Should we criticize other faiths based on media prejudice?

Respecting All Religions

Discussing the Rising Issue of Religious Criticism in Our Country’s Media

This staff editorial represents the views of the staff of Le Journal-14 out of 14 staff members voted in support of this editorial.

There he is again. One of his knees touches the bristly turf as his elbow rests on his knee. His head leans against his clenched fist while a drop of sweat drips down his face. He passed 316 yards against the Steelers. His passes in this game added up to 31.6 yards per completion. If this weren’t already coincidence enough, this evangelical Christian quarterback had the Bible verse “John 3:16” written under his eyes for this very game.

Since that game on Jan. 8, 2012, the news media and social media have been exploding with criticisms about Tim Tebow, the quarterback for the Denver Broncos, and his love for God.

Junior Claire Willman, who is well-versed on Tebow, knew of a website called “Tebowhaters.org”, a site which campaigns against Tim Tebow because of his religious ways.

“He should be able to show his love for God just like anybody else. And if people follow his lead and do it as well, that is great,” freshman Anna Romano said.

Exactly. People shouldn’t be criticized for displaying their love for their religion.

Even the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution explains this point perfectly.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

The Constitution guarantees our right to practice any religion we choose, or none at all, and the right to speak freely. But we should be responsible with these freedoms. While we are free to criticize, we are also morally obligated to show respect to people and their faith.

I believe that many Americans need to take a step back and re-read the first amendment to remind themselves of what our great founding fathers established our country upon.

Unfortunately, I believe that many of us are influenced by others and by the news media to disre-

“He should be able to show his love for God just like anybody else...” -freshman Anna Romano

spect other peoples religions.

“...I believe in an America where religious intolerance will someday end; where all men and all churches are treated as equal...” President John F. Kennedy said on Sept. 12, 1960, in a speech regarding his Catholic religion.

Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States, and he didn’t have an easy time getting there.

During the 1960 election, many Americans were skeptical of a Catholic running for president. Many were fearful that Kennedy would make decisions through the Pope.

Because this was one of the first elections in which television played a big role, the news media’s reflections may have egged-on such anti-Catholic bias.

Many already had prejudices against Catholics during that time period, but the media also influenced Americans’ concerns with John F. Kennedy’s religion from the very start.

More recently, American Muslims have felt the sting of religious intolerance.

Many Americans were frightened after 9/11, and out of this fright came unfair accusations against the Muslim community. It was not unusual to hear people equate the Muslim faith with terrorism.

Such statements are simply unjust. No one deserves to be unjustly criticized in this way.

“Even though it was the extremists who were involved in the 9/11 attacks, some people stereotype regular Muslims as terrorists as well,” Romano said.

Although the events of 9/11 were extremely traumatic, that gives us no license to jump to unfair accusations and wrong conclusions about a whole group of people.

So the next time you see or hear religious criticism by others or in the media, check yourself.

When you see Tebow take a knee and hear radio and television announcers mock him, recognize the unfairness of these comments.

If you hear ugly remarks that generalize all Muslims as being terrorists, voice your disagreement of religious prejudice.

If there is talk about a presidential candidate’s religion, question the stereotypes.

We all have the right to practice our religion freely.

We should respect this freedom for all. Catholics, Christians, Muslims, Jews-everyone.

-Drawing by Ally Ungashick

Religious Persecution?

“Wow, Jesus just f***ed #TimTebow bad! And on Xmas Eve! Somewhere in hell Satan is tebowing, saying to Hitler “Hey, Buffalo’s killing them.” -tweeted by Bill Maher, political commentator

“Mitt Romney downgraded from Mormon to moron” -tweeted by Paul Solomon, political reporter

“God Hates Israel” and “Jews Killed Jesus” are just some of the words among many of Fred Phelp’s disrespectful protest signs.

-Information from Twitter and Fred Phelp’s website

Standardized Scandal

SAT Impersonator Strikes Twelve Times in Exchange for Unethical Benefits

BY ELIZABETH GIANINO Layout/Design Editor

“Pencils down, turn your answer sheet over, and close your test booklet.”

For most of us, it is safe to say that we all question the clock, constantly refusing to believe that 25 minutes came and went.

We dedicate so much time towards our education, whether it be test preparation, tutoring, reviewing, memorizing, etc. The list goes on and on.

There is no comparison, however, between those who work hard to progress down their lists, and those who fail to honestly complete it. It is outrageous to succeed by any method such as: cheating, copying, impersonation, and plagiarizing because it is a flaw in one’s character, an undeserved reward, and most importantly, a deception.

In 2011, a 19-year old college student from New York named Sam Eshaghoff pursued an illegal and unethical business that involved impersonating twelve high school students during the SAT in exchange for several thousand dollars per test. Each test was scored in the 97th or above percentile.

Two words allowed Eshaghoff to successfully complete his business. Fake ID. It was as simple as laminating a 2” by 4” piece of paper that had Eshaghoff’s picture and the name and date of birth of the person he was taking the test for.

Although opposed to Eshaghoff’s motives, senior Maggie Frame said that he was smart about how he was going to impersonate his students.

Therefore, Eshaghoff was able to pursue his business with little disturbance.

But after a series of investigations from local high schools, Sam Eshaghoff’s profit fell through.

“It’s completely illegitimate,” junior Kathryn Thompson said. “Every student has to go through taking tests. It is not affecting just them but others as well when looking at the overall percentile.”

According to Tom Ewing, spokesperson for the Educational Testing Service, there were approximately 2.2 million test takers in 2011. Out of that total, there have been 225,000 security cases, and 700 scores were canceled due to dishonesty.

“It is not uncommon for high schools to contact us regarding suspicious scores,” Tom Ewing said. “We look for an inconsistency between low GPAs and high test scores and a significant increase in score.”

And to Ewing, there was no confidence that the scores of the twelve students were honest.

As for punishment, the ETS can only regulate the scores. That being said, it was up to the district attorney and law enforcement to determine if criminal charges were necessary.

Currently, Eshagoff is completing community service in exchange for his fraudulence. Unfortunately, the other twelve ‘beneficiaries’ were excused without any criminal punishments. However, their ‘97th percentile and above’ tests were erased from their college transcript.

Allison Stuart, a reporter from 60 Minutes, said that Eshaghoff’s motives for impersonating students was to ‘save their lives’. For some of these students, their college acceptance relied upon high test scores in order to balance their low GPAs.

It seems so impractical to feel that this action was ethically correct. But, it also takes two to form a business. Neither side was fulfilling honesty, therefore both Eshaghoff and the twelve students should be punished for their fraudulent actions.

Both Ewing and I had a similar inquiry regarding how twelve high school students obtained several thousand dollars that they were willing to give away.

“I am speculating that maybe the parents could have been involved, but it remains still a mystery,” Ewing said.

I feel that in our society, we have built a competitive foundation that leads to injustice. I can not imagine going to the extent of spending several thousand dollars for impersonation just to get the recognition of mastering a standardized test. Ewing said, “It is a combination of parents who instill the theory to their children that they ‘have to succeed’ and the media who constantly talks about limited spaces in higher education.” It’s pressure, no doubt. And to Ewing, SAT impersonation is one small fraction of a larger issue of cheating which includes: lying on transcripts, plagiarizing essays, copying tests, and much more. Senior Caroline Shay said that it’s better to be honest because your score should reflect your academic ability. “If you get into a school that is above your level, it might be a struggle to get the grades you want,” she said. We need to rethink our positions in this society, whether it’s excepting a lower score or working hard for a higher one. There is no room for injustice or other unethical behavior. So the next time you question the clock, think of honesty. And better yet, show those ‘25 minutes’ that you are the boss.

Critical Reading 80+ %

Math 77+%

Writing 92+%

-Drawing by Ally Ungashick (Photo from Sam Eshaghoff)

National Sion