Monday, February 8, 2016

Journal #6



Do some initial reading on a possible topic for your Problem / Solution Project (see the guiding questions below)--do some online research on one topic of your choice. The SIRS database would be a good place to start, and you could also do a Google search. After you read at least two articles, write at least one paragraph (consisting of at least eight sentences) summing up what you learned about specific problems in contemporary society related to this topic and what ideas have occurred to you about specific ways to solve or improve these problems.


To access SIRS, go to the “Instruction” tab on the Boone Community Schools website, then select “Library and Media.” Here are the username and password you will need:  


0729boonh       haea11


Guiding questions for the Problem / Solution Project

  1. What societal problems or issues come up in the works we have read in English 2A and 2B?
  2. How do these problems or issues affect contemporary society?
  3. What aspects of them are of particular interest to you?
  4. How might one aspect of a problem or issue be solved or improved at the local, state, national, or global level?

90 comments:

  1. Poverty
    Racism
    Competition
    Murder
    Homelessness
    Bullying
    Sexism
    Violence
    Unemployment
    Single-parenting

    Molly Osweiler- p.4

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    1. Those are some very good themes and you seem to mix it up and looks good. what are you writing about

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  2. Racism
    Sexism
    Violence
    Dreams
    Hope
    Honesty
    Anger
    Equality
    Legal System
    Poverty

    Jackson Zehr

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    1. Your 10 problems are good choices and I have some of the same. Good thinking.

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  3. Prejudice
    Power
    Gender
    Pride
    Marriage
    Identity
    Poverty
    Family
    Racism
    Equality

    Kate Peasley p1

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. I love prejudice, it's not often mentioned!
      -Eden Montang

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  4. Prejudiced
    Poverty
    Homelessness
    violence
    bad leadership
    new\press
    power
    greed
    unemployment
    equality

    James Runestad

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  5. Poverty
    Violence
    Power
    Money
    Bullying
    Minimum Wage
    Unemployment
    Abortion
    Equality
    Leadership

    Cody Frame P.4

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  6. racism
    prejudice
    violence
    hope
    drugs/alcohol
    equality
    depression
    sexism
    tyranny
    identity

    Alyssa Kraft p1

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  7. I chose abortion as another problem/ solution because it is one of the top problems people debate over. Is it ok, or not? I guess that's a matter of opinion. I think the people who argue that it shouldn't be okay, are the people who have never been in the situation where they don't want, or can't have a kid. I think there just thinking about the fact that a child is dying which is not okay in my opinion. But then I have to step back and think about it, I put myself in others shoes and you realize you never really know their exact situation. They could be a teen, they could be in major debt, there mate could leave them or even abuse problems could tie into a situation. Its really hard to say that it's okay that people have abortions but I think the reason they are still aloud is because of the situations that are unexplainable. A solutions for this problem would be to have the baby and just put it up for adoption. What is your opinion?

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    1. I like your problem/solution about abortion. I didn't even think about it until you brought it up.

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  8. Violence is a very broad problem. Though, every article I read said that violence starts when you're a child. Most of the articles I read gave advice for keeping children from becoming violent. The main point stressed in most of the articles were to create a safe environment for kids. Developing a conscious, building self esteem, developing empathy, avoiding harsh punishments, and learning calming techniques were some things listed to stop people from becoming violent. One article even showed that victim impact group at a prison recidivism by 80 percent. The victim impact group were victims of violence that talked to prisoners about their experiences. All of this advice is suppose to stop people from acting out in violence. In my opinion, learning calming techniques is the most important. It's okay to be angry, it's what you do with that anger. If you know a calming technique, then you are able to step back from the situation and make logical decisions instead of acting on impulse.

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    1. I agree with violence! It seems to be one of the top problems people are talking about. I see you have a lot about child abuse, but in my opinion I think it happens just as often with adults such as unhealthy relationships can lead to abuse.

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  9. The issue that has come up in some of the works and the issue I chose is racism. Racism has been a huge problem dating all the way back to our first president. There have been few changes made, but when they have been made, they have been for the better. A couple of huge things that have happened are; abolishing slavery, making every man equal including using the same restroom, water fountain, etc, and finally having the first colored president in Barack Obama. I don't think that we need to change everything for people who don't have white skin, or who are different, I just think that they need to be treated more equal. It isn't a big problem in the mid west, but more of a problem down south in the Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia area. Colored folks still face racism all the time, some recent examples of that would be the Trayvon Martin case, the Michael Brown case, and finally the death of Freddie Gray. All of these instances have to do with police. It is very understandable why people are so quick to say that police are racist, because there have been so many reasons why in the near past. I believe that colored people should get the same treatment everywhere in society, whether it's law, to everyday on the street.

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    1. How do you think it could be fixed?

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    2. I agree, Racism is a terrible thing, but how can we stop it?

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    3. I agree, Racism is a terrible thing, but how can we stop it?

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    4. Do you think it will ever completely stop?

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    5. Do you even find it remotely possible to end this? Something that has been apart of society for hundreds of years

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    6. Do you even find it remotely possible to end this? Something that has been apart of society for hundreds of years

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    7. I do think that racism can be completely stopped. Maybe if people were less ignorant and more worried about themselves than a problem like racism wouldn't exist.

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  10. An issue that I have noticed in more than one book that we’ve read is poverty. Some may think that it only exists in other countries but the truth is that it is still present in our own country. One of the main causes of poverty is lack of education. With the United States falling behind in education it’s no surprise that it’s the main cause of poverty. It’s almost silly that families and children live in very harsh conditions just because they can’t get a good education. However, in one of the articles that I read Bill gates thinks that we can end poverty by 2030. Bill wrote an essay about ending poverty but it’s based on many “what if’s.” I’m not entirely sure what his proposal was but people need to work together worldwide to fight to end poverty.

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    1. I agree that in our country you have to have a lot of education to be able to support a family. I also find it weird that college cost so much. It's almost like setting up people who live in poverty up for failure, because not everyone can afford to go to college and if they don't go to college they can't support their family and their kids can't go to college. It almost seems like a never ending cycle.

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    2. Kameryn, I totally agree with you! I feel like in order to be able to be successful it costs way to much! That then makes many people live in poverty.

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    3. How do you feel we can fix poverty?

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    4. John, I think a way that could lower the poverty levels is if the government would help certain people through the first so many years of college. This way they could then get a better job and support themselves and their families.

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    5. I agree with you. We need to get more accurate information out on poverty and maybe more people will donate to the poor and help fix this problem.

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  11. My possible problem/solution topic is the stigma with mental illnesses. Mental health plays a role in Of Mice and Men with Lennie. They try to hide it because they think they won't be hired if the boss knows. 50% of adults have or will experience a mental illness in their life. This shows that half of the population deals with mental illnesses, so it's definitely a major problem in our society. Only 20% of people seek professional help with their problems, whether that's medication, therapy, or just talking to other people they trust. The reason people don't talk about it is because there is a stigma that says if you have a mental illness you are either seeking-attention, crazy, or just plain lazy. People are scared to share that with other in fear of being looked down on. This is important to me because I have been diagnosed with anxiety disorder and I know that it's extremely hard to ask for help when you are dealing with a problem inside your head because you fear being looked at as weak. A way to fix this problem is to change the stigma. Show people that their mental illnesses are real, that their problems are valid, that they are not alone, and that they can get help and feel so much better.

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    1. I really like your perspective on this problem! You had some really good thoughts and ideas about how to solve mental illness.

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    2. I think people fearing or being always wary of what they don't understand contributes a lot to this problem.

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  12. A topic that truly interests me is racism. I chose this topic not only because is it very intertwined with the books story plot, but also with real life. Racism has been in about every book we have read so far, besides A House On Mango Street. This is a real thing, it happens daily even if you don't say it. What interests me the most is trying to figure out what to be counted as racism and what not to. Such as with the Cleveland shooting, some people say it is racism some say its not. I want to find the line to where it crosses the border. Ways i think we could solve this problem is try to understand people for who they are and not what they look like. Also the racism started a long time ago yes, but as time progressed more and more African Americans started to rob, kill, and join gangs, no I am not racist. Though African American's today are trying to stop this behavior which means some still act in violent ways that portray badly for the race.

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    1. Racism is a real issue. However, I hate it when cops that were doing their job get called "racist." With the Cleveland shooting, the boy who was pulled over appeared to be armed. He reached towards his waist for a gun in his possession, and walked towards the cop car. If you do that, you're going to get shot by the cops. The police had no idea the gun wasn't real, and they weren't going to risk their and the surrounding area's safety based on the assumption that it might not be.

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  13. We have read about poverty in a few of our books, this includes The House On Mango Street, Of Mice and Men, and To Kill A Mockingbird. Although these books were written in a different day and age, poverty is still very present in America today. Today the poverty rates among whites is around nine percent, while the rate for blacks is nearly 25 percent. Poverty affects everyone around you, 1 in 6 people in America face hunger. That means in a class full of twenty - four people, there are four people that most likely live in poverty and/ or are hungry and you sit next to them everyday. So, how can we solve this? I think that the government, communities across the nation, and schools can all help out. We can fund raise and support people in our community and hold food drives at schools. Schools can also promote more agricultural related classes, this could also help the world food/ hunger crisis. Our government can implement programs to help low income families put their children through college, this way younger generations can get better jobs and be able to make a more sustainable income.

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    1. Do you think that we should do the meal packaging that we're doing tomorrow more often? If so, should we expand more and give it to other communities across the world?

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    2. I like your ideas about ending poverty. Very good Emily.

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  14. Poverty is one thing that has stuck out to me. Poverty has been in "The House on Mango Street", "Of Mice and Men", and now "To Kill a Mocking Bird". There has however been different circumstances that poverty has happened in these books. They interest me because it is something not just happening in places across seas, but it is happening in our own country. In 2012 15% of the US lived in poverty. I feel we can support and fight hunger, and we are here at Boone High. One good thing we are doing as a community is we are packaging meals for those in need. We have organizations that can help, but I feel as if the problem is that people are not awar of these

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    1. How do you think we could get more people aware about the organizations?

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  15. The topic I have chosen to do is sexism. Sexismm comes up quite frequently in To Kill a Mockingbird, especially with Scout. She has been told many times by her aunt to be more ladylike and to wear dresses, Atticus even tried to tell her once. Scout is very obviously not pleased with the idea of acting like that. Our society today, while it is much better, still has sexism. Females are paid less than males, video games and other types of media still have stereotypical female roles. I am interested in sexism because it is something that affects me as well as everyone else, males and females. Something that could be changed in society is making sure that sexism still is a thing and it does affect everyone.

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    1. I like the topic you have chosen. Sexism has been tremendous societal issue throughout history and still is today. Although some people may think it only affects females, men face sexism too. An example is how men have to pay more for car insurance. They are also supposed to reject anything feminine within themselves such as having emotions.

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    2. I like your example of sexism in "To Kill a Mockingbird". But how do you think making sure sexism is still a thing and knowing that is does affect everyone help?

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    3. I apologize, I obviously did not proof read this very well! I meant to make the point that people need to be aware that sexism is a thing and that it does affect everyone.

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    4. I have been belittled for being a female and I'm glad that you're writing about this topic!

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    5. Sexism just boggles my mind. On the "men are supposedly better" side...I don't think people realize that power in strength does not automatically mean you're better. Just because men typically have a stronger build doesn't mean that they "win". I mean think about it-we're constructed to work with men-so hopefully where one has a weaknesses the other has the advantages-for example, in a husband and wife scenario. And as for stereotyping, if people want to not be stereotyped then they need to stop living the stereotype. Get out there and show everyone you're a tomboy, or a woman Chuck Norris-whatever it is. Same goes for men-if they want to be a dancer instead of a football player then go for it, please!

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    6. I am like scout in the way that I don't like to wear dresses. Just because you are a girl doesn't make you like the rest of them.

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  16. A topic that has shown up in Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mockingbird is racism. Racism still occurs today, though it may not be as intense as it used to be. Blacks are still stereotyped because of their skin etc. A few solutions I have come up with would be, one, getting over ourselves and moving on from the past. We aren't any better than people in the past if we still treat African Americans in a different manner. Nationally people are speaking of reparations, for anyone of African descent. This causes huge arguments however, but I feel it would be decent of the government to consider it at the least. Then maybe it would settle some left over feelings and African Americans may have. With many journalists and political figures fighting racism, I feel it may soon be forgotten.

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    1. Racism is also one of my own issues and agree full heartedly with you.

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  17. I think the most societal issue that we see every day is the problem of poverty. In the past books we've read, I think the problem of poverty has somewhat been shown in each book in their own unique way. This interests me because you can see how time has affected poverty to this day. In 2014, almost 15 percent of the population was in poverty. I think as a community even where I live today, we can help solve this issue so we know it will not happen where we are. One thing that we can do is package food and goods for those in need of it and it just starts with all of us helping to make anywhere around us better.

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  18. Loneliness plays a huge role in most, if not all the books we have read this year and even in contemporary society. Like Curley’s wife in “Of Mice and Men” or even Mayella Ewell in “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Every person has felt some kind of loneliness at least once in their life. Whether it be secluded from their friend group or even waiting in line without anyone to talk to. But, just because people are surrounded by others they still may feel lonely. Even if their friends or family are near. In fact, more than 60% of lonely people are married. All in all loneliness is in fact dangerous not just to people's mental health but also physical health. Being lonely can actually release toxins that can impair cognitive performance, compromise the immune system, and increase the risk for vascular, inflammatory, and heart disease. As for fixing it, there are many things that can be done. For example, people could occupy themselves by doing something that makes them happy or finding someone that shares similar interests to themselves.

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  19. My topic is discrimination. I learned that the owner of the Miami Dolphins started an ad campaign to help eliminate discrimination. He's getting big name athletes such as Steph Curry and Tom Brady to appear in these ads and talk about how discrimination is bad. He talked about how far sports have come in stopping discrimination. He thinks that if discrimination can be stopped in sports, then it can be stopped everywhere. He's teaming up with many major sports leagues to run these ads during their events. I also read about a baker in Colorado who denied a gay couple service due to religious beliefs.

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    2. Good topic, but how can we find a way to fix this?

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    3. We will have to be more accepting of all types of people and have stricter punishments for those who aren't.

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  20. Poverty is the societal issue that I am interested in doing for my problem/solution project. Poverty is defined as a person or people who live a life without necessary or wanted items. Some examples include having no shelter, no food, and a lack of medical care. As of 2012, 15% of the United States population was at or below the "threshold" of poverty. Someone you see on a daily basis could be living in poverty. The Condition of Education reported in 2010 that the amount of students receiving free or reduced lunches increased by 5%. To solve or reduce poverty, government should give people living in poverty programs to help, give health services and child services. Support groups should also be of access to those in poverty.

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    1. You gave some really interesting facts and information about poverty! It's crazy how much poverty is around us and in the world. Your solution to the problem is a good idea. Lots of health care plans are available today.

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    2. It is very crazy and sad about how many people live in poverty.

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  21. Racism isn't just a problem in "To Kill a Mockingbird," it is also a problem in today's society. People are still being judged for their appearance instead of who they are. Racism is mostly what "To Kill a Mockingbird" is based upon. Tom Robinson has an unfair court due to the fact that he is African American. Racism is also in the book "Of Mice and Men." Crooks is forced to stay in a bunker by himself because of the color of his skin. I think it is interesting how racism has changed so much over the years, because it has changed so much already I can't imagine what it will be like in another decade.

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    1. How do you feel we can fix racism?

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  22. My topic is poverty. Poverty is a problem that leads to many other problems. Poverty has and always will be a societal problem. It causes illness, and crime most often. When people are poor and desperate for enough food and water, they will do almost anything. They become desperate and this leads to crime. Illness is also a conflict that goes hand in hand with poverty, because when people don’t have the means to stay sanitary and clean, illness spreads and only worsens poverty itself. There are countless ways to solve this ongoing problem, but I think the best way to solve it is for community members to invest what they can into a community solution. This would entail jobs for those in need, starting kids in an education system, or even donating enough to buy a family a meal for the day. Each small step makes a huge impact. If the community would work together in raising not only awareness to this problem, but also giving to the solution. These banquets and shelters are everywhere, people are just unaware or lazy and don’t contribute. Poverty is something that everyone could help solve.

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  23. Violence is a really broad topic. It seems wherever conflict goes, violence follows suit. Turn on any news channel, and you can see examples that are going on currently. But I think one of the prominent issues today is gun violence. Of course, we don't want people running around shooting each other. But the problem is that many people want to end gun violence with anti-gun laws. I see a fundamental flaw in this. If you make a law that bans guns, those that follow the law won't have guns, and those that don't will still have guns. And if we aren't armed, who's to stop the government from becoming a dictatorship? You see North Korea, which has an outright dictatorship- citizens can't fight against their dictator because only government officials and military are allowed to be armed. I suppose there is no way to "halt gun violence" but that's because people sin. But the root of the problem isn't the gun-it's the person behind it.

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    1. You brought in a lot of information on this topic. I like the fact that you don't "blame the gun" and didn't focus on the gun being the problem. I really like how you said the person behind it is the problem.

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    2. You bring up some interesting points. Could we put more restrictions on selling guns to prevent more or any other ways to help gun violence?

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    3. Do you think that educating gun owners would help or maybe limiting who can own a gun?

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    4. I think violence is a good topic. It covers most of the books that we have read.

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  24. One issue that occurs in nearly every book that we have read is loneliness. In “Of Mice and Men” we see loneliness in Curley’s Wife, and we even see it in Mayella Ewell in “To Kill A Mockingbird”. Loneliness is something that is hard to treat because there is no medicine or magic cure for it. Lonely people often times aren’t truly alone. In many cases, they are even surrounded by friends and family. It generally isn’t a condition that can be pinpointed, which is part of what makes it so hard to treat, but it does need to be treated. Studies suggest that being lonely has many negative side effects. Some of these include trouble sleeping, increased risk for heart disease, and even a greater risk of dementia in older people. With all of this in mind, it is important that people know how to deal with loneliness. Getting involved in activities, finding ways to express feelings, communicating more with other people, and finding things that make you happy are all things that can help battle loneliness.

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    1. Those are some good ways to improve loneliness. What are other ways if people are introverts?

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  25. For my project I have decided to do the psychology of rage. The main points is how it effects you not only mentally but also physically and emotionally. It is a problem that effects all of the world and still people hardly know its there.It can also be fixed with little to no effort. This needs to be fixed tho because if we can find a way to stop being angry as a society then we can do anything.

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    1. If it can be fixed so easily, why hasn't rage been removed from society already?

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    2. What are some ways this problem could be fixed?

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  26. The societal issue I have chosen is poverty. Poverty has been an issue though out history and will most likely always be. It contributes to issues with education, health, crime, hunger, and homelessness. The current poverty rate is 15% and rising. The U.S. annually spends nearly one trillion dollars to fight poverty though 126 programs. That amounts to $20,610 for every poor person in America. After shelling out nearly 15 trillion dollars in total welfare spending since President Lyndon Johnson declared war on poverty in 1964, the poverty rate is increasing to close to where it started over 40 years ago. This shows that welfare is not the key to ending the war on poverty. Possible solutions that I believe would significantly impact poverty include affordable child care, paid sick and maternity leave, and better access to contraceptives.

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    1. What kind of things to you believe average people, like you and I, could do to help the issue?

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    2. This was very interesting to read. Why do you think that we have poverty all over the world?
      How do you think it all started?

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    3. This was very interesting to read. Why do you think that we have poverty all over the world?
      How do you think it all started?

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  28. In both articles they talk about how abortion is controversial because of the sides and reasons come up for both pro-life and pro-choice. The first article talks about how the genome of a kid can be made through science, but there are so many things that could happen that science can’t predict. With this parents can see if a child might have a disease that could affect them later in life. Parents are then choosing to have an abortion because their kid would have this but yet again science cannot tell exactly what is going to happen when the sperm cell combines with the egg. This could be a major problem with parents thinking. Science can help a lot with diseases. They have come up with many cures or ways to get around a disease. Just because there might be a possibility, a chance that a kid might have a disease doesn’t mean abortion is a good choice.
    The second article brought a lot up that I have never heard or thought of. They brought up how politicians go back and forth about this issue and that people just argue about what should and shouldn’t be done yet most people don’t take any action. I knew that. What was new was the idea that if people were financially capable of taking care of a kid, most would. ¾ of people had an abortion because they could not financially take care of a child. The doctor bills, food, clothing, medicine, and a house with heat and water is a lot to afford. If this person is a single parent it makes things that much harder because they have to work or go to school so finding someone to take care of their baby while they do those things is another obstacle and government financed babysitting was brought up. This would be free daycare for those who need it. They need it to take care of their kid and get the money to do that. It also said that Obamacare is a good thing. It provides health care for these mothers. The article says, “What difference does it make if a child is born if it dies of an asthma attack for lack of the money needed for an inhaler?”
    I found it interesting how if people just had the money to afford it there would be a great drop. Why don’t we quit arguing and figure out a way to drop the poverty rate. Another thing that was brought up, that I didn’t know, was how many women were regularly attending church were having abortions. This shows how true people are to their religion. Many religions say that abortion is wrong, it is killing of an innocent human being and murder. Many hypothetical situations were also brought up which showed how it happens in real life, like rape and how after a certain point an abortion is illegal which caused more pain to the baby. Some cases like those mentioned could possibly end in abortion, but it is still murder. “A person’s a person no matter how small,” was said by Dr. Suess. At conception a person is considered a person. They are living and growing yet many lives are ended, who knows what that baby will end up becoming. Another study showed how abortion increased the risk of anxiety, depression, and suicide. On top of losing their baby they now have another problem facing their day to day lives.

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  29. While researching the issue of hunger, I learned a lot of information that will probably be of much use to me while working on my project. Something that a lot of individuals might not realize is that food insecurity is right here in the United States. When most American people think of hunger, their mind immediately goes to a country miles and miles from here. But, little do they know, there’s people starving in their own community. One specific problem concerning hunger is as I just described: ignorance. The first step to solving an issue is awareness, because if everybody is unaware, nothing can be done. So, people need to spread the word and kids need to be better educated of others who are food insecure throughout the entire world, including students that go to their own school. They should be taught that they can do something about it and that they can reach out to help, no matter who they are.

    Molly Osweiler p.4

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    1. The topic I have chosen, is how oil prices affect the world economy. Upon initial research, I discovered that cheap prices for us, isn't good for the rest of the world. Oil is what drives most of the Middle East's economy, and they are lacking much of their trade income, with prices being at a recent low. A college scholarship fund that some countries have in the Middle East, have cut back it's giving amount by a substantial amount, which means many kids will not get to go to an overseas college. The blame for this, is the oil prices being low. Oil producing countries rely on high prices, but at the same time the US demands a low price, to keep prices cheap. Possible solutions I've hypothesized, is balancing out the price with world economic needs, but also having the US produce oil, which would be much cheaper.

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  30. As I read more about the legal system and how it has shown racial discrimination in the past, it had surprised me the amount we still see today. While it is not near as bad as it once was, many blacks and hispanics still seem to be being not as well as they should be. A lot of this discrimination is seen in the war against alcohol and drugs. While it is a fact that all racial/ethnic groups buy and sell drugs at the same rate, many of the people behind bars for this are either black or hispanic. A surprising 72.1 percent of all prisoners for these accusations relating to drugs are black and hispanic. This really shocked me as it showed that our criminal system has a long way to go to reach perfection. The question is, will it? No matter how hard we try there always seems to be something holding us back from a step in the right direction. I can’t wait to investigate this decision further to really find out of it is possible to become perfect.

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    1. Great job retrieving information about your topic. Now knowing all of that, what is an idea for a solution? Racial discrimination will be hard to get rid of as we can't monitor each individual.

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  31. The issue I decided to focus on is the quality of the public education system in America. I have started do research and gather my sources.I think that these days students don't go to school to learn, they memorize information, spit it back out in the form of test answers and move on with their lives without retaining it. There are plenty of quality teachers at our schools but we need a change of the way we go about testing. This topic relates to the books we have read so far because if the characters of these stories had had an opportunity to receive an education the story may have been different. I Have started to collect my valid sources so that can begin to compose my argument. These are the sources
    I have collected so far.:chrome-extension://bpmcpldpdmajfigpchkicefoigmkfalc/views/app.html
    https://independent.academia.edu/JadeWilber
    http://www.utexas.edu/lbj/news/2012/decline-american-education
    http://nepc.colorado.edu/files/Donato%26Lazerson_NewDirectionsinEdHistory.pdf
    http://educationnext.org/what-americans-think-about-their-schools/
    http://web.mit.edu/fnl/volume/233/frankel.html












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  32. Although many people may not know it, ageism is a big problem that affects our society today. Ageism is the judgement against older or younger people, and it affects everyone. Older people are seen as "slow" or aren't as capable of doing things. Younger people are said to be lazy, immature, or rude torwards adults. Ageism affects how people treat and interact with each other, the chances for teens to get jobs, and how society views the youth and elderly. Although this is a major problem, there are ways it can be stopped. If each one of us can ignore stereotypes, speak out against ageism, or watch how we speak about teens and the elderly, then ageism can slowly be combated. This is a problem that affects all of society, and if we can all change how we think about the young or the old, then this can easily be stopped.

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    1. This topic is really interesting and no many people think of it. I like it, and may have done something similar if i didnt already have my heart set on education

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  33. A lot of people in the world know that hunger is a big problem. 1/9 people in the world do not have enough food. However there is a solution to end hunger. There are many solutions to end hunger in the world but there isn’t ether enough space of money. The solution is technology. We have enough technology in today's modern world to end hunger. There are many different ways to grow food now such as aquaponics. So if we end hunger then there will be a huge impact on the world and the lives of people and the world will become a better place.

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  34. While reading about the impending energy crisis, I learned that fossil fuels are declining, and we are running out of time to transition to a cleaner future. Studies show that by 2050 we will have expended almost 100% of our oil. Also, by 2060 we will have used nearly all of our gas, and by 2088, all of our coal. One thing that I find extremely worrying, is that many adults believe that the energy crisis is not their problem, because they won’t be around to deal with it in the future. This is a major problem because without the support of every country, we will not beat the energy crisis. An obvious solution to this, is to provide government funding for researchers to develop new ways to create renewable energy. We already have many prospects in wind and solar, but those two renewables are not going to cover everything. If we do not begin now, we will most definitely run out of energy and not meet a goal of 100% renewable energy efficiency by 2050.

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  35. Poverty is an issue that interests me the most. Poverty has been in most of the books we have read last semester and what we are now reading, “To Kill a Mockingbird”. I read quite a few articles about poverty and have found some very interesting things. According to the World Bank, as 2015 ended, the number of people living in extreme poverty around the world dipped below 10%. As the percentage went below 10%, it marked one step closer to the goal of ending poverty by 2030. I think that it would be easier, and quicker if the government helped even more. They could help by giving people money to get an education or give them a job to get them back up on their feet. Another way people could help the poverty is by giving them packaged meals. I think this was a great idea that we took apart of this past Friday. I think that we should do more of these packaging meals for the poverty in our country and other countries as well.

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  36. I began to research the debate of minimum wage because it is something that affects many of us. There is a lot more to it than I thought. I learned that there is a small median, for the most part, people completely support it, or are avidly against it. Maintaining a $7.25 minimum wage will not change much. However, if minimum wage was raised the turnout will be uncertain. Many believe that a negative outcome will arise. I agree with them. Stores will be forced to reduce staff, or they will cut hours to try and level out the pay. I find it hard to believe a significant outcome will happen if we raise minimum wage.

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    1. But what about those people who are unable to get a job that pays above minimum wage because they were unable to go to school, like teen moms or people who live in poverty? how can they survive on such a little amount of money?

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  37. A problem that interests me is hunger. There are so many people who are hungry in the world. The worst part of it is that every day at lunch we throw away so much food. If you are not going to eat it don't take it. That's one solution. The school could order less food and the food that wasn't ordered could be sent somewhere else.

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  38. Racism is a huge topic to write about. In the articles I read many points about it were brought up. A point in the first article I read was that when some people that are fighting racism, fight only for themselves. So when they actually make it, only they make, they don’t uplift other people with them, which is what needs to happen if we are going to combat racism. A good note I found about racism improving is that from 1970 to 2014, the percentage of African Americans making over 75,000$ has doubled. However the percentage of Black America with income below $15,000 declined by only four percentage points, to 22 percent. Another article I read gave me some data on a poll taken in 2015. The poll can be taken to say that around half of americans see racism as a big problem. This article then raises a question is racism getting worse, or is public awareness just growing. An excerpt from the article, "It always seemed like it was getting better, like our generation was going to be better than previous generations," Deborah Aust, of Sterling Heights, Michigan, said to CNN. Ms. Aust was a participant in the CNN/KFF poll. "But the TV started telling us a different story, with all of these shootings by cops." These articles tell me that racism is still a large problem in the United States today. A specific way I can think of to combat it is to punish those who act upon racism. If someone pays someone more or less based on race, fine them. If someone is known to yell racist things, we can’t do much, because of the freedom of speech, but we can still discourage this kind of behavior among today’s youth, which I think, is the best way to combat racism.

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  39. One problem that is prominent in today's society is the stigma against mental illnesses. Some people disregard mental health as a part of someone's health at all. This is surprising considering many mental illnesses are as disabling and serious as cancer and heart diseases when it comes to terms of premature death and lost productivity. People should be taking mental illnesses more seriously, rather than just ignoring the issue at hand. The first part of fixing a problem is recognizing there is a problem in the first place. In our culture, having a mental illness is something to be ashamed of. Many people see mental illnesses like anxiety and depression as "attention seeking". So many people have this preconceived idea towards mental illnesses and mental health itself that a stigma has been formed. Mental illnesses are real things that affect everyone around you whether you know it or not. In order to remove this stigma we must educate people about mental illnesses.

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