Media Snatching
Baby snatchings and kidnappings have gotten popular attention in the past decades. Through media exploitation, safety awareness and fear inside of parents have heightened. No longer has an isolated case of a baby snatching become the scare of the day-it is the scare for a child’s first years. Are baby snatching and kidnapping a reality to everyone? Should everyone with a child fear that child’s abduction, or is it only a made up reality within the media?
The fear of a baby or young child being abducted is natural and understandable. It is otherwise unfortunate that the media is able to use its power to purport a crime wave on a seemingly low-rate crime. Through extensive media coverage, parents and the world can perceive any place as a possible risk for child abductors. This point is expressed by Furedi when he states, “The intense level of media attention paid to the rare instances of baby-snatching has contributed to widespread demands for hospital security.” Frank Furedi is not the only person to comment on media coverage spreading angst. One article talks about Guatemala and its people’s fears of baby snatching and then the baby’s body parts being sold in the United States. Even after years of rumors of this type of believed behavior had subsided, a new wave of fear had returned to hit a group of people. “…Rumors about body part sales tap into ‘deep reservoirs of fear and anxiety’ among parents and are widely believed ‘despite total lack of evidence’.” Obviously, this statement is a clear example of how easily the public’s fears are created and manipulated by the media. Once an article or a telecast of some story is released, a public’s perception is changed, no matter if the intent of the media is to caution or to merely inform. This demonstrates the media’s power and how easily the public is a victim whether or not it is the media’s intention.
Newspapers, television, magazine articles, and movies are all forms of communication that have contributed to spreading the baby snatching alarm. Not all times are these types of media correct with informing the public viewer. Sometimes the media can be so personable that it is made to seem like it could be happening everywhere and right under the noses of parents. This is an absurd but subtle accusation made by media coverage. For example, the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems put out an article on a way of thwarting baby snatchings.
After the Canadian victory at Vimy Ridge, other counties immediately started to view Canada as a strong and determined army. In earlier years, many British and French attacks had been made against the ridge, as it was the barrier preventing the allies from getting to Lens-Douai Plain. The French has lost 150,000 men at Vimy, while the British also suffered heavy causalities. Before the battle at Vimy, Canadian forces were not recognized for any significant military contributions, and a Canadian had never been commander of more than a single division of soldiers. After their victory, however, both Britain and France viewed Canada and their soldiers as a military force to be reckoned with. In fact, Sir Arthur Currie became commander of the entire Canadian corps after his performance in commanding the first Canadian division at Vimy. This showed that the British commander...
"Queen's University Archives - World War I." Queen's University Archives - Home. Web. 23 July 2010.
Recently in the news paper in the York area an old distance friend of mine Travis Laughman is accused of beating his girlfriends baby Kellen Koller 2. Kellen Koller died at Hershey Medical Center. My first reaction was “I can’t believe this.” “It can’t be him!” I couldn’t come to terms to hear that an old friend of mine was a murder. Many young parents have a hard time with a crying baby. Not be able to get them to stop so frustration sets in. There are many cases where young parents are so overwhelmed and are exhausted and they just click and start to take there anger out of there babies.
In the twenty first century statistics have proven that stranger abductions are feared most by parents but rarely happen, and the number one abduction that occurs is, parental abduction. “Over 800,000 children are reported missing in the United States each year. Child abduction is a tragedy that devastates parents and touches all of us,” writes Jenny Wanderscheid in her online article. The United States has feared abductions for over decades, but many people misjudge the stereotypical “abduction”.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness (Declaration of Independence, ).” In the media there have been many movies, documentaries, articles, television broadcasts that centered on raising awareness for human trafficking. It has been going on for far too long and many don’t realize or recognize that is going on strongly in America and to Americans; as well as, surrounding countries. Human Trafficking by definition is the trade in humans, most commonly for the purpose of sexual slavery, forced labor or for the extraction of organs or tissues, including surrogacy and ova removal. It is modern form of slavery that strips victims of their freedom and violates our nation’s promise that every person in the United States is guaranteed basic human rights. It is also a crime. Approximately three out of every 1,000 persons worldwide were in forced labor at any given point in time between 2002 and 2011. Victims of human trafficking include not only men and women lured into forced labor by the promise of a better life in the United States, but also boys and girls who were born and raised in here in the United States. Human trafficking and its relationship with the media/news will be discussed throughout the remainder of this paper, focus will be placed on how they present the topic, whether or not enough awareness is being raised toward the topic and is it making a difference. The news job is to inform the public of events that occurring around them. The paper will be focusing on new...
... Children in National News Coverage: Racial and Gender Representations of Missing Children Cases." 27.3 (2010): 207-216. Academia.edu. Web. 5 Nov 2013.
The media is our main source of knowledge about crime and other issues about the world. It shows us what is happening in the world which is beyond our direct experience and so it is very important. However the media can present a false view of reality and contain bias that the public needs to be aware of. The way the media represents crime can reinforce fear and create moral panic but as media consumers it is our job to critically analyze the content of the news and ask questions about the crimes that are shown in the media as to not be effected by the media in trying to shape our perceptions about crime.
“Any person who shall unlawfully confine, restrain, or remove any person without consent from one place to another shall be guilty of kidnapping” (N.D., n.d.). Kidnapping is a current issue happening in the United States and the justice system is doing the most it can to apprehend and discipline kidnappers. To commit the act of kidnapping is a serious felony offense that could result in a prison sentence of 20 or more years. Children kidnapped by a stranger is very rare, but when it happens it can be a very horrific event for families and even communities. Back in 1991, 11-year-old Jaycee Dugard was abducted by Philip and Nancy Garrido for 18 years until she had been freed in August 2009. During her time kidnaped she had been frequently raped and impregnated twice which resulted in two daughters. Although Dugard’s case is considered extremely rare, it was a traumatic event that has been noted as one of the top kidnapping cases
The sympathy of the government for mothers such as Khaila, trying to recover their parental rights has worn thin. Child abandonment is a serious offense and the children that suffer from such neglect face many psychological problems; if they are ever able to survive their circumstances. The abandonment and neglect of a child can result in serious criminal charges. One striking example is the case of seven month old Daniel Scott (Should We Take Away Their Kids?). Baby Daniel had been left for hours unattended and died of in a pool of his own blood. His mother, a crack addict left him in the care of his father to go on a six day crack binge. His father in turn, left him in his crib leaving the door of their Bronx tenement unlocked for any danger to afflict his unprotected son (Should We Take Away Their Kids?). The parents were later charged with manslaughter by negligence.
The external conflict of man against nature and the internal conflict of man against himself play a huge role in the whole story, leading to the fateful outcome of the man. The man fell victim to the struggles the conflicts presented, majorly impacting the story. "To Build a Fire" encompasses the idea of man becoming his own enemy and people remaining insignificant to forces of natures. The conflicts presented in the story embody the aspect of nature as an unstoppable, unpredictable, and powerful force that easily overtakes man. That thought shows how one man has little effect on nature, and in the end, does the most harm by subjecting oneself to nature's fury. The story, "To Build a Fire" by Jack London truly shows how weak an unprepared person compares to the unruly forces of nature.
Karen Rhodes analyzed to build a fire in a cultural context. He believed "London's works were written so that he could survive in a world he increasingly came to see as "red in tooth and claw""(1). It is obviously the story of a man fighting the stresses of Nature. According to Rhodes, to build a fire was drawn from the year London spent in Canada's Yukon Territory. London depicted arctic and very cold conditions throughout the story. Rhodes believed to build a fire represented London's Naturalistic Flavor. "It pits one man alone against the overwhelming forces of nature"(Karen Rhodes, 1). He also believed to build a fire can either be interpreted as the Pioneer American experience or can be read as an allegory for the journey of human existence (Karen Rhodes, 1). According to Rhodes, there are two versions of to build a fire; the first one was written in 1902 while the second one was written in 1908. We are studying the 1908 version." It has come to be known as everyman trekking through the Naturalistic Universe"(Karen Rhodes, 1). To build a fire is indeed the story of a man trekking through the universe alone except for his dog. The man's death at the end was the culmination of the story. " His death came through no lapse of observation, no lack of diligence, no real folly but the nature of himself and his environment" (Karen Rhodes, 2). I think his is a fine criticism of London's to build a fire. London had made use of his life experiences in writing the story.
Jack London brings man versus nature discussion into his story. The environment, however doesn't play against him for say, but does warn him from the very beginning. The audience can conclude that just like “the man” everyone is alone in the world - fighting for ourselves and the things we wish to acquire. The character created by London is isolated from the universe and fooli...
Each year data is collected by many government agencies, both national and local, in an attempt to better understand and ultimately prevent cases of child abuse. A report published by the Children’s Bureau titled Child Maltreatment, in 2014 reflected that, children that had yet to experience their first birthday had the highest rate of victimization at 24.4 per 1,000 children of the same age in the national population (p 12). Abuse is never acceptable, but it is extremely alarming that an age group that relies so heavily on an adult for basic needs would be so greatly represented. Perhaps though the information becomes slight more understandable when we see that the Children’s Bureau also reported that 75% of victims were subjected to neglect
American Society has always been described as being extremely focused on children, and their well-being. Almost every election there is a politician that stands up and gives a speech about how our kids are our future, how we need to protect and provide for our children, in order for them to succeed in life. Children are our future is repeated over and over again. “This idealized image seems, however, contradicted by various destructive aspects of child life in the United States such as widespread poverty, hunger, malnutrition, and exploitation” (Gil 637). The image about keeping our children safe isn’t as perfect or easy, as polit...