Due WED (5/9) before 11:59pmPrompt: How can we counterbalance FB/NRA power? Formulate a thesis as to why FB/NRA is so powerful then discuss FIVE forms of power that we as a society can mobilize to counterbalance the seemingly monolithic power(s) of FB/NRA. INTRODUCTION: Be sure to clearly argue why FB or NRA is such a powerful entity to talk about. Be sure to specify what form(s) of power that FB or NRA have over society. Be sure to include at least TWO authoritative sources. BP1-2: Discuss your first form of power that can counterbalance FB/NRA in at least two paragraphs. Include at least two authoritative sources. Be sure that your form of power has a distinct keyword that you use repeatedly enough to emphasize the importance of that word without simply saying the same thing over and over again. BP3-4: Discuss your second form of power that counterbalances FB/NRA. Be sure that your language clearly shows that you're moving on to the next form of power. Include at least two authoritative sources. BP5-6: Same as above. BP7-8: Same as above. BP9-10: Same as above. CONCLUSION: Close with your final thoughts on FB/NRA and what you've learned about analyzing these various forms of power. Include at least one authoritative source. WORKS CITED page You should have at least THIRTEEN authoritative sources that are all correctly formatted according to MLA formatting guidelines.
22 Comments
Blaine Sholmire
5/9/2018 05:22:11 pm
How Facebook’s Power Controls the World’s Mind
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Christopher M. Campos
5/9/2018 06:47:01 pm
Christopher M. Campos
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Christopher M. Campos
5/9/2018 06:48:34 pm
. The immense power that Facebook has makes individuals feel like they are being heavily watched on Facebook and this creates the kind of fear that drives people just like my aunt away from ever wanting to start up a new account with Facebook.
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Amiel S. Garcia Rodriguez
5/9/2018 07:30:05 pm
Power is the possession of control, authority, or influence over others (Merriam Webster). Power and the exchange of it is found everywhere in our society. One of the greatest forms of power is found in our constitution. The amendments in the constitution grant powers to the government, the people and states. The second amendment in the Bill of Rights gives Americans the power to bear arms against the federal government. This power has remained intact and strong because it has been transferred between Americans and the National Rifle Association(NRA). The NRA is a nonprofit organization that specializes in protecting Americans’ second amendment rights. The organization was founded in 1871 as a recreational group designed to "promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis" (BBC News). The NRA today has evolved into a full-fledge political machine that has an immense amount of power derived from its grassroots support. They have strong pro gun support from members that are “engaged politically and in the politics of intimidation” (Sit). In contrast, we as Americans also have counterbalancing powers against the NRA like the first amendment, a changing American culture, fear, followers, and research of gun violence.
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Amiel S. Garcia Rodriguez
5/9/2018 07:32:25 pm
On the flip side, everyday citizens are trying to take back that power by changing our culture and they are starting the change by targeting their own generation. Nationwide school walkouts have been orchestrated by gun control activists that are teenagers. Similarly to the NRA, Lane Murdock, a high school student, among many other political activists realized the need for a change in our culture when it comes to how we handle our second amendment right (Karimi). She started the walkout movement in memory of the Columbine shooting that occurred 19 years ago. The movement encourages young people to push for legislation at the state level if Congress doesn't act. The movement is changing our culture in the sense that it is calling students become politically active and call for their state governments to “ban assault weapons, high-capacity magazines and bump stocks; mandating universal background checks; placing a minimum age of 21 on all gun purchases; implementing waiting periods between a gun purchase and gun transfers; and allowing families to petition a court to remove guns from individuals at risk of injuring themselves” (Karimi). This movement has gained national recognition not just from other students but everyone else who has a voice and wishes to change our culture. This uprising movement is causing a shift in power from the NRA to these students who can’t even vote, but have mobilized other students and politicians to change our political culture.
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Amiel S. Garcia Rodriguez
5/9/2018 07:34:16 pm
There is power in numbers and when joined together Americans and businesses are much more powerful force than the NRA. The NRA has over 4 million members and with that many followers comes the power of influence. The NRA has continued to grow more powerful in their 147 years of existence because of its members. These members are extremely loyal to the organization that they will anything that it asks. The organization has built a support base for members as a lifestyle they can easily adopt (Scher). There is NRA store, NRATV, Institute of Legislative Action(ILA) and membership carrying cards that make members feel welcomed in the group. As mentioned before the NRA is a grassroots organization that uses members as lobbyists and as funders for their lobbying branch, the Institute of Legislative Action. The organization repeatedly blasts its message of the ‘elites’ wanting to take their members’ guns and freedom. The results of this ‘lifestyle’ is members lobby for the organization and have gun control laws dismissed by adding pressure to legislators.
Amiel S. Garcia Rodriguez
5/9/2018 07:35:57 pm
debate may be uncertain right now, but hopefully in the future the balance between the power exchanged from the NRA and Americans will be restored. A compromise will be the answer to the power deficit found in our society unless the NRA wishes to be found in a society where “they risk having laws dictating them by elected officials with no idea how guns work, much less how they can be owned responsibly” (Nicolais).
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Amiel S. Garcia Rodriguez
5/9/2018 07:36:29 pm
Williams, Clarence. “Outside NRA Headquarters, Hundreds Gather in Vigil and Protest.” The Washington Post, WP Company, www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/outside-nra-headquarters-hundreds-gather-in-vigil-and-protest/2018/02/17/5f59bde4-138e-11e8-9065-e55346f6de81_story.html?utm_term=.8d5a58cdd1b4.17 Feb. 2018.
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Sydney Sotengco
5/9/2018 08:30:30 pm
Facebook is a very popular social media platform. Many people use Facebook to keep in contact with friends and/or family and to get their news. Facebook is more relevant now because there is more than one billion people use it. This social media network is very mysterious, lots of people are skeptical about it. There are many theories on how Facebook is controlling society worldwide.
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Sydney Sotengco
5/9/2018 08:31:06 pm
Facebook is the most used form of social media for bullying. Trolls and bullies originated from this site. Damien Gayle wrote an article about this problem on Dailymail. Many people are victims of cyberbullying on Facebook, “Some 87 percent of teenagers who reported cyber abuse said they were targeted on Mark Zuckerberg’s site…” (Gayle). Many of the teens who had experienced cyberbullying won't speak up, which only makes their situation worse, “Suicide rates are particularly high amongst this demographic, so it’s worrying to hear that teenagers on the whole are choosing to deal with internet abuse themselves rather than speaking to parents or teachers for help,...” (Gayle). Facebook obviously does a poor job on protecting its users and gives bullies the power to ruin others lives.
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Sydney Sotengco
5/9/2018 08:31:47 pm
Works Cited: Andrighetti, Traci “How Facebook Has Changed Politics” Lifewire. Published 19 October 2016. https://www.lifewire.com/facebook-and-politics-1240558
Elvis Alam
5/9/2018 08:32:47 pm
Elvis Alam
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Elvis Alam
5/9/2018 08:33:36 pm
Having a gun gives you the power to scare people and frighten them.
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Taylor Klekar
5/9/2018 08:52:33 pm
(Introduction)
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Taylor Klekar
5/9/2018 08:53:47 pm
ideas. Where this is no better reflected is in RollingStones article by Tim Dickinson, “And the biggest proof will come from Florida itself – where a 2018 Senate election expected to pit a Republican who earns an "A+" from the NRA against a Democrat who earns an "F."” I feel that this backs up my point that a large amount of the power we as individuals have is the power to make informed and educated decisions through freedom of choice
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Taylor Klekar
5/9/2018 08:54:35 pm
we can look at through the lenses of scientific analysis states gun laws and how they affect mortality rate. Why I’m bringing this up is because of the fact that the NRA is heavily interwoven in the fabric of lawmaking when concerning firearm laws, which is why the group was founded after all. So, if we as individuals can deconstruct and analyze how and why they’re interwoven, we can derive power from that knowledge. The reason we can gain power from the deconstruction of a concept is that as Sun Tzu said, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” So, in short, if you know the inner workings of someone you will have gained power from that information, but if you don’t know the inner workings of someone they become that much harder to overcome. That is why I believe that through scientific analysis and the attaining of knowledge we as individuals can gain the power to counteract the NRA’s.
Hugo Acuna
5/9/2018 09:50:29 pm
The Power of Social Media
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Hugo Acuna
5/9/2018 10:33:46 pm
Another power of Facebook is that it has the ability to change culture. As Facebook has grown, it has become part of our modern culture. Originally, Facebook was for Harvard students. As time passed. It became available to everyone. Because of Facebook, our vocabulary has changed. We have new words such as “friended” and “unfriended”, and also new forms of relationships (Kaufman, How Facebook Has Transformed Our Culture Over The Past 10 Years, 2018). While the credit is given to Facebook, people do not get the credit they deserve. Facebook users were the ones who had the power to accept these new terms into our culture. If the people had not liked these terms, I can guarantee that these terms would not be very important today.
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William Cowan
5/9/2018 11:54:03 pm
William Cowan
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Kendal Feigle
5/10/2018 04:56:35 pm
Technology is one of the strongest forms of power known to man. It has this grasp on us we can't seem to escape. We have adjusted to technology to the point that we feel lost without it. Facebook included has an over powering hold on our society today, causing us to be influenced by everything we view. Facebook causes a strong outlook on how we view our society.
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ken
5/10/2018 05:01:15 pm
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jamillah
5/10/2018 07:59:39 pm
Jamillah Leah Davis
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