Petopia Questions.
1. As a child, I used to wonder if my parents actually "owned" the houses they lived in. They paid taxes to a government to live in the house they bought. In "Petopia," a similar theme arises with Fluffy. He says that the company also owns him even though people bought him. Is this true with much of today's technology? Do we actually own anything?
2. At the end of "Petopia," we see Fluffy and Mina hacking into old hardrives to access the personal information of past users. Is this a risk we currently have?
3. Fluffy asks about why Mina doesn't go to school. Is this a reflection on us as a society? What do we take for granted that others don't have any hope of accessing?
4. What does that say about American society that we are willing to pay huge amounts of money just in the name of fun, when people are barely able to scrape by?
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Omelas? More like Online-as.
In class a few days ago, we discussed a short story called "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" by Ursula Le Guin. The story was about a utopia called Omelas in which everybody but one child lived a happy and amazing life. This one child lived, or really, experienced a horrible life where he was locked into a dark broom closet and left alone. He was barely fed and he was psychologically scared and incapable because of these experiences. The people knew about him and many had seen them with their own eyes and this left them with three options. They could ignore him and live a wonderful life, free him and risk ruining the lives of everyone else, or leave the city and never be seen again.
Today, the internet and world wide web has an interesting power that gives people the ability to get their story or cause out into the world. On Youtube, one can regularly find ads urging people to quit smoking and informing people about the dangers of this activity. On news sites, interest groups stage events and thus get news coverage and articles published, allowing knowledge of a cause to spread across the web at breakneck speeds. The ALS Ice Bucket challenge spread like wildfire with the help of the internet and has helped raise funds and awareness of ALS and its effects in people.
In a way, the internet is akin to a person being exposed to the kid locked in the broom closet. It gives us knowledge of an issue and it lets us form our own opinions. It lets information travel quickly. The question then becomes, what do you do?
Do you move to support the issue and try to help the many tortured souls?
Do you simply go on with your life like nothing happened? \
Or, do you walk away from Online-as, into the wilderness, and disappear because you can't live in this unjust society?
Thursday, September 11, 2014
"What do you mean I can't Volunteer!?"
The unjust and unfair policy know as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was thankfully repealed in 2010 allowing those who identify as Lesbian, Gay, or Bisexual to join the military freely. But what about those who citizens who identify as Transgender? Can they join?
The answer is they are still barred from service, and sadly, I must say it is for good reason.
Right now, you may be asking "what does the term 'Transgender' even mean?"
Well, first you need to know what the norm is. This is called Cisgender and it is what a majority of people identify as. The term refers to one whose gender matches their biological sex. Transgender therefore describes someone whose psychological gender does not match their biological sex. A transman, for example, is a woman who identifies as a man while a transwoman is a man who identifies as a woman.
You have many different LGBT groups around the country that fight for rights and awareness in their own regions. They provide support, counseling, help, anything to help those who are LGBT.
In the military, this group is called Outserve-SLDN and they originally formed to fight "Don't ask Don't tell." They are now trying to get equal rights for all soldiers. Currently, the battle they are fighting for the Transgender community is changing the regulations on who can join from being based on sex to if you simply can fight for your country.
Personally, I must disagree with this idea.
According to Outserve-SLDN's page on Transgender issues, the rules are as follows. If you are cisgender, you can join the military freely; if you are transgender however, you cannot, at all. The reasons for this are both "medical" and "conduct" related.
Medically, the Army sees Transgender people as possessing "a mental health condition", much like depression or schizophrenia. To be honest, they do tend to have a higher rate of depression because of the dysphoria they experience as well as a host of other issues. The depression may be worsened or brought on by the harassment that accompanies this identity. According to this website, a whopping 90% of Transgender people experience some form of bias in the civilian workplace, so imagine what they would receive if they joined a place like the military. If an open transwoman, for example, joined, what would she experience? Most likely a great amount of bias. This could lead to the break down of a squad as sides formed. In a combat situation, this divide can be deadly because it means the bonds that hold the team together will be weaker, meaning the squad won't be as effective, won't respond as quickly, and may have discipline issues.
Conduct wise, "the military strictly regulates uniform and grooming standards by gender." For this reason, a Transwoman would have to dress and present as a man, the sex they don't identify with or face the the punishment of not following them; a potential criminal charge. This condition may erode her mental condition and cause her to develop issues psychologically. A military is also very big on discipline and needs to keep their regulations. If not, discipline and overall effectiveness may begin to become more lax and degrade. The extension of these rights to an individual may also may show favoritism and thus cause resentment to form among that soldier's peers, further separating the units.
Personally, in my heart, I feel that those who identify as Transgender should be allowed into the Army out of purely ethical reasons and my personal beliefs, but drawing from my little time with ROTC and previous experience, I can see why the Army says no. I sincerely want to believe they should be let in and retained because of the same reasons held by Outserve. I however cannot say this is correct because I feel that they are going to be more of a hindrance than a help and thus cannot be allowed in the field. Their presence will only harm the mission and those around them.
However, if it is possible for a Transgender person to not out themselves, it may work. If a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" like policy was brought into existence requiring that Transgender identifiers simply never mentioned there gender identity they should be allowed to join and work because they would not open themselves up to the harassment and hurt. This would allow those citizens who wish to serve their country, and who should be allowed too, to join the military. The problem is, this request may harm the individual more and cause them to develop depression and thus reduce their effectiveness. The reason for this is suppression of any kind only hides the feelings, it doesn't make them go away. These latent feelings will slowly eat away at the person, causing problems.
It is a hard thing for me to say, but I can't see it happening and I agree with why the Army says no. As a supporter of LGBTQ rights, I must firstly say that I am sorry to all those who read this. I must say the old rules should stay because they ensure the most safety for all involved. As my instructor stated in class, "once the bullets start flying, democracy ends." Rights end and rules are broken because lives are at stake. Because of this, I must, with a heavy heart, say I agree with the current regulations. There isn't a place in war to make everyone happy.
Sources:
"A history of 'don't ask, don't tell'." Washington Post. 30 Nov. 2014. Web. 11 Sept. 2014. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/dont-ask-dont-tell-timeline/>.
"Transgender People and Military Service." OutServe-SLDN. Web. 11 Sept. 2014. <http://www.sldn.org/pages/transgender-people-and-military-service>.
"Transgender 101." GLAAD. Web. 11 Sept. 2014. <http://www.glaad.org/transgender/trans101>.
Readings for MS-1 and previous study and understanding of the military also provided a background for statements provided.
Discussion Questions for 9/12/14
- Though Mrs. Keri Smith makes a point that the art may be "beautifying" the area, is it worth the legal risk? Is it ethical to leave your mark on something (like a building) owned by another just because you want to be an artist? Is this protected by our First Amendment rights?
- Is "Guerrilla Art" a legitimate tool for spreading Social Justice?
- In 1984 by George Orwell, the Thought Police exist to ensure everyone stays in line with party ideals and to get rid of those who seem to go against the Party and Big Brother. Are we on this path? If so, can we get off it?
- Today, educators and thinkers seem to focus more on the individual and how they feel on an issue instead of the group or the whole; evidence of which can be seen in both Smith's book and Harrington's article. Is this focus a good thing for modern society or a bad thing? How does this hinder or help Social Justice?
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Hello, my name is Ethan Moeller and I am from Elma, New York, a small town outside of Buffalo. I am interested mainly in Military History, Social Psychology, and Dystopian English novels. I am also a Brony, or a fan of My Little Pony and I am fairly open about it. I do support the LGBTQ community and I am also very interested in affairs that affect it, specifically those revolving on the less known Transgender community. I am also very interested in issues pertaining to Constitutional Law and I love learning about cases, both past and present. I can be reached at emoeller18@jcu.edu.
In order for me to be comfortable in a course and to take risks, I need the feeling of security and acceptance. Being a little more introverted, shy, and critical of myself, if I feel that I may have any form of resistance or animosity, I may not share my opinions and positions with the class. I also need to feel comfortable with the people I am with and I need to know them. It is easier for me to share ideas with people I know then complete strangers. If these two elements are not present, there is a greater chance that I will not take a risk. I have many ideas that I would like to enact or talk about or research, but I am scared how they will be taken by the class as a whole. Until I feel more comfortable and I sense that they are truly accepting, I will not come forward with them. I apologize for this.
The most important technological development in history to me is the telegraph. The reason for this is the increased speed of communication that came from this development. The Crimean War, for example, was the first war in which papers in England could get real time reports from someone on the front in Russia. It started the information and social media revolution that we see the effects of today.
Justice, to me, is ensuring the fair and equal treatment of another human. It is also ensuring that in any issues that arise, the judgement passed down is fair and unbiased, that all parties get what they deserve. Social Justice is when society takes this to heart and enacts it on a larger scale. One person can enact Justice, but when society as a whole tries to do so, it becomes Social Justice. So, it is a societal wide implementation of just policies. The top three main issues to me are LGBTQ issues, Gun Rights, and Race Politics.
In my pursuit of Social Justice, I have only ever done one thing, and it was in High School. The administrators had just banned food trucks and everyone was fairly upset. I simply tried to get a petition together to challenge this ruling and show that the school was against it. After a few days of no support, I quit because I didn't see the point of fighting for those who didn't want to fight for themselves.
My Questions:
Where did you get the idea for this type of class? I find it very interesting because it is just so radically different from any other class I have taken.
What are the class's thoughts on the idea of sexuality and gender identity? How can we educate the class and others on these complex and personal issues?
The most important technological development in history to me is the telegraph. The reason for this is the increased speed of communication that came from this development. The Crimean War, for example, was the first war in which papers in England could get real time reports from someone on the front in Russia. It started the information and social media revolution that we see the effects of today.
Justice, to me, is ensuring the fair and equal treatment of another human. It is also ensuring that in any issues that arise, the judgement passed down is fair and unbiased, that all parties get what they deserve. Social Justice is when society takes this to heart and enacts it on a larger scale. One person can enact Justice, but when society as a whole tries to do so, it becomes Social Justice. So, it is a societal wide implementation of just policies. The top three main issues to me are LGBTQ issues, Gun Rights, and Race Politics.
In my pursuit of Social Justice, I have only ever done one thing, and it was in High School. The administrators had just banned food trucks and everyone was fairly upset. I simply tried to get a petition together to challenge this ruling and show that the school was against it. After a few days of no support, I quit because I didn't see the point of fighting for those who didn't want to fight for themselves.
My Questions:
Where did you get the idea for this type of class? I find it very interesting because it is just so radically different from any other class I have taken.
What are the class's thoughts on the idea of sexuality and gender identity? How can we educate the class and others on these complex and personal issues?
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