Not All Protests are Created Equal: Take Two

If I may, it seems appropriate to revisit a post from not too long ago, Not All Protests Are Created Equal from March 6th.  Interestingly enough, that very same week, a radio piece addressed the same topic.  (Thanks for the LINK TO THE RADIO PIECE, Mr. Bolos!)  It asks:  What is a protest?  What is a civil war?

On the Media analyzes the use of the term "rebel" and "civil war" to identify anti-Qaddafi forces, while some could argue these men and women are "protesters."  The last bit of the radio show seems to sum up their discussion well:

Several people have told me that the moment they hear the word “rebel” they begin to disconnect. The effect is compounded when combined with the phrase “civil war.” Whether or not people like us on the other side of the world choose to engage or even follow the story is a decision each of us makes every day. We think we make those choices consciously, weighing the expense and time and mental energy with what we stand to gain. But often we decide without deciding. What we choose can hinge on the unrecognized power of a single world.

 We know that Madison, WI is not in the state of unrest it was in March... it lived the life of a "protest."  People had signs, people swayed government policy makers, people put down the signs, people (like myself) wrote blogs about it.  In Libya, the conflict continues.  Is calling anti-Qaddafi forces protesters accurate?  What do we call them?


Just yesterday CNN published "Inside Libya's Rebel Movement," a video that tells about the current status of the goings on in Libya.  This is by no means a protest, folks: military communication devices, guns, international military aid?  No, no, no.  This is a war.


In March, I could make analyze the fact that the situation in Libya and that in Wisconsin were titled similarly when their nature was so vastly different.  Now, with time aggravating the situation in Libya and dispersing the one in Madison, there is not even a title to compare.  These two events are no longer in the same realm of conflict.  


Clearly calling both the situations in Libya and Wisconsin did not change what they became, or else they would have become essentially the same thing.  So I must ask, do words actually have that much power?  Can a combination of symbols on a piece of paper or screen mean anything?  I don't think so; the blood in the dirt describes the situation quite accurately on its own. 

Junior Theme continues...

This long weekend, I began looking for holes in my research. I found that most of my research focused on the nature of Autism, like its symptoms, personal accounts, and its historical context. Making a topic outline allowed me to recognize my lack of information about treatment, public ignorance, and government aid. 

I came across some information about IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) of1975. It has made high school graduate rates double in the last few decades, to give an example of its success.  I also learned that ABA stands for Applied Behavior Analysis, which according to Autism Speaks is "a scientific approach to understanding behavior and how it is affected by environment."

I hope to begin writing today or tomorrow... keep checking the blog for progress!  Again, hope all is well with everyone's Junior Theme.

Excited! Junior Theme

G'Day Mates,

Exciting news! I sent an email to a professor in AUSTRALIA this afternoon and he already responded!! So I'm pretty pumped; scratch that- I'm very pumped.

I asked him to answer a few questions because an article he wrote possibley disproves my argument... not because he is the perfect compliment to my thesis statement. I am trying to understand my topic, autism, as fully and completely as possible. Direct quotes from the interview may not integrate easily, but a greater understanding will impact the entire paper.  Hopefully I will recieve his responses soon.

He's all the way in Melbourne, Victoria!!

Do you want fries with that?

First of all, I would like to apologize for my misleading title; this has nothing to do with fries.  However, it does has to do with extras, like fries.  EXTRA:  PLEASE LOOK AT NOT ALL PROTESTS ARE CREATED EQUAL.
And now for the actual post!

Junior Theme is in full swing, and thus I am utterly confused.  I went about my "Why" question as if it were sarcastic, like "Duh, Autism shouldn't be considered a childhood disorder even though it impacts people their whole lives" rather than "I'm going to answer the question 'Why is Autism considered a childhood disorder when it impacts people their whole lives.'''

So I am redirecting my research from where it has been focused the last week.  I spent a lot of time researching Autistic adults rather than the reasoning for the child-focused attention it recieves.  So now, I am researching the history and authorities during different time periods, rather than stats and facts.  So far so good; how is your research going?  Hope it's going well!

What Should I Title This? (Junior Theme Day 1)

Everyone has their "isms."  My sister has a Chloeism of picking her outfit the night before she wears it.  My dog has a Mikeism of barking at very inconvenient times.  Me?  My Glennaism is being indecisive.

This has been an ongoing problem at places like restaurants, clothing stores, and libraries.  "I like the blue one... No, no, no I don't like that one- I'll try the red.  Or maybe the green?"  Some decisions are never decided, they just hang there in my head.  Example:  Hmm, which example should I use?  There are too many to count.

This state of uncertainty may be uncomfortable, but is FAR better than actually making an important decision; buyers remorse, anxiety, and self doubt ensue.  Yet, today for the first time in a long time, that didn't happen.

Today I picked my Junior Theme general topic: Autism.  I am still deciding between "why" questions, but the fact that I actually made a decision in a timely manner is invigorating!  Maybe it is a sign or maybe the sun and moon are aligned in a certain way or something, who knows!  More likely, it is something I am genuinely interested in and know very little about.  So Curiosity overcame the long established Glennaism.  Here's hoping Curiosity comes your way, too.

8.9

Please join me when I send thoughts and prayers to those devastated by the natural disasters in Japan.  A summary of today's events can be found on the links below:

• CNN video...http://cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2011/03/11/natpkg.japan.day.of.quake.cnn 
• US Geology Survey...http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc0001xgp.php

To aid in relief efforts,
...Text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation
...Donate at redcross.org
...Donate at http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/japan-earthquake-tsunami-relief/

Thank you.

Not All Protests are Created Equal

Just to our north, in Madison, Wisconsin, public workers are protesting to protect their collective bargaining rights.  Collective bargaining is defined by Merriam-Webster as "a negotiation between an employer and labor union usually on wages, hours and working conditions."  For over two weeks, thousands of people have slept inside the state capital, standing (or laying on) their ground.  The Christian Science Monitor reports that the public servants' actions reflect most American's opinions: they want collective bargaining.  The protests themselves seem to be at a stalemate, as both sides are taking action but neither one stronger than the other.  A big problem: 14 Democratic representatives (whose presence is required to vote on the proposed bill that is being protested) are taking refuge in unknown Illinois motels.  At this point, there is no clear answer.  To hear both sides of this unresolved issue, please watch this video from CNN.

Across the ocean, a different protest wages on:  one against Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi.  Hundreds have been killed as people rebel against his 40+ year long regime.  An interview with Qaddafi about the conflict is HERE.   Anti government protests across the country have been swift and strong, says the New York Times.  It also reports:

Colonel Qaddafi lashed out with a level of violence unseen in either of the other uprisings, but the rebels fought back and won tribal leaders and an increasing share of the military to their side, seizing the eastern half of the country.

Overall, the situation is not a good one.  People are dead in the streets and families are seeking refuge as their ears ring with the cracks of machine gun fire.  For a detailed explanation of what is going on, please watch this video.  VIEW WITH DISCRETION.

News outlets label both occurrences as "protests," but do they do so accurately?  My opinion: no they do not.  Unless they include the thousands of adjectives that separate these events, news sources do not do either bloody, peaceful, dangerous, hateful, organized, effective, national, fair, or terrifying "protest" justice.  

Protests in the streets of Libya.

Protests at the State Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin.