My teacher surprised me. She gathered a senior meeting to tell us that due to a drought, my school (High Tech High International) was shutting off the water. She assured us that the school would soon import portable toilets—this was not reassuring. We were disappointed, but what could we do? I suppose the joke was on us. The school did not really shut the water off. My teacher was making the point that drought is very real to many people. The other half of the surprise was that the teachers had chartered a bus for that day that would take us to see a refugee exhibit put on by Doctors Without Borders (doctorswithoutborders.org).
The conditions in refugee camps I learned are not pleasant—I could have guessed. The most shocking tidbit of information I learned at the pseudo refugee enclosure was about the mines. Throughout the hot countries (that is the African nations in conflict), militants set mines specifically designed not to kill, merely to maim. This way, three people (intended to be soldiers) are taken out of commission—the victim and the two others required to carry him. This disturbed me as much as the living conditions in the camps themselves.
In such circumstances, I am glad to have aid organizations providing care in refugee camps. They establish efficient systems for hygienic and medical aid, and do the best they possibly can with the materials and people they have. It is good that the care tents are spread out so that all refugees seeking assistance are not concentrated into one place. If at all realistic, I wonder if it would be possible to educate the inhabitants in how to care for each other as well as care for them. This would localize aid and make it more self sustaining.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
My (Technical) Party
According to an online quiz, my views are best represented by...
The Reform Party
Symbol
History
The Reform Party began in the 1992 Presidential Election when Ross Perot, a Texas billionaire of the oil industry decided to campaign for president. He hoped to give Americans a candidate alternative to the conventional Democratic and Republican picks—George Bush Sr. and Bill Clinton. Although Clinton emerged as the victor, Perot claimed 19% of the popular vote. Inspired by this starting wave of support, Perot’s followers established the Reform Party. Perot’s 8.5% of the popular vote in the 1996 election solidified the Reform movement as a legitimate political party.
Platform
As the name suggests, the Reform movement calls for economic and governmental reform. The party as a whole is discontented with the low ethical standards that the White House and Congress have sunk to. It aims to bolster public demand for a transparent Washington. Its primary objectives are to reform the campaign/election process, revamp the tax system, revise health care, Social Security, trade, and immigration. This party is designed to cater to voters who do not fully identify with the two major parties and seek an alternative to political monopolies.
Party Nominee
Ross Perot
Convention Site
Austin, Texas
Speech
Over these past 8 years we have had a president who has not listened to the people. He sustains an endless war that he claims to be winning. We are losing money, and now the economy is going down the drain. If the government is going to work, it needs change. Not the change that Obama wants, not the Change that McCain wants, we need to change the fundamentals of the government. The first change that needs to be made is to the people in our government. Morals are something that is needed to be part of the government, and that is missing. We need to raise the ethical standards that we hold for our Congress and White House. We need to pay of the national debt, and to do that we must reform the tax system. Along with the revision of the tax system, we must revise Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid because not enough Americans have healthcare, and we must protect what is most dear to our country. With the increase on immigration, we must find a way to employ the new Americans, while keeping the jobs of other Americans. This country needs major reform. Our system is failing, and needs to be overhauled to adjust for the new age.
The Reform Party
Symbol
History
The Reform Party began in the 1992 Presidential Election when Ross Perot, a Texas billionaire of the oil industry decided to campaign for president. He hoped to give Americans a candidate alternative to the conventional Democratic and Republican picks—George Bush Sr. and Bill Clinton. Although Clinton emerged as the victor, Perot claimed 19% of the popular vote. Inspired by this starting wave of support, Perot’s followers established the Reform Party. Perot’s 8.5% of the popular vote in the 1996 election solidified the Reform movement as a legitimate political party.
Platform
As the name suggests, the Reform movement calls for economic and governmental reform. The party as a whole is discontented with the low ethical standards that the White House and Congress have sunk to. It aims to bolster public demand for a transparent Washington. Its primary objectives are to reform the campaign/election process, revamp the tax system, revise health care, Social Security, trade, and immigration. This party is designed to cater to voters who do not fully identify with the two major parties and seek an alternative to political monopolies.
Party Nominee
Ross Perot
Convention Site
Austin, Texas
Speech
Over these past 8 years we have had a president who has not listened to the people. He sustains an endless war that he claims to be winning. We are losing money, and now the economy is going down the drain. If the government is going to work, it needs change. Not the change that Obama wants, not the Change that McCain wants, we need to change the fundamentals of the government. The first change that needs to be made is to the people in our government. Morals are something that is needed to be part of the government, and that is missing. We need to raise the ethical standards that we hold for our Congress and White House. We need to pay of the national debt, and to do that we must reform the tax system. Along with the revision of the tax system, we must revise Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid because not enough Americans have healthcare, and we must protect what is most dear to our country. With the increase on immigration, we must find a way to employ the new Americans, while keeping the jobs of other Americans. This country needs major reform. Our system is failing, and needs to be overhauled to adjust for the new age.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
The Hargrove Party Platform
When the United States Government sent me my voter’s registration form, it listed three options: Democratic Party, Republican Party, and Independent. Now, after some in-depth discussions with some of my government classmates and some long reflection, I feel guilty that I registered as a democrat. I believe in many aspects of the Democratic Party’s platform, but since they do not more closely match my own, I am not completely represented in this year’s presidential election. Perhaps I should form my own party. If I did, its platform would fall in between those of the two primary political parties. To translate my general views into simple terms, I am (in a sense) a political conservative and a social liberal. I believe in minimal government influence. The government should protect people’s right, including the right to life. Yes, I support health regulations. I also believe very strongly in international diplomacy to resolve tensions rather than preemptive military action. The government’s sole purpose must always be the protection of its people and their rights; not to tell people what is good for their country and acting independently.
With regard to specific issues: gay marriage should not even be on the ballot. It is a social issue, not a governmental concern. And for the record, it should be legal. No citizen should be allowed to own a handgun or automatic weapon. Abortion and stem cell research should be legal. Homeland Security should change its name to one that is not so arrogant and elitist. Immigration control should be loosened; this country was not founded to keep people out. The environment should be equal with the economy on the nation’s list of priorities. Education should be reformed and No Child Left Behind abolished. The door to the death penalty should remain open, but the list of what constitutes a capital crime revised. All economic and environmental decisions must account for both. These points are not arguments, but stances on a political platform. Please comment with any questions about the Hargrove Party’s position on any other political issue or the ones listed above. Vote Hargrove.
With regard to specific issues: gay marriage should not even be on the ballot. It is a social issue, not a governmental concern. And for the record, it should be legal. No citizen should be allowed to own a handgun or automatic weapon. Abortion and stem cell research should be legal. Homeland Security should change its name to one that is not so arrogant and elitist. Immigration control should be loosened; this country was not founded to keep people out. The environment should be equal with the economy on the nation’s list of priorities. Education should be reformed and No Child Left Behind abolished. The door to the death penalty should remain open, but the list of what constitutes a capital crime revised. All economic and environmental decisions must account for both. These points are not arguments, but stances on a political platform. Please comment with any questions about the Hargrove Party’s position on any other political issue or the ones listed above. Vote Hargrove.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Issues of Primary Importance
1. Energy: Like many Californians, I am a strong advocate for investing money and research into legitimizing alternative energies for economic use. I believe that while part of gaining energy independence through acquiring a domestic source of oil, this solution can be temporary at best. We do not want to buy oil from our enemies in the Middle East and Venezuela, but we do not want to further destroy the environment and change the climate. Investment in energy is paramount to our economic success, national security, and environmental preservation.
2. Economic Stimulus: Normally this issue would not be second on my list, but the flagrant need for a boost in the economy requires my (and perhaps several other people’s) attention. The country is bordering on recession and people are quickly loosing jobs. Since one of America’s core strengths as a world power is economic prosperity, maintaining it is vital to the nation’s well-being. The economy must be stimulated quickly and effectively, and so trumps many rival issues in importance.
3. Iraq: I do not know the exact figure, but America shovels about $10 billion a month into Iraq. Almost no one denies anymore that Washington led America there under false pretenses and anyone who reads a newspaper has waited for success there that will never come. The term “Iraq War” is a poor characterization—this is not a war, but an occupation. No one can win an occupation. That is why talk of victory is misleading and would keep America’s troops in Iraq indefinitely. Now more than ever, this country cannot afford, in any sense of the word, to remain in Iraq. No one is suggesting withdrawal from Afghanistan of the search for Bin Laden; but America’s interests lie in extricating itself from Iraq.
2. Economic Stimulus: Normally this issue would not be second on my list, but the flagrant need for a boost in the economy requires my (and perhaps several other people’s) attention. The country is bordering on recession and people are quickly loosing jobs. Since one of America’s core strengths as a world power is economic prosperity, maintaining it is vital to the nation’s well-being. The economy must be stimulated quickly and effectively, and so trumps many rival issues in importance.
3. Iraq: I do not know the exact figure, but America shovels about $10 billion a month into Iraq. Almost no one denies anymore that Washington led America there under false pretenses and anyone who reads a newspaper has waited for success there that will never come. The term “Iraq War” is a poor characterization—this is not a war, but an occupation. No one can win an occupation. That is why talk of victory is misleading and would keep America’s troops in Iraq indefinitely. Now more than ever, this country cannot afford, in any sense of the word, to remain in Iraq. No one is suggesting withdrawal from Afghanistan of the search for Bin Laden; but America’s interests lie in extricating itself from Iraq.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Questions to Our Prospective Presidents
1. What role will your faith play in your foreign policy decisions with regard to the Middle East?
2. Republicans and Democrats both claim to be "reaching across the aisle." If elected, will you surround yourself with appointees of both parties? Will you favor your party over the other?
3. In the Vice Presidential debate, Senator Joe Biden mentioned that Dick Cheney is perhaps the most dangerous VP in American history. If elected, will you make efforts to limit vice presidential power that has increased during Bush's terms as president?
2. Republicans and Democrats both claim to be "reaching across the aisle." If elected, will you surround yourself with appointees of both parties? Will you favor your party over the other?
3. In the Vice Presidential debate, Senator Joe Biden mentioned that Dick Cheney is perhaps the most dangerous VP in American history. If elected, will you make efforts to limit vice presidential power that has increased during Bush's terms as president?
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Will I Vote?
I have waited 18 years to vote. I have read stories of citizens in oppressed lands who risk life and limb who stood in line for the mere chance to vote and influence change in their governments. My right to vote is a cherished privilege. To abstain would be to spit in the faces of those who cannot vote, as well as those who sacrificed their lives for my right to vote. I feel proudly obligated to cast my vote. Besides, there is at least one very ill-informed American out there whose vote I cannot wait to cancel out.
I do not necessarily believe that McCain or Obama can prevent further political and economical turmoil (though I think one will be more effective in his efforts), but I feel, as I said, obligated and proud to participate in the democratic (or more accurately Republic I suppose) process. I know that all politicians would say anything to get elected, so it is very difficult to trust either candidate to stay true to his campaign words. I will vote for the one I think will best represent my view. I will vote because I want to have a hand in nudging Bush out of office; and in a few years when McCain comes under heavy fire for his Bush-esque policies, I will be able to say that I did not vote for him; but still I will have voted.
I do not necessarily believe that McCain or Obama can prevent further political and economical turmoil (though I think one will be more effective in his efforts), but I feel, as I said, obligated and proud to participate in the democratic (or more accurately Republic I suppose) process. I know that all politicians would say anything to get elected, so it is very difficult to trust either candidate to stay true to his campaign words. I will vote for the one I think will best represent my view. I will vote because I want to have a hand in nudging Bush out of office; and in a few years when McCain comes under heavy fire for his Bush-esque policies, I will be able to say that I did not vote for him; but still I will have voted.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
What is an American?
The most consistent method of identifying Americans as a people is to examine their history. Americans trace their values and ideals to those detailed in their founding documents.
This nation sprang forth from Britain, gaining independence in the late 1700s. The Founding Fathers created a country in the hope that its people would never be subject to the oppression they faced when under British rule. To ensure this, they established a flexible government structure.
The Bill of Rights enables and ageless quality of the Constitution, ensuring that today's Americans have their guns, their free speech, worship, and right to revolt. The average American holds firmly to the rights to vote, to influence governmental affairs. S/he is proud of our fundamental government structure; our rights to privacy and a fair and speedy trial. If nothing else, Americans are rights-oriented to the core. They feel entitled to free education, freedom to travel, and to live. Americans become agitated as governmental transparency blurs and federal officials ignore the public will which initially placed them in office. That is the face of the average modern American.
This nation sprang forth from Britain, gaining independence in the late 1700s. The Founding Fathers created a country in the hope that its people would never be subject to the oppression they faced when under British rule. To ensure this, they established a flexible government structure.
The Bill of Rights enables and ageless quality of the Constitution, ensuring that today's Americans have their guns, their free speech, worship, and right to revolt. The average American holds firmly to the rights to vote, to influence governmental affairs. S/he is proud of our fundamental government structure; our rights to privacy and a fair and speedy trial. If nothing else, Americans are rights-oriented to the core. They feel entitled to free education, freedom to travel, and to live. Americans become agitated as governmental transparency blurs and federal officials ignore the public will which initially placed them in office. That is the face of the average modern American.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
PSA
http://www.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=41784514
Finally, a decent Public Service Announcement! It has a clear message and a clear target audience. While I am not a fan of hip-hop, the PSA drew my interest and did not bore me. It made effective use of camera angles, creating a varied and interesting overtone. It opens with, "We're not here to tell you here to vote for." This establishes a nonpartisan approach which prevents any viewers from becoming defensive. The PSA aims to eradicate apathy among young prospective voters, and does so by strategically applying guilt. As one speaker in the PSA calmly explains "People died for our right to vote."Each of the five presenters proceeds to uplift and inspire the audience by highlighting the facts that "it is your right to vote" and "Things need to change." This Public Service Announcement is clear, entertaining, and effective at communicating its message to GET OUT THERE AND VOTE!
Finally, a decent Public Service Announcement! It has a clear message and a clear target audience. While I am not a fan of hip-hop, the PSA drew my interest and did not bore me. It made effective use of camera angles, creating a varied and interesting overtone. It opens with, "We're not here to tell you here to vote for." This establishes a nonpartisan approach which prevents any viewers from becoming defensive. The PSA aims to eradicate apathy among young prospective voters, and does so by strategically applying guilt. As one speaker in the PSA calmly explains "People died for our right to vote."Each of the five presenters proceeds to uplift and inspire the audience by highlighting the facts that "it is your right to vote" and "Things need to change." This Public Service Announcement is clear, entertaining, and effective at communicating its message to GET OUT THERE AND VOTE!
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