Alcohol Abuse Prvention Programs

By fully understanding the devastation that alcohol abuse among teenagers causes we can help them avoid this problem and avoid unsafe behaviors. Bears Against Drugs is an alcoholic prevention program that is sponsored by churches and non-profit organizations. It is a program that is offered for students between kindergarten and twelve grade. The B.A.D. program stresses ideas of self-respect, respecting others, and making good choices. It is important to educate the youth about the tragedies that alcohol abuse causes in order to stray them away from a live down that road. Organizations like Bears Against Drugs help parents locate a substance abuse problem at a very early stage, which is helpful because it is easier to stop the earlier the stage that you are at. All in all, it is crucial for society to have programs like Bears Against Drugs in hopes to lead the fight against alcohol and substance abuse.

Millions Against Monsanto

The Organic Consumers Association's Millions Against Monsanto campaign is aiming to get one million people to publicly stand against genetically modified foods on World Food Day, which is on October 16, 2011. The main rally will be held in front of the White House in Washington, D.C., but other events will be happening in many other cities as well. While their main goal is to give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the message that genetically modified foods need to be labeled, they also demand that factory farm animals and genetically modified animal products be labeled as well. They want independent, transparent, long-term studies done on the safety of genetically modified foods for animals, plants, and humans. And finally, they want the organic industry protected from cross-contamination and lawsuits to organic farmers. In order to accomplish these goals, the campaign will not only rally outside of the White House, but they will also be signing petitions and participating in a boycott against genetically modified products.

After reading about this campaign and what it is doing, it seems like a very effective way to motivate people to do something about this growing problem. Not only does it tell people that the FDA should label these products, they explain why we should be aware and the risks these foods have. While the main rally will not take place until October, they work to make people aware of this issue all year round. I'm very interested to see how this rally turns out in October. I think it will be very successful.

Teen Success

The United States knows that teen pregnancy is a problem that needs adequate attention. Teen motherhood is something that goes along with this, but needs more attention because more than one person is at risk, including mother and child. More people are stepping up to help these young women and their futures. Through The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the program Teen Success has been putting teenage mothers on the road of success for some time now. It was started in 1990 with the help of former California state senator and philanthropist Becky Morgan. This program works hard everyday to help young mothers work with being a mother and an adolescent. Upon completion of this program, the chances of getting a high school degree doubles. Around 90 percent of Teen Success graduates earn a diploma, compared to the national percentage of 41. In addition, 67 percent of graduate through this program go on to post-high school education. The action is enrolling troubled young mothers in an educational program, and entitling them to greater educational opportunities. The effectiveness is in the statistics, and this program has no doubt made a positive impact on these young women's lives. This is such an important issue, and it is crucial to have programs like this to prevent more teen pregnancies and helping teen mothers that are struggling with their futures.

Worldwide Day of Play

Technology is everywhere we turn and there is no way to avoid it. This causes many health problems especially in children who still have developing minds. Television is a major problem since many people go home after school and work and put the TV on to relax and catch up on their favorite shows or the news. There is no doubt that television plays a major role in the issue of obesity with Americans. While doing research I found that Nickelodeon has a day of get up and play. They turn their network TV channels and Internet off air for three hours all around the world. By doing this they hope that it will encourage people to go outside and get exercise. In 2009, the when people turned to the channel it displayed this message, "Today is Nickelodeon's Worldwide Day of Play! Turn off your TV, shut down your computer, put down that cell phone – yes, YOU! and go ALL OUT! We'll see you back here at 3! " I would modify this by having all channels except for news channels to go off air during this time. I feel like this would be more effective. If only one channel goes off air, it is easy to just have the mindset of watching another until Nickelodeon turns back on. This would be one step towards escaping from addiction to technology that is in each and everyone one of us.

action to reduce teen pregnancy

This video above tries to make a serious issue, like teen pregnancy and other transmitted diseases, humorous. The overall message is that abstinence is the best answer, put on some pants.Teen Pregnancy, however, really is a major problem that is on the rise yet again. More and more teenage girls are getting knocked up and destroying their futures. With numbers rising, more people are being aware of this controversy and are taking action to stop it.

One organization that dedicates itself into helping this cause is Advocates for Youth. This group was founded in 1980 and has been a respected figure in the scene of adolescent reproductive and sexual health. For decades this group has worked endlessly in promoting effective programs and policies in the United States and other polices to help this cause. One program the organization came up with was "Life Planning Education", which put sexuality into a life-skills/youth development context. There are three core values to follow; rights, respect, and responsibility. They incorporate these ethics into their practices and plan on making an impact on teenagers around the world.

Other action that is being taken is from this private, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization called The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. Their mission is to improve the lives and future prospects of children and families to stop teen pregnancy or ensure that children who are born have stable lives. There are many reasons why this group does what it does, some being to reduce burdens placed on others and reduce child poverty. This organization raises awareness by working with opinion leaders, the press, the media, and other groups. They conduct research, provide information, and engage parents and teens in discussions. This group is going strong and is only helping the cause more and more.

These organizations, along with many others, are well on their way to preventing teen pregnancy. They have some numerous accomplishments for their work, which only encourages more people to join the cause. The message they send draw in the public's attention and help them realize that it is time this issue was addressed.

Degrassi Knows Best

My issue of cyberstalking isn't a top priority right now for most people due to all of the other issues but it is still definitely being addressed through PSA's, television shows, and youtube videos. I decided to look through youtube to see if there were any videos related to the topic. Most of the ones I found were poor quality and made by students, one video actually being made by Penn State students back in 2008. They were meant to inform and show how cyberstalking is an issue that everyone, especially students, should be aware of. None of them really had a call to action so there was no motivation in it, just information. Degrassi also had an episode discussing meeting people online and how people aren't who they say they are. One of the characters Emma meets someone that claims to be 16 but is instead an adult male. It puts her in a terrible situation and definitely shows that the internet can be dangerous but it still has no call to action. If I was to make a video I would emphasize the fact that we need to do something about this. It needs to be able to motivate people to be more careful when using the internet. It needs to be bigger and more widespread instead of just youtube videos created by students as a project.

Ugandan Women of Courage

Acid Survivors Foundation Uganda (ASFU) began with the intention to the women of acid attacks with medical attention, psychological assessments, and financial support. Prudence, the woman in the video, and the other women of Uganda established this organization to reach out to other females nationwide, who have been affected by this form of violence. This message is effective because it shows that there is something being down concerning the issue of acid attacks on women.

Acid attacks are occurring all over the world and unifying survivors. I believe this organization should further its efforts by implementing an online support group for women, who have gone through physical mutilation by corrosive acid. This blog will further unify these females more than just because of their sympathy.

Adam Levine on Motivating ADHD

Adam Levine, the lead singer of the band Maroon 5 and one of the judges on the hit show The Voice, speaks out in this advertisement for OwnYourADHD.com. He identified with this condition as a child and then presently as an adult. Also, he encourages the older population of ADHD patients, who have experienced this disorder as a child, to get an assessment by their health professionals because it is possible that they have not outgrown ADHD.

Levine is advocates the Own It campaign for reoccurring ADHD adult patients. The targeted popular is signaled out to act upon this unaware issue. On Own It's website, it offers an adult ADHD screening test. This relates to the prescription drug misuse of ADHD patients because these patients are directly effected by this issue.

Levine is using his fame to spread awareness about this issue and endorsing adults to get assessed. He is effectively persuasive by his influence on the media concerning this problem. This campaign should be furthered through television advertisements, billboards, and education institutions.

As you heard in my speech, the problem i was talking about was the use of child soldiers in africa. It is a horrible problem which is very difficult to stop, but the organization i am about to talk about is a huge help in the effort against it.

The main group i found to prevent the use of child soldiers is The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers. The main thing this organization does is they research the use of child soldiers around the world. With this research they inform people about the use of child soldiers and how bad it really is. The second, and more active thing they do is they rally the use of child soldiers. They create campaigns to stop the support of child soldiers, and try to get them back into their own communities. I would say that this organization is very effective, as it is the #1 non-government organization that deals with stopping the use of child soldiers. Since they are the top organization, they are very effective at gathering more followers to help the cause, but if i had to suggest one thing, it would be to advertise on tv about the problem... just think about how many child soldier commercials you have actually seen on tv, none im assuming.

A smaller organaization is the Child Soldier Relief organization. They hold fundraisers of many different items such as art, and the proceeds go to the support in stopping the use of child soldiers. I think this is very effective, because unlike the organization above that raises awareness and actively tries to stop it, this organization raises much needed money to help stop the problem. The only thing i would suggest to them is try to get their name out there more. A lot of people dont know about this organization and the problem it helps, so if more people knew then maybe more people would donate.

Anorexia Awareness

After doing research I have found various organizations and videos promoting the awareness of anorexia. One popular thing I found was many things that occur during eating disorder awareness week. During this week there have been walks, speeches, and presentations about the dangers of eating disorders across America. One Interesting article I found is of a girl who made a Life Size Barbie. Galia Slayen created the doll in an attempt to educate girls about eating disorders. The creation is 6 feet tall with a 39-inch bust, 18-inch waist and 33-inch hips; completely disgusting to look at. She hopes showing the unnatural proportions of the doll will help raise awareness of the unrealistic expectations of beauty.

There are also many videos on You-Tube. These videos display a strong sense of pathos with graphic images and a compelling story that make you feel for the victims. It gives you a sense of how bad anorexia is. I found two videos particularly motivational to me. First, is an actual commercial which shows an anorexic looking at herself in the mirror. Although she is disgustingly skinny and you can see the bones threw her skin she see's herself as fat in the mirror. This is a great representation of what the disease is and how it works psychologically.
Second is an individually made video. It is actually a video made up of other clips from anorexia videos in order to promote awareness. Although it just scratches the surface, the clips shown and the music in the background give you a sense of the seriousness of the disease. I think videos like these and the thousands of others that exist are very effect in promoting awareness cause they shed light on the problem in ways that words and statistics can't achieve.

Aid Vitcims Now

The Houston Rescue and Restore Coalition organized a nation wide Day of Action, November 17th, 2010 to call for support for the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act of 2010.They gave out local representatives number sand urged people to call and let their support for the bill be heard. They also organized a petition that got 3,000 signatures that they sent to Congress so that that could be presented with the bill. A vote for the bill took place on Sept. 15 2010.
I think this is effective bringing attention to the issue. What I would have also done was organize a rally in front of Capital Hill in an attempt to not only get the media's attention but also show the representatives that this is an issue that people are aware of and care about.

NEDA and EDIN

There aren’t too many groups that I found for the prevention of eating disorders. However, I did find two. They are: The National Eating Disorders Association and The Eating Disorders Information Network, which is a group on face book. Both are non-profit organizations and they intend to prevent eating disorders through education, awareness, and action. The National Eating Disorders Association has an awareness week, and a walk in their efforts to prevent eating disorders. The EDIN helps people suffering from these disorders to find help and resources. NEDA also does research on eating disorders. NEDA also says things like “Do Your Part,” or “Help Fight Eating Disorders: Donate, Volunteer, Take Action.” The EDIN has values to try to persuade people to join their group, such as “We are committed to educating the community regarding the devastating effects and warning signs of eating disorders.”
These two organizations are doing a pretty good job of raising awareness and doing things to take action. They are trying to educate people, make people aware, and take action. However, I think that they could do other things such as involve the government and petition to implement awareness programs in schools rather than just having online organizations to try to raise awareness. They could fund these by having walks, which NEDA already does, fund-raising, etc. I think this would greatly help raise awareness, and prevent eating disorders in many people. They are both persuasive with their messages to get people to join these organizations. EDIN stated how they are committed to educating the community about eating disorders and NEDA says that a way to help fight the disorders are to donate, volunteer, and take action by joining them. I think their messages and efforts are overall well done.

Thankfully, there are many efforts by many different groups who make it their mission to end cyberbullying. Efforts range from online school activities to rallies to commercials. Specifically, ABC Family and Seventeen Magazine have joined forces in order to combat cyberbullying through their “Delete Digital Drama Campaign.” This campaign is brand new, having been started July 5, 2011. As of late their efforts include a rally in Glendale California, the creation of WebPages, a commercial, a facebook group, and a movie all addressing cyberbullying and its negative effects. Through the facebook group, people can get a digital drama badge to add to their facebook page. A recent ABC Family original movie-featuring actress Emily Osment followed the story of a teen girl who was harassed via her facebook page and demonstrates how it negatively impacted her life. In addition, ABC has aired a commercial depicting many young stars from its network speaking against cyberbullying. They are all seen wearing [delete] T-shirts (pictured above), representing their message to “delete digital drama.” This movie, coupled with the recent commercial, was viewed by many teens and preteens.

I think the efforts provided by this partnership will prove to be very effective. The slogan that they use in their campaign is easy to remember and spikes curiosity and interest. ABC and Seventeen were smart to use the media as a way to reach the masses and raise awareness. I also think that it was a very smart move to use so many different sources, like television, the Internet, and public speaking to get their message across to as many people as possible. The use of celebrities in both the movie and the commercial was a very effective move on their part, as the influence of famous people over their teenage fans’ mindsets is great. They certainly are aware of who their target audience is. The youth that they are targeting also happen to be a large portion of their fan base, making them an ideal network to raise awareness of cyberbullying. While the campaign is magnificent at raising awareness, it fails to touch upon the educational aspect of eliminating cyberbullying. I would provide more information through speeches, commercials, and websites about how to identify cyberbullying and what to do if it happens to you or if you witness it.

One Man, One Bike, One Fight

      In 2009, Andrew Marinelli traveled from Key West, Florida to San Francisco, California on the seat of a bicycle. Yes, I know that riding a bicycle six thousand miles, across the United States seems crazy, but Andrew harbored good intentions.
     As addressed in my speech earlier within the week, Americans do not notice the lack of awareness of the Global Hunger Crisis, and therefore cannot be faulted. Unfortunately, seeing as though they do not notice the lack of awareness, which plaques the nation, they also do not seem to acknowledge the importance that rests behind resolving the issue.
      Andrew took public action to bring the complicated, two-part issue involving 'Lack of Awareness Within America of the Global Hunger Crisis', using his long bicycle ride as a tool. Attention was flooded on to Andrew as he journeyed across the country, and instead of basking in the attention, he chose to enlighten his audience about his personal, two-year experience, spent in the African country of Niger as a member of the Peace Corps. Andrew titled the long, bicycle ride, 'the one man, one bike, one fight campaign', and defined it's purpose as advocating Global Hunger Awareness. Andrew told people about the citizens of Niger, about personal connections he made with special individuals, and about the general way in which the country handles agriculture, and basic lifestyle practices of the public. Andrew reflected on what he had learned while working with the Peace Corps, promoting the organization and it's goals. Andrew addressed the World Food Programme, too, hoping to familiarize Americans with the way the global non-profit operates. Today, Andrew continues to personally donate his time and funds to various organizations, with the hopes of spreading Global Hunger Awareness across America, and as a way to personally stay involved in the fight to resolve the actual Global Hunger Crisis.
     When attempting to motivate individuals to 'get involved', it's important to use creative, original techniques, as a way to display the urgency of the issue; people tend to find new ideas and presentations to be more attractive. Andrew, forming a completely unusual, but very thoughtful way to focus attention on Global Hunger Awareness, was able to display the exigency in an enlightening way, that caused the majority of his audience to crave information surrounding the issue. In addition, acquiring and maintaining a strong ethos, remains important when motivating others to join a cause, as a way to reassure the audience that what you are advocating and encouraging them to participate in is indeed, legitimate and worthwhile. Andrew's prior experience in Niger, in the Peace Corps, and the obvious research he had accumulated on the subject, built a strong ethos around his character, which reassured Americans that the cause was true, and what Andrew spoke was worth listening to. Andrew showed dedication in spreading Global Hunger Awareness, it was obvious that the problem personally affected his beliefs, and that authenticity, contributes in building ethos, but also in stimulating pathos within the audience, and may be the most important aspect of a motivational campaign. Once the audience emotionally connects with what you are preaching, it becomes easier to convince them that they MUST 'get involved', it makes them feel personally connected to the issue and it's resolution.
    Andrew addressed the issue of Lack of Awareness Within America of the Global Hunger Crisis in a way I would've never dreamt, a way that may have at first seemed irrational, but through his creative effort, obvious credibility, and ability to involve Americans emotionally, he was able to attract much needed attention towards the issue. Andrew was able to collect donations, to enlighten a broad audience, and to show Americans why they must involve themselves in resolving this exigency. Andrew motivated a slew of people to educate themselves of the Global Hunger Crisis, and the success of his campaign can be described using 'the domino effect', because the individuals that he motivated, will in turn motivate others to collect information on the Global Hunger Crisis. Andrew Marinelli proves to be a great example of a successful motivational effort.

It Can Wait

Texting and driving seems to be an epidemic that no one wants to go out of their way to tackle. However, after the death toll from texting-related accidents rose through the years, someone finally rose up to speak to the public in 2010. In December of last year, AT&T uploaded a video onto their youtube account in order to kickstart their anti-texting and driving campaign. The video is a documentary, featuring several people who were gravely affected by texting-related accidents. Some share stories about losing their loved ones to a text. Others share their grave injuries sustained from the accident. The video ends with a line of text, and slowly types out one letter at a time, 'Txting and driving... it can wait.'

The message presents a powerful theme, emphasizing that no text is worth dying for throughout the video. Because AT&T is not only a powerful company, but a phone company campaigning against the use of their phones while behind the wheel, the strong ethos is generated immediately. Along with that, the video aims a sharp right hook into our pathos. By discussing deaths and severe injuries caused by the problem, it evokes the correct emotions of "That's so sad... I definitely don't want to be responsible for that..." It also ties in a good percentage of logos by giving us the statistics to convince any skeptical viewer of texting's harm and distraction. The only thing that I would include would be a slightly stronger emphasis on statistics, and mentioning of the reaction time being that of someone with a .08 BAC. Other than that, I think that the message is delivered beautifully, tapping into all of the key points of rhetoric. The intention is to show people the real life consequences, unblocked from any statistic or unreadable diagram, and they very much succeed in doing so. I know that my mother watched this a few months ago, and she ever since has been trying to cut down on her own cell phone use in the car.

World Wildlife Fund

The World Wildlife Fund is an organization that works, in 100 different countries, to preserve the environment and protect endangered species against habitat fragmentation The people who are part of the organization are knowledgeable about the environment and are passionate about what they are doing, which is why they are so successful. The WWF is determined to encourage the whole world to practice sustainable living and protect the environment as much as possible. The people in WWF go all over the world, even to small villages, and show the citizens how to live a more sustainable life, while still improving conditions for their own lives.

It is good that the WWF recognizes the tight knit connection humans have with the environment and that using the environment for further human development is necessary, but that there just needs to be less damage to the environment in the process. This idea is similar to the idea I present in my speech, that habitat fragmentation cannot be avoided all together, but that it needs to be done less. If their idea of sustainable living becomes a global success, then I think it is a great way to stop habitat fragmentation and protect the environment. I think the WWF does a good job of encouraging others to donate money and get involved in the important environmental problem, just as they themselves have all over the world. One way I think they could get even more people involved, is if they had some smaller goals to accomplish, as well as the ambitious goal of more sustainable living all over the globe. If more people felt as though they could easily make a difference in their community, or if the WWF set specific goals for a concerned community, then more people may be inclined to help the cause.

"States step up to the plate against steroids"

With a topic like steroids, there is not much individuals can do to alleviate such a widespread problem, of national appeal. The first steps being taken to fix this program are being taken at the state level. Four states - California, Illinois, Texas, and Virginia - have passed measures as of 2005 to discourage use of steroids at the high school level, and hopefully this can end steroid use in higher levels as well. Penalties include suspensions for players and loss of coaching certificate for coaches/teachers.

But this still falls into the problem stated in my speech. These measures passed will certainly make punishments stricter, but it still does little to prevent it in the first place. And it's unfortunate that tragedy has to lead to these measures. "Tragedy led the parents of two athletes – one in Texas and another in California – to lobby for stricter regulations after their sons committed suicide after taking steroids." They are attempting to combat this though. "Rather than adopting the rigorous testing of college athletics, states are steering toward early intervention through better education, such as an Illinois law that requires school districts to develop steroid-abuse prevention instruction specifically for athletes." Hopefully policies like this will be able to end steroid use in sports.

This article and the effort to end steroid use is legitimate. This isn't just some rally or protest, it's states coming together to help solve this problem. The article itself is touching as well, as it uses real stories and facts to back up an otherwise solid argument, and that is why this is a good argument for a current issue.

Relief at the Gas Pump?

As mentioned previously in my speech, gas prices have been on the rise lately. Drivers nationwide have been limiting their consumption of gasoline. SOme of the ways they've accomplished this is by car-pooling to destinations, public transportation and even retiring the automobile for the bike once in a while.

Recently however, President Obama came to his senses to realize that something needs to be done about this problematic situation we are facing. Outside of Andrews Air Base in Washington, D.C, he was quoted saying "We're announcing the expansion of offshore oil and gas exploration but in ways that balance the need to harness domestic energy resources and the need to protect America's natural resources, this announcement is part of a broader strategy that will move us from an economy that runs on fossil fuels and foreign oil to one that relies more on homegrown fuels and clean energy. And the only way this transition will succeed is if it strengthens our economy in the short term and long term.”

What does this mean for consumers like us? This plan will most likely not be put in affect for at least another year so until then we are stuck paying in the $4 range. By Obama implementing this plan, millions of drivers will feel a bit of relaxation, especially in the wallet. This is decision that will be supported by many. This influential decision will hopefully lower those dreadful prices we are forced to pay day in and day out.

Greenpeace

Ever since Japan's Fukushima disaster in March, groups have been protesting against nuclear energy. Not only are people protesting in Japan, but they are protesting all over the world. German protesters are part of the reason that the government decided to start shutting down nuclear reactors there. The protesters make signs about how they want to get rid of nuclear energy. They protest in the streets and hope that what they want is heard.


Another group that's trying to solve the nuclear energy problem is the Greenpeace website. The website talks about the risks involved with nuclear energy. It says nuclear energy is "an unacceptable risk to the environment and humanity." Greenpeace believes that the use of nuclear energy should not be expanded, but rather shutdown like my proposed policy for the problem-solution speech. Greenpeace.org is telling people to get involved. They are asking people to tell banks not to fund new nuclear power plants. One of their slogans says, "Help stop the next Fukushima." They make it easy to donate and get involved. The more people that join their cause the faster the world could be safer from nuclear energy.

To Write Love On Her Arms

To Write Love On Her Arms is a non-profit movement aimed to help people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. They have a vision that we were meant to live life, that we are part of a bigger story, and that your life matters. Their website includes tons of information such as facts and how to get help. They connect people with websites, treatment centers, support groups, and other resources.

TWLOHA was founded in March of 2006 by Jamie Tworkowski. He was inspired by a 19 year old girl named Renee Yohe who was denied entry into a drug treatment center, yet struggled with depression, addiction, self-injury, and attempted suicide.

Many popular bands such as Paramore, Switchfoot, Anberlin, Hawthorne Heights, Underoath, and The Rocket Summer have embraced TWLOHA's message and support the movement. While performing, the bands often wear TWLOHA shirts and clothing to spread the message. These "celebrities" bring in more awareness and simultaneously gain credibility for the organization.

Their website evens makes it easy to purchase their merchandise. While some people may say that it is just a way to make money, the organization identifies itself as "non-profit". I think that their efforts are very effective. They are true to their mission statement and put their money into programs and events such as Kristin Brooks Hope Center and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

TWLOHA shirts can be seen out in public which shows that the movement is spreading. There is even a "To Write Love On Her Arms Day", where people literally write "love" on their arms to show support for people struggling with these problems. This organization is very relatable to a variety of people. They admit that we live in a difficult world at times, but that we are not alone. Today's youth are attracted to the musicians and clothing, which make them become aware of what problems are actually going on. TWLOHA has been getting a lot of publicity, and has reached out to many lives. It is so easy to get involved, whether it is donating, joining their street team, or simply spreading the movement. Love is the movement.

Fight Against Steroid Use

The Taylor Hooton Foundation is a perfect example of the fight against steroid use in lower level athletics. Taylor Hooton was a promising high school baseball player who committed suicide as a result of his steroid use. His parents, friends and family created the foundation in 2004. Their mission is to inform North Americas' youth and their families/coaches about the risks of steroids and performance enhancing drugs. They hope to eliminate the use of these drugs in all American and Canadian schools and universities. They have information on their website about the risks of steroids/PHD's. They also have Taylor's story as well as several other real life stories of young steroid users. They have partnered with several major organizations such as Major League Baseball, the NFL, the National Athletic Trainers' Association, and many more in an effort to raise awareness. The Taylor Hooton Foundation accepts online donations to aid their cause to educate the public. They have both online and face to face education programs available. They also have fundraisers at Yankee stadium and a fundraising golf tournament.

I feel this is a very effective effort to combat steroid use by young athletes. By showing the tragedy of their son's steroid related death as well as other real life examples, the foundation shows their strong connection with the cause. They have information for young athletes and their families to look at in order to learn the truth about steroids. In addition, they have partnered with very credible organizations and professional sports leagues and this helps with their fundraising events,
and the fact that they accept donations allows others to help them and get involved with their cause.

No Phone Zone

Oprah Winfrey is one of the most influential public figures of our time. She is the star of her own show, magazine, has been responsible for innumerable philanthropy projects, has campaigned in various areas for social change, backed political figures (specifically Barack Obama in the 2008 election), and given several other talk show hosts their starts (Rachael Ray and Dr. Oz). This is by no means a comprehensive list of all this incredible woman has done. Because of these acts and her personality she has earned the respect of millions of people.

In January 2010, Oprah launched her "No Phone Zone" campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of calling, texting, and emailing while driving. She aired an episode of her show on January 15, 2010 detailing several stories of people that have been affected by the use of cell phones while driving. She has also started a "No Phone Zone Pledge" that people can sign and so far 423,330 people have done just that. She has created a web page dedicated to the cause that contains the episode, the pledge, a place for people to post personal testaments, and many sources of information on texting/cell phone use and driving. She also has a posting of the standing laws/regulations by state regarding this issue and urges people to get involved.

This effort to get people to stop texting and driving is fantastic. One main reason this works is because Oprah is backing it and she gets a massive amount of publicity. She also really has a knack for tapping into ethos and revealing stories that have an impact on people. Her campaign is engaging of viewers and fellow activists in encouraging people to make the decision to put the phone down while they are driving. This campaign does not need altering in any way. It is very effective and persuasive.

Pieing & Public Advocacy

No doubt you've seen video of the public pieing of Rupert Murdoch by now (if not, watch it above).  By no means is he the first public figure to come face-to-face with a big ol' helping of public humiliation.  The Washington Post offers a primer on the pie's history as a tool of activism. 

Does a pie to the face count as activism?  Does it have value as a communication practice?  Is revenge really that sweet?

No H8

 The first thing that comes to mind when I think of public advocacy is the NO H8 photography campaign that started in 2008. This campaign involves people photographed with the statement NO H8 on their faces and their mouths covered by duct tape. This is advocating the dismissal of proposition 8 in California which bans same sex marriage in the entire state. There are people from all walks of life that have been photographed for this campaign including celebrities, military personnel, politicians, artists and more. The fact that so many respected people have stepped forward to support this cause shows the ethos (credibility) of the campaign. This also involves civic engagement because so many people are becoming a part of this attempt to get the government to change something. The goal of this campaign is to get rid of proposition 8. The photography is very effective because the 13,000 subjects that have been photographed with their mouths silenced is a deeply moving experience. Pathos is clearly established because it appeals to the emotions of people who want rights and equality for everyone. Pictures of people being silenced will tug at the heartstrings of anyone with an interest in helping people and hopefully NO H8 will successfully turn around the Constitution in California.

The March for Life

The March for Life is a annual gathering in Washington D.C. that advocates the seriousness of abortion. Thousands of people come together to send a single message that abortion is wrong and shouldn't be allowed here in the United States. We as a country will not accomplish anything if we just sending in letters or just simply stating that this is wrong. We, as a whole, must get together and show some short of action in order to voice our beliefs. This shows that if we get a big enough group and are persistent that eventually the end goal will be worth it and abortion will be banned.

above the influence

Civic engagement; "individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern"

One prime example of civic engagement is the Above the Influence campaigns. These ads are targeted towards teenagers and the younger generation. They send the message to stay above the influence and to not fall into the pressures put upon them. Teens shouldn't drink nor smoke, and they should stay responsible. They are more important things in life than falling into whatever your friends want you to. These campaigns display civic engagement because they are addressing the issue of underage drinking and trying to put a stop to it. The commercials target teens with their humor and over exaggerated, sometimes realistic circumstances. The civic engagement that put out these ads and campaigns are only one of the ways society is coming together to address a social issue.

Steroids in Baseball

As defined by the New York Times, “Civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes.

Civic engagement is often thought of when discussing social problems. Individuals and/or groups raise awareness of this exigence and attempt to gain support of the public by posing potential solutions to these problems. This in fact is what our next speech happens to be about.

When thinking of civic engagement, my mind heads in the direction of steroids in baseball. A rather problematic situation in which there is no clear solution to the problem. The league can’t physically stop the players from abusing steroids and they can’t decide on an appropriate punishment. The MLB as well as miscellaneous league officials have posed many different solutions to this problem, all while trying to get the public involved. Steroids in baseball promotes a negative image for the sport and it is a problem that needs to be addressed promptly.

D.A.R.E

D.A.R.E is short for drug abuse resistance education. The advocates, senders of the message, are officers who enlighten kids with the correct knowledge to help them avoid negative influences and concentrate on their potential for future success. The goal of this program, which is the message, is to provide middle school children with the information and skills they need to live drug and violence free lives. They understand their audience is young and find ways to get the message across that they will understand. The advocates also make learning the information fun for them, such as having a dance and graduation ceremony. The receiver’s will give their feedback through answering questions and giving opinions to different topics.

This campaign helps establish positive relationships between students and law enforcement. Everyone should have the chance to grow-up healthy, safe and secure. This gives them the opportunity to have the knowledge to walk away from making bad choices. Society today however, is flourishing with challenges that could keep children from a positive life path, which is why this public advocacy is needed.

public advocacy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWQgktBR6-w

The main point of public advocacy is to make the public aware of an issue or your opinion on something, and to try to convince them to be on your side. This video is a perfect example of this. It is not a civic engagement because it is not actively trying to make people stop smoking, but it is trying to make people aware that smoking is bad. They decide to use star wars as a method of delivery because star wars is a very memorable thing that everyone knows about. I actually think this would have a better influence on the public if it were showed today because of the quality of the commercial. Back when it was made it was normal, but today the quality is so poor and the acting is so stupidly funny that people would really remember this commercial.

The rhetoric in this commercial, although not the most convincing in nature, is actually very effective. This is clearly targeted at kids, and they do a good job at making an argument directed towards them, for example they point out that smoking is not something that makes you grown up, eliminating the urge to smoke cigarettes because kids think it makes them look cool and older. Although the tone is not very persuasive, as it is a robot talking, the fact that it is starwars makes every word ten times more effective towards the designated audience.

Rally to Restore Sanity

One of the best examples I can think of for public advocacy and civic engagement is the Rally to Restore Sanity that was held in DC in October 2010. The goal of the rally, led by Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert, was to bring everyone together so that they could be heard and stop everyone from fighting with each other over controversial topics such as what political party they identified with. They had a very effective delivery, getting the audiences attention with their jokes and skits. They also provided the crowd with other entertainment such as music collaborations singing for the most part about togetherness. Everyone was completely engaged in what they were saying and seemed to take it to heart. They mentioned things that everyone could relate too which also brought the audience in. It was a topic that was really important in this country because so many people were polarizing themselves causing friction between the people who didn't agree with each other. The topic of this was clearly identified and both Colbert and Stewart tried to create a solution by bringing everyone together. It's a good thing to look at if you want to go at something in a kind of funny satire way to addressing a problem that provides so many people with stress and anger. Even if you don't want to come across in that way in the end Stewart provided an emotional speech that captivated the audience without much noise to get in the way of the message he was trying to convey.

Public Advocacy for Acid Attacks on Women

Although it is focused primarily in India, a new form of violence is becoming popular globally. In this form of savagery, the attacker purchases highly volatile types of acids with the intent to disfigure his victim. The public advocacy for this issue will cause enforcement for not only placing restrictions on the use of these acids, but also it will cause activism in support of the sufferers.

In this clip, a rare case of acid disfigurement is portrayed. A former British model speaks out on her experience of rape and mutilation. What was first thought to be someone throwing a drink on her soon turned out to be melting away her features. Now, women have the fear of acid attacks to join their other terrors of rape, domestic violence, and discrimination. Keeping their guards up is no longer enough; in an instant these women can be transformed into monsters, a fate worse than death. I strongly empathize with this topic, and so I hope to raise awareness through competent speech.

Public Advocacy in Family Guy

One big issue that has been debated for quite a while is the legalization of marijuana. It can become a heated argument and this has caused little progress in the actual process of legalizing it. But one important thing about effective public advocacy is interaction with the public and the ability to make a serious issue seem light. An example of this comes from a Family Guy episode, where Brian pushes for the legalization of marijuana. He uses an articulate argument, but is very austere and does not get his audience's attention. To fix this, Stewie comes in with a full band and a creative song where everyone gets involved. This is an effective example of public advocacy because he is able to interact with his audience and get his message across in a creative way. This is an important part of effective advocacy, and that is why I selected this example.

FREE HUGS!

There are many obvious issues that come to mind when one thinks of public advocacy. I wanted to write about something not many people have heard of, so I choose the Free Hugs Campaign. The campaign is a unique one in which individuals go out and hold signs or wear shirts to give free hugs. It is an attempt to reach out to our negative society and just simply give a hug. In this age of social disconnectivity and lack of human contact, the effects of the Free Hugs campaign became phenomenal. The campaign is a social movement to brighten up the world. The hugs are meant to be random acts of kindness- selfless acts performed just to make others feel better. Juann Mann was the compelling man who started the campaign in 2004 because he wanted to reach out and hug a stranger to brighten up their lives.

Unfortunately, the Free Hugs Campaign was banned because of public liability fear and red tape. There are different local laws throughout the world, which allow the campaign to follow on in certain areas.

Even though, there is not speaking involved in this advocacy, the action is what does all the talking. This relates to our class because advocates need to be aware of their audience and in a sense use the communication process. Since many people have a strong sense of personal privacy, they need to be careful of who they approach. They need to encode the public’s symbols such as body language. Those who are interested will most likely be smiling and walking towards the free hugs, while those who aren’t will be avoiding the signs. Thus those who participate in the campaign need to be aware of the public and not cross certain lines.

The campaign also has a video which furthers their cause. It uses a strong sense of pathos to attract viewers and capture their hearts. You are able to see how a simple hug can brighten ones day, and that there is hope in this world. The campaign is truly inspiring.

Assignment Three

When you mention trafficking, the first thing that mainly comes to peoples minds is the movie, "Taken" with Liam Neison. But this is not something exaggerated from Hollywood; sex trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery in which a commercial sex act is induced by
force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act is under the
age of 18 years. Not For Sale is a nonprofit international organization that equips and mobilizes Smart Activists to deploy innovative solutions to re-abolish slavery in their own backyards and across the globe. Their mission statement is, "Together, we can end slavery in our lifetime."

The main problem with sex trafficking is not that it needs more awareness but that there is a stereotype that is incorrect with most sex crimes. Most people believe that when they see young girls selling themselves for sex, it is their choice to be a prostitute; when in reality girls 12-18 years of age are forced into sex slavery and automatically receive this bad reputation. Also most people think the classic picture of international sex trafficking involves a woman who was recruited in her home country, deceived or forced into the sex industry in the United States, and transported across borders by small or large-scale trafficking networks or gangs. Surprisingly the United States has its own sex trade that operates solely in the U.S. using citizens for slaves. For most, this is a pathos issue. The thought of women being forced against their will to perform sexual acts is heart breaking. If I were to do my speech on this I would talk about the urgency of the problem, and how customers of this trade are growing rapidly and the practice is becoming more volatile; and also that only 13 hours away from Penn State lies Atlanta, Georgia the number one sex trafficking city in the U.S. This is closer than we think and it requires our attention.