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OPINIONS
Appleton, Wisconsin December 2016 Vol. XXII
Issue III
Page 3
Noctiluca
Editorial
With urgency, the Amer-
ican people must unite.
We must unite in order to
preserve the equality of all
current and future citizens,
to ensure economic secu-
rity for all, to foster healthy
relations with foreign
countries, and to uphold
the precedents established
by the Constitution of the
United States. Following
the recent presidential elec-
tion, hopelessness and fear
have crept into the lives
of many. If we fail to cre-
ate an environment where
the American people can
prosper, this fear and hope-
lessness will diminish the
potential construction of a
progressive society. There-
fore, developing unitymust
become a priority of the
American people, an act
which can most effectively
be accomplished through
generosity and empower-
ing others—particularly
the disillusioned.
Revoking rights held
by minority groups or de-
meaning the legitimacy
of individuals based off of
gender precedents contrib-
utes to the deterioration of
equality, a pillar of Ameri-
can values. When liberty
and justice do not amount
to equality, we have
strayed from the guidelines
for America established within our Constitution.
With the normalization of Trump’s campaign rheto-
ric, many racist and sexist movements have flour-
ished and have done so without regard to partisan
boundaries. For example, Trump is not amember of
the alt-right movement, yet
his comments have allowed
opportunities for their ide-
ologies to become legiti-
mized. But this racism and
sexism threaten the ever-
progressing idea of equal-
ity that has been gruelingly
sought after for centuries; it
was only 1964—52 years
ago—when the Civil Rights
Act was passed and increas-
ingly more legislation has
been pushed through Con-
gress to render all individu-
als equal under the Ameri-
can government. We cannot
allow polar movements to
reconstruct our understand-
ing of liberty and justice
and therefore the definition
of equality, a definition that
encompasses all individu-
als. Because equality is a
non-partisan ideal, we must
objectively and unhesitat-
ingly protect the rights of
theAmerican people.
Insuring the rights of
individuals must not be the
only issue we stand unified
in; as foreign relations expe-
rience potentially hazardous
transformations, the econo-
my fluctuates, and the safety
of refugees and immigrants
is in peril. Utilizing tools
of generosity and inspira-
tion will provide a manner
in which we can empower
people within America to
mobilize behind these ideals and fight for the well-
being of all who find residence in the U.S. With-
out a doubt, unification will provide the American
people with a vehicle for constructing a progressive
and secure country.
Post-election unity is
mandatory for societal progression
Navigating through election ideologies requires unity
CNN reports exits polls from the 2016 election with an emphasis on gender and area type
voting representations.
Infographic by Kate Bennett
Related article
News: Kindness is always the answer,
Page 1
Thanksgiving brought food, family and acknowledgement of sacrifices
Thanksgiving. It’s a time of
food, family, and friendship. It’s
a time when people dust off their
extra silverware, pull out their
fancy tablecloths, and fill their
dining rooms over capacity. It’s
very easy to get swept up in the
hustle and bustle of preparations,
invitations and turkey creations.
But please do not forget to step
aside for a moment and evaluate
what is being celebrated. The
spirit of Thanksgiving calls for
taking some time to honor not
only good fortune and prosper-
ity, but also sacrifices made.
So often, time is taken to
acknowledge the Pilgrim’s
struggle. Their crowded, long
ride aboard the Mayflower, the
harsh, cold winters, the lack of
food, while all totally valid, do
not tell the whole story. They
may even acknowledge that
the Pilgrims and Native Ameri-
cans ate together on the day
now known as Thanksgiving.
Yet, frequently swept under the
rug is the fact that without help
from the Wampanoags, most
of the Pilgrims wouldn’t have
even survived; the vast majority
would have starved to death or
succumbed to the frigid winter
elements.
Worse yet, this peaceful day of
eating and treaty signing was the
precursor to a time of extreme
detriment for the Native popula-
tion. Between a raging outbreak
of illnesses and warfare with
Europeans, it is estimated that
the Native Americans lost over
90 percent of their population. In
other words, only about one in
ten Native Americans survived
the immigration of Europeans.
North America encompassed an
entirely separate, diverse world
of its own, with a complex his-
tory that few are qualified to
speak about. When considering
the magnitude of this death toll,
it is necessary to keep in per-
spective that while the people
who died are grouped under the
category of Native Americans,
they really should be recognized
for coming from distinct tribes
with unique cultural values and
identities. These deaths were not
just the deaths of one people, but
rather the deaths of many.
So, next Thanksgiving when,
and the turkey is being passed
around the table, take a moment
to recognize and mourn for this
incredible loss of life. And take
a moment to give thanks for the
free will that allows us to learn
from the actions of our ancestors
so they are never repeated. The
United States did not come to
be without sacrifice, and it is the
very least we can do to acknowl-
edge and appreciate that reality.
Remembering
the vital role of
Native Americans
By Carl Zuleger
Carl Zuleger reminds the stu-
dent body to reflect upon the
history of Thanksgiving.
Photo
by Nora Ptacek