Women Priests

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/religion/story/FA01B93F74D2D9208625738D0019101E?OpenDocument

The article about women becoming ordained is a decent and fair article that shows both sides. This article begins with explaining the situation at hand, showing that the two women are attempting to become ordained priests and are facing difficulties throughout the religious organizations. The article shows that some of the organizations believe this is against their faith and that they will distance themselves from any congregation that takes place in the ordination. One group plans to host the ordination is facing trouble from the larger heads of the groups. The article also includes past occurrences of women being ordained. Following up is the reply from the women and their stance on the issue. They state that this is also a way to reform. The well rounded article then shows the views and opinions of other people. Overall, this article is well researched and written with its shown information.

Diverstiy

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2007/11/ohio_prison_population_surpass.html

I think this article shows no obvious effort to force diversity into its subject matter, and includes all citizens of Ohio in its article. As the article describes the increasing amount of prisoners that are entering the prison this year, creating more and more cramped spaces, it seems to address all aspects of diversity. there is no clear bias present, and in an article about prison, there very well could have been. The writer does a good job of sticking to the facts without throwing his own opinion into the article. As a citizen of Ohio, this article concerns me with the slowly declining rate of gaurds in Ohio compared to the thousands of prisoners, and this article did not turn me off in terms of excluding certain groups of people.

The Naperville Sun: “A Glimpse of China”

The article “A Glimpse of China” focuses on the second annual Fall Moon Festival in Naperville, Illinois. The town says that the festival is “a great time to celebrate the fall together and be a community while doing that.” The Dong Fang Chinese Performing Arts Association is in charge of running the festival. Performer Steve Smith said that this tradition is meant to bring people together and embrace a new season, while in China it is not exactly regarded as a special holiday. Smith also says, “What’s wonderful about that is Naperville is truly becoming more cultured and this is one of the many steps in that direction”.
In my opinion, Naperville is making progress when it comes to embracing diversity, but this article is a desperate cry to commend their effort to do so. The article speaks about the importance of tradition in the Chinese culture and is appealing to a broad audience. Racial diversity is a positive thing and it is great that Naperville hosts this cultural event. The quote regarding Naperville’s new found culture really rubbed me the wrong way. Writing the article alone would have proven that the town in diverse, so I found it disappointing that the writer had to add that quote when it is already obvious. Again, the article is very positive and centers on the importance of tradition.




http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/lifestyles/642259,6_5_NA09_CHINASHOW_S1.article

Death in Houston

This article is rather depressing, but then again it’s supposed to be. It’s about the death of a rather well liked shop owner by the name of Daeyeop Kim. There on lies the diversity, at least on that level. The news is supposed to report homicides, but there have to be many in a large city like Houston so why did they pick this one? I’m sure the fact that Mr. Kim was Korean had something to do with it, but another would probably be just how many people liked the man. Several people of several ethnicities came to his store to buy things or just hang out. It was emphasized how fair and hard working he was, which makes sense seeing as he had to maintain that shop almost by himself. These varied people who knew Mr. Kim and mourn his passing probably are another reason why his murder is given at least a little more attention then your average homicide. Thus, this article very likely drew in many readers, for Mr. Kim was apparently very connected to the people in his neighborhood. So, while not immediately apparent, this article does use diversity in a remarkably subtle way in order to get the story out there and strike chords with people. It is a very well done piece.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5296133.html

Online Predators: Only a parent’s concern?

My article doesn’t a horrible job of showing any diversity. But it is hard to show diversity in the small town of Columbia, IL (or even in Monroe County for that matter). There isn’t much diversity in small farm towns no more than 20 miles apart from each other. But in any case, the other ways to show diversity, after what I saw in this article, is if you are a parent or not. This article is mainly pointed towards parents. I believe it was mainly written to inform, even scare, parents about “online predators.” The article comes up with many statistics about the subject, which I am sure are true, but again I believe they are only stated to get the parents more concerned about their child’s safety. An older person without children might have a hard time relating to this subject. And the children who read the article will just begin to think, “Oh, it will never happen to me.”

So I see this article more for the parents of my county rather than for everyone.

Article:
http://monroecountyclarion.stltoday.com/articles/2007/11/13/news/sj2tn20071027-1028cla_3judgement.ii1.txt

ITS JUST A GREETING

The article that I read and evaluated came from stltoday.com , which is the website for the St. Louis Post Dispatch. The name of the article is "I'll bump your fist first, but let's stay out of the cave", written by Sylvester Brown Jr. The name of the article is what first caught my attention, and as I continued to read the article I kind of thought that it was geared toward a younger audience, event though the author is middle-aged. There was some slang used, and it just seemed like it was very easy for me to read through the article. Teh story was about different greetings. The author raised the question, "Why is it when men aquaintances meet they stick out their fist and look for a pound??? He wants to know what happened to the more embracing greetings amongst friends. You do the usual handshake greeting with a boss or someone you are just meeting, but besides that there are no embracing greetings. I think that the Post-Dispatch is trying to show diversity in most of their articles, and this is one of them. To begin with the author of this article is an African-American and the style of writing that he chose to use as stated before seemed as if it were targeted to a younger audience. I think this shows that the Post-Dispatch is showing diversity but my issue wasnt with that, it was with the story in general. I think that its making a big deal out of nothing. So, overall I think the paper showed diversity, maybe it was trying a little to hard with the word choices, but I just think the story was too over thought.

Another Perspective on Illegal Immigration

A column found in October 25th’s Rocky Mountain News by Tina Griego focuses on Evangelina Hernández, a journalist from Mexico City who challenged Colorado’s Mexican consul general to visit his people. Griego recounted how Hernández also went into the city to speak with legal and illegal immigrants about their life in America. As a Mexican native, Hernádez discussed her embarrassment about immigrant income, and how that amount of money is second to what oil brings into the country. She also discussed how, in her opinion, the money that Bush intends to give to help prevent drug trafficking would be better spent on education.

Hernández continues on about a Mexican’s perspective but then concludes with her most controversial comment: ‘“I know [illegal immigrants] go to school and they use services, but it's not free and it's ignorance to suggest Mexican people here receive everything free. They are making money for this country without any rights, without a single right. Nuestras mejores manos, las más trabajadoras, están aqu'. Our best hands are working here. We miss them. We need them.”’

Scroll down to the “Reader’s Comments” and it’s evident there aren’t many who claim the same perspective. Some angered readers express their distaste with a few choice words that clearly illustrate that what Griego is writing is far from the social norm.

Griego makes no attempt to address the other side of this issue. Personally, I feel her bias in this particular instance is justified. The other side to the story is well known, a common attitude of “Go back to… Mexico.” An equally divided article would seem counter-productive to the purpose of her column.

Also note Griego writes as a columnist. She doesn’t try to pass anything as a solid fact, but aims to enlighten those who might not see things from another perspective.

Read Column

Dallas Rail System to Change Route

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), the largest transit agency in Dallas, is changing their bus routes in order to increase ridership this year. The agency has given commuters the option to weigh in their opinions on which routes will receive more attention, which will receive less, and which will be removed altogether. Despite their best efforts, DART is still receiving backlash from the community.
This article is geared towards people of all different levels economic status, varying from those who rely solely on public transportation, to those who park their vehicles and take trains to other locations. In order to accommodate those whose stops will be eliminated, DART is offering an on-call bus service which will cost about $80 a month, a cost some riders can't afford.
The areas mentioned in the article range from downtown Dallas to further out suburb sectors of Dallas. This article gets comments from many different commuters both in location and economic status in order to show how changes in this transit system will be affecting people across the city.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/dallas/stories/111207dnmetdart.39b05b0.html

Avs strengthen NW Lead

http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_7437310
This article summarizes the Colorado Avalanche and their most recent victory over the Minnesota Wild. In that game second year center Paul Stasny scored two goals and had an assist. Stasny leads the Avalanche with 22 points and nine goals in this young season.
As far as diversity goes, there is practically none., but do not read a hockey article for diversity. There is no mention of any women or any non -Caucasians. Women and African Americans are not known for playing in the National Hockey League.
The article does not need diversity since there is no diversity to be reported in the story. Diversity is not a crucial factor in sports reporting. It is the players who win games who get their names in the paper. There is very little racial bias in sports reporting these days since most sports have become very diverse.
News reporting is very different. There is a lot of bias in the news. The news that is reported is reported because it is directed to the middle class white family. That is the reason that the residence halls needed to have posters highlighting the Jena 6 issue. This issue was gravely under reported that people were unaware of this injustice Since this issue deals with injustice to blacks, it was not reported because the middle class white family does not care that much about it.
Going Back to this hockey article found in the Denver Post. Diversity in hockey is extremely tough to report since there are only a handful of black players in the league. Diversity is not an issue that should drive reporting. Journalism is supposed to be objective and that should be true in matters of race, religion, gender, and other diversity issues.

Beckmann Bros. Nursery Closes down

After three generations of supplying local farmers and gardeners with all of their equipment for keeping that garden beautiful and the farm running smoothly, Beckmann Bros. Nursery is shutting down.
This article surrounded the history of one of the oldest businesses in the St. Louis area up to the reason why now, after three generations, the nursery is closing. This article was defiantly sympathetic toward the small business owner, Bruce N. Beckmann, and I believe that this article would best appeal to local small businesses in the St. Louis area. Along with appealing to local small business, I believe that many people in the St. Louis area, primarily gardeners and farmers who shopped at Beckmann Bros. Nursery. The St. Louis Post Dispatch probably wanted to have the article appeal to the majority of the people in the St. Louis area due to the fact that is where most of their business comes from.
Like many of the articles featured in the St. Louis Post Dispatch, this article is strongly sympathetic to the small business owners in the St. Louis area. I believe that this type of journalism is a necessity to be successful in a certain area. If you do not appeal to the majority of the people, then it is impossible to be successful.

Proposed Transgender Rights Bill Sparks Controversy

Montgomery County, Md., has developed a reputation for being an enclave of liberal ideas and agendas. Few were surprised, therefore, when County Council member Duchy Trachtenberg introduced legislation that would have given transgender individuals the right to enter and use public bathrooms based on their self-identified sexuality rather than their biological sexuality. Trachtenberg, the former President of the Maryland National Organization for Women, has long been an advocate for transgender rights. Elected to the Council in 2006, Trachtenberg even named a former transgender candidate for State Delegate, Dana Beyer, as her Chief of Staff.

When the general public found out about this proposed change in the law, most were horrified and expressed anger and distrust in Trachtenberg and the Council in general. Susan Jamison, a parent leading a group of posters, was quoted in The Washington Post as saying "People don't understand the problem. There will be no decency here. If you really want separate facilities for transgenders, spend the money to build them, but don't put boys with male genitals in with our naked daughters."

The issue of transgender rights is quite possibly even more touchy and taboo than the current debate on gay marriage and civil rights for homosexuals. Transsexuals are often discriminated against in the workplace and even when trying to find housing or apartments. There are currently no civil protections specifically for transsexuals in Maryland as there are for other minority groups. According to the article, only 13 states and the District have passed laws for transgender rights, but Trachtenberg’s proposed bill would have made such discriminations illegal in Montgomery County.

Responding to the massive uprising, Trachtenberg up until Friday afternoon stood her ground with her position on keeping the bathroom wording in her bill. "Change is difficult," she said. "I don't back down when a subject is controversial." Protests continued into the weekend, resulting Trachtenberg finally (and grudgingly) removing the clause from the bill, citing a "campaign of misinformation and hypothetical, hyperbolic rhetoric."

This article obviously brings the issue of diversity into effect by approaching the contentious subject of transgender individuals. It is mainly a news article rather than a feature (as most stories on diversity tend to be) so it’s not really written to change someone’s opinion or view on an issue. Nevertheless, the article may have benefited from more interviews with transgender individuals to hear their opinion on the bathroom issue specifically. The article exposes a common (and understandable) opinion among most people that transgender people are simply not the same as, dare I say, normal people.

I have no problem with the law in general banning workplace and housing discrimination, and it will likely pass when it goes up for vote on Tuesday. However, I agree with Jamison and others that the bathroom provision was simply too much and should never have been included. As Post columnist Marc Fisher wrote in an Op-Ed on the subject: [It] would be putting the comfort of the few over the rights of the many. People who enter a locker room reserved for members of one sex have the right to expect that everyone in the room shares the same equipment.”

Read Article
Read Marc Fisher Opinion

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Andrew Marton vs. Gender Roles

Nataliya was born in Russia but she would try to make her life in America. This article, written by a male member of the Fort Worth Star Telegram’s staff, tells Nataliya’s unfortunate story with surprisingly unbiased opinion and a strong sense of gender indifference. Andrew Marton, the article’s male author, did an excellent job of revealing Nataliya’s story as a mail-order-bride. Her story tells of the hardships in her own country that led her to attempt the transition to American life and an American man. Even though capturing emotions seems hardly the function of a newspaper article, Marton does a fairly good job of sharing Nataliya’s story without passing judgment and without clouding the facts. Even the scoundrel of the story, Nataliya’s husband Henderson, was not set up to become vilified by the author. The facts of the case were set out and the morality of both parties was neither explicitly nor implicitly hinted at. The cultural differences, although obvious, were not presented as objectionable but rather as causal and as possible prerequisites for Nataliya’s actions.
Read the Article

Journey to Dallas

This article was under “special reports” in the Dallas Morning News. It featured the journeys of three immigrants from three separate parts of the world. Pedram Moghen left his home in Iran and stayed in Pakistan for three years before eventually resettling in Dallas after a three-day journey, passing through Kuwait, Amsterdam, New York and Detroit. Jamala Maye fled from Mogadishu, Somalia with her five-year-old brother, stayed in Mombasa for a year with relatives, then was forced to leave by boat after the flights out of Somalia were canceled. After living in a Utanga refugee camp for several months, they rented an apartment in Mombasa until they were given government approval to resettle in the U.S. in 1997, six years after her journey had begun. Jamala made stops in Brussels and New York before eventually settling in Dallas. Ceu Lian Thang, left Thantlang in Burma/Myanmar in 1999. He traveled to Rangoon, Bangkok, Taipei, Amsterdam, Los Angeles and Corpus Christi before reaching Dallas. He was granted residency through his wife, another Myanmar refugee.
This is certainly a different feature for the Dallas Morning News. Most of their stories of course relate to local, state, and national news, but they rarely do such special features. I do think they had good intentions in doing a story like this. Most of the stories we read about immigrants are surrounding the debate about illegal aliens and allowing immigrants to become citizens in the U.S., as well as the amount of benefits they would or would not receive from the government. Actually, so much emphasis is put on that debate that it seems sometimes we lose sight of the real issue; that these people hoped for a better life in America than in their home country, so they decided to make the journey in hopes of establishing residence and finding happiness here.
However, while this story is clearly trying to attract a wider variety of audiences, such as immigrants and their supporters, it is much too showy to truly promote diversity. There should not be a spotlight put on this issue in a “special feature.” Instead, it would be a better idea if stories like this ran more frequently in the paper. That way, Dallas residents would be more educated as to what the journeys were like for immigrants, and immigrants would feel like they are welcome in their new home. This would make the issue more real-life and well known and not such a rare occurrence that it had to have its own sporadic feature in the newspaper.

http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/spe/2007/refugee/

Religious Diversity Not Out of Reach

This article from the Topeka Capital-Journal discusses different variations of prayer between different religions. I was surprised that an article in my somewhat conservative hometown paper would even think of including any religions other than various denominations of Christian when they discussed prayer, yet the writer also mentioned how Wiccans pray. Although I’m a little dismayed that most of the sources were members of Christian churches, the article was still interesting and informative. Because of the weak link between the Christian aspect of the story and the Wiccan portion, it tended to come across as though the writer had finished the story and realized she had only spoken to Christians, making the story seem a little one sided. Overall I was happily surprised at the level of diversity shown in this article, even if it was a bit forced.

Jesus Would've Made a Great Third Baseman

Some baseball experts believe that they key to a wining team is good pitching. The old school analysts believe that it is working on the fundamentals, timely hitting, and the right combination of spit and pine tar on the bat. And others, like Colorado Rockies General Manager Dan O’Dowd, believe that all you need is…well… to believe?
Yes, you read right. Mr. O’Dowd believes that the true key to his team winning an unprecedented 21 of 22 games to land them in the post-season and eventually the World Series was not an MVP candidate, the best fielding shortstop of all time, or all that is Kaz Matsui, but it was none other than God. That’s right. The creator of the world, water, and the iPod, God himself, had a hand in the Colorado Rockies success according to Mr. O’Dowd. Forget about Helton, Holliday, and Hawpe. Just go with Him.
Now, I saw Disney’s Angels in the Outfield (1994) where a group of angels aid the success of a losing Anaheim Angels team to lead them to the World Series. I was five at the time, and I remember thinking to myself “Man, that was a great movie. But I’m sure God has more to worry about than a baseball team like the homeless, the starving, and the spread of Communism.” I’m not anti-Christian and I am not here to give my religious beliefs, but there is a time and a place for everything, and O’Dowd picked neither well. What he chooses to believe was the cause of his team’s success is his own belief, which you are allowed to have. However, he is not only representing himself when he speaks publicly, but he is also representing the Colorado Rockies organization as well. And when you are put in that capacity, you have the obligation to be a somewhat neutral on non-baseball issues. (Personally, I don’t see how the Angel’s were that bad in the first place with Danny Glover managing, Matthew McConaughey playing left, and Tony Danza on the mound. It was probably all the blown saves by Adrian Brody. Yea, it had to be)
I mean, how am I supposed to feel if I am a fan of the Rockies, but I am Jewish, Muslim, or Atheist? Does this mean that I can’t root on my team?
Or what if I am Christian, but I don’t think God and sports have any correlation? Does this mean that I don’t have the “correct” version of God in my head?
While I think this article does a good job of presenting the facts and what happened, there is no outside perspective as if to say whether or not this was the right venue for O’Dowd to speak his mind. It is almost as if The Denver Post believes that all their readers are of the same faith and has no consideration for the minority.
While I feel that faith is a wonderful aspect to have in one’s life, there is no room for this in sports. I am not saying that O’Dowd has no right to turn to the Almighty over his All-Stars, but saying it publicly was a wrong move on his part. There needs to be a separation of Church and Sports here. What the players feel contributes to their success besides talent, conditioning, and execution is their own business and I feel it should stay that way. There is a way for people to honor their beliefs, but it is not at the expense of the comfort of their teammates, opponents, or fans alike.

And finally, if this team was indeed helped by God, then why did they get swept in the World Series? I’m not denying the existence of a God, but wouldn’t you think he would hook them up with a few homers or a rain delay or Manny Ramirez getting the flu? I’m just saying…

Here’s the article link: http://www.denverpost.com/lifestyles/ci_7398765

Define Diversity…Than Think of the Big Picture

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/editorialcommentary/story/0AB1CD250602027C8625738B001A47C2?OpenDocument

A story ran in Tuesday’s issue of the St. Louis Post Dispatch that dealt with the many meanings of diversity itself. The article stated that “some see the word as a code word for affirmative action” while others view it “as a kind of political correctness that encroaches on freedom.” Whatever the perspective, the word generates emotions are both sides of the spectrum and may very well be the explanation of why the St. Louis area is divided in the way that it is.

But this word holds more power than just separation; it is an expression, a key ingredient, which has given this American society a leading edge. We live in a melting pot of ideas and without diversity we would be living in a bland state of culture and only experience the customs around us. Instead we are gifted with exotic delicacies from China, romantic and fiery rhythms from Latin America, and the soulful tunes of jazz from African Americans. The article states “writers, artists, and the world’s scientific elite are contributing to making the United States a technological and cultural capital of the world.” All of these different assets build up the backbone of American culture and molds a way of live that is truly unique.

As society and its expectations change, we have to consider a cleaner way to communicate amongst several different demographics. It is evident in St. Louis that people disassociate themselves from other cultures and became introverted in their ways of living. The ability to accept and understand ones background is a key step to achieving a unified goal. It is hard to step out of a comfort zone, but this crucial step “will increase the quality of our lives dramatically.” So whether it is gender, race, or ethnicity learning to accept another culture is what makes diversity a blessing rather than a dividing point.

The article I choose was not about a certain story but about diversity itself. The writer, Terrence Freeman, is a national program director for 100 Black Men of America and has been a volunteer for churches, community organizations, and law enforcement agencies. This article gives one definition of diversity, but provides room for readers’ own interpretation. Diversity can have the power to be meaningful and irreplaceable if used correctly.

New Episcopal Bishop Accepts Inclusion

Rev. Jeffrey Lee was elected as Chicago's next Episcopal bishop this past Saturday. This election incorporated homosexual diversity into the mix of candidates. One of the eight candidates included a lesbian priest from Trinity Cathedral in Cleveland. Lee says Chicago's Episcopal Church is quite accepting of all diversity including rich, poor, urban, suburban, black, white, gay and straight. He feel he has been called to bring together such differences and connect the community. This election presented a more recent turning point in the homosexuality debate. In 2003, Gene Robinson became the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church. Rev. Lee does not see homosexuality as a problem and wishes to include all gays and lesbians into ministry. "There is a place for everyone in the church..." Rev. Lee said. Despite the inclusion, other bishops around the nation don't see acceptance of gay and lesbians as right. A majority of the diocese is comitted to upholding diversity values, but not all bishops see eye to eye. Conservative bishops do not authorize prayers to bless same-sex couples. Rev. Regina Sey thinks it's shameful that all persons on the ballot were in favor of the "gay agenda."
This article presents itself to be more liberal. It does go into detail of past diversity turning points (such as other gay/lebsian bishops) included in the church and Lee's opinion on inclusion. The writer does do a decent job with opposing quotes and representing both sides. However, the article is highlighting diversity in such a positive way that the reader may not agree with the conservative view on homosexuality.

"National Colors"

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/garden/article/0,2777,DRMN_23954_5743633,00.html

The subject of color is synonymous with the topic of diversity, and the article “Colors pack a punch” is no exception. The article ran Saturday in the Spotlight section of The Rocky Mountain News, and was written by Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, author of “Mystery of Color.”

Friedmann begins her article with the obvious statement, “Most of us will agree that red, yellow and orange are warm colors while blue, green and violet are cool colors,” and then goes into a little bit of psychological background information on what kind of responses are triggered by different colors. At this point the article is slightly intriguing, especially to an audience interested in the inner workings of the human mind.

It isn’t until the fourth paragraph that the article blatantly tries to address diversity, asking the reader to, “consider the psychology behind some national flags.” Instantly the story becomes less about psychology, and more and more horribly obvious that they are trying to appeal to the topic of diversity.

She begins by talking about the flag of the United States, and what the good ol’ red, white, and blue, and what each hue represents. Friendmann’s article sounds like a fourth grader’s report on the meaning of national flags in different countries; taking the time to describe the Mexican, Argentinian, Greek, Egyptian, and French flags and what every color symbolizes.

The entire article is, for lack of a better word, juvenile. There is no rhyme or reason for the article or its structure. It would have been more beneficial for the author and readers sake to just leave the entire diversity element out. Let’s be honest, no one cares about the symbolic meaning behind the colors of national flags. The psychological effects colors and their intensity have on the human mind is interesting, while talking about the national flags is worthless to the audience. In this instance, Friedmann’s effort to add a diverse element to her story was poorly executed and entirely irrelevant.