Research on Preemie Babies Leads to Lives Saved
Imagine a tiny baby, born four months too early, struggling for his life in a tiny incubator inside one of the nation’s Neonatal Intensive Care Units. He is one of thousands of babies born too early in the United States each year. He is at greater risk for brain hemorrhages, blindness and developmental problems. Since the lungs are the last part of the human body to develop inside the womb, it is respiratory problems that plague most of these fragile human beings.It’s often said that research can lead to life-saving medicines or procedures. In the case of preemie babies, the evidence of that is documented and easy to see.The March of Dimes, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising money for research on prematurity and how it can be prevented, funded research that resulted in the application of “Lung surfactant” in preemies. Lung surfactant is the slimy substance on the lungs that allows them to open and close, pumping air in and out. It also happens to be one of the last things to form in the human body, so many preemies are born without it, unable to breathe.The research mentioned discovered that surfactant can actually be borrowed from calves and pigs and transplanted into premature human beings, allowing them to breathe. These findings have led to hundreds, of not thousands of babies born as early of 25 weeks of gestation to live, whereas if they would have been born before this research was conducted, they would have had no chance of survival.This raises the question: how involved should the US government be in allocating funding toward life-saving research like this? To think of how money could directly impact the war on cancer, the fight to eradicate Alzheimer’s, and studies on the factors leading to Schizophrenia is a thought worth pondering.
Humanitarianism After the Shock Factor Wears Off
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It is always heartening to see humanitarian aid flow in from around the world shortly after a natural disaster strikes. Somehow, it is a comfort to those watching from their televisions thousands of miles away, to know that despite the fact that they can’t do much to help, help is nonetheless on its way.One of the most vivid examples of the outpouring of international humanitarian aid after a crisis was in the earthquake that rocked Haiti in January of 2010. Although it took a few days due to the obliterated infrastructure of Haiti’s roads and airports, help did arrive, with the United States leading the way. Many doctors unselfishly volunteered their skills and time, working with both the government and private groups. The money alone that Americans doled out of their pockets to organizations like The American Red Cross surpassed the expectations of many of the charities themselves.But what happens when the “shock factor” wears off in such a humanitarian crisis, as it always does? Who is left to pick up the pieces of reclaiming property, restructuring programs, and establishing a status quo again after all the foreigners leave?This task often belongs to the locals, despite the fact that their infrastructure has been demolished. Again, Haiti has been a classic example. Once the broken bones were set and the dead buried, many aid groups packed up and left. What remained for months upon months were enormous tent cities of refugees who now had a new way of life, completely different from before.Long-term strategic planning and rebuilding is something that should be added to humanitarian groups’ emergency response plans. If the USA and its humanitarian groups are going to give aid to its neighbors in crisis, as they rightly should, then they should ensure that the aid is best used by employing long-term solutions, not just quick-fixes.
‘Corporate Welfare’ and the Green Party
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The 52 words of the preamble to the US Constitution include the phrase “promote the general welfare” as one of the objectives for creating the Constitution. In today’s setup in Washington, D.C., however, the welfare of corporations is more of a priority than that of the general public. The concentration of wealth, coupled with a lack of governmental regulation on corporations and their exchanges with lawmakers, has allowed corporations to amass power and control over the creation of law. Although it is illegal for a corporation to donate directly to a federal candidate, the leaders of corporations get around this by hosting lavish fundraisers as individuals and inviting their wealthy colleagues to donate money to the candidate who is sympathetic to their cause. Judicial rulings in recent years have only been more favorable to corporations when it comes to prorate political spending. Now, instead of a government “Of the people, by the people and for the people,” it is one that is “of corporations, by corporations and for corporations.” These shadowy power-mongers operate in backrooms and at expensive galas. They exchange information through their devoted lobbyists, many of whom worked as lawmakers, or for a lawmaker immediately prior to becoming a lobbyist. The connections are many, and the implications are even more abundant. The stamp on “corporate welfare” came in the form of a bailout, when large financial institutions and auto manufacturers were propped up by taxpayer money. Due to their lack of regulation, corporations are also given carte blanche over what they do to the planet, and its inhabitants. When a corporation becomes so massive that it crosses dozens of national borders and has no real face, it becomes too powerful to hold to any real rules. For the sake of true democracy, rule by the people, it is time for the United States to reevaluate what defines a corporation, and to establish laws that ensure these corporations do more good than they do harm.
Foreign Language in America: It Wasn’t That Long Ago
Muni Bonds vs BAB Bonds, Investment, and Our Society
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Hermits may have no need for investment, but people who live in society have a duty to regularly and prudently invest in as many diverse instruments as they can. This helps a society establish itself on a strong economic footing because ultimately, it is your investment that forms the liquid capital with which a society carries out its various activities. Bonds are an important form of investment. People buy government bonds because of the security that they offer. Although bonds can yield less than other forms of investment like stocks, they provide steady income in the long run. That is why long term investors like to hedge their investments with bonds.
There are two types of bonds, municipal or muni bonds and BAB or Build America Bonds. Muni bonds vs BAB bonds is a hotly debated topic among investors. Municipal bonds usually come with tax exemption, although they yield less than BABs. BABs are issued by local and state governments, and the interest generated and accrued for bondholders is taxable. It is usual for BABs to attract foreign investment. Foreign investors are often more interested in BABs because of their high yield.
In society, investing in bonds is usually done by people of a certain economic status, the so-called middle class. People with a great deal of money often go for stocks or other riskier forms of investment. While society welcomes such risky investment to spur productive development and growth, people of lesser means are wise to hedge their investment bets. Unless you play it smart, you run the risk of becoming a burden to society if you lose big with a portfolio of stocks. Some people see stocks as formalized gambling where big risks can reap big rewards. However, it’s only those who can afford big loses who should attempt this kind of investment.
The Flag as Anything But
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If you come across an elderly military veteran, ask him or her about how the American flag should be respected. More likely than not, you will hear details about decorum, folding, respect and etiquette. At one time in American history, the flag was the flag, and nothing more. It was flown on flagpoles and waved as a banner on the battlefield. It appeared in official American or military logos. But it was not a style icon as it is used today.This casual regard truly bothered some military veterans who fought for the freedoms the flag represented. To go to the mall and see teenage girls with patches of the US Flag draped over their derrieres, or to see it appear, in part, on children’s’ tattered shoes still makes some Americans shake their heads in disgust.One of the more touching signs of respect for the American flag was caught on a security camera in 2010, when a homeless man came across a flagpole that had crashed to the ground in a thunderstorm. The man retrieved the flag from the ground, and in the pouring rain, took time and great effort to fold it properly in its triangular shape.The liberties Americans are granted when it comes to the national flag makes visitors from some other nations shake their heads too, but for different reasons.Someone who has lived in mainland China under the People’s Republic of China finds it incredible that Americans have the right to “express” themselves by burning the flag, if they so choose.It’s hard to know what Betsy Ross, who legend says sewed the first American flag, would think about this. It may be easier to imagine what George Washington or Abraham Lincoln would have thought. The irony of using the freedoms granted by a nation symbolized by the very symbol you are effacing would likely make them shake their heads, too.
Race Relations: How Far Have we Really Come?
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It’s surprising to some parents how their children can go to school and pick up bad words or bad habits. But what some parents have been completely shocked about is that their children have been picking up racism in schools.A study carried out by CNN in public schools across America tested both young elementary school children, and older, junior high children for racist tendencies. The results were stunning, especially to the children’s own parents. When young Caucasian girls were presented with pictures of five dolls, ranging from light skin tone to dark, they inevitably picked out the doll with light skin for having good traits, and the doll with the dark skin and being deviant.The same was true in reverse: African American children were more likely to choose lighter colored dolls as being mean or dishonest.When Americans start to think that they’ve come a long way regarding race, they are right. And yet, there is still a long way to go.It just takes one scenario like the 2010 spat between the NAACP and the Tea Party movement to see just how sensitive the topic of race still is in the US.For years, the trend was for parents to raise their children to be “color blind,” seeing other children, and people in general, for what they were on the inside, not the color of their skin.Nowadays, however, the term “color neutral” is preferred. That’s because if you ignore the issue of race completely, you’re not educating a child. You’re sweeping something under the rug that, to a child, is very obvious—people are different. Why not explain where the pigmentation comes from, and the histories of various peoples, so that there’s no ambiguity or fear on behalf of children when it comes to interacting with those who are different than them?
Raising Children in a Society Where Discipline is Ever-Changing
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Working with children has always presented both its rewards and challenges. One of the most difficult, and controversial, aspects of working with kids in today’s society is discipline.Parents and teachers in the USA have made a move away from corporal punishment, or “spanking,” and toward reasoning with the misbehaving child. Non-violent methods of punishment now typically involve putting the child in “time out,” on the “Naughty Rug,” or taking away “benefits,” like a nighttime story or song.Parenting magazines and television shows like “Super Nanny” reinforce these tactics. Spanking, they say, teaches violence. In many schools across America today, the teacher or administrator will sit down with the child and ask the following questions: “What are the repercussions of your actions?” or “Do you think that was a good decision?”Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn’t. Ultimately, the issue comes down to what is discipline, and what is abuse? And what impact does corporal punishment have on a child’s well-being?Family courts in the United States are beginning to frown upon corporal punishment as a form of discipline. Some courts define abuse as leaving a physical mark on the child. Some European nations like Sweden have outlawed corporal punishment in schools and homes for decades. In the United States, however, spanking is still entrenched in the culture of many regions and communities.Right now, wide discrepancy is given to parents to ultimately decide how to discipline their children. Parents who were themselves spanked as children are more likely to spank their own children. The danger lies in whenever a parent or teacher raises a hand or paddle to strike a child out of anger, not out of a sense of regimented discipline. That is the point at which the adult has lost control over the situation, and the point at which the child ultimately loses.
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The Fall of the Newspaper: What it Means for Society
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The evolution of America’s newspaper press has seen good days and bad. It’s seen the rise of “Yellow Journalism,” in which sensationalism and tabloid headlines screamed of half-truths. It’s seen the much more respectable era of the Pentagon Papers and the investigative reporting that led to the unraveling of the Watergate scandal. To this day, politicians and leaders in the corporate world know their greatest watchdog is the nation’s media. And yet, the silent death of newspapers is imminent. It’s been a tough several years for the nation’s newspapers, both large and small. Furloughs, layoffs, and major reductions of staff have changed the face of the nation’s mainstream press. The main reason is a loss of subscriptions, due primarily to the Internet. The younger generation, for the most part, does not see the point in purchasing a hard copy of the newspaper when most papers publish a good portion of their content online. Old-timers lament the imminent loss of sitting down with a cup of coffee over the daily news. This loss of revenue has led to the shutting down of entire departments in some papers; in others, the pages have been reduced. Hardly a newspaper in the nation has the means to pay for investigative reporters anymore, because they require doing so much work “in the trenches” before ever producing a single story. What this means is a loss of one of America’s, and democracy’s, dearest friends: the newspaper. Other, more specific, publications have and will continue to pop up in their place. But the newspaper always had its eye on the community it served. When its pages are cut, and its staff are reduced, it cannot report on as wide a scope as it once did. For the larger newspaper, this means it cannot be as much of a watchdog as it once was.
