"Masculinity Stereotype"

As our class discussed the role of masculinity in society, I became intrigued as to why a society would tolerate and even condone the stereotypical role of masculinity, as portrayed by the media. As such, I decided to discuss and shed some light on a few stereotypes of masculinity.
First, why can’t we grow up untainted by society’s perception of “masculinity?” It seems apparent that we start gender assignment before a person is even born, buying pink things for girls and blue things for boys. It escalates from here as children begin to develop and starts to get mobile. After a little boy falls down, it is common for parents to respond, “Stop crying, suck it up, or you’re a big boy,” whereas a girl is allowed to cry, while being offered comfort, because shedding tears is accepted as a feminine trait. Henceforth, if a boy cries he is acting like a “girl,” because this is a learned accepted fact given to him by society. Oddly enough, I have heard many times that women are more capable of sustaining higher pain thresholds than men, due to their physiology. I don’t know if there is truth in that, but from what I have witnessed in my own life, I would stand behind that statement. However, in order for men to be men, they must be “tough,” they must endure painful situations without the slightest utterance, and not give way to tears of emotion, or else they are not considered masculine.
Secondly, I’d like to discuss the term “man’s work.” Throughout our lives, the idea is impressed upon us that men do certain types of work and women do other types of work. For instance, it is acceptable for a man to work on a car but not for a woman. Such labor is accepted as man’s work, but why? What makes a man more capable of working on a car than a woman? While some would argue that physical strength makes a man better equipped for such work. The tools and equipment available today make it easy for almost anyone to change a tire, oil, or an engine! As such, “man’s work” is a stereotype, repeatedly enforced by media.
The real question remains, what can we do to stop this gender assignment, given to us by the media, and advertisers? My proposal is to become familiar with such “assignments” and become proactive at stomping them out. Next, we must teach our children not to accept such assignments, but to live true to their dreams and passions. In this way, we can pass on less stereotypical views to the next generation. If a boy cries when he gets hurt, let it be. Don’t enforce the stereotypes of masculinity. But, instead work with people, and especially children, recognizing them for their strengths, weaknesses, talents, and interests, rather than specific gender traits.

Terrorist Metro Bombings In Moscow

The recent suicide bombings of two Metro trains during Monday's rush-hour in Moscow has re-awakened world fears of suicide attacks. 39 people were killed and over 70 injured in what was the largest attack in Moscow since 2004 when 40 people were killed by a bomb on a Metro train. The attacks have been attributed to Ingushetia and Chechnyan rebel leaders who have waring with Russia since the time right after the fall of the Soviet Union. The most suprising detail about the attack is that the suicide bombers were not men, but women.

Whilst most of you probably didn't hear much, if any, about these events (because of our news organizations lack of worldwide reporting), it should be be made aware of and should make us realize that we are not the only ones that face problems in the world. This terrorist strike, just like countless others, targeted innocent people just going about their daily lives, not harming anyone and yet, some organization thought it was acceptable to take their lives. This, to me, is unacceptable as no human has any more right than any other to take a life. With these bombings, it shows how little respect these terrorist organiations have for any human life, even of their own kind, and they should be persecuted and pursued to the fullest extent of any applicable law.

These events should remind us tha we are all vulnerable to any kind of attack and we should be extra vigilent on how we deal with suspicious people. We should not turn a blind eye but we should report and investigate so that we can keep ourselves and our fellow man alive. Of course, with this kind of persecution comes the reponsibility of one to not needlessly profile individuals on any basis other than fact of the situation at hand. Russia, like many first-world coutries, has had to deal with many terrorist attacks in recent history and have said that they are working to revamp anti-terrorism laws to try and better protect their citizens. They have vowed to follow these criminals to the "depths of the sewers and bring them to daylight" as Prime Minister Vladmir Putin stated.

Perhaps we as Americans should take a good hard look on the "War on Terror" and its successes rather than downplaying it and demeaning it simply because it is a war. Any fight against extremism is a brutual fight and their will be casulaties, friend and foe but we should not give up the fight. Our brave troops are fighting to make this country a safe place to live in so perhaps we should stop all of out political and social bickering, and realize that, whilst we may have many problems of our own, we still live in a safe and free country and that is what absolutely matters the most.

Check out this BBC news website link for more info:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8595162.stm

-Chris Laatsch

Bullying in schools

Bullying in schools is as old as any problem in our school systems. However, the air of denial is so pronounced that some schools identify themselves as "bully free" institutions. These denials have eventually lead to incidents of suicide.

In January, Phoebe Prince, a 15 year old high school student at South Hadley High School in Massachusetts, hang herself after nearly three months of being a victim of bullying. Nine teenagers are now facing charges of stalking, criminal harassment, and violating Phoebe's civil rights.

In Long Island, N.Y. town of West Islip, police are investigating whether cyberbullies contributed to suicide of Alexis Pilkington, 17. Alexis took her own life in March 21 following visicious taunts on social networking sites. What is worse, this continued even after her death, making it more painful for the griefing family and friends.

These are just two examples of end results of bullying. When I was researching on this issue, I was amazed to find out that bullying in schools, though an old problem, is often brushed aside by school officials, teachers, parents, and students. With modern technology, bullying is becoming even worse because of cyberbulling, which is even more traumatizing. Those who are not bold enough to bully others in person, do it easily online.

I have been asking myself questions over and over again regarding bullying in schools. One answer that comes to my mind is, we all have to work together to fight against bullying in our schools. Parents, teachers, school officials, and students have to be involved. Starting from our homes, as parents, we need to teach our children right from wrong. Teachers and school officials need to set rules and punishments towards this deadly problem. Students need to report to authorities cases of bullying they witness.

What do you think?

What Will the Aging Hippy Generation Mean to Society

I’m currently enrolled in another Sociology class called The Process of Aging. It has been a really interesting class and sheds some light on the social, physiological and biological changes we go through as we progress through adulthood into our older years.

People in the field of Gerontology realize the importance of Active Aging in dealing with the aging population. The World Health Organization defines Active Aging as “The process of optimizing opportunities of health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age.”

When you look at the demographic projections of the aging population, it is clear to see that we are really on the cusp of something we have never experienced before. The average lifespan has increased from 47 years to 77.9 years in just 100 years. A woman turning 65 now can look forward to another 20 years of life ahead. Our culture will need to adjust quickly to the aging baby boomers who in 2006 started reaching age 60. Demographers predict that by 2030 the population over 65 maybe as high as 72 million, representing a 100% increase over 30 years, compared to only a 30% growth in the total population (US Census Bureau, 2006).

As a society we need to start planning for the surge in the older population. Our medical professions and our social programs will be choked with the increased number of older people in our society. There will be shortages across the board in any field that deals with older people medically, socially and financially. For anyone still contemplating a career path, anything dealing with the older population will be in great demand.

The aging baby booms will in some ways be blazing trails in this new phase of their lives, just as they did in the 1950’s and 1960’s through the various ways they helped shape society. They were instrumental in causing a shift in society through expressions in music and art, through “hippy” commune-living, free-love, the drug culture, anti-war, anti-establishment and pro-peace movements.

It will be interesting to watch this important group and how they approach aging. They will certainly have different expectations and needs regarding many of the aging issues we have not given much thought to in the past. What will this aging group of one-time “hippies” or protestors accept as their lifestyle and what will their demands from society be? I’m very excited to be studying the field of Gerontology as a career for the next phase of my life and to help me approach aging for myself in a positive and active way.

Poverty got to end!

Poverty got to end!
Who can help to end poverty? We hear about poverty all the time; it is the major problem all over the world. However, hearing about poverty is not the same as going through poverty. If we really think about it for some, it may seem as simple as getting three meals a day and having a warm safe place that can be called home. Poverty means not only lacking basic necessities for existence, but also being deprived from a good quality of life. In our society, especially children and women are the first victims and most affected by poverty. The consequences are devastating, including hunger, diseases, malnutrition, lack of education and mental and social problems. Children are more vulnerable to poverty effects. Poverty exists all over the world it is not disease poverty is a social problem and can be corrected. We can save children and women from poverty by means of as individual donation of money on top of government help. Poverty, the lack of the resources needed to live a normal life. Those people with lack of resource can defeat poverty via our support. Donating money is one way of fighting poverty. If everyone donates a small amount of money, it would make a big difference in many lives. Government also can play a bigger role by supporting more organizations and elaborating on whatever system they use to reach peoples who live in poverty. We can beat poverty-we have what it takes! To get more information go to www.unicef.org

Precious

BLOG #3

I recently saw the movie Precious which tells the story of an African American teen living in Harlem. Through the movie, she is pregnant with her second child from being raped multiple times by her father. Her mother is abusive both emotionally and physically and does not support her desire for an education. While Precious endures countless acts of physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and domestic violence, she is resilient and goes to an alternative school to learn the basic skills of reading and writing.
As many as one in four girls and one in six boys may suffer from sexual abuse by the time they are 18.1 This movie really made me realize that while this is a fictional story, there are people like Precious living in every community. My jaw was literally dropped throughout the movie and I almost felt guilty because I come from a good home and family who support and nurture me. Why should this amazingly strong and resilient girl go through such a devastating life? Why do people like Precious go unnoticed by social workers and community helpers? There were few people who actually helped Precious effectively throughout the movie and they only did at times of dire need. Precious’ successes came primarily from her ability to go to another, happier place in her mind as she lived in these traumatic conditions. There were several improvements to the community’s efforts to deal with child abuse that I think girls like Precious could benefit from.
The biggest issue is the timing of decision making when it comes to placement of children who have experienced child abuse. It is important to get children who are abused into a permanent, safe home rather than go to several sights of foster care. Stability is important for all children, but even more important for those who are going through traumatic events. I think it is also important to make sure that the children’s wants and needs are being not just listened to but actually heard. Adults should be thoughtful and mindful of a child’s personality before placing them in a home. They should get to know the child and be skilled and knowledgeable about topics ranging from psychology to biology to sociology. Social workers should realize that when they make home visits what they see may not be the truth, especially if the child is sitting with a parent. They should be better trained to pick up on subliminal cues. Also, they should make time to talk with the child alone as well as spend time at the home. Staying for activities like dinner or daily chores would allow social workers to get a more accurate picture of the situation at home. There should be programs to make it easier for girls who are pregnant to go to school. Private tutors or small groups with other girls in the same situations would increase the likelihood of success. Also, assistance with child care is critical so the young girls can get a job and continue to go to work. While all of these ideas seem like a perfect world, I believe that if people see the movie Precious they would take more time to volunteer and create programs to help girls like Precious all over the world.
1. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169392.php

Learning About Culture And It's Effects.

Indeed, so far, the most interesting topic I have enjoyed and learned a lot more than I new before, is the topic on 'Cultural Diversity'. I do not know if I was personally attentive or more thoughtful of all that was going on in class, but all the discussions, and videos were very educative and touching to me.

To begin to understand culture, I saw that it is the way different people behave and act which is very peculiar to them and is even carried on to their generations. I noticed that, people have various reasons for behaving in a way that may be due to natural, social, or even personal to them. From all the videos we watched in class such as (Piraha in The Amazon, 30 Days, Borack, and A Class Divided, I have seen that the most important thing to all of them is for a person to try and study the culture of others to make it easier to understand people. I must say I was mostly touched by the lessons the teachers taught in "A Class Divided". I did not know that the values we place on people could really affect the way they perform. I was really surprised to see that the little children were affected by the names their friends called them. It is really a big lesson to learn.

Despite the fact that different people have many reasons for their way of culture, I also think some cultures are very admirable for example, The Opening of Door for others which is practiced in The United States. I see this to be very commendable. A friend once told me that there seems to be even family culture. She said, " her husband's family members all have a culture of not being concerned about a person when you are in their company. However, her family has a culture of being very concerned about doing anything that can affect people who join their company and she sometimes thinks it is to be over concerned. She said her mother was once very concerned about her husband who has a very quite habit when he was in their company thinking that they were boring him with their conversations". I told her I rather admire them for being concerned about what they do to others.

On the whole, we always have to try and learn the culture of other people to know how to live with them. If we do, most conflicts like religious conflicts will be solved.

Learning About Culture And It's Effects.

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Sexiness is in the eye of the beholder...

This past week we spent a lot of time on the negative views of women in comparison to men. The word that kept popping up on the women's side was sex object. Granted that being a sex object is demeaning and overlooks the intelligence and competence of women, sexiness however is not a negative attribute to me. Now most people when they hear the word sexy, probaby think of a scantily clad women w/her breast hanging out and legs all exposed. Does sexiness have to portrayed that way? Ok hear me out for a second, my definition of sexy would be a women who is confident enough to know her beauty and not be scared to "hide it" because she's worried about what other people will think of her. Now there's a difference between wearing a super revealing outfit for the sole purpose of getting attention to wearing a form fitting outfit because you happen to be comfortable in your own skin. The latter reveals a sense of power in one self that I think confident and confident = sexy where as the preivous girl probably has a low self esteem and looks for acceptance through the attention of turning heads. Now that's looking at this at a very one dimentional superficial level. Take another example, a women in a position of power at a male dominated profession, she's cool, confident, self-assured; to me this is sexy. I guess society has taken this word and thrown so many negative connotations w/it that it seems taboo to think of it as a positive thing, but I see sexy as a compliment when given at the right moments.

Breast or Bottle Feed

I remember as soon as I gave birth to my son, the nurse asked and I quote, " are you going to feed him?". I looked at her and I had no answer. I mean he just came to this world and .......
Besides I wanted to touch and stare at him for a little while. Anyways, I was undecided as to whether I should breastfeed or not. Finally I got the courage to answer the nurse. I said I'm not sure that I want to breastfeed. She just did not get why I had a problem with breastfeeding. You probably thinking the same. The fact of the matter is that I did not appreciate being made feel uncomfortable, inadequate as a new mom, guilty and so on. She insensitively suggested I speak to a professional about the importance of breast feeding before she walked out of my room. I thought to myself "what a Bitch!". My eyes teared up, but I managed to suppress it, looked at my husband and asked him, "can you believe that?".

There was also another nurse who helped me deliver and her name Cherry. Just as her, name she was sweet and God sent. She heard the whole thing because she was still cleaning up my room when I had that uncomfortable conversation with "Nurse Hot stepper", I came up with that name for her while I was at the hospital convalescencing.
Cherry stopped what she was doing, sat on the edge of my bed and told me not make any decision based on other people's opinions. She told me that she herself, chose not to breastfeed and she was okay with herself even though her mother was not. She handed me a dozen of Enfamil infant disposable bottles and said " You gonna be a great mom, but the baby has to be fed very soon".

Since that talk with Cherry I felt very comfortable with my decision and did not let anyone bring me down with breastfeeding talk. Usually its moms trying to make other moms feel like crap or trying to convince themselves that they are better moms. Women are good at that.

I know there are lots of proven benefits for both mom and baby to breastfeed, but not everyone can or wants to, for so many varied reasons. But the society is always ready to
judge. I don't think there is anything wrong with choosing to breastfeed, I commend all mothers that do it. But it's not for me. I like to feed my baby from a bottle and I know that he is getting just as much nutrition as breast milk. It doesn't mean I love my son any less either. There is just as much bonding during both types of feeding. In fact in bottle feeding even dad is involved in measuring, mixing and warming of formula. This way baby and dad get to bond very early too!

HUNGER AND STARVATION

HUNGER AND STARVATION

Hunger is defined as the condition in which people are in need or desire for food to provide the nutrients for fully productive and active lives. In general the main source of hunger is due to lack of food supply and basic nutrients like proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water. Also starvation refer to severe lack of vitamins, proteins and nutrition that extremely affect human body and may either lead to death as a result. There has been Hunger cases exist in many parts of the world including here in America and many of the third world countries .In categorizing, it’s clear that type of hunger exist in America is different compare to those of outside world in comparison, for instance in America there has never been a shortage of national food supply in whatever case compare to other parts of the world where there is a shortage of food supply due to drought or any other factors. But also in America hunger prevail due to the fact that’s some people lack proteins, fats or certain vitamins in their body because of power of purchasing food items necessary to sustain themselves and therefore this refer to single individual hunger case in America not majority hunger case like it is in other countries.

In many countries of the world especially third world countries are suffer from poor agriculture and low technology in producing enough food to sustain or support large population which lead to lack of food supply in the country that enable prevail of hunger in its own citizens and even lead to starvation and famine among the people like it is in a country like Ethiopia or Somalia. Also geographical location of certain country may also be source of hunger in that particular country or region where it doesn’t receive a lot of rainfall or water to sustain agriculture activities that lead to poor, loss or lack of food supply which influence hunger or starvation.

By conclusion hunger and starvation may be overcome so far as to improve in the methods of agriculture technology and by increase in agriculture production to sustain enough food supply in the country.

Teen Pregancy

When i was in highschool, teen pregnancy was not a huge problem in my school...but afterwards when everyone went to college, that is when it started to bloom. Almost a third of my friends are having kids who are in college because they are not more careful, or they just want a baby. I dont see a problem with teen pregnancy as long as they CAN provide for the baby and raise them well...also as long as they have a mother and father to help baby the child, and have a nice home to raise them. Some parents act like it is the end of the world when their child gets pregnant...i think if the reaction from the parents are in a positive way rather than in a bad way, more teen pregnancies would go better then when they are scared to death to tell their parents. When parents done support their kids in pregnancy, the kid will probably move out and try to live on their own. Its hard enough to support yourself, let alone a child and a husband, or vice versa a wife and child. Also, with the support of parents you make it easier for the child to know how to handle hospital bills, when to take the child to the hospital if they are sick, things that a previous mother would have tons of experience with. I dont think that every teenager should go and get pregnant, and the parents should be forced to accept it, but i do think if it happens, it happens and you should look at it the best way you can for your child and for the one to come.

Same-sex Marriage

As of recent we have seen more and more the emerging topic of same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriages are not legal in the United States,however,five states have legalized same-sex marriage as a result of a court ruling. As a result, partners in same-sex relationships often lack privileges, such as the right to inherit property and to medical, tax, and retirement benefits, that partners in traditional marriages benefit from. However, local governments are beginning to acknowledge domestic partnerships. This recognition gives members of an unmarried couple most of the same benefits as married couples.
While many attempts to earn societal recognition of same-sex unions through the 1970s were unsuccessful, some local communities and private companies began recognizing such "same-sex partnerships" through the 1980s. While some members of the gay and lesbian community continued to press for recognition of their unions as legal marriages, others in the community felt that marriage itself was a patriarchal and sexist institution with which they did not want to identify. Regardless of the divide, many people fighting for the cause believe that all members of the gay and lesbian community should get together on the topic and fight united for the cause.
In 2000 the Vermont legislature, in response to the 1999 state Supreme Court decision Baker vs. State, established a set of guidelines to honor same-sex partners with privileges usually reserved for married couples. Several specific family laws, rights of inheritance, and state tax privileges became applicable to Vermont residents in same-sex partnerships. Further federal privileges were not, however, extended to Vermont same-sex couples. While the U.S. Constitution provides for "full faith and credit" to extend the laws of one state into others, the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act specifically prevented this extension to be granted in the case of same-sex partnerships. In 2004, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom required city clerks to validate same-sex marriages with licenses. His decision prompted other communities to do the same. The state of Massachusetts, in its Goodridge vs. Department of Public Health ruling, cleared the way for state acknowledgment of same-sex marriages in the same year.
Various groups have proposed challenges to such local and state rulings that would fortify the Defense of Marriage Act or put into place a marriage amendment. These movements intend to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman and invalidate the legal standing of same-sex partnerships. Such efforts have resulted in a diversity of opinion with some in the middle arguing that such decisions of family law should remain at the local and state level. Others have also challenged what they feel are motivations by religious groups with a vested interest in the marriage debate to blur the line between religion and politics.

Same-sex marriage. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage

Hunger

One person in every five worldwide experience persistent hunger, this is not the healthy appetite triggered by anticipation of a hearty meal, but the painful condition caused by a chronic lack of food. Tens of thousand die of starvation each day, one every two seconds.

In the United States, where most people enjoy a life of relative abundance, millions of children are hungry at least some of the time. Over 13 million U.S. children do not know where their next meal is coming from or when it will come.

In developed countries, the primary cause of hunger is food poverty. People are hungery not because there is no food nearby to purchase, but because the lack sufficient money with which to buy nutritious food and pay for other necessitiies, such as clothing, housing, medicinces , and utilities.

What can we do about this tragedy, You and I might ask ourselves, what possible difference can one person make? can one person's choice to recycle a bottle or to serve a meal to the homeless or to join a hunger-relief organization make a difference? In truth, such choices produce several benefits.For one, a single person's awareness and example, shared with others, can influence many people over time. Secondly, an action repeated becomes a beneficial habit.

Teen Sex

As a new mother, I have begun to think about issues prevalent to most teenagers. The general consensus is that those are the most trying years of a child’s life, and a time where they seem to rail against their parents the most, no matter what their parent’s stance is on certain subjects. In class a couple of weeks ago we watched part of a show where moms were training their daughters in the art of beauty pageantry. This is just a microcosm of the sexualization of our society, especially directed at young people. Even compared to the hippie generation of free love, I believe that we have been introducing more sexual themes and its been to a younger and younger audience. Once again, I think that the females are getting the short end of the stick. They are the ones with lower self-esteem, especially through middle and high school, and are made to feel that exposing more skin and being readily available for physical pleasure is the way to make friends and influence people. One problem is that giving into the peer pressure of actually having sex can lead teen girls to become more depressed (www.4parents.gov) than they were previously. Also, a huge problem, is the amount of teenage pregnancy. According to the 4parents.gov website, the statistics reveal that the problem is on the decline, however it is still a very real issue. For a moment, putting aside the emotional repercussions, teens have higher risk pregnancies. They often do not have good habits, including a nutritional diet. They also are more reticent to seek prenatal care, as well as being at a higher risk for pregnancy-related high blood pressure which leads to other complications (according to the National Institutes of Health). How can a child raise a child, when they have not begun life yet as autonomous human beings? How do we as parents and society, separate the sex present in music and advertising and real life to our teenagers?

Trista

Government run healthcare option

Government run healthcare option
Having a public healthcare option in America should not be an issue. In a country such as America with all its wealth a poor health care should not ever exist. It is a disgrace to see mentally ill people living on the streets. Many people lose everything as they age and become ill. No one should end up on the streets because they are sick, and no one should be suffering from illness because they have no insurance. Everyone should have health care coverage and should get treated equally. A beneficially government-run health insurance plan is the best way to give consumers one more choice. The proposition of the United States government public option health care would improve the function of the health care industry in one way or another. The American health care system would be better off if the government included a public healthcare option within health insurance. In my opinion if there was option to have government run insurance, it will provide competition for private insurance which will force private insurance companies to become more honest with their customers. There is one thing that every American should know, a public healthcare option will not destroy private health care or reduce patient choices. Rather, it will save money over the long haul and help keep Americans healthier. This is about providing what is best for the people, not about watching out for corporate interests and their profits. Instead of spending millions on ads opposing public health care option reform, perhaps it would be beneficial for the private health insurance companies and the health care industry to seriously work together with government to provide affordable healthcare insurance and have the best health care system in America. Since I belong in low income category I believe that having this type of option will give us a good choice to have a better health care system in America. What could we have gotten more than this to live healthier?
http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/health-care/plan

Iranian Reformist Newspaper Shutdown; Government Crackdown

The BBC reported on a story today about the Iranian government “closing down” the “country's -circulation reformist newspaper, Etemaad, accusing it of breaching media laws.” The BBC also reports that the Iranian government also shutdown “Iran Dokht” which is a reformist newspaper, because of the “political activities” of the managing director’s father.

If anyone has been following the news regarding Iran’s activities over the past year, this is not the first time that the Iranian government, headed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has “cracked down” on non-governmental supporters and revolutionary leaders.

In June, 2009, Iran held elections to determine whether incumbent Ahmadinejad or revolutionary leader Mir Hossein Mousavi would be the next “president” of Iran. As is often the case with “dictatorship”, pseudo-democratic countries, Iran’s recent elections were plagued by allegations of corruption and unfair practices, and riotrs occurred in support of the “defeated” candidate which was that or Mr. Mir Hossein Mousavi, a former prime minister of Iran.

The recent story regarding the closing down of the newspaper as well as the memories of seeing the riots unfold on TV last year really struck a nerve with me. I am totally against any form of tyranny by any governing body whether it be in this country of ours or abroad and when I see things like this happen, it makes me cringe. Quite obviously Ahmadinejad has cracked down on the “anti-government” people in order to maintain his and the religious clerics control over the country regardless of the voice of change that the people or Iran were crying out for last year.

We as American’s live in a country where, no matter what you believe, you have the constitutional right to speak out against you’re the American government without fear of government retaliation (for the most part). This ability is what sets America apart from most other countries where the people are ruled by a dictator of whom does not allow them to voice their ideas. This ability is the very reason why American is the most prosperous nation in the world. The ability of individual citizens to have a say in governmental affairs is a liberty that most of the other citizens of the world do not have and perhaps envy.

Regardless of how you feel about how the country is being run now (healthcare debate, government spending, etc.) how it has been run in the past (wars in foreign lands, handling of foreign affairs, etc.), it should be clear that we as American citizens are very lucky to live without the constant fear of persecution from the very body that is supposed to govern and protect us.

The next time you feel fed up with the American government, look around the world and see how these other people live in tyranny and strife and think to yourself just how “bad” you have it. It is sure to change your perspective and make you value the life in which you are able to live.

Take a look at the following links to see pictures of the riots and violence:

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/irans_presidential_election.html
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/irans_disputed_election.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8544420.stm

-Chris Laatsch

HIV epidemic

the hiv epedimic has been rising as the years go by. hiv is a very scary subject that a lot of people dont want to talk about but it is aan issues that we need to look at. hiv is very scary, its a disease that we have yet to find a cure for which makes it even worse. some of us think that having unproteted sex has no consequences but it does and hiv is one of them. I remember my first time taking an hiv test I was terrified. those 20 minutes seemed like forever as i thought about how many partners my boyfriend may have been with. you can only be sure about yourself. those moments in me waiting made me realize how important it was to get tested. (my test came back negative) you can never be too sure. hiv is something that we all think that we will never get but some of us unlucky ones do get infected. There are also people with hiv who are knowlingly passing it around because they were infected with it. all i wanna end with is that we have to be careful these days. we are all a part of the circle of life. this world is very small. so just get tested to kno your status

UNICEF is answering prayers in Haiti

I saw a segment tonight on NBC Nightly News about UNICEF and the work they are doing to reunite children who have been separated from their families because of the earthquake. They were highlighting a 7 year old girl named Sterling and how a UNICEF worker was trying to help her find her family. She was patiently encouraging the little girl to draw pictures of things she remembered from her neighborhood before the buildings fell. The little girl carefully drew her home, her church and a neighborhood cemetery. Armed with the pictures, they took the little girl for a drive to try to catch a glimpse of something familiar.

The worker was surprised when they happened upon a cemetery that was the cemetery in the little girl’s picture. They started out on foot, following the little girl as she became excited seeing familiar sights. Then she became confused and stopped since nothing looked familiar to her because of the fallen buildings. As they kept walking she darted into an ally and ran to the spot where her house once stood just 7 weeks ago. The little girl calmly said “My house is broken.” They continued down the ally and found her aunt and some other relatives. The aunt called her father from her cell phone and he immediately came running and embraced his daughter with tears streaming down his face. He had been searching for the little girl since the earthquake.

I was touched by this story from seeing the joy and relief in both the father and the little girl named Sterling. I was also saddened with the reality of what their future was going to be like. Their home was destroyed, the majority of buildings that lined the main street in their small town were crumbled ruins. There was stench and filth and disease. What will become of this father and daughter. How will they and the rest of their neighbors rebuild their lives from such a devastating disaster.

There was a part of me that wondered if Sterling would have been better off if they had not found her father. How would her life be different if they had placed the little girl in a foster home and possibly for adoption in a safer, cleaner world. I felt guilty thinking that my lifestyle would be better for the little girl named Sterling.