Vaccination Frontline

Source 1:

The Vaccine War

Vaccinations have become increasingly frightening in today's day and age and parents are skeptical of the damage that is being caused by vaccinating new generations. Doctors continue to reiterate that vaccines are helpful and necessary in protecting children from harmful diseases. Though that is good to know, parents are disagreeing with that logic with the evidence that their children were exposed to harmful ingredients in the vaccine which led their children to be diagnosed with autism. With the increasing number of parents choosing to not vaccinate their children, there is fear that diseases like Polio and Measles will start to pop up again, therefore creating a worldwide spread of those diseases.

The Vaccine War. PBS, 27 Apr. 2010. Frontline. Web. 29 May 2014. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/vaccines/view/>.

Source 2:

What's Behind the Rise in Autism?

Dr. Eric Fombonne sits down for an interview with Frontline to talk about the rise of autism and the motivation behind it. Some of the key talking points are how to diagnose autism, the symptoms, and regressive autism. Regressive autism is where the child is diagnosed with autism and begins to develop, and then stops altogether. This is one of the most frightening things that could happen for a child with autism. The child may begin to say a few words, but then the next week, cannot speak at all. The prevalence of autism has absolutely increased and one of the main reasons could be that vaccines are responsible in harming children and even giving them autism. The biggest reason behind the rise in autism is that doctors are now more likely to use the term "autism" instead of "mental retardation." It does not necessarily mean that there are fewer cases of autism, it means that the term has broadening to umbrella more mental problems than in the past.

Fombonne, Eric R. "What's Behind the Rise in Autism?." Frontline. PBS, 27 Apr. 2010. Web. 29 May 2014. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/vaccines/rise/fombonne.html>.

Amendment 1-

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

I believe that the First Amendment gives human rights to people. It allows that citizens of the United States are given certain freedoms to abide by. The First Amendment is pivotal in maintaining order in our country and protecting the rights of our people. It is important in society today because it acts as a rule book to go back and check or refer to when there is conflict or dispute about freedoms. It is also extremely important in the United States especially because we are one of the very few countries that prides ourselves on our ability to protect and serve the American people by providing them with certain freedoms. 

Health Care Blog Post

HEALTH CARE COMPARISONS

United Kingdom-

• No co-payments (occasional on dental, eyeglass, and prescriptions)
• Socialized medicine- government both provides and pays for health care
• System is funded through taxes
• Works well because the General Practitioners have to see patients before they go to a specialist which increases the success of preventative care
• One downside is limited choice, but the government is instituting reforms to help make care more competitive and give patients more choice

Japan- 

• Co-payments are 30 percent of the cost of the procedure, amount paid each month is capped according to income levels
• Social insurance- all citizens are required to have health insurance, through work or purchased from a community-based plan
• Public assistance for those who can't afford it
• Citizens can go to any specialist they'd like
• Japan spends so little on health care that most hospitals and doctor's offices are operating in the red

Germany-

• Co-payment is 10 euros every 3 months (pregnant women exempt)
• Social insurance- citizens buy their insurance from one of more than 200 private, nonprofit "sickness funds"
• Public assistance for those who cannot afford it
• Single-payment system, but the sickness funds bargain with doctors as a group rather than negotiating prices with the government
• Downside is that doctors feel underpaid
• Another downside is that Germany exempts the richest 10 percent of the population and lets them use US-style for-profit insurance, which gives them an advantage to see doctors

Taiwan- 

• Co-payment is 20 percent of the cost of drugs and exemptions for major diseases, childbirth, preventative services, and for the poor, veterans, and children
• National Health Insurance- all citizens must have insurance, but there is only one, government-run insurer
• The new health system extended insurance to the 40 percent of the population that lacked it while actually decreasing the growth of health care spending
• New technology, like smart cards, which holds each person's medical history and bill the national insurer, make Taiwan's health care the lowest administrative costs in the world

Switzerland- 

• Co-payment is 10 percent of the cost of the service, up to $420 a year
• Social insurance- all citizens are required to have coverage, and those not covered are assigned to a company
• Government provides coverage for those who cannot afford the premiums
• Insurance companies are not allowed to make a profit on basic care and are prohibited from cherry-picking young and healthy citizens
• Drug prices are set by the government
• Second most expensive in the world, but far cheaper than the United States

COST OF HEALTH CARE

United Kingdom- 8.3 percent

Japan- 8 percent

Germany- 10.7 percent

Switzerland- 11.6 percent

United States- 15.3 percent

Though the United States tops all the other countries with Gross Domestic Product on health insurance, we are the lowest life expectancy (at 77 years) and the highest infant mortality rate (at 6.8 deaths for every 1000 births) It makes me wonder what we are spending our money on when half the country still does not have health insurance. I would like tho enact Switzerland's health insurance, or something like it, into the US government because even though it is not cheap, there is universal coverage and insurance companies are not allowed to make a profit on basic care which is a large problem in the US today.

Merit System Essay #22

a) One main characteristic of the Federal Bureaucracy Merit System is that it hires government employees based on their abilities, rather than their political connections. Applicants take a standardized examination that determines their competency.

b) Structure of the federal bureaucracy- The different aspects of society is a factor that contributes to bureaucratic independence. It has contributed to the growth of bureaucratic power and federal bureaucratic agencies now have the responsibility to execute federal law.

Complexity of public policy problems- The Federal bureaucracy is given discretionary authority, which basically contributes to bureaucratic independence.

c) Congress- Congress has the reserved power to allocate funding to all federal programs, including bureaucratic institutions. They can use this "power of the purse" to ensure that agencies comply with their wishes. 

The Courts- Judicial review is the power of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional. The courts can check the bureaucracy by declaring laws made by the bureaucracy unconstitutional.

Interest Groups- Special interest groups check the power of bureaucracy with their constant
monitoring and resultant publicity of actions. Special interest groups can create a false sense of urgency or need on a topic.

http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap10_us_govt_politics_q2.pdf

Representative Democracy Essay #21

a) Two provisions in the Bill or Rights that protect individuals who try to influence policy are: "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." The next provision is: "... the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances" are two things people do to try to influence politics. Speech and the press are two other things that can be used for that purpose.

b) Grass Roots Lobbying- The term grass roots implies that a group or organization originates from or maintains close connections with significant numbers of ordinary citizens or citizen leaders. A grass roots campaign, for instance, seeks to mobilize ordinary citizens to take part in an election campaign or a cause involving an important issue.

Lobbying- Trying to influence decision makers. Interest groups use lobbying as a tactic to pursue the interests of their members, but individuals, too, can lobby. Lobbying can be done directly or indirectly, and can be aimed at any branch or level of government.

Litigation- Generally, bringing a lawsuit against an individual or organization. Interest groups use litigation as a tactic to pursue the interests of their members.

c) One specific federal governmental regulation is that lobbyists are required to register with the clerk of the House and the secretary of the Senate and indicate what group they are representing.

 http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap10_us_govt_politics_q1.pdf

Earth Day Video

Part 1- 

American Masters, a Fierce Green Fire. Dir. Mark Kitchell. 22 Apr. 2014. PBS. Web. 13 May 2014. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/a-fierce-green-fire/watch-the-film/2924/>.

This film was made to shed light on the battle for a healthier planet using celebrities to support the cause while they narrate the movie. There are five acts, each with characters and stories starting with The Conservation Movement, focused in the 1960's on the Sierra Club and trying to stop the construction of dams in the Grand Canyon. Next is the Pollution Cleanup and what is being done to save children from toxic waste that is put into our environment. Next is Greenpeace, a company that works hard to save animals endangered by waste. Next is Global Resources and the fight to save the Amazon rainforest. Last but certainly not least, Climate Change is addressed and the 25 year long battle is being put to a stop.

Part 2- 

Blackfish. Dir. Gabriela Cowperthwaite. 19 Jan. 2013. Web. 13 May 2014. <http://blackfishmovie.com/>.

Blackfish is a documentary that focuses on the captivity of Tilikum, a killer whale involved in the deaths of three individuals, and the consequences of keeping killer whales in captivity. The coverage of Tilikum includes his capture in 1983 off the coast of Iceland. Cowperthwaite also focuses on SeaWorld's claims that lifespans of whales in captivity are comparable to those in the wild, typically 30 years for males and 50 years for females, a claim the film argues is false Interview subjects also include former SeaWorld trainers, such as John Hargrove.

The Cove. Dir. Jim Clark. OPS. Web. 13 May 2014. <http://www.thecovemovie.com/>.

The Cove is a 2009 documentary film that analyzes and questions dolphin hunting practices in Japan. The film is a call to action to halt mass dolphin kills, change Japanese fishing practices, and to inform and educate the public about the risks, and increasing hazard, of mercury poisoning from dolphin meat. The film is told from an ocean conservationist's point of view. The film highlights the fact that the number of dolphins killed in the Taiji dolphin drive hunting is several times greater than the number of whales killed in the Antarctic, and claims that 23,000 dolphins and porpoises are killed in Japan every year by the country's whaling industry. The migrating dolphins are herded into a cove where they are netted and killed by means of spears and knives over the side of small fishing boats. The film argues that dolphin hunting as practiced in Japan is unnecessary and cruel.

Statement: I would love to see something done about injuring and killing innocent animals for profit. Both with Blackfish and The Cove, I saw that something is wrong with our society and why we don't give rights where rights should be given. I believe that it would be helpful to pass laws or legislature that ensures the safety of animals today. Animals should not be held in captivity for profit, nor killed for profit. Most of this horror goes on in foreign countries, but I believe that we in the United States can still do something about it.