Kate Shindle - Miss America: More Than a Beauty Queen?

This article discusses the many factors of being a beauty queen. Many seem to think that the only thing you have to do to become miss USA is be pretty and look good in a swimsuit. Shindle points out that image is a definite part of obtaining and holding a title, but it is not the only thing that is important. "As Miss America in 1998, I helped raise an estimated $20 million to $30 million for HIV/AIDS organizations worldwide, lobbied legislators for more funding and better health-education programs for those who were infected, and served as a moderator at the 12th World AIDS Conferene in Geneva." Obviously, Shindle did more that just sit there and look pretty. She made a difference by raising money for an issue that effects many people today. What Shindle is concerned about is that Miss America's image does not include that today. She notes that many people think of Miss America as unintelligent, and that the only reason why she is Miss America is because of her image. "Administrators at one highly ranked university canceled an appearance, claiming that Miss America couldn't possibly have anything in common with their students." If I were Shindle, I would be very offended by this statement. Yes, being Miss USA includes looking good. But that is not the entire package. I think what Shindle is trying to get across is that the organization does not represent what it is supposed to represent. It sort of disregaurds the education and intelligence that the woman has, and puts forth the image. Shindle seems ashamed that the organization represents such a shallow image, and she beleives that it has changed since she was Miss USA. I think that if I had held a title and accomplished all of the things Shindle has accomplished, then I would be frustrated in seeing that the organization does not recognize these accomplishments as much as they should. She states that "I will be even prouder when the Miss America Organization defines its mission and lives up to its potential." I think that Shindle really just wants the organization to be recognized as it should be - not superficial, but something that benefits others and includes women who are valued not just for their looks, but for their intelligence and accomplishments as well. Something that proves that "the pagenat is the nation's largest provider of women's scholarships, and encourages thousands of young women to take leadership roles in their communities."

Stephanie Coontz - The Way We Wish We Were

This article discusses the way in which families strive to be. We look back at the families in the olden days and wonder why we cannot be like them. Although families today definitely have their issues, we cannot idealize families from the past. Just because our families are not perfect, it does not mean that other families that we compare ourselves with are. We refer back to the 1950's, wondering how the women balanced tending to their children and home along with keeping their relationship with their husband alive. The image that we interpret from the 50's tells us that the women were able to do just that - they could balance everything and still keep a smile on their face. But our interpretation is incorrect. "The hybrid idea that a woman can be fully absorbed with her youngsters while simultaneously maintaining passionate sexual excitement with her husband was a 1950's invention that drove thousands of women to therapists, tranquilizers, or alcohol when they actually tried to live up to it." Our impression of the 1950's lady was far from correct - as families striving to become better today we look at only the good in families from the past. If you look deeper past the image of the happy-go-lucky family, we see that there are problems such as alcoholism in these families. Those families seem have traits that are similar to our families - traits that are definitely not perfect. Coontz goes on to demonstrate other families from different eras such as the nineteenth century. We thought that they were the ideal family, until we looked further and realized that "there was a significant increase in child labor during the last third of the nineteenth century". Not only did children have to work every day, but they did so in grueling conditions. So when we look past the portrayal of a family that abides by strict rules and seemed to be epitome of a substantial household, we see the flaws that they had. This article taught me that no family is perfect. No matter what era we are in, where we live, or what kind of people we are, a family cannot be absolutely ideal. When I read this article, I compared it to my family. I saw connections between the stories of families and my own family. I realized that even if we are living in a different day and age, we still suffer from the same struggles that any family does. Families will always have obstacles to overcome, and whether or not they depends solely on the changes they make.

David Brooks - One Nation, Slightly Divisible

This article talks about the difference between red and blue America. Blue America refers to the people that live near cities and have a fast paced life. Red America refers to rural areas where life is much more calm than the city. The two are named by colors because of the elections - red refers to republicans and blue refers to democrats. The fact that the Unites States of America has been split into these two types of parties shows that we are not as "united" as we say we are. There are certain states and people in them that believe ideas that clash with people from other states. Although their ideas seperate them, this is what makes America a place that is free. People in America are free to express their own ideas, and believe their own beliefs. Although this freedom brings a negative seperation between people, it is what our nation stands for. People in America appreciate the fact that they can voice their own opinion and be heard. Sure, there might be opposition to their opinion, but that doesn't mean that their argument is not valid. Although our nation is split between our differences in ideas, there are times when we come together no matter what our oppositions are. When our country is in need, the people are able to disregaurd every difference that we have, and work together to provide necessary help. These times include tragedies such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. Although the country has its differences in beleifs, we were able to put that aside and work towards what was necessary - recovering from the disaster. Even though the entire nation was effected by these disasters, not everyone was directly effected. People on the East coast were much more effected by 9/11 because their family and friends had a higher risk of being involved in the tragedy. People across America may not have been effected by the attack as much as people on the East coast, but they helped out anyway. This is one example of our nation coming together and disregaurding our differences. I believe that our nation will always have our differences and opposition in opinions, but that does not mean that we will not be there for each other when it is necessary.

Margaret Atwood - A Letter to America

This article discusses America and its faults from a Candian point of view. Atwood, who was born in Canada and moved to America to attend school at Harvard University, basically discusses the negative aspects of America and how it has changed over the years. The article is set in a negative tone, with Atwood bashing many of the situations in our society. SHe states that we're "gutting the Constitution", "running up a record level of debt", and "torching the American economy". She states that we are gutting our Constitution by allowing "your mail to be spied on , your private records to be searched" etc. Although she makes a good point that we have become a scared nation, I believe that we have reason to be. We have experienced so much with 9/11 and the invasion of our lives, that there is justification in our terror and therefore some of our freedoms must be taken away. I agree with her when she says that we are "running up a record level of debt". Increasing our debt is something that could be prevented by our government, and has not been implemented. I also agree with the fact that we rely on other countries to provide the production of goods,l and that this could lead to "a few megarich King Midases, with the rest being serfs, oth inside and outside your country." Atwoods concerns about America are definitely valid, although she was not born in America. She takes ideas about American culture that she never actually experienced, and compares to present day America. Her opinions are some what devalued because of the fact that she did not grow up in America. Although this needs to be taken into consideration, I still believe that Atwood has firm arguement that proves a point even if her facts did not come from personal experiences.

Ward Churchill - Crimes Against Humanity

This article discusses the descrimintation against Native Americans. Churchill compares descrimination against Native Americans to extreme imaginary cases of descrimination against other races / nationalities. He says that naming a sports team after a certain race is discriminatory, even if it is not recognized by society. One of the many teams that provides a reference to Native Americans includes the RedSkins. Although Native Americans might recognize this name as discriminatory, others do not recognize that. My interpretation of the name is not descriminatory - to me it conveys and strong and conquering image. But, as Churchill suggests, I would definitely interpret a name such as the "Fresno Fags" or the "Wisconsin Wetbacks" as descriminatory. There would be no doubt in my mind that those names were insulting to the people pertaining to that group. This article made me wonder why I would recognize names such as these as descriminatory, but not the Red Skins. Maybe it's because the subject of Native Americans and our kicking them out of their homelands has long since passed, and there are new issues of today such as sexual orientation. But on the other hand, race is still something that is very controversial today. So why is the race of Native Americans not considered when recognizing descriminatory terms? It should be. This article definitely made me conclude that our society should be more attentive to descriminatory terms, and not disregaurd them under any circumstance.

Maxine Hong Kingston - No Name Woman

This article discusses a girl whose mother tells her a terrible story about her aunt. Up until the tim that her mother informed her, she had no idea that she had even had an aunt. Her mother tells her how her aunt had gotten pregnant, and was tortured by the village because of it. This led to her suicide, along with the child. I found this story to be very disturbing. Although I don't think suicide is right or necessary, I do understand her aunt's reasons for doing so. She was ready to give birth at a time where the men had been working for a long time, and the people were not at peace. She was tortured for becoming pregnant with a man other than her husband, and this was looked down upon in her culture. I feel that her aunt may have felt trapped, and did not have an option with her pregnancy. She had most likely been forced to have sex, and in the Chinese culture women did what men said to do. If I were her, i would have been terrified of the men and the way society ran. Being put in such a situation is unfortunate. Kingston goes on to describe her vision of her aunt, and how she must have been beautiful and outgoing. She sort of gives two sides of her aunt - a beautiful woman who obeyed rules, and a woman who put herself out there sexually. Although Kingston did not know any details about her aunt other than her suicide, she probably had a decent guess. The fact that her father denied ever having a sister must have made Kingston feel low. Her mother told her the story to inform her how to not act, but I think this story would discourage me. I would feel negative about women in general, and this would make me feel like less of a woman. Although the moral behind telling her daughter about the story may have been wrong, it ended up informing Kingston about her long lost aunt. If I were her, I would be terrified by the story, but glad to know everything about my family, rather than hearing a lie my entire life.

Anne Roiphe - A Tale of Two Divorces

This article discusses two cases in which a divorce was necessary. One of the cases was in need of a divorce, but it never occurred - this case was about Roiphe's parents. She talks about how her mother was treated terribly by her father - he cheated on her, told her he wasn't beautiful, and asked how anyone could love her. Anne watched her mother in misery as she grew up, wondering why her mother didn't divorce. Her mother asked her for advice about whether or not she should leave her father, but Anne's word wasn't enough. Her mother died before she got a chance to liberate herself from the negative relationship. I feel that this is unfortunate situation. I have sympathy for Anne's mother, because I watched my mother go through a divorce and i know how hard it was for her. She felt depressed and lonely, and that is probably what Anna's mother was afriad of feeling. But it seemed to me that she may have felt more lonely when she was married than if she left her husband. She probably reasoned that leaving her husband would cause further grief, but I think that it would have liberated her and effected her positively. The second case of divorce involved Roiphe herself. She had believed that she married a man the complete opposite of her father. She ended up realizing that her husband was more like her father than not, and that she had turned into her mother to a certain degree. Anne made the choice to divorce her husband - a choice she claimed to have bettered her chilren's lives. I believe that divorce, when necessary, may not be as negative as it seems. Of course it is heartbreaking, especially to the kids, but in the future it usually is something that becomes beneficial to the family. I know that if my parents had stayed together, my life may have been more negative. When a relationship gets to the point where fighting occurs on a daily basis, being seperate from that person is necessary for the well being of yourself, and your children. As a child that experienced their parents divorcing, I definitely did not enjoy the experience, but I know that the choice my parents made was for the better of all of our lives.