The article, The Myth of Co-Parenting, was a great article that depicts the story of a married couple going through co-parenting issues. I can relate to much of this article, not as me being a married relationship in which co-parenting issues are present, but as the child who witness such dilemmas. My mother walked out on my father, and two sisters and I after 15 years of marriage. I was only 9 at the time my mother left, yet many memories can still be recalled regarding my parents marital problems. Also, I grew up in Chile in the late 1980's and early 1990's- surrounded by a society who believed that women should stay at home and that men should provide monetarily, my mother had a different opinion. Unfortunately or fortunately, however you want to take it, my mother was a very independent woman and didn't think that women were to stay home and not work. My father didn't mind my mother working, but he did expect her to continue to carry out the duties at home. When I was four, my father came to the US looking for a chance to "make it big" and pursue the "American Dream". My mother was left in Chile with four girls, a full time job, and the responsibly of the housework. She dealt with it for several years, but made sure she made us aware of the little help my father provided. When my father asked her to bring us to the US, she finally had the opportunity to run away from a such a fruitless marriage. On August 1995, my mother dropped of my sisters and I at my father's house and left back to Chile. From that moment on, my father became a full time daddy with a full time job and a full time "motherly" role. I remember him working three jobs to support us three girls. My mother never returned until a few years ago...I'm in my twenties now and everything I learned about my life...my daddy taught me. 


From the moment I started to read The Myth of Co-Parenting, I realized that much of marriages go through the same sort of dilemmas. Different eras bring about newer issues in a relationship such as co-parenting roles- yet, marital stories are always much of the same and sound very much alike. Like in my family, the woman in the article wanted to work and share the co-parenting responsibilities. My mother too wanted support and found none like in the story. Like the man in the article, my dad also wanted to build a better future for his family and failed to identify the sacrifices he was making. Yet, this story ends much different than that of my parents. This story has a happy ending in which things magically work themselves out. The woman in the story has not fully reached her goal, but is more than content that things improved enough for some co-parenting to take place. The End. The end to that story anyway. 


Fortunately for my generation, mid-twenties, women have grown up with certain principles of independence ingrained in our minds. Much of the male population recognizes that women have other goals in mind...the goal to be just as equal as men and do as they do. We pursue careers, desirable employment positions, advocate for our gender and other critical issues, we are more and involved in making a difference with our careers than ever before. Men, without a choice, I believe are learning and accepting this principle. Ironically for me, I was raised a very independent woman earning a more than decent amount of money a year when I decided to become a full time house wife and full time student. It was never the agreement that I would be responsible for all of the household duties after resigning from my full time job. However, when I started school and began a new career, I felt very grateful that my future husband was allowing for the opportunity for me to seek a degree. Without much thought, I began to care of the house and all of the responsibilities involved. I would have never imagined five years ago that I would have the opportunity to earn a degree from a University. My father raising three girls never had the chance to send us to college, but thanks to my fiancee, I would be able to attend school after all. I never would have imagined either that I would be taking care of a house and learning how to cook. Well, I cook every night now, clean the house once a week, take as many classes as possible, and take care of everything house related. In return, my fiancee takes care of the finances. All of this makes me giggle a bit, I was definitely grown up to think that women should strive for power even after being raised by a man... yet, I still ended up being submissive in my role as a women in the relationship. Lucky for me, the understanding that once school is done for me, that things will return to being 50/50 is still very firmly in place in my relationship. My desire to achieve great things and be a successful women in my profession is stronger than ever.


Overall, I think no matter how much society changes, some things stay very much the same. There's much we can learn from our parent's relationships and mistakes. Yet, our society has been shaped to give women the deserving right to strive in anything they set their minds to, and although things are not yet 100% equal between men and women...things are very well on their way. 

Blogging has truly been a new and difficult experience for me this semester. For the most part, I am quiet about sensitive issues and tend not to discuss topics that may cause others to feel uncomfortable. I believe blogging has helped me to voice my opinion on topics that I other wise would have just pondered about in my head. 


This week the issue of racial discrimination has been on my mind with good reason. The media appears to be solely focused on the case of Trayvon Martin since the incident occurred last month. The media and protesters have turned this case into a racial profiling case. Whether this case is one of racial profiling or not only the courts will have the final say on that. In the mean time, protesters have voiced their opinions loud and clear against racial profiling. The individual involved in killing Martin, Zimmerman, has been in hiding and is fearful of his life due to the high profile of the case. 


I don't actually want to discuss the case and all of the details regarding it. I am confident that our judicial system will gather all of the facts and decide on the right outcome for this case, as it has for many others. What I do want to express is how angry it makes me to see our people divided over an issue like this. The fact that Martin lost his life in this case is proof enough to investigate this case further. The fact that someone lost their life is sad and an unfortunate event alone, there is no need for further racial division in our country as a result of this death. If protesters want to protest on behalf of this young man's life and his family, then by all means protest for justice in the investigation and that right might be done for Martin. Why does this need to be a racial issue? Had Zimmerman been black like Martin, would people be protesting, or would it be another unfortunate event? 


I'm tired of people in our society pulling the "racial card" for almost every single case that involves white and black individuals. Our country has come a long way from the times in which African Americans did not have rights. We have evolved as a society since the days of Martin Luther King. Dr. King did a great justice bringing people together, so why must we use race as a means to separate our people? If Zimmerman is guilty, then he will go to jail and our system will see that he pays for his actions. As for Martin's family, I'm not sure what to say that can possibly be encouraging for them... they lost a dear member of their family and that is not something they'll ever forget. I hope that Martin's family may find peace in their hearts and come to terms with the death of Trayvon. 


Instead of people in our society focusing on ethnicity, race, sexual preferences, etc... We should focus on working toward finding justice together, deciding on important issues together, seeking a better government together...The animosity between racial issues clouds our future for a better society. Personally, I am Hispanic and I refuse to think that someone would discriminate against me for my ethnicity. The thought of being treated differently for who I am will only harm my chances to succeed. I will never allow others to make me think that I didn't get a job because I'm Hispanic- what's the point? What difference would it make? I rather focus on improving myself and furthering my education so that no one may ever have a reason to speak against me, and even then, they will. My point is, ALL people should focus on improving their lives and educating themselves to become valued members of society, that way when cases such as Zimmerman and Martin rise up, someone may speak up and say..."This isn't a racial issue, instead, let's work together to find the truth behind the unfortunate death of Trayvon Martin." Unfortunately, the media adds fuel to the fire in this aspect and continues the rage among races which insults the work done by so many to end racial discrimination. The media's way to entertain and inform often hinders our society's view of how long we have come since the 1950's Civil Right's movement. I wish that the media would serve to promote union among races, instead of causing an uproar of racial tension for the means of entertainment. 


....We are all equal and I refuse to think otherwise.

Last semester I took a health class and I took American Government. In both classes, the professors did a lecture on drugs. In the health class, the focus was on how bad illegal drugs were and the top 20 worst drugs on the planet. I definitely learned a lot about drugs I didn't even know existed. I also learned that Marijuana doesn't have major side affects like some of the more serious drugs such as cocaine and heroin, yet it is still advertised as deadly. In that class, I also learned that there is a focus on looking down on people who do "illegal" drugs and not so much on people who abuse prescription drugs. Those addicted to illegal drugs are seen as unstable and unpredictable in our society. On the other hand, in my government class my professor focused on government involvement in relation to ALL drugs. The amount of unbiased information I learned in that class was incredible. I had no idea, prior to taking that class, that our government was so involved in the illegal drug market. I was completely unaware that in many instances we funded countries to grow illegal drugs only to mask it with "the war on drugs" facade. 


Despite of my personal view on the war on drugs, the fact of the matter is that people in our society have trouble with addiction. Despite of who supplies cash for the drugs, despite of who distributes the drugs, and despite of who gets the blame for drug trafficking; the important factor here is that our society should not be so harsh on individuals who are suffering from addiction. How do individuals who need help with their addiction get the help they need from a society with a focus on "the war on drugs". The war on drugs is focused on advertising the "bad" in illegal drugs and focuses on discouraging people from using drugs. This same war on drugs has yet to fund a program for addicted individuals who need therapy. The war on drugs preaches that drugs are bad but does nothing other than voice the drug's "evil" doings. Why don't they focus on helping people overcome their addictions if they truly want illegal drugs off the streets? Wouldn't it make more sense to help individuals dealing with addiction to prevent them from using drugs, than doing absolutely nothing about it? 


I also find it comical that the same people who are behind the war on drugs are the ones receiving a cut from pharmaceutical companies-our government. Despite that our government likes to just preach on illegal drugs and do very little, if anything at all, in regards to helping people in society overcome addiction, they also promote using legal drugs. I understand that legal drugs are made for medical purposes, despite of the million horrendous side effects each drug can potentially have, and that illegal drugs have no benefit to them. I think what our society fails to identify, perhaps because the government wants people to forget, that both types of drugs have significant physiological changes in the brain with prolonged used. what is the difference between a person becoming addicted to pain medication or becoming addicted to cocaine? they both have the potential to cause death, create dependence, cause severe depression, etc. Whether a person is addicted to a legal or illegal drugs, the fact of the matter is that  individuals suffering from addiction need help. If the government is so concerned about ending the drug usage in our society, then how about using the billions of dollars it spends yearly on a useless campaign against the drugs they supply, and instead use those billions of dollars toward the recuperation of individuals suffering from addiction? Now there's an idea!

I just finished watching a documentary called "The Lottery". This documentary focused on several students waiting to win a charter school lottery for acceptance into the school. The documentary focused on these student's struggles in the public school system in Harlem. All of the student parents wanted a better education for their children. None of the parents felt that a good education could be achieved by attending a public school.

My public education history was great. I attended Nova High School in Davie, FL. My school was focused on being a good school and having great teachers. I wasn't a great student most of my life. I had great potential and many of my teachers noticed. Unfortunately, like those kids in the documentary, my life a little less peachy than most people attending that school. I should have attended a different school, but my father had done his homework and knew Nova was better. I lived in bad neighborhood and I was a child of an immigrant. My father lied in order for my sisters and I to attend Nova. He said we lived elsewhere, although they didn't believe him, still we were able to attend after all. My sophomore year in high school, I decided to turn things around and focus on my education. I attended a great school that allowed me to focus on my education. In all of my childhood misfortunes, I was fortunate enough to have attended a good school.

Everyone deserves the right to attend a great school. The education system shouldn't stay the way it is. The world is moving forward through the use of technology. Most public schools in my neighborhood ask the student's parents to bring toilet paper. These are the same schools that will not have new technology in their class for students. The world is so different now from what it was when the educational system was formed. How can we expect children to have a great education when the teaching methods are ancient? Many teachers are restricted by strict guidelines and cannot teach the way they would like. The school system is built on strict measures that schools must follow. The documentary explained how the teachers' union had great influence in the decision making of the education system. It also explained how the union dictates of policies and reforms and keep politicians from changing things.

Charter school are the last resort for students attending public schools to receive a good education. Charter schools do not follow the same educational guidelines required by public schools. They have longer school days and longer school years. They promote teacher independence in terms of curriculum and they encourage team support. Charter schools focus on child education by leaving behind the politics involved in the public school system. The teachers' union hires outside organizations, such as ACORN, to protest against charter schools. a spokesperson for them stated in the video thatthe problem were not the schools but rather poverty. She mentioned that the majority of latino and blacks do not do well in the system because they are poor. She also stated that poverty impedes education. I am proof that she is wrong. My family was poor and I grew up in a bad neighborhood. I graduated high school, I am college now, and my future is brighter than ever.

All of those kids in the documentary should have a great education. It is the responsibility of the school system to grant them a great education. All of those children had great parents who were focused on finding the right school for them. The neighborhood they live in, their ethnicity, or their family life should not be an excuse for the school system to have failing students. Something is not working with the current educational system and it must be fixed. Why is has yet to change?....I'm not entirely sure.

My professor provided me with an article about a physician, Dr. Goodman, who advocated for assisted suicide. This physician made it possible for a bill to pass in which doctors are now allowed to "speed-up" the process of dying for a terminally ill patient with a prognosis of 6 months or less. The law passed in Oregon as the Death with Dignity law. Dr. Goodman used this law to end his life after being diagnosed with a rare brain disease. In the article, Dr. Goodman expresses that having control over his death allowed him not to feel any fear of dying. The doctor also expresses that it was more difficult than he anticipated to use the law to end his own life. The law is effective in both Washington and Montana. Over 500 people in those two states have used the law to end their life. 


My reflection on the article was tricky. I don't disagree with Dr. Goodman's actions for ending his life, or for advocating a law for terminally ill patients to face their death in a different manner. I would be hard to say what I would do if I were in Dr. Goodman's shoes. I certainly do not believe in assisting in deaths, however, these patients were already going to die. It is almost "nice", for a lack of better word", that terminally ill patients in Washington and Montana have the choice to have a "better" form of dying. I also found it interesting that Dr. Goodman stated that having control over his death made it easier for him to accept it. Again, I'm not in that situation, but I can definitely understand what Dr. Goodman meant by that statement. I imagine that accepting that a terminal illness will be the cause of one's death must be tough on its own. It must be equally as tough to not know when one's death will come. For those patients who can use this law, they will leave their families without leaving any loose ends. Undoubtedly, I understand Dr. Goodman's reason's for advocating for such law to have passed. However, there is also a very tricky aspect to all of this. In my personal experience, a doctor can give a prognosis but it doesn't mean that it is accurate. 


This is my personal story of a wrongful prognosis. I met my fiancee's grandma about six years ago. Grandma suffered from COPD and Asthma (along with several other things) and was for the most part very stable. When I met grandma, It had been two years since she was given a prognosis of no more than a year to live due to the severity of her condition. Shortly after meeting grandma, she was given another prognosis, by a different doctor, of no more than three months to live. Surprisingly, grandma lived for another several years before passing away two months ago. In the last years we had with grandma, my fiancee and I were able to bond and enjoy grandma in a different manner. 


If this Death with Dignity law were to have passed in Florida at the time that Grandma was told she would die in three months... my fiancee and I would have missed out on the time we had with grandma. I understand that some people need this law in order to face their time of death with a little less fear. Still, what if the prognosis is wrong? I guess this is just one of those stories that are meant to leave you thinking...

Here is the article about Dr. Goodman
http://www.npr.org/2012/03/12/148459270/assisted-suicide-advocate-uses-law-to-end-his-life 

For my policies class, I was asked to write a letter to the editor of a newspaper in response to a news article. The article should regard a Florida policy and should state my opinion regarding it. I chose an article about a FL bill recently passed that allowed for eviction notices to be distributed or evictions to be performed during holidays. Law makers considered this bill to be fair to all in the population. Well, how about the children affected by the evictions? Are they going to understand that it is a "fair" thing to happen on a holiday? I was simply so upset after reading the article. I tried to think of the good that can come from this bill, but I simply cannot think of any.

I understand that evictions need to be performed. I understand that people who cannot afford their homes will suffer the consequences regarding lack of payment. However, this is more than just a business transaction. I know lawmakers have a different mind set regarding these situations. Lawmakers find these measures "necessary". Yet, do they stop to think of how these events affect people? Losing a home is a traumatic event in people's lives. To top it off, people need to go through a traumatic eviction on a holiday. Is this necessary? 

There is no good reason for lawmakers to have to impose such laws on homeowners. Everyone can fall victim of the economy. I know of many successful people who have been laid off and cannot find another job. This is not the way people should be treated on a holiday. A little sympathy from politicians for members of our community would be nice. 

Here is the letter I wrote to the Editor of The Palm Beach Post. The link below is to the article I discussed. 

Dear Editor, 

Recognized holidays are days that most people hold dear to them. During holidays, people try to forget their sorrows and give themselves hope. Now that this bill passed (HB 921), people will be reminded during dear times that they have become victims of the economy. The families affected will have to put an end to their celebration and focus on the cruel reality of their lives. Losing a home is not something that people want to face, especially not on a holiday, but unfortunately it is part of the recession. However, would it be too wrong to ask lawmakers to make it so, that at least on holidays, people may enjoy a glimpse of hope? Is it truly necessary for the Sheriff’s department to come knocking on people’s doors with notices of eviction on Christmas Eve? This Bill allows eviction notices to be delivered promptly, but it does nothing to improve a person’s psycho-social status. I believe that all people deserve the right to hope for a better tomorrow. It is simply morally wrong to deprive people of hope with a thought of homelessness. At least, during holidays people should not be tormented by the thought of eviction. 

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/bill-allowing-holiday-evictions-passes-house-2207347.html

Andrea B.

Sunrise, FL

954-643-3017

Last week, I wrote a policy brief on the topic of child maltreatment. The bill I chose to discuss was "The Supporting Child Maltreatment Prevention Effort in Community Health Centers Act (S.54)" which was introduced by Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii. The bill was introduced in 2011 and is currently being reviewed by the Committee of Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Hopefully after its review in the committee, the bill will make its way to congress, senate, and President. 

The S.54 bill, if passed, would place government funded community health centers that would serve to promote family well-being. These health centers would develop different programs geared to the prevention of child maltreatment in communities by helping families develop better family dynamics. All people in a community would be able to receive services from such health centers despite their economic status. These health centers would provide adequate mental health screenings for parents with at risk of child maltreatment behaviors. The sole focus of this bill would be for the prevention of psychological, physical, and sexual abuse as well as neglect and other maltreatment of children. S.54 would implement programs targeting factors and behaviors that place children at risk of abuse, as well as treating those children who have already become victims of maltreatment and their families. 

For the most part, children see their parents or guardians as the absolute law and view the parent’s behaviors as acceptable. When parents abuse or neglect their children, these children don't necessarily view these behaviors as wrong but as "normal". Not only do children often think that the maltreatment is "normal", but they might even imitate these behaviors until adulthood. The point is that children cannot advocate for themselves. The reason for this is simple, children do not have the knowledge required to know that not all behaviors exhibited by adults should be deemed acceptable. Even when children are taught that their parent's behaviors are not the norm, the fear of the trauma lingers as a side effect of the abuse. 

The Supporting Child Maltreatment Prevention Effort in Community Health Centers Act (S.54) would give children the opportunity to seek treatment, receive counseling, become involved in programs with other children who have gone through similar experiences, and it would provide their parents with the right psychological help needed to fight learned behaviors. In order to fight a problem, we need to target the root of the problem. This bill would provide the help and resources needed in order to improve family dynamics in communities for the prevention of child maltreatment. Sure, the bill could implement a few other things, but the main focus is there... to promote wellness in the children of America.