Thursday, May 5, 2011

Serenity Springs


When I learned that we were to do a volunteer service learning project, I was ecstatic.  There’s just something special about giving a hand to someone who dedicates their life to a cause.  Looking at the list of places to volunteer, I knew right away that I wanted to be at Serenity Springs Sanctuary.  I have only ever volunteered at an animal shelter, and while that was a rewarding experience, I couldn’t wait for the opportunity to spend time with pigs. From this excursion, I wanted two things: 1) I wanted to learn about pigs, since I have never spent time with one before, and 2) I wanted to hear Terry’s stories.  I’ve always loved hearing “rescue stories” about the compassionate people who take it upon themselves to care for animals left abandoned, neglected, or abused. 
Setting off on my adventure to Serenity Springs Sanctuary, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.  Because it was such a beautiful day, I made the drive with my little Mazda Miata’s top down, the radio off, and my thoughts to reflect on my next five hours in Forestburg.  I have been struggling with the idea of completely becoming a vegetarian.  For a year, I worked at an organic pizza place that was very vegetarian friendly, I ended up just not really eating meat because the vegetarian dishes were just so good.  However, I also come from a line of people who lived in the country and hunted.  As a society, we have lost the sacredness of an animals' life because animals have become so objectified in our culture.  With factory farming, this trend will not get any better, but if there was some way to revert back to using small time farmers, then perhaps we will regain our humanity.  While using small farms means that meat will not be as readily available as one would find in a supermarket, and would probably be more expensive, “maybe when we did eat animals, we’d eat them with the consciousness, ceremony and respect they deserve” (Pollan). When I made my way up the windy, gravel drive, I spotted an older lady on a Gator toting with her rakes, buckets, and tools.  In the distance, I could see a pasture of horses, and a pony wandering the area.  I soon learned that the pony’s name was Buddy, and that he liked to accompany people, much like a dog would.  Right off the bat, I knew I would get along with Terry.  She was funny, down-to-earth, and unbelievably compassionate.  
She showed me around, and introduced me to every feral, farm, and potbellied pig in the sanctuary.  She knew every story for each pig.  The story that moved me the most, was about a pig named Trooper.  Surrendered by his owners to an animal shelter, he was brought in with a rope that had been tied around his leg since he was a small pig.  With this rope, he was tied to a tree for years. Terry made the trip to the animal shelter, and on the way back had to work to keep his body temperature regulated since it was such a hot summer.  Before they had even made it back, a portion of his leg fell off and was held by on by just a tendon because of the lack of circulation from the rope that hindered him for most of his life. Despite getting her vet out as soon as was possible, Trooper passed away.  I couldn't help but grieve for Terry as she told the tale, you could tell the situation had troubled her deeply.  How could people be so cruel?  The worst part is that since the owners had turned Trooper in, they were exempt from any animal negligence charges that they may have received if he was actually confiscated from them.  Francione compares the ownership and exploitation of animals as property to slavery.  While this can be true to an extent, in the case of Trooper, he was treated more like a prisoner in solitary confinement than a slave, which is arguably a worse fate.  The most heartbreaking part of this story was when Terry uttered the words, "He never even had the chance to spend just one day as a happy pig." According to Singer and Mason, in the west, we tend to privilege certain species over others, however, "there is no distinction that can be made between humans and animals that would not require either including other species or excluding certain humans." Until we see that all animals (humans included) have the right to be treated with dignity and respect, animals will continue to suffer at our expense.

After Terry took me around, I started work. She was taking in some young pigs later in the week and needed to house them in a suitable pen that they wouldn't be able to wriggle out of.  So I "baby-proofed" a pen by cutting fencing and securing it to the existing fence with baling wire.  After a couple hours, the task was completed, and I spent the rest of my time helping to groom Buddy and petting the horses that she had also rescued.  I couldn't have asked for a better experience, and I plan on going back to Serenity Springs.

A Big Event


My Twin Sister and I at The Big Event.  Picture by Amanda Frimpong.


                        In the initial process of debating what kind of service project that I wanted to do, I realize that my horizon has been expanded over a completely new range of studies. I began to explore new organizations and services that were all about serving and giving back to the community and to our planet Earth and humanity. Here at UNT, I signed up to become a Big Event Site Leader. “The Big Event”, is a nationally recognized community service project that was held at UNT for the first time in March. Volunteers from more than 100 student organizations at UNT came out to perform three to four hours of service in Denton County and surrounding cities. Some of the service projects include gardening, cleaning, painting, working with senior citizens and assisting children at local schools and development centers. With more than 2,000 student volunteers registered to participate, The Big Event is expected be the largest student-run community service project ever at UNT. I saw this event as an opportunity for me to get involved in my community! Preparing for this project, I did not know what to expect. I had only one objective; to make a difference and have fun doing it. A memo was attached to the email, reminding us to wear old clothing, jeans, and a good pair of “down right getting dirty” shoes. On the day of the event, I showed up at 8:00 am as scheduled, prep in the exact manner as recommended, and was ready for the unexpected. Matters took a turn for the worse, when I found out that I was going to be assigning management over another group. My group which was made up of mostly of the “World Echo’s Organization”, was assigned the task of cleaning and picking up trash around UNT’s campus. Good thing I brought my “getting dirty” shoes!




UNT The Big Event 2011. Picture by Brittany Echols.




                       As I started to clean up around campus, I noticed immediately that there was a wide variety of food wrappers and candy wrappers around campus. Not including the tons of cigarettes butts everywhere. In that moment I realized that, everyone wants a nice campus, and here at UNT, we “mean green”, however when does it come down to the reality of us carrying out that “mean green” action. I could actually see for myself, what us as students were doing to our campus, “trashing” it up. In recent in class readings and videos, we discussed the topic of pollution and how it affects everyone around the globe. Students dropping trash around campus is no different from big business dumping tons of pollution in landfills, neighborhoods and even miles away in another country. In addition, someone is being left up to the task of picking up behind him or her, or better yet nature and the environment suffering from his or her waste. Then I saw the bigger picture and noticed trashcans everywhere around campus. This proposed the fact that there is a alternative to just dumping trash where ever you choose, but instead placing it were trash properly goes for disposal. Just like in Higgins explains in his passage “Moreover, when environmental pollution is relegated to such appropriate socially polluted spaces, the environmental pollution is really “in its place” and therefore is not as noticeable as an anomaly or as an aberrant thing; it is relatively invisible in its physical and cultural separation from predominantly white, elite centers of power. By the same token, the more “socially polluted” the place, the more appropriate it is to direct environmental pollution to that place”. From this service learning project, I was able to connect more with my surrounding campus and evaluate myself as a student, and I realize that every little act has a counteract. If we do not take responsibility and clean up our mess, someone has to do it, this not only destroys everyone but nature as well. Most importantly I learned one can really have a awesome time picking up liter and putting it in its rightful place, even if no one has to ask, or is watching.

 
                                                              By Briana Echols

Signature Hope Stables. Learning the definition of Nature and what is Ethical.

Skeeter and I, Photo taken by Katie Stella
My easter plans where to go back home, but my only goal was not to just go to church, but to volunteer at a barn called Signature Hope Stables. It is a privately owned stable by Stacey Mlak. She dedicates everything she has into making sure horses not only around the Cypress, TX area are living respectably and comfortably, but also horses all around the United States. Stacey has adopted horses everywhere from Pennsylvania to Oklahoma. Stacey also participates in collecting old race horses that are being dumped or horses many people can not take care of anymore. If a horse is not being treated for anymore, Stacey seems to be the one to go to.


Signature Hope Stables has been around for almost 20 years. It is a family owned barn and is solely run on donation money and volunteer help.  Everything else is done with the Mlak's own pocket money. "Everything I do is for the horse's", she states, "they are my life."



Me with Micki and Kekya. Photo taken by Katie Stella.
I worked from 9am to sun down with these horses. Though it was not the easiest thing, especially because I have never worked with animals before it defiantly was rewarding. I learned so much about how to take care of horses, I learned what they like, I learned what they like to do,  and I learned how they communicated. In learning all of these different things I came to the conclusion, horses aren't so different from human beings. When being side by side these animals and not just standing and watching them pass as I drive down a country road, it opened my eyes and let me look past what I use to think about animals. When I think about it, my whole life I never actually spent anytime around animals. I learned everything about animals through different people and what society told me about them. I let society make up my own judgement. Which brings me to the question, What is nature? Who and how do we define it? We look to Collard and his writing titled, Rape of the Wild. Collared states, nature is "one thing to lovers, another to scientists, farmers, brick layers, office workers, land developers, and so on." Nature is defined by who and what you are. "'Nature" does not so much define what we see but how we see." Nature is a state of mind and cultural convention. "Nature makes it self while culture is man made." All in all, When wilderness becomes part of a human experience it becomes nature. We tend to view nature as there but then realize it truly exists  only when we come face to face with it it. Just like I did with the horses. Being right up close to something like horses opened my eyes to nature in general. Before nature was invisible to me, I only saw it in the trees and the grass, I have never grasped what was truly out there. To me nature is the trees, sky, birds, all animals, bugs, and all plant life. Others may have a different opinion. Like Collared says, Everyone defines nature differently.
Beasty and I about to be taken out of her stable
 and out for grooming.
Photo taken by Katie Stella.


Another realization that came to mind is when I was grooming Beasty, a female horse that was used to just be impregnated over and over again for a certain breed in demand. She was abused and poorly taken care of. Stacey rescued her just in time before she became seriously ill. When learning her story it brought me to the question, What gives us the right to be the ones in power over animals? Why do we act as if animals are here for us and our needs? We as a society today don't think twice that maybe animals are here to live by us side by side as an equal. In the beginning, the bible was said to give us all the answers in the book of genesis. There are so many versions and interpretations such as one stating that god says when creating the earth, "Be masters of the fish in the sea, the birds of heaven and all living animals on the earth,"(29) Eventually we come to the conclusion again that, society determines what is ethical and right. We as a culture determine the rights and wrongs. We as individuals are shaped into thinking what our ancestors thought we should believe. Why is or was Beasty an object to man kind? She is apart of nature and our society remains with the belief that we should remain dominate over it.


Last, Then on a similar  note, according to the reading by Merchant the the question of nature and mans relationship is brought to a point. Is nature there for man to control or is man there to learn and prosper along side it? Again, are we here alongside nature side by side as equals? The reading published by Merchant presents that earlier years the natives embraced the land, became one with nature and all “her” teachings. That idea was later lost in “Modern Thought” when Europeans came into the belief of domination of nature. “For some men care only to know nature, others desire to command her.” (46) Now today we result in the Humanistic ways that are fully concurring our worldview as well as the practice of Egocentrism (thinking only of oneself, without regard for the feelings or desires of others). Our world has fully become absorbed in what is good for humans and humans only. According to Merchant today we learn everything about nature and earth through science and every technical scientific explanation. The 20th century view stands at, all objects on earth are here to assure man’s domination over the earth and planets. Throughout time everything from DNA- Biotechnology and Laws based on nature help man figure out the meaning and understanding of our relationship with nature. Through all this man has lost total understanding in whats important and that’s maintaining an equal and healthy balance between nature and ourselves. Working with these horses has brought me out of the dark and into my own beliefs and understandings. 


In conclusion, My experience working with these horses was life changing in a way. Analyzing the experience made it even more understandable what was right and wrong in nature to me in our world today. We all need to take an initiative and make our own decisions for a better tomorrow.

By Schyler duVall


work cited- 
https://ecampus.unt.edu/webct/urw/lc5122011.tp0/cobaltMainFrame.dowebct


Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Every Dog Has Its Day - Service Learning Project Blog by Sean Elezovic




                   Every Dog Has Its Day



               By Sean Elezovic






Humans can sometimes be over the top and selfish, thinking only as an egocentric individual, but there are many humans with donation on their mind. These individuals help out the not-so-fortunate with tidbits of love, care, and volunteering. Volunteering is not a paid job, nor is it something any human, with a conscience, can avoid their entire life without at least a thought on the matter. There are many people that show up at soup kitchens on Thanksgiving to give to those that do not get to share a meal with loved ones. There are individuals that donate time out of their busy schedules to ring a bell for the Salvation Army, during December, for the needy. There are even those that are affluent, like National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball players, whom dedicated much of their ridiculous salaries to Haitian earthquake funds and Japanese relief funds for their disastrous earthquake and tsunami. To dedicate time out of your schedule to help someone else in need of: food, water, shelter, or even time are saintly in regards to their deeds. This is a story of such an endeavor. This is a story about how every dog has its day.


Many people in the Metroplex have animals to share their love and affection with. These respective people, many of them, have jobs that take much time out of their schedules. This results in their animals getting little to no attention, walks, or playtime. What is a person to do? They cannot just up and quit their jobs to appease their dogs and cats. They need assistance. Enter the “I Love My German Shepherd” affiliation. The first and largest Facebook group for German Shepherds in the world was actually created right here in North Texas. The group also has very strong allies in the “German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County,” which is the second largest Facebook group supporting the lifestyles and health of this great nation’s German Shepherd breed. As Plato's Timaeus states from the "Question of the Animal" reading, "The Race of wild pedestrian animals, again, came from those who had no philosophy in any of their thoughts…." It doesn't take a blind man to see that the animals around us sometimes require human assistance.The “I Love My German Shepherd” group does a lot of good for the Metroplex, not just for German Shepherds, mind you, but for all dog breeds. This past week, they volunteered their time to help out many people suffering from little-to-no time to walk and play with their dogs. The Lewisville Dog Park located at 1301 S. Railroad Street, Lewisville, TX, 75057, in the Toyota of Lewisville Railroad Park, housed the adventures. Owners brought their dogs over mid-afternoon, and left them in the care of “I Love My German Shepherd” volunteers for six hours. The volunteers took in all kinds of breeds to play with and give some entertainment to. Having strong ties to the group, I jumped at the chance to volunteer, doing something I love for animals I adore. I, also, brought my own German Shepherd to play with the other breeds and on her behalf, I can guarantee that she had a blast! Owners were e-mailed, texted, and called well before the play date so that they had the time to R.S.V.P. Many of the prominent members of the group networked among their friends with known animals and also a mass e-mail was sent to the entire Facebook group to make them aware of the event, as well.


Many animals made cameo appearances from 14:00 hours until 20:00 hours. The volunteers gave them treats and balls and water and, most importantly, fun in the sun. I volunteered from beginning to end because of my roots in the group. My roommate is an administrator of the created group. The dogs jumped and played and endlessly craved the attention their poor owners didn’t have the time to give. It was a sight to befall.


Seeing the animals out there proved that human beings shouldn’t be so greedy. I’m not speaking ill of their owners, but rather people who declined invitations to join us in helping out their masters and pets get some quality fun in; not just those people either, but also the ones who refuse to ever spare some time to make animals happy. There are plenty of farms in Texas that a horse lover, for instance, could dedicate some time to the constantly busy farmer and help them bathe and feed their animals. The feeling of, not only helping out the human being in need, but also showing a philanthropic nature towards smaller, needier beings with a soul, gigantic heart, and need to exercise its muscles, is an indescribable emotion. "I know many animals do many things better than we do, but… It can even be used to prove they act  naturally and mechanically, like a clock which tells the time better than judgment does…." Renee Descartes' quote from "Letters 1646 to 1649" explains far more vividly. A dog know no time, no sense of how long something goes on for, etc., but it does have a sense of urgency to use the bathroom, eat, drink, and exercise; very "naturally and mechanically, like a clock." Many dogs in the United States suffer from being obese and having failing muscles in their older years and thrive on the moment they see you grab the leash. A good way to avoid having the family pet pass away at an age earlier than potential can reward is to take it on a walk. Take it to the park and play Frisbee with it. Some even buy treadmills and train their dogs to use them -- anything to keep your pet in a stable and happy mood. Pet organizations, such as the one I volunteered for and California’s Orange County Rescue Organization, provide many good deeds for communities without any expected reward. Both of the organizations are non-profit and only expect you to drop off your dogs so that they can get some athletic action!


All groups, including the city of Lewisville’s weblink, are listed below along with the pictures. Thanks for those with an ear to listen, and I hope the thought of helping out animals has inspired you to commit time to the animals in need. As Immanuel Kant's "Lectures on Ethics" states best: "Our duties toward animals are merely indirect duties towards humanity. Animal nature has analogies to human nature, and by doing our duties to animals… we indirectly due our duty toward humanity."




















http://www.cityoflewisville.com/


http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=2210681963


http://www.facebook.com/#!/gsroc.org

Friday, April 29, 2011

Poor and the Polluted

Los Anglos Factories by Doug McKnight
Many of us live comfortably and when we do so we think nothing about pollution accumulating. When pollution is being produced it's not usually anywhere near our homes so we tend to think nothing about it. In reality, pollution is a constant threat to our lives but even a greater threat to those who live around it. Who lives around it? The people who can't afford a good neighborhood or the ones who end up where the community does not care as much to their living conditions or just don't want them around. Who are these people that live this way? Minorities.

According to an article by cbslocal.com a new plan in Los Angles is being looked to be put into action. The plan is said to use tax rebates to lure green businesses to poor areas. The whole plan is to lure cleaner companies to low-income industrial neighborhoods and better the greater good area.
Black neighborhood in California photographer unknown

Poor areas are home to heavily polluting businesses not only in California but all over our nation. Businesses such as metal recyclers, chrome-platers, rock cutters and auto body shops are often close to home for these poor communities in which have mostly minorities. Why is this? We look to Robert R. Higgins and his writing on Race Pollution Mastery of Nature. Higgins explains right of the bat, the economic, institutional and racial causes for inequalities in living conditions of poor communities. He explains because of our society's dominant culture ethic and project of mastering nature these inequalities towards minorities occur in their living conditions. Which brings us to "social pollution", basically the social norm of society in which creates bias beliefs and concludes in segregation in neighborhoods."The idea of “social pollution” has historically helped to segregate and subordinate people of color, especially African-Americans, who, in the univer- sal logic of pollution taboos, appear as threats to the structure and organizing principles of social order." 252 The dominant race (Whites) view minorities (mostly blacks) to be as Higgins states, "uncivilized, lazy..." The "social pollution" of that view creates several situations in which the minorities live in poor conditions of pollution. The ones who are "socially polluted" are a little threat to and invisible to white citizens of centers of power. Therefore, we think nothing of those communities of minorities. They become polluted space and invisible to white communities. The living standards of those in charge are good and healthy, the people who are not at the social class level of white americans suffer. All in all, the focus is on white citizens and making sure we are living healthy. The minorities are put in the dust and ignored. Their places of work which tend to be industrial or labor jobs tend to pollute their homes and still are not a concern to the white communities. Minorities are invisible and irrelevant in our society's eyes. This new plan might be a start in changing the views of others on what is important.

by Schyler Duvall
links used-
http://losangoles.cbslocal.com/2011/01/21/plan

https://ecampus.unt.edu/webct/urw/lc5122011.tp0/cobaltMainFrame.dowebct

Related links-
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10452037/ns/us_news-environment/

http://baselinescenario.com/2009/05/05/pollution-race-and-poverty/

http://www.platts.com/weblog/oilblog/2009/05/08/environmental_injustice_minorities_and_poor_at_greatest_risk_from_refinery_pollution.html

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Do the Dump



                                                                           The Dump


                                                                       By Sean Elezovic



                                           

E-waste, the digital dump, is a process in which manufacturers of electronics produce products that are projected to be timeworn within a small amount of time. An exquisite example is the constant cell phone upgrades available; from the plain, block-like cellular devices of the 80’s, to the touch screen generation of today, cell phones have a very small life span. After these life cycles come to pass, the electronics in question are disposed of. Well, how? Certainly mercury, among other potent chemicals used in cell phones, laptops, and flat screens cannot be disposed of as easily as say, a broken lamp, right? Well, the corporate mongers seem to think so. Through cost effective strategies, they envelop communities in China, India, Niger, to just name a few, and dispose of their “dirty laundry” onto these unsuspecting, worldly neighbors.

The simpletons that find cheap work in these aforementioned communities are unaware of the hazards of physically destroying electronic junk to filter out the worthwhile fortune resting in the midst of the wreckage. The toxins are then released upon the very air they breathe, not to mention the chemicals’ chance of pouring out onto the workers’ skin is superbly high. What can be done about these atrocious work conditions and careless manners of disposal? Distributive Justice makes sense in that these burdens of chemicals should be equally disbursed. Not just China, Niger, and India should take the full throttle effect of these toxic electronic components, but Europe, the Americas, and Oceania should partake too!

To receive Distributive Justice, though, Procedural Justice has to start occurring for the gears to start running. These tycoons that feel no sympathy, and surely no empathy, need to get a stern lecture. A sit down is needed, so that the mediating process can begin and the tycoons, if not willingly, then forcibly, will come to terms with this digital dumping and its negative effects on associations around the globe. Saturation & Least-Resistance Strategy commandeers a plan with the least amount of obstacles and problems for a collective bargaining ploy. This cuts out time we don’t have to respond to the alarming rate of pollution to Gaia. This leads us to Restorative Justice; a form of offender accountability, that is used as leverage into receiving more than just an apology. This is quintessential to put the fear of God back into these do-as-you-please fellows whom seem to suffer from egocentric megalomania. These corporate powerhouses with their impending loss of their beloved delusions of grandeur and frightening repercussions that await them quickly offer up services, clean up messes, among other sympathetic actions to please: the poisoned, sick, and suffering many from the high amount of poor waste management. The Saturation & Least-Resistance Strategy should reduce waste if everything can go according to plan, but realistically is that even possible? A new plan has to be put in motion so that we can at least make the attempt to find out, but before any of the later stages of this brainstorm can take place, the hands of the guilty have to be forced for an effect to take place in the first place. Recognition Justice simply isn’t enough. One person does make a difference but how far does that really go if you do not coerce the villain into acting? Is the Principle of Commensurability awakened in only a few worldwide or are we ready for a bright, reinvigorating, new world order? “Ethical theory considers, among other things, the responsibilities each one of us has toward others and the rights we possess that others must not encroach upon.” Is this a relative close cousin to the Principle of Commensurability that Summers’ reading refers to? Do most denizens of earth have the drive to commit to an Earth Day, every day? Recognition Justice shouldn’t be taken lightly, however. It is a process where more individuals are needed to take notice and needed to take place for a movement to begin, but who says earth isn’t ready? A “Green” movement, involving more options for the consumer without unnecessary chemicals such as mercury is pertinent to a better tomorrow. The more, the merrier in supporting and voicing a healthier assembly of our electronics. Rally the troops, multiply, infect others with the needed willpower to overcome the odds. The corporations with greed in their eyes and dollar signs in their bellies are definitely to blame, but the blame game will not resolve a thing. It takes desire too.

Other than the previously mentioned types of justice, the next one has been adamant for more than just a while—Environmental Justice, which is the type of reparation that prevents unfair acts of prejudice against poorer communities to occur. Environmental Justice can be easily kept up with if the “Green” picketing continues. Why should the “little guy” be forced to suffer as opposed to well off communities? An instance easily remembered was the February winter storm in North Texas of ’11. In the wake of the Superbowl in Arlington, TX, blackouts were needed to supplement just enough power for people to function routinely about the house through the frozen over generators. An environmental injustice took place in that many poorer communities such as: Terrell, Garland, and Lewisville were bombarded with more blackout time than powered on. Whereas the richer communities of: Plano, Frisco, and Arlington remained powered on for more than half of an hour--a truly remarkable coincidence? Or was it unfair play? Why don’t we ask Jerry Jones? He is a man who used his affluence to keep the lights on at Cowboys Stadium throughout the whole ordeal. A stadium with no players, or games, or fans, just the media, and they were allowed power over the spoiling food of a not-so-well-endowed, single mom of two in Mesquite. “Poorer citizens may very well be drawn to lower property values, and more affluent citizens may enjoy even greater mobility in moving away from burdens before experiencing the loss of property value and self-esteem.” This was the quote of a written assessment made by writer Figueroa. It shows how the less than fortunate have to suffer while the richer neighborhoods reap the benefits. Why did the suburbs of Dallas see such a high range of discrimination against stereotyped residencies? Only the electric companies and their providers can answer that. The rest of us are just meant to speculate on what happened and what keeps happening in commonwealths across the nation.

The Toxic Waste and Race in the U.S. has reached a twenty-fourth year, and is still up and running. It remains a constant reminder of our highest polluters to date. The EPA has always guaranteed to keep the highest standard of protection against any hazardous materials or chemicals from polluting our streets and jobs—which would include poorer suburbs like the ones mentioned earlier. They are doing everything that is in their power to keep these major corporations from downsizing spending and leaving all of the clean up to the consumer. Their itch they want scratched is a halt to the constant Moore’s Law of incoming technological advances ousting their obsolete compatriots in a matter of months which ultimately drops tons of unneeded waste on nations worldwide. Superfund Sites are the locations these toxic dumps of waste lay. NIMBY is a pejorative of substance used to denote the true distaste citizens on high “Green Alert” show to proposed new toxic plans for their beloved community. Silicon Valley didn’t know what they were getting themselves into way back when. Other locales ought to know better by now. Even though a community may be small, poor, or unknown to the public eye, it does not mean they should allow themselves to be bullied by the “fat cats” that seem to do as they please. Not In My Back Yard has been fairly effective in repelling unwanted factories, chemical plants, and other polluting firms from their respective communities. Some see it as a blessing that a new building that offers employment is coming soon to their area but these are the individuals that have unfortunately not been properly educated on the issue. It is not about money, it is about health. Most of the factory workers that make computers and TV’s become deathly ill to the point of no return and eventually die. Bringing home the bacon from such a high level of toxicity in a lethal environment will be hazardous to anyone’s health. It is not worth the trouble, no matter how much they pay. Can a check really be worth the loss loved one’s will endure? Tell that to the sea of people that have gone through such an ordeal and see how you feel then.

The basic narrative to digital dumping is one of a sorrowful overtone with hopelessness attached to it. It is unnecessary to abdicate the true power every one of us has—the power to overcome smog, chemical wastelands, ill-fates of factory workers, and even corporate takeovers. The only thing keeping any one of us from success is our own prerogative. Keep that in mind as you take your next step to class or work and you walk by an individual on their cell phone, knowing that it is only a matter of months before Moore’s Law kicks in and that the very cell phone you glanced over at will be wasting away in another Superfund Site.





Friday, April 1, 2011

The Patriarchal of Meat

          Have you ever watched a television show, and heard the wife of the household, ask the husband “what he wants for dinner”, and the husband would reply, “a big fat steak would be nice”. Though this conversation may happen anywhere besides on television, the importance of it has a much more rigorous meaning. In an in class reading, the article “The Sexual Politics of Meat”, by Carol J. Adams, makes a good reference to the humanism context of man’s actions. Meat eating has been around for decades. In with its consumption has come the identification of society males as being a “constant for men, intermittent for women…” (Adams, pg 36). In a worldwide patriarchal custom, some cultures forbid women from consuming fish, seafood, chicken and eggs. This view also dehumanizes women from the equality of male and female. In today’s time, the phrase “meat” can take on a sexual context, when using reference to women.



        Meaningless this should not be the view that society should get, but in corresponding to this phrase, people can argue that animals should not be referred to in this way either. However, the absent referent to animals is both present and absent, this sometimes can occur on the objective of women. In a media piece discussed in class entitled “'I didn't think of Iraqis as humans,' says U.S. soldier who raped 14-year-old girl before killing her and her family” by Mail Foreign Service [Dec. 2010], the absent referent is present. In the passage, “An Iraq War veteran serving five life terms for raping and killing a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and killing her parents and sister says he didn't think of Iraqi civilians as humans after being exposed to extreme warzone violence” . “'If I thought that was an OK thing now, I wouldn't be much of a human being,'” ( pg 1), Green said. This quote truly reveals the explicit question of what morally counts as a "human", and what is socally constructed and categorized as an "animal". Adams explains, “Rape, in particular, carries such potent imagery that the terms is transferred from the literal experience of women and applied metaphorically to other instances of violent devastation, such as the “rape” of the earth in ecological writings of the early 1970’s”.
        In females relationship with animals there is only a few aspects that keeps us from being separated. That is the dehumanization of animals; which is broader and gruesome and also the male gaze. A male gaze at a female makes a broader point. In class we viewed a slide showing a soldier holding a prisoner by a rope that is tied to his around his neck. A quote by Theodore Adomo is portrayed below it stating " 
.
       The possibility of [murder] is decided in the moment when the gaze of a fatally-wounded animal falls on a human being. The defiance with which he repels this gaze—‘after all, it’s only an animal’—reappears irresistibly in cruelties done to human beings, the perpetrators having again and again to reassure themselves that it is ‘only an animal'." This quote relates to the view of the male gaze, when men look at women, and women look at themselves, this determines not only the relationship between men and women but the relations that the women have with themselves. 
       For example in the picture below, a female is viewed in many manners, on the controversial a pig is only viewed as “meat”. However this leads to the question  "does being classified as a human carry any weight in itself?". Just Like the way the 14 year old girl was dehumanized and treated less than the soldier all because she was an Iraqis

Credit: Courtesy of PETA
Unknown Photography.

         Nevertheless, it is what makes meat a important symbol and celebration of male dominance. In a way gender inequality is produced in a individual, because in most cultures such as the United States over a century ago, meat was performed by men. In our economy now, the commodity of meat is so plentiful that we no longer have this same view. As in the media piece, Green states that “I thought I'd be neglecting my duty if I didn't. “' 'You've got a career, you've got a job. It gives you opportunities to do things with your life.” Although this is not a justifiable answer to taking human lives, it is an elimination that many people would use to justify the killing of animals for meat. Adams states that “Men who decide to eschew meat eating are deemed effeminate; failure of men to eat meat announces that they are not masculine” (pg 44).

            He also makes a good reference between these dualistic views. “Sexual violence and meat eating, which appear to be discrete forms of violence, find a point of intersection in the absent referent. Cultural images of sexual violence, and actual sexual violence, often rely on our knowledge of how animals are butchered and eaten” (pg 54).

"Peta ad- which while it promotes kindness to animals, does not look very kind to women."
         Like the woman who asked her husband what he wanted for dinner, someday she might become his dinner. Explaining that there is just a thin line that keeps animals and women separated.Like the way the young girl was killed by the soldier. Although male masculinity is reassured by the food that they eat, a woman or animal shouldn’t have to be a part of this process.




For More Info and References:


Adams, Carol J. "The Sexual Politics of Meat: A Feminist- Vegetarian Critical Theory." New York: The Continuum International Publishing Group Inc. , 2003. 36-45.



Service, Mail Foreign. "'I didn't think of Iraqis as humans,' says U.S. soldier who raped 14-year-old girl before killing her and her family." 21 December 2010. MailOnline. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1340207/I-didnt-think-Iraqis-humans-says-U-S-soldier-raped-14-year-old-girl-killing-her-family.html.


http://www.easyvegan.info/tag/sexy-meat/



By Briana Echols 

Friday, March 25, 2011

Is this an exceptional act of cruelty? Or is it just standard industry practice?

The atrocities committed in this undercover Mercy For Animals video show the lack of ethics of the workers in these factory farms.  These are exceptional acts of cruelty because there was absolutely no reason for the people shown in the video to torture the animals with pipes and pitchforks.  These acts weren't for self defense, the cows were obviously contained in enclosures where they were unable to move even they wanted.  These acts were unprovoked and were conducted because these people have a twisted, sick sense of humor and thought it was entertaining.  In order to work in this type of establishment, one must have a detachment from morals and from caring for the welfare of animals.  This attracts people who may be prone to abuse.  One of my co-workers is a strong advocate for animal rights and told me about how in a book called "Slaughterhouse", there is an interview done where a couple constantly experiences domestic violence.  This also shows how this industry can spawn violent behaviors.  These are also considered exceptional acts of cruelty because in addition to the confinement and stress that these cows already face on a daily basis, they are being stabbed with pitchforks in the face, flanks, udders, and legs, and beaten over the head with steel posts and fists.



 
Standard industry practices require industries to follow certain requirements and regulations, however, factory farming seems to be an exception. I cannot help but assume that Billy Joe Gregg has terrorized and abused animals on more than one occasion, and it's not likely that he was alone when doing so.  So why wasn't anything done?  He was in clear violation of the Animal Welfare Act.  These animals are thought of as a resource, as something that has no intrinsic value, feelings, or thoughts, and are therefore thought of as mere objects, not beings that can feel, think, and have a will to live.  Since they are only thought of as a commodity, people tend to stop caring how they are treated.  From the employees, to the management, to the corporate level, the gap of detachment from being able to sympathize for animals grows larger and larger.  The agribusiness world described in Mason's "Brave New Farm" is an overcrowded, terrifying place. In 2004, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) did an undercover investigation of a chicken slaughterhouse.  Pilgrim's Pride is the "second-largest chicken company in the U.S." and the investigation "revealed sadistic abuse of birds, involving laborers, supervisors, foreman, and managers. In responding, the President and CEO assured the public that "Pilgrim's Pride strictly adheres to the animal welfare program recommended by the National Chicken Council."" (Mason, 169). Since chickens aren't covered under the Animal Welfare Act, I don't believe that these employees were ever prosecuted in any way.  Thankfully Billy Joe Gregg was arrested on twelve counts of animal cruelty, however, he wasn't the only one committing the abuse, and there are countless others who are doing these horrible things on a daily basis. The law needs to change and needs to actually be enforced. I know if I'm caught going six miles over the speed limit, I'll probably get a ticket. These people do not care because even if they have the longshot chance of being caught, no one is likely to do much about it.

-Mika Earling

Images:
1. http://www.digitaljournal.com/img/3/6/0/2/1/4/i/5/2/9/o/Cows_in_the_barn.jpg
2. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6a00d8341c630a53ef0133ef847ea5970b-600wi
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUhm9mctSwc

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Cross-Cultural Cinematic

The movie Avatar has made a gigantic cultural impact on us in the year 2009. After racking up major box-office bucks, the movie has touched our hearts now through our blue-ray/DVD-players for the subsequent years. The reason it has had a titanic impact, forgive the pun, is solely on the fact that it touched a racial segregation line between two different groups of people. The Na'vi, a born species to the world of Pandora, claimed the rightful throne of their homeworld until the human beings came in with their anthropocentric view of the universe and attempted an overthrow of its original inhabitants. This touched many people because, even though it had been shown through movies such as: The Last Samurai, Dances With Wolves, and even to a lesser extent, Star Wars, this one was the most recent "awakening" from the anthropocentric view we guide our children and grandchildren to believe day in and day out.

            As the Master Narrative tells us, through textbook, news casts, and even webcasts, the world we live in, or don't for that matter a la Pandora, seems to offer only one scapegoat of a persepective, "all shall bow to the humans." The major flaw in such a one-sided view is that the humans invading Pandora for their own means of gaining wealth and colonialism, do not live the life of the natives. Rarely do such exquisite stories get told, but in this case, Sam Worthington, or Jake Sully as he is known in the film, does experience such a tale, and even embarks on a heroic tale to recapture the land for the true colonists. The heroic ethics he taps into are needed to rectify his ineffectiveness of pleasing either side of the story which at one point left him with no home to call his own. This allowed the self-narrative to occur and guided him through wastelands left behing by his own race to approaching these drastic times with drastic measures. His careful preparation was unhindered and he managed to capture the biggest creature known to the Na'vi -- a creature that held a symbolic and even noble standing in the Na'vis' hearts. This allowed him to claim the title of "World-Traveler" and completely changed his philosophy on life and allegiance once sworn to the armed forces and human beings. Through his eyes, the narration exposes us to a not so anthropocentric view on matters, as an audience, rather it portrays a truncated narrative-- a view not seen often enough. As we are experiencing in Texas currently, Cesar Chavez, the pioneer extraordinaire, is being deleted from knowledge because of the state government. Known for hating illegal immigration with a passion, Texas government has moved forward with their blinded, delusional decision-making for this paradigm on the true forefathers to this great land. As the Tools for a Cross-Culture Feminist Ethics: Exploring Ethical Contexts and Contents in the Makah Whale Hunt states on paragraph two of the fifth page in the reading: "In 1979, the Makah Cultural and Research Center opened as a place to display the artifacts from Ozette, representing the 'historic continuity of Makah efforts to self-determine their ways of knowing and living in the world around them.'" Is that what we expect to do everytime a colonialism take place? To give back to them a grain of salt after we had taken the entirety of their existence? The Native Americans received sacred land to live on dozens of years after they were assimilated into a European, white-man culture. The Mexicans that once held Texas as one of their own properties were forced out at San Jacinto when Santa Anna declared defeat to the Texan hoards fighting for independence and sorrow in their hearts post-Goliad and post-Alamo. Are we to give them anything? We are seemingly still punishing them in Texas for their rule eons ago. Are the Na'vi just as unlucky? When their sacred tree is decimated through colonialization, are they to receive a small prize for playing the human's game centuries down the road? It isn't a good enough consolation to have your belief system wiped out by madmen with hovercrafts of destruction. The simple living the Na'vi led couldn't compare to the white man's technology. The only thing on their side at the climactic end was the knowledge of the white man's culture through their fearless, new leader, Jake Sully. Their heart, home-field advantage and tactical planning proved too much for the technological fleet of doom with their impending attack on the tree of life-- their sustenance on Pandora. They prevailed, but by a hair when the armed forces leader had his life taken away for his maniacal need to commit genocide; the karma finally caught up to him and hopefully enstilled a lesson in all audiences' minds.
              To have such a different understanding and going forward allows us to accept nature and its belongings as a possession of Gaia, and not Uncle Sam, or any human-made poster child. The feelings towards Avatar were mixed in that the political standpoint James Cameron decided to take this movie in either angered and offended some, or showed them a whole new perspective on the matter, which enlightened them. Either way, this movie made an impact in everyone's life, as it's safe to say, because the box office numbers reflect the massive quantities that viewed, and then reviewed this movie over the course of six months. A cultural impact, surely, it will be remembered as the new milennium's take on the dualisms that still remain in society, albeit a fictional society, it still revealed to us how even decades and centuries after how the Native Americans, African-Americans, and serfs were handled, we realized deep within ourselves that "HATE" is still a word that seems to be a self-proclaimed moniker even in today's standards when we are dealing with either each other's races, lands, or our fellow air-breathing comrades. A shame to admit this horrid truth it is, but to avoid it is futile.

Monday, March 21, 2011

'Our great mother does not take sides Jake. She protects only the balance of life.'

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General Concept 


Life’s decisions are continuously made upon judgmental views.  The way these views are weighed out and determined is by a person’s perspective.  The movie Avatar demonstrates one of the most basic and common perspectives that many people living in today’s day carry out. Riches and materialistic wealth heavily surpass the value of life and nature. Throughout this entire film there will be subliminal messages about the undisposed respect for nature lining the plot of this story. This was instilled to subconsciously effect the way you think or see things. Some of these messages are more obvious than others; I want to bring attention to a few.


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Observing as a student, Jake learns that "they have a deep connection to the forest; a network of energy that flows through all living things.” Nothing is taken for granted and every thing is appreciated. They don’t kill for sport, nonchalantly, or aggressively. They kill cautiously and swiftly with positive intent, assumed to preserve the animals as much as possible.  During the scene where Jake has made his first kill, once the animal has been struck, he quickly rushes to it’s side to quickly end it’s suffering. Simultaneously he professes his appreciation saying things like "I see you Brother and thank you.  Your spirit flows with Eywa; your body stays behind to become one with the people." This was done with the acknowledgment that he would still be recognized under Eywa, that he was not killed out of recklessness, and his sacrifice will be for a better cause. 

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Modern Thought

Much like in Jakes powerful last speech amongst the people, he addresses issues relevant to the way we live now. He addresses how we’re under the impression that we can take whatever we want and no one can stop us.  This isn’t the case. This world is not ours to destruct.  Neytiri begins to break down explanations of the how to go about the ecology of things, she mentions that “All energy is only borrowed; one day you’ll have to give it back”
This is in reference to the readings of Leopold “Thinking like a Mountain” because they also believe in the strong rotation of the cycle of life and nature in it’s entirety.  They know not to mistaken their place; they don’t take things out of order.  They realize that it’s a world they’re able to live in but not in control.  That is exactly the point that superficial people forget.  I believe the scene I’m about to post can refrain specifically back to when the boy looked into the deep emerald green eyes of the dying wolf and reached a point of realization.

Avatar - Drama scene from Igor Kubo on Vimeo.


It’s like we’re draining the life out of Mother Nature slowly, and her love isn’t unconditional. We cannot keep taking from her without putting back in.  I would like to close my post with my last quote from the Movie:

“I’m probably just talking to a tree right now, but if you’re there, I need to give you a heads up. If Grace is with you look into her memories. See the world we come from.  There’s no green there. They killed their mother and they’re going to do the same here. They’re going to come like a rain that never ends, unless we stop them. “



--Morgan Farruya

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499549/
http://blog.areyoupayingattention.com/2009/12/spoilers-most-people-wont-understand-avatar/
https://ecampus.unt.edu/webct/urw/lc5122011.tp0/cobaltMainFrame.dowebct


..

Mother Earth

From the Movie Avatar, The Forest of the Planet Pandora
huwDavid.wordpress.com 
EARTH IS ART.
In the epic film Avatar, directed by James Cameron, it is clearly brought before our eyes that our world is a place of art, beauty, life, and knowledge that we the people are slowly killing without second thought every second of the day. Our environment is here before us not to just be drained of every resource, but instead is here to be a companion, a teacher, a mother.


Summary of movie. ATTENTION: Spoiler Alert!!!





General Concepts of the Movie Avatar
Master Narrative- The humans who come to Pandora believe that man is the center of all importance. They believe they can take what isn’t theirs and make it theirs with no problem on pandora.
Anthropocentrism- is non existent with the native people of Pandora. The Na’vi do not view themselves as the central or most important element of existence. Instead, they view themselves as one with the environment or mother earth. Though the humans on Pandora think differently. They support the idea of Anthropocentrism to the fullest.
Dualism- man v. nature, violence v. peace, life v. death, male v. female, knowledge v. lack of knowledge.
The movie Avatar to sum it all up is a story of nature and how man is greedy and a killer for resources. Avatar explains how modern humans are killing the earth and is sends an important message that we the people of today need to start doing something about our careless ways or else we will be left with nothing. Throughout the whole movie tons of quotes reveal the ways of humans and how we are seen to the Na'vi people (the natives of the planet Pandora)
"learn well Jake Sooley, and we will see if your insanity, can be cured"- Neytiri's mother
This quote is a perfect example of how the Na'vi people view the humans. She states, "we will see if your insanity, can be cured" insanity meaning, humans being so clueless about our own earth as well as the environment of Pandora. The Na'vi know how horrible the humans have been to their own homes and they hope to teach "Jake Sooley" all they know. They hope to expand the idea of mother earth and becoming a student of her teachings.
"Sky people cannot learn, you do not see." 
Another quote explaining the cluelessness of humans and understanding our Earth and Pandora.
Modern Thought
"This is how it's done. When people are sitting on sh*t that you want, you make them your enemy, then you justify it and take it." - General, Movie Avatar
This quote truly justifies how we modern humans think. We take from our environment and in the end become enemies because the one we are taking from is dying. 
"Energy is borrowed and one day we have to give it back" -Neytiri, Movie Avatar. 
If we do not respect what we are given and don't give back to our earth we will end up with nothing.
"For some men care only to know nature, others desire to command her" -Robert Boyle p 46  of Merchant reading. 
Humans in the movie Avatar are the "bad guys" they are referring to the people of the Na'vi as "blue monkeys" and "roaches" clearly stating to have no respect for life around them. They come to take their land and kill all that gets in the way including the trees, plants and even the Na'vi people. The humans are on this planet because all that was given to them on their own land they took and never gave anything back, "they killed their mother". Thus, we must think about the consequences today.  Today we  have a Mechanistic Worldview, we view nature as “dead”, composed of inert, substitutable, discreet parts that operate like cogs in a machine. We use and abuse it. We look at our selves as individuals, we are selfish and greedy only thinking of one’s self. We do only what benefits ourselves in result we sometimes hurt others. Atomism and Reductionism, are other reasons we humans base life selfishly. We are all worked up into science “atoms” and all types of theories we lose what is important to pay attention to. We loose the idea that our earth is here for us and that we are here to learn and grow with “her”. We forget to keep her healthy. All we do is take and take without giving back. All in all, through the movie Avatar our humanistic world view is shown clear giving us the motive to change. Lets learn from this movie and stop what we are doing wrong and CHANGE. We can create a better tomorrow just change our Modern Thought. Think of earth as our "Mother" and she will take care of us.

by Schyler duVall


Resources:
http://avatarblog.typepad.com/avatar-blog/2010/05/the-best-avatar-movie-quotes.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499549/
Modern Thought by Merchant

Avatar: Clash of the Cultures

As an eager patron of the Cinermark movie theater in College Station I ignorantly watched Avatar for nothing more than a $4 thrill with big guns and blue aliens. When I went back and analyzed Avatar with ecofeminism in mind I realized that this movie demonstrates recurring themes of male domination and female/nature oppression while developing Gaard's eco and anti racial feminist ethic observations.

Avatar shares the same plot as such movies as: Pocahauntus, and Dances with Wolves. The themes of these movies focus on a dominant male character who shifts from the role of an antagonistic oppressionist that follows the master narrative of society through oppression to a protagonistic hero through the world travelling idea presented by Greta Gaard. Jake, a white marine with no education besides how to pull a trigger, begins by taking the place of his brother as a researcher to occupy an anatomic machine disguised as member of the indigenous tribe that occupy the planet Pandora. Grace, the leader of research, is a strong female character who struggles to overcome the oppression of the Colonel, an anthropocentric white male,who is only concerned about the colonization of this planet for use of it's rare and valuable "Unobtantium". The mission for colonization is headed by Parker, another white male, who carries himself as successful and is oblivious to anything besides his narrative self, which is him and his goal to obtain what cannot be obtained.


Avatar is a perfect example of dualisms including: man versus nature, and man versus women (Parker/the Colonel versus Grace). The dualistic idea of man versus nature is blatantly clear when the Colonel and his army follow the orders issued by Parker to destroy home tree. The notion that this is someone's home does not matter.What matters is that there are valuable resources under the tree and their home is an acceptable loss.At  1 hour and 35 minutes into the movie the Colonel acknowledges his awareness of home tree being the Na'Vi home and at the same time his lack of care."Alright people, let's get this done. I want every gas round you got right in the front door." With no hesitation he destroys this massive tree and follows with "first rounds on me", insinuating his victory which should be followed with celebration.

In many ways this movie follows along with what Greta Gaard points with the Makah tribe. The Na'Vi are like the Makah, and the Tree of Souls is their version of the gray whale. White man comes in and tries to take what is not theirs and in doing so, they crush what is spiritual to the tribe. Grace can be labeled as a feminist border crosser as she follows what Gaard is pointing out by learning the language of the Na'Vi. "The arguments on both sides of the  Makah whale hunting issue articulate the logic of different moral voices, stemming from different cultural contexts." (Gaard) To prevent the breakdown in cross cultural languages, Grace makes her researchers learn the the indigenous language. Gaard supports her point with an excerpt from an essay written by Maria Lugones and Elizabeth Spelman: "We do not talk the same language. When we talk to you we use your language, the language of your experience and of your theories." One must realize, however that in Avatar, a part of the colonization is the implementation of schools to teach American language and American tradition. This is an example of racial oppression. Some might argue that these are simply made up tribes of made up beliefs from the head of James Cameron. Although, they are blue, they are also not white. Avatar can be rationalized as just a simple movie with a good plot and nothing else, however the similarities are there. Are the Na'Vi really any different than the Native Americans from so long ago that nobody remembers?

The master narrative of our society accepts and hails such movies like Avatar because it portrays white man dominating nature and becomes a reigning hero. Realistically, humans do not act like what is shown by Jake's character. Ideally, however, nobody wants to see the reality of white man's oppression, so we candy coat it with movies of heroic ethic that ignore the truncative narrative and go for glory. Nobody cares about female oppression, so, in the end, we focus on Jake (man) being the hero rather than Grace (woman) having her research used as a tool that led to the inevitable deforestation (nature) of Pandora. In order to break free from the oppression of females and possibly the oppression of whatever else man deems himself worthy of dominating, we must step outside of what Tony Porter calls the "man box."


Written by: Justin W. Drummond