What does the news really do for you?

Consumerism is a rising problem around the world that is being promoted by mass media. Consumerism is defined as the protection or promotion of the interest of consumers. This means that mass media decides what information they will give to the consumers. The news advertises so much and makes people believe that they need the things that are advertised. In a video on YouTube a reporter by the name of Lori Harfenist of The Resident asks around New York about consumerism. During the holiday season, shopping becomes more important than the holiday cheer. In the video Lori asks a woman, Sara "Why do you think Americans are so obsessed with shopping during the holidays"? Sara answered "Media, you guys". Lori responds with "Because we tell everybody to buy stuff". Mass media does a really good job at making consumers believe that what they are selling them is a necessity, most of the time it's not. While reading an article on National Geographic News, the concept of consumerism became more clear to me. They explained, Approximately 1.7 billion people worldwide now belong to the "consumer class"- the group of people characterized by diets of highly processed food, desire for bigger houses, more and bigger cars, higher levels of debt, and lifestyles devoted to the accumulation of non-essential goods". The reason that there is such a huge number of people in the consumer class is that media puts the idea of a need for everything into the minds of consumers of media. In an article on the Huffington Post, they talk about how we shifted into consumerism and the possibility of shifting back. They stated "But consumerism will not just magically disappear from it's central place in our culture. It need to be supplanted by something". If consumerism is going to be replaced it should be replaced with something that can be good for our culture. The news should be a useful source that informs people on important things happening in the world. Instead they are taking over people minds and making them apart of the consumer class by making them believe they need everything. Mass media controls what they allow us to see and know about but we can do the same for ourselves as individuals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90DBi3qzL20

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amitai-etzioni/the-crisis-of-american-co_b_1855390.html

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/01/0111_040112_consumerism_2.html

No Justice For Rape Victims

Margaux is a victim of rape in the case where she had no justice. She was coming towards the end of her freshman year at Indiana University. Her friends had just dropped her off to her dormitory after they had been out drinking. She was under the influence of alcohol so she was having a hard time finding her keys. A male student, also attending Indiana University approached her, she knew the student but she did not know him well. He helped her find her keys and then let her into her room. She didn't think of it as more than just kindness, until he raped her in her own bed. Because she was under the influence, she was in and out of consciousness while it was happening. The man told people that Margaux had consented to sex, yet Margaux was under the influence. There is a law that says when a woman is drunk to the point of passing out, she can't give consent. When she and her parents turned to the local police asking them to prosecute, they refused. Then Margaux turned to the campus justice system, however the campus justice system doesn't enforce criminal law. By this time the family was lost and had run out of options. Soon Margaux learned that another student down the hall from her had been harassed on two occasions by the same man that had raped her. Statistics show that 38% of rapists are a friend or acquaintance of the victim. There is a really high number of rape victims that have gotten no justice. It's not a fair system. Statistics also show that 60% of sexual assaults are not reported to the police and 97% of rapists will never spend a day in jail. Does anyone think about what could happen as result to ignoring the silent cries of these victims? When rapists are not put in jail, they can easily chose to rape another innocent girl or woman. Not many people pay attention to the complexity of the effect rape has on a life. Rape has lead girls into doing drugs, alcohol addiction, running away, and even attempting or committing suicide. It's time for people to pay close attention and listen to the silent cries of victims and make sure that justice is served.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124052847
https://rainn.org/statistics?gclid=COTyvNDkqr8CFUhufgodwR8A1g
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-people/wp/2013/10/29/maryville-waits-for-justice-while-many-rape-victims-suffer-in-silence/

Police Brutality: Will It Ever End?

   Fred Buchanan is an 18 year old high school graduate, preparing to go to college. He was a resident of "The Block" in Australia, up until the age of five. The block was not the most beautiful place to live. Fred says, "all the houses were like the same, they all look the same actually, all broken down with writing all over and stuff". Fred's cousin, TJ Hickey lost his life to police brutality and it really took a toll on Fred. He says "supposedly the police were chasing him and they hit his bike and he fell off his bike then landed onto the fence at Waterloo". After this tragic event, of course Fred grew to dislike the police. The whole neighborhood was unhappy with the police for what they had done to TJ. Their anger lead to a series of riots in the neighborhood. The riots did  nothing but fuel the fire for the police. The  police began to harass everyone and got away with it simply because they are the law enforcers and the people on the block were just the people on the block.

   Things like this aren't only happening in Australia, It's happening everywhere. People have to live in bad neighborhoods every where and people have to deal with police brutality everywhere. On a daily basis someone is being harassed by law enforcement. In an article on AlterNet titled 12 shocking Examples of Police Brutality...Just this month, they stated "In city after city, the crackdown on drug crime has expanded police power and pointed it straight at minorities and the poor". This shows that police are really just picking on  the people in these poor neighborhoods. While there are so many major crimes happening, police are wasting time harassing minorities and the poor while neglecting more serious problems in need of their assistance. In an article on Thinking About Philosophy titled, Know Your Rights-Police Brutality Statistics In the US they explain, "Sometimes your rights just aren't enough to protect you." The statistics of police brutality are extremely too high. Police brutality needs to stop!

http://www.alternet.org/police-brutality?page=0%2C0

http://thinkingaboutphilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/03/know-your-rights-police-brutality.html

http://www.sbs.com.au/theblock/#/fred/

Girl on Fire

Alicia Keys

If i had to choose one idol I would have to chose Alicia Keys.

She has definitely influenced me not only as a singer but as a lady in general.

Alicia Keys stands out in ways that other artists do not. 

She shows that she is a independent woman and she is the only person in control of her life.

There is no doubt that Alicia Keys is a girl on fire! 

http://www.biography.com/people/alicia-keys-9542485#awesm=~oId56sCG60LetY

Who am I?

I am Telisa Sanders. I am an upcoming junior in high school. I am gifted with a talent that I have not yet completely mastered when it comes to control, confidence, skill and technique. I started singing not too long ago and I get much praise, however I know that there is much room for improvement. I think an audience to critique me will greatly help in my development as a singer. I will share with you as I go on this journey to become a better singer and performer. I hope you will enjoy following me on my journey. I doubt that there will ever be a dull moment. Stay tuned!