Lennon Revisited: Imagine Religious Education

Since 1971, all over the world people have sung the lyrics of John Lennon’s song, suggesting that the absence of religion would create a world of peace. The fact is that religion is a vital part of peoples’ lives and the source of great good in society in spite of abominations by some in the name of religion, even in the United States. So rather than abolish the practice of faith we should commit as a nation to opening a dialogue that begins with mandatory education about religious differences. With that, we can imagine a world where our differences are celebrated and encouraged rather than demonized and condemned. It’s a crazy idea, isn’t it? Perhaps it is, but it’s not altogether unreasonable. Such a concept is the dream of many and people all over the world have made great progress toward making this our reality. However, the problem with differences is that they can be perceived as too different to tolerate and some reside on such far sides of the spectrum that finding middle ground can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Possibly the most controversial topic and point of difference of all time is religion. Religion is often central to the identity of a people group. A statistic on the website “Adherents.com”, the largest database of its kind, states that theologists propose that there are as many as 4,200 recognized religions across the globe. History’s record of conflicts attribute to many a disagreement of religion. According to an article in The Daily Mail written by Ryan O’Hare, religious differences have been causing conflict as far back as 700 B.C. Mesoamerica. With it’s almost as if there isn’t enough room for them to exist together peacefully.

Many believe that the only way to find peace and balance is through understanding, which may derive most successfully from education. It is becoming increasingly important to educate our young people, and even a fair amount of our old people, on controversial social topics such as religion. There are far too many misconceptions about many religious practices and beliefs which could be rectified by a basic understanding of different religions and the cultures surrounding them. It is for this reason that a course covering the most basic aspects of the world’s religions should be made a mandatory component of the public high school curriculum.

More often than not, the only formal education a student receives on the subject of religion comes if they choose to take a course covering it in a higher educational setting or if they enrolled at a private school with a religious affiliation. This is because of the concept called “the separation of church and state.” Though still relevant, the true meaning of this phrase has been distorted over time, almost like in a game of “Whisper down the lane.” To be clear, the separation of church and state defines the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state. Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in 1802 referencing the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, this copy of which was obtained from the online database of the Library of Congress.  It includes this excerpt:

“Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.”

Jefferson’s position is that the Bill of Rights prohibits the establishment of a national church, in turn, preventing the government from interfering with a person’s right to expression of religion by means of supporting one religion over others. After all, this is the reason English pilgrims came to America in the first place. Nicknamed “Separatists” because their religious practices didn’t conform to those of the Church of England, they sailed to America so that they could be free to practice their own religion without fear of persecution or discrimination. In fact, there was a time when America was likely the most accepting as well as diverse nation in terms of religion. People from all over the world fled to America seeking religious liberty. In the article “Republicans Turn God Upside Down with Their Twisted Version of Religious Liberty” for the Huffington Post, Cody Cain explains that the early colonies were populated by Dutch Calvinists, English Puritans, English Catholics, Scottish Presbyterians, French Huguenots, German and Swedish Lutherans, as well as Mennonites, Jews, and Amish from various European countries. Thomas Jefferson was adamant about supporting and maintaining the separation of church and state to ensure that each citizen felt welcomed and protected by our society, regardless of who they chose to pray to.

Over time, the phrase “separation of church and state” has been so widely used and misinterpreted that it’s lost some of its salt. The separation of church and state is also designed to protect some more general religious freedoms such as being able to practice whatever religion or even no religion at all in whatever way you see fit. The United States was founded on biblical principles, most of which serve our country well and support the values of most American citizens, regardless of their religion. However, we cannot claim to uphold our Constitution including the First Amendment while our laws refuse to respect the lifestyles guided by different religions, provided that the practice of which does not put any other liberties at risk. On the other hand, allowing our society to divide itself by religious denomination would be discrimination would breed an environment of resentment and hostility. Having legal freedoms yet being oppressed by the general societal stance on the matter isn’t true freedom.

For example, Muslims are legally permitted to practice their religion in America but after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, animosity towards Muslim Americans skyrocketed. As a statistic to support his claims in his article “Impact of 9/11 on Muslim Americans, Abdul Malik Mujahid claims that one in four Muslims either knows someone who has or have personally experienced an act of anti-Muslim discrimination, harassment, verbal abuse or physical attack since 9/11.

This discrimination and negative stance towards the entire culture isn’t just affecting those on the receiving end of it. American citizens are being misinformed about the reality of the situation. This extreme instance of widespread prejudice has blinded us to the truth about the groups involved, resulting in their abuse and our ignorance. The censorship in schools on what pertaining to religion may and may not be taught can lead to misinformation on the details of situations like the September 11th attacks.This is why we need to properly educate people on different religions. Religion is incredibly controversial and a lot of the friction could most likely be reduced if more people truly understood what they were arguing about rather than making assumptions based on information with no credible sources to back it up.

To continue with the example of September 11, many of those who’ve written articles and thesis papers similar to this one also hold the belief that being properly educated on foreign cultures and religions would have better prepared American citizens to handle the aftermath of the 2001 attacks. Racism has been around since before anyone cared to take note of it and has maintained a constant presence in America. The way in which Americans of middle eastern descent were perceived changed drastically because the attacks of 9/11 were the most mortally devastating acts of terror the world had witnessed. That day set a new precedent for the future of public safety all over the globe. In just one noticeable reaction to the attacks, the United States government created the Transportation Safety Administration which rapidly put into effect a plethora of stringent rules and restrictions for the safety of passengers and goods on land, air and sea. The TSA’s own website states that their mission is to protect the nation’s transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce.

The Guardian posted excerpts from a book called “The Patriot Acts: Narratives of Post 9/11 Injustice”, edited by Alia Malek. It details the testimonies of several victims of discrimination and foul treatment in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks. In 2006, Raed Jarrar, a 28-year-old architect and political advocate of Iraqi and Palestinian descent was stopped from boarding a plane because of his t-shirt. It read in Arabic and in English “We Will Not Be Silent.” The TSA officer told him that because people couldn’t read what it said that it would offend other passengers and that if Raed wanted to board the plane he would need to turn the shirt inside out or they would buy him a new one. Raed boarded the plane in grey t-shirt with “New York” printed across his chest only to find that the seat he had booked in the front of the plane had been given to another passenger while he was asked to sit in the very back of the plane near the bathroom.

This very situation and others similar to it are the reason why a formal education on religion is so crucial to the future of our nation. A main function of school is to prepare students to become productive members of society, thus equipping them to lead our country in a direction that will ensure the prosperity of our people and way of life. In order to accomplish this goal, those designing the curriculum must understand that it’s only effective when recognized as holistic, meaning that the student will never reach his or her fullest potential unless given an education comprised of components from every subject matter.

Returning to the separation of church and state and how this concept plays into the grand scheme of things, it imposes limitations on the way our public schools are allowed to address the topic of religion. To reiterate, the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” In relation to an educational setting, no government institution or subsidiary can offer any kind of support to a religiously affiliated program, including schools. This includes funding an educational course promoting religion.

However, there is a window of opportunity that does not violate the Constitution or its Amendments. While preventing the teaching of religion, the constitution says nothing on the subject of teaching about religion. Yes, there is a difference. As explained in the article “Religion in the Public Schools” on the Anti-Defamation League website, to teach a religion would imply an endorsement. Teaching about a religion merely means supplying information in the interest of education in order to inform and enlighten someone on a certain topic. As long as the curriculum and instructor show no bias, it’s completely appropriate within the bounds of the Constitution. On the website “The Knightly Herald,” Olivia Godfrey claimed in her article”Why Religion Should Not Be Taught In Public Schools” that it would never work because it’s impossible to remain completely unbiased while teaching the material or that children aren’t mature enough to truly understand and think critically about the subject matter in a way that would prove to be worth the effort. The concern pertaining to the accountability of the teachers is not new but neither is the solution. The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development promoted the book “Effective Supervision” by Robert J. Marzano, which clearly states that supervisor evaluations of teachers have been a regular part of that career field since the mid 1800s and will not be stopping any time soon. The evaluations would now simply include a new rubric for a different course to ensure the integrity of the course and that of the instructor guiding it just as for the rest of the general education courses.

“Teaching Tolerance” is a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center and in Carrie Kilman’s article “One Nation, Many Gods” provides the testimony of the Modesto school district where, in spite of the skepticism, officials have already set this plan in motion and it’s working effectively. In 2000, the public school district of Modesto, California designed a mandatory, semester-long world religions course for 9th graders. After beginning the class with an overview of First Amendment rights and responsibilities, the class dives into six religious units, covering Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism. The opposition from some parents and leader in the community was heavy and intense. Teachers feared backlash and criticism, especially if they were to make mistakes in teaching. To avoid such reactions, numerous precautions were taken and rules set in place to ensure success: Teachers are not allowed at anytime to reveal their religious affiliation to avoid confusion with teachers imposing their own bias or beliefs on students. The curriculum is highly structured and leaves nearly no room for improvisation. Each class in the district receives the same books, lesson plans, notes, and other learning materials to keep everyone on the same page. Outside speakers are not permitted and each religion receives the same amount of class time. One of the few ways teachers are permitted to deviate from the lesson plan is whether or not they choose to cover the chapter in the the textbook on atheism. Some do and some don’t but that is up to the discretion of each teacher.

To ensure the legitimacy and adequacy of the course, the teacher-led committee that created Modesto’s curriculum worked closely with religious leaders in the local community during the course’s development. After deciding upon which religions would be included in the curriculum, the committee divided into teams to research each faith. They toured houses of worship in several different faiths and sought guidance from religious leaders of each faith and asked them to review the textbook they planned to use in the course. “There are an equal number of pages given to each religion,” a committee member said. “We knew they would count.”

To further document the progress and eventual outcome of the project, researchers from the First Amendment Center closely followed the course and all of its participants. In addition, the researchers interviewed the students immediately before, during, immediately after and six months after the course had ended to better understand the mindset of the course’s participants and how the program may have altered them. Specifically, they wanted to know if the diversity of the course had any impact on the students’ religious tolerance. “We’ve never really known what effect it would have if we taught more about different religions in public schools,” director of the Arlington, Va.-based First Amendment Center said. “We’ve always said it was a good idea – but in terms of empirical evidence, what it does for our kids, this study is the first indication of what it might do.”

Time and time again, students were found to have become more open minded and willing to defend the religious rights of others. Students themselves said they felt the course had broadened their views and empowered them against faith-based bullying. “I didn’t know anything about any religion other than mine,” said Kristin Busby, now a senior. “By the end [of the semester], we were all much more accepting toward one another. You realize that we’re all not that different after all. We all have these necessities, and these religions provide for those necessities, just in different ways.”

Perhaps the greatest fear of parents was that their children’s perception and opinions on religion, specifically the ones they were raised in would become distorted. They were concerned their children would become confused and start to have doubts about their own faith. However, contrary to the fears of parents and expectations of researchers, this increase in religious tolerance was not accompanied by any change in the students’ personal religious convictions and opinions. “My mom and dad were biased against this course,” said 9th-grader Richard Dysart. “They were afraid I’d convert and get confused about what my family believes. But if you’re part of a culture, you won’t switch just by learning about how other people live.”

The first year of the new curriculum was seen as a great success by researchers, supervisors and the community alike. Modesto was eager to continue with the curriculum into the 2001-2002 school year. Then 9/11 happened. The teachers cited the 30 hours of training required to teach the course as the guide to helping them navigate the difficult questions and conversations that arose that year. They made sure to handle the in-class discussions carefully and made a clear distinction between Islam as a religion and the people involved in the terror attacks. Across the nation, reports of harassment of Muslim students at school escalated quickly after 9/11. In Modesto, not a single instance of anti-Muslim harassment was reported in the 2001-2002 school year.

The value of these programs is in how knowledge empowers individuals to understand and communicate with each other in spite of differences. It prepares us to navigate the most challenging and chaotic circumstances. Mandating education about religion is not only a worthy investment but a moral obligation to ensure a world in which our differences are celebrated and encouraged for the good of all. If we fail to make the necessary efforts then whatever negative side effects we experience, there is no one to blame for them but ourselves.

Works Cited

1. Adherents.com. (n.d.). Retrieved December 01, 2016, from http://www.adherents.com/
2. MailOnline, R. O. (2015, December 22). Religion has been causing conflicts for more than 2,000 years: Rather than binding ancient societies together, belief systems may have torn them apart in Mesoamerica. Retrieved December 01, 2016, from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3370189/Religion-causing-conflicts-2-000-years-binding-ancient-societies-belief-systems-torn-apart-Mesoamerica.html
3. Jefferson’s Letter to the Danbury BaptistsThe Final Letter, as Sent. (n.d.). Retrieved December 02, 2016, from https://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html
4. Cain, C. (2016, May 09). Republicans Turn God Upside Down with Their Twisted Version of Religious Liberty. Retrieved December 01, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cody-cain/republicans-turn-god-upsi_b_9857402.html
5. Impact of 9/11 on Muslim Americans. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2016, from http://www.soundvision.com/article/impact-of-911-on-muslim-americans
6. Mission. (2016). Retrieved December 01, 2016, from https://www.tsa.gov/about/tsa-mission
7. After 9/11: ‘You no longer have rights’ – extract. (2011, September 02). Retrieved December 03, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/sep/02/after-9-11-muslim-arab-american-stories
8. You are being redirected… (n.d.). Retrieved December 01, 2016, from http://archive.adl.org/religion_ps_2004/religion.html
9. Why Religion Should Not Be Taught in Public Schools – Olivia Godfrey. (2013, September 23). Retrieved December 02, 2016, from http://knightlyherald.com/why-religion-should-not-be-taught-in-public-schools-olivia-godfrey/
10. Marzano, R. J. (n.d.). Chapter 2. A Brief History of Supervision and Evaluation. Retrieved December 03, 2016, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/110019/chapters/A-Brief-History-of-Supervision-and-Evaluation.aspx
11. Kilman, C. (2007, Fall). One Nation, Many Gods. Retrieved November 25, 2016, from http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-32-fall-2007/feature/one-nation-many-gods

Childhood Obesity has become a serious epidemic in America.  Obesity leads to many other harmful health problems.  Since children are not responsible for financially providing for themselves, there should be a penalty which parents should be held accountable if their child fails to meet a healthy standard according to his height and weight.  Childhood obesity starts at home and carries over to society.  America needs to be more honest with each other no matter how ugly the truth may appear.  If we correct this ongoing epidemic, we will begin an era when diabetes and other heart related problems begin to decrease.  Obesity leads to more than just physical issues, as it’s highly related to mental health problems as well.  Overall, obesity is a problem that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later and if we begin preventive measures with the children of today it’s very likely that we can begin to put an end to obesity and stop it’s rapid linear growth which has been doubled since 1980.

Technology is one of the main causes of obesity.  Technology and children go hand in hand.  Nowadays everyone has some kind of phone or new technology.   The media promotes all forms of obesity and children are the biggest victim. They see a product and immediately want it.  That is because children are naïve and have little say in final decision making, but they can be used as leverage into persuading themselves into eating out rather than preparing a home cooked meal.  My one source noted in his recent study, “The prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents has increased in most Western countries in the last few decades. The recent secular trend seems to be more closely associated with increased inactivity”(Fogelhelm). Parents are responsible for buying them all the newest forms of game consoles, but not stressing enough the importance of going out, exercising, or getting involved in some type of activity.

Children and teens are exposed to hundreds of food commercials.  Whether they know it or not, overtime it begins to stick as they begin to see these advertisements repeatedly and sometimes just give in to the marketing scheme if not once several times a week.  According to Stat Crunch in collaboration with Pearson learning, the average college student spends more than 25 dollars a week.  Relatively low but that is just the average.  Whether this survey was accurate or not depending on the area, race, age, and gender results could vary.  With that being considered regardless of the diet, when it comes to actively exercising there should be no excuse. These lazy teenagers were in most cases not always lazy children.  Overtime, we begin to see more and more evidence which supports the recent increase we see in inactivity which could be the biggest contributor to obesity.

According to a source, approximately two in ten American youth ages 2-19 are considered overweight or obese. (Childhood Overweight and Obesity, 2011) Obesity is linked to other health issues such as heart disease, depression, hypertension, high cholesterol and type two diabetes. (Childhood Obesity, 2011).   Being unhealthy as a child could lead to not only serious physical and mental health problem, but also when they become adults. Children who suffer from obesity have a higher chance of becoming obese as adults according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The majority of children fall victim to no after school supervision, quick access to fast food, and microwaveable dinners. As a result, children are not getting the proper nutrition needed for healthy growth. That’s why it’s so important for parents to watch what their children eat and make sure they’re getting proper nutrition and exercise.  If these two subjects are touched upon we would see healthier children for the most part. In most families more times than not, both parents work consistent shifts, which ultimately leaves the children home alone.  This is what parents argue.  They work so their children can eat.  Having to prepare food also makes their job as a parent seem impossible.  This is the responsibilities that come along with being a parent.  Being a parent means understanding your duties and raising your child to be as healthy as possible so they can pass off good health potentially to their kids in the future.  With so many electronic game systems (Xbox 360, PlayStation, etc.) and a huge amount of television propaganda is aimed at children and teenagers, millions of kids are sitting in front of the TV, eating snacks, and forgoing a healthy lifestyle.

It’s rare to see young people outside playing at parks or in their yards. Pokemon go was the closest thing we have seen to it for a near decade. Years ago, children chose outside activities such as hide-n-seek, basketball, and many other different games similar in content. Parents would call out their windows and front doors, telling their children that it was time to come inside for a home-cooked family dinner.  At least for me that was my experience of my adolescent days.  This day and age children come home to an empty house because their parents are still at work or on their way home so they’ll eat anything that doesn’t take too long.  Most of the time it’s just a meal they can grab and go without messing with their television time or homework.  For the children who begin to age and see more homework have a different experience compared to those of the younger generation who instead of doing homework or getting exercise, are sitting in front of the television playing a video game or in front of the computer doing the same thing on a consistent basis.

Until recent years, the food offered at schools have been somewhat healthy, now kids can buy candy and soda from vending machines offered in their schools.  Now it’s easier than ever to get a bag of skittles at school.  Most children when given the option of an apple would choose the more sugary treat or desert.  This is because of the way the media glorifies eating unhealthy.  This leads to more and more early sightings of health both physical and mental problems.

There are many health problems that come along with being obese that can turn out to be very serious. Children that are obese are at risk for cardiovascular diseases that include high blood pressure or high cholesterol. According to the CDC, 70% of obese youth were at risk for cardiovascular disease. Diabetes we see also has become more common. Type 2 diabetes is the most common because it is caused by poor diet. It is very likely caused by the 2 minute microwave meals following school. Type 2 can usually be reversed with healthy eating and exercise. Being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes can easily be prevented by just taking what we eat and how much we exercise into precaution.
Asthma is a problem that a child’s weight can interfere with and the growth of the lungs. A long term effect of childhood obesity is that it can last all the way through childhood and still be found as an issue in his/hers adulthood. Heart attacks and strokes also are seen as a risk if nothing was done to reverse the obesity over time. Health problems are a big concern, but a bigger concern comes with the psychological effects.

Low self-esteem in children today is extremely high, especially with the pressure of today’s society. Obese children suffer from low self-esteem, depression, and loneliness. Most obese children feel that they don’t fit in and are often fall victim to bullying whether it’s online or in person. We stress this perfect image and promote these godly features we see in celebrities. This ultimately lowers the confidence of someone who is or feels obese and then put them at higher risks to develop behaviors such as eating disorders and suicidal behavior.

Anorexia and Bulimia are strongly common in those who fall into the obese category.
Even children fall victim to physical and mental issues. The children are introduced to discrimination at a young age. Some studies showed that psychosocial consequences were more important to the children than the health effects. Obese children are still trying to discover who they are and all of the bullying and name calling that takes place can have a big impact on the way they feel about themselves.

This is the parent’s responsibility once again. It’s the parent’s job to make sure their kid grows up healthy and ultimately happy. There are many ways to prevent a child from becoming obese, like healthy eating and physical activity. Parents should provide their family with healthy food options and monitor the amount of sugary foods. If children only eat sweets every now and then, it truly will be a treat. Children and teens should participate in physical activities for at least 60 minutes a day. Schools also play a big part in preventing childhood obesity. Schools can provide healthy meals for lunch that provide nutrition education that encourages a healthy lifestyle. The parent’s and school should work together to inspire a healthy lifestyle. Working together for the ultimate goal has endless potential.

We see advertising for fast food everywhere no matter where we go and will not see any form of change until we do something to spark it. The media acknowledges children when coming out with new commercials.  They know the bigger impact they have been given over the most recent years as their parents are usually busy from the minute they get back from work to the minute they go to bed we are beginning to see family dinners more and more at restaurants and not at home.  The media glorifies McDonald’s fries and will continue to do so until society deems them not desirable anymore. The Obesity Society led by their corresponding author, Youfa Wang states, “On average, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased steadily among all US population groups over the past two to three decades.” Obesity does not have a preference on gender or race.

This may lead one to wonder “Will all Americans one day become overweight or obese?”  We can put an end or at least regress the spiraling upward trend of obesity in Americans, but it is going to take a revolution to do so.  For our children and future grandchildren we as a society must rise to take action in order to combat obesity and hope to see the number of people with the disease begin to regress and become a smaller issue than the increasing numbers we see occurring regularly.

Though some may argue they have little control or are not affected by this problem when push comes to shove we begin to all get affected.  So I’m proposing that when a child becomes obese there should be a form of punishment.  That punishment should be one that gives the parents the chance to seek guidance while learning to raise a healthier child.  If a parent fails to meet this requirement, the child should be taken into a controlled custody where the child can begin their rehabilitation as the parent takes some sort of class so they can better guide and suit their child.  Obesity should not be taken lightly as this is a disease that is just as dangerous as it leads to many more serious health problems.

Obesity may not affect you now, but over time as these numbers continue to rise and build momentum, it is only going to be when it is already much too late when we begin to do think about doing something about it.  Whether it is your friend, family, or complete stranger, encourage others to seek a more healthy lifestyle including exercising regularly and better eating habits. Cooking a planned meal instead of going out to eat may be more beneficial, but with healthier ingredients and less sodium and sugar. It’s time we emphasize more exercise and glorify those who battle obesity head on and seek positive change in themselves and their society.  We will begin to see stronger relationships being built amongst families and the rest of society as a whole.  Lets bring back family dinners and lets glorify physical education again.  This is the kind of change that can impact us positively in more ways than not.

 

Works Cited

Fogelholm, M., et al. “Parent-child relationship of physical activity patterns and obesity.” International journal of obesity 23 (1999): 1262-1268.

Lobstein, Tim, and Rachel Jackson-Leach. “Child overweight and obesity in the USA: prevalence rates according to IOTF definitions.” International Journal of Pediatric Obesity 2.1 (2007): 62-64.

Locard, Elisabeth, et al. “Risk factors of obesity in a five year old population. Parental versus environmental factors.” International journal of obesity and related metabolic disorders: journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity 16.10 (1992): 721-729.

Wang, Youfa, et al. “Will all Americans become overweight or obese? Estimating the progression and cost of the US obesity epidemic.” Obesity 16.10 (2008): 2323-2330.

Using the Internet to Aid in Female Liberation

              Women experience a wide variety of forms of oppression, whether it be the wage-gap or the glass ceiling, there are many forces working against a woman’s complete freedom. One of these restrictions of a woman’s capability to make her own decisions comes in the form of sexual repression. Sexual desires are common in both sexes, but only acceptable for one, men. Men are able to be sexually promiscuous without fear of being cast out socially for their “scandalous” behavior, women do not enjoy this freedom. Men and women can both be sexually repressed from their true desires, but most women cannot even partake in a casual sexual relationship without facing scrutiny. A first step to sexual liberation, would be the acceptance of alternatives to monogamy.The internet is an amazing resource, it brings people together from all walks of life. Women can access the internet and see an array of opportunity other than the socially accepted norm.  That means that partaking in blogs, Reddit forums, Facebook posts, putting pictures on Instagram, all have a consequence; they open up society’s eyes to different types of lifestyles. In addition, the existence of well informed and credible websites can provide answers for men and women thinking about sex, sexuality, and relationships. The use of the internet (including social media and dating apps) helps to  inform on sex and sexuality and thereby lead to the destruction of female oppression through education and acceptance .

       Women are typically made to feel ashamed about having sex, while men are championed for their incredible virility. Speculations about the origins of these feelings of shame and guilt range from the cultural family dynamic to the very evolution of human beings. One theory dictates that the way society evolved in its early phases is a leading factor in the existence of the patriarchy. For instance, Sam Richards and Paul Saba attribute man’s transition from hunter-gatherer to agricultural communities as the roots to female oppression (and as an extension, sexual oppression). Explaining that as women stayed within the villages to tend to the children, because at this time the only way to feed them was through breast-milk, the men were able to assume the role as an overall provider. Slowly, villages began to depend on the men for skills that women were unable to harness because their free-time was occupied with raising a family. According to Laurel Limpus’s piece, “Liberation of Women: Sexual Repression and the Family,” the success of the patriarchy is attributed to the fact that men are able to go out and create their own worlds; acquiring wives and giving them children. Women do not acquire their own world, they get acquired by men and raise children. Limpus directly states,”Within the present social context, however, it is still true that men are trained to go out, work, shape their own lives; and that women are not, and that thus, even within the context of their alienating nature of work, they have often more opportunities to satisfy their needs for creativity than do women.” It is this fact that leads to the sexual oppression of women: men are able to satisfy their needs for creativity and women cannot.

Oppression does not only exist within the realms of a household, it is ever reaching in all aspects of life and society. Nothing is as far reaching and expansive as the internet, a sea of web pages and commentary about anything and everything. One of those topics being the sexual prowess of women. There is a multitude of resources available to internet users, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Reddit are just a few of the most prevalent. Through these sources women can have honest discussions and formulate a collective voice in a way never seen before. Caroline Haythornthwaite sums up the connectivity of the internet when she says, “The Internet is a technical means of connecting people. It provides an easy way for individuals as well as groups and organizations to adopt peer-to-peer communication.” The oppression of women can persist on the internet, however, discussions of sex, sexual expression, and sexual freedom are also coming into the arena. These discussions are the positive results of the connectivity of the internet and continue to be grow. Websites like positivesexuality.org, (which belongs to the Center for Positive Sexuality), are a prime example of the opportunities for positive sex talk that the internet provides.

With all of this talk about connectivity and discussion, one is reminded of dating apps. Something designed specifically to bring people looking for romantic partnerships closer together. There is a positive relationship between dating app popularity and female sexual liberation, more of one means more of the other. Through the use of dating apps, women can find sexual partners that are not socially or romantically demanding. Dating apps are not to be confused with dating websites (i.e. Tinder vs. eHarmony), dating websites have been widely used for years now, they do not have the same effect. Dating websites perpetuate monogamy, and the construct that a woman cannot have sex and be single and somehow be happy. Pantea Farvid and Virginia Baum’s view on monogamy and happiness includes ” The prominence placed on life-long heterosexual unions (and romantic love) is socially and culturally produced but ‘naturalised’ within the institution of heterosexuality (Rich, 1980) and heavily tied to notions of ‘happiness’. ” Farvid and Baum argue that monogamy and long term committed relationships are the goal for most members of heterosexual society. This argument is further cemented within a journal entry called “‘Good Girls’: Gender, Social Class, and Slut Discourse on Campus” provided by the American Sociological Society, which states “Although young men are expected to desire and pursue sex regardless of relational and emotional context, young women are permitted sexual activity only when in committed relationships and ‘‘in love’’ (Crawford and Popp 2003; Hamilton and Armstrong 2009; Schalet 2011; Bell 2013)”  One way to combat this restrictive ideal, is to normalize other behaviors. This is done through practice, taking casual sex out of the obscure and showing that it is something even the average woman might want is one way to do that. Hookup apps such as Tinder make acquiring a casual sex partner very easy, and the convenience of it is very enticing for its users. Also, the pop culture support of the app is encouraging for women considering a casual sexual relationship.

It is the silence about sex and sexual freedoms that allows for things like female oppression, and by extension, slut-shaming to continue.These are limiting factors in a woman’s social arena that would prevent her from making independent choices revolving around their sexual conduct. Slut shaming is harassment that targets a woman’s sexual practices and even appearance, it is an offshoot of sexual oppression because it limits a woman’s capability to be free in her sexual decision making. Once again in reference to “”Good Girls”: Gender, Social Class, and Slut Discourse on Campus”, it is mentioned that slut-shaming is the fallout to stepping out of the accepted norm for sexual behavior among women (as in, anything other than a committed romantic partnership.) The threat of being slut-shamed hangs over every decision a woman will make, because it can not only affect their social lives but also their professional-good-name. Women will continue to partake in monogamous relationships and not dare to partake in any alternatives; no matter if they are better suited for the individual or not. Laurel Limpus states

Many young girls, who feel only revulsion when they think they should feel ecstasy, react with immense relief when they are told that this is a quite common experience. Since of course this is not the kind of problem one ordinarily talks about, they did not know that anyone else had been through this, and they had thought that they were monsters.

Which basically solidifies the idea that women and girls are taught to be very coy about sex, and when they learn that they can actually be outward sexual people, it comes as a surprise and a relief. Limpus also touches on the fact that it is not “the kind of problem one ordinarily talks about,” the internet is there to make this, the kind of problem that is  normally talked about. Online forums can offer confidential or anonymous opportunities to have these frank discussions that otherwise would not occur, and girls do not have to suffer alone anymore. Through internet posts that show normalized alternatives to monogamy, women can discuss and interpret their options and choose to be involved in the type of relationships they really want, not just what is accepted presently (monogamy).

As stated previously, the internet is an outlet for conversations about sex and sexuality. That means more than just users talking about sex, it might mean educating about sex. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, only 20  states within the U.S. require sex-education to be factually accurate, and only 24 states and the District of Columbia require public schools to teach sex-education at all. Even within these public school sex-education classes lessons cover “safe-sex” to prevent pregnancy and the acquisition of STDs, and not much else. While these topics are important to teach to high school students, there are other aspects of sex that can be taught to high-schoolers. Lessons surrounding sex positivity, sex and gender identity, qualifications for consensual sex, and much more, can be very beneficial for young adults that are beginning to explore the sexual realm. Thankfully, the internet is there to pick up where the board of education leaves off. There is a disclaimer, not everything found on the internet is true; but finding credible sources to give factual answers is not difficult, and there is nothing wrong with looking for suggestions and advice from online forums. Ignorance to sex and sex positivity is a causal factor in the sexual oppression of women. The internet helps to educate users on more complex levels of sex and sexuality, and this helps to further the sexual liberation of women. An article written by Point of View India covers the idea of using the internet as an outlet for getting advice, “One woman interviewed for a research study undertaken by EROTICS India says, ‘There is no support system (in cities) that women have, and they are often all alone, without advice, and wanting some validation that what they are doing [raising children] is okay or that their experience is shared by others also.’” The women discussed in this article use the internet as a sort of community to discuss and share advice that they would otherwise not have access to.

Social media and the internet is full of monogamy; internet shows, advertisements, and other media sources all mostly still portray monogamy as the norm.This is because monogamy is the default relationship for many people, and it can be very satisfying emotionally, sexually, and romantically. This is all true, but the growing presence of alternative modes of sexual expression carry a lot of impact despite their small percentage.  Their media presence is integral in society’s interpretation of women and even in women’s interpretation of women and their sexual behavior. Consider a woman who never enjoyed the confines of being in a committed relationship. She might be reading an open letter published online written by a successful business woman, who has a good relationship with her family, is happy and stable, but lo and behold; she is single. Not only is she single, she is not ashamed to discuss her preference for casual relationships with romantic partners as opposed to a committed one. She can focus on work, or her  friends, or literally anything she wants. The woman reading this open letter at home is inspired to live the life she wants, after all she can still be happy and successful if she does. This type of representation is becoming more and more common through the internet, and has an immense effect upon society.

Previously, as in, before the internet existed, media sources included television, cinema, radio and newspapers. The Hays Code (Motion Picture Production Code) limited the amount of sexual content for movies, and Brian McNair points out one if its regulations within his lecture on Sex and the Cinema “Pictures shall not infer that low forms of sex relationship are the accepted or common thing.” This component of the Hays Code goes directly against all progress of modern day internet discussion and inclusion. However, the sexual liberation of the 1960’s forced the code to be abolished in 1966. Tv and radio were  not far off on their restrictions of sexual content.Michael O’Malley of George Mason University describes how the Federal Communications Commission or FCC was in charge of making sure that productions were kept modest and decent. Now in the age of the internet, boundaries over censorship and “appropriateness” for tv, movies, and radio, continue to be pushed. The internet, is unique, its vast expanses make it virtually impossible to censor completely. In countries with freedom of speech and press, the internet cannot be censored by a government entity, or any entity for that matter. Websites can be moderated for appropriateness, but that is the extent of censorship within the bounds of the internet. Controlling content that is published on the internet is very hard, anyone can set up a website and start posting. Celebrity nude photo leakages, website hacking, the Hillary-Clinton-Email-Scandal, are all examples of the instability of the internet and its defense against censorship.

Clearly, the effects of society’s constructs upon the sexual preferences of women is heavy enough to create the dependence we see upon monogamy. Fear of being slut-shamed and a desire for acceptance fuels the fire of sexual repression among women. That being said, the existence of the internet is helping to lessen the effects, and even change society’s ideals surrounding female sexual behaviors (and by extension sexual preferences in general.) Being sex positive means that one agrees that all enjoyable, consensual sex, is inherently a positive thing, regardless of kink or fetish. As long as the partaking individuals are participating out of their own free-will, then there should be no shame purported onto the sexual act. Taking steps to normalize casual sex in women will no doubt have a direct affect upon sex positivity. If women can be accepted for their desires to be involved in a no strings attached sexual relationship, then that is one more activity that will be spared from shame, which will lead to the growth of sex positive movements.

Sexual relationships have been the victims of guilt, shame, and also innate curiosity for centuries. Yet, the internet was not present throughout this entire time period. The internet is a relatively new invention, and its wide-spread use is an even newer phenomena. The growth of the popularity and access to computers or other internet accessing devices should not be ignored when it comes to this discussion surrounding sexual acceptance. According to the Pew Research center, American internet usage has gone up to 84% in 2015, compared to 68% ten years prior and at 54% in the year 2000. The World Bank estimates that there is an approximate 36% increase globally of internet usage from 1990 to 2015. All of these juicy statistics mean one thing for this discussion, more people are able to use the internet. With more internet traffic that means more people are asking questions, giving advice, and learning a thing or two about, yes, the sex. Areas that had little to offer along the lines of sex education or conversations about feminism and progressive movements, now have online forums to fill the void. Better yet, the growth of internet accessibility is not over, the technological innovation is sprawling all over the globe.

All in all, it is clear that the internet is a persuasive tool in the connection of the people of Earth, also, as human beings if there is one thing we are curious about, it is sex. Put the two together and one has an unstoppable force, capable of many powerful things. It is not all rose-tinted sex positive forums for confused teenage girls or worried house-wives though, there is still harassment and intimidation occurring on the internet. All that aside, the increasing ranks of sex positive internet users is helping to tear down these dangerous habits of internet users. The increasing amounts of sexually-versed individuals as a result of the educational services provided by the internet, results in abolishing female sexual repression because of higher levels of acceptance. People cannot change unless they are taught that current ideals are harmful and limiting others, in this case, it is women. To some, inferring that there is something wrong with a woman because she is in her early forties, and still serial dating, seems like commonplace. The fact is, there is nothing wrong with a woman who cannot or will not nail a man for good, she is living her life and trying her best to be happy and successful. Worrying about the opinions of the neighbors can become quite tiresome and the pioneer women that step out and are not afraid to publicize their lifestyles through the internet are encouraging other women who feel the constraint of oppression over their social lives, to do the same.

Works Cited

“ABOUT US.” Center for Positive Sexuality. N.p., n.d. Web.

Armstrong, Elizabeth A., Laura T. Hamilton, ELizabeth M. Armstrong, and J. Lotus Seeley. “‘‘Good Girls’’: Gender, Social Class, and Slut Discourse on Campus.” Sage Journals. American Sociological Association, 2014. Web.

Farvid, Pantea, and Virginia Baum. “Casual Sex as ‘not a Natural Act’ and Other Regimes of Truth about Heterosexuality.” Sage Journals. Feminism & Psychology. N.p., 18 Apr. 2013. Web.

Haythornthwaite, Caroline. “Social Networks and Internet Connectivity Effects.” N.p., June 2005. Web.

“Internet Users (per 100 People).” The World Bank. N.p., n.d. Web.

Limpus, Laurel. “Liberation of Women: Sexual Repression and the Family.” Laurel Limpus-Liberation of Women. N.p., Aug. 2002. Web.

McNair, Brian. “Sex and the Cinema.” University of Strathclyde. Lecture.

O’Malley, Michael. “” Exploring U.S. History | Regulating Television.” History 120. N.p., Apr. 2004. Web.

Perrin, Andrew, and Maeve Duggan. “Americans’ Internet Access:2000-2015.” Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech. N.p., 26 June 2015. Web.

POV India. “”Women, Sexuality and the Internet.” .” Point of View, 26 Mar. 2013. Web.

Richards, Sam, and Paul Saba. “Basis of Women’s Oppression.” Basis of Women’s Oppression. N.p., 1990. Web.

“”State Policies on Sex Education in Schools.”” National Conference of State Legislatures. N.p., 16 Feb. 2016. Web.

 

The People v. Esports

Esports, the ever growing new found sport of competitive gaming that is surrounded by controversy. A sport that is denied the credibility to be a sport by society outside of the primary fan-base. It can very well be considered a sport and is on the track to becoming one. But many are just not willing to give up the stereotype that video gaming holds in society. Which is why proving its credibility to be on par with say basketball or football is so important to the community that supports competitive gaming. Its about breaking those stereotypes created by the media that have been forced on gamers for so long and molding a new beginning to the world of professional sports.

Competitive gaming or eSports without a doubt is emerging into the professional sports outlet. So much that it can easily compete with other big brand sports like Baseball and Football viewership wise.It has even been predicted to overtake the NHL in viewership by 2018 according to ESPN in an article by Ben Casselman. Esports has been on the rise in North America for the past 4 – 5 years, with constant growing spectator counts and even now an entrance into some cable television networks, networks like ESPN and TBS both feature eSports on their platforms and with the growth of spectators at these major eSport events “Resistance is Futile” (Casselman) and would hinder growth.

An on looker from the outside of this very large community may believe that this is a brand new trend. But when compared to the rest of the world such as Europe and Asia we see that this trend or as many supporters may say, new found sport, has been around since the early 2000’s. Countries like South Korea have an outstanding communal following to the sport. They’ve had several broadcast stations dedicated to gaming tournaments and events.

At the same time the public population within these countries respect the image of the players behind the sport of competitive gaming. These foreign populations have such a different perspective on the matter. They respect these players and competitions to the same level of professional chess players and some eSport athletes are regarded to be at the same status of fame to their Olympic athletes.

You then turn your sights over to the Americas and there’s this sudden drop of respect. How is it that after almost 16 years of success in Europe and Asia competitive Gaming is finally scratching the surface of mainstream media in the states. Even with its growing popularity in NA it still seems difficult for the population to garner that respect needed to help flourish the game

An example viewpoint of one demographic learning about eSports for the first time. This evidence comes from the HBO documentary show, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. On this episode they reported on the growing spectacle of eSports and how young gamers are becoming millionaires off of playing video games, and that there is this new breed of cyber athlete. At the end of every episode they hold a short round table discussing the topics presented during the show. The reporter who lead the piece was at this round table as well as her other colleagues debating the fact of whether or not competitive gaming could be considered a sport or not. The lead reporter supported competitive gaming and truly believed it could be a sport, but then her colleague rebuttal-ed with a statement that shocked me, she went on to say “My issue with this is, its still not a sport its a game it just cant be a sport they are playing video games.”

The key word in her statement that turns heads is “game”. Just thinking logically for a minute, what exactly are basketball players or baseball players playing? Is she saying that all sports are not games and are only recognized as sports? Is running around a court passing a ball to teammates not a game? The ignorance is very prominent within some older generations, that said everyone at this round-table was above the age of 40, which is understandable since this is a very new and meta activity that is surrounded by younger generations. As this round-table conversation progressed a question was then asked “Do you have the statistics of how many of the eSport spectators have attended Star Trek conventions?” in response one replied “I’m sure there is a fair amount of overlap.” It’s the misinterpretation and prejudgments that competitive gaming and just gaming in general receives from the public that enrages this community and hinders its growth. The more validation the fans of eSports receive the more this new found sport can grow viewership wise and fan base wise.

Media outlets like CBS, HBO (previously exampled) and TMZ in the past all have incorrectly defined or disrespected the sport of competitive gaming and have also given it a image that they believe fits their agendas. Another example of one of these instances comes from none other than TMZ. TMZ goes to the extent of writing a very ignorant and biased statement in the description portions of one of their YouTube videos titled: Rick Fox – eSport jocks are Just like NBA Players…Real athletes “Question — What do pimply-faced geeks who play video games all day have in common with the 6’8″ demigods who roam NBA courts on a nightly basis???” In this video they interview Rick Fox owner of Echo Fox (eSport Franchise). He was also a former NBA star for the Boston Celtics and LA Lakers. And instead of being serious about the interview and showing the public that they can be open minded they mock Rick Fox and basically say “hey everyone its cool to make fun of people who play video games.”

Now it’s fair to assume that TMZ learned their lesson after the backlash they received from the eSport community for writing something like that. Well in less than a month TMZ uploads another interview with the same person, Rick Fox, and instead of fixing their mistakes they just repeat the cycle. The next video TMZ uploads titled: Rick Fox- eSports Will Overtake NHL In 2 Years!! | TMZ Sports goes onto writing “Beware NHL fans … Rick Fox says your sport will be overtaken … by nerds … ’cause the “League of Legends” team owner thinks eSports is primed to take hockey’s place as the fourth major sport in the U.S. in just TWO YEARS!” For a news/media outlet to set specific physical standards for sports players and to doubt the growth of something that is very much on its way to becoming a major mainstream outlet, just goes to show how ignorant really anybody can be but also opens eyes to who is at the front of our news world. Can this trend end? will the image that society gives videogame playing ever change? If our media cannot accept this new outlet then the casual viewer will have no desire to follow eSports or learn about it.This constant cycle of assumptions and misjudgments that the eSport community receives just doesn’t end.

This then brings me to the point of, what makes sports so valuable in the first place? What effects do sports have on our society? Well one can say that sports are here for exercise and is a great means to keep a healthy body and mind, which is true, But what really makes it valuable is its social aspect. Sporting events bring thousands of people of all cultures together all at once. There are stadiums that can hold thousands of people, and are dedicated to sporting events in major cities.When there is an important match with great teams these stadiums sell out. Of course this isn’t breaking news, this has been going on for hundreds of years.

Millions of families all around the world dedicate the time to sit down with their family and friends at home to watch a major sporting event on T.V. People around the world buy merchandise to represent their home teams or players. Schools around the world have their own sports programs so that students can figure out their potential in the world of professional sports. Sports creates communities. Communities of people that are passionate and engaged, communities that will do anything to support their brand of choice.

Community and fan base is everything when it comes to sports. A fanbase is what can make or break it. And of course other than a fan-base professionalism and extreme consistency in the skill of the athletes are other factors that can help in its success.

Having an activity that our whole world can take part in is something really special. But if an entire culture is going to misinterpret the underlying definition of what a sport really is and what it adds to society then eSports may stay stagnant.

When and how exactly did North American culture turn these fun games of basketball and football into professionally branded sports? Well, soon after the creation of these sports back in the late 1800’s, the creation of leagues rose and opened up the gates to the world of professional sports. With their own rules and regulations they could turn a fun game to play and pass time, to something that can be considered a career, grant fame, fortune and set a standard of living that is now portrayed as the perfect life to regular society.

Esports just like professional sports started with its creation of leagues. Leagues that go by the name of Electronic Sports League (ESL) and League of Legends Championship Series (LCS). These are just two of the larger brand leagues that come along with their own rules and regulations. Which is no different from how the NBA or the NFL originated. Which is just another hint thrown at eSports of how big it is becoming.

What makes basketball and football so popular in North America is its ability to create rivalries between fans and players stemming off of the fact that each team represents a state or city. Which then causes an increase in enthusiasm and support for teams. Esports on the other hand is on the international level of fan bases. Where organisations can represent multiple countries rather than just national states. Even though there is that slight difference eSports can also still hold that same effect where fans create rivalries and support their countries of choice. Wherever there may be competition lies the public to decide who they want to support or favor.

Some questions may be popping up as to how eSports is so accessible to the public since it is gaining so much popularity? Well as presented earlier eSports has been just recently scratching the surface of live television and are being presented on channels like TBS and ESPN. But What really kindled the fire to the growth of competitive gaming is live streaming. What started it all for the eSports scene is a website called Twitch. Twitch allows anybody from anywhere to broadcast a game of their choosing over the internet to anybody tuning in around the world.

After some time those leagues that were discussed, ESL and LCS, caught on to the huge trend that is Twitch. So what better idea than to create official channels for their league and broadcast these professional matches to the ever expanding gaming community. Well it worked, now some of the biggest eSport tournaments are broadcast-ed on Twitch. With some of these tournaments breaking millions of concurrent viewers.

At the same time these leagues are being slowed down by the public image, and is stopping them from expanding or becoming part of more cable television channels. Society has had a set image on video games for a long time now and North American media has played a major role in the creation of that image. But blaming people for not understanding or accepting something they have been taught to hate is counterintuitive.

Now getting into the grit and details of competitive gaming. Esports is known around the world by millions of gamers. Whatever favorite video game one may have possibly lies a competitive eSport scene underneath it. Some of the largest brand competitive games out now are Dota 2, League of Legends and Counter Strike: Global Offensive. Each consisting of 5 vs 5 player matches where teams have to communicate, use tactics and quick reaction times to defeat the opposing team. Those leagues that were previously discussed (ESL, LCS) represent these games stated. LCS is an exclusive league for league of Legends and ESL has events across all three of these games.

League of legends and Dota 2 are in the genre of a MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena). In these games each player has to choose a fighter from a roster of over 100 fighters. Each fighter has its own abilities. Players have to choose wisely as the character they choose may be the deciding factor to a loss or a win. These 5 vs 5 matches then start and it is a race to see who can destroy their opponent’s base first. Some games can last up to over an hour and some can be 30 minutes depending on how badly a team is losing. League of Legends and Dota 2 resemble strategy games that are viewed from a top down perspective.

The next game on the list is Counter Strike: Global Offensive or CSGO for short. CSGO is in the First person shooter genre of eSports similar to the ever popular Call of Duty but far from it. In this game there are no character choices, every player is on a level playing field. At the start of a match every player starts out with $800 of in game currency that they use to buy equipment or weapons. This is a round based game first to 16 rounds wins. Teams start out on either the counter terrorist side of the match (defense) or the terrorist side (offense). The terrorist objective is to successfully kill all counter terrorists or successfully plant and detonate a bomb in one of two spots on the map. The bomb is given to the terrorist team at the beginning of each round. The counter terrorists objective is to either kill all terrorists or defuse the planted bomb. Each round can last up to 2 minutes or even miraculously 15 seconds. A point is then given to the team that successfully completes their objective and again first to 16 points wins.

All whilst the game is going on both teams have to manage and properly use the economy system that is given to them. Winning rounds earns a team a certain amount of in game money. Losing rounds earn a team a certain amount of money, killing enemies earns players a certain amount of money. So not only are players trying to execute certain positional strategies onto their opponents but are also forced to keep track of their economy and understand when they can buy equipment and when they cannot afford to buy the necessary equipment for the round.

Even on top of that a player must be able to keep calm whilst under heavy pressure, have precision accuracy with a mouse and keyboard and have the ability to stay focused and keep that constant communication going with teammates. eSports are no joke and the skill level just keeps increasing. After reading this information hopefully one can make the observation that maybe it does belong in the sports mainstream

A concept that gets lost in translation when explaining eSports to someone is the skill level required to become a professional player in eSports. An example skill needed is consistency. It can span from having consistent and fresh strategies used in game to having consistent mouse or controller accuracy in game. these are skills that one absolutely needs to become apart of the top. These matches last a long time and after a long period of time a player can become fatigued, which can cause minuscule inconsistencies that can cost the outcome of a match.

Yes millions of people can play these games competitively/recreationaly  and one can assume they are far above average but there is much more to becoming a pro than just having individual skill. After watching a video on the pro CSGO team “Cloud9″ giving tips on how to quickly get into the professional scene, one of them summed it up nicely” if you are just starting to play video games in general, then it will take a longtime, by a longtime I mean up to 4 years. if you already have a background of playing similar games to the game you want to go pro in then it can take up to 2 years or even shorter. It isn’t easy for new players to just suddenly go pro”. These pro players are within the top 1% of the games population just randomly hopping on and being the best player in a casual match doesnt mean yo can go pro. Teams recruit players who do have that skill but also have the right mindset for team play. Teams designate roles to their teammates and if a team is recruiting, they will look for somebody who can fit that role and can mesh well with the team.

Another concept that gets misinterpreted with people from outside of this world, is that not every competitive video game is set up like these three games explained. Each video game is like its own sport. So one can make the comparison that CSGO is football, League of legends is basketball and Dota 2 is professional swimming. These are not literal comparisons. it is just a means of expressing that there are multiple sports within eSports. that each has their own rule sets, own game mechanics and in game features that make them different from each other.

Moving onto the glaring elephant in the room. How can eSports possibly be considered a sport? The obvious argument that people have held against it is its lack of physical exertion. Which is true there is not as much physical endurance needed to compete in eSports. First lets look at other well known sports. What about bowling? Yes in bowling you need to put strength behind the bowling ball when sending it down lane. But at the end of the day its not about the physical strength it’s more about technique and keeping that technique consistent.

Then look at poker another known sport that requires no physical exertion, A sport that to some do not consider to be a sport. But in fact they would be wrong, in actuality Poker has been officially accepted as a mind sport by the International Mind Sports Association back in 2010. We now have discovered that there can and are categories of sports separating the physical ones from the less physical and more brain powered ones.

Obviously attempting to credit eSports as a physically demanding sport would not be logical. Yes the physical sports and eSports hold their similarities rule-set wise, but it cannot be placed into the physical sport category. Like poker or chess it should be placed into the mind sport category where it is still considered a sport and can hold that same social value that poker and chess has in society. Because right now the current state of eSports with the public results to ignorant laughter and mockery.

Society needs to learn and understand that there are categories of sport ranging from physical to non physical sports. Until the awareness of this is brought top light eSports may never be considered a sport. But with every challenge comes hope and there is a strong chance that one day eSports will be officially accepted as a sport by not only associations but society and maybe one day families will gather around televisions across the globe to sit down and watch a grand final game of eSports.

Works Cited

Befon. “Cloud9 CSGO: Tips for New Players & Becoming Pro.” YouTube. YouTube, 04 Aug. 2015. Web. 07 Dec. 2016

Casselman, Ben. “Resistance Is Futile: ESports Is the Future.” ESPN.com. N.p., 22 May 2015. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

HBOsports. “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel: ESports Discussion (HBO Sports).” YouTube. YouTube, 13 Dec. 2013. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

Staff, TMZ. “Rick Fox: ESports Jocks Are Just Like NBA Players … Real Athletes.” TMZ. N.p., 29 June 2016. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

TMZSports. “Rick Fox- ESports Will Overtake NHL In 2 Years!! | TMZ Sports.” YouTube. YouTube, 21 Mar. 2016. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

 

 

Athletes’ Life Long Struggle

Proper practice and training leads to a healthier athlete with less chance of injury.  It is much more common for an athlete to get injured then someone who is not an athlete.  There are different injuries that can happen to an athlete that sometimes may end their careers.  A common injury that happens frequently in the sport of baseball would be the tearing of the UCL in the elbow which usually requires surgery. The thing is these are not the only injuries that happen to people.  A non-athlete can get injured as well but with a lesser chance.  When an injury happens, a main focus is the success rate of the athlete returning back to their prior selves.  There are different types of injuries that happen in each sport.  Would you be amused if you knew that a surgery before the injury even happens makes the athlete stronger?

Comparing football and baseball injuries, we conclude that they both do happen but they are strangely different type of injuries.  In sports, we realize basic things right away.  In football, players don’t use their arms like a quarterback and when it comes to baseball, every single player on the team uses their arm every play.  Knowing this, one can come up with the idea that baseball is usually filled with arm injuries whereas football usually has more lower half of the body injuries.  Either way, both sports have their own injuries that are well known to people all around.  Sometimes it is sad to say but also true, that when watching football, we see someone running and make a cut move and all of a sudden fall, we can tell that they may have injured something in their leg.  When watching baseball, zeroing into the pitcher throwing, we may see them grab their arm, which most likely means they have hurt it.  From this, we know that each sport has their own unique injury.

Examples of injuries in both sports that are very common are a torn UCL in baseball and a torn ACL in football.  We find that they are the some of the longest recovery times post operation in all sports.  The time that happens after surgery from an injury is called post operation.  During this time an athlete rehabs and rests to let the body try to get back to full strength.  There are all different time lengths for all different types of injuries, but some people may say that there is a surgery that not only makes athletes come back to their prior self, but come back even stronger and amplify the game that they play.  Well this one surgery can happen and sometimes even be performed before the injury even happens.  For example, “Tommy John” surgery usually leaves an athlete out of commission for at least 9 months as to if someone in football gets surgery on something as much as a torn meniscus can have them out for as short of a time at 6 weeks.  After a person gets injured, their body has to start to go through the healing process to make them strong again.  Each persons body are all different and can heal fast or some can take longer then others so nothing is ever set in stone.  Different rehab programs will make an athlete come back faster then others but also could cause a long term problem.

An example of this is a meniscus injury.  We can get two different types of surgery in which one is called a meniscectomy where they take the damaged part of the meniscus out of our knee and the other is a full meniscus repair in which they connect it back together and let it heal.  These can be two very different and time-consuming surgeries.  An article from Webmd.com states that “you can return to heavy work or sports anywhere from 4-6 weeks if you have it removed.  They also state that if having it repaired, you will be back to these same activities in 3-6 months.”  We usually see athletes getting it removed to return more quickly, but there is one problem behind this.  Getting the meniscus removed causes bone to bone contact in their knee which can give you arthritis in the future.

There are many leading causes behind sport injuries such as overuse, stops and twists, falls, improper equipment, new or increased activity, fatigue, unilateral movements, and technique and posture.  Being athletes, we need to be in the best shape of our lives and push our bodies harder than they should be pushed at some points which is why we get injured.  There are ways to prevent injuries but some things we can control.   We may even be injured by taking a wrong step.

Injuries do happen to athletes.  They are all different in different sports and there are different reasons why they do happen each time.  It’s never good when they do happen and it is sad to see but it is a part of being an athlete.  There are ways to prevent these from happening but not in all cases.  Injuries are all different, it is important to know how to make our bodies in the best shape for all different sports so that these injuries do not happen.  The athlete has to make sure that they eat, sleep and train correctly just to make sure they have a healthy body and make sure they have the lowest chance of being injured.

A strong example would be the NFL.  Many believe nowadays that the ratings of football are going down because of a new trend called Fantasy Football.  This is when fans are basically the General Manager of a team that draft players with other people.  During this, they rely on their players to get them points so that they can beat their opponent who also are relying on their players.  A bad thing that could happen inside of this app could be if one of their players gets injured or does something to jeopardize their season.  Not that this is the biggest thing to worry about but it is just another reason that we do not want to see anything bad happen to the players who train so hard to impress the people of the U.S.

The thing about sports is that they are never set in stone.  There are always going to be new challenges that players have to overcome and when they do, it’s a great day for everybody.  Along with the good achievements that athletes will be rewarded with, there will always be a chance that some of them get themselves into bad troubles.  Some of the bad things that happen to athletes are them doing stupid things outside of the field or as bad as injuries.  Besides the injuries, we sometimes see things as athletes doing drugs and getting suspended.  We’ve seen athletes go as far as domestic violence and in a case fairly recent, we saw one player was involved in a murder which put him in jail.  These are just things that people do because of mistakes or bad mind sets but we do not know what it is from.  Some may say they are under so much pressure that they crack and some may say they let the money get to their heads.  We try to forgive these athlete for these mistakes but one thing we can not always prevent are injuries.  Injuries are something that do not happen to only athletes but also to normal people in their everyday lives.  There can be bad injuries that happen to an athlete that can keep them away from their loved game for a while or they can have a small injury that some people can play through.  In both cases, there are ways to prevent the injuries and also, some ways to get back quicker during rehab.

We focus into one sport that is baseball and we can see that there is a very bad injury that happens to players all the time.  This injury is a tear of the UCL inside the elbow.  Usually to fix this, a doctor has to take a ligament from another part of the person and wrap it around the torn ligament inside of the elbow making the elbow stronger then it ever has been.  We hear this and we can think that no other surgery would have someone stronger then where they started.  The surgery came from a pitcher back in the day by the name of Tommy John who was the first to have this injury so it was based off him.

An article was wrote on the website of ESPN that gave some importance to the surgery itself.  While reading the article, i came across three bullets that marked the surgery trying to make people more aware of it.  The three things that this article said were:

1. Everyone has a successful outcome
2. The surgery improves performance. And perhaps the most troubling of all:
3. Young players should proactively seek Tommy John surgery to “prevent” a future problem and “enhance” performance

Looking at these three components, we can only think as to why we don’t have the kids get this operation done at a young age.  It is never going to happen.  Kids arms are precious when they are young and in an article in which a man quoted words of his own to the parents of young pitchers.  He says,”I want to encourage the families and parents that are out there that this is not normal to have a surgery at 14 and 15 years old. That they have time, that baseball is not a year-round sport. That they have an opportunity to be athletic and play other sports. Don’t let the institutions that are out there running before them guaranteeing scholarship dollars and signing bonuses that this is the way..”  Kids love to play, but the ways sports are going now, they are overdoing it and it’s leading to earlier injuries in the arm.

To conclude this, we need to know that playing sports is not something that every kid gets to do.  Some kids would love to play but just might not have the athletic ability or maybe something is wrong with them physically.  We need to know that at young ages, it’s more about having fun and learning to understand and get a better feel, not push the athlete over the top.  Kids need to learn how to love the game, not hate it because they are being pushed to hard.  Yes as they get older, if they still have what it takes, they will be pushed more and injuries become more common but there are ways we can stay away from injuries happening so early.

We want to stay away from these injuries when we are younger because it is never good moving forward that a child was injured young.  When kids are young, they need to be enjoying everything and as they grow older, they will start to realize what competition is and start to endure it.  For the youth time that they have, we don’t want them near injury because it is more so likely that down the road they will be accompanied by one.  In this day and age, being healthy for their entire career is one of the hardest things to do.  Think about the chances that an athlete has to be healthy for as long as they play.  It does not seem very likely even if doing everything they can in their power to keep their bodies healthy and limber.

As athletes move on with their careers, we realize that there are many injuries that they can come by.  Some can so much as end an athlete’s career while some have a smaller recovery time.  Knowing there are some that we can prevent but some that will just happen out of no where.  Obviously seeing an athlete get injured is terrible because it is what they live for and put their bodies out there day in and day out. Certain injuries are more popular in different sports.  Finding that there are many processes that we can choose to go through to get better in each case.  Many procedures such as surgery, physical therapy, or rest or icing.  All injuries differ in their own ways.  If we zero in to a certain sport like baseball, we’ll find one of the hardest injuries and something that happens to a lot of pitchers.  The injury is called Tommy John, or a UCL tear which is the ligament inside the elbow in which holds the arm together from the inside.  Many will strive to see the surgery be performed before the injury comes around. A lot of people think that the name Tommy John came from a doctor that performed the first surgery and not that it came from a pitcher in which had the injury first.  An article from fox sports points out a few good things inside.  They say “a lot of young players have become more reckless because they figure they can always get Tommy John surgery, but also fifteen percent of people lack the tendon that’€™s most commonly used to repair the damaged ligament.”  This means that kids are pitching their arms out when they are young without the fear of getting hurt because they think that they can just get the surgery but in some cases, they may not even have the ligament needed to perform the surgery.  Kids can not go out there thinking that it is ok to get hurt because they can just have it it fixed.  People don’t understand that we should never want to fix what is not broken and especially not on the human body.

Why would someone want to be operated on if they do not have an injury?  Nothing says that the injury is going to happen, but the way youth baseball is going, we can guess that it is more common.  Some studies show that getting the surgery brings pitchers back stronger then they ever were because the support in the elbow is so strong that it is basically adding another spring into the elbow which helps throw harder.  Many myths that people are told and believe which are stated in an article by Mike Reinold and they come in the following,”Everyone Returns From Tommy John Surgery, There are No Complications with Tommy John Surgery, Recovery From Tommy John Surgery is Quick and Easy, Velocity Improves After Tommy John Surgery, and All Tommy John Rehabilitation is the Same.” These 5 myths are common reasons why everyone thinks that it is ok to get hurt and get this surgery.  In some cases, people do say that the surgery should be performed before an injury is occurred.  Reasons why this is not a good idea include the following:

Surgery is always something to be afraid of because no one wants to be knocked out and cut open to fix something that is not necessary.  Surgery is not always safe, there are times when people get infections, sometimes nerve injuries can happen, and sometimes Chronic Regional Pain System.  This is something that usually happens to a limb after an injury is occurred where pain is always inflected.  That is a first reason why we should not be having the surgery done if there is no reason to.  Number two, if an athlete is on their way and doing great just the way they are, why would we change that?  There is a saying that goes by, “Don’t fix what’s not broken.”    No reason to put athletes in danger of these problems for no reason.

Like said, injuries to athletes are always terrible to hear and we never want to see that happen to anyone.  If we bring up this argument on whether or not we should put pitchers through the surgery before they have the chance to get injured.  People will more or likely respond with no.  It just doesn’t make sense.  Yes the recovery rate is very high and it makes pitchers strong but we should shouldn’t change what is already working.  In a sense, we can think it is cheating.  Of course if a pitcher gets hurt who was doing great then we will have to get the operation done so they can come back to their old selfs or maybe even stronger.

Athletes go through so much in their lives that when a career ending event happens, it’s almost as if their whole world and life has ended.  Athletes live for what they do and they love every second of it.  A quote from a great motivation video for all athletes states one thing in which is, ” when you want to be succeed as much as you want to breathe, thats when you’ll be successful.”  This goes to show that we have to have a passion for something as bad as we want to stay alive so that day in and day out, we work as hard as we possibly can to reach the top and say we did it at the end of the day.  It goes to show that we all need to respect the athletes between their highs and lows because no one besides them really knows how hard it really is.

Work Cited

Walden, Mike. “Baseball Injuries.” Baseball Injuries. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

Ratini, Melinda. “Tommy John Surgery (UCL Reconstruction) and Recovery.” WebMD. WebMD, 11 Feb. 2014. Web. 30 Oct. 2016. http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/tommy-john-surgery-ucl-reconstruction#1

@michaelgleibermd. “Common NFL Injuries & Unrealistic Recovery Expectations – Michael A. Gleiber, MD.” Michael A. Gleiber, MD. N.p., 10 Feb. 2015. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.  https://michaelgleibermd.com/news/common-nfl-injuries-unrealistic-recovery-expectations/

Mair, Kathy. “Top Ten Causes of Sport Injuries.” LIVESTRONG.COM. LIVESTRONG.COM, 07 Feb. 2014. Web. 30 Oct. 2016. http://www.livestrong.com/article/526375-top-ten-causes-of-sport-injuries/

By the Time a Pitcher Arrives in Professional Baseball, the Wear and Tear on His Elbow Might Be Significantly Greater than It Once Was, Making Him More at Risk for Tommy John Surgery Early in His Career — and Consequently, More at Risk of Needing a Revis. “What We’ve Missed about Tommy John Surgery.” ESPN.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2016. http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/12648769/what-missed-tommy-john-surgery

“John Smoltz Warns Young Players about Tommy John Surgery in Hall of Fame Acceptance Speech.” USA Today. Gannett, n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2016. http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/07/john-smoltz-warns-young-players-about-tommy-john-surgery-in-hall-of-fame-acceptance-speech

Miller, Sam. “Why Pitchers Will Always Have Tommy John Surgery.” ESPN.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.  http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/12842678/why-tommy-john-surgeries-cease-soon

“What Can Go Wrong.” In Surgery with Dr. Chris Chiodo. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.  http://www.drchiodo.com/Pages/surgery/04_cangowrong.php

Smiley, Brett. “12 Things You Probably Didn’t Know about Tommy John Surgery.” FOX Sports. N.p., 25 June 2014. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.  http://www.foxsports.com/buzzer/story/tommy-john-surgery-facts-baseball-062514

https://www.facebook.com/mikereinold.pt. “5 Myths of Tommy John Surgery – Mike Reinold.” Mike Reinold. N.p., 26 Jan. 2014. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.  http://www.mikereinold.com/5-myths-tommy-john-surgery/

India: A Superpower in the Making?

India is a fascinating land with vivid history and heritage. Its culture is one of the oldest known to humanity.  India is a place rich in customs, traditions, values and beliefs where people preach and practice different religions, speak various languages and yet it is the largest successful democracy in the world. It sets an example by projecting a country so diverse and yet so unified. The world sees India as the land of gods, the origin of yoga, famous for temples and spiritual enlightenment along with the food, the festivals, jewelry, train travels, slums, cultural dance and Bollywood celebrities. It seems counterintuitive that a nation that is identified as “A poor country with rich culture,” can be the fastest growing economy in the world, leading in the fields of Information Technology, Agriculture, Infrastructure, Education etc and can be seen as the most prominent superpower of the future.

Superpower nation possesses the ability to dominate and influence global affairs/events and project its power on a global scale. However, in-order to be a superpower the nation is obliged to fit certain criteria. Firstly, it must have a strong and stable political system. Secondly, it must be a consistently growing economy and last but not the least, it should be able to manage its population providing them with diverse opportunities, world class facilities, producing efficient and highly trained manpower. It must also have high level of technical expertise, cultural unity, along with exceptional military and armed forces. Ever since the disintegration of the soviet union, America has been the only country fulfilling these criteria’s and hence influencing the world by utilizing its superpower stature. However, with the changing economies, political system and foreign relations, more and more countries are becoming powerful and have started influencing the international affairs. Thus, with the rise of different countries there has been rise in the speculation of the next projected superpower nation.

Based upon the economic potential, market size, military strength and influence in science, innovation and global affairs; China, The European Union, India and Russia are the most speculated contenders for supremacy. But from this list the country that has managed to create a turmoil among the critics is India. India surely has come by a surprise to everyone by joining the race of the fastest growing economies of the world after just 60 years of independence. It is even ready to outpace Chinese economy in the preceding years. Tim Worstall in a Forbes article, “India to be the world’s fastest growing economy: keeping it going will be the difficult trick” quoted, “India is forecast to become the fastest growing large economy in the world, surpassing that of China. Figures to be released by the Central Statistics Office are expected to confirm the country grew by 7.3 % from October to December, while China grew 6.8% in the same period.” Economic Survey 2016, suggested that India is expected to accelerate to 8-10% in terms of growth-rate in next 2-5 years. Anthony Fensom in, “China, India To Lead World By 2050,” highlighted that, “Both the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank expect India to overtake China as the world’s fastest growing major economy in 2016.” Thus there is no doubt India will be a leading economy in the future and is a strong contender for Superpower.

Information Technology has played a major role in India’s Economy and GDP growth. It has increased its contribution to the GDP from 1.2% in 1998 to 7.5% in 2012. The country is home to more than 8000 digital firms; Tata, Infosys, Wipro, Oracle are few examples of those. India is a hot spot for new startups and is currently home to more than 4000 startup companies. It is redefining India’s innovation and growth capabilities. India has high skilled and trained technical manpower and is attracting tech-entrepreneurs by offering high quality, reliable and cost-effective services and that too at a steady rate. According to statistics, the IT industry in India has created 3 million direct employment opportunities in 2012/13. “India has become the worlds largest sourcing destination in the IT industry, accounting for approximately 67 per cent of the US$ 124-130 billion market” reported in Indian Brand Equity Foundation article. The article also stated that “The sector is also expected to triple its current annual revenue to reach US$ 350 billion by FY 2025.” The IT sector in India is also attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). As per the data released by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), The computer software and hardware sector in India attracted cumulative Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows worth US$ 21.02 billion between April 2000 and March 2016. Thus, India has surely become the leading exporter of IT services in the world.

However, despite of having the fastest growing IT industry in the world India hasn’t been successful in providing its people with easy and affordable 24/7 digital connection.  A article published in Times of India, “World Bank says India faces stark digital divide.” reported, “India has the biggest offline population of any country,World Bank economists said at the India launch of the World Development Report 2016, Digital Dividends.” According to which nearly a billion of the population has no internet access. Vast number of people in rural India don’t know how to use a smartphone or a computer and don’t have access to it. If India wants to be a superpower it will have to eradicate this digital gap between the rural and the urban India. To solve this problem the government of India has launched many initiatives like; Digital India Program which aims to provide the government services to people using IT, Digital literacy program which aims to train Indians  over the next three years to empower them with digital knowledge, US and India have also collaborated and launched the ‘Digital India Initiative’ in-order to digitalize India. The Railways of India got a digital push with the inclusion of bar-coded tickets, GPS systems, wifi facilities etc. The cities are transforming into smart cities because of such initiatives and the villages are catching up as well. This definitely increases the chances of India in becoming the superpower.

Another important sector contributing majorly in Indian Economy is Agriculture. Agriculture along with fisheries and forestry, is one of the largest contributors to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) accounting for 13.7%. It is also a large and mostly the only source of income in majority of Indian villages.  According to IBEF, “In India over 58 per cent of the rural households depend on agriculture as their principal means of livelihood.” India is the largest exporter of fruits, vegetables and species. The Green Revolution made India the second largest producer of wheat, rice, sugarcane, cotton, groundnuts and the largest producer of milk, jute and pulses. As per a USDA report ,”India became the world’s seventh-largest exporter of agricultural products in 2013, surpassing Australia with exports climbing from just over $5 billion in 2003 to a record of more than $39 billion in 2013.” Even though agriculture plays such a crucial part in Indian economy, the farmers that cultivate agriculture don’t get enough credit and enough money to live a decent life and hence each day more and more farmers are opting out of farming and moving to cities. Rukmini Shrinivasan in, “Farmer population falls by 9 million in 10 years” highlights that, “There are now nearly 9 million fewer farmers than there were in 2001, the first time in four decades that the absolute number of cultivators has fallen.” If this trend continues then there are great chances of slow down of the Indian economy and it might never be a superpower.

Scarcity of water, Infertile land and lack of infrastructure in the agricultural sector, illiteracy, lack of awareness of the development in the field of agriculture, lack of transparency among the government agriculture officers and the farmers, inadequate finances and government policies, poor socio-economic background of farmers, soil erosion, lack of adequate storage facilities are the reasons why farmers are opting out of farming. The problems are so severe that farmers are opting suicide. Farmer suicides have occurred at a rate of 1.4 to 1.8 per 100,000 total population, over a 10-year period since 2005. This can be a serious concern for India because agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy. If the economy falls then the whole growth of the whole country is doomed. To stop this, the Indian government has launched various programs for the benefit and betterment of the farmers. The government announced 70% Cut in Monsanto’s Royalties, which will cut Monsato’s monopoly of cotton seeds. The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana launched in 2015 will focus on Micro-irrigation projects and end-to-end irrigation solutions. The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Beema Yojna (Crop Insurance for Farmers) aims to give 50% crop insurance to farmers. The government also launched Soil Health Card in 2015 which carry crop-wise recommendations of nutrients and fertilizers required for the individual farms to help farmers to improve productivity through proper use of inputs. These programs will help lower the ratio of farmer suicides in the coming years and India might succeed in saving its agriculture and its economy.

Corruption is one of the severe problems India has been facing. As per the World Corruption Audit conducted in 2015, India ranked 65th out of the 150 democratic nations. Almost every person in India has been asked to pay the bribe at-least once in their lifetime. According to the Indian Corruption Study 2005, “Common citizens of the country pay a bribe of Rs. 21,068 crores while availing one or more of the eleven public services in a year.” Lack of transparency in the public sector, poor tax regulation and licensing policies can be considered the root causes of corruption in India. Bribing a public servant to get the work done quickly has been a common ritual there and Indians have somewhat gotten used to it. However, an Anti-corruption campaign led by Anna Hazare in 2011 has been an eyeopener for both the government and the citizens. Ten’s of thousands of citizens joined the movement forcing the government to pass a new Anti-Corruption bill (Lokpal Bill) in the Parliament. In 2015, to fight against corruption; The Prime Minister of India took a drastic step and announced the demonetization of the rupee to control tax invasion and eradicate black money from the country. Such movement proves that efforts made in the present can help India to be the superpower in the future.

Managing its 1.2 billion population is another major concern for India. Growing population is considered the biggest hindrance in a country’s growth and India is the second most populous country in the world after china. To be a superpower, the nation should be able to manage its man power and resources and distribute them evenly. But, because of the enormous population, it has been tough for India to maintain the balance. However, due to various population control campaigns and increase in the number of educated people, a slight decline in the growth rate  has been observed. Rema Nagrajan in her article, “The Myth of India’s population explosion,” stated “India’s total fertility rate — a measure of the number of children born to a woman during her lifetime — was down from 5.9 in 1951 to 2.3 in 2011.” If India successes in stabilizing its population then it has good chances of being the superpower.

India is recognized all over the world for producing world renowned scientists, engineers, doctors, writers and philosophers. Indian’s are leading in the field of science and innovation. However, India hasn’t been able to provide best educational facilities to its students. India has very few world renowned institutions and because of the large population, there is a great competition to get into these institutions and the fees of such institutions are also quite hefty. Due to which large number of Indian students chose abroad over India for gaining higher education and technical expertise and due to which India lose its talented and ambitious population. Dhanya Thomas in his article, “Brain drain: Boon for developed countries, but bane for India” reported, “A recent study conducted by Indian Institute of Management- Bangalore (IIM-B) shows that the students going for higher studies abroad has increased by 256% in the last 10 years. When 53,000 Indian students went abroad for higher studies in 2000, the figure shot up to 1.9 lakh in 2010.” However this trend of brain drain is slowly changing and the new trend of reverse brain drain has begun. India is one of the first countries to observe reverse brain drain where people of the developed countries move to the less developed countries. This mainly depends on the country’s development and policies developed to attract foreign immigrants. Indian economy and its development in Information Technology and Infrastructure has lured a lot of its population back into the country and along with that is also attracting foreign immigrants. The Indian government has launched programs to fasten the process of reverse brain drain. Skill India Initiative is one of such initiatives launched by Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi; which aims at training 400 million citizens by 2022 that would enable them to find jobs. India and Australia have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost partnerships between the two countries in the fields of higher education and research, including technical and professional education, schools, vocational education and training. Strengthening its education system and providing its citizens with educational facilities and equal opportunities can help India become a superpower.

India has managed to become the pioneer in the fields of Information Technology, Agriculture and Education and has managed to significantly reduce corruption and poverty. The progress made by India is tremendous. It already has a strong military, armed forces and nuclear weapons and is constantly developing. It is the largest exporter of goods in the world. India is collaborating with foreign countries and making advances in space and technology as well. It has excellent and skilled manpower. India also has strong government and political system and it is observed by the programs launched by the government to develop India and the pace at which India is developing. Moreover, India also maintains good relations with other countries, has strong foreign policies and stands a strong position in International affairs. If India continues its global presence and participation then it might soon become a member of the United Nations in the coming years. From evidences, it can be observed that India possesses immense amount of potential and caliber to be the superpower.

However, if India really wants to be a superpower, it will have to start with focusing on establishing regional and cultural peace within the country, establishing peace with its neighboring countries and enhancing its trade policies. India will also have to bring an end to female foeticide, to maintain gender ratio. India will also have to develop its healthcare sector and provide its citizens with affordable medicare and health insurances. It will have to put a control on population explosion before it overtakes china. It should also take the benefit of the declining Chinese economy and quickly overtake as the biggest economy in the world. It should put an end to communal violence and religious disputes. In the coming years India should be able to provide its citizens with basic necessities, equal and diverse opportunities, and try reduce the unemployment rate.

The World Wars and many other Cultural, Demographic and Geographic conditions have crumbled the superpower nations of the past and continues to crumble the current contenders. It’s difficult for countries to get back on their knees or fight against their problems. The  U.S. has never observed massive industrial destruction or civilian casualties unlike Europe or Asia. Post War it has been able to build up a strong industrial and technological infrastructure, advanced military strength which is the strongest in the world and has managed to retain it since. Other countries have a great potential in being the superpower but their problems are way more drastic and impossible to overcome. However, over time India has constantly proved that nothing is impossible if the people and the government of the nation unite and work together. Together they can overcome challenges and eradicate the problems.

To conclude, India can be a Superpower if it utilizes its man force and makes a unified effort with the government to bring the change.

Works Cited

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President, BCG Senior Vice. “Direct/indirect Employment IT Industry India 2008-2016 | Statistic.” Statista. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

“Brand India.” IT Industry in India, Indian Information Technology, ITeS Sector, Services. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

“World Bank Says India Faces Stark Digital Divide – Times of India.” The Times of India. Business, 10 May 2016. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

“Superpower.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.

“Economy of India.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

August 29, 2014 International Agricultural Trade Reports. “India’s Agricultural Exports Climb to Record High.” India’s Agricultural Exports Climb to Record High | USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

“Farmer Population Falls by 9 Million in 10 Years – Times of India.” The Times of India. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

“Agricultural Problems Faced by the Farmers of India.” Knowledge Tank. N.p., 16 May 2016. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

Thomas, Dhanya. “Brain Drain: Boon for Developed Countries, but Bane for India.” Find- Study Abroad Entrance Exam, Courses, Scholarships, News, Articles. N.p., 29 Apr. 2015. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

@username. “Essay Writing — Can India Become a Super Power.” Bank Exams. N.p., 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

“Brand India.” , Indian Education System, Industry. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

The Truth Can Be Skewed

Scientific studies allow science to expand its knowledge, from finding connections between two seemingly different entities to testing and explaining phenomena that the world doesn’t quite understand yet. With the correct use of these scientific studies, scientists can achieve feats that would have been deemed impossible without the newly found knowledge: More cures can be found, larger realizations and trends can be identified, and even more knowledge of a field can potentially make growths as even more studies can elaborate. However, scientific studies’ massive influence is a double-edged sword. The “truthful” studies that we believe because they are backed by scientific research may be completely wrong. However, studies are still fallible and studies that push false claims can skew the truth and push an agenda. This trend is completely detrimental to the science community and the people.

As one might expect, scientific studies have a very rigid system that details what studies must accomplish to make a claim. For a scientific study to prove a claim (scientifically known as a hypothesis), the study must prove that the hypothesis must have an undeniable relationship with the data that is collected. To prove the hypothesis, the scientists first form what is known as a null hypothesis, which assumes the that there is no correlation between the two. For example, if the hypothesis is that a newly made drug increases dopamine levels, the null hypothesis would be that the drug did not exhibit any change in dopamine levels. The scientists then attempt to prove the actual hypothesis by rejecting the null hypothesis.

The data, which is found by the carefully thought-out tests and conditions set in place by researchers, is then analyzed to see if the data was statistically significant enough to reject the null hypothesis. This test is essentially finding whether the data was gotten due to random chance or if the claim is the reason behind the data. The researchers then use many different methods to calculate the probability of how likely the data that was given could have shown up, also known as the p-value. To say something was statistically significant, the probability must be lower than 5 percent. This magic number of 5 percent is key, as any study that produces a p-value lower than 5 percent is deemed to be valid. As the probability of the null hypothesis being true statistically improbable and rejected, the scientist can then conclude that the actual hypothesis true. Any p-value that is 5 percent or higher cannot reject the null hypothesis and cannot prove the claim that the study was trying to make, which forces the scientist to either retry the study or change the claim altogether.

Intentional errors have become a major issue as the scientific studies, which people take at face value, become either misleading or entirely untrue and flood the scientific journals. Studies that affect the percentage of published claims undergo effects such as publication bias and the file-drawer effect. The author Megan L. Head, in the article “The Extent and Consequences of P-Hacking in Science,” defines publication bias as, “the phenomenon in which studies with positive results are more likely to be published than studies with negative results.” The file-drawer effect is the tendency for scientists to refrain from publishing negative studies as due to the lack of money. These effects are very detrimental as there is a noticeable underrepresentation of negative published studies. In “The file drawer problem and tolerance for null results,” Robert Rosenthal describes this effect by saying, “the extreme view of the ‘file drawer problem’ is that journals are filled with the 5% of the studies that show Type I errors, while the file drawers are filled with the 95% of the studies that show nonsignificant results.” This is a direct result of scientists attempting to push studies that innately get more attention, as positive-resulting, intriguing studies will be more popular than negative-resulting studies.

However, the bias can be even more direct with something known as p-hacking. The essential part of a study is primarily based on the comparison of the p-value to find something that is statistically probable. So through p-hacking, scientists can attempt to alter the way they compute the p-value with any given data. In the web article “Is Science Broken?” author Christie Aschwanden simulated how easy it is to find something statistically significant for many different claims with the same data. In his simulation, we are to choose a category on which political party, Republican or Democratic, we want the hypothesis to support. Aschwanden then demonstrated that by choosing to keep and omit some parts of the data (such as the type of politicians that we want to consider as politicians and including recessions), the combination of different parts of the data can prove a hypothesis for both sides. Even with the same data pool, the fact that the use of p-hacking can prove completely opposite ideologies shows the massive influence that p-hacking can have.

With these massive rigid systems that scientists must undergo for their livelihood, scientists put massive amounts of value in publication. As innovation comes directly from the scientists, they are put under massive amounts of pressure for publishing. This pressure to publish has directly resulted in the overflowing publication rates that seem to have no end. Thus, a large portion of studies is only partial truths due to the many different biases they are forced to undergo through, intentionally or not. The reason why there is so much potential for bias is due to the fractured system that scientific studies are based off.

Due to the emphasis on quantity over quality for both payments and value, scientists are more inclined to not publish the full potential of what studies could have achieved. Thus, more and more faulty studies with intriguing, misleading theses start to accumulate. To combat this, replication tests are very valuable as they attempt to retest the study exactly to test the study’s validity. These tests are essentially a fail-safe, where another scientific group that is independent to the original does everything that the study did to see if it produces similar results. Erick Turner from the FDA-also known as the Food and Drug Administration- spoke about the replication tests held in 2008. The FDA retested 74 studies that proved the effectiveness of numerous FDA-registered antidepressants. From the replication tests, they found that 23 of them didn’t even have evidence of publication, which left 51 studies to examine. It was reported that 48 of those 51 studies that were left originally showed positive results, yet when the FDA concluded the replication studies they found that only 38 studies out of the original 74 had positive results, completely disproving studies that were now found to be selling ineffective antidepressants.

If such a test is so valuable to validate incorrect tests, then there should not be so many tests that people can view where the study essentially publishes false claims. Sadly, these faulty studies are unlikely to be corrected as there is no incentive within the scientific community to replicate the tests. Even though the FDA made replication tests, the company is not a good representation of the entirety of the community as the FDA is a government funded organization whose primary focus is to regulate issues such as the biased studies.  This occurrence is known as the replication crisis. To make sure that harmful products do not go to the patients and prevent the need for replication tests, organizations such as the FDA place very rigid requirements. However, regulatory associations such as the FDA are simply not enough to keep the influence of drug companies away from scientific studies.

Petter Hutt’s paper, “Untangling the Vioxx-Celebrex Controversy: A Story about Responsibility.” describes the exact process of how the FDA approves a drug.  The FDA first requires what is known as an NDA or New Drug Application. The new drug then undergoes the Investigation New Drug test, or IND test, and three phases to test safety. The IND test is used to see if the production and analyzation had “protection of the human research project, animal studies completed and analyzed, scientific merit, and qualifications of the investigator.” From the IND, the drug then undergoes Phase I, II, and III. Phase I tests the drug on one subject to check for adverse side effects, which moves on to Phase II if successful. Phase II administers the drug multiple times on a small group, which will move on to Phase III. In this phase, the drug is given to thousands of patients with many different methodologies to check for drug interactions/reactions. It is estimated that this entire process takes around 7 to 13 years before the application is finished. After the application is submitted, the FDA then makes a committee to push the new drug and either authorize the drug or stop the process there.

This very methodical authorization system should be able to sort off unsafe drugs after numerous checks. However, the unreliability of the FDA was completely exposed with the Vioxx controversy. DrugWatch, in the web article “Vioxx Recall – Merck and FDA,” discusses the painkiller Vioxx and how it was spread to many different doctors with the primary goal of giving the drug to as many patients as possible. However, in only 5 years, this seemingly harmless drug was found to more than double the risk of heart attacks and death. Eventually, in 2004, Merck recalled Vioxx after being put in the spotlight for their drug. DrugWatch described the havoc Vioxx caused, with over 38,000 deaths, as potentially, “ the worst drug disaster in history.”

The drug went through the entire rigid appeal process of the FDA and was approved in 1999. Not once did the FDA stop the drug until the symptoms the heart issues started to appear and an analyzation was made. But by the time the FDA caught on, Vioxx already damaged thousands of lives. The reason why this disaster even occurred was due to Merck manipulating the data the study had. For the Merck scientists to show that the drug was safe enough for use, they omitted the detrimental data pertaining to patients with heart complications. Otherwise, the drug could not have been released. In fact, Hutt stated that “the General Accounting Office found that of 198 drugs approved by the FDA between 1976-1985, about half had serious post-approval problems.”

Not only that, but this controversy also shed light on the corruption of the FDA. It was noted that Merck persuaded the FDA to remove warning labels for digestive issues with Vioxx before the drug was even approved. The FDA also ignored numerous doctors’ complaints of their patients’ hearts problem until 2002, when a study that showed the relationship between heart complications and Vioxx. When that integral piece of information came out, all the FDA did was simply add a label. The FDA had numerous chances to prevent a disaster from happening and the organization was built to do just that. However, the bias that Merck was pushing forward to validate their product slipped through, which shows even the FDA struggles to mitigate the effect of bias in scientific studies.

As noted before, the scientists’ payment is incentivized to push the claims of whatever will help their career. If the scientists could sustain themselves using the replication test, researchers would have used these replication tests. However, replications tests carry no monetary value, as they only restate what someone else has stated, so scientists avoid the very test that helps counteract faulty claims. As scientists are only human and will have the tendency to prioritize their own living at the expense of integrity, scientists would rather push a swarming number of theses for money. This phenomenon eliminates the fail-safe that is made to get rid of the faulty studies, which means that the number of studies that are fundamentally lying is going to steadily increase with little resistance.

This phenomenon is very detrimental to the future of science. In the article, “Pressure to ‘Publish or Perish’ May Discourage Innovative Research, UCLA Study Suggests,” author Phil Hampton discusses a study lead by Jacob Foster that measures the risks and innovation studies take and the implications that studies make.  Foster found in the fields of biomedicine and chemistry that more than 60% of the studies that were analyzed showed no new connections. This essentially means that innovation is slowly grinding to a halt due to the flawed system. As scientists are fixated with their publications to make a steady income, they will push whatever will gives them the safest income. Even though going with the more innovative idea may result in a breakthrough that will net massive amounts of revenue from publication, there is an even greater chance that the study will not result in a positive study, which would not be beneficial to the scientist. This risk vs reward scenario causes scientists to then make a choice on what they value more, to be put in a textbook or to eat the next day. There, the non-innovative route becomes the favored choice as scientists do not have a safety net that can warrant the risk. Thus, innovation is slowly starting to decrease. This result is one of the worst outcomes, as only innovation causes new leaps and bounds to be made from science. If innovation starting to slow down, science slows down as well.

These issues can be solved by money, so funding from organizations seem to be one of the best solutions. Money being given to the researchers which allow them to remove the restraint of income so better tests are made. However, this harmonious relationship becomes detrimental as both parties benefit too much. A claim from a scientific study is very valuable for a business. The faith people have with how rigid scientific studies are causes people to believe essentially anything a scientific study proves. Thus, companies are willing to invest a lot of money for scientific studies that positively help whatever the company is pushing. This investment would ultimately result in more money for the future. This interest itself causes a cycle that makes this issue worse. A business wants to be able to push their values to gain more money or popularity, so the businesses are more willing to pay money to inevitably reap the benefits. As the business itself pays money for the studies, scientists are more enticed to make a study that proves the business’ value for a better living, giving more and more incentive to produce more or alter claims that prove the value.

This cycle results in countless biased articles that unjustifiably prove the claim of the business that affects the public. Companies such as pharmaceuticals and sport drink companies are repeatedly found in the obvious malpractice. For example, in the study “Association of Funding And Conclusions in Randomized Drug Trials,” Bodil ALs-Nielsen randomly selected 370 random drug trials to see if there was an effect on the result of the test being funded by a non-profit organization or a for-profit organization.  With only 16% of the studies recommending the drugs when it was funded by a non-profit organization and 51% of the studies when funded by a for-profit organization, it is painfully obvious to see the effect that funding sources have.

Biased studies can even be detrimental after it has been disproven. America has kick started  a newly found movement where people are against vaccination and refuse to give their children vaccinated. This movement grew in popularity when Andrew Wakefield released a study that shows the correlation between vaccines and autism. However, this study was completely biased to fit Wakefield’s claim. The study not only took very specific conditions to make the claim, Wakefield was even accused of violating ethical rules.  In the article “The Lancet Retracts Andrew Wakefield’s Article « Science-Based Medicine,”  UK General Medical Council’s Fitness to Practise Panel  officially stated on Jan 28, 2001, that “it has become clear that several elements of the 1998 paper by Wakefield et al are incorrect.” Even though the original paper has been debunked repeatedly, the movement still stays strong and un-wavered. Once the headline of the audacious claim is made, the impact the study has will still remain regardless of the truth. This trend gives even more power to the biased claims.

This corruption of scientific studies must be addressed. Many scientists are aware of the situations and biases but are helpless to do anything about it. Yet, the scientific system sets a precedent that dissuades scientists from reaching their highest potential. This issue can be resolved as long as money is not the primary factor. By giving scientists a steady income, it incentivises them to work on what they deem important rather than safe and potential corruption would disappear. As a result, scientific journals would be filled with unbiased, pure information which allows science to progress in the likes where science has never seen before.

 

Works Cited:

Head, M. L. “The Extent and Consequences of P-Hacking in Science.” The Extent and Consequences of P-Hacking in Science. PLoS Biol, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.

Aschwanden, Christie. “Science Isn’t Broken.” FiveThirtyEight. N.p., 19 Aug. 2016. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.

Rosenthal, Robert. “The File Drawer Problem And Tolerance For Null Results.” Psychological Bulletin 86.3 (1979): 638-641. PsycARTICLES. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.

 

Turner, Erick H. “Selective Publication of Antidepressant Trials and Its Influence on Apparent Efficacy — NEJM.” New England Journal of Medicine. N.p., 17 Jan. 2008. Web. 28 Nov. 2016.

Hampton, Phil. “Pressure to ‘publish or Perish’ May Discourage Innovative Research, UCLA Study Suggests.” UCLA Newsroom. N.p., 08 Oct. 2015. Web. 018 Nov. 2016

Nielsen, MD Bodil. “Association of Funding and Conclusions in Randomized Drug Trials.”Association of Funding and Conclusions in Randomized Drug Trials. The JAMA Network, 20 Aug. 2003. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.

 

Hutt, Peter Barton. “Untangling the Vioxx-Celebrex Controversy: A Story about Responsibility.”Tran, Lan. N.p., 4 May 2005. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.

“Vioxx Recall – Merck and FDA.” DrugWatch. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.

Novella, Steven. “The Lancet Retracts Andrew Wakefield’s Article « Science-Based Medicine.” The Lancet Retracts Andrew Wakefield’s Article « Science-Based Medicine. N.p., 03 Feb. 2010. Web. 25 Nov. 2016.

 

 

Smartphones have been a great advancement in technology and in society. Like any other tool they help us with our daily tasks such as keeping us close to public safety officials, allowing us the ability to transfer money that helps us manage our lifestyles, and being able to check the safety of our families with a push of a button. Having the ability to talk to someone miles away has made life convenient and full of contentment for modern day people. It is safe to say that the phone is one of the most important tools ever made along with electricity, the telescope, and the wheel. The practice of sending information has been a valuable assist to forming society since the renaissance. To be able to inform people can be the difference between life and death in a state of war. The phone is another staple to humanity such as U.S presidents are to the development of America.

However, not all presidents are helpful -to the well-being of the country as such not all uses of phones are beneficial to our daily lives. Recently phones have been the bane of our daily progression as we constantly check our phones as we work. Our phones have been given as much responsibility to their owners as their owners’ function in society. Moreover phones help us get things done. Now think for a moment about how someone could use that tool that helps you with getting things done with different intentions for its uses than to its owner’s purpose.

There you have an issue; the privacy of one’s belongings is one of the most sought-after luxuries humanity has set for itself. The foundation of America was fought for the individual privacy to practice any religion. Forward two hundred and forty years into the future and we find us with a similar conflict with individual ownership boundaries.

Most recently this conflict has been brought to light with news of terrorism in America. In 2015, a terrorist attack occurred in San Bernardino, California. The terrorist attack was a mass shooting carried out by a Pakistani couple that aimed their sights at a San Bernardino county department of public health Christmas party, where 16 people were killed and 24 people suffered non-fatal injuries. After being pursued the couples were killed in a shootout with police. In all, a total of 40 people were harmed with the intent of causing terror in America. While investigating the remains of the couple, the FBI found an Apple IPhone that is understood to hold information on the couples’ activities.

The modern day conflict with privacy was that the FBI wanted Apple to open the IPhone encrypted system to investigate the information that it holds. How does one feel when their government pursues access to one of the most powerful tools in the current age? Giving the FBI that kind of power is a serious bridge of trust. The FBI has made a case with the Department of Justice that would put Apple in the position to hold responsibility of the phones property having been the manufacturer. Apple being the entity that it is was adamant to allow the case to follow through without debate first. The company stands against the FBI when considering how much power they could give the government with just one case to decrypt a single iPhone.

Beyond this instance the government can use this knowledge to perform whatever surveillance deemed useful, which is a lot of power. The debate over whether Apple can be held accountable for its products second party uses after developing an issue with a third party can show the conflict of interest between the American people and the consumers of technology.

The rights of Americans have been the country’s most treasured pursuit. To able to live in such a free nation has put a lot pressure on the government to protect our life styles. Our values as Americans have made us a target for terror to instill disbelief in our liberty. However, as Americans we stand together against those who oppose our rights. When analyzing the events at San Bernardino we understand that those who disagree with our way of life use it to their advantage to pursue a reality that does not already surround them. The FBI has made a request with the department of justice that would alert the world of technology consumers. A request that requires Apple to access information on an iPhone used by a terrorist. This request has brought the question of private security verse public security to the public.

Yaozong Ma in his article “Apple’s Conundrum: The Immutability of Liberty vs. Security,” claims “A cornerstone of the FBI’s argument was the All Writs Act which allowed courts to “issue all writs necessary or appropriate in aid of their respective jurisdictions and agreeable to the usages and principles of law.” Essentially, All Writs Act provides justification and authorization for courts to craft, enact, and implement orders which compel individuals to perform acts provided that reasoning is both necessary and legal. This shows that the FBI believes that they have the legal means to ask for assistance from a third party.

Craig Timberg and Greg Miller in their article “FBI blasts Apple, Google for locking police out of phones,” report the motives of FBI Director James B. Comey wanting Apple to comply with their request. Comey states that, “He could not understand why companies would market something expressly to allow people to place themselves beyond the law.” His reasoning is based on the assumption that apple only caters to the top percent of people who can afford their products. Protecting their private information is what made their company so great to their customers. He defends his stance on protecting the public; moreover it is such a hard stance he forgets that private privacy is just as important to the public. Apple has been known to sell the most exclusive hardware since the beginning of their company. Handling this situation can predict the future of the company.

Felix Wu in his article, “No Easy Answers in the Fight over iPhone decryption.” examples why the FBI’s request is undeserved of a warrant. He states, “Apple’s primary constitutional argument was that compelling its assistance would violate the First Amendment right to freedom of expression. The argument is seductively simple, almost syllogistic. Step one: courts have previously recognized computer code as a form of speech protected by the First Amendment. Step two: the Supreme Court has long held that the government can violate the First Amendment not only by restricting someone’s speech, but also by compelling someone to speak. Ergo, forcing Apple to write code that it did not want to write would be compelling it to speak, in violation of the First Amendment.” No company should be forced to be responsible for the fallout caused by their product. The company itself has no connection to the events that lead to the creation of the warranted evidence.

Rebecca Knight, in her article “National Security or Consumer Privacy, A Question even Siri couldn’t answer.” states several other reasons as to why Apple should not be involved with a FBI Investigation. She claims, “Apple’s argument was that Congress, not the courts, should determine when a third-party must be compelled to assist in investigations conducted by the government. Apple contended that if the technology that the Government wants were to be created, millions of people would be at risk of having their personal data hacked at no fault of their own but rather as a consequence of Farook’s act of terrorism.” Knight believes, “Legally, Apple argues that the Order had no statutory basis and violated the Constitution. First, Apple contended that its connection to the underlying case was too far removed to compel assistance.”  According to Apple, the technical assistance sought would be much more vast and complicated than simply pushing a few buttons, as the Government seemed to believe.  Apple argued that the Government did not demonstrate that Apple’s assistance was necessary to effectuate the warrant. Moreover, the Government made no showing of whether or not it sought or received technical assistance from other federal agencies with expertise in digital forensics, which could negate the need for Apple to create a backdoor into the iPhone. This lack of motivation allows Apple to devalue the FBI’s request for assistance. Next, Apple argued that compliance with the Order would violate the First Amendment and the Fifth Amendment’s Due Process Clause. Specifically, the Government asked the court to compel Apple to write new software that would eliminate safety features built into the iPhone in response to consumer. Knight continued by saying, “Apple contends that the Order amounted to compelled speech and viewpoint discrimination. Under established law, computer code is treated like speech within the meaning of the First Amendment. Thus, whenever the Government seeks to compel speech, the First Amendment is triggered. Compelled speech can only be upheld if it is narrowly tailored to obtain a compelling state interest. In this instance, the Government could not meet this high standard. Finally, Apple argued that investigating terrorism was a legitimate interest; the government only produced speculative evidence that Farook’s iPhone might contain relevant information. Without the right boundaries to connect Apple to investigation, complying with the FBI should to be a business transaction rather than a court order. However, Apple has no plans with allow the FBI to gain access to their encryption code. They wish to stand alone as an American company trying to protect the privacy of the American people.”

In addition, new developments in the San Bernardino case, days before the trail gave the FBI a different path towards unlocking the IPhone. The FBI was contacted by a third party who discovered a new method of accessing  the information on the IPhone linked to the terrorist. Now that the FBI has the knowledge to unlock iPhone, they can apply this information to other suspected cases of terrorism. However with this new development does Apple have the grounds to ask the FBI to explain their weakness in their hardware.

The bottom line is that tech company’s care about their customer’s option on the matter of private privacy. The public understands the need for a relaxed state of ownership when buying a piece of hardware. We live in a free country after all, can’t that freedom extend further than just the grounds we walk on. Our phone and the space within our phone is the new wild west of our country. This time is a new era for the government to explore the constitutional rights of a new land, the land of technology. The government was not able to push Apple into complying with the FBI’s investigation and took a stand against the superpower that is our government. If Apple were to comply with our government, who’s to say china would not ask for the same type of assistance with an investigation. If we cannot trust our country with our issues it is safe to say that it is not right for any company to comply with a government whose ambitions are ambiguous.

Work Cited

Yaozong Ma. “Apple’s Conundrum: The Immutability of Liberty vs. Security.” International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Review | IJHSSR. 8 Oct 2016. Web. 8 Nov 2016. <http://www.ijhssrnet.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/2.pdf >.

Craig Timberg and Greg Miller. “FBI blasts Apple, Google for locking police out of phones.” Columbia Public Schools / Home. 25 Sep . Web. 8 Nov 2016. http://www.cpsk12.org/cms/lib8/MO01909752/Centricity/Domain/5012/FBI%20blasts%20Apple%20Google%20for%20locking%20police%20out%20of%20phones.pdf

Felix Wu. “Law and Technology No Easy Answers in the Fight Over iPhone Decryption .” Sep 2016. Web. 10 Nov 2016. http://static1.squarespace.com/static/52095f5de4b0bc18c96d1924/t/57d6075944024343d19e1fc5/1473644381121/Wu+-+2016+-+No+easy+answers+in+the+fight+over+iPhone+decryption%282%29.pdf&gt

Rebecca Knight. “National Security or Consumer Privacy? A Question Even Siri Couldn’t Answer.” University of Cincinnati College of Law Scholarship and Publications | University of Cincinnati College of Law Research. Sep 2016. Web. 10 Nov 2016. <http://scholarship.law.uc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=ipclj&gt;.

 

 

 

Fight With Drugs!

In Vancouver, many are aware of the darkness that tries to hide behind the beauty of the city.  Unfortunately, the use of heroin has become very popular and widely known.  Those who have taken the drug usually become an addict; their body and spirit become consumed by it.  These peoples lives are engulfed by this drug and eventually they will run out of the heroin.  Addicts will resort to doing something drastic/irrational just so they can get their fix.  This has left the city of Vancouver with a high crime rate to deal with. The thing about Vancouver’s problem is that it is actually their solution.  Fight heroin with heroin!

When traditional rehab didn’t work, “Insite” was created as a safe zone to help get rid of the negative effects of those who use and have become addicted to heroin. These clinics are providing clean equipment as well as free heroin to addicts in an effort to remove all the additional problems that come with addiction. Even though doctors know that this will not cure their addiction, they believe that this will help addicts have a healthier life.  Kurt Lock, a research coordinator for SALOME, says that the reason for giving the heroin to a heroin addict is all about stability.  This gives the addicts a way to have a more normal life where they can work on other issues that got them into their horrible lifestyle.  Insite also works to connect those individuals with health care services which can range from primary care to addictions counseling.  This clinic provides hope that through repeated  usage of this program, the drug violence in Vancouver will slowly decrease and the heroin problem with lower.

Vancouver isn’t the only place that has adapted clinics to help addicts.  In Europe they have been successful in reducing crime rates related to drugs through their program.  Also the Danish National Board Of Health has reported that through their treatment, crime rate has reduced, addicts have found permanent homes, and they have reduced the amount of drinking done by addicts.  The clinics are always trying new ways to help ease addicts from the drugs. Some of the treatments have users cut down the amount of heroin that is given as well as replace it with a more legal drug without crime. With everyone that comes in for help there’s always a few that end up leaving and going somewhere else that doesn’t use heroin as a way to beat their addiction.

With the efforts of many communities, similar attempts have been made to benefit heroin addicts.  Methadone Clinics are the most significant ones that have been seen. Methadone is an opioid/narcotic medication. This opioid is used on people that are experiencing withdrawal symptoms such as those addicted to heroin that does not give a high as drastic as heroin, but it reduces the urge to use.  This in return will reduce the effect addicts have on the community and it will benefit an addicts life. Unfortunately, methadone is not as victorious as the free heroin clinics.  Studies have shown that only 54 percent of methadone patients came back for treatments but, 90 percent return for more free heroin.

A key aspect to the eventual success of the program is embedded within the users of the drugs themselves. They are the driving force behind everything, and therefore have the ability to create both success and failure. This being said, the most happiness should be coming from them if a program is truly successful. For if this is true, then certainly something is being done correctly.  With all these programs that are trying to help addicts beat their problem there’s only one key aspect that can actually keep them running. This aspect is the drug user itself.  Each user is their own motivation behind everything that can be applied from the programs. Their happiness could come from the success that they’ve been given. Their sadness could be from them failing.  There is no correct way to help a drug user get over their problem. It is all about this addicts state of mind. CNN had interviewed one of their addicts name Steve who had been using the Insite clinic regularly for multiple years. He said that he had overdosed three times while he was there and that he was happy he was at the clinic when he did. Although Steve is 48 years old, he believes that there is still hope that he can possibly get clean.  Steve states, “..it’s just, it’s common sense! When you have a problem that’s grown for whatever reason to the epic proportions that it has in this city, it’s time to come up with a really good solution, and this is it.”  With this statement we as readers can safely assume that someone finds this program to be successful and a real solution.

To many, heroin is just a bad drug but to anyone that has tried heroin, it is a leading cause into the downward spiral of addiction resulting in a lot of life problems.  Addiction is not something that the world takes lightly. There is no fast cure and the treatment is not easy.  A person’s brain creates dopamine which is spread from a neurotransmitter to send signals to other nerve cells. This plays a distinct part in the brain’s reward circuit.  The reward circuit plays a big role in the involvement of reinforcing behavior, motor control, and various hormones.  With the continuous use of the drug, the brain will adjust itself to the exceeding amount of dopamine. This in turn will force the brain to make less of it and/or reduce the ability of cells in the reward circuit to respond to it.  With the reduction of the natural high, addicts must use the drug to replace it. Even after someone quits, one small relapse can bring them back to square one because the addiction will always be there.

With the large amount of heroin addicts in Vancouver, you can only imagine what the spread of diseases through unsanitary needles was like. HIV, AIDS, and Hepatitis are just a few of the diseases that come to mind when you think about sharing needles. The Safe needle exchange program is truly a blessing for the people of Vancouver. This program as well as Insite has provided addicts to freely help themselves with sterile injections. Since the opening of these clinics the spread of these diseases has significantly decreased by almost 70% of the people not sharing needles after visiting the clinic. Not only has the rate of HIV and other diseases from spreading, it has also reduce the number of overdoses. Many users have hurt themselves because they inject the drug in a wrong way. Insite provides highly skilled medical practitioners that are always around to help them no matter what happens. There’s been a study done by Vancouver health that had shown that fatal overdoses within a 500 meter radius of the Insite facility had decreased by 35%.  These numbers just prove the success rate that are coming from these clinics.

The crime rate of patients with a heroin addiction, that received the drug for free from the clinics had significantly decreased.  This was noticed during a four year trial in Britain.  In this trial patients were split up into three groups which consisted of oral methadone clinic patients, intravenous methadone clinic patients, and free heroin clinic patients.  In the end the results showed that the three groups all had improved, but the ones that received the free heroin benefited the most.  After about a half a year, three-quarters of the group had stopped taking street heroin. The number of crimes that had been committed by those in the group 30 days before the program began, dropped from 1,700 to 547 in the first six months of the trial.

With Vancouver opening up these heroin clinics, they are providing a safe haven for addicts to have another chance at a normal life and to finally part of society again. These programs are helping to tighten the rains and control addiction and give a sense of security for all drug users. For many Insite is their last bit of hope for asked to take control of their own lives and to be the one to save themselves on the downward spiral that heroin brings them. We can see the drug related crimes and the spread of diseases has decreased which in return is making their city safe again. Although it may sound crazy fighting her one with heroin is actually helping. In time we will find a permanent cure but for an out what we are doing is working.

 

   Black Lives Matter 

                   When the police officers take an oath they promise to protect and serve the community. We are taught that the police officers are there to protect us from harm, but who do we turn to when the police are the ones harming us? The past year , there has been an increase in police involved shootings where many citizens, who are unarmed, are injured by the officers. Based on current research, these acts of violence involve citizens who are also African American. In this paper, I will discuss how African American males are historically targets of these senseless acts.

Before New Year’s day in 2009,  a black man name Oscar Grant was killed by a officer name Johannes Mehserle in Oakland, California. Mehserle and several other officers responded to a fight on a crowded Bay Area Rapid Transit. The officers caught Grant and his friends from the train.  While Grant was lying face down, Mehserle and another officer were restraining Grant. Because Mehserle was unable to remove Grant’s arm from under his body in order to handcuff him, Mehserle drew his pistol and shot Grant once in the back(Centuries of Rage,2016).  During this incident, many people recorded what was happening up until Grant, who was unarmed, was shot.  Officer Mehserle resigned from his position and pleaded not guilty during an investigation into the shooting.  Later that year, Mehserle was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and not guilty of second degree murder and voluntary manslaughter(Centuries of Rage,2016). This case shows that the officer had no reason to kill Grant; he only shot him because he was unable to remove his arm to be handcuffed.  The public and the jury had a video to show what happened during the officer’s interaction with Grant, but yet only charged the police officer with involuntary manslaughter.  According to the Washington Post, it stated that all violent crimes in 2009 where someone was charged, black Americans were charged 62 percent of the time, compared to other races.  Additionally, 57 percent of murders and 45 percent of assaults in the country were identified as crimes committed by African Americans.

In the year of 2014 , an African American  boy named Tamir Rice was shot by a police officer.  Two officers on November 22,2014 named Timothy Loehmann and Frank Garmback responded to a call that a young black boy was sitting on a swing and pointing a gun at people.  However, the call also stated that the “gun” might have been fake and believed that Rice might be a juvenile that is doing this(Clevel, 2016). When both officers arrived on the scene, Loehmann claimed that he saw a black gun on the table and the young boy put it in his waistband.  Both officers told Rice to put his hands up, but they both stated that Rice reached into his waistband and pulled out the gun.  Due to this observation by the officers, Loehmann began to shoot.  Later, a video was released and in the video you can see that Rice wasn’t threatening the officers verbally or physically. Loehmann started to shoot as soon as he arrived on the scene.  The gun that they stated Rice had was a Airsoft,which is known to be an air gun which was designed to shoot non-lethal plastic pellets and has a safety tip on it. Loehmann shot Rice in the torso.  Rice had injuries in his major vessels, intestines, and the pelvis(Clevel, 2016).  In this case, both of the officers were placed on leave with pay, but the grand jury decided to dismiss all the charges against each officer. This case shows that even if the city had a video that showed that the officers killed Tamir Rice for no reason, the justice system would dismiss the case, which seems unfair.  This caused many people to protest all over the world and make African Americans as a whole stand together to work toward peace.  

In the year 2015, Freddie Gray, Jr. was arrested by the Baltimore Police Department for possessing what the police thought was an illegal switchblade. BBC News states that  While Gray was being transported in a police van, he fell into a coma, and later died .  When the doctor described Gray’s death, he stated that there were injuries to his spinal cord.  During this, witnesses to this interaction were recording the whole event. The video showed Gray screaming as the officers were dragging him to the police van.  Those witnessing Gray’s arrest saw one officer bending Gray’s legs backwards, and another holding him down with the officer’s knee pressing into Gray’s neck(News, BBC,2016).  Each of the officers who were involved in this case were not charged with his death. This made the African American community protest until the verdict changed because the evidence showed a video and that the van that held  Gray stopped three times before taking him to the hospital, plus you even had two witnesses stating that they saw what the officer was doing to him and the only consequences they got was suspension with pay. A Washington Post article stated that in 2015, there was a real-time database to track fatal police shootings. In 2015, 1,502 people had been shot and killed by a on-duty police officer.  It was reported that 382 of these murders were of African Americans and 732 were white. Police have shot and killed 175  young black men from ages 18 to 29 since January 2015.  Reports also showed that police shot and killed 172 young white men, 18 of whom were unarmed.  This data shows that in terms of police related shootings, majority of the victims are African American men (some of whom are unarmed(Lowery, Wesley,2016).

Philando Castile was shot by officer Jeronimo Yanez on July 6, 2016.  Castile was driving  in the car with his girlfriend Diamond Reynold and her daughter when being asked to pull over. When officer Yanez asked for Castile’s license and registration, Castile told the officer that he had a license to carry a weapon that was in his pocket during this time.  Castile was shot seven times while reaching for his ID after telling Officer Yanez he had a gun permit and was armed.  Castile’s girlfriend (who was in the car with him) recorded the incident and put it online(5).  Yanez was charged with three felonies.  In this case, justice was served with the officer being charged for a crime that he did with evidence including a video that aired immediately after it happened. Officer Yanez didn’t have a reason to kill Castile; once he saw Castile reaching for his ID, he reacted by shooting him.  Castile girlfriend also stated that the other officers who were on scene didn’t check Castile as he was slumped over on the chair, they automatically comforted Officer Yanez who was crying after he realized what he had done(Ellis, 2016). 

“Black Lives Matter” was a nonviolent movement created because of the the racism and killings that African Americans faced  This movement was created by a group of African Americans after the killing of the teenager Treyvon Martian.  Over the past couple of years there has been a dramatic increase of police brutality. We know that the police are supposed to protect us, not to kill us.  This movement helps African Americans to seek out for help in a non violent way by protecting and marching until justice is serve for our people. This has been a major problem in today’s society and in the African American community. African American  males are more of a target than the females.  Because of the increase of African American killings, there is no cause for fear within the community.

Not only are African American males a target, but the African American females are too. For example, Sandra Bland was killed by a police officer while incarcerated. Bland was pulled over because she failed to signal when she was changing lanes. In the dashcam video, it shows that when the officer first pulled her over and was telling her to get out the car, he was being aggressive.  Her death was mysterious because she only spent three nights in jail and was alive during booking, but she then suddenly died in police custody(Bult,2016). According to CNN News , the video that was showed was of her dead in what was  supposed to be mugshot that was placed next to the mugshot she took when she first arrived at the jail.  When the case went to trial, the officer who pulled her over  and the other officer in the jail were put on trial. There was evidence against each of the officers, but when it came to determining whether or not the officers would be found guilty or innocent,  the court found the officers to be innocent and they were allowed to go back to work. This was another incident that made the African American community outraged and riots started to break out worldwide because of the decision that was made, even with the evidence they had. That’s where the Black Lives Matter movement came about because they understood that people are upset, but that starting riots would not make this go away. The Black Lives Matter movement made people understand that the justice system is unfair, but we have to remain together in order to stand strong.

In conclusion,  unarmed African Americans are more likely to be killed by a police officer and police officers are more likely to not be charged with any crime, even with evidence against them. Overall, police shootings of African Americans have increased, just from 2009 to 2016.  According to International Business Times, a  five-year study reported “ 77.7 percent of people killed by officers were men, and 51.51 percent were black men, while 46.3 percent were white , 2.6 percent were of other races , and the races of 130 victims were unknown.”  Once again unarmed black men are being targets more than any other race.