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oPINIoN & EDItorIAL
Los Angeles Collegian — Wednesday, March 8, 2017
EDiTORiAL
COMPILED BY Luis Fernandez PHOTOS BY Dustin Gebhard
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF PROTESTING THAT HAS OCCURRED SINCE PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP WAS ELECTED? WHY DO YOU THINK PROTESTERS TURN TO SIGNS TO GET THEIR POINT ACROSS?
ESDRAS ROMERO Cinema Major “I feel great about the amount of protesting that has occurred since the actual inauguration, because when you use a sign, your message is constantly being said ... When you have a sign it’s pretty direct, [if] someone takes a picture it lasts forever. The protests have been effective but more needs to be done.”
illUStRation by JoSe MoRaleS/Collegian
California Must First Succeed to Secede
C
alifornia is not prepared to be a country. Californians are not prepared to manage their finances, safety or security alone. This should worry citizens considering secession from the government. Many in California are unhappy with presidential election results, but signing a petition for succession is more than just performing a rebellious act. When reality sets in and the president’s lack of political experience is plastered in media everywhere you turn, the United States can seem like a scary place. The unpredictability of the president is to be considered before attempting to secede from the union. Rash behavior from a pro-war president could be the demise of California the country. While President Trump was campaigning, he managed to become nothing short of the most controversial presidential candidate to date. The president’s agenda includes reversing the Affordable Care Act and “wall building.” His attitudes about sexual assault, women’s rights, immigration, and families being torn apart are unpopular in California. For many years, California has been far more accepting of people who live their lives differently. Social outcasts, rebels and the misunderstood thrive in the sunshine state, where differences are celebrated more often than hated. The world’s opinion of California tends to identify the state as a place for any person, regardless of their ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identification, and any other personal preference or expression of what it means to be a human being.
While many seek California for acceptance and a prosperous future free of judgment, they must also be willing to weather the storm that comes with seceding from the Union. California is currently in debt and that debt will still be owed if a secession occurs. The thought of standing on your own two feet as one person can be frightening, so for a newly-developing country to do such a thing is a nightmare. As much as California wants to support immigrants and refugees, there would have to be regulations. These regulations would create a double standard between California’s yearning to help all human beings and issues of overcrowding. The #Calexit movement has only become more popular since the inauguration of President Trump. Yes, California has been campaigning for quite some time. Yes, California’s mission is to have a ballot measure that would allow voters the opportunity to choose to continue to be part of the union, or allow California to become its own country. There is a requirement of 585,407 signatures be collected in order for the “Yes California” movement to be placed on the November 2018 ballot according to the L.A. Times. #Calexit is currently working to meet this goal by the July 25 deadline. California is not only a highly sought after tourist attraction, it is the home of Hollywood, Silicon Valley, wine, and lucrative crops. According to an article on Forbes.com, California ranks third among the 50 states for best economy. Seceding from the Union has the potential to benefit California. However, before signing a petition, the fiscal impact and safety of citizens must not only be considered, but also remedied.
GERARDO HERNANDEZ Music Major
ROSAURA QUINONEZ Geology Major
JOHNNY WILLIAMS Pre-Nursing Major
“I think that it’s a good thing ... That’s an aspect of democracy dissent - you don’t have to agree with it to be a part of it. We all have opinions. Protesters can be good. Signs can be important because there is a visual aspect to it. It’s a simple way for people to express a quick message.”
“Protesting causes traffic. I was doing service at a women’s center one day, that day women weren’t able to go to the center. You acknowledge all these rights, but you don’t see women helping other women. I feel it’s all bark no bite, unless I see them personally doing things. I’m like, are you doing what you’re preaching?”
“It’s a positive thing. It gets people together ... It takes progressive action to get things done. Signs are a good way to get your message across ... Screaming at crowds of people doesn’t get your point across. But, when they’re burning down piñatas, it’s taking things too far because it’s promoting violence.
Oscar’s Still Racist, ‘Moonlight’ Deserves Win By William Torres Anyone who is anyone in Hollywood attended the 89th annual Oscar Awards at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, CA. I had the honor of working the Governors Ball that also took place at the Dolby Theater. After the award show was over, every winner and A-List celebrity went to the ball and enjoyed drinks and food catered by Wolfgang Puck. Everyone in the Governors Ball talked about the glamorous mistake made at the end of the night. “Moonlight” won the best movie
award, but Warren Beatty handed the envelope to Faye Dunaway who seemed to have assumed he was joking with her, and incorrectly declared “La La Land” the winner. Beatty addressed the mistake that had been broadcast live, confirming his confusion on being given the wrong envelope. “I read the card that was in the envelope,” the legendary star said. “I thought this was very strange because it says best actress on the card. As planned, I gave it to Faye and that’s all I want to say on the subject.” Although Beatty confirmed being given the incorrect envelope for the category he was presenting, everyone at the Governor’s Ball had their own opinion. As I passed a tray of Moroccan short ribs to the VIP guests, I overheard someone say the reason ‘Moonlight’ won was because of the #OscarSoWhite movement
HAVE AN OPINION? A STORY IDEA? Los Angeles City College Visual & Media Arts Department
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Naomi Johnson LAYOUT EDITOR Richard Martinez GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Edward Locke Beatrice Alcala
ILLUSTRATORS Luis Fernandez Hiroko Hata Jose Morales George Summers REPORTERS Matthew Ali Beatrice Anoh Clinton Cameron
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Rosa Cordero Lee Graybill LaVielle Hibbert Angel Johnson Rebecca Klinesmith Karina Lezama-Leal Eve Moreno Jordan Rodriguez Barbara Solorzano Sorina Szakacs
William Torres Richard Tzul Jay Yim
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that happened last year. I was appalled. I wanted to go up to this bourgeois guest and tell him that he was wrong, but I was on the clock so I could not. “Moonlight” dealt with problems you won’t see every day in Hollywood. It deals with black gay men who live in poverty, experience hate and problems with crime and drugs. I did not like the ending of the movie because it was a bit it too open for my taste, but overall, it was a very powerful movie. The movie evoked different emotions in me, which a lot of movies in Hollywood are not able to do. It’s sad that this mistake overshadowed “Moonlight’s” victory, but to say it only won because of a movement is biased and very racist. I could not disagree more with that person’s remarks even if he was a VIP guest at the Governors Ball.
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