Topics that Interest Me in Saint Louis

1. Obesity in young children-
Obesity is a problem that threatens our entire nation however it is a rather big problem in our community. I want to know what people are doing to truly make activeness a cultural norm early in a child's life. It is so important that we teach children good eating habits. I truly believe that healthier generation is happier and functions better overall.

2. Lack of public transportation-
Many people have problems with the lack of public transit in the Saint Louis area. There places you can go using the bus or metro are very few and far between and this makes the necessity for a car go up. Not everyone can afford to have a personal car. I would like to know how people are trying to share rides or how people are pushing to broaden the area public transportation in Saint Louis covers. I would like to know how many people are effected negatively by this issue and how many people feel strongly about this.

3. Segregation
Although laws on segregation have long fallen (or not so long ago depending how you look at it) segregation racially still exists for more economic reasons these days. You can drive for 5 minutes and go from an extremely wealthy area to an obviously blocked off oppressed poor area that is predominantly black. When I visited North Side Community School in North Saint Louis (a school with all black children) some of the children told me I was the first white person they had seen and touched my hair curiously. This reminded me that segregation is a reality in Saint Louis. However it exists because of economic divides. All of these students (average family of 4) lived in a household with income under 20,000. Many of them were living near or under the poverty line. How are working as a community to make sure that we close these gaps and make sure that economic differences do not continue to result in racial differences and misconnections?

Research questions

How may these sentencing hamper future society?
Would should be the steps taken to evaluate proper sentencing?
Is life sentencing too severe in the first place?
What should people do to have this resolved?

My Review on Freedom Riders

http://soundcloud.com/addipietroburgo11/freedom-riders-documentary-project/s-44US5

I hope you enjoy my reflection of this great film by a great film maker Stanley Nelson.

Juveniles Facing Life imprisonment

In many states juveniles are being tried as adults and then depending on the crime able to be sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole. How, as Americans, do we feel about juveniles being given these sentences for crimes that full short of murder? How do we feel about holding these children in a juvenile prison for the majority of their lives and them transferring them to an adult prison where they are in even more danger of rape and violence as they have not matured properly as a human being?

Analysis of Image in Maus II

The image and description on page 71 particularly disturbed me as it showed and described how the Nazis would burn the jews alive and then use the already dead bodies of the Jewish as kindling for the still alive being burned. Obviously this description and the idea that this even happened is horrendous however the picture is disturbing. Obviously Spiegelman is a comic artist but it is obvious that his pictures add a sort of funky, disturbing mood to the ideas presented. (and this was obviously his objective).

Heartbreaking Report of Human RIghts Violations in the DR Congo

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/10/01/congo.atrocities.un.report/index.html?iref=allsearch

This article is truly heartbreaking. It is a sad reminder of the damage of the country so long ago continues to inflict itself upon the Congo. The crimes themselves are brutal but the sheer number of victims of these crimes is sickening.

Activist's Murder covered up by Officials as Suicide in The DR Congo

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11469140

This article is about a man, Armand Tungulu Mudiandambu, a Belgian resident, who was arrested and put in jail for throwing stones at Congolese President Joseph Kabila. He was found dead in his cell yesterday and the government has declared his death a suicide as he smothered himself with his own pillow. This is highly unlikely as well as the fact that there are no pillows in cells at the prison. This just shows the corruption that so regularly occurs in the Congo and the type of corruption these politicians will end up getting away with.