Racism

Even today, after the major race problems in history were solved, many injustices towards various races are still alive in our society. I just recently read an article called "5 Signs Racism is still Alive and Rampant Today" written by Robin Marty. In it, Marty shares that a mam made a comment that he wished they could go back to the times where "they could hang black men who drank out of the water fountain." That behavior is absolutely unacceptable, and completely goes against all the progress America has made in civil rights. Marty explains another instance where a mannequin of President Obama was seen hanging from a bridge by the neck. The times where things like this was acceptable was a dark time in American history. We can't change the past, but we should learn from our mistakes so that history doesn't repeat itself. There is no need to revert back to the horrible way we treated human beings back when racism was rampant. I believe that all men and women should be treated equally and have equal opportunity. There is a saying that racism is dead, but I disagree because there are many instances of it all over. I will agree that we as a society have become more tolerant and accepting all races, however we are still a long way from being rid of the problem. Marty also explains that racism can be subtle as well as overt. According to the study that the article cited, people buying things all over are shown to react more positively to white . This may not seem like a huge deal, but it is racist to think that the product is any worse just because of the color of the sellers skin.

source: http://www.care2.com/causes/5-signs-racism-is-still-alive-and-rampant-today.html

Poverty Throughout the Globe

A major social justice issue these days is poverty. It affects half of the world, with about three billion men and women attempting to live on less than $2.50 a day (Shah). But even in the U.S. many citizens are struggling to live with even $9 per hour (the low wage one). Also, according the the Census Bureau, 1 in every 5 children are living under the poverty line in the U.S. alone (Meyer). These  numbers make it even more unbelievable that in all the countries around the world, people are still trying to survive on only $2.50 a day. It puts things in perspective that if the many men and women cannot live with 9 dollars an hour in the U.S. then how terrible it must be for the third world countries. Even more shocking statistics include that one billion people came into the year 2000 still not being able to read and so many children in poor countries are malnourished and many are even dying. The huge problem about poverty is worldwide, however still back in the U.S.A there are still tons of people living homeless and in broken homes. This is mainly seen in single mother families, and that is the case with Erika McCurdy . She raises her son and daughter by herself and struggles to pay her bills. You would think that most of the workers still working for minimum wage are the teenagers with jobs, however you would be wrong. Actually most of people that make minimum wage or less are 25 years old or older (Greenhouse). In summation, poverty is a huge issue inside and outside of The United States. 

Work Cited 

Greenhouse, Steven. "Low-Wage Workers Are Finding Poverty Harder to Escape." The New York Times. The New York Times, 16 Mar. 2014. Web. 11 Sept. 2014.

Meyer, Ali. "1 in 5 Children Live in Poverty in US." Cnsnews.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2014.

Shah, Anup. "Poverty Facts and Stats." - Global Issues. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2014.

Class Survey

Hello, my name is Matthew Christopher McGreal, and my friends call me Matt. I am from Berea, Ohio, which is just a suburb south of Cleveland, and is about a 30 to 40 minute car ride from campus. The primary email I will be using will be my John Carroll student email, mmcgreal18@ju.edu. When I have free time, I really just enjoy hanging out with people and playing a pickup game, card game, board game, or video game. When I'm alone I enjoy playing the guitar or watching a TV show.

I feel comfortable in the small classroom learning environment where I can get to know everyone in the class including the teacher, and feel good about talking with them and sharing ideas. I am able to do just fine in a bigger classroom, but in the smaller classroom, I am definitely willing to take more risks.

I do believe that the internet was a stepping stone in the world of technological inventions, because it provides a way to link the whole world together. Of course without computers we wouldn't have the means to use the internet however, the is the actual connection among the whole world. Not only does the world wide web connect similar interests, it also provides us with valuable tools and ways to learn more about whats going on in the other places around the world. And we find out that not everyone has the privilege to be using the web. Many people are living in poverty or are completely homeless, and they don't have many of the necessities of basic human living let alone the means to use the internet. Really the major social justice issues in our communities today are poverty and homelessness. I don't do much to help these issues, however I do know that the JCU Labre project goes out and brings food to the homeless and even become friends with them. It really is a great project with fantastic people

A question for Mr. Shutkin: If you could have any super power what would it be?

Heres a Test post