Floriza Genautis was a new college graduate and thought she had the world by the tail. Then her mother said, “You’re coming to America.” It was months of adjustment, countless hours of practicing English, and years of hard work in her attempt to belong. Today, she is a soccer mom, business owner, and community volunteer in West Michigan. Does she fit in now? Check out her interview to see!
The more I thought about the Carter’s presentation, the more respect I gained for the couple. If I am able to deliver a speech at the age of 90, like former President Jimmy Carter did, I will consider myself a very lucky man.
All around the world, women do not share the same basic rights as men. Jimmy Carter came to Grand Rapids Community College on September 22, 2014 to share his experience and knowledge of women’s rights violations around the world with the people of Grand Rapids.
As I was driving to this event, I noticed a mixture of people gathering to go to this event. I saw older men dressed in suits, middle-aged women going with friends, and many younger people, most likely students from the college. When I sat down in the stadium of the Ford Fieldhouse, I could definitely tell that this event got the attention of the older people of Grand Rapids. I made a glance at the bleachers on the right side of the stadium, and noticed bleachers full of people with gray and white hair. I sat on the left side of the stadium where the GRCC student seating was, which was where the majority of the younger people I saw outside were also seated.
Jimmy Carter was introduced as a man who has helped almost eradicate guinea worm disease, helped establish and strengthen democracies around the world, and who has fought for human rights in many African countries. This definitely struck my interest as to what we were going to hear from the speaker, and I believe it did with those around me as well.
Jimmy started out by talking about Gerald R. Ford and how he was one of his personal friends to relate to the demographic and the area he was in. He then introduced his organization, the Carter Center. He said, to the Carter Center, the most valuable human rights are to live in peace, have a home, and have good health care.
Jimmy also said that the treatment of women is also a very large interest of the Carter Center. This is because while helping grow food in many countries that don’t have large farms and crops, they noticed that women were treated very badly in these countries. As they have done more research on the subject, they have found that in some countries, baby girls are strangled at birth or aborted. I personally found this an interesting topic because this was a discussion in my ethics class. Eskimos would kill baby girls if there was no food and no families around to take them. They kept the boys since they would be hunters and would likely die while hunting. This kept the population between men and women in the Eskimo communities roughly equal and low enough for them to survive on the resources that they had. Now that the Eskimos no longer have a problem with a lack of food, they no longer practice what we see as a barbaric practice and violation of women’s rights.
Another violation of women’s rights that he covered was the mutilation of their genitals that occurs in many Muslim and African countries. Jimmy said that 90% of women in Egypt have had this done to them. Jimmy also talked about women being killed because they were raped. These issues brought shock to the people sitting around me.
Jimmy then started talking about women’s rights violations that happen in the United States. Women get payed 23% less than men, one in five women are sexually assaulted in college and many of these cases are not reported, and also that women are discouraged from reporting sexual assault in the military. Jimmy also talked about sexual slavery that happens in Atlanta, Georgia. Many people around me were also gasping in shock to hear many of these things.
Despite the heavy topics that Jimmy spoke of, he was able to make a lot of jokes and lighten up the air in the room, and everyone responded with a large amount of laughter. His speech was also very defined by giving several concrete examples.
Rosalynn was next to speak, and her topic was on mental illness. She did not seem as comfortable as Jimmy while speaking. She explained how mental illness became a big topic for her while helping Jimmy campaign to become governor of Georgia. Since then, she has done a lot of work through the Carter Center to raise awareness of mental illness and dispel the myths surrounding it.
I was very interested in what Rosalynn had to say since I suffer from a mental illness. She mainly talked about the stigma that people who suffer from mental illness have to face. I can relate to this. I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder around three or four years ago, but have been suffering from this for my entire life. I feel like I have been constantly battling with the stigma I place on myself, but the stigma that everyone else places on me since I act differently.
One of Rosaylnn’s points was that one in four people suffer from a mental illness. This statistic does not surprise me. From what I know about mental illness, many people suffer from one and don’t even realize it. Rosalynn’s speech was also aimed at students of GRCC to consider becoming professionals in the field of helping people with mental illness. She received a lot of praise from me and the audience for taking a stand for people with mental illness.
Overall, Rosalynn seemed very timid, and not as comfortable as Jimmy. She seemed to not be able to handle feedback and noise from the crowd as well as Jimmy did. However, she delivered her content and made her points very well. She also repeated key points many times to emphasize her points.
When answering questions, Jimmy seemed very prepared to answer all of the topics that he was asked. Rosalynn struggled with one of the questions however, since she was not prepared to be asked a question on the topic that Jimmy spoke on. Rosalynn could have done better at preparing for any question that she might be asked.
Jimmy Carter really opened my mind to so many key issues facing our country–especially the enslavement of women. Although he may not be considered one of our strongest Presidents, the work he is currently involved with is impressive and memorable.
LANSING, Mich. – Michigan residents have until Monday, Oct. 6, to register to vote in the Nov. 4 general election, said Secretary of State Ruth Johnson.
“Every community will have an election in November and so I encourage you to register to vote,” said Johnson, Michigan’s chief election officer. “Registration only takes a few minutes and then your voice can be heard at the ballot box.”
The polls will be open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Johnson’s voter registration efforts include a 3,000-mile voter registration drive that has visited 20 state colleges and universities encouraging students to register and vote. In addition, a postcard is sent to every 18 year old on their birthday reminding them to register to vote. Voter registration is offered to newly sworn citizens at naturalization ceremonies across the state, and the department has a policy in which office customers who come in for state ID card or driver’s licenses are asked if they want to register to vote.
To register, applicants must be at least 18 years old by Election Day and be a U.S. citizen. Applicants must also be residents of Michigan and of the city or township in which they wish to register.
Voters may register by mail or in person at their county, city or township clerk’s office or by visiting any Secretary of State office. The mail-in form is available at www.michigan.gov/elections. First-time voters who register by mail must vote in person in their first election, unless they hand-deliver the application to their local clerk, are 60 years old or older, are disabled or are eligible to vote under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
To check their registration status, see a sample ballot or find their polling place, residents may visit the Michigan Voter Information Center at www.michigan.gov/vote. Residents can also find information on absentee voting, voting equipment and how to contact their local clerk. The site can be easily viewed on a smartphone.
Voters who qualify may choose to cast an absentee ballot. As a registered voter, you may obtain an absentee ballot if you are age 60 or older; physically unable to attend the polls without the assistance of another; expecting to be absent from the community in which you are registered for the entire time the polls will be open on Election Day; in jail awaiting arraignment or trial; unable to attend the polls due to religious reasons or will be working as an election inspector in a precinct outside of your precinct of residence.
As a reminder, voters will be asked to provide valid photo identification when at the polls on Election Day or if obtaining an absentee ballot in person from the clerk’s office. Anyone who does not have an acceptable form of photo ID or failed to bring it with them can still vote by signing a brief affidavit stating that they’re not in possession of photo ID. Their ballot will be included with all others and counted on Election Day.
Voters who don’t have a Michigan driver’s license or identification card can show the following forms of photo ID, as long as they are current:
Local Department of State Offices:
WKTV Community Television produced video segments with individuals running for public office. Meet Ken Yonker– Running for Republican Incumbent Michigan State Representative 72nd District and Gabe Hudson–Republican Candidate Michigan State Representative 72nd District. Our Citizen Journalism website will continue to share all candidate’s messages/platform from now until the election is over.
