Politics Archives - Page 4 of 4

Why Am I Persecuted?!

April 27, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 3 Comments

–an Op-Ed* piece by Jordan King

Does anyone else remember the Kim Davis story? Well, if you don’t, she denied marriage licenses to same-sex couples in Kentucky even though it was her Job, and she was the only one in the county who could do that job. Well,… many people thought she was being unjust, but others took a different stance–most notably Ted Cruz who compared Kim Davis to Rosa Parks. After Kim Davis was arrested, Ted Cruz came out and said that Christians are persecuted in this country. So, are Christians persecuted in this country?

To better understand this topic, we should first see why some Christians think they’re persecuted. The main reason is something called “religious liberty.” Religious liberty is protected under the Bill Of Rights, the First Amendment states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” Religious freedom is necessary, of course. The problem lies in the fact that some think that religious liberty can be used to discriminate against people because of their belief. The problem with this discrimination… it goes against the Constitution, and against plain common sense. “…The concept of free exercise of religion is not self-defining. The boundaries of free exercise, like those of other rights, must be delineated as against the claims of society and of other individuals” (The Heritage Guide to The Constitution). What this is saying, is that religious liberty in the Bill of Rights is limited; it can’t go against the common good of society, and it can’t go against the law. Some believe that they are being persecuted because they can’t discriminate against gay people in their place of business. They argue, a baker who believes marriage is defined as a union between a man and a woman should not be forced to make a cake for a same-sex couple’s wedding.

Note, 92% of House and Senate members identify as Christian (The Huffington Post). To put this in perspective, only 72% of the American public identify as Christian (The Huffington Post). Christians are extremely well represented in government and in the United States demography. Also knowing that there are far more people who say they are Christian in the House and Senate then in the general population goes to show that it’s more likely you will be voted into Congress if you are a Christian. Non-religious, unaffiliated, people only make up 3% of the Senate but make up 16.1% of the general population (The Pew Forum). Popular opinion and our legislative body lean toward the Christian.

I conclude, Christians aren’t persecuted in this country. Christians are treated like everyone else, if not better. Your religious rights give you the right to practice your religion; they give you the freedom to have particular beliefs and ideologies. You can’t, though, have your beliefs interfere with the good of society, or the law.

*The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and participants on this blog site do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of thebirdonfire.org, the Upper School Blog Class, or the Palm Valley School.

Henry’s Award-Winning Speech!

April 20, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

–an original speech by Henry Huang

Henry composed this speech on the given topic “Liberty and Justice for All: What Does It Mean to You?” and delivered through FOUR levels of the 2016 Lions Club Speech Competition. He began with the Palm Springs Lions Club-level competition, and the PS Lions supported him through the next three levels–all the way up to the District Level in Big Bear, California. Henry won $500 in the process and the devotion of his fans. Said Cathy Brant, Palm Springs Lion, “His speech brought tears to my eyes.”

In 1752, Benjamin Franklin invented the lightning rod. This invention protects a building from being destroyed by lightning. However, what is more important is Franklin, as well as other Founding Fathers, built a lightning rod called “liberty and justice for all” so that the new nation would always be protected from the lightning of tyranny and dictatorship.

Here, I want to share some ideas that I have about this universally acknowledged truth as a foreigner, as an outsider.

I know there are many people who will doubt the self-evident words: “Liberty and justice for all.” There are so many tragedies happening today. Fear, anger, nervousness could destroy all the faith we have in those words: “Liberty and justice for all.” However, I view these words as a guidance, something like a polar star. The idea of “Liberty and justice for all” will always give us faith and power to face whatever is in front of us.

“Liberty and justice for all” are not merely some words written on paper, repeated in the Pledge of Allegiance everyday. To me, “Liberty and justice for all” is a warranty, a warranty granted by the Founding Fathers so that people who live on this vast land in North America will never suffer the same pain and slavery of tyranny. The Founding Fathers ignited a torch, a torch of hope and freedom with these simple words. For centuries, people immigrated to the United States and believed this nation is “the promised land.” People move to the United States not only because of its vast natural resources and opportunities but also for the promise of freedom and the right to pursue happiness. That is the reason we have legends of immigrants in America like Kissinger, Albright, Schwarzenegger. That is also a part of the reason I have come to “the land of the free and the home of the brave” to further my education because with these powerful words, I believe that I can have the chance to be the person I want to be.

In the history of the United States, there are dark moments where this nation broke its promise to the world. The enslavement of African Americans, the trail of tears of Native Americans, the internment camps of Japanese Americans in World War II are some unavoidable blots on American history. However, the greatness of this nation is that it will look back to what it has done and do better and improve it. That is why this nation also gave birth to the Civil Rights movement and legislation so that such tragedy in history will never appear again.

Nowadays, there are events like injustice in the justice system, public figures spitting untruthful words about a specific ethnic group or a specific religion. It is a cause for concern. Yet, as President Roosevelt said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” So, please see those protesters expressing “all life matters”; please hear the public outcry against those outrageous speeches; please feel the power of these emotions that will never die. Love, respect, peace. You will see that those who holds malicious thoughts are few; those principles that the Founding Fathers brought forth have not vanished. The enlightened people of the United States still treasure and protect the most valuable assets of this great land: “Liberty and Justice for all.”

Liberty and Justice for all, to me, is also like a nourishing loaf of bread. There is nothing lavish, nothing luxurious in it. However, its simplicity and power do provide vital nutrients to the United States. Some other promises made by other countries are like macaroons: full of lavishness and luxury. Macaroons are sweet inside, but there is nothing left after sweetness. I hope, and I truly believe, this nourishing bread will keep feeding the democracy and prosperity of the United States.

What is racism?

April 15, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 9 Comments

–by Gaven Li

We live in an extremely sensitive world. If people don’t use words like “black” or “colored” properly, they will be easily considered “racist.” I’ve been living in the United States as a Chinese student for about seventeen months and have met or heard many things that are a little “racist” but not hard to get over. So what is racism? In my very own opinion, racism is not the jokes that my friends often make about my eyes (sometime they are actually funny), or the fact that it took some teachers a year to stop calling me “Michael,” who is another male Chinese student in my grade. I don’t think these things are racist. They won’t even hurt my feelings.

The real racism is when mainstream media keeps conveying wrong messages to the audience that China is still a poor, rural country with uneducated people, while they never show the amazing changes China has made in the past thirty years. The real racism is the stereotype of “the smart Asian” or “the calculator,” without realizing how hard Chinese students study and how competitive it is to get into a good college in China. The real racism is claiming that “Chinese immigrants are taking over our land and our jobs,” while forgetting how European immigrants took land and livelihood from Native Americans two hundred years ago. The real racism is making fun of the Chinese internet blockade while praising the “freedom of speech” which was written in the U.S. Constitution while Edward Snowden has been hiding all over the world for three years. The real racism is laughing at China’s government system without even knowing anything about it, while the U.S. election system is about to let Mr. Donald Trump become the next president. The real racism is indignantly criticizing the child labor issues in China, while ignoring which country held slaves for two centuries.

Growing up in China, we are taught that the United States of America is an amazing country with liberty and democracy—Hollywood, New York, the NBA…it sounds a wonderful place. When I first came here, however, the one question that I was asked so many times was, “Do you eat dogs?” This really shocked me. I don’t know if it’s because of TV, newspapers, or the internet; it seems like most Americans’ knowledge and understanding of China is from the 1970’s. Even though I know the United States is probably so perfect that the people don’t necessarily want to learn too much about other countries, what really upsets me is the fact that so many people accept the wrong, misguided images of China or Chinese people without thinking or researching. The comic-strip caricature of the evil Fu Manchu, for example, was perpetuated by the media and politicians. I can live with all the racist jokes, but it is the disrespect and unfair judgement to my motherland that hurts me the most.

Because of cultural differences, Asian people usually don’t speak out for themselves or protest in public, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have feelings. I’m not pointing at anyone since most of my friends and teachers are nice to me and I really appreciate it. I’m just expressing how I feel about racism as portrayed in the media and internet. Indeed, Asians have small eyes, but they are big enough for us to see the unfairness and discrimination we are facing.

The World According to Henry: Donald “Julius?” Trump

March 18, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

–Henry Huang

I don’t want to bring politics too much into this blog since there are better things in my life than politics–like art, classical music, soccer, and Ferraris. Still, I have to talk about current affairs. More specifically, I want to talk about Donald Trump.

I am not talking about the capability of Trump being the head of the Executive Branch. My point is, Mr. Trump may be our Julius Caesar. What happened after the death of Caesar? The death of Roman Democracy! Trump may kill the most important asset of this nation: Democracy.

Now, some people may compare Trump to Berlusconi, the former Italian prime minister. They are both rich; both use the anger of the people to gain power. However, they are also different. Berlusconi is a playboy who held sexual parties in his house; I don’t think Trump will do that. Meanwhile, Berlusconi did not make any outrageous statement towards any group or religion. Trump, oh well, do I need to tell you what he said?

Now, the real issue, Why may Trump kill our democracy? First of all, he has a potential desire to ignore the Constitution. An obvious example of this is when Trump, last August, made the statement that he will deport all the Mexican illegal immigrants and their natural-born children. He indeed intended to violate the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. The amendment grants citizenship to the natural born. When Trump claims to send them back, it is an obvious potential violation of the Constitution. Now, people may say that there are Supreme Court justices and members of Congress that can stop Trump. Nope, I am sorry, nope. As Martin Wolf of Financial Times writes, “It is rash to assume constitutional constraints would survive the presidency of someone elected because he neither understands nor believes in [those constitutional restraints].” If Trump has an ability to violate the 14th Amendment, he will also have the ability to violate the entire constitution!

People who voted for Donald Trump support his ideas. For example, polls suggest there are voters who support deporting Muslims: “In New Hampshire, 66 percent approved of it. Seventy-eight percent of Republican primary voters in Alabama and Arkansas gave it a thumbs-up” (Foreign Policy). When Trump gets elected, what he will control is not only regular government agencies; he will have the most powerful military in human history in his hand and the most effective law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the world. Yes, I am talking about the CIA, the FBI, and the IRS. Trump will have the capability to enforce his doctrine. The point is, there are 11 million people who are illegal immigrants in the United States. Deporting all of them is a dangerous move. Martin Wolf of Financial Times continues, “Rounding up and deporting 11 million people is an immense coercive enterprise. Would a president elected to achieve this be prevented and, if so, by whom? What are we to make of Mr Trump’s enthusiasm for the barbarities of torture? Would he find people willing to carry out his desires or not?” Trump has other behaviors that should raise public concern. According to an article from Variety, “Criticizing The New York Times for its coverage, Trump said, ‘We are going [to open] up libel laws, folks, and we are going to have people sue you like you have never been sued before.’” Trump will limit the freedom of speech.

unnamed I want to end this article with another quote from Financial Times: Chief Commentator Martin Wolf concludes, “Mr. Trump may still fail to win the Republican nomination. But, should he do so the Republican elite will have to ask themselves hard questions — not only how this happened, but how they should properly respond. Beyond that, the American people will have to decide what sort of human being they want to put in the White House. The implications for them and for the world of this choice will be profound. Above all, Mr. Trump may not prove unique. An American ‘Caesarism’ has now become flesh. It seems a worryingly real danger today.” The potential danger, the seeming ignorance, the outrageous narcism of this new Caesar may be the nails in the coffin for American democracy.

The Art of Talking

December 17, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

As you prepare to sit around the holiday table with relatives and close friends, Ashley Zhou, specialist in relationships, has some conversational advice for you . . . .

–by Ashley Zhou

“We always take good care of our appearance, our clothing, and makeup. We look into the mirror several times a day, but we don’t listen to our own voices when we are talking.” — Kevin Tsai

This is an excerpt from a famous Chinese book, The Art Of Talking by Chinese writer and TV host, Kevin Tsai. I think of this book when I hear my peers talk, chat, or argue about different topics. We really don’t care much about the way we talk to others. No one will actually tape his own voice and play it back at the end of the day. I once listened to my voice when I was doing a interview, and I felt really uncomfortable about my voice. I didn’t think the voice sounded like me. However, we can think in a different way: If we constantly listen to ourselves or pay attention to our voice volume and tone when we are talking, we will become better talkers.

When we are talking, we all want to be the dominator in the conversation. We always want to talk about ourselves. To be a good friend, however, we need to listen carefully to others. Try to avoid saying “I” in the conversation, instead, use “you” or “he.” Also, if you don’t want to be too blunt in front of newly made friends, then you should avoid those sensitive or potentially dangerous topics, such as age, relationships, politics, religion, etc. Some people have secrets that they don’t want to reveal, and others might have strong opinions about a certain issue that might cause arguments.

People want to hear compliments the most. We need to intentionally compliment our friends and make them feel special. Being a good friend doesn’t mean being honest or blunt. It means to place yourself in your friend’s shoes. Be empathetic. When we are asking someone for a favor, it is the same thing. We could use a little trick to achieve whatever we want. For example, when you want someone to cover for you at work, you may want to say, “Could you help me this time and I will substitute for you next month?”

Talking is an art, and it needs us to be studied and explored and practiced. A person who knows how to talk will be much more attractive than someone who knows how to dress.

–Edited by Gaven Li

Immigration Wave in Europe

October 9, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

–by Anna Kleckerova, European Correspondent

The situation with immigrants is getting worse with every day. These people are coming from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, filling up all European countries. Many of them went to Greece first. They want to get to Germany, Austria and Great Britain because the economies are good and the migrants often speak the languages, but they are not always accepted. Germany is accepting many of them. The Germans are really trying to help them and show the whole world that they are a better country than what many remember from their past. Immigrants with valid ID cards have the greatest chance of getting accepted. Other countries usually don’t have much mercy for the immigrants and send them back to the country from which they came.

I want to show you how brutal ISIS is to get you to better understand how important it is to help the migrants. A life in Syria is horrible. ISIS totally took control of everything there. They are an extreme sect of Islam. News organizations report members of ISIS murder, arrest, rape, enslave, and terrorize people who believe in another religion or don’t keep to their rules, often using the Quran as justification.

Rashid Khalidi, a professor of modern Arab studies at Columbia University, disputes that the Quran offers any justification for [things such as] beheading. He cites the lines coming immediately after one of the two verses used to justify the act: “Therefore, when you meet the unbelievers, smite at their necks.” But the very next line, contained in Chapter 47, Verse 4: “At length, when ye have thoroughly subdued them, bind the captives firmly. Therefore is the time for either generosity or ransom.”

So basically, Khalidi said, there’s nothing about this passage that justifies the cutting off of heads.

“It just shows that they don’t know anything about Islam and they probably don’t know how to read this properly,” he said.—PBS NEWSHOUR

ISIS has been taking prisoners (soldiers, journalists) and cutting their heads off while they were recording the whole process. The Czech News reports many young Syrian men are coming to ISIS because it is an easy way to get women as slaves, and their violence is constantly increasing.
The European Union is trying to solve this huge problem. Countries that are members of this Union had a meeting in Brussels and were talking about this immigration crisis. Their final verdict was that European countries have to split 120,000 immigrants between each other. All European countries now must support the vote in Brussels. One of the theories is to provide an island for this mass of people and send them there. But Europe has to start doing something with this or it will have a horrible impact on the whole continent, and America should help, too, because Europe will never be able to accept so many new people who are coming there every single day.

*Anna Kleckerova was born and raised in the Czech Republic, most recently coming to us from Prague. She is now a senior at PVS.