The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 13

November 3, 2020 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 11 Opinions #Keeptheconversationgoing Now more than ever, being an activist on social media and in person is incredibly important. Social movements took the summer by storm, especially the Black Lives Matter movement, but now, the hashtags for social movements are not trending. Maria Rativa, a sophomore communication major at NSU, is notably active about expressing her views on social media pertaining to social and political movements. “Social activism is really important, especially after a hashtag dies because you can’t just wait and only [post] when things are at their peak. When a topic is important and you are passionate about it, it is important to keep it up,” she said. After a hashtag, such as #blacklivesmatter, is no longer trending, the conversation about protecting people of color (POC) and their rights does not need to end. Speaking to friends, family and those with opposing views plays a momentous role in social and political movements. It is possible to receive backlash from people, and to an extent, this means the posts are being seen and the information is being received. Social and political movements largely impact POC and people who are part of minority groups. POC and minorities make up a large group of the voter population in theU.S., according to the Pew Research Center. Staying active, even after a hashtag is no longer trending, greatly improves the chances of the voices of minorities and POC being heard. Even if a person is not a POC or a part of aminority group, advocating for the rights and protections of those who are is incredibly important . Many people on social media are millennials (people between24 and39 in2020) andGeneration Z (people under the age of 24 in 2020). In the 2016 election, millennials became the second largest voting group, surpassing Generation X (people between 40 and 55 in 2020), according to the Pew Research Center. With older Generation Z and younger millennials forming the majority of Instagram users, it is clear why posting and using hashtags for information on social and political movements is so critical, even when they are no longer trending and it is no longer “cool” to be an activist. Only posting or speaking out once at the peak of a movement and never again does not even begin to be enough. Speaking out on social and political injustice is how improvements are made to the system. As soon as most of us hear the word “Thanksgiving,” an image of a turkey pops up into our minds. However, on Thanksgiving, there are so many other foods on the table. You have macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and even pie. So, why do we make the blandest and driest food on the planet the centerpiece of it all? When I see a family member bring turkey on Thanksgiving, I am not amused. Of course, I’ll have a piece, just to be nice, but in all honesty, I hate it. After talking to some people and getting their perspective, it seems that I’m not the only one who dislikes turkey. If a majority of people find turkey distasteful, then why is it even on our tables on Thanksgiving? Essentially, the turkey is a useless animal as opposed to a chicken or a cow, so eating them is one way that society can enjoy their existence. So, why is turkey the centerpiece on the table during Thanksgiving? It may have been due to the influence of Abraham Lincoln. Thanksgiving was recognized as a national holiday during Lincoln’s presidency in 1863, but three years earlier, Lincoln had started the tradition with an unofficial Thanksgiving dinner that included roasted turkey. After the recognition of Thanksgiving as a national holiday, organizations across the country made sure that people had all of the necessities for celebrating Thanksgiving, which included the presence of a turkey. At the time, since Lincoln was president and turkey was his favorite meal, people across the nation would make the turkey the main course on Thanksgiving. People in the 20th century in the U.S. loved to have turkey as a meal because turkeys were abundant and plentiful at the time. Even one of America’s founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin, thought the turkey should be the national bird. He thought it would’ve been a more appropriate national symbol than the bald eagle due to his belief of a turkey being a more “respectable bird.” After learning a bit about the tradition of turkeys on Thanksgiving, I still think that they do not need to be on the table on Thanksgiving. Despite the American tradition of cooking the turkey, filling it with stuffing and having it sit largely in the middle of a table, it is still not delicious in any way. The turkey is bland, dry and simply not good. I’d much rather have a heaping plate of mac and cheese than even the smallest bit of turkey on Thanksgiving. Of course, people are going to love going the traditional route, but if good taste is in the equation, turkey simply cannot be the outcome. So, to answer the question: no, turkey is not good. It is in fact just tradition. PHOTO PRINTED PERMISSION BY B. LAPA Thanksgiving meal at the dinner table PHOTO PRINTED PERMISSION BY F. MIRELES Topics trending on Twitter By: Jaden Wilson Contributing Writer Is turkey even good or just tradition? By: Chloe Rousseau Contributing Writer