TUSD School Walkout final draft

John Chestnut

Dr. Brown

English 305

September 29, 2016

TUSD School Walkout

              What is an effective protest? Is it violence? Is it making as much noise as possible until you get noticed? Can something as simple as walking out of school be an effective form of protest? The answer depends on who does it and also when. In January of 2012, the Tucson Unified School District decided to completely cut out ethnic and Mexican American studies. This cut came to a district where 60% of all students were Mexican American. (Biggers) The students were left with only one thing to do and that was protest.

              The students would end up staging two different protest. Both would be peaceful. The first coming in April of 2011 when a group of nine students would take over a school board meeting by staging a sit in. Each student had a chain and would chain themselves to a chair to show how they felt emotionally about the cutting of the ethnic studies. (Herreras) The news would only one show one student being loud and banging on the desk next to the chair he was sitting in. This protest gave the issue its first nation exposure and showed that the students were not fighting for a class but for their culture and what they believed in.

The second protest would come in January of 2012 when the students of the TUSD districts decided to walkout of schools during class time. (Biggers) An unprecedented move that would lead to some students getting suspended, but also send a message that their voices will not be silenced. The students walked as one big group, some with their families, all the way down to the TUSD downtown offices. The reason was still about their Mexican American studies with the only reason being given was that money would be withheld from the district if the classes were not cut.
              The students used ethos throughout both of the protest, but even more so in the walkout. By appealing to the ethics of the situation, the district could not avoid any student who had taken part in the walkout or sit in. It’s still befuddling to think that the district could cut away the classes and the only reason given was because John Huppenthal, the superintended of public instruction at the time, threatened to withhold millions of dollars from the TUSD district if they did not comply and eliminate the classes. (Biggers) The students appealed the wrong doing and brought light to, what some would call, an extremist measure.

The students also called upon one another and played off of each other’s emotions during the walkout. They walked together as one group with one common goal, herein lying the pathos of the situation. The walkout had made the nation become more aware of the unjust structure of the new cuts in the academic system. Stars such as Eva Longoria chimed in on the situation calling the ban on classes more tragic than SB1070. (Planas) Movie stars and the general populace began to take note and shed light upon the situation as the movement gained traction.

Logic infers students and academic scholars in general be subject to equivalent measures of study. In suppressing fields of study and growth, that underlying sense of logic is defied. Furthermore, combined efforts in large groups under shared mentalities have historically proven to be effective and powerful means of communication and declaration. These ongoing issues and counterproductive decisions are especially detrimental when considering the ethnicity of most students attending in the district. (Biggers) These puzzling and repressive actions beg simple reason of both the students and anyone working toward exposing the matter, a clear example of logos’ important place in the movement and its wake.

The protest movement lives on in the decision that was made in a 2015 supreme court case that brought ethnic studies back into schools. (Diaz) It showed that maybe the cut of Mexican American studies was a racially fueled one and also a wrong one. The coverage that the walkout gained from not only local, but also national news outlets showed that this was a very effective and successful protest. And while the debate may differ slightly in terms of context, look to today’s political conflict as highly illustrative evidence toward the stance of racism and ethnic inequality being alive and well in this country. Without affirming a political stance of my own, it’s not difficult to recognize the outcry of citizens and leaders given certain candidate’s views. And it is movements like here in Tucson that help to strengthen backlash and a rejection of bias and inequality.

              It is my personal belief that studying other cultures as well as your own is always a positive experience and one that anyone no matter what race or what ethnicity you are can always benefit from. I knew people who participated in the walkout and each person was doing it not just for them but also for their own future generations. It is something that could be somewhat related to Brown vs The Board of Education. A case that featured its own walkouts for racial segregation in schools. If the cutting of Mexican American studies had stayed, then who knows what could have followed in its wake. This protest and the ruling pass down in 2015 bringing the classes back showed that sometime out constitution needs a bit of reboot that makes us remember those older cases. This whole ideal has shown us that not only is a peaceful protest effective, it can cause a positive change for our culture. The TUSD school walkouts show that people will not stand for any unjustness, especially if it pertains to the study and further development of one’s background no matter what race they are.

Work Cited

Skylar, Blake. Tucson bans Mexican-American studies, students walk out. 26 Jan. 2012. Web. 1 Oct. 2016.

Huicochea, Alexis. Students in walkout suspended. Arizona Daily Star, 2 July 2014. Web. 1 Oct. 2016.

Biggers, Jeff. “Tucson School Walk Outs Grow: Protest School District’s Folly and Mexican American Studies Banishment.” Huffington Post. The Huffington Post, 23 Jan. 2012. Web. 1 Oct. 2016.

Diaz, Tony. “Arizona Gets Schooled: Update on Ban of Mexican American Studies #MayaVsAZ.” Huffington Post. The Huffington Post, 11 Aug. 2015. Web. 1 Oct. 2016.

Herreras, Mari. A broken community. Tucson Weekly, 18 July 2013. Web. 1 Oct. 2016.

Fuck tha Police Final draft

Beto Hoyos

Dr. Steph Brown

ENG 306

9/29/16

                                                                   Fuck The Police

            In the 1980s, Los Angeles was a place full of racial tension and police brutality. In 2016 things are still far from perfect, but today people are constantly connected and therefore are more exposed to the injustices and the unfair treatment of African Americans by police. In 1988 the Compton rap group N.W.A released their highly controversial song Fuck Tha Police on their first album, Straight Outta Compton. The song was something people could get behind, especially those who were seeking out justice for unfair treatment by law enforcement. Those who have experienced these injustices first hand felt like they finally had a voice that could speak on their behalf.

            N.W.A was a group that was never afraid to speak their minds. They carried around an attitude which made them intimidating while at the same time admirable. The A in the acronym does stand for Attitude, and it was present in their music, lyrics and personas. The lyrics were controversial. The beats were hard hitting, in your face and fast paced. The group formed by Andre Young (Dr. Dre) consisted of his neighborhood friend O’Shea Jackson (Ice Cube) who wrote most of the raps, Lorenzo Patterson (MC Ren) a skilled lyricist, Antoine Carraby (DJ Yella) who manned the turn tables, and of course Eric Wright (Eazy-E) who was the grandiose, outspoken lead rapper.

            N.W.A had developed a following of fans in Compton and the surrounding areas years before their first studio album together. Dre and Yella had gained notoriety from being in World Class Wreckin’ Cru and Cube had attracted some fans from his time rapping with Cru In Action. In 1987 the group released a compilation album titled N.W.A and the Posse and really began forming their image as a group. Even though the group was still in its infancy when the controversial song was released, their collective voices were well respected within the community. Plenty of people may have had similar feelings as N.W.A had towards police, but it was N.W.A who had gained enough of a platform within the hip hop community to shake things up. This song and its message along with its controversy pushed the issue of police brutality to the forefront and allowed others outside the affected communities to take notice of the group and its message.

            The rhetorical object here is the entire song. N.W.A was sending out a message to the world that police brutality exists, they’ve seen it up close and personal, and that they were tired of it. When the track begins, Ice Cube immediately mentions how police treat African Americans with the opening lyric; fuck the police coming straight out the underground/ a young nigga got it bad ‘cuz I’m brown/ and not the other color so police think, they got the authority/ to kill a minority. From the get go, the song takes the form of a protest. Cube opens up the song stating that if you’re a minority or are dark skinned you are going to have a hard time with police because they treat minorities different. Cube also furthers his statement by saying that he’s not the other color, meaning white, so because of that, police think it would be allowed to treat him badly, beat him or even kill him.

            The story about the songs origin claims that Ice Cube and the rest of the group were standing outside of a recording studio when two officers came up to the group and began questioning them. Immediately the officers had them get down on the ground while they were cuffed and searched. When the groups manager, Jerry Heller came out to defuse the situation, the police told him they just needed to ‘check these bangers for drugs’. The claim was supported in the bio pic based on the group Straight Outta Compton. Ice Cube immediately began writing down the lyrics and recorded the song that day (Grey). These were young musicians trying to make a name for themselves. Upcoming rappers who finally had the chance to record a proper album. The police did not see it that way. The police seemed to only see the color of their skin. It was as if the police only saw another opportunity to oppress a minority. When the group released this song they tugged on the emotional strings of their audience, especially those who had been affected first hand by police brutality or unfair treatment.

The groups purpose with the song was to shed some light on what had been going on in the hood for too long. It was social injustice at the hands of police which sparked the Watts riots of the 60s. Although the fires of Watts may have been extinguished long ago, tensions from Watts are still smoldering today, and a fire still burns in the memories of many. Today the song has been adopted by some among the Black Lives Matter movement. With all of the fatal shootings by police across the country in the last couple of years, this song remains relevant. Not just Ice Cube but the entire group felt they needed to bring these issues to the forefront. In a 2015 interview with Billboard Magazine Ice Cube said he wanted to make a song people from his community could rally around (Gale). Cube tried to warn people about what was going to happen. Although all members were talented in their own way, it was Cube who was the more conscious and political.

            The reason this song has such staying power and timelessness is because not too much has changed since the late 80s. During this time, the group was seeing and experiencing all these same injustices as today. Ice Cube experienced this first hand one night while walking in front of his house, he was mistaken for another person and pushed up against a cop car and searched while bystanders including his parents stood by (Grey). For example, in 2011 612 people were killed in L.A county and 54 people were killed by officers or deputies, almost 70% more than in 2010 (Ruben). In 2015 the Department of Justice issued a report stating that Ferguson Police showed a pattern of clear racial disparities and discriminatory intent prior to and during the protests (Wihbey). Racism is still alive, its just that some people are good at concealing it.

            All of these issues have an effect on the way the public views law enforcement. However, it can be difficult to see things through the perspective of a police officer. Its understandable how emotionally and physically demanding the job must be, but many people all over the country and the world appreciate the hard work and the risk police take everyday. The thing people are after is accountability. People are seeking fair treatment, accountability and an end to racist behavior by those entrusted to protect us. People are tired of seeing unarmed individuals fatally shot by police. A USA today poll from August 2014 found that Americans of all races give relatively low marks to police departments across the nation when it comes to holding officers accountable for misconduct (Wihbey). In the previously mentioned Billboard interview, Cube agrees that not all police are bad or racist but thinks those who do act in that manner should be held accountable (Gale).

            Its always been the songs which contain an important message or evoke a certain kind of emotion which stand the test of time. This song managed to do both. The song has not lasted so long on mere controversy. The song was bold and brash but by doing so it sent a message that police brutality and racial injustices were recognized and would not be tolerated. Dre and Cube went on to establish successful brands for themselves, they both continue to be well respected in the entertainment world. Eazy-E sadly passed away in 1995 after losing a battle against AIDS. MC Ren and DJ Yella went on to live normal lives away from the spotlight. Although the group split up in the mid 90s the music which they created together will be a song to rally around while rallying against police injustices and unfair treatment of minorities. Hopefully relationships can improve between minorities and police, but so long as there is injustice at the hands of police, this song will continue to be a staple for those going through it.

                                                                

                                                                  Works Cited

Straight Outta Compton. Dir. F. Gary Grey. By Andre Young. Screenplay by Jonathan Herman. Perf. O'Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Paul Giamatti, Jason Mitchell. Universal Pictures, 2015. Film.

Goldstien, Rich. "A Brief History of the Phrase "Fuck the Police"" Thedailybeast.com. The Daily Beast, 23 Aug. 14. Web. 14 Sept. 16.

Ruben, Joel, and Sarah Ardalani. "Killings by Police Jump Sharply." Articles.latimes.com. Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2012. Web. 14 Sept. 2016.

Wihbey, John. "Research on Law Enforcement and Racial Conflict." Journalistsresource.org. Journalist's Resource, 28 July 2016. Web. 14 Sept. 2016.

Mozingo, Joe, and Angel Jennings. "50 Years after Watts: 'There Is Still a Crisis in the Black Community'" Latimes.com. Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2015. Web. 14 Sept. 2016.

Gale, Alex. "Ice Cube: Police Have Become Our Worst Bullies." Billboard.com. Billboard Magazine, 13 Aug. 2015. Web. 14 Sept. 2016.

Rhetoric of the Vietnam Protest

Jack Mayberry

Dr. Stephanie Brown

ENG306

29 September 2016

Rhetoric of the Vietnam Protests

            In the mid to late nineteen sixties, amidst the excessive drug usage and psychedelic imagery, was a conflict brewing in southeast Asia, and a growing fear of the threat of communism. This conflict soon became the Vietnam War and the rising fear of the communist party plaguing the United States, produced a nation of red-blooded Americans with hearts beating for capitalism. Those who opposed the fear, and eventually the war, became what we now know as the cultural entity of "Hippies." These sandal-wearing, peace-loving individuals formed their own identifier; one of disapproval and discontentment, united through a common goal for world peace. Although hippies were spread out all over the globe, the ones who called themselves Americans held a particular opposition to the idea of US troops in Vietnam and government (The Man) in general, and would go on to stage protests of epic proportions.

            The Vietnam War protests boast some of the most influential iconography in History. From John Lennon's, "Give Peace a Chance", to The March Against the Vietnam War, a Washington DC anti-war demonstration with, according to THE LEARNING NETWORK at the NY Times, the most attendance in US history, the Vietnam War protests were significantly important in shaping America as a nation and in attributing to collective identities that are still relevant to this day. A poster printed with the words "Leave the Fear of Red to Horned Beasts" is a particular piece of artwork that strikes resonance in anyone familiar with the country's history. This anti-war poster, unveiled originally in 1968, was designed by a group of students from the Rhode Island School of Design as part of a campaign to protest the Vietnam War in the northeastern United States. A collection of these posters, as well as similar pieces of artwork inspired by the Vietnam War, are currently held in the Library of Congress. (Vietnam protest poster 3) The protest drawn up by the students at Rhode Island is as clever as it is powerful and is a prime example of youth activism in both the Vietnam war era and in US history.

            The quote "Leave the fear of red to horned beasts" is a perfect summation of US involvement in the southeast Asia conflict and how opposing Americans felt about the war in general. It blatantly calls out Americans as a whole for their fear of communism and almost insults them in a way that is also enlightening. In referring to its audience as "Horned beasts", the poster is attempting to show the people their lack of logic and inability to see reason as a beast without conscious would. One could even argue that the poster has some religious connotations and that horned beasts could be referring to the Christian image of the devil. A religious poster at the time would an appropriate use of rhetoric since Americans in the 1960's predominately practiced some form of Christianity; meaning the only thing they feared more than communism, at the time, was Satan. In addition, being that the animal depicted is a bull, and that bulls are traditionally violent creatures well-known to attack anything displaying the color red, the text uses a witty play on words to infer that the American people are demonstrating essentially the same behavior as the horned animal. The red, however, in this case is communism. And since the color red is symbolic of the astral emblem of communism (Which America was fighting at the time), it was the perfect association to tie the two ideas together.

            Aside from the word choice for the poster, the imagery and fonts used also show semblances catered to their designated audience. The lettering, in all caps, is meant to show emphasis; as the context for capitalized words often stands for words of great importance or give an impression of sternness and shouting. The font chosen by the Rhode Island students is both crude and off-putting. It doesn't demonstrate order or peace, but chaos and confusion. This can be interpreted as if the bull or "horned beast" itself is idiosyncratically represented within the words. This notion is further exemplified when a hoof, from the animal depicted above, appears in the lettering right before the word fear. Bulls have a reputation for being violent and angry animals most likely due to the sport of bull-fighting in Spain. The animal's infamous legacy appears on the poster in the shape of the top half a bull charging at nothing. Although there is no clear expression of emotion drawn on the creature's face, one can tell just by looking at the poster that it is meant to seem angry and intimidating. What's more is that because the bull is shown charging at nothing, it shows the audience the color red (Communism) is an irrational fear that should be displayed only in the behavior of animals.

            Traditionally in protest, there is a concrete and comprehensible audience which is revealed through a series of tactical and deliberate rhetorical strategies. The anti-war poster, in this case, uses primarily pathos tactics to affect its audience but presents examples of logic as well to allow the American people see reason. Americans, in the time of the Vietnam War were in a near-constant state of panic and could be easily influenced by any form of propaganda; especially if the threat in question went against traditional American values such as capitalism. Consequently, the audience for poster was the Americans who had been affected by the fear of communism and were thus for US involvement in southeast Asia. The depiction of the beast on the poster is meant to be a fear-provoking image of how the protestors view Americans who fear the spread of communism. The poster is using the rhetoric of pathos; holding up a mirror to the American people and hoping that the people will not like what they see. Through the art piece, the creators are speaking directly to the frightened Americans and essentially telling them their fears are irrational and unwarranted. "Leave the fear" is a direct plea to the audience to disregard their fears of communism appealing to logos in that the audiences' current behavior defies logic and reason. "Horned beasts", one could argue, is referring to a Satan-like concept; appealing to the religious community since there is nothing Catholics would hate to be associated with more than the devil.

            Although the Vietnam War ended in 1975, identities formed from the protests are still observable and relevant to this day. Hippie ideals and lifestyles from the anti-war generation are still fairly prevalent in western culture today but have different motivations for global activism. Vietnam war protestors have turned into social activists; organizing marches and taking to social media on behalf of Syrian refugees and #BlackLivesMatter. While the rhetoric may be different, the ideas and inspirations of today's protests show defining glimpses from posters and rallies in the 1960's as well as the people who organized them.

Works Cited

Aitken, Jan. "Vietnam Protest Poster 3." Firefly House. © Copyright Firefly House 2016, Web. 27            Sept. 2016.

"Nov. 15, 1969 | Anti-Vietnam War Demonstration Held." The New York Times. Ed. THE             LEARNING NETWORK. The New York Times, 14 Nov. 2011.