Weekly Blog Update: Week 6 Down Syndrome

This week, we got to dive into the lives of people with down syndrome. We got a close look on how people who are diagnosed with down syndrome go about on their life and how hard it is for them to fit into society. I was completely motivated by the article "For Hire: Dedicated Young Man with Down Syndrome." I thought that this article was exceptional because of the story of Jamie. I thought that Jamie's struggles with down syndrome ultimately proved that anybody can accomplish anything in life if they put their mind to it, and focused in on what they actually wanted to do. I think that Jamie is a great example of a hard working child who laid it all down on the line to accomplish his dreams. I know that you can make the argument and say that Jamie had to change his dream and goals a lot because at first he wanted to be a marine biologist, and then a marine biologist helper, but I really think that he did a great job at working with his condition and learning to accept the way that society views him. I think it's honestly disgusting that people with conditions like down syndrome or even a mental disease are given labels and placed into special categories of life and even called "disabled" because of the way that their body looks or the way how their minds work. I believe that we are created equally, under the same conditions as everybody else, and you shouldn't be defined as a person because of your condition.

PEAL: Paper 4

In the society we live in today, we say that it is okay to step out and represent change. However, when we actually do step out and try to change something about our surroundings, we get criticized and scrutinized for our decision. Ultimately, it comes down to the fact that people do not want to change if the change doesn't benefit them. Identifying yourself as a transgender is one of the biggest and life changing decisions you could ever make. In an interview with Helen R. Friedman, who is a clinical psychologist in St. Louis, she states that "It takes a lot of courage to buck the culture's norm that gender is binary, he truth is, gender does exist on a continuum." Meaning, there’s a lot of in-between.” I personally agree with Dr. Friedman because I believe that people who believe that they are transgender are afraid to come out and be themselves because of all the social backlash that their decision might have. Also, I believe that they choose to hid who they truly are and their identities from their family and friends because of the negative repercussions that it might have. However, some people do not care about the criticism that they might get from their decision, and they might step out of the boundaries and go through with Sex Reassignment Surgery to ultimately feel like themselves. 

Outline for the Final Paper

With the final paper approaching us, and us being allowed to choose our own topics, I thought that the best topic for me to choose would be something that I had no experience in, so I could learn as much as I can about my topic. I chose to learn about gender reassignment surgery and transgender. I found many great sources and I felt that I should broaden my topic and make an outline with one or two big ideas.

Introduction: I thought that I would start out the introduction talking about what the difference is between being transgender, thinking that you are in the wrong sex, and ultimately completing gender reassignment surgery. I thought that I would give a brief sentence with an introduction sentence for each of the three topics and then completely wrap up the paragraph and finish off with a closing introduction sentence.

Body: I thought that I would start off with a sentence about the first topic, and write a single paragraph about this topic. I would find describe what the difference between being transgender, and give valid evidence of someone who is currently transgender. I am going to add a quote or one of mu sources here to have a quote about being transgender and then explain what the quote means and end the first paragraph and move on to starting the second one. I think that I was going to start off by saying what it means to be trapped in another body and describe an example of people who feel this way, and how they are reacting and living to this thought. I thought that I would write about another account of the same point but maybe a con side and see what other people think about this. And then I would finish up the second paragraph and move onto the third and final paragraph. I think that I would write about what gender reassignment surgery is and the chain of events that lead to people getting reassignment surgery and how their life changed after. I thought that I would find an article about this and describe what the article means for me. I think that I would wrap up the body here and finish out with a closing statement for the third paragraph and move on to the conclusion.

Conclusion: I think that for the conclusion I am going to start off talking about the introduction, and then reexplain the sentences from my introduction. I am going to use the three body paragraphs to prove and validate my main theme of each paragraph and then finish off the conclusion with what I learned from this assignment, and how it has affected me and changed my mindset of thinking about this unique and controversial issue.

Diane Arbus Photography

https://www.artsy.net/artwork/diane-arbus-kid-in-a-hooded-jacket-aiming-a-gun-nyc

I chose this picture because I found it extremely interesting that Diane was able to photograph a young boy holding a gun in public. I was concerned because I wanted to know if this little boy in the picture stole the gun from somebody or accidentally picked it up, and if it was a real gun or not. But if you clearly look at the picture you can see that the little boy also has a gun holder on his right side. I think that this means that the gun isn't actually a real gun, but merely just a replication of a gun. Also, this would explain why Diane was so calm when taking the boy's picture, and why other people weren't concerned about the fact that a little boy had a gun out in public. The gun draws a lot of questions because I wonder if it is indeed a real gun or not, and if it is a replica, how were they able to make these perfect replicas of guns back then. Also, the boy has a very serious look and doesn't look pleased that he is being photographed with a gun, which is why he has it pointed at Diane, technically. I am really interested in this picture because I want to believe that the gun is plastic and I want to know if toy guns like this were being sold to children all across the country. His outfit is also very unique because he's covering up his entire body with his coat, and the look that this boy has on his face is a very serious look. I think that Diane did a great job with this picture because it really draws a lot of attention and concern over why the boy had a gun. 

My Final Paper Topic?

In this course, we focused on body modifications and body transformations. I've looked at many different examples of people changing their bodies in extreme ways just to fit into society or to have their "perfect body." From bodybuilding to gender, to disabilities and body hacking, I've learned a lot about the way people viewing another in this world. I think for my topic I want to focus on gender, but look at a different aspect of it. I think I want to look at people who believe that they are the wrong gender, and examine why that they feel this way. I want to learn more about misgender, or transgender people because I don't feel well educated in this topic. I believe that after doing my own research, I could learn a lot more about people who are transgender, or believe that they have no gender, or people who don't have gender in general, and see how they have modified their bodies to fit the body that they want to have. Also, I want to look at the medical aspect of transgender people, and what technology and innovation has done to help people easily transform their gender.

Wrap Up Week 3: Public Space

When I think about the World, I think about the unlimited amount of opportunities we have to learn and grow as a society. I begin to think about how we've come so far in technology and innovation, while remaining true to ourselves and never forgetting about our heritage or our roots. However, my opinion of the world is greatly different from everybody else's opinion of the world in countless ways. Central Park for example,  is a place to me where people can have a wonderful time laying in the grass with their friends, or experience the fantastic Zoo or carnival that they have every single day. It's a great place to meet people and it's always open to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However a new phenomenon has been introduced to the world, and it is called Pokemon Go. Pokemon Go has taken over the world by storm, and it has easily caused many major changes in our environment. People are now walking and traveling to different parts of their city in desperate search to capture new and rare Pokemon in their quest to "Catch 'em All." Many different places like Central Park have been primetime locations for these avid Pokemon players to travel to and play Pokemon. Central Park used to be a normal destination for people to come and relax, or walk in the park, and a very well known tourist location, but now many people who have downloaded Pokemon Go have decided to flood Central Park because it is a great place to find amazing Pokemon. I think that Central Park is a great place that both enables and disables people. I think that it enables people to interact with other people around them especially now due to Pokemon Go, and it's a great place to come and relax and just have a good time. However, I also believe that it disables people because a lot of the things that people do at Central Park requires running, walking, and now hunting. So, people who have a leg disability won't find Central Park as lavishly as we do. I think that Central Park could be modified by adding more things that people who have a disability, of any variety, could partake in and enjoy. I think that Central Park is a great public space that could use a little new innovation.

Week 3: Body Disabilities

Body dysfunctions or disfigurations are something that are very common among people. Some of them are noticeable and some of them hide within our bodies. The word disability is very different from being disabled in my opinion. A disability could mean a number of things but to actually be disabled means that your body isn't as physically fit as somebody else is. In the article, "I'm Not a "Person With a Disability": I'm a Disabled person," I've noticed a lot of significant things that happen to Lisa that also happened in the world around us. She doesn't believe that she is disabled. She believes that the world and the society that we live in give her the label "disabled." She proposes the ideology the being disabled and having a disability basically comes down to the fact that you can be medically or physically injured or disabled, or you can be socially disabled. And by saying socially disabled, she means that the world has provided you with a label that only they can change. After reading through this article and after looking at the last two themes from Week 1 and Week, I have noticed a common trend. Whether it's being fat or overweight, or you're a body builder or you're anorexic, or you are disabled or you have a disability, the world around us will always give us a label. The society that we live in today will always determine who we are before we learn who we are ourselves. It's like we are predetermined to be characterized a certain type of way because we look or act or dress a certain type of way. And after we are labeled, people begin to harshly judge us or criticize us because we don't fit into the social norm. I think that we need to stop labeling people and the way that they are all together.

Roxanne Edwards vs Laci Green

Roxanne Edwards and Laci Green are both incredibly gifted and smart women. They both have very valuable ways of viewing life and how to live with their life. Roxanne Edwards is a female body builder who is obsessed with trying to have the perfect body at any means necessary. She worked long hours on trying to have the perfect body in her mind, and now she is extremely satisfied with the distinctive measures that she has taken to achieve her perfect body. On the other hand, Laci Green is YouTuber who has a unique way of life and the way people react to their life. She has many popular videos on her YouTube account that are argumentative towards most of the common perceptions that we may have. In one of her videos that happened to resonate with me in a number of different ways is her video "Fat Shame." In this video, she provides a new way of thinking about someone's body. To summarize, she firmly believes that your body, no matter what shape it is in and how it looks, is your body, and it is your responsible to love the hell out of it. I think that this article and this video disagree. Roxanne Edwards believed that it's okay to look the way that she looks, and she turned her life around in a dramatic way by working out in extreme conditions to achieve her body builder figure. In her article she talks about the negative remarks and the positive feedback that she gets from the way that she looks, and she states that "You were already strong before you started. A steroid just allows you to do it for a longer time so you’re able to create more muscle." I think that her way of viewing life is an extremely unique way of looking at life, and I think Laci Green would disagree with her way of thinking. I think that Laci Green would argue the fact that no matter what way your body looks like, whether you're "fat" or whether you're toned, you shouldn't allow other people to define who you are as a person. I think that both women provide great claims and information to go with their claims. I would have to say that Laci Green is really convincing though, and I really enjoyed watching her videos.

Week 2: MOD to your Body?

I think that the universe has ultimately allowed us to live in this generation curse where we believe that people who are overweight or fat are horrible, terrible, and unhealthy people. From birth, I was always told by my mother to not end up like my father and his side of the family, whom were all overweight adults. I can't really write her and tell you that my mom was wrong for raising me up with this value because it was taught to her when she was a kid too by her mother, and I'm pretty sure that this has been a very common pattern amongst many different families for decades. I always thought that this notion was the correct way of living because even when I attended elementary and middle school, all the kids who were fat were insulted and ridicule. I noticed from a very young age that the way that your body was shaped or looked would decide what type of person you were, and the type of people you got to hang out with. It's like a social ranking status based on your genetics and the amount you weigh. The skinnier you are, the more respected you are. If you were fat, you were automatically unhealthy and a loser. After watching the "Thinspiration" and "Fat Shame" videos on YouTube, it gave me a whole new perspective on life and the way that I view it. I realized that the word fat doesn't actually have to mean an insult, and it also doesn't have to mean that you aren't healthy. I also realized that I was one of those people who were apart of the problem. I believed that that being fat was extremely terrible for you and that people who begin to hate you for it. After watching these videos, I realized that it's okay to do whatever you want to your body because it's your body and you are the only one who's ever going to live with it. So, if you want to enjoy it, enjoy it and make the most of it. Let's not be apart of the problem any longer. Let's put an end to these insults and remarks about people and their weight. It's time to move on from these pointless arguments with people who want to degrade you based on how much you weigh. I think that we could ultimately put an end to the negative way that people use the word fat.

Can the Medical Field cure our imperfections?

Our imperfections define who we are as a human. No matter how hard we try, we are all born with certain characteristics and traits that can be easily distinguishable. Some of us are born with genes that allow us to be unique. Some of us are tall, some of us all short, some of us are fat, and some of us are skinny. In my mind, I think that's perfectly fine. We as humans have the right and the choice to be our own person and do our own thing in life. Some of us are perfectly fine with who we are and where we came from, and we choose to embrace our best traits and sometimes, even our worst traits. We learn from our mistakes and things that we don't like about ourselves and we choose to adapt at our own pace to be a better form of ourselves. However, I also believe that no matter how we try, some of us will never be happy with who we really are. That's why we have things like implant and reduction surgeries, which allows us to be who we actually want to be through expensive and painful methods. These surgeries allow us to achieve the perfect body that we always desired, and allow us to easily be the person that we've always fantasized about being. Also through medical technology, we can easily repair or fix any certain disabilities that feel ashamed about or tend to hid, just like Neil Harbisson who was born with a color blindness disability which only allowed him to see in black and white. He started to wear a new piece of medical technology which allowed him to feel the colors that he couldn't see through vibrations. I found this extremely interesting because with the new innovation of medical technology, and the nonstop growth of this field, we can soon hopefully be able to find and cure any type of imperfection or disease that might naturally occur in our life.

Can humans actually achieve Perfection?

It seems as Humans, we try to do whatever we can to be "perfect." But, what does that really mean? According to the Merriam-Webster's dictionary, the word "perfect" means "having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be." Basically, this definition is telling us that to be qualified as perfect, we must consist of absolutely no flaws whatsoever. So, why are us humans obsessed over the fact of trying to be achieve perfection? Over the past three hours, I have read and looked at six different accounts of different human beings trying to be "perfect" in their own unique way. I was extremely interested in the article regarding Roxanne Edwards and her distinctive way of living life as a female bodybuilder. She spent months in the gym working out and going through difficult rigorous training to achieve the perfect body that she wanted. She dedicated her whole entire life for one goal, to look good naked. Now, she is extremely happy with her new look and she doesn't care about the people who embrace her or discriminate her because of it. I think that being perfect is just a label that we as humans use to describe something that we want to achieve. I don't think that people are obsessed with being perfect, however I think that people are more anxious to be accepted and applauded for who they are. I don't think it's about being perfect or trying to achieve perfection for many people who say that they want a perfect life, or a perfect body, I just think that humans just massively crave attention. And for most people, to get the most recognition or attention that they crave for, that requires them to go through extreme measures. So, the next time you're thinking about trying to have the perfect job, or the perfect body, or even a perfect life, ask yourself one question. Are you really trying to be perfect, or are you just not satisfied with your life now?