My Body, My Choice!

Abortion is definitely a hot topic right now, just like Mekbeb Lemma mentioned in their article about it. Their article gives a brief history of abortion in the United States. Roe v. Wade was breaking news outlets back in 1973 especially for declaring abortion a right. They waste no time on giving some valid arguments in support of being pro-choice. First stating that the choice is up to the individual because we should not have the right to chose for someone else who is aware of the situation. The women's life can be at risk and some may put the unborn child's life above the dying lady. Finishing the article with how many unplanned or accidental pregnancies happen in the United States, and not everyone is ready for the challenges ahead.

With the new laws that have affected several states, like Alabama, Ohio, and Missouri, which are banning abortions at an early time frame. They are also punishing those who seek abortions or use contraceptives. Overall the article does a good job on explaining to others why pregnancy decisions to be left to whoever is carrying the baby and not some entitled white men.

Hate Crimes Rising

On a previous blog, I mentioned how Trump coming into office has caused white nationalist extremists to come out of the shadows. He has given hatred and racism a platform, especially to non-English speakers. The worst part is that teenagers are also getting involved. In November of 2016 middle schools began chanting “Build the Wall!” the video went viral on social media and the parents were forced to make a public statement. A Michigan police officer was suspended after participating in a trump rally carrying a confederate flag. One of the most controversial viral hate crimes happened earlier this year. In mid-January, a video went viral showing high school students in MAGA outfits mocking a native American elder. Several videos came out afterward and the interaction   America. According to House to probe rise in hate crimes since Trump was elected, which was posted to the rollcall website, stated that those crimes have increased in the past three years. The incidents have risen by 17% in 2017. Very few people are getting actual punishment and parents are not setting an example for their children. When Trump leaves office we might be even more divided than before his presidency.

Losing tequila ?!?!

As a tequila lover, this blog really spoke out to me. Jokes aside, Trump really does use social media to distract everyone from what he is planning. From the beginning, he has been using Twitter to start up dramatic conversations which lead to new laws or whatever. But I think now people are caught up with his game and are aware of what's going on. I love how this article is serious yet they lighten the mood at the end.

What will Trump's Legacy be?

Is Trumps presidency different from what many expected? From the moment he decided to run everyone had their opinions on whether it was a joke or serious matter. Plenty of wild things have happened since he was put into office.

One of the first disasters he faced was Hurricane Maria which killed thousands of people. It was the deadliest Atlantic ocean hurricane since 2004. Here is the thing, Puerto Rico is full of U.S. citizens and they received minimum federal help when compared to the damages.   

Since he came into office the number of white nationalist extremist have rapidly come out of the shadows. He gave hatred and racism a platform and we have to face the consequences. Maybe it's just someone getting upset because they heard a family talking in a different language, or simply because of the color of their skin. Racially-motivated crimes have gone up in the past three years and it might affect the U.S. and Mexico border.

Earlier this week Trump threated to close the U.S Mexico border. No money was given towards the wall so he shut down the government for 35 days. Shutting down the government cost about $11 Billion, now imagine the damage of closing the border for even a day. Criminals and drugs are not the only things crossing the border. Produce, students, workers, and other basic goods are passed through daily.

Trump being in office more than two years later is still a shocker and questionable to many. We are not sure what the highlights and negatives of his presidency will be but let’s hope no more dramatic speeches are made before the end.

Government Blindness

Shirin Sinnar is a Muslim American who teaches at Stanford Law School. She is also the author of a law review article on domestic and international terrorism, as posted on The Slates website. Reaching to anyone who heard about the New Zealand attack and getting them to think about how similar attacks are affecting the United States. Sinnar wrote an article called Confronting Domestic Terrorism Means Confronting White Nationalism, where she unravels how she feels after the attacks at New Zealand mosques. Sinnar has a fear caused by white nationalist getting closer to our communities and worried that political leaders do not have a good solution in place.
By mentioning a handful of attacks that happened in the United States you really start to think about how many attacks have happened. With Trump in office, many neo-Nazi groups are coming out of the shadows and preparing for war. After reading her article I began to think about how unfair the law is towards minorities who are fighting for their rights. After a deadly attack done by a white person, the news automatically connects the accident with mental health, which is disturbing. When a similar attack is done by a minority it becomes a terrorist attack, which makes no sense when you look at them side by side. Which is why I couldn't help but agree with Sinar about how the government often ignores the problem.

Critique

   The phrase “Build the Wall” has been going around a lot since Trump has been elected, and honestly I'm sick of it. The Editorial Board wrote Build Central America, Not a Wall for The New York Times and I couldn't agree with it more. Thousand of Latin Americans are showing up at the American Border, in return many have been separated by the trump administration. Has anyone stopped and asked themselves why these families are leaving everything and everyone they know and love? This article does a great job at shining the light on a problem most people chose to ignore. Yes, these countries are in a scary time and building a wall is not an ideal solution. They Americas support to try and get out of this in going fear and crime circle. While The United States has helped for decades, the administration is focused on its benefits with Latin America. Mentioning crime and economy rate changes gives the readers extra information to support their opinion. They also bring up some report from the United States Agency for International Development to show how we are already helping. Ending the article with  Central America doing their part, and the United States supporting, these problems can soon be gone. This article gives good information to people who may not want to look into it or those who are pro-wall. Structured in a way to keep the reader engaged by showing how the simplicity of cause and effect. Hopefully whoever reads this reconsiders where they stand with the wall and think of ways to help our neighbors.

Article Introduction

“Why Billionaires Make Horrible Candidates and Presidents” by Leo Gerard covers what some people may be thinking. Gerard calls out former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz for saying that “Medicare for all is un-American.” He also calls out Michael Bloomberg for saying, “We need a healthy economy, and we shouldn’t be embarrassed about our system.” He argues that in one of the richest countries in the world, its own people can't afford medical necessities. The struggle of millions struggling with their part-time jobs, and the dramatic increase of un-insured American during Trumps presidency. He also makes an important argument that increasing taxes for the 1% will relieve some financial stress for the other 99% of Americans. It is ended by stating how many Americans want more affordable healthcare, social security, and higher taxes for rich people but the rich are still in control of the outcome. It's disgusting that the people who are financially stable get to decide beneficial programs should be handled.

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/leo-gerard/83331/why-billionaires-make-horrible-candidates-and-presidents

Hey ya'll !

Born and raised in Austin, and the eldest/ only daughter of four. My worst subject has always been history, government, etc. so I will definitely be attending plenty of study sessions. That's it for now folks!