November 2019

12 opinions/westerner
November 22, 2019
FOR
SEARCHING
The intercom fizzles, pops, and spits out your stance on important issues; coasting through
the first words of the day: “Good morning Instagram is not. So, for those people who don’t
Maine West, please rise, face the flag, and recite have an excuse other than “I’m tired,” or “I don’t
the Pledge of Allegiance.”
have time for that,” or “I don’t care,” I challenge
One might think that students would be inclined
to stand and recite the Pledge. After all, it I dare you to stand.
you.
is only ten seconds of standing, and maybe five Maybe you are tired, sore from practice, exhausted
because you didn’t go to sleep till one in
seconds more for a moment of reflection. Unfortunately,
this isn’t the case.
the morning, but saying the Pledge isn’t just two
Many students, unfortunately, don’t rise, don’t random sentences. But if we want there to be “liberty
and justice for all,” then we should speak up
face the flag, and don’t recite the Pledge. They
often completely ignore the intercom, sitting at for it here and advocate for it in other ways, too.
their desks and checking their phones. While saying
the Pledge isn’t a requirement because of the go through my head. For one, I think about the
When I stand for the Pledge several thoughts
First Amendment, which protects the freedom of fact that I live in America, a country with numerous
opportunities and protected freedoms. I can
speech, surely standing for ten seconds can’t be
too much to ask. Surely saying two sentences isn’t believe what I want to believe, worship where I
an inconvenience. Apparently, it is.
want to worship and say what I want to say. I
I understand that some people have valid reasons
for not rising during the Pledge, whether where I live because there are millions, if not bil-
think about the fact that I am blessed to live
because of their beliefs or background. There is, lions, of people who wish they could live my life
though, a vast difference between kneeling during here in America. There are people out there waiting
for decades, sitting in refugee camps for years
the National Anthem to protest police brutality
against minorities and staring into a phone during
the Pledge of Allegiance during first period. a chance to live and work in the United States,
or walking literally thousands of miles hoping for
Kneeling, as opposed to standing, is a way to waiting for a shot at the life I lead.
speak out against social injustice and demonstrate Yes, life in the USA isn’t perfect by any means:
Measuring Up
BY PRATIKSHA
BHATTACHARYYA
colunnist
Imagine walking through a maze of funhouse mirrors.
Some mirrors make you taller, others shrink you, while
still others inflate your head and make your legs look like
those of a chicken. Interestingly, it isn’t just the funhouse
that changes your look- photo editing apps can just as
easily warp your image.
These days, we are all too accustomed to the plethora
of pictures that fill up our Instagram feed, all of them
full of seemingly perfect people. But the truth is most
of those pictures seem perfect only because of photo editing.
With extremely advanced technology, it’s easy to
trick people into thinking your waist is 24 inches or that
your legs are cellulite free. Anyone and everyone with a
smartphone can easily manipulate their image to appear thinner, smoother,
and more perfect. While these editing apps temporarily relax our insecurities,
they actually promote ridiculous body standards.
At one point, we actually believed that celebrities looked perfect by just
working out and eating healthy foods. However, celebrities have also pulled
the wool over our eyes, and poor photo editing shows that they aren’t as perfect
as they seem. We have realized that the hourglass, Barbie-esque figure is
simply unrealistic. In fact, if Barbie was a real person, she would have to walk
on all fours with half a liver because of her outrageous proportions.
PATRIOTISM
THE ENDLESS PURSUIT OF PERFECTION
our society is deeply flawed,
people are treated unfairly,
and our government and
criminal justice agencies often
protect the wealthy and powerful
at the expense of those
who aren’t. We aren’t perfect,
but we can be thankful for
the opportunities and security
we have merely by being in the
United States. Besides this, I
think about the more than one
million U.S. soldiers -- people’s
KIRA PALMER
BY JENNA
DAUBE
asst. opinions
editor
children and parents -- who have died in service
to our country. I think about their sacrifice to our
country, their lives lost for the sake of ours. For
living Veterans, I think about how many times
their lives have been changed in catastrophic ways
because of their service. I hear their stories and
think, how could I not stand?
My family is not the type to dip-dye themselves
in red white and blue while waving sparklers,
but I can still find a lot to be grateful for
in our flawed country, and I stand because I dare
to be hopeful we can be even better. If you look
hard enough, I hope you’ll find something worth
standing for, too.
This ideal body type has done much
more harm than good, and has promoted
extreme body standards on social media
that deeply impact the mindsets of the
many young girls. 80% of 13-year-old
girls have admitted to attempting to lose
weight. These unrealistic standards cause
young girls, who have only just begun growing
into their adult bodies, to undereat and work out
as much as possible. The attempt to lose weight
and have the tiniest waist possible has caused
95% of eating disorder victims to between the
ages of 12 to 25. Young girls starve themselves, all
to achieve something unrealistic. young girls don’t
see falsities behind such images. Instead they see their
favorite celebrity broadcasting the best way to get thin fast.
The regular use of photoshop on social media manipulates young
girls into believing that they need to have perfect bodies with skin smoother
than plastic. This epidemic causes young girls to undereat, overwork, and
even use harmful products on their bodies. So, in the future, encourage your
friends, and even yourself, to be happy with what you have. What you have
is just as beautiful, if not more, than any unrealistic standards.
KIRA PALMER