Zakianna & Kiana 

2/18/2020

Appropriation of black culture 

Like the above image asks, “What if?” That’s the question that all African Americans ask. Nowadays Black culture isn’t as appreciated as it should be. People believe that racism is over but in reality it isn’t. It’s still affecting African American people. 

Many people try and appreciate the Black culture. But do they know how African American people feel when they do what they do? People see appreciating Black culture as doing things that they feel are right but in reality are actually really wrong and hurtful. Like for instance, when other races get box braids or get extensions added to their hair people react to them with positive comments. But for an African American woman or girl to do the same thing it’s considered “ghetto” or it “isn’t cute.” 

These are the types of things that go on everyday and people don’t seem to realize it, but it happens. The caucasian community loves to make fun of the Black community by calling them things like “hoodrats,” “ghetto,” or ”ratchet.” These are words commonly used everyday to bring down the spirits and hopes of the African American culture. 

We ourselves as African Americans are proud to be who we are. But just being proud really isn’t enough anymore. Other cultures and ethnicities don’t know what it’s like to be in our shoes. They don’t know what it’s like to be called out for trying to protect your hair or being fired for wearing color in your hair which they call ”inappropriate.” As an African American it’s hard to live life when you’re constantly judged during it. 

African American women are constantly judged everyday for trying to protect their hair. When they wear box braids, or twist, or any form of weave they’re called ghetto, but African American people wear weaves because they like it and think it is pretty.

Many famous people have celebrated cultural appropriation. But little did they know that non famous people were hurt by them because they were not of color and did not look okay wearing what they had done. Kim Kardashian once had cornrows.

They did not look right because it was just not a look for her. Instead of doing multiple cornrows she should do just 2. In my opinion when non African American people try and celebrate cultural appropriation they should try and involve African American people or, just give us credit for our looks and how we look and dress. 

With that being said, cultural appropriation is a big thing in the world. 

In Minnesota, vaccinations are required by law before enrolling your child in school, whether it be public school or private school. However, it is legal for people to get a religious or philosophical exemption from getting their vaccinations. Should such a thing be allowed if it puts other people’s and children’s health at risk? 

Parents choose not to vaccinate their children for a number of reasons. While in general, there are no restrictions on vaccinations in any major religions according to History of Vaccines.org, there are a few smaller denominations of religions that do, such as Christian Scientists or the Dutch Reformed Church, denominations of the Christian church. There is also a number of muslim people who claim that they cannot use vaccines made from pork (gelatin), as it is against Islam to consume pork, but the refusal of vaccines is not agreed upon throughout the whole religion. Additionally, both of these religions support the morals behind vaccines, them being to prevent children (and adults) from suffering. 

So, it’s a very controversial topic even within one religion. Can the excuse that vaccines are against one’s religion be used even if it is unclear whether the religion as a whole opposes this idea or not?

Another reason parents do not vaccinate their children is the fear of vaccines, specifically the vaccine for mumps, measles, and rubella (MMR), possibly causing autism. According to historyofvaccines.org this is most often thought to be because the rate of a child born with autism is increasing while we are getting more advanced medically and using more vaccinations to defend against diseases. Not only that, but the spread of misinformation in the media and in person can be a great reinforcer of this idea.

According to ncbi.gov, widespread exemption from vaccines undermines the benefits of herd immunity. Herd immunity is when a large group of a population has a strong resistance to a type of disease. This helps not only people but also people with weaker immune systems such as babies or young children.

Parents who don’t vaccinate their children contribute to outbreaks of diseases that could have been preventable by vaccines, such as measles or whooping cough, according to the University of Michigan Health Lab. It keeps these diseases alive. For example, according to The Hospitalist, measles, which the USA had been declared clean of by the CDC, has started to make a comeback because people refuse to vaccinate either themselves or their children. 

The graph below, which can be found on the CDC website, shows the number of measles cases recorded in each year. 

As you can see, between the years 2015 and 2017 the number of measles cases were generally small, staying in the low hundred. However in 2018 there was a spike in outbreaks which brought the numbers up to 375 and even higher in 2019 at 1282 cases.

This brings us to the million dollar question. Should vaccines be completely required for every student, regardless of religious or philosophical beliefs?

The real question is does it matter what the religious or philosophical beliefs of one person is when it comes to the well-being of all the children around them?

At this very moment there are animals that are being tested on. Testing on animals happens worldwide. It is a big problem, but it is often ignored. Testing on animals is another way of animal abuse. According to PETA, these poor animals are exposed to: burning, shocking, poisoning, isolation, starvation, and brain damage. No animal should be exposed to this kind of harm no matter what.

Animals that are often tested on are dogs, rats, rabbits, pigs, and fish. They are used on a daily basis for tests in the laboratory. Each year, around 100 million animals die for the purpose of experimentation. One of the most common products that use animals to test on, is make-up.

Testing on animals is just a waste of time overall. Not all the information they find on animals will be accurate on humans. It’s an inhuman act that scientists take on animals that are defenseless. Animals are also very different from human beings, which is why they make bad test subjects, the anatomy of animals and the anatomy of a human are very different. They may be able to pass tests that are dangerous to humans. 

So, what can you do to make this situation right and save more animals? Some things you can do to help suffering animals is to buy 100% cruelty-free products. If you don’t know where to look, you could look for any bunny logos on the product or you could search up a list of brands that sell cruelty-free products.

You could also educate people about the dark side of animal testing and why it shouldn’t be supported. You could also educate friends on what brands to use and not use, because your friends probably don’t know how bad animals are being treated in labs; help them see and understand this horrible situation and help them make the right choices. 

If you want more information on brands that are cruelty-free, visit: https://features.peta.org/cruelty-free-company-search/index.aspx 

 

There is no question that pollution and climate change are issues that are taking our world by storm. As new laws are put in place to add taxes to plastic bags or to ban them completely, it begs the question, are bans really going to work?

Everyday, people use disposable plastic products. Straws, cups, forks, bottles and, one of the most impactful, plastic bags. Plastic bags are easy to use, disposable, and many people use them for these reasons. However, are the benefits of them really worth the costs?

There is a shockingly large amount of plastic that is polluting our oceans. It endangers animals and leads to the emission of more greenhouse gases. According to ABC News, plastic bags clog storm drains and entangle and kill an estimated 100,000 marine animals annually.

According to ABC News, only three states in the U.S. have passed laws that ban single-use plastics like plastic bags. California, Hawaii, and New York are those three states. Other states like Delaware, Maine, and Rhode Island have mandatory recycling/reuse programs but plastic bags are not banned or taxed.

Ten states have placed bans on banning plastic bags. These states include Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. These bans restrict the ability to control and ban plastic-bag usage. The bans in these ten states ban laws similar to the ones in California and Rhode Island from being enforced.

This encourages us to ask the question, are plastic bag bans really worth it?

According to “Plastic Bag Bans Work” from the Smithsonian, in 2002, Ireland made a simple change by adding a 15 cent tax on plastic bags in stores. They hoped that the tax would help people notice their habits and convince them to bring reusable bags. After the tax was put in place, plastic bag use went down 90 percent. Many shoppers ended up agreeing with the tax and were able to see the benefits.

Plastic bag bans work (at least in tax form)! They have made a noticeable difference in Ireland and have the chance to make an impact all over the world. Enforcing bans across the United States could show an amazing change; especially for marine life!

This jacket retails for $1,050.00. Such a large price makes you wonder how it’s made. What makes it so special? But the real question is, is it humane?

Recently Canada Goose has become an extremely popular winter coat brand, and is being marketed as an extremely weather resistant coat. The company was founded in 1957 and recently has become a popular status staple. 

Although, recently throughout media, this company has taken a beating for animal abuse.

The Canada Goose states, “We do not condone any willful mistreatment, neglect, or acts that maliciously cause animals undue suffering. Our standards for the sourcing and use of fur, down and wool reflect our commitment that materials are sourced from animals that are not subject to willful mistreatment or undue harm.”

It is clear this company cares deeply about there product, but do they care about the source?

Throughout the past 7 months, PETA has been advertising anti Canada Goose ads to inform people of the horror going on through this company. 

Animals are not ours

In one of their recent articles, the company depicts how Canada Goose – traps, kills and skins wild coyotes for the fur trim of each coat.

According to PETA, wild coyotes are trapped in painful metal traps, desperately trying to escape.

The coyote will then suffer for days, remaining stuck in the trap.

Once the coyotes have died, they are skinned for their fur.

The trappers then discard the animal’s body carelessly, and are left with the animal’s fur which is sold to Canada Goose. The fur is sown into the jacket, and worn by a careless person.

In the same article, PETA also reveals that Canada Goose uses geese who are killed in a slaughterhouse for their down. Each animal involved with this company will not die a pleasant way. Their last moments alive are conscious and terrifying.

PETA recommends that to prevent this abuse from continuing, STOP BUYING this product.

Ultimately, always make sure that the clothes you are buying are ethical and sustainable. It is crazy what you can find out if you dig a little deeper.