Journalistic Ethics

I believe that journalism should be a credible and a respectable source of information in the media. Over the years there have been journalists who have abused their credibility and the fundamentals of journalism ethics. Stephen Glass is a prime example of a journalist who breached the code of ethics. He fabricated many of his stories and added false information to true stories. After his lies were discovered, people were fascinated as well as  outraged. He was featured in interviews, wrote a book entitled, "The Fabulist" and had his story told through a film entitled "Shattered Glass." As a result, Glass has accumulated a considerable amount of wealth and emerged from the shame of his untrue stories as a financially successful individual. This situation of course begs the question; when a journalist lies, should there be a consequence? I think that there should definitely be a consequence. Even though we know we are not supposed to believe everything we read or hear in the news, we should at least be comforted with the fact that the stories we are exposed to aren't complete fabrications. When a journalist violates that trust there should be a reasonable fine or even jail time if the stories reached a high level of popularity. They should no longer be allowed to be involved in any form of media. Someone should not be paid to tell lies, nor should they make a profit once discovered for their lies. I don't believe that an apology is enough, especially if the journalist is profiting off the apology. There is no excuse for lying in journalism, and the fact that there is literally no punishment other than public shame is not only unprofessional, but disgraceful for the profession of journalism as a whole.

Poetry Analysis

Because I Could Not Stop For Death - Title

Emily Dickinson - Author

Emily Dickinson was a poet who lived in Massachusetts, USA. She was born in 1830 and died in 1886. Most of her poems relate to themes of death and hardship. Her poems weren't published much until after her death, this particular poem was published in 1890. In this poem she personifies death. She identifies him as a polite gentleman who is bringing her to her grave. ¨Because I Could Not Stop For Death¨ revolves around a theme of being too busy for death, and that death ¨kindly¨ slows her down:

Because I could not stop for Death,

He kindly stopped for me

She then goes on to explain how Death (note the capital ¨D¨ on death to suggest personification) and her rode in a carriage and experienced aspects of life together: 

The carriage held but just ourselves

And immortality

We slowly drove, he knew no haste

And I had put away

My labor, and my leisure too, 

For his civility

This portion of the poem describes how before the speaker met ¨Death¨ they were living fast and did not slow down. Death ¨knew no haste¨ and that is apparent when the speaker explains how Death put away the speaker's leisure. Death does this so that the speaker can experience Death's ¨civility." This further proves the poet's calm acceptance and trust towards death which appears in many of her poems. As the speaker and Death ride along the path at an unhurried pace the speaker begins to experience flashbacks in her life:

We passed the school

Where children played

At the wrestling ring;

We passed the fields of grazing grain,

We passed the setting sun.

These flashback verses describe the beauty and simplicity of life. The fact that the speaker is watching or "flashing back" to these things, shows that they are now separated from these simplicity's. The speaker is separated because she now welcomes  the mercy of Death, her gentleman caller. Death continues to lead the speaker to their new home:

\We paused before a house that seemed 

A swelling of the ground;

The roof was scarcely visible,

The cornice but a mound. 

The description of the "new home" that Death is leading the speaker to compares to that of a regular home. This is apparent due to word choice such as; cornice and roof. The cornice of the home is described as a mound, this along with the line "swelling of a ground" describes quite clearly that the end of the speaker and Death's journey is in fact a resting place."Because I Could Not Stop For Death" explores themes of not only the physical act of dying, but feelings of acceptance and trust for the act. 

The Right to Vote - Lowering The Age to Sixteen

I have always been someone who payed attention to the politics of Canada and the goings on within the country. This election was particularly exciting for me and my family considering we are very supportive of the Liberal party. Although I was excited throughout the whole election process, I didn't exactly feel involved due to my age. I firmly believe that voting is not only a right, but a responsibility. As a Canadian citizen I find it almost insulting when someone chooses not to vote. This is part of the reason why I'm absolutely itching for the day when I can cast a valid and well thought out vote. I definitely think that the voting age should be lowered to sixteen. If we can be trusted on the road, why can't our votes and opinions on the political governance of our country be  trusted? I understand that many teenagers are viewed as irresponsible and ignorant, but there are many of us who really care about Canada and our government and are passionate about our political beliefs - I am one of them. Those sixteen and seventeen year old's who are well informed on Canadian politics and government issues can replace those who are of age and who are uninterested in voting. Our government determines how our country is run, and anyone who pays interest in this, should be allowed the right to vote. I think that sixteen is an extremely reasonable age, and those who don't care and do not want to vote this young, simply do not have to. Those of us who care and who want to, should undoubtedly have the freedom and liberty to do so. 

The Adaptable Mind: My Personal Growth

In the video "The Adaptable Mind" a concept is introduced that makes us think about ourselves and where we our in our personal journeys. The main focus of the video are these five words/ideas: curiosity, creativity, initiative, multidisciplinary thinking, and empathy. The video describes how perfecting these traits is fundamental in improving our lives as people, and our world in general. Personally, I believe that I have developed my empathy and creativity with success. I find it quite easy to step into someones shoes and really listen to how they are feeling, and what they are going through. I enjoy speaking with others and learning from what they have to say. I've always enjoyed expressing myself through music, writing or other creative outlets. I think being able to work with your creative side is a huge accomplishment and can help anyone on their path to self-discovery. I am fortunate to have grown up in an environment that encouraged my creativity and individualism. I can express myself easily and find refuge in my passions. I need to work on my initiative and curiosity. Although these areas are semi-developed, they aren't what they should be. I find myself putting in a moderate amount of effort into most things and not being disciplined about tasks. I also find myself writing down ideas or plans and not always following through. I definitely think that working on completing my ideas and taking action will refine my initiative skills. I have always had lots of questions and wondered about many things, but as I've grown older I find that childhood curiosity slipping away more and more. I hope to improve my curiosity and continue to question everything. 

Education Is The Key?

In the spoken-word video Why I Hate School But Love Education by Suli Breaks (Darryll Amoako) an anti-school theme is presented. Breaks expresses his views on the education system and how damaging it can be to a young mind. His poem encompasses examples from his own experience in post-secondary education. He uses 'zombie' imagery to describe how draining and challenging university is, and then he poses the question that the majority of us wonder; what's the point of it all? We see so many people after university struggling to find work. It's such a competitive world and we all are starting to feel the pressure of graduation and our futures. I believe that education and our school system is something that we have to do in order to be considered valid in our society. Suli Breaks mentions people like Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey to strengthen his point: an individual can succeed in this world without a degree. The problem with this is that these people are merely exceptions, we can't all become the next Bill Gates. Most of us have to follow the system, get the degree, and make a name for ourselves because, unfortunately that is how our world operates. If you want to live a comfortable life, you're going to have to make an impression - getting a degree is an extremely crucial step in our Western world. To culminate, I don't agree with our system, I believe it's restrictive and limiting. It's unfortunate that our self-worth and intelligence is summed up in one final set of examinations, but I do think we have to follow the system and make the most out of it. The key thing to remember is that a degree is not your ticket to happiness or to money, it's a stepping stone, a leverage point. When I am struggling and working hard to achieve my post-secondary goals I'm definitely going to try my very hardest to not simply "fill my head" with information, but to learn and grow as an individual. Education is great, but we have to use the system of school to get us there. 

Writing Frontiers

I'm very eager to begin an exploration on creativity and individualism during this course. I believe that this class will give me excellent opportunities to re-examine my previously established writing habits, as well as improve them greatly. I hope to learn more about writer's block and how to avoid it. I often find myself second guessing my writing, and then giving up if it isn't up to par. That's part of why I chose this particular quote. Perfection isn't everything, especially not in a creative writing class. I'm excited to be more loose and trusting with my writing in order to enjoy the artistic process more. Writing skills are crucial in every aspect of life. I value words and books and self-expression very much, and if I can learn new things as well as refine what I already practice - I could practically take on the world. Being able to communicate your thoughts and imagination with grace, clarity and confidence is a powerful and grand skill. This is a journey worth taking.