Mitt Romney: Religion in Politics

Religion is something that everyone chooses to believe or not to believe in. By not making a choice, you are inevitably making a choice. Because it affects all of us in some way or another, to what degree should religion influence politics and elections? This is an extremely wide and controversial topic, so I am going to try to condense it down to a few recent issues throughout several blog posts.

1. Mitt Romney and Mormonism

As many of you already know, Mitt Romney is running for the GOP presidential candidate in the 2012 elections. He was raised a Mormon, which is not resonating with a group people in America. Mormonism is not widespread throughout the U.S. at all, constituting a mere 1.7 percent of adults in America, and because of the lack of knowledge of Mormons America has difficulty understanding them through any other lens besides that of the people who practice polygamy. As seen in this picture, some people do not even connect Mormonism to Christianity:

So why are Americans so quick to judge? Personally, living in the Midwest, I have never met a Mormon, and if I have I wouldn't know it. The only preconceived notions I have of them are seeing reality shows on TV of men who have multiple wives.

The great majority Mormons do not practice polygamy, including Mitt Romney. As previous president of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gordon B. Hinckley stated,

“This Church has nothing whatever to do with those practicing polygamy. They are not members of this Church.... If any of our members are found to be practicing plural marriage, they are excommunicated, the most serious penalty the Church can impose. Not only are those so involved in direct violation of the civil law, they are in violation of the law of this Church.”

It is important that we judge Romney based on his political views and aspirations as president, not on his religious principles or stereotypes we hold against his religion.

As can be seen from the map, Mormons constitute a small group in the U.S.— more than one would expect. They are the second fastest growing religion. While highly concentrated in Utah, Mormons have recently spread out. This speaks to the tolerance and more widespread amount of freedom in the U.S. There are currently 15 Mormons in Congress. So what makes Romney so different? Because he is a front runner in the election and has a serious chance of being elected, people feel the need to scritinize him more than other previous Mormons running for political office.

My issue with people being so critical of Romneys religion is that if we can have an African American president, a female secretary of state, what is so wrong with having a Mormon presidential candidate? Isn't America all about freedom and acceptance? If we can put aside our issues with race and gender, shouldn't we be able to do the same with religion?

http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/pics/geo200/religion/mormon.gif

Is the world ready for Hillary Clinton's LGBT policy?

Hillary Clinton 12/6/11 in Geneva giving a speech on Human Rights Day




Two days ago Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared in front of the United Nations that discrimination against people because of their sexuality is a violation of their human rights, and that the United States will now have a "Global Equity Fund" aimed at helping human rights groups fight prejudice against this minority. I first read about this event in an article by James M. Lindsay in the Global Public Square blog, and he cited some interesting points by Republican Candidate Rick Perry on Clinton’s latest policy:

“Promoting special rights for gays in foreign countries is not in America’s interests and not worth a dime of taxpayers’ money. But there is a troubling trend here beyond the national security nonsense inherent in this silly idea. This is just the most recent example of an administration at war with people of faith in this country. Investing tax dollars promoting a lifestyle many Americas of faith find so deeply objectionable is wrong.”

Perry raises some valid points, and a few questions come to mind:

1. Is it America’s duty or place to try to promote its own values in other countries?
2. How will Americans react to this policy? Will it be well received because it coincides with our values about equality and freedom of expression, or will the conservatives balk and complain?
3. How will other countries perceive this?
4. And finally, however they decide to promote LGBT rights, will it be successful? What defines success in this realm, and how can one measure it?

Although America’s acceptance and tolerance of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people has generally increased, this same feeling is not true around the world. I can understand where Clinton is coming from; her intentions are good at heart. The policy they have laid out appears to be substantial and well thought out. But looking at this issue from the inside out, many countries are simply not ready to take the step towards acceptance, and American intervention is not going to make the process go any smoother.

Be Thankful

Every year at the Thanksgiving table, salivating at the succulent turkey, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce, welcoming each person into the family, whether a divorced friend or distant cousin, my family and I go around and reflect on what we are thankful for. Each year the meal changes slightly and the people are different, but what we are thankful for is usually similar. Health, opportunity, friends, family, and food seem to be the big ones.

But this year was different for me. In English we have been reading Reading Lolita in Tehran, and before the big feast I had finished my reading for the following class. The story is centered on women living in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the challenges they face as being women in a society that persecutes them and deprives them of their freedom in nearly every way. A group of women are selected by a female teacher, Azar Nafisi, to meet on Thursdays to discuss literature. A particular passage from the book struck me:

"I raised my glass of water to him and said, who would have thought that such a simple meal would appear to us like a kingly feast? and he said, We must thank the Islamic Republic for making us rediscover and even covet all these things we took for granted: one could write a paper on the pleasure of eating a ham sandwich."

The man is highlighting the difference between society before and after the strict law enforcements, and how once common objects and daily rituals seem foreign and suddenly special. The contrast between this society and our own is huge. Freedom is often taken for granted in America, and I have been reminded of this through Reading Lolita in Tehran. I feel so lucky to be a woman living in America: to be able to voice my opinions, go to whatever school I desire, and simply be blogging right now.

While many people complain about their issues with the United States and the government, I am thankful. Sure, there are many things that need to be fixed, corruption and the economy as a whole for example. But we are so lucky to even be able to voice our opinions on what we think is wrong. As we say our thanks this Thanksgiving, it is imperative that we are thankful for what we have, and not contemplate what we want to have.

Response to Alex Burma's Presentation

A few weeks ago Alex Barna, from the University of Chicago's Center for Middle Eastern Studies, gave the Glenbrook Academy of International Studies a presentation on American stereotypes on the religion of Islam and Muslim people. His goal was to educate us on how the Middle East is viewed and how these views affect how future generations view it. After seeing the first day of the presentation, these were the most important things that I took away:

1. It is imperative to realize that Islam is a peaceful religion, and only certain Muslim groups are extremists
All too often people associate Muslims with terrorism. This is a dangerous stereotype and completely untrue. Not all Muslims are extremists, and not all extremists are Muslims. Grouping all Muslims together as terrorists would be like saying all Americans are blond with blue eyes. I told my family the other day I would love to travel to Egypt or a Middle Eastern country to study abroad one day and they immediately said no. There is a fear of the Middle East in general because of the violence that is concentrated in certain areas. The whole entire area is not characterized by this.

2. Islam is not a monolithic religion
There are multiple factions of Islam, and grouping them together as one would be incorrect. First of all, there is the Sunni-Shiite split. Then within these two groups there are even more divisions based on what people individually believe.

Living in the North Shore area, I can honestly say I do not know many Muslim people. I think the problem is that people around where I live do not know many people who practice Islam. We characterize people of the religion because we do not know many of them. I think that if we knew more Muslims, we wouldn't be so quick to judge or stereotype them because we would have a more personal connection.

3. Breaking the stereotype is difficult
Mr. Barna's job is incredibly important and what he does helps people realize that their way of thinking, or other people's way of thinking, is wrong and needs to be changed. But sadly, educating a small group of people about Islam isn't going to change the general perception of the religion and middle eastern area. Because of the Arab Spring and Muslim extremists, people associate Muslims with these negative images. These images reinforce how people already feel. Unfortunately, I don't think these stereotypes are going away anytime soon.

America's Future

With the presidential elections coming up next year, the Republican candidates don't look so promising. After watching an interview of Herman Cain discussing what he would have done in the place of Obama regarding the Libyan revolution, I am a little worried for the future of America:



Cain doesn't seem to know what he is talking about, and spends about a long time at the beginning trying to get the interviewer to clarify the question. On the other hand, Mitt Romney is not well educated on many issues and feels he could have handled situations, such as the Iranian "nuclear crisis", better than Obama.

To read more about Romney: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/15/us/politics/before-primaries-romneys-team-looks-ahead-to-obama.html?_r=1&hp

Now that I am 18 and can vote, I see all the more reason to follow politics. Before this year, I never really saw a reason to get involved and read about what was going on. But things in the world seem to be getting ever more complicated and being knowledgeable in today's affairs is extremely worthwhile. Perhaps this is why these candidates upset me so much.

These candidates are not well informed. They make generalizations and place blame on others who they feel have not done a good job. After taking U.S. and World History, I feel I have a good understanding of how past events have impacted today's world. If an 18 year old can have this, I firmly believe that the Republican presidential candidates should have the same, if not better, knowledge.

I hope that my generation and generations behind me educated themselves because it is so important to our future. We cannot have a president who doesn't know how to handle situations. If these candidates think they will get elected by getting barely passing grades in foreign policy, they are wrong.

The Effects of Volunteering

My official title at the Heartland Animal Shelter is “dog walker.” But if I could change the job title, I would rename it “official attention giver” or “helper around
the shelter,” because working at an animal shelter isn’t solely about taking
dogs out once a day. A significant part of the job is befriending the canines
and assisting other volunteers with their jobs, whether it means cleaning up a
cage or staying half of an hour longer to feed the dogs.


There are about fifty dogs at the shelter at any given time, each with their own
personality and needs. The two opportunities a day they have to escape out of
their kennels are important for the dogs both emotionally and physically. I
have made it my mission to not only give them a good workout, but to show them
I care by giving them extra minutes outside, a run around the yard, or a treat.


Working at an animal shelter has changed me in ways I never would have expected. I
always knew that I liked working with animals, but I never imagined that
working with people would be a big part of the job as well. When I leave,
Helen, a volunteer who feeds the dogs, always thanks me and tells me how
appreciative she is that I help not only the dogs, but her. Even if I don’t
receive pay for the job, I receive the benefit of not only helping dogs, but
people as well. When I am at the shelter, my main focus is on helping out, not on myself. It has made me become less selfish and more compassionate.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "When you cease to make a contribution, you begin to die." Volunteering gives us a purpose in life, even if it is a small one. Community service is always encouraged by both high schools and colleges. Whenever people would talk to me about it, it would go in one ear and out the other. But after being deeply involved in community service, I really understand why. So I encourage all of you out there to help others, whether they are people, dogs, or even the environment. Find your cause. Because when you do, your time will feel well spent.

A Stagnant Revolution

This post is in response to an article from the Christian Science Monitor about the Revolution in Egypt: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2011/1028/Egyptian-activists-try-to-bridge-digital-divide/(page)/2


Twitter helped organize and unite Egypt’s revolution, but can this form of activism accomplish anything substantial in the post-revolution? This article clearly leans to the side of no, but offers support for both sides. About 40 percent of the population lives below the poverty line and less than 1 percent of Egypt is on Twitter. This leads us to believing that the revolution rose from middle class, meaning that the lower class isn’t getting its voice out nearly as much as the middle class. Changes will be made for the middle class and will not necessarily reflect the general public. The article argues that Egypt is not finished with its revolution because not everyone has had their say.


To learn more about the role Twitter played in the Revolution: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2011/01/the-twitter-revolution-debate-the-egyptian-test-case/21296/


Another problem that the people who are on Twitter and Facebook are talking but not taking action. Informing people on situations and how they feel only works to a certain degree. If someone doesn’t rise up and lead, how will anything get accomplished? They have the power to communicate, but not the knowledge of what to do with that power.


Many efforts have been made to congregate people to have them talk about what should be done. For example, The Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights held a workshop in which people discussed what the best ways to communicate are. But this isn’t enough.


The Egyptian revolution is different from past revolutions in that there is no clear leader. The people, mostly middle class as mentioned above, have led it and voiced their opinions. My main concern is that because there is no central voice and consensus as to how things should be changed, the revolution will not be as successful as it could be with a leader.

The Changing of Language

Language is constantly being changed. New words are added because of technology, the youth, and pop culture, aka slang. In fact, the change of language over time is called diachronic change. While some words in a language stay the same, others are transformed, shortened, and cut out altogether based on the people that use it. English is a prime example for this.

One word that has demonstrated a change in “gonna,” as opposed to going to. This word is prevalent in new music and the youth’s language. What does this say about our use of English when people are using the incorrect form of a word, and don’t even realize they are doing
it? When it comes to writing, there is auto-correct. But in real life, what you say is what you get. If a teenager is in a college interview and uses this language, they will look unprofessional and immature.

For a list/explanation of more
changed words: http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/

I think part of the problem in misuse of words in society today is due to technology. Teenagers instant message, send emails, talk on Facebook, video chat, etc. There is a social pressure to use these technologies, and if you don’t you won’t be able to understand your peers because “they are all doing it.” There is also less reading and writing than there used to be. And instead of handwriting essays, we type them on the computer. We don't learn how to properly spell words because the computer does it for us. Also, our vocabularies aren’t as complex because we do not give ourselves a chance to enrich them. But we do not have ourselves solely to blame for this.

Personally, school and extracurriculars take up the majority of my time. If I am not doing homework, I am at practice or at a meeting. The only reading I have time to do is for school. And when you have 50 or so pages to read a night, it is hard to fit in a book that you want to read.

The change in our language is a multifaceted problem that cannot be stopped because it is already engrained in our culture. Our lives are so busy already that we do not even notice it happening unless we take a step back and think about it. To all my teenagers out there: don’t worry too much about it. You will read a lot in college and have a lot of time to build up that vocabulary of yours.

Image from: http://team1-gc.wikispaces.com/Facebook+Slang+and+Emoticons+101

Response to Stigma, Mental Illness and Shame

Response to: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2011/10/27/stigma-mental-illness-and-shame/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+WorldOfPsychology+%28World+of+Psychology%29&utm_content=Google+Reader#respond

Jenise Harmon proves a valid point that mental illnesses have less of a negative stigma today than previously. She brings up the fact that many celebrities have come forward with their illnesses and express that even famous, seemingly perfect people can have disorders. But
what she fails to do is mention how it is important for us to educate ourselves on mental illnesses and how to deal with people who have them. Not everyone has someone in their family with a diagnosed mental illness, but eventually we all will have to meet people who do.

To learn more about the myths of mental illnesses: http://www.responseability.org/site/index.cfm?display=134566

Personally, I have lived all of my life with a family member who has been diagnosed with depression and bipolar disorder. I only learned recently that she has had these illnesses, and when I did, I was utterly surprised. I wasn’t sure how to react or how to act around her. But as Harmon explains, people with mental illnesses are still people. They live normal lives and medication usually helps them. Even though it took me a while for me to realize, I came to accept my family member and love her regardless of her disability.

And to answer Harmon’s question about whether to leave out medication if friends are coming over, I think it is a matter of personal preference and comfort with who they are. Someone who owns up to their illness, is confident in who they are, and accepts how people might react to their illness will answer this question differently than someone who has recently been diagnosed, has an illness with a very negative stigma, or who cares about what their house guests might think. It is a question of personal preference.

But on the other hand, leaving medicine out is not necessarily a safe or smart thing to do in the first place when you have guests over. It is precautious and rational to put away any sort
of medicine. Also, there is such thing as a desire for privacy. “To each his own” is a saying that comes to mind in this situation. You can have high self esteem but still put the medicine away. No one should judge a person for putting away any kind of medicine, whether it is for a mental illness or not. Sometimes people forget that people with mental illnesses did not choose to have these disorders.

The biggest problem I see is a lack of education about mental illnesses. From a teenager’s perspective, I cannot remember learning about them in any specific class. Health class taken
sophomore year might have mentioned a few here or there but not enough to make
an impact. In 2008, a study was conducted that found over 4% of American adults
have a serious mental illness (http://mentalhealth.gov/statistics/SMI_AASR.shtml).
This is a serious issue that schools need to better educate their students about.

The Brink of Change

To take a turn away from the problems of the world, I'd like to change the subject to something a bit more domestic. An issue essentially every high school senior is facing right now: college. The big, flashing, alarming word. College. Just thinking about it makes me nervous. But what is it about this word that makes us so scared?

As a high school senior, it seems as if the road getting to college is the worst part. Everyone used to say senior year would be the easiest, but so far its the hardest. The essay, the grades, the teacher recommendations, the ACT score, the SAT score, the supplements, the Common App, the stress, the lack of a social life. All of these things are part of the long college application process. It seems as if this list is what we are afraid of. There is something about compiling 20 issues together that makes us stressed. And having to deal with these issues in a short amount of time. This huge load of work that must be done is dumped on us and interrupts our normal flow of life.

But the fact people tend to miss is that this is part of life. Change occurs on a regular basis. For some of us, the transition into college life will be the biggest move we will make. So how do we begin to wrap our heads around this? How do we decide where we want to go, who we want to be, what we want to study? Many wise people have told me that sometimes the best thing to do is to simply pick a road and drive down it. To all my soon to be college students: choose a road, drive down it for a while, check out the side roads, and decide whether you want to continue or make a left turn onto another street. It seems daunting, because it is. Personally, I am having issues choosing a road. Eventually, the deadline will creep up on me and I will have to make a decision. But my advice is to think carefully, and choose what your gut tells you. (If you don't like this advice, and want a more qualified opinion, visit this link for a video and explanation on how to survive the college application process: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/14346427/ns/today-parenting/t/tips-how-survive-getting-college/)

And another thing we forget is that college is going to be both what we expect and nothing that we expect at all. Part of what makes college exciting is that we don't know who our friends are going to be or what we will end up studying. This will one of, if not the most important change in our lives. The worst thing we can do is worry and reject the change, because no matter what, college will come. In the meantime, all you high school seniors need to relax, enjoy your last year of high school, and really contemplate what you want to do with your lives. Because the most important turn is coming.

Palestine as a State

Recently there has been much controversy over whether Palestine should separate from Israel and become a UN recognized, sovereign state. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has formally filed for statehood through the UN. Debates are still raging on in the UN, the newspapers, and the streets. Today I want to explore the reasons for a Palestinian state, and the reasons against one. For a more detailed explanation and update of what is going on, it would be helpful to visit this site:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13701636

So what will happen if the Palestinians gain the independence they desire? Will this change be for the better, or will it cause more disturbances and violence? I have compiled a list of reasons why a Palestinian state would be a positive change and why it would be a negative change. Hopefully this will help both you and I understand the situation better and get a clearer idea of what we believe as individuals. This list is not a complete list, but a few of the points I felt were most important.

Reasons for a Two Separate States

1. Palestine deserves its own independent state, just as Israel did in 1948. The Jewish people felt they deserved a land that they could call home where they could choose to be governed as they wished. So why shouldn't the Palestinians have the same right?

2. Palestinians are a minority, or second class citizens, in Israel. Sure, Israel recognizes Palestinians but the majority of the country practices some form of Judaism. Having their own state would eliminate this problem because Palestinians would be the majority in their new state.

3. If a Palestinian state is not created, more violence and aggression may occur in the future. As seen with the other uprisings going on in the world today, when people don't get what they want, they voice their opinions through protesting. While protesting can be peaceful, it does end it violence. The conflict between Palestinians and Israelis is not classified as peaceful by any means, especially in the last view years. Delaying the formation of two separate states would only increase tension and violence.

Reasons for Palestinian-Israeli Unity

1. Creating two separate states does not ensure peace. If they couldn't make peace as one nation before, how could they come two agreements as two separate entities? Before trying to become separate nations, they should try to work things out. They live in very close proximity and peace can only help both Palestinians and Israelis.

2. Palestine simply isn't ready to take on independence. They have no stable, central government nor experience ruling over a population. The UN simply cannot hand over statehood without the guarantee for success. You wouldn't give a child a book before they knew how to read.

3. The US. The US will essentially do anything to support Israel, which means no Palestinian state. The US has ample power in this situation. This isn't exactly a reason for unity, but a reason that unity will be most likely kept.

So what do I think the UN should do? Before making a decision, they need to reflect, reflect, and reflect some more about what would happen if a Palestinian state was created. This isn't an easy decision to make; whichever way the UN goes someone will be unhappy.

An Introductory Blog Post

Good evening world. My name is Sammy and I’m a high school student writing a blog for my English class, as well as for myself. Throughout my high school career, I would say that I’ve gone through some pretty radical changes. As a young freshman, I was timid, afraid of the seniors, and intimidated by my classes. But as a high school senior, I’ve grown into myself. I’ve learned to be confident in my ideas and who I am. This isn’t to say the road was easy, it certainly wasn’t. Between taking the hardest class of my life so far (pre-calculus) to going through some rough family times, I’ve had a lot on my plate. But I don’t regret any decisions that I have mad, or anything that has happened to me. All of my experiences have led to one thing: change.

Change.

It unites everyone and everything. People change where they live, who they love, what they do. Leaders, the environment, and foreign relations: they all change. This blog will be a way for me to examine how and why things change and how this transition of change affects people. How do we deal with change? How does our socio-economic class, gender, race, etc. affect how we deal with change? What makes us so afraid of change?

On a more global scale, the world is transitioning every day. Some people argue the world is becoming more democratic in a political sense. Egypt’s government is being completely reconstructed and becoming a democracy. But on the other hand, the world is shying away from “Westernization” and instead moving towards modernization. How will governments and their people respond to these changes? Will these changes be for the better?

Instead of merely examining issues in today’s society, I want to look at how things used to be versus how they are now, and where they might be headed in the future. In order to examine how things have changed, it is important to take a step back and reflect on how things were. The issues I am interested in range from prejudice against gays to Palestine becoming a UN member to the transition from high school to college. Odds are you have heard about the desire for a Palestinian state. If such a state was admitted to the UN, how would other countries in the region be affected? Who would this change benefit, and who would it hurt?

Change also occurs on smaller, more personal scales. As a high school senior, change is certainly coming my way. I will be off to college next year and will have to leave my comfortable, suburban life. I’m not sure where I am going to go or what I am going to study. That scares me a bit. My future is in my control, but at the same time I know that no matter what my life will not be the same anymore. Part of the mystery of change is that we can never predict exactly what is going to happen. Change is an exciting, yet scary part of life in that we can never know what’s in store for us. I was once told by a volleyball coach, be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Change is inevitable, so part of dealing with change is that we must accept that no matter what we do, things are going to change.

My main point is that everyone experiences change and that it is important for us to reflect on how things have changed to understand the world in which we live. Change is a permanent fixture in our lives, and its certain that change is always ahead. I hope that by reading my blog, you will find a better understanding of the change in your life and reflect on how you react to it.