Politics

KRAVITZ’S KORNER | Evaluating A Trump Presidency

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Ever since Donald Trump’s stunning Electoral College victory, there has been a lot of talk about what Trump will do as president. A lot of people believe that his presidency will destroy America and that the world will descend into chaos under his watch. However, few have taken a sober look at what Trump can actually do as president. Upon closely inspecting his plans for the country, it becomes apparent that his presidency might yield positive results. Potential positives:

Reducing Inner-City Crime

As the so-called “law-and-order candidate,” Trump plans to increase funds for programs that support law enforcement efforts to prevent crime, drug use and violence.

Politics

KRAVITZ’S KORNER | Why Undergrads Should Be Against Graduate School Unionization

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The prospect of graduate student unionization at Cornell University is becoming a serious possibility. There has been much debate about the relative merits of this decision from the perspective of graduate students. In fact, Interim President Rawlings laid out his argument for why he feels it is not in their best interests to do so. But lost in this discussion is how a unionization of graduate students might adversely impact the undergraduate student body. Graduate student unionization may hurt undergraduate education

Graduate student teachers play a vital role in the education of undergraduates; they often offer the most direct and accessible source of academic assistance.

Politics

KRAVITZ’S KORNER | The Uncomfortable Truth About AJ+

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In just over a year since its founding in September 2014, AJ+ has exploded onto the scene to become the second largest news video producer on Facebook. In October 2015, AJ+ amassed over 1 billion views across its platforms. It’s safe to say that AJ+ has risen to social media preeminence. Owned by the Al Jazeera Media Network, a Qatari-based multinational multimedia conglomerate, AJ+ produces digital media news coverage from around the around about social justice issues. It is a self-described “global news community for the connected generation. We highlight human struggles and achievements, empower impassioned voices and challenge the status quo.

Politics

KRAVITZ’S KORNER | The GOP’s Perilous Gamble on Trump

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If there was ever a time for the Republican Party to regret nominating Donald Trump, it would be now. The Washington Post’s release of video tapes that include Trump’s abhorrent remarks about women in 2005 underscore not only his immoral character, but also his weakness as a candidate. And following the second presidential debate, there is little sign that Trump is going to change the tone of his campaign. According to Election Betting Odds, a website that uses political betting markets to compute odds, Trump’s current chance at winning the election hovers at an abysmal 16 percent, down from 26 percent from before the video tapes were released, and down from 36 percent from before the first presidential debate. It’s safe to say that Trump would get crushed if the election were held tomorrow.

Politics

KRAVITZ’S KORNER | Due Process Matters

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Immediately following the death of Keith Lamont Scott, protesters had come to the incontrovertible conclusion that the police officer who shot the 43-year-old African American man in Charlotte, North Carolina had clear racist motivations. Violent protests and riots erupted in Charlotte, forcing the North Carolina governor to declare a state of emergency. A similar string of events happened in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014 after police officer Darren Wilson fatally shot Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African American man. Following the incident, the media was convinced that race played a key role in the death of Brown. Sensing that the government was granting Wilson impunity, protesters and rioters took to the streets and turned an otherwise ordinary U.S. city into a virtual war zone.

Politics

KRAVITZ’S KORNER | France’s Burkini Ban Misfire

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Over the past several months, France has been ravaged by Islamist terror attacks. On November 13, several ISIS militants executed a coordinated terrorist attack on Paris, leaving 130 people dead and hundreds more wounded. On July 14, a jihadist rammed his car into hoards of people celebrating Bastille Day, leaving scores dead. It is no wonder why French people are anxious about the imminent and deadly threat of radical Islamist terror, and why they want to do all in their power to protect their society. However, the recent Burkini ban imposed by several French beach towns is a poorly calibrated attempt at reducing the threat posed by these radicals.

Politics

Kravitz’s Korner | Keep the Cornell Plantations Name

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Recently, The University of Chicago notified first-year students that it does not support trigger warnings or safe spaces, going against the current trend in a higher-education system that has been characterized by suppression of uncomfortable ideas. But just when it seemed that the tides had started to turn, Cornell University doubled down on the coddling culture that has consumed American campuses by capitulating to the demands of certain students, with the director of the Cornell Plantations, Christopher Dunn, announcing that he will be recommending the Board of Trustees to rename the Cornell Plantations to the Cornell Botanic Gardens. Black Students United demanded that the name be changed because the word “plantations” invokes imagery of black slavery and causes distress among students. Never mind the fact that there was never a black slave plantation in the state of New York. Never mind the fact that there’s no evidence of Cornell using the name of the Plantations as a means of condoning slavery.