Weekly Insights

[english240groupa]

#MeTo By: Aubrey Harlev

Recently women in the world of ballet have stepped forward in the #MeTo movement. Even though it is a field dominated by women, there are still men that are present. These men fill the roles of instructors, dancers, directors, and even partners. These women had the courage and strength to step forward and stand up for themselves. It has not just been the field of ballet that has been affected; it has been the entertainment industry, government, news anchors, etc.  

In the past year or two, the #MeTo movement exploded as mostly women, and a few men, stepped forward. The term “MeTo” refers to those who were victims of sexual assault and survived. The movement became a way for these women to come together in strength and numbers to have their voices heard. These women know they are not alone in stepping forward.

The movement went viral when Harvey Weinstein, a film producer, was accused of rape and other forms of sexual misconduct. Weinstein over the past three decades has left a trail of pain and trauma in his wake. Weinstein used the same intimidation and manipulative tactic with most of the women he assaulted. He would invite them to some luxury hotel under the pretense of a business meeting. Then he would move the “meeting” to his hotel room, and begin to ask for massages or offer massages. He would even ask the women to watch him shower or choose his outfit for the day while he was undressed. Women were scared for their careers because Weinstein had the power to make them or break them. Eighty or more women have stepped forward and accused Weinstein of sexual harassment, and even rape.

Not long after Weinstein, allegations against Bill Cosby came forward. Cosby is a well-known musician and actor. He is now 81 years old and was just sentenced 3-10 years for sexual assault. At this time Cosby was also denied bail. This sentencing was based off of 14 years ago when he drugged and sexually abused Andrea Constand. Since Constand, at least a dozen more women have stepped forward and accused Cosby of harassment. However, so far only Constand’s case has been within the statute of limitations. Because of the #MeTo movement, Constand was able to bring awareness to her case and receive the justice she deserved.

[english240groupa]

Aromatherapy: Does it Work?

By Ariel Dolen

Source: https://www.everydayhealth.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/symptoms/using-aromatherapy-rheumatoid-arthritis-pain/

     Have you ever heard of aromatherapy? If not, it’s just as it sounds -- therapy through different aromas, or smells. Believe it or not, it is a very real thing that helps people. I once was someone who had heard of it, but never really cared about it. Never did I put any thought into aromatherapy entering my life. Not until it practically saved someone I love from severe anxiety. 

     According to a recent New York Times article, lavender, a common essential oil, has scientific evidence behind its “anxiety-reducing” abilities. This is important due to the fact that 1 in 5 of adults in the United States suffer from anxiety. With this scientific discovery, there can now be very real steps into another way to treat anxiety without needing to rely on prescription pills -- a “solution” that isn’t always the best for everyone. Here is why I find this so important: 

     My boyfriend of six years had always had slight anxiety here and there. Sometimes he was nervous around a big group of people or he felt anxious when there was a rush at work, but it was manageable and undetected by either of us as anxiety. There were times where small tinges of anxiety would seep through his personality, but again, it was undetected. I suppose I just thought it was part of his personality to have these little hiccups in every day life, don’t we all have those? He just had them a little more than others. This all changed once his anxiety was full-blown triggered by gunshots we heard near our house. 

    Fast, heavy heartbeat, inability to get out of bed, and absolute fear consumed the person I loved in what seemed like a matter of seconds. Of course gunshots are scary, but we had heard them before in our city (a city commonly ranked high in many “most dangerous cities” lists), and it had never paralyzed him like this -- actually, nothing had ever paralyzed him like this before. I had never seen something like this. But to put it simply, he was having a severe anxiety attack, or panic attack.

     This event triggered his anxiety to become a very big part of his every day life. Work and school became unbearable, and his anxiety started affecting his life to the point that he couldn’t function the way he used to anymore. Random onset anxiety would hit him so hard it caused his heart to beat fast and heavily. This then made him believe that he was going to have a heart attack. As a 21 year old, fairly healthy person, it doesn’t seem realistic, right? But in the realm of anxiety, nothing makes sense. Impending doom is unfortunately just a symptom of anxiety that feels extremely real. So, this wasn’t something that either of us could ignore anymore, it was something we had to suddenly face head-on.

     Seeing my boyfriend suffering with this condition prompted me to find out every single way to combat anxiety-- google search after google search. There were very obvious answers such as going to a doctor to get prescribed medicine, going to a therapist, or doing deep breathing exercises -- which were not helpful -- but then I stumbled upon different forums in which people described lesser known remedies for anxiety. My boyfriend was too anxious to go to a therapist/doctor or to take prescription pills (understandably so!), so I starting focusing on more readily available options. The very first thing I tried? Essential oils a.k.a. aromatherapy. 

     I first purchased an “Aromatherapy Inhaler” which is a stick soaked in a mix of essential oils that you can carry around with you and take a whiff of when you start to feel some anxiousness. I bought it for about $5 and figured it would be perfect for when my boyfriend is at work or in school. So, he carried it in his pocket and started using it as often as possible. Now, considering his anxiety at this time was severe, it didn’t “cure” or completely stop an anxiety attack, there were still many steps that we needed to take to help ease it in full, but he did use this inhaler -- constantly. 

     As time went on, we went through many steps to ease his anxiety -- constant open and loving communication, getting diagnosed by a doctor, and we agreed that his mental health should be his number one priority, so he even quit his job. The one constant through this journey, however, was aromatherapy. He bought multiple aromatherapy inhalers, different essential oils -- his favorite being lavender-- and even an essential oil diffuser. He was constantly using essential oils whether we were out or at home. It became a regular part of his life.

     It’s safe to say that he is now exceptionally better than he was one year ago when he had his panic attack. He hasn’t had another one since, but still, to this day, uses aromatherapy as a means of finding peace even through the smallest anxiety. Never did I think that aromatherapy would be a part of my life, but it is, and an even greater part of my boyfriend’s life, and I am extremely grateful for that. As I write this, the smell of lavender oil fills our room as well as a sense of calm. So, whether you are a student, have a stressful job, have anxiety in general, or know someone with anxiety, consider aromatherapy. It may not solve or cure everything, but it can be the crutch you need to start living your life again.

[english240groupa]

Social Media: A Political Tool

By Ariel Dolen

https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/social-media-and-politics

     Snapchat has reportedly helped over 400,000 of its users register to vote over the past two weeks. These numbers are considerably significant, but what’s more, is the average age of those who registered is 18-24 years old. This suggests that numbers among young adults who vote will see an increase, but will they lose the title of “unreliable voters?”

     In the U.S., it has been well known for young adults to be the least likely to vote while those who are 30+ tend to have extremely higher voter turn out. Presumably, this is due to older people feeling like they have a “better understanding” of how the U.S. works because of age. However, the young adult’s numbers seem to be going up because of a new, important tool: social media.

     Since the most recent presidential election, social media has become a tool in which people express their political opinion more openly than ever before. The election of Trump created louder voices on both sides of the political spectrum and because of social media, political information (and bias) has become more readily available to its users. Social media such as, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat, are used by people of all ages, but the majority of users are children to young adults. So what does it mean for these people if political awareness is more prevalent on the apps they use every day?

     Well, before the up-rise of social media, many people were raised with certain beliefs that carried into their political lives. Of course, there were those who strayed from how they were raised, but with social media, a child can see a whole world of different perspectives. Children and teenagers are no longer completely hidden from the world. In terms of social media, you get to see a whole other side of your friends and family who you follow. A side of them that you wouldn’t normally see at a family gathering or while at school.

     Voting, then, is no longer something that you get in the mail and throw away because it looks boring, it is something that you constantly see on social media and are encouraged to do. Whether it’s a social media site advertising for you to vote, your favorite singer/athlete/actor you follow, or a friend tweeting, “Don’t forget to vote, idiots,” you can’t really escape the message.

     Not only is the message constantly circulating, but information on what to do and what you’re voting for circulates as well. Sure, social media has its bias messages floating around, like a good ol’ political commercial that constantly plays on your TV every 10 minutes, but there is also just straight up information on what each proposition means and what your potential governors are like. Twitter, especially, contains many useful “threads” that everyday users create in order to help other users understand what they’re voting for.     

     So, perhaps social media isn’t completely useless! The message to get out and vote is infectious. It seems to be something that many young people are becoming more and more concerned about. Not only are children and teenagers seeing the importance of it through social media, but young adults who are eligible to vote can perhaps start understanding the power that they have. 

[english240groupa]

Double Standards by Aubrey Harlev

         Parenting is often considered a touchy subject for those that have children. Everyone is opinionated towards the subject, even those who do not even have children. Opinions vary from topic to topic; breastfeeding, discipline, changing rooms, behavior, gender roles, etc.

        The gender roles between parents intertwine with multiple topics when it comes to parenting. Often times the subject can be held to a double standard. The mother must stay home and care for the children, which society views this as acceptable. However, if the father stays at home to care for the children society views it as lazy, worthless, and emasculating. The father should be the one with the firm hand and be the one that disciplines. The mother is considered the soft comforting presence, not the one to  discipline.

        Society is often judging fathers for not participating and taking more action when it comes to their children. However, are they being provided the necessary tools needed to move forward? How many public men’s restrooms have at least one changing table available? In most women’s restrooms there may be even up to two changing tables available. A mother taking her young son into the women’s restroom would not even get a glance. A father taking his young daughter into the men’s restroom however, it would cause a stir. 

        Society more often then not tends to have twisted views on subjects that should be completely normal. In some instances society may even sexualize these innocent subjects. 

[english240groupa]

World Population By Hainan Yan

https://www.google.com/search?q=african+population&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiekvXyx6LeAhWvna0KHbPxCI8Q_AUIDygC&biw=1422&bih=653#imgrc=WI4GbYnOgodUqM:

 The problem of population is associated with every country’s economy, politics and culture. So, every country in the world pay attention to their population situation. In the news, it shows that European elites are worrying about African babies, they think African should control their population by taking some measures. And I really agree with this method. Some people may say this is a racist’s attack but what I focus on is that this action can bring African into developing. I feel that responding to the country's demographic situation can effectively promote the country's development. I want to take China as an example. In the early days of China, the government did not have professional management or excessive attention to population issues. Because at that time in the war years, some people encouraged women to have more children because they did not know the seriousness of the population problem. This is because many families lost their children in the war era, and the country needs more soldiers. Until the founding of New China, leaders began to pay attention to the population issue and implemented the “family planning”  policy until the policy was abolished in previous years. The “family planning” policy is because before the founding of New China, women were born unrestrained, with 5, 6 children and even more in each family. Some people think that there are more children at home and more joy. However, in the overall situation of the country, the country has just been established, and the development of economy, politics, and education cannot catch up with this huge population. Only by controlling the blind growth of the population can the country develop in an orderly manner. In recent years, the Chinese government has encouraged people to have a second child. This is an adjustment made by the state based on China's domestic population aging. Africa is also a populous country with 5, 6 children and even more in every family in Africa. We all know that the economic, political and educational developments in Africa are relatively backward. The population problem will become a stumbling block to Africa's development. For example, the consumption of resources is aggravated and the atmospheric problems are aggravated. In addition, the economic education in Africa lags behind. Every family cares about the problem of food and clothing, and cannot balance the education and cultivation of the next generation. It’s not that they don’t want to take care of them, they have no conditions. This is also a major reason for the backward development of Africa. I really agree with what Joseph J Bish said that fertility declines allowed more educational and other resources to be deployed per capita than otherwise would have been possible. In other words, African leaders should formulate relevant population policies according to their national conditions, which will enable the country to develop comprehensively under existing capabilities. No one can deny the fact that the problem of population has much to do with a country’s development. To deal with the problem of Africa, that may be a good solution.

[english240groupa]

Can’t Decide What To Title This! AH!

By X. Trujillo

https://brokeassstuart.com/2016/09/22/healthy-ways-to-deal-with-anxiety/

I didn’t even know that Postpartum Anxiety was an actual thing until I was diagnosed with it. A month had passed since I had given birth to my third child and while my body was well on its way to recovery, I had been plagued with what I had assumed were the baby blues. I felt scared. All the time. There was a sense of dread that hung over my head day in and day out and a knot in my stomach that would not dissolve. A handful of times those feelings became full blown panic attacks. I told myself it was normal; I had been through the post partum process twice before and was well aware of how brutal it could be. “It is just the hormones,” I would tell myself. It turns out I was more right than I knew. It was in fact the hormones but not in the simple your-body-is-working-to-heal-itself-type-of-way I had assumed.

Anti-anxiety meds were out of the question because I refused to interrupt breastfeeding and talk therapy seemed my only option. To this day, I have every intention of following that suggestion yet I have yet to find the time to look for a therapist who is covered by my insurance and make an appointment (my daughter will be two in 3 months).  My anxiety has slowly but surely been diminishing, but I find I have had to change many habits in order to keep it so. I try to sleep as close to 8 hours as possible, I try (and often fail) to be mindful of stressors and I DO NOT read the news.

I am well aware that there is a chemical imbalance that is causing my symptoms and refuse to take on the stigma that can accompany mental health issues.  I am not ashamed nor will I treat it as a shameful secret: I have anxiety. I can’t stress out over my diagnosis too on top of everything else, but I do stress out about not reading the news. I am embarrassed when someone asks about a current event that I know nothing about. I have always thought that we need to be informed and active to be good citizens. I had constantly tried to keep up with current issues and be knowledgeable about not only local events but world-wide issues as well. I truly believe that we must all be mindful global citizens. Injustice has always made me indignant and I have always felt things very deeply yet now, news stories have been known to leaving me sobbing uncontrollably. Now I walk around with a burning anger and sadness for days after reading about the separated migrant children at the border, projecting my child’s face onto those precious little bodies that are desperately trying to clutch onto their mothers’ arms and crying every single time I thought of it. When the picture of the two-year-old Syrian refugee who had drowned and washed onto a beach became public, I had nightmares for MONTHS. It just became too much. I know we all have a responsibility to, at the very least, bear witness and speak up against injustice but I just can’t. It was debilitating to burden myself with these monumental feelings every time that I scrolled through my news feed. It would not only ruin my day but it was interfering with my ability to take care of my children and myself. I uninstalled all the news apps on everything, deleted NPR from my radio, and generally avoided newspapers and magazines, most especially news shows. I hate it and yet I must admit that it has helped tremendously.  

So now that I am assigned to read the newspaper and pick a story to analyze every week in one of my English classes, this assignment seems more like a minefield than a learning opportunity. I carefully scroll through the New York Times, trying not to let the reports of the mass shooting in a synagogue overwhelm me nor the latest blunder by he-who-shall-not-be-named but who constantly lowers the bar on all that is outrageous/ridiculous/ignorant, anger me too much. It is a minefield! And a very VERY well-stocked one at that. It is exhausting to not let my feelings overwhelm me and to not ask myself questions which are sure to lead me too far astray, like how come the shooter in Pittsburg was taken alive into custody while 12-year-old Tamir Rice was shot for playing with a toy gun in the park within 20 seconds of that cop arriving on the scene: his car had not even stopped completely! Okay, time to refocus and relax; reign it back in.  Reign it back in! 

All that just to say that I am exhausted and looking for an inoffensive story but seriously having trouble with that. So when I came upon a story about cannabidiol, otherwise known as CBD, in the Sunday Times, I was both relived and intrigued. This article, “Why is CBD Everywhere?” by Alex Williams reads a bit like an infomercial, in fact I promptly jumped on Amazon to check prices and reviews on CBD oils. While I have yet to purchase anything, I could easily see myself doing so in the next couple of days. That article/infomercial was that good. What caught my attention most was a section in the middle of the story when the author tells us about how, “every cultural era, after all, has its defining psychological malady… (and) it’s signature drug.”  Now here is where it gets even better: where the author describes the current trendy psychological woe, (you guessed it: ANXIETY!)  “The defining sociological condition today, especially among millennials, is arguably anxiety: anxiety about our political dysfunction, anxiety about terrorism, anxiety about climate change, anxiety about student loan debt, even anxiety about artificial intelligence taking away all the good jobs,” Williams writes, “the anxiety feels even more acute since the wired generation feels continuously bombarded by new reasons to freak out, thanks to their smart devices.”

AH! So I am not crazy?! Or maybe I am because I seemed to pick up the “psychological malady” which is most en-vogue? Plagued by these questions, I did what any true millennial would do, I Googled it. The following screenshot shows just often anxiety is mentioned in the news lately (there a couple of articles EVERY DAY from various sources).  

While most of the articles were about learning to recognize the signs of anxiety others like this article in Psychology Today by Bob Rosen Ph.D, assures us that anxiety is a fact of life and that we must learn to navigate it.

Could it be that our modern lifestyles are causing more people to suffer from anxiety? Or is anxiety so popular an affliction that we are attributing normal stress to it, and therefore magnifying a problem that is not as big as we think? Is anxiety really that rampant or are we too sensitive?

On their website, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, describe anxiety disorders as, “real, serious medical conditions - just as real and serious as physical disorders such as heart disease or diabetes. Anxiety disorders are the most common and pervasive mental disorders in the United States.” And yet it seems curious that writers like Williams and Rosen kind of attribute it to the times and society we live in. If it is so dependent on outside factors could it truly be a valid medical condition or is the media convincing us all that we suffer from it?

So many questions?! Excuse me, while I go worry about them for the next couple of weeks.

[english240groupa]

Yeah, so Nike’s Still the Devil... Surprise, surprise.

By X. Trujillo

It reads like a novel of intrigue: a corporate puppeteer making sure that he gets his money’s worth at the cost of the reputation of a University and, more importantly, its integrity. This might not come as a huge surprise to anyone with a bit of memory: Nike is simply further cementing its status as one of the standard bearers for the archetype “evil corporations”.   

While Nike’s labor practices have been known to be exploitive and cruel since the 90’s, it has recently cast itself the defender of the oppressed and on the right side of social justice issues with its signing of Colin Kaepernick, after the athlete was blackballed by the NFL when he took a knee to protest police brutality. When that news broke, even I was caught up in the wave of “yay Nike” mentality. I was two seconds away from running out and buying my kids Nike sneakers. Honestly had it not been for my husband, we would all have at least been Nike supporters once in our lives (although between me and you the impulse was greatly fueled by my desire to thumb my nose at the right wing conservatives and their Nike burning campaign.)  Luckily, my husband has a better memory than me and reminded me that we have been boycotting them since 2001.  But for a split second I had managed to forget its inclusion in my list of “evil corporations”. Hey, after all people (and therefore people-led corporations) can change right?  I mean…maybe? And shouldn’t we support corporations which do the right thing, (like not maligning an athlete because he had the audacity to use his platform to try to bring attention to a great cause)?  Maybe this could be used as a message to all the other corporations out there? I am a firm believer in voting with your dollars and avoiding corporations whose values don’t align with your own and honestly I had not fully resolved these questions yet. So when I came across John William’s New York Times article, “Tell Us 5 Things About Your Book: College Athletics and Its Corporate Sponsors” with its huge picture of Joshua Hunt’s book, University of Nike, I was intrigued despite the fact that it was in the Sports section.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/21/books/university-of-nike-joshua-hunt-interview.html

The article offers little more than just a general explanation of the theme of the book, yet it led me to an article in the Pacific Standard by Hunt himself which gives a great summery of the book. It is an insane read, and if ever I had doubts about Nike’s intentions this book/article clears them right up! Hunter takes us through the establishing of the partnership between Phil Knight, the founder of Nike, and the University of Oregon. It shows us how Knight assumes a role otherwise unheard of among “regular” donors and uses the money he donates, and the threat of withholding said donations, to strong-arm the university president, Dave Frohnmayer, into doing his bidding. In the most despicable example of this dysfunctional relationship, Knight withholds a donation to Frohnmayer’s personal nonprofit (which was the Frohnmayer’s only hope in find a cure for a genetic disease which eventually claimed the lives of their 3 daughters) when he does not agree with an action taken by the university president. There are other examples given yet all pale in comparison with extorting a desperate father to further your business agenda.  I mean, wow, that is truly evil.

Much can be written about why a corporation should not have such control over a public institution (aaannnndd  it has, just read Hunt’s book) But honestly, what did you expect? Its like the old fable of the horse that saved a snake from a flood on the condition that it not bite him. Obviously, once on dry land the snake bites the horse. When the horse recriminates the snake, it replies “What did you expect? You know what I am.” Nike is a corporation whose single goal of making more money, has never been put second, not even over human rights violations or child labor. Come on, seriously? What did we expect?

The real culprits here are the voters of Oregon, the whole state of Oregon when they passed Ballot Measure 5, which brutally cut state funding to Oregon's K-12 schools and the state’s public universities. We need to finally learn to prioritize education and realize that if universities are not getting the funding they need, they are going to have to continue to sell their souls to the devil to stay afloat.  

Work Cited

Fain, Paul. “Book on Nike’s Influence on the University of Oregon.” Inside Higher Education.October 22, 2018 https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2018/10/22/book-nikes-influence-university-oregon. Accessed Oct. 24, 2018 

Gelten, Larry. “Think Nike’s woke? Phil Knight’s castration of the University of Oregon mightChange your mind.” New York Post. Oct. 20, 2018 https://nypost.com/2018/10/20/how-nike-screwed-students-with-its-generous-college-donations/. Accessed Oct. 24, 2018 

Hunt, Joshua. “The Secret Betrayal That Sealed Nike's Special Influence Over The University OfOregon” Pacific Standard. October 18, 2018. https://psmag.com/education/the-secret-betrayal-that-sealed-nikes-special-influence-over-the-university-of-oregon. Accessed Oct. 24, 2018 

[english240groupa]

Indigenous Peoples’ Day - Paying Respect to those Brutalized by Columbus

By Ariel Dolen

https://www.denverpost.com/2016/01/20/legislation-would-replace-columbus-day-state-holiday-in-colorado/

     Growing up, many of us were taught that Christopher Columbus was the valiant explorer who discovered America and befriended the Indigenous Peoples of the land. We were taught to praise him for his supposed heroism while coloring in a 5th grade stencil of him holding hands with Native American tribes - smiles on all of their faces. It is becoming more prevalent, however, that this is proven to be a terribly false narrative.

     Whether you idolize Columbus or not, it is impossible to ignore the uprising resistance against Columbus Day. From social media posts to protests to cities such as Los Angeles “re-imagining” the infamous holiday, the push back is significant, and understandably so. For Native Americans, this is a day of mourning. Columbus can very well be the physical representation of colonization to some. Especially to those whose ancestors were directly affected by European colonization, disease, and slave-trade. 

      “This historically problematic holiday has made an increasing number of people wince, given the enslavement and genocide of Native American people that followed in the wake of the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria,”  Yvonne Zipp writes.

     There are people, though, who claim to have important reason to celebrate Columbus Day - Italian-Americans. The Italian explorer, in their eyes, paved the way for immigration and the search for the “American Dream.” But there still is an enormous problem with this argument - it is tone deaf. Was the genocide and extinction of tribes across stolen land worth the “American Dream”? A dream that in and of itself is as false a narrative as the concept of Columbus being best friends with Indigenous Peoples?

     Understandably, everyone wants to celebrate their background and heritage, it is important to know where your family has come from. So, perhaps, Italian-Americans should consider focusing their celebration on themselves, on their ancestors. Sure, Columbus may have been part of the reason as to why Italians were able to immigrate, but why not just instead focus on those who made the plight? Don’t let a colonizing murderer represent your culture, your ancestors are the brave ones that deserve the praise. Councilman Mike Bonin, at the Los Angeles City Council’s public hearing, perfectly sums this up:

“I’ve thought about my ancestors and their history. And to me, celebrating Columbus Day does not honor their story and their struggle and their history; it insults it, and it besmirches it. They came here to build something, not to destroy something. They came here to earn something and not to steal something. They came here to make life better for their children, and not to take away something for someone else’s children.”

[english240groupa]

K-pop Madness  By Aubrey Harlev

In South Korea it is mandatory that all men who are able be drafted into the military and serve at least 21 months. By having this mandatory draft in place, South Korea’s defense is always ready in case of an attack. The draft in South Korea has been in place since 1957. It is not a requirement for women but they are allowed to volunteer if interested.

South Korea made it to this point because of the decline in birth rates. Within the past few decades the population has dropped and has begun to cause worry.  Previously the leaders of South Korea pushed heavily the idea of birth control and that less than two children was better. However, the process of reversing that mindset has been difficult to change. With the decline in population, the leaders are worried that they will not have enough bodies for their military.

There are a few exceptions to the draft however. Famous South Korean athletes are excused from joining the draft. The men that win medals at the Olympics or perform well at the Asian Games are the ones pardoned. There are also specific awards for musicians that will grant them freedom from the draft.  However, people are beginning to question the fairness of those that get exempted. The competitiveness among the people is extremely high because they want to be excused. People are starting to question why it is mainly athletes that get excused.

K-pop is a popular genre of music that generated from South Korea. It has continued to grow and is even well liked in the U.S. The question that has recently risen is why K-pop stars are not also allowed to be excused from the draft. K-pop stars are also famous and bring positive vibes toward South Korea. I think it is a fair question, but there is a divide on the subject. Some people want the draft abolished, while others do not and are worried about the lack of people in their defense. Would more men be willing and accepting of the military if they had the choice to join? Instead of the military being mandatory, the men had the right to choose.

[english240groupa]

Every child is an angel By Hainan Yan

https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/transgender-kids

Every child as an independent individual is unique and different. Whether boys and girls or transgender children have equal rights in society, they should all have the opportunity to grow healthily and happily. In many cases, the growth of transgender child is not always smooth and lucky. Their healthy growth requires more parental care and more expert guidance and social care. From the news, I know that the American Academy of Pediatrics tries to guide doctors and dispel myths about growing up with gender identity questions. As for me, I have both agreement and disagreements about their practices.

   On one hand, what I agree is that they guide people providing medical care for children and adolescents who are transgender or questioning their gender identity and teach parents how to try their best to understand them and support them. No one can deny the fact that transgender children will confront many difficulty, they may face depression, drug abuse, suicidal ideation and behavior because of discrimination and prejudice. So, in these situation transgender children need help and supports, especially from their family. Just as an article mentions that familial support can act as a buffer against bullying and bias outside the home. What’s more, professional pediatricians can give parents some professional opinions and methods to care, guard their transgender children. Therefore, transgender children will get more chances to get proper help and supports. No child can grow up healthily by their own, let alone a transgender child. That’s why I agree with the news.

   On the other hand, what I disagree is that let the transgender child use drugs that block puberty. In the news, Dr. Steever called it a “pause button,” which gives families time for counseling and a chance to be sure of the child’s wishes. But I don’t think so. Despite some transgender children may feel better during the process called transitioning, those medical or surgical will bring a certain degree of damage to the child's body, or even irreversible damage. ‘It would be “a mistake” to let children decide whether they are transgender before they turn 18’, said English comedian Josephine (Jo) Brand. I think that children can't be equal to adults. Adults have a certain life, work experience, and more mature ideas. They can make decisions for themselves and can bear the consequences for their decisions. But children are young and everything is unknown to the future. They are not mature enough to make some important decisions for themselves. So, if you just want to make the transgender kids feel better, you don’t necessarily need to use drug that block puberty. If the child grows up and mature enough to make a decision for himself, they still insist on their original choice, and it is not too late to use the drug.

As a child with a clear gender awareness, we are much luckier than the transgender children. We should also help those transgender children who are in need. Undoubtedly the support of professional doctors and parents is very important, but we are not sure that every transgender child is taken care of and supported, and what we should do is to accept and care. They should not be discriminated, crowded, insulted or even abused. On the way to help transgender kids. It requires the joint efforts of every character in the society and these children also need us very much.

[english240groupa]

Woman under traditional thought By Hainan Yan

In the New York Times on October 7th, there was a news that made me very profound. The title is “Con Man Claimed to ‘Cure’ Childless Women. Blackmail Followed, Then Bodies.” I am more concerned with education, especially women' education; and the danger of honor killing in Afghanistan. Compared with our peers in Afghanistan, I believe that we are fortunate because I have the opportunity to go to school and I will not be imprisoned by traditional conservative ideas.

I think this is a series of chain reactions. Afghanistan is a landlocked country in southern Asia. It is economically difficult due to war, education is backward and not popular. Because education is not popular, Afghans still live in a conservative society and retain consistent conservative thinking, people there may more believe their religion and their tradition. And you may think Afghan youth under the influence of Western culture should abandon stereotypes and be more in line with international standards. But just as Amina Mustaqim Jawid, the director of the Afghan Women’s Coalition Against Corruption said that if someone thinks that youngsters have changed, they should think twice. She explains that although young men wear jeans and have western haircuts doesn’t mean they are different from their father or grandfather. They even don’t know their own rights, not to said to protect their mother’s or sisters’ rights.

Among them, the status of men and women is unequal, and women must obey her husband. This is also why there is an honor kill in the news. Also, because of the high status of men in conservative thinking, men can pass on to the ancestors, and the main duty of married women is to give birth to boys. It is precisely because of the prevalence of these conservative ideas that so many Afghan women have been deceived, and even eventually ruthlessly killed by their husbands. I think this is largely because the system of customary law in Afghanistan. Just as Carol Mann explain in her article that Originally an ancient honor code, Farhang ensures the dominance of the oldest male of any household, followed by married sons, unmarried sons, and grandsons, then wives (with the youngest at the bottom). Collective decisions are taken by patriarchs in councils called jirgas, where all have to be in agreement.What a ridiculous. In the 21st century, gender equality is no longer a new word. When we live in a place that is already equal to men and women, it is hard to imagine but can not deny that many women are still imprisoned by conservative thoughts because of the low level of education.

What makes me most resentful is the honor killing. The innocence of the women in the news, they are trapped in the trap of the liar because most of them have not received education, growing up under the influence of backward thoughts. And their husband, husband's family, cruelly killed his wife for the so-called family honor and thought that he was a hero. And I really agree with a sentence “Honor killing has become a means of controlling women” in an article. In my opinion, they are just brutal murderers. Life is important to everyone and deserves to be respected.

There is no doubt that Afghanistan and other countries with the same situation need to develop. I believe they should pay more attention to education, especially the education of women. Only in this way can these countries fundamentally improve the ideological quality of the people, stay away from the imprisonment of conservative ideas, and cultivate a large number of talents to promote the development of all aspects of the country. This requires constant and unremitting efforts.

[english240groupa]

Columbus? How about... No!

https://u.osu.edu/ccbusincbus/

By X. Trujillo

For the sake of expediency and so as not to, like the old adage says, beat a dead horse lets begin with the well-established (and well-earned) premise: Christopher Columbus was a terrible person. I do not say this lightly nor without cause, in fact I could use 100 adjectives that are much worse and still be supported by research. Columbus was despicable. Let’s start with that as an accepted fact. I will not go down that particular rabbit hole today. He was. Period.  And even the tiniest bit of research will prove that if you still have not quite let go of your 6th grade history lesson of the “brave and conquering discoverer of America”.  I am trying not to let this blog go into “rant” territory so I will not use all the description that he so justly deserves. It is true and well-researched and if you do not solely want to take my word for it, you can take the word of historians, Howard Zinn, James W Loewen, or a contemporary of Columbus, Bartolome de las Casas. 

Or if you want a fast and dirty reminder watch this short video by Adam Ruins Everything which pretty much sums it up:

So, as previously established: Columbus was no hero and lacked many characteristics to even be considered a good person.  It is also well established that he did not set off to prove that the earth was round; this was already a well-accepted fact in 1492. This is strike two.

The fact that there were literally thousands of thriving and established communities, with over 20 million native inhabitants, throughout the Americas when Columbus chose to set sail also negates any “discovering” which has been attributed to him. You cannot discover an inhabited land, and this is not even mentioning everyone else (Vikings, Africans, etc) whom might have actually set foot in America (which Columbus NEVER did) long before.  In the book, Lies My Teacher Told Me, historian James W. Loewen numbers FOURTEEN possible encounters before Columbus. 14! Strike 3. He’s out.

        None of this is new information. It is all widely accessible and credible. Which is why many cities and states are replacing Columbus day as a holiday with Indigenous People’s Day. This seems a natural progression of a society which is slowly beginning to question its own cultural assumptions and history: it’s a result of reckoning with its imperialistic and racist past. This seemed like a long-overdue step in the right direction. Finally…Which was why  it was even more surprising when I came across an article in the New York Times last Sunday written by Christina Caron titled, “Why Some Italian-Americans Still Fiercely Defend Columbus Day”. It was an… interesting read. And it made me pause for a second. And for a second I thought, “ok, I can see their point…” but that literally lasted a second because even as I thought that my brain was adding a “but…”.

        Caron cites the racism that Italian immigrants encountered in the late 1800’s and the early 1900s as a driving force behind the push to celebrate Columbus Day. This was done as a way to seek acceptance into the dominate culture by Italian Americans; “Columbus was Italian (a fact we will revisit later on) and he discovered America so… Italians belong!” I get that. Minorities have always had to fight to be seen and had to carve out a space for themselves amongst a resisting and, often times, violent xenophobic society. Truly there is nothing more American than racism and apple pie. It is ingrained in our DNA and all new waves of immigrant populations, especially those with darker skin and identifiable physical differences, are targeted and tried to be excluded by those who “pass”. This has been true throughout American history and should not be denied nor ignored. It is important to meet this head on and to understand how damaging it is to not only the new immigrants but also the ideals of this nation. This issue, of the racism Italian Americans had to fight in order to be accepted into the dominate society, is an important one and one which they tried to fix with the bandage solution of mythicizing Columbus. But perhaps now, almost a century later it is time to rip off that bandage and not seek admittance via the hero-making of a genuine villain. Now that Italian Americans hold a fairly prominent role within American culture and are safe from that past exclusion, we should all look back and recognize their struggle and make sure that we do not do the same to any other ethnic groups. This however should not be done by lifting a vile and violent man on a pedestal; if you seek admittance by the virtue of one man should not that man be truly virtuous?  There are many other Italian Americans who deserve to be acknowledged and didn’t spark a genocide nor the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Here is a short list from the Zinn Education Project of Italian Americans who made valuable contributions to American society.

Not only are these figures vastly less problematic, but they were actually Italian Americans where Cristopher Columbus was not. In his article, “The Five Myths of Cristopher Columbus”, Kris Lane points out that Columbus was born in an area that is now Italy, but when Columbus lived, there was no such thing as an Italian; Italy did not exist until 1861… In Columbus’s lifetime, Genoa was a fiercely independent republic with its own language, currency and overseas colonies… Most historians believe that Columbus was Genoese, but they hesitate to call him “Italian,” partly for the reasons stated above, and partly because Columbus left home early and moved around a lot.”     

Sooooo not good and not even really Italian?  What does this guy even have going for him? Not much it would seem yet his defenders still hold fierce and true: ‘“The ‘tearing down of history’ does not change that history,” John M. Viola, then the president and chief operating officer of the National Italian American Foundation, wrote in a New York Times editorial last year. “In the wake of the cultural conflict that has ripped us apart over these months, I wonder if we as a country can’t find better ways to utilize our history to eradicate racism instead of inciting it.”’ This statement is quoted in the Times article and it makes me both uneasy and laugh a little. This “tearing down of history” phrase has become a sort of dog-whistle of the far-right. I, of course have no insight on whether Mr. Viola meant it as such but it has become the rallying cry of people who try to defend waving the confederate flag and maintaining confederate monuments. No, thanks. I don’t buy what you’re selling. Those symbols are inherently racist and having them in a place of prominence is meant to instill fear not teach history. If history was what you wanted to maintain, lets put those in a museum and explain how most where built long after the civil war as a tool of white supremacy. Let’s teach history and let’s also teach values. Let’s teach that we will not blindly worship anyone and overlook their flaws simply in the name of history.  This is not “tearing down history”, we simply will not stand for the incomplete version any longer.

It is also rather disingenuous, at the very least, for Mr. Viola to say that racism is being incited against Italian Americans because Christopher Columbus is finally beginning to lose the legend that has hidden his true nature. Italian Americans have “made it”, so to speak, and are favorably looked upon by dominate society. They hold a secure place of significance in American culture and will not lose that because of the unmasking of one false legend.  To suggest so is untruthful and a bit of a scare-tactic.

Works Cited

Casas, Bartolomé de las, and Lewis. Hanke. Historia De Las Indias. Fondo De Cultura EconóMica, 1951.

Loewen, James W. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. New Press : Distributed by Norton, 1995.

Lane, Kris.  Five myths about Christopher Columbus October 8, 2015. Washington Post.

Stannard, David E. American Holocaust: Columbus and the Conquest of the New World. Oxford University Press, 1992.

Stone, Edward T. "Columbus And Genocide". American Heritage. Vol. 26 no. 6. American Heritage Publishing Company. 1975

Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States: 1492-Present. 20th anniversary ed., HarperCollins, 1999