30. March 2010 by student.

You can never please everyone. It seems as soon as the government tries to do something beneficial to society, another group of people complain. Obama’s new health care law is the latest example of such a situation. It isn’t a secret that America’s health care was poor compared to other countries. It has been a large topic in many debates during many elections, but no big steps had been taken to rectify it until now. I’m still under my parents health insurance for another year so I may not be the voice many people want to hear, but I feel if it benefits the majority, it will ultimately benefit our country. And with the signing of this new law,  32 million uninsured Americans will eventually have insurance coverage. In a nut shell, the legislation will require most Americans to obtain health insurance and will offer federal subsidies to lower premiums and increase eligibility for Medicaid. As for benefits for people already covered by insurance, beginning in September, insurance companies will no longer be able to rescind a policy once someone gets sick, nor can they impose lifetime limits on coverage. Today, honest mistakes on a lengthy insurance application, like forgetting to disclose a parent’s high blood pressure, could be grounds for losing your insurance.

“The law takes away the incentive for insurance companies to look for application mistakes,” said Marian Mulkey, senior program officer with the California HealthCare Foundation. “There have been some egregious examples of someone getting cancer triggering a review of years of health history that seems very targeted and punitive.”

Patricia Sevchuk of Ewing, N.J., said her daughter Laura scrupulously paid her Cobra premiums while being treated for late-stage breast cancer. But more than a month after she died in 2008, the insurance company notified her husband that as much as $400,000 would no longer be covered because the medical bills had exceeded a $1 million lifetime cap. Although one oncologist waived her fees after hearing about the family’s plight, other creditors have demanded payment, and bankruptcy remains a possibility.

Hopefully there will be less occurances like the Sevchuck family where a price is put on a life and expected to be paid in full. And as for costs of current premiums, by 2016 there is expected to be little or no increase through employer-sponsored plans. Non-group plans, on the other hand, may incur some increases, but will qualify for federal subsidies that will lower costs for middle- and moderate-income families on average by about 60 percent.

Overall, insurance premiums are expected to stay the same if not suffer a slight increase, but the government is trying to tack of more benefits and flexibility for the average American. With more flexibility and options we, as a people, are less likely to fall victims to slight human error and be left without health insurance at the drop of a pin. Some people may complain that health care prices need to be dropped for the individual, but if the plan helps the country as a whole then I say it’s worth a shot. Afterall, the sum is equal to the whole of its parts, is it not?

Posted in Social Problems | 1 Comment »

30. March 2010 by student.

Senate Bill 6 has been to many current and potential teachers what the new health care law has been to small government advocates: the apocalypse. The goal of SB 6 is to hold teachers more accountable for their student’s progress. It also rewards those teachers whose students exceed expectations. SB 6 would offer $900 million to school districts that adopt merit pay plans for teachers based heavily on how well their students do on standardized tests. It also would end tenure, putting all teachers on one-year contracts. Ending tenure would give principals and districts more flexibility in staffing. For example, it would eliminate the current situation in which districts during lean budget times are forced to cut high-performing but less-experienced teachers on annual contracts because they are required to keep less-qualified staff with guaranteed contracts. Many educators aren’t swayed by the sugar coating though. There are questions to why new legislation is necessary seeing as student performance in Florida has been on the rise in the past decade. At a Jan. 27 Associated Press editors meeting, Gov. Crist said an Education Week Quality Report showed Florida ranked eighth in the nation in public education. Excellent progress considering Florida used to be a regular bottom feeder of the education food chain. I believe that the Senate has the state’s best interests at heart, but again is finding a way to put more importance on standardized test scores than necessary. Perhaps if the Senate spent more time working with public educators instead of driving the bill down their throats, more progress could be made and the state’s education system could finally become less of a laughing stock and more of a success.

Posted in Social Problems | 1 Comment »

30. March 2010 by student.

Forgiveness, can you be so forgiven?I ask this question of not only all of you, but of myself. I watched a very moving movie on this very same issue just recently.  It was about a man Charles Roberts who was so distraught about the loss of his daughter at birth that it set him over the edge.  Charles Roberts had such anger at God for the loss of his daughter; he set out to seek revenge by taking the lives of 5 innocent Amish girls along with his own.  This movie was a true story that happened in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania October 2006. The base of the story was about forgiveness, and how the Amish community was able to forgive Charles Roberts for what he had done.  I was very moved by this story and their strength to be so forgiving.  I am a mother with two daughters, and I don’t know that I could ever be so forgiving, or could I be?  I believe in God, and that we are all Gods children.  How is it that my beliefs are so different in the rem of forgiveness?  Charles Roberts took his own life, so there is no punishment to seek, but should I pray for him, and for God to forgive him.  I believe that God forgives all, but do we have too, or will it be a sin not to?

A little history on the Amish:

The history of the Amish church began with a schism in Switzerland within a group of Swiss and Alsatian Anabaptists in 1693 led by Jakob Ammann^[2]. Those who followed Ammann became known as Amish.^[3] In the early 18th century, many Amish and Mennonites emigrated to Pennsylvania for a variety of reasons. Today, the most traditional descendants of the Amish continue to speak Pennsylvania German, also known as Pennsylvania Dutch. There are also Old Order Amish communities, especially in the American state of Indiana, where a dialect of Swiss German predominates.^[4] Over the years, there have been numerous divisions among the Amish churches. The ‘Old Order’ Amish, a conservative faction that withdrew from fellowship with the wider body of Amish in the 1860s, are those that have most emphasized traditional practices and beliefs. As of 2000, over 165,000 Old Order Amish live in Canada and the United States. A new study, produced in 2008, suggests their numbers have increased to 227,000.^[1]Amish church membership begins with baptism, usually between the ages of 16 and 25. It is a requirement for marriage, and once a person has affiliated with the church, she or he may only marry within the faith. Church districts average between 20 to 40 families and worship services are held every other Sunday in a member’s home. The district is led by a bishop and several ministers and deacons ^[5].The rules of the church — the Ordnung — must be observed by every member. These rules cover most aspects of day-to-day living, and include prohibitions or limitations on the use of power-line electricity, telephones and automobiles, as well as regulations on clothing. Many Amish church members may not buy insurance or accept government assistance such as Social Security. As Anabaptists, Amish church members practice nonresistance and will not perform any type of military service. Members who do not conform to these expectations and who cannot be convinced to repent are excommunicated. In addition to excommunication, members may be shunned — a practice that limits social contacts to shame the wayward member into returning to the church. During adolescence (rumspringa or “running around” in some communities), nonconforming behavior that would result in the shunning of an adult who had made the permanent commitment of baptism may meet with a degree of forbearance.^[6]Amish church groups seek to maintain a degree of separation from the non-Amish world. There is generally a heavy emphasis on church and family relationships. They typically operate their own one-room schools and discontinue formal education at grade eight. They value rural life, manual labor and humility. Due to intermarriage among this relatively small original population, some groups have increased incidences of certain inheritable conditions.^[

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amish_school_shooting

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 2 Comments »

30. March 2010 by student.

Based on CarrerBuilder.coms annual survey on absenteeism, one third of employees played hooky last year. While one employer told the truth (because her physic told her to) most of the others came up with an excuse for their boss.  The most popular reason from the survey for not coming to work that day was simply just not wanting to.  Only nine percent of workers wanted to skip a meeting or work on an overdue project. Another one of the most popular excuses employees skipped work was because they had other things to do, or they wanted to catch up on their rest (Ferrara, par. 3).

Medical appointments, quality time with loved ones, and personal related errands was another major excuse surveyors confessed to not coming into work. Eighteen percent of employers have fired workers who missed work without an acceptable excuse or a doctor’s note. Some employers called the worker at home, and some have even drove by the workers home to make sure they where they’re supposed to be. So as tempting as it may be to think of an excuse for not coming in that day, the truth is the best route (Ferrera, par. 5).

            Ferrara, Jason.     One third of workers play hooky.     12 Jan 2009.     CNN.     <http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/worklife/01/26/cb.playing.hooky/index.>     23 Jan 2010.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

30. March 2010 by student.

This post will not shove off into the moral rights and wrongs of polygamy, although I will never be involved in any polygamist relationship. Whether, it will discuss what injustices have materialized in select circumstances against women and children. I will also discuss what polygamy is and who practiced it. Most of us are quite aware that polygamy is the act of plural marriages.  More specifically, polygamy is the precise definition I will use. It means 1 man having multiple wives.  Polygamy is not a foreign or new concept. It dates back to Biblical times. Even though God did not approve it; Abraham, David, Jacob, and Solomon all utilized it. ( 17th book of Deuteronomy) More specifically, polygamy is the precise definition I will use. It means 1 man having multiple wives.Imperial China and traditional Islamic nations allow polygamy.  Before the Republic of China was formed; it was a common occurrence for a man to take on more than 1 wife. “The mentality behind this was for procreation and the continuation of the paternal last name” In China, we are all acquainted with the concept of a husband having a first wife, second wife, etc. Some may even be called concubine. But, generally speaking, the first wife is superior. She holds rank. The traditional attitude toward mistresses is reflected in the saying: “wife is not as good as concubine, concubine is not as good as prostitute, and prostitute is not as good as secret affair…” 

Here is an interesting tidbit as to which societies allow polygamy.”According to the Ethnographic Atlas Codebook, of 1231 societies noted, 186 were monogamous. 453 had occasional polygamy, 588 had more frequent polygamy, and 4 had polyandry. At the same time, even within societies which allow polygamy, the actual practice of polygamy occurs relatively rarely. There are exceptions: in Senegal, for example, nearly 47 percent of marriages are multiple”The current controversial dilemma has been the Mormon and the LDS church. There has been a raging battle over polygamy since the 1830’s. It was set forth as a ban by the LDS Church. The members who did not agree broke off. Now, we have today’s issues. Mine are with the injustices against women and children.If you are not aware; there was the compound raid in El Dorado, Texas. They were LDS followers. Here is the reference. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/06/AR2008040602001.html.3 The contentions I possess are basically two-fold.For 1, I do not believe a child under the age of 18 should be forced to marry anyone. Let alone an adult male who can pass as your father. In my opinion, this is a form of indentured servitude. These little girls are not prepared for such an emotional, mental, sexual, and physical relationship. Yet, they may be brainwashed into contemplating that this is what they are fated to perform. And, it may be the case where they are threatened with beatings or to become exiled for non-compliance.Second, I postulate that it is every human beings right to make their own decisions. And, this instance could not be nearer to that truth. In the aforementioned article, these women were threatened for speaking up for their indifference. They were bullied into the belief they could be banished. They would never see their family again. How is someone in that situation (let alone a woman, or a minor) presumed to react? It is emotional blackmail. You do not want to be ostracized from the only family and way of life you know. It is a horrible situation to convey on your shoulders. These are the concerns I have.

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 1 Comment »

30. March 2010 by student.

I have had the chance to see how someones life chances are effected by their race, age, and country of origin. My best-friend of 5 years is an illegal immigrant, although she has been here for eighteen years, and her parents are both legal residents, she her self is still illegal. We have spent these last 5 years going to the same school, only because they bussed in students from low income areas to our “high class” school. From first glance you couldn’t tell a difference between her and I. We both wanted to go to medical school, in fact we had the same health classes together in high school. We both played basketball on the same team. We were both on the track team, competing in the same event. She managed to stay well dressed and blended in with all of the “trends”. Her family is very poor, her parents don’t speak English. Some how she always found ways to pay for her sports, and extracurricular things high school has to offer. My point is she did what she could to fit in with the middle/upper class students at our school. She did stay in trouble, not by choice but by default. She would mainly get in trouble for not coming to class, or not having a ride. She was lucky in that she had friends whose parents helped her out. She probably would not have graduated if it were not for these families. She did not have a computer or a printer or a ride to the library to do projects. Teachers would continually tell her this is no excuse, but it is. The campus library at the high school did not offer extended hours. Despite these downfalls she managed to graduate and experience most of the same things I did. Things changed once it was time for College. Universities require proof of residency, something she did not have. Still she was determined to go to school. Some how she was able to get into the local community college (to be honest I’m not sure how this worked). Okay, so she got in, that’s great! But now how is she going to pay for this? Her parents cant help her. She is ineligible for scholarships because she is not a legal citizen. Plus she cant work without a green card. This makes things even more difficult. She wants to go to school so bad. In fact she is, sort of. She has an older lady that is letting her work “around the house” for money once a week. She is basically a servant for this woman once a week. Some of her jobs include giving pedicures, cooking dinner, cleaning the pool, making beds, yard work, and even dying hair. She also makes money by babysitting. She has managed to go through two semesters paying for her own classes in these ways. As if paying for college is not hard enough she also must find a ride to class, she begs classmates for rides and catches the city bus when she can. She still faces the same problems with the computer, but now it is even harder to find one to use because all of her friends that helped out in high school have moved away for college. The point of my story was to say that not everyone is in their predicament because they want to be. She would much rather be in my position if she was given the opportunity. Yes, hard work can get you where you want, if your given the right opportunities. Others have to work twice as hard in order to get half of what you have. As for my friend her green card papers have been in the system for many years and should be processed soon. Once this happens she plans to get a job and apply for scholarships to pay for school. She can only take two courses at a time right now because of her financial situation. Once she can afford more she plans to enroll full time.

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 1 Comment »

30. March 2010 by student.

The Banning of Books-Problem of Outspoken Discontent

Banning Books the argument from two sides. Censorship spanning from radio to television and to the books which appear in school to those banned from school create the solid and unpronounced standard; not all ideas are equal and expression through media isn’t socially sound, and that is flawed logic. No single idea from someone which ends free speech in the world of literature has the best intentions for the society as a whole.  I wish to address the idea that banned books create an unhealthy standard for what is and aren’t appropriate, and from that base decision the new idea of norms have been placed on literature. The idea that has become the standard in American society has transitioned from voicing objectionable opinion to suppressing the written word on the grounds that it is “controversial” apparently if someone finds objectionable material then of course the work is “breaking down society and corruption our generation’s youth.”

The reasons for banning books stretch from conflicting the ideas of Humanism, teaching of literature on unbias subjects, biblical interpretation, morality issues and the underline issue of the written word challenging society’s values, today’s culture takes the idea of suppressing questionable material one step too far; Again I can draw on the specifics of common examples, the social focuses placed on Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and one of the most notorious banned  books in history; The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. Books banned for years have remained forgotten about and ignored for years, information and written literature denied from society all because of one person creating a group and doing away with a piece of work because they find it objectionable, funny how free expression can be so bad that people will ignore the first amendment and will then deny free speech and expression on the standard that “there is more in the book than what is written.”

American politics, literary demand and banning and the increasingly cultural/political desire to ban books hits closer to home and has grown more emotional and increasingly divided. Harsh language, conflicting ideologies and new age ideas spur the desire to ban books. There is some information on censorship and community breakdown; the literary talents of some authors and subjects pushed down from religious and political beliefs. Take a look at one of the most famous book series in the world, Harry Potter and the … what ever, people fell behind a group and blindly agreed with the single idea; “Harry Potter encourages cult following, and deny Christian beliefs, these books if left unchecked will be the downfall of religious structure in the social structure.” This idea is an ignorant statement created by well-intentioned stupid people, the culture of America takes a simple idea, if you can oppose it then you can protest it, and remove it from society, is that the only option though?  

The argument against banning Books

In the contrast to the prior blog on stating the issue of the banning of books here is the counterargument against the practice.  I have noted on a blog that people find reasons to ban books but look deeper at it why ban books and are these people mistaken?  Here is a revelation of the divergent ideas; I suggest reading the work of author John Granger, creator of Finding God in Harry Potter, as an example of the counterargument to the “harm” of Harry Potter. The question is; is the Harry Potter series anti-Christian? A statement by conservative and evangelical Christians. Others state that Harry Potter supports Christian beliefs; this is not the only possible Christian reaction. There are many Christians, who argue that Harry Potter is not only acceptable, but in fact presents a Christian worldview, Officials at the Vatican talked glowingly about the Potter series at a news conference about the New Age movement, and this book isn’t as it has been stated by outspoken extremists deadest on taking information they don’t like and ripping out of society’s hands. I address this problem of banning books with extreme attention to Harry Potter because it is a great example of the two perspectives on the idea of books causing harm to society, Rev. Peter Fleetwood, a former official of the Pontifical Council for Culture, told reporters. “I don’t think there’s anyone in this room who grew up without fairies, magic and angels in their imaginary world. They aren’t bad. They aren’t serving as an anti-Christian ideology.” Think about this statistic for a moment; there have been 546 known attempts to remove books in 2006 alone, shocking right? The last item I want to touch on is the list of banned books  spanning from classics such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, The adventures of Sherlock Holmes introduced by the acclaimed Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms followed in toe by several hundreds other examples of banned literature, each of these examples have been banned for years and yet now these books are no longer banned, but have become required and recommended readings for school, what changed you may ask? Well society ended its broad view and allowed ideas to flow ending ridged thinking; when books are involved on the social level of acceptability it is all acceptable to read or nothing is, that is the ultimate liberal view on this topic.  

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 1 Comment »