AYOTZINAPA: A NIGHT OF TERROR IN IGUALA
“No country can go forward without knowing the truth to which victims and society are entitled. The events of Iguala oblige us to reflect on the moment in Mexico: they portray with crudeness the degradation of the institutions” (Anabel Hernandez, 2016)
It was September 26 in 2014 when about 100 students headed from Ayotzinapa to Iguala to collect some money so that each could afford their trip to Mexico City to commemorate the Massacre of Tlatelolco occurred in 1968. Ironically, they were massacred too. Ayotzinapa is a small town located in the municipality of Zitlala in the Mexican state of Guerrero. There, farmers and housewives walk on the streets and children play in the field. All of them are traumatized by such a horrible event. None of them smile anymore. Somewhere else in the town is located the Escuela Normal Rural: Raul Isidro Burgos (community college with a single major in education). Students are not attending classes anymore. They are hungry for justice. They want to let people know the truth.
The students who enroll in this college are poor people. The college doesn’t get enough funds. As a result, students and teachers themselves tend to go out to the streets to collect some money from donators. They usually take commercial buses [borrowed] without permission. Some people argue that these type of actions lead the students to such hazards. The fact is that they cannot afford tickets to travel so long. That is why they dare hijack buses because bus companies and authorities mostly tolerate it.
It was September 26, 2014. Five buses were taken, and about one-hundred students left Ayotzinapa towards Iguala. The city had always been a source of collections. Unfortunately, none of the students imagined the terrible nightmare they were about to experience. Three buses head toward northern beltway, two toward southern beltway leaving for Ayotzinapa. Before they could move some miles toward, the shooting began. The reason of such drastic enforcement remained a mystery until recently information came to light.
At first, the police officers started firing warning shots. The students were not stopped by them and started throwing rocks at a police car to make it move from blocking the street. As they started to move again, the police started shooting directly to the buses. Students threw themselves flat but told the driver to keep moving. Several yards ahead, a police vehicle had blocked the road so students had no choice but getting off the bus. As they approached the bus door, the officers opened fire on the group making them seek on the floor. Aldo Gutierrez, one of the students was shot in the head and died instantly; another student was shot in the hand and a third one was struck in an arm. The same thing happened to the other buses. Four hours of terror. Amid such a chaotic situation, “the students felt confusion, terror, and helplessness” said human rights experts from Latin America. The third bus was intercepted and students were prompted to get off. They were taken in five or seven patrols. These were among the 43 students who disappeared. A sixth bus and several civilian vehicles came under attack, all of whom didn’t have to do with the students. Los Avispones, a soccer team that had gone to play in Iguala was returning to Chilpancingo. The police opened fire on the bus. As a result, one soccer player was killed and seven more were severely injured. Meanwhile, a 40-year-old woman was killed while riding a taxi. After midnight, the remaining students started getting out of hiding in the wood. By that time, journalists, teachers, and students began to appear and gather to commence an impromptu news conference. As they were taking photos with cellphones in the middle of the roads, a sports utility vehicle and a black car drove by. Witnesses say they occupants were wearing bulletproof vests and hoods. They also say that they saw a police car nearby. Fifteen minutes later, those cars appeared again and without advertising start firing against them. They killed two students in the scene. The survivors fled for their lives. Julio Cesar Mondragon fled apart from the group and was later found killed lying in the middle of a street. Autopsy revealed about sixty fractures in different parts of his body. His skin was stripped off his face, and his cranium showed multiple traumatisms. As that was not enough, his internal organs were ruptured. Experts believe Mr. Mondragon was tortured before being killed. The reasons of such atrocities are recently becoming clear.
Parents of the normalistas (stands for teacher students) claimed for investigations, they made marches and protests. Finally, country’s attorney general Jesus Murillo Karam gave a press conference. He said the investigation led them to 99 people involved including Iguala mayor Jose Luis Abarca and his wife. Both were arrested and are now serving sentence. They were linked to organized crime. Jose Luis Abarca was found as the commander of the attacks. On November 7, 2014, Office of the General Prosecutor (PGR in Spanish) closed the case informing that the students were murdered, incinerated in a garbage dump and thrown into a river by the organized crime because they were mixed up with enemies. Local police officers were among the executors. Investigators later claimed that they were related to organized crime under the order of Iguala’s Mayor Jose Luis Abarca. PGR based much of his investigation in more than 386 declarations. Nevertheless, Argentinian forensics argue that it is impossible the students could have been incinerated as it is necessary high levels of temperature. As a result, it would have been difficult for the executors to keep the fire to such an extent that all students were burned to the ashes. In addition, “it was raining in Cocula the night if the events” witnesses say. Nevertheless, PGR states that the students were burned and they based his statement on the fact that only two students were identified through DNA in pieces of theirs bones that remained less damaged. However, none of the other 41 students has been encountered.
Parents of the students, teachers as well as civilians rejected the final result of the investigation. They protested and marched in several cities throughout the state of Guerrero and in Mexico City. The Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI in Spanish) gave a completely different version. They state that the students could not have been incinerated because high levels of energy would have been needed to commit such atrocity. In addition, there is no enough evidence to support the PGR result except for two students identified so far.
Another concerning is that investigations lead to many authorities involved in the case. They were federal police, state police, and municipal or local police. Moreover, people claimed to investigate the army. Mexican Army 27th Battalion was also involved in the massacre. Survivor students informed that they ask the army for support. Despite the desperate invokes, the army replied that they could not do anything as they had to jurisdiction in that area. Nevertheless, a student said that later that night, soldiers approached to the scene crime. In addition, they went to the clinic where injured people were being attended. According to a survivor declaration, an army officer told the students that they “deserved what had happened.”
A few weeks ago, journalist Anabel Hernandez published her book named La Verdadera Noche de Iguala (which stands for The Truly Night in Iguala). In her book, Hernandez states that according to her investigations, the Mexican Army was involved in the massacre.
PGR instructed to investigate 27 Infantry Battalion. But presidential orders stopped such investigation. The agent was threatened to change his version and was also prompted to leave his job.Hernandez states that a powerful drug dealer who controls mostly all the state of Guerrero, learned of five buses that were stolen by students. Such buses were carrying heroin, with an estimated cost of 2 billion dollars. That was the main reason for which the students were hijacked and killed.
Works Cited
Semple, Kirk. "Missing Mexican Students Suffered a Night of ‘Terror,’ Investigators Say." The New York Times, 24 Apr. 2016. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.
Redacción, AN. "“La Verdadera Noche De Iguala”, La Historia Que Se Ha Querido Ocultar #PrimerosCapítulos." Aristegui Noticias - Desde Cualquier Medio, Periodismo En Libertad. N.p., 25 Nov. 2016. Web.
Redacción, AN. "Fue El Ejército… Iban a Recuperar La Heroína: #LaVerdaderaNochedeIguala." Aristegui Noticias - Desde Cualquier Medio, Periodismo En Libertad. N.p., 25 Nov. 2016. Web.
"Classmate of 43 Missing Mexican Students Was Tortured, Report Says." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 11 July 2016. Web.
"Identifican Restos De Otro Normalista Desaparecido De Ayotzinapa." La Jornada. N.p., n.d. Web.
Friday, December 16, 2016
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
STUDENT WRITING: NURSES AND DOCTORS by EDILIA VILLALOBOS
The Heartbeat of the Health System, Nurses or Doctors?
How would a hospital work without nurses or doctors? People who are hospitalized have to deal with many different people, varying from administrative staff and laboratory personnel to radiology technicians, among others. Although nurses and doctors are the main characters because both of them are healthcare professionals who perform activities to improve the health and the quality of life of people, nurses are valued in a special form. Even though doctors receive more recognition as professionals, nurses carry most of the responsibility while caring for the health of a patient in the hospital setting.
It is known that the more time people spend together, the closer the relationship is between them. Due to the nurses' role, their activities require them to spend a considerable amount of time with each one of their patients. This process leads nurses to develop a closer relationship with each patient which enables a special bond. Nurses get to know every person in a more intimate way. But it is not only a close relationship that is developed between patient and nurse, nurses can identify emergencies or threats to the patient's life, needs, fears, or even personal problems and this allows nurses to act in an efficient and immediate way when needed. On the other hand, doctors are required to make only a couple of short visits to their patients per day or even less. They are not assigned to a certain area for long periods of time, so it is more complicated for them to grow a close relationship with their patients.
Becoming a doctor is hard. Medical students have to spend ten to twelve years in medical school in order to obtain a degree, plus two or three more years to earn a specialty. Different from this, nurses do not have to go to nursing school for so many years. They usually spend about five to seven years studying. In addition, they spend one to two years to pursue a specialization. Nowadays, nurses have become more educated and prepared in a professional way. What used to be an occupation merely related to assisting a doctor and a patient, now is a more complex profession where nurses can act within their scope of practice in an independent way.
Nurses and doctors perform different activities in relation to the patient. Nurses' activities require them to intervene in most of the processes a patient goes through during hospitalization. From the admission to the discharge, nurses are responsible for recording and tracking diagnostic studies, interventions, procedures, surgeries, rehabilitation processes and monitor that these are performed according to the hospital protocols and doctors’ orders. Nurses must always be prepared and one step ahead of everyone to prevent complications and ensure the wellbeing of the patient. On the other hand, doctors are more likely to intervene in the diagnostic process, surgical procedures, and prescription of treatment.
Nurses’ and doctors’ roles in the hospital vary widely, but both are dedicated to the recovery of the patient. However, nurses share more time with the patient which creates a different and special bond. The nurse-patient relationship is more close and constant while a patient stays in the hospital, and therefore the nurse is considered more important and necessary for patient care.
How would a hospital work without nurses or doctors? People who are hospitalized have to deal with many different people, varying from administrative staff and laboratory personnel to radiology technicians, among others. Although nurses and doctors are the main characters because both of them are healthcare professionals who perform activities to improve the health and the quality of life of people, nurses are valued in a special form. Even though doctors receive more recognition as professionals, nurses carry most of the responsibility while caring for the health of a patient in the hospital setting.
It is known that the more time people spend together, the closer the relationship is between them. Due to the nurses' role, their activities require them to spend a considerable amount of time with each one of their patients. This process leads nurses to develop a closer relationship with each patient which enables a special bond. Nurses get to know every person in a more intimate way. But it is not only a close relationship that is developed between patient and nurse, nurses can identify emergencies or threats to the patient's life, needs, fears, or even personal problems and this allows nurses to act in an efficient and immediate way when needed. On the other hand, doctors are required to make only a couple of short visits to their patients per day or even less. They are not assigned to a certain area for long periods of time, so it is more complicated for them to grow a close relationship with their patients.
Becoming a doctor is hard. Medical students have to spend ten to twelve years in medical school in order to obtain a degree, plus two or three more years to earn a specialty. Different from this, nurses do not have to go to nursing school for so many years. They usually spend about five to seven years studying. In addition, they spend one to two years to pursue a specialization. Nowadays, nurses have become more educated and prepared in a professional way. What used to be an occupation merely related to assisting a doctor and a patient, now is a more complex profession where nurses can act within their scope of practice in an independent way.
Nurses and doctors perform different activities in relation to the patient. Nurses' activities require them to intervene in most of the processes a patient goes through during hospitalization. From the admission to the discharge, nurses are responsible for recording and tracking diagnostic studies, interventions, procedures, surgeries, rehabilitation processes and monitor that these are performed according to the hospital protocols and doctors’ orders. Nurses must always be prepared and one step ahead of everyone to prevent complications and ensure the wellbeing of the patient. On the other hand, doctors are more likely to intervene in the diagnostic process, surgical procedures, and prescription of treatment.
Nurses’ and doctors’ roles in the hospital vary widely, but both are dedicated to the recovery of the patient. However, nurses share more time with the patient which creates a different and special bond. The nurse-patient relationship is more close and constant while a patient stays in the hospital, and therefore the nurse is considered more important and necessary for patient care.
Thursday, October 27, 2016
STUDENT WRITING - THE IGNORED TV SCREEN by FRANCISCO FLORES
While I’m sitting at the coffee shop, the image of that invisible line that separates the U.S. from Mexico comes to my mind again. Even the first time I drove on the I-10 east highway, I was shocked by the visual contrast between houses in Juarez and the surroundings in El Paso. It is not because it was something I have never seen in my life, as I come from one of the poorest countries in Latin America, but because of the strong picture it evokes of all those dreamers and fighters that struggle to have a better life.
As I drink a coffee that doesn’t taste like coffee, a lot of young dreamers walk past me. Others are sitting and reading books, writing notes, surfing on Facebook; a commonplace cafeteria. But there is something particular in this little place that has a really strong smell of hazelnut syrup: most of the people in it speak ‘Spanglish,’ which makes me think of those that somehow made it here to the University of Texas at El Paso. Those Latin-American women and men that decided to get a big loan, invest their family savings, or, in the best scenario, get a scholarship given by their country to study in a better place. Whatever it is, they are here pursuing their dreams, dreams that for some reason they couldn’t accomplish in their own homeland.
There are three plasma TV’s hanging on the walls of the coffee shop and I have the feeling that no one looks at them. Maybe because of the location, maybe because they have no sound, or maybe just because people want to ignore them. But there is a fourth huge TV screen that we can easily ignore and we shouldn’t. No matter where you are in that shop, you can see through the big glass “screen” that connects you with the street, and at the edge of your vision you notice tons of tightly-packed houses whistling that a war just happened there. It can give you the impression that nobody lives there, but the truth is that Juarez has double the population in comparison with El Paso. Hopefully, the students that are here with me can realize that this little glass cage with the room temperature set at a comfortable level is an opportunity but also a privilege that those invisible children that play on the top of that hill at the end of the rows of little houses on that TV will never have in their life.
The invisible line comes to my mind again while I talk with a young Venezuelan girl. By the time I offer her some fruits, I have asked her if there is something that she misses about her country and its people. Just as I finish my question and without blinking, she tells me that there is nothing in Venezuela that she can miss. The answer doesn’t surprise me; that’s the first sentence that comes to the mind of people that live in countries like the ones we both come from. Still, I struggle not to forget that my people are not the problem, and despite the fact that there are murders, lootings, kidnappings and any number of bad things happening in those nations, there are humans who are desperate for love and company. They ask for the same things I ask for, and in this case the Darwinian belief is not fair because unlike others animals, we are the species that can reason, which is something that gives us the leverage to decide how we envision the future. The girl and I keep talking about that topic and I keep looking through the glass. Those houses don’t look that much different from other ones in other countries of the continent, including Venezuela and El Salvador; that line doesn’t exist.
After listening to her answer, I change the conversation and we start to wonder why people that go into the book store, which is in the same building, leave their bags outside the store. We both conclude that it is because it is prohibited to come into the store with bags; maybe because they believe you can steal something. I look for the opportunity to come back to my original conversation. I had changed the subject just because I felt challenged about her answer about her country and people. I was sure there was something that she missed and could say about it. I tell her that it is ironic that in places like that book store people could believe that students want to steal things, and she tells me that there are bad people everywhere. “You are right,” I say. “So we can agree there are also good things all around the world too, right?” I say, and we agree. She then shares with me how beautiful Venezuela and its nature are, how people love to laugh even if they haven’t eaten in days, and how Venezuelans work hard if they have the opportunity to do so.
We both leave that coffee shop, each one of us in our own world and, I’m pretty sure, thinking about completely different things. It was good to have the time to look around that place. I love that huge TV screen because it is a reminder of how blessed I am. It is also a portrait of the things that I want to help to change somehow. I cannot erase that picture on the glass and paint a nicer one, but I truly believe that we can contribute from our trench if we really want to and also always be thankful for the good things that show up in our path and withstand the bad ones that are sure to come.
As I drink a coffee that doesn’t taste like coffee, a lot of young dreamers walk past me. Others are sitting and reading books, writing notes, surfing on Facebook; a commonplace cafeteria. But there is something particular in this little place that has a really strong smell of hazelnut syrup: most of the people in it speak ‘Spanglish,’ which makes me think of those that somehow made it here to the University of Texas at El Paso. Those Latin-American women and men that decided to get a big loan, invest their family savings, or, in the best scenario, get a scholarship given by their country to study in a better place. Whatever it is, they are here pursuing their dreams, dreams that for some reason they couldn’t accomplish in their own homeland.
There are three plasma TV’s hanging on the walls of the coffee shop and I have the feeling that no one looks at them. Maybe because of the location, maybe because they have no sound, or maybe just because people want to ignore them. But there is a fourth huge TV screen that we can easily ignore and we shouldn’t. No matter where you are in that shop, you can see through the big glass “screen” that connects you with the street, and at the edge of your vision you notice tons of tightly-packed houses whistling that a war just happened there. It can give you the impression that nobody lives there, but the truth is that Juarez has double the population in comparison with El Paso. Hopefully, the students that are here with me can realize that this little glass cage with the room temperature set at a comfortable level is an opportunity but also a privilege that those invisible children that play on the top of that hill at the end of the rows of little houses on that TV will never have in their life.
The invisible line comes to my mind again while I talk with a young Venezuelan girl. By the time I offer her some fruits, I have asked her if there is something that she misses about her country and its people. Just as I finish my question and without blinking, she tells me that there is nothing in Venezuela that she can miss. The answer doesn’t surprise me; that’s the first sentence that comes to the mind of people that live in countries like the ones we both come from. Still, I struggle not to forget that my people are not the problem, and despite the fact that there are murders, lootings, kidnappings and any number of bad things happening in those nations, there are humans who are desperate for love and company. They ask for the same things I ask for, and in this case the Darwinian belief is not fair because unlike others animals, we are the species that can reason, which is something that gives us the leverage to decide how we envision the future. The girl and I keep talking about that topic and I keep looking through the glass. Those houses don’t look that much different from other ones in other countries of the continent, including Venezuela and El Salvador; that line doesn’t exist.
After listening to her answer, I change the conversation and we start to wonder why people that go into the book store, which is in the same building, leave their bags outside the store. We both conclude that it is because it is prohibited to come into the store with bags; maybe because they believe you can steal something. I look for the opportunity to come back to my original conversation. I had changed the subject just because I felt challenged about her answer about her country and people. I was sure there was something that she missed and could say about it. I tell her that it is ironic that in places like that book store people could believe that students want to steal things, and she tells me that there are bad people everywhere. “You are right,” I say. “So we can agree there are also good things all around the world too, right?” I say, and we agree. She then shares with me how beautiful Venezuela and its nature are, how people love to laugh even if they haven’t eaten in days, and how Venezuelans work hard if they have the opportunity to do so.
We both leave that coffee shop, each one of us in our own world and, I’m pretty sure, thinking about completely different things. It was good to have the time to look around that place. I love that huge TV screen because it is a reminder of how blessed I am. It is also a portrait of the things that I want to help to change somehow. I cannot erase that picture on the glass and paint a nicer one, but I truly believe that we can contribute from our trench if we really want to and also always be thankful for the good things that show up in our path and withstand the bad ones that are sure to come.
Friday, March 18, 2016
STUDENT WRITING: CLINTON VS TRUMP, MARCH 2016 by GEORGINA SANCHEZ
Clinton Vs Trump
The world has its eyes on a couple of people that could affect their nations. The American presidential campaign is currently taking place, and the Republican and Democratic parties apparently already have their candidates who are involved in a fierce fight. Communication has been a fundamental tool of the political race because it is the battle over the minds of the people who determine the fate of norms and values on which societies are constructed. The rhetoric has created a deep antagonism between supporters of each party reflecting opposing values and interests. Now more than ever Americans are dynamically involved in this political race trying to uncover the hidden truth behind the candidates´ speeches.
Donald Trump appears to relate very well with his audience since he studies what the people´s concerns are. He synthesizes these ideas and puts them into simple and provocative sentences. He also uses strong slogans which he repeats constantly with emotional engagement. In contrast, Hillary Clinton is very careful with her language and her syntax tends to abstraction avoiding particular things by saying “international community” instead of noting a particular country, for instance. She talks in a passive voice, very aware that her words might be misinterpreted or used against her. That´s why she might say, “what people are telling me,” “in general,” and so on. Unfortunately, she has the distinctive sound of a politician, sometimes emotional but most of the time artificial.
Trump´s speeches encourage people to think unfavorably about minorities, including millions of illegal immigrants, selling them, in a blatant but sophisticated way, the idea of white supremacy. On the other hand, Clinton´s speeches are about the fact that America is strong because of its productivity and the cultural wealth of everybody, including minorities.
While Trump´s ideals are to keep the country away from international trade (maybe he wants his own companies to be the center of America´s economy,) Clinton´s ideals are to be open to trade in order to generate the flow of capital, productivity, and jobs.
I could add several statements made by each candidate that exhibit Trump´s tendency to chaos and show Clinton´s tendency to right sense. But the truth is that Trump´s speeches connect a lot more with people because he stands up for his deluded ideals and has no fear of getting hurt, while Clinton always wants to be clean without taking any punches. Clinton´s approach does not do her justice because it makes her look like the privileged class, so far apart from the majority of people.
Unfortunately, Trump can win the elections for the wrong reasons even though Clinton has the right skills to run, protect, and keep America great.
The world has its eyes on a couple of people that could affect their nations. The American presidential campaign is currently taking place, and the Republican and Democratic parties apparently already have their candidates who are involved in a fierce fight. Communication has been a fundamental tool of the political race because it is the battle over the minds of the people who determine the fate of norms and values on which societies are constructed. The rhetoric has created a deep antagonism between supporters of each party reflecting opposing values and interests. Now more than ever Americans are dynamically involved in this political race trying to uncover the hidden truth behind the candidates´ speeches.
Donald Trump appears to relate very well with his audience since he studies what the people´s concerns are. He synthesizes these ideas and puts them into simple and provocative sentences. He also uses strong slogans which he repeats constantly with emotional engagement. In contrast, Hillary Clinton is very careful with her language and her syntax tends to abstraction avoiding particular things by saying “international community” instead of noting a particular country, for instance. She talks in a passive voice, very aware that her words might be misinterpreted or used against her. That´s why she might say, “what people are telling me,” “in general,” and so on. Unfortunately, she has the distinctive sound of a politician, sometimes emotional but most of the time artificial.
Trump´s speeches encourage people to think unfavorably about minorities, including millions of illegal immigrants, selling them, in a blatant but sophisticated way, the idea of white supremacy. On the other hand, Clinton´s speeches are about the fact that America is strong because of its productivity and the cultural wealth of everybody, including minorities.
While Trump´s ideals are to keep the country away from international trade (maybe he wants his own companies to be the center of America´s economy,) Clinton´s ideals are to be open to trade in order to generate the flow of capital, productivity, and jobs.
I could add several statements made by each candidate that exhibit Trump´s tendency to chaos and show Clinton´s tendency to right sense. But the truth is that Trump´s speeches connect a lot more with people because he stands up for his deluded ideals and has no fear of getting hurt, while Clinton always wants to be clean without taking any punches. Clinton´s approach does not do her justice because it makes her look like the privileged class, so far apart from the majority of people.
Unfortunately, Trump can win the elections for the wrong reasons even though Clinton has the right skills to run, protect, and keep America great.
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
STUDENT WRITING - SOCIAL BACKGROUND AND FRIENDSHIP by ANGEL TARANGO
Social Background and Friendship
Should our friends come from the same social background as we do? Currently, it is common to find people who do not want to relate to people with different social backgrounds. On the other hand, others try to be inclusive by involving all kinds of people in their lives. I think that every human being has the same value. This value should be considered before excluding people from being our friends.
Every human being is more important than what he does, owns, or knows. This statement is not a fantastical idea without any foundation and there are sources of information that confirm this statement. Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations) states that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. It is important to highlight that this article is outside the religious contexts. However, we can touch upon this point. Christians, Muslims and Jews usually think that the source of human dignity is divine. For example, the Catholic Church expresses that human life is sacred and all people have equal dignity that comes from God. It is interesting to notice how human dignity is not only related to a religious topic but also to a declaration which was proposed by representatives with different legal and cultural contexts from around the world. Since we have the same dignity, it is not a good idea to have only friends from one’s own social background. We have to be careful because the idea of equal dignity can be affected not only by misconceptions but also by different factors such as selfishness and material goods.
Selfishness has grown to such a great level that many people forget to treat people like people. They are more interested in achieving their goals than in helping others. Selfish people usually want to use a human being as an object in order to meet their needs. Their selfishness leads them to think that they are of more value than many people. Proof of this is in the fact that we treat according to appearance. If they are elegant and well dressed, we are nice to them. However, if their appearance is bad, we reject them. This treatment has to do also with money.
Money does not place real value on human life. It’s only a tool to reach certain material things. Actually, when this tool is regarded as the most important thing, we are not able to accept people from different social classes. What is more, we can even kill someone else in order to get money, which is something we see all too often today. For example, in Mexico, drug dealers have killed thousands in order to obtain more power and money through drug dealing.
In my opinion, although it can be a rich experience to have friends who come from the same social background as we do, we need to have friends who are not of the same social, ethnic, religious or geographical background to learn from them and to make us more human. The less exclusive we are, the closer we are to real friendship. Finally, I believe that if you find real friendship, you are truly rich.
Works Cited
United Nations. 6 Feb. 2016 < http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights>.
Should our friends come from the same social background as we do? Currently, it is common to find people who do not want to relate to people with different social backgrounds. On the other hand, others try to be inclusive by involving all kinds of people in their lives. I think that every human being has the same value. This value should be considered before excluding people from being our friends.
Every human being is more important than what he does, owns, or knows. This statement is not a fantastical idea without any foundation and there are sources of information that confirm this statement. Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations) states that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. It is important to highlight that this article is outside the religious contexts. However, we can touch upon this point. Christians, Muslims and Jews usually think that the source of human dignity is divine. For example, the Catholic Church expresses that human life is sacred and all people have equal dignity that comes from God. It is interesting to notice how human dignity is not only related to a religious topic but also to a declaration which was proposed by representatives with different legal and cultural contexts from around the world. Since we have the same dignity, it is not a good idea to have only friends from one’s own social background. We have to be careful because the idea of equal dignity can be affected not only by misconceptions but also by different factors such as selfishness and material goods.
Selfishness has grown to such a great level that many people forget to treat people like people. They are more interested in achieving their goals than in helping others. Selfish people usually want to use a human being as an object in order to meet their needs. Their selfishness leads them to think that they are of more value than many people. Proof of this is in the fact that we treat according to appearance. If they are elegant and well dressed, we are nice to them. However, if their appearance is bad, we reject them. This treatment has to do also with money.
Money does not place real value on human life. It’s only a tool to reach certain material things. Actually, when this tool is regarded as the most important thing, we are not able to accept people from different social classes. What is more, we can even kill someone else in order to get money, which is something we see all too often today. For example, in Mexico, drug dealers have killed thousands in order to obtain more power and money through drug dealing.
In my opinion, although it can be a rich experience to have friends who come from the same social background as we do, we need to have friends who are not of the same social, ethnic, religious or geographical background to learn from them and to make us more human. The less exclusive we are, the closer we are to real friendship. Finally, I believe that if you find real friendship, you are truly rich.
Works Cited
United Nations. 6 Feb. 2016 < http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights>.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)