Tag Archive for: instructor-none-4

This week my fellow students and I were told to find a topic and get information about said topic. I chose health care, or more particularly women’s health care. We were also told to use crap detection, which is basically making sure that our sources are valid using three outside sources to validate said source.

My first source I thought U should help my group by finding something about general health care. I Googled health care. What I found was a source saying that the United States had the least quality of health care compared to Western industrialized countries, but we so happen to spend the most. Some of the reasons the U.S is last in care is because there is not much access to primary care, more so to those with low income, and who don’t get needed care.

The rest of my sources I found on women’s health. What I found a lot of was the debate going on about Planned Parenthood. Mostly what I found was that the Republicans want to defund Planned Parenthood. Their claim is that Planned Parenthood is selling aborted fetuses. Based on what one is looking for one will find articles that are really right wing or left wing. What I found in Planned Parenthood’s defense was that abortions only count for 3% of the practices that go on in the facility and that part of the practice is not government funded. The Republicans also have video which they use as evidence to prove that Planned Parenthood is selling fetuses. From the other reports that I searched it was said that the video is slandered, parts are mixed and matched to make it look how the Republicans want it to look. If they don’t get what they want they are threatening a walk out. The Democrats and others are saying that  if the government defunds Planned Parenthood it would make easy contraception and other availability such as pelvic exams, cervical/ breast cancer testing, pregnancy testing, STD/HIV testinging, etc; for young women very hard to come by.

#UNVI349DC

On May 10, 1970 Boris Pash of Chico, California wrote a letter to the members of Congress which included Harold T. “Bizz” Johnson in response to the “Cambodian Operation”  and his opinion on the display of enemy flags and symbols. The Cambodian operation took place in the 1970’s in which the US invaded the Cambodian territory. In the article he asks the readers to direct their attention to article 3, section 3 of the constitution when dealing with pro Vietnam protestors.

Boris Pash believed that the actions of President Nixon in the Cambodian operation were correct. In May of 1970 President Nixon let the world know on national television that the US was going to be invading Cambodia in order to stop supplies from being sent into to Vietnam and also to get rid of the troops that were hiding out in Cambodia. What the president had failed to mention is that the US had been bombing the Cambodian territory since 1969 without notifying the American people and US Senators. it wasn’t until after the invasion that the public learned about what had been going on in the territory. The letter was written before the additional information was released. The additional information would not have changed the outcome of the letter, because from tactical stand point the actions of the president were justified in Boris Pash’s eyes.

In the letter Boris Pash asks congress to take action and come up with a resolution in order to deal with protestors displaying the flags and symbols of the US enemies. During president Nixon’s announcement there were protestors that displayed the Vietnam flag in order to show support to the Vietnamese Vietcong. Boris Pash asked members of congress to look at section 3, article 3 of the constitution. This part of the constitution talks about treason and states how one could be convicted of treason. Boris Pash believes that people who oppose what the president is doing and are displaying the flag of the United States enemies should be convicted of treason. He believes that there should be something put in place to prevent this, because by displaying these images it empowers the US enemies and is a sign of weakness.

As mentioned early more information was released about what happened during the operations in Cambodia which shed light on what was actually going on and how the the president was handling it. No resolution was ever made regarding treason during this time especially after the additional information was released. Boris Pash urged that members of congress support president Nixon in his efforts in Cambodia however the outcome might not have come out the way he wanted after the information was released.

In every phase of life we encounter problems  and eventually solutions. As younger people in college there are many social issues to be aware of if you haven’t already experienced them in some form or another. A few social issues college students face are homelessness, the affordability of college, and alcoholism. These three issues are very real and very many students are affected by one or more of these.

My first social issue is homelessness. I first heard of college students facing homelessness on the news a bit ago. Unbeknownst to me I didn’t even know people in college could be homeless it never crossed my mind. While I was living in oblivion when in reality over 58,000 students in 2012 were homeless that figure doesn’t include people who didn’t report it or those who were couch surfing. Can you imagine the increase from then to the present day? Common challenges that lead to the displacement are lose of a job, tuition cost, and lack of support. Some families lost a job and money became scarce which lead to their eviction. Some college students chose higher education rather than having a bed to rest their head. But they made that decision because the degree they would receive would land them a better paying job verses just working full time at a dead end one.  While others didn’t have a stable support system to begin with. And of course this is my admittance to my ignorant views. But I figured if you attended college and could afford to go you could afford a place to stay, right? Wrong. And if you are attending a university you can afford it, how else are you going. Some people cant even afford that because tuition rates are climbing as we speak.

The next topic I would like to discuss is the affordability of college. And unfortunately for us costs are on the rise. How do you attend if you can barely afford you or your flat?  Well there are a few options to choose from if you qualify. For instance there are college scholarship’s, financial aid, grants, and loans. If you don’t qualify for scholarships, financial aid or grants  then step 2 is taking out a loan. Loans also known as borrowed money you will pay back and yes they will hold you hostage for it: our BFF debt. But being able to obtain one of these forms of financial assistance doesn’t mean you’re out of the woods just yet because they don’t cover everything. So if you don’t qualify for any of those say hello to Out of POCKET.If you don’t receive enough money you will have to pay the difference. But for those college students trying to get there foot in the door tuition is the number one problem. In 2012 the average cost to attend just a public university was $18,092 including room and board. Now the average coast to attend is $23,600. For the people who have to pay out of pocket its a great hassle to want to do better but not be able to afford to get a higher education. Recently they came up with a measure to ease some of the debt called loan forgiveness. it gives you more time to pay off your loans. Hopefully it works. All in all if you can figure out a way to get an education the time you spend in college is going to be fun. Fun but costly.

Another costly social issue is alcoholism.  It is one of the largest causes of death and violence in the college population. Based on a thirteen year study in a year college drinking  on average leads to 97,000 sexual assaults, 1,700 college students die in alcohol related incidences, and 110,000 are arrested for alcohol related violations. The numbers are huge but that isn’t including unreported cases. College students as a whole; in 2012 spent about 5.5 billion on beer that chocks up to an estimate of $50 a month per student if every student drank that much. There aren’t many restrictions on drinking besides the age limit and that doesn’t stop everyone. Alcohol is sold on campuses around the country. Its simply a free for all and colleges are saying chug chug chug right along with the students. Its resulting in liver damage and addiction  and the students aren’t even 30 yet. However some campuses have taken action by having non alcoholic events, setting rules for alcohol in dorms, and information and counseling for prevention. These are not solutions but its a start.

All of these social issues have not died out nor will they ever. But they should be acknowledged and not taken lightly. More than a hand full of people on every campuses deals with one of these issues and we as peers should show compassion and help. Because in fact it could be you.

As a University student, I know a few social issues that should be addressed and discussed, and I think that other University and  College students should address and discuss them as well.

The first social issue I am going to discuss is equality for the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender) community. As a student I have come across a great many people and some are different, some are the same, and others are really cool. One of the really cool people I have met happens to be trans-gendered. This person is awesome; they are a great student, friendly, hilarious, and always had a smile on their face. I am happy to call this person my friend. Then this friend told me that they have been attacked, more then once, and I was furious. I wanted to fight for them, defend them. How dare someone hurt my friend!

My friend is not the only one who has been treated poorly, to say the least. I have noticed that not only in my current University but also in my previous college, that there is no Gay- Straight Alliance. There is no club, there is no awareness to people who do not understand. There are only classes that I hope people take to help them understand diversity. Furthermore, out in the world, there is still prejudice and hate. Although there was the shining ray of hope #lovewins the Supreme Court ruled marriage equality legal. Then there was the Kim Davis case… It’s so frustrating. It’s like we take one step forward and two steps back.

On to my next social issue, elections. It has been recently brought to my attention that only 45% of young people ages 18-29 voted in the last election according to Forbes magazine. Guys, we are the youth of a nation, we need to vote! It’s important. How else are we to get our voices heard, it is a privilege that we as a country are even given this opportunity. Do you know what the word idiot derives from? It derives from a Greek word meaning one who does not vote. Do you get my point? If you want to see the change in the word, you must make it. Do you want people who stand on the wrong side of history to get what they want, do you want old men to decide what your children will have to face in the years to come, do you want quick solutions to large problems, do you want a bigot to run for President?

When my brother was over eighteen and Obama was barely running for President he took my sister and I -both much younger then him- to go where they vote. My brother was so proud that he could contribute to such a momentous part in history. I remember him showing us his sticker, I voted in blue and white letters.

To vote is to take part in history. To vote is to be lucky. To vote is to voice your opinion. To vote is to have the right person be President of the United States. So please, vote.

The third and final social issue I will address is women’s rights and equality. Women are still being paid less than men for the equal amount of work. Equal pay is equal work. Guys, it’s not the 1950’s. Come on, we’re better than this. I know the word Feminism or Feminist still has a bad connotation, so let’s explore what the word Feminism means. According to Dictionary.com -because I’m that guy- Feminism is “the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men”. I copied and pasted that. 

Now let’s think for a second shall we? If you identify as male consider this: do you want anyone to grab your sister and/or mother’s buttocks when she passes by, do you want your sister and/or mother to work twice as hard as any man or equal to and still get paid less, do you want them to be belittled, do you want them to stop being scared to walk home at night? If the answer is no I think you’re headed in the right direction. Now let me ask you a few other questions. Do you want your mother and/or sister to be payed equal amount of work for equal wages, do you want them to be treated equally and fairly, do you want people to keep their hands to themselves, do you want them to stop having to carry pepper spray on them, do you want them to be in positions of power if they earned it? If you answered yes to the ladder questions, you’re looking pretty good.

Now, dear gentlemen, I think you may understand what I’m getting at. Being a feminist is not about hating men. No, that’s all wrong. It’s simply about being treated fairly and justly.

To quote Susan B. Anthony, “Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less.”