Month: April 2025

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, so ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” — Preamble of the Constitution

The Constitution was written in 1787 and ratified in 1788 by the people, for the people. The Constitution is the highest written form of law in the country. As a United States citizen, you must follow the law, and in turn the people are given their constitutional rights.

Voting is the simplest and arguably the most important way to have your voice heard. Local elections happen more often than presidential elections and can affect a person more directly. Protesting and calling representatives are amazing ways to share your thoughts on a matter, but to me, it starts in the ballot box.

When you don’t participate in voting, you are showing that your voice doesn’t matter, and you don’t care how the country runs. The 2020 presidential election had the highest voter turnout from the past couple of decades. The problem is that roughly 40% of eligible voters don’t vote.

Fundamentally, voting gives the people the ability to choose someone they believe will represent and be good for the country or area that the governmental official is overseeing. The right to vote starts at a local level, voting for your city council, the governor and at all levels of state and federal government. Complaining about the state of the country, how the government is acting or underhandedly taking rights away, when you have never shown up to vote is hypocritical.

Voting in every election matters. When you turn up to vote it shows, and it also shows when you don’t. If you are only using the right to vote during the presidential election, you aren’t involved with how the government is running.

Being able to vote helps keep the check and balances in place. People vote for the president, Senate and House of Representatives, all of which are designed to keep each other in check. When one branch pushes the fundamental framework of the Constitution, the courts are supposed to step in and make sure that the structure and law stay intact. If the branch of government will not follow the court rulings, then nothing is stopping the president or Congress from overstepping any amendment or constitutional right a citizen has.

I started voting the year I turned 18 years old, and was surprised other families didn’t take voting seriously. I have met people from college who have never voted at all. I grew up in a house where talking about politics was never frowned on. My parents always made voting and creating my own opinions about candidates a big deal, way before I could even vote. It’s one of the reasons why I take voting very seriously.

The best way to be involved is to register to vote. This can be done online, by mail in some states or in person at a local election office. Every state is different regarding the needed documentation to register. However, in most cases, a driver’s license or state ID will work.

The website usa.gov is a fantastic resource to gather all the information needed to know how to register by any state. On the home page, scroll to the bottom and click the box titled voting and elections. This page is filled with information on registering to vote, state and local election offices, congressional, state and local elections.

Perhaps people don’t vote because they don’t see a point. They think that one vote doesn’t matter, or they hate how only two parties win anyway. My answer is simple: on average, 40% of people who could vote don’t; your one vote matters and adds up. Only around 60% of people who do vote are getting their opinion heard. If you want to see change in the government, then you have to vote. Vote and tell your representatives what you want to see done.

You should be registered to vote, especially those between the ages of 18-30 years old. This group of people are the ones entering the workforce and will be living in this country for years to come. Make your voice heard.

If you think the government can’t take your rights away, pick up a history book because they have, they will and they already are. If you only start caring after they have stripped you of your right to vote, then it’ll be too late.

“First they came for the Communist / And I did not speak out / Because I was not a Communist / Then they came for the Socialist / And I did not speak out / Because I was not a Socialist / Then they came for the trade unionist / And I did not speak out / Because I was not a trade unionist / Then they came for the Jews / And I did not speak out / Because I was not a Jew / Then they came for me / And there was no one left / To speak out for me” — “First They Came” by Pastor Martin Niemöller

On April 14, pop star Katy Perry, TV personality Gayle King, aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, social activist Amanda Nguyen, producer Kerianne Flynn, journalist Lauren Sánchez—who happens to be the fiancé to the CEO of Blue Origins, Jeff Bezos—were launched into space as the crew of the New Shepard rocket’s 31st mission and was dubbed the “first all-women flight crew” on multiple media platforms. That is, if you completely acted like Valentina Tereshkova, who did it alone in 1963, doesn’t exist.

Out of everyone to ever be in space, Katy Perry? Really? I mean, I can bear some understanding of the situation because it’s not illegal for rich people to flaunt their wealth and buy their way into a joyride, but to deliberately make it a political statement and surround it with publicity seems… bold.

It’s safe to say the women-only Blue Origin space exploration is a wake-up call for media consumers. Perhaps, in how we’ve appraised media, we’ve allowed rich folk to think we are gullible and will turn a blind eye to blatant abuse of resources and media attention.

Now, there isn’t anything wrong with a bunch of people being launched into space regardless of their requirements. The closest thing Katy Perry has done for astrophysics and space science was sing “E.T.” If she could afford a spot on a space tour, let her be, right?

Also, in their defense, they did make some kind of effort in deciding who gets to board the rocket. Bowe is a former NASA rocket scientist was included in the voyage. Nguyen, an activist for sexual assault survivors who studied astrophysics at Harvard prior to her advocacy, was also among the crew. Sadly, only Nguyen and Bowe seem to be the only ones who qualify for space exploration.

The apples that spoiled the barrel for me were Perry and King’s media interactions regarding the 11-minute flight.

In an interview, Perry said she’s very excited to, “Learn more about STEM, and the math about how what it takes to accomplish this type of thing.”

Perry said she has also been “reading a book about string theory,” and “listening to ‘Cosmos’ by Karl Sagan.” To that, I scoff.

If you have to sit down to talk about an exciting opportunity such as going to space as a pop star, why would you even attempt to sound learned about these topics at all when you so blatantly don’t?

What’s more maddening is King’s reaction to the backlash. In an interview, King said, “Have you been? Have you been? If you’ve been and you still feel that way after you come back, please, let’s have a conversation.”

As if to claim that only the very few who have gotten the chance to explore space can criticize her. King made a spectacle of herself by reacting in such a hostile manner.

While Perry could have been honest about her purpose, and King could have dealt with the backlash with more grace, I don’t think there is a villain in this story.

The fault, however, may lie in how we as media consumers focus our attention on cultural phenomena.

It’s useful to consider that Blue Origin has launched 30 space crews before on the New Shepard rocket alone. None of them, however, received as much coverage as this recent launch did.

While advertisement for New Shepard launches are frequent, the all-women crew had a live 45-minute press conference after the launch.

“We weren’t taking up space, we were making space,” Perry said in the conferece, almost anticipating backlash hours after the ride.

It’s clear that the advertisement for the space trip is deliberate, and that people expected us to react positively to the voyage.

The label “first-ever women-only crew” is no doubt exciting. In a way, the fact that six women were in space is still quite iconic, and whoever made the voyage happen expected us to react like it is.

However, Perry using this event to promote her tour and dangle a flower at a camera leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

It’s worth noting that none of the women have reported their findings and what they’ve learned. It’s nothing significant anyway. I’m certainly not expecting a full scholarly thesis paper, but if you claim you are “trying to make things better here on Earth,” I’m struggling to see how.

What I don’t struggle to see is the frivolousness of the ride and how it glorifies space tourism for the rich.

If you want to go look at some good ol’ great unknown, hop on a rocket ship and do so if you can afford to. But please, stop using the media to turn a joyride into a groundbreaking event or to promote your brand.

That is to say, the backlash that the space crew got made me somewhat hopeful for the future. It’s rare to see celebrities being called out for their ignorance and smugness. Perhaps, it’s time to move toward de-platforming rich folk out for obvious abuse of resources and careless media manipulation.

A film that stars Michael B. Jordan and involves vampires was not on my 2025 Bingo card. Yet, “Sinners” is my favorite film I’ve seen this year. 

“Sinners” follows the story of twin brothers, Smoke and Stack, who move back home to Mississippi in the 1930s during the Jim Crow era. Together, they create and start up a juke joint where their cousin, Sammie, is the star of opening night. But racism isn’t the only evil lurking around the corner. Deep into the night, vampires start infecting the shack’s attendees.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. How can this film successfully be executed?—especially considering the whole vampire element often comes across as childish.

This film works because it’s not about the vampires. This movie is like an onion—rich with layers and depth—exploring themes of the power of music, religious symbolism, familial ties and loss.

What I liked 

My interpretation of “Sinners” is that it’s a film yearning for the audience to understand and connect with how music is life-changing. 

There’s one scene where it’s one continuous shot, and the camera moves throughout the juke joint showing the past, present and future of Black music and dance. This scene gave me chills and communicated that music transcends time. And Miles Caton, who plays Sammie, has a deep, rich voice that helped bring this scene to life.

Not only is music empowerment a theme, but there’s exploration of family bonds, grief and loss. Toward the end of the film, we see Smoke connect with his child who died, and not only is that literal grief shown, but other losses are represented, like the final scene when a couple of characters reunite 60 years after the vampire incident. One of these characters, still a vampire, talks about how that night the juke joint opened was the last day he saw the sun and the last time he saw his family. 

While there are real-world themes in this film, there’s a supernatural element with the vampires. What was interesting about these creatures is that they challenged the characters to really consider what it was they wanted.

The vampire leader even told Smoke that the man they bought the juke from was part of the KKK and was going to kill them in the morning. What kind of antagonist gives out key information like that? 

Everything about this film was intriguing to watch, and I credit that to the fact that this is an original story and original screenplay. Director Ryan Coogler brought this film to life with his authentic storytelling.

In a world full of recreations and sequels, I can’t tell you how refreshing it was to sit in a theater and have zero idea of what I was about to watch. 

I have been craving originality, and this film went above and beyond. I mean, it’s the kind of movie you have to sit in a theater to watch because it’s a cinematic masterpiece. You need the giant screen to feel the full effect of how this one night changed everyone’s lives. 

What I didn’t like

I’m racking through my head trying to come up with at least one thing I didn’t like—and struggling to do so. 

The one thing I’d have to explain is that if you’re an avid horror fan, this movie does not fit that mold. Yes, there are elements of horror with blood and gore, but that’s not the main point.

So, while that may be upsetting for some moviegoers, I appreciated that this had more than that and was filled with depth and layers of emotion, as well as human experiences and trials. 

The verdict 

This film isn’t meant to focus on the horror of vampires, but rather zero in on the lives of the characters in this small Mississippi town and what’s important to them—whether that’s music or brotherly love. 

Because I can’t find one singular fault, I’m rating “Sinners” five out of five stars, and I’ve never felt more certain that a film deserves to be seen on the big screen.