The Most Dangerous Man in America

Last night a surge of patriotism and pride surged through my veins as I watched a documentary on Daniel Ellsberg, a former United States military analyst who triggered a political controversy. He also hosted a forum via Skype with students from the School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

The documentary, The Most Dangerous Man in Americas, explained Ellsberg's release a top secret government study known as the Pentagon Papers in 1971. He secretly made several sets of copies with the assistance of his former  colleague Anthony Russo. The papers showed the government had lied to Congress and the public about the war in Vietnam. Ellsberg gave his first set of copies to the New York Times. The Times published the first of nine excerpts on the 7,000 page study.

Shortly after, the Nixon administration prevented publication of the Times and the excerpts through a court order. The confidential document was leaked to the Washington Post, which after a few days was also ordered to stop publication. Since the presidency of Lincoln during the Civil War, this was first time the federal government restrained publication of a major newspaper . Ellsberg The right of the press to publish the papers was upheld in  New York Times Co. v. United States.

The forum provided students with historical anecdotes and facts of which they were not aware of before. The film was far from boring...using old footage, pictures, interviews and audio the producers were able to bring the story to life. For many of us who were not alive during that time, it is important that a film provide a well rounded story. After the documentary was over, if any students were puzzled about something that occurred during that time they were given the opportunity to ask Ellsberg himself to clarify or provide further information.

It was a learning experience for me. I knew about the Pentagon Papers but not in detail. I realized how crucial freedom of speech and the press can be. Luckily, after the New York Times Co. v. United States, newspapers and other media retained the ability to publish without government censorship. Countries around the world can not enjoy the freedoms like the ones that were bestowed upon us by our forefathers. I was born in Venezuela and my parents are Cuban. Having the ability to speak out against government is a right that I do not take for granted. Journalists in Cuba face severe government oppression if they publish a piece that contradicts the Castros regime. In Venezuela, the media has been yet to be hit with an intense censorship belt from Chavez's government but it is occurring slowly through out different television channels and newspapers.

Daniel Ellsberg was a hero in his time and a role model for many journalists. Today, Wikileaks protects men and women like Ellsberg who have a claim to make but fear for their safety.

Right or Wrong? Just something random I came across.

The Internet is a world of its own containing an array of unmeasurable possibilities. If anyone ever wants to search for a specific item, information on a person, apply for a job, entertain themselves, book vacations, catch up on a show, watch the news and practically anything at all the world wide web is the definitely the place to do it. On that same note, there are also an infinite amount of uncredible material, fraudulent schemes, distasteful videos and lousy websites. A few days ago I ran into a hilarious video on YouTube.com, a news package by a reporter for WAFF 48 from Alabama. I watched the video practically 5 times consecutively and every single time it was just as funny as the first. Then I watched it 5 more times and suddenly I began to find it quite offensive, lacking tact and even making the victims look like fools.

The report was about a young black woman who was attacked by a rapist in her bedroom while she was asleep one night. During the package, she says a few words about her experience and then the interview is turned over to her brother, Antoine Dodson, who pushed the attacker off of her. Although Dodson and his sister were victims and the situation was unfortunate, anyone watching the video will focus less on the actual purpose of the news package and more on the comical aspect. The way this piece was put together it is safe to say it ridicules the family. The sound bites the reporter decided to use seemed more like she wanted to bring attention to her work and report and not to the Dodson family. One wonders if perhaps she could have continued to ask different questions until she got better quotes. There are other videos on YouTube that show more footage of the interview; however, not as attention grabbing and way more serious. I was guilty too of watching this video just too laugh but I also think it depicts the family in a negative light. Why did her producer decide to run this story? Who knows...

 Several weeks later, the same reporter goes back interviews Antoine Dodson about how it felt to become an over night Facebook sensation. The story about his sister having and intruder in her bedroom is briefly touched upon. One ting is for sure, Antoine Dodson lucked out and was able to move out of the projects after all the hits he got on youtube.com.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgRKz25fR7U&feature=fvst

"You have to make your own luck!"

The distinct smell of a Latin meal emerged from the food truck parked in a lot inside Bargain Town, the sun was shining and different families were making their way toward the entrance of the flea market. I geared myself with confidence and a reporter’s tools: a camera, notepad, pen, and tape recorder then walked toward the back of the fruit market where the bakery was. Gaby, the same girl I spoke to last time recognized me and we began to talk. She was working with Lupe Santana, a 25 year old Mexican girl. They assured me today was a good day to take a stroll around Bargain town and meet other vendors. Lupe volunteered to give me a tour and introduce me to the different owners of the tiny shops.

As I waited for her to finish with some customers I sat on the picnic tables by the truck. I still noticed the piercing stares of some of the other people sitting at the tables; obviously, I was still an unidentified walking object. The burritos the others around me were eating looked delicious, and the smell was appetizing. In an attempt to break the ice, I asked the couple next to me what they were eating. Chimichangas, replied Enrique and Marisol Cruz. They were a Nicaraguan family with 4 children ages, 13, 11, 8, and 6 Marisol explained they arrived from Nicaragua just one year ago. It’s been tough for them, she said, and money has been scarce. Like the Cruz’s, many families of illegal status in Homestead, visit Bargain Town as the cheap alternative to spend a fun filled family day.

Marisol invited me to walk over to meet Enriquito, Barbara, Alejandra and Jose Gabriel, her children. They were riding a small carnival ride rollercoaster also in Bargain Town. Marisol continued to explain her situation at home. Back in Nicaragua, Enrique worked as a bricklayer barely making the sufficient amount of money to provide for his wife and four kids. Marisol was a stay at home mom and sold homemade baked goods to bring extra money to the home. Tired of living in a neighborhood where crime lurked at every street corner, the Cruz’s decided to leave it all behind and move to the United States.

Through a coyote, a guide who is paid to smuggle immigrants from country to country, Enrique, Marisol, and their children traveled on foot and bus across Central America until reaching Mexico. Marisol described the countless sleepless nights were they didn’t bathe or eat because it was the safest time to travel the longest distance. Sometimes the fear was so intense I would burst into tears imagining what would happen if we were caught, other times the kids cried because they were cold and didn’t want to walk under the rain. Enrique recalls arriving on bus to a remote dessert location where they then traveled through underground tunnels. For this family, crossing the Mexican border into the United States was the most difficult of them all. “Looking for a better future was important to us, but Enriquito, Barbara, Alejandra and Jose Gabriel are our priority,” said Marisol, “in order to continue the trip we all had to get across a rushing river, when I first saw it my heart sank.”

Enrique and Marisol explained for the kids it was more of an adventure to get across the river. After entering the United Sates, they lived in El Paso, Texas for two years until they saved enough to move to Homestead, Florida. It’s been a year since they left Texas and haven’t looked back since.
I spent the rest of my time there getting to know the family a little better. Luckily everything worked out, it was rush hour for Lupe all afternoon and she wasn’t able to tend to me. Over all it was a really interesting day, like Arnold Markowitz said “You have to make your own luck.”