the bird on fire

Let the Gays Get Married!

May 3, 2021 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

The LGBTQ+ community has been an integral part in our society since society began. Unfortunately, community members have also been marginalized through harsh and restrictive laws. Erik explains how important same-sex marriage legalization is on a global scale.

By Erik Bearman

Same-sex marriage, or any form of queer-marriage, has been scrutinized for centuries. Queer-marriage may be legal in the U.S., but it’s not in some other countries. It’s high time that queer-marriage be decriminalized everywhere on Earth.

History of Queer People in Different Cultures

It may surprise you to know that homophobia is a recent development in human history. Many ancient cultures were totally accepting of queer people. For example, “the Toltec civilization condoned homosexuality” and even had two gods that embodied male and female homosexuality (Chronology of Mexican gay history). In Ancient Greece, the Sacred Band of Thebes was an elite military division of 150 pairs of male lovers. The Band was crucial in overthrowing Spartan rule in Thebes during the Battle of Leuctra (www.britannica.com).

As you can see, queer people have long existed and have had a strong influence on society. So, why are they so marginalized today?

Why Queer-Marriage Was Hated

According to Professor of Sociology at the University of Winchester Eric Anderson, “Intolerance toward homosexual behaviour grew particularly in the Middle Ages, especially among the adherents of Christianity and Islam” (www.britanica.com). You’ve probably heard of Leviticus 18:22. The infamous line reads, “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination” (King James Bible). Many religious people who oppose the queer community often cite this line as evidence that being gay is sinful. However, several scholars argue that this line is a mistranslation and that Leviticus was actually condemning sexual abuse. The words for “boy” and “man” were similar. The translation should read, according to argument, as an edict against pedophilia.

As colonialism spread in more recent centuries, so did the homophobic views of leading religions. Many countries who once accepted queer people began to reject the community and even persecute them.

Decriminalizing Queer-Marriage

I want the record to state that I don’t want to decriminalize queer-marriage across the world because I am the son of two lesbians. I want to decriminalize queer-marriage because it’s the right thing to do and there is no science to support queer-marriage criminalization. As long as it’s consensual, and all parties are 18 or older, there should be no problem with people marrying whomever they want. Children are not hurt by the union. According to a study that tracked children born in the Netherlands after 1994, “children from same-sex couples outperform children from different-sex couples on standardized test scores at the end of primary education by 0.18 standard deviations” (washingtonpost.com).

Decriminalizing queer-marriage isn’t only a right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do!

Decriminalize/Criminalize Laws Editor: Evan Spry

Sources:

Child Marriage in the U.S.

April 30, 2021 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

There are many laws in our country that are rooted in manipulation and exploitation, but not many that have survived completely untouched to this day. Jake highlights the prevalence of child marriage and how to stop it. Jake calls for repealing the laws that allow adults to marry the underage.

By Jake Sonderman

18 U.S.C. Section 2243(a) states: “Whoever… knowingly engages in a sexual act with another person who—

has attained the age of 12 years but has not attained the age of 16 years; and
is at least four years younger than the person so engaging;

or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 15 years, or both.”

This is also known as statutory rape, meaning that any sexual acts with a minor are illegal, consensual or not. But, there are exceptions. The first is if the defendant can establish, with a preponderance of evidence, that they did not know the other person’s age. The other is:

“(2) In a prosecution under this section, it is a defense, which the defendant must establish by a preponderance of the evidence, that the persons engaging in the sexual act were at that time married to each other” (18 U.S.C. Section 2243(c)). This is called child marriage, and it is horrifying.

You might be thinking, does child marriage actually happen in the U.S.? Danna Pollard, founder of the Survivor’s Corner, asserts that underage marriage not only exists in the U.S. but is much more prevalent than people think. Pollard herself was married at 16, to a man twice her age. She was groomed for two years, and her mother signed the papers allowing her to enter into the marriage. She was consistently abused in the marriage but had no legal recourse as a married minor in Kentucky. Not even the neighbors constantly calling police on the husband was enough. Eventually, as an adult, Pollard filed for divorce (cbsnews.com). Pollard also attests that child marriage is perpetuated through families, as most child marriages require parental consent, and that it is likely a rural phenomenon linked to poverty.

Between 2000 and 2015, at least 207,459 minors were married in the United States. 87% percent of the minors married were girls. Of these minors, six were 12 years old, 51 were 13, and 985 were 14 years of age. 86% of these minors married adults. 15% of the adults who married these minors were above the age of twenty four. 460 of these adults were over forty. The largest age difference in these marriages was a 74-year-old man marrying a 14-year-old girl in Alabama (PBS). Nicholas Syrett, author of American Child Bride: A History of Minors and Marriage in the United States, argues that indeed child marriage is a “rural phenomenon and it is a phenomenon of poverty” (PBS).

There is currently a perfectly legal way to commit sexual assault. Minors can be married off by parents with no say in the matter. This law reeks of a time of racism, sexism, and bigotry. There is no argument for child marriage. There is no argument for keeping this law. It is time for action. Repeal 18 U.S.C. Section 2243(c), and outlaw child marriage.

*Pollard’s non-profit and plan of action can be found at https://survivorscorner.org/stop-child-marriage

Decriminalize/Criminalize Editor: Evan Spry

Sources:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2243

http://apps.frontline.org/child-marriage-by-the-numbers/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/child-marriage-united-states-donna-pollard/#:~:text=Biden%20Administration-,Child%20marriage%20is%20%22extremely%20prevalent%22%20in%20U.S.%3A%20%22,The%20cycle%20perpetuates%20across%20generations%22&text=In%20the%20United%20States%2C%20more,to%20data%20analyzed%20by%20Frontline.

Star-Spangled Sin

April 30, 2021 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

When Elizabeth was asked about any laws she wanted made or replaced, she quickly responded as the protector of unsuspecting ears–specifically, those ears listening to national anthem renditions.

By Elizabeth Shay

“The one good thing about national anthems is that we’re already on our feet, and therefore ready to run”–Ocean Vuong

Roseanne Barr. Dierks Bentley. Fergie. What do these people all have in common? Each of these performers has gone viral for their respective renditions of our national anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner.” The spread of the videos is not attributed to the impressive ability of the singers, rather, the not-so pleasant (to downright awful) arrangements of the centuries-old song. Such performances assault the ears of listeners, inspiring laughter and cringes alike. And these flops are all too common.

To be fair, the “Star Spangled Banner” is an extremely difficult song to sing, even for the most well-trained singers. Michael Dean, chair of the Department of Music and director of vocal studies at UCLA, has worked with vocalists of all skill levels and genres on the song. The difficulty lies in the song’s expansive vocal range, as well as the need for the ability to sing a vowel on the highest note of the piece — on “free” — which physically strains the throat. “[The song] goes from the lowest extreme of the voice to the highest extreme of the voice,” Dean said. “The thing people forget to do is start the piece low enough so that high notes are not too high for them at the end.” Another often problematic factor is that the song is typically performed a cappella, which causes singers to start in the wrong key due to the lack of accompaniment (ABC News).

So what can be done to protect the innocent public from being subjected to horrendous abuse of our anthem? Well, we can look to Massachusetts for a solution. According to state law, if a person “plays, sings or renders the ‘Star Spangled Banner’” in any public place, theatre, motion picture hall, restaurant, or cafe, or at any public entertainment, other than as a whole and separate composition or number, without embellishment or addition in the way of national or other melodies,” they can face a fine (USA Today). As the law stands, the fine cannot exceed $100; however, making this a federal law with one year of jail time or a $100,000 fine will ensure that nobody butchers the national anthem ever again. The passage of this law guarantees that this heinous crime will not go unpunished.

Decriminalize/Criminalize Editor: Evan Spry

Sources:

https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/celebrities-flubbed-national-anthem-star-spangled-banner-hard/story?id=16756113

https://www.usatoday.com/list/news/nation-now/weirdest-laws-every-state/53ad0541-3518-4432-adc4-0fec193d389e/?block=massachusetts

Really Dumb Laws in California that Don’t Need to Exist

April 30, 2021 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

For our last Editor’s Theme Pick, Evan assigned the staff, “Laws That Should be Decriminalized OR Legal Actions That Should Be Made Criminal.” After all, the world that we live in is defined by the laws that we follow. Sara found some crazy California laws that should not exist and are downright confusing.

By Sara Habibipour

Have you ever heard of really absurd laws that are just so random they make you say, “Why?” I know I do all the time. I’m sure there’s oodles more, but here’s some of the weirdest, dumbest laws in the state of California that I’ve come across.

In Carmel, California, it’s illegal to stand on the sidewalk and eat ice cream.
Also, in Carmel, women are required to have a permit to wear heels more than two inches in height. This law was authored to defend the city from lawsuits over accidents happening on the irregular pavement, although local police don’t cite any violations.
In Los Angeles, it is illegal to wash your neighbor’s car without their permission.

CSF, better not be washing your neighbor’s car (without permission, in LA).–Photo Credit: Mr. Griffin

In San Francisco and Long Beach, it is illegal to store anything other than automobiles in a garage. This law is very frequently broken!
Between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., it is illegal to walk a camel down Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs.
In San Francisco, any person classified as “ugly” may not legally walk down any street.
A frog that dies during a frog-jumping contest cannot be eaten and must be “destroyed” as soon as possible.

It is illegal for women to drive a vehicle in a robe.
In Walnut, it is illegal to put a rock in your driveway.
In Arcadia, peacocks have the right of way in an intersection. Not pedestrians . . . peacocks.
In Eureka, it is illegal for men with mustaches to kiss a woman.
In Long Beach, it’s illegal to curse on a mini-golf course.
In Blythe, it is illegal to wear cowboy boots unless you own two or more cows.
It is illegal for any Californian to ride their bicycle through a swimming pool.
In Oakland, it is illegal to rob a bird’s nest from a cemetery.
If you’re going to rob a bank in California, don’t think about even using a water gun. It’s prohibited.
In Chico, bowling on the sidewalk is illegal.

In Dana Point, it’s illegal to poop with your bathroom window open.
In Fresno, you legally can’t annoy a lizard in the park.
In Indian Wells, foretelling the future for donations is illegal.

In San Diego, it’s illegal to shoot jackrabbits from the back of a streetcar.

Luckily, if you break these laws it’s not necessarily an arrestable offense. But, why bother having such minor laws? What purpose do they serve in society? Do they really help maintain civil order? If you can answer that, let us know in the comments.

Decriminalize/Criminalize Editor: Evan Spry

The North American Pegasus (in the style of Dr. Seuss)

April 28, 2021 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

Taking inspiration from the late Dr. Seuss, Blogger Hannah has imagined what a classic Greek monster would look like if it adapted to her local North American environment.–Build-Your-Own-Monster Editor Erik Bearman

By Hannah Hall

Creating my own monster kind of came easily to me. I honestly just looked at Ms. Zachik’s world map, spotted Canada, and made a generalization about what mythical creature could live there. I came up with the “North American Pegasus,” which in short is a moose with wings. Here is the story of her life in the land not-so-far away:

Kiku was a moose with wings,

living in lands of kings and queens.

Her wings were made of shining gold,

with antlers gleaming in every fold.

She rescued small animals during the day

and was considered brave in every way.

Deep in the forest she ate juicy fruit,

with her favorite snack being sun-baked root.

She was friendly, loving, and good at heart,

big, strong, and very smart.

She flew to the palace every night…

dreaming of becoming a powerful knight.

But wait, the prince, kidnapped by beast!

The king sought heroes from west to east.

Kiku rescued the prince and proved her might.

She finally became the bravest knight.

*Pictured: map of where North American Pegasus live*

Build-Your-Own-Monster Editor: Erik Bearman

Be scared of what you can’t see

April 28, 2021 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

We’re building our own monsters in Blog class. Roman Rickwood’s choice creation is an invisible monster who wreaks havoc . . . even on the freeways.

By Roman Rickwood

When I first received the assignment “build your own monster,” I was confused. At first I only thought about physical traits, like being big and scary–you know like a traditional monster. I thought about the task more, and I realized that big and scary monsters are a little dated, and some would even say less scary. Personally, I am not scared of things that I can see; however, it is the things that are invisible that are most scary.

You can think of my monster as a shapeshifter that was produced to cause panic. My monster is a transformer and a professional tormentor all in one. My monster finds what your fears are and takes advantage. If you fear spiders, he’s the spider under your bed. If you’re afraid of the future, he’s the doubts in your head. If you dread embarrassment, he’ll place you in the most mortifying situations. If you don’t have any fears, he will create them. He has a mind of his own. He causes panic when there is no need to panic. He leaves entire communities grieving.

He was responsible for the world’s largest and longest-lasting highway pileup. It was an icy day on a busy interstate highway; he had clearly woken up on the wrong side of the bed. He decided to use his shapeshifting ability to morph into a giant invisible and impenetrable road block. He positioned himself at a very very slow part in the day, a time where there was very little traffic. The first vehicle that hit his transparent roadblock was a semi truck, no match for the force of the indestructible monster. For the next two hours, cars, trucks, motorcycles piled up. At this point, the monster had enough; he was bored and had done the deed. He had accomplished his goal of horrifying and dismantling. When all the dust settled, literally, he slouched on to the next haunting. But, he found little that would satisfy his hunger. He looked to feel something different, but found nothing titillating. The problems he was inflicting on others, he conjectured, were problems he had in himself.

So, he ran away to the mountains of Uzbekistan and morphed into a rock. There you will find him.

At least 6 dead in 133-car pileup in Fort Worth after freezing rain coats roads

Build-Your-Own-Monster Editor: Erik Bearman

Devil Dolls

April 26, 2021 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Taking inspiration from horror classics and everyday objects, in our Build-Your-Own-Monster series, Blogger Elizabeth envisions a horrifying monster that is certain to keep you up at night.

By Elizabeth Shay

Dolls. The common children’s toys tainted by pop culture and horror movies. From Chucky to Anabelle…these names cause us to conjure up creepy images in our minds. The fear of dolls is so common that a word has been created to describe this affliction: pediophobia. “Pediophobia is a type of phobia . . . or an irrational fear of something that poses no actual threat” and affects more than 9% of adults in the US (Healthline).

When Editor Erik tasked us with building our own monster, I drew inspiration from movies as well as from the work of artist Shawn Coss to create my monster, a personification of pediophobia.

Appearance

The monster appears to be simply a giant doll that stands at an imposing eight feet tall. However, much like Russian nesting dolls or Oogie Boogie from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, the large doll nests smaller creatures inside. The outermost doll is a sentient being, but like parasites, the small dolls exist within the body cavity of the big doll, controlling its actions. The doll on the outside is a classic porcelain doll, much like Chucky or Annabelle, as the hard material provides protection to the dolls on the interior. The miniature dolls are of various styles. Artist Shawn Coss illustrated 31 phobias, including pediophobia, and the drawing provided inspiration for my monster and what I imagine to be some of the internal dolls.

Characteristics

My monster only comes out in the cover of darkness. Like the people inside the Trojan Horse, the little dolls emerge from their host doll in order to cause mischief and mayhem amongst unsuspecting people. Inside the homes of innocent families, the dolls are responsible for the mysterious and unexplained noises that seem to come from within the walls or in the unexplored attic above. They move around in the pitch black night, stealing and destroying whatever they can find. These animated dolls capture lifeless dolls and bring them back to the host where they are instilled with evil magic that turns them conscious so that the cycle of fear and destruction can repeat.

Thankfully this monster is just a figment of my imagination, but the phobia that it is based on is all too real, frightening adults and children alike. If you have dolls around, you might want to sleep with one eye open after reading this post. There are hundreds of different phobias that describe and encompass an infinite number of specific objects and situations (Healthline). Do you have any phobias? What might a monster that personifies that fear look like?

Build-Your-Own-Monster Editor: Erik Bearman

Sources:

https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/pediophobia#:~:text=Pediophobia%20is%20a%20type%20of,that%20poses%20no%20actual%20threat.&text=Thinking%20about%20or%20seeing%20a,a%20type%20of%20anxiety%20disorder.

https://www.boredpanda.com/31-phobias-feartober-shawn-coss/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

A Savage Beast

April 26, 2021 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

There’s no need to build a new monster, says Evan Spry. Napoleon Dynamite created the original and best prototype.

To determine the perfect monster, a number of variables have to be aligned. I will express to you my mere opinion as to what the best monster is. For your information, my opinion should be regarded highly as I am fascinated with this topic.

Firstly, let’s get one thing straight; no ideal monster is gonna be a giant fire-breathing dragon or tentacled sea leviathan. And, before you say anything, remember that we live in a very modern world. These giant beasts won’t stand a chance against modern weapons or technology. We do have nukes. No dragon is going to take a nuke to the face and get back up. Secondly, gigantic monsters like dragons and sea creatures will be easily revealed and noticed by the global population. With the technology we have in our cell phones, we could do so much to help destroy the monster. And, for those reasons, you can’t be a dingus and choose a behemoth of a monster.

Moving on, if I asked you what the two fiercest beasts in the animal kingdom were, what would you say? Well, that’s exactly right, a lion and a tiger! Luckily, there is such a thing as a real life liger or even tigon, but you can’t find those in the wild, and they don’t even look cool. So, I will be discussing the fictional yet fantastical liger that is featured in the hit 2004 film, Napoleon Dynamite.

Mr. Napoleon does a great job of describing the ability of the liger, yet he is brief enough as to not give away any of its secrets that others could exploit. I really feel Napoleon is trying to protect his favorite animal in that way. In the film, Napoleon is confronted by a girl named Deb who asks him, “What are you drawing?” Napoleon responds by telling her that it is a liger, and when she asks him what a liger is he says, “It’s pretty much my favorite animal. It’s like a lion and a tiger mixed… bred for its skills in magic” (quotes.net). Just imagine how powerful this beast would be. Now, you may be thinking that this magical liger doesn’t count as a monster, but wait till you see Napoleon’s extremely accurate illustration.

The liger as seen in *Napoleon Dynamite*

As you can see, this deadly creature could easily blend into the wild as a genetic mutation or just a weird looking lion while also inflicting damage at a major scale. Personally, I don’t need a liger because I don’t want to commit any major crimes. But, if I did, I could use the liger for so many things like robbing zoos, destroying things/people, and just pure intimidation. Anyways, the best monster would be something a bit off the grain, more of a thinking man’s monster, like a liger.

Build-Your-Own Monster Editor: Erik Bearman

Source:

https://www.quotes.net/mquote/66636

The Deep Sea

April 23, 2021 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

When Blog Editor Erik asked the Staff writers to build their own monsters, Jake chose to describe a terrible sea monster in poetic terms.

By Jake Sonderman

Sometimes, the monster that is scariest is

the one you can’t see. The one you cannot see,

but you know is there. It’s waiting for you in

the depths far below, watching your two limbs flee.

That’s why sailors, by far, have the most courage.

There is always the chance the ground disappears.

And if, God forbid, it did, who would notice?

No one is watching except the distant pier.

Life requires many leaps into unknown.

You become the sailor on the blue monster.

The ground is gone and you find yourself alone

No land in sight, for miles–only water.

Frightening, but you have to swim to safety;

There’s no monster but yourself in the deep sea.

Build-Your-Own-Monster Editor: Erik Bearman

Monsters Based on Societal Fears

April 23, 2021 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Editor Erik asked the Blog Staff to take inspiration and build their own monsters. Blogger Sara chose to envision what fears our society might have in future, and what sorts of monsters would reflect those fears.

By Sara Habibipour

From vampires to zombies, the monsters that filmmakers have depicted in movies say a lot about universal fears in our society. For example, in the 1980s, there was a surge in vampire films that coincided with the AIDS pandemic. And, fears of nuclear war can be heavily seen throughout Godzilla.

But, as life goes on, and as we progress as a society, new fears naturally arise. What monsters will we see within the next decade as a result of these new fears?

Climate Change

Perhaps we will begin to see more monsters in movies related to climate change. I envision this monster not as a physical being, rather more of a dark cloud-like presence that has the ability to wreak havoc through emitting smog, raining acid rain, or simply not rain at all to create droughts. I envision this monster also having the ability to shapeshift into a fire-creature that melts ice caps and sparks wildfires, all things that climate change has led to.

Disease

After experiencing the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m sure there will be a future monster related to it; we’ve all been affected by the pandemic, and we all perceive it negatively. And, whether we realize it or not, as a society, we have some trauma attached to the COVID situation (which, although unfortunate, movie makers will most likely capitalize on in the future). Although I initially envisioned this “monster of disease” to look more like a plague doctor, I think a monster wearing a mask similar to the ones we all currently wear will be more triggering to us if we were to see it in a movie a decade from now.

Autonomous AI

A few years ago, Facebook had to shut down an AI system after robots created a language that humans couldn’t understand. Even before then, fears of AI’s capabilities soared. But, since that event, where we realized that robots could communicate without human oversight, those fears heightened. We have already seen AI takeovers happen in several movies, but with this becoming more of a reality, I hypothesize that we’ll see more drastic interpretations of AI in stories. In previous movies, AI is typically represented as your typical metal robot. Although, I think that will be a pretty accurate representation for future movies as well. Because these AI are becoming more of a reality, I think it would be scarier if they were depicted with more human-like features so that you couldn’t distinguish between the real humans and the robots.

These are just a few future-related fears that could spark the creation of new monsters in the media. But, who knows what other societal fear-based monsters there could be? Something could happen tomorrow that could forever change our perception of scary creatures….

Build-Your-Own-Monster Editor: Erik Bearman