“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.” – Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1960
The talented author sadly passed away in her sleep on Feb. 19 at 89 years old in her home in Monroeville, Alabama, the city in which she was born. Probably the most quotable book out there, To Kill a Mockingbird will forever live on as a symbol of both the necessary and unnecessary things we go through in life — the trials and tribulations, if you will. Harper Lee delivered a message about brutal racism in this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from George W. Bush in 2007.
Lee was a person to look up to for the kindness she exuded in the few interviews she gave and for her humbleness as she lived one of her mottos: “People in their right minds never take pride in their talents.”
Not only was her death unfortunate to hear of, but it was also unfortunate that she could’ve received her Medal of Freedom just one year later and it would’ve come from President Obama instead of Dub Jr. I guess people are right when they say life is full of disappointments.
I think the people throughout the tropics experiencing the Zika virus would agree. By now, the mosquito-transmitted sickness has spread from South America, to Latin America, to some Pacific islands and as of Feb. 17, there have been 82 reported cases of Zika in the United States. Most of these confirmed cases have been found in parts of Florida (21), New York (11) and Texas (12). One travel-associated case has been found in Oregon.
These Zika-carrying mosquitos are nasty creatures, especially to pregnant women and their babies. Pregnant women are amongst the most vulnerable because the disease can spread from a mother to her fetus while she’s pregnant, resulting in babies being born with birth defects.
On Feb. 18, Pope Francis of the Catholic Church suggested that women who are sexually active and in areas that are considered high-risk for contracting the Zika disease could use artificial contraceptives, something that has always been a no-no amongst Catholics. Many bishops in Latin America have expressed the contrary, that they don’t think the pandemic is an exception to the sans-contraception Catholic rule. I’d like to just nudge these bishops and say, “Do it for the babies.”
Sitting pretty with Pope Francis in my mind is another lover of babies, the POTUS. President Obama continues to win my heart as years go on and his hair becomes lighter and lighter. Early Tuesday morning, on Feb. 23, I woke up to a BBC News alert informing me that our commander-in-chief is officially making an effort to close Guantanamo Bay.
The detention facility, located in Cuba, is both economically and morally wrong, so his issuing a detailed plan to close the facility is very important. But a lot of people, like many many, many, Republicans, are not down for Operation: Let’s Be Logical.
The president’s plan would move 35 of the 91 detainees to other countries, while the others would move north into U.S. prisons, which could result in our saving up to $85 million a year.
Guys, we’re kind of broke, so this is huge.
Most people oppose the plan because of the idea of bringing suspected terrorists into the country, but aren’t our prisons already holding suspected terrorists? I think the nearly $50 billion we spend on the prison system domestically each year should cover the costs for strong security, no?
The way money in America works is really unfathomable to me. Take sports, for example, and the fact that an average NBA team is worth $1.25 billion in 2016. The Portland Trail Blazers were probably jamming to the Weeknd’s “Earned It” in the locker rooms late Friday night, after beating the reigning NBA champions, the Golden State Warriors. Damian Lillard (and squad) beat the Bay Area team, 137 to 105. The mysterious number 0, Lillard, scored a career-high 51 points. It’s Lillard time, no doubt.
The team was probably getting down to DJ Khaled’s “How Many Times” after their game on Feb. 23, celebrating “another one.” The ‘Zers defeated the Brooklyn Nets in another high-scoring matchup, with 112-104 on the final scoreboard. May the odds continue to be in their favor.