Following The News
November 18th,
2012 New
York Times
In Alabama many beach houses were destroyed by Hurricane
Sandy, The western end of this Gulf Coast is a very hazardous place, being on
the waterfront. Over the years, the place has suffered much damage from
hurricanes and storms. But each time damage is done the area is given more
money to fix it. In the whole nation, tens of billions have been spent re
constructing buildings after storms or floods. This time, 30 billion dollars
could be sent recovering in NY, NH and other states all from hurricane Sandy.
I don’t see why all this money is spent putting communities
back together when it will just be destroyed again. I know that storms can be
extremely detrimental, but so much money goes into putting things back as they
were, which sometimes increases the vulnerability of places like Alabama. A
Carolina geologist said that “we’re Americans damn it. Retreat is a dirty
word.” But maybe it is time to be more careful about where we build, or at
least how we do it.
November 19th,
2012 NPR
News
Recently, a new round of fighting has broken out between the
Israelis and Palestinians. The fighting may seem similar to other attacks, but
there are a few things that make this clash different: 1) Egypt’s role has changed;
2) some of the Arab leaders have gone to Gaza showing that neighboring
countries are starting to care; 3) new technology. Palestinian rockets are now
designed to reach Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. On the other hand, Israel has built
the “iron drone” missile detector to shoot down Palestinian rockets while they
are still in flight; 4.) the absence of a peace process; 5) US skittishness in
the Middle East. Most US troops are gone form Iraq. We are not involving
ourselves with Hamas. So the conflict has to be sorted out by the parties
themselves.
I think it is bad that the fighting has started up again.
With new technology today, the fighting can reach a whole new level. What with
the US troops pulling out, hopefully, the conflict can be resolved in the Middle
East instead of it dragging on.
November 20th,
2012 Al
Jazeera English
Wal-Mart workers are striking! Many have complained that
they do not receive living wages. The workers started with small work
stoppages, but are now organizing a longer, more widespread protest. In a video
where workers were asked why they were striking some replied; “Because I am
tired of being discriminated against in the work place.” “Because I like my job
but I hate the way I am being treated.” “Because I’m tired of not being treated
like a human being.” “Because if I weren’t with family, I would have to chose
between healthcare and food.”
Wal-Mart is one of the biggest chains in the United States.
I actually had no idea that they were treating their workers so badly, but now that
I know, I think it is about time that the workers go on strike. It disgusts me
that Wal-Mart has so many workers and makes so much money, but they don’t have
the decency to treat their workers right, or pay them a living wage. A quote
from a news anchor states; “If Wal-Mart increased all their workers’ salaries
by $2,500 it would be only 1% of the annual sales”. Yet they don’t even want to
do that.
November 24, 2012 CNN
Movember. You’ve probably heard the term before. What you
likely didn’t know was that it is about much more than about mustaches. Each
November men and women (mo sistas) grow mustaches to show their support for
people suffering from prostate cancer. What started out as just thirty guys
trying to bring back an old fad is now a worldwide support group for cancer
patients.
I first found out about Movember by watching an episode of
the Office that referred to it. Intrigued, I did some research. I did not
expect to find a group of people fighting cancer with mustaches. It’s great
though. Everyone participating seems enthusiastic about it and it is a fun way
to help people. It is important to support all cancer patients, and prostate
cancer had not been supported in such a major way. But last year, 126.3 million
dollars was raised worldwide from Movember and hopefully this year will bring
even more, using facial hair as an advertisement against prostate cancer.
November 24, 2012 NPR
News
Today the 24th is no longer just a Saturday. It
has recently been dubbed “Small business Saturday”. Today is the day you are
supposed to go out, reopen your wallets and shop local. But what is different
about today? What can you get that you didn’t get on Black Friday? Dave Drake
an owner of a small women’s boutique called Savvy Stuff says that he and other
owners of small shops can offer customers what they are not expecting but what
they want. He believes that today is a fund day that people can buy unique
items that no one else has. Many local business owners count on today for good
business.
I am a very strong supporter of small businesses. I don’t
like to shop in large chain stores if I don’t have to. However, this “small
business Saturday” seems a little silly to me. All anyone wants to do anymore
is shop, consume, buy, consume, and take more and more stuff home. Between
“Grey Thursday”, “Black Friday”, “Small Business Saturday” and “Cyber Monday”
there is barely any time to relax and think about the true meaning of
Thanksgiving.
Final Reflection
After looking back at the five news stories that I wrote
about his week, I noticed that none of them were connected at all. All of the
stories varied immensely. Over one week, I read about international crisis,
such as the current bombings between Israel and Palestine, and then gone on to
read about local economic issues and stories, like Black Friday. Of course
there was an article about the damage left by Hurricane Sandy, which we are
still cleaning up from. Watching reading about and listening to the news for
two weeks helped me to be more aware about current events. At the dinner table
I could actually contribute facts about the renewed tensions in the Middle East
and have a conversation with my mom about it.
I usually listen to the news in the morning on a daily
basis, but I am half asleep anyway. Watching the news is a totally different
experience. When I was watching the news about the Wal-Mart strikes, I was
actually very touched. Although it is sometimes easier for me to obtain information
when I am reading, watching a story has a very powerful effect. I want to
continue watching the news at night if I ever have time,
because I like being aware of all the issues and general being of everything
around me.
Daily List
Poverty- people sleeping on the streets, without
food, richer neighborhoods having better schools and better foods sometimes.
Race- poorer neighborhoods tend to be filled with
more people of color… ?
Gender- job pay, teacher roles (more male as you get
into the higher grades?)
Favoritism- people picked for no reason other than
they appeal to someone more than others, they become the best in someone’s eyes
from then on out.
Education- not everyone can afford to go to college
when they should have the opportunity.
Immigration issues- if children are born here from
illegal parents, they have a right to get as good of a life and education as
anyone else. Is it right for people to come here illegally anyway?
The
first item on my list is poverty. I put it there because while, fortunately, I
don’t experience it, I do see people suffering from poverty every day in the U.S.
It is mostly visible to us on the streets, of course we all see people begging
for money near stores, and homeless people sleeping on the subway, and that’s
what most people think of when they hear the word poverty. In fact, there are
many different types, levels and degrees of poverty. In fact, often the most
egregious types of poverty are invisible.
Poverty doesn’t only mean seeing a
homeless person. It doesn’t only mean seeing a beggar, or watching someone pay
with food stamps. Poverty in our country is often hidden. It is about
opportunity. In wealthy neighborhoods, you might find better schools than in
poorer areas. This is because property taxes are funding our schools in New
York, along with other things. Richer neighborhoods have more expensive houses
leading to higher taxes that can fund public schools more adequately. In
affluent areas, parents are also more likely to supplement their local public
schools through fundraisers and bake sales. In poor areas, parents don’t have
time or money to do this. Furthermore, a lot of funding for public schools comes
from the lottery, and a lot of people who play the lottery are poorer people. People
often call this the “poor tax.” I find this immensely unfair, because a lot of
money that is put into the lottery from people who don’t necessarily have
enough to begin with, and all that money is going into the schools instead of
their meals. Granted, the schools with their children are being funded too, but
not enough anyway.
Poverty may mean that the
neighborhood you live in has more fast food restaurants than richer
neighborhoods. Studies have shown that McDonalds targets poorer neighborhoods.
This makes sense because if you can get a $1 happy meal and you don’t have that
much money for dinner, you are not going to worry about what is the healthier
meal, chances are you will end up buying the Big Mac. Unfortunately because of
this, if you live in one of these neighborhoods and can’t afford a healthier
meal, you have a higher chance of gaining weight.
There are
many causes of poverty in this county, more than I can go into here. But one of
the many reasons that poverty is still at large is because not enough people
notice it. Or, maybe they see it but choose not to notice it. Either way,
poverty shouldn’t be invisible because it happens right before us everyday.
I chose to interview my mom for
this part of the project. And not just because “she is my mom, and I love her.”
(Though I do love her very much.) I chose her because I do believe that she
changes the world everyday, inside the house and out. When I interviewed her,
she was in the middle of cooking. I admire her for what she does at her job,
and as a mom. My 6-year old sister, who is helping my mom cook (or rather,
taste) tries to help interviewing as well.
Me: So, mom, what do you do for your job?
Deena: I’m an… advisor, a technical advisor for
microfinance.
Soha: You help
people with their work, right?
Deena: Yup. Ooh Soha we need to take that pie out of the
oven!
Me: Do you mind talking a little more about what that
entails?
Deena: Okay, I work in economic development. So I work in
developing countries supporting micro-finance, which is giving very small loans
to poor people to help them start businesses.
Soha: (Soha’s first grade class just finished a unit on the
park.) Do park people help change the world everyday?
Deena: Yes, they are very important…
Me: What places in particular do you visit?
Deena: I work mostly in the Middle East and Africa. Poor
countries in the Middle East and Africa.
Me: What is it like working in those countries?
Deena: It’s fascinating. And humbling. Its amazing to see
how other people live, learn about their culture, eat their foods see their
architecture, but its also very difficult, Because people are very poor, and
the people that I visit often live in abstract poverty and sometimes in war
zones. Do you want some bean salad?
Soha: Yes!
Me: What made you want to take this job?
Deena: Ever since I was a teenager I wanted to work in the
Peace Core. It was a program to send young people to volunteer in developing
countries all over the world. And though I was never a part of it, I always
admired it. So I went to school, and studied international affairs, worked
abroad in China as a teacher to see how that felt, and that’s when I decided
that I needed to go back to Grad School to study economic development.
Me: What was attractive to you about that type of work?
Deena: Helping people. Doing something for work that means
something. Trying to make a difference in the world for those who are less
fortunate.
Me: What do you like most about your job?
Deena: I like the people, all the different people. Actually
one thing I like the most, I like the least. I love the travel aspect, even
though it means I’m away from you.
Me: You say you like the people a lot. Do you still have
contact with some of them?
Deena: Yeah I’ve actually made a lot of friends from all
over the world that I visit sometimes when I’m working.
Me: Do you know people who now have businesses thanks to
you?
Deena: You mean have I seen the result of my work? I’ve
actually been involved in writing up laws that allow poor people access to
finance to support their businesses.
Me: That must be very satisfying to know that you’re doing good
for the world!
Deena: I feel very lucky that I have a job that I like, that
I believe in, and it takes me to parts of the world that I would not normally
see.
Me: Thanks, mom.
Reading Response
The comic
books that I have read are usually about superheroes, or talking animals.
However, the comic book or graphic novel, Persepolis is different. Using
pictures and black and white drawings, the author tells a story of a young girl
living in Iran, right at the time of the Islamic Revolution. The country is
still recovering from the war with Iraq as well a brutal and protracted war
between two neighboring countries, that left over 1 million Iranians dead.
In this memoir, Marjane, the daughter of two revolutionaries is convinced she
wants to be a prophet. Over the course of this story, she realizes that she
wants to be a part of the demonstrations as well. She loses some of her
interest in being a prophet and explores the revolution more and more as she is
fed up with how her family and her are being treated, and some of the changes
that are being forced upon them. For example, when she was in school just after
the Islamic Revolution, the girls and boys were separated in schools and the
girls were made to wear covering veils. Many were against that. They thought
their children should have freedom, but they were overruled.
The way that the Iranian soldiers treat the citizens is more than unfair. One
thing mentioned in the book that I found outrageous was the child soldiers. Not
only were they recruiting children to put in the front line, they handed out
“golden keys” in school. The boys were told “if they went to war and were lucky
enough to die, this key would get them into heaven.” This is so unjust and
terrible! They are basically setting up these children to think that war isn’t
a bad thing, and it will be fun to serve at the front lines because “In
Paradise there will be plenty of food, women, houses, and riches.” They are
trading a meaningless plastic painted key for an actual person’s son. It is
horrendous.
What was sad about reading this story was that I am the same age as Marjane.
And while I can’t compare my self to what she was going through, I know what it
is like to be a kid. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have to hide in
the basement every time I heard a siren. Or to be worried at school about your
parents, and if they were safe, or at another demonstration. This story is
compelling and heartbreaking, and also one of the freshest memoirs I have read
because of the graphic presentation.
No comments:
Post a Comment