Equality and womens rights

Some women in our country believe that they are still not treated like they should be in the workplace. According to this poster a women does not make near as much as a man does for the same job. I want to know what you think. Do you believe that womens rights activists are correct when they create posters such as this? Is our economy still horribly degrading women in the workplace and society in general? Or do you believe those women activists have gone to far and have blown their ideas way out of proportion? I saw this poster about a couple of months back and actually wrote my persuasive paper about it. I want to know how everyone else feels about it and if it compares or contrasts to what i believe.

Advertisement and Gender Roles

This semester in English 103 we have discussed a lot about Gender Roles. So I went searching for an image that was an advertisement, and showed this quality. How do u feel about the ad to your left? What is this ad trying to tell us? Do you think it is unfair to men, women, or both?

Advertisments

In Kilbourne's article "Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt" she talks about advertising and the ways it hints at power and violence. She says how some of them "dehumanizes and objectifies people, often women", often comparing it to pornography. What is your opinion on this, do you agree or disagree with her? How do you think advertising has changed over the years? Do you think sometimes it is taken too far? She also mentions kids in advertisments, and how they may be portrayed in a sexual manner. Do you agree or disagree with this and do you think there is any truth to her claims? What did you find most disturbing?

Torture

According to Press torture is wrong in all cases and scenarios, do you agree with him?
Or do agree with others who think that in some cases where information is vital to save lives, such as the Al Queda captive Mohammed. Is torture okay in those cases? Which one of those two ideas to you agree with and why?

Arabic School Controversy

Here is a link to a story found in the New York Times about the Khalil Gibran International Academy, the first Arabic-language school in New York City. The former principal and founder of the school, Debbie Almontaser, was pressured to step down recently due to a controversy surrounding t-shirts worn by some of the that students attending the school. She claims she is the victim of "an anti-Arab 'smear campaign,'" and that the school has become a target of anti-Arab, anti-Muslim sentiments in New York. Here is a link to the school's website, which has some general info about the school, and this is a link to a blog run by a conservative historian and foreign policy adviser to Rudy Giuliani who is opposed to the school. Do you think the school poses a threat? What about Almontaser's claim that the school was her "American dream"?

Jefferson essay

In the Jefferson essay he talks about differences between white and black people. He mentions how black people require less sleep and are better at music and how white people are more capable of love. What are your thoughts on this? Would you consider these to be myths or true?

Difference of Condition

In the Jefferson reading he talks about something called a difference of condition. This condition of color is what separates us according to him. Do you feel as if Jefferson’s view that hate will still exist unless one of the races was wiped out has lead to a battle of racial superiority? Jefferson states that African Americans are better at music and white people are more capable of love. Do you feel as if these differences of condition are stereotypes and if so where do they come from? Do you believe these differences lead to a negative view of a particular race?

Resentment Towards America

After reading THE OBLIVIOUS EMPIRE, by Mark Hertsgaard, we see that different parts of the world have different views on Americans in general. They don’t really seem to see that not all American citizens agree with the United States’ government. We see that other countries have resentment towards American Citizens, and like them, we also don’t pay much attention to what is going on in their home land.
Why do you think the rest of the world sees us the way they do? Do you believe that it is fair for American citizens to receive the same resentment as the US government? Is there something that can be done to reduce other countries’ resentment towards America?

Us and Them

In the essay by Maria Poggi Johnson, the main character is christian and moves to a mostly Jewish neighborhood. She explores the Jewish religion and teaches it in her school. The experience of learning more about the Jewish faith strengthens her beliefs about her own religion. Have you ever questioned your faith when learning of another religion or has others differences made you feel more confident in your beliefs? Have you ever felt left out in a situation where you were surrounded by another religion that was not of your own? Describe a moment in your life that you have either questioned or had been assured of your religion.