What Leads to Change?

        As Miss Amber Goers stated, our country has been experiencing some unrest and rioting. These riots are in relation to the lack of officer accountability. In two cases officers shot and killed unarmed African American males and no charges were filed against them. Some facts in both of these cases are unclear, but the taking of a human life should not be brushed off so easily. Some citizens, especially in Ferguson, Missouri, have taken action in the streets. Some protests, such as the congressional walkout, have been nonviolent. Others include citizens taking to the streets and in some cases caused destruction. 

While Ms. Goers believes these protests should be less violent, I disagree. Violent means lead to our countries separation from our misrepresenting, British colonial rulers and has been a big part of many movements around the world. Non-violent action should be our first means of change but that doesn’t always work. Sometimes we must show our frustration to enact real change. 

With growing violence against unarmed protests and the militarization of our police force many people are feeling mute in a country that needs our voice now more then ever. I am not saying we should all riot over everything but we should be able to stand up for our beliefs. Our country is crying out for a change and we have a higher possibility of making this a reality if more people see the effect of the injustice being served. These two men simply represent a bigger issue with our police force and racial discrimination. 

Our Governing Body

            While I may not believe the U.S is the best country in the world, I do believe that we are pretty wonderful in many ways. In 1787, our founding fathers set down the Constitution that we still fallow to this day. As vague to interpretation as the Constitution is, it has not undergone many changes over the years. This may be impart due to our national respect for our founding fathers knowledge. It may also be impacted by our government’s structure of checks and balances, which leaves progressive change hard to develop. Our country is continuing to grow and develop in ways our founding fathers could not have fathomed, but our government is failing to keep up with the demands of modern times and its citizens.

            Our country was made into a well-divided government; with three branches intended to provide an internal means of checks and balances. The functions of these branches are laid out in the constitution. These branches have gained powers not deemed in these articles. This leaves the lines of who has power over what blurred. This added to the conflicting parties leaves our federal government in a state of gridlock. The slow moving and dysfunctional government needs to under go some big changes. Americans are giving up on our political system and approval ratings and voting are at a low.

            Reforming of our government will not come easy, especially with so many Americans feeling helpless against the big money that’s in politics. Our vote is our voice and its what our country is losing it. This gives way to special interests speaking for us. So how do we fix this issue? We need to undergo a few changes. One our citizens need to be educated about how our government structure actually works. We need these citizens to be motived to act in our political system. This means to make educated votes and gain the democracy that’s missing from our government.

            We have a good stricter for a balanced governing body but public participation has gotten lost along the way. Most people today find it easier to point the finger at one another, then to actually act for change. Our system seams to be at a stand still. With tensions rising over presidential powers, federal inaction on issues such as gay marriage and medical marijuana, and cases of police brutality leading to rioting in the streets, it is clear that is stand still can not last. The times they are a changin’ and our system should be able to adapt to these changes.

Ebola

      While I do agree with Cassandra that hospitals did not properly care for the infected patients, putting the blame solely on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also known as the CDC, seams unfair. I do not work in the health care industry, but I do know that they have procedures in place to properly care for patients.  As good as the physician’s intentions may have been she did not properly fallow these procedures and became infected. The CDC covers a broad base of issues concerning health care prevention,  response, and recovery.

      The CDC should be notified when contagious diseases, such as Ebola, are found within the U.S, but it’s also the hospitals job to fallow guidelines set. If these procedures had been fallowed the doctor would have been notified of the patients trip to Liberal and more causes procedures would have been fallowed. Something got lost in translation or overlooked by the medical professionals. This lack of oversight could have put the nation at a bigger risk, but we have an advanced healthcare system in place. While this system may be costly, it is affiant.

     Life threatening disease leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Patients with diseases such as rabies, whooping cough, and HIV would all need cooperation from CDC when being treated. This would add more paperwork, slow down the treatment process, and become costly. Our nation does need able to properly care for our citizen’s health, but that care cannot be solely placed on one department shoulders. This is epically true when our country is still allowing travel to and from these infected countries. While free trade is important, is it more important then the health of our citizens.

Who does your congress represent?

            “The duties carried out by a Member of Congress are understood to include representation, legislation, and constituent service and education, as well as political and electoral activities”. I have always understood it to be that our Congress members are in place to represent the people and their needs. What happens when congress stops representing the people and starts representing capitalism? We are experiencing this struggle today. It seams that our congress members are focused on funding for re-elections, rather then what is good for the nation.
            This separation is caused by a lack of understanding of the average American. Our population is pretty evenly split with about 50% men and 50% women. Our Senate and House are about 20% women, not matching the population. We also fail to represent the growing number of Hispanics with about 3% in both branches, and about 15% of the overall population.
            There is also a major separation in income. The average American makes about about 51,000 a year. The average congressman is part of the 1% who earns about 7.5 times the median income. 
Our one percenters are also about to save more, with average holdings of more 69% more then the average. Your income and savings have a lot of influence over your issues. Having a stable income allows you invest and have financial safety. A growing number of Americans are missing out on this. The inflation rate and minim wage have not increased at the same rate. This means these people don’t make enough to live off, but it benefits businesses bottom dollar to pay employees less. To them and our congressmen capitalism is working. As they gain more wealth and leaser time it is easy to over look the little guy who doesn’t count as part of your election party.
            If our congress does not accurately represent the people it can create un-obvious biases and lack of understanding of cultural issues. The wealth gap will continue to increase as long as big business can throw large dollars towards campaign funding. This is creating and underlining tie between congress and corporations, this tie can influence legislation. If you want that big campaign contribution from a poultry company, and you enact laws regulating them, you probably wont get that funding. This issue crosses party lines and goes to who’s lining the congressman’s campaign pockets. Campaign contributions are less regulated now and have been under great criticism for this, but nothing has been done.

            Our re-election process is a big fail. It puts focus on funding for increasingly more expensive campaigns and not on holding our representatives accountable. If we could change the election funding process or put a cap on campaign spending it would be a step in the right direction. Right now our congress is not able to focus on what they are in office to do but rather on staying in office. This is far from what we want our legislators to be worried about. I want our congressman and women to worry about the people not making enough to feed them selves, the growing student debts, as well our countries own debts, and less on financial contributions.

To Understand & Protect Our Home Planet

            In John Fund’s article he criticizes climate change advocates for not reaching a consensus on both the cause of this warming and its effects. He also states that this group doubts the democratic processes ability to deal with these challenges. While we don’t have a crystal ball to see the future, it is evident that our environment is changing 69% of Americans agree that this changing is occurring. Mr. Fund states that there is not enough evidence to blame global warming on human interactions. This stamen is true, but that is because multiple factors are in play. Many scientists have found that human interaction is not the only element in this warming, but is speeding up the process.

            What does this have to do with our politics? Articles like Mr. Fund’s keep our political system ignorant of the facts. There is little information on the author’s background, education or work experience wise. Climate change activists are right to feel like our democratic system is failing them. The United States has lacked the ability to pass influential green friend acts. Acts such as the AmericanClean Energy and taxes on carbon emissions have failed to pass both houses. While other countries push to better their environmental impact. Why our we falling behind, especially when we among the leading emission polluters? Well it is not in the best interest of big business to hurt the bottom line and production.
            Our government is held captive in part by special interest. Our energy sources are a major source of economic income in our country. Issues such as global warming our not cut and dry; without citizens voices these issues get over looked. Many articles I read even put the solution on the individual and over look business responsibility. The industrialization that occurred in the 1940s also lead to a spike in our carbon emissions. These are the same people who need to take responsibility for their environment impact. While some states have taken action to regulate air emissions, something needs to occur on a national level. Articles such as this one take a step back to re-proving what over half the population already knows to be true, rather then moving forward to a solution.

The White Knox

            While I typically agree with Rachel Maddows views, I felt her correction piece on the the White House break in to be drawn out and unenlightening. Rachel Maddows is a political TV and radio host with a doctorate in politics from Oxford University.  In this segment Mrs. Maddows provides a history of Omar Gonzalez (the intruders) prior incidences, involving illegal guns and bringing an axe on the grounds of the White House. Notification was given to the Secret Service of Mr. Gonzalez being a possible threat, but nothing originated from these claims. It has been stated that these reports are not taken lightly but they are certainly not an uncommon occurrences.

            She then goes on to give a play-by-play of the knifed intruders entry into the Presidents home. This explanation is given with 2 diagrams and the statement that the White House should be the most protected place in America. It is not and should not be the most heavily guarded place in America. What we protect says a lot to other countries values. Our most protected building is Fort Knox, which houses some of most prized treasures, lots of gold and documents.
           As stated in this NPR article the White House is a symbol of our nation, it is the peoples house and it is not heavily guarded. But do we truly want the house that represents our nation to look like Fort Knox. The fact that our Secret Service doesn’t shoot first and ask questions later is a good attribute, and one that may benefit local police officers to take into account. The White House is visited by thousands of tourist a day; electric fences and barbed wire may not be the best or wisest representation of our nations. Of course our president should be protected and innocents such as this one and the November 11th, 2011 shots at the White House should not be taken lightly. However, Mrs. Maddows focus on the how and provides little insight into solutions or how the Secret Service works. I also found the title “Shocking Security Lapses Imperil First Family” to be overly dramatic. The Obama’s were not in emendate danger and this was not the only security laps to have occurred in the presidents home over the centuries.

U.S Arming Syrian Rebels

Today the House has passed a bill to aid Syrian Rebels. This is the start of what may grow to a bigger debate, if passed by the Senate. While this is the first time both parties have agreed in some time, it still leaves some big questions to be answered. Such as, whom are we helping to arm? How do we distinguish the good rebel groups from the bad? Will this lead us into another war? To me the biggest issue is if what we are doing is really in the best interest of the Syrian people? While this article doesn’t give you the answers, it does help to inform you on some current events that may have long-term effects. This additional article provides more information on possible drawbacks to our aiding Syria.