Points of View

New York has a reputation for being a cold place. Not just chilly temps during the winter months (though this past winter has been pleasantly mild), but the way it sort of turns people into stoic creatures marching from point A to B. We’ve all heard that that living in SoCal makes you soft while a move to New York makes a person hard. But so what if a “Hi, how are you?” doesn’t turn into a 5-minute long conversation about your dog’s dental health? People in New York are busy and they have places to go! Their no-funny-business-attitutude is partially what makes New Yorkers so successful.

With that said, here are 4 reasons why you should be proud to dwell in the Empire State.

New York Rocks at History and Civics Education

Compared to most of the United States, New York does a superior job when it comes to educating its citizens about history and civics. According to NewYorkHistoryBlog.com, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute gave New York an A- for its “clear commitment to serious history education,” in a 2011 report.

New York’s Long and Rich History

New York plays a huge role in the United States’ current existence. Take these facts, for example: New York is home to the first permanent settlements in the North; It was the most important state in terms of agriculture for many years; it was the first in manufacturing firms, including IBM, GE and Kodak; and it was the first in banking and finance (Hello, stock exchange).

New York is a Pioneer in Tolerance

Both in history and today, New York is considered a pioneer in tolerance. New York created the nation’s first civil rights law in 1945. It was also one of the first states to push for social reform, founding the NCAAP in NYC. More recently, in 2011, New York became the 6th state in the nation to officially enact the Marriage Equality Act, legalizing same sex marriages.

So Much Culture and Entertainment

Hop on the subway in NYC and just listen, or perhaps look around. How many different ethnic backgrounds are represented? How many languages do you hear all at once? For those who live in NY, this is the norm. Step into many other areas of the country or even world, though, and watch the amalgam of culture turn into a homogenous background. New York is a sea of diversity: in food, entertainment and people.

Read more about New York History at NewYorkHistoryBlog.com.

By Wendy Rose Gould

Very rarely does something bring together a host of people from all walks of life, but the movie Bully, and a protest against its rating by the MPAA has united men and women of myriad backgrounds.

Bully is a powerful, thought-provoking documentary that raises awareness about bullying in our nation’s schools. It chronicles the lives of five students and their families who suffer from the effects of bullying. For example, the documentary highlights two families who’ve actually lost their children to suicide after they were incessantly bullied by peers. It also tells the story of a mother and her 14-year-old daughter who was incarcerated after bringing a gun onto a school bus.

The anti-bully movement has been — and continues to be — a strong one in the United States. This documentary, though, has sparked controversy after the MPAA  rated this movie “R.” An “R” rating means that the children and teens who need to see this film most — the bullies, the bully-enablers and the bullied themselves — won’t be allowed to.

Katy Butler, who was bullied by her peers after coming out as a lesbian in the 7th grade and has since founded Change.org, has created a campaign on her website that’s collected over 300,000 signatures in hopes of changing the MPAA’s mind. Those who’ve signed the petition include the likes of Ellen DeGeneres, Meryl Streep, Justin Bieber and 26 Congress members.

Others are getting involved too, including Tommy Hilfiger, Anderson Cooper and Kelly Ripa. Hilfiger will design and sell an exclusive t-shirt inspired by Bully with proceed portions benefitting Facing History and Ourselves. Also, Kelly Ripa and Anderson Cooper hosted a screening of Bully at the Crosby Hotel on March 12. Among the guests were David LaChapelle, Courtney Love, Michelle Trachtenburg, Andre Leon Talley, Rachel Roy and Paul Haggis.

Even after much protesting from Hollywood, fashion, business and political figures, the MPAA chief has held firm on the “R” rating, says the Boston Herald.

Some do agree with the MPAA’s rating, saying the topics covered are too extreme for younger audiences. The problem is that these very topics, which include violence and sexuality, are commonplace in our nation’s primary and secondary schools, despite what many parents may believe. In fact, these topics are often prominent in bullying situations.

You can sign the petition at Change.org.

By Wendy Rose Gould

Financially, the holiday season has become a huge burden on Americans’ pockets these past few years, as families struggle to make ends meet during trying economical times. Instead of being a season to look forward to and embrace, people fear it like the plague, knowing they will be forced to spend money they can’t afford to part with on presents for loved ones. Prior to this depression we’ve been in, Christmas had become a time to lay out the big bucks for over the top presents, such as Playstations, fur coats, and yes, even automobiles. Soon thereafter, one by one, people fell into their own struggle, some slower to come to terms with it than others, and eventually families unanimously agreed that they needed to put a stop to the ridiculous spending on gifts. Rules were set, a  spending limit was placed, and in some cases, events and gatherings became a substitute for gifts. Families began coming together with simple tokens of appreciation, or no presents at all, the main purpose being to simply enjoy each other’s company, basking in the pleasure of conversation and laughter rather than FedEx-ing the latest Wii game with a “family update” attached. But wait, isn’t coming together what the holiday season is supposed to be about in the first place?

If your family never parted with the spending, and still revolves this special time around the disheartening notion of physical gifting, then it may take remembering a scene from the Dr. Seuss’ classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, to make you appreciate, well, what Christmas is all about. Remember when the Grinch swooped down to Whoville on Christmas Eve? He stole every gift and tree, decoration and ham, in order to take the holiday away from the townspeople he loathed. When residents of Whoville woke up to bare fireplaces and empty living rooms on Christmas morning, they embraced each other anyway, singing in the streets in appreciation for the day itself and those they are blessed with, for it was Christmas they were looking forward to, not the perks came along with it. Where did we go wrong? Isn’t this children’s story the perfect goal as to what mindset we must maintain?

Bratty children may not be able to grasp the idea that they will not receive the latest gadget or gizmo on their favorite holiday, but we must lead by example. For one, my family has made a game out of gift giving, utilizing the “set of rules” to save money, have fun, and enjoy one another’s company. We all participate, young and old, and have made it a tradition to gather around after digging into a glazed ham and laugh and shout during the “White Elephant Gift Exchange.” Heard of it? It’s also referred to as Dirty Santa, Pollyanna, or more descriptively, The Christmas Swap Thingy. Here everyone brings a wrapped gift, setting a fair limit of say, $10 or $20, and each member of the family selects a number from a hat. In our designated order, we then are allowed to choose a new gift from under the tree or steal one someone else has, and it can get feisty! Above all else, the bottom line is this silly game is all about having fun with each other.

This 2011 shopping season is giving hope to America’s economy. In recent totals, it is proven that America is spending 15% more on gifts than last year. Cyber Monday raked in a whopping 1.25 billion dollars, totaling out holiday spending thus far at over 18 billion. While stimulating the economy is important, as is looking up and forward as we dig ourselves out of this financial rut while jobless rates decrease, we must not loose sight of the family oriented traditions we have set in place as we all struggled together. It took so long for us to return to the real meaning of Christmas, that even if the money is there, let’s continue to enjoy one another’s company and not let big spending get in the way.

While it’s obvious gifts still are going to be given, this year put your money towards doing something creative for each family member, friend, and neighbor. Some suggestions that are sure to be a big hit is to load up mason jars with goodies: mini cobblers, personalized spice blends, candied nuts, and homemade granola. Wrap that to stick under the tree so Uncle Johnny and Grandma can fight over it during the “White Elephant Gift Exchange.” We all know Granny will win, but I’m sure she’ll share.

By Caitlin Colford 

It is within our nature as humans to disagree on general topics; politics, religion, war, capital punishment, etc. Suffice it to say, there is hardly an issue you can’t make into an argument. On Thursday, November 24th, 2011, all Americans alike will gather around the dinner table to give thanks and finally reach common ground, agreeing on one simple notion – family can be a huge pain in the ass. Despite whom you may place under the title of “family,” whether it is close friends, in-laws, or blood relatives, these people have the natural, inexplicable ability to grate your nerves to the umph degree.

There are good days and bad, times where you couldn’t love your family more and times where you can’t seem to get far enough away from them, therefore where your feelings are on November 24th is a real crap shoot.  The thought passes through my realm of consideration some years, namely this one – should I just skip Thanksgiving? I start to believe my own prepared lie that I can tell my family on the phone, an hour or two before dinner: “I think I’m coming down with something and don’t want to get the baby sick.” Ordering greasy Chinese food and snuggling up on the couch with my dog while watching RomComs in my pajamas, begins to sound simply too good to pass up. Cough, Cough – see, I am getting sick! I then justify that spending Thanksgiving isn’t pathetic because my dog is family, and at times the only living being I can tolerate all while receiving unconditional love. I follow this with a sigh of relief when I realize that if I do skip Thanksgiving I don’t have to put on foundation and blush, and force a smile while I answer the same obnoxiously condescending question – “Where is your boyfriend?” That’s a good question Aunt Elba, maybe you can help me find him? There is simply no other inquisition that can make my blood boil as much as this. I have to fight the urge to not snap back with, “Why don’t you have a mirror Aunt Elba? Because that certainly is the only rational explanation for those three inch chin whiskers of yours.”

What am I thinking!? It takes a cold shower and some deep breathing to jolt myself back to logical thinking. In reality, skipping Thanksgiving is just not an option. These fantasies exist in the majority with some variation, and in the end is just a dreamlike tool utilized to make you appreciate crossing the Thanksgiving finish line to tomorrow. Friday can go one of two ways. The first being, a day of pure, unadulterated nothingness, where it’s acceptable to sleep late, nosh on leftovers and indulge in being lazy. Or the second option: diving in head first to Black Friday mania. Shopping can be a great form of stress release. If Aunt Elda got way too far under your skin then take it out on your credit card! Stimulate the economy and buy yourself something fabulous.

Don’t think you’re flying solo when you sit twiddling your thumbs, considering the Chinese food alternative to Thanksgiving – we’ve all been there. Thanksgiving is no day to spend alone; you’ll only make yourself feel worse. Put on your best smile and take everything said with a grain of salt, at the end of the night you’ll be glad you forced yourself to go. On Wednesday, get yourself a new outfit and a fresh shade of lipstick and knock your family’s socks off as you walk through the door on Thanksgiving Day. You’ll look good and feel good as you’re wowing the crowd – and hey, it’s only one night, you have a day of bliss tomorrow to look forward to.

By Caitlin Colford