Ronson's N-word Summary and Response

This short narrative was was recalling Jon Ronson's experiences when he went to visit a Klu Klux Klan rally in the Ozark Mountains located in Arkansas. To his surprise he found it to be much more civilized then he had ever expected. The people their weren't like those shown in the the movies, they were normal people expected that they held a certain opinion which may differ from want you or me might. The new Klans leader Thom was nothing like what he expected him to be like, he was completely against using the N-word, even cringing upon hearing the word, and was focused more upon giving people a better public opinion about themselves and their actions. They were no longer like the gung-ho enthusiasts of the past who would go out on public demonstration trying to instill fear into peoples heart, while secretly trying to take over the world. Some of the groups still try to give off that kind of persona, like the leader from one of the rival Klans who appears on Jerry Springer a lot and throws chairs at people and uses the N-word freely. Thom thinks of those people as Klu Klux Clowns ad doesn't want that for his group, but instead wants to try and portray themselves as the white knights, the heroes, the good guy who are their to try and help those who are being oppressed. A movie, Birth of a Nation, which they watched during the rally, was a good interpretation of what the new Klan was striving to achieve. Some of the individuals that still held on to the hatred and malice from the past left the Klan run by Thom in order to join more “active” groups or some would even go solo and try to help their cause in any way necessary. So that left the Klan dwindling in numbers, trying to achieve a word for white supremacists, but through means closer to that of Martin Luther King's then of Malcolm X's.
In my opinion I like the fact the Thom is trying to achieve his goals without the violence and the hatred that was used by previous generations. But the idea of white supremacy doesn't really sit well with me because if the world was ever divided like that then their would be separate nations all one race, which would lead to turmoil between them, as each nations thought of ways to try an eradicate the others and make a world for only their race (the best race). But on the other hand their would also be those that would go against the rules and try and befriend their so called enemies or love between races could happen, resulting in both parties being shunned from and then another nation filled with the shunned and multiracial individuals would form. This would probably anger the other nations and result in purge attempts against them, since they have not power or money and wouldn't have any means to fight back. So as for the idea of white supremacy it is completely unrealistic and is only a good idea in thought. If it was ever implemented it would have drastic consequences throughout the world.
I also thought that thought they are going to all these extremes to try and get the KKK to be a more civilized group, in the end it will never work. Peoples idea of the KKK has been completely manipulated by the media and the movies that they have seen and all that would result from their actions will be confusion and disbelief. Besides there are still the other KKK groups that follow the views and beliefs of the past and will continue to ruin the efforts of the newly formed group.
One point from the article that I really like was at the end when Ronson spoke about how most older movies were created like Birth of a Nation but then after the immigration of Jews into American this kind of thinking was completely renounced, resulting in Jewish people taking control of much of Hollywood and changing the ideals of the world from that of white supremacy to that or what we now call the American Dream. It is actually very interesting to think how the American dream, being something that everyone wanted was actually advertised by immigrating Jewish people. And also, if you add in the stereotypes about the Jewish people, in particular the one about them being good with money and having a lot of greed, these ideas about the American dream and how it has become what it is now really starts to take form. I am not saying that I promote any of these stereotypes, but I am saying is that I really like how sometimes you don't realized just how our world has come to what it is today without thinking about these small details that are almost always overlooked. I also wonder just how different our world would be events like these never came about.

Beverly Gross' Bitch summary and response

In the article, "Bitch" by Beverly Gross she examines the word bitch and how it is used in today's society. She looks at all the different perceptive that the word is currently used in from it's actual and literal meaning, to its suppressive meaning, to it offensive meaning, and to it's contemptuous meaning. But Gross focus' her point majorly upon the words suppressive meaning, as it is used to suppress woman's intellect, free-thought, and expressionism. She feel that the word is predominately the worst insult that can be called towards a women, as it covers such a broad spectrum of definitions that it would cover almost any women, making them feel degraded, and causing them disdain. As she sees it the word has become somewhat a word of oppression that people, but men in general, can hold over a women in order to keep them in line and make them do what they want. It has become more then just an insult; it has become a word of power, it holds power over the victim, humiliating the recipient and causing more then just pain, it makes the them want to change themselves so they wont "be" the very thing that they were called the word for. From Gross' perceptive it is the ultimate insult, far succeeding any of it's predecessors and became a word of legendary fear humiliation.

Men have always found sanctity and refuge in there masculinity, as it represents what it means to be a man, as far as for the times. But by taking that away, you are essentially alienating us and causing us to enter into our discomfort zones. It isn't just about pride, but about the precedence that men hold some level of responsibility towards providing food, shelter, and protection, caused by the subliminal stereotype that men must act in this particular fashion (overly assertive, egotistical,etc.) in order to remain a part of the continuously changing times and not to be seen as an outcast amongst this socially and class based society.
Our society is predominated by stereotypes and tends, which shape and form our society into what it is today. Women are expected to act a certain way, that is just what is, there isn't a reason for it other then it is what people want and what has become accepted. As well, men are thus expected to act in a particular way. This might seem very backwards to most, but in reality, this is the society we live in, and in most cases, we just obliviously overlook our biased opinion, and just continue to follow our beliefs without regard to what really is right or wrong. We can not change the way things are because they have become accepted into the culture and to change these view we will have to change the very foundation of our culture and the lives in which we live. I think that it is really ironic that the very foundation of our culture is the idea of freedom, but yet we are being dragged down by this invisible roped tied around our ankles. We aren't just expected to accept the unwritten rules of our culture, but to abide by them as well and if we refuse, there are implications to those actions. It may not, be legal implications, but cultural and social ones can be just a consequential. The word bitch, has become part of the culture, and the norm the everyone is expected to follow. Though it my be offensive to people, it is none the less, used in everyday society, influencing our actions towards, what everyone expects.
Even I hear myself uttering the word from time toe time, but it doesn't seem to affect me, since it has become a cultural norm amongst society. We will always dewell upon the reason that the word is uttered and how it is used to an effect, but this has absolutely no consequence if it can't be put to an end. In an altruistic world maybe this could be accomplishable, but unfortunately this is not the case. We will always have problems with with things that we dislike, but we there really is nothing that we can do about them. It will forever remain the way it is unless someone or something is done to change the norm that everyone has grown to know and expect.

Stuck in English class

Wow, I am stuck in English 100 class and we are, none other then, making a blog account. Really didn't expect this, so this was pretty surprising. But I will roll with it. :)