Motorcycle Club Blocks Protesters, Ryan Lenz

ARTICLE LINK:http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=989615601&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1274200692&clientId=9417
ARTICLE LINK: http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?storyID=105049

A rather short article, but one that got to the point, and one that i see to be very controversial. This article has much to do with the service that is provided to our country by our military, and to those unfortunate lives that are lost in battle. Stating that every member of the service who lost their life has the right to a peaceful funeral, not one interrupted by protesters, protesting their funeral and the war. "Shirley Phelps-Roper, a daughter of Phelps and an attorney for the Topeka-based church, said neither state laws nor the Patriot Guard can silence their message that God killed the troops because they fought for a country that embraces homosexuals." They are saying that all of our soldiers who died, is because our country says gays are okay. That has nothing to do with why our heroes died. Our community saying farewell to Shea has brought us together, in the article some of his friends spoke of him, and you can read and see the compassion everyone sends to Shea. Sharing memories and jokes his friends had with him was tear jerking. Both articles were about service men and women having the right to a peaceful funeral service, one that we can say thank you and good bye at.

This article is logical, and presented well. Giving support to our troops and saying goodbye to the fallen warriors. It brought up the argument of protesters and if it is okay are right. In no sense is it okay and right. Our soldiers deserve to be thanked and said bye to in peace. Evidence is included in both articles, quotes from Shea's friends and family, and the first article had information about protesters, why they were protesting and quotes from them. The argument is persuasive and two sided. One feeling how the protesters do, the other strongly disagreeing. I believe both of these articles reached the intended audiences. The first article making their stance very clear on their stance on the issue, being against the funeral protestors, the second, saying farewell to Shea and keeping the protesters away.

This article made me feel disgusted, disgusted with those people who feel it is right and okay to protest a fallen hero. Thing is, they may not like the war, but fact of the matter is, we are in it, nothing they can do to change that, at least they can do is respect those fallen heroes that died to save and protect those back here. The second article about supporting Shea, who died in Afghanistan about a week ago touched my heart. I personally knew Corporal Shea, and for me to hear and think that their may be protesters at his funeral makes me ill. I want to give him a nice, peaceful goodbye and to say thanks for his sacrifice, not fend off protesters blaming his death for our societies openness for homosexuals. I wish i could somehow single handily stop such acts of violence, protesting fallen heroes is insane, ignorant and down right rude. Let the fallen heroes rest in peace.

How Young is Too Young?

This image was very disturbing to me. I wasnt sure what to make of it, but infact it is very contreversial. As many of us know, we were all raised differently, and grew up in different enviroments. For this album cover, there is a young infant, sitting up looking at a hand gun. Many of us may think that this is teaching our children at a young age about viloence. Some may take it as protection, or teaching them not what to do. Either way, i feel that we are exposing our young children, in todays world, too fast, to the realities of life and the dangers that lurk. Many people may not feel this way, and may interprut this image a bit different. This also may be showing how violent the lyrics of rap music are, and showing that young kids may think about acting out on these lyrics and acting dangerously. This picture could be interpruted many ways, all being very contrversial.

As stated before the two different sides to this image may be that we are teaching violence to our youth, or we are trying to protect them, raise a thought and show them not what to do. If we are teaching them violence, through lyriccs and the pictures that accompany the album, like i feel, then that is down right ignorant. Why would you put some kind of picture with a baby staring a a hand gun on the cover of your music. Now the other side of the argument may in fact be that this trying to raise a spark in your mind, and get you to think that this is not normal and get you to think about how you act around young children, and what you, yourself expose them to.

Either way, this image is effective. It is a strong arrgument for which ever stand you take. It is powerful image and really makes a person think about what they expose children to, and how they act.

Im not sure if this album cover is going to far. In some ways it is, but in others, i feel that it sent a very strong, much needed message to people in todays society. Some people may feel very irritated by this image, but on the other hand i feel that it was needed, to really trigger somehting, to make sure that we watch how we act, what we do, and the message we send to our youth today.