Urban Sprawl and the U.S.

Article: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1571/is_31_16/ai_64566673/

This article goes along with our discussion in the class the past few days about urban sprawl and overpopulation. Basically, authorities fear that individuals from Third-World countries who lack clean water sources and health care will bring their diseases to megacities and countries like America or Brazil. When the rural poor of developing nations hear about the American dream of getting a good education and job they all rush to fulfill it, but could this be a major health issue for Americans? If so, what do you think we can do about it?

Student Loan Debt as a Social Problem

http://www.npr.org/2012/04/28/151601025/help-for-the-economy-not-from-debt-bound-grads

The link above is to an article (and an audio clip) discussing student loan debt, a popular issue in the news lately.  Students often face astronomical amounts of debt as they leave college.  Couple this truth with the decreasing amounts of jobs available to recent college grads, and it is undeniable that college debt is a social problem. 

As a senior looking forward to graduating in three weeks (and beginning repayment on my loans six months later) I have been thinking more seriously about the debt that has come along with my education, and how pricing people (especially the middle class) out of a good college education is a terrible social problem.  Higher education should be a way for people in lower and middle classes to contribute to society and facilitate their upward socioeconomic mobility.  However, these students leaving college with the educational tools to succeed are prevented from doing so, strapped with heavy financial burden.

The article discusses just how much debt college students in America have accrued.  Student loan debt accounts for over $1 trillion, more than doubling in the last decade.  This past Friday 4/27, Congress passed a Republican bill that would keep interest rates on federal student loans from doubling, keeping them at 3.4 percent.  President Obama has strongly urged Congress to keep the interest rate from doubling and has favored access to education.  Nevertheless he plans to veto it, because the bill strips $6 billion from health care to make up for the low interest rate.

What do you think?  Should people be given the right to a quality college education without debilitating debt?  If so, what should be done to make sure this can happen?

Health Care Reform a Step Forward?

Article Link: http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial-page/viewpoints/article833538.ece

While this is an opinion piece from the Buffalo News, it does point out important aspects of the recent changes made to the United States health care system.  As we have discussed in class, there are many advantages and disadvantages to both profit-driven and universal health care. In addition, I was interested in learning more about what is currently going on regarding health care.

The article itself does point out various positive components to the so called "Obama-care" and health care reform legislation recently passed. These include the emergence of accountable care organizations, which are created to support the fundamental purpose of health care: to provide and sustain life-long and long-term care. Essentially, it would make a coalition of health care providers responsible for the overall health and care of a population, keeping economic incentives and the needs of patients in mind. This component of the reforms was most interesting to me, because it seems like a well-crafted plan to foster both profit-driven and universal health care ideas in mind. Other aspects of the reforms are explained in the article.

As we all know, health care reform is probably one of the most on-going and debatable subjects in the country right now. Do you feel that the new legislation is a change for the better? If not, what are your ideas for a better health care system?

Canadian vs. American Healthcare

This article discusses the Pro's and Con's of the Canadian vs American health care systems and more specifically the insurance policies. Some problems in the Canadian system is the availability of drugs that your insurance may or may not cover. Or waiting for extended periods of time before you can seek the proper treatment for your ailment. The problem with the American system is that with the different private profiteers, all around the system is way to expensive and the United States spends to much on Health care according to some people.

http://www.city-journal.org/html/17_3_canadian_healthcare.html

Are Social Networks Putting a Strain on Relationships?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/26/fashion/for-couples-new-source-of-online-friction.html?_r=1

This article has to do with whether social networks like twitter and facebook are putting an unwanted strain on relationships.  They mention how one partner posts something that might offend or embarrass their partner.  It was quite interesting to see what some of the more famous people had to say about their significant others posting something about them without approval.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UMP3AK5jwo

The Westboro Baptist Church is a Church is against everyone including: Gays, Other church cultures, the way our government is ran, and mostly hates soldiers. By them showing how they truly feel they spend most of their time picketting soldiers funerals saying "Thank God for Dead Soldiers" and " America is Doomed". This church is consumed of only 100 members and most of them are family members. The children in this church function wear tee shirts that say "FAGGOT"  on it. They are being protected by the 1st amendment which states freedom of speech, but dont you think that this is wrong?????????

At 8:00 am Car Accident- Occured in the middle of the intersection on the Main st. Thurway

The Effects of Divorce on Childrens Mental Health Through the Life Course First Hand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dB3chibPz8Y&feature=related
When a couple makes the decision to get a divorce, this can have a negative impact on the children as well. I have attached a video of a young girl who's parents divorced and the negative effects it has had on her life. Parents should remember to keep the lines of communication open and encourage the children to express their feelings. Regardless of age, kids also need to know that both parents still love them and that they will be there to take care of them.

Pinnacle Charter argues to stay open dispite low test scores

http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/buffalo/article825237.ece

This is an article that fits into our topic on education. It discusses the issue of closing a local school due to consistant low test scores recieved from their students. It has been reported that the schools performance has declined. Instead of focusing on the low grades recieved by students, the state should be focused on fixing the problem. I feel as if the problem is just being thrown away by closing the school instead of thinking of ways to solve the issue. This type of problem will never go away if schools are just shut down due to a reoccuring problem.Why not create programs to better the teachers and or students, to then improve the performance of their students scores. By the end of the article it does say that the school is trying to implement a turn around plan to improve students scores on tests. I would like to know what the school has in store, but we can only hope that the school will not be closed and fix the problem head on.  

Culturally Enriched Buffalo, N.Y. Muslim Murders 10 Year Old Stepson

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2874653/posts


I heard about this little boy getting beat up by his step-father on the news and immediately thought about our class.  The father admitted to having anger problems and never got the help he needed, which led to him killing his stepson for simply falling behind on homework.  It's really sad to hear a story like this happen to such a little boy or anyone for that matter.  This article could deal with mental illnesses or criminal behavior topics that we've discussed in class.

 White Man Beaten for Dating a Black Girl

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=596_1334673635&fb_source=message

This is a link to an event that occurred right here in our own city. A white man was beaten with a brick by a gang of black men because he was dating a black girl. The media consistently tried to portray the Trayvon Martin case has a white man killing a black teenager, even though the killer was Hispanic. The Martin case made national news for weeks, and yet this case was barely covered on our local news. Why do you think that is? If it had been a gang of white men attacking a black man because he was dating a white girl do you think this case would receive more attention? This crime was clearly due to racism. Do you think people are less concerned with racism when it is black on white?

Masters Tournament discriminates against women

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57409960-503544/obama-thinks-augusta-golf-club-should-admit-women/?tag=mncol;lst;1

This link gives President Obama's response to the long debated issue of gender discrimination from the Augusta National Golf Club. After hearing this on the news, I immediately thought of this class because it was a reminder that gender discrimination is still prevalent in this country. This club was formed in 1933, and almost ninety years later, it still does not allow women to join. I was astonished when I had heard this because I've always taken my rights as a woman for granted. I figured that such discrimination would be illegal. However, it clearly is not, if President Obama is only allowed to give his opinion on the matter. 

poem on wrongful convictions

I went to a poetry reading over spring break and when i heard this poem I automatically thought of our class discussion.  The poet was kind enough to give me a copy of her piece and would really appreciate some feedback! I really enjoyed the poem.

In Hugo Adam Bedau's 'Causes and Consequences of Wrongful Convictions' the glitches that are held in the criminal justice system.  “What is truly amazing is the extent to which advocates if America’s current death penalty system have disregarded or otherwise downplayed the significance of these irrevocable errors---- as though they were relics of a distant past.”  Bedau outlines the numerous proven cases of wrongful convictions.  The previously mentioned quote highlights the fact that although these wrongful convictions end in a terrible fate for innocent people, the country seems almost unfazed by their actions. Errors made by the death penalty system range from; the defendant was convicted of a murder, rape, or other capital crime that never occurred, to the defendant did kill the victim but the killing was accidental/ in self-defense/ driven by insanity.  This poem depicts the process of a wrongful conviction and holds emotions from an innocent inmate themselves.


not the man who wore the mask with gratitude to the innocence project (innocenceproject.org)


sentenced served sixteen years
real perpetrator found not yet
exoneration date 999
died six years after exoneration

    the victim, who was white
    the victim, who was black

sentenced served twenty-three years
compensation not yet
exoneration date 706
unreliable limited science

   the witness, who was six years old
   the witness, who was an inmate

sentence served nineteen years
age at conviction seventeen
government misconduct
compensation not yet

   the supreme court, who sent him back
   the governor, who ordered random tests

sentenced served eighteen point five years
exoneration year 2001
compensation not yet
real perpetrator found yes

   she's got no money, no clothes
   she's never seen the house

sentenced served fifteen years
compensation not yet
exoneration date 307
solved his own case

   the judge, who issued a formal apology
   texas, which has no expungement

recantation perjury
fals confession forensi
misconduct bad lawyering
stopped for suspicious behavior

   picking up his son from daycare
   sending flowers to his mother and wife

destroyed against laboratory
protocol pieces inside a notebook
misidentification evidence
protested innocence

   forty percent of aa men
   have type o blood

he was sixteen years old
when he first arrived at Angola
and forty when he was released