True Reflection?

"The evolution of social media into a robust mechanism for social transformation is already visible. Despite many adamant critics who insist that tools like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are little more than faddish distractions useful only to exchange trivial information, these critics are being proven wrong time and again."

Simon Mainwaring

We see role models in television, movies, and the people we interact with in real life. However the media and "pop culture" reflect who is charge and has the most power and influence. The people we look up to in entertainment reflect the view of the people watching, but it is still a limited view. Hollywood, while becoming more diverse, still reflects Caucasian stars the most. They are the ones we see most often in magazines and in commercials.

Hollywood stars are known by adults and young people alike, but new stars are popping up. They aren't on the T.V or in magazines. They are online. Youtube has allowed people to connect with others in a way never thought possible before. Musicians, comedians, teachers and chefs no longer need to go through traditional methods to reach an audience (Labels, connections etc.).  Things like race are no longer the huge barrier they might otherwise be and content becomes what really matters.
The internet showcases a more representative look at the world we live in. Content is uploaded of viewed from countries all over the world allowing people to experience the smaller more global world we live in. Prejudices can only be changed with exposure to the truth, and the worldwide connections that the internet provide help to achieve this and many other goals. 

"You can't regulate child labor. You can't regulate slavery. Some things are just wrong"- Michael Moore

Many Americans will say that the Civil War ended slavery. Legally it did. Congress abolished slavery in 1865, but it continues today under another name: human trafficking.

When we think about  trafficking we things of places far away, usually third world countries with corrupt or ineffective police forces. However much we wish that the problem would stay away it has developed a deeply rooted presence in the United States. The two main types of human trafficking supply people for the labor and sex industries. People of all races and backgrounds are kidnapped, threatened, or drugged into the trafficking rings where they are sold or used by the highest bidder. 82% of people taken in the United States in 2013 were under 18 years of age and at any time 293,000 American youth are at risk for being coerced into the human trafficking industry. Runaways and children with abusive parents are often those who are exploited most as they are easy targets who have no one that will miss them or want to know what happened.

Slavery has always had a history of preying on the weak. What made it possible for the slaves traders to obtain slaves was their guns and money. The same thing occurred in Ancient Greece and Rome. While it remains possible to limit human trafficking, I believe that it is impossible for it to stop completely. As long as humans have the desire for power and control, there will be exploitation of other people.
Sources
http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/law-enforcement-bulletin/march_2011/human_sex_trafficking
http://stophumantraffickingny.wordpress.com/a-survivors-story/

"Be Yourself"

"Some people are your relatives but others are your ancestors, and you choose the ones you want to have as your ancestors. You create yourself out of their values"- Ralph Ellison

In our country we are bombarded with the message to "Be Yourself". We try. We develop our own interests and preferences, but we forget how much we are shaped by those who came before us. Some of the most important people are our parents. They teach us morals, values, and right from wrong. They help us set goals and push us to succeed.  Yes, parents have the most direct influence on us, but so do other relatives, ones we may have never met. My ancestors that came to America made my life possible as well as those of my parents and grandparents. They may be long gone but their influence remains. I am classified by who they were, what they did, and where they came from. Nathanial Hawthorne ran into the same problem. He felt the weighed down by the choices and actions of his ancestors. The guilt he felt coupled with his talent for writing produced his most famous work: The Scarlet Letter.

The Scarlet Letter explores how different people deal with the punishments dealt by the society in which they live. Hester Prynn had to survive the public opinion of her actions (Hawthorne's ancestors) while Dimmesdale had to deal with the guilt from his hidden actions of the past (Hawthorne himself). Hawthorne's guilt about what his family did in the past shows in his cynical writing.  To me it is not possible to truly be your own person, to have been the only one to shape your actions and how you are seen. Everything about everyone is shaped by someone else; appearance, clothing, speech patterns, even ambitions.

www.ted.com/talks/julian_baggini_is_there_a_real_you

The Not Uniform Uniform

The first time that I experienced a strict dress code was when I spent the summer in Japan. I was part of an exchange program that presented me with the opportunity to study at a Japanese school. In American schools the dress code is very lax. It allows most styles and the enforcement of the code is very lax. It was another experience in Japan. School mandated top, skirt (pants or guys), socks, shoes , belts and bags were needed to enter the school. The school had an approved list of hairstyles for both genders. It was enforced by teachers, and unannounced uniform checks for the entire school. Teacher checked to make sure that shirts (and camisoles) were tucked in properly, and they measured hair length to be sure that it met school standards.
We may not have a school imposed uniform at Troy High, yet many people in our school dress the same way. Trends seem to be make uniforms in high schools. Some of them are easier to escape than others, but the pressure is always there to buy a certain brand or style of clothing. When we do see people with a personal aesthetic that differs from the norm, we stare and think how bizarre it seems. In a country that values self expression, it seems ironic that it is often limited by whatever trends are current.