A Letter to My Fellow Americans

Dear Fellow Americans,
Congratulations on electing your 45th president!  This sure was a nasty election season, but I hope you made the right choice.  I like to think positively, to think that Donald Trump will do well in his four years at the White House.  I didn't vote for him.  I don't agree with anything he stands for.  But I wish him well.

Having said that, I now want to focus on us, the people of the United States of America.  We all come from various backgrounds, different walks of life, and differing beliefs.  That is what the United States means to me.  Various and different.  Ever changing.  I don't always agree with the changes, but sometimes change needs to happen.

After this election, many people, myself included, were feeling quite unsettled.  I read of people who cried themselves to sleep.  Friends who had to comfort and reassure their children, telling them everything would be all right.  What is everyone so worried about?  Don't they know that the president can't just do anything they want?

People aren't afraid of the newly elected Donald Trump.  They are afraid of the people who voted for him.  Who supported and endorsed him.  Here's why.  Trump was very outspoken during his candidacy.  He accused Mexican immigrants of being drug dealers and rapists.  He said that we need to make vetting for Syrian immigrants more difficult.  He said rude and hurtful things about women.  The people supporting him agreed with what he was saying.  Trump is not the problem.  The people who supported him are.

(On a side note, there are people who voted for Trump who did not agree with everything he said.  They voted for Trump because of the people he chose to work with.  I don't see this as support.)

Support is blindly following and agreeing with everything Trump says and does.  Many people are worried for the future because they believe things are going to go backwards.  No more rights for the LGBT community is one of the greatest fears I have seen so far.  Although I may not support the LGBT community, it doesn't mean I want their rights taken away.  Everyone should have the freedom to choose how they want to live their lives.

That was just an example of the fear people are feeling at this time.  But knowing that family and friends voted for someone who will fight to take away your rights is what scares people most.

My message to all the American citizens is to not be afraid.  Don't stop fighting for what you believe in.  Whether you are for or against something, don't give up the battle.  You still have the right to choose.  Nothing was taken away from you.  The most important thing to do right now is to accept that not everyone thinks the same way you do.  And respect that.  Trump might be able to make this country great again, but not without us.  So change the name on your signs and hats and pins.  Mine would say 'Philip: Make America Great Again'.  Because that's how things should be.

Sincerely,
Philip

I Am Not My Body: My Story

I am locked in a dark place, nowhere to turn, surrounded by demons. All I want is a glimmer of light, to see what is around me. But how do I escape? Where do I find light in a world where darkness rules? I am afraid for my life, waiting for the worst to happen. This may sound like the opening to a horror novel, but what I am describing is real. These feelings run through my mind on a weekly, if not daily, basis. What am I afraid of? Life itself.

Let's back up a little bit, to when I was seven years old. I didn't talk to anyone outside of my immediate family. Not my friends, my babysitter, not even my grandparents. These were all very friendly people. Why wouldn't I talk to them? Wrong question. Why couldn't I talk to them. I could hardly stop talking when it was just my siblings, parents, and me. The ability was there, but was the desire there?

That summer, at seven years old, my mom dragged me to Johns Hopkins for a study on generalized anxiety disorders, which is where I was diagnosed with selective mutism. Selective mutism is one of many forms of an anxiety disorder. The thing is, it is not selective. To select something means to choose something. I didn't ask to not talk to people. The desire to communicate was very strong, in fact. But something inside of me was telling me to keep silent. That's where the anxiety comes into play. My mind was telling me that it was wrong to talk. My seven year old brain accepted that without question.

As I'm sure you are all aware, the brain is a very important part of the body. Without it, one would not be able to feel, think, react. But when people think of mental disorders, they say it's just a bunch of garbage. Or that it is something one can get over. It will go away with time. You can't get over a mental disorder, but you can get through one.  For me, it took years of psychiatrists, therapists, and medications to get where I am now. I went from being a little boy afraid of his own voice to a man who has worked various customer service jobs, teaches Sunday school and Cub Scouts, and absolutely loves meeting new people.  

But what happens now? I am still on medication. I still see a psychiatrist. What has changed? Me. I have changed. I now understand that I can be what I want to be, to not be afraid. I will not be constrained because a part of my body tells me to shut up and hide. Don't get me wrong. The anxiety is still there. The fear still tries to manifest itself, but I push it back into the dark corners of my mind where it belongs.

This topic has become very important to me. In the past, it was easy for me to accept that I was different. While everyone else was up on their feet dancing, I was the wallflower trying to avoid eye contact. I'm still a wallflower, but I now beg for eye contact. I justified everything I did by telling myself it was normal for someone with anxiety to act in such ways, to hide and remain silent. But I am not anxiety. I am a 25-year old college student working to afford gas, just like the guy next door, or the girl down the road. My body tries to tell me what to be, but I am not my body. I am me.

Dump the Trump

 

Dump the Trump

Needless to say, the 2016 Presidential election has been an odd one. Between a woman who cheated to get as far as she did and an egomaniac who tells lies to make himself sound good, it is no wonder many Americans are struggling with who to vote for. Many are considering the third party options, which others claim would be a wasted vote. So how does one decide who to vote for? If you absolutely had to choose between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, who would be the best option?

The biggest problem with this election is that many Democrats refuse to vote for Clinton, and many Republicans refuse to vote for Trump. The elections shouldn't be about parties, though. They should be about who is the best candidate. People need to consider things such as morals and temperaments. While there is plenty of reason to believe that neither candidate has good morals, it is obvious which candidate has the worst temperament.

Let us examine temperaments for a moment. Why is temperament so important you ask? Consider this scenario. The time has come to enroll your child in school. The school gives you the option of two teachers. One, Mr. Johnson, has been teaching for two years. He is a clean cut man who leads an uneventful life. After talking with other parents, though, you learn that Mr. Johnson tends to go on rants and can become verbally abusive to his students. Your other option is Mr. Brown, who has been teaching for ten years. He loves his job and is good at what he does. He is very respectful to the students and just wants to see them succeed. You learn from the other parents that Mr. Brown doesn't live a very clean lifestyle. Weekends find him getting drunk and sometimes violent. Which teacher would you choose? The one who leads a good life but is abusive? Or the one who genuinely cares for the well being of the students but does questionable things over the weekends. Which teacher would you want to help mold your child's future?

Just like picking the best teacher, this year's Presidential election is asking us to make a morally confusing choice. It is time to put morals aside and think about the future of our nation. Do we want a verbally abusive President who leads a clean(-ish) life, or do we want someone with experience who can get the job done, but has done questionable things with her life? It seems like a difficult choice, but it actually fairly simple. Donald Trump is well known for picking fights. Who can forget the feud between him and Rosie O'Donnell a few years back? And all his outbursts during debates, calling people names and speaking disrespectfully about women and other races. What might happen if this man were to run the country?

Jennifer Rubin wrote an article for The Washington Post entitled “What Trump Temper Tantrums Tell Us.” In this article, Rubin recaps various occasions when Trump lost his cool. But it is not the “tantrums” that we should worry about. Rubin writes that “it should concern voters that in negotiations...he would likely let his emotions get the best of him and reveal his weak points.” Why should this be a concern to us? As the leader of the United States, one of Trump's jobs would be to meet with other world leaders. Imagine what would happen if one of these leaders disagreed with or insulted Trump. Would Trump be able to keep a cool head? Or would he blow things out of proportion? It is not difficult to offend people in today's world. If world leaders were to offend each other, they wouldn't just lose their friendship. The results would go much farther than that. We, the United States, could lose valuable allies and exports. Worst case scenario would be war. This may sound a little extreme, but anything is possible.

Steve Chapman of The Chicago Tribune wrote that “anyone who doesn't automatically agree, in his view, is not just mistaken but corrupt.” This further goes to show that anyone who has differing ideas from those of Trump are just asking for trouble. They aren't looking for trouble on purpose, though. Trump assumes that they are and immediately goes on the offensive.

We can all agree that Hillary Clinton doesn't deserve to be President of the United States, but it should be noted that she can keep her head in dire situations. She can handle negotiations with other world leaders. Don't make this election about morals. Make it about what is best for the future of this country.

Works Cited

Chapman, Steve. "Donald Trump's Epic Meltdown - A Narcissistic Con Artist Wallows in Self Pity." Chicago Tribune. 1 June 2016. Web. 24 Aug. 2016.

Jennifer, Rubin. "What Trump Temper Tantrums Tell Us." The Washington Post. 1 June 2016. Web. 24 Aug. 2016.

Blood, Sweat, and Tears

 
Blood, Sweat, and Tears:

Allowing Syrian Refugees Into the United States

   People love to complain. It is either too hot or too cold, too loud or to quiet. This house is too small, the grass is too long, this food tastes awful. As Americans, we find a lot to complain about. We tend to forget how much we actually have. The house is too small, but at least we have a house. The food tastes awful, but at least we have food. Everyday things are taken for granted. We should always try to remember that there are those who are less fortunate then we are.

   Over the years, there have been many different occasions in which people have been forced to flee their homes, to give up everything they hold dear. The most recent group of people to leave their country is the Syrians. These refugees experience hardships that we cannot even begin to imagine. We the people of the United States, in our houses that could be bigger, are not doing enough to help those who have been displaced. Why should we help them? Let us ponder this. What should we know about these people? We need to establish the why, where, and what. Why are so many people fleeing their homes? Where are they going? What is currently happening to them?

   The Washington Post published an article that shows exactly why so many people are leaving Syria. According to the article, 57 percent of the refugees fled Syria because it was unsafe for them to stay. Others left because their homes had been taken over or destroyed by the government, Syrian rebels, or ISIS. With all of this going on, the price of food has sky rocketed leaving many without any money (Alhamad, Mironova, Whitt). Without money, it becomes difficult to pay for housing, casuing people to flee. There are plenty of reasons why people are trying to escape Syria, but the big eye opener should be that they are leaving because they feel unsafe.

   Many Americans have argued that Syrian refugees should not be allowed into the United States because some of them might be terrorists. Wayne Root compared letting refugees into the country to allowing your child to trick-or-treat at a particular house knowing that some of the candy that house is distributing is “laced with poison.” Root takes the situation with Syria to the extreme. Could some of these people be dangerous? Sure. But if you think about, these people are fleeing from danger. They have left their homes because they felt unsafe. Is it really possible that someone trying to find refuge from a storm would attempt to stir up their own hurricane? Probably not.

   Now that all of these people have left their homes, where can they turn? Thousands have fled to Turkey. Others have gone to Europe. A few have even made it into the United States. But the process is not easy. Alex Altman tells of a family's struggles to find a home outside of Syria. Faez al Sharaa and his family left Syria because it was getting to be too dangerous to live there. They were smuggled to a refugee camp in Jordan, where they worked with the United Nations to be relocated. After almost two years, the Sharaa family was moved to Dallas, Texas. Faez admits, though, that he did not want to be relocated to the United States. Altman writes that the United States “provides fewer benefits than some European nations.” This didn't sit well with Faez. Although he and his family are safe in Texas, they need to start life over again. Faez found a job and he and his wife are learning English.

   The Sharaas were very fortunate. Things worked out very well for them. Others have not been so fortunate. Julie Bindel wrote an article about a large group of refugees living in an abandoned building in Lebanon. The building was abandoned because it was labeled as unsafe. Yet here is a group of a people so desperate for shelter that they are willing to sleep inside an old, broken down building. Bindel describes the sights and smells of the place as being “rancid” and “dreadful” (13-14). On top of the horrible living conditions, women are being raped and abused. Some are forced to sell their daughters into marriage. No one should have to live like this. Although they are in a safer place, these refugees in Lebanon still go to bed at night frightened.

   Which brings us to why the United States should allow refugees into the country. Again, it does not make sense that someone running away from terror will turn out to be a terrorist. With this in mind, does it not seem like the right thing to do? The United States is a country founded upon freedom. America was built by immigrants. We should be continuing that legacy. But how would America benefit? Kim Cragin and Ben Connable believe that by letting refugees into the country, we could potentially weaken ISIS. The terrorist group ISIS is trying to turn the Middle East into an Islamic power by forcing people to believe in their cause. Anyone who disagrees with them is put to death. Although Syria is primarily an Islamic country, many of the residents, not extremists, believe in peace and love. No one should be forced to do anything. By allowing Syrian refugees into the United States, the number of potential ISIS recruits drops dramatically. Cragin and Connable insist that “forcing Syrian refugees to remain in ISIS-held areas will increase ISIS’s recruiting pool and undermine all efforts to stabilize the Middle East.” Not only will less people be getting killed by ISIS, the terrorist group will also find it more difficult to find recruits. With less individuals joining ISIS, the United States is a little safer from terrorist onslaughts. This solution certainly won't end attacks, but it may help reduce the number dramatically.

   So the next time you find yourself thinking that your life could be better, instead, think of how blessed you are. Think of those who are less fortunate and find a way to help them. The United States is still a very prosperous country, despite what some may think. We have the space and resources that these displaced Syrians are in need of. By allowing them into the country, we could change the lives of thousands, perhaps millions, while potentially thwarting the ideals of ISIS. Shouldn't this be what America wants?

Works Cited

Alhamad, Karam, Vera Mironova, and Sam Whitt. “In Two Charts, This Is What   Refugees Say About Why They Are Leaving Syria Now.” 28 Sept. 2015. The Washington Post. Web. 26 Apr. 2016.

Altman, Alex. "Syrian Refugees In The U.S. Feel A Backlash." Time. 14 Dec. 2015: 24. Academic Search Complete. Web. 26 Apr. 2016.

Bindel, Julie. "Ask Anyone Who Has Blood In Them To Help Us." New Statesman. 24 May 2013: 13-14. Academic Search Complete. Web. 26 Apr. 2016.

Connable, Ben, and Kim Cragin. "To Undermine ISIS We Should Welcome Syrian Refugees." Newsweek. 2 Dec. 15. Newsweek. Web. 26 Apr. 2016.

Root, Wayne. “Here’s Where We Should Tell Obama to Send All the Syrian Refugees” The Blaze. 23 Nov. 2015. Web. 26 Apr. 2016.

The First Thursday

The world can be a confusing place.  I am thankful everyday that I am a citizen of the United States of America.  We, as a nation, have many struggles, many differing opinions.  The great thing about the United States is our freedom to believe.  Every time I log onto Facebook I see posts that I disagree with or upset me.  But the person who posted their beliefs is free to do so, just as I am free to disagree.  A friend may believe ABC and I may believe XYZ.  Will we disagree on things?  Of course.  But this is no reason to break our friendship.  Friendship is built upon love and common interests.  Just because we may disagree sometimes is not a valid reason to hate each other.

My goal in creating this blog is to respectfully share my opinions of events going on around the world.  I may post my religious views, political views, and moral views.  But keep in mind that these are the things I believe in, the things that I have the right to believe in.  Just as I try my hardest to respect your opinions, I would hope that you too can respect my opinions.

During Spring semester of college this year, I took English 102.  I have never had a more amazing professor or class.  The very last paper the class was assigned to write was a persuasive/argumentative essay.  The essay I wrote for my class will be my second post which will immediately follow this post.  After that I am going to attempt to post every other week, always on Thursdays.  I tend to over think things, and I love alliteration.  But then again, who doesn't love alliteration?  So, without further ado, I welcome you to Over Thinking Thursdays.