Now, the following article may come off as, well, un-American, and it is fine if you perceive it that way, but know I am just trying to point out facts that have been ignored by much of the general public. It has recently come to light that Russia hacked the Democratic National Committee, often referred to as the DNC, in the most recent presidential election. What resulted from these hacks was the stealing of thousands of emails, emails which included damaging information about the Democratic Party and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was also the presidential nominee for the Democratic Party.

     After investigating the Russian hacks, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) told a group of top U.S. senators that the hacks were aimed at helping Trump win the presidency and hurting Clinton’s campaign. Now, I know that most of you are probably tired of hearing about this recent election, so I am going to end my summary there. I know that many Americans are infuriated that Russia would even consider interfering with the American election. However, what about all of the international elections that the United States has interfered with? According to one expert’s research (Dov Levin, Carnegie Mellon University), the U.S. government has interfered with foreign elections more than 80 times all around the world between the years of 1946 and 2000. This number doesn’t even include all of the attempts to instigate regime changes or coups; if they were included, then the number would be much higher. The American government is by no means a stranger to meddling with other countries’ elections and trying to put themselves in a better position for the implementation of the U.S. agenda.

     When we actually take the time to look at Levin’s data sets, we see that Russia/the Soviet Union has interfered with half of the number of elections the United States has. We see also that the United States really likes to take a vocal stance and say that they are trying to spread democracy all around the world. Is this not a contradiction of espoused American democratic values? What this reminds me of is something that one often sees in elementary schools: there is always that one kid who tells everyone what to do, yet the second someone stands up or tells him what to do, the first child throws a fit. We are quick to forget, for example, that the United States tried to sway the Russian election in 1996, when President Bill Clinton endorsed a $10.2 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund to try to stabilize the already-failing Russian economy.

     The United States is no stranger at all to feeling the need to try to influence other countries in their political arenas. If it benefits the American agenda, why not, right? Or should the American government stop trying to influence other countries’ elections and just let it work itself out? You know, let the people decide in actual democratic elections, wherein the winner isn’t already decided by a country that has a larger military and investment interest in the country’s natural resources? Or maybe we should just let it go and stop being that figurative pot that is always calling the kettle black.

     What I am trying to say is that we should know (all of) the facts before we start  casting shade on others for things that we too have done. Ya know, John 8:7 and all that.

     Sources: Los Angeles Times, NPR

     What is the problem with the Dakota Access Pipeline? Why is everyone protesting this? Why is Shailene Woodley getting arrested: Is this a part of her secret life as an American teenager? Here is what you need to know. First, this is an oil pipeline that stretches from North Dakota into South Dakota, snaking its way through Iowa and finally ending up in Illinois. The controversy arises in North Dakota at Standing Rock Reservation, the home of the Sioux tribe, because this pipeline borders the tribe’s water reserves, which means if there was a spill they would have no clean water. The protests are not just due to environmental concerns, but are also about how the Sioux view the land as being sacred. Let me try to put this into a perspective that you, the reader, might be able to relate to. Imagine this: one day you get up to go visit your grandmother’s grave, which is also located at your home church, and as you approach, you are told that you are trespassing on government land. Think of the outrage you would have if that was your reality. Well, for many, this fictitious reality is all too real.  There has been an immense number of protests due to the United States not holding up their agreement of the 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty. This treaty states that all land covered by the treaty is considered Native American land and is not to be touched. Due to this treaty being breached, there have been protests that started out peaceful but have since led to violent confrontations between police and protesters, an all too-common problem these days. After resorting to beatings and the use of pepper spray, the police arrested 142 people, including Shailene Woodley, on charges of trespassing.

     The $3.7 billion pipeline allows Americans to get closer to the goal of being independent from foreign crude oil, which is very appealing to many. However, this drives the biggest question of the day: What is the cost? Can we as a country put a price on potentially destroying a whole people group’s water supply, building on their holy lands to make this happen? It is a hard call on many fronts, but I think it’s important for us to remember that this is a people group that has been mistreated since America’s founding. Native Americans are living in a country filled with people who only value Native American spiritual practices when it doesn’t interfere with them making money. Further, Native Americans constitute a people group that had been told they could no longer live in a particular place and were forcefully relocated to a land that was not their home and far less hospitable to their way of life. They learned to tolerate living conditions that your average middle-class American would consider appalling and not fit for humans.

     A lot of people are saying things like, “The Sioux just want more money so that they can build more casinos.” There may be some truth to that; I don’t know. But maybe they are tired of being stepped on continuously by people who have decided to move into their home and tell them what they can and cannot do and what they must allow to be done to them despite their religious convictions? Maybe they just want to protect their sacred land and tribal burial grounds from commercialization or possible environmental harm? In a statement to the press, Dave Archambault II, the chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, said, “We need our state and federal governments to bring justice and peace to our lands, not the force of armored vehicles.” This is a complex issue, and when tensions are high, people tend to act irrationally and view things through a lens of fear and not a lens of rationality. But I, for one, am standing with Standing Rock. Will you join me?

     Source: The New York Times

     I was born and raised in the largest denomination of the Christian religion, Catholicism. I didn’t choose this religious identity, it was given to me. My only exposure to Christianity as a young child was through the lens of the my Catholicism. Then, once I was a little older, I went to a new school where I didn’t know anyone but my sister who was a freshman.

     On my first first day of school, I was herded and packed into this large chapel with the rest of the school where everyone started to sing along to songs that I had never heard before. People asked me why I was not singing along, and I responded sheepishly by saying “I’m Catholic, we don’t sing songs like this in Mass…” After chapel let out, I made my way to my first religion class that I had ever taken in school outside of Catholic CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine). As I waited for class to be let in, I listened to my fellow students talk and crack Catholic jokes. A sense of confusion flooded my mind: why are they making fun of my denomination so much? My fellow classmates and I filed into class where everyone went around saying what their “home church” was (a phrase that was 100 percent foreign to me): I tell the class that I go to St. Augustine’s for Mass, and a defining roar of whispers sweeps through the class like a wave of judgement. Without hesitation a hand from the back row shoots up and asks, “is he even a Christian then?” Again I am confused, why would I not be a Christian? I love Jesus just like the rest of you all, right, or did I miss something?

     As the years continued I kept my head down as teachers poked fun at my denomination that I had no choice over.  Fast forward a couple years to my first year at Eastern University. By this time I had a chance to really look at all forms of Christianity. My parents and sisters had stopped going to Mass and started going to a larger non-denominational church but I continued to go to Mass whenever I could. I was really torn at this time in my life, could I turn my back on my culture and part of my tradition? Of course there was issues I had and still have with the Church and some of her practices, but I grew up with this in my life and at this point it felt like I was almost turning my back on family.

     Family is extremely important to me and I like to think I am a loyal person, so to walk away from the Church is such a drastic move for me. Besides, I had chosen to become confirmed in the Church, a decision which marks the point where you become an adult in the Church’s eyes. I know that like any relationships, you are going to have your ups and downs, you are going to have your disagreements and there are going to be things you plain old just don’t like. Does this mean that I should walk away from it all?

     I don’t know. I am still trying to figure all of this out. However there is one thing that I ask from you, the reader. Give us Catholics a break; stop bringing up atrocities that the Church committed a thousand years ago. We are not the same Church that we were. When you look at your own life story, you probably have chapters that you would rather not have read aloud or revisited. So please be respectful to our beliefs and tradition as we respect yours. Oh, and please stop using the rosary as an item of jewelry.

     May peace be with you.