THE ISSUEAmerican Studies Magazine Fall 2017, No. 1, Vol. 4 Quiz: Canadian Politics and Guns: Album Review: Which member of Keeping the Concrete and the Donald Trump Safety Switch On Gold cabinet are you? Colophon Editor-in-Chief Ibrahim Alaoui Contributors Ibrahim Alaoui Matthijs Koster This Issue Loïs Machelessen Catherine Mastebroek Rindert Oost Wouter Peer Vincent Veerbeek Pip van der Zanden 4 Canadian Politics and Guns: Keeping the Safety Switch On Design Bregje van der Sommen Rindert Oost Ads & Sponsors 6 How to get away with murder SJEFprint Cafetaria de Fest Vincent Veerbeek ThomTom DressMe Clothing 8 Hollywood and sexual misconduct Bol.com Ibrahim Alaoui Would you like to join The Issue, compliment us on our 10 Album Review: Concrete and Gold Matthijs Koster outstanding work, or give us some constructive criticism? Please contact us at: [email protected] 12 Committees Also check out The Issue at facebook.com/usatheissue 14 Hamilton: Why wait for it? Do not throw away your shot! Fall Issue, Year 4 Wouter Peer The Issue is a quarterly publication brought to 16 Be as cool as a moose you by USA NIjmegen, the American Studies student Loïs Machelessen association. USA Nijmegen cannot be held responsible 18 Which member of the Donald Trump for opinions and statements of contributors to The Issue. cabinet are you? Pip van der Zanden USA Nijmegen Board Ina Holzapfel 20 Insomnia Rindert Oost Marissa Aarts Catherine Mastebroek Contact USA Nijmegen 22 OpCo Erasmusplein 1 Room 12.07 6525HT Nijmegen www.usanijmegen.nl 23 Horoscope facebook.com/usanijmegen Wouter Peer twitter.com/usanijmegen All images belong to their respective owners and are not the property of The Issue, USA Nijmegen or any contributor to The Issue. 2 | The Issue | Fall 2017 EDITORIAL State of Word from the Union the Board It’s autumn, which is also known as fall, and for a good reason; leaves, temperatures, rain (maybe even a bit of snow), the Trump ad- ministration, they’re all falling down. Looking back at the last 10 months, it seems impossible that Trump is still in office (on his non-golfing days anyway). Although many cabinet members and White House officials have been let go, the administration as a whole is still standing for now. If you ever wondered which of the remaining cabinet members is the most like you, wonder no more! Pip van der Zanden’s quiz determines once and for all which of Donnie’s “best peo- ple” you are. The day you all have been waiting for so desperately In dark days like these, it’s tempting to look has finally come. What lies in front of you is the work back with nostalgia at the relative stability of a lot of dedicated and passionate people, who have and competence of previous administrations. summoned all their creative powers to make this mas- However, 45 is not the first morally bankrupt terpiece happen. The first Issue of the study year. president. Indeed, Trump’s own favorite for- mer president, Andrew Jackson, left behind a As Chair of our fabulous study association, I will have legacy that can be called questionable to say the great honor to wright the quarterly “Word from the the least. Vincent Veerbeek takes a look at Board”, even though I probably can’t compete with the the actions of the 7th president and discusses lyrical genius of our authors, I will certainly do my best why Trump would want to identify himself to keep y’all informed and entertained. with such a controversial figure. So to hook into my ambition of keeping you “informed One of the main(e) articles is about The Pine and entertained”, there is a certain curious thing that Tree State in New England. Our foreign cor- immediately pops to my mind, a thing that couldn’t respondent and former Editor-in-Chief Loïs be more representative of the word “entertainment”, Machelessen explains what’s so great about that I need to inform you about. For some of you this this state. curious thing will undoubtedly spark some memories of long nights, sweetened by the consumption of an Enjoy, (un)reasonable amount of alcoholic beverages. This curious thing is called a “discodel”. Ibrahim Alaoui Editor-in-Chief A “discodel” is the perfectly balanced combination of sweet and savory, soft and crunchy, hot and cold. A dish that will blow your taste buds right out of your mouth, in all the right ways. However, as complex as it might sound, to create the unique experience of eating a “discodel” you only need three ingredients. A classic Dutch “frikandel” topped off by a blob of mayonnaise and some “disco dip”. And that’s about it, now you can consider yourselves informed, and maybe even entertained. On behalf of the XVth Board of USA Nijmegen, Ina Holzapfel Chairwoman 2017-2018 The Issue | Fall 2017 | 3 CANADIAN POLITICS Canadian Politics and Guns: Keeping the Safety Switch On In the United States, gun restrictions and Second Amendment rights have been an issue of debate for the last couple of decades. With Trump in the White House and a Republican Congress, gun laws are likely not going to change for the com- ing years. Since many Americans threatened to move to Canada when Trump was elected, we should ask ourselves the question: “How does Canada deal with guns?” Rindert Oost On October 1, 2017, 58 people were shot dead included that said that men had the right at a concert in Las Vegas, Nevada. One year to defend themselves. However, this part before that, on June 12, 2016, 49 were killed was excluded from the Canadian Charter at a club in Orlando, Florida, one year before of Rights, which is a part similar to the that, there was the San Bernardino shooting American Bill of Rights in the Constitution, in California and that list goes on and on because if they granted the right to own with an average of more than three-hun- weapons to their citizens, it would mean dred mass shootings a year (a mass shooting that the aboriginal people of Canada would is defined as a shooting with four or more also have that right. I think it is safe to deaths). In Canada, that number is down to say that everyone knows how much white, less than one per year, the last one being Christian men were in favor of giving Native at the beginning of this year at a mosque Americans weapons. in Montreal. The question that arises with these statistics is, “why are there not as GUN REGULATIONS: many shootings in Canada as in the United So, if gun laws are not in Canada’s consti- States?” To answer that question, we must tution, is it legal for people to own firearms look at Canada’s gun policy and politics in Canada? The short answer to this would from different angles. be “yes,” the long one, “yes, with a lot of difficulties.” Unlike the United States, THE SECOND AMENDMENT: where apart from the Second Amendment The first angle is the Canadian Constitu- right to own guns, the different states do tional right to bear arms because Canadian the regulation of guns, with some restric- citizens do not have that right. As we all tions determined from a federal level. Thus, know, the United States has the infamous there are only a handful of states that have Second Amendment right, which gives U.S. regulation on long guns, handguns, and citizens “the right (…) to keep and bear magazine capacity and even less that allow Arms.” Politicians and other anti-gun law background checks. Worse than that, there activists who tried to get rid of this Second are twelve states (you may guess which Amendment are met with heavy resistance ones) that allow for the open carrying of a from gun owner and lobbyists, like the firearm. Canada has everything regulated National Rifle Association (N.R.A.). This is on a federal level, which means that every- an uninfringeable for American citizens, where in Canada, there is the same limita- yet the gun restrictions differ from state to tion for magazines (maximum of ten rounds state. Yet, Canada has a different approach in a handgun), legal and illegal weapons etc. to this American Second amendment. Only seven states in the entire USA have the same rules regarding gun regulation, as Canada does. CANADA’S CONSTITUTION AND GUN RIGHTS: GUN PERMIT: Canada became a self-governing dominion This does not mean, however, that it is easy within the British Empire in 1867, and at to get a gun permit or a gun in Canada. To that same time, Canadian politicians also own a gun in Canada, one must get a license drafted their own constitution. Yet, because first, kind of like taking a driver’s test in the they were part of the British Empire, Can- Netherlands before you are allowed to drive, ada had to adopt the British Bill of Rights which seems reasonable for everyone’s as well. This Bill of Rights did have a part safety. This license consists of a theoretical 4 | The Issue | Fall 2017 course and exam, as well as a safety course which takes in total, if you pass at all, up to two months (and two-hundred dollars). The government also runs through your criminal record, whether you have a court-ordered prohibition or if you have a mental illness. This does not happen in most American states, where you can sometimes just buy a gun without any I.D. CANADA’S POLITICANS AND GUNS: Fortunately for Canadians, it is highly unlikely that their gun laws will change anytime soon.