Tag Archives: peace

Regarding Ben Carson…

By Zaki Khan

Photo by Gage Skidmore on Flickr

About three weeks ago, republican presidential candidate Ben Carson made statements on live television expressing his sincere belief that a Muslim should never become the President of the United States. The backlash was severe, and media outlets – both left and right – called him out on his bigoted remarks. They even brought him in for follow up interviews to give him a chance to clarify his viewpoints. Hey, the man made some uninformed, rash remarks on live television. He probably didn’t mean what he said… Let’s give him a chance to clear the air; to reaffirm that the Constitution protects individuals against this sort of blanket bigotry, and that of course a Muslim can be president! That’s what he said, right?

Nope.

Dr. Carson doubled down on his position. When asked if he believes if Islam is consistent with the constitution, he said no (3:15 of this video). He said he wouldn’t “advocate” having a Muslim in charge of this nation. His reasoning? Dr. Carson doesn’t believe that any Muslim who embraces all “doctrines” of Islam, including all the tenets of Sharia Law, should be considered a candidate for U.S. presidency. However, if a Muslim rejects his/her religion, then perhaps, they can be considered for the job.

But here’s the troubling part, and something that CNN’s Jake Tapper eloquently pointed out to Dr. Carson in their recent interview (video above). When Dr. Carson thinks of a Muslim in America, he immediately thinks of an extremist version of a Muslim that would put his religious values above the Constitution. He doesn’t have this same immediate concern when he thinks of a Christian or Jewish candidate running for president, only Muslims. I think this is the most concerning part.

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Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect at EDC

By Hanako Tjia (MSW Candidate 2016)

Having just moved to Los Angeles from Toronto, I was looking forward to all the American-style road trips I would have during my summer vacation. Of the ones I went on, the most memorable trip was my get-away to the Electric Daisy Carnival (aka EDC), an epic three day music and performance-driven extravaganza located at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  The annual EDC features all sorts of entertainment, from Electronica music to carnival rides to circus-like performances to interactive art installations.  On top of witnessing a visually spectacular scene, from the moment you walk in, you are surrounded by and fully immersed in the Electronica music culture from which EDC originally emerged – the principle of P.L.U.R (Peace, Love, Unity and Respect). With that said, EDC was beyond my expectations. 35,000 people attended this music celebration, taking over the Las Vegas Strip during the day and the Motor Speedway at night.

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