I am so tired and deeply disappointed in our country.  It has happened again. A young boy has been wrongfully profiled and faced near death as a result of stigma in our nation. Ralph Yarl was a young teenager who simply went to go pick up his twin brothers. He had gone to the wrong address, rang the doorbell, and waited for quite a while before the door was finally opened. As soon as the door was opened,  Andrew Lester pulled out a gun, saw the black teen, and immediately shot him twice, once in the head, once in the arm. Ralph fled for his life as Lester proclaimed, “Don’t come around here,” per CNN. Running on pure adrenaline, the young teen asked not one, not two, but three nearby homes before they even decided to help him. From a psychologicalperspective, I do not understand why the people did not want to help. Per the idea of the bystander effect, the more people that are around, the less likely you are to help; however, that was not the case in this situation. There was no group. These individuals were faced with one child who needed assistance, and they turned their backs. I do not know these people, and I do not know what they were going through, but I feel this shows a sense of implicit bias as well as lacking sympathy as human beings. Anyways, let us look at the one positive of this situation- he survived. Once I read this article, I felt angry. I thought to myself, “Another one,” but, by the grace of God, he is alive against all odds. Many article state that doctors proclaimed it was a miracle he was alive. It is a blessing to know another family did not lose a child. 

Ralph Yarl was Hospitalized. Image Source.

Ralph is recovering from his injuries quite well; however, the emotional component is something he will never forget. This trauma will forever be deeply rooted in him and haunt him like a ghost. Thinking of the pain he suffered brings tears to my eyes because he thought it was over for him. I simply could not fathom being in that situation and feared losing everything right then and there because of another person’s bias. My question to you is, what is the solution? Is it getting rid of guns? Is it training individuals to eliminate their bias? I do not know. All I am sure of it is a multitude of things that must change in our country. It is not just Ralph’s issue. It is on all of us to make a change in our society. We are the current generation that will lead this country, so continue to be aware and do your best to eliminate the deeply sown discrimination in our society. And if you think this is not your issue, think about this simple question: what if it were you?

Takes a Village. Image Source. 

Good morning. Today I wanted to take a lighter approach on the heavy civic issues we have been discussing. While this topic is not as “deep,” it is still something of concern that people should be aware of- marriage rates. You must be wondering why am I, an 18-year-old discussing marriage. Well, as someone who has seen the falling out of marriages before, it does a lot more to a family and community than most think. What if I told you that, children of divorced parents are twice as likely to commit suicide? Or that they experience mental issues at a higher rate than other adolescents? Or that 70% of prison inmates incarcerated for long-term sentences grew up in broken homes? As sad as it may be, these statistics are true, and this is where divorce rates become a civic issue- it is affecting the future of the youth. 

Incarcerated Parents Link to Child. Image Source.

A strong family structure is becoming overlooked in our society. As a whole, growing up, who are the first individuals we see as our “guides to life”? Our parents or guardians! They give us the framework that shapes our beliefs and help us become responsible citizens. The only issue with this is that they can shape children in good or bad ways. Reference the stats I brought up earlier. A lot of these children are growing up in broken homes, causing a cycle of pain in families. For example, let us say a child sees his father in jail and his mother struggling. It forms this idea in the childs head that this is what love looks like. It leads to poor attachment styles and financial problems, and the child ends up in jail too. 

Attachment Styles. Image Source

To further explain this point, we will need to get a little bit heavy. Marriage rates are a problem in the U.S., especially among minorities. Yesterday, I was reading an article concerning youth, and at one point, I kept reading the phrase “adverse childhood experiences.” It made me ponder how on the factors affecting us all, and divorce rates and marriage rates are a big one that is overlooked. What is my point here? Well, nobody can force you to marry or divorce anybody; that is of your own will. However, the most concerning thing is how much these decisions affect our youth. Do I have a solution for this? Somewhat. We as a community need to ensure that when engaging in meaningful relationships, we think about the well-being of our children. At the end of the day, it is up to us to show what healthy love looks like in order to create a better society for our youth to grow and prosper. 

Suicide Rates. Image Source. 

The United States has been in turmoil lately, or has it always been this way? It seems I constantly slam on the United States; however, I observe what I see and feel we need to discuss. The only way to progress as a society is through talking about the complex issues we all face. Something that has weighed heavy on my heart is the violence guns have brought to our country.

Little Boy on Gun Violence AD. Image Source

Statistics of Worst Mass In U.S. Image Source

According to the second amendment, individuals have the right to bear arms. My question to you is, at what cost? Everyone is entitled to freedom in the land of the free; should we be free to take our neighbor’s lives? No. We account for about 5 percent of the world population yet make up 31 percent of the world’s mass shootings. Is this acceptable? No. Many people will argue about how valuable guns are and how many lives they have saved, and to an extent, I agree; however, today, we will look at how many people we have lost. In the last three years, there have been over 600 mass shootings. That is two a day. How scary is that? Being a victim or close to a victim of a mass shooting. Trust me when I say the pain is indescribable. Being from Vegas, I was in the city during the largest mass shooting in our country’s history. The fear I felt when I heard about it was immeasurable, and my heart almost dropped when I realized my mother was at Mandalay Bay. I called her frantically to be met with no response for hours until I finally heard my phone ring. I cried joyfully in that moment and was beyond grateful to God my mom was safe. Guns bring fear.

Guns Rights VS Gun Control. Image Source

A few days ago, Nashville underwent a school shooting in which three children and three adults died. The shooter was labeled as psychologically/emotionally troubled. Guns cause loss. My question is, why are no laws stopping individuals in emotional distress from owning guns? Why is Florida allowing gun laws to be less strict? Why is it that we attack foreigners and label them as “dangerous” and state they are the source of the problem, yet most of these shooters are not minorities? I am so tired of sending prayers. I am so tired of saying we will stop it eventually. Action needs to be taken NOW! I know, sadly, that is not how it works, but one child, one person, is worth more than all the guns in the world.

Girls Crying On Bus During Nashville Shooting. Image Source.

Society has definitely advanced from our old thought process/ideals; however, there is still something engraved in our society that must be eradicated- systemic racism. This topic is extremely controversial and something that many people tend to steer away from, but it must be discussed to break down this barrier in our community. Now. What exactly is systemic racism? It is essentially racism embedded into society’s laws to put people at a disadvantage. An example of this is Jim Crow Laws. These laws enforced segregation and were created to keep things separate but equal. In other words, this was done in order to avoid any true sign of equality and keep the white man superior. These unjust, inhumane laws lasted for almost 100 years; however, remnants of them still exist in our society today.  Nowadays, these “disadvantages” can be seen in many facets of society, such as education, health care, criminal justice, housing, and much more! Allow me to explain how much it affects our community by utilizing health care.

Segregation in the U.S. Image Source.

The realm of healthcare is a vast, ever-growing profession; however, it is, sadly, not accessible to all people. Statistics show that minority groups are more likely to experience significant health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes and die from these conditions. Communities with a high density of minorities also often have little to no education, poorly sanitized areas, and an extreme lack of health care. Now, you must be wondering what this has to do with systemic racism. For one, hospitals in dense minority areas are extremely far away from their communities. A study by RTI Health Advance helps support my point because, according to their results, intensive cardiac care was over 30 miles away from rural, high-minority communities. Easy solution, right? Just drive! Wrong. Minority-dense communities also have poor economic standing, therefore, may not even be able to afford a car or have a job stable enough to provide insurance for the hospital. Another factor many do not consider(but is extremely harmful) is food security. An increase in fast food is present in these communities, leading to many of these healthcare conditions because that is the most affordable option for them and their families. 

Statistics Showing HealthCare Disparity. Image Source.

I know. It sounds like all I am doing is complaining. No. We are all human beings. I believe we are all entitled to a good education, health care, and equal treatment in this country. Too many communities face these disparities, and it is our job to make a difference in their lives. I’m not telling you to devote your life to making this goal a reality. No, rather, I am just saying to remain educated. Too few people know about how systemic racism affects people, and it is heartbreaking. Do not just stand around. Change is a slow, hard process, but if we all put in the effort to help one another, I am sure we can improve the lives of all Americans. Thank you, see you next time. 

I feel like each, and every day a new tragedy befalls our country. This blog does not necessarily have a “topic”; it is more a place for me to express what I feel about what is happening in our society. It is so sad to see the things that are untalked about in our society. Recently, a man named Tyre Nicholas was murdered by Memphis police. If you see the footage, he ran away from the police, and many people will say he was resisting arrest. I understand it is against the law to be uncooperative; however, if you watch the body cam footage, he was being manhandled as if he was an animal. Watching what went down brought tears to my eyes and made me so fearful.

Picture of Tyre Nicholas. Image Source

Why? Why in the world would you treat a human being like that? They kicked him, punched him in the head, tased him, and hit him with a baton. It was an obvious abuse of power, but why are trained police officers using so much force on one man? Five of you against one man? They literally pepper-sprayed him as if he was a roach. It was sickening. I want to say we need more police training because I do not believe in the idea of defunding our means of protection in this country; however, at what point does it become too much? I find it so odd that the police officers who committed this heinous act are also black men themselves. To know the struggles our people face and to add to them? Come on.

Tyre Nicholas is in the Hospital. Image Source

Tyre Nicholas Mother Crying. Image Source

Many also forget that Tyre Nicholas is not the only one who will suffer from this. His family is as well. His mother’s house was 80 meters away when the abuse occurred, and he cried out to her for help. Imagine how she feels knowing she could not save her son from this tragedy and that he was so close to her. Devastating. Another example of how this violence breaks families apart is Atatiana Jefferson. A woman whom was shot and killed in her own home. It was so sad to see, but this pain and trauma caused her mother, father, and recently her sister Amber to pass away. Amber’s son was in the house when Atatiana was shot and killed, and he was already facing the trauma of witnessing such horror. Now, he is all alone and has lost so much due to the injustice and violence in this society. Injustice never has more than one victim. Continue to educate yourself and learn about what occurs within our society. Do not stand around and fight the injustice we face. 

BodyCam Footage of Tyre Nicholas Beating: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjm8NGre2Es

The U.S. is said to be one of the best nations in the world. Many would agree due to our supreme military power, food security, affordability, and diversity; however, I believe we are still lacking. Sure, the U.S. is highly developed, but day by day, we digress due to discrimination, police brutality, health care disparities, and something that continues to pop up gun control. This topic is highly controversial, but somebody must discuss it. Our constitution gives us the “right to bear arms,” but this must be banned immediately in my eyes.

Sculpture known as “The Knotted Gun” Image Source

I say this due to the tragic killing of De’Evan McFall, who died due to the poison of guns. This young man was only 11 years old. A 14-year-old girl killed him in an altercation with another girl who pulled out a gun, missed, and shot this innocent young man. De’Evan was described as a shining light, was excellent in the classroom, and had such a bright future ahead of him, but all that was stolen in seconds. Now another mother has lost her son and will never get to see him again.

Watch: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/boy-11-fatally-shot-girl-was-arguing-another-child-dallas-police-say-rcna66038

Graph Showcasing Gun-to-People Ratio. Image Source

It is not as if this is a once-in-a-while occurrence. How could it be? The U.S. has more guns than people, a whopping 120.5 firearms per 100 residents or twice as many guns per person in the U.S. How people don’t see an issue with this is beyond me. Look at the damage it has done in past years! Suicide, murder, discord, and guns have sown all these seeds, and they will continue to rise unless action is taken to stop this. Stats do not lie whatsoever. In 2020, 54% of deaths caused by guns were suicides, 43% were murders, and the U.S. has over 300 school shooting incidents.

Image Source

These stats continue to rise daily, and the strange part is that the U.S. is leading all other nations in this issue. Just yesterday, a 6-year-old boy shot his teacher. How much more must we take before we realize it is a problem? As a people, we must do better for ourselves and our children. We can slowly eliminate all this injustice and help the U.S. grow. It is unfortunate; however, guns will never leave the U.S. at this rate, but there are some things we can do to limit their accessibility. For one, the youth and people at risk of harming themselves should not be allowed access to guns. How can we account for that? Well, parents take the action of locking up your firearms. For people suffering mentally and everyone who wants to own a gun, mental health checks should be conducted to determine if they are fit to have a gun. Lastly, but most importantly, buying a gun should be similar to buying a car. A car and guns are weapons; however, traffic incidents have decreased since implementing laws to be a car owner! It should NOT be easier to get a gun than own a car. The road ahead of us is a long and hard one. Change is slow, but if we start now, we can prevent at least one tragedy later.

The Word Change. Image Source

One step towards a brighter future. We as a people can not progress unless we talk about the things that hold us back.