Peaceful Plants?

            “A garden is a delight to the eye and a solace for the soul,” (Sadi). When people bring up the subject of gardening, the first image that pops into my mind is one of a little old lady holding her spade outside, smiling and surrounded by beautiful petunias and sunlight. My next thought is, why would she, or anyone else for that matter, want to sit on the hard ground for hours and get covered in dirt and sweat only to have her plants die within weeks? There are many people who share my skepticism of gardening, but there are just as many who, like Sadi, fully believe that the act of gardening can spread a blanket of complete tranquility over those who participate in it. Despite the obvious dirty work involved in gardening, could it be true that caring for plants really does promote inner peace?

            On the quest for answers, my search results immediately led to the discovery of horticultural therapy. “Today, horticultural therapy is accepted as a beneficial and effective therapeutic modality [that] is widely used within a broad range of rehabilitative, vocational, and community settings,” (AHTA). Institutions all over the world use horticultural therapy as a way to help people with both mental and physical disabilities and trauma find a road to recovery. The participants nurture plants in gardens specifically laid out for easy gardening and stress relief. Their work, though at times difficult, leads to healing and relaxation in most cases.

            Although horticultural therapy is a proven treatment that heals patients, not everyone who has found peace in gardening suffers from professionally diagnosed cases. Everyday people in cities across the globe sustain gardens that range from simple potted lilies to large vegetable patches. When asked about peaceful gardening, local Oklahoman Rebecca Ballard said, “there’s just something about putting seeds in the ground and watching them grow; it makes you feel so good inside, and a sort of tranquil feeling sets in over everything,” (Ballard).  In her history of gardening, Rebecca has successfully harvested vegetables in her backyard including squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, red and green peppers, carrots, and potatoes. She says, “even though you get dirty, the hard work pays off in the end,” (Ballard).

            In order to further my understanding of exactly how peaceful plants can seem, I decided to visit the Myriad Botanical Gardens in downtown Oklahoma City. My two-hour visit to the indoor sanctuary indeed resulted in a greater appreciation to those who garden, for the entire greenhouse-esque building omitted the most powerful sense of nature I had felt in a very long time. Every wall was covered in vegeatation from top to bottom, and my short walk among the beautiful greenery alone instilled an incredible calmness in me for the remainder of the day. Walking through the beauty and dynamism of nature reminded me that there are greater things at work in the universe than humans, which humbled me significantly. I came to the realization that the people who work so hard to achieve the awe of the Myriad Gardens must truly gain harmony with the world and themselves after experiencing the gardens they helped to bloom.

            My last attempt to discover the peace of gardening led me to purchase a plant and see if I could achieve the tranquility everyone seems to be talking about from watching it grow. For three weeks now I have been caring for an aloe vera plant that lives in my room at OCU. Even though aloe plants do not require much maintenance, I enjoy having being around it. I water it every Wednesday, and already its color has gone from a sickly slightly brown to a vibrant bright green. Knowing that I helped a living thing to recover from illness made me incredibly happy; as a result the aloe vera plant has boosted my everyday morale and instilled more happiness in my life. I look forward to the days I can feed the plant, and I enjoy opening the blinds for it every morning. I do not even have to get dirty to take care of my plant, because it lives in a pot rather than an outdoor garden. One day soon I get to transfer the plant to a larger pot where it can grow even bigger and healthier than before.

            Gardening extraordinaire Cheryl Patterson must have been correct when she said to “surround yourself with special things that you enjoy, that will give you a moment to pause, reflect and just feel good, “(Patterson). My search into the mystery of gardening has led me to change my opinion that gardening was only grueling work for old ladies; I have found that gardening can induce feeling of calm tranquility and harmony with yourself and the world, and yes, plants can in fact be peaceful. 

American Horticultural Therapy Association. Ahta.org. 2014 Web. 23 March, 2014.

Ballard, Rebecca. Personal Interview. 23 March, 2014.

Patterson, Cheryl. “Create a Sacred Garden.” Natural Life May 2008: 12. MasterFILE

            Premier. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.

Sadi. Gardening Quotes and “Gardenisms.” Northerngardening. Web. 23 March, 2014.

Save the Forests

            

            One of the most formidable problems fighting against the environment today is seen in the form of deforestation. Deforestation, or the removal of vegetation from natural areas, occurs planet-wide and contributes to a rising number of consequences each year, including climate change and the endangering of species. If action is not taken against deforestation soon, the resulting changes to the Earth could be devastating.

            Deforestation occurs for several reasons. The top cause for clearing natural areas is attributed to the unsustainable logging industry, where massive companies cut down trees for timber and building supplies.  Deforestation can also happen in the case of forest fires caused by human error, clear-cutting for agricultural purposes, and ranching or urban development.  Humans are the source for this degradation of wildlife, and it is up to us to make the decision to solve the issue or let it burn out of control.

            In the case of climate change, deforestation plays a major role. Trees are producers of oxygen, essential to the survival of human beings. Trees also absorb carbon dioxide, which is detrimental to human beings as well as to the atmosphere. When trees are removed from the land, a key part in the checks and balances system of the natural earth goes missing. The resulting large amounts of carbon dioxide are then free to roam in the air, mixing with pollution and gradually wearing away at the planet’s protective ozone layer, contributing to global warming.

            The effect of animal endangerment is slightly different; instead of a buildup of looming disaster, animals are immediately deprived of essential natural resources. Deforestation destroys natural habitats, displacing the local wildlife from their homes. As forests get smaller and smaller, species are confined to limited grounds for hunting and for finding all elements essential to survival. As trees lessen to the minimum, the animals will eventually die, and perhaps become extinct.

            “Save the Forests” is a visual argument that protests against tragic deforestation. The teddy bear in one hand holds a protest sign depicting two grizzly bears kissing, saying, ‘We deserve love too, Save the forests!’ The handle of the sign reads, ‘Fight Deforestation Today,’ furthering the protest. In his right hand, the stuffed bear holds a real leaf in the shape of a heart.

            The message of the bear is straightforward, save the forests. However, the delivery of the message appeals to pathos as a form of argument. The stuffed teddy bear relates to all ages, since most people owned one as a child. Teddy bears, as a general consensus, are also considered cute, so their message is more likely to be widely accepted. The bear’s sign portrays two real life grizzlies touching noses, or kissing, adding to the ‘cute factor.’ “We Deserve Love Too” is the plea coming from all bears; just like humans, bears form families and have children whom they love. When humans take away the bears’ homes, the bears are no longer able to love one another because they are endangered and dying. “Save the Forests” is the stuffed bear’s solution to the problem. As seen on the handle of the protest sign, fighting against deforestation is the way to save the forests. The leaf heart held by the bear promotes the forests as well as the desire to allow living things to love one another.

            The materials that make up the visual also promote its message. The cardboard backing to the protest sign advances the cause of protesting deforestation, since cardboard is a recycled resource. The plastic straw acting as the sign handle is also a recycled resource, and is also green, the color of forests. The leaf heart is a real leaf, taken from a real tree, and is also green.

            The creators of “Save the Forests” are promoters of fighting against deforestation; therefore, they are likely advocators of using renewable resources. The creators use grizzly bears as the focal point for protecting wildlife, so they desire to make known the plight of threatened bears. Grizzly bears are native to North America and were once roaming the continent freely. Today they are restricted to reside in small, protected areas due to deforestation in America and Canada.

            Using pathos and heartwarming love as the argument strategy, “Save the Forests” utilizes grizzly bears as its example of the tragic consequences of deforestation. Due to the clearing of trees in natural environments, both world climate and animals are placed in such a jeopardy that could never be rectified unless the perpetrators of deforestation stop and change their course of action when it comes to destroying the natural environment. 

Implicit Argument, Girls Say Yes to Boys Who Say No

           

           The year 1954 marked the beginning of one of the most infamous battles known to the United States of America, the Vietnam War. The war started as a conflict between North Vietnam and South Vietnam, when the socialist-controlled North undertook the task of converting South Vietnam to a communist country. South Vietnam retaliated, and so initiated the nineteen year long struggle against leader Ho Chi Minh and his Viet Cong allies.

President Richard Nixon of the United States made the executive decision in 1965 to send US combat troops to Vietnam in aid to the South on the basis that if one country fell to communism, more and more would follow in the domino effect. However, after fighting for years in Vietnam to no avail, American morale and support for the war began to deteriorate. Many citizens felt that the United States had no business meddling in Asian affairs, and the young soldiers were dying for no reason.

One obvious response to the unwillingness of Americans to participate in the war was seen in their opposition to the draft. American men aged 18 to 26 were required, if notified, to engage in military action of the government’s choosing. After a few years of failed combat in Asia, the population of the U.S., especially the younger generation, began to openly defy conscription. Anti-war sentiment spread widely among the youngsters, seen prominently on college campuses and in counterculture. Protesting men burned their draft cards, and some even resorted to fleeing north to Canada in order to escape conscription.

“GIRLS SAY YES to boys who say NO” is one of many peace-led propaganda posters that cropped up during the Vietnam War Era. Funded by and showcasing U.S. folk singer and political activist Joan Baez, the 1968 ad protests against the United States’ involvement in Vietnam. Its main message, “Girls Say Yes to Boys Who Say No,” targets the prime age group for conscription, young men in their late teens and early twenties. Three young and attractive women are depicted sitting on a couch, seemingly directing their message to the men viewing the poster. The girls promote the fact that only boys who oppose the draft and burn their draft cards or something of the like will find the fortune of having a pretty lady fall in love with them. If they do give in to the draft, they will be swept away to grueling war and never know true love and happiness, because what girl in her right mind would want to be with a man who agreed with violence and murder?

The ad appeals to more than just young men’s desires for marriage; the clothes that the women wear also engage viewers’ sex-appeal. The ladies wear very short shorts for the decade, with the fabric cutting off high above their knees. The most prominent part of their bodies shown are their alluring crossed legs, enticing the young men to agree with whatever the women want in order to get them to “say yes.” Two of the young ladies are barefoot, adding to the appealing exposure of skin. However, all three of the ladies wear fashionable hats, giving them credibility as high-class and modest, even more of a prize for young men to claim.

Since one of the girls in the poster is a famous artist of the era, and the other two girls are her sisters, the young generation of Americans was likely to recognize Joan’s face at first glance to the poster. Baez and other conscription-resistors employed celebrity peer pressure in order to get the message across that war was unnecessary and the draft was a terrible phenomenon. The background of the poster enhances Baez’s opinion as one of influence by showing the surroundings of a superstar. The high quality and expensive-looking sofa, shag rug, and blanket add to Joan’s credibility. The guitars on the walls as well as the landscape painting hung centered above the girls’ heads connects them and their message to the common American people, as traditional music and patriotic scenery are relatable to everybody. This highly esteemed, popular, and attractive young lady had the ability to coax her fans and followers into believing as she did.

The smaller memo at the bottom of the image, “Proceeds from the sale of this poster go to The Draft Resistance,” confirms for the viewers that anti-conscription efforts were all-the-rage at the time. Everyone who had a heart and mind for the preservation of American lives would oppose the draft and all war efforts in Vietnam. This poster and others like it contributed to a vast portion of defiance to the Vietnam War, and in the long run gave influence to the recall of American troops to U.S. soil.

Girls Say Yes to Boys Who Say No. 1968. Photograph. 1960-1969 Posters & Postcards. Retronaut. Comp. New Zealand History Online. Joan Baez, 25 Sept. 2012. Web. 02 Mar. 2014.