Today's society puts a ridiculous amount of pressure on both males and females. To compound this problem the pressures come from everywhere and are so common that most people aren't even consciously aware of the pressure. The messages are sent through everything from toys, to magazines, to television, to the advertisements and marketing that constantly surround us.

Little girls grow up with dolls that come with increasingly provocative clothing and often enough a demeaning theme. When I was little I absolutely loved Barbie dolls and soon Diva Starz too. The Diva Starz dolls each had personalities, accessories, they even talked! Only in retrospect do I realize what an awful image those dolls conveyed to little girls. The different personalities of the dolls consisted of,"your personal expert on style, a hip cool chick and a techno whiz, a girl who loved the outdoors so much that she'd bring it inside, a model citizen, and a sporty girl." These dolls said stupid things, were barely dressed, and further more they seemed to convey the idea that girls are not multi-dimensional but rather are only capable of being about one thing like the dolls. Though the Diva Starz have been "phased out" they have just been replaced with Bratz and My Scene Dolls. Is there going to be a resolution to this cultural disaster? If this continues to go down hill, how will our youth grow up and how will that effect future generations?

What Should We Really Fear?

The media and politicans promote fear in America. The television and movies we watch are not only very violent but then shows such as Cops, America's Most Wanted, and 60 Minutes: To Catch a Predator make it seem as though the violence is happening right next door. As for politicans, their campaigns count on American's fear to get them into office. The politicans campaign that if you do not vote for them, so that they can change how badly things are going, the unfortunate things will happen specifically to you. There is nothing to fear but the fear itself. The fear is the largest difference between America and the rest of the world. The fear pushes people into thinking they need to defend themselves. They fear their neighbors and everybody around them but really because of the dangerous situation this fear creates- they should fear themselves and their actions.

In the movie Tuesdays with Morrie, in the begining of the movie Mitch valued hard work, achievement, and success financially and career wise. This is true not only for my parents but most people I know. The focus on financial success and therefore material things begins from the moment we are born. Everything about our culture is materialistic; baby showers are to recieve gifts, as are birthdays, and even holidays such as christmas. To achieve possesion of these material things it seems necesary to be focused on career and money. Success is purely perspective therefore it is absolutely possible to achieve a different type of success. Who is to say that the impoverished people, who in many of our eyes have nothing, aren't completely satisfied and happy with something as simplistic as having their health or a happy and loving family. Those things to them may very well be their perspective of success. Why is it that we do not see success as making it safely through a day and treating people well?

Political Expression Not Acceptable?

This week in class, our teacher wore a T-shirt supporting Obama. When he arrived to class late, he told us it was because another teacher was giving him a hard time for wearing the shirt. I find this completely ridiculous. During the last election I was in 8th grade and the story reminded me of how our teachers would not tell us who they were voting for but yet they would relay variations of their oppinions like they were facts. I would come home and tell my family what I had learned and they would say that it was not an unbiased fact. Being that young and not watching the debates and recieving information soley at school from teachers insisting they were unbiased is not fair. At least if teachers voice their oppinions you know where they are coming from because it is hard if not impossible to be completely unbiased.