The Zimmerman Trial:
JULY 17, 2013 /// Image Credit: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images
The trial that sparked a national debate between justice and race took place on July 13. George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watchdog in a Florida neighborhood, shot and killed 17 year-old Trayvon Martin on February 26, 2012. Martin’s death launched a heated public argument over gun laws and racial profiling after it was made known the teenager was walking home from a neighborhood convenience store, unharmed. The incident initially received a normal amount of attention, but once Martin’s parents hired lawyers to decipher why Zimmerman was not arrested the night of their son’s murder, it made national news. Local police cited Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law for the use of guns as justification in self-defense, allowing Zimmerman to walk. It was soon that Florida authorities began their own investigation and appointed a special prosecutor. In late April of 2012 Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder and his trial began on June 24, 2013. It went on for days, with the case going to jury on July 12th. Zimmerman was acquitted, and found not guilty the very next day.
Demonstrators took to the streets in protest for days, urging justice for the deceased teenager and a re-trial. The trial of Zimmerman inflamed issues that run deep in the country’s foundations, among them being justice, race, crime, and territorial defense. Since the trial, Zimmerman has been fighting his own demons, facing new allegations of domestic violence against his estranged wife and her father, and his pregnant girlfriend.
AUGUST 1, 2013 /// Image Credit: Khalil Mazraawi/AFP/Getty Images
The Syrian Chronicles:
The Syrian conflict has become one of the most violent events in the 21st century; a new-age holocaust right before our eyes. Fueled by the Arab Spring, the brutality began in March of 2011 when the middle eastern country of Syria became crippled by a paralyzing civil war. Since the conflict began, the United Nations reports that more than 120,000 people have died in the clashes between President Bashar al-Assad’s government and rebels who want him out of power. The country currently harbors 2 million refugees in a country of 21.1 million and has seen much destruction and death. This past summer it was reported that the number of Syrian children who were forced to flee the country stood at one million, with thousands unable to escape sarin gas. Because of such measures, the United States and allies discussed the next steps to prevent anymore violence, ready to unleash an imminent series of limited military strikes against Syria. It would have been the first time the U.S would intervene in the two-year civil war in light of President al-Assad’s suspected use of chemical weapons against his civilians. In 1993, Syria agreed to the prohibition of sarin which brought much argument to the political table, and a thorough investigation. There is no peace right now in the country as many are displaced and homeless, but peace talks are set for next month–January, 2014, with Secretary General of the UN calling for Iranian involvement in Syrian peace talks.
“S” for Snowden:
MAY 20, 2013 /// Image Credit: AP Photo/Reuters
There has been no one in our modern history to radically shift the geo-political landscape on his own as much as Edward Snowden has. Living in a post-9/11 world has a price, and government officials have made many Americans exchange significant amount of personal freedoms for the safety of tomorrow. It seems like it would be for the greater good, taking care of each other to protect a nation–that is until Snowden, a lone info-tech contractor leaked a treasure trove of National Security Agency documents to media outlets earlier this summer. His leak has altered the U.S government’s relationship with its citizens and the world, angrily charging many. The whistleblower who fled to Hong Kong prior to the leak, fed data to the Chinese media with much of it detailing invasive spying practices against American citizens. The United States government immediately charged Snowden under the Espionage Act, but many activist groups hailed him as a hero. Snowden currently resides in Moscow where the Russian government has granted him temporary asylum. The U.S. government is working on extraditing him and have him face criminal charges for leaking NSA documents back in the States come the new year. This past Christmas, Snowden released a video to the press warning the world to beware of the prying eyes of the government, with an ominous message of future “spying worse than in Orwell’s 1984.“
Gone, But Not Forgotten:
Death may end a life, but it never ends the love that has been built through an individual’s existence. Love is the one thing that stays alive even after you’re gone. This year we lost individuals who meant something to everyone, whether you were a fan or not. From world leaders like Nelson Mandela and Margaret Thatcher, to innovators and influential celebrities, the world lost many beloved individuals in 2013.
At the start of the new year, we lost Patti Page, 85 (January 1) who made the “Tennessee Waltz” one of the best-selling records ever, along with Pauline Friedman Phillips, 94 (January 16) known as “Dear Abby”; a newspaper advice column read by millions. On the first of February, former New York mayor Ed Koch, 88 (February 1) passed away–Koch was the determined politician who rescued NYC from near-financial ruin during three City Hall terms. Days later, country music fans and friends would mourn country music star Mindy McCready, 37 (February 17) after committing suicide. Come March, Hugo Chavez, 58 (March 5); known for being the populist president of Venezuela, championing a leftist revivial across Latin America, would pass on from cancer.
In April, we all raised our thumbs to honor the life of Roger Ebert, 70 (April 4). Ebert was the first journalist to ever win the Pulitzer Prize for movie criticisms. Days later, the Conservative British PM Margaret Thatcher, 87 (April 8) would pass away. Thatcher angered many European allies but found a friend in everyone’s favorite Republican President, Ronald Reagan and transformed her country in the early 80s by relentless perseverance. On that same day, original Disney child star, Annette Funicello, 70 (April 8) of The Mickey Mouse Club, passed away from complications with her lifelong battle of multiple sclerosis. Funicello was the quintessential 1950s starlet, teaming up with Frankie Avalon in countless fun-under-the-sun type of movies like, Beach Party.
In the summer we would lose four actors who shaped the times, becoming cultural icons in film and television. Known popularly as the sweet and naive Edith Bunker on All in the Family, the world lost stage-trained actress Jean Stapleton, 90 (May 31). A week later, Esther Williams, 91, (June 6) who was a swimming champion turned actress, splashing onto the big screen in over a dozen musicals full of glitter from the 1940s to 1950s. Days later, film and television wouldn’t be the same as James Gandolfini, 51 (June 19), the brutal yet emotionally sensitive mob boss from HBO’s The Sopranos would pass suddenly from a heart attack. The next month it would be a teen heartthrob by the name of Cory Monteith, 31 (July 13). Monteith was the star of the hit FOX show, Glee. His accidental death impacted many, including his girlfriend Lea Michele who tweeted this photo of the two in happier times. It was mentioned by Twitter that the tweet Michele put up days after his passing, was the year’s most re-tweeted message, thus making it the “Golden Tweet” of the year.
Near the end of summer, writing wouldn’t be the same as acclaimed crime novelist Elmore Leonard, 87 (August 20) would pass away from complications of a stroke he suffered earlier. Acclaimed veteran news broadcaster, David Frost, 74 (August 31) would pass away. Frost was known for his candid and sharp interview with former President Richard Nixon, a chapter in his life that would later stem a Broadway play and an Oscar nominated film.
The world of gaming mourned the loss of Hiroshi Yamauchi, 85 (September 19). Yamauchi ran the Nintendo Corporation for more than 50 years, leading its major transition from playing-card maker to becoming the world’s first video game giant. Near the end of November and shortly after Thanksgiving, many would be saddened to learn of the tragic death of Fast & Furious star, Paul Walker, 40 (November 30) who passed away in a car crash.
This past December, the world lost influential, global icon of the 20th century, Nelson Mandela, 95 (December 5). Mandela fought hard to rid white minority rule in South Africa and became the country’s first black president. And finally, just days ago, the film industry lost two iconic legends of yesteryear classics; Peter O’Toole, 81 (December 14) and Joan Fontaine, 96 (December 15). O’Toole was the charming, blond hair, blue-eyed actor from Lawrence of Arabia and nominated eight times for an Academy Award; Fontaine was the silver screen starlet who found fame playing naive, love-struck females in Alfred Hitchcock’s Suspicion and Rebecca.
These individuals may be gone, but their achievements and success will never be forgotten. Unlike fame and fortune, there is in an infinite value in the legacy of a life. It isn’t just about the duration lived, but the donation of the impact we can pass on to others.
What were some headlines that caught your attention this year? Share them with us in the comments below.
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