The Past Haunting The Future

On Saturday, two explosions occurred in an area full of shoppers in central Stockholm and it’s being reported that it was an act of terrorism. The issue with the story lies not with the fact that it happened, but that it is happening again.  On 9/11, the U.S experienced a horrible act of terrorism and now Sweden may be facing similar circumstances. Reported as Sweden’s first suicide bombing, this attack is perhaps taking Sweden down the wrong path, which could be potentially very dangerous. Although nobody was hurt, the act itself was symbolic of trying to inflict hurt to a large population. E-mailed threats were saying things like “now your children, daughters and sisters will die like our brothers and sisters and children are dying,” explaining a link between the explosions and the presence of Swedish troops in Afghanistan.  

America is a country which we like to think we are leading the way in many positive things, however, this may be a time in which America is leading the rest of the world down a very scary path. Regardless of your political beliefs, there should be no disagreement in the fact that our conflicts with other countries have been large, long, and seemingly everlasting.  Each country does not act independently, with no regard or affect on others.  Everything that happens in one place somehow affects another, whether it be through policies and procedures or ideas and mindset changes. Everybody knows about 9/11 and all the pain America has endured from that terrorist attack, along with the ongoing war we are part of. The attacks in Stockholm were in a very populated area and had the explosions been successful, it could have been very catastrophic...the same way the terrorist attacks on the twin towers were.  

It’s unlikely that these attacks were planned because of 9/11, yes, but there’s no question that this wasn’t just a random act of terrorism.  Whether we want to admit it or not, the attacks that day have changed the world and given others ideas that perhaps are small, but nonetheless are there. Although it failed, this was a well-thought out plan to plant an explosive in a populated place, with someone having enough hatred and emotion that they were willing to take their own life for it. There are many conflicts going on in the world, but it is no coincidence that tension has risen and acts of terrorism are more of a threat after the attack on 9/11 and the presence of the U.S in the Middle East. And I can't help but think that perhaps our countries horrible past is leading other countries into horrible futures.  

The Faces Behind Online Bullying

A website commonly known among college students, collegeacb.com, is a place where students can go and post anonymously about anything they want.  Supposedly meant for students to be able to engage in "deep conversation" and say whats on their mind without exposing their identity, this website is actually encouraging people to partake in hateful conversations about their peers. People are posting horrible things about others they don't like, starting false rumors and ruining peoples reputations.  Hiding behind the computer, these people are the epitome of online bullies.  

Online bullying has been an issue for a long time, especially becoming known when a mother went online and bullied a girl in her daughters class, which in turn made her commit suicide.  There are many ways of which online bullying can occur, however, this website seems to have been created solely for that purpose.  There is not one college board on which people are having deep intellectual conversations. The only things being talked about on this website are mean things and crap about fraternities and sororities. Having unfortunately been the subject of many conversations on this website,  I can personally say that there is nothing worse than people having conversations about how much they hate you or how ugly they think you are.  Of course knowing that people think this way about you is devastating and the fact that its anonymous makes it even worse.  But the thing that makes me the most angry is that a website like this even exists.  

The owners of collegeacb know the things that people are writing, however, they continue to keep their website up.  They are enabling these people to tear other people down verbally and it is because of them that online bullying still exists.  They need to be held responsible for all of the pain that they are causing these helpless people, and somehow they need to be made aware of how hurtful their website really is. What is it going to take before they realize this? 

We as a society are supposed to be lifting each other up, not tearing each other down.  The owners of collegeacb are singlehandedly responsible for the pain many people are feeling because of the numerous anonymous and hateful posts on their website. They have the power to change this and without a doubt should take down their website and help fight the war against online bullying.