Baltimore Riots #BlackLivesMatter

Talk about oppressed racial discrimination. This story about the riots and attacking a car full of white people simply because they were white is amazing.... this movement has me at a loss for words

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/04/25/war-zone-baltimore-erupts-into-violence-chaos-as-blacklivesmatter-riots-rage/

I question the purpose of fighting for equality... What about these white people who were doing no harm...?

optional standardized test...

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/24/nyregion/only-alternative-for-some-students-sitting-out-standardized-tests-do-nothing.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

I have been reading a lot about this new optional standardized tests, and I wonder, what makes a parent qualified to decide if their child is advanced enough to sit out on certain tests. This made me think a lot about what I have been observing, valuing education. I am not sure how I feel about this. I think that tests like this are administered for a reason and should not be optional. They are created to analyze or expand a childs knowledge.

I think that not all parents are educated enough to make this decision and do not understand the meaning or importance of the tests. I wonder if the parents choices will influence the level of effort the child puts into his or her education. As well as if they will learn that tests are not important and in the future not value education.

Literacy in Cuba

Before the Revolution in 1959 there was only a literacy rate of 60-76% due to the lack of educators and resources. In 1961 the government sent "literacy brigades" in and constructed schools and trained educators. This campaign was "a remarkable success", and by the completion of the campaign, 707,212 adults were taught to read and write, raising the national literacy rate to 96%.

What TV actually shows us....

As I watched TV the past couple of days, I think back on our conversations of individualism.... We are supposed to have a sense of individuality influencing our decisions and lifestyles HOWEVER, television is depicting how society should view things. For example American Idol. As a whole, America is watching live performances and judging the performers not taking into account that they are all different and everyone has different taste in music. We are encouraged and taught that judging is acceptable. Another example when I was watching Real House Wives of Hollywood. These women were referring to the gay community as "my gays" and were planning a private party to host as a "mixer" for gay men to meet each other. There was a "shortage of tops" (referring to gay men who prefer to be on top during sex). What television is teaching us here is that it is acceptable to talk about gay men as a different breed, and to also talk about sex life publicly...... TV has evolved into shaping the minds of Americans to think certain things, and limit the private life of ones household...

These women on Real House Wives, are women of wealthy families and their lifestyle is something that is desired... Their inappropriate gestures are acceptable and often enjoyed... 

Procter & Gamble

Procter & Gamble are the host of 23 popular brands. The following website is the host to information about the company.

http://www.pg.com/en_US/brands/index.shtml?category=hair

The total Annual Gross Revenue is as follows for the year of 2014:

Total Revenue 83,062,000   Cost of Revenue 42,460,000

The CEO of Procter & Gamble A. G. Lafley made $19, 504, 353 in 2014.

Amazing Grace

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article. I thought the way that Kozol wrote the article made it engaging and he delivered some pretty serious, "uncomfortable" topics in a way that made it appealing. For example discussing the different homicides like the example of the mother who was holding her child and was shot and the child suffered from a gunshot in the stomach as well. After I read that I was so engaged. I learned that on the same street there had been many more homicides. I think it was very interesting how Kozol emphasized the connection of drugs, homicides, and suicides to the area in which surrounds it all. I especially liked how there was the mention of the rural area of Mississippi having similarities to New York City. Two completely different demographic areas  both suffer from common problems like drug use and the income imbalance.

I was incredibly moved with the story about the boy shot in the head in the park. To recognize his death people hung teddy bears from the trees. What touched me was how when he was talking to the boy about what the teddy bears stood for he completely removed his emotion and even avoided the conversation by changing the subject.

Another thing that really touched me was the conversation about the waste incinerator. When asked if she was insulted about the placement of the incinerator she said ""It used to," she replies. "The truth is, you get used to the ofTense. There's trashy things all over. There's a garbage dump three blocks away. Then there's all the trucks that come through stinking up the air, heading for the Hunts Point Market. Drivers get their drugs there and their prostitutes." This bothered me why should anyone get used to being associated with "trashy".

This article was very unique. But what stays with me is the different stories of homicides that occurred and the removal of emotion and how people dismiss things that are important and should not necessarily be dismissed.

Side note: this may not be completely appropriate... but in regards to suicide the most significant thought I had throughout this entire article is "Gosh would I wanna live like this or would I just wanna die?" If I was diagnosed with AIDS and knew my death was inevitable (after reading about those stories) would I want to kill myself??...

Poverty Levels in the United States

There is an astonishing level of people who live in poverty in the United States. The United States breaks poverty into different categories, depending on the different types of households. The University of Michigan's National Poverty Center studied and broke down the statistics. click here for statistics, they claim that 15.1 percent of people in 2010 lived in poverty which is equivalent to 39.3 million persons.  They break children into different categories.

Children Under 18 Living in Poverty, 2010
Category	Number (in thousands)	Percent
All children under 18	16, 401	22.0
White only, non-Hispanic	5,002	12.4
Black	4,817	38.2
Hispanic	6,110	35.0
Asian	547	13.6

SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010, Report P60, n. 238, Table B-2, pp. 68-73.

They identify the different ethnicity groups and break down the number of children who are suffering of poverty both in number and percent. 

First Class Reflection

I have to say, I am eager to dive into this course. I think that there is a lot I can learn and I am excited to start. I enjoyed the first class and meeting everyone. I think that we have a great group of individuals and look forward to learning about how everyone else thinks and how they differ from my thought process.