OPINIONS

Tuesday, sepTeMber 13, 2022

The MarqueTTe Tribune OpiniOns

Andrew Amouzou, Executive Director Megan Woolard, Managing Editor of The Marquette Tribune Kimberly Cook, Managing Editor of The Marquette Journal

ediTorial board

Grace Cady, Executive Opinions Editor Laura Niezgoda, Assistant Opinions Editor

Julia Abuzzahab, News Executive John Leuzzi, Sports Executive Izzy Fonfara Drewel, A&E Executive Skyler Chun, Investigative Executive Emily Reinherdt, Copy Chief RJ Siano, Design Chief Isabel Bonebrake, Chief Photographer Nancy Flaherty, Social Media Executive Sarah Richardson, General Manager of MUTV Emily Bittman, General Manager of MURadio Hope Moses, Editor of Diversity and Inclusion

STAFF EDITORIAL Journalistic safety should be a public concern

Las Vegas investigative journalist Jeff German was stabbed and killed outside of his Nevada home Sept. 3.

German was a Marquette University graduate and over his years as a journalist, German had reported on politics, organized crime, the courts and more content with the Las Vegas ReviewJournal. When he was killed, German was in the midst of reporting on claims of hostility in an office run by Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles.

Sept. 8, Telles was charged with the murder of German after finding his DNA under German’s fingernails – suspected to be a result of defensive wounds.

One of the most horrific notions of German’s murder is that the public is left to assume he may have been killed because of his reporting. Although there are a lot of details still up in the air and unknown to the public, Telles – a public official and the subject of German’s reporting – being charged for German’s murder says a lot.

German’s welfare should never have been put in jeopardy as a result of his work. This mur-

We all know that a pedophile is wrong, right? Apparently not, because there are some people that want to switch the word pedophile with MAP, or minor-attracted persons. Some say pedophilia should be a sexual orientation and join the LGBTQ+ community. No, a pedophile is a pedophile, that’s final.

Prostasia Foundation calls itself a “MAP Support Club,” a “community for minor attracted people,” which is an organization for child protection and human rights. They are a safe network for teenagers and adults who “self-identify” as der is chilling in itself and also speaks to a larger issue about journalistic safety.

In 2014, another Marquette University graduate and journalist, James Foley, was slain at the hands of the Islamic terror group ISIS.

What we now recognize as one of the most enduring murders in journalism was once a video uploaded to social media entitled, “A Message to America.” It contained footage of terrorists beheading Foley. An image etched into the minds of countless Americans and not just a story, but a reality for the late journalist’s family.

As a memorial to their son and a mission to create a safer space for journalists, Diane and John Foley created the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation – which has developed journalist safety curricula and advocated for hostages around the globe. This curriculum is used at Marquette University.

Still, danger to journalists persists.

Between 2014 and 2019, 1,500 journalists were arrested and 400 were kidnapped worldwide. Over 50 journalists were killed around the world in 2021.

There is no doubt that the people who commit these murders are barbaric, these kidnappings are ruthless and the arrests are calculated, but there is a bigger issue than the heinous workings of the human mind. We find that issue in the fact that a lot of the general public views journalists as threats rather than servants.

As of July 2022, Americans’ confidence in both newspapers and television news fell to an alltime low. Only 16% of Americans said that they had “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in newspapers – 11% in television news.

To answer the inevitable questions of why the trust in the media is so low, we can point to various sources of trouble including the divisiveness of our nation or possibly our former President Donald Trump stating that the press is “truly the enemy of the people.”

The truth of the matter is this: The world could not function without the media.

The Washington Post’s tagline may have said it best – “Democracy Dies in Darkness.”

Democracy is dependent on transparency. If the general public does not know what is happening in the country and around the world, they do not know how to make informed decisions on what they stand for, how to vote and how their lives are affected by the functions of our democracy. When news is kept hidden – or in the dark – our democracy suffers.

Our democracy is reliant on the media as an informant. Journalists are public servants who uphold the function of our nation. Without constant factual news coverage, Americans would be left in the dark. Americans would remain unaware of what happens all across our nation from day to day. And that would leave us all in an uninformed and vulnerable state.

Journalist safety is essential to not only those who pursue a career in journalism but also to those who benefit from their acts of service. Universities should uphold their dedication to journalists by implementing journalism safety awareness to keep students aware and informed.

Marquette Wire Stock Photo

The United States Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

Pedophilia should not be normalized

being attracted to kids, or as they say, younger minors. It’s so disgusting, it’s laughable. Wanting to protect children from sexual abuse is a noble goal, but you cannot do so by permitting pedophilia.

There should not be a safe space for pedophiles.

On Sep. 1, Kurt Zindulka, reporter for Breitbart News, wrote about an academic in Belgium who “calls for tolerance” for minor-attracted persons in an academic paper. Brecht Vaewaeter, an alias used to protect himself from criminal prosecution, argues that pedophilia should be classified as “just another sexual orientation” and MAP should be accepted.

Vaewaeter argues that many men and women are “almost” exclusively attracted to minors, therefore they should have some support, aiming toward “pro-paedophile societies.” He continues detailing his own history of being attracted to kids, specifically young boys and sexual experiences.

The academic article is 18 pages full of excuses to legally sexually abuse a child. MAP is not an acronym that should be used to describe sexual predators. Pedophiles should not be accepted into anything or anywhere, except prison. “Age is just a number,” well jail is just a cell number.

On Aug. 30, a Snapchat post was reposted on Twitter of Amber Parker, an English teacher in Franklin High School in El Paso, Texas, telling her students to call pedophiles MAP. Sept. 8, Ryan Foley from the Christian Post wrote of the teacher facing termination. Foley wrote that the school board voted to fire the teacher.

Now although Parker was fired, a student told his uncle, who posted on Facebook that Amber was pretending to advocate for this position to prepare her students for reading a book. Parker’s termination shows the outrageousness of promoting and normalizing pedophilia.

Her supporters commented that what she said was out of context while others in the community believe that “minor-attracted persons” should have been mentioned in the first place. Those that opposed were right. Even mentioning the phrase could influence someone or give some ideas.

As the Boundless Good Project says, pedophilia “fuels child sexual abuse” when those act on their urges, taking advantage of the child. Pedophiles must be kept away from children and receive rehabilitation. They should not be accepted in any way, shape or form. Those who view children as sexual objects are a grave threat to not only our society but this world’s future.

U.S. corporate lobbying has a quiet and virtually unseen ripple effect on global climate change. Currently, a third of Pakistan is under water. That’s equivalent to the whole of the United Kingdom. Over 1,100 people have died, more than 33 million people have been displaced and it has caused over $10 billion in damages.

The flood has only exacerbated food insecurity in Pakistan. Prior to the flooding, 27 million people did not have enough food, but now two million acres of crops have been flooded and more than 794,000 livestock have been killed.

The effects of the climate crisis are undeniably connected to the flooding. Since 1970, carbon dioxide emissions have increased by 90%, with emissions from fossil fuels and industrial processes contributing to about 78% of greenhouse gas emissions. Agriculture and deforestation have been the second largest contributors. Pakistan is not new to flooding. Most of the population lives along the Indus River which can flood during monsoon rains. But this is not nearly close to what is expected.

Pakistan emits less than one percent of greenhouse gasses, yet is one of the most vulnerable countries to the impacts of the climate crisis. It may seem far away and even inconsequential, but this will reach the rest of the world. The changing climate is one of the only things that will affect all of us one day, and ignoring it will not make it go away.

We can already see some of the effects of the climate crisis here in Wisconsin. Wisconsin is warmer and wetter than it was over 50 years ago. It has become 2.1 degrees Fahrenheit warmer since the 1950s and extreme rains with long dry spells are becoming more common, according to the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI).

Future generations will likely just get used to constant flooding and unprecedented temperatures every year. Likely the poorest and most vulnerable will be affected by the crisis first. The people who have the least to do with the cause of climate change.

In reality, the emissions of private jet flights by the ultra–rich emit the same amount of CO2 in two hours than the average person does in one year. Large private companies have been

Marquette Wire Stock Photo

Protesters walk on Wisconsin Avenue with a sign bringing awareness to climate change.

lobbying against climate reform. For example, Koch Industries, a refinery conglomerate, is the number one lobbying spender spending $8.8 million in 2021. Royal Dutch Shell spent $5.3 million and Chevron Corp spent $5.1 million.

Companies should not have more power over our government than the actual people.

Yet we’re still sold the idea that as individuals, it is our duty to bike, buy less single-use plastics and buy second-hand when our actions are not even nearly as impactful on the climate as large companies.

I’m not saying not to do these things. We should all be conscious of how we as individuals may be affecting the world around us. However, the idea that we all have an equal contribution to the climate crisis is simply untrue. It allows the largest perpetrators to continue their harmful actions with relative ease.

One of the most useful things we can do is vote for politicians who have refused to accept corporate donations. The no corporate political action committee pledge is a pledge taken by some politicians to not accept political donations from corporate lobbyists. This allows for the actual citizens to have power over who is appointed to the office rather than the large corporations.

Kirsten Lyons is a first-year studying journalism. She can be be reached at

kirsten.lyons@marquette.edu

Coffee culture on Marquette’s campus

Coffee is one of the world’s great unifiers. Relationships have begun over a cup of coffee, friendships have been kindled due to a good chai latte and cafes often serve as the host of many heartfelt conversations. Since coffee holds such importance in our society, it is only right that Marquette invests in serving us the best of it.

A surefire way to bring people together while including city spirit is through coffee.

The Brew cafes are scattered across Marquette’s campus – in the Alumni Memorial Union, the “Brew at the Bridge” in Raynor Library, the Dental School and the David J. Straz School of Business. These cafes serve pastries, food and Starbucks products.

One great way to bring more of the spirit of Milwaukee to Marquette’s campus is to supply The Brew cafes with a local coffee roasting brand. The good news is that Milwaukee has several viable options.

The three top contenders of coffee that could be most suitable for Marquette Students include Stone Creek Coffee, Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co. and Colectivo Coffee.

Erich Resch founded Stone Creek Coffee in Whitefish Bay in 1993, “built on the idea that we have an obligation to care for those around us.” Ever since, it has expanded to several locations in Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago and more.

Born a few years later in 1999, Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co. boasts an “exceptional cup of coffee.” Now, the Walker’s Point location even puts on a lot of live music – uplifting local Milwaukee artists and drawing in large crowds. With quality coffee and good music, what more could you want?

Bonded over a “strong desire for a better cup of coffee,” Colectivo co-owners Ward, Paul and Lincoln created a booming business. The coffee may always be roasted in Riverwest, but it reaches far beyond there.

Marquette students can enjoy visiting a variety of coffee shop locations around the city that carry these products, but it would be even better if they were offered to students on campus at The Brew cafes.

Stone Creek Coffee is served in all of the campus dining halls for students to enjoy, but this can exclude students who do not have a meal plan for the school.

Whether it be Stone Creek, Anodyne or Colectivo, Marquette should include local coffee roasting products in the Brew cafes so that any and all students can enjoy it. Starbucks can be purchased nearly anywhere in the country, but for many, coffee from places like Stone Creek, Anodyne and Colectivo may be an experience unique to Milwaukee.

In addition to these, there are a lot of smaller local coffee joints that deserve our attention.

Some of these coffee shops include Interval MKE, Canary Coffee Bar and Pilcrow Coffee. All of which have their own unique specialties that could be promoted on Marquette’s campus.

An innovative idea the university could adopt is finding alternative ways to promote these local businesses on campus. They could do this by hosting the coffee shops to serve on campus in conjunction with other Marquette affiliated events like they have with Pete’s Pops or Shake Shack. This way, students can familiarize themselves with a variety of local coffee businesses rather than being stuck with just the nearby Starbucks location.

Another great way for students to broaden their view when it comes to coffee would be to join Just Brew It – Marquette’s coffee club. This organization brings student coffee lovers together to sample and test out different shops around the city. It’s a wonderful way to combine human connection and caffeine together.

It is important that the heart of Milwaukee is kept alive at Marquette’s campus. Coffee may seem like a simple, trivial issue, but uplifting local businesses and creating an authentic experience of the city for students who come from far and wide is important.

Grace Cady is a junior studying journalism and political science. She can be be reached at grace.

cady@marquette.edu

Statement of Opinion Policy

The opinions expressed on the Opinions page reflect the opinions of the Opinions staff. The editorials do not represent the opinions of Marquette University nor its administrators, but those of the editorial board.

The Marquette Tribune prints guest submissions at its discretion. The Tribune strives to give all sides of an issue an equal voice over the course of a reasonable time period. An author’s contribution will not be published more than once in a four-week period. Submissions with obvious relevance to the Marquette community will be given priority consideration.

Full Opinions submissions should be limited to 500 words. Letters to the editor should be between 150 to 250 words. The Tribune reserves the right to edit submissions for length and content.

Please e-mail submissions to: alexandra.garner@marquette.edu. If you are a current student, include the college in which you are enrolled and your year in school. If not, please note any affliations to Marquette or your current city of residence.