Young Voices
Exchanging ideas from the show and blogging about topics in the news from a range of perspectives.
April 10, 2008
Sex Talk
by Sean Nixon
Even today, America seems too afraid to talk openly about sex.
In the world of internet dating, coupled with a sex-dominated culture of A Shot at Love on TV, and former call girls getting phone calls for new reality shows, you'd think that now might be a good time to start talking openly about sex.
A recent CNN quiz on the subject of STDs stated that even though people between the ages of 15 and 24 represent 25% of the sexually active population, they actually acquire nearly half of all new sexually transmitted diseases in the U.S.
The research goes on to state that roughly 20 million Americans in the U.S. alone have HPV.
These numbers aren't sexy.
In the MySpace and Facebook culture of young people mingling interactively and immediately hooking up, it's important to be educated on the issue of sex in America.
In an article from the Associated Press, Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood was quoted saying, “The national policy of promoting abstinence-only programs is a $1.5 billion failure, and teenage girls are paying the real price.”
Sexuality and sex still seem to be a very touchy subject in the country. But when looking at the risks, costs, and the lives at stakes, it only makes sense that something else has to be done.
Are we afraid to talk about sex in America?
April 2, 2008
Democrats Lose Sight
by Sean Nixon
The bitter exchange between Obama and Clinton Supporters could ultimately damage the Democratic Party.
Will Obama unite the country?
I don't know.
Will McCain keep us in Iraq for another 4 years? If so, will the U.S. government have enough money left to even pay for the infrastructure, schools, and other provisions of the U.S. citizens?
I don't know.
Will Hillary be a more electable candidate?
Again, I don't know.
What I do know is that all the fighting we're seeing on TV really doesn't change anything.
America at large has been involved in one the longest conversations that has ever taken place in American national politics. We've been discussing it since last year, and people are undoubtedly getting burned out. It's the 2008 presidential election.
In the Democratic contest, the Pennsylvania primary of April 22 is still a long ways away and time is still too far away to suggest otherwise.
No matter who wins, we'll still have lost 4,000 troops in this war, still be facing harsh economic times, still be without some form of affordable healthcare and still be stuck with a host of issues and concerns that get us as Americans nowhere.
The "he-said, she-said" aspects of what's been attributed to politics lately have been upsetting. When candidates are off message, they're not addressing the issues. When candidates aren't addressing the issues, they're not discussing solutions. And when candidates aren't discussing solutions, America suffers.
April 12, 2008
Charlton Heston Remembered
by Rose Capozzi
This month the world lost one of the most influential movie star/political advocates. Charlton Heston died on April 5th at the age of 84. He leaves behind his wife of 64 years, Lydia Clark Heston, and countless fans of his work, both on and off the silver screen.
So what made the life of Mr. Heston, and his loss to the rest of the world, so great? I think we can all recall one of our favorite Heston moments—parting the Red Sea as Moses in The Ten Commandments, climbing back onto a moving chariot as the title character in Ben Hur, or even crying out on a sandy beach in Planet of the Apes, with the Statue of Liberty buried in the background. “Damn you all to hell!”
Or perhaps your most memorable moment was not of Heston on screen at all. Maybe your favorite Heston moment was during the 2000 National Rifle Association (NRA) convention when he held a replica colonial musket in the air and paraphrased an NRA bumper sticker shouting, “From my cold, dead hands!”
Charlton Heston had a presence possessed by few actors today. He made history entertaining and politics passionate. When he spoke, we listened (whether we agreed with the message or not). As Richard Corliss recounted in an article in TIME magazine, even while explaining that he was suffering from Alzheimer's-like symptoms, Mr. Heston did it with the eloquence of a true legend. “I must reconcile courage and surrender in equal measure.” Few men could have put it in better words, and delivered the message about a mind-altering condition with such poise and grace.
Charlton Heston, you will be missed.
April 23, 2008
Surfing the Silent Tsunami
by Rose Capozzi
Have you noticed how much more you've been paying for food at the grocery store lately? Last week the Prime Minister of England , Gordon Brown, hosted a “Food Summit” with the World Food Program. He is worried about the newest international disaster: pandemic world hunger. Luckily most of us have enough to eat, even if we're paying a lot more than we used to. But for many around the world, price increases have made the daily food staples too expensive to survive.
Josette Sheeran of the World Food Program calls this new and deadly trend the “silent tsunami,” connecting the recent starvation with the Asian starvation problem that arose from the tsunamis in 2004.
Unfortunately, mother nature is not to blame this time, rather it is well intentioned Westerners. According to Gordon Brown, biofuel is the number one cause of the food shortage. Western governments have been subsidizing biofuel programs at the same time as investments in this industry have rocketed. As a result, more farmers throughout the world are selling their corn, wheat, and other grains to ethanol companies instead of to the food markets in order to make more money.
The irony is that there is more corn being grown in the world today than before the push to produce biofuels. But fewer people are able to put food on the table.
Do you think it is worth it to produce biofuel if it means that we pay more for groceries and fewer people in third world and developing countries have access to food?
April 13, 2008
Breaking China
by Rose Capozzi
2008 may be the Year of the Rat, but it is also the Year of China. During the 2008 Summer Olympics, the country of China plans to showcase its new modern and politically moderate nation. In the days leading up to the games, all the details are in place, and no one or thing is going to stop it from going off without a hitch...or so the Chinese government had hoped.
From the torch lighting ceremony in Athens, Greece to the Olympic torch relay in Istanbul, London, Paris, and San Francisco, pro-Tibetan protesters have lined the streets condemning China for its repressive regime.
Domestically, the Chinese government has always had to deal with dissents, such as the Tibetians, the Uighur Muslims, and the Falun Gong, all of whom are unhappy about religious and political oppression. The response to these groups' civil disobedience has been to use an iron fist.
At first, I thought the Olympic committee made a huge mistake in giving Beijing the honor of hosting the Olympics. Besides the horrible pollution, China is not really the best country to show off the benefits of global cooperation. But after thinking about it more, it could prove to be a very good thing for the Chinese people.
As the games take center stage, the media will swarm into China to provide coverage. As Simon Elegant of TIME magazine puts it, reporters may not have been able to penetrate the wall of oppression around Tibet as of yet, but with 30,000 foreign reporters expected to be at the Olympic games, some will certainly take advantage of Beijing's policy of allowing any interviews in which people agree to talk. If all goes well, back at home we may all get an excellent seat to watch the games—and to watch the political unrest and calls to action from those within China. If we can shine a light on the mold of tyranny, it can't grow. And for China, that could mean more political, religious and social freedom.
April 30, 2008
An Injustice Anywhere
by Sean Nixon
Tears of sorrow express the grief of supporters for 23-year-old slain victim Sean Bell.
In the Sean Bell case, three New York City police officers opened fire and shot the 23-year-old after leaving a New York City night club, hours before his wedding day.
Sean Bell had no weapons on him, and was shot 50 times. The three officers who shot Bell were under intense scrutiny for their role in this shooting, and the case concerning Bell's shooters struck a huge emotional cord with members of the African American community.
When the verdict was reached recently, the three New York City police officers were found to be not guilty on all counts. Many hearts were broken and devastated when news of the verdict was released.
To share some perspective with you, I was seven years old, March 31, 1991, when I first heard of the Rodney King incident. I was abhorred then to find the men who were caught on videotape found not guilty of any wrongdoing in that case. In February of 1999, I was 15 when Amadou Diallo was gunned down for pulling out his wallet, and I learned that his shooters were found innocent of wrongdoing then. Fast forward to now and, at the age of 25, I can still see the same level of perceived injustice in this country with Sean Bell's case.
This case had racial undertones all over it and reminded many African Americans of the seemingly unfair treatment of African American victims in the justice system. I was upset personally when I heard the verdict. I felt as though this must have been another case of racially motivated verdicts, followed by a “good ol boy's” mentality of protecting their own, and looking the other way.
Why is it that we as Black Americans in this country continually seem to get the short end of every stick that exists in America? Why is it that we in the Black community can clearly see levels of impropriety and misuse in our criminal justice system, and other segments of America seem to ignore, or somehow not understand, what we're talking about?
My belief is that we need more accountability from the men and women who work in law enforcement and even more scrutiny over what is considered tolerable when it comes to police officers' use of deadly force. Yes, this is another opportunity for discussion, but it's one that needs critical action to follow it and not just more talk.
Was the judge's verdict fair in this case?
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