Labor Strike in Our Area

Support Heartland strikers
Come Effingham on Sept. 8

A rally and Community Outreach Day are planned in Effingham for Sept. 8 to show solidarity with striking Heartland Human Services employees. All AFSCME members and others who wish to support these workers are invited to be in Effingham at 11 a.m. for the rally. Those who come will then fan out in the community to bring the strikers story to residents and generate pressure on the agency to bargain in good faith and reach a fair settlement.

Heartland workers, who provide both residential and outpatient mental health treatment, as well as substance abuse treatment and family counseling in the Effingham area have been on strike for nearly two months after more than a year of negotiations seeking to reach agreement on a first contract.

Despite forming their union, AFSCME Local 3494, in February 2006, they have faced difficult negotiations, unfair treatment and foot-dragging from management ever since.

For More Information

Looking for Help...

While I was doing research for my social movement, I came across this site that I think might be useful to almost everyone in class. It is a like to social movements and their homepage along with additional information/sites that you might want to look at for your social movement. Hope this post helps some of you out.


http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~amerstu/smc/smchomefr.html

I just really like this... a lot...

A video that I really like. It's a poem by a man named Taalam Acey about the "True Lies" of American government and the Bush administration!



Enjoy!

Social Movement: the Purity Revolution

The movement I am studying this semester is known as the purity revolution; a largely-Evangelical Christian undertaking that embraces what it refers to as sexual purity in both private practice and public policy. This includes strong support for abstinence-only sex education and a commitment to "biblical standards" of sexual behavior.

The purity revolution can also be characterized as a reactionary 'counter-movement' against the cause of sexual freedom. The purity revolutionaries see the sexual freedom movement as one that threatens cherished traditional values, in addition to the emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being of adolescents. The sexual freedom movement, to them, literally threatens to annihilate sexual purity.

The purity revolution has been remarkably successful in achieving its goals, despite being scowled upon by most of the population. The tenets of the movement have been carried into education, legislation, foreign policy, and religion; and the revolution show no signs of slowing down.

This project will be an instrumental-constitutive analysis of the purity revolution as a social movement that champions both socio-political and ideological goals. It will be also used as a foundation through which I will express and elaborate upon my idea of social movement, which is the (sometimes unsuccessful) alteration of the range of possibilities for action and thought at/across a given place and time. I feel this definition gives enough import to both instrumental and constitutive models of social movement to provide an effective analysis, and is broad and dynamic enough to encompass the spectrum of recognition-redistribution objectives.

The theoretical stuff is of course still very early, but so far I've gathered quite a wealth of textual evidence about the purity revolution. It stands to be a good time. :)


Take care and control!

Daily Eastern News

Looking back on the initial post, I think I did a horrible job wording it. Also, the DEN Opinions editor Nicole Milstead got back to me. She cleared up some things, but also left some other questions unanswered (for now).

If you guys want to know what happened or what this is all about, just ask me. :)

Also, I'm taking a vote from those of you who know what the skinny is. I guess the DEN really likes my work (as do most of you), so if you want me to keep writing as a guest columnist let me know!


I also wanted to announce that I came into possession of a DVD about creationism and how dinosaurs were on the ark for kids. For those of you that have seen Jesus Camp, its the crazy show the kids are watching on the TV. I also own Jesus Camp on DVD, so if anyone is focusing on the Evangelical or Creationism/ID movement, you're free to borrow either of them.

Take care and control!

How do you feel about giving your virginity to your father?

For safe keeping that is...

My favorite public event of the purity revolution: The Purity Ball.

If are are still confused, maybe stupified, here are some other readings on the matter:

That Harsh Critic

The Pop Culture Read

The Discussion Board

Protest and Resistance in the News

Today's broadcast of Democracy Now! featured two headlines related to protest and resistance. Here they are:

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Canadian Police Admit Using Undercover Officers at Protest
In Canada, police in Quebec have admitted they used undercover police officers disguised as demonstrators during the recent protests against the North American leaders summit in Montebello Quebec. Police were forced to make the admission after a video posted on YouTube showed three masked men apparently trying to provoke the crowd and instigate violence. One of the masked men was carrying a rock. The masked men were caught on tape near a line of riot police during a non-violent protest led by union workers. Shortly after one of the union leaders accused the masked men of being police officers and provocateurs, the men pushed their way into a line of riot police. While the riot police handcuffed them, protesters noticed the men were wearing the identical boots as the riot police officers. On Tuesday, union leader David Coles first accused the masked men of being undercover police officers.

• David Coles, union leader: We’ve got some peaceful protesters down there we’ve got to protect.

• Unidentified woman: Not those people. They’re back in there. They crossed back into the police line.

• David Coles: They’re trying to create a riot so that they can suck us all in to get beat up.

• Unidentified man: And how do you know it’s a [inaudible] --

• David Coles: He stopped us. I looked him in his eye and said, “You’re a cop, aren’t ya?” And his eyes just glazed right up. And I tried to take his mask off. We took it off. We got pictures. They’re provocateurs!

The police in Quebec defended their actions saying the undercover officers were not acting as instigators and did not commit any criminal acts.

White House Manual Advised How to Prevent Anti-Bush Protests
It has been revealed that the White House published a manual in 2002 detailing how to deter protests at President Bush's public appearances. The manual urged rally organizers to take a number of the following steps: Tightly control who gets tickets to the event. Screen everyone entering to search for secret political signs. Station so-called 'rally squads' at strategic locations inside the event to shout down any anti-Bush demonstrators who manages to get inside. And if that does not work, remove protesters from the event. The manual also directs the White House advance staff to ask local police to designate a so-called protest area where demonstrators can be placed, preferably not in the view of the event site or motorcade route. The manual was released under subpoena as part of a lawsuit filed on behalf of Jeffery and Nicole Rank who were arrested in 2004 for refusing to cover their anti-Bush T-shirts at a Fourth of July speech at the West Virginia State Capitol. Last week the federal government settled the First Amendment case for $80,000, but with no admission of wrongdoing.

≥

The Power of Protest

A scene from my favorite television show that made me think of this class. :)

The Purity Revolution

Afternoon.

I've settled on a movement to study this semester, and I'm going to post the general overview of it here so that everyone has an idea of what page I'm on -- and also so you have one less person to worry about picking the same topic as you. :)

The movement I am studying this semester is known as the purity revolution; a largely-Evangelical undertaking that embraces what it refers to as sexual purity in both private practice and public policy. This includes strong support for abstinence-only sex education and a commitment to "biblical standards" of sexual behavior in order to influence decisions made in the public sphere - which ultimately affects how we act in private.

The purity revolution can also be characterized as a reactionary 'counter-movement' against the cause of sexual freedom. The purity revolutionaries see the sexual freedom movement as one that threatens cherished traditional values, in addition to the emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being of adolescents. The sexual freedom movement, to them, literally threatens to annihilate sexual purity.

The purity revolution has been remarkably successful in achieving its goals, despite being scowled upon by most of the population. The tenets of the movement have been carried into education, legislation, foreign policy, and religion; and the revolution show no signs of slowing down.

Ultimately, it stands to be an exciting project. I am looking forward to hearing about what everyone else is planning! :D

Take care and control!

I'll just say sorry now!

Well, even though my name is misspelled, my name is chris and I think it's going to be an interesting year.... And I think we are going to butt heads a bit.

I tend to have very conservative opinions. As for issues I am interested in, childrens rights, womens rights and some immigration laws.

I don't intend to tick anyone off, but I know it's gonna happen, so I am sorry now. But that is why this is America, we can all have opinions. This blog will be a spot for us to hash it out and hopefull change some minds, including mine. That's what protest is about, right?

Hope we all have a great year......and I am gonna say sorry again.....

Chris

On the road to hegemony...

The logics of the global justice movement make a splash on the Internet cartoon circuit.

Big Box Mart | Funny Jokes at JibJab

Here we go...

So, another class with Angela. Should be exciting.

The blog thing is pretty exciting in itself. Last semester we did this in persuasion and let's just say our class got a little heated on the blogs and still today my views of certain people have definitely changed, just by knowing how they feel about certain issues.

I am also very excited about this class. In life I really hope to do something to change this country and truly help make the United States a "free" nation. Last semester I spent a lot of time with GLBT issues and hope to carry on with that research again this semester. To me, this is one of the most important issues in our time and for our generation.

I know a lot of you guys already from previous classes and I really look forward to reading and experiencing your insight on social movements and ect. It'll be very nice to be in a class full of intellectuals.

Introduction

I finally managed to get a handle on this blog thing.

Given my research background and interests, I'll likely be focusing on either the labor movement or the media reform movement -- though, to be honest, I cannot use the phrase social movement with a straight face given my exposure to the 'social movement as a verb' thinking of McGee, DeLuca, and Naze. :)

What I would really kill to do, though, is focus on the efforts to oppose abstinence-only sexual education and support comprehensive sex education. I also wouldn't mind expanding the research to include the broader push towards what's called sexual freedom, or the freedom for individuals to participate in whatever consensual sexual activities they want; recognizing the value and diversity of human sexualities and their need to flourish without social and legal derision.

Any feedback, especially from you Dr. Aguayo, would be appreciated.


Take care and control!

Welcome....

Welcome to our subversive rhetoric lab. Studying rhetoric, much like a sport or a trade, must be practiced. This is our practice space. Be creative. Think outside the box. Practice being open to new ideas, often. Think out loud. Remember, everyone has something to teach you. Invest in yourself. Invest in others. Find your voice.

You will be required to respond to prompted journal assignments about contemporary social movements and you are expected to respond to the contributions of your classmates. However, I would encourage you to use this space as often as you like.

Take this opportunity to explore ideas and talk about things that are important to you. Take the time to find out what intrigues you. Don't sound like a broken record. Take chances. Influence others.

I am looking forward to reading your insights...

Angela