Jenny Shultz's Blog
Posted by Jenny Shultz
Millions die every day from starvation. Millions more lack for water and basic shelter. There are few among us who can truly visualize what "millions" look like. In this short flash, all of us receive a better understanding of what it means to live in poverty and conversely, to be grateful for what we have. Check out: Miniature-earth
Posted by Jenny Shultz
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Posted by Jenny Shultz
Yikes! How can America have a poverty problem? One would expect this from countries in Africa which is an entirely third world continent, but from the United States of America this is troubling. How can a nation who spends more money on fast food than on higher education, personal computers, computer software or new cars be in this condition? Every month more than 90 percent of American children eat at McDonald's; the average American eats three hamburgers and four orders of french fries every week. So, not only are we putting ourselves in unhealthy positions, we are eating ourselves into poverty. There is something terribly wrong with this picture. There are some who suggest a Universal Healthcare System which could probably do some good for everyone. Nations such as France and several other Eastern Europe countries provide healthcare to citizens as a universal right. Seems to make a lot of sense. However, our government seems to be worried so much about whether Iran is going to give in to U.N. sanctions or not that the focus has shifted from taking care of U.S. citizens. Men like John Mark Karr are walking away from crimes they've wrongly "confessed" to while Hurricane victims from over one year ago, this week, are still unable to return to the place they call home. Poverty is a social problem, and unless our "society at large" decides to get the ball rolling there will be no way of escaping what the future may hold for this nation.
Posted by Jenny Shultz
Well, it's plain to all that we are on the verge of World War III as Hezbollah continues to fire rockets into Israel. However, while the Middle East is in flames and Cuba's leadershiop is in jeopardy, Alaska has decided to shut down. Yep! The U.S. imports 8% of it's oil from BP's Alaskan Prudhoe Bay oil Field. Not only are there currently problems, leaks, but this has been a continuous disaster. So, BP has decided to shut down the rig indefinately, cutting oil production by 400,000 barrels per day. So, we are all in for a "crude" awakening. Thus far gas prices are in the mid three dollar range, but are soon to be rising.
Posted by Jenny Shultz
How is it that the U.S. has known for over a year about the Genocide in Darfur and it is still going on? On June 1, 2005 it was reported that Bush declared the killings in Darfur Genocide. The United States, under the 1948 U.N. convention on genocide, is committed to preventing such killings and punishing the killers if it deems a genocide is taking place.
However, Bush met with South African president Thabo Mbeki and Secretary of NATO to discuss the Darfur situation, and after commented that "Our government has put a lot of money to help deal with the human suffering there," and therefore would continue to support via financial contributions, yet would not be willing to send troops. Of course, we'll send an abundance of troops into a country who isn't asking for help, but when thousands of people are dying daily we turn our hands. Though, Mbeki alluded to the fact that this is an African problem and that it needs to be dealth with on African soil by Africans, can we do no more than write a check? After Bush met with Mbeki in 2005, British Prime Minister Tony Blair made efforts to persuade the world's wealthiest nations to double aid to Africa, and Bush rebuffed his efforts.
What is Bush trying to prove?
Posted by Jenny Shultz
CNN and BBC, the New York Times, local papers, churches and other non-profit agencies do a great job at providing the people with 'the latest news'. Most of what people want to hear about is "death", "murder", "scandals" and other "mysterious" crimes and or tragedies that affect our world, or, their world I should say. Just like the genocide taking place in Sudan; people don't want to know what they don't see, because they don't have to respond.
How about what they do see? You can't tell me that any person in this world can wake up in the morning and leave the housej and return in the evening without seeing the remains of poverty's death grip.
What can we do? What can you do? What can I do? We can begin by educating ourselves about what our local community is doing to address poverty; call the city Council or the Red Cross or the Salvation Army. Secondly, pay attention to the News; what global devastation is occurring, and if you can't seem to find out use the internet. All you have to do is type in: Africa and Poverty, and you will be set for life. There are so many people, today, who say they don't know how to help because they haven't tried to. Don't be one of those people.
Make a Difference, today, tomorrow, today.
Posted by Jenny Shultz
Why isn't congress asking the right questions? The Mexico/U.S. border will continue to be breeched by thousands of illegal aliens because they are fleeing poverty and getting hired in the U.S. If we perpetuate this behavior how can we find them guilty or expect illegals to stop flooding the borders. If it's working why stop? U.S. business owners have got to put a stop to their underhanded hiring techniques. Money has been noted a lot of things in the world, and it's malicious manipulation will stop at nothing. People are miserable when they have lots of it and miserable when they have none. I recently switched hair salons and, thus have a new stylist; she is 60 plus years old and is from Russia. She interestingly hasn't been in the U.S. for more than a couple of years. When I asked her about communism she said it's nice to be free, but things were much better for everyone before. She said yes, you can go into any shop you want now, but the common people (majority of the population) can't afford to buy anything. She said they are a starving people. What more can America do to alleviate the problem of poverty? We can start by facing it. If we begin to look at the root of the immigration issue we will see that the true need is right in front of our faces; these people are working to feed their families. This can become an ethical question as well as moral; should these people be forced to leave or allowed to work?
Posted by Jenny Shultz
When did sustaining human life become "another thing to do" on our lists to improve the world? How have human beings succombed to the illusion that some things are more important than human life? Though mega America wouldn't know true poverty if it sucked the life out of us one by one, we are living in a poverty of the soul. So many are seeking to be fulfilled, to find succcess, to reach the maximum level of happiness, but what they do not know is that happiness is a shared emotion and can be found in the eyes of another. When a quarter of the world's children are malnourished and when more than half of the 11 million deaths of children under five years-old, each year, can be attributed to malnutrition, we have a major problem.
How can we, as individuals, make a difference? Decide you want to, and do it. Do the research, make the effort, and you may find that happiness is an altruistic byproduct. Read article, China's Beat on World Hunger & The Micah Challenge.
Posted by Jenny Shultz
Just this week a friend and I vacationed in Duck, NC in a remotely isolated community of homes worth well into the million dollar range. One cold and rainy day as I drove from one end of the island to the other, I was catapulted into sand as a warning that there was no more road- I had to turn around or continue driving on the beach and either get washed away or abandon my vehicle as it was high tide. I couldn't help but fall into a cynical thought cycle.
On the other side of the tracks, half a dozen of my friends were busy gutting out hurricane-damaged homes in Mississippi having to plug their noses in order to keep whatever they had eaten in their stomachs. Victims of water damage, emotional subjugation, and "neglect", these home owners have persevered the storm, and what had they to show for it? Nothing.
Some might argue that poverty is strictly a social problem, purely and completely, and in my opinion "Yes" it is socially paralyzing. It is paralyzing for those who have no homes to offer hospitality, no food to suggest a meal, and no jobs or careers in order to flash their credibility. However, when capitalism begins to depend on our social obligations and moral integrity then we can surmise that poverty is a social issue.
Yes, social and unjust, it is an issue-but IF and WHEN cannot continue to be the driving force behind human negligence. I think the annhilation of 6 million Jews was a social issue at first, but that didn't keep the second World War from happening, and should it have?
I'm not suggesting a war on poverty or even a Government supported socialist takeover, but I am suggesting that "action" should be taken. Just give a little, just a little, not a lot. Let's just start to give a little. Mother Theresa began living when she realized that in order to change the world, to touch a life she would have to start one person at a time. When she decided to do just that...she never stopped. Just give a little...