Community issues

Three issues that i am interested in are the lack of employment, the inability for some people to feed themselves or find housing, and the poor public school systems.
I find employment to be important and interesting because it really is the only way to end poverty.
I think it's odd how some people are unable to have food or shelter, even though there are government programs that have been created to end exactly that problem, and claim to do so.
The poor public school systems are a mysterty to me, because I have seen statistics that on average, about $10k is spent per student on education, which is more than enough for a decent education, not private school quality, but certainly a decent education.

Research Question

Should Universal Health Care be instituted, and should it be considered a human right?
(I might address one part, or both, i'm not sure yet)
I will have to learn about the economic feasibility of instituting a universal health care plan, most likely using the United States economics for an example, but also referencing other countries like those in Europe and see how the system has either succeeded or failed, and if has been successful, how it can be implemented here, and if it hasn't, then what would need to be changed if it were to be successful, it it is even possible for it to be successful and efficient.

Human Rights Brainstorming

1. Whether Universal Health Care should be instituted, and whether it should be considered a human right.

http://healthcare.procon.org/
http://www.teapartypatriots.org/BlogPostView.aspx?id=a8a5fc9e-4232-4255-b7d2-d0840d4f23bf
http://www.balancedpolitics.org/universal_health_care.htm

DRC Today

http://www.ifex.org/democratic_republic_of_congo/2010/09/15/arrest_signal/
Apparently recently there have been freedom of speech violations in the DRC, as president Kabila has been harassing journalists and media outlets that have been charged with defamation or disrespect to authorities.

http://monuc.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?tabid=932&ctl=Details&mid=1096&ItemID=10580
This article is addressing the mass rapes, murders, and mutilations that occurred over the last decade, and how the people responsible can be brought to justice. The UN is trying to use a "Mapping Exercise" that started in 2005, which attempted to discover what militant groups are responsible for these international human rights violations, though specific individuals are not being prosecuted at the moment. The Congolese government claims to be fully supportive of the UN's goals and intends to work hand in hand in order to bring peace, justice, and uphold human rights.

King Leopold's Ghost Blog 1

1. What caused the Europeans to be so interested in Africa in particular?  Is there really that much of value there?

2. Why didn't the Europeans show the natives of Africa respect, or at least give them basic human rights, since they came to Africa under the banner of bringing enlightenment?

Imperialism

1. What I learned
To be perfectly honest, I have previously learned a lot about the industrial revolution and colonialism, and so the majority of the information received just today were things that I already knew
2/3. Question/Something I'm curious about
One thing that I would want to learn about further is that considering that Europeans stood behind the belief that they were enlightening their colonies, I wonder how often these colonies actually benefited from the European power's presence.

"Looking at Islamic Center Debate, World Sees U.S." Response

1. What's being discussed in this article?
1. This article is discussing the controversy over the building of a mosque near ground zero.  the majority of this article is from the perspective of Muslim leaders from around the globe, and the article elaborates on their takes on the issue, which in fact are surprisingly varied.
2. When did the event happen? (Is this breaking news or something that's been analyzed and discussed for a while?)
1.  This event is a fairly new issue that is still being debated.
3. What questions do you have that would help make this article make more sense to you? What more do you need to learn about to be able to report on this event?
1.  I think that the article does a very good job of giving all sides and background information on the issue, and gives a varied set of viewpoints.  The only extra information that I would want is more background information on the people involved, so that I would be able to form a more informed decision on who's opinion is more credible and relevant.