Internet Makes a Differance (#6)

Using the internet, people have been able to become informed about what is going on in the world much easier than before. Facebook and Twitter has a big influence when it comes to different elections. By using the internet, people are able to get things out into the world that may have an effect on the way people see things. Using blogs, people are able to talk about their views on things that are happening in the world. As more people start to learn how to use things such as Facebook and Google, they are finding out that they can get their news on their computers. My parents now do not get a news paper, they just read the news on the internet. They like it because they do not have to pay for it, it is easy to use and it is a "green" way to get their news.

Political Advertising (#5)

E-Commerce Tax (#4)

U.S. Military Censoring News (#3)

I think that the Government and the Military should not censor the material that is being put out in the new and in the media. I think that if they censor what is being shown, the people are not getting the full story about what is happening. They may be trying to protect people by not putting inappropriate images into the news, but at the same time, they are not letting people see what is really happening and how bad things really are.

New York Times Online (#2)

New York Times keeps a very good online newspaper. That is how I stay updated with the news. I am able to get the latest news sent to me via email. I think that all of their articles have a lot of information, so I am able to be fully aware of what is going on in the world. The web site is also really easy to navigate. I can narrow the news I want to read about down to where I live, or I can narrow it down to a specific subject.

Fox News Alert (#1)

I like this Fox News clip for a few reasons. We all have seen videos about the tsunami and earthquake that happened in Japan. I like that Fox shows us how the tsunami is effecting the west coast. It helps inform people about how even though the natural disaster happened on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, we should still be aware of it because it is effecting us also.

New York Times Co. v. United States 1971

Gitlow v. New York 1925

Gitlow v. New York

Brown v. Board of Education 1954

Gideon v. Wainwright 1963

Miranda v. Arizona 1966

I think it is a good thing that police must miranda people. If they were not forced to tell people their rights, innocent people could get put in prison a lot more easily. They may be unaware of their rights and thus could be declared guilty without even having a lawyer.

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke 1978

I believe that when it comes to the court case of Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, I believe that the University did in fact violate the 14th Amendment. They set a lower criteria for minority students than they had for the white student. In one way they did violate the constitution, but that the same time, the University gave a minorities a bigger opportunity to succeed.

Miller v. California 1973

Based upon the 1st Amendment of the Constitution, Miller had the right to wright and publish his "adult" books and films. The court limited the 1st Amendment when it came to the three guidelines they came up with for regulating offensive material. I think that people should have the right to publish what ever they want to publish, they should simply put a warning on it if it is inappropriate.

Plessy v. Ferguson 1896

United States v. Nixon 1974

Roe v. Wade 1973

When abortion was made legal in 1973, it opened up a lot more opportunities for the women in America. In 1973, when women would get pregnant, they would turn into stay at home moms and would not have a career after they had their child. Due to the legalization of abortion, women were able to choose when they wanted to have a child. This led to women getting more rights and having the chances to do a lot more things. I think that when abortion became legal, it opened a lot of doors for many women. Women can now have the right to privacy and be able to make a choice and not have the government decide for them.

Foreign Aid to Africa: Is it Helping?

Part I:   

In 1994, the Mother of Peace orphanage opened in Mutoko, Zimbabwe. There are currently over 100 children under the age of 16 in the orphanage. Over 80% of the children are HIV positive. “Many were referred but others arrived on their own or were brought by the police, well wishers or relatives. Increasingly babies are being found dumped. On arrival many are ill with malnutrition, chest and skin infections, diarrhea and other symptoms of HIV infection.” (History) The orphanage was founded by Mama Gene and Mama Stella. They both were trained as nurses in the UK. In 2000, Dr. Robert Scott, from Lafayette, California, was introduced to the Mother of Peace Orphanage (Renee). An organization, named The J.F. Kapnek Trust, is an organization that has been providing aid to people in Zimbabwe for many years. A local doctor from Lafayette, Dr. Dan Robbins, is a Board Director for The J.F. Kapnek Trust.

Dr. Robbins has a connection to the Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church and from August 1^st to August 14^th, fifty five high school students and fifteen adults went on a mission trip to Zimbabwe, Africa. While we were there, we spent time working in the orphanage and at the five different preschools in the surrounding area. The work we did in the orphanage consisted of creating a library full of children’s books, doing manual labor on the farm, building a grain storage building, repainting the inside of 3 rooms that the orphans live in and cleaning up and restoring the headstones in the orphanage cemetery. Outside of the orphanage, we worked at five different schools. The projects at the schools consisted of building playgrounds, repainting the inside and outside of the buildings, fixing broken tables and chairs, and painting details onto the inside walls, such as the alphabet, number and shapes. Along with working at the orphanage, we also got about three to four hours a day to play with the kids. We would play soccer games against the kids in the orphanage and people from the surrounding community would come and watch us play on the local dirt soccer field. We also brought suitcases full of clothes for all of the children. We were able to give each child a new pair of pants, a shirt, a jacket, a hat and a new pair of shoes. We also gave them tons of toys and over twenty five new or slightly used soccer balls. Along with the suit cases of clothes and toys, some of these suitcases were full of medical supplies that we donated to The J.F. Kapnek Trust. Kapnek is an organization and “operates the largest pediatric HIV/AIDS transmission prevention program  in Zimbabwe, Africa - serving approximately 600 birthing centers and 175,000 pregnant women.” (Rising)

Part II:

            During George W. Bush’s time as President of the United States, the Bush Administration raised the amount of Foreign Aid to Africa, but President Bush rejected Prime Minister Tony Blair’s request to double the amount of Foreign Aid to Africa (Rice). When it comes to the topic of the United States giving Foreign Aid to Africa, people have very different and very strong opinions. Many people believe that the aid people give to Africa is hurting their economy more than it is helping. “Between 1970 and 1998, when aid flows to Africa were at their peak, poverty in Africa rose from 11% to a staggering 66%.” (Gavin) People believe that the country becomes to dependant on the Foreign Aid and only uses the aid they receive from other countries as a way to get out of debt, but in reality, it will take a lot more than that. People think that the donation of clothing and other material product will bring down the economy in Africa even more.  “Flooding the market with free goods could bankrupt the people who already sell them. Donating clothing is a sensitive topic in Africa because many countries' textile industries collapsed under the weight of secondhand-clothing imports that were introduced in the 1970s and '80s.” (Hammond) In Charles Abugre’s article, he states how the food aid that countries give can help save lives but it can also devastate countries. It is good in a time of need, such as a natural disaster, but it also has the ability to “destroying local farming capacities when food aid becomes food ‘dumped’ on the local market.” (Abugre) People seem to agree that there are certain types of aid that are more needed than other. For example, the donation of food and clothing can do more harm than good because it prevents the local manufacturers from selling their goods. The donations of things such as medical supplies, condoms to help prevent the spread of Aids and water purification systems are ways that other countries and organizations can have a positive impact on the African economy (Abugre). I believe that rather than having the country donate money to Africa, we should donate time. We should send more people over and help anywhere they can. We should work alongside with the African government to create more clinics and rehab centers to help prevent the spread of Aids. I think that the work that the Peace Corps is doing is a good way of helping because they help in certain areas, such as education and agriculture (Learn).

Part III:

            My time that I spent in Africa was the most memorable two weeks of my life. It was a time where I got to experience how other people live. It made me realize how privileged I am to live where I live and to have what I have. When we first got there, it was a huge culture shock. All we saw was trees and dirt. Maybe there were a few huts that we passed by as we drove to the orphanage, but that was about it. When we would pass people, they would stop and stare at us as if we were famous. One day we went to the local 

market and it really did seem like we 

were famous. People surrounded us and wanted to take pictures with us. They would ask us a ton of questions about the United States and what is it like to live here. They all knew why we were there and they were all very thankful for the work that we were doing there. We were told later that most of the people we mat most likely had never seen a white person, let along seventy of them in one place. It was a big shock to realize that. We were also invited to a church service at the local church. It was a lot different than what we were used too. It was an outside service and there were a lot of people. The pastor spoke in Shona a lot of the time but then he would turn to us and speak to us in English so that we could understand him. It was really nice that a lot of people there spoke English, but there was still a bit of a language barrier, especially with the children at the orphanage. A lot of the time we would have to point to an object or talk with out hands so people would understand what we were trying to say. It was the birthday of one of the students on the trip when we went to the church service, so the pastor did a special blessing on him. It was really interesting to be apart of something like that and have a new experience like that. When we would play with the kids, we would not realize it until late, but majority of the children are HIV positive and might not live past the age of 18. It makes me so thankful that I am healthy and have a family who loves me. The experience there changed my life. I now hope to go to college for either nursing or teaching. Once I graduate, I plan on living in Zimbabwe for a year or two and either teach or be a nurse in a clinic, depending on what I end up majoring in. I believe that the best way to help other countries is not by simply giving them money. It is by going in and helping the specific area that needs the most help. It seems like in Africa, a lot of the problem has to do with the high rate of people who are positive with HIV and Aids. If we were able to help set up more clinics and help educate people more about what exactly Aids is and how it works. When I was there, it seemed like everyone knew it was a disease that killed people and that it was easy to get it, but I do not think they know how it weakens the person’s immune system and that is how they get killed by it. Another way that we could help is by creating more pure water systems. While I was staying there, we could only drink bottled water because the water there has very harmful bacteria in it that would make us very sick. When we needed water for building the grain storage building or for feeding the animals on the farm, we had to pump it out of the ground by hand. We also only got one shower while we were there and all we got was a bucket. We had to fill it up with water and that is all we got because there is such a water shortage. We were lucky that we got one shower each. That is a lot of water for seventy people to use up a bucket of water each. We were 

treated very well while we stayed at the orphanage. If they had a better way of getting water and if the water was cleaner, it believes that less people would be getting sick. It was convenient for us that there was a well on the land owned by the orphanage so we did not have to walk far to get the water we needed, but there are people who would walk three to five miles, one way, a day to simply get a bucket of water. We would pass people when we would ride on the bus and there would be women with giant buckets of water on their heads. They would be walking barefoot on dirt and rocks. If they spilled their bucket of water, they would have to make the journey all over again. It really makes a person think about the value of water when you need it to live. It makes me so thankful to have clean water and the furthest I have to walk is up the stairs of my house. They also fed us very well while we were there. We got the same food that the children would have gotten but they had to make a lot more of it to feed seventy more people than they were used too. It makes me feel as if I do not deserve to have what I have. I did not do anything to deserve the life I live when there are people on the other side of the world who have to battle hunger and thirst everyday. That also gets me to another point. Hunger and starvation is a big problem in Africa. Mama Stella told us how when all of the children first came to the orphanage, you could see all of their bones. They had no fat on them and their stomachs were puffed out from not eating. The main concentration of the orphanage is to first get all of the medical needs of the children fulfilled and then from there help them get a good education. Once they reach the ago of eighteen, they are no longer able to stay at the orphanage. From there, the orphanage helps them find a job and somewhere to live. I think that if there were more places in Africa that were set up to help people find jobs and make money, the economy would improve because there would be a bigger flow of money, causing people to have more money to spend on products, thus improving the economical situation. 

Is the President of Zimbabwe Sick?

 "Zimbabwe's leader of 30 years returned to Singapore for a medical check, his fourth visit there this year, his spokesman said Friday, as questions about his health raised uncertainty about the country's political future"
Original Article

Mugabe, the president of Zimbabwe is not 87 years old. People have been noticing that Mugabe has been looking weaker and weaker. He has been having more medical check ups recently than he has in the past and this is staring to make people concerned. "Eldred Masunungure, director of Zimbabwe's Mass Public Opinion Institute, said recent questions about Mugabe's health raise uncertainty, but that even if the elderly president were to die, his military-political machine would remain strong."

Housing Market Falls

"Sales of new homes fell in February to the lowest level on records dating back nearly half a century, a dismal sign for an already weak housing market" 
Original Article 

According to researchers, the housing market has fallen severely. In the month of February, new home sales fell 16.9%.  More homes than normal have been foreclosed and the housing market is failing. The estimate is that there will be three million home foreclosures this year nation wide. People do not expect that the housing market will turn around any time soon.

Radiation in Water Warning

 "Radioactive iodine detected in the capital’s water supply spurred a warning for infants on Wednesday and the government issued a stark new estimate about the costs of rebuilding from the earthquake and tsunami that slammed into the northeast of Japan this month."
Original Article 

There has been a warning put out by Ei Yoshida, head of water purification for the Tokyo water department, saying that infants should not drink the tap water in Tokyo due to possible radiation. "He said iodine-131 had been detected in water samples at a level of 210 becquerels per liter, about a quart. The recommended limit for infants is 100 becquerels per liter. For adults, the recommended limit is 300 becquerels." This warning is making people even more worried than they already were. Profesionals say that there could possibly be no danger for infants to drink the tap water but they would like to be safe and not have them drink it or have parents use it to make the baby formula.

Where Will the Radiation Go?

"Ten days after an earthquake and tsunami crippled a nuclear plant inJapan, officials are detecting abnormal levels of radiation in what may seem like a scattershot assortment of foods: milk from Fukushima Prefecture, where the reactors sit; spinach from Ibaraki Prefecture to the south; canola from Gunma Prefecture to the west; and chrysanthemum greens from Chiba to the south. Shipments of the milk and spinach have been banned."
Original Article

     Experts are not sure where the radiation will be going. The radioactive materials can move very easily through out the world, based upon the weather patterns. 

"It’s natural that people worldwide will be monitoring for this — just in case it is far worse than we now expect,” said F. Ward Whicker, a professor emeritus at Colorado State University who developed a leading model for following radiation through the food chain.

Fear Creeps Over Zimbabwe

"The warning signs are proliferating. Journalists have been harassed and jailed. Threats of violence are swirling in the countryside. The president’s supposed partner in the government has been virulently attacked in the state-controlled media as a quisling for the West. And the president himself has likened his party to a fast-moving train 
that will crush anything in its way."
Original Article


     President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, is now planning his next election. 22 months ago, the regional leaders have been pressuring Mugabe and the Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, to share the power. Mugabe refuses to share power with his rival and he has made it very clear. 

Walnut Creek School Districts

"Walnut Creek School District's board decided Monday to get behind the governor and pass a resolution that urges tax extensions be placed on the June ballot."
Original Article

     Researchers are saying that if the tax extension is not on the bill, "K-12 funding throughout the state could be cut an additional $4.8 billion, or about $800 per student." In my personal opinion, I do not really see the problem with having a little less money for our schools. Yes, our class room sizes may grow or we may not be able to afford everything that we may want, but we could be in a lot worse situation. When you look at things with the bigger picture in mind, it may not seem that bad. Schools in other states have classes of up to 40 children and schools in other countries have classes with about 80 children in them. We are a very privileged area and I do not think that the world will come to an end if this does not get on the ballot.

Schools in the Bronx have a New Plan

"The Bloomberg administration’s signature strategy for low-performing schools has been to shut them down, a drastic move that often incites anger and protests from teachers, parents and neighborhood officials. Since the beginning of the mayor’s first term, more than 110 schools have been shuttered or are in the process of closing." 
Original Article 

     In the Bronx, New York, many schools are starting to be shut down due to low performance. The schools now are trying something new. They will be replacing the Principles and a good amount of teachers at the schools. This strategy is called "turnaround". "The plan involves a middle school and a high school in the South Bronx; the schools were not named because their staffs had not been notified. The schools would be controlled by the Education Department, managed by Green Dot and staffed by unionized teachers, as is the norm in the 17 charter schools run by Green Dot Public Schools, a separate organization that Mr. Barr founded. Among those schools is a high school in the South Bronx that opened in 2008."

Gas Prices Rise Rapidly

"The increase in energy prices is beginning to resemble the rise in 2008. But this time, the American economy may be better prepared for higher fuel costs." 
Original Article 

Gas Prices have been rising fast. They have risen one third in the past year and "oil costs more than $100 a barrel for the first time in more than two years." Many people believe that the rise in gas is due to the "fears of extended Middle East supply disruptions and increased demand from an improving global economy." People are much more prepared this time for the high gas prices, unlike in the past years. People have traded in their gas guzzling cars for bikes and energy efficient cars.

First Methadone Maitenance Program Opens in Tanzania

"With the help of the American government, the first methadone maintenance program in sub-Saharan Africa opened this month in a hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania."
Original Article

     Along with other reasons for the high rate of HIV and AIDS in Africa, here are a lot of people using serious drugs. "Tanzania now has an estimated 25,000 drug injectors, 40 percent of them infected with H.I.V., according to the Pangaea Global AIDS Foundation, a San Francisco-based group that is advising the Tanzanian government on the program." There is now a program opening in Tanzania that will hopefully help with this problem.

Tragedy Hits New Zealand

"Rescue workers spent a cold, rainy night pulling survivors from the wreckage caused by a powerful earthquake that struck Christchurch, New Zealand’s second largest city, early Tuesday afternoon, killing at least 75 people."

Original Article

     It was a busy work day when the 6.3 earthquake hit Christchurch. “ 'We’ve been pulling 20 or 30 people out of those buildings right throughout the night,' Superintendent Gibson said." Many people say that the reaction to the earthquake was as if the world was ending. "People said they watched the spire of the landmark ChristChurch Cathedral come crashing down during an aftershock. One witness called it 'the most frightening thing of my entire life,' and television video showed a person clinging to a window in the steeple."

Obama's Major Legal Policy Shift

"President Obama, in a major legal policy shift, has directed the Justice Department to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act — the 1996 law that bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages — against lawsuits challenging it as unconstitutional." 
Original Article

     Many people believe that ever since President Obama took office two years ago, the progress he has made has been very slow, but now people are seeing him make drastic changes. "Coming after the administration successfully pushed late last year for repeal of the military’s ban on gay men and lesbians serving openly, the change of policy on the marriage law could intensify the long-running political and ideological clash over same-sex marriage as the 2012 presidential campaign approaches."
       

Strikes in Egypt leave 365 Dead

"At least 365 people died in the 18 days of anti-government protests that pushed out longtime Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak, the Health Ministry said Wednesday in the first official accounting of the death toll."
Original Article
     365 people have been killed due to the riots and protests in Egypt. According to Minister Ahmed Sameh Farid, this number is only civilians who were involved in the riots. It does not include police or any innocent bystanders. "While Mubarak is gone, frustration with the quality of life—from working conditions to environmental concerns—has kept demonstrators in the streets as the economy continues to falter."

What Could Happen to our Schools?

"Democratic lawmakers on Monday warned just how widespread budget cuts could be in California if the Legislature or voters do not extend temporary tax hikes to help close a $26.6 billion deficit."
Original Article

     If voter or the legislature vote to not raise taxes, many things will have to happen in able to lower the debt in California. A few of these things would be, "California would have to allow oil drilling to be expanded off the coast of Santa Barbara, end class-size reduction efforts in kindergarten through third grade, reduce wild land firefighting, and stop support for various public safety programs."

Americans Must Save to be able to Spend Later on

"The recession that just rocked the U.S. economy happened in part because Americans were borrowing and spending more than they could afford. Now, three years after the downturn began, American families are moving faster than many analysts had expected to put their finances in order by paying down debts and boosting their savings"
Original Article 

People are now saying that in order for Americans to get out of the hole they have dug themselves into with the amount of debt they have assumed, they must save much more before they are able to spend again. Statistics show that "Compared with the summer of 2008, when consumer debt peaked, there is now 7 percent less mortgage debt, 12 percent less in auto loans, and 15 percent less credit card debt outstanding, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Loan payments last year were at their lowest level in a decade." People are now setting aside around 5% of their disposable income and putting it into their savings. 

Amount of HIV Positive People in Zimbabwe Lowers

"Defying expectations in a region devastated by AIDS, rates of H.I.V. infection in Zimbabwe have fallen precipitously in the last decade." 
Original Article 

As of 2007, the amount of people who were HIV positive in Zimbabwe, Africa reduced 13 percent in 10 years. Scientists believe that one of the causes if this is because people saw people they know die from the disease. 

Guantanamo Bay Detainees May be Living in the Bay

"Berkeley officials are considering inviting Guantanamo Bay detainees to live in the city."
Original Article 

     Next week, the city council of Berkley, California will be voting on the invitation for some of the detainees at the United States naval base in Cuba who have been proven not guilty. '“This is one thing we can do to right some wrongs of our federal government,” said Wendy Kenin, chairwoman of the city’s Peace and Justice Commission.' They would be living with local families and non profit organizations would help them find places to work.