tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68634529900611216242024-03-18T20:36:30.918-07:00The SoapboxesSince 1872 orators have gathered in London, England to stand on boxes made for soap and preach their views on politics, religion, culture, and other topics. This method seemed more practical.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790699718190612549noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6863452990061121624.post-69462003434299755542009-04-25T07:31:00.001-07:002009-04-25T07:31:50.649-07:00Sardigna and Berlin!Everything is going well in Italy. The last day of classes was last week and I just have a couple finals on Tuesday and Wednesday. It has been awhile since I last posted so I will recap my trips. <br /><br />The weekend after Paris was great because I just stayed in Florence and was able to get some work done. Then the weekend after I went to Sardigna with some friends in my program. We stayed at this really nice bed and breakfast and the Italian owner was really funny. Our first day was very sunny and we went to the beaches, however it rained the rest of the weekend. This was kind of a downer because there was not much to do but go to the beach. However, it was Easter weekend so there were some festivities going on in the center. I went to mass on Easter Sunday and that was very interesting. The church was beautiful and it was filled mostly with nuns. Although I couldn’t understand everything, I normally knew which prayers were being said.<br /><br />The week after Cagliari, the city we stayed in Sardigna, I had a big presentation for my school with my internship. It went really well and my professors were pleased. Also my boss Maurizio was impressed. <br /><br />Then this past weekend I traveled to Berlin Germany with my friend from school. Berlin was amazing and it was definitely one of my favorite trips thus far. It was the first time I took part in “couch surfing” as well. CouchSurfing is a website for young people who travel or want to host people from other areas. The best thing about it though is that it is free and it is a much better cultural experience then staying in a hostel. It is mostly in Europe however, it is also in the US. Beth and I stayed with this German student named Felix and his girlfriend Steffi. They were great hosts and were very helpful with showing us around the city. It was amazing how much trust they had with us, whom they had never met before. They gave us a house key and left us alone in their apartment while they were in class. They cooked us dinner and brought us to a BBQ with their German friends on the last day. <br /><br />Besides the couch surfing adventuring, Berlin is just an amazing city. We took part in two free tours which were both awesome. 90 percent of Berlin was destroyed during WWII so it is fairly modern, however the older buildings are very cool. The city itself is very young and alternative. The Berlin Wall came down in 1989 so the city is truly only 20 years old even though it has an extensive history before that. The beer was great, much better than in Italy. And the brautwursts were also tasty and a nice change from Italian cuisine. It was also funny because I looked a lot like the Germans and people kept coming up to me and asking for directions in German. Felix also taught me that “schwindt” in old German means “fast.” Overall, Berlin was one of my favorite trips thus far. <br /><br />My flight home is May 30th and I am unsure what I am going to do this next month. I am staying with Stefano in Turino for a week or so, then I am going to try and go to Morocco. I also just plan to see the parts of Italy that I did not get to this semester and I need to go back to Rome cause I only spent one day there. <br /><br />I apologize for the poor writing. My English has definitely gotten worst since I have been here so next semester will probably be a shock.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790699718190612549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6863452990061121624.post-64982193402735852362009-04-03T12:28:00.000-07:002009-04-03T12:29:21.971-07:00Marzo PazzoThis past month has been very crazy, hence the title Marzo Pazzo, or crazy March. In fact, this is the first weekend that I am not leaving to travel and am staying in Florence. Thank God. Since my last post I have been to many places around Europe including, Amsterdam, Sicily, London, Dublin, Urbino, and Paris. <br /><br />Amsterdam, so far, has been one of my favorite trips. Besides the fact that the city is beautiful, the culture in Amsterdam is unlike any other. Drugs are legal, as well as prostitution, yet the city remains clean and very functional. All of the people speak English and are extremely friends, which is surprising considering they constantly have to deal with annoying tourists. We stayed on a houseboat, which was fairly small and wet, but it was a great experience. It has been the first place I’ve traveled where I immediately wanted to go back. <br /><br />The weekend after was Spring Break and my friend Diana and I went on an 11 day trip. We started here in Firenze, but then traveled to a small town on the west side of Sicily called Taormina. It was very beautiful and had many ancient Greek and Roman ruins along with a great beach. Our B&B was on the water and it was sunny everyday we were there. Sicilians are known for being part of the mafia and I definitely saw a few members however the pace of life is much slower on the Island, and in southern Italy in general, compared to the northern cities. We were able to get around with my elementary Italian, although it was hard because Sicilian is a completely different dialect and at times it was hard to understand their accent, let alone the language. We then traveled to London, where Diana is studying. London was great and is truly a world city, as there are countless different cultures from all over the world in one location. I was only there for two days and the city is massive so I would really like to return and see more. It was really fun though because several of our friends from USC were also in the London at the same time. We then went to Dublin for the weekend before St. Patrick’s day. Dublin was awesome and the Guinness was amazing. I have had Guinness in the states before but it tastes nothing like the magical beer I had in Dublin. I guess it is difficult to transport Guinness and up until recently you could not even get it outside of Dublin, let alone Ireland. The Irish were also great, very drunken and friendly with a cool accent. Although there were many tourists, I met up with a friend’s sister from home who lives in the city, and her and her husband showed us around some of the more local spots. Finally, I returned back to Firenze after many days of crazy traveling. <br /><br />The weekend after we went on a field trip with my art history class and followed around the works of Piero della Francesca. We went to several cities and stayed the night in Urbino. Urbino is easily one of my favorite towns outside of Firenze. The field trip was great and our class is really getting close. We had a huge drunken dinner and our professor made us promise not to tell the administration. Also our TA announced that she was pregnant during her presentation. She is really cool and everyone was excited. <br /><br />The weekend after I visited my friends Henoch, Jesse, and Holly in Paris. Although I loved the city, the people were not extremely friendly, even to my friends who spoke the language. Both the French people and language, in my opinion, are completely opposite from Italian. In French, you hide the sound of the letteres and everyone is very quiet and softer spoken. In Italian you overly pronounce every thing and everyone is loud and outgoing. Granted this was my first impression of the people and language, but I noticed a clear difference. The trip went very smoothly except for the fact that I missed my flight home and had to wait 13 hours in the Paris airport. It was one of the most miserable days I have had here. I finally got home at midnight in Florence, when I had arrived at the Paris airport at 5 am that day. <br /><br />I continue to love spending time with my host family. We have gotten fairly close. Nonna thinks I drink to much wine, but she also says the same for her daughter and my host mamma. I also enjoy the nightly argument of whether or not to watch “Walker Texas Ranger” Nonna’s favorite show, because Lily thinks its stupid and refuses to turn it on. Before dinner we always watch the news and the top story is always something to do with Obama. It’s really interesting how closely they follow US politics and is a reminder to how our decisions and actions truly affect the international community. <br /><br />I have tons of work these next two weeks including two papers and an event to plan for my internship. I don’t know how I am going to get them all done before I leave for Sardigna next Thursday. I am really excited for that trip though as it is Easter weekend and there are supposed to be big festivities in Italy for Easter. I will soon post more pics of Paris and our class field trip and will try and post more regularly. I am also now waiting to hear back from a couple scholarships that would allow me to stay and work in Italy during the summer time. Keep your fingers crossed. Ciao.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790699718190612549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6863452990061121624.post-12663408447602930352009-02-21T10:12:00.000-08:002009-02-21T10:13:10.352-08:00A Crazy Past Two Weeks In ItalyIt has been awhile since I last posted, but I will try and recall most of the important things that I have seen. Two weekends ago, My friend Hannah and I went to Vienna Austria and met up with our other friend Alassandra, who has been living in Italy for the past 3 years. The 11 hour train ride to Vienna was very smelly and disgusting, Europeans have a much more potent body order. Vienna itself though was beautiful. Our hostel was very clean and the staff was helpful. The German language was difficult to understand but there were several people that spoke English that gave us directions. We went to this Mozart museum that was very interactive and fun. Then that Saturday we took an hour bus ride to Bratislava, which is the capital of Slovakia. Bratislava was also very nice and the people were friendly. It was obvious that not many Americans visit the city so everyone was anxious to help us. The train ride back was much better and less smelly. <br /><br />Then the week after that I began my internship at the ARCI. The ARCI is one of Italy’s oldest political organizations. It is left leaning, although is not affiliated with any political party, however many people in the organization are former communists. Communism is slightly different in Italy then in elsewhere but the history is much too complicated to explain. My boss, Maurizio, does not speak a word of English, but several of the younger Italian interns do speak some. They made it very well known how incredible it is to have American interns as twenty years ago, because of the relationship between the US and Italy, it would not have been possible. The ARCI has several departments but its main goal is to represent the disadvantaged (immigrants, minorities, homosexuals, and the poor). The department I am in is the Welfare department and my first project has been researching the Mafia and then translating my work from English into Italian. So far I have enjoyed working in the Italian culture as it is interesting to note the differences. Italians are never on time, they are more laid back, and rather disorganized. I really like working alongside younger Italians as I also learn a lot from them. <br /><br />This past weekend I went to Rome on Friday. Although I only spent one day there we saw a lot, including the Forum, Capital, Coliseum, Pantheon, St. Peters, and the Vatican. St. Peters was very cool and there are many famous works of art inside. It was also a very sunny day, albeit freezing, so we got a great view of the city when we climbed St. Peters. I went along with the Michelangelo art history class so we got the privilege of spending roughly 2 hours in the Sistine Chapel, when in most cases tourists are hurried through in 15 minutes. It was incredible and I learned a lot because our teacher and TAs were there instructing. Then, that Saturday morning my friend Mike and I took a 6 AM flight to Venice. We met up with Hannah and Sam, slept for about an hour, and then walked into the city. The Carnivale celebration began that weekend so there were incredible costumes and we immediately bought masks. Venice is truly unlike any other city mostly because there are no streets but rather canals. There were a bunch of people from my school there as well so we all were able to meet up at night time to go out. <br /><br />Classes are going great so far. I really like all of the site visits and field trips we are going on in my art history class. Just yesterday we went to Siena, which is about an hour away from Florence. It is one of my favorite Italian cities so far and the inside fo their Duomo is incredible. It is a very Italian city and there are not as many tourists compared to Florence. Next weekend I am going to Amsterdam and meeting up with some of my close friends from USC. I am pretty excited mostly for the Van Gogh museum and for the liberal laws regarding substances. Should be fun and I’ll make sure that take pictures. <br /><br />CiaoAaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790699718190612549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6863452990061121624.post-4808498390850892102009-02-03T10:46:00.000-08:002009-02-03T10:47:16.742-08:00Assissi, Milan, Turino, and Italian swears...Ciao Ragazzi, <br /><br />I apologize for the length of time it has taken me to write another post but classes have started and most of my free time has gone to planning trips and filling out scholarships that are do within the next couple weeks. <br /><br />Two weekends ago I traveled with my school to the city called Assissi, which has the patron saint of St. Francis. We visited his basilica, which has his body and numerous artwork done by Giotto, and saw many Franciscan monks with their weird haircuts that are supposed to symbolize halos. Assissi was pretty small but cool, and described by our tour guide as the Berkeley of Italy because it is fairly politically active. That Saturday I stayed in Firenze.<br /><br />Classes have been going great, despite the fact that I begin class at 8:45 am everyday and am normally still drunk from the night before. However this excess alcohol in my system does improve my Italian in class.<br /><br />This past weekend I took a train up to Milan to meet my friend Stefano, who I went to high school with. Stefano showed me around the city, which is the fashion capital of Italy and arguably the world. Every where we looked their were models. We climbed the Duomo, went to a castle, and several shopping centers. On my way down from the Duomo I said ciao to a military officer, which Stefano quickly advised was not proper as ciao is too informal. The officer did not look pleased. So far though, this was not my most interesting language mistakes as I accidently said the word bitch (stronza) for strong, and yelled Buon Formaggio (which means good cheese) instead of buon pomereggio. My nonna was very confused. <br /><br />Later that night we took the train back to Stefano’s house and I ate with his family, a very loud and hilarious Sicilian group. His mom made great food and his dad owns a vineyard so the wine was incredible (much better than the 2 euro - 2 liter bottle that I buy daily on my way home from school). Stefano then showed me around Turino that afternoon, which is the city where the winters Olympics were held in 2006. Turino was great and I think I liked it better then Milan, still both cities do not come close though to the beauty of Firenze. Later that night we went to Stefano’s uncle’s night club which is one of the best in Turino and right on the river. I met his Italian friends who were all pretty crazy. Then on Saturday it was his dads 60 birthday party and I attended the party with his extended family. They were all nuts, and Stefano assures me most Italian families are not like his. Most of the gifts given were joke gifts, numerous sex toys and offensive items, and then only one real gift. We had great food again, and loads of wine. Then Stefano his brothers, Andrea and Davide, helped me learn every possible Italian swear word, probably the most important vocabulary I will learn during my stay hear. I took the night train home Sunday. <br /><br />Today I met with my internship boss, who doesn’t speak any English, and will begin working at the ARCI political organization on Thursday. I was also asked to write an article for the school newspaper, which will be my first written piece that is published. <br /><br />There are more pictures I uploaded on my photobucket site so take a look. <br /><br />In addition, here are some of the cultural insights I have noticed:<br /><br />Gun Control: Handguns are illegal here, and you can get a rifle for hunting but it takes about 5 years. In no surprise Italy has one of the lowest gun death rates (2.27 per 100,000 people) whereas the US is 13.47 per 100,000. Link to source. http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=175376<br /><br />Health Care: My roommate got the flu and had a fever of between 101 and 102. We called the tourist hotline and within 45 minutes there was a doctor at our house. She stayed over an hour, wrote prescriptions, and cost only 50 Euro (about 70 dollars). Just think if foreigner phoned to get a house call in the US for a fever. According to my mamma Lily it is mandated that if someone has a fever over a certain amount a doctor has to come.<br /><br />Politics: Firenze is known as being all communist whereas Rome and some of the northern cities are stereotyped as fascists. No one likes any of the politicians and believe they are all corrupt. <br /><br />Transportation: The Government builds the roads but for some reason, which I still cant understand, a private individual can some how place a toll on the freeways and highways. Stefano said it costs about 40 Euro to drive road trip to Firenze from Turin, which is only a two hour drive. This money does not go to the government but to the pockets of a private citizen. <br /><br />Food: Breakfast is very small, lunch is mostly just a sandwhich but dinner is huge and can last for several hours at restaurants. It is polite to keep your hands on the table at all times, which stems from the olden days when they were worried that people were trying to poison each others drinks. This is most likely why Italians talk with their hands so much. Napkins are not placed in the lap. <br /><br />Words: The word for money is soldi, the word soldier is derived from this which literally means one who fights for money. <br /><br />I am sure there will be many more cultural insights as my trip continues. Until then, Arriverderci (This is the more formal goodbye that I should have said to the military officer)…Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790699718190612549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6863452990061121624.post-85800658915677173792009-01-21T06:31:00.000-08:002009-01-21T06:32:21.324-08:00President Obama - Cambina Le Mondo!As a student of history and politics I could not be more shocked and ecstatic. Although I would have liked to be in DC and watch personally, the man whose life and actions I have avidly studied this past 2 years take the oath of office and become our 44th President. It was an entirely different perspective to be overseas and in a foreign countries. Many Italians, like us, are also in dismay. While they are infatuated with American music, film, and other cultural aspects they have despised our government for 8 years and can truly not believe that we have elected an African American to be our next leader. Italy, for the most part, still has embedded racism and immigration remains a main problem in the country. It will be interesting to see how the Italian electorate will change in response to America’s own evolution. <br /><br />I awoke on January 20, threw on my Obama t-shirt and strolled the streets of Florence. For the first time in 8 years, I was proud to wear red, white, and blue and say that I am American. Several young Italians congratulated me and thanked me on behalf of our country.<br /><br />Following President Obama’s speech (it feels so good to be able to replace President-elect with President), some friends and I went to a grocery store and bought some champagne. A police officer gestured to let us know it was okay to celebrate in the streets. Then, while we were celebrating, I woman came up to me and asked what Obama is going to do. Unable to discuss healthcare, energy independence, and other policy issues in my minimal Italian, all I managed to say was “cambina le mondo.” He will change to world. Although the woman responded with the world cannot be changed in 8 years, I could not disagree more. <br /><br />In addition to the Inaugural celebrations classes started this week. I absolutely love my art history course, as it has been awesome to view such masterpieces in person instead of a textbook. The field trips included in the course will also be amazing, including a four day trip to Paris, and a two day one to Rome, including a private viewing of the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Gardens, which will be a real treat considering that they hurry thousands of tourists through those landmarks. <br /><br />This weekend we are going to Assissi and Siena. Should have more pictures after that. Until then arriverderci.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790699718190612549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6863452990061121624.post-5467039646316592842009-01-18T13:49:00.000-08:002009-01-18T14:17:21.546-08:00Duomo and ChiantiThe past couple days I have been adjusting to jet lag and walking around the city. The pubs and discotecs are awesome and I have been meeting more Italians. The other day we went to the top of the Duomo. Then today I went to the Chiani region with my mama and roommate and some other people from our school. It was amazing the prosciutto, cheese, and wine was so good. We then went to a castle and finally a church where my mama was married. It also had great views from the city. Here are some of the pictures I have taken so far. Tomorrow is the first day of classes I am pretty excited, I start my internship soon and am also looking forward to that. Blogger doesn't make it easy to upload photos so I made an account on photobucket. Here is the link, let me know if it doesn't work<br /><br />http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt127/aaronschwindt/<br /><br />Enjoy le fotograficas.<br /><br />CiaoAaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790699718190612549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6863452990061121624.post-78680912404045338962009-01-15T23:42:00.000-08:002009-01-15T23:48:04.171-08:00Benvenuti in ItaliaWith this blog I have spent the majority of this past semester documenting the historic final four months of the 2008 Presidential election. However, I am now studying abroad in Firenze (Florence) Italy and am altering the purpose of this forum to document my travels and experiences. These posts will certainly be less formal then my previous ones on politics and race relations. Moreover, I would like to also thank American Airlines who gave me a scholarship for my round trip ticket to Florence. <br /><br />After roughly 25 hours of traveling I arrived in the Hotel Mediterreano in Firezne for Syracuse University’s orientation. Instead of going to bed, however, my new friend Jesse and I explored the incredible city in search of wine and cigarettes. Unlike the States, few stores stay open past 8 o’clock and cigarettes are mostly purchased via a machine. Already though I love the fact there are no open container laws in Italy, and of course the drinking age is 16. Finally, no more fake IDs. Although I don’t speak perfect Italian, wine greatly improves my language skills. We met some Italian musicians on the street and they took us to a local pub known as Rex. Through their broken English and our broken Italian we were able to communicate pretty effectively and it was a great primo notte in Firenze. <br /><br />The city is truly incredible. The Duomo is easily the most beautiful building I have ever scene. All of the structures are so old and have such history. The streets are mostly cobblestone and every corner has a café or bar. It has been a great place to get lost in these first few days. <br /><br />The rest of these first few days were filled with tedious orientation tasks (setting up wireless on our laptops and scheduling classes). Fortunately, I do not need many credits here so I am taking the minimum amount possible. My schedule will be Italian language (2 hours a day Monday through Thursday), an Art History course on the Renaissance in which we are in class one day a week and the other we go to a museum, church, or various other on site visits, and then I will be interning with the ARCI, http://www.arci.it/, which is an Italian political organization. <br /><br />Just yesterday I met my roommate named Devin and so far we have gotten along great. After our introduction we then sat in a room as one by one we were introduced to our host families. It was similar to what I imagine orphans or puppies feel before being chosen by their new owners. Lilly Cantanese greeted us wearing a lavish mink coat and from the moment I met my new mama (the affectionate and more informal word for mother in Italian) I knew we would get along great. On our way to her house, roughly a 20 minute walk from our school and the city center, she swore several times in Italian at other reckless drivers, unaware that her American sons already knew the word for bitch (stronzo) and dick/fuck (cazzo). She does speak some English, however requires us to only speak Italian in her home. The house we are living in is awesome. Devin and I have our own floor and the décor is very cool. Even better though is my new nonna (grandmother) who will be turning 90 this July and is easily the cutest old woman I have every met. Our first dinner was again wonderful. Endless amounts of chianti and Lily is an amazing cook. I also knew I would like her as she smokes constantly around the house and made fun of me for buying an Italian pack of cigarettes more commonly smoked by woman. I am very excited to spend these next four months with my new mama and nonna. They are avid calico (soccer) fans and have passes to the Stadio in Firenze, which we live two blocks from. Although I am not a huge soccer fan, it is completely different in Italy and is a huge part of their culture. I can’t wait to go to some games which I here are crazy and fantastico. <br /><br />Classes begin on Monday and this weekend we are required to spend with our new family. Lilly is taking us to the Chianti region with some of her friends. I am really excited to drink wine and see more of this great Tuscan region. I hope to have great stories and possibly some pictures for my next post. Until then, ciao.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790699718190612549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6863452990061121624.post-24582397635540924992008-11-29T13:55:00.000-08:002008-11-29T14:11:42.971-08:00Obama Vs. Oil<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wKo6eJxYZ5qk2ghDWvtG07hEBQ1hoPAlyb_G5lyFsnCyLegCdla1ZPSy3Cr-tIGvwoUXNjaCEjHL_EV3UeueCpGLVTlPFSIoI-FrFjQUX8BDt1oYMCSGjbxLfeFfb7KGnFDT4KF8oPPd/s1600-h/Picture+6.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wKo6eJxYZ5qk2ghDWvtG07hEBQ1hoPAlyb_G5lyFsnCyLegCdla1ZPSy3Cr-tIGvwoUXNjaCEjHL_EV3UeueCpGLVTlPFSIoI-FrFjQUX8BDt1oYMCSGjbxLfeFfb7KGnFDT4KF8oPPd/s400/Picture+6.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274205501412191234" /></a><br />We’re all saying it. “I never thought I’d see the day when gas would go below 2 dollars.” “I just filled up my tank for 18 bucks.” Yes, it appears as though the 5-dollar a gallon prices have surpassed, at least for now. And we should all breath a sign of relief that the economic crisis has also forced oil prices to lower, which subsequently means less money for terrorist organizations. Hopefully though, the mentality created by expensive gas prices over the summer will not diminish. That people will not leave public transportation or the carpool lane and hop back into their Hummers. And yet, this is exactly what the most powerful businesses in the world would like to happen, but not if Obama has any say. Come January 20th we will begin to witness the clash of titans, as the powerful oil companies will, for arguably the first time, find a foe and not a friend in the Oval Office.<br /><br />When you look at the past 100 years, oil has always been a factor in important decision-making. Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after WWI the Middle East was broken up and given to Western nations based off the location of oil fields. Soon, revolutions for independence would end complete Western control of these countries, but not Western dependency. <br /><br />After the gas shortages of the 1970s, Americans foolishly ignored the wake-up call and would continue their complete energy reliance on an unstable Middle East. Since then, in complete disregard for the interests of people living in the region, we have invested billions into oil, through war and the creation of large military bases.<br /><br />In the past eight years, President Dick Cheney… I mean President George W. Bush has been arguably the most pro-oil President the United States has ever witnessed. In addition to the Iraq war, policies such as tax breaks for both consumers and producers of cars that weigh over 6000 pounds have helped to encourage oil consumption. And we wonder why America’s three largest automobile companies have yet to spend money in research and construction on more energy efficient transportation. Thankfully though, Bush is on his way out and hopefully taking some oil lobbyists with him. <br /><br />However, oil companies continue to be the richest organizations in the US and surely will not go down without a fight. As the recent third-quarter profits saw red-figures for almost all major corporations, Exxon Mobile posted record <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2008/10/30/news/companies/exxon_earnings/">profits</a> of 14.83 billion dollars. In an attempt to stay on top, gas prices have lowered, but it is surely not the final tactic to encourage American consumption. <br /><br />Have we finally learned our lesson? Will we be able to give up the Ford F350, which has become a symbol of Americana? Lets hope so. And lets hope that a President Obama will be the first to win the battle against the almighty oil.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790699718190612549noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6863452990061121624.post-46121921198299516062008-11-22T17:21:00.000-08:002008-11-22T17:46:50.907-08:00Choose Your LamenessWith news of more economic disaster it seems as though January 20th cannot come soon enough. President-elect Obama will already have his hands full come inauguration day, but things could, and probably will, get much worse over the holiday season. In such times of crisis it seems imperative to replace public officials as soon as possible after Election Day. Lincoln, for example, had to wait until March to enter the White House, as President Buchanan sat back and watched the country break apart before entering a Civil War. The problem was solved in 1933 after FDR was forced to wait until March as the nation suffered through the Great Depression. The passage of the 20th Amendment to the United States Constitution served as the solution, which among other items, made the start of the newly elected President’s term on January 20th instead of March. However, in such crucial times, is this date still too far away from the first tuesday in November? <br /><br />In many cases, Presidents choose to spend the <a href="http://history.howstuffworks.com/american-history/lame-duck-president.htm">lame-duck</a> session building foreign relations and solidifying their legacy. President Reagan, for example, met with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and helped to bring a final end to the Cold War. President Bush is currently meeting with Asian leaders this weekend in Peru, however this is surely a different time and a different President. Foreign leaders of the world have lost most, if not all, respect for the President Bush and are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to communicate with an Obama Administration. <br /><br />President Bush could also take the route of many other Presidents and issue pardons. His father, President George Herbert Walker Bush, pardoned former staffers involved in the Iran-Contra affair. The current President surely has some felon friends that would appreciate this get out of jail free card. Maybe Senator Stevens will be one of the few to be granted an early Christmas present. It’s not as though Bush has to worry about his reputation as his approval ratings are already below that of President Nixon before he left office. <br /><br />In this case, the ideal role for Bush is a difficult one. Almost everything he has done these past eight years, from the Hurricane Katrina response to the Iraq War, has lead our country down a horrific path. Yet times are increasingly scary in the US and it would be reassuring to have a President that said or did something. Thankfully, I don’t see President Bush attempting to make Obama’s transition more difficult by issuing thousands of pages of new regulations. Ideally, I would like Bush to leave the White House with the same personable and jokester attitude that helped get him elected. Chances are he’ll take some prankster inspiration from President Clinton, who removed all of the “W”s from White House computers. Here’s a suggestion, leave Obama piles of spare “change” around the oval office.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790699718190612549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6863452990061121624.post-73457932473958414542008-11-14T18:24:00.000-08:002008-11-14T18:31:44.610-08:00A Spot on Mount Rushmore<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8BETUhAvMhqAcyPi4UPpsrGk9uWagcd4hejBPP8GBBSpED8QeVhkel39o_Js_Byo-Zap5BbjtDFemTlRLM-1LvHoYIFV6ZvA8EbDYZ-ihioYTwQ6sClhNb5u6F2is6Rk6JDuoVKckx6NC/s1600-h/Picture+4.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8BETUhAvMhqAcyPi4UPpsrGk9uWagcd4hejBPP8GBBSpED8QeVhkel39o_Js_Byo-Zap5BbjtDFemTlRLM-1LvHoYIFV6ZvA8EbDYZ-ihioYTwQ6sClhNb5u6F2is6Rk6JDuoVKckx6NC/s400/Picture+4.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268706295839644786" /></a><br />About a month ago I drew comparisons between the 2008 Presidential election and the 1932 contest between Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Thankfully, I was accurate in my prediction that history would repeat itself as the United States witnessed a new political party shift and a significant change in direction. Additionally, the economic crisis has already made the 32nd and 44th Presidencies comparable and I believe Obama will carry out his term in office similarly, and along with FDR, become one of the Greats. <br /><br />Polls indicate that the Reagan days of limited government are gone, at least for now, and Americans are ready for larger federal involvement. Similar to “change,” FDR ran on a message of a “new deal,” for the American people. During his first 100 days in office, FDR was easily able to pass numerous bills through Congress. Obama will have a supportive Democratic majority in Congress and will also have this opportunity to be immediately effective.<br /><br />The current economic crisis on Wall Street is familiar for those Americans who witnessed the fall in 1929. However, there was no 700 billion dollar bailout in 1932 like our government has approved, but rather the creation of numerous social programs. With 700 billion of taxpayers’ dollars being handed over to the nation’s wealthiest banks, how can one make the argument that all Americans shouldn’t have access to affordable health care or quality education? <br /><br />FDR’s creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps is also similar to Obama’s policy to double the Peace Corps and reward those that take part in other forms of civic duty. <br /><br />FDR made initial cuts to defense, although this would change drastically at the start of WWII. In comparison, an Obama Presidency will bring a close to the War in Iraq and the waste of billions of dollars. <br /><br />Through the Yalta conference, FDR helped establish a new post war world and lasting foreign relations. Obama has already seen immense support from foreign officials who are eager to work with new leadership in the United States.<br /><br />In the 1930s government began to play a larger role in the lives of Americans. Therefore, FDR created fireside chats to present his proposals directly to the American people through the radio. Obama has already taken advantage of the technological advances in communication, text messaging supporters important decisions such as his choice of Senator Biden for the Vice-President position. In addition, Obama has promised to make available on the Internet all of the bills that pass through his office. The transparent government of the 1930s is surely something the American people have indicated they would like to return to. <br /><br />Unlike FDR, Obama faces an energy crisis. Fortunately though, Dick Cheney and other oil lobbyist no longer have the power to gage wars and policies that benefit them directly, such as tax breaks for the purchase of Hummers and vehicles that weigh over 6000 pounds. Obama will further use the energy crisis to revitalize the economy and make the United States serve as an environmental example to the world. <br /><br />I now wish there were not Presidential term limits. I realize that my complete faith in our future President could be perceived as naïve, but these is a crucial time for our country. “All we have to fear is fear itself,” is just as relevant today as it was 75 years ago, and I expect an equally inspiring message from President Obama on January 20th. My prediction is we will rise to greatness again though, partly because we have no where else to go but up and because we have a great leader to take us there. Sorry FDR, but I think he might even surpass you, and in 50 years they will be carving out a new spot next to your cousin on Mount Rushmore.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790699718190612549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6863452990061121624.post-77750521330098218592008-11-06T15:06:00.000-08:002008-11-06T15:10:58.034-08:00The Passing of the Civil Rights TorchThe Civil Rights chapter in American History books was forever altered this past Tuesday night as we elected the first black man to serve as President of the United States. Yet, although African Americans saw a symbolic end to their own struggles, the chapter did not conclude as millions of Americans witnessed the removal of their basic civil right of marriage.<br /><br />While the struggles of gays and African Americans share comparisons it is wrong to view them under one movement. Today there are no fire hoses or police dogs attacking gay activists, and while hate crimes do take place, we are assured that our judicial system will bring the appropriate punishment to the perpetrators. But it is also wrong to think the Civil Rights struggle should only encompass African Americans. The term “faggot” and phrase “that’s so gay” have replaced the “n-word” as the most socially acceptable derogatory slur that stems from the degradation of a minority group. Additionally, both movements depict a minority fighting for equality and while we are told that such minority interests are protected against the majority under the Constitution, this is clearly not the case in California. <br /><br />By a simple majority vote, California passed Proposition 8, easily adding another amendment to the longest State Constitution in the US. Although there have already been three laws suits stating Proposition 8 was an illegal Constitution revision rather than an amendment because it fundamentally alters the guarantee of equal protection, these are projected to fail. <br /><br />Many prop 8 opponents, especially first time younger voters who mostly opposed the initiative, awoke to this news Wednesday morning in disbelief. How could the most liberally progressive state uphold discrimination and inequality? The answer is fairly simple though: religion. Religion has been used to oppress minorities and restrict civil liberties since the early days of our Nation. Of the seven in ten voters who described themselves as Christian, two-thirds of them voted in favor of the ban. A <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-gaymarriage6-2008nov06,0,2331815.story?page=2">Los Angeles Times</a> article highlights another factor of the ban. <br /><br /><blockquote>“Jeffrey Jackson of Lynwood said he struggled with how he would vote on Proposition 8. On the one hand, as a black man casting his ballot for Obama, he said he had a deep and personal reverence for civil rights. On the other, he is a Pentecostal Christian. In the end, it was that religious faith that guided his decision. "It's straight biblical," said Jackson, 46. "It's just not right."</blockquote><br />To my surprise and disappointment it was ultimately the California black vote that decided the Prop 8 outcome. Exit polls showed that will Asian Americans opposed the measure and Whites and Latinos split evenly, Blacks heavily favored a ban on same-sex marriage by roughly 70 to 75 percent. Even though Obama himself opposed Prop 8, this was not widely advertised most likely for fear of affecting key swing states.<br /><br />Blacks are not only passing the Civil Rights torch to the LGBT community, but also helping to throw it even farther back. <br /><br />Since his 2004 keynote speech I have actively followed the career of Senator Barack Obama and am truly elated about his election. Yet, November 4th will also mark the day in which a right was taken away and equality was pushed back in the closet.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790699718190612549noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6863452990061121624.post-77213982580116326262008-11-01T23:36:00.000-07:002008-11-03T19:47:22.190-08:00LAUSD Needs A New Game PlanThis election cycle it appears more effective to fabricate the notion of a same-sex marriage curriculum mandate then to actually propose a solution to improve the education system. <br /><br />Los Angeles voters, however, will decide on Measure Q, which is an initiate that would allocate 7-billion dollars to the corporate conglomerate that the city’s Unified School District has become. As a passionate advocate of education reform it is troubling to feel so unsupportive of this bond. Yet, with poor leadership in LAUSD - recall the recent payroll disaster that cost taxpayers millions to resolve – it is foolish to hand over 7 billion dollars to individuals more concerned about expanding administrative <a href="http://ronkayela.com/2008/09/fewer-teachers-more-bureaucrat.html">staff</a> then improving classrooms. <br /><br />This is why I propose a new concept for LAUSD officials, to follow the same path as San Francisco and other educationally progressive districts and place a parcel tax on the ballot instead of a bond. A parcel tax would vastly enhance the education in LAUSD by providing quality teachers and essential classroom materials. <br /><br />School bonds and parcel taxes are the two main authorized methods for districts to raise funds. School bonds, however, have strict limitations on how the funds can be allocated. In general, bonds are required to fund school facilities (i.e. improvements on old schools and the construction of new buildings), whereas money for school supplies, curriculum, teacher salaries, and other operating expenses can only be raised through a parcel tax. <br /><br />Since 2000, voters have approved $19.3 billion for school transformations in LAUSD, resulting in 67 schools constructed with another 12 still under construction. Although LAUSD has passed four bonds since 1997, the district has yet to put a parcel tax on the ballot and make any attempt to raise money for inside the classroom.<br /><br />One year after declaring 2008 “The Year of Education,” Governor Schwarzenegger also announced $4.8 billion in cuts to education funding statewide. As Sacramento continues failed attempts to balance the budget, necessary components of classrooms, such as textbooks and supplies, are often the first to be affected by educational cuts. A parcel tax, however, gives the funding power back to the community.<br /><br />Southern California is falling dangerously behind Northern California when it comes to educational funding. Of the 133 parcel taxes that have been approved in California 120 of them have been in Northern California school districts.<br /><br />This past June, San Francisco voters approved <a href="http://portal.sfusd.edu/template/?page=news.quality_teacher">Proposition A</a>, an extensive parcel tax raises roughly 29 million to recruit teachers, raise salaries and update classroom technology. <br /><br />Clearly Los Angeles has a different political landscape then San Francisco though. Many Los Angeles officials wont consider a parcel tax because the two-thirds majority makes it difficulty to approve. In addition to placing a parcel tax on the ballot, changes should be made with the two-thirds requirement to make it easier for school districts to raise funds. <br /><br />In 2000 Proposition 39 Amended the California Constitution to lower the school bond approval to a 55 percent majority. Pressure should be put on legislatures to support a similar bill for school parcel taxes that would lower the vote threshold from the current two-thirds requirement. <br /><br />State Senator Joe Simitian of Palo Alto has introduced several similar bills, SCA 17 being the most recent, yet it failed to pass out of committee. Through lobbying efforts on behalf of LAUSD and other large school districts as well as support from teacher organizations, a parcel tax amendment could pass through the State legislature.<br /><br />LAUSD needs to shift the focus from outside the classroom to inside the classroom. The district no longer faces the overcrowding concerns as it did in 2001. In fact, enrollment has gone down roughly 100,000 students in the past six years and is projected to continue to decline until 2015. <br /><br />With the combination of a poor economic climate, unpopular leadership in LA Unified, and the large price tag, this is ultimately the wrong bond at the wrong time. As a solution, the focus should switch from pushing a massive school bond on voters to addressing the real concerns of the school district. <br /><br />In proposing the parcel tax the worse case scenario is voters don’t approve the measure, but I have a feeling that through a carefully crafted message, constituents will realize the benefits in supporting classrooms over buildings and giving funding control back to the community and out of the hands of irresponsible bureaucrats.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790699718190612549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6863452990061121624.post-18224115170169659292008-10-25T14:11:00.000-07:002008-10-25T14:23:04.399-07:00Going Down In Style<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEituzLu_856JapXeqPqTHepkrxQYToSXBUyN_HCFSFofn88uUi9ABy2Yx8GKtQ6WZkwHbUW5jNnpONKRerwDl9E8T5fni46aHrMFH27H69SVJBiyhEupDJFBMOb6DBBHNmb_QzES8zUJsVG/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 228px; height: 317px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEituzLu_856JapXeqPqTHepkrxQYToSXBUyN_HCFSFofn88uUi9ABy2Yx8GKtQ6WZkwHbUW5jNnpONKRerwDl9E8T5fni46aHrMFH27H69SVJBiyhEupDJFBMOb6DBBHNmb_QzES8zUJsVG/s400/Picture+1.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261202657921372130" /></a><br />With ten days left until Election Day, McCain’s campaign hangs on by a thread of designer clothing. This past week proved to be another struggle for the GOP as they were forced to again defend themselves. For Democrats, the main story was that Obama would leave the campaign to visit his gravely ill grandmother in Hawaii, and for the Republicans it was that Sarah Palin has expensive taste. <br /><br />Although McCain’s numbers are down in almost every swing state, the RNC believes the most effective use of their dwindling funds should go towards clothes and makeup. On Wednesday, <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14805.html">Politico</a> broke the story that the RNC spend roughly 150,000 dollars for Palin’s new wardrobe. Granted she couldn’t sport her typical bikini bottoms and moose sweatshirts on the national campaign circuit, but as the RNC scrambles to compete with Obama’s millions, this figure is surely ridiculous. <br /><br />Moreover, in the same way opponents used John Edward's 400 dollar haircut to portray him as an elitist, the story is extremely damaging to Palin’s image. How many soccer moms do you know spend 75,000 dollars at Neiman Marcus? That’s more than the yearly income of most American households. McCain was quick to defend his fellow maverick stating, “she needed clothes.” He grew more furious though when a reporter quested whether the RNC paid for his wardrobe, as he fiercely responded with “I buy my own suits!” Ten points down with ten days to go, a debate on fashion is not what McCain needs.<br /><br />Then yesterday, <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/24/pains-makeup-stylist-fetches-highest-salary-in-2-week-period/?em">The New York Times</a> released figures on the highest paid individuals in the McCain campaign. It was not the chief strategist or communication director, as most would assume, but rather a newcomer to the political scene. Amy Strozzi was the highest paid individual, making $22,800 dollars in the first two weeks of October. And what does the highest paid McCain staffer do? She is Governor Palin’s personal makeup artist. Right behind Strozzi at the number four spot, Ms. Angela Lew made $10,000 dollars for her “Communications Consulting” during the first week of October, as she serves as Palin’s traveling hair stylist. Not to say these ladies don’t have the proper credentials. Strozzi was nominated for an Emmy award for her makeup work on “So You Think You Can Dance.” <br /><br />Now I hope this article doesn’t spark another tirade from Campbell Brown, as I understand women have different standards when it comes to physical appearance, but over $30,000 dollars in two weeks on hair and makeup! Maybe it is the male prejudice as I have never purchased makeup nor any type of hair product, but I just cannot wrap my head around these figures. This expensive attention to style is a direct contrast to Palin’s “hockey mom” image and appeal to the working-class, and also because the McCain camp is so poor. How can they figure this expense is more important than a last minute advertisement in Indiana? I guess it does matter a little more when you have a Vice-Presidential candidate that is all looks and no substance. At least Sarah Palin will be dressed in style when she sits next to a somber John McCain in an Arizona hotel room and watches the Electoral map turn blue.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790699718190612549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6863452990061121624.post-20239329520767991242008-10-18T22:10:00.000-07:002008-10-18T22:16:48.507-07:00Tradition vs. EqualityOn November 4th California voters will decide to either respect the privacy of Portia and Ellen’s relationship or to force equality back in the closet. If approved, Proposition 8 would eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry, and overturn the June 2008 Supreme Court decision that declared the ban unconstitutional. Proponents of Prop 8 argue for a defense of “traditional marriage;” yet fail to realize that while traditions evolve, notions of equality are unchanged. <br /><br />Not long ago, heterosexual couples fought to obtain civil marriage equality. In 1948 California became the first state to declare a ban on interracial marriage unconstitutional, 19 years before the Federal government would overturn every state interracial marriage ban and insist the “freedom to marry” belongs to all citizens. Not surprisingly, recent <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_10726071">polls</a> indicate a majority of minorities oppose Prop 8, likely because they have a clearer understanding of marital discrimination. <br /><br />With millions of dollars being spent to protect marital tradition it raises the question, why limit the cause by solely focusing homosexuality? Marriages’ most visible enemy, divorce, destroys roughly 2/3 of Californian couples and should be made illegal. Another traditional marriage perpetrator, adultery, is also too common and should be made punishable by forcing those convicted to display the letter “A,” at all times. Mandating marriage for couples that choose to engage in sexual reproduction (a Bristol Palin doctrine) would further help to regulate tradition.<br /><br />Homosexuality has been documented in some of the earliest civilizations, including ancient Rome and Japan, yet marital customs mostly stem from religion. Many of these traditional marriage values originate from the Bible, in which women were viewed as property of their husbands. Why not put this decision regarding the ownership of wives to the electorate? <br /><br />California recognizes the Constitutional separation of church and state, yet marriage poses a problem as it inherently combines the two. However, marriage does not require a religious ceremony, rather a quick trip to City Hall to sign legal documents or an even quicker Vegas drive-thru is sufficient. <br /><br />Religious organizations main argument is that under the law they will be forced to recognize same-sex marriages. Such claims are untrue in the same way that a priest is not required to recognize a Muslim ceremony under the Catholic Church. Moreover, it is worth noting that Prop 8 is compelling religious institutions to encourage promiscuity over love and commitment. <br /><br />Many states have found legal compromise in the creation of civil unions but why the need for a different legal category. Should such classification extend to other nontraditional engagements? Perhaps those that choose to marry an illegal alien, thus granting citizenship, should fill out a special marriage-B license. Then again, as the Connecticut Supreme Court recently reminded us, this country has already overturned the notion of separate but equal.In his majority opinion legalizing same-sex marriages, Justice Richard Palmer wrote that the court found the <br /><br /><blockquote>"segregation of heterosexual and homosexual couples into separate institutions constitutes a cognizable harm," in light of "the history of pernicious discrimination faced by gay men and lesbians, and because the institution of marriage carries with it a status and significance that the newly created classification of civil unions does not embody."</blockquote><br />In a political scare tactic, proponents of Prop 8 are suggesting the possible ramifications of legalizing same-sex marriage. One advertisement is truly a conservatives’ nightmare as it depicts a child suggesting the book “King and King” for his bedtime story. Additionally, in a series of blatant fabrications, proponents insist that schools will be forced to teach same-sex marriage. Curriculum though is controlled on the local level and is the same reason intelligent design is only taught in selected school districts. <br /><br />As same-sex adoption rates continue to rise, marriage should parallel the evolution of the family structure. Children are already exposed to peers with same-sex parents and will be confused to learn that certain individuals are not “created equal” and granted such basic rights as marriage. <br /><br />Traditions are subjective and continually changing. In contrast, as the California Supreme Court declared, equality is always protected under the Constitution. The passage of Prop 8 is truly a step backwards for society and the gay-rights movement. By voting for tradition as oppose to equality, there will be a lasting detrimental effect further encouraging homophobic discrimination for countless Californians.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790699718190612549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6863452990061121624.post-38124359001757066692008-10-04T13:28:00.000-07:002008-10-05T16:33:36.315-07:00Subtle Racism in Political Campaign MessagesThe United States is rooted in a belief of discrimination and racial inferiority. Initially, it was the Founding Fathers who upheld such inequality by drafting a Constitution which accepted slavery, ensuring southern states that non-free persons would count as 3/5 of a person in order to compromise Congressional representation. It would take a bloody Civil War, several Supreme Court decisions, and a movement lead by a reverend from Atlanta, Georgia before African Americans would be granted equal voting rights. In the years following the Civil Rights Movement and the Fifteenth Amendment, which prohibits federal or state government from infringing on a citizen’s right to vote “on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude,” racism continued to permeate American government and politics. Countless politicians were elected despite blatant discriminatory views, such as bans on interracial marriage. Eventually, these ideals would become socially unacceptable, in most elections, as the United States entered an era of egalitarian thought. <br /><br />Racism would not be eradicated though, as public opinion would suggest, rather it would be revealed in the privacy of the voting booth. One victim of such deception was former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley. In 1982, both pre-election and exit polls had Bradley heavily favored in the California gubernatorial race. Bradley, an African American, would lose the election to his white opponent George Deukmejian. Following the results, Deukmejian’s campaign manager commented on the inaccuracy of the polls, stating “if people are going to vote that way, they certainly are not going to announce it for a survey taker.” The “Bradley Effect,” as political scientists would coin it, would go on to plague numerous African American politicians such as Harold Washington, Douglas Wilder, and David Dinkins. Author <a href="http://people.iq.harvard.edu/~dhopkins/wilder13.pdf">Daniel Hopkins</a> discusses the “Bradley Effect” in his 2008 Harvard study, and while he concludes that it no longer exists, he does acknowledge that before 1996 African Americans running for office performed approximately 2.7 points worse than polling numbers. Although the public would no longer tolerate explicit racism, anti-black sentiments clearly continued, and politicians began to capitalize through more subtle means. Thus, modern politics has created a paradox in which African American candidates avoid policy discussions with racial undertones while white politicians implement implicit racial messages as a means to influence the electorate.<br /><br />Political campaigns appeal to racial beliefs through either explicit or implicit messages. Explicit messages make blatant racial claims using such words as “black,” or “race.” In the past, white politicians’ strategy when facing a black opponent was to link unfavorable policies explicitly to African American citizens. Between 1940 and 1970, these prejudice policies directly targeted blacks, such as measures against racial integration in marriage, housing, and the workplace. In 1942, 68 percent of whites favored school segregation yet in 1995 only 4 percent responded similarly (<a href="http://www.igpa.uillinois.edu/programs/racial-attitudes">Schuman et al. 1997</a>). As society progressed and anti-discriminatory laws were passed, politicians shifted away from explicitly racial messages. As Gregory Huber notes in his article “<a href="http://huber.research.yale.edu/papers/2006_AJPS_RaceCardRevisited.pdf">The Race Card Revisited</a>,” “even those who hold negative views of blacks consciously resist explicit appeals by instead embracing a widely held egalitarian antiracist ideal that is stronger than the racist counterpart.” Thus, white politicians would have to be subtler in their messages. The Willie Horton advertisement from the 1988 Presidential election exemplifies such implicit attempts at appealing to anti-black views. The portrayed an African American convicted felon who was serving a life-sentence. It then describes how Horton was released on a weekend furlough program and committed an additional robbery and rape. The program was supported by Massachusetts Governor and Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis, and was the critical blow to his candidacy. <br /><br />Political scientist <a href="http://press.princeton.edu/titles/7090.html">Mendelberg</a> outlined the four fundamental goals of racial cues in campaign messages. First, the cues needed to appeal to white Americans’ internal conflict between the concept of egalitarianism and resentment towards minorities for lacking hard work and individualism. Second, racial cues must create a memory, which is readily employed during political decision-making. Thirdly, the content must not be explicit and lastly, the audience must not recognize the racial cues. Racial cues can either be verbal, for example, continually citing the term “inner-city” as a means to invoke images of African Americans, or visual, such as a political advertisement discussing illegal immigration while flashing images of Mexican immigrants. Racial messages prove more successful in campaigns with strong racial attitudes. Such endorsements often prey on the negative minority stereotypes as well as white dissatisfaction with minority advancements. Both older whites, as well as uneducated voters are most susceptible to these anti-black implicit messages. These tactics often times increase voter turned in biracial elections by roughly 3 percentage points (Hopkins 2008). <br /><br />When explicit campaign messages proved unsuccessful, white politicians began to portray African Americans through implicit racial cues as opponents of American values and tying them to controversial issues such as affirmative action, welfare, and crime.<br /><br />White politicians have capitalized on the fact that traditional American values are in fact that of ‘white’ American values, therefore blackness itself is in violation. The 2008 election exemplifies such tactics, as Republicans made several attempts to portray African American and Democratic candidate Barack Obama as out of touch with traditional American values. Rumors of his ties to Muslim extremists were circulated in correlation with the advertisement of his middle name Hussein. In addition, Republicans have attempted to depict Obama as an elitist. Georgia Congressman Westmoreland even referring to the Senator as “<a href="http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/westmoreland-calls-obama-uppity-2008-09-04.html">uppity</a>,” but would later issue an apology, claiming he was unaware of the term’s racial connotation. McCain also attacked Obama’s celebrity in a televised advertisement making comparisons to socialite Paris Hilton and pop star Britney Spears. Although none of these attacks had a severe affect on voters, the strategy of separating the Black candidate from traditional white American values continues. <br /><br />Historically, “racialized” campaign messages have implicitly linked both African American citizens and politicians to welfare reform. In a 1999 publication titled <a href="http://www.jstor.org/pss/1389721">Why Americans Hate Welfare: Race, Media, and the Politics of Anti-Poverty Policy</a> author Martin Giles notes that “By 1973, 75% of magazine pictures featured African Americans as the face of welfare, despite African Americans making up only 35% of welfare recipients.” Thus, politicians have used this stereotype to depict African Americans as opponents of individuality and dependent on government assistance. Giles uses the results of an experiment in which a welfare story was embedded in an 11-minute news clip. The clip was shown to two separate groups, one using a white woman in the welfare story and the other a black woman. The results showed that people were extremely accurate in recalling the race and gender of the black female recipient, thus confirming that the racial narrative incited implicit associations between blacks and welfare (Giles 1999). This image has continued well into the 1990s, yet has lessened since the passage of the welfare reform bill in 1996. Notably, Barack Obama has illustrated awareness of the racial sentiments and has spoke little on the subject of welfare reform. Nevertheless, John McCain has attempted to depict Obama as a reckless government spender. <br /><br />Another racially charged policy issue is affirmative action. Just days before the 1996 Presidential election, Republican candidate Bob Dole traveled to California to announce his support for Proposition 209, a measure that would end state affirmative action programs. President Clinton later responded with a “mend it, don’t end it” approach to maintaining federal affirmative action programs (<a href="http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/1/3/7/1/3/p137132_index.html">Petrow 2006</a>). Obama has successfully avoided this subject matter in the 2008 election, as his position on the policy is not even listed on the issues section of his web site. <br /><br />Another manipulative tactic implemented by politicians in elections is to pray on whites’ fear of the black man as a criminal. White voters often associate violence and criminal activity with minorities, specifically African Americans. Not coincidently, one adjective used by Republicans to describe Barack Obama is “dangerous.” Although this is most often in reference to Obama’s foreign policy views, it is no doubt a subtle attempt at evoking the subconscious belief that African Americans are violent. Obama has proved his awareness of these attempts though, and while several political pundits criticize him for not getting angrier, he realizes that such hostile emotions will only play into the “angry Blackman” stereotype. Even in the first Presidential debate, Obama remained mostly calm and not too aggressive with John McCain. White politicians, on the other hand, are not subject to such emotional restrictions. It is also no surprise that Obama’s most damaging attack was his link to Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Sermons in which Wright angrily states "God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme," were immediately damaging to the Obama campaign and he was forced to cut relations with his pastor of 20 years. <br /><br />It is important to note racial messages are not solely exclusive to white politicians. In August of 2008, Democrat Steve Cohen faced a racial charged primary in Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District. Cohen, a white Jew, faced tough competition against African American Nikki Tinker in the states only black majority district. Tinker used implicit racial cues in several television advertisements. One ad showed several images of Klansmen and the other challenged the Jewish incumbent for “praying in our churches” (“<a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/politics/2008/08/cohen_hangs_on_in_tn9_dem_prim.html">Cohen Hangs on In TN-9 Dem Primary</a>”).<br /><br />While the 2008 Presidential campaign has exemplified racial cues to discourage support for African American candidate Barack Obama, it has yet to be determined if the messages will truly influence the electorate. However, a recent September 2008 poll, conducted by <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/22/race.politics/">Associated Press/Yahoo</a>, illustrates McCain might have made an impact. In questioning 2227 adults (1083 registered Democrats and 798 Republicans), the poll found that racist views might cause roughly 2.5 percent of Democrats to “turn away from Obama because of his race.” In addition, one-third of white Democrats cited a negative adjective describing blacks while roughly twenty-five percent felt “if blacks would only try harder, they could be just as well off as whites.” Such results are surely noteworthy, considering the past two presidential elections have been decided by slight margins. <br /><br />As the current Presidential election includes the first African American candidate it is uncertain whether the “Bradley Effect” will transcend national politics. Researcher Daniel Hopkins argues that we have seen the end of polling inaccuracy due to undisclosed racism. He basis his analysis off past elections and cites the welfare reform bill of 1996 as the end to erroneous polls. Conversely, there has never been an African America presidential candidate, thus the affect of racial cues in national campaigns is unknown. <br /><br />The electorate has certainly evolved over the past fifty years and has become more accepting of African Americans. While few feel that blacks are inherently less intelligent many still hold the belief that they lack the motivation to succeed (Schuman et al. 1997). However, there are countless minorities who still face discrimination, including Latinos, Middle Easterners, and homosexuals. Will these groups face similar implicit messages when they begin running for federal positions, or has America progressed beyond personal attacks to focus more on issues and policies? Ultimately, the future of race and politics will rest on the 2008 Presidential election and the candidacy of Barack Obama.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790699718190612549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6863452990061121624.post-64471435724014979812008-09-27T14:20:00.000-07:002008-09-27T14:44:18.115-07:00Welcome To The Seventh Political Party System<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvGHAxT9WrhSawjoKZRskBGdovZKsKa33RGJSICTW85Kyd4OylMm-ubD1PihXPclehzLap9GiE6tDZpdM_B9SNO6qv8XR9a8Y9SaD3cydHhgsGs2nM4pc3WyVGZcqUWCiiXJUYn2OH9efV/s1600-h/Picture+2.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvGHAxT9WrhSawjoKZRskBGdovZKsKa33RGJSICTW85Kyd4OylMm-ubD1PihXPclehzLap9GiE6tDZpdM_B9SNO6qv8XR9a8Y9SaD3cydHhgsGs2nM4pc3WyVGZcqUWCiiXJUYn2OH9efV/s400/Picture+2.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250814728847955426" /></a><br /><br />Okay, so maybe the map is a little unrealistic, but after last night’s debate, I feel as though Obama is going to win big and ultimately, we will enter a new era of political parties. English Scholar James Bryce introduced the concept of the political party system in his 1888 book the <a href="http://oll.libertyfund.org/?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=1850">American Commonwealth</a>. Since then, political scientists have furthered Bryce’s original observations, noting the major election cycles that illustrated massive party realignment. Scientist’s agree on the dates of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_system">First Party System</a>, between 1792 and 1824, which put Alexander Hamilton’s Federalists against Thomas Jefferson’s Democratic-Republicans. The later periods become slightly more debatable, but many agree that the Fifth Party System, which began with FDR’s 1932 victory, ended in 1968 when Republicans began to dominate Southern politics. However, in the year 2008, it is my prediction that we will see an end to this era, and a Barack Obama Presidency will lead us into the Seventh Political Party System. <br /><br />This is the first election since 1952 in which there is not an incumbent President or Vice-President on the ballot. Because of this, both candidacies have redefined aspects of their party platform. <br /><br />With the numerous scandals and the dismal approval ratings of President Bush, the Republican Party has been in shambles. As John McCain emerged from the primaries as the nominee, many were still unenthusiastic about this “maverick” politician as he differed from Republican colleagues in areas such as climate change, stem-cell research, and campaign finance. Yet, the surprising addition of first-term Alaskan governor Sarah Palin to the ticket immediately re-energized the Republican base, if only for a short while. Now even conservative columnist are asking Sarah Palin to step down, such as Kathleen Parker of the National Review who states in a September 26 <a href="http://article.nationalreview.com/print/?q=MDZiMDhjYTU1NmI5Y2MwZjg2MWNiMWMyYTUxZDkwNTE=">column</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote>“If Palin were a man, we’d all be guffawing, just as we do every time Joe Biden tickles the back of his throat with his toes. But because she’s a woman — and the first ever on a Republican presidential ticket — we are reluctant to say what is painfully true."</blockquote><br />So where does this leave the Republican Party? Sure, national defense was a top priority in the primaries, but with the recent economic crisis, they are now left with a candidate whose strongest issue is not one that over 50 percent of Americans feel is the most <a href="http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/">important</a>. Furthermore, the social conservatism that defined Republicans in previous elections, such as views on abortion, gay-marriage, and climate change, have been put to the back burner due to the failing economy. <br /><br />The Democrats too, made a decision to enter a new era of politics by choosing newcomer and African-American Barack Obama over the female veteran Hillary Clinton. Obama’s historic candidacy has put many southern Republican states in contention to turn blue. He currently leads by a slight margin in Virginia, a state that hasn’t voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964, and hasn’t even been a hard fought race for years. In addition to these Republican strongholds characterized under the six-party system, the financial crisis will also continue to affect the electorate in November. It remains the largest financial crisis our nation has faced since the Great Depression. Republican candidate McCain has frequently said that he is not strong on the economy and has proved this lack of knowledge in numerous speeches and in the first debate. His economic policies parallel lame duck President Bush, and he fails to even mention the middle class in most speeches or debates. Which is not surprising, with 7 houses and 12 cars, how can he appear relatable?<br /><br />Obama and the Democrats have been running get out the vote drives for over a year now and the Democratic primaries showed significantly higher figures than any of the Republican numbers. And although the polls appear to be close, if we have learned anything from the New Hampshire primaries, they don’t account for much except adding to the horse race excitement. I predict we will see even more Obama support in November. <br /><br />The debate last night was truly the end for McCain and the Republicans. He needed to demolish Obama and make him look risky and unfit to be Commander in Chief. He failed, as Obama appeared competent and forceful yet was able to stress philosophical differences between McCain's world view and his own. In the next couple weeks it is my prediction that Palin will make several more embarrassing interviews (if she is allowed to talk to the press) and will appear extremely foolish next to Biden on October 2nd. McCain will continue to look haggard and angry, and more voters will realize his weaknesses when it comes to the economy. <br /><br />We are in the midst of a realigning election. While the Republicans will mostly likely hold onto the more affluent white voters, it is uncertain which demographics will ultimately gravitate towards Obama and the Democratic Party. I personally know 5 lifelong Republicans who are voting Obama this election. What about you?Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790699718190612549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6863452990061121624.post-61961947984171550932008-09-20T20:11:00.001-07:002008-09-27T12:14:43.408-07:00Is 2006 Looking More Like 1932?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCSvM8sIbBrrqjh41OS0ctuQ03YXSuovi433CgUh2sXIYZg7lfcsl3EZLykXCVr2hOIpTwUXSLjJ_haEwXOCbHpLWekL6AOQ81Uv4EiQ-x1w-Wo7I187MOdjSgJGRmPKYLLZWfgdVR0du/s1600-h/Picture+3.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCSvM8sIbBrrqjh41OS0ctuQ03YXSuovi433CgUh2sXIYZg7lfcsl3EZLykXCVr2hOIpTwUXSLjJ_haEwXOCbHpLWekL6AOQ81Uv4EiQ-x1w-Wo7I187MOdjSgJGRmPKYLLZWfgdVR0du/s400/Picture+3.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248307264213352658" /></a><br />Has the Presidency really evolved over the past 70 years? In a June 2008 <a href="http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/06/two_conservatives.html">article</a> for the Center for American Progress, author David Madland compares the disastrous presidencies of Herbert Hover and George W. Bush. Although Madland admits that the comparison might be a little premature, with the recent collapse of our nations housing market, the assessment has become increasingly accurate. Both entered office with a booming economy and believed that deregulation in the private sector would encourage the market to fix itself in a crisis. While the GDP has increased roughly 2.9 percent these past 7 years, unlike under the Hoover administration, housing foreclosures are higher under Bush than Hoover. As our nation enters arguably its second Depression due to the <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13632_Page2.html">Hoover/Bush</a> ideology, the current election is looking more and more like <a href="http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/politics/2008/09/10/the-most-consequential-elections-in-history-franklin-delano-roosevelt-and-the-election-of-1932.html?PageNr=1">1932</a>. <br /><br />The election of 1932 put conservative incumbent Herbert Hoover against the liberal leaning Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Democrats had recently gained control of Congress in the 1930 election (like in 2006) and the nation was still in the midst of a recession triggered by the 1929 stock market-crash (which many historians attribute to the deregulation of business in the 1920s). <br /><br />McCain, like Bush, also mirrors Hoover in several economic principals. Hoover was a firm believer that “rugged individualism” would prevail as it was a staple of the American character. McCain, likewise, has always voted for deregulation of government control in the private sector. He also believes that the fundamentals of our economy are strong and in July his economic advisor touted that America was facing a “<a href="http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/07/10/1191310.aspx">mental recession</a>” and stated we have become a “nation of whiners.”<br /><br />Obama and FDR also share surprising similarities. Like Obama, Roosevelt was an effective communicator and idealist with a strong message of change. Both believe that the government should help the individual in times of an economic crisis and share a concern with helping the poor, which Obama illustrates in his <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/11/news/economy/candidates_taxproposals_tpc/index.htm">tax plan</a> which would give larger refunds to those in lower economic breakdowns. In addition, both believed in expanding social programs with Roosevelt helping to form Social Security and Obama working towards a universal healthcare program. Roosevelt also had stronger support from the media (as does Obama) but it was mostly due to his close relationship with New York publisher William Randolph Hearst. <br /><br />In addition to the candidates, the campaigns also depict similarities. Hoover’s main attack was to portray FDR as a radical that would raise takes and increase the federal debt to pay for social programs. Sound familiar? His campaign slogan read “Play it safe, vote for Hoover” and frequently ensured voters that the worst was over. But during a time when roughly 30 percent of the nation was unemployed, the message didn’t stick. FDR, in turn, argued that it was these faulty economic policies that continued the country into a deeper depression. Obama uses the same tactic suggesting that a McCain presidency would basically be a third term for Bush.<br /><br />An analysis of the Presidency and elections shows a clear cause and effect. What we dislike about one President, we vote the opposite in the following election. Hoover’s conservative hands-off approach lead to a dominant victory for FDR and paved the way for a bigger government and countless social programs. Similarly, Clinton’s Oval Office blow job lead us to question our morals and elect a right-wing Christian who speaks directly to a higher power before engaging war. <br /><br />Hopefully the trend continues, and in 70 more years historians will be noting that without a President Bush we would not have had a President Obama.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790699718190612549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6863452990061121624.post-7016729635532959382008-09-13T21:48:00.000-07:002008-09-13T22:26:55.487-07:00Todd Boyd: An African American Public Intellectual<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIoYGLf1DvjwQkQNiEpaGbrmYUOp2A_dWT6Na2QuHVN2HzZmgq-i3sOrLalOqYlsbVMUowPZjVZPo4LBuVEmN9YAy2dfZnYME3Yv2wPXcETj1iYUUvS-aC8oHTYRItPUiRKqH5bV_YFuY/s1600-h/Picture+2.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIoYGLf1DvjwQkQNiEpaGbrmYUOp2A_dWT6Na2QuHVN2HzZmgq-i3sOrLalOqYlsbVMUowPZjVZPo4LBuVEmN9YAy2dfZnYME3Yv2wPXcETj1iYUUvS-aC8oHTYRItPUiRKqH5bV_YFuY/s320/Picture+2.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245735876614064210" /></a><br /><br />Todd Boyd is not your quintessential public intellectual. At times his mannerisms, dress, vernacular, and subject of expertise would lead many to question whether Boyd is in fact, an intellectual. However, these initial judgments are rooted in an anti-intellectual hostility and elitist critique towards the study of humanities and art. It is important to note, as Professor Stephen Mack has in his essay “<a href="http://www.stephenmack.com/blog/archives/2007/08/public_intellec.html">The Decline of Public Intellectuals</a>?,” “what is sometimes identified as anti-intellectualism is in fact intellectual – that is, a well articulated family of ideas and arguments that privilege the practical, active side of life (e.g. work) over the passive and purely reflect operations of the mind in a vacuum.” In addition to Mack’s claim, the oppression of blacks for centuries has certainly led to new standards (or the abolishment of standards) for the African American public intellectual. <br /><br />On his <a href="http://racism-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_african_american_intellectual">web site</a>, author William Cook discusses the historic implications of white dominance over blacks and the effect this has had on African American intellectualism. Cook makes that claim that because Africans were forcibly brought to America, they are the only ethnic group that does not owe anything to anyone and are not subject to the established “American ideals of artistic and intellectual development because they inhibit the group’s progress.” It is truly hypocritical for white academics to set the standards for African American intellectuals, as they have been making false, discriminatory claims on African Americans for centuries. In the 1980 (summer) “<a href="http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=1542-7331">Journal of American Culture</a>,” author M. Fabre states: “It is clear that the scoundrel, the ape, the beast, the Black man are near equivalents…” And we thought now was the era of anti-intellectual thought. More recent remarks of degradation were articulated by Canadian Professor Philippe Rush in a 2001 article in <a href="http://www.lrainc.com/swtaboo/stalkers/jpr_insight.html">Insight</a> magazine: “What I've found is that in brain size, intelligence, temperament, sexual behavior, fertility, growth rate, life span, crime, and family stability, Orientals fall at one end of the spectrum, blacks fall at the other end and whites fall in between. On average, Orientals are slower to mature, less fertile, and less sexually active, and have larger brains and higher IQ scores. Blacks are at the opposite end in each of these areas. Whites fall in the middle, often close to Orientals.” The psychological implications from such statements have had detrimental effects on the psyche of African Americans, especially <a href="http://tc.education.pitt.edu/library/SelfEsteem.pdf">adolescents</a>. As studies depict a direct correlation between self-esteem and academic achievement, African American public intellectuals must take on additional responsibilities.<br /><br />As Mack points out, the concept of a public intellectual needs to begin with a shift from “categories and class” to “function.” Professor Todd Boyd is a clear illustration of an intellectual whose primary goal is that of function, both to inform and energize his listeners. Dr. Boyd is the Katherine and Frank Price Endowed Chair for the Study of Race and Popular Culture and is a Professor of Critical Studies in the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He earned his PhD in Communication Studies from the University of Iowa in 1991. Following graduation he taught briefly at the University of Utah before entering the Cinematic Arts department at the University of Southern California in 1992. Dr. Boyd has published six books, and has written numerous articles and essays for The New York Times, <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/writers/todd-boyd">Los Angeles Times</a>, Washington Post, among many other publications. In addition, Dr. Boyd co-wrote the Paramount Picture film <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wood">The Wood</a> and his made numerous television appearances on programs such as ABC World News Tonight, Biography, and the Today Show. He is currently a columnist for the <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=boyd/070508&sportCat=mlb">ESPN.com</a> column Page 2, under the pseudonym “The Notorious Ph.D.” <br /><br />Dr. Boyd’s controversial views have resulted in heated debates between other prominent African American intellectuals. Specifically, his recent book, (which Scott Smith <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1178621">critiques</a>) suggests that hip hop has replaced the Civil Rights movement and is a more accurate representation of the Black Power movement. In contrast, author bell hooks believes that hip hop reflects "imperialist white-supremacist capitalist patriarchy.” Boyd disagrees and in an article with NPR, Boyd notes that hip hop reflects the current social problems of the African American community. "Hip hop is inherently political, the language is political," Boyd says. "It uses language as a weapon — not a weapon to violate or not a weapon to offend, but a weapon that pushes the envelope that provokes people, makes people think." Many African American public officials agree with Boyd. In an <a href="http://www.nathanielturner.com/maxinewatershiphopsymposiuminterview.htm">interview</a> with Kam Williams, California Assemblywoman Maxine Waters states that one of her aims is “to get the hip-hop community more involved with public policy makers, so that they could begin to influence the thinking of older and mainstream people.” Ultimately, Hip hop serves as a forum for those that would otherwise go unheard. Like hip hop, Boyd gives an educated voice to his community while at the same time posing controversial views that further “boil the pot” in regards to culture and race. In addition, he has shown understanding of our commercially controlled media driven society and instead of fighting it, he uses it as a platform. <br /><br />Both Boyd’s word choice and syntax reflect his innate ability to first engage an audience before discussing the main point of his argument. While some may argue that this cheapens Boyd’s work and status as an intellectual, I disagree. Boyd will use phrases such as “playa hater” to describe individuals who harbor jealous and animosity towards someone else’s success and popularity giving both Hank Aaron and John McCain as examples. Boyd is surely aware of his grammatical errors, yet his aim is to first attract individuals at all intellectual levels in order to engage in a more educated dialogue. While his approach may contribute to the anti-intellectual argument, his style is influential and contributes to further public discourse. <br /><br />Todd Boyd further uses his role as a public intellectual to counter ignorance affecting African American culture. This past summer, police chief in Flint, Michigan, David Dicks, began instructing officers to start arresting individuals with sagging jeans. Those arrested would face jail time and hefty fines because Dicks believes the fad is an “immoral self expression.” In the third most dangerous city in America, according to Congressional Quarterly, Boyd’s first response in a <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/146803">Newsweek</a> interview was: “Clearly there are more important things going on in Flint.” Boyd then goes on to discuss the historical fashion trend of sagging jeans noting that before labels such as Sean Jean and Rocawear, jeans were made too narrow for the black male body. In addition, many African American males were not able to afford new jeans and were required to wear hand-me-downs from older siblings, which attributed to the bagginess. While this issue may seem trivial, I would be furious if I received a fine for unfit clothes and like myself, I know these young individuals could not afford such a ridiculous expense. Todd Boyd was quick to address this economic concern facing the many African American intellectuals in Flint, MI. Were Noam Chomsky, or Fareed Zakaria going to publish an article in regards to this unreasonable law: Probably not. <br /><br />It is unfair to compare the works of black and white public intellectuals, as their goals may be entirely different. While Christopher Hitchen’s seeks to engage a foreign policy conversation with the Slate magazine <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2197704/">article</a> “South Ossetia Isn't Kosovo,” Todd Boyd aims to educate the African American youth about culture awareness with a book titled “A<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Am-Black-Enough-You-Popular/dp/0253211050">m I Black Enough For You?: Popular Culture from the 'Hood and Beyond.</a>” Is one cause more admirable, more intellectual than the other? Some still say yes, but I think it is a mistake to use the phrase “anti-intellectual” in reference to works of differing cultural concerns and will only result in additional strained race relations. And wasn’t it this pretentious attitude that created all the problems in the first place?Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790699718190612549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6863452990061121624.post-69344842826670665402008-09-12T20:44:00.000-07:002008-09-13T22:16:57.011-07:00The Evolution of the Public IntellectualFor me, the notion of a public intellectual initially seemed like an oxymoron. The two are polar opposites, ignorant versus pretentious. The public, for the most part, purchases tabloids and watches superhero films, while intellectuals gather at MENSA meetings to discuss matters in private. Then again, this judgment is most likely a product of my Generation Y cynicism. It is just difficult to look at our current President and feel as though this is a nation that values (and votes for) intelligence. <br /><br />The concept is certainly more realistic then my immediate reaction. The problem, however, is in the definition. For instance, who decides who gets to sit at this grown-up-table of knowledge and preach to us less informed? Should it be treated in the same manner as the title of Poet Laureate, in which the discretion is left to The Library of Congress. Surely these individuals are qualified to weigh the intelligence and influence of our nation’s brightest. Or should this democratic country leave the decision to the electorate: American Intellectual Idol? Both suggestions seem plausible but just because an opinion is deemed popular does not necessarily mean it is intellectual. Furthermore, we look to our public intellectuals as watchdogs of government and count on them to pose critical and often controversial views. Therefore, we would not want to encourage public intellectuals to stress mainstream opinions in order to seek popularity. <br /><br />In addition, what are the qualifications for this esteemed title: a PhD, journalistic experience, a public office position, all of the above? Certainly not every college graduate with a web-blog can have the title of public intellectual on his or her business card. Historically, the term public intellectual lacked such ambiguity and was easier to define. For the most part, few individuals had the capabilities to publish their opinions for a larger audience. Thus, the intellectual pool was much smaller. However, we now live in the age of information, and this tidal wave of knowledge has had a drastic affect on the notion of the public intellectual. <br /><br />Ultimately, there is simply no standard for publication anymore, as access to Internet remains the only requirement. With this, the once small pool of intellectual thought has grown into an ocean of opinions, as people must now sift through mass amounts of information in search of credibility. In Richard Posner Public Intellectuals: A Study of Decline he uses the argument that such advances in media and communication have lead to a downfall in intellectual work. Posner’s main flaw is his misguided methodology in what he considers “media attention.” He relied on three <a href="http://www.complete-review.com/quarterly/vol3/issue2/posner2.htm">Lexis/Nexis</a> databases to compile a list of 571 public intellectuals, yet it seems he forgot to check the list over as he leaves out countless influential thinkers such as Christopher Hitchens. In general, I tend to agree more with Posner’s critics, including Carol Polsgrove, who in <a href="http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=posner_proves_his_case">The American Prospect</a> notes: "The 'Decline' in the subtitle is in fact hypothetical -- pure tease. Posner makes no attempt to trace a decline; this book is not a history." <br /><br />Posner took the wrong approach in his analysis of the modern public intellectual. Such access to information should attribute to the advancement of the public intellectual, not the decline. Data and statistics are now readily available to members of every societal class and not solely the elite. Granted, false information is posted daily, but one should always remain critical of his or her source of information. In addition, we now have countless opinions and viewpoints to consider and comment on. And if anything, this saturation of news outlets, web sites, and blogs will encourage competition in which the best and brightest will prevail. The public intellectual now has the necessary tools with the ability to transfer his or her knowledge and create a more informed electorate.<br /><br />With the Internet’s ability to update information by the second, ignorance can no longer be tolerated. Thus, the role of the public intellectual becomes even more important. Ralph Waldo Emerson stated it most eloquently in his essay the <a href="http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/transcendentalism/authors/emerson/essays/amscholar.html">American Scholar:</a><br /><br />“The office of the scholar is to cheer, to raise, and to guide men by showing them facts amidst appearances. He is one, who raises himself from private considerations, and breathes and lives on public and illustrious thoughts. He is the world's eye. He is the world's heart. He is to resist the vulgar prosperity that retrogrades ever to barbarism, by preserving and communicating heroic sentiments, noble biographies, melodious verse, and the conclusions of history.” <br /><br />In his essay “<a href="http://www.stephenmack.com/blog/archives/2007/08/public_intellec.html">The Decline of Public Intellectuals</a>,” professor Stephen Mack suggests that the concept of public intellectual “begins with a shift from categories and class to function.” This is an important distinction because it allows us focus more on the work of the individual in comparison to his or her title and background. In addition, we are able to hold the public intellectual to a higher standard. They must not only be an expert in their academic field, but a voice for their community, activist, teacher, public policy advisor, etc. We demand a lot from our intellectuals, but at a time when such an admirable title is so undefined, they should expect such standards.<br /><br />It is clear that there has been an expansion of public intellectualism, but unlike Posner believes, it is not for the negative. Rather the changes are linked to the cultural achievements of the 20th century. As our post-modern society has added new academic concerns, such as environmentalism, our progress has also allowed for the inclusion of intellectual individuals that 50 years ago would have been unable to gain public attention. I am speaking specifically about the African American public intellectual. <br /><br />It was only 54 years ago that the United States Supreme Court ended school segregation in the Brown v Board of Education ruling. In the decades to follow, African American culture began to advance with the Voting Rights Act of 1964 and as more members of their community entered higher educational institutions. As a result, more studies were conducted in African American history and culture, and notions of race and race relations began to enter the world of academia. Subsequently, the public intellectual club has evolved and gained new darker members, amongst them, the Notorious Ph.D., Dr. Todd Boyd.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790699718190612549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6863452990061121624.post-71192121166417421802008-09-06T18:11:00.000-07:002008-09-27T12:15:11.289-07:00IQ Test For Presidential Candidates?As a nation we count on our leaders to be among the most intellectual and educated members of the electorate. After eight years with a President who confuses everything from the presence of weapons of mass destruction to southern proverbs regarding shame and foolery, we should be a little more concerned about the intelligence of our Commander in Chief. Yet even George W. obtained degrees from both Harvard and Yale, despite an SAT score that would prove difficult for admittance to many state schools. Clearly, intelligence isn’t the number one factor voters consider in November, but wait, shouldn’t it be?<br /><br />McCain, of course, is a graduate of United States Naval Academy and was ranked 894 out of a class of 899. At the age of 73 he remains intimidated by the concept of email (like most grandparents) and continues to confuse the former country of Czecholoslovakia. I hoped he would at least choose a running mate that made up for this lack of knowledge in important areas. Someone who could be an educated reminder on the differences between Shi’ite and Sunni Muslims: a concept McCain has struggled with. However, Sarah Palin’s educational background shows that it appears to have taken her almost <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/05/politics/main4417948.shtml?source=RSSattr=Politics_4417948">six years</a> to complete college at six different schools. She began her studies at Hawaii Pacific, transferred to a two-year school in Northern Idaho, and eventually earned a degree in journalism from University of Idaho in 1987.<br /><br />In contrast, Obama attended the University of Columbia followed by Harvard Law School where he graduated magna cum laude and served as the President of the Harvard Law Review. Joe Biden also obtained a law degree from Syracuse University and the two currently serve as law professors at respected universities. As the next possible law enforcer of our nation, it should be reassuring to voters that both individuals have extensive legal knowledge. But then again, this is America.<br /><br />Throughout this campaign, Republicans have used Obama’s status as an Ivy League graduate in an attempt to portray him as elitist. I thought attacking someone for being smart and educated stopped after middle school. Don’t we want our President to be one of the smartest and most elite members of our Nation?<br /><br />In the recent past, Democrats have nominated educated individuals to take on Bush and the GOP. The problem was that, although intelligent, Al Gore had trouble energizing a room, let alone a nation, and to this day no one could tell you the main message from the John Kerry campaign. Also back then, Americans preferred a President that they could drink a beer with rather than the capacity to lead a college classroom. I hope we have learned from our naivety because now we are now faced with a similar choice. Do we pick the maverick and hockey mom, who, despite their weak educational backgrounds promise to shake up Washington, or do we go with the analytical professors, who we know will think critically and carefully before they change up Washington.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790699718190612549noreply@blogger.com0