Conflicts in Iran and its Impact on Pierce College Students
President Donald Trump departs after addressing the nation from the White House on Jan. 8, 2020.
An update on what has happened, what we know so far, and what students on campus need to know regarding the conflict
With the year 2020 having barely been around for a week, the world has already been faced with a plethora of concerning dilemmas; one of the most notable conflicts being between Iran and the U.S.
With the state of the matter currently up in the air., Mmany people, soldiers especially, may be wondering what might happen next or where things will go from here. Many questions remain to be answered, but there are some answers that can be given to those at Pierce College who may be concerned.
Affirmative Action Rejected
Affirmative Action to be denied in Washington State’s November 2019 Elections, reinstating Initiative 200.
During the Washington State elections on November 5, citizens voted against Referendum 88 and the restoration of Affirmative Action – a policy favoring individuals belonging to previously discriminated groups within America. This practice would have allowed for colleges, universities, and businesses to increase opportunities for minority groups by giving them further support.
Previously in April 2019, Washington State legislatures passed Initiative 1000, repealing the ban on Affirmative Action which had been placed 20 years ago. This ban was originally passed by Washington voters in 1998 via I-200; however, recent elections have since reinstated this ban by the people. With its rejection, this leaves the state facing a number of concerns from both sides of the vote.
For Washington State government officials such as April Sims, co-chair of Washington Fairness, Affirmative Action being rejected is disheartening. As reported by NBC News, Sims states how Affirmative Action would have been a great way to level the playing fields for everyone in Washington State. Jay Inslee, the Governor of Washington State, also saw Referendum 88 as a way to address what he referred to as systemic inequalities.
Despite this, not everyone in Washington saw Affirmative Action as a solution to inequality. Shortly after the passing of I-1000, a petition was led by Washington Asians for Equality. This petition was created as an attempt to keep Affirmative Action banned in Washington State by giving the vote back to the people.
“I-1000 can be summed up in one sentence: It would abolish the standard of equality for all, regardless of race, as required by I-200, and replace it with a system that uses different rules for people of different races,” states the petition. As such, petitioners felt that this vote should be in the hands of the people.
Those sharing this sentiment see Affirmative Action and Referendum 88 as an attack on equality in Washington State. However, while some feel as though I-200 allows for true equality, certain statistics state otherwise.
According to the Stranger, many legislatures within Washington viewed I-200 as a step backwards for the state when it comes to providing underrepresented groups positions in business. With both women and minorities having less than 4% of the state’s contracting dollars post I-200, this has left Washington state below its established goals.
Javier Valdez, a Seattle representative, believes that I-1000 would have been a fix to I-200. “I-200 was sold 20 years ago as something that would be fair to everyone, and that’s clearly not the case,” he said.
While both sides hold claims still in search of a proper solution, it’s not difficult to see what demographics tend to dominate college campuses, Pierce College included. But whether or not something like Affirmative Action could help with this, or if this is even a problem that needs help, is a question for another time.
Local Activism Sparking Social Change
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Equity Rally: A Coalition for the People
Educators join the AFT Union rally in Olympia
Resist Hate.
One voice, turning into millions participate in march.
“Fake news” critics spread their own brand of lies
People upset over apparent “fake news” refuse to check their sources
Analysis of Trump’s controversial executive orders
One week into presidency, Trump signs four executive orders
Students Take Action in State Capitol
Pierce student government members share experiences and urge others to get involved
Obama takes aim at the future of America and Republicans.
President Obama gave his final, of seven, State of The Union address on Tuesday. The overall theme was hope and optimism for the future while calling out the Republicans on several key issues.
In the background was Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker Paul Ryan. On many occasions you could see Biden applauding the topics that Obama was speaking on, but in stark contrast Ryan kept a stern face, rarely acknowledging the speech. As the cameras panned out to the audience, it was clear to see it was mainly the Democrats that were clapping and cheering while the Republicans just sat there. The only time it seemed the President got a standing ovation from everyone was when he talked about how great our military is.
One of the main points Obama made was about the price of college for Americans. “And we have to make college affordable for every American.” said Obama in his speech. “Because no hardworking student should be stuck in the red. We’ve already reduced student loan payments to ten percent of a borrower’s income. Now, we’ve actually got to cut the cost of college. Providing two years of community college at no cost for every responsible student is one of the best ways to do that, and I’m going to keep fighting to get that started this year.”
This was brought up last year and seemed to have fallen to the wayside. Some states, like Oregon, has already voted to make community college free for their citizens.
Obama talked about workers who lose their job should have a way to learn a new trade so they can be hired again. “ …we shouldn’t just make sure he can get unemployment insurance; we should make sure that program encourages him to retrain for a business that’s ready to hire him,” said Obama. “If that new job doesn’t pay as much, there should be a system of wage insurance in place so that he can still pay his bills.”
This could help out students who are going to college for retraining from L&I (Labor and Industries) due to an injury sustained on their job. In the brief overview of the wage insurance, there was no talk of where the source of money would come from.
Obama went on to talk about clean energy and how helping those around the world move away from ‘dirty’ energy. “Rather than subsidize the past, we should invest in the future — especially in communities that rely on fossil fuels,” said Obama “That’s why I’m going to push to change the way we manage our oil and coal resources, so that they better reflect the costs they impose on taxpayers and our planet.”
In the midst of all the talk about the future Obama managed to find a sentence here and there to attack the Republicans.
“I told you earlier all the talk of America’s economic decline is political hot air,” said Obama “Well, so is all the rhetoric you hear about our enemies getting stronger and America getting weaker. The United States of America is the most powerful nation on Earth. Period. It’s not even close. We spend more on our military than the next eight nations combined. Our troops are the finest fighting force in the history of the world. No nation dares to attack us or our allies because they know that’s the path to ruin.”
Though he did not mention Donald Trump directly, or any other Republican presidential hopefuls, he did bash them.
“That’s why we need to reject any politics that targets people because of race or religion. This isn’t a matter of political correctness,” said Obama directly aiming at Trump. “It’s a matter of understanding what makes us strong. The world respects us not just for our arsenal; it respects us for our diversity and our openness and the way we respect every faith.”
The Republicans responded to the State of The Union with South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. Haley was elected as the first female and minority governor of South Carolina.
In her speech she focused on how Obama was full of talk and less about action. She goes on to talk about the way the economy is failing, but the Republicans are also to blame.
“We need to be honest with each other, and with ourselves: while Democrats in Washington bear much responsibility for the problems facing America today, they do not bear it alone. There is more than enough blame to go around,” said Haley in her speech. “We as Republicans need to own that truth. We need to recognize our contributions to the erosion of the public trust in America’s leadership. We need to accept that we’ve played a role in how and why our government is broken.”
“And then we need to fix it.”
Haley went on to talk about the terrorist attack that killed 9 people at a church in Charleston, S.C.
She made an emphasis to point out that they held vigils instead of looting and rioting, which to some could be a slap in the face to those who were protesting in Ferguson and Baltimore.
Haley went on to talk about taking down the Confederate flag.
“We removed a symbol that was being used to divide us, and we found a strength that united us against a domestic terrorist and the hate that filled him,” said Haley.
And then she pounced on Trump.
“Some people think that you have to be the loudest voice in the room to make a difference,” said Haley. “That is just not true. Often, the best thing we can do is turn down the volume. When the sound is quieter, you can actually hear what someone else is saying. And that can make a world of difference.”
Though there was talk about the parties coming together and making improvements to the nation, there was still a clear divide between ideologies on how America should be ran.
One main elephant in the room during the State of The Union was not mentioned. Ten US sailors are being held by the Iranian government, who have since been released as of 5:03 a.m. 1/13/16. Many Republicans lashed out at Obama for not mentioning it in the speech, like Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, and Ted Cruz.
Paul, who was not at the speech, released a 5 minute video. Paul stated that the next president will have to rebuild the military, repeal medical insurance, and balance the budget.
The State of the Union has proven, though we have moved forward as a nation, the government is clearly divided. Neither side seems to be budging.
Black President reflects BHM vision
The 2008 presidential election of Barack Obama was a historical moment in our nation’s history. This moment has had been long for, felt and understood at a much deeper level throughout the communities of Black Americans, from the poverty stricken all the way up to the intellectual communities. It was a visible sign of America shifting it reality on what it means to be an American.The creation of what is known as Black History Month by Dr. Carter G. Woodson is, in essence, what President Obama has achieved. President Obama’s election was a mirror of Dr. Carter G. Woodson’s dream. It was the start of an open acceptance and acknowledgement of Black contributions throughout America’s history, nationally.
The election of President Obama is only one moment in history filled with Black men and women of great character and integrity who have had made great strived for the advancement of a one forgotten people. Thanks to Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the history of Black American’s is celebrated and honor throughout the Month of February,.
Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded the Negro History Week (Black History Month today) in 1926 in hope to expand his life-long understanding of African American’s in America’s history. Before the arrival of Negro History Week, Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (known today as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History), which was a more scholarly focus on the historical, social, political, and cultural understanding of the American Negro in society.
Dr. Woodson who was born of former slave parent yet graduated from the University of Harvard in 1912 with his PH.D in History. This enabled him to research and write with a scientific mind on his work of the Negro contribution. Negro History week was first celebrated in 1926 on the second week of February to honor two great American pioneers, who birthdays fell on that week, abolitionist Fredrick Douglass and former President Abraham Lincoln, both who contributed to the ending of slavery.
Although Black History Month is well known today and even celebrated internationally, it was not until 1976, which was the nation’s bicentennial, that it was officially recognized by every U.S president and celebrated throughout the entire month of February. Furthermore, the months of February is a time of celebration for resilient African-American men and women who passed their ways through social discrimination, racism, sexism, economic hardships to a position of status and honor in fields of great endeavors.
Therefore, when Dr. Carter G. Woodson had stated that “Besides building self-esteem among blacks, (Black History Week) would help eliminate prejudice among whites,”, it is obvious that President Obama’s elections is a visible realization of Dr. Woodson’s struggle to keep America’s history alive.
