I chose this Map as i think it represents what America is about. The fact that the title of the map is 'United States of Awesome' says a lot for itself. America is a Patriotic country, however can also be seen as an arrogant country and this map represents just that. The fact that all 50 states are labelled with something different, although not all positive, shows that all states are good at something and achieve in some aspect, just as America like to do as a whole.

The United States of Florida

I chose this image, originally posted in The New York Times, because I think it reflects how real the division between the states are. It shows the parts of Florida that people from certain areas tend to migrate to in the winter. There are many explanations offered up for this blatant division. One, is the idea that before common air travel some of these places were easier to get to from certain states. Although air travel has insured flights to almost anywhere in Florida, these ideas may be too deep to be uprooted and hence the same families travel to the same places. Another explanation could be that neighbours talk to one another about where best to go on vacation and so they all end up in a similar location. This is an interesting theory as, if it is true, it shows how much others influence our decisions. Personally I think the most justifiable and painfully truthful explanation for the evidence in the map is that people like to be around the familiar. They like to socialise with those who share similar values to their own. I think also, that people get homesick and small cultural reminders comfort them. The article does, however, widely talk about the large numbers of exceptions to the rule. Those who choose a location based on criteria other than the above. This does, in some ways, invalidate both the map and the arguments I have stated and show them to be more than a little bit generalised. Having said this, I still think it shows a certain 'each to their own' attitude that some Americans (and many people across the world) still possess, even if it is not shared by everyone.

Negative image

When I first came across the image, I found it both bewildering and quite disturbing. It puts the problem with gun crime in the US into a visual format, this makes it extremely shocking because everybody hears about these problems, but representing it in this manner makes people realise the problems America actually faces.
Gun crime is something which heavily contrasts many of the positive ideas people think of when they think about America- which is seen to be a land of hope and glory, and that is always looking to improve for the better- it educates people to realise that some things are not always as positive and true as they seem at face value.
Another thing which I find very surprising about this diagram is that Pakistan- a country which America has been in war with for several years now, has a much lower number of weapons per person, and in America and many other Western countries, this country is seen to be a place of terror and violence, when in fact in terms of possession of weapons, it is far less prolific than America.

Positive Image

I have chosen this image as my positive image because I believe it emphasises the idea of improvement and symbolises the idea of a new start. The bold letters of 'PROGRESS' are also very powerful because not only does it show Obama's aims, but links into the notion of a fresh start, especially with him being the first black president and is powerful in the sense that it gives the idea of gentrification and a new beginning.
In terms of the picture itself, the colourful, pop-art like imagery gives a more positive idea about the world of politics, which many people may consider to be dull and boring, and could have possibly encouraged those who were once uninterested in politics to vote for Obama because he is brining fresh ideas and a fresh image to the table. Many other popular people in the American culture have been famously pictured in this pop-art manner, once again encouraging people to like Obama- who had the difficult task of winning over many of the more traditional minded Americans.
The image in general is extremely famous and in essence represents a great turning point in American culture, as it shows how far America have come in a relatively short space of time, from when black people were suppressed in society to today where they have their first African-American president.

Joanna Fisher Positive and Negative Images

I have chosen this image for my negative picture as it shows a highly controversial moment in America's history of when President Bush was informed of the events of September 11th 2001 and continued to carry on with the class which showed not only Bush in a negative light but also reflects badly on America as a whole.

I have chosen this as my positive image because I feel that this picture accentuates how far America have come in regards to creating the 'new' i.e. the first black American president, and how different a time we live in today compared to that of Martin Luthor King and everything he hoped the future will bring.

Negative Image

For my negative image I have chosen a shocking image of a child who has been burned. this is the after effects of the American bombings in Vietnam.

The Vietnam war was extremely unpopular with a lot of Americans and when images like this emerged it only increased the negativity.

There are only a few things I do not like about America, one of the main ones is there need to do things too quickly and too rashly, when perhaps there is an alternative way to deal with a problem.

Obviously there are many comparisons with this and Iraq and many people feel America will never learn their lesson in their dealings with foreign policy, but I hope that after the way Libya was handled maybe America can in the future find a way to be less hands on in dealing with its issues.

Positive Image

This is an image of some of the Firefighters who were involved in 9/11.

I chose this image as although this was one of the worst days in Americas history most Americans managed to push the horror of 9/11 to the background and focus on the tremendous bravery of the firefighters and use it as a huge positive.

I think this sums up American attitudes a lot for me.

Most Americans if not all regard New York firefighters as American heroes.

Negative Picture

I have chosen this image, taken from a security camera, of the 1999 Columbine massacre. This is a negative image that not only represents the shootings committed by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold but also school shootings in general. It shows the negative impact of young, disturbed men having access to fire arms and therefore reflects badly on America and American laws. It highlights the issues of bullying and social exclusion as well as attitudes towards mental health in schools. It is an image that is an extreme contradiction of the perceived American norm.

Positive Picture

I have chosen this as my positive image of America because it shows the moment where they sent the first man to the moon. The flag in the image just accentuates the patriotism. It is a much debated image but for me I would say it is a positive one representing greatness and innovation.

Negative and Positive Images of America

I chose this picture as the negative picture because it represents how some people feel about America as a whole and how the flag represents America as patriotic.

The reason I picked this pictures is because it shows how patriotic the Americans are. The picture gives off the impression that race or religion you are the Americans are united in the beliefs of their country.

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