Blog #3

By choosing the radiohead song for the video, the filmmakers are trying to draw a comparison between the song lyrics and the children who work to make shoes. People don't think of what goes into making the products that they consume. The video is making the argument, there is more than just a material cost for people to get their products. Their is a human cost which is shown in the video. Should the children in the video have to live in such poor conditions? Why can't they have a better quality of life? People who live in poor countries are exploited because they need money to survive. Companies pay them almost nothing and the workers have to live with poor conditions because they need the money. If the workers demand more money the company just moves somewhere else where the people need the money more.
The video makes the argument that we should not allow people in any country to live in such poor conditions for the sake of getting a cheap product.

Television and Families

Cody Otero
Television has become such a big part American Culture, the question of if television is good for people or for families has gone away completely. It has become so highly integrated in people's home lives that it can't be seen as even having potential to be a problem. Television is the easiest thing that a person can do in their house it takes no energy, no interaction, and no communication. Winn argues that the major problem that a family has stems from watching too much television. Winn describes television as a drug. Drawing this comparison points out televisions addictive qualities, and how it can slowly take over your life and relationships. Winn acknowledges that television is not the only problem families face but is a major contributor. Watching television is negative because it separates families by taking away its meaningful relationships and bonds.
Watching television while with another person is the same as ignoring the person. Television puts a person in a trance-like state, where they become totally taken over by the program they are watching. It negates any interacting you would otherwise have with your family. Instead of talking with one another people sit and watch television. It seems like when watching television, everyone is in their own world.
The television separates families by dividing them into different groups. By separating shows into different time slots, genres, and targeted audiences the television puts each member of the family into their own category different from the rest. The variety of programming has further brought families apart. In my family we have three televisions. So if anyone doesn’t like what someone is watching in one room then they can just go into a completely different room. This has so much potential to become a problem for families. Even when we try to spend time together by watching television it doesn’t workout. One member of the family disagrees on what to watch, so the whole family either gets into an argument or goes to separate rooms. What qualities does a television have that a family should be fighting over it?
In some ways people can put the television before their families.

Obama T-Shirt

Students have the right to express themselves to a certain point. As long as what they say or wear does not interrupt the learning environment for students around them. Outside of school they can say what ever they want. Freedom of speech is different in schools because something you do or say could interrupt the learning process, children in schools can't go around saying or doing anything they want. It is a privilege to be able go to school, not a right, so if something is disruptive to the who school it should not be allowed. I don't view the Obama shirt or the redneck shirt as something that could cause so much disruption the learning environment would be unsuitable for the students. I think if an Obama shirt causes a disruption in a school, freedom of speech is not the biggest problem.