and So Should Government Policies

Government policies and the corruption behind them

Anna Beth Burleson, Staff Writer

The values of the United States have shifted for the worse. The morals of this country have been completely derailed. From gun violence, to human rights issues, to climate change, the problems are mounting and something is bound to give. The citizens of America have spoken, and it’s now time for the government to listen and to apply the change that everyone is so desperate for.

Gun violence is now the number one cause of death for children in the United States as of March 29, 2023. There have been at least 131 mass shootings this year alone, with more shootings than the number of days in 2023. Something must change. Everyone, no matter who you are, should feel safe at the grocery store, gas station, school, and even at home. Parents should not have to buy their children bulletproof backpacks to protect themselves, and our teachers should not have to plan for where they are going to hide all of their students in the classroom; this is unfortunately not the case. If you have a mental disease, have been in jail for a federal crime, or anything else warranting a red flag, you should not be able to purchase a gun. In the U.K. in 1996, there was a devastating school shooting that killed 16 kindergarten-aged students and their teacher. The nation was in an outcry and demanded for gun reform and gun ownership rules and regulations; they got just that and handguns were banned. Since the U.K. massacre, there have been no school shootings since in the UK. This is the change citizens all over the U.S. are looking for. People are tired of living in fear, and so am I. I should not have to live in fear that my life will end because of a decision another person made. Talking of change does not fix the issue of gun violence; real and immediate action needs to be taken because if not, there will be another mass shooting. The past few weeks and months have proved it.

A controversial issue that should not be is human rights. From 2020’s Black Lives Matter protests to 2022’s Roe V. Wade Supreme Court Case, the lack of human rights is a concerning issue. While progressing, it is nowhere near where it should be. Where you live essentially determines the amount of rights you are given. Currently, 13 U.S. states have a full ban on abortion, 10 of those being Southern ones. A world where a man determines what a woman can or can not do to her body is a world I do not want to live in.

Gender and race based violence is also on the rise. Indigenous women continue to be put to the side in the regard of sexual violence. While Biden has put into effect the Violence Against Women Act, it still does not protect the 96% of indigenous women with a non-indigenous partner. The current law that is in place effectively stops local tribes from being able to prosecute, thus creating a system of despair. These perpetrators are not held accountable for their sexual crimes.

Racism does not always have to be a hate crime or saying a slur, it can oftentimes be systematic. Systematic racism is defined as “policies and practices that exist throughout a whole society or organization, and that result in and support a continued unfair advantage to some people and unfair or harmful treatment of others based on race,” according to the Cambridge Dictionary. This kind of racism needs to be corrected in the workplace, on the street, and in everyday life. Systematic racism is debilitating in aspects that white people consider “successful.” It is harder for people of color to participate in society when systematic racism is involved. It can be shown in education, the pay gap, and housing issues. We need to bridge this gap and give everyone equal opportunities because the most valuable people might, unfortunately, slip through the cracks because of the color of their skin. Racism is so politicized, but it is not a matter of which party you belong to, it is a matter of right or wrong.

Additionally, a polarizing issue on the rise is the Willow Project. Willow is an oil reserve on federal land in Alaska, less than 30 miles from the Arctic Ocean. It is controlled by the oil company ConocoPhillips. This piece of land is the largest piece of public land in the nation. The Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act was put into effect in 1976, and it created rules and regulations for gas and oil extraction. This act also set aside some areas for maximum protection. This piece of land is very favorable for new oil, but it is also an important habitat for polar bears and thousands of caribou and waterfowl. This is now on the forefront of climate activist minds because they are trying

School Shootings at an All-Time High

to cut fossil fuel emissions that lead to global warming. This project requires federal permits, thus it is extremely vulnerable to public intervention and scrutiny. Activists are also upset because President Biden promised to end drilling on new federal land, yet this project would end up doing just that. If this project is to continue, it could produce 576 million barrels of oil over 30 years. The amount of roads, equipment, mines, and facilities that would have to be brought in or built would be devastating to the perfect untouched section of the Arctic that Willow is on. The amount of oil that would be burned would also have devastating effects on the air and the environment surrounding the project. While the United States would be more self-sufficient on the oil and gas front, activists believe that it will make the country more reliant on fossil fuels even though cleaner options are available. While other deciding factors were involved, people think that Biden had contradicted himself from his first statement on ending fossil fuel emissions and drilling on new lands. All in all, policies need to change. The new generation is begging for it. The older generation, who is making these decisions, does not have to live with the effects of the laws they put into place. These laws, or lack thereof, affect the most formative years of a young person’s life. Change should happen now whether you want it or not.

Why should kids have to fear for their lives while sitting in a classroom?

Mimi Lunsford, Staff Writer

On March 27th of this year, a 28-yearold shot through the door of Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee. The shooter ended up claiming 6 victims during the shooting; 3 of them were only 9 years old. Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, and Hallie Scruggs had only been on this earth for 108 months, or 3,285 days before they had their lives taken away from them.

As of April 10th of this year, there have been 146 mass shootings across the U.S. We are only 104 days into this year, which means on average we have about 1.4 mass shootings a day. And the scariest part is that number does not look like it is going down anytime soon.

Gun violence is the number one cause of death in adolescents, surpassing suicide.Yet, we constantly hear the same message from our authorities and government leaders: “We are so sorry that this happened, we are going to fix it.” But it still hasn’t been fixed. Children are still dying every single day and no change can be seen anywhere. How can we just keep ignoring this problem?

Recently, I have had conversations with parents about how they are terrified even to send their children to school; some are so worried that they are considering homeschooling their kids. These same parents talked about how saddened they are by the fact that their children (ages 3-14) even have to worry about guns when they never had to at that age.

The root of the issue begins with one major thing: gun laws. This ongoing debate has been a prominent discussion in national, state, and local elections for the past several years. One side argues that we need to restrict guns and make it harder to obtain a license and legally own a gun. On the other side, Americans say that will not help anything and we should arm our public so they can defend themselves. So, we must look at the pros and cons of both “solutions” that have been proposed.

The first proposal involves tightening the reins of gun laws. There is unde- niable proof that in states with stricter gun laws, there is a lower number of murders and suicides within these states. Studies show that every 10-point increase in gun laws leads to an 8% decrease in the number of gun-related deaths. Although that might not seem like a lot, this means that out of the 12,000 people who have already died since January 1st because of guns, 960 of those people would still be living today. Two major arguments against stricter gun laws are: if people want guns, they will get guns, and the Second Amendment. Many people say that probation on guns will not stop people from getting guns. They argue that this will not help the issue but only take guns out of the hands of people who need them.

This plays into the second counterargument, the right to bear arms. Americans are guaranteed certain rights with their citizenship; one of these is the 2nd Amendment. This states that Americans have the right to carry a licensed, legal firearm; therefore, if guns were banned it could be deemed unconstitutional. Pro-gun Americans believe that to protect Americans they must be equipped the same as the attackers. These will give Americans confidence in their safety and allow for self-defense. Also, some may argue that gun control laws do not deter crime, it only increases it because criminals are more likely to attack the unarmed. Stricter laws would as well impose on hunting and sport.

Recently, there was a shooting in Dadeville, Alabama. Less than 3 hours away from our homes, 4 people were killed and 28 people were injured. Two of the victims were about to graduate high school, they were just now starting to truly experience life until it was ripped away from them.

The US has to decide which road it is going to follow. We cannot continue to allow children to die at the hands of guns. This gun violence epidemic must come to a halt.

World’s Silliest Dictatorship

A step-by-step guide to making light of serious political issues

Jonah Jarrett, Staff Writer

Working in the world of politics is no easy task. From world wars to economic inflation to that one pothole in your road that the local government just can’t seem to fix, being a politician is one job that everyone would agree requires focus, commitment, and a no-nonsense attitude. Some politicians, however, do not take their jobs so seriously. Some politicians even do things that are silly, wild, or downright absurd.

There is one leader in particular that I think may be the most silly of all. It isn’t Donald Trump or some other squalid member of U.S. government. It’s not even one of those wacky members of U.K. Parliament. The leader I believe to be the most silly is the flabbergasting leader of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov. Although his sesquipedalian name may seem silly on its own, it is naught but the beginning of the goofiness that lies within his great breadth of accomplishments. To fully understand Berdymukhamedov’s actions we must first learn to appreciate his predecessor, Saparmurat Niyazov.

Saparmurat Niyazov was in many ways an idiosyncratic ruler, with many of the nation’s laws simply banning things that annoyed him. Niyazov’s decisions ranged from banning smoking, beards, lip syncing, gold teeth, to disallowing those on television from wearing makeup. Niyazov’s autobiography was required reading in schools nationwide, Niyazov also renamed all twelve months of the year, naming both the city of Krasnovodsk and the month of January “Turkmenbashi,” meaning father of the Turkmen (in reference to himself) and changing the word for bread and the month of April to his mother’s name, Gurbansoltan. Niyazov installed 28 miles of concrete paths and staircases in the dry and treeless Kopet Dag mountains. Government officials were then forced to walk 23 miles of this path once a year during what was known as the Walk of Health. Niyazov himself flew to the end in a helicopter, of course, and chastised those who traveled too slowly for his taste.

Now that I have set the scene, you can truly understand just how absurd Berdymukhamedov’s rule is. Former dentist, minister of health, and vice president of Turkmenistan, Berdymukhamedov ruled from 2007 to 2022, before stepping down from his position. After he stepped down, his son took over in a questionable election and formed a parliament with his father as chairman. During his rule, Berdymukhamedov, too, did many very silly things. Starting with a case that is (mildly) less silly, Berdymukhamedov is fascinated with Akhal-Teke racehorses, the country’s national animal, whose significance in their country may even rival the reverence that we Americans display for the almighty bald eagle. Berdymukhamedov has written two books about them and even has an official government website about them, “Heavenly Akhal-Teke Horses.”. His second book, The Flight of Celestial Race Horses, opens with the stupefying line, “I won’t call you horse, I would call you brother, you are dearer than brother.” Berdymukhamedov’s love for race horses extends off the page as well— Berdymukhamedov participated in a horse race that grew to international infamy when Berdymukhamedov fell off his horse after winning the race, narrowly escaping serious injury. It’s extra embarassing once you consider that he forced public employees to attend the race. Berdymukhamedov appears on government-controlled television channels doing things such as playing with kittens, overseeing government meetings, and of course doing donuts around the eternally flaming crater that lies within their country

Are Our Attention Spans Ruined? Don’t worry, reading this article will only take 3.5 minutes

Drew

Williamson and Destiny-Faith White, Staff Writers

In a world full of distractions, it’s becoming harder and harder to stay focused. In 2000, the average attention span was measured to be around 12 seconds. A more recent study from 2015 shows that the attention span has dropped to 8 seconds. Considering that the attention span of a goldfish is 9 seconds, this is mildly concerning. Where did this downward trend of the attention span begin, and how can we focus better?

Over the past few decades, digital media has changed greatly. Since the introduction of video-based media, it seems like videos have been getting shorter and shorter. TikTok has arguably had the biggest influence on this phenomenon, and it’s easy to see how. TikTok has popularized the short-form video format in the entertainment, marketing, music, and many other industries.

It is undeniable that short-form content has a unique appeal. I’m willing to bet that most people reading this article have watched a short video in the last 24 hours, whether it be on TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, or even YouTube. However, the simple act of just scrolling through TikToks on your phone has many negative effects. Swiping through video after video can overload your brain’s cognition with excessive information, and can also decrease your focus and attention span. Many of these videos are fast-paced, overstimulating, and purely designed to hook your attention. Speaking from experience, it is all too easy to get stuck in a constant dopamine loop of watching these videos and lose hours of the day.

You may ask yourself why videos have become these overstimulating amalgamations with clips from shows like FamilyGuyoverlaid with mobile gameplay and a text-to-speech bot reading out relationship advice questions. The answer? User engagement. Content creators, marketers, and even the platform developers stress content like this in order to gain more views and increase audience retention, because in the social media world, engagement is profit. The longer a viewer spends watching a video, the more exposure the video creator gets, as well as more motivation to keep producing these mind-numbing types of videos. Avoiding these types of videos, or really short-form videos as a whole will surely help your attention span and memory capacity to grow.

However, short-form content and technology as a whole isn’t the entire problem. Part of it is simply the human brain. We are just as likely to distract ourselves as we are to be distracted from something external. Whether it be checking your phone despite not getting any notifications or getting bored and playing a game on your computer rather than doing your work, we’ve all distracted ourselves at some point. When you lose focus on a task by getting distracted, voluntarily or involuntarily, it can take around 23 minutes to fully regain focus on your task, according to a study at the University of California at Irvine.

Thankfully, our attention spans aren’t permanently shot. There are many proven ways to strengthen your focus and attention span. One of the most prominent causes of distraction and a decreased attention span is multitasking. Although multitasking is often hailed as a useful skill to have today, it is just a myth. It is scientifically impossible to fully focus on two separate tasks; multitasking is simply alternating between them. Switching focus often can make it incredibly hard to concentrate on any given task, seeing as you are never fully focused. In a 2009 Stanford study, 50 people who identified themselves as media multitaskers and 50 people who weren’t multitask- commonly known as Hell’s Gate. He also DJs and raps, performing songs he claims to have written in music videos. In promotional videos, he is shown controlling a motorbike in one hand and hitting targets with a pistol in the other. Jennifer Lopez sang at his birthday and was then forced to apologize. He gifted Vladimir Putin a puppy. ers were all tested for their memory capacity, ability to switch between tasks, and attention span. Those who didn’t identify as multitaskers generally scored much better, as they were able to more effectively focus on one thing. Therefore, although it might seem counterintuitive, avoiding multitasking could actually help you work faster by improving your focus.

Despite how it may seem, Berdymukhamedov’s rule was not all fun and games. Turkmenistan is under a one-party government and is experiencing a severe economic crisis, often being compared to countries like North Korea. The country lacks almost any press freedom and, due to strict visa restrictions, only sees around 10,000 visitors per year. Despite having the world’s fourth-largest natural gas reserves, most people in the country are barely scraping by. The government’s election process could barely be considered an election. Despite sounding like cartoon villains, if there’s one thing that’s not silly about the leaders of Turkmenistan, it’s the way they treat their people.

Another way to increase focus is simply taking a break. If you have been working for some time and feel your mind drifting and not being able to pay attention, a short break could get you concentrated again. Whether it’s taking a walk, eating a snack, or watching a video, a brief break will most likely get you feeling even more productive afterwards.

In conclusion, it’s easy to get into a rut where you don’t feel motivated at all and can’t get any work done without getting distracted. Just while writing this article, I got distracted doing other things many times. However, there are many ways to combat a short attention span and improve your focus. Hopefully, these tips will help you next time you feel yourself getting stuck.

Is It Our Fault?

Parents’ and teachers’ effect on the student-body

Alecia Scott, Staff Writer

Respect. People demand it, even though some don’t return it. As a senior who has been to multiple schools, I have been forced to deal with some not-so-cordial teachers, substitute teachers and administrators. As a customer service worker, there have been plenty of not-so-pleasant people I have met. You learn to deal with them at a certain point. Many people are saying that children don’t have the same respect they used to have. Who teaches respect? Teachers? Parents? Both? It is everyone’s job to make others well-rounded human beings, especially when it comes to respect. It does, however, start at the source: Parents. Many of this generation’s parents were raised by people who used corporal punishment. Corporal punishment may have hurt them as a child, or it led them to use the same kind of teaching technique. This could have two results: gentle parenting and physical discipline. I am not saying either are wrong because they very well can create respectful kids, but many go overboard with these techniques. Children could end up growing a resentment towards authority figures or end up not seeing them as authority figures at all. At a certain point, the parents pass on the respect torch to teachers. Finally, it has to go into the hands of peers. This turns into fist fights and arguments because many people don’t know anything about respect either. These events turn moldable children into unruly, angsty teens.

Many parents and teachers have claimed that students have become unruly and have been abusing the freedoms that we have been given. I, however, do not agree with this statement. Children are being blamed for being children. They need to be guided, not controlled. When someone is forced to do something, they will rebel; it is human nature. Many students are being persecuted for not being able to maintain a full schedule and do everything in time. There is one tiny itty bitty baby problem; no one has taught them to handle these situations. These teachers and parents are enforcing the sink or swim tactic when that often doesn’t work with the majority of people. Putting children in a position to fail will often lead to failure. It is unfair to put students in this predicament. I do understand that we are getting older and are moving into adulthood, but a lot of us are just now figuring out how to regulate our emotions which, to be fair, is difficult for many people including adults.

Another thing that is just expected of children is time management. We are expected to be full fledged adults. They tell us “You will have to deal with this in the real world.” But that’s the problem right? We aren’t adults. We aren’t treated like adults either. This is where the respect thing comes into play. Some adults expect children to be adults and still treat them like children. They also lack the respect to communicate and teach children and teens how to manage their time and energy.

Parents and teachers are laying loads of work on their children and have not taught them to handle it productively. Plenty of classes have given me up to 2 hours of homework every night and expect it to be done the next day. Even if that is just the four core classes, the workload could be around 8 hours of work. Getting out of school at 3:10 and having 8 hours of homework would mean going to bed at 11:30, not to mention many students have extracurricu-

Spring Sport Recap (continued)

Baseball (Coach Patterson)

This has been a very tough season full of ups and downs. We have faced very strong competition since Opening Day and we hope that it pays off by preparing us for a deep playoff run. With 15 seniors, we have a lot of leadership so each day has been very enjoyable because everyone there is looking to get better and help the team be its best. There is talent spread throughout the roster but the real strength of this year’s team is its chemistry. There are a lot of high character individuals who come together to make a special team and each one of them are more concerned with the success of the team than their own personal success.

Girls Soccer (Coach Hackbarth)

This year’s team was a special group of girls who bought into working hard, having great attitudes, and being selfless. These girls rooted for one another all year and truly represented Cullman High School in the best way possible on the field and in the classroom as well. Although the season ended sooner than we had hoped, words cannot express how proud we are of this gritty group of girls for the way they played and how competitive they were all year. The senior class (Mimi Lunsford, Anna Beth Mauldin, Abby Morrow, & Shayley Vogelaar) will leave big shoes to fill as their leadership was exemplary and it was a catalyst for one of the best seasons in Cullman Girls Soccer history as they finished the 2023 season with a 14-3 (4-0 in Area) record.

Boys Soccer (Coach Drake)

The Boys Soccer season started off rough with a few tough losses until lar activities and work, which means they may not get home until 5 or even later. The parent may say, “You need to manage your time better,” but then also say that, “You aren’t involved in school enough,” or that “You spend too much of their money and need to get a job” to get the things that make high school just a little more bearable. It feels like a lose-lose situation.

In this case, many students lose motivation to do any of the work. “I can’t catch up anyways, so what’s the point?” This can often lead to a decline in mental health as well. I can’t tell you how many times I have thought about all of the work I have to do for school and want to literally sob. It is hard for someone who can manage their time, so I can’t imagine how someone who can’t would survive.

This would be the part where I should give you some tips on how to manage your time, but to be honest, I don’t know how to myself. I feel like I am barely keeping my head above the water. I could tell you, “Don’t procrastinate” but you’ve heard it a billion times. I could say, “Do it when you get it,” but we have already established that can’t always happen. It is hard to be a well-rounded person while in high school, and it feels like parents and teachers just don’t get it. They had so many less social responsibilities as we do now. We have to manage our social life, online and in person; we have to manage school work, which can now be published online so there is no escape. We have work or sports; we have to worry about whether we are even going to have a planet to live on by the time we are adults. We have to worry about whether we will ever be able to buy a house or even rent.

There are so many things that we have to deal with, and becoming adults too early is the cause of most of them. So here is my advice: don’t let teachers or parents make you an adult before you are ready. Take your time. Getting it done and doing it correctly is much more important than doing it in time. Even in the real world, deadlines can be moved. Stuff happens. Roll with the flow and don’t let others dictate how you act. Do what you think is right, and learn respect before others don’t show it to you. the game against Gardendale at home. That win was the turning point for the boys varsity soccer team and put the boys up against Fort Payne in the playoffs. When asked about the season, Coach Drake said, “Throughout the season, the players learned more about the game and I learned more about the players. I’m really proud of them and they are players that the next generation can look up to.”

Tennis Boys (Coach Bates)

The Cullman Tennis Teams just wrapped up their season at the AHSAA State Tournament. Both boys and girls had a terrific season. The girls finished with a 12-4 (3-0) record and had 6 wins over Top 15 teams. The boys’ season was highlighted with a runner-up finish in the Hillcrest Doubles Tournament and an undefeated record in section play. The boys’ and girls’ teams were both section champions with Eli Chaney, Katia Peterson, Jake Murphree, Karina Harris, Nason Green, and Maddie Files all winning singles section titles. Katia Peterson & Caroline Hill won the #1 doubles titles and Olivia Dover & Karina Harris won the #2 doubles titles in the section tournament. The Cullman teams were led by a terrific group of seniors (Eli Chaney, Katia Peterson, Bennett Cabri, Caroline Hill, and Maddie Files)

Golf Boys (Coach Drake)

The Boys Golf team has had a stellar season this year, and they finished it off very favorably as the 6A Section 4 champions.

Is It Okay to Mock Christianity?

Why has society deemed Christianity as “Okay to make fun of”?

Olivia Britton, Staff Writer

Writers note: This article was not an easy write, and for two months, I had half the article written before God revealed to me that if I was going to write about this topic, it could not come from a place of anger, it had to come from a place of faithfulness and understanding. At the end of the day, when the trumpets sound, God is not going to be upset with someone who had strong faith, and tried their hardest to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. If people are putting someone down, that person must be doing something right. The people that want to stick around will. In today’s fast-paced world we tend to forget that Jesus only had 12 disciples.

Why do people mock religion? The age-old question has caused such a stir in our society. Mocking religion is not a new idea; people have been doing it since Roman times. Throughout the world, Christian belief is consistently mocked, whether in person, on television, or in social media. Growing up, my mother always told me it was “the devil mocking us in order to try and lead us astray from God.” There is no doubt in my mind that the devil is behind such outrageous statements or actions, but this conclusion does not eliminate the simple question of why? Why does no one ever stand up for Christians? Where are the headlines when someone mocks a Christian or God? Celebrities do not seem to share their opinions about the persecution of Christians across the world… why? Is it because when they stand up for God, they are “canceled?” It is not my place to ask celebrities to spread the gospel; all I want to know is why society does not come to a halt when Christianity is mocked as they do with other religions. People getting “canceled” online is not a new idea, and most of the time all it takes is an “I’m sorry” or “I won’t do it again,” and influencers have their careers back. Living in an age where everyone is an influencer makes things a little more complicated. In October of 2022, two girls lost nearly five million followers combined after being accused of Islamophobia (dislike of or prejudice against Islam or Muslims, especially as a political force). What did they do to be called such terrible things and lose millions of followers? They put blankets over their heads at a festival because the temperature dropped suddenly, and they did not have any jackets or warmer clothes with them. Their actions could most definitely be found as offensive, especially to someone who sees covering a woman’s hair as sacred. These girls got numerous death threats and called serious, vulgar names, all because of a mistake. However, those girls only had a couple of million followers, which in today’s world is honestly not much when compared to A-list celebrities like Demi Lovato, Sam Smith, Lil Nas X, and Madnna (All of which have mocked christianity).

I once saw somewhere online a quote that said, “In today’s world, if parents do not raise their kids, social media will.” It made me think about how many kids today are soaking up mind numbing information that will truly affect the rest of their lives. Like it or not, nobody can deny the fact that celebrities have a major influence on people, whether that be good or bad. There have been some coincidences where celebrities mocked God and didn’t have the best life afterwards.

A key example is John Lennon. Lennon was a legend and the co-founder of The Beatles in the 1960s. The Beatles music ruled the world for nearly a decade and is still very popular today. In 1966, John Lennon was interviewed by an American Magazine while taking a break from touring with the band. He mentioned he had been reading various books in his time off, one particular about the history of religion. In that interview, Lennon quotes, “Christianity will end, it will disappear. I do not have to argue about that. I am certain. Jesus was okay, but his subjects were too simple. Today we are more famous than Him.” These words were greeted with anger and outrage from his fans and family. People set their vinyl and posters on fire to show how angry they were. This led to the collapse of the Beatles in 1970. In 1980, John Lennon was shot six times in his head by one of his fans in front of his house and he died on the spot. Some found it strange how he mocked God in the year 1966 and was shot 6 times. Maybe that doesn’t mean anything, and people were overreacting, but he’s not the only one who has mocked God and faced the consequences. Tancredo Neves (President of Brazil) during his Presidential campaign, said if he got 500,000 votes from his party, not even God would remove him from the Presidency. He did get the votes but he fell sick a day before he was made the president and died. Another international example would be Cazuza, a Bi-sexual Brazilian composer, singer, and poet. While smoking his cigarette during a show in Rio de Janeiro, he puffed out some smoke into the air and said, “God, that’s for you.” He died at the age of 32 of lung cancer in a horrible manner.

Believe what you want about the coincidences that have happened, but more importantly, do not forget that celebrities are real people, with real souls who might not be as pure as we hope.

Demi Lavato was one of my favorite people to watch on Disney Channel growing up. Not only did she star in the Camp Rock movies, she had her own television show, Sunny with a Chance, which made her a big time actor in my eyes. However, her most recent album was not as wholesome as her childhood acting. The posters for Lovato’s new album “Holy F***” pictured Lavato mocking the crucifixion by laying on a cross wrapped in bondage clothing. The posters debuted in January of 2023 and were banned in the UK three days after release. The UK said the posters were highly offensive and not suitable for children to be able to view. This may have you wondering what the United States did? How did we respond? We promoted her! Our society claimed that the UK was overreacting and her “freedom of speech” would not be disregarded in her very own country. I am not sure what upset me more: her actions, or the fact that I was not surprised by the way the US responded.

I could write a book of evidence to prove the fact that Christianity is mocked and overlooked, but it wouldn’t answer the question that I have been wondering: Why? In research and prayer, I’ve realized that the mocking of Christians goes back to the founding of us: Jesus. Jesus totally ignored any offense or mockery that was thrown against him. By contrast, Mohammad had people who mocked him killed by his followers. Jesus never fought in a single war. The direct followers of Jesus spread his faith by dying. Every one of the original 12 died a very gruesome death and were complete pacifists. In contrast Mohommad fought in almost 90 battles. His direct followers aka ‘The Rightly Guided Caliphs’ spread his faith by conquering. Every one of the 4 fought in numerous battles and were not pacifists. If society mocked Jesus, the holy, most perfect being that ever lived on earth, what makes us expect to be treated any better? See, something we fail to often realize is that society does not hate the people, they hate the message.

If there is one thing our generation is not afraid to do, it is voice their opinion. Protesting has become more and more common ever since the 2020 Black Lives Matter riots. I have heard many people, especially middle-aged white men, say the age old phrase, “I don’t care what people do, I just don’t want them to shove it down my throat.”

The statement has a valid argument when initially read, but when thought about, a deeper meaning can be found.

China Anne McClain is another actor and singer who starred in various roles on Disney Channel throughout her childhood. China has continued to act and sing until recently; she left the industry to follow God’s lead even if it meant “living off of a couple of pennies and a dime” for the rest of her life to do God’s work. In a video she posted, she used the snake analogy to explain why she felt it was important that she shares the Gospel. The “Snake Analogy” China shares is below.

“Say we’re best friends, you come over to my house and we [are] chilling. Then I remember, oh shoot I forgot to take my dog out. [You] stay here let me take him in the backyard I’ll be right back. I take my dog downstairs, I unlock the door… and I see a snake in the yard! So I grabbed my dog, rush back inside, close and lock the door, then I go back upstairs. Where I left you. I see that you have gotten up and you’re about to leave the room. I ask, ‘Wait where are you going?’ and you answer ‘I wanted to go to the backyard too…’ and I say, ‘Okay. I’ll see you when you get back!’ You go out there to get some fresh air and you get bit by a snake. You run upstairs back to my room and you’re like ‘China, China, I just got bit! There is a snake in the yard!’ I look at you and say ‘Oh yeah I know I saw it when I was going to take my dog out.’ ”

China then explains her reasoning by asking her followers, “What would your next question be? It’d probably be, ‘China, why didn’t you tell me about the snake?’ Now, would me telling you about the snake before you went outside be forcing that information down your throat? Forcing my beliefs on you? No, it’s showing you that I love you.”

I believe China McClain’s analogy perfectly describes how Christians are supposed to spread the gospel. The gospel is intended to be spread with love, but today we seem to forget that. Jesus was gentle, kind, and slow to anger and that’s how we should try to live. Like it or not, somebody somewhere is going to make fun of christians, and we have to love them anyway. As long as we try our hardest to do the will of God and stay faithful, our job is done. It does not matter how the world views us. As a Christian, I am less concerned with how our society views me or my opinions than I am about how Jesus will see me when I see Him in heaven.

Blast From The Past

Ethicality of bringing back extinct species

Juan Fuentes, Staff Writer

For many years now, scientists and conservationists have tried to come up with ways to save endangered species from extinction. However, with advancements in technology, some researchers are considering a new approach to conservation: bringing back extinct species through de-extinction. Although the idea of bringing back extinct species may sound exciting, it raises many ethical questions.

De-extinction is the process of using genetic engineering to recreate an extinct species by using the DNA of the extinct species to create a new individual that resembles the extinct species. The process involves finding and extracting DNA from the extinct species, using that DNA to create an embryo, and implanting that embryo into the womb of a closely related species to give birth to a hybrid offspring.

One of the main ethical concerns with de-extinction is the effects that reintroducing an extinct species into the environment would have. The environment has changed since the extinction of many species and reintroducing them could have unintended consequences. For example, reintroducing a predator that has been extinct for hundreds of years can have a profound effect on the current food chain.

Another concern with de-extinction is that the actual process may divert resources from other conservation efforts for endangered species. De-extinction is an expensive process that not only takes up plenty of money, but also time and other resources. While de-extinction may come across as a noble cause, it may as well be the nail in the coffin for many endangered species that still exist.

The debate over de-extinction and whether or not humans have the right to bring back species that have already gone extinct is ongoing, with one side saying that humans shouldn’t be playing god with extinct species, while the other side argues that de-extinction is a way to rectify the damage caused by humans, i.e. deforestation or climate change.

There are many questions and factors that need to be considered when talking about resurrecting an extinct species, mainly focusing on the well-being of the species that are brought back, such as whether they would even be able to survive in the current environment.