The photograph above was not taken in the midst of a war, on the battlefield of some foreign nation; this photograph was taken in on a college campus in Ohio. On May 4th, 1970, the National Guard entered Kent State campus, and by the end of the day, four students were dead, and nine were injured. All of this was over a student protest against the Cambodia Campaign instilled by Nixon. This over-militarization by the state is not something unseen, however. Similarly, the streets of Ferguson, Missouri were recently thrown into a Police State by the authorities. Previously peaceful protesters, reactionary in nature, became violent in response to violent authorities. If we remember what Blum always drilled into us, that we are “haunted by history”, then we can agree that there are unfortunate similarities between Kent State and Ferguson, in which a Police State destroys a peaceful protest, risking the lives of all those involved.
Yes, I know quite a few people have posted about feminism but it’s something that has really sparked my interest. The difference between then and now, the types of supporters meaning hesitant and bold, and really where its going next. I found this article about then and now and it mentioned how in the past, feminism was about equal rights for voting, jobs, political status, things like that. It said how the technical Second Wave of Feminism rejected Barbie. Women threw away their heels and lost their bras. NOW however, young girls embrace Barbie. They focus more on famous women who yes have the spotlight and a lot of attention, but not for the right reasons. Girls aspire to be Brittney Spears or Beyonce. What do they really take from them though? Is it the sex appeal, the fact that they are desired after? Or is it their entrepreneurial ways of making it so far in such a competitive world? Beyonce, one of my personal favorites, teaches empowerment and self confidence, something I think girls need to be reminded of. Maybe this new wave of feminism is because we already have the right to vote and women can have mens’ jobs now. That doesn’t mean there aren’t problems anymore. Why aren’t women like Ellen Degenerous highlighted more often? Why are the movie stars and pop singers cherished more than the philanthropic celebrities? Why is it more important to spend your money on a choker necklace to look like Kylie Jenner than to donate it to children who don’t have access to water? I want the next wave of women to want to change to world, not just their placement in society. Let’s go ladies. Girl Power.
http://www.counterpunch.org/2007/05/09/feminism-then-and-now/
As we have recently studied social movements and student activism throughout the 1960’s, I began to ask myself the question, is student activism dead?
Student activism in the 60’s was very prominent, and was a huge force to be reckoned with. It had finally began to put pressure on the government to address institutionalized racism, and also been the catalyst to the end of the Vietnam War. Yet today, in a time where social injustices are high, students are incompetent and callous. As the generation raised on Jackass and American Pie, we have seen a drastic change in university culture in the past decade. To my generation, wars are what happened to our grandparents and human rights violations are things that happen in other foreign countries. We have mistakenly taken the stability and freedom of our democracy for granted and have become the most passive and politically ineffective generation in living memory. Law makers purposely overlook the interests of young people because they are aware that voters ages 18-24, are the least likely to turn out to vote. The student riots of 2010 showed promise in regards to progress for change, but were very much short lived. Our generation of students need to wake up and realize that change will not come unless we put an end to these injustices.
Student Activism in the 1960’s
Student Activism Now
Despite the efforts and successes of the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans today are still fighting for equal treatment and an end to racism in America. The most recent example is in Baltimore, where Freddie Gray, an African American man, was killed by police officers. His death resulted in protests and riots in Baltimore, where this photo was taken of a man displaying the symbol of Black Power, a symbol that began during the Civil Rights Movement.
In 1931 historian James Adams wrote a book about America and the optimism of the American people. Wanting to call his book “The American Dream”, his publisher claimed it was too broad and he needed to change the name. Although he changed the name, he referenced the American Dream several times in his book. This idea he created allowed Americans since the early nineteen hundreds till present day to envision their future. The idea of creating your own destiny and achieving the dreams you set out for yourself has been around since the time of Thomas Jefferson, but with each evolving era, what people perceive as their American Dream changes. During the time of the Revolution through the Civil War, Jefferson’s way of thinking dominated the minds of American citizens. Believing in “a nation of small farmers, owning enough land to guarantee economic self-suffieciency and personal independence”, his idea was perfectly aligned with the lives of people during the 18th and 19th century. However, as the 19th century ended, so did Jefferson’s view of the American Dream.Transforming to fit a new way of life, employees working for an hourly wage, America transformed from an agrarian to an industrial nation and the American Dream changed with it. Now tied to upward social mobility, people believed “the to realize the dream was not to be independent and self sufficient but to possess the skills that would allow you to navigate the new industrial order and to rise up through the ranks”. As time has progressed the American Dream has evolved to become more and more materialistic. Imagine if we had the same ideals as the 1900s. What would our world look like today?
This picture shows that as the American Dream is becoming more and more materialistic, people are spending more and more money resulting in greater debt.
Today Putman mentioned the My Lai Massacre in class today that took place in March 1968. US soldiers brutally murdered women, children and the elderly. There were about 500 innocent people from South Vietnamese that were killed. The people did not provoke retaliation yet, when the soldiers arrived and the US military fired at them. This was a real wakeup call for the soldiers, they did not even know why they were still fighting. Their target was to kill Viet Cong people, but none of them were found in the village. Most of the soldiers that killed the innocent people it was due to frustration. They were tired of being at war and wanted to go home. Below is a picture of the My Lai Massacre, people were chased into the road and shot.
http://nypost.com/2014/03/15/richard-nixon-and-the-my-lai-massacre-coverup/
Last week we discussed feminism…1st wave… 2nd wave…and the waves we face today. I neglected to say anything in TA Linnea’s class because the conversation was fast paced and evolved quite fluidly. As a psychology major I immediately think Bem’s Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) and many of the terms used to describe yourself. If you don’t recall the BSRI, it is a self report questionnaire geared to determine how masculine, feminine, or androgynous a person is developed by Sandra Bem in 1974. One of the terms used to determine masculinity was “ambitious.”
I’ve told you all this merely because of a situation that happened to a close woman I know. As she was going through a job interviewing process, a non-listed reference was contacted for counsel to discuss her as an applicant (this is illegal I might add). The reference was glowing, but had only one caution to add “She is ambitious.” The woman ultimately got the job, but was told much later about the so called “reference.” You know what? She is ambitious. In 9 months she went from a program manager to Director of her department, jumping over 5 pay grades/titles. Since when is ambitious a bad thing? If the applicant was male I don’t believe the situation would of been the same.
Until I was told the story of this whole encounter I never really thought much of ambition as masculine or feminine, much like many of the other 59 terms in the BSRI. I’m including a link to an article I found. I hope you find it informative.
Today in large lecture, Dr. Putman mentioned olympians Tommy Smith and John Carlos who put their fists up during the U.S. national anthem as a symbol of Black Power. They used their platform to stand up for what they believed needed more attention and recognition. Recently Bruce Jenner has come forward stating that he, once the world’s most accomplished olympian, is going through a personal transition. He expressed his internal battle with changing his sex and now is viewed as a advocate and fighter for transgender rights. The same way Smith and Carlos were looked at for supporting the Black Power Movement is how Bruce Jenner is now being perceived as a fighter for transgender rights.
There are many different icons in today’s society that influence and enhance the idea of feminism. Beyoncé, a great artist who inspires many many young women and men today, is an example. She helps define feminism as an idea of social, political, and economic equality of the sexes. Her point succeeds as she demonstrates the greatness women can achieve, the same as men. A lot of many other artists and inspirers in the world create great impact upon the youth of today’s culture, spreading the feminist idea positively.
HACK It! 