Get Up, Stand Up ...

I am constantly amazed at how truly sneaky our politicians can be.

On a routine tour of San Quentin State Prison during the week of Monday, April 9, members of the Legislative Analyst's Office, “California’s Nonpartisan Fiscal and Policy Advisor” discovered the already-in-progress construction of a new death chamber - construction that had been kept so secret that even Jim Tilton, Governor Schwarzenegger's secretary for the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, was unaware that it had begun.

The cost of construction was estimated at $399,000 - just $1,000 below the $400,000 price that would require legislative approval. Coincidence? I doubt it. Of course, on further study, it is now estimated that it will cost $725,000 and, as it now requires the legislative go-ahead (and is no longer covert), Schwarzenegger has put the project on hold.

However, regardless of whether it resumes or not, money that could have been used for prison reform (which is desperately needed) has already been spent. Not to mention that the death penalty has been under review in California since December when Judge Jeremy D. Fogel ruled that it could be considered cruel and unusual punishment, therefore violating the U.S. Constitution, as the prison officials who carry out executions are poorly trained, the lethal drugs are often mixed and/or administered improperly, the chamber was too cramped and the lights were too dim. (In other words, the death penalty is currently on stand-by, making the building of an unapproved death chamber even more ridiculous.) Schwarzenegger was supposed to submit proposed reform suggestions on May 15 for evaluation, but, despite memos initiating the construction that say otherwise, he was never told by the court to build a new chamber (and he never mentioned that he planned to). As quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle on Saturday, April 14, Assemblyman Jared Huffman aptly stated, “Why on earth would you spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on something when the whole Death Row project is in question and we're not sure our form of capital punishment will meet constitutional muster?”

To make matters even worse, Schwarzenegger has asked for $10 billion to address prison overcrowding by building more beds, but, as Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata stated in an interview with the Chronicle, “if we can't trust them on something like this, why should we trust them at all?” So it looks like inmates won’t be getting new beds. Great. I suppose they will just have to deal with overcrowding along with inadequate health care, lack of rehabilitation programs, etc. etc. (the list goes on).

I am outraged by this scandal, as are the people I have discussed it with, but what can we do about it? We can’t sit back and watch the events unfold before us without taking an active part in the process, but there’s not much we can do. We can raise awareness and write to representatives, but even that can only take us so far.

However, I refuse to let this fury-induced motivation go to waste. It’s one thing to just complain about the things that get under our skin, but why not channel that aggression into something more productive? As frustrating as it is that there is nothing we can do about the Governator’s appalling behavior, there are plenty of issues we can do something about. Why not use our aggression to fuel a campaign about something we do have control over? Join an organization that fights for the things you believe in or start a group of your own. Post flyers around town or get out on the streets and talk to people (because bringing the message to the people instead of the other way around is the best way to prevent “preaching to the choir”). Find new and creative ways to inform the public about the issues you care about most and give them simple suggestions of what they can do to make a difference. Of course you’ll still be heated about certain issues, but at least you’ll feel good for making a difference in whatever way you can. Let’s start with the easy stuff first and work our way up.

I know it’s hard to find the time to fight when we are constantly bombarded by other responsibilities, but it is so important and even just a couple hours here and there can make a huge difference. Whatever your motivation is, use it to make a difference now and deal with the bigger political issues when it comes time to vote.

For great ideas about how to make a difference during your busy schedule, visit Charity Guide's "How to Make a Difference in 15 Minutes."

Camel No. 9

I like to think of myself as a free thinker, uninfluenced by advertising and popular media. However, today I purchased buy-1-get-1 packs of Camel No. 9 (and yes, I am aware that being a smoker kind of contradicts being a "free thinker," but I started when I was young and as much as I hate it, I’m hooked). Granted I bought them because they were cheaper than my normal brand, but I couldn’t help but smile to myself as I pulled the hot pink tinfoil out of the inside of the pack. I even set it aside to show my boyfriend when he returns home from work as I thought it was "cute." I thought to myself "What cool packaging! What vibrant colors! How slick!"

What can I say, I’m a sucker.

Once I got past the initial glee of hot pink tinfoil, I realized that everything about Camel No. 9 is completely and totally marketed towards women. And I fell for it. Would I have bought it if it wasn’t buy-1-get-1? Probably not. But the fact still remains: I thought it was cool.

The slick black box with the hot pink (or bright teal for menthol) trim looks like a perfume box or a poster for a happening new night club. The box itself is even rounded on the corners, feminine and curvy, and the cigarettes are white with a dainty little pink camel above a thin pink band. Even the name, “Camel No. 9,” rings of elegance, and I cant help but think of that song “Love Potion No. 9” every time I look at the label (and wasn’t there a Chanel No. 9 perfume?). I even noticed that the smoke has a softer, more floral smell to it - and I have to admit, not smelling like an ashtray all day would definitely be a plus.

So there you have it. I was suckered in. Feeling stupid that I bought into it, I decided to research it to see what other people thought. Many reviews noted that, although women make up 50% of all smokers nation-wide, they comprise a measly 30% of Camel's addicted smokers - hence the need for "girly cigarettes" and "girly ad campaigns," such as the one pictured below.

The most disturbing thing, in my opinion, is that I am definitely not the only one to fall for the manipulation. One blog entry about the new Camels yielded comments such as " I rarely smoke - only when I'm drinking - but I'm going to start smoking these simply because of the beautiful box" and "I bought these two nights ago, only because the ads in Vogue got to me. I'm satisfied, they're really light. My friends kept asking me why I wouldn't take the pink paper off in the inside, I just told them it made it look more attractive. Cute packaging always gets to me."

Which brings me to the most important question: if I, a 21-year-old well-rounded, analytical and incredibly cynical, jaded smoker of multiple years can fall for this marketing ploy, how many vulnerable, impressionable, dying-to-look-cool teenage girls will, too? It sickens me that cigarette ads are targeted at young girls and that in the years to come, hundreds more will wish, like I do, that they had never started.

And for the record, no, I will not be buying Camel No. 9 ever again. Yes, the packaging is beautiful and yes, I do enjoy smelling more elegant, but smoking the cigarette itself is like drinking a milkshake through a coffee-stirrer, not to mention that I refuse to reward Camel for its ingenious marketing ploy.