Blog Stage 7

Immigration is without a doubt a constant topic of discussion and debate in today’s world. Whether we are reading newspaper articles, watching a debate on t.v, or even talking about it within our own social circles we are surrounded by the topic of immigration. The topic has become even  more of an issue since President Trump has taken office, his talk and attempts to build a wall along the U.S/ Mexico border, or even just comments that he has made has made immigration a rising issue.

According to the New York Times, the number of immigration arrests has gone up by 40 percents since President Trump has taken office. Unlike former President Obama, who was more focused on arresting serious criminals and recent arrivals, President Trump has declared that anyone living in our country illegally is a target for arrest and deportation. Trump's plan for arresting and deporting any and all immigrants takes aways from local PD and sheriff's offices ability and focus from arresting criminals with more serious crimes such as assault, burglary, rape and murder.

On November 25, 2017 the New York Times published an article titled ‘Please, God, Don’t Let Me Get Stopped’: Around Atlanta, No Sanctuary for Immigrants by Vivian Yee. In this article, we follow multiple stories from immigrants in Atlanta who were arrested and detained in an immigration center and who are now awaiting deportation for something very minor as failure to signal at a right turn, driving without a license, or even having a broken tail light. As we read the article, we learn that these arrests are less about routine traffic stops and more about local PD’s and sheriff's offices helping crackdown on illegal immigrants. Also in this article, we learn about a man named Mario Guevara, a reporter for a Hispanic newspaper who updates local immigrants about ICE activity in the neighborhoods and surrounding areas. Guevara is on the opposite side of the immigration battle and we get an insight on his stance and opinions. Many of the people of the community he reports to consider him family and are grateful for the things that he does.

After reading the article, my stance of the topic was very clear. I believe the way Obama handled immigration was the better way of doing things. We should deport the immigrants with the more serious crimes and the new ones who have come over without attempting to gain citizenship. As for the immigrants who have already been in our country for years, I believe that they should have to provide from of employment, and be given an opportunity and a time frame  to gain citizenship. Most people in the article that I read, were stopped when doing daily things like talking their children to school or going to work, proving that all they are trying to do is make a better life for themselves and their children by coming to a country that would allow them to do so. AS mentioned earlier in the article, by making immigration high on the priority list we are taking away chances for real criminals to be stopped. Along with taking away time from law enforcers, we are taking away money from our government that is being spent on deportation centers and holding immigrants in local jails, when that money could be used towards other things like education and healthcare. Not to mention the space we are taking up in local jails and prisons that leave less space to house real criminals. Overall, the crackdown on immigration seems a bit extreme to me and I feel we are more focused on the people coming in from other countries rather than focusing on the own criminals and lawbreakers in our own backyard.

Blog Stage 6

On Nov. 3, 2017 My classmate Megan's  Blog Stage 5 , on her blog titled What's Going On? I commented my opinion and critiqued the article. It reads as following:


I chose to comment on this blog post because so often hear about people around me talk about what good a tax cut would do fro our country and our economy. I liked that you chose to an article that was written from the opposite side of the conversation and shed some light on the negative effects a tax cut could have on the U.S. I think that your opinion an argument on the issue are very well supported. The use of sources and quotes provides a good amount of support and strengthens your argument even more. I completely agree with your idea that we need to find a way to support all classes, not just the upper class and big businesses. If I could suggest anything, it would be to maybe provide some ideas on how you personally think we can help the lower and middle class Americans. Other than than that I thought the overall blog post itself was a very interesting read and I completely agree with your thoughts and opinions. As a Social Work major, I was very happy to read something that supports helping the lower and middle class Americans, knowing that others of my generation are wanting to do the same thing only makes me feel like I'm going in the right direction with my career choices.

Blog Stage 5

According to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, a 2010 survey found  that more than one-third of women across the U.S have struggled to afford birth control at one point in time or another. The struggle to pay for birth control causes it to be used inconsistently and in most cases not to be used at all. The lack of the use of birth control causes pregnancy rates to go up in women of all ages, and causes the amount of women with successful jobs to decline.

Often times we blame high pregnancy rates on not practicing safe sex and being uneducated about the different types of contraceptives we have out there in the world. What we don’t realize is how much money women are actually having to spend over the course of a year just to keep themselves from getting pregnant. For example, for a woman who is taking the pill and that is covered by her health insurance pays anywhere from $15 to $20 a month on the package of pills, over the course of a year that adds up to around $200. For a woman who is not covered by insurance the price doubles or even triples. .

On October 29, 2017  The New York Times published an article titled The Economy Can't Grow Without Birth Control by Bryce Covert. In the article the author explains how women are no longer being offered free or low cost birth control from their employers and with women now having to pay so much for birth control less money goes to businesses and other goods. This eventually causes our economy as a whole to take a hit. The author also argues that providing free birth control allows more woman to reach their goals and strive for a better life and will ultimately provide a better life for the children they bring into this world when they feel the time is right. The arguments made in this article are just a few more reasons that birth control should be free.

Providing women with free birth control will have a huge impact on the way the future of the world goes. It allows women to be more successful, by finishing school or  getting a better job by being able to plan and prevent pregnancy. It allows more money to be spent on clothes, groceries, electronics and other things, which will only help support our economy. It also takes stress off of so many people's shoulders making people’s relationships and overall mental stress levels healthier.