Views on America

As a preliminary, I looked at what different forums said about America and one link took me to Yahoo answers, where someone asked:  What countries hate America?

The best answer that came up was a substantial list of different countries. These countries consisted of Palestine, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria hold a strong dislike for America, mainly due to their foreign policy. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are among these middle eastern countries who share the strong dislike also. Interestingly, this answer stated that, indeed, this countries hate America as they often shout "death to America" and people from these countries have tried to kill Americans more than most. One could argue the most pivotal catalyst behind the reasoning for these countries hate is the Afgan and Iraq war, as Americas impact in their societies is negative.


Moreover, European countries such as  France and Britain dislike aspects of America too. According to this forum "They feel that the US is throwing its weight around and that America's war on terror is making them less safe by making moderate Muslims angry enough to become extremists." Significantly, Americas allies, remarkably, share a negative view on America and this can be exemplified by the disagreements that were occurring over the Iraq War.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080525062129AAahBbo

I have also uploaded a YouTube clip as I found a fundamentally significant video called 'Why Europe Hates America.' It demonstrates why America has caused such a strong dislike globally and expresses views, especially over George Bush's influence. I have taken a controversial quote that can be seen in the video:

"My Anti-Americanism has become almost uncontrollable. It rises in my throat like acid reflux" - Margaret Drabble

 Video from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hWJ5cI-uQ8



 Image from: http://wwwwakeupamericans-spree.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/what-world-thinks-of-america-one.html#.UHsnKMVZWSo

I have embedded a highly significant image that reveals just how the world thought of America between George Bush leaving office and the inevitable appointment of Barrack Obama as president.
Interestingly, its shocking just how much some of the worlds leading countries appeared to loathe America when George Bush was in power, however, since Barrack Obama started running for president, views have changed on America drastically. This can be exemplified by Switzerland who felt 86% much worse with George Bush in power, whereas, on the other table, they are 83% for Obama which is a shocking jump in how the USA have been perceived through two different presidents. Other countries that reveal these kind of results are Canada, Japan and France. Notably, its these countries that have stated before they don't agree with Americas foreign policy, thus, the significant distinction can be seen. During Barack Obama's campaign, he was very popular and renowned in Europe and this can be seen through the change of results by France and Switzerland.

Views on America

France's View on America

http://www.agoravox.fr/tribune-libre/article/je-hais-l-amerique-46825

This link takes you to a blog site that shows people from around France who can use the site to express there views on America or other countries, this particular post was on the main reasons why the individual disliked America. Before translating the page straight away there was a photo of a cartoon burger and French fries under the heading of 'I hate America!', which straight away showed stereotypical reasons why France hates America, there food. Reading through the post though, I saw that they start to talk about 9/11 and how angry they were after most people were referred to 'We are all Americans' which angered this individual, I see here how they may be referring to how America can be arrogant believing that everyone is an American even though America if full off people from different countries and backgrounds.
They go on to write about how inconsiderate America is by having polling stations in churches, 'it made me freak out in disgust' was what they said. This is showing how French people think that America have no respect over 'holy grounds' by using it for communal use.  I find this interesting as I perceive America as a religious country and not at all think they are not respecting the churches.

They also comment on the Racism in America and how its been around for years, surprisingly they praise America on having a black president although then go on to say how they thought this would change things, like the Iraq war 'but that's all. In fact, there is no change in depth, we will move the Iraq war in Afghanistan, and Iran too we break his legs with atomic weapons, well, Obama, that black is, will do battle with those who do not want olibrius bend to the dictates of U.S. hegemony. Nothing has changed' 

This shows the French view on how they think America is handling the war in which they completely disagree with as they believe that America makes battle with any country who does not oblige with there rules.  They also bring up the fact that parts of America still has the death penalty, 'And do not forget that the death penalty is still dragging his cart of corpses' they presume that all Americans have the death penalty and agree with it which is not actually true.

Even though this is just one French person view on America I still believe this is what majority of French may think of America too. I also saw that much of what this individual said also coincides with the chart, http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/WSJ_AmericaSurvey_090618. showing What the French like and dislike about America.

The blog talks about the main reasons why French may 'hate' the Americans, the fact here is that they see Americans as fast food eating arrogant people, although McDonalds in France is the second biggest profit for them just behind America!

Cuban attitudes towards America

I have chosen to write about Cuba, I feel that Cuba has many interesting views and opinions towards America and much of the everyday Cuban lifestyle is focused on not being influenced by American, American trends and the American way of life. I was fortunate enough to visit Cuba this summer, so I was able to experience this and when speaking to local Cubans it is obvious the traditions and Cuban way of life is something they want to remain kept untouched, they do not want to be effected by Americanisation!

When visiting Cuba one of the things is noticed was it was virtually impossible to buy any kind of American produce and products, it was very rare to find the brand ‘Coke’ on the island. Cuban alternatives of these brands were apparent though! Cuba is one of the countries which remain untouched for years. When you step out of the airport in Havana is it is like stepping back in time, with old fashioned cars and little technology, there is also very limited Wifi on the island something which is very uncommon in today’s society. Cuban crisis was the main reason Cuba and America have conflict issues today. The Cuban missile crisis’s, left America suspecting Cuba was in the Soviet Union and therefore resulted in many issues which are apparent today between Cuba and America. Cuba does not import any produce from America and America encouraged all of South America, Central America and Europe to break the trade with Cuba. Cuban policies differ a lot from American policies, for example, Cuban citizens do not have to pay to go to University, they also pay taxes but in these taxes national health is included.

Americans have only just been legally aloud to visit Cuba, due to the appeal made by Barack Obama. However there are still some rules and regulations American citizens have to abide by in order to visit Cuba. Americans have to include their visit with a cultural trip, they are not allowed to organise trips on their own. It is also illegal for American’s to take some Cuban produce home. Cuban citizens believe allowing Americans to visit Cuba is a positive effect, as they want to redevelop the relationship they once had with Cuba. With the increase in American travel to Cuba, Cuba’s economy has been increased, through tourism providing the citizens of Cuba with more income. The increase of tourist based business has also increased due to this. However Cuban’s believe this is still only one small step, to resolving this issues and problems shared by America and Cuba.

The following website is a Cuban website containing information about the Cuban Five.

http://www.freethefive.org/

They are a group of men who were wrongly accused of spying on American Cuban exile community, the Cuban five missions was to report on terrorist attacks in the US and to attempt to prevent them and protect Cuba. They were arrested in 1998 and convicted in 2001. Miami Journalists were paid to sway US American opinions on the Cuban Five.

The website provides information and data from America, with information and news on the Cuban Five however since it is a Cuban website the information is biasly selected from the Cuban point of view and showing how the Cubans felt towards the matter. Many Americans were unaware that the Cubans too had suffered from terrorist attacks also; I believe this shows how America is very self focused. Cuba has been suffering from terrorist attacks from Miami for over fifty years now, this is extremely sad as the main reason the Cuban five were in Miami was to prevent terrorism. However after the devastating news which hit American on September 11^th 2001, Americans became more aware of the possible chances of being attacked by terrorist, and therefore this could have lead them to dislike the Cuban five even more since they were believed to be terrorists at they were seen as a threat much like when Cuba was accused of being part of the Soviet Union.

Although the website is a Cuban website so the information is carefully selected in order to show how the Cuban citizens felt, some of the statements made in the Washington Post, an article posted on the website contains information which supports the release of the Cuban Five. For example the statement given by Ramsey Clark, expresses a positive view as to why the Cuban five should be released.

I believe this website is very effective in providing information on the Cuban five and portraying how the citizens for Cuba view America. These views are then supported by additional background knowledge of the county and some of the laws and policies put in place in order to prevent Cuba from being affected by Americanisation. After researching this I personally feel somewhat sympatric towards Cuba and feel I have more of an understanding as to why Cuba have certain attitudes towards America. It is very rare for a country to not be affected by the influences of America and to some extent Cuba may be swaying towards influences of America more and more in today’s modern society, as maybe it is almost impossibly not to be influenced by such a powerful country, especially since Cuba is only 90 miles away from Florida!

Here are some YouTube videos which help explain some of Cuba’s Attitudes towards America;

Ancestry in America

This map shows the ancestry of the population of America throughout each state by majority.

Part of me was accustomed to certain areas of the map - for example the African American population in the Southern States; I knew it was going to be prominent due to the forced migration of African slaves in the early 1600s to the early to mid 1800s. Another part of the map that I was expecting to see was the amount of Mexican/Hispanic ancestry that is along the border between America and Mexico. Primarily this is because the countries are bordering each other and immigrants from Mexico moved across the border much like the Europeans did to the Northeast - for a better life, jobs etc. It wasn't until the early-to-mid 1800s that America wanted control over all of the Spanish/Mexican controlled territory in the Southwest (including, California, New Mexico, Nevada and Texas) and resulted in America now owning what you see you at the bottom left of the map.
The English relationship around the Northeast of America was that of the British being one of the first people to take over a a large chunk of what is now American land. One part of this map that took me by shock was the amount of states by majority have German ancestry. When I first saw the map I was expecting the teal blue that took over most of the territory to be American or Spanish. It appears that it was most Germans that fled from Europe due to wars, religious freedom and a collapsing monarchy - however this shocked me to say the least.

One of the things I love about America is the diversity of the country. With that has come thousands of different cultures and people within those cultures to create different ways of life. I think that America is so powerful due to the amount of people that aren't just American, but come from a huge range of backgrounds. This also makes it a lot more appealing and interesting to read about, to visit and to think about. With more culture and more diversity I think they are able to go further as a country and achieve more.

A map of America showing poverty

Map of Wealth/ Poverty

Here is a Map of the USA showing the average amount of income each state has. Not surprisingly states like New Mexico are under the national income, Also many parts of Southern America like Mississippi and Louisiana are also under the national income.
There can be many reasons for this, one being the National inflation so many people are experiencing higher costs of living, leaving many families in poverty.
Another possible reason for Poverty in the Southern states could be the lack of jobs, many states, including Louisiana and Mississippi do not supply enough jobs therefore many people without money. Recently Southern States saw Hurricane Katrina go through and create damages costing millions of dollars, some of which most states did not have, worst state that suffered was Mississippi, still to date many people are still living in temporary homes as they cannot afford to rebuild there homes they had. The median income for Southern states is $36, 850, states like New Hampshire, median income is double this. Education is also a big factor in poverty many people in the southern parts do not attain qualifications or a good education which  could mean that they do not get a very good paid job which again relates to why many are not achieving high paid jobs there. Poverty can also be put down to 'the way of life' meaning many southerners still live a simple life style, farming there own food, selling there own crops which means the only income they have. It has been said that 1 in 5 people are in poverty and many are still just above poverty line, which shows that America needs to help the poorest to achieve a better life.

Map That Represents Deaths by Firearms across the United States.

                                                                               
This particular map of the United States highlights the areas in which firearm deaths are most frequent. 

It is not surprising to see that the the state with the most amount of recorded deaths via firearm is Louisiana; there are numerous reasons that could explain why it has the highest percentage across the states. For example, southern states are stereotypically associated with guns and therefore it could be suggested that this is one of the reasons that this particular state has the worst percentage within the states. Furthermore southern states like Mississippi and Alabama also have a high death rate of 15,000 plus per 100,000. Another reason could be the geographical location of Louisiana and it being a boarder state with Mexico, where  continuous illegal immigration to the States occur. This particular argument could also be supported when looking at other boarder such as Arizona who also have a high death rate. 
 
This map, I believe, highlights perfectly the severe issue that America has with guns and gun control, however due to their constitutional right, "The right to bare arms" it is an issue that is incredibly difficult to eradicate. The map demonstrates that not only is there a clearly an overall problem across the states, be it northern or southern. Even cosmopolitan areas such as New York still have recorded deaths. and the New England region. Most surprising is Alaska; a state that has the lowest population density across America still has more recorded deaths per 100,000, than places such as Texas, arguably the most 'redneck' state. 

The FBI estimates that there are over 200 million privately owned firearms within the US, and 350,000,000 million guns within the United States itself; and perhaps most shockingly over 85 fatal shootings a day, with 90 guns for every 100 Americans. Going by those statistics, it is surprising that this map is not completely covered in dark red. 

It cannot be argued that the United States has a enormous problem with guns and this map and its statistic highlight this. Despite this, the sales and ownership of guns within America is still booming and does not look like it is going to be slowing down any time soon. The right to bare arms is one of America's most protected fundamental rights, of which many of them exploit. With pressure groups such as the NRA campaigning against any legislation towards gun control it is unlikely these figures are going to fall, if anything they will increase. The very fact many states, like Texas, have laws protecting those with guns, for example shooting someone who you feel is threatening you, demonstrates America's relaxed attitude to guns and the clear problem they have. America has a warped fascination with guns and this is unlikely to change any time soon.

A Map showing the State Mottos

In God We Trust- USA's motto since 1956

This map shows the indivual states motto's.  English is the favourite language for the mottos; however, only 24 state mottos are originally in English. Latin, once the language for all solemn occacions (and not just exorcisms), accounts for 20. Two mottos are in native languages, and French, Spanish, Italian and Greek account for one each.

A Few State Motto's:

Alabama:       Audemus jura nostra defendre (We dare defend our rights) Latin, 1923
Marie Bankhead Owen found the phrase in a poem; Alabama has a rich history of defending and maintaining rights. During the Civil War, Alabama fought valiantly to maintain individual states' rights. Later, in the 1960's during the Civil Rights movement, some of the most important events happened here. Rosa Parks' famous bus boycott happened in Montgomery, the capital of Alabama. Birmingham, one of the most segregated cities in the south in 1963, elected their first African-American mayor only 15 years later. It was not always easy, but the citizens of this state fought for and maintained personal rights.

Alaska:      North To The Future, English, 1976
Alaska's state motto reflects optimism and promise for a better future. It is one of the last true frontiers in the United States and today still holds promise for those wanting a unique life. In fact, "North to the Future" may be our hope in this economy today as Alaska is rich in energy resources such as oil.

California:     Eureka (I have found it) Greek, 1963
The words were probably intended to refer to the discovery of gold in California.  In 1957, attempts were made to establish "In God We Trust" as the state motto, but "Eureka" was made the official state motto in 1963.

Maine:          Dirigo (I lead), Latin, 1820
'I lead' is the state motto of Maine, having once been the only state to hold its elections in September. (Politicians kept their eyes on these elections for evidence of a trend. Prior to the New Deal, Republicans claimed "As Maine goes, so goes the nation")

Minnesota:     L'Etoile du Nord (The Star of the North), French,
L'Étoile du Nord is a French phrase meaning "The Star of the North." It is the motto of the US state of Minnesota. It was chosen by the state's first governor, Henry Hastings Sibley, and was adopted in 1861, three years after admission of Minnesota to the union. Because of this motto, one of Minnesota's nicknames is The North Star State.

Wyoming:      Equal Rights, English, 1893
Wyoming's motto represents that this state was the first to allow woman's vote in America.  It also was the first state that gave women the right to hold public office.

A map that shows American Climates

This is an intriguing map of America for several different reasons. First and foremost, this map emphasizes America's climate, which is not usually known to people who live outside of the USA. Stereotypically, non Americans normally associate America as being, holistically, a hot country all year round, when really, this map depicts that the many regions in the country appear to have different types of weather. This map shows that states such as Arizona, Nevada and Texas are part of the Hot and Dry region. Interestingly, Las Vegas has had a lack of water recently and thus it can be said the hot and dry states suffer as a result of this. Moreover, the states at the top half of America such as North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin reveal the coldness that can hit those states in the winter. Fundamentally, there's a constant misconception that these northern states are cold all year round, when in fact that isn't true. Whilst the winters in places such as Wisconsin are extremely cold in the winter, the summers can be scorching hot. The same applies for North Dakota as temperatures in the summer have reached 49 degrees, in comparison to a winter of -51 degrees, which is an interesting distinction. Overall, this map excels at revealing the realization of the weather in America and personally this aided my learning of understanding climate in America.

Map showing the number of homeless citizens in the USA

Total Homeless: 744,313 people

Study released in 2007 by The National Alliance to End Homelessness.

From this map you can see that California has been estimated to be state with the highest percentage of people who are homeless. Personally I find this very interesting as stereotypically California is preserved as a state of wealth and class. Many celebrities live in California and it is often said to be the home for the rich and famous. However California is one of the Border States, which could suggest that many illegal immigrates, move over to California. Texas, Florida and New York are then ranked the second states, of which a large percentage of homeless people live. In the 19^th Century a lot of the southern American states were the poorer states; this map supports this with the evidence from Texas and Florida. Florida is known as the state where many people retire to, so what does this say about the people who are homeless in Florida, are they elderly? Or are there a large number of homeless people who are of the younger generations? New York on the other hand is a city and therefore there are often a lot of people who are homeless in cities.  States such as Illinois, Washington and Oregon are then ranked third in the data of percentage of people who are homeless in the United States.  . The data shows these areas are in the middle of the scale of homeless citizens living in America; however the figures show that the percentage of homeless people is still high! The states which are estimated to be the second from last states in the estimation of homeless people living in America are; Atlanta, Arizona, Tennessee and Kansas, along with a few others. The evidence shows that these states range in percentage of the number of homeless citizens, ranging from 4,713 to 8,066 even just by crossing the border from one state to another the percentage of homeless people is increased. Finally the states which came out as the states with the least number of homeless people were; Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Utah and Washington D.C. Washington D.C is the capital of America therefore it is likely that there will be a low percentage of homeless people, as property and land will often be priced differently to other states within America. However I find it very interesting that Mississippi is estimated to be one of the states with the lowest number of people who are homeless. Mississippi in the past was one of the states in America which has a large number of people living in poverty and it is now being ranked as one of the states with the least number of homeless people.

The areas which stand out most to me are California and Florida, I was shocked to find out these two states are state of which a high percentage of people live homeless. Florida is one of the states of which many people have holiday homes, or second homes, this data shows that there are a large number of people living homeless, which seems very sad when people have properties in Florida which are just being used for vacation purposes and there is a large number of people living on the streets. The evidence from this data on the map shown could suggest that despite these are often perceived as wealthy areas there could be a large divide between rich and poor.   

I believe the number of people who are homeless, depends on a number of different factors such as;  history of the state for example if there was a high number of unemployment currently or in the past, any natural disasters which could have happened, terrorism attacks such as 9/11 in New York, large number of people living in the state without health care insurance, property value and finally, areas of which there are high crime rates.

I find the data shown in this map is very fascinating, as it is far from what I would personally predict it to be. It also leaves me with the question; what will this map look like in ten years’ time? And could the effect of a natural disaster or another disaster such as war or terrorism have an effect on the data shown in this map? I believe a number of different factors could alter this map and I would be interesting to compare this map to the number of citizens living in each state , and work out the ratio of homeless citizens to non-homeless citizens. I also think it would be interesting to see if there is a correlation between nationalities living in these states and the number of people who are living homelessly.

Data founded in 1996 by the U.S Interagency and council of homelessness shows that;

66% of homeless people are single adults, those of which ¾ are men.

11% Are parents with children, 84% of which are single women

23% Are children under eighteen with a parent, 42% of whom are under the age of five

Infomation collected from;http://homefreeorg.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/homelessness-mapped-in-united-states.html#!/2009/06/homelessness-mapped-in-united-states.html
 

Images Of America

“In the face of impossible odds, people who love this country can change it.” - Barrack Obama

Patriotic America

When I think of America, I think of the patriotism that is so predominant in every state in America.  

What is the purpose of patriotism?! It serves to create solidarity among member of the same group or country.  It unifies and strengthens bonds between different groups or individuals to create a larger, stronger group.  It can produce a positive outcome in a sense that it can inspire people to do good things, invent things and to strive for greatness. 

America celebrates patriotism through many different occasions, one being the Fourth of July, a federal holiday which is also known as Independence Day.  This was first created through the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776,which declared independence from the UK.  American's celebrate through fireworks and patriotic songs, including the national anthem 'The Star Spangled Banner', 'God Bless America' and regionally, 'Yankee Doodle' in the Northeastern states and 'Dixie' in the Southern States.

After 9/11, Patriotism became even bigger with an increase in flag sales, people joining the American Army and blood donations.  The Red Cross says more than a quarter million people decided to donate blood for the first time post 9/11. 

Furthermore, Americans are prouder of their country than are any other people in the world, according to a study of patriotism by the 'National Opinion Research Center' at the University of Chicago.  The survey found that nearly 90 percent of Americans would rather be citizens of the United States than of any other country. That rating is the highest of the 23 nations studied for 'National Pride: A Cross-National Analysis' the largest and most comprehensive international study ever conducted on national pride. 

'We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic.  Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.' Jimmy Carter, 39th US President (1977-81) Nobel Prize for Peace in 2002




Negative View Of America

Today, America is seen as a multi-cultural society; known as a 'melting-pot'.  The metaphor was used to describe the fusion of different nationalities, ethnicities and cultures.  It was used with the different concepts of the US as the 'new promised land'.

Although America's population is 12.2% African-American, Hispanics are 16.3%and Asian are 4.7%, there is still a predominant feature of xenophobia and racism in America.  After Obama's election in 2008, there was a 244% increase in Patriot groups including Militia and groups against the Federal Government.

Also, Obama has received 400% more threats against his Presidential power than his predecessor George W. Bush.  Furthermore, there has been an increase in anti-immigration groups from 173 in 2008 to 309 in 2009, which equates to an 80% increase. 

Post 9/11 saw a fear further arise in American's as prejudice escalated, causing people to assume a fear  towards anyone who is Muslim or Middle Eastern.  After 9/11, a younger generation brought up in an environment where certain groups of people are to be stereotypically discriminated against because of their ethnic background or colour of their skin.

Moreover, the American Government are clamping down on immigration from Mexico to the United States.  They are wanting to restrict the numbers and prohibit immigration.  Immigration law has been back and forth throughout the 20th century, sometimes welcoming them and other times slamming the door shut on them.  Also, the public reception of these people has been unpredictable; Mexican immigrants have been involved in American communities but frequently have to battle hostile elements in those same communities.

Images that represent American- Positive and Negative

I have chosen this image of the Brady Bunch family because, I believe it shows how some people portray the ‘Typical American Family’ in a postive mannor. The Brady Bunch was a series broadcasted in America in the late 1960’s early 70’s and was very succesful. Through the series you begin to get to know each character, and each character deals with issues and problems in the typical everyday American life. These problems are solved and over come with the idea of working through the issue and working hard and idea from the American Dream- Work hard and you will benefit in the long run. The audience is able to relate to the characters through this. The Brady Bunch family convey, the happy american family image with a christian background, this kind of sterotypical happy American family is also shown in other films and series such as ‘Stepford wives’ a classic example of how the American dream is/was sculpting America. I believe the American Dream is a key factor in this image,each family member is smiling, and portraying and almost perfect family portrate image. This image also is effective in showing how wonderful the American lifestyle can be, enouraging people to live like the Brady Bunch too!

I believe this image is incredibly effective in portraying a negative image of America. The Image shows Black American men behind prison bars, not all the faces are shown, which could suggest there is more than meets the eye, with the amount of Black men in this particular prison. I believe this image says a lot about America and the less glamourized image America often tried to convey. Leads us to think actually how far has the USA really come? Although slavery has been abolished and American now his it’s first ever black president, actually how many black people are affluent as white people in American Prisons?

Barack Obama has come far with his success of being the first Black president in the United States however, with images like this it really makes us question whether the rights for black people living in America has really changed post slavery abolishment?! And are black people misrepresented? Statistics show there are more black people in prison than there are white, what does this say about America? Statistics show that 12%-13% of Americans population is African American and 40.1% of this population are in American Jails and prisons. Statistics also show that the male African American population of the United States aged between 18-24 is 1,896,00 and according to the Bureau Of Justice Statics 106,00 African Americas in this age group were in state prisons .According to  the same data 530,000 of these African-American males were enrolled in colleges and universities in 2005. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2007/10/young_black_males_headed_for_e_1.html .  Again what does this really say about America? More young African American men are in prison than there are in University.  

This image also makes me think is Barack Obama an effective representative of Black people in America- with statics and imagery like this? I believe this image is a very  effective negative image representing America.

Images that mean America

Gangs- (image from socialproblemsucd.wikispaces.com) 

 As a negative image of America, I chose the topic Gangs, When I think of gangs I think of guns, violence, drugs and America. Gangs officially started in America, in prisons but soon did spread to the streets and then globally.This is still a current problem in America. Rival gangs fight for 'turf' and for 'respect' though it seems that many people die to get this, many in there own gang but also a few innocent people have died because the gang has targeted the wrong person or the 'war' had spread. Many gangs are growing, many are forming, it seems that still America still cannot stop the violence that does and could happen.





Technology- Apple etc




I chose Technology as a positive image of America, When I see, for example, the Apple image which is an American company, I think of America and the technology they have, and how they have developed this. Notably the 'apple' symbol is now one of the most recognisable symbol through out the world and there products like the 'iphone' are most wanted pieces of technology to date.  
Apple is just one of many company's that are from America so I believe that the technology that has been developed by the country has had a positive impact on many people for example having devices to aid learning. which is why I believe this is a positive image representing the technology in America.

Images that represent 'America' to me.

The Empire State Building. 

The Empire State Building, is and will continue to be, for many years an iconic symbol that represents the United States of America. Constructed during the years of 1929-31 and opened on May 1st 1931 by President Hoover the Empire State Building has remained an unmistakable feature amongst the Manhattan skyline. It cannot be questioned that the Empire State Building is one of America's main tourist hotspots with over 10,000 people visiting it each day, and its inclusion as one of the '7 Wonders of the World' only demonstrates its significance. The Empire State Building has not avoided the fame in which it arguably deserves, featuring in well known blockbusters such as 'King Kong' and more recently 'Independance Day.' However it also has been witness to disasters; 1945, a plane crashed into the 79th and 80th floors of the building killing 14 people, and 24th February 1997 where a gunman shot dead seven people on the buildings observation deck. Despite these negatives, the Empire State Building is seen by many as a national treasure and one to be proud of; the Empire State Building is a positive symbol of America, and a positive symbol that is recognised world wide.


The Twin Towers



 

3 words that mean so much to so many, unfortunately it is negative emotions that are felt when these words are heard. America and the Twin Towers were subject to the worst terrorist attack in history, an attack witnessed by billions. Based in the center of New York, the Twin Towers were the hub for all America's financial business, where thousands of people worked and were prominent features of New York; however the attack on September 11th 2001 changed this and meant that from that day onwards the towers would be forever associated with victims of terrorism. Both towers were completed in the years of 1970/71 and therefore stood as the prominent buildings amongst the 'World Trade Center Complex.' The Twin Towers were subject to numerous attacks other than those on 9/11, most famously the 1993 bombings, in which a truck filled with explosives was detonated underneath the North Tower, killing six and causing substantial damage to the Tower itself. However it is the attacks of 2001 that are imbedded into the minds of all of us. The Twin Towers represented financial stability and wealth, however this image has now changed. The Towers now represent terrorism, the day that thousands died, the worst attack the world has ever seen. However, it could also be argued that the Towers mark the day America and its allies challenged terrorism head on, as George Bush said in his speech "Our nation, this generation, will lift the dark threat of violence from our people and our future. We will rally the world to this cause by our efforts, by our courage. We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail."  9/11 is a date that is known across the world and through generations and date that will never be forgotten.

Adam Mussell

Images that represent 'America' to me

Independence Day Celebrations

To me this particular image portrays everything that could be regarded as 'America' or 'American'. It features one of their most historic and notable landmarks, the Statue of Liberty; and is also displayed with the Independence Day or the Fourth of July celebratory fireworks in the background. 

America to me has always been about power, patriotism and unity. Americans aren't shy of showing off that they're American and that they love their country. Be it flying an American flag outside their residence, celebrating the Fourth of July with their families or giving a typically 'American' "Woop!" whenever the question "Are there any Americans here tonight?' is asked. With the Independence Day celebrations as my main focus, I think that as a culture they pull together and unite more than any other nation in the world. There is something special about the connection Americans have with each other especially when you take into consideration some of the awful things that have happened over the years. 

Guns

The topic of guns/firearms and the ability to own one is probably the most controversial thing about America, second only to the issue of poor dieting and weight issues, which was my original negative thought when I think of America. 
My reasoning behind choosing the idea of guns as the most negative thing about America and as my picture shows - guns are so accessible. No matter how much we joke about how 'all Americans are fat' - these people aren't the problem, they aren't the source of crime and deaths. It is acceptable for certain people to have a firearm in the US, which to some will be for protection or for hunting or whatever they could possible 'need' a gun for. However, if you think back a few months or so ago when the new Batman film was released, one man decided he would use his own firearms and open fire on a movie theatre, killing 12 and injuring many others. Similarly in 1999 when two students decided to take a high school in Columbia into their own force and massacre innocent people before turning the gun on themselves. Again, the ability to acquire a firearm has taken the lives of many prolific people including Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy - all of whom stood politically for something, two of them being Presidents. You can't buy an alcoholic drink until you're 21 in America, however you can buy a shotgun or a rifle from a department store or a gun store at the age of 18 - this is why this subject is argued strongly both for and against a vast amount of the time. To me I think that being able to buy firearms causes such a rift, politically and socially across America.What is difficult to challenge is that would America be the same if guns weren't as accessible as they are today? Would making them illegal create more crime such as smuggling weaponry across boarders or creating 'high in demand' black market for firearms? 

Images that mean 'America'

(Image: John Wayne in The Searchers, 1956, Warner Bros.)

One could argue this instantly means 'America' positively, in any shape or form. Notably, John Wayne is classed as an 'American Hero.' Renowned for different Westerns and War films. His impact on film through the 1930s to the 1970s was formidable. His trademarks such as his height, voice and heroism are some of the imperative factors that made him an 'American Hero.'

I chose this image as a negative view of America. As its known to society, the global corporation McDonald's was founded in America and we normally associate McDonald's with American values. A critically acclaimed documentary was made in 2004 by Morgan Spurlock, named Supersize Me, that investigated obesity in America. Importantly, McDonald's was the main corporation under consideration and Morgan Spurlock identified states within America, such as Mississippi, that proved his hypothesis right as being 'the fattest state' in America. Interestingly, as it can be seen from the picture in the top left hand corner, this picture was taken in a McDonalds somehwere in Asia, which implies obesity is widespread. Moreover, it would be equally as accurate to say this picture is American and for us as the viewer, at first glance, it looks like America. Obesity is a fundamentally common problem globally, however, America has a tendency to be the main focus of this subject.

Welcome to the blog for my group in AM1111.

We meet in my office, TAB 214, at 10.00 on Monday morning.

Please make your first post in good time. You can find the blog task in the Handbook, but here it is:

Post any TWO images which instantly mean “America” to you. Choose one positive, the other negative and explain your choice.

To insert an image, just click on the little picture icon above when you select "new post." Any problems get in touch.

See you