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For my final entry of the semester I decided to do an editorial on an issue concerning two of the things I have noticed I post of more often. Crime and Film seem to be considered to be linked because of the violence shown in the current mainstream media. There is always a debate whether things should be shown as they are or if it is too inappropriate and dangerous for viewers and may have some impact, therefore impairing their clear judgement. Is film violence guilty or not guilty of these accusations?

"Movies don't create psychos. 
Movies make psychos more creative!" 
 
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Charlie Chaplin
Regardless of how Charlie was in his personal life, it is evident that his work in the film industry changed the course of cinema and people’s lives in general. Chaplin is a recognized icon that will forever remain in history as an inspirational and dedícated person who stopped at nothing to create his work and to allow his message be sent. Through it he managed to teleport people to another world of laughter and entertainment in an era where there was mostly disaster and hopelessness. Charles’ contagious smile and incredible talent of making people laugh through his onscreen performances won the public’s love and attention. With an innovative perspective and a strong point of view, he managed to win prestigious awards that are only further proof of his genius. He is currently considered a legend and continues to enlighten people’s lives with his work even long after his death. 

Charles Chaplin
Award
Behind The Scenes/ Filming

 “My pain may be the reason for somebody's laugh.
 But my laugh must never be the reason for somebody's pain.”
-Charles Chaplin
 
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Film and television are an important part of my life, in many ways it has impacted it and changed the way I see things on a daily basis. One example of a film that has opened my eyes to a given issue has been Die Welle(The Wave)

In a German high school filled with different cliques and ignorance, a professor with unusual teaching methods is forced to teach autocracy(instead of anarchy) for the school's project week. Not very enthusiastic himself, he tries to prove a point to his students by developing an unorthodox experiment in which he will prove to them that dictatorship can easily happen once again. The project spirals out of control when the students slowly and without noticing themselves become a group called "The Wave". They feel powerful in union whilst the professor, blind to the fact himself, is seduced by the power that he has now achieved over this large group of teenagers. 

I saw this film a couple of months ago with my sister and I wasn't expecting much of it, but boy was I surprised. With a  believable example of how fascism is easily "contagious" and showing us that what Germany once went through can happen once again is something to keep in mind. We must be aware of this, for society has to watch out for what is being taught, seen and who is in charge of the rest. Powerful people can take advantage of their control, influence over the rest and easily manipulate them. This is why we need to keep our eyes peeled and alert to everything that is being fed to us by the media, school, government, etc.  

This movie seems special to me because I know I''ll never forget it. Giving a bit of an insight in the history and using individual stories of characters to show different sides of society and it's problems, showed me how much people crave to feel like they belong and can easily be manipulated by groups united by a same idea. With a leader to guide them through it and give them a sense of security, trust and definite success, anything seems possible. The film feels powerful to me, it forces you to think and reflect towards the topic that is being given to you. The message is straight to the point and you can visually appreciate an example of what they mean with a relatable situation. 

 
Like most children, I was raised surrounded by Disney movies, accessories, dolls, games, etc. I used to watch the movies quite a lot, in fact most of my birthdays I dressed up as a Disney character and felt as if I was them at least 
for a day. In all honesty, I do like some of their movies but they are not necessarily something that I consider 
utterly special in my life or life changing at all. I could easily live without it. I was surprised to see on April 4th 
how many people in my class actually admired these movies; some even knew the words to them. On this day 
there was a screening of a documentary called “Mickey Mouse Monopoly”, which showed us the true side of 
Disney, the responsibility it had on world wide children influence and the impact it had on society and 
everything that children do. It seems that this company has more control over children than their own parents; 
they have found a way to make money off the innocence and paradise-like image they portray. 

After watching this documentary I was in a bit of a shock because of all the elements and situations shown in 
these movies that I had overlooked. Considering that I haven't actually watched very much of them since I was 
very young is part of my ignorance for the details, but I did have knowledge and I kind of felt that it had very 
adult-like themes in them and inappropriate ones for children to be watching at such an early age. It genuinely 
feels like a bit of a brain wash when you really take the time to observe and think about it, when influencing so 
many children and in a way molding their ways through their films, they should definitely be more careful with 
what is shown to them and how. I think this is very much possible to achieve. In the future I will definitely be 
more aware of what is being watched, personally I will continue watching their films and when in sight of 
children, although it is almost impossible in our current society to keep them away from it, be sufficiently 
aware of what is being presented in what they watch and explain myself certain things that shouldn't be how 
they are shown by Disney. What made me reflect of this documentary was definitely the horrible moral and 
values that were indirectly being taught to the viewers and the adult themes that were certainly there. Also, the 
way that through these they were teaching how a boy, a girl and their relationship with others should be. They do 
in fact have good messages for the audience, but it seems that the wrong ones are present in them too much and 
too drastically to be accepted. It is said that Disney is not necessarily responsible for the children's interpretation 
of these films and such, but it's evident that it is of great 
influence in their lives. Even throughout their adulthood, without them knowing, they have been brainwashed into having these ideas of how things should be, instilled 
since early years. It matters not if this is done on purpose or not, they have gained a large amount of power and influence, and thus should create entertainment that is appropriate. Disney should take more responsibility for 
their actions and be more cautious, because this is what comes with success. If they do this and show what 
really needs to be shown there is no saying all the good that can be done through it.

 
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Satire articles and comics have a different approach to news, nevertheless they're just as effective. Although it's 
not for everyone, in an ironic way of showing us the information, it shows the author's point of view in a way that 
can catch our attention and entertain us, while at the same time opening our eyes to the truth. Satires such like 
these are quite brilliant, it manages to take risks while still creating an impact with how shocking and truthful it actually is. 

In this case, while exaggerating, it also brings up the fact that government takes little to no action regarding the 
gun problems in the US unless the tragedy has already happened. With fictitious quotes like:  ”It has been 126
days since anyone shot a small child to death with a gun and ammunition that we have the power to ban, and
that’s pretty much the same as it stopping for ever, so why change anything?”. We might think that in it's irony 
is quite funny but it's truthfulness is quite shocking, we instantly "get it" without having to actually think about 
it too much. Although some may find it harsh and too blunt, I think it's a genius way for people to understand 
the gravity of the situation that is at hand.

 
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Editorial #1
Editorial #2
Editorial #3
Editorial #4

Out of these editorials, the most I enjoyed reading was #1:Violent, Drunk and Holding a Gun. It doesn't go very much into details but it gives us an idea of the problem that society has been facing for many years. The gun debate is still a very much discussed topic by everyone, it seems that guns are one of, if not the most controversial topics in history. 

This editorial speaks of how multiple mass shootings by young men has made keeping firearms away from mentally ill people a priority in this discussion and how it is used to reinforce the banning of gun usage. Nevertheless, the federal law currently prohibits guns to subjects which have been found dangerous or have been committed to a mental hospital. It seems that this focus on the mentally ill(mostly non-violent) may have caused society to overlook the broader issue of gun violence, which is people who are more at risk of committing violent crimes but are not barred by federal law from buying and owning guns. It states that, "Unless guns are kept from these high-risk people, preventable gun violence will continue".  By this they mean people who have committed violent misdemeanors and suffer from alcohol abuse. Those mentioned before continue to have the right of gun ownership.    

The author of this article was straight to the point and even if not going into such specific details gave the readers a pretty good idea of how the system works and how they should reflect and see this gun debate from a different point of view. Making sure that risky subjects are made sure never to have guns at hand, helping reduce preventable violence by large numbers. 

Quotes: "But a focus on mass murder, while critical, does not get at the broader issue of gun violence, including the hundreds of single-victim murders, suicides, nonfatal shootings and other gun crimes that occur daily in the United States."
"And focusing on the mentally ill, most of whom are not violent, overlooks people who are at demonstrably increased risk of committing violent crimes but are not barred by federal law from buying and having guns."
"One study found that subjects who had ever been in trouble at work for drinking or were ever hospitalized for alcohol abuse were at increased risk of committing homicide and suicide."

The author seems quite sure and passionate of what he states, he offered valid information that opens our eyes to ways in which firearm problems can be reduced by using straight to the point facts with 

 
Social

. "Cafrerías"
. Small talk.
. Awkward Silences.
. Not having a car. 
. Feeling out of my comfort zone. 
. The show "The Big Bang Theory".
. The Phineas and Ferb theme song and everything about it in general.
. Forced conversations with annoying and incredibly sweaty people.
Cher Lloyd
. Asumptions. 
. Needy people. 
. Flip flops and socks... At the same time.
. Fanny Packs. 
. Stereotypes. 
. Being constantly instructed/corrected by my mother.
. Spoilers. 
. People who make a big deal(whinning) out of people who make big deals out of things. 
. Phones ringing. Phone calls... Phones. 
. Not being home. 
. My sister.
. Slow internet. 
. Password protected WIFI.
. Being approached by random people. 
. Surprise visits. 
. Deadlines. 
. The Sun.
. The Beach. 
Personal. 

.The smell of pineapple. 
. The color pink.
. Dark Chocolate and everything that has to do with it.
. Acne. 
. Not having big breasts. 
. Looking like crap 24/7. 
. Having no control over my emotions. 
. Caring. 
. Not caring. 
. Anxiety Attacks. 
. Period/cramps/being a woman in general. 
. Math. 
. Doing the dishes. 
. Alarm Clocks.
Most of my bothers seem to be either about my surroundings or myself. The selected in my social list are things that annoy me about society and things that surround me when I'm outside and when I'm out of my comfort zone. It seems that much of it has to do with technical things rather than anything very life changing. My personal list mostly concentrates on things that bother me more up close and mentally, they are uncomfortable to just think about and I would very much enjoy not having to deal with them. 

When reviewing my list I realize that there is not much in common between both of my lists, and they cannot be easily connected. My social list tends to talk about problems related most to culture and socializing. Although there are some problems that can be found in Puerto Rico, I tend to be  bothered by simple things that can be considered to be quite usual in every type of environment. 
 
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<-Me.

Things that grumpify me:
. The smell of pineapple.
. "Cafrerías"
. The color pink.
. Small talk.
. Awkward Silences.
. Dark Chocolate and everything that has to do with it.
. Not having a car.
. Acne.
. Feeling out of my comfort zone.
. The show "The Big Bang Theory".
. The Phineas and Ferb theme song and everything about it in general.
. Forced conversations with annoying and incredibly sweaty people.
. Not having big breasts.
. Looking like crap 24/7.
. Having no control over my emotions.
. Caring.
. Not caring.
. Cher Lloyd.
. Asumptions.
. Needy people.
. Anxiety Attacks.
. Flip flops and socks... At the same time.
. Fanny Packs.
. Period/cramps/being a woman in general.
. Math.
. Stereotypes.
. Being constantly instructed/corrected by my mother.
. Doing the dishes.
. Spoilers.
. Alarm Clocks.
. People who make a big deal(whinning) out of people who make big deals out of things.
. Phones ringing. Phone calls... Phones.
. Not being home.
. My sister.
. Slow internet.
. Password protected WIFI.
. Being approached by random people.
. Surprise visits.
. The Sun.
. The Beach.
. Deadlines.


 
While browsing through my blog I realized that in a small amount of time I was able to write quite a few entries, more than I ever thought I could accomplish. When analyzing them I notice that my type of writing is rather impersonal and in a way may seem like I never go too much into details. When choosing a post which I enjoyed before and after posting it,  I picked one that seemed to speak more of how and who I am. 

Break On Through: I picked this entry mainly because I enjoyed the process of actually writing it. It made me think 
of my likes and dislikes, and in a way it made me remember things about my past that can be brought back only 
by music. I like that my personality is a little more present in this post than in others, that I wrote it with 
enthusiasm and was entertained while working. Even though it's quite a short entry, I had a nice time writing it. 
Music is a topic that will always interest me and inspire me, there are so many other themes that can come from
it; the possibilities are endless. 
 
Magnifying Glass: This is the post I disliked the most. I believe that it's not because it was an uninteresting topic, 
but because I find it so difficult to express myself about such a conflicting subject, that it took me a lot of time 
to finally post it. What I liked about the theme was that I  researched and learned about what I was writing,  
the questions themselves made me ask myself if I was informed enough to comment on the subject and I 
think it helped me realize that we  sometimes talk freely about subjects that we think we know about but 
actually don't without even knowing how wrong we actually are. Being informed is important,  this will 
help you make your point in a smart  way rather than just rambling about things that are untrue.
 
 There are many things about my home land Puerto Rico that I like and dislike. Sadly, there are more things about out current society that I dislike. It's evident that our country is in process of deterioration. Puerto Rico used to be known to other countries as an island with polite and down to earth people who welcomed everyone. This has changed and most of the people, specially the new generation in schools, have lost their positive values, morals and politeness towards the rest. Violence is everywhere and these acts are praised by others, as if by "beating someone up" means defending your honor and earning respect. This is very noticeable in public schools, being an ex student of a Puerto Rican public school I must say that it's one of the most horrible places to grow up and educate yourself. This is where we see all of the society's negative characteristics heightened. This is scary because these are the people who will be the next generation of leaders in P. Rico. 

 The close mindedness and lack of desire for exploring and knowledge is largely present in our society. This bothers me a lot, it seems that to most people everything outside of Puerto Rico doesn't matter, doesn't interest them or seems like too much work to actually try and learn about it. The overly sense of patriotism affects this as well, for they are blinded by eliminating all options that may in any way incorporate things of other cultures. This works to the point that they refuse to even learn or read about other customs. In Puerto Rico when the chance was given to teach English in every public school more intensively for kids to learn at the same time they're learning Spanish there was a lot of negative reaction from a big part of the community. The public stated that by learning this language which is the main one in the US, we are losing touch with our roots, ruining our culture, stabbing the back of our country and confusing the kids by preventing them to learn any language well. This is not true, it's been proven that when children are young they learn languages much easier, and I am proof myself that it's possible to learn two languages at the same time when you're quite young. It seems that they feel like we are owned territory to the US therefore we shouldn't learn this. I think it's a very closed minded kind of thinking, because no matter what language you learn it's always helpful for any situation that you might find yourself in, specially English since it's so popular. Most countries have a minimum requirement of learning more than two languages, and personally I think P. Rico has to start keeping up with the rest because we're falling behind. 

Some of these problems can also be seen around the world, where violence and lack of values are taking over society and the young ones. Their minds are being polluted by what they see on the internet, tv, from other, etc. Children are growing up too fast, and adults dying too young. It's an epidemic and it's unlikely to stop. Things were bad before but it's getting much worse as we can see through the news and from own experiences. 

Articles related to some of my worries: 
#1, #2