On The Waterfront: Whistleblower vs. Stool Pigeon

In the movie, "On The Waterfront", the dockworkers are rendered helpless by the "powerful" mob. They have power only because they use fear and force to hurt those who speak out or challenge their authority in any way. Their leader, Johnny Friendly, is very corrupted. His "second in command" is Charlie, Terry's older brother. To them, and to everyone else who is in with the mob, someone who speaks up is a "stool pigeon". They could not afford for even one person to stand up for what they believe is right because it would lead to the end of their existence. I believe that this is because they know what they are doing is wrong in society's mind. To those who cannot be influenced by the mob, like Edy and her father, the priest, Doogan, and Joey, standing up to the mob would be considered a noble deed. Every worker knows that what is being done to them is unfair, yet they feel as though they can do nothing. They know that Johnny Friendly would take his revenge and have them killed one way or another. A person who dared go through with their intentions and stand up for the dockworkers would be a brave and courageous person. Terry is on the fence for most of the movie and has trouble deciding where stands on the issue. However, once his brother Charlie is killed, he decides that he has to stand up to the mob and Johnny Friendly no matter what the consequence.
I believe a stool pigeon or a tattletale is someone who tells on others for a personal gain of some sort. They might do it as revenge or to advance their own personal causes somehow. These type of people in my mind are "bad" and do not have a good sense of what is right and wrong. On the otherhand, I believe that a whistleblower or ethical crusader is someone who risks some personal aspect of their own life, be it safety, reputation, etc., to stand up for what they believe in. They sacrifice something of their own for the benefit of a larger whole, in this case, the dockworkers. I believe that speaking out about what you believe in is always okay with one exception. If your motives are not pure, meaning you are doing something for the benefit of a small group of people or even just yourself, it is wrong. With that said, I believe it that if you know something wrong is going on and yet you do nothing about it because you don't want to put yourself out there and take a risk, you are equally to blame as someone with the wrong motives. Both types of people are selfish and to be named as a whistleblower, being selfless is key.

Robert Kennedy: His Life Post 3 - Ethical Crusader or Ethical Coward?

Robert Kennedy was appointed Attorney General in 1960. During this time, the civil rights movement was underway, with Martin Luther King Jr. in charge. During RFK's time as Attorney General, he focused on trying to create equality for all Americans. He specifically fought for the rights of African Americans to equal schooling and voting rights. However, at the beginning of his "term" as Attorney General, civil rights was not one of his priorities. Even though it may not have been in the front of his mind, "RFK's conscience was pricked by the racial inequity"(127). At the same time however, "he...admired courage and respected men who stood up to him; indeed, he almost demanded it"(128). I find this very perplexing. How could RFK not take action and choose to not dedicate himself to this issue, yet still value someone standing up to him? He knew something was wrong, but it took him a while to muster up enough guts to actually do something about it. At least he finally did. When the Freedom Rider's bus was firebombed, no one would agree to rive it any longer. He called some of his political contacts in the south, but no one was "available". Finally, he stood up by calling the Greyhound Bus Company himself. When trying to find a driver, RFK told them, "...somebody better give us an answer to this question. I am - the Government is - going to be very much upset if this group does not get to continue this trip"(129). This conversation was recorded and soon leaked to the public, who then thought that it was Kennedy leading the Freedom Riders. In doing what he believed was the right thing to do, he sacrificed his reputation for the time being and his innocence. No longer could he sit on the sidelines and watch these injustices happen. He was in it for the long hall and he stuck with it. I believe that Robert Kennedy should be considered and IS considered an ethical crusader during his lifetime.

Prioity in Society or Family First?

Characters in the play each have their own set of beliefs and moral values. When Joe Keller decided to ship off the cracked plane parts to save his family business, he put his family before the society and country in which he lived in. This single act shaped his beliefs and moral values for the rest of his life. He willingly sacrificed his honesty and dignity to cover up his previous dishonorable act. His choices did not only affect him however. His wife, Kate, was forced to follow her husband's lead and put her family and husband before the society. She knows the truth, but does nothing about it and instead, interprets her reality as she wishes it was, even though it was not actually that way. Their son, Larry, was devestated when he realized that his father was behind the deaths of his fellow soldiers. He ultimately took his own life and that act identified where he stood ethically. In his mind, the society as a whole came before the prosperity of a single family, even if it was his own. Similarly, Chris, his younger brother and the Keller's second son, valued honesty and responsibility to the society and to youself above all. When he found out that his father had lied to everyone and blamed another human for his actions, Chris was devestated and ran away. The fact that he wouldn't forgive his father showed his devition to his own beliefs and his complete rejection of beliefs like his father's.
I believe that everyone owes something to their society and to fellow human beings. Everything should remain fair and no one should sabotage others for personal advancement. Everyone should be honest and responsible for themselves and never put others in danger. However, when society is going in the wrong direction and someone has a feeling that it is wrong, that person must stand up and say something. Kate intentionally lied to herself and others to cover up her husband but i believe that she should have released herself from the burden of hiding the truth and made her husband pay for his actions. With that said, I believe that for the majority of the time, people must put the society before themselves. For the relatively few times when society has been wrong and will be wrong in the future, people may put their personal beliefs ahead of the society's.

Post #2 - Robert Kennedy: His Life

Bobby Kennedy switched schools many times as a kid, further adding to to his troubles. He had trouble making friends and fitting in. Instead of learning people's names, he just called the boys "fella", and soon, it became his nickname. Bobby didn't care very much however. He played football and made one friend whose name was David Hackett. The book reads, "Hackett was impressed with Kennedy's unwillingness to compromise to gain acceptance. Kennedy would not join in dirty jokes. He disliked bullying and would step in when an upperslassman tried to push around a younger boy" (39). Even as a high schooler, Bobby Kennedy had a true sense of right and wrong, moral and immoral. I believe that this shows it was a part of his true character and always was. It wasn't simply aqquired when he became a public servant.
Also, when an African-American was invited to speak at his college, Harvard, the man refused to come speak since the audience was going to be segregated. However, "Kennedy was determined he should come and that the university should open its doors. When other student leaders balked, Kennedy stood up and shouted, "You're all gutless!" He became so enraged addressing the university's governing board that he was vitually incoherent. But Kennedy's insistence worked: Bunche spoke to an integrated audience, open to the public" (55). Bobby Kennedy was a determined person and would go to any measure to make sure what was morally right happened. I think it takes a lot of guts to put yourself out there, especially for an unpopular stance. That takes courage. I think it must have run in the Kennedy family, considering his brother JFK wrote "Profiles In Courage", which describes many courageous men in history who put their popularity aside during their service to their country.

Post #1 - Robert Kennedy: His Life

Robert Kennedy had an interesting childhood. He was one of eight children and was the last boy born. He was small and had a dark personality. Maybe dark isn't the best word but he was certainly pessimistic. Everyone made fun of him, including his family. That is everyone except his mother. Then, people called him his mother's "pet". This really shaped his childhood. Being constantly put down caused him to be self-concious and unsure about himself. He even described himself as awkward. He was never considered smart and his father thought that he had no potential. His family described him as "...hopeless and (he) would never amount to anything" (31). I can't imagine how hard it would have been to grow up in this enviroment. I am truly lucky to have supporting parents. I believe that this poor living enviroment as a child caused him to want to make something of his life to prove everyone wrong.
Everyone in his life was always telling him what he couldn't do. One time, when he and his family were sailing on the ocean, his father made fun of him for not being able to swim. So, Bobby jumped off the boat into the ocean to prove him wrong. His oldest brother ended up jumping in and bringing him back to the boat. His brother, Jack, said about the ordeal, "It showed wither a lot of guts, or no sense at all, depending how you looked at it" (35). I think this showed how desperate he was for some attention of any kind. He was daring and willing to do anything to get his, especially from his father. Again, I believe that this strained relationship and constant want to please his father caused him to make something of his life. I can't wait to see how their relationship changed when Bobby became a politician. I guess i'll have to just keep reading to find out.
This realates to the struggles in a teenagers everyday life. One has to decide whether or not they are going to listen to what other people tell them or if they are going to shape their own future and ignore the negative things in their life. I believe that one should always think about the positives of themself as a person instead of the negatives. Sometimes it can be hard, especially when people are making fun of you, but everyone has their flaws. Why dwell on them? I think that if Bobby Kennedy had ignored what others were saying about him, he wouldn't have acted so desperate and awkward as a child.

Tina Fey: SNL Fans to 30 Rock Fans?

Tina Fey is one of my favorite comedians of all time, a close second to Amy Pohler. Every Saturday, I stay up to watch "SNL". I read an article questioning whether or not Fey will be able to convert her "SNL" fans to "30 Rock" fans. While "30 Rock", written by Tina, is a relativly new show, according to the article, it has already recieved "a total of 27 (emmy) nominations in two years". Linda Holmes, the writer of the article, does not ever say whether or not she believes that "SNL" fans will watch "30 Rock" when the new season begins. I believe that they will. However, I do not think they will stick around to watch it towards the end of the season. Having watched the show, I think it is funny, but not the funniest thing around. It's not "The Office" funny, but more of a clever funny. I think it is aimed at 30 year old people and above because the jokes are about political things. I am planning on watching the premier, but that's pretty much about it. I would recommend this article only if you like Tina Fey. It contains a lot of facts about her show and it becomes boring and monotonous.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27407385/

Visual Analysis Photo

Eco-Horror: The New Horror Film

I hate horror films (even though I have never actually watched one). That is unless you count movies from the newest film genre: Eco-Horror. I watched the Inconvinient Truth and while it isn't the scariest movie in the world, it makes you want to take action against global warming and it's impending doom. This article names several global warming documentaries that make the audience feel scared and uncertain about our future as humans and the world. While this genre is pretty new, the main principles its based on isn't, according to the article. Being worried about the enviroment has always been a classic movie theme. The article names movies such as
"Ferngully", "Erin Brockovich", "Silkwood" and "Gorillas in the Mist" as evidence of this. I think it is really interesting that even though being concerened about our enviroment in movies is nothing new, people are really starting to connect with it in our generation. This is a huge problem that will not just affect us and our families. It will affect every single human being on this planet and even the earth itself. If movies are the way to bring this issue to the front of people's minds, I am all for it. Hopefully, eco-horror films will become as well known as the regular horror films.

It was a good article but it was fact based and hard to read. I would only recommend it if you found this topic really interesting. It's not really something to read for fun.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/10/22/eco.films/

Obama Planning 30 Minute Television Ad

six days before the election, barack obama will be running a 30 minute ad on NBC and CBS. During this time, he will make his "closing argument" to the country. Because his campaign has a lot of money to spend, he is able to splurge on this ad during primetime tv. His ads are being played all across the country, in key states and in undecided voters homes. Meanwhile John mccain is unable to run tons of ads due to his lack of extra money. This article also comments on the tone of each campaign's ads. While John McCain's ads tend to focus on Obama's "negative" traits, Obama's ads focus on the positive things he will do for the country. Studys conducted by the University of Madison, WI say that, "only 34 percent of (Obama's) ads attacked McCain directly while virtually all of McCain's ads attacked Obama". I believe that Americans do not want to listen to the canidates blaming each other and accusing each other. What they want to hear is what each can do for the country and for them. That is why i believe that the American people will elect Barack Obama president of the United State on november 4th.

The article was good, but it was kinda boring. It would be worth reading if you had nothing else to do, but if you've got time, i would read it. Its got a lot of facts in it that are interesting to think about.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27107689/

Need vs. Want

I told my mom tonight that i need a new phone. I've dropped mine so many times that there are scratches and dents everywhere and now it can't even stay on without freezing up. She told me to read an article in the SunCurrent about cell phones. Peggy Bakken, the writer, took her son to get a new cell phone because he said he needed a new one really bad. She bought him one but over the next few days it bothered her. She writes about how the poor economic state has forced many families to rely on others just to survive and are really "in need". Children need coats. People need food. She urges people to donate to Coats for Kids this winter. This got me thinking.......while i really want a new phone, do i really need it? It still works (most of the time) and if i didn't get a new one, it's not like i'm gonna be hungary and cold all winter. So for now, I'll hold off my "campaign" for a new phone and instead i'm going to go through our coat closet, grab all of my old coats, and donate them to people who really need them.

I would recommend reading this article because it gives you another perspective on our lives compared to others in our community.
http://www.mnsun.com/articles/2008/10/02/opinion/fw02peggycolumncoats.txt

Homer: An Old-Fashioned Sexist

I believe that Homer is an old fashioned sexist. Homer illustrates the double standard of women being expected to stay faithful to their husband, yet it is acceptable for a man to cheat on his wife. His opinion of the value of a woman, coming from a man, stresses the importance of beauty. Any accomplishes she may have play no role in a man's view of her with the exception of Athena for the sole fact that she is a goddess. Homer is most definatly an old fashioned sexist.
The double standard between the expectations of women and men is demonstrated through two people: Odysseus and his wife, Penelope. While Odysseus is gone for 20 years, Penelope is tempted with many suitors to break her faithfullness to her husband. However, she does not seize these opportunities. Had she decided to cheat on Odysseus, it would have been socially unacceptable. She would have been persecuted and shunned. Meanwhile, Odysseus cheats on Penelope without hesitation. He has an affair with Circe, a beautiful witch-goddess. While Penelope is forced to stay faithful, Odysseus has the freedom to have affair after affair without punishment. Homer efficiently illustrates this double standard.
The trait most valued in a woman is beauty. Women are given to men as prizes based on beauty. The more beauiful the woman, the more valued she is. In The Iliad, the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen, is the cause of the Trojan war. Her beauty is so important to the Trojans and the Achaeans that they are willing to lose their lives. If the smartest woman in the world was the woman who was being fought over, the Trojan War never would have happened. Beauty is the main trait woman in this time were judged on. This goes for every woman except for Athena. Athena is strong and powerful. She is greatly admired by women and men alike. Men even pray to her to help them in battle. I believe that Homer portrays her as a tough, clever woman for the sole fact that she is a goddess. That is sexist. Many women are tough, strong, clever, and smart. However, Homer and men during this time refused to acknowledge that. Homer was certainly sexist.

My Thoughts on the New I-35W Bridge

I read an article on MSNBC.com about the new I-35W bridge. Some people in the community, like Jerry Foss, feel that the bridge could have looked nicer and an opportunity was missed. He said, "We had an opportunity to build a signature bridge, and we didn't take it. They chose an average bridge, and we got an average bridge." On the other hand, some believe that making the bridge beautiful would have taken away from the surrounding buildings. One such person, Ann Calvert, who is a Minneapolis city official, said, "This new bridge could have been something wildly dramatic, but it also might have distracted from some of the historic and interesting features in the area." I agree with Calvert that the bridge would have been distracting but for different reasons. I don't think it would take away from the city but from the victims and the families affected by the bridge collapse. I feel it would have been rude and disrespectful. I think it is good that the bridge design is simple. After all, a bridge is a bridge and the only thing I care about is the quality of construction so that it doesn't fall down again.

article link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26704864/ >>>> i would recommend reading it because it shows different perspectives on an issue we have all experienced.

Wecome to Katie's Blog

Welcome to Katie's Blog! I will be writing about different topics throughout the year. I'm looking forward to discussing our opinions about the articles and books that I will be posting about. It should be fun! Feel free to comment on my posts!

Katie