The Children's Nutrition Issue is More Important Than The Adults Ignorance

My classmate Brandyss Drost recently wrote a commentary about the Illinois House recently approving a bill to eliminate artificial trans fats from restaurant and bakery food and food sold in school vending machines by January 2013. After being intrigued by her claim and opposition, I did some research and found that cafeterias operated by state and local governments and schools would not be included in the ban until January 2016.

Granted, my initial biased reaction to Brandyss' post came from the health nut in me that right away disagreed with her opposing viewpoint. Obesity and malnutrition is a horrible problem in American society that must be addressed.  But after reader her post further and pondering it for a bit, I would have to say that she raises a valid argument when saying that enforcing such strict measures would be depriving citizens of their own right to eat whatever they want.  Though I would like to see a change in the way American's choose to gain necessary nutrients and maintain a healthy diet, we are not currently in the position to worry about things of that nature, regardless.

In a previous post, I recently spoke of the issue of American's spending unnecessary amounts of on time and energy on so - called "problems" the media exploits in order to gain control of what we the want us to focus on rather than the real issues at large. (I.E. Obama's birth certificate). I think this follows into that same category.

Although, The House of Illinois and the Food and Drug Administration may have benevolent intentions by forcing American's to make healthier choices when dining out, doing so would take away human rights and would thus enable further controversy.

I say if they want to clog their arteries, let them. With that being, I disagree with their idea of controlling food "from restaurant and bakery food and food sold in school vending machines" before "cafeterias operated by state and local governments and schools" in the future but not now. The idea of focusing on the diet of children seems more logical. Children are limited in what they eat due being provided certain things by their caretakers and remain innocent when being ignorant to proper nutrition.

Illinois House has their priorities entirely backwards and should take further consideration into the notion that adults are responsible for themselves and will probably whine more than the average child who actually needs direction because they are more prone to being changed.  Also, pop-culture and the media pose more of a threat to them because they are instilled by these outlets with the idea of either eating horribly or being unhealthily skinny is normalcy.  The House of Illinois has a great concept but it is greatly flawed in many aspects. 

May 13, 2011 8:35 PM 

The Birth Certificate is Less Important Right Now Than Other Things: Let's Get It Together Guys

I work the front desk at a hotel and every day I browse through news articles but not because I show a true interest in American politics.  I'm a horrible American, minority, veteran, etc., because I feel as if I don't time to worry about things that I feel don't matter to me.  Don't get me wrong, I care about what is going on that is actually important in our great country, but sometimes a lot of what people put on speculation seems pretty ridiculous to me.

A few articles I've skimmed through this week really got on my nerves.  One article, from CNN Opinion, finally calmed my nerves when I read it today.  In this article, author Tavis Smiley, speaks on the issue of how the media helped to inflate mass controversy about President Barack Obama's origin and birth certificate.  Reading his article made me feel bittersweet with both disgust in Smiley's notion and also wanting to applaud his recognition of such a ridiculous situation.

The most noteworthy aspect of the article was a paragraph that read, "...the real danger in the artificial crisis over the president's birth certificate is not Donald Trump becoming president, but a news media unwilling to apply a basic filter for what it publishes, posts and broadcasts. Failing to do so degrades the quality of news in general, making people less trusting and increasingly disinterested."

Why do we care so much about whether or not Obama has a birth certificate?  There's so many other things we must focus on rather than whether or not an already elected president is a natural born citizen.  But yet we allow the media to let us believe that something so irrelevant is very important, at this moment.  

Granted, I do believe it is something that should not be overlooked.  But why now?  Shouldn't we be screening our presidential candidates before they are elected into office.  Not only that, the media's effect on America is quite absurd.  By focusing on things that are less important, we set aside greater issues that should be put forward.  

The media's persuasive effect on America manipulates politics into a pop-culture and forces many Americans to lose sight of what reality is.  By scrutinizing politicians, we are only wasting valuable time and energy that could be potentially used to focus on other things.  I.E. natural disasters, war, violence, etc.

Bobby Franklin is a sexist idiot.

In her article, Jenny Hollingsworth states that Georgia lawmaker is trying to pass a bill that states that if a woman has a miscarriage, she could potentially face jail time or the death penalty.

This blew my mind. Scientifically and logically, Bobby Franklin's argument that a woman is responsible for her miscarrying her own child does not make any sense. Miscarriages are a way of letting the body know that something is physically wrong and our bodies are not prepared or the baby itself is not healthy enough to continue growth. I firmly agree that he does sound like "the most ignorant person I have heard of in a long time." He is pretty much a sexist idiot, in my eyes. Knowing what a woman physically goes through emotionally and physically during a miscarriage is without a doubt something that can only be determined by she herself. Male physicians and scientists can only base their educated assumptions on statistics and precedents.

I am also, highly offended by this bill and couldn't agree with Jenny more. She states in her article that, "As if having a miscarriage is hard enough on a woman, lets add some ridiculous nonsense into the pot," and I think this could not be any more right on the money. Miscarriages are without a doubt traumatic, emotionally and physically, for any woman in her right mind.

Granted, there may be situations where a child has been placed in harmful situation and that has caused a miscarriage. The logical route to address these situations would be to further investigate, not automatically assume that a woman is being malevolent. The relationship between a mother and child is sacred, and typically drugs and alcohol are the only factors that would cause a woman to be jaded enough to harm their own child. Either that or just pure psychological impairment. Regardless, if there is any doubt that any of these may be possibilities, ideally a physician would be smart enough to address it and call Social Services or the police department.

His argument is no way supported by sufficient evidence and he himself, sounds psychologically impaired. I could go on and on about how greatly Jenny has expressed her article that he is a jackass but I'm going to go ahead and just say that she pretty much just hit it right on the money, with the "I wish Bobby Franklin had ovaries" title. Great commentary.

My whining...

We all have something that bothers us about U.S. national government.  Well, probably many things...Whether that be a law, or lack there of in certain areas, we can all argue that our country's governmental system isn't perfect.  Sitting here trying to think about what makes me most upset about the national government was difficult.  I honestly had to think back to a situation in which I was really frustrated with the government itself.  It was hard...But I finally thought:

GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE!  Boom.  Why, while in line at the grocery store, must I have to watch a fashionably tasteless person that looks like they've spent more money on their outfit than their children's, pay for groceries using government assistance and then use their own money to buy alcohol.  Does the government not screen these individuals?   Why am I as a taxpayer forced to enable this?

When I got out of the military, the first thing I did was file for unemployment.  I thought it was justified, considering I had just spent four years being a slave to the government and  because I was moving to Austin, a brand new city to me,  to start school after taking a 5 year break.  I figured I needed to give myself an opportunity to not only adjust to civilian life, but also adjust to being in a foreign place and learn how to 'learn' again.  I called the unemployment office one day, and was impressed by how I was being treated so sincerely for being a vet and applying for benefits, so I thought to myself "no big deal."  Weeks later,  I called to ask about why I had not heard anything and received a different tone of voice on the line than the last.  The lady who I was speaking to this time was very rude, and told me "Ms. Rivas, you wrote on your application that you weren't willing to quit school. If you aren't willing to quit school to obtain a job full - time, then we cannot offer you our services.  Unemployment is a way of helping people when they are transition from one job to another.  It isn't a means to put people through school."

I was enraged at her assumptions that I was trying to milk the system and not only that, had the audacity to be rude to me from the time she answered the phone.  She didn't even know me.  I asked her, "Okay, ma'am but that is exactly what I am doing.  Transitioning.  Is there a reason you are being rude to me?  You're acting like I'm a stoner kid who got fired from pizza place.  I served this country honorably so that you could thankfully live safely in place where these programs even exist.  And you're treating me like I'm a piece of shit because I am not willing to quit school and because I have the desire further be a productive member of society?"

Maybe I should've told her I was working on my G.E.D. and couldn't quit night school.  These individuals I see in lines at the grocery stores, using W.I.C. and the Lone Star card....is anyone watching their discretionary income? Are they being drug tested?  Is there a social worker that stops by their residence to make sure they are attempting to progress and contest their life struggles?  Or do we really let people habitually use government assistance as a means of income and bypass those who really just need it temporarily to transition from one stepping stone to another?  Is anyone watching them, watch their kids?

One could only hope that each family that receives these incentives is being observed by someone who can determine whether or not they are actually benefitting from them.

Obama Urges Education Law Overhaul

   No Child Left Behind

   The New York Times features an article by Helene Cooper, “Obama Urges Education Law Overhaul.” Cooper gives a brief intro into the history of the current education law: No Child Left Behind Act. The law took place in 2002 while Former President Bush was in administration. Cooper quotes president Obamas new plan to ‘revamp’ the current education plan and highlights the current issues in the plan.  A few of concerns of the public are: budget cuts, and schools being closed down which would lead to numerous jobs also being cut. 
    It is apparent by the article that the writer is favorable towards Obama because of the denotation in her wording and article. For example, “I want every child in the country to head back to school in the fall knowing that their education is America’s priority,” said president Obama. Versus Conner suggesting that Obama is making little effort to fix the current issue on education. The problem with this current adjust to the issues on the No Child Left Behind Act is the majority party in the house being republicans. In conclusion, Conner suggests a very positive attitude overall towards the president which makes the reader affirmative to the president as well.

    “I want every child in the country to head back to school in the fall knowing that their education is America’s priority,” Mr. Obama said.  We could only hope that President Obama stays true to his promise and be the first president to put education on the front line of America’s agenda.

Military Livin' Feels Like Prison

Stern: The military must take a harder line against sexual assault  

In a commentary article, Jessica Stern, special to the Washington Post claims the military to not be taking the necessary measures to stop sexual assault on both male and female victims.  Stern, the author of ‘Denial: A Memoir of Terror,'  and member of the Hoover Institution Task Force on National Security and Law, raises a valid argument backed up by extensive research.  Her research notes that, "The Defense Department recorded 3,230 sexual assaults involving members of our military in fiscal 2009, up 11 percent from 2008. But the Pentagon itself concluded in 2006 that only 20 percent of "unwanted sexual contacts" are reported to a military authority, about half of the rate in the civilian sector."

Though never serving in the military herself, her claims seem to be right on the money to someone (like me) who actually has.  Stern claims that "victims of military sexual assault are often forced to choose between frequent contact with the perpetrators or sacrificing their career goals to protect themselves from retaliation."

This is actually, from my experience, a valid argument. The military's main focus is on performance of work and keeping the perception of being structured and unflawed to the rest of American society. Within a male dominating work force, how could a female victim not be intimidated enough to not want to speak out on her abuse? Male on male sexual assault also leaves even greater possibility of future hazing, further abuse, and ultimate embarrassment. It is hard enough for a victim of sexual abuse to gain the courage to speak of their victimization in the civilian sector, let alone in a work environment and even “lifestyle” that teaches to not portray emotions whatsoever.

Also, just like an other day to day job, politics seem to be the biggest influence on making the decision to become unassertive about sexual abuse. The military chain of command instills a strong sense of loyalty and camaraderie. With that being said, the idea of being chastised and reprimanded for turning in a fellow soldier is not unrealistic. To anyone who cares about their career and future, this could potentially alter anyone's decision about turning in sexual abusers.

Stern brings strong logic to the average active duty member and veteran who has lived in conditions where sexual abuse is not only a big problem but also one that is difficult to address due political barriers. She also states that “troops are already under extraordinary stress, the reasoning suggests, and, in situations where loyalty to the unit is a matter of life and death, it is even more difficult to process or talk about the trauma.”

Soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen should not have to live in fear about coming forward and getting the necessary counseling after being assaulted. If harsher punishment was enforced and sexual abuse pre-counseling or awareness became mandatory, maybe abusers would think twice before making violent decisions and victims would be less apprehensive about speaking out.

Yup.

‘Egypt’s transitions begins-Barack Obama’ an article from   http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12437116  is worth reading because praises the anti-Mubarak protesters of Egypt, while also throwing in a hint of future foreign affairs.  The beginning few lines of the article focuses on how President Barack Obama is demanding that the Egyptian military to lift the emergency law in order to beginning shifting attention to “free and fair” voting.   Egyptian citizens are now living under a military government, which by the way, is primarily funded by American dollars.  This article is worth reading because it shows the US government’s involvement in foreign affairs.  Understanding the impact America will be making in Egyptian politics is important to understand because the US government is notorious for stepping in taking over a vulnerable government while employing the great ideal of “democracy.”