, Ball Park® has been focused on making hot dogs that are meaty, juicy and bold. Now we’ve gone a step further with our Flame Grilled Beef Patties, Angus Brats and Angus Beef Hot Links. We don’t claim to understand guys any better than you do, but we do know what they like to eat. So when he’s just being himself, good luck. But when he’s hungry, think Ball Park®.
The Ball Park® brand was launched in 1957 in response to a request from the owner of the Detroit Tigers baseball team. The Ball Park® Frank quickly became such a success, it was expanded nationally. Ball Park® is now a national premium brand of hot dogs with a reputation for great taste and quality. Today, you can find Ball Park® franks in supermarkets, convenience stores and Detroit’s Comerica Park.
Ball Park has always focused on quality and delivering bold juicy flavor. That's why we DO NOT use Finely Textured Beef Trimmings or what has been characterized in the media as "pink slime" in our products." - Found on their about page at http://ballparkbrand.com/#!/about/brand-history
This commercial is for basically a microwaveable beef burger. The use of characters helps sell the product. For example the use of Abraham Lincoln causes the audience to think that if it's good enough for a previous president then it's good enough for them. This also helps encourage the idea that the product is all American. Other elements that also encourage it is the other characters used like the stereotypical cheerleader, football players, salesman and other historical figures.
The slogan "So American you can taste it" suggests that the burger literally tastes like America and all of it's promises, such as freedom, democracy and success. The overall commercial suggests that a product being American is what makes it sell in America, not the product or the company. That the notion of being patriotic is more important then real advertising. This form of advertising has an overall sense of falseness when not from America, so this product would not sell as much in other countries.
"Whole Again" Jeep Super Bowl Commercial
The commercial above is Super Bowl official commercial endorsed by Jeep. Jeep is a brand of American automobiles that was founded in 1941by Mark A. Smith. The Super Bowl initially began in 1967 and is the annual championship game of the National Football League, which is the highest level of professional American football in the United States.
Jeep's Super Bowl commercial consists of American solider returning home. The advert evokes hope through its shots of children waiting for their fathers, depression through its shots of crying wives and mothers, to joy through its shots of troops finally returning home. The advertisement also consists of a powerful voiceover by Oprah Winfrey in order to showcase Jeeps partnership with the U.S.O.
The advert, "Whole Again", is known for eliciting a range of emotions due to its content which promotes American patriotism and values. The commercial is able to exude American values, specifically patriotism, so effectively through its use of the American Army, the American Jeeps, the familiar 'Anytown' residential streets, the patriotic-themed background music, and through the commercials narrative; the advert opens with the following message across a blank, dark screen: "We wait. We hope. We pray. Until you're home again"- Oprah, and finishes with the underlying theme of the advertisement: "The best of what we're made of." Thus the most distinguishable American value throughout the commercial is America's patriotism.
Oreo Cookies Advert
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YJ-GghSqHA
The Global American brand i chose to talk about is Oreo Cookies. Oreo as a brand was first developed and produced by the national biscuit company (Nabisco) in 1912 in New York City. Throughout the years it has been named various names such as 'the Oreo sandwich' in 1921, 'Oreo creme sandwich' in 1948 and finally the 'Oreo chocolate sandwich cookie' in 1978, which remains its name today. Within the 21st century there have been a few changes to the original Oreo cookie. For example in 2011 the company released a special edition cookie filled with blue cream in promotion of the animated film Rio. Another special edition cookie advert was released in 2102 to commemorate Gay Pride Month, which consisted of a rainbow coloured cream filling. The Gay Pride ad was followed during 2012 by a series of ads commemorating other holidays and events, including a red, white and blue cream Oreo for Bastille Day, a stream of cookie crumbs for the appearance of the Delta Aquarid meteor shower, and a cookie with a jagged bite taken out of it for Shark Week.
Oreo cookies are distributed worldwide through a variety of means. They were first sold in the UK in 2008 in Sainsbury's store's and then later distributed to the rest of the country. They were repackaged and a £4.5 million television advert was made for the UK audience around the "twist, lick and dunk" catchphrase. Kraft also recently partnered with McDonalds and KFC to produce the Mcflurry and ice creams made with Oreo cookies.
For my example of an advert i have chosen two different ones. The first is a television advert from June 2013, advertised in America and the rest of the world. The advert has a theme song that was written by the Band Owl City specially for the advert. This advert is primarily based at the American target audience as it was first produced in America. The advert has strong positive comments from the audience. The advert is more 'American' in its nature as it has a more positive energy than many English Adverts. For example the UK advert for Oreo cookies is centred around a young child not wanting to share the cookie yet the American one has a positive energy and the message of sharing is a common theme throughout.
The second advert i have chosen is a screen shot of a tweet, which was put onto the social networking site Twitter in February 2013. Oreo Cookie tweeted an advert with the slogan 'You Can Still Dunk in the Dark' when the lights at the Superdome went out for nearly a half hour during the third quarter of the Superbowl game this year. The company acted quickly to the problem and the tweet was retweeted over 12,000 times and favourited over 4,000. This shows Oreo's dominance in the American culture and in particular on social networking sites. This also shows that when the television isn't available people can turn to the internet and social networking sites and advertisements for consumer goods will still be shown and seen by the public, ensuring its dominance .
Victoria's Secret Advert
This is a commercial for Victoria’s Secret, which is a very
popular company in the United States of America. The company was founded in
1977 by Roy Raymond. The company is best known for selling its bras and
underwear. It also sells makeup, perfume, and even clothing. They have a
separate line of clothing from the company called PINK!, which is also very
popular. Victoria’s Secret, PINK! Makes billions of dollars a year and has many
stores around the country. It has even expanded to other countries, but there
are not as many stores as in the USA. For example in my shopping mall back home
we have two right across from each other. One is Victoria’s Secret and the
other is PINK!. The company is a good example of America because capitalised
and expanded which is what one thinks of with American companies.
The commercial is for the miraculous push up bra Victoria’s
Secret came out with. It has women modelling the bra in different sexy poses. I
thought this showed American culture because of how sexual it is. I’ve asked
some English friends and they’ve told me they would never see an advertisement like
this one their televisions. I see many like this back home. In America we make
many things very sexual. We’re hypocrites in a way because we sexualise many
things but we also make sex out to be bad because our society is so rooted in
its Christian roots.
American women will be persuaded to buy this because they
will feel sexy. They see the models wearing the products and doing sexy poses
and unconsciously women think they will look and feel sexy like the model if
they buy the product. Men will want their girlfriends to buy this because they will
think they will look sexy like the model. Many of our advertisements do this to
convince people to buy their products including advertisement for makeup and
shampoo.
A lot of American advertisements sell sex in one way or
another, but they disguise it by not coming right out and saying it. Mostly it's women who are sexualised, but occasionally men are as well.
Wednesday 27 November 2013
American Dream, Rags to Riches, Success, Luck and Pluck.
The sense of the 'American Dream' can still be seen throughout the contemporary world in media, people, culture, etc. For example Drake's song 'Started from the Bottom' is a modern example of the idea in the
'American Dream' that anyone can make something of themselves with hard work and be successful.
"The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude." - Oprah Winfrey. This contemporary statement relates to the 'American Dream' with the idea of the ability to change your future and also relates to success. Oprah Winfrey also had a bad childhood just like Ragged Dick. She had an unmarried teenage mother who traveled north leaving Oprah with her Grandmother in Mississippi, for her first six years in poverty, having to wear dresses made out of potato sacks. Similarly Dick had was in poverty with no parents and had to wear worn out clothing sizes too big. Although she was taught to read by the age of 3 by her Grandmother. At six she moved away with her mother who ended up giving birth to 3 more children, 2 of which died due to cocaine addictions and AIDS. Winfrey has stated she was molested by her cousin, uncle, and a family friend, starting when she was nine years old, When discussed the alleged abuse with family members at age 24, they refused to accept what she said. After suffering years of abuse, she ran away from home at the age of 13 and became pregnant at 14 but her son died shortly after birth.
She moved back in with her mother but she started stealing money from her so was sent to live with her dad. Her dad made education her priority and she soon became an honors student. This can be seen in Ragged Dick where the help of adults get him further on in life to become something better. For Example, Mr Greyson taking him to church and Frank's Uncle giving him his first five dollars to save up. Without the help of the adults the story would not be the same.
Oprah got her big break at 17 when she won the Miss Black Tennessee beauty pageant, which came with a job at a local radio station and a university scholarship. She left university to focus on broadcasting. She was offered a job at a struggling Chicago television show which was later renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show and syndicated nationally. After winning a series of Emmys she founded Harpo Productions to focus on producing television, movies and magazines. Now off-air the 59 year old managed to top Forbes' list of the 100 most powerful celebrities with earnings of more than $77 million in the last year. This shows the element of luck which is seen throughout Ragged Dick. Dick was lucky to meet the wealthy figures that helped him achieve, such as when he overhears Frank and his Uncle, luckily being in the right place at the right time. Pluck is also a big element as without his street sense and knowledge and his willingness to work and save money he would not achieve as much and not be so 'lucky'. Oprah also had luck with winning a job at a radio station and university scholarship. Her pluck of hard work and focus on broadcasting is what made her succeed in getting her own TV show.
So it can be seen that the 'American Dream' can still be seen in contemporary and modern situations, seeing people go from 'rags to riches' just like in the story of Ragged Dick. The contemporary statement"The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude." is valid in both Ragged Dick and Oprah as they both have to change their ways to create a future for themselves; Dick not gambling but instead saving money and Oprah making Education her priority. Therefore the notion of that 'American Dream' and creating yourself a new future with success and happiness is still being achieved today.
'American Dream' that anyone can make something of themselves with hard work and be successful.
"The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude." - Oprah Winfrey. This contemporary statement relates to the 'American Dream' with the idea of the ability to change your future and also relates to success. Oprah Winfrey also had a bad childhood just like Ragged Dick. She had an unmarried teenage mother who traveled north leaving Oprah with her Grandmother in Mississippi, for her first six years in poverty, having to wear dresses made out of potato sacks. Similarly Dick had was in poverty with no parents and had to wear worn out clothing sizes too big. Although she was taught to read by the age of 3 by her Grandmother. At six she moved away with her mother who ended up giving birth to 3 more children, 2 of which died due to cocaine addictions and AIDS. Winfrey has stated she was molested by her cousin, uncle, and a family friend, starting when she was nine years old, When discussed the alleged abuse with family members at age 24, they refused to accept what she said. After suffering years of abuse, she ran away from home at the age of 13 and became pregnant at 14 but her son died shortly after birth.
She moved back in with her mother but she started stealing money from her so was sent to live with her dad. Her dad made education her priority and she soon became an honors student. This can be seen in Ragged Dick where the help of adults get him further on in life to become something better. For Example, Mr Greyson taking him to church and Frank's Uncle giving him his first five dollars to save up. Without the help of the adults the story would not be the same.
Oprah got her big break at 17 when she won the Miss Black Tennessee beauty pageant, which came with a job at a local radio station and a university scholarship. She left university to focus on broadcasting. She was offered a job at a struggling Chicago television show which was later renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show and syndicated nationally. After winning a series of Emmys she founded Harpo Productions to focus on producing television, movies and magazines. Now off-air the 59 year old managed to top Forbes' list of the 100 most powerful celebrities with earnings of more than $77 million in the last year. This shows the element of luck which is seen throughout Ragged Dick. Dick was lucky to meet the wealthy figures that helped him achieve, such as when he overhears Frank and his Uncle, luckily being in the right place at the right time. Pluck is also a big element as without his street sense and knowledge and his willingness to work and save money he would not achieve as much and not be so 'lucky'. Oprah also had luck with winning a job at a radio station and university scholarship. Her pluck of hard work and focus on broadcasting is what made her succeed in getting her own TV show.
So it can be seen that the 'American Dream' can still be seen in contemporary and modern situations, seeing people go from 'rags to riches' just like in the story of Ragged Dick. The contemporary statement"The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude." is valid in both Ragged Dick and Oprah as they both have to change their ways to create a future for themselves; Dick not gambling but instead saving money and Oprah making Education her priority. Therefore the notion of that 'American Dream' and creating yourself a new future with success and happiness is still being achieved today.
Success and Self Improvement
"Make your vision larger than yourself" is a contemporary statement by Chris Gardner that I believe uses the notion of the 'American Dream' and also relates to the ideas of success presented in Ragged Dick. As of 2012, Chris Gardner is a successful American entrepreneur, investor, stockbroker, motivational speaker, author, and philanthropist. However, Gardner's success began with a personal struggle of establishing himself as a stockbroker in the early 1980's whilst also managing fatherhood and homelessness, which is portrayed in the 2006 motion picture The Pursuit of Happyness.
Gardner was living on the streets with his young son whilst trying to pursue a career in finance, despite not having any experience or a degree. Gardner also describes his childhood as "marked by poverty, domestic violence, alcoholism, sexual abuse and family illiteracy". It can then be said that the ideas of success presented today match those present in Ragged Dick since both stories have their similarities. Dick, like Gardner, grew up in poverty, having lived on his streets his whole life, and also suffered with illiteracy. The success stories are further similar as whilst Gardner had to work on a low paying training program in order to gain experience for a more prestigious job, Dick too had to increase his education as a form of experience in order to achieve a more prestigious job.
I therefore believe that the statement "Make your vision larger than yourself" uses the notion of the 'American Dream', and presents the same idea of success that is present in Ragged Dick, since both stories contain the theme of starting at the bottom and rising up through handwork, patience and endurance.
Rags to Riches
I have chosen to look at the American Business man Kirk Kerkorian. His story is somewhat similar to the character 'ragged dick' from Horatio Algers book. Kerkorian was born in 1917 in California to American immigrant parents. His parents were poorer than most and he did not have a very stable upbringing, consequently he dropped out of school in the 8th grade resulting in him not having a good education. Much like the character ragged Dick, Kerkorian was forced to fend for himself on the streets of a busy city. Fortunately he didn't have to become a shoe shiner like the characters however he took up boxing and mastered the skill to become the Pacific amateur welterweight champion. This matches the character in Alger's book as Dick had to master the skills of the streets and become 'street wise' to stay alive and do better for himself (this is shown in his confrontation with the man selling him the wallet stuffed with paper).
Luck played a part in Kerkorian's early life as in 1939 he met a man named Ted O'Flaherty (when installing a wall furnace) who happened to take flying lessons and who subsequently introduced Kerkorian to the world of flying. This is similar to Dick's first encounter on the way to his riches story when he was lucky to meet Mr.Whitney and his nephew Frank. Both of these stories required more luck than pluck in how they panned out. After learning to fly Kerkorian became involved in many mission within the second world war and this won him much admiration and status. Much like the character Dick who won status on the streets which consequently helped him to achieve his goals in life. Both of these men, met the right people at the right time. Another similarity in these rags to riches stories is how Kerkorian used his money after the war. It is believed he saved his money (something which Dick did as well) and used the skills he acquired when he was younger to gamble and play to win more money. This story can be seen as the American dream as he worked hard to make the money in the first place. He wanted a better life for himself and knew the only way to achieve this was to work hard (again, something which Dick also knew and did).
The idea of the American Dream presented in Ragged Dick can still be seen in Americans today. This is evident in the story I chose of Kirk Kerkorian.
Luck played a part in Kerkorian's early life as in 1939 he met a man named Ted O'Flaherty (when installing a wall furnace) who happened to take flying lessons and who subsequently introduced Kerkorian to the world of flying. This is similar to Dick's first encounter on the way to his riches story when he was lucky to meet Mr.Whitney and his nephew Frank. Both of these stories required more luck than pluck in how they panned out. After learning to fly Kerkorian became involved in many mission within the second world war and this won him much admiration and status. Much like the character Dick who won status on the streets which consequently helped him to achieve his goals in life. Both of these men, met the right people at the right time. Another similarity in these rags to riches stories is how Kerkorian used his money after the war. It is believed he saved his money (something which Dick did as well) and used the skills he acquired when he was younger to gamble and play to win more money. This story can be seen as the American dream as he worked hard to make the money in the first place. He wanted a better life for himself and knew the only way to achieve this was to work hard (again, something which Dick also knew and did).
The idea of the American Dream presented in Ragged Dick can still be seen in Americans today. This is evident in the story I chose of Kirk Kerkorian.
Thursday 21 November 2013
Gun control debate
http://www.policymic.com/articles/72067/gun-control-debate-the-argument-that-every-gun-owner-needs-to-start-making
This is from the pro-gun side of the debate, written by James Banks (whose article history show him to be far from a rabid conservative, having written articles about sympathy for prison rape victims and more economic protection for the poor). His argument corresponds to one raised in the lecture: ultimately, he thinks the occasional massacre is a price that must be paid for freedom, and "sometimes living in a free society means living with the people who abuse their freedoms." He argues that the right to bear arms should not be restricted because it would "make society safer" (which he does not believe would exactly happen anyway), as that is not a goal mentioned by the amendment in the first place. "Alcohol does not make society safer (and Prohibition saved lives)", he says as comparison, "but we assume that it should be legal and have a constitutional amendment to defend ownership of it as well." At heart, his argument is that personal freedoms are more important than personal safety and that Americans have to tolerate abuses of this freedom if they want to remain a truly free country.
I have my sympathies with this view. I would also liken guns to alcohol - Prohibition may have saved lives, but in the end it was a failure, and I believe it would be similarly difficult to implement gun control laws. I also believe, philosophically, that there is nothing inherently wrong with responsible, background-checked adults owning firearms for self-defense or recreation. In the end though I would place personal safety and the stability of society over personal freedom to own firearms.
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~zj5j-gttl/guns.htm
This, meanwhile, is by Jason Asahi who writes for a university newspaper and is widely traveled. He goes in-depth in his arguments for gun control. He argues that the freedoms provided by the original amendments can be infringed (the right to free speech, for example, does not give the right to stand up at a crowded theatre and shout "Fire!" without justifiable cause as it may result in injury), so pro-gun advocates should not hide behind the second amendment as it is not an impenetrable wall. He also cites the disagreements between gun advocates on the matter of how much the amendment's reach should be restricted, as few believe anyone has the right to own a nuclear weapon - surely this means they believe in restricting the amendment anyway? He also brings up statistics from several studies, including that a gun in the household is 43 times more likely to kill a member of that household or friend than a malicious intruder, and also that 340,000 firearms are stolen every year which probably contributes to the criminal shootings. He says "I would personally like to see as many civilian-owned guns eliminated from mainstream society as possible", a rather radically liberal view in America.
Philosophically I do not ultimately agree with him, either. America is a nation founded on the idea of personal liberty to do many things, and responsible ownership and use of a firearm seems entirely fair to me in a society which upholds such ideals. Practically, however, his use of peer-reviewed studies as sources for his opinions lend him a lot of credibility and I agree with his belief that the second amendment is not absolute.
My stance on gun control is that guns should be legal for Americans to purchase, but background checks must be mandatory in every state in order to prevent known criminals or the mentally ill from obtaining them. Gun safety courses should also be mandatory if one wishes to purchase a gun, and the handling of guns by minors should be illegal if it is not already. As such I agree most with Asahi, who proposes both of these things as his practical solution.
This is from the pro-gun side of the debate, written by James Banks (whose article history show him to be far from a rabid conservative, having written articles about sympathy for prison rape victims and more economic protection for the poor). His argument corresponds to one raised in the lecture: ultimately, he thinks the occasional massacre is a price that must be paid for freedom, and "sometimes living in a free society means living with the people who abuse their freedoms." He argues that the right to bear arms should not be restricted because it would "make society safer" (which he does not believe would exactly happen anyway), as that is not a goal mentioned by the amendment in the first place. "Alcohol does not make society safer (and Prohibition saved lives)", he says as comparison, "but we assume that it should be legal and have a constitutional amendment to defend ownership of it as well." At heart, his argument is that personal freedoms are more important than personal safety and that Americans have to tolerate abuses of this freedom if they want to remain a truly free country.
I have my sympathies with this view. I would also liken guns to alcohol - Prohibition may have saved lives, but in the end it was a failure, and I believe it would be similarly difficult to implement gun control laws. I also believe, philosophically, that there is nothing inherently wrong with responsible, background-checked adults owning firearms for self-defense or recreation. In the end though I would place personal safety and the stability of society over personal freedom to own firearms.
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~zj5j-gttl/guns.htm
This, meanwhile, is by Jason Asahi who writes for a university newspaper and is widely traveled. He goes in-depth in his arguments for gun control. He argues that the freedoms provided by the original amendments can be infringed (the right to free speech, for example, does not give the right to stand up at a crowded theatre and shout "Fire!" without justifiable cause as it may result in injury), so pro-gun advocates should not hide behind the second amendment as it is not an impenetrable wall. He also cites the disagreements between gun advocates on the matter of how much the amendment's reach should be restricted, as few believe anyone has the right to own a nuclear weapon - surely this means they believe in restricting the amendment anyway? He also brings up statistics from several studies, including that a gun in the household is 43 times more likely to kill a member of that household or friend than a malicious intruder, and also that 340,000 firearms are stolen every year which probably contributes to the criminal shootings. He says "I would personally like to see as many civilian-owned guns eliminated from mainstream society as possible", a rather radically liberal view in America.
Philosophically I do not ultimately agree with him, either. America is a nation founded on the idea of personal liberty to do many things, and responsible ownership and use of a firearm seems entirely fair to me in a society which upholds such ideals. Practically, however, his use of peer-reviewed studies as sources for his opinions lend him a lot of credibility and I agree with his belief that the second amendment is not absolute.
My stance on gun control is that guns should be legal for Americans to purchase, but background checks must be mandatory in every state in order to prevent known criminals or the mentally ill from obtaining them. Gun safety courses should also be mandatory if one wishes to purchase a gun, and the handling of guns by minors should be illegal if it is not already. As such I agree most with Asahi, who proposes both of these things as his practical solution.
Wednesday 20 November 2013
Gun Control
America is probably the first place you think of when the word gun crime is used, or at least it is for me. With approximately 270 million registered guns across the states. Controversy has been circulating and growing with the continuous school shootings, murders and manslaughter resulting in no changed legislation.
Pro Gun Control:
http://theprogressivecynic.com/debunking-right-wing-talking-points/refuting-gun-enthusiasts-anti-gun-control-arguments/
Pro Gun Control:
http://theprogressivecynic.com/debunking-right-wing-talking-points/refuting-gun-enthusiasts-anti-gun-control-arguments/
"My name is Joshua Sager and I am the progressive cynic. After graduating from Boston University with a degree in political science and earth science, I began this blog in order to post my articles for view by the public."
This site includes 21 arguments used against gun control and debunks them. Every argument is followed with paragraph after paragraph tearing them apart and also has an image related to that argument, normally comical. Some arguments used are “The 2nd Amendment guarantees the right to bear arms, thus gun control measures are unconstitutional.”, “Guns are a right in our country so that we can rise up against a tyrannical government.”, “Guns don’t kill people; people kill people” or “ Limiting guns will only lead to violent people simply using other methods of killing large numbers of people”, “Violence isn’t due to guns; it is due to culture and violence in the media/entertainment industry.” and “Instead of attacking guns, what we really need is to register the mentally ill”. Debunking these arguments makes light of how stupid some of them really are. Statistics are also used as evidence behind points.
Anti Gun Control:
"The Clause is a student publication dedicated to providing a realistic educational experience for students of Azusa Pacific University; to seeking truth and reporting it boldly, fairly, and accurately; to enhancing the University community by providing a student voice imbued with truth, responsibility and accountability."
In comparison this site includes 5 arguments against gun control. A lot less than the previous website, and their arguments are also debunked on the Pro Gun Control site. Their arguments include "There are already 300 million privately-owned guns in the U.S", “The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”, "Mass shooters don’t follow the law", and "Getting rid of guns does not get rid of violence.". Their arguments are proved with minor statistics but isn't backed up by much evidence behind their points.
In my opinion, the Pro Gun Control site is a lot more valid and more convincing to listen to. I also agree with Gun Control. Most of the time it seems that anti gun control arguments never include the stories of children getting hold of guns and killing themselves or other children. There has been a number of deaths due to gun crime in America especially school shootings. After Columbine, nothing was done. In comparison after the Dunblane shooting in the UK, there was a ban on handguns within a year. I know that it is nearly politically impossible to ban guns completely due to the 2nd Amendment and the Supreme Court however regulations and laws should be put in place so it is harder for people to get guns and it should be harder for children to find or use guns.
Gun Debate in America
The use of guns and gun control in the United States has been a controversial issue in American politics for the last several decades. The issue regards the right to bear arms found in the Second Amendment and the responsibility of government to prevent firearm-related crime, thus there is much dispute between those that are for gun control, and those against.
Against Gun Control -
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/17/opinion/granderson-gun-control-fail/
I chose to use the website above which was published on CNN by LZ Granderson, a CNN contributor who writes a weekly column for CNN.com; the former Hechinger Institute fellow has had his commentary recognised by the Online News Association, the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association. He is also a senior writer for ESPN.
The writer argues that gun control is not the answer, and makes specific reference to mass shootings such as Newtown, Aurora, Sandy Hook and the recent Washington Navy Yard. Granderson argues that crime will not be reduced if gun control is put into effect, for example, Granderson states that "Guns shops are illegal in Chicago... yet each week people continue to die in the streets from gunshot wounds." He concludes his argument stating that there is no one solution, and that "gun-control advocates need to abandon the routine of using mass shootings to turn law-abiding citizens into social pariahs and instead focus on something that could work."
Pro Gun Control -
Against Gun Control -
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/17/opinion/granderson-gun-control-fail/
I chose to use the website above which was published on CNN by LZ Granderson, a CNN contributor who writes a weekly column for CNN.com; the former Hechinger Institute fellow has had his commentary recognised by the Online News Association, the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association. He is also a senior writer for ESPN.
The writer argues that gun control is not the answer, and makes specific reference to mass shootings such as Newtown, Aurora, Sandy Hook and the recent Washington Navy Yard. Granderson argues that crime will not be reduced if gun control is put into effect, for example, Granderson states that "Guns shops are illegal in Chicago... yet each week people continue to die in the streets from gunshot wounds." He concludes his argument stating that there is no one solution, and that "gun-control advocates need to abandon the routine of using mass shootings to turn law-abiding citizens into social pariahs and instead focus on something that could work."
Pro Gun Control -
I chose the website indicated above named
TopTenz.net. The website describes itself as the ultimate top 10 list site with
topics such as pop culture, movies, music, history and politics. The article
was published by Dustin Koski a free lance writer and a regular contributor to TopTenz.
Koski produces an argument that is for increasing gun regulation in the United States. In the article, he gives the example of the success of Australia's gun ban; since Australia's mass shooting in Port Arthur (1996), there has not been a mass shooting since, and gun crime over all dropped 59% in the past decade. Koski also contributes the point that guns are counterproductive in home defence, he states that "a gun is twenty-two times more likely to discharge a bullet into a member of the household than into an intruder."
My personal opinion is in favour of gun control. Although I do agree with some points that the opposition make e.g. that even if guns are banned, there will still be gun crime. However, I do not think that gun control would increase due to the restriction, for example like the outcome of prohibition, therefore I agree that although gun crime will not cease, it would surely at least decrease with gun control in effect and thus it is my opinion that gun control is positive.
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