Every Issue I Have With the Confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh
By Rhayne Batista
1. Let’s not pretend it wasn’t politicized from the very beginning. It frustrates me to no end that certain supporters of Kavanaugh like to say his nomination wasn’t politicized until the Democrats presented Dr. Ford’s accusation. By that point, it was beyond the threshold of politicization and anything that was done past maybe 3 days in just pounded in the politicization that already existed. By the time of confirmation, there should have been not a single doubt that Kavanaugh has been pushed by this process into a more anti-democratic view than whatever he had at the start and one can only hope he won’t just be a Trumpian conservative puppet. This qualm is more directed to the confirmation process as a whole, not Kavanaugh himself. Bottom line: the confirmation would have been politicized no matter who was nominated.
2. I’m honestly a little disappointed in the handling of the Ford accusations. We put that poor woman on trial, had her face death threats so much that she had move homes —ultimately to derail the whole process. She didn’t even want her name out and even though it was already politicized at that point it was really politicized. And past that point, the dialogue was that it was the only bad thing about Kavanaugh, which it wasn’t. We stopped focusing on questionable past decisions, his childish demeanor, etc. Furthermore, before those accusations were presented, Senator Collins was set to vote No, as was Murkowski and presumably Manchin. Bringing these accusations into the spotlight (rather than no mention or even less mention) ultimately weakened the entire confirmation process., I still, of course, believe everything she said and am disgusted by the doubt cast upon her --but I do not think it should have been made the central issue.
3. Policy-wise, my problems with him extend far past his birth control/abortion views. (Side note: he said he wouldn’t vote to overturn Roe but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t vote to limit and restrict abortion rights). My main reason for disliking Kavanaugh (and which should have been discussed in the confirmation process far more than it was) is his support of expanding executive power. The executive branch was constitutionally intended to be the weakest of the three federal branches, but through time has been manipulated by the greed of the men elected to the office. The president was only supposed to be a figurehead, a single person to act almost like a spokesperson and prevent an oligarchy, given executive powers mainly to the effect of checking the other branches. If any part of our constitution should be upheld above all others, is the way the government itself is set up and its federalist function. Kavanaugh believes the president is above the law and within that, there are dangerous implications.
4. Another issue besides the sexual assault allegations is Kavanaugh’s questionable, and somewhat racist, past decisions. He ruled against affirmative action (Rice v. Cayetano), he supports the rights of law enforcement over the individual (United States v. Askew) (also: it seems as if due process was viewed as more necessary to those who disagree with Kavanaugh rather than himself), he opposed economic protection of minority-dominated communities (Janus v. A.F.S.C.M.E.), and he supports stricter voter ID laws (South Carolina v. United States). He overturned a jury ruling that an officer was guilty of police brutality. He told a Hispanic teenage girl she was unable to get an abortion because she had to live with the consequences of her actions.
5. He acted so childishly throughout the entire confirmation process, not with the calm, collection, and stoicism that one would expect from any judge, let alone a Supreme Court judge. What other Supreme Court judge have you seen have such an emotional breakdown like that? Is that the kind of demeanor one of the highest arbiters of justice is supposed to act with? And truly, one's attitude towards accusation is quite telling. I have heard many ask “How would you feel if you were accused of something you didn’t do?” Maybe as a child, I would be frustrated towards the point of breakdown. But as an adult, an educated man, and already acting judge? Such a situation, then, requires and expects a calm dissent. When one calls for due process, one should expect to sit for it. That kind of reaction is the reaction of a guilty man, a man who suddenly is not as protected by his gender, skin, and class as he has always been, a sheath of comfort and protection seemingly gone —though, of course, he was eventually safe.
6. Kavanaugh's insistence on his Yale education was yet another unnecessary reaction. Every Supreme Court justice and countless lower court judges have Ivy League educations. His education was beside the point --especially considering are no constitutional provisions as to what qualifications must be met to be nominated for the position. NONE. One only needs to be nominated by the president. Theoretically, any one of us could be nominated (although there would be no chance of confirmation). And in the past, there have been quite unqualified SCOTUS judges —ones that had never even been lawyers. So yes, he’s qualified --anyone could be. Furthermore, any individual who reaches the point of confirmation should be expected to have a certain level of education and experience regardless; the fact that Kavanaugh made it to the confirmation process should have been proof enough of his education and experience.
7. For such a lifetime position I feel there should be a certain margin of votes above the majority to confirm. The decision for Kavanaugh went 50-48. Scalia, staunchly conservative, was voted in unanimously. With such a vital and serious position, it is worrying that a difference of two votes can be the determinant of a confirmation, only serving to further cement the party divisions of our day. I feel like it should at least be like 55-60% in favor for a confirmation —which was the case before Gorsuch.
8. I am so irritated by the fact that Kavanaugh supporters wanted to “ram it through” — supporters of Merrick Garland had to wait for an entire administration to end and ultimately Garland never even got a hearing. Trump already filled a seat easily with Gorsuch, and it’s honestly a bit shocking the public wasn’t as upset about that as we were regarding Kavanaugh, especially considering the change in the 60-40 vote precedent (not that most people even cared to get angry at Kavanaugh before we were informed about the accusations against him). If anything really made this confirmation process politicized it was the Republican filibuster of Garland’s hearings more so than Booker and the documents or Fords accusations. It is ignorant to believe that this process could have possibly been free of politicization.
“The Media’s Misinterpretation of Youth Gang Violence”
By Aiyanna Orta/Rhayne Batista
Most of America has the freedom to view gang violence and gang-related issues as separate from themselves, an urban epidemic of deplorable nature. Gangs are discussed as a taboo, an outgroup faction of society to be looked down upon and to shake our heads at their bad choices. However, as someone who has seen gang violence and gang members in my own life, as someone who knows just how close they really are, I have come to understand the issue differently than the way that it is discussed by my peers, the media, and those unaffected by gang violence.
There is a flaw in the notion that gang violence arises from an educated choice or any choice at all. In my own experience, I have seen my brother join a gang as a direct result of his disadvantaged circumstances. I know for a fact that he, and many other young boys from our old neighborhood and others like it, don’t really have a choice. What else are you going to do to get money? What else are you going to rely on? Who else are you going to rely on? What male role model do boys like my brother and many of his peers have? While my brother was forced to join (from my understanding, literally and socially), the gang proved to protect more than our own father ever could or would. Since then, he’s engaged in violence, possessed weapons, likely dealt drugs, and bred dogs to sell and fight illegally --all because of the color of his sweatshirt. The media paints men and boys like him as part of an anti-society who made an educated and evil decision which they must spend his whole life repenting for. Maybe I am biased, but I believe there is something fundamentally wrong and unfair with this judgment.
What The Literature Says
Factors in Gang Membership
Michel Martin, in accordance with Cheryl Corley and Ammad Omar, investigated what led former members to join gangs in Chicago as part of an NPR investigation on Chicago’s crime epidemic. “I felt isolated, you know… just dealing with my emotions and not having my biological father in my life,” explains Day, an ex-gang member, “that was the number one source of why I… got involved in [the gang]. And I think the second reason was really to protect my brothers as well” (Corley, Martin, Omar, 2017). Throughout Martin’s interview with Day, it is apparent that a driving force behind gang membership is the goal of familial stability. Many young men in inner-city communities frequently lack stable father figures, often because those fathers are in jail or involved in gangs themselves. Furthermore, when a family consists of a single parent and several children, that often leads to the oldest child having to take on more responsibility --especially if the oldest sibling is a male. When these factors come together for boys in the inner-city, gang membership can be seen as an easy solution. The gang can become a second, more stable family, with more importance placed on protecting its members --more protection than these boys will get with absentee fathers. Moreover, when the young boy is an older sibling with the charge of taking care of younger siblings, the protection offered by the pseudo-family gang is an enticing means of extending protection to younger siblings.
This need for a family is further discussed Armond R. Towns’s article, “Ghetto Blues: The Organizational Street Culture of Black "Masculine" Gang Members in a White World.” Towns cites this need for a family as well as the need to make money as key influences on the young boys who join gangs. Towns sees this as especially true for “Black men of lower-class upbringing,” which supports the conclusions made from the NPR article above (Towns, 2007). The theme of fatherlessness ties into masculinity; Towns concludes that “Black gang members were drawn to gangs in search of father figures, who, according to the gang, ‘teach’ masculinity,” and these gang members come to believe that “violence proves masculinity” (Towns, 2007). Masculinity is so important because, according to Towns, because “for Black gang members, masculinity is the equivalent to respect/fear,” which can be a key factor in a man’s quality of life and ability to survive in the inner-city (Towns, 2007). Negative father figures (or lack thereof), less or no financial options, and the drive to be masculine are all central tenets of gang membership.
Another article by Jeffrey Fuhr, Sophia Chadwick, and Marcel Danesi published by Semiotica details the results of a pilot study regarding the effects of symbolism on youth gang membership. The paper presents these findings as a framework for understanding why young men join gangs. The central tenet of this paper is a notion called the Symbolic Power Affect or SPE. The authors explain SPE as the indication “that signs and symbols are powerful shapers of identity and, thus, major sources of attraction in gang membership” (Chadwick, Danesi, Fuhr, 2014). The study was conducted by interviewing three young gang-members in urban centers of Canada and found that SPE was one powerful force in drawing these young men into gang membership. The authors argue that “semiotics is an effective tool in understanding behavior,” and is further a relevant lens to examine gang membership (Chadwick, Danesi, Fuhr, 2014).
Media Coverage of Gang Membership
In an article published by the Journal of Criminal Justice & Popular Culture, two authors, Esbensen and Tusinki, examine the popular image of youth gangs and youth gang members in the media. They conclude that law enforcement data plays an important preliminary role in the media and popular press coverage of youth gangs. However, Esbensen and Tusinki question the accuracy of that coverage. The authors cite “an ever-increasing body of research that contradicts the popular stereotype of gangs,” to question the legitimacy of media coverage (Esbensen, Tusinki, 2007). The article reviews and examines gang-related articles published in Newsweek, Time, and U.S. News and World Report between the years 1980 and 2006 in order to pinpoint the common gang-related stereotypes (and misinterpretations). It was concluded that there was “a strong tendency to provide a stereotypical depiction of gangs and gang members that promote misperceptions about youth gangs, their members, and their group characteristics”(Esbensen, Tusinki, 2007). This is concluded to be an issue not only because the media portrayal of gangs is inaccurate, but because “youth gangs are problematic enough in reality without the media contributing to exaggerations of their attributes that are associated with violence and organizational capacity” (Esbensen, Tusinki, 2007). This article delved more into the fact that media coverage is inaccurate than it delved into the specifics of those inaccuracies.
Questions regarding the accuracy and efficacy of media coverage of youth gangs is nothing new. In his 1994 article, Tony Case details a discussion of issues raised by the Society of Professional Journalists congress when discussing coverage of youth gangs. This article mainly goes into the beginnings of the rise of gang coverage, comparing the stances of outlets who support lengthy coverage of gangs and those who shy away from it. It seems that no matter the stance on whether or not to cover gangs, the underlying reasoning is the same: the gangs are made up of dangerous criminals who pose a threat to society. Where one side sees it as better for the community to know the dangers of gangs and the other sees it as better to protect them from that knowledge, the overall media seems to agree that gangs and gang members are dangerous. Still, one of the writers interviewed did posit that there are similarities in the backgrounds of these dangerous young men, explaining that “all these children were innocent at one time” (Case, 1994). That seems to not be a very compelling factor in the media’s coverage of gangs, however, as many media outlets fail to comply with the wishes of local police departments who would prefer the information of the gang members remain private. The overall impression is that the media, at least in the 1990s, was more focused on how the stories of gang violence sold, rather than the humanity of the gang members. I would assert that that remains true to this day.
To fully understand the relationship between gangs and the media, it is important to examine a specific and real example of that relationship. Such is found in Raul Tavares's article, “Influences on the Mexican American Youth Gang Discourse on Local Television News,” published in the Howard Journal of Communications. This article examines the imbalance of power in the United States in regards to white hegemony and the lack of opportunity of the Mexican American population. It argues that this very power imbalance is what is responsible for the overly negative and misinterpreted views of gang membership, given that “Such discourse is related to the prevailing ideology and generally serves to further the interests of those in power” (Tovares, 2000). The powerful class ignores the reasons why young men join gangs, to use the media as a means of furthering a disdain for gang memberships throughout society. While the article focuses on the Mexican-American situation, the ideas of this power imbalance can be found in many similar circumstances.
It is also important to connect back to my reason for writing about this topic: the media’s portrayal of my brother. The issue of media misreporting was brought to my attention by an article published by Time, “Eric Garner Witness Ramsey Orta Has Regrets One Year Later” by Josh Sanburn. The article categorizes my brother’s regrets following extra police attention as a result of his filming police brutality. The article often references Ramsey’s past run-ins with the law and uses those to persuade the audience against him. Sanburn claims “Orta’s lengthy arrest record, however, which includes numerous charges from before the Garner incident, makes it difficult to back up many of his claims about police retaliation” (Sanburn, 2015). Not only does Sanburn invalidate my brother’s story and point of view with incessant references to his criminal history (which, of course, are a result of his confining circumstances which brought him to a life of crime), but the author even goes as far as to attack his appearance, stating “he is tiny. Arrest records list him at 5’6” and 115 lbs., but that might be generous” (Sanburn, 2015). This is one clear example of the media’s apparent bias towards dehumanizing gang members, past and present.
My Own Experience
Factors in Gang Membership
The first factors discussed include a lack of economic opportunity and a lack of a stable father figure or a stable family life, which further included the presence of younger siblings. I can attest to the validity of these factors, given that they were present in my older brother’s life, and are very well factors in why he became involved with a gang starting in his preteen years. First off, we lacked a stable father figure. Our father was not any sort of sitcom-ideal father. He was a drunk and was both verbally and physically abusive. Sometimes he would disappear for days. Luckily for me, my parents separated when I was three, but, by then, my brother was already a teenager, already subject to a whole childhood with a very unstable father figure, and already involved in gang violence.
Furthermore, he had two younger half-siblings: myself, and a younger brother a few years older than me. Though both his half-siblings, my older brother did often take care of us and protected us from the grime and violence of Brooklyn. He protected me, his half-sister, from our shared father, and Jamie, his half-brother (who shares no blood with me) from both of his parents. At an early age, my brother was faced with these adult tasks. Time reports that “around age 12, his parents split up and he soon found himself helping raise his younger brother Jaime” (Sanburn, 2015).
Tied into these factors is the economic instability he faced. It is hard to accrue a good quality of life with a substantial amount of wealth when one’s father is unstable, unable to keep a job, and often absent, as well as when one has younger siblings that need to be taken care of. The adult responsibilities he adopted at a young age were not bound by the filter of family life. In fact, because of the issues regarding the family life, his maturity was forced to extend to making money -- both for his own stability and that of his siblings. For a young Hispanic boy in Brooklynn’s inner city, this is not an easy task. What is easier than finding a good job at 13, is joining a gang. And so he did. This provided him with a team of supporters like no other he had had, the ability to be an anti-hero protector of his siblings, and quick opportunities to make money. These factors discussed in the literature review are not confined to Chicago but seem to be universal, extending to similar inner-city boys in New York City.
Next is the factor of masculinity and a masculine inner-city culture. “Being a man” is a central tenet of life for any male in the inner city, and especially for those who feel responsible for other people and without someone to look out for them. My brother did not have good parents to protect him, nor the freedom to ignore the needs of his siblings. Moreover, he was born prematurely and remained smaller than other men and boys his whole life. Even further, he grew up in the inner city, a tough world where the phrase “only the strong survive” is often applicable. Tie that in with his lack of a stable father figure and assumed the responsibility of his siblings (especially his younger brother), and one finds the perfect storm of a boy seeking absolute masculinity. Gang membership was not only a way to protect and be protected or a way to make money fast, but a way to learn to be masculine, and ultimately to be respected for one’s masculinity.
Lastly comes the idea of symbolism. One article argues that symbolism can be a powerful influence on a young person’s attraction to gang membership. Where the aforementioned factors are arguably the true drives towards gang membership, the symbolism can be seen as the pretty packaging that sells membership. In my brother’s case, that symbolism came from a specific -- and somewhat intimidating -- color. In fact, the routed event which thrust him into the gang occurred when he was seen by members of the gang wearing their color. Because he seemed to be parading as one of them (maybe by accident, maybe so other people on the street would refrain from being aggressive with him) he was approached by and forced to join the gang. Here we see proof of the power of the symbol, not only in its ability to shield my brother from individuals outside of the specific gang but in its ability to literally bring him into the gang. It was a color equated to strength, danger, and masculinity, the wearing of which brought upon that chance -- though dangerous -- to find a pseudo-family, to protect loved ones, to make money fast, and to be masculine.
Media Coverage of Gang Membership
The first article in this section of the literature review categorizes how the popular image of gang violence as portrayed by the media is riddled with inaccuracies. While it fails to provide in great detail those specific inaccuracies, it does serve to prove the presence of misconceptions as well as introduce an important point of which I will discuss throughout this section. The article states that “youth gangs are problematic enough in reality without the media contributing to the exaggerations of their attributes that are associated with violence and organizational capacity” (Esbensen, Tusinki, 2007). While the article does not provide specifics, based on the discussion in the above section, it is safe to assume that the inaccuracies lie in the media’s failure to account for those central reasons which, in this paper, have been shown to be the leading causes of gang membership. It would seem that the media avoids discussion of a lack of a father figure, a need to take care of younger siblings, a need to make money quickly, a drive to be masculine, or the powerful symbolism involved.
It was, in fact, the inaccuracies I saw in the media coverage regarding my own brother which drew me to this topic. The media uses his “lengthy arrest record,” as a reason to ignore “many of his claims about police retaliation” (Sanburn, 2015). I resented how the media, and subsequently society, painted him as nothing than a criminal, nothing but a guy who made evil choices with malicious intent, a hoodlum, a detriment to society, not a person anyone should care about, not a victim of his circumstances, of those core factors discussed above. I was drawn to this topic out of recognition of the dangers of such inaccurate portrayals for those like my brother, who are pigeon-holed into being a “bad guy” with no recognition of their humanity, nor, often times, their want to be a “good guy.” Young men do not join gangs because it is a fun activity, a way to fill up their time with excitement rather than spending time with family, having wholesome hangouts with friends, playing catch with dad, getting a part-time job at a local business or helping mom in the kitchen. The media does not account for the nature in which these young, inner-city boys lack any other option, or the ability to perceive any other option.
Indeed, as another article proves, the media is not concerned in the humanity of these individuals, but rather how demonizing them sells stories. This is apparent in regards to the fact that so many media outlets will opt to ignore their local police department’s wishes to not report on certain gang-related events or activities (as to keep investigations in the hands of the police). Almost directly after an arrest, Time reported that my brother was “charged with multiple felony and misdemeanor drug counts,” although the case was “still pending” (Sanburn, 2015). The clear conclusion to be made here is that the media ignores these police requests for the sake of a good story. It simply does not sell to discuss the tragedy of a gang member’s life, how they are human and a victim of the world they were born in to. There is no excitement in that. Rather, there is money to be made in exciting an audience with often exaggerated claims regarding the nature of gang members, organization, violence, and other characteristics --all at the expense of those gang members, who, because of our ignorance to their situation and preference to demonize them, are viewed as less-than-human. This tendency thereby prevents these gang members from making any other decisions to stray from the roles which their circumstances have created for them, and which the media prevents them from escaping.
Not only do these misconceptions demonize and dehumanize these men and boys for the sake of selling a story, but further serve to sustain imbalances in power which favor the media over the gang members (who we too often forget are humans themselves). As one source states, “such discourse is related to the prevailing ideology and generally serves to further the interests of those in power” (Tovares, 2000). This can be connected to the previous point: because dehumanizing and demonizing gang members sell stories and thereby increases the influence of the media which exaggerates and misreports them, it is necessary to the media to prevail such misreporting in the interest of keeping the media relevant and continuing to make money. It simply would not benefit the media outlets to tell the sad story of why boys and men like my brother were figuratively (and sometimes literally) forced to join gangs, as much as it would sell to report them as dangerous characters of an anti-society. Such is at the core of why so many gang-related issues prevail, and why these inner-city boys and men continue to lack other options or paths in life.
There is a deep issue in the fact that there are facets of society in which a boy’s only perceived option or even desire is to join a gang, as a result of numerous disadvantages of his position in society, and subsequently how the media benefits from confining him into the role of a threat to society, so that the media may retain their money and power, in an everlasting cycle where young boys are stuck on one path, and the media continues to confine them to it.
References
Case, T. (1994, October 08). Covering youth gangs. Editor & Publisher; 10/8/94, Vol. 127 Issue
41, p12, 2p
Chadwick, S., Danesi, M., Fuhr, J. (2014, April). The role of symbolism in adolescent gang
membership: Results of a pilot study. Semiotica. Apr2014, Vol. 2014 Issue 199, p65-82.
18p. 3 Charts
Corley, C., Martin, M., & Omar, A. (2017, January 08). Chicagoans, Ex-Gang Members,
Officials: 'No Easy Way To Stop The Violence'. Retrieved from
Her red jacket smells like grease and cigarettes. Her neck is slim, her eyes are blue tourmaline. She smiles at me, calls me babe.
They bring her things to eat, but she doesn’t. I see her scroll through her phone, an image of her and her boyfriend set as her wallpaper. I wonder what they talk about, what she calls him.
Wrapped around her are layers of blankets and down jackets. She can’t be cold, the crew forbids it.
I see as she sheds her layer of warmth and steps into the street. The icy wind whistles as it rushes around the tall buildings and stop signs. The camera follows her as she begins to move. Her hand goes up, goes down, she moves forward, she steps back. Poetry. She stretches her neck, squints her eyes as the camera clicks. Click, click, click.
I watch people as they see her, whispering to each other if it’s really her. They raise their phones in starstruck awe, but her crew quickly moves in. No photos they say, opening large black umbrellas in the views of the pedestrians.
New York stands still around her. It’s lights slow down as she walks to and from the camera, it capturing her every move. It amazes me how many people it takes to make her beautiful. A blonde, teddy-bear-like, man steps in every few shots to layer more and more powder across her cheeks and forehead. A short-haired British woman adjusts her straps and buckles. A few men of different colors and sizes hold large bright lights that illuminate and lift her complexion.
I hold her pretzel. Not for her to eat, of course, it is a prop for the photoshoot. They rush it out of my hands later so she can pretend to bite into the pretzel as she walks down the streets of the city. We change locations a few times.
The shoot is going great, the crew murmurs with satisfaction. All is well until the predators come. Tall men with loud cameras, flashing snapshots of the model as she is rushed back into the black car. They yell, yell her name, asking her to look their way. They are aggressive, the tall men push through the crew, inching closer and closer to her. I’m lost in the rush, protect her protect her.
I, along with the British stylist and teddy bear-like man, am whisked back to the dressing room. Time ticks. We wait for her to come back. The door flings open as she is rushed into the dressing room, her face covered in hiding. I hear them outside. The sounds of the tall men. They end as quickly as they come as the door is shut behind her. Protect her, protect her.
She breathes a shaky breath, cigarette in hand. She’s running a thin finger through her hair, the warmth getting to her. She looks up at me, I see fear, masked by supposed confidence. Her shiny exterior melts away and I see she is more than that model spread across the sky on billboards, thousands looking in awe. Never had I thought that she would be more than a glossy image or a post on my feed, that she could experience fear or unhappiness. As she sat there with spirals of smoke wrapping around her, I saw that she was human. Human, like me, and human, like you. I saw that she was afraid, afraid that one day the predators with loud cameras would get her, and more so of the judgment that they would pass. Afraid that one day no one would know her name.
I saw more in her eyes.
100 ways to live, she lives in
fear.
Natalie Claro on Music, Politics, and Social Media
Interview by Azra Schorr
All Photos courtesy of Natalie Claro
Whether it’s her mindblowing vocals or her modern take on rock and roll, Natalie Claro is sure to impress you. When this 18-year-old singer/songwriter first caught the eye of Taffy Magazine, it was instantly clear we wanted to work with her. I was tasked with reaching out to her, and after doing so I quickly realized that she fits in perfectly with our message and audience. This interview covers everything between her personal experiences in the music industry to her political views to her spirit animal, and after reading it you will know that Natalie Claro is definitely an artist to keep on your radar.
So, let’s begin with a little background information. How did you first start getting into music, and when did you know this was what you wanted to do?
Music has been a part of my life since I was practically a baby. I’m a huge oldies music fan, I grew up listening to so many 60’s and 70’s hits with my family. After that it was mostly theater, school orchestra, posting YouTube videos, all that jazz. For some reason, despite my obsession with music, I wanted to be a Chef. (Don’t ask I honestly don’t know??) My mom kept asking me why I wouldn’t want to make a career out of music, because why wouldn’t someone want to turn their passion into that? I just figured it was impossible. It took until seeing Paramore in concert back in 2014 for me to text my mom and say, “Okay you were right, I HAVE to do this.”
Did you learn to play the guitar and write music through a formal education, or were you self-taught?
I’ve had guitar lessons since I was in elementary school, I just recently for the past few years began self-teaching due to needing to preserve money as much as possible haha. As for songwriting, I’ve always been too afraid to ever take a “class” for it. I have such a strong mindset on how I want to portray my views to the world and I can’t imagine someone telling me I should do it differently. I’m just me and I want it to stay that way. I do a lot of research on music theory and poetry; I take what I want from it and apply it to myself. If there’s room for improvement, I’ll conquer it on my own.
What were the initial reactions to the music you were putting out?
A lot of people tended to be shocked by my vocals, I don’t think people expected someone my age and size to sound the way I do. (Especially because my speaking voice sounds like a 10-year-old.) As for the music, I’m so grateful that my listeners appreciate all the songs off my album rather than just a few of its “hits”. So far, every song off my album has been claimed as someone’s favorite and that seriously blows my mind. Now that I think about it, I’ve oddly never received negative criticism for my music, at least that I’ve seen. (Knock on wood.) I know that not everyone is going to like the same genre or style of music, but I guess I just haven’t crossed those people yet. All good vibes so far!!
Do you see yourself continuing music in the future, or do you have ideas for other careers you would like to pursue? If you see yourself sticking to music, what are your goals?
*GASP* I could never do anything BUT music!!! It’s intertwined in my soul it’s all I do all day every day 24/7 ahhh ahh ahh. My goals for the future are to follow somewhat in the footsteps of people like Jack Antonoff. He releases his own music to perform around the world with, while still lying low enough to not be bombarded on the streets, and then maintains his success by producing music for major artists like Taylor Swift. He’s living the dream.
Tell me a little about your story. What were some major challenges or responsibilities that you had to overcome to get where you are today?
Can I make a bulleted list? It’ll be easier for me that way:
§ Stage fright – this was a HUGE part of getting to where I am. I must thank my parents for pushing me to do open mics and local restaurants to get me out of my shell. One day I was goofing around and jumping to some music, and my mom said to me, “See! Like that!! You need to be the wild Natalie you’ve always been, but on stage!” The rest is history.
§ Self-doubt – when I released my first EP, I titled it “Atychiphobia” based on my persisting fear of failure. I constantly ridiculed myself and worried this would be a waste of time. Luckily, due to the amazing response from my music, I’ve really learned that it was all in my head. I’ve turned into a motivated and confident individual and I have the people who refer to me as “queen” to thank for that.
Do you have any family members who are musical or interested in music?
I try not to talk about this too much so it doesn’t seem like a notoriety tool, but I’m related to the guitarist from Sonic Youth which is pretty awesome. I met him at a family gathering. The most important person, though, is my grandfather. He is AMAZINGLY talented and the reason I play the instruments that I can today. If it wasn’t for him labeling all my piano keys when I was five years old, I’d be nowhere as deep into my level of musical knowledge as I am today. It sounds silly, but starting so young was the root of practically everything. My goal is to play every instrument he has played. I use his original 1960’s drum kit for my shows, so next stop is the saxophone.
What motivates you to continue making music?
My parents and my boyfriend. (I know that answer is oddly short but there’s nothing else to it! They’re the best point blank.)
List a few people who influence you and your music, and how they do so.
Freddie Mercury is like, the most incredible person to have ever walked this earth. The musical composition of his work is just unfathomable. I understand WHAT it is, but I can’t understand how he maintained such a classical atmosphere in ROCK music. Like, what?? I study his work all the time because I desire to reach that level of complexity with my own work. Performance wise, Hayley Williams, Michael Jackson, and Lady Gaga are amazing. They command any stage they step foot on. Style-wise, Zella Day is so unique and creative, and I really respect her for that.
How would you describe your style or aesthetic?
I honestly can’t answer this accurately because I have this random urge to redo my entire wardrobe probably once a week. The only thing I’ve committed to so far is black lipstick and blonde streaks in my hair.
Do you have any advice for young artists who want to get into the music industry?
Yesss stop doubting yourself, if you don’t think it’s good enough, then practice! Improve, but don’t ever throw it all away because every single person has potential and you deserve to do what you love.
Have you ever made mistakes during a performance? If yes, how do you handle them?
OMG, are you kidding? Every single show! Voice cracks, tripping, dropping stuff, literally anything you can think of and it’s happened. Chances are the audience didn’t notice and I just keep going. If it *is* obvious, just laugh it off and they will too. One time I literally slammed directly into an overhead speaker when trying to jump and just shouted: “I almOST DIED.” Everyone cracked a giggle and the show kept going.
So I want to shift the conversation over to some politics. To you, what does feminism represent and what role does it play in your life?
To me, it’s important. But feminism is something that makes people roll their eyes because they don’t understand what it is. Men tend to not understand that a patriarchy hurts them just as much as it affects women. The stigma that girls stay in the kitchen, men can’t cry, etc., is all so unnecessary. Everyone is an individual and it doesn’t make you less of a “man” to not follow certain standards. As for women particularly, I think one of the most important parts of feminism is to stop the over-sexualization of girls. Young girls being told not to wear a bikini because it “shows too much”. (If you think a 7-year-old in a bathing suit is sexual, then you’re a pedophile.) Passing the blame onto victims of sexual assault for their choice of clothing is another example. For one, anyone can be sexually assaulted regardless of what they are wearing. I’ve been groped by the same boy every day after PE class even when walking out of the locker room wearing sweatpants and a hoodie. (I couldn’t slap him without being suspended or tell anyone without being a “snitch”.) Secondly, a girl could be running through a city park wearing just a sports bra and athletic shorts, that does not give anyone the right to touch her. It all comes down to constant judgment. She can’t wear that, she can’t do that, she can’t live that way. And this is coming from someone who typically dresses modestly, even I know that my way isn’t the “correct” way of living.
The second aspect of this topic is the wrongful view that a woman is not a human being, but the property of another man. If you think that people in this day and age don’t feel this way anymore, then you need to listen to this. A friend of mine was sexually harassed, was sent unsolicited provocative pictures and disgustingly vulgar messages, and had no choice but to block this individual. Now, the boy who harassed her apologized- BUT, his idea of an acceptable apology was to try and organize an in-person apology to her current boyfriend, and claimed his reason of changed heart was the realization that she is someone’s “sister or daughter”. Do you see the fault there? Do you see that, rather than his realization coming from the fact that he harassed another HUMAN BEING, it came from how this girl had a correlation to another man? You know, “bro code”. You can do whatever the hell you want with a girl and her body- UNLESS it’s another man’s girlfriend, daughter, or sister. I’ve heard plenty celebrities use this kind of logic and it needs to stop. This way of thinking is the reason why girls get catcalled when minding their own business. This way of thinking is the reason a girl must lie about being in a relationship in order to get a man to stop rubbing up against her at a nightclub. This way of thinking is the reason why saying, “grab her by the pussy” is just “locker room talk”. You get it now.
The last part of feminism that is important to me is intersectional feminism. What really irks me the most is when I see blogs and media specifically made for the movement… only addressing things within a privileged range. A politically incorrect term refers to it sometimes as “white feminism”, but I don’t like to use that phrase. What I do know, is that if your revolutionary media doesn’t bring attention to issues that don’t personally affect you, then you aren’t doing it for the betterment of others- completely defeating the purpose of the movement altogether. Where is the demand for trans women rights? Where is the frustration for European beauty standards essentially forced on women of color?
My ideal vision of feminism is that people can live however the hell they want as long as it makes them happy and doesn’t attack others. If your sense of humor is so dull that you’re reduced to calling that a “feminazi” then you’re the reason people don’t know how to MIND THEIR OWN BUSINESS and are essentially bullies. Rant over!
What do you think about current politics regarding human rights as a whole?
I think racism, homophobia, and honestly, all discrimination, in general, is rooted in our politics and overlooked because it has become deeper than someone simply making bigoted remarks to someone. I’m not going to go too deep into this topic because I think the only appropriate way to address this subject would be to make a speech one day when I have a larger platform.
What changes would you like to see in society regarding sexism and women?
To stop hearing “___ is a man’s job”. Seriously. It’s ignorant.
Do you think being a woman, as well as your young age, has impacted your successes or failures in any way?
This is a question that used to irritate me because I never really had an answer. Career-wise, I don’t have proof of an obstacle being caused by my age or gender unless it came to legal factors such as not being 18. This question has always made me reflect on my life and worry if I’m just not noticing any struggles and it’s been really stressful. I think I must be too proud of who I’ve become to pay attention. If someone was to ever exclude me for being a girl, then their loss.
As you probably know, social media has a huge impact on perception as well as politics. Do you think the use of social media as a political platform creates a dangerous web of false information or a positive way to spread ideas and messages?
I think it’s a mixture of both! All it takes is one post of made up information to spread around for people to immediately jump to conclusions. I always fact check regardless of my views on the topic because I try really hard to be as educated as possible. But on the contrast, without the internet, a lot of people would continue to be on the wrong side of history. I think the internet is a necessary evil and it’s our responsibility to be smart with the information we see.
As for myself, my worst fear is someone publicizing a false story about me and it let down the people I’ve tried so hard to become a role model for. This is my oath that if I am to ever do something hurtful or wrong, I will own up to it and apologize. That way if I must deny something, you’ll know it’s not to deflect the truth.
Another thing I fear is anything uneducated from when I was younger surfacing. I wasn’t born with a complete understanding of the world and I didn’t grasp politics and social justice to the extent I do now. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never been a bully and have NEVER been hurtful or discriminatory in my life, but I have been confused about society and the mistreatment of groups in the past and I’m frustrated by that. I just hope that people know from now that I stand by who I am today and everything I say is from my heart! I’m the few who have been educated and used that information for good. I’ve even argued with strangers before just hoping I could stop someone from being bigoted or hurtful. Please don’t ever hold a grudge and search for something to be angry towards.
How do you use social media in your everyday life?
It’s the most crucial part of my promotion! Twitter is my gateway to communication, and Instagram is my showcase of every day and working life. Facebook just kind of sucks.
Okay, so let's diverge for a little and talk some more about you and your music. You recently ended your tour, how was that?
Sooooo much fun and EXHAUSTING. I headlined my own tour, The Invasion Tour, and opened for Public on the Sweet Lemonade Tour. I met some amazing people and made some awesome memories.
What’s next in store for you, do you have any plans?
I’m planning my 2018 tour and hopefully spitting out music videos left and right until I’m ready to release my new music ;)
Describe a regular day in the life of Natalie Claro.
Waking up, making food from scratch because I’m extra as hell, either going to work or sitting down at the computer to focus on my music, tweeting and interacting and rehearsing in the evenings. I typically work the most on weekends so I’ll randomly have an off day on a Wednesday.
Have you met any interesting new people while touring?
Yes!!! All the guys from Public are super talented and overall fantastic. They were nothing but fun and welcoming to me and my family. I also met Michael Gibson, an industry manager who I shared a long talk with just about music and life in general, I learned a lot just from him sharing experiences. Lastly, a photographer named Elizabeth Wiltshire. She’s amazing at what she does, hilarious, and adorable. Definitely look her up.
Okay, I have to ask this one. What’s your spirit animal, and why?
Lmao, I’ve never thought about this. I’m going to look up a “What’s Your Spirit Animal?” online quiz.
Okay, it says I’m an Elephant because I stand strong while remaining compassionate. I’m cool with that, I love elephants. I love Dumbo.
If you haven’t dropped your phone or laptop and checked out Natalie Claro’s music yet, I suggest you do so now. All throughout the interview, she had a really cool and natural way of writing and you almost felt as if you were truly in a room with her just hanging out and talking. When faced with more difficult and personal questions about her political feelings, she stepped up to the challenge and responded with really eloquent and powerful thoughts, and did so in a way that was easy to understand and relatable. Even if rock doesn’t seem to be your cup of tea, I totally recommend checking this rising star out, trust me you won’t regret it.
You can listen to Natalie Claro on YouTube, Spotify, Pandora, and iHeartRadio, and learn more about her here.
Syrian Refugees and the Top Sanctuary Nations At a Glance
By Rhayne Batista
Since the outbreak of Syria’s civil war in March of 2011, millions of Syrians have fled their homes seeking asylum. As of August 2017, there are 5,165,502 registered refugees of the Syrian Civil War, and an estimated 6,130,000 to 6,320,000 refugees according to the UN.
In America, the thought of the Syrian Refugee Crisis often feels distant, like a big deal somewhere, but not a big deal here. This is likely owed to the fact that our nation, although large, economically developed, and relatively progressive, has taken in only a small amount of refugees. The United States does not even make the list of the top 25 sanctuary nations, with 16,218 resettled as of the end of 2016 and several state governors refusing to allow refugees into their states. We are not the only nation, however, to separate ourselves from this crisis. Even Syria’s neighbor, Israel, has refused to take in any refugees, despite having such a well developed economy.
Still, there are nations out there who have played an active role in taking in Syrian Refugees. Here is what you need to know about the 10 nations with the most refugees. Each has registered or estimated over 100,000 asylum-seekers within their borders.
1. Turkey (3,222,00 registered)
The Good: Turkey has always been the top sanctuary nation, having taken in over half of the registered refugees. Fewer than 8 percent of these refugees live in camps. The nation, with relative stability, provides an excellent gateway to Europe.
The Bad: Despite the fact that most refugees live within communities rather than camps, it is extremely difficult for these refugees to find employment.
2. Lebanon (1,001,052registered/2.2 million estimated)
The Good: Lebanon has always been a very progressive nation in comparison to some of its neighbors, and many of its refugees live in local communities.
The Bad:The small nation has seen numerous cases of harassment and hostility towards the refugees, not only by the nation’s citizens but by local governments as well.
3. Jordan (661,114 registered)
The Good: Most of the refugees in Jordan live in local communities, with only 21% living in camps.
The Bad: The number of refugees in Jordan has been steadily decreasing, this is because of the deportation of hundreds of registered refugees.
The Good: German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, announced in August 2015 that her country would adopt an open-door policy, thus earning her the nickname “Mama Merkel.”
The Bad: Mama Merkel’s policy has created a culture clash, which has come to aid in the resurgence of the far right in Germany for the first time since WWII, this time under the name AfD. The party and its supporters have actively demonstrated against refugees Further, most refugees spend months in camps where they are denied school enrollment, formal language courses, and job training.
5. Saudi Arabia (500,000 estimated overstays)
The Good: It is known that Syria has refused to recognize any refugees, but some claim that that is because the nation and its Gulf Neighbors have not called them “refugees,” rather being classified as “Arab brothers and sisters in distress.” Regardless of the validity of that claim, Saudi Arabia has donated millions of dollars to support the UN Refugee Agency’s efforts in Syria.
The Bad: The Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and the UAE) has not officially resettled or recognized a single refugee, making it difficult to establish the actual number of refugees seeking asylum in the region. Saudi Arabia in particular has been criticised for mass deportations and blocking refugees unless they have a visa or passport.
6. The United Arab Emirates (242,000 estimated overstays)
The Good: The UAE has provided over $750 million US dollars to support Syrian Refugees. The Gulf nation has also recently committed to receive 15,000 refugees.
The Bad: The UAE is a late entry into the game, following the course of the GCC. While hundreds of thousands of refugees have been living in the nation, they are only now beginning to recognize them.
7. Iraq (230,836 registered)
The Good: Despite Iraq’s own conflicts, local security forces have kept conflict at bay in Iraqi Kurdistan. Unlike camps in other sanctuary nations, Syrians in Iraqi Kurdistan have experienced stability, as they are allowed to travel and work within the northern province, and many have opened their own businesses and built houses for themselves.
The Bad: “Tremendous” challenges of integration have presented themselves to Iraq as the nation, particularly in Kurdistan, has seen a dramatic change in population and society as it has a much higher proportional inflow of refugees than other nearby nations. Drops in oil prices have also presented setbacks as refugees plunge into poverty.
8. Kuwait (155,000 estimated overstays)
The Good: In April, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development signed a $10 million (US) agreement to improve refugee camp conditions in Iraq. The nation has also held several international humanitarian pledging conferences and top donors’ meetings to aid in humanitarian response to the refugee crisis.
The Bad: Kuwait has responded relatively late to the crisis, especially given its close proximity to Syria and Iraq. The bulk of the nations humanitarian efforts remain in raising funds for other nations rather than officially taking in any for themselves, such as those condensed in Iraqi Kurdistan.
9. Egypt (124,534 estimated)
The Good: In coordination with the Canadian Embassy, Egypt has promoted education for refugee children under the “Education in a Safe Environment” project. Refugees in Egypt, unlike other countries, are integrated into urban communities rather than camps, relatively easily because of shared language and very similar culture.
The Bad: Refugees in Egypt have struggled to support their families, especially since Egypt devalued its currency in November of last year. Many refugees face poor working conditions, including exploitation, harassment, abuse, and withholding of paychecks.
10. Sweden (110,333 applicants)
The Good: Sweden has accrued a reputation as a European safe-haven for refugees. The Swedish Migration Agency has even established a policy in 2015 of granting asylum seekers permanent residency for them and their families. After establishing this policy, Sweden took in more than 160,000 migrants from Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq --the highest rate per capita of any country.
The Bad: Just as Sweden has developed the same safe-haven reputation as Germany, it has also seen a drastic increase in anti-immigrant sentiment after a failed asylum seeker killed five in a terror attack in Stockholm. The attack gave many far right gangs the ammunition they needed to act against migrants, many attacking the homes of refugees across the nation.To make matters worse, Sweden has recently revised its immigration policy to grant only temporary residence, putting many refugees and asylum-seekers in danger of deportation.
Sources:
Jon Stone. Syrian refugee crisis: How different countries have responded. Independent. Retrieved from independent.co.uk.
M. Murat Erdoğan. Thinking Outside the Camp: Syrian Refugees in Istanbul. Migration Policy Institute. Retrieved from migrationpolicy.org.
Lauren Frayer. For Syrian Refugees In Turkey, A Long Road to Regular Employment. NPR. Retrieved from npr.org.
Ruth Sherlock. In Lebanon, Syrian Refugees Met With Harassment and Hostility. NPR. Retrieved from npr.org.
The UN Refugee Agency. Syria Regional Refugee Response - Jordan. Retrieved from data.unhcr.org.
Farah Najjar. HRW: Jordan ‘summarily deporting Syrian refugees.’ Al Jazeera. Retrieved from aljazeera.com.
Aryn Baker. Is Angela Merkel's Germany really the paradise refugees believe it to be? Time. Retrieved from time.com.
Open Source Investigations. Gulf States Response to Syrian Refugee Crisis - A Myth Debunked. Retrieved from opensourceinvestigations.com
Chase Winter. Arab monarchies turn down Syrian refugees over security threat. Deutsche Welle. Retrieved from dw.com.
Caline Malek. UAE leading by example by taking in Syrian refugees, Canadian minister says. The National. Retrieved from thenational.ae.
Nyree McFarlane. The UAE is going to start taking in Syrian refugees. What’s On. Retrieved from whatson.ae.
Ali Al-Arian. Syrian refugees cling to stability in Iraq. Al Jazeera. Retrieved from aljazeera.com.
Hayder Mustafa Saaid. Syrian Refugees and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The London School of Economics and Political Science. Retrieved from blogs.lse.ac.uk.
Mohammed Abu Asaker. Kuwait, UNHCR sign landmark agreement to aid Syrian refugees. The UN Refugee Agency. Retrieved from unhcr.org.
Kuwait Times. UN urges Gulf to do more to help Syrian refugees. Retrieved from news.kuwaittimes.net.
Ahmed Aleem. How Egypt is promoting education for Syrian refugees. Al-Monitor. Retrieved from al-monitor.com.
Walt Curnow. Syrians in Egypt demand clearer work regulations. Al-Monitor. Retrieved from alp-monitor.com.
Swedish Migration Agency. Permanent residence permit for asylum seekers. Migrationsverket. Retrieved from migrationsverket.se.
Dominic Hinde. Refugees in Sweden adjust to anti-migrant sentiment and tougher asylum laws. Public Radio International. Retrieved from pri.org.
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