It’s All About the B Word

By Kara Shaylene, student

Bullying. What comes to mind when you think about bullying? Do you remember a specific scene from a movie? Or maybe a book you've read? Or perhaps you had a flashback to when you experienced a bullying incident where it be you as the victim, the bully, or just an innocent bystander. Whichever one you were, it’s safe to say that we all have crossed paths with a bully and a victim.

To the bully: Did you have a reason to bully? And how have you changed since then?

To the victim: What did you do: take action or ignore? How did you take your stand?

To the bystander: Why did or didn't you step in to help the victim?

Bullying has become this worldwide phenomenon – and one that’s not good. Yes, it happens everywhere and with just about anyone, but the real question is WHAT ARE PEOPLE DOING ABOUT IT?!

When I was younger, I had a friend who got bullied and she used to cry and eat lunch in the classroom whereas the rest of the class ate in the cafeteria. No one knew what was going on with her until she decided to switch schools. And that was the last time I ever saw her… ever! There was no warning, nothing! Our teacher had explained to us that someone in the other class was calling her names like “fat” and “ugly” and how she just didn't want to hear it anymore. We were about ten years old and my friend has asked her parents to move… Had I’d known my friend was being called names, I would have stepped up to the bully and made him apologize.

People don’t realize that what they say matters. If you hear anyone calling someone names or anything remotely close to bullying occurs, SAY SOMETHING! You will be taking that stand that most people cannot.

And it is true! Most bystanders lower their heads and completely ignore the situation to avoid getting bullied themselves. Studies show that if you are a student witnessing a bullying occurrence, chances are that if you have a high social rank in school, then you will not say anything.

Bullying doesn’t only happen in school! Women have even been slut-shamed for the way they dress to work or because they like a certain sport or hobby. Bullying is everywhere in our communities… work, school, in public, even towards a certain group of people like the LGBTQ community.

More and more people are starting to speak out because bullying has increased tremendously over the years and no one is really doing anything about it. No one but anti-bullying activists who put their heart and soul into the work they do. They commit their lives to raise awareness for victims and to spread the world and to help prevent bullying. They want to make a difference and show how victims are affected – young or old, it will always leave someone who has experienced bullying with memories they won’t be able to forget.

I remember watching a Britain’s Got Talent episode of two very young boys I believe were younger than twelve years old. The youngest of the duo was bullied and constantly teased about his mom being a single mother and how his dad had left. You can tell he was greatly affected by the whole thing, such that he even took to music to let it all out. The pair left the audience and the judges in awe, giving them a standing ovation and even getting the judges to push the great big “gold button.” Watch Video Here:

J https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3Rf5qDuq7M

In other words, I know people who have been bullied, abused, and greatly mistreated. Much to the fact that I always try to find ways to help out in our bettering the community. Anti-Bullying needs to be more advertised and promoted with a lot of dedication and motivation. You can’t leave it unheard and unaddressed because, then, bullies will still be bullies! You can help by taking part in an anti-bullying campaign and share your story or a family or friends!

The media and Chapel Hill

The Media and Chapel Hill By: Gabriela Vitola On February 10, 2015 the news broke about The Chapel Hill shooting and stated, “Three Muslim students were murdered near the University of North Carolina.” But why is the religion of the victims so necessary to broadcast? It is highly unlikely for news reporters to mention the faith of victims, so why was this information in headlines? Obviously the media had intentions to provoke a religious riot toward Muslims. Kathleen Parker, a Pulitzer Price writer, wrote an article published in The Washington Post, titled, “The Irresponsible Reporting in the Chapel Hill Killings.” Parker writes this article in response to the irresponsible entitlement of the shooting in Chapel Hill. Parker speaks freely about the very inappropriate and unnecessary announcement of the victims religion headline posted for the Chapel Hill shooting. Currently, our world has been at war with the Islamic state and our news has been revolving around this subject for years. The United States have been receiving confirmation about the Americans who are being abducted, were being indeed killed. So why is the media broadcasting news about Muslims being dead? Why is the media controlling what they want certain people to hear? One can only conclude that the Medias headline was simply to cause hate and inflame people and the story. What I found interesting in this researching was that the media controls a lot of our minds. It has power and the news reporters take advantage of that. We believe what we hear because unfortunately we don’t receive the same information worldwide. That brings me to secondary source, which speaks about the negative perception Americans have on Muslims because of the media. The media we hear is very bias, not only directly toward Muslims, but mostly about anything that the government may want us to believe. I believe the media should not encourage discrimination among society by broadcasting what they want our perspective to be. The media knows better than to intentionally tab a community of people and magnify them. The media should be informational, not an ignition for riots. Americans that do not know any better than what they hear on the news, can be easily steered in the direction that the media points them to. What are the connections people make when they hear the religion of people that are dead? Maybe they were in the midst of a religious ceremony? Maybe they were targeted at because they are Muslims? Those are the two logical assumptions you can make when you hear the mention of a religion, but that is what they are, assumptions. News reporters should not have the right to assume the cause of a killing and take the news to a perception where they benefit from. No Media should bend any story in the way they want it to bend. The Medias motives had intentions to give a bad imagine. Why is it so necessary to intentionally cause riots? Have we not had enough riots? What good can come from this? What can we do to change that?

How effective is Judicial bypass for minors seeking abortion without parental involvement?

By Karen Andrade
Student

Abortion is a not an easy choice for woman to consider once they find out they are pregnant. Women must take into consideration many things such as their future plans, current lifestyle and this can be overwhelming; thus leading to extreme stress and depression. If it is tough for these women, imagine how it’ll affect a girl younger than 18 years old. Minors already get viewed as incapable children who cannot decide correctly due their lack of maturity but why does this determine the issue so quickly?

Minors are given the right to abortion so long as they receive parental consent or a judicial bypass.  For minors who feel they cannot speak to their parents the process to receive an abortion can get complicated.  Whether it is due to lack of communication, weak relationship, strict parents, religion, or even shame, if a minor decides abortion she must obtain a judicial court approval. The Judicial bypass was created as an alternative for minors to receive an abortion in 1973. The process involves a minor presenting her case to the court and the ruling to be made based on the maturity of the minor but if this effective? Maturity is not statistics nor does it have a definite definition.

Glenn McCoy does a great job showing societal views on minors who chose abortion in his cartoon that was published by Townhall.com on November 8, 2009. He illustrates a young girl turning in paperwork for her abortion appointment. The girl appears frightened and is also surrounded by elements establishing her innocence. McCoy is presenting an argument that it is not reasonable to allow minors to decide on abortion on their own. He is undermining the minors’ decision and portraying the situation as if there are no background elements. In an ideal world, a child would be able to confide in her parents about their sex life and choice of abortion but this is realty. There are minors who do not have the opportunity to involve their parents and need an abortion because they know they are not ready to take on the responsibilities of a mother.

McCoy believes all minors can be easily represented by his cartoon character but he fails to realize there are minors who are capable of making this decision as mature individuals. In an edited version of the lullaby "Hush Little Baby" a mother sings to her unborn child as she says goodbye. This shows maturity because she is strong enough to evaluate her situation and know that she cannot bring her baby into the world. When a minor is able to come to her responsible decision she has to face a judicial bypass hearing which will then determine whether or not she can get the abortion. Some minors fly by this process but others do not even have that opportunity. There are cases where daughters live an abusive family who would harm her if they knew or even girls who feel they will be judged and turned away. So in reality, only a small percentage of minors are capable of attending and winning their judicial bypass approval.

The judicial bypass hearing is complex and time consuming process which makes it inefficient for minors because delay the procedure raises health risks. Studying what defines maturity is interesting because the topics addressed are more controversial. Society may believe they are far more mature than minors but in reality maturity if no decided by age, it is decided by how individuals access the problem and evaluate their current position. Not all minors are capable of this but for those who are, the judicial bypass ruling can change their plans in a matter of seconds. While it has served its initial purpose of being a alternative way to receive an abortion, it is not effective because not many minors can benefit from the judicial bypass.

The flaws of the judicial bypass should not be ignored. In order to provide minors with a reasonable alternative, there must be an assessment of the judicial bypass procedure and from there the solutions can begin to arise. There is a lot of work to be done with this alternative for minors, they deserve a better developed option and more support from the state. While many think it is unwise to trust a minor with such decision, being able determine their future is not taken lightly and minors make this decision as any woman of any age would.

Texting while driving.

Is a life worth a text, especially while you’re driving? In my essay my articles argues about people who constantly text and drive are at more risk than drunk drivers. Statistics show that people that drive drunk have a better reaction time than someone who is texting and driving.  No matter what the statistics show, their lives are going to be at risk. Today, we rely on our mobile devices to check e-mail, stay in touch with friends, and to check the latest news or sports scores. (Genachowsi) No matter where we are, what we are doing, and who we’re with it will never stop, this is an ongoing problem just as texting and driving. Throughout my essay, the author gives us statistics; information that still wanders from decades ago, details about what laws should go into place towards texting while driving. Since texting and driving is a major concern throughout the United States this highlights the ideas made by citizens who are worried about this problem, the discourse is that people do not consider the life of someone else behind the wheel, in on-going traffic anything can occur, texting and driving could lead to a horrifying tragedy to a loved one of them or of someone else. One reason the majority of people are against this action is because it causes a great amount of car accidents every year. (Copeland) While driving, adults and teenagers cannot resist the urge to pick up their cell phone and send a text or respond to one. One way texting and driving could be dealt with is "AT&T has a new mobile application called "DriveMode" that prevents incoming telephone calls or text messaging while driving, at the same time sending auto-reply notifications to anyone trying to contact the driver. Sprint and T-Mobile also offer services that automatically disable text messaging when a cell phone is moving at car-like speeds.”(Genachowsi) one small application can change a person’s life, and can change a person’s day! Texting while driving is an ongoing problem throughout the United States; there have been thousands of deaths and serious injuries because of texting behind the wheel. You can take somebody’s life if you simply open a text you received that says “O.K”. The words you text while driving may be your last. In other words, text and drive or stay alive, YOU DECIDE.

  

Is Domestic Violence Right?

Why do men think it is appropriate to mistreat the women they so call “love”? I would have never though about a world where men disrespect their wives to be superior. Domestic violence is the most known violence towards women. Most women do not find it easy to report abuse because they still love their husbands and would not want to see them go to jail. Some are also scared to death and do not think they can do anything about it.

Pamela Shifman and Salamishah Tillet wrote an article called “To Stop Violence, Start at Home” where you can read in The New York Times that discussed the correlation with men who abuse their wives and committing a high-class criminal activity. They are both founders to organizations that help women with domestic violence cases. Both authors explain how the issue of domestic violence starts at home where they abuse their loved ones and then in the streets where they pursue criminal acts.

Men today are much different here and in other countries. In Africa, it is much worse for women to deal with domestic violence. Women of Zambia, where I discuss in my discourse have a lot of negative factors. The women are mistreated but they do not do anything to help themselves.

         Why should women feel scared to tell someone they are being abused? Many women today do not have many resources telling them how to seek help. Some people ignore the fact that they see women with bruises, which is why they have made many different advertisements such as this one. This ad tells us “if you can see it, you can change it” meaning everyone has a voice that can be heard to help others. Women’s Aid developed this interactive ad to raise awareness and donations. The woman in the poster is bruised up with a black eye and until no one notices it, it will stay the same. The more people stare at the ad; the woman’s face begins to clear up using facial recognition technology.

Famous people have a bigger voice then they think as well. Obama ran a whole commercial to discuss domestic violence and ways to prevent it. He has helped raise awareness for many different organizations that can help women today. Katy Perry focused entirely about domestic violence before and during her live Grammy performance. 

Violence is a learned behavior. Children see everything that is going on at home. Children learn from these behaviors thinking that it is appropriate to abuse women. Some people do not believe that children can learn these behaviors and act upon them. We need to stop the abuse and help get women the lives they deserve. The importance of this matter is in our hands. Domestic violence is not something slight that should be taken without approach. Women today should not be left in fear of their husbands coming home, if they should lose connections with others because their husband says so, or scared to leave the house because “he” is always watching. Domestic violence is certainly a sensitive topic and no one wants to discuss personal issues but it is something women must act on to change now.

By: Kevin Bisetti

ISIS' Real Title?

 Discourse
My discourse was on ISIS and how they shouldn't be labeled as an extremist terrorist group by society. I circled my argument around a very unique trait that ISIS "should" be known by, and that's organization. So you could say that my essay was centered on the logos mode of appeal, with some ethos and very little pathos involved as well. I used multiple sources to formulate a solid argument that ISIS should be known as an organization, sources come from writers and journalists from USA Today, Foreign Affairs, Newsweek, and Newsweek Global.

How ISIS Is Portrayed
Through the lens of the media people know that ISIS is a horrible organization led by "Muslims" who believe they're carrying out the word of God as Jihadists, which the rest of the sane Muslim population on Earth believe to be false (even me). Some call them a gang of terrorists, some call them Muslim extremists. Even though one has the right to voice their opinion. ISIS should be known and respected as an extremely well assembled organization.

Why They Deserve That Title
Even though I believe ISIS is just as bad as you think they are. The statistics are mind boggling. They hoist a massive army, estimated to have up to 40,000 trained fighters, sustain territory in both Iraq and Syria, maintain extensive military capabilities, control lines of communication, command infrastructure, they fund themselves, and engage in sophisticated military operations. Sounds like some Navy Seal s**t right. So the next time you hear someone call them a gang of terrorists, you stop and let them know this frightening stat. Though their intentions are absolutely horrendous, credit must be awarded where it is due.


Video
The Video below just shows you one aspect of ISIS. The manner in which they conduct training is even frightening, they put their fighters almost through a warfare simulator which most armies probably won'y do. This just shows you how organized they are willing to be. 

Jose Cruz

Drug Prohibition Era of 1971 - ?

Discourse Analysis:
In my discourse analysis, I chose to emphasize the ongoing problem of the war on drugs. I managed to compare the alcohol prohibition era from 1920-1933 to what is going on now. I stated that the alcohol prohibition era was handled accordingly by legalizing and taxing alcohol. During that time, mobsters were infamous as well as powerful. Their power came from selling illegal alcohol, mainly in large cities of the U.S. I specifically used that example in order to justify a reason to legalize drugs in this era; an era of "drug prohibition."
As I did my research, I found out that the war on drugs effects everybody. Whether your are the drug dealer, the consumer, the law and even the tax-payer living in an urban community. In a country where drugs are ubiquitous, it is almost impossible to not be effected as a citizen. Violence is key, for as violence is the ultimate effect that the war on drugs leads to. In the article "War on Drugs a Trillion Dollar Fail" by Branson, explains how the war on drugs costs more than a trillion dollars a year to combat it. It also states that it takes about $30,000 a year to house an inmate in the U.S for a drug charge.


The U.S Needs to Take Responsibility:
American politicians have apologized to Mexico for the violence that the war on drugs have created in that country. Bill Clinton recently apologized to Mexico for the ongoing violence in that country. “I wish you had no narco-trafficking, but it’s not really your fault,” “Basically, we did too good of a job of taking the transportation out of the air and water, and so we ran it over land." I apologize for that." (Clinton) During the Pablo Escobar reign in the 80's and early 90's, cocaine was very popular and was smuggled through the Caribbean into the U.S. The U.S. managed to close that "gate," which lead to the creation of drug lords in Mexico smuggling drugs through land.
 During an interview with Mitt Romney, he said that the U.S. needs to take responsibility for violence in Mexico, for as the drugs being handled and smuggled to the U.S. only fuel the use and overdose of Americans. It is a fact that Americans are the #1 drug users in the world, and that most illegal drugs are produced in Latin America. 

Drug Lords:
Drug lord after drug lord have been terrorizing and manipulating the country of Mexico for years now, and the operation of capturing them and killing them isn't stopping anything nor helping. Colombia had a similar experience back in the 80's and early 90's when cocaine was the most popular drug in the world. Pablo Escobar, an infamous Colombian drug lord is rumored to have made about $25 billion dollars from cocaine selling. Mexico's most notorious drug lord, Joaquin Guzman, was part of Forbes magazine billionaires list with a net worth of $1 billion dollars. The violence is evident in Latin America, drug lords will keep terrorizing and getting wealthy as long as Americans and Europeans have the lust for illegal narcotics.

Latin America:
Today Mexico continues to produce a large source of cannabis as well as methamphetamine. Colombia as well as Bolivia and Peru, continue to produce cocaine in order to feed the billion dollar market of illegal drug trafficking and feed the largest consumers for illegal narcotics around the world, mainly Europeans and Americans. This black market only results to violence, as it is well known. Central America has been hit dramatically over the past few years with violence. As the South American drugs travel through, into the U.S., it is clear that violence will erupt in that particular area.

Solution:
There may not be a solution to the war on drugs, but there are alternatives in which can help reduce the violence. In the video "What You Should Know About the Drug Prohibition" professor Dills manifest that the war on drugs should be handled similar to the prohibition of 1920-1933. Which is to legalize and tax drugs, create laws that would provide legal smoking ages (Laws) and education campaigns that would educate the public about drugs, mainly the potential hazardous effects that drugs would create; in order to discourage or reduce the usage of drugs. Dills also makes a great argument saying that "prohibiting the production or consumption of a substance does not eliminate its use."
Uruguay became the first country in the world to legalize marijuana. Perhaps the legalization of marijuana in Uruguay as well as in Washington, Colorado, D.C. and California, it will encourage the legalization and taxation of marijuana in the whole U.S. That way it will remove some of the tension and violence in Latin America and it will help reduce the money being spent in combating a part of the war on drugs.

Domestic Violence (Andrea Torres)

What makes men feel superior than women? Why are women subjected to the physical and mental abuse of men? During the years women were made as an object to men. Men did not know the value of having a wife, or the meaning of friends and family. Men would abuse their friends, family, or friends.

Pamela Shifman and Salamishah Tillet wrote an article in the New York Times called “To Stop Violence, Start at Home”. These authors explain that when men attack it usually starts at home, such as if a man is imprisoned for violence or as a threat to society these actions are led by mental or physical abuse that start at their homes. These violent individuals usually practice these acts with their friends, families, or partners. These men try to perfect these violent acts so that in the moment they want to do it in society they will be able to do it perfectly making sure that nothing goes wrong. This is most likely something mental or emotional on the individuals head, and this could have something to do from their past that has made them act this violent way, it could be a history of abusive parents or maybe even an abusive childhood due to other students, like bullying that has made these individuals do this to innocent victims.

Many significant terrorists from this decade have shown us that these statements are true. One of these terrorists is Tamerlan Tsarnaev who was the man that was suspected to have been behind the Boston Marathon bombing, he had been arrested for attacking violently his girlfriend beforehand. Before George Zimmerman was found "not guilty", for the Trayvon Martin case, he had been arrested twice for domestic violence since 2013 to his ex-girlfriend. The third one was an incident that happened in Sydney in the Lindt Chocolate café which 17 people had been held as hostages by a man named Man Haron Monis. But before this he had been arrested by the police to being an accessory to the murder of his ex wife.

Some people ask why don't these girls defend themselves? Why don't they go to the police? The reality is as much as you would like to put a stop to this, it won't be that easy for these women, they are scared for their lives, since their partners are so violent. Not many women have the courage to stand up for themselves, especially if they have children. These men intimidate these women to keep their mouths closed if they are questioned about their "life at home". Imagine yourself in their position what would you do?

Some quotes that have touched my soul which could be used for this specific situation would be these two:

• "You teach people how to treat you by what you allow, what you stop, and what you reinforce" by Tony Gaskins
• "Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself" by Robert Frost 

Hopefully women who are experiencing abuse, mental or physical, and who are reading this article realize that as women you are not alone and you can not let a man torture or abuse you, and make you think that what they are doing is right. Hopefully you find the courage to stand up for yourself, for your family, and for the sake of your life. 

-Andrea Torres