judging you by your cover

For my first photo I chose this advertisement from the popular app Wish. This is a photo that is supposed to show you a pair of shorts for a plus size woman. The model who is wearing the shorts, however, is no where near plus size. She is clearly wearing one leg as a skirt. The photo caused outrage amongst shoppers. How is this supposed to help a plus size woman feel? It is interesting that this went past higher ups within the company and none of them could see how insensitive this could be to women. Or were they just not willing to hire a plus size model? This is one of those no-brainer situations I keep seeing more and more of. How hard is it to not be a terrible person?

In this second photo we see a person hiding behind their response to the question, "What would happen if Donald Trump does not win?" This was taken at a Donald Trump rally during the 2016 presidential run. The journalist asked a simple question and got many interesting answers. This is the only person from the rally that decided to hide his face from the photo. Does he feel ashamed from saying, "We did not have this problem when slavery was in," and if he does feel bad, why say it in the first place? This reinforces the notion that all Trump supporters are racists. I have my own strong opinions on our new president and yet I know people in my circle of friends and family who genuinely believe in this administration and who also genuinely care about me (a person of color, Mexican, former immigrant). I don't believe all Trump supporters are racist, but it is photos like these that make people think otherwise. I do believe people are grossly misinformed, and that is where the bigger issue stands. A photo like this may spark anger and outrage, but it should be concern for the uneducated people of this country that should consume those who are outraged. This kind of thinking is harmful and should be taken into serious consideration and not just as a stereotype.

mo money mo problems

Recently the United States has been going through many different shifts in power. One of these shifts was the announcement of the continuation of the Dakota Pipeline. Previously this construction had be halted by the Obama Administration before the new president took office. The consensus has been greatly divided on what to do with this situation. On one hand, a whole people (Standing Rock Sioux Tribe) claim that the construction of this pipeline would damage the environment and water that they survive on. On the other hand, the president and many large companies argue that the construction would not harm anyone and in fact would bring in thousands of jobs and boost the economy. This website was made specifically to convince the country that the pipeline is a great idea and that the Sioux people are just greatly misinformed. Who are we to trust? Especially since the president himself and many other wealthy men are prepared to make a big sum from the construction of this pipeline. Banks are among some of the largest investors in the building of the pipeline, including the well known Wells Fargo. Trump himself stand to benefit from the pipeline as he has many people who advise and work for him that are investors in the project. He has already sold his shares to company that stands to build it but that does not completely cut his ties to it. Should we yield and hope for these jobs at the risk of the destruction of a sacred environment?