ISSUE #10 - THE ISSUES ISSUE

ISSUE #10

magazine

the issues issue

Local Riot is a collaborative magazine created by two girls who wanted to provide an outlet for the creative souls of the world to share their work, thoughts and opinions. It is a magazine for young people by young people and is a place to come together, a place to be free of ridicule, a place to make friends, a place to educate yourself, a place to express yourself, a place to be heard.

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MANY THANKS TO: Dani and Millie for saving us with pics!

All those who contributed work.

Everyone who contributed in ‘Your Say’.

Contents

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CONTENTS CLASSICS

letter from the editors editors' favourites your say

FEATURES

the women’s march whose face is your make-up really distorting? maternal malice ten days in cambodia it’s real it’s time to start talking about listening solidarity not so harmless interview: sister denise coghlan boys will be held accountable for their actions the bee’s knees how do we address global issues when everyone else seems so shit at it? trigger fingers turn to twitter fingers we can’t keep shouting at each other 20:1 eat plants for the planet america will not be great again

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LETTER FROM THE EDITORS Hey Riots!

Our sincerest apologies for dropping off the face of the earth for months. Life happened is our excuse, I guess. Pathetic, I know. But we’re back and delivering you an important and strong issue.

We created Local Riot in the hopes that people felt like they had somewhere to voice their opinions. It was established as a place to educate oneself and others.

The world today seems to be a dark place. Terrorism, climate change, sexism, and racism are just a few of the things that come to mind when someone mentions world issues. We put together this issue because we know that each individual has something that they are passionate about. We recognised that it’s important to have a space where we can bring attention to these issues and hopefully educate and raise awareness about them. We want Issue #10 to be that space.

We hope that this issue reminds you of the suffering and wrongdoings in society and makes you mad. We hope that it inspires you to make a change in society, whether it be small or large it will still be significant. Change has to start somewhere, let it start with you.

Love always, Ailish and Maisie

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Get to Know the Team REGULARS

Social Media localriot.weebly.com Twitter: @localriotmag Instagram: @localriotmag Contact localriotblog@gmail.com Editors Ailish Delaney Maisie Evason Graphic Design Ailish Delaney Contributing Writers Ailish Delaney Maisie Evason Amanda Odina Caelin Peters Caya Eigenmann Luna Gutiérrez Chelsea Murphy Imane El Arnouki Ioana Florescu Maile Edwards Cian Hussey Contributing Artists Caitlyn Cameron Contributing Photographers Maile Edwards Danica Spear Aly Peterson Millie Murfit

MAISIE EVASON: Twitter: @thebrkfstciub Instagram: @thelittlemermais AILISH DELANEY: Twitter: @probablyailish Instagram: @ailish.delaney Tumblr: lazyplum.tumblr.com

SAM PASSMAN: Instagram: @samstarkid Tumblr: hadesgf.tumblr.com MILLIE MURFIT: Instagram: @murfitphotos YouTube: filmsbymillie

CAELIN PETERS MAILE EDWARDS: Instagram: @maileinthewild Twitter: @caelin__lile Instagram: IOANA FLORESCU: @caelin_peters Twitter: @preachitjessie Tumblr: Instagram: @isthatioana IMANE EL ARNOUKI Twitter: @pensforguns

peoplechangeithappens. tumblr.com/

Instagram: @pensforguns Blog: literallymay.wordpress.com

Want to see your work here?

If you’re a creative soul and want to see your work, whether it be art, modelling, writing, poetry, photography, etc, just email it to us at localriotblog@gmail.com local riot magazine // 7

Get to Know the Team RIOTS: CHELSEA MURPHY A 20 y/o amateur human being, student social worker and lover of soy based snacks.

Twitter: @_chelseamaym Instagram: @_chelseamurphy AMANDA ODINA Aspiring journalist and fashionista.

Instagram: @fabulouslymandy Blog: withlovemandy.wordpress.com DANICA SPEAR A 19 year old wanna be photojournalist with dreams of travelling the world.

Twitter: @danijspear Instagram: @danica.spear ALY PETERSON Twitter: @dammitaly Tumblr: aleocn.tumblr.com LUNA GUITÉRREZ Writing, fashion, and fighting for what's right has been in my veins since day one.

CAYA EIGENMANN An eighteen year old from from Illinois. I'm obsessed with musicals, especially "The Phantom of the Opera," and I love sunflowers with a passion.

Instagram: @c_eiggs Tumblr: lespeach.tumblr.com CIAN HUSSEY Hello from me, Cian, an avid consumer of jazz music and red wine.

Instagram: @cian_hussey Want to see your work here?

If you’re a creative soul and want to see your work, whether it be art, modelling, writing, poetry, photography, etc, just email it to us at localriotblog@gmail.com local riot magazine // 8

MELODRAMA - LORDE Amazing. Lorde’s latest album (showing how late I’m writing these favourites) is incredible. She really makes you feel things with this album.

Each song something new. It’s very raw and relatable, even though you might not have even experienced something relatable. If I had to pick a few favourites, though they change each time I listen to it, I’d say The Louvre, Hard Feelings/Loveless and Homemade Dynamite.

HEADWEAR I have always been that person who couldn’t really pull off hats. Recently, I have decided I will not let that stop me from investing in all forms of headwear I can locate. I recommend berets of various colours because they add a nice touch to any outfit and can be purchased online for next to nothing! (I bought mine on eBay for $3).

DREAM WIFE A small rock band from the UK, composed of three women with awesome vocals and even better lyrics.

They don’t have an album out, but their EP EP01 and their single Somebody can be found on iTunes and are definitely worth a listen.

SUITS To be honest, I only started watching Suits because my friends at work were watching it and spoke about it frequently. However, after starting the show I was hooked. I love the wittiness of the characters and the relationships between the characters themselves. I just think it’s a really great show and super easy to binge watch, which is exactly what I am doing. A new season comes out soon, get on it!

DUA LIPA - DUA LIPA Her latest album, titled Dua Lipa, is full of a mix of catchy songs and tunes that occasionally hit a little too close to home. This, combined with her incredible sense of style, made her a definite favourite.

- Ailish

THE NANNY In an attempt to do anything but prepare for my exams, I started to rewatch The Nanny and I have no regrets. Fran Fine is not only the world’s greatest style icon, but a character you can’t help but love.

(Even if her nasally voice drives you insane). The characters are constructed brilliantly and the actors do them so much justice. If you’re looking for an easy-watching comedy show, The Nanny is what you need in your life.

- Maisie local riot magazine // 9

The Women’s March Millie Murfit At the moment our world is rife with issues. But there is something very uplifting coming from these issues; we are seeing solidarity among people of the world. We are banding together to fight for the rights we are entitled to but aren’t always receiving. For example, the women’s march - for too long women have gone underrepresented and these marches were a chance for us to show that no longer will we be seen as inferior, no longer will we be second-class citizens. No more sitting back, change is needed and change is what we will create.

People from all walks of life gathered together around the globe to ensure women’s rights are protected. Across 7 continents, and 60 countries, 673 women’s marches were held, around 4,876,700 people marched, with 3 million in the US alone. We saw our favourite celebrities, YouTubers, creators and influencers march for the cause. Social media was inundated with images and videos of friends, family and people we admire holding signs, using their voices and standing up for what they believe in.

These marches came as a response to Donald Trump’s inauguration as US President, largely due to statements made by him that have been seen as ‘anti-women’ or offensive. The aim of these marches were, in the words of Sophie Tatum, to "send a bold message to our new administration on their first day in office, and to the world that women’s rights are human rights”, as well as protect legislation and policies regarding human rights and other issues, including women’s rights.

I am certain that we as people will continue to experience issues with local riot magazine // 10

leadership in coming years, but remember, there is power in solidarity; “the power of the people is stronger than the people in power.” Grab her by the pussy? Sorry Trump, this pussy grabs back.

Unsure what to do next? First we marched, now we huddle: https:// www.womensmarch.com/100/action2

THE FUTURE IS NASTY

MY BODY, MY CHOICE

MY NECK, MY BACK, MY PUSSY WILL GRAB BACK

NOT MY PRESIDENT

Whose Face Is Your Make-Up Really Distorting?

Caelin Peters

OK, you got me, I have been make-up obsessed for most of my teenage years and I am pretty sure that is not coming to an end anytime soon.

Recently, a friend opened my eyes to the brutality that is associated with the cosmetic industry. Animal testing has been in the headlines recently with the decision by the Australian government to ban the sale of cosmetic products that have been tested on animals. But what really counts as animal testing?

The animals that are subject to this abuse and torture endure skin and eye irritation tests where chemicals are rubbed onto the shaved skin or dripped into the eyes of restrained rabbits without any pain relief, repeated forcefeeding studies lasting weeks or months to look for signs of general illness or specific health hazards such as cancer or birth defects; and widely condemned "lethal dose" tests, in which animals are forced to swallow large amounts of a test chemical to determine the dose that causes death. This isn't just the case for cosmetics, animal testing is done in a wide range of product testing. The brands we all know and love, including Maybelline, L’Oreal Paris, Rimmel London, as well as Estee Lauder, Clinque, Stila and MAC just to name a few, are the ones subjecting these animals to unnecessary torture.

So, what can you do to help the fight against animal testing? Support brands that DON’T test on animals. They may be a little pricey, but that is the price you have to pay to ensure that animals aren’t being tortured. Brands that don’t test on animals include, Too Faced (my personal favourite), Hourglass, NYX, Urban Decay, and so many more.

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Photographer: Danica Spear

Maternal Malice Caya Eigenmann

Mother, dearest, my soul aches for you, And my body weeps in mourning.

The soft tresses of your hair, your amber grain, they Grow and flourish, meanwhile your body is plagued With pesticides and poisons.

What a cruel irony, that you are forced to give All that you can give, for cruelty and hatred in return.

Mother, love, my heart is breaking.

The sea children of your womb drown daily In the spews of waste that we produce.

The forest creatures from your heart are forced From their homes by the multitude As your trees are ultimately destroyed.

Your saltwater tears rage down from the skies In hurricanes of heartache, seeking to avenge Your precious creations.

Mother, darling, I understand now.

It is no longer an enigma, why your Grassy embraces turn to torrents of rain and wind and despair so rapidly.

We must change. I must change.

Our lack of compassion for you is unacceptable, And on behalf of us all, I am sorry.

Millie Murfit

In December of 2016 I travelled to Cambodia on a mission trip for ten days. In that time we built a house, paid our respects to the fallen, fed hundreds of people, visited several schools and travelled across the country.

Cambodia is a country that faces a lot of issues; people are starving and dying of curable diseases, the people in power are corrupt and not all children are able to go to school. But nonetheless, this country has my heart. Never have I met anyone as generous or loving as the Cambodian people, even after all of the issues they face on a daily basis.

Cambodia has a rather barbaric past. In the 1970s a genocide occurred; as a result 25% of the population (around 2 million people) were inhumanely slaughtered, a vast majority of this being the intelligentsia of the nation. As a result Cambodia was left without many of its doctors, scientists, teachers, lawyers etc. The effects of this genocide are still being felt; 50% of the population are under 22, the government is corrupt and people are living on rubbish tips…but still, they persevere.

Many people are so caught up in their own issues, that they forget that there are people in the world facing issues bigger than their own. I hope these images serve as a reminder that there are wonderful people in the world in some tough situations, so if you ever get a chance to help someone out, please do.

“Ten Days in Cambodia”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptRXYaJLkws local riot magazine // 15

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Amanda Odina Fortunately, I don't feel as if I have been discriminated against many times in my life or to a high degree due to the colour of my skin. I don't always see racism for what it could really be, I believe that is progress. For many years, I felt safe and unaffected that my skin was different to everyone else's. Truthfully, it bothered me in ways that seem petty and immature, but I've grown out of that, mostly.

Racism is always a sensitive issue. I have noticed that many Caucasian people feel uncomfortable discussing the topic as if to be accidentally offensive or to sound crude by speaking without a genuine understanding.

A few months ago, I received messages from a Caucasian acquaintance of mine caught in a race argument with a Trump supporter. She thought I would be the right person for her to express her grief that a fellow millennial had felt it appropriate to use the 'n' word and that he had expected people to 'harden the fuck up' and 'get over it'. His hate speech was terrifying.

The following are direct quotes with no harmful intent from me and only to quote the source.

"Fuck stupid monkey niggers and all that they stand for" "...unintelligent apes." "...nigger lives don’t matter" local riot magazine // 18

For the first time that I can remember, I was scared for my little brown life. I had known the boy who had written the hateful messages, I had gone to school with him for a few years. I didn't know him very well, but I had met him and sat in classes with him and walked metres away from him. These memories now made me sick.

Now, protected by his computer, my former classmate had the guts to show his true colours. My heart had literally sunk to my stomach and I was nervous as if he was somewhere waiting to attack.

He hadn't said these words to my face, he hadn't even directly addressed me, yet I sat, clutching my heart in my stomach as if I was in immediate danger.

I penned a message for my acquaintance that felt she should share the injustice with me. I didn't know how accurately to describe my feelings or what I was in fact feeling. I was raging because I expected more from millennials and still hope for more from them as the generation more accepting than the last. However, I was truly more scared than I had ever been because of my race.

It is unedited.

"He's ignorant, he looked up a few reasons why people support Trump, read something about Black people and in hate fuelled rage against Hillary, thought that anything was acceptable, probably one of the people that just didn't want to see a woman in power.�

It's so disheartening to see a millennial with such a backwards mentality and taking his rights and freedom for granted; I'd bet that he has never faced racism, or felt insecure because of his skin colour or worried, because that is something that even I face here.

I'm honestly afraid of him, Trump as well, when they see someone like me they don't think of me as a human being, but instead a dog, or a slave, or a bloody cotton picker!

They don't see me as someone like them.

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I would bet a million dollars that I am ten times the worker he is, if not more! I would bet that any Black person I know is a harder worker, more valuable part of society, which wouldn't be hard to do now that he has divided himself from the part of society that is actually progressing forward and gives a shit about people other than just themselves.

It's disgusting to see such free use and absolute abuse of the 'n' word, in such a hateful way and with intention to be volatile and rude. It’s just completely unacceptable. After everything that has happened in our history it feels like we're all lining up just to see it happen all over again.

The worst part is that it’s not just him, there are so many people around the world! How can we take 10 steps forward with Obama, only to run all the way back?

I consider myself lucky. I live in an amazing country and I have had little experience with real racism. Many times, it was the colour of my skin that made me greater, this was not one of them. Take this as a PSA that racism is real, so don't be ignorant. You might not need reminding, but let's make sure the people in the back can hear this too, RACISM EXISTS. Blatant racism that causes a crazy man to ban people legally going back to their homes is a real issue. I don't blame Trump for people being racist, instead I believe that he assisted in giving these closet racists the courage to use their discriminatory voices.

Remember: we all have a voice. Use yours wisely, don't stand for prejudice and help protect those who are constantly battling against the world even if you don't see it.

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Photographer: Danica Spear

IT’S TIME TO START TALKING ABOUT LISTENING CHELSEA MURPHY One of my favourite things about our generation is that we're not afraid to talk. We're not afraid to speak our minds and tell the world how we feel, whether it's by posting a rant on our snapchat stories, sharing radical political movements on Facebook, or simply by talking. And that is something we do a lot of. Talking. As a self proclaimed activist/intersectional feminist, man, I can talk. If you asked me how I feel about being taxed on tampons or the fact that Flint, MI still has no clean water, I could probably talk your ear off all day. But the thing is (and hear me out here) I may know a thing or two about the happenings of this mad, crazy world and I may feel strongly about a lot of things, but there is so much out there that I have yet to learn. And I don't know about you guys, but I love to learn and know what I’m talking about.

I guess my point is that we are a generation of great and steady voices, but are we really listening? Are we letting ourselves be wrong and learning from those experiences? I've seen many a Facebook post of someone who has been misinformed and too stubborn to admit to the flaws in their argument which makes me wonder, is this really about the greater good, or is this about our pride?

Don't get me wrong here, having an opinion and standing up for what you believe in is so important and I admire anyone that sticks to their morals and stands their ground on what they think is important. But when was the last time you listened to what someone else has to say and were open to conversation on something you felt passionate about? 9 times out of 10 we only get snarky comments from horrible trolls or sexist/homophobic/ xenophobic and racist comments from distant relatives which are hard to take seriously and most of the time aren't even worth responding to (delete that shit, you don't need that).

But more often than one would think, there is something to learn from having a real conversation with another person who may or may not see things differently to you.

(TW: abortion) For example: In high school, I was loud and proud about my feelings towards abortion and got into many arguments with close friends on why I was 'pro-life' and I truly believed that my views were sensible and that everyone else was horribly wrong and I would not listen to a word they said. I would not listen.

Some years later, the topic had come up with some new friends and I found that their opinions, though opposite to mine, were actually just as valid and by lord, I learnt something! In fact, that conversation taught me a lot and I began to realise a lot of my views and ideals were solely based on things that I assumed to be the truth. I realised how stubborn I had been not to open myself up to the opinions of others and vowed to listen more often and between that particular conversation and today, I have learned so much more than I would have if I didn't start to listen and my values have become more informed and far stronger. I have made mistakes and I have learned from them and boy, does it feel good.

I hope you, as a reader, take from this what I intended. This isn't a plea to listen to the ramblings of a Trump supporter (let's face it, agreeing with and supporting his policies is just inexcusable), this is a plea to start actively listening and allowing yourself to learn more about the things you are passionate about.

Participate. Be loud. Be proud.

Be strong. Be informed. Be open.

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Photographer: Aly Peterson

Ailish Delaney

The Oxford dictionary defines terrorism as “the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.� It is something that is used to stimulate fear and push people apart. Terrorists use fear to fuel their fire and cause people to turn on each other. In 2017 alone, there have been 568 of terrorist attacks in countries such as Pakistan, Colombia, Iraq, Syria, Egypt and more, with 3,887 fatalities. Terrorist attacks are a more regular occurrence in eastern countries, however the western world does not seem to notice. The West has noticed the impact and prevalence of terrorism more over the past few years, with attacks on major cities of Paris, London and Manchester, only recognising the significance once Western people have been affected.

Paris, Friday, November 13, 2015.

130 people dead. Hundreds wounded.

Three co-ordinated teams set off three different explosions at the Stade de France, where France was playing a football match against Germany. A restaurant and a bar on rue Alibert were then fired upon. Next, an attack a few streets south when diners were shot at. A suicide bomber then detonated his bomb at a restaurant on Boulevard Voltaire. The final attack of the night was the explosions at Bataclan concert hall, when three gunmen stormed the venue and opened fire upon the crowd.

London, Wednesday, March 22, 2017.

Five people dead. 50 wounded.

The attacker ploughed down civilians when he drove over Westminster bridge. He then slammed the car into the railings outside parliament. A knifeman continued the attack when he attempted to enter parliament. It resulted in the stabbing of a police officer, who later died. local riot magazine // 26

Manchester, Monday, May 22, 2017.

22 dead.

An explosion was detonated at an Ariana Grande concert, occupied by mostly children and teenage girls.

London, Saturday, June 3, 2017.

Seven dead. 48 injured.

Three terrorists drove a van over London bridge and ploughed down pedestrians.

They then stabbed civilians in pubs and bars at Borough Market nearby.

These were the three most recent* and highly covered terrorist attacks to occur in the western world. They received mass media coverage and were recognised as horrific by people all over the world. The threat of terrorism was known by all and fear had begun to spread. As people fear the potential threat to their lives and safety, the threat of terrorism can be blown out of proportion. It is perfectly okay to feel fear and be worried but it is necessary to also recognise that terrorism does not even rank in the top ten leading causes of death in America. The first three are heart and circulatory disorders, cancer, and respiratory disorders. Terrorism is ranked 19th, after pregnancy and birth, and war. Terrorism is a threat to safety and the lives of people yes, but it is not necessary to live in fear of the next attack. It is not necessary to turn against people in your community because of their religious beliefs. It is not necessary to push people away. Don’t let terrorism win by breaking people apart.

For many, the term terrorist has become synonymous with Muslim. The western world has a growing fear of Islam due to cases where terrorists have attempted to justify their actions with their faith. However, it has been clarified again and again by the Muslim community that those who harm others are not Muslims and are wrongly using their beliefs to try and defend their horrific actions. Murder is strictly forbidden in the Qur’an. Islamic law forbids terrorism, aggressive warfare and the killing of innocent civilians. This makes it hard to believe that a terrorist could also be a Muslim. Again and again society finds comfort in having a scapegoat to blame for the actions of an individual. The Muslim community are more often than not the scapegoats when it comes to terrorism. They are forced to endure blame and suffering when they are just as innocent as the next individual. *Since writing this, there have been more recent attacks. That is our saddening reality. local riot magazine // 27

A growing islamophobia within the community is the result of hatred for others and letting terrorism succeed. An example of this is the Oregon train stabbings.

Two men were killed after they tried to stop anti-Muslim abuse. Three were stabbed, which resulted in the two deaths, for standing up to a man harassing two innocent Muslim women. Terrorism wants to divide the community and turn people against each other. By hating a whole religious group and blaming them for the actions of individuals we are letting terrorists win. The whole of Christianity has not been tainted by the actions of the KKK, who still exist and are not designated as a terrorist organisation by the way. Why should all Muslims suffer and feel unsafe because of the actions of few, actions which do not even fit with their religious beliefs.

At times when fear is widespread, it is important to remember that we stand together. Solidarity is a term often used to describe the coming together of people after hardship such as an earthquake or a terrorist attack. Solidarity is presenting a uniting front to those who are trying to tear you down. It is raising over $12 million towards the We Love Manchester fund. It is Ariana Grande choosing to bring together artists from all over the world to perform and raise money after the Manchester attack at her concert. It is #IllRideWithYou on Twitter to show support for Australian Muslims who were too scared to ride alone after the Sydney siege. Solidarity is what is most important when threats of terrorism loom. Never let them win. Stand together and stand strong.

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Photographer: Aly Peterson

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Caitlyn Cameron

Luna GutiÊrrez Surprising or not there are quite a bit of beauty products that are used in Surprising or not there are quite a bit of beauty products that are used in everyday life that are harmful to the earth. From exfoliating microbeads in everyday life that are harmful to the earth. From exfoliating microbeads in facial cleansers and body wash, to a little something called Triclosan that can facial cleansers and body wash, to a little something called Triclosan that can be found in sanitisers, to even deodorants, there are a range of household be found in sanitisers, to even deodorants, there are a range of household products that are extremely dangerous for the environment. Thankfully, products that are extremely dangerous for the environment. Thankfully, microbeads have been banned by the U.S government for they were closing microbeads have been banned by the U.S government for they were closing our water system and had started to appear in the great lakes. But as for our water system and had started to appear in the great lakes. But as for Triclosan, the same can not be said, as it is still a common component of Triclosan, the same can not be said, as it is still a common component of many products found around one’s house. many products found around one’s house.

Triclosan can be found in most antibacterial products like hand sanitiser, hand Triclosan can be found in most antibacterial products like hand sanitiser, hand soap, deodorant, and laundry detergent. When Triclosan goes down the drain soap, deodorant, and laundry detergent. When Triclosan goes down the drain it changes the biochemistry of amphibians and other forms of sea life. It reacts it changes the biochemistry of amphibians and other forms of sea life. It reacts to other chemicals in the waterways, forming dioxins, which are toxic. to other chemicals in the waterways, forming dioxins, which are toxic.

A Phthalate is a group of chemicals used in products to help improve A Phthalate is a group of chemicals used in products to help improve flexibility and the softness of plastics. Phthalates are mostly found in flexibility and the softness of plastics. Phthalates are mostly found in cosmetics and personal care products like hairspray, nail polish, and lotion. cosmetics and personal care products like hairspray, nail polish, and lotion.

They are known to be endocrine disruptors and have been linked to increase They are known to be endocrine disruptors and have been linked to increase the risk of breast cancer, early breast development in girls, and reproductive the risk of breast cancer, early breast development in girls, and reproductive birth defects in males and females. Sadly it is not disclosed on every product, birth defects in males and females. Sadly it is not disclosed on every product, mostly as its added in fragrances. Phthalates can be found in deodorants, mostly as its added in fragrances. Phthalates can be found in deodorants, perfumes, cologne, hairsprays, and moisturisers. perfumes, cologne, hairsprays, and moisturisers.

Propylene glycol is an organic alcohol mainly used as a skin conditioning Propylene glycol is an organic alcohol mainly used as a skin conditioning agent. It's categorised as a skin irritant and penetrator. It has been associated agent. It's categorised as a skin irritant and penetrator. It has been associated with causing dermatitis, as well as hives in people - this sensitisation can be with causing dermatitis, as well as hives in people - this sensitisation can be manifested at Propylene glycol concentrations as low as two percent. It can be manifested at Propylene glycol concentrations as low as two percent. It can be found in moisturisers, shampoo, conditioners, sunscreen, makeup products, found in moisturisers, shampoo, conditioners, sunscreen, makeup products, and hair sprays. and hair sprays.

Toluene is a petrochemical derived from petroleum or coal tar sources. You Toluene is a petrochemical derived from petroleum or coal tar sources. You may see it on labels listed as benzene, toluol, phenylmethane, may see it on labels listed as benzene, toluol, phenylmethane, methylbenzene. methylbenzene. local riot magazine // 33

Surprising or not there are quite a bit of beauty products that are used in Toluene islife a potent able to dissolve paintexfoliating and paint microbeads thinner. It can everyday that aresolvent harmful to the earth. From in yourand respiratory system, nausea and irritate your skin. facial affect cleansers body wash, to a cause little something called Triclosan that can mothers should avoid exposurethere to toluene vapours as it may beExpecting found in sanitisers, to even deodorants, are a range of household cause developmental damagedangerous to the foetus.

Toluene has also Thankfully, been linked products that are extremely for the environment. to immunehave system toxicity.

It can be U.S found in nail polish, nail treatments microbeads been banned by the government for they were closing andstarted hair colour products. our water system and had to appear in the great lakes. But as for Triclosan, the same can not be said, as it is still a common component of Formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing many products found aroundpreservatives one’s house.(FRP’s) are used in manycan cosmetic products toantibacterial help preventproducts bacteria like growth. chemical Triclosan be found in most handThis sanitiser, hand deemed and as a laundry human carcinogen

by TheTriclosan International fordrain soap,was deodorant, detergent. When goes Agency down the Research Carcinogensof(IARC) and has been linked to of occupationally it changes theon biochemistry amphibians and other forms sea life. It reacts related cancers: nasal nasopharyngeal.

It isdioxins, known which to cause to other chemicals in and the waterways, forming areallergic toxic. skin reactions and it may also be harmful to the immune system. It can be found in nail polish, body of washes, conditioners, shampoos, cleansers, eye A Phthalate is a group chemicals used in products to help improve shadows, nail polish treatments. flexibility and the softnessand of plastics.

Phthalates are mostly found in cosmetics and personal care products like hairspray, nail polish, and lotion.

They are kn own to be endocrine disruptors and have been linked to increase the risk of breast cancer, early breast development in girls, and reproductive birth defects in males and females. Sadly it is not disclosed on every product, mostly as its added in fragrances. Phthalates can be found in deodorants, perfumes, cologne, hairsprays, and moisturisers.

Propylene glycol is an organic alcohol mainly used as a skin conditioning agent. It's categorised as a skin irritant and penetrator. It has been associated with causing dermatitis, as well as hives in people - this sensitisation can be manifested at Propylene glycol concentrations as low as two percent. It can be found in moisturisers, shampoo, conditioners, sunscreen, makeup products, and hair sprays.

Toluene is a petrochemical derived from petroleum or coal tar sources. You may see it on labels listed as benzene, toluol, phenylmethane, methylbenzene.

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Photographer: Aly Peterson

An Interview on Refugees and Disabilities with Nobel Peace Prize winner, Sister Denise Coghlan.

Millie Murfit While volunteering in Cambodia I was given the chance to interview Sister Denise Coghlan, an Australian sister who has lived in Cambodia for the last 28 years. She was one of the founding members of The Jesuit Refugee Service in Cambodia, an organisation that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for their part in the campaign to ban land mines. The Jesuit Refugee Service’s mission is to accompany, serve and advocate on behalf of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons. She and I talked about the refugees and disabled women that she works with as well as what we can do to help these women.

MM: Could you give us some brief background information on the women that you work with? Where did they come from and do you have any stories about them?

DC: Here is a story, In Cambodia now there is one beautiful little Eritrean mother with two small boys, her husband was in a prison in Israel and in this next week, just before Christmas, she has been accepted to go to the United States, so that’s a really good story, she has been here for three years and we’ve been trying to help them survive but also help the kids to go to school and the father to get a job. That’s one story in regards to refugees, the other big group of refugees here at the moment are people from Vietnam, they are Montagnard refugees who are Degar Christians, they come here because they are persecuted in Vietnam, they’re an ethnic minority, they have their own form of Christianity, they aren’t popular with the authorities

and they have very nice land.

According to their stories many of them are beaten, some are put in prison, they keep getting invitations to the police station to report on their activities and they aren’t allowed to pray in their houses. So with them we’ve tried to help them learn tapestry making, learning English and learning Khmer.

Another group that we work with are women with disabilities, they come into this centre (The Jesuit Reflection Centre in Siem Reap) and we have little workshops for them where they tell their own story. Sharing their story empowers them and makes them able to think about their lives and then they make a little plan for the future.

If the plan entails setting up a very small shop then they we provide them with a small income-generating grant to start the shop off, some do things like making things with sowing machines, hairdressing and some of them become

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‘mobile librarians’ for the villages.

MM: The theme of our next issue is mental health, would you be able to give me an insight into the mental health of these refugees and disabled women?

DC: Yes, most refugees suffer trauma because they’ve left home and gone to a new place, but it is the one’s who have been severely beaten that suffer very bad trauma. We’ve had people here from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Ethiopia and Pakistan, who’ve suffered very, very bad torture and they have very strong mental scars, and some of that requires very deep treatment, in fact one of them was so badly injured (mentally) that they were sent off to Denmark to get proper mental health treatment.

That’s one of the theories about the deal that Australia did with Cambodia about the refugees, because one of the big problems was that a lot of those people on Nauru had suffered trauma and there wasn’t really adequate psychological counselling and trauma counselling places here in Cambodia, there are some but the people of Cambodia suffered so much themselves that all of the resources are needed for the Cambodians, so there isn’t really enough space for the refugees to fit into the mental health system. Many of the people with

disabilities sense that they’re less ‘good’ than people who haven’t had Polio or haven’t lost their legs, they need to come to terms with their own story.

I’m not sure that all Western psychological treatment is best for these people, I believe that giving them the opportunity to tell their own story and seeing other people getting up and getting on with life is one of the best forms of mental health that you can have. We did a big survey on men and women who had suffered from some disability in the country, and very interestingly the comments that got the highest results was “I don’t have enough income to live in dignity” and “I’m happy I am alive”.

MM: Is there anything we can do to help these people?

DC: For $100 or $200 American dollars you can help a person set up a little shop, they may only make $10 from the first $100, but it’s something to kickstart the project. In terms of refugees, at the moment we’re supporting 177 refugees in Phnom Penh and even small amounts of money to help buy soap and toothpaste for them can help a lot.

If you’d like to contact Sister Denise to enquire about helping these women visit the following link: http:// www.jrscambodia.org/ contact.html

Photographer: Millie Murfit

“The people who are crazy enough to change the world are the ones who do.�

Rob Siltanen

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BOYS WILL BE BOYS HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR Maisie Evason ACTIONS We live in a society founded upon antiquated, patriarchal values. This is a fact that no comment posted by a middle-aged white man, about how “kids these days take everything too seriously”, can dispute. For decades, these values have instilled in boys and men a sense of entitlement over women and allowed them to act without consequence. Violence against women and girls is a global issue that has had a detrimental impact on the lives of thousands of individuals. Statistics show that 1 in 5 women over the age of 15 have been victims of assault.

So, why is it that our society continues to justify acts of violence against women and girls? Or worse, why do we turn the blame onto the victims?

Let us start from the beginning. Primary school, elementary school, whatever your corner of the world calls it. You can picture yourself playing in the sandpit at lunch with your friends. Can you feel the young boy pull your ponytail? Can you hear your teacher telling him not to do it again but turning to you and saying through laughter, “Boys will be boys,” as if having a penis excuses you from acting like a decent human? Then of course your mother, or some older family member, tries to convince you that he’s only being mean to you because he likes you. All of which leaves you, as a young girl, believing that abuse comes with love. Then they grow into women who refer to men fondling them without consent as just “a boy thing.” It is not “just boy thing.” Growing your hair long, shaving the back, and tying it up in a man bun is “just a boy thing.” Touching women without their consent is just sexual abuse.

Now, I know what you’re thinking; why don’t we just ignore it? Why do we not just pay no attention to people who try and dismiss violence against women as a male trait? Well, it’s difficult to ignore it when everywhere you turn, president pussy-grabber is there throwing around derogatory marks about women. My personal favourite was his infamous, “And when you’re a star… you

can do anything… grab them by the pussy. You can do anything!” speech. What truly put the cherry on top of the cake was the fact that he claimed it was “merely locker room banter.” It is beyond concerning that a man who, unfortunately, has such an influential voice in our society not only makes comments that encourage sexual abuse, but then justifies his comments with the “it’s just a joke” excuse. Violence against women is not now, or has ever been, a joke. If we continue to give power to men like Trump (looking at you America), we will continue to live in a world where men feel a sense of ownership over women and disregard the importance of consent.

Even if women do realise that violence is never acceptable and speak out against their abusers, it seems that the current justice system isn’t too bothered by it.

There have been many cases, specifically in regards to rape, in which the court has placed more emphasis on what the women did that led to their assault. Which is strange because when a robbery occurs you don’t hear “That house went and got itself robbed, but it was asking for it, just standing out in the open like that” or “I hate to say it but their blinds weren’t even shut, what did they expect with all their valuables on display?” If they don’t go down the victim blaming road, they take a trip down white male privilege lane and let men get away with rape on the grounds of them having a bright future. Take for instance the Brock Turner case; Turner raped an unconscious and intoxicated woman on campus. Not only did he receive a mere six month jail sentence, they let him out after three. I have had arguments with my mum that lasted long than Brock Turner’s sentence.

So women will continue to live in fear; fear of being raped and fear of being blamed. When discussing this, men are often quick to throw in the “Well, men get raped too” argument, when they feel their bones straining under the weight of the ugly truth about being a female and living in fear. Firstly, if you ever follow the sentence “men get raped” with “too”, then you’re an arsehole. It should be its own sentence. You cannot merely acknowledge the trauma faced by male rape survivors because you’re trying to protect the world’s collective male ego and downplay

the impact of rape on women. And whilst we know that men too can be a victim of violence, according to statistics it is more likely for a person to experience violence from a male rather than a female perpetrator; in fact over three times as many people are victims of violence at the hands of a male. So, whilst it’s #NotAllMen, it’s #DefinitelySome, so how about #JustDontRape?

It is up to all of us to ensure that boys will not just be boys, but will be held accountable for their actions and will face appropriate consequences. We need to remind each other that violence against women and girls is unacceptable in every circumstance. We must also never use the term ‘Meninism’ in a serious matter. For the love of God, just leave it as a meme.

Those who garden know that the presence of pollinators like bees is vital to the plants flourishing. Poppies and catmint, amongst a plethora of other plants, rely on pollinators to help fertilize them and help them reproduce.

Bees are one of the major pollinators that assist plants in fertilization. But, they are in need of our help.

Colony Collapse Disorder has been causing hives to fail, some beekeepers losing 50% of their hives. Another prominent factor is pesticide use, poisoning workers and leading to poisoning the hive. Insects are major pollinators, but since bees can sting, people tend to kill them instead of release them if they get trapped. Sometimes a group of worker bees will get lost, upon which they will group up and send some scouts. The places they will group can be inside people's homes. Local beekeepers will collect these lost workers, without harming them.

A big way to help bees is to raise awareness. Planting flowers and avoiding pesticides also helps our fuzzy yellow pals a lot. Supporting local beekeepers and buying organic honey also promotes their health, as they can go foraging and scout out for nectar if there is more demand for honey. Flowers like honeysuckle, poppies, hyssop, and sunflowers are great to plant. Herbs like lavender and catmint also are great to start. We need these fuzzy pollinators, they help us feed ourselves and get oxygen in our environment. Save a bee today!

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“Humans have fucked a lot of shit up. Most world issues are due to us. So maybe I'd change the first two homosapiens into two males so they wouldn't reproduce.”

Harry, 18 “No more terrorists.”

Jasmine, 20 “The price of plane tickets so I could travel everywhere.”

Rosie, 19 “When I could change one thing about the world, I’d start making everyone (everyone!) care about the climate change. Lately, I am just getting more and more concerned about this problem, people are dying due to climate change! I believe it’s not taken seriously enough even though it’s endangering all of our ecosystem, all of our earth, including overseas.”

Anonymous, 17

“Free education.”

Sammy, 19 “I can’t pin point one thing so I'm just going to go all Miss Universe on you and wish for world peace.”

Chiara, 19 If I could change one thing about the world it would be the stigma around people of colour, especially women of colour. We are beautiful creatures who need to support one another not tear each other down, I’m sick of it.”

Willow, 15

“The treatment of animals and people. We need to realise that animals are sentimental and not below us on the stupid “hierarchy” of important of we have created, the same goes for people: everyone deserves equal opportunities and nobody deserves the be maltreated.”

Molly, 16 “I would make everyone more empathetic, understanding, and compassionate! That way maybe humans could stop climate change, help animals, help the earth, and love and help others.”

Madilynn, 19 “The importance of money and how our whole lives revolve around it. It feels impossible to do something fun without having to spend money on stuff.”

Julie, 18 “End world hunger.”

Kate, 17 “I would say free and quality education for all because education is the single most effective way to break the poverty cycle.”

Lauren, 22

“I would make disease and sickness nonexistent. Something so microscopic does so much damage, not only to the individuals themselves but to their families and friends. It destroys lives and leaves incredibly gargantuan holes in the hearts of so many people, young and old.”

Jess, 20 “End global warming.”

Jess, 18 “Well one that i think is relevant to people of our age group is better sex education in high schools, particularly catholic high schools.

We learn about birth and all that jazz but they never really teach us how to get pap smears, how to have safe sex etc.”

Caitlin, 16 “Everyone is happy and gay.”

Anonymous, 19

Photographer: Danica Spear

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot.

Nothing is going to get better. It's not.”

Dr Seuss

Cian Hussey

TheWorld@WeNeedChange.com

In this seemingly scary new world we have the pleasure (displeasure?) of inhabiting, life can appear daunting at times. It seems as though there is a never-ending supply of issues which are oh-so-hard to address and have the ability to stand in the way of progress. These issues are complex, both to understand and to address, and one may be led to think that their efforts to combat them are in vain. This is not the case however. A society, community, country, or what have you, is entirely made up of individuals; measly people like you and I. It follows, then, that in order to bring a change in such a society, an action must be taken by the individual. This isn’t a new idea, it is the core concept of democracy; we already know it, but it seems we have forgotten.

We have forgotten because many of us no longer know ourselves, we leave the responsibilities of the world on the shoulders of institutions without truly contemplating our potential. We may have lost sight of the scope of the individual, but it is not at all hard to rediscover.

We must come to terms with our scope of influence and the effects of our actions and words. Everybody has a scope of influence, these are the people that an individual can stir something in: to convince them of something, or to get them to act on a certain issue. If we look at this idea of a scope of influence it quickly becomes clear how much power an individual has to effect change.

Take for example, the global issue of the environment. We know that animal agriculture is the leading cause of species extinction, ocean dead zones, habitat destruction, and a whole range of other devastating phenomena. It also contributes more greenhouse gas emissions than all transport combined and uses far too much of our food, land, and water*. It is a fact that the biggest impact an individual can have on climate change and the environment is through the adoption of a vegan diet and lifestyle (this also does loads of great things for your body and animal welfare/rights). An individual can choose to become a vegan or a vegetarian, but this is only the first layer of their scope of influence. Once an individual starts to convince other people, their impact is increased. If one person

could convince seven others to adopt a vegan/vegetarian diet, and each of these people convinced another seven, and this cycle continued nine more times, in total 282,475,249 people would have been affected. This is a staggering influence, especially when you consider that it stemmed from a single person.

The United States administration has stated that it will be withdrawing from the 2015 Paris Agreement, since stating this they have been widely criticised and mocked. While I do not agree with them withdrawing, I think that the criticism speaks for itself; people believe that they have to rely on something larger than themselves for global issues to be resolved. If we take the example from above, one person’s scope of influence can extend to 87% of the population of the United States, and while this may be an idealised view of the world, the wider point that I am trying to make stands: individuals have an incredible ability to effect change if they choose to do so.

You could consider that the barrier to addressing global issues is the individual, when one chooses to be passive and rely on an institution or government, they are doing nothing to help solve the issue. But as much as we have a capacity to do nothing, we have an equal capacity to do everything; individuals are the catalyst for change, for progress, and for solutions. If an individual wants to address a specific issue that is their choice as they alone can decide what, and how much, they will do. The challenge then is to realise your potential to effect change, there is a paraphrased quote attributed to Gandhi which says, “Be the change you wish to see in the world”, this is the crux of the idea of the individual and their ability to have a positive impact. In order to address global issues, one must start with themselves, for an external change can occur only after the internal one.

*As a quick aside, the truth about animal agriculture has gotten a lot of press over the last few years which has done wonders for the conversation about climate change and the environment. I highly recommend watching Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret, if you haven’t already and are interested in the topic of climate change/the environment.

With all the injustice and negativity in this issue, we wanted to remind you that despite it all, there is good in this world! Don’t forget to look for it.

Oregon has become the first US state to add a third gender option to state identification cards! As of July, those who don’t identify as male or female will have the option of marking a gender neutral X under the sex category on driver’s licenses and state ID cards.

Taiwan has become the first Asian country to begin the process of legalising gay marriage! 12/14 judges ruled that to stop people from marrying whomever they choose is unconstitutional. The court has two years to amend the current laws.

The world fought love with hate at the One Love tribute concert! The terrorist act that claimed the lives of 22 innocent people was an attempt to spread fear.

However, more than 60,000 attended the concert, and millions more watched from their homes.

Work on the “vertical forrest” in underway! In an attempt to combat pollution, China will erect two towers that will be covered in 1,100 trees and 2,500 cascading plants and shrubs. The architect says it will improve biodiversity, absorb 25 tons of CO2 each year and produce 60 kilograms of oxygen each day.

Saudi Arabia are taking steps towards gender equality! King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has announced that women will finally be allowed to work, study, and seek health care without needing a man’s consent.

Rags to riches! A homeless shelter in Ontario received a $10,000 donation from a former resident, who said he donated the money to help his friends “stay safe.”

The guy from Owl City answered the fireflies question! He got 1000 hugs from 10,000 lightning bugs, but did each firefly hug him 1000 or did only 1/10th of the bugs hug him? We can officially confirm each firefly hugged him 1000 times, giving him a total of 10,000,000 firefly hugs.

CPR saves dog’s life! A man in Victoria has successfully brought his sheepdog back to life by using mouth to snout resuscitation.

One man’s trash, is another man’s library! Columbian trash collector Jose Alberto Gutierrez picked up a copy of Anna Karenina 20 years ago. He continued to collect discarded books and has now set up a free library in his house he calls Strength of Words.

From $1000 to $2 Million! 70 years ago, Russ Gremel bought $1000 worth of stock that is now worth $2 Million. The now 98 year old man donated the stock to the Illinois Audubon Society, which used the money to set up a wildlife sanctuary.

Muslim man saves 64 Christians! In the Philippines a Muslim man named Noor Lucman hid 64 Christians in his house in order to save them from being executed claiming that they would be harmed over his dead body.

David Attenborough is alive and well! 91 and still kicking. We hope he’s having a good day. local riot magazine // 52

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DOCUMENTARIES TO WATCH

Cowspiracy 13th The Hunting Ground Before the Flood An Inconvenient Truth Earthlings WOMAN Blackfish Virunga The Cove White Helmets Planet Earth local riot magazine // 54

Imane El Arnouki

Innovative technologies of any kind have always been at the core of societal and political turns; yesterday, it was the printing press, the nuclear weapon and the World Wide Web. Today, social media finds itself in a predominant communication role during sensitive situations.

Although social media commonly has had a bad reputation when used by a younger population (we all remember getting lectured about the dangers of social media at some point), it does play a significant role in shaping the political opinions of not only youngsters but anybody involved in any kind of debate.

For instance, during the Arab Spring, the Internet was used to gather news, social media to connect and coordinate movements, and smartphones to take pictures and globalise the issues. All of these new means have helped bring together people that would’ve never gotten in touch if it wasn’t for social media, and allowed them to go beyond the limits of traditional media. It is now well-known that TV-channels and radio programmes are very often controlled by the state and don’t broadcast civil uprisings and opposition to the government in power. When more than a thousand activists took to the streets in Moldova against their government, the gathering was nicknamed as the “Twitter Revolution”, because the protesters used Twitter to organise themselves and come together. local riot magazine // 55

Lately, with the sole help of social media, Jérôme Jarre raised nearly 2.5 billion dollars to help the Somalian population, who are currently suffering from a terrible food crisis. Though his action has been criticised by many, it is another example of how social media can impact things.

How does social media do more than traditional media?

To go back to the context of the Arab Spring, there’s a gigantic number of youngsters in the Arabic World. Indeed, more than half of the population of any country there haven’t reached the age of 30 yet. Though this demographic was initially monitored on social media, as they were a potential target for recruiting jihadist groups, their reputation has improved.

It also does help that social media is relatively anonymous. Social restrictions that are visible in the real sphere don’t matter virtually, letting groups that don’t normally go around with each other connect. Furthermore, women have a space created for them: they find themselves able of being in leadership roles, and participate in areas that are very hard for them to access.

Information is also hard to prevaricate and it is almost uncontrollable, because its variety is so broad that no one can monopolise its use. Many governments in different countries (Turkey, Syria, Egypt) have been forced to shut down the Internet completely to counterbalance the fast effects of social media and public activism. Equivocally, in times of hurry, traditional media struggle to catch up with social media reports.

At the end of the day, social printing press and telegraphs comes from the revolutionary what is available to them and

media is only a tool, as the used to be. The real strength and activists, who have used taken it to other new levels.

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little things we can do to help make the world a little better Chelsea Murphy

stop using products with microbeads I am a self confessed skin care addict and while there is nothing more lush than a good scrub followed by a face mask- most of our beloved exfoliation products contain nasty and harmful microbeads, which are non-biodegradable and are seriously harming our marine life.

When we finish scrubbing up and step out of the shower to towel off, those little beads don’t just disappear, they get washed down our drains and into the oceans, where they are ingested by poor little fish and other sea critters. Instead of passing through the fish’s digestive system, the beads are absorbed and remain inside their systems, also meaning when you sit down to your fillet of fish for dinner tonight, you might just be ingesting that harmful plastic as well. Gross.

Fear not though! There are plenty of natural exfoliants that can be used such as sugar, salt, coffee beans or crushed apricot kernels, which are all much better for the environment, as well as being better for you and your delicate skin.

You can read more here: https://www.adorebeauty.com.au/exfoliators/guide/noto-microbeads use keep cups/travel mugs instead of disposable coffee cups A common misconception is that all disposable coffee cups are recyclable, and we consume a lot of coffee. Whether it’s on the way to work, or uni, or just while you’re out and about, coffee is always a good idea, right? Right. It’s cool. What’s not cool is the fact that most take away coffee cups, while made of paper, are usually lined with plastic or wax meaning they cannot actually be effectively recycled. What can be recycled is the little cardboard sleeve that usually has the universal ‘recyclable’ symbol on it. Sneaky, right? According to keepcup.com.au 1 MILLION disposable cups end up in landfill every minute and can remain there for up to 50 years. Keep cups aren’t just good for the environment, they’re pretty handy as well. You can make a cup of joe pretty much anywhere to take on the go, plus a lot of coffee

shops and cafes will charge you less for your coffee if you bring your own. Not to mention the cute designs you can pick from (mine has pictures of Frida Kahlo on it, queen!).

You can get yours from https://au.keepcup.com/?country=Australia or https:// society6.com/travel-mugs quit using plastic straws I’m sure if you’re on Facebook you’ve seen the heartbreaking video of the poor sea turtle having a plastic straw removed from his nostril. We all know how much rubbish tragically ends up in our oceans every year (about eight million tonnes), but it’s still extremely confronting to see the very real effects of our carelessness.

According to thelastplasticstraw.org 80% of all marine debris found in the ocean is land based and up to 90% of that is made from plastic. Helping to reduce the amounts of innocent sea life as well as life on land being harmed, it’s as easy as not asking for/taking straws when out, and when you do require one, bring your own. I recently purchased some stainless steel straws from my local health food shop and they are by far my best purchase of 2017 so far.

You can grab yours from biome.com.au! plant more trees It was recently my Dad’s birthday and being the loving daughter of an environmental scientist/lover of nature and all native plants, I bought him a Hakea tree that we could plant together on our property, as he had bought me an Acacia years ago to do the same thing. As I was thinking about this, I got to thinking that hey, what a beautiful thing it is to plant a sapling in someone’s honour and to watch it grow into a beautiful adult tree. As we all know, trees give us oxygen and in the last minute that you’ve been reading about this, 139 acres of beautiful trees have been cut down worldwide. Deforestation is a serious problem and not only is it destroying the homes of millions of species across the globe, it’s a massive contributor to climate change!!! Instead of naming a star after a loved one, plant a tree in their name, that way you can watch it grow, visit it whenever you like and you’re doing good for our Earth. Plant a tree for nature. Plant a tree for yourself, you deserve it.

You can get more info on deforestation here: https://www.worldwildlife.org/ threats/deforestation 50th

bring your own shopping bags Does anyone else have a ‘plastic bag bag’ in their pantry? The plastic bag bag is where plastic bags go and accumulate to a point of ridiculousness that nobody can really justify. Surely everyone has had those face-palm moments where you pop into Coles for a few things and forget your shopping bags, resulting in even more plastic bags for the ‘plastic bag bag’. Or the moments when you get home from a good shopping day and realise while you were carrying around 6 bags each holding one or two items, you could have easily fit everything into one or two bags. Again, we are often lied to by large corporations telling us their bags are degradable/biodegradable and recyclable, but there is always an unspoken catch, so make sure if you’re using plastic bags you ask the company or its manufacturer for more information. With that being said, the best thing to do is to go plastic free and bring your own bags. Supermarkets like Coles and Woolworths sell reusable bags for around $2 each, as do all Cotton On stores. Remember, these bags would need to be used around 23 times to become a better option than a single use bag, so buying a new sustainable shopping bag every time you shop won’t be beneficial. Be like my Mum, store about 6 of them in the boot of your car and keep them there, cause you never know when you might need them.

Visit http://www.cleanup.org.au/au/Campaigns/plastic-bag-facts.html for more info I hope at least one of you out there will take something from this and start making little changes so one day we will all see a big change.

We all have two homes, our body and our Earth, and we need to take care of them both.

Peace and blessings.

WE CAN’T KEEP SHOUTING AT EACH OTHER

Did you know that Facebook shows you only what you want to see? It only shows you the side of politics that you support and, most of the time, the title is purposefully made sensationalist to make you angry at the other political ideologies or viewpoints. The divide between those with different social values is growing faster than ever, and it has already reached the point where people can’t argue sensibly, resulting in them shouting the same thing over and over again.

Now, you might think that all of this doesn’t really matter, after all, you get to see your friends on Facebook write colourful essays complete with swear words and insults on how the other person’s opinion is wrong. The truth is, if we keep going the way we are now, democracy in the western world won’t last very long. Without sane political discussion between two people who are trying to convince each other to adopt their ideas, society cannot move forward and deal with the pressing issues that will do more damage the longer we ignore them.

Are innocent people being bombed by someone armed with weapons that your government sold to them? Don’t worry about that, focus on what some person tweeted 4 years ago. Is the government about to cut funds towards education? Look over there! A protestor that follows a political ideology different to yours doing something bad! local riot magazine // 60

This irrational political discussion is made worse by 3 things.

Sensationalist news headlines: How many of you just read the title of an article from one source and accept it as a fact? How many of you read the whole article and research it from multiple sources to verify its information before saying anything? I only need to look at Facebook comments to know the answer to that question is disturbingly low. This is dangerous because if you blindly follow something that was said, then you’re unlikely to accept the fact that you might be wrong. Which leads to my next point…

People can’t accept the fact that they are wrong: Too many people run around thinking they are infallible and their political ideology/way of life is flawless, and if everyone followed it, everything would be sunshine and rainbows. We are told that we are not perfect, yet people can’t accept the fact that what they say might be wrong and refuse to change their mind on an issue, even when logical arguments have been presented.

People are attacking the person, not challenging their ideas: This makes zero sense to me. If you want change to occur with an issue, you must convince the other side to follow your thought. If you attack a person and say their argument is invalid because they are x, y or z, then how are you helping your stance on the issue? If your argument begins with “Straight white male” then please reconsider what you are saying. All you will be doing is preventing a levelheaded conversation from taking place.

This lack of sane discussion prevents us from acting on the most dangerous threat to the human race. Climate change.

Did you know climate change creates terrorists and destabilises governments? Okay, maybe that’s a bit of a far stretch. An increase in temperature of a couple of degrees won’t make the world descend into complete anarchy. How about this one then? Climate change creates the economic conditions that lead to the destabilisation of governments and societies, as they are unable to support the sudden influx of migrants moving to live on habitable land, this creates social tension due to race or the lack of resources, leading to the creation of terrorists. Wow, what a mouthful. But it’s true. Every country is only a couple of meals and cups of water away from collapsing, and if the government can’t feed the population, there will be civil or international wars for water or food. local riot magazine // 61

This isn’t a prediction. It’s reality. In 2006, Syria suffered the worst drought in 900 years, which forced 1.5 million people to move to cities, stressing the cities’ supply of food and water. This was one of the main driving factors behind the social unrest that caused Syria to become what it is now.

Even the Pentagon says climate change causes “instability in other countries by impairing access to food and water, damaging infrastructure, spreading disease, uprooting and displacing large numbers of people, compelling mass migration, interrupting commercial activity, or restricting electricity availability.” And they have treated climate change as a threat to national security ever since.

Pretty soon, migrants won’t be something you hear on TV anymore, my dear (presumably) Australian reader. People who have lost their land and their homes will be at our doorstep very soon and in very large numbers.

So, what do we do? Accept everyone? Kill them all? Deport them to New Zealand?

I don’t actually have a perfect solution. All I know is that soon, we will face economic hardships due to the effects of hotter temperatures and increased frequency and intensity of droughts around the world.

But I do know what we cannot do. When we face the consequences of our lack of foresight, there will be an individual or group of people who will promise to make all of your problems go away with simple solutions. All they want from you is to let them temporarily have expanded powers so they can act without disruption. Whatever you do, don’t let them have the power to do anything, because there are no simple solutions to the climate crises and anyone who claims that they have an easy way to fix everything is either a manipulative individual with a very selfish agenda, or will commit crimes against humanity that future history books will remember for a very long time.

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“To the youngsters of today, I say believe in the future; the world is getting better; there still is plenty of opportunity.�

Walt Disney

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Photographer: Danica Spear

Photographer: Maile Edwards

SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT information retrieved from MIC

Allen Peters

Jaquavias Sturgis

both robbed stores in the same area both were 17 at the time both had criminal records Peters was let off with probation Surges was sentenced to four years in prison

Brock Turner

Cory Batey

both sexually assaulted unconscious women both were valuable, star college athletes at the time Turner received a six month sentence - he served three months Batey was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years in prison

Chase Legleitner

Lamar Lloyd

both committed armed robberies within a year of each other Legleitner served less than two years Lloyd is still behind bars - he is not due for release for another 17 years

MIC revealed that: black men are six times more likely to be jailed than white men and serve an average of five and a half months longer sentences than white men for similar crimes there is an unequal distribution in the prison population

what is with the disparity? why are black men serving more time for the same crimes? it seems justice is not blind #BLACKLIVESMATTER

Millie Murfit

I’ve always thought that Halsey seems like an interesting person, her music isn’t exactly my type but I’ve developed a newfound respect for her.

On October 11th 2016 she performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Norway, on stage she wore a leather jacket with the numbers ‘20:1’ painted on the back. This number represents the ratio of male-to-female winners of the Nobel Peace Prize. According to these numbers only one woman for every twenty men is worth recognition for great achievements in social, creative or scientific fields. Ten Australian males have won the Nobel Prize, while not a single Australian woman has received it.

The Nobel Prize was created in 1895, since this time it has been awarded to 870 people, a mere 48 of these being women. In 1905 Austrian pacifist Bertha von Suttner became the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for her book “Lay Down Your Arms!”, it would not be won again by a woman until 1937. The most recent female recipient of this award is Malala Yousafzai “for [her] struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education”. Malala is the youngest person to have ever received this award.

Later Halsey wrote about the gender bias topic; “I earnestly implore you to remind the women in your life that they are capable of greatness, the concert is over but there is much work to be done.” And she is right, we are all capable of greatness, let’s change the number from 20:1 to 1:1.

Eat Plants for the Planet.

Maile Edwards If you were a 90’s kid, you’ll remember the Got Milk? commercials that all of our favourite celebrities endorsed. It painted the illusion that milk comes from happy cows that live on family owned farms, and they frolic in meadows all day until the farmer comes to milk the cow with his bucket and ships it off to the grocery stores. I was convinced that chickens just constantly laid eggs – many eggs at once – and that cows just constantly produced milk. I assumed that these animals did these things as a function to humans.

After watching some videos (more like, 10) on animal agriculture, I decided that consuming bodily fluids and the flesh of other animals just wasn’t my cup of tea anymore. For many vegans, the cruelty aspect alone was what caused them to make the transition. Aziz Ansari did it best when he said that everyone would check “no” in the cruelty box, because nobody really wants that blood on their hands (pun intended). Still, veganism is a touchy subject! I get it – I used to eat meat too! I loved cheese, adored ice cream, and kalua pork with cabbage was my jam. It took me 17 years to wake up and realise that I was polluting my body, hurting animals, and destroying the environment, all from supporting a huge industry with tons of power and money to keep me hooked so I can keep the cycle of exploitation going.

The Dalai Lama said, “If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room.” I cringe and swat my ears just thinking about a mosquito buzzing around, but it gets the point across! Too many people with the resources to go vegan refuse to because of the argument that they are too small and too insignificant to make a difference. They don’t believe that one individual refusing to purchase and consume animal products can somehow miraculously reverse our environmental demise. If they don’t buy that steak or gallon of milk, someone else will, so what’s the point? See, this argument is just bananas to me. You’ll leave your change at the gas station for the charity of the month, donate to some from the ads on television, and heck, you even share and give money to people with GoFundMe’s and Kickstarters – and you don’t think that action is too small to make a difference? I mean, you’re just one person leaving 15 cents in the donation box, or writing a check for 10 dollars. If that’s your argument, then why not just stop all good deeds, because, really, what difference would it make… right?

Your actions matter, and collectively, can have the power to make some change. When I was a kid, I didn’t even know that you can make milk out of almonds, and now I see dairy alternatives every time I go grocery shopping.

In fact, consumers are reaching for more plant-based products at the store.

36% of Americans prefer milk and meat alternatives, and 26% of Americans claimed they consumed less meat (Nutrition Business Food Journal Tribes Report Q1/15). Recent studies have also shown that 5% of the US population is vegetarian or vegan, which equals to about 16 million people (Harris Interactive Study). Still think going veggie is insignificant? 16 million Americans think otherwise.

Since this is the Earth Issue of Local Riot, let’s talk about veganism and the environment. Not only is animal agriculture a horrible experience for the animals, it also requires a lot of our already scarce resources – like land, water, and food – and it’s pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Can’t believe it? Let me break it down for you.

1. Animal agriculture, specifically livestock, is responsible for 51% of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than the combined emissions from all transportation. Light and heat energy from the sun travels to the earth. A bit of that heat is used to regulate the temperature of the surface of the earth, and the rest is supposed to bounce back into space, basically. What greenhouse gases do is they trap the heat, making it impossible to escape the atmosphere. This is how they are responsible for temperatures rising, melting the ice glaciers, causing the ocean levels to rise, etc. Basically, you can buy all the electric vehicles you want, but if you still have meat on your plate, you’re still supporting the production of greenhouse gases.

2. Animal agriculture is responsible for almost 90% of America’s water consumption, yet Californians are urged to take shorter showers and water their lawns less… ? 2,500 gallons of water is needed to produce one pound of beef; 1,000 gallons to produce one gallon of milk; 477 gallons to produce one pound of eggs. I can tell you where all the water is going, and it’s not from you belting out a 15-minute Beyonce performance in the shower.

3. Animal agriculture destroys habitats, and pollutes ecosystems. It’s responsible for 91% of the destruction of the Amazon; is the leading cause of species extinction, desertification, and the overexploitation of commercial fishing could leave fishless oceans by 2048. As a gal from Hawaii, seeing fish in the ocean when I go surfing and swimming means a great deal to me.* There are starving people all over the planet, global water crises, and an environmental collapse happening right before our eyes, yet people who have the resources and are able to go vegan continue to stuff their faces with animal carcass and the breast milk of a mother cow. What about free-range products? Well, they actually require more land and more water, so they’re just as unsustainable as conventionally farmed meat. There’s no way to avoid it. Sorry if that bursts your bubble.

Non-vegans joke about “vegan propaganda,” as if vegans are evil witches trying to seduce you into joining our cult, but remember the Got Milk ads?

Today, there are so many more commercials and advertisements for animal products. Have some more meat, have some cheese on your meat, and while you’re at it, why don’t you wash it down with a tall glass of milk. Is this not propaganda? We are conditioned to eat these things from birth, and we assume it’s normal and natural, but what’s natural about what we’re doing to ourselves and our planet?

Going vegan woke me up, and it’s a choice I’m so happy to have made. Your choices will have consequences, and it’s up to us to decide what change we want to make. I’ll choose a healthy planet over bacon and eggs any day of the week. *All of these facts come from Cowspiracy’s Facts page. The documentary is available to view on Netflix, and it is a must see for anyone who considers themselves an environmentalist, or even cares a little bit about the survival of our planet.

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Photographer: Danica Spear

“America Will Not Be Great Again” A CASE STUDY OF THE US ELECTION IOANA FLORESCU

If you have even the slightest bit of a wi-fi connection signal and rely on media outlets, you would know that November 11th 2016 marked the US election results date.

I know what you must be thinking: “How is this topic even relevant, you’re not American?” Au contraire, my friend, this topic is more relevant now than ever. Although I may not be American, I do care about the important matters at hand, such as politics. This event is no different. Basically, what I am trying to say is that this election did not only affect US citizens, but also Europeans like me. Please take everything I am about to discuss with a grain of salt, as it’s coming from a Romanian citizen’s point of view.

With all the tragedies occurring in the world, such as the Nice attack, the Turkey nightclub massacre, and the deliberate Berlin lorry collision, just to name a few, Europe needs to maintain a close relationship with America to keep itself safe. How can that happen? Through diplomatic arrangements made between the different nations.

Nevertheless, these tragedies are not the only things a US- Europe partnership could help avoid. The European economy would have a higher chance of not collapsing in states such as Greece and Cyprus, whose current financial status can only be described as “deeply in debt.”

However, following the election council’s decision of instating media mogul Donald Trump as president, signalling the end of Barack Obama’s second presidential mandate, there are a few areas where the European economy could suffer. Europe heavily relies on export to ensure economical growth, whereas with Trump as president that could be affected in favour of a stricter trade and the rise of the euro’s value on the foreign exchange list due to the US dollar.

Now, let’s take a few steps back and trace Donald Trump’s rather unjust victory. Let’s start off with a bit of a backstory behind the two candidates. Donald J. Trump, born on the 14th of June 1946 is perhaps best known for his controversial marriages and as the host of

the NBC produced show “The Apprentice”. Other ventures of his include: previously owning the beauty pageants Miss Universe and Miss America. A Wharton university graduate with a bachelor’s degree in economics, Trump has shown over the course of his campaign that he has no political background whatsoever, unlike his opponent, Hillary Clinton, whom he chose to slander wherever possible.

Perhaps one of the reasons Donald has been one of the most “popular”, if you will, candidate of the Republican party is because of the scandals and outrageous claims surrounding his rallies, which often made the media because of the ongoing anti-Trump protests all over the country Throughout his campaign, Trump he even questioned Obama’s presidential eligibility, demanding that he sees some sort of document, attesting the former president’s US citizenship. These were just a couple of examples regarding this man’s tyranny.

Some of his political views include: building a wall between the borders of United States and Mexico to keep Mexican immigrants away, then following up with the pledge that he endorses massive deportation of illegal citizens. Still touching on this topic, Trump proposed banning foreign Muslims from entering American territory until further notice. In terms of social issues, the one thing Donald said, and I think we can all agree on is banning abortions, unless extraordinary measures are involved. However, I would have to say, and I think I contradict myself with this, in some cases, women should be able to decide whether they want to abort or not. It’s their own body they’re making a choice for. They should not be held accountable or shamed for doing what feels right to them. Although he and his vicepresidential running mate, Michael Pence are both not in favour of supporting the LGBTQ community, Trump replied to the anti-transgendered bathroom bills concerning North Carolina with the following statement: "There have been very few complaints the way it is.

People go, they use the bathroom that they feel is appropriate, there has been so little trouble.”

Trump’s opponent in this election is none other than Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton, born on the 26th of October 1947. Wife of Bill Clinton, the 42nd president of the US, Hillary was New York’s Senator from 2001 to 2009 and then, in 2009 she transitioned

to the role of Secretary of State, role which she occupied until 2013. Having been First Lady, Senator and Secretary of State, the Democrats’ representative could be deemed far more fit of a presidential title than her adversary. She was born in Chicago and grew up the suburbs of Park Ridge, Illinois. Clinton then went to Wellesley College, which she graduated from in 1969 and got a Juris Doctor degree from Yale in 1973.

Hillary is not shy of a presidential campaign, her previous attempt being in 2008 when she won the delegates but ultimately lost the nomination to Barack Obama. Her second presidential run in 2016 got her the most votes and primary delegates from the Democratic Primaries, thus making her the first woman to be nominated for presidency by a major US political party. Her “partner” during the campaign’s run was the vicepresidential running mate Senator Tim Kaine, with which she collaborated on a book titled “Stronger Together.”

Their book contained an overall outline of proposals for America, were they to win the elections.

In 2015, Clinton sparked controversy when it was revealed that she had used personal email accounts on a non-government, private server, instead of the government’s federal servers. Experts claimed that her actions were a violation of State Department protocols.

The story arose once more in the context of Hillary’s presidential election campaign. No matter the public scrutiny, she continued to sustain the fact that she did not send or receive any confidential emails at the time of the accusations. On July 5th 2016, FBI’s investigation regarding Clinton ended, with the FBI director declaring the following: “110 e-mails in 52 e-mail chains have been determined by the owning agency to contain classified information at the time they were sent or received. Eight of those chains contained information that was Top Secret at the time they were sent; 36 chains contained Secret information at the time; and eight contained Confidential information, which is the lowest level of classification. Separate from those, about 2,000 additional e-mails were "upclassified" to make them Confidential; the information in those had not been classified at the time the e-mails were sent. Three emails, out of 30,000, were found to be marked as classified. The FBI assessed that it "is possible that hostile actors gained access to Secretary Clinton's personal email account."

Fast forward to October 2016, when it was brought to everyone’s attention that the FBI had reopened the investigation. The conclusion was reached on November 6th, two days before the election, when the FBI’s director stated that the “outcome” they reached in July had not changed. Although she was not charged, Clinton spoke up about the reopening of the investigation, citing is as one of the factors behind her loss in the 2016 elections.

The Democrat representative’s platform included issues such as: a detailed economic plan, beneficial for companies moving jobs overseas, as well as providing incentives for those companies which share profits with both employees and the communities instead of those who endorse a short term plan. Clinton was in favour of “equal pay for equal work” , after addressing the issue regarding women who get underpaid for the same work men do, just because of blatant sexism.

On LGBT rights, she did not object against same-sex marriage, having been a supporter of the movement since early 2013. Prior to that, in the years 2000, respectively 2006, she was anything but encouraging towards the LGBT community, until in 2006, Hillary said she agreed with the idea of same sex-marriage as long as it was supported by the states that wanted to see it become a reality.

On illegal citizenship, Clinton described it as a “family issue” and backed up Obama’s DAPA program (DAPA stands for Defered Action for Parental Accountability) through which over five million immigrants could avoid a deportation and be authorized to legally work in the United States. On the other hand, she vocally criticized Trump’s irrelevant proposition regarding Muslims, proposition which implied temporary ban of Muslims on American territory.

Before the election, the candidates of the two parties involved - Democrats and Republicans (in case you didn’t already know) met up for public, live debates which at that time were broadcasted by American television. The three debates took place in three different universities throughout the United States. Each debate lasted for about 90 minutes, the first one of the three having been watched by 84 million viewers, thus setting the record for the most watched debate in American history.

Now that you know the details, let’s break down each debate: The first debate was held on the 26th of September 2016 at the Hofstra University in New York and it was moderated by Lester Holt of NBC. Prior to the first debate, the polls placed Clinton in the lead with an average of 43%, with Trump following close behind at 40.6%. The topics addressed included economical prosperity, America’s national security and each party nominee’s views on the future of the country.

On the issues at hand, here’s a quick summary of each candidate’s propositions: Economy Hillary - a working economy for all social statuses, creating new jobs -helping the middle class by offering more jobs - tax increase for the wealthy Trump -reducing taxes from 35 to 15 percent -imposed taxes for imported goods

Duly noted, during the debate, both Trump and Clinton’s controversial actions came up, Trump not releasing his tax return statement, respectively Clinton’s email scandal I mentioned earlier Race Hillary -better police training to avoid decimation of African Americans and other communities by the hands of police officers -criminal justice reform -gun ban Trump -controlled gun use, banned to felons

America’s security

Hillary -cybersecurity -intensify airstrikes against ISIS -improving relationships with European allies and Muslim communities in order to gain intel Trump -improving cyber security -taking away ISIS’s oil -pro NATO

The second debate was held on the 9th of October, a Sunday at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri. The moderators for this debate were Anderson Cooper of NBC and Martha Raddatz of ABC. Unlike the first debate, the second one included a number of eight questions from members of the audience. The questions were, as it follows: “Do you feel you are modelling appropriate and positive behavior for today’s youth?"

“What will you do to bring the cost down (reffering to Obamacare) and make coverage better?”

"There are 3.3 million Muslims in the United States and I'm one of them. You’ve mentioned working with Muslim nations. But how will you help people like me- Muslims deal with the consequences of being labelled as a threat to the country after the election is over?"

"What specific tax provisions will you change to ensure the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share in taxes?"

This question arose because Hillary Clinton previously mentioned that one of her first acts as president would be having the wealthiest of people pay higher taxes than before.

"Do you believe you can be a devoted president to all the people in the United States?"

"What would you prioritize as the most important aspect of selecting a Supreme Court justice?”

"What steps will your energy policy take to meet our energy needs, while at the same time remaining environmentally-friendly and minimizing job loss for fossil power plant workers?"

"Regardless of the current rhetoric, would either of you name one positive thing that you respect in one another?”

For this particular debate, there was no average percentage for the polling results to determine whether the Democrat or the Republican representative won in the eyes of those watching.

Last but not least, there was the final and third Presidential debate was held on the 19th of October 2016 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The moderator was Chris Wallace, anchor for FOX News Sunday. Regarding the debate format, it was identical to the first one, tackling the issues from the previous debate in greater detail.

As a reminder, these were: The Supreme Court

Gun laws Hillary -Background checks Trump -Supports the Second Amendment* * Abortion Hillary -Supporter of Roe V Wade in regards to womem exerting their right to abort Immigration Trump - claims Hillary’s proposition for amnesty is a disaster -claims that former president Bill Clinton’s NAFTA deal was a bad deal Hillary -Trump advocates nuclear weapons Economy

The Aleppo Crisis National Debt - a topic that untill October 16th had not been debated by the two candidates.

Now, to go full circle, back to what we discussed at the beginning of this article, the US elections took place on November 8th 2016. Besides the ballots that are cast by registered voters on Voting Day, for each of the fifty states, the members of the Electoral College, also known as electors, cast in their direct vote. Honestly, if you ask me, it’s not quite a fair choice because I believe that the electors’ vote determines about 75% of the results whereas the citizens, who supposedly have the freedom to choose, come in at a whopping 25%.

Following this statement, let’s find out which states voted for which candidate, Trump for the Republicans or Clinton for the Democrats. Democratic party Democratic- Hillary Clinton alongside Senator Tim Kaine obtained 65,844,610 million popular votes which translates rougly to 48.1% from the following states: Washington Oregon Nevada California Colorado New Mexico Minnesota Illinois New York Connecticut Virginia Massachussets Maine Vermont New Hampshire Vermont

Hawaii Unfortunately, Clinton lost to Donald Trump due to the electoral college vote, obtaining only 227 out of the 538 votes.

Republican- Donald Trump alongside Senator Mike Pence obtained

62,979,636

million popular votes which roughly translate to 46.0%. Had it been just for the popular vote, Hillary would have clearly won the election. However, due to unfortunate circumstances, Trump managed to outnumber Clinton in the presidential race by obtaining 304 out of 538 votes from the following states: Montana Idaho Utah Arizona Alaska North Dakota South Dakota Wyoming Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma Texas Iowa Wisconsin Missouri Arkansas Louisiana Michigan Indiana Ohio Kentucky Pennsylvania

West Virginia Mississippi Tennessee Alabama Georgia Florida North Carolina South Carolina

As I am finishing up this article Donald Trump is currently at his inaugural ceremony, on the way to becoming the 45th president-elect of the United States. What I have to say about this, is just, I’m sorry for you America. I feel for you deeply for having to put up with the vile “orange man” for the next four years. You were given Obama as your president for eight years in a row, for every good, there is a bad. And that is Donald J. Trump.

The world has failed you. This is why America will not be great again.

Photographer: Danica Spear