News
March 28, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/opinion/29kristof.html?ref=opinion
As Americans contemplate how to combat their financial problems, larger problems are escalating around the world. Haiti is a place that is hurting indirectly from America’s recession. Many Haitian families rely on the husbands that work in America to send back money to pay for school and food. Now that the recession has come, jobs are harder to find and keep, and many Haitian children cannot afford school anymore. Not only are children pulling out of school, but food is becoming too expensive as well. A 10 year old boy and his mother had to part ways because the father lost his job in America and could not provide for his family; the boy found refuge in an abandoned car. In one school in Port-au-Prince, enrollment fell from 150 to 60, and in a hospital, the number of patients admitted for malnutrition doubled. Children are dying from hunger.
However, there are bright stars from America that have put the Haitians first. Sasha Kramer and Sarah Brownell are two women that created a group called SOIL which deals with two of the greatest challenges to mankind: sanitation and agriculture. The women have set up dry composting toilets that turn human waste into fertilizer. The yearlong composting process is said to rid the waste of viruses, making it safe to use. The compost can then be used by farmers to exponentially increase their meager harvests, more than doubling the country’s food production.
Sasha and Sarah serve as prime examples of what Americans should work towards. The ladies are being productive and positive in a time of woe. They aren’t complaining or blaming possible causes of the recession, but they are looking out for those in the world that are suffering far greater struggles than most of us are in America. It’s easy to sit back and complain, but it takes a real person to go out and work to aid those around him.
January 31, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/01/us/politics/01illinois.html?ref=us
This article is about Illinois’ relief of removing former Governor Blagojevich. People all over Illinois celebrated in all sorts of manners; one man even brought a cake to work that said “Blago is gone”. However, the issue of corruption in politics does not end with Blagojevich. Illinois is known for political corruption, and Blagojevich is just one of the many politicians who are corrupt. Blagojevich said himself that there were definitely others who were scared of turning up on the FBI’s recorded phone calls.
Illinois has been pushing for reforms and changes to the way they do politics, and the new governor has already come up with a plan.
This whole situation only adds to my skepticism of politicians and their credibility. Perhaps power really does get to one’s head. Blagojevich got greedy with what he had and wanted more. He resorted to bribery and lies in order to get more votes or collect more money, both of which are trivial things. This is a prime example of the nature of man. We are never satisfied for very long with any one thing. We always want new things to satisfy our desires that end up disappointing us half of the time. Perhaps Blagojevich was dissatisified with being Governor and wanted more. He could have done so had he not turned to foolish ways. If he had been a proper and upstanding governor, things may have been different today. However, he resorted to his desires and payed for it.
