The Significance of Derek Chauvin’s Verdict

by with One Comment FeaturedRace RelationsSocial Issues

Guilty. The one word that signified the end of a three-week trial. The trial of Derek Chauvin on the murder of George Floyd is one that encompasses the remnants of 401 years of inhumane treatment of Black lives in America. George Floyd’s death is reminiscent of that of Emmett Till; galvanizing a new generation of Civil Rights activists to open the eyes of the world to say yes, Black Lives Matter. That we are people too, but more than anything else, we are human. 

This verdict did not come without some angst or doubt that a sliver of justice would be served.  In the cases, of Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Breonna Taylor, Philando Castile, Sandra Bland, and Eric Garner, where was the justice? It has been the Black experience that our lives remain insignificant to that of our counterparts in the eye of the police. 

As we collectively breathe a sigh of relief now that we have a verdict, I cannot help but recognize that this euphoric feeling is only temporary. The verdict leaves me to beg the question, what happens next? What happens to the other officers involved? How will they be held accountable? Would there be new policies to include accountability among fellow officers? How will this change the way policing is done? For a system where ideologies of White Supremacy and racism are inherent, these changes needed to happen yesterday.  

Police Training…

This verdict sets the tone for America to reevaluate policing. It would be wise to consider looking at the training of police forces in other countries, which results in fewer police shootings and murders. We say we need more training, yet it seems the issue is not the frequency, but the length of time, quality, and substance of the information given during training. Too many people of color have been victimized due to those inherent values, mediocre quality in training, and the lack of interest and investment in continual support of the mental health (other than passing a psychological exam) of police officers. It is apparent that the policies and training are far beyond inadequate and lacking.

There is so much work to be done, and it requires all of us to work together to bring about effective change. The only way to move is forward, all of us, together.

George Floyd’s death and the trial of Derek Chauvin will serve as a milestone in how far we have come as African-Americans. The verdict has a special place in our history’s timeline. Just as Emmet Till’s death sparked the Civil Rights Movement, George Floyd’s death is launching a new wave of activists; leading a new era when it comes to justice: accountability. We are nowhere near true justice, but the will and desire to seek and achieve it has become the goal.

This case will forever signify one simple truth that we all know; that we are people; that we are human, but most of all: BLACK LIVES MATTER

Similar Read: Chauvin Verdict

An Imposter at the Homegoing

by with 4 Comments CultureFeaturedPolitics

Perseverance in the face of tragedy is a staple of the Black community. Surviving devastation has become so engrained in the Black psyche, it’s hard to separate the two. Events that appear insurmountable for many are often anticipated, a literal rite of passage. “How old were you the first time you experienced . . . (insert horrific event)?”

The Black “Homegoing” is a microcosm of that same Black experience in America. Early in the African Slave Trade, slaves were much more closely tied to their ancestral roots. Traditions were carried with human cargo during the Middle Passage. The newly-enslaved Africans believed death signified a return of the soul to the Homeland with the ancestors. Considering the horror they now faced, death was easily a much better existence. It mandated a celebration.

True to its DNA, the Black community persevered through centuries of the worst treatment of human beings in documented history. Relegated to the status of permanent livestock, hope for a life free from bondage sustained generations. That freedom could be in the physical form on Earth, living life as a “freedman” or it could mean a symbolic freedom with the soul released to a better place.

Forced cultural assimilation could never extinguish the will of the Black community to hold on to its humanity. The Black community now practiced a corrupted and modified version of Christianity. This form of population control sought to subjugate Blacks to permanent subordinate status by coupling their physical bondage with a far more insidious form of domination, mental servility.

Despite the clear objective of mental castration, the Black community still held traditions as sacred. Full forms of music, methods of cooking, story-telling, and manner of style/dress survived centuries of extensive efforts to sever any tie to the Black ancestral home(s). The Black community took this corrupted form of Christianity imposed upon them to further white supremacy and turned it on its head. The same Bible that was only presented to them in an abridged form (though never allowed in their exclusive possession) still provided hope to Blacks living a literal hell on Earth.

It is upon this backdrop that the Black Homegoing must be analyzed. One cannot overstate just how sacred the tradition is. After generations, Blacks in America replaced the African ancestral homeland with the heaven they heard preached in the Bible. They became synonymous and after generations, the Black community knew more of slavery than their actual bloodline. Sadly, slavery became the entire existence of the overwhelming majority of Black people in America.

Hope for something greater was all many had. Survival required them to hold on to the hope of reaching the “Promised Land,” lest they only exist to be subjected to daily torture. Whether that land be physical or spiritual, it was a blessing many sang of and sought daily. It sustained them. So one can only imagine the literal joy many felt to see another subjected to the same nightmarish existence, finally free. The celebration that “sent” that human being “home” was a recognition of them finally at peace. It was simultaneously providing hope for others. One day they too would no longer have to toil in the abyss of bondage.

The means of the Black Homegoing has evolved over generations, but the end is always the same. It is mandatory to celebrate that person’s life and the reality that the Black oppression in America can no longer harm them. While it is true that slavery in its original form has ended, it is still very much practiced in every state of the Union. Oppression and denial of the Equal Protection of the Law is likewise denied the remainder of the Black community that is not currently incarcerated.

The Black Homegoing is a celebration of those realities no longer controlling the life of the person currently celebrated. This is true of any Black American, be it the homeless man that remains nameless or a Civil Rights ICON. So with this context in mind, the passing of the arguably the greatest remaining vestige of the Civil Rights Movement necessitated the greatest Black Homegoing imaginable in the world of COVID-19.

John Lewis fought his entire life for the Black community. Literally penning a letter of instructions to the people from his deathbed, Lewis always sought to advance the Black community from the tortuous reality he endured for 80 years. The path was slow and arduous and unfortunately too long for Lewis to see it to fruition. With this reality in mind, Lewis’s Homegoing was planned. It involved multiple locations and services on multiple days, one last crossing over the Edmund Pettus Bridge, and his being honored by a who’s who of both the Black community and the world of social justice. Lewis was to be eulogized by the last President this country has seen, the first Black President of the United States, Barack Obama. It must be noted that the Obama Presidency likely never occurs without John Lewis and all he fought for, a reality that was never lost on neither Obama, nor the Black community.

However, before that sacred event could be concluded, America had to have one “last laugh.” In total, three former Presidents spoke at Lewis’s final service of his Homegoing. Ironically, the Republican former President knew full well what was and was not appropriate. George W. Bush’s words were eloquent and gracious, a far cry from his Presidency. His dialogue actually made many ponder on how far he had come, almost wishing the current occupant of the Oval Office could be more like him.

But true to form, White America had to make its indelible mark of despotism on the life of John Lewis one final time. Bill Clinton, a man that once joked he was the first Black President, is perpetually too comfortable in exclusively Black spaces. Indicative of his nature, Clinton would not waver during the sacred Black Homegoing for a sacred icon of the Black community. His words, reminiscent of the Willie Lynchism tactics imposed during slavery, sought to illuminate a perceived division in the struggle for Black liberation.

It was an underhanded and veiled slight, spoken quickly in a manner that would lead the passive listener to believe that John Lewis openly disagreed and clashed with another icon in the struggle for Black equity. While praising Lewis, Clinton referenced a division HE remembers in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). SNCC was an organization of student protestors and freedom fighters who sought nonviolent means to protest and resist segregationist practices in the South. SNCC was founded by 126 student delegates from various institutions. Among them were John Lewis and Stokely Carmichael. Their goal was uniform, direct-action challenges to civic segregation and the political exclusion of the Black community. SNCC sought to eradicate both with all deliberate speed.

Lewis and Carmichael may have personally favored different means of achieving their goal at times, but not to the point of pitting one against the other as an adversary. Put simply, they were fighting the same beast at the same time, seeking the same outcome. But, leave it to Clinton to impose revisionist history during the Homegoing for John Lewis. “Thankfully, Lewis prevailed…” were the words of Clinton, hinting that there was some struggle to “liberate” SNCC from the oppression of Carmichael. It was shameful and uncalled for.

Stokely Carmichael was a freedom fighter and not an oppressor. His contributions to the Civil Rights Movement cannot be quantified any more than those of John Lewis. Carmichael coined the phrase Black Power. A phrase many take for granted today, was unheard of when he first said it. One of the most revered alumni of Howard University, Carmichael set the world on fire with his powerful rhetoric. One cannot speak of the struggle for Black liberation without mentioning the name Stokely Carmichael (or Kwame Ture the name Carmichael took in later years). 

Much like John Lewis, Carmichael is a sacred icon. To speak negatively of Carmichael invites passionate debate or worse. It is an insult to the Black community to degrade its icons. Clinton did exactly that while on invite to an exclusively Black space, a sacred Black Homegoing for a sacred Civil Rights icon. He pitted one icon against the other without either of them alive to refute his subversive tactic. It was horrific.

However, the Black community will always survive. It will always endure. True to its character, the Black community brushed off this nasty tactic, which could have easily placed a stain on such a sacred moment. After all, those in attendance (either physically or virtually) were waiting for someone greater. While he is an imperfect human (a trait he wears on his sleeve openly), Barack Hussein Obama is a master of understanding the moment. Obama delivered one of his best speeches of recent memory, eulogizing the great John Lewis appropriately. By the conclusion of his speech, Clinton was a distant memory, as he should have been. John Lewis was appropriately sent “home.” He was finally at peace, no longer burdened by the cancerous disease that plagued his life. Racism could no longer harm him. He was finally free and no form of oppression, be it overt or the “wolf in sheep’s clothing” from Arkansas, could ever touch him again.

Long live John Robert Lewis, an icon and personification of the Black experience in America.

Similar Read: Until the Revolution of 1776 is Complete

Guidance Counseling in the Midst of COVID-19

by with 4 Comments CultureFeaturedGen Z

[New Contributor]

The mental toll of COVID-19 will require many counselors to come back to school prepared to help their students. However, this may not be so easy. Already, there is a lack of sufficient support for students from guidance counselors – the national ratio of students to counselors is 482 to 1, nearly double the recommended 1 counselor for every 250 students. This issue caused problems before the pandemic, and may affect virtual counseling during the new school year. 

Students feel as if they won’t be able to connect the same way with their guidance counselors due to the distance created with virtual learning. The transition from in school to virtual could be a setback for the growing relationship between counselors and students. 

“Having a good relationship with your guidance counselor is essential to your growth as a high school student,” rising sophomore Lily Ukpere said. “As a freshman last year, that was the first year the counselors got to know me. It was hard to create the same relationship I had with my counselor in school, online.” 

However, guidance counselors continued to offer their best support to their students when schools closed down in the spring. Different schools tackled the situation effectively, while using various tactics to let their students know that they were still there for them. At Conestoga High School in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, counselors posted encouraging videos, made informational sheets about mental health, and continued to contact their students through email or phone. Despite the plan, Guidance Counselor Jennifer Kratsa at Conestoga still missed the face-to-face interaction she used to get with her students in school. 

“Working in Student Services is very personal. We get to know students well, so we missed the face-to-face interactions very much. We, just like everyone else, had to adjust to that. That doesn’t mean we had to love it, but we had to figure out a way to make it work so that everyone felt comfortable,” Kratsa said. 

Although the District hasn’t worked out the full plan for counseling in the fall, they know that it will be different than the Spring. The TESD District Plan; however, ensures that school counselors and mental health specialists will continue to meet students, despite the circumstances. Guidance counselors plan to use Microsoft TEAMS, a platform similar to Zoom, to communicate with their students. They aim to have group meetings in the beginning of the school year to explain the plan to students, parents, and teachers. Conestoga counselors want their students to remember that they will continue to offer their support, regardless of whether they are at home or school. 

“Overall, we just want to help students navigate their way through high school,” Kratsa said. “We hope that all our students know that we are here, ready and willing to help when they need us.”

In the end, counselors need to come back to school prepared to face a different future. The need for ample counselors may make it difficult for counselors to adjust to the new changes, but it may also shed light on the large deficiency and initiate changes for the future. 

Similar Read: School in September?

Watching Black Men Cry Changed My Life

by with No Comment CultureFeaturedSports

Like millions of fans, Kobe’s death affected me more than I thought it would. I didn’t know him, I wasn’t even a Lakers fan, but I respected him greatly. His preparation, his tenacity to compete, and his attention to detail made me root for him even when he was playing against my team.

As a Black male, I found myself in a weird place trying to understand why I couldn’t stop thinking about Kobe and Gianna and the rest of his family who was left behind to cope with his tragic loss. We’re taught at a very young age, directly and indirectly, that showing emotions is a sign of weakness. Under no circumstances do you cry or let others see you cry. But when Kobe died, people witnessed some of the world’s most notable Black men cry and show emotions. It was tough to watch because you could tell many of them tried to hold back the tears, and literally could not. The no crying rule in public had been broken. Sad because a man and his daughter died as well as 7 others in a horrific accident, but beautiful because it humanized Black men in a world that often strips them of their humanity. 

Crying is one of the healthiest ways to cope and express emotions. According to WebMD, “Crying releases stress, and therefore is a great practice when it comes to staying mentally healthy.”

But society continues to reinforce that crying, especially in public, is a negative attribute in every way possible. Combined with America’s fascination with sports… we don’t give our athletes time or space to show emotions, to live outside of their respective sport(s); and if you’re an NBA or NFL fan, chances are the subjects of such reinforcement are young Black men. 

While the world witnessed notable Black men crying for weeks after the news broke and at the memorial service, they probably didn’t think much of it. But millions of Black men saw those same tears and raw emotions and realized it’s ok to do the same. And that’s a huge win for their long-term mental health, and ultimately their families and communities. I probably won’t immediately start crying the next time I’m hit with tragic news, but if it hits me hard… I now know it’s ok to do so. If WebMD and other studies are correct regarding crying helping our mental health, then by not doing so would do the exact opposite. Compound that by decades and decades of not crying, and you can imagine the negative impact and toll it can take on someone’s mental health and the communities they live in.

Most change isn’t easy, but most change is good, and inevitable.

We all wish Kobe and Gianna were still here. But if through Kobe’s tragic departure millions of Black men can realize that showing emotion is a strength and not a weakness, then Kobe might’ve made his biggest impact of all, and it had nothing to do with basketball. 

Thank you, Kobe. 

Similar Read: Mamba’s Gone, and We Just Can’t Believe It

The Importance of Mental Health Through The Mouths of Gen Z

by with No Comment FeaturedGen Z

Being part of “Generation Z” is something I enjoy for many reasons. One of them being that my generation has started and furthered conversations on important topics like mental health. Something that was once seen as taboo is now discussed more openly, and many of us recognize that mental health is just as important as physical health and should be taken seriously. Mental health is a broad topic and I struggled with what direction I wanted this piece to take. It came to me that the obvious solution was to include my perspective and perspectives from other people within my age group, then let the responses speak for themselves. I used a platform that my generation is familiar with: social media. Instagram allows users to post questions to their stories where people can respond, so I asked questions about important aspects of the topic: our generations’ approach to discussing mental health vs. the approach taken by earlier generations, how mental health care is viewed in our communities, and our definitions of self-care.

What has Gen Z done correctly & incorrectly when attempting to destigmatize conversations around mental health and bring it to the forefront?

No generation is perfect, and although I praise my generation for being open and honest about mental health, we do have our shortcomings. 

Responses were similar, stating that our generation does a good job of being vocal about it, discussing it freely instead of treating mental health problems like they’re shameful and should be hidden. When responding to what Gen Z needs work on, our coping mechanisms were criticized. One response said that while using humor to cope with issues is good, it gets misused to the point where it becomes a joke. A similar response said that our generation can sometimes make a mockery of it.

Since this piece focuses on Gen Z’s approach to mental health care, I thought there should be a comparison of previous generations’ approaches, to see the differences and what progress we’ve made. The responses all said that the older generation had an opposite approach and didn’t really address the issue at all. Getting help/healing wasn’t encouraged, and problems weren’t taken seriously. My friend stated that in the Black community, older people have a habit of “shoving it down,” which is something that I’ve witnessed so many times, and closely related to my next question.

Is mental health taken seriously in your community?

I made sure to ask this question because the stigma of mental health can vary in different communities. In the Black community, people often view mental illness as a “white person problem,” judging those who go to therapy or take meds. They may also be told that mental illness is “demonic” and will go away if they go to church, pray, or read the bible. While there’s nothing wrong with using your faith to deal with hard times, there’s a stigma around other avenues of help, a stigma that must be broken. Responses from two of my friends (who both identify as Black) stated the same thing. A response from a girl who is Bengali, said that people don’t take it seriously or view it as a joke, showing that not treating mental health care like the life-altering issue that it is, exists in different communities of color, which harms young POC.

How do you define self-care?

Self-care has become a buzzword in the past 2 years, so I wanted to include definitions of self-care created by young people. According to my friends, self-care is eliminating elements in your life that bring unnecessary stress/pressure, and finding healthy ways to cope when you feel you’re straining yourself. It means doing whatever makes you feel at peace whether it’s listening to podcasts, music, or reading a book. The answers that resonated with me the most were the responses acknowledging that self-care also means doing things that you don’t want to do, but need to. “Self-care is taking a step back and recognizing that you have to take care of yourself in ways beyond what you might actually want to, and confronting yourself with reality, while still being forgiving and kind to yourself in order to grow.” Furthermore, “self-care to me is all about bringing attention to yourself. Addressing the things that bother you or cause you to worry is the best thing you can do for yourself.” 

I really enjoyed hearing my peers’ opinions on mental health. We agree that taking care of your mental state is so important and that our generation has a different way of stressing the importance. While our generation still has things to work on—like learning when “humor as a coping mechanism” has gone too far and not encouraging unhealthy coping methods—we have a lot to say about how necessary mental health care is and what steps can be taken to create a world where people can be open about their issues and get help. We’re committed to making progress, which we have and should be proud of. 

Similar Read: The Duality of Social Media

I Can Hardly Remember A Time When Reports of Mass Shootings Weren’t a Regular Occurrence

by with No Comment CultureFeaturedGen Z

The first time I remember being informed of a mass shooting occurring was on December 14th 2012, the day that Adam Lanza opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School. I was twelve years old, sitting in my living room, viewing the news coverage with my mom. I remember crying, and her asking me if I was crying out of fear of something similar happening at my school. My response was, “No, this is all just really sad.”

Seven years later, and I still experience the same feelings of sadness when I hear the news of yet another mass shooting occurring. However, reports of mass shootings have become so frequent that it would be impossible for me to remember how I reacted to the news coverage of each one, which is not okay. Sadly, many people are way past the point of caring and become more and more desensitized after the story breaks. After receiving so many breaking news reports that a mass shooter has opened fire in various locations, some people are able to shrug and move on, which is the kind of complacency that NRA members and the lawmakers they support are counting on. Despite their indifference and inaction, the repetitive loss of life at the hands of mass shooters is not something to be normalized. Active shooter drills are not normal. Students being given bulletproof backpacks as they venture off into high school is not normal. Students fearing that their lives will be cut short if someone were to enter their place of learning with a gun (whether it be an elementary, middle, high school or a college campus) is not normal.

The treating of mass shootings as if they are inevitable is where a majority of my frustration comes from. Lawmakers ignore the issue, offering “thoughts and prayers” and visiting locations in the aftermath of shootings, while refusing to actually do something by utilizing their power to create structural change that could prevent so many of these tragedies. In New Zealand, the Prime Minister worked to prohibit access to semi-automatic weapons weeks after a mass shooting took place. In Australia, 35 people were killed at the hands of a semi-automatic weapon, and twelve days after the shooting, Australia’s Prime Minister announced a number of changes to their gun laws: “High-caliber rifles and shotguns were banned, licensing was tightened, a “buy-back” scheme took some 650,000 guns out of circulation and remaining firearms were registered to national standards.” These are just two examples of leaders swiftly taking action to protect its’ citizens from senseless gun violence. America has done nothing like this. 

In addition to policy changes, an end to mass shootings cannot be brought without addressing two of the often-ignored factors that contribute to it: misogyny and racism. Many women—myself included—fear being gunned down for rejecting men, and way too many women have been. Black Americans get gunned down by police on a regular basis. The Charleston shooting that took place in 2015, the 2018 shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, and the recent shooting in El Paso were all motivated by White Supremacy. (When you include the intersection of marginalized identities, the issue becomes even more dire). Mental illness, rap music, and video games are just a few things that have been used as scapegoats to avoid addressing these factors and doing the work to dismantle the systems that allow them to persist.

While I can hardly remember a time in my life where reports of mass shootings were not a regular occurrence, my hope is that the next generation won’t. While I’ll continue to advocate for comprehensive gun reform, I’d be lying if I said the feeling of hopelessness didn’t affect me. Countless lives have been lost; countless people have been traumatized—so honestly, what else is there to say that hasn’t already been said? What can be done to undo the years of damage that has been done by the normalization to mass shootings in the U.S.? Who else has to die before change comes? 

Similar Read: Bulletproof Backpacks, a 2019 Back-to-School Essential?

Pointing Fingers

by with No Comment CultureFeaturedGen Z

There is a monster within our midst. This monster was born and bred in the Land of the Free, fed from the bosom of bigotry, and taught how to survive by means of trigger happy fingers. Now that the monster is running amok, we are quick to point fingers at each other. Did you know that when you’re pointing the blame at someone or something else, there are three fingers pointed back at yourself? 

This monster has been taking the form of mass shootings, which have unfortunately become endemic in the United States. From theaters to parks to schools to nightclubs to Walmarts to downtown night scenes, gun violence has become increasingly more pervasive and its reach keeps extending. It continues to take over any and all remaining safe spaces, if people even feel safe here anymore. 

On the first Sunday of August, many lives were threatened and many lives were claimed. 

Patrick Crusius, a 21-year-old White man, traveled 600 miles from his hometown of Allen, TX to El Paso, to this Walmart. It is inarguable that he was a man on a mission to “get as many [Mexicans] as he [could]”. Given that El Paso is comprised of roughly 80% Mexican and Latinx, it is accurate to deem this as a hate crime. Crusius allegedly posted a “manifesto” on a dark website, 8chan, which includes strong anti-immigrant sentiments. 

Authorities reported that Crusius unabashedly confessed to this crime, saying “I’m the shooter”. Crusius is being charged with capital murder, but it is still uncertain whether he will be charged for this mass shooting as a hate crime. According to The NY Times, authorities are still looking for a definitive link between the manifesto on 8chan and Crusius. If they are to find it, then they may prosecute him for the shooting being either an act of domestic terrorism or being a hate crime. Personally, I don’t understand how it can’t be both. 

There are people who claim that this rhetoric sounds like President Trump’s election and re-election campaign, which both contain antagonistic views of immigrants, legal and illegal. This is finger-pointing. We are looking for someone to blame for this and Trump fits the mold, close enough. 

In Dayton, OH, Connor Betts finally got to enact his desire of becoming a mass shooter. Betts had expressed his desire to be a mass shooter since he was in high school. According to his old classmates, all he talked about was guns, extreme violence, and his “hit list.” This list was divided into two sections: a kill list for guys and a rape list for girls. With someone as vocal as he was about his intents, it begs to question why there was no further action taken against him. Betts had been a ticking time bomb since he was a high school student so I want to know how we could have given him the chance to explode. 

Something’s got to give. 

On Monday, August 5th, President Trump addressed these tragic events. While his sincerity could be called into question, if we focused on what he said, there is still a bone to pick with it. He blames violent video games and the internet for corrupting the minds of youths like Crusius and Betts. He also blames these violent acts on mental illness. Trump wants to start putting Red Flag Laws into effect through a bipartisan effort so that we can prevent arming “mentally ill monsters” in the future. Mental illness, video games, and the internet can be factors in decisions and intents such as these, but they are not the blame for them. 

Trump is pointing fingers at other reasons for these tragedies, but his remaining three fingers point at how he seems undecided about whether he’ll protect the people or the second amendment rights, how he feels there’s an influx of immigrants that are ruining our “great” country and making America lose its identity, and how his words and actions can be construed as misogynistic and racist. During his presidency, racist and sexist agendas have become more forthright. If our president can do and say these things, why can’t we the people do the same? 

One thing that stuck with me from Trump’s address is how mass shootings have steadily increased since Columbine twenty years ago. This increasing frequency needs to be stopped so innocent lives won’t be taken. This needs to stop now, but what would the solution look like? 

I like the idea of running background checks on individuals who are looking to purchase a firearm. It is certainly tedious work, similar to getting clearances for a new job, but this extra work can ensure that individuals like Crusius and Betts do not get their trigger happy fingers on them. This can be invasive, and it surely wouldn’t be infallible, but it would be a move in the right direction.  

The second amendment grants us the right to bear arms, and by placing the gun market under stricter supervision, it can be seen as an infringement of this right. I don’t see how we can more strictly regulate the sale and resale of firearms in America whilst remaining completely faithful to our second amendment right. However, as the saying goes, you can’t make everyone happy. 

I also like the idea of raising the age from 18 to 21; however, it is ridiculous to enforce because we are allowed to enlist in the army at the age of 18. We’ll be handling guns at 18, home and overseas, but will not be able to purchase them upon our return if we enforce a policy like this. 

Change is a ripple effect and it doesn’t happen immediately. Decisions have to be made in order for change of some sort to occur. We won’t know if it’s a bad decision or a good one if we don’t put forth the effort. President Trump is pushing for us to put our political differences aside because we need to stand together to make change. We need to relinquish ourselves of this monster we’ve created in the hopes of being and feeling safe within our own country. 

Similar Read: Gun Control: Could It Be That Easy?

The Duality of Social Media

by with 2 Comments FeaturedGen Z

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 Veiled Epidemic of Suicide

by with 5 Comments CultureFeaturedGen Z

On Tuesday, June 5th at approximately 10:10am Kate Spade, a world-renowned fashion designer known for her timeless creations, was found dead in her New York home. Spade’s death was ruled a suicide by both the coroner and law enforcement. Many are speculating as to why Spade decided to take her own life. The discussion gravitated towards both her bipolar disorder and her recent separation from her husband. Others reserved themselves to sending love and prayers to her family and friends in wake of this tragedy.

Not three days after Spade’s untimely death, Anthony Bourdain, a beloved television personality, author and chef, passed under very similar circumstances. There is a phenomenon that exists, dating back to the 16th century, from Johann Goethe’s The Sorrows of Young Werther known as “copycat suicide.” Copycat suicide refers to the replication of a suicide that has been publicized in mass, resulting in what is called a “suicide contagion.” After Goethe’s novel became a success there were reports of young men dressing as Werther and using the same weapon used in the novel as well. These patterns show themselves true as this epidemic grows.

Suicide remains a difficult and complicated topic to discuss let alone recognize or prevent. According to American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US. While it is obvious that the suicide epidemic only continues to amplify with time there is hope in education and activism. Organizations like the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline offer a multitude of services for individuals dealing with suicidal ideation. Additionally, there is statistical information on suicide and educational resources on the warning signs and preventative care in regard to suicide.

It is difficult to pinpoint why death by suicide has been steadily rising since the 90’s. Nell Greenfieldboyce, a science correspondent for NPR reports, “Suicide rates have increased in nearly every state over the past two decades, and half of the states have seen suicide rates go up more than 30 percent.” With this exponential rise in deaths by suicide, the research done thus far reflects interesting and unexpected conclusions. One of the most striking being the fact that over half of the people who died by suicide did not have a diagnosed mental illness and that over half of the deaths are attributed to firearms.

The research and methods on how to minimize suicide and suicidal ideation are coming to fruition. Now it is time to implement the facts in our approach to fighting the suicide epidemic which affects the world at large and continues to take lives in mass. The stigma attached to suicide leads to romanticizing and sensationalizing death by suicide and tends to shift blame and burden to the victim. On top of that, suicide is much too often conflated with mental illness.

The data published by the CDC named stressors like physical, economic, and relationship problems as some of the highest contributors to suicide deaths. The CDC also noted housing stability, outreach to high-risk groups such as the mentally and physically ill, military veterans, and people struggling with substance misuse as well as teaching coping skills from a young age as possible ways to combat death by suicide. All in all, this fatal issue will only be exacerbated by exploitation and regret until humankind, as a collective, can talk candidly and apply not only scientific but empathetic solutions to these complex societal plagues.

If you or someone you know is considering attempting suicide or struggling with suicidal thoughts please contact emergency services or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1(800)-273-8255.