wonderings.and.wanderings.

Holy shit - it’s been almost six months since I last posted anything here! I suppose it’s time to stretch those writing muscles and get my ass to work. :)

In response to Osama Bin Ladens’s death a few days ago, an optimistic writer for the Chicago-Sun Times wrote, “The death of Osama bin Laden provides us with an opportunity to at least try to end the suspicion and bias against American Muslims and their faith…Let’s hope that the demise of the “messenger of hate,” as Asbahi called bin Laden, is the beginning of the end of al-Qaida and will bring more understanding and openness in American society toward Muslims.” (To read the entire article, please visit : http://www.suntimes.com/news/escalona/5183324-417/bin-ladens-death-could-help-end-bias-toward-muslims.html)

*Should* the death of Bin Laden be able to unite many Americans under a sense of relief? Sure. But *will* it? Not with cartoons like this permeating from even our most liberal U.S. media sources: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42925984/ns/politics-political_cartoons/displaymode/1247/?beginSlide=1

The first cartoon normalizes uncontrolled outbreaks of violence, giving the impression that such actions may be understandable or patriotic. The second and third cartoon reference not *individual* characteristics of Osama Bin Laden but overarching characteristics associated with Islam, such as the common name “Muhammad” and the mockery of the 72 virgins with the 72 urchins, demonizing them, making Islam (not Osama Bin Laden or Al Qaeda) the “them” in the U.S. “us vs. them” mindset.

Media such as this has fueled the already present prejudice and unexplainable fear of Islam in America, taking overall reaction far from the hope of unity expressed by the aforementioned Chicago-Sun commentator. Instead, peaceful community gatherings such as the Islamic Center in Minnesota have received hate emails communicating a refueled resentment toward Muslim Americans and even a declaration of hope that “USA will defeat the Muslims worldwide and on our own soil … death to Mohammad and to Islam!” (To read more please visit: http://fridley.patch.com/articles/islamic-center-gets-hate-emails-after-osama-bin-ladens-death) 

It is perfectly legitimate for many people worldwide who have been hurt by Osama Bin Laden/Al Quaeda to feel a sense of relief at his death, perhaps even to celebrate the lives that may have been saved by his termination.

But in all of our “Yay USA!” mindset, let us not forget that American Muslims are, in fact, Americans. That people worldwide can unite under the ending of an evil, not just the people of our country. And that if we are truly celebrating the ending of a violent man, that is - the beginning of a supposedly more peaceful world - the best way to do that is not through a renewed declaration of hatred aimed arbitrarily at a group of innocent people.

This week, NPR covered a story on Georgia’s new aggressive advertising campaign to raise awareness about obesity in the state. Boasting the nation’s second highest obesity rating (closely following Mississippi), Georgia has a pretty hefty undertaking in educating the public.

If you aren’t familiar with the campaign, take a second to read or listen to NPR’s coverage of the story here: http://www.npr.org/2012/01/09/144799538/controversy-swirls-around-harsh-anti-obesity-ads

I think everyone can agree that childhood obesity is a significant problem (especially in states like GA!) that needs to be addressed. It isn’t the cause, but rather the methods that seem to be drawing in the controversy. 

Here’s a breakdown of my initial thoughts on the ads - then I’d like to hear yours!

- - The commercials are apparently addressing parents, as illustrated in the boy to mother conversation and the “Stop sugarcoating it” slogan. But what about the kids who see these ads? The ones who are obese? The ones who aren’t? What kind of bullying is this going to enable at school?

- - The campaign is designed after anti-smoking and anti-drug ads, and, appropriately so because of the very real physical danger of being obese. However, drug and tobacco use are not nearly as linked to self-esteem as weight, especially in a society that’s obsessed with appearance.

Although I admit that physical health is the primary concern, is there a more sensitive - and effective - way that we can communicate this danger to students?

Like funding health initiatives in local schools that empower school nurses with the resources and power to offer practical solutions to the students in their school deemed “obese”? Something more private, more social-work oriented that could take into account the root of the problem and deal with each student on a more personal basis? Though this approach is a much more expensive undertaking, would the self-esteem of our young people not be worth it? In a country where 10 million females and 1 million males fight a deadly battle against anorexia and/or bulimia, the dangers of sending the wrong (and self-esteem crushing) message to young students is as real a danger as any. 

 - - These ads place 100% of the blame on obese children and their parents. Though I agree that personal responsibility is paramount, where is the acknowledgement of outside sources? Of socialization? We could include media awareness as part of our public health education! That way, students would be empowered with the knowledge to recognize when their desires are being manipulated and to take a stand against the dynamic ad campaigns of so many fast food and non-active industries. Pair that with the already existent pro-health public campaigns and we’d begin to see some changes for the positive in our youth!

Basic conclusion so far - good cause, poor execution. For $25 million bucks, can’t we do better than a negative ad with no suggestions of a solution?

Let me know your thoughts!