The economic crisis continues to hit cities. Los Angeles, the second largest city in the U.S, is in the mist of a "credit rating downgrade." Yesterday, Thursday-February 18, the LA City Council ordered the main person(s) of agencies to throw out aproximately 3,000 city jobs!!! (all by the 1st of July). About 1, 000 jobs are already being eliminated, despite the 3,000 jobs they are still planning to eliminate.
This termination of jobs is mostly due to the city's trouble to slam a $212-million deficit.
I personally think that this tactic, of elimanting thousands of jobs of working citizens, is one that needs to be analyzed and fully-thought about. Most of us understand that the economy is not that so great. Many of it which has to do with the unequal distribution of wealth among society, but that is a whole different issue; one in which i will not get into. The City Council seems they know what they are doing, especially for their respective city districts. The main purpose of eliminating these jobs is to be able to close the deficit. Sure, elimination of jobs main not be the main way, but it's a way in which we--as a City--can still benefit from.
If we proposed the City Council to think of an alternative, one of their possibilities will probably be elimination of programs; if that is so, people from every City District will be affected. Enrichment programs for youth may be one of those programs; the effect of those cuts may lead youth into the streets. Or Health programs may be one of the services to be eliminated; the effect of those cuts may lead to many people not having the equal oppurtunity to be healthy.
We, the citizens, tend to judge and critique our politicians withouth having the time to educate ourselves about their decison-making; and how it can sometimes only come down to one solution. Sure, it is not the right and main solution, but one that the City will benefit from.
Of course, there is the argument that elimantion of jobs affects working class citizens; loss of their jobs means trouble to sustain themselves, and even their families. I agree that is truly a problem as well. We cannot have our people continue to struggle; another alternative may also be city workers accepting a cut in their paychecks. Yes, many still struggle even with the paycheck they are getting now, but if they analyzed what they rather have, it will be more logical to accept a pay-cut, rather than completely lose your job.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
A New Generation of Femenists
According to bell hooks, "Femenism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression." This definition of Femenism does not portray men as the "enemy," but "sexism as the problem."
On Friday, February 5th, the Womyn Studies course in the Social Justice Academy @ Miguel Contreras Learning Complex, came to it's end.
One semester--Five months--took students through a journey of understanding how femels are oppressed in a patriarchal society. This course, which was made up of mostly girls, a few males, and an empowering femel teacher, will be remembered by the students for years to come. The lessons that were learned in just a few months, really changed the minds of the students.
Students learned that FEMENISM, was not only a movement where femels could be part of, but men as well. They learned that "sexist thinking and action [where] the problem," of the struggles womyn face today in society. Teen violence was also one of the topics they learned. Students became aware of what was a "RED FLAG" in a relationship; and what a "healthy relationship" really is.
Students also learned about the objectification of womyn in media, misogyny in music, definition of beauty, Marianismo, Familismo, Machismo, Gender-Roles, Brotherhood & Sisterhood, Disney Stories Analysis, Empowerment, Womyn of Color and more; altough the course was named "Womyn Studies", the class also understood the pressures men face in the same patriarchal society femels struggle in.
Overall, the course was a very intimiate. At the beginning of the course, when we began to learn about Brotherhood and Sisterhood, students got to share stories that reflected struggles they have gone to. Stories from the womyn in the class were very touching and sad, in my opinion. The stories that were shared were sometimes unbelieveable.
Ms.Corpus, who was the empowering teacher who leads this course, really got the students in the class to really analyze things from a femenist perspective, a femenists lens. In my opinion, there couldnt be any other teacher that can teach this course as great as she can.
The lessons that were learned will really stick with the students for a long time because they now have an understanding of a patriarchal society, where not only womyn are oppressed, but males as well.
This course truly gave birth, to a new strong generation of Femenists.
This are what some of the students' responses about the course:
"The class is a great experience. Unfortunately, is not really offer in many high schools and if it is offer, it is just for a short period of time. I do advise that anyone that has the chance to take Women Studies, to do so; It is a life changing experience. By taking this class you will learn so much on how media portrays women and how society within its self portray women.", Jessica Ibarra.
"As a womyn studies student, i have learned so much. Ms. Corpus has taught me so much and i will definitley carry it for the rest of my life. i have learned to help other womyn around me. i have learned what it means to be a true womyn of color. everytime i walked into her classroom, i felt like true change could come if everyone tried. Being the youngest [in the class] i taught my fellow sophmores and hopefully when they walk into her class they know a little.", Ashley Velasco
On Friday, February 5th, the Womyn Studies course in the Social Justice Academy @ Miguel Contreras Learning Complex, came to it's end.
One semester--Five months--took students through a journey of understanding how femels are oppressed in a patriarchal society. This course, which was made up of mostly girls, a few males, and an empowering femel teacher, will be remembered by the students for years to come. The lessons that were learned in just a few months, really changed the minds of the students.
Students learned that FEMENISM, was not only a movement where femels could be part of, but men as well. They learned that "sexist thinking and action [where] the problem," of the struggles womyn face today in society. Teen violence was also one of the topics they learned. Students became aware of what was a "RED FLAG" in a relationship; and what a "healthy relationship" really is.
Students also learned about the objectification of womyn in media, misogyny in music, definition of beauty, Marianismo, Familismo, Machismo, Gender-Roles, Brotherhood & Sisterhood, Disney Stories Analysis, Empowerment, Womyn of Color and more; altough the course was named "Womyn Studies", the class also understood the pressures men face in the same patriarchal society femels struggle in.
Overall, the course was a very intimiate. At the beginning of the course, when we began to learn about Brotherhood and Sisterhood, students got to share stories that reflected struggles they have gone to. Stories from the womyn in the class were very touching and sad, in my opinion. The stories that were shared were sometimes unbelieveable.
Ms.Corpus, who was the empowering teacher who leads this course, really got the students in the class to really analyze things from a femenist perspective, a femenists lens. In my opinion, there couldnt be any other teacher that can teach this course as great as she can.
The lessons that were learned will really stick with the students for a long time because they now have an understanding of a patriarchal society, where not only womyn are oppressed, but males as well.
This course truly gave birth, to a new strong generation of Femenists.
This are what some of the students' responses about the course:
"The class is a great experience. Unfortunately, is not really offer in many high schools and if it is offer, it is just for a short period of time. I do advise that anyone that has the chance to take Women Studies, to do so; It is a life changing experience. By taking this class you will learn so much on how media portrays women and how society within its self portray women.", Jessica Ibarra.
"As a womyn studies student, i have learned so much. Ms. Corpus has taught me so much and i will definitley carry it for the rest of my life. i have learned to help other womyn around me. i have learned what it means to be a true womyn of color. everytime i walked into her classroom, i felt like true change could come if everyone tried. Being the youngest [in the class] i taught my fellow sophmores and hopefully when they walk into her class they know a little.", Ashley Velasco
Thursday, February 4, 2010
The View through a Lens...
These are my latest photographs.
From this point on, i will try my best to post my recent photographs, at least once a week.
my camera is with me, almost everywhere i go, so i take photographs of a lot of stuff.
These photographs would be posted in a "segment" (haha) i will call:
The View through a Lens
From this point on, i will try my best to post my recent photographs, at least once a week.
my camera is with me, almost everywhere i go, so i take photographs of a lot of stuff.
These photographs would be posted in a "segment" (haha) i will call:
The View through a Lens
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