Jada mathurin 

Professor jewel 

ENG

 

Will Black men overcome the criminal justice system?

 

Dear , Black Men

 

Barack obama said “ so let’s look at the statistics the United States is home to 5% of the world’s population but 25% of the world’s prisoners” there was a  prison population of 300,000 people in 1972 . Today we have a prison population of 2.3 million , the United States now has the highest rate of incarceration in the world can you believe that ? .  Black people suffer from many losses such as voting ,The war on drugs , Over policing in black communities and pleading guilty to crimes they didn’t commit .

Black men and black people in general are over represented in the news as criminals . That means they are shown as criminals more times than they are actually criminals , based on FBI statistics . The war on drugs had become part of our popular culture in television programs like cops. When people cut on their local news at night they see black men being paraded across the screen in handcuffs . They were creating a setting where people would be afraid and when you make people afraid ,It’s easy to justify throwing them in the garbage can . Society makes black people their own crime because that’s  how we introduce them in the world for example you often hear “ that’s a rapist , that’s a murderer, that’s a robber , that’s a sex offender , that’s a gang leader” and when you hear that so often it becomes easier to expect that their guilty and that they should go to prison . The reality Is that no one who Is white truly understands the challenge of being a black person in America so they have then educated public purposely , over the years to believe that black men in particular and people in general are criminals . To be clear white people aren’t the only ones that believe this black people also believe this and are scared  to be in their own community because of the way they explain us on the news and social media . They tell us to be careful when you’re walking home at night , make sure you stay alert , don’t play your music to loud , if you see anything weird call for help and this makes people worry and feel unsafe .

Looking at the way democrats were defeated in 1988 ,1984 and  1980 there comes to be a belief among the democrats that they have to adopt a position that is much more centrist . It became kinda impossible for a politician to look soft on crime . during that time if you appeared soft on crime they weren’t going to take you serious and you wouldn’t win the election  . When you are in an environment where everybody’s doing the same thing everybody’s competing to be tough on crime you quickly all end in the same space so it doesn’t become a political advantage unless you do something more and by the late and early 90s people like bill Clinton had begun to figure out they’ve been able to match the consistency of “ squishy , soft liberal won’t protect you , tough conservative will protect you” and they won the fight every time . Bill Clinton  was trying to figure out how to deal with a country that was still basically Reagan’s country but he was trying to govern as democrat . Then some horrendous crimes take place “ Polly Kalamazoo , abducted from her bedroom at home and ended up killed” which led to the California “ three strikes and you’re out” law Bill Clinton said “ when you commit a violent crime you will be put away put away for good , three strikes and you are out” A persons convicted of their third felony essentially that person is mandated to prison for the rest of their lives . Mandatory sentencing said that they were no longer going to let judges consider the circumstances around a crime they were just going to impose a mandatory sentence and that was a hard Thing for judges because they were trying to dispense justice on a daily basis and now cant do so. This is important because mandatory minimum sentencing laws force a judge to hand down a minimum prison sentence based on the changes a prosecutor brings against a defendant which result in a conviction usually a guilty plea . many states have such laws every significant federal drug offender could get a very long sentence . The truth in sentencing that kept people imprisoned for 85% of their sentence , the idea of truth in sentencing was that you were sentence to a certain amount of time and the public wanted to be confident that your gonna do just about every bit of that time . They found a way to move pass parole so when you get in the federal system and they give you 20 or 30 years that what you got parole was a mechanism for getting people out of prisons when it was clear that they were no longer a threat to the public safety . Then comes the Congress with a proposal for a 30 billion federal crime bill of 1994 that was heavily loaded towards law enforcer incarceration the omnibus crime bill was responsible for a massive expansion of the prison system and beyond that , it provided all kinds of money and perverse incentives or law enforcement to do a lot of the things that we nowadays consider to be abusive not only did he increase fungi to states to build prisons to locked as many people involved in drug crimes but also to put 100,000 police officers on the street . The effect that this had on black people was that they were easily targeted and put in jail for infamous crimes because they needed to fill up these jails. 

 

Based on the film “ 13th ” Throughout American history African Americans have repeatedly been controlled through systems of racial and social control that appeared to die down but they are reborn in new forms tailored to the needs of constraints of the time.  After slavery ended a new system was born and it was called convict leasing . Convict Leasing was a system of penal labor practiced in the southern United States . Convict leasing provided prisoner labor to private parties, such as plantation owners and corporations. The Lessee was responsible for feeding ,clothing and housing the prisoners which was a new form of slavery and once convict leasing faded away a new system was born which was the Jim Crow system that relegated African American to a  permanent second class status and here we are years after the collapse of the old Jim Crow and new system has been born again in America a system of mass incarceration that once again take away millions of poor people overwhelmly poor people of color of the very right supposedly won in the civil rights movement and instead of talking about it we just tired to move passed it after the civil rights was passed on and the civil rights laws they tried to play it off and because they didn’t deal with it back then that racial difference continued and it turned into this presumption of dangerousness and guilt that follows every black and Brown person wherever they are , “In 1850, Slavery was common throughout the southern United States , with concentrations in Georgia , South Carolina and Mississippi . A similar pattern is reflected in the number of American incarceration in 2000.” If there was a shortfall in the workforce , local law enforcement authorities simply made more arrest whether a crime was actually made or not . “ once the system of mass incarceration began to grow , it became quickly apparent that a lot of money could be made . 

Many people don’t realize that Jim Crow laws still exist today, studies show that the Empire States constitutional history , “Jim crow in New York” traces the current criminal imprison law to a century-long effort to keep African -American citizens out of the voting booth. And as the reports makes it very disturbingly clear: New York’s felon voting bar has been deep roots in jim crow . More than 108,000 New Yorkers are currently imprisoned under the law . And 80% of those who have lost the right to vote are people of color . Here is some history , for about 100 years , New York lawmakers found many ways to keep African Americans from voting . First, of course there was slavery. After emancipation, two laws continued to be especially effective: one that required blacks- and only blacks – to own a certain amount of real property in order to vote, and another that allowed countries to imprison those convicted of “infamous crimes”. African American suffrage was the subject of much debate at the 1821 and 1846 constitutional conventions , and the transcripts contain some astounding racist rhetoric . One theme that occurs again and again I cian alleged criminal propensity among African American as reason to restrict the black vote . In a refrain that echoes throughout the century-long suffrage debate , delegate Samuel young implore in 1821: “ look to your jails and penitentiaries. By whom are filled ? By the very race whom is now proposed to clot with the power of deciding upon your political right” . During slavery and the period when the property requirements were imposed on African American, New York’s criminal disenfranchisement law was merely permissive : that is , the state constitution left it to the discretion of individual counties weather to disenfranchise those with criminal convictions. The same year the fifteenth amendment force New York to eliminate its property requirement , the state amended the constitution from allowing countries to decide weather to disenfranchise those convicted of crimes , to requiring disenfranchisement throughout the state of anyone convicted of an “infamous crime.”

Police Brutality

Aboubacar Kone 

 

  Police brutality against African Americans is a societal problem that affects many states,neighborhoods,and communities across the country. It shows the use of aggressiveness and Force , regardless if they are breaking the law or not. The issue has been recognized in recent years due to the numerous killings of young black people that have been harassed by police officers. The issue has gone so far that it has created movements, such as ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement. One of the problems the police forces across the Country has been that they unfairly discriminate against people of color, while being generally more lenient towards white people. My research topic is does police brutality affects society? My position on this is yes it does because people of color are targeted more than Caucasians and treated with less respect.

 

 

 

-The People 

 

The problem with police brutality in the United States is that it seems to be tied to racism. This is based on the fact that there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that police officers are more likely to target and arrest innocent people that are black or hispanic more than Caucasian . Another issue is the large number of killings that have taken place, involving young black people and police officers. In less than three years between 2014 and 2016, there were multiple murder cases.Statistics show in 2016, four out of five killings by police were of a young black male . These statistics show the greater risks that young African American people face. Unequal treatment of citizens by police officers is not right in a “free” country. Police officers get away with acts of brutality’s day cruelty, especially racial prejudice ones they are illegal and also dangerous for the people. People in power that are abusing the law, are creating the first step to an even  more corrupt system. Police brutality should have all citizens on the lookout. As the people who live in this country we need a voice and we shouldn’t stand around tolerating police brutality.

 

Sincerely, Aboubacar

 

-Police Officers

 

      The knowledge and sight of police brutality and discrimination towards black people can cause problems for society, even if they are criminals or innocent. It means that millions of Americans are forced to fear of being an “accident” in police shootings. The problem has gone so far that many psychologists suggest that it can leave significant psychological and emotional trauma on many people of color , even if they don’t participate in any crime but read and hear about it on the streets and news . People can develop anxiety and antisocial behavior, simply by knowing that they are categorized as more of a target by police.Many officers believe that black people are bigger threats especially when its compared to incidents with white people. This may be because some police officers have toxic personal world-views, or because that’s what they were taught due to America’s history of racial oppression. Police should interact with the communities more and actually try to understand what people are and what they do instead of just going after them unjustified.

 

From, Aboubacar 

 

Garner, Eric. “After 9 High-Profile Police-Involved Deaths Of African-Americans, What Happened To The Officers?”. WBUR, 2014, http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2016/07/11/america-police-shooting-timeline.

Lowery, Wesley. “Aren’T More White People Than Black People Killed By Police? Yes, But No.”. Washington Post, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/post-nation/wp/2016/07/11/arent-more-white-people-than-black-people-killed-by-police-yes-but-no/.

 

Owen, Tess. “Black And Hispanic People More Likely To Be Victims Of Police Brutality, Study Says”. VICE News, 2016, https://news.vice.com/article/black-and-hispanic-people-more-likely-to-be-victims-of-police-brutality-study-says

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Richards, Jenniger et al. “92 Deaths, 2,623 Bullets: Tracking Every Chicago Police Shooting Over 6 Years”. Chicago Tribune, 2016, http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/ct-chicago-police-shooting-database-met-20160826-story.html.

 

Incarceration Leading to Oppression

Conversations about the incarceration system has been growing rapidly due to the massive increase of people of color being incarcerated in the United States. My research topic is “ Does the increasing rates of incarceration lead to the oppression of people of color.” The communities that I am trying to reach are the oppressed people of color, social activists and the department of justice. The position that I want to persuade is that the increasing rates of incarceration does in fact lead to oppression of people of color due to the fact that black inmates make up nearly 40 percent  of the prison population and make up 13.4 percent of the total U.S population, also once the accused is out of jail they lose some of their rights and this also has an impact on their mental health, and with the increasing rates of incarceration of people of color the rates for white people incarcerated are significantly lower than those who are latino and black.

When the accused come out of jail they lose majority of their rights such as the right to bear arms, the right to vote, and sometimes they aren’t able to apply to certain jobs due to being a felon even if they were wrongfully incarcerated. This can impact their lives due to the fact that after being in jail it is hard to find a job or  make a living which indirectly forces felons to break the law to either feed themselves or their family. That isnt always the case, because some states have believe in incarceration but believe in rehabilitation which gives the accused another chance at life, and a better chance than once they would have received if they were incarcerated for their crimes or wrongfully incarcerated. My issue is something with real consequences today because the incarceration rates for blacks are still higher than whites in every state, and there is a major gap considering the population. This also goes into the factor of mental health because while being incarcerated your mental health takes a big hit. Prison is known as an unsafe and unhealthy environment, according to Good Therapy,”The Effects of Incarceration on Mental Health” an article posted by Zawn Villines, Villnes said “The DOJ reports that 70,000 prisoners are sexually abused every year, and assaults, fights, and other acts of violence are common in a prison setting……This ongoing climate of trauma can create anxiety, depression, phobias, and PTSD in prisoners who previously had no serious mental health issues.” This goes to show that someone who has a history of mental health issues or someone who has/had no past  health issues is now in the environment that can create mental trauma that can lead to mental health issues.This is why I feel the increasing rates of incarceration lead to the oppression of people of color.

I find it crazy that in the United States alone people of color are found to be incarcerated alot more than those who are white. There has been a lot of studies showing the major difference in population in the prison system when it comes to incarceration. One of these studies have been done by the NAACP where they have stated, “Though African Americans and Hispanics make up approximately 32% of the US population, they comprised 56% of all incarcerated people in 2015.” The study taken by the NAACP has shown that there is a major difference in race for the amount of incarcerated persons in 2015 in the United States alone. With the rapid increase of incarceration of hispanics and blacks, tons of social activist groups have came out of the dark, or has had the spotlight shone on them to address and inform people such as other social activist groups and the Department of Justice about the increasing rates of incarceration of blacks and hispanics that can further lead to the oppression of people of color. This is another reason why I am addressing the rapid increase of incarceration of hispanics and blacks to further the conclusion that the increasing rates of incarceration can lead to the oppression of people of color.

And at last, the last message that I am trying to inform my audience is that with the increasing rates of incarceration of people of color the rates for white people incarcerated are significantly lower than those who are latino and black. This is the major factor on oppression of people of color due to incarceration. The United States of America is viewed as the country with the most incarcerated rate, with African Americans leading the rates of incarceration in America. There have been books and movies such as “The Other Wes Moore” which talks about incarceration of black people and the effects on their social life and mental health due and why this is more of the reason why the Department of Justice should use rehabilitation as much as they use incarceration, and a movie that also goes hand to hand with this topic is the Netflix movie called “13th” which informs the audience about the prison system and how the 13th amendment allows people to be used as slaves, doing labor  due to the fact that the 13th amendment says that any acts of slavery was abolished unless when it is punishment for a crime. There are also studies showing the major difference in race when it comes to incarceration, according to prisonpolicy.org they made a graph of the amount of people incarcerated per race in the 2010s and with the race with the lowest amount of 380 was white, and the race with the highest amount standing at 2,207 was blacks. This study goes to show that there is a significant difference in race for incarceration of whites and blacks with further adds on to my belief that incarceration can lead to the oppression of people of color. 

I find it shameful that a country wouldn’t take this opportunity to use rehabilitation more than incarceration due to the massive difference in race when it comes to incarceration in the United States, Social activists fighting for the lives of those who were wrongfully incarcerated ad for those who are incarcerated, and how the Prison environment isn’t  for anyone and can lead to mental issues even when you had no past history of it. This enforming essay was made to inform anyone of the audiences that incarceration does in fact lead to oppression of people of color.

education should be a right

Knowledge is an aspect of life everyone should have the freedom to pursue and all should be able to attain knowledge through the use of educational institutes, programs, and libraries. The access to education should never be taken away.

 

Education is a right

Education

12/4/19

Venue: United Nations General Assembly

 

          The access to education should be a right that all Children, men and women should be able to take advantage of. Though this is my belief and the belief of many others, The situation we have here today is a display of the opposite, where more than 72 million children in the world who are at primary school age aren’t enrolled and approximately 759 million adults are classed as illiterate. People drone on about how we are in the “age of information” and how any information we need is at our fingertips though they forget to include those whose access to information is limited or next to none. Education should not be a privilege given to those only in first world countries but something every country employs to educate their youth those considered the future of every country. Education is directly linked to many aspects of quality of life such as health, technology, and employment. Third world countries are afflicted with significantly higher rates of disease due to the fact that the populace of these nations are denied education on topics such as hygiene that would seem common knowledge to any individual from a first world country. Technology that helps fight off diseases and helps production in these countries are almost non existent because the public is denied access to the resources their country has in abundance and don’t have the knowledge to use them. Most citizens of  third world countries are denied the opportunity for a good job and wages that keep them out of poverty due to almost all men having the same level of education or lack thereof and women either receiving worse or no formal education at all keeping unemployment at a high rate in a majority of these countries. Ultimately the lack of education leads to High crime rates, Corruption, disease and poverty and can all be resolved by the addition of formal/free education. Education as a whole can be improved in all countries yet widespread access to some form of education or knowledge should be of utmost importance for most if not all countries on this globe we all inhabit together. Right after Climate change I truly believe the UN should focus on improving education in countries that have almost no form of institution to help increase global IQ and bringing unity in the world through the connection of knowledge. UNICEF is hard at work trying to bring some form of access to education to children in need and do a great job though we want to know just how we can help how can the public of both first world and third world countries help tackle this issue?

 

12/4/19

 

The Washington Post 

 1301 K Street NW; Washington, D.C. 20071

 

Dear editor

  

      Children are being kept in the slums and poverty yet no one is reporting it. This is the product of what happens to children that aren’t given tools or more importantly education to learn a multitude of subjects that may help them advance theirs and their families position in life. How sad is it when a family of two adults and three children live a life where none of them know how to read and write. This may have been the case many generations ago where only royalty were taught to read and write but it should not be the case now in 2019 all children should be able to go to school to soak up as much knowledge as they can and frankly it is abhorrent that education is taken away by corrupt governments who want to keep the public ignorant of certain conspiracies or certain plots going on underfoot. Millions of children old enough to be in primary school are not enrolled due to many factors and even more millions of adults are considered illiterate and this is problematic that in the 21st century children and adults alike are being refused an education which is why i believe all children should have access to some sort of education. The importance of education is usually understated due to all if not most children in first world countries being required to be in some form of school at certain ages in their life so we tend to take the prospect of education or school for granted yet we never stop to think just how bad the lack of education in a country is. A lack of education can lead to bad hygiene, high STD rates, lack of infrastructure, and no systems in place such as laws or even basic sewer systems. This is a sort of life only seen during the dark ages where the previous generations and societies were so sophisticated yet future generations regressed so far that the common practice of reading was lost and they lead simple lives and were taken advantage of. There is no reason to keep the population of a country ignorant or uneducated unless you want to take advantage of them which i refuse to believe is the only problem standing in the way of building educational institutions in countries that need them due to this being a very corrupt and evil reason to keep the masses unschooled. The world is changing with problems we all as humans have to face and I believe all hands need to be on deck or we are doomed so educating the population of the planet is critical.

 

Sincerely

Luis  Vasquez

 

        

 

Works Cited

chris.drew.98031506. “Lack of Education: 11 Lifelong Effects (2019).” The Helpful Professor, 14 Nov. 2019, https://helpfulprofessor.com/lack-of-education/.

 

PhineasJFR. “10 Barriers to Education Around the World.” Global Citizen, https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/10-barriers-to-education-around-the-world-2/.

 

“Right to Education : Situation around the World.” Humanium, https://www.humanium.org/en/right-to-education/.

 

“The Education Crisis: Being in School Is Not the Same as Learning.” World Bank, https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/immersive-story/2019/01/22/pass-or-fail-how-can-the-world-do-its-homework.

“The Right to Education.” Save the Children, https://www.savethechildren.org.nz/what-we-do/the-issues/education/.

Mayy Abdelrahim

Professor Jewell 

December 04, 2019

Homeless on the street 

 

Speech to public New Yorkers 

 

Do you have a roof on top of your head? Do you have food available when you need it? Do you have access to water when it’s needed? And when it’s freezing outside, do you have clothes to keep you warm? If you answered yes to these questions, you’re probably not the thousands of people that are homeless and suffering on the street every day. What is like to be homeless living on the street, looking for a place to be safe. Pretending to be homeless for a day and actually being homeless are two entirely different things. I would be more impressed if the Mayor or people that worked for the government spent 30 days on the streets or experience a feeling of what’s it’s like to lose their money and house, for them to get a better idea of what it is like to be homeless. For those people that will be hearing this speech, you will still pass by the homeless like if they never existed even probably scared to have even 10 seconds to spare to hand over some pocket change that you will probably never use. Don’t think that every homeless person you see is on drugs or is alcohol. These people need help, and giving even 50 cents to someone in need can make a massive difference in that person’s day. Please, if you can help, do it. I understand that you work so hard for the money you make, but you will never know the story, the reason for them losing their home unless if you asked them. It is time for us to wake up and have some sympathy to stop the number of homelessness increases. Be thankful for what you have and share the rest to others that is desperately in need of money or food. Reminder, Would you like to take the train in the morning to go to work, school, doctor appointments, events without smelling a robust stinky smell on the transportation. Or would you like to walk down the street without someone bothering you with a disturbing sign “help i have kids to feed, help me with a spare change.” have you thought about the homeless people during wintertime.

 

New York is cold during winter, most likely under zero degrees in December through February. For those that are homeless, they live in the subway station or takes the train back and forth for them not to get caught by the police, but few of them have died from the cold. One thing that it is not mentioned are people who end up becoming homeless because of NATURAL DISASTERS, like Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and others. According to the article In an Era When Hurricanes and Wildfires Are Common, Homelessness Is an ‘Ongoing Disaster’ for Students Across the U.S. by Laura Fay “Hurricanes and wildfires that ravaged large portions of the U.S. in 2017 have increased the number of families experiencing homelessness and have renewed interest in the academic effects of not having stable housing…….More recently, two reports found that New York City is failing to provide homeless children with the services they need and that the number of homeless children in New York City is growing. Social workers are overwhelmed with cases, and often schools aren’t following up with parents when students are absent from their classes.” These are some of the reasons for teenage are taking drugs because of the pressure. Today let’s use social media to pass the message and keep other people aware of what’s happening on the streets of New York City. You may dream of having the best brand name of the car or an iPhone. Well, their dream is to have a roof on top of their heads. Let us not allow other people to suffer.

 

Letter 

Dear. Mayor De Blasio,

I write this letter to you with deep concern about the homelessness happening in New York City. As the Mayor, you must fulfill your duties and responsibilities of ensuring safety and fighting for the best for the people of NYC. Homelessness in New York City is no joke, and day by day, it is getting worse. Since the great depression, homelessness has reached its highest it’s ever been in 2019. While you may seem to think that the most are done to help individuals that are homeless, you are wrong. Many things are going on in shelters and the streets that you and many of the people do not know about. Did you know that there are over 45,600 homeless children in NYC? Did you know that many individuals are women, pregnant women, elders, young, men and women are being turned away from shelters because there is not enough space? Did you know that homelessness has lead to mental illness, disorders, drug addictions, etc.?.Put yourself in any homeless person position, or imagine if your kids had to go through hardship because their parents simply can’t afford to pay for their rent or keep their house, nor can they be admitted to shelters because of “space.” I speak with great sadness, as I witness these individuals struggle every day and try to survive through freezing weather. Many of these individuals have gotten to where they are due to many reasons such as domestic violence, losing their jobs, unable to afford rent, hazardous house conditions, etc. What breaks my heart when I pass by a mother that is holding a child that is probably around six months that needs money. I recommend you to go out in the city and listen to the homeless that are suffering. Instead of providing them shelter that is full of negative influences such as drug addiction, rapists, criminals, etc. Why not offer them a home for three months, and that could give them time to look for a job and have someone that visits them for them to get an education on how to live a better style for them not to become homeless again, yet also to have someone to watch over them. That’s the benefit for the city to decrease the number of homeless and prevent them from staying on the street. Also, I would like for you to provide punishment in the shelter for these people that are messing around. 

Sincerely,

Mayy Abdelrahim

  1. https://www.the74million.org/in-an-era-when-hurricanes-and-wildfires-are-common-homelessness-is-an-ongoing-disaster-for-students-across-the-us/
  2. https://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/basic-facts-about-homelessness-new-york-city/
  3. https://www.businessinsider.com/what-its-like-to-be-homeless-in-new-york-city-no-shelters-photos-2017-9#moustafas-lot-was-also-locked-up-and-so-i-called-him-to-say-i-was-outside-22
  4. https://www.usich.gov/homelessness-statistics/ny/
  5. https://www.bowery.org/homelessness/
  6. https://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/todays-read-city-officials-urge-mayor-to-increase-housing-for-homeless/

Audience 2

4 December 2019

 

    The human rights violations occurring in China aren’t being addressed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Pakistan is a neighboring country to China and they have been allies for quite some time. This however, should be no excuse to not call out the Chinese government. Rather, it is a great point of leverage from which to demand an end to the inhumane reeducation camps and senseless violence against the Uighur Muslims. The following is a letter to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan. I’ve chosen to write a letter because I’m aware of the likelihood of it being acknowledged as the Prime Minister’s office has been known to respond to the concerns of the people.

 

Dear Prime Minister Imran Khan,

 

You are the Prime Minister of Pakistan. You hold great power and have been utilizing it to do great things for Pakistan. This country is undoubtedly making progress in the form of reform, taxation, and alliances. The most interesting thing about you, however, is your incorporation of Islam into your campaign. Yet, you fail to address the genocide going on in China, one of your most diligent allies. There is no faith that would allow for complacency in the face of such unjustness. 

In an interview with the Financial Times, you were questioned about your stance on the mass detention camps where Uighur muslims are being held. You failed to acknowledge the truth and you simply said, “I don’t know much about that.” This is a lie. 

It’s no secret that Pakistan depends on China for diplomatic, military and economic support. 

At the United Nations General Assembly you said that “China has come to help when we were right at the rock bottom.” You praised the Chinese government and all that they have done for Pakistan. Well now it is your turn to help China, by way of its most vulnerable communities and your brothers and sisters in Islam, the Uighurs. They have been beaten down to rock bottom, Mr. Prime Minister. Who will help them? As a Muslim yourself, how would you feel if your government forced you to disavow your values; to eat pork, to neglect your daily prayers, to know that military officals were “sharing beds” with your wife?

These are the kinds of horrific acts the Chinese government is inflicting on the Uighur Muslims. As you turn a blind eye to the tragedy occurring know that the world is watching, and more importantly, God is watching.  

The people of Pakistan deserve to know the truth about where you stand. 

Your Uighur brothers and sisters demand your attention.

It’s your call, Mr. Prime Minister.

 

Best Regards,

Shzeen Cheema

 

  Works Cited

 

Chaudhury, Dipanjan Roy. “US Rebukes Pakistan for Being Mum on Plight of Uyghurs.” The Economic Times, Economic Times, 28 Sept. 2019, economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/why-pm-imran-khan-is-silent-about-chinas-treatment-of-uighur-muslims-us-to-pakistan/articleshow/71324644.cms?from=mdr.

“China’s Repression of Uighurs in Xinjiang.” Council on Foreign Relations, Council on Foreign Relations, www.cfr.org/backgrounder/chinas-repression-uighurs-xinjiang.

Dhume, Sadanand. “Opinion | Pakistan Gives a Pass to China’s Oppression of Muslims.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 3 Oct. 2019, www.wsj.com/articles/pakistan-gives-a-pass-to-chinas-oppression-of-muslims-11570142866.

“Imran Khan Called out for ‘Double Standard’, Ignoring Issues of Uighur Muslims.” Asia’s Premier News Agency – India News, Business & Political, National & International, Bollywood, Sports, 15 Sept. 2019, www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/imran-khan-called-out-for-double-standard-ignoring-issues-of-uighur-muslims20190916040001/.

Westcott, Ben. “Imran Khan Dodges Questions on Chinese Muslim Detentions.” CNN, Cable News Network, 29 Mar. 2019, www.cnn.com/2019/03/28/asia/imran-khan-china-uyghur-intl/index.html.

“World Uyghur Congress Slams Pakistan PM Imran Khan for His ‘Silence’ on Uyghur Muslims Issue in China.” Google, Google, www.google.com/amp/s/www.timesnownews.com/amp/international/article/world-uyghur-congress-slams-pakistan-pm-imran-khan-for-his-silence-on-uyghur-muslims-issue-in-china/489890.

Marijuana

What is Marijuana? Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica plant. The plant contains the mind-altering chemical THC and other similar compounds. Extracts can also be made from the cannabis plant. Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. Its use is widespread among young people. In 2015, more than 11 million young adults ages 18 to 25 used marijuana. Marijuana has mind-altering compounds that affect both your brain and body. It can be additive, and it may be harmful to some people’s health. According to “How marijuana affects your brain and body shows: using marijuana can cause addiction, memory loss, social anxiety disorders, Paranoia, heart damage, Lung problem and so on. We need to ban marijuana. But I have no right to do it. So I can tell government here that marijuana is harmful to the people and hope it can create a law to banning marijuana. I also want to tell people who smoke marijuana: You must stop smoking marijuana, it affects the health of you and those around you.

Dear government,
I want you to think about if Marijuana can not be limit, it will cause more and more people smoke. Smoke Marijuana is not only affecting himself, but also affecting people around him. Please think about whether the behavior that harms society should be stopped? Your existence is for people’s health and social stability. If you can’t even stop the marijuana drugs, how can you let people give you power and trust? So I ask you to ban the manufacture, sale and smoking of marijuana from now on. For violators should be punished. After that, people will not be near the New York subway station, downstairs at home, smelling a thick pungent smell near the school. Our current New York is filled with the smell of marijuana, hurting innocent people. My family lives on the second floor, but the smell of marijuana on the first floor is often accompanied by the wind through the gap in my window. We tried to complain and report, but the owner of the house turned a blind eye to it. I don’t want to live in New York with such pain. I really want to breathe fresh air every day and make the beautiful environment. In my opinion, it’s not just that I have such a request. Everyone living in New York does not want to endure the smell of marijuana in such an airtight environment as a subway station. For people who must use marijuana as a medicine, I hope that law enforcement can draw a part of the area to let patients take medicine. In addition, Marijuana users may experience psychosis. Marijuana users who have taken large doses of the drug may experience acute psychosis, which includes hallucinations, delusions, and a loss of the sense of personal identity. Easy to cause crime. If someone sins with the help of marijuana, he finally evades responsibility because of mental problems. This is a serious harm to society. So law enforcement people also need to limit for the amount of cannabis intake. Here I want to ask you why cannabis is hurting more and more people. But fewer cannabis laws and regulations? According to “Smoking Weed in New York Is Now a Fine-Only Offense” say:“ Smoking marijuana in public in New York State can now only be punished with a fine rather than jail time after a new decriminalization law went into effect Wednesday, August 28th. As CBS New York reports, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the new bill last month.” I don’t know why cannabis changed from guilty to innocent, but this is the beginning of bad things.

Dear Smoker,
As far as I know, you spend a lot of money every day buying and smoking marijuana. First I will tell you if you do not smoke marijuana for several months. The money you save is enough to buy a car. It may not be enough to attract you, but if you insist on not using marijuana for years, you can even buy a house with the saved money. According to “Colorado passes $1 billion in marijuana state revenue”, Since July 2017, Colorado total monthly tax and fee revenue from marijuana sales has never dipped below $20 million. In February 2014, the first month with sales tracking data, total state revenue was $3.5 million. From these data, people spend a lot of money on drugs. I think that if people use this money to help the poor, the average living standard of the people will be improved.  So I hope you can use your money in the right place. Then I want to let you know about smoking marijuana.  Endangers your health and the health of those around you. According to “The Harmful effects of Marijuana”, “The immediate effects of taking marijuana include rapid heart beat, disorientation, lack of physical coordination, often followed by depression or sleepiness. Some users suffer panic attacks or anxiety. But the problem does not end there. According to scientific studies, the active ingredient in cannabis, THC, remains in the body for weeks or even months. Marijuana smoke contains 50% to 70% more cancer-causing substances than tobacco smoke. One major research study reported that a single cannabis joint could cause as much damage to the lungs as up to five regular cigarettes smoked one after another. Long-time joint smokers often suffer from bronchitis, an inflammation of the respiratory tract. The drug can affect more than your physical health. Studies in Australia in 2008 linked years of heavy marijuana use to brain abnormalities. This is backed up by earlier research on the long-term effects of marijuana, which indicate changes in the brain similar to those caused by long-term abuse of other major drugs. And a number of studies have shown a connection between continued marijuana use and psychosis.” Hopefully after I have explained the dangers of cannabis, you can quit it.

 

 

https://www.healthline.com/health/addiction/marijuana/effects-on-body#1

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/marijuana-use-and-its-effects

https://www.verywellmind.com/the-health-effects-of-marijuana-67788

https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana

https://www.cdc.gov/marijuana/health-effects.html

 

Audience 1

4 December 2019

 

    There is a genocide occurring in the west of China, a modern-day Holocaust of the Uighur people. Despite the awareness of this crisis, those appointed to preventing such horrors (namely the United Nations) are startlingly silent. My decision to address the UN  is due to my disbelief at the fact that they are very much aware of the ongoing terror the Uighurs are facing, yet they are allowing their own indifferences to prevent much-needed intervention. My message will be written in the form of a letter because of their authoritative power–something that addressing the Secretary General demands. And more importantly, letters are personal, conveying genuine concern. In this letter, I am trying to convey the importance of the topic and hopefully cause the addressee to take action.

 

Dear Mr Secretary General,

 

Imagine: it is the end of an incredibly taxing semester, you are overjoyed to be finally going home and seeing your family. Your mother’s warm hugs, the wrinkles around your father’s eyes when he sees you, it brings a skip to your step, a smile to your face. You rush home only to find stone-faced Chinese officials waiting for you with no trace of your family in sight. Your home, your haven, feels different–disturbed. You muster up the courage to ask about your family and are informed they have been placed in special “schools” and that if they “behaved,” they would be allowed to come home. Your stomach begins to knot and your palms grow sweaty. The officials then take you to see your family, with strict orders to comply–or else.  And this is how you and all your neighbors are gathered. You see the lady down the street who feeds the neighborhood cats, the shopkeeper, your teacher with the crooked glasses. You even see your cousin, the one who always teases you, but his laughing face is drawn, his brow furrowed, and his movements jerky. The feeling in your gut worsens.

 China’s treatment of the Uigher Muslims and other ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region is nothing new, it can be likened to that of the Jewish people by Nazi Germany. The world could not save the billions of Jewish lives lost. Everyday, more and more Uighurs are subject to the brutality of the Chinese government. We must take immediate action to prevent history from repeating itself. 

Victims have come forward and shared their experiences, opening up on what it was like to escape the clutches of the Chinese government. They are willingly reliving their nightmarish memories repeatedly in hopes of getting the attention of people like you. People in positions of power who can help stop the suffering of their people. There are hundreds of thousands of people in need of our help and it is our duty to help them. 

Four-hundred Chinese documents were leaked. These documents included the government of China’s plans to cleanse the region of Muslim majority groups. “The documents also include several speeches given by President Xi Jinping where he lays the groundwork for how everything should play out” (Ramzy and Buckley). The President himself is directly responsible, ordering Chinese officials to gather these groups and place them into reeducation camps. He went on to say that the officials should be “sharing beds with” the detained women. China claims that they are trying to cleanse its country of “radical Islam,” they claim that they are trying to rid their country of terrorists, a baseless claim (Maizland). In the words of the Council on Foreign Relations, “their only crime is being Muslim.” President Xi Jinping is using “radical Islam” as an excuse to murder the Uighur people. Again we see the parallels between the Uighurs of China and the Jews of Nazi Germany. Is faith so heinous a crime that it may justify genocide? 

I understand that the members of the United Nations are divided in terms of China’s treatment of these minorities. I urge you to consider the severity of the situation and put aside your differences to act immediately. Every moment spent postponing a solution means lives lost. I urge you to do something, anything. 

The Uighurs need you to act on your promise to be the upholders and preservers of peace. 

 

Sincerely,

Shzeen Cheema 

 

Works Cited

 

Deutsche Welle. “UN Members Divided over China’s Treatment of Uighur Minority: DW: 30.10.2019.” DW.COM, www.dw.com/en/un-members-divided-over-chinas-treatment-of-uighur-minority/a-51046710.

“History of the UN Seventieth Anniversary.” United Nations, United Nations, www.un.org/un70/en/content/history/index.html.

Kirby, Jen. “China’s Brutal Crackdown on the Uighur Muslim Minority, Explained.” Vox, Vox, 7 Nov. 2018, www.vox.com/2018/8/15/17684226/uighur-china-camps-united-nations.

Press, Associated. “Secret Documents Reveal How China Mass Detention Camps Work.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 25 Nov. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/mass-surveillance-system-flags-uighurs-for-detention-camps/2019/11/24/f8077904-0f19-11ea-924c-b34d09bbc948_story.html.

Ramzy, Austin, and Chris Buckley. “’Absolutely No Mercy’: Leaked Files Expose How China Organized Mass Detentions of Muslims.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 16 Nov. 2019, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/11/16/world/asia/china-xinjiang-documents.html.

Police brutality and shooting

Philip Kumi,

12/4/2019

police brutality and shooting started in 1872. I want to educate my audience about this incident and how they can protect themselves. The audience are black people. I specifically chose this audience because they are the people who are affected by it the most and research shows that as well. According to the police violence mapping website, “one thousand one hundred and forty-seven people were killed by the police and within those numbers, black people were twenty-five percent of the people who have been killed by the police and they are only thirteen percent of the population.” There is a huge gap between black, white and Hispanics when it comes to police brutality and shooting. I want to educate my audience about police brutality and what they can do when they are stopped by the police. My message to black people is, police brutality and shooting cannot be stopped but there are different things we can do to not fall victim of police brutality and shooting. We can all come together, educate ourselves on how we can reduce police brutality and shootings in our communities. We can organized campaign and workshops to educate our fellow black youth about police brutality and how they can conduct themselves when stopped by the police. We also need to be enlightened about the law and our rights and ways we can fight back legally when oppressed or abused by the police. There are firms and attorneys who are willing to participate in these campaigns about police brutality and ways we can hold the police responsible for their actions. An example is the Julian Castro campaign. This campaign is organized to end police brutality and they are dedicated to helping minorities and people affected by this situation to fight for their rights. My goal is to change both side’s opinions about each other and to let them act differently towards each other. Sometimes I feel like black people are at fault. They act aggressively towards the police and that makes the police reply in a form of violence. I also feel that the police act abusively towards black people because of the criminal stigma associated with black people and overall both sides need some education and should use a different approach towards each other. There are steps that we can follow when stopped by the police according to the NYCLU “we can protect ourselves by not interfering with the police in case of random search. Remaining silent and listening to the police attentively. Showing the police your identification card, insurance or driver’s license. Controlling your words, body language, and emotions. Not running or getting into an argument with the police. Keeping your hands where the police can see. Not touching the police officer, and lastly asking for a lawyer immediately after your arrest.” These are easy steps that we can follow and educate others in order to not become victims of police brutality and shooting. We need to know our rights when stopped by the police. We have rights everywhere we go, according to the criminal justice degree hub, we have certain rights such as the right to arm bears on ourselves, in our houses and when traveling. The fourth amendment the right to protection, the right to explain yourself calmly during searches by the police, your Miranda right which is the right to remain silent anything you say will be used against you in court and the right to an attorney and if you cannot afford one. An attorney will be provided for you, the right to peacefully protest in public, the right to have an attorney present at the airport when questioned by the police and lastly the right to stop the police from entering your house without a warrant.” There are certain things that the police cannot do as well. They can only use their guns when they see objects. According to the American Bar Association, In 2017 a white police officer who was video-recorded killing an unarmed black motorist in north charleston was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison”. This shows that the police can only be convicted and sentenced based on evidence. What we can all do is to turn our cell phone recording button on when interacting with the police besides that we can also videotape these kinds of police interactions and brutality from far distance then later confronting the person or family member about what you have to be used as evidence in court for justice to be served. We can help ourselves and others who are victims of police brutality and shooting. Another tip is not holding objects when stopped by the police. According to the same article which is the Amerian Bar Association, “A police officer from Arizona shot a woman who was holding a large kitchen knife.” Holding objects when stopped by the police can seem as a threat to the police. They are human and in terms of situations like that, they will use what they have to protect themselves when they get terrified or frustrated. So we need to know these types of information to be safe from their negative actions. We are in a society that governed against us based on our skin color or our past criminal records so we need to act a certain type of way to not fall into their traps. When we come across incidents like this first we need to get a lawyer or an attorney who will understand our situation. Secondly we need to present any evidence we have in court to persuade the judge to rule in favor of us and lastly, regardless of our pain we should try and remain calm, treat the police with respect and use the appropriate language when stopped by the police. We need to know this basic information in order to take legal procedures when they abuse their power or act illegally towards us.

 

Message to the police department.

The majority of us black people might have criminal records but that does not give you the right to criminalize the whole community. In every community, there are good people and bad people you can’t characterize the whole people as criminals because people who have similar skin color as those who are committing crimes. Our society needs a social change, your role is to protect people not to abuse and killed people. Based on the New York Times article, “a 28 years old woman named Jefferson was shot by the police through her window because the police received a phone call from the neighbor saying that he had noticed the light was on in the middle of the night and is not normal for them.  meanwhile, Ms Jefferson was playing video games with her cousin. The officer later resigned and was arrested.” This shows that shooting can affect both sides. We the people can be affected the most but the police can end up losing their job or being sentenced. In this case, the police were supposed to present him or herself as a police and ask the person’s permission to go for a random search. Everything should be done calmly if there is no illegal possessions. The police should never take action or use their weapons without any investigation or confrontation.

 

Citation

Eligon, J. (2019, November 24). A White Officer Shoots a Black Colleague, Deepening a Racial Divide. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/24/us/st-louis-race-police.html.

 

Ohm, B. w. (2015, November 25). Some Modern Day Musings on the Police Power. Retrieved fromhttps://www.americanbar.org/groups/state_local_government/publications/urban_lawyer/2015/47-4/police-power/.

 

NYCLU: Immediate Investigation and Reforms Needed After Allegations of Police Brutality in School. (2008, November25).Retrievedfromhttps://www.nyclu.org/en/press-releases/nyclu-immediate-investigation-and-reforms-needed-after-allegations-police-brutality.

 

Gregory, K. (2019, February 13). How Videos of Police Brutality Traumatize African Americans andUnderminetheSearchforJustice.Retrievedfromhttps://newrepublic.com/article/153103/videos-police-brutality-traumatize-african-americans-undermine-search-justice.

Depression Among College Students

Baldip Singh

 

  

          Depression is the most common health problem for college students. Students can easily feel anxious trying to balance school, work, friends and family while also trying to figure out the rest of their lives. Recent research indicates that young adult college students experience increased levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental health problems on college campuses. Over 39% of college students “felt so depressed that it was difficult to function” at least once during the 2016-2017 academic school year. Over 60% of college students have felt overwhelmed by anxiety at least once in the last 12 months. It is a big problem in the US. 

 

    Dear parents, 

 

           What causes depression? Depression can be caused by a number of things. Lack of sleep is one of the most known causes. Nobody is at their best after they have had no sleep the night before. It is likely to have a massive effect on our temper in addition to our ability to perform our day to day chores. A lack of sleep will have an adverse effect on us in severe approaches, such as making us much more likely to be affected by depression. Another cause can be TV. We are often told as kids that we should not be spending too much time in front of the TV. For some reason, though, we tend not to follow such advice as adults and many people spend many hours a day glued to it. The inactivity is not healthy for us and it can also cause other problems as well. Many professionals experience that too much TV is a strong contributor to acute depression. Patients can get so emotionally worried with shows and films that they may be able to have an extended-lasting impact on their well being. In some instances, TV shows and movies may even make sufferers experience suicidal thoughts. Remember that TV is ok in itself, but it should  be watched best cautiously and the borders between truth and fiction have to no longer be crossed. 

  

         Tough decisions. We all have to make choices at some point in our lives. These can range from what to have for dinner, to potentially life-changing decisions such as a change in career. It can be difficult to choose at times and sometimes we will have to make a decision that will involve disappointing another person. Some people find decision making more difficult than others, though. For some people, having to make decisions can even lead to depression. It could even be simple decisions that have little to no long-term impact, such as which dress to buy. Making even simple decisions can often be an overwhelming experience for some people. In recent decades we have learned a great deal about how our diet affects our health. This means how it affects us physically and also mentally. A good, balanced diet helps us to be physically fit while also helps to ensure that we are in good shape mentally. We have also identified various foods containing ingredients that can help to prevent depression. Omega 3 fatty acids are compounds that are commonly found in fish, particularly salmon. Studies have shown that these fatty acids can help to regulate compounds in our brains that can help prevent depression. In addition to eating plenty of salmon, a good diet overall will help you feel better physically and mentally.

 

             Another cause can be relationships. The people around us will have a considerable impact on our overall well-being. They can make us happy and they can make us sad, and they can get into every aspect of how we live our lives. Unfortunately, having the wrong kind of relationships can also contribute to depression. Even a small disagreement can stay on somebody’s mind and contribute to them becoming depressed. Studies have shown that children that don’t have good relationships with their siblings and other family members are more likely to experience depression as adults. Bad relationships with someone you love can give you bad thoughts all the time and can even make you suicidal.

 

                                                                            From, 

                                                                                       Baldip Singh

Speech- 

 

(Assembly at Queens College) 

 

           Depression is a big problem for college students as they aren’t mature enough yet to make the best decisions for themselves. Lack of sleep, watching an excessive amount of television, having to make tough decisions, what you eat and do not eat, and your relationships are big causes of depression among college students. Every student is different and goes through different circumstances so these can’t apply to everyone but these are the most common and leading causes of depression amongst college students. You might be going through depression because of these things and can’t help yourself. We all here have felt overwhelmed by something in life, anxiety over it may have lead to depression. You thought that once you complete the task at hand, our problems would disappear and so would our sorrow, but it stayed. Everyday you question whether or not it’s worth it or not. That’s what it’s like to be dealing with depression. There is no cure for depression but it can be treated. If you know someone who might be going through depression or a tough time in their life you could help them. Some things that can cause depression are abuse, people who have been abused, whether physically or mentally have a higher chance of going through depression later on in life. Major events. Events such as a new job, getting married/in a relationship can lead to depression. So can moving, losing a job or income, getting divorced, or retiring. It is very common as you are moving on to a new experience. Loss of a loved one is the most common way to go through depression. You will feel empty inside because you in fact lost a part of yourself. It is very hard to get back to normal after that. These are just some of the causes of depression and don’t apply to everyone. Everyone is different and have gone through their own individual experiences that might be too much for them to handle. All I want to say is that if you or if you know someone who might be going through depression should go to a psychiatrist. Michelle Newman, a professor of psychology at Penn State University says how depression can be treated better by talking to a professional instead of taking drugs to temporarily ease you.  

 

                                                                             

 

Work Cited-

Causes Of Depression-

https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/causes-depression#1 

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/mb4wyp/difference-between-psychologist-psychiatrist

 

https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/college-students

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/college-depression/art-20048327

 

https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/depression-among-college-students