July 2016 – Page 9

Final essay (draft)

Final essay ‘ I believe in～’ Law-Law 2^nd Erika Hirayama

“God will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” This is what I believe in and what I always keep in mind. To be honest, I don’t believe in God and I don’t even believe in any religion. However, this word teaches me that the hardships you face is something that you can surely overcome and makes me think things positively toward the situation.

Watching the Davos meeting held in 2012, I heard a story told by a high school student who suffered the great east Japan earthquake. On March 11^th 2011, just after her graduation ceremony, she was hit by the quake. She realized herself on top of a twenty meter high heap of debris and then she discovered her mother trapped there. Her mother had her right leg pinned under heavy pieces of debris and at the same time, she knew that another tsunami is going to hit in few minutes. Her choices were two. Try to help or escape. She chose to save her own life, and after few days her mother was found dead. In the end of her presentation, she said the following thing.

‘Even now, I can’t think of that decision without tears. When I left at last, I said to my mother over and over again. ‘Thank you, I love you.’’ I believe I’ll never experience something so cruel as this for the rest of my life.’

In spite of the merciless experience, she never gave up her dream to become someone who can support children who lost their parents, just like her. She is studying hard at Keio University right now to realize her dream.

Every single person faces with a difficulties someday. As for me, I confronted with the biggest challenged in my life when I was 4 years old. I had to leave Japan and live in Singapore because of my father’s work. I had no choice, but to go. The first several weeks were just like a hell for me. I couldn’t speak English at all so it was not easy to attend school and become friends with someone who cannot make myself understand. However, I attend to school every day because I kept on believing what my mother told me on the first day of school. ‘There is nothing that you cannot overcome. God will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.’ In the end, I was awarded a prize for perfect attendance every year until I came back to Japan. Since it has been more than 10 years, I forgot almost all of my memories in Singapore and English skills, but the spirit of never giving up is what exist in myself even now.

We have difficulties more or less, but we can certainly overcome it. In process of achieving my goals, I’m sure to encounter with many difficulties. However, when I give up, that’s when the game is over. Never stop dreaming and never giving up even it seems impossible is the most important thing to overcome difficulties

. This is whatI learned from the story and my own experience and the reason is why I strongly believe in a saying, “God will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” (542)

A major disaster in the state of West Virginia

Summary

Barack Obama has declared disaster in the state of West Virginia, and the worst floods in more than a century have left at least 24 people dead there. After that he ordered federal aid for a few of the worst affected countries following a request by governor. More than 30000 homes, businesses and estimated 32000 residences did not have power. In the other hand, about 500 people were trapped in a shopping center because crews scrambled to build a new gravel road to reach them. In the meantime, officials in America continued to try to reach others stranded in devastated areas.

Opinion

The big disaster that I did not think happened. I remember the disaster of east Japan on March 11 reading disaster. It is good idea to order federal aid for three of the worst affected countries. Affected country is hard to do something themselves. It is because the distribution of goods will be delayed and politics will be confused. Natural disaster is a terrible one as we can not predict. That is why we need to prepare for a disaster. It is important to think that it may happen sometime. We should prepare our mind and goods to protect ourselves.

For transgender people

In New York, from Jan.1 next year, all single-occupant restrooms will become gender neutral. The reason for this is that the council has approved the ordinance that prohibits “men” and “women” signs on single-occupant restrooms. It will apply to bars, restaurants and many other buildings throughout the city. One of the member of the municipal assembly said that this is the method of making desirable environment for transgender people. But some people point out that this is just a further example of troublesome regulation.
I agree to this rule because it is kind for transgender people. They have had problems that which restroom they should use. And non-transgender people have not understood them. I believe that this ordinance will change such circumstances, and transgender people will be able to live a better life. In addition, it doesn’t cost so much. I think non-transgender people will have no disadvantage by carrying out this regulation. I hope that everyone understand sexual minorities much more with this opportunity.

Selena Gomez and Lady Gaga join Billboard campaigne to stop gun violence

Summary
Big-name artists, for example, Selena Gomez, Lady Gaga and etc, are teaming up with Billboard magazine to campaigne Congress to pass stricter gun regurations. More 180 musicians and music exective signed an open letter “Stop Gun Violence Now.” There is the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history in Florida in the background of the signature. In the U.S., for dangerous people, it is far too easy to get guns. The gun violence kills more than 90 people and injures hundreds more. So, to stop gun violences, the stars are taking actions.

Opinion
Gun violences and gun accidents are not close to us in Japan, so they are unrealistic for us. But in the U.S., they are very serious problems. Although I cannot understand the feeling that there are a lot of guns around me, if I were an American or in the same situation as American people, I would have no idea what to do and be afraid of a fear gun accident may happen to me. Although the U.S. is in a pretty dangerous situation, cooperation and actions by big-name artists are effective in decreasing gun violences. I hope that these actions spread all over the world, and finally gun violences disappear and people around the world can live safely.

A major disaster in West Virginia

Sammary
The theme of the discussion of my group is one of topic about natural disaster in the state of West Virginia. Heavy rain turned rivers and streams into torrents,cutting off several towns. West Virginia received a quarter of its annual rainfall in a single day, the US National Weather Services said.The Foods are the worst in a century in some areas hundreds of people have had to be rescued. President Obama ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area. States of emergency have been declared in 44 of the state’s 55 counties,and up to 500 soldiers have been authorized.

Opinions
My opinion about this topic is preparing for disasters is necessary for people who live in everywhere. West Virginia is one of the countryside areas ,so there is little high buildings and its climate is ordinary. The state don’t have enough shelters and almost all people haven’t experienced the big disaster such as heavy rain. The lack of experience and preparing of disasters caused this serious damages. I think the best solution is teaching the skills of preparing for disaster and recovering damages. People and countries that have experienced disasters should not only donate to stricken areas but also teaching how prepare and recover.

50 Dead in Orlando Gay Bar Shooting

A shooting and hostage situation at the Orlando’s hottest gay bar in Florida, left an estimated 50 peoples dead. The criminal’s name is Omar Mateen and he had ties to Islamic terrorism. This case had similarities to the attacks in Paris in November 2015 and Brussels in March. The authorities investigating the incident are still looking into whether the attack is a hate crime.

Recently, there are so many Gun Crimes in USA so I think the gun control act should be tighten because of the increasing rate in crimes. Chris Rock, who is famous comic in USA suggested in a stand-up that if bullets were made too expensive, there would be much fewer shootings. Like this gun control will reduce violent crime in America.

US military lifts ban on transgenders serving openly

The Pentagon said that U.S. military do not need to hide transgender anymore and they are able to work on military service even if they are transgender. Now people can serve without having lie about who they are and be provided the medical care if they need. Under the new policy, transgender people will be allowed to work on the military, and those who already working on military will not forced to leave because of their gender identity. Also, the new policy gives many guidelines for transgender service members. For example, they will be able to use the bathrooms, housing, uniforms and fitness standards of their preferred gender.

Transgender is really complicated problem. Some people think that why people would want to change the way your gender is after the way you are born. However, I think everyone has a right to who they are. We should not judge people based on there preference of body parts or gender. There are so many people who think differently. We should start considering other people’s opinions and feelings not to do so would be inhumane. Everyone deserves the right to be, what they want to be, we are all human.

Summary and my opinion about topic

In the U.S, U.S officials say that the Pentagon will lift its ban on openly transgender service personnel. This disclosure has been welcomed by campaigners for transgender rights.

The U.S military ended its ban on openly gay and lesbian service personnel in 2011.

In this way, transgender army was established. However, it’s separated from ordinary military.

Mainly, transgender army works self defense like Japan Self-Defense Forces. For example, when flood was happened, transgender army went site, and rescued local people.

On the other side, ordinary army works in military way in foreign country. Recently, there is a lot of dispatch to IS.

In my opinion, I think a transgender is wide and the one which could be accepted now is big progress. However, it’s also fact that there is still a distance with the general people. In the future we have to do is coexistence with transgender’s people, I think.

Even at present, There are a lot of countries sexual discrimination permeates. Therefore, it’s necessary to offer the environment that transgender’s people can live like general people. For instance, in company, to make the employment limit for transgender’s people may be The effective means.

IMF warns the US over high poverty

Summary

According to the article, we know that three urgent problems the US is facing now. Firstly, one in seven people were living in poverty. Secondly, IMF cut the country’s growth forecast for 2016 to 2.2% from a previous prediction of 2.4%. Thirdly, unemployment figures showed the rate at an eight-year low of 4.7%; nevertheless, IMF also gives the US government some solution, invest more in education, improve social programmes such as childcare to help poorer Americans get jobs.

Opinion

As far as I am concerned, I think the US government should improve social programmes and invest more in education. And I have two reasons to support my opinion. First of all, as the economist John Maynard Keynes said, improve public works will help people get jobs because unemployment is very low, improve public works deserve to take care of. Additionally, as we know, in the US, a lot of students can’t go to university, since they don’t have adequate money to join, so, the only way is scholarships, but join the US army is the condition of scholarship, and when you finished, you can go back to university to study; nevertheless, a lot of soldiers got a psychological problem in the life of the army, thus those students can’t back to study, and I think it’s a danger signal for the US.

The reception of transgender in U.S. military

U.S. officials say the Pentagon will lift its ban on openly transgender service personnel nextmonth. The former regulation is outdated and harmful to the military. The reform has been forced through by Eric Fanning, the U.S. Army Secretary. In the past, the U.S. military ended its ban on openly gay and lesbian service personnel in 2011. The latest repeal would require each branch of the U.S. military to implement new policies including recruitment, housing and uniforms for transgender personnel. However, some people insist that the explanation is insufficient. Estimates by the National Center for Transgender Equality say up to 15000 transgender people serve in the U.S. military.

I think that it is very important to recognize the diversity in the armed forces. Especially, the U.S. is a salad bowl of races. Recognizing the diversity is indispensable because the U.S. military can maintain the military capability. However, the reception of the diversity may give rise to the discrimination. Discipline is strict in the army, so the discrimination will reach a crisis. This problem is controversial.