The theme for this semester’s VOX Investigates issue is isms— and the topic couldn’t be more timely. Paideia students hit the VOX ATL hallways already bringing their wisdom and experiences with discrimination in the forms of anti-semitism and the messages they get from pop culture about what it means to be a woman or a person of color. Here are their voices.

Anti-semitism:

It is just another -ism that hurts too many

Why?

The answer is short: there isn’t

More and more hate

People cannot walk around without it on their minds

We say we are fine when just another person dies

You can’t even go anywhere and relax when just another person dies

You know you can be next

That is not the way we should be living

Who can help? If not you, then who?

Why do we focus more on the problem than the solution?

Why can’t we live in a world where we are too happy to be afraid?

Why?

Jared Hammerstrom, 13

In almost all rap songs, people call women “bitch.”

Most people are okay with that and just keep listening to the song.

And they all talk about “fucking a bitch” and then just leaving her and telling his friends about how good or bad she was.

They also use the n-word a lot.

I think that people should stop calling girls and women bitches and other people like their friends the n-word.

Anna Cook, 13

VOX is your platform too. To submit your writing, email editor@voxatl.org.