Gen Y

In my paper I discuss one of the most discussed cases of the year, the Trayvon Martin trial, and how it shows that social media has provided the youth with an opportunity to take on more a proactive stance in the issues that they feel are important. Our generation is the first generation of people to grow up in a world infused with readily accessible information. We have become habituated to being supplied with immense networks of data within seconds and the ability to communicate with people over thousands of miles away.  In regards to accessing information we have had it easy in comparison to the generations that preceded us, and many feel that our generation has been impacted negatively because of influence technology and media has on our lives.  Numerous studies that have been conducted by researchers express the negative influence of media on the youth; it causes body issues, drives us to act violently, and influences our perception towards gender, race, and sexuality.   
I do not disagree that there are negative aspects of the media that need to be addressed, however, I feel that the media also compels us to campaign and take action. In my final project I discuss aspects of social media that have a positive, and almost empowering, effect on young people today.

Most Ethical Olympics

"The Most Ethical Games Ever" - a slogan coined by the Commission for a Sustainable London, an organization promoting morality and ethical behavior during the 2012 Olympic Games.
Well, the games may not be as ethical as they had hoped.
Independendent News recently released an expose claiming that Adidas, the company behind the uniforms of the London team is utilizing sweatshops in Indonesia to make the uniforms.
Adidas released statements claiming that they are "investigating" the situation, but if their company is being accused of using sweatshops, what is there to investigate? Shouldn't they know what's happening within their company or at least be able to readily supply information about who is creating the uniforms they were so excited about (they were designed by Stella McCartney)? Addidas is definitely going to need to come up with something better than that.

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-the-battle-for-the-soul-of-the-olympic-games-7643868.html

Environmental Crime

     In one of my classes we have been discussing environmental crime. I felt that this issue ties in with this class because environmental crime is hugely influenced by ethics. When considering white-collar crime, one rarely considers that it could be associated with environmental crime.  Edwin Sutherland defined white-collar crime as “a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation.”  Generally, the widespread perception of white-collar crime is that it is committed in the corporate world, therefore, it only affects the corporate world; many fail to think of the different types of white-collar crimes committed or the secondary consequences these felonies cause. 
     In the instances of environmental white-collar crime, these crimes can do more than affect the monetary state of people in the workforce. Not only do these crimes continuously generate billions of dollars towards the profits of unlawful businesses and enterprises, but they are also harmful to the environment and as a result, harmful to the people living in it - triggering deficient health conditions or even death.
    The foundational attribute of environmental white-collar crimes is that they are committed for financial gain by well-informed and educated parties who try to find ways around the law.  It is essential that the general public becomes aware of the ramifications of the crimes committed by environmental white-collar offenders. The consequences of environmental white-collar crime are not oblique by any means; everyone is directly affected by the actions of these fraudulent corporations and businesses.
      I think that when considering these crimes, we need to take on a much less ignorant stance.  These crimes are committed by companies and organizations that we assist with funding. Without us, they have nowhere to stand.  It is our responsibility to watch and monitor what these companies are doing.  

Miss Universe 2012 pt. 2

According to the Miss Universe organization and Donald Trump, Jenna Talacknova is back in. 
Talacknova is back in the running for miss universe "provided she meets the legal gender recognition requirements of Canada, and the standards established by other international competitions."
I think that for the organization, this is a great move.  They have proven that their case with Talacknova does not lie within the issue of her being transgender, but with simply with the fact that they want to ensure rules are being followed.

Talcknova said she's "confused" and would just like for the organization to make a clear statement which I can understand. She was exposed to the public.... the last thing anyone would want. I think
that it is amazing that the Miss Universe organization decided to continue to let Talacknova continue on with the competition, but maybe for the sake of Talacknova, they should consider making a public apology as well for the distress they may have put her under. But with that being said, bravo Miss Universe Organization!

Miss Universe 2012 Scandal

Should you be allowed to compete in the Miss Universe pageant even though you were accepted under the pretense of a lie? Jenna Talackova thinks so. And I would have to say in her case I agree. Jenna was born as a male, and later had reconstructive surgery to physically become a woman. The issue with Jenna's case is that she stated on a form that she was born female. I think that yes, Jenna did lie, but really who does this lie hurt? Jenna identifies herself as woman, yes it is crucial to follow the rules, but we live in a world so biased, and full of judgmental people that Jenna was probably afraid to come out to the whole world as a transgender individual - and put herself under the media's "microscope" (which ended up happening anyways). I feel that if Jenna has the traits thats the Miss Universe organization looks for in a "natural-born" woman then she should most definitely be allowed to compete. Who are we to judge what encompasses a true woman? She looks like a woman, she feels like a woman, and she wants to represent women... let the girl compete.

Continuation of Thoughts on TM Case

Still have thoughts on the Trayvon Martin case. It coerced me to truly look at the big picture when it comes to our race and society. I used to be discriminated against because I didn’t “act black enough” and some students within my race felt that I had no self-awareness or identity because I didn’t have the same interests as them; however, I was fully accepted by others outside of my race. I remember being told that unlike other black students, I wasn’t “scary or threatening”. Then there’s Trayvon who was discriminated against simply for “walking while black”.

There are some people in our own race who tell us that we should act a certain way and if we decide not do so we are alienated. The there are people who are not outside our race that tell us that if we do not act like them, we should be feared. Where do we fit?

Trayvon Martin Case

Upon first hearing about what happened to Trayvon, I honestly felt a deep connection to the case as many others have. I felt a surge of sympathy for his family and friends; I felt anger towards George Zimmerman and his idiotic decision, and finally disappointment in the fact that we are still dealing with racially charged issues such as this one.  What made the connection to this case so much more significant for me, however, was the fact that I have dealt with racial profiling as well, both from people within and outside of my race, and this case drove me to thinking about how unfair all of these racially charged issues are. 

The Trayvon Martin case has been one of the most followed stories in the media lately. His death has evoked such a huge response from the American people. This case just showed me that although we have evolved so much as a nation, there is still so much that we still have yet to improve on.  

Meat... to Eat or Not to Eat?

Ignorance is bliss.
That is the saying that kept repeating in my head as I read "Defending Your Dinner: An Open Contest For Hungry Ethicists"
I am a meat eater. I love meat and I am not going to lie about it. But despite my love for it, is it ethical? We're are all familiar with pamphlets promoting a vegan lifestyle. We know about the animal cruelty that takes place during the process of animal slaughtering. So why do we continue to eat meat?
I think, at least in my case, we opt for ignorance. We know that our sources for meat products, may also be utilize animal cruelty, but we choose to tell ourselves that since we don't know... it's ok.

Visible Children

We're familiar with the Kony 2012 YouTube video that got the attention of millions of people within a matter of days but what about Visible Children.
http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/
The Tumblr site ran by Grant Oyston sheds a more negative light on the campaign. Can it be a scam?
Oyston has gotten a lot of negative feedback from supporters of the Kony Campaign, however he did bring some good points into perspective. To gain more credibility from more people, Invisible Children is definitely going to need to be more open about what they are doing with their funding.
I agree that yes, something does need to be done, however, if I am going to give money to your organization, I want to know exactly what it is I am funding.
Oyston may be receiving a lot of backlash for his site, but I feel that he has every right to raise these questions. Be more specific about the allocation of funds if you want more support.

The issue of whether birth control should be administered to young girls has always been a hot topic. This week, Rush Limbaugh demonstrated that this issue is still very controversial among many Americans. Limbaugh accused a Georgetown law school student, Sandra Fluke of being a slut for suggesting that birth control should be distributed to students at Catholic institutions.
Limbaugh addressed Fluke's statements with harsh criticism and sexist remarks.

"What does that make her? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute... She wants to be paid to have sex. She's having so much sex she can't afford the contraception."

We are all entitled to an opinion, but because of his accusatory and juvenile behavior, Limbaugh definitely discredited himself in my eyes. I don't feel that students should use birth control as an excuse to sleep around, but if a female student does choose to have sex, isn't it better that she chooses to practice safe sex? I think that instead of immediately admonishing and criticizing women for wanting to use birth control, conservatives and members of the Congress should really consider this perspective. Yes, we get it, you don't support the promotion of sexual acts by distributing birth control, but wouldn't you rather promote safe sex than an increase in births of unwanted children, and potentially abortion? I think that it would be a good idea for Catholic institutions to administer birth control to students. As the old saying goes, better to be safe than sorry.

Source

Marie Colvin (left), Remi Ochlik (right)

A story that really stood out to me this week was the deaths of French photographer Remi Ochlik and the journalist Marie Colvin. The pair were killed in Syria, by rockets said to have been targeted at the house they were staying in, by government forces.
According to many news sources, the Syrian conflict has been very difficult for many journalists to cover - Colvin and Oclik were not the first to be killed during the uprising.
I first heard about this story when listening to NPR news yesterday, and it truly saddened me to hear about these journalists losing their lives. I feel that the random shellings that are occuring in Syria, illustrate that the European Union needs to attempt to do something... anything... to help to mollify issues in Syria.
Below is Marie Colvin's last story covering the Syrian uprising:
http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/public/news/article874796.ece

Last class we discussed how the Texas Rangers handled the case in which a father fell trying to catch a foul ball at a game last year.  We ultimately decided that Nolan Ryan and the Rangers made the right decision and handled the case in the best manner possible - quickly & compassionately. They showed that the Texas Rangers do care about their fans and their safety.
After this weeks events with the drug bust at TCU, it is hard not to think about TCU's handling of the issue. Did TCU take care of the situation in the best manner?
I feel that they did. TCU addressed an issue that is not exclusive to the school but is an issue at most, if not all, universities. They were the first to actively bring light to the issues themselves and show that the behavior was intolerable at our university and that action would be taken. 
As far as PR decisions go I think that TCU handled the issue the best way that they could.

Class Discussion: Komen & Planned Parenthood

In class we discussed the issue of Komen giving into public pressure and making the decision to pull their support from Planned Parenthoold. In making the decision to pull funding away from Planned Parenthood, Komen became the focus of a huge credibility-related scandal.  Komen not only lost their credibility as an organization that believes in the the empowerment of every woman, but they also lost the funding and support of many of it's former supporters.
It is fine to be openly against the practices of another organization or what they stand for, as long as you remain reasonable and have a justified way to support the reason you disagree with their practices. The fact that Komen decided to discontinue it's alliance with Planned Parenthood only after being faced with adversity and judgment from the public is what makes their actions questionable.
I feel that in finally making the decision to stand by Planned Parenthood was a good play by Komen, but it may be "little too late" for their current situation. They have lost any hope of obtaining a reputation as a strong and steadfast organization that stands for what they believe.

Playing Fair

According to Rawl's Veil of Ignorance, in order to achieve nonpartisan attitude, one must push aside who they are, completely ignore their social identity, and make decisions without it.
It sounds nice, but is that really possible?
I'm taking criminal justice courses, and we're learning about different cases - criminal, white crime, environmental, and in each classification, it who the person is, and where they come from that plays a role in the case, whether it be psychologically/mentally or where they come from geographically.
Just recently, I read an article about a billionaire who was around 48, and decided to commit to his girlfriend... by adopting her to avoid any monetary discrepancies. We live in a society where people place so much emphasis on status and money that it is difficult, no matter how hard we try to get away from being discriminatory towards others.
In regards to things like race and money, I hope that someday we will be able to get past the bias, and live in an equilibrium - but if it's not one thing it's another. We always find a way to differentiate ourselves from other people; it's our human nature.
I feel that Rawl's veil of ignorance, is a nice concept, but realistically, I'm not sure if its an entirely plausible ethical guideline.

Thoughts on "Little Mirrors"

     In Hamlet's Blackberry, Powers brought forth a new perspective on silent reading in the "Little Mirrors" chapter (chapter 7). Until the Middle Ages, owning books was a luxury only the rich could provide.  Reading was essentially a communal activity. I was already aware of this, but what I didn't realize was that silent reading, was once thought of as unconventional and abnormal. When people began to read in private it was seen as "an inner journey, shared by no one else and not subject to outside influence or control."
     We live in a day and age where information is available to everyone regardless of race, class, etc. Today we are able to obtain free information almost anywhere we go, and in the time period that Powers describes in "Little Mirrors", the extensive allocation of information was feared.
     This segment of the book struck me because we have evolved so much from our apprehensive attitude. Before, people were scared of what could result from knowing too much, whereas now we want as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. The book got me to thinking: were our predecessors right to be fearful of an information overkill? Of course not. But I think there are definitely some negative aspects to having too much information. Lies and gossip get spread more quickly, and now we have to be able to determine what is true and what isn't. With the more knowledge and information we gain, we should also obtain more responsibility for the information we choose to disseminate and share amongst each other.

Thoughts on "The Joy of Quiet"

     "The Joy of Quiet" article infers that our society has gone from whole-heartedly embracing innovative technologies that bring us together, to bringing us a new desire for our own space. When the article made references to how some feel the need to break away from the screen, I felt I could relate to that desire of freedom from technology.
     Technology has provided us with a means of connecting with others more quickly than before. It is no longer a feat to reach others across the globe; we can connect through phones, emails, texts, even visually connect with others via computer screen... but when do we reach our breaking point? When is enough, enough? Don't get me wrong... I am definitely one who likes to utilize technology to connect with others and I love that distance is no longer an issue when it comes to communication; but at times I feel I need a break, to get away from others and be able to retreat to my own space. I find myself leaving my phone behind just because at times I feel it is too invasive, having others keeping track of my whereabout 24/7... I don't like the restrictive quality a phone can sometimes have. It feels as if technology sometimes allows others to break into my "personal bubble"; our technological devices can sometimes lean towards bothersome rather than beneficial. 
     I agree with the viewpoint that sometimes we need to leave the world behind, and try to remain a peaceful state of mind... block everything else out and focus on our lives. As I've said before, technology can be a godsend; but we have to make sure that we do not allow it to take over and run our lives.