Rhetoric and Civic Life

http://aadeportfolio.weebly.com/   Alexa Decatur Portfolio

My name is Alexa Decatur and by the time you read this I will have finished my first year at Penn State.  I am hoping to major in psychology with a minor in philosophy. Hailing from a small town in New York, I had no idea what it was like to be around so many brilliant, driven, enthusiastic and diverse people. Penn State has taught me so much in an out of the classroom and has given me the opportunity to explore my interests from anthropology, to russian literature, to performance arts, and composition and rhetoric. One of the greatest lessons I’ve taken from my first year experience here is that communication is the key to understanding the world around you.

As an aspiring psychologist, I do my best to listen, observe, and understand before I make judgements about others. My experiences in CAS 137 and 138 have revolved around trying to better myself in these areas. Everything I have learned regarding communication, rhetoric, and persuasion I will be able to apply in my other classes and in a professional setting.On the following website you will read my thoughts and opinions of the world with the underlying theme understanding and respecting the people we interact with day in and day out.

Recently there has been a lot of conversation involving the LGBT community. We talk about gay rights, marriage equality, raising kids in a lesbian or gay household, gays in the military and other topics encompassed by the LGBT umbrella, specifically the LGB. Often times we forget to address the T part of the acronym, transgender, mainly because most people don’t really know what it means and they don’t know the struggles faced by the transgender community.

So, what exactly is transgender? A transgender person is someone who is born an anatomical male or female but identifies with the opposite sex. What does this mean? A transgender person is basically living their life feeling as though they are trapped in the wrong genders body, one that does not look and feel as though they believe it should. This is completely unrelated to sexual orientation, but like being gay or lesbian, being trans is not a choice or decision. A transgender person has what is medically called Gender Identity Disorder which is diagnosed by a set of criteria including, desire to be or identification with the opposite gender, and extreme discomfort with one’s body to the point where daily functioning is impaired.  A person with GID often is aware of their condition at the age of 2-4 and it persists throughout their entire lives. This causes severe stress, anxiety, and torment for a transgender person. When they reach young adulthood, many transgender people decide to make hormonal and surgical changes to make their bodies fit their desired gender. After this, a transgender person feels more comfortable and fulfilled but are still negatively stigmatized by the rest of society.

Transgender people face constant discrimination and often times abuse from people. Recently, a transgender woman and MMA fighter Fallon Fox who underwent hormone therapy and  gender reassignment surgery to go from male to female six years ago is being criticized and scrutinized for competing against other women.  She came out as transgender in March and has been facing some serious discrimination. Three days ago in an interview, UFC fighter Matt Mitrione, said this about Fox in an interview,  “That is a lying, sick, sociopathic, disgusting freak,” Mitrione said. “…That’s disgusting. You should be embarrassed of yourself.” He also accused Fox about “lying”on her license just to beat up women.

This is an example of the extreme transphobia that transgender people face everyday because most of society does not understand what it means to be a transgender person. The idea, of a man wanting to be a woman or a woman wanting to be a man, is admittedly hard to understand for the average person. There are many grey areas when it comes to defining what transgender really is. Is gender something biological or something psychological? In the case of Fallon Fox, is it ok for a biological male who has undergone gender reassignment surgery to compete in sports as a woman? Is a persons identity defined solely by gender? For a lot of questions like this, there is no definitive answer. So, defining or explaining what it means to be transgender is a really difficult thing.

Being transgender is most definitely not a choice, you are born that way, just as someone may be born with brown hair, green eyes, or long legs. Transgender teens and adults face bullying or discrimination on a daily basis just for living their lives in a way that makes them happy. Before you judge someone who identifies as transgender, learn more about what living as a transgender person is like. Organizations like GLAAD and the HRC have an abundance of information regarding the trans community that could help shed some light on what it means to be transgender.

http://www.glaad.org/transgender?gclid=COjOxbCbxrYCFa9xOgod0GgAJw

http://www.hrc.org/resources/category/transgender

This is the rough script for my narration over the iMovie I made. The whole movie isn’t put together yet so I didn’t want to post it. But I would like some feedback on this voice over.

The United States currently has over 3200 prisoners on death row. Thats over 3200 human beings awaiting their premeditated execution. Some of them may be murderers, arsonists, or accomplices, but some of them are innocent men and women who may have been at the wrong place at the wrong time. Who were victims of part of a corrupt justice system that withholds evidence, bribes, blackmails, and cheats for financial gain or glory. Since 1976, the government has held over 130 men on death row who were later found innocent and released, sometimes only days before their unjustified executions.  While these men were lucky enough to have their proof of innocence brought to light in time, other wrongly convicted men may not have been so lucky and were executed before they could be exonerated. The stories of these individuals are tragic and powerful.

Carlos Deluna was convicted of murder in 1989 and was held on death row. Until the day of his execution Deluna denied his guilt. In 2004, a law professor and team reexamined the case gathering an overwhelming amount of evidence and testimonies that DeLuna was merely a man who fell victim to shoddy police work and neglect.

In 2004, Cameron Todd Willingham was sentenced to death after his three children died in a fire. The prosecution accused Willingham of starting the fire himself and they won. Years later, this case was reexamined by many arson experts. Most have decided that there was no conclusive evidence that the fire was started by Willingham or anyone else for that matter. There is still some debate on whether Cameron Willingham is guilty, but his execution with even the possibility of his innocence is still harrowing to those who knew him and loved him, like his wife who denied that her husband would ever do anything to harm his own children.

Our last innocent man, Claude Jones was convicted of a crime on one single piece of evidence, a piece of hair. After having it looked at under a microscope, the prosecution concluded that the hair at the crime scene was his. Before his execution, Jones’ defense wanted to have the hair DNA tested, but Governor George W. Bush of Texas denied this request. On behalf of The Texas Innocence Network the hair was sent for a DNA test in 2007. The results of the test showed that the hair was not Jones, but the victims.

These are the stories of but a few innocent men who have been executed and there have been many more cases like this. If these men have been wrongly executed, how many of the 3200 people currently on death row are also innocent. What is happening to these individuals is exactly what they are being accused of, murder. To stop this murder, visit the innocentproject.org to learn more about wrongful conviction and execution to learn how to stop it.

Coachella Arts and Music Festival one of the United States most popular music festivals is taking place this weekend and next weekend in Indio, CA. Each year, since it was founded in 1999, it has new music and art lineups featuring popular artists from indie rock to ska to house music.  This year’s most popular artist include the Stone Roses, Passion Pit, the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s and others. In the past they’ve had musicians like Jay-Z, Florence and the Machine, M.I.A, and the infamous and kind of scary Tupac hologram. Despite, the blazing temperatures (sometimes upwards of 100 degrees), lack of bathrooms, and massive crowds that festivals like this attract, making it to Coachella in the next few years is definitely on my bucket list for their combination of good music, arts, and culture.

This festival is most known for its music, but they’ve also got an impressive lineup of artists and their own “arts and crafts” center.  Whether its fashion or photography, Coachella’s art scene is pretty interesting. Over the past years they have set up a public art studio where attendees can make pretty much what ever they want. Coachella says “Wander into our euphoric D.I.Y. craft culture world where we supply the materials for you to enhance and shape your Coachella experience“ Here, festival goers are encouraged to draw, paint, make fashion accessories, or make their own postcards, and much more.  The video below shows some of the cool things people have made in last years art studio.

I am currently working on gathering pictures and news clips for my iMovie and putting them in order. I have about 1 minutes worth of material so far and I want to get it between 3 and 5 min.  I am working on trying to get more clips from documentaries without violating copyright. This would add to the length of the video. I dont have a concrete script for my narration yet but I know what I want to say. I am going to try to invoke a lot of pathos to appeal to the audience by using imagery and facts about wrongful execution.

Reverse graffiti is a new phenomenon that’s occurring in many urban areas.  Its a form of street art that really only requires one thing: dirt.  Reverse graffiti artists have a found a way to decorate cities and tunnels by literally washing them.  Its the same idea as taking your finger and drawing a smiley face on the back window of a dirty car, only these guys are doing much more impressive things.

Reverse graffiti originated only a couple years ago and has only a couple popular artists. Paul “Moose” Curtis is an artist who works primarily out of the UK and is a pioneer of reverse graffiti. He says he came up with concept when he was cleaning walls while working at a restaurant. Since then his name has become synonymous with reverse graffiti.

Its becoming more popular and is less risky than regular graffiti. Its not illegal or permanent, and many reverse graffiti artists use it as to promote sustainability and respect for the environment. In a recent piece done in San Francisco by Paul Curtis, he said he wanted to “open up our eyes to how dirty the world has become.  Another artist, Alexandre Orion uses reverse graffiti  “as a way of getting an environmental message across to those who ordinarily wouldn’t listen.” His most impressive work was done in Sao Paulo where he etched skulls into the side of a tunnel only using water and a piece cloth.  In the next couple years we will definitely be seeing a lot more of reverse graffiti as its popularity grows.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/29/reverse-graffiti-activist_n_138621.html?

The focus of the my advocacy piece will be about the people who were put on death row or executed and then later found innocent of the crime. I think that the argument that innocent people are put on death row all the time is the best argument against capitol punishment so I want to focus on that.  I am going to use iMovie to make a photo story using news headlines, short videos, and pictures while narrating over the images that way the audience gets a visuals as well as information.

The death penalty has always been a controversial punishment for serious crimes. Although, many countries have used it for centuries, most of them are beginning to abolish it because it is believed to be unethical and not an effective deterrent to crime.  These countries include Australia, China, Mexico, Switzerland and 135 other nations. However, that this list does not include the United States, where 46 out of it’s 50 states still allow capital punishment to be used.  I believe strongly that the United States should join those who have abolished capital punishment not only for ethical reasons, but for economic, and political reasons as well.

Our justice system exists as a way to protect the rights and lives of citizens by administering fair punishments to those who commit crimes. Under the U.S. constitution, no person may be subjected to “cruel or unusual” punishment.  Many believe that the death penalty violates this clause. Forms of execution in the U.S. include electrocution, firing squad, lethal injection, gas chamber(by cyanide gas), and hanging.  On their own they could be argued to violate this constitutional term, but often times these punishments are administered wrong causing unnecessary suffering. Administering the death penalty is not always a fool-proof process.  It is promised that execution will be quick and painless, though complications can arise causing the victim to die slowly and painfully. These are a result of human error, equipment malfunction, and neglect of our justice system to provide proper administration of these already horrible ways to die.

In 1983 John Evans was sentenced to death by electrocution. His lawyer, Russell Canan recounts Evans execution “…the electrode burst from the strap holding it in place and caught on fire. Smoke and sparks also came out from under the hood in the vicinity of Evans’s left temple. Two physicians entered the chamber and found a heartbeat… another jolt of electricity was applied… more smoke and burning flesh. Again the doctors found a heartbeat.”  The execution took over 14 minutes and left Evans’s body charred and smoking after being administered three separate jolts of electricity.  This is one of many stories of execution gone wrong.  Despite having committed an act of murder, Evans did not deserve this prolonged suffering and torture. In another case, Donald Eugene Harding was sentenced to death by asphyxiation in Arizona.  It took over 10 minutes for doctors to pronounce Harding dead after convulsing violently for several minutes.  One journalist reported “Harding’s death was extremely violent. He was in great pain. I heard him gasp and moan. I saw his body turn from red to purple.” In these cases, and many more, equally as horrible as these, people were denied their constitutional rights.  The death penalty is a clear violation of the eighth amendment, and like any other unconstitutional violation of human rights this needs to be stopped immediately.

Not only does the death penalty overstep the bounds of the constitution, it oversteps many Americans moral code, especially that of the physicians required to be witness or administer the execution. Doctors take an oath to help those who are suffering and prevent the loss of life at all costs. Most states require that a doctor be present to administer or pronounce the death of a victim. As you can see, this puts the physician in place of confliction. Another question of the morality of capital punishment is not whether someone who committed a crime deserves death but whether the state should be allowed to make such a judgement.

When looking at the cost of keeping inmates in jail and the cost of the multiple trials for persons on death row, one expense is much greater than the other. Lawyer fees, costs of multiple lengthy trials, and the cost of the execution eventually add up.  Many studies have showed that the costs of the death penalty can be up to 3 times more or 70% more costly than keeping an inmate in jail for life without parole. The money used to pay for the  the expensive and lengthy process of capital punishment ultimately takes away funding from other important federally run programs. These include mental health, emergency services, education, or other state programs that should be priorities.

– Wrongly convicted people on death row

–Other Nations who have abolished death penalty and why it works. Alternatives to capitol punishment

–Conclusion

A graphic novel is simply a book-length comic with a continuous narrative from start to finish. Comics are an art form that dates back to the 1800’s, when a lot of the population was illiterate and illustrations were a popular form of communication.  The comics were very humorous and action filled and often times expressed the artists political views.  They were a popular form of entertainment for people.

In the early mid 1900’s, comics gained a lot of popularity due to exposure in newspapers. Soon, authors began to expand these comics into books. Thus, the graphic novel was born and with it, the modern day superhero. Action Comics No. 1 came out in 1938 and was written and illustrated by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel.  This comic introduced the world to Superman, arguably the most popular superhero in American culture.

The 70’s and 80’s were the most popular decades for comics. Stores began to sell more comics as demand grew and eventually comic book stores opened devoted to selling only graphic novels and related merchandise. Graphic novels and comics had their own, flourishing market and were popular with kids and adults.  In 1978, Marvel comics released their first original mass-market graphic novel, The Silver Surfer. In 1985, DC comics released The Watchmen their first collectible series designed to have an infinite number of issues. DC and Marvel are the most successful and profitable comic companies and have produced iconic American fictional characters like Batman, the Green Lantern, Spider-Man, and the Hulk.

Today, comics are not only valued for entertainment but because they are significant to art history of the U.S. Graphic Novels are famous for their bold figures and popping colors. American illustrators of graphic novels have always been consistent in their design over several decades. However, more modern graphic novels use more black and white and detail.  Adult graphic novels are often dark, gory, and reminiscent of film noir. The early comic book style has influenced many artists, including Andy Warhol and many museums have held exhibitions featuring modern graphic novels and iconic comics from decades ago. Today, graphic novels are highly collectible for comic book enthusiasts and art collectors alike.

Next week will the Supreme Court will make a landmark decision regarding marriage equality in our country.  This vote will either repeal or uphold the Defense of Marriage Act that was passed in 1996 under President Clinton, or Proposition 8, passed in California.  DOMA defines marriage as the union between one man and one woman and  “denies legally married same-sex couples over 1,000 rights, protections and responsibilities under federal law simply because they are gay.”(huffingtonpost.com). Now the court is questioning whether DOMA is constitutional because it gives the federal government the power to define marriage which is something that the state governments should be doing.

The supreme court will also be hearing a challenge to California’s Prop 8 passed in 2008.  Before Prop 8, California granted marriage equality to the entirety of the LGBTQI community but has since restricted gay and lesbian rights.  Challenges to Prop 8 have been repeatedly brought to California’s supreme court with no breakthroughs, but next week there will be a chance to repeal it in front of the nations supreme court.

The prospects of repealing these two discriminatory laws looks good for the United States.  Obama has repeatedly voiced his support of the LGBTQI community and has also urged the court to repeal these acts.  Just this week, Hillary Clinton spoke in a video for the Human rights Campaign in support of marriage equality saying “gay rights are human rights”.  If the supreme court repeals Prop 8 this could lead to the repeal of other states laws banning same sex marriage. These laws exist in 31 other U.S. states.  If DOMA is ruled unconstitutional, same sex couples legally married in states that support marriage equality will finally get all the federal rights and benefits of marriage.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-lewis/marriage-equality-proposition-8-supreme-court_b_2923199.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/george-f-will-doma-infringes-on-states-rights/2013/03/20/fa845348-90bb-11e2-bdea-e32ad90da239_story.html

http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2013/03/21/prop-8-what-you-need-to-know/