debate is raging over this proposed mosque and islamic cultural center, and for good reason.
building a mosque near ground zero, no matter how peaceful the developers' intentions may be, is a slap in the face to the victims of 9/11 and their families. i'm not some bible-thumping, ultra-conservative, but i agree with a lot of the conservative views on this subject. i respect the constitution and unwaveringly support the right to practice religion freely, but this move is obviously a publicity stunt designed to spark fierce debate. and that's disgusting.
the goals of this project are laudable: encourage american acceptance of the islamic faith and improve relations between america and the muslim world. but they're going about it all wrong.
let's turn this around. in iraq, one of the most memorable moments of the war was pulling down the statue of saddam hussein that stood in the center of baghdad. imagine if, a few years after its demolition, christian missionaries erected a huge crucifix or a statue of jesus.
even that doesn't parallel the current situation. to do that, a group of christian fundamentalists would have to blow up some important international building in a country like turkey, massacring thousands of innocent civilians. after non-stop media footage of seemingly average americans and other western citizens screaming "death to turkey" and burning turkish flags, a group of "nice christians" would have to go in and propose a new christian center right across the street from where the tragedy took place. wonder what the muslim response would be? do you think prime minister erdogan or president gul would call for equality and religious freedom? doubtful.
comparing turkey (and sadly but truthfully, much of the muslim world) to america is impossible, not to mention a cop-out. but as an exercise in comparisons, it was necessary.
now let's compare this to another current scandal that's getting a lot of media attention: dr. laura "n-word" schlessinger, and the hypocrisy that is surrounding this debate.
on august 10, schlessinger used the n-word a few times, i think the count is 10 or so, on her radio program talking about race relations. i think she's an idiot, and i disagree with what she did. so does new york times columnist charles m. blow, whose weekly column is witty and very fun to read, but often one sided. his opinion of schlessinger's outburst was spot on. in a recent column, justin bieber for president, was pretty critical of her actions, as he should have been. i'm sure mr. blow understands the constitution, which protects schlessinger's right to say whatever she wants on her show, but he knows it's wrong. she can do it, but she shouldn't, because doing so is an abuse of her rights.
now to the mosque. uh oh, mr. blow, looks like you've backtracked. a few days ago on twitter, blow started a discussion of the proposed mosque and community center, saying, "What i find ironic is that the most religious ppl in America (Repubs) are opposing religious freedom, while the group with the most non-religious ppl (Dems) are fighting for it."
wait a minute! so it's ok for schlessinger to be attacked for abusing her right to free speech, but it's not ok for the american public to criticize the cordoba initiative and the american society for muslim advancement (mosque and cultural center investors) for their blatant abuse of religious freedom?
i think schlessinger is wrong. no one should say the n-word. but no one - muslims, christians, buddhists, atheists, anyone - should take advantage of american religious tolerance.
i have the right to be a christian, a right i very much enjoy. i have the right to publish my opinions on this blog, another right i love to have. i've been in china where people don't have these rights, and as much as i appreciate chinese culture and the time i've spent over there, i couldn't imagine living in a place where i wasn't free to express my opinions - political, religious, social, et cetera. but, there are boundaries to what we can reasonably say and do, and when those lines are crossed, bad things happen. no matter how obscene or inappropriate schlessinger's comments were, we can't demonize her for abusing her rights while praising the developers of this mosque for intentionally pressing america's most tender bruise. few people would object to a mosque and cultural center being built somewhere else - i would support that 100%.
this, though, i can't and won't support.
19 August 2010
18 August 2010
chapter four
as a new, final school year starts, there's a lot of reflecting to do, a lot of questions to ask.
what have i accomplished over the past three years?
people tell me i've done a lot more than most college students. i've been to china a few times and spent almost a year there in total. i'm near fluent in chinese, one of the most difficult languages for an english-speaker to learn. i've grown a lot as a person, made friends, lost friends and i've found things i'm passionate about. before i came to college, i didn't really know what i wanted or who i was; i was an uncarved block. much against zhuang-zi's sagely advice, i've carved myself into the person i want to be, and i'm still carving.
what do i want to accomplish?
my first priority is figuring out what i want to do starting after may 2011, when i graduate. for the first month or two, i'm taking a much needed break. i have money saved up from high school graduation (never had time to spend it with chinese class taking up EVERY summer), and i'm spending it all on 1) a new computer and 2) a month(s) long trip through either eastern europe, south asia or latin america. i have a year to decide that.
as important as this trip is to me, graduate school is just as important, and i want to make sure i'm making the right choice about it. this fall, i'm applying to four economics phd programs in the united states. in order of preference, they are princeton, chicago, mit and boston university. i'm also applying to three masters programs outside of the united states: the university of oslo, the london school of economics and cambridge, in no particular order.
as some have been very quick to point out (friends, family, teachers, most of my support base), these are all pretty difficult schools to gain admission. obviously, i realize that. but why shoot low?
it's not like i don't have other options. not getting in would probably be a blessing in disguise. it would give me a chance to work for a year or two and make sure that i'm going the right track with economics. working might show me that i would be better suited as a finance major or a policy major, maybe even a philosophy major (joke).
in any case, i'm starting my norwegian studies next week...
a lot of people have asked me why i want to go this route. after obtaining a phd, i'd like to work for the world bank and study environmental economics, doing policy research in developing regions who are prone to environmental degradation as a result of industrialization (we can't afford a repeat of china in africa now can we?). after a while there, i'd like to move to a university where i could teach and research until i'm 80 or 90, maybe 150 if medicine catches up.
what have i discovered over the last three years? what awesome advice can i give?
people aren't always who you think they are, so don't always trust the people you meet, only the people you know. you'll never get to know anyone unless there are bumps in the road. when you start college, you don't know what you want to do. when you graduate, you still might not know. that's not a problem. find a passion and stay on track to work on it.
this year is going to be great. i'm excited to work on my thesis, i'm excited to work on my fulbright application, and i'm so excited to watch my friends and myself move on to new things. my sister is starting college with me next week, and i think that's going to be a lot of fun too.
if only the black-eyed peas had an annoying song about a good year instead of a good night...
what have i accomplished over the past three years?
people tell me i've done a lot more than most college students. i've been to china a few times and spent almost a year there in total. i'm near fluent in chinese, one of the most difficult languages for an english-speaker to learn. i've grown a lot as a person, made friends, lost friends and i've found things i'm passionate about. before i came to college, i didn't really know what i wanted or who i was; i was an uncarved block. much against zhuang-zi's sagely advice, i've carved myself into the person i want to be, and i'm still carving.
what do i want to accomplish?
my first priority is figuring out what i want to do starting after may 2011, when i graduate. for the first month or two, i'm taking a much needed break. i have money saved up from high school graduation (never had time to spend it with chinese class taking up EVERY summer), and i'm spending it all on 1) a new computer and 2) a month(s) long trip through either eastern europe, south asia or latin america. i have a year to decide that.
as important as this trip is to me, graduate school is just as important, and i want to make sure i'm making the right choice about it. this fall, i'm applying to four economics phd programs in the united states. in order of preference, they are princeton, chicago, mit and boston university. i'm also applying to three masters programs outside of the united states: the university of oslo, the london school of economics and cambridge, in no particular order.
as some have been very quick to point out (friends, family, teachers, most of my support base), these are all pretty difficult schools to gain admission. obviously, i realize that. but why shoot low?
it's not like i don't have other options. not getting in would probably be a blessing in disguise. it would give me a chance to work for a year or two and make sure that i'm going the right track with economics. working might show me that i would be better suited as a finance major or a policy major, maybe even a philosophy major (joke).
in any case, i'm starting my norwegian studies next week...
a lot of people have asked me why i want to go this route. after obtaining a phd, i'd like to work for the world bank and study environmental economics, doing policy research in developing regions who are prone to environmental degradation as a result of industrialization (we can't afford a repeat of china in africa now can we?). after a while there, i'd like to move to a university where i could teach and research until i'm 80 or 90, maybe 150 if medicine catches up.
what have i discovered over the last three years? what awesome advice can i give?
people aren't always who you think they are, so don't always trust the people you meet, only the people you know. you'll never get to know anyone unless there are bumps in the road. when you start college, you don't know what you want to do. when you graduate, you still might not know. that's not a problem. find a passion and stay on track to work on it.
this year is going to be great. i'm excited to work on my thesis, i'm excited to work on my fulbright application, and i'm so excited to watch my friends and myself move on to new things. my sister is starting college with me next week, and i think that's going to be a lot of fun too.
if only the black-eyed peas had an annoying song about a good year instead of a good night...
20 July 2010
Blah Blah Blah
i am OVER barack obama.
everyone has a friend whose parents are awesome. they're super relaxed and rarely say "no," and even when they do, it's not even a fight. they're the kind of parents who let you have a sip of beer when you're ten and justify it by saying they would rather you drink at home than at some sketchy bar. they're the kind of parents who let you and your friends eat a lot of junk food before dinner, the kind of parents who have to buy the newest televisions and cell phones. screw college savings or good health insurance. they're the kind of parents who feel great about themselves when their children think they're "cool."
remember amy poelher's character from mean girls? that's the kind of parent barack obama is, except he has 310 million kids.
president obama tells us what we want to hear. and that's it. every speech he gives is fully of lofty goals and idealistic rhetoric. "change." i'm over that, too.
the economist ran a great column this week about american "greatness." people always talk about how awesome america is, but like the author of this article points out, if you have to talk about it all the time, it's probably not that great.
it's similar to what jean baudrillard says about a society's so-called spirit. we resort to extolling the values of our "spirit" when we've run out of other things to be proud of. that's where we're at today, due in no small part to our glorious president.
here are some of his recent tweets:
do you srsly think barack obama has ever said used the word "folks" when he's talking to anyone other than a camera? and really, no one wants to hear his empty rhetoric about "change" and "the fight" and "wall street versus main street." unless you're gearing up for 2012, sir, you can stop with the BS. and is it just me, or is he beating the "storm" metaphor to death?
you know what we need? a president who's strong, experienced and a proven leader. we need a president who isn't a hypocrite - barack obama is "old washington politics" to the extreme. lest we forget the way he passed the healthcare bill...
it's already 2010. the media is already scrambling to place their bets on who will run for president in 2012.
if she weren't doing such a great job as secretary of state, i would be all for hillary running again. she deserved it in 2008, without a doubt. but that won't happen, and she should probably stay in the current position.
i'd really like to see maurice hinchey run, at least as a vice presidential candidate. russ feingold would be a good choice, too.
i'd actually prefer a republican president with a democratic congress. i really like chuck hagel and olympia snowe.
you know who else i like? harold ford, jr., a former senator from tennessee. let's keep an eye on him.
everyone has a friend whose parents are awesome. they're super relaxed and rarely say "no," and even when they do, it's not even a fight. they're the kind of parents who let you have a sip of beer when you're ten and justify it by saying they would rather you drink at home than at some sketchy bar. they're the kind of parents who let you and your friends eat a lot of junk food before dinner, the kind of parents who have to buy the newest televisions and cell phones. screw college savings or good health insurance. they're the kind of parents who feel great about themselves when their children think they're "cool."
remember amy poelher's character from mean girls? that's the kind of parent barack obama is, except he has 310 million kids.
president obama tells us what we want to hear. and that's it. every speech he gives is fully of lofty goals and idealistic rhetoric. "change." i'm over that, too.
the economist ran a great column this week about american "greatness." people always talk about how awesome america is, but like the author of this article points out, if you have to talk about it all the time, it's probably not that great.
it's similar to what jean baudrillard says about a society's so-called spirit. we resort to extolling the values of our "spirit" when we've run out of other things to be proud of. that's where we're at today, due in no small part to our glorious president.
here are some of his recent tweets:
Folks who've fallen on hard times through no fault of their own need emergency relief to weather this economic storm.
It’s time to stop holding laid-off workers hostage to Washington politics. We’ve got to extend unemployment insurance.
When storms strike Main St., we don’t play politics with emergency aid or desert fellow Americans during hard times.
Take a moment to thank those who fought for Wall St. reform. We are proud to stand with them in the fight for change.
Take a moment to thank those who fought for Wall St. reform. We are proud to stand with them in the fight for change.
do you srsly think barack obama has ever said used the word "folks" when he's talking to anyone other than a camera? and really, no one wants to hear his empty rhetoric about "change" and "the fight" and "wall street versus main street." unless you're gearing up for 2012, sir, you can stop with the BS. and is it just me, or is he beating the "storm" metaphor to death?
you know what we need? a president who's strong, experienced and a proven leader. we need a president who isn't a hypocrite - barack obama is "old washington politics" to the extreme. lest we forget the way he passed the healthcare bill...
it's already 2010. the media is already scrambling to place their bets on who will run for president in 2012.
if she weren't doing such a great job as secretary of state, i would be all for hillary running again. she deserved it in 2008, without a doubt. but that won't happen, and she should probably stay in the current position.
i'd really like to see maurice hinchey run, at least as a vice presidential candidate. russ feingold would be a good choice, too.
i'd actually prefer a republican president with a democratic congress. i really like chuck hagel and olympia snowe.
you know who else i like? harold ford, jr., a former senator from tennessee. let's keep an eye on him.
16 July 2010
The reality of it is...
After 7 months back home, I'm still missing China.
Little things set it off. Hearing a snippet of a conversation between two Chinese people in the library. Watching a Chinese person in Starbucks try to explain to the barrista that they just want a medium ("What is this grande?") green tea.
My status on renren.com translates to "When I was in China I didn't miss America, but in America, I reminisce about my time in China every day. What does this mean?!"
My friend Liu Wu commented on it. Loosely translated, he said, "Haha, you're rooted to China."
That's true. After living there and loving (almost) every minute of it, I should have known that coming back to the States would be a problem. I'm rooted to America, specifically the Deep South. Don't get me wrong, I love America and the unique Southern culture that has surrounded me growing up, but after 21 years in small-town Mississippi, and after seeing plenty of places that are more interesting to live, it's hard to slow down and get used to it...again. I went to China and left part of myself there, and even in America, those roots are growing deeper and deeper.
Some people don't know what else is out there, so they're content. I think that's what travel has given me: the inability to settle. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, we'll have to wait a while to see. For now, I'm counting down the days until I can go back. Or go somewhere.
Little things set it off. Hearing a snippet of a conversation between two Chinese people in the library. Watching a Chinese person in Starbucks try to explain to the barrista that they just want a medium ("What is this grande?") green tea.
My status on renren.com translates to "When I was in China I didn't miss America, but in America, I reminisce about my time in China every day. What does this mean?!"
My friend Liu Wu commented on it. Loosely translated, he said, "Haha, you're rooted to China."
That's true. After living there and loving (almost) every minute of it, I should have known that coming back to the States would be a problem. I'm rooted to America, specifically the Deep South. Don't get me wrong, I love America and the unique Southern culture that has surrounded me growing up, but after 21 years in small-town Mississippi, and after seeing plenty of places that are more interesting to live, it's hard to slow down and get used to it...again. I went to China and left part of myself there, and even in America, those roots are growing deeper and deeper.
Some people don't know what else is out there, so they're content. I think that's what travel has given me: the inability to settle. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, we'll have to wait a while to see. For now, I'm counting down the days until I can go back. Or go somewhere.
14 July 2010
wednesday is for reading
currently reading: curtain of green and golden apples by eudora welty
i appreciate structure in my life, but unfortunately i don't have a lot of it. this month, i have calculus every morning from 8 to 10, i tutor from 10 to 10:30, i audit chinese class from 11 to 12, i have history of europe from 1 to 3 and i tutor again from 4 to 8. that doesn't leave a lot of room for fun (or homework, oops). if i could, i would make myself, say, study for the GRE from 9 to 10 every night or work on my calculus homework from 1 to 3 every day. instead, i spend three hours making a new blog, moving the icons around on my iphone, playing doodle jump, reading economics papers that having nothing to do with my classes, re-reading old magazine articles and planning my fulbright application.
needless to say, i haven't had much of a break the past few weeks. the weekend before july 4, i bought some post cards, and i had one left over (i wrote on the back, but never sent it). no need to throw away a perfectly good postcard, so i stuck it on the front of my binder.
as a mississippian, i've definitely heard of eudora welty. i know she wrote delta wedding and some short stories, and i know she's pretty famous, especially in the south. but i've never actually read anything she wrote. yesterday i was sitting in history class, and my deskmate pointed at my binder and said "aw, is that your grandmother."
"no, it's eudora welty."
"who?"
i was appalled. this girl is a college junior in mississippi and had never heard of one of our state's most famous writers. "she is one of the most famous writers in mississippi."
"oh, i like the classics more."
psh. classics. this girl doesn't even know who eudora welty is. she wouldn't know a "classic" if it slapped her across the face.
but then i thought, who was i to judge her for not knowing who eudora welty is? i only know her name, where she's from and one book she wrote. authors aren't like politicians or celebrities. you shouldn't passively know of an author - you should know her. you should relate to her, understand his happiness and his pain. french and chinese both have different words for "to know." in french, connaître means "to know a person." in chinese, it's 认识. "to know a fact" is translated differently, as savoir and 知道 in french and chinese, respectively. with authors, reading a plot synopsis of their famous novels and knowing some facts about their early lives doesn't cut it. it's not enough because through their literature, we can meet them and get to know them, not just know of them. and we should.
although i've only read a handful of her short stories, i feel like i'm getting to know ms. welty already. maybe in a few weeks and a book or two later, we'll be on a first name basis.
i appreciate structure in my life, but unfortunately i don't have a lot of it. this month, i have calculus every morning from 8 to 10, i tutor from 10 to 10:30, i audit chinese class from 11 to 12, i have history of europe from 1 to 3 and i tutor again from 4 to 8. that doesn't leave a lot of room for fun (or homework, oops). if i could, i would make myself, say, study for the GRE from 9 to 10 every night or work on my calculus homework from 1 to 3 every day. instead, i spend three hours making a new blog, moving the icons around on my iphone, playing doodle jump, reading economics papers that having nothing to do with my classes, re-reading old magazine articles and planning my fulbright application.
needless to say, i haven't had much of a break the past few weeks. the weekend before july 4, i bought some post cards, and i had one left over (i wrote on the back, but never sent it). no need to throw away a perfectly good postcard, so i stuck it on the front of my binder.
as a mississippian, i've definitely heard of eudora welty. i know she wrote delta wedding and some short stories, and i know she's pretty famous, especially in the south. but i've never actually read anything she wrote. yesterday i was sitting in history class, and my deskmate pointed at my binder and said "aw, is that your grandmother."
"no, it's eudora welty."
"who?"
i was appalled. this girl is a college junior in mississippi and had never heard of one of our state's most famous writers. "she is one of the most famous writers in mississippi."
"oh, i like the classics more."
psh. classics. this girl doesn't even know who eudora welty is. she wouldn't know a "classic" if it slapped her across the face.
but then i thought, who was i to judge her for not knowing who eudora welty is? i only know her name, where she's from and one book she wrote. authors aren't like politicians or celebrities. you shouldn't passively know of an author - you should know her. you should relate to her, understand his happiness and his pain. french and chinese both have different words for "to know." in french, connaître means "to know a person." in chinese, it's 认识. "to know a fact" is translated differently, as savoir and 知道 in french and chinese, respectively. with authors, reading a plot synopsis of their famous novels and knowing some facts about their early lives doesn't cut it. it's not enough because through their literature, we can meet them and get to know them, not just know of them. and we should.
although i've only read a handful of her short stories, i feel like i'm getting to know ms. welty already. maybe in a few weeks and a book or two later, we'll be on a first name basis.
13 July 2010
你好 (KNEE-how): hello
o hai.
everyone has a voice these days. the internet has given us that privilege, and i want one, too.
i have another blog, but i don't know what to do with it now that i'm back from china. i have a lot of thoughts that i want to share with the world. even if i'm the only one reading this thing, it will help me organize my ideas (sort of) coherently.
allow me to introduce myself:
my name is matthew. i'm double majoring in chinese and international studies with a concentration in global politics. i'm also minoring in economics, which i fall in love with more and more every day. most important, i'm starting my senior year, and i have no idea what i want to do.
i'm southern. i used to hate it, but after living in shanghai for a few months, i understood what it means to be truly southern. i'll get into that some other time, i'm sure.
i'm passionate about the environment, but i'm not a very vocal person, so i don't hop on my soapbox like most people. i enjoy playing the bassoon, even though i rarely have time to practice like i should.
i'm a bleeding heart conservative, if there is such a thing - a pragmatic idealist.
i love my family, and i love my friends. i'm an active social commentator and i like talking about politics, but only occasionally.
that's all i have for now.
everyone has a voice these days. the internet has given us that privilege, and i want one, too.
i have another blog, but i don't know what to do with it now that i'm back from china. i have a lot of thoughts that i want to share with the world. even if i'm the only one reading this thing, it will help me organize my ideas (sort of) coherently.
allow me to introduce myself:
my name is matthew. i'm double majoring in chinese and international studies with a concentration in global politics. i'm also minoring in economics, which i fall in love with more and more every day. most important, i'm starting my senior year, and i have no idea what i want to do.
i'm southern. i used to hate it, but after living in shanghai for a few months, i understood what it means to be truly southern. i'll get into that some other time, i'm sure.
i'm passionate about the environment, but i'm not a very vocal person, so i don't hop on my soapbox like most people. i enjoy playing the bassoon, even though i rarely have time to practice like i should.
i'm a bleeding heart conservative, if there is such a thing - a pragmatic idealist.
i love my family, and i love my friends. i'm an active social commentator and i like talking about politics, but only occasionally.
that's all i have for now.
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