Just before 5:00 p.m. on January 12th, a massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck in Haiti, just 10 miles from the nation’s capital of Port-au-Prince. As of this writing, the death toll has been listed as 170,000 however officials have said that the true death toll may never be known, as bodies still lay under the rubble. In the aftermath of this terrible tragedy, countries from around the world rushed to start a massive relief effort. The United States has led the way, with President Obama promising the people of Haiti “You will not be forgotten”. To date, the United States has donated $394,395,253 to the Haiti relief effort. This staggering number reflects the United States government aid, and does not include individual donations raised through foundations such as the Red Cross, Yele Haiti, or UNICEF.
The United States has a long history of extending a helping hand to people oversees who are struggling to make a better life, recover from disaster and/or live in a free/democratic country. Spending less than ½ of 1% of the federal budget, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided economic, development and humanitarian assistance around the world since shortly after WWII. According to the USAID website, this assistance “supports the foreign policy goals of the United States”.
Helping people out in their time of need seems like the right thing to do. So how has it become so controversial? It light of our own economic problems, some feel the money should be spent right here at home. In addition, many question how the money is spent and to whom it is given. Some of the countries the United States gives aid to might just surprise you: Iran, Libya, Yemen, Sudan, Cuba, Afghanistan and North Korea. This causes people to wonder whether the money actually reaches the people who reside there, or if it is given to the governments, many of which we do not politically support.
So my question to you this week is, “Do you think the United States government should continue to provide economic, development and humanitarian assistance around the world? Why or why not?” Answers are due no later than Thursday, February 4th, 2010. Be sure to sign your name and designate your class to receive full credit.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
President Obama - One Year Later
I would be remiss this week, if I did not devote a portion of the blog to the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12th, 2010. Next week, I plan to post a question to you regarding United States assistance to countries affected by natural disasters. Until then, if you would like to donate to the relief effort, you can do so by clicking on the following link: http://www.redcross.org/
This week marked the one-year anniversary of President Obama’s inauguration. As I look back on that moment, it seems a lot has changed. I remember the night of the election and the hope that so many seemed to feel. I remember how as I watched his speech in Chicago, it ceased to be about politics for me and became more about living history.
When President Obama took office, he was faced with crisis of epic proportions on both the foreign and domestic front. Within his first year, the President laid out a plan for withdrawing troops from Iraq, while simultaneously increasing troops in Afghanistan. He passed a historic economic stimulus package, and saw our economy slowly start to recover, while unemployment rates remained high. He proposed sweeping healthcare reform legislation, which Congress is still struggling to pass.
As I reflect on President Obama’s first year in office, I am both grateful and disappointed. I am grateful the economy is starting to recover and that so many felt the effects of the stimulus. I am grateful that more “green” programs are available and funding for renewable resources has increased. I am grateful that our image around the world is starting to become more positive. However, the year has also come with disappointments. I am disappointed that unemployment is still so high and healthcare reform has yet to pass. I am disappointed and saddened that lives are still being lost in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of all, I am disappointed that all the hope we seemed to feel just one year ago, has slipped away and that politics have gone back to the usual. So my question to you this week is “How would you rate President Obama’s first year in office? What have liked or disliked about his policies?” Answers are due no later than Thursday, January 28th, 2010. Make sure you sign your name and designate your class.
This week marked the one-year anniversary of President Obama’s inauguration. As I look back on that moment, it seems a lot has changed. I remember the night of the election and the hope that so many seemed to feel. I remember how as I watched his speech in Chicago, it ceased to be about politics for me and became more about living history.
When President Obama took office, he was faced with crisis of epic proportions on both the foreign and domestic front. Within his first year, the President laid out a plan for withdrawing troops from Iraq, while simultaneously increasing troops in Afghanistan. He passed a historic economic stimulus package, and saw our economy slowly start to recover, while unemployment rates remained high. He proposed sweeping healthcare reform legislation, which Congress is still struggling to pass.
As I reflect on President Obama’s first year in office, I am both grateful and disappointed. I am grateful the economy is starting to recover and that so many felt the effects of the stimulus. I am grateful that more “green” programs are available and funding for renewable resources has increased. I am grateful that our image around the world is starting to become more positive. However, the year has also come with disappointments. I am disappointed that unemployment is still so high and healthcare reform has yet to pass. I am disappointed and saddened that lives are still being lost in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of all, I am disappointed that all the hope we seemed to feel just one year ago, has slipped away and that politics have gone back to the usual. So my question to you this week is “How would you rate President Obama’s first year in office? What have liked or disliked about his policies?” Answers are due no later than Thursday, January 28th, 2010. Make sure you sign your name and designate your class.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
A Dream Deferred
As we all know, Monday is Dr. Martin Luther King Day. Like everyone else, I enjoy getting a day off, especially one that results in a three-day weekend. That being said, it struck me that having the day off of school or work is hardly honoring Dr. King’s memory. In fact, many times, Rosa Parks, the Montgomery bus boycott and of course, Dr. King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, are all students receive when it comes to cultral awareness and diversity.
I never learned about the “Trail of Tears” that Native Americans took west as they were forced off of their land. I never learned about Caesar Chavez and the important work he did on behalf of the migrant worker. I never learned anything about African-American history except what was contained in one to two pages in my history book. Most ironic, I never ever learned anything about Arab-Americans or the Muslim religion. I was a college student before I realized all of the things that had been left out of my education over the years. It made me wonder what other things had been left out of my studies and more importantly, why?
So for our first blog, in honor of Dr. King, my question to you is, "Do you think our educational system does a good job of educating students when it comes to cultural history? Why or why not?" Answers are due no later than Thursday, January 21st, 2010. Please make sure that you sign your name and designate your class to receive full credit!
I never learned about the “Trail of Tears” that Native Americans took west as they were forced off of their land. I never learned about Caesar Chavez and the important work he did on behalf of the migrant worker. I never learned anything about African-American history except what was contained in one to two pages in my history book. Most ironic, I never ever learned anything about Arab-Americans or the Muslim religion. I was a college student before I realized all of the things that had been left out of my education over the years. It made me wonder what other things had been left out of my studies and more importantly, why?
So for our first blog, in honor of Dr. King, my question to you is, "Do you think our educational system does a good job of educating students when it comes to cultural history? Why or why not?" Answers are due no later than Thursday, January 21st, 2010. Please make sure that you sign your name and designate your class to receive full credit!
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