Protecting Freedom or Our Interests?

After 30 years of control over Egypt, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to step down and give power of the country over to the military after millions had protested in the country's major cities demanding his oust. Mubarak has been outlined for his one-party rule and his oppression over many of the Egyptian citizens. However, Mubarak and his regime had become a major ally of the United States, as during this time Egypt supported Israel. In return, America has provided financial resources to them and has supported them vocally.

This week, as the protests were in full-swing, President Obama issued a statement, saying that he hopes Mubarak "will end up making the right decision", also known as urging him to step down. I believe President Obama should not have acted so quickly towards this turn of events across the Atlantic. While I realize that by promoting the actions of the protestors in Egypt, Obama is making a stand that certain oppression will not be tolerated and that freedom should always reign supreme wherever it can. But I caution Obama to take any part of this conflict, let alone the stance that he is taking. First off, President Obama must realize that by supporting the Egyptian protests, he is basically attempting to cut all ties with U.S.-Mubarak relations in one blow. By trying to do this, he is failing to recognize the support that we have given him in the past and that he is an essential ally to Iraeli relations in the Middle East. Secondly, I do not suggest the President to interject his views about the civil unrest in the nation because he follows an eerily-similar path that his predecessor took in Iraq. Obamaa should try to stay neutral on the topic and not make any remarks towards the country and their citizens, since the United States has a lot of merit between freedom and our own interests. 

African-American Portrayals: Past and Present

This week in American Studies, we have begun to talk about the portrayal and stereotypes that surround African-Americans in today's society and in the past. After thinking about the perceptions that are connected to black people, we started to see some patterns that ring out in nearly every form of today's media.

Because we are a forward-thinking society, we would like to believe that racism has virtually been eliminated in the 21st-century. Despite these hopes, the negative stigmas that define African-Americans really flaw our views. Some portrayals of African-Americans include: violent, uneducated, and  unintelligent. While there are millions of blacks in America that completely shatter these concepts (like President Obama), they always seem to be exceptions to the rule that the media presents. In primetime television dramas such as CSI and Law & Order, these negatives views about African-Americans are born. In both shows, blacks tend to be the criminals that are fighting against the law. But when they are on the "good" side, they always seem to be playing as a minor supporting character; a follower to the nth degree. In other forms of media, especially sports, African-Americans themselves use slang and profanity in their speech.

It is important that the media balances out their portrayals of African-Americans as much as possible. That way it gives the full spectrum, making it more and more realistic.