Items

• 
  2020-04-14

  Training Terrorism

  Ongoing internal displacement.
• 
  2021-10-08

  Covid Violence

  Unfortunately, Covid-related violence is on the rise with the reality of mask mandates. This problem poses a real risk for retail workers and others whose jobs require working with the general public. Several department stores in my area have hired security guards due to this problem. I have had several friends and acquaintances leave jobs in retail recently due to experiencing customer aggression on the job.
• 
  2021-07-01

  A New Normal

  The COVID-19 pandemic came upon our lives in what seemed a very sudden fashion, forcing us into quarantine and changing our habits. Almost suddenly, the noisy, bustling streets became empty. The sounds of cars with people commuting to work disappeared. The friendly faces I’d see at work would be traded for a face on a screen. Remaining at home gave me both a sense of security and a feeling of isolation and loneliness. During brief outings to get necessities at the grocery store, it became odd to see each other with our faces covered. There was a feeling of unease as we made our way through the aisles, doing our best to remain six feet apart. Many times, I often felt disconnected, and initially a little wary of others. Were they infected or asymptomatic? Was I? I missed seeing my friends. I missed the shared meals we would have in a busy, noisy restaurant. I missed the smell of coffee brewing at my local coffee shop while I typed away on my laptop. So many experiences that we took for granted, disappeared in an instant. Over time, this way of living became our new normal. The scent of hand sanitizer and antibacterial cleaner became a regular part of my life. Hearing the regular news reports on the rising death toll was devastating. The feeling of the mask on my face as I made brief forays out into society gave me the comfort in knowing I was protecting others in case I was an asymptomatic carrier. I still shudder at those who express the sentiment that the masks were a form of oppression. I viewed it as a small sacrifice for the benefit of the many. As we appear to be a downslope to overcoming the virus, I recently remarked to a friend about how it now feels strange to think about “getting back to normal”. Our normal has undoubtably changed. And many of us have changed with it.
• 
  2021-01-26

  Special Practice Check-in

  This is the table outside my moms work. She is a manager at a special practice medical facility called Arizona Oncology. Her staff check everyone that walks into the building, making sure they don't have a fever and wear their mask properly. There are arguments and disagreements at this desk everyday. Either patients don't believe the virus is real, refuse to wear a mask or flat out want to be an issue. They've recently hired a security guard to help handle those causing issues.
• 2020-11-21

  Traveling During Corona

  There is always extreme anxiety while traveling during this pandemic. The most recent time I went on an airplane, there was a lady who refused to put on a mask and I was leaving from a country where case numbers were rising quickly. It was terrifying as we were all in an enclosed space. The flight attendant had to ask her many times to please keep on a mask but she refused. They ended up having to call security at the arrival destination.
• 
  2020-04-26

  Porsche Joy Ride

  “I was coming back after giving food packets to the people in need. I showed them my pass but they abused me and asked me to do sit-ups“.
• 
  2020-04-16

  Where can we share our food

  One night, my friend and I were hungry. We decide to drive-thru some Mac Donalds. After getting the food, we would like to find a place to eat. We find a place where had some outdoor tables and chairs in a plaza. My friend said last time he saw some securities nearby, they would hold night patrols and make sure nobody would gather in the plaza. Indeed, when we almost finished eating, a security's auto stopped beside us, and security came down, wearing a face mask, kindly let us leave to go home. COVID-19 really affects humans regular lives.
• 
  2020-05-22

  The TRUST Graduation Guidelines

  Guidelines from Cave Creek Unified School District's insurance provider, TRUST, concerning graduation ceremonies. CCUSD moved forward with the smaller ceremonies, even though social gatherings were not recommended by their insurance carrier, the CDC or AZ Health Department. TRUST issued these guidelines, which CCUSD followed.
• 2020-05-03

  Fears for after the lockdown

  I have become very fearful for what the future holds for a number of reasons. We are in a time of many uncertainties and truly do not know what the future holds. There are many implications about how society will be after all this is over. The first reason why I am fearful is if this is the new status quo. What I mean by that is, when there is a new virus that comes around, are we going to have to stop everything that we are doing and stay at home. Can we endure that multiple times as a country, because with just this our economy has skyrocketed downward and millions are without work. I am scared of a society that closes down everything and puts millions of people into hardship due to unemployment just because a new disease has arisen. What if this were to become a seasonal thing. Another thing I am very weary of is just how powerful the government has become in people’s day to day lives. I am hoping that after all this is over that the government’s power will retract to how it was, but I am not too sure it will. In my view of things, people in positions of power either try their best to keep the power that they already have or try to expand it. This is fearful because I do not want to live in a society where the government has major control on most civil liberties. Another reason I am fearful is the fact that people would be so willing to give up their freedoms as individuals for a false sense of security. People are so willing these days to just not question what is going on and just believe whatever they see in the news. It has gotten to the point where I feel like I can not speak my mind on certain things without being shut down instantly. I have been having long talks about this idea of trading our civil liberties for false sense of security. I keep saying “false” sense of security because in the real world you can never be truly safe. Security is not a fundamental human right so why would we be so willing to give up the rights that we are entitled to. I hope people will consider things like this in order to come out of this situation stronger.