Medicine for the Soul

Details on the background and process of Project Linus.

Let Every Child be like Linus

Remember the character named Linus from Peanuts? The little boy who always carried around his blanket. There happens to be an institution called "Project Linus," which gives blankets out to children in need. This organization has several chapters spread out all across the country. Project Linus collects blanket donations and delivers them to children who are ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need. I plan to donate the blankets that I am making to this organization. They will accept many different kinds of blankets as long as they are washable and homemade. I have already made two blankets using the fleece fringe style. To learn more information about this organization, visit their website.

Siding With Stem Cells

Stem Cell research has been a huge struggle for the biotech industry ever since the technology was discovered. Republicans have strong feelings about the treatment of embryos. One could simply assume that since republicans are pro-life (against abortion), they are also against the use of embryos for stem cell research. I side with the democrats on this issue because I see stem cell research as an opportunity to save lives. Some also argue that the tiny blastocysts that are being used have no human features. Republicans make their rebuttal claiming that anything that has the potential to have a life should be considered an individual with the same rights as us all. One of the toughest aspects of this debate is that it is hard to tell where the line is drawn between life and nonexistence. This matter doesn't seem to be addressed in the constitution. In an article discussing the pros and cons of stem cell research, it is stated that:

"Advocates of embryonic stem cell research claim new human lives will not be created for the sole purpose of experimentation."

Besides tampering with potential human life, opposers are concerned for the animals being tested on.

"Others argue against such research on medical grounds. Mice treated for Parkinson's with embryonic stem cells have died from brain tumors in as much as 20% of cases."

I understand that it is unfair to the animals, but we must accept that this is a part of scientific research. In order to make any advancements scientists have to take risks and make sacrifices.
Depending on which party has the majority, scientists have either been denied money for research or have been given more. This article explains that:

"In the summer of 2006 President Bush stood his ground on the issue of stem cell research and vetoed a bill passed by the Senate that would have expanded federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. Currently, American federal funding can only go to research on stem cells from existing (already destroyed) embryos."

This article explains that after Obama was elected, his democratic qualities caused him to do the exact opposite.

"President Barack Obama said Monday he is allowing federal taxpayer dollars to fund significantly broader research on embryonic stem cells because "medical miracles do not happen simply by accident," and promised his administration would make up for the ground lost under his predecessor."

I think that stem cell research is a key area of science that deserves an adequate amount of federal funding.

 

 

Less Government for the Grand Ole Party

The Republican party or the GOP (Grand Ole Party) is known for its conservative qualities and want of lower taxes and decreased government involvement. Republicans are very much pro capitalist and prefer the government to let the people rule themselves.

"Republicans believe individuals, not government, can make the best decisions; all people are entitled to equal rights; and decisions are best made close to home. These basic principles are as true today as they were when the Party was founded. For all of the extraordinary leaders the Party has produced throughout its rich history, Republicans understand that everyday people in all 50 states and territories remain the heart and soul of our Party."

To read more about the history of the Republican party click here to visit the website.
Although Republicans have strong feelings about Capitalism they still hold the opinion that everyone should be equally taxed. While they would like taxes to be lowered in general, they want the rich to be taxed the same as the middle class and the poor. Here are some reasons for the Republican's beliefs:

"The most important distinction between Republicans and the leadership of today’s Democratic Party concerning taxes is not just that we believe you should keep more of what you earn. That’s true, but there is a more fundamental distinction. It concerns the purpose of taxation. We believe government should tax only to raise money for its essential functions."

Abraham Lincoln established the Republican party and is most widely regarded for his efforts in abolishing slavery. Although the republicans still look to him as hero the party's qualities and strategies have evolved quite a bit over the years. This link will show you more of the Republican party heros.

Who Are the Democrats?

Democrats are commonly called liberals or progressives. Some democrats prefer to be called progressives since it has a more positive connotation. One of the key characteristics of the democratic party is their push for change. This quality is useful but many start to oppose this way of thinking when things become too radical. One of democratic President Barack Obama's main slogans was "Vote For Change." At this website, all of Obama's most popular slogans are listed. About half of them are about bringing change to America, which is a key part of the democratic strategy.
The opinions on the level of government involvement in the US is a major colliding factor between the different political parties. Democrats are known for preferring increased government regulation. The common misconception is that democrats are socialists or some people even go as far to call them communists. I believe that capitalism is a good system but without much government regulation at all, things will get out of hand.
I found a statement in a blog entry posted by Stephen Daugherty that explains what the democrat's goals to fix capitalism rather than getting rid of it. He writes that:

"They have the flexibility to pursue the different kinds of policies, to reshape capitalism to something Americans can better live with. The Republicans don't want to lose, so instead of coming up with a better alternative, the GOP seeks to batter their dissenters with labels and criticisms designed to destroy people's faith in them."

Perhaps republicans should reconsider calling a liberal some sort of communist when they don't have much to offer in trying to stabilize the economy themselves.
As stated from this website:

"Our party was founded on the conviction that wealth and privilege shouldn’t be an entitlement to rule and the belief that the values of hardworking families are the values that should guide us."

Where Do You Stand?

Every young adult in America is given the opportunity to make a choice about what political party they feel most closely associated with. It's not too difficult to understand the key differences between both parties yet some still struggle to figure out what they truly believe rather than be influenced by their parents and teachers. I found this quiz to be particularly helpful in that it addressed each category of politics and offered multiple political stances rather than just democrat or republican.
Here are my results:

Man Vs. Machine

IBM's latest creation, "Watson," is a computer that has the ability to think. The brain power of this computer is being put to the test on one of America's most popular game shows, Jeopardy. Artificial intelligence is a topic that has been deeply explored for a long time but it seems almost impossible to prove. Do us humans even know what thinking is? What exactly does it mean to think? There are constant synapses in our brains but is that an actual indication of our thoughts? Jason Gallagher explains the details behind Watson's "brain," 

"While Watson provides the illusion of human thought, it is actually a supercomputer working to extract data from 90 IBM Power 750 Servers, which gives it access to 16 terabytes of memory. In case anyone is wondering, that is millions of documents the machine must search through to find the text required to respond to the questions. Neither the humans nor computer are able to access the Internet to find the right questions to go with the answers. Just that the machine is able to compete is a technology breakthrough, but the fact it won a practice round is even more impressive."

The Poorest County in America

Ziebach County in South Dakota has been named America's poorest county. More than 60 percent of the citizens live at or below the poverty line. A large portion of the county's citizens live on the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian reservation which suffers from the bad economy as well. Unemployment among this tribe has hit as high as 90 percent. Norman Merchant from the Associated Press reports that,

"Poverty has loomed over this land for generations. Repeated attempts to create jobs have run into stubborn obstacles: the isolated location, the area's crumbling infrastructure, a poorly trained population and a tribe that struggles to work with businesses or attract investors."

Indian reservations tend to suffer because modernization is simply not a part of their culture. The reservations are gradually industrializing but at this rate, they are unable to keep up with the unstable economy. Ziebach County also suffers because of its lack of natural resources. There is a lot of land available for agriculture but it is lacking in oil reserves. The county is working on finding ways to bring in more jobs and help those in serious need.

FAQ About Poverty

The National Poverty Center website established by the University of Michigan, offers information about events, the organization, opportunities to help and also some interesting facts. The word, poverty, covers a large spectrum of topics that are associated to it. There are certain limits and standards set for one to be considered living in poverty.

"A family is counted as poor if its pretax money income is below its poverty threshold. Money income does not include noncash benefits such as public housing, Medicaid, employer-provided health insurance and food stamps."

It is important to take a look at the statistics to get an idea of how many people are suffering in this lifestyle. The more educated we are about it, the better we can help.

Escalating Poverty in California

Ethel Long-Scott reports for KALW News that poverty in California reflects or may be even worse than the circumstances in Michigan. Poverty is one of the nation's largest problems that society faces today. There are homeless shelters and charities, but it doesn't seem to be quite enough considering the ever increasing statistics. Long-Scott reveals that,

"Nearly 1 in 4 California residents lacked health insurance for part or all of 2009, that is roughly 8.2 million people. California also has the third highest rate of official unemployment at 12.6% and the fourth highest rate of home foreclosures at 12.4%, even worse than Michigan. When we look closer in particular locations, the numbers are even worse. Cities like Richmond, Hayward, and Oakland have unemployment and poverty rates well above the state and national average."

With the budget cuts to Universities, young people are having a harder time paying for an education. The increased tuition forces many people to drop out of school. Those lacking a college degree struggle getting a job which initiates their fall toward homelessness. The instability of the economy is having a negative influence on the poverty situation all over America and especially in California.