Iconic Images

1) Freedom!

This is an image of Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, one of the first gay couples to be legally married in the USA. They were married in 2004 after being together for just over 50 years. Although their marriage was later voided by the California Supreme Court, they were married again in 2008.

The introduction of same-sex marriage into the USA is a vital step which is still not complete, with same-sex marriage legal in less than half of the country's states. However, the prominence of gay rights activism and positive media representation of LGBT people in the USA is growing fast, with popular culture figures as well as prominent political figures, including President Barack Obama, stating their support for the legalisation of gay marriage. The fight for equality is an ongoing battle which is gaining ground fast, and encapsulates a modern understanding of the American views of freedom and liberty.

2) Not so free...

This image comes from the 2014 March for Marriage, organised by the National Organisation for Marriage ("NOM"). NOM is an organisation based in New Jersey, designed to fight against marriage equality, opposing issues such as transgender rights, gay adoption and same-sex marriage.

Organisations such as these, opposing change and new thinking, reflect the people in the USA who are still focused on the more traditional sense of "freedom" - the freedom which is designated specifically to middle-class straight white cissexual males. The presence of this way of thinking may show some twisted form of patriotism, however it highlights more what is still wrong with the country, and the bigotry that still occurs in a nation built on the ideals of freedom.

Week 1 Work - Iconic Images

1.) Affirming the association between the U.S. and liberty - Barack Obama's election victory, 2008.

This dawned a new era and sense of real prosperity and hope within many citizens of the United States. Finally, an African-American man had taken the role of President, breaking the tradition of white male leaders which, for a lot of people, took too long. This image is iconic as it shows Obama's support not just from African-Americans, but white Americans also. It's important in demonstrating that while racism is still rife throughout the world, different races and cultures can unify to achieve a shared goal, in-turn shattering social barriers of centuries past.

2.) Negating the association between the U.S and Liberty - The National Security Agency (NSA) Scandal, 2013. 

This affair, which was broken by a former contractor of the CIA, Edward Snowden, created huge controversy not just in the United States, but across the World. Evidence showing the the NSA and U.S. government were essentially spying on its citizens by collecting millions of phone call records and that they tapped into the servers of several huge social media sites was released to the public. This incident goes against the motto that America is the "land of the free" as millions of people are being listened to without their permission and this can be argued as being unconstitutional.

Welcome and first posts

Welcome to the blog for Fran's group. Aaron DERRICK      PJ HIGGS        Luke KING         Chloe MAY          Millie WILTSHIRE-KELLY For the first week - find and post any TWO images which you judge are iconic of “America.” Choose one that affirms the association between America and liberty, and one that questions or negates that association.   Images means images, not videos, or music. Please embed them in your post, don’t just insert a link. If you don’t know how to do this, use the Help.