Global Affairs: On The Brink Of Demolition by LASA Ezine

GLOBAL AFFAIRS On The Brink of Demolition

Todays Racism: How Bad has Police Brutality Gotten? “I came across doll fragments at one of the enslaved people’s homes that we were surveying ... I was really confronted with talking about these sort of lived experiences and culture during enslavement”

Story by Abdur-Rahman Sharif, pg. 3

Climate Change: The Distaster of the Ages “All of life on Earth is headed into the sixth mass extinction. The dinosaurs perished at the fifth. And what is this event caused by?... Most of all, humans causing climate change.”

Story by Thibaud Mankin, pg. 25

Global Affairs contains 36 pages of gut-wrenching stories about the most emotional topics of our present day, from stories about the Israel vs. Palestine conflict to the debate about masks in schools. Our magazine is a read worth the time of voters, young and old, with interviews of politicians, professors, and others at the center of our world’s affairs. Continued in our Letter From The Editors on pg. 1

Today’s Racism

Police Brutality

How Bad Has It Gotten?

Has it Really Changed Over the Years?

Abdur-Rahman Sharif — pg. 3

Abdur-Rahman Sharif — pg. 7

The Conflict

Entry Permission for Israelis

Israel and Palestine in a Deadlock

Entry permission for Israeli Citizens

Bailey Hall — pg. 9

Bailey Hall — pg. 17

Masking Coast to Coast

Texas v. United States

How states stack up with COVID

How politics transformed a pandemic

Adrian Casares – pg. 19

Adrian Casares – pg. 21

The Global Struggle

A Disaster of the Ages

Who’s at fault for climate change?

Our generation and climate change

Thibaud Mankin — pg. 25

Thibaud Mankin — pg. 27

Welcome! We, the editors, are here to invite you to learn about the nuances of current events affecting us all. In Global Affairs: On the Brink of Demolition you will begin to grasp the severity of these current issues while also getting alternative perspectives to highlight the progress that has been made. We hope to illustrate the relevance of these problems while also breaking down the biases we bring into these controversies. We have included 4 feature stories embodying what we believe to be the most pressing current issues in our world: climate change, the Black Lives Matter movement, Israeli and Palestinian relations, and masking mandates. As American high school students, we feel these controversies are relevant to our audience and will help young Americans understand happenings in our world. For climate change, we feel this is an ongoing issue that falls on our generation to mitigate. This is becoming an ever increasing problem that we must address if we want to continue our livelihoods the way previous generations did. As for the BLM movement, or the Black Lives Matter movement, African American discrimination has been a present issue for the entirety of America’s existence. With the recent deaths of those like Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement has risen in approval and news attention. We feel that especially among younger generations, this movement is incredibly important to grasp. When it comes to Isreali and Palestinian relations, there has been tension for thousands of years. Both of these groups have long roots in affluent areas of the Middle East, and the rigid relationship has only been exasperated over recent years. This problem is a prime example of diplomatic and ethnic divisions which is crucial for young Americans to understand. With the continuous, seemingly never ending pandemic occurring, mask mandates have been a controversy since the first COVID-19 case. All high schoolers are aware of the polarizing discord that COVID-19 has created, so we feel it is important to know the details of these mandates and the science behind the restrictions. As we have created our magazine, we have learned more than we ever could have imagined. We can not thank our interviewees enough for providing the backbone to our stories and helping us understand the effects of these current events. Through our interviews, we have been able to put together stories that we are proud of and feel will provide necessary education to those who are not yet knowledgeable about these topics. We have learned so much through writing these stories, and through another aspect, creating the ASFs, we have learned an immense amount about online programs such as Adobe Illustrator and InDesign. We have all had frustrating and tedious times trying to run these computer programs, but we have been enlightened with skills we can carry on throughout our lives. Overall, the creative process has been complicated and infuriating but incredibly rewarding. Throughout this semester, we have been able to produce a magazine that we are proud of and feel can influence people for the better. From all of us, we sincerely hope you can take at least one thing away from this: the perspective in which we view history can alter how we see the world and it’s conflicts. With many interviews providing first hand insight and expert opinions, we believe you can learn about these topics through lenses that you had not noticed or known about before. With this in mind, enjoy our magazine and thank you! Sincerely, The Editors

Thibaud Mankin is a 14-year-old LASA freshman who spends too much time playing video games, such as Minecraft, Conflict of Nations, and Verdun instead of doing his schoolwork. He enjoys watching, completely legitimately, movies and shows, usually on his second monitor while playing video games. He rarely turns in his assignments on time. As a freshman, he’s enjoying World Geography because he’s interested in politics and current events.

Bailey Hall was born in New York City, but she has lived in Austin, Texas, for almost her entire life. Bailey, a LASA freshman, enjoys playing volleyball and getting way too invested in Major League Baseball. She takes interest in international affairs because much of her family lives abroad. She hopes to enlighten her peers about important current events and help everyone understand what is happening in the world that they might not be aware of.

Abdur-Rahman Sharif is currently a freshman at LASA High School. He likes to play video games, watch TV shows, and doodle random illustrations that not only waste his time but go missing within 3 business days. So far, Abdur-Rahman is enjoying LASA as it has tons of fun classes with great teachers. Well, that was a little bit of a lie. He loathes waking up in the morning in the cold and attending classes with 4.23 hours of sleep. Yes, he calculated that.

Adrian Casares 14 years old and enjoys programming, graphic design, and making apps. Born in Austin, Texas, he is passionate about state and national politics and loves the city for its lake, library, and of course, weather (no, seriously!). As a freshman at LASA high school, Adrian is often busy with school and extracurriculars but spends his free time with his dog or hanging out with his friends.

Today’s Racism: How bad has police brutality gotten?

Story by Abdur-Rahman Sharif. Published December 2021.

lack Lives Matter is one of the largest movements in modern-day politics, which was created by 3 Black women back in 2013 to counteract the violence and injustice against African Americans, specifically from police. Though it was cre-

Courtesy of Clay Banks

ated in 2013, it really gained traction in 2020 with the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many others. George Floyd’s death caused huge uprisings all over the United States and even places outside of the United States like Paris, Liberia, Japan, and many other areas. Countless protests were organized in the Summer of 2020 in honor of George Floyd, and as a way to send a message to the police that people will not stand for this ever again. According to Ayana Flewellen, assistant professor of anthropology who focuses on Black feminist theory. “The Black Lives Matter movement really was born, I wanna say back in ... 2012 with the murder of Trayvon Martin, and then more recently the murder of George Floyd, Girl raises her hand and holds up a sign with a fist. The fist signifies the movement BLM. Courtesy of Clay Banks.

People kneel and raise their fists in memory of George Floyd. Photo Courtesy of Clay Banks.

and also the death of Breonna Taylor in her own home while she was resting,” Flewellen said. “During the summer of 2020 was what we would call hypervisibility. People really saw injustice in a new way, in ways they haven’t seen before.” Flewellen spends her days in archeological sites and looks for artifacts that symbolize Black history. For example, she had found a doll that belonged to a Black girl, which was one of the first times she had ever gone face to face with the fact that people and children in the era of slavery still had culture and experiences as people. “ One of the most astonishing things I have uncovered at an archeological site was at a plantation site in Jacksonville, Florida. At the plantation, I came across doll frag-

Left, Professor of Anthropology, Ayana Flewellen is looking for artifacts in an archeological site. Courtesy of Ayana Flewellen.

Center, Ayana Flewellen is examining the artifacts found in the archeological site in a lab. Courtesy of Ayana Flewellen.

ments at one of the enslaved people’s homes that we were surveying, and what was really astonishing was that it was the first time I was really confronted with talking about these sort of lived experiences and culture during enslavement, but I don’t think there is really a lot of research that really focuses on how Black children have lived during that time period under slavery.” Flewellen believes that uncovering the past of African Americans is one way to step forward and move into a racism-free world. “I think that the work that people do right now, especially the work that people are doing to really uncover our history and our past, allows us to have conversations in the present about where we really have come from, what we really have moved through, and pushed against. Through the conception of us being alive and

thriving, I do think that it’s possible [to have a racism-free world] in the future.” Rengin Firat believes the world has to do a bit more. Rengin Firat believes that to achieve this world, humans need to be able to change. She specializes in social psychology of morality and emo-

Right, she preserves the artifacts found in the site and examined in the laboratory in wardrobes. Courtesy of Ayana Flewellen.

BLM is a much-needed, community-built effort to combat racism,” Firat explains. “I believe the solutions or the steps towards a racism-free world have to be at the systemic or macro level. Humans are stubborn and difficult to change. If we want to change people, we need to change the institutions and the policies governing these institutions. In the U.S. context, this means major reforms in During the Summer of 2020, last year, the criminal justice, educawas what we would call hyper-visibility. tion, and healthcare systems People really saw injustice in a new way among others, and redistribuIn ways, they haven’t seen before. tion of wealth more equally”. Firat focuses on the social Ayana Flewellen, Assistant psychology of morality and Professor Of Anthropolgy emotions, with a particular emphasis on group polarization and inter-ethnic intions, with a particular emphasis on equalities of well-being and health. group polarization and inter-eth- Her personal opinion on racism was nic inequalities of well-being and more from a medical standpoint. health. Finally, she adds how racism affects “Racism and anti-Black rac- health, as she mainly focuses on reism is pervasive, deeply rooted, and searching racial disparities in health. destructive in American society. For the most part, the stress that rac-

ism and discrimination cause many to have degraded mental health and many other issues. “Racism is one of the greatest detriments to human health”, Firat said. “Numerous research studies show that members of groups who receive racism and discrimination have poorer health outcomes including cardiovascular diseases and poor mental health.” When George Floyd was Man in the orange shirt raising his fist during a Black Lives Matter protest in Paris. Courtesy of Thomas de LUZE.

brutally murdered back in May 2020, it gained traction of many controversies and opinions, explained Firat. “I was deeply emotionally affected by the death of George Floyd ‘’, Firat explains. “To be honest, this caused me a level of distress and sadness that led me to become physically ill. I am a social scientist who studies racism and inequalities; but, I am also a brown, immigrant woman. The reality that a person was murdered because of the color of his skin by the authorities of the very social institution that was sup-

posed to protect and serve him is very personal to me. “ Firat felt emotionally ill. She couldn’t believe her eyes, the way someone, and also a person of color like her, was so brutally murdered by a police officer, Derek Chauvin, someone who was supposed to protect this country. “This reality is not new of course. The US has a long history of racial violence. But, I can tell you that it never gets old. You never get used to it. Our bodies show a visceral reaction to the unfair killing of a person”, Firat said. Finally, Firat goes in-depth about what America and the policing system have to change in order to create the dream of a racism-free society. “If we want police brutality to end, “Firat said, “we need to make a reform in the policing system. And this reform needs to go beyond ‘removing the bad apples’. If we want our communities to thrive, we need to reimagine the policing system. For example, we could send social workers and other mental health experts as first responders to emergency and crisis situations, demilitarize the police force and have policies against racial profiling in the police force.” Flewellen agreed that Floyd did not deserve death, and that the same could be said for the countless other Black victims of police brutality. “...even if George Floyd was a drug dealer, “Flewellen said, “even if Michael Brown was accused of stealing from that gas station, even though some people might engage in these different acts, they deserve to live, and I think that that is a value; that is something you really hold on to as well. People dispose of oth-

discriminated against by her neighbors as she was the only Black person living in a predominantly white neighborhood. “Racism is very, very harmful, and it is in the fabric of the society that we live in, in the United States,” Goosby said. “One of the things that racism can be harmful to people’s health, it can deprive them of If we want police brutality to end, we positive social expeneed to make a reform in the policing riences, it can also system. And this reform needs to go bedeprive them of acyond “removing the bad apples”. If we cess to resources, like want our communities to thrive, we need being able to live in to reimagine the policing system. diverse and different kinds of neighborhoods, being passed Rengin Firat, Professor of over for jobs, things Sociology like being exposed to discrimination when which had ultimately killed him, you’re in a store, being followed being sentenced was only an excep- around.” tion. A trending topic that has “It happened to Eric Garner, been brought up with the recent rise but there was no conviction for his of the Black Lives Matter movement death,” Goosby said. “George Floyd’s is the difference between anti-racist death and the conviction of the po- and not racist, according to Firat. lice officer that killed him was an ex- “It is not enough to be just ception, not the rule”, Goosby said. ‘not racist,’” Firat said. “In fact, a lot Goosby herself experienced of people show implicit racist biases racism at a young age when she was even after they say they are not rac-

ist. In order for our implicit, negative attitudes not to bias our behavior, we need to take active steps in becoming anti-racist.” The general consensus from professionals and internet debates alike is that these two terms are very different. Being not racist means to just not indulge yourself in racist acts, but also not stand up against it either. Anti-racism, as the name suggests, means that they are actively against racism. They try to attend Black Lives Matter protests, they stand up for others who are being discriminated against because of their race, et cetera. But your stance on racism all starts at a young age. Usually, it depends on the parents. They fill their kids with values, whether it be racism, anti-racism, or just being not racist. “It’s what we call socialization,” Firat said. “You’re taught culture. And so one of the things that get taught in our culture is who is valuable and who is not.”

E SM V I L

TE R • AT

• BL AC

er people and say, ‘oh they just deserved it’, but nobody deserved to die like that.” Another professor of sociology, Bridget Goosby, also believed that there should be justice for other Black victims and that Derek Chauvin, the officer that kneeled on George Floyd for nine minutes,

Police Brutality Has it really changed over the years?

Eric Garner — July 2014 In the July of 2014. Eric Garner was killed after a police officer choked him to death. While gasping for air, Eric had said, “I can’t breathe”, eleven times before dying.

Tamir Rice — November 2014 Back in the November of 2014, Tamir Rice, who was 12 years old, was killed in a park in Cleveland by a police officer. Tamir had pointed a toy pellet gun at the police officer, and was shot.

Breonna Taylor — March 2020 In March of 2020, officers had broken into Breonna’s apartment. Her partner had though they were intruders and shot once for self-defense. In response he and Breonna were shot 8 times.

George Floyd — May 2020 In May of 2020, George Floyd was killed by an officer who kneeled on his neck for 9 and a half minutes. Similar to Eric Garner, Floyd also said, “I can’t breathe”, while gasping for air. 7

Sources: US Bureau of Justice and New York

Data a from a study shows that African Americans were

University

stopped by police 20% more and were searched twice as often than their white peers.

In the past 5 years, there have been over 100 African Americans shot to death by the police, which means, on average 1

+1000

black person every other day.

There are about 600 thousand African American who are in

600k

prison right now. That’s about 1.5% of all of the African Americans in the U.S.

800 700 600 500 400 300

Black

200

Native Latinx

100

White

201

Incarceration Rates per 100,000 people in the US

Asian

The Conflict Israel and Palestine in a deadlock.

Story by Bailey Hall. Published December 2021. This is a synagogue in Tel Aviv, Israel. Many synogagogues and mosques have become targets for violence from oppossing groups. Photo courtesy of Daniel Olah.

I t is no small secret that the affairs between the Israelis and the Palestinians have been nothing short of catastrophic. Despite an almost irreparable relationship, many local Israelis, Palestinians, and neighboring citizens hope to find common ground and bridge the gap between their people. While many foreigners may believe they have a complete understanding of this conflict, the only thing that proves evident is that there is no clear right or wrong side. The Middle Eastern territories have been in conflicts spanning thousands of years, but the tensions significantly spiked between the Israelis and Palestinians in 1948. After World War II, many foreign nations believed the Jewish peoples deserved to be granted a homeland because they had been exiled from practically all countries during the war. It was decided to grant the Jewish people a state called Israel in a part of the world that many Jewish people felt an affinity to because of the location of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the most holy city in the Torah, the religious book for Judaism, so Jewish people from Europe, Asia, the Middle East and all parts of the world felt this was their homeland.

Unfortunately, this caused tension with the peoples already living in the area because they were being pushed out of their homeland. All monotheistic religions have many connections and references to Jerusalem, so all of these groups feel this land is holy. The group already living there was the Palestinians, who are primarily Islamic, so Jerusalem is a holy city for them as well. Neither group wanted to give up what they rightly believed to be their land. Because of the predicted tension, many nations had come together to create boundaries of each nation to try to sustain peace in the area, but neither group was fully satisfied with this compromise. This caused conflicts to arous, and ultimately, in the Six Day War of 1967, the Palestinians lost almost all of their land and have gradually continued to lose their land. Now, Palestine is no longer recognized as its own nation and Israel has taken control of most of the land in the area. “People grow up into this conflict,” Aderet, an Israeli high school student, said. Doctor Asma Taha, a Palestinian doctor who was trained and educated in Palestine but now works in Israel, said, “I think anybody who wants to understand this conflict has to come and live here for a few days to see the situation so he can make his own judgment.” This is not a surface level issue; this strife has held up through thousands of years, and as both Aderet and Taha said, there is no true way for a non-native to grasp the severity of the disagreement. While those living in proximity to the land understand first hand what is happening, there are many distinctly separate

belief systems that do not allow for much cooperation or understanding of different perspectives. “We have a lot of people from different cultures… unfortunately, there’s not always a lot of connection between them,” Aderet said. Aderet explained how she, and everyone else she knows, follows the same religion and general structure and outlook on life allowing for a certain level of connection to be lost between Israelis, Palestinians, neighboring citizens, and complete foreigners. “A lot of people want peace and friendliness, but there are also people who don’t want to have peace and don’t want to see the other person and don’t want to accept the humanity of every person,” said Doctor Rachel Libenson-Wunsh, an Israeli doctor working for a prominent health care provider servicing all of Israel. To all parties involved, there is some amount of bias and prejudice contributing to the dispute. While some want peace, others feel they have not been granted justice for the brutality they have experienced, said Taha. Many people feel as though they should not just ‘let go’ of their grudges because they have not been properly recognized. For those abroad, it may seem like people should forgive the other sides and move on. As Aderet said, “This romanticized idea that ‘oh let’s just sing a song and everything will go back to normal’ hurts everybody.” Aderet added that she believes that the media, especially the American media, has belittled the feelings and effects of the violence in Israel, and that people who are not educated on the subject should not input their 10

A protest is held in Israel to oppose the Israeli treatment of Lebanon and Palestine. These are common as citizens continue to voice their dissaproval. Photo courtesy of Michael Loadenthal.

opinions. “I think that the biggest issue, or lowed to go back… so it’s like someOn the other hand, it is confusing as the main problem, that is causing body telling you, your cousins, your to what the actual root of the prob- the Israeli and Palestinian conflict uncle, your aunt cannot go back to lem is to those who aren’t experienc- is just the fact that we are basically where they belong.” ing it first hand. How has this con- cousins.” Aderet said. “According Dr. Taha believed that the source of flict dragged on for so long? Even to to the [Hebrew] bible, they are our the tension was from discrimination those who have first hand memories cousins.” between the groups and inequality. of the violence, it is still blurry as to Shatah expands on this idea by say- “How can I live as an Israeli and in what is the core of this conflict. ing, “the Six Day War broke out some other conditions, I have to be “It’s a land dispute: who gets to live where the Arabs lost everything in a Palestinian?” she said. “For a Palhere, who has the right, who was the war. They lost the West Bank, the estinian to work in Israel, they’re here first? Some of it is very more like at a disadvantage” juvenile, you know?” said Taha added. Remeber that these divisions have deLibenson-Wunsh. Libenson-Wunsh also agreed stroyed major civilizations in the Middle Both Libenson-Wunsh and with this perspective, and said East... if [Americans] continue on the Avigayil, another Jewish Is“unfortunately, in this country, same divisions, we might destroy ourraeli high school student, not all citizens are equal.” selves the same way. agreed that the origin stems For Taha, as a native Palestinfrom a pure land dispute. ian, this discrimination effects Dr. Jilal Shatah, native LebAlternatively, Aderet and her greatly on a daily basis. She onese and NYU professor Dr. Shatah, a professor at had many examples to provide from her own life experiences. New York University who Taha said, “My husband cangrew up in Lebanon, benot drive a car to take [our kids] lieved that these groups are cousins Sinai Peninsula, they lost the Golan — they are fighting because they are Heights.” He added, “The Palestin- for a drive to school… because my all being betrayed by those of their ians needed a homeland and they husband is not allowed to drive in own family. had a home, but they were not al- Jerusalem.” 11

She explained that because he is a Palestinian citizen and does not have an israeli passport, he is not granted the right to drive. Taha added that there are checkpoints all around Israel where guards will stop you and look for your passport or identification that tells them if you are Israeli or Palestinian. If you are Israeli, you drive right through. If you are Palestinian, you could be told not to drive or you could be searched and potentially arrested. Not only is it apparent that those living in Israel and Palestine face a daily struggle to overcome this conflict, but many neighboring countries have experienced the effects of the violence too. As Shatah explained, due to the creation of the Israeli state in 1948, the Palestinians were practically exiled from their homeland. This forced many Palestinian refugees to flood into Lebanon, and the Lebonese allowed this because of their familial bond with the neighboring nation of Palestine. Shatah continues by saying that many refugee camps continued to be bombed for many years because the Israeli government had reason to suspect terrorist groups forming within the camps. This started a constant battle of violence and bombings to happen back and forth between Israel and the refugee camps in Lebanon. “So this began the conflict of tip for tat, you kill one of us will kill one of you,” Shatah said. Because of how many refugee camps there were in Lebanon and how integrated they were within the major civilizations in Lebanon, the bombs launching from Israel were now harming those native to Lebanon. “[Israel] was viewed as an invading country; as a country which bombs

you out of existence every time there is something,” said Shatah. He added that because of the 6 Days War in 1967, the Palestinians now had claim to almost no land in what was now Israel, so their only choice was to live in the refugee camps with lower living standards and constant bomb threats which have continued into 2020 with the Beirut explosion. Both the Palestinians and the Israelis had faced great discrimination from other ethnic groups, but as Shatah explained, the majority of Lebonese citizens side with Palestine. Most of the neighboring countries have rocky relations, or none at all, with the Israelis, he said. Libenson-Wunsh agrees with this view and said, “ The values are very connected to the religion, so the religions are kind of instilling different values.” Because the area is predominantly Islamic, tension is high between the Jewish state of Israel and the surrounding nations. “[Americans] view each other through race… [Middle Easterners] view through religion,” Shatah said. As things have evolved since the mid nineteen hundreds, many parallels still prevail. Aderet explained how the Hamas group, the leaders of Palestine, are seen as terrorist groups by many Israelis. “[The Palestinians’] quality of life is very, very bad in some of those places, especially in Gaza because Hamas are ruling there,” Aderet said. Along with Hamas, other terrorist groups still exist, she added. “… they basically go to war in the name of their religion to try to convert and take over anywhere where there are non Muslims.” This presents a huge problem for

Israel because of the relatively substantial concentration of Jewish citizens living there as the targeting and constant violence makes it seem difficult to see an end in sight to the tension. “Both Israelis and Palestinians feel this very strong connection to the same land,” said Aderet. Both sides will always believe that the sacred land is theirs, and without compromise, there will never be peace. Shatah said, “One has to understand there is no concept of migration in the Middle East.” This idea of ownership of the land spans back thousands of years and is engrained in the middle eastern societies and cultures. “They are not interested in having the other’s experience,” said Taha. Without merely considering the other side’s opinion, a middle ground will never be reached. While there is still disagreement, it is agreed that the situation between the Israelis and the Palestinians is nowhere near perfect, and something must change to stop the violence. “People in general for you, for me, for doctors, for everybody, we want to live a normal life…,” Taha said. “… it’s not good to think you struggle everyday.” While some are unwilling to at least attempt to understand the other perspectives, most people believe they can compromise, Aderet said. She said that those who are unwilling are only the extremists. “If you look at the extremists, in any situation, you will have a very ugly picture of how the world works,” Aderet explained. For Americans, they must under12

Protests for Palestine are very common in Israel as local citizens voice their opinon. Photo courtesy of Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona.

stand how hurtful it is to see this conflict as simple or as one sided, Aderet adds. “[In the American media] a lot of times it is portrayed that, not only in the Israeli and Palestinina conflict, but the weaker one is always correct,” she said. Without understanding the struggle that Israelis, Palestinians, and Lebanese have faced, you cannot come to the conclusion that one side is the victim, she explained. “History is a fable written by the victor,” Shatah said. “Nobody is capable of really presenting history objectively,” Foreigners must understand that you cannot grasp a situation by reading one article or by looking through one lens to see how something unfolds. Shatah explained that 13

Americans must not act as if the Middle Easterners are below them. “Remember that these divisions have destroyed major civilizations and the Middle East,” Shatah said. “They’ve destroyed super powers of the past. If [Americans] continue on the same divisions, we might destroy ourselves in the same way.” On the other hand, it is confusing as to what the actual root of the problem is to those who aren’t experiencing it first hand. How has this conflict dragged on for so long? Even to those who have first hand memories of the violence, it is still blurry as to what is the core of this conflict. “It’s a land dispute: who gets to live here, who has the right, who was here first? Some of it is very juvenile, you know?” said Libenson-Wunsh.

Both Libenson-Wunsh and Avigayil, another Jewish Israeli high school student, agreed that the origin stems from a pure land dispute. Alternatively, Aderet and Dr. Shatah, a professor at New York University who grew up in Lebanon, believed that these groups are cousins — they are fighting because they are all being betrayed by those of their own family. “I think that the biggest issue, or the main problem, that is causing the Israeli and Palestinian conflict is just the fact that we are basically cousins.” Aderet said. “According to the [Hebrew] bible, they are our cousins.” Shatah expands on this idea by saying, “the Six Day War broke out where the Arabs lost everything in

the war. They lost the West Bank, the Sinai Peninsula, they lost the Golan Heights.” He added, “The Palestinians needed a homeland and they had a home, but they were not allowed to go back… so it’s like somebody telling you, your cousins, your uncle, your aunt cannot go back to where they belong.” Dr. Taha believed that the source of the tension was from discrimination between the groups and inequality. “How can I live as an Israeli and in some other conditions, I have to be a Palestinian?” she said. “For a Palestinian to work in Israel, they’re more like at a disadvantage” Taha added. Libenson-Wunsh also agreed with this perspective, and said “unfortunately, in this country, not all citizens are equal.”

For Taha, as a native Palestinian, this discrimination effects her greatly on a daily basis. She had many examples to provide from her own life experiences. Taha said, “My husband cannot drive a car to take [our kids] for a drive to school… because my husband is not allowed to drive in Jerusalem.” She explained that because he is a Palestinian citizen and does not have an israeli passport, he is not granted the right to drive. Taha added that there are checkpoints all around Israel where guards will stop you and look for your passport or identification that tells them if you are Israeli or Palestinian. If you are Israeli, you drive right through. If you are Palestinian, you could be told not to drive or you could be searched and poten-

tially arrested. Not only is it apparent that those living in Israel and Palestine face a daily struggle to overcome this conflict, but many neighboring countries have experienced the effects of the violence too. As Shatah explained, due to the creation of the Israeli state in 1948, the Palestinians were practically exiled from their homeland. This forced many Palestinian refugees to flood into Lebanon, and the Lebonese allowed this because of their familial bond with the neighboring nation of Palestine. Shatah continues by saying that many refugee camps continued to be bombed for many years because the Israeli government had reason to suspect terrorist groups forming within the camps. This started a constant battle of violence and bombings to happen 14

back and forth between Israel and the refugee camps in Lebanon. “So this began the conflict of tip for tat, you kill one of us will kill one of you,” Shatah said. Because of how many refugee camps there were in Lebanon and how integrated they were within the major civilizations in Lebanon, the bombs launching from Israel were now harming those native to Lebanon. “[Israel] was viewed as an invading country; as a country which bombs you out of existence every time there is something,” said Shatah. He added that because of the 6 Days War in 1967, the Palestinians now had claim to almost no land in what was now Israel, so their only choice was to live in the refugee camps with lower living standards and constant bomb threats which have continued into 2020 with the Beirut explosion. Both the Palestinians and the Israelis had faced great discrimination from other ethnic groups, but as Shatah explained, the majority of Lebonese citizens side with Palestine. Most of the neighboring countries have rocky relations, or none at all, with the Israelis, he said. Libenson-Wunsh agrees with this view and said, “ The values are very connected to the religion, so the religions are kind of instilling different values.” Because the area is predominantly Islamic, tension is high between the Jewish state of Israel and the surrounding nations. “[Americans] view each other through race… [Middle Easterners] view through religion,” Shatah said. As things have evolved since the mid nineteen hundreds, many parallels still prevail. Aderet explained how the Hamas group, the leaders 15

of Palestine, are seen as terrorist groups by many Israelis. “[The Palestinians’] quality of life is very, very bad in some of those places, especially in Gaza because Hamas are ruling there,” Aderet said. Along with Hamas, other terrorist groups still exist, she added. “… they basically go to war in the name of their religion to try to convert and take over anywhere where there are non Muslims.” This presents a huge problem for Israel because of the relatively substantial concentration of Jewish citizens living there as the targeting and constant violence makes it seem difficult to see an end in sight to the tension. “Both Israelis and Palestinians feel this very strong connection to the same land,” said Aderet. Both sides will always believe that the sacred land is theirs, and without compromise, there will never be peace. Shatah said, “One has to understand there is no concept of migration in the Middle East.” This idea of ownership of the land spans back thousands of years and is engrained in the middle eastern societies and cultures. “They are not interested in having the other’s experience,” said Taha. Without merely considering the other side’s opinion, a middle ground will never be reached. While there is still disagreement, it is agreed that the situation between the Israelis and the Palestinians is nowhere near perfect, and something must change to stop the violence. “People in general for you, for me, for doctors, for everybody, we want to live a normal life…,” Taha said.

“… it’s not good to think you struggle everyday.” While some are unwilling to at least attempt to understand the other perspectives, most people believe they can compromise, Aderet said. She said that those who are unwilling are only the extremists. “If you look at the extremists, in any situation, you will have a very ugly picture of how the world works,” Aderet explained. For Americans, they must understand how hurtful it is to see this conflict as simple or as one sided, Aderet adds. “[In the American media] a lot of times it is portrayed that, not only in the Israeli and Palestinina conflict, but the weaker one is always correct,” she said. Without understanding the struggle that Israelis, Palestinians, and Lebanese have faced, you cannot come to the conclusion that one side is the victim, she explained. “History is a fable written by the victor,” Shatah said. “Nobody is capable of really presenting history objectively,” Foreigners must understand that you cannot grasp a situation by reading one article or by looking through one lens to see how something unfolds. Shatah explained that Americans must not act as if the Middle Easterners are below them. “Remember that these divisions have destroyed major civilizations and the Middle East,” Shatah said. “They’ve destroyed super powers of the past. If [Americans] continue on the same divisions, we might destroy ourselves in the same way.”

Native Israelis show their support and patriotism for the state by lining flags across buildings in Old City Jersulaem. Photo courtesy of Cole Kiester.

Entry Permission fo Turmoil between neighboring countries and Israel have caused travel restrictions for Israeli citizens. Because many surrounding countries have sided with the Palestinians and have cut political ties with Israel, these countries do not allow people with Israeli passports to enter.

Land disputes between Israel and Palestine have continued for thousands of years. Currently, land is mostly granted to the Israelis with little land left for Palestinians.

Egypt Graphics by Bailey Hall. Sources: Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Turkish Visa for Israel Citizens), CNN Travel (Israel Travel to Dubai).

Key Israeli Land 17

Palestinian Land

or Israeli Citizens Turkey Lebanon

Syria Iraq

Iran

Jordan Kuwait

Bahrain Qatar

Saudi Arabia

UAE

Oman

Key

Yemen

Entry Allowed Entry Denied

Graphics, research, and layout by Adrian Casares Maps and states from simplemaps.com Data from September 2021.

Between all the states with universal masking and mask mandates for unvaccinated citizens, 73 million Americans are required to where masks, approximately. The tally does not include local mask mandates, meaning a large city like Atlanta requiring masks in a state not requiring masking like Georgia would not be counted. Where do you stand? Americans under a mask mandate (est.)

Source: The New York Times, US Census (Left), Fox News (Right)

Americans support mask mandates for businesses

You can rest easy in these states, which top the charts for coronavirus perforance. Shown on the right is the danger zone — the five states with the most total coronavirus cases. Rankings are per 100,000. Source: The New York Times

Vermont

Hawaii

Maine

Oregon

Washington

5,300 per 100,000

5,400 per 100,000

6,600 per 100,000

7,781 per 100,000

8,632 per 100,000

69% Vaccinated

58% Vaccinated

68% Vaccinated

61% Vaccinated

Local mandates barred No state mandate Mask mandates for unvaccinated Universal masking

Politics is at the center of the mask debate, as indicated on the map are the varing mask policies of states. Note: Nevada has a conditional mask mandate based on recent outbreaks and as of September 29, 2021, all nine counties meet the conditions for a mandate, making mask mandates effectively state-wide. Source: AARP

Tennessee

North Dakota

South Carolina

Florida

Arkansas

17,500 per 100,000

17,200 per 100,000

16,600 per 100,000

16,400 per 100,000

45% Vaccinated

44% Vaccinated

47% Vaccinated

57% Vaccinated

46% Vaccinated

President Biden speaks at The Queen Thearte in Wilmington, maintaining his strong stance on the importance of masking in states like Texas. Photo courtesy of Carolyn Kaster.

Texas v. United States How a new age of politics transformed the response to a global pandemic 21 Story by Adrian Casares. Published December 2021.

he political battle lines have been drawn — Masks have turned into a political symbol while remaining a vital safety device for protecting against COVID-19. In May 2021, Texas governor Greg Abbott stirred national debate with an executive order barring local discretion of mask mandates. Abbott has threatened legal action against entities enforcing a mask mandate, including budget cuts for defiant school districts. According to the New York Times, the United States has over 750,000 COVID-19 deaths, or over 10% of the world’s deaths, despite having only 4% of its population. The Mayo Clinic says masks are an effective tool at slowing the spread of COVID-19, making them very important in keeping students safe. As of November 2021, smaller school districts have complied with the executive order; some of the largest districts in Texas, including Houston, Dallas, and Austin ISD, have taken a stand for student safety, requiring masks for all students until further legal action is pursued. The contradiction between state and local rules can create a legal gray area, according to Sarah Eckhardt, a state senator and former county judge for Austin. “The governor’s order is very confusing with regard to the local authority,” said Eckhardt. Elected officials from different bodies like the state Legislature, Texas Education Agency (TEA), city councils, and the Governor himself have clashed over who has the final say over the polarizing topic. “There has always been a bit of a

sharing and maybe even sometimes a conflict between school districts

a regular occurence. “People are worried and they’re getting flooded with all kinds of informaI think TEA is in kind of a bad position tion, and it’s about because the commissioner, Commisthe thing that they sioner Mike Moran, is appointed by the care about the most: governor, and he serves at the pleasure their children,” of the governor. Bell-Metereau said. Much of the opposition to mask Rebecca Bell-Metereau, TEA mandates has come Representative from the liberatarian point of view. and county governments because Though most concede masks are efthey are separate entities,” Eckhardt fective and many wear them, those explained. against mandates believe that masks In addition to general governments, are a personal choice. superintendents, school boards, “I think it’s important that people principals, and the Texas Education have the right to choose whether or Agency (TEA) have jurisdiction not they wear a mask,” said Mackenover mask mandates in schools, ex- zie Kelly, the lone Republican in the plained TEA Representative Rebec- Austin City Council. ca Bell-Metereau. Many argue the government doesn’t “TEA is kind of on the fence try- have the authority to enforce mask ing to not to get into much trouble,” mandates for an entire population. said Bell-Metereau. “I think TEA is “The libertarian argument about, in kind of a bad position because ‘it’s my body, I should be able to do … Commissioner Mike Moran is what I want with it,’ that idea— I appointed by the governor, and he do think that that certainly is true,” serves at the pleasure of the gover- Bell-Metereau said. nor.” Though many left-leaning politiAccording to the Houston Chroni- cians understand the liberatarian cle, both sides have sued each other point of view, many have weighed over the Governor’s executive order, their options and landed in favor of with the courts giving mixed results. mask mandates. “I would hope that enough parents Eckhardt is a vocal supporter of would send their kids to school mask mandates, but understands wearing masks and that... people that a mask mandate is an inconvewould do what the science...dictates nience to everyday Americans. regardless of what the state govern- “You get to the grocery store and ment is saying [they] are required to you realize you left it [your mask] at do. It’s just a terrible dilemma,” said home and you have to go back and Bell-Metereau. get it. There’s nobody that finds this Amid the current power struggle fun, so I certainly can empathize over masks, emotional and chaotic with the other side,” said Eckhardt. school board meetings have become Many supporters of mask mandates 22

have compared wearing a mask to other precautionary laws, like drinking and driving as justification for a mask mandate. “If you want to drink, that’s fine. But if you drink and drive, then your behavior, what you do with your own body, can harm people out there in the world. And I think the same thing is true about vaccination or masking,” said Bell-Metereau. Though most conservatives are against mask mandates, many like Kelly have made a hard choice, especially under the pressure as an elected official. “You have to weigh that in your head, I guess. And is it worth it for me not to wear masks if I’m going to get somebody sick? I don’t think so. I think you should have that personal responsibility of wearing a mask if you’re not going to get vaccinated so that you prevent somebody from getting sick,” said Kelly. As a former healthcare worker, Kelly emphasizes the severity of

Texas State Senator Sarah Eckhardt is sworn into the Texas Legislature under adaptive COVID protocols. Photo Courtesy of the Digital Alliance.

COVID-19, having seen first-hand are just restless and upset, and they the toll the virus has taken on fam- feel like their rights are being taken ilies. away,” said Kelly. “I was watching one day … and Many consider the opposition of one nursing home in particular lost mask mandates and vaccines to go over 10 of their residents. And I just hand in hand. Despite some doubt thought to myself … this is really, for the government’s mask recomreally bad,” said Kelly. Critics of the mendations, Kelly advocates for country’s management argue that a vaccines and works hard to get her weak use of masks and vaccines are community vaccinated. causing the abnormally high mor- “We worked together and develtality. oped a program where we had walkDiana Olson, a communications director for A lot of people have a mistrust of the the National Foundation government, and I think that we need for Infectious Diseases to be building that trust back up. (NFID), says that face masks are important to Sarah Eckhart, State Senator public safety because they can help prevent infected people from spreading the virus. up sites available for people who “Even if you are fully vaccinated, couldn’t speak English … and we it is still a good idea to wear a face vaccinated over 7000 people,” said mask in public,” said Olson. Kelly. The Center for Disease Control Though outreach programs have (CDC) and American Medical As- improved vaccination rates, many sociation cite increasing evidence conservatives remain adamant of the effect of masks over the pan- about their doubts of the governdemic. The CDC and NFID both ment and the three vaccines they’ve recommend masks for all individu- sponsored. als, even those vaccinated. “A lot of people have a mistrust of “All the science shows that we could the government, and I think that we pretty much, not completely halt need to be building that trust back the epidemic, but if people would up,” said Eckhardt. get vaccinated and masked, then we According to Eckhardt, much of the would not be having this problem,” drama surrounding mask mandates said Bell-Metereau. has only been amplified by controDespite strong messaging from na- versial executive orders, like Greg tionwide institutions like the CDC Abbott’s previously mentioned ban and international bodies like the on mask mandates in Texas. World Health Organization, some “I’ve been complaining about this are opposed to face masks because because he [Abbott] knows the of their distrust for the CDC’s guid- benefit of local decision-making in ance. emergencies,” said Eckhardt. “You’d want to think that the govern- According to KXAN, Abbott’s apment’s doing whatever’s in your best proval rating peaked in May 2021, interest … and at this point, people shortly before his executive order,

Texas governor Greg Abbot adjusts his mask themed around the American Flag. Abbott belives in “personal responsibility” to wear a mask and has not imposed a statewide mandate. Photo Courtesy Tony Gutierrez.

before dropping to the low forties. governor is going to go to the point testimony from people in the com“I know he has political aspirations, of losing funding. He’s threatening munity via phone, which was new,” and he has a base of people and he that, but I don’t think it’s going to go said Kelly, “I had COVID back in wants to make them hapNovember of last year … as py,” said Bell-Metereau. soon as I got a positive test… I I didn’t really do a lot of venturing out Despite the safety conwent to a hotel to isolate [myduring COVID into the public. And straints and legal challenges self] for 10 days.” when I did, I did wear a mask. I just of the COVID-19 pandemAll to say, despite the rampant thought you know, his right thing to do ic, schools and businesspolitical differences among ... We were all in it together. Right? es have adapted to keep the American public, people up with their logistics and on both sides of the issue have Mackenzie Kelly, City Council keep people safe. Though made sacrifices, lost people there have been fears of reclose to them, and changed pricussionary budget cuts, their way of life. “I didn’t reallarge school districts still require that far,” said Eckhardt. ly do a lot of venturing out during masks. In spite of political differences, ev- COVID into the public. And when I “Making sure that we don’t lose eryone cares about their safety and did, I did wear a mask. I just thought people’s lives is more important most Americans have made adapta- you know, his right thing to do ... than some future possible economic tion to the virus. We were all in it together. Right?” consequence. I don’t think that the “We [city council] started to take said Kelly. 24

THE GLOBAL STRUGGLE グローバルな闘争

About This Graph Who should be held responsible for their C02 emissions? Humans have emitted 390 gigatons of CO2 from 1751 to 2014. When grouped by geographic regions, who is the culprit here?

Europe 142 gigatons (36%)

North America 111 gigatons (28%)

Asia 74 gigatons (19%)

South America 16 gigatons (4%)

Middle East 12 gigatons (3%)

Sub-Sahar. Africa 7.9 gigatons (2%)

North Africa 3 gigatons (0.8%)

Antarctica 42,000 tons

Human-caused Emissions

Natural Emissions

Human-caused Emissions Man made CO2, also known as ancient CO2, now makes up more than 1/3 of the atmosphere. In the last 250 years, we have added 148 ppm (parts per million) to the atmosphere. Natural Emissions Natural CO2 is produced by the breathing of animals and the decaying of plants. In the last 800,000 years it has stayed between 170 and 280 PPM (Parts per Million)

Electric Vehicles Amid current spikes in gas prices, many American consumers have switched to electric cars like the Ford Mustand Mach-E, Nissan Leaf, and various Tesla models. In April 2021, the average sale of an electric car was over $51,000. Despite the sticker shock, Consumer Reports finds that many electric vehicles have a more affordable total cost of ownership due to gas savings, tax credits, and maintence.

Solar Panels Only 6% of American home owners make use of solar panels. Using solar panels or other renweable energy sources in your home can save money on utility bills, help the environment, and earn you a solar investment tax credit. Although 46% of home owners have given serious thought to purchasing solar panels, the cost of installation ranges from $10-15 thousand dollars on an average sized home.

Voting Progressive politicans like New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democratic socialist, have gained waves of support among young photos for their bold climate change agenda. The Green New Deal is a plan released by Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Edward Markey to transition the US to 100% renewable energy over a 10-year period. The plan includes universal healthcare, high-speed rails, and investing in electric vehicles.

Infographic Credits: Sources: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Hook the Crooks), Ankur Desai (Nature’s Ledger). Kelley Blue Book, Consumer Reports, Twemoji (Strategy Room). Maps courtesy SimpleMaps. Page layout by Thibaud Mankin and Adrian Casares, infographic content and editing by Thibaud Mankin. 26

The Disaster of the Ages What climate change means for our generation and the next.

Story by Thibaud Mankin. Published December 2021. An oil and gas rig (unknown location) releases harmful chemicals into the air in the form of smoke. Photo courtesy of Chris LeBoutillier

Wildfires in areas like Australia and California are an all-too-common symptom of climate change. These bushfires below Stacks Bluff, Tasmania, Australia are a threat to the natural habitat and ecosystem. Photo courtesy of Matt Palmer.

ll of life on thing called carbonic acid, the of plants are found in the ocean, Earth is headed same thing that makes soda pop producing 85% of the world’s into the sixth acidic. That harms shell-build- oxygen. According to Desai, if mass extinc- ing organisms and a number of something isn’t changed soon, tion. The dino- other critters in the ocean from life as humanity knows it will saurs cease to exist. perished at the fifth. “Even if we stopped “With more co2 dissolved in water, it’s easiThe coming extinction emitting today, warming er to make something called carbonic acid, could be caused by huwill continue for anoththe same thing that makes soda pop acidic. mans deforesting maser couple of decades, at That harms shell-building organisms and a sive swathes of jungle, least, and then stabilize,” number of other critters in the ocean from overfishing, and human Desai said. being able to survive.” caused climate change. The problem is that One of the primahumans don’t have a Ankur Desai, Climate Scientist ry causes for this new good way to draw CO2 extinction is humanity out of the atmosphere. carbonating the oceans “One of the challengthrough the burning of fossil fu- being able to survive,” Desai ex- es is that even though CO2 is els, according to Ankur Desai, plained. a strong greenhouse gas, and a climate change scientist and Seeing as, according to warms the climate, it still occurs professor at the University of marinebio.org, 50-80% of living in a really small concentration,”Wisconsin. creatures live in the ocean, this said Desai. “With more CO2 dissolved in could be a massive threat, says The fact that, even after huwater, it’s easier to make some- Desai. It is estimated that 80% man influence, there are only

418 ppm (parts per million), proaches to solving this issue. and more expensive for compacompared to nitrogen’s 780,840 One organization trying to make nies to emit CO2. ppm in the atmosphere, makes a difference is the Citizens’ Cli“Cap and trade is this idea it extremely difficult to remove mate Lobby, or the CCL, accord- that you have to pay to pollute, any number of it in an efficient ing to Cynthia Lesky, a represen- which we currently successfulway, according to Desai. ly do with a whole vari“So to come up with ety of other things,” De“We can’t get rid of [fossil fuels] altogether some method to remove sai said. “And then the because oil and gas, or petroleum products CO2 from the air, it gets government essentially are very useful in all kinds of things from really comfortable with reduces the number of making medicine to making other kinds of energy expense intenpermits available with chemicals that we really need, but we don’t sive fast, because you time making it more exneed them for energy. And that’s where a need something that pensive to pollute, and huge amount goes.” can suck in a lot of there so that sends a signal to and take out that small companies that like and amount of CO2. And you then you can trade so Cynthia Lesky, CCL Rep. have to be big enough like if you’re a company and fast enough and that has to produce more enough of those to actuCO2 to do your work, ally make a dent.” said Desai. tative of the Citizens’ Climate you have to buy these permits, Desai believes something Lobby. and it’s a cost to your business. needs to be done soon. If some“If we put a price on car- The nice thing about having to thing isn’t done, humanity is bon emissions and methane pay for it is essentially paying doomed. There are multiple ap- emissions, which is also a huge for the damages you’re causing, greenhouse gas, com- that you’re not directly responsipany’s worth forced to ble for.” pay that that cost in the While humanity can’t stop form of tax or the that using fossil fuels altogether, goes into the public while keeping our society as adrevenue, and then that vanced as it is, society has other and then that revenue cleaner, safer, better, options for gets redistributed to energy, so technology would not people who, who are be dependent on fossil fuels. suffering from the pol“We can’t get rid of [fossil fulution that that would els] altogether because oil and really drive down the gas, or petroleum products are use of fossil fuels, very useful in all kinds of things which is what we have from making medicine to makto do,” Lesky said. ing other kinds of chemicals Another idea is cap that we really need, but we don’t and trade, where the need them for energy”, said Legovernment sells a sky. “And that’s where a huge certain amount of per- amount goes.” mits to emit CO2. The And large scale wildfires and Photo courtesy of NASA number of permits massive storms aren’t the only sold each year dimin- effect of climate change. There ishes, making it more are a lot of smaller ways that 29

Solar panels are a popular device for renewable energy because of their small space constraint. Photo courtesy of Moritz Kindler.

climate change impacts, usually negatively, normal people in their everyday lives, something exemplified by the snow season in Wisconsins, Desai explained. “Since I’ve moved here, there have been some changes in the winter,” Desai said. “Generally, the nights are warmer, that’s leading to shorter snow seasons, shorter lake ice seasons, we typically have snow on the ground here from sometime in mid-December until like, you know, mid-March or so. And that’s certainly gotten, you know, there are some years where it’s still like that, but it’s fewer years where that’s consistently occur-

ring. We have more freeze-thaw, more rain on snow, certainly influencing some of the ability to recreate and do other things around here.” Another example would be the ability to grow crops, in this case, corn. “Farm fields are flooded for much longer every year in my native Midwest or farther north. I’m from Illinois, where you expect to see corn over your shoulders and up to your eyeballs by the Fourth of July. But in recent years, because of the flooding, the heavy rains, that have swallowed the Mississippi River, and pushed it out of its banks, it

stays out of the banks for many weeks of the spring. Farmers weren’t able to plant as early and so the corn crops were not being planted whatever you put in the fields and therefore couldn’t be harvested.” said Lesky. Climate change affects both Desai and Lesky in their daily lives, and according to The Washington Post, it could affect 85% of people worldwide . Studies show that climate change is a global problem that is putting millions of people at risk. According to Desai, if something is not done soon, society as it is known is doomed to fall.

Global Affairs: On The Brink Of Demolition

Articles inside

Abdur-Rahman Sharif