There is a problem in
America today.  A problem that has evolved since man could access the world with only the click of a button.  If anyone needed to know what was going on in the world all that they would need to do is turn on the TV and watch their local news show.  What happens though when the news stations stop broadcasting certain topics?  Do they go away? 

Everyone has heard a heart wrenching story at one time in their life, and maybe they even donated a few dollars to a soup kitchen to console their conscience before they headed off to buy a latte.  They may feel as if they solved some problem, and maybe they helped for one day, but the truth is thousands of children are starving and yet most Americans tend to forget that such children exist if the problem is not in their face. Sally Urvina observed that there is enough food in the world to support every person, yet 500 million people are malnourished.  So how is it that every three seconds a child dies unnoticed? 
America simply forgot that they were there. 

While I was researching for my topic I came across hundreds of pictures depicting starving children in pitiful conditions.  I was in complete shock, here I am, stuffing my face with crackers while bloated and gaunt children plead at me with their eyes.  The pictures actually made my cry (I can’t show them because of school policy) and I couldn’t help but wishing that I would have paid more attention before.  Perhaps I could have saved a life before some of the pictures were taken.  Now, before I begin to snack on another potato chip, I will think of the pictures and a statement that a college professor said as he made everyone in the room stare at the clock:

            Every time this clock hand sweeps, a child dies of hunger.  Sit and watch while a

            few die.”

Lights. Camera. Fashion.  Every American can recognize ’stylish dressers.’  They are everywhere, strutting around the streets, cloaked in the most coordinated fabrics.  When one walks into the grocery store, fashion magazines call to them with bold exclamatory titles, begging their readers to reach deep inside and pull out their inner model.  What happens though when dressing for success goes too far?Throughout the ages the purpose of clothing has been simple, to cover ones’ body-an entirely worthy mission to be sure. Nevertheless, like many know, the concept of clothing has lost part of its translation over the years.  If one has ever seen or been to a fashion show they would tell you that the amount of skin/cloth ratio is sadly low (cloth would be loosing).  Okay, some would argue that fashion shows are not wholly intended to clothe one’s body; they also serve as a form of artistic expression.  Being an artist myself, I can understand how fashion can be interpreted as art.  However, when does art turn into cheap, revealing, and sometimes offensive clothing?  Why are more and more young girls parading themselves in the streets wearing less and less?  Why is it ‘OK’?Because people (mainly adults) are telling teens that what they wear is okay.  Young girls are even encouraged to pull the skirt up even farther- so they can ‘elongate the leg.’  One of my closest male friends, Josh, traveled to
Myrtle Beach to visit his father; he called me the day of his arrival completely distraught.  Josh told me that the minute he arrived he saw more scantily clothed women than he had ever seen in his life, and he was utterly appalled by their behavior.  He informed me that although he was a guy, the way that the girls dressed frightened him- simply because of how little they respected their bodies. After Josh’s experience, I began to wonder who could be blamed for the girls’ wardrobe malfunctions.  Is it the economy, television, music?  Honestly, I cannot say who is a fault for
America’s lack of decency.  What I do propose though, is that parents take hold of their children’s closets and commence a thorough purging.  May be after every belt-sized skirt is done away with, teens will realize how to add and understand that less does not equal more.

Education-The act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life. 

Recently my AP English class was given an assignment: look for a topic that concerned you or was a major issue in your daily life.  I thought long and hard on the subject and thought, why not my education?  Anyway the whole purpose of this assignment was to further my learning and I was certain that although some schools were slipping, my school would not fail any educational standards.  However, after finding this definition, I began to seriously wonder if my school actually educated its students.  In a world where families communicate through texting just to tell each other when dinner will be ready, or where teenagers believe that they will not know what is going on the world without their daily dosage from facebook, it is not surprising that American students have developed ‘quick fix’ syndrome; even some of the students in my school.  In John Stossel’s broadcast of Stupid America, he reports that an eighteen year old student could not complete a first grade level book on his own without struggling.  I of course responded in adequate shocked behavior; how could such an atrocity happen?  The answer, American students are not being taught how reason or judge accurately and are not being prepared for an intellectually mature life.  What America should be addressing is what students arebeing taught.  For someone with an outside perspective (I was home schooled for the first nine years of my education) public school can be a jarring and slightly traumatic experience.  In my P.E. class for example, more pills were passed around than in a pharmacy and I learned the effect and ’reason’ for more drugs than I had ever known.  I was on my way for an enriched education.

Although my fellow classmates were becoming fantastic tradesmen, I am sure that somewhere they became lost in the gigantic sea of public education.  In today’s class room, most students are not being taught how to wield an amazing gift called knowledge, they are learning how to avoid the next exam.  Instead of acquiring the skill to become an accomplished adult, students are mastering the art of texting acrobatics.  In a nutshell, the concept of learning has become invisible.  American schools need to forget about scores or competition, and need to focus on reviving the drive to learn so students can become successful adults.  Texting only gets you so far.

Read and answer two of the three questions below about the first 105 pages of “Down and Out in Paris and London” by George Orwell

-How do the conditions of the hotel differ from the environment that Ehrenreich described.  How do you think she would view/respond to Orwell’s depiction of the hotel?

-The employee’s of the hotel are from varied nationalities and speak different languages, what was Orwell’s purpose in using the other languages?

-What rhetoric devices does Orwell use while describing the environment of the hotel?

Imagine a perfect world, I’m not talking about a planet with an abundance of potato chips and sumptuous  couches.  Instead, young adults would inhale exercise like chocolate soufflé without the consequences-no size seventeen jeans, no tiered abdomens, no out of date styles- here everyone is perfect, each owning the motto, “Be Yourself.”

Today’s world however, is not like a perfect world.  Every day young girls and boys are told that they must have the latest bag, or that they are not complete without a flat ‘sexy’ middle.  Images are everywhere – films and magazines have fashioned the ideal body and model behavior - women with long legs and men with bulging muscles.  The chances of escaping Wal-Mart without spotting two dozen advertisements featuring ‘what’s in’ are very slim.  It is not astonishing that teenagers have warped senses of self image, or are misinformed about how the world perceives them without the latest gadgets.   Many times teens are not sure what compelled them to purchase five different brands of volumizing mascara, or a new set of Nike’s when they already own a pair.  What they do not know is that marketing companies have developed persuasive tactics in order to sway teens to buy their products. When it comes to recognizing the mixed signals and messages that companies are sending young adults, what can teens do to distinguish the problem?  Some may say that there is nothing wrong with having an interest in culture and updated trends, but what most teens are not taught is the capability to appreciate real value in society.  Teens need to emulate men and women who make influential decisions in life– not follow trends in bracelets.When advertisers sell the “quick fix” to young adult problems and guarantees of happiness, they are only robbing teens of “self-determination, self-awareness and self-esteem.”

During a late night peruse of the web, I tripped across a very interesting piece of information.  In my ever present search for truth, it seems that illegal immigrants aren’t the only ones who are being slapped with the cuffs of reprimand; the corporations that are hiring them are.

An article published by USA Today exposed the insides of one of America’s deepest problems.  It appears that ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) are catching lawbreaking corporations and shipping them to the jail cell.  And the penalty?  ICE is handing employers a hefty fine of $250 000 and up to ten years in prison, for each illegal immigrant. Although it seems harsh, all the reader has to do is consider the gigantic amount of up to $36 billion dollars that the presence of illegal immigrants is costing America.

When you scan farther down the article, it suggests that eliminating the jobs for illegal immigrants won’t solve the problem in the
US.   It says that if America were to pass a law that inhibited companies to hire illegal immigrants that it would discourage the hiring of any immigrants; legal or non legal. 

I would say that I have to disagree.  If the federal government passed a law that all companies had to enact a mandatory citizen check on all the employees before they hired them, then they wouldn’t be in danger of hiring illegal immigrants.  In a statement that my research partner put so succinctly, ‘America wouldn’t be as overrun with illegal immigrants if they couldn’t find jobs.’  I completely agree.  If illegal immigrants-mainly Hispanics- couldn’t find jobs in
America then they wouldn’t be in such a hurry to drain our economy of its wealth.  (Which is already happening very rapidly)

Not only are corporations hiring illegal immigrants, but many are also shipping them to and from work, and some are even giving immigrants free housing just so they don’t have to pay extra taxes and insurance on the workers.  Call me bias, but this policy seems extremely unfair.  There are millions of poverty stricken legal citizens in the
United States and they would be more than happy to receive such treatment, yet they aren’t hired because they have ‘to high of standards.’

With the negativities piling up it would seem that the government would do much more about the present situation.   In actuality there is little that is being done.  In 1999 the government passed out 417 notices of “intent to fine” to corporations knowingly hiring illegal immigrants.  In 2004 the number dropped to 3.  Why is this happening?  Because the government is investigating less than 5% of cases that they receive. 

I was appalled by such numbers.  Hardworking American citizens are loosing their jobs daily to such employers and being replaced by people who are doing no more than cause expenses to taxpayers.  Hopefully the people of
America will wake up and take a stand against the injustices that their children will have to pay for.  I hope that this entry will do exactly that.  I hope to speak to you again; spilling the facts one post at a time. 

Armour, Stephanie. “Crackdown on Hiring of Illegal Workers Shifts to Employers.” USA Today. 5 May 2006. 14 Oct. 2007 <http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/employment/2006-05-04-immigration-usat_x.htm>.

   Out of all my previous entries, I am sure that this one may be based on the most unconventional source.  While scouring the web for hidden treasure, I stumbled across an article in the New York Times (yet again) and found an interesting piece written by, Mireya Navarro.  By now, you as the reader must have figured out that I have a slightly bias view on illegal immigration. After reading Navarro’s article though, I was surprised to discover a more personal side to crossing American borders.  

  In the article, Navarro wrote about a Hispanic woman who entered America illegally, and began a living for more than six years.  I chose this article because, although we as Americans scorn the Hispanics for invading our country, sometimes we don’t see why they come.  On the New York Times website, Navarro posted pictures of the contrasting living conditions, and elaborated on the black and white differences of lifestyles.  Irma, the woman, went through so much trouble and heartache to come to
America, only to leave when it seemed like there wasn’t more to offer.  I know it all sounds crazy, but this article really did open my eyes to many more dimensions to the elusive ‘border’ issue.  Never the less, I still haven’t altered my stand on banishing the option of illegal immigration in
America; but now I am wondering if there is another way to approach the issue. 

  Maybe we as Americans, should “step back and look at the bigger picture.” As my teacher would say, and consider at the people instead of the figures.  If there were some way to treat the people themselves in a more personable way, and recognize where they are coming from, then maybe
America could solve the problem in a quicker and more skilful manor.  In some ways it seems heartless and cruel to ship these people back to the places that they came from; but on the other hand, many of them come to
America knowingly breaking our laws and disregarding them.  Many even believe that it is their right to come into
America illegally.  I do not agree with this point of view at all, but after reading this article I certainly regard illegal immigrants with more sympathy than I did beforehand.  I encourage you to read this article also, maybe you can help to change the status quo.

Navarro, Mireya. “Three Sisters- a Series.” The New York Times. 21 Dec. 2006. 7 Oct. 2007 <http://www.nytimes.com/ref/us/three_sisters.html>.

            While further researching the ever imposing topic of illegal immigration, I stumbled upon an article in the New York Times about how the elimination of illegal workers is affecting our employers.  I know that some may think ‘down with the illegal’s!’  But as I read the article I realized how deeply impacting illegal Hispanic people are to our country.

            According to the article, authorities are supposedly initiating a formal crackdown on all employers; forcing them to fire all immigrants without an active social security number.  Now if the reader were to scan farther down the article, they would find that not only are a large population of immigrants without a social security number; but about 70% of those immigrants work in our agricultural department.  How does this impact the average American?  If the United States were to officially eliminate the presence of illegal immigrants from the fields alone,
America would experience a severe drop in our present economy. The ever looming question though, would be ‘how do we solve this crisis without harming our present status?’  Unfortunately the only action that the government has taken has been sending out an extensive amount of letters notifying employers to remove all employment of immigrants who are not on the social security list. This doesn’t appear to be much action does it. As a reader, you are probably wondering ‘if illegal immigrants don’t have social security numbers, but are improving our economy, then what’s the problem?’  To aid in this question, I think that a real life scenario would be best.  As one of the millions of Americans who add to the massive pool called the ‘work force,’ I interact with many Hispanic people on a daily basis.  Since I work in a local clothing department, one of the stimulations of my job is to try to give people as many discounts as I can.  (It sounds crazy I know, but I really do have a great job)  One of these discounts includes our company credit card with an addition discount to the customer’s purchase.  Like any credit card, a social security number is required.  As I was issuing a certain Hispanic customer a card, I discovered that the customer did not have a social security number; therefore they were not a legal citizen of this great country.  Never the less, the customer did not receive the card (or the discount) and I was without a credit card, effecting my overall paycheck and much disliked stack of bills.  After such an extensive analogy, I’m sure you get the point. Yes, employers need the immigrants that construct their work force; but the presence of such illegals also helps create a negative effect on companies that do not employ them.  What can
America do if, according to the article, employers are “scared, and holding their breath” for their very lively hood?  Regrettably, I’m not sure that I can answer such a considerable question.  Hopefully, you as a reader will able to find an answer and assist your fellow countrymen with such a daunting task.  (Please tell me if you have discovered a suitable solution; because I would be elated to hear an answer)–immigration article–

It is a common fact that
U.S. citizens are partial to guarding their money trees.  Recently though, there has been an influx that seems to snatch away the very fruit that we Americans so tenderly water.  As hard working citizens, many can only sit back in relative horror as people of Hispanic nationality pour into our borders a pick the fruit that we worked so hard to grow.  It doesn’t seem fair that the people who have legal rights in this country should be forced to compensate for illegal immigrants financially.  In a fairly recent study, conducted by the Center for Immigration Studies and Census Bureau, show that in 2002 the unpaid tax cost of illegal immigrants bloated to a gross deficit of over ten million dollars (That’s in U.S. dollars, not pesos).  I am sorry to say that the list continues at a frightening rate and that it seems that there can’t be a solution.  In a quote stated by Theodore Roosevelt, he said, “There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. …The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities.”

A question that all American’s should consider is; what if
Roosevelt is right?  Should the citizens of this country turn their backs on the very foundation of ‘equal rights’ to prevent entanglement?  My answer would be that Americans should first gauge the seriousness of our ensnarement.  In a statement by NPR, the annual earnings of U.S. born citizens between 1980 and 2000 have been reduced to 4 percent; and that not only are the influence of illegal immigrants having a negative effect on white and black Americans, but also on legal and U.S-born Hispanic citizens as well.

What should be done about this siphoning of resources and financial stability?  In an address to the nation on immigration reform, President Bush mentioned that the
U.S. must secure its borders before it can move forward.  Also, that amnesty for those who crossed the border unlawfully should not be tolerated.  Americans need to step up and defend their rights to the pursuit of happiness; without worrying if they will have to bounce from paycheck to paycheck and compensate for another’s lack of moral standard.  If illegal immigrants believe that they have a right to pick the fruit of the nation, than I suggest that we pant our trees taller.

“The High Cost of Cheap Labor Illegal Immigration and the Federal Budget.” Center for Immigration Studies. 20 Sept. 2007 http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html.

Roosevelt, Theodore. “Full Listing of Immigration Quotations.” Federation for American Immigration Reform. 20 Sept. 2007 http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=research_researche535#rockefeller.

Davidson, Adam. “Illegal Immigrants and the U.S. Economy.” NPR. 20 Sept. 2007 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5312900.

Bush, George W. “– President Bush Addresses the Nation on Immigration Reform.” The White House. 20 Sept. 2007 <http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/05/20060515-8.html>.