Pipe Line

 In society today, we as the people choose what is important, what stays in the spot light, how long it stays. This is good in a sense because news travels faster however it is bad as well because people tend to forget the importance of what happened the week before. News is always current, however just because information is not in the “Top Stories that does not mean it is not still relevant.

            Late in the last year, the Pipeline was a serious issue. This pipeline was a hot topic for a multitude of reasons. This was an underground project, which was to be worked on in the future. However plenty of controversy was created based off of the purpose, the location and the disruption it would cause. Although it would have created more jobs, they route along the ground it would take over, would ruin the ownership of peoples private land.

            “The people have a say so in what happens to their surroundings.” One main point protesters were attempting to get across to the state officials. However due to misunderstanding and “force” by the city the people took action into their own hands. To not only fight for what was right but for what belonged to them. A protest was the next step. This protest kept workers from working on the pipeline. This protest gathered the community as a whole and called them together to stand for what they believe in. Using the largest emotion of “care” to reinforce why they are standing in the cold to protect what they love.

By protesting they are showing the peaceful side of the disagreement. Their character is being tested because as they walk to prevent the construction they are hazed with water and pushed to their limits by police. The people used peaceful rhetoric to display the useless need of the project. However police, who protect us, used force to attempt to break down their faith. As time went on they soon realized that would not work, and needed more assistance from police of surrounding areas.

Ironically the DAPL project was a hot topic in the Dakota area. But because they needed help, and involved enforcement from surrounding states, more people got involved. Socially, people do not get involved until it is effecting them. . The news would rather go into detail about the production being slowed, and not the land they are stealing. This was all an issue, without the rumors about race and the land they are taking is from the Native Americans. The news also neglects to go into depth about the history of how this has been happening for many generations before us. Now months after the planned project, the productive protest and fierce force the news has died down.

Other protests, like the women’s march, our new president, MLK events and other situations have made the news wave as of now. However Trump has made executive order to continue the pipeline, openly using terms like “Mediocre Negroes”, and striving to remove Muslims and Arabs from class. Trump is the president, plenty of hot topics will be in and out of the media. Touching home, souls, hearts feelings and emotions of all the people.

Sources 

- http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/27/us/dakota-access-pipeline-protests/

- https://daplpipelinefacts.com/

-http://dailycaller.com/2016/11/06/the-protests-over-the-dakota-access-pipeline-explained/

Trump is My President

I’m democratic, born and raised in a farming town in western Nebraska, I love my friends and family, and Donald Trump is my President. If you live in America then you president is Donald Trump. I know that this subject is extremely controversial, but it needs to be shared. When I was a kid I was taught that no matter who it is, you treat them with the respect that you wish to be treated.  That may seem elementary, but it seems that many people in our country have forgotten the golden rule. Donald Trump is currently the captain of the ship, and if he fails then the whole ship sinks including each and everyone of us.

On January 30th all students at the University of Nebraska received an email regarding one of Donald Trump’s first executive orders. People all over the country are furious about the order. The primary goal of the executive order is to protect the nation from terroristic threats coming from countries like Syria and Iraq. The complete list can be found on this website… http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/01/30/512438879/7-targeted-countries-react-to-trumps-ban-on-immigration Topics like these bring conflict to people all over the world, especially in colleges. Because colleges like UNL have an immense amount of cultural diversity, we face a pretty big problem. Many of our fellow students live in the countries that are now banned from entering the United States. Although the ban is only in effect for 90 days, it has impacted the countries in a negative way. Many immigrants are fearful for what their future might hold.

From a rhetorical standpoint it is hard to say whether I agree or disagree with President Donald Trump's methods. The idea is that we won't let anyone from those countries in for a period of time, so that we can strengthen our screening process.  By doing so it will allow us to thoroughly monitor the people coming into and out of our country. I do agree that something needs to be done to make our country more secure, but this drastic of a move might create some enemies in the long run. In all seven of these war stricken countries there are hundreds of innocent people that are seeking refuge. I believe that our country is obligated to take in any of those people that need a new start. I think its funny how we are denying people the right to live in America when we came over to this country as immigrants to begin with.

The world we live in is filled with violence and negativity, and I have no clue how banning an entire country will affect our country. I find it crucial that we as citizens of the United States support our president and governing body. Democrat or Republican you have to root for Trump to do well. Because if he fails we all fail, and if he succeeds we all do. Now I’m not saying that everything he is doing is right, but at least he’s doing something. So to everyone that is still crying not my president I have three words for you, “YES HE IS”. I’m going to be honest with you I did not vote for Donald Trump, but as soon as I heard how awful people were acting when Hillary lost it made me really mad. I’m sure that the same type of stuff would have happened if Donald Trump lost, but that’s besides the point. The point is that we need to come together as a country not split further apart. The only way that a democracy will work to its fullest potential is if both parties can learn to respect that they disagree and come to a positive solution.

In conclusion I will continue to stress that we need to give Trump a chance to try and “Make America Great Again”. Whether you agree or disagree with all of Donald’s tactics, the least you could do is show our President of the United States of America a little respect.

http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/immigration/316871-trumps-immigration-ban-is-clumsy-but-perfectly-legal

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/01/30/512438879/7-targeted-countries-react-to-trumps-ban-on-immigration

image- http://www.anarkismo.net/article/29862

Protesters at the Portland International Airport

This past weekend I was in Portland, Oregon for a friend’s engagement. It was a wonderful time, and I enjoyed the beautiful city and kind people that live in the Portland area. Unfortunately, the time for me to return to Nebraska came on Sunday as I headed for the airport to catch my 6:50 flight to Omaha. I was on the train to the airport when I first heard about the protesting that was happening at the airport, but it wasn’t until I arrived and saw it for myself that I fully grasped what was going on.

            As I sure all of you know, President Donald Trump passed an executive order this Friday banning all refugees from entering the country for 120 days, travelers from seven Muslim-Majority Nations for 90 days, with the Ban on Syrian travelers being indefinite. The outcry and criticism for the ban was almost immediate. Advocacy groups began legal challenges on the premise that the order was discriminatory towards Muslims, and protesters took to the airports to show their distaste for the order. Our own University put forward a public statement showing their support for the international students at the University of Nebraska, including the hundred or so students hailing from those seven countries being barred travel into the United States (Check out the statement made my Nebraska here https://t.co/VpSko0CrbE ).

            Well, when I arrived at the airport I was met by 300 or so protesters voicing their distain and opposition for Trumps executive order. I’d never seen a large scale protest before. I had been working (unfortunately) during the Women’s March in Lincoln, and had only experienced a protest from the other side of a TV or laptop screen.

It was loud.

Really loud.

My first view was of a large crowd standing in front of the stairwell and escalators leading up to the Check-in gates and security. There were protesters riding up and down the escalators chanting phrases like “Let them in!” and “No ban, No wall!”. I was in awe of the number of people that were demonstrating their political opinions in such a powerful and effective way. I was honestly super stoked to see all of the people there, Heck I began chanting as well as I worked my way through the crowd.

            The problem was that it took me a lot longer to get to the check-in gates and security than I would have liked. The protesters, whom I supported, were inhibiting my ability to reach my flight in a timely manner. Now, the protesters were using a form a rhetoric that has historically been effective in bringing attention to the issue, but had not been the most effective of creating social or political change. Their argument and their emotions were becoming one, and their message was beginning to be blurred by the simple fact that they were preventing people from reaching their flights. Which is an excellent form of symbolism, just not in the eyes of those who were trying to catch their flights. I agreed with the protesters, I supported the protesters, but their rhetoric was doing more harm than good.

            I think that their argument was valid and a stead fast. I believe that the executive order is wrong and unconstitutional. However, I feel that the protesters means of sending their message was flawed and could be done in a better manner. In my opinion, a more effective way of sending the message of disapproval for the order to President Trump would be a large scale boycott of air travel. This boycott, if done on a large enough scale, throughout the entire nation, would plummet the airlines income and force the President to repeal his order and find a different way to “protect the nations boarders”. Alas, that is just what I believe would be a more effective way to protest the order.

            It was a very interesting experience seeing people exercise their first amendment right of free speech, and was an inspiring moment to see so many people come together to try to support those who need the most help; Refugees. Seeing this form of rhetoric was something that you don’t see very often in Nebraska, and it was definitely something that I’ll never forget.   

Sources:

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2017/01/protesters_march_at_portland_i.html

http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/30/politics/trump-travel-ban-world-reaction/

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/01/31/512678699/trumps-immigration-order-is-not-a-ban-on-muslims-homeland-security-chief-says

Celebrities Against Donald Trump

         As we all know, Donald Trump is now the 45^th president of the United States. Mr. Trump 

definitely has not hesitated to pick up his pen and sign multiple executive orders as if there is no 

tomorrow. Within the last 10 days he’s been in office, he’s signed exactly 7 executive orders that have not just enraged the U.S, but the entire world. The most controversial executive order was barring citizens of 7 Muslim majority countries from entering the U.S for the next 90 days and Syrian refugees for the next 120 days. This just happened to be on Holocaust Remembrance Day (smooth Donald, real smooth). However, our opinions and emotions are controlled by what we surround ourselves with. For many of us, we turn to social media. So, social media today is where a majority of people gets their news. Based on the way Facebook has its algorithms setup, the things we are likely to see in our feed is based on past "likes" therefore, overtime, we've all entered what is known as "echo chambers." For example, if your super liberal friend keeps posting super liberal stuff and you've liked all her posts, than her posts are going to show up on your feed more often. Therefore, you stop seeing different viewpoints, and begin to think that everyone around you thinks like you do. We can also call this a "bubble." Most articles use some type of rhetoric to persuade the reader to agree with its viewpoint. But the problem over time is that articles are now extremely enflamed with mostly divisive rhetoric. A lot of that can be seen coming from partisan news outlets, or from entirely fake news from fake websites. Although, celebrities have started a whole new ball game when it comes to political rhetoric. Depending on the pages and people we have liked and followed on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, there is a likely chance we have come across a celebrity on there that has opposed Donald Trumps views.

         Celebrities initially came out to the 2017 Screen Actors Guild Awards to celebrate the amazing performances television and film had to offer this year. But, thankfully, they ended up using the stage to spread a message of hope in a time of sorrow. 

        







(To the left) Actor Simon Helberg from The Big Bang Theory and wife Jocelyn Towne.




        

     Ashton Kutcher opened the show with a pro-immigration message that had the crowd roaring. His famous line in the speech said, “You are a part of the fabric of who we are. And we love you and we welcome you.”

        Kim Kardashian, who has Armenian roots, even posted a photo that shows the number of 
Americans killed each year by various means. According to those statistics, Americans are much 
more likely to die after being shot by another American, by falling out of bed or by an “armed 
toddler” than by an Islamic jihadist immigrant.

       






       









      Meryl Streep criticized Trump on live TV for mocking a reporter with a physical disability in her Golden Globes speech on January 8^th, 2017. Streep was referring to Trump's speech at a South Carolina rally in 2015 when he flailed his arms and slurred while speaking about New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski. Trump fired back on Twitter, denying the accusations and calling Streep overrated.

      Many people also took to the streets and airports to protest the immigration ban. Celebrities such as Gigi and Bella Hadid walked with other protesters who shouted, “No hate, no fear, immigrants are 
welcome here.”

  

      It’s nice to see celebrities using their voices to speak against what’s happening in America right now. Because we live in the age of information, and click-bait news is coming at us from all angles, it's important that we as citizens choose credible sources from multiple perspectives when obtaining our daily dosage of news. It's our civic duty to do our due diligence and be informed, but more importantly, correctly informed.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/28/politics/donald-trump-executive-order-immigration-reaction/index.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ashton-kutcher-opens-sag-awards-by-calling-out-trumps-immigration-ban_us_588e94dfe4b0b065cbbcd340

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kim-k-tweets-statistics-on-terrorism-deaths-after-trumps-executive-order-against-muslims_us_588f12b7e4b01763779550ea

http://www.amny.com/news/politics/meryl-streep-attacks-trump-in-golden-globes-speech-1.12896321

The Women's March Impact on Social Media and Rhetoric

Wendy Hines created an event, the Women's March on Lincoln, that she imagined wouldn't get much attention. She created the event to go along with the Women's March on Washington that was having around 670 affiliate marches across the country. These events gained popularity as they were created to promote unity and equal rights for all in light of our newly elected President.

There were signs, stickers and outspoken individuals that all contributed to the events success. Marchers shared their stories across the country with the hashtag #WomensMarch. Photos of signs, videos of chants, and news stories about how it's more then just a march can be found in these results.

The signs used in the march demonstrate how rhetoric was used to effectively get their message across. Most of the signs referenced some sort of cat call, like one that said "Not this pussy" in reference to Trumps pussy grabbing comment. Other signs were made to look similar to something historical, like one poster that was made to look like the "Don't Tread on Me" flag.

The march in Lincoln brought in around 3,000-4,000 marchers that started in front of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's student union and then ended on the capital steps. However, not all who were present were there in support of the women's march.

Many members of Phi Gamma Delta held President Trump flags off of their balcony in counter protest. Although their statement is that they were not in protest of the march, members of the march were reportedly harassed by a few members of the fraternity.

Their were reports of them rating women that walked by, shouts of profanity, and chants of "no means yes" of their neighboring fraternity Alpha Tau Omega. These reports caused outrage on social media which led to a Title IX investigation of the fraternities involved.

The Women's March on Lincoln had a huge impact in the community and on social media. Sure, there were marches who chanted about equality, but the majority of signs and chants used in the march used rhetoric to get their argument across.

This was a successful use of rhetoric as it brought light and attention to the problems women have faced and are going to face during the Trump presidency. It'll be interesting to see how rhetoric is used in the future as these marches and protest continue.

Photo Credit: Kelly Kuwitzky
References: http://journalstar.com/news/local/thousands-show-up-to-support-women-s-march-on-lincoln/article_2e87f297-d977-504f-b240-0f9946a37c68.html

Use of Rhetoric in the Women's March

Every four years, our country is overtaken by politics. Whether it be presidential debates, harsh television campaigns, or an insufferable amount of social media banter, everyone is trying to prove something. In a time of overwhelming political unrest and division in our country, the use of rhetorical language and strategies is all around us. Donald Trump is arguably the most controversial President of the United States to date, and his inauguration stirred up many feelings among the general public, but especially in women. The Women's March on Washington took place the day after Trump was sworn in, and it perfectly exemplified the tendency of modern social movements to use rhetoric to further their cause.

The women who participated in this campaign carefully chose the word "march" over "protest." The latter seems to have a growing negative connotation to it as the more violent and unruly protests are constantly displayed by the media. While there were many signs used in this march, some more appropriate than others, the ones that caught my attention were the slogans pointing out the step backwards our country has taken. While our country is considered to be one of the most powerful in our country, some of our history is better left as just that, history. Women's reproductive rights seemed to have been an issue of the past, but a change in power came with a change in policy. By pointing out the retrograding of our country, the women are incredibly persuasive in getting their point across.

There was no subject left unturned, and the women took the opportunity to remind America of the less-than-presidential remarks Trump made about women before and during the election. Using phrases like "This pu*** grabs back" to mock his infamous "Grab 'em by the pu***" statement, these women barely had to say anything at all to get their point across. It was ridiculous, and seeing it written so plainly makes that a little easier to see.

Whether or not you agree with their statements, give credit where credit is due- to the witty women marching for what they believe in.

Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/01/30/why-the-womens-march-may-be-the-start-of-a-serious-social-movement/?utm_term=.84154c6da71e

Rhetoric and The Westboro Baptist Church.

The Westboro Baptist Church is known as one of the most radical religious groups in the world. They are known primarily for their district hatred towards the LGBTQ community and even have their website domain name set as godhatesfags.com. From picketing military funerals, to protesting against the jewish religion in general, the Westboro Baptist Church will stop at nothing to get their "truth" out to the world.

The first way in which they use rhetoric is through Pathos, or God's truth. By posting videos, disturbing images, and incredibly colorful language on their social media channels and website, they are manipulating religious teachings and Gods word to get out their main points.

The second way in which the Westboro Baptist Church uses rhetoric is though Logos. Maybe a better way to put this would be by saying their "own logos". I say this because their truth is completely different from the actual truth of the world. They internalized the teachings of their church and created their own form of "fact" or Logos. They show this through the speeches and the completely inaccurate 'statistics' and 'facts' that they display.

The third way in which the Westboro Baptist Church uses rhetoric is though Ethos. They try to gain credibility and trust, and it actually does persuade some very weak-minded people. They try to gain authority by being seen at as many different types of events and by being as loud and as close to the center of attention as they can be.

How Internet and Technology Affecting us

How Internet and Technology Affecting us

            We know that technology and Internet made our life easier than it was in the past. Now, people can talk and chat with their friends and families easily by technology. People were struggling in the past to reach somebody, but now they can reach anyone by one click or touch. Despite all the bright side of Internet and technology and how it makes our lives much easier, there are many negative effects that technology and Internet can cause. 

One of these negative effects is that we spend much time on them. I personally spend much time playing video games and just using my cell phone. So sometimes that will consider as a wasting of time. Also people now prefer to spend their time on technology (cell phones, Pads, video games, watch the TV) instead of doing something active in real life like playing basketball, go for a walk, skating or hangout. So by time some of them will get addicted to technology then they cannot stop using it. According to Manuel Castells in his article “ The Impact of the Internet on Society” he said, “Globally, time spent on social networking sites surpassed time spent on e-mail in November 2007, and the number of social networking users surpassed the number of e-mail users in July 2009. Today, social networking sites are the preferred platforms for all kinds of activities, both business and personal, and sociability has dramatically increased.” He also said, “Our current “network society” is a product of the digital revolution and some major sociocultural changes. One of these is the rise of the “Me-centered society,” marked by an increased focus on individual growth and a decline in community understood in terms of space, work, family, and ascription in general.”

Another effect is too much sharing, people share too much information about themselves and that might be a dangerous thing to do because we don’t want anyone stranger to know where we live and what we do. So I think technology is decreasing our privacy. Furthermore, some children play video games online and they might be abused by people who they play with because online games allow a sound chat so people can talk to each other. In my personal experience, I have heard kids saying bad words to each other. While I was playing some video game calls (call of duty). In addition, Internet and technology can makes our real life communication weaker, so people prefer to text their friends or family behind the screen than talking to them face to face especially when the topic is important or sensitive. According to the author Nick Carr in his article “McLuhan would blow hot and cool about today's internet” he said, “It encourages participation but it also sucks up our attention and dominates our senses. When we gaze into a computer screen, we tune out everything else. The temperature of media was not McLuhan's only subject, nor even his most interesting one. Although he was often presented as a glorifier of technological progress, he painted a subtle, sometimes disturbing picture of the future.” At the end, technology is a good thing to use and to have, but it has a negative and a positive side. People needs to use it correctly in order to avoid its dark side.