Response to Standard Operating Procedure

Response to Standard Operating Procedure

            Standard Operating Procedure is a documentary film directed by Errol Morris.  The film is about the Abu Ghraib U.S. military prison in Iraq that held suspected terrorists during the U.S. occupations of Iraq, and the massive scandal that took place there.  Former military personnel who worked as guards in the prison were interviewed about what they did at Abu Ghraib and how prisoners were treated, and the film also showed pictures and videos of the daily operations at the prison.  The message of the film is never directly stated, as the creators of the film never appear in it to tell the viewers what they want people think about this issue.  Director Errol Morris leaves the content of this film entirely up to the interpretation of his audience, requiring viewers to form their own opinions on how Abu Ghraib was run.  Despite not being told what we’re supposed to think of the film, the images shown, and the interviews of soldiers who worked there clearly present the injustices that occurred at Abu Ghraib prison.

            After the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Abu Ghraib was made the main prison and interrogation center for suspected terrorists and Iraqi military personnel, which later became the center of a massive scandal that extended to the highest levels of the military.  Images and videos were leaked that shows the prison guards doing highly questionable things to inmates.  Pictures taken from the prison frequently show things such as; prisoners being stepped naked and being handcuffed into stressed positions, prisoners being forced to wear bags and women’s panties over their heads, guards forcing a group of naked inmates to form a human pyramid, and even a prisoner who was beaten to death during an interrogation.  Video footage shows guards sicking attack dogs on one inmate, and guards forcing a group of prisoners to masturbate in front of them.  One soldier who was interviewed said that they also blasted loud music to disrupt the inmates pray times.

            Standard Operating Procedure also shows the interviews of soldiers who were assigned to work in the prison, including some who became infamous when they were mentioned in news reports on the scandal.  They spoke about their actions towards the prisoners, interrogation tactics, how they were ordered to do these things by higher-ups, the secretive nature of their “superiors”, and the attempt at a cover-up.  These interviews reveal other disturbing acts of our military in Iraq.  One a soldier said that they did sweeps at night and arrested all fighting-age males whether or not they were suspected of a crime.  Others said that they tried to hide the death of one inmate at the hand of interrogators, and that they were ordered to destroyed the evidence of prisoner abuse.  Some of the soldiers that appeared in the film were sentenced to time in prison for their actions at Abu Ghraib, and even some who had no part in the abuse, but were present when these acts occurred. 

            Some of the interviewees claimed that they were following orders from their commanders, because they believed that the actions shown in the film were effective methods for interrogation.  They thought that the techniques shown in the movie, would break the prisoners and cause them to divulge valuable information that would help the U.S. military in the Iraq war, and that would save American lives.  Most people however, think that torture, abuse, and humiliation are the wrong approaches for getting information out of people.  When human beings are put through these ordeals, most of them will say anything to stop their interrogators from harming them. Information gained in this manner is often times untrue or incomplete.  

Response to Democracy Now news report: 10/17

Response to Democracy Now Report: 10/17/11

            The Democracy Now: War and Peace Report that aired this Monday covered national and international topics including: the global protests against bank and corporate greed, armed conflicts in Africa, the dedication of the new Martin Luther King Jr. memorial, the new Alabama immigration law, and the continuing unrest in the Middle East.  There were many positive and encouraging stories in this new segment, which is a rare occurrence nowadays.   The positive events however, need to be taken with a grain of salt, because they also expose many of the dark things that are taking place in the Unites States and the across the globe.  The common theme shared by these events, most notably the protests taking place around the world; is the disgruntled majority of the global population uniting and speaking out against the power-holding minority.  Demonstrators taking part in these protests are upset because they feel as though the top 1% in many countries, are sacrificing the well-being of the other 99% for selfish reasons. 

            The Occupy Wall Street protest that started about a month ago is still occurring and has grown exponentially.  This demonstration has ignited a global movement that has inspired protesters to take to the streets in 1,500 cities worldwide.  The largest such protest on Monday took place in Rome, where 200,000 joined in the city’s streets.  It is still unclear as to what exactly these protesters want to happen, and they have not yet united in demanding common solutions.  The protesters do agree that the practices of the major banks, corporations, and public policy makers; are sabotaging the opportunities and well being of the other 99% of the population.  They believe that the greed and financial interests of the elite 1% have trumped the needs of the general population in government policy making, and that this needs to change.  Many famous figures have joined in support of the protesters: documentary filmmaker Michael Moore in New York, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in London, actor and activist Danny Glover in Oakland, and Princeton Professor Cornell West in Washington D.C., among others.

            Demonstrations in U.S. have been met with hostility by government and law enforcement.  Hundreds of peaceful protesters have been arrested across the U.S., simply for refusing to leave from the areas they were protesting in.  One women in New York City who was trying to withdraw her money from Citi Bank, was arrested and dragged away by police for no apparent reason.  New York mayor Michael Bloomberg considered forcing the protesters to leave their spot, and Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said that; “The protestors shouldn’t blame Wall Street, it is their own fault if they don’t have jobs and that they’re not rich.”  President Obama however, did speak in support of the protestors while giving a speech at the dedication of the new MLK memorial in Washington D.C.

           

Other stories that caught my attention was the U.S. sending troops to Uganda, and a federal appeals court blocking part of the harsh Alabama immigration law.  The United States has deployed 100 special operations soldiers to Uganda to help fight the rebel leader Joseph Kony.  Kony is maniacal madmen who forces child soldier to fight for him, and there is no doubt that the world would be better without him in it.  However, Uganda was recently the site of a massive oil discovery, which leads me to question the true motives of this troop deployment.  The new Alabama immigration law faced a setback, when a federal appeals court said that it could no longer question the citizenship of public school students.

Essay 1 Proposal

Alex Nelson

Eng 102

Proposal For Informative/Evaluative Essay

            My topic for this informative piece will be over the American food and agricultural systems, and the importance of proper nutrition for all people.  In this essay I will provide the reader with information showing the dark side of the U.S. food and farming industries, and expose the dirty secrets of our country’s largest food corporations.  In a nutshell: the lack of government regulation over the food industry, has allowed large food and agricultural corporations to get away with unethical and destructive business practices, and to deceive and exploit consumers.  These practices have had adverse effects on the health, freedom, and well being of the American people.  These corporations have been, and are still paying officials in all levels of government to turn a blind eye, and to pass legislation that supports the interests of big agriculture.   The American government has allowed this entire industry to be out of control and hold massive influence over our public officials, while the American people suffer the consequences.

            In this essay I would also like to teach the reader the importance of good nutrition, and to tell them about healthier and safer food choices that are available.  Nutrition is a topic that I feel is overlooked by the United States in general, and is the most important factor for human health, and the ability for people to perform well in nearly every activity.  I will go into detail on the importance of quality nutrition for children, and how poor nutrition can stifle their physical and cognitive development, educational achievement, and life-long health.  Children, especially those from low-income families that cannot afford healthy foods are worst victims of the nutritional crisis occurring in the United States. 

            This is a serious problem that affects every single person, and that everyone should become aware off.  Eating is the most primal human activity, and eating food is required for each and every person to survive.  The American people need to be informed of the sad truths of the United States food system.  Every person should know about things such as: the unethical business practices by food corporations, the harmful substances in many of the most popular food items, how the food industry is exploiting children, the negative impact this current system has on farmers, and how our government has failed to protect consumers, among other things.  People, especially those who have children should also be informed about alternatives such as organic foods, food from local farms, and other options that help support the solution rather than the problem.

            The intended audience of this piece is anyone who wants to learn how to live a healthier lifestyle, people who value their freedom, parents and other caregivers, those who work in education, people who work in any part of the food industry, and for anyone who wants to do their part to improve the United States as a whole.  I hope to leave an impression on every person who might read this, but the most important audience for me to reach are the parents and guardians of children.  I care most about this audience because they provide food for young people who cannot yet support themselves.  Quality nutrition is crucial for kids to reach their full physical and mental potentials, especially during the critical developmental periods of infancy, toddlerhood, and adolescence. 

Sources that will be used in the paper:

Nestle, Marion.  Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and       Health.  Berkley:  University of California Press, 2007.  Print.

Schlosser, Eric.  Fast Food Nation.  New York:  Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001.  Print.

Food, Inc.  Dir. Robert Kenner.  Perf. Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser.  Magnolia, 2009.  DVD.

King Corn.  Dir. Aaron Woolf.  Perf. Ian Chesney, Curt Ellis, Stephen Macko, Chuck Pyatt, Ricardo Salvador.  2008.  DVD.

response to: "teachers wonder, why the scorn"

Alex Nelson

Eng 102

Response to: “Teachers Wonder, Why the Scorn”

            The main idea from this article in the New York Times is to discuss the barrage of challenges that teachers in America are facing for lawmakers at local and state levels; as well as from the public.  The article highlights several main challenges for current teachers, which are: mass layoffs, loss of collective bargaining rights, pay cuts, loss of benefits, and other policies that will make their jobs more difficult.  It also discusses how public opinion of teachers and the rights they should have is split, and that both sides of the issue feel very passionately about their position.  This year there have been heated arguments in several states and cities that have created headlines, and have shined a massive spotlight on this issue and the impact its having on our nation’s teachers.

            The most notable battle that took place this year was the one that took place in Wisconsin, where the state government wanted to strip away collective bargaining rights from public employees, including teachers.  “Ms. Parker, a second-year teacher making $36,000, fears that under the proposed legislation class sizes would rise and higher contributions to her benefits would knock her out of the middle class.”(Gabriel)  This quote expresses the concerns that Ms. Parker and many other teachers in Wisconsin, have over the anti-union laws that Wisconsin was trying to implement.  Since the fight over collective bargaining and teachers’ rights in Wisconsin, this same issue has spread to others states, as those governments attempt to balance their budgets.  “Republican lawmakers in half a dozen states are pressing to unwind tenure and seniority protections in place for more than 50 years.”(Gabriel)  This extensive battle has even trickled down to the local and city level.  “Mayors are threatening mass layoffs, including in New York City and Providence, RI, where all 1,926 teachers were told last week they would lose their jobs.”(Gabriel)

            Public opinion on this matter and on the profession of teaching in general is mixed.  A recent New York Times poll indicated showed that 60% opposed restricting CBA rights for public employees, versus 33% who were in favor (Gabriel).  Though it has been shown that the majority of the public supports teachers, some on the other side of the argument view them as a bunch of liberal whiners, who have insignificant jobs and are just trying to get more money.  These feelings are shown in the statement; “Oh you pathetic teachers… You are glorified baby sitters who leave work at 3pm. You deserve minimum wage.”(Gabriel)  Comments like this are bringing down the morale of teachers across the county, a profession that already has an attrition rate of 25% of teachers leaving within the first three years.  Destructive government policies and negative public opinion have teachers fighting with their backs against the wall, and feeling as though they are being treated unfairly and that people don’t care about them.

Works Cited

Gabriel, Trip.  “Teachers Wonder, Why the Scorn”.  The New York Times.  2 March 2011