Author Archives: Asmi A.

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About Asmi A.

hi my name is asmi, and i love to read, write, draw, sing, and do basically anything creative!

Would Life Be Easier Without Governments?

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I’ve always thought that life would be so much easier if everyone just governed themselves, and was in charge of their rights and property. Humans have, after all, imposed war, famine, unjust societal standards, and a plethora of other issues upon themselves; no natural forces have really contributed that much to the unhappiness and restriction within our society.

What would happen if there was no government, or a system of hierarchy? Someone could own an endless amount of property and have as many liberties as they wish. But, to make it just, everyone else would have those same exact freedoms, too. This also means that if I declare a certain amount of land to be mine without any legal resources binding me to it, my neighbor could just as rightfully claim that land to be theirs and kick me off. I wouldn’t really be able to do anything about it, and I would probably get angry. If this system were to exist in our world right now, every little thing would end up in a stalemate, and wars would probably be a lot more frequent.

No matter how good you think your idea of perfect personal liberties are, there will always be someone near you with opposing thoughts regarding what those rights should be. If those ideals were to be extremely different, people would most definitely break into chaos. For example, you might think that it is wrong to own multiple firearms (even if it is for self-defense) but your neighbor may think it is right. Not only can some sort of conflict ensue, but because there would be no legal consequences to your neighbor’s actions, you may also start to feel unsafe, which is in violation of your natural rights.

Governments have the power to protect our inalienable rights and impose serious consequences on those who violate them, but with the guarantee of certain rights, other freedoms will have to be sacrificed. This idea of social contracts means that no one can ever really be entitled to every single freedom in the book if they want to peacefully (to some extent) coexist with other individuals.

In the end, it’s impossible to please everyone; not all people will be satisfied with the way central governments are structured. While I agree that our current ruling system has its faults, it is pretty successful at maintaining societal structure while still trying to defend everyone’s personal rights.

Stop Cop City

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Recently UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield claimed that the US would again be focusing on ‘conflict-induced famine and food insecurity’ during its presidency over the UNSC this month because she believes it is a national security, economic, and moral issue.

Atlanta citizens have been grappling with the issue of Cop City for quite some time now, and numerous riots have risen due to the severe environmental destruction and financial impacts it would have. Cop City, an unfinished establishment, is meant to serve as a Public Safety Training Center that would allow and nurture specialized training within law enforcement and those working in fire-departments. The building of the establishment first started in the spring of 2023 on an 85-acre plot of land near the South-River Forest. The 90 million dollars going into construction completely goes against what Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield and the US are trying to focus on.

People have been wrongfully shot, imprisoned, and even killed as a result of these protests, and although I don’t personally condone the use of violence in order to make a change, I am very strongly against the construction of Cop City.

I believe that these 90 million dollars going into this project can be used to make a bigger difference within smaller communities in Atlanta; it is more than enough money to be able to provide poorer households with clean water/food, housing, better education, and so many other amenities and basic necessities. 

I have a friend who lives in Atlanta, and she attended a public commentary forum/rally in early June to advocate against Cop City. She told me that the event lasted for about 15 hours in city hall, and what really was disheartening for the both of us was that the council members weren’t even listening to the citizens that were pouring their hearts out by telling extremely personal stories about how this project has affected them. My friend also claimed that most of the council members seemed to be on their phones the entire time, and didn’t even really look up at the citizens on stand.

I feel that a deal or a system can be approached between states regarding a shared training facility, or some other existing space within Atlanta can be utilized. The ensured safety of people is important, but it shouldn’t be at the cost of mass deforestation and death. I think that a state can only be successful if it listens to its citizens, and takes the well-being and opinions of everyone into mind whilst making life-changing decisions.

If you know anyone who lives in Atlanta, Georgia, please spread awareness and say no to Cop City at https://www.copcityvote.com/. 

Over the Garden Wall – Cartoon Review

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Over the Garden Wall is such a special cartoon for me, and it is unlike anything I have ever watched. Every single element of this short series plays a part in conveying a detail important to the story, whether it be the lighting in a given scene, the animation style of a setting, or the tone of the background music. Having only 10 episodes that are each about 10 minutes long, its an extremely concise yet sweet story that for me, personally, evokes a lot of nostalgia.

I would assume this series is set in a small town in the 1970s judging by the overall feel of it, specifically in the fall (which is why I always binge the episodes with my brother on Halloween). Wirt, a self-conscious, anxious high schooler and his little brother Greg, a hyper ball of energy, find themselves lost in a part of the woods called ‘The Unknown’. In an attempt to try to get back home, they embark on a journey with the help of a pure-hearted yet deceiving bluebird named Beatrice. They meet many people with diverse origins and mindsets along the way, but trust becomes a dangerous game as the band struggles to avoid an evil spirit known as ‘The Beast’.

This cartoon grapples with topics such as moving on, feeling like you don’t fit in, self acceptance and feeling confident/comfortable about who you are, etc. It indirectly gave me a lot of insight on the existence of different personalities in the real world, and how you should be selective of the people you choose to surround yourself with and avoid. I was also reminded that just because individuals may find it hard to open up or express their feelings, it doesn’t mean that they don’t have good intentions; they’ll always support you. The story makes me appreciate how lucky I am to have true friends and family who love me, and reassures me that I’m not alone in trying to figure out exactly who I am.

Despite all of these heavy topics that can be interpreted from this series, it is a roller coaster of emotions suitable for all ages that never ceases to pull on my heartstrings and sense of attachment.

So, given that the plot is so amazingly thought out and the animation as a whole is absolutely beautiful, I would never not recommend this journey of a cartoon to anyone.

Over the Garden Wall available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. 

Does A Perfect Day Really Exist?

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This is just a short little post of me thinking about life, but a question that has been on my mind lately is “does a perfect day really exist?” What even is perfect?

Some sources on the internet say that a perfect day happens when ‘everything goes just the way you’ve planned it to be’, and I guess that is possible- to an extent. Can every little detail really go the way you’ve planned it to be? I don’t believe in perfect days, but I do believe that some people who consider themselves to have perfect days don’t really have perfect days, but rather happier and more positive mindsets. Though on that note, I think that if you want to at least have an okay day, you need to have some general conditions/expectations set in place that you want to be vaguely fulfilled. Those expectations also need to be reasonable because you can’t just claim that you need the atmosphere to be 62 degrees Fahrenheit at 10:31 AM to have a perfect day (even though nobody would probably do that). The weather has its own agenda going on for itself.

I have tried to have perfect days on purpose, and it never works, at least in my experience. In fact, things seem to go even more wrong when I’m consciously focused on doing them right. In the rare occasion in which things do spontaneously go according to plan, I’m always interrupted by some thought or event that doesn’t exactly ruin my day, but ruins my ‘rhythm’ (not my mood, they’re kind of different, I can’t really explain it!). The event wouldn’t even necessarily have to be bad, but more of something I wouldn’t have been expecting/wanting at that moment.

But I guess these average days are always just a reminder for me that life is real. Everyone and everything around us has its own plan, and the Earth doesn’t adapt to us- we need to adapt to it. So I think the key to having an above-average or at least a pretty good day is to try your best, surround yourself with everything that makes you happy, and live and love the mundane 🙂

All the Bright Places – Book Review

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All the Bright Places is one of my favorite books of all time, and I can’t even remember how many times I have re-read it. It spreads awareness on the topic of suicide, the importance of balanced mental health, overcoming grief, etc. through a captivating and lovely yet heart-breaking plot. I was seriously invested, and this is the kind of book where it is practically impossible not to finish in one sitting.

The story follows outcast Theodore Finch, a boy with Bipolar disorder who struggles to find his identity/will to live in a harsh world and popular Violet Markey, a girl who blames herself for the death of her late sister and consequently feels like her future is in pieces. Both teens have a similar mindset at the beginning of the book where they meet on the ledge of the bell tower, and it is ‘unclear about who saves whom.’

I’ve read a lot of books, and I haven’t found one just like this. I was just walking through a Barnes and Nobles and got caught by the cool cover. Although Gen Z is extremely understanding and, in my opinion, more open/free compared to others, there is still a fair amount of stigma that comes with the discussion of sensitive topics such as the ones in this book. All the Bright Places isn’t just another book explaining why suicide is bad. It touches and talks about these topics in a way that no other novel can- any other book I’ve seen about suicide just seems kind of fake… and after reading the author’s note, the experiences and thoughts and memories in this book seem so genuine because they are real. The author herself has gone through these losses, mindsets, and abstract thoughts, which make the book feel that much alive. Another bonus is that this book really cultivated my love for women modernist authors like Virginia Woolf (one of my favorites- if not favorite writer) and Sylvia Plath. Jennifer Niven really has a way with really making you feel like you are loved and aren’t alone with your experiences, so this is one book I would have to recommend :).

(P.S. Jennifer Niven got inspired by one of her own original ideas by one of her own original characters in the book, and decided to make a blog! It’s called GermMagazine.com!)

(P.S. #2, another book by her Holding up the Universe is also amazing and touches on important teen mental health topics, too)

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.