The Negative Effects of Misusing Water

Not Conserving Water:

The Negative Effects of Wasting and Polluting Fresh Water

Though it often goes unnoticed, the lack of conservation of water, whether by the pollution of lakes, streams and ponds, leaving the faucet running while brushing your teeth or even over watering the lawn, affects more than one’s visible surroundings. Without access to potable and clean water, death is a possibility of both humans and animals. Though vital for survival, the overuse and misuse has costly negative repercussions.

This image displays a leaky garden hose with water spraying out of some holes in the side. The placement of the hose in the foreground and the focus on the water coming out of it shows the main idea that comes to mind when the topic of the lack of water conservation comes up: water is used unnecessarily. However, in the background, the less common though is shown. The dry earth and plants represent the shortage of water elsewhere in the world, where water is needed more than places with too much (represented by the soaking ground in the foreground). Although the a leaky hose is relatively minor, it still adds to the collective problem of treating water as an expendable resource.

Another perspective on the subject of not conserving water comes about in this image. It shows a bird, presumably a duck, covered in oil. The covered duck in the foreground represents the lack of care shown for water life because rather than the duck being cleaned off, it is just left alone. The grey skies in the background represent the dim future this animal, and the water remain without care. The oil spill shows the lack of conservation of water in a different sense than the picture above: the water’s natural state, free of oil and possibly other pollutants was not conserved and kept clean.

The adjacent drawing depicts four people, three with beverage containers in their hands, and one taking a shower. The ratio of three people with glasses to one person taking a shower symbolizes that the volume of water used by those with easy access vastly outnumbers the amount used by those who do not. By using as much water as the person on the top half does, it shows no consideration to those who have nowhere near as much. The three drops of water symbolize the minuscule amount of fresh water given to those in need when wells are dug compared to the amount of water used on a daily basis by those who do not need to fetch water from a well or other source of water than a faucet.

The average faucet has a flow rate of 13.5 L/minute, or 225mL per second, which means by leaving a faucet running for 13.3 seconds, you have wasted three litres, or the recommended amount of water that should be consumed daily. This image shows a little girl roughly five years of age brushing her teeth while absentmindedly leaving the faucet running. The smile on her face and her generally carefree demeanor portrays the ignorance of the general populace when it comes to leaving the faucet running: that it’s not a huge problem. By turning a blind eye, or not even recognizing the problem, much like the girl in the picture, the amount of water being wasted does not decrease.

In summary, though the overuse of water and misuse of water as dumping grounds for hazardous chemicals and byproducts affecting aquatic ecosystems isn’t commonly thought of when compared to other problems, or easily ignored due to the abundance of usable water in the western hemisphere from freshwater lakes and desalination plants, and the fact that factory runoff is often in secluded locations away from public life, it is an issue.

Works Cited

“Cartoon Movement - Wasting Water.” Cartoon Movement. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 June 2015. <http://www.cartoonmovement.com/depot/cartoons/2011/03/10/wasting_water___chaima__berlage_lyceum_.jpeg>.

“Ducks.” Conservative Law Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 June 2015. <http://www.clf.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/oil-animal.jpg>.

“Stock Images.” Wasting Water. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 June 2015. <http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/wasting-water-2164717.jpg>.

“10 Great Ways to Conserve Water and Lower Your Bill.” Tex.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 June 2015. <https://tex.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/turn-off-water-when-brushing-teeth.

Judgment: Don't judge a person by their appearance.

People are quick to make a judgment based on appearances without knowing anything about the individual beforehand, resulting in an inaccurate judgment of an individual. This is because people form opinions based on prior experiences.  We tend to assume what we have known to be true in the past, to be true if the picture fits the present.

    In this image you see a man who is sitting on his bed with a bong beside him that is used to smoke a drug called marijuana, the bong symbolizes bad choices and laziness. He is in track pants and a tank top, with the way he is dressed, and the actions of drugs, you may think he doesn’t have a job because he is to lazy to get a good education but instead spends all his money on a bad habit. This man looks to be someone who doesn’t have their life together. His posture illustrates the theme of regret and laziness. Now if you look in the mirror you see the same man dressed in a military uniform, he has the same facial expression as the man on the bed, but a proper up straight posture symbolizing strength. Now what you think of this man is he has helped his country, and is a hero. We no longer have negative thoughts about him. So if we look back at the man on the bed we judged him for being lazy, and a no good human, which is the exact same person we call a hero. When you first look at the man on the bed you would never know he was a soldier if you didn’t know anything about him beforehand, telling you to never judge someone before knowing their background.

This image shows just the same as the last two images, the judgment of appearance. On the left we see a man in a suit lying on the concrete, seeing this you may see a man who may have fallen and is hurt. The image is out of focus to make the viewer focus more on the problem other than the surroundings. There is a man showing an act of kindness lowing his hand down to make sure he is okay. In the other image to the right we see the same man dressed in clothes, which we would judge to be a homeless clothes. He’s in the same position of the thought that he may have fallen and have been hurt, but because of his appearance one will think he is homeless and is just sleeping. The women is looking at him like he is a statue and isn’t a human, as she isn’t showing any care to see if he is okay. This proving how judgement of first looks is a problem in today’s society.

On the left we see a man who is dressed in full doctor uniform, looks to be a well educated man who makes a lot of money, and has his life put together, hands crossed in a professional manner. For the image on the right we see the same man, a man who looks to be a redneck, wearing a red sleeveless shirt and blue jeans with his thumbs in his pants, one who has lots of tattoos and tattoos have a stereotype of being bad, someone who has tattoos is categorized a someone who participates in criminal activity, and has no education. But when you put a doctor coat on him it covers his tattoos, he now looks to be an educated man and a truthful man, now being categorized as a helpful person. We can't be quick to judge someone before knowing their background story.

In this image on the left we see  a black male who looks to be a criminal. The guns act as a symbol of criminal activity. He is holding two guns, which would make something he is part of a gang. He has what looks to be a joint in his ear, the joint symbolizes bad choices. The tattoos and the way the dresses, makes him look like an intimidating man who you would walk by and be very scared if. This man looks to be very uneducated and isn't trustful. The colour of the background is a grey/black colour, which brings a theme of darkness around this man. Now in the picture to the right we see the same man in a suit with his arms crossed showing a professional manner, the look of a businessman. He looks like a man who is very successful and does not participate in criminal activity. He looks like a man who is very educated and is a trustworthy person. The colour of the background is a gold colour, which can symbolize wealth and power. This image perfectly represents how someone can misjudge someone of a first glance.

In conclusion, people are quick to make a judgment based on appearances without knowing anything about the individual beforehand, resulting in an inaccurate judgment of an individual. This is because people form opinions based on prior experiences.  We tend to assume what we have known to be true in the past, to be true if the picture fits the present.   

Role Of Women

Roles of Women:

The Change from the Past to the Present

The roles of women from the past to the present has changed dramatically, it changed from women having a label on them that “they can’t do what a man can do” and “they should stay in the house” but this is completely untrue. Women have the abilities to do the exact same things as men if not better.

This advertisement from the 1950’s demonstrates that women were looked at as objects rather than human beings. It displays that the ketchup bottle is so easy to open that even a woman can do it. Looking at this advertisement now, it is clear that in the past 60 years, women have made a huge change for the better. They have spoken out and told society that women are in fact people and not just objects. To see an advertisement like this in the 1950’s it was nothing unusual, people just looked and thought nothing of it because they thought it was true. Nowadays, if there was an advertisement like this, it would raise great controversy. Contrast is used in the colours of the background and the ketchup. These colours contrast each other, like how McDonald’s and other restaurants use yellow and red to advertise. These colours against each other make your eye bounce back and forth to the background to the foreground, which is another reason her lips are red. This creates a way for your eyes to move when you first look at the photo.

This recent photograph portrays how far women have come. In the past, it was not socially accepted for a women to do a man's job such as joining the military. It was more common for a woman to just stay in the house to cook, clean, or take care of the children. Feminists have created these opportunities for women to do the same as men, if not, more. This photographer used perception to create line to make you follow the spill way behind her, leading to her face. This kind of technique is used in paintings and other photography to bring your eyes to what the artist wants the audience to look at the most.

This is the first female based propaganda during WWII, this image was not to recruit women to join the army but to give encouragement to the women already in war to work harder and fight just like the men, and for the first time, that’s exactly what they did. Rosie the Riveter started the idea that women can do the same as men, although it didn’t make a change for women until a few decades later. This image uses symbolism through the font by exaggerating the text bold, showing strength. Her rolling up her sleeve shows the toughness and strength she is portraying to show all women can be as strong as her. She was a role model for women in 1943 and I believe she should be or still is one today.

This last photo is of a painting from the medieval times. In this painting, colour is used to symbolize different meanings. The red of the curtains and the bed sheets symbolizes royalty and the dark dresses that the women are wearing show that they do not have much money. This is due to the fact that dark colour represents poverty. The women are forced to stay in the house because in this time period, everybody believed that this is all that women were good for. Over the years, women have made a huge change from times such as these, but there is still a huge fight for equality.

The Making Of A Legend:
How Textual Elements Demonstrates Legendary Characteristics

Some people are born to be legends.  However, it seems that just being good at something does not mean that a legendary status will be achieved.  The images are all about people who are known to be better than others, but not just for their athletic ability, but also for their ability to inspire others to follow in their footsteps.  To become larger than a regular man, certain characteristics have to shine brighter.  These characteristics are found within the top legends of basketball and are demonstrated through the images and art by the use of textual elements and the subjects’ emotions.   The first image shows the inspiration one player can create, effecting the entire game around him, shown by the contrast between the action of the player and the inaction of the rest of the team.  The second image reveals the determination that a player needs to have to get back into the game.  This image shows the star player of the game, hurt and isolated as the rest of the game moves forward, however the pain and determination is shown through the body position and his facial expression.  The third image shows that hard work pays off, and this is done by winning championships.  The photographer demonstrated this success by dividing the image in half symmetrically, showing a trophy on each side of the player, exaggerating his success and highlighting his perseverance to become a champion. Finally, the last image is one of the bronze statue outside the United Center, of Michael Jordan.  This permanent status demonstrates to the public that Jordan’s skills will forever be immortalized and that he will remain a legend in his legendary pose. Therefore, the use of textual elements highlights the characteristics an athlete needs to separate themselves from the rest to become a legend.
To begin, this picture of Kobe Bryant, as he is plays against the New Jersey Nets in 2002, demonstrates inspiration. Kobe uses his athleticism to show off a highlight reel dunk during the game.  This image is a demonstration of the characteristics that make a man into a legend.  This picture demonstrates inspiration, for not only the fans to follow but also his fellow teammates.  The image illustrates this inspiration because of the unique camera lens used that captures the whole gym and offers a high angled view, but also the way the picture is laid out. The subject, Bryant, is the only one in the picture showing action as he dunks the ball. This is a hard dunk to do, but he is making it look easy, which is emphasized by his facial expression being one of joy and excitement, rather than exhaustion. However, the biggest contrast and aspect that illustrates his inspiring athleticism is that while he is in action, every other player in the background is just watching and thinking how amazing he is at basketball.  Every player is still with their eyes fixed on the impressive dunk he makes, causing those people to look as though they are not moving much, which is contrasted by the amount of action shown by Bryant.  Thus, the people are so inspired by Bryant’s skill that they stop playing the game and only watch in wonder as Bryant becomes a legendary player.

Secondly, this picture of Lebron James, as he suffered an injury during his game against the New Orleans Hornets, demonstrates determination to overcome setbacks and obstacles in order to become a legend.  Strength and skill are not the only characteristics needed to make a legend, but the ability to stay determined to achieve success is what separates the players from the heroes of the game. Missing one game was hard for James’ team, but missing multiple games has his other teammates worried, knowing that they have to step it up for the upcoming games since their star player will not be able to play.   James played after only missing one game, against the advice of his trainers, but the season was too important and the team became his priority.  He played through pain and risked further injury, but his determination to win helped him overcome it all.  This image illustrates this determination through the isolation of James and the angle of the camera.  James is center focus and his expression of pain is clearly shown on his face, however the game continues and blurs out in the background, suggesting that no matter who a person is, the play will continue and he is left alone to deal with his injury.  This close up of James on the level of the floor, highlights that determination is a solo effort and can only be achieved if that one person is strong enough to get up and play. Therefore, determination can only be achieved if that one person is strong enough to strive for it and overcome their obstacles.
Third, this picture of Shaquille O’Neal after he won his 2nd championship with the Los Angeles Angels in 2003, shows how hard work will pay off if a player perseveres.  Success to become a legend is demonstrated through hard work and perseverance. O’Neal had to persevere through multiple teams, multiple injuries, multiple set backs, but it all came down to success and winning multiple championships.  The image demonstrates this success since O’Neal is central in the photo with identical trophies held high on either side.  The cropping of the image wants the viewer to look directly at his facial expression and the amount of joy he shows, as well as the size and stature of the trophies themselves.  The image also shows that O’Neal is alone, without his teammates, which means that the trophies are given to him only, for his own skills and perseverance to be the best.  The image is balanced symmetrically, with identical trophies on each side, which makes the achievements look very impressive and that Neal is very skilled and important.  Therefore, perseverance can lead to success and the more success a person gets, the bigger a legend they will become.
Lastly, all three characteristics of a legend are demonstrated in the bronze statue outside the United Center in Chicago, IL of the Chicago Bulls legendary player, Michael Jordan. Becoming a permanent statue outside of a building shows that Michael Jordan is a legend at what he does. Becoming the permanent face of the game shows that he is the ultimate inspiration for the game, a man who demonstrated determination to succeed and persevered through hardships to achieve his goals. To become a legend a player needs to achieve all three of these qualities, and Michael Jordan has done just that.  Not only has he achieved these qualities and this position in the sport, but he has also created an iconic pose that will forever be associated with his name. This pose came from a moment where everyone thought Jordan was not going to make this dunk, but then when he it made it, everyone in the basketball world realized that he is the best and no one could play the game as good as he can.  This pose, plastered all over athletic wear, signs, building and sport books, is a symbol of what a person can do once they achieve greatness, and that becoming a legend can be achieved and forever immortalized.  A bronze statue is a large and permanent item.  The pose is one that reminds people of the amazing game when the most impossible dunk was made, creating a legendary moment to stay forever in people’s minds.  Thus, once all characteristics are achieved, and the person reaches the status of a legend, that title can never be removed and the stories of great games and amazing moments will never be forgotten.

Ultimately, a legend never dies.  Athletes all strive to be the best, but there are only a few that can reach the level of being a legend.  The images capture the characteristics that make up a legend are emphasized by the textual elements that make up each picture.  The first image uses contrast of action and inaction in combination of emotion to demonstrate inspiration.  The second image highlights the amount of determination a player needs to have to overcome setbacks and get back in the game, which is shown through the facial expression of the subject and the low angle emphasizing the solo and isolation a player finds when injured.  The third image shows through the symmetrical trophies and close up of the player’s emotion that perseverance can lead to success.  Lastly, the fourth image shows that once all three characteristics are followed and achieved, legendary status will become permanent and the player will be forever remembered as being great.  Therefore, the use of textual elements highlights the characteristics an athlete needs to separate themselves from the rest to become a legend.

Animal Awareness ISU

Thesis:

Society looks at animals as if they were made to belong to humans, instead of treating them as equals.

what hides inside meat trucks:

In this image, street artist Banksy has placed life-like stuffed animals sticking out of a meat truck driving down the streets of New York City. The farm animals have their mouths open and the eyes are wide to show the distress these animals suffer through behind closed doors (or trucks). People who witnessed the truck stated that it was very loud and it sounded like the animals were trying to escape. The contrast & attitude in the image lies within the facial expressions of the

stuffed animals in the truck, they looked like they are in a lot of discomfort and clearly not happy. There is a lot of symbolism in this image as well, the stuffed animals representing real animals that are transported in this truck but are hidden from the public show the harsh reality of the meat industry in today’s society. Relating back to my thesis, we think it is okay to treat animals as though they were made for us to use and abuse, when in reality they were created just simply to co-exist with humans as another species. Society ignores the disturbing actions that remain hidden in these places because it is not affecting them on a personal level. To conclude, there needs to be powerful, even upsetting stunts such as this one to change anything, people are going to blindly allow this to happen as long as it stays silent.

not for your entertainment:

In this image, also created by Banksy, it is showing that humans treat animals as objects of entertainment instead of viewing them with value. The placement of the tiger shows that it is stronger than the cages in the background of the image. The tiger appears bigger than the cage because it has been placed in the foreground, which reminds society not to forget that these animals are not toys nor are they objects for the public. The barcode that has been bent symbolizes the cage the tiger has escaped from. The bent cage shows the strength that is in this tiger and how even though humans in society try and hold back these animals and use them for entertainment, animals like this are still animals and know where they deserve to be and not to be. In relation to my hypothesis, humans buy these animals because society looks at them as objects, something to look at. We often forget that we are so closely related to these animals and we act very similar to each other. So if the roles were reversed, how would the human species react in a situation like this?

shining a light on animal testing:

To continue, this image was taken from a show Banksy had created, a number of different issues were exposed by somewhat unusual art and were made into animations to prove a point. In this image particularly, a rabbit is shown filing their nails and wearing makeup. The symbolism of this photo shows how humans in our society treat animals of other species. The rabbit wearing make up symbolizes the use of bunnies and other small animals in makeup and other hygiene product testing. Humans often forget that they are just a species living amongst other species and because they have evolved faster, believe they have the right to act superior to other species. The lighting in this photo places the rabbit in the light to, in a way, shine a light on what is so often ignored. The cosmetics have always been out in the open, Banksy’s goal was to finally put the behind-the-scenes out in the open.

effects of pollution:

Lastly, this street art is showing the effects that littering has not only on humans, but other species too. The bear has no food to eat because the fish has been killed by the pollution in the water. The dark tone of colours and somewhat lack of colour in this image represents what is going to be lost in the earth if this degree of pollution continues to occur. The contrast of the little bit of green left on the wall to black of the bear represents the future for the earth. The water level has become so high it has started to make the bear disappear. This symbolizes the effect that the current level of pollution in today’s society has on wildlife. All species will be affected by this issue, not just humans. In relation to my thesis, this photo helps to show the lack of awareness humans have for other species. The environment itself and the human species are society’s main concern, often ignoring the effect their pollution has on other species, which demonstrates the neglect society shows animals.

To summarize, the value of other species is often forgotten in society because they provide humans with things like food, entertainment and cosmetics. Ignoring the pain and discomfort these animals go through for humans when in reality were only made to co-exist with the human species.

References

Banksy. (n.d.). Rabbit with cosmetics [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.artofthestate.co.uk/Banksy/banksy-versus-bristol-museum-032-rabbit-cosmetics.htm

Banksy. (2010, February 5). Fair abuse [Illustration]. Retrieved from http://www.yalelawtech.org/ip-in-the-digital-age/fair-abuse/

Banksy. (2011, September 5). [Bear fighting for food]. Retrieved from http://www.thegreenwichphantom.co.uk/category/greenwich-wildlife/

Banksy. (2013, October 12). Fresh meats truck [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2455637/Banksys-latest-New-York-art-piece-roving-truck-filled-lively-stuffed-animals.html

Gun Violence

                        How Guns Affect the Mind

Guns cause chaos not only throughout the world but throughout the                                               mind as well

   

This picture is very powerful and could be interpreted in countless different ways. In my perception of this picture the authors message is one of self harm. The gun symbolizing violence and turned towards the shooter as if to mean than when you shoot who are you really hurting, why, what is the purpose. Not only will you cause others an immense amount of emotional pain but it represents the mental pain you will cause yourself. This does a great job representing how guns affect the mind.

June 7th
Gun Yourself by Banksy
http://www.icanvas.com

In this image you see a little kid no more than 10 with a handgun in his coat pocket at the playground. This is proof that the massive amount of debate and the hype behind guns is affecting youth as well. With the huge amount of talk surrounding guns, our youth is also receiving the message but in a negative way. With young children's minds still developing and absorbing everything they hear they are easily susceptible to the ideas they hear. This can benefit them in ways such as working hard in school and other things but it can also open them

to a whole world of negativity as represented in this picture.                                                    June 7th

Guns can affect whole generations without even being used,                    Boy with Gun in Playground

which is a very scary thought.                                                                      http://www.stevenedson.net
                                                    

                                                                                 

This picture is the epitome of the armed forces. Men fighting for peace, ironic because the cost of peace is violence and bloodshed. In the picture we see a soldier painting a peace sign while the other soldier keeps watch. I feel as if the artist painted the peace sign and made it drip to represent how peace comes with a price. Another ironic point about this picture is the fact that the soldier that is painting needs another to look out for him and watch his back. It shows how guns corrupt people and cause them to loose their sense of humanity. If we cannot paint signs of peace without protection how can we basically do anything without feeling insecure or unprotected?




June 7th
Soldiers Painting Peace by Banksy
http://www.imagekind.com



Finally a cartoon representing how powerful gun violence is and how prominent it is in today's society. To relate this back to how guns affect you mentally is very simple. Guns rule everything... its just that simple. As the picture says gun violence is a multi headed monster, in my mind this means that you will not be able to stop this problem ever. You can cut the head off the snake but there's 10 more waiting for you. And taking care of the problem is not just addressing the shooters, its talking to everyone about the seriousness of the matter at hand and how guns affect you and everyone else. Simply speaking about guns can cause issues mentally to people which is impossible to stop, that is something that I get from this picture. And as it states in the picture gun violence is a multi headed monster, one of those heads being the impact guns have on the mind.





                                                                                                                                                     June 7th
                                                                                                 Gun Violence is a Multi Headed Monster
                                            http://blog.al.com/jdcrowe/2013/01/gun_violence_is_a_multi-headed.html                                                            

Sacrifice for honor

Sacrifice for honor

Honour has been prevalent throughout the world's cultures’ and history, and also has been a constant struggle to maintain.  It has a strong influence on people and their lives because of its importance to everyone, one way to gain honour is through sacrifice.  Sacrifice is so significant that it can gain honour, which is why any type of true sacrifice that one makes is honorable.

One type of sacrifice is in this image, which shows the sacrifices in the battle of Thermopylae, which is known for the 300 spartans that fought in this battle. In the battle of Thermopylae, the spartans were to keep the persian army of 70, 000 men from advancing into Greece until cities were evacuated and more Greek warriors arrived. This Image conveys the strength the spartans have to get through their sacrifice as individuals and together even in their final moments, which is suggested by their muscles them working together as they die as one. The poses that the spartans are shown in, in the painting convey the intensity of their sacrifice, because the image suggests that the spartans are going to die for their sacrifice.  Altogether the image shows the severity of the spartans sacrifice for Greece and how their sacrifice to risk their lives in battle makes them honorable, which is true because even today everybody knows the spartans as great honorable warriors because of the sacrifice they made thousands of years ago.

Another sacrifice that was made a long time ago is the feet binding in Japan, where women of high class would physically manipulate their feet to look ‘better’. In this image the normal foot going into the small shoe shows the transition these women’s feet go through and how the this change sacrifices their feet.  because through the process they endure a lot of pain and give up the ability to walk to look pretty enough to bring honour to their families. The white background in this image conveys the perfection and innocence that these women want to honour their families, since the colour white usually stands for: purity, perfection,innocents and wholeness.So this image uses the white in the background to give off this effect of what the women want to be. This image shows how much of a sacrifice the Japanese woman make to be perfect and to bring honor to their families, and honour to them, because any type of true sacrifice that one makes is honorable.

This image is about the Red Cross helping in Nepal, this may not be one of the bigger sacrifices that have happened throughout history such as; your own life,or ability to walk. But this woman from the Red Cross doesn’t have to be across the world helping people when she could be at home getting on with her life. In the image, the boy smiling shows that even in hard times that the sacrifice of the Red Cross volunteers, is making a difference. Since every sacrifice is honorable, this act, makes the Red Cross honorable people.  The light in this image, or lack of light that is put on the Red Cross team conveys that the Red Cross team is in the background helping with kindness, and not for praise. Which is what a real sacrifice is, giving up something for no personal gain. So even though this is not a big sacrifice for the Red Cross  team, but even small sacrifices show honorable actions and honorable people.

A more brutal sacrifice is the aztec sacrifices, which is about people sacrificing their blood, and limbs, essentially their lives  to feed their gods. In this image, the sun is smiling as the tributes blood is being thrown down the stairs which conveys that that the gods are happy that there was a sacrifice to them. The multiple people in the image shows the importance of the sacrifice, that the sacrifice isn’t just to please the and help the gods, their sacrifices means something to the Aztec people. From this image we can see one person's’ sacrifice is important to the gods and to the rest of the Aztec society, and that the sacrifice to the gods in a honour sacrifice and death.

Throughout history, and multiple cultures, we see that true sacrifices are a way to achieve honour. People can sacrifice themselves; for other people, their country, culture, and religion, etc. Every true sacrifice by one of these people, because sacrifice is so significant that it can gain Honour, which is why any type of true sacrifice that one makes is honorable.

Citations:

300 spartans: http://www.historynet.com/greco-persian-wars-battle-of-thermopylae.htm

Feet binding: http://i.huffpost.com/gen/983581/thumbs/o-FOOT-BINDING-SHOE-570.jpg?7

Red Cross: http://www.ifrc.org/en/what-we-do/health/

Aztec Sacrifice: http://www.aztec-history.com/aztec-sacrifice.html

Racism is the belief that one race or culture is fundamentally superior to another, regardless of anthropological evidence that we are all the same. The United States of America has been the epitome of Racism since the colonial era, to the present day. The United States were the most heavily involved country during the slave era and have continued this disgusting, arrogant act of racism toward African Americans by police brutality, inequality and also verbal and physical discrimination.

Racism and discrimination has affected the lives of African Americans for decades and decades. A more recent story is the killing of Trayvon Martin a young black teenager. On February 26th, 2012, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was killed walking down the street for “looking suspicious”… he was walking home after purchasing some skittles and an iced tea. This image is a representation of the innocence of Trayvon and other black teens. In the background stands the American flag, but notice the confederate flag being shown as the roots of the country. A young boy with a look of confusion and fear, innocently trying make a kind gesture to a police officer bound in his uniform and wearing the hood of a KKK member making it evident that even the forces “protecting” the citizens are still racist.

Throughout America during the 1900’s segregation was possibly the biggest visual sign of racism such as coloured and white drinking fountains or blacks having to sit at the back of the bus. This photograph depicts a white teenager, Joseph Rakes, trying to assault black lawyer and civil-rights activist Ted Landsmark with a flagpole bearing the American flag. It was taken in Boston on April 5, 1976, during one in a series of protests against court-ordered desegregation busing. In the photo hopelessness would be the best word to describe the facial expression of the African American lawyer, as he is being surrounded, held and nearly killed by white men. The man holding the flag has so much anger and aggression towards Ted Landsmark whose goal was to allow blacks to sit anywhere they want on public transit so it is very evident just how racist America was during this period of time.

    On April 12, 2015, Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old African American resident of Baltimore, Maryland, sustained injuries following his arrest by policemen. On April 18, 2015, after Gray's subsequent coma, the residents of Baltimore protested in front of the Western district police station. Gray died the following day, April 19, 2015, a week after being arrested. The riots may not have gone to the extent that they did if it wasn’t for other cases of police brutality against other African Americans prior to this such as Michael Brown, Eric Garner and Oscar Grant, all innocent men who were killed by police for no reason. This Photograph shows the chaos and the unclear future of the once powerhouse country. A barricade of riot officers stand in front of a young black male, wearing a gas mask, his fist held high just as The Black Panther party did in the 1960’s, they were also protesting police brutality…

 



Eric Garner Video: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2014/dec/04/i-cant-breathe-eric-garner-chokehold-death-video

Happiness

                                                             Happiness
                  Chasing an ideal of “happiness” leaves you more unhappy than ever before.

         Happiness means feeling or showing pleasure or contentment, it’s what everyone around strives and hopes for. Happiness is what we want to be all day so production is great no matter what it is. But what if we’re looking at happiness all wrong. Studies have prove that those who go out of their way to find happiness in their own lives actually end up being miserable and not happy at all. Maybe chasing an ideal of “happiness” leaves you more unhappy than ever before.

                                        “Happyish.” Joe. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 June 2015. . 
    
            To begin, people usually make incorrect assumptions on what would make them happy or happier such as, money, jobs, family, or children. These incorrect assumption lead people down the wrong path, which leave them unhappy down the road. This picture is a representation of someone who isn’t happy. (obviously) The black background in the photo emphasises the only object in the photo, which is a man who is portraying a negative expression. By this age people believe that they should be happy because their life is set, and they should be getting ready to settle down with their life. The still eye contact from the man is giving a feeling of “this message is for you” making it feel as if the message is for anyone who sees it. Making incorrect and irrational assumptions of what you think would make you happy will probably leave you even more unhappy than before.

                           “Chasing Happiness.” Forbes. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 June 2015. .

 However there are a few people in the world who understand that happiness is only what you make of it. Easiest way to attain happiness is to set goals for yourself that are reachable and to live like everyday was your last. The photo shows a man who is happy and adventurous. He is up high and on top of what looks like two big rocks, which can suggest that he is overcoming obstacles and problems in his life one step at a time. It also seems that the sun is in front of him and can be seen as though he hasn’t made it yet to his, “Promise Land” or his happy ending. He understands that he will make it to the sun one day at the end of his journey. Setting limits for yourself that you can reach brings happiness to a person's life instead of setting limits that are unattainable for a specific individual, that leaves them even more unhappy than before. 

                        
                             “Hide Your True Feelings.” Pinterest. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 June 2015. 

                   Another reason why individuals lack happiness is because, nobody is completely happy with who they are, or don’t believe that people will like them for who they are. In this photo there is a girl who is putting on a mask that appears to be happier than her. Having the lack of colour shows the lack of personality and individuality, proving that their is no real individual personality behind the mask. The lamp in the room is the only light shown, which can represent that that is the only area in the room that requires light. As the rest of the room is dark Being completely happy with yourself leads to happiness, while on the other hand pretending to be something you’re not leaves you more unhappy than before. 

                        “Violin Player.” Willem Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 June 2015. 

               Lastly, people believe that happiness is having the best car, the best house and the best life. This image put on the world that, in order to be happy you have to have material things and the best lifestyle. In this photo is a violin player whose seems to be enjoying himself. The black and white can symbolize the simplicity in the person's life and happiness. Also in this photo there is nothing in the photo other than the violin player and the violin, which can be looked at like the individual is caught up in their simple happy way of life that they don’t even notice anything around them. Having a simple balanced life can lead to happiness, instead of trying to have the most extravagant life that leaves you unhappy in the end.

          In summary happiness is not what you don’t have or who you’re not, but is about making the most of what you have and being who you are. Give real happiness a chance, because chasing down the ideal of happiness will leave you more unhappy than before.