Tuesday, October 27, 2009

How worried are you about H1N1?

Tomorrow, several of the students of Redfield Public will voluntarily receive the "flu" shot for this year's influenza strains and for the H1N1 virus, in hopes of buliding an immunity to those viral diseases. Yesterday, on the news, a reporter stated that 30% of the deaths in the Unites States from H1N1 were in healthy people with no underlying health conditions. It seems that there is much information and misinformation flying around about the severity and dispersement of the "flu." People are scared and desperate for the vaccine, while others just shrug the whole idea off and go on with life. If the "Flu" or H1N1 is so life-threatening, then why are schools still haveing athletic events, concerts, practices and plays, businesses still having meetings and traveling and people still shopping in malls and traveling on public transportation where the virus could spread. We have only seen one wave of illness; the winter season with all of its colds and "flus" is not here, yet. What will happen then?  What is your opinion about this whole H1N1 subject? Anyone have any links on the topic that they would like to share? Here is what the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) says about H1N1.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

How to solve school violence

By now most Americans should have heard about or seen the story of the Chicago student beaten to death by gang members while he was walking home from school. If not, then google it or go to Youtube.com and search for it.
The Secretary of Education and the US Attorney General meet with leaders in Chicago to talk about how to prevent this type of thing from happening again. Read the press release. They decided to throw money at the problem instead of laying blame where it really lies- with parents and a communuity not instilling a sense of values (especially the value of a human life) into their children. Children who learn that all human life is valuable -- something to cherish and protect don't kill others, wish that all those "gays with AIDS" should be rounded up and shot, or comment about how a racial or religious group deserves to be killed. Think about what is said in our community and in our school. Where are our values? Is not all human life sacred and worth portecting no matter what?