There is an epidemic in America and especially on college campuses that no one speaks about. It is mental health. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in four Americans have a mental illness in any given year, and one in four Americans are on psychiatric medications at any given time.
Think about that, it means that when you are sitting in a class of 32 students, eight of your classmates are possibly dealing with a mental illness and/or are on medication for it. Such huge numbers like that lead me to wonder, why is the topic of mental health so taboo in our culture?
The United States is one of the most depressed countries in the world, with the World Health Organization reporting that 19.2 percent of Americans report having a serious bout of depression for an extended period at some point in their lives.
Once again the question arises, if this is such a huge issue then why is so seldom spoken about? There are few mentions of mental illness in popular culture and it is not something that people can discuss openly without feeling uncomfortable.
I believe that the first step to getting this huge problem in our country solved is first becoming more open to the reality of mental illness in our society, and we need to begin shifting the blame from the patient. I believe it has to do with guilt and responsibility. There is an attitude that people who have a mental illness most likely just don’t have enough willpower or are weak. In the old times people who were mentally ill were considered possessed by demons.
We have come a far way from that, but that burden of guilt is still placed on the patient with the disorder. Recent medical data and research have shown that mental illness like depression and anxiety, cause real changes in the brain. The brains of depressed patients have less activity in certain parts of the brain and even have degeneration of brain tissue in some areas.
It is still up for scientific debate whether depression causes brain changes or vice versa, but the data is clear: the disorders are not just “all in your head,” as many people would say.
This I think is a huge public health issue. Even interning and working in hospitals, I would see the attitudes of the doctors and staff change slightly when a patient was being checked for mental illness. There was less compassion and more accusation in their voices as they spoke about various mental disorders a patient might have.
Personally, I think one way to make the topic of mental illness less taboo and more accepted is to begin discussing these things with people when they are still young. America seems to have a culture of stifling emotions and pretending that negative feelings don’t exist. It is part of our uniquely American independent spirit.
I don’t think that we as a country have to lose our identity of being independent and self- sufficient in order to more openly discuss these issues. I think that mental illnesses should be viewed as any other disease, and this way it makes it easier to speak about these conditions more objectively.
A huge revolution in thinking about alcoholism was the “disease concept” where the problem of alcoholism was seen more as a disease than purely just a lack of willpower.
This disease concept led to the most successful alcoholism treatment programs. There are some schools and colleges in the country where peer counseling and discussion groups are something that all students have to do. I believe that these things are hugely beneficial because it opens up the discussion of mental illness in a student population and then allows people to rely on their peers for support and help ,just as they would when facing any other problem.
In our fast-paced world that is so interconnected it would serve us well to slow down and make sure that we as a people are adapting to the changes that are occurring in our society. There are numerous things that we as a country could do to begin to mitigate mental illness. As I said before, I think that more dialogue in schoolds and colleges through peer counseling classes would be a good way to start.
Another way that we could begin to help those with mental illnesses, especially in colleges, would be for the health and counseling centers of the college to be more proactive in advertising the services that are available and making it clear to students that there is a place where they can go for help.
I think that the colleges themselves as a whole also need to address the issue. Colleges spend a lot of money addressing rape and the dangers of alcohol to incoming freshmen by using mandatory presentations and speakers.
The same thing should be done about mental health. All incoming freshmen should be given the information about the prevalent of the different mental diseases that exist highlighting the ones they are most likely to run into during their college career.
They should be given information about identifying risk factors in friends and themselves when it comes to potentially developing a mental disorder. They should also be instucted in different ways that they may be able to go about getting help for friends they think are suffering from these diseases.
Colleges already address the issue of how a person should approach another student who is going to drink and drive or may potentially have an alcohol problem, and this type of instruction should also be included when it comes to mental health.
As our society becomes more and more connected, it is possible for people to feel more and more isolated. If you are someone who is suffering from a mental illness, then choose to tell a close friend or family member about it and make sure to visit the Student Health Center on campus. The first part of treating any disease is making the diagnosis, and that can’t happen until you speak about it with someone else.
Let’s hope that, in the future, all colleges, schools and public institutions will make greater efforts to reach out to students and solve this public health menace.
Until then, we as peers in Stony Brook have to try and look out for the people around us who may be suffering quietly. There is no cast or crutch that would indicate to you that a good friend of yours might need help.
Author Archives: Ravneet Kamboj
The extremism in today’s GOP: And how it leaves no place for moderate conservatives
When I watch the GOP candidates debate and listen to their statements I stop and try to think. “What world are these people from?” In their world, it is one where crowds cheer when a candidate is asked if a man should be allowed to die. This cheering was in referral to a hypothetical situation where a previously healthy man without health care cannot afford hospital care and faces death as a consequence. The crowd cheered for that man to die
It is a world where crowds openly boo a gay soldier and then turn around and extoll the virtues of our armed forces and pledge support to veterans.
It is a GOP where, if one looks up the history of its members in office, you can see that a majority of them “conveniently” missed being drafted into the Vietnam War through one coincidence or situation or another.
They talk about putting poor children to work as janitors in schools and how President Obama’s healthcare plan is the biggest threat to American jobs right now without once explaining why.
Even if the President’s health care plan is flawed or even a completely bad idea, they attack it on completely illogical levels and refuse to offer any solutions or constructive criticism. The GOP has a base that blindly follows with puppet masters at the top, who live and breathe the motto of “lower taxes,” yet are very willing to let tax cuts for the middle class, like the payroll tax cut expire.
Only under extreme pressure and because they would look like hypocrites did they agree to extend the tax breaks for the middle class. However, when it comes to the extremely rich and the capital gains tax it is completely unacceptable to them that these “job creators” should have to pay the same tax rates as ordinary Americans.
Has anyone once ever stopped to think, and ask. “If these people are such great job creators and they enjoyed such low tax rates under President Bush then where the hell are the jobs?” Why do they pretend that the financial crisis is only as old as President Obama’s term in office and that he has “damaged” the country beyond belief?
Presidential candidate Mitt Romney went to Michigan and promised to take care of the people ther,e and then he turned around and wrote an op-ed piece where he claimed that the best thing to do would be to let all the auto companies fail and go bankrupt.
The government saved the auto companies; and in fact General Motors just posted the highest profits ever reported in the history of the company just two years after it was ready to declare bankruptcy. There was not a single peep from the GOP candidates on this success.
The GOP of today is such an ultra right-wing form of its former self that if former Republican presidents like Dwight D Eisenhower tried to run in the race today, they would be chased off the stage as bleeding-heart liberal “socialists.”
This insanity of the right wing GOP doesn’t serve any American. Presidential candidate Rick Santorum said a few days ago that President Barack Obama believes in a “phony theology” that isn’t based on the Bible. Disregarding the personal attack in that statement, has no one informed Rick Santorum that the United States is not a theocracy, Iran is a theocracy we are not.
The GOP is losing its support among the population as more and more people begin to realize just how extreme its views are and that Americans are losing out on real conservative ideas. Ideas that stress common sense as well as taking care of the practical needs of the population
There needs to be a conservative balance to liberal ideas in America. In the past these were level-headed and balanced alternatives to liberal politics; today, there is no moderate conservative view that a person can vote for.
Moderate Republicans are stuck with a party full of law makers and candidates who have basically railroaded them off the political stage and taken over their party. It amazes me that the GOP has still survived as one party.
I suspect the only thing keeping it together is the fact that the third party that would be formed would have a hard time winning anything.
Moderate Republicans need to stop letting extremists run their party. They need to get out of their homes and cast their votes . The zealots of any extreme ideology will always be able to get their base out to vote, the only way that Republicans can return some sanity to their party is to get out there and vote.
It is time for Republicans to start having this conversation, a real honest conversation about where their party is heading.
The global job war and why we are losing it
The main problem with our economy, the one thing that is going to make it hard for many of us at this university to find jobs is the simple truth that American companies continue sending jobs overseas, where work can be done for much cheaper.
Companies no longer care about the Americans that they employ and many have packed up shop and started new offices and factories around the world.
The reason for the outflow of jobs that has been going on for the past two decades or so is two-fold. One is that there is no penalty levied on American businesses for sending our jobs to other countries.
While other nations impose strict protectionist policies on their trade and their corporations. the regulation free laissez-faire economic policies we have adopted have hurt us tremendously. At this point, the global market is on such a hair trigger that if the United States moved enacted tariffs or other measures to protect American jobs it could very well start a trade war.
The policies to protect our jobs should have been put in place before we opened the gates to globalization, as this outcome was easily foreseeable. In the name of profit and postponing our problems however nothing was done and today we are lacking jobs in our country. It is another way that shortsighted greed once again trumped the greater good for all Americans.
Another major issue that causes jobs to leave our country is the painful truth that our education system is no longer at par with other nations.
In fact there are plenty of jobs to be had in technology and other science and math-related fields. There are however not enough qualified people in the United States to fill all these positions.
The sad truth is that, without a science or math degree, it is going to be very hard for an American to find a job. Jobs that are not high-tech or connected to science or medicine are easy to outsource.
There was time when America was the global leader in education, and we had the most prolific scientists and the most educated and largest middle class. Today, however, there isn’t much of an emphasis on education in our popular culture. Other things are emphasized, while working hard and doing well are often not stressed to us. Just a quick look at the drop out rates for high school these days is reason enough for any sensible person to worry.
Gone are the days that one could go to high school and then get a well paying job at a factory directly afterwards and still live the American dream. Gone are the days where even a college degree guarantees a job. These days, most people who get a job right out of college are very lucky.
Most people will take some time to find a job or immediately go back to school for more education. The truth is that the more advanced fields, the ones that pay well and have many jobs open often take more than 4 years to complete.
The only way that America can really get back on its feet is to slowly start enacting laws that protect our jobs here, for people to make an effort to buy American, lastly and probably the most important thing we can do for our country is to re focus ourselves on education and on getting degrees that will make us competitive in the global market.
Do the American people have a choice?
As our troops pull out of Iraq, it is becoming clear that tensions are rising steadily when it comes to western relations with Iran. Both sides are posturing, and Iran has moved on from enriching uranium at a high level to beginning work in an underground bunker.
The United States, on the other hand, has developed and showcased a monstrously huge new ordinance that could destroy deep underground bases. The Iranians have threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, and the United States and her allies have made it clear that such an action would draw military retaliation.
It is almost certain that in governments around the world in places like Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom, China and Russia, leaders and military strategists are hunched over tables discussing the numerous angles that this situation could develop into. Surely a military strike by air on Iran’s nuclear factories has been discussed many, many times over, and all sides are trying their best to draw out the sequence of events that would result from that.
Would it lead to open conflict that would further destabilize the already extremely volatile Middle East, or would things turn out in the western world’s favor as they did when the Israelis launched a surprise strike on, nuclear facilities in Iraq in the 80s? The Strait of Hormuz would surely become a point of contention in any conflict, and it is a major source of trade, especially of crude oil. The world economy would be shaken badly if there was a conflagration in the area.
The further along this situation gets, the more unlikely a peaceful solution becomes. Sadly, every new day brings new developments that hint that we are headed for another war. Our military is weakened and worn from our decade long wars in the Middle East, and our soldiers are tired and weary of the death and destruction they have witnessed.
It seems, however, that our politicians can’t wait to get us into another conflict. One wonders, sometimes, that if politicians didn’t run global politics but rather ordinary people from the conflicting countries did, would war still exist?
Over the past month, the US Coast Guard has assisted Iranian sailors multiple times, and despite common perception, the average Iranian doesn’t harbor negative views against the average American.
There are multiple instances in history where in the middle of war, soldiers from both sides have come together in peace. An example of this is the Christmas truce during World War I, when soldiers in three armies disobeyed orders to kill each other and instead put up Christmas trees and left their trenches to shake hands with and exchange gifts with “enemy soldiers.”
There was laughter and dinner shared between the men of different nations who discovered that they weren’t that unlike from each other. They were people who wanted to be faithful to their nations, thrust into a conflict that was not of their choosing.
After the truce ended, the machine guns opened up again, the poison gas once again flooded the ground and bloodshed returned to the battlefield. Why is it that politicians get to decide when we go to war, and they get to sit back and enjoy the spoils of war? It’s no secret who profited from the past 10 years of war.
It wasn’t the family that has lost two out of three sons at war, leaving behind children and spouses. It is the CEOs and executives of the bomb-making companies like Raytheon, who made billions. It is the military contractors, like Blackwater who made billions. It’s the politicians that they are close friends with who enjoyed the campaign donations and expensive gifts and dinners that these companies offered them. They are the ones who relish war and all of the money that it brings.
This is not to say that peace is always an option. There are circumstances where a nation and its people rightfully wish to go to war. However, at the sunset of the Roman Empire, it was the meaningless military escapades that the Roman politicians were engaged in that spread their armies so thin and led to an economic collapse in Rome, leaving a severe shortage of troops to protect their homeland from a Gaul invasion from the north. The same stupidity that led to the downfall of their once wonderous nation seems to be the same path down which our politicians seem intent on taking us. If the Romans had saved their armies and money for conflicts that were truly neccesary, they may have been able to repel the enemies that were really trying to kill them in a necessarry war. All of their uncessary war made effective war impossible when it was needed most.
So while the media tells us that we must go to war with Iran, it is our duty as Americans to step back and analyze whether this is what we the people really want. Do we want more death and bloodshed? In some cases war is inevitable, but often wars are affairs of convenience. Waged because politicians can’t be bothered to work their issues out like civilized people.
It doesn’t hurt them, in fact they can get the population to rally behind them using nationalism. It is time we start to hold our politicians accountable and see where their interests really lay.
Most of their sons or daughters dont go to war, most of their families dont sacrifice anything yet they ask other American families to give up everything for their decisions. It is the ultimate form of selfishness, and we owe it to ourselves to make sure that our politicians don’t throw us headlong into another conflict unless we are absolutely sure as a nation that it is the only way forward. The media is no better. By some amazing coincidence, out of the hundreds of editors that work for Rupert Murdoch ,not a single one opposed the Iraq war.
Considering he owns a huge amount of the media in the world, it is quite convenient that all of his editors supported going to war in Iraq so enthusiastically.
We need to stop letting politically connected companies, media moguls and selfish politicians decide our path.
They honestly couldn’t care any less about the future of or country or about you or me. They have no allegiance to America and shouldn’t be treated like they do.
Another bigger, global recession coming soon?
While it may not be in the news, the general consensus among some of the world’s top financial analysts are sounding the alarm that the Eurozone is about to collapse.
The rate of Italy’s demise has especially caught the world’s financiers and bankers off guard. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne of Great Britain stated yesterday that “Treasury had ‘stepped up’ contingency planning and aimed to be ready for ‘whatever the Eurozone throws at us.”
This is basically a way of saying that the top financial institutions are abandoning hope and thinking of ways to protect themselves from the impending financial storm that may be heading our way. Great Britain is a major member of the IMF, or the International Monetary Fund.
The IMF recently stated that it might be forced to offer Italy a $600 billion package in order to give the new prime minister a chance to put Italy back on track.
The only problem is that Italy has a debt in the trillions, and the IMF does not have enough capital to service that amount of debt. France and Germany also put forth tentative plans to force all European Union members to submit their budgets to a panel before the countries can implement them.
To me, this seems like a last ditch effort to exert control over the less prosperous EU nations in an attempt to stymie this debt crisis.
This type of proposal is not likely to pass easily or at all through member nations.
Essentially, Europe is looking at collapse, and if Italy and Greece go, they will drag down many other countries and international banks with them. A global recession bigger than the last one is possible.
Veterans Day Sale?! A sign that we don’t really care
In the United Kindom they celebrate Armistice Day on Nov, 11 the same day that we celebrate Veterans Day. How do they do it?
They observe a national period of silence and people flood the streets wearing black arm bands and holding poppy flowers in order to signify their mourning for all the soldiers who died to defend their country. Armistice day was created to signify the end of World War I.
How do observe the day? We drive to work and school in our cars happy to have a day off and on the radio we hear about a wonderful matress sale! I can now get a matress 20 percent off. We use the day to catch up on work or to relax.
What I’m trying to say is that there is no observance of Veterans Day in our country. Sure there is a symbolic observation of it. The President has a ceremony with military men and women at Arlington National Cemetary. For those who have friends and family in the wars overseas and for those who have lost people overseas spend the day thinking about their loved ones and how they wish they could be home to spend that day with them. Our national conciousness however barely seems to bat an eyelash.
This is symbolic of our overall un caring attitude towards veterans and soldiers in our country. The other day, I was speaking to a homeless veteran who was telling me that he was denied care by the VA even when he was dying of liver and kidney failure.
Apperenly, the government doctors didnt think that he was sick enough. Eventually, however, after enough obvious signs from him that he was dying the VA agreed to cover his medical costs as they are obliged to do for soldiers.
There is a huge disconnect in our country between the military and the general population. Perhaps the British appreciate their men and women in uniform more because their nation was in the cross hairs in both world wars and the very existence of their country was in question.
They realize that the only reason their society exists is because of the millions of soldiers who died defending them. Here in America, we eat our fast food and go to classes, go to parties and barbeques and never stop to think that we are able to do all of this because there are some families in our country who sacrafice alot or even sacrafice it all to make that possible.
While you might not agree or think that the wars we are in are really relevant or even justafiable there is no denying that throughout our history there were wars that were also undeniabely being fought for our very existence as well. Why is there such a disconnect in this country and why are those who go fight for us then thrown away like used trash when their service is done. Perhaps our culture of loving disposable items transfers over to human beings as well.
When their usefulness is exhausted they are tossed out by the machine of our society without any thought. All that cares is the bottom line and how much taking care of veterans costs.
The almighty dollar and our culture of spending, using and then discarding things without thought all to maximize the bottom line is leading to the destruction of our environment, our lives and is creating nightmare scenarious for veterans returning home to a reality that might be worse than the one that they just arrived from. The last piece of advice from that veteran I was speaking to was “Hey kid don’t ever join the U.S. military, it chews you out, spits you out and leaves you on the side of the road and no one gives a damn about what you did.”
It’s sad that veterans get treated like this let have to worry about anything in their lives after their service. Many of my friends and family are in the military whether here in America or in other countrues.
Those who serve in other countries tend to tell me that it was the best decision they ever made, they never have to worry about housing healthcare etc. and are treated with repect and thanks by their fellow citizens.
The soldiers in our country however are more likey to be homeless, be ill or not have jobs than civillians after their service. There is something very wrong with this picture.
Some thoughts on the events of summer
This summer was an odd one, it was full of unique and different things that happened both around the world and right here on Long Island. For starters we had two natural “disasters” in one week. We were all able to experience a hurricane and an earthquake in one week.
There is a lot to be said about the hype and the response to the hurricane. Many people feel that the hurricane was over-hyped and feel kind of angry about that. I feel however that it’s better to over-hype something than be caught off guard by some crazy storm.
The sight must have been funny to those living in Florida; to see New Yorkers emptying shelves in their local stores over one rare category one storm whereas they have to contend with multiple larger storms every year.
I think overall however us northerners did pretty well with Hurricane Irene and that our state governments deserve some credit for getting ready and not waiting until the last minute to prepare for something that could have been devastating.
If only our state had shown this much proactive energy before last winter’s major snow storm which completely caught us off guard and slowed all of New York City and Long Island to a crawl. Last winter there was no salt even spread on the ground even though the warning of a snow storm had been ringing continuously for a few days. This year we also will have to further deal with the extensive budget cuts that face the SUNY system. Our classes are being cut and students are struggling to fit classes into schedules that resemble something sane.
One can’t help but wonder why there is so much beautification and construction going on about campus if the school cannot even afford to carry out its basic academic responsibilities to the students. Maybe it is time for the school administration to shift some funding from the ridiculous amount of construction going on to actually providing classes that students can take. That’s just a thought though.
Switching over to an international perspective, this summer saw a huge amount of activity around the world. The Libyan conflict all but came to a close militarily as the rebels there stormed into Tripoli in a surprise offensive and came that much closer to possibly securing freedom for themselves.
It is, however, in the wind as to whether these rebels will stay true to their advertised message of peace and democracy or whether we will be contending with another country that is the same enemy with a different face.
When it comes to our own country, however, students here seem to care little about what is going on. The largest protests in recent history that I can remember about a political issue were over the cutting of organizing rights for workers in Wisconsin in favor of the companies.
These protests lasted for only over a week or so and did little to change the outcome of the issue, which is currently tied up in the courts. Protesting peacefully and showing their dissatisfaction is the primary means left to the people to change their government. It is obvious that the government will not do anything to help our nation and will only help themselves and the interests that have their hands buried in their pockets. Still, it doesn’t seem that we the young people seem to care that much anyway; I suppose it will be left up to those with specific interests to choose the path that we all take.
The money being spent on construction in Stony Brook versus classes that we all need is an example of this, even though most students would most likely want to be able to take classes they need to graduate over having a new recreation center you never hear a single voice about the issue.
On that slightly pessimistic note, I wish you all a wonderful new school year and hope that everyone has a great time as well as does awesome in their schoolwork.
Operation Odyssey Dawn: What The Future Holds
Operation Odyssey Dawn: the name given to the military operation that spawned from the United Nations resolution 1973, which authorizes member nations to enforce a “no-fly zone” over the North African Nation of Libya. French jets started the attack by firing on Libyan tanks and soon afterwards upwards of 120 self-guided cruise missiles were fired by the U.S and the U.K striking Libyan air and air defense assets.
However, as noble as the mission is to protect civilians the long-term goal of the operation is unclear. So, while it might have an awesome name what it really means for our nation isn’t so obvious. Will we help the rebels take the fight back to Qaddhafi? Will we try to kill him ourselves? Today,over 70 Libyan military vehicles were destroyed on the way to the eastern rebel city of Benghazi.
This was made possible because the resolution also allows the member nations of the U.N to protect civilians using whatever means necessary and this extends beyond purely knocking out Libya’s air capabilities. The Arab League is already claiming that the strikes have crossed the line.
This situation could blow up in our faces very quickly, we could quickly be embroiled in a long-term war and public opinion in the Arab world could flip on a dime and we could become “hated imperialists” over night. America has a thin line to walk and I don’t know if using hundreds of missiles and bombing ground targets is very subtle. Hopefully soon the rest of the nations who are taking part will take the lead and allow America to focus on the other two conflicts that have been waging for almost a decade now.
If the battle continues and Qaddhafi decides to retreat to his side of Libya then when does the mission end? Does the U.N. help the rebels attack Tripoli? There may even be a possibility where Libya is split down the middle and the region is destabilized even more. How could the world even accept leaving Qaddhafi in power after the way he has acted? Chances are that we are going to take this fight all the way until Qaddhafi is ousted from power. Today a bomb landed inside his compound, which is a not so subtle sign to him that we don’t believe he deserves to be around anymore. Further than that when Qaddhafi is kicked out of power that will mediate the regime change?
There are tribes in Libya who do not like each other and have been held together by Qaddhafi for decades using manipulation and various other tactics. What happens if the nation descends into a civil war between tribes or two rival factions begin vying for power? The possibilities of what could happen are endless and very few of them end well. Saying that, however, I believe that what we are doing is right.
Waiting around for the perfect situation to help others has led to disaster in the past. Bosnia, Sudan, Darfur and other examples come to mind. The United States is not the policeman of the world and it is not our responsibility to sacrifice our own men and women because others cannot get along. This time, however, the world is acting together and when this is the case then the United States should be involved as equally as everyone else.
When it comes to the global picture though the future is even more uncertain. This so-called “Arab Spring” is being hailed by some as the next wave of democracy. Others are worried that it will destabilize an already volatile region and allow more violent and unstable regimes to take over.
People are also afraid that regimes sympathetic to radical extremism will take hold and help harbor terrorists and possibly attack western nations. I am hopeful however that these revolutions are for real.
They seem to be being carried out by a young educated and liberal youth that is laregly staying away from the issue of religion. They seem to be fighting for their freedom and I believe that a large part of this sudden spate of uprisings is simply the result of a situation that has simmered for a very long time and finally boiled over.
No human being enjoys living under duress and under authoritarian or restrictive rule. Over decades and decades of living under these condition and trading security for freedom people have finally decided that enough is enough. The match that lit the powder keg was obviously the uprising in Tunisia but why it happened now is because of the recent digitalization and networking of the world through the Internet. Information is almost impossible to stifle now and as Arabs see how people live freely in the west they too feel that they deserve to live like that.
As revolutions start and governments start committing atrocities as they always begin to do the images of that violence and repression is spread instantly only magnifying peoples resolve and worsening the position of the authoritarian governments.
Whatever happens we are living through a unique time in global history and a time of great change. Maybe there will be a time when all nations embrace democracy and human rights for all their people. A world like this would be the most peaceful ever. Believe it or not, and despite what you hear on the news, many historians believe that leaving the 20th century we are now living in the least violent time in human history. People are realizing that war and conflict are not the best ways to solve things and as past wars have show our weapons have become so devastating that war is now usually never worth fighting. As we enter this next decade we can only hope that we continue on the path to less violence and more cooperation.
Getting Involved In The Libyan Conflict
With all the turmoil in the Middle East and with Libyan leader Col. Qadaffi using extreme force on his own people, the international community has to ask itself if it is ready to step in. Numerous people have suggested that the United States Air Force and other governments set up a no-fly zone over Libya. They must understand, as Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has said, this is not just a peaceful guarding of the skies but rather an air campaign against Libyan air defenses that involves American planes dropping munitions over Libya. It is essentially an air war, and only after the Libyan air defenses are destroyed can a no-fly zone be maintained.
While it may seem that it is our duty to help those who want democracy, we must remember what happened in Somalia when American troops were put on the ground to help starving civilians. That effort ended with the disastrous battle that inspired the movie “Black Hawk Down.”
There is perhaps another option, as Senator Lieberman and others have suggested: that we supply and train the Libyan opposition so that they can fight their own battle for freedom. I believe, however, that military action should not be undertaken unless all other options are exhausted.
If Col. Qadaffi starts bombing, gassing and massacring the population, or if the nation falls into a full-on civil war, then getting involved at least in the air would help mitigate some of the carnage. Some in the U.S. have even suggested denying Qadaffi’s troops ground movements, but this takes us even closer to being fully involved in yet another war.
For now, there are numerous American battleships, including amphibious vehicles and air craft carriers, in the region that are there to help distribute humanitarian aid and offer medical service. We can only hope that this situation gets resolved before more Libyans, or possibly Americans, are put into harms’ way.
The Middle East and How It Affects Us
With unrest sweeping over the Middle East, we here at home are left to wonder how it will all turn out and how it is going to affect us all in the long run. The region is notoriously unstable and for the last thirty years or so there has been an uneasy peace between the nations there and Israel but as governments keep falling and the people of those nations clamor for democracy we are left to ponder the question of what happens if they elect people who are anti-American or even supportive of violence.
This threat may be justifiable given the election of Hezbollah in Lebanon in majority elections and other indications that some of the protestors do harbor anti-American sentiments. However the people who seem to be revolting in these countries all seem to be young, well-educated and thus far secular. They are mostly frustrated college students and graduates who are being exposed to the social media revolution and feeling the pressure to claim their own freedom.
The reason that these dictators were able to hold on to power for so long was the virtual lock down of culture that occurred. Things were censored and the media was tightly controlled. As the inevitable revolutions of the Internet along with Facebook and Twitter came along the governments in the Middle East could no longer keep their populations under control by telling them that they had the best system. People began to see how we all live here and how people in the west have the freedom to choose our representation and also were able to finally connect and voice their discontent together and organize themselves. There are some who said that the Middle East is not ready for democracy and that they cannot have a successful democratic government until they want it for themselves. This, I believe, is the truth. It is hard to tell someone to accept democracy, even if it is the best option for them. Until they grow frustrated with their nation and how their lives are they will never truly put their hearts into any effort to push for democracy.
If the West’s ultimate aim is to bring democracy to the region, the best way to do that is to pressure the Middle East to allow its citizens access to the Internet and the right to protest. Some countries in the Middle East might be ready for democracy, but are we ready to see that in the region? Take Bahrain for example: the U.S Navy’s Fifth Fleet is stationed there and patrols and projects its power in a region where 40 to 50 percent of the world’s oil is shipped through. Bahrain has taken a brutal approach to its citizens protesting. They are being shot down in the streets and in Libya the government is reportedly using attack helicopters, mortars, tanks and artillery against protestors who are un-armed. The United States is in a tough position since it’s a very dynamic situation they have to be condemning of the violence and at the same time watch the region for any major instability that crops up.
Whatever the long-term effects on us at home, we can only hope that the people in the Middle East decide to take the path of peace and secular government. However, what we can learn from the protestors is once again that staying peaceful and voicing your opinion can make a difference. Some times all it takes is one person. The man in Tunisia who set himself on fire sparked the revolution there and that spread to Egypt. The sad incident with Representative Elizabeth Giffords showed us what can happen when the atmosphere in the nation becomes hostile and people start subtly advocating violence. People who are unstable may take this rhetoric from both sides and act on it.
If we at home are unhappy with something going on, we should not sit around and hope others fix it for us. We should participate in our government, vote for those that share our values, exercise our right to peacefully assemble and use our freedom of speech.
The 2010 NY Gubernatorial Race
The 2010 gubernatorial race has been a nasty and dirty fight. It has become more than just a state election; it has become a battleground for liberal vs. conservative ideals this election season. The Democratic candidate, Andrew Cuomo, is facing off against Republican candidate Carl Paladino, who has the support of the Tea Party movement. According to the latest polls, Cuomo is firmly in the lead. New York state is heavily influenced by the people in the heavily populated areas of the state, which are overwhelmingly Democratic.
This is because people in urban areas can see the negative effects of the issues Tea Party supporters cling too. Whereas lax regulation on guns and banks and low spending on public infrastructure might be beneficial in a rural area, in a city, these things become disastrous, as can be seen by everyday events. Gun violence, along with irresponsible banks and low regulation by the government, creates a very hostile environment for New Yorkers.
This is why for a majority of New Yorkers, the Republican position makes no sense, and even seems hypocritical. Tea Party supporters claim that they hate big banks and Wall Street yet their candidates clearly support policies that would make it much easier for these groups to abuse the system. Like all fringe radical movements, they seem blind to any criticism and shut down every attempt at honest discussion with buzz words and key phrases that really don’t mean anything.
Whenever their positions or lack of real ideas is challenged they yell out “Don’t tread on me!”, “Down with big government spending!”, or “Liberals are socialists!” They don’t really understand the true meaning and history of these phrases, and it is insulting that they take iconic American symbolism like the Gadsden flag, which is the coiled snake on a yellow background, the phrase “Don’t Tread On Me” and events like the Boston Tea Party and twist them into symbolism that matches their extreme and radical views.
It is not unlike the radical Islamists, who take religion and do much of the same twisting and misconstruing to convince people to support insane and violent positions.
This election day, it is clear that most New Yorkers will choose the Democrats, not because they are perfect but because they are not extreme. Republicans of old were intelligent and respectable candidates all worth voting for, who honestly did want to help the country and make it a better place for all.
New Yorkers elected two Republican mayors in a row. However, this Neo-Conservative movement that is so extreme and contradicts itself at every opportunity gets very little support from New Yorkers who directly know how positions translate into reality.
With Elections Coming Up Who’s to Blame?
With midterm elections coming up, both parties seem to be trying their hardest to make the other one look responsible for the recent economic turmoil in the nation. This is going on from the national level all the way down to local elections. All of this political noise leaves people confused as to what the real culprit is behind our nations economic troubles.
The real answer is that both parties are to blame and that both parties must unite to fix the problem. No matter what your political leaning is, it’s imperative that we realize that all politicians act in a manner that is more centrist than leaning to either side. A good example of this is Obama’s foreign policy. Although those on the right often blame him for not being aggressive with terrorists his foreign policy has killed more top terrorist, leaders in Pakistan and Afghanistan through drone strikes than President Bush did over a number of years. Whether one agrees with the legality of the strikes or not, it is clearly not a “liberal” thing for President Obama to do. Another example of the relative centrism of politicians at the top is the fact that President Bush was the one who signed the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, into law.
Looking at these facts, it’s easy to understand why politicians may say one thing but do another. People are often only motivated to vote when politicians can play on political differences. They need these differences to charge their bases and get people to vote. There is very little room to insert your agenda on top of all the issues that the nation already faces. Of course, presidents do manage a few pieces of key legislation and actions that are strictly for their side of the aisle. Day to day however presidents of either party will likely go about making decisions in the same systematic way.
Congress, however, is a different story; because of the group mentality, no member of either party is willing to challenge their base, and will refuse to work with the other side or even vote for a bill if their entire party is not behind it. This leads to a deadlocked Congress. How can a nation function when the people we send to office cannot get over their issues and just use a little bit of common sense? Many non-partisan bills and ideas get stomped down because the two sides will just refuse to work with each other.
The real problem is that almost no young people participate in mid-term elections. These elections are in reality more important than the presidential election because it is Congress in the end that either passes or doesn’t pass a piece of legislation. As young people we have to ask ourselves who we really want in office. We need people who can work together or at least compromise, Our nation was founded on some massive compromises and it seems that they are almost impossible to come by these days. Whatever party someone belongs to, he or she should approach every candidate skeptically and look at hios/her record to see if he/she acts in a logical way or purely on the emotions of his/her party.
As an American, I hate to see our nation stagnate. There are an innumerable number of people in the world whose best interest is for us not to work together as a nation. The world today is a hostile place, a place where countries are slowly worn down because of their own indecisiveness. The Roman Empire fell because they spread themselves too thin and could not agree on anything.
They didn’t know where to send their troops, spend their money or which policies to enact.
When we go to the polls this November let’s remember that we are all in the same country and it is just as much in the Democrats interest to work with republicans as it is for Republicans to work with democrats, even if at times they do not feel like doing so.
Budget Shortfalls And Hopes For The New Year
The past year was a tumultuous one for Stony Brook. Ups and downs in the Under Graduate Student Government, budget cuts, the closing of the Southampton campus and many more events left students and student government leaders feeling worn out.
The PHEEIA or Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act now threatens to raise tuition on students while promising to make up for budget short falls. Even without PHEEIA school officals are still planning on possibly increasing tution.
The Statesman itself was subject to these ups and downs when our budget was cut drastically and then, after a protracted period of legal positioning and meetings, was reinstated by the USG.
Many students last semester were shocked when they logged onto SOLAR to register for classes. They found that even though their enrollment date had just been reached, the classes that they needed to advance their majors were full or impossible to fit into their schedules comfortably.
Considering that Stony Brook is partly a commuter school, this awkward scheduling is a real pain for many students. This shortage of classes is a serious concern as Stony Brook looks ahead to even steeper budget cuts handed down from Albany.
Right about now the school needs a fresh start and this is where the brand new year comes in. Every year is a new opportunity to do things differently. It is an opportunity for students to come closer together to organize groups and events on their own.
The age of social media and last year’s Humans vs. Zombies game on campus shows that students have the ability to self- organize and have fun without needing a complicated process that runs through USG and university administration.
This year, USG officials need to put aside personal agendas and help streamline the governing process. Many times you hear of students complaining that it is hard to get anything done.
New clubs have a hard time getting funding and many people are often left feeling left out.
However, there is hope because the USG is made up of essentially good people who have the best interest of the student body at heart and have the power to make student life here better than it already is. This may be the year that they do it. Faculty plays an important role as well.
University faculty sometimes seem disconnected from the student body. This most likely comes from the fact that there are not enough teachers at the university and teachers who are here must instruct a lot of classes.
Faculty could really help to ease concerns of students by becoming more active in the out of classroom activities that occur around campus. When students feel that their university is going through trouble, nothing helps alleviate that than having the people who really run the school participate in events and really connect with the students.
There are many hopes for this new year because time and time again we see that Stony Brook students are not ready to accept the labels that are placed on us. When called the unhappiest campus in the country, students emphatically showed that this was not the case.
Personally, I know that every student here that puts in a little bit of effort into getting involved and meeting people here at Stony Brook has an amazing time. The icoming freshmen have interesting and sometimes daunting times ahead of them.
They must navigate an unfamiliar place with new rules and people. They must also adjust to the harder classes they will now be taking compared to high school. The budget problems will also begin to weigh on their minds.
Hopefully, this semester will see the budget woes of the school eased. Whether this will be through PHEEIA or the state, the university needs the relief soon.
Either way, no matter what happens, it is up to all of the student body to make sure that this university stays a friendly and fun place for students to be. A new semester is always a new chance and it is now up to us to straighten out our school, hold faculty and USG responsible, and have a great time in the process as well.
Useless Lawsuits
Peanut allergies are more common now than ever before. In schools around the country special precautions are taken to ensure the safety of those students who are allergic to peanuts. These measures need to be taken because young children cannot be trusted to always be careful. Schools can’t prohibit peanut butter from schools entirely because you have poor and low-income students who can’t afford to buy anything but peanut butter . People who are allergic try very hard to avoid contact with peanuts because peanut allergies can often be very serious or fatal. However, you can’t control everything.There comes a time when people have to understand that not every personal encounter can be monitored.
According to News 12 a recent lawsuit raised on this issue is seeking 3 million dollars in damages.
The plaintiff worked as a cashier in a Babies ‘R’ Us before she voluntarily quit . She became seriously ill after coming in contact with peanut candy a customer was eating.
Her argument is that the manager should have moved the peanut candy, which was near her station away from her register. But a store isn’t like a classroom where the teacher or professor has complete control over a specific area. What if they had moved the candy? This cant ensure that she wont come in contact with the outside wrapper or even the breath of someone eating it, which is sometimes enough to trigger a reaction in allergic individuals. Should they eliminated peanut related products from the store entirely? If so what would keep customers from bringing it in the store to eat as a snack? This lawsuit clearly shows that individuals are ultimately responsible for their own health, and raises the question of at what point managers stop being responsible.
In a News 12 conference, the worker remarked “You always have to look over your shoulder and look for your surroundings, of what’s around you. ” She then goes on to say how fatal this allergy is to her. If she knows she has to be constantly aware of what people are eating because she can get fatally ill at any moment, then she obviously knows that getting extremely sick is always a possibility.
Since it’s always a possibility, why is she suing a corporation who has no control over their shoppers eating habits, for an incident that could have happened anywhere?
If she wins, what does that mean for those who aren’t allergic to peanuts? Does this mean that a person can’t eat a peanut butter sandwich and pay a bill during their lunch hour because the people around could be allergic? What if someone is eating peanut candy that they had in their purse? Can the person eating be sued? The store isn’t responsible because the customer brought it in with them. The only party that would be responsible for the allergic reaction would be the customer. Does this mean anyone can be in danger of paying a huge fine? This lawsuit is walking a fine line and could set a dangerous precedent. It brings up a serious issue about responsibility and how that responsibly is spread between individuals and groups in a society.
I believe the solution in cases like this is to determine if an action was taken maliciously , an example of this is someone who knows of an another persons allergy and purposely presenting or exposing them with the allergen.
This brings up another issue, what in the world does the plaintiff need three million dollars for? I highly doubt that the medical costs of one incident could equal 3 million dollars.
This case is more than just about allergies. It is about individual liability. McDonalds wasn’t liable for making people fat for eating their food. In a world where people are already so cautious sometimes overly so, maybe it is time to refocus our time and energy on making sure that organizations that actually do hold safety responsibilities adhere to them, make sure the FDA inspects our food and drugs, insure that large companies treat their workers properly and follow ethical guidelines, these are the types of issues that we should be seeing in court, not the a case about a person not looking out for their own well being and expecting others to take care of them at all times.
Hopefully in the future we don’t have to worry about being liable for wanting a snack
Tv greed
There is a reason that Rock the Vote, and other celebrity endorsements, exist. Like it or not, the entertainment world influences us every day. From what clothes we buy, to what brands we drink, face it: they speak and people listen.
The controversy between Conan O’Brien and Jay Leno with NBC is no different. This scandal can change more than a person’s late-night –viewing habits, it can seriously harm their job security. The Tonight Show, like it or not, is a program that is highly respected. If the longstanding tradition of passing the torch to a new Tonight Show host, whom has been a loyal employee for more than 20 years and then bows out gracefully, can be broken not only by a host, but a network,what is that saying to other employers?
When Leno first started the Tonight show, his ratings, like Conan’s, were down. It was not until Hugh Grant appeared on the show amidst a scandal that Leno gained the top viewership. Even throughout this current scandal of scheduling, Conan’s ratings have improved significantly, with a high of 5.2 million viewers (according to the Nielson Company), while reports show that Leno’s ratings have not followed suit. In fact, his ratings have continuously decreased every week, to a total 4.8 million viewers that same week (according to the Nielson Company). In addition to luring in viewers, NBC also has to please their advertisers. They are focusing their efforts toward viewers between the ages 18-49, which is said to be of the most preferred age group for advertisers, according to the New York Times . Leno’s ratings for that age group reached a low of 1.9 million, while O’Brien’s ratings for the same week was 3.1 million. NBC still decided not to give their new host a chance, even though Conan has been doing better then Leno. As I said before, entertainment can mirror real life, and NBC’s choice to go with what they deem as reliable ratings is something that many of us might face.
In many, if not all cases, it takes a person some time to adjust to a new job, even if it’s a promotion or a transfer to a different department. Even though T.V. is different than a clerk or sales position, being a host of a comedy talk show still requires a period of adjustment. You still have to play around to see what techniques,features or comedy bits work and what the viewers or clients prefer. It is unrealistic to expect a person to immediately adjust to any job, especially in entertainment, as things are constantly tweaked and improved.
This decision by NBC to choose money, or rather the promise of more money over employee loyalty, sends a negative message to all employers
It’s sending a signal to companies big and small that it is ok to not give new/promoted employees a chance prove themselves. Instead of giving the employee the benefit of the doubt, employers should just cut their losses and fire said employee and hire or re-hire someone else who they think will do a better job. Another option is for employers is to hire on a monthly basis. This can be for as little as six weeks to 6 months, and not include health insurance and benefits. This way, if they don’t like how you are or aren’t getting new clients, they can fire you without having to pay for anything except your salary. Contrary to what you might think, employers won’t tell you that they’re hiring you for a test period. All they will say is that benefits don’t start until months later. You may think six months is a long time. However, in this terrible economy, it is not. People aren’t buying the hundreds of things that they normally would. This causes not only an excess of products, but a lack of demand. This means that, depending on your job, they a) won’t buy from you, b) you won’t get new clients in and/or c) they’ll fire you because of a lack of income. Then they will go on to hire someone else, who they think will get more business. The problem is, no matter how good of a seller you are, no one will buy.
NBC and Jay Leno ( if he would’ve ‘retired’ for real, this would not be an issue), did a terrible thing not only to the hundred something employees who work for the Tonight Show, but also to the rest of the country. No matter what, Americans have always stuck together in bad times. Now is not the time to let loyalty fall by the wayside. One option is to boycott NBC and the sponsors who advertise on the network by writing emails and letters. Let them know that loyalty means something and is rewarded. Tell business owners that playing musical chairs with jobs helps no one, including your business, especially if every time a client calls or orders there’s a new person handling the account. If you’re not loyal to your employees, will you be loyal to your clients? Building a relationship with your clients is one of the best ,if not the only way, to secure orders for your company and not the competition.
For all those graduating seniors and other students who are looking for a full time job, be wary and keep in mind that loyalty means nothing nowadays. Thanks to NBC’s example of money over employees, your job may not be as secure as you think.
New Faces, Same Tune
So here we are in 2010, with some new members in Congress and a new President.
It is evident that the faces have changed, but the same old agendas and false promises have continued. The “I promise to do this” or the “This will change” sounds great to our ears at first. It later becomes disheartening and frustrating, when you realize that you were just told this so that X candidate can hold office and pursue his or her own agenda.
Both Republicans and Democrats are guilty. Not only do both parties do this, they also preach bipartisanship, which almost never happens with any bill or law that gets put forward. Granted that debate leads to a stronger outcome, the stronger outcome is never reached because it tends to be not so much a debate, but the will of one party forcing the other party to join along.Hearing the word “bipartisanship” used a speech gets old fast.
This trend has been going on for some time now. It seems that all we truly receive are false hopes and promises that never get fulfilled. Nobody is perfect as we are all human. However, don’t say you’re going to cut taxes and then turn around and raise them. Many politicians will campaign on specific platforms and then go against it once they obtain the office. We don’t even need to look at the federal office because it is very prevalent in our own state of New York. The misconception and disillusionment is astonishing as well as insulting. It is astonishing in the fact that it is able to continue to happen, insulting in the fact that many politicians feel the people are too dull to understand this.
I’m sure I’m not the only one that feels this way. I want to see more members in office live by the simple motto of “practice what you preach.” It is our obligation to hold our politicians accountable on their promises, so that they can live on this motto.
This brings up another good point. Why aren’t we holding our officials accountable for mistakes they have made?
It seems that each and every time something goes wrong, they get a free pass on a mistake. I feel that they can do the exact opposite of what they have promised and still get elected to another term in office, to continue with their agenda. In every other job in our society, if you’re doing a poor job, fail to meet deadlines and outright lie, you will be fired almost immediately from your job and then have to go find a new one. Why doesn’t our political system work this way?
What can be done to keep our elected officials in check and to keep them honest is to make sure that nobody is safe and will automatically win because of their district, affiliation, etc. They should always be on the hot seat, with the citizens ready to vote them out for dishonesty, corruption or poor leadership. We shouldn’t have to tolerate things like this. It should be second nature that if we don’t see results, we give the next guy in line a chance. That’s one of the best things about our nation. There is no monarchy where a person passes the office down to their blood relatives. At times, however, the government seems to operate like this, taking actions absolutely against our principals.
Come November, it is our duty as citizens to look around and make a judgment for ourselves as to how well of a job our officials are doing and if they stuck to their promises. If they did, they should be given the opportunity to continue their jobs within term limits. If they are doing poorly or continued with the trend of the same old, they should be kicked out and somebody else should be given a chance. Granted, no one system is perfect. However, our country’s system is very unique and it should be taken care of and not abused. Just imagine, if we held our politicians accountable for their actions, both good and bad, how much better the system as a whole would function. No two people will have the same views, but we all can agree that we are tired of the new faces singing the same tune.
-Robert J. Wranovics