Freedom to Influence

As time progresses, educatiuon is becoming an important aspect through every culture and people should have access to knowledge. Restrictions should not be placed on something that is supplied to people as a public good which is free of charge and accessible to everyone. The bumper sticker uses capital letters to draw the attention of the viewer and the word freedom is mispelled which will also draw someone in. The fact that the fon of the text is a brighter than the background also make the text stand out. The word "Read" is in red font and it stands out from the other text on the sticker. It places an emphasis on the concept of reading and the freedom to read. The idea behind the misspelling of freedom may touch on the notion of free expression and that people cand do whatevere they want to get a message across. There is a website, www.abffe.org, that is on the bumper sticker which shows that the bumper sticker is credible and that the people that provide the website have authority over the subject. The timing of this bumper sticker is great because many children would rather stay in the house and play video games than read a book. It gives people the message that we have access to books and can become knowledgeable so we should take advantage of it.

What's in your healthcare?

Some bumper stickers, like the one demonstrated in this picture are used to promote awareness on controversial subjects in a humorous tone. This picture is making fun of the current healthcare policy in America. Healthcare has been a controversial topic for many years and has started becoming more and more of a concern with America. In the last election, this was a popular topic for the two parties to debate because the two parties have different views on our current healthcare system. Since there is a high unemployment rate, this means that those people do not get coverage from an employer. Even many people who are employed that work for companies are not being provided with health coverage. There are currently 47 million Americans that do not have health insurance, and the numbers keep growing. Health insurance is becoming too expensive for the average family to afford coverage, leaving many families to struggle to be insured or must live without a healthcare plan. Families are going into bankruptcy trying to live a normal lifestyle and pay for healthcare. Reporters say that the cost of health care causes bankruptcy every 30 seconds.With no healthcare, families can not afford to go to the doctor, leading to a higher risk of disease and death. Children, who are especially prone to getting sick at young ages, are suffering the most from this healthcare system failure because their parents can’t take them to the doctor. The government has failed to find a solution to for reform, leaving the United as the only industrialized country that does not guarantee health coverage to all of its citizens.

Death by______________(insert choice here)

The issue of the death sentence has been around dating as far back as the Eighteenth Century B.C. in the Code of King Hammaurabi of Babylon, "an eye for an eye." Britain influenced the death penalty in America more than any other country. In 1612 A.D., Virginia Governor Sir Thomas Dale enacted the Divine, Moral and Martial Laws, which established the practice of the death penalty in America. This subject has had many challenges leading up to today. At first the Fifth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments were interpreted as permitting the death penalty. The 1960s challenged the death penalty as "cruel and unusual" punishment under the Eighth Amendment. The Eighth Amendment contained an "evolving standard of decency that marked the process of a maturing society," according to the Supreme Court in the case of Trop v. Dulles. So it was then suspended. But as you all know, it is still in effect today. The “Peace Resource Project” started printing bumper stickers in 1982 concerning the world with peace and nuclear disarmament. By 2005, they were printing over 400 different titles, covering a variety of topics. The owner of this bumper sticker is for peace and overall against the death sentence. Given this history about the death penalty, what do you think? Is the death penalty cruel and unusual punishment, or should we follow King Hammaurabi’s Code of Babylon, and make people get what they deserve and get even?

No Kinds of "Change"

If this sticker isn’t that obvious to you, this is an anti-Obama phrase, commenting on the fact that President Obama’s plans are taking away money, freedom and gun ownership. So I delved into this investigation headfirst to see what all the commotion was about. The argument over stricter gun laws is favored by Democrats than Republicans. According to a 2010 Harris Interactive survey, a 70% to 7% majority of Democrats favored “stricter” rather than “less strict” gun control. This creates a major pull towards the Second Amendment. Questioning the Bill of Rights is never an easy task. They can be argued to be mere guidelines or sometimes it is over analyzed and loop holes are targeted. The money concern addresses President Obama’s tax plan. He intends to lower taxes for the middle and lower classes and increase them for the rich. He said during a speech at the Tax Policy Center that the present tax code reflects the wrong priorities because it rewards wealth instead of work. His goal is to fix the gap between the wealthy and the working. The freedom issue can just be related to the resentment towards President Obama’s plans for the country. Obviously this person doesn’t agree with his plan of action and wishes President Obama did not win. But alas, he did and al this person can do is exercise their First amendment right and slap this bumper sticker on their truck and go about their business till it’s the year 2012. I’m not choosing sides on this matter. I’m just here to give a little background, so comment what you will.

Save Gas, Smurf Style!

BP is the sponsor of the bumper sticker and they are trying to promote environment awareness by using Smurfs, who are easily recognizable cartoons that have been popular for years in American culture. In this bumper sticker, two Smurfs are seen car pooling to save fuel. Saving fuel reduces the pollution that is being released into the atmosphere, in the long run helping our environment. However, the more fuel that is used, the more it is released into the air, causing high levels of pollution. Pollution is a danger to our environment and atmosphere. It is the air we breathe and unfortunately, more than half of the U.S. population lives in places with unsafe levels of either smog or particle pollution. Highway vehicles are a major contributor to this problem, producing 26-62% of key chemicals that cause smog and health problems. This puts many adults and children at risk to asthma, cardiovascular disease, bronchitis, and emphysema. Pollution can be reduced by taking alternative methods of transportation, such as walking, biking, buses or car pooling. There are now hybrid cars that reduce gas use less fuel and are good for the environment. Pollution also has other harmful such as the greenhouse effect and the destroying of the ozone layer. Last year, we all know of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Reporters say that that may have been one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history. Unfortunately, the sticker does not have a date so we can not tell whether or not it was before the oil spill.

"Im Going to Call Social Services on You"

In a society where more and more children are being diagnosed with ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, additional prescriptions of Ritalin are being prescribed and given to children. Ritalin has a calming effect on the child’s brain, which in turn will help parents stress level. But how many children are being “drugged’ with Ritalin that don’t actually need it just so parents don’t have to deal with their children. The bumper sticker above is a perfect example of this controversial topic. It is a simple question in white letters with a blue background that says “Have you drugged your kid today?” This is a straightforward bold question that many parents are appalled by but the reality of the situation cannot be ignored. There are an outrageous number of children that are being unnecessarily medicated that this bumper sticker is asking parents if they remembered to drug their children today. This bumper sticker uses pathos to raise emotion of anger, anxiousness, and confusion out of parent drivers. After parents see this they will hopefully realize it is harmful to be drugging children and be protective and help stop this from happening. I was interested in this sticker especially because a teacher in Arizona was fired because she refused to remove this bumper sticker from her car after parents complained. The bumper sticker has no offensive foul language and yet it was enough to make a teacher lose her job. But what about freedom of speech? Do you think the teacher deserved to be fired? Do you think this bumper sticker is too offensive and controversial to be on cars?

Together

Bumper stickers are one of the most common ways for people in society to express themselves. One bumper sticker that I have come across in Tallahassee numerous times is the “Coexist” bumper sticker. It is a blue and white bumper sticker that spells out coexist with different religious symbols. The letter “C” is replaced by a crescent moon that represents Islam faith, the letter “X” is replaced by the Star of David representing Judaism, and the letter “T” is replaced by a cross representing Christianity. The dot on the letter "I" is replaced by a yin-yang that represents the balance of good and evil in the Chinese culture. Finally, the letter “O” ties all of these religious symbols together, with a peace sign. Dictionary.com defines coexist as "to exist separately or independently but peaceably, often while remaining rivals or adversaries." In a world where people are hostile toward other religions, this is a step forward in society becoming civil and respecting each other’s different views. This bumper sticker is designed with simple colors of blue and white that mean peace and optimism, which support the overall theme of the bumper sticker. Also the “coexist” bumper sticker appeals to ethos with a phone number and the website, www.peacemonger.org if someone was interested in finding out more information. What amazes me the most about this bumper sticker is the fact that while it is trying to promote peace and coexistence, it is has been regarded as offensive and insulting to some people. A Christian friend of mine that saw the “coexist” sticker and felt insulted that someone would put associate the cross next to these other religious symbols. This shows that the good intentions of this bumper sticker cannot reach out to everyone, but it’s a respectable attempt. Do you find this bumper sticker offensive?

Popularity of Mary Jane

In society, the use of drugs by teens is so common and is part of their daily lives. In their minds, it is not viewed as a troubling issue that needs to be fixed. Even though drug use is a serious topic, this is just a humorous bumper sticker and is not meant to be taken seriously. The bumper sticker shows a parallel between the popularity of McDonald's and the popularity of people smoking marijuana to get "high". Using the McDonald's symbol shows that the message of the bumper sticker is credible and that people can understand what kind of idea that the bumper sticker is trying to convey. The bumper sticker states "1 billion stoned" which contributes to the parallelism of the bumper sticker, which is that there is a great amount of people that use marijuana and enjoy it, just as much a people enjoy eating McDonald's. Smoking marijuana allows people to reach a place of ecstasy where they will be able to feel good and the concept of feeling good makes it appear that McDonald's has the same effect on people's state of mind as well as their taste buds. Millions of people know about McDonald's and can recognize the symbol if they were to see it on someones bumper. Using the McDonald's symbol, which is an M, makes the bumper sticker stand out and is praising the use of marijuana. Both marijuana and McDonald's begin with the letter M and it allowed the creator of the sticker to play on the idea of the big M. Also placing it onto a red car to allow the font, which is yellow, to stand out and look like a representation of McDonald's makes the bumper sticker effective.

Islamophobia

Are Americans Islamophobic? Have Americans let a few of extremists create an negative image for an entire group of people and religion?

"Everything I need to know about Islam, I learned on 9/11"

After the attacks of September 11, 2001, some Americans associate Islam with evil and terrorism. The resentment towards the Muslim community is evident in everyday life. However, the Muslim community is not to blame for the attacks. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 were plotted and executed by members of Al-Qai'da, and extremist militant Islamist group.

Islam is actually closely related to Judaism and Christianity. The Qur'an acknowledges Christians and Jews as "people of the book", and just as Christianity evolved from Judaism, Islam evolved from Christianity. The three religions share common core beliefs. Like Christians, Muslims believe in one god, they believe Jesus was born from a virgin and they consider him a prophet, they also believe in the second coming of Jesus and in an eternal hell. The world Islam itself means "submission to god", "peace", and "way to peace"

The conflict arises from Jihad which is considered to be the "sixth pillar of Islam" by a minority of Sunni Muslims. Most Muslims including the Shi'a and Sufis separate Jihad into two categories, the "greater jihad" which is defined as a spiritual self-perfection and the "lesser jihad" which means defensive warfare. Almost all who believe in the "lesser jihad" believe in warfare as means of defense and as a way to protect from oppression. Groups like Al-Qai'da derive their belief from an extreme interpretation of the lesser jihad which calls for global conquest. By educating one self, one learns that not all Muslims are evil and out to kill Americans. One learns that they are a people who practice peace and good deeds as means of salvation much like Christians and Jews.

Stereotyping and generalizing all Muslims as terrorists is ignorant and incorrect.

New York Mosque Controversy

Should a mosque be allowed to be built near Ground Zero? Is not allowing it unconstitutional? Is allowing it anti-American?

Many believe that ground zero is sacred ground with special significance to Americans who've lost loved ones on September 11th and in the preceding war. Just 10 years after the attack, the feelings of remorse are still strong and a certain feeling of resentment towards the Muslim community still exists.

Throughout history, Muslims have built mosques assymbols of their victory. When the Muslims conquered Jerusalem they built Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Jew's holy site; when they conquered Istanbul, they converted St. Sophia Basilica into a giant mosque; and when the moors made Cordoba their capital, they constructed the world's third largest mosque on the site of a former cathedral. Due to the history of Muslim conquest, the promoters and endorsers of this bumper sticker believe that building a mosque a block away from ground zero signals victory for the muslims extremists and promotes the idea of holy war. The endorsers of this advertisement believe the government should ban the construction of the mosque as part of the USA Patriot Act of 2001 (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001). Although such government interference violates constitutional rights, some believe there is some wiggle room within the Patriot Act to allow for the ban.

Those against the ban, argue that the building of the mosque signals American victory and the perseverance of its democracy and freedom despite the attacks.

"But let me be clear: as a citizen, and as President, I believethat Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances. This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country, and will not be treated differently by their government, is essential to who we are. The writ of our Founders must endure" (Obama).

Should the mosque be allowed to be built a block away from Ground Zero?