Our society has established a universal rule where we must be careful of what we say to prevent offending anyone despite our “good” intentions. We must consider the feelings and thoughts of others before expressing ourselves. One good example of this is the debate of holidays vs holy days. Holidays are a respectful tribute to various religions or to acknowledge the significance of leaders. It has become a popular trend where people would express a phrase relating to the holiday without knowing the meaning of it and how others react to it. On the other hand, some people would argue that holy days are for specific religious ideas and practices such as Kwanzaa, Christmas, and Hanukkah. Because of the ideological differences of holidays and holy days, it is important to acknowledge that not everyone takes a holiday or holy day phrase lightly. The importance of both holidays and holy days is to become more open minded about what people believe, what they say and how they say it. Certain national holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, create a situation in which certain phrases acknowledge the holiday. People become influenced by a Christmas feeling such as giving gifts, becoming more helpful and keeping a more positive attitude towards others. Businesses and companies use these popular trends to continue to influence people in a Christmas spirit to buy their product for a loved one. Some people are not entirely influenced by the positive vibe and deny the invitation of the Christmas spirit. When we think more deeply about this “holiday”, is it really Christmas or Christ-Mas? Christmas is an exciting holiday that falls on December 25th and is a day of giving. However, some people view Christmas as a “holy day”. Holy day means that religious practices and beliefs are now to be noted. Christians view Christmas as the holy day that marks the birth of their savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, who is also believed to be the son of God. Some Christians celebrate this day by attending church and having a gathering with friends and family. The significance of this is that rather than following the popular trend of giving, some religious groups do not follow these trends despite their popularity. There are some holidays I believe people should celebrate such as Veterans Day because it is honoring and paying a tribute to a population of servicemen and women. This day is to acknowledge the men and women who have made significant sacrifices to serve their country. Some people celebrate this holiday by having barbecues and gathering with their loved ones. Others take advantage of the sales that go on in stores. Businesses would offer special deals for consumers and extra deals for veterans, but overall helps their business rather than the individual. To make people more aware of these holidays, some businesses would have American flags throughout their stores. From a religious aspect, religious people pray for the men and women who are servicing the country and continue to ask for their protection and guidance wherever they go. What is interesting is that religious people continue to pray for these Veterans after their holiday has passed. Holidays like this should not have any disadvantages or debates of it being a “holiday” or “holy day”. Despite the significant meanings of holidays, it leads people to contradict their true ideas. For example, Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a unique holiday where people come together to share a meal with a variety of different food choices. The popular trend of Thanksgiving is to have a cooked Turkey at the dinner table. One should appreciate the meal they have every day because there are some people who do not get to eat as often as they should. In addition, the history of Thanksgiving is opposed to its current meaning. The history of it is of the Native Americans helping the pilgrims during a cold winter, yet were killed for their land. One controversial issue with the debate of holidays and holy days is a phrase associated with the day. For example, some public schools in New York have emphasized not to say, “Merry Christmas” but instead say “Happy Holidays” due to religious reasons. Some people do not believe in Christmas or celebrate it the way society has thought it to be, with a focus on presents, family, and Christmas songs. The other benefit of saying “Happy Holidays” is putting two holidays such as Christmas and the New Year together. However, how far are people willing to go to replace a holiday phrase with a more general one? It is important to take into consideration that saying “Merry Christmas”, “Happy St. Patrick’s Day”, “Happy Hanukkah”or “Happy Kwanzaa” is an invitation into a culture. I believe that before expressing a holiday or holy day related phrase or denying one, we should first know the true meaning of it. Invitation to a culture is a peaceful gesture that should be welcomed whenever the opportunity arises. If it seems like the culture is imposing itself on those who don’t celebrate a specific day, then the best way to manage through this situation is to allow the individual self-expression. This is what makes them happy and the best way we can deal with this is to let them enjoy their day without any disrespect. This is what makes diversity so rich and unique because of people embracing different cultures, other than their own.
0 Comments
By Henry CruzImagine a stranger coming into your home and reorganizes everything, claims part of the home as his own, but then blames any dispute or disagreement that arises about the home on you. The United States of America has a reputation for acknowledging itself as the dominant country because of superior power that was accomplished through imperialistic methods. However, other countries who have a relationship with the United States often view their history as totalitarian and barbaric state. Throughout American history, countries such as Mexico and Spain were the victims of war. These countries were oppressed by the ideology of American patriarchy that establishes them as the “ideal” country or the example for other countries to follow. Historical events such as the Mexican-American War and the Spanish-American War demonstrate the United States desire to conquer. Consequently, Americans embrace their rich history and significant accomplishments, but ignore the sacrifices other countries have made by force in order for the U.S. to remain ideologically superior. The significance of relationships with other countries is that they reflect a similar ambition to conquer as the United States. Prior to the Mexican-American War in 1846, Mexico was under a dictator named Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. In 1834, a dispute between Mexico and Texas over a loaned cannon sparked a war between the neighboring territories. Texas defeated Santa Anna’s Mexican army of 6,000 soldiers through an error on Santa Anna’s part. He split his soldiers into three small groups which allowed the Texans to become victories in the battle, thus leading to their independence from Mexico in 1836. After this conflict between Texas and Mexico, former United States president James K. Polk sparked the idea of “Manifest Destiny”. It was the belief that Americans were destined by God to conquer territory towards the west. Polk was interested in states such as New Mexico, Arizona, California and other western states. At first, he proposed a price for the land, but was denied which was the spark to the Mexican-American War. Perhaps it was karma for what Mexico had done to the Texas, but the desire for Polk to move westward ignited his patriarchal belief. In 1846, a group of Mexican soldiers attacked a group of American soldiers within their bordered area. The American soldiers, under the command of General Zachary Taylor, called for reinforcement and were able to defeat the Mexican soldiers in their territory in Palo Alto and Resoca de la Palma. The responsibility could have gone either way. Mexico initiated the first attack, but the Americans were on the enemy’s turf knowing that would influence an attack.
To add insult to injury, a group of American’s residing in California which was Mexico’s territory rebelled against the Mexican government. This led to what is known as “Bear Flag” where the United States declared California an independent republic. To ease their way into claiming Mexico’s former property, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was established in 1848. This treaty states that the United States would compensate Mexico of about $15 million in exchange for their territories such as New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Wyoming, Utah and of course, California. The United States gets the better end of the deal and felt better about themselves after giving Mexico some sort of currency. Overall, the problem with this is that the United States forced Mexico into a war that they were not prepared for. The Americans took advantage of an inferior country to gain what they wanted. This is similar to stealing because some people pick on other people who are much smaller than them knowing they are easier targets to acquire what they have. By: Katherine SantanaRevolutions are a time of change, in which the people find themselves fed up with the existing system due to corruption and unjust actions. This is also a complex time, in which tension between the people and the government soar to new heights. In mark of the 100th year since the Russian Revolution, we will go back in time to the Haitian and American Revolutions. These revolutions, just like many others, have sparked immense change and show just how powerful people can be when coming together. The Haitian Revolution (1971-1803), was considered to be one of the most largest and successful slave rebellion. At the time, Haiti was called St. Domingue and was one of the most wealthiest overseas colonies that the French controlled. Their wealth was solely constructed by the production of sugar, cotton, indigo and coffee created by slave labor. Haiti was broken up into four groups, white planters & petit blancs, slaves, runaway slaves and those who were free. Those of African descent who were slaves, became fed up of the cruel and unsafe conditions that were being endured. Inspired by the events in France, slaves came together in a series of revolutionary movements. Led by Toussaint Louverture a former slave, he attempted to negotiate with the French but was imprisoned. Napoleon intended to bring back slavery to Haiti, however, Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Henry Christophe took over and led an army against the French. They succeeded, and by 1804, Haiti was declared independent. The American Revolution (1775-1803), like the Haitian Revolution arose from tension and disagreement between the colonists and the British government. Colonists were displeased with the rise in tax for tea by the British government, they were also displeased with the fact that they had no representation in parliament. Slaves in these colonies, also saw this as an opportunity to fight for freedom. Women also saw this as a chance to gain some form of independence. The British government attempted to appease the colonists by giving them more rights. However, this was not enough. Still unhappy, the people decided to take charge. The first battle occurred in Saratoga, in which the American force led by General Horatio Gates won against the British. This battle would then be followed up by a larger one located in the South. Led by Nathanael Green, American forces were able to score another victory against the British. Peace treaties were signed, which marked the end of the American Revolution as well as independence. I chose the American Revolution and the Haitian Revolution for several reasons. The first is that they share several similarities which we see in other revolutions around the world. However, they also share some differences in terms of what is prioritized as more important. The main similarity between the two, is the fight for independence which I think is crucial. Both the American Revolution and Haitian Revolution strived for independence as they were not getting any benefits from the system. In Haiti, colonists did not have representation in the French government. For the colonists in the Americas, colonists did not have representation in parliament. We also see, how the government tries to appease the people in both, however that wasn’t enough. The next similarity is fighting for rights, which contributes to the idea of independence. Colonists in both the American Revolution and the Haitian revolution, felt that their rights were diminished. Since both had no representation in government, this meant that the colonists had no voice in deciding anything. They had to put up with what the government imposed on them. The idea of fighting for ones rights, is also crucial because it is here that we see people uniting to establish a better future. Racial tension is also another similarity in both revolutions. We see racial tension between slaves and whites, as slaves fight for freedom and independence. However, while race is also another crucial factor to both of these revolutions, there is also a major differences. While the Haitian Revolution and American Revolution share several similarities, there are also differences. The differences stems from what is considered to be more of a priority. The first difference is what sparked the revolution in the first place. In the Haitian Revolution, change was sparked by unfair and unequal treatment of slaves and the gaps between statuses. In the American Revolution, change was sparked by unfair taxation by the British. The Haitian Revolution was inspired by the idea of “Rights of Man”, which contained the notion that all men are equal and free. The idea was inspired by the series of events in France. The American Revolution was inspired by the idea of “Natural Rights”, which was about freedom, equality and pursuit of happiness. Another difference between both revolutions, are the methods used to acquire change. For the American Revolution, terrorism was used as a method of fighting back the government. Whereas, in the Haitian Revolution, civil disobedience was the primary method of fighting back the government. For both revolutions, we see what is prioritized first. For the Haitian Revolution for example, the main priority was freedom of slaves. In the American Revolution, the priority was unfair taxation and unfair rules imposed by the government. While both revolutions did fight for the freedom of slaves, the Haitian Revolution takes the topper. Roughly 90% of Haiti at the time were slaves compared to 20% in the thirteen colonies.
Both the American Revolution and the Haitian Revolution, just like every other revolutions around the world are extremely important. It demonstrates union of the people to fight for what they feel is right. I wrote about these two revolutions in particular, to show how a revolution can happen anywhere and carry the same meaning. We see how a revolution in Haiti carries the same idea of independence, freedom and equality like the revolution in the Americas. We see how no matter how far apart, a revolution speaks for change. However, at the same time while they are similar, we also see that certain aspects are prioritized more. Either way, both of these revolutions depict the sacrifice and strength of the people to make a change for the better. A change, that leads us to where we are today in this day and age. By Nelson HerasWhen I think of a revolution, the image that comes to mind is a large crowd of people protesting for a change. Protesting may not be the proper word though because the image I get is more violent, an image of people covering their nose and mouth with a cloth or a gas mask while throwing objects at the police who in many eyes represent the government. Why do people revolutionize? For many reasons. The most common being that they feel disrespected by their government. They feel tightened up with chains and their freedom being stripped from them from those who are supposed to protect them and other citizens, but who are instead fighting against them and committing acts that will hurt the people. I always admired those brave individuals who put their lives on the line to fight for their freedom because it’s hard to go out to the streets and fight for what you believe in against people (the government) with much more power than you. In this piece, I will discuss the situation currently going on in Venezuela as well as the interesting facts of the French Revolution. VENEZUELA Not many of you may be aware of the crisis going on in Venezuela against President Nicolas Maduro and his government. The reason being is that the situation that the people of Venezuela face does not get much news coverage in the United States. Venezuelan citizens are not happy with their government because they are not living free, they do not feel as if they are a democratic nation and have gone to the streets to protest their rights. The protests against the inequality and violence in the country begun peacefully, but President Maduro’s solution (if you can call him a President) has been to send Venezuelan armed forces on the streets to go against its people. The main issue in this country is that Venezuela was once one of the wealthiest nations in the world, being rich in oil, however, it is now extremely poor and getting poorer as time goes by. Although Venezuela may still have a lot of oil, the price of oil has decreased and as a result, so has Venezuela’s income since it was very dependent on the price of oil. The country is going through a severe shortage of food, medicine and daily necessities such as soap and toilet paper and because they have a high demand without much supply the result has been prices skyrocketing to the point where the people cannot afford it. As a solution to this problem Venezuelans would cross the border to Colombia in order to buy toilet paper, but in 2015 Maduro closed the borders to supposedly prevent criminals from selling Colombian goods in the Venezuelan black market. According to money.cnn.com the minimum wage in Venezuela is 200,021 Bolivars a month (Venezuelan currency) which is equivalent to $46.70 U.S dollars. With such a low income it is impossible to purchase the necessities to survive especially with the skyrocketed prices on the market. The government has not been helping its people as a government should, but instead Maduro issued a ruling that allowed him to change the constitution to fit his liking, which in my opinion, takes away the title of President. In its place one can insert the name “Dictator”. In Venezuela, you either have a shortage on an item or an over-the-top price for what is available, imagine yourself living such way. You and I living in the United States take advantage of the little things we may think are no big deal such as toilet paper, a necessity that people in Venezuela have to make lines for and pay top dollar. What’s sad is that there are soldiers who fight against these protesters when they should all be one since they are all suffering from what’s going on in the country. FRENCH REVOLUTION Before I briefly explain what the French Revolution was, I have to say that the reason why I chose this Revolution was because when we got assigned this topic for the month I remembered a bit from middle school where I learned about the three estates and about heads being chopped off. This issue was the perfect time for me to refresh my memory on perhaps the most famous and most spoken about revolution, the French Revolution. The guillotine is what was used during the French revolution to execute thousands, including King Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. Louis XVI became king in 1774, at the early age of 20 and as a monarch he was very immature, a quality of his character that did not seem to leave him as he aged. Louis XVI continued to govern without caring, not providing solutions to problems and not offering help. This is what eventually ignited the French Revolution. The king called for an assembly, the Estates General representing the three divided estates which were the first estate (clergy), the second estate (nobility) and the third estate (commoners). The assembly was to take place on May 5th, 1789 for the first time since 1614. The problem with this assembly was that the third estate, which represented 98% of the people, could still be outvoted by the other two higher estates. So, that being said, the third estate, being the majority wanted equality. Who wouldn’t right?
Let’s put ourselves in their shoes: - we are the majority, so why not have the majority say what our future will have in store for us. That is exactly what the Third Estate did, they wanted the voting to go by person and not by status so they decided to break away and begin their own assembly where each of their members would get a vote. On June 10, 1789, they started the National Assembly where they promised to create a new constitution for France. This reminds me of our voting procedure, how each of our votes do not count as one, on the contrary our voting system is controlled by the electoral college. I disagree with the electoral college and believe our President should be chosen by popular vote, that would change so many things in our country. Since King Louis XVI was unable to perform his duties from the start of his reign, unable to take France out of its financial problems, unable to lead his country, and failed to treat his people fairly he was sentenced to death by the French National Convention in 1793. Both the Venezuelan and French Revolution amaze me, - in how courageous people are to risk everything for freedom. It’s hard to believe that, back then, if a leader would not respect his people then he would not only be overthrown, but would also get his head chopped off. That’s something we will not likely see today. The reason why I think this is because there are too many laws today that prevent us from violently acting against our government. As unpopular as our current President may be we are too focused on our own lives and if we are not directly affected many of us simply do not care. Venezuela is a country we don’t pay mind to, and we should, because they are a country who is trying to progress but is being held back by their government. Venezuela is a country that was once an amazing place to live and once one of the wealthiest Latin countries, it should hurt us to see how it is now. Writing this piece taught me a lot, I felt more for the Venezuelan revolution because it is something that is occurring at present time so it hurts more to see how as I am writing this paper there are Venezuelan citizens who are suffering. There is more to learn about the Venezuelan Revolution occurring now and the French Revolution than what I mentioned above so please do your research and inform yourselves. I am glad I wrote this paper because through this paper I informed myself of international problems, and not only focus on what is occurring in The United States of America. It is vital for you and I to look further than what the eye can see, to read and learn of things that perhaps may not interest us, but is affecting the world as a whole. |
Categories
All
Archives
November 2017
|