YATW:World Hunger

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Unknown copy 7

My name is Dejanyia Johnson and I am a freshman at Science Leadership Academy. About a month ago in my English class, my teacher Ms.Dunn introduced my class to a project called, “You and the World.”  In this project, we are supposed to pick an issue that we feel strongly passionate about. When she said this to us, so many issues went through my head that I could not pick one. So, I began to ponder and wonder which was important. Was it politics, the economy, the government, gay rights? I couldn’t think of just ONE. That is until I was going home from school and I saw a homeless man with a sign saying, “Will work for food.”That is when I began to think about people who are hungry and need resources. I picked the issue World Hunger. The reason I chose this issue is because there is no reason why anyone should be hungry, many people are dying everyday because of the malnutrition, and people who are able to be fed are taking advantage and not realizing that others suffer.



Today, there should not be anyone in the entire world that goes hungry or without a meal. Why? Well, according to Oxfam, “The world produces about 17% more food per person today than 30 years ago.” That means that everyone who is and was able to consume food, the amount they take in should have increased. But instead, the opposite happened. In the world today, about 925 million people are hungry . That is more than the population of the United States, Canada, and the European Union combined ! In addition to that, there are over three billion people who live off about $2.50 a day. This is one of these reasons why people are hungry. What can $2.50 get you to eat? That is not enough to feed one person let alone an entire family. This happens because, “More than 80 percent of the world’s population lives in countries where income differentials are widening,” according to Global Issues. This means that not only are there gaps in the way the economy is set-up, but it is getting bigger and larger. The reason for the economies being hugely spread out is because the rich(which is about 20%) take up about 3 quarter

s of the economy, while the poor (about 40%) take up less than 5%. This is ridiculous! No one should have to scrape for a meal.

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All over the entire world, people, both adults and children are dying from malnutrition. The malnutrition is trigge

red from them not being able to eat. That is what hunger is. At this moment right now, there are 905,814,184 people who are undernourished. That number continues to change everyday according to http://www.stopthehunger.com. Not only that, but every five seconds a child dies from hunger related diseases. That means that there are about 17,280 children who  die from hunger in a day. That number is out of control! The fact that this issue is still going on makes my skin crawl. In addition, women who make up most of the population in the world, are the majority that makes up for the world hunger. Women take up 60% of world hunger. Just today, there are about 23,000 people who died today from hunger. That includes children, men, and women. Th

e crazy thing about this is that every country waste tons of money on food. I can not stomach that. Why? Because I know that there are still people out there who are starving and going without, but we can afford to throw money out on food we will not eat! Although most of the hunger comes from developing countries, we still have countries like America that have the money to feed the people, but chooses not to. I do not understand why. Why is countries like America trying to help out other places and help them with hunger, but can not muster up the same for their own. We are trying to build a strong nation, but yet contradicting ourselves with this foolery.  There are more than 1.4 billion people who are below the poverty line. That means that more than 1.4 billion people are hungry. These facts are so real that it seems unbelievable.


To add fuel to the fire

, people w

ho are able to consume on a regular basis take advantage of that and waste what they have. Today in America, there was about $362,160,257.00 spent on obese disease. That could be money going to people who are hungry! Not to mention, that is only in America! In addition, about 90,000,000 was spent on buying food that we later did not use. That’s just like throwing money in the trash! Something that should concern everyone is the price for food. How do individuals expect people who are of lower class to afford food if everything is above what they make? Like I stated before, some people only make about three dollars a day. That can not even get you a meal at an average fast food restaurant.  That is a sad, but yet it remains true.

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This issue is very close to my heart. I believe that this is a strong issue because of the death that is caused and because that I know for sure that this could change. The reason I chose this was because I know that there are billions of people who are affected by this and I know that no matter what there will always be a problem unless some change is made.There are many ways that we can change world hunger. But first, people would have to realize that there is  an issue. The change can occur through many forms. We could have never ending donations for the hungry, a fund, and even more, Not only that, but both you and I can help contribute into that change. We can contribute by spreading the word out to friends, family members, co-workers,and more to help out.


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With this project, I plan on being able to contribute to this issue. I want to be able to do multiple service projects and try to get in other areas to get the word out. I would also like to get one of my blogs published so that this could possibly stir up some change. What I really want people to know is all the facts and impact that World Hunger has on people. It destroys lives and kills people who are only trying to get by in life. The government and economies in countries causes this issue to expand everyday. I say that because how can people afford to get the right nutrition if all they get are the minimum? Everyone has the right to a meal. The reason people are still hungry is because no one wants to change what they are used to. If there is no change then there is no progress. Unless you want murder on your hands and you do not care that innocent people are dying, then you need to make a change! Remember that the population is almost 8 billion, and of that number there are about 25,000 people who have died today just from hunger alone! YOU CAN CHANGE THAT WITH SPREADING THE WORD! STOP THE HUNGER!


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enoughfood
Click Here to see bibliography

Una Carta para Ti.

Querid@ (name)
¡Hola! Mi nombre es Javier. Estoy tranquilo. ¿Qué tal? Tengo catorce años. ¿Y tú? ¿De dónde eres tú? Soy de Filadelfia. ¿Qué tiempo hace hoy? Hace mucho frío aquí. ¿Cómo es en España? Es muy bueno para vivir en Filadelfia. ¿Alguna vez has visitado América? Nunca he visitado un país de habla española.  
Soy alto y delgado. Soy lindo y moreno. También soy bastante cómico, increiblemente atlético y muy inteligente. Soy italiano, irlandés, y cubano. ¿Y tú? ¿Cómo eres? Me encanta practicar deportes. Mis deportes favoritos son el baloncesto, el fútbol y el béisbol. Los fines de semana me gusta dormir y pasar un rato con amigos. También me gusta ir al cine y escuchar música. Sin embargo Odio ir a la escuela y detesto estudiar. ¿Y a ti? ¿Qué te gusta hacer?
Si usted no sabe, Filadelfia es una ciudad entre la ciudad de Nueva York y la capital. Es una ciudad grande. Aquí se conoce como “ La Ciudad de Amor Fraternal.” ¿Cuál es tú equipo de fútbol favorito, Real Madrid o Barcelona? Bueno, me voy porque tengo que salvar a mi amigo, panqueques gigantes que comen hombres están atacando. Responde cuando puedas.
Con Cariño,

Javier

        
P.S.
Disfruten de las fotos.
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556_I_Love_Philadelphia
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Philadelphia-skyline
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philadelphia-visitors
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Thanksgiving-Day-Parade-parkway-600

Child Trafficking occurs right in US.

Hello, my name is Milahn and I go to SLA, Science Leadership Academy. I had to research a topic that was very interesting to me. This project is called You and the World. I chose child trafficking which is a dangerous topic. Child trafficking is something that is on going and growing. This isn’t a topic that is dressed very often but it should be. 


Ever wonder where else child trafficking occurs besides foreign countries? If yes, I have the answer. Child trafficking occurs right here in the United States. California, New York, Texas, Nevada, and Ohio are hot spots. Child prostitution is growing at this very second. Within forty-eight hours of a runaway or homeless girl is approached by a pimp. These girls are between the ages of twelve and fourteen. 


When brought into the life of prostitution the girls are trafficked in and out of the US. From city to city, and country to country. There is a triangle between Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Sacramento. Because of the diversity, its easier to move the children from place to place. This makes it difficult for law enforcement to locate victims that could be alive. 



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The main question is why they go with the pimps. The number one reason is because they want a father figure in their life. Another reason is they aren’t happy in their homes. They feel as though pimps love them more than their own families. They can take care of them and give them whatever they want. 


human trafficking
human trafficking
You may be wondering why most girls stay in the life of prostitution. The number one reason is because they are scared of their pimps. Harmful words and threats are made about the girls family. Along the lines of death. Another reason is judging. Some girls believe if they go back to their families they will be judged/ disowned by family members. 


I will be working with a new ministry at my church to help stop child trafficking. Working with this ministry will help me get a better understanding about the topic and more information to help. Even though this a dangerous topic I still want to help because the starting age to child prostitution is close to my age. Child Trafficking ISN’T right



HELP THEM, THEY NEED YOUR HELP!

Unknown
Unknown

Una Carta para Ti

Mikes letter
Querid@ ________,
¡Hola! ¿Cómo te llamas? Me llamo Mike. ¿Cuántos años tienes tú? Tengo catorce años. ¿Cuándo es tú cumpleaños? Mi cumpleaños es el seis de abril. Soy de Filadelfia. ¿De donde eres? ¿Qué tiempo hace hoy? Hace Frío aquí en Filadelfia. Es una ciudad grande. Me encanta jugar videojuegos y salir con mi novia y amigos. No me gusta ir a la escuela. ¿Y a ti? ¿Qué te gusta hacer? Soy de descendencia europea. Soy Alemán, polaco, irlandés y italian. Soy deportista y cómico, también divertido. ¿Y tú? ¿Como eres? Responde cuando puedas por favor.
Adios!

Con cariño,
Mike Ostrowski

Una Carta para Ti




Querid@                  ,            
¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? Me llamo Hannah Nicoletti. Soy de Filadelfia, se conoce como “La Ciudad de Amor Fraternal.” Es una ciudad grande. Me encanta cantar, pasar un rato con amigas y practicar deportes. Me gusta Taylor Swift y Selena Gomez pero no me gusta nada Justin Bieber. Cuando tengo tiempo libre me gusta leer. Soy un poquito tímida sin embargo soy bastante sociable. Me encanta reirme. Mi cumpleaños es el cuatro de febrero, tengo catorce años. Mi hermanos y yo somos muy locos, sin embargo son súper trabajadors. A veces me gusta correr.

¿Y tú? ¿Cómo eres? ¿Qué te gusta hacer? ¿Te gusta Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez y Justin Bieber? ¿Cuando es tu cumpleaños? ¿Cuántos años tienes tú? Responde cuando puedas. ¡Adios!

Con cariño,
                 Hannah Nicoletti                   
                          Me gusta                               No me gusta nada
     Hannah Nicoletti (Me)

Mi carta

Saludo.

Mi nombre es Saul Salas. Tengo 14 anos, y mi cumpleaños es 19 diciembre. vivo en filadelfia. ¿Cuántos años tienes tú? ¿Qué te gusta hacer? ¿Tengo anos y tu?Me gusta jugar juegos de video. Me gusta ver los Simpson. También, soy algo alto. Cuando fines de semana, me encanta bromear y comico, serio. Casi siempre tengo tarea. Audios.
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d76eeb3eafa2a3d89c87e0c604a3f883

Poverty and Hunger in Philadelphia: Blog 1

In English, we are all participating in a project called You and the World. This is a project where the students all choose a topic that appears in the news, and share their findings with everyone. For my topic I chose Poverty and Hunger in Philadelphia. I chose this topic because this is one of the biggest problems in America today. People are living in the streets and are starving and sick and cannot get the right care. I see these people every day walking to school, and I think about how different my life would be in their shoes.

For starters, we should probably consider what hunger looks like. When most people think of hunger they think of Africa, or India or Vietnam. They think of the poor kids with the big eyes and the skin and bone bodies, or with the pale complexions. No one thinks about what could be happening in their backyard. In America hunger looks very different. Hunger is parents skipping meals so their kids can eat. Or a person eating one meal a day so they can pay for a roof over their head. Hunger can even look like obesity. This is because when people cannot afford food, they pay for cheap unhealthy fast food, because parents are so worried about their children not eating at all, that they will buy whatever they can afford. No one realizes just how bad hunger can be. 

Of the twenty five biggest cities in America, Philadelphia is the second worst when it comes to percentage in poverty, and average housing income. This is because Philadelphia is also one of the most expensive cities to live in. The only large city worse in these categories is Detroit. From 2010 to 2011, the poverty rate in Philadelphia jumped from 26.7% to 28.4%. In Philadelphia one in eight households are suffering from some kind of poverty. In America, fifty million people went hungry last year. The job market is also largely responsible for this. Since the people do not have jobs they cannot provide for themselves. Minimum wage jobs are not helping the situation. Of the Americans living in Poverty, 70% of the families have at least one member working some kind of job. To see some charts and graphs describing poverty in Philadelphia click here.

Hunger in Philadelphia is not just a lower class problem anymore. The bottom of the middle class is also being greatly affected by hunger, and if hunger and poverty continue to progress the way they have been, then soon more and more of the middle class will be suffering.

When you here about all of these statistics, you probably are thinking, “wow I didn’t know hunger was that bad”, or maybe “if something doesn’t get done soon, could hunger and poverty start to affect families like mine?”. Both of those thoughts are important steps in stopping hunger.


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Above, a family suffering from poverty (source)

Throughout this project I hope to better educate both myself and the people around me on how serious hunger and poverty are, and how lucky I am to not be starving and to have a roof over my head

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Above, Chart describing the families that suffer from poverty (source).


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Above, is a graph describing poverty amongst different races (source).


Thanks for reading my blog post, and my second post will be up soon!

Click Here, to see my bibliography.

la mujer de Africá

la mujer de Africá


Sería a Dubia con mi novio

todos los días viviría  hotél de aqua 

concinaria la comida

 llevaría él bonita ropa de Dubia 

Comería la comida 

Iría lugares en la avión  


la mujer de Africá


Sería rico con mi marido y mi familia 

Sería  medico de doctor


si pudieria , yo sería cerrar a mujer de Africá

African Woman
African Woman

Una otra Oportunidad


Si pudiera vivir nuevamente mi vida.

Viajaría todo el mundo y me encontreia más gente

Nadaría con los delfíns y pengüinos

Iría a Antártica

Tendría una sonrisa todo el tiempo

Aprendería conocer comida de las cultas otra de me

Juagaría un deporte y ganaría un trofeo

Sería una actriz muy famoso y tendría un estrella en el Paseo de la Fama

Ayudaría las personas no tiene una casa

Sería más concentrado 

Exploraría naturaleza

Tendría divertía todos los días por todo mi vida

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Una Carta para Ti



Querid@ _____,

¡Hola! Saludos desde Filadelfia! Se conoce como “La Ciudad de Amor Fraternal.” Es una ciudad grande. Es una ciudad entre la ciudad de Nueva York y la capital. ¿Qué pasa?

Mi nombre es Brandon. ¿Cõmo te llamas? Soy rubio. Soy bien tranquilo, nunca loco, pero lindo. Cõmico, correcto? Tengo quince años. ¿Cauntos años tienes tu? ¿Cuãndo es tu cumpleaños? Mi cumpleaños es el seis de septiembre. Soy  bastante inteligente, increiblemente cõmico, y mãs o menos divertido. ¿Cõmo eres tu? ¿Qué hora es? Son las cuatro y media de la tardes. Me gusta comer, cocinar, dormir, y ir al cine. ¿Y a ti? Detesto cantar y nadar. ¿Qué te gusta hacer?  Bueno, me voy porque tengo que comer. ¡Adios! Responde cuando puedas.  



Con cariño,

Brandon


Photo on 11-26-12 at 2.55 PM
Photo on 11-26-12 at 2.55 PM

Una viaje alrededor del Mundo.

Yo viajaría el mundo.

Sería interesante estudiar portugués en Portugal. 

Sería interesante estudiar italiano en Italia. 

Me gustaría mucha idiomas diferentes. 

Yo irá diferentes lugares estudiar la cultura. 

Me gustaría hacer muchos amigos en todo el mundo.

Me casaría alguien de una cultura diferente. 

Me gustaría vivir en otro país.

Me gustaría trabajar en otro país también.

Si pudiera viajar, yo sería.

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Screen Shot 2012-11-29 at 10.07.30 AM

Si Tuve el Tiempo

Sería mejor a todos el puntos yo hacer

Corría mas y sería mejor a pista

Practicaría fútbol cada día

Practicaría mas parkour así puedo mejor voltea y trucos

Jugaría bajo mas porque quiero aprender cómo jugar por oreja

Haría todo de mi traerá y proyectos

Estaría con mi amigos más

Ayudaría mi grupo de música hace música

Tendría un trabaja

Y nunca aplazaría 

time
time

Una Carta Para Ti

Saludos desde Joseff,

¡Hola! ¿Cómo estás? Me llamo es Joseff Filamor. Soy Filipino, pero vivo

en Filadelfia, una ciudad entra la ciudad de Nueva York y la capital. Es una ciudad grande y  Se conoce como “La Ciudad de Amor Fraternal.”  Hace frío aquí en Filadelfia. ¿De dónde eres tú? ¿Qué tiempo hace? Cuando tengo tiempo libre, me encanta skateboarding y fotografía. Yo también encanta platicar con amigos, surfear la red, trabajar y esta de vago con mi familiar. ¿Cuántos años tienes tú? Tengo catorce años ¿Cuántos es tú cumpleaños? De vez en cuando, divertido. ¿Qué eres tú? ¿Qué te gusta hacer? Bueno, me voy porque tengo que leer. Adios mi agmiga! ¡Responde cuantos puedas!
Con cariño, Joseff
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Te extrano mucho a mi amor <R.I.C Approved>

Si pudiera vivir nuevamente mi vida

lo haría haber marcha atrás las manos del tiempo.

Si pudiera estar con el amor de mi vida una vez más.

Mi vida se sentiría completo otra vez. 

Cuando miró a los ojos y decir sus minas

mi corazón se sentía completo.

Dondequiera que voy, estoy manchado

dicen que mi sonrisa era como un salida del sol

y tiene los ojos de un ángel.

16 & 5’3 

enamorarse de un ángel de la nariz grande.

Si era posible llamar a los muertos

Yo estaría llamando todos los días.

te extraño mucho la forma en que me abrazas

la forma en que me besas,

la manera en que yo sentiría palabras no pueden explicar el sentimiento.

Como usted dice:

“yo nunco dejar de preocuparse,

Nosotros luchamos y me gustaría que no lo hicieron,

Mataría , pongo de rodillas y  exigir

Voy a nadar a través de océanos,

sólo para tenerte de vuelta en mis brazos,

besar tus labios otra vez" 

Si pudiera vivir nuevamente mi vida

yo deseo verte una vez más

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The Afghanistan War, the War on Terror.

The Afghanistan War/ The War on Terror


My name is Joseff Filamor, I am a Freshman studying at Science Leadership Academy. For my English class, my teacher, Ms. Dunn, introduced the You and the World project to us. It is an opportunity for the kids at Science Leadership Academy to share what they think is important, then try to change the situation for the better through blogging.

On September 11, 2001, attacks were made on the Twin Towers. Killing approximately three- thousand people. This started the war in Afghanistan, in which troops are dying more and more everyday. I am very interested by this topic because my brother was once a troop in Afghanistan, and I feel as if I need to learn more about it. Also, I feel that not that many people know the full detail of the war and the effects it has on the world. Having said that, I will explain the details of the Afghanistan War on terror.

Everyday, troops and being deployed to Afghanistan, more and more each day. Causing their families stress and worries,  and leaving troops either seriously injured or dead. When my brother was deployed to Afghanistan, my Father was beyond stressed. Even though I was too young to remember, I still remember my Father watching the news and feeling depressed and scared for my brother Guz. Which is why I want people to know what effect it has on not only the troops deployed, but the families left at home. The war on terror is now the longest lasting war in U.S history, it is time for it to come to an end.
I made this video briefly addressing the War on Terror and why we should care about it.


Click HERE for a video I made about the War on Terror.



'Click HERE for my Bibliography 


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Una Carta para Ti

Felix

Querid Blanko,

Escribe unos saludos aquí.¡Hola! ¿Como estás? Mi nombre es Felix. Saludos desde me familia. ¿Como le Gusta?

Cuándo es tu cumpleaños. ¿Dónde está su casa, ¿cuál es su dirección? ¿Cuantos anos tienes tu? ¿Cuál es la diferencia de tiempo entre aquí y allá?

Me gusta skateboarding y correr. Soy de California, pero vivo en Filadelfia. Tengo cuatro otros parientes en mi familia. Me llamo hermanos Caleb y mis hermanas llamo Azalea. Mi cumpleaños es el 10 de mayo. No me gusta nada dormir. Bueno, me voy porque tengo que cenar. Tengo que decir adiós.

,Sincerely Felix


original
original

​Si Hombres Podrían Tener Bebes

Si hombres podrían tener bebes,
el mundo no tendría muchas personas,
pero todo la gente pensarían que fuimos embarazada,
porque comeríamos las comidas mismas como ahora.

Si hombres podrían tener bebes,
carros deportivos serían mas seguro,
y Breaking Bad serían adecuado para niños,
así que veríamos en frente de nuestros hijos.

Si hombres podrían tener bebes, 
apreciaríamos mujeres mas.
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images

Nunca más

Cambiome,

por la vida sería mejor. 

El aire se sentiría más fresco,

Los pájaros cantarían más bella,

El sol brillaría más brillante.

Aun el mar sería lleno de vida-

Igual a ti-

Si me dejarías ir.

Verías el mundo mas claro de ahora.

Estarías ligero sin la carga de mi.

Si solamente, me cambiarías-

Sufrirías nunca más-

Nunca más



images

Una Carta para Ti

Querid@ , 27/11



¡Hola! ¿Cómo estás? Mi nombre es Shaion (Sha-ion). Tengo quince años. Mi cumpleaños es el veinte y noviembre. (Yo)Soy de Filadelfia, se conoce como “La Ciudad de Amor Fraternal.” (Yo) Soy el africano-americano. Sin embargo me encanta una mezla de razas. Me gusta estar de vago con mi familia y con amigos. No me gusta nada estar de vago solo y trabajar solo. También no me gusta nada leer y estudiar. Me fascine es practicar deportista. ¿Cómo eres? ¿De donde es y Qué tiempo hace hoy? ¡Responde cuando puedas! 


Con cariño,

Shaion Denny

Photo on 11-28-12 at 12.04 PM
Photo on 11-28-12 at 12.04 PM

Animales de Mi Vida

​En la escuela, a veces quiero sería un tigre
Mataría mi tarea
Dormiría todo el día
Comería mis enemigos
Mostraría mis colores

En la casa, a veces quiero sería un pájaro
Volaría de habitación a habitación
Comería muchas semillas
Iría en el techo
Fijaría mis plumas

Esta es mi vida.
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Screen Shot 2012-11-29 at 12.23.45 AM

En un Mundo Perfecto

​En un mundo perfecto,
Sería una graciosa, 
Querría trabajar todo tiempo,
Correría por diversión,
Comería nada, 
Compraría todo,
Tendría una familia grande, 
Dormiría todo las dias,
Necesitaría Nutella,
Casaría Ryan Gosling, 
Estaría feliz, 
Pero ​en un mundo perfecto solamente.
we_live_in_a_happy_world___by_omg_raichu-d31l9re
we_live_in_a_happy_world___by_omg_raichu-d31l9re

Blog Post #1: Gayness in the World


Hello and greetings from Science Leadership Academy! I am Lindsey Jones, a freshman coming to you to inform you about a serious world issue that has affected the majority. The topic I chose was “Gay Rights”. Yes, it may sound like a very cliche topic to do, but in all honestly it is something that interests me the most. Before I go into the discussion, I would like to tell you that I am refraining from telling my personal views on gay rights and whether I support them or not. I believe that if I come into this project without a clear and free mind, my beliefs will prevent me from seeing the true picture for what it is and gathering the correct information properly. Please respect this choice. It will come in handy later.


Throughout world history there has been many controversial topics that have shaped the world into what it is today. From women’s rights to civil rights, there has been struggle. But in modern day society, one of the main topics of discussion is gay marriage/rights.  In this You and The World project, we are brought up with a world issue, and must find ways that could possibly help with it and inform the society of what is going on. I hope throughout the research I do, I will learn, and you all will be able to learn too. Some people tend to back things they are not properly educated on, or because the majority backs it. Which is something completely ignorant to do. Gay rights are something that is either are yes or no topic. You either stand by it or you don’t. But what are our reasons for standing by it? What are our reasons not to? This project is something that I hope really makes us all think about it.


    I come from a family in which homosexuality is not a very widely discussed topic. But my parents do have their own personal beliefs and I’m happy that they don’t allow their beliefs to hinder my own growing knowledge of the world. However, a main belief that homosexuality is an abomination comes from religion. Religion is one of the main components in determining how people live their lives for some. Christianity is pretty popular among most. Homosexuality is incriminated in the Christian Bible. For example, in Leviticus 18:22, it is said “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman: that is detestable.” Click here to see more quotes from the Bible that shun homosexuality. Living in a nation that was a built surrounding religious beliefs, it is understandable as to why some would use the Bible as a reason to demonize a minority. Some people tolerate homosexuality despite not supporting it, while others take action and carry out hate crimes. In different parts of the world, gays have been murdered and tortured in the most brutal ways.

    Those who do support gay rights, they have their own reasons. One of them is that love has no gender. The dictionary definition of “love” is “an intense feeling of deep affection” and does not mention gender, race, or age. So should loving someone be defined by gender?  47% of Americans oppose to gay marriage, while 41% support it. Of the people that are opposed to gay marriage, aside from their religious views, they believe that one of the downfalls of gay marriage is that same-sex couples cannot procreate. Which is true. And then there are people who say that same-sex couples can adopt unwanted children. Others believe that the problem with being brought up with same-sex parents is that their children’s views on a woman and man being together will be ruined. And that even some children will grow up to be gay if so. There are pros and cons to same-sex marriages and relationships.

    Among the upbringing part of whether or not someone favors homosexuality or not, gay youth have also suffered. 30-40% of homelessness is of gay teens who have been disowned by intolerant parents. Luckily there are gay homeless shelters that try and help youth get back on their feet. Some gay youth have even resorted to suicide. Not being able to deal with backlash from society. Homosexual teens are at a 62% chance to commit suicide as opposed to their heterosexual counterparts at a 29%. I feel as though no one, straight or gay should have to resort to killing themselves because of the ignorant things people do.

    Historically speaking, being gay was considered a disease. Even “educational” videos were targeted at teens to avoid gays if they were to ever cross paths with them (click here to watch a video). Personally, I find it hard to believe that being gay is a disease. Conversion therapy was even invented to get rid of the “sickness” known as homosexuality and it still goes on till this very day. Is it possible for sexual orientation to be changed? People known as ex-gays have most likely undergone this therapy. They have even gotten married and started their own families. Are they in denial? Or is gayness able to be “cured”? There is change being needed here and I know that it is possible.

    In some countries like Uganda, being gay is worthy of death. Currently, Uganda is trying to push a bill that requires that all gays get the death penalty or life imprisonment, and that those hiding or “helping” gays will be reported to the police and arrested. I definitely do not think that being gay equals to death. There are thousands of gays in hiding Uganda, since there are frequent hate crimes that occur and nothing is done about them.

I want there to be change. And through this project all of us can learn something and educate ourselves on such a controversial topic such as gay marriage. Hopefully this will challenge us all and we will be able to see the world for what it is, and have our own beliefs and minds shaped differently.

Screen Shot 2012-11-28 at 4.51.26 PM
Screen Shot 2012-11-28 at 4.51.26 PM
The picture above depicts media from a gay news website under the crime section. Hate crimes are common nowadays. In the US they are usually dealt with, but in other countries nothing is made of them.
Screen Shot 2012-11-28 at 4.51.48 PM
Screen Shot 2012-11-28 at 4.51.48 PM
Homosexuals face such threats on a daily basis. A couple got this message one day, they have since fled  their home.

Take a look at my bibliography here

My You and the World Project - Teen Pregnancy

Hello, My name is Brittany Cooper. I am 15 years old, and attends Science Leadership Academy in downtown.  This year My English 1 class and I are doing a you and the You and the World Project. This project is about making a change/difference in the world to better yourself and others.

My You and The World Project is on teen pregnancy. I choose this as my topic because this a “trend” in teens.  All over the world more and more “ Babies are having babies.” Meaning underage kids are having kids. This is an important topic to be aware of because there are so many ways to prevent pregnancy.


The emotions  of a pregnant teen . (Pain, Regret, Worry, Dread, Anxiety, Dishonor, Embarrassment, Fear, Apprehension, Hesitation, Humiliation, Shame)

More teens now than ever teens are dropping out of high school mainly because of teens getting pregnant. Graduations rates of students that get pregnant are liable to increase because of the increase in population in teens do to having children. By making the decision to have sexual activity you must know the precautions and consequences that follow up.


Pregnancy is something that can be prevented. There are many ways to prevent teen pregnancy, here are the following ways:
1. Abstinence
2. Condom
3. Hormonal
4. Barrier
All of these are ways to prevent pregnancy. Did you know that 3 out of 10 teens girls will get pregnant before the age of 20.  

While research my topic I came  across an article. This article is about teen pregnancy rate in Pennsylvania. I’m using this article because it is very helpful to my topic. Philadelphia has the high teen pregnancy rate in Pennsylvania. There are about 389,000 teens in Philadelphia and about 24,470 teens that gave birth.

Teen pregnancy is something that should be talked about. You have to understand If you have any questions about sex talk about it. It is extremely important that you educate your children about sex education. For they need to understand with action there is a reaction.
       
Click here for my bibliography

Maton Viva

Hola, Mi Nombre Mohamed!

estoy seria el presidente un día

dormíra mas

leerîa de historia

mi nombre sería en historia

quiera hacer una difference en el mundo

me salía el dinero, y las ninas

trabaja, en las esquinas, la venta de

aprenderia como hacer la marihuana

queria unir las sangres!!

Unknown
Unknown

You and the World Blog 1 - Gay Marriage

The You and the World project is a year long research and blogging project in English class focused around an issue that is important to “you.” The project will help educate ourselves on an important issue. In the spring, we will finish the project by using our research to make an impact in the world around us. As my favorite youtubers like to say,  we will “help decrease world suck.” I hope to do just that.

My issue is gay rights and gay marriage. Though I personally support gay marriage, I am doing research to help see all perspectives on the issue, because one must know what they are fighting against in order to fight it. I am also researching how gay rights struggles reflect the struggles of African-American people in the 20th century, and the controversy on whether gay rights are civil rights or not.

Let me give a little background information. Homosexuality, by definition, is having sexual feelings for someone of the same sex. Homosexuality has been shunned upon for centuries due to different understandings of religious texts and the time-old fear of anything different from the norm. Some Christians believe homosexuality to be a sin. Others believe that marriage can only be “an exclusive union of a man and a woman,” never for a man and a man or a woman and a woman. In some countries still, homosexuality is a punishable crime. For example in Iran, any people caught having same sex relations are punishable by death. 

Screen Shot 2012-11-28 at 10.40.16 PM
Screen Shot 2012-11-28 at 10.40.16 PM
(Click here to see a gay rights photo essay of pictures like the one above)
In the USA, gay marriage rights are slowly gaining the majority votes and seeping into state constitutions. A recent poll shows that 51%, the majority, of Americans support gay marriage. 60% of young adults support gay marriage, while 66% of senior citizens oppose gay marriage. This may show that as time goes on, when that 60% of young adults have children who also support gay rights, the country may become more and more accepting of gay marriage. Our country is also still divided by political views, as 81% of “very conservative people” oppose gay rights, and 75% of liberals support gay marriage. Gay marriage or no gay marriage, the country will never be happy.
Screen Shot 2012-11-28 at 10.40.01 PM
Screen Shot 2012-11-28 at 10.40.01 PM
(Click here to see more charts like the one above)
Some people against gay rights pose one strong opinion regarding gay rights.  These people believe homosexuality to be a choice--a personality trait one chooses to learn and a trait one can easily unlearn. When pro-gay activists argue that gay rights are civil rights, the opposition uses the idea of chosen homosexuality to fight back. Marshall Brown, a Council Member in D.C, says "You can choose to be gay or not, but you can never choose to be black or not." A pro-gay rights activist may argue back that homosexuality is a trait an individual is born with. They might argue that gay rights is a continuation of the struggle for equality black people so passionately fought for. Marshall Brown argues back that homosexuality is so easily hidden, whereas no one can hide the color of their skin. So who is right? Are gay rights civil rights?

The civil rights movement was partially driven by the idea of black pride, celebrating ones heritages and embracing oneself. Isn’t it that same idea, of pride in being oneself, that drives that gay rights movement? Marshall Brown’s last point about being able to easily hide ones sexuality addresses this same point. If it was possible to hide the color of your skin, would you do it? The civil rights movement was a fight against having to live a life built for them - a fight to live independently and equally with everyone regardless of their differences. LGBTQ people want a life where they can live without being judged by their differences - a life where they have the rights to the same privileges as everyone else regardless of sexuality. Aren’t those fights the same? If so, can LGBTQ people win like African-Americans did?

I want to help show young people that you should take pride in being oneself - whether you are gay or japanese or black. I want to show how your own struggles with race and faith reflect gay rights and sexual equality. I want to show that everyone wants to be happy as much as you want to be happy, and why ruin anothers chance of happiness when you do not get a reward? True happiness is being free of judgement - so why not free someone else? 

Here is a list of websites where you can learn more about gay marriage and what you can do to help.
Freedom to Marry
International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association
Human Rights Campaign


Here is a link to my bibliography http://bit.ly/V5QyqZ. Stay tuned for my next blog!