Beyond camouflage
10
viewpoint
sept. 29, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
FIGHTING THE PHOBIA France makes a splash as it bans swimsuit The word islamophobia gets tossed around, mostly in the form of a political force, more and more as the threat of terrorists groups hover closer over countries like the United States and France. But this is not just a word; it is real and it BY maddie gerrald has beat down viewpoint editor the doors of Muslims in the form of hate crimes, discrimination and injustice. Recently in France, 30 different French towns tried to ban a certain type of swimsuit, known as a burkini because it
covers most of the body and is worn in majority by Muslim women. The former French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, threw his full support behind the bans even though most bans were overturned, due to them being unconstitutional. The people of France saw the swimsuits as a radical form of clothing, especially after the two recent terrorist attacks in France. This act is one of racial stereotyping, which has been seeping into American soil since the terrorist attack on Sept. 11. Shortly after, America fell into the Iraq war and the Taliban flooded into Afghanistan. The Iraq war also led into the rise of ISIS, which drew America
back into the picture in the Middle East. These conflicts cost us the lives of thousands of American soldiers, which caused resentment towards the Middle East and its people, specifically Muslims. With the rise of Islamic driven terrorist groups, the fear of the religion and its people has begun to surge in America as well. Muslims are losing their lives because of the stereotype surrounding their religion and beliefs. Most Americans are not even sure what they worship or how, only that it’s different from what they are familiar with. Muslims are being grouped together with the extremists of their religion, but imagine if the
Beyond camouflage It’s important to be true to yourself regardless of parental influences I remember drowning in thick layers of camouflage that engulfed my lanky frame. I remember the wisps of fog my breath emitted. I remember the stench of deer urine lingering on my boots. I remember my father covering my mouth with a scratchy scarf, muffling my words. The only things left uncovered were my eyes, so that I could watch and mimic. While hunting, you’re supposed to sit in silence. No questions. No moving around. You sit, you blend in and you listen. The only problem is that I was never very good at blending in. At 2 years old, a bright-eyed boy with a dimpled smile fumbles around in his father’s enormous shoes- shoes he would someday be expected to fill. At 5 years old, a bright-eyed boy with a proud, toothy smile brings home his first painting, only to be told that art was something girls did. And then came the baseball caps, and the football jersey and
the tall yellow socks. Layers upon layers of camouflage. Blend in. Watch. Listen. This is what boys are supposed to do. At 9 years old, a puffy, red-eyed boy sits, knees to his chest, with the name “quitter” taunting him in the back of his mind. He hated baseball. Before every game, he would say a prayer, pleading to God that his coach would let him just sit the bench. But his dad told him that you never quit anything– no matter how much you hate it– because quitting one thing means quitting everything for the rest of your life. At 12 years old, a wide-eyed boy, whose knees bounce nervously, twists the end of his shirt tightly. May 25, 2012. The day everything could go wrong. The day of grey courthouse walls and grey stairs and grey emotions. The day of the divorce. At 13 years old, a bright-eyed boy with a bashful smile on his face listens as his new art teacher gives him praise for his
BAHRAINI WOMEN During the protests in Bahrain, witnesses say riot police have tried to disperse protesters with tear gas and rubber bullets. The clashes took place as officers attempted to stop people gathering for a major rally in the capital, Manama. Protests in Bahrain - Flickr - Al Jazeera English/ CC BY-SA 2.0
rest of America was grouped with ours. Christians could be grouped with Westboro Baptist Church or even the KKK, and political extremist groups such as the Black Panther Party and Communist Party of the United States. Every social, religious and political group have extremists, so why are we blaming all Muslims for theirs?
There are bigger problems in America than those concerning others’ religious practices, but the concept that the country’s biggest threat is Islamic extremism and that Muslims all over the world are potential terrorists makes it difficult to address problems that really matter. [email protected]
“I learned that I am worth more than the words that people say about me. I know who I am, and I am proud of the person I have become. No one can take that away from me.” by Colton johnson
feature editor drawing. No more camouflage. No more hiding. No more staying silent. At 14 years old, a sleepy-eyed boy hugs his mom tight. He had stayed up all night painting to surprise her on her birthday. It was bright yellow and luminous, and she hung it proudly on the wall, among his other artworks, in her sunlit bedroom. The darkness in that house had been replaced with golden petals, bright walls and breathable air. At 16 years old, a boy paints four words on a canvas, “Better things to come”- not only for his future, but for his 12 year old self who asked the judge to live only with his mom. The judge ruled in his favor. The day I started pursuing my own goals in life was the day my father and I started drifting apart. He wanted a hunter to wear his camouflage, and that was not who I was or ever wanted to be. After the divorce, my father quit talking to me. I’m not sure if he gave up
or lost interest, but I do know that he broke his “golden rule” of never quitting. After my father stopped talking to me, however, I started gaining confidence in myself. I worked on improving my art. I broke out of the quiet shell I had lived in for so long, which allowed me to befriend all the amazing people I have come to know. I learned that I am worth more than the words that people say about me. I know who I am, and I am proud of the person I have become. No one can take that away from me. After being separated from that negativity, I realized that this is my life. It is the only life that I will get here on Earth, and I decided a long time ago, that I would choose the future I wanted for myself. I will do what makes me happy until the day that I die, and I will surround myself with people who make me happy as well. In four years of silence, I have filled my life with every noise, every bright person and every color imaginable. [email protected]
viewpoint
sept. 29, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
FIGHTING THE PHOBIA France makes a splash as it bans swimsuit The word islamophobia gets tossed around, mostly in the form of a political force, more and more as the threat of terrorists groups hover closer over countries like the United States and France. But this is not just a word; it is real and it BY maddie gerrald has beat down viewpoint editor the doors of Muslims in the form of hate crimes, discrimination and injustice. Recently in France, 30 different French towns tried to ban a certain type of swimsuit, known as a burkini because it
covers most of the body and is worn in majority by Muslim women. The former French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, threw his full support behind the bans even though most bans were overturned, due to them being unconstitutional. The people of France saw the swimsuits as a radical form of clothing, especially after the two recent terrorist attacks in France. This act is one of racial stereotyping, which has been seeping into American soil since the terrorist attack on Sept. 11. Shortly after, America fell into the Iraq war and the Taliban flooded into Afghanistan. The Iraq war also led into the rise of ISIS, which drew America
back into the picture in the Middle East. These conflicts cost us the lives of thousands of American soldiers, which caused resentment towards the Middle East and its people, specifically Muslims. With the rise of Islamic driven terrorist groups, the fear of the religion and its people has begun to surge in America as well. Muslims are losing their lives because of the stereotype surrounding their religion and beliefs. Most Americans are not even sure what they worship or how, only that it’s different from what they are familiar with. Muslims are being grouped together with the extremists of their religion, but imagine if the
Beyond camouflage It’s important to be true to yourself regardless of parental influences I remember drowning in thick layers of camouflage that engulfed my lanky frame. I remember the wisps of fog my breath emitted. I remember the stench of deer urine lingering on my boots. I remember my father covering my mouth with a scratchy scarf, muffling my words. The only things left uncovered were my eyes, so that I could watch and mimic. While hunting, you’re supposed to sit in silence. No questions. No moving around. You sit, you blend in and you listen. The only problem is that I was never very good at blending in. At 2 years old, a bright-eyed boy with a dimpled smile fumbles around in his father’s enormous shoes- shoes he would someday be expected to fill. At 5 years old, a bright-eyed boy with a proud, toothy smile brings home his first painting, only to be told that art was something girls did. And then came the baseball caps, and the football jersey and
the tall yellow socks. Layers upon layers of camouflage. Blend in. Watch. Listen. This is what boys are supposed to do. At 9 years old, a puffy, red-eyed boy sits, knees to his chest, with the name “quitter” taunting him in the back of his mind. He hated baseball. Before every game, he would say a prayer, pleading to God that his coach would let him just sit the bench. But his dad told him that you never quit anything– no matter how much you hate it– because quitting one thing means quitting everything for the rest of your life. At 12 years old, a wide-eyed boy, whose knees bounce nervously, twists the end of his shirt tightly. May 25, 2012. The day everything could go wrong. The day of grey courthouse walls and grey stairs and grey emotions. The day of the divorce. At 13 years old, a bright-eyed boy with a bashful smile on his face listens as his new art teacher gives him praise for his
BAHRAINI WOMEN During the protests in Bahrain, witnesses say riot police have tried to disperse protesters with tear gas and rubber bullets. The clashes took place as officers attempted to stop people gathering for a major rally in the capital, Manama. Protests in Bahrain - Flickr - Al Jazeera English/ CC BY-SA 2.0
rest of America was grouped with ours. Christians could be grouped with Westboro Baptist Church or even the KKK, and political extremist groups such as the Black Panther Party and Communist Party of the United States. Every social, religious and political group have extremists, so why are we blaming all Muslims for theirs?
There are bigger problems in America than those concerning others’ religious practices, but the concept that the country’s biggest threat is Islamic extremism and that Muslims all over the world are potential terrorists makes it difficult to address problems that really matter. [email protected]
“I learned that I am worth more than the words that people say about me. I know who I am, and I am proud of the person I have become. No one can take that away from me.” by Colton johnson
feature editor drawing. No more camouflage. No more hiding. No more staying silent. At 14 years old, a sleepy-eyed boy hugs his mom tight. He had stayed up all night painting to surprise her on her birthday. It was bright yellow and luminous, and she hung it proudly on the wall, among his other artworks, in her sunlit bedroom. The darkness in that house had been replaced with golden petals, bright walls and breathable air. At 16 years old, a boy paints four words on a canvas, “Better things to come”- not only for his future, but for his 12 year old self who asked the judge to live only with his mom. The judge ruled in his favor. The day I started pursuing my own goals in life was the day my father and I started drifting apart. He wanted a hunter to wear his camouflage, and that was not who I was or ever wanted to be. After the divorce, my father quit talking to me. I’m not sure if he gave up
or lost interest, but I do know that he broke his “golden rule” of never quitting. After my father stopped talking to me, however, I started gaining confidence in myself. I worked on improving my art. I broke out of the quiet shell I had lived in for so long, which allowed me to befriend all the amazing people I have come to know. I learned that I am worth more than the words that people say about me. I know who I am, and I am proud of the person I have become. No one can take that away from me. After being separated from that negativity, I realized that this is my life. It is the only life that I will get here on Earth, and I decided a long time ago, that I would choose the future I wanted for myself. I will do what makes me happy until the day that I die, and I will surround myself with people who make me happy as well. In four years of silence, I have filled my life with every noise, every bright person and every color imaginable. [email protected]
