Social Rights Project

In an “Upfront Magazine” that was published on November 17, 2014 there was an article called, “Malala’s Mission”.  This article was about a 15 year old girl, Malala who was a huge believer in the right of women education.  In Pakistan, where she grew up, many Terrorists did not think women should be given the gift of an education because they did not want women to be powerful.  In 2007, 400 schools for girls were burned to the ground.  SImple human rights like listening to music and watching T.V. had been taken away as well.

Malala took matters into her own hands and begun protesting in 2008.  She made posters and started riots.  She basically did anything to be noticed.  One day, Malala was on her way home from school and, “...two members of the Taliban [terrorist group] flagged down her school bus, and one of the men shot her in the head.”  Fortunately, Malala survived and is now living in England with her family.  However, it is crazy to think about how far some people will go for a bit of revenge.  I think the two officers were angry that they had been proven wrong, girls can fight back.  They also wanted to make a point to any other girls who had been thinking of protesting

It is very inspiring to see someone as young as Malala survive so much and make such a difference.  After all, she was interviewed for Upfront Magazine, something so far away from her home town.  Malala stated that “It’s important that teenagers take active roles in speaking up against injustice and inequality.”  After this was stated, she makes a good point in that many teens do not think it is their job to take part in protest.  I relate to this because I have always thought of myself as too young to make any sort of difference.  I didn’t even see the point in trying.  Malala has opened my eyes because she helped so many people see that girl’s education is a real issue in Pakistan.

It is cool to see Malala set high goals for herself.  When Malala is asked about her plans when she goes back to Pakistan, Malala says, “I will start schools for my friends and the daughters and sons of our Nation”.  Malala doesn’t say “I might” or “I may” but “I will”.  I also like how Malala doesn’t wish to say anything hateful to the people who shot her (although she has every right to). She just wants them to know that girls have the right to have an education. It shows that Malala is strong.

A lack of an education is a lack of a human right because everyone deserves an equal education.  A good education allows people to have many more job opportunities.  They can also be more dependent on themselves.  With qn education, girls can be individuals and not rely on husbands or family members to do everything for them.  You can be aware about other things in the world and have the opportunity to become a better persein by reading books.  It is unfair to take all of these things away from women because people are scared of them becoming too powerful.  Women should have every male right.

Interview with Kris Kholer

Me: In our world, what are some things that you wish could be different?  Why?

Kris: I wish that girls around the world had access to education.  Equal access to education is a Human Right.  Girls who are educated, often have less children or make different decisions about family planning.  This is important because one of the major factors of global warming is an exploiting population.

I wish people would take climate change more seriously.  I wish we would move away from fossil fuels

Me: How do you think we can make changes?

Kris: We can invest more in women and education.  We can get people like Jay Z and Beyoncé to invest in education instead of things like Beer Companies.

People need to stop being in denial .  It is so obvious, every year there is more and more extreme weather.  Every year ocean temperatures are rising, glaciers are melting, and species are beginning to be extinct.  Something very serious is going on.

Me: What are some small changes we can make as individuals?

Kris: Demand that our elected officials take action on important issues by pretesting.  We need to get personally involved in causes that benefit the world.  People need to get out and travel the world to see things first hand.

We can drive, consume, and waste less.

Me: What are some things that you enjoy about the world?  Why?

Kris: I like that Nations are striving for democracy.  Hopefully as Tyrants fall, a more fair and equitable system replaces them.  Although if the Arab Spring is an indication, this isn’t always the case.

Me: How can people do more of these things?

Kris: The internet has opened up the world to open communication that wasn’t possible mere decades ago.  Protests can be streamed live across the world and it hopefully inspires people to get involved.

Me: What is unfair about our world?  Why?

Kris: I think it is unfair that large corporations steal land from farmers and poor people for resource extraction and production like they do in central and southern America.  Another thing I think is unfair is that not everyone is the world has access to clean water and nutritious foods, medical care, and of course, education.  It is also unfair that in many countries workers don’t have the right to bargain collectively for their wages and working conditions.

Response

I agree with most of the points that Kris Kholer brought up.  It was interesting to hear her talk about people visiting 3rd world Countries to see what less fortunate people have to go through on a daily basis.  This smart because hopefully after experiencing the hardships of so many people, visitors will want to make a difference.  I also agree with Kholer in the sense that although the internet has ruined so many social experiences, it has provided many citizens with scarring video footage.  The footage will encourage people to make a difference but it may also inspire people to participate in protests once if they watch one online.

After watching “Leave it to Beaver”, a T.V. show made in the 50s, I was not too surprised to notice several things.  Firstly, everyone was white and probably christain.  Throughout the full 22 minutes that I watched, there was one person who wasn’t a White American.  She was a White but was Irish named Mirva and she was the Housemaid.  All the girls and women we extremely skinny.  They all had beautiful hair, occasionally in braids.  They all wore beautiful dresses and facial expressions.  This may teach a young girl that they are expected to wear dresses and be extremely skinny.  In reality, this is false because many things go into your body type like ones genes and eating habits.  It is unfair to encourage children to be something they might not be.  The family was perfect.  The parents never fought and rarely spoke harshly.  This teaches kids that families are not supposed to fight.  This is partially true however, it would make it even harder on a kid whose parents are perhaps getting a divorce.  It might make them feel alone.  I also noticed that the family in the T.V. show had a huge house with china and nice furniture.  Also, the father was wearing a suit and tie.  We can only assume that they make quite a bit of money.  In the show, there were no gay couples and none of the boys wanted to wear aprons.  This gives out the message that boys should act one way and girls should act another way.  It also does not make being gay an option.

Dana Matthews Interview

Dana Matthews is an artist who lives Upstate New York.  She likes to combine photography and paintings to make stunning artwork.  One of her main inspirations is nature.  Through her artistic development, she has grown a passion for helping the environment.  From composting to protesting, Dana has done much for mother nature.

Me: What are some small things that you do everyday to help the environment?

Dana: I eat local foods and support local businesses.  I also carpool with other people as much as possible.  I don’t over heat my house in the winter.  I compost and recycle.  I never use plastic bags and avoid using plastic as much as possible.  Whenever I need to print something, I use recycled paper.

Me: Have you ever gone to any protests?  What were they like?

Dana:I have been to an anti-fracking protest and an anti-pipeline protest.  We made signs and made lots of noise.  It was about creating a scene so we could be noticed by targeted people.

Me: How long have you been interested in saving the environment?

Dana: As long as I can remember.

Me: How were you first educated about it?

Dana: I first learned about it in high school from different things that were happening in my neighborhood in the world landscape.  People were cutting down trees.

Me: How does your art reflect the world and environment?

Dana: My artwork attempts to help people connect with nature.  It is not a direct protest but it helps people familiarize themselves with it.  The purpose of this is to make them not feel the need to destroy it.

Me: What messages does your art portray?

Dana: That the earth is out of balance.  That nature is not separate from us.  That human beings are an invasive species.

Me: Why do you feel it necessary to help the environment?

Dana: Because right now, nature is more vulnerable than it has ever been.  We will not survive without it.  We are codependent.  If we save the environment, we save ourselves.

Me: What do you believe are major causes of climate change?

Dana: Human beings.  Human activities.  Human negligence.  Human greed.  Human ignorance.

Me: What are some things we can do to stop these things from happening?

Dana: Stop fossil fuels and focus on renewable energy resources.

“If You Miss Me From the Back of the Bus”--made in 1962

The first stanza explains that people should pay no attention to the rules about blacks not being able to ride at the front of the Bus. The second talks about going to any school they want.  And the third talks about never being a slave again.  The fifth stanza talks about pretesting, even if it puts them in jail and the sixth is about swimming in any pool anyone wants.  The seventh is about getting any job and not letting the color of their skin interfire.  This song is very hopeful.  Some of the things mentioned may be a bit optimistic for the time period but that didn’t stop them from trying.  This song is not about being an angry protester.  It is about respecting yourself, and gaining respect for black people.

Observations at a ski lodge

• Most people are white
• A few Aisons
• One Black person and one Hispanic
• Most people are wearing fancy snow pants, jackets and equipment.
• Costs a lot of money to rent/buy equipment.
• There are only discounts for people who buy expensive passes

It is unfair that many families don’t receive the same opportunities as wealthier families.  As much as I hate to admit it, a person’s race must affect the amount of money they make.  At the Ski Lodge, there were mostly white people.  Skiing is a very expensive activity and if many Black, Hispanic and any other race are not skiing, the two must relate.  It is unjust that there are fewer things that people can do for fun if they do not make enough money.  People who make less should be provided with discounts.

After watching an “All In With Chris Hayes” about a young African American boy, Tanir Rice who was shot dead by a white police officer, it made me think about the world we live in.  It is crazy how people are being killed just for being a certain color at this day and age.  The person who “witnessed” Rice said he was threatening people with a gun and the suspect was at least 20.  When in reality, the kid was 12, was playing in the snow, and holding a fake gun.  An officer came by and shot the boy dead.  Because the officer is an officer, he can say many excuses about why he felt the urge to kill someone and get away with it.  This is a national problem and people are starting to realize this.  Now, there are many protesters scattered all around America fighting for racial justice.  If I was one of Tamir’s family members, I would feel awful and angry.  Why would anyone have the right to end Tamir’s life when he had done nothing to personally threaten anyone?  Even if it was a real gone, why should anyone kill anyone period?  I would feel very offended that someone of my culture was being killed basically for looking a certain way.  People let nasty stereotypes cloud their judgement.

Argument Essay: Banned Books

Ariana Henry 802

Dear Ms. Berner,

I know that many parents have been pushing you to ban certain books from the MS 51 Library.  However, it is unfair to make a decision based on a small population of people.  Each child at this school is an individual and knows what they are capable of learning about.  Each student makes educated book-reading decisions based on previous experiences with controversial material.  These days, many teens are busy on screens, if the material is a bit extreme it is ok, the fact that they are reading alone should be seen as a positive thing.  Reading is a fabulous activity that enriches your life in many ways.

Reading has marvelous effects on many lives.  One being, it reduces stress.  An article titled, “A Teenage Guide to Stress” by Nicola Morgan mentions that, “If you are spending too much time worrying about these things [exams and your social life], your body is under fairly constant stress, so we need to find ways to reduce the negative effects.”  Stressful lives lead to unhappy ones.  Reading is essential to help release the tension.  The article states, “People who are reading for pleasure report that it relaxes them and allows them to switch off their worries.  We also know that there is a strong connection between reading and everyday pleasure and higher grades in exams.”  Reading allows us to exit our daily stresses and enter a world of excitement.  This leaves us with a feeling of relaxation and a new perspective on life.  Another article called “Reading ‘Can Help Reduce Stress’” from “The Telegraph” (published in March of 2009) explains the science behind how this stress-relieving works.  “Psychologists believe this is because the human mind has to concentrate on reading and the distraction of being taken into a literary would ease the tensions in muscles and the heart.”  Reducing stress allows a happier, healthier lifestyle.  Although snuggling under the covers to watch a movie may be nice, it does not enrich your life in the way reading does.  No matter the content, you will always learn something from a book.  When reading, you can escape on a personal level and enter a new world.  This is a mystical experience that only books offer.

Reading allows people to become better versions of themselves.  In an article titled, “Reading Fiction ‘Improves Empathy,’ Study Finds” by Alison Flood an interesting point is brought up, “...participants who read the Harry Potter chapters self-identifies as wizards, whereas participants reading the Twilight chapter self-identified themselves as vampires.  And ‘belonging’ to these fictional communities actually provided the same mood and life satisfaction people get from affiliations with the real-life group.”  This shows that reading allows you to feel like a fuller, more accepted version of yourself.  Most books involve a group of some sort, providing you with the opportunity to feel welcome.  Even if it is only hypothetical, it can give to a sense of belonging.  Another quote from the same article reads, “Books provide the opportunity for social connection and the blissful calm that comes from becoming a part in something larger than oneself for a precious, fleeting moment.”  This shows that books allow you to connect with the characters and experience important events over the course of the story.  Another quote that adds to this idea is when the author states, “In fiction, also, we are able to understand characteristics’ actions from their interior point of view, by entering into their situations and mines, rather than the more exterior view of them that we usually have.  And it turns out that psychologically there is a big difference between these two points of view.”  When reading, you can join someone in a journey and experience it through their point of view.  You can learn from their mistakes and understand their good points.  You can enter a whole ‘nother life and escape from your everyday lives and routines.  It is nice to have a break because when re-entering your life, you feel calmer and more grateful for what you have.  In most cases, the characters are going through much harder experiences than us.  Reading helps us feel better about ourselves, shaping personalities in the process.  Books help us mature.

Many people believe that complex books encourage highly inappropriate behavior.  They are taking away reading experiences and material based off a fabricated theory.  An article called, “Has Young Adult Fiction Become Too Dark?” by Mary Elizabeth Williams explains that, “..it is possible-indeed, likely - that books focusing on pathologies help normalize them and, in the case of self-harm, may even spread their plausibility and likelihood to young people who might otherwise never have imagined such extreme measures.”  Although some aspects of this may be true, as another article called, “Yes, Teen Fiction Can Be Dark-But It shows Teengaers They Aren’t Alone” states, “No one writing about self harm is providing instructions on how to self harm.  No one writing about rape is providing instructions on how to rape or how to be raped.”  Books are not encouraging bad behavior, they are just explaining and exposing children to real-life situations.  It is understandable that some parents may want to inform their children themselves.  However, some books provide an explanation no one can compete with.  Books provide you with hope for the future.  The same article states, “If subjects like these are in YA books, it’s to show that they are real, that they can be survived.”  Books open you up to unexplored aspects of many teens’ lives without normalizing it.  Some books expose us to things that are hard to overcome.  This is a good thing and just adds to the reason why books are so enriching.

It is important to let reading into kids’ lives no matter how gory the context is (it may even grab their attention).  As the article called, “Reading ‘Can Help Reduce Stress” says, “It really doesn’t matter what book you read, by losing yourself in a fully engrossing book, you can escape from the worries and stresses of the everyday world and spend a while exploring the domain of the author’s imagination.”  Sophisticated material is okay because it all does the same thing in the end.  By allowing teens to choose their own books, it gives them the opportunity to cross extreme boundaries.  The maturity of a book should reflect the reader but the act of choosing a book should be done by the reader based off of his or her interests. Reading makes such a huge impact on many lives that it is important to encourage teens and children to do it.  By  taking books away, you can only hurt these teens.  

Thank you so much for understanding,

--Ariana Henry