Why Are Sports Deciding Our Next Governor?

Have you been seeing or hearing lots political ads for this year’s race for Governor? The amount of ads, as well as the campaign dollars spent, have increased by thirty percent. The Center for Public Integrity recorded that this year that an astounding 36,000 ads have aired with $26 million spent on them so far. This data was collected up until September 2014 and only accounted for TV ads that aired. It did not include the cost to create and produce these ads. With a race this tight, candidates are willing to try anything to help receive a few extra votes.

Both competitors have implemented aggressive and frequent advertising plans and jostle for the control of moderate voters. As is customary, endorsements from previous politicians are commonplace e.g., Barrack Obama. In a more recent attempt to swing additional voters, both candidates have used Chicago sports figures to attract positive press. What should be irrelevant could become a deciding factor in this neck in neck race.

Republican candidate Bruce Rauner aired a TV ad last Sunday featuring legendary Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka. In the scene, he and Rauner were talking inside Ditka's famous restaurant in Chicago. “The Coach” entered politics for a short time as a republican candidate a few years ago, but was not able to make a successful run. Even though the commercial doesn't really cover anything related to politics, Chicago natives could identify with Ditka none the less. Hoping to appeal to Sunday afternoon football watchers, Rauner makes a play to gather votes through the Bear fan base. 

Democratic candidate Pat Quinn took a different route, which I heard this weekend on the radio. He had a 20-30 second ad featuring the coach of the Jackie Robinson South Little League Baseball team. They gained fame from this summer's world series. This team gained popularity from their U.S. victory and close match in the world finals of this year’s tournament. The team’s coach talked about major issues Quinn was concerned about, as well as issues he had dealt with as governor.

Are these just feeble attempts to gain a few extra votes? Are voters so unsophisticated that sports figures have a major influence on their candidate choices? Or does it show we are losing sight of what is important as voters?

How Prevalent is Racism in the Criminal System?

This week I went on a field trip with my American Studies class to see an adaptation of Richard Wright’s Native Son. In the play, Bigger Thomas, a black chauffeur of a rich white family, accidentally kills the daughter of his employer while trying to keep her quiet. Due to racism in the criminal justice system in court, Bigger feels forced to run or most likely be wrongfully tried with the rape and intentional murder of the girl.  

After watching this play I wondered how a modern-day Bigger Thomas would feel after the same event. Would he feel compelled to run, or would he be able to trust our current criminal justice system? There is an overwhelming disproportion of blacks in america’s jails presently, but does this mean that they were all tried as equal?According the Michelle Alexander’s book The New Jim Crow, there are more african americans in jail or on probation now, than there were slaves in 1850, 10 years before the Civil War. After reading this I wanted to find out whether an identical crime committed by a black and white person would yield the same verdict. Putting aside more petty crimes, I research statistics on the death penalty and the results were astounding. In a study conducted in Philadelphia by top researchers on race and capital punishment, it was found that you are almost 4 times more likely to receive the death penalty if you are black. This study was conducted with controls on the severity of the crime as well as the prior history of the criminal. However the conclusion is still very clear, blacks are still much more likely to sentenced to death than other races.

Some argue that social and environmental factors account for these skewed numbers. Statistics like 73% of african american kids are born out of wedlock are used to explain why it is more likely and or logical to commit criminal acts. However, these statistics do not address some of the issues with our current legal system. In all of the nation's counties that still use the death penalty, the Chief District Attorneys are 98% white with only 1% being african american. With this level of racial imbalance the chance of racially motivated sentences is significantly higher. Almost 75 years after Wright’s novel was written, one would think that we have progressed to a point where the trial of a criminal is the same, no matter the color of their skin.

Tipping the Maid: A Forgotten Courtesy or Corporate Penny Pinching?

The last time you stayed in a hotel, did you leave a tip for the maid?  Marriott brand hotels have started leaving tip envelopes for guests in order to encourage tipping for room attendants.  In a partnership with Maria Shriver, founder of A Woman's Nation, Marriott is trying to supplement wages in a job primarily worked by women. While most hotel employees are traditionally been tipped for their services, maids are often left out of this alternative income source.

The discrepancy between tipping one type of hotel employee versus another seems to follow the level of personal connection a guest establishes with the staff. Many people tip desk clerks, doormen, and employees who carry bags. The interaction fosters a personal connection with the customer, making a tip more likely. In the case of maids, hotel guests rarely see them and therefore forget or do not know it is customary to tip the maids.

The median salary of a hotel maid is $19,780 according to the Bureau of Labor Requirements, which equates to $9.51 an hour. This is a slightly higher than minimum wage in most states. Leaving a few dollars behind to help boost that small number is customary to some, ignored by others, and unknown to others still.

The major question hotel guests should ask themselves when considering a tip is this: Who should be responsible for paying the housekeepers? Should this extra pay be coming from your pocket, or is this tipping initiative a corporate ploy to to get you to supplement the meager wage of the maids?  Is it a weak attempt to improve worker morale and employee retention? Marriott employees have gone on strike before. Could this effort be a countermeasure to prevent a future strike? This initiative helps in advancing the cause of low wages for women, but does the burden belong on consumers? Maybe Marriott should just give the housekeeping staff a raise.

American Sniper: Another SEAL Movie Shows Pattern

While online this weekend, I saw a trailer for American Sniper, the upcoming film directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Bradley Cooper. It tells the story of Chris Kyle, arguably the most lethal sniper in U.S military history. He identifies a mother and child in the street carrying what he believes is a grenade. He struggles with the decision to kill or not kill.

The recent trend of movies about Navy Seals shows what the public is looking for in their entertainment, but what else does it reveal about America? There is a wealth of amazing stories across the history of the Navy Seals, but why is it that Hollywood has turned its lenses on this subject now?

The increasing irony for me is the celebration of the gun-wielding warriors, while at home many fight against gun rights due to violence in civilian society. Moreover, the connection between the military glorification and gun violence does not seem coincidental. The picture of the warrior with a gun makes it to the big screen, which might be having some influence on civilians using guns. These people unfortunately also make it to the TV screen, but for the wrong reasons. The correlation between the two is widely recognized, but can it be changed? Is this an un-winnable battle to try and fight against the force of popular entertainment and media?