meaghan-burke-journalism

[meaghan-burke-journalism]

International Feminism

Feminism is a word thrown around a lot in modern media, but sometimes it seems as if people refuse to understand the true meaning.  Feminism is saving lives all around the globe and it can not be defined or justified until it is taken into account the intensity of international sexism.  Americans like to push away feminist ideas because here in the United States, sexism is not always obvious, but that does not mean that we give up.  Early feminists didn’t stop fighting when the 19th amendment was created, the battle is ongoing, because as Audre Lorde once said, “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”  Yes, the United States is a developed country and sexism might not seem like an imminent threat, but the world is a dangerous place for women, and it always has been.  

In Malta, if a kidnapper marries their victim, they will not be prosecuted.  In Sudan, girls as young as 10 years old can be married.  In Nigeria, domestic violence is completely legal.  In India, marital rape goes unnoticed.  And this isn’t just in foreign countries.  In some states in America, rapists can legally take custody of a child conceived by their victim. Depending on the state and situation,  American girls as young as 12 can get married.  This is an international crisis, and it must be addressed immediately.  

In spite of the sexist monstrosities that have taken place across the world for the entirety of human history, some good does come to light.  There are so many activists all across the world that many Americans have never even heard of, and their actions against sexism have inspired the world.  Malala Yousafzai, a 16 year old girl in Pakistan was shot by the Taliban for defending women's rights and education.  Malala survived the attack and used her story to inspire new revelations and to create new buzz for her cause.  Malala has used her newfound fame to help girls around the world and build a new school for girls.  

Lydia Cacho is a Mexican journalist and human rights activist.  Cacho focuses a lot of her work on violence against women, and was even briefly arrested for her book, calling out powerful men who were involved in a prostitution ring.  Despite the arrest, Cacho continues to write out against sexism.  

Recently brought back to light in the United States is the prosecution of Cyntoia Brown.  In 2004, 16 year old Cyntoia Brown was kidnapped, drugged, and sold to a man who she ended up shooting for attempting to rape her.  The court saw her guilty of murder, and she was tried as an adult and sentenced to life in prison.  Brown has been in prison since and will be eligible for parole when she is 69 years old.  Due to a massive explosion of this story on social media, many celebrities have become involved with this case.  Rihanna speaks for us all in her recent instagram caption,

“Something is horribly wrong when the system enables these rapists and the victim is thrown away for life.”

The world has to wake up and smell the systematic oppression of women.  

[meaghan-burke-journalism]

Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812

“Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812” is a beautiful and harrowing modern musical based on the classic novel “War and Peace”.  While there were many doubts within the broadway community, the haunting beauty of the piece created an instant attraction, especially from younger fans.  Dave Malloy, the composer of the musical, takes key characters from “War and Peace” and shares a story of love, lust, and friendship.  

The musical starts with the song “Prologue”, a piece which gives a simplistic description of both main and minor characters, and explains the complex nature of the story.  Malloy breaks the fourth wall and subtly stabs at the extremely complicated story repeatedly within this song, with a chorus that tells the audience: “you’re gonna have to study up a little bit if you want to keep with the plot”.

The story follows young Natasha Rostova, who is left alone after her fiancé, Prince Andrey Bolkonsky, leaves for war. Her story creates a strange parallel between her and Pierre Bezukhov, the “sad old man living out his final days in Moscow”. Through a long and complicated story of adultery, loss, and manipulation, Natasha and Pierre find themselves stuck, lonelier than ever, with no one but each other to turn to. Their relationship is not a romance, but a friendship they both desperately needed.

Scott Stangland, one of the many men who took on the role of Pierre, is a stout, older man who graced the audience with his strong voice and his phenomenal skills as an actor.  Denee Benton, the young woman who originated the broadway role of Natasha, was hands-down brilliant.  Not only was her voice angelic, but she turned a weak, naïve character into a someone the audience couldn’t help but love.  

Aside from the amazing leads, the stars of the show were the absolutely wonderful ensemble.  Unlike any other show on broadway, the ensemble does not limit their performance to the stage.  The ensemble is scattered throughout the theatre; some were up in the mezzanine or dancing around the orchestra.  There are dancers above, below, and next to the audience. Not only are these ensemble members dancing and singing, some are playing along with the orchestra. The audience can feel the talent and dedication radiating off of this group of artists.  

The score and book of this piece are utterly stunning, with notes that clash, beautiful harmonies, and words that simultaneously make the audience want to laugh and cry.  Overall, “Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812” gets 10/10 stars, and deserved much more than its short eleven month run on broadway.

[meaghan-burke-journalism]

Mental Illness and Gun Control

The same exact thing happens in the government after every mass shooting in the United States. First, silence. Then, prayers and condolences. Finally, the repeated blame put on mental illness.

Mental illness is a very serious issue in the United States. Over 18% of Americans suffer from conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. No doubt, the United States needs to put more attention and funding toward research and caring for the mentally ill. However, the mentally ill are not who Americans should fear. We should be fearing the men and women walking around with automatic rifles for no good reason.

Don’t get me wrong, there is a correlation between mental illness and gun violence, it is just not as strong as Americans believe it to be. Americans should not be blaming mental illness for the deaths of millions when it is obviously an issue with our gun legislature.

A 2015 study published in the New York Times states that between the years 2001 and 2010, less than 5% of gun-related killings were committed by people diagnosed with mental illness.  

Also, if mental illness was a leading factor in the amount of mass shooting in America, then numbers would show that Americans struggle with more mental illness than other developed countries. This is not the case. While the amount of diagnosed Americans are all in line with other wealthy countries, the United States homicide rate is 25.2 times higher than theirs.

Now, if President Trump was correct in his statement, that these shootings are an issue of mental health, we should investigate his relationship with the issue. Though he seems to obsess over tackling the “difficult issue of mental health” after every mass shooting, he has done nothing but hurt the mentally ill community since he stepped in as president. About a year ago, Mr. President signed a bill to make it easier for the mentally ill to buy guns.

The hypocrisy in the currently Republican-ruled congress is preposterous. One minute they are passing health care laws to take away care for the mentally ill, the next minute all they can talk about is mental health. It is obvious that this is all a rouge to distract Americans from the real issue at hand.

Las Vegas. Orlando. Virginia Tech. Sandy Hook. Sutherland Springs. Columbine. And now, Stoneman Douglas High School. When will this come to an end? When will people realize that this is not normal, and that we need common sense gun laws? It’s already too late. Stop blaming mental health and get to the real cause of this devastating issue. Don’t let the fate of millions rest on people who are being paid off by the NRA.  We can respect those who have lost their lives by taking action and preventing this from happening again.