Don't Judge Others!!!

I completely agree with Angela DeRiggi in her editorial National Same-Sex Law. Same sex-marriage should be legalized in all 50 states not just in 17 states. I agree and support her argument she gives great examples of how same sex couples have many obstacles in their life that excludes them from many benefits a man and a women as a couple have; including were they may reside, have same healthcare/death/ and life insurance benefits, being able to adopt and raise a child, or simply the fact of just living a normal happy life without being discriminated. She also makes a great point about religion and her beliefs about same sex couples and how God does not judge us because of our differences as a human. Sure, our beliefs are different and even when being in a same religion as others the way you feel about a certain issue others can agree and/or disagree with you. I believe that religion is the main argument when it comes to same sex-marriage/couples many people see it as a disgrace which is sad to say. For example, parents who take their child to church every Thursday and Sunday have the child involved with the church read the bible and praise the lord everyday are the ones who are more affected by this situation and in most cases either they kick the child out, mistreat him or her, or completely just take them out of their lives because they are ashamed of what their child is and that they didn’t raise him/her to be that way. I have friends and family who have gone through the same situation and it breaks my heart to see that the people I love and care about cannot be fully happy because everywhere they go people talk and treat them unfairly. 
 

Due to so much judgmental that goes around many people hurt themselves or end up taking away their own life because they feel alone and unaccepted. They fall in depression when there’s no support and no one to understand them that the only solution easy way out is to just kill themselves and take all that pain away. For example, something similar happen in September 2010 when teenager Tyler Clementi took away his life at the age of 18, after his roommate Dharun Ravi exposed a video of Tyler having sex with another man.  “The suicide of Mr. Clementi, who jumped off the George Washington Bridge…” “…after discovering that his roommate had secretly used a webcam to stream Mr. Clementi’s romantic interlude with another man over the Internet.” According to The New York Times. No one has the right to interfere with someone else privacy! It’s very upsetting to see how far people can go just to hurt others. 

Many people dream of marriage and have to go travel and live in other states where it is legal to be able to do that and have some peace in them. Where they know they are giving the right to marry who they want and be happy. Same sex-marriage is no different than a man and women marriage in the end we can’t help who we fall in love with and some people need to understand that and respect it. Same sex-couples are not harming anybody they simply just want to have the same privileges as any other couple and be happy! Is that too much to ask for? Perfection can never be found anywhere so stop discriminating!

Difference in Sea World!

As a kid I remember going to Sea World with my family and having a great time. I always wanted to see every single show they were performing but my all-time favorite was The Show of Shamu! Their performance was extraordinary from doing flips and waving to doing tricks with the trainers and splashing the audience with their fins was an awesome thing to experience especially when you’re a child that loves animals. Sea World is very popular today and is all because of Shamu, the main reason why thousands of people go and take their children. Each year Sea World makes a huge profit only because of the animals it carries and trains to give the audience a great show; to keep them coming back through out the year. As a child I never asked myself how much did these orcas loved being there? Or how they arrived there? With not much room as they would have in the wild to swim and interact with other orcas, until I had a child of my own and was able to bring him for the first time to Sea World and have him experience what I did in my childhood. Of course, he loved it!! and each month he would ask me the same thing over and over "Mom take me to see Shamu again". I was not able to take him as much as he wanted me to but I tried my best. One day, I realized that the love he had for these whales was more than just a fun entertaining show to see every year. He became obssesed with orcas from having toys, to looking at books, TV and even watching them on his tablet. I thought it was the sweetest thing a 5 year old could experience to have a passion for something at such a young age little did I know that the passion would become traumatizing for him when he learned how these orcas where taken out of the wild years ago and how they managed to keep them in captivity in different places not just Sea World for money and entertainment.

We saw a documentary on you tube where it showed how many baby whales were being taken away from their mothers for them to never see again how they fought and fought to get out of the nets but failed. They took the younger ones but many of those didn't make it and died the other ones were spread and sold to different companies. We also read about different trainers that had been attacked through out the years of Sea World's existence but the most one that made the news and impacted many people around the world was on Feb. 24, 2010 when trainer Dawn Brancheau was drowned by killer whale Tilikum during a show in Orlando Florida leaving hundreds of people including children traumatized and frighten of what had happen right in front of their very own eyes. It hit world's nation news including that of Sea World being accused of recklessly putting trainers in danger with no kind of safety upon them or being prepared for a situation like this occurring. Due to the severity of this issue Occupational Safety and Health Administrations also known for OSHA issued safety citations to fine Sea World after Dawn's death for a total of $75,000 for violating employees safety when having them so close interacting in the water with these large orcas according to the article Sea World vs OSHA. It also states how Sea World appealed the citations and was able to bring the fine down to $12,000. OSHA also mentioned that Tilikum had striked another trainer back in 1991, Keltie Byrne also taking away his life at SeaLand of the Pacific. In 1999, a man entered the park after it had closed and was found inTilikum's tank dead OSHA claimed that Sea World was aware of all before Dawn's death.

According to article OSHA wins SeaWorld case on April 11, 2014 OSHA won the case 2-1 but stated the following "The remedy imposed for SeaWorld's violations does not change the essential nature of its business," "There will still be human interactions and performances with killer whales; the remedy will simply require that they continue with increased safety measures." Another important documentary that brought a lot of attention to people was "Blackfish" director Gabriela Cowperthwaite created a film about Tilikum and how he was taken from the wild when he was just 2 years old nearly over 30 years and placed in a park for entertainment and when punished they are placed in a small tank where they can bearly swim and in the dark due to this these killer whales can suffer from depression feeling many different emotions including that of being able to attack their own trainers since they tend to get upset. I read an article a while back that stated a killer whale never attacked humans out in the wild in fact they would get close to the boats just to be touched without causing any harm. Many things that were revealed in the film led the state of California of a proposal legislation to help the orcas and ban them from being used in shows. "Assemblyman Richard Bloom, D-Santa Monica, has proposed legislation banning the use of orcas for performance purposes at California aquatic theme parks as a result of details revealed in the movie Blackfish." (California bill would ban SeaWorld orca shows). It still has not came in effect but if it does hopefully by 2015 this can make a difference for these poor animals.

Till this day, my son and I have not gone back to Sea World, we are sad and upset that nothing has changed for these orcas and continue to be in captivity for "Money" we can say! Everyone has their different opinion about this matter some say this is not true but looking at the bigger picture it's easy to understand that these orcas live up to 60-70 years in the wild vs in Sea World is half of that. How does this make Sea World look? I would have to say "CARELESS". Many of us would of never imagined this was going on but now that we know and have a better understanding about it I believe raising our voices can help these orcas return to their home.

Provide free child care!!!

I completely agree with Angela DeRiggi on her editorial child care. Free child care should be provided for families who are at or near the poverty level as Angela stated in her argument. Times are hard for these families they can barely make ends meet. Angela makes a very good point and gives a great example about the middle class struggling since she was a Nanny for one of these families and how the mother accommodated herself better having two kids watched at home and the third one in day care since day care is very expensive. With this economy is hard to have all of your children placed in a day care when the price is very high just for one imagine two, three or more you would just be working to pay the child care you minus well stay home and that’s the reason why many mothers actually stop working. Supporting her argument Angela talks about The HBO documentary Paycheck to Paycheck about the life of Katrina Gilbert and her living situation that was very hard for her and her children she was able to find a day care that she could barely afford if the daycare would’ve been free her economic status could have been better. 

I have two children of my own and honestly that’s the reason why they are not in day care today, my oldest one was when I was in high school because my school had free child care for students. That worked out well but when I graduated that’s when it became very difficult for me because I didn’t have a job that paid well I could barely afford my son’s diapers and milk so I ended up having to find a baby sitter near home that didn’t charge me as much as a day care would. I had to even stop going to school for a while due to my economy situation, today I have a better job and can afford many more things and provide my children with what they need I was even able to go back to school and finish my certification as a Medical Assistant and now I’m at ACC but even with better circumstances that I have achieved placing my child in a day care will never happen because of the price being sky high! I found myself better just having my son with a baby sitter. 

Another example, that I thought was very interesting for this topic that happened recently in Arizona; a single mother who had an interview with an insurance company, left her 2-year-old and 6 month old son in the vehicle because she had no one to watch them. The mother can now face charges and possibly a sentence of seven years, it’s sad to see stuff like this happen of course there’s no excuse for leaving your children unattended with temperatures that exceeded 100 degrees but sometimes is hard to cope with everything by yourself with no one around to help, that you end up making poor decisions like this woman did. If the government offered free child care maybe situations like this wouldn’t occur.

Let's decrease Abortions! Adoption is always an option!

Unplanned pregnancy happens every day to women of all ages. Many of these women can handle the pressure that surrounds them and the journey that they are about to experience with a new born child. However, what happens to those who are not ready to take that responsibility? “Abortion” is the first thing that comes to mind for these women who are not able to raise a child on their own. Abortion is not an easy topic to discuss about especially when everyone has their own beliefs about keeping or getting rid of a baby because even though is not fully developed in the beginning, is still a human being who deserves the gift of life, at least I believe so. Yes, every woman has the right do as they please with their own body but abortion is not always the solution to these problems. If women had a little bit more support on how? Maybe abortion wouldn’t occur as much as it does today for example adoption can be an option. Adopting can reduce the number of abortions, if these women knew that once their child was born they would have no responsibility towards that baby because they would have found a home by then. This would also help a lot of these mothers who go through the process of an abortion and later in life regret it feeling guilt for the rest of their lives.

Adopting is not an easy process especially here in Texas. For example, according to The Texas Adoption Resource Exchange, besides the regular requirements of being over 21, be financially stable, criminal history background check, proof of marriage or divorce, you must also obtain a CPR/First Aid Certification, attend 20 and plus hours of training about abused/neglect and how to care for a child each year and other long long requirements added to this list. I understand why so much is required but it’s a little ridiculous to come and ask for a first aid certification when not even the actual birth parents have that, I mean that’s why there is hospitals provided in case of an emergency right? I’m not stating that is easy for someone to come and just say that they want to care for a child that is not even theirs and atomically handing a child to them but giving the chance for a child to have a home sounds more human than just letting them die when these mothers don’t want them and seek towards an abortion. There’s couple’s out there who are willing to give anything to have a baby and actually care for them and love them as if it was their own. Having some type of counseling and connection with the mothers and the adoptive parents throughout mothers pregnancy, to support her can allow a bigger chance of survival for many of these unwanted babies.

My problem with abortion is that when someone doesn’t desire a baby but knows the consequences of their actions should think clearly about actually going through an abortion. We all make mistakes and should take responsibility for them; we can’t go around and be selfish when there is a life growing inside that never asked to be brought into this world in the first place. But some of these women either don’t care or feel like they are alone; I believe there should be some type of group and/or organization at these abortion clinics that are willing to help with these adoption processes. I’m sure there would be millions of people who would be interested in taking a baby into their home and mothers agreeing to it. I definitely would be one of them! 

"The Minimum Wage and Economic Growth"

On February 13, 2013 Firedoglake published an editorial “The Minimum Wage and Economic Growth” written by Dean Baker. This editorial starts about Obama calling for a higher minimum wage about $10 an hour to try to come in set by 2015 or 2016 rather than it being 7.25. In the article he talks about how minimum wage and economic growth affect each other over the years, from past decades to now, how minimum kept in pace with inflation. He states how the productivity growth has raised up vs to before but minimum wage not following. For example, in the earlier years of 1947 to 1969 minimum wage and productivity growth stayed at a same pace, now it does not because the cost of everything has raise up. What used to cost $1.00 is now $2 or $3 which means people possibly will not have a larger improvement in living standards since the purchasing power is not constant as in the 1940’s. According to the article if the purchasing power had kept in pace with productivity growth than the minimum could have possibly been around $16.54. If the cost of things was the same today people would be living how the people in the earlier decades lived and there wouldn’t be any decrease in the living standards of people that struggle twice as much. In my opinion once the law passes of a higher minimum wage is it going to be any better? Well of course it is if the productivity growth remains the same things are already very expensive some people need to be stabilized to be able to buy things in an affordable way.

As a reader going through the article I give him credibility to all his points of view, he has statistical evidence to back up his information for example the graph he demonstrates of the real minimum wage and the wage if it was tied to productivity he also shows his references of his data he got. I agree with the author and believe he makes a good informative editorial to his intended audience of the millions of workers who are currently paid at or near minimum wage who deserve a higher income and more knowledge of how our way of living is being affected because honestly that’s what’s happening. With five dollars you could afford purchasing more things, now with five dollars you can count with your fingers how many things you can afford which is not very much.

Helping Workers in Hard Times

On February 19, 2009, The New York Times published an editorial “Helping Workers in Hard Times” the article is about how many people are accusing illegal immigrants of taking jobs that don’t pertain to them, or so they say. According to the article undocumented immigrants are already being accused of many other scandals including environmental ruin, crime waves, global warming but the worse being leprosy. Most of all illegal immigrants are forced to work in jobs that don’t pay them enough, work in dirty dangerous industries, and are treated unfairly. The publisher backs up his argument very well using evidence about a clean carwash campaign in Los Angeles that states “they are routinely cheated of wages, denied breaks and exposed to chemicals that burn their skin and eyes”.  With those facts being stated now if we throw out all these workers are Americans really going to take over all these duties and do these jobs? For example, are they willing to work as a labor worker to stand outside for hours with no breaks? Or stand outside Home Depot asking for work? I agree it won’t happen.

Another major argument made is about having an E-Verify system for every business receiving money according to the Congressional Budget Office. Basically to make sure everything obtained from these workers is correct and nothing is being used illegally for example, fake socials that many immigrants use to seek employment. They don’t want them to benefit from anything since they are not paying taxes. But does it really matter if you are from here or not? Any person documented or undocumented should have the support as any other individual, it should be equal. Also, any person being maltreated should feel that support that they are not alone and have rights like Americans do.

I agree with this article illegal immigrants cause no harm to this environment and/or economy if anything I believe they help it. Surviving here is not easy and especially when you have family’s to support, a job is a job and anyone can do it if the chance is given. However, the publisher could’ve added more information to get his or her point across regarding the status of many of these illegal immigrants like stating how many employers use these workers to get the job they need done and once is finished they don’t pay them and threaten that they will deport them if they reach out to anyone for help. Till this day we still see it happen where an immigrant is being taken advantage and many people don’t seem to care. Also, how they have no protection upon them when working in dangerous areas, a protected individual should be one of the employer main concern. But with undocumented immigrants that doesn't seem to be the case so if they end up getting hurt or having an accident which causes their life they are not held responsible for it. Most of these immigrants families depend on them and no one lends a helping hand to them. So how do these immigrants affect society?  If the little money they receive from these low paying jobs is the same money that they spend here. After all, that's one of the major concerns here in the US (money).

Chris Christie DREAM ACT!

Everyone has the right to succeed in life whether is the poorest to the richest, the youngest to the oldest, and or any human being that exist. However, not everyone has or is given the same opportunities equal. Reason for that we all don't come from the same place, and we all don't have the same rights as many who reside here in the US. For example, undocumented students don't have the same benefits as many students who are born here. Governor from New Jersey, Chris Christie signed the Dream Act for his state, to be able to give support to the undocumented students who want to progress in life. He doesn't believe things should operate the way they do in many states, where so many  of these students that graduate from high school but can't continue an education if there's no one helping them to stand up for what they believe in. Christie believes that there has been a great amount of investments on these undocumented students through out there school years then why not continue and help them succeed? It should be shown that we can all work together despite all of our differences. Making a difference in these children matters and it sets a great example of optimism for all the people who live here according to Christie. Things can be accomplished with just a little help from everyone even when you don't agree to such purpose like the Dream Act take into consideration these children could be yours. Christie vetoed a measure to allow undocumented students who have attended any New Jersey high school for more than three years to be eligible for financial aid packages. Not every state has signed for the Dream Act and as for me I completely agree with governor Christie that they should. There is a large population of Hispanics who come here for a better future for  themselves and for their children no one should ever have to feel less than another individual. I read a few more articles who completely think the Dream Act should not exist is great  to see people like governor Chris Christie actually care and make a difference. Therefore, taking a glance at this article can make a better understanding of our society and why we should all treat each other with respect and be equal. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/01/07/christie-heralds-dream-act-as-message-to-washington/?iref=allsearch