Slavery Timeline

I found the time lines to be interesting in seeing the change from the beginnings of slavery to almost recent times. What I noticed was how slavery was a prominent trade that everyone knew about and now in recent times we like to think that slavery does not exist, but really people have just become better at hiding it. As the centuries progressed more laws and declarations were passed to eventually end the idea of slavery. Unfortunately, many countries are still enslaving people. For instance, Natalee Holloway went on vacation to Aruba until she suddenly disappeared. While visiting family in California the paper had an article about a man housing immigrants in a house in the area. Police found that he had enslaved all the immigrants and had them work all day at his restaurant and than drove them home and locked them in the house until the next morning where he picked them up and made them work at the restaurant every single day. He told the people that they had to pay off their debts to him. Unfortunately, the immigrants lacked so much education they did not know what he was doing was completely illegal and wrong. While slavery is nothing like what it used to be we cannot forget that it still exists in places. While rules, laws, and regulations against slavery have been created we must not forget that "rules were meant to be broken" and people will find ways around them. Education is the key in helping people stay better informed of their freedoms and rights.

Poverty, Race, and the Invisible Men

I found this article to be interesting in a couple of different ways. For instance, the idea of "Invisible Men" really seems true to me because I did not even know there was a problem. I assumed that people in poverty or of a different race received the same treatment whether female or male. As I thought about this subject more I started to wonder whether maybe men were choosing not to see a doctor as much as a woman would because they feel like they have to be tough and that no one can help them but themselves. For example, I never met my father's dad because he passed away from a heart problem before I was born. The only reason he did not live was because he refused to see a doctor until it was too late. In fact he never even used Novocaine when he did see a dentist. My father is the same way. He hates to take medicine if he doesn't have to and he especially hates to see the doctor. Unfortunately, when he was diagnosed with cancer there was no other choice and the amount of medication he has to take is unfathomable. If we look back at our father's generations, their father's generations and beyond, the idea that men are supposed to be tough and take care of themselves creates a certain kind of stubbornness that could possibly lead to the statistics we see today in men's death rates. As we move into the present and eventually the future I predict more and more men will be taking a stand for a healthier life and increase the age that men live. As for now maybe the men are choosing to be invisible?

White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

In my sociology class last semester a similar topic was discussed about the "privileges" of the white race in America. While I agreed with a lot of what was said in this article and to a point in my sociology class, I still always ask the same question, "If I went to China, Africa, Russia, etc. would I not be the minority?" Of course I would be a minority in China. That is because I am not Asian and a majority of China is. When people complain about being a minority in America I feel like I need to say, "well I am sorry for that, but yes this is a country dominated by white people". Just the same if I went to another country where the dominating race is something other than white. I do not believe people should be judged or less priveleged because of their race or ethnicity, but please do not pull the "minority card" because yes, you are in America and we are predominantly white. I would never go to another country and whine and complain about how I am the minority so boo hoo me. Be proud of your differences! If you are being treated differently or badly that is another issue that is not right, but please do not make a scene or hold a grudge against the citizens of that country because you do not see as many people of your race. Could I be more priveleged than others? Maybe, but the issue at hand is how you use that advantage. I do not think I should feel bad for MAYBE having more privileges because I know that I am using that privilege for the better good. For those that do not use their "invisible knapsack" in an ethical, decent way should be ridiculed individually. So many people put others in groups, but really it always comes down to individual people. No one can say that EVERYONE did this one thing because there will always be someone against the curve. If everyone was educated and open minded many of these issues would be resolved, but unfortunately that would be difficult if not impossible to have happen. Instead we need to live each day to the fullest and optimistically. Always remember that whatever issue or problem you are having it is not the end of the world and someone else is probably having the same problem or an even bigger one. Your life is your life and no one else's. Do not allow yourself to be placed into a group or label unless you choose to be. I am a Coug and choose to hold that label and be apart of that group, but I refuse to be placed into a group of more privileged people because in the end everyone has something going for them and than something just as equal not going for them. We are all the same whether you can physically see that or not.

Rape & Race in the Nineteenth-century South / Women and Race in Early Modern Texts / White Slavery, what the Scots already know

Slavery has been a serious and tragic part of not only the United States history, but history for all countries. Whether we have found written accounts of slavery or not there has been some type of human enslavement. What I found interesting is that many people think of Africans as a majority of people enslaved, but really citizens from all races and ethnicity's have been involved. For instance, English, Scottish, Irish and more have had experiences with slavery. Not to mention, men, women, and children all participated in the trade and endured all the same tasks together. No one was given less work because they were female unless they were partaking in the rigors of pregnancy or childbearing. Today, people believe women cannot perform all the same tasks as men and, particularly children, have been protected by laws so as not to have to do any sort of labor before an appropriate age. In a way the tables have turned for women. Men did not see women as more weak and as the 'homemakers' as much as they do now. Today it is as if women are having to prove themselves all over again by saying that they can do just as much as a male can.

Noble and Ignoble: The Development of Two Savage Stereotypes : 1665-1860

It had to be one thing to travel for such long periods of time to a land you had never seen, but another matter to confront people with a look and language all their own. I cannot imagine what the pilgrims and Indians must have thought about each other for the first time. What is sad is how Americans were able to fabricate a national feeling about "American Indians" as savage and primitive. While the times must have been difficult and enveloped with a notion of fear around every corner, the new Americans were quick to judge and mold the Indians into a vicious character that would be more entertaining on screen. The creation of the noble savage did not even come around until the 1820s during the romanticism influence on American writers. Still, we know today that the overall view of Indians is more of the savage, drunkard, primitive type. All I can hope is that our history books teach our children the truth about the pilgrims and the Indians and leave all the drama and exaggerations out.

When Europeans Were Slaves

I found a quote from the reading that really made me think about how slavery managed to last for so long? Robert Davis said, "Even Americans were not immune. For example, one American slave reported that 130 other American seamen had been enslaved by the Algerians in the Mediterranean and Atlantic just between 1785 and 1793." If Americans managed to become slaves themselves than why did slavery go on for so long in America? How did someone not pass the message along that slavery really was not all that great. Not to mention, didn't someone think that maybe one day there would be an uprising by the slaves and that eventually you can only break a persons spirit so many times before they just do not care anymore and will do whatever it takes to get out? I think slavery really shows people's ignorance. By that I mean the ignorance of slave owners. Davis also said, “Much of what has been written gives the impression that there were not many slaves and minimizes the impact that slavery had on Europe,” Davis said. “Most accounts only look at slavery in one place, or only for a short period of time. But when you take a broader, longer view, the massive scope of this slavery and its powerful impact become clear.” I do not know about anyone else, but I never thought slavery had a small impact or lasted only a short period of time. In fact, like I said in my earlier blog there are still places that are enslaving people. Once again, ignorance plays a huge role in people's actions, ideals, and morales.

U.S. Declaration of Independence-Preamble

As I read through the document one word consistently stuck out for me and that was "He". The beginning of the article uses "people" when referencing those included within the rules, laws, and obligations of the document, but as you read further down the "peoples" turn into "He". For the time that this declaration was created I understand why the drafters used "He", but I do not understand why the article starts out using "people" which can encompass more than just males, but than switches over to flat out saying "He (males)". I also wonder if any of the drafters of this document tried to write the declaration in non specific words because they knew that times were becoming revolutionary and changing and evolving in ways that they never could have imagined. Thus, the declaration has not had to be completely re-written for the sake of evolving times.