The Election of 1912

07/12/12 18:48 PM

What is your vision for our country? When you think of America, the good ole U.S. of A, do you think of more than red, white and blue? More than freedom and equality? Personally, I do not find these to be simple questions to answer, for there are so many layers to them. I mean, where do you even start? I would like to start to answer these questions myself by trying to think of what we are doing wrong as of now. For starters, as I watch the news, read new books and listen to conversations, I become aware of how much our nation is regressing. Take, for example, the recent chatter regarding the infamous Citizens United decision.  I am a college student who, after the MBTA fare hikes post July 1, will barely be able to afford the daily commute to Suffolk. Contrast that with large...

Indignez-Vous!

04/16/12 10:47 AM

Whenever I arrive at South Station and have a few minutes to spare before I board the train, I almost always head to the tiny bookshop that is in the center of the station. The other day I found a small 30 or so page book that looked particularly interesting. So, I bought it, boarded the train, and I finished the book by the time I got to my stop. Once I finished, I realized something that troubled me. I was both inspired and disheartened by the message that the book conveyed. The book is Indignez-Vous! (Time for Outrage!), which waswritten this year by 94 year old Stephane Hessel. Hessel’s story is an incredible one: he fought in the French resistance army during Nazi occupation in World War II, escaped from a German POW camp, and he even helped construct the Universal Declaration...

The Hunger Games

04/07/12 15:43 PM

Let the games begin! Mudslinging, deceit, false promises, half-truths, hyperboles: thy name is the 2012 Presidential campaign. It is survival of the fittest as two lucky individuals duke it out for the ultimate prize: President of the United States of America. The months of battling between our two contestants is broadcasted nationwide. Will they slip up? Will they falter? Who will you sponsor? Which one is your lucky pick? The drawn out gladiatorial spectacle is upon us all. There may only be one winner. And for the loser? Ultimate demise! Ok, so perhaps this is a bit much, but I trust you get the idea.  As the race to the Republican nomination progresses, it appears that former MA Governor Mitt Romney is well on his way to becoming the nominee who will challenge President...

The Case that is Far from Black and White

03/23/12 14:44 PM

Are you following him? Yeah… Ok we don’t need you to do that… But, George Zimmerman did anyway. He followed Trayvon Martin, left his vehicle against police orders, and shot Trayvon in the chest as the young boy was on his way home, Skittles and Arizona Ice Tea in hand, to enjoy the NBA All-Star Game. If he was not murdered, Trayvon’s day may have resembled that of many other young boys; Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, Latino, Native American. Although Trayvon should have made it home that day, in order to relish in the anticipated basketball game, he lay bleeding in the grass screaming (futilely) for help, as opposed to lounging and enjoying his weekend. Regardless of his ethnicity, Trayvon Martin was still a boy; a boy robbed of his future as a result of senseless...

What KONY 2012 Means for You

03/14/12 21:36 PM

So, I’m guessing that many of you have heard of KONY 2012, and the phenomenon that it has created worldwide. I just watched the video yesterday morning and was immediately blown away (my kit is in the mail and I am already gearing up for Cover the Night in Boston). Instinctively, I wanted to know what I could do to help the cause, which I believe to be a noble one. The video places a lot of things in perspective. Suddenly, missing the train, being late to class, or walking from 73 Tremont to Fenton in the rain seem like pretty shallow problems. It makes every melodramatic “fml” on Facebook almost embarrassing. Even further, the support for KONY 2012 is overwhelming, and is rather poignant to this idealist. Last week I questioned the ability of Congress to agree on...