I am NOT a Transcententalist

I agree with the concept of self-reliance to an extent. I do think it is important to support and believe in yourself which corresponds with Emerson's, "Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string." The difference between us is that I don't think that is the only way to go. I often rely on my friends and family for support.

The biggest difference between me and a transcendentalist is the belief that people are inherently good. It's not that I'm particularly pessimistic; I don't believe people are born good or bad. My beliefs align more with the "blank slate" theory. The basic idea is that we are all only born with so much, and how we are raised influences the type of person we become. This is why I found conflict with Emerson's line, "If you are true, but not in the same truth with me, cleave to your companions; I will seek my own...It is alike your interest, and mine, and all men's, however long we have dwelt in lies, to live in truth." He is essentially saying that if you don't agree with someone, each of you should just do your own thing. But what if that other person is doing something wrong? Not everyone is good.

Sound and Fury

I found this movie to be extremely interesting and unfortunately I have seen a few movies with the same problem. It seems like everyone has it in their head that if a child is to grow up happy and successful that that person has to be hearing. People also seem to assume that if someone is deaf that they are missing out on something. I personally think that if I were to have a deaf child, I would choose not to give them the implant because the surgery is risky and there is an entire culture that they will have the opportunity to be a part of.

The surgery to get the implant seems so risky. I wouldn't feel right putting a small child through such a scary surgery and unfortunately that is when it would have to be done. People who receive the implant as an adult rarely get good results. Even if the implant is given to a child, they will never be able to hear completely normal. It will sound muffled, maybe even to a point where it frustrates them to have the implant. Also, if they get the implant, they won't be hearing or deaf so they may have some struggles with finding out where they belong.

Being deaf isn't just a form of abnormality, it is a lifestyle that has a culture to go with it. There are entire communities and schools dedicated solely to the hearing impaired. In my opinion it is truly beautiful to watch people speaking through sign language. They are able to communicate not just words and phrases but also passion and emotion behind them. Rather than just speaking through signs, it is speaking through body language. Along with having its own language, there is also a history that goes along with this culture. Hearing people and even people with the implant miss out on this culture.

If my child were born deaf, I would want to raise them as a deaf child and open them up to every possible opportunity given to them. I think its necessary for the hearing impaired to have a certain pride in who they are and the wonderful community and culture that they get to be a part of. Also, it would be safer than risking a surgery that might not even be helpful. While there are strong arguments for the implant, I believe that in my case I would not give my child the implant and embrace them for who they are.

Semiotic Analysis: iPhones

For this post I chose to analyze an iPhone. No, I don’t actually have one, but I have an iPod and a cell phone. I couldn’t choose between the two so I am now analyzing the two in one. It feels like iPhones and smart phones do everything now. They take the place of cameras, iPods, phones, gaming devices, notepads, etc. by placing them all into one convenient device. It is structured this way to make our lives easier and more convenient…as if we really need that.

In today’s society it seems as though we barely have any need to leave our homes. We can order food, shop, communicate, and make money all on line, so why bother leaving the house? The answer to this question is too often “we never have to leave the couch!” This is a problem for several reasons. First of all, if you never get off the couch there is no way you can be healthy – video games and couch surfing do not count as exercise. Also, people are losing the ability to socialize with real people – just because someone friends you on Facebook doesn’t mean they are your real friend. And lastly, there is no way that living your life through a smart phone or a computer can replace going out, meeting people, working, and contributing to your community. While technology is amazing, it could end up being society’s weakest link.

Inaugural Speech

It has taken me forever to write this blog post! This is primarily because I struggled to find any significant differences between the words used by each president in his inaugural speech. After thinking for a while I realized that there is probably a reason for that. I came to the conclusion that there can’t be that many ways for them to say the same thing. I mean it’s the same job position giving the same speech at the same time of year for the same reason. So wouldn’t you expect their word choice to be similar? This is what I noticed. There were a few differences which I’m sure are a result of changing social norms, but for the most part, they were very similar. (I feel like I said that a lot.) The most common words are government and America which is to be expected since the speech is given by the leader of our government to America. I’m guessing we won’t see any drastic changes to the inaugural speech in the near future.