Step 4 Learning Journal: What have I learned ?

This class went above my expectations prior to enrolling. I was told by my academic advisor that I needed an extra course of electives and gave me a list of classes I could take. Due to my love for travelling, I was very much interested in the topics covered in this course and was eager to start. I was not disappointed one bit.

So what stood out as especially valuable? Quite honestly, I couldn’t pinpoint what exactly but overall, what I’m taking from this class is that regardless of your color, your race, your age, your political and sed religion preference, regardless of your sexual orientation, we are all in this mess together and ought to work together towards the betterment of society as a whole. Our differences make us even closer than we can ever imagine.

I wished I took the time to go beyond what was asked of me. I was very interested in the topic but taking an online class on a smart phone was the dumbest decision I’ve ever made J. However I do not regret it a bit. This is definitely a class and a professor I will recommend to my friends for sure. I had a blast !!

Entry # 6: Violence in the US

Louisiana police: Father confesses to decapitating special-needs son as reported in CNN.

How sick is that? I mean what world do we live in? I was baffled when I read this article just 5 min ago. What has a special needs kid do that was so terrible for his own father to get a hacksaw and decapitate him? I mean enough with the constant violence already! You know, I thought I’ve seen some messed up stuff growing up in Africa but let me tell you: I’ve never seen or witness so much troubling acts of violence anywhere else but in the US. I thought that with all the laws put in place to protect our lives, crimes would deter but it seems like they are not preventing anything. The laws only come in the picture during sentencing phases. They do not prevent crimes in the US.I mean there is no way someone in that child’s life did not notice any suspicious activity going on that household. There is no way that child was not abused by that monster. There is no way he just got up one morning and decided to physically harm his son. We can’t just rely on our laws to protect us. We need to look out for each other and watch each other’s back. I’m sick and tired of the craziness going on in the US.

Resources

http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/08/15/louisiana.child.killing/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Entry # 5: US Credit rating downgrade.

On August 5, 2011, US credit was downgraded for the 1st time in history from coveted AAA to AA+ by Standard & Poor’s in a very dramatic fashion. For the first time in history, the United States was being looked upon as an untrustworthy nation who cannot guaranty paying back its debts. Though I was shocked by how bad things were getting economically in the US, I was flabbergasted by how quick most Americans were to blame it all on Obama. That shows you how humans are to forget the good times when faced with dramatic situations. It was funny to me how all of the sudden Obama was the source of all the problems happening in the US. Really? Are we so quick to forget that we wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place if it wasn’t for GWB’s multiple mistakes in the last 8 years?
We as US citizens know better. We ought to get off our high horses and take responsibility for some of our actions. We voted Bush Jr in office twice and constantly drank the sour Kool-aid he fed us for years. We kept on giving him blank checks while he was working hard for Wall Street and the Republican Party. Why is it now so hard for us to hold off our wild accusations and finger-pointing, at least till the end of Obama’s term as president? We need to look at ourselves in the mirror and ask ourselves what we truly believe in.

Entry # 4: Immigration in US

Throughout the course, I was given the chance to explore several aspects of the American lifestyle from an Immigrant prospective and learned much more about what it takes to be a productive piece of the society. I however always had an issue with the immigration process established in the US, especially students’ “F1” status visas. What the US fails to realize is that, for a foreigner living on less than $2 a day, any opportunity to move out of the misery he or she is, is a good enough to jump on. What the “F1” visa stipulates is that, prior to being allowed to come to the US, you have to prove that you are rich, meaning you need to prove that you are a local millionaire (keep in mind that $ US100 = 46100.00 Francs in west Africa). Once you prove that you are almost as rich as Bill Gates, you need to agree to pay for your own school tuitions which by the way are 4 to 5 times higher than what legal residents and citizens pay. In addition to that, you are not allowed to work while going to school unless you jump through several other lengthy and costly hoops. Upon completion of your degree, you are required to return to your country of origin as you are no longer welcomed. I look at the F1 status as this scenario in which you agree to bring a homeless man into your home and provide him shelter as long as he cleans around the house for you. After several years of him getting used to a decent life, you abruptly ask him to return to the street and dirt in which you found him. This is the immigrant’s view of the F1 status. The F1 status immigration visa is a flawed one and seems as if the primary goal of those who shaped it was to bring more foreign currency into the US treasury, without so much caring about the individuals breaking their back to survive without income in the US.

Entry #3 : Malthus's Vision.

One of our assignments in week two was to debate whether or not Malthus premonition on world resources was valid or simply foolish. Remember, he believed the world’s population would get to the point where food resources would not be able to support leading to starvation and disease. I was quick to point out how foolish that statement was, highlighting the fact that we now have access to the latest technologies to produce food faster and more abundantly than he could ever dream of. I then concluded by saying that no matter how much the world’s population increases, the resources available will always be sufficient for all of us to live comfortably. Due to some recent news, I realized that due to the fact that I was very much on point, we were all to be blamed for the atrocities happening thousands of miles away from us.

Very recently, I came across news of starvation happening somewhere in Somalia. I first thought “I can’t be that bad! Damn media. They always blow things out of proportion!” However, since it had to do with Africa, I thought it would not hurt to glance at news about it. I was flabbergasted by what I’ve found out! According to the world hunger database, the world produces enough food to feed everyone! However per UN’s statistics ten thousands of CHILDREN are dead, 3.7 MILLION of them are in need of urgent care. Yet, restaurants such as Taco Bell, Mc Donald and a lot more prefer to throw away leftover food while a child somewhere in Africa is dying of starvation. We can all pitch to stop this atrocity. I sincerely believe so. I know the US never fails to land a helping hand but I feel like at times, the help takes too long to reach the neediest.

Resources

(http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/world%20hunger%20facts%202002.htm)

http://www.defence.pk/forums/world-affairs/121242-famine-somalia-millions-risk-death-starvation.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2011/aug/03/somalia-famine-spreads-says-un

Milestone 1

My topic of interest for my final project is the culture shock immigrants in the United States are subject to. I will use my personal experience as the perfect example. I will submit it via method A the traditional research paper format.

Cluster Course Wk 2

Let me jump right out and say that with me in this class, this class only got better...No, really. J I love throwing flowers at myself. Anyway, on a serious note, I feel as if my background allows me to be more open to other cultures than the average person out there. As asked of me in this assignment, one of the strengths I bring to this class is that I came from Togo, a West-African French-colonized country, which is thousands of miles away from the US. Being raised in Africa implies being raised by your family, the entire community then by your own self. Just to elaborate a bit, every person in your neighborhood has the right to discipline you when they catch you doing something you are not supposed to be doing. Your family keeps an iron fist on who you hang out with for fear that you might derail and become a loose person. You as an individual raise yourself in part by learning the tricks you need in order to keep your own identity without alienating your family and your community.

The second objective was to assess the ways in which culture shapes gender roles. Having spent 18 years of my life in Africa, I can say with confidence that I know one thing or two about gender inequality. In Togo, every household hopes to have at least one boy. A father who fails to conceive a boy is usually looked upon as if he was sexually impotent. He was looked upon as if there was something wrong with him. We were taught since birth that males were chosen by the gods to be in command and women were taught to respect and fear males. From birth, our own culture elevated us to be kings while reminding females that they were inferior and weak. Of course, I know longer believe such thing, however I respect those who believe in it.