Recently, the idea of transgenders has been brought to my attention. Never had I really thought about the different kinds of people throughout the world. It honestly never even came to my attention that certain kinds of people are being treated unfairly, for just being who they want to be. After reading this article, it made me upset and frustrated that an individual who identified himself as a man was fired from his job, just because of his sex-change history. Racial discrimination has always seemed more common throughout history. However lately, this idea of transgender discrimination has been affecting the lives of people each day. Mr. Devoureau seems like a trustworthy, hardworking man who just wants to make a living for himself and his son. I do not think anythwere in his job description did it say that he had to be of a certain sex to work. I think the terms he was fired under (just because of the fact that he is transgender) are ludicrous.
In order to overcome issues like Mr. Devoureaus, the job discrimination problem needs to be dealt with immediately and thoroughly. The article even stated that there was few cases brought to court that completed settled the gender identity problem. I think that for transgenders to be accepted in society, especially in the work place, the issue must be addressed and solved. A few states have already banned discrimination based on transgender. However, it is important for laws like this to be passed in every state. This will help the general public to accept the transgender status. It will also aid transgenders to obtain jobs and respect in the workplace.
This is not an issue of what kind of job an employer is asked to do. This is actually an issue of who people are and what they choose to be. Living in the United States, we all have this sense of freedom, independence, and individuality. If the country decides to discriminate against transgender, we are taking away the whole purpose of living in America. It isn’t wrong to express oneself in a different way from others. Each individual in this nation has the right to be who he or she wants to be.

After observing and relooking at the graphs, charts, and data about the distribution of wealth, I honestly am not surprised. Economic growth has been a constant topic in today’s world and is also can be to blame for the unequal supply of money. It was crazy to see that the top 0.01 percent of people actually own the majority of all the wealth. It just goes to show that the people who are wealthy do not share their wealth, in most cases that is. In general, most millionaires are selfish and keep everything to themselves. There are however, a few members of the 0.01 percent that break the barrier. People like Oprah Winfrey donate millions of dollars every year to the poor. Even though she is donating huge sums of money, she still keeps an extremely large amount to herself. I mean come on, why wouldn’t she? She is Oprah Winfrey!
Another reason the wealth distribution is so unfair and drastic is because economic welfare in general usually follows patterns. I remember reading in the Intersections Collection that the wealthy people could not live without the poor people, and vis versus. Both ends of the spectrum (people of very high class and people all the way at the bottom of the totem pole) rely on each other. In general, this is how society has worked since the beginning of time. Social status and tiers of classes of people will never go away. The people with power will generally continue to be in power and are also the most likely to be wealthy. The people who are at the other end of the spectrum, the poor that is, will continue to live off of a few dollars each day and struggle to make ends meet.
I come from a middle class family and I experience a little of each side of the spectrum. In hard economic times, my family will cut back on little things such as driving less if gas prices go up or staying in and cooking at home instead of going out for dinner. At the same time, my family also splurges on material items such as a designer handbag. In the end though, I am grateful for what I have and where I fit into the spectrum of wealth.

This article really opened my eyes to how giving and helpful large organizations, such as FIFA, can help to rebuild a destroyed country. It did not surprise me that the destruction and demolition from the earthquake in 2010 in Haiti is still present. In poor countries with little access to electricity and technology, rebuilding is difficult and time-consuming. Also, with other more current disasters going on in the world right now, such as the disaster in Japan, focus on countries like Haiti is not a prime concern. It was a huge relief however, to see that through all the damage, the people of Haiti still have one common salvation they can all come together through: soccer. In general, the love for team sports is unbelievable. People of all different ages can come together to enjoy a sport they love and share. Even with lost limbs and injuries, the Haitian people have even adapted to their physical body changes and are still playing soccer! The picture of the handicap men playing soccer was incredible to look at. It was amazing to see the enthusiasm and enjoyment radiating from the players.
Overall, I think the dedication and money that the soccer organizations have donated to Haiti has a larger impact then receiving donations from random companies. The residents of Haiti will appreciate the aid and support significantly because the love for soccer is so prevalent.
On a more personal note, I actually have a close tie to the earthquake in Haiti because I lost a friend during it. My friend was visiting in Haiti right during the time of the earthquake and was on a community service project with her college. The people in my hometown really came together when we got the news that Stephanie had not been found in the debris from the quake. My town has donated lots of soccer equipment to the people of Haiti including cleats, soccer balls, socks, and shin guards. This is just a small example of the how even the smallest donations can make a difference to the people of Haiti. If it is a small town or even a huge organization like FIFA, the donations made to Haiti will be appreciated for years to come.

In general, managing a group of people in any circumstance is always a difficult task. It is one of the greatest challenges to obtain complete attention from a large group of people. In fact, the larger the group, the more difficult it is to control the group atmosphere. During times of panic and destruction, such as during a natural disaster, controlling masses of people is even more complicated. Just like in the article, it is important to give people a heads up as to what you want them to do. In the Hurricane Katrina example, people should have been told to get out before the last minute. I think that it is really important to use time management and to also give people a great deal of advance if you want them to take action. There should have been more intricate plans set up prior to the hurricane to help people at risk. Although it is sometimes difficult to track a hurricane, in areas like New Orleans, preparation should have not been a problem since the Gulf has always been a prime location for hurricanes to pass through. Evacuation plans should have been ready for a time of disaster.
Evacuation plans in areas with nuclear power plants are also crucial to the health and lives of the people living there. The closer to the plant you reside, the more likely you will be a risk of dangerous exposure to chemicals. I think on top of sending evacuation plans each year to the residents of these locations, I think it should also be required to have these people attend programs that teach how to safely evacuate. In these programs, professionals can explain the dangers of living near the nuclear power plant and can also explain the side effects. These programs can also implement safe evacuation plans to the residents and give them assurance that during a time of danger, there are ways to retreat to safety. During any kind of accident, people always panic. In order to hinder the amount of terror and chaos associated with disasters, it is vital to be mentally and physically prepared.

I could definitely say that I either use or hear someone else use the R-word on a daily basis. In fact, the r-word is so common in normal conversation amongst people of all ages, that when I hear it being used, it does not offend me in any shape or form. A majority of the time when I use the r-word, I am referring to myself and how I made a careless or clumsy error. Rarely does the use of the r-word ever actually intend to hurt someone’s feelings. The word is used in a context that is usually a joking setting. However to some people, especially people who are actually born mentally challenged, the use of the word is taken into offense. It really surprised me that people of high class and political positions have used the term. The r-word has become so public and common that most people don’t even see a problem with using the word.
In order to fix this problem, the use of the word should be kept at a minimum. There are thousands of other words in the English vocabulary that can be subsisted for the r-word. This issue raises the idea that people are unaware of the words they use and how they could blindly be discriminating against other people. This video revealed to me that people do not think before they speak. I am also a victim to this idea because there are many times where I say a word or phrase out loud, and I do not realize until I have already said it that it may have been in the wrong setting. Especially in arguments, people tend to have rash comments and the r-word can be thrown in with other abusive words to add to a feeling of hurt. Although one person may not feel any harm whatsoever to being called the r-word, others can be more sensitive to it. Learning to filter our ideas before we speak can definitely solve this problem. I also think that designating a day to stop the use of the r-word was a great start to abolishing the use of the word as a whole.

At first, the idea of a city that lives in darkness for a majority of the day seemed unhealthy and gloomy. Since Helsinki only experiences daylight for five hours each day, there has been a huge affect on the citizens. In fact, people are even acquiring an illness called seasonal affective disorder. This disease results from only being exposed to a small amount of sunlight each day. Without light, people may undergo more feelings of depression and sadness. Factors such as increased appetite, weight gain, and even long sleep are common among people accumulating this disease. Light in general has a huge impact on our lives and can shape our personalities and social dynamics. For example, someone who lives in a dark environment may be more likely to remain to himself or herself and not mingle with other people.
Life in complete darkness overall is miserable and sometimes even lonely. To accommodate for the long hours of darkness in the city of Helsinki, the city has provided the residents with different ways to cope with the lack of light. The annual event called the “season of light” has been a great attribute to helping the people of Helsinki. Three years ago this tradition was formed and it has changed the amount of depression people feel each day. During this season, light is used in an art form to illuminate the city with bright colors. I think this is a great manner to deal with depression because light cheers people up. Also, light that is incorporated within the architecture, art, and buildings of the city can give the people something to enjoy. The landmark’s of Helsinki and the light that shows off their features play and important role in the city as a whole. Without light, it would be difficult to appreciate the beauty of the city’s art.
There are other forms of light that have also been explored including therapeutic lamps with bright lights. These light boxes are extremely bright and can light up an entire room. Other more simple forms of light such as streetlights and shop windows can give off light too and add to a feeling of warmth and happiness. If you are not completely happy in Helsinki with the lights that are already provided, you can always choose to leave Finland and visit a warmer place with sunshine.

The world of video games today is filled with violence, killing, and destroying. Even some of the most popular games such as Call of Duty played by people of all ages can put thoughts of violence and killing into the minds of millions of gamers. The Japanese however have instituted games that not only involve killing, but also sexually assaulting women. These Japanese rape fantasy games are repulsive and simply inhuman and just add to the violent nature gamers already enjoy. However, the fact that you can simulate raping young girls in this game is ridiculous and just wrong. The video game producers who created these offensive games must actually be messed up in the head. In fact, a game that involves extreme sexual violence should not even be sold.
Although there have been some efforts to stop these games from being available, the entire globe still has access to downloading them online. The British girl who is interviewed on skype angered me when I was watching this video. She explained how she was curious about the game and decided to download it and play it. After learning the components of the game, she said she did not really feel offended as a woman. As a woman myself, I was infuriated by this girl’s remarks about the game. Sexual violence, torture, stalking, and rape are not acts that should be thought of as acceptable. Even if these acts are only being done in a game, that idea that gamers can simulate real actions in game form is preposterous.
The worst part about this video was that apparently the games are so violent and sexual that they can’t even be shown on public news. If the games are too sadistic for the general public to watch in their daily news, it should not even be created. The fact that this game is so close to reality is also scary. If people play this game, it may give them the incentive to want to be violent. These games can potentially put the wrong ideas into gamer’s heads and cause global sexual assaults to rise. Who is to say that the people who play these games are not just going to simulate stalking and raping women in a game? It is very likely they will take these ideas and bring them into the real world.

Before watching this video, I had never heard of polygamy before. In American culture, the ideas of polygamy would be frowned upon and most likely considered unthinkable. In fact in most cultures around the world, a single woman having multiple husbands is very unheard of. I would never want multiple husbands because living in a western culture, it wouldn’t be acceptable. I also favor having a single spouse because it means full commitment to one person. The idea that polygamy seems strange is because it is not the common custom. However, for the family’s that live in the Chinese Himalayan mountain area, polygamy is a traditional way of life. The main reason for creating a family with multiple husbands is because of the poverty level. Simply put, if a family is poor, having more children means a larger sum of money that can be earned for the entire family. Polygamy can also fix the male to female ratio in China. Due to the set laws families were only allowed to have one child with a male preference. As a result of this, the female Chinese population dropped dramatically. Joint marriages were common to solving the problem that a lot of Chinese men did not have a wife to marry and settle down with.

One part of the video that was really upsetting was that the husbands of the single wife were all brothers. Personally, if I were in a situation where I had to share my husband with my 2 sisters, I would become jealous of the time he spent with them. I was also disappointed about how the wife would plan when she was going to have sex with each brother. Sex isn’t something that should be on a schedule, it should be something that when the time feels right, it happens. Even though I do not agree to polygamy whatsoever, for certain populations and cultures, it is the only way to keep the family alive in the future. Furthermore, it is a safer way to save the male to female ratio in China. Without polygamy, men could potentially find more harmful ways to find a wife such as violent outbreaks or paying for a wife. Although polygamy can solve the unbalanced Chinese population, it is still widely unaccepted by the world.

There are many factors that contribute to idea that Americans don’t travel abroad. I think the main reason for this is that American’s are known for being greedy and are only concerned about money. In general, the average American will attend college, be in massive debt, and then go right into the workforce to make a living and pay off their debt. This seems to be the most classic lifestyle for the up and coming college graduates. So when is there time to travel and explore the different cultures around the world anyways?
Personally, I am a victim of the “typical American” who doesn’t make time to travel. Even though I am only 18, I honestly do not feel the need to travel abroad any time soon in my life. The United States is one of the most well off countries in the world, so why leave? I openly would feel very unsafe visiting countries in the Middle East and even some European countries because of the horrific events that are discussed in the news. If I want to get a taste of Italian culture, I have easy access to it. In fact, I can visit Little Italy right in New York City, which is only an hour from my house. Paying for a train ticket to the city is definitely less expensive than booking a flight to Italy, hours across the globe. For hundreds of years, the United States has been considered a melting pot because people from all different kinds of cultures have migrated in groups. I can be exposed to many diverse civilizations just by talking to people from different cultures that live in the United States.
Americans are also not considered big travelers because visiting other countries is almost out of the way. For an Italian for instance, visiting Spain, Germany, or any other neighboring country could potentially just be a car-ride away. Because of the United State’s location, visiting other countries (besides Canada and Mexico of course) require flying on a plane overseas for many hours.
Another aspect that makes traveling out of the country more difficult for Americans is the fact that most American people can only speak English. In other countries, English is not the predominant language and this can make traveling in foreign countries difficult. Overall, there is no need to spend my money on traveling to different countries when I am happy with the variety of people I meet here in America.

In general, learning how to speak another language is an important aspect of school. In fact, in order to understand one’s own native language, I think it is crucial to learn another language and compare the similarities and differences. I actually learned how to conjugate verbs and understand how sentences are formed by studying a language other than English. In middle school and high school, my school district limited the languages students could take down to Spanish, Italian, and French. Since I come from an Italian heritage, I decided to study and learn the Italian language for the six years they offered language. However, looking back on my choice, I regret choosing to study Italian.
If given the opportunity, I would have definitely taken Chinese. In general, China is a flourishing country full of technology and millions of people. Since the population is so dense in China, learning to speak their language would be very beneficial. As a college student, my biggest concern is finding a job right when I graduate. I believe that if I were familiar with the Chinese language, I would have greater job opportunities, even if it meant working abroad in another country. In a difficult economic time, having the ability to not only speak English, but also Chinese would broaden my chances of getting a job.
Chinese populations have also migrated into the United States in vast majorities. These people are blending into American society with ease and are landing jobs just as well, if not better than American people. Educated Chinese people are known for being intelligent, hardworking, and innovative thinkers. These are the characteristics employers are searching for me to possess.
Although it is stated in the article that more and more schools are now teaching Chinese, this really has no effect on my education or decision to learn Chinese. Children currently being offered to take Chinese as a second language should without a doubt do it. Having the ability to communicate with the most successful and heavily populated country in the world could only be advantageous. China’s future is already far different from any other country with their access to technology and research. Not only is China enormous and heavily populated, but also it is rapidly changing and exceptionally diverse.