Blogger #4 Chan Whitaker

What I Wanted to Say

             Members of the committee, I thank you for having me here to discuss the issue of chronic homelessness. As we all know homelessness is all around us in every city and town. Now we might not have anyone directly associated with us whom is homeless but I feel it is our duty as humans to help one of our own in their time of need. I propose my solution; I need the full one-hundred and fifty-million to start my program, but before I break down how I will use the allotment let me start with why you should help. Your help is just to get the project off the ground and show results, once the project is running I will seek supplements for local businesses in exchange for volunteers from the facility which will benefit every one. The project will be able to expand from the supplements since the facility will be fully self sufficient, the business gets a cleaner community with less homeless and essentially free volunteers, the residents get volunteer work experience to list on their resumes to help the eventually find paying jobs. Now for my break down the first hundred-million will go directly into construction the facility, purchasing the land, building materials, and permits. The next twenty-five-million will go to purchasing equipment needed to be self sufficient; building water desalination devices for drinking, farming, and showering water, purchasing solar and wind generators, and purchasing equipment needed to farm properly. The next twenty million will go to vehicles for student volunteers to pick up homeless of the streets and check the homeless persons acceptance status, it will also go towards an on cite computer lab for resume writing, job searching, and work shops to help rehabilitate residents. The last five-million will be left in the account for emergencies and expansion should the project be successful enough in the next four years. each resident will have eighteen months to find a job save up the money and move out or they will be evicted and taken to the closest shelter. To be accepted the person in question must be drug and alcohol free for at least six months prior and have not been homeless more than five years (in hopes one day we can accept all sober homeless). Residents will be signed up for volunteer schedules to help local businesses and community organizations, helping clean the streets help with menial tasks for the local paramilitary organizations. Residents will also be asked to participate in daily chores to help the facility maintain it's self sufficient status. Part of the facilities responsibility will be setting up an efficient, small scale, self sufficient, "city" to lead as an example for actual cities to follow in steps to become self sufficient and one hundred percent "green". The facilities main goal will be to better the world starting with large cities, by helping the homeless, and again thank you for your time members of the committee.

Blogger #6 Chan Whitaker

Picture #1: "The Big Picture" this picture will be placed the furthest back and will depict a mother holding her daughter against a brick wall sitting on the cement side walk. The mother looks to be in her mid thirties and the daughter approximately five or six with her body tucked closely to her mothers. They both wear coats so it can be presumed that it is cold. I chose this piece in hopes that it will make my audience think of the women in their life with her daughter in the same position triggering a pathos reaction of empathy and sympathy.

Picture #2: "Change" This picture will be placed on the outer most left hand side of the exhibit, it depicts a homeless man in a hoodie approximately twenty-five in age slim build with a written sign "Keep your coins I want change." The piece is done in a graphic street art style. I chose this piece because it appeals to my own median of spray paint art and to me it had a powerful message.

Picture #3: "The Saint" This picture is front and center it depicts Mother Theresa smiling. I chose this picture to draw your attention away from the rest it is one of the happier and most hopeful pictures in the exhibit. I chose Mother Theresa because of her direct tie dedicating her life to the homeless situation.

Picture #4: "Turn Your Head" This picture is on the outer most right hand side and depicts a business man in a suit with his head manually being pushed away by his "shadow" (another man in a black Morph Suit) he is being forced to look away from the homeless man sleeping on the side walk with some of his possession which just look like trash bags and garbage. I chose this picture because it is essentially my exhibit described in one picture. I want to point out how easy it is to over look homelessness as well as any other social issue because there is a subconscious force making us look away.

Blogger #5 Chan Whitaker

              I did a Google Images search of homeless artist found this picture ,------------------------------>
which took me to, http://homelesssigns.tumblr.com/ 

where I learned two artist started a project for the homeless in a whole new way. The goal of the artists is to raise awareness with a flashy sign and to spread the stories of the homeless who are out on the streets. In further research I sound that one of the artists is a mechanical engineer by degree but a sign painter and artist by trade. Each sign they make is hand painted and is the artist's rendition of the original sign the homeless had.

            The following is a link to "If Everyone Cared" by Nickleback https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IUSZyjiYuY . I find this song related to all social issues because Nickleback was just trying to inspire a change in human behavior. I think the video is actually a helpful aspect to the song since it depicts others who have tried and succeeded in making a change either in their community, culture or the world. I personally find the song related to human suffering as a whole and motivates me to want to make "everyone care" about their fellow human beings. The song was written by the member of Nickleback and, the digital sales of this song go to Amnesty International and International Children's Awareness Canada.

              The credibility of both the band and the art movement is with their followers. They are both established and within their fans are probably influential figures. They also both have pathos on this subject seeing the signs or hearing a song tends to trigger one's emotions. The homeless signs however, unlike Nickleback, have a shock affect on the public because it is something they were not expecting and it's controversial.

Blogger #3 Chan Whitaker

This ad for the Salvation Army caught my attention, because I feel like it bluntly points out how easy it is for the homeless to just blend in with the noise of the city. It makes me realize that to most of us the homeless are no more than the piece of trash on the side walk in the corner of our eyes. This add makes me wonder why it is so easy to look past a homeless person when their situation is so dire. How can we walk past the same person sleeping on a bench every day and not once think, "How can I help them today?" or "I wonder what stories they could tell." I guess all in all it just opened my eyes to a different social issue (ignorance).

Blogger #2 Chan Whitaker

The Articulate Compromise

             
            While there are many languages out there, there are people who don't think they know more

 than one, but based on what I've read and what I've heard, many people use more than one language 

everyday. Is the way you would speak to a co-worker or boss the same way you would speak to or 

interact with your friends? No, are you going to interact and speak as free tongued around your 

parents that you do when you hang out with your friends? No, but you wont speak to your parents 

with the same formality that you do with your boss or co-workers either. You speak to your boss, 

friends, and family all in different languages. This is a perspective held by Lyiscott, to her being 

articulate means being able to fluently speak in any way that's different from another, and 

that in itself is it's own language. Anzuldua said, "So, if you want to really hurt me, talk poorly about

 my language." This expresses her love for her first language (Spanish). When she moved to 

a country where so many of the people don't understand her language she had to learn a new one, in 

the story she also says that when one lives in a country where the dominant language is one they 

cannot speak what else is one to do but to create a new one, one that takes a little of each in a sort of

compromise making a whole new culture.

Blogger #1 Chan Whitaker

I Have Been Told

I am eighteen who I am doesn’t matter, my gender, race, sexuality, nationality, religious, or political beliefs, don’t matter. What does matter: I am eighteen, I am a human, my story, and what I have to say to you

One Billion people worldwide are estimated to have inadequate housing. I am lucky, yet I wish no one has to feel the ways I have. I have slept on the streets, I have felt hunger with no food, I have been alone and afraid, left with nowhere and no one. The on going debate is whose job is it to do something, when the debate should be what should we do about it?.

This world has many problems, let’s start fixing. First, we are all human, it is our job to do something. Our homeless are unsafe and scared, let’s give them at least a temporary home to feel safe. Our poor are hungry, let’s give them the means to grow their own food. Our youth are ignorant, let’s educate them. Our small-business owners are understaffed and are common folk are unemployed, let’s help.

I have been told I can’t fix the world because no one person can change the world. Well that is true the world is in fact too large for any one person to fix, however, united the human race has caused great change. Together the world has stopped tyrants, dictators, and genocides. It is time to stop focusing on each individual problem on its own. In short our problem; the people of the world, our people, need help our help, it’s broad I know that’s the point.

The state of California is currently under a “state of emergency” when it comes to the issue of homelessness.  Although government officials are attempting to find solutions to the problems, maybe there are other ways we can help.  There are empty lots everywhere, let’s petition the government to donate them tax free for homeless facilities, after all the government is supposed to be here to help and serve the people. If we convert shipping containers into a “halfway” facility for the homeless, we can have the previously homeless residents volunteer their time for the right to stay. The residents well volunteer to local businesses and community clean-up efforts as well as local paramilitary organizations such as the fire and police department to help keep the communities safe. Residents will also grow food food for the facility as well as food banks. Local students can volunteer at these facilities, to help pay for tuition through school programs.

This is just the start of the basic concept I have planned. Together we can better our communities and our world. We must start on a small scale and take things slow but keep our scope broad, because when nothing has worked previously it’s time to change our approach. Let’s change the world for the better, together as one.

Final blogger

#1

HOLD WHILE I SHOOT

summary 

For the first art piece of Words are Weapons we have this art piece called Hold While I Shoot, we start with a black background, with a weapon in the middle. There are a bunch of words forming the shape of a gun, with words coming out of the barrel representing smoke like it had just been shot. There are bold words, tiny words, big words and with different fonts. The words are in white and gray. Some of the words like “Faggot,” “Worthless,” and “Bitch” form the length of the barrel. “Wasted,” “Outcast,” “Freak” are few of the words that form smoke coming out of the barrel in a spiral motion. The trigger is made out of “Pull the trigger. You will not be missed.”

            Analysis 

      The gun of words creates a powerful statement that words are weapons as well. Words are damaging to someone’s self-esteem. Those are permanent scars that we see in ourselves even if they are not visible physically. The gun states that not only you have to be physically hurt or abuse to bully, calling names to others is bullying too. Is verbal bullying. In a way you are shooting at them putting them down, firing words, taking down the victims of bullying by hitting them with words instead of punches. It shows that words are as powerful and hurtful like physical pain. The gun also represents that words can cause more damage. With every time someone says something hurtful is like taking a gun and shooting you with it, and leaving a permanent scar on you. The more someone “shoots” at you the more wounded you become.

#2

HANG THE PAIN

         Summary

          Is black, no light, it’s just you. All you hear are the mean, hurtful things that have been said to you. You can’t take it no more, so you get a weapon, its long, you tie it around. It’s all the words that had been said to you, they are big, bold, tiny, different colors, and font. It’s a noose of words. The knot has the trigger saying “Just kill yourself, Just kidding, Not really.” In between those bold big words are small ones saying, “Die Bitch, die bitch, die bitch.” The loop of the rope is made out of smaller words like “you will not be missed.” “You suck,” “just jump, get it over with.”

            Analysis 

        This art piece symbolizes the struggle that many victims of verbal bullying endure in their daily lives. The noose is a way to end everything, to end the pain, the suffering, the laughter. When you can’t take the pain no more, you feel like you had no other choice but to use a weapon to make it quick and fast. The noose is a symbol that when you hang, you hang all the pain with it as well. The rope are is the struggle that bully victims have to deal with, for example, each braid on the rope is a word, a sentence and a phrase that the victims have heard or been called. Like the phrase “just jump, get it over with.” If that’s not something to go and find a weapon then I don’t know what else would trigger someone to do it.

#3

CUT THE PAIN OUT

       Summary

   You can’t take it anymore, it’s the constant abuse, the anguish of those hurtful words. “Waste of space,” “uncool,” “loser,” “failure.” All these plus more words are forming a weapon, a weapon that will find you a way out of all the pain. It’s just you, it’s all black, and all you see are the words, playing in your head forming a shape. They are big, small, bold, white, and gray. You see the words “No one likes you,” on the edge of the blade. The words are in the shape of a knife. The handle is made out of “Coward,” “failure,” “uncool.” The tip of the blade has “dumbass,” and “ignorant.” It’s sharp with a very pointy tip.

Analysis

    This art piece of a knife represents that words are stabbing, hurtful pain. It symbolizes that the words are stabbing you like if someone was actually using a knife to do it. The pain of the words being said to you is driving you to the edge of no return. Where once you use that knife of words the pain is gone. We say that words aren’t hurtful but they are wrong, they are a more dangerous way of weapons. We don’t actually need to use the weapons itself but those words form the weapons that someone would use. Mostly on themselves. The knife is an example of that. The bullying of verbal abuse will drive someone to commit suicide