All in Current Events

How Will We Go Forward?

For almost a year, the United States has experienced the horrors of the COVID-19 virus. From the hundreds of thousands of lives already taken, to the questioning of America’s leadership, this year has been nothing short of chaos. As we look forward, there is still a high level of uncertainty and anxiety amongst many. With a new president comes new policy; president Joe Biden took immediate steps in trying to overcome the pandemic that has already proved to be destructive. As one of his first presidential actions, on January 20, 2021, Biden implemented an executive order to require anyone who is working for or with the Federal Government or in a Federal building to wear masks and maintain social distancing. These orders were put in place to “halt the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by relying on the best available data and science-based public health measures,” showing that this new administration is using scientific evidence to back their policies (The White House, 2021). While this may help certain parts of the United States, Section 3 “Encouraging Masking Across America” merely provides a suggestion to the American people. There should be more local and state-level intervention to mitigate the spread of the virus. As of March 29, 15 states have no restrictions with the use of masks. Moreover, there are six states that sometimes require masks (The New York Times, 2021). Although there are not clear trends with states with no-mask policies having higher COVID-19 cases, it is clear that this inconsistency across the country reveals the differing values between states, but also the United States’ values.

The Fight Against Human Trafficking Begins at the Computer

The seventh episode of the fifth season of the Emmy-Award Winning TV series Friends features a conversation between Phoebe Buffay and Joey Tribbani while sipping coffee in the famed Central Perk. In jest, Phoebe challenges Joey’s masculinity during the scene to which he responds defensively, “Hey, I am secure with my masculinity… You’ve seen my huge stack of porn, right? (Friends). His response represents a similar theme echoed throughout the series, modern popular culture, and society as a whole: male consumption of porn is both universal and representative of how “real men” should act. Meaning, if you fail to fulfill this expectation, you have forfeited an integral element of your manhood.