Blog stage 8 commentary 2

After thoroughly reading, New Opioid: Miracle or Disaster?" I knew this topic would spark my interest and furthermore push me into commenting on this. I can not agree more with this concern. In working in the healthcare industry and furthering my education into health science I have experienced and learned that opioids, aka, painkillers or other drugs are always going to be a constant debate on who to administer them to along with people abusing them. However, I believe the FDA should be more open to administering Dsuvia. In my experience in working in a pharmacy, we go through many protocols before administering medication. In the company, I worked for I had to watch many modules covering HIPPA laws, blood-borne pathogens, crystal methamphetamine, and patient safety following online exams to make sure I understood the procedures and policies. So, it’s not like we're just administering any drug to any patients. If we did so, the company would be fined and the pharmacists would most likely lose their license to practice. In addition, as a pharmacy tech, we see all kinds of people come in, but mostly the older generation. And we do have regulars that visit, but unfortunately, we do have some who end up passing away and one reason being is they weren’t offered the proper treatment or medication. I believe Dsuvia should be shared not to just hospitals but also to local health family practices and pharmacies. I believe this drug could do more helping than harming because after conducting my research over the opioid I have learned that its a safe drug. With an easy applicator and non-rejectable tract (meant for a one time use), I believe this drug can only be abused if its administer in a multiple time period. In ending this commentary, I hope the FDA will push forward into approving Dsuvia. I think by continuing to strictly follow the healthcare laws and policies that in the long run this could decrease the rate in overdoses and be a miracle into helping many people who suffer from acute, ongoing pain.

Original commentary or criticism, Blog stage 7

After hearing the heartbreaking news of president Trump directing U.S. border patrol to spread tear gas on the U.S.- Mexico border to Mexican immigrants hit me very emotional. For me growing up in a Latino/ Mexican household, it has been my dream to visit Mexico and to see the island where my background roots come from. I love being latina; I love my heritage. However, as a kid, my mother always told me Mexico is beautiful but it also doesn’t have the protection and opportunities like America gives people. My mother along with many of her other family members crossed the border to Mexico to the United States seeking asylum. Currently, we still have family members down in Mexico who are wanting to leave their home country and travel to America. With this cruel violence that Trump had administered at the border puts me and the rest of my family at stress. Many people who are blinded by Trump’s orders are not reminded or don’t know that their actions are causing a snowball effect. The solution Trump believes is that if he has “control” under who enters and exits this country, it will better America in population, economy, and wealth. Yet, his solution is causing a bigger problem (snowball effect). From deporting hundreds of immigrants from pulling over people in their vehicles asking for papers to now spraying tear gas in immigrants faces is not helping.

Before writing this blog, I did my research and  I looked up what tear gas actually is. Google provided me with, “gas that causes severe irritation to the eyes to disperse of large crowds”. Not only was this gas used to get rid of a large crowd hanging around the border but was also used on men, women, and children. To see my people being treated like a threat when all they were simply doing was waiting at the border to see if they would be able to seek asylum or a citizenship is very sad. Its brought me to tears because this is what America has come to. America is pronounced to be one of the safest countries to live in and to be free to do whatever you want. Yet, we're not being an accepting country. America is continuing to ban immigrants and attack them. It doesn’t bring any knowledge to me knowing that our first lady is an immigrant. Why aren’t people banning or sending her threats? Why is Trump even married to her? All these questions populate in my head (as I hope to many of you) but it doesn’t seem to make sense. I believe we are all immigrants. People come from many different backgrounds and there is no true law or sacred document that reads people are born from the United States. People are not born into the United States, they are born into the blood they’re ancestors were derived from. You can be a U.S. citizenship but there is no one hundred percent guarantee that your blood or DNA shows that you are American. People are always going to be mixed with some other ethnicity.

I believe if Trump keeps ordering his troops and the border patrol to continue threatening and harming Mexican immigrants soon there will be nobody to cater to his needs. I feel that Mexicans are very hardworking. We will do any hard labor for a low cost just to support our families (When I say this, I’m not meaning to offend anyone because I, myself, am a latina/ Mexican woman). That being said, Trump will not have anyone to cook him tacos, help build houses around the country, and not have anyone to clean up after him. I also feel soon we will be like our other allied countries by having only one person dictate us. President Trump has violated countless amendments and rights and I feel like it’s just in a matter of time that our rights will be taken away from us as well. As for Mexican immigrants or other immigrants I feel like they aren’t going to have a choice but to stay put in their countries. Or maybe this will cause an uprising for them. Hopefully, people will continue to outbreak and become angrier. Maybe then people will research and spread the word of Trump’s awful act of violence and hopefully, immigrants voices will be heard.

As I mentioned in my last blog when I hear the word president I imagine that it’s somebody I can look up to, knowing that this person is going to provide me and others the security and protection of living in America. When I imagine a president I see President Obama. For President Obama is our first colored president he brought change to our country. He’s provided Obama care, he’s visited Austin just to say hello to people, he and Michelle have done many school project work. That is a president!  It’s obvious that Trump is racist and only cares about his presidency because he feels he’s superior and has “power” over the rest of us. I hope that somebody from the house of representatives orders an impeachment from Trump because I can not live in a world that is full of hatred and violence. This is not my future. I hope in writing this blog that this will be an eye opener to many of you. This is a serious situation that Trump has brought upon himself and to others. I still can’t wrap my mind around how someone, like President Trump, can have so much hate in their heart. Spraying tear gas in innocent humans faces is cruel and disturbing. This is what hate is.

Colleagues work

I strongly agree with Thai’s blog post in her. Democracy Fall Back.I believe Facebook is meddling in politics along with other social media content. As Ms. Ha mentions Hillary Clinton in her discussion, it is, in fact, to say, if social media would have not meddled in her running campaign and not leaked those emails, she could have had a further chance of winning the presidency. I, myself, can say I was guilty in this 2016 election because once I saw all of the video posting and news comments about her leaked emails I did begin to question who I was really voting for. So it’s true Facebook does influence users and puts false or half- true information into people’s minds. And people take this into action by voting or rioting. Facebook is not a good quality source where people can get information, especially relating to politics. Also, Facebook and other social media sources are very biased which happens to be a big issue we come across. The world of social media on politics wouldn’t be so corrupted if people kept the news unbiased. If the media just simply threw out the facts and not their opinions, I believe others would have a better sense and be knowledgeable on politics and to what's going on in our government. People can formulate their own opinions. And when media fantasizes over an opinion, most likely people are going to listen to what they have to say. In the middle of the semester, we learned about T.V. companies owning certain T.V. programs. If you look at the,media ownership chart we only have six large companies who own certain programs. And it’s factual to say when a politician wants to use media as a benefactor for their campaign, there is always going to be a ownership who is more democratic or republican. So whoever is watching these news programs most likely these viewers will lean towards a side they can agree with. A perfect example would be Fox news. Fox news not only appears on T.V. but they also have a facebook page that they constantly update. Fox news is a good quality source for local Austin news. However, when they begin talking about politics or government they let their mouths get the best of them. And this information they comment on then gets spread into Facebook. So in this case, T.V. companies are ruining social media as well. Ms. Ha mentions Facebook deleting accounts. This is unreasonable and is a violation of our first amendment. By deleting comments, videos, and accounts is an abuse of not letting citizens be free of speech. People should really reconsider the usage of Facebook when it comes to discussing anything related to politicians and our government because it's clear they don’t like to hear the truth. In conclusion, Facebook is not the only media source that is meddling in our political actions. And if people want to learn about politics or our government I recommend BBC news. They are unbiased and strictly only feed you the facts (at least on the few videos I’ve watched). Again, I enjoyed reading Ms. Ha’s blog post. She contains a lot of good reasons as well as I and I hope this sparks my other classmates to read our responses.

Original Editorial, stage 5

The article, Trump says he may send 15,000 troops to U.S.-Mexico border discusses the idea of President Trump’s new national security team to keep immigrants out of the United States. The tone throughout the article sounds supportive. It persuades readers and informs them by sending the message of the changes that will be placed if this plan goes as followed. For example, it will mean military troopers will be sent out for deployment immediately the day before the Senate election to patrol the U.S.- Mexico border. The audience targets both U.S. and immigrant families. Most immigrants come to the U.S. to seek asylum. However, with President Trump's new defense mechanism this could break the relations even more with our allied country. Mexico and U.S. are already at war with each other from building a wall to separate territories. So with blocking foreigners from entering the U.S., it will only continue to hurt U.S. and Mexico citizens. It targets military families because it will leave no room for troops to say goodbye to their loved ones. Yet, the U.S. government will be providing temporary housing for troops who will be involved in the movement. President Trump believes in sending troops over to the U.S.-Mexico border will stop the attack of immigrants seeking asylum. However, it’s very condescending because sending troops over the day before the Senate election doesn’t make the immigration policy a secret. It will take away the attention away from the senators and focus on the immigration issue. Overall the article doesn’t criticize but gives insight to today’s issues and another word for problems.

Critique 2

The article, Government Spends Millions to Guard Confederate Cemeteries

informs people how the government wants to continue protecting veterans headstones to acknowledge the services they have done for the nation. The author’s purpose is to persuade and educate readers the significance it is to guard these cemeteries because of what history and pride these men and women hold in our country. The author supports its argument by saying if we continue protecting the Confederate cemeteries, it would eliminate threats and vandalism. This is not at all persuasive nor logical. For example, the U.S. government threatens that we will go to war with Korea. This threat has been going on for years in a matter of fact. So how can guarding statues and headstones remove threats? There will be nothing to be eliminated completely. A threat is something said towards an action it doesn’t mean that is promised. Also, vandalism has enforced policies for destructed properties. And with the U.S. being so advanced within technology it’s easy to find the suspect. I strongly disagree, I believe the government should not be spending millions of dollars to protect the Confederate cemeteries for past veterans. Instead, the government should be spending their money on how to better provide for our current and future veterans.

From my personal experiences, whenever I am driving around the city of Austin, I am constantly seeing a homeless veteran on street corners asking for food on a torn piece of cardboard. I then ask myself “If this person was a past veteran, why are they on the streets? Shouldn’t they be living comfortably since they served our nation?” It is very disappointing to see how much our government cares for the people who risk their lives for our country. Especially for those who have served long terms. If the government were to spend more money on investing housing to our veterans, it could possibly reduce homelessness. With having more affordable housing plans for our veterans, it will ease the stress for people to find a job.  

Another issue our veterans suffer from is not having proper healthcare. The government has provided a broken program for the past several years due to budget gaps. I always see T.V. programs asking for donations to help our disabled veterans. In most cases, whoever is narrating the programs, they reference back to how the government only gave them a certain dollar amount but it wasn’t enough to cover all the medical expenses and to fix their needs. The government needs to accommodate better healthcare. Most people enlist in the army to have these benefits because they can’t afford them. However, if the government is only offering so little, how can our soldiers rely on healthcare for future crises? For veterans who are disabled, they lose a lot of their motor skills and aren’t able to do daily living tasks like bathing, feeding and or toileting. This is due to the lack of medical support and health prescriptions. With having various healthcare options we can save and prolong more lives. With the government providing better benefits veterans can receive the proper care to help them recover or adjust to their lifestyles.

Lastly, the government should advance in improving educational benefits for our veterans. Many people sign up for the army to further their education. For example, if someone wishes to obtain a higher degree in education, they have to go through an honorable review board first to see if they are illegible. Afterward, if they want to continue past a bachelor’s degree, and they notice they are running out of time on complete their schooling or they’re running out of money, they then have to apply for the Texas Hazelwodd Act. The Hazelwood Act gives veterans opportunities to accomplish their goals. In this case, it does not guarantee that you are in. You still have to wait to be granted money to continue going to school. In addition, this law is only established through certain states. I believe if the government wants their veterans to have an education and be knowledgeable, they should make the Hazelwood Act law available in all states. The Hazelwood Act grants veterans up to one hundred and fifty hours of tuition. However, if it’s only offered in Texas and or through other small states. How can anyone make a living with no educational background? If the Hazelwood Act was equal to all states it would benefit the government from having more people to enlist in the army. In addition, we would have a stronger support system when going to war with other countries.

The government needs to stop this waste fraud and abuse towards our veterans and consider the compromise theory or also known as the zero-sum theory. John Nash, a mathematician for economics created the “You win some, you lose some”. This applies to whether we should continue supporting these confederate cemeteries or using the governments money for another purpose. For people who will argue that these passed veterans deserve acknowledgment... Do they know what truly lies beneath them? What if the Confederate soldiers who were buried happened to be the people who started the war? Or who secretly fought under oaths for another country? Would people still want to protect them for the crimes they did? Many people don’t know that the Confederate soldiers supported slavery. So what is the difference that Confederate soldiers are being protected more than our union soldiers? The union soldiers have gone through the same battles and they don’t get the same honorary, respect of having their burial guarded. In order to determine who are suspects, the government would have to do background checks. And with background checks, every veteran would have to be examined for a proper burial and protection. Although it would cost a big fee, that's the dice people have to roll. Others will argue that we don’t have to spend millions of dollars on security. Instead, the government can simply find another affordable funding who will offer the same protection at a lower cost. And there is always the option of cremating which in fact is less expensive than having a funeral service; which eliminates having a headstone to guard. In this critique, I would have to argue that the government should reduce funding guarding Confederate cemeteries and focus on what really matters to our veterans.

Criticism #1

The article, Trump Wants to Turn the Safety Net Into a Trap argues that Trump administration should not go forward with denying government benefits because it will only hurt the community as a nation. This article targets a strong audience to both U.S. citizens and immigrants because most people turn to our government for support when they are in desperate need of help. Without the government’s support to striving independence, people will continue suffering from security and finances. Thus, cause an increase in poverty in our nation for immigrants and American families because jobs will become scarce. With having fewer jobs readily available, the more debt our immigrants and Americans will fall into. U.S. citizens and foreigners value the public programs the government offers. People rely on food stamps, health insurance, and affordable housing in an attempt to provide stable living conditions for their families. Immigrants risk their lives because they believe there is hope for a better life in another country. For Americans, it makes people have a sense of security in knowing that the government provides us with resources essential to us.

The government doesn’t take into consideration the hardworking efforts people fight for their independence. For example, green cards are very difficult to obtain; From filling application status, background checks, and fees, it costs over a thousand dollars. It's a very lengthy process to be licensed as a U.S. resident and most people struggle due to the restrictions the government holds against them. If the government were to deny people from their green cards due to them receiving benefits without legal status it will damage the equality we have with American citizens and immigrants. It denies immigrants the equal opportunity to for a sustainable life. The safety net that supposedly helps prevent our country from falling into a crisis, will only lead people feeling trapped because of the economy’s competitiveness. The government will have to face whether they want to lower or higher wages for the benefit of America. Crime rates and violence will increase due to the lack of accessibility of resources. Protesting will also arise by attacking the government to declare the rights they share with everyone.

The government doesn’t recognize that some people find it easier by settling into a temporary home in the U.S. and then working their way up into a more established and permanent home. The only way they can do this is by having a steady income and gaining the support from the government and their resources. Without having financial support and other available resources it can cause a decline in our political actions. This will discourage voter participation because they will feel that the government does not compromise nor accommodate with their citizens. This will also will begin to disengage people from the public because they will see that our government isn’t a structural unity. Without having a solid foundation for our government system,  soon there will be no directions to what people will agree with. The only response immigrants and Americans will have is a negative attitude to enforce change within our government.

 I strongly support this article because whether you are a U.S. citizen or not, everyone deserves security and equality. Therefore, we should not go forward with the government denying benefits just because people are seeking a better means of life. If the government decides to take away the public resources it only gives citizens and immigrants the option to fight against the movement towards their rights and independence.

Article Introduction

In the New York Times, there's an article by Ron Nixon titled, U.S. Loses Track of Another 1,500 Migrant Children, Investigators Find. The article's topic of discussion is when migrant families cross United States borders illegally. Minors are then held within state custody until released to their sponsors. The Department of Health and Human Services are responsible for running background checks and following up with sponsors after placing children within their care. However, the problem arises when the children become untraceable. It creates a problem for migrant children leaving loopholes for such issues as human trafficking and or abusive families.

This article is an inspiration for people to pay attention to our government. It lacks protection within our nation. Whether you're a citizen or immigrant, security should be equal. The article impacts young viewers because this is what they have to look forward to in the future, and the parameters need to be adjusted. This article impacts older viewers because this will impact their children with security in the U.S. Foreigners whether their immigrants or not, the U.S. doesn't seem very promising on protecting "both foreign and domestic." Others can argue that the United States is one of the safest places a person can be to find peace and protection by our government. Overall the article doesn’t criticize but gives insight into today’s issues and another word for problems.