Choose 1-3 issues to talk about in the comments section below.
Write a brief paragraph explaining each issue, and why you think it's important, interesting, and fruitful for a whole semester's work. Write your paragraph(s) in a word processing program and save your work. Then copy and paste your work into the comments. Instructions are below.
Please post your assignment by Tuesday 1/29, no later than 8 a.m.
By Wednesday in time for class, please read all of the suggested topics. Make a note of the topics that especially interest you. We'll narrow down topics in class on Wednesday.
Let me know if you have any questions, or any trouble posting your comments!
1. Click on the link at the bottom of this post that says "# comments" and you'll see a comment box appear.
3. You'll see a drop down menu beneath the comment box labelled "comment as:" - click on that and select "anonymous."
4. Click on "Publish."
The page should reload, and you should see your comment appear. If you don't see your comment, it didn't successfully publish. Go back through the steps and make sure you've done everything correctly. If you're still having trouble posting, send me an email and include your paragraph.
Good luck - I hope you'll find it interesting to think about this!
Arturo M.
ReplyDeleteOne possible topic is gun control.
There are some that believe that guns in America are a real issue. You start to hear about mass shooting more frequently on the news. People that should not have guns are finding it easy to obtain them. They only bring violence. Others believe that we need guns to protect ourselves. It’s our second amendment right. Guns are already out there and they make billions per year. What is the solution?
Seang Finh S.
ReplyDeleteTopic: Gang violence
Gang violence is essentially everywhere, not just in my community. There are so many innocent people who get caught into the crossfire or many young teens tend to get lost and confused with their life that they join a gang. Gangs only bring more trouble and harm the people around you that you love and care for. Being raised from Richmond/San Pablo my whole life, there were gangs everywhere down to my own family whereas I had to exclude myself from getting in. We need to find a way to stop the gang wars or block wars around Richmond, but it is too hard to prevent a person from giving away a lifestyle in a second. What are ways we can prevent gang violence?
One possible topic that we could further explore is the advantages and disadvantages to kids who grew up in a particular enviornment such as a city or zip code. in today's society it seems like the enviornment or place somebody was born or raised has a big impact on certain situations in which they are unfairly being treated, whether its a beneficial gain or loss
ReplyDeleteJose V.
ReplyDeleteGang Violence Reduction:
Gang violence is a problem that affects many of our communities, causing havoc and ruining the lives of adolescents at staggering rates. It is imperative for the benefit of our communities, and society as a whole, to truly pay more attention to this issue that has afflicted so many of our communities for so long. Clearly, gang violence is still a major problem that has deeply affected our society, and action needs to be taken in order to help eradicate the growing gang violence that has taken the lives of so many adolescents. I believe this is an interesting and fruitful issue to discuss, because as earlier mentioned, gang violence is a major problem in this country, and it directly affects our communities’ everyday.
Cristian Perez
ReplyDeleteTopic: The Rise of College Tuition Each Year
For more than a decade, college tuition has been rising far beyond the rate of inflation at public colleges and universities. According to many colleges, tuition and fees increased 5.4 percent annually above inflation in the decade since the 2001-2002 school year. This is making it more difficult for students to afford their education. The rate of students dropping out due to student loan fees and too much to pay is growing immensely per year. Is there any way that we can change this horrible inflation? What can we do to make our (the students) voices heard?
Matt R
ReplyDeleteDo “clean” technologies really decrease pollution in the air, or are they also harmful to the environment? Any manufactured product requires energy to make. Nothing is made without a cost. The production of solar panels, wind turbines, and hybrid and electric vehicles all create pollution. The batteries in hybrid and electric cars are toxic, just like any battery. After a car with one of these batteries is crashed or dies, the battery becomes harmful to the planet if not disposed of correctly. Burning gasoline is an incredibly efficient way of getting places. Just because a car is not electric or hybrid does not mean it gets horrible gas mileage.
Andrew L.
DeleteWhile controversial, there are many methods which already exist that are fantastic solutions to our energy concern. Car engines actually burn the gaseous fumes of gasoline not the liquid. Yet our engines inject liquid gasoline through a spray head to vaporize part of it. The left over liquid gasoline in the cylinders reacts with the oil in your engine creating harmful gases such as CO2. The solution is to heat our gas tanks and burn only the vapor of the gasoline. This drastically improves the Mpg of our engines some argue by as much as x10 times more fuel efficient. This technology has been around since 1932 (see Charles Pogue Carb.)And by burning all of the gasoline, only oxygen used to burn the fuel puffs out of the tail pipe. The more advanced alternative, hydrogen, is now possible to be used because of our advances in nuclear science. Using an atom smasher, we can harvest hydride. Hydride acts like a sponge to absorb hydrogen and stabilize it. Using solar panels to power the electrolysis of water, we can harvest hydrogen. By making hydrogen stable it is safe enough to power a car. So by using ocean water and sunlight we could theoretically power everything. It will be very interesting to see what happens in the coming years as we run out of oil.
Gang violence is an issue that has been around for a long time in almost every place possible. Gangs exist for older people as well as for young teens. Some people do not get all that is required in a home and that is why they go looking for what they are missing in gangs. Gangs are something that can not be fixed but I believe in peoples rehabilitation out of gangs.
ReplyDeleteNailea Pena
Liliana P.
ReplyDeleteTopic: Welfare
In the past several years, the unemployment rate has increased due to the economic recession. Many people that file for welfare truly need the assistance from the government in order to prevent homelessness and provide food for their families. However, many people also take advantage of the welfare system by purposely not looking for jobs in fear of not receiving any federal funding. Since welfare is funded by our taxes, we (the citizens) should have a say on how the welfare system accepts applicants. How can we prevent people from taking advantage of the system? Is creating more jobs the answer?
Caneisha F.
DeleteI would say creating more jobs would help, also letting those families know that they also encourage you to find a job not to cut you off your assistance but to help you improve you financial situation at the same time. Given you have about 5 years to be on assistance, people should learn to use that as an advantage to get assistance but at the same time try to personally better your situation with the help provided which is the problem some people just want the easy way out to be getting money and dont have to work. What good does that do? There is said to be some big cuts coming to those who are on assistance they might even be stopping the assistance so for those who dont want to help their own situation they have another thing coming.
RoxanaG
ReplyDeleteTopic Community programs for families
On the weekends when i find myself with some free time im always curious what there is to do outside, when i was younger this was an issue as well. So what do we do? what are some activities that the communities around us offer that we can go and enjoy? As i look around and realize that many families are "letting themselves go" like letting their kids do whatever, eat anything, and as a result parents are not able to enjoy quality timewith their kids, whatever the ages. I think it would be interesting to see whats out there, whats free, just new experiences with the family rather than sitting infront of the tv playing video games, or on their phone checking our instagram and facebook. Id be interested to see just what can be done, how it would benefit the community as a whole and families.
Issue #2
i also thought that the issue of bullying is a good issue to look into. As a former bystander to bullying i never thought much of it , i always thought it was mean but i would just shake my head and keep walking but that did not do anyone a favor. Since we live in a society that is difficult, i think to do. This way the issue will become more popular and a easier task to deal with. The issue of bullying happens not only in grade school but in sports teams, at home and on the long run i think it contributes to verbal abuse in relationships, at work, and just amongst adults.
Nataly R
ReplyDeleteOne Topic is Gun Control. Recent mass shootings of Aurora and Sandy Hook Elementary has everyone thinking about gun control and not wanting violence in ones community. To have the right for self-protection or to have stronger laws against guns.
Second Topic is Immigration reform. Everyone wants the American dream. America has a long and rich heritage of immigration. America is diverse, but we also recognize that our current immigration system does not help the community. It affects my community because many immigrant people struggle because it’s difficult to find jobs or go to college. It will benefit my community by improving the fairness immigration court system. Help many undocumented working families and young people. The reform will open immigration and help the American dream. How can we help pass the reform?
Angel P.
ReplyDeleteTopic: Alcohol Abuse
One of the many overlooked problems in need of a solution in our community is alcohol abuse, especially when driving. Not only adults, but adolescents and many underaged are getting involved with the use of alcoholic substances. To a certain extent, one should be able to enjoy him/herself with given drinking privileges. However, when consumed irresponsibly, there is a good possibility of a dangerous outcome, and who knows what could happen till sobriety. Not only does this present a danger to the individual but to others around that person. The minute they step foot in a vehicle, other community members are endangered as well. What are some ways we can address this issue and not only decrease the risk everyone is put at, but possibly prevent it from happening?
Ryan L
ReplyDeleteTopic: Electronic Distractions
Electronics are used for many things like talking, listening to music, writing notes, reading fun books, internet, games and more. There are many types of electronic devices that are very distracting in our community in today’s society; many of them are very popular to the youth mainly things like ipods, iphones, android phones, and various tablets. Many accidents happen because of electronics, they usually happen while driving a motor vehicle, have you ever heard of DON’T DRINK & DRIVE; well the same rules apply with electronic cell phones keep that in mind.
Dahrion Reynolds
ReplyDeleteAn issue that I think should be addressed is animal abuse and care. Everywhere you go you will see the same problem, stray dogs and cats running the streets and when rescued there’s no space to put them. It’s also common for animals to die or be abandoned because an owner can’t afford to pay a hospital bill for their sick or injured animal. Well there has to be a solution somehow. I’m sure there is an abundance of people that feel the same way and would take time to volunteer. Maybe collecting money donations to help families pay for animal hospital bills, or collecting donations to open a local animal shelter.
Melvin Banagan
ReplyDeleteHomelessness is a growing problem in the country and in the bay area and I'm sure it is a problem in the communities here. There is a homeless person almost everywhere you go. I live in Hercules and just recently I think i have seen a couple of homeless people there and I would have never thought that it would be so bad that it has reached out that far and is spreading. I feel bad when I drive by a homeless person because they have the hardest time to survive and its winter so its even harder to live outside since its colder this time of year.
A topic that can be explored is ingrained patriarchy and the importance of feminism. Feminism is often misconceived as an extreme man-hating movement that values establishing ultimate power for women/matriarchy. In reality, it's there as a force for empowering women and gaining equal rights for women. While discussing that, patriarchy and sexism's strong presence in society and its harmful effects will pop up. It would be interesting to see how these problems can be addressed.
ReplyDeleteKarryann S.
Andrew L.
DeleteSociety has played and important role in dividing the genders and creating creating clear barriers between us. These lines are now very visible amongst us. These barriers are what I believe are what are breaking this sense of empowerment. Young children from an early age absorb media like a sponge and create an unconscious perception of what a woman and man should be. This causes us to have godlike expectations of ourselves, and potential mates, leading to a multitude of harmful effects and birthing the concept of "sexism", male and female. People try to be pretty or over masculine so as to live closer to these godly expectations, walking all over people around them, having empty relationships. Those of us who are not excepted and fall short become unselfconscious and shy, depressed. It is a masculine trait to dominate, and so men are socially expected to dominate our society. Women are expected to be reserved and shy "lady like". The individual consciousness of a man is not the problem. It's the thoughts and culture of all of us as a species. In this way we work to keep each other down and unhappy, while feeling empty inside like something is missing. That's because something is missing: Yin and Yang. Taoist teach of the concept of yin and yang. One cannot exist without the other. The truth is that, we all possess all masculine traits and all feminine traits within us. These traits can be felt as your emotions. When we all are in touch with both sides of our selves we can begin to love each other, have strong loving bonds with our children, have a deeper sense of compassion and understanding for each other, and eliminate all of the negativity that sexism has injected into all of our lives. While very improbable that many will see any steps forward towards this concept in our life times, it is important to understand the idea and broaden your sense of awareness. In the short term we teach girls to be proud of their bodies, to feel powerful, and that most of all the mind is what matters, all else is elementary.
Martin R.
ReplyDeleteuniversal health care is a topic which i think should be discussed further millions of people are uninsured and refrain from going to the hospital because of the high bills which people cant afford.
Transportation is pretty weak in my area buses take up to 45 minutes to an hour which is pretty weak especially when your not use to waiting that long.Parking is another issue the streets are so narrow when neighbors have family over u could rarely find parking which is pretty irritating at times.My last issue would have to be homelessness i see so many around but dont see many shelters nor places to feed these people which is pretty odd and pretty weak if you ask me.
ReplyDeleteAHP
Jeremy B
ReplyDeleteTopic: Rising cost of food
The rising cost of food is a very important issue considering the amount of people who are unable to support themselves let alone their families. With household being squeezed financially more and more, people are slowly being forced to make difficult choices just to keep enough food for a healthy living. With everything rising in cost food will be the last thing to be rationed. This issue needs to be managed before it gets out of control.
Andres C
ReplyDeleteStudents addiction to media technology.
this topic asks how our dependence on media technologies have changed the way we think about the world, our communities, our relationships, and our dependencies. In the last couple of years we have seen a boom in social media technology from twitter to Instagram . In an age of constant connection, we can now use our smart phones to take a picture and share it with the word through Instagram. We now know what our favorite actor or athlete are thinking or doing by following them on twitter. But can we go a day without No internet, no phone, no email, no media? and not feel any withdrawal symptoms like the of a drug addict? Without it having any psychological effect on us?
N. Diu
ReplyDeleteYearly Increase of Tuition Fees
Tuition fee in schools often increase yearly. This has been an issue for students all over the world. Not only it would leave students in huge debt for student loans. I am not generalizing this to all the universities and colleges, but whenever they increase tuition fee I just don't see that the standard of education they have is getting better or even the campus is not improved. This makes it harder for the students to get a good education, they have to work harder to be able to pay school fees and other expenses. That is why other students end up not being able to finish school because they can't handle the expenses anymore.
Giving Out Free Food Stamps
For some this has been an issue. Giving help to the needy is a very generous act but sometimes it ends up people take advantage of the system. They rely on the government too much it makes them lazy to work or find better opportunities to be able to buy food for their family. The government then increase taxes of employed people to be able to cover the losses since the funds spent for the program are basically coming from the people's taxes too. So some think that helping people in need is not bad, but when they get too dependent on it, There must be something done to fix the system.
Josphine Kumar
ReplyDeletetopic: lack of jobs
I think this is affecting everyone in our community. We have a lot of people getting laid off or some people not be able to get hired which is causes no revenues for companies. I think it would be good to get more in depth info as to why we are still in a slump in this community and not being able to get out. So lets do this one and help everyone out by finding some good resources.
Andrew L.
ReplyDeleteChildhood starvation affects so many children across the United States. The lack of resources and education amongst impoverished parents has lead to these children's diets of potato chips, soda, and snack cakes. These diets are high in sodium, refined sugars, artificial fillers and sugars which act as toxins, and lack the proprietary building blocks: Vitamins, Minerals, Protein, carbohydrates, monounsaturated fats, and most importantly fresh clean water. This makes a normal life impossible, breaks the love barriers between family and child, and causes mental disorders. These children are our future, I believe it is our duty as healthy individuals the help these children and build a better future. These children have no voice, so be their voice and shout about the importance of proper nutrition, especially in growing children, today!
DeJon M.
ReplyDeleteThe issue I would like to put a dent in this semester would be air pollution. To me it is one of the most critical and crucial problems our entire world is dealing with at the moment. When the pollution hits the fan I don't want to be the one saying I told you so I'd much rather be the one saying look what I did to try and stop it. I think you all should feel this way as well if you want your great grandchildren to walk outside to fresher air and a clearer environment.
Christian J.
ReplyDeleteLocal litter:
Every where you look, you see trash. Wether it is a creek or a beach shore, even on the college campus streets and sidewalks. If we could spend the extra few seconds to throw our wrappers or what have you away, instead of letting them fall to the ground to be mixed with the environment, the wild life would flourish and the streets and sidewalks would be more clear of trash. The parks and beaches would be more attractive. We all live in this environment, please do something to help it last!
DeJon M.
ReplyDeleteThe issue I would like to put a dent in this semester would be air pollution. To me it is one of the most critical and crucial problems our entire world is dealing with at the moment. When the pollution hits the fan I don't want to be the one saying I told you so I'd much rather be the one saying look what I did to try and stop it. I think you all should feel this way as well if you want your great grandchildren to walk outside to fresher air and a clearer environment.
Reginald L
ReplyDeleteAn issue that I feel seriously effects our community in more ways than one is the pot holes that fill our roads and freeways. These pot holes have proven to be a hassle in that they can cause damage to our cars in run over; the result is repairs that need to be made to our cars that we residents have to pay for out of pocket. The pot holes are also very dangerous because cars can often be seen trying to dodge them, swerving to the other side of the road or in front of other cars can potentially cause an accident. It is true that some areas of our community have been fortunate enough to have these holes fixed; however the process is often a very slow one. These areas are often the well to do parts of our community like El Cerrito for example, where the money for repairs is plentiful. I believe that it would be in the best interest of our county to rally together at the city council meeting and demand that these pot holes be filled in an attempt to keep money in its resident’s pockets and to prevent accidents.
Nguyen
ReplyDeleteissue 1.
I cannot stress enough at the amount of children that cannot read at grade level. We should help to make a different in each of these children's lives instead of pushing the responsibilities towards one side of the party. Teaching should be a passion, and not a career. Therefore, it is our duties to help the teacher to make a change in the communities. Parents should strictly and routinely check homeworks and lesson taught in class. I understand that parents struggle to make both ends meet, and sometimes family quality might be lacking in sense of teaching their childrens the rights from the wrong. However, we must understand that the changes started within the family, and everyone else in the communities. The changes starts with you
issue 2.
Today, many Americans children are obese. Is it because of lack of exercise? or the fact that cheap fast food chains are surrounding the communities making it harder for us to have other choices? Most Americans retort to fast food chain for its cheap in price for the quantity, and the convience. We should halt the increase growth of cheap, and unhealthy food chain before dying at our dead bed at a young age.
James Mc.
ReplyDeleteWater is a main source in the world and especially where we all live. This is an important problem over a large planned water project facing strong environmental opposition. So the district I live in is proposing to use both the yard and the Marin Rod & Gun club pie, for the location for a desalination plant that would suck up salt water, and initially could produce about 5 million gallons of water a day for its 190,000 customers and an increase of 6% in the district’s supply.
So the problems/ concerns that would occur is its harm to marine life, and how much energy it would use.
Pannu
ReplyDeleteTopic: Health Care
Health Care can be one of the topic for how people suffer from being treated and going to the doctor. So many people out there who do go because they don't have the money too be checked and for the medications they need for their health.
So this problems should be looked at because it concerns people's health.
i definitely agree, there are people who may be sick or getting sick but wont go to the doctors because they cant pay the doctors bill or even the co pay sometimes, i have a friend whos ben in that situation before which isnt good health is very important in order to continue on with your everyday life but how can we if the health care sitatuation isnt being tooken care of.
DeleteCaneisha F.
H Chatha
ReplyDeleteTopic: Gun Control
There has been lots of shooting past these two to three years in schools. Theres no safety for the little children in schools you never know when somebody going to come in and start shooting. So their should be law passed with the gun control at least there should be a little protection out there for people.
K.Singh
ReplyDeleteTopic: Gun violence
Not only in our local community but nationwide gun violence has impacted most of our lives. Many opinions differ on the issue of assault weapons having a negative impact on our society, but it has been an issue. Everyday there is more and more gun violence and there is no real and fast action taken for gun control. Many innocents have lost their lives in gun violence and you don't know when you could be a victim of one.
Roberto S
ReplyDeleteOne topic I was thinking about was California public school spending. I think that there is little to no funding for California public schools, but where and when are the funds that do come in being used within the public school system. Teachers are under-paid which gives them less incentive to perform up to par. Money is spent in renovation instead of free tutoring programs, I guess the dilemma would be where to spend the money and how should teachers performance be regulated.
Roberto S
ReplyDeleteAnother topic that could stir up some thought would be U.S. corporate bail outs. back in 2009 i think when Obama bailed out GM and Ford i think maybe chrysler im not to sure but was that the best move and should it ever be done in the future for other superpower american companys.
Caneisha Felder
ReplyDeleteTopic 1: Community Support
we can say community involvement, it takes a big part in communities whether its with after school programs in the community, outside programs, school programs, or daily routines of living in a neighborhood. For instance to start with school, i attent school events parent night, school meetings et. and there isnt enough involvement from the communities and families to support the school and their goals they want to reach for the children. Why is it that we (the community) cant come out and lend a helping hand for an hour or two of volunteering somewhere, to help a child better themselves and understand its more to it then the streets or the negative surroundings they have to go home to at the end of the day. Children need that push, their self esteem is easily broken whether its from inside the household or outside on the play groudn we have to hold their hands all the way through until they are ready to be on their own but families and parents cant do it alone.
Caneisha F.
ReplyDeleteTopic 2: government funding for schools
Sad to say sometimes we dont even see where the money has went and the improvements in the schools. School funding is very important not just for the say of getting a new school but also for equipment in the classrooms, materials for students etc. Students may not receive as much support at home as they do from school but without proper funding how can we continue to do this? as we can see the tuition for college is going up gradually and doesnt seem to be declining anytime soon so its imperative that we prepare our children for school as best we can so they dont have to struggle in the future with learning or financially finding a way to help provide for school funding. give them more resources to rely on at school because they may not have that at home to do so. Is this the parents fault for not practicing at home? or is this the governments fault for not having the schools equipped with enough resources to help that child come to school and learn to a high extent then what they did yesterday. it goes hand in hand parents need more involvement to help outside of schools but school and after school programs need the materials to keep this going during school and after school hours.