Log #4

After reading some articles about Trump's policy for a while, I started to watch some video clips of people talking about this executive order on Immigration. The first one I watched simply explained how poorly targeted and confused the order was. Even the government officers were confused about the order. Immigrants and non-immigrants from the influenced seven countries were banned. It also affected the green card holders and dual citizens. President Donald Trump claimed that this was based on the consideration of safety in the US, but merely a single person in these seven countries had killed an American in terror attacks. In this video, the speaker said that American civilians are literally more likely to die by the lightning strike than terrorism. We can see that the order was not only ambiguous but also not convincing.

The second video was about a Sudanese Stanford Ph.D. Student. She was escorted to a room and was banned from entering the US due to her Nation although she had a valid visa. Surprisingly, she seemed to be banned for shorter days than other Sudanese people because of her affiliation with Stanford. This ambiguous order had caused a huge chaos to immigrants and officers at airports. And it reflected a larger trend to criminalize black people, immigrants, Muslims.

This issue still has so many debates going on. It seems that this order was passed without well-consideration for sure. I hope that the US can use its power and resource to make this world better. The decisions they make should be benefit for most people, not only to satisfy those people who have the power and neglect the human rights of non-American.


https://tw.voicetube.com/videos/47984
https://tw.voicetube.com/videos/49482

The Power of Vulnerability

The Power of Vulnerability

Sorry, I have to say sorry. But I want to share something more with everyone.

I deeply appreciated teacher that you let everyone share his or her story about vulnerability.

Actually, after this class and I went back to my dorm and wrote a post and I said:

This is an unforgettable lesson.
A lesson that try to dig our mind out.

Each of us are story teller.
We always find some deep in our mind.

Everyone own his or her story.
A story belong to your deep mind.

We were all crying in this class.
Story teller was crying, listener was crying, too.

I did a wrong explain yesterday.
I said: I want to be "their" best friend. I want to get "their" trust.
I always make a friend and devote myself to "the one". I make several friends like "the one" so I call "they/them/their". Just like girls, what is called"閨密".

I'm a vulnerable boy. I'm not strong as my friends think. I'm not happy as my friends see. I always think there's a little girl live in my mind. Each of my friend who I devote my self to him always makes me disappointed. But I still believe that I will find someone who will accompany me forever. After many failure, I still keep finding and fighting for myself until age of 18. I'm a college student now. I'm not lively like before. I don't want to make any "friends" anymore as long as we can talk to each other and help each other, that is enough.

Sometimes I thought about my past, I would cry. It sounds childish but I know I'm a emotional person so I can understand more what people's feelings. I always listen to some sad songs and write some sad words to release my soul to prove I'm not alone.

I think I lost something but I get something precious at the same time. I learn a lesson which is meaningful to me. I try to use another angle to see my life and I believe I will find some beautiful scenes that I never see.

Teacher, thank you. It was also a meaningful class for me. I will always remember what we said and those tears that dropped from your and my eyes.

Log #4

To fight for gender equality, you may be aware of that there have been a lot of activists standing out and speaking out for this issue. Some influential activists include statesman, Hilary, celebrities, Emma Watson, even a little girl, Malala and so on. Do you notice that many of these activists that you would probably think of tend to be feminists? Speaking of gender inequality, women mostly are the victims of it rather than men. For example, down in some countries in the world like Pakistan, India, female doesn’t even have the chance to be educated, to have fair right to speak out for themselves. Some of them still live under the threat of being discriminated, and being raped. I am the lucky one that was born in Taiwan, in a wonderful family. So I can have the chance to be well-educated, to go to college, now studying in Taiwan Tech. And even, have the chance to stand here today, making this presentation, talking about this issue with you all. But please don’t take it in the wrong way, we are not saying that no men suffer from this issue. Therefore, gender equality is actually an issue for all of us.

Emma Watson is one of the activists that speak out for this issue. I find her speech really inspiring that I want to share some ideas with you. Feminism by definition is: “The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It is the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes.” Feminism is actually fight for equal rights. It shouldn’t become an unpopular word and synonymous with man-hating. “Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive. Both men and women should feel free to be strong. It is time that we all perceive gender on a spectrum not as two opposing sets of ideals.” This is also one of parts that touched me. And if you feel in the same way as I did. If you believe in equality, then you may be the inadvertent feminists. And please don’t misunderstand this word “feminism” anymore because when you support for it you are fighting for your rights, too, protecting yourself suffering from the gender stereotypes and discrimination. English statesman Edmund Burke said: “All that is needed for the forces of evil to triumph is for enough good men and women to do nothing.” So when one day you have the opportunity to do something or say something. Please keep this in mind “ If not me, who, if not now, when.” 

Log #4

I read several articles about Trump’s ban against Muslims as an expansion of the words I left last week.

Currently, there are several ways to gain the green card if you’re not an original US citizen.

1.      Be a family member of a US citizen.

2.      An employment visa

3.      If you are a refugee

4.      If you are a winner of a visa lottery

However, things might be changed after Trump takes his office. Since we all know that Trump has a great hostility against Muslims.

During this week’s reading I discovered that Trump’s hostility against Muslims is based on the things that Muslims done in the US and the confusion about where these all came from? Trump’s saying is published in an article from CNN politics. “I have many friends that are Muslims, and I will tell you, they are so happy that I did this because they know they have a problem.” Yeah, who wants a man from a certain group including himself to drag the whole group down? “They said it’s about time that somebody spoke up as to radicalism. You have radicalism in this country. It’s here, and it’s trying to come through.” He even cited one of his Muslim friend’s word: “It (radicalism) is something that has to be talked about.” Moreover, he said he’s been told that he’s doing Muslims (which are not radical toward the US) “a favor”. If I am a Muslim, I would really appreciate that. Because the last thing I would be happy about is to take the blame for someone who backstabbed us.

“I’m not looking to be politically correct. I’m doing this to do the right thing.”

“Our country has a problem. People are in fear. They’re waiting for the next attack.”

“Why is there such hatred? Why is there such death? Where does this hatred come from?”

"I want to at least know where it's coming from. Why is it happening? And it's from a group of people. It's from a specific group of people. OK? Why is there such total hatred?"

If I was he, without knowing that many knowledge, I would not be brave enough to stand on the stage and take all the criticism. You can see how brave he actually is. However, most of the time he acts like a man with gigantic ignorance of the issue.

The policy would not be applied to the Muslim military personnel stationed overseas who want to come home. However, Trump still says, "We have to take care of the Muslims that are living here. But we have to be vigilant." Imagine, how would you think if the president of the country, which is protected by you, said those words to you? A person who you’re providing protection is doubting your loyalty? I wouldn’t expect that. Finding somebody suspicious without reasons is not going to help the world grow stronger and better.

References:
The religious affiliation of US immigrants (May 17, 2013)
http://www.pewforum.org/2013/05/17/the-religious-affiliation-of-us-immigrants/#muslim

Trump: my Muslim friends don’t support my immigration ban

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/13/politics/donald-trump-muslim-ban-state-of-the-union/

How unpopular is Trump’s Muslim ban? Depends how you ask

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/16/upshot/how-unpopular-is-trumps-muslim-ban-depends-how-you-ask.html?_r=0

Log #4

What type of bully you are?

In this week’s research, I’ve searched some information about what type of bully in the society. Specifically, there are the Actor, the Wincer and the Sybil.

    First, the Actor, this type of person isn't always a bully, perhaps they're only a bully behind the boss's back, and when you're in the room they're sweet as pie (Janine Popick CMO). It’s the not as obvious as you can observe in the real context, however, this kind of person is the most common. For example, in the university, there are a lot of people who smile at you in person, but they stab you in the back. Sometimes, this kind of bullies are formed in a group, cursing others secretly. Second, the Wincer, this bully walks the halls with a mean-face, doesn't smile and says more without words than if they opened their mouths(Janine Popick CMO).For instance, some classmates always act like that, without considering others’ feeling at all. Especially, some so-called “Queen Bees” at school. Just like some mean girls in the classic movie – Mean Girl, which was led by Lindsay Lohan. Those bullies would gather together, performing mean face toward others in pursuit of looing down their classmates. Third, the Sybil, when Sybil is happy and not stressed there's not a bully in sight! Say something they don't want to hear or deal with? The bully comes out and comes out big time pie (Janine Popick CMO). I assert that many people were suffered from this kind of bullies or even being a part of them.

For me, I was once the Sybil, but I was not aware of that them. As I was in the elementary school, I was a popular and characteristically charming leader in the class, always ordering my classmates to do things I didn't like to do at all. Frankly, I remembered so vividly that I had forced one of my classmates to commit a trouble which was not made by him. Since I was a talented student, and a talented student was not allowed to make mistakes! After oppressing a scapegoat to do so, I didn’t know I caused great harm to that classmate, still, I remained arrogant and wore my perfect mask for a while. After that, I had become worse and worse until I met another bully who did some terrible things to me in the senior high school. (the same play as in the movie, Mean Girls)

    From the video, I AM HOLLY, I found that there were a lot of people like Holly, feeling hopeless and depressed, but us adults are giving nothing to assist the kids to get rid of these problems. Bully is a serious issue which is raging with the upcoming social medias.

Unfortunately, if the kid is not as fortunate as possible, he/she might get into the deepest hole just like the character in the video, Anyone Can Be a Bully. Every minor detail might cause attrition to kids, if teachers/parents aren’t aware of kids’ mental condition, they might lose them for good. This is not what I’m willing to witness! Thus, in the further research, I will explore more solution and helpful ways to help the victims and also come up with more ideas on how to stop bullies from harming others.

 Reference:

Got Bullies? Here's How to Deal with Them
By Janine Popick CMO, Dasheroo; founder, VerticalResponse

http://www.inc.com/janine-popick/got-bullies-heres-how-to-deal-with-them.html

I AM HOLLY - An Anti-Bullying Film by Bedford High School

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFknG5heyPA

Anyone Can Be a Bully

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LCB6qhMlgk