...Let me begin by saying thanks to all you who've traveled, from far and wide, to brave the cold today. We all made this journey for a reason. It's humbling, but in my heart I know you didn't come here just for me, you came here because you believe in what this country can be. In the face of war, you believe there can be peace. In the face of despair, you believe there can be hope. In the face of a politics that's shut you out, that's told you to settle, that's divided us for too long, you believe we can be one people, reaching for what's possible, building that more perfect union. That's the journey we're on today. But let me tell you how I came to be here. As most of you know, I am not a native of this great state. I moved to Illinois over two decades ago. I was a young man then, just a year out of college; I knew no one in Chicago, was without money or family connections. But a group of churches had offered me a job as a community organizer for $13,000 a year. And I accepted the job, sight unseen, motivated then by a single, simple, powerful idea - that I might play a small part in building a better America. My work took me to some of Chicago's poorest neighborhoods. I joined with pastors and lay-people to deal with communities that had been ravaged by plant closings. I saw that the problems people faced weren't simply local in nature - that the decision to close a steel mill was made by distant executives; that the lack of textbooks and computers in schools could...
Words: 2591 - Pages: 11
...environment they are in. Blood vessels don’t grow in adults except for when they line the uterus, create the placenta when a women is pregnant, or after an injury under the scab. Cancers start out as microscopic tumors, it is said that 40% of women have microscopic cancers in the breast. These microscopic cancers wont become dangerous without a blood supply....
Words: 1046 - Pages: 5
...Universal Preschool The topic of universal preschool has been the focus of much discussion and controversy statewide. Preschool or programs such as Head Start, learning daycares, and childcare have undoubtedly become quite popular over recent years. However, not all children are obtaining the benefits early education has to offer. due to the lack of funding. By implementing universal preschools every child will have the identical opportunity to achieve greatness. Preschool aids in the development of significant social and self-regulation skills, lays the foundation for brain development and forthcoming learning of the child, and benefits society as well as the individual child. The success of the future generation begins with our preschool programs in the state today. Although early education has been on the rise in recent years, not everybody is taking advantage of what preschool has to offer. According to a table from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which is a private philanthropy organization based on the well-being of children, titled “Kids Count Data Center” 4,381,000 children age’s three to four were not enrolled in an early education program in 2006. That is 54% of youth whose first day of school will be Kindergarten. Granted some of the children entering Kindergarten will have basic knowledge, but the vast majority of them will not know the alphabet, colors, shapes, or even that a book needs to be read from left to right. In comparison, however, a Scholastic magazine...
Words: 1369 - Pages: 6
...Public Needs to Know With obesity and type 2 diabetes being on the rise in school age children, it is time to change the eating habits of today’s children. This change starts in schools by offering healthier breakfast and lunch choices. With the help of school officials, nutrition experts, and parents/guardians, our children can start to have their nutritional needs met beginning each day at their school. Healthier eating habits are becoming more important as the economy falters, health crises arise, and school performance levels fall. We are making those changes today with changes to the breakfast and lunch programs offered in today’s schools. In a report written by the School Nutrition Association (SNA) it states that “according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the United States economy had been in a recession since December 2007” (SNA, 2008). With fewer jobs available and unemployment on the rise, more families are taking advantage of the nutrition programs offered by schools. With more children being approved for the free or reduced meal plans offered at schools, children get most of their daily meals at their school (SNA, 2008). We hear on the news all the time about children going hungry, families having difficult times making enough money for food and bills. It seems like it is cheaper today to eat fast food than a healthy meal at home. The costs of food in grocery stores are slowly rising while people are still trying to make a living making minimum wage....
Words: 857 - Pages: 4
...Income Mobility: Up & Down the Economic Ladder by Tom Thompson Dr.Walker Senior Seminar 7/29/2009 Thomas L. Thompson Dr. Christopher Walker Senior Seminar July 29, 2009 Income Mobility: Up & Down the Economic Ladder People always say they do what they do to make life better not only for themselves, but for the future well-being of their children and hopefully those actions will get passed on to their children. This is my way of thinking of the paying it forward theory; giving all I have, to make the lives of my children better than the one I grew up with and the one I currently live. One of my most favorite quotes about getting ahead in life came from a philosopher and pastor Russell Conwell that is hand-written by my grandmother in a Bible that was given to me some years ago. It goes like this, “For a man to say, I do not want money, is to say, I do not wish to do any good to my fellow men" (Conwell). Everyone wants money, only if it is to do good for your family’s future. From the rich business professional perched high in their penthouse to the lowly street peddler on the corner, everyone has a story on how and why they ended up in that position. The United States is seen as the place where everyone has the opportunity of the “American Dream”. That includes the opportunity for one's children to grow up and attain to their fullest potential in which they are capable of, and seen for what they are and not what they are born with. It is the opportunity...
Words: 4631 - Pages: 19
...Having knowledge of the foundations and history of nursing helps one to understand how nursing evolved and developed as a profession throughout the centuries. Basic knowledge about the history of nursing is necessary to understand what nursing is today. The study of nursing history helps the nurse better to understand the issues of autonomy (being self directed), unity within the profession, supply and demand, salary, and current practice. Learning from the role models of history, nurses can increase their capacity to make positive changes in the present and set goals for the future. The major reason for studying history is to learn from the past. By applying lessons learned from history, nurses will continue to be vital force in the health care syste (White, 2005 p.41). One of the trends in the nursing practice demonstrated by interactive timeline is the decision making process. Nurses make decisions every day that affects the health of the individual, family and community they serve. They continually reinvent themselves and their practice at the expense of their history. In 1939, nurse historian Mary Roberts wrote that “trends and events of today are the results of past experience as well as of varying conception of both present and future trends” (White, 2005 p.41). Another nurse historian Teresa Christy (1978) explained “how she could not emphasize enough the relevance of an understanding of yesterday’s problems for illumination of today’s issues and concomitant potential for...
Words: 876 - Pages: 4
...The Innovation Pandemic: Society quest for real time solutions Parish M. Kaleiwahea Wayland Baptist University Abstract The Innovation Pandemic: Society quest for real time solutions When one thinks of a business with information technology (IT) flair, Wal-Mart is probably not on the top of anyone’s list of companies leading the way of innovation transformation. However, for 45 years this retail giant has reinvented IT retail model for an evolving digital economy. Today in order to survive a global economy companies must embrace and invest in latest information systems infrastructure in order to maintain a competitive advantage. Wal-Mart’s commitment to enhance their technology by integrating traditional and e-commerce retail innovation by using the most advanced technology to enhance the retail empire. As profits continued to reap into Wal-Mart, its commitment to improve data communication systems for their company remained a priority. While other companies contemplate spending money on new innovative technology, Wal-Mart continues to dedicate itself to implement many computerized solutions such as instituting a uniform product code (UPC) system as its electronic scanning barcode tool (Wang, 2006). Innovation is a tough concept for people to wholeheartedly to embrace because it comes with all types of unknowns. Companies like Wal-Mart took a huge financial risk, but eventually stuck to their strategic vision to embrace and forge ahead in the technology era. However...
Words: 5598 - Pages: 23
...Health Reform Project, Part One Learning Team C HCS 440 Economics: The Financing of Health Care Medical Care for an Aging Population Countries around the world are encountering a growing number of the elder demographic. The aging population has created situations that the world’s economy and health care that have never encountered. The elders leaving the workforce and entering retirement has created new challenges in an already fragile global economy and health care system, and it is uncertain what the impact will in America. Questions rose about how the aging population will affect the economy. Will these changes bring new opportunities for the aging population because of the healthier life style and longer life expectancies currently seen today? Will physically and mentally healthier seniors be able to manage longer working years? Alternatively, will it result in a shortage of worker in the workforce leaving an overwhelming burden on the younger population? This paper summarizes three articles that attempt to bring to light the various challenges the nation is encountering in its preparation to care for the aging population. Additionally it will provide the readers with some recommendations on strategies both the American industries and government can use to prepare for the loss of a large percentage of the workforce who will start retiring in the next decade. The burden of geriatric health issues While countries across the globe are scrambling to make the...
Words: 2205 - Pages: 9
...Energy Conservation Tips for Energy Efficient Home Robin Pitts Axia College Energy use and conservation is a much publicized topic in the world today. There are many different sources of energy and the focus of this paper will be on home uses. Energy used in the homes comes from a few different sources. Most home uses as of today are from nonrenewable resources. Resources that cannot replenish will be depleted forever, and future generations will need to create alternative sources of energy. Electricity is used to light homes and run appliances. Many electric companies use coal to create electricity. Oil and natural gas are used to heat our homes. This energy is wasted at an alarming rate and will soon be obsolete if we do not address the issues at hand. Nonliving and living factors are affected by the lack of energy, when mining for coal the environment is vastly affected. Valuable land is destroyed and can take years to replenish, if it ever does. Coal is mined two different ways, subsurface and surface mining. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Strip mining, a form of surface mining is used for the retrieval of 60 % of the coal in the United States; is done if the coal is close to the surface, approximately 100 feet down. Surface mining, a less expensive form than subsurface mining, allows complete removal of coal and is safer for the miners. This is the preferred method, but with this comes an environmental impact. Large trenches...
Words: 1792 - Pages: 8
... Today’s workforce is more diverse than ever before, too. Most major corporations have people from many different cultures included in their workforce. There is also an aging workforce, especially with the baby boomer generation nearing retirement age. Helping to balance the differences must be a challenge to a human resource manager. They have to find common ground among the different generations. Each generation has different needs and wants when it comes to employment. Human resource managers have to find the best way to communicate to all of them, and also find the best way to ensure they all get the training required and needed evaluations to move forward in their different careers. We have Millennials working alongside Gen Xers and Baby Boomers. There is a distinct difference in work habits and expectations between the generations, too. Boomers are a very loyal generation, and are more likely to stay in a job for a much longer period of time, where Millennials and Gen Xers stay a much shorter time period, changing jobs and even careers much more often. They are also more educated that the Boomer generation, with most holding Bachelor’s and even Master’s degrees. Motivation, work values and attitudes differ with the three generations, as well. Baby Boomers tend to be more workaholics, and they expect to be rewarded financially by doing so. They also make more sacrifices, putting...
Words: 1431 - Pages: 6
...Obesity is a rising health epidemic across the nation, and it is a duel responsibility of the government as well as society to do all that they can, starting in the individual home to encourage healthy eating in order to reverse this development and preserve the next generation. Obesity has officially become an epidemic in America. It is debatably one the most noticed public health problems that America faces today. In 2009,...
Words: 1506 - Pages: 7
...Demographic Paper Pedreed Anjahal HCA 490 September 19, 2011 Michael Veal Demographic Paper DEMOGRAPHICS It is a proven fact. With all the advances in modern health care, people are living longer. As someone starts to get older, they start feeling the consequences of aging and strive to find a healthier life style. Still, there comes a point when many people require the professional need of long term health care services. As healthy as today’s population is, illness is usually comes as something unexpected. Upon such an eventuality, a person may require some type of specialized health care needs. POPULATION CONTROL With the Baby Boomer generation decides to retire or stops aging at a phenomenal rate, people requiring long term health care needs are on the rise still. People are living longer and their health care needs may be beyond that, which can be managed by family members. Fortunately, within the current health care field there is a wide variety of systems available for helping to take care of an elderly family member. It is even possible for the family to take the elderly person into his or her home. Alternatively, the family may have to decide to place the elderly member in a nursing home for long-term care. Whichever choice is deemed best, it is always critically important that the elderly person feels comfortable in the environment in which he or she is placed (Feder, Komisar & Niefeld, 2000). According to United States society census...
Words: 914 - Pages: 4
...sustainability and mitigation plan and provide benefits and challenges regarding water resources. My paper will also help individuals to understand the importance of water resources and without putting too much effort into it they can do their part to help. Problems with water resources There are so many problems we are facing today regarding water resources such as the misuse of water, overpopulation, fresh water and lack of drinking water. If we do not slow down and play close attention to our water resources and stop taking it for granted that our resources will always be in existence then there is no hope for our future generations. According to an article written on wikibooks website it stated that two of the most serious problems facing humans today are shortages of fresh water and the lack of safe drinking water. Humans use six times as much water today as we did a hundred years ago. As the number of people on Earth continues to rise, our demand for water grows. Also, people living in developed countries use more water per person than individuals in lesser developed countries. This is because most of our activities today, such as farming, industry, building, and lawn care, are all water-intense practices, practices that require large amounts of water. Periods of drought naturally make water shortages worse. Human activities,...
Words: 1757 - Pages: 8
...it is capable of reversing heart disease. Heart Disease in America is a growing epidemic that needs to end. About 600,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year - that’s one in every four deaths. According to the Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics, “Appropriately planned vegetarian or vegan diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases” (Templeton C.2). This quote explains how helpful a tool that changing your diet can be in the effort against diseases in America. But changing your diet alone will not stop these diseases from manifesting into your life. By 2030, 40.5% of the United States population is projected to have some form of a cardiovascular disease. This is a very scary number considering in about 15 years almost half of America will be affected by this disease. There are plenty of things we can do to lower this number and a good place to start would be for American’s to change their eating habits and start making conscious efforts to save themselves before it’s too late. Veganism has many health benefits to offer. The diet eliminates a number of substances that have been shown to be harmful and linked to causing certain diseases. Such as refined...
Words: 959 - Pages: 4
...This reliance on finite resources has led to much research into other ways of producing more sustainable energy. But why should we change if the resources have not run out yet? The problem is that non-renewable energy resources emit many harmful gases into the environment. They not only pollute the atmosphere, but also cause many diseases and health issues globally. In addition, the total amount of energy extracted from energy resources make them extremely inefficient. The electricity output of a coal power station, for example, is 35% of total potential energy, whilst the remainder goes up the chimney, so to...
Words: 861 - Pages: 4
