HIV/AIDS Can Be Minimized

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is very common around the world, especially in Africa.  It is especially dangerous because it attack’s the body’s immune system, leaving it vulnerable to diseases.  It can be transmitted through the exchange of different kinds of bodily fluids.  Scientists are continuing to search for a cure.  In a news article I saw on Yahoo! recently, I read that a man has been cured of the HIV virus.  It was done by him getting a bone marrow transplant with a person who was immune to the virus - only about 1% of the world’s population has that trait.  However, this is not the solution to the epidemic, but it is a large step - that surgical procedure carries many risks, and it would be impossible to perform in on the millions of people worldwide who are affected by the disease.  Hopefully, that discovery can lead to an eventual discovery of an actual cure to the pandemic.

Nowadays, the having the disease is no longer a “death sentence.”  Years ago, when the disease was first discovered, there was nothing that could be done to stop it, and one infected with it would just eventually die from it.  Now, there are different medications (albeit expensive ones) that minimize the symptoms and extend one’s life who is infected with HIV/AIDS.  Also, much more is known about the disease.  Precautions can be taken to prevent one from getting the disease.  The main reason why it is so prevalent in countries such as Swaziland (which has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS in adults in the world, with about 30% infected) in Africa is because there is little education on the topic.  People do not know about the disease and how to protect themselves from it.  Until a cure and/or vaccine is found, a very important aspect to minimizing the disease would be educated the people of the world about it.

Unfair Immigration Laws in Alabama

Article: http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/06/09/alabama.immigration/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn

Alabama has joined a list of states that have put into effect strict, controversial laws regarding illegal immigration.  This law allows police, while stopping people for another reason, to check their immigration status if they simply suspect they may be in the country illegally.  Additionally, anyone seeking to enroll in a school will have to have their citizenship status checked.  Furthermore, it will be illegal to transport or house an illegal immigrant - including for churches - and for businesses to knowingly employ illegal immigrants.  These unfair laws can result in many problems.

If police simply “suspect” one may be an illegal immigrant, they are permitted to check their status.  That can cause problems of racism - they may pull over many people who are not in the country illegally.  For example, many illegal immigrants are from Mexico.  If police encounter a person who is Mexican, they many force them to prove that they are in the country legally.  That is racist and unjust.  Innocent people who are in the country legally may have to suffer from these unfair laws.

Another potential problem is that it is illegal for one to transport or house illegal immigrants.  What if an illegal immigrant was lost, injured, or in danger, and someone was there, capable of helping them.  By helping them, they would be going against the law, and could be penalized for it.  Illegal immigrants are still human beings and that is completely unfair that they may not receive help in situations such as those.  One cannot just simply let on the side of the road and die just because they are an illegal immigrant.  Also, what if a person does not know that they are transporting or housing illegal immigrants - will they be penalized for being innocent?

Although illegal immigration is a problem in the U.S., this law, the law in Arizona, and other similar laws are unconstitutional.  This is not the way to solve the problem of illegal immigration, as it degrades certain populations of people.

Movies in History Class

History class has been especially interesting this marking period, as we have been watching plenty of great movies.  They are not just movies that have nothing to do with what we are learning - each one is directly related to what we have been going over.  Our latest topic we have been learning about is the continent of Africa.  I must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed each of the three movies we watched having to do with Africa (although we did watch small clips of the movie District Nine).

Cry Freedom was the first movie we watched. What was unique about this movie is that it showed, in movie form, much of what we read about in the novel Kaffir Boy in our literature class.  Both stories (each one being true) took place in South Africa under apartheid.  We were able to see the poor ghettos of the blacks, the government genocides on the protests, and the mistreatment and killing of Steve Biko in prison.  Before we started watching this movie and reading Kaffir Boy, I had never heard of apartheid and did not even know of the terrible things that happened in South Africa.

The second movie we watched, Hotel Rwanda, was a great movie as well.  I had never heard or knew anything about Rwanda, so this movie allowed me to learn of the conflict between the Hutus and the Tutsis.  It had a relatively happy ending, which I enjoyed.

Lastly, Invictus was the final movie we watched.  I remember seeing trailers for this movie a while back, and knowing little about it and not being a fan of sports, I dismissed it as just a sports movie.  However, after watching most of this movie, I was surprised about how interesting and factual this movie was.  It taught me much more about what occurred right after Nelson Mandela was elected president of South Africa and apartheid ended.  I look forward to seeing the conclusion on Friday.

Some Japanese Workers Have No Other Choice

Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/09/world/asia/09japan.html?_r=1&hp

It’s sad to know that Japan is still affected and will be for many years to come from the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami.  As a result of the disaster and the poor economy, many workers have no choice but to work at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi power plant.  Work at the plant is dangerous and demanding, and workers are often underpaid.  Most of the workers, especially those with more dangerous and taxing jobs, are in informal contract labor.  The bulky suits they must wear must be put on at a staging area about an hour away, and conditions inside the suits are hot and sweaty.  There are high radiation risks, and even at times higher than the government limit.  The average workers are estimated to be paid only under $30,000 a year, in contrast to the $94,000 a year made by the average Tokyo Electric employee.

It’s terrible that conditions are so bad that many workers have no other job choices than this to work in.  Many had to travel far to work in this plant.  Some even had their houses destroyed in the tsunami.  It is unfair that they are in such horrible conditions.  Many employees are poorly trained, and very little monitoring of radiation exposure has been done since the catastrophe.  These poor conditions can possibly lead to health risks, including cancer later in their lives and death due to an accident in the facility.  Many of the older workers say it’s too late in their lives to expect to have another type of job after their current job.  They are stuck with their current job as their only way to make money.

Work should be done to further educate the employees, give them more pay, and make working conditions safer for them - including minimizing and keeping track of radiation exposure.

Is "Kaffir Boy" Worth Reading?

Kaffir Boy is in many ways a great piece of literature.  An autobiography by Mark Marthabane, it effectively shows the harsh realities of growing up as a “Kaffir boy” subjected to a life of misery due to the sinister laws known as apartheid in South Africa.  What makes this novel so effective, aside from the vivid, descriptive text and authentic storytelling, is that Mathabane is able to capture and keep the reader’s interest throughout the novel.  He makes it exciting to read and hard to put down.  By keeping the story interesting and faithful, he is able to deliver to the readers a lucid painting of the cold truths of what really happened to the blacks under apartheid.

Many of today’s American youth have never even heard of apartheid.  This story is a great way to educate them about it.  Being a true story, it paints an accurate depiction of the ghettos black lived in while the whites lived in luxury.  It shows in much detail the violent acts of murder performed by the tsotsis, as well as the vile child prostitution.  Also seen are the merciless police raids and the government crackdowns on innocent protesters.  Mathabane, unique for his vast success at school and playing tennis, comes to learn that although there are many cruel white people treating black people below that of slaves, there are also white people who were friendly and were against apartheid and segregation laws.  He befriends several white people, who help him to become a better, more educated person headed for success and likely to make a difference.  Famous tennis players even choose to sponsor him, and despite his failures, he manages to keep going.  He joins the rebellion against apartheid, along with many other black people.  Mathabane’s story is one that is inspirational, informative, and entertaining all together at once.  One should without a doubt read it.

Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism

I found it interesting to learn about Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism in history class.  Confucianism involves the belief in the importance of an educated, proper, and orderly society.  Taoism involves the belief in the importance of a natural, balanced society.  Lastly, Buddhism involves the belief in the importance of following the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.

Overall, I think Buddhism sounds too difficult for me.  Closely following the Eightfold Path in order to end desire would be too difficult.  To me, the ideal philosophy would be a balanced mix between Confucianism and Taoism.  I like the idea, with Confucianism, of an educated society.  It is important for people to be knowledgeable of the world around them.  It is also good with the idea of respecting relationships.  The young must respect their elders, and vice versa.  Rules and order are also good to have in a society, because it prevents people from attacking or taking away from other people.  However, I also like the ideas of Taoism.  It involves everything in the world being in balance.  Accepting the harmony of the natural world is an important part of Taoism.  Taoism is more about “going with the flow,” following the nature of events as they come.

Confucianism and Taoism are often thought of to be opposites, just like the Yin Yang.  Confucianism is more proper and orderly, while Taioism is more relaxed and in balance with nature.  I think the ideal belief would be a mix of the two.  It would include having an orderly society, but still in harmony with nature.  It would be proper and educated, yet at the same time relaxed and “going with the flow.”  It would also respect the Five Basic Relationships.  The idea of a mix between the two beliefs would also go well with the idea of Yin Yang.

Is More Security Needed For Standardized Testing?

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2011-04-07-dcschools07_ST_N.htm

In the Washington, D.C. public school system, school board officials are concerned with the possibility that a security seal on text booklets might not be protective enough against tampering with the answer sheets.  However, I think that security on standardized testing is a little too protective.  It is good that they make attempts to prevent cheating with security measures, but sometimes they go a little overboard.  For example, tearing the wrong seal could result in an invalidation of one’s test as well as disciplinary actions.  What if someone did it by accident?  Most people who would happen to tear the seal likely would not be doing it for the intent of cheating, but rather by mistake.  The tests can be somewhat nerve-wracking due to the intense security.  I tend to worry more about accidentally doing something wrong security-wise rather than the content of the tests themselves.

In this case of this story, however, adding an additional seal that can only be broken by the student during testing probably would not be too bad.  It should reduce the amount of tampering, so in that case, it would likely be beneficial.  Reducing the amount of tampering would be more fair for everyone and would also improve the accuracy of statistics.  However, the security should also be altered in that consequences would not be as harsh for people who simply breached the security on accident.  Doing something such as breaking the wrong seal is not too difficult to do, and one should not be strictly disciplined for doing something they did not mean to do.  The ideal changes that could possibly happen would be the addition of additional security measures paired with the reduction of consequences for those who breach security by mistake, allowing the innocent to be able to take tests with less worries.   Hopefully, however, the rate of cheating or tampering will decrease over time, and standardized tests would become more fair for all.

Human Rights

Today in class, we watched a video involving human rights.  There are many countries around the world where people have limited or no rights.  I believe that that is unjust.  Every human being in this world deserves to have rights.  For example, everybody deserves to have freedom.  Everyone should each be able to do what they want in their life.  If they want to become a salesperson, they should be able to.  If they want to become a mechanic, they should be able to as well.  It is unjust for governments or other authorities to force people to be something they do not want to be.

Another right that everyone deserves is the right to a free education.  There are countries where not everybody has an equal opportunity for education.  For example, in some countries, women are not given the chance to be educated.  Without an education, a government can just rule over people, and the people would not be knowledgeable enough to know that it was unfair and unjust.  An education also helps people throughout their life.  They become more knowledgable about the world around them, and thus can make better decisions for themselves and their community.  Education is an important part of everyone’s life.

Everybody also deserves the right to freedom of expression.  People should be able to be who they want to be.  They should also be able to share their thoughts and beliefs without fear of being penalized.  If they are unhappy with their government, they should be able to express their beliefs and protest the government.  They should also be able to practice whatever religion they follow.  Freedom of expression allows for a better, more equal society.

There are certain rights that everyone in this world should have, but yet many people are left without.  We, in the United States, are very fortunate to have these rights, and we must hope that the countries that do not have these rights get them as well.

Culturefest: Great Fun

Honestly, before leaving for the Culturefest, I did not really want to go much.  The main reason I went was because I just recently joined the Freshman-Sophomore Council, and we were expected to go.  It ended up being much better than I expected.  I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  I arrived about a half hour early, before many people were there.  I did not know what to do.  Fortunately for me, me being very clueless as to what exactly was going on, both the Freshman-Sophomore Council’s table and my Spanish teacher’s table were right next to each other in the cafeteria, and right near the cafeteria entrance.  People slowly arrived at the event.  Eventually, around 6:15, the majority of the people had arrived.  I was able to find friends and afterwords, everything was more exciting.  There was food everywhere, activities everywhere, and so many different countries and cultures everywhere.  Unfortunately, I am an extremely picky and limited eater, so I did not try much, not to mention I ate dinner not long before leaving for the Culturefest.  One activity some friends and I wanted to try was fencing, but the wait was too long.  Another event that was there was mixed martial arts.  I had gone to that martial arts center two separate years and quit both times, once around first grade and another around fifth grade, and I knew one of the instructors who was there.  I got to visit all areas of the event and see many interesting cultures.  One thing I would redo, however, is not eaten a large dinner before going to the Culturefest, because I did not get to eat many foods that I would have eaten had I not been full from my meal.  The pasta in the Italy section looked really good.  Overall, I would definitely recommend going to Culturefest next year, and I plan on going as well (if there is one again next year).

Terrible Tragedy in Japan

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110316/ts_yblog_thelookout/japans-nuclear-crisis-where-things-stand

It is terrible what has happened to Japan.  First they get one of the worst earthquakes in their history, along with strong aftershocks.  Then they get slammed by a powerful tsunami that sweeps through towns and cities.  They estimate the death toll can be over 10,000.  Now, they have to worry about nuclear radiation.  Six reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant were compromised as a result of the disaster, which in turn caused a failure of the cooling systems.  There have been explosions and releases of poisonous gases at the plant.  The approximate 140,000 people that live within an 18-mile radius of the plant were told to stay indoors by the government.  Some experts criticized the Japanese government for underestimating the severity of the crisis, and the Americans within 50 miles of the plant were recommended by the U.S. embassy to stay indoors or evacuate the area.  It I were anywhere near the plant, I would frightened.  I would evacuate the area if possible.  I would not want to risk getting poisoned by the noxious gases.  We must hope that the situation will get better.  Fortunately, it is easy for one to help.  By texting a certain number, one can donate $10 to relief efforts.  Artists and celebrities are also selling items whose proceeds will go towards relief efforts, and are urging fans to donate to the cause.

What I find odd is that every year, there seems to be at least one major disaster somewhere around the world that requires the help and attention of many.  Last year, there was the Haitian earthquake and the Gulf oil spill.  In past years, there was Hurricane Katrina and the Indian Ocean tsunami.  Hopefully, the pattern will not continue and there will be nothing big next year, especially with the 2012 prophecy that has many worried.

Industrial Revolution Brought Many Good Long-Term Effects

If it had not been for the Industrial Revolution, life would not be the same way it is for us today.  We would not have televisions, telephones, computers, iPods, automobiles, airplanes, and all other kinds of modern technology that we often take for granted.  All of these complex inventions can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution.  The Industrial Revolution brought with it some terrible side effects, but now looking back at it, the long-term results have been great.  We are currently in an “Information Revolution,” as nearly the whole world is connected through the Internet, television, telephones, and the media.  Friends and family can remain in touch from opposite sides of the world.  The entire knowledge of the world is scattered throughout the Internet, which can be accessed anywhere with Wi-Fi.  People can share ideas, experiences, personal thoughts and feelings, and information literally with the touch of a button.  Every day, countless videos are uploaded to YouTube, millions of messages are posted on social networking sites such as FaceBook and Twitter, and people everywhere have access to these postings.  Information is everywhere.  None of this would have been possible without the Industrial Revolution.  The factories of the Industrial Revolution were crucial then and now.  Factories are necessary for today’s society and economy, as they produce everything.  From televisions to machinery, food to clothing, factories are efficient because of their speed.  It would be impossible to keep up with the demand of the six billion people in our world without factories.  Also important in the Industrial Revolution was the steam engine.  The steam engine was a vital element of ships and trains, and led to their inventions.  The ships and the trains evolved over the years, branching off and becoming the modern forms of transportation we have today.  Overall, the Industrial Revolution made everything we have today possible.

Thoughts on Animal Farm

I have enjoyed Animal Farm throughout what we have read so far.  One of my favorite aspects of the book is how it can be read on multiple levels—as a fairy tale of maltreated animals taking over a farm, or as an allegory of the Russian Revolution.  While reading the novel, I find it interesting to read it on both levels, and see the comparisons from the characters and events to the actual Russian Revolution.  Napoleon, who stands for Joseph Stalin, becomes to be ruthless leader, doing whatever he feels necessary to remain in power.   Snowball, who represents Leon Trotsky, often fought with Napoleon over power earlier in the novel.  This compares to how there was a power struggle among Communist leaders after the death of Lenin in 1924.  Trotsky and Stalin were the main competitors.  Eventually, Stalin was able to take Trotsky down, and Trotsky fled.  This compares to when Napoleon turned things around after losing in the number of supporters, sending the dogs he trained to attack Snowball, who then fled.  Napoleon then took over Animal Farm, and insisted to the animals that Snowball was an agent of Mr. Jones (who stood for Tsar Nicholas II).  Later on, when working on the windmill project that had been the idea of Snowball (although Napoleon insists it was originally his idea), work on the farm comes to be more difficult than ever.  Poor Boxer, who represents the Proletariats, motivates himself to keep working harder, and tells himself that if Napoleon says something, it is true.  This compares to how the working-class Proletariats were responsible for all of the hard work, yet received nearly nothing in return for their labor.  As Napoleon continues to make changes to the laws without the animals’ knowledge, they soon begin to realize that they do not always remember their existence.  Even Boxer, who is not of first-rate intelligence, begins to notice something odd is happening.  These ideas suggest another revolution might be approaching.  Overall, I enjoy reading Animal Farm, and recommend it to anyone, whether or not they know much about the Russian Revolution.  If they do not, this story will be a great aid when the time comes that they do learn about the Russian Revolution.

A Pilot Performs a Good Deed

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20110116/us_time/httpnewsfeedtimecom20110113pilotwhocaresthemostheartwarmingairlinestoryof2011xidrssfullnationyahoo

I found this article amazing.  A pilot held his flight from taking off until the grandfather of a child who was soon to be taken off life support reached the plane, even greeting him personally and apologizing for his grandson’s coming death.  The grandson was injured by the boyfriend of his mother for a reason not specified in the article.  The pilot of the plane is now being considered a hero by many.  I agree, as it is very kind of the pilot to have held the flight of many people by 12 minutes, despite the fact that it would likely result in many angry travelers.   If the pilot had not done this, the grandfather would never have had the chance to see his grandson alive one last time.  What makes this story even more unique is that nowadays, traveling using the airport has become increasingly tedious for travelers, with the many flight rules and regulations, as well as the extensive security measures in place, such as the full-body scanner.  Irritated travelers often forget that airline employees also get annoyed as well.  I believe that stories like this should be more commonplace.  When one turns on the news on television or opens up a newspaper, most of the stories they see are generally negative and display something bad that happened or that is currently going on.  It is somewhat rare to find a story such as this with a positive event.  People should read this and consider beginning to do more good deeds, as they make the quality of life for everyone better.  Good deeds such as the one seen in this article help make the world a better place and help spread positivity.  If everyone in the world did good deeds like this, the world would be one step closer to a utopian society.  The pilot in this article is a hero, and hopefully many people will follow his example and perform good deeds, helping contribute to a better, safer, and happier world.

If One Commits a Crime, Is It Their Parents' Faults?

http://content.usatoday.com/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=app&sParam=42570110.story

If one’s son or daughter commits a terrible crime, it does not necessarily mean that the parents were not good parents.  Mary Mitchell, the aunt of Jared Loughner, who attempted to kill Representative Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, says that Giffords, the families of the six victims who were killed, and the other injured victims are not the only ones suffering from the terrible act of murder.  Loughner’s parents must live with the memories for the rest of their lives, she proclaims.  I believe that what Mitchell is reasoning is correct--it would be unfair to label the parents of Loughner as insufficient as it is very possible that Loughner became the way he became by himself, from influence from friends, or simply from mental disorder.  It must be very difficult for Randy and Amy Loughner to accept the fact that their son just committed a murder that made nationwide (and possibly worldwide) news, killing six people and attempting to murder a Representative of Arizona.  People are casting blame on Lougner’s parents for the incident, and Mitchell has reason to call their blames disrespectful.  They are using the parents as scapegoats, while their son was the real suspect.  They likely did their best to try to raise him to be a good person, but he decided to make his own terrible choices that would have a vast impact on the rest of his life, his parent’s lives, the Giffords’ life, and the lives of the families of the victims.  Mitchell also added in interviews that she hadn’t seen Loughner for fifteen years, and is certain that her nephew was mentally ill.  This does not mean that in all cases of crime, it is not the fault of the parents.  Parents who don’t teach their children the difference between right and wrong, as well as parents that commit crimes themselves, are probably a large influence to any crime-committing children they may have.

Edit: The link has been fixed.

2 Hours Without Modern Technology

Several days ago, Ms. Murphy asked our World History class to attempt to go two hours without modern technology.  I managed to go the full two hours without it despite my typical frequent use of it.  I started at 5:52 PM and finished at 7:52 PM.  Before starting, I felt as if going a full two hours would be a very difficult task without modern devices, but soon discovered it all was not too strenuous.  I spent my time doing my homework at the table and playing the piano and it flew by relatively quickly.  However, I did resist a few urges to turn on the computer or my iPod.  My urges quickly dispersed.

After spending time without the use of modern technology, I realized how easy it is to turn off the television and computer for a while and to find other things to do not involving electricity (or, rather the modern use of it).  Although I cannot see how I could ever manage to survive in a world without modern technology, such as the world of the past, I now find it relatively easy to go a few hours without it.  I believe it’s necessary for everyone to take time and focus away from modern technology and its distractions and relax and have some “quiet time.”  At times, a constant connection with everyone you know and all the news in the world simultaneously can induce stress in one’s life.  If one's cell phone seems to be constantly ringing and they are is getting annoyed, shutting it off for a few hours might be the antidote.  If one is spending hours on the computer (like I typically do), shutting it off for a while and finding something else to do can allow one’s mind to shift focus and rest, away from constant stressors.