...The Federal Government of Untied States of America, My Name is Betty Johnson and I am 30 years old. I am writing to you because I am very concerned with the future of the citizens in this country. Throughout my life poverty has been Americas "Darkest Secret". I never Really hear news Reports on the growing percentage of Americans living in poverty, or the ways the government is trying to fix this issue. I grew up in Detroit, Michigan where more than a third of residents live below the poverty line (Sasha Abramsky, "America's Shameful Poverty Stats"). Throughout my childhood I have watched many friends' families struggle financially. Sometimes my friends would go without eating for a couple of days simply because they could not afford it. I would offer them food but they would kindly decline because they were so embarrassed because of their situation. They would wear clothes that wouldn't fit them because they couldn't afford to buy new clothes. They would miss school to watch their little siblings because their mom was a single parent and had to work all day everyday just so she could feed them. They didn't even apply to college because they knew they had to immediately pick up a crapy job so they could help their mom pay the bills. The list goes on. All of this is happening under your supervision and it doesn't seem like much is affectively fixing this issue. America's lowest percentage of citizens living below the poverty line was 11.1 percent in 1973. It reached...
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...(Perloff, 2001). In terms of prevalence, The United State of America is home to 1.4 million (or 4% of the global population) people living with AIDS, versus Africa, which is home to 22.7 million (or 68% of the global population) living with AIDS. The total population estimated to be living with AIDS is 33 million people, and out of those 33 million, 2 million die each year (Aids and hiv, 2010). The only way to overcome this horrific disease is to spread awareness on how to protect yourself and prevent the transmission of spreading AIDS. The three sources I found pertaining to the AIDS epidemic in Africa were an article by Desmond Cohen, an official government website, aids.gov, and a print source titled Encyclopedia of medical anthropology: health and illness in the world's cultures. Desmond Cohen is a reliable source because he was the director of HIV and development program as well as now being the senior advisor on HIV and development. The website I used is an official government website and is managed by the U.S. department of health and human services. Lastly, the Encyclopedia of medical anthropology: health and illness in the world's cultures is new, published in 2004 as well as it being a published encyclopedia. All of my sources are reliable and relate to the topic of AIDS in African and The United States. In Africa, HIV seems to be such a prevalent issue because they are a culture of poverty. Poverty is associated with weak endowments of human and financial resources...
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...Diabetes is a growing epidemic that is occurring worldwide. Diabetes is considered a chronic disease, and there are two main types. Both types have issues with the hormone insulin. Type I diabetes occurs when the pancreas cannot produce insulin at all. The other type is when the body cannot successfully use the insulin that has already been produced by the pancreas. This is known as type II diabetes. According to the World Health Organization, more than 347 million people have diabetes around the world, with Type II diabetes affecting 90% of that number. In recent years, the number of cases of diabetes has increased greatly in both developed and developing countries. Once a disease that only affected adults, type II diabetes is now also being...
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...2011 p. 623). This number has increased drastically among America’s youth over the past decade. As obesity increases among youth, there is a decrease in physical activity as well as healthy eating habits. Healthy eating choices are the focus of my research, as I concentrate on the eating habits of children participating in America’s Food stamp Program. The heaviest children today are significantly heavier than the heaviest children 10 years ago. So I will use this as a chance to reiterate my beginning question: Is the food stamp program a significant contribution to this increasing obesity rate in America’s youth? The Food Stamp program is government assistance program that was theoretically put in place to end hunger and decrease poverty rates in...
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...Fast Food Workers’ Rights At a glance it is easy to see that the winning formula for the high economic success in the fast food industry is comprised of cheap food and cheap labor. Their ability to sell food at a low price in a matter of minutes caters to families or individuals limited on time or money, and in many cases both of these factors are of equal importance. Inordinately the consumption of low cost labor in the fast food industry has resulted in an underpaid and under protected workforce. In many ways limitations on workers’ rights in the fast food industry have been instrumental in the high profitability of the corporations that dominate it; however, the formation of unions or other sources of support for fast food workers would have implications on the price and/or quality of the final products sold. These implications, in particularly the price of the food, would force a complete restructure of the expectations and needs of customers who currently frequent the restaurants. A key element in sourcing low cost labor has been the excessive employment of teenagers. The fast food industry has exploited the needs and vulnerability of teenagers in order to create a high turnover workforce that is willing to accept low wages and easily taught. The industry has capitalized on assembly line production models, which require little skills from the workers; however, the machinery necessary for these conditions is often times dangerous and violates OSHA guidelines for...
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...United States, were met with discrimination, prejudice, and racism. Assimilation did not come easy for Irish immigrants despite their white skin and English language. Often, the only jobs available to them were hard, dirty, and dangerous positions such as coal mining and railroad work. As more and more Irish immigrated to the United States, American workers feared that the Irish, because of their cheap labor, would put them out of work (Peck, Ira). The Irish were treated in close resemblance to slaves. Forced to live in unsanitary conditions in urban slums by segregation, many Irish fell victim to epidemics that swept through their living environments. It was not uncommon for the head of an Irish family to be dead by the age of 40, as they were often either injured performing dangerous duties in the work environment, or struck with an illness associated with the disease spreading epidemics in their living environments (Peck, Ira). In addition, Irish immigrants were subject to discrimination due to their religious holdings. Irish...
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...provide a comprehensive framework through which the society can address pressing issues of poverty. The MDGs are made up of eight major objectives, which are all related to global development. In 2000, 189 world leaders signed a Millennium Declaration. The leaders set 2015 as the deadline for achieving the set MDGs. There has been a mixed result of the progress towards attaining these goals. One of the major achievements has been achieved is that there has been a major reduction of people living in extreme poverty. Accordingly, the proportion of poverty fell to less than one fifth from nearly a third between 1990 and 2004. However, the results are not consistent throughout the world. For instance, the sub-Saharan Africa has not been able to meet any of the set targets. On the contrary, there has been a significant economic growth in some parts of Asia, especially, the Eastern part. The following is a summary of the progress that has been made so far based on the 2007 Millennium Goals Report. Extreme Poverty The percentage of people living in extreme poverty fell to 19% in 2004 from nearly a third in 2004. If this trend can continue for a long time, there is likelihood that the MDG will meet its target of halving those living on less than 1 dollar per day. As already noted, the progress towards this goal has been inconsistent throughout the world. Indeed, most of the progress in poverty reduction is attributed to the economic gains in East and Southeast Asia. The sub-Saharan...
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...Aids is becoming a worldwide epidemic. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This virus causes the body’s immune system to be weak and useless in fighting even the smallest illnesses. Aids became prevalent in the USA in early 1980’s when the center for disease control recognized a rare virus among five healthy gay men. “This marked the first official reports of what became known as the AIDS epidemic.” ( http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/aids-timeline/) AIDS/HIV is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The rapid spread of this virus is largely due to unprotected sex, blood transfusions, IV drug use, and mother to child. A lack of education, social economics, and access to health care are among the major factors that play a large role in this Global epidemic. Underdeveloped countries such as South Africa, Brazil, and Kenya are among some of the largest prevalence. The United States is not excluded from the list of countries facing this wide spread disease. This disease has no boundaries and affects every country. The lack of education in the subject of how the virus spreads as well as the lack of literacy in a nation is an important factor in the spread of the HIV virus. Due to the high stigmatization of people living with HIV and the world wide misunderstanding of the disease causes many people and governments to just ignore this disease. Fear of the unknown adds to the fuel and causes...
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...Running head: CAUSE OF AMERICAN POVERTY AND THE EFFECTS IT HAS ON CHILDREN 1 Cause of American Poverty and the Effects It Has on Children Daphney Pratcher Strayer University English 115 Cause of American Poverty and the Effects It Has on Children 2 Poverty is the lack of basic human need, such as fresh water, nutrient, health care, education, clothing, and shelter, because of the inability to afford them. Is there Poverty in America? One of the richest countries in the world? Yes, poverty is a reality in America; the causes of poverty involve issues related to economics and education coupled with abuses in governance and lack of opportunity. Poverty in American has grown tragically. It is a spreading national scourge among all races and even more so in center cities, rural areas, and on Indian reservations. There are several causes for American poverty and this affects our children. One of the most common misconceptions is the assumption that if someone is hungry, that means they do not have a job and are living on the streets. What most people don’t understand is that anyone can experience hunger. It is a silent epidemic that affects millions of Americans. Many jobs have laid people off and this has caused poverty to rise. Millions more are surviving only because of expanded unemployment insurance and other assistance. One way embattled Americans have gotten by is sharing homes with siblings...
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...Leading America Away From Obesity By: Amber Stroh New health policies are being enacted to educate Americans about healthy eating patterns in hopes of absolving the obesity epidemic, but those at highest risk have low-income and may be unable to comply. According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s research, approximately one in seven Americans in 2013 struggled with food insecurity; slightly less, at a rate of one out of ten, are households with children (Coleman-Jensen, Gregory, and Singh). At this moment there are Americans experiencing the difficulty of an unwarranted fast or eating under their caloric requirements due to a shortage of resources. The least expensive foods available tend to be high in calories, salts, sugar, and fat (Drewnowski, Specter SE). A change in mindset may be needed to direct people to more healthy food choices but their resources may not cover the costs to purchase them. Food pantries make healthy food options available which helps to lessen this health disparity. Multiple issues are being addressed as the government seeks to guide Americans to a healthier way of life (McCary). Many new health policies have already infiltrated our lives, such as new school lunch regulations, taxes on sugared beverages, and MyPlate. Shortly our nutritional food labels will be replaced. "Calories from fat" will no longer be labeled, however "added sugars" will now be required on the label (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, USDA). Both...
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...Anglo American PLC in South America BACKROUND: According to (Daniels, Radebaugh, & Sullivan), Anglo American was founded in 1917 as the Anglo American Corporation of South America. In 2002, Anglo American made a landmark decision to provide free antiretroviral therapy (ART) to HIV-infected employees. In 2007, Anglo American PLC, at the time one of the world’s largest gold miners, found itself facing a threat that, although by no means new, defies most traditional categories of things that complicate business – an HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa, the world’s largest gold producer. Anglo American PLC is a diversified mining conglomerate operating in 45 countries and employing 107,000 permanent employees to produce precious metals, base metals, and bulk metals. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to just over 10 percent of the world’s population and 60 percent of all people infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. South Africa has the highest number of people living with HIV/AIDS and suffers the world’s highest rates of HIV infection – approximately 5.5 million- in a population of 49 million. Every day, almost 1000 South Africans die from AIDS-related diseases. ISSUE: Can Anglo American PLC and other corporations continue the fight against HIV/AIDS epidemic so that it does not affect business operations? ANALYSIS: Yes: 1) According to (Daniels, Radebaugh, & Sullivan), Anglo American PLC recognized the threat of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Anglo was one of the first...
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...Obesity in America June 6, 2014 ENG/215 Paul Korzeniowski Obesity of the main causes of malnutrition in children and adults in America is mainly because caused of cheap foods that are low nutrition unhealthy and that are usually full of calories and fat. Obesity is eventually what will be the outcome. Poverty is the main factor of obesity. Factually speaking, Obesity and poverty without a doubt are interconnected. If Americans can actively become involved in their health and diet obesity could be eliminated. According to a recent poll, it has been stated American adults and American children are either obese or overweight adults raking in two-thirds while children are more than one-tenth on this spectrum. Hunger and obesity are about what one-tenth of American families suffer from, this happens when there is no access to safe foods that are nutritionally satisfactory. Statistics states children from low income families are half way as their affluent counterparts to become obese. When it comes to obesity low income families are in very unfavorable conditions when it comes to obesity. Unfortunately, the average American family does not have the financial capabilities to prepare healthy meals, find suitable housing, or access to appropriate medical care, and other everyday necessities. Low income family tend to buy less expense food which is not the healthiest choice vs. spending money on more healthy food because they just can't afford it. In doing so, families choose...
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...The epidemic that plagues America today is not a flu. It is not a cold acquired from a passing stranger on the subway platform. It is not the chicken pox with a vaccine so easily constructed. Instead it is the subliminal messages, the, “If he hits you, you hit him back,” type of sickness. A child turns on a television to find a woman being murdered; he or she promptly changes the channel to a less threatening scene: two boys fighting. The American people are obsessed with all things gruesome, yet when a troubled person commits a crime, he or she is often shunned. Violence is okay to watch and to read about but it’s forbidden to occur, even in the crumbling homes of a drug addict abusing his or her children, or inside the pristine mansion where...
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...Health Care for the Poor Ever since the 1940’s, efforts have been made by physicians of America to provide public health care for those on lower incomes. People in poverty face barriers to obtain health care beyond their ability to afford it. A shortage of physicians and nurses exists in many destitute areas of the country, and few are willing to treat people with public insurance. Over the past 75 years, America’s government has tried to help these people by making public health care options available through offering clinics, translators, and classes educating in health care problems specifically targeted at the low income groups. In the medical world, poverty has an immense impact on health care options for an individual in need. Equally important, the link between poverty and poor health does not go in just one direction. Poor health is a contributing factor to low incomes and poverty. Individuals suffer from chronic medical conditions because of inadequate living conditions and eating habits. One example of a resulting illness might be diabetes. Eating foods that are not healthy for you but are affordable do not in any way...
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...The most noteworthy component of Ronald Reagan’s two terms as leader of the free world are the laws, regulations, and policies passed under his two terms as President of the United States. These regulations soon became known as “Reaganomics”, a term that is still used today to describe these policies. Hidden underneath the manufactured depiction of Reaganomics policies by mass media lies a controversial observation: these policies may have created a permanent shift in American society which, as a result, disenfranchised minorities since they went into effect over thirty years ago. This particular idea or theory is exceptionally contradictory and has been distorted by not only various media outlets but by subsequent pro-Reaganomics politicians over the years. A closer look at the actions taken place under Reagan’s administration will explicate Reagan’s administration detrimental effect on members of minority groups which, in some cases, still affects these groups today. These policies include but are not limited to the reduction of social programming, the impoverishment of black people, the “War on Drugs”, the administration’s response to crises such as AIDS, and its approach to Civil Rights and LGBT rights (or lack thereof). When former President Ronald Wilson Reagan was first elected into office in 1980, the country’s inflation rate was the highest it had been since 1947. After his election, President Reagan wasted no time in implementing his domestic policies for the economy...
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