Land of the Labels

Yes, I am a Republican. This doesn’t make me xenophobic, homophobic, misogynistic, racist, or prejudice. I grew up in a family that is made up of both Democrats and Republicans, so I am also not to be written off as an individual who is a product of my environment. I am an educated young man who has an enormous heart and cares about this country and its people very deeply. The ability to make my own decisions while composing my own moral compass has led me to my political beliefs many years ago. According to the PewResearchCenter, 44 percent of registered American voters are Republican. I am a part of this statistic and I believe that I embody the many individuals who are Republican that sincerely love America as well as all Americans. The United States is a country made up of  power and mystery, which makes me proud each day, even through tough times. Furthermore, I am not a robot that is a brainwashed to follow and believe everything that Republicans feel the need to say or fight for. The Washington Post states that 63 percent of the nation’s Democrats approve of their party's congressional members and only 34 percent of Republicans approve of theirs’. I am as level headed as the horizon on the ocean, and I can always look at an issue from multiple perspectives. I believe that we live in a fixed society where titles are alive more than ever, due to both sides of the aisle. Once someone announces their political party, numerous labels are attached to that individual. It is easier to put people into categories instead of having authentic conversations regarding who someone truly is, besides the political party they affiliate with on paper. Debate and questioning are a few of the things that make our country so unique, which is why I am always finding my own opinion on political topics instead of looking to Fox News to tell me what to think. Sure, I do support the Second Amendment, structured yet easy immigration, and a stronger military. I also support marriage equality and pro-choice stances. In a poll conducted by the Los Angeles Times, only 33 percent of millennials prefer the Republican party. I would have guessed an even smaller amount for this statistic due to the Liberal environment and agenda thriving on college campuses and other facets of young America. This point may be controversial, but it is something that I believe. I feel strongly about this due to my fear of even wearing a Young Republican shirt on my own college campus due to the possibility of ridicule from fellow classmates or being failed by a professor. I am sick and tired of having to hide my identity among society, inside of the classroom, and with friends. I am not a monster that is close minded or who hates marginalized groups, I want the best for Americans everywhere which will only lead to a stronger and even better country. It is time for our society to let go of political labels, and begin talking to each other instead of writing individuals off. I am done being written off.

Generation Grindr

Generation Grindr

Steven* is sitting across the table from me, fiddling with the torn seams at the bottom of his jacket as he reaches for his phone. “My favorites are Scruff and Grindr” he says. He swipes open his phone and a collage of shirtless men come into view. “This guy is 12 ft away, creepy huh?”. Steven has been using dating apps like Grindr for about 5 years and the role of these dating apps have played a huge part in the way he dates. “I think because of the increased use of social media and the importance of virtual presence, that it isn’t a necessity for people to use dating apps. Kinda makes it possible for us to meet people we wouldn’t otherwise meet” he says. And he’s definitely not wrong. According to The Atlantic, “American adults ages 18 to 24 used online-dating sites and apps at an average rate for all American adults—about 10 percent. Since then, that rate has almost tripled”. More and more people are starting to use these apps almost exclusively but the question that is still raised is why. “We get bored quickly and we’re always looking for new interactions or entertainment, it’s exciting and addicting. The need for attention makes it a no-brainer to have a dating app” he says in reference to why millennials are constantly flocking to download.

The constant need for instant gratification doesn’t stop there, the search for the perfect partner only makes these apps easier to navigate. “I love how selective you can be and filter out the people you don’t like” Steven says. But what about the gay community as a whole, One would think apps of this size would affect the community it involves. As Steven reached across the table to grab his coffee, his phone lit up. “I think it had helped create a subculture of its own and became a thing like “oh he’s on grindr, so is he”, it’s created a promiscuous arena for men but also brought together the community because they’re all looking for the same things”. This sex positivity is not unknown to most millennials in college. In fact, according to Rolling Stone, “One 2012 survey from the University of San Diego found that 58 percent of respondents said there was nothing wrong with sex before marriage, and another study in the Archives of Sexual Behavior found that 45 percent of us of have had casual sex, compared to only 35 percent in the Eighties”. So, it’s apparent that times are changing and the sex positivity that these apps can allow also make headway for those hoping for exploration.

Steven looks away from his phone and eyes the barista behind the counter. “He’s on Scruff, super nice dude.” I had asked him if I could ask him questions too however it was made apparent he wasn’t completely out. “A lot of down low guys like to have grindr or Scruff, gives them an opportunity to explore their sexuality without being outed. But it does a lot of damage in sexualizing gay culture. As if gay guys only want to hook up with each other versus having a relationship.” This hookup culture that our generation is known for having, while providing an outlet for those who want to explore, have damaging effects to the gay stereotype that we are trying to stem away from. But is that all these apps are? Just to provide for the demand of instant gratification within our self-created hookup culture? “The end result of grinder depends on my mood, when I’m sick of these assholes and want a potential partner, I don’t want to be on these dating apps. But if I’m bored on a friday night then yeah I’ll use it. You get what you’re looking for”. Steven shoves his phone into his backpack and gulps down the last drops of his iced coffee. He leans over the table to kiss my cheek, “Make sure to tell them about the dick pics, so many dick pics. They’re everywhere!”. I laughed and wondered if we all use these apps as a crutch or if they empower us to leave our comfort zones. As I finished my thought, my phone buzzed. *3 notifications on Tinder*.

*Name has been changed to honor Anonymity

Ideal Self

           “I designated the white guy to talk to the officer because he was the one who looked the least threatening of all of us. I was like, okay Warren [white male] you are going to talk to the cops, we are going to sit back here and be quiet unless they asks us a direct question.” These were the words my cousin Darian replayed back to me when recalling a time him and a group of teammates were approached by two police officers after their high school basketball practice. It was late at night. A long and tiring 2-hour practice had just concluded in their school gymnasium. With sweat steaming off of their heads, Darian and his teammates waited outside for their parents to pick them up from practice. The group of teammates consisted of my cousin, a black male, two other black males, and Warren, the lone white male of the group. The police officers slowly approached the group of males in the parking lot. The officer questioned why the group was hanging outside the school at night. Darian told me, “The officer believed we were up to no good or about to vandalize the school that we attend when in reality we were just waiting for our parents.” When I asked him why he designated Warren to talk to the officer, he responded, “We didn’t want to talk to him [officer]. It’s like… we are young black males, we don’t want to talk to the police because they might try to say something to flip it on us. So we had a better chance of getting out of this if the white one talks.”

            This conversation I had with my cousin sparked my interest in how young African American males present themselves in the presence of police officers. It is no secret that within the last five years, we have seen a rise of media coverage on police brutality, more specifically, the killing of unarmed African American males by police. According to the Huffington Post, U.S. police killed at least 258 black people in 2016. The Washington Post added that in 2016, 34% of unarmed people killed by police were black males. While this might not be the majority of unarmed killings, this statistic is very disproportionate, as black males only make up about 6% of the U.S. population. An African American male conscious of these disproportionate killings is likely to present an ideal version of himself in the presence of police in order to ensure their safety. In my cousin’s instance, this meant having a white male be the voice for the group when talking to the police as it presented a more ideal picture of the group. As a result, the officer let Darian and his teammates go. To this day, Darian believes that the situation might have gone differently if Warren had not been with them. 

Hearing my cousin’s story made me reflect on how I, as an African American male, present myself around police. I believe it’s important that when I am in the presence of police, that I am doing everything in my power to combat any potential negative stereotypes or stigma sometimes associated with black males. My parents taught me that if I am ever pulled over by police, I am to speak slow and clearly, announce what I am about to do before I do it, and to always stay calm and respectful no matter what. Following these steps has become second nature to me. While these seem like common steps, for African Americans and other minorities, they can be the difference between going home or becoming the next hash-tag on Twitter.

Breaking News: Flint Still Without Clean Water

By now, the Flint water crisis seems like old news. It once was a topic that scrolled at the bottom of the screen on CNN and news channels alike. But, it has disappeared from the 24-hour news cycle and now our newly elected president consumes most of the media’s attention. While the water crisis is no longer being covered on our television screens, this crisis should not be erased from our minds. While we go about our day drinking clean water and refreshing our phones for the most eye-catching headlines, Flint, Michigan has been absent of clean water for 3 years. If we are unaware of how this water crisis came exist, I will offer a very brief overview.

 Flint, Michigan is a city located about 60 miles outside of Detroit. Encompassing a population of about 100,000 people, Flint was once a thriving car manufacturing city hosting one of the largest General Motors plant. But after General Motors severely cut back it’s size and employees, the city soon became an impoverished city entrenched with financial deficits. These deficits resulted in the state of Michigan taking control over the city. This meant taking over Flint’s water supply.  The state of Michigan switched Flint’s water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River to cut back on cost. This transition drastically impacted the water supply. According to a class –action lawsuit, the state department of Environmental Quality was not properly treating the Flint River Water. This mistreatment of the water caused lead from aging service lines to infiltrate Flint’s water supply. As of 2014, it was announced that Flint’s water supply for all of its citizens was contaminated and unhealthy to drink. High levels of lead in the water made it unsafe to drink and developing children exposed to this risk long-term health issues.

Why am I concerned about the water crisis? For one, nothing is being done to clean Flint’s water supply. Everyone with any real power to clean the water supply has made the decision to stay idle. The second reason is Flint hits close to home for me. While I am personally not from Flint, Michigan, my father was born and raised there and my grandmother (father’s mother) currently resides there. I had the opportunity to talk to my grandmother understand what it is like to live with contaminated water. Living on the Flint water system, my grandmother said that she has a filter on her sink that is suppose to filter out the contaminants. She said, “I don’t use the tap filter for drinking, only for cooking and washing dishes.” When it comes to drinking, she only drinks bottled water. When it comes to showering, my grandmother said, “ I have no choice but to shower in the dirty, lead-filled water.” While she has to avoid getting the water in her eyes, she said that because she is old, the lead in the water doesn’t affect her like it would on a child whose brain is still developing. My father, who visits Flint frequently, believes that the water supply was long contaminated before 2014 and that my grandmother was exposed to the dirty water long before being notified of it.

Why after three years does Flint, Michigan still not have a clean water supply? Is it because of the high level of poverty in the city? Is it because of the predominantly black demographic? Would a situation like this go on for three years in Beverly Hills? In 2010, the United Nations General Assembly recognized through Resolution 64 that clean water and sanitation are a human right. These are American citizens living in one of the wealthiest nations in the world without a clean water supply. This crisis will not go away by itself and should not continue to be ignored.

Differences

Growing up in Hawaii is something that I am most thankful for. Not just for the sand in between my toes when I’m sitting at the beach, or relaxing under the bright sun with the humidity moisturizing my skin, but ultimately it is because I feel more carefree and that I have no worries. Leaving Hawaii was something that was very hard for me to do and transitioning to college in Los Angeles was definitely an experience. I feel that I have opened my eyes to more issues that are important and I feel grateful to experience both sides on living on the “mainland,” and on a small little island like Kauai. But, this wasn’t easy. I find myself to be different from most.

Now at 20 years old, I understand that I may have differences from other people. I know where I stand, what I want, and what I will advocate for. I just didn’t think I would be that different from someone who is close to me. Someone who I basically grew up with and was raised by. That someone is my dad.

My dad and I have our differences, yet we are so similar. We’re both born and raised in Hawaii and raised with the right morals. From when I was a little girl, I learned so much from him that I can remember thinking “Wow my dad is so smart. I can’t wait to do the things that he’s doing.” But, during this recent presidential election our similarities changed. My dad voted for Trump, and I understood that he was a republican, and wanted to “keep his money, his money,” but I was very unclear as to what else he believed in. 

We then started to get into arguments about what’s right and what’s wrong, and I can hear myself screaming inside of my head saying, “No you’re wrong!” He was always so adamant to shut down anything I said that was “anti-Trump.” I knew I couldn’t be the only one who was feeling this way. I felt torn and even disconnected from my own dad. According to The Seattle Times, over a month ago, they “fielded dozens of emails, phone calls and responses on social media from people across the political spectrum who say the election has tangled their personal relationships. Some of them call the polarization unlike anything they have experienced before.”

When it came to the topic of abortion, my father and I disagreed. He is pro-life, and I am pro-choice. He then would tell me that I shouldn’t be pro-choice because of who I am and how I was brought up in a Christian family. He then went on to telling me that, “You’re going against your Christian values.” I felt angry inside, especially because I am a young woman who is still learning about myself. Of course I believe in God and I am proud to be a Christian, but I think every woman has a right to their own body. But, like I said, I know what I want, and what I would advocate for. Huffington Post stated, “Twenty-six percent of Americans say they’ve argued with a friend about the Presidential candidates this year, 23 percent have argued with a family member, while 11 percent have gotten into a fight with a coworker. A particularly adversarial 6 percent have managed to hit a trifecta.”

What saddens me is that I am part of the 23 percent who argues with a family member, and this isn’t something that I am proud of. Regardless of these disagreements with my father, I will never be able to change his thoughts or ideas. It’s just like the saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” All I can do as an individual and his daughter is fight for what I believe in and hope that I can enlighten him.

The Women vs. Donald Trump

On January 20, 2017, as we all know, Donald Trump took the oath of office. Changes that happened that weekend have impacted many people either in a positive or negative light. Since his oath, there were so many changes that happened within days. Within hours of taking his oath, Donald Trump signed an executive order to “seek the prompt repeal” of the Affordable Care Act. By doing so, one of his prime concerns will be taking down the health care law that supports over 20 million Americans.

The day before the inauguration we discussed health care, health insurance, and the politics of women’s health in all of my classes that I am enrolled in. Being that I am a woman, these kinds of issues are extremely important to me. We currently have The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). According to The Boston Women’s Health Book Collective, this was signed for “hospitals and primary physicians to transform their practices financially, technologically, and clinically to drive better health outcomes, lower costs, and improve their methods of distribution and accessibility. According to one of the reports done in Our Bodies, Ourselves, the U.S. spends more on health care than any country, yet we are the only industrialized country where everyone is not automatically covered for health care services.

The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, entails many things that us as millennials may have not even known about. The act allows you to stay on your parent's health insurance until age 26, and it ended lifetime caps. It also assures that no one could be denied health insurance because of pre-existing conditions, and it gives people access to private insurance. If Obamacare is repealed, it will affect a tremendous number of people.

As I was reading up on numerous articles surrounding this event, an article from The New York Times, “Trump’s Vow to Repeal Health Law Revives Talk of High-Risk Pools,” struck my mind. Joanne Fitzgerald was featured and told her story about how she got a divorce after a doctor diagnosed her with a mild form of gastritis. Once her divorce became final, she lost health coverage from her husband’s employer, and insurances refused to cover her because of her pre-existing condition. Because of Obamacare, she was able to get insured. Now that Trump and Congress are vowing to repeal and replace the act, according to The New York Times, about “7 percent of people under 65 are thought to have some sort of pre-existing condition that will most likely leave them without individual insurance if the law is repealed.”

Not only is this issue affecting boomers and gen-x-ers, it is affecting millennials. Talia Zahm, a colleague of mine, says, “It is stupid. It’s definitely going to affect me after college and any future generations coming up. I would love to stay under my parent’s insurance until I’m 26. Now I feel rushed to find a job when that in itself is hard.” Talia is a student here at Loyola Marymount University. While finishing up her final semester of senior year, she is distraught by all the actions taken by our current President.

People want to get rid of Obamacare because it is not generating profit. For people who have health insurance, it does not necessarily mean they have health care and can afford it. These health insurance companies are raising premiums because insurance companies aren't making profit when they’re “giving” insurance to everyone who needs it. I can paint a picture in my mind as to what Donald Trump is trying to do, but I disagree with his methods. All we can to do is wait and see what the outcome will be.

Afraid of their own shadows

    Since first learning about the concept in an intro English course at my old community college, Carl Jung’s “shadow” has endlessly intrigued me. By Jungian definition, the Shadow is an aspect of every person’s personality (Journal Psyche NP). It is, in its essence, a combined force of everything a person doesn’t like about themselves. Now Jung was a smart guy, he gave the world ideas like extroversion and introversion, and that’s something that people talk about every day. Similarly, the Shadow is something we see even more often.

    Have you ever met someone with a face that you felt the strong urge to hit? Or have you ever found yourself meeting someone for the first time and immediately hated them, even though all of your friends loved them? Chances are, you’re more like those people than you think. In our day to day life, our shadows appear to us in people that we talk to and observe. As a sort of being made up of a person’s suppressed insecurities and internalized hate, a Shadow is something we ourselves hate. Essentially, when you meet or see a person who exhibits the traits that you hate about yourself, you project your self-hatred onto this person. So let’s say that you are a “talker;” you jabber on and on all day, constantly stopping to chastise yourself for talking too much and being annoying (by your own perception), until after months of trying you manage to reel yourself in. So you being a former talker, you join in a conversation with a few strangers in line at Target and find that one of them will just not shut up. You find yourself enraged, wishing you could cover their mouth, knock them out, or anything else. Now you may be aware that the reason you find them annoying is that they talk a lot, but you probably wouldn’t realize why you find talking a lot to be so annoying. It is only because within them you saw a shadow of yourself, and it terrified you.

    This insidious Shadow really does bring out the worst in us. We are so focused on ourselves and our perceived problems that we project them onto every person that we see. We give so much power to them. So much so that my friends and I were able to torment one of our own, out of fear. In high school, we all had a friend I’ll call Evan. Now none of us were particularly attractive people, but Evan seemed to have pulled a shorter straw. Short, hefty, had a squeaky voice and a squeakier laugh (and he didn’t have the best personality either). He was an easy target. While he really was our friend, he just represented all of the things that we didn’t want for ourselves, and daily we would hit his self-esteem with verbal jabs and he’d laugh it off, which made it worse.

    We’ve all worked on being better, and we have been. I had many deep seated anger issues, but I’ve managed to get a handle on them. I think coming out of high school also helped us all hate ourselves a little less, and thus treat others a little better. But our shadows still live within us and around us, and within you too. “To become conscious of it involves recognizing the dark aspects of the personality as present and real” (Jung NP). It is a bold enemy that you must face daily, not with anger but with love. Whatever childhood issues or personal disappointments you have, you need to face them, and acknowledge them. You can never truly get rid of these things, just as you can’t erase your actual shadow. But, by recognizing its existence, you can stop being afraid of it.