Living for Everyone

             Growing up with cancer in the family I became familiar with the concept of death. I’ve never felt the pain of losing a loved one, but having someone so close to it makes you stop and think of reality.  It forced me to look at life and what it really means to me. I started to question why I would be lucky enough to be so healthy while my brother got stuck with the faulty body. This is a life question that may never be answered, but all I can do with it right now is take advantage of it.

            By frequenting the clinic so much, my social butterfly of a brother made a few friends there who were around his age and receiving the same treatment. One of them, Taylor, had been there long before Patrick and became a person he could confide in every now and then with problems no one else could relate to. He had Leukemia, like Patrick—just a slightly harsher strand of it. When we met Taylor he had been cured and was in remission. Weeks later on a usual visit to the clinic we received news that he had relapsed, then later the news of his passing.

            What are you supposed to do with that? I have my big brother alive, strong, and cancer free three years later, but Taylor’s family will always have a missing piece. I haven’t done anything to “earn my keep” in this world so why did I end up so blessed? Was Taylor’s spirit too immense of a fire for his pan[i]? Maybe all these kid’s spirits grew to be too large and glorious of a flame that their own body couldn’t keep up, their body could no longer do their soul justice.

            Growing up around this idea of life having the ability to slip through someone’s fingers has really affected my outlook on life. From a young age I was always known for complaining, even more than most little kids (frightening I know). After Patrick was diagnosed and I had to watch him push through the harsh treatment, my complaining came to a slow stop. It first started because I became voiceless.

            My family spent their days at the clinic while I spent mine in school. I understand it now and I don’t blame them anymore, I was the only healthy one left who could still sleep at night. They were all tired and hadn’t ever experienced this kind of drained feeling that didn’t only come from the body, but from the emotional warfare-taking place in their minds. In a way being so young protected me from this pain because of my inability to comprehend the real danger that was taking place. A ten year old became one of the strongest in the family at the beginning; so all the tension that built up would be taken out on me because I could take it. I was the only one who wasn’t suffering, like Pecola before society blamed everything on her. “All of our waste which we dumped on her and which she absorbed.[ii]” That was me, in a very different way of course, but I didn’t take it and cry about it—okay maybe a few tears later on—but now I could finally do something to help. After I realized it wasn’t me they were yelling at it was the cancer, it was the situation, I was all right with it if it meant it would help ease their pain for the time being.

            That is my story behind my pet peeve of complaining about the simple things and putting up with being voiceless for a period of my life. This time of silence has made me realize how much I want my voice heard. I’m going to make sure that what ever I do in life, it won’t be keeping quiet. I will pursue a profession that will allow my voice to be projected on loud speakers to a crowd of hundreds, on the speakers of thousands TVs (just as long as it’s not Fox News[iii]), or read on hundreds of computer screens and papers. I want to be like Fredrick Douglass in his “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?[iv]” speech. I want to blatantly tell people how wrong they are while calling for social change. Maybe even call out an entire political party like the Tea Party[v] and their outrageous beliefs. Not only do I want to be the person to bring attention to a problem I want to be the person to help fix the problem.

            Before all these traumatic cancer events happened I always wanted to be a quaint everyday citizen; whether it was owning my own bakery or running a small horseback-riding barn. I wanted to stay out of people’s way because I was terrified of life. I didn’t like the way our world worked, but I was too scared to do anything about it. There was, at one point, a strong possibility that I would be joining Thoreau in the woods[vi] to isolate myself from the ugliness of society. Then I got smacked in the head by reality.

            After seeing Taylor and many others like him pass away before getting a chance to really live their life I realized how terribly selfish of me it would be to hide from it. I watched my brother viscously grab onto life and never let go as he fought to keep his incompetent body in the real world. So who was I to turn down this blessing? I couldn’t just sit here with a healthy body wasting it as I watch other people fight for what I just have. No! I am going to fight for the betterment of this society to make everyone’s fight for freedom from the hospital bed worth it. Since I have the hat and the boots[vii] in the physical world to do something.  I have to do a great something, that will have a positive affect on others and not just me. I have to live for those who didn’t get a chance to.

            With how quickly we have always evolved as a society and as individuals, I cannot plan which mode of communication and language that will be most successful in the future for my large life plan. I do know that currently story telling in printed form or any from of writing is no longer as influential as having it spoken to first hand or through video. We are a generation built off of the internet, we are much more likely to watch a twenty minute documentary about Zach Sobiech who shared his inspirational story with us of his final days before osteosarcoma took his life away. His video went viral and motivated viewers to donate to the Childhood Cancer fund made in his honor. Sadly I don’t think Zach’s story would have made this big of a turn out if it was only in written form.

            Not only is video form the best way to grab our attention, but audio as well. Part of Zach’s popularity started because he wrote a song to say goodbye to his family and put it on YouTube, which then went viral. We no longer rely solely on ourselves to bring the words of the message to life. We let the music take us on a journey of emotions that the author wanted you to feel. Some messages can sometimes be easier to express through music than in word or written form. As Toni Morrison puts it, language is a bridge that “arcs toward a place where meaning may lie.”[viii] With this generation we have added music to our commonly spoken language. Not just music, but listening to the author’s voice, his or her emphasis on words and meanings within the speech or story. We now include this in part of our interpretation of the message that we take from the story. There is no need for a glossary[ix] to be attached to the story to decode the real message. We can feel the message within us.

            By far the most affective form of language is action. This was revealed to me through our social change projects. Action is what I decided to do this summer. I’m taking the initiative to start this life dream now. I decided to take my photography and print my favorites on greeting cards to sell at my local farmer’s market with all the profit donated to the Tommy Fund for Childhood Cancer. I’ve named it “Mending the Broken Lives” because I have seen how terribly childhood cancer can screw up the normal family system. This charity I picked specifically works to make it easier on families whose children are treated at Yale New Haven Hospital. They make it easier not only financially, but also through donating toys to the children and the treatment areas. Patrick received an Xbox from them at his request when he was first diagnosed because of the time he would have to spend at home alone to avoid getting sick.

            By doing this it won’t only affect those specifically who get to benefit by the money donated to the fund, but to my community. There is clearly something in the air here because every year we are losing multiple people from cancer and hearing of more and more getting diagnosed. When my brother was a freshman at McMahon he was one of four kids who had cancer. The national average is 14.8 out of 100,000[x], which means 1 out of every 6,756; while in McMahon it was 4 out of 1,700. My community has been harshly affected by cancer and by sharing my story and trying to make a difference maybe I will inspire someone, or help someone realize they aren’t alone in this.

            This is what I have taken from my seventeen years of life so far. I’ve observed our most current ways of communicating ideas. I’ve thought possibly a little too deeply on the thought of death. I am already developing into a young adult who definitely is not afraid to voice my opinion, even when I know it’s not qualified. If there is change that needs to be made, I will push for it. That is the most substantial thing I am taking away from this class, that anyone can cause social change. I have taken my hard times and instead of asking for someone’s pity I have learned from these events on my own and want to spread the wealth of what I have picked up. One day I will prove to my self that I have earned my keep, and feel that my life is full enough to have been one for Taylor and all the others who couldn’t make it through.

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[i] Emerson, Ralph. "The Poet." Nature (n.d.): pag. 1

2Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. New York: Plume Book, 1994. Print.

[iii] Starr, Paul. "Governing in the Age of Fox News." The Atlantic (2010): n. pag. Print.

[iv] Douglass, Frederick. "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" 5 July 1852. Speech.

[v] Rauch, Jonathan. "The Tea Party Paradox." National Journal (2010): n. pag. Print.

[vi] Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. Oxford [u.a.: Oxford Univ., 1997. Print.

[vii] Whitman, Walt. "Songs of Myself." Leaves of Grass (n.d.): n. pag. Rpt. in The Portable Walt Whitman. New York: Penguin, 1973. 38. Print.

[viii] "Toni Morrison - Nobel Lecture". Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2013. Web. 18 Jun 2013. <http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1993/morrison-lecture.html>

[ix] Carter, Angela. "A Victorian Fable." Burning Your Boats

[x] "Childhood Cancers." National Cancer Institute. National Institute of Health, n.d. Web. 17 June 2013. <http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/childhood>.

Barf Blog Evaluation

          The Barf Blog is a well-qualified blog, successfully meeting all of the criteria I have set for evaluating. This criterion includes: creditable writers, visual appeal, and subject of posts. This blog reveals to us things you may not find anywhere else, like a featured post about sex cereal. It does this while including an informative aspect in other posts about much more important issues such as an E-Coli outbreak. The Barf Blog is not as repulsive as it comes off to be, in fact you just want to keep on reading.

            Once you reach the home page and scroll down to read the blogs you see a “Contributors” column on the right hand side of the page. This column informs us on what qualifies these writers. The first thing you see in each short paragraph about the author is what college or university they are associated with, all of them under the teaching category. If you look on the “About” page you find this description of their posts, “Opinions must be evidence-based – with references – reliable and relevant. The barfblog authors edit each other, often viciously.” This really gives you a feel of their creditability—explaining how they make sure each post is reliable, through a process of harsh editing as well as making sure the opinions are backed up with evidence. This all reassures me that these posts are well thought out and written by authors I can trust.

            What I typically look for in a good blog post are pictures and videos to show me what they are really talking about. Each post you see has at least one picture per paragraph. Some of the pictures are of the specific event the author is writing about, but others are just thrown in there. For example in a post about the FDA reducing food inspections they have a random low quality picture of a family eating. Although some including my self at times may think this is odd, I think it brings more character to what they are writing about. Now you have to feel bad looking at the happy family eating their dinner and knowing that due to FDA budget cuts they could possibly be getting sick from that food on their plate. Another thing I like about the appearance is that they also add videos. Whether it is a video about the issue at hand or someone else such as Stephen Colbert commenting on the issue as well. These pictures and videos add a lot to what you are reading about.

             One of the most important pieces to evaluating a blog is the subject of the posts. Although this is a blog that self-proclaimed to only write about “Current food safety issues” we see a little bit of everything in here. There is even one post on sexism, in fact I believe the only reason it qualified to be posted was because it was sexism coming from a master chief reality show. Most posts aren’t about food safety; they just have to do with food. I think this diversity in subject really makes the blog a lot more interesting because it includes such controversial unknown stories.
             The qualified writers, story-like visuals, and diverse posts make this blog a great one. It manages to bring in the more serious issues, but manages to include the lighthearted humorous posts. I would give this blog a gold star. 

Chocolate Revised

            The emotions you feel as you bite into chocolate; whether it’s a cookie, truffle, piece of cake, ice cream, anything. As it slowly melts in your mouth filling every taste bud with joy, your mind starts flooding with past experiences and connections with this decadent dessert. It’s a kind of chocolaty feminine connection that leads back to the beginning of this family. I’ve only heard stories of the soothing affect it has had on my elders, but I have experienced it first hand with the ones closest to me.

            The subtle crack of the chocolate as it drops onto my tongue causes memories of my mother to fill my mind. From when I was young and would share chocolate cookies and treats with her. Questioning her about the world as I lick off the chocolate smeared all over my fingers. Mom with her motherly patience would answer every one of those questions until I passed out from a sugar high. Other memories are from more recent times when we go out for chocolate croissants and coffee as I confide in her. Questioning her on how to fix the common troubles one has while growing up. The soothing words of my mother combined with the sweetness of the chocolaty croissant made for a relaxing morning that calms my nerves.

            As the chocolate softens in my mouth memories of my grandmother flood into my mind. Tea time with my Googoo. My favorite blanket spread out on the floor, on top sits my tiny tea set; the teapot and cups filled with milk and the little plates filled with Oreos along with my grandmother’s fancy chocolates. I once again bombarded, this time, my grandmother with questions. She giggled at my curiosity and answered them too as her crystal blue eyes stared into mine. Memories from when I was older fill me as well. The most common one is walking into my grandparent’s apartment and being welcomed with the smell of fresh baked brownies, her specialty. We sit together over a plate of brownies and have girl talk that includes the fascinating stories of my relatives that I never had the chance to meet. Taking mental notes on the examples they’ve set for me to fix my common life problems.

            Us Ekstrom women, though many of us have never met, bond through this dessert. The memories that consume us as we consume the chocolate fill our brains to capacity. Memories consisting of stories of our older generations who all had common challenges. Maybe I can blame becoming such a strong feminist on the stories I hear of my great, great grandmother. She planted this seed by being one of the first women to stand up and go to college before it was ever socially accepted, right when the men only rule was freshly eliminated. This large family connection all started through the Ekstrom women’s favorite dessert chocolate—and this is how we are all connected.

Rhetorical Analysis

MR. CLEMENT: Well, Justice Kennedy, two points. First of all, the very fact that there are 1,100 provisions of Federal law that define the terms "marriage" and "spouse" goes a long way to showing that Federal law has not just stayed completely out of these issues. It's gotten involved in them in a variety of contexts where there is an independent Federal power that supported that. Now, the second thing is the fact that DOMA involves all 1,100 statutes at once is not really a sign of its irrationality. It is a sign that what it is, and all it has ever purported to be, is a definitional provision. And like every other provision in the Dictionary Act, what it does is it defines the term wherever it appears in Federal law in a consistent way. And that was part and parcel of what Congress was trying to accomplish with DOMA in 1996. (154)

            Mr. Clement did a great job thinking on his toes while being torn apart by the Supreme Court Justices in a case against DOMA. He addresses every point in a calmly fashion and backs it up with evidence. Clement has a well-qualified argument by centering all of his claims and evidence around his largest point; DOMA is a definitional provision.

            This being a rebuttal from a debate Mr. Clement did a good job of structuring his argument to counter attack each point. Though it is choppy, each sentence reflects the previous point of the Justice. All while staying quick to the point in order to get everything in before he is interrupted. The most important part of this structure is that it all revolves around the biggest point. Cleverly answering all of the Justice Kennedy’s  points while pointing them in the direction of DOMA being a definitional provision. A perfect example of this is how he opens, “First of all, the very fact that there are 1,100 provisions of Federal law that define the terms "marriage" and "spouse" goes a long way to showing that Federal law has not just stayed completely out of these issues.” As he points us in this direction he uses logos to start out strong and ends the sentence with his claim. This way by the time you read his claim it has already been backed up; not giving you a chance to second-guess this claim.

            Clement accomplishes all this while still maintaining a calm and collected tone. This tone gives him creditability because he isn’t rudely accusing anything no is he asking any demeaning questions; he is simply stating the facts. Also in comparison to most of the Justice’s sass and disrespectful responses, it makes him look like the more trustworthy speaker.

             Clement uses such a tone because the decision is being made by the Supreme Court Justices so he needs to appeal to them as his audience. Being respectful and showing credibility is essential for accomplishing this. In order to win over the opinion of a Justice you have to really prove to them that you are qualified and that is what Clement has been doing successfully. Like I pointed out earlier the structure of his sentences and over all argument are set up to prove his claim before he even states it. Add his tone to that and you have the perfect show for a hard to please audience.

            This argument was very well done. From the structure, tone, and appeal to the audience—Mr. Clement nailed it. He counter attacks each claim thrown at him, with the claims of his own draws a bigger picture, and has the tone to please the audience. He succeeded in making his case clear and doing that while thinking on your feet is a very large accomplishment. 

Chocolate Connection

            It’s an addiction really. The emotions you feel as you bite into chocolate; whether it’s a cookie, truffle, piece of cake, ice cream, anything. As it slowly melts in your mouth filling every taste bud with joy, your mind starts flooding with past experiences and connections with this decadent dessert. A kind of chocolaty feminine connection that leads back to the beginning of this family. I’ve only heard stories of the soothing affect it has had on my elders, but I have experienced it first hand with the ones closest to me.

            The subtle crack of the chocolate as it drops onto my tongue causes memories of my mother to fill my mind. From when I was young and would share chocolate cookies and treats with her. Questioning her about the world, “Why is chocolate brown? Who’s George Bush? But I thought George Washington is our president? Do you think horses like chocolate?” as I lick off the chocolate smeared all over my fingers. Mom with her motherly patience would answer each and every one of those questions until I passed out from a sugar high. Others are from more recent times when we go out for chocolate croissants and coffee as I confide in her. The soothing words of my mother combined with the sweetness of the croissant make for a relaxing morning that calms my nerves.

            As the chocolate softens in my mouth memories of my grandmother flood into my mind. Tea time with my Googoo. My favorite blanket spread out on the floor, on top sits my tiny tea set; the teapot and cups filled with milk and the little plates filled with Oreos along with my grandmother’s fancy chocolates. In most of my happy memories like this one, I can feel the warm sensation of the sun on my face. I once again bombarded this time my grandmother with questions. She giggled at my curiosity and answered them too as her crystal blue eyes stared into mine. Memories from when I was older surprise me as well. The most common one is walking into my grandparent’s apartment and being welcomed with the smell of fresh baked brownies, her specialty. We sit together over a plate of brownies and have girl talk that includes the fascinating stories of my relatives that I never had the chance to meet. Not a worry in the world.

            Us Ekstrom women, though many of us have never met, bond through this dessert. The memories that consume us as we consume the chocolate fill our brains to capacity. Causing all the worries to fade away. This is the way I get to bond with one of my great, great, grandmothers who was one of the first of very few women to attend college once it was allowed for their gender. How else could she have inspired me to become the strong feminist I am today? Oh yes, the strange female connection my family shares through chocolate. They all speak to me through a dessert. 

Helping China

By outsourcing our work to China we have tarnished many American morals. Incidents including child labor, underpaid workers, over worked workers, unsafe working conditions, ignoring the environmental issues, and much more. In recent years we have watched the Chinese government scrambling together to get things in order. Due to the now booming export and foreign market, China has been working to get back on top of many of these issues. Free trade is not encouraging such irresponsible behavior, in fact it is doing the opposite by pushing the foreign governments like China moving again to get on top of these issues.

This past January Northern China has had a surge of pollution, specifically thick smog that encased Beijing. The pollution was rated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with an air quality index of surpassing 300. Though this rise in pollution is not considered a good thing, in hindsight it jump started the slow moving action of the government in the effort to decrease the pollution problem they have.

On just the second “Hazardous” day, in an effort to stop Beijing’s “most polluted days on record” from lasting longer the government ordered temporarily shutting down 100 factories and one third of government vehicles off of the streets. According to Wang Anshun the Mayor of Beijing, the government has created a preliminary plan to curb the pollution, also quoted saying “I hope we can have blue skies, clean water, less traffic and a more balanced education system.” (Wong, Edward) This plan he spoke of was shown in the Xihuan, a Chinese news station: in the goal to bring down the density of major air pollutants by 2 percent this year, officials have ordered 180,000 out dated vehicles off the roads, promoting the use of clean energy government vehicles and heating systems, and growing trees over 250 square miles of land in the next five years.

Although currently this pollution issue may seem like a large product of the outsourcing our companies have done because we have helped to create these new manufacturing factories. I am not going to deny that because are part of the problem, but because our companies are over there they have their own regulations for pollution and workers and in order to keep their good reputation in tact they are going to make sure their standards are high. The need to bring a better reputation to this outsourcing is important, as it said in Businessweek, “Guarantees by multi-nationals that offshore suppliers are meeting widely accepted codes of conduct have been important to maintaining political support in the U.S. for growing trade ties with China, especially in the wake of protests by unions and antiglobalization activists.”(Secrets, Lies, and Sweatshops) Our businesses are bringing our regulations over seas and sharing them with these foreign countries who have less stringent laws. Our foreign trade business has exported more than just jobs, but money for the governments, and values such as stricter laws for a better working environment inside and outside the factory.

Works Cited

Wong, Edward. "Beijing Takes Steps to Fight Pollution as Problem Worsens." New York Times. N.p., 30 Jan. 2013. Web. 7 Mar. 2013.

"Secrets, Lies, And Sweatshops." Bloomberg Businessweek. N.p., 26 Nov. 2006. Web. 7 Mar. 2013.

Lubman, Stanley. "Working Conditions: The Persistence of Problems in China’s Factories." Wall Street Journal | China. N.p., 25 Sept. 2012. Web. 7 Mar. 2013.

The Fight for Domestic Business in China

           China’s problem is quite the opposite from America’s--they have too much outsourcing into their country rather than from it. Though I am sure neither you nor a lot of China sees this as a problem because of the major boost it gives to China’s economy, even during this recession most of the world is experiencing. The problem is that these large foreign companies, who have been coming here for it’s cheap manufacturing and the large market for their products, have made it impossible for any of China’s domestic companies to keep up and flourish as much as the foreigner’s have.

            The economy of China relies purely on their exports and as the past has shown us, it is not safe for a country’s wealth to rely on one source. Due to this, it has been Beijing’s top priority to fix this problem by encouraging the growth of the domestic market. The Chinese government has been focused on taking advantage of the extra export money they have to take a big step up in the bettering of the country. According to Premier Wen Jiabao at the UN general assembly in New York “China has brought down the number of people in absolute poverty from 250 million to 15 million in less than 30 years" (China as a Global Player) this is a benefit of the foreign companies and the work of the government combined. Also over the past ten years China’s economy has been growing by 10.5% annually. All this work the government has been doing has paid off, but it still needs working for the better future of their domestic market.

China’s domestic businesses have been struggling to keep up; those who are really in deep have turned to illegal methods in getting ahead. In May of 2008 the Chinese government had discovered a child labor ring that tricked children from poor areas to come work in the “booming coastal cities.” This included over a hundred children ranging between the ages of 13 and 15 (the legal working age is 16); they were forced to work 300 hours a month. Though we may be bringing money to China by bringing our business there it seems like we are really hurting them in the end not only their businesses, but the people as well. The portrayal of the pressure we have created was written out well in the New York Times article, “The abuses may also reflect the combined pressures of worker shortages, high inflation and a rising currency that have reduced profit margins of some Chinese factories and forced them to scramble for an edge — even an illegal one — to stay competitive.” (David Barboza, China Says) The future of China is domestic demand and consumption so the importance of fixing this problem is immense.

            I hope to see China fix their domestic business problem because the homegrown market is part of every country’s culture; and to see it disappear would be like seeing their culture slowly decay. China’s government is working hard to stop this from becoming their future. From the success they have had so far with the rising of their economy and bettering of the country I believe they will work it out in time.

Works Cited

"China as a Global Player." World Economic Forum. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2013.

Barboza, David. "China Says Abusive Child Labor Ring Is Exposed." New York Times. N.p., 1 May 2008. Web. 28 Feb. 2013.

Jiebao, Wen. "Promote Sound, Sustainable and Quality Development." The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of New Champions 2011. China, Dalian. 28 Feb. 2013. Speech.

"China." Sourcing Line. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2013.