Television and Media Essay - Children and TV Violence :: Media Argumentative Persuasive Argument

Children and Television Violence      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The children of America spend their time on many different activities. One of the most time consuming activities is watching television.   Television plays a large role in the social and emotional development of children today. One good quality that television has is that it conveys information and happenings around the world that they may not otherwise know about, but some people have been questioning whether television does more harm than good.   Many have been analyzing what affect violence in adult shows as well as children's shows may have on children.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most parents allow their children to watch so called "kid's shows" without even thinking about what might be contained within them.   How many times has a certain hunter been seen hunting a certain "wascally wabbit"?   Most people would say "how can a cartoon about a man hunting affect a child?"   At first it may seem that it has no effect, but, looking closer, it is easy to see that Bugs Bunny has many human traits. Two of these traits are speaking English and walking upright.   Something else that adds to this is that sometimes children cannot make the distinction between fantasy and reality.   Quickly a cartoon about a man hunting a rabbit can turn into a story of murder.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another cartoon character that may harm children is Yosimite Sam.   When he becomes angry, he begins to fire his pair of guns into the air and at other characters.   This could cause children to act violently to appease their anger.   This includes hitting and throwing things.   This is an extreme view of the situation, but who is to say that at least part of it is not true?      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Children see violence everyday in their cartoons, but what about shows that they watch in which people star.   These shows will more than likely cause more violence than cartoons would.   While watching a show such as "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" a child sees almost 30 minutes of non-stop fighting.   The show also has a fantasy story that appeals to children.   After watching the show, a child may become bored because the reality of the television show is more interesting.   The child then imitates what was seen on television.   This is where the actual violence may begin.   Adult shows and movies that are seen by children could have even worse effects than children's shows.   In one documented case, a Californian boy that was seven years old watched a movie one night.   In the movie, a man put glass into soup that a colleague of his was to eat.

The Saga Surrounding Assault Rifles

Gun control has been a touchy issue in the United States since a long while back. There has been much debate over whether guns should be banned in the country, the ownership of which is actually grounded in the constitution. In this regard, lobbyists of both sides have been pushing hard for a long time. A particular issue that now seems to have arisen from the middle relates to banning assault rifles. By the second amendment, every citizen of the United States has the right to bear fire arms for his or her own protection as well as the possible need for a militia in times of war (Kopel 1999).This is a remnant of the country’s history which had to endure a revolutionary war against Great Britain, a massive civil war as well as the ever present issue of slavery which always seemed to require households to carry guns. Since then gun control has become a touchy issue. In this regard, a ban was brought into place on assault weapons in 1994 which saw the end of a ten year reign in 2 004 when the Republican president George Bush refused to extend it (Carter 2009). Now most people argue that it is military style assault rifles that should be banned and not handguns or those used for hunting and sport.Assault rifles such as AK-47s can be used to shoot multiple rounds of bullets at a rapid pace. The argument that is being made is that Americans have the right to bear firearms but the use of assault rifles is wholly unnecessary. With the use of standard guns, people can fulfill their desire to possess firearms for sport or for their personal protection but the availability of assault rifles creates a whole new pantheon of problems (Carter 2009). Rapid firing weapons allow criminals to shoot down civilians as has been illustrated in the case of Pittsburgh.They are used in school shootings, by gangs and drug mafias and can pierce through the protective clothing worn by police officers (Kazmer 2009). However, the solution has never been so simple as to ban the weapons outright. The National Rifle Association has been a strong opponent of this and is buoyed by strong support from some sectors of the public. The delicacy of the situation can be adequately represented by President Obama’s back step from his vociferous promises to continue with the gun ban during his campaign.Now in a recent trip to Mexico, he has pushed for the need to carry on the existing legislation and controls and make them work better (Powell 2009). This has been pleasing to many gun lobbyists as well but it speaks of the times we live in. The last president to bring about the ban lost office soon enough at the hands of dissident voters which is a testament to the thorny nature of the issue. Indeed gun lobbyists make their own points in favor of assault rifles as well. It is argued that there are always exceptions to the rule that are not being considered.There is a need for assault rifles by the public in some cases. Boat owners in the Gulf coast region have to frequen tly face harassment from drug smugglers who can easily dispose of innocent civilians with their rapid firing semi automatic guns. In this case, self defense is not possible without assault rifles. A store owner being faced with a hold up by a gang may need the rapid firing power of an assault rifle to fight off the multiple enemies who threaten him without which he may end up losing his money as well as his life.Rural farmers in many cases have to contend with bear attacks. These creatures are not easy to fend off with traditional rifles and handguns and assault rifles may be necessary for a farmer to defend his family in the rural wilderness (Kopel 1999). It is further argued that the everyday criminal makes use of hand guns mostly and does not indulge in the purchase of assault rifles which therefore do not threaten public security. Both sides continue to make strong points in favor of their cause.However what has to be distinguished now is that whether it is more important to pro tect a right that has been ingrained into the constitution of the country and to consider the needs of particular citizens or to lessen the number of deadly guns available in the streets that result in deaths of innocent people. In this regard, one has to consider the facts. While it is known that assault rifles may be necessary in some cases, they also prove to be a severe detriment to American society as well.In 2006, it was estimated that more than thirty thousand people died in the year due to firearms and therefore accounted for nearly twenty percent of all injury related deaths. Similarly in 2005, a teenager was killed with a firearm nearly every nine hours (Carter 2009). These deaths were caused primarily by assault rifles. It is necessary that the fundamental rights of the American people be defended. However, the issue is not just about rights but about something much deeper. It relates to the security and the good living of the American public.If keeping these assault rifl es open to the public does not give us a better society, what good is there to protect this right? Certainly freedoms should not be curtailed but should be defended to every last inch but if it compromises the very security of our children and our future, then it is a freedom worth relinquishing. The ideal solution would be banning assault rifles all together. However, if this can not be met, it requires at least that better controls and back ground checks be brought into place with regards to gun purchases.This would not only help to control the damage to some extent and protect the rights under the second amendment but may also help to lower the trafficking of these assault weapons to the drug cartels in Mexico which are armed through the United States. A better society is indeed worth fighting for and if compromises have to be made for a better future, it is perhaps prudent to make them now rather than let the bearers of our future suffer. Biblio

Rememory in Toni Morrisons Beloved Essay - 1242 Words

Rememory in Toni Morrisons Beloved To survive, one must depend on the acceptance and integration of what is past and what is present. In her novel Beloved, Toni Morrison carefully constructs events that parallel the way the human mind functions; this serves as a means by which the reader can understand the activity of memory. Rememory enables Sethe, the novels protagonist, to reconstruct her past realities. The vividness that Sethe brings to every moment through recurring images characterizes her understanding of herself. Through rememory, Morrison is able to carry Sethe on a journey from being a woman who identifies herself only with motherhood, to a woman who begins to identify herself as a human being. Morrison†¦show more content†¦Morrison uses the voices of two people, lost from each other in remembrance, and brings them together by juxtaposing memory against memory until finally their recollections converge in the same episode. After a sexual encounter, Sethe and Paul D reflect on their shared exp eriences in slavery at the Sweet Home plantation. It is against this backdrop that both characters struggle to tackle their feelings of inadequacy. Although Sethe and Paul D share their memories, there is only so much that they are willing to divulge since [s]aying more might push them both to a place they couldnt get back from (Morrison 72). While Pauls coping mechanism is to place all of his painful memories in the tobacco tin buried in his chest, Sethes coping mechanism is prevention. The characterizations of Sethe, Paul D, and Sethes daughter Denver continue through the use of flashbacks. By juxtaposing memory with scenes from the present, Morrison offers a better understanding of Denver and her reaction to Paul D. Lonely and troubled, she finds solace inside her own small world and connection to the memories her mother has shared with her regarding her birth. Denver feeds her hunger through these memories as well as through perfume and the boxwood arbor. It is in this f irst trimester that Morrison begins to connect imagery with the retrieval of past events. For all, the baby ghost acts as a catalyst for remembering the past.Show MoreRelatedToni Morrison and Historical Memory5014 Words   |  21 PagesNational amnesia of minority history cannot be tolerated. Toni Morrison is a minority writer has risen to the challenge of preventing national amnesia through educating African-Americans by remembering their past and rewriting their history. In her trilogy, Beloved, Jazz and Paradise, and in her other works, Morrison has succeeded in creating literature for African-Americans that enables them to remember their history from slavery to the present. 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