Analyzing Osama bin Laden Death Cartoons

 The eagle standing on top of Osama bin Laden represents how the United States is responsible for the death of Osama bin Laden. The words above the eagle explain how long the U.S. was trying to find the known terrorist. The way the U.S. is looking at Bin Laden shows how much focus was placed on getting rid of him.

The cartoon on the left shows the statue of liberty and Uncle Sam dancing and celebrating with a newspaper saying that Bin Laden is dead. They both represent the U.S., but I think they also represent newfound freedom, justice and safety in the U.S.

Osama bin Laden Newspaper Headlines

This newspaper headline captured my attention immediately because of the bold title with Osama bin Laden's picture right below it. The title emphases how the U.S., after so much preparation, finally defeated Osama bin Laden. The quote from President Obama also serves to show that the right thing was done. The overall attitude of the cover is one of pride in the U.S. and relief that there is no more fear of that wanted terrorist.

 

This newspaper headline seems to be one of the least professional because it focuses mainly on revenge against Bin Laden rather than focusing on what his death means for our country. It does not mention or seem to show any real relief for U.S.

This newspaper focuses mostly on Obama because his picture is the biggest; therefore, it is focusing more on the effects of Bin Laden's death on the U.S. rather than simply mentioning his death. In a way, it is good that it focuses on the U.S., but the thing is that the biggest news is that Bin Laden died.

Goals, Ambitions--Success

Success. What does that word bring to mind? A person becoming powerful and making millions or maybe it is a person becoming the first in their family to graduate. The definition of success varies from person to person. People may aim for it, teachers help us build up to it, but what exactly is it?

It is your goals, a personal bucket list. According to Dictionary.com, success is “the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors” and “the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.” I like the former because I would feel successful if I fulfilled what I was aiming for.
As simple as it sounds, graduating and going off to college would be an accomplishment for me. While both of my parents went to a Bible college, I am thinking about majoring in dietetics or nursing. I might also decide to take classes to improve my writing so that I can write a book. Rather than becoming a workaholic, I want to enjoy my career and have a life. If I had to choose between being wealthy or not, I would choose not to because it would not last forever. It could potentially steal away what is important in my life.

One of my “bucket list” items is to go skydiving. Would my life feel complete if I did that? Maybe...if I survived. It would be exciting and terrifying and they say that coming out of an experience like that can change someone. Going to Italy would be another goal, or wish, of mine. Traveling is a common desire of many people and going to new places is an unforgettable experience that I want to have.

Also, is there ever a certain time in life when people just stop and think that they have reached success? Is it ever reached? If people reach that point, they cannot just stop living their lives. If they want to get the most out of life they will continue to have ideas of how to improve it. Whether it is personal success or helping others become successful, it is an ongoing cycle. We never know what is going to happen, so it’s better to feel successful even if we don’t have every single goal completed.

People cannot just have a money tree in their backyard that they water every day. What should be watered are goals and dreams. Some of them might not grow, but those little failures, those goals that stubbornly do not sprout are an inevitable part of life. Just as there is no good without evil, there is no success without failure.

I want to grow an entire forest of accomplishments. The goals that do grow allow one to reach that most personal and important ambition, and as the MasterCard commercials say, it’s “Priceless.”  Basically, based on decisions and determination, success is what a person decides they want it to be.

Interpreting Editorial Cartoons

The cartoon above shows how the people in Egypt have used Facebook in the government. Facebook was blocked in Egypt, but it can still be used by people in the U.S.

The cartoon to the right depicts how people in the U.S. use Facebook mainly as a place to comment on what they are doing, what they are thinking...basically anything they feel like telling everyone. People post insignificant things, not exactly things that affect the entire country.

Giffords Shooting

The recent shooting in Arizona has brought sadness and controversy all over the U.S. The cartoon to the right illustrates how Democrats and Republicans are in a constant debate, only stopping when this thought-provoking incident occurs. What will they do after? Go back to their disagreements. Although Gabrielle Giffords is a Democrat, both Democrats and Republicans have been saddened by this act of violence towards her and the other victims. When a tragedy happens, everything stops, everyone thinks, but the question is: Afterwards, what will change?

Censorship: Huckleberry Finn

The cartoon above is supposed to show how censorship should not be used, in this case in the book "Huckleberry Finn", because it is an attempt to sugar-coat the reality of the time. The N-word that is all throughout the book is representative of how African Americans were disrespected. There still was no true equality, and African Americans were still slaves. The first cartoon is saying that even Jim, an African American, thinks that censorship is a bad thing.
The cartoon to the right is showing how in this present day the book has been censored. People should not try to cover up the speech used in the book. What happened cannot be changed, so the book's message and words should not either.

New Year New Goals

This new year of 2011, I have goals that I want to become habits. First of all, I want to manage my time better than I usually do, and I want to be faster at everything. I am a perfectionist in just about anything and I need to hurry up and finish so that I can move on and do more in the day. Secondly, I need to learn to pay more attention to my teachers. When a teacher starts lecturing, I automatically zone out, just to be confused when I finally start paying attention ten minutes later. If I payed attention, I would get better grades, and if I got better grades, I wouldn't have to worry so much about them. That's another thing to change. I don't want to be worried all the time. I want to relax more and stress less . I also should go to bed earlier so I won't be tired the entire day.