Miss Universe 2012 Scandal

Should you be allowed to compete in the Miss Universe pageant even though you were accepted under the pretense of a lie? Jenna Talackova thinks so. And I would have to say in her case I agree. Jenna was born as a male, and later had reconstructive surgery to physically become a woman. The issue with Jenna's case is that she stated on a form that she was born female. I think that yes, Jenna did lie, but really who does this lie hurt? Jenna identifies herself as woman, yes it is crucial to follow the rules, but we live in a world so biased, and full of judgmental people that Jenna was probably afraid to come out to the whole world as a transgender individual - and put herself under the media's "microscope" (which ended up happening anyways). I feel that if Jenna has the traits thats the Miss Universe organization looks for in a "natural-born" woman then she should most definitely be allowed to compete. Who are we to judge what encompasses a true woman? She looks like a woman, she feels like a woman, and she wants to represent women... let the girl compete.

Continuation of Thoughts on TM Case

Still have thoughts on the Trayvon Martin case. It coerced me to truly look at the big picture when it comes to our race and society. I used to be discriminated against because I didn’t “act black enough” and some students within my race felt that I had no self-awareness or identity because I didn’t have the same interests as them; however, I was fully accepted by others outside of my race. I remember being told that unlike other black students, I wasn’t “scary or threatening”. Then there’s Trayvon who was discriminated against simply for “walking while black”.

There are some people in our own race who tell us that we should act a certain way and if we decide not do so we are alienated. The there are people who are not outside our race that tell us that if we do not act like them, we should be feared. Where do we fit?

Trayvon Martin Case

Upon first hearing about what happened to Trayvon, I honestly felt a deep connection to the case as many others have. I felt a surge of sympathy for his family and friends; I felt anger towards George Zimmerman and his idiotic decision, and finally disappointment in the fact that we are still dealing with racially charged issues such as this one.  What made the connection to this case so much more significant for me, however, was the fact that I have dealt with racial profiling as well, both from people within and outside of my race, and this case drove me to thinking about how unfair all of these racially charged issues are. 

The Trayvon Martin case has been one of the most followed stories in the media lately. His death has evoked such a huge response from the American people. This case just showed me that although we have evolved so much as a nation, there is still so much that we still have yet to improve on.  

Meat... to Eat or Not to Eat?

Ignorance is bliss.
That is the saying that kept repeating in my head as I read "Defending Your Dinner: An Open Contest For Hungry Ethicists"
I am a meat eater. I love meat and I am not going to lie about it. But despite my love for it, is it ethical? We're are all familiar with pamphlets promoting a vegan lifestyle. We know about the animal cruelty that takes place during the process of animal slaughtering. So why do we continue to eat meat?
I think, at least in my case, we opt for ignorance. We know that our sources for meat products, may also be utilize animal cruelty, but we choose to tell ourselves that since we don't know... it's ok.

Visible Children

We're familiar with the Kony 2012 YouTube video that got the attention of millions of people within a matter of days but what about Visible Children.
http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/
The Tumblr site ran by Grant Oyston sheds a more negative light on the campaign. Can it be a scam?
Oyston has gotten a lot of negative feedback from supporters of the Kony Campaign, however he did bring some good points into perspective. To gain more credibility from more people, Invisible Children is definitely going to need to be more open about what they are doing with their funding.
I agree that yes, something does need to be done, however, if I am going to give money to your organization, I want to know exactly what it is I am funding.
Oyston may be receiving a lot of backlash for his site, but I feel that he has every right to raise these questions. Be more specific about the allocation of funds if you want more support.

The issue of whether birth control should be administered to young girls has always been a hot topic. This week, Rush Limbaugh demonstrated that this issue is still very controversial among many Americans. Limbaugh accused a Georgetown law school student, Sandra Fluke of being a slut for suggesting that birth control should be distributed to students at Catholic institutions.
Limbaugh addressed Fluke's statements with harsh criticism and sexist remarks.

"What does that make her? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute... She wants to be paid to have sex. She's having so much sex she can't afford the contraception."

We are all entitled to an opinion, but because of his accusatory and juvenile behavior, Limbaugh definitely discredited himself in my eyes. I don't feel that students should use birth control as an excuse to sleep around, but if a female student does choose to have sex, isn't it better that she chooses to practice safe sex? I think that instead of immediately admonishing and criticizing women for wanting to use birth control, conservatives and members of the Congress should really consider this perspective. Yes, we get it, you don't support the promotion of sexual acts by distributing birth control, but wouldn't you rather promote safe sex than an increase in births of unwanted children, and potentially abortion? I think that it would be a good idea for Catholic institutions to administer birth control to students. As the old saying goes, better to be safe than sorry.

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