THE
ANTLERETTE VOLUME 94 // ISSUE 1
the antlerette // fall 2019
TA B L E O F
CO NT EN TS
3 5 7 9 11
D E B B I E M A RT I N E Z & H E R L E G ACY SELENA ENRIQUEZ
“ G O BAC K TO YO U R C O U N T RY ” ISELLA NEPOMUCENO
WHERE DID WE G O W RO N G ? C A N W E I M P ROV E ? BENJAMIN CARRILLO
E V E RY T H I N G W RO N G W I T H P O L I T I C A L PA RT I E S RYAN O’SULLIVAN
T RU M P A N D T H E G I A N T I M P E AC H JORDAN RITCHIE
EDITORIAL ADVISOR // MICHELLE HAMILTON
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T H E D I S M I S SA L O F YO U T H VO I C E S HANNAH VILLARREAL
HOW T H E U. S. J U ST I C E SYST E M DISENFRANCHISES IT S C IT I Z E N S AMARRA BROWN
THE DEBT OLIVIA BRECK
S U G A R : T H E D RU G C O R P O R AT I O N S S E L L CALVIN WILBER
HELICOPTER PA R E N T S GREG SANTOS
COVER PHOTO ILLUSTRATION // REESE MANSFIELD
PHOTO ADVISOR // KENT PICKERING DESIGN ADVISOR // MARGARET SOULIERE
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS // KYLE BALL, CHLOE BOURNE,
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF // JORDAN RITCHIE
WILLIAM KELEHER, ADORA KHANG, DAISY MONTOYA
AVNEET BRAR, KEYLA GONZALEZ, BRENDAN JORDAN,
CONTENT EDITOR // HANNAH VILLARREAL COPY EDITOR // YASAMINE YUSUFZAI
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J O R DA N R I T C H I E / / E D I TO R I N C H I E F
LE T T ER F R O M
T H E
ED I T O R
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n this edition, The Antlerette staff tackled issues we believe deserve immediate attention. We are living in a world that never ceases to change, and as part of the rising generation of Americans, we want to see our world change for the better. So for our magazine, this year, we decided to delve into a few of the many systemic issues in our country. I am so proud of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s staff, not only for their exceptional ability to craft the work you are about to read, but also of their awareness that serious problems do exist within our nation, and of their willingness to address them. We, the youth, have an integral role in finding the solutions to these problems that have taken root in our country. From age-old issues like racism and controversies over political parties, to modern-day conflicts like the dangers of helicopter parenting, we hope to not only bring attention to these issues, but to help inspire a change, so we will not bring with us our mistakes into the future.
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D EB B IE MA RT I NEZ & H ER LEG AC Y SELENA ENRIQUEZ // STAFF
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ebbie Martinez is our school’s secretary and she has been for 16 years! She retires in December and is headed for Texas. For those of us who haven’t had the pleasure of getting to know her before, this article is for you. The first thing you should know about Mrs. Martinez is that she’s always willing to try something different and learn something new. She spends much of her time caring for her seven dogs and four grandchildren that like to munch on the tomatoes, zucchini, chili peppers, cucumbers, and green beans that grow in her vegetable garden. She says she wanted her “kids to have the experience of caring for something else and learning how to be selfless. [Having pets] is a responsibility that teaches.” Mrs. Martinez will miss Elk Grove High tremendously; she views her peers as family, she recognizes that the teachers here provide an opportunity of growth, learning, and genuine care that you can’t find anywhere else, and that the students are trying to make a difference despite the tension on campus. “You guys keep me young, although I’m actually quite old!” she remarks, as she tells the story of when she took in a student with a bad home life who is still a part of her family to this day! From the short amount of time I spent with Mrs. Martinez, I found a human with a genuine passion and hope for humanity, a gal who seeks peace and happiness in every dark corner of the world. A high school secretary with a big heart and a caring soul who, although, dislikes being the center of attention, deserves a whole bunch of it. For those of you who know or don’t know Mrs. Martinez, she wants you to always remember this: “Think about your own legacy, what you want people to remember you for, and touch somebody else. Because really, at the end of the day, we are put here for a reason, so hopefully you are taking whatever gift you were given, and you are making the world a better place for everybody else, and it doesn’t have to be the whole world. It just has to be the world you live in, your sphere of influence. [When] you make that better, then all those people make their sphere of influence better, and it perpetuates and it perpetuates and it’s your legacy that started it.”
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to relive some of the things I love
the future. So if I had to pick one
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ISELLA NEPOMUCENO // STAFF
“ G O BAC K TO YO U R CO U N T RY ”
I
n order to start a conversation about immigration (legal or illegal), we must look at why the saying “go back to your country” is wrong. Not wrong as in cruel or immoral, but as in historically inaccurate because many parts of the United States, specifically California, were originally Mexican territory. Shockingly enough, when the settlers came from Europe, they didn’t pass through a well organized system with a “line” that allowed peaceful entry. In fact, when European settlers came to this country, they violently murdered thousands of natives and destroyed everything they built. Therefore, it’s a bit hypocritical for people of European descent to demand that immigrants come here legally when their own ancestors illegally entered native land. Often, the role that Mexican immigrants play in the United States is overlooked. What most Americans don’t realize is that these immigrants are the ones that do the backbreaking labor of picking their food, who clean their work and learning spaces, who do the work that they would never think of doing. When people use the argument that immigrants are stealing jobs from them, they
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION // CHLOE PULIDO
fail to realize that, realistically, they would never risk their health and dignity to do such jobs which they consider inferior to them. Moreover, their claims that they’re okay with immigration “as long as they come here the right way” is ridiculous. Aside from coming to find a better life, the reasons for immigrants coming to the United States differ greatly. Some may come to escape violent situations, while others may come due to career opportunities. We, as a country, must also recognize that legal immigration begins with illegal immigration. As stated previously, there is no “line” to wait in to get approved for entry into the United States. The United States government is currently still processing visa application for Mexican immigrants from 1997: 22 years ago. Meaning that, theoretically, if there was a line, it would be so long that it wouldn’t even be worth waiting in. Sadly, most people who do apply for citizenship won’t live to become citizens. So for all of the people out there who are spewing ignorant and hateful messages about Mexican immigrants: If you are against illegal immigration, go back to Europe.
7 > the antlerette // fall 2019 BENJAMIN CARRILLO // STAFF
WHERE DID WE
CAN WE
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acism has haunted America since its establishment as a European colony. If you’re a person of color in this country, chances are, you have faced discrimination, mean jokes, or harmful stereotypes at some point in time. How can we try to make amends with minorities that still suffer similar hardships that were faced by their ancestors decades ago? Racism is forever going to have a lasting impact on our country. But when did this begin? How can we improve our mindsets and society? As stated before, racism has affected every minority in America and we still have racist tendancies that have stayed with us from the 3/5’s compromise for slavery to the internment of Japanese people to the constant screaming of “Go back to your own country!”, even unnecessary fear of those who follow the Islamic faith. The stereotypes and prejudice against these people are inaccurate and malevolent. Despite our country seemingly getting better, there is still a lot of racism imbedded within us. As a whole we must be mindful and aware that everyone is different and has a backstory regardless of race and ethnicity. It is wrong to hate and/or fear someone solely for his or her race or ethnicity.
“The first step
to improving is rippi
educating people o
instead of stereo
enforce
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GO WRONG?
E IMPROVE?
But we can improve our minds. The first step to improving is ripping apart stereotypes and educating people on different cultures instead of stereotypes that enforce the racism in this country. Not all black and Hispanic people are gangsters and drug lords. There are many scholars and musicians that are Hispanic or black; like Shakira, Aretha Franklin, Prince, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Toni Morrison, and Pitbull. There are white people that are troubled and have gotten in trouble with the law. Most mass shootings have been caused by a white person and not by someone who follows the Ilsamic faith. Islam is not a terroristic religion. It is crucial to understand and be empathetic towards every single culture. No one is more harmful than another based on their race. Improvement takes more than one step though. Step two is treating any minority the same as how you may treat a person you completely trust. No matter what you have been taught, it is important to treat everyone equally. Improvement is going to be a slow and tedious process that can’t be done in just 2 steps. We can’t redo history in 2 steps. There will always be a wound on America’s history that might never fully heal due to our ancestors ignorance and horrid acts of terror towards every minority race in America. Improvement is a necessity that we will get better at.
ing apart stereotypes and
on different cultures
otypes that
the racism in this country.”
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION // ALEX CORDOVA
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EVERY TH I N G W RO N G WI TH PO LI T I CA L PA RT I ES RYAN O’SULLIVAN // STAFF
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hroughout history we have seen two sides to a lot of different political parties and ideological groups. Over the short timeline of U.S. history we have seen two main dominant parties arise: the Republicans and the Democrats. America has been split by the clashing ideals of these two parties. At times it feels to an average citizen that these two groups don’t really care about the advancement of the country, all they want is to dislodge the other party. George Washington, who saw this crisis coming, did not identify under any political party during his time in office. In his Farewell Address, Washington warned against the conflict of political parties and wanted Americans to view themselves as a cohesive unit, and not to repress one another because of their political viewpoints. Washington also feared that it opens the gate towards foreign corruption. In office, right now, we have a very controversial Conservative president. This means that if he doesn’t get re elected in 2020, and instead, a Liberal or Socialist candidate gets elected, they will probably undo anything that the past president who didn’t share their viewpoints did. This government that we live in right now is a revolving door of political agendas centered around abolishing whatever the person before you did. This constant conflict within our government is the reason moving forward is so difficult in this country. Until we can agree on big issues as a unit instead of two sides, we will be treading water like we have done for the past decade. America is an amazing country, but if we don’t start to take control and advance as a nation, we will see a drastic and terrifying shift on how much it will change in the Land of the Free. If we could get our leaders to have more open minds, we would not be facing the problems we find ourselves in right now. George Washington had warned us of the issues with political parties and maybe we should have listened.
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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION // KALEIGH KWONG
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T RU MP AN D TH E G IAN T IMP EAC H JORDAN RITCHIE // EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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n July 25, 2019, President Donald Trump held a phone call with the Ukranian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, and some are calling the conversation treason. Because of what went down during this call and the emergence of the controversial whistleblower complaint, Trump is facing the possibility of impeachment. If this inquiry is in his favor, he will continue to serve as our president for the remainder of his term and maybe even longer. However, if Trump is impeached and convicted, he will go down in history as the first American president to be forced out of office. This impeachment is of utmost severity for Trump, as he is facing the possibility of being stripped of his presidency. But what does this impeachment mean for our country?
I’ve learned that in politics, everything is vague; words are so empty they’re meaningless, or if not, are so full of garbage that their true meaning is buried. So before we get into allegations and collusion, let’s get some facts straight. Impeachment is a charge of misconduct made against a public officer. A whistleblower is someone who exposes secretive information or activity that is deemed illegal or unethical within an organization. On August 12, 2019, the famed whistleblower complaint was filed, accusing Trump of collusion–in Layman’s terms, a secret agreement or conspiracy for illegal or deceitful purposes. So what went down during this phone call that has people throwing around words like “treason” and “impeachment”?
According to multiple White House officials present during the phone call, President Trump sought to “advance his personal interests”. He attempted to coerce President Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, and in order to confirm the allegations of Ukraine being the source of interference in the 2016 presidential election in support of the Democrats–not Russia. At first glance, this may just seem like presidential peer pressure, but it’s much more complex than that. Also, allegations against Joe and Hunter Biden claimed that they engaged in illegal activity in the Ukraine, while the latter was working for an energy company, Burisma, that was the object of suspicion for corruption. Whether or not Joe Biden
change is coming < 12 and his son are committing crimes is not the point. If the whistleblower’s claims hold legitimacy; Donald Trump is using his presidential resources to promote his own personal agenda. Not only is Joe Biden the former Vice President, but he is also running for President in 2020. A successful investigation would knock Biden out of the running. Trump’s demands of President Zelensky would assist in increasing his own chances of reelection next year! Yes, this is morally wrong, but what about this is illegal? After Trump publicly suggested that China should investigate the Bidens, the head of the Federal Election Commission reminded him that it’s illegal for anyone to “solicit, accept, or receive anything of value from a foreign national connection with a U.S. election” Therefore, Trump asking foreign countries to investigate the Bidens, which could help with his own reelection, is illegal. So far, the whistleblower has remained completely anonymous, but we do know that he or she is a C.I.A. officer. The whistleblower has the legal right to anonymity, but Trump is determined to unmask him. During an Oval Office press conference, President Trump said, “The country has to find out who this person was, because that person’s a spy, in my opinion.” But spy or not, this person is
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION // LILY HUR
clearly determined to see Trump out of the picture. But even if sufficient evidence of Trump’s wrongdoings is found, does that guarantee his impeachment and removal from office? First of all, if evidence is found, the House of Representatives–currently controlled by the Democrats–will vote to impeach Trump, and if majority rules, yes, he will be impeached. But after this, the Senate–controlled by the Republicans–will hold a trial and vote whether or not to convict Trump, therefore removing him from office. However, considering that Trump is a member of the Republican party and the predominantly-Republican Senate has the say in whether or not Trump stays or goes, signs point to no. But is impeachment the best idea? Those who support the impeachment of Trump, obviously hope for a removal of office to follow. But what will that do? Trump will be out of office and his reputation ruined. Even if he does have the fortitude to run again–the Constitution doesn’t say that an impeached and convicted President can’t–his reputation will be so tainted, I doubt he’d get many votes. There’s a large chance he’d never set foot in office again. However, opposers of President Trump seem to forget one crucial person: Vice President Mike
Pence, who holds a similar agenda and many of the same beliefs as Trump, who would promptly take over as our new president… unless Pence is dragged down with Trump, like many speculate. But that opens up a whole new discussion for another day. Now, as a young person, I’m not quite sure I know how this will, or even should turn out. I am growing up in an age in which I turn on the news and hear more bad than good. The government is full of more corruption than consideration, and that doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon. If anything, this impeachment is a sign that people are unhappy with our government, enough so that they are willing to force a change. Can we trust that the American people will make the right change? Or if no change is made, can we trust our own country to have the ability to thrive on its own? But with all this talk of corruption and impeachment, I’m realizing that these are not the questions we should be asking. We should not be asking, “Should Trump be impeached?” or, “What’s the proper way to run our country?”. The question we should be asking is, “What are we doing so wrong that we doubt our ability to trust our own people?”
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THE DI S M I S S A L O F YO U T H VO I C ES HANNAH VILLAREAL // CONTENT EDITOR
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reta Thunberg, the most noticeable face and voice of the Youth Climate Movement, has been a powerful force during these past months, directly calling out government officials, and even doing so straight to their face. It was quite interesting to see Greta’s passionate UN speech. To see her directly confront world leaders, calling out their “empty words”, greed, and dismissal of global issues-and yet, they applauded and shouted in support. I expected complete silence from the audience-I expected world leaders to be truly listening to what she was saying. She stated at the beginning of her speech, “You all come to us young people for hope - How dare you!”. That statement cannot be more direct, and our world leaders clapping afterwards - it reflects their blindness and inability to take accountability. Some may say this was world leaders showing respect to Greta - it is not. Imagine crying out for help and they simple smile and clap because you are putting on a good show for them; the irony in this situation is stunning. Aside from the subtle overlooking of her words, Greta has received tremendous amounts of backlash and criticism from climate change deniers. Andrew Bolt, a public commentator on Sky News Australia, has repeatedly and openly criticised the validity of Greta’s words specifically for her diagnosis. Recently, he labeled Greta as “deeply disturded” and “strange” because of her diagnosis; Greta is on the autism spectrum with Asperger’s syndrome. Although her diagnosis is characterized to affect her ability to interact and communicate in social situations, it also allows her to hyper-focus on certain subjects; that is usually why people often see those with this diagnosis as academically advanced, they’re able to focus on a subject and not get distracted. Another example of the utter idiocy of her criticizers, Fox News host, Laura Ingranham, compared Greta Thunberg’s words and ac-
tivism to the children in the movie Children of Corn - on live tv. When are her criticizers going to actually consider or even criticize the science, instead of Greta’s actions? Even the United States president decided to mock Greta after her UN speech, tweeting out “She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!”. Although, this isn’t the first time our president has mocked someone with a diffability, his ignorance is not surprising. The criticism Greta receives is trivial, however, this has happened before. This is not the first time the youth have had their voices shrouded by ignorance and hate. In 2012, Malala Yousafzai, a 15 year old education advocate, was shot in the head by a lone Taliban gunman - while boarding a bus bound home; fortunately, she survived after being transferred from Pakistan to Birmingham, England. Prior to this attack, the Taliban had issued an official death threat against her for her advocacy of education for young girls. Despite the danger of having such a large public audience, and the Talibans’ threat, she continued to speak out for hers, and every womans, right to an education. After the attempted assasination, she began attending school in Birmingham and continued her advocacy for education. Once the story of the attack broke the news, there was an overwhelming amount of support for her - people were inspired by her strength and courage. Soon after, she delivered a speech at the United Nations in 2013 on her 16th birthday. “The extremists were, and they are, afraid of books and pens. The power of education frightens them. They are afraid of women... Let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons.” Malala was a voice for women all over the world who could not speak. She was their outlet. She inspired women, and
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“Do not forget why you are attending these conferences, who you are doing this for.”
youth in general, to consider education as a precious and valuable tool. She is now 22 years old and still a voice for young girls and women. In 1992, Severn Cullis-Suzuki, an environmental and cultural activist, speaker and author, delivered a speech at the UN Earth Summit in Rio-she was 12 years old. Severn began her activism at age 9, similar to Greta Thunberg, with creating the Environmental Children’s Organization. The organization was dedicated to teaching children the importance of environmental issues. Severn’s UN speech has been globally recognized as one of the most powerful and inspirational speeches; some have even referred to Severn as “The Girl Who Silenced The World”. “Do not forget why you are attending these conferences, who you are doing this for. We are your own children. You are deciding what kind of a world we are growing up in. Parents should be able to comfort their children by saying ‘Everything is going to be alright, it’s not the end of the world, and we are doing the best we can’. But I don’t think you can say that to us anymore. Are we even on your list of priorities? My dad always says, ‘You are what you do, not what you say’. Well, what you do makes me cry at night. You grown-ups say you love us. But I challenge you, please, make your actions reflect your words. Thank you.” She was, and still continues to be a voice for youth all over the world. There are hundreds of young people I am not able to mention in detail because this would turn into a book, so instead, I will name some young activists and youth movements from history and present time. Sojourner Truth, Jane Austen, the students of Stoneman Douglas, the Greensboro Sit-ins, the One Mind Youth Movement, Madison Kimrey, Autumn Peltier, Mari Copeny, Xiye Bastida, Joan of Arc, and Rachel Correy. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION // NATHALIE RODRIGUEZ
All of these young activists I have mentioned, they have all faced the same ignorance and hate thrown at them as Greta Thunberg. The youth of the world has always faced blind hatred and been overlooked by the rest of society when they speak out against issues. We are not old enough, not mature enough, not knowledgeable enough to have a voice. Those who try to discredit our words and actions say vile and hateful comments, point out flaws, and even simple brush us off: the excuses for our dismissal are old; they will not shut us down. Not only are we immune to them, we understand why we receive such hate. Everything youth movements represent-specifically the Youth Climate Movement-threatens our “haters”. We threaten their world view, their way of life, and their only way of thinking. They view us as a direct threat–a challenge–to their own intelligence. We are. We are a threat. We are challenging this systematic suicide because the world needs to wake up. This fantasy of “eternal economic growth” and “nothing bad could happen to me’’, it is only perpetuating the destruction of future generations. These people who chose to deny the inevitable, especially those in power, are ignoring crucial issues like climate change for ‘self preservation’. They do not care about future generations, nor do they care about the world’s future. Why? It won’t matter to them, they won’t be here to experience the devastation. This youth movement is not self-centered. It is the truth. We are fighting for every generation: current and future. The youth need to be heard.
Change is coming; listen to our voices.
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HOW THE U.S. JUST ICE SY STEM DI SENFRA NCH I SES I TS C I T IZ EN S AMARRA BROWN // STAFF
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question I faced when this article topic was pitched to me is a question many others reading this article may share: What is disenfranchisement? Simply explained, disenfranchisement is when someone is deprived of the right or privilege to vote. In the United States today, many citizens face this ongoing issue. While it is still very relevant in today’s society, disenfranchisement isn’t a new issue. In fact, it dates back to as early as the 20th century! Following the period in America known as the Reconstruction Era, disenfranchisement began in the former Confederate Southern states at the turn of the 20th century, as well as by Oklahoma in 1907 when it gained statehood. However, former border slave states did not participate in the act of disenfranchisement. Between 1890 and 1908, Southern legislatures passed new constitutions, constitutional amendments, and laws that made voter registration more difficult for minority citizens, especially when being administered by white staff in a discriminatory way. Disenfranchisement not only affected citizens during this time, but also Congress itself, by giving the Democratic-solid South 25 extra seats in Congress each decade between 1903 and 1953. Political disenfranchisement didn’t end until after the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which authorized the federal government to enforce constitutional voting rights amongst all citizens.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION // AUDRICK MOCHEL
Today, millions of Americans face being disenfranchised from the United States’ Democratic process on the basis of these laws. Most of these citizens are former convicted felons, thus, causing them to be excluded from certain privileges based on current state laws on disenfranchisement. These laws include stripping voting rights from people with former criminal convictions, which vary widely among states. For example, in Kentucky and Iowa, a lifetime disenfranchisement can be imposed upon all people with felony convictions. The only exception to this is the government granting an individual pardon. These states are only 2 out of 32 states that exclude citizens from voting, solely on the basis of past convictions. However, there are 16 states, including Nevada, Colorado, and Rhode Island, that restore voting rights automatically after an individual is released from prison. Other methods of disenfranchisement, which are not exclusive to convicted felons, include, but aren’t limited to: educational and character requirements, poll taxes, etc. Although to some it may seem as a dark figure of America’s past, disenfranchisement is still very much a current issue. There needs to be a stop put to it. Just think, it could happen to you or someone you love, next.
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T HE DEBT OLIVIA BRECK // STAFF
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he United States economy runs on a system based on debt. The U.S. National Debt is 22 trillion dollars and has gone up 10% since Donald Trump became president. The debt is a huge part of our government and there are many issues with it. The main issues with the national debt is the growing deficit, the interest rate rising, and the decrease in flexibility to respond to crises. Our national debt is 22 trillion dollars and our GDP (gross domestic product is only 21 trillion dollars, which means our growing deficit is 1 trillion dollars. This means that America spends more money than we obtain. We have more debt in the United States than any other country in the world which makes it harder to handle problems and make good investments. The interest rate of our national debt is continually growing. The interest rate means that we still have to pay more taxes to decrease and/or stabilize our national debt. The interest rate needs to be dealt with and controlled in order to keep our economy from going under. After the next decade the interest rate is said to total to 7 trillion dollars almost double today. The biggest problem is that our country won’t be able to respond to massive issues in the same ability of other countries. That means, if we have a war or a financial downfall, it will take longer to deal with the issue than we have in the past, and we will have to ask foreign countries for aid which would also increase our debt. Ways to control this problem are very simple. We could raise pension age for social security which would lower the debt a lot. We could also do one of the more obvious answers which would be raising taxes; yes this solution is simple but it wouldn’t be beneficial to the people of America. The fact that the country’s debt is so high should be very concerning. We have the highest debt in the whole world and yet we do nothing about it. If we don’t do anything about this and a war happens or a national disaster, we most likely will experience a financial fall worse than the Great Depression.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION // EMILY SARANTOPULOS
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SU G A R : T H E DRUG CO RPO RAT I ON S S ELL CALVIN WILBER // STAFF
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chools are supposed to provide a healthy selection of foods to help the growing bodies and minds of America’s future. Unfortunately there is a darker side to these meals. In fact, some may argue that school meals are the gateway drug bringing future Americans into one of the biggest drug rings around, the Sugar Industry. America has a history of being controlled by corporations and the citizens having to fight for any policy that isn’t in the corporations’ favor, and the sugar industry is part of this history. Sugar has been shoved down our throats since the 50s and we the people are going to have to put up a big fight, and overcome our addiction, if we want to stop it. In the 50s there was a movement against putting fat in food products because fat was linked with heart problems. Food companies needed something to put in the food to give it appealing flavors the same way fat did. So it is no surprise they started using sugar, which is as addictive as cocaine. These companies avoided the 1965 Fair Packaging and Labelling Act by using several different names for sugar; like glucose, sucrose, evaporated cane juice, and many other pseudonyms that are vague and misleading to say the least. The companies also started putting the label “all natural” on their products because, technically, the sugar is natural. The sugar companies have something working in their favor besides the propaganda and jargon: our bodies. Sugar feeds one of the yeasts that live in our bodies known as Candida. Small amounts of Candida is harmless, but when constantly fed with sugar from all the products we eat on a daily basis, it can grow and become a real problem. This is known as Candidiasis. Candidiasis causes many health problems that alone are awful, but it also makes you crave more sugar. Candidiasis is a dream come true for the sugar companies because they don’t even need to advertise; our brainwashed bodies do it for them. It is estimated that 90% of America has problems relating to Candida overgrowth, and many just don’t know it. Unfortunately, it is unlikely in the American system that enough change can be made by the government to fight these sugar companies, so we as a people must become more informed and live healthier lives. Fight the sugar.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION // LIANA MARTINELLI
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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION // LUZ RAYA
H ELICO P TER PAREN TS GREG SANTOS // STAFF
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as your parent ever jumped into conflicts with your roommates, peers, teachers, or even bosses? How about track where you are at all times? Or make you tell them about your plans well before they happen? These are signs that you are a child of a helicopter parent. A helicopter parent is a term commonly used as someone who is controlling of their child’s life to an unnecessary extent. This type of parenting has a negative impact on young men and women all over the nation. This type of parenting is a problem in our country. Why does all this hovering over children create conflict? It causes young people to have struggles with their mentality. Since parents are doing everything for their child, they won’t thrive in situations where their parents are not around. Let’s say every problem you’ve had was solved by your parents when you were in elementary school and middle school. When you face more challenging stages in your life, like high school and college, you won’t be able to handle the responsibilities and expectations of the independent world without your parents. Why is this? Your parents didn’t educate you on how to handle those situations independently. In 2010, a study by Neil Montgomery showed that 10 percent of 300 students who are freshmen in college have helicopter parents. The research also revealed that students with helicopter parents tend to be less open-minded to new ideas and situations, and that they were more anxious, self-conscious, and dependent on their parents.
Children can also grow an overwhelming fear of failure, or not succeeding with everything. Their parents have held them to an unbelievably high standard, which makes them lack self-confidence for not making their parents proud, or being a disappointment. A study in 2016 from The National University of Singapore that was published in the Journal of Personality states that “Children with intrusive parents who had high expectations for academic performance, or who overreacted when they made a mistake, tend to be more self critical, anxious, or depressed .” If parents don’t let their children have the freedom to discover their purpose, which includes failing in the process, then they will struggle to find happiness in life, negatively impacting their mental health. Helicopter parenting is a life changing style of parenting that can give their child anxiety and other mental health issues. We all get that parenting is not an easy task, whatsoever, but if a parent really wants her child to succeed, she needs to start making adjustments. Parents want to prevent them from failure by restricting them from making the mistakes that they, themselves, have made in the past. Instead of stopping their children from failure, they should allow them to make mistakes in their lifetime and experience their own hardships. This will gain them wisdom and help them with making decisions later in life. Parents should be more open-minded and support their child’s growth and independence.
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