Juniper/STR-801.

Tuesday, Sept. 18th, 2018.

     My name is Juniper. I am a seventeen year old high school senior and my gender is female. My profile is on the following page but I have NOT included a picture of myself. The decision to remain anonymous was made because I am interested in writing about politics. I am sure in the future I will make mistakes voicing my opinion and in this arena, there is very little room for error. Therefore, I am letting everyone know right now, I can only do the best I can. Please be patient.
     Today, I would like to start out by saying that I am disappointed with many people who are not listening to the other side in politics. That is aimed at both sides, the Democrats and Republicans. To me, debating the issues is how you come up with the best solutions. Finding common ground has always been essential to passing legislation. I’m not currently associated with any political party. I planned on figuring out my opinions on these matters after I graduated from college. But, since I have been offered an opportunity to voice my thoughts unabated on these matters today, my time line has changed. I am ready to tell you what I think and how I feel.
     First of all, I am not for or against Donald Trump but I do think he is an unusual President. I remember Barack Obama barely. I also have little recollection of his political stances but I know some from history. The reason President Trump in my opinion is so unique, is because he doesn’t act like a President. I am comparing him to the other 44 Americans who have earned their way through the office. There has never been anyone like Trump. I believe that to be a true statement mainly because of how he uses social media. Every President in the past has always placated to the press to get their message out, he does not.
     Now, I would like to get to my point in this article. Judge Brett Cavanaugh is being accused of sexual misconduct today by Christine Ford. The misconduct accusation is coming from his high school years. I am in high school. It matters to me whether he did this or not and I want to know the truth. Will I ever know the truth? Probably not. He said, she said, could go on forever. Does the truth matter? Yes, to me it does. He will rule from the Supreme Court bench possibly for decades and his decisions will most certainly effect my life. But, if the accusations turn out to be fabricated, I’m going to throw-up. Tearing down a man for political purposes is not right. The “Me Too” movement is an important topic but to use it to gain power is wrong on so many levels.
     I would like to talk directly to the kids for a minute. Listen, please stand up everyday and take accountability for your own actions. This hearing proves who you are now, matters. And who you will become, matters even more. Don’t be complacent. Make sure your actions have purpose and always believe in something. But, never think your something is better then someone else’s. We all together form America so working together will surely make us better. Juniper
     Update: Brett Cavanaugh was sworn in as the 114th Supreme Court Justice on October 6th, 2018. Although it was under protest from the Democrats and their party, there was no corroborating evidence put forth by his accusers said the F.B.I..

Monday, September 17th, 2018.

Yusaku Maezawa will be the first private passenger to explore the depths of the moon by circling it. He also will be able to fly on the famous, “Big Falcon Rocket”. With a net worth of almost $3 billion, he was apart of a huge announcement for SpaceX today. The excitement was incredible at the company’s headquarters in Hawthorne, California all day. The launch is scheduled to happen sometime in 2023. Maezawa talked about how much he loved the moon and how he was relieved about the announcement. “I love the moon. I like to do the things that never have been done before. So I want the challenge to go to the moon.” The Japanese billionaire explained how much he loved the moon and how it feels like it’s, “protecting him.” “In Japan, you look up at the moon, and it looks like a rabbit,” he said. Noting that 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac. The launch, if it goes on time, will be perfect in his eyes.

Tuesday, September 11th, 2018.

“What is the right way to behave to honor our sport and to respect our opponents?”, Martina Navratilova had asked the New York Times after Serena Williams showed disgraceful behavior on the tennis court. Williams had managed to get three strikes; 1st) getting coaching signals. 2nd) breaking her racket, which made her lose a point. 3rd) calling the umpire Carlos Ramos a thief. She excused these behaviors by saying, “If I were a man I wouldn’t have been penalized.” CEO Steve Simon said in a WTA statement: “This is true.” But Navratilova countered by saying Williams was, “missing the point.” Navratilova was quoted, “[W]e cannot measure ourselves by what we think we should be able to get away with. While playing a professional sport, you are not only representing yourself and the team beside you, but also the sport as a whole.” Navratilova believes Williams shouldn’t have excused her behavior. She should have thought about the future of tennis and the respect for her opponent instead of herself because kids surely will emulate her.

Monday, September 10th, 2018.

Teenagers admit that all of this new technology has been a distraction to what is going on around them. The strength of their relationships with humans have decreased and in many cases caused fluctuation in their grades. Most of the fluctuation is trending towards a downward spiral. Yet, a striking amount of students (30%) in their teens (ranging from 13 to 17) have also said they wish their parents would get off their devices too. A parent paying more attention to their child has become a rarity. Also, an overwhelming amount of students (72%) believe tech companies manipulate each phone to entice them into spending more time learning their nuances. Every phone manufacturer blatantly shows the different features they have added available for download which puts the users data storage in many cases into crisis mode. Along with all of these new apps comes the competition to be the most popular. Snapchat and Instagram are on the top of that list with an estimated 81% of teenagers using them. These two apps almost create withdrawal symptoms when they're not being used. The biggest downfall in technology of course is the mass amount of teens being bullied (13%). In my opinion, social media rules need to get updated just like the technology driving it does. We all could use an update and yes, I’m including myself in that statement.