“Freedom’s Just Another Word” depicts the depleted notion of freedom in our American society, in light of the presidential election. A mere 51 percent of all Americans eligible to vote did so in the last election. Why couldn’t we be more like Australia? They have a 90 percent voter-turnout, but then again it is mandatory there. We could always adapt the ways of the Aussies and simply require all eligible American citizens to vote or pay a 50 dollar fine if they fail to fulfill the requirement, but that would take away a liberty granted to the people.

But then again what does freedom mean in a society that has made it their excuse for things like not wearing a seat-belt or a helmet (when riding a motorcycle) or not voting when they should as responsible citizens? You probably have heard the phrase “you can’t make me do that, it’s a free country.” People hide behind those words to avoid things they don’t want to do, such as voting. Little do they know, freedom is more than getting to do what you want when you want to.

The fact, in short, is that freedom, to be meaningful in an organized society must consist of an amalgam of hierarchy of freedoms and restraints.
-Samuel Hendel

If people simply disregard restraints both established in law and those that are implied, freedom does not exist because rules do not either. Therefore freedom has unfortunately become any other word in the dictionary as well as any other lame excuse in the book.

When a woman is “dressed to kill,” it’s synonymous to say she is drop dead gorgeous, but in a recent Newsweek article, the phrase simply means that woman (mujahidaat) will leave you drop dead.

With the absence of more men, came the growth of more women involved in suicide bombings throughout Iraq. Suicide terrorism executed by women began in 2003 with the first two recruits and from March of that year to 2006, there were a mere five attacks. In this year alone there have been 20 missions (by female suicide bombers) in Iraq and an estimated 50 more to come.

Revenge is a powerful motive which followers of Osama bin Laden are keen to exploit. . .
- from “US says women suicide bombers seeking revenge in Iraq” web article

Typically, those women “dressed to kill” let their vengeful mindset and/or their natural impulses telling them to protect (upcoming generations, their land from foreign invaders, etc.) drive their actions. So while the reasoning behind female suicide terrorism is becoming overt, methods to targeting such women is not. Despite the issue being a matter of life and death, there is no exception to Arab cultural customs about women. U.S. army officers cannot look at women because it is regulated by the Arab culture, thus they cannot deduce possible enemies. It’s like trying to find a particular type of fish yet you cannot look in bodies of water. That is what makes this problem a growing one: the enemy is practically invisible.

The mere title “Gay in Iraq terrorized by Threats, Rape, Murder,”is Kamal’s dismal story in a nutshell. Kamal is a gay in Baghdad who is scarred by the memory of his rape 3 years ago. He never disclosed the unpleasant incident to his family because of its shame. Although in the Middle Eastern culture, there is something far greater than the shame of being raped and that is the infamy of being gay. The article depicts homosexuality as a crime worthy of death in such a culture.

This article reminds me of a beautiful novel I read as a sophomore. It’s called Kite Runner. The majority of the story is also set in the Middle East. The story is told through the eyes of Amir, a boy haunted by the shame of failing his friend Hassan.

I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975. I remember the precise moment, crouching behind a crumbling mud wall, peeking into the alley near the frozen creek. That was a long time ago, but it’s wrong what they say about the past, I’ve learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out. Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years.
- excerpt from Ch. 1 of Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

This excerpt portrays the immense burden Amir has been carrying since witnessing Hassan’s rape. Kamal and Amir both carry a sense of shame with them, though Amir aims to make it right. Kite Runner is a story about a scarred man’s journey towards redemption. Unfortunately, Amir is the fictional character and Kamal is the one with a tangible problem. It seems the only solution to making Kamal’s predicament “right,” would be changing the outlook of the entire Middle East.

‘Untouchables’ are Dalits, making them the lowest in India’s social order. People classified as “untouchables” literally clean up the messes of those ranking above them for meager wages.

For one that was labeled ‘untouchable,’ Usha Chaumar’s story justly compels you to reach out to her. Dr. Pathak, belonging to India’s upper class, did reach out to Usha and many women just like her. Usha went from hiding her face to becoming crowned “Princess (of Sanitation Workers).”

Unfortunately, one inspiring occurrence does not mean that the power gap between India’s rich and poor is no longer a problem.

So even if the top ten percent of people in the US are obscenely rich, the poor there aren’t as poor as the poor in India.
- excerpt from “The Gap Between the Rich and the Poor in India is Not that Wide” post

“The Gap Between the Rich and the Poor in India is Not that Wide” post is attempting to prove that the power gap between India’s people is not that bad. It aims to downplay the realities of citizens like Usha Chaumar. The post does this by juxtaposing the power gap existent in other countries. All I have to say, is the author shouldn’t have used the United States to make that particular point.

In “From ‘untouchable’ to role model,” it is evident that social order plays a large part in determining the kind of life you live. So though there are pros to maintaining social order, there are also flagrant cons to systems in which labels classify lifestyle and power. And without juxtaposing to make a point, the great impact of social order on standards of living is manifested in all settings.

Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.
- M. Kathleen Casey

Pain is suffering and suffering is pain, and though this quote is plainly contradictory, it makes sense.

Ingrid Betancourt’s reflection on nearly seven years as a FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia) captive does not dwell on the past pain, but communicates messages that focuses on building a future. Despite the hardships that Ingrid Betancourt endured as a Colombian rebel camp hostage, she upheld hope, care and courage. She still managed to sympathize with her enemies, and acknowledge the “dark side” existent in all of us, whether it is marked in human envy, bitterness or hated. Her adversity instilled in her a greater appreciation for simple things such as sleeping in a bed. She voices universal truths, driving us to change our ways. Ingrid endured six and a half years of pain yet she inspires as she encourages everyone to be a “light for others.”

Of all the things Ingrid maintained, she upheld her faith in God. Her forgiving attitude seems driven by Him and His message of absolution. “The Prodigal Son” is a beautiful story about forgiveness; like the father that forgave the son that made him endure so much, Ingrid is striving to forgive those who inflicted her with pain. If anything, her reflection compelled me to do something for my future rather than dwell on the past. As for the quote, pain and suffering may be the same things but pain is unavoidable while suffering does not have to control your life if you choose; it is simply a matter of forgiving, forgetting and moving forward.

“You Never Call Me” uses sarcasm in the article’s closing line to convey the idea that marriage is not always bliss.

For two people in a marriage to live together day after day is unquestionably the one miracle the Vatican has overlooked.
-Bill Cosby

This quotation subtly points out one of the many difficulties of marriage; it labels a typical situation (a marital couple living together) as a phenomenon. The tone utilized in the concluding sentence of “You Never Call Me” as well as the quote above seems somewhat comical, but it’s no joke.

I have recently finished reading Anyone But You by Jennifer Crusie. The novel shows the harsh reality of failed marriages as it follows the main character’s life after divorce and her endeavor to happily live the single life despite the temptation of her neighbor. Charity is another character that shares her failed relationships through unforgettable experiences and lessons learned. Marriage is not all it’s cracked up to be, and this romance novel communicates that message loud and clear.

The idea that this article is particularly emphasizing as an opposition of wedded bliss is isolation. While marriage may bring you closer to your spouse, it can distance you from others. The article presents shocking statistics on how much married people and un-married people differ in terms of keeping in touch with the people they would regularly…hence the title.

After a visit to the beach, it’s hard to believe that we live in a material world.
~Pam Shaw

Unfortunately the simple beauty of beaches does not compare to the significance of a single brand name bag or bracelet in such a world. “The Best Brand? No Brand” manages to recognize how our society has created a bond between who we are and how many things we own. We let our possessions possess us and thus our identity is composed of things rather than values and experiences.

We embrace tangible assets as if it was the only source of happiness, power and self-worth; as if possessions defined our being. Materialism has become adopted as a value and when people are engrossed in the practice of consumerism, they do not know how to escape it.

The conclusion of the article reasons that millennial consumers purchase brand name possessions to convey their “cultural selves.” Though the interesting thing is that brand names do not emphasize individuality, in fact, brand names drive you to conform with the “cultural” dimensions of your friends or favorite models in magazines. The reasoning behind materialism and consumerism is entirely at odds. Hence my conclusion: consumerism cannot be justified.

Celso Grecco sounds like a name straight out of a comic book and his money-making businessman turned philanthropist persona does too. According to “A Stock Exchange for Do-Gooders” Celso Grecco is in actuality, a do-gooder himself. While money was a former priority for Greeco, wealth was never one for Christopher McCandless; all he wanted was adventure.

So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.
— Christopher McCandless

Into the Wild is a novel made movie that uncovers the life of Christopher McCandless a.k.a Alexander Supertramp. He was a man driven by resentment and the memories his parents had scarred him with as a child. He rebelled as a nonconformist, burning money and living a nomadic life with Alaska as his only real destination.

The story of Christopher McCandless as depicted through the vision of Sean Penn (director of Into the Wild) opened my eyes. Nature was captured in its truest form; it is dangerous, unappreciated and beautiful. The audience gets a good look at nature (the wild) across America through the adventures of Christopher McCandless. One thing that caught my eye was how Sean Penn depicted the city of Los Angeles as the “wild.” The movie did not focus on the landscape of Los Angeles, but rather the nature of the poor on the streets and the rich drinking their wine.

While parts of America could offer beautiful sunsets and lakes for Christopher McCandless to fill his journal with, Los Angeles offered him a bed he refused to take. It opened my eyes to the kind of society we are through the eyes of others; we are the wild, not the life surrounding us.

I would never want to live in a society with nothing to offer humanity; Christopher McCandless did, so he left to find a “new and different sun.”

Alicia Coffman pours her heart out in “Hopelessly Devoted.” She reveals her somewhat over-the-top obsession for Hollywood heartthrobs like Devon Sawa (and I couldn’t agree with her more), but when it comes to famed heartthrobs, Chris Brown takes the cake. He does it with his charm, almost effortless dance moves, and the list goes on. Sometimes fixations over unattainable crushes like Alicia’s Devon Sawa and my Chris Brown can be unhealthy, but “Hopelessly Devoted” shows the upside to such an obsession as it tells the story of how the writer found her true passion (to write) in false passions (like the Devon Sawa’s of this world).

Passion is a positive obsession. Obsession is a negative passion.
- Paul Carvel

Though I would like to classify my admiration for Chris Brown as a positive obsession, I cannot. My other fixation (besides Chris Brown): my sister’s toffee cookies. Dictionary.com defines passion as a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything. My most current passion: owning a successful bakery with my two sisters. I found my true passion in tiny bite-size fixations.

Someone can waste years trying to appease an obsession (just like Alicia) and never attain an objective as simple as a reply to a letter yet something as significant as a prospective passion can find that person inadvertently.

Now I’m just fixated on how ironic that is.

The notion of pirates from the Caribbean is thrilling (especially when they’re as attractive as Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom) but the reality of the escalating presence of bona fide pirates is just daunting. “Sea Pirates Bloody Growth” reveals an alarming quandary that has been far too prolonged. Probably the most chilling part of the situation is the fact that these pirates have skills comparable to military men.

Pirates have also increased their tactical sophistication, often surrounding a target ship with several boats and firing machine guns and antitank missiles to force it to stop. As Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Tony Tan recently warned, “piracy is entering a new phase; recent attacks have been conducted with almost military precision. The perpetrators are well-trained, have well laid out plans.”

-excerpt from “Terrorism Goes to Sea”

Piracy seemed to be motivated by the dawn of international arms trading while the pervasiveness of the problem is enthused by the ongoing growth of cargo ships transporting our material goods. Maybe the scariest actuality of this problem is really our own involvement in the bloody growth of sea pirates. We contribute to our individual fears in the way humanity makes the accessibility of weapons so effortless as well as the manner in which we buy and buy. Now that’s scary.