NYT Article: Becoming Screen Literate
Monday, December 1st
by Antonio Viva
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What are your thoughts? Respond with your opinions/ideas about the main idea presented in the article.
Photo Credit: nycGRAEME
Same Sex Marriage- Proposition 8
Sunday, November 30th
by emma.phillips
Just recently a proposition for same sex marriage was voted on in California. Proposition eight was written to amend the states constitution to change the definition of marriage and restrict it to just between a man and a woman. Even though there was recently a California State Supreme Court decision making same sex marriage legal, this ballet overrode that decision. To vote yes on this amendment meant that you were in favor of changing the constitution and against same sex marriage. There was a five-point percentage difference between the yes and no votes. The people against same sex marriage won with 52.2% and the people for same sex marriage lost with 47.8%.
Many have struggled and sacrificed a great deal to try and convince people to vote no against a second-class status for same sex couples. Same sex couples want the equality and freedom that heterosexual couples have. California has been one of the first states to have voted for the freedom of marriage and the equality of all spouses no matter what gender they are.
Proposition eight eliminated the rights for a large group of people living in California. One reason people voted for the proposition is because they believed that allowing the law to stand would allow children to be taught about same sex marriage in schools. In fact, California law prohibits children to be taught about family or health issues without the consent of a parent. Every one, even people living in California, should have the choice to marry who they want, it is a freedom guaranteed by the California Constitution, proposition eight aims to take away basic freedoms from same gender couples.
Since same sex marriage has become illegal in California people who supported same sex marriage came together in a rally of protest. Though it is not yet clear what impact the ban will have on approximately eighteen thousand same sex couples in the state. The California Constitution should guarantee the same freedoms to everyone; no one should be singled out and be treated differently. In the United States the founding fathers desired equal protection under the law. To take away the rights of one group may lead to the seizure of other rights such as religious, freedom or civil rights. The freedom to marriage is essential in our society and by letting same sex couples marry it conveys the dignity and respect to the lifetime commitment couples make.
Some people are concerned that traditional marriage may be impacted; however one abolished marriage tradition was only allowing members of the upper class or the nobility to marry. Also, arranged marriages that proceeded without the couples consent were once tradition. There was once only a tradition for white people to marry and for races to never mix. Again, all these various marriage traditions have been destroyed or changed. How come the constitution cannot include same sex marriage?
Marriage is a right and should not exclude same sex couples. Even though proposition eight was passed in California there will be another vote. The couples that have been married since the law passed in June that made homosexual marriages legal in California face legal limbo. By passing this proposition a group has been singled out and rights have been taken away. No group of people should be discriminated against because of their sexual preferences.
Photo by: shizzy0
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Photo by: david_shankbone
Photo by: shizzy0
Sterotypes:The Bad and the Ugly
Friday, November 28th
by Lilly S
Why do we stereotype? Can it be that even in today’s era of new media, with lightening fast mobile connections at our mere finger tips, that we are still too lazy to actually take to the time to understand certain beliefs, cultures, races, etc.? Or could it be that we tend to unfairly generalize a group of people due to the specific actions of one member of that group? Maybe it’s a little of both, but it is also much more.
Not only have stereotypes caused personal affliction, but they have also hindered the progression of specific targeted groups of people in society. We as a nation should strive to discover how these false assumptions and accusations have affected them and what, if anything, we can do to reverse these bias assumptions. A paltry inference by a single person can lead to the development of stereotypes. Stereotypes lead to prejudice. Prejudice leads to violence. Therefore we can conclude that stereotypes in fact lead to violence. It is truly frightening how quickly a single assumption can escalate into a worldwide movement.
Some people justify their actions by classifying themselves under a specific stereotype. When some teenagers are questioned about their use of drugs, alcohol, and other illegal substances, many answer with the simple response “Because I’m a teenager. That’s what we’re supposed to do. Experiment.” I have tried so many times to not only disprove the stereotypes of teenagers (lazy, ignorant, self absorbed, stupid) but because that has proven to be unsuccessful time and time again, I have found that I step by step and break away from it. I enjoy reading in my free time. Volunteering doesn’t seem like a chore to me, but something I look forward to doing. I find studying rewarding. When I am tempted with things I know are wrong I think of whether the consequences are worth it (and in most cases they aren’t).
Many people think stereotypes are a never-ending circle, that have been around since the beginning of man and will not cease to exist until mans extinction. With attitudes like that I’m not surprised that stereotypes continue to prevail. I’m not saying that one day stereotypes will suddenly disappear and the world will be full with rainbows and unicorns.. I’d actually be terrified. But what I am saying, or challenging you to do, is to think before you act. Maybe the next time you see someone you originally would avoid en-route, I dare you to walk by him or her and make no judgment. It is a lot harder than you think, but have you let other challenged set you back? I hope the answer is no. Little by little we can make the world a better and happier place if we all are brave enough.
A Little More Than Six Sentences
Monday, November 24th
by Lilly S
Being raised by a reform Jewish father and a moderately strict catholic mother is terribly underrated; from the star of David ornaments dangling from the holiday tree in the living room to the ripping off the wrapping paper and finding a fake “bag-o-coal” on the fourth day of Chanukkah, my childhood consisted of a decoupage of various religious beliefs.
Friends and family often chuckle when I refer to myself as being “Jirish”, as I am from English, Irish, Scottish, Russian, and Estonian descent. Although I may be fifty percent Russian, my fair milky skin tone pales (no pun intended) to my siblings bronze coloring. My parents came to an agreement early on in their marriage to raise their children to observe the Jewish faith. It is ironic however, because my mother is Catholic and my father is Jewish, some conservative and all orthodox Jews do not view me as Jewish. My mother did not convert to Judaism and sometimes even attends mass on her own, but she has solely been to one encourage Jewish beliefs in our home, while my father who was raised by two Jewish immigrants in Brooklyn, NY has little time to preach to about the importance of religion. I have learned through my Bat Mitzvah and confirmation however that although my mother may not be Jewish, I am still truly Jewish at heart and can truly appreciate the time my parents sacrificed transporting me to and from religious school and Bat Mitzvah tutoring (even if I did have to miss Wednesday practice and some Saturday games).
My lack of stereotypical “Jewish traits” have even led my siblings in their younger years to convince me that I was adopted or switched at birth. “They found you in a van down by the river,” my brother would tell me when he would be so-called babysitting me while my parents were out. “Yeah and they said you were surrounded by aliens too!” my sister chirped in, satisfied by the horrific look on my face. It took crying fits and pictures from the moment I was born for my parents to prove to me that I was in fact their daughter and not the product of some crazy science experiment.
When I walk through the doors of apartment 805 in the sunny Bal Harbor Florida I can always count on being flocked by my two elderly Jewish grandparents who shout “Ich hob dir lieb!” (I missed you!) and Vos hert zich epes nei’es? (What is new?) while smothering me with kisses. They help me understand how warm, accepting, and sometimes even crazy Jewish culture can be. My grandfathers stories about his emergence into the American life from his Estonian culture helps me to comprehend how lucky I am to have not only a supportive family but also a supportive community. He tells his tales of learning on his first day of school how to say “bathroom” as he thought it would be the key word of survival.
Around the Jewish holidays I catch myself tracing my Hebrew name Leah in script across my spiral bound notebooks and myself drooling at the thoughts of apples and honey, latkes, or on Yom Kippur, any food at all. Reminiscing on the days of name-calling and jeers of Jewbaca! on the back of the bus only make me want to work that much harder in establishing a positive and enlightening connotation of the Jewish faith. However I will coyly admit that I do occasionally recognize my Christian roots by belting out Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer and eating candy cane upon candy cane. Who would have thought a Brooklyn Jewish boy and a Catholic “Woostah” girl could have created such a complex array of ethics?
Photo Credit: Hamed Saber & Renée Ann Wirick
