What’s news made of these days?

It seems like I only see two types of news these days, the gruesome and the depressing. Today as I skimmed the most popular news stories, I saw no uplifting stories or inspiring articles-I only saw those about war, the failing economy, and death. Why does America constantly feed into this negative news source?

What the news talks about  is truly based upon what the public watches and researches, but with all the negative coverage that is presented to us daily, it is no surprise that as a country we feel constant distress. In no other country is there such paranoia based solely upon what the media covers, but there is also a decline in the integrity of the way the news delivered. With this constant streaming of live news on our smart phones, computers, and TVs, information is often misinterpreted. News stations almost seem too hasty to break a story, rather than being concerned with the facts or the substance of said story. So we are constantly reminded of the negative news that makes headlines today, we must also ask ourselves if it is factual and if the reporters have done their work correctly.

Does this effect America as a whole? Do we more so than other countries live in fear because of the media and it’s power over our daily lives? Perhaps the only thing we can do to change this pessimistic path is to ignore the constant negative news in our Twitter feeds, and CNN updates. After all, what makes breaking isn’t always relevent.

Peace in the Middle East?

For centuries, the unrest and turmoil within the Middle East has cause world conflict and devastation to many. But now, it seems that there may be a glimmer of hope and a possible resolution to thousands of years of oppression and horror that has plagued the Middle East and Northern Africa.

Recent developments in the Middle East like the death of Osama bin Laden by American troops and the democratic movement sweeping Egypt have many agreeing that this is the time to show support to those seeking change in those countries. Obama recently met with G-8 leaders in a conference in Normandy where it was decided that now is the time to end Gaddafi’s reign, and usher in a new era of democracy.

But is it truly possible? After thousands of years of oppression, can the Middle East fully accept and work under a democratic system? Only time will tell, but this could truly be a moment that will change the course of world history.

Well if Gisele Bundchen wears it….

This week as I flipped through the pages of Elle, an ad caught my eye. Supermodel and Victoria’s Secret Angel  Gisele Bundchen laying carelessly on a dreamy white set in an elegant floral dress. The only text within the ad read; “H&M dress- $14.95″. That alone was enough to inform me how brilliant this ad actually was.

By those two words alone, I was fully aware of what this ad was supposed to make me think. “Oh, that dress is from H&M, its only $15, and Gisele is wearing it. I can be like her, dress like her, and look like her-without spending hundreds of dollars.” For the millions of young women who read magazines weekly, the ads filling up these pages are designed to sell ideas and products to the audience. Designers and companies seem to target the weakness of all young women-insecuirty about their appearance.

Young women obsessing over diets, celebrity workout routines, and “what’s hot and what’s not” is affecting not only their self-esteem, but also their own ideas of self-worth.  Due to ad companies determining what is beauty and what is socially acceptable women around the world are lost within a false idea of perfection.

Ads like the one I saw in Elle are the root of the problem as well as the media who continues to endorse a false sense of reality to millions of individuals across the nation. Until I can look through a magazine and stop seeing ads that are not about the clothes or  the shoes, but rather ads that are specifically are created to sell insecurity to women, I find there is little hope or refuge for our generation.

No Photos Please

Last Sunday, when President Obama announced the death of Osama bin Laden I was at sushi with friends and family. The restaurant became quiet, and although food kept coming out of the kitchen no one dared to speak and no one ate. The news left the entire room in shock, and we sat and watched in silence as history was made.

However soon after the speech ended, there was talk of when photos of Osama’s dead body would be released to the public, and who was it that fired the fatal shot which killed the most nortorious terrorist of the decade?

But is it right  to release such gruesome information to the public all for the sake of justification? More importantly, is it safe to release information on the soldier who killed bin Laden? Will Al Qaeda target this individual and his/her family? How far will the public go, and what will we risk to satisfy rumor?

Thankfully, Obama released a statement Wednesday that post-mortem photos will not be released of bin Laden. According to CBS news, the photos were reported to be far too graphic and violent to share with the public. However, in a poll conducted by KTLA, 80% of KTLA viewers still want to see proof that the terrorist is really deceased.

Republican House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers told CBS,

“Conspiracy theorists around the world will just claim the photos are doctored anyway, and there is a real risk that releasing the photos will only serve to inflame public opinion in the Middle East,” said Rogers.

“Imagine how the American people would react if al Qaeda killed one of our troops or military leaders, and put photos of the body on the internet,” he continued. “Osama bin Laden is not a trophy — he is dead and let’s now focus on continuing the fight until Al Qaeda has been eliminated.”

As Rogers stated, this situation is truly a doubled edged sword. All we can do is stay focused as a nation to uphold the integrity of our country through support, diligence, and faith in each other. These are times of violence and imminent revenge from Al Qaeda groups seems inevitable–with or without post-mortem photos of bin Laden. We must focus on the bigger picture-our safety and future as a nation, not what the media and conspiracy theorists dictate as true or false.

When Proof Fails

It seems as though President Obama can’t do anything right. This week, after much controversy, Obama released his long form birth certifcate. One may ask, how can someone who isn’t born within the U.S. could become president? Well the answer is that they can’t.
There is a small group of individuals within America known as “birthers” who doubt the legitimacy of Obama’s eligibility to he president. Declaring his birth mysterious and possibly false, birthers demanded proof. So Obama released his birth certificate. However, that wasn’t enough.
With the aid of Donald Trump, birthers were able to persuade Obama to release the long form version of his birth certificate. Some say the fact that Obama is of African American desent is what has caused so much controversy. When doubts about John Mcains birth certificate came up, he simply released his birth certificate and that was the end of it. However, in Obama’s case it is never enough. Now, Donald Trump has now asked for the release of Obama’s school records. When will the insanity end?
It is this type of hype that is destroying the foundation of America. Why should we be concerned with such silly and ridiculous news.
In a press conference after the release of his birth certificate, Obama pleaded with the people to stop worrying about this trivial issues, because the bigger picture is that we have a lot more to worry about.

Pop Star Now Leader of Haiti?

It seems that there is a new leader in Haiti-and its former pop star, Michel Martelly also known as  ”Sweet Micky”. This poor and undeveloped country which was recently ravaged by a devastating earthquake which killed over 300,000 people and misplaced thousands more is also facing an impending cholera epidemic.

How is it possible that Martelly, someone with little or no political background, and who’s campaign was based solely upon musical preformances, one has to ask whether or not he is a suitable candidate for a country so desperatley in need of a strong pollitical leader.

Martelly beat out the former first lady of Haiti, Mirlande Manigat with  67.6 percent of the vote. It seems appalling that such a candidate would win the election, however it is nothing new. In times of great upheaval, the masses often turn to political leaders and platforms that appeal to their needs, even if those needs cannot realistically be met.

Martelly’s platform was based upon  free education for all children, a renovation for agricultural, and the renewal of the Haitian army. According to the New York Times, Martelly spent hours learning about how to run a government, dropped his stage name(aka Sweet Mickey), and bought designer suits. The point of all this was for officials to take him seriously about his candidacy. How seriously can you be taken by an entire country ridden with poverty when your stage name is Sweet Micky? Yeah, not at all.

I wish the best for Martelly, and hope that he can restore the country of Haiti, and save its’ inhabitants from devastating poverty, starvation, disease, and illiteracy.

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/michel_martelly/index.html

Crumbling From the Inside Out

So this week, an article on the end of funding for federal programs caught my eye. Apparently, there is some sort of lockdown in the House between Democrats and Republicans about the federal budget. If the two parties do not come to an agreement about the budget within 72 hours, the federal budget will cease and certain programs like the Smithsonian, zoos, and other attractions will shut down.

It seems as though both parties will not budge and this lack of compromise that might lead to a further recession.  It seems that it is this divide between our representatives that has our country in ruins. We are falling apart as a nation from the inside out.

We must come together in this time of need in which our country and its’ people are lost and divided within this whirlwind of economic turmoil.  We cannot afford to have the individuals we elected choose to follow their own party platforms rather than do what is best and just compromise.

It is this stubborn mentality of “my party is right, and yours is wrong” that has truly  tainted politics in America. With this stagnant government, nothing about the deficit nor the 2 1/2 wars we are in, not to mention countless other issues will be solved, and our country will continue to crumble, from the inside out.