Racism

     Racism is a terrible, terrible, terrible, thing. Hopefully I have hit this thought home. I think it in no way should influence a person being entered into a country club, getting a job, or doing anything else they want to in life. What I do think however, is that we as a country are a bit over reactionary to racism. In a country the size and prowess the United States, of course there are going to be individual people who hold prejudices against others, just like there are in all countries across the world. Is it truly so bad here though? Do we not have a president that is a minority? Is He is not loved and coddled by almost all forms of media because if you do not like him, you are or have the potential to be equated as a racist? This is not fair. I have unwisely been a part of discussions in varying places where I have named my dislike for the current President, and this very thing has happened. I then go on to remind these individuals that I would like to be a missionary, preferably in Africa where most would agree a lot of Black people live. I am from a part of the country lacking a bit in the area of enlightenment, and though I have undoubtedly seen some raging cases of ignorance and intolerance, this is hardly the case in a Southeastern Alabama farming community, and is not looked upon in favor by the communities Caucasians as well as minorities. Why should every case of an African American being arrested or the recipient of lethal force make the headlines as a bigot policeman oppressing a minority? Is this always the case? Racism is bad, and I hope for a day where this does not occur, but let us not go overboard with it…

Furman Engaged Reaction

I think the Furman engaged is a great thing. We might be better off as a University as whole if we would back off splendid ideas such as the black swans a bit and implement more great ideas like this one. It shows as a whole who we as a University and what focuses our academic disciplines lead us to while showing the individual research and interests of many varying students in all the fields. I know it is relatively larger for seniors to present their research brain-child’s, but also have a friend on the football team who is an underclassman communication major who just presented a project on Twitter. Furman engaged is a great gathering of success in what many of our students have accomplished at their time here and is an indicator or their future individual success to come. It allows us to show the community both locally and in a much broader sense what we value enough to research and where this leads us in pioneering academic studies.

Abortion and Equality

               Before I completely dive into this hornet’s nest, I think I would be only fair to start with some basic facts so we are all on board. Some of the numbers are not 100% accurate as some states as California and Maryland amongst others have not publicly released their numbers so some of the numbers I find are skewed, but should be for the most part an accurate estimate. Our topic was legalized in the famous Roe v. Wade case in 1973. A largely accepted study by the Guttmacher institute states that from 1973-2011 well over 57 million abortions took place. In 2011 more than 85% of abortions occurred to single women according to the CDC. Statistics show that abortion rates are much higher amongst lower income individuals and families as well as minorities. Cases of abortions that occur after rape or incest are a rather smaller percentage (Some years usually averaging between 1 and 3 percent). Some studies suggest that around 70 percent of voting mothers find abortion wrong, but that they think it should be the legal choice of others to decide. These are some facts I hope we can all agree on and form the basis of our discussion.

               So what is the point? It is not for me to make a religious argument to win you over to my side, though that would be ideal. I aim to appeal at something which I think we might all agree with; Equality. I have spent the better part of the semester making ignorant remarks and causing conflicts, but it is here I wish to clear my conscious to my female friends and class mates, especially those with somewhat feminist tendencies. I was raised by a single mother, and I hold independent women with the utmost respect. The fact that I think abortion is wrong has nothing to do with telling a woman what to do with her body. I hold women in every bit high as esteem as their male counterparts. I think it is their duty to relinquish their personal preference the second they become pregnant, just like it is right for the man to aid her in this, and be a father to the child. Both individuals in equal part acting as responsible citizens and accepting the consequence of their actions. It is here I would like to refer to a statistic that an overwhelming percentage of women getting an abortion in 2011 were unmarried. I can only infer that many of these women were left with no other options by the man responsible in getting her pregnant, and though I do not find her actions correct, I can understand that I cannot possibly realize their feeling of hopelessness. It takes two in equal part to conceive a child, but I must confess that I believe a father who would willingly do so and then abandon a women who in desperation turns to abortion will surely burn in one of hell’s deeper circles, as he let two people down in this situation, not including himself. That is just not fair.

               As I find men and women equal, I also find children as such, regardless if they have been born yet or not. It is here that I do not expect some of you to agree with me. That is completely with in your own right. I have talked to many people outside of my sheltered and beloved Alabama, and many said they were just not convinced that unborn children were living beings, especially very early in the first trimester. Like I said, I do not expect you all to think I am right. Let us just consider for a second that my opposing view is right and I am wrong. That would mean that millions of children would be born to varying circumstances, many of them not ideal as well as many of them rather sad. I can live with the fact that these individuals had a chance at life, and that though many of them will surely face adversity, that it can be overcome, and that they had a say in their own fate. They had a chance, and though circumstances vary and life is certainly not fair, they have a basic shot at life in by being allowed to start it at birth. I can live with that. Say, however, that I am right, and that unborn children are our equals in humanity, then our country alone in the window of 1973-2011 would have in many cases willingly terminated more than 57 million lives, some out of circumstances that are above my pay grade such as rape or incest, but the absolute overwhelming majority out of a form of convenience. That is 57,000,000 lives you leave to chance. I have a lot I am going to answer for one day, this is without a shadow of a doubt for me. I am personally very sorry for anyone in the class I have offended at some point and in some cases repeatedly, (Sorry girls…) but this is one event that I will not have on my conscience. At the end of the day I think abortion can be seen as a question of equality. Men are as equally responsible as  women to be equally responsible in treating children regardless of being born yet or not as Equals in humanity. That is only fair…