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Are You a Feminist?

Before reading this post asks yourself this question: Am I a feminist?

Earlier this semester in my writing class everyone was asked this same question and at first no one raised his or her hand to admit that they were feminists. When no one raised his or her hand, professor Nielsen-Dube told us that she believed that we in fact were all feminist and that we were simply afraid to admit it because of the negative social stigma that surrounds the word feminist. Yahoo blogger Elizabeth Eckert describes in one of her posts what people picture when they hear the word feminist, “…frumpy, overweight lesbians who don't shower and have hairy legs.” The word feminist is not meant to describe someone’s physical appearance, rather their belief that men and women should be have equal opportunities and rights.

Some may believe that in our present time men and women are equal. They may point out to women like Condoleezza Rice and Hilary Clinton, both very influential figures in current political sector. While Clinton and Rice may be proof that women have progressed the truth is that we are not completely there yet. In 2009 Maria Shriver along many other journalist and researches released the Shriver Report in which they highlight the progress that women have made. As of 2009 women have become primary providers in 4 out of 10 American households. The percentage of women becoming self-employed has increased by 35% and is increasing at a rapid rate. Women also comprise fifty percent of the entire workforce population. Women have clearly made their mark by entering the workforce but the truth is they still have a long way to go.

Although women comprise about fifty percent of the workforce they are still not paid equally as men. Women are currently earning 81 cents to the male dollar. Does that seem fair? As a business student this aspect of the feminist movement interest me the most. Aside form not being paid as well as men the current workforce also lacks equal opportunities for females. Aside form working full time jobs women also have to tend to their families. This includes taking time off when a child is sick or maternity leave when a woman becomes pregnant. Right now, as pointed out by the Shriver Report women must use sick time and vacation days to tend to an ill family member, leaving no room for their own leisure. The report also points out that women are entitled to up to twelve weeks of maternity leave all of which are not paid. A report released by USA Today reveals that in Sweden women are entitled to a full of paid maternity leave. They also have the option of having someone come to their house and helping them take care of their children.

Women have become a large part of the workforce and it is time that changes are made to benefit the new primary caregivers. The thought that I am working hard to some day achieve my dream job but may still make less than my male colleagues honestly enrages me, which is why I am not afraid to call my self a feminist: a person who believes in equal opportunities for both men and women.

Now that you have read a little more on the subject do you consider yourself a feminist?

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-07-26-maternity-leave_x.htm

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/308706/the_feminist_stigma.html

http://www.shriverreport.com/awn/index.php

Immigration

Immigration has been a continuous tradition in the history of America. Huge number of people from all over the world come to America every year and most of them are undocumented workers. Undocumented workers are the most vulnerable and exploited workers in America. They are often victims of unpaid wages, dangerous conditions and uncompensated work place injuries, and other labor law violations. Workers who attempt remedy the abuse routinely face physical and immigration related threats. There are an estimated 6.5 million undocumented immigrant workers in the U.S according to the 2010 immigrants statistics., representing a vital workforce in manufacturing, service, construction, restaurant, and agriculture sectors. Immigrant and non-immigrant communities alike must be informed that all workers—documented or undocumented—are protected under the country's most basic federal and state employment and labor laws.
The most common protections denied undocumented workers include:
The right to receive the promised wage and/or at least the minimum wage and overtime pay for work actually performed.
The right to healthy and safe conditions on the job.
The right to receive workers’ compensation benefits for injuries on the job.
The right to be free from discrimination based on sex, color, race, religion, and national origin; age; and disabilities.
These unfairly treated workers are the one helping the country grow and compete in market places. They are hard working people and they deserve their rights and freedom as American workers. There is a tremendous need to inform workers and employers of their rights and responsibilities under the country's employment laws, to provide greater resources for enforcement of such laws, to increase access for workers to the legal system and community organizing, and to adopt immigration policy reforms that will remove the vulnerability of undocumented workers. Lately, the economy of America has not been good as before. Americans are loosing jobs everyday due to the fact that the results of the census are not always correct because undocumented workers are not included, so the government falls short on how much job opportunities should be created. With undocumented workers without documents, who really suffers? What are the pros and cons of undocumented workers becoming legalized in America? Is it fair for those who are helping the country grow, to be treated as criminals and disadvantages to the country?

Less Salt, Better Health

Teens are the number one consumers of salt in the world today which is a leading cause to health problems such as heart attacks and high blood pressure. Studies show that if teens begin to eat ½ teaspoon less of salt a day, it could lead to a 43% decrease in the 2.7 million people that suffer from high blood pressure which can lead to more severe and fatal health problems. Consumption of salt is a habit many teens acquire from a young age and become unknowingly addicted to the salt and not the particular food. The USDA recommends people over the age of two, to consume about 2,300 mg of slat per day, and it has been found that teens consume well beyond this suggestion.

As a college student, I know how hard it is to find cheap groceries that are healthy. One familiar hit, Ramen noodles, contains about 560mg of salt per serving. Similarly, “easy-mac” as well as other frozen, and processed foods are more than likely to share this large number. People instinctively look first at the calories and sometimes do not even realize the risks of high sodium contents in foods. I think there must be something done so that teens, especially college students become more aware of the risks of high sodium content products. College institutions should provide and make students aware of the risks that come along with consuming products like these. The production of processed foods is only increasing and innovating new products, and if teens do not become aware of these risks, more people are going to find themselves in heart related predicaments later on in their lifetime.

link: http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/11/14/reducing-hypertension-in-u-s-teens/

Skyllore White's Post

Should Third World Countries Pay the Price for Our Technology?

Have you ever recycled your old computers, or sold them to secondhand parts dealers? Do you know what happens to them? Do you know where they end up? For many people the answers to where the old computers go and what happens to them is a mystery. But for others, they know of it and are ignoring the facts. "Everybody knows this is going on, but is just embarrassed and don't really know what to do about it," Smith said. "They would just prefer to ignore it."

Many environmental groups have said that there is a chance that your old computers go to a dump in a developing world. "I've seen a lot of dirty operations in Third World countries, but what was shocking was seeing all this post-consumer waste," said one of the report's authors, Jim Puckett. Where thousands of laborers basically rip apart the electronic waste to get to the precious metals inside. They are exposing themselves and their surroundings to a number of toxic hazards. In this article a report was documented on “cyber-age nightmare” this was where villages in southeastern China were ripping apart computers that still have the labels on them, and they were dumping the scrap metal along rivers and fields. Not only are the computers being sent to third world countries but most of the computers have been used once by us; Americans. I feel as though this is really awful because those computers could’ve been useful for people who don’t have enough money to pay for one or they could’ve been donated to those less fortunate. This portrays Americans as ungrateful and basically wasteful. Investigators, actually visited Guiyu, China where the waste sites occur, they witnessed men, women and children basically dismantling the computers by pulling wires from it and burning them at night; which puts carcinogenic smoke in the air. They also witnessed other laborers, working with little or no protection, burning plastics and circuit boards and poured acid on electronic parts to extract as much silver and gold as they can. In result, the ground water is so polluted that the drinking water has to be brought by trucks from a town 18 miles away. For example, one of the rivers had samples taken, and it had 190 times the pollution levels that are allowed under the World Health Organizational guidelines. Computer waste is becoming a difficult problem, because millions of different devices are being produced faster and faster. One report has said that some in the industry estimate that 50% to 80% of the United States electronic waste that is collected as recycled goods gets shipped out of the country. This involves situations like the dump in Guiyu or the similar ones in India or Pakistan, this is where the labor is cheap, and the laborers make a big deal about trying to salvage every last screw or bit of silver that they can.

Companies are trying to avoid this problem or at least help recycle the electronics in a humane way. Large retailers and a few PC makers have launched recycling programs, and they are requiring consumers to pay an additional charge of $30 to ship their old PC’s themselves. Like the bottle deposit, organizations believe that the cost of recycling computers should be added to the initial cost of the product.

Now that you have been informed on this environmental catastrophe will you help by asking that your recycled electronics are not being shipped out of the country? Do you think this is fair?

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2002/02/25/computer-waste.htm

Do the new airport security measures invade your privacy?

Airport security has been an issue for many years. Officials ponder every day about how to ensure people’s safety when flying from one destination to another without going too far as to invade their privacy. Officials have come up with an idea that could speed up the screening process while preventing prohibited items from getting passed security without having to physically search the passengers. They have been testing “millimeter wave whole body imaging” machines, which are elevator-sized screening devices that reveal, within seconds, what’s underneath travelers’ clothes. The machines work by projecting electromagnetic waves over a person’s body to produce a 3-D image within two seconds. The faces on the images are blurred and the files are deleted after being reviewed. Andrea McCauley, a spokeswoman for the airport security said, “Our first responsibility is to preserve privacy and the protection of passengers.” She also said that the millimeter wave images would be “hands-free and user-friendly.” These machines can see what the magnetometers that passengers walk through now can’t detect because they can see both metal and non-metal items that may cause harm to others.

Although these machines are speeding up the security process and eliminating more harmful materials, they are also causing an outcry from privacy advocates who say the images are too revealing. Barry Steinhardt, director of the Technology and Liberty Project for the American Civil Liberties Union, said about these new machines: “These are virtual strip-searches. American passengers should not have to parade around naked in front of security screeners in order to board the plane.” Even though this process is optional the officials do not express passenger’s rights clearly. They make it seem mandatory. A Salt Lake resident, Darren Johnson, stated that he didn’t realize he was using some new technology until officials asked him to step into the body-imaging machine. Passengers say that this new invention is very intrusive and a violation of their privacy. They also exclaim that these “3-D image” searches are completely unnecessary.

What is your opinion on this new security invention? Are these new security measures reasonable and necessary to ensure the safety of mankind or are these machines intrusive and violating our privacy? What kind of safety measures should be taken in order to protect our people and not act in a violating way?

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/061308dnbustsascans.fcd920.html

A Healthier America

Amidst all of the talk of reforming health care and fixing the economy, one very important issue with society is being ignored by politicians. This issue is the obesity problem in the United States. Now in some cases, people are overweight because they do not care what they eat. Other people are overweight because of their genes or their health. The government has no control over the weight of these people. However, there is one large group of people that can be helped by the government with their weight problem. Ironically, this group consists of the people are unable to afford food.

In my first paper in Intro to College Writing, I wrote about the WIC program and how it protects the rights of children to receive proper nutrition. As a recap, this program provides food aid to expectant mothers, infants, and young children. WIC pays for specific healthy food items to properly nourish mothers and young children. Only healthy foods can be bought with WIC - the cash register at supermarkets reject any foods with corn syrup or too much sugar. There is even a limitation that only wheat bread can be bought because it provides more essential nutrients to young and developing children. Unhealthy foods are cheaper, so the less fortunate often buy the unhealthy food so they can buy more of it. The limitations are a good thing because they allow WIC to provide children with healthy foods to start their diets off in the right direction.

A program that does not provide the same nutritional protection is the EBT program. The only restrictions on EBT Food Stamps are that cigarettes, alcohol, taxes goods, and prepared foods cannot be bought. Cookies, chips, soda, fruits saturated in corn syrup, and other junk foods are free game when it comes to buying food with EBT. I am a cashier at Market Basket and many orders I ring through that are paid for using EBT are loaded with fatty foods such as these. Many times, people buy more junk than actual food and it breaks my heart to see how obese many children are that are on EBT. I often see people watching the total for their order and they always grab candy bars to use up the rest of their card. This is a very unhealthy habit and in my opinion, any money not used buying regular groceries should be returned to the government to help someone else in need. "Using up what is left on the card" on impulse items (gum and candy) is very wrong and is taking advantage of the program.

There is another part of the EBT program and that is EBT Cash Benefits. With Cash Benefits, a certain amount of money can be used to buy taxes items as well (i.e. toilet paper, stamps, cutlery). There is a problem with this as well; the Cash Benefits portion of the EBT Card can be withdrawn from an ATM to provide an untraceable source of cash. This cash can be used to buy cigarettes, booze, and it can even be used for gambling (although these are not the intended purpose of the cash). I see people insert their EBT card into the ATM at work and walk directly to the Customer Service Desk to buy cigarettes with the cash they just withdrew. This also saddens me because that money was supposed to go to help the family/children with basic necessities. Parents neglect their kids to get themselves a fix of nicotine, and the government does not prevent this from happening.

One day, I figured out that 21% of my paycheck is taken out in taxes (and I am just part time, making often less than $100 a week). A large amount of these taxes are taken out for Food Aid programs such as WIC and EBT. I am all for helping those in need who do not abuse the system, but it frustrates me when that much hard earned money is taken out to help nourish people, who end up morbidly obese because the government is not restricting all food aid programs. Only healthy foods should be allowed. As far as Cash Benefits goes, people should not be allowed to take the money out of an ATM and they should only be allowed to buy the intended products of the program like toilet paper and paper towels. I love the WIC program for it achieves its goal of properly nourishing expectant mothers and their babies/young children. Other programs need to be reformed to have limits like the WIC program so they can do what they are intended to do. By limiting foods to only being healthy foods, manufacturers will end up reformulating their products so they will contain less fat, sugar, syrup, and sodium. They will reformulate their products so they don't lose profit (I see more junk food bought with EBT than I see bought with cash, credit, and debit orders). When programs like EBT are reformed, America will be at a healthier weight. When Americans are in better shape, they will have less health risks like heart attack and stroke. With less risk of disease, lives will be saved and our new Universal Health Care will not need to spend as much. With less government spending in one area, it can create more jobs and help more people. By creating more jobs, less will be reliant on government programs, leading in even less government spending. More people will then be paying into the system, resulting in more money for the government. The cycle will then continue. By fixing broken food aid programs, people will be thinner, healthier, and end up employed. The U.S. government will also have more money to help others and to pay back its own debts. A simple reform of the EBT program will fix many societal issues, including childhood obesity. So why do our politicians keep ignoring the issue?

Please voice your opinion. Am I right, do we need food aid reform? Is my logic incorrect? Am I too cynical of the programs? Does anything need to be changed at all?


For further reading:
http://www.agweek.com/event/article/id/17533/

An article that provides great coverage on the abuse and loose rules of EBT is at http://www.allbusiness.com/banking-finance/banking-lending-credit-services-payment/15173799-1.html

Cultural Mosaic?

America has traditionally been referred to as a "melting pot," welcoming people from many different countries, races, and religions, all hoping to find freedom, new opportunities, and a better way of life. However, throughout the years this traditional term, has turned into a “cultural mosaic”, meaning that the immigrants retain their own national characteristic while integrating into a new society. And that is what happens when a new international student starts a career in The United States of America, searching for better opportunities in his life. The adaptation in the American society is a process of identification to a new environment. This environment has some characteristics that make him want to be part of. Such as language, culture, religion, etc. However, there are other factors that are difficult to understand. The first time I was in the United States, I wonder why in a college cafeteria it was common to have different groups sitting together according to their Nationality especially. The Latin Americans were in the corner, the Asians were next to the door, the Anglos were separated into different groups such as - the hockey players and the basketball players- and also there were a group of African Americans in the west part of it and other nationalities, too. What other factors are there to be considered in this particular situation? Is it race still a division between students at Universities or Colleges? Can we shared the same place and be all integrated in different situations?
I noticed that students seem to be comfortable talking in the same language with people of the same nationality, especially at the first period of the arrival time to a different country. It is easier to express your ideas in your own language. Your primarily needs can be solve more easily, especially at a cafeteria. In The United States has so many people that speak different languages and it is common to find students that share your same system of communication that you can find people in the campus talking in other languages you had never imagined to listen.
Another factor is some racial- nationally stereotypes and prejudices that determine our view, such as that the black people are fond of basketball, or dancing while the Anglos like American Football, hockey. Asians are good at Martial Arts and South Americans are good football players. Is that always true? No. But some students are very fond of sports so they choose their fellows according to their likes and they come together. Students shared some national affection about the sport they practice and they show it wearing the t- shirt of their favorite national team. Even in this point, there are some who identify themselves with a team that doesn’t belong to his country!
Finally, there is apparently a great necessity to be part of a group. A group which the students choose to identify themselves. Some groups are according to your abilities (chess, reading, gambling) and some others are about the sport you practice. It seems to be an obligation to be part of a group to feel the sentiment of campus’ life. And sometimes the nationality seems to be a factor here as well. Could we change this? Is it possible to share the same like a Latin American boy and a North American boy? YES, I BELIEVE IT IS POSSIBLE. Because, I saw many exceptions in the campus but it is a matter of time to change it. American people has always had people from many countries and as Douglas Rivelin said, “Immigrants come and change America and are changed by America.”

Acting Pregnant

As much as I tried to avoid this subject while brainstorming for my blog topic, the one topic that I kept returning to is teen pregnancy. Just as I do not support war but do support those who fight in it, I do not support teen pregnancy at all, but I will always be there for the numerous friends of mine that have children.

As stated in a commercial I saw this weekend, teen pregnancy is 100% preventable. At first, I wanted to refute the commercial by saying that birth control is never 100% guaranteed, but then I realized the other option: abstinence.

Many teenagers do not take abstinence as an option for them and I'm sure a few of those who do not practice abstinence also do not practice safe sex. As we all know, this increases the possibility (I do not like to say “risk”) of pregnancy manifold.

I could go on and on about how to prevent pregnancy before and after conception and how hard it hits me every time I find that another friend is pregnant but that is not what I want to talk about. What I am most baffled about are the girls who decide to fake their pregnancy. I'm not sure if any of you readers have heard of this but I can automatically think of two instances off the top of my head.

I'm talking about the girl who decides for whatever reason, to print off an ultrasound from the internet on regular printer paper that ends up looking like a squirrel, scribbling her name and date at the bottom and then flaunting the “ultrasound” around the school (pardon me if this sounds rude, but this really did happen). Then, when the times comes for her to show a “baby bump” she suddenly announces that she has lost the child. Although this could be excused as the truth, it is hard to believe when the girl recreates this story numerous times.

Many people who I’ve heard try to explain this behavior say that maybe she is trying to keep her boyfriend from leaving the relationship or that she is simply yearning attention. Although she will receive the wrong kind of attention, whatever her reason maybe, in the instances I have witnessed, none of these girls seem to realize the extent of this situation. It really does bewilder me why any of these girls would choose to do this. There has to be a better reason than the two reasons that I'm so used to hearing. Is there a psychological reason? Is there something going on at home?
Is it a cry for help? A search for identity? An experiment or a joke that just no one else catches on to?

None of the instances I have witnessed have ever turned out well. Every instance results in the girl becoming a victim of her own actions as she virtually branded and outcast from her peers more than she already was. So why make the situation worse by doing something like this? Especially if the motive is to keep the boyfriend from leaving the relationship since he is probably going to want to distance himself more once he finds out is a hoax.

Miscarriages take a large toll on the body and a woman’s body can only take so much before she gives up trying to have a child. I know adult women who take time off of work to recover from their miscarriages. If these girls were really losing the child through miscarriage, then they would probably be missing school.

So the big question and the moral of my story is WHY FAKE BEING PREGNANT?!

Euthanasia: A Decision of Life or Death

Euthanasia is a popular social justice issue that is a literal matter of life and death. Euthanasia is the act of killing a human being in a painless manner. Although this sounds horrible, there are circumstances in which this is the right decision.

Some hospitalized patients are in such extreme pain that they wish for be put out of their misery; their illnesses can be so painful that death seems like a more pleasant option. No one else should be able to tell them that their decision is irrational. If a person is going through such a horrible experience, that person should be able to have the largest say in the outcome. If someone is so miserable physically that they wish to end their pain medically, that person should be given the option. This can not only benefit that person but others as well. Medical funds are freed up for other patients if resources are not being depleted in patients that are so ill that recovery is not going to happen for them. If a person wishes to be put out of his or her misery, hospitals can do so and also save money for other patients who can be cured and wish to get better.

Euthanasia is not, however, always the best choice, and there are many arguments against it. Some say euthanasia devalues the lives of human beings, but human beings should be allowed to make choices for themselves freely. Another concern is that euthanasia can become a means of saving funds for health care. Doctors cannot force patients to choose this option, though, so patients are always in full control of if they choose to be put to rest or not. It can be seen as wrong for doctors, people who work to save lives, to be directly involved in killing people, but if a patient is beyond help and believes euthanasia is the best option, doctors should honor this last wish of their patients.

Overall, euthanasia should be legal for terminally ill patients with no other options to turn to. Although there are some concerns with the concept, there are more pros than cons and people should be allowed the freedom to choose for themselves as they are with other aspects of their lives.

Homelessness in America

The issue of homelessness is becoming more and more prevalent in America. With the unemployment rates hovering around 10%, many Americans cannot afford their housing mortgages. Living in the richest county in the world makes you question how the poverty level keeps increasing. There are roughly about three million Americans who are homeless. This is a very disturbing number for the simple fact that the brutality of poverty is a monumental issue in today’s society. Unfortunately, the recent recession only added to these numbers. With the economy facing issues within the financial market, housing market, health care market, and the business market many Americans cannot afford the growing cost of living. In the year 2007 one statistic showed that 23% of the homeless population were families with children. In essence this notion of homelessness is affecting many Americans in not being able to provide for their families.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said, “We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.” I strongly believe that most of us take for granted the gift of having a home and living with people who love us. Consequently, there are many Americans who are forced to live in shelters or on the streets. According to USA Today, about 1.6 million Americans have resorted to living in shelters. Another staggering fact is from a poll that about 53% of Americans are worried about making their housing payment. These statics shows how a falling economy raises the unemployment rates. Homelessness in large part is due to many Americans not having jobs. There is a clear correlation between the recession and an increase in the amount of Homelessness in America. Furthermore, poverty in the US is a very sad reality and tackling this issue is easier said than done.

Poverty is problem that needs to be fixed. In regards to social justice, homelessness has a much broader meaning. The Many Americans that are homeless most likely cannot afford the essential needs such as food, clothing, and water. I could not imagine not having something as simple as a glass of water or a home cooked meal. I truly am privileged to have a home, a place I view as my haven. As the holiday of thanksgiving is on the horizon, this is a time of being thankful for what you have and giving back. One statistic showed that of the 3.5 million Americans that are homeless about 1.35 are children. These children go without food and a roof over there head. They will most like miss out on many of the privileges that I had as a child. Looking forward, our government must establish more policies and create more jobs in order to help Americans pay for their housing mortgages. In final, I believe the being homeless is a horrific aspect of our society that affects many Americans. It is our jobs as Americans to fight for those who less fortunate than us.

How can the issue of homelessness be fixed? Do you believe that issue is directly correlated to the recession? Do you take for granted the essential goods such as food, water, and even your home? How can we make a difference?

Links:
http://homelessnessinamerica.com/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maria-foscarinis/homelessness-human-rights_b_781638.html

Not Politically or Legally Correct

For the members of the Christian Legal Society chapter of the Hastings School of Law out of the University of California, awaiting a decision from the Supreme Court has proved to be a test to their patience. In 2004, the Society sued Hastings School of Law after the school cut their funding and would not allow the club to bear the school’s insignia after the group placed limitations on who could be a member and who could not. The types of student the club mainly discriminated against were non-Christians and gays. In the original case brought to the California court system, the judge sided with Hastings, stating that the school was in the clear when it discounted the club’s credibility as it violated the school’s policies. The case was then brought to the Supreme Court. It was heard in April, 2010, with a decision still pending.

When the club was first established, it did not have any prerequisites when it came to new members. If a person showed interest, they would not be denied entrance. This club policy changed in 2004 when a “statement of Faith” was introduced and needed to be signed by all members, new and old. This statement not so subtly discriminated against non-Christians and gays, denying them entrance into the Christian Legal Society. In order for the club to be recognized by the public institution and to receive its funding, the school requires it to follow the nondiscriminatory policy which Hastings expects all of its student organizations to follow. Because the students were discriminating against others, the school cut their funding and did not want the group to be associated with the school for it had breached policy.

In an attempt to win their funding and recognition back, the group sued the school saying that the group’s first amendment rights of freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of religion were violated. In 2006, the Federal District Court that heard the case ruled in favor of the school. When the Christian Legal Society appealed the case, a three-judge panel of the San Francisco United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed unanimously that the original court decision was correct for the school’s policies were “viewpoint neutral,” since they require openness of all student groups. Unhappy with this decision, the group took their case to the Supreme Court, citing their former argument that their first amendment rights were violated and that the school’s policy was unconstitutional for denying them these rights.

But who should win here? Should the previous court rulings be upheld because Hastings is a public institution, which “ensures all students have equal access to all school-recognized and school-funded activities”? Or is the Christian Legal Society right? Were their first amendment rights denied to them because they were not allowed to run their club purely by their religion? How should the Supreme Court rule in this matter?

A press release of the Supreme Court hearing can be found at http://www.uchastings.edu/news/docs/cls-v-martinez.pdf

A newspaper editorial expressing thoughts on this case can be found at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/19/opinion/19mon2.html?_r=1&scp=9&sq=discrimination&st=cse

Black WWII vets still recall racism

Racism is a subject that we have recently talked about in class and it is a subject that is constantly talked about and brought up here in America. It has been a problem here for over two hundred years and is still a problem today. But, the biggest problem that I have with racism is that it was even a problem in the military. Black American citizens who were fighting for their country, just like the white Americans, were still treated differently and still suffered racism. They fought with honor and risked their lives for a nation who still considered them second-class citizens and kept them segregated from their white military counterparts in the Navy, Army and Air Corps.
Black military veterans of World War II, from Lafayette recently reflected and discussed their military tours. “World War II was the greatest war we ever fought,” said Alex Taylor, 89, who witnessed Pearl Harbor aboard the USS Dobbin. “What I remember most is even though I was in the service with a uniform, I experienced the same segregation,” said 92 year old Lloyd Foote. It angers me to think that even though Foote was risking his life for his country, he was still forced to ride in the back of the bus and was not able to visit certain places in the Nation's Capitol because of his skin color. They explained how even the German soldiers asked them why they were fighting for a country who did not want them there. " 'What are you black folks doing here? You’re fighting for a country that don’t want you. Why don’t you go home?'That’s what they told some of our people," they explained.
The early military movies were also racist and did not include scenes with black soldiers in them. According to Foote, "the early movies made on Gen. George Patton’s famous march during the Battle of the Bulge failed to show the black support battalions. They were portrayed as white." With Veteran's Day nearing, the soldiers were asked how they feel during the day. Foote felt that being a veteran held little significance. He felt that black soldiers’ contributions were ignored, even discarded. As a result of this, Foote said, “I don’t try to remember anything on Veterans Day.” “I have no feelings,” he added.
How can people treat veterans differently just because the color of their skin? They risked their lives for the freedom of the white citizens in America and fought for a country who did not characterize them as equal. These black soldiers fought for the rights that we have today as American citizens and yet they are still shunned upon by some racist white Americans. What are your thoughts and opinions about the way black American soldiers were treated during their military tours and when they came back to America? Does this make you feel embarrassed to call yourself an American? Does it anger you in anyway?

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/106869568.html?showAll=y&c=y

Gender & Sexual Orientation are Not Treats

Halloween is a time for fun, candy, tricks and treats. Last week, however, one mother experienced no treat when she and her five-year old son walked into his Catholic preschool. Dressed as Daphne from Scooby Doo, the little boy horrified and disgusted mothers with his choice of costume. A picture of the boy in the costume has since then gone viral and shows him wearing purple tights, a wig, a dress, and even pink boots.

The mother had no problem with her son’s choice of costume, but we live in a country where following gender roles and being heterosexual are the norms. Therefore, it is no surprise that people have made verbal attacks at the boy’s mother for letting him dress in “drag” and for jeopardizing his sexual orientation. Some individuals even questioned the seriousness of the Catholic preschool the boy attends.

The mother’s reaction is an admirable, must-read that can be found below. She wrote, “If you think that me allowing my son to be a female character for Halloween is somehow going to ‘make’ him gay then you are an idiot. Firstly, what a ridiculous concept. Secondly, if my son is gay, OK. I will love him no less. Thirdly, I am not worried that your son will grow up to be an actual ninja so back off.” She also made a wise comment towards what society deems acceptable in saying, “If my daughter had dressed as Batman, no one would have thought twice about it. No one.” This is no doubt an example of the double standard that affects gender.

There are, thankfully, many who have commended and supported the mother. Outrage against Dr. Jeff Gardere, a clinical psychologist, surfaced after he appeared on CNN disapproving of the mother’s choices. He said, “It is the worst nightmare of heterosexual and gay couples to have to fathom that their child might be gay.” Since then, Gardere apologized in saying, “… it is a real issue for [parents] because they are afraid … even gay parents say it … [they] do not want their children to have to deal with the pain and the isolation and a lot of the emotional trauma ... as far as coming to terms with their sexuality.” It is absurd that a preschooler’s costume has the ability to turn into a dispute about sexual orientation.

Do you agree with the mother in her decision to let her son wear a costume that did not conform to society’s expectations? Do you agree with her posting the story online? Will it ever be possible for a greater amount of acceptance to exist when gender or sexual orientation is questioned? Would there have been any comments about a girl in a batman costume, as the mother mentioned? If you were a parent, would you have let your son wear the costume? Does this double standard of gender outrage you?

http://nerdyapplebottom.com/2010/11/02/my-son-is-gay/?ref=nf

http://www.afterellen.com/people/2010/10/cnn-daphne

SHOULD WE CHANLLENGE GOD, AND MESS WITH NATURE?

 

Cloning and genetic engineering do of course have some pros and cons; one of the most exciting potential applications of genetic engineering involves the treatment of genetic disorders. Medical scientists now know of about 3,000 disorders that arise because of errors in an individual's DNA. Conditions such as sickle-cell anemia, Tay-Sachs disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Huntington's chorea, cystic fibrosis, and Lesch-Nyhan syndrome are the result of the loss, mistaken insertion, or change of a single nitrogen base in a DNA molecule. Genetic engineering makes it possible for scientists to provide individuals who lack a certain gene with correct copies of that gene.

Genetic engineering also promises a revolution in agriculture. It is now possible to produce plants that will survive freezing temperatures, take longer to ripen, convert atmospheric nitrogen to a form they can use, manufacture their own resistance to pests, and so on. Domestic animals have been genetically "engineered" in an inexact way through breeding programs to create more meaty animals, etc., but with genetic engineering, these desirable traits could be guaranteed for each new generation of animal.
            Shouldn’t we be worried as a society about where genetic engineering/cloning might lead us? If we can cure genetic disorders, can we also design individuals who are taller, more intelligent, more athletic, or better looking? Is that a good use of the technology? Will the manipulated agricultural products be safe for humans, or will they alter us in some unknown way? Will we be able to control all the changes that might occur, and lastly how can we socially, accept and justify all of this? All the above are of the few of the many ethical questions we should ask ourselves.

www.discoveriesinmedicine.com

Healthcare Reform

Healthcare originally was for people who could only afford it and now the reform is so everybody can have it. This affects social justice because it is making healthcare equal for everyone, but is it actually hurting people in the long run. You could live in the healthiest state, but the reality is that people in your state still go hungry every night and this reform would help them be able to have a steady income to live on and to be treated if they receive a disease. There are 46.6 million people without health insurance.
Is it fair for the people that have health insurance to get these benefits, they are paying for it because they can afford it. The reform wants to make it so that everybody has healthcare and that it is all equal. In doing this it makes everybody have benefits, which might help the population increase because less would be dieing from diseases and starvation, but the personal care might go down towards patients because there would be less people in the health field to help them, and there might be an overload in patients. Also, care to the elderly might go down because they will get less benefits since they are older and if this happens is it fair to them. I don't think it is. There are 81% of uninsured families that have at least one adult working, but still don't have insurance because of their job and they can afford it on the salary they are getting. People who used to have insurance might have lost it because now companies are taking away their insurance because it is cheaper for them, which i think is wrong to do. When creating this healthcare reform you have to think about the cost it is going to have because it is going to be expensive to pay for every body's insurance, which will put the United States in more debt.
The main problem I am getting to is, Is it fair for us to accept the Healthcare Reform because it makes everybody have equal insurance? Does that make it better for everyone? Is this reform a good thing to accept into our lives? I think we won't really know until we try it out, but if the coverage for other people goes down is it worth hurting some people to help out other people?
If you want to read the article the site is http://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/marapr2007p24.shtml .

Drug Abuse

Drug usage is a very risky behavior that everyone should avoid. Drug usage causes addiction and can be life threatening. Based on the estimation from the National Drug Control Strategy in 2009, at over time in their lives, 104,446 Americans have used Marijuana, 36,599 have used Cocaine, 8,359 have used Crack, and 3,863 have used Heroin.

Generally, people choose to use drug because of peer pressure, they want to alleviate their stress or they are curious about it. Using illegal drugs put people into trouble. Some people believe that just one dose of Marijuana or other types of drugs cannot possibly make the users addicted. That is not true. Once they use the drugs, they become dependent. When the effect of the drugs wear off, the users start to crave for more drugs, they feel uneasy and pain in their bodies. They become aggressive and panic.

Daily use of drugs can lead to numerous types of disease such as respiratory failure, rapid heart rate, memory impairment, weaken immune system, lung damage, insomnia, hyperactivity, and agitation. Sometimes it causes death. These sicknesses make the drug users to lose their abilities to perform their jobs. For students, they lose ability to concentrate and memorize schoolwork.

Dealing with drugs steers people away from comfortable lives. Drugs are very expensive, most drug users become criminals because they tend to find money to buy drugs by robbing other people. They have to live as gypsies, and hide from the society, Besides living with guilt, they have to suffer the consequences of drug abuse such as sicknesses caused by the effect of using drugs.

Choice is in our own hands. There are many drug free activities available for us that are food enough to keep us away from stress and stay healthy. If someone is obsessed with drugs, please get help as soon as possible before it is too late. Regret cannot put you back to the starting point, so think carefully about your own future.

Imagine if you are parents of drug dealers, how worried will you feel?

What else should we all do as members of society to help the government eliminate drug abuse?

Womanizing on Jersey Shore

If you look at the MTV show Jersey shore you can't help but recognize the massive amount of womanizing that the men on the show exhibit. How is this seen? You can look at the numerous times that you see them come back from a club or are at a club trying to pick up girls and take them home for easy sex. They tend to look at women as objects of lust that they need to have and use for what they need and then quickly let them go. Also it seems that many women have begun to sink to the level of being "easy". you can see this in the women that they dance with at the clubs and the ones that unfortunately go home with them.
I feel that a woman needs to be respected and treated right. they are not an object of lust but something to be admired and cared for. I am seeing more and more these days that women try to change their image to please men. It is wrong in my eyes and any man that a girl would have to compromise themselves in that way to impress is not worthy of them. What do you think about this subject?

Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity is a growing problem in America. The number of children who are overweight has tripled to 30% in the last 30 years. Two main factors contribute to these statistics: kids are not eating healthy enough, and they are not getting a decent amount of exercise. Fast food has had a huge impact on childrens’ health. More and more kids are eating fast food, and therefore childhood obesity is growing quickly. Kelly Brownell, who is studying obesity at Yale University, stated, ‘“If you go to McDonald's today, you can buy a quarter-pounder with cheese meal that means the large drink and the large french fries - for less than it costs to buy a salad and a bottle of water, there's something wrong with that picture.”’

Young kids that are already obese have the possibility of facing numerous negative consequences later in life. There are the physical issues, like high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. In addition, there are psychological consequences that children could be confronted with. These include depressive symptoms, low-self esteem, and eating disorders.

Parents are key components in helping to alleviate this epidemic. By teaching their kids healthy eating habits at a young age, bad eating patterns can be changed. This means parents must follow a healthy lifestyle as well, so children can learn from them. Parents really just need to set an example for their kids.

The lack of exercise is a huge component of childhood obesity. Technology has been creating a more sedentary society. Instead of going outside and playing, children often sit and watch tv or play video games. Parents should try and encourage their kids to play outside each day or participate in some kind of sport.

America needs to start taking steps to lower the childhood obesity rates. This starts with individuals changing their lifestyles. Healthy eating habits need to be instilled in youths’ minds, as well as exercising instead of playing video games and watching tv. What else can we do to limit this epidemic?

New Hampshire Paper Won't Print Gay Couple's Marriage Announcement

A newspaper in New Hampshire refused to print a wedding announcement for a gay couple. The couple, Greg Gould and Aurelio Tine, got married last Saturday. Both were very happy and proud when gay marriage finally became legal in New Hampshire, saying that it highlighted their values of individual thinking and independence. They wanted to announce their wedding in one of New Hampshire's largest newspapers, but the newspaper told them since it was a same-sex marriage, it would not print the announcement. The couple knew they were going to face challenges, but did not think that this was going to be one of them. The paper made a statement saying: "The newspaper has never published wedding or engagement announcements from homosexual couples. It would be hypocritical of us to do so, given our belief that marriage is and needs to remain a social and civil structure between a man and a woman." The paper also said that it is not anti-gay, but has a constitutional right to print or not print what it wants.

This story just reminds us that no matter what laws are established, people will continue to believe what they believe. Just because New Hampshire made gay marriage legal, does not mean that everyone in New Hampshire now believes that gay marriage should be legal. This also goes along with other issues, such as abortion. Abortion is legal, but it is a very controversial issue that people have many different opinions on. Personally, I believe that marriage should not be restricted just to a man and a woman. It made me sad to read that the newspaper wouldn't print the marriage announcement and put a damper on this couple's wedding. Even though the newspaper did not have the same beliefs as the couple, I think it should have been more open and accepting of the couple's marriage and should have printed the announcement for them.

People need to be more accepting of beliefs different than their own. This doesn't mean that they need to adopt the beliefs of others, but they need to accept that they exist.

What are your thoughts on gay marriage? Do you believe that it was okay for the paper to not print the announcement, since they were using their "constitution right" to freedom of the press? How do you think we could make people more accepting of the beliefs of others?


http://www.wmur.com/news/25481016/detail.html?source=htv

Income Gap in the United States

Many people are accurate when they say that the rich are becoming richer and the poor are becoming poorer. The income gap is at its peak in the United States today and it is the widest it has been since the Great Depression, according to Steve Tarlow at MoneyBlog. In September, the US Census Bureau reported that the income gap is the widest it ever has recorded. More and more Americans are living in extreme poverty and desperate circumstances. The US Census Bureau stated that in Washington D.C. the rate of extreme poverty is 10.7 percent, which is very high. Hardest hit are young adults between ages 18 through 34, especially the ones without college degrees, because they are having trouble finding jobs. Companies tend to hire older and more skilled workers. University of Wisconsin professor, Timothy Smeeding, said that “the declining economic fortunes have caused many unemployed young Americans to double-up in housing with parents, friends and loved ones, with potential problems for the labor market if they don't get needed training for future jobs.” Another effect the income gap is having is that approximately 12 million households in the United States are receiving food stamps, according to the World Socialist Website. Smeeding also said that “more than other countries, we have a very unequal income distribution where compensation goes to the top in a winner-takes-all economy." Those that made over $100,000 yearly, the top 20 percent of the population, received about half of the annual income in the country in 2009. Those in poverty only got 3.4 percent of the income. Although other countries also have income gaps, the United State's is the most dramatic. Is it fair that there is such a large income gap? Is the income gap a problem? If so, what could be done to fix it? How could the income gap potentially affect students like you?

Links:
http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2010/09/17/income-gap-great-divergence/
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iCuYeWPyl7zqXPWi1Ck9mmYyAr7wD9IGP99G1?docId=D9IGP99G1
http://wsws.org/articles/2010/sep2010/cens-s29.shtml
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2010-09-28-census-income-gap_N.htm

Eating Disorders are More Common Than You Expect

One of the issues affecting college students today are eating disorders. Nobody is really recognizing the fact. Actually you couldn't really tell if someone is having an eating disorder, because the victim is hiding it or does not know how to deal with it. Some people assume that a victim is naturally thin, but deep down; the victim is hiding the fact that they have an eating disorder.

College is one of the most stressful times for an individual, because they are going through a change of life. College means that a young adult is on their own. They have to adjust to through life by being more independent, making new friends and handling responsibility. Their parents aren't really around to help them. Students have to adjust to the workload from their classes. For some people, college is an exciting time of their lives, but for others, not so much. Young adults might not be sure if they will fit in with a group of friends, because they are not sure whether they belong to the group. They might not be able to handle the responsibility of doing their laundry, cooking, or handling their workload from school. People have also heard of the so called "Freshman 15" where they gain 15 pounds their first year of school. They feel like they have to diet to avoid the "Freshman 15". Those students get depressed and then turn to eating disorders for comfort.

There are other causes that can trigger eating disorders. Some victims were abused by their parents and sometimes criticized by their parents, because of their weight. Some victims were often overwhelmed with their parents expecting them to be perfect in school, sports, and dance. There is also low self-esteem, anger, loneliness, and sexual abuse. There are often times that the media can trigger an eating disorder, because there are often skinny models and ads to go on diets to lose weight. Eating Disorders are also hereditary and there could be a chemical inbalance in the brain, but scientists are still researching more possible causes.

There are three types of eating disorder; anorexia, bulimia and binge-eating. Anorexic victims try to be thin by eating less, because they think they are fat, but they are 85% below their normal body weight. Bulimic victims binge, or takes in a large amount of food in so little time, and purges, or vomits and their weight fluctuates. Binge eating victims eat uncontrollably and feels guilt afterwords and they are overweight and obese.

Eating disorders affect up to 24 million Americans and more commonly affect women. 11% of high school students have eating disorders. According to studies 90% of females between 12 and 25 have them and out of this 15% of them are between 17 and 24. 40% female college students have an eating disorder and 91% of female college students go on diets. If an eating disorder is not treated right away, by 10 or 20 years the victim could die.

Victims are afreid to get help, because they are afraid to speak about their disorderor they don't even know about their disorder. An eating disorder could start at a very young age and the victim that has it does not seek treatment until later. If someone you know is suffering an eating disorder, you should encourage them to seek help right away. An eating disorder could lead to medical conditions, like damage to the brain, liver, kidneys, heart, bones, teeth, skin and hair; it can lead to osteoporosis, stunt of growth, ulcers, kidney problems, heart failure and death. There is some counseling at college campuses, especially the Hamel Health Center at Merrimack College. They should also seek a therapist, nutritionist and phsician. Eating Disorder Awareness month is in February and some was that Merrimack College can contribute to that is donate money at http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/get-involved/ and maybe start a walk.

Apple or Pear Shaped?

Scientists in London have recently found that more than 30 new gene variations linked to obesity in research that could help explain why some people are so obese. They say the shapes of people's bodies have to do with obesity. Some people are pear shaped and some are apple shaped. There are over 400 scientists from 280 research institutions looking further into the issues to find new ways to treat or prevent it. They do stress that genes are a major factor but the main reason for obesity is lack of exercise and bad diet.

Studies show the places where we store our fat in our bodies can have different affects on our health. Type two diabetes and heart disease are linked with the fat around the waist, when this is the case they categorize the body type as apple-shaped. However, having your fat in your butt and thighs has less risk of diabetes and high blood pressure. This would be a pear shape body type.

The second study looked for genes to connect with body mass index. A BMI between 25 and 30 is overweight and the BMI of 30 or over is obese. Researches scanned almost 250,000 people to look for DNA clues, the results found 18 new genetic regions linked to BMI. The new results found that the genes in the brain influence appetite which can control insulin and metabolism. The study found people who inherit many BMI increasing DNA comes from their parents and weigh more then those who weight more from different reasons.

Another pressing issue obesity is causing, is that Americans are becoming too obese to serve for the National Defense. From 2007 to 2008 5.7 million American men and 16.5 women were ineligible to serve being they were overweight. In the half century the number of women ineligible has tripled and for men it has doubled. Obesity is no longer being just a personal health issue; it is becoming a treat to the national security.

Big Brother is Always Watching

There has been recent talk of a legislative proposal that would enable more of the Internet to be open to court-ordered wiretapping. This would give the government access to such things as encrypted emails, social networking sites, and web phone conversations such as Skype. If passed this legislature would be an extension of the Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act, which was passed in 1994 by the Clinton administration. This act requires telecommunications carriers and providers to permit government access to their files and to have intercept capabilities for communications so that government officials can review things such as phone records. This new development has raised many concerns among privacy advocates, who find the proposal to be an extreme infringement on privacy rights. The thought that people have the ability to access your personal information and conversations is very alarming. Many believe that checks should be put in place to balance out the power of law enforcement and to make sure that no citizens’ rights are being encroached upon.

In recent decades there have been numerous advancements in technology. These advancements have given the government the tools to monitor our activities. We are beginning to live in a world of constant surveillance with the presence of surveillance cameras, computer surveillance, and phone surveillance. If you walk down a busy street corner chances are you will be able to find at least one traffic camera. While these devices are initially installed to monitor traffic, they may end up being used by law enforcement for general surveillance. Computer surveillance usually entails the use of a computer program, which sifts through Internet traffic in search of key phrases, certain websites hits, and communications with suspicious groups. Phone surveillance has also become more widespread in recent times. The Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act requires that all telecommunications be available for wiretapping by federal law enforcement.

This topic brings up the issue of which is more important in today’s world: our safety or our privacy? The government is simply doing their job to protect its citizens from terrorists and other criminals, but in the process it is encroaching on our privacy rights. Should steps be taken to limit the surveillance of the government? Is this a reassuring feeling knowing that somebody is looking out for your safety, or is it an eerie feeling, knowing that someone is watching every move that you make?

Links:

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/government_programs/july-dec10/wiretap_09-27.html

http://www.eff.org/issues/privacy

Homelessness & America's "Growing Tide" of Violence

Often, we take for granted the things that we have and the place which we call our home. What about those people who are less fortunate and don’t have a place that they can call home? According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, homelessness has been on the rise for the past 25 years. The National Coalition for the Homeless is an organization dedicated to promoting social justice. Their promotion for economic, healthcare, and housing justice recognizes the never-ending struggle that homeless people face everyday. Because homeless is referred to as a “temporary circumstance—not a permanent condition,” it is difficult to exactly know how many people are actually homeless. This steady increase of homelessness has resulted due to factors such as foreclosure, poverty, job opportunities, and decline in public assistance.

Quick Facts:
-Approximately 3.5 million Americans experience homelessness each year
-Approximately 777,000 homeless children are currently enrolled in the public school system
-Children under 18 comprise 39% of the homeless population
- National Housing Coalition estimates that 40% of families are facing eviction due to foreclosure; 7 million households (of low income) are at risk of foreclosure
-In 2007 homeless children ‘over-represented’ 35% of the poverty population
-16% of homeless single adults suffer from a type of mental illness

(*statistics provided by http://www.nationalhomeless.org/*)

Americans have been suffering due to foreclosures, loss of jobs, and loss of health/medical care benefits. No one chooses to be homeless, but people often have no choice. Many people are left homeless due to their previous held jobs that offered low wages and benefits that were insufficient to support their families. Why hasn’t the government taken immediate action since homelessness has been on the rise for the past 25 years? The National Coalition for the Homeless acknowledges that even the federal governments’ support for low-income housing has declined 49% from 1980 to 2003. As a result of this decrease, nearly 200,000 federally supported homeless rental units have been destroyed annually due to insufficient funds.

Many people could argue that since homeless is only considered a “temporary circumstance” why can’t the homeless make ends meet? In a 2007 survey conducted by the National Coalition, rough economic times has not offered many job opportunities. Without a job, a mother/father can’t receive adequate healthcare benefits or funds to be able to afford a home or support their children.

Hate crimes against the homeless have been occurring more frequently within the past decade. Many of these crimes across the United States result in the beating and deaths of the homeless by "housed individuals." Within the past decade, there have been over 1,000 acts of violence committed by “housed individuals” against the homeless and approximately 300 of these violent acts had resulted in death. Although states such as California and Florida have the highest rate of hate crimes within the past decade, many hate crimes go unreported each year. National Coalition researchers can only comment that places with warmer weather year-round such as California and Florida may contribute to the higher rate of homeless people who seek shelter outdoors.

The National Coalition for the Homeless has created a legislative proposal called the “Bring America Home Act.” This legislative proposal has been would be the first to officially address the causes and effects of homelessness. The passing of the “Bring America Home Act” as well as the "Federal Strategic Plan" would "permanently" end homelessness in the United States. These legislative plans are in the early works, but the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness' goal is to end all homelessness by 2020. What about until then? What does the future hold?

1. With great strides being made by the government to pass legislative laws to end homelessness, do you think these newly implemented laws would solve America’s problem of homelessness across the United States?
2. What do you think could be done to prevent these hate crimes against the homeless?
3. If you were homeless, what would you do?

Public service announcement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hrAbctwA3g

Freedom of Speech or Freedom to Bury Your Son?

Last week the Supreme Court dealt with the case of Albert Snyder, whose son is a fallen Marine that died while serving his, and our, country. The funeral was interrupted by a band of picketers from the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, who used this fallen Marine's funeral as a way to tell everyone how they felt. The picketers bearing signs reading "Thank God for Dead Soldiers" and "Fags Doom the Nation" ruined Snyder's one chance to bury his son. There were young children holding signs at this hero's funeral.

Pastor Fred W. Phelps Sr., the churches leader, and his extreme fundamentalist followers strongly believe that because America is becoming so tolerant and accepting of homosexuality that God is killing our soldiers who are over in the Middle East fighting. They protest here to show America, because they claim funerals get the most media attention that this is what happens when we are accepting to homosexual acts. How can it be legal and even right for a group of people to do this at a marine's funeral?

Imagine not only losing your son, who has yet to live a full and happy life, and having to bury him, but also having protesters picjeting outside his funeral thanking God for his death and expressing through profane language. Originally Snyder had won this case but it was appealed because of issues presented that it violates the First Amendment. The First Amendment states that we as citizens have the right to free speech, where we can protest our ideas and opinions freely without persecution. This applies to even harmful words and seemingly crazy acts to prove a point.

Is there a line that shouldn't be crossed by protesters? A line of privacy and sympathy, like what is needed in a funeral setting. Which matters more in this instant, the freedom of speech or a fathers only chance to bury his son who lost his life protecting the very rights and country that are now protecting the protesters? Burying a child is unnatural and unexpected for any parent, whouldn't this be respected and have sympathy shown for this family. Where should the lines be drawn? What matters more in this instance? What should the Supreme Court do in this instance?

Mosque Proposal Near Ground Zero

September 11, 2001 is a day all Americans will
remember for the rest of their lives. 19 Al-Qaeda members hijacked four commercial airplanes and crashed into the Pentagon, the Twin Towers and a rural field in Pennsylvania. There were 2,752 deaths; 343 firefighters, 60 police officers, and countless civilians. This day is considered by many to be the most tragic day in American history. It will be written
into history books, engraved on memorial sites and in
our hearts forver.

Nearly ten years later this incident is still fresh in our
minds as there is a proposal to build a mosque and Islamic Center just blocks from ground zero. We are a country that accepts everyone no matter what nationality, religion, race, gender, or sexual orientation. So why is it such a controversy that American Islamics want to build a mosque right next to ground zero? It is a matter of principle that most people do not want the mosque. Building a mosque next to where Muslim terrorists killed nearly three thousand Americans is just a sign of disrespect.

This debate has caused quite a stir in the media and from people all over the United States. Mayor Bloomberg has supported the project saying, "Anybody who wants to build a house of worship in this city, we'd love to do it." However, Ted Sjurseth, a founder of America's 9/11 Foundation has said that the mosque plan is "a stick in the eye".

Families of the victims of the 9/11 attack have spoken out against the building of this center on the grounds that it is insensitive and disrespectful. Parents and relatives of people who perished because of the attacks say that the whole mosque debate is just reopening old wounds. The victims of the catastrophic event should be shown more respect, and the mosque plans should be made somewhere else.

Retired New York Fire Department Deputy Chief Jim Riche's son was killed on 9/11. He is not opposed to the mosque but he does not think it should be built so close to ground zero. There are still one thousand bodies that have not been found and they are still finding pieces of victims. He does not think its appropriate to be building a fifteen story mosque with an indoor pool this close to hallowed ground.

President Obama defended the building of the mosque a mere 600 feet from ground zero because people have the right to practice religion where ever they want in the United States. However, Democratic Senate candidate Jeff Greene has said "Freedom of religion might provide the right to build the mosque in the shadow of ground zero, but common sense and respect for those who lost their lives and loved ones gives sensible reason to build the mosque someplace else".



Even though it may be within the Islamic's rights to build a mosque at that location, is it really necessary? Is this a proper way to honor the dead? Do you agree or disagree with the building of the mosque?

Links:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38698500/
http://abcnews.go.com/US/ground-mosque-faces-obstacle/story?id=10738961

Abortion: Is it worth the risk?

No matter what angle anyone looks at it, the topic of abortion is one of the most arguable and controversial issues of social justice. Society today is split down the middle with some individuals who believe that abortion should be a common practice amongst women and some that have a totally different perspective on the matter. By definition, it is  "the termination of a woman's pregnancy through the process of removing a growing fetus from her uterus". Statistics show that 42,000,000 abortions take place around the world about every year. However, the staggering news is that only about half of them are done correctly without harming the pregnant mother and unborn fetus. With this in mind, some might say that abortion should be illegal since it is a very dangerous practice for everyone and everything involved. That it would be much easier to just have the child and then give it up for adoption so that he or she will have the chance to live a life. Some people consider abortion in a political standpoint, but it’s not about politics. Though there are certain circumstances that cannot be ignored with regards to abortion, the practice itself should be illegal due to probable negative consequences.

In the United States, the practice is very much a legal right for many women as an option of choice. However, it is through the power of the numbers that will tell the whole story from the United States Census Bureau. 75% of Americans who participated in a recent poll do not support the country's current policy of an "immediate abortion". 53% of the 75% say that the practice should only be utilized in certain circumstances (i.e. rape, but its only accounts for 2% of all resulting abortions) while 22% believe that abortion should not even be illegal all together. The most common reason why abortions are utilized according to statistics is because of unplanned pregnancies often times due to failure in birth-control methods such as pills and condoms. That is why the best method to prevent having a child or an abortion is abstinence according to leading experts and physicians.

There are alternatives to abortion though. Statistics reveal that 69% of mothers with unplanned pregnancies often want to be informed of alternatives of abortion before making the final decision. The most popular being adoption. If two individuals are not capable of taking care or raising a kid, it does not mean that the only method of dealing with this conundrum is killing an unborn fetus. A mother can choose to give birth to her child and allow the kid a chance to live a normal life through means of putting them up for adoption if she and the father are incapable of providing for him or her. 74% of parents of unplanned pregnancies said that having a child would interfere with schooling, work, or other responsibilities while 73% say that they cannot afford to have an infant in their lives. This way, adoption will allow the parents the freedom to pursue their personal aspirations and goals without the burden of child-care and financial worries. Having a child is agreeably a huge deal that consists of feeding him or her, helping them sleep, and especially the dreaded doctor visits. They will also allow two parents who want a child through adoption to have theirs. That way, the infant will be under proper care and protection that his or her original parents are not able to provide for them.

Abortions can result in physical and mental health problems for the mother and unborn child. For physical health, there are complications that include (but are not limited to) infertility for future planned pregnancies, breast cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, and liver cancer. The most common health issues are the pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and the infections of the reproductive system of the mother. In some rare cases, abortions can cause future planned children to be born in the fallopian tube of the mom instead of the uterus and even variation in deliveries (meaning the planned child was born either too early or too late of the usual nine month period). Sometimes, death can occur to the mother as a result of an abortion on a very rare occasion. The most probable reason is if the physician is not correctly conducting the abortion with safety. In contrast to physical health, physiological health must be taken into account to. 50% of women who underwent abortions commonly experience moderately severe to very severe negative emotional reactions during months to even years after the procedure. Symptoms can include feelings of guilt, anxiety, depression, fear of disclosure, and even nightmares. Physiological effects on an extreme level of an abortion can result as increased alcohol/drug abuse, eating disorders, and even suicide.

As for me, I fall under the 53% of Americans that believe that abortion should only be utilized under certain circumstances (i.e. if abortion were to save the mother's life or if the unplanned pregnancy was the result of rape). What is your opinion/perspective on the stance? Do you support or refuse the concept of abortion completely? Or are you like me who takes the side of having abortion be utilized only in certain circumstances? What do you think?

Waste Not, Want Not

When you eat dinner at Sparky’s Place, how many plates of food do you grab? How much food on the plates do you throw out?

Each American throws out an average of a pound of food a day. That may not seem like a lot, but multiply that by about 300 million people, and then by 365 days a year. That equals over 100 billion pounds of food wasted each year. This excess of food waste drains natural resources, destroys the environment, and decomposes while 50 million Americans starve.

Each cookie you grab requires energy from natural resources in order to produce, process and package, and transport all of the supplies to make it. This process of food production and transport utilizes between 8 to 16 % of America ’s total energy consumption. Food waste however is accountable for 25% of the freshwater consumption and 4% of oil consumption. That is a lot of resources being thrown away at a time when we complain of depleting resources. Instead of drilling for oil in foreign countries we should be tapping into our landfills.

Nonetheless, this surplus of food being thrown into landfills does not do our environment much good. Besides the release of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels used to produce an overabundance of food, methane is released into the atmosphere as the food decomposes in the landfills. Methane is a green house gas that is over 20 % more polluting than carbon dioxide and its primary source is landfills.

So besides the needless destruction of our environment, 50 million American’s do not have enough access to food on a daily basis. It makes absolutely no sense that we throw out 1/5th of our food, while one out of every six people in this country goes hungry. Why is so much edible food being thrown away, while our own neighbor’s stomachs are aching?

The reason for this incredible amount of waste is our culture’s need to live in excess. Americans tend to buy more than enough food for themselves so that they have a sense of security and complacency, and thus producers produce more and more to meet the demands of the markets. This overproduction does nothing but destroy our environment and taunt the impoverished.

What can we do about this issue? Individuals can purchase only what is necessary, plan meals according to their needs, save leftovers for subsequent meals, and give excess non-perishable food to shelter so that the producers do not need to make as much. Producers, retailers, restaurants and consumers can donate excess food and resources to those in need. Non-donatable food can also be recycled in a backyard compost pile. Taking these steps to reduce waste would save energy resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help the impoverished and hungry within our own country. In other words, think before you grab that extra plate of food at Sparky’s