Was Gary Webb a Hero?                                                                                                               Mason Hanse

This is a puzzling question to say the least. Was a man who released some of our government’s deepest, darkest secrets a hero? In some ways yes…. But in others; of course not! This man was an investigative reporter with often un-orthodox ways of reporting. So, many can see why he was awfully uneasy to trust when it came to questions about his sources. His main sources were criminals and a bunch of untrustworthy people. On the other hand, it isn’t like he was a complete idiot either. You just can’t make these things up. The government has been involved in conspiracies and cover ups before! What better way to describe this than the fact that it was going to earn those millions and millions of dollars. Money is the root of all evil and our government can attest to that. All of these wars on terrorism and drugs are based on the fact that it will give the government money. Gary Webb sought to show this to the world. In some ways, this is quite honorable. He wanted to equalize the government to the people and let the truth be told. I don’t believe he did it to be a true truth seeker although; I believe he did it just to get his name bigger and him in the national limelight. So the real question is; was this honorable cause or a selfish one. I believe it was the latter. Now comes the question, was it right of the CIA to do this? Of course not! To ruin a man’s reputation and threaten his family just because he is releasing truths about illegal government activity; to me that makes you no better than the governments that reigned over Cuba and Soviet Russia at that time. That comes the point that you are taking away this man’s right to speak and for his voice to be heard. One of our Founding Fathers said, “When the government becomes so powerful it become broken, it is time for a new government.” I am a firm believer in this statement. If a journalist can’t even speak out and voice his opinion without being berated and talked down upon by his fellow citizens; then I believe something is truly wrong. So, to answer this question, I believe Gary was both! Webb put his life on the line to release the truths about our corrupt government (Hero) but, he did it just to make his name better and to better himself (Zero).   

                 JFK

Did its nation really lose its innocence after the assassination of JFK?

   No, I don’t believe we did. Our nation was so corrupt and disorderly that we would murder our president just to further interests is appalling. The thought that money and power reigned supreme is appalling and one those sadly still reigns supreme. We didn’t have much innocence to start with and this completely destructed all morals that some members of our society had. Our country was founded by men with moral fiber and a patriotic will to serve your country. Nowadays, we take to the lengths of assassinating the president just to further the war machine we have constructed. A majority of the US population was appalled and shocked. There was a minority of the US that praised his death although; they viewed him as a communist and a toxin to our country. They viewed him as weak and not full of guts and strength. The world was appalled as well. Most of the countries had well relations with us; but there were some communist countries that praised the death of this “communist supporter”.  The future of the US is scary. The two front runner candidates are people who have done some very un-American things. We have a racist republican and our democratic candidate is known for lying and even having connections to drugs. In short, I believe our country is in a downward spiral and that won’t change. As long as money > morals…. Corruptness will reign supreme.

                Did 9/11 have a similar effect on the US?

Absolutely, it had lasting effects that are still felt today. It ushered in an era of fear. Every time, we see a person of Muslim descent, we associate them with extremism and violence. I truly believe that this also was a conspiracy. It goes back to the basis that money and wealth reigns supreme. This had the same backstory on why JFK was assassinated. By ushering in fear and blaming the Middle East as scapegoats; we could effectively find a “purpose” to invade those countries. We said we were going to stop terrorism… and what did we actually get out of it? We got the loss of 5,000 American lives in fighting alone and billions in money from oil and the war department. We have to face the fact that we need change nowadays. We need to stand up for what’s right and now for what will give us the most money. If this is what our country has come to, then I’m afraid what our country has in store for us. The government has so much power that they can influence the media into getting us to believe an entire race is responsible for a terrorist attack. I don’t feel that the American public blamed themselves. I believe that they blamed an entire race based on a few radicals. As long as we can find a way to get money, we will continue upon these moral less ways.

Who Killed JFK?

To me this was a combination of the CIA and the Johnson Agency. All signs point to this as the most viable option. The most complex assassination attempt was performed by our own government. All this was performed on the basis of two things: Power and Wealth. Kennedy was against the thought of war and was more focused on the domestic issues. To hi, furthering our knowledge of the universe and of our own planet. He wanted to cease fire and stall the issues with the communist countries. The military leaders saw him as soft. He didn’t want to go to war in Vietnam. Kennedy wanted them to fight their own fight. War=money so obviously the corrupt leaders were outraged. The only way for wealth to keep coming into our country was to enter war in Vietnam. So, they combined with some agents in the South and devised a way to assassinate Kennedy. They succeeded in destroying what most of the American public held so dearly.

I truly do believe the assassinations of RFK and MLK are linked to the government. They were the men who directly carried JFK’s views on politics. By killing them off, that meant that they couldn’t carry his flame. RFK is a carbon copy of his brother and he had the chance to directly carry on his brother’s momentum. I believe the same people who assassinated JFK; assassinated these two revered men as well.

In the end, it is a true shame that this is what we have come to. The fact that money reigns over morals makes me feel like we have lost our moral fibers in our country. But, it’s human nature. It has always been this way and will always be this way. The feeling of being on top is a drug to so many that they will do anything to be there. Even, if it means assassinating the President of the United States. Corruptness will always be around. We just have to choose to do the right and hope it cancels out the wrong.

Flat Tax

                The thought of a flat tax as the nation’s main tax is the better of the two options presented to us. There is no way around the fact that it is the only way you can “fairly” tax the people. By setting an equal tax for all would result in a perfect solution. Paying taxes is not an optional choice; although the rich may seem like it is with how little it affects their balance.

                People try to form the argument that just because they are rich, they don’t have to pay nearly any taxes. This may provide a decent argument; many of these richer people have worked hard for their cash and deserve the fact to pay very low taxes. They went through the American Dream and fought the grind to get where they are now. They deserve to pay that low amount of tax. But, if we are to set a tax price; we need to set it at what the perfect price would be. Technically, the rich would still pay more but that would be set at an equal price and they would still be paying a large amount. You never know, maybe if the tax gets set a price that is a little higher than normal; maybe there will be some lower class people getting jobs to help contribute to the lowering of the debt. I believe this isn’t a tax problem, I believe it’s a spending problem. By spending money on funding a useless war and funding programs that don’t work; we need to spend it on things like contributions to banks and small town businesses.

                Overall, we need a flat tax. It is what we need to continue to try to make a dent in our economic debt. This is the best option.

Our art is a reflection of our reality…….

                A powerful statement stated by Ice Cube. Not only, is it powerful, but it’s true. This group of “thugs” was the voice of a whole generation. For, them to have the impact they did on a generation in turmoil, tells a lot about the hard times our country was going for. Racial inequality and prejudice was running rampant across the country and we were in an economic downfall of sorts. At the center of all of this, was the city of Compton. It was notorious for gang violence and poverty; drive by shootings were a common place. In fact, it wasn’t unusual for the murder rate to exceed 50 a year. Drugs were rampant with the rise of cocaine and crack heroin emerging in the 1980’s. Despite all these problems, these 4 young men emerged speaking the truth. But, they weren’t just speaking they were rapping. Their words told what life was like. They told about the drugs and the shootings. To many it was shocking; their words were so straightforward and brutal that they had their music banned in many places across the country. Was it because of the fact that we were offended by their offensive lyrics? Or was it the fact that we were offended by the lyrics because of the fact that they were telling a dark story of what happens every day in these ghettos. As controversial as they were, we can’t deny the influence they instilled on a younger generation of artists. N.W.A is the grandfather of rap. They were the first super group of the Rap genre. They influenced the likes of Tupac, Snoop Dogg, and even 50 cent.

 It was the first time we heard the other side to the stories about violence in the ghettos. That didn’t settle with a lot of people.  We deny the fact that we have the white privilege. We wonder why we don’t have many white gangs and violence in our neighborhoods. Then, we look at the ghettos that are home to minorities and we can see why they are fighting for turf and drugs to keep their minds off the conditions they are living in. We ignored them too long and they let us hear about it through the power of rap.

                Although, this saying did hit home with many people. The people of Compton and ghettos all around LA now had a voice to channel their anger and despairs. Through its lyrics we discovered that we weren’t all that powerful. We found that people are simply mistreated based on the color of their skin. White Privilege was becoming a term we could relate to ourselves. Believe it or not, we are higher up on this social scale. And all below a certain line are living in poverty and in the threat of violence at all times.

                This brings up the point of the LA Riots. They were protesting the acquittal of 4 police officers in the beating case of Rodney King. To riot and break into buildings is being hypocritical. If they were protesting police brutality, then why would you kill multiple people on the streets? It makes no sense. If you are going to protest brutality; then don’t do it by yourself being brutal. Do it through a peaceful march or something along those lines. Don’t take a semi driver out of a semi, beat him to near death, and celebrate as he is lying dying in the streets. If the race card is being pulled, then represent your race with some pride. Be the better person and don’t go shooting up a city and stealing things to show, “we are being victimized’. Express yourself through music or peaceful talks. Of course, NWA added fire to the flame as if it didn’t already have it. With the song, “F the police”, it riled people up. It was a deadly combination of anger and a willingness to break the law. Overall, these riots were nothing more than hypocrisy. By protesting violence, they went against themselves and did exactly what many people were trying to get them to do. This all bleeds down (figuratively and quite literally) to the cities and how their lives exist in them. The only way they know to solve problems is how they have always been solved in those communities. It’s the fact that they were being so long ignored to the fact that when they finally got the spotlight; they were flustered and were so desperate for attention they did this. If you look at it from this point of view, it is almost understandable, not excusable, but understandable. Sadly, in this country we only found the negative in the situation. We became scared of these places and instead of help we isolated them more. Not in presence, but by laws. With all these laws, it just isolates the group. In the end, it was an idea that could have had such a positive impact but instead it was taking the wrong way because of the sheer chaos of the situation.

                NWA was influential. There is no doubt about that. They expressed their voices through rhymes and beats. Explicit language was the only way to reach the ears of a whole country. They went against the grain and went into unnamed territory. They brought hip hop to the world; and it took it by storm. The media loved to hate them. To them, they were a bunch of thugs and murderers singing about killing police and doing drugs. But, they weren’t just a thug group, they were artists. They were painting a picture of their lives and the lives of millions of people in the U.S.  They appealed to the younger audiences and said things that we have never heard. Stories were told and it impacted our country in both positive and negative ways. N.W.A truly did show the world what it was like in the streets of Compton. But more importantly, they showed us that their art is a reflection of their reality.

1.       $25 an hour or more

2.       You will find some teen moms, drunks, and even some pretty normal people.

3.       Because it’s 98% white people

4.       There is no way to leave this place; it is just like the reservations. Economically, it’s just too difficult.

5.       Of a human animal

6.       People are trading boxes of Pepsi for cash and even food stamps.

The whole fact that there is a white ghetto goes overlooked. Appalachia truly is the closest thing to a third world country that we have. To be in such a hardship to have to trade pop to gather enough to live on, is a travesty. But, it isn’t easily changed; economic hardship will always be here. There is just not enough money to change this area. It always will be a White Ghetto.

Donald Trump  

                Where can I begin with this man? As a country that tries to base itself on moral integrity, how can we elect a man who has none?  Electing him would only make our problems worse! He has said some of the most racist, sexist, and outright idiotic comments. Not to mention the fact that he has filed for bankruptcy four times! Here are a few examples of Trump saying some outrageous and boneheaded comments

·         “Black guys counting my money! I hate it. The only kind of people I want counting my money are little short guys that wear yarmulkes every day.”   ----Huffington Post

·         “Sorry losers and haters, but my I.Q. is one of the highest—and you all know it! Please don’t feel so stupid or insecure. It’s not your fault.”-----  Twitter

·         “Laziness is a trait in blacks.”----- Huffington Post

·         ‘Look at that face... “Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?!”----- When talking about candidate Fiorina

He has said quote, “John McCain isn’t a war hero; He is a war hero because he was captured? I prefer people who weren’t captured.”  This is just plain and outright disrespectful to all of the servicemen who have served and are now listed MIA. They have shown more courage and faith than Mr. Trump has shown in a lifetime. For him to bash the people who have been captured in war, by saying he prefers the ones that come home not captured, is plain and outright disrespectful. Speaking your mind is one thing, but for him to say these things consistently just says what type of person he is! Just because he is a billionaire doesn’t mean he has the right to be above everyone and say anything he’d like. Being a president comes with some necessary norms. It involves you acting like a civilized and a generally good person. It is like being a player on a team; you represent your town when you put on that jersey. Same with presidency; he is representing the whole country. We can’t have a bigot and sexist man who makes derogatory comments at everyone he sees representing us. There are better options for president! Making America great again won’t start with Trump.   I’ll finish with a quote from Martin Luther King Jr., “Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”

Sources: http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/donald-trump-said-a-lot-of-gross-things-about-women-on-howar#.hswMkm42aA

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/06/30/the-dumbest-stuff-donald-trump-has-ever-said.html

NRA and White Privilege

               

                After reading these extensive amount of articles and acquiring information our first question was asked. The question is “What is white privilege?” and is it real? I do believe that after reading these articles that it does in fact exist. It is an everyday deal. There are multiple examples stated in these articles and the more I think about it the more it makes sense. This totally exists based on the sheer fact that our country has come to model everything on the white man. As appalling as it is, there is a reason behind this. It’s because of as of now there are more whites than minorities. But, as we saw, it will not be this way for long. The privilege that we have had in the past and present will be history. And, to me that’s a good thing! As long as we are all equal, we are truly free.

                Now comes the question of who the mass shooters are? I believe that they are the rejects and the ones who are stepped on. These people are the lowest of the low. To earn attention that they have been so desperately seeking for years; they go and shoot up a school or church in desire of getting some news time. It’s so depressing that this is what our society has come to! Instead of giving them help we toss them in a reject neighborhood and they just get worse and worse. So in the end I believe that the shooters are all races but the lowest of those races.

 

                As for the NRA, I believe the fact that they directly influence the political theatre of today’s world. It is the main drive behind the pro-gun debate. The Republican Party is basically supported by the NRA and the many members. Whereas, the Democratic Party is very against the gun rights we have. I think that as long as you have the support of the NRA you can actually win the presidential election. This connects to the articles because they are the main driving force behind the fact that many people aren’t supporting gun rights in this nation of ours. And those very people are calling for universal change. The NRA sadly won’t be around much longer due to its controversial nature. It’s really a shame because of the impact they can have on us gun lovers. It’s sad to see that people don’t value the guns and weapons like they used to when the NRA was founded. As long as the NRA is around we can have a political safety valve and have the support of millions of gun loving and respectable Americans.

                With Gun Control Laws, I believe that we will be very limited in the effect of the fact that we are going to end up having the 2^nd Amendment changed to the point where it will be useless to have it in the first place. It is a shame that people don’t realize that people kill people not guns. As long as we have the NRA’s support we will have our rights but I do believe that because of the fact that there will not be the NRA in the coming years. The 2^nd Amendment will be changed without it’s backing and we won’t have guns before long. Maybe control laws are what we need but not to the point many are proposing. It just isn’t worth making millions of Americans angry.

Overall, in the end the connection between White Privilege and the NRA is the fact that because we have all these rights and such that we are the main driving point politically. As long as we are the majority and have the NRA backing us up, we will have it our way. But, when the NRA is gone, so will our gun rights and even some political power that we have. We need peace and we need to learn to compromise or in the end all we will have is more violence and death. All, we need to fix what we have before it is gone. This needs to be done for the sake of the nation and the future people as well!