Does It Matter If You're Black or White?

This quarter I have a student doing their final project in part on the racial disparity in our prison system.  It’s an interesting topic, and I’m looking forward to hearing his presentation.  Last week, I happened to come across a short article, which graphically depicted the differences in drug use and arrests between African Americans and Caucasians.  You can check out the graphs here: http://www.upworthy.com/black-and-white-people-use-drugs-at-a-similar-rate-thats-why-the-last-2-graphs-are-so-shocking?c=ufb1

In doing my research for this post, I found the following additional statistics that made it even clearer that something is really wrong with our current justice system. From different penalties for certain drugs, to harsher sentences for certain people, it’s apparent that the racial disparity is real and only getting worse. Consider the following:

·      African Americans are six times more likely to be arrested than Caucasians.

·      1 in 3 African American males can expect to be arrested at some point in their lifetime.

·      Five times as many Caucasians use drugs compared to African Americans, yet African Americans are sent to prison for drug offenses 10 times more often.

·      African Americans and Hispanics were 58% of the prison system in 2008, but only 25 % of the U.S. population.

·      African Americans serve almost as much time in prison (58.7 months) for non-violent drug offenses than Caucasians serve (61.7 months) for violent offenses.

So my question to you this week is, “What do you think causes such a disparity?  Are police, prosecutors and judges all racists?  What can be done to change the system?”  You must answers all three questions for full credit.  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, August 13^th, 2014

Do We Care More About Wealth Or Health?

On Tuesday, I went to the doctor for a long list of things all related to preventative healthcare.  I had a physical done, and since I have asthma, that included a chest x-ray.  I also had blood drawn to test my cholesterol, thyroid and glucose levels.  My entire cost for all these procedures?  Zero.  That's right - thanks to measures in the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, I didn't even have my usual co-pay.  The first week's blog asked you what issues you would like to study this quarter, and Obamacare was at the top of the list.  Since this week's post coincided with my doctor's appointment, I thought this would be a great time to blog about the pros and cons of Obamacare.

You might remember not too long ago when the federal government shutdown. The main issue that caused the shutdown was that Republicans insisted any new spending bill include provisions to defund, derail or otherwise chip away at the Affordable Care Act.  You can read my thoughts and your fellow students' comments on the shutdown here: http://historicalandpoliticalissues.blogspot.com/2013/10/america-shutdown.html

The Affordable Care Act requires all Americans to have health insurance.  Republicans feel it hurts employers because it requires companies with over 50 employees to provide health insurance to their employees.  Opponents to the new law also feel it amounts to over-reaching by the federal government – essentially saying it is not the federal government’s job to mandate healthcare for all citizens - hence, the "socialist" label we discussed in class last week.

Democrats say the law will expand access to healthcare and help reign in the rising costs of healthcare coverage.  The Affordable Care Act prevents those with pre-existing medical conditions from being denied health insurance, eliminates co-pays for preventative care, and allows young adults to stay on their parents’ coverage until 26 years of age.  Supporters also say individuals who have health insurance will no longer have to indirectly pay for emergency visits from individuals who aren’t insured.

I grew up in a household that didn't have health insurance.  I've seen first hand what hospitals bills can look like when you're not covered.  However, I've also spent my career in workforce development.  I've also seen first-hand how companies are less likely to hire full-time employees because they don't want to pay the healthcare mandate.  So my question to you this week is, “What do you think of the Affordable Care Act?  Do you support it or oppose it?  What do you think is a solution to the shutdown?”  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, August 6th, 2014. 

Just for fun, check out this Jimmy Kimble video in which he goes to the street to find out if people support the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare (hint: they’re the same thing). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx2scvIFGjE

And Though She Be But Little - She Is Fierce!

My sister is a high school science teacher, who has a young daughter.  Ever since she had my niece, we’ve both tried to make an effort not to enforce traditional gender stereotypes and to set a good example that women can be whatever they want to be.  So when I came across a video showing the effect social cues can have on a young girl, I knew I not only wanted to share it with my sister, but with all of you as well.

I’ve known for a while now that women are under-represented in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) occupations.  I always assumed most women just didn’t tend to gravitate towards those type of occupations.  It never crossed my mind that social cues were playing a role in how women thought about themselves in terms of what they could achieve.  You can watch the video that changed my thought process here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/24/verizon-ad-tells-parents-to-encourage-girls_n_5526236.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000046&ir=Women  

According to a recent report, “The State of Girls & Women in STEM” conducted by the National Girls Collaborative project, “girls and boys don’t differ in their abilities in math and science, but they do differ in their confidence in math and science related subjects.”  Consider the following statistics I also learned from the report:

·         Males are three times more likely to be interested in STEM college majors and careers.

·         Males make up 53% of the workforce, but 82% of engineering degrees, 82% of computer science degrees, and 81% of physic degrees.

·         Only 1:10 scientists and engineers are minority women.

·         66% of 4^th grade girls say they enjoy math and science, but only 18% major in these fields in college.

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that most STEM occupations make higher wages than their liberal arts counterparts, and individuals in STEM occupations are more likely to climb the corporate ladder and become CEO’s.  Having less women in these occupations make it harder for us to earn comparable wages and promotions.

So my question to you this week is, “What do you think can be done to encourage young girls and women to pursue STEM majors and degrees?  Do you think social cues affect how young women feel about their own abilities?”  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, July 30^th, 2014.

Choose Your Own Adeventure!

I hope you all enjoyed a nice summer break.  It's always hard coming back to school after break. Don't get me wrong, I love teaching and being surrounded by all the crazy, creative energy that is all of you. That being said, it's still hard to get back into the grind. So for our first blog post, I'll go easy on you.

This week we started our study of the Constitution and the freedoms that make us uniquely American. You can order your own free copy of the United States Constitution from: http://www.constitutionfacts.com/index.cfm?section=bookstore&page=freeCopy.cfm

A good portion of this class will be spent discussing current events and political issues that affect our everyday lives. For this post, I would like you to tell me at least one issue that you are interested in studying. To help you out, you can look over the blog posts that we've had in the past several years to get an idea of the type of things we've covered. Many of the topics are pretty controversial and I do my best to not censor the information available to you.

So my question to you this week is, "What is one issue that you are interested in studying in this class?" Answers are due no later than Wednesday, July 23rd, 2014. I'm looking forward to a great quarter!

Your Thoughts and Feedback Are Appreciated!

Usually, I'm happy when the quarter ends, especially when there is a three week break before the next one starts.  This quarter though, I'll have to admit, I'm a little sad.  Many of you I've known for awhile, and some of you I've had for two straight quarters (shot out to the back row!), but all of you I've had for the last time. Due to a promotion I got at my other job, I've decided to only teach one class here at AI, and the class I chose is this one.  I'm blessed to have two jobs that I love.  But I'm still sad.  You never made coming to class feel like work.  You were loud, creative and funny, but I hope you also learned something along the way.  It’s been a pleasure getting to know all of you this quarter and I hope that you stay in touch, and continue to post on the blog whenever you want.

With that being said, my final question to you is, “What did you like or dislike about the class?  What could I do to make the class better?”  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, June 18th, 2014. After that, the blog will be down until class resumes next quarter. Hope all of you have a great summer break and a Happy 4th of July (one of my favorite holidays!)  To our class veterans: I loved hearing the perspective you brought to our class.  I'm in awe of you and I thank you for your service!   And I'm out.....

Have Dress Codes Gone Too Far? - Part 2

Last week, I read an article about Wasatch High School in Utah, which digitally altered students’ yearbook photos, including adding sleeves to tank tops, raising necklines, and in one case, removing a tattoo. You can check out the photos and the alterations here: http://www.aol.com/article/2014/05/29/students-upset-after-school-alters-yearbook-photos-to-show-less/20894900/.

Several students said they’ve worn these outfits on school grounds and never heard from school officials that they were violating the dress code. Students are outraged that their photos were altered without their consent, and say this is a violation of their free speech.

The Wasatch School District said students were warned images might be altered if students violated the dress code.  The dress code mentions clothing will be “modest” and include “covering shoulders, midriff, back and underwear at all times”.   

Last week, we studied free speech in class, so my question to you this week is, “Should students have the right to wear what they want to class, or does the school have the right to enforce a dress code?  Do you think the Wasatch dress code goes to far?”  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, June 11^th, 2014.

Yes, ALL Women

By now, you’ve probably all heard about Elliot Rodger, who went on a murderous rampage last weekend, killing six students from the University of California, Santa Barbara and leaving thirteen others wounded.  In an over 100-page manifesto, Rodger detailed his plan to ‘destroy everything I cannot have,” blaming the “cruelness of women” for leading to his “day of retribution.”  Unfortunately, I’ve blogged numerous times about gun violence and mass shootings, so that’s not what I’m dedicating this post to.  If you’re interested in reading any of those posts, you can use the word “shooting” in the search bar. 

Rather, what struck me about this incident was the Twitter conversation #YesAllWomen that sprung up shortly after the shooting and has continued trending all week.  The conversation centered around the fact that obviously not all men sexually abuse or kill women, but ALL women have dealt with gender discrimination, sexual harassment and/or sexual abuse.  You can check out the conversation on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/hashtag/YesAllWomen?src=tren

I found this conversation to be disheartening.  I already knew women are making less than men with the same education and skills.  I knew rapes and sexual assaults occur more frequently than any of us know, and often go unreported. And yes, I knew that women are oftentimes harassed, catcalled, and taunted just for being women, but I hadn’t really thought about the systematic, widespread culture that works against women on an everyday basis. Yes – ALL women!

So my question to you this week is two-fold: For the ladies – “Do you agree that all women face these kinds of issues? Have you had any experiences like the ones in #YesAllWomen that you would like to share?”  For the men – “Do you feel like all men get a bad rap, based off the actions of a few?  What do you think can be done to ensure equality in all aspects of life for both men and women?”  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, June 4^th, 2014.

To kick off the conversation, I’ll start!  In college, unbeknownst to me, a guy followed me home from the club one night.  When he knocked at my door, I thought it was a friend who had just dropped me off, so I opened it.  He was very drunk, and very forceful in his demands that “I wanted it and had been asking for it all night.”   Thankfully, I was able to get out of his grasp and run outside where my screams alerted my neighbors.  I’d like to think that if I had been raped that night, I would’ve instantly reported it and submitted to a rape kit, but honestly, I’m not so sure.  Perhaps I would’ve been so mentally and physically broken that I wouldn’t have had the strength to do just that.  It makes my heart hurt for all women who’ve had to endure such assaults.  Since I’ve started my professional career there have been numerous occasions in which I’ve seen gender discrimination in the workplace.  No, it hasn’t been blatant – but then again, it doesn’t have to be.  I’ve been in meetings in which as the only woman, I’ve been asked to get the coffee.  I’ve made executive decisions, and then had individuals go to my male counterpart for confirmation.  It doesn’t make me a victim – it just means I have to work that much harder to be successful.  It makes me stronger, and it makes me look for ways in which I can help other young women succeed in the workplace.  I don’t know if ALL women have faced these issues, but I know for sure, me and my friends have.