A Call for Action, Help

These past few days, CNN and other news stations have had much to talk about. Last Friday, March 11, Japan was hit by a 8.9 magnitude earthquake near the city of Honshu, releasing tsunami waves and leaving many dead and many more missing (read more about the tragedy here on BBC's special page dedicated to information and updates regarding the happenings in Japan). This is a horrific tragedy, and one that will leave lasting consequences of the people and the government of Japan. Now, more than ever, there is a class of people needing help. This class of people is the survivors of this tragedy, the people now seeking food, water and other aid. Some of these survivors have lost everything. Their families. Their homes. Their most treasured possessions. This class is distinct in that they all share two common bonds. They have all survived this disaster, and they all need help. Below are three different charities that are helping provide immediate relief to this class of people, the survivors.



1. Lady Gaga designed a "We Pray for Japan" bracelet, with all proceeds going directly to tsunami relief efforts. This famous icon in American society, known for her outrageous outfits, is also known for her humanitarian work and her work for LGBT rights (read a great blog post about Lady Gaga and LGBT rights on Kyle's LGBT blog), so it should not come to people as a surprise that now Lady Gaga is stepping up and promoting aid efforts to the people of Japan. Whether you like or dislike Lady Gaga's music, approve or disapprove of her outfits, and support or don't support her work towards LGBT rights, we can all certainly appreciate the help she is trying to provide this class of people. Buy your bracelet here!


2. Zynga, the creator of popular games and applications such as FarmVille and CityVille on Facebook and Words with Friends (an Apple application) has begun a fundraising drive to raise money for the children affected by the earthquake/tsunami tragedy, going directly to
the Save the Children charity, which has created a special branch, Japan Earthquake Tsunami Children Emergency Fund. These games will now have a "Donate" button where users can give directly to the charity while playing the games. Facebook will donate credits for the games to donators. Zynga also did this when Haiti was struck by a horrific earthquake and raised $1.5 million. Get gaming and donating! (Source: http://www.develop-online.net/news/37276/Zynga-begins-Japan-quake-charity-drive
online.net)


3. Google has created a crisis response site to help people search for missing people, read alarms and warnings from the government, post shelter and transportation information and much more. Google is also sponsoring the Japanese Red Cross Society and is collecting donations through their website. You can donate as little as 100 yen (all donations mus
t be in yen- $20 is about 1600 yen) and all donations go straight to the Japanese Red Cross. The Red Cross is using the money to purchase and distribute aid to the survivors and help atte
mpt to bring normalcy to their lives again. Although you won't get a cool bracelet, unlike if you donate to Lady Gaga's charity, you will be donating to a charity in which the money is truly helping the people.


As you can see by just the few pictures I have posted, this class of people, these survivors truly do need our help. Hopefully one of the charities I have posted has inspired you to do more and reach out to these people. If not, hopefully I have at least inspired you to find a charity you do find meaningful and offer some type of support to the survivors of this tragedy. Let's all unite as one class of people and help our neighbors in Japan!

Book Review: The Notebook

For my blog entry this week, I was supposed to write a book review. In going along with the theme of my blog, "class", I chose to review one my favorite books of all time, The Notebook. The Notebook, written by Nicholas Sparks, is a classic story of love vs. class, in which a person's class attempts to dictate not only their life, but their future as well.

While The Notebook is an incredible romance story, written in 1996, The Notebook is also an amazing demonstration of the conflict between love and class. In The Notebook, Noah Calhoun, age 17, meets Allie Hamilton, age 15, during the summer of 1932. Noah, a native to the small town of New Bern, North Carolina meets Allie at the local summer carnival and quickly wins over her heart. The Hamilton family is incredibly wealthy and spending their summer at a large plantation in New Bern. The two teenagers have a whirlwind summer filled with romantic dates, love and the promise to stay together forever. In the background of this life-changing summer, however, are Allie's disapproving parents, constantly criticizing Noah and his lack of class.They attempt to sabotage plans between Noah and Allie, discipline Allie for going out on dates with Noah and mock his lack of fortune. However, Allie insists that she is in love with him and that class doesn't matter when it comes to love.

At the end of the summer, Allie is forced to return to Winston-Salem, North Carolina with her family. Noah and Allie promise to write daily to one another and to, one day, marry each other. Noah writes daily but Allie's mother, worried about Noah's lack of money and financial security, hides all of Noah's letters, leading Allie to believe Noah forgot about her and never wrote her. The story then flashes forward 14 years and Allie comes back to visit Noah before marrying a weathly banker, Lon Hammond, Jr. Allie realizes she is in love with Noah and that he never stopped loving her. Allie's mother admits that she hid the letters because she wanted "a better life for Allie than Noah could provide." While Lon would provide much more financial stability, Allie chooses Noah in the end because of their undeniable love.

Below is the trailer for The Notebook when it was turned into the movie in 2004. Enjoy!





As I mentioned before, The Notebook is one of my favorite books. I believe the plot, as well as the writing style, are both incredibly well thought-out and realistic. While it is not a high-paced novel, the form matches the content. Love is supposed to last forever, and there are ups and downs in a relationship. The Notebook presents a realistic view on love and relationships, and does not just claim that everything always works out perfectly in love. Although Allie chooses Noah in the end, the choice is not easy. I think this novel really highlights the conflict that can arise due to class in our own personal spheres of life, even down to the very person that we are going to spend our lives with. Do you think Allie made the right choice to choose love over class/wealth? While it may seem like a situation you only read about in books or see in movies, I believe love vs. class can affect many people. Should we sacrifice "true love" for financial security? Or should we risk financial security for someone we truly love? Of course it would be desirable if we didn't have to choose; if the person you loved was also wealthy, or at least financially stable. However, that is not always real life. This book, and the slow pace of the novel, demonstrates the doubts, the discouragement and the fears that are realistic in this situation. Nonetheless, it is an incredible novel and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

-Emily

White? Black? Christian? Jewish? Muslim? Female? Male? What's your label?

In English class, we are continuing to read Reading Lolita in Tehran, a story about Azar Nafisi (also the author) and other Muslim women living in Tehran during and post the Iranian revolution. The book explores many different themes including women's rights, women's roles in society, education, intellect, writing and literature, all from the views of native Iranians. The book is not only an excellent piece of literature, but also an insight into the true lives of Iranian women and works to defy stereotypes.


However, one other issue that has arisen during our class discussions is how one labels themself. Identity is an issue that all of these women grapple with as rights are being stripped from them everyday and they are working to retain who they really are. Labels, and the language used with them, are major factors in who we are and how we claim our identity. Below is a video from the recent 2010 census regarding ethnic labels and how one identifies themself on the census:





These women in Reading Lolita in Tehran have a multitude of different ways in which they can label and identify themselves. "Female" is an obvious, first label, but where do they go from there? Are they Persian? Are they Muslim? Are they Arabic? Are they Iranian? You get the point. Any way you look at it, any of us could fall under multiple labels or identities. Is their nationality their most important label? If your nationality is your most important label, does that mean you don't qualify under the other identities as well? I think not. I think it is possible for all of your labels to be equally important. However, I think society and the world makes it hard for you to not be casted into an "other" category if you don't fit some of society's most defined labels. Below is a video from a very old song that talks about the special significance of the label of nationality for someone:



What happens if you don't fit the "normal" labels? In class today, we brainstormed a list of "normal" American labels and came up with:

• middle class
• ambitious
• white
• Christian, protestant
• heterosexual
• English-speaking
• male
• businessman

We discussed what happens if you don't fit those labels and talked about the idea of the "other" group, the group of people who might be immigrants or poets or gay. Labels, and the idea of labeling oneself based on who they are, may be beneficial in some cases such as censuses, but can be detrimental to people if these "other" labels affect their identity and how they see themselves as people.

Carl Wilkens: A True Humanitarian

A week ago, the Academy had a presentation by Carl Wilkens, the only American to remain in Rwanda during the 1994-1995 genocide between the Hutus and the Tutsis. Wilkens is a humanitarian and worked throughout the genocide to provide aid to people all over Rwanda during this crisis. This day, the day that I heard Carl Wilkens speak for two and a half hours about his role as a humanitarian during the Rwandan genocide, was the most inspiring day in my academic career, as I saw that one person can truly make a difference and help people in an uncountable number of ways.

Wilkens began just as a missionary in Rwanda, working to build schools and help all Rwandans. When the genocide broke out, Wilkens didn't fit in either of the two classes that were fighting, the Hutus and the Tutsis. Wilkens decided that instead of fleeing the country like all other Americans, he would use his resources and connections to attempt to bring some peace and stability to some Rwandans. Wilkens saw this class conflict and decided he needed to help, he needed to do something and not just stand by.

The genocide that took place in Rwanda is obviously a class conflict that occured very far from home for readers in the United States and western hemisphere. However, it shows that class conflicts don't necessarily need to be a matter of rich vs. poor in the United States. As I mentioned in my previous blog, All Around the World, class conflicts are prevalent in every country and culture, and come in all shapes and sizes. Although this class conflict was far away, Americans could still make a difference, just as Wilkens did. See Wilkens' video below to learn more about his time in Rwanda.




I blogged about the class conflict, Hutus vs. Tutsis, because of the recent presentation in Academy. However, there are many more class conflicts occuring not only domestically as I have blogged about, but also abroad. One major one is the Darfur conflict in Sudan (learn about it here!) This class conflict is also killing many people, with over 5,000 people murdered a month. Although the Rwandan conflict is over, class conflict certainly is not. Americans must work to stop these conflicts from killing thousands, if not millions. As Wilkens suggested, Americans should write to their senators, asking them to move the Darfur genocide up on the agenda. Call the White House. Seriously, how cool is that? You get to call the White House and voice your request for the Darfur genocide to receive more attention. Call 202-456-1111 (the White House comment line!) to make a comment about Obama's agenda and mention the Darfur conflict. This is just one way for Americans to help. We can stop class conflict and the violence that accompanies it. The United States did not pay enough attention to the Rwandan genocide, so the world and Rwandans payed the price. We can change our ways and policies for the conflict in Darfur. I encourage all readers to expand their views and begin to consider class conflict on a larger scale than what is just happening in your city. Sometimes the conflicts abroad can be even more detrimental to our world as a whole. Let's all try to do our part to help solve conflict around the globe and save lives.

If you're interested in learning more about Carl Wilkens, his experiences and his foundation, please see http://worldoutsidemyshoes.org/

You Could Be Next In Line at the Soup Kitchen

Opportunities to help people are abundant. If you've got a passion for something, there is an organization you can give to to support your cause. Or, if an organization to support your cause really doesn't exist, you can start your own foundation! Worried about hunger? Donate to the Chicago Food Depository, which can feed millions in the Chicagoland area for cheap. Passionate about cancer? Walk in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and help raise millions of dollars. My point is, people get involved and contribute to their community in a thousand different ways. However, is this really all out of good will? Do we give freely without wanting anything in return? Whether it be a tax deductible donation or to simply feeling good about ourselves, doing a service project isn't always just about helping people.



In The Poisonwood Bible (read a summary here), the Price family is on a one year mission to the Congo in effort to spread Christianity. However, the help and assistance isn't well received by the Congolese people who do not wish to convert or adopt western ways. Nathan Price, the father and minister, however, insists that the family stays, despite being isolated and rejected from society. Why is it that Nathan wanted to stay? In my opinion, I think that Nathan cares more about not looking like a failure and being able to claim personal success (such as baptizing many Congolese people) than actually changing and helping the lives of the Congolese. Nathan's pride gets in the way of actually accomplishing a worthwhile mission. He believes he is superior to the Congolese due to his skin color and wealth, and hence he and his mission are valuable to the Congolese, even if they don't realize it.



Pride is a major issue not only in The Poisonwood Bible with Nathan and some of the other characters, but often in society and community service as well. My question is, can service further solidify class and class stereotypes? Does a person feel they are superior because they can help others and don't need the help themselves? Often when people do a community service project they say "I got so much out of it." Why is this? Because you feel like you are helping people? When people give to Amvets Clothing do you secretly think to yourself that you are happy to be on the giving side, not on the receiving side? This week, my mom had eye surgery. Ever since, we have been having meals delivered right to our door at 6 p.m. every night. Normally, we are on the side of always cooking meals for those in need. To be honest, it's quite weird receiving all this help with meals and people driving us around because my mom can't drive. This is no way shifts our place in society, such as we don't go down in class because we are receiving help, but I can see that if this continued for an extended period of time, a family might feel they are inferior because they are always receiving help, always the "charity" of another family. The truth is, that could be anyone's family. No one is better just because they are serving the food, not waiting in line for it.



Community service, when done right, can obviously be very beneficial to a society and help improve the general social welfare. However, I believe it is important to be sensitive to the different societal attitudes that service, such as mission trips or feeding the hungary, can promote. Just because you are on the receiving end of aid doesn't make you inferior, just like the Congolese weren't inferior to Nathan just because they were poorer or weren't Baptist, and just because your situation, financial or non-financial, allows you to give instead of receive this year, doesn't make you better. It just makes you human, and often just plain lucky. You could be next. Next year, it could be you on the receiving line of the soup kitchen. Giving and taking is all part of the cycle. Let's just not let it define us and our place in society.

-Emily