In Guns We Trust

Amidst the tragedies this month is the legislature for stricter gun control that was voted down. I am extremely disappointed in our elected officials, as it has seemed, at least since the Newtown tragedy in December, that our country has at last been crying out for change.  When the bill wasn't passed, I couldn't believe it. The bill contained nothing extreme--just stricter enforcement on background checks nationwide for those that wish to purchase guns. Given the sheer number of homicides, mass tragedies, and widespread fear that legal and illegal guns alike have caused over the past few years in the US, it seems like a given that we should have tighter restrictions on who's hands guns are landing into. 

I found on the Washington Post, a few different graphics and charts that better explain what might have gone wrong when passing this bill. One idea is that the urgency was gone: it is hard to keep the momentum going with the greater American public, and with the Newtown tragedy fading from memory, Americans weren't keeping the conversation going. 

The second shows that many Americans perhaps really didn't care for the legislation after all. This infograph breaks down some of the different groups that were interested in the bill or not interested in the bill. 

We live in a large, widespread country with people of various backgrounds and belief systems; it can be difficult to unify all these people under one legislature or even to get people to care all about the same thing. I am personally very disappointed in the American people for letting this go by, but these graphs and breakdowns simply demonstrate that truly not as  many people were on board as was necessary. 

Get involved with a group like The Brady Campaign to better reach others about this important issue. Let's not give up hope for a safer America!

--Megan

Accidental Racist

I don't think there can be someone known as an "accidental racist." I do believe that we all make mistakes, and perhaps have grown up in a place that has not allowed for entire racial understanding and sensitivity. I think perceptions based on our backgrounds, education, and upbringing are entirely normal, and that many have not been taught about the racist institutions built into our culture and how to combat them; perhaps this makes someone a racist by choice or a racist by psyche and nurture, but there is no accident about what behaviors you choose. 

Part of living in a community, living as part of a larger, interconnected society, is knowing how to live WITH community. This involves respecting one another. Racism is ingrained into American society, but that doesn't mean we need to act on it. 

I heard about Brad Paisley's new song, "Accidental Racist," on The Colbert Report. While the segment was comedy gold, I am truly horrified that the song is real. The song is implicitly racist, despite the narrator singing that he wants to bridge the divide between whites and blacks. In the lyrics, it is the black man serving the white man coffee, a white man who knows the full meaning and history behind the confederate flag, but despite these implications, chooses to wear it in public because he's a "Skynyrd fan." This is not accidental. This is a choice. Bigotry and hatred is always a choice, and alienating people with uncomfortable symbols of superiority, history, etc, simply because you "like the design," for example. The lyrics are filled with assumptions about racial relations and the typical African-American lifestyle. 

Even worse, LL Cool J features in the song. I can't imagine a sum of money large enough to convince him to sing the demeaning lyrics, including "if you don't judge my gold chains, I'll forgive the iron chains." As Colbert surmises, "That's a pretty good deal, Paisley. LL will forget 250 years of enslavement if you accept his taste in accessories." 

The song misses the entire conversation about racial and cultural sensitivity and veers off into a racist and offensive place. Paisley claims to want an open dialogue with African-Americans and for both to be understood, but cannot give up his pride in the way he was raised, nor let go of racist generalizations and stereotypes such as black men being from the hood, wearing "saggy pants", "do-rags", and "gold chains." This song is a product of him, and, in fact, the song seems so unaware of the demeaning and one-sided dialogue, that perhaps it truly is "accidental." 

Colbert changes the tone, however, and gives us something to laugh at. You can check out the whole clip here. Be sure to watch to the end to catch Colbert's spoof of "Accidental Racist," what he calls "OopsieDaisy Homophobe." 

--Megan

Power of the People

The tragedy that occurred at the 2013 Boston Marathon yesterday will always be remembered by this generation. Some people are even saying that events like this are things we just have to get use to and expect along with the shootings of Newtown, New Jersey, Aurora, Colorado and others. Do you accept that? I know I don't.

I know that disaster is living and apart of our wild, but I can hardly agree that these incidents should be accepted as just part of our culture. It is unacceptable to think that you can't enjoy a movie at a local theatre or participate in a marathon without fearing your life. And is beyond unacceptable for our children, our babies, the future of our nation to not feel safe in their neighborhood school.

It is terrible what happened in Boston on Monday, but I always feel inspired by some of the miraculous stories you hear about people putting their safety in danger in order to save or protect the life of a stranger. One man called in to a local radio station and spoke of his young song asking him whether there are more good people than bad in this world and the father responded that there are more good people. I agree with him.  And I truly believe in the power of the people. And our power to have peace. Check out this picture taken of Martin Richard, the 8-year-old victim of the the Boston Marathon bombings, in class prior to Monday April 15th.

If only this sign would have reined true on Monday.


--Krystal

Corporations Own Your Thoughts and Perceptions

I went to see a fantastic monologue, American Utopias, at the Woolly Mammoth Theater last night. The monologue was hilarious, but also deeply insightful, smart, and provocative. American Utopias was three interwoven tales of Burning Man, Disney World, and Occupy Wall Street. The intros to all of these stories are hilarious, but as the night went on, we gained more understanding of how these "American utopias" are related.
I found particularly thought-provoking the way he demonstrated to the audience how mainstream American culture has shaped our perceptions, our imaginations, and given us a point of reference for our own thoughts and ideas about the way the world operates. He made the claim that Disney owns many of our cultural references, our images, our narratives. He said, "picture Snow White. What does she look like to you?" He is absolutely right in this case, when I think of these stories and fairy tales, my point of references is Disney. What started out as revolutionary--Disney's creative stories, images--has now become cliche. It is amazing to think about and challenging to understand just how much of what we understand and believe to be reality is shaped by a popular notion.
Daisey went on to challenge our perceptions of freedom, assembly, audience and individualism, as he wove his narratives. He challenged my ideas of reality and truth (demonstrating what Colbert calls "truthiness") and left the audience with the task of better understanding where our perceptions and notions come from and really letting go of what's not real (ie the idea this country is "free" simply because they've been telling us it is since kindergarten) and creating our own narratives and waves of thought. That is how revolution starts and with it, a new wave of thought, that will someday seem cliche.

--Megan

Equal Education Unequal Pay

I wanted to share this great info graphic from Learnstuff.com Follow the link to enlarge the graphic.

What do you think? How can this gap be decreased?

--Krystal

Spring has finally sprung

Finally DC is feeling the beautiful weather of spring. The cherry blossoms are blooming, the Nationals are playing, outdoor bar patios are packed and festivals are kicking off..This is a great time of year. Many individuals even consider it as the best season of all because it brings new hope, a sign of rebirth and a form of renewal to plants, animals, man and even nature. For most people, the season of spring is the best season because the temperature is just adequate. It’s neither too warm nor too cold. More so, spring encourages one to encourage into playful activities and enjoy the weather and nature itself.

There are activities all over the city and surrounding areas you can get involved with throughout the spring and summer.Adult kickball, soccer and volleyball leagues. Bicycle races, tough mudders, and garden kickoffs.


What are your plans for this spring? What are you most excited about?

--Krystal

Food Justice

The modern world has made eating easy! Things are prepackaged and prepared, ready to grab, go, and eat. We reheat in the microwave, we consume what's on the shelves of our local grocery stores, or at the local restaurants and fast food chains. 

We don't think much about what these things are, so long as they fill us up. We are satisfying our hunger. 

The American food system is problematic in many ways, but I want to focus this post specifically on what it is we are eating and the misconceptions about eating in our country, particularly in lower income households and neighborhoods. 

I read a book last week called Super Immunity by by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. The book breaks down our common ideas about food--basically, what we've been taught in school. It is common knowledge that we need a combination of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats to ensure nutrition and stave off hunger. This combination will give us appropriate amounts of energy for our day to day lives. 

This may be true, to a point, but what we are missing is what's behind that. Not all food has the same nutrient per calorie ratio. We know this, to an extent: a spinach salad is better for us then Cheetos. We are still focusing on the wrong factors, when considering consumption, however. Vegetables provide primary sources of protein and energy, whereas animal products provide merely a secondary source (as the plant life was first consumed by the animal, then consumed by us). Many of these vegetables and plants provide micronutrients that are immeasurable at this point in science. For example, the book provides examples of how berries, kale, spinach, beans, and mushrooms provide anti-cancer, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and anti-disease compounds that can not be measured as a vitamin or mineral, nor carbohydrate and fat. When we eat processed foods just to get the end goal of calories and energy, we are missing the sources of these disease fighting agents, and it is apparent in American culture that we are suffering the consequences. Diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and chronic inflammation are at all time highs. Doctors are not to a point where they are looking at these issues holistically, and diets and habits are not being treated, merely symptoms.

Dr. Fuhrman provides many examples in his book about people who have changed their eating habits and have seen enormous results. His book touches on the topics of modern medicine, food as medicine, and our cultural reliance on remedies and symptom-treating, as well as the other harsh toxins we put in our bodies. I hope to further blog on these bits in future posts. 

I found Super Immunity to be an eye-opening observance of our culture and habits, and how these cultural factors are literally killing us. It is not a diet book as much as it is a reflection on modern lifestyle. 

In particular, I reflected on how many healthy and nutrient foods are inaccessible to lower classes and entire low-income neighborhoods. Processed food is cheap: McDonalds, chips, frozen pizzas and mac and cheese, canned goods, etc. These are not nutrient dense, and do not contain micronutrients needed to ward off disease. This is apparent in low-income individuals, who typically suffer from more diseases than others. That is food justice. I hope to reflect more in coming weeks on this aspect of social justice in our nation. 

--Megan