Charlottesville Events

This is my first blog post.  I started this as part of my Journalism course.  I will be posting weekly news here.  I hope you can visit often.

A hot topic in the news was the Charlottesville event.  The New York Times reported that on August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia, the citizens were were protesting against racist rallies by thealt right which holds close views to Neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).  Racism has a deep root in American history making this a very important event to discuss.

Around 1:45 PM, a car driven by a white nationalist plowed through the crowd killing one person and injuring 19 others.

When asked about his thoughts on this tragedy, President Donald Trump of the United States of America, blamed both sides.  He said “Racism is evil” and declared the white nationalists “repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans.”

Later, he doubled back on his response, saying that he would like to make clear to the media and the public: “You had a group on one side that was bad. You had a group on the other side that was also very violent. Nobody wants to say that. I’ll say it right now.” This made many people concerned as it was equating the racist and murderous actions with the peaceful counter protests.

Racists and bigoted language and actions should have no place in our society.  We have come a long way since the days of slavery and we do not want to turn the clock back.

 

Should Teachers Be Armed?

Due to the recent tragedy of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre in Florida, President Trump has come up with a “logical” solution regarding gun control, stating that teachers should be armed with guns: “You give them a little bit of a bonus, so practically for free, you have now made the school into a hardened target,” he says.  First of all: What exactly does “practically for free” mean? Does it mean that it is free but it really isn’t? Second of all: the school does not need to be a target at all. Adolescents are attending school to learn in a safe environment. Making the school a “target” will only make the school less safe. Our goal is providing a safe environment where children can learn.

Just ask the students. Jonathon Grammer, a 15-year-old sophomore at Brookhaven High School, speaks out about the issue. “What if they’re having a hard day and decide to shoot up a school,” he asks. “They’ve already got the gun on them.” Having legalized weapons will make it easier for administrators to use them to their advantage. They could harm their students, or threaten them with violence. Not only will it make it easier for teachers to commit crime, but having teachers carry guns in school will make it easier for students to commit crime as well.

According to tampabay.com, “Florida parents should not send their kids to school wondering whether the math teacher, the kindergarten teacher or the football coach secretly carries a gun. Yet the Florida Legislature appears poised to approve a risky scheme that envisions 10 armed teachers in every school who are prepared to respond to a mass shooter. This flawed response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre would make schools more dangerous, undermine relationships between students and teachers, and transform campuses into armed encampments awaiting the next attack.”

Our country used to be safe. That is, until so many evil people got the guts to show their true colors. Having gun control is an absolute necessity to keep America safe. Our teachers and students need to feel safe and protected. School should be a safe haven. We shouldn’t be afraid that every time a student or teacher opens their mouth or makes a move that there is going to be a massacre.

Student arrested for breaking and entering into his school. But in his defense….he was sleepwalking?

A Pennsylvanian student was caught breaking and entering into his school, Wendover Middle School in Hempfield Township. His explanation: He was sleepwalking. Apparentley, Surprisingly, the student reported himself. However, this act of honesty was not enough. According to the New York Times, “Even though the student had reported himself to the authorities, the school…, was closed on Wednesday and swept for weapons, underscoring the seriousness with which potential threats to schools have been treated since the shooting at a high school last week in Parkland, Fla.” This decision was absolutely necessary. Too many mass shootings have happened in this country. It is time to take action.

The “sleepwalker” had a backpack with him, and “was found in the classroom at about 2:30 a.m. Trooper Steve Limani of the Pennsylvania State Police said it would be a mischaracterization to say that he was ‘apprehended.'” Ultimately, the student was not arrested and it was proven that he had a history of sleepwalking. There have been many sleepwalking scandals and it is very possible that student was unaware of what he was doing. He wasn’t attempting to do anything malicious from what we know, so charges cannot be pressed. The student is still being investigated.

It would be unreasonable to charge this student with attempted murder for simply breaking and entering, but further investigation should occur in order to make sure that no federal crimes are committed.

The Parkland Massacre

It was an ordinary day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on Wednesday, February 14th. Until it wasn’t. For that day would be one of the largest massacres in modern U.S. history. The shooter, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, was a former MSDHS student. According to CNN, “Cruz was fascinated with guns and violence.” Such an unfathomable fact to hear. That someone could be so infatuated with such horrific things. Cruz had also posted threats and photos of himself holding guns in social media. This should have been a dead give away for many people, but alas, the tragedy still occurred.

Students were confused and stunned when the fire alarm went off. When it was announced that it was not a drill, the reality of the situation hit the students hard. Many of them begin texting their loved ones as they went into hiding and the school went on lock-down. It all happened so quickly. “Pop-pop! Pop-pop!” Bodies crumpled to the ground. A physical education coach and security guard, Aaron Feis, used his own body to shield some of his students from the gunshots. He dies a hero. “That’s Coach Feis,” Colton Haab, a 17-year-old junior and football player, says. “He wants to make sure everybody is safe before himself.”

Lori Alhadeff, mother of Alyssa, raced to the school after learning of the shooting. “I knew at that point she was gone,” Alhadeff said. “I felt it in my heart.” Alyssa did not survive the shooting. Nearly 80 minutes, 80 WHOLE MINUTES after the first 911 call, the police captured the shooter and had him arrested. “He looked like a typical high school student,” officer Michael Leonard said. “For a quick moment I thought, ‘Could this be the person? Is this who I need to stop?'”

“The suspect in the deadliest school shooting since Sandy Hook was caught and 17 people were dead.”

It’s days like these that remind us how important love is and how we need to be prepared for horrific situations such as the Parkland Massacre. We must be strong. We cannot save the world, but we can restore the good in humanity. We just have to take caution. A good start would be maximizing gun control.

 

 

12-year-old girl commits suicide due to cyberbullying.

Though social media can have many positive effects on the lives of adolescents, the negative effects seem to be far more dire. On January 10th, 2018, 12-year-old Gabriella Green, known as Gabbie, was found unconscious at her home and proclaimed dead at the hospital. According to CNN, “The medical examiner told CNN that the girl died from hanging.” After much investigation, the police discovered that Gabbie was cyberbullied and linked the causes of her suicide to the cruel comments and videos posted about her and sent to her online. Two students, a boy and a girl, (who shall remain anonymous), were accused of cyberbullying. The girl started rumors about Gabbie and attacked her on a personal level. According to police reports, the attacker’s “actions consisted of starting rumors of the victim having sexually transmitted diseases, vulgar name-calling … and threats to ‘expose’ personal and sensitive details of the victim’s life.”

The boy claims that Gabbie texted him to tell him that she was having a bad day. He said that Gabbie told him that she “had attempted to hang herself and had marks on her neck…” Furthermore, during a video chat, “she discussed taking her life, and the boy said something to the effect of, ‘If you’re going to do it, just do it’ and ended the call.” The boy claims that he regretted that comment, but when he tried to message her, Gabbie did not reply. Despite his so-called “regret,” the boy did not reach out to any adults or authorities, most likely due to fear of being persecuted or sheer guilt. An officer wrote that actions of the accused students caused the victim mental distress.

As someone who has experienced bullying before, both online and in the real world, I can tell you that when you are being harassed online, it can be much more challenging to reach out to trusted peers and adults about your situation because you may feel ashamed or trapped. I post online anonymously, and my sensitive feelings are often hurt even when no one knows who I actually am. One of the worst experiences that I’ve had was on Wattpad, a social media website where you can post stories, roleplay as characters, and chat with other users. I spoke up for someone who I saw was being harassed by several people (because my innocent mind and stupid emotions told me that it was the right thing to do), and the people who were harassing that person ended up harassing me for defending them. Even when I reported the attackers, they were still able to keep sending messages to me until I muted them and blocked them completely. It hurt my feelings so bad that I told my parents, who started cracking down on my screen time and monitoring my social media accounts much more closely.

Bullying, especially cyberbullying, is not a situation that one should simply ‘brush off.’ People, not only adults but adolescents, too, should start taking the online virtual world more seriously. Be cautious. Be wise. And remember that there is ALWAYS someone who cares about you.

What should we call today’s generation? Does it even really matter?

Millennials? This generation? Perhaps we should come up with a new name for today’s generation. “Millennials are getting older,” Caroline Crosson Gilpin says, stating her opinion in a New York Times article on January 26, 2018. Many people from the previous generation joke that today’s generation should be called “slackers” due to the fact that people have it much easier than the previous generation did. Just because they may have more resources and more opportunities than the previous generation doesn’t mean that they take their luxurious predicament for granted. Well…not all of them anyway. Many of them do though.

Some have already thought of names for today’s generation, such as: “Generation Z, Post-Millennials, The Homeland Generation, iGeneration,” and many more. However, there are many people who think that we should call our generation something much more original. And there are some who believe that it really doesn’t matter. That we should instead be focusing on other more important things such as financial and ethical issues, and that the people who are determined to come up with a name for today’s generation are just “people trying to sell stuff.”

We spend too much time focusing on the frivolous aspects of life when we should be focusing on real issues, such as global warming and racism. Instead, today’s generation seems to be fascinated with the idea of shortening words, coming up with ridiculous acronyms, and deciding on names for different generations. Open your eyes and escape into the real world. Be aware. Be wise.

 

Larry Nassar sentenced to up to 175 years in prison for decades of sexual abuse.

As more and more women open up about being sexually harassed, a huge scandal has recently been discovered. World-renowned sports physician, Larry Nassar, was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison on January 24th, 2018. Many talented young women turned to Nassar for guidance to fulfill their dreams of becoming stellar gymnasts. According to CNN, “…a judge sentenced Nassar, the former Michigan State sports and USA Gymnastics physician, to up to 175 years in prison for sexually abusing patients under the guise of medical treatment.”

Nassar, claiming to be helping these girls be successful in their hobby, sedated them. When the girls awoke, they discovered that they had been sexually harassed. Though it is very possible that these girls could have fabricated these stories, their allegations were brought to light when government officials browsed Nassar’s computer. According to BBC, “…he was sentenced for child abuse images found on his computer.” The fact that Nassar committed sexual assault is already inhumane to begin with, but for him to capture images of innocent girls being molested by himself is so cruel that it is almost alien.

It was revealed that the girls went to Michigan State University, (the school where Nassar coached), to accuse Nassar of sexual harassment. According to the same source, Judge Aquilina of the case, stated, “Victims were silenced, intimidated, told they were receiving medical treatment, and at times sent back to be further abused.” What is even more disgusting than the horrifying and demonic actions performed by Nassar are the actions of the Michigan State University (MSU). America claims to support women and equal rights, yet women and girls of all ages are dismissed when they are in desperate need of help.

When the girls were denied help, they banded together to stand up for themselves and women everywhere. Each victim testified against Nassar in court, describing their experience and feelings. According to refinery29.com, Aly Raiseman spoke strong words against Nassar: “Imagine feeling like you have no power and no voice. Well, you know what, Larry? I have both power and voice, and I am only just beginning to use them. All these brave women have power, and we will use our voices to make sure you get what you deserve: a life of suffering spent replaying the words delivered by this powerful army of survivors.”

According to the New York Times, after delivering a powerful speech, Judge Aquilina signed a paper granting permission for Nassar to be sentenced. “I just signed your death warrant,” she said. Two police men escorted a completely shameless Nassar out of the court room as everyone in the court room applauded the defeat of this shameless monster. The damage done to the victims cannot be taken away, but we are women, and in the words of Aly Raiseman, we are a “powerful army of survivors.” Sexual abuse crimes happen to many different people of all ages in all places. However, people are only now starting to speak out about it. Sexual abuse is not only a crime, but an inhumane action that deserves punishment by life in prison or possibly even execution. We shall not stand for this anymore. We will fight for peace and we will win.

“Make America great again”? Uh…let’s NOT.

It’s no surprise that America’s…EVERYTHING went down after the election of 2016. The poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer. The constitution of the United States makes it clear that all people are created equal. Tell that to our president. Last week, according to independent.co.uk,  “Donald Trump’s reported remark branding Haiti, El Salvador and unspecified African nations as ‘s***hole countries’ has been branded racist by a UN human rights official.” So…the Civil War never happened? Is that what the president thinks? People of color never gained equal rights? No deaths happened during the fight which was so important to human rights? Was he raised in a barn?

Surprisingly, he wasn’t. (I know. Shocking). Historical facts aside: news flash! There’s a thing called “racist!” Which Trump thinks that he is not (Sure….let’s go with that). Spokesperson Rupert Corville said, “If confirmed these are shocking and shameful comments from the President of the United States, there is no other word you can use but ‘racist.'” There has been debate about whether or not Trump’s comments are racist (which makes absolutely NO sense because anyone with an ounce of intelligence can figure out that Trump’s comments are, without a doubt, completely racist), and there are still some people who think that Trump’s presidency is the best thing that has happened to the United States.

“He asked to know why the US would not instead accept people from places like Norway,” the article states. According to independent.co.uk, despite the praise given to Norwegians by the President, the Norwegians defended the Haitians and told the President, “We don’t want to come to your s***hole country.” They decided to mock President Trump by using his own weapon against him:

Twitter.

According to the article, “One user, Christian Christensen, a Stockholm-based American professor, wrote: ‘Of course people from Norway would love to move to a country where people are far more likely to be shot, live in poverty, get no healthcare because they’re poor, get no paid parental leave or subsidized daycare and see fewer women in political power’.” Professor Christensen nipped it RIGHT in the bud. Forget other countries! We’re the ‘s***hole’ country right now! And we will never be a successful country unless we move forward, not turn back the clock. “Make America great again”? Uh….let’s NOT.

 

Net Neutrality Dies. One Step Closer to the Demise of America.

We all enjoy being able to browse the Internet freely. It makes it easy to keep in touch with friends and family far away and makes it more convient for us to catch up on important news about our country and the rest of the world. Well, we just lost that ability. On December 14th, 2017, a majority of the Federal Communication Comission (FCC) has voted to repeal net neutrality. According to techcrunch.com, “Despite overwhelming opposition from Congress, technical experts, advocacy organizations and, of course, the American people, the FCC has voted to eliminate 2015’s Open Internet Order and the net neutrality protections it established.”

Due to this absurd decision, we will no longer be able to use the Internet to our advantage. The FCC is made up of two Democrats and three Republicans. The Democrats were in favor of keeping net neutrality. The Republicans were not. Naturally, the Democrats lost and the Republicans won. No surprise there. Chairman Ajit Pai and Republican Commissioners Brendan Carr and Michael O’Rielly voted in favor of the order. Democratic Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel voted against the order. Carr said that this was a “great day,” practically spitting in the faces of the Democrats. 

There is also proof that the order is incorrect. In May of 2015, when FCC revealed a draft of its plan about abolishing net neutrality, it was “pointed out that it’s case rests almost entirely on a deeply incorrect definition of how the Internet works.” Does that sound right? So, the FCC passed a law….using incorrect evidence and information? And it’s a LAW? Well, yes. It is now a law. Our Internet will be much slower and we won’t be able to reach out to others who we need, who need us. We won’t be able to communicate long-distance with our loved ones. Come to think of it, the PEOPLE did NOT vote on this law. The FCC did. As far as I’m concerned, since the 2016 election, democracy has officially been dead.

Net neutrality dies. One step closer to the demise of America.

GIRLS ARE SMART, TOO.

For years, girls have struggled to increase their social status. We still don’t get nearly enough respect as we should, but we continue to show not just America, but the whole world, that we are capable of great things. After a year of miserable traveling and several heartbreaks, an Afghanastanian girls’ robotics team has made a comeback. According to The New York Times, “The group of teenagers, who attracted international attention last summer when they were briefly denied visas to the United States to take part in a robotics competition, won an award at a top festival in Europe.”

These girls were denied visas. It was never clear they never received visas, but I get the feeling that it simply has to do with prejudice and racism. The fact that these girls were denied visas and still persisted in competing in Europe is incredible. This truly shows their dedication to their work and strong female power. The girls faced several obstacles during their travels. The girls’ hearts were broken “days after they returned home from the United States, when the father of the team’s captain was killed in a suicide bombing.” 

Roya Mahboob, “the chief executive of Digital Citizen Fund, an Afghan technology entrepreneur who interpreted for the teenagers in the United States,” posted a message on Twitter congratulating the winners. Mahboob explained in an email that the girls returned home immediately after the competition because some of them had to take exams.

After all of this chaos, these girls are STILL dedicated to school. This win is not only a win for Afghanastan, but it is also a win for females everywhere. Just because we’re girls doesn’t mean that we’re not smart or strong. We are strong. We are intelligent. We are powerful.

Tampa shooting suspect charged with four counts of murder.

Let us pray that there is still some kind of humanity left in our world, because with the way that things are going, there is less and less evidence of kind human nature. Just Tuesday at 01:12, the prime suspect of the Tampa shootings was arrested and charged with murder. According to CNN, “Howell Donaldson III, 24, was arrested on four counts of murder on Tuesday in connection with a series of seemingly random killings that had terrorized neighborhood residents over the past 51 days.” He had been terrorizing residents of a neighborhood in Tampa for the past two months, but Florida residents will be happy to know that they are now safe. Donaldson won’t be bothering them anymore. It is disheartening how cruel people can be, but this is not just cruel. It is an act of terrorism.

 

When Donaldson was arrested, he reacted in a very surprising and extremely calm manner. Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan said, “He seemed fine to me, which is a strange answer for me to give because why is he out murdering people?” Dougan continues, “He seemed like he knew exactly what he was doing and what was going on. He was very much aware of where he was and what he was doing.” What a sickening fact. That someone could be so comfortable with committing such acts of crime. The scary and very sad fact about Donaldson is that no one knew that he was a sociopath. According to the article, “Donaldson, who also went by ‘Trai,’ attended Alonso High School in Tampa for half of his junior year and his senior year, the Hillsborough County School District confirmed.” Donaldson’s freshman-year suitemate at St. John’s University in New York, was shocked when given the news. He said, “It’s just like, what? Not Trai. I just don’t see what his motive would be.” Many others who knew Donaldson described him as a ‘Quiet, polite young man.’ In all honesty, you can never truly know a person. Sometimes, you may think that you know them, but they turn out to be someone completely different.

 

Perhaps we will find humanity in this beautiful, wicked world of ours. Perhaps we won’t. The important thing is that we are aware of what is happening in our community and around the world. We also need to be aware that there is evil in this world and that sometimes we can’t do anything to stop it. What we can do is look in the mirror and start making ourselves better. Then we can serve justice to those who have been horribly mistreated.