We stand today on the edge of a New Frontier

In John F. Kennedy’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in 1960 he said that it was “a time for change.” These words are just as true today as they were forty-eight years ago. Kennedy was well aware of the suffering across the nation: “The old people without medical care, the families without a decent home, the parents of children without a decent school.” And in our time, we are going through an economic crisis that is costing people their homes and their jobs. Meanwhile, exit polls showed that over seventy percent of voters fear a terrorist attack. Kennedy knew of the same threats in 1960 when he said “The world has been close to war before, but now man, who’s survived all previous threats to his existence, has taken into his mortal hands the power to exterminate his species seven times over.” We live in a state of fear and we face the threat of domestic hardships as well as attacks from abroad. That is why Kennedy’s words remain true, that “Today our concern must be with the future.” And that “it is time…for a new generation of leadership.” In the past we have been a nation split by our fears and our prejudices, by our beliefs and our greed. We still see much of that split, but it is waning. Almost half a century ago Kennedy understood that “A peaceful revolution for human rights, demanding an end to racial discrimination … strained at the leashes imposed by timid executive leadership.” But we just elected a man who would not have stood the slightest chance to become President in 1960. That shows hope for this country, but we still have a long way to go. On the same day that Barack Obama was elected President, there were also three states that banned same-sex marriages. We still have many problems facing our nation. Our prejudices may be waning, but they are not gone. And the threats and problems that we face will not go away if we do nothing. Those threats will grow if they are ignored. We cannot be lulled into a belief that there is nothing left to overcome. Kennedy said “the problems are not all solved and the battles are not all won; and we stand today on the edge of a New Frontier…the frontier of unknown opportunities and perils, the frontier of unfilled hopes and unfilled threats.” As January 20, 2009 draws closer, we too stand on the edge of a new frontier. But “the New Frontier…is not a set of promises. It is a set of challenges.” Because “The New Frontier is here whether we seek it or not.” We must stand up and accept these challenges. We can stand up against discrimination based on race, gender, religious beliefs, and sexual orientation. We can stand up against those who threaten our peace and the peace of a free world. We can stand up against those who are overcome with greed and threaten the foundations of our economy. “For courage, not complacency, is our need today; leadership, not salesmanship.” That is why we had the courage to elect a new leader that shows us that there is still hope in a weary nation. And even though it was an historic event because of the color of his skin, the importance of his being elected is beyond color. It is about opportunity; opportunity to move beyond the limitations of the past and look to the possibilities of the future. “That is the question of the New Frontier. That is the choice our nation must make…between national greatness and nation decline, between the fresh air of progress and the stale, dank atmosphere of ‘normalcy’, between dedication or mediocrity.” The fight for freedom is an ongoing battle that we cannot retreat from. And this election showed that even when we are scared and our backs are against the wall, we still believe that this is a battle worth fighting.

the start of something great.

Yesterday was truly a historical day for our country—Barack Obama was elected as the 44th president of the United States of America.
I tend not to be the biggest fan of politics as I feel that Republican or Democrat, no candidate shares my liberal ideals. This year though, a candidate gave me a glimpse of hope that seemed just a tad more to the left than others. For the first time I became engaged in politics which luckily corresponded with the first year I could vote in a Presidential election.
The primaries came and the battle between Hillary and Barack was on (creating a slight rift in my family). And after too many months, Obama came out victorious and my hopes for a change in this country seemed that much closer. The only thing in its way: John McCain and his wisely-chosen vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. And for three more months, the battles continued, growing harsher each day. My optimism, however, could not be shattered. I refused to believe that this country would accept another conservative reign. Living in this little liberal bubble of Madison also did not help my naivety that people would actually vote for McCain.
After what seemed like years of bickering, bashing, and campaigning, November 4th finally came yesterday. I voted on Monday, so I was slightly removed from the spirit of the actual Election Day but when 5 p.m. approached my friend Maeve and I sat impatiently in our Material Culture class watching boring presentations. When class ended at 6:30 (I cannot believe they kept us the whole 2 ½ hours!), I ran home and turned on CNN and MSNBC. Not much had happened yet, but Obama was winning by a few. Over the next three hours, my roommates—both of whom are insane Obama maniacs—watched the coverage and got increasingly more excited as the projected winnings kept coming in as blue.
At about 9:30, we decided to get off our couch and head over to Brats to meet all of our friends to watch this possibly historic moment. We got to the door a little after 10 p.m. and my roommates rushed in quickly but I, unfortunately, was badgered by the bouncer who claimed that my legitimate Wisconsin “over 21 years old” ID was not me. As he finally let me in, the whole bar erupted in cheers. I ran up to my group of friends—the majority in tears—and realized that Barack Obama was CNN’s projected president elect. I truly do not have the words to describe my excitement at the moment. The remainder of the night was amazing. McCain’s concession speech and Obama’s acceptance speech were both overwhelmingly powerful and the whole bar sat in quite awe as they were delivered. Thousands of young adults ran around State Street singing praises for change, for hope, for our future.
When I woke up this morning, it truly felt like the dawn of a new age—as corny or cliché as that sounds—and for the first time in a very long time, I was actually proud to call myself an American.

The Rand Corporation with the help of Reverse Vampires

Every research project that I have ever done (up to this point) has been a solo project. For each one, I would try to find a topic that was of some interest to me and trudge through literature on that topic. They were always slow, boring, unrewarding endeavors that turned into me struggling just to put something on paper and turn it in. But last week was the first time I sat down to meet with a group and plan out a collaborative research project. In almost no time at all, we were throwing out ideas and having more success as a group than one could have alone. With each mind came a new modification to the original idea that allowed us to hone our plan into something that we were not only happy with, but also eager to put into action. I guess I had never thought about it before, because I am usually one to do things on my own, but two heads really are better than one (or in this case three are better than one). A short time later, our brainstorming session came to a close as a complete success. And with that short meeting, a project that could be overwhelming if done alone, seems much easier to handle with the addition of just a few more people.

Project of Passion

After our slight difficulty rounding everyone up for a meeting, we all had some ideas about our research project. It is quite difficult for three varying minds to converge and agree on the same idea and presentation. But surprisingly, after leaning on a table in the natural light of Lakefront on Langdon for no more than a half hour, we had both our subject of research and the style of presentation agreed upon. The idea sprang from one chair, with each seat feeding to the river of thoughts.“Oh, that’s a good idea, and how bout we………..”“Yeah, I like that, and after we have our information we could add…………..”“I really like the pamphlet idea. And it can be colorful!”“The community will be able to use this, so we’re working for something more than just the grade.” Then within a few more minutes our proposal was written and the work was divide up. We all agreed on the objective and were looking forward to the work (strange, I know!). When we first sat down, we just sort of tossed around ideas but no one caught one we really wanted to work on. So, for the first five or so minutes it was random thinking, but once decided on a topic of research it was nothing but strikes.I left our meeting feeling a bit of anticipation for the project. I know, it is for school, but in this particular case it is something of interest, not just an assigned generic topic. It will be a lot of work, but in the end it will be completely worth it because we ourselves will be better consumers and we will have also supplied others with the means of being globally conscience when they go out for their morning coffee or business lunch. This little pamphlet could affect those in other places, farmers we will never know, simply by boosting the demand for their organic or fairly traded products. Alright economics, let’s get to it!

planning this project.

Each member of our group came to the meeting with a few ideas we were interested in researching. After we each proposed a few topics, we began talking about a few other possibilities when Helen brought up the idea of fair trade and from there it was a breeze. We had already settled on creating a pamphlet before we had decided on a topic and luckily, the idea of fair trade fit perfectly into this form. As we began to elaborate on the topic a bit, we decided it would be very cool if we created a fair trade and environmentally conscious "map" of restaurants and cafes in the downtown area. At this point, we were all very excited about our idea and the ideas just kept on flowing.

We had no disagreements while trying to create our proposal and I think all three of us are very satisfied and excited about this project. I am actually surprised that it ended up being so simple to decide on a topic and idea since I often find it difficult to decide on something as easy as where I going to dinner with my best friend. All three of us seem to be passionate about the idea of fair trade and using local or organic items. Thus, we are curious to find out which restaurants in the downtown area share this passion. Ultimately, we wish to actually distribute this pamphlet since we believe that there is a large population in Madison that would also be interested in this issue. All in all, I am very excited to begin this project as I think it will be beneficial to our group and the greater Madison and UW population.

Political Pageant

In today’s society, some of the most famous celebrities are famous simply for being rich and famous. Socialites and pop stars, like Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, have become famous based on their drunken antics, fabulous wardrobes, and pretty faces—and not much else. Thus, it is absurd for Senator John McCain to compare Senator Barack Obama to these ridiculous celebrities. Although one cannot compare a hardworking politician to frivolous twenty-something celebrities, politics cannot be separated from our pop culture.
Pop culture has an influence on politics, but at the same time politics is in and of itself a form of pop culture. And sadly in our society, it’s all a game of how pretty you are.
Before televised debates, politicians were solely evaluated based on what they said and not on how they looked. However in 1960, when John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon ran for the presidency, Americans began to realize how importance one’s physical appearance actuall was. Most Americans would agree that visually, John F. Kennedy was the more appealing candidate. He looked young, suave, and promising. Since this inundation of the visual media, it is hard to separate one’s thoughts from his/her appearance. Unfortunately, it is not always one’s thoughts that become the selling point.
Sarah Palin is a paramount example of this: she is under qualified, yet a conventionally attractive person. Her physical appearance ultimately makes her an “attractive” candidate but not necessarily in a positive way. Politics should not be a beauty pageant but has recently become more similar to one. Take a look at the four women involved in the presidential campaign: Michelle Obama, Jill Biden, Sarah Palin and Cindy McCain. Their physical appearance has become just as important as anything they say. Their outfits cost hundreds of dollars. Their hair is perfectly coiffed. They are simply on display in order to benefit the presidential candidate whom they are backing.
In pop culture, a celebrity’s appearance is a large part of the package and it is acceptable since we like them or dislike them based on that persona. However in politics, it is scary to think that so much can be based on a candidate’s appearance since we are supposed to support him/her based on his/her ideals and NOT on appearance. Although Hollywood has become little more than a beauty pageant, we must make sure that Washington does not follow.

PopPoliCulture

The convergence of popular culture and politics seemed inevitable as politicians are now categorized as celebrities. When Bill Clinton was running for president in 1992 he was featured on a tonight show playing a jazz saxophone and answering the question of whether he wore boxers or briefs (he wears briefs, by the way). That put him in the same television screen as Arsenio Hall and in the magazines with movie stars. Politics became popular culture. This can be seen both positively and negatively. Since popular culture is just that, popular, it can make anything categorized in it fashionable and widespread. After the 2000 election, and especially the 2004 upset, I found myself impassioned for politics. As I toured colleges my senior year of high school I was told that political science was recently one of the most popular majors. With the increased publicity of Capitol Hill more people became interested and began to participate, thus broadening the range of people who were elected to office, producing better representation. Though increased media can be positive, it can also have damaging effects on personal lives. For example, we’ll go back to President Clinton. His sex scandal was a long and drawn out process that was highly publicized, and that is the first thing you think of when he comes up in conversation. Not his foreign policy, not his domestic provisions that aided the U.S. economy, but his nights of adulterated passion. Now, compare this will John F. Kennedy’s alleged affair with Marilyn Monroe. It was barely make public and Kennedy’s legacy is lead by his politics, not his penis. I’m not saying that I condone Clinton’s actions, because deceiving both your country and your family is a terrible action that he’ll never fully be forgiven for. But, what legislation didn’t get passed in Congress or the UN because of his personal life? Media now mixes business with pleasure. Can this mix remain democratic? What is the line between free speech and private information? Celebrities (real ones, that is) have an immense power in contemporary politics. They may have logos to share, but they are relying on pathos to persuade their audience to agree with the right candidate, the right legislation, the right cause. But, do celebrities make political videos to boost their own images or to increase the popularity of the person they support? I prefer to be trusting rather than skeptical, so I’ll side with them using their power of persuasion. I just hope this doesn’t lead me into a political war under false pretenses. Democracy can be sustained throughout popular culture as long as we the public can distinguish between what is in style and what is actual reality.