A Note to Those Nervous About the Holidays

If the thought of seeing your family around the holidays makes you nervous, you’re not alone. As the political Black Sheep in my family, I understand what it’s like to spend time around people you love, but entirely disagree with. Mixing differing political beliefs with family love can be a very difficult crossroads to be stuck at. They’re your family and you love them and don’t want to fight, but political beliefs can have strong feelings behind them. So what do you do? How do you push past your differences and share in the joy of the holiday season?

After the 2016 election, my mother tried to incite a “no politics” rule for holiday dinner conversation. However, rules like that are easy to say but harder to follow. If your family is anything like mine, political conversation is basically inevitable. So how do you deal with it? When I was younger I would try to fight back. I would get angry and upset, which naturally only made things worse. It’s hard to bite your tongue when you hear things you disagree with so strongly, but after a while I learned that fighting back would only add fuel to the fire. I quickly realized I was outnumbered and no matter what I said or how I worded it, there was no winning for me.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, my best suggestion is to find someone else to talk to. Whether you find someone who agrees with you or even just someone who doesn’t want to talk politics, whoever you find will help you feel a little less alone. For me, this person is my brother. Although he has learned to stay quiet like I have, even just having someone to shoot a glance at when you hear something you don’t agree with goes a long way.

Another tactic you can employ is changing the subject when the conversation gets too heated. During the holidays my mother tries her best to cut off any political conversation as soon as it starts, that way it never even has the chance to escalate. Political conversations can easily turn into fights. If you can redirect the conversation before it even begins, then there’s no fight to have to diffuse later.

 The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy and happiness surrounded by loved ones. Talking politics may make for an interesting debate, but the subject can be very touchy and can easily take a turn for the worst. The important thing to remember is that regardless of what you say, people are very unlikely to actually change their opinions. So why cause yourself the stress? Talking politics during the holidays is far more likely to lead to a fight rather than a productive conversation. Save everyone the hassle and leave the politics at the door so everyone can have an enjoyable holiday season. 

This article was originally published on 12 December 2018.

Why is Mental Health Ignored in Schools?

Everyone remembers the Parkland, Florida shooting that occurred in February 2018, taking the lives of 17 students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Just recently news has come out that two MSDHS students have committed suicide. I personally found out about this news on Twitter, where people took to tweeting about mental health, particularly PTSD in this case. 

I believe that schools do not do an adequate job of addressing and working with mental health issues. At my own university, there is always a waitlist, sometimes a month-long to see a therapist on campus. My school does provide counseling services for free on campus, which is amazing, but they are severely understaffed. As college students, many of us cannot afford to go to therapy regularly. My school has good intentions with the free counseling program, but overall they need to expand their efforts. A student should not face a month-long waitlist when they choose to seek help.

Thinking back to my high school experience, I cannot remember a single mention of mental health outside of learning about different disorders in psychology class. I’m not quite sure why high schools don’t generally address the topic of mental health, but I believe this is a huge mistake. High school environments are home to bullying, stress, and expectations that all take a huge toll on students’ mental health. I thoroughly believe that high schools should not only be educating students about mental health, but also offering more services for help.

The students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School survived an extremely tragic event that will undoubtedly stay with them and shape their lives forever. It is highly likely that many of the students at MSDHS have or will develop PTSD due to this experience. Especially after a tragic event, schools should address mental health and work with the students to work through grief or trauma. MSDHS already lost 17 students to gun violence, and it is horrible that they are losing even more to suicide.

Various news articles say that students of MSDHS were feeling what is known as “survivor’s guilt”, ultimately leading to suicide. After such a traumatic event as the mass shooting, MSDHS should have been much more focused on mental health for both the students and the rest of the community surrounding the school. Tweets from MSDHS students revealed as early as a week after the shooting, students were expected to return back to normal school life as if nothing had happened.

News has also recently come out that a parent of one of the victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting has also committed suicide. We all know the deadly effects of gun violence, but it seems that the lasting mental effects afterwards are not addressed or sufficiently treated. Although losing a child or a friend is not something a person can easily get over, the mental health effects can be handled better if we just addressed them. Those who survive shooting situations should, without a doubt, be provided with adequate mental health care. No one can effectively walk away from such a situation and be completely fine. Mental health concerns should be taken far more seriously if we want to stop these tragic suicides.

This article was originally published on 15 February 2019.

Similar Read: The Veiled Epidemic of Suicide

Learning From Black History

As everyone likely knows, the month of February is Black History Month. In this country, the topic of race tends to be a very sensitive one. The reason race is such a difficult topic to discuss is because nobody wants to be called a racist. Nobody wants to be called out and told that what they are saying or doing is wrong or problematic. However, what many people don’t realize, is that this kind of call-out communication is sometimes necessary. If a person of color takes the time to explain why something is offensive or harmful, it is important to really listen and understand. White people cannot decide for people of color what is and is not racist.

On the other hand, however, it is never necessarily a person of color’s responsibility to teach White people about their history. People of color should not have to carry the burden of educating White people. If you are not Black but you want to do something for Black History Month, take the time to learn some Black history for yourself. Black history is often not taught thoroughly in schools. In general, we really only learn Black history through the lens of American history — starting with slavery, and usually ending around desegregation and integration. However, we all know Black history didn’t start with slavery, and the hardships certainly didn’t end with integrated schools.

There are centuries of Black history prior to slavery that has essentially been erased. There are so many Black people in this country today who don’t know where they are from or who their family is. Absent history is a huge problem in the recording and telling of history. All it takes is for someone to decide that your storyline is unimportant, and suddenly it’s gone forever. The more you learn about Black history, the more you realize just how much is left out in teachings. 

The best thing you can do as a White person during Black history month is to listen and to learn. If we want to move forward in our society, we need to stop silencing people. We need to listen to these marginalized groups and stop assuming that we know what they need or what’s best for them. Take a step back and listen to those who are actually affected by racism and other race-related hardships every day. We are still far from true equality in this country. One Black president does not mean we have solved racism. We still have a long way to go in our society. If we want to make lasting change, we need to start giving Black people the power and the voice to be able to do so.

The Day After: 2018 Midterm Elections

Two years ago I wrote a piece on the day following the 2016 presidential election. I was full of emotions that day—sad, angry, confused, frustrated, devastated, scared, and most of all, hopeless—and I needed to express them somehow. Two years later I’m here again to write a new version of my post-Election Day thoughts. This piece, however, will not be nearly as emotionally charged as the original. I have a lot of feelings about last night’s election, but above all else this time I feel hopeful.

​I want to start by talking about Election Day itself. One question that often gets asked is why Election Day is not a national holiday. I believe it should be. People are missing out on the opportunity to vote because they have to go to work or class. I also believe that on Election Day, all public transportation should be free. All people should have fair and equal access to voting and I believe that includes free transportation to get to the polls. Uber and Lyft have already implemented free rides to polling places on election day, so public transportation should be doing the same in order to ensure that everyone has a chance to vote. If we want to continue the pattern of growing voter turnout, we need to make sure that everyone has equal opportunity and access.

I also believe that every state should have same-day voter registration. A lot of people miss out on the opportunity to vote because many states require registration to be completed weeks before Election Day. Allowing people to register through the day of the election gives more opportunity for people to be able to vote. Voting should be a quick and easy process that everyone should have access to. After speaking to a few first-time voters yesterday I realized the process of voting might not be intuitive to those who have never done it before. There should be someone available at all polls to assist first time voters and anyone else who might need help.

​When it comes to the results of yesterday’s election, I have a lot of mixed feelings. However, like I said before, the emotion I’m feeling most strongly is hopefulness. As a registered Democrat, I am overjoyed to see the flip of the House of Representatives. Although the Dems were not able to flip the Senate as well, I find some joy in other smaller victories. For example, record-breaking numbers of women were elected to the House. There were many firsts of this election as well. For example Sharice Davids, the first openly gay and Native American woman to be elected to Congress, Jared Polis, the first openly gay male Governor, and Ihan Omar, the first Muslim woman in Congress.

​Although we may not have come away with the “Blue Wave” that so many people were hoping for, I see the victories from this election as a step in the right direction. I feel very optimistic about our future and I hope we continue to make history going forward in our elections by pushing for more minority representation in out Congress.

The Duality of Social Media

Regardless of what websites you use or how you use them, social media is undoubtedly a huge part of our culture today. Today’s generation of teenagers and young adults have grown up in an age of social media and technology expansion like we’ve never seen before. Because social media is such a new concept, there are many things about it that the older generation does not seem to understand.

The way I personally view social media is kind of a love-hate relationship. Because social media has become so central to communication, especially in our generation, it’s almost more of an inconvenience not to have it. It’s like a necessary evil. Now, I don’t REALLY believe that social media is actually evil, but I’ve certainly seen the constant connection and communication have negative effects on people.

With smartphones constantly in our pockets and social media platforms just a click away, it’s nearly impossible not to be connected all the time. Because of this, people often tend to experience a sort of information overload. While staying informed, up to date, and connected is an important part of our world today, being overwhelmed by constant updates can have some pretty nasty side effects.

Increasingly more often I see people taking a break from social media, or even deleting certain platforms entirely, for mental health reasons. Bullying can be a huge problem on social media and words can have such a strong impact on people. Social media can present us with an overwhelming amount of negativity at times, which can be very stressful and mentally draining.

Constantly having to read and see what other people are doing can be very hard as well. What a lot of people don’t realize is that people only post on social media in the way they want to be viewed by the world. Posts online are never truly reflective of what’s really going on in a person’s life. It’s so easy to get lost in a newsfeed full of people on tropical vacations, out partying with friends, and achieving great successes. It’s easy to think that others have a better, more perfect life based on social media posts. It’s easy to think that your life is not as great by comparison. This is simply not true. People tend to forget that others live a life outside of social media that we cannot see. You never know what is really going on behind closed doors.

On the other hand; however, social media can also have an extremely positive influence on people. I have seen people connect on social media who would have never met otherwise. I’ve seen friendships and relationships formed online with bonds strong enough to bring people together from miles apart. I have seen people find a safe space where they can express who they are and find a community when they cannot in real life. I have seen people build entire careers and businesses from the ground up, made possible entirely by the breadth of social media’s reach.

Social media has the ability to change lives for better or for worse. It’s important that social media is used as a tool for growth and connection rather than tearing-down and isolation. Let social media be a tool to connect the world and spread information, but don’t let it take over your life. Breaks and time away from the Internet can be crucial for mental health, and it is most important to keep YOURSELF in mind as you scroll through others’ posts. 

The Debate Behind 3D Printed Guns

The second amendment has become a staple in partisan debates, enhancing the deep divide between political party ideals. Despite the laissez-faire intent of the law, America’s obsession with guns is becoming more prominent as mass shootings and gun violence are also becoming more prominent. Following the increase of gun violence in America, citizens are more critical of not only the second amendment but also the availability and readiness of weapons for a wide range of Americans. Data from the Pew Research Center shows the public attitude towards gun rights has reflected this increased awareness over the past few years, stating the support for gun rights has decreased from 52% in 2014 to 47% in 2017. 

Although the government is being pressed for gun reform, private businesses (that citizens have no stake in) are getting involved in the distribution of firearms. One nonprofit group, Defense Distributed, had been approved to “publish plans, files and 3-D drawings in any form and exempts them from the export restrictions.” The group was told to take down the plans, the government citing an International Traffic in Arms Regulations violation, but they filed a lawsuit in 2013 fighting for their capitalistic rights. Despite initial resistance, the lawsuit recently came to a sudden settlement allowing the group to distribute AR-15’s, handguns, and other firearms without restriction. Not only are the guns freely distributed, but they are also unregulated and untraceable. 

This ruling in favor of an unregulated free-market is a concerning leap backward for the safety of America. The ability for groups to freely print unregulated firearms is a terrifying reality in a country where millions of citizens are calling on their government to pass stricter gun laws. Although it is presumptuous to assume the worst following this ruling, it is ignorant to not consider the impact of the mass distribution of unregulated weapons on America and other countries. Even if government officials trust the free-market system in this case, it’s unknown how this will expand to and affect other countries where weapon sales are restricted due to violent government regimes and political revolutions.

The main concern in this situation is the inability of the US government to track and regulate firearms as well as their inability to protect its citizens. While tracking and regulating can create massive problems for the criminal justice system, not all safety precautions should be thrown out the window yet. Although the guns can be printed in plastic, therefore able to pass through metal detectors undetected, they are inoperable without two pieces of metal, including a firing pin. So the guns themselves aren’t as inconspicuous as they seem, but they do make it easier to get around metal detectors and restrictions. Not only can the guns easily make it around metal detectors, they can easily shimmy their way around age restrictions and background checks. Another thought to consider is the technological advances that may occur as a result of these prints and plans being available. With the usage of bump stocks always under debate, it is easy to see the potential technological features that can be quickly added to guns through such plans that will serve as a “booster” for ammunition.

In a last-ditch effort to stop Defense Distributed, a few states including Pennsylvania have initiated lawsuits against the organization that would block or ban 3D guns in one way or another. Many states are also urging the government to withdraw from the settlement. On the surface, 3D printed guns present a scary, unknown future for Americans. But the fact of this situation is that the future is almost definitely, entirely, unknown. People can predict and argue about what this ruling means and what will happen in the future, but we just don’t know. 

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References:

William, David. Americans can legally download 3-D printed guns starting next month. CNN. July 20, 2018.

Pew Research Center. 2017. Public Views About Guns. Washington, D.C.

Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund. 2016. GUN VIOLENCE BY THE NUMBERS. Manhattan, New York.

What Does LGBT Inclusion Look Like?

Just a few weeks ago the popular TV show, RuPaul’s Drag Race, hit an all-time high in ratings with its latest season 10 finale. As a member of the LGBT community, it is absolutely amazing to see a show all about drag queens performing so well in mainstream media.

Shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race are so important to have in our society today. When a show is centered entirely on an LGBT experience, it gives LGBT youth something to look up to. They can see people like them being portrayed routinely on TV, which has not been a common trend in the past. Not to mention the inclusive nature of the show, in which RuPaul accepts queens of all kinds and encourages them to be unique in order to succeed in the competition.

Representation is so important, especially for children because it helps reassure them of their identity as well as showing them what they can do. For me it is always exciting to see LGBT representation in the media because every instance of it means we’re one step closer to normalizing LGBT culture and communities in our society. 

This most recent season (10) of RuPaul’s Drag Race was particularly exciting for me to watch because the winner actually grew up in my hometown. It was so inspiring to see someone who came from the same place, not only win such a huge competition, but also to be celebrated for his identity and his sexuality. 

This is why representation is so important. To see someone who comes from the same place as you rise to do great things, especially as a member of the LGBT community, is absolutely inspiring. It also gives LGBT youth a positive role model to look up to and shows them that they can be successful in embracing who they truly are.

Representation in media is also helpful because it gives people who may not know or understand the LGBT community an inside look at what it’s really like, and it’s one step closer to normalizing diversity and inclusion in our society. When straight people see LGBT people on TV or in movies, they gain a different perspective, which allows many of them to warm up to the idea of LGBT people. 

With the recent wave of queer representation in mainstream media, shows such as RuPaul’s Drag Race and Queer Eye, as well as movies such as Love, Simon and Call Me By Your Name, more and more straight people are getting an inside look at what being LGBT truly means and have become more accepting because of it. I hope LGBT representation continues to grow in mainstream media until it’s completely normalized in our society. 

Turning Blind Eye to Corruption in Criminal Justice System

“Corrupt cop” seems less like an oxymoron and more like the average American law enforcement officer nowadays. Despite 2018 being the year of exposés of sexual predators in Hollywood, music production, and government, it is unlikely for normal people who hold positions of authority to have their unethical behavior exposed, let alone be fired. Sexual offenders are being exposed and condemned left and right, but criminal justice offenders are being given empty warnings and paychecks.

In the criminal justice system, spotlight cases like those of Meek Mill help shine a light on the injustices that can occur when the traditional power structure hasn’t been or isn’t able to be challenged. Meek was arrested by Philadelphia police officer Reginald Graham in 2007 who then testified against him during trial in 2008 convicting the rapper of drug charges. Despite Meek’s arrest and conviction, the credibility of Graham was questioned during the case as he is a resident on a District Attorney’s Office list of “police officers with clouded credibility.” Not only was Graham’s credibility questioned; but two officers, Walker and Gibson, who were operating under Graham at the time of the arrest, were arrested in 2014 for federal corruption charges and in 2015 for robbing a suspect, respectively. 

Whether or not this clouded credibility affected Meek’s arrest leading to his conviction is unclear, but the fact that the District Attorney keeps a list of corrupt cops is insulting to the freedom and fairness that Philadelphians and Americans across the country deserve. Why do we allow incompetent evil people to run our country by their own accord with no repercussions or push back? Acknowledging the unethical behavior of an officer who carries a gun designed to kill anyone who doesn’t comply and can decide the fate of citizen’s lives is shocking. 

Even more shocking, there are hundreds of cases like these that occur under the radar of the media. Infamous tales of those like Chicago cop Ronald Watts have been widely known in small communities where everyone is familiar with the injustice of the criminal justice system as well as the person who brings the injustice. Notwithstanding the common knowledge of corruption in this community in Chicago, it took until 2018 when Watts had already retired for 32 of his convictions to be thrown out. Although this seems like a well-deserved victory for those working on the Exoneration Project, there is still a need for the examination of approximately 500 convictions Watts made from 2004-2012 alone.

Similar to fairy tales and folklore there are always warnings of the bad men to stay away from, but you never hear about betrayal by someone who is supposed to protect and help grow the community they are a part of. Many Americans are fighting back and not letting this be the story that future generations will grow up listening to. There are many opportunities to right the wrongs done in this world by injustice, and it can start with holding people in positions of power accountable for their actions.

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References:

Gonnerman, Jennifer. (2018). How One Woman’s Fight to Save Her Family Helped Lead to a Mass Exoneration. The New Yorker, May 28, 2018 issue.

Mitchell, Max. (2018). Stakes Rise for Meek Mill as Post-Conviction Hearing Is Set to Open. The Legal Intelligencer, June 15, 2018.