Life is Recognizable Again

Desolate streets. An eight o’clock curfew. A lone bus stop with electricity. Gas lines wrapped for miles around streets. Limited food at select restaurants. We have much to be thankful for as the winds of hurricane Wilma blew through South Florida leaving more than cool temperatures in her path.

Making landfall on the Southern West coast as a category three storm, Florida was spared by what was once a category five storm. Hours after sunny skies appeared, many residents in the surrounding Coral Gables area were fortunate enough to take in the low temperatures by walking, jogging, or riding bikes for both exercise and damage assessment.

South Florida was hit harder than most expected, as was seen more in those areas north of Miami. The University of Miami finally got the week-long fall break they always hoped for. As many lives were disrupted with power outages and school and work closures, our lives returned to us much sooner than the residents displaced by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

In our Miami-Dade bubble, we were given a short mental health break from our hectic lives. For all residents, the destructive consequences of a hurricane paused lives. Whether you rode out the beast of nature in Florida or took the fastest mode of transportation out of the state, all were unaware of how and when life would return to our personal norms.

In the tinier bubble of UM, tests were postponed and reading days vanished; the school salvaged our month-long winter break. Many took the school closure as time to relax, catch up on work, or stay in a week long state of inebriation.

As school returned from its week-long interruption and the pieces of South Florida were slowly picked up, our country, state, and world were again reminded this year of the destructive power and unpredictability that nature has. Despite having days to prepare for the storm’s impact, it seems that there is never enough time, energy, and man-power to prepare; no one can deny nature’s way of always outsmarting the most intelligent of human beings and their sophisticated tools.

We can be annoyed and irritated that our precious daily schedules were interrupted, but this negative energy will add to the already high stress levels reached after waiting in gas lines for eight hours only to arrive at an empty pump. Whether comparing the disastrous storms of Katrina or Andrew or Charlie, in these terms, Florida was spared from the worst as this year’s hurricane season finally comes to a well-needed close.

As cable, internet, and electricity are slowly restored, we can return our attention from nature to politics in the new day-time drama, “All My Cronies.” Things are not looking good for pals Karl and Scooter as special prosecutor P. J. Fitzgerald upholds the rule of law. Scooter was indicted but countered with his resignation. How about his foot injury? How do you arrest a man and put him in handcuffs when he his on crutches?

This article published in "The Hurricane"

Intolerance: An Eye for an Eye, A Life for a Death

On Earth, we are given the chance to live out our human existence. Given this fragile and temporary stopping place in what should be a journey for enlightenment and inner peace, it is astounding that so much evil and strife exists in and between human beings.

Life, an adventure of varying pleasures, is already short-lived in comparison to what may be an infinite death. Our lives are a one-time event of choices and decisions too often cut short by tragedy committed by fellow human beings.

We are all human beings, and like all species, we have varieties. Our variations create likes, dislikes, and ideas of superiority among some. Though we bleed, laugh, cry, eat, sleep, reproduce, and produce waste, our minor variations have come to prevail over our oneness as human beings. For those who insist on maintaining differences above similarities, beware, because this attitude creates hatred, conflict, and death.

Differences too often create unnecessary violence. In a world dominated by violence, it is often difficult to locate peace and kindness in our lives made easier through modern conveniences and our nation’s wealth. Many allow the trivialities of their lives to irritate yet comfort them while forgetting the larger concerns of humanity and the planet. The plight of starvation, war, global warming, AIDS, and nature’s fury ought to make any other minor problem insignificant. The desire for endless extravagance is used as a poultice for the mental suffering that captivates those of us living in this society.

We live in a society where the power brokers of our civilization solve conflicts by engaging in conflicts; ending lives is redemption for lives already lost. We place other men, women, and the young in harmful situations when non-violent alternatives appear futile. We profess courage and loyalty when lives are lost for what is professed a noble cause. The men and woman who sacrifice their lives for the well-being of others are undeniably brave; cowards are those who give the orders on pretenses and lies. If the leaders of today begin to make decisions based on the philosophy of kindness, we will start the process of shaping a world of compassion and understanding; one free from prejudices with concern for the planet and the life on it.

If we begin with harmless speech and understanding and begin to fight fire with water, instead of more fire, perhaps, then, we will realize our struggle through life is shared by all. By not helping one another ease through this life, we get caught in the whirlwind of negativity. As people engage in actions that bring harm to others, they make their lives harder as well.

Sadly, we often use man-made weapons instead of our voices. When all human beings begin to realize that thoughts, speech, and actions of hatred, intolerance, and violence are a two-way transaction, perhaps then we will engage in what benefits everyone equally. Until human beings begin to value life as much as we profess we do, we will continue to send messages of hypocrisy to our younger generation.

This Article Published in "The Hurricane"

Kanye West, Barbara Bush lay down the beat

In the days following Hurricane Katrina, Kanye West declared, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.” Barbara Bush declared, “And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this is working very well for them.” Two different people. Two different opinions regarding the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

These statements reveal that something is wrong with our country and those who govern it. A serious evaluation of the state of our society is desperately needed. The handling of the evacuation and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina opened the eyes of many and keeps the eyes of some closed.

Making racist accusations against our commander in chief and government in general is not helpful, but this ought to be taken as a realization that people in this country are unhappy with the current administration. When the former first lady, the current first grandmother, considers the displaced Gulf Coast area residents better off, it shows a detachment from reality; more so than the previous opinion against her son.

Like 9/11, the disaster caused by Hurricane Katrina allowed our nation to see where we are vulnerable and what needs improving. Our government outwardly professes “compassionate conservatism,” yet its actions display “non-compassionate incompetence.”

The richest country in the world knows how to give orders and pull a trigger but needs directions on how to lend a helping hand. The US is compelled to manage its superiority with violence, firepower, and technological advancements. It is no wonder that with war we quickly pull the trigger but prove to be inept with helping those in need from a natural disaster at home. If our nation and the rest of the world begin to open its heart to guide its actions to create peace and curtail suffering, we can slowly create a planet that cares.

Unfortunately, we live in a country of quick-fixes and quick pick-me-ups. We tend to handle situations with haste and with little regard for others. Violence proves an easy means to an end; a solution when all other options appear futile. When Gulf Coast area residents needed our country the most, our government took its time.

Does a man-made disaster deserve more attention than a natural disaster? When loss of life occurs all disasters become the same. As soon as our country begins to reorganize its mixed up priorities, we might have a chance to better protect our citizens should tragedy –in any form–strike again.

Tragedy is part of the cycle of life, but we have the potential to subdue the painful trail of tears tragedy can leave. As the horrific scenes from the Gulf Coast region flooded television and computer screens, Kanye West probably said what many were thinking. Mrs. Bush, a woman of socio-economic privilege, reveals her “let them eat cake” attitude in times of great need. There is no sensible reason for such an attitude; senility is the only excuse for this asinine comment.

There is much to rebuild following Hurricane Katrina and even more to rebuild for the well-being of our citizens and country. Will we finally learn from our mistakes? I hope we will not need another war or act of nature or terrorism before we turn toward the philosophy of kindness and away from the philosophy of greed and power. For now, we can all begin to follow the guidance of the Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nath Hanh: “There is no path to peace. Peace is the path.”

This article published in "The Hurricane"

Facebook: The next generation of instant friends

As the fall semester neared, I began to worry about the incoming freshmen. It frightened me to think that these new students would not have a chance to meet nor attend orientation until the weekend before school began. I tried to remember how I dealt with my new environment as a freshman but that seemed like years ago.

While anguishing over the freshmen’s plight, I continued my daily browsing of Thefacebook.com. After receiving friendship requests from old high school buddies who graduated in May, I reached my summer’s divine revelation: the class of 2009 was on Thefacebook.

As giddy high school seniors, the class of 2009 had heard, some even seen, the internet website of college students that is Thefacebook. As the parents of these young adults wrote the University of Miami a big fat tuition check, this promising group of incoming freshmen finally received their UM e-mail addresses–their gateway to groups, messaging, walls, and, of course, poking.

With intense friend viewing and group searching, I found students from the class of 2009 to be new members of the Thefacebook from as early as April. If last year’s students thought they were Thefacebook junkies, this new crop of Canes chomped down on the bit until it broke. These students were excited to be closer to the next phase of their lives; I was there once too.

I continued my investigative research because April seemed a little too soon. As I scrolled through the accounts of various incoming freshmen, I noticed most fields to be completely entered. Scrolling further, these new members were already part of several or hundreds of groups, and as I recently figured out how to turn on my wall, the freshmen already had endless walls.

Then my eyes wandered over to the right side of the page, where they bulged out of their sockets as I saw the number of friends these students had already accumulated without attending UM yet. Girls with 200 friends; others with 500. Guys with 170, another with 4 (he had just joined that day). One thing was for certain: the freshmen were creating massive friendships that dwarfed my measly 150 friends that I proudly accumulated in a year.

How could these new students have so many friends already? UM must have decided to have summer orientation. No, they did not, but Thefacebook did. I hope the person with 200 friends maintains every friendship or at least meets each person face to face; they owe their quasi-friends that much.

Congratulations to this Internet website. You are helping ease the transition into college; however, I am still angry with the recent surge of middle school acquaintances, who I thought I had finally lost, asking to be my friend. I did get my redemption. I kept those past schoolmates in purgatory–that area in Thefacebook cyberspace when someone asks to be your friend and you have yet to confirm or reject the friendship–for weeks before I slapped myself for acting so petty and confirmed the childhood friend.

I do not know how you freshmen did it. Whether you selected the most attractive people or ones you held similar interests with, I was unable to close the case. UM is a large school, so good luck finding all your friends. As for me, I am just happy that I have a few more thousand accounts to browse; I was getting bored already. In time, you realize that you maintain relationships with five of your Thefacebook friends. And as you will soon learn, there is much floating around on Thefacebook.com, so please remember to use protection when poking.

This Article Published in "The Hurricane"

Katrina Relief Effort: A Reflection on the US

WHEN and IF the University of Miami begins to discuss the amount of funds that will go toward replanting our lost trees, perhaps it would be in our best interest to donate those funds toward the victims of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast states. These victims are in need of food, water, and shelter more than our campus is of trees.

As thousands of people along the Gulf Coast, mostly low-income African Americans, await the slow-to-arrive aid from the US government, our university is cleaning up its own mess. With power returned and debris to clean, our campus may not rest until its natural beauty is restored. We should conserve money from the clean-up process and sacrifice time and energy to help the Gulf area victims who need it most.

With criticism coming from race-equality activists over the slowness to get help for the poor and disenfranchised of the Gulf Coast region, we at our luxurious, private institution of UM were helped immediately with our minor needs in comparison to the Gulf area’s needs.

Hurricane Katrina caused damage to the Miami/Coral Gables area in its own right. As the security guards around the UM campus make sure students do not enter the roped-off “disaster areas” and the crisis worsens in the Gulf Coast area, our problems seem trivial.

Is our private school campus of mostly middle to high income families an example that the rich get help before the poor? With such speed that the Coral Gables area was provided help, one would think a catastrophic disaster in a larger area would receive help even quicker. This has not been the case for those in Louisiana and the surrounding ravaged areas.

As one of many African American men pleads, “Take care of us, we need you (CNN),” we live like kings and queens. I lost air-conditioning for one night in the apartment area during the hurricane. Many students living off-campus lost electricity for days. Other on-campus students, blinded from the outside, partied all night in Clubs Hecht, Stanford, Pearson, Mahoney, and Eaton.

The royal treatment that UM on-campus residents received during and after Hurricane Katrina as opposed to the struggle for help in the Gulf Coast region is an example of the disorganized priorities that our country and government undertakes. The government officials speaking out to the hurricane victims seem as expressionless and stone-cold as when attempting to convince our country that our occupation in Iraq is for a greater good.

On September 1, President Shalala announced that UM is currently trying to accommodate many students displaced by Hurricane Katrina by enrolling them in available classes. This is a noble gesture, and it shows that we are more concerned about the well-being of students’ education than the iconic banyan tree. We should all be so generous in some way.

Like President Shalala, there are many good souls doing their part for the relief effort in what is the second year of devastating hurricanes across many states. As Hurricane Katrina barreled past south Florida and into the Gulf of Mexico, where was the help for those who could not evacuate? There was time. Two and a half days to be exact. Ask NOAA.

If lack of money and man-power was an issue, perhaps we now realize we have over extended ourselves in the folly of war in the Middle East while we still have much to take care of at home. According to the New York Times (9/3), when asked, “Do we have enough National Guard troops?” President Bush responded, "Of course we do." We should all feel so convinced.

This Article Published in "The Hurricane"

Grand Theft Adults Only

Children and teens will have to wait until they turn 18 before they can get their dose of virtual, video game sex, but the killing of people and fantasy creatures rages on. This past summer, Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas video game had its rating changed from “Mature” to “Adults Only.” The new rating implicates that no one under the age of 18 is allowed to purchase the game. Select retailers have already removed the popular game and its new rating from their shelves.

This comes in the aftermath of an Internet modification that enables players to enter an otherwise hidden sex scene and minigame. The principal character then engages in sexual positions with all his clothes while the woman is naked.

Amid the outcry over a sex scene, obtainable only through the process of Internet downloading, Democratic senators Hillary Clinton and Joseph Lieberman voiced their outrage with Rockstar’s video game. Despite the graphic violence of the game, which allows players to engage in brutal deaths, it took a secret hack-job of sexual pornography for Capitol Hill to denounce the game.

Are censors trying to make an example out of GTA: San Andreas? While this game and other violent games flood the retail markets, in his New York Times Op-Ed (7/22), Thomas Friedman describes the distribution of Islamgames at the Iqra Learning Center in Leeds, England. In the game “Ummah Defense I”, the world has “finally united under the Banner of Islam in 2114, until a revolt by disbelievers. The player’s goal is to seek out and destroy violence against others.” This game further divides the ideological differences between Islam and the Western world, and it may be Capitol Hill’s next biggest concern.

With sexually explicit porn sites a mouse click away and virtual violence role-playing at our hands on Xbox, PS2, and other game consoles, what are we trying to safeguard our children against? From the explicit and verbal violence in movies to music, it usually takes an act of juvenile violence before someone notices. The Columbine shootings brought accusations against music artist Marilyn Manson and video games such as Doom. If we want to stop future damage, perhaps politicians need to sit and play Grand Theft Auto or a similar game for themselves.

Now that the “Adults Only” rating is used, no longer will the images of sex drift into children’s and teens’ minds while playing a particular video game. Children are creative; they will find it elsewhere. Let us hope all the uncensored gun shooting in video games does not make a child a better marksman or trigger some mental imbalance causing a rampage shooting accident.

Censors and Senators Clinton and Lieberman are sending gray messages in a world of black, white, and red violence. It is unrealistic to believe that we can safeguard the youth culture from entertainment violence, but we fail at making the minor improvements where we can. It was not until a modified sex clip was attacked that the scarlet “AO” was embroidered on boxes of GTA: San Andreas. The killing of police officers, women, and thugs had previously warranted the playability by “mature” users.

A double standard lurks in the country, giving life to violence and death to sex. In a country that favors war as the end-all solution to conflict, it is no surprise that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas came under heat for its hidden sex content rather than its violent game play. As for its gun-slinging, civilian-killing protagonist, he is no longer allowed to have intercourse. Sex is dirty. Killing is tolerated.

This Article Published in "The Hurricane"

The War in Iraq: A Sad Look Back

I have spent my summers in Cape May Point, New Jersey for the last 19 years. For the past three summers, two little hands periodically knocked on my door. It was the neighbor’s boys, two brothers, one seven and one five. They came to my father and me looking for help with fixing their bikes. This year I took the boys to the beach where we tossed nets into the ocean hoping to catch some crabs. Their eyes lit up with every crab we trapped.

Their father, Michael Kelly, was the Washington Post Writer’s Group syndicated columnist and past editor for The Atlantic Monthly. He also wrote Martyrs’ Day: Chronicle of a Small War and Things Worth Fighting For. The last summer I saw Mike, I helped him shovel sand into his backyard so his boys had a safe play area. Like mine, this was the Kelly family’s summer home.

When this war in Iraq began, he was one of the first journalists to go; he had covered Desert Storm. At the beginning of the war in Iraq, when the news networks reported a humvee accident that killed a journalist, the conflict in Iraq hit me hard and everyone else connected through Mike.

I cannot leave my home without seeing those two little bikes parked next to the yellow house on the dunes. Walking out of my house is a constant reminder of the effect the war in Iraq has had on the Kellys and many other families affected by this war.

As the war progresses and the death toll rises, the more we at home are joined by these unfortunate losses. There is no telling the length of our stay in Iraq or its outcome, but as in any war, the damages are irreparable. Tremendous suffering occurs on all sides.

The impact of death is far worse than death itself. To shield the public, the media rarely reports on life after suicide bombings, insurgent surprise attacks, or stealth precision bombing. As life speeds ahead, creating news by the minute, we bury the stories that came before. All it takes is a picture, a newspaper clipping, the recitation of a dead soldier’s name, or two little boys with bike problems, and all those events of yesterday become reality again.

Life is filled with tragedies. No person should ever have to go through a senseless tragedy, but for those who do, life is forever altered in a way that they and their loved ones will only know.

We struggle through the rise of gas prices, the president’s decisions, our occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan, political scandals, and life. With the impermanence of life comes the permanenence of death, and the emptiness that death leaves may grow smaller but it never completely closes.

Twenty-five years from now, when we have seen what became of the war in Iraq, the combat will be another piece of US history; a time of suffering in this country cemented in the history books. For some mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, and friends, it will be a time when a loved one went away and never came back. In any conflict, foreign or domestic, we sacrifice something for the cause. As generations of people across the globe have seen, a war is fought not only on the battlefield but on our front doorsteps.

Mike Kelly will be remembered by his fellow journalists, his family, and his friends. Through his examples, Mike taught me to always try to live one’s life with concern for the truth, as well as standing up for the little guy when the big guy grows too powerful. For all those who have died and suffered in this Iraq war, it does not make it easier when the reasons for going to war now appear tainted.

This Article Published in "The Hurricane"

We Are the Weirdoes

Tuned in to Court TV, I listened as Michael Jackson was found not guilty on all counts. With the Jackson 5 quietly playing on my laptop, I thought back to the days when Michael was African-American and appeared to be normal. Now innocent on molestation, conspiracy, and alcohol charges, he is white and weird. I was stunned as the words “not guilty” were read 14 times, but moreover, I came to the conclusion that we, though not including me, are the weirdoes.

With every verdict, a woman released a white dove, and another person held a sign that read “Michael, on behalf of mankind, we’re sorry.” For these Jackson worshippers and others who deify the King of Pop, their idol returns to the Neverland Ranch a free man.

It is scary to think that the hundreds of sign-toting fans who waited for hours outside of the Santa Maria, California courthouse are in fact your future jurors. What these future jurors fail to realize is that a difference exists between Michael Jackson, the entertainer, and Michael Jackson, the man. He is no longer the man who once “thrilled” us, and the jury refused to brand him a “smooth criminal.”

As fans moved the party from the courthouse to the gates of the Neverland Ranch, a man who shares his bed with children was placed into both Hollywood and legal history. For a singer who has been in the celebrity limelight for decades, a part of his fan base was undeterred by the accusations that were at hand.

Those people whose lives are mesmerized by celebrities often fail to separate the human from the celebrity. Stripping Michael Jackson to a no-name, accused, child molester, we would be far from releasing doves into the air.

Celebrity lovers immortalize stars forgetting that these icons are as human as the rest of us. Not even celebrities are immune from the mental suffering that plagues mankind. Yes, celebrities make mistakes like the rest of us, but there should be no difference between a celebrity’s mistake and your neighbor’s mistake.

The Michael Jackson case is evidence that a percentage of the American population have their priorities in disorder. The King of Pop may be free, but our servicemen and women are still chained to the soil of Iraq. Three dollars per gallon of gas looms in the future. The Aids crisis in Africa worsens as U.S. aid has not yet met expectations. Should we release a dove when a human being dies in Iraq or Africa?

While fans waited patiently in the afternoon heat for the fragile Jackson, family members of servicemen and woman wait patiently in their homes for verdicts on the lives of their sons and daughters. No one is knocking down the gates to the white house.

It is no surprise that Michael Jackson’s superstar status brought out the masses to support him in his time of need. If enough people can rally for an acquitted child molester, let’s hope we will see the same vigor taken to the streets in protest of other credible current events. We can listen to the album “Thriller” as much as we want, but it will not help pay for gas. Michael may be free but can he help my unemployed uncle find a job in a country whose job market floats oversees?

Maybe the parents who allow their children to sleep with Jackson are to blame. Maybe Jackson himself is the only one to blame. Regardless, on behalf of humankind, I apologize for us.

Holiday Day Blues

Memorial Day marks the beginning of the summer of 2005 has finally begun. College and high school seniors graduate. “Star Wars: Episode III” kicked off the summer blockbuster movies. We’ve filibustered the Senate and fili-blasted Iraq. We’re throwing burgers and dogs on the grill, dishing out potato salad and slices of homemade apple pie, and cracking open a case of ice cold Michelob Ultra (We have to watch our carbs before we hit the beach). By the way, it was Memorial Day Weekend.

My 17-year-old sister made a very astute observation concerning Memorial Day. “We are a country that honors our dead servicemen and women with a celebration of cookouts, beer, and road trips,” she said. Yes, young Rega, this is very true, however such similar celebrations for other serious “holidays” is all too typical for the average American.

Jesus Christ’s birth is bombarded with twinkling lights, panicking shoppers, making out underneath plants, and most importantly presents. To remember the magical oil that lasted for eight days, Jews devour potato pancakes, pass around chocolate money, and most importantly exchange presents. St. Patrick’s Day makes our dreams of drinking green beer come true, and let’s not forget all of the bunnies, ducks, rabbits, and chocolate that helped Jesus rise from the dead.

At the end of summer, we celebrate Labor Day to honor the working class with a final barbeque before the kids are shipped back to school. The burgers, dogs, and slaw are put on the table for one last time, and the Budweiser is sucked down because we have nine months before we need to look good for the beach again. Once we amass giant piles of refuse from our three day weekend of pigging out and revelry, we send the working class back to their jobs the next day to clean it all up and keep us fed again.

In between the meat patties and a brew, what is it that this country really celebrates? Year after year, holidays and commemorations become code words for parties and togetherness. I don’t want to be a downer on togetherness because holidays and commemorations do have many positives such as the ability to bring family and friends together amidst their time-deprived lives. However, firing up the grill as we attempt to remember those who fought bravely for our country, while men and women are on the front lines in Iraq, seems ridiculous.

During the Memorial Day weekend, I found that a majority of the public that I interacted with rejoiced with the coming of this holiday weekend. Memorial Day food specials caught my attention as I entered my local supermarket. In retails stores, salespeople wished my weekend well. Additionally, I was asked if I had any plans to celebrate. I’ve decided to sit around a giant American flag in my home and pass out presents with a plate of ribs in one hand and an Atkins bar in the other. I wonder if people truly know why we celebrate Memorial Day. If the retail world is gearing up for a holiday celebration, then so does the rest of the country.

The “gift holidays” are just as guilty as Memorial Day. From the day after Thanksgiving until the New Year, our country is put into retail frenzy as we gobble up every conceivable electronic device, article of clothing, and talking stuffed animal in a strong effort to please our family and friends. Our money flies out of our pockets like its Monopoly money. In the end, religious symbolism and togetherness are generally overshadowed by wrapping paper and an empty wallet.

This all is a product of the excessive nature of Americans and America’s brand of capitalism. Any excuse to throw a party and get liquored up is quickly seized. Presents in exchange for love and happiness? I’ll take it.

When we aren’t celebrating, we walk around declaring that we are good Americans. How can we be so good when honoring the dead is a call for celebration or the resurrection of the dead equals chocolate rabbits? I do not want to discredit these moments that bring joy into the lives of many or proselytize that we should all sit in our homes depressed, but perhaps we could take a little more time for reflecting upon the dead and suffering that wars have caused and a little less time wasting away in Jimmy Buffet’s “Margaritaville.” We can make war obsolete if we recognize the suffering it has caused.

When Tantrums Put You in Handcuffs

Around the age of six years old, I engaged in my first fight…with my speech teacher. During one speech lesson, I became extremely irritable and could no longer sit through this woman’s tutoring. I proceeded to scream in defiance and kick her in her legs. After hearing, “No one kicks Mrs. Whoever,” I finally calmed down and the issue was resolved within five minutes. I was punished by my mother, but as I look back, at least I was not placed in handcuffs by three uniformed cops.

A young girl in a similar situation was not so lucky. According to MSNBC.com, the cameras were recording in a classroom at the Fairmount Park Elementary school in St. Petersburg, Florida as a five-year-old girl became upset over an incident that happened in her math class. As the video shows, the girl can be seen swatting her arms at the assistant principle as she tries to calm the child. After an hour after the situation began, three armed and uniformed police arrived at the school where they handcuffed the child and placed her in the police car. The teachers were apparently unable to handle the situation.

From the video, the child was not destructive nor did she in anyway cause pain to the teachers. A small five-year-old girl can swing her arms, but she cannot throw a punch. She acted unruly as any other child throwing a tantrum.

I would like to know the type of adult that is unable to deal with a child’s hissy fit. What kind of society have we become that handcuffs a child for displaying her anger at something? Where do the police come off thinking that this situation needed to be dealt with like they were arresting a robber or a murderer?

The young girl could be heard repeatedly screaming “No!” on the video. It is a disgrace to the police and to this school that they felt the situation could only end in handcuffs. Elementary school teachers are supposed to deal with the problems of young children. Part of dealing with anger and being reprimanded when appropriate is all part of the childhood learning process. If the police were called every time a child became upset and started throwing a tantrum, they would have no time to arrest those delinquents who truly should be placed in handcuffs.

Where has the public’s reasoning and morals gone? If you cannot deal with the emotions of a five-year-old, then do not be a parent or work with children. We are dealing with a kindergarten student. Her short life has already begun with a traumatizing situation. The social values of our society are deteriorating. We rush to blame everyone else besides ourselves and do not take responsibility for our own actions. Common sense has been replaced by stupidity and ignorance. I am pleased to know that this is the education my future children will one day receive.

This Article Published in "The Hurricane"

Bringing the “Relay” Home to UM

For the past five years now, I have participated in the American Cancer Society’s signature fundraising activity Relay For Life in my hometown of Sarasota, Florida. It is an overnight event where teams of ten to fifteen people walk or run around a track in an effort to fight cancer and support those affected by this disease. Relay was started in the mid 1980s by Dr. Gordon Klatt, a surgeon from Tacoma, Washington. He was looking for a way to raise the income of his local American Cancer Society. Money is raised before and during the event by individuals and through team fundraising that is donated towards cancer treatments and finding a cure.

The event opens with an honorary first lap by cancer survivors. It is followed by the special Luminaria Ceremony which begins at dark. Individual lights outline the track in a sentimental moment of inspiration and hope. The event continues into the morning where it ends with a closing ceremony.

On Friday, April 1^st, and into the morning of April 2^nd, I participated in the Pinecrest/ Palmetto Bay and University of Miami Relay For Life hosted by Palmetto Senior High; my sixth consecutive Relay. I was a member of one of nine teams that participated from UM; there were fifteen additional community teams. As I walked my share of laps and the Luminaria Ceremony brought tears to my eyes, I began to wonder why this Relay For Life was not held on UM’s campus. It would be to UM’s benefit to support the cancer patients and survivors who are a part of the UM community. “The American Cancer Society Relay For Life represents the hope that those lost to cancer will never be forgotten, that those who face cancer will be supported, and that one-day cancer will be eliminated.” (From www.cancer.org)

With a voice in this newspaper, I want express to my fellow students the necessity and importance of bringing an event of this positive nature to the school. Last year, UM participated in the Coral Gables Relay For Life, and with each year, the number of teams and money raised has doubled. This year roughly one hundred UM students raised over $10,000. Without question there could be hundreds more to line a track on the IM fields if Relay For Life came to campus.

Cancer does not discriminate against anyone. Every dollar donated towards the American Cancer Society is a step towards finding a cure. If Relay For Life is held at UM, I know that the number of people participating, the number of teams formed, and the amount of money raised will greatly exceed what was achieved this year and last year. Contact umrelay4life@hotmail.com to get involved with UM’s Relay For Life and visit www.cancer.org to visit the American Cancer Society’s website.

This article published in "The Hurricane"

Thank You Chartwells: A Response

This is in response to my article about Chartwells, the University of Miami food service. I had a meeting with the Director of Auxiliary Services and this is in response to that.

Three days after the publication of my opinion piece regarding Chartwell’s hours of operation in the March 25^th issue, I received an email from Mel Tenen, Director of Auxiliary Services. He wanted to meet with me regarding my article to discuss my ideas and what Chartwells has done in the past with its hours. At first, I could not believe that my article had sparked enough interest to elicit an email, let alone a personal meeting.

With great ease, I spoke with Mr. Tenen for about an hour. He was very receptive to listening to the concerns of the students. I learned that the hours of operation are not determined by Chartwells; they are determined by Auxiliary Services and have been improved from recent years. To my surprise, Mr. Tenen was already working with Chartwells and Student Government to improve the hours of operation. He is looking into extending breakfast past 10 A.M. during the week and extending dinner past seven P.M. on Sundays. My constant nightly prayers were heard.

I want to thank Mr. Tenen for his time and seeking solutions for all of our concerns. He is extremely willing to work with students and student organizations in matters like Chartwells and other departments within the Auxiliary Services. His goal is to help us get the most out of our college experience and the meal plans.

On a final note, I am going to put an end to rumor that has been circulating the dining halls. Laxatives are not used in the food.

Can Pro-Life and Marriage Go Hand-In-Hand?

The man who wants to keep the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman now is taking the necessary steps to intervene between the rights of a husband and wife. If our country wants to preserve the biblical sacredness of marriage, revoking the rights of a spouse in favor of parents is hypocrisy.

The Terri Schiavo life or death case returns to the news as President George W. Bush and the Republicans try to pass a bill that would reinsert Schiavo’s feeding tube. According to MSNBC, On March 18^th, Michael Schiavo, Terri’s husband and legal guardian, requested the removal of her feeding tube. As the bill to prolong Terri’s life passed through the Senate, Democrats are scrambling to stop the bill from passing through the House of Representatives. Now President Bush waits with pen in hand to sign the bill as soon as it reaches his desk.

The Republicans in our government, backed by our president, are attempting to overrule Michael Schiavo’s legal guardian status and side with Terri’s parents. With a legal marriage comes guardianship. Married couples become the decision makers for each other, not their respective parents.

Michael Schiavo has publicly stated that before his wife’s brain damage, she confided in him that she would not want to live if ever left paralyzed in a vegetative state. As this man is the legal guardian of his wife, his voice becomes the voice of his wife. We see the intervention of the U.S. government because we are dealing with conflicting feelings over the life of a human.

Here is the perfect chance for Republicans and Democrats to make advancements in the issue of pro-life versus pro-choice. President Bush continues to follow his religious-born ideal of pro-life. However, the Bible never stipulated whether the parents or spouse should have control over the other spouse when in a vegetative state. (Dramatic gasp.) President Bush may have to come to his own conclusions. In this case, he will put aside his deep feelings for the sacred bond of marriage in favor of his pro-life beliefs.

There is the possibility for exceptions to rules. If there is to be the exception to allow Schiavo’s parents to take control of their daughter’s life, then this must lead to further exceptions. When and if the bill to reinsert Schiavo’s feeding tube passes, homosexuals should then allow to legally marry. The laws passed in several states that have outlawed gay marriages must be overruled. Our president cannot show a strong stance on an issue, if in one instance he makes a rejection and then makes an exception.

As the 2004 Presidential Election neared, both candidates took their stances on defining marriage between a man and a woman. As our country elected President Bush, he was in control to ensure the blessed union of marriage. Now as a conflict arises between guardianship of parents versus married couples, President Bush and Republicans want to break the cherished bond of marriage. Who would have thought that both 2004 Presidential candidates were “flip-floppers?”

Purses, Sunglasses, and Dogs that Fit into Hand Bags

Thanks Louis Vuitton. Thanks Versace. Thanks Armani. You men and other high-end designers have successfully made the women within the University of Miami bubble more interested in you than the real men on campus. You successfully created a world where a majority of women and some men wear to class what they will wear to a South Beach club that same night.

The designer fashion trends spread way beyond UM’s women and men, who are commonly known as metrosexuals. Since we live in one of the largest cities in the country, with late-night, hot-spot South Beach as our neighbor, it is inevitable that the need to dress to impress will carry over from the clubs to the classes.

As a male student sits in class next to a woman with a designer bag, wallet, and sunglasses, there can be an immediate intimidation factor. Is this a woman who needs everything laid out on a red carpet? Will she only take interest in me for my bank account? I have no money in my wallet but dining dollars on my cane card, will she enjoy a romantic meal together at Chartwells? These questions and others similar may run through the heads of some men.

Without a doubt, there are men with deep wallets who are fearless when it comes to the stigma of the fashion designers. However, for those who are not in this monetary situation, women with an exceedingly large amount of designer paraphernalia create an invisible wall to a group of men.

It doesn’t help the situation if the designer bag is a cheap knock off. First, men generally cannot tell the difference between a real and fake Louis Vuitton purse. And second, if you have a fake purse, you probably want a real one and a man who can give you one.

When a man sees groups of women pile into taxi cabs headed for South Beach each weekend, he may begin to wonder if these women are the majority. Let’s face it; the appeal of Miami draws large crowds, so inevitably the majority of women one encounters at UM want to experience the thrilling night life. If a man chooses to limit his association with “designer women” be it by choice or intimidation, finding women other than Paris Hilton look-a-likes becomes a great challenge.

The fact exists that private institutions, like UM, attract more affluent students. Therefore, we see this large portion of “designer women” enter every year as freshmen. The typical, “I’m a college student and don’t have any money,” image declines in private colleges. Instead the, “I’m a college student and can go to South Beach every weekend,” image abounds.

This article published in "The Hurricane"

Chartwells: It’s Not the Food, It’s the Hours

This article is in reference to the dining hall service at my university.

One of the highest forms of flattery when you write commentary is suggestions from your readers about writing on a certain subject to get the word out. Numerous friends and readers have expressed their frustration to me about the Chartwells dining service. Since I agree with the criticism, I have decided to make Chartwells the subject of this commentary.

Charties or Fartwells? Call it what you will, but it still is Chartwells. Generally, the food at the dining halls goes down relatively well, but once it’s down, it just does not stay down. The fact that after meals, students sprint to the bathrooms speaks for itself.

Putting the quality of food aside, the hours of operation at the dining halls are suitable for Seinfeld’s parents’ retirement village at Del Boca Vista. The hours of each meal do not cater to the needs of the students, who the dining hall is working for. I cannot remember the last time I was awake for breakfast. If you have no classes before eleven, you cannot eat breakfast because the dining hall is closed for an hour to setup for lunch. Two days a week, my classes begin at two. No matter what time of day it is, even if I have just woken up, I just cannot eat a burger or hotdog for breakfast.

During the weekends, breakfast should be served all day. Let’s do a reality check: the number of people awake during breakfast hours on the weekend is usually very slim. Additionally, Chartwells closes at seven on weekends. On the weekends, most students are ready for lunch at seven. Last weekend I walked into Chartwells at 6:45 PM for my first serving of food. As I went for seconds, the clock showed exactly seven and all of the dining stations were closed. All the food was gone except for jello and pudding. For the amount that is paid for a meal plan, students deserve the opportunity for seconds.

The dining hall is on campus to feed the students. The life of a college student is drastically different from the life of high school students. For most college students, everything is usually done later. We sleep late, we go out late, we are up late doing work, and most of all, we eat late.

When a student is at the mercy of a meal plan, his or her schedule seems to revolve around the hours of Chartwells. However, the hours of operation should be more flexible to cater to the needs of students. Additionally, Chartwells should continue to serve food, even beyond closing time, to those still dining. Like restaurants, closing time would mean locking the doors to further patrons, but the diners already inside would not be shoved out.

I understand the difficulty of the logistics and organization of running Chartwells, however the Chartwells issue should be investigated by Student Government, since they are the ones who can intervene on behalf of the student body. The last thing we at UM want is for its students to become either malnourished or in need of fluids from dehydration.

By the way, Chartwells closed during the week of spring break. I had to eat out for every meal; I didn’t complain.

This article published in "The Hurricane"

Do You Remember that Hurricane Named Charley?

I live four hours north-west of UM in Sarasota. Each time I drive home, I must travel through the cities of Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte that were ravaged by hurricane Charley. As I drove from Sarasota back to UM at the end of our month-long winter break, I once again drove through two cities that made national news about five months ago.

Much has occurred in our nation and throughout the world since hurricane Charley touched land in southwest Florida. President Bush was elected to a second presidential term, a tsunami devastated Southeast Asia, and Iraq successfully held democratic elections, to name a few major events.

As November rolled in, the hurricane season finally blew out to sea. The various news broadcast networks now had other current events to report on rather than hurricanes. The media spotlight was turned off in southwest Florida just when those without homes began their rebuilding process.

Five months after hurricane Charley disappeared from Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte, do Americans realize that light posts on I-75 are still bent in half? Or that piles of rubble the size of a two story house still exist where houses once stood? Five months from now will all of the victims of the Southeast Asia tsunami be identified? Will all of the structures be rebuilt? Will anyone remember these tragedies or even care?

Although the hurricane and tsunami left different death tolls, the harsh reality of each’s effects are equally felt by those directly affected. The news broadcast media subjugates these once major news events until they are replayed for the “year-in-review-montage” that every news network plays the week before the New Year.

Instead of reporting on news of entertainment value, such as award shows, sports updates, and celebrity break-ups, news networks should report on truly informative news. News shows should update the nation on topics of important concern. As I have opined before, news networks have lost some sense of the real news stories. The citizenry needs to be enlightened on the daily happenings concerning pertinent human affairs. No one would probably ever let me run a news network; I would air too much real news. Leave the entertainment updates to ESPN and E!.

This Article Published in "The Hurricane"

What do Golden Globes and Prince Harry Have in Common?

One morning during my winter break, I sat watching one of the major news networks, though it could have been anyone of them, for about an hour and a half. It was your typical news show where two anchors report the latest news events. I had hoped to start my day by informing myself on the morning’s developments in our nation and our world. To my astonishment, I was not informed of any ongoing crises in this world. Had the Iraq War finally ended? Were the tsunami ravaged regions finally rebuilt? Was California given a break from the snow and rain? Had no shots, explosions, or other violent acts been committed within this nearly two hour period?

For this short period of time, our world was in a state of peace. With no urgent news at hand, the news anchors were finally able to focus on the real stories. I had grown tired of hearing about the reality of death and destruction. So, I listened intently.

Television viewers were informed on the secrets of the French physique, Prince Harry’s Nazi debacle, the weekend movies to see and not to see, and all the latest gossip over the upcoming Hollywood movie awards. As I sat learning that French women savor their food in moderation, “Elektra” suffers from the curse of Ben Affleck, and Prince Harry is the world’s biggest moron (despite a fine education), I realized that all of the stories of death and destruction were just “filler” for these pressing news stories.

How can anyone possibly worry about the newest death toll in Iraq when Jamie Foxx received three Golden Globe nominations? The report on how important fashion is at these award ceremonies enlightened me to the life of a show biz star. But wait, no more diets- French women are encouraging people to eat the foods that they enjoy. (The only catch is not eating until explosion.)

Once this news program ended and the next one aired, the temporary world peace came to an end. The anchor reported on the court-marshalling of U.S. Army Spc. Charles Graner Jr. for his role in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, the latest developments in the Iraq war, and the rising waters in South California and the mid-west. As I watched and listened to the stories I originally tuned in for, depression began to set in, once again. Finally, watching the news wasn’t entertainment or a joke anymore. Without haste, a beautiful news bunny and hunky reporter returned to report on the And 1 street basketball team; the peace had returned.

In the end, Charles Graner Jr. became the scapegoat in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, as there was a failure by journalists to question the roles of top Pentagon officials. While the real news was swept under the rug, we at least know how French women stay thin.

This Article Published in "The Hurricane"

Where is the Voice of Our Generation?

As the United States prepared itself for the 2004 presidential election, I did as well. From the moment I realized that I would be eligible to vote in the 2004 election, I began to tune myself into the issues that concern our country and the rest of the world. Like many young apathetic students, I felt I never had time for the daily events of the world and our nation. Once my country officially recognized me with the right to vote, I understood that I could no longer hide behind a veil of ignorance.

With knowledge of current events, I find myself at a crossroad. As I witness my country use its military might for both “presidentially-assured, positive” destruction in the Middle East and for selfless aid in the Southeast Asia region, I cannot help but ponder over the hypocrisy of our country’s choices. These are the two faces of American foreign policy.

So, I write here today to ask college students a simple question; something that the citizens of the ‘60s did not think twice about. Why is it that in our current time of war, we seem so indifferent to make our youthful opinions known? Do we not care about life beyond our country or our state or our city or our college? Are we satisfied with the policies of our country? In a military quagmire that slowly begins to mirror the Vietnam War, why are we miserably apathetic? Do we need a draft before we begin to strongly protest the Iraq war or how our government is handling its world power? Where is the outrage?

The nation is divided in half between red staters and blue staters. Fifty percent of the U.S. wanted change, but in the end more was lost than hours in lines at the voting booths. Was that fire for change left at the voting booth? The flame ought to burn brighter than ever. Not even those who pushed for round two of our current administration could possibly be satisfied with the current mess we are in now.

As we continue the process of burying our service men and women, we at home in the U.S. sip Starbucks and listen to our iPods. I ask that you turn off that iPod, put down that PDA, and hang up that cell phone. It is not too late to turn on a news broadcast, read the newspaper, and search the Internet. It is time to educate ourselves of the current events in this nation and beyond. College is the time to form our own opinions. This country is built upon freedom of speech, religion, press, and the right to assemble. Never forget this and never allow anyone to impede upon these unalienable rights. Make your youthful opinions known; peacefully protest, write articles, send letters, create songs, start web blogs. Let your voices be heard; there is always someone who is listening. This is how we make change in America happen.

This Article Published in "The Hurricane"

Can the Southeast Asia Earthquake Unite the World?

Readers of my commentaries, which have been graciously published by The Hurricane, know by now that I focus on social and political issues. But now I am about to embark on presenting the most brilliant revelation UM has ever heard. Space aliens; we need an alien invasion. This moment of extreme clarity came to me while I was watching the 1952 movie adaptation of H. G. Wells’s novel, “The War of the Worlds.” Since 9/11, I have been pondering on what it would take to better our world, and at last, this stunning 1950’s visual effects movie has given me the answer.

We need aliens from another plant to infiltrate the earth’s atmosphere and wage a war on what billions of humans call home. How could an alien invasion possibly help the world’s current violent condition, you ask? Like in “The War of the Worlds,” an alien invasion would cause all nations to put aside their cultural, religious, ideological, and political differences in an effort to defeat the enemy aliens. As the aliens begin to wreak havoc, a world coalition of militaries, which would be called the World Military Defense (WMD), would fight off our foes.

An alien invasion could be a solution to many of our planet’s problems. The Iraq War would come to a quick halt as insurgents and coalition fighters now point their weapons to the skies instead of against each other. Osama bin Laden would hide in a cave and make threatening videos against the aliens. Greed and animosity amongst people would gradually cease to exist. All human efforts would be directed towards overcoming the enemy aliens. People will realize that there is no longer a place for the trivialities of human differences.

But, then, reality hit me during the last weekend of 2004 as territories in the Southeast Asian region were ravaged by a tragedy of biblical proportions. A 40-foot tsunami, one of the most devastating natural disasters in world history, not space aliens, is beginning to unite the world, at least temporarily. Over 40 nations and counting are focusing their attention to the heavily damaged countries as they donate millions of dollars and military aid to the relief efforts.

We cannot stop the catastrophic forces of Mother Nature. We can, however, make sure that humankind never allows itself to create a disaster of mass destruction.

We should only be satisfied when all nations and all people unite for making the planet a better place to live. The tsunami was an unfortunate cause for the planet to come together to provide aid, but the war in Iraq and on terror continues to go on. Suffering and death goes on unabated. Bombs continue to explode in Iraq. We can come together for a natural disaster such as this tsunami, but still the rest of the world remains the same. I still believe we will need the aliens.