Ana Juan "New Yorker Cover"

         Through her New Yorker cover, Ana Juan asserts her patriotism and reminds us all of our loyalties to our country and the importance of our country's history. She does so by painting the New York skyline reflected on the river, with only the reflection displaying the Twin Towers and the actual skyline without them. Her purpose is to remind us, over 10 years later, never to forget the loss America sustained when the Twin Towers were attacked and to instill within us national pride. By using dark blues and grays, Juan creates a sad, nostalgic tone within her painting that generates those same emotions in viewers.

         Questions:
         1. I think this painting is a beautiful representation of the past and the present. The present is portrayed as the New York skyline, which is at the very top of the painting. The past is portrayed as the Twin Towers in the reflection in the river. The Twin Towers are clearly absent in the skyline, which is fairly small, but they take up most of the actual painting. There is a huge difference in size between the two. Perhaps this is meant to represent how large of a loss it was. We didn't simply lose two buildings, we lost our sense of pride in our country. The Twin Towers fell and left behind a space- the physical space where they stood and a space in our country's heart.
          2. I really love this painting, which is one of the reasons why I chose to write about it. I think it's beautiful and symbolic. I love how the artist is able to get her message across so clearly without words. The painting certainly speaks for itself, and I really like that. 9/11 is one of the most important events in America's history, and I think that sometimes we don't think about it as much as we should have because it happened in our lifetime. In 50 years from now I'm the history books will be filled with information about it and people will recognize its importance, but as of now, we don't really have that. Sure, we have a commemoration every year, but we need to understand how it affected us and how it continues to affect us. I think this is what Juan is trying to get us to do.
          3. I definitely think this painting is an example of "a picture is worth a thousand words." It's the same thing as any other powerful picture from 9/11 but in some ways it's even more impressive because of all the symbolism. I don't really know how to explain how this painting is worth a thousand words, it just is. Whenever you see something so powerful it's hard to explain why it's powerful. Looking at this painting makes me feel patriotic and sad all at the same time. It's a very mournful painting, and sometimes those are the most powerful.

Apple Blog

       I wouldn't want to be in Apple's shoes right now. The company is still fighting to avoid a federal court order that is trying to force them to create new software that will allow the F.B.I. to break into an iPhone used by one of the shooters at San Bernardino. The basis of the argument is privacy vs. security, a question that has been haunting the American people for years now. Where do we draw the line? When do we sacrifice privacy for security or vice versa? I believe that in this specific case, security is edging out privacy. As the threats of terrorist attacks loom larger than ever, now is the time to act in order to prevent the worst from happening.
         Apple believes itself to be a revolutionary company. This is certainly made evident by their controversial 1984 commercial, whose tagline read "Why 1984 Won't Be Like '1984'." The company has fought against "Big Brother" and big government since the very beginning. The commercial itself got mixed reviews- some viewers loved and some, including Apple's Board of Directors, hated it. But once it was aired, its message was clear: Apple won't be pushed around by anyone and they'll always be there to protect its buyers' freedom.
         This sense of company pride and importance has now translated over to the current situation. This time, however, I don't think it's appropriate. In an age where terrorism grows steadily larger and America is constantly being bombarded with threats, it is of the utmost importance that we maintain strong security and a strong defense. The San Bernardino attack could be the first of many. When the lives of the American people are at stake, I believe that privacy becomes a second priority. In this case, I believe that Apple should make the software and allow the F.B.I. to use it because by doing so, they'll be protecting people's lives. In the New York Times article "Breaking Down Apple's iPhone Fight With the U.S. Government," it explains that the F.B.I. wants to break into the phone to see who the shooters were in contact with before the attack. Apple claims that creating software that would allow them to do this could open the door to future breaches of privacy. However, I believe that if Apple has the power to create this software, they have the power to destroy this software. I say they should create it, allow the F.B.I. to use it, and then destroy it. If there comes another time where the F.B.I. would need it, they'll have to go through another long court case. The software should be given out only when it is a last resort, which can only be determined by the courts.
          I don't know what the verdict of this case will be. I do know that I believe the verdict should rule in the F.B.I.'s favor and that Apple will try its hardest to stop that from happening. If there was any other way to get that information, the F.B.I. probably already looked into it. The fact that they're fighting this battle so hard should be a sign that this is crucial and most likely a last resort. The shooters at San Bernardino could have information that threatens the entire country. And that, I believe, is enough of a reason to risk our privacy.