Blog Post 9

In the article "A Prisoner in the House," published in New Internationalist, the author Samira Shackle talks to women who were forced into arranged marriages and shares the story of their torture. Jasminder was just nineteen years old when she was forced into arranged marriage. Right when she arrived to her husband's house, her mother-in-law told her to start cooking. She was forced up at five in the morning to prepare dinner for that evening. She could only drink water when she was given permission, and she wasn't allowed in the bathroom for more than five minutes. Mandeep is another woman who was forced into arranged marriage. Her husband threw out her passport and looked through her phone to make sure she hasn't been calling anyone. Her husband's family found her a job in a factory, and she was escorted to work by her mother-in-law everyday so she didn't make friends. When the family went away for the weekend, they left Mandeep tied up and gagged in the garage in the middle of winter.

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How can people be so cruel? I don't agree with arranged marriages just for that reason! The torture that these women go through. "Campaigners say that around 500 women every year face a similar situation," (Pg. 1). That is just plain sad. The women's families don't even realize what is happening to their daughters. Arranged marriages are a bad idea. No woman should have to go through that. Who wants to be gagged and tied up in a garage in the middle of winter? NO ONE! I would run away before letting my parents arrange a marriage for me. If only they could find love like us so they know whether they are soul mates or not.


 

Blog Post 6

In the article "Foot Binding, American Style," published in Newsweek Global, the author Jilly Gagnon talks about the rising popularity and risks of toe-shortening in America. More than 1.5 million people have had cosmetic surgery. Toe-shortening involves removing a knuckle, then pinning the toe back to refuse the bones. it's more popular with people who have problems with their feet, such as bunions. "Foot-binding began in China as early as the 10th century, and continued well into the 20th century (the practice was officially banned in 1912, but some families secretly persisted long after)," (Pg. 2). Small feet were prized on women and continue to be prized today. Nancy Velazquez recommends toe-shortening because she feels more confident with her feet and it's more comfortable for her to wear high heels. Liv Lewis needed the surgery because of her bunions. She said that you shouldn't get the surgery unless you have a serious problem. Dr. Mary Ann Bilotti says that she recommends toe-shortening if you have pain or serious complications, not for cosmetic reasons. Toe-shortening can have complications just like any other surgery. Most insurances don't cover the procedure, so it can range from $2,000 to $2,500 per toe. Toe-shortening is very risky and can decrease some of your daily activities, such as yoga. If you have feet problems, it can cause future problems if it's left untreated. It's not advertised as a necessity, but as a reason not to miss sandal season. Most practices that offer toe-shortening often offer more surgeries to help "perfect" other areas of your body.

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In the article there's a quote that really stood out to me. "Why alter something that doesn't need to be altered?" (Pg. 3). I agree with this quote because everyone just does things nowadays to fit in. You should love your body the way it is, even if there are a few flaws. Everyone is perfect the way they are. I don't understand why people want to alter their bodies knowing that a lot of surgeries have serious complications. Like toe-shortening can limit your daily activities. A lot of women love yoga! If they got their toes shortened, their balance will be off. Breast implants look so unnatural because women that had absolutely no breasts want to be 2-3 cup sizes bigger. I have something I don't like about my body, but I would never want to modify it. I still love myself the same and feel comfortable in my own skin. Everyone is beautiful and unique in their own way.

Blog Post 5

In the article “Body Painting,” published in PSA Journal, the author Ayman Lofty discusses the body art and how it's represented in photos. He also states how tattoos became "an expression of people's loves, a symbol or even an image of what they really liked, recorded on their own bodies," (Pg. 1). Body art started a long time ago when ancient people started painting on their bodies and faces as apart of their culture. Body art became a big interest of photographers. They used it for creative shooting because the way the paint looked on the body exposed and represented all of the different cultures and live styles of people. Artists who specialize in body painting found different techniques that could be used on the human body to represent creative ideas. That is how body painting changed from celebrative art to creative art. A major issue is that photography is thought of as more of a way to document memories than as an artistic tool. Modern body painting has reduced the gap between photography and body painting which caused people to understand photography's used of the art line. One photographer merged both arts together. He used his model's body as a canvas to achieve the ideal image. A small spotlight is used to capture the emotion in the body paintings. The Egyptian Minister of Culture and the head of the Fine Art Sector in Egypt has shown extreme admiration body art and requested an exhibition for the photographs to represent the different nations around the world.

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I think body art is really cool, mostly if it involves one's culture. Us Americans mostly get a tattoo because it looks cool or actually has a meaning to us. People around the world mark their bodies in different ways to represent how they are as a person or to represent their culture. All of the different types of body arts around the world fascinates me. It's really cool how certain designs represent a certain culture or expresses how a person feels. A lot of people use body painting instead of tattooing to show their culture. It's really cool how the photographers use body painting as symbols for their photos. They design the body paintings to express certain emotions in the pictures. It makes everything very dramatic, especially with the way they use their lighting.

Blog Post 4

In the article, "DESTROYING A Culture," published in Cobblestone, the author Pauline Bickford-Duane explains how then U.S. government destroyed the Native American culture. They spent nearly 100 years trying to develop a policy that worked and crafted more than 400 agreements with the natives. In 1871, most natives were restricted to life on one, large reservation. Senator Henry L. Dawes suggested breaking up reservation land into smaller sections. That was an effort hoping to make native people accustomed to living more like American families. The Dawes Act forced Native Americans to adopt American customs, language, and clothing. Congress claimed that The Dawes Act protected native property rights, but cut native acreage by 56%. After being forced into boarding schools, many Native American children died after being exposed to diseases they weren't immunized for. They were assigned American names, and given western-styled clothing to wear. Their cultural long hair was forbidden in the schools. The children were punished for speaking their native language or practicing native traditions. Administrators were hoping Native American children would forget their native culture and adopt the America culture. The Meriam Report exposed terrible conditions that were happening at the boarding schools. The Indian Reorganization Act grants rights to the Native Americans, including control of their land. The first 20 years the act was passed, the Native Americans reclaimed more than 2 million acres. Many people are still having seconds thoughts about the effectiveness of The Indian Reorganization Act.

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Indian boarding schools are cruel. How would Americans like to be forced into Indian schools and forced to learn Indian cultures. Every one should be able to live with their own culture. They should be able to believe in what they do and live how they  want. No one should be punished for what their family has taught them to believe. Americans are very cruel to any culture except their own. Not every one knows the American culture; especially the people that migrate to the U.S.

Blog Post 3

In the article, "Rule of the Headhunters," published in Newsweek, the author Maggie Ford explains the savage return to tribal warfare in Borneo. In Borneo, mobs of young men set out with machetes and spears brutally killed many immigrants. The mobs swarmed through the streets with Madurese heads on sticks. Mothers protected their children by stuffing rags in their mouths to prevent the attraction of the headhunters. "Indonesia has been rocked by bloody ethnic clashes in the recent weeks, and many people blame former president Suharto and his policy of 'transmigration,'" (Pg. 1). The reason was the policy was to help the poor from crowded islands and moving them to Borneo, where there was more space for them. The largest tribe in Borneo was the Dayaks; they declared war and killed 1,000 Madurese. There was a disagreement between a bus driver and a migrant that had escalated, leaving 165 dead before it settled down. They received a new president that wanted to ease the tension by ridding of Suharto's rule.

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We have tons of immigrants in the United States. I couldn't imagine murdering them! They came here for a better living and a chance. They deserve that just as much as we do. Just cause they're poor, doesn't mean they are any different than us. Everyone is equal in my eyes. We all deserve to be somebody, someday.

Blog Post 1

In the article, "One-Child Policy Is One Big Problem for China," published in Newsweek, the author Susan Scutti explains the negative effects of the one-child policy in China. The one-child policy started in China thirty-five years ago and it has led to a gender imbalance. Last year, the Chinese government eased the policy, but it will take a long time to fix the problems that resulted from it. Parent's were given the ability to find out the gender of their baby with the help of the government. Abortions weren't the only way they got rid of daughters. The babies were starved, neglected, and/or abandoned. Men that remain unmarried are called "bare branches" because they are the end of the line for the family. "Hesketh and her co-authors discovered, after surveying a total of 1,059 never-married men and 1,066 married men, that the never-married men had higher depression scores, more thoughts of suicide, and higher aggression scores than married men" (Pg. 3).

I know that China is over-populated, but I don't agree with the one-child policy. You shouldn't kill unborn children; it's not right. Every child should get a chance to live and make something out of themselves. Boy or girl, all babies are blessings. In my opinion, the one-child policy is highly unnecessary. Easing up on the policy will refrain from forced abortions and tons of children being left in the street to die. Being able to have more than one child will give families more chances to have a boy to carry on the family name.

Self-Introduction

Hi! My name is Cara. I live part-time in South St. Paul with my little brother, mom, and step dad. I also part-time live in West St. Paul with my boyfriend. This is my second semester at Inver Hills and I am planning to major in Business. I can’t wait to get my degree and start my career in the business world. I am currently a server at Olive Garden in Maplewood. In my free time, I like to hang out with my friends or play on my computer. On my 18^th birthday, I went to the casino and I was lucky enough to win $12,000 playing Bingo. In addition to my winnings, I saved up my money and just recently purchased a 2015 Ford Fusion. Hopefully I win big again so I can move out into my own place.