Tag: America

What Would You Do?

thebeigegirl

“What Would You Do” – It’s my favorite American TV show.

The show is about exactly what its name states.

It sets up very dramatic situations, involves ordinary people in them, and watches their reactions to the dilemmas given, with the hidden cameras rolling.

It usually deals with serious social issues, and a lot of its episodes have unexpected touching results, in which people step up and take action without hesitation in order to do the right thing.

However, in this particular episode, the result surprised me in a quite different way.

It takes place at a family restaurant in Utah, where African-Americans take up only 0.05% of its population.

In this scenario, a white girl introduces her black boyfriend to her father. Unlike what she expects, the father rejects her boyfriend because of his race.

Photo Credit: http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhXRzRC5V9z2W581wF

As she rushes out of the restaurant with her boyfriend, an old lady sitting next to his table talks to the father. “I am with you,” She says. “I think they should stay with their own.”

A woman behind her, nodding in agreement, is brought to tears.

“I have a daughter,” She tells her story in a shaky voice. “She has a friend that’s black… I told her, “He’s fine to be your friend, you are never going to get involved with him…” They were just friends, but… I worried about that.”

Then, the old lady adds her racist comment: “A pretty girl like her would pick something like that.”

Photo Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UuEegi4Ojo

Trying not to get emotional about her cutting comments, dying inside, the actor keeps the conversation going, asking if he is wrong.

“I was very proud of you,” The old lady responds. “Because that’s a shock to anybody.”

When the reporter of the show, John Quiñones, shows up in the restaurant, explains her about the show, and interviews her, the old lady tells us about her strong belief.

“I’m sorry,” She says. “If you are white, you are white. If you are colored, you go with colored people. And keep it in your family. Don’t put it in somebody else’s.”

She ends her comments with another incomprehensible statement: “It’s alright if you are a Mexican person, they are still white people,” She explains. “But black people and white people, no. I’m sorry, it breaks my heart.”

Finally, Quiñones introduces the man who acted a black boyfriend to the old lady. As they shake their hands, the guy asks her for a hug.

To my surprise, as she gives him a hug, she says, “You know, but I just think we should stay with our own, don’t you?”

This Episode shocked me. I thought racism was dead in America.

As an international student in California, I never considered rejecting an interracial couple as an option.

I heard of the word, “colored people,” for the first time in my life when I was studying To Kill a Mockingbird in my English class. Also, I was surprised when I learned that the setting of the story was within less than a hundred years.

Some people might think that racism no longer exists in America. However, for a lot of people, racism is still a big issue in their lives. A big chunk of generations was taught to be racist in its youth.

Now, the real question is, how should we react to this issue?

The episode ends with an interview with the African-American actor.

Quiñones asks, “She even hugged you. How did that feel?”

“Very weird, but I believe in people,” the actor answers. “I wanted her to know that, no matter what she thought, I was still going to shake her hand and I was still going to hug her because that’s how I am.”

Conformity: the Social Evil?

thebeigegirl

All of us can easily find an example of conformity in our lives.

However, it is depicted as destructive and discouraging most of the time. Why does it have such a negative connotation?

After World War 2, when the men came back from the army and had become accustomed to community solidarity and conformity, a heavy social atmosphere was created, in which non-conformists were often treated as social outcasts.

However, such an unstable social atmosphere, which eventually built the limit to individual creativity and freedom, was soon criticized, and conformity was considered as a factor of it.

Published in 1948, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson gives an extreme example of an indoctrination. In “The Lottery,” as an old custom, a town annually holds a lottery, of which the winner receives a brutal death by his close neighbors and families.

However, no one knows the purpose of the murder or questions it.

Illustrating the townspeople’s insensitivity to the tradition’s cruelty and irrationality under conformity pressure, Jackson shows the perils of people being conformists without thinking critically about the consequences.

As individuality and freedom have been highly respected in the 21st century, in 2015, conformity does not oppress people as much.

Rather, unlike its general impression, it might have some positive influence on people while they do not recognize it.

Conformity can reduce the new kinds of social pressure. For example, a lot of teenagers distress themselves thinking about how to express themselves as outstanding individuals.

They worry about their looks constantly, and those of who are not able to follow the trends often feel very insecure about themselves. Wearing uniforms, which is viewed as a form of conformity these days, can change the pressure to a sense of fitting in.

Photo Credit: https://drafthouse.com/movies/mean-girls-quote-along/austin

Conformity can create a culture. Since humans are highly socialized animals, they constantly build their cultures as they interact with each other.

Today, information floods, and things change fast. New technologies are developed every day, and unfamiliar trends spread all over the globe in one day.

Therefore, people who cannot catch up with the fast-changing trends might feel lost in society.

Then, conformity can function as a standard; it offers people opportunities to stay in the majority without particularly standing out.

It is true that conformity created a great social pressure in the past. However, as our society has changed a lot, it is important look at it from a different viewpoint.

Conformity can have some good effects on our society unlike its negative impression.

“Like”

indigoshell

Where on earth did this term come from? I’m not talking about Facebook likes or Instagram likes.

I’m talking about how one will be talking to a new person, a potential new friend, and everything is going great until they say it. Or rather, they say it half a dozen times in one sentence. And all of a sudden you feel like stabbing someone, but not the person because you want to be friends with them.

Img cred; sodahead.com

I’m pretty darn guilty of this myself, but I’m definitely noticing it and am trying to fix this habit. But when I try, I find it difficult to find words to replace “like.” Sometimes I feel like if I use any other word or phrase other than “like,” I’ll sound too formal and/or weird.

I wonder if any “likers” don’t notice this habit of theirs. I also wonder how many are aware and just don’t care. And I also wonder how many other people feel the irresistible urge to lash out in fury after the sixth “like.”

If I was President

kennyroo
https://i0.wp.com/uanews.org/sites/default/files/story-images/white_house_h.jpg
Photo Credit to: http://uanews.org/

The world would be a better place if I were President.

I’m well aware I’d be a little bit over my head with some topics, but let me tell you what I would change right off the bat.

Let’s talk foreign affairs. Let’s talk Women’s rights.

How about we make sure that fewer kids go to bed hungry every night, in our own country.

When you’re on a plane, an educational video comes on the screen before you take off.

The video tells the passenger to put on their own oxygen mask before helping their child – or anyone else, if the plane was to go down.

The same standard should be held to certain aspects of foreign affairs.

Women’s rights? Where do I begin? There needs to be more women elected into higher positions so we have both genders represented on Capital Hill.

If I was President, I would make sure I practice what I preach.

So, watch out election of 2033, because I have some big plans.

Russia’s Slim Future

infamousdolphinLeave a comment

The Russians have found what seems to be the way of solving at least one of America’s problems.

In the subway station of Vystavochnaya in western Moscow, the people are allowed to pay their fare by doing 30 squats. They are placed in front of a machine that counts the squats and makes sure you are in a correct position.

This was implemented to promote a healthy and sporty life style in honor of the Olympic games that will take place in Russia.

If this system was to be implemented in the US, not only in the subway but in a lot of public services, America would benefit from a healthier population and a great decrease in obesity.

Sources: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57611796-1/to-ride-the-moscow-subway-for-free-do-30-squats/

What would’ve happened if America didn’t make it out of the government shutdown?

infamousdolphinLeave a comment

Keep in mind that I’m not wearing a cardboard sign yelling “THE END IS NIGH!” Nor am I a crazy homeless dude that snuck into an Apple Store to write this blog and scare their readers out of their minds. I just seek to answer if the great super power of America could take a plunge into the third world after a mild kick in the knees.

Being realistic, the United States of America would definitely not collapse because of a dispute between the Democrats and Republicans that resembles more of a pout. In the extreme rare case of this not being settled, the USA would land on utter Anarchy.

All government workers would be out of commission due to lack of funding, which means no police, fire department, teachers and it could even go as far as no military. The current government system as it is would have been completely obliterated.

Meanwhile, the world economy would take a great hit considering that the richest and highest consuming country in the world is out of the game.

The Government shutdown could have gone to extreme lengths, like civil war or just flat-out separation into two new countries. But the most plausible thing would be that the UN and the rest of the powers, like China, Russia, UK, France and Germany would determine the future of America.

End of the year work

callmemaybe321 Comment

Most people would think that as the school winds down, so would the work load.

Umm, that is a negative.

Quite the opposite has happened to me.

I feel like right now is the most work I have had in a while.

It could be that I am suffer from pre senioritis, which is an issue because I’m a junior….

Well whatever.

Message to teachers.

Stop it!

I want to be relaxing and studying for finals, not doing projects and writing essays, that was what most of the year was for, now please let me relax and ride out the rest of the year.

I would like to imagine my last weeks of junior year with myself on a tropical beach, soaking up sun, drinking something with a tiny umbrella in it, and watching cute girls in bikinis walk by.

Not sitting in a classroom, doing busy work so that we feel like we’ve accomplished more, when really we’re doing the same old stuff.

If I didn’t care about my grades so much and how that effected my future I would go on strike.

And also what is this going to school on Memorial Day.

I feel that it is un American and as an American I should have the opportunity to opt out of school on this day sans consequence, but whatever.

I will be in class bright in early while others are at the beach or BBQing enjoying the day.

Need to Skate

callmemaybe32Leave a comment

Seeing as the hockey season has been over for about a month or so I haven’t been on the ice as much.

The season just started this past Thursday, but sadly I had to bench myself and sit in bed at home sick.

Tomorrow night is the 2nd game of the season and I am ecstatic about lacing up the skates and going out to play hockey.

I honestly have not skated as much as I should have in this off season, but hey I can’t be perfect.

What I really need is to find time to start lifting in the gym again, but I have no idea where that is going to fit in.

This season is going to be the one, I feel it.

Last season brought some new faces to Team USA, myself included, but this season we have all worked together and we know what we are walking into.

It is time to get down to business and change the face of Team USA.

Read More »

American Guns

smackyjackjackLeave a comment

The White House just came out with this dashing photo of Obama shooting clay pigeons at Camp David.

I really love the way the White House is trying to look “pro-gun” by releasing this photo. There really shouldn’t have to be so much of an effort by the White House to try to convince so many gun-advocate dunderheads that their president isn’t going to come to their house and steal their guns when they sleep.

America has a weird fascination with guns. About 40% of Americans have guns in their house. This is one of the only developed countries on the planet where the citizens feel the need to own assault weapons and as many magazines as they can handle. There really is no reason for people to own these types of weapons. The only benefit of an assault weapons is that they don’t leave time for people to think in between shots.

Take Australia for example. My cousin, a police officer in Tasmania, came over to California just after the Sandy Hook shootings. He and his entire family really could not understand the gun laws here in the States. In Australia, no one is allowed assault weapons, guns must be kept in locked containers and police officers check to see if your house is suitable for guns. I asked him if there are many shootings in Australia, and he replied, “Um, no. Of course not.”

What a luxury it must be to live in a country where shootings aren’t something common. It really is not hard  to make that dream become a reality. America could take a page from Australia’s law book. This is something that can happen, it’s just a matter of how much people care about saftey.

Equality in the Military

frog3Leave a comment

rr
This week something wonderful has happened!!! Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has announced that (sometime in the near future) women in the United States military will be able to serve in combat roles. The United States has taken another step to become the pinnacle of equality it preaches to be.

Although women in the United States military have seen combat before, they were not officially allowed in combat only roles. The lifting of the ban of women in combat does not come without a catch. The Pentagon had said that certain combat roles will still be open to men only.