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[chriscrady]

The New York Times April 20, 2020 article, “How Abortion, Guns and Church Closings Made Coronavirus a Culture War” focused on the crossroad of social issues and health precautions. As we know, stay at home orders have been made around the world and damage of all sorts have been outcomes. At the end of the day, the orders to prevent the spread of the pandemic are in the best interest of humans safety. Protests of the extended quarantine orders are being misdirected. It doesn’t help that America’s own President ironically encourages the protests-large gathering of groups, some not wearing masks, most all not practicing social distancing- and our own Vice President refuses to wear a mask in a hospital. These mixed messages are resulting in mixed messages by protestors. Signs that mock the #MeToo movement (a woman was carrying a sign “My Body My Choice” with an image of a mask below the text; that phrase was carried by #MeToo marchers on signs to represent survivors of rape/sexual abuse and has regards to pro-choice support that it’s for a woman to decide what happens to her body not, the government or anyone else), people calling safety precautions as “socialism”, religious practicing people feeling targeted by victimizing themselves by believing only their houses of worship are being called out. This specific religious argument was emphasized after Trump pinned one house of worship against the other regarding Christian churches and mosques, encouraging division in a time when the country needs unity.
Some people are focusing on their own personal desires than the long-term reasons. A protestor complained about how “they can’t go fishing”. As people around the world are having just as difficult time as anyone else, especially being cooped up inside, some are staying focused on what matters and needs to be done (staying home) while others are clearly at their breaking point. Trump also used false threats, which provoke pro-gun groups that the 2ndAmendment was being threatened in Virginia (gun businesses being shut down-even though those have remained opened). Protestors in Michigan took to the steps of the Capitol with automatic weapons-making their radical opposing stance on the extended stay at home order.
Texas put a bias hold/temporarily close on medical clinics and procedure facilities, some facilitating abortion and grouped it with schools and nonessential businesses despite being a medical clinic. People’s personal political agendas and opinions are costing the welfare of our country and world. People are making it about themselves instead of staying on track with the sacrifices that are being made to flatten the curve and move closer to going back to normality and healing. These protests and lack of leadership are just prolonging the damage health-wise and economically. The longer people are out, the more lifts that are made by state officials, the longer COVID19 will be in control.
In class, we have touched these topics of abortion, gun control, and church closings to the coronavirus pandemic. These have been political issues for years and should not be the focus during a pandemic, when we all should be prioritizing health, safety, and protect those around us.
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Peters, Jeremy W. “How Abortion, Guns and Church Closings Made Coronavirus a Culture War.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 20 Apr. 2020

[chriscrady]

In this article, written by Maura Barrnett and Matt Wargo, both discuss the topic of technology and how not all communities use it as a source of means to find out new information. Amish communities live simply and who reject technology are in need of updates on this pandemic more than ever. In 2019, “ There were more than 340,000 Amish living in the U.S. which primarily live in states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois” (1). And due to the lack of resources and technology, it has been hard to keep updated the current status with the virus as well as to measure the exact number of cases within the Amish community.

Amish people have always been independent and get their news mostly from the paper or overhearing it on someone’s radio who isn’t in the community. Most businesses are still open during this pandemic and some jobs such as farming are still selling seeds. But some businesses within the community are taking a bigger impact due to the virus more than others, such as taxi drivers and construction workers. Even with church’s and schools closed. The Amish community still is continuing to hold large gatherings against the State’s wishes. The Amish community takes pride in having weddings, Rumspringa, and going to church. It’s hard to take that away, due to it’s the minimum celebrations they do have. Having to live simply and not celebrate at the same time is hard to grasp in the community.

A problem that has arisen during this pandemic within the Amish community is the lack of insurance, and not having insurance during this time can mean hospital bills or not getting treated. Wellspan Health, “ Is waiving all out of pocket costs for anyone who needs COVID-19 testing or treatment during the Coronavirus outbreak”(1). The Amish were also given material to make masks for their community, and with their skills on craftsmanship have made numerous masks that were donated to hospitals in need.

Social distancing I would think can bring a problem, in which they love being together. Most of the world has the ability to use social media and can even Google to find the latest update or trend. Because of this, groups from outside the community are doing what they can to keep everyone informed during this terrible time. An example of this is the Penn State Extension, which is helping to hand pamphlets out in order for the Amish businesses to have a guide for updating health practices to help them be safe during their time of being open.

In class, we discussed and watched a video on the Amish community and lifestyle. We learned that their faith calls for them to lead a lifestyle of hard work and discipline. During this coronavirus pandemic it is important for us to keep them informed on the updating news of the virus practices in their businesses to prevent sickness and to help them practice health safety to keep their  businesses open as many people are hurting without jobs. 

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Barrett, Maura, and Matt Wargo. “Authorities Work to Keep Amish Communities Informed amid Coronavirus Pandemic.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 11 Apr. 2020

[chriscrady]

The coronavirus pandemic is affecting congregational worship for various religious communities around the world, Christian, Muslim, and Jewish communities. Today,  “Religion is the solace of first resort for billions of people grappling with a pandemic for which scientists, presidents, and the secular world seem, so far, to have few answers. With both sanitizer and leadership in short supply, dread over the coronavirus has driven the globe’s faithful even closer to religion and ritual” (1). The big question is how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting these religious communities.

CoronaVirus is affecting the way people pray, but the pandemic is also influencing people’s relationship with their faith. More Americans are convinced they have grown closer to God in the past weeks, “ Some people of faith were more likely than others to report this shift. For example, around half of white evangelical Christians (54%) and black Protestants (53%) said they feel closer to God, compared with only 37% of Catholics and 23% of white mainline Protestants”(2). This shows that more people are praying due to anxiety since the corona virus pandemic has started. It’s particularly affecting Muslim communities in the West and in the majority of countries because congressional worship in the Muslim community can happen all the time. There is a major Friday congressional prayer that takes place and many Muslims will attend. But even week, many Muslims will go to the Musk where there it has been restricted or suspended altogether. And you can find these communities to continue congressional prayer at home. Christian communities are doing the same with mass and other religious communities as well.

Different countries and different governments are addressing religious freedom concerns against the spark of the coronavirus pandemic in numerous ways, in a number of western countries have already had the same guidelines as wider guides pertaining to gathering in large numbers, in the U.K. as well. When it comes to other countries and other parts of the world particularly in the Arab world then governments have said that places of worship should suspend prayers within. Religious communities over the past week in different parts of the world are approaching the challenges coming from the coronavirus pandemic in different ways. Congressional prayers in places of worship have been suspended, but there are congressional prayers that people do at home. There are many different types of prayer that can be done with family or individually at home. I think religious communities are finding it refreshing to realize their traditions have those different resources when the places of worship are no longer accessible to them as they were.

In class we have touched on the topic of worship and what is meant in different communities of religion. With everything going on with the pandemic, it’s interesting to find how this obstacle is making people prayer harder and more than ever. It also gives insight to how the world of the church will look in the future both face to face meetings and taking in the social distancing action and incorporating it with technology for prayer.

2. Yee, Vivian. “In a Pandemic, Religion Can Be a Balm and a Risk.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 22 Mar. 2020

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[chriscrady]

The Daily Aztec set out days before the California Democratic Primary votes would be counted to collect hard facts and data on who SDSU students were intending on voting for. From February 3rdto the 20th, 2020, the Daily Aztec broadcasted a questionnaire through Qualtrics, an online voting site aiming to collect more than a response from the student body.

Over the course of two weeks, the Daily Aztec received 729 total surveys. Though many responses were received, guidelines did state that students were able to skip questions and opt out of the survey at their will. Each question received anywhere from 500 to more than 700 responses; this way there was “no way to establish a true margin of error” (1). Some of the collected data from the survey included gathered information of the survey participant’s gender, major/college, “63.3% identifying as female and 30.8% identifying as male. 1.5% identified as non-binary while just 0.28% preferred not to state” (1). The poll itself was was divided into 4 parts: questions regarding student’s demographics, political preferences for the 2020 election, questions regarding participant’s opinions on the current state of Trump, and questions related to SDSU. The survey participants were registered and politically identified as Democratic or Independent/No party preference, as they are the only political demographic that can vote in the upcoming Democratic primary. 696 students addressed the questions on their support for the Democratic Party. A key result from the students data was that out of the 696, only 129 listed parties were not Independents, Democrats, or Non parties.

Sanders, 78, is associated with younger American’s political tastes desperate for dramatic action on climate change, student debt, and health care. It is one of the most compelling and counter-intuitive realities behind Bernie Sanders four year run of the radical Democratic presidential candidate owes his popularity to the parties young voters.

For younger voters, the years have primed them to embrace more radical politics. The warnings they hear from scientists about the consequences of climate change have become increasingly dire. The frequent school shootings that have made lockdown drills a normal part of life have prompted students to call for more government regulations on guns. The Great Recession, which battered millennials upon reaching the job market.  

It’s shocking for many middle-aged and older Americans that so many millennials are Sanders supporters. Younger people face the daunting realization that they could be the first generation to have lower living standards than their parents. They naturally wonder about whether they will be self-sufficient, financially secure and fulfill the American Dream that was given to them. If a young adult decides to purchase a home, you must come up with a substantial down payment and closing costs that would come up. They would have to pay high property taxes, interest on loans, and maintenance of the property to maintain the house. Also if you live far from the city, add a vehicle and home furnishings. This is an unattainable goal, for a person who pays off a large student loan with a job that doesn’t pay well. Bernie is also a candidate who embodies the hope and direction young voters want to head in. With racial tensions still high and a time that feels like a country going backwards with Neo-Nazis and White Supremacist feeling comfortable being out from hiding, Bernie, a civil rights activist as a college student, connects to the students who participate in marches and civil movements. His dedication is inspirations to many who are just as committed to having America learn from its mistakes and don’t want dark history repeating itself. He’s also the candidate who has spent the most time with America’s students and leaders of tomorrow.

It is not shocking, considering their situation, that Bernie Sanders is in the lead in the polls and that the idea of socialism is gaining momentum among young people. In class we have discussed the rise of Bernie and this impacts me as the next presidential candidate carries the torch forward to the future of hard-working and innovation men and woman.

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“The Daily Aztec.” The Daily Aztec, thedailyaztec.com

[chriscrady]

American historians have demonstrated, for years, a false representation of culture by degrading and omitting the valuable accomplishments of African-Americans. Institutional racism and oppression, such as 243 years of slavery and the Jim Crow laws, have seriously harmed the identity and perception of the African-American people. The negative stereotypes that exist generate a stereotype among young blacks that also leaves them susceptible to adaptive behaviors.

This was acknowledge by Woodson when he established the Negro history week in 1926, which evolved into what we now know as Black History month. Black History Month was created to celebrate, encourage, honor, and appreciate African-Americans historical contributions to science, politics, sports, and art. It is a valuable resource for inspiring, encouraging and addressing some of the negative images that pervade African-American culture.

Black History Month collects support throughout the country as people of all ethnic and social backgrounds celebrate the African-American experience. We can not rely entirely on the public education system to educate or instill culture for the students. The majority of that will fall on the parents and relatives of the student. The nest to develop culture and heritage should be within your home whether it be African, European, Latin, or Asian.

The reaction to the event, first celebrated in February 1926, the month that featured the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass, was overwhelming as students, historians, and philanthropists came in to help the initiative.  Fifty years later, with the nation's bicentennial and in the wake of the civil rights movement, the celebration was expanded to a month after President Gerald R. Ford decreed a national observance.

The organization he founded, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History which is now renamed the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), has fought to keep his legacy alive since Woodson died in 1950. In 2020 we would like people to be more inclusive, even when cultural organizations are in different places. We need to incorporate this into other days of the year, not just one day.

2020 will be the year of the 100 year mark since the 19thAmendment and women’s suffrage movement. It also marks the sesquicentennial of the 15th Amendment, which gave black men the right to vote in 1870, following the Civil War.  This month, “ We celebrate our brothers and sisters. We celebrate our stories of the past and dreams of the future. We celebrate our innumerous forms of expression. We celebrate the many inventions that have been produced by our ancestors. We celebrate our freedom that is seemingly so close yet extremely far”(1). During this month we need to respect this month for those who lost their lives and sacrificed. And when this month is done, it should be carried on and not forgotten. Learning a person’s challenges, triumphs, and tragedies can only help create appreciation and understanding that contributes to unity.

“The Daily Aztec.” The Daily Aztec, thedailyaztec.com

[chriscrady]

As Democratic presidential candidates are campaigning to win the nomination of their party, there is still some uncertainty as to how voters from different religious groups will vote. Nevertheless, as November rolls around, early signs are that religious views may be common and closely related to the political views of each nation. Overall, “ among eligible voters who identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party, Protestant, and Catholics are more likely to nominate Joe Biden as their first pick” (1). Religiously unaffiliated Democrats lean more towards Bernie Sanders, with self-described atheists and agnostics more inclined to designate Sanders or Elizabeth Warren as their primary pick.

Neither party has an overwhelming endorsement from each of the main faith denominations, and many people also claim they are unsure or unable to name a favorite. Among, “ Black Protestant Democratic voters, for example, 44% name Biden as their first choice- four times the share of any other candidate- but 30% remain undecided or give other answers indicating uncertainty in their choice of vote” (1). Democratic elections feature two contestants that should they win the general election, would make history by becoming the country’s first Jewish president. “ Sanders and Michael Bloomberg. But just one-in-five Jewish voters say they currently prefer Sanders (11%) or Bloomberg (8%) as the Democratic nominee, compared with 31% who name Biden, 20% who prefer Warren, 13% who name Pete Buttigieg, and 11% who are undecided refused to answer the question, or give a response” (1). Early graph shows most white evangelicals plan to vote for Trump in November while most black Protestants and religious nones intend to vote for a democrat.

Such beliefs generally represent the political party affiliation of leaders of each religious community. For starters, most white Protestants identify as Republicans, and Republicans largely support Trump. Among the white evangelical voters who identify with or lean toward the GOP, 68% say they will vote for Trump in November, and another 19% say they are likely to do so. The article released by the Pew Research Center on January 31st, 2020 and titled    “ Among Democrats, Christians lean toward Biden, while ‘nones’ prefer Sanders” reveals the voting preferences of Christians for the 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary. They asked all the respondents, not only eligible voters, how they felt Trump was currently conducting his job as President. “ Three quarters of white evangelical Protestants (77%) claim they approve of Trump’s results, including a large majority (64%) who approve very strongly. Most white Protestants who are not evangelical (56%) also approve of Trump’s job, as do most white Catholics (58%)” (1). The article starts to define and break down the separate Christian classes within the United States by race and faith, and who are likely to choose as the Democratic presidential nominee for the first choice. 

Almost everywhere, Joe Biden leads as the first choice among all presidential candidates for Christian groups in the U.S., followed by Bernie Sanders. The collection of data on which the knowledge is created is centered on a nationwide study undertaken by the Pew Research Survey of randomly chosen American adults and their opinions on the presidential election. Those polled through a web survey and those who identified themselves as Democrats or lean democrats were 7,013. The survey also started to ask questions such a how they should rate as their first or second preference for a Democratic candidate, and how likely they are to participate.

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Lipka, Michael, and Gregory A. Smith. “Among Democrats, Christians Lean toward Biden, While 'Nones' Prefer Sanders.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 31 Jan. 2020