Running head: Taxes
Taxes: Who benefits and who gets ripped off
Taxes 2
Abstract
Taxes are the dollars that we pay to government to supply the services that are not or can not be provided through the free enterprise system. Taxes have been around since the beginning of organized societies. They come in various forms. Most common are income taxes both federal and local government. These taxes are assessed on the amount of income a person earns. Other taxes come in the form of user taxes; these taxes are imposed on the people that are using the goods being taxed, such as gas tax, alcohol tax, sales tax, and luxury taxes. Property taxes make up the major revenues for local and city governments. Furthering the burden of taxation are taxes that are attached to such bills as utility bills and rental expenses.
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Introduction Taxes; who benefits and who gets ripped off focuses mostly on Federal and county taxes and not on state taxes. This report aims to give the reader some insight on taxes: Why we have them, what types of benefits they supply, who benefits from them, and who gets screwed by them. It informs the reader of the different types of taxation, where the money comes from and where it goes. How can people avoid some tax increases? But most of all, this report informs the reader that there is an incredible amount of money being wasted by the federal government through overspending and irresponsible behavior of government departments. This overspending has created a deficit that has caused billions of dollars in damage to the credit of the country. As a result of these excess taxes, the American taxpayer is getting ripped off by paying for waste in government. Most people in this country are being ripped off in the amount of taxes they pay due to corruption government and the flagrant overspending and waste of government departments. This over spending and waste is the cause of high tax rates Why we have taxes Ever since the beginning of organized societies, governments have been formed to rule over and to protect the interests of these societies. In order for these governments to function there was a need for revenue to meet the expenses incurred by these governments. This need for revenue was met by levying taxes on individuals and businesses. It has always been a question to the population being taxed as to whether or not the government was doing a good job in assessing and managing the money it collected from taxes.
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The purpose of this report is to determine if the government is acting fairly in its taxation of the American population, and to point out the waste in government spending. In an article published November 1995, an unknown author explained the need for government “revenue” by defending what the revenue supplies for the people. In America we live within a free enterprise society. A free enterprise system is based on the idea of competition is good and that only the most efficient businesses will survive. The free enterprise system works with the idea that the consumer is somewhat knowledgeable about the products they buy. However, in today’s modern world the consumer cannot be always be expected to make an informed decision about something. This is where federal laws are put in place to protect the interest of the public. Examples of such laws are regulations covering quality and safety of home construction, cars, and electrical appliances. The economics of taxation, (p. 2) Such societies do not supply all the needs and services that are required. Good examples of these types of services are national defense, and local and state government. Other examples of services the government supplies are managing our natural resources, including water supplies, construction and maintenance of roads and bridges. Revenues pay for social programs such as social security, welfare, medicare, and other government funded program that have been put in place with the idea to help the public in time of need. Government grants for education, job retraining programs, and small business loans are some other types of program that have been created to help support the growth of the population.
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Education is another important service that is provided by local and federal governments. The responsibility for primary education is on city and county governments. Secondary education, such as colleges and universities, fall on the state government; however, the federal government helps with primary, secondary, and vocational education by providing grants that are an important part of the success of the educational system in this country. Types of taxes Taxes have been around since the beginning of organized society. They come in various forms. Most common are income taxes both federal and local. These taxes are assessed on the amount of income a person earns. Other taxes come in the form of user taxes. These taxes are imposed on the people that are using the goods being taxed for example gas tax, alcohol tax, sales tax, and luxury taxes. Property taxes make up the major revenues for local and city governments. Furthering the burden of taxation there are taxes that are attached to such bills as utility bills and rental expenses. The following information is an overview of what has been happening to tax revenues in city and federal government. Property taxes for the most part have sky rocketed across the country. Dearborn (1993) reported that, in the period from 1980 to 1990, local property taxes increased nationally by an impressive 128%, with 32 states experiencing increases over 100%. Property taxes make up as much as 92% of city or county revenue. School and educational cost can take up as much as 97.5% of a county’s revenue.
Taxes 6 Out of 41 school districts surveyed, only 3 depended entirely on property taxes as a local tax source. Between the period from 1984 to 1990, the city of Boston had the highest increase in assessment ratio of property values of 158% and, while the city reduced the tax rate by 51%, it still yielded a net increase of 56% more in tax revenues from property taxes.
Percentage change in local property tax revenue Percent change Percent change 1980-1990 1990-1991 RI 107.3% 9.4% MA 46.9% 6.4% NH 212.0% 16.7% VT 140.6% 11.3% CA 172.1% 8.9% NY 109.4% 8.0% NC 133.8% 7.6%
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In a recent report on property tax rip-offs, Razzi (1995) gave tips on how to reduce the amount of property tax that a person pays. According to the National Taxpayers Union, only 5% to 10% of homeowners appealed their assessments, but more than half of those who do appeal receive some type of reduction in their assessment. Razzi stated that Dale Cheema has saved $4,300 in five years by challenging the assessments on his California home and rental properties. (p.4) Sales tax makes up for a big chunk of revenue in states that are looking to place levies on users. Fortune magazine reported on the extremes of state taxes. If you like to pay taxes, be sure to buy gas in Connecticut and cigarettes in Michigan, and shop in Rhode Island or Mississippi.
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Where has all the money gone?
The government, both federal and county collects from millions to billions of dollars annually from taxpayers. The people who benefit the most are the people who get to collect from government programs that give benefits to qualified individuals. Such benefits could range from low income housing, college tuition grants, to tax exempt investments for investors who invest in government approved projects normally associated with other government aid to investors. The people who get ripped off are the people who never get to collect from any government give-a-ways. The people who get ripped off are the people who pay absurd amounts of taxes every year so that the government can support these programs. The American government gives away billions of dollars to foreign countries that have no means of repaying such depts. and the government does so without ever asking the permission of the tax payers. After all the money belongs to the people who are paying the taxes more than anyone else. In a report from the Committee on Government Operations, the agency uncovered a multitude of fraud and waste in the federal government. It blamed most of it on lack of leadership and mismanagement. The report, (1993) stated, “the government’s blind eye invited a savings and loan disaster that will cost taxpayers $195 billion to $335 billion.”(p.1). “By all signs, the record on preventing government waste during the past 12 years is poor. The agency by agency assessments contained in this report document waste totaling more that 300 billions and billions of dollars more that can not be quantified due in large part to a lack of commitment to sound and efficient management.” (p.1). Taxes 9 Managing the federal government, (1993) Reported the following:
By using the results of investigations by this and other Committees, as well as by auditors including the inspectors General and General accounting office this report attempt to identify those programs in each of the major agencies that are suffering from the worst miss management. It is the hope that this report will stimulate discussion among policy makers and citizens on this important subject. Government waste has not only bilked the taxpayer of hundreds of billions of dollars, but it has created a public cynicism about government at a time when effective government is needed most. (p.2).
The federal government has a department called The Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Its duties are to foster strong leadership throughout government. However over the last ten years the OMB has led the drive to deprive government of the resources needed to manage big government. OMB has cut back on auditing and enforcement budgets, which has led to huge rip-offs in government health care, defense, loan and other programs. In the late 1980s, the Inspector General had filed complaints with the OMB concerning fraudulent behavior in the HUD program. It was not until the scandal made the evening news that the OMB investigated into the $2 billion dollar scandal caused by influence, peddling, and greed. The following information was uncovered by the Committee of Government Operations (1993): Ignoring early reports of significant failures the Defense Department spent $4 billion on a defense avionics package for the B-1 bomber that was eventually canceled.
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The Department of the Treasury awarded a contract for off the shelf, commercially available equipment and services to a vendor whose price was half a billion dollars higher than the runner up. The Pentagon awarded a contract for its Reserve Component Automation System to a contractor whose $1.6 billion bid was hundreds of millions of dollars higher than other bidders. The Federal Aviation Administration was poised to purchase $1 billion in computer services that it did not need, before the Government Operations Committee intervened. NASA, which spends more than $14 billion in procurement each year, has such a shortage in procurement resources that it faces excessive subcontractor profits, overpayments for services, low productivity from contractor employees, poor technical oversight, the payment of inordinately high award fees for suspect contract performance, and a host of other problems. The Pentagon’s failure to monitor problems encountered on the A-12 aircraft contract resulted in a schedule that was so far delayed and a cost that was so inflated that the entire system had to be cancelled at a cost of $2.6 billion dollars. The only thing the public got for its money was six sets of sophisticated drawings.(p. 7)
Taxes 11 If the federal government was a bank, it would have gone under years ago. Billions of dollars are lost ever year from its nearly $1 trillion dollars in loan guarantees. Over 20 percent, or $45 billion dollars, in government loans are delinquent, and another $18 billion was written off in 1991. As of 1991, the US government had a total of $900 billion dollars in guaranteed loans on the books. All this money, so much money, all on the heads of the American taxpayers. Because it’s the American taxpayer in the end who will suffer, it will be the tax -payer that forfeits his or her standard of living to pay for the flagrant overspending of government. It will be the taxpayer who gets ripped off in the end because it’s the taxpayer that’s getting ripped off now. Conclusion The need for taxes is indeed prevalent in a free society, and not all things that are supported by the taxes are bad. Indeed, many of the programs that are paid for through tax dollars are wonderful programs that may only be found in a country as great as our own, but the other side of the coin seems much larger, larger in respect to the number of people who support programs that are ill managed verses the number of people who get to take advantage of such programs that they pay for. The burden of revenue placed on the taxpayer could be reduced incredibly if government would clean up its bad habits of blatant overspending. Big government will continue to waste until the population of taxpayers speak out against such waste. It is only the ignorance of people that allows the government to continue government programs that have enormous waste. The people who support the tax base need to be informed about where their tax dollars are going. Taxes 12
As the laws that control the availability of government documents loosen, reporters will continue to inform the public of government corruption and waste. We can only hope that one-day, government spending will be reversed with the idea that government officials will be directly responsible for the waste in their departments. Until then, we can only pay our taxes, and pay attention to where our tax dollars go.
References Taxes 13
A decade of decline. (1993). Managing the federal government. 1-20. Dearborn, P. M. (1993, Summer). Local property taxes: Emerging trends. Internal governmental perspective 10-12 Taylor, A. (1996, May 25). Dole’s call for gas tax repeal fails to spark voters Congressional quarterly report: Economics and finance. 1212 –1378. The economics of taxation. (1995, November 2). The economics of taxation. Suanders, L. (1995, June 19). Avoiding the rack Forbes, 13, 208.
Social Issues
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
America Tax
Aging And Marriage
Reaction Paper: Marriage and Aging
A big aspect in keeping a marriage successful is how much communication occurs between the two people involved. For a healthy relationship there is a need for quite a bit of communication. Communication, as stated in class, is one of the key elements to a successful marriage. There has to be some open discussions and trust in the relationship to make it anywhere. If you can not talk to your partner you will not be able to solve problems in a healthy manner. You have to be able to tell your partner things to help you learn and mature with them. You have to learn how to compromise and help each other out. Communication has to be part of your relationship in some way. You cannot go through your life not talking to your partner about important issues that you should be able to talk to them about.
Another important issue discussed in class was homosexuals and marriage. Homosexual marriage is an important issue because it deals with a relatively large minority of the United States. This issue is important today with respect to many different ideas. There are so many ideas of morals, family values, and those of equality, constitutionality, and right to privacy. The aspect with the most relevance is constantly left up to debate. Homosexuals are 'gay' due to a combination of factors. These factors are environment and society-the outside influences- and genetics.
Hence, homosexuals do not decide their own sexuality, nor do heterosexuals. Therefore, homosexuals should have the same rights as heterosexuals, one of these rights being marriage. This is why it is of great importance to public policy whether or not homosexuality is predetermined. I am not homosexual and I am not writing this to defend homosexuals. I just believe that the whole issue is unfair towards homosexuals.
Marriage goes beyond the benefits, however. The institution of marriage is a very respected one, and holds much sentimental value for many people. In America, all men are to be created equally. Does this exclude homosexuals? Many think so simply because they believe that marriage is not a right, but a privilege. This argument means that because gays are not going to bring a child into the world naturally, they do not deserve the privilege of marriage. That doesn't seem fair.
Different age groups hold their own opinions with marriage issues. Some young people, ages 18-25 are used to gays because gays have emerged in this generation. Middle aged people may feel fine with the issue or ticked off. People with families could feel that homosexual marriages around their community are different and unappealing. Older individuals have gone through the aging process and have not been familiar with gay issues until recently in the past twenty years. Since they are older, they are more old fashioned and are used to thinking the way they thought years and years ago. This is simply that a man and a woman fall in love, get married, have children and grow old together. But a homosexual marriage is an issue that these older citizens need to be faced with. Women make up majority of that older population and have a life expectancy that is longer than men's. As a result of longer lives, women are expected to experience chronic illnesses and disabilities. They are also more likely to live alone, be single and become poor in their old age. Visiting a cemetery, you can notice that the majority of the people deceased were elderly men. This concludes maybe that men were more of the hard workers before, who gave women the opportunity to take better care of themselves and in turn they lived longer lives. The elderly are treated differently all around the world.
The percentage of elderly people in the United States has tripled since 1900, the population of elderly is expected to double between now and the year 2030. Not only is the number greater, but they are also living much longer. Even though there is a large population of elderly people in the United States, we as a society overlook them as if they aren't there. I think it is wonderful when I see an older couple that has been married for a long time. This means that they have taken their marriage very seriously and are still committed to each other. Having a successful marriage is more difficult in today's world than fifty or sixty years ago. In the future, I believe there will be more and more single women and men because of all the miscommunications between the two. As stated before, marriage is something to take seriously and work hard at keeping one. By communicating well with one another, a married couple may be happy and grow old together.
Advertising in the 90’s
Advertising in the 90’s is a widespread business. Both in America and in foreign
nations. There are both campaigns and single advertising strategies. Not only are
new products being advertised but are old products as well. The article from the
Advertising column in The New York Times on December 18th 1996 called
“Remember that Datsun 240Z you drove 25 years age? Nissan hopes you will buy it
again” deals with Nissans’ plan to restore their 1970’s model of the Nissan 240Z to
it’s mint condition and charge quite a bit more money than what it originally cost. The
Nissan company is not even adding any new features.
The company plans for the 70’s car to be a revival of the 70’s retro era. The
advertisement will be running mainly in “car buff” magazines. The campaign is
costing the company less than five million dollars. Hopefully attracting the car
collecting, high class, “buffs” that grew up during the 70’s.
I don’t feel that we should linger in the past. Buying an out-of-date car, to me,
would be a waste of money. Especially when the price has been raised significantly
since it’s original date of production.
Advertising in the 90’s includes advertising for anything. From new cars to
used cars, anything goes. And when anything goes, anything can be sold. That’s the
current motto for this century. Anyone whom has a product, and has money, can
advertise. Americans in the 90’s will make money with anything that they can. Be it
good or bad, anything that anyone want’s or has can be sold.
This is the part of the process that the advertisers use to make money.
Spending $5 million on a campaign may seem like alot of money to us but to a car
company who will most likely triple that amount in sales, thinks of it as an investment
in the future. These advertising companies are making great deals of money, and
providing a service. It is now time to be creative. What was banned for many years
in many societies is now common practice.
Freedom Of Choice
Since 1973 abortion has been an important controversial issue to the
United States. The problem begins should it be a womans choice whether or
not to terminate her pregnancyor should it be the goverments choice. This
is where a woman looses her rights as a person. If abortion is not remained
legal woman will start performing them illegaly. One third to one half of
all pregnacies in the United States end in abortion,2,500 of these
abortions will be performed illegally. Although some oppose abortion for
being used as a form of birth control,Abortion should remain legal because
it is a womans choice and protects the privacy of an individual.
Some teenagers and woman abuse abortion as a form of birth control.
Many woman have used legal abortions as a drastic form of contraception,
due to carelessness or ignorance of better methods. Abortion should remain
legalized for the fact that if it's not kept legal many women perform
illegal abortions. This is such as self abortion methods wich are even more
dangerous; these included are lye, lysol, iodine douches, as well as self
inserted catheters, knitting needles and goose quills. When women lose
their right to choose abortion they may start performing them illegally.
This may do serious harm to the mother and her body.
Aborton is a woman's choice. Woman accepted the definition that a
womans prime role was as wife and mother and control of ones own body. Once
they had choices about life roles, they came to feel they had the right to
choose abortion to run their own lifes. Any woman should have the ability
to choose when to have a child in their marital and sexual freedom. Many
woman feel if they didnt have the right to choose an abortion in there life
they would have passed by many opportunities to create a better life for
themselves. For men, or state or the physicians who hold control over
whether pregnancy should take place and the woman to suffer alone the
consequences that the decision would be best for their careeres, education,
or social status came to see wrong and cruelly oppressive.
Abortion And Politics
a·bor·tion: n. 1. Induced termination of a pregnancy and expulsion of an embryo or fetus that is incapable of survival. 2. A miscarriage. 3. Cessation of normal growth, esp. of a body part, prior to full development or maturation. 4. An aborted organism. 5. Something malformed or incompletely developed; a monstrosity.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
So wrote the founders of our country: the authors of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. They stated that one of our most undeniable rights, as a citizen in this country, is the right to life. But when does life begin? It is the question that has fueled the debate over abortion since the landmark Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade in 1973. Although the controversy regarding the issue has traditionally fallen to a more religious and moral debate, it still has powerful political implications and can easily stir great amounts of emotion in the political arena. Women had been obtaining abortions illegally for countless years before Roe, and the public was calling for change. The political fervor led to a climax when “Jane Roe” entered the courts challenging the abortion law in her state of Texas.
The Texas State law regarding abortion had remained virtually unchanged since its establishment in 1857. The law stated that it was a crime to “procure an abortion” except in the event that it was “procured or attempted by medical advice for the purpose of saving the life of the mother.” Jane Roe (a pseudonym since she wanted to remain anonymous) brought her case that challenged the law to the Supreme Court. Roe’s lawyers realized that by the time the lawsuit would be heard, the plaintiff would no longer be pregnant; therefore, they brought the suit on behalf of all women with unwanted pregnancies. The Supreme Court Justices heard the case and the outcome is one of the most memorable rulings in the history of the Court’s rulings. The judgement, which the Justices by a 7-2 vote declared the law unconstitutional, voided any state law that restricted a woman’s right to obtain an abortion. Under the new decision, a woman is permitted to terminate her pregnancy for any reason provided that the fetus in not viable. After viability, states can prevent abortion except if it is necessary to preserve the health or life of the mother.
The decision to declare the law unconstitutional was made by a mostly liberal, Democratic panel of Justices. Some analysts have suggested that the decision should have been made by a demographically elected legislature instead of “appointed for life” Supreme Court Justices. As public opinion polls showed, the court’s determination of the value of embryonic life differed completely with that of the masses.
Antiabortion groups were outraged by the decision. These same groups often equated the legalization of abortion to the Nazi holocaust and the case was compared to that of Dred Scott v. Samford, the infamous 1857 case that declared that blacks had no rights. In both instances, the court ruled that a group of “people” (slaves in Dred and human embryos in Roe) to be “nonpersons.” It was also argued that both rulings were made to invalidate certain instances: in Dred, the Missouri Compromise was voided and in Roe, it “invalidated the efforts of state legislatures to reform their abortion laws without surrendering state jurisdiction over abortion.”
In the years following Roe, several new laws were introduced and rejected. For instance, a law requiring parental consent for minors to obtain an abortion in all cases was argued and struck down. In another trial, the court ruled that the father could not override a woman’s decision to terminate her pregnancy. However, pro-life groups won some victories, as federal funding of abortions was greatly restricted.
Those opposed to abortion were given a glimmer of hope when Congress attempted to overturn the now eight-year-old decision with a new piece of legislature. In April of 1981, Senator Jesse Helms (R, N.C.) and Representative Henry J. Hyde (R, Ill.) proposed a controversial statute that would define human life as beginning at conception. In effect, this new bill would make abortion equivalent to murder under United States law. After debating the issue for a long time, still no conclusions had been reached. “The issues that provoked the strongest disagreement were those of the constitutionality of the bill, its potential to create complicated legal tangles in the cases where the mother would conflict with those of the unborn child, and its possible application to matters beyond abortion, including some birth control methods.” Debate ceased for a while, but Helms reentered the legislation to the floor. In response, liberal senators began a filibuster that successfully tabled the bill in September of 1982, despite President Ronald Reagan’s support for the Helms proposal. Antiabortion groups once again tasted defeat and looked elsewhere for some triumphs in their crusade to end abortion.
During Reagan’s presidency, the tide began to turn in favor of the antiabortion groups. Several of the Justices in support of the Roe decision were getting close to retirement age and it was up to Reagan to appoint their replacements. Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman justice and a Conservative, took Justice Potter Stewart’s seat in the Supreme Court in 1981. Chief Justice Warren Burger retired in 1986 and his position was given to Justice William Rehnquist, one of the two justices in opposition to the Roe ruling. Another Conservative, Antonin Scalia was appointed to fill the vacancy and when Justice Lewis Powell retired in 1987, Reagan nominated Anthony Kennedy. With these appointments, the pro-Roe majority of 7-2 was now reversed to be a 5-4 majority opposed to the former ruling.
In 1989, the framework to the Roe ruling began to crumble. The Missouri State Attorney General, William Webster brought charges against Reproductive Health Services for failing to implement a Missouri state law requiring that fetuses be tested for viability. The clinic used Roe as a defense, stating that unless abortions are performed during the third trimester of pregnancy, viability testing is a unnecessary waste of time and money and claimed that they were protected under Roe. The case was brought to the Supreme Court, who ruled that fetuses can be tested after twenty weeks gestation. This decision was a major blow to the pro-abortion movement, and it was followed by another defeat. Two separate cases involving parental notice were decided in 1990: Hodgson v. Minnesota and Ohio v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health. The Supreme Court ruled that if a minor does not receive written parental consent or the parents are not given notice by the doctor performing the procedure 48 hours prior to the abortion, the minor must secure approval from a judge. Since these decisions, the political tide has been turning and it is very possible that the Roe ruling may be overturned within a decade.
Abortion has been a very controversial topic politically in our time. Beginning long before 1973, there were generally two views regarding abortion: pro-life and pro-choice. Pro-life groups regard life as sacred, whether in the womb or living and breathing on this earth, and that there is be no excuse for the purposeful theft of life. Pro-choice groups believe that women are in control of their own body and have the right to do whatever they want to with it. However, in the early 1980’s, the pro-life group split into two separate groups regarding abortion: the original pro-lifers and a new wing called situationalists. Situationalists believe that the right to obtain an abortion depends on the circumstance of pregnancy. For instance, if a woman is raped and becomes pregnant as a result of that incident, situationalists may be in favor of terminating the pregnancy.. I personally am a situationalist. I do not believe in abortion except when performed because of rape, incest, or the threat of losing the mother’s life as a result of the pregnancy. There are many different views in this group as to when abortion is permissible.
When the two pro-life groups split, there was a general fear that the movement would die out and the abortion laws would remain indefinitely. At the heart of this anxiety was a proposal by Senator Orrin Hatch that was defeated in the Judiciary Review. The legislature stated that states could create their own abortion laws and when the laws came into conflict with those of the Federal Government, the most restrictive law would prevail. The bill failed to pass with a 50-49 vote opposed. Senator Jesse Helms refused to vote, declaring that the bill did not outlaw abortion, it merely restricted it and his beliefs did not support that view. Many pro-lifers and situationalists felt that this feeling would destroy any efforts towards anti-abortion laws being passed.
The controversy regarding abortion plays a critical role in politics, all in different aspects of the government. As the eventual reversal of Roe v. Wade becomes more and more likely, elections will see a much more focused interest in politician’s views on the issue. “Already several U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and gubernatorial elections have focused in part on abortion, at least one lieutenant governor’s election has hinged almost entirely on the issue, and the abortion controversy has been central in numerous state legislative elections.” Unfortunately for these politicians, they face two opposing groups who see the abortion issue as one in which compromise is entirely impossible.
Despite the belief that Roe will eventually be reversed, fewer than 10 percent of Americans take a strict pro-life position. These voters however, are very likely to vote in elections on the single issue of whether a candidate is pro-life or pro-choice. Candidates who take a strong pro-life or pro-choice stance are able to win a small percentage of the vote and are probably able to generate more money to their campaigns as contributions by different activist organizations. However, taking such a strong stance can be damaging as far as votes needed. If a candidate is strongly pro-life, pro-choice voters (the majority of Americans) may automatically not consider that person. On the other hand, strict pro-choicers (those who believe a woman can choose to terminate her pregnancy at any point in the term for any reason) can seriously cast doubt in the minds of situationalists, who, when unified with the pro-lifers, can easily turn an election.
I believe that it may be possible for the pro-life and situational groups to pull together to reverse Roe v. Wade decision. History has shown that it can be done. In the 1994 election, the Christian Coalition united together and turned the Congress Republican. Before that, the labor unions, unsatisfied with the Republican Party, worked hard to regain majority in Congress. The challenge that the group needs to overcome is their inability to compromise. Both sides need to give a little bit of slack to unite and become powerful.
The United States is a country where politics is involved in everything, and everything involves politics. This philosophy applies directly to the issue of abortion. Whether it is the Supreme Court, the Presidency, Congress, or a governor’s office, this issue has been involved in, in one or more situations. Read More......
A Teacher, A Leader
Touching more lives, affecting the outcome of so many futures a teacher is the epitome of a leader. Just as a leader has his or her own style, their way of motivating their students, also plays an important part in a students success. Spending more time with our children then most parents do, a teacher is fundamental in shaping our children. If they are poor leaders our children suffer. When they shine as leaders our children blossom and the universe is wide open to them. As a teacher it is of utmost importance that you tune your leadership skills and find the best style of teaching for the students you are teaching.
In finding
A Stereotypical Media
A Stereotypical Media
The media of today’s society plays the peddler to the stereotypes that plague our country. However, the media is not solely to blame. Susan Sontag states in her essay “The Image World”:
“Through being photographed, something becomes part of a system of information, fitted into schemes of classification and storage”(Sontag 196).
Through our own demand as consumers, the use of advertising in television, newspapers, and especially magazines relays to the public an erratic system of stereotypical information. The system of information relayed through photographic imagery in advertising directly affects the thoughts of society, on how a woman should look and feel. Thus, mixing the stereotypical woman of delicacy, and grandeur with sex and sexuality.
The vast amount of stereotypical advertising today is directed at the middle-class, American worker. This specification in advertising is due to the fact that the middle class workers are the main consumers. This idea is represented in the magazine, Newsweek. Printed on April 3, 2000, Newsweek prints numerous articles of news that are not so focused and in-depth, but still contains valid consistency. The magazine is
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truly tailored to the middle class and so is its advertising. In the midst of clutter, from articles of political power, to the rise of the doughnut culture, sits an ad of poise and content. Posted by the Target Corporation, a store tailored to the middle class, the ad displays, a very young, beautiful woman covered shoulders to toe in ivy, holding a rayon handbag. She is
poised, illustrious and elegant, a mirror image of a statue. The backdrop of the image is calm, organized and serene. The ad reads “ivy plant $6.99, rayon crochet bag $14.99”(Newsweek 7). However, the ad’s imagery at first glance does not fully portray the stereotypes within it.
The appearances of stereotypes in this serene ad are hard to find, but are found deep in the text of the image. The apparent purpose of the ad is to sell items such as a handbag, and ivy plants. However, the apparent does not relay the reality. The use of a woman’s stereotypical sexuality covers up the real with the fantasy. A stereotype as defined by the Module, “Images of Women and Men”, “is viewed today as a process that distorts reality”(Unger & Crawford 219). So in essence this is what the image, or the advertisement has done. Advertising takes the process of photography, and distorts its reality by applying such methods as stereotyping. This creates a desired and common appearance of the perfect, beautiful, fantasy woman. The posture of this image relays a sense of refinement, such
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refinement that would be found in the stereotypical elegant, sexy woman. The placement of her hands gives way to the image of elegance. They are poised, and hold to the endearment of elegance, beautiful but refined. Even when with the sense, or stereotype of the refinement, comes the sexuality of the image. With the refinement comes the notion of sex. To explain this,
one must consider that the woman is covered shoulder to toe in ivy. This is the same ivy that is on sale for $6.99. The ad leads to the fallacy that even the elegant and refined woman can be sold. This ad also carries with it, the stereotype of the fantasy, or the storybook notion.
When looking at the ad, one can see reality redefined. As stated by Susan Sontag, in her essay “The Image World”,
“Photographs do more than redefine the stuff of ordinary experience, they add vast amounts of material we never see”(Sontag 196). The material in this case, is the application of the fantasy image. From birth, we are confronted with the stereotype of the fantasy woman, relayed to us by fairy tales and myths. Fairy tails and myths that convey the common illusion that all women must be beautiful, and graceful, re-confirming the fantasy stereotype. The ad in question has also re-confirmed this childhood belief. Covering the young, beautiful woman almost completely in ivy brings her to the fantasy level. This image is almost comical in a sense, but is an erratic
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stereotype. The image portrays her as a common fantasy, directly out of a child’s storybook, posed in ivy, controlled by a mer plant. This image relays the attitude all women are controllable and must adhere to the fantasy. Strive to be young, skinny and beautiful.
In analyzing the ad, another prevailing stereotype can be seen. The use of gender stereotypes also plagues this ad, more specifically, the stereotype of the desirable, attractive woman. Gender stereotypes can be defined as “consensual beliefs about the different characteristics of men and women”(Unger & Crawford, 213). The consensual belief portraying the misconception of reality. Or rather, the common views of stereotyping shared by our culture and re-enforced by our media. The classification, or stereotyping of such attributes of the “sexy woman”(Unger & Crawford, 217), can be clearly seen in the advertisement at hand. The concepts of a good figure, long hair, and pretty face are all combined in this ad to further enhance this classification. However, no one concept is more clearly used in this ad than the concept of the pretty face. In fact the face is directly focused on. Her hair is also a prevailing factor of stereotyping. The hair gives the woman an exotic, yet refined look. The surrounding borders of the ad are a dark shade of purple and pink, but in the center is a focused illumination of the woman’s face. The illumination does not focus on the
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products for sale, but focuses the effect on the woman. Directly enhancing her face and upper chest area, focusing the attention on her sexuality and so-called main control factor.
Media has successfully continued to suppress women and enhance the stereotypes that women are to adhere to. By applying
supposed unconscious effects such as stereotyping and classifying, we as a society have fallen victim to media’s ploys in advertising. For years the common belief that a woman’s only power is her sexuality has been instilled into our society by media propaganda, in advertising. The media is seen as playing to the crowd. The common notion that sex sells is directly represented in such ploys of advertising and more over in this ad. As Robert L. Heilbroner states, “advertising is not only a bearer of messages; it is the message”(Heilbroner 99). The message that advertising carries is the underlying faction of stereotypes. The stereotypical ploys that will attract the consumer to the product, the selling feature. In this ad, the woman and her fantasy image are not only selling common stereotypes but selling the very woman herself. Placing the woman in the ivy makes the statement that woman is the ivy. She is the very object that is for sale. The ad is also, selling the very ploys that have been conflicting with the struggle to pursue equality and not the products stated to be for sale.
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We as a society will never be equal unless, we strive to rid the propaganda at hand. Media and advertising are vessel of all ruin, in the advancement for a stereotype free image of a woman. What good is it for a woman to declare herself an individual, if she is continuously plagued with the common stereotypes of classification and sex? To truly be equal, we must strive to see the degradation that all stereotypes in media and advertising bring upon our society.
Social Issues Essays
A Slave's Life
Imagine, if you will, rising earlier than the sun, eating a mere “snack”- lacking essentially all nutritional value - and trekking miles to toil in the unforgiving climate of the southern states, and laboring until the sun once again slipped under the horizon. Clad only in the rags your master provided (perhaps years ago), you begin walking in the dark the miles to your “home.” As described by the writers Jacob Stroyer and Josiah Henson, this “home” was actually a mere thatched roof, that you built with your own hands, held up by pathetic walls, over a dirt floor and you shared this tiny space with another family. Upon return to “home,” once again you eat the meager rations you were provided, and fall into bed only to begin again the next day. Day in and day out you faced brutality by your master, unbearable labor, and slow starvation, and watched your family do the same. Such was the life of a slave in the antebellum south: relentless, unforgiving, and tragic.
The life of a slave was one plagued by shifting loyalties, struggle for survival, and prayers for a brighter future, if not for oneself at least for children and grandchildren. So, exactly what was it to be a slave? It was exactly that, to be property of another, treated as a commodity that could be replaced if needed, thrown out on a whim, and neglected without a care. Living and breathing creatures, humans, were herded like cattle in and out of the fields and boarded in similar conditions, if not poorer, than the livestock. Slaves had no rights to express their feelings (for their conditions or each other), or even be “alive.”
Slaves faced the total shattering of their culture (for those brought from Africa to the Americas) as well as their families. Slaves finding themselves the victim of the slave raids to the West African Coast were packed onto ships as human cargo. As seen in the writings of countless authors such as John Barbot and James Barbot, Jr., slaves faced unbearable living conditions in disease infested ships and often starved to death or died during their transatlantic voyage. Slaves were surrounded by the unfamiliar skin of the white man, as well as a dialect unknown to their ears. Unable to communicate, he suffered from not only the reality of his situation, but also the uncertainty of the future. Unable to cope, many slaves committed suicide in hopes of returning to their home, at least in spirit. Once, and if, they finally made it to the Americas, they were sold at auction and forever separated from any kin they may have had. As life continued, many slaves did adapt to the language, but few were ever able to fully embrace the culture – a culture that seemed to thrive on their demise and suffering.
Once a slave acculturated himself to his “new home,” he found himself unable to re-establish his family ties. Even if a slave was lucky enough to find a significant other, often times they were separated by sale, as can be seen in the account of Laura Spicer and her lost love. Moreover, couples often found their children sold off to other masters never to be seen or heard from again, at ages as young as eight years old. Therefore, a slave’s life was full of perpetual uncertainty, and fear of abandonment and neglect. Their bonds of love were never enough to out-weigh the voice of cold, hard money…and many slaves found themselves miles away from their loved ones.
In addition, masters went to great lengths to keep their property stupid and submissive, and did so in the name of humanity – slaves were just like animals, too dumb to understand what was good for them. Slaves found themselves in a situation where their only provider, although I use that term liberally, was also their greatest fear. Unable to escape their bonds, slaves had little choice but to submit to their masters’ orders, or face corporal punishment, torture, or death at his hands. Often times slaves were subjected not only to the abusiveness of their back breaking labor, but abuses both physical and sexual by their “Christian” masters. Which left them in somewhat of a precarious position. Their masters ruled with an iron fist, claiming to be doing what was best for the wretched souls, while tearing apart families and starving (or working) their slaves to death. Slaves could not help but see and, moreover, feel the hypocrisy in their masters’ babbling. A slave was then faced with only one option: to follow the path most likely to lead to survival.
For the most part, a slave’s only mission was simply to live another day with the hope and prayer that they would see the light of freedom before they succumbed to the horrors of slave life. Therefore, when faced with a decision, they weighed each not on their merits, but on the chance that it would bring them closer to freedom without bringing them closer to death. For example, many slaves had opportunities to escape their masters, but chose not to for fear they would be caught and put to torture or even death. However, for some the hope of life as a freeman outweighed all the possibilities of capture…what could they possibly endure that would be worse than their current conditions. Death was a reasonable price to pay for the chance at freedom for many slaves. Unfortunately for countless numbers, the chance at freedom was stopped short when captured and returned to a brutal master for punishment. A slave had to play whatever angle he could in hopes of achieving freedom. However, most found themselves only pons in a political game that cared nothing about their lives, but merely profit and political power.
As the revolutionary war crept into the minds and the agendas of the Americas, so too did the notions of using the slaves as political pawns. Slaves were leverage for the British to use against the revolutionaries; they threatened to not only emancipate slaves, but to arm them as well. This meant sure economic failure for the Southern states whose economy was based on slave labor for agricultural production, and struck fear into their hearts for possible death at the hands of their former slaves. However, the British actually cared little for the slaves or their well being. Threatened emancipation was only a ploy to force the Southern states to return their loyalties to the crown. As slaves began escaping to the British Army in throngs, they faced a life of slavery, only now with a different master. The slaves were bought and sold and even offered as payment to the Officers. When rations were low, they were the first to be slighted. Many soon realized the proclamations of the British were only smoke and mirrors. However, they were willing to side with whom ever was “winning” the war just to ensure their survival. During this time famine struck slaves left to fend for themselves as masters fled their homes in fear of the British Army. With little or no where to go, they took refuge in who or whatever was willing to take them in, often finding themselves only switching from one horror to another. Same story, new names. These abused souls found themselves again the victim of a power struggle, and could only wait and hope to side with the victor before it was too late.
However, with the close of the war the “rights” of the citizens (white, land owning males) of the newly formed states were being explored with vigor as the Founding Fathers set out to form their utopia. And, although distant, the beginnings of emancipation became firmly established when such words as, “all men are created equal…” were signed into law. The Northern states made their opinions regarding slavery known with such acts as the Northwest Ordinance. An end to slavery was now becoming a reality. However, the reality would be distant as Southern states flexed their might and lobbied for such laws as the Three-Fifths Rule and the Southwest Ordinance. Although perhaps put on a longer time scale, the founding fathers put into motion the beginnings of a free, democratic nation, which would, in the future, lead to freedom for all. However, in the mean time, slave life continued status quo.
A slave’s life was harsh at best. Regardless of the histories we read that espouse the civility and gentleness of masters and their foundations of Christian beliefs, the fact remains that they kept thousands of women, men, and children in the bonds of slavery for their own economic gain. No matter how it is written down or what flowery language is used, a slave’s life was torture. It is essential that we examine the writings of first hand suffers such as James W.C. Pennington, Job Ben Solomon, and Olaudah Equiano for an authentic account of what it was to be a slave. Starvation, separation, and death were always at the forefronts of their lives and minds. A slave was not treated humanly; he was treated as an animal. Masters felt as though they deserved medals for protecting these “incapables”, but reality has shown us that slaves were far from it. Many who were able to escape their bonds wrote eloquent and intelligent accounts of their lives and victimizations as slaves. Such were the caliber of these writings that I would venture to say most masters could not pen such an articulate anthology of their lives. The institution of slavery is one of the greatest travesties of recent history. There is no reason now or ever for any man to force another into bondage, especially when the forcing is done by brute force alone. Every man is created equal…
Social Issues
A Dangerous Game Of Love
Would you like to play a game? This game involves passion, deceit, lies, and love. I viewed two movies that share the same painful theme; Cruel Intentions and Dangerous Liaisons. They both bring to life a set of characters that play with emotions like they are nothing but a mere child's game.
I chose to introduce you to the infamous Viconte Valmont and the spoiled Sebastian Valmont. Not only are their names similar, but so were their motives. I liked Sebastian more because of his clench on reality. He portrayed a villain well, but at the same time proved that he too could have feelings. Viconte had feelings also, but it was much harder for him to reveal it. I felt a constant coldness through the movie in each instant he spoke, stared, or moved. And by the time he did show compassion - it was already to late for love.
To bring you into Viconte's world, you must place yourself in early Baroque France. Affluence is everything, and discreteness is a virtue. The beautiful and vixenous Marquis De Merteuil and promiscuous Viconte Valmont are a fiery duo. The Marquis has requested the assistance of Viconte in what she describes as a heroic undertaking. More clearly stated: revenge on her former husband who ran off with Viconte's mistress. The idea is to destroy and ruin Cecile, the ex-husband's virginal bride- to -be. Unfortunately for the Marquis, Viconte has another challenge to conquer. He set his sight on the virtuous Madam de Tourvel. Viconte intends to make the lovely lady fall in love with him. Despite his refusal of her request, Viconte persuades the Marquis to promise him a reward (a sexual favor) if he accomplishes his self-appointed task. In the meantime, the Marquis drags in a poor music teacher Dawsoni to achieve her desires. Eventually for purposes of revenge, Viconte assists the Marquis in her venture. This leads to Madam de Tourvel falling in love with Viconte, as he desperately falls in love with her. Their love is tormented by the fact he is ashamed of actually loving, and all of his skeletons come out to haunt him. Viconte brings down the Marquis, but fights Dawsoni because of Cecil's honor. He purposely lets Dawsoni kill him, in order to tell the sick and dying Madam de Tourvel that he'd rather die than to not have her love. The message is all but too late, as Madam de Tourvel also dies; and the Marquis is left with nothing.
In Cruel Intentions, the theme and plot are one of the same. Deceit, love, and lies all play a major role. A affluent, handsome young man Sebastian Valmont and his conniving step sister Katherine have wanted one another for a long time, but for some reason they have not closed on their lust. Katherine needs Sebastian's help in ruining a silly twit Cecil; because she is going after Katherine's ex-boyfriend. Sebastian refuses the challenge, saying it was too easy. Bored with all of the (as Sebastian calls them) Manhattan debutantes he sets his sights on Annette Hardgrove, the new head masters daughter at Sebastian and Katherine's school. Full of jealousy Katherine proposes a bet to Sebastian, that if he scores with Annette than she will agree to have sex with him. If Sebastian loses, and does not conquer Annette than Katherine gets Sebastian's cute little sports car. At first it seems that Sebastian has no chance, but through a series of lies and manipulations, he softens Annette's reserve. Meanwhile, to aid to Katherine's initial cause, she hooks Cecil up with a black music teacher named Ronald. He becomes involved in their messed up triangle. Sebastian is overcome by Annette and actually falls in love, writing everything in his life in his journal. For selfish reasons, Sebastian eventually does sleep with Cecil, causing the final conflict. Katherine never set out to actually win Sebastian, she just wanted to see his conquest to fight love away. When he breaks things off with Annette, Katherine laughs in his face and shuns him away. He retaliates by giving his precious journal to Annette, revealing everything about him and Katherine to her. When Annette seeks Sebastian to reconcile, Ronald has already found him to confront him about Cecil. They begin to fight as Annette comes about. She tries to break them up, and in the scuffle she is pushed in front of a car. Sebastian saves her and dies in the process. Students congregating outside to read a published version of Sebastian's journal, titled Cruel Intentions interrupt the funeral. Katherine is left with nothing but her tears.
Now that both of the movies are fresh in mind, I'd like to bring Sebastian and Viconte to life. To me they were the entire basis of each movie. They were very much alike, but for few differences. For instance, Sebastian Valmont, could he be a descendant of the Viconte Valmont? The names have remained the same, with a new sort of seductive name like Sebastian. In one part of the film, Annette comments to Sebastian's aunt how beautiful her house is. The Aunt replies thank you, it's been in my family for over a hundred years. I know that Dangerous Liaisons was set in Baroque France, but could this have been implying that Viconte and Sebastian are related somehow? It's a tricky point to look at.
Sebastian's cause to win over Annette was the same as Viconte's. They both set out for the virtuous beautiful woman, with whom they knew they would have a challenge. Neither Sebastian nor Viconte ever imagined that they would fall so deep in love. Viconte's love letters to Madam de Tourvel did not seem to play as big of role as Sebastian's journal did though. I did not understand how important the letters were in Dangerous Liaisons even though they were brought up a lot. Sebastian's journal was almost the entire spin off of the movie, being that it was titled Cruel Intentions (the published journal).
Sebastian showed many emotions through the movie. He cheated, lied, manipulated and loved. Viconte seemed to only lie, cheat, manipulate, and deceive. He seemed unemotional and cold. When Sebastian broke up with Annette, he shed a tear, and was shaking uncontrollably. When Viconte broke things off with Madam de Tourvel, he seemed shaken, but still unemotional. Not until the end of the movie could I really tell that Viconte was very much in love with Madam de Tourvel, being that he intentionally let himself be killed for her. His demise was sad yet purposeful, given that he lived up to his word that he could not live without her love. Sebastian's death was sad and made me feel bad for Annette. Instead of Annette dying also like Madam de Tourvel did, she had to endure his death and grieve the loss of her first true love alone. Both Sebastian and Viconte died for the same reason; they fell victim to a love they were ashamed of.
These movies are very well done, and I enjoyed both of them. They were realistic enough, and gave the impression of each time setting very well. I enjoyed Sebastian's character more than Viconte because of the fact that he shed more emotion on the roll. One could actually see the transition from the snake Sebastian to the Sebastian that fell in love with Annette. With Viconte, I could barely tell that he was really in love with Madam de Tourvel until the end where he declares his endless love when he dies. I felt that Annette and Sebastian were truly in love and not just having sex like I felt that Viconte and Madam de Tourvel were. So I have to ask one last question, do you still want to play a game?
Social Issues
