It's All Relative

“What would you change to make the world a better place?  And how can that change be implemented?”

            The answer to this question is one that I have been struggling with since it was posed in class yesterday.  Sure, there are plenty of answers; coming up with one is the easy part.  The hard part of this question, the part that has been nagging at me for the last two days, is how to implement the change that I believe this world desperately needs.  My original answer in class was to create an increased understanding of people, ideas, environments, and lifestyles.  While I still believe that this would be an effective change and that if it could be implemented it would in fact improve our world, I continue to find myself struggling with the “How?.”  The more I think about the “How?” the more I find my thoughts drifting to the idea of perspective.  For this reason, I am changing my response from class a bit and this post will focus on the importance of perspective and how awareness of perspective and a conscious effort to keep an objective perspective will help make this world a better place.

            I found that I was drawn to the idea of increased understanding because I am constantly upset about the lack of respect and regard people have for those around them.  Today’s society is very individualized.  People make decisions based on whether they will benefit or whether they will enjoy what they are doing.  Gone are the days when we helped out our neighbors or walked an elderly person across the street.  No one has the time or patience for that anymore, and that is sad.  The idea of perspective comes in when we discuss how this increased understanding and regard for our fellow humans comes about.  I believe that a world where everyone shared an unbarred and objective perspective would be a happier one.  If people could and would put themselves willingly in someone else’s shoes, there would be far less prejudice and an increased understanding of what those around us face on a daily basis.  This willingness to look at a situation through someone’s eyes that aren’t their own doesn’t come over night.  It takes someone who has worked to develop their understanding of their perspective- someone who is willing to make a change for the better.  This change, if made by all, will work to effectively eliminate hate, prejudice, poverty, and war. 

            Originally, I had the idea that this effort would begin with a select few that made the choice to help change this world, but as I thought more about implementation, I realized that there was no way that my strategy would initiate any change at all.  Instead, I have decided that our society should implement a policy where a half hour every day is set aside for reflection.  This reflection time could take many forms- journaling, meditating, deep thinking, whatever- but during this time, people must make a conscious effort to put themselves in someone else’s shoes- to deepen their understanding of perspective- until, little by little, that reflection and that acknowledgement of the humanity of those around them enters into their everyday thoughts and actions.  I believe that, as a society, we can be trained to be kinder and more accepting.  I believe that we have the potential to truly make this world a better place, and I believe that the seed for that change is in each and every one of us, but due to cultural norms, we must work to surmount the obstacles in our path and take the time to change ourselves and the world by changing our perspectives.

            

Tell your boyfriend if he says he’s got beef that I’m a vegetarian and I ain’t fuckin’ scared of him

To take a step toward a better utopia, everybody would be a vegetarian. This would solve lots of issues (although undoubtedly while causing others, but isn’t that why utopia is unattainable?). I’m not a vegetarian, but I don’t like meat other than bacon, chicken, and turkey. It has nothing to do with it being pork or whatever. Bacon tastes nothing like pork chops and that will never change. That covers the question I get about 48 times a year of “you like bacon but not pork chops? You know that’s still pork right?” I don’t care. I like to imagine that my bacon originates from the package it came to me in. Likewise with chicken and turkey. Now that we’ve settled that, allow me to tell you that I am fully willing to live without it and I believe it could save many people. There would be less obesity from the obscene amount of bacon people consume. We have a beer and bacon festival for God’s sake. THAT would not happen (unfortunate, I know.) Allow me to show you something called epic meal time:

 

Enough said. Now, assuming the society follows my later stated guidelines, there would be a much lesser vitamin deficiency of all kinds, particularly vitamin B which is found in leafy greens like spinach. Everyone should eat spinach. Lots of it. With everything. Now allow me to show you the super-realistic results of spinach consumption:

I repeat, enough said. Animals would be happy-go-luck. There would be no need to weapons, since we wouldn’t need to kill animals for food. Since no one would have weapons, there would be no need to have them for self-defense or protection from them. If you feel the need to protect yourself, get some pepper spray.

An entire utopia cannot be realized. Even a single piece that makes utopia cannot happen, because all of the population must be on the same page, and this just doesn’t happen. It would require a single person or group of people with endless amounts of power over all things, and therefore can only be achieved by force, threats, and violence. While utopia cannot be accomplished/maintained in an acceptable way, certain changes that progress toward Utopia may be considered. I do not wish to go about making everyone vegetarians through violent threats. Achieving this would inevitably end in the slaughter of all animals aside from humans so that the population of anything else would not exist, which is more gruesome than the slaughter of any in the first place for a food source. I realize I’m ranting about how it just isn’t possible, and we all know that. But I wanted to acknowledge on a simple basis why. Now that I have, I suppose I’ll imagine the strong-feeling vegetarians and animal rights activists of the world have gained world domination and give it a shot. I really want to go 1984 style and just brainwash the heck out of everyone, but I won’t.

You can’t require someone who doesn’t want to be somewhere to respect and follow the normal way of life there. For example, if a girl doesn’t want to go to college but does so because her parents “make” her, she will most likely resent the fact that she’s there and rebel, therefore breaking guidelines and disrupting peace. Since utopia doesn’t require the entire planet necessarily to be a part of it, a group of people with the common belief of being vegetarian could create a community in which they establish practices and an agreed upon detailed outline of how to live their lives. In this community there would be no slaughter of animals. It would require a doctor or nutritionist so the population wouldn’t become malnourished. There would need to be education on how to be a vegetarian. Many people would have to grow crops so there would be plenty for a market, so the community will not go hungry.

I guess while I’m writing this I just can’t get past my belief that without violence and protest and everything of the sort, any single practice across humanity cannot be achieved. So I’m really struggling to brainstorm a way in which it can be done, especially across a large population. Maybe that’s the point. Can an attained utopia among a small collective group of people be considered utopia? Maybe, I don’t know.

Let's talk about sex

When Dr. MB first asked the class what we would change about the world to make it a better place, what seemed like a thousand ideas unloaded into my brain. Of course, there were the obvious answers: equality for everyone, the dismantling of various oppressions, etc. Unfortunately, how easily doable are these? What is the likelihood that I would still be alive to see these be achieved in my lifetime? The “what” and “why” questions are easy but the “how” is more complex. “How” includes massive re-education and un-learning of oppressive ideas and thoughts, as well as a complete reworking of our political and economic systems. It seemed like aiming a bit too high for a class exercise.

Instead, I decided to tackle something that was a little more attainable in the near future. I think this world would be better with a more comprehensive sex education program that is available to all.

Many people do not have a proper sex education, whether this is because they were taught abstinence-only sex-ed (where the students are taught only to practice abstinence, instead of teaching them about safe sex, or STIs, or their own reproductive organs, or the fundamentals of how and what sex is) or if their sex-ed program is just not up to par. Many problems stem from these program failures, including, but not limited to: higher rates or teenage pregnancy, higher rates of STIs, guilt and shame surrounding sex, confusion about sexuality and in particular non-heterosexual sexualities, higher rates of sexual assault and rape due to mis-education of what consent is and isn’t, and confusion about gender.

To bring sex education up to a higher standard, we should begin by educating the sex educators. While there are some sex education teachers who are knowledgeable in this area, there are many schools and learning environments where this is untrue. If we want to teach our children better sex ed, we have to start by teaching the adults, especially those who will be passing this information on to our youth. Next we need to do away with abstinence only education. While abstinence should still be presented as an option to the students, it can’t be the only option. Lastly, we need to start instilling in children from a very young age the ideas of consent and respecting others’ bodies. By simply teaching children that no means no and that any kind of physical touch should be stopped when asked or when someone is expressing discomfort via body language will teach children the fundamentals of consent.

I think that these changes will greatly benefit our society and will be instrumental as a stepping stone towards the larger goals I mentioned at the beginning of this post. While things like equality and getting rid of oppression are very important, I don’t think these are goals that one can achieve on their own. It is through smaller goals put forth by individuals that will get us to that much better place. Which is not to say that people can’t or shouldn’t focus on several different causes at once, but that we need to take the smaller steps to achieve our goal of a better society.

And now that my post title has got this song in your head, here you go:

Down with Job-Based Classism!

Classism has always been a driving force behind what drives many people in our society to make certain decisions in their lifetimes.  When young adults are discouraged or dissuaded from aspiring towards certain occupations, we set our society up to be a pyramid with only people with certain inclinations at the top.  Whether reasons include disparity in wages, respect, or any number of miscellaneous factors, it is an undeniable fact that certain professions in our society are more desirable than others.  Doctors and lawyers are seen differently than a custodial workers and sanitation people, but both are absolutely necessary to maintain our society.  However, inevitably in the minds of many members of our society, these people belong to completely different classes.  Destroying classism would make the professions viewed currently as less prestigious, into occupations necessary to our society and rightfully upheld at similar levels of social prestige. 

Clearly not everyone can perform well in every occupation in existence.  One who has difficulty in the sciences should probably avoid seeking a profession in the medical field.  However, in a society which idolizes doctors, many students who should likely choose a different career path, instead go for what is more lucrative and respectable.  This creates a problem of people continuously failing because they are pursuing something that they simply do not enjoy or fully grasp. This could be rectified if we first established some social prestige to professions that may not require the preparation and training which medical school demands, but respectable and admirable positions in our society.  Doctors and lawyer should not solely enjoy a position at the top of our social pyramid.  The top of the pyramid should be shared by all those people who perform vital services and have considerable experience in their respective occupation.  Experience and time devoted to a given profession should be reflected in the social class and status of the person who has committed their time not simply by the profession with which the person happens to be working.

Extinguishing classism due to occupation would create a better world in that no one will feel disenfranchised due to their line of work; an aspect so essential to our lives.  By making the criteria to achieve a higher social class more based on experience and dedication, we would also encourage a more solid work ethic and thus promote hard working people who enjoy not only what they do, but also the pride in knowing that they are benefiting society as a whole.  As has been said before, not everyone needs college.  Unfortunately in our culture this sentiment does not hold much weight.  Troves of students are encouraged to go to college although they may not be ready for the work load or simply not have much interest in pursuing a degree past high school. An undergraduate degree should be just as valuable as going through trade school or working gaining incredible job experience.  Sadly this is not the case.  As a society we need to understand and acknowledge the work others do for us to support the way we live and not discriminate against people because of their occupation.  This, I believe will benefit the self-image of every member of our society and help our ability to empathize and understand other people’s point of views. 

Test and prove all things

Plato famously said “only when philosophers become kings can we truly have justice,” and indeed that has become the basis for many Utopias since. Of course, two thousand years later, we are beyond any sort of intellectual elitism. But the idea of holding very high standards of intelligence, and the expectation that all decisions should be made after careful contemplation, is still paramount to a perfect society in my opinion. In other words, society must uphold a contemplative and speculative life as the most admirable quality of humanity. This change is society is best achieved through education.

It is very unfortunate that our society does not hold philosophy to be very important at all, let alone the basis for all society. If a person is lucky, he might be able to squeeze in a philosophy major into some obscure university, but then risk losing all hope for employment. In fact, anyone who spends most of their time in contemplation is usually ridiculed by more popular folks, who tend to think more with their hearts than their heads. Instead, it is these quiet thinkers should be looked up to.

People continue to debate on the importance of topics ranging from the environment to the economy to the social order, but all of that is useless without a basis for reason. Where would climate change be without environmental science? Where would economic policy be without economic science? And where would talk of social justice begin without a basis for ethics or morality? Everything that separates our society from dumb animals is our ability to take the world around us and hold it up to a higher, intellectual standard. We eat to survive, but we just as easily make culinary arts. The noises we make are not just some mating call, but we have the ability to make poetry and literature.

In a similar manner, everything in society can be held up to an ultimate standard of truth and justice, against which absolute right and wrong, truth and false can be discerned. Some call it science, while others call it philosophy. Ultimately, all other laws hang on this. When society recognizes this, and protects that standard for rationality above all else, then Utopia can be achieved. 

The seven liberal arts, with philosophy at the center, from a medieval manuscript

And here is how that can be implemented: first, the scientific community (with other academia) should take certain reforms, spelling out a general standard for scientific thought, and placing philosophy as the most fundamental science. Then there should be a reform of education. Rather than being taught raw information, students should first be taught how to interpret information. Facts taken straight from the internet or television, without first critically analyzed, should be frowned upon. Children need to be taught from a young age that wealth and fame will never make them happy, but truth and justice will.

The renowned author Dr. Seuss once wrote about a fanciful school in Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!. One of the most memorable lines from that comes from one of the teachers: “and most importantly, we taught you how to think”. Perhaps that should be the models for all schools. 

Ending World Hunger

What is one thing you would do to make the world a better place?

As I clean off my plate before leaving the dining hall I see the trash cans full of unwanted food. Wasting food seems to have become a habit for those with access to an excessive amount of food. I am also guilty of this crime; however, that does not mean I should not want to change it. The distribution of food both within the United States and on a global scale is ridiculously uneven. On one end, there are people who purchase food in excess and toss it away when it becomes inedible or takes up too much space in the fridge; and on the other end, there are people who have to beg for food.

When the question was posed to the class, my first thought was what was something I personally could do to improve the world around me? I was reminded of the summer I spent volunteering in Chicago. I met a man named James, who I befriended when delivering food to the homeless. James and his two companions were members of the over 138,000 homeless living in Chicago (Chicago Coalition for the Homeless). They only received one meal a day from the nuns at the Missionaries of Charity, but the joy they expressed after receiving a simple lunch in a brown paper bag ingrained in me the importance of food in daily life. The food that was given away all came from donation, and I thought what if these small donations could be multiplied across the globe.  

The implementation of creating a more even distribution of food on a local scale is fairly simple. People who are financially able should be required to donate money or food to an organization that helps distribute food to the less fortunate. In addition, it should also be a requirement that people donate their time to volunteer at a local soup kitchen or help pass out food to the homeless and hungry, because it does not matter how much food or money is donated if there is no one there to distribute it.

On a global scale, the development of more advanced farming technology and the shipping of surplus goods could improve the distribution of food. The development of more advanced farming technology would create larger production of food, which could then be distributed to communities around the world. More advanced farming technology could also result in better farming methods that are less harmful to the land so that food could be produced for a longer period of time. In addition, we could ship food from countries that had an excess of food via air carriers or cargo ships to countries that needed more food.  

Food is an essential part of daily life, yet many people go without it. However, there are many people that have more than they can eat. After having experience working with the hungry, I was motivated to write about a solution to their hunger. The solution ranges from small donations to advancements in technology and global shipment of food. If we could end world hunger, imagine the possibilities of what the human race could achieve. 

"FAQ/Studies - Chicago Coalition for the Homeless." Chicago Coalition for the Homeless RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2015.

Media and Science

I think most people can agree that media has always played a part in shaping how the general population feels on many subjects.  The media has the wonderful ability to provide hope to a country when its at its lowest, but unfortunately it also spills a lot of fear, prejudice, and hatred. In a world where we are rapidly coming up with new technologies and new scientific discoveries are made on a daily basis, it is sometimes good for media to turn a critical lense toward science. As we make advances, ethics definitely comes into play and as a scientific community, we should continually ask "just because we can do this, should we?" I have no problem with outside sources looking into the scientific community to examine it. The problems are when the media takers either bad science and spreads it as the gospel truth, or takes facts and skews them to be terrifying. There are many things about science that people will not understand if they do not have suitable background knowledge and that ignorance can quickly breed distrust and fear. The world would be a much better place if the media would stop spreading lies and bad science. 

One of the biggest examples of the wildfire spread of bad science is the statement that vaccines cause autism in healthy children. There was one paper produced in 1998 that described a connection in a small study children. When repeated in studies that included one with 14,000,000 children, no connection was found. And yet, in the quest to find the cause for autism, a disorder we still do not fully understand, the media latched on to this one case of bad science. As a result, currently 1 in 4 parents believe vaccines cause autism and we are seeing the effects, such as a rise in cases of diseases previously thought eradicated and unnecessary deaths of children and those with compromised immune systems.There is also a lot of unnecessary drama regarding thimerosal which is an antimicrobial preservative that is no longer in vaccines due to general outcry. Thimerosal contains an atom of mercury (Hg) in its atomic structure. Mercury is very toxic on its own, but when bonded to other atoms, it creates a nontoxic molecule. Sodium (Na) and Chlorine (Cl) are also poisonous on their own and when we ingest them, it can make us sick. Yet common table salt is just an atom of sodium and an atom of chlorine together to make a harmless ionic compound and common food additive. I will not bore all you with the other facts but see this link for a good infographic describing the myths surrounding vaccinations  and this link from the CDC that explains thimerosal and why the fear is so unwarranted. 

An example of fear mongering in the media by skewing information was the general hysteria over the ebola outbreak. General fear over the Ebola outbreak led to it becoming a bigger deal than it ever turned out to be. At a doctors appointment in Frederick this year, I saw on a newspaper a giant headline reading "EBOLA IN FREDERICK" in regards to the one American nurse who became infected with Ebola landing at Frederick municipal airport on her way to Bethesda to get treated. I can only imagine the panic it may have caused for some people, especially if they were ignorant to how ebola is spread (direct contact with fluids from an infected individual). 

The media wants sensational stories that will get viewers and readers. This often comes at a cost. Besides discrediting the science community, they spread fear to people without science backgrounds who are not equipped with the tools to even decide for themselves if what they are hearing is true. There are countless other examples of people not believing in scientific findings (climate change, evolution, etc.) and you can choose to not believe them when presented with the evidence. But the media does not present all information or presents it in a biased way that does allow the common viewer to form their own opinions. This needs to stop. I think the only way it will is if news stations/sources agree that they should start doing the honorable thing and stop spreading misinformation. More news stations should get in the practice of consulting those with scientific backgrounds that can explain findings to the public in a way they will understand that is also accurate to the findings. This practice of fear mongering only leads to continued distrust of the scientific community and can inhibit future progress. 

I leave you with this one statement: always examine any media report on a scientific study. Lucky for you all, I love infographics, so have one more outlining how to identify bad science. Bad science and skewed reports are on the rise. However, we can all work towards a more scientifically aware, and better, world.

And get your shots. 

Making the World a Better Place

If I could change one thing in this world, it would be to lessen the amount of animal and animal by products that we eat and use as a whole. Humans use more animal by products than what we realize. So, not only do we eat them, but we also slaughter and abuse them for clothes, makeup, jewelry, beauty products, etc. Animals have no rights and are being abused for many human needs. For example, why should we do lab testing on animals? They have no choice and they have no need for our products.

I'm not trying to make people vegan or vegetarian but I think people should be more thoughtful when they eat. Even small changes help. How about eating more plants and vegetables? Less meat? I'm going to add some fun facts that I hope everyone will take the time to read.

• According to the United Nations, raising animals for food (including land used for grazing and land used to grow feed crops) now uses a staggering 30 percent of the Earth’s land mass. More than 260 million acres of U.S. forest have been cleared to create cropland to grow grain to feed farmed animals, and according to scientists at the Smithsonian Institution, the equivalent of seven football fields of land is bulldozed worldwide every minute to create more room for farmed animals.

• Raising animals for food is grossly inefficient, because while animals eat large quantities of grain, soybeans, oats, and corn, they only produce comparatively small amounts of meat, dairy products, or eggs in return. This is why more than 70 percent of the grain and cereals that we grow in this country are fed to farmed animals.
  It takes up to 13 pounds of grain to produce just 1 pound of meat, and even fish on fish farms must be fed up to 5 pounds of wild-caught fish to produce 1 pound of farmed fish flesh.

• It takes more than 2,400 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of meat, while growing 1 pound of wheat only requires 25 gallons. You save more water by not eating a pound of meat than you do by not showering for six months!

• According to Greenpeace, all the wild animals and trees in more than 2.9 million acres of the Amazon rain forest in Brazil were destroyed in the 2004-2005 crop season in order to grow crops that are used to feed chickens and other animals in factory farms.

• There are no meaningful federal guidelines that regulate how factory farms treat, store, and dispose of the trillions of pounds of concentrated, untreated animal excrement that they produce each year. This waste may be left to rot in huge lagoons or sprayed over crop fields; both of these disposal methods result in runoff that contaminates the soil and water and kills fish and other wildlife. The concentration of parasites, bacteria, and chemical contaminants in animal excrement can wreak havoc on the ecosystems affected by farm runoff and can sicken people who live near these farms.

• The EPA reports that chicken, hog, and cattle excrement has polluted 35,000 miles of rivers in 22 states and contaminated groundwater in 17 states. When 25 million gallons of putrid hog urine and feces spilled into a North Carolina river in 1995, between 10 million and 14 million fish died as an immediate result.


• In West Virginia and Maryland, scientists have discovered that male fish are growing ovaries, and they suspect that this deformity is the result of factory farm runoff from drug-laden chicken feces.

• When the cesspools holding tons of urine and feces get full, factory farms frequently dodge water pollution limits by spraying liquid manure into the air, creating mists that are carried away by the wind. People who live nearby are forced to inhale the toxins and pathogens from the sprayed manure. In addition, according to a report by the California State Senate, “Studies have shown that [animal waste] lagoons emit toxic airborne chemicals that can cause inflammatory, immune, irritation and neurochemical problems in humans.”

Each one of those bullet points came from an article on peta.org http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/meat-wastes-natural-resources/

How would I implement my plan? I'm still not exactly sure. It would be mostly political. Instead of showing those really sad animal rescue commercials with the sad music that everyone changes the channel to. I would start playing really sad factory animal commercials. Has anyone ever seen one of those videos on Peta? If you can't see how your food is being treated before you eat it, then you shouldn't be eating it? People should know where their food is coming from and what exactly is in it. The media can have a huge impact on how society views subjects. I would also need a few congressmen to get on board. If I could get Michelle Obama, that would make a huge impact. A few laws would need to get passed; each county can only have 100 animals killed each month. The animals must be from farms in the area and must live a long life; 2/3 of its life expectancy.

My idea would help the world become a better and healthier place to live. People's lifestyles would improve, people would lose weight (especially in America), there would be less carbon dioxide in the air, less toxic  chemicals every where, less animals, less overall suffering.

Watch the video: There is a link to it as well.

http://bcove.me/rvxwhluk

Who Else Pawned their iPad?

                College, an institution that is hardly necessary for most people in the first place, should come at a considerably cheaper price (or preferably none at all). We wouldn’t be the first nation to suggest or adopt such a policy, and the benefits would be phenomenal, since more college grads would be hanging their diplomas in their own studies rather than above their parents’ couch, aka their bed. This couch (aka bed, aka dining room) will need to be replaced rather quickly as the new grad finds himself rarely moving from it, since he’ll probably have extreme difficulty finding a job at all (let alone one in his desired field, good job on that Philosophy major) and then even more difficulty saving any of the money he makes, since it has to go right back into paying off loans and debts to the school that devastated his parents’ and his own bank accounts for four years and printed an often-meaningless piece of paper at the end.

Obviously it’s important to get a job that requires a college degree. After all, you’re going to need a job to make all of the money necessary to pay off that college degree you just got. This puts you into an interesting loop of circular reasoning where you need a job to make money to pay off loans that you needed to get an education for a job that you use to make money to pay off loans that you needed to get an education to get a job that you use to pay off loans, etc. It’s the kind of futile struggle that makes you want to hang yourself, except you can’t afford a chair or a rope; besides, you’ve got work tomorrow, and the next day, and forever.

We tend to think of college as a mandatory thing nowadays, looking down at people who choose not to pursue higher education, or simply cannot afford to. I know countless students that turn their noses up at people who attend community colleges rather than a “real” college, when more often than not they’re paying (at least) close to quadruple the tuition for an identical education. People go through years of college undecided (as I did), because their parents insisted they go, despite their not having a clue about what they want to study, often enough sleeping through class (if they attend) or playing Candy Crush on their iPad, assuming they didn't sell it for tuition money (thanks Hood!).

"But you absolutely have to go to college or you’re a total loser!" ...who isn't paying thousands of your parents’ dollars to get an education you could have gotten off Wikipedia? Only, Wikipedia doesn't print diplomas (yet), which is literally all college is necessary for, so keep spending, I guess.

If we could make college a cheaper experience, and emphasize that it is not necessary or even ideal for everyone, we could simultaneously lower the number of students pursuing degrees they aren’t interested in, lower the amount of crippling debt countless American students are living under, and generally make the experience of college into one with considerably less stress and demand. We could stop looking down at people who choose not to pursue “higher education,” because there are plenty of jobs in this country and in this world that neither require nor make use of book-smarts.

I think this video by YouTube user nigahiga sums it all up quite nicely and amusingly:

Prohibiting Prejudice

In order to make the world a better place, we need to get rid of prejudice. Significant strides have been made to make the world more accepting of people's differences, but there is still so much hatred. It is important to make people realize that different religions, races, sexual orientations, etc. don’t diminish someone’s life; we are all just human beings at the end of the day. Getting rid of prejudice would be beneficial to the world as a whole because it would lessen the amount of crimes in the world and it would make people more connected. If everyone accepted people for who they are, hate crimes would not be a thing. Individuals who commit hate crimes do so because they are ill-informed, or not informed at all, about people who are different from themselves. Some people are scared of things that are not familiar to them, and that’s fine, but that’s where education comes in. Accepting other people into your world might also change your perspective on things. Learning how other people view life isn’t a bad thing—it gives you more to think about and helps you broaden your horizons. If people stopped hating people then the world would be a very cohesive place. Think of all the wars that wouldn’t happen!

People need to be educated about different cultures from a young age in order to minimize prejudice. A lot of biases and prejudice often come from older people in someone’s family or ignorance on someone’s behalf. Adding a class in elementary that discussed different ethnicities or sexual orientations, etc. would be a step in the right direction. Kids would be young enough to not have biases drilled into their heads, and they would be able to look at people with an open mind. The most important part is that they understand that people who are different from them are still just people; we all feel the same emotions and experience a lot of the same things. Going into middle school, kids could be given a pen pal (thanks for the idea, Logan) from a different country every so often. This would expand on their learning from elementary school. Having real contact with people who are outside of their normal circle would give kids something concrete to hold onto rather than the typical classroom style information they would receive in elementary school. In high school, kids should be offered the opportunity to spend some time abroad, or even at home with a person who is completely different than they are. A step farther than the pen pal letters, this opportunity would offer an even more visceral experience for people to really understand that being different isn’t as terrible as the world makes it to be.

Many people don’t interact with people of different cultures until they go away to college, and even then that interaction may be very minimal. This is a plan that would introduce people to a wide range of cultures at a very young age, and while it is not fool-proof, it would start making a difference early on.

And if none of that works, we can just ship them all abroad…like Wife Swap, except with kids.

Healthy Foods as a Natural Right

            Why is it that in order to eat healthfully, we have to have money?  That isn’t to say that every other kind of food is free, but often times fruits and vegetables are way more expensive than any other type of food.  The reason makes sense: farmers cultivate these foods from the time that they are seedlings, providing them with almost non-stop care. Processed foods are mass-produced in factories with synthetic ingredients by machines, making them much easier to come by, to sell, and to sell cheaply.  However, the root of so many health problems begins in our daily diet. Our inability to indulge on fruits and vegetables can lead to major vitamin and mineral deficiencies.  People who struggle to put food on their tables are going to find it even harder to incorporate healthy foods into their meals, leading to health issues that only cause more money hardships.  It should be our right as humans to have the ability and the opportunity to eat healthfully and have adequate access to fruits and vegetables so that we, no matter what our monetary status, can take control of our health, our weight, and our intake.

            The fear that accompanies this proposal is the complete disappearance of farmers and organic agriculture.  Prices are high because the labor is all encompassing and intense.  Farming is already a dying industry as factories churn out more and more cheaper and accessible food options and lowering prices on fruits and vegetables may threaten to completely extinguish organic agriculture.  However, our government is in charge of protecting our basic human rights, so if we incorporate healthful fruits and vegetables as one of these, the government should therefore take over the funding of these foods.  Initially this may seem irrational and unlikely.  However, governments fund things like public education, national parks, and city maintenance, paying the workers with a portion of our taxes.  If the government began ensuring that farmers are paid and receive the tools they needs to maintain their farms, the prices of fruits and vegetables could be significantly lowered in stores so that people of any monetary income can make these purchases.

            Adjusting where our tax dollars go is usually a stressful and a controversial conversation, but the incorporation of healthy foods into our lives is worth it.  There would be a significant decrease in health complications, which would end up saving the population more money.  Being easily able to access fruits and vegetables would improve our wellness, but also our moods and productivity levels. It may seem risky and initially expensive to add these foods to the list of where our tax dollars go, but in the end, we would have healthier, longer, and more productive lives.  In the end, this would drastically help the economy as well as our own personal earnings and life quality, which in turn would drive fruits and vegetable prices even lower.  We have to right to the pursuit happiness, but so many people forget that our happiness starts with our health, which starts with our diet.  Fruits and vegetables for all.

120 Minutes of Me

“What would you change in order to make the world a better place?”
 This blog question has been bothering me. When I originally answered it in class, I was afraid that my answer was too simple— too general. But after longer consideration, I’ve decided that general and simple is exactly the kind of change our society needs to make.
 What:
 More than anything, individuals in our society need to begin making a conscious effort to practice patience and kindness.
 Why:
 It is no longer surprising when fellow humans do not say hello to each other while passing on the sidewalk. People are no longer expected to share. And cellphones, computers,and tablets have become the new definition for “socializing.” Less and less humans are making an effort to directly interact with one another. Have we completely forgotten how nice it is to be complimented by a stranger? Have we decided to ignore the happiness that jumps into an otherwise miserable day, when we are able to laugh with a neighbor or find similarities with a person so unfamiliar? And why, oh why, have we stopped making time for nature and peaceful thinking?
 ***A lack in human interaction, leads to a lack in the acceptance of differences among individuals. We must find ways to understand ourselves. Once we can see the millions of qualities that make us who we are, we will then be able to see the qualities of others, and the beauty within those qualities—no matter how vastly they differ from our own.***
 How:
 Originally, I had the idea of requiring stress courses for individuals (starting at the age of 15). I soon realized that those stress courses wouldn’t be enough to take care of the issues. So, in addition to stress management courses, I have come up with a different system. Each and every day of the week, there will be a mandatory break. This break will require all working adults to stop what they are doing for two hours. Students will be taken out of school, and will not return to class until the two hours is up. This midday break will be from 12:00pm-2:00pm. It will be referred to as “120 Minutes of Me.”
 During the first hour of the break, people are required to be outside. No matter what type of weather, everyone must dress appropriately and find a way to enjoy the nature around them. No matter a person’s age, they are allowed to play, exercise, meditate, contemplate, or simply be in nature.
****The knowledge that nature offers to humans is insurmountable. The knowledge that humans are willing to accept from nature is unreasonably low. If people were to spend one hour every day surrounded by the very essence of life, we would become a society that is more aware of that life’s fragility.****
 During the second hour of break, individuals are required to create happiness. The only two rules: the second hour must be spent alone; doing something that makes you happy by yourself AND no technology is permitted.
There is not enough emphasis put on the importance of discovering our own happiness. It’s so easy to get lost in a life that depends on other people’s actions to make us smile or laugh. If more people were to practice self-created happiness, than our society would be more likely/willing to contribute to the happiness of others.
When more individuals are content with his/herself, our society will become a more patient and kind entity.

Better, Faster, Stronger

            When we were first asked to think of something that would make the world a better place I automatically thought of the cheesy quote from Miss Congeniality, “world peace.” Though I do think this is extremely important I thought it would be more valuable and interesting to talk about something different: sports. Watching sports games is one of America’s greatest pass times, but what about playing sports? As a kid, I tried almost any sport I possibly could (within the range of my mother’s budget of course). After years of being involved in multiple sports teams, I decided to play both lacrosse and swimming at the collegiate level. Both sports are very different but have taught me valuable lessons that I think would benefit a lot of people.

            So, my proposal is that everyone should be involved in some sort of physical fitness activity. This is asking quite a lot, and will not be easy, but is possible and could better many lives. Like I said earlier, I personally participate in two completely different sports, but enjoy them both very much and have learned beneficiary things from both. Lacrosse is a new and coming team sport (for those of you who don’t know, it’s the one where people run around with sticks and throw the ball into the net). Team sports such as lacrosse teach people many valuable lessons such as how to work with others to reach a common goal, how to motivate others and yourself and push each other past your limits and it gives people the opportunity to feel what it’s like to be a part of something bigger. Swimming is more of an individual sport. Yes, there are relays when people take turns swimming their butts off, but swimming is very much an individual sport. Swimming teaches you lessons that you can’t necessarily learn in a classroom. Above all, swimming and individual sports encourage self-motivation and teach people how to push themselves, believe in themselves, and want to be their best. As my Coach says far too often, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” Swimming and other individual activities teach you how to motivate yourself.

            In addition to all of the previously mentioned benefits of physical fitness, there is a more obvious very important reason to exercise: to benefit your health. Physical fitness is beneficial to people of all ages. It is proven to make you feel better and makes your body healthier both internally and externally. Okay, I may be slightly addicted to exercise, but please keep in mind I’m not saying you have to do something extreme like run a marathon or an iron man or be a professional athlete. All I’m saying is some sort of physical fitness, whether it be taking a long walk by yourself or a Zumba class with all of your friends, will benefit your life.

            How can we do this? Perhaps the best way is to start with children and work our way to adults. PE is required at most schools now. In addition, kids should be required to join a sports team or fitness club at their school. Having fitness clubs can be a lot less intimidating for young kids and a lot more fun. We need to encourage children that exercise is something fun to do! As kids get older it becomes a bit more difficult because some people simply aren’t interested in playing a sport. Since this may be the case for many, we need to spread awareness of all sorts of activities rather than just the typical football or soccer to spark peoples’ interests. Once kids turn into teenagers and young adults, they start to be more aware of their physical health. We need to spread more awareness of all of the benefits of physical activities, not just with your physical health but socially, emotionally and cognitively too. I know this isn’t something that can change over night, but I truly think people would be happier if they had more physical activity in their daily routine.