Ebola jokes prove disrespectful
This is the largest outbreak of Ebola to ever hit. Centered in West Africa, the virus has become a frightening, dangerous, and deadly matter. Public health officials in West Africa are working hard to contain the disease and prevent its spread.
November 10, 2014
With a little less than 5000 deaths over the course of the Ebola outbreak thus far, Ebola is hardly something to joke about in countries less affected.
“Ebola jokes are not funny.” freshman, Madison Ringer said, “If people made the same type of jokes about cancer, no one would be laughing. This should not be different.”
Americans already have quite a stereotype to foreigners: lazy, overweight, and ignorant. Now, foreigners can be quicker to judge based on the ignorance America’s teens have towards the deadly virus.
“The jokes people make can be really insensitive sometimes,” freshman, Gabby Yun said, “If someone sneezes and someone screams ‘Ebola’, it has never been funny, only offensive.”
Helping students become more educated on the subject of Ebola (link) may help increase the amount of understanding, rather than joking in the halls.
“Make them really aware of the harsh realities, and I promise, they will not joke any longer.” Yun said.
![THAT’S SO FETCH. “Mean Girls,” a popular film directed by Mark Waters features a new student, Cady Heron, who is bullied by the popular students. During the movie, she undergoes friendship and bullying problems. But, by the end of the movie, she solves her problems and makes peace with the bullies. “Almost everyone has watched [“Mean Girls”] once, if not a couple times. It is just a go-to when you’re with your girls,” said Debasmita Kanungo, 11.](https://shsleaf.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/weissblogmeangirlsphoto-300x424.jpg)
