Social & Economic Issues
Chinese Spy Balloon Sparks Controversy and Mixed Reactions in the US
By Tiffany Cheng
On February 1st, the U.S. defense reported a circular object flying above Reed Point, Montana. Many wondered for days what it could be. Some suspected it to be a balloon while others thought otherwise. This caused an uproar all over the media for a couple of days and officials have since been tracking the balloon.
According to the article in NPR, “How A Chinese Spy Balloon Prompted the US to Scour the Skies” by Emily Feng, on February 2nd, officials say that the balloon flew over the Atlantic Ocean and was shot down with a missile by an F-22 aircraft near the coast of South Carolina. From that point on, U.S. ships gathered the equipment and balloon to investigate it. They suspected it to be a spy balloon sent by China. However, China responded to the U.S., claiming that it was a weather balloon that had accidentally flown over the US. The media held mixed opinions and it sparked a wave of criticism from the Republicans accusing President Biden of not taking action quickly enough.
Bayside High School freshman Samatha Chu, believes it is unreasonable for China to argue that their balloon was accidentally sent over to the U.S., “China clearly wanted intelligence of some sort. There’s no way a balloon that was monitored accidentally flew over America.” She believes that the distance between China and the U.S. makes this situation very unreasonable.
Similarly, Bayside High School freshman, Joyantika Dassidar, also agrees that “the situation could not have been an accident, believing that it is unrealistic and suspecting that the balloons were meant for spying.
However, others such as Bayside High School freshman Yuki Chen states that worrying about this situation is “foolish and proves the U.S. is secretly hiding something from us.” On the other hand, Bayside High School freshman Luna King said, “It really does not have an impact on us unless we are personally stalked.” From her view, she just wants peace and for the tension between the U.S. and China to calm down.
Although many have different opinions on this matter, some argue for neutrality. Bayside High School sophomore, Lyra Calub, thinks practically. “It is important to be diplomatic in dealing with all countries so there’s obviously a large appeal in giving them the benefit of the doubt… Yet, it remains quintessential to U.S. security to ensure that there aren’t any threats to the health of the public.”
Many people want peace between the two countries. However, the public is split with mixed opinions on how this situation should be handled. The tension between the United States and China will hopefully decrease over the years.
Syria Struggles to Receive International Aid After Devastating Earthquakes
By Samiya Sen
In the early hours of February 6th, a series of earthquakes hit the northern and western regions of Syria. This was followed by strong aftershocks that lasted through February 9th and smaller aftershocks are expected to last for as long as a year. The earthquakes were of extreme magnitudes with the highest being 7.8 on the Richter scale. Although the epicenter of the earthquake was in Turkey, the Syrian provinces of Aleppo and Latakia were also greatly affected.
According to “Earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria: Situation Report on north-west Syria” by the World Health Organization, the already ravaged province of Aleppo was further destroyed, as more than 1,000 buildings have collapsed. In addition to physical damages, nearly 7,500 Syrians lost their lives in the aftermath of the earthquake. Although according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the death toll is presumed to be higher as some people were buried before their deaths were registered. An estimated thirteen million Syrians have already been displaced. Hundreds of residential areas, villages, towns, and cities were further wrecked as well as energy and water systems that became non-functional, causing many people to resort to emergency shelters and camps.
Six days after the disaster, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad paid a visit to Aleppo to assess the damage and console the public. President Assad also met with the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross to help mobilize efforts to expand the scope of humanitarian operations all over the Syrian territory. The Syria Trust for Development announced the establishment of shelters across many governorates to cope with the population of those left homeless.
According to an article titled “UN humanitarian delegation visits northwest Syria as earthquake response continues” by the UN News, international aid has also slowly started to trickle in with support mainly from the UN (United Nations) as more than 200 trucks transporting emergency kits and other supplies have made their way into Syria. The UN also released a 25 million dollar grant for further relief efforts in Syria. Many critics questioned whether the sanctions placed on Syria by the USA and UK (among others) could have impacted how Syria received this aid.
When asked his thoughts, Bayside High School junior, William Liu said, “The U.S. sanctions could have had an effect on Syria receiving international aid and they may have prevented financial and medical assistance in a time of emergency.”
Originally, U.S. sanctions against Syria relating to the blocking of banks and payment processors, led to the banning of international charities and families attempting to send money to people affected in Syria. After the earthquake, the financial assistance situation only worsened, causing the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to plead with Western countries to lift sanctions against Syria, saying the measures hurt civilians and humanitarian efforts during the earthquake recovery effort. As a result, in an attempt to remedy this, the U.S. issued General License 23, which authorizes all transactions related to earthquake relief for 180 days.
On the other hand, while non-profit agencies are pleading their case for relief at an international level, could the Syrian government themselves be blocking the aid already incoming? A report by Amnesty8 titled, “Syria: Vital earthquake aid blocked or diverted in Aleppo’s desperate hour of need”, suggests that the Syrian government is obstructing the entry of trucks carrying humanitarian aid such as food, medical supplies, and tents to Kurdish-majority neighborhoods in Aleppo city. However, the Syrian Humanitarian Response Coordinators team claims to have warned that bringing humanitarian aid through the contact lines would be categorically rejected by the local community and civil society organizations themselves, rather than that of the government.
On February 14th, the Syrian government agreed to open the border crossings at Bab al-Salam and al Raée for three months. This should have a positive effect on the aid reaching people and help alleviate the devastating effects that victims of the earthquake endured in Syria.
Deadly 7.8 and 7.5 Magnitude Earthquakes Strike Southern Turkey and Northern Syria
By Dylan K. Uludag
On February 6, 2023, at around 4:17 AM local time, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey and northern Syria. Around nine hours later, another earthquake struck the region, with a magnitude of 7.5 on the Richter scale. The two major earthquakes were very destructive and were amongst the deadliest seismic events in the modern history of both countries.
So far, more than 129,000 people have been injured, and over 52,000 people have died in both Turkey and Syria in just over a month. In total, around 26 million people have been affected by the natural disaster.
The timing and temperatures during the earthquakes played major roles in the immediate loss of life as well as the hampering of rescue efforts. When the first earthquake hit, most people were sleeping as it was in the middle of the night. This meant that they had no time to escape or evacuate their homes or buildings. Adding to this, temperatures were very low during the day of and the days that followed the earthquakes. According to The Washington Post, temperature lows of 37 degrees Fahrenheit were recorded in southern Turkey. This made conditions much worse for those trapped under rubble and for those who were trying to rescue people or provide relief.
My mom, who used to live in Turkey, said that the current situation in Turkey is “really bad.” Before she came to the United States, she experienced the deadly 1999 earthquake in Turkey. “It was very scary; it was only 45 seconds, but it felt like an hour. After the earthquake, we had to sleep in a tent for around a month. I know what it feels like, but the situation now is much worse. The earthquake in 1999 only affected three cities, but the recent earthquakes have affected 10 cities in Turkey.”
The major earthquake that affected my mom and hit Turkey in 1999 had a magnitude of 7.6. It killed around 18,000 people and injured up to 49,000 people. This level of destruction pales in comparison to the recent earthquakes which have killed 34,000 and injured 80,000 more people than the 1999 earthquake.
The earthquakes have caused a great amount of damage to Turkey’s economy. According to an article in globalEDGE titled “The Economic Impact of the Turkish Earthquakes” by Seth Kunio, “The Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation estimates that the cost to rebuild will be between 10 to 50 billion USD. Over 8,000 buildings, roads, and seaports were destroyed, which will limit their supply chain for exports.”
The earthquakes in Turkey have led to devastating economic losses. The cost of rebuilding alone will be in the billions of dollars, not to mention the other equally devastating negative effects in the aftermath of this most recent earthquake. These include losses to the agricultural and industrial sectors, a sharp decline in tourism as popular tourist spots are now inaccessible, and the immediate loss of about 3.9 billion dollars in the Turkish stock exchange. These impacts are just a few of the many economic losses that Turkey will have to recover from.
Survivors were rescued following not just days, but sometimes weeks of living under the rubble of collapsed buildings. Many nations and humanitarian organizations across the globe have sent aid to support both Turkey and Syria during these devastating times. All in all, Turkey and Syria are both set for a long and arduous road to recovery following the deadly and disastrous earthquakes.
Celebrating Women's History Month: Honoring the Contributions of Women in Society and Recognizing Ongoing Challenges
By Alice Dong
Women's History Month is an annual observance celebrated in March. It commemorates the progress and achievements made by women, past and present, and recognizes the historical contributions of several women throughout history. Women’s History Month honors the many significant contributions or changes that women have made to society, such as voting rights, gender equality, and impacts on societal issues.
Women’s History Month originated in California in 1978, when presentations, essays, and parades were shared in the town of Santa Rosa. It began as a week-long celebration that became ingrained in our society when President Jimmy Carter issued the proclamation declaring the week of March 8th as National Women’s History Week. Between 1988 and 1994, Congress approved several requests to officially recognize March as Women’s History Month.
This declaration served as a powerful symbol that promoted the hardships and impacts that women etched onto the once incomplete slate of history. Women's History Month is an empowering time for women, as it provides an opportunity to commemorate the many achievements that women have accomplished throughout history.
Several women have shaped our history and society into the way it is today. Without them, the world as we know it could have been very different. Susan B. Anthony is honored as a hugely significant and influential person in the history of women's rights. Her role in connection to Women’s History Month is the way she interminably fought for women to have the right to vote.
Malala Yousafzai is an activist who advocated for girls to have a right to education in Pakistan. Although this activist movement was precarious, Malala persisted in her fights and struggles to help gain the opportunity for all girls to get an education. She would eventually be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her determination and how she served as a powerful inspiration to many today.
Harriet Tubman, born into slavery, became an abolitionist. She aided other slaves in escaping to freedom through the Underground Railroad and made an impact on the history of the world today.
Although Women’s History Month serves as a reminder of the achievements that women made, it also emphasizes the injustices that women are still facing in our society today. Many women are facing gender discrimination in the form of the gender pay gap, the “pink tax” (taxes on feminine hygiene products), and domestic or sexual abuse/violence. Women’s History Month does not only show how women have lived in the past, but also how the future can be shaped by the issues facing women today.
