Lationo Liniage, Leaders of Tomorrow

Julian Castro Mayor of San Antonio

The citizens of San Antonio, Texas are primarily of Latino decent. Their mayor, Julian Castro  exemplifies the politician of tomorrow. This 36-year old mayor did not look much different from those whom he addressed at a rally over a San Antonio school bond earlier this year where he asserted: "We have an obligation, in this year 2010, to ensure that a whole new generation of young people has the best facilities, the best opportunity, to succeed in our schools (...) We need this bond issue for the future of our young people."

    It is estimated that every 30 seconds, a Latino turns eighteen in America. This number is startling. To think I thought I was a minority Mexican 18-year-old woman of American society. I am pleased however, that this statistic is prompting officials to invest more money, time, and energy into brightening the future for the astounding number of Latino youth in our country. With the recent profiling that became an issue of topic in Arizona, it is imperative that the Latino youth of America be provided with good, strong leaders and role models such as Julian Castro. Apparently Castro comes from a family of political activists. When he was a child, his mother would bring him to the polls with her so that he could see the importance of voting and being an active citizen. I distinctly remember being young and going with my own mother to vote. My mother, who is a fair skinned Norwegian/Northern Italian woman, once asked for a sticker that said "ya vote" because she wanted to show me how cool it was that they were making them in Spanish. The woman working at the poll booth looked at her and asked her in an accusatory tone why on earth she would want a sticker in Spanish, and my mom vigorously replied "Because my husband and children are Mexican and proud of it!" To this day, I am proud of that sticker, and it was by my mother's example that I too want to be an active member in society, and a strong Latino woman. I hope to see more government officials like Castro. Who knows, perhaps someday I will be up there with him.

Source:
http://www.npr.org/2010/12/12/132013036/latino-mayor-might-be-a-glimpse-of-things-to-come

"How Do I Speak Up When I Don't Even Know How To Speak Down?" : If you see something, say something Wallmart shoppers of America!

What is considered out of the ordinary and worth reporting? 

     Picture a mother of two pushing her cart through Walmart as one of her kids tugs her arm toward the toy isle, the other begs her to get an slushy from the snack bar. She is annoyed at the holiday crowds rushing past her, and begins to tune out her children as she makes her way to the dog food isle. She is thankful for the sale on Purina, hence why she and millions of others pack into the store like cattle. All of a sudden an announcement sounds over an intercom, something to the effect of "remember Walmart shoppers, if you see any suspicious activities, please report them. If you see something say something". This is the voice of
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet A. Napolitano. These messages are part of the campaign to make people more alert and aware of their surroundings. It has been evident in years past, that some of the greatest threats to homeland security have been foiled by average people on the lookout. For instance, once there was a smoking car in the middle of times Square which came to be noticed by a street vendor. His perceptiveness saved lives that day. The announcement that sounds in Walmart is part of a bigger campaign that is also sounding in The Mall of America, and areas of Public transit.

      So here is the issue. The children turn to their mother after hearing this announcement, "Mommy are there bad people here" . The mother tells her children that they have nothing to worry about, but she is reminded to be on her guard at all times. However, at what point does she become desensitized to this announcement, and start believing her own words of consolation? Also, do these announcements invite her to openly invite people to partake in racial profiling? Everyone will respond differently. I feel that it is a good thing to keep people on their toes, but I do not believe in racial profiling. Heightened security is a good thing. Some may argue that these announcements will alarm people and make them live in fear, even in places as seemingly safe as a superstore. Some people do not feel comfortable reporting others because they do not wish to judge. Others judge too quickly and offend others. What the Secretary of Homeland Security is trying to accomplish through theses announcements is to arm people with awareness so that they do not have to fear, and they can fight fear itself. She wants us to look out for unattended packages, and abandoned smoking cars rather than judging the guy next to you on the train because he dresses differently than you.

Source: 
http://www.npr.org/2010/12/11/131991345/wal-mart-shoppers-homeland-security-wants-you

Precarious Printers! Terrorist Attacks Thwarted Just in Time

The bomb construction inside of the printer toner found in London

        An international alert ensued on October 29th in response to terrorist attacks aimed at the united States. I remember logging onto my email account, and seeing the headline that read "President Obama Announces terrorist threats thwarted" and immediately feeling that heavy wight of insecurity I feel when I recall the attacks made on the United States in September, 2001. These recent attempts at attacking our country were part of the Al Caida terrorist agenda, stemmed in the Arabian Peninsula.

       The explosives were packaged and shipped to Synagogues in surround areas of Chicago, Illinois. Luckily these packages were detected before reaching American soil. One was discovered in London. The bomb was hidden inside of a printer toner cartridge. The other was discovered by FedEx in Dubai, India. These threats are a reminder that America is a target, in terms of terrorist action, and that there is a need for heightened security measures world wide. However, it is also comforting to know that the explosives were detected, and that there has been no serious attack executed on the continental U.S. since 9/11. Therefore, our homeland security, and the support of our allies has been strengthened by such threats. Perhaps now people will not be so quick to dismiss the capabilities of the guy working the copy machine.


source : http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1010/29/sitroom.02.html

Democratic Congressional Leaders Face the Jobless Jungle

This political cartoon reflects the outcome of the 2010 elections nationwide with the Democratic Congress members being flushed down the political toilet. 

In the November, 2010 elections, I registered Democrat and I was pleased that my Gubernatorial vote was fruitful with the election of Jerry Brown in California. However, it was disappointing to discover that the election showed a major shift to the right in Congress. Presently, many Democratic politicians face unemployment, and knew so mid election. This reminds me of when I was at Loretto High School, and we knew that our school was closing down, and all of the teachers scrambled to find jobs before they knew that they would be unemployed at the end of the year and the school's closure. Some teachers had connections at other institutions around Sacramento, including Jesuit High School, St. Francis High School, and Christian Brothers High School. I remember distinctly how hard it was for them knowing that they were going to be unemployed and they were worrying about their families, and would often come to teach, and show how upset they were, and they were competing  with each other for jobs elsewhere. The whole thing was a mess.

       The situation in Congress reminds me of this, because I feel that the Democrats must have been worried in their final stretch of employment, and probably did not work efficiently knowing that they could be easily replaced in the coming weeks. They scrambled to try and scoop up jobs. One man, Johnathan Lipman, who was a communications director for Democratic Representative Melissa bean of Illinois, was searching for a job whilst holding his newborn child in mid-November, knowing what the election results would hold. Lipman actually was hired as the communications director for the Senator of New Hampshire. This just goes to show that whether you are a teacher, or a political official, jobs are not permanent, and when unemployment in out of your control, it is important to try to seize opportunity. There are still teachers for Loretto that are unemployed, and this saddens me greatly. Like these teachers, there are many unemployed Democrats greatly effected by the Republican trend in the November elections.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/us/politics/12dems.html?ref=politics

"Call all you want but theres no one home And you're not gonna reach my telephone" Why these Lady Ga Ga lyrics are applicable to U.S. /Chinese Relations, and North Korea

This political cartoon depicts growing suspicion surrounding the sketchy relationship between the United States and China in terms of who thinks they are in control. 

Recent reports indicate that relations between the United States and China have taken on a chilly nature. Last Monday, December 6th 2010, President Obama conversed with President Hu Jintao about North Korea. president Obama had been attempting to get a hold of him for thirteen days. The President of China was "unavailable" to speak. This reaction indicates that the relationship between The United States and China may not be as friendly as it has been previously perceived. Many believe that the U.S. has a huge influence on Chinese actions due to their economic ties to us, but now some are not so sure of this. This situation is similar to a time when a U.S. plane had to make an emergency landing in China, and their government would not answer the telephone due to inward debate. It is evident that there is still much debate taking place in China over how to act in response to North Korea's opening fire on South Korea. This whole situation is messy because South Korea is our ally and North Korea is theirs. If there were to be open warfare between North and South Korea, then the U.S. would have to step in, and nuclear warfare could potentially ensue. China does not want American military action dear their soil, and they will try and keep us away. However, rumors of China's seizure of the global initiative during our recession in 2008. Time will tell what is to come, hopefully China will heed the phone messages of President Obama, who asks for China's control of their ally.


Source :
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/07/world/asia/07china.html?pagewanted=2&sq=korea%20v%20south%20korea&st=cse&scp=3

Young Seth's Suicide Causes National Discussion

     A young boy, Seth Walsh, recently committed suicide after being tormented for his sexuality. The kids who bullied him did not understand him, and they viewed him as different. Seth's grandparents, Judy and Jim Walsh are peaking out. They want Seth to be remembered as more than that homosexual boy who hung himself. They spoke to the LA times about Seth: "When he smiled, he smiled with his whole face. His eyes twinkled. it wasn't just the smile. You got it from the eyes and the beaming of the face. He really meant that smile for you".  Though Seth's death is not directly a political issue, it serves as an example of how a lack of social tolerance can lead to lethal ridicule.

Evidence shows that just before hanging himself, Seth had gone to the park with a friend, and some other kids. The kids apparently upset and bullied him. He called his mother, upset, asking her to pick him up. He hung himself in his back yard.
     Kids are cruel, and often times they reflect what they have been taught at home or in school. In California, there have been many homosexual civil rights cases brought to the political surface. Among the most notable are Harvy Milk's story, and the controversy surrounding proposition 8, the proposition which retracted entitlement to gay marriage.
     I believe that the political buzz and the history surrounding homosexual marriage is part of the reason behind the cruelty that Seth faced. People who were strong proponents of Proposition 8 were concerned that being gay would become socially acceptable and would threaten the foundation of the nuclear familial structure taught to children. Being gay is socially acceptable, but when so many people publicly  demonstrate hatred toward homosexuals, kids are learning more about hatred than love. By preventing open discussion and acceptance of a lifestyle in classrooms, kids such as Seth gain an unspoken stigma, and are viewed as different. His story has caused national discussion.There is much discussion right now between scientists and the state court to determine is a choice or a genetic trait. When this question is answered, can the haters really discriminate against people? It would be the same as abusing someone because of their hair or eye color. I feel that there should be more education for the younger generation about love, tolerance, and acceptance in schools and in social arenas. The hatred and abuse inflicted upon Seth exemplifies this need. There is much discussion right now between scientists and the state court to determine is a choice or a genetic trait. When this question is answered, can the haters really discriminate against people? It would be the same as abusing someone because of their hair or eye color.

Curwen, Thomas. "Teenage Torment" . Los Angeles. The Sacramento Bee. 10 October, 2010.

One Month Away from Election Day: Illegal Immigration could Tip the Scale...But in Who's Favor?

Whitman's illegally immigrated house keeper of nine years, Nicandra Diaz Santillan speaks out. Her public address led to a venomous debate with brown; the race is on for Governor.

     Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown continue to fight to get ahead in their race to become the next Governor of California. Sure, neither of them wield super human strengths like the terminator in battle, but they know both have impressed their parties well enough to keep the polls fairly neck and neck. Brown and Whitman had their first debate at the Mondovi Center at University of California, Davis. Topics discussed included: job creation, California water distribution, the death penalty, and the U.C. budget cuts. Neither candidate appeared to surpass the other in terms of having a better argument. They were different. Meg Whitman stuck to her seemingly scripted opinions, while Brown spoke mildly off the cuff. He even had viewers laughing. Whitman's public apology, that regarding her voting inconsistencies,  was discussed. Some speculate that if Whitman has barely voted in California, then she must not have an accurate understanding of California politics. The first debate was interesting, but the race became far more interesting when Nicandra Diaz Santillan entered the political arena. 

     Santillan  publicly expressed her story the day after the first debate. Basically, Whitman was her employer for nine years. When Santillan came to her asking for help to receive legal papers in order to stay in the united States, Whitman told her that she would try and contact her lawyer. Then Whitman came to Santillan telling her that she could be of no help to her, and than she was let go. Santillan was devastated when Whitman allegedly told her  "I cannot help you. And don't say anything to my children. I will tell them you already have a new job ... and from now on you don't know me, and I don't know you. You have never seen me, and I have never seen you. Do you understand me?" Now Whitman is seen as a cruel person, and this scandal will have a negative effect on her campaign.


     Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman had a second Debate on October 2nd, 2010. When illegal immigration was discussed at this debate, the tension was so thick between the two candidates, that one would have to cut it with a knife. Whitman foolishly blamed brown for her housekeepers honesty, saying:
 "You should be ashamed for sacrificing Nicky Diaz on the altar of your political ambitions". Whitman has absolutely no evidence that Brown is behind Santillan's public address. Brown responded to Whitman's accusation saying:    
"Don't run for governor if you can't stand up on your own two feet and say, 'Hey I made a mistake' ". Whitman said that the person elected needs to crack down on employers who hire illegal workers. Brown said responded to this by pointing out that she didn't crack down on herself. It is unknown who actually prompted Sanillan's public address, but there is no evidence that it was brown. I agree with Whitman that it would be cruel to force someone to  speak out in order to gain a good political image, but I believe that that is not the case here. I believe that Santillan spoke out on her own accord. Brown was right to point out that Whitman cannot own up to her own actions. Illegal immigration provides for a heated debate in California at this time. For this woman to voice her suffering is a brave thing to do, and an action that will tip the scales in this election. Whitman tried to make brown look like the bully when she blamed him for the scandal. But all she did was dig herself a deeper hole. I think illegal immigration is an important issue for the candidates to discuss because it is a California issue. Santillan provided a face for the issue, no matter which way one looks at it. Her story is heartbreaking, and groundbreaking in this election. We shall see which candidate wins the Latino vote after this scandal.

Jerry Brown just may have gained a lead after Whitman's scandal 

 

Source : McLaughlin, Ken. "Whitman and Brown Pound Each Other in the Second Debate" . Bay Area News Group. 2 October, 2010. <http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_16236975?source=most_emailed>