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Advocating for body positivity among current and future generations of young women, I hope to partner with The Body Positive to encourage young women, especially those on social media, to embrace their personal, unique features, while encouraging them to limit the comparisons they formulate between themselves and seemingly “perfect” social media influencers and celebrities. Although my advocacy piece dominantly gears towards young women, bound to their insecurities due to social media, The Body Positive targets a larger audience, welcoming anyone seeking resources and programs to heighten their self-confidence and realize their self-worth.

Not only does The Body Positive aim to enrich one’s individuality and promote sufficient self-care, but in doing so, they also hope that their personal development will allow them to be more generous to the world as a result. Promoting these essential values, their detailed, online resources allows individuals to participate in numerous programs, explore different opportunities, and acquire additional information, including professional trainings, online courses, volunteer opportunities, internships, and books. Although their organization fails to mirror hotline services for struggling individuals and there aren’t as many in person programs, their strong online presence allows them to obtain the materials they need to improve their well-being without the stress of exploiting their insecurities to the world.

One prominent advocacy example that The Body Positive created is their “This is Beauty” campaign that publishes videos, photographs, poems, and stories within a gallery to showcase individuals’ personal stories that demonstrates their diverse definitions of beauty. In pursuing this project, they hope that others viewing it will ask themselves, “what is my own beauty?” and realize that everyone has their own varied perceptions of beauty and that the definition is infinite.

Website: https://www.thebodypositive.org/what-we-do

Campaign: http://www.thisisbeauty.org/about

Description: Why are photoshop and social media encouraging an unrealistic body image and increasing insecurity among young women? This opinion editorial addresses a number of tactics in improving self-confidence, simultaneously abolishing the current abuse of photoshop. Read about how you can establish a greater sense of self-confidence while exploring how influential figures today are learning to value their individual uniqueness as well.

Memo:

Currently, feelings of insecurity and anxiety are especially high in young women on social media. Due to the exposure of “perfect” bodies plastered on social media sites as well as celebrities’ use of photoshop, young women today struggle to feel comfortable in their own bodies. Forced to look consistently perfect to match the other females they follow on social media, the immense pressure ensues consequential effects on mental health, leading to high levels of insecurity, anxiety, and depression. Due to these alarming results of desiring perfection, celebrities and others in the entertainment industry have advocated against the use of photoshop in hoping that younger generations would view their own bodies positively.

Participating in the “Keep it Real” challenge, celebrities, Brad Pitt and Kate Winslet, refuse to use photoshop or allow advertisers to publish fixed photos of them. Similarly, photographer, Chuck Close, encourages the challenge of showcasing people’s natural imperfections in the photos he captures.

This issue is presented as an opinion editorial, aimed to offer a more personal perspective on the conflict. Further, because this issue targets celebrities and the common, young women on social media, an opinion editorial can be more easily accessible if published on popular sites. Infused with direct quotes from young women today and the implementation of the organization, “The Body Positive,” readers of the editorial will feel more comfortable reading about the prevalence of poor body image, devoid of the distraction of excessive facts and statistics. Likewise, because all people suffering from this type of insecurity experience different levels of it, statistics are insignificant in helping one realize their self-worth. Therefore, perhaps they will be more willing to change their perspective on how they not only view their own bodies but how they encourage others to do the same due to the personal aspects of the piece and the resources from The Body Positive. For instance, I deliberately wrote about Brad Pitt and Kate Winslet in order to connect the audience to high-profile people that condemn the use of photoshop. Due to their influence on a big audience, readers are given the chance to mirror their ideals and recognize that even popular people in society don’t wish to be perfect.

I hope to partner with The Body Positive to give young women the opportunity to optimize their resources in guiding them to an improved outlook on their self-worth and their vast, unique abilities and features. The Body Positive is an effective organization in addressing the importance of self-confidence and body positivity and is easily accessible. Due to their online presence, there are innumerable resources and programs offered to those who seek them including professional trainings, online courses, volunteer opportunities, internships, and even books. Not only is a strong, online foundation a sufficient way to acquire resources, but due to the gravity of the issue and the sensitivity of body image, being online allows women to seek help without exposing their insecurity to others.

 

• Topic:

In the 19th century, prisons were built in hoping to incarcerate criminals that deserved long-term punishment for inhumane acts and violating the norms of society. Further, the establishment of prisons manifested in the idea that their function would be an effective deterrent to crime. Prominent criminologists and philosophers worked to unearth the psychology and central reasons behind committing crime, in addition to tactics that alter the crime-motivated mind from functioning the way it does. As a result, prisons were created to threaten motivated offenders by punishment, hoping to discourage their criminal tendencies. In fact, Cesare Beccaria, one of the most influential thinkers of the Age of Enlightenment, believed that the certainty of punishment was more effective than the severity of punishment– with an effectively working criminal justice system, criminals would be less motivated to commit acts of crime.

Today, modern criminologists have concluded that prisons are not an effective deterrent to crime; criminals are actually more likely to reoffend after serving their prison sentence. Not only is this problem extremely significant as it counteracts the fundamental functioning of prisons, but overcrowding of prisons increases the likelihood of reoffending and mental illness due to extremely poor conditions. The number of prisons exceeding prison capacity is occurring in a least 115 countries and only continues to grow without reform. This issue results in lack of privacy, poor healthcare, and food, thus resulting in an increase in violence, mental illness, and suicide. Although prisons fail to provide luxuries to prisoners as many commit heinous crimes, however, overcrowding also presents the issue of cruel and unusual punishment and it affects less horrendous offenders to the same degree.

Due to the issue being that of the criminal justice system rather than the nature of crime increasing, there are policies that can be implemented to incite changes to the system. For instance, lowering prison sentences for drug offenders, giving judges more discretion during trial, assess misdemeanors or well-behaved inmates for chance of reoffending and establish programs that can help them return to society without threat.

• Hook:

Because prisons have already failed to be an effective deterrent to reoffending, today’s issue of prison overcrowding not only increases the likelihood of reoffending, but it makes offenders more violent to others and themselves.

• Working thesis:

Although the establishment of prisons isolate violent criminals from society, prohibiting their threat to society, it is essential for policy alterations in the criminal justice system to keep less violent offenders doing the same time as threatening ones, implementation of new laws to ensure that sentencing is fair, and the abolishing of current laws including truth in sentencing which establishes a minimum and maximum sentence and requires a substantial part of it to be fulfilled before possibility of parole.

• Policy:
  • Criminal justice policy makers at local and state levels of government
  • Congress
  • United states department of justice
  • National institute of corrections

The deliberation I attended, “Epi Prices: The Rising Drug Costs and Our Inability to Pay,” was an issue unique to me, thus making it interesting as it sparked my interest. As someone with no allergies or a customer of necessary medical drugs, the theme of the deliberation had been foreign to me growing up as most of the deliberation was centered around drugs that could determine life or death to others with life threatening allergies or diseases. However, this didn’t deter my interest, it ignited it, opening my mind to problems I hadn’t thought about.

The first approach of the deliberation proposed government regulation. Because the FDA approval takes years and drug companies set the prices of their drugs, the team hopes to see a quicker approval of drugs and an increase in the government’s involvement in healthcare to take away some of the drug company’s control and to make room for Medicare to negotiate prices. Although I think there are good advantages to this proposal and some of the tasks are doable, I also worry about the requirement of increased spending to make these changes possible which would contradict the goal of the solution.

The second approach intrudes the misconceptions of EpiPen expiration dates, imploring people to use them past their expiration date to avoid buying them more often. While this approach provides helpful information and may help people save money, a lot of the participants claimed that this approach to the issue acted more as a bandaid than an actual cure to the conflict as it is helpful, but may not be a complete, effective solution to the main issue of highly priced drugs in America’s current society. Additionally, although they provided accurate evidence of effectiveness after the expiration date, without a proper solution to this problem, many users of EpiPens will still continue buying once they have reached the date in order to feel more comfortable with its effectiveness.

Finally, the third approach offers the idea of government subsidies so that the pharmaceutical companies pay the difference in the expensive drugs to lower the cost to consumers of the drugs. I liked this approach as I believe it is a possible solution, however there are many risks with it and drug companies may choose to keep the prices they want regardless of the subsidies.

Overall, I believe that both government regulation and government subsidies are the best approaches to this solution as they can provoke real change, however, the hands off approach to me offers more of a helpful hint to saving money on EpiPens than a long term solution to the conflict.

 

Podcast Ideas:

While listening to sample “This I believe” podcasts, it became evident that passion was always an integral aspect of each successful podcast in that it was more easily communicated to both the individual and the audience. Because I am focused on choosing an idea that I have a lot to say about and advocate for, I do not have two, but have picked my topic.

• I believe in balance. Although this idea may seem a little ambiguous just by the title, I believe that you can’t just be one thing or can’t merely do a single activity. For instance, my parents have always pushed me in school, but I have also grown up in a town of very competitive sports. On both sides of these, I was forced to choose, but I believe that in being forced to choose only results in negative consequences. Although this isn’t a true statement for everything, it greatly affected my life and I will explain it thoroughly in the podcast.

Civic Issues:

1. I would like to blog about challenges facing public schools in America because it is not only prevalent but extremely relatable across the nation. I didn’t want to focus on one specific thing because there are a number of different factors and challenges. Additionally, I wanted to present a new idea on each post, but still making it consistent with the theme of the blog.
2. I also want to write about the ozone layer depletion as it could be very dangerous currently and in the future. With that, I want to look into the rate of the depletion and its effects so I can gauge an idea of how concerning this issue may be now and in the near or far future.

Revenge. Punishment. Discipline. Are these three qualities synonymous? Do they coincide with one another? While most would argue that they are all connected, they would likewise be able to acknowledge differences between them as well. Which expresses morality? Are they all necessary? Again, questions like these evoke the inevitability of compare and contrast, and notice how I emphasized “contrast.” While all are similar in that they are often the result of some unfortunate, condemned behavior or action, they all differ somehow.

Revenge: “to exact punishment or expiation for a wrong on behalf of, especially in a resentful or vindictive spirit.”

Punishment: “a penalty inflicted for an offense, fault, etc.”

Discipline: “punishment inflicted by way of correction and training.”

Analyzing all three definitions, similarities are extracted such as the prevalence of “punishment” in both revenge and discipline, “inflicted” in both punishment and discipline, and all three explaining that it is in effect to wrongful doings. However, in the midst of similarity, is distinctiveness. For instance, while discipline presents its definition with positive connotation through “correction and training,” revenge utilizes negative connotation by explaining that the spirit of punishment is “resentful” or “vindictive.” Thus, based on ethics, discipline and appropriate punishment evidently deem the most ethical results of misconduct, while revenge deems impractical and immoral. However, before the establishments of prisons, revenge was justified instead through the death penalty.

Although still around today, the death penalty proved to be unethical and indecent by innumerable amounts of people throughout society, justifying it now in specific states and for the most heinous crimes, most markedly, murder. However, dating back to the 1600s, the death penalty was especially prevalent and utilized for miniscule crimes such as stealing valueless things and trading with certain colonies. Acclaimed for succumbing to Britain’s influence in regard to the death penalty, America used it frequently and indecently in the public eye for many years.

It was only until the nineteenth century that American citizens’ proclamation of ethics were heard by legislature and laws began to get passed. Although the death penalty wasn’t abolished completely, laws such as eliminating the death from the public eye was passed, creating correctional facilities, and eliminating it from certain states were all accomplished. However, despite its participation still today in 2018, revolting methods of killing deteriorated, replaced by lethal injections to increase the morality of the deed. Additionally, people continue to fight for complete abomination.

Arguing that the death penalty is mere revenge rather than appropriate punishment, protests ensue. Similar to the fight against abortion, mass amounts of people implore ethical reevaluation by proclaiming murder.  

 Differing from controversies such as abortion however, the death penalty is hypocritical in that killing killers isn’t justifiable, it is just mere revenge. How does that make sense? For instance, isn’t the purpose of punishment and discipline as defined by the dictionary a penalty by means of “correction and training”? That won’t work if we abolish the offender completely. And then where is the penalty for the individuals participating in the killing through the death penalty?

It is understandable that people will always have contrasting views on controversial issues, particularly the death penalty. But while costly, immoral, and unnecessary due to the harsh environment of prisons, views regarding the death penalty have wavered astronomically since the first documented execution in the 1600s. As philosophical views remain prevalent and other controversies emerge, I predict more shift in public opinion of the death penalty and more laws passed because of it.

https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/part-i-history-death-penalty

As common as rhetoric is utilized for positive awareness and communication, negative rhetoric is likewise prevalent in today’s society, skyrocketing after President Trump’s inauguration into office. Commonly, the presentment of negative rhetoric takes place during riots and protests due to the media attention they typically get, but with the prominence of social media and its mass participation, it has become a commonplace for alt-right groups and hateful intentions to be showcased for vast persuasion.

Interestingly, the Proud Boys have been debated in class in regard to whether or not they should be forbidden from certains bars and restaurants. This discussion is interesting, however, as they undoubtedly are representative of an alt-right group, yet deny it and deny similar accusations. On the basis thereof, founder, Gavin McInnes, impassively states that the entailments of the group merely include beer as he states that the group’s participation is representative of “a men’s club that meets about once a month to drink beer,” while also claiming to represent western pride as a “Western chauvinist” group rather than white, male supremacy.

Although most people don’t agree with the ideologies that hate groups preach (obviously), the Proud Boys, however, remain successful in their tactics of exploiting hateful, racist, and sexist rhetoric–this success lies in its ambiguity. For instance, in spite of their overt popularity today, it seems that their heinous philosophy deems directly proportionate with their success; as their acts of violence expands, as does their success. Why?

Founder, Gavin McInnes, cleverly utilizes rhetoric through false advertisement in that he publicly condemns white nationalism, yet likewise publicly enforces acts of violence. Although Twitter has banned accounts affiliated with the group, the Proud Boys engage their beliefs on Facebook. Manipulating masses and targeting the uneducated, their page recruits members through false advertisement that details qualities that refuse racism.

The simplicity of their recruitment is utilized to mask their violent intentions while also ensuring consistent participation on social media to make their group look less crucial and grim. Additionally, they utilize social media in hoping to present a sociable page that showcases a group of people with common interests rather than a hate group.

Further, in addition to false advertisement, they often manipulate their words to justify their participation in acts of violence. For instance, after violence had been publicly displayed succeeding recent protests, theguardian.com displays a comment from the McInnes CRTV show that introduces McInnes’ justification of violence in that “violence isn’t great, but justified violence is amazing.” To the less educated citizen, his comment may come off as justifiable if for the right cause, however, how are we to know when it is justifiable? He claims it is justifiable in effect to groups they condemn. However, in response to sexist accusation he validates that “I’m sexist is because women are dumb”(The Gavin McInnes Show), but how is that justifiable?

Through a detailed account of John McCain’s prominent virtues and his condemnation of the deterioration of today’s politics, former President, Barack Obama, most significantly builds pathos to strike his audience with the urgency of extending morality as they live as American citizens, while simultaneously imploring that they liberate their participation in politics that ensue harm rather than influence. To contrast, former President, George Bush, likewise presents a eulogy for John McCain and expresses many of the same elements as Obama; however, he appeals to the audience by utilizing a stronger ethos rather than pathos. Although any eulogy unwittingly touches upon the emotions of the audience due to the prevalence of a death, Bush fixates on the credibility of McCain’s noble character with a congregation of examples that outline his virtuous actions.

Interestingly, unlike Obama, Bush discusses actions of the past to build up John McCain’s character by acknowledging the journey he ventured from a Vietnam prison cell to his position in senate. Additionally, he inserts brief dialogue of “Relax, relax!” while highlighting his support and friendly encouragement with an example of his bravery by standing up to a bully.

Although utilizing examples of his moral actions as not only a Senator but a person may appeal to the emotions of the audience in that juxtaposing greatness and the end of greatness (which deems to be McCain) ensues supreme disparity, but it also utilizes ethos by shedding light on the unfortunate occurrence by positively validating the credibility of the principled man he glorifies.

Nonetheless, I applaud Bush’s approach of expressing McCain’s legacy by presenting it in a manner similar to Obama’s, but ultimately translating it differently; not only does the credibility of his principles elevate after Bush’s kind words, but Bush’s incessant emphasis ultimately showcases his true character. Repeating McCain’s insistence of “We are better than this. America is better than this” conclusively encompasses his passion and unwavering drive to improve his country, while validating its credibility through repetition. Therefore, with the message clear in the mind of his audience members, Bush implores the significance of memory of people with values that are worth remembering and worth carrying on even after death.

 

“Virtue.” What does that really mean? Many individuals believe that they exhibit moral excellence genuinely rather than out of necessity, but is that usually true? While some employ a sense of righteousness due to essential tasks or duties for their career or to merely complement their self-image, others truly feel it; they sincerely live it. And to former President Barack Obama, Senator John McCain was one of the few to justly live with a noticeable sense of morality as not only a politician, son, spouse, father, or friend, but as a human being and that quality proved to have a profound impact on his social interactions, personal beliefs, and his contribution to American life.

While delivering John McCain’s eulogy, Obama inevitably ensured appropriate conveyance of McCain’s legacy in his honor as a politician, however his supreme praise for McCain’s noble character and profound service and duty prompted his ultimate declaration for citizens and politicians to resemble McCain’s actions and ideologies. In the midst of his praise, Obama implores American citizens and politicians to be bigger than the petty controversies in politics just as McCain did; he urges to rise above what he calls the “manufactured outrage” in today’s society for the greater achievement of fulfilling the role of positively changing America by solely pursuing the role of an exceptional American citizen.

Spoken by the former President of the United States, the eulogy utilizes ethos as its words come from a credible source in that Obama was not only undoubtedly aware of fair politics, but also as McCain’s good friend, he understood and experienced his unceasing, virtuous spirit.

Whether he does it unintentionally or purposefully, Obama weaves an assembly of McCain’s successes and respectability including his ability to improve the Senate, his unprecedented unpredictability, his devotion to friends and family, and most importantly, his prominent belief of equality to also appeal to the emotions of his audience. In remembrance of an extraordinary man and Senator, Obama utilizes pathos in hoping that the actions of his audience members will mirror McCain’s in effect to his loss. Losing an individual evidently ensues sadness, or immense heartache for some, but Obama emphasizes that the loss of an extraordinary man with significant and honorable qualities is not only sad, but an unfortunate occurrence that can influence the decisions other people can choose to make, while simultaneously educating them on the necessary qualities that an individual may have in order to benefit themselves and society.  

While Obama aimed to exploit the sadness of his audience through exemplification of McCain’s commendable role in society and in politics in hopes of enlightening them on important values to live by, he understood that it may not be enough to persuade everyone. In effect to this realization, Obama further expressed his animosity toward the current political system by verbally recognizing its disfigurement. In doing so, Obama impresses on the guilt and disappointment of Americans by highlighting the deterioration of today’s politics. Assuming that the “small and mean and petty” politics of today are fear induced, Obama mocks these individuals who advocate them, therefore targeting their weakness and calling on them to limit the frivolous controversies and to rather focus on pursuing universal virtues and favorable ideals that McCain exhibited.

Outlining McCain’s innumerable virtues that were displayed for the world to appreciate, Obama strives to not only honor his noble character, but to showcase it to world in hoping that people will aim to mimic his ideals. By intermixing his condolences for his loss and shaming political controversies, Obama attempts to broaden the minds of his audience in hoping that they follow McCain’s lead as they continue to live as American citizens.

 

 

The ability to form personal beliefs, opinions, and ideologies have transcended through out time, while remaining omnipresent in today’s society as well. Although commonly argued that personal beliefs are associated with one’s psyche and personal understanding, the practice of influencing or altering an individual’s belief remains prevalent, most prominently in the midst of global quarrel. Thereby, individuals of whom possess powerful beliefs implore that those blind to them achieve opinions similar to theirs.

The pursuit of expansion yields innumerable arguments and persuasive tactics such as speeches, marches, and movements; Franklin Roosevelt’s 1933 Inaugural Address, preaching the infamous line, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” or Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech both hope to promote positive change in society by attempting to change people’s beliefs and perceptions.    

By observing the tactics of these global figures, one visibly acknowledges the success in persuasion aided by the utilization of rhetoric approaches through eloquence, and interestingly, they continue to participate in the formation of specific beliefs in today’s society as well. This time however, rhetoric methods radiate within a different category: art.   

Although passion and fluency act as tools in constructing an effective speech, as proven by the figures previously mentioned, poetic assembly in the form of a song ensues authentic emotion from its audience, thus inducing just enough vulnerability to consider a change of action, perception, or ideology.

Ever imagine how the portrayal of specific scenes in movies would change if the music was muted? Most would say it would lose most to all meaning. Think about it…horror movies would be extinct without the threatening music causing the surge of adrenaline. That’s what makes it exciting, right? Considering this absurdity, it is evident that music deems superior in altering emotions, thus giving it the authority to convey a message.

Solely, Taylor Swift’s raw, heartbreaking tale of the deterioration of young love in her greatest song to date, “All too Well,” and the hostile condemnation of a specific significant other in The All-American Rejects’ “Gives You Hell” is enough to make one run from love or punch a hole in the wall for absolutely no reason other than the song just made you. Nevertheless, songs invoke compelling emotions with mind-changing potential. Specifically, Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” urges self-change to ultimately achieve global change. Utilizing rhetorical devices to appeal to his audience: the world, Jackson alludes to the wind to infer that “going with the flow” represents human instinct, distracting them from the imperfections of the world. Emphasizing poverty and hunger, he questions “Who am I to be blind?” to juxtapose physicality and mentality; he metaphorically admits absent-mindedness by comparing it to the harsh reality of actually being blind. He assumes that this behaviour is disappointing because he tends to dismiss his gift of sight which could be used for change.

Ultimately, Michael Jackson takes a stab at the mass oblivion to significant issues by persuasion. By personifying the wind when he admits that it is “blowing my mind” to depict an alteration in his mind-set while simultaneously pleading to look at the man in the mirror, meaning that in order for a major shift to ignite, one must change themselves first.