Amnesty International

by **bianca_macca** » Tue Jun 03, 2003 4:57 pm

sounds like a pretty cool subject of study! Because here in the Netherlands we also had some of the most piëtistic calvinists back in the 1600's, only it didn't work out to be of great influence nowadays. I've once heard that only the most puritan Europeans went to settle in america, so there might be an argument for your hypothesis!
By the way, maccastheman, what are you studying? cultural anthropology??

by **maccastheman** » Tue Jun 03, 2003 5:14 pm

quote:Originally posted by bianca_macca
sounds like a pretty cool subject of study! Because here in the Netherlands we also had some of the most piëtistic calvinists back in the 1600's, only it didn't work out to be of great influence nowadays. I've once heard that only the most puritan Europeans went to settle in america, so there might be an argument for your hypothesis!
By the way, maccastheman, what are you studying? cultural anthropology??

Very true about European Puritans - many if not most settled in America. They had a lot of influence in shaping our nation's culture in the early days. Fortunatley, most of the framers of our Constitution were from the Enlightenment school of thought. Those guys were very smart to separate church and state. (First Amendment Rights)

I'm studying Journalism. Right now I'm analyzing trends in the media. I'm working on a paper about media conglomerates. A few companies own many of the newspapers, T.V. stations, and Radio stations in America. I'm analyzing how that affects content.

I've also studied the history of journalsim in the U.S. and in Europe. I have a very good friend who is a journalism student in Sweden. He went to school with me here in America for a while. It's always fun to talk to him about what's going on in Europe with the media. We've also talked about the death penatly and other things.

I also work at the university where I study, so that keeps me busy! You are a student too, right? What do you study?

by **maccastheman** » Tue Jun 03, 2003 5:24 pm

Back to the death penalty and why I'm against it: I think it's very racist. 40 percent of death row inmates are African-American, yet African-Americans make up only 13 percent of the U.S. population. White guys can hire attourneys that can get them off, but black guys living in the projects can't afford them so they get incompetent public defenders. That just seems so unfair to me. Also, as others have stated, mistakes are sometimes made. One mistake is too many. I'm not saying people shouldn't be punished, I'm just saying the death penatly is not the way to do it.

by **bianca_macca** » Tue Jun 03, 2003 5:36 pm

Ah interesting! I study history at the University of Amsterdam. Hoping to get my bachelor-degree this summer. I had subcribed for a master in journalism next year, because communication processes and the media just intrigue me (I did one year of 'communication science', but most teachers and students were really stupid there) but there were only 16 places for students and the college-commission(?) didn't choose me.[:(] I only heard of my rejection three days ago so I had to all over sudden rethink my future, cause I really would have loved to specialize in journalism!! Now I've chosen to continue history and do a master in what they call at my university 'new' history (1500-1800). (I think it is more often referred to as early-modern). My bachelor-paper concerns that period as well: its about the influence of the reformation on family life in the Dutch republic. Im working on the last bits right now; I have to deliver it to my teacher next thursday [:0]!

by **bianca_macca** » Tue Jun 03, 2003 5:39 pm

on the death penalty: I agree with maccastheman completely![^]

by **Steve-o** » Tue Jun 03, 2003 8:49 pm

I had better zip it here. Some thoughtful comments, but alot of misguided stuff being said here that I just don't agree with. I could go on forever, but I won't. I shall retire to the threads about the music..one thing we can all agree upon is that we are Macca fans. [:D]

by **maccastheman** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 10:22 am

quote:Originally posted by bianca_macca
Ah interesting! I study history at the University of Amsterdam. Hoping to get my bachelor-degree this summer. I had subcribed for a master in journalism next year, because communication processes and the media just intrigue me (I did one year of 'communication science', but most teachers and students were really stupid there) but there were only 16 places for students and the college-commission(?) didn't choose me.[:(] I only heard of my rejection three days ago so I had to all over sudden rethink my future, cause I really would have loved to specialize in journalism!! Now I've chosen to continue history and do a master in what they call at my university 'new' history (1500-1800). (I think it is more often referred to as early-modern). My bachelor-paper concerns that period as well: its about the influence of the reformation on family life in the Dutch republic. Im working on the last bits right now; I have to deliver it to my teacher next thursday [:0]!

I like journalism. It's a fun major. I also like history. It's very important to know. We forget it all too quickly I'm afraid.
I hear journalism schools are quite different over in Europe. My Swedish friend tells me there aren't that many in his country, and they are very difficult to get in to.
To be a journalist over here, all you have to do is make up stories. That will get you into the New York Times. [;)] I don't know if you heard about that story or not. There was a journalist here that made up a bunch of stories and copied other people's stories for the New York Times. It was very, very embarassing for that paper.
I've written for a couple of newpapers, but I like analyzing the media better. Thats' why I'm back in school.

by **scrodfish256** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 11:40 am

there are definitly innocent people who get the raw end of the deal.

quote:I think it's very racist. 40 percent of death row inmates are African-American, yet African-Americans make up only 13 percent of the U.S. population.

People can blame it on on many things, but ultimately we make our own decisions in life. Death row inmates are on death row for committing at least one murder. These are not people who were drunk and hit someone with a car. These are people who brutaly murdered other human beings.

We don't have the death penalty in michigan. A while back a guy who committed multiple murders killed a prison guard who was doing a bed check. Now we get to pay for this guy to have his daily anti-psychotic
shot every day for the rest of his life. I may be a little biased because I hear about what these freaks do on a daily basis, but some people don't deserve to live.

by **Gastro (gone)** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 11:41 pm

Go tell that to Brains apparently he does.

by **dsnito** » Fri Jun 06, 2003 12:31 pm

Well, I'll go through this subject modestly, saying first that in Brazil we don't have death penalty in all the country, basicly for being a Catholic country, but we have lots of cruel criminals here, the crime dominate in some places...they kill, they rape, they kidnap, they steal, they deal drugs, they torture the victims, they're horrible creatures!!! The worst are the murderers of course, but even so, most people are anti-death penalty, based on "violence brings more violence" statement, and I'm against that penalty, but sometimes I even doubt of this mine conviction when I see some heinous crimes... I think some of those criminals don't even have human feelings...

Peace.

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