Irong Jawed Angels and Zapatista

Josie Renforth

Soc 122

 

Iron Jawed Angels

In the viewing of "Iron Jawed Angeles"   It shows the women's suffrage movement NWP, National Women's Party, led by Alice Paul (Hillary Swank).  Paul and her group protested tirely in front of the White House, demonstrated as day after day through the all the seasons and some even through some bad weather. Each day they have a new banner with messages regarding the inequality inflicted on women of the day through the President. But really it is the all three branches of Government that is refusing to give female citizens the right to vote. When world War I breaks out, the women continue to protest.  However, they change their strategy with controversial messages like:

"President Wilson is defending the World…in the name od Democracy, yet President Wilson Opposes Those who democracy for this country responsible for the disfranchisement of millions in American. Know this, the world will find out"  

The members of the NWP were spit on, cursed, beat, and imprisoned. Paul went on a serious hunger strike and was put in solitary confinement and force fed brutally and forcefully. 

Throughout the movie, the social mobilization shows the political action NWP, Paul, takes to advance the groups movement. The media is used reporting the prisonment and hunger strike Paul takes. The roupoup who is not jailed, continues the White House protest, scheduling women to work it.  In the end President Wilson encourages Congress to approve the 19^th Constitutional amendment, giving women the right to vote.  Paul, shares a nod with the leader of a less aggressive party leader, both are in the balcony watching the proceedings.

 

Zapatistas

In the documentary of Zapatistas, the masked, well educated, and physically, uncharacteristically tall, leader of the Mexican Indigenous people leads the members of the group to political, military, guerrilla warfare against Mexico's Political corruptons and injustice.   Some of the Zapatistas are armed with AK47s and other military assault weapon's and some armed with sticks and rocks.  The leader becomes a National Hero ot othe Indigenous Mexican people and more people join him and support him.  He becomes a National treasure. The military try to quash the political activists, but they go into the jungle of mexico and cannot be found.  The Zapatistas are successful in over throwing the Mexican Government and some of their demands are met, such as education.  

This was really the first activist group that utilized the internet to get their messages out listing their demands and gaining international coverage.  The warfare left many dead.