Enough is Enough Part 2

Only two weeks ago, I wrote a blog post called, "Enough is Enough" about the murder-suicide of Jovan Belcher and his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins and how there is a need for stricter gun control laws. I discussed how politicians have mainly stayed away from this controversial topic probably because they are worried about their own reelection. However, this past Thursday, another horrible and tragic event occurred at a school in Connecticut. A 20 year old man entered Sandy Hook Elementary school and murdered 12 little girls and 8 little boys all of the ages six through seven. The gunman also killed his own mother, as well as seven other adults including the school principal, psychologist, and teachers. While it is still early for all of the facts of exactly what happened, the nation is now being brought back to the debate of gun control.

The democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein from California has been the first senator since the tragedy to present a bill for immediate action against assault weapons. According to the article on the Huffington Post the bill to be presented to Congress, "will ban the sale, transfer, importation, and possession" of military-style assault weapons, and "ban the sale of clips of more then ten bullets." I agree with Senator Feinstein and the immediate need to ban military style assault weapons. United States citizens do not need these types of weapons, even if they argue the Second Amendment allows them to bare arms.

It is hard to describe just how horrific this event was, but what happened has happened. Now the only thing to do is remember the very young victims as well as the school principal, psychologist, and the brave teachers who sacrificed their own lives to protect their students. What America can only do now is demand immediate action from their Senators and House members to pass bills that allow much stricter gun control laws. What do you think? Do you think after this horrible tragedy the American public will finally demand action?

           A image from Friday after the shooting shows children being led out of the elementary school.

$5 T-Shirts Over Human Rights

I have to admit, before this past Friday, I had never really given much thought to where my clothes have been made. I knew that they were manufactured in some country far away, but that a word like “slavery” could be tied to the clothes I wear everyday had never even occurred to me.

On Thursday in class, we continued our discussion involving slavery in the United States in the 1800’s. It was hard to imagine that a “progressive” country like the United States could of ever allowed that to happen just about 200 years ago. However, after the class discussion in class on Thursday and reading the front cover article in the New York Times on Friday morning it is now occurring to me that the United States support of slavery 200 years and even today, is not so hard to believe.

The New York Times article by Jim Yardley discusses a horrible garment factory fire in Ashulia, Bangladesh where 112 workers were killed last month. The factory called Tazreen Fashions, made clothes for major retailers like Walmart, Target, and Sears. The factory itself was a dangerous place to work, according to the article, “Fire safety preparations were woefully inadequate” and “Mounds of flammable yarn and fabric were illegally stored on the ground floor near electrical generators.”  Clearly, this factory was far from prepared for such a fire and because of that, the result is the loss of 112 innocent people. However, who’s responsibility was it for the factory to be prepared? Tazreen Fashions or Walmart, Target, and Sears?

As tragic as this event was, it should not of come to a surprise to anyone. This type of event has happened repeatedly. The first major event like this was in 1911 with the Triangle Factory fire with the death of 146 people. However, the main question to be asked now is if Americans will take action against future factory fires like this. It would be easy for Americans who shop at stores such as Walmart, Target, and Sears to demand better conditions and pay in the clothing factories that produce their clothes. But are Americans willing to give up their $5 t-shirts or $10 jeans so that workers in these factories can have basic human rights given to them? How many more people are going to be killed in horrific garment factory fires before Americans take action? 

Enough Is Enough

This week,  a horrible tragedy occurred that I believe, happens way to often. Kansas City Chiefs player Jovan Belcher committed a murder-suicide of himself as well as his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins. Clearly, something horrible must of happened to Mr. Belcher that made him decide to end his life as well as his girlfriends, but the real question comes back to the gun. When will the United States finally address gun control? And how many more tragedies are going to happen before this extremely important issue is finally addressed on the national stage?

I believe the issue of gun control has been put off for way to long. Clearly, many politicians try to avoid this topic because of how controversial it is, and the many different view points on it. To try to bring it up could be costly to their possible election or reelection, so the topic continues to go untouched. Right off the bat, the Second Amendment in the Constitution states, "the right of the people to keep and bear arms." Because of how this is the second amendment, it shows the importance of it to the Founding Fathers. However, the views today vary on not on if it is a constitutional right, but to what extent it is and the laws each individual states pass.

Personally, I believe in strict gun control laws. I think that these laws could stop irresponsible people from obtaining laws as well as any potential shootings that could occur because of that. From the mass shootings at a movie theater in Colorado to a United States House member, Gabby Giffords, being seriously injured from a gun shot wound to even right here in Chicago. What do you think? What are your opinions on gun control?

Israel Conflict

This past week families across American celebrated Thanksgiving with probably a huge meal and football afterwards. They might have even had everyone at the dinner table say what they are for thankful for. My family did and pretty much everyone said the same thing, from being thankful for healthy family and friends and all the opportunities they have received. However, as my family is Jewish, the topic of Israel came up during dinner. Halfway across the world, Israel and Gaza have been in the midst of attacking each other. 

Gaza launched rockets on Israel and Israel retaliated with launching its own missiles. This course caused massive destruction in Gaza. However after a few days, a ceasefire was agreed on. But this fight was not without serious consequences on both sides. According to the Huffington Post, "The fighting killed 161 Palestinians, including 71 civilians." On the Israeli side, 5 people were killed in the fighting. While this is not the first fight between Israel and Gaza, only more is to come. The conflict between Israel and Gaza is very complicated and neither side is willing to come to an agreement anytime soon. 

Police Brutality

Recently in class we have been discussing various amendments, such as the 8th amendment which is that no person detained can be treated to cruel or unusual punishment. Something that was brought up by our guest speaker this past week, was Jon Burge. Jon Burge was a former Chicago Police Detective and Commander who was convicted of torturing detainees into confessing to their alleged crime.

Jon Burge was found guilty of torturing in physical and physiological ways such as beating them up, electrocuting them, and even giving them death threats. These horrific ways of torture were used on hundreds of "convicted" criminals, who were then sent to jail because of "confessing" to their crimes. Burge was breaking many amendments like cruel and unusual punishment as well as being forced into confessing to your crime. Although Burge did end up being sentenced to federal prison for 4 and a half years, that sentence is nothing to the death sentences and over 30 year sentences that were given to the people he tortured.

Just because he was a former police officer his sentence was not nearly at all as long as it should of been. No matter how horrific his crimes were, because he was a cop it made him look better then he actually was. It also made me wonder how many other people who we see as "good guys" turn out to be "bad." It also makes me wonder how police are portrayed in the media and in the country in general. Most likely, the majority of the police officers in this country are actually helping us and keeping us safe. But what about those few other cops? How are they portrayed after being convicted of something like what Jon Burge did?

What Even Is A Fiscal Cliff?

This week in class as we were discussing the election and various issues voters were taking into consideration, Mr. O’Connor brought up the topic of the “Fiscal Cliff.” Although I have heard many people discussing this topic, ranging from people in some of my other classes to shows on TV, I was still unsure of what exactly everyone meant by “Fiscal Cliff. ” A Q&A article on the New York Times website by Jonathon Weisman really explained to me well what the Fiscal Cliff actually was. What I understood from the article was that in 2001 and 2003, large tax cuts were passed. However, in the beginning of 2013, these tax cuts are going to expire and have a “drastic and sudden hit to the economy” or in other words, a fiscal cliff.

            Both the democratic and republican parties agree that if nothing is done to extend the tax cuts- it could send the US economy back into a recession. What they can’t agree on though, is how to make sure another recession does not happen. The republican party does not want to raise the debt ceiling but President Obama will not sign onto anything giving families with an income of $250,000 or more a tax cut. Going on campaign promises, he is all about the tax cuts for the middle class.

            What Mr. O’Connor also brought up was just thinking about the name, “Fiscal Cliff” and how it sounds. The repetition of sounds in the two words is interesting and may be a reason as to why it is such a popular phrase.

            I think that the debt ceiling will be raised in order to avoid a second recession. But what do you think? How will the two parties solve this issue? And if we don’t even come to an agreement, will a recession definitely ensue?

Better then polls?

After many, many months of campaigns, debates, and TV commercials we will finally find out who the President of the United States will be until 2016. The race is winding down, however the big day is on Tuesday when we find out which candidate took what state. For the past month something constantly that has been on CNN’s homepage is the potential electoral college map for 2012. The map shows each state in either blue indicating will go to democrats or red indicating it will go to republicans.  CNN using polls and experts have predicted who they think will win which state. So far they have President Obama leading with 237 electoral votes over Romney with 206. The most interesting part of this map however is the “swing” states of Ohio, Florida, Colorado, and Iowa. A swing state is a state that electoral votes go could either way in any presidential election. CNN also offers their readers to click and predicate how they think each state will go. This interactive way for readers to visually see who they think will win is much different then other news sources ways of just showing polls.

I think CNNs way of using this interactive map is much more effective then just using polls. We have also discussed in class how polls can often be misleading and just a way for news corporations to make more money. It can also be a way for them to make the election seem more interesting then it actually is. Finally, what does this say about America’s new sources. What do you think? Do the citizens of America only want to hear what they want? 

The Media And The 2012 Presidential Campaign

Something that we have been discussing a little bit in class, is the effect of news media on the presidential campaign this year. More specifically is how the media affects a possible voter and who he will end up choosing this November. As I was browsing various news sites such as CNN, Huffington Post and NYTimes I noticed that many of the headlines regarding the campaigns today were the results of various polls and which candidate was leading. On the Huffington Post, I noticed this article. To read it click here. This is something that is not just showing up today, its been the obsession of the news media to be displaying daily polls and who is leading and by how many percentage points. These polls often display where registered voters are leaning towards giving their vote and if they are still undecided, who is their most likely pick. 

I started to wonder how these various polls influence potential voters who read these news sources. Also how did these voters know to trust these polls and know that they are accurate? Finally, why would they let other peoples opinions influence their vote? These are just some questions that I have started to think about. What do you think?

Hidden Messages?

Something that was brought up in class this week was the possibility of hidden messages in some of the children's books that are being read today, when I was in kindergarten and 1st grade, and even before then. I thought that was so interesting because its definitely not a connection I have ever made before. When reading them as children, they come off as entertaining books with big pictures and a fun story along with that. I know that my parents often had to read my favorite books to me several times before going to bed. So after that being brought up in class, I decided to do a little research and see if any common children’s books had “secret” messages in them.

            I first looked at Dr. Seuss’ Wikipedia page. Dr. Seuss was one of the most popular children book authors, writing books such as Green Eggs and Ham and The Cat in the Hat. These may come off to children just as simple books but almost every book had a meaning attached to it. The Lorax was said to be about environmentalism and How the Grinch Stole Christmas about anti-consumerism. I wonder if these messages really are secret or if children really can pick up on them, they just don’t realize it.

            Another important and very popular book was Where the Wild Things Are. This book not only was banned in libraries for years after its release but was also named one of the Top 100 Picture Books of all Time. I know this was definitely one of my favorites growing up. I wonder if the secret messages in books and the banning of certain books is mainly an American thing to do? What do you think?

Promises

            In the past few weeks, I have been following the CPS strike and all of the other news surrounding that. One personal reason for that is I have a lot of friends who attend various CPS high schools such as Lincoln Park, Walter Payton, or Northside so I’m very interested in keeping up with the news directing affecting their schools. Although the strike has stopped after about 8 days, I have begun to question the lasting effect it will have on school students, teachers, and administrators. Will this hurt or help the students in the end? Will the teachers be more willing to go on strike in the future? We might not know the answer until later this year at minimum.

            Recently though Chicago Public School CEO, Jean-Claude Brizard was replaced by Barbara Byrd-Bennett who Rahm Emanuel placed in that position. Byrd-Bennett believes she has what it takes to turn any CPS school around that needs help.  She says she is very relatable to many students because, “I come from less than blue collar” and “somebody with integrity and honesty.”

            While in this interview she makes a very convincing case for herself as the strongest person to take over as CEO of one of the biggest public school districts in the country, because she was personally appointed by Rahm Emanuel. However it could be an interesting dynamic between her and the teachers. Emanuel and the CPS Union President Karen Lewis have had many disagreements over the past years. Some possible questions come up as to how will the teachers and Byrd-Bennett get along? Will any more conflicts arise? Will Byrd-Bennett be able to keep her promises and turn CPS schools around?

Childhood Obesity in America

It was really interesting to me when I checked the American Studies website, was Mr. Bolos’ blog post on is the issue of physical health and mental health. Even more specifically, the physical health issues in American children. I first started to learn about the rising obesity rates when I watched the documentary, Super Size Me, in one of my health classes. To learn more about this documentary, click on Super Size Me. It shocked me when I learned about the types of food the majority of children in the US were eating and the rising implications of that.  Because of rising food costs and gas costs, getting to a grocery store for some low-income families can be extremely difficult. Besides the fact of just getting to a store, the high prices of fruits and vegetables and quality meat can make these foods just not an option. For example, the other day I was in a Whole Foods market and decided to pick just one apple to eat before practice. The cost of this tiny apple was $1.77. Just for ONE apple. I was at a loss for words and it made me think even more about how families would just not be able to afford fresh fruits and vegetables like this.  The result of this is that many families might have to turn to fast food restaurants and packaged foods. These foods are high in carbohydrates and fats, and very low in nutritional value. Once in a while, fast food wouldn’t be harmful to someone’s overall health. But when growing children have to eat food like this three to five times a week, it can be extremely detrimental. 

This issue has been brought up nationally, from First Lady Michelle Obamas, “Let’s Move” campaign to even the military saying that we wont have enough fit and healthy recruits for the army if the obesity rates continue to rise. The “Let’s Move” campaign is focused on educating adults and even children on the consequences of obesity, how to eat healthier, and plans activities nation wide in support of children being active. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website, “childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years” and nearly “1 in 3 children in the United States is overweight or obese”. These numbers continue to shock me especially because I feel like where I live, these numbers don’t seem to add up. I have now began to wonder even more about the correlation between low-income families and obesity, and the access to grocery stores depending on where you live. Also what does it say about America and how we have let childhood obesity come so far? How come we have not taken more of an initiative to end this? What are some possible solutions to this problem? 

How far have we really come?

Today I came across a really interesting article while looking at the New York Times home page. As many families have been dealing with either sending a new freshman away to college or saying goodbye again to a junior or senior in the past couple of weeks, an article titled, “50 Years After Integration Ole Miss Grapples With History” caught my eye. Just the name of the article really interested me, and I wasn’t that surprised when the article did too. The article, written by Campbell Robertson discussed how University of Mississippi is reflecting on its racially segregated past and the new ceremonies and plans for the future.
            Exactly 50 years ago, an African-American student enrolled in classes and marked the end of the racially segregated campus. While ‘Ole Miss’ has been celebrating how far the university has come in that period of time, many people feel like not enough attention is being paid to what is was like before the campus was integrated. Professor Eagles, when addressing the 50^th anniversary asked, “whether an institution of higher learning should be acclaiming an event…rather than focusing more intently on the history that preceded it.” It is really interesting to me that the professor brought this up, during a week designated for celebration. Perhaps he just wanted to remind the student body of University of Mississippi that there still is a long way to go in making the campus completely and one hundred percent racially integrated?

The college and university experience in the United States is so very different from countries all over the world. In many countries, the college you chose is the one closet to your house, and you commute to classes everyday. In many other countries, you are lucky if you even get to attend college classes. It seems like only in America do you go live away from home, stay in a dorm and really get the college experience. However, especially in the south at colleges like ‘Ole Miss’, college was not accessible for African-American students because of racial segregation. It seems like the United States has come so far, but this article seems to really question that. I’m also now starting to wonder, how far has the United States really come?