Wednesday, December 14, 2011
How to Procrastinate
Before we begin, I would like to make one thing perfectly clear: Procrastination is not laziness, it is an art. Like other forms of art, procrastination can take a while to master, especially if you procrastinate. However, unlike other forms of art, procrastination does not bear visible fruits. More than often, only the procrastinator them self is the only one to enjoy the rewards of excellent procrastination. Before considering procrastination, it is important to first consider whether or not procrastination is right for you. Heed my warning, it is not for the lazy. Like I said earlier, there is a distinct difference. Laziness is not doing something with the intent to do it, while procrastination is not doing something with the intent to do it, and then doing it. The first step of properly performed procrastination is knowing what you intend to not do yet. For example, knowing when a certain homework assignment is due will let you know when you need to do it: right before. Master procrastinators such as myself can judge to the second how long it will take them to complete an assignment, allowing them to procrastinate more effectively. The second step is the easiest: do what you want. Watch television, go out with your friends, read a book, but by no means do what you have already dedicated yourself to procrastinating. Repeat until it is the time you designated as the shortest possible time to do the assignment effectively in Step one. Finally, do the assignment. I know, it is work, and you do not like work, but you have grown older and wiser from the time that it was assigned, and are now more able to do it. This is the basic procrastination system. More complex systems involve sweet-talking teachers and late passes, as illustrated in the doing of this blog post, but you get the basic idea. To review, the process in its most simple, naked form is: know the assignment, wait until you must do the assignment, then do it. Procrastinate responsibly.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Speech
Jake Linton
12/11/12
Logsdon 2nd hour
Credit Card Debt
During the Holiday season we all go around the department stores and purchase gifts for one another. Oftentimes, my mom comes home with a trunk full of presents for all of my relatives. She walks into Macy’s with nothing, and leaves with several bags of gifts. How? A credit card. A piece of plastic that costs fourty five cents or less to make. You can get credit cards for free from most banks. So you get a free card, go to a store, buy a new tv, pay nothing and leave. Sounds perfect. To the uninformed, a credit card is perfect. Its free, no hassle, convenient. Seriously, who today walks around with five hundred dollars in cash to buy Christmas presents? If you paid in that amount of cash, people would think you are a drug or arms dealer. For all of these reasons, credit cards are extremely prevalent and successful. So what's the catch? No money, and free presents? How can credit card companies make money off of this, not to mention billion dollar industries that can advertise on a National scale. Credit cards are glamorous or sleek to hide their true nature. A credit card is almost a necessity today, but the problems are devastating. Credit card companies trick ignorant users to trap them in an endless cycle of debt.
Unfortunately, more and more Americans are falling prey to credit card debt. Student loans, home loans, business loans, and injuries are the leading causes of debt. The bank charges interest, and so does the credit card that you pay your loans on. The payments become increasingly large and soon you have amassed a mountain of debt. There are dozens of hotlines claiming to end credit card debt. Almost all are fallacious. The most common ways to escape debt is to declare bankruptcy or commit suicide. It sounds absurd but dozens of deaths since 1980 have been linked to debt. Bankruptcy often just leads to further debt or unemployment.
This sounds like an adult problem or for just stupid people. Its not. Most people don’t truly know how to manage their money. Per year, the most new credit cards are registered during the first week of college due to the large “credit card fairs”. Companies just give out credit cards to students who are ignorant of contracts and terms of agreement. New students don’t manage money well, and soon they find themselves in debt with student loans or overall debt due to unemployment. Our generation is the MOST at risk of any. Money has changed over time. It was once gold or silver coins. Then it was paper and cloth money. Today, most money is exchanged virtually. Its almost like a game, its not even real. Its just numbers, not coins or dollar bills in your hand. You are at a higher risk because you don’t realize how much money you are spending.
How do companies do this? False advertising sometimes. Changing contracts other times. Loopholes in agreements. Compound interest on your rates. Sometimes even setting up “help centers” that end up right back into the companies contracts. Unfortunately there are dozens of ways. The companies can use corporate power and lawyers to combat false advertisement charges. An individual can’t strike out against a credit card company because its technically your own fault. It is. But credit card companies don’t help anyone or give any breaks. These entrapments are near impossible to expose in court because people often sign the unknowingly sign the contracts.
The best way to end credit card debt is to prevent credit card debt. It sounds like a dumb issue, but because it seems so trivial, people overlook it much more often than that earthquake or that war. If we want to fix the National economy, worry first about your own personal economy. If you are buying a house, don’t pay in cash until you deal cocaine. But otherwise, not using credit cards helps. A credit card is a great thing. But only when its used in moderation, and with responsibility.
Scurlock, James. “Maxed Out: Hard Time, Easy Credit, and the Era of Predatory Lenders.” Magnolia Pictures, 2006. Film.
Powell, Eileen. “Americans build mountains of debt” New York, 2004. Print.
Shin, Annys. “How Has Bankruptcy Law Affected You?” The Washington Post, 2006.
Internet.
Geewax, Marilyn. “Consumers’ Personal Debt Ceilings on the Rise Again.” NPR, 2011.
Internet.
Glasbergen, Randy. “Cartoon ID: Money 116.” 2006. Internet
speech
Graffiti has become, in a way, a well-integrated part of the artistic landscape throughout the world. It can be found in every single city on the planet in some form or another, and in several art galleries on each continent. It has launched the careers of several dedicated artists which I will cover more in depth later, and it has been used by programs to help keep high risk youth out of gang related violence and crime. It has been used by top companies to put what feels like a street edge on to their product. And it has been around since the societies we feel we have inherited our legacy from, Greece and Rome. Problem is, a large chunk of this is illegal. Whenever you leave a visible mark on someone’s property, including that of the government, without their permission, it is illegal and can lead to jail, prison, or hefty fines.
Now, for my purposes here, Graffiti refers to the historical paint and scratch marks I will outline later, and all forms of spray-painting, painting, stickers, wheat pasting and the like both legal and illegal with the purposes of spreading a message or putting ones name out in an artistic manner. To start, the word Graffiti originates from the Greek word “graephen” meaning “to write”. Nothing too illegal there. The oldest defacement-art defined as Graffiti can be found in the ancient world in Greece and Rome, the city of Pompeii, once it was uncovered from several layers of volcanic ash, was found to have graffiti scribbled on nearly every surface, as did most Roman building in this time period.
The writing on the walls also extends to Islamic architecture, because in original Islamic teachings it was illegal to depict humans in art and they therefor adorned their buildings in floral patterns and writing. This is not typically defined as Graffiti because there are no property rights infringed, but it does fall under my definition because of its artistic writing on the walls and message.
It was common during the era that Christianity began to take over Rome for early Christians to deface Roman statues with breaking, painting, nose removal, and scratching crosses. These pieces are nowadays worth more than they would have been originally because they have more history to them. This same process happened after the reigns of less supported Egyptian rulers as well.
When the Berlin wall was tore down multiple large chunks were sent to different museums and such and small chips are still sold to this day. These chips cost more when they’re adorned by what? You guessed it, Graffiti.
And don’t forget the long nosed balding cartoon character from the World war generation, no one from this time period would ever forget “Kilroy was here” and his other incarnations in other countries. His comedic existence was typically a reference to ration protests and he even showed up on the WWII memorial in Washington D.C.
Today, in Chicago, the Youth Struggling for Survival of the YSS have harnessed the graffiti skills of high risk Chicago kids to paint murals for schools and keep kids of the streets. These murals are never tagged over because they are something that these kids understand and have pride in.
Many of today’s best Graffiti artists have moved out of just the street centered art form and into massive businesses and art fields. A personal favorite artist of mine, Shepard Fairey spent years posting giant stickers of a highly stylized photo of Andre the Giant’s face over the word “OBEY” as an experiment. He know sells massive quantities of Art has a clothing brand based around this pseudo-movement and designed president Obama’s Hope campaign posters. I cannot remember the last time I saw a school presidential election that didn’t reference this man’s genius.
Commonly associated Fairey is the man that goes by the name of Banksy. He has never been unmasked, but he is the most prolific stencil artist in the world. Originating in the UK he has stenciled anti-corporate political activist-art multiple places on every continent except for maybe Antarctica. When he holds art shows his art is known to sell for upwards of 100,000 British pounds. He also got a best documentary nomination for his movie “Exit Through the Gift Shop.”
The founder of the infamous TATS cru, Wilfred “Bio” has branched from Graffiti to such a point that he has lectured at M.I.T. and was part of the Smithsonian’s institute’s 35th folklore festival in Washington D.C.
London based Graffiti artist “Inkie” currently teaches art to children and Graphic Design to College students.
More examples of artistic success shows up where the likes of Graffiti artist Neckface work with skateboard companies to produce merchandise and Nike producing shoes with multiple other graffiti artists have led to Graffiti being a gateway out of a lot of poverty.
Another thing Nike has been doing with graffiti is its used of Graffiti style advertisements. Of course, Nike isn’t the only company making this kind of shift in urban areas, Coca-Cola, McDonalds, and even the manufacturers of Hummer have hired graffiti artists to put up their advertisements. There is even a hotel in china, the Radisson Blu Hotel Pudong Century Park, with a “Graffiti Art” campaign in order to appear trendy to Chinese and Foreign customers.
And with all this artistic success, this commercialization and this backing from trusted corporate enterprises, what are kids supposed to think? That they’ll get fined and develop a criminal record if they start painting art on public space? That’s unlikely. Children and Teenagers are at an increasing rate picking up the Spray-paint in order to make art, and we need to harness this into a legal, productive way to improve our cities. We know what we have to do for our children and our cities, and that’s use their artistic talents to create legal public artworks for everybody. We need to help launch the careers of our future artists, and we need to stop letting these kids build criminal records trying to get their name out.
We need more programs like the YSS, and more public walls made to be painted, we need to give these kids these options to prevent urban decay and help communities.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Speech
Fast-forward to the year 2030. Where do you see yourself? Are you excelling in your career of choice? Do you have a spouse, maybe a couple of kids? But here’s the real question: Are you obese? According to a report done by NPR, by the year 2030, 50% of America’s population will be obese. As it stands right now, over 60% of America is either overweight or obese. If you’d like a specific number, there are over 72 million Americans that are classified as obese. That’s a downright ridiculous number of people. The blame for this atrocity falls onto none other than the fast food industry. Fast food has been the deciding factor for all of these statistics, and going by the numbers, it doesn’t look like that is going to change in a hurry. The fast food industry is ultimately the cause for the rise in the nation’s obesity rates because of the manipulation of society’s perception of fast food, the pure and utter laziness of Americans, and the endless availability of fast food.
The fast food industry’s manipulation of our perception of fast food begins with their heavily televised commercials. When we see fast food commercials, it’s almost as if the food is coming from another dimension. When was the last time you saw a fast food commercial with a fat person in it? Exactly. The use of skinnier people along with celebrities and professional athletes dominates the televised commercials. Take the Wendy’s “Where’s the beef?” guy for instance. If he really wanted to know where the beef was so badly, he would have been a lot bigger. But instead, Americans sitting on their couches see LeBron James and Wayne Gretzky endorsing McDonald’s and think “If pro athletes can eat all that, so can I!” But wait; the manipulation does not end there. The real target of many fast food commercials is children. Kids see a commercial advertising the special toys that come with Happy Meals and all of a sudden they just have to collect them all. Or might they see a commercial for a larger McDonald’s with an indoor play facility, will they also be propelled through the greasy doors to the counter. But who takes them to McDonald’s? Their parents get to the counter to order their child a Happy Meal, and think ‘Oh, what the heck, I’m already here. I might as well get something for me to eat, too.’ Basically, if you can get the kids, you’ll get their parents too. It’s a sad yet effective scheme.
There is plenty more sadness surrounding the fast food and obesity situation, though. The laziness of society is outrageous. Unfortunately, the mindset of some Americans is ‘Why spend time cooking dinner when fast food is so, well…fast?’ The plague of this ideology has spread, and the growth of the fast food industry can attest to this. People would rather receive their dinner in a bag, ready to chomp down on within minutes, instead of spending a good chunk of time cooking a good, wholesome dinner. What they don’t realize is that the long-term health factor outweighs the matter of time and effort greatly. The fast food industry’s presence in our lives is so prominent that even though we might know that the food is bad for us, we don’t apply ourselves to the situation enough. The laziness of American society has led us to this roadblock. Without an effort, obesity rates will continue to rise. Without an effort, there is no achievement.
Lastly, the endless availability of fast food in America has made it difficult for us to apply ourselves to the obesity situation. To put it into perspective, there are over 200,000 fast food restaurants in the United States. Throw in the almost-equally-as-unhealthy casual dining restaurants, and that number is raised by about 100,000. When the ease of access for fast food is so significant, it’s hard to believe that people would not take advantage of that. Even still, the only true way to combat this issue is for people to start caring more for their own sake. The fast food industry has been able to put up more restaurants because of how little people care. Thousands of new fast food joints are still going up every year because the industry knows that all they can do at this point is profit. And that is the sad truth. The growth of the fast food industry is outdoing the growth of the number of people who actively recognize the issue of obesity in this country.
Obesity is a monstrous issue that needs to be acted on. The millions of people in this nation waddling around like penguins may not have acted on it, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t. The fast food industry can manipulate our perception of fast food, but they can’t touch those who actively recognize the issue. The endless availability of fast food may tempt the weak and lazy, but just keep in mind the reality behind fast food and its negative effects on society. I urge you to combat the cruel yellow arches, the temptations, the greasy food, and the industry as a whole. Obesity rates have been on the rise because of the tendency of Americans to disregard our health and keep taking bites out of that luscious Big Mac. There are only so many bites for every burger, and there are only so many burgers before it’s too late.
Bibliography:
Spurlock, Morgan, Prod. Super Size Me. Dir. Morgan Spurlock." Samuel Goldwyn Films: 2004, Film.
"Obesity In America, By The Numbers." NPR. n. page. Web. 11 Dec. 2011.
Schlosser, Eric. PR Watch Interview. 17 Nov 2006. Center for Media and Democracy. Web. 8 Aug 2011.
CAFOs Speech
Imagine living in a space with 100 other people constantly pressing against you. Imagine this space giving each of you only an inch or two of movement on either side. Imagine never going outdoors, confined behind metal bars as you stand in your own fecal matter, and the fecal matter of your neighbors. No one could argue against the discomfort and uncleanness of this situation. However, these are the conditions in which animals are raised for slaughter in the United States. CAFOs, Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, mass produce most of the meat we eat. This method harms the animals themselves, the environment, and consumers.
Take pigs for example. Breeding hogs spend most of their life in metal confines too small to let them turn around. They simply breed, nourish piglets, and repeat. Those piglets that contract diseases are killed by slamming them against a wall, an acceptable method of "euthanizing" pigs less than 12 pounds. I wouldn't call blunt force trauma a painless way to end the lives of sick animals, but the National Pork Board apparently does. Those piglets that do survive may have it even worse though. Their curly tails are amputated. They live in pens with hundreds of other pigs, and never even see sunlight or grass. This isn't natural.
Animals in CAFOs don't even grow naturally. Because farmers want their animals to mature as fast as possible, they feed them hormones and antibiotics to promote faster growth. Chickens grow so quickly that their organs often can't keep up and they die long before taking the trip to the slaughterhouse, and this is common in every type of CAFO.
Preventative antibiotics are also regularly fed to animals living in CAFOs as such close quarters and unsanitary living conditions cause diseases to spread quicker. However, these preventative measures can hurt as much as they help as bacteria become resistant to the overused antibiotics. This resistance is detrimental to the animal, the environment, and the eventual consumer of that animal. The USDA even admits there is evidence that some of the antibiotics and even natural hormones “can persist in the environment and may affect the ecology of downstream areas and perhaps even humans.” So, potentially the methods we use to raise livestock could lead to health consequences in consumers.
Although antibiotics play a part in the effects of CAFOs on the environment, it is most affected by the waste produced from these large scale factory farms. This waste pollutes the air as airborne particles, greenhouse gases, and toxic chemicals are released from the animal excrements. The manure can be used as fertilizer for plants, but if too much is applied or if it is applied at the wrong time, runoff washes the manure off the field and it ends up polluting streams and other bodies of water. Plus, many farms simply hold their waste in man-made lagoons that often allow contaminants to seep into groundwater.
This air and water pollution caused by CAFOs can hurt humans in numerous ways. Runoff and waste lagoons contaminate water resources and can make people sick by bringing wastes and pathogens into drinking water. Air pollution often contributes to respiratory problems in farmers and those living nearby.
Yes, CAFOs are more “efficient” for raising livestock. In one CAFO more animals can be grown quicker and larger than on a farm that does not use growth hormones, a plethora of antibiotics, and stuff their animals into small and unnatural living environments, causing meat to be produced cheaper, BUT this price doesn’t really show the whole picture. Production costs are swallowed by the individual farmers working for large corporations. Any animals that don’t survive until slaughter- the responsibility of the farmer. What to do with the immense waste produced by CAFOs- decided by the farmer. The ongoing expense of operating CAFOs- dealt with by the farmer. A corporation decides how the animal will be raised. Then all the risk goes to the farmers. Not only are the animals treated unfairly, but so are the farmers! Plus, the health and environmental effects of CAFOs aren’t added into the cost.
This is why we need to start making changes to factory farming. I eat fast food almost every night, and when I don’t eat out I buy my meat from Kroger’s down the street. It’s simply easier and cheaper to buy meat that has been produced from a CAFO than to buy directly from a farmer, but the moral, environmental, and general health consequences that stem from consuming animals born and raised in these unnatural confines are huge. At least consider buying food from smaller, sustainable farms. Buying local puts more money directly into the farmer’s hand as it cuts out transportation costs and middle men. It also reduces the impact on the environment as the meat doesn’t travel across the country. The Farmer’s Market in Lexington offers locally raised organic beef that doesn’t cost anymore than the same portion from your average steakhouse. Not to mention, the animals aren’t tortured or pumped with medication and hormones. They live and grow- naturally.
Sources:
“Animal Cruelty.” closeanimalfactories.org. The Center to Explose & Close Animal Factories, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2011.
Ebner, Paul. CAFOs: Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. Purdue University, 25 Oct. 2007. Web. 9 Aug. 2011.
“Factory Farming.” sustainabletable.org. Sustainable Table, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2011.
Food, Inc. Dir. Robert Kenner. Magnolia Home Entertainment, 2008. DVD.
Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. New York: Penguin, 2007. Print.
“Animal Cruelty.” closeanimalfactories.org. The Center to Explose & Close Animal Factories, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2011.
“Utilization of Manure and Other Agricultural and Industrial Byproducts Action Plan 2009-2013.” usda.gov. USDA. 13 Oct. 2009. Web. 11 Dec. 2011.
Gun Control
Last Thursday, a gunman shot and killed a police officer on Virginia Tech’s campus, then killed himself shortly after. This shooting created national attention because it reminds us of four years ago, when a Virginia Tech student, Seung-Hui Cho, killed 32 people and injured 25 on the same campus. While large-scale American shootings such as Virginia Tech and Columbine receive national attention, the truth is that thousands go unrecognized each year. This leads us to ask, “What should we do?” Nearly every shooting with national attention in America has produced some form of legislation, but the only one to be passed was Bush’s federal gun control measure in 2008 that gave money to the states to help make gun-buying background checks more effective. The last law made to limit what kinds of guns can be purchased in America was Clinton’s “Federal Assault Weapons Ban”, which expired in 2004. This law banned the selling of guns that were considered “assault weapons,” but no one really knew what that meant. What the law did do that was very effective, however, was ban the sale of semi-automatic firearms with clip sizes of greater than 10 rounds. This law satisfied everyone in the gun control fight because it allowed for the sale of guns powerful enough to hunt and defend one’s self, while also illegalizing guns powerful enough for shootings the size of Virginia Tech and Columbine. Now there have been several attempts at renewing Clinton’s Assault Weapons Ban, but none have reached the floor for a vote so far, because the law as a whole is so unpopular. But I say we renew the best part of the law and once again make it illegal to purchase a firearm with a clip size of greater than 10 rounds.
The issue of gun control in America is ultimately derived from the Second Amendment, which reads, “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” The controversy here lies as to where the limit should be set on what “arms” Americans have the right to “bear.” Some believe the right should be absolute, that any and all arms should be legal. Others draw the line at obvious limitations, such as nuclear missiles and weapons of mass destruction. Gun control radicals, on the other hand, believe that the amendment gives the right to bear arms exclusively to “well-regulated militias” and that ordinary citizens should not have guns. When determining where the line is drawn, it is important to understand that no right is absolute. Even though the First Amendment gives me the right to free speech, I can’t yell “Fire!” in a museum when there isn’t one, because the ensuing rush would likely cause injury to others. My right to unlimited free speech would conflict with other’s rights to not be injured. Much in the same way, the right to own a gun can conflict with public safety.
Another common source of debate on gun control is the relevance of the Second Amendment today. The Bill of Rights was produced well before 1837, when the first handgun capable of firing multiple rounds without reloading was made. Not to mention 2011, when you can buy as much live ammunition as you want at a local Wal-Mart, purchase a rifle at a bank (Bowling for Columbine), and own a large machine gun capable of shooting 20 bullets per second. In the shooting in Tucson, Arizona in January of this year, a man killed 6 people, on a failed assassination attempt on U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, with an automatic pistol he had legally purchased a month prior. Surely the Second Amendment would have had set specific limitations on legal arms if our founding fathers knew the extent of power and ease of obtaining that guns would have in the future, right? The answer is that we don’t know. We are left to change our laws to a changing society. Gun control is so difficult to regulate because it is not the American society’s lust and admiration for guns that’s changing; it’s the guns themselves.
Semi-automatic pistols with large 32 round magazines, like those used in Virginia Tech, Columbine, and Tucson, Arizona can be found standard at any local gun store. Why, on Earth, would any citizen need 32 bullets at one time? Who thought that that was a good idea? There is a difference between a firearm of sport or self-defense and a weapon capable of ending 32 lives in seconds, much like there is a difference between yelling “Fire!” in a museum and actually burning the museum down. There is absolutely no practical purpose that a clip of that size can serve that a much smaller one cannot.
Today, there are more firearms in the United States than people. Of America’s guns, less than half belong to the military and police combined. Yet even with most of our guns belonging to “good, law-abiding citizens,” they still find their way into headlines and news reports all too often, only to be covered as a human mistake. It has to be the gun’s fault every once in a while. America experimented with Clinton’s “Federal Assault Weapons Ban,” to discover that we didn’t like it. But what we didn’t like was its complication, not its intention. The section of the ban illegalizing the sale of firearms with clips of greater than ten bullets would have prevented the shootings of Columbine, Virginia Tech, and Tucson, Arizona. But why wait for the next American massacre to deal with the ongoing debate of gun control, when we can once again prevent people from buying arms with such destructive capabilities? Yes, we, as Americans, have the right to own guns, but even greater, the responsibility to defend public safety.
Bowling for Columbine. By Michael Moore. Dir. Michael Moore. 2002.
Nagourney, Adam, and Jennifer Steinhauer. "A Clamor for Gun Limits, but Few Expect Real Changes." The New York Times. The New York Times, 13 Jan. 2011. Web.
Lock, Stock and Barrel: Understanding the Firearms Industry. YouTube. TheNSSF, 14 Mar. 2011. Web.
-Also, I couldn't find a way to fix the white highlighting on a quote I copied/pasted and half of my essay. Sorry about that.
Speech
Let me tell you about Drissa’s day… Drissa doesn’t go to school. He doesn’t even speak the language where he lives. He works a 12 hour day under the scalding hot sun. He spends his day swinging a razor sharp machete harvesting cocoa and hauling back breaking loads across the plantation where he works. When night comes and his work day is finally over, Drissa is locked in a room with 17 other teen age boys with only a small can for a toilet. Like his roommates, Drissa has been lured from the western part of the Ivory Coast by the promise of a good job. The reality is very different.
They have become slaves on cocoa plantations. The slave owners have the boys convinced they are under a magical spell. If they run away the will be paralyzed. Some of the boys still try to escape. Most are recaptured and savagely beaten over the course of several days. Many do not survive. Those who do are put back to work as so as they can walk again. Their wounds remain untreated. The boys rely on maggots to eat their flesh and clean their wounds to ward off gangrene.
And why does he spend his days like this? So your chocolate bar can be as little as one tenth of one cent cheaper.
Child labor exists in the Ivory Coast as a part of the chocolate industry. It thrives through a combination of corruption, inaction, and ineffective measures to prevent it.
It is estimated that 145,000 adolescents work in the chocolate industry in the Ivory Coast. They range in age from 10 to 16 years old with some as young as seven. They recruited from rural areas by smugglers with the promise of jobs and money. In some cases, their families are willing to sell the children for as little as $1.50 and the promise of a better life for the child.
The smugglers target markets gathering groups of 10 to 15 children. They bus the children to the border cities near the Ivory Coast. The children are handed off to be smuggled across on motorcycle taxis using back roads to avoid authorities. Once inside the Ivory Coast they are sold to plantation owners under the protection of local militia. The children are sold for roughly 250 euros or about $300.
It is estimated that three percent of the world wide labor pool in cocoa farming are adolescents. Eliminating this cheap source of labor will have almost no impact on the cost of chocolate. It will, however, eliminate a horror that steals the childhood and many times the lives of thousands of children.
What is being done to stop this horror?
Efforts fall into two categories. Lip service that does nothing more than perpetuate the practice and, under-supported efforts which could make a real difference.
In 2001, chocolate manufacturers attempted to address the problem as a group. The major manufacturers signed the Harkin-Engel Protocol. it called for the elimination of child labor in the cocoa industry by the year 2008. The protocol led to some progress in that it kept the issue in the public eye and as a topic of public debate. But, it led to little real change in behaviors. Chocolate manufacturers continue to abdicate the responsibility to their suppliers. The chocolate manufacturers don’t own the cocoa plantation and claim they have no direct control. They fail to acknowledge their powerful indirect influence.
Ivory Coast officials like Tohe Adam Malick, Chief Secretary of the Department of Labor in the Ivory Coast, claim the government has the problem under control. They claim the laws on the books in the Ivory Coast are sufficient. They also claim the children are not coming over the border exclusively as slaves. Many are coming for vacation.
There are some real efforts to stop child slavery in the cocoa industry. Interpol took action on plantation on the Ivory Coast. The operation successfully rescued 65 children originally from eight different countries. They ranged in ages from 11 to 16 years old. They also arrested five traffickers.
A local attempt to monitor trafficking and rescue children is headed by the General Secretary of the Drivers Union in Sikasso, Mali. From 2006 through 2009, he has rescued over 570 children from traffickers. He and his drivers simply watch for children on the buses and stations in their town. Think of the lives saved by a single man’s efforts in a single town.
Is it worth a penny more on your chocolate bar to stop this tragedy perpetrated against children? What should be done to restore the futures and perhaps even the lives of thousands of west African children?
The authorities must get serious about the issue. Increased action by Interpol to continue its good work can directly save more children. Even more impactful are the local efforts like those in Sikasso. Border towns can have a dramatic impact simply through vigilance. Chocolate manufacturers must use their indirect influence over cocoa farmers to buy only fair wage produce. Finally, the cocoa producers themselves should be educated to understand that child labor is neither morally nor economically sustainable.
But what can you do? Support companies who support fair labor practices. Use your dollars in an activist manner. Drissa and the other west African children will be gratefu
They have become slaves on cocoa plantations. The slave owners have the boys convinced they are under a magical spell. If they run away the will be paralyzed. Some of the boys still try to escape. Most are recaptured and savagely beaten over the course of several days. Many do not survive. Those who do are put back to work as so as they can walk again. Their wounds remain untreated. The boys rely on maggots to eat their flesh and clean their wounds to ward off gangrene.
And why does he spend his days like this? So your chocolate bar can be as little as one tenth of one cent cheaper.
Child labor exists in the Ivory Coast as a part of the chocolate industry. It thrives through a combination of corruption, inaction, and ineffective measures to prevent it.
It is estimated that 145,000 adolescents work in the chocolate industry in the Ivory Coast. They range in age from 10 to 16 years old with some as young as seven. They recruited from rural areas by smugglers with the promise of jobs and money. In some cases, their families are willing to sell the children for as little as $1.50 and the promise of a better life for the child.
The smugglers target markets gathering groups of 10 to 15 children. They bus the children to the border cities near the Ivory Coast. The children are handed off to be smuggled across on motorcycle taxis using back roads to avoid authorities. Once inside the Ivory Coast they are sold to plantation owners under the protection of local militia. The children are sold for roughly 250 euros or about $300.
It is estimated that three percent of the world wide labor pool in cocoa farming are adolescents. Eliminating this cheap source of labor will have almost no impact on the cost of chocolate. It will, however, eliminate a horror that steals the childhood and many times the lives of thousands of children.
What is being done to stop this horror?
Efforts fall into two categories. Lip service that does nothing more than perpetuate the practice and, under-supported efforts which could make a real difference.
In 2001, chocolate manufacturers attempted to address the problem as a group. The major manufacturers signed the Harkin-Engel Protocol. it called for the elimination of child labor in the cocoa industry by the year 2008. The protocol led to some progress in that it kept the issue in the public eye and as a topic of public debate. But, it led to little real change in behaviors. Chocolate manufacturers continue to abdicate the responsibility to their suppliers. The chocolate manufacturers don’t own the cocoa plantation and claim they have no direct control. They fail to acknowledge their powerful indirect influence.
Ivory Coast officials like Tohe Adam Malick, Chief Secretary of the Department of Labor in the Ivory Coast, claim the government has the problem under control. They claim the laws on the books in the Ivory Coast are sufficient. They also claim the children are not coming over the border exclusively as slaves. Many are coming for vacation.
There are some real efforts to stop child slavery in the cocoa industry. Interpol took action on plantation on the Ivory Coast. The operation successfully rescued 65 children originally from eight different countries. They ranged in ages from 11 to 16 years old. They also arrested five traffickers.
A local attempt to monitor trafficking and rescue children is headed by the General Secretary of the Drivers Union in Sikasso, Mali. From 2006 through 2009, he has rescued over 570 children from traffickers. He and his drivers simply watch for children on the buses and stations in their town. Think of the lives saved by a single man’s efforts in a single town.
Is it worth a penny more on your chocolate bar to stop this tragedy perpetrated against children? What should be done to restore the futures and perhaps even the lives of thousands of west African children?
The authorities must get serious about the issue. Increased action by Interpol to continue its good work can directly save more children. Even more impactful are the local efforts like those in Sikasso. Border towns can have a dramatic impact simply through vigilance. Chocolate manufacturers must use their indirect influence over cocoa farmers to buy only fair wage produce. Finally, the cocoa producers themselves should be educated to understand that child labor is neither morally nor economically sustainable.
But what can you do? Support companies who support fair labor practices. Use your dollars in an activist manner. Drissa and the other west African children will be gratefu
Education
I would like you to take a minute and imagine what your life would be like, had you never been inducted into the gifted and talented program. Would you be the same person you are today? Would that even be possible? There are so many differences between our classes and those of, say, a general student, that nothing could be the same for us. Imagine if those general classes weren’t even general classes. What if they were worse? Would you try to get out of those classes as quickly as possible? That’s the situation in many areas all over the U.S. Some schools all over the United States aren’t teaching up to the general standards, and this needs to be changed. We need to form our schools in a way that all students have opportunities to succeed, no matter which school they go to.
Education in the United States has seen a curve of sorts since the beginning of public education. When it started, it rose drastically, but in recent years, it has been decreasing as a whole, with the U.S. only ranking in the 20s for education in developed countries. What is the reason for this? Michelle Rhee, who was chosen as the Washington, D.C. chancellor in 2007, blamed the problems in the school systems on tenure and the principals in their school system. She firmly believed that she had to go extreme measures to save the education system. She fired most of the principals of the schools in her school system and 200 teachers as well. This was all to benefit the students. This, her remarkable effort, was meant to serve as a model for the improvement of all school systems across the United States. Although this is not the only reason why our students are suffering, it should be changed in some way so that our teachers continue teaching students.
One other problem that our school systems have is more obvious to students than administrators. Students feel a lack of a connection with their schools. They feel that, if they aren’t thrilled by everyday classes, lectures, and everything else that goes on, they should drop out. Many teens are dropping out for all of the wrong reasons, not that there really is a right one. There are schools all across the U.S. that are basically pushing students to drop out. One certain school in the Northeastern United States is starting with 800 students set to graduate in just a few years, and ending with only around 400 students 4 years later. How is this possible? They are being set up for failure. It is in part due to their location, but also due to the problems within the schools. Therefore, there needs to be a plan started to keep students interested in school in all areas.
Charter schools are also difficult to work with. In New York, this is a huge problem. Students, unable to get into a better school, are set on a path of declining education. Have you ever seen a family watch before their own eyes, their son or daughter, as they hear the news that they can’t go to the only school in their area that has a high success rate? I don’t think any of us have. In Lexington, we are fortunate enough to have decent schools and many opportunities to participate in different programs to enhance our education, but in other regions, they aren’t nearly as lucky. Gifted and talented programs are nonexistent, and extracurricular activities- where are they? Students feel like they aren’t challenged enough, or there isn’t anything that quite “fits” their personality, so they create distractions, which inevitably hurts the entire class. The neighborhood schools aren’t up to par and some charter schools aren’t either, which is mostly seen around California. So, even if a student gets into a charter school to avoid a neighborhood school, there is a possibility that their ability to be educated will be hindered by the school itself.
In some cases, there are some obvious things that need to be done. Increase the number of teachers, change the set-up of the school systems, and keep students interested in schools. One might think that there is nothing that we can do to improve our schools, but they are completely wrong. If we change even minor details, there is a potential that we can improve the lives of other students throughout the country. If no one attempts to change these problems, although these are definitely not all of them, we can improve our ratings and become the country that we were meant to become even since the start of our nation. If we start here, we can improve the lives of every generation that will come after us. “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Bibliography:
Glickman, Carl. Letters to the next president: what we can do about the real crisis in
public education. New York: Teachers College Pr, 2004. Print.
Comer, James. Leave No Child Behind. 2004. Print.
Hochschild, Jennifer, and Nathan Scrovronick. The American Dream and the Public
Schools. New York: Oxford, 2003. Print.
Guggenheim, Davis, Dir. Waiting for “Superman”. Paramount: 2010. Film.
Rhee, Michelle. Interview. 05 Jul 2009. Web. 6 Aug 2011.
Speech
Cooper V.
12/10/11
2nd
The War in Afghanistan: Is it worth it? No.
War is costly. There are times when spending our treasure and spilling our blood is worth it. This is not one of those times. Almost 10,000 Americans have died in Afghanistan; 9,971 to be exact. Approximately 200 of those soldiers were from right here in Kentucky. Military action is no longer the solution. So far, over 2,000 innocent Afghanistan civilians have been killed either by cross fire or by bomb strikes directed at the Taliban. It is these attacks that must be stopped. Instead, what is needed is a combination of a political movement and strategic attacks on the very terrorists that attacked us on September 11.
The money being put to the Afghan war is staggering. The cost of this war is currently around 9.7 trillion and counting. In an economy as fragile as the current one. This is spending that we can no longer afford. Just think of the opportunity cost. With the money spent in Afghanistan NASA could of launched the space shuttle five times, or five years of fuel for vehicles in Afghanistan could have been paid for. We live in an age where the needs are many and there are no more blank checks.
In addition to the economic cost of this war there is also the cost of lives. Tragically, the casualties have not only been to the soldiers, but also to innocent civilians. As noted, air strikes have resulted in approximately 2 thousand civilians being killed, and many more left with no home or family. The documentary entitled “Rethink Afghanistan,” depicts the story of a women who has been forced into a situation, due to the air strikes on her village, that has forced her to abandon her newest born son due to the lack of resources provided to her. Can you imagine that choice? What must it have felt like to leave your child behind to face certain death to save yourself? Sadly, this is just one of the many horrific, and unnecessary, results of our current strategy. The goal of this war was to put an end to the Taliban rule that has so corrupted this nation. Instead we have pursued a policy that has created corruption of our own. Instead of targeted attacks on the Taliban directly, we have involved people in this war that don’t need or want to be involved. With the casualties caused by the Taliban in addition to American caused casualties this country is seeing more destruction than ever before.
So, what do we do? We need a dramatic change in policy and direction. Many of the casualties and much of the wasted money could be prevented with a different approach. First, America must decide to approach this situation with a much more political and diplomacy effort. If the United States made an effort to correct the corrupted government, much like they did in Iraq then this would lead to greater peace and organization across the nation. And this presence of a new government does not require the full fledged military power that is required of today’s plans.
Second, instead of simply sending in bombs and air strikes that kill and strand many innocent people, it would be smarter to send in small speciality groups like Seal Team 6 to take out the leaders of the Taliban which would lead to their downfall. America could also utilize the power of drone missiles that are specialized to take out individual targets rather than entire villages. This approach would not only get the job done effectively it would also save thousands of lives and trillions of dollars, both of which are incredibly valuable to America at this time.
War is costly. And it is sometimes necessary. But in a world of limited resources we must accomplish our foreign policy interests more efficiently and smarter. America needs to end the heavy military role in Afghanistan and emphasize a political effort combined with a special forces presence in Afghanistan. This will save both lives and money. And that is a policy worth fighting for.
Citations:
Washington, David Byrd |. "Report: Iraq, Afghanistan Wars Cost US Nearly $4 Trillion." News | English. Web. 12 Dec. 2011. <http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Report-Iraq-Afghanistan-Wars-Cost-US-Nearly-4-Trillion-124716249.html>.
"ICasualties | Operation Enduring Freedom | Afghanistan." ICasualties: Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom Casualties. Web. 12 Dec. 2011. <http://icasualties.org/oef/>.
speech
Picture yourself in New Orleans. What images come into your mind? Do you immediately see Mardi Gras celebrations- the humongous floats, colorful beads, and ornate masks? Do you hear melodies fluttering up from packed streets- hundreds of soloists and bands blaring their trumpets, saxophones, or trombones; rhythmically pounding their drums, snapping their fingers, and tapping their feet on the brick pavement while soulfully singing the heart-wrenching blues? Do you smell sweet powder- sugared beignets from Café du Monde, spicy jambalaya, juicy barbecued ribs, or savory fresh seafood?
This is not the reality of New Orleans. This is not the New Orleans that exists today, six years after Hurricane Katrina. Step out of the commercial French Quarter and into areas like lower New Orleans and what you see, hear, and smell are tragically different than what you expect. You see abandoned and demolished houses with broken windows, opened doors, and bright markings left to indicate whether the inspected house had electricity, water, utilities, as well as the number of pets or people found dead inside. You hear silence. There’s a lack of family conversation, an absence of the sound of children at play, and a deficiency of traffic. You smell mold, mildew, musk, and the stench of destruction and death.
Why is there still so much left unrepaired and undone? How could one of the most powerful nations on the earth leave such an eyesore? Maybe, it is as simple as a lack of focus.
Americans, and the American government, need to fix the problems that exist in our own country before focusing on the issues confronting other nations.
We as a nation are letting our fellow American citizens down. The cry that rang out from New Orleans after hurricane Katrina struck was “Do not abandon us. Do not forget us.” And that is precisely what we have done. Since this is no longer a headlining story, people presume that the problems have been fixed. And in truth some of them have. Many of the areas least affected by the hurricane, including the French Quarter and many other wealthy neighborhoods, have been repaired and have regained about ninety percent of their residents. But then there are areas such as the ninth ward that are missing three fourths of its previous inhabitants. The main reason for this is that these families lack the funds required to rebuild their homes. While many were granted money from the government, on average they “fell about $35,000 short of the money needed to rebuild their home,” leaving two thousand families in search of a way to rebuild their homes.
The solution I propose to help fix this problem is that the American government stops placing so much money into foreign affairs. Now I see no problem with the U.S helping other countries when disasters strike or if they are our allies. But every year we are sending millions of dollars to foreign nations who hate us. Why are we trying to help them before we help our own citizens? If we were to take that money and place it into rebuilding New Orleans and other American cities that would increase jobs for people in the area and encourage citizens to return to their home city of New Orleans. This would stimulate growth within the city and region and help to get people off of welfare in this area with an extremely high poverty rate. And also reduce their need for government assistance.
By placing our money back into restoring this historic city we can raise the American morale. How would you feel if your home was destroyed and the help promised to you never came? The once proud citizens of New Orleans have been degraded and forgotten. They have lost faith in the American government. In this time when all of America’s morale and faith in the government is low we can help it to regain its status by simply helping ourselves. This will help citizens to regain faith, confidence, and pride within our own county and strengthen the bonds between us to make us a united nation.
People come from across the world to America in order to experience the infamous American Dream. But is the destruction in New Orleans, the oil spill on the Gulf Coast, or the starving children in Appalachia a dream? No, they are nightmares that the American government has chosen to ignore. How can we be considered such a great nation when we cannot even rebuild one of our cities? It is time that we take care of our own issues, place the focus back on America, and take care of our own citizens. We cannot abandon them, and we cannot forget them.
This is not the reality of New Orleans. This is not the New Orleans that exists today, six years after Hurricane Katrina. Step out of the commercial French Quarter and into areas like lower New Orleans and what you see, hear, and smell are tragically different than what you expect. You see abandoned and demolished houses with broken windows, opened doors, and bright markings left to indicate whether the inspected house had electricity, water, utilities, as well as the number of pets or people found dead inside. You hear silence. There’s a lack of family conversation, an absence of the sound of children at play, and a deficiency of traffic. You smell mold, mildew, musk, and the stench of destruction and death.
Why is there still so much left unrepaired and undone? How could one of the most powerful nations on the earth leave such an eyesore? Maybe, it is as simple as a lack of focus.
Americans, and the American government, need to fix the problems that exist in our own country before focusing on the issues confronting other nations.
We as a nation are letting our fellow American citizens down. The cry that rang out from New Orleans after hurricane Katrina struck was “Do not abandon us. Do not forget us.” And that is precisely what we have done. Since this is no longer a headlining story, people presume that the problems have been fixed. And in truth some of them have. Many of the areas least affected by the hurricane, including the French Quarter and many other wealthy neighborhoods, have been repaired and have regained about ninety percent of their residents. But then there are areas such as the ninth ward that are missing three fourths of its previous inhabitants. The main reason for this is that these families lack the funds required to rebuild their homes. While many were granted money from the government, on average they “fell about $35,000 short of the money needed to rebuild their home,” leaving two thousand families in search of a way to rebuild their homes.
The solution I propose to help fix this problem is that the American government stops placing so much money into foreign affairs. Now I see no problem with the U.S helping other countries when disasters strike or if they are our allies. But every year we are sending millions of dollars to foreign nations who hate us. Why are we trying to help them before we help our own citizens? If we were to take that money and place it into rebuilding New Orleans and other American cities that would increase jobs for people in the area and encourage citizens to return to their home city of New Orleans. This would stimulate growth within the city and region and help to get people off of welfare in this area with an extremely high poverty rate. And also reduce their need for government assistance.
By placing our money back into restoring this historic city we can raise the American morale. How would you feel if your home was destroyed and the help promised to you never came? The once proud citizens of New Orleans have been degraded and forgotten. They have lost faith in the American government. In this time when all of America’s morale and faith in the government is low we can help it to regain its status by simply helping ourselves. This will help citizens to regain faith, confidence, and pride within our own county and strengthen the bonds between us to make us a united nation.
People come from across the world to America in order to experience the infamous American Dream. But is the destruction in New Orleans, the oil spill on the Gulf Coast, or the starving children in Appalachia a dream? No, they are nightmares that the American government has chosen to ignore. How can we be considered such a great nation when we cannot even rebuild one of our cities? It is time that we take care of our own issues, place the focus back on America, and take care of our own citizens. We cannot abandon them, and we cannot forget them.
Fast Food is not the Villain
Varun Ramakrishnan
AP English
Speech to Persuade
We exist in a society that bases itself on appearance. The clothes that we wear, the haircuts we have, and even the whiteness of our teeth all contribute to how we are received by others. A predominant means of judging a person is through their weight. The overbearing feeling an extra pound can have on a person is one that I am all too familiar with. The fear that you are being analyzed, criticized, and ridiculed for being overweight is one that constantly lingered in the back of my mind. Entering my junior year, I weighed slightly over two hundred and thirty pounds. Since then, I have taken it upon myself to change my habits, and as a result, have lost forty two pounds. However, it is through this sobering experience that I came to a rather harsh realization. Majority of us have been raised with the notion that the cause for obesity within our country stems directly from the improper nutrition that is so widely available (fast food). While there is no denying that such food has definitely exacerbated the obesity epidemic, it is unfair to blame it for the issue. You see, fast food is not the problem. In actuality, the problem lies in our society constantly making poor choices in regards to health.
The typical day for the average American is fairly hectic. Between work and dropping your children off at soccer practice, there isn’t an abundance of time available to prepare a quality, home-cooked meal. It is on this basis that eating at fast food restaurant can only be considered reasonable. That being said, it is vital that when eating at such establishments, we take it upon ourselves to configure a decent, nutritious meal. And believe me, it’s entirely possible. Take for example McDonalds, a restaurant chain that has been under heavy scrutiny for its menu options since the beginning of the decade. Most will argue that the company only offers unhealthy food choices such as the infamous Big Mac or the Double Quarter Pounder. Yet, they fail to recognize the plethora of healthier options that exist such as the Grilled Chicken Snack Wrap or the Caesar Salad, both which are less than three hundred calories. It is this ignorance towards the better menu options at fast food restaurants that is ultimately hurting us and unfairly painting fast food as the culprit.
In addition to disregarding the variety of decent food choices available, we also have forgotten that we are capable of exercising control over the foods we eat. Suppose you are craving that Big Mac, but are still worried about the enormous amount of calories you are about to consume. Don’t fret; just remove the condiments you don’t enjoy. By simply ordering a Big Mac without the sauce, you can save over one hundred calories. Or, if you still wish to have some sauce on your burger, order it on the side. This allows you to control the nutrition of your meal, while still ensuring that it is enjoyable.
One of the greatest criticisms people generally have for fast food is that it is extremely high in fats, and therefore is responsible for the numerous ailments associated with obesity. However, this criticism, unbeknownst to most, was developed from the lipid hypothesis, which states that a diet high in fats will cause health problems. Unfortunately, it appears critiques of fast food have been operating on false information, as the lipid hypothesis was proved to be incorrect in the late 2000s. In actuality, obesity related ailments are caused by an existence of high blood sugar that is generally brought on by a heavy consumption of carbohydrates, not fats. Knowing this, a person could technically live a fairly healthy life even if their diet consisted primarily of fast food.
The obesity epidemic is our child. In other words, it is our Frankenstein. We created it, nurtured it, and allowed it to expand because of our reckless habits. Nevertheless, we are still capable of rectifying this problem. If we can effectively manage to practice control over our food and take advantage of the more nutritious options available at the restaurants we eat at, we will be greatly benefitting ourselves.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
1.) "Healthy Fast Food: Tips for Making Healthier Fast Food Choices." Helpguide.org: Expert, Ad-free Articles Help Empower You with Knowledge, Support & Hope. Web. 10 Dec. 2011..
2.) "Calories in McDonald's Big Mac Sauce - Nutrition Facts & Other Nutritional Information | LIVESTRONG.COM." LIVESTRONG.COM - Lose Weight & Get Fit with Diet, Nutrition & Fitness Tools | LIVESTRONG.COM. Web. 11 Dec. 2011.
3.) Fat Head. Dir. Tom Naughton. Perf. Tom Naughton. 2009. DVD.
AP English
Speech to Persuade
We exist in a society that bases itself on appearance. The clothes that we wear, the haircuts we have, and even the whiteness of our teeth all contribute to how we are received by others. A predominant means of judging a person is through their weight. The overbearing feeling an extra pound can have on a person is one that I am all too familiar with. The fear that you are being analyzed, criticized, and ridiculed for being overweight is one that constantly lingered in the back of my mind. Entering my junior year, I weighed slightly over two hundred and thirty pounds. Since then, I have taken it upon myself to change my habits, and as a result, have lost forty two pounds. However, it is through this sobering experience that I came to a rather harsh realization. Majority of us have been raised with the notion that the cause for obesity within our country stems directly from the improper nutrition that is so widely available (fast food). While there is no denying that such food has definitely exacerbated the obesity epidemic, it is unfair to blame it for the issue. You see, fast food is not the problem. In actuality, the problem lies in our society constantly making poor choices in regards to health.
The typical day for the average American is fairly hectic. Between work and dropping your children off at soccer practice, there isn’t an abundance of time available to prepare a quality, home-cooked meal. It is on this basis that eating at fast food restaurant can only be considered reasonable. That being said, it is vital that when eating at such establishments, we take it upon ourselves to configure a decent, nutritious meal. And believe me, it’s entirely possible. Take for example McDonalds, a restaurant chain that has been under heavy scrutiny for its menu options since the beginning of the decade. Most will argue that the company only offers unhealthy food choices such as the infamous Big Mac or the Double Quarter Pounder. Yet, they fail to recognize the plethora of healthier options that exist such as the Grilled Chicken Snack Wrap or the Caesar Salad, both which are less than three hundred calories. It is this ignorance towards the better menu options at fast food restaurants that is ultimately hurting us and unfairly painting fast food as the culprit.
In addition to disregarding the variety of decent food choices available, we also have forgotten that we are capable of exercising control over the foods we eat. Suppose you are craving that Big Mac, but are still worried about the enormous amount of calories you are about to consume. Don’t fret; just remove the condiments you don’t enjoy. By simply ordering a Big Mac without the sauce, you can save over one hundred calories. Or, if you still wish to have some sauce on your burger, order it on the side. This allows you to control the nutrition of your meal, while still ensuring that it is enjoyable.
One of the greatest criticisms people generally have for fast food is that it is extremely high in fats, and therefore is responsible for the numerous ailments associated with obesity. However, this criticism, unbeknownst to most, was developed from the lipid hypothesis, which states that a diet high in fats will cause health problems. Unfortunately, it appears critiques of fast food have been operating on false information, as the lipid hypothesis was proved to be incorrect in the late 2000s. In actuality, obesity related ailments are caused by an existence of high blood sugar that is generally brought on by a heavy consumption of carbohydrates, not fats. Knowing this, a person could technically live a fairly healthy life even if their diet consisted primarily of fast food.
The obesity epidemic is our child. In other words, it is our Frankenstein. We created it, nurtured it, and allowed it to expand because of our reckless habits. Nevertheless, we are still capable of rectifying this problem. If we can effectively manage to practice control over our food and take advantage of the more nutritious options available at the restaurants we eat at, we will be greatly benefitting ourselves.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
1.) "Healthy Fast Food: Tips for Making Healthier Fast Food Choices." Helpguide.org: Expert, Ad-free Articles Help Empower You with Knowledge, Support & Hope. Web. 10 Dec. 2011.
2.) "Calories in McDonald's Big Mac Sauce - Nutrition Facts & Other Nutritional Information | LIVESTRONG.COM." LIVESTRONG.COM - Lose Weight & Get Fit with Diet, Nutrition & Fitness Tools | LIVESTRONG.COM. Web. 11 Dec. 2011.
3.) Fat Head. Dir. Tom Naughton. Perf. Tom Naughton. 2009. DVD.
speec
America: the land of the free, and the home of the fat. In
2011, nearly 75% of America’s population was considered to be overweight. There is no excuse for this purely embarrassing
statistic. Every day, Americans become lazier and lazier, and soon, there will
be no turning back. We have turned into a society where motor scooters are not
used for enjoyment anymore, but as a sense of transportation through a Wal-Mart
because even the image of walking a quarter of a mile to purchase more Hot
Pockets and Honeybuns is just so intimidating. We as a country need to cut down
on the consumption of greasy fast food while beginning to exercise more often
to set good examples to the children.
Two
businesses that are surviving the harsh economy these days are the fast food
industry, and the plus-sized clothing industry which is now a $47 billion
industry. Is it a coincidence?-or is it because about 25% of Americans consume
fast food every day resulting in rising obesity in the United States. Just
about everybody knows that fast food is unhealthy, so why do they still eat it?
Some say it’s convenient, or are they lazy? Some say it tastes good, but could
they learn to cook better? Most excuses to why we eat fast food so much sound
lazy, because the reality is that there is no good reason to consume this
greasy garbage we call a meal. If there was a place to begin trimming the fat,
it would be the halt of consuming fast food.
If by
some miracle we were able to break our addiction to this fatty drug, the next
step to take is exercising. Some discuss riding a bicycle to work as a way to
save the environment, but what about to save yourself from the cold world of
obesity. All one has to do is imagine a giant, delicious cake at the end of
their destination, and once they reach that amazing cake, they reward
themselves with a much healthier, sensible snack such as carrots and celery. In
reality, being healthy and exercising doesn’t sound very great, but not being
healthy and not exercising really doesn’t look that great.
“I don’t have the money to join a gym,” is one
of the most popular excuses for obesity these days, which is sad considering
the fact it makes zero sense whatsoever. A gym is not the only place to
exercise, that’s there are sidewalks. If one thinks they’re obese because they
can’t afford to pay $50 a month to walk in place, well then they have more
problems than obesity. Other excuses such as, “I have bad genes,” or, “I don’t have
time to diet,” are also intolerable excuses. Americans will try to say anything
to excuse their obesity, when the real reason is they’re lazy. And now this
laziness has resulted in serious health issues. People with obesity have
increased risks for heart disease, strokes, and diabetes.
On the
other hand, some suffer from eating disorders. Eating disorders are a pretty
serious disease in our country today. This speech is not addressed to those 2%
who suffer from such an eating disorder that causes obesity. An eating disorder
is probably the most logical excuse for obesity, but that still leaves 72% of
America to do something about their health. The truth hurts, but we can cure
this pain. It’s time to turn this country around and start exercising and eating
healthier, which will lead to a happier society across the country.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
·
"F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens
America's Future 2011 - Trust for America's Health."Trust for America's Health - Preventing Epidemics. Protecting
People. July 2011. Web. 11 Dec. 2011.
·
Ransohoff, Julia. "Fast Food." Doctors, Patient Care, Health Education, Medical Research |
PAMF. Palo Alto Medical Foundation, 25 Jan. 2005. Web. 11 Dec.
2011.
·
Peck, Sara. "The Big Market For Big
Kids' Clothes Page 2 of 2 - Forbes.com." Information for the World's Business Leaders - Forbes.com. Forbes Magazine,
4 Aug. 2010. Web. 11 Dec. 2011.
Balkanization
My fellow Americans, the United States is a nation in risk of imminent collapse. With social conflicts, lack of confidence in our political systems, unpayable debt, lack of a strong political leader, inability to secure our borders, political gridlock in Washington, possible defeat in war, and the lack of a national identity, it is hard to see how America can survive as a single nation for much longer. What is in danger of happening to America is called Balkanization. Balkanization is the fragmentation of a nation into several smaller states. This fragmentation is usually centered on cultural and ethnic differences within the nation, as well as economic crisis. The balkanization of America is inevitable unless many drastic changes are made to America in a fairly short period of time.
In order to fix any problem, one must first understand the root of the problem. As mentioned earlier, there are many factors which contribute to the likely balkanization of America. The rise of both the Tea Party and Occupy movements has shown a great deal of tension between conflicting philosophies. These philosophies have no middle ground between them. This increased polarization is extended into Congress and makes it almost impossible to get any significant legislation passed. This has led most Americans to have a low degree of confidence in the federal government. Not only is President Obama’s approval rating below 50%, but the approval rating for Congress, whose job t is to be the voice of the people, is under 20%. This shows a fundamental lack of confidence in our federal institutions. Adding to this lack of confidence is the mishandling of two conflicts which were deemed wins at their outset. George Patton once said “Americans play to win at all times. I wouldn't give a hoot and hell for a man who lost and laughed.” The large amount of war weariness combined with the huge financial burden brought on by fighting two wars on the other side of the world has put us in deep trouble. In addition to failures abroad, we also have trouble keeping our borders secure. Legal immigration is not a bad thing; in fact, it has helped make America the power which dominated the world for a half-century. However, when a country cannot keep its borders secure, it is a sign of a state which can no longer care for itself. The same thing happened to Rome right before its fall. The late Roman Empire was unable to keep out the many Germanic nomads which were invading from the north. This reflected not only the weakness of the Roman military, but also a loss of control by the central government. The fact that these illegal immigrants bring in firearms and narcotics with them only serves to add to the destabilizing effects. Lastly, these immigrants also tend to concentrate their settlements in the Southwest. This concentration fundamentally changes the demographic makeup of these states, and creates the kind of cultural differences which lead to balkanization. The United States is also under more than 15 trillion dollars of debt. However, the debt itself is not the problem. The real problem is the inability of politicians on both sides of the aisle to move past their own interests and start making real cuts to federal spending. The last reason, is that the United States lacks a strong enough political leader to deal with the situation. While President Obama may be the one of the best orators of our time, he is simply not the personality which could carry the United States through a crisis of this magnitude .What we need is a Lincoln, a Roosevelt, a Reagan. That is not saying that everyone should go out and vote for Newt Gingrich (or whoever the Republican flavor of the week is right now). There is not any single leader, in any party, who is strong enough to control this situation. Well, this means that the job should just fall to Congress, right? It should, but our present Congress is too divided to do anything worthwhile. The simple fact that we are still having these petty arguments while American power is collapsing shows how incompetent all of our politicians really are.
The breakup of America would happen in stages. In fact, the stages have already started. When a governor who once advocated for secession is being seriously considered as a presidential candidate, you know that there’s a problem. In addition, the issue of Federal Government power has surfaced once again. This increased backlash against Federal Government authority was one of the signs of secession in the period preceding the Civil War, as well as the time period preceding the American Revolution. As the Federal Government continues to print unsupported currency, the value of the dollar will continue to decline, which leads to the scary, but very real, possibility of hyperinflation. The inability (or unwillingness) of the Federal Government to make the needed changes could lead to an undoing of the national fabric of America. The nation might still exist on paper, but it is similar to the old Soviet Union. The nation would become unsupportable on a national level, so the country would begin to divide into regions based on the social, cultural, religious, and geographical lines mentioned earlier. The southwest states (Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas) would unite, due to the strong influence of immigrants on the culture on these places. Most of the Bible Belt (most of the former Confederate States) would join together, due to the strong influence of Evangelical Protestantism in these parts. The West Coast would fuse together, isolated from the rest of the nation by the formidable Rockies. The middle of the former United States would split into the agricultural eastern and more mountainous western zones. The great lakes region and the northeastern region would complete the partitioning of America. Unlike the Civil War, when the Federal Government was able to reunite the North and South, reunion would be much more difficult, if not impossible, in this situation, for several reasons. In that time period, most of the American military was stationed in America, due to the isolationist doctrine of the times. Today, the vast majority of American soldiers are stationed on various bases around the world, making it impossible for them to intervene in this situation. Even if they were here however, it might not matter. In the Civil War, America split rather evenly, that is, into two pieces. This fragmented America would be split into seven different nations. Adding to the difficulty, the population is much larger, and spread out to both coasts. There would be no dominant power which would be capable of reuniting America, at least not right away. After a few generations of violent warfare and millions of dead? Perhaps.
All of this is not saying that America is doomed, that America has been condemned to a fate which has befallen many lesser nations. All this is saying is that the balkanization of America is a real possibility. There are actions which can be taken to prevent this. The first and most obvious option would be to change the political culture of America. This would start first with a drastic shift towards more centrist policies. The Tea Party and Occupy movements are too extreme and, in the case of the Occupy movement, too unorganized to engage in the type of politics which would help the situation. The centrist movement, in fact, has already begun to gain momentum in the form of the grassroots No Labels organization. Breaking the hyper-partisan gridlock in Washington using grassroots, commonsense solutions would go a long way towards curing the situation. The second option is what is commonly referred to as “the lesser of two evils”. In times when democracy has become ineffective, it has been shown that a substantial increase in government can help get the governmental machine’s gears grinding again. The second option would be to follow the example of Rome, and abandon the Republic which we have in favor of an Imperial Administration. The strength of the central government would allow the needed reforms to be made decisively. The government would be able to secure the borders of the nation without having to deal with different regulations. However, with this increased efficiency comes the destruction to world’s preeminent democracy. It destroys a system which has effectively administered a nation for over two centuries. However, history repeats itself, and those who fail to learn from the lessons of history are doomed to repeat the same mistakes. The third and final option is balkanization. The breakup of one of the greatest states of its time. Finally succumbing to the test of time and going into the dustbin of history. While this is certainly an unappealing outcome, maybe it’s for the best. Maybe this is what our founders would have wanted. After all, the opening of the Declaration of Independence reads:
“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation”
Then again, the opening of the Constitution reads
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America”
And is the Constitution not the supreme law of the land? That paragraph gave birth to one of the greatest nations the world has ever seen; a nation which has made great strides in art, science, literature, and any field you can think about. Thus, it is unacceptable that the breakup of these great United States should come to pass. Balkanization should be fought at every point it can. Hyper-partisanship, the agent of balkanization in America, should be stamped out by anyone with commonsense and patriotism. Because true patriotism is not fighting for a dogmatic worldview. True patriotism is doing what is in the best interest of the nation; even of you don’t necessarily favor the way it is done. It should not be permitted that we should touch and go our separate ways. Instead, we should put aside our differences, forget about selfish interests, and ask yourself what you can do to help get this nation back on its feet and back into the race. This should be accomplished with the civility befitting a nation of our stature, which is with malice toward none and with charity for all. Because I have a dream, you have a dream, we all have dreams, and whether or not I agree with your dream, I will fight to the death for your right to chase it. That’s what America is all about. And that is why the scourge of balkanization cannot be allowed to extinguish to beacon of liberty which is the United States of America.
Citations
Split: A Divided America. Dir. Kelly Nyks. Perf. Tucker Carlson. 2008. DVD.
Buchanan, Patrick J. Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025? New York: Thomas Dunne, 2011. Print.
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