Censorship Of Music Essays - Gangsta Rappers,

Censorship Of Music Recently we have been hearing a lot about the need for censorship of television and recording industries. Whether it is the cartoon Beavis and Butthead, the controversial television drama NYPD Blue or rap recording artists, someone always seems to arguing about their negative effects on society and the need for government regulation. Being a fan of rap, I am particularly interested in issues effecting regulation of the recording industry and rap artists. Popular "gangsta rappers" include Dr. Dre, Snoop Doggy Dog, Tupac Shakur, Ice Cube, and Ice Tea. Many are outraged at the explicit lyrics of the songs and the lifestyles of these artists. Snoop Doggy Dog and Tupac Shakur are two of the most publicized "gansta rappers" whose songs contain explicit lyrics and who have been indicted for criminal activities. Snoop Doggy dog is a native of Long Beach, California. His mother named him Snoopy because of his long face and droopy ears. Growing up, Snoop was a member of the Golgotha Trinity Baptist youth choir and an excellent basketball player. However , shortly after his graduation from high school, he landed in jail for possession of cocaine. Recently Snoop was arrested for murder. On August twenty- fifth Snoop was driving his late model Jeep in Palms, California. He met up with Philip Woldemar iam, who according to Snoop's attorney, had a long history of threatening Snoop. Snoop's bodyguard shot Woldermariam twice in the back, killing him. On December eighth, Snoop was arraigned for murder, but later found innocent. Many of the lyrics i n Snoop's songs degrade women, encourage the use of marijuana and glorify violence against authority. Another publicized case involves rapper Tupac Shakur. Many know him for his starring role in the movie "Poetic Justice" with Janet Jackson. Tupac Shakur's song "Keep Ya Head Up" contains such lyrics as "I wonder why we take from our women Why we rape our women Do we hate our women? I think it's time we care for our women Time to heal our women." Despite the lyrics encouraging men to respect women, Shakur was recently arrested for sexually abusing a woman in a midtown hotel. This arrest came two weeks after Shakur was arrested for allegedly shooting two off duty police officers after a traff ic dispute in Atlanta. Proponents of rap feel that all rappers are protected under the first amendment. They also feel that rap is a cultural art form, reflecting ghetto life and that criticism of rap is another form of racism. One of the men who has been influential in speaking out against "gangsta rap", its explicit lyrics and unworthy role models is the Reverend Jesse Jackson. Jackson states," Anyone, white or black, who makes money calling our women bitches and our people niggers will have to face the wrath of our indignation." The Reverend Calvin Butts, the minister of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, has also mounted a crusade against explicit music. Last summer he held a rally at which he ran over offending tapes and CDs with a steamrolle r. The vice- president of the United States wife, Tipper Gore, has launched her own crusade. In her book, Raising PG Kids in an X-rated Society , she takes the music industry to task for glamorizing sex and violence in material targeted to kids. She has encouraged record companies to label all albums and tapes that have sexually explicit lyrics. Also, radio stations such a KACE-FM in Los Angeles are adopting policies to ban all songs that degrade women or promote drugs and violence. To determine the views of students here on the need for censorship of the recording industry, I conducted a survey which posed the following questions: 1. Do you listen to Rap music? Seventy percent of the respondents indicated that they listened to Rap music on a regular basis. 2. Do you own any Rap CDs or tapes with explicit lyrics? Forty percent of those surveyed indicated that thy did. 3. Do you think Rap lyrics are a bad influence on society? Seventy-five percent believed that the lyrics had a negative influence on society. 4. Do you think that the government should censor Rap recordings? Only five percent of the respondents believed it was the government's responsibity to censor Rap. One thing is clear and that is that there are strong opinions on both sides of the issue. In my opinion, the worst solution would be to allow the government to legislate what can be written, what TV shows can be aired and what music can

8 Ways to Tell If a Website Is Reliable

8 Ways to Tell If a Website Is Reliable For every reputable website, there are dozens chock full of information thats inaccurate, unreliable or just plain nutty. For the unwary, inexperienced journalist  or researcher, such sites can present a minefield of possible problems. With that in mind, here are eight ways to tell if a website is reliable. 1. Look for Sites from Established Institutions The internet is full of websites that were started five minutes ago. What you want are sites associated with trusted institutions that have been around for awhile and have a proven track record of reliability and integrity. Such sites may include those run by government agencies, non-profit organizations,  foundations, or colleges and universities. 2. Look for Sites with Expertise You wouldnt go to an auto mechanic if you broke your leg, and you wouldnt go to the hospital to have your car repaired. Im making an obvious point: Look for websites that specialize in the kind of information youre seeking. So if youre writing a story on a flu outbreak, check out medical websites, such as the Centers for Disease Control, and so on. 3. Steer Clear of Commercial Sites Sites run by companies and business - their websites usually end in .com - are more often than not trying to sell you something. And if theyre trying to sell you something, chances are whatever information theyre presenting will be tilted in favor of their product. Thats not to say corporate sites should be excluded entirely. But be wary. 4. Beware of Bias Reporters write a lot about politics, and there are plenty of political websites out there. But many of them are run by groups that have a bias in favor of one political party or philosophy. A conservative website isnt likely to report objectively on a liberal politician, and vice versa. Steer clear of sites with a political ax to grind and instead look for ones that are non-partisan. 5. Check the Date As a reporter you need  the most up-to-date information available, so if a website seems old, its probably best to steer clear. One way to check - look for a last updated date on the page or site. 6. Consider  the Sites Look If a site looks poorly designed and amateurish, chances are it was created by amateurs. Steer clear. But be careful - just because a website is professionally designed doesnt mean its reliable. 7. Avoid Anonymous Authors Articles or studies whose authors are named are often - though not always - more reliable than works produced anonymously. It makes sense: If someone is willing to put their name on something theyve written, chances are they stand by the information it contains. And if you have the name of the author, you can always Google them to check their credentials. 8. Check the Links Reputable websites often link to each other. You can find out which other websites link to the site youre researching by conducting a link-specific Google search. Enter the following text into the Google search field, replacing [WEBSITE] with the domain of the site youre researching: link:[WEBSITE].com The search results will show you which websites link to the one youre researching. If lots of sites are linking to your site, and those sites seem reputable, then thats a good sign.

Do state assessments truly measure a disabled students' intellectual Research Paper

Do state assessments truly measure a disabled students' intellectual abilities - Research Paper Example Testing to Students with Disabilities Students with disabilities should be afforded the same kinds of opportunities to do well in high-stakes testing. This is proven in a document released by The University of the State of New York?and The State Education Department?Office of Vocational and Education Services ?for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID). It states: According to Test Access and Accommodations for Students with Disabilities (2006), â€Å"All students, including students with disabilities, are expected to learn and achieve high standards.   To meet this goal, students with disabilities must have access to general education curriculum courses, electives and required assessments.   This was affirmed in 1997 when the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was amended to require that students with disabilities, including students with severe cognitive disabilities through the development of a State alternate assessment, participate in State and districtwide a ssessments† (pgh. 1). Further, it has been noted that appropriate testing accommodations can and shall have been made in order to take into account the fact that there are several different types of differently-abled learners. What should matter is that these students are given the same types of opportunities as students in regular and Honors courses to achieve their best, at whatever level of schooling they are at—but especially in high school so they are adequately prepared to move on to higher education beyond the secondary level. According to Test Access and Accommodations for Students with Disabilities (2006), â€Å"IDEA 2004 further strengthened this requirement by adding several new provisions that will ensure that students have access to State tests and that test results are valid and... The research paper tells that students with disabilities should be afforded the same kinds of opportunities to do well in high-stakes testing. This is proven in a document released by The University of the State of New York and The State Education Department Office of Vocational and Education Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID). Further, it has been noted that appropriate testing accommodations can and shall have been made in order to take into account the fact that there are several different types of differently-abled learners. What should matter is that these students are given the same types of opportunities as students in regular and Honors courses to achieve their best, at whatever level of schooling they are at—but especially in high school so they are adequately prepared to move on to higher education beyond the secondary level. These accommodations that are called for routinely help assess students’ true intellectual abilities by helping students demonstrate how they have attained a mastery of certain skill sets. According to Test Access and Accommodations for Students with Disabilities, â€Å"Many students with disabilities will require testing accommodations in order to participate in testing programs on an equal basis with their nondisabled peers. Such accommodations provide students with the ability to demonstrate mastery of skills and attainment of knowledge without being limited or unfairly restricted due to [having] a disability†.