49-Nifty United States?

        As fourth graders we learned the states, their capitals, their locations, and sung "50-nifty United States, from the 13 original colonies, 50-nifty stars on the flag that bellow so beautifully in the breeze." So what is this talk about Texas wanting to secede? The outcome of the presidential election, Obama winning, has brought up the very question of Texas seceding from the United States. Way to be "united" Texas! In fact, Romney was victorious in Texas and "won by nearly 1.3 million votes." An online petition has been created asking the Obama administration "to 'peacefully grant' the withdrawal of Texas" and has already received more than 116,000 signatures in only five days. It is required for the White House to respond to a petition receiving more than 25,000 signatures in under thirty days. I don't think Texas will "leave." We did get it from Mexico for a reason! Larry Scott Kilgore, a Texan running for governor in 2014, claims that he will legally change his name to Larry Secede Kilgore, "with secede in capital letters." Going a little far, are they?

Black Friday Spree

Black Friday shoppers at a Target electronics
department in New York. 

        Going in stores with a full stomach, from Thanksgiving dinner, and leaving with a full shopping bag; Black Friday is the official start to the holiday shopping season with countless promotions and eager shoppers. But who really shops on Black Friday? Why would someone want to go out after hearing numerous stories of people being trampled, fighting over items, or even "pulling a gun on line-cutting"?! I personally would not even want to put myself in any sort of situation like that. I mean, is it really worth it? American society is based on consumption. I don't mean consuming food and eating a lot, but having an extreme excess of goods that we just don't need. According to Helaine Olen, a contributor to Forbes, the two main shoppers that Black Friday attracts are "the young and the economically desperate." This seems like a logical conclusion because both these groups may not mind the huge crowds for the huge deals. Others, perhaps the economically stable, may not even bother going through the hassle of the big crowds of people and the hassle of fighting over items. I also think it is interesting that Black Friday, a consumer based day, comes directly after Thanksgiving, a day for family and friends to come together (not-so-consumer-based-day). Here we have a holiday that is geared toward family, and what is the first thing we think of? Shopping. The success of the American economy is driven by consumerism. So is shopping patriotic? Did you shop on Black Friday? If so, what lured you into the store and if not, what geared you away from shopping?

An Early Thanksgiving

         As Lily Stein and I wind around the streets under the El, looking at empty lots and beat-up cars, we finally pull up to the large building known as the Bethlehem Healing Temple on the West Side of Chicago. Here, I lock my car and make sure nothing valuable is in sight. As soon as we walk in the Church, however, a totally different feeling overcomes us: care, love, compassion. For the past four years, a Thanksgiving meal for about 500 homeless people has been held here. We decorated the big dining room in Thanksgiving decor, then made our way downstairs to sort the hundreds of donated clothes and shoes. At the end of the minister's service - guests coming for the meal were all asked to attend -, the volunteers were invited up for a big thank you.  Just google 'homeless and Thanksgiving' to see how people across America are thinking about the less fortunate.  As the Bishop's wife, Sister Hudson always says, "Each year, it has been bigger and better!"This program really shows how easy it is to help other people and how appreciative they are. Earlier in the day, Sister Candy and my mom drove around the West Side, stopping under viaducts, outside of homeless shelters, in the waiting room at Cook County hospital and in the lobby of the public library to invite people on the streets to this free, hot, homemade meal. Many, if not most, of them came! Everyone I talked to and interacted with seemed so happy and grateful to be there even though many suffer from drug and/or alcohol addictions, unemployment and homelessness.
         I can't help but think if we could have used even a fraction of the money that was raised for the most current political campaigns towards hunger and homelessness in this country the difference that could have been made. Tens of millions of dollars were spent- and to what end?! Do we see any change or impact as result of all those dollars spent? Would the same individuals that contributed huge sums of money to the campaigns, contribute similar funds to real humanitarian needs in America - to make their country a better place for all? They were writing big checks while my friends and neighbors chose to donate food to make a Thanksgiving meal for those in need. It is incredible to read the New York Times totals and think how this money could have been used elsewhere -- for the greater good! Was all that money really essential for Barack Obama to win the election or for Mitt Romney to compete? I had a great day on the West Side serving the homeless! It can really make you think.

A New Face in the House of Representatives

Tulsi Gabbard at the Democratic National Convention
in Charlotte, North Carolina.

        A change. Tulsi Gabbard became the first Hindu-American elected into the US House of Representatives this year. The United States has progressed incredibly since the days of  George Washington. Historically, the typical politician is a white, educated male, over 50 years old. Now people who may not fit this standard are starting to emerge. In fact, Gabbard is one of the 17% of women in the House of Representatives. However, Gabbard did not take her oath of office over the Christian Bible, but over the Hindu Holy Scripture, the Bhagavad Gita. Clearly, America has become more accepting open to consider a wider variety of views and beliefs. With that being said, I do admit that we still have a ways to go. Many people still feel uncomfortable about being "different" than most. With that in mind, strangely, America is known as this "melting pot." It is only until recently that the 'melting pot' has been reflected in our elected officials. Gabbard said she never felt discriminated against growing up in Hawaii, practicing a faith that is not dominant in America. But other kids probably did. On a trip to the mainland, Gabbard "met a man who told [her] that his teenage daughter felt embarrassed about her faith, but after meeting [her], she's no longer feeling that way." Tulsi Gabbard has set a great example not only for the Hindu community in the US, but also for people of other faiths, women, and veterans(she served in the National Guard in Baghdad and Kuwait). I am interested to see what the future brings. Will Americans set aside their differences to become one truly coexisting nation?
I will leave you with two quotes relevant to these ideas that I like.

"Show me a religion that doesn't care about compassion. Show me a religion that doesn't care about stewardship of the environment. Show me a religion that doesn't care about hospitality." -Eboo Patel
"My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness." -The Dalai Lama

Women vs. Media

         Last Tuesday, the presidential election was not the only happening of the day. The ECGC hosted a special screening at New Trier of Miss Representation, a film whose goal is to bring up the question: "How does the media's portrayal of girls and women affect their future success?" It exposes how mainstream media under-represents women and "challenges the media's limited and often disparaging portrayals of women and girls, which make it difficult for women to achieve leadership positions and for the average women to feel power herself." I think this is important to address because so many women and girls try to change themselves to look like the "perfect" person, when in actuality there really is no such thing. One clip in the movie that talked about this "perfect" person was originally presented by the Dove Self-Esteem Fund. It takes a model and drastically changes her looks (check out the clip below of this!). Dove's campaign celebrates "a world where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety."

         After the movie, the audience had a chance to discuss it with two panel members, Mindy Faber, of Columbia College in Chicago, and Mr. Bolos (!). In the discussion, not only did I hear how mothers felt about this topic, but I also had a chance to voice my own opinion-- though I will share more now. One mother (I think she has been active in women's issues) commented that when her daughter was younger, she didn't allow her to go to nail painting parties because of what it might imply with regards to objectifying the girls. I agree that sexual objectification is very wrong (treating women as sex objects), but to not let your daughter go enjoy her friends and get her nails painted-- I just think that is going a little far. When does it cross the line to objectification? Where does objectification start and can awareness be taught so little girls can also enjoy being girls? At some point, we, as women, have to be proud of who we are and the things that we can do together to have fun as women- things that we can do for ourselves. So go get your nails done, have fun, catch up with friends, celebrate a birthday while having your nails done! I also took note that there were only two boys and one dad at the screening of the film (not including Mr. Bolos and Dr. Dohrer). I had to leave a few minutes early, but I did really want to hear what they thought of the movie. I think this movie is an important film for everyone to see and think about. I don't think we stop often enough to think about how the treatment of women and girls in todays world impacts our everyday lives.
        The day after watching the film, The Colby Echo, my brother's college's newspaper arrived at my house. Flipping through it, I guess it was just meant to be, I came across an article titled "Girl Power in the Media." A Colby professor and two former students took action to give girls an opportunity to "talk back." They chose to start PBG, Powered by Girl, "a media activist arm of Hardy Girls Healthy Women." The PBG is a website "comprised of blog posts and interactive forums for girls of all ages to share their thoughts regarding the portrayal of women in the media." I looked around the site and saw how girls are taking action. They are using the site to talk back to the media. But still, we need to spread the word. I also looked through the "PBG Ad Gallery." Here "girls can log on and make changes to advertisement images that depict women in disempowering ways." Look at one of the many examples I took from the Gallery below. The image on the left is the original magazine cover; the one on the right has been changed by a PBG user. By doing this interactive activity, users can highlight sexualization of women in advertisements we see everyday.
         Overall, watching the film Miss Representation and then running into numerous articles and organizations has really been a thought provoking process for me. Women are still constantly objectified and it is what little girls are growing up watching and seeing in the media-- only trying to pursue to be the "perfect" person.

       

Night at the Rally

(Above) Thousands of people at the
Obama rally in McCormick Place
waving American flags.

           Four years ago my family had the opportunity to go to Grant Park and see history in the making: Barack Obama  elected as the first African-American President. And again four years later my family attended this same event at McCormick Place. The line weaved around the whole building as we waited to go through security. A man ran up to my parents pleading if we had any extra tickets-- it was his dream to see Obama and we were able to make it happen-- for two of his friends too who flew in from Newark. After we gave them the tickets the wife of a couple behind us in line said with a huge smile on her face, "It just makes me so happy to see that you could make a person happy like that." It is just so amazing that one act of kindness could make such a big impact in ones life. This was only the start to the eventful night.
          Walking under the Forward signs, we approached the big showroom where our President would eventually speak later that night. Every time a state was awarded to Obama the crowd burst into excitement, waving American flags, showing their hope for the country. After numerous battleground victories, the President elect was announced and the crowd could not stop cheering. The emotions on peoples faces were amazing to see: happiness, relief, tears.
          I realized how diverse the people around me were: young, old, black, white, hispanic, asian, gay straight. These people were an indication of the new America Obama has brought to the surface for all to see. I think this is truly what America stands for as a nation, like a big melting pot or a big collage. In fact, later we would learn that it was truly many of the minorities that lead Obama to victory. Ugene Robinson, of the Washington Post Writers Group, addressed this and found that "roughly three of every ten voters Tuesday were minorities. African-Americans chose Obama by 93 percent, Latinos by 71, percent, and Asian-Americans, the nation's fastest-growing minority, by 73 percent." Obama's re-election is a reaffirmation that we truly are a melting pot and power in our country will continue to follow the demographics of the electorate. The true test now is bringing the Romney supporters into the mix, did you notice the lack of diversity amongst the Romney supporters? Do you think they will willingly step into the fold to support the challenges that President Obama and our nation face? I had an awesome time at the rally, and can not wait to vote for the first time at the next election!

Vote: Why Not?

          Why wouldn't people go to the polls tomorrow to vote for the President of the United States? Voting will come to a close tomorrow, November 6. People are urging others to vote, get out there and contribute their voice. I have been constantly hearing, "I need to make sure that they vote tomorrow," "If Latinos don't go out and vote, Obama may not win." But when I hear these questions and comments I ask myself, why wouldn't people vote? Out of laziness not to go to the polls? Because they live in a state that is already "predetermined" and it simply "wouldn't really matter"? Or, do people think the candidates are just full of lies and they don't know who to vote for? Many people live in countries where they can't voice their opinion or cast a vote. Here we are in a free country, and people take this freedom for granted. In an opinion piece of the New York Times, Errol Morris mocks the excuses people come up with for not voting by interviewing young voters, between the ages of 25 and 40. He points out several reasons why people, especially young people, should vote.  The goal of the documentary is to urge people to vote.

          After watching Errol's piece, I thought, are these really reasons why people are not voting? The excuses used by young Americans who are able to vote, but choose not to, are inexcusable. According to Morris' article, "only 51 percent of young people voted in 2008. A smaller group is expected this year." In his series of interviews of potential young voters, Morris asked why young people don't vote. Responses ranged from "the issues they care about are not discussed by Democrats or Republicans" to "apathy is actually supported by the evidence"-- meaning the gap between what is said and done can be evidently shown in the past "that it's impossible to trust anyone."Stand up, I don't care whether you are left or right, what you believe in counts for something-- it may be for your own sake or for your nation's sake.  This video is a little on the long side, but feel free to check out Errol Morris's Opinionated Documentary above. As for me, I would definitely vote - I wish I could vote.
       

The Underground Marathon

          How did this year's New York marathon get to be known as "the underground marathon"? Here in the Midwest Region we have not been too physically effected by Hurricane Sandy. A couple of rains here, a couple of gusts of wind there but really, that's it. My brother got off the phone yesterday with his friend from New York and quickly told me, "The storm is crazy out there. My friend just told me a tree went right through his house." Since we are so far removed, it is hard to imagine the effects it has had and the devastation much of America's east coast is going through. Let's look at it through the lens of the New York marathon to see some positive outcomes of the storm.

"Runners took the ferry with supplies to distribute to
residents of Staton Island."

          The New York Marathon traditionally takes place on the first Sunday of November, which would be today! Runners from all over the world have come in past years to run this in Central Park for a great experience. But, this year it was cancelled because of Hurricane Sandy. Despite the cancellation, Americans came together. Thousands of runners showed up for the marathon as a symbol of unity to help fellow Americans. Flags were waved, a symbol of the runners victory, to help those devastated. Because supplies were few, New Yorkers took it upon themselves and improvised to bring what they could: "Diana Binger of Mount Kisco, New York, not only had her 2-year-old son, Owen, in her stroller, but also an impressive stash of Gatorade, bananas..." Runners ran for charity to help victims and help recovery efforts of Hurricane Sandy. While some runners ran through Central Park, others "collected donations for storm victims while going for a run." Thus, becoming known as "the underground marathon."
         People have still continued to show unity from the happenings of Hurricane Sandy. While not having power, people in one of my family friend's building all came together and spent two days in the dark. Everyone brought the non-perishable food they had to have a party and stay with each other. Because of the storm he met people in his own building that he may have never met before. He had a great time.
         After devastating events, it is always important to have support and stay together. We see this now with Hurricane Sandy, but we also saw it in the past with the attacks on 9/11. Though devastated and in fear, America came together to show patriotism and unity. We see similar happenings now as people help fellow American citizens and truly care about each other. The silver lining to events like these is that we really see the great humanitarian side of our neighbors.