TOW #19- Visual Text (Argument)

      It may be easy to see a family as picture perfect, enviable, unbroken; but all from an outside eye.  However, what very few are able to see are the flaws, the truths, and the broken that lie inside the walls of a family.  For families living with alcoholism, the inside is a very familiar place.  Alcohol addiction is commonly overlooked as an internal problem, only effecting the victim of the disease, however, it also has the power to destroy an entire family.
     An estimated 17.6 million people suffer from alcoholism, not even taking into account the family members of these people- the indirect sufferers.  It is important to make clear that alcohol dependency is not a choice that people make, but instead just an unfortunate cross between habit and heredity.  When someone is under the influence, their thinking is distorted, therefore making them  impossible to reason with.  What a loved one might see as a desperate need of help, an alcoholic would view as perfectly normal: with a distorted mind, it is hard to see the truth.  This disagreement in a family setting may start off small, but just like alcoholism, will end up spiraling out of control.  Such irrational disputes that may occur between a drunk person and a sober person can have serious longterm effects on the witnesses of them.  Not only can alcohol lead to divorce, but it can leave everlasting impressions on the children being raised in its negative environment.  Seeing an older family member struggle to receive the help they need can inflict an unusual stress on a child, even if they are too young to process what it means.  The weight sits on their shoulders too, and the imprint can stay there forever if placed at a critical period in their life.
     Just as an alcohol addict may be in denial to the problem they face, their family can also be in denial to the pain that they feel.  Over time, these feelings can be buried for the sake of a picture perfect image.  But time will tell that the damage done by alcohol never truly fades away.  Alcoholism is a dangerous disease that many have to experience every day, whether they are the consumer or the sponsor of sobriety.  For any outsider to the illness, it may be hard to see that alcohol not only effects the alcoholic but also the people surrounding them.  Like a tornado ripping through a town, alcoholism can rip through a family, leaving them in ruins. However, it is important to remember that not every disaster is left like that.  A lot of times, there is a clean up; a road to recovery.

TOW #18- Non-fiction Text 2

     Acrobats swinging from the ceiling, clowns piling out of tiny cars, dare devils circling the arena on motorcycles- the circus scene is full of different dynamic acts.  However, some of the most well known members are performing no more, changing circus life as we know it.  Last month, the Ringling Brothers Circus announced that all elephants will be retiring in the year to come.  Many animal abuse protestors are overjoyed with the news, as the circus has been a long-time focal point on the controversy of animal cruelty.  While this action may be an assuring and cautious step to protect elephants from violence, what if there were no violence in the first place?
     To make an animal do something, one has the choice to choose between positive reinforcement or punishment.   In any case, punishment is completely unacceptable, as it leads to the mistreatment of animals.  This infamous form of training has unfortunately become associated with all circuses, including Ringling Bros.  But for Joey Frisco III, elephant manager for the company, his first priority "is and has always been to make the animals happy and healthy."  Many of the gray, friendly giants have grown up in the circus atmosphere, raised in captivity since birth.  But, if treated with complete respect, how is this act any different than owning a pet?  There are certainly times when a pet owner finds themselves making a dog or cat do something, whether it is training them to use a litter box or making them perform tricks.  When animals have no wildlife experience to compare to, they turn to humans and form relationships similar to a friendship- man's best friend can be a dog or an elephant.
     In such a fast changing world, many of life's commonalities are diminishing.  For decades, the circus has been a classic form of entertainment, and the elephants are very often the staple of the show.  While animal cruelty should never be condoned in any environment, such sweeping generalizations should not be influencing the classic show business culture.  Is the retirement of elephants really a step to saving them?  Or is it just a solution to a generation that is asking for too much?  Eventually, we will come to the point where children will no longer know of santa claus; where the Pledge of Allegiance will no longer be in our repertoire; where the circus will no longer be the circus.
   
http://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2016/02/ringling_bros_to_retire_elephants_to_florida_in_ma.html
   

TOW #17- Non-fiction Text 1

      Music has the power to turn heads, however, it is the artist who determines in which direction.  Being a lifetime Beyonce supporter, it is hard to admit that a feeling of returned support was not found in her Superbowl Halftime Show.  Rudy Giuliani, former New York mayor, brought attention to the fault he found in the strong political message that Beyonce sent during her performance.  The release of her new song, "Formation," including its controversial music video, has been turning heads for the past week due to its references and ties between the Black Panther Party and the Black Lives Matter movement.  While it is important that Beyonce is empowering a specific minority through her song, it is unnecessary for her to put another group down while doing so.
     From hits like "Single Ladies" and "Run the World (Girls)," Beyonce has made her reputation based off of songs of female empowerment, crowning her with such nicknames as "Queen B" and "Goddess."  Beyonce has become the powerful image to represent a "strong, independent woman who doesn't need a man to complete her" (she may be married to Jay Z, but she sure doesn't need him).   Whether mothers across the country like it or not, Beyonce is one of the top influences for young girls today.  Even in her new single, "Formation," the spotlight remains on the lady population, as shown in her halftime performance where she appeared with two lines of women behind her.  Her emphasis on girl power and feminine strength is important to instill among female youth, especially at ages such as adolescence, when confidence is at a significantly low point for girls.  Females have typically been viewed as the subordinate gender,  and Beyonce is applauded for utilizing her music, fame, and power to change this view.
     While singing about such topics have led to Beyonce's immense success,  her new song introduces a new topic: race.  Being partially black herself, Beyonce's performance highlighted clear references to the Black Panther Party, through the all-black costumes her and her entourage wore, and some even say to Malcolm X, through the dancers standing in an X formation during the show.  Now, it is surely important for one to take pride in their racial and ethnic background.  But when that pride becomes borderline threatening, it is no longer acceptable to be published.  Featured in her music video, Beyonce sits atop a half-flooded police car, a nod to the current Black Lives Matter Movement.  While she may be promoting her race, she is also promoting police brutality through this message.  Never will it be justified to kill somebody who protects you everyday. Fox News anchor, Anna Kooiman points out the irony of Beyonce having "a police escort there, but then she gives a salute to the Black Lives Matter Movement."  In other words, do not bite the hand that feeds you: and that is exactly what Beyonce did.
     Beyonce fans are loyal.  It seems they would stand by her even if she were to commit a murder: she is their Queen.  This makes her music extremely powerful and influential over all of her followers.  Although Beyonce sent a positive message of female and black empowerment in her song "Formation," she also sent a much more negative message through the allusion to police brutality.  This minor uproar that she caused may have only lasted a week in the papers, but will cause an everlasting impression on her millions of listeners around the world.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/02/08/rudy-giuliani-beyonces-half-time-show-was-an-outrageous-affront-to-police/