anamericanstudies: Overview

As the year comes to an end, and summer finds itself yet again at our feet, I must look back and reflect on the school year. I thought I would write this blog to discuss my experience with my Junior year American Studies class. I struggled during the beginning of the year to fully grasp the learning and teaching style my teachers presented to me. Never before had I been given so much freedom to do my own creative thinking and discovering. We no longer were "covering" material, but we were "discovering" it. But as time went on, and I became more comfortable with this learning style, I really felt I understood the premise of the class. And I appreciated it.

Memphis, Tricycle, Untitled

William Eggelston 

I never thought that this technique could aid my learning process to the degree to which it did. I can now look at the world through different lenses, and gather evidence through many types of sources. My ability to formulate my own opinion, with confidence and passion, is directly related to the evidence. Looking at the world in which you live, and the history of that world, can help you shape a better future. When we can look back and point out the flaws of our society, we can help better equip us with the knowledge to prevent these flaws in the future. In my opinion, history is not about numbers or dates, it is about learning from our previous mistakes, and using the lessons we learned to help make a better, fairer, more reliable world in the future. 

Bergdahl: Hero or Traitor

Here is the video of Bergdahl's release (May 31, 2014)

Over the weekend, Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, was released from nearly five years of Taliban captivity. CNN's Holly Yan, wrote this morning, "Bergdahl was handed over to the United States in exchange for the release of five prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba" (Yan). She also said, "Both Democrats and Republicans have criticized the deal, including the fact that the Obama administration failed to notify Congress 30 days in advance, as required by law" (Yan). Okay, I can understand wanting to negotiate with terrorists. We, as a nation, will only gain more enemies if we continue to declare War on Terror. However, the Guantanamo detainees could still be a major security threat. Oren Dorell, of USA Today, said "the Guantanamo detainees would be prevented from traveling or harming U.S. interests for a year" (Dorell). So, after a year, these men could travel and harm where I live. That makes me feel really safe. Plus, the Obama administration broke the law, and did not notify "Congress 30 days in advance" (Yan). It seems to me that there are many holes needed to be filled in.

Here's the real twist. According to Sgt. Matt Vierkant, a member of Bergdahl's platoon, "Bowe Bergdahl deserted during a time of war, and his fellow Americans lost their lives searching for him" (Vierkant). According to his fellow troops, Bergdahl was against the war, and wanted to desert his post. Now, after five years of supposed captivity, people are demanding a military tribunal. I absolutely believe he should be investigated, and should be punished to the full extent of the law. Innocent people lost their lives searching for Bergdahl. How would you feel if you lost a loved one who went searching for a soldier who willingly deserted his platoon? Where is the justice? More importantly, where is the peace? Unfortunately, both of those are very far off. Leave your constructive thoughts and comments below!

Big Data, Big Corporations, Big Problem

Have you ever thought about how we, as a social network based generation, over share? Phillip Atiba Goff is an assistant professor of psychology at UCLA and president of the Center for Policing Equity, and he thinks so. He recently wrote an article for CNN about Big (yes, capitol B) data, and how it not only helps corporations achieve massive profits, but it could help provide social justice as well. That means, we could use all of the data collected from our social media outlets, and actually use it for a purpose. In the sense that it could make certain aspects of online life fairer.

For example, if all police wore helmet cameras, it could prevent a large portion of police brutality, and harassment.  Citizen's would finally have an equal say, with video proof to back it up. He says, "big data can make the world a fairer place. But there is less immediate financial gain to be made from it, and some of the science is still in progress" (Goff, CNN).

Of course, since America runs off of capitalism and financial wealth, therefore the importance of economic progress comes far before social progress. When we discovered the profitability of human trafficking, we exploited the civil liberties of African's for a financial gain. Nowadays, major corporations like Facebook, Target, and Google all have one common goal, to publicize the information you give them for a financial profit.

When you create virtually any online account, you are required to give your name, e-mail address, and often home address. How frightening is that? You are telling a computer (and subsequently a stranger) where you live, what your name is, and how to contact you. Does that scare any one else? Surely all of this mass public data will bite us in the butt one day. Will it? Please leave your constructive comments and questions below.