Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Summer in Chicago, and apparently, living is not so easy...
Today marks the funeral of the 27th child within the Chicago Public School system who was ruthlessly murdered since the beginning of the 07-08 school year. A few weeks ago, a CPS school teacher was shot in the head while she was waiting for her neice in her car -- it was a case of mistaken identity, but that clearly does not matter now. It is beyond me how this city could lose 27 children within nine months; however, while our mayor and governer are intertwined in business that deals with their own greed for money and power and out police force struggles with corrupt cops, it comes as no surprise. In the midst of our leaders' personal issues, they are losing sight of the big picture, and as a result our children and educators are dying.
Just a little over two months ago, a friend of mine who was only 19 and on the eve of finishing up her freshman year, died in a car crash. It was most unexpected, and all I could think was that her life was cut short, so short that it had barely even begun. I think about her often. I wonder what kind of woman she would have grown up to be, what she would have accomplished, how proud she would have made everyone who loved her and cared for her. And now I think that the loved ones of 27 people have to wonder the same thing of the person that they lost -- in many cases much sooner than we lost Maria. They will never ceases wondering.
This is the first summer that I have been home in over two years, and I was looking forward to it. Summer in Chicago is amazing in so many ways -- from the beach, to downtown, to the festivals and the Taste, there is so much to do. And yet, May marked marked what seems to be the most bloody, dangerous summer that we have ever experienced. All of a sudden, I feel as though there is much to fear instead of look forward to.
Just a little over two months ago, a friend of mine who was only 19 and on the eve of finishing up her freshman year, died in a car crash. It was most unexpected, and all I could think was that her life was cut short, so short that it had barely even begun. I think about her often. I wonder what kind of woman she would have grown up to be, what she would have accomplished, how proud she would have made everyone who loved her and cared for her. And now I think that the loved ones of 27 people have to wonder the same thing of the person that they lost -- in many cases much sooner than we lost Maria. They will never ceases wondering.
This is the first summer that I have been home in over two years, and I was looking forward to it. Summer in Chicago is amazing in so many ways -- from the beach, to downtown, to the festivals and the Taste, there is so much to do. And yet, May marked marked what seems to be the most bloody, dangerous summer that we have ever experienced. All of a sudden, I feel as though there is much to fear instead of look forward to.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Sexism in the City
Though I am merely a mediocre fan of the now syndicated show, "Sex in the City", and thought at times that the outfits were a bit out there and the content a bit unnecessarily raunchy, I still developed an appreciate for Samantha, Carrie, and company. And I'm glad that she picked Big. So, like every woman under 35 who has an affinity for shoes, I was more then a bit excited about the SATC movie -- even proud of it once it hit the box-offices and became the most successful R-rated comedy, and movie with completely female-leading roles (let's not even start on how women are too often made to play the role of the doe-eyed, eye-lash-batting, adoring-and-sexy love interest in EVERY movie). However, I was more than a bit surprised when certain critics (by "certain" I mean those of the male persuasion, of course, who identify themselves as heteros) began to bash the movie -- I became offended. Below is a link to an article that best explains why these absurdly sexist, biased critics evaluated the movie the way that they did:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/139889
My, how sexism envelopes us.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/139889
My, how sexism envelopes us.
Obama is in...now he must be all that he promised to be -- and MORE.
The following is from an e-zine called Colorlines, which I frequent a lot. It makes a valid point: once in office, Obama better make good on his promises and be as dynamic as he has led us to believe he can be -- not a puppet in the hands of a corrupt, selfish, "experienced" cabinet (full of old white men? Or people of color there to fill a criteria?). Check it out and let me know what you think:
http://www.racewire.org/archives/2008/06/obama_makes_history_needs_to_m.html#comments
http://www.racewire.org/archives/2008/06/obama_makes_history_needs_to_m.html#comments
Obama is in! It's a new and different day in America!
For the record, I've BEEN knowing this for about a year now; behold, all ye doubters, Obama is the Democratic Presidential Candidate! Now, let's get him to the White House! Below is an article that explains what went right (for Obama) and wrong (for Clinton...who might be our next VP?!) and...basically how McCain doesn't matter. Well, maybe that last part is my own personal bias, but behold:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-clinch_charticlejun04,0,2494342.story
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-clinch_charticlejun04,0,2494342.story
The New Face of Islam
After decades of radicalism and terrorism shining a negative light on Islam, it was refreshing to read this recent article from Newsweek, entitled "The New Face of Islam":
http://www.newsweek.com/id/139433
I urge anyone and everyone to check it out -- be informed, never ignorant, about the present-day, true Islam.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/139433
I urge anyone and everyone to check it out -- be informed, never ignorant, about the present-day, true Islam.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
This is an ACTUAL article, no joke...
U.S. Marines Accused of Proselytizing in Fallujah
Posted on May 29, 2008; from the Council of American-Islamic Relations main website, www.cair.org.
At the western entrance to the Iraqi city of Fallujah on Tuesday, Muamar Anad handed his residence badge to the U.S. Marines guarding the city. They checked to be sure he was a city resident, and when they were done, Anad said, a Marine slipped a coin out of his pocket and put it in his hand.
Out of fear, he accepted it, Anad said. When he was inside the city, the college student said, he looked at one side of the coin. "Where will you spend eternity?" it asked.
He flipped it over, and on the other side it read, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16."
"They are trying to convert us to Christianity," said Anad, a Sunni Muslim like most residents of this city in Anbar province. At home, he told his story, and his relatives echoed their disapproval: They'd been given the coins, too, he said.
"Iraq is investigating a report that U.S. military personnel in Fallujah handed-out material that is religious and evangelical in nature," said Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll, a U.S. military spokesman, in a statement e-mailed to McClatchy Newspapers. "Local commanders are investigating since the military prohibits proselytizing any religion, faith or practices."
Fallujah, the scene of a bloody U.S. offensive against Sunni insurgents in 2004, has calmed and grown less hostile to U.S. troops since residents turned against al-Qaida in Iraq.
Now residents of the city are abuzz that some Americans who they consider occupiers are also acting as Christian missionaries. Residents said some Marines at the western entrance to their city have been passing out the coins for two days in what they call a "humiliating" attempt to convert them to Christianity.
It's Nikhar now:
The above news is absolutely unacceptable. I am all for people believing in what they want, or choose, or were raised to believe, as long as that means that they are good people and treat others well, and with respect, regardless of where they come from, the color of their skin, their creed, etc. The above article is proof not only of America's unwelcome presence in Iraq, but also of certain soldiers' attempts to target Iraqi civilians for the purpose of getting them to convert. First and foremost, this is NOT the job of these soldiers. Second, they need to understand that they are in a MUSLIM COUNTRY. Third, they need to comprehend that Christianity is not the solution for what problems are occuring in that country, and that Islam is not the problem either: power, greed, illiteracy, and politics are the heart of those issues. And last but not least, these soldiers need to really get what it means to respect others and their beliefs and refrain from handing out this unwelcome coins and offering their unwelcome ideas. And people wonder why the Middle East doesn't trust America, especially the American military...
Posted on May 29, 2008; from the Council of American-Islamic Relations main website, www.cair.org.
At the western entrance to the Iraqi city of Fallujah on Tuesday, Muamar Anad handed his residence badge to the U.S. Marines guarding the city. They checked to be sure he was a city resident, and when they were done, Anad said, a Marine slipped a coin out of his pocket and put it in his hand.
Out of fear, he accepted it, Anad said. When he was inside the city, the college student said, he looked at one side of the coin. "Where will you spend eternity?" it asked.
He flipped it over, and on the other side it read, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16."
"They are trying to convert us to Christianity," said Anad, a Sunni Muslim like most residents of this city in Anbar province. At home, he told his story, and his relatives echoed their disapproval: They'd been given the coins, too, he said.
"Iraq is investigating a report that U.S. military personnel in Fallujah handed-out material that is religious and evangelical in nature," said Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll, a U.S. military spokesman, in a statement e-mailed to McClatchy Newspapers. "Local commanders are investigating since the military prohibits proselytizing any religion, faith or practices."
Fallujah, the scene of a bloody U.S. offensive against Sunni insurgents in 2004, has calmed and grown less hostile to U.S. troops since residents turned against al-Qaida in Iraq.
Now residents of the city are abuzz that some Americans who they consider occupiers are also acting as Christian missionaries. Residents said some Marines at the western entrance to their city have been passing out the coins for two days in what they call a "humiliating" attempt to convert them to Christianity.
It's Nikhar now:
The above news is absolutely unacceptable. I am all for people believing in what they want, or choose, or were raised to believe, as long as that means that they are good people and treat others well, and with respect, regardless of where they come from, the color of their skin, their creed, etc. The above article is proof not only of America's unwelcome presence in Iraq, but also of certain soldiers' attempts to target Iraqi civilians for the purpose of getting them to convert. First and foremost, this is NOT the job of these soldiers. Second, they need to understand that they are in a MUSLIM COUNTRY. Third, they need to comprehend that Christianity is not the solution for what problems are occuring in that country, and that Islam is not the problem either: power, greed, illiteracy, and politics are the heart of those issues. And last but not least, these soldiers need to really get what it means to respect others and their beliefs and refrain from handing out this unwelcome coins and offering their unwelcome ideas. And people wonder why the Middle East doesn't trust America, especially the American military...
NIkhar Ahmed: Distinguished Leadership Award 2008 -- Specific Page!
I have been searching for the link to this page for a while...it took them a little bit to load up my picture, so I didn't want to post the following link: http://www.denison.edu/offices/publicaffairs/pressreleases/leadership/2008/nikhar_ahmed.html until they did! Check it out -- this award was a long time comming, and I appreciated it not for the attention, but more so for the recognition for the time and efforts I had contributed to both the Denison community and the surrounding community!
Shout out to Ozzie Crump, without whom I would not have realized that it was picture day at Denison, and so I would not have the wonderful picture that they used in the profile for the DL award...major props Oz! Thank you for calling me and urging me to come to take the picture, saying that "People gotta know that colored folk attended Denison!" So true, so true...
Shout out to Ozzie Crump, without whom I would not have realized that it was picture day at Denison, and so I would not have the wonderful picture that they used in the profile for the DL award...major props Oz! Thank you for calling me and urging me to come to take the picture, saying that "People gotta know that colored folk attended Denison!" So true, so true...
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