Tag: president

Red, White, and…Orange?

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Photo Credit: Philippine Star

Donald Trump is now our president. (I know, I wish it wasn’t true as well.) So far, both the climate change and LGBT rights pages have been taken off the official White House website, Trump has ended Obamacare, the Senate has officially elected a bunch of offensive, racist, and unqualified men to Trump’s cabinet, and it’s only Friday night! Oh, he also literally adopted a new slogan straight from “The Purge: Election Year” – the slogan “Keep America Great”. Yeah, I’m really wishing Trump actually took this “weekend off” like he said he would right about now.

First, let me touch on the whole Obamacare fiasco. Without Obamacare, we do not have an affordable health care plan in place. And, I really doubt Trump has been cultivating his own, considering that since November 7th, all he has been doing is hanging out with Kanye West, hate-tweeting, inciting the belief that racism, prejudice, and hate crimes are now “justified,” and, probably (definitely) getting spray tans.

I mean, should the first things Trump does in office be to terminate Obamacare and end awareness for climate change and LGBT rights on the White House page? We already had to listen to Three Doors Down and look at Trump’s orange pallor this morning. All of this in one day? It’s simply too much to handle for someone who isn’t the spawn of Satan.

But, just remember, we now have a President who is a “television personality” and an unofficial cast member of “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory”!

My Reaction to the Election

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(Written the morning after the election, 6:40 am, November 9th, 2016)

Confused. Worried. Scared.

Those were the emotions I felt when I woke up this morning, and the first thing I did was google which candidate won the election.

I went to bed early last night and did not keep up with the polls out of fear and worry. When I first woke up, I was hopeful, I did not see any messages screaming in all caps that Donald Trump won. I thought, maybe Hillary pulled through. When the google results came up, it felt as though everything shifted. I started crying, yes, heavy, non-stop tears. My view of this whole country came tumbling down.

I never thought it would come to this, I never thought Trump would actually win. I had some faith in the people of America. Well, most of that faith is gone now.

Protests Against Trump Winning — Photo Credit: LA Times

I’m scared. For my rights, for my body’s rights, for the rights of women everywhere.

I’m scared. For the racial minorities that Trump targets, for their freedom and rights in this country.

I’m scared. For the future immigrants coming into this country, seeking solace from their own, to be denied and rejected, because of our new, intolerant president.

I’m scared. For all the people Donald Trump has promised to deport and keep out.

I’m scared. For the LGBT community. Mike Pence is now Vice President, he supports gay conversion therapy, and it has been announced that Trump will be an anti-LGBT president.

I’m scared. For anyone who is considered a minority, for anyone who is considered less than a person to Trump, for anyone who is judged or generalized by the color of their skin, their religion, where they come from, their gender, their sexuality, or anything else Donald Trump may view as “wrong” or “bad”.

With Donald Trump as President, this is not the “Land of the Free”, but the land of the oppressed.

Waka Flocka Fame

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On April 20th, rapper Waka Flocka Flame announced his candidacy for the 2016 presidential election.

Waka first promised to run in 2012 when he tweeted, stating his plans. Keeping to his words, he is now running with DJ Whoo Kid as Vice President.

This announcement was made on 4/20 – also known as national weed day. And this is by no coincidence. Waka’s first reform as president would be to legalize marijuana.

He went on to announce other questionable changes. Waka would ban people with shoe sizes 13+ from sidewalks, prohibit dogs from restaurants and require citizens to memorize his lyrics. If people didn’t study his music, he said, they’d be sent back to third grade.

A comment which enraged many, was his belief that women don’t need any more rights. However, he would like to raise minimum wage, which would benefit many.

Most citizens would agree that Waka’s political claims are absolutely absurd. First of all, he is known for being ignorant about politics, and is now trying to run for president. His presidential goals are mostly irrelevant to the current issues in the world, and he doesn’t appear very knowledgeable about what he is truly doing.

The epitome of naive, Waka’s path to potential presidency will be a sight to see!

Photo Credit: factmag-images.s3.amazonaws.com

 

Lincoln, an Immortal Legend

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Last night I dreamed about one of my favorite historical figure – Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln is regarded as one of America’s greatest heroes due to both his incredible impact on the nation and his people. Served as the 16th President of the United States from 1861 to 1865, Lincoln was the first Republican president in America.

Born in a poor cabin in Kentucky in 1809, Lincoln grew up in frontier Kentucky and Indiana, where he was mostly self-educated. In the mid-1850s, Lincoln left the Whig Party to join the new Republican Party. In 1858, he went up against Senator Stephen Douglas, in a debate for the U.S. Senate. Lincoln lost that election, but his spectacular performance against Douglas made him a contender for the 1860 Republican presidential nomination. (“Miller Center”)

After his election, Lincoln vowed to preserve the Union. He eventually raised an army and navy of nearly 3 million northern men to face the south army during the Civil War. One of Lincoln’s greatest achievements is the Emancipation Proclamation 1863, which intended to free the slaves in the South. “Although the Proclamation did not free all slaves in the nation, it was an important symbolic gesture that identified the Union with freedom and the death of slavery.” As part of the Proclamation, Lincoln also urged black males to join the Union forces as soldiers and sailors. “By the end of the war, nearly two hundred thousand African-Americans had fought for the Union cause, and Lincoln referred to them as indispensable in ensuring Union victory.” (Bio.com.)

Even though he was assassinated in 1865, Lincoln is still considered as the greatest President in American history on the moral and political character of the nation. He was empowered not only to uphold the Constitution, but also to preserve, protect, and defend it. Therefore, Lincoln is an immortal legend in human history.

I could not remember what really happened in the dream but I can clearly recall that he told me that he had nothing to do with vampires.

What Tim Tebow and the GOP Candidates Have in Common

therightliberal6 Comments

The reason I first made this connection is because I hate both of them. Let me start out explaining why I hate Tebow because I think people know why I hate the GOP Candidates.

Tim Tebow is a great athlete, there is no hiding from that. And like many athletes, Tim Tebow is religious. But what makes Tebow stand out is his proselytizing that he constantly does.

From his Super Bowl anti-abortion commercial to his constant kneeling, Tebow makes it his goal for everyone to know that he loves God.  It is so obnoxious for him to constantly thank God and Jesus for his successes. He can thank them in his head, he doesn’t need to say it out loud.

Yes, I am both an atheist and a liberal so I am predisposed to dislike these characters. But there are many Christians who hate Tebow and just as many republicans that can’t stand their candidates.

So what do these two have in common besides me hating them? They both are putting on a show.

I’m sure Tebow loves god but he wants the attention for his devotion. The GOP candidates (mainly Romney) are making it seem like they have beliefs far more radical than in actuality, just to gain votes.

Now I realize that in our society we have a tendency to act differently to impress others, it’s part of our nature.

But it is stupid that so many people fall for the obvious ploys of these actors. I guess the reason I hate both of them is because they make me realize how ignorant many of my fellow Americans are.

It disgusts me that so many people listen to words without thinking about the meaning behind them. TIM TEBOW WANTS TO CONVERT YOU! THAT IS HIS GOAL! THE GOP WANTS YOUR VOTES!

Do not believe they are good and righteous people just because they tell you they are. Listen to me, I am the Pope. See what I did there? (I’m not the Pope).

Stop being gullible and ignorant. Stop living up to the stereotypes that the rest of the world make about us. Be smart.

Guantanamo’s(eternal)Prison

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September 11 2001, a day that will forever live in infamy, rushed in many changes to America. From the controversial signing of the “Patriot Act” to the even more controversial opening of Guantanamo Prison, America is not the place it once was.

The facility was opened on January 11, 2002 with 20 prisoners suspected of terrorism arriving the same day. These prisoners were described by top US officials  as the “worst of the worst.” Our former President George W. Bush even acknowledges terrible treatment at the facility by stating that detainees are NOT protected by the Geneva Conventions.

President Obama had promised that during his term Guantanamo Prison would be closed. It seems he has ignored this issue even signing the Defense Authorization Bill. This bill contains provisions that make it nearly impossible for Guantanamo to be closed.

It seems that the famous prison will remain open indefinitely but it does seem that the inhumane treatment has stopped.

Jobs for America

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How do we as a country lower the jobless levels. There is no doubt that it is a problem, the only question is how we fix it.

Obama‘s massive “Jobs for America” bill could potentially do a lot of good. Despite being a huge fan of Obama, I do see a couple of issues.

First is that I’m not so sure it will get through the house. Obama seems to be fairly confident and I know he has a bit more information than I, but with the general consensus of Republicans not supporting the bill, I don’t see how this is going to pass.

Secondly is the effectiveness. Just like with the health care bill, compromises could kill the effectiveness. We don’t know if the healthcare program will work but hopefully it does, but with compromise comes less progress. Obviously there is no way around compromise with the American system but I just don’t see how such a small redistribution of wealth will make such a large difference.

Employing teachers, emergency workers and other public helpers is a huge step in the right direction but will the boost from that be worth the $447 Billion put in to it. Are people going to save or spend with more money?

Hopefully if they have learned anything they will save, but for the sake of the US economy, we hope that they spend.

As I see it, this is a progressive move, despite my doubts. But ideally we could go after business and try to encourage them to hire through incentive. Tax the corperations that are switching technology with real people and see if there is a change.

It may seem immoral to go after those corperations but if you look at the amounts of money they are taking in that are not being taxed due to loopholes and interesting accounting, many would find the morals to be lacking heavily.

We are trillions, yes trillions, of dollars in debt. We can not act like the banks once did and pretend that our debts will go away given time. We are facing a financial crisis so large that it is scary as well as difficult to imagine. As painful as paying taxes may be, we need to suck it up and increase tax rates. The luxuries we have from the government are only in place due to taxes.

Jobs are the key to having a good economy and Obama is working to create jobs. Whether or not you support the bill, admitting the economy is in trouble and that jobs are the answer is a necessity. Support the bill and see where it goes, because in the end, we need help now.

The Last Blog

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This is my last blog of the year-the last blog as a junior.

So should I write about?

Well, I can write about almost anything. About how my friends are leaving in a eight days, or how maybe I found out that I became president. I could write about how I will be going to Chicago this summer for a medicine forum. Or I could talk about unicorns and how much I ABHOR butterflies. Ick.


But, I feel like my last blog should be more substantial than my usual potpourri. My final blog should be more.

This blog (my last blog) is a tribute to a very special person. A teacher to be more specific.

I have had him teach me in a subject every single year that I have been here at Ojai Valley School Upper Campus.

The greatest thing about this man is that he knows when and how to push me to my greatest potential. I don’t think I have learned more about my own limits than I have when I was learning from this teacher.

He has an interesting way of teaching. History, which is the subject he teaches, happens to be the subject I hate the most. But, when I learned it from him, it was my favorite subject. It was because of his humorous way of teaching that engaged all of his students and made everybody love taking his class. But this teacher is not just jokes but he knows when to be serious and knows motivate his students to do their best.

Mr. Alvarez, you are not only my favorite teacher, but you are my coach and one of the people I look up to. You are great and I am happy that I was fortunate enough to take your classes every year. Thank you for being such an excellent teacher and for motivating me to always do my best. I can’t wait for journalism next year, during my senior year. Haha hopefully, you will be able to put up with my major college stress and senioritis.