Defining Critical Reasoning

How would you define the act or process of Critical Reasoning for your topic?

I would define critical reasoning as deliberate reasoning referring to what to believe or what to do towards a certain issue. Critical Reasoning utilizes such devices as interpretation, analysis, inference, evaluation and explanation. For my topic, gang violence, I will show how analysis and evaluation contribute to the ongoing dangerous effects that gangs present for the general public in Los Angeles. Thinking more critically would serve to help eliminate gang problems on the streets.

Gang violence in Los Angeles

The issue that I am choosing to write about for my paper is gang violence in the city Los Angeles. Gangs, drugs and crimes all go hand in hand. They have taken over underprivileged areas in certain areas of LA and need to be put down. I think the ideas of gangs is quite frankly horrible and disturbing to know of the things they do on a daily basis. Drug dealing, excessively drinking and murdering are all acts that gang members take place in each and every day and it is sad.

What sparked my interest in this topic and what prompted me to write about gangs is the fact that I knew a gang banger who used to go to my old high school back in St. Louis. I was never really friends with him, but we were definitely acquaintances who knew each other fairly well. One day I heard he had been shot 4 times in the chest and died the next morning. What gangs stand for is 100% unethical and sickening. In my opinion, every gang member in the world needs to be arrested and locked up in jail. I am convinced that by doing this, it will exponentially increase the peace in society.

A great preview of a bloods and crips gang film:

Skid Row

According to National Public Radio (NPR), “An estimated 90,000 people in Los Angeles County are homeless, and about 11,000 of those live downtown in an area of less than one square-mile known as Skid Row.”
Aside from the obvious monetary downfalls homeless individuals who reside there experience, they also suffer from crime, drug abuse, and lack of food and proper medication. This could all potentially change, however, if the government were to step in and take control of the situation the neighborhood is currently in. By gentrifying the city (constructing housing, stepping up police force, and giving government grants to the homeless) would make for a more safe and productive area.
Citizens would be able to get back on their feet and hold job positions. With the help of the government and the surrounding area, skid row could be turned into a much better living environment.

University Park Master Plan

In the University of Southern California's University Park Master Plan, there are ideas that I like, however there are some I dislike as well. First, I feel that creating a safe, attractive and sustainable campus for the university would be a great idea. But, I believe USC should keep the surrounding area, to a certain degree, the same as it has always been. Ethnic minorities, the homeless people here and there, and the little hot dog stands during game days are what make USC such a dynamic and diverse place. USC has already employed a system of hiring security guards at all street corners surrounding the main campus. This is a terrific idea to help achieve the goal of safety and will, in turn, reduce crime rates.

I do not care for USC's idea to make more sidewalk room for walkers and riders. There is plenty of room for that as it is. This plan would only make traffic much worse around campus, potentially causing more car-pedestrian accidents.

As a whole, I think the plan is great and will be very beneficial for the university.

Below is a link to their website, showing the proposed plan:
http://www.usc.edu/community/upcmasterplan/

Obama at USC

I was not able to attend Barack Obama's speech at USC this past Friday, October 22, 2010. I was able to, however, witness bits and pieces of his eloquence over the big jumbo tron in the middle of McCarthy Quad. I really enjoyed listening to him speak, especially his uses of analogies to describe differences between Democrats and Republicans. I support many of Obama's ideas and policies and I thought he did an excellent job coming to our prestigious university and representing the Democrats in the upcoming election. His comparison of the Republicans to driving a car in reverse, while the Democrats are trying to go forward in drive was both genius and comical. Also, you cannot forget his salute to the Trojan family and beginning to his speech with, "FIGHT ON!" YES WE CAN!

Speaker Series: Sonia Nazario

I attended the Writing 140 speaker series and listened to Sonia Nazario lecture on the struggles and hardships she witnessed during her experience with immigrants and their fight to move to America. I felt the speech was very powerful and engaging. She immediately caught the audience's attention by telling stories of children without arms or legs trying to cross the border into the U.S. attempting to live a more fulfilled life North of the border. After learning and hearing about the immigrants and their daily issues trying to become legal in our country, made me feel extremely lucky to have been born here in the states. Nazario made me realize that it is pretty easy to take our freedom in America for granted.

However, even though immigrant's stories of trying to become legal in the U.S. are sorrowful, I feel that they are a little far fetched. Illegal aliens should not be allowed, under most circumstance, to live in this country unless they are able to maintain a steady job and pay taxes, just like all other Americans have to. With this being said, The dangers these immigrants experience are pretty unbelievable. While listening to Nazario's story and experiences, I now have a much better understanding of what it is like for immigrants to achieve legality and a better way of life in the United States of America.

Perception of Little Rock Nine

While researching and writing about the Little Rock Nine movement, I learned about the cruelty and torture that the nine brave African American boys and girls had to endure while going to school everyday. I realized this movement was the single most important strive for educational desegregation in the United States during the mid twentieth century. The racist slurs and lynching threats that the nine teenagers heard on a daily basis heading to school is disheartening and quite frankly, disgusting to read about.

I really did not have a perception on this topic because I was never afforded the opportunity to learn about this struggle in high school for one reason or another. However, when I did get the chance to read and research the issue, I felt more knowledgeable on the topic of desegregation in schools and the fight to create integration.

Little Rock 9

The topic I am choosing to write about is "Little Rock 9." The decision to integrate nine African American boys and girls into an all white school during one of the toughest racial times periods in United States history was both bold and courageous. I feel this is a very important, symbolic topic that should be studied much more in depth in secondary schools throughout America. Before recent research, I had never even heard of this particular occurrence in Little Rock, Arkansas during the Civil Rights Movement. Apparently, it was a huge deal because it marked the first time that black teenagers were being integrated into an all white school. Students were put through treacherous and difficult times while fighting the war against segregation, including the everyday issue of just being able to walk into school. Federal guards had to escort the nine black kids through the Caucasian people's mosh pit just to enter the building. This is a major topic that I feel should be more thoroughly covered throughout the country as a big part of gaining civil rights.

Better Usage of "Social Network Activism"

Activism groups could make better use of social networking on the internet. They can do this by using Facebook, Twitter, blogs and other internet sites as an aid to help with social activism. On Facebook, for example, a movement group could not only design a page that people follow, but perhaps also create social rallies, marches, demonstrations and sit-ins in the community. This would greatly benefit the activism movement because now not only could thousands of citizens become involved online, they can also personally act in society by knowing where and when to go to an event. This will, in turn, develop characteristics of both the "old-school" and "new-school" ways of being socially active in society. Old-school ways consist of the marches and demonstrations, while the new-school approach centers around using networking on the internet. An even dose of both would create a successful social activism movement.

Below is a video of a sample activist demonstration:

Social Network Activism- Facebook

Personally, I have not practiced much social network activism. However, I have witnessed many cases in which other people have taken part in social network activism. Websites such as Facebook and Twitter have allowed people all over the world to congregate and voice their opinions concerning ideas surrounding social activism issues. Regularly, as I browse Facebook, I constantly get invitations asking me if I would like to join random social networks. For example, I recently got a message in my inbox asking if I would like to join the "Car Wash and Lemonade Stand fundraiser" group. If I were to join this group, I would immediately be activated to an electriconic list showing that I support the initiative that this group is taking. I ended up not joining this group, but I did have friends who enrolled in the electronic group list to enable them to represent their voices.

Below is a humorous video of Facebook on the internet.

Effectiveness of Tiger Woods ad campaigns

In all of the commercials that Tiger Woods has represented himself in, he portrays a sense of confidence, swagger, and persuasiveness to the audience. Tiger is not only African American and considered an ethnic minority, but is also very talented, athletic, and dedicated among many other things as well. For example, in some of his Nike Golf ads, Woods is shown juggling golf balls with his club and also doing tricks with it. This kind of commercial appeals to the audience because it gives the people a certain feeling while watching. The feeling might be, "if Tiger Woods can juggle while wearing a bunch of Nike gear, then maybe I could eventually do the same if I purchase Nike equipment." In other ad campaigns, Woods can be seen in athletic apparel where his athletic build becomes very noticeable. This also appeals to the audience, especially women. Tiger Woods has become a household in which nearly everybody in the country knows who he is and because he is a minority, he becomes that much more charming to the people.

Below is a commercial representing Tiger Woods effectiveness on viewers. He is also very inspirational, as shown in the video.

Tiger Woods

I changed my spokesperson from the Geico Gecko to Tiger Woods because I felt that Woods possessed the kind of excellent qualities that a representative of a sport/ad campaign should have. Woods changed the way people look at golf and commercial ads as a whole. No longer is golf thought of as the white man's sport, rather a sport that any one with any ethnicity can be great at. The popularity of golf increased exponentially after Tiger Woods became the face of the sport around 12-14 years ago. Tiger Woods also changed how commercials were viewed by the public. Many individuals started to actually believe in the product Woods was trying to sell. Whether it was Nike golf goods or a Buick car, Tiger made the items very appealing simply by showing off his skills and exposing his athletic body.

Below is a sample commercial of Tiger Woods selling his product:

Geico Gecko

Geico, which stands for Government Employees Insurance Company, is a car insurance company based out of the USA.  This auto-insurance company is notorious for its awkward, yet mostly hilarious commercials.  The spokesperson for each one of these commercials is the tiny, green, easy-going, animated gecko.  Geico has used many ad campaigns in which they utilize their well-known tagline "Geico, fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance," to help portray to their audience the easiness of saving money with their company.  In the ads, certain comedy techniques are used such as arbitration, pop-culture references, and pastiche.  The gecko helps display these characteristics through the use of their commercials.  He is a soft spoken, Australian accented, creature who is funny and fun loving.  All the gecko is interested in is saving the Geico customers money.

Below is a sample video of a Geico commercial with the Gecko in it.