Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/27/us/immigration-ruling-leaves-issues-unresolved.html?ref=us
Summary: Arizona enforced a controversial immigration law that includes racial profiling of Latinos. There have since been many protesters opposing this newly enacted law.
Analysis: The immigration law requires that Latino people in Arizona be racially profiled, and are asked to show their papers proving their American citizenship. This seems to be a major violation of civil rights on the part of the state. Groups protesting the law make a valid point in saying that the only way police will be able to target and find illegal immigrants is by singling out all those that look "foreign". It seems justifiable that the Latino populations in Arizona would protest this act. The executive director of the National Immigration Law Center reflected similar thoughts, stating, "This type of law is almost impossible to enforce in a racially neutral way, without leading to civil rights violations against people of color" (New York Times). After reading this article, I was amazed to find out that Arizona is not the only state to enact such a law. Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina, and Utah have all passed immigration laws in some variation of Arizona's. It sickens me to think that racial profiling and civil injustice are still so prevalent in our society. The Latino populations in American are just as prevalent as other races in the country. The laws passed could essentially pollute all of the states, and all of the forward steps that have been made for civil rights will be erased. This issue also interests me because I will be student teaching in a primarily Latino neighborhood in the fall. I'm interested to see how my students and families will react to similar issues, and if there will be a sense of justice or civil unrest in the neighborhood I teach in.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
Eco Friendly Cities
Article: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120503-sustainable-cities-on-the-rise?selectorSection=science-environment
Summary: Tianjin, China is quickly transforming from major wasteland to an environmental eco-city.
Analysis: Near Tianjin is a city being built from the ground up, to house the increasingly populated urbanization and industrialization of China. Many cities are overrun with pollution and parts of the low-income populations become part of the slums, or "urban villages" (Vince 1). The idea behind this eco-city is to build a green environment from the ground up, removing pollution through innovative green living. The housing developments are built to be energy efficient and the city as a whole will produce low-carbon emissions because of the careful city planning and environmentally friendly infrastructure. The housing will be for people of all-incomes, which is new to many Chinese residents. The idea behind this is that "being green isn't a luxury, it's an affordable necessity" (Vince 3). The implementation of healthy living for people of all incomes and backgrounds is an important idea that should be transferred throughout the world, from third world countries to the capitalist U.S. The world we live in is a polluted one. If we don't work hard now, the future sustainability of our planet is in great danger. The concept of an eco-city is one that can be implemented anywhere in the world. Environmental awareness should be raised, and the city in Tianjin is doing just that. Raising eco-awareness as a community is the most successful way to help the earth become a greener place, because people are working together closely for a common cause.
Summary: Tianjin, China is quickly transforming from major wasteland to an environmental eco-city.
Analysis: Near Tianjin is a city being built from the ground up, to house the increasingly populated urbanization and industrialization of China. Many cities are overrun with pollution and parts of the low-income populations become part of the slums, or "urban villages" (Vince 1). The idea behind this eco-city is to build a green environment from the ground up, removing pollution through innovative green living. The housing developments are built to be energy efficient and the city as a whole will produce low-carbon emissions because of the careful city planning and environmentally friendly infrastructure. The housing will be for people of all-incomes, which is new to many Chinese residents. The idea behind this is that "being green isn't a luxury, it's an affordable necessity" (Vince 3). The implementation of healthy living for people of all incomes and backgrounds is an important idea that should be transferred throughout the world, from third world countries to the capitalist U.S. The world we live in is a polluted one. If we don't work hard now, the future sustainability of our planet is in great danger. The concept of an eco-city is one that can be implemented anywhere in the world. Environmental awareness should be raised, and the city in Tianjin is doing just that. Raising eco-awareness as a community is the most successful way to help the earth become a greener place, because people are working together closely for a common cause.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Fever = Autism?
Article:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/04/fever-in-pregnancy-tied-to-autism-risk/?ref=health
Summary:
According to a recent study published by The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, running a fever during pregnancy is associated with a risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and developmental delays in babies.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/04/fever-in-pregnancy-tied-to-autism-risk/?ref=health
Summary:
According to a recent study published by The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, running a fever during pregnancy is associated with a risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and developmental delays in babies.
Analysis:
As a future special education teacher, and current preschool teacher's assistant, I am very interested in child development and causes of disorders in early development. It seems that a fever is a minor issue in comparison to other causes of autism during pregnancy, such as measles, mumps, and influenza. According to the study, pregnant women who had a fever during pregnancy were twice as likely to have a child with a developmental disorder compared to women that did not have a fever during pregnancy. These results are shocking, especially considering the increasing numbers of children identified as having special needs. The fact that an untreated fever can cause autism in children makes me worry about having my own children someday. As a future special education teacher and as someone that has worked with ASD students, it is important to educate and prepare these students for the future. It is even more important to educate future mothers about the causes of developmental disorders, and to help increase awareness of how to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy child. The more knowledge there is about autism and its causes, the easier it will be to help mother's make the right medical choices during pregnancy so that there are less children born with developmental disorders.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Deadly Plane Crash in Nigeria
Article:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/04/world/africa/nigeria-plane-crash/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
Summary:
Plane disasters in Africa: A plane carrying 153 crashed in a residential area of Lagos, Nigeria on Sunday, June 3. There were no survivors. The Dana Air flight crashed into a building several miles from the airport, killing everyone in the building and the immediate area. On Saturday, the day before, a Boeing 727 overshot the runway in Ghana and hit a passenger bus, killing ten people. Nigeria's deadliest air disaster was in 1991 with a Nigerian Airways plane crash, killing all 261 members on board.
Analysis:
The most recent plane crash in Nigeria raises a lot of questions. The plane was said to be in good working order, and was routinely checked every 200 hours. There were many nationalities present on the Dana Air flight. The cause of the crash is still unknown. Was this crash an accident or an act of terrorism over the most densely populated city in Nigeria? Dana Air is a private company based in Lagos. Does the fact that it is a private company change the regulations and standards of safe flying? The fact that there has been more than one plane crash just this weekend, in addition to a large plane crash in the 90s makes me weary to think about. How dangerous is it to fly in the present when there has been a plane crash with an unknown cause, wrecking a major area of Lagos. Was it an accident, or yet another version of what Americans experienced with the events of 9/11? Everyone should feel safe to travel, and should feel safe in their homes. Unfortunately, this is not the case, especially for Nigerians after the devastating plane crash this weekend. I can't imagine losing friends and family to a plane crash with no warning. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those involved in the crash.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/04/world/africa/nigeria-plane-crash/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
Summary:
Plane disasters in Africa: A plane carrying 153 crashed in a residential area of Lagos, Nigeria on Sunday, June 3. There were no survivors. The Dana Air flight crashed into a building several miles from the airport, killing everyone in the building and the immediate area. On Saturday, the day before, a Boeing 727 overshot the runway in Ghana and hit a passenger bus, killing ten people. Nigeria's deadliest air disaster was in 1991 with a Nigerian Airways plane crash, killing all 261 members on board.
Analysis:
The most recent plane crash in Nigeria raises a lot of questions. The plane was said to be in good working order, and was routinely checked every 200 hours. There were many nationalities present on the Dana Air flight. The cause of the crash is still unknown. Was this crash an accident or an act of terrorism over the most densely populated city in Nigeria? Dana Air is a private company based in Lagos. Does the fact that it is a private company change the regulations and standards of safe flying? The fact that there has been more than one plane crash just this weekend, in addition to a large plane crash in the 90s makes me weary to think about. How dangerous is it to fly in the present when there has been a plane crash with an unknown cause, wrecking a major area of Lagos. Was it an accident, or yet another version of what Americans experienced with the events of 9/11? Everyone should feel safe to travel, and should feel safe in their homes. Unfortunately, this is not the case, especially for Nigerians after the devastating plane crash this weekend. I can't imagine losing friends and family to a plane crash with no warning. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those involved in the crash.
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