What Should be the Most Important Priorities in the United States Today?

Personally, I believe that the issue of global warming should be Americans' top priority. By handling global warming through recycling, reusing, or simply going green, the Americans will live a healthier life and have a better environment in the future. If we do not avert the detrimental effects of environmental heedlessness and keep our environment safe, we will be sucked into the ozone layer as it continually depletes. This is most important because it affects not only humans, but everything in the world, including plants and inanimate objects.

Secondly, the economic recession should be one of our main priorities also. It appears to be of most troubles to Americans in the United States today. By fixing the economic recession, more job opportunities will be provided. This will provide people with the opportunity to take care of their families better, reduce poverty amongst many elderly and young lower-income individuals and families, and provide more educational opportunities for people by increasing funding for many educational activities. This is more important than gay rights because I believe that you can have all the rights you want, but it means absolutely nothing when you are poor and don’t have the money or job necessary to enjoy them.

The third priority in the United States should be immigration reform. This is the third priority on my list. I believe that there should be U.S. borders by adding personnel land and sea and having new technology set-up to avoid terrorist attacks and overpopulation also. This will allow Americans to have more job opportunities by averting illegal immigrants from being hired for lower pay and doing jobs that Americans should be paid for doing. It will also prevent another “9/11” from occurring and keep American citizens safe from terrorist threats. This is more important than gay rights because terrorist threats are threats to everyone; thus, being a larger problem than the fight for gay rights.

Last, but not least, Gay rights should be the last priority in the United States today. I think that gay rights are a minor issue compared to those listed above. Equality is very important; hence, homosexuals should have the right to get married and Proposition 8 in California should be repealed along with the Marriage Ban Act. Everyone deserves equal sovereignty and the U.S. constitution promises it.

How to Prevent Terrorism

I was searching on YouTube when I saw a video of an ignorant fool describing Obama as a terrorist. As a result, the idea of writing about terrorism and ways to avert it arose. I have come up with the true definition of a terrorist and a few suggestions on how to prevent one from ever entering the United States again.

Personally, I define a terrorist as a person who terrorizes or frightens others as a political weapon to get what they want. After the United States’ 9/11 crisis, it is clear that efforts have been made to prevent terrorism from occurring. In particular, the previous President George Bush has done an excellent job on creating stricter polices and requirements to prevent it. However, although efforts have been made to stop terrorism, it clearly still exists.

I believe that by first improving homeland security, Terrorism can be combated. We have to improve the intelligence capacity and we also have to improve how we share information. By effectively strengthening intelligence, we will be able to identify those who intend to harm us. This allows us to be cognizant of our environment and enables us to share intelligence across all levels of government; thus, leaving time to create terrorist prevention and preparation programs or plans.

We must also ensure safety on cyberspace or improve global digital infrastructure. The internet can be extremely dangerous and it is not secure. By effectively protecting cyberspace and monitoring it properly, terrorism can be detected earlier and averted.Taking care of our physical infrastructure is another good way to combat terrorism also. By enhancing security within the chemical and nuclear sectors and safeguarding the public transportation systems, we can prevent suspicious activity from occurring and avert terrorism.

We could also secure our borders and prevent illegal immigrants or suspicious persons from coming into the United States in the first place. Terrorism is an issue and we can start making it better by realizing that immigration is a major problem. By checking all of the immigrants who enter into the United States, we will be more knowledgeable about who is coming into the United States and where he/she is coming from. Technology can also be developed and deployed in a way that maximizes port security without causing economic problems.

If all else fails, we can strengthen the patriot act as well and increase the ability of law enforcement agencies to act on terrorism. Being able to identify suspicious activity, reporting it to the necessary authorities, and following up on the suspicion will allow us to track terrorism before it happens. (Being that Barack Obama is a president who is from the United States who most of the states believe has the best intentions for America, it is clear that Obama is not a terrorist).

Are Americans Really Free?

I was listening to an online debate earlier when I heard two American individuals talking about how free they were as American citizens. They persistently conversed about how America had no limits and how it was truly the land of opportunity. After looking at what has transpired throughout history and how things are now, I instantly realized that Americans really aren’t that free, if really free at all. Factors such as race, sexual orientation, location, and government type all infringe on American freedoms and ultimately determine how free Americans really are.

Compared to other countries in the world, Americans definitely have many more freedoms and opportunities; however, although the United States is based upon freedom, there are laws that limit the freedoms its people can have. Looking at America holistically, I noticed that Americans really weren’t as free as the two gentlemen believed. America has bureaucracies that enact rules and regulations based on a philosophical system of beliefs of larger organizations such as the government. These rules or regulations limit American sovereignty because they govern our lives. They tell us how we should live, what we should do, and how we should do things, and through law enforcement, coerce Americans to live governed lives that bureaucracies believe are most suitable. To make sure Americans are living the life bureaucracies believe are most suitable, laws have been implemented to keep them in check.

Are Americans really free when they are constantly being watched and having their actions monitored through videotaping in stores; when Americans are constantly being told what can and cannot be done based on societal norms from the past that have been manipulated into laws; when laws exist that limit when Americans can put alcohol into their bodies or drive cars; or when Americans have a country that sets stringent standards for what can or cannot be done based on what bureaucracies deem acceptable? I don’t think so because I define freedom as having the power to act, speak, or think without externally imposed restraints. In America there are restraints on what can be said in schools, what can be said on television, and what can be done to solve problems. Although these restrictions allow for a well-governed America, they infringe upon the freedoms of its people; thus, making Americans as free as the laws that limit them – not very free at all.

Am I a “Nigga” or "Nigger" (My opinion)

In our previous class, we had a discussion over whether it was okay for one black person to call another a “nigga.” Some of my peers argued that it was okay to call another black individual a nigga if that person shared the same race. Some classmates even went as far as to create a different connotation for the word, making its meaning dependent upon race. Before I get into the history of the word, I would first like to state that I do not like being called a nigga. It is not because of where the word comes from, but how it makes me feel based on my past experiences with it.

When someone of the same race calls me a nigga, I believe they think they are superior to me and think they can call me whatever they want. Growing up in predominately black neighborhoods and constantly seeing the local thug, nigga is a term I remember being called several times. This terminology was followed by a hard push and a slap in the face to demonstrate superiority. Knowing about the history of nigger and how whites used it prior to the emancipation proclamation and Civil War, I know that the word is used to degrade another person who one believes is subordinate to them. Regardless of whether a person is black or white, I’ll be damned if someone calls me a nigga because in my opinion, a nigga can be anyone.

Nigga is a slang term that derives from nigger. Nigger is a derogatory word that was used to categorize African Americans prior to the civil war and is unfortunately still used today in many other countries. The word nigger is so offensive to many black individuals today because of its history that dictionaries refuse to define it. It is notable for its usage in a pejorative context to refer to black people. It is offensive to many African Americans because the word symbolizes the everlasting chains of a people plagued with hate and bondage simply because of the color of their skin.

Many black people believe nigger is the most pejorative word in the English language; however, I believe it is an expression of superiority that can be used towards anyone regardless of race. The word nigger suggests that black people are second- class citizens who are ignorant and less than human. It is a term that makes many black individuals angry just by hearing it. To take the word nigga form the word nigger and attempt to provide a different connotation for the word is absolutely absurd. Nigga still derives from nigger;thus, maintaining the same meaning whether partially or wholly. The question arises as to whether I consider myself to be a nigga or nigger, and to answer the question, I consider myself neither. Nigger is a word that evokes negative emotion from many individuals and should therefore not be used in respect to all races regardless of who says it.

What to do about Overpopulation in India

I was watching the news today and I heard that India’s overpopulation crisis would be extremely detrimental to its people and may even result in the dissipation of its most important resource, water, in less than forty years. As a result, I contemplated and thought of possible solutions that India’s government could implement to save its people and avert further resource depletion. I decided to write a blog about it that would make many people aware of India’s crisis and to inform Americans why it is essential to maintain the normal fertility rate of 2.1 for developed countries in the United States.

India is a country that is undergoing a major crisis and in a few decades, may not have the necessary resources for its people to survive. If nothing is done to decrease overpopulation, India will succumb to the detrimental effects of Hindu beliefs, social strata, and poverty. Each of these detrimental effects contribute to the overwhelming rate of India’s population growth. Although they have detrimental effects on the Indian people and their surroundings, there are ways to avert India’s rapidly-increasing population and several ways to decrease its current one. I recommend implementing three important solutions, regulations, or policies of education that will surely decrease India’s population growth, and more importantly, save its people.

Education is the ultimate solution to overpopulation in India. By improving education and educating the Indian people about the use of contraceptives, increasing the number of women who pursue education, and implementing a one-child policy, I believe that India’s rate of population growth and current population will surely be reduced. The first solution to decreasing overpopulation in India is to increase the number of women who are educated.

Women have a lower literacy rate than men. In fact, most women refuse to pursue education because of inadequate sanitary facilities, the shortage of female teachers, and gender bias in the curriculum. Because many women in India are illiterate, they are dependent on the wealth and security of their offspring. I believe that by petitioning the Indian government or requesting that there be better sanitary facilities and more female teachers, the number of women who pursue education will increase in India. Increasing literacy amongst women will also allow women to understand the need to prevent excessive population growth and to be fully cognizant of the ways to control population in the future. By the government continuing to launch programs, such as the Saakshar Bharat Mission for Female Literacy, a mission aimed at decreasing female illiteracy, female literacy in India will increase. Women will be fully aware of why maintaining a normal replacement fertility rate, the average number each woman needs to replace herself and one other, is important, and why having a minimum of two children will have positive outcomes for the future.

This brings me to an alternate solution to overpopulation in India, which is similar to the one-child policy in China. A one-child policy should be implemented by the Indian government to assure a normal replacement fertility rate. By implementing a one-child policy in India, many births will be averted as well and the rate of poverty in India will decrease. To enforce the two-child policy, the government should offer incentives similar to those of China and should advertise or promote the idea of the one-child policy and its benefits. By offering incentives for an agreement to participate in the one-child policy and having consequences if the agreement is broken, the one-child policy should be very beneficial to India. By offering incentives such as better housing, better jobs, tax breaks, and a better education and job for the child, many Indians would want to participate in the one-child policy; thus, reducing overpopulation simultaneously. By the government implementing the one-child policy, meeting the needs of the Indian people in the future and avoiding their current complications will be easier.

Last but not least, the third solution to overpopulation in India would be to advertise contraceptives. By advertising contraceptives more frequently, the Indian people will be more aware of contraceptives and how they may be obtained. This includes contraceptives such as condoms, birth-control pills, and other means of pregnancy prevention that can be implemented through government advertising.

Using educational solutions such as increasing education amongst women through educational programs, implementing a one-child policy, and advertising contraceptives, will slow population growth in India and hopefully be beneficial by reducing its current population.

Religious Garments in School

Although some individuals view students wearing religious garments in school as an offensive act, I am indifferent and believe that students who have different religious affiliations should be able to freely express themselves through their religious clothing. One student during a class discussion a couple of months ago argued that students who have religious affiliations should not be able to wear their religious garments in public post-secondary institutions because it taints their relationship with other students and sequesters them from other individuals. Although seemingly true in parts, I believe that if a student is asked to remove their religious garment, it will cause social tension amongst everyone and ultimately create a feeling of discomfort for the student. I view asking someone to remove any important piece of clothing to be disrespectful and selfish.

Personally, I believe that if you ask a student to remove a garment or piece of clothing representative of their religious beliefs, it will taint interactions between students as well. Restricting individuals' freedom of expression by saying they cannot wear religious garments because they affect your social interaction with them will "taint" the student and perhaps cause culture shock. To restrict one’s sovereignty for a few individuals is egocentric. Regardless of whether an individual wears anything representative of their religious beliefs, it is sometimes obvious that they have a different religion from your own, so to say that a student should not be able to wear religious garments in school is not practical nor logical.

As American students, atheist or religious, are allowed to wear blue jeans, skirts, dresses, and tennis shoes, students who have religious affiliations should be able to wear their religious garments as well. One has to think about how someone from another country would fill to see clothing that may not be prevalent or widely dispersed in their country. To ask someone to remove their religious clothing to satisfy someone who does not show a public religious affiliation is unfair and extremely selfish. As a Christian who wears crosses occasionally, I would tell someone who asks me to remove my religious garment or any item that shows my religious affiliation to stop being one-dimensional, or to relocate to a country outside of the United States. This is because in the United States, I am free to express myself and wear whatever I want as long as it does not violate the rules or laws set in the United States Constitution.

Is that Really Racism?

Although blackface may be perceived as an inconsiderate, racist act to some individuals, it is a form of free expression and excitement to others. Racism is defined as viewing one’s race as innately superior to another. Continuing the previous discussions in class about “Ghetto Fabulous” parties, I believe that whether something is racist or not depends on the point of view being considered or explored. Some individuals perceive racism as an act of prejudice while other individuals perceive racism as an act of viewing one’s race as the dominant, superior race in society. Either way, the controversial question arises as to whether blackface parties in predominately white universities are racist and personally, I think it depends on the perspective being explored.

From the perspective of an African-American individual, whether blackface parties are considered racist would depend on the races invited to the party and the number of black individuals who actually attend. What is said and done at these parties are taken into consideration as well. If the party consists of predominately white individuals, blacks may view blackface parties as racist acts in which whites demonstrate their superiority by degrading the black race with black facial paint and travestying the negative stereotypical behavior often projected by the media.

From the perspective of a white individual, blackface parties may be perceived as racist acts or simply ways of having fun. Looking at things from a white individuals’ perspective, blackface parties may be compared to costume parties or playing dress-up in school. Whites may even perceive blackface parties as a form of expressing their freedom of speech or in some cases, simply having a good time. Determining whether something is racist can be extremely arduous. Ultimately, to answer the question, “Is that really racism?” one may not really know. In some cases, racism is obvious, and in other cases, such as white individuals attending predominately white universities and throwing blackface parties, racism may be sub rosa. Whether something is racist depends on the person’s intent when saying or doing something. To answer the question as to whether throwing blackface parties are racist acts, I can infer that although not always clear, racism is present at these parties, but not amongst every individual.