At the start of the coronavirus outbreak in March, like many others, I watched the film Contagion, which depicted a fictional global pandemic. The details in the film were eerily similar to the media coverage and projections at the time regarding the outbreak; from the airborne nature of the virus, to how it was spread by animal (pigs and bats in an open marketplace), and Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s CNN features to discuss “social distancing.” In March, the public had little information about COVID-19. We were told the noble lie that masks don’t prevent the spread of the virus, and predictions…
It’s election season, the most ripe time for honest discussion around our country’s most pressing social, political, and economic issues. The democratic function of voting encourages citizens to choose their own local, state, and national representatives, and the presidential election is arguably the most symbolic — it’s the collective selection of the leader that will represent the United States at a global scale. They are chosen to speak, negotiate, and make decisions on behalf of the interests of the American people, and promote and exemplify our values in their administration’s interaction with the world.
The bipartisan system in the United…
Malak Shalabi
Malak Shalabi is a law student at the University of Washington with a strong background in research, nonprofit, and grassroots advocacy work.
