Football team makes playoffs page 10 mt. lebanon high school • 155 cochran road volume 54• October 30, 2020 • issue 2 the Devil’s Advocate the student voice of Mt. Lebanon High School A House Divided 2020 election reveals generation gap jack horrigan & kendall lankford proximity to the election,” McClinchie really discuss politics when my siblings in hard facts and information. But po- editors-in-chief said. “Also, I have noticed that every- and I are bold enough to bring them up litically, I don’t think I could ever switch one’s views are super polarized nowa- or when something major happens, like them.” the debates. Other than that, we tend to Like many politically active youth, As we inch closer and closer to one of in my family, and I’m interested to see Hendrick was drawn into politics after the most important elections in Amer- how this plays out after the election.” McClinchie believes that most of the the 2016 election. Social justice issues ican history, some families are inching days. This has definitely caused conflict Political discussions are not uncom- - closer and closer to some of the deep- avoid it to avoid the conflict altogether.” mon during this time, and McClinchie es in belief, but also in the gap between development. est belief-based divisions seen to date. believes that this particular political generations, in that nowadays it is easi- “It wasn’t necessarily my parents, With the polarization of politics conflict stems not only from differenc especially influenced her ideological climate is contributing to the fact that er to form an opinion for yourself. because they’re pretty socially liber- in recent years and the presidential many peaceful conversations are quick- McClinchie is not alone. Senior Mel- al,” Hendrick said. “But the Republican election looming, tensions between ly turning vitriolic. anie Hendrick also disagrees with her Party as a whole, I did not like how they the political parties have dramatically “When we discuss something major, parents, leading to similar volatility. handle social issues like Black Lives escalated. These divisions are seen in like a super important issue that is re- “At my house there is a politics ban,” Matter, LGBTQ issues, and women’s the debates, news, and in the homes of ally relevant or really divisive, people in Hendrick explained. “We cannot talk rights.” Lebo students. Junior Sadie McClinchie, my house will hold a grudge for days, about political things very often, be- who disagrees with some of her family and it usually involves a lot of yelling,” cause it does end up in arguments.” members politically, believes that fam- McClinchie said. Despite this, Hendrick does not be- ily dynamics have gotten increasingly “If we aren’t careful about the way lieve that the arguments are fruitless. more volatile recently. that we discuss politics it can get really “I think on certain things, I could Continued on page 8 “I think that things have gotten more tense for long periods of time, even af- change their mind,” Hendrick said. “Es- extreme, especially now because of the ter the end of the discussion. We only pecially with social issues, when I bring The Devil’s Advocate Friday, October 30, 2020 @The_LeboDA page 2 News Uighurs face human rights abuses An ethnic and religious minority in the northwest region of China faces torment at the hands of their government jack silverman so many people into these never really had much of a Emirates, all majority Muslim, China has really slapped us camps and stripping their care for the Uighurs, but since supported China’s policies on in the face,” Savarese said. news editor rights, and the world never Xi Jinping has been in power “The U.S. really can’t say much really cared,” Savarese said. since 2012, he has made the tions last year. these days because we are not With endless mention of He is referring to Chinese Uighurs an example of what the“They Uighurs look at theat ChinaUnited as Na a in a strong position with hu China in everything from po “re-education” camps where will happen to any of these future investor so they won’t man rights or with allies.” litical television ads, presi Uighurs are being detained. groups if they step out of line.” say anything critical,” Sava dential debates, and congres China claims the camps are “We must be as harsh as rese said. “Maybe things could Minister Jacinda Ardern took sional hearings, it is hard to voluntary vocational train possible and show absolutely change with a different US a surprisingWhile New Zealand’sstep, becoming Prime be ignorant about the eco ing centers and has painted no mercy,” Xi said of ethnic one of few southeast nations nomic threat many believe a rosy picture of the Uighurs’ China poses to the United plight releasing videos show president and after COVID-19 States. But few media outlets ing “students” gleefully danc and political candidates have ing or playing volleyball. This “The Uighurs are the forgotten and taken ample time to focus on misrepresents reality. the human rights abuses Chi The Uighurs are being na is currently committing. forcefully detained, often sep lost souls when it comes to human China’s cruelty towards one arated from their families, in ethnic group, the Uighurs, has order to undergo what is es rights currently, and the only crime prompted alarm from human sentially political indoctrina rights investigators. tion. The Uighurs (pro “You’re talking about up they have committed is that they are nounced WEE-gurs), some to a million people in these times spelled Uyghurs, are camps where they are forced a Turkic Muslim group who to abandon their language an ethnic minority in China.” live in the northwest terri for mandarin, abandon their tory of Xinjiang (pronounced religion of Islam and China - has tried very hard to keep 2% of China’s population this very very quite,” Savarese SHinˈjaNG),practice Islam China. and Only nearly about all said. “After two years, they George Savarese of them reside in this region. will evaluate if you have been minorities privately in docu dies down and a vaccine ends to publicly criticize China over Xinjiang brings political brainwashed enough to be re the pandemic because no one their treatment, they largely implications for China as it leased again into society.” York Times. really wants to challenge Chi stand alone and more nations And it does not stop there. ments But obtainedcomplicated by economicthe New na right now because of the will need to join them for any ing the 1940s until 1949 when They must listen to hours of consequences compounded issues within their own coun wasChina briefly regained independent control, which dur speeches by Xi Jinping, Chi by the rise of right-wing poli tries.” “There just seems to be no it has had since maintained. na’s leader, sing nationalistic ticians and the reality of a President Trump has cer significantone that is actiongonna totake be ontaken. Chi In the 1990s and early 2000s songs and listen to propa pandemic have made it dif tainly not made the equa na right now and the Uighurs an independence movement ganda about the Communist tion any easier. When his are the forgotten and lost paired with separatism and Party. China has even banned advocates in any nations. secretary of state issued a souls when it comes to human radical islam led to instabil a list of names for Uighur par ficult“Even for thenow Uighurs many toEuro find statement criticizing their rights currently and the only ity and occassional terrorist ents when they are expecting peans and Americans don’t treatment, China’s foreign crime they have committed is attacks. The domestic terror children, namely Mohammed. believe these atrocities,” the minister responded saying that they are an ethnic minor ism was largely attributed to a There have even been ac anonymous woman said of “I can’t breathe,” an allusion ity in China,” Savarese said. minority of Uighur extremists. counts of physical torture, in other nations. “I am shocked However, Savarese main cluding a “tiger chair” where we have to face such a cruel unrest that many believe the tains that there is still hope if International Relations teach victims are painfully electro reality.” to Georgepresident Floyd andhas themishan civic more people across the world er, Georgeclaims thatSavarese, while concernsHonors cuted. Worse, many of the dled. just simply start paying atten are warranted, China has used “I begged them to kill me,” majority Muslim “That’s tion. past terrorist incidents to nations in the “The only thing that serve insidious goals. Middle East time will change this is if people de “There was a very, very oneAccording victim testified to an before anony the have turned the first cide it really matters to them small group advocating in Unitedmous Uighur States woman, Government. all wom a blind eye and if you see online boycotts dependence, and China has en ages 18-59 were forced to to the Ui against companies and cor used that to crack down on have IUDs (one of the most ef ghurs, pur porations like Disney [who millions of people,” Savarese fective forms of birth control) suing the said. “They used a legitimate implanted. Despite this, it did prospects movie, Mulan, in Xinjiang],” concern about a few terrorists not work for her, and she was of trade recentlyhe said. filmed“If consumers their evernew that have done some really forced to undergo a steriliza with Chi started to show any genu horrible things to put so many tion operation.