English 1010
Reflective Essay
One year ago, when I came to United States I sat down to write a statement of my personal and professional goals. I did this with some apprehension, because I was not sure about my career, and how I would achieve my goals if I am not a good english speaker. Sometimes I would feel discouraged because I did not understand what the people said, and probably it would be an obstacle to achieve my goals, one of this, learn and improve my English language and after that, create a nonprofit organization. I feel that every day I am more able to understand what say my partners and instructors, I understand when I read books, see videos on English and communicate with others. At home, my sister always tell me that it is a process and I must be constant and focus on study, thinking in my goals and learn about it.
One day when I was taking my ESL class, my friend Zoila, told me if I can carry her to a nonprofit organization, because she want to be citizenship and they would can help her. I accepted her idea, and we established the day. We went to the appointment and oh surprise! The coordinator legal in the nonprofit organization was a Peruvian person. After the meeting when my friend finished her interview I asked to Giovanna, the legal coordinator, if I would can be volunteer in there and she was really interested because there are a lot of people that want to become citizen, she has a lot of work and my proposal would be a great deal.
Without thinking, it was my first step to learn about how manage and run a nonprofit organization because I had never worked on it. In fact, I am studying about this form of organization and all related about that. In addition, my friend Giovanna and I are improving our services to help immigrant people that need information related to their legal status and adding other legal programs. I love this work.
Work in this nonprofit is a great opportunity to show my abilities and how can I involve in this community and help others with my work. Utah and specially this country is a great place to growth and develop our dreams and targets, I only need to focus and make efforts to achieve your goals. I think like you that if you pursue your targets you are going to find your happiness and you will do that you like. Probably the hardest part in this way is keep going focus on the target, but I am trying, it is really hard because there are a lot of distractions (facebook, internet, games) but I will continue to learn, seek new knowledge, and better myself and my methods in my efforts to achieve this goal. Sometimes this kind of technology could be distractive, but it is also a good tool to improve my knowledge and learn how create a networking that run the same ideas like me.
I am in advancing step by step, a little bit slow, but never it is late to restart your dreams, I have to persevere, and research how do real my goals, not only it must stay out on dreams. Right now, I am taking paralegal studies class and it will complement around my personal and professional projects.
One day when I was taking my ESL class, my friend Zoila, told me if I can carry her to a nonprofit organization, because she want to be citizenship and they would can help her. I accepted her idea, and we established the day. We went to the appointment and oh surprise! The coordinator legal in the nonprofit organization was a Peruvian person. After the meeting when my friend finished her interview I asked to Giovanna, the legal coordinator, if I would can be volunteer in there and she was really interested because there are a lot of people that want to become citizen, she has a lot of work and my proposal would be a great deal.
Without thinking, it was my first step to learn about how manage and run a nonprofit organization because I had never worked on it. In fact, I am studying about this form of organization and all related about that. In addition, my friend Giovanna and I are improving our services to help immigrant people that need information related to their legal status and adding other legal programs. I love this work.
Work in this nonprofit is a great opportunity to show my abilities and how can I involve in this community and help others with my work. Utah and specially this country is a great place to growth and develop our dreams and targets, I only need to focus and make efforts to achieve your goals. I think like you that if you pursue your targets you are going to find your happiness and you will do that you like. Probably the hardest part in this way is keep going focus on the target, but I am trying, it is really hard because there are a lot of distractions (facebook, internet, games) but I will continue to learn, seek new knowledge, and better myself and my methods in my efforts to achieve this goal. Sometimes this kind of technology could be distractive, but it is also a good tool to improve my knowledge and learn how create a networking that run the same ideas like me.
I am in advancing step by step, a little bit slow, but never it is late to restart your dreams, I have to persevere, and research how do real my goals, not only it must stay out on dreams. Right now, I am taking paralegal studies class and it will complement around my personal and professional projects.
Peer Review Visual Analysis
Unplanned Pregnancy takes a lot of Responsibilities
The teen pregnancy not only causes biological disorders, it is the main cause of school dropout, disrupts the educational project and requires entering a job prematurely, usually poorly paid, and will be necessary take a lot of responsibilities and challenges in this new stage and probably being a teen parent will be very demanding and sometimes can be hard.
In this ad released in part of a public health campaign in New York City, shows a male toddler, tears streaming down his face looking devastated. The image of the toddler directly grabbed my attention, not the text. Any parent would be drawn to this type of image. Once I viewed the image of the toddler, I was then drawn to the text in the ad. The ad reads, “I’m twice as likely not to graduate high school because you had me as a teen,” in bold letters on the side, leading the reader to believe he is unhappy with his parents’ choice of having a teen pregnancy.
This is a campaign designed probably to make people feel bad. This ad specifically set up teenage pregnancy as wrong and something to feel guilty about, using the faces of children as manipulative tools; the idea is that people will look at them and feel guilty. Including, say, teenage parents who see the ads.
"Honestly Mom," one ad reads, "chances are he won't stay with you. What happens to me?" In this question, the women teenager could think how the lack of the teenage father's support will greatly impact both her and the child, emotionally and financially.
"Dad, you'll be paying to support me for the next 20 years," reads another, noting that New York state law requires a parent to pay child support until a child is 21. People are invited to text a number to get information about the “costs of teen pregnancy.”
In another side, I see a whiff of racism because we have a child who looks like she’s Latina, with the caption “Honestly, Mom...chances are he won’t stay with you. What happens to me?” The framing of the ad plays on the idea that men of color will ditch women when they get pregnant instead of “sticking around.”
There’s a Black child, saying “Got a good job? I cost thousands of dollars each year”. Meanwhile, here’s a white child saying “I’m twice as likely not to graduate high school because you had me as a teen.” Because high school (and college) are important for white children -- that’s the message being sent with this ad. Notable that for children of color, it’s all about money and whether your baby daddy will stay with you, while for white children, it’s about education and whether you’ll have a chance at getting out of generational poverty through one of the most effective methods available: a diploma and a degree.
Obviously these ads are intended to be provocative and eye-catching, but the pairing of each statement with each child was not random. These were carefully chosen, and the people who chose them were aware of the racial and gendered overtones. Again, the concept of whether shame is an effective deterrent become the larger theme of the ad.
The idea of these ads is to persuade teens against pregnancy such as additional added responsibilities, and in the case of this particular ad, stating a higher risk of not graduating high school for children stemming from teen pregnancies.
The difficulties that come with an unplanned pregnancy in teens can have a profound effect on their life. Their physical, social, mental, and emotional health will all be affected by a sudden change in the course of their life. Teens impacted with an unplanned pregnancy will have to give up many things in order to be a parent. In addition, they will have to take on many more responsibilities that accompany pregnancy and parenthood. All in all, this campaign makes very clear to young people that there’s a lot at stake when it comes to deciding to raise a child.
Work Cited
New York City Public Health Campaign. Advertisement. March 2013.
The teen pregnancy not only causes biological disorders, it is the main cause of school dropout, disrupts the educational project and requires entering a job prematurely, usually poorly paid, and will be necessary take a lot of responsibilities and challenges in this new stage and probably being a teen parent will be very demanding and sometimes can be hard.
In this ad released in part of a public health campaign in New York City, shows a male toddler, tears streaming down his face looking devastated. The image of the toddler directly grabbed my attention, not the text. Any parent would be drawn to this type of image. Once I viewed the image of the toddler, I was then drawn to the text in the ad. The ad reads, “I’m twice as likely not to graduate high school because you had me as a teen,” in bold letters on the side, leading the reader to believe he is unhappy with his parents’ choice of having a teen pregnancy.
This is a campaign designed probably to make people feel bad. This ad specifically set up teenage pregnancy as wrong and something to feel guilty about, using the faces of children as manipulative tools; the idea is that people will look at them and feel guilty. Including, say, teenage parents who see the ads.
"Honestly Mom," one ad reads, "chances are he won't stay with you. What happens to me?" In this question, the women teenager could think how the lack of the teenage father's support will greatly impact both her and the child, emotionally and financially.
"Dad, you'll be paying to support me for the next 20 years," reads another, noting that New York state law requires a parent to pay child support until a child is 21. People are invited to text a number to get information about the “costs of teen pregnancy.”
In another side, I see a whiff of racism because we have a child who looks like she’s Latina, with the caption “Honestly, Mom...chances are he won’t stay with you. What happens to me?” The framing of the ad plays on the idea that men of color will ditch women when they get pregnant instead of “sticking around.”
There’s a Black child, saying “Got a good job? I cost thousands of dollars each year”. Meanwhile, here’s a white child saying “I’m twice as likely not to graduate high school because you had me as a teen.” Because high school (and college) are important for white children -- that’s the message being sent with this ad. Notable that for children of color, it’s all about money and whether your baby daddy will stay with you, while for white children, it’s about education and whether you’ll have a chance at getting out of generational poverty through one of the most effective methods available: a diploma and a degree.
Obviously these ads are intended to be provocative and eye-catching, but the pairing of each statement with each child was not random. These were carefully chosen, and the people who chose them were aware of the racial and gendered overtones. Again, the concept of whether shame is an effective deterrent become the larger theme of the ad.
The idea of these ads is to persuade teens against pregnancy such as additional added responsibilities, and in the case of this particular ad, stating a higher risk of not graduating high school for children stemming from teen pregnancies.
The difficulties that come with an unplanned pregnancy in teens can have a profound effect on their life. Their physical, social, mental, and emotional health will all be affected by a sudden change in the course of their life. Teens impacted with an unplanned pregnancy will have to give up many things in order to be a parent. In addition, they will have to take on many more responsibilities that accompany pregnancy and parenthood. All in all, this campaign makes very clear to young people that there’s a lot at stake when it comes to deciding to raise a child.
Work Cited
New York City Public Health Campaign. Advertisement. March 2013.
Rhetorical Analysis
The Music in the Education
The education in the world is changing, especially because programs are being cut from school budgets at an alarming rate to save money, for instance, physical education, art and music classes, however these could be a great inspiration for students to rise up their grades.
Nowadays, everything costs money, including music education, but the question most difficult to answer is: What is the cost for student’s if we eliminate music education? Without music education, is it possible to have the same effect on students academically?
The writer of the article explores many opinions of how effective arts and music education is in schools, and how scientific data backs up the claim. Levy’s tone in this article is very informative, objective, insightful, and passionate. She explains how subjects, such as English and Mathematics, are closely linked to music education. The connection of math and music is in the note reading for instance.
The idea of not having music and arts education in schools is alarming, since it is instrumental in the development of knowledge, and success in other subjects. Levy informs the reader by using scientific information. We put music education on the back burner to add more emphasis on teaching other subjects, and do not realize how it affects students, academically.
Levy’s purpose is inform the general public, as well as educators about the changes to education, and how everyone is affected by removing programs due to budget cuts. Yes, we all have to make sacrifices. However, when we subtract a vital source of learning, we are affecting something important in the long-run.
Logos is used by the writer to show how several scientific studies prove the effectiveness of having arts and music in schools for the purpose of improved knowledge. For example, studies have shown that including musical studies such as learning to play an instrument or class sing-alongs have impacted the way children learn and process knowledge. This appeals to logic on a greater scale. This point is proven and backed by scientific data that the claim is true, which is a great parallel of logic and reasoning. The writer wanted to make a concrete point that it is not just playing an instrument that makes a world of difference academically.
This is a great example of Pathos, because the writer imbues a passionate plea from an obvious direct source affected by the absence of music education. Although less funding is available for music programs than in the past, there are school districts who are developing and implementing new ways of teaching. Ethos & Pathos are used when Levy talks about how children have the thirst for performing and teaching each other music, because they show it in their iPods and other electronic devices that they carry -or possess. Keeping music classes in schools seems more important than ever. The clear persuasion is a way for Levy to address the obvious complacency in education, and to invoke the thought of adapting to new ways of teaching by using students in an innovative way by showing a parallel between the implementation and a success story.
As a former grade school music student, I learned a lot from music. In fact, there is long-lasting proof music education is a vital in public schools, because I continue to play music and sing. For a student learning music, they will soon learn that they are developing a discipline to help them later in life. There is more to music than just learning notes. You can even develop self-esteem and enjoy something through passionate learning. We need to have our priorities aligned with our expectations. We cannot remove music from education, and then complain afterward that students are not making the grade. By sacrificing music education, we are taking away a child’s chance at better academic results.
Works Cited
Levy, Debra. "The Importance of Music in Schools." The Denver Post. The Denver Post, 1 May 2010. Web. 27 June 2013. http://www.denverpost.com/recommended/ci_14992491>.
The education in the world is changing, especially because programs are being cut from school budgets at an alarming rate to save money, for instance, physical education, art and music classes, however these could be a great inspiration for students to rise up their grades.
Nowadays, everything costs money, including music education, but the question most difficult to answer is: What is the cost for student’s if we eliminate music education? Without music education, is it possible to have the same effect on students academically?
The writer of the article explores many opinions of how effective arts and music education is in schools, and how scientific data backs up the claim. Levy’s tone in this article is very informative, objective, insightful, and passionate. She explains how subjects, such as English and Mathematics, are closely linked to music education. The connection of math and music is in the note reading for instance.
The idea of not having music and arts education in schools is alarming, since it is instrumental in the development of knowledge, and success in other subjects. Levy informs the reader by using scientific information. We put music education on the back burner to add more emphasis on teaching other subjects, and do not realize how it affects students, academically.
Levy’s purpose is inform the general public, as well as educators about the changes to education, and how everyone is affected by removing programs due to budget cuts. Yes, we all have to make sacrifices. However, when we subtract a vital source of learning, we are affecting something important in the long-run.
Logos is used by the writer to show how several scientific studies prove the effectiveness of having arts and music in schools for the purpose of improved knowledge. For example, studies have shown that including musical studies such as learning to play an instrument or class sing-alongs have impacted the way children learn and process knowledge. This appeals to logic on a greater scale. This point is proven and backed by scientific data that the claim is true, which is a great parallel of logic and reasoning. The writer wanted to make a concrete point that it is not just playing an instrument that makes a world of difference academically.
This is a great example of Pathos, because the writer imbues a passionate plea from an obvious direct source affected by the absence of music education. Although less funding is available for music programs than in the past, there are school districts who are developing and implementing new ways of teaching. Ethos & Pathos are used when Levy talks about how children have the thirst for performing and teaching each other music, because they show it in their iPods and other electronic devices that they carry -or possess. Keeping music classes in schools seems more important than ever. The clear persuasion is a way for Levy to address the obvious complacency in education, and to invoke the thought of adapting to new ways of teaching by using students in an innovative way by showing a parallel between the implementation and a success story.
As a former grade school music student, I learned a lot from music. In fact, there is long-lasting proof music education is a vital in public schools, because I continue to play music and sing. For a student learning music, they will soon learn that they are developing a discipline to help them later in life. There is more to music than just learning notes. You can even develop self-esteem and enjoy something through passionate learning. We need to have our priorities aligned with our expectations. We cannot remove music from education, and then complain afterward that students are not making the grade. By sacrificing music education, we are taking away a child’s chance at better academic results.
Works Cited
Levy, Debra. "The Importance of Music in Schools." The Denver Post. The Denver Post, 1 May 2010. Web. 27 June 2013. http://www.denverpost.com/recommended/ci_14992491>.
Self Assessment
In my English 1010 class I have learned a lot about different writing styles. During this fall semester I have completed essays, gained valuable information, and have overall improved my writing through this ENGL 1010 course offered at Salt Lake Community College. Our class consisted of writing essays using different formats and writings techniques, peer reviews, discussions, and a final paper based on a topic of our choice.
I have enjoyed learning different types of writing styles and researching authors. I have learned to read differently looking for the intended audience and how well they stay on topic. My hope is that people read my essays or future writings, and can effectively pick out the intent because of what I have learned in this class.
Each week I took part in a class discussion online. In these discussions I learned about the current topic, how to write properly, and was able to ask questions that I may have had. Once in a while the class would break out into groups and complete a task or assignment. I was able to learn and participate through the use of modules, slideshows, and an integrated chat window.
I was very happy with the outcome of this course. At first I was nervous considering it was an online course. Now I feel very confident after the work I completed throughout the semester, and the amount of information I learned.
I feel that I have improved in different areas and learned what to look for in articles and essays that I am reading. In my last essay, the Issue Exploration Essay, I was more confident in my writing and knowing how to connect with the audience.
I chose to write about Welfare. It is a topic that affects most Americans and it has been a political war for as long as it has been around. A lot of people, like me, are confused about what welfare is and why it has caused such controversy. This is why I chose this subject, in hopes to make things a little clearer.
I have enjoyed learning different types of writing styles and researching authors. I have learned to read differently looking for the intended audience and how well they stay on topic. My hope is that people read my essays or future writings, and can effectively pick out the intent because of what I have learned in this class.
Each week I took part in a class discussion online. In these discussions I learned about the current topic, how to write properly, and was able to ask questions that I may have had. Once in a while the class would break out into groups and complete a task or assignment. I was able to learn and participate through the use of modules, slideshows, and an integrated chat window.
I was very happy with the outcome of this course. At first I was nervous considering it was an online course. Now I feel very confident after the work I completed throughout the semester, and the amount of information I learned.
I feel that I have improved in different areas and learned what to look for in articles and essays that I am reading. In my last essay, the Issue Exploration Essay, I was more confident in my writing and knowing how to connect with the audience.
I chose to write about Welfare. It is a topic that affects most Americans and it has been a political war for as long as it has been around. A lot of people, like me, are confused about what welfare is and why it has caused such controversy. This is why I chose this subject, in hopes to make things a little clearer.
Issue Exploration Paper
If you hear the word “welfare” you may think of things like: government funding, money for the poor, or financial help for the homeless. There are a lot of different opinions on welfare and if there should be testing to receive funding. One of this is to look at is the foundation, what is welfare? On a government website it explains it saying, “Federally funded and governed US welfare began in the 1931's. The United States government responded to the overwhelming number of families and individuals in need of aid by creating a welfare program that would give assistance to those who had little or no income. The United States welfare system stayed in the hands of the federal government for the next sixty-one years. Americans were unhappy with the welfare system, claiming that individuals were abusing the welfare program by not applying for jobs, having more children just to get more aid, and staying unmarried so as to qualify for greater benefits. Welfare system reform became a hot topic in the1991's. Clinton was elected as President with the intention of reforming the federally run US Welfare program. In 1997 the Republican Congress passed a reform law signed by President Clinton that gave the control of the welfare system back to the states.”
Essentially, the goals in 2003 were to provide assistance to individuals and families in achieving financial independence from the government. Protecting children and strengthening families were important aspects of this reform measure, and state and local governments were asked to assist these individuals and families in gaining this independent status. It is vital to the health and economy of the nation for individuals to have the ability to support themselves and meet the needs of their family without economic assistance from the government. These reforms were an effort to make a way for this to happen. But, in 2004, the Welfare-to-Work program ended, but during the time this program was active millions of Americans lives were changed for the better.”
Through all of this, there are certain qualifications needed in order to receive welfare. Much people are confused about what these are. “Eligibility for a Welfare program depends on numerous factors. Eligibility is determined using gross and net income, size of the family, and any crisis situation such as medical emergencies, pregnancy, homelessness or unemployment. A case worker is assigned to those applying for aid. They will gather all the necessary information to determine the amount and type of benefits that an individual is eligible for.” (2.welfareinfo.org) with this comes the controversy of drug testing.
States have started passing laws requiring applicants to take drug tests. They make them pay for the test, if it comes back negative the welfare program reimburses the person, if it’s positive the applicant is in charge of paying the bill. “These laws are wrong. They are flat-out unconstitutional , shortsighted and will end up costing the state more than any possible savings . But even putting all of that aside, let's stop for a moment and ask ourselves the bigger question of why. Why are we drug testing anyone who isn’t flying an airplane? Why poor people in particular? Some might argue it’s because we can’t have people spending money from the federal government on drugs. But I haven’t heard of any plan to start drug testing students at Harvard who get federal student loans. These laws deliberately separate poor people from the rest of society, asserting that they have less of a right to privacy simply because they are having trouble making ends meet.”
Since the 1996 welfare reform the federal rules have permitted drug testing, but as of recent years many states have proposed drug testing for screening welfare applicants. Since these laws have been proposed, 10 states have passed this law. (6. National Conference of State Legislation). In the states that have passed this law have had pro’s and con’s. One of the benefits is saving the states money. According to Utah’s Deseret News the state has saved over $450,000. “Salt Lake City — A new state program requiring drug screening for welfare applicants has saved more than $450,000 in its first year, officials said.
According to Kim Yee with the USA Times, “Opponents of drug testing welfare recipients believe that denying benefits to drug users unjustly punishes families and takes money away from children. In fact, drug users deny their own children a healthy lifestyle and positive example. Instead, we should get drug abusers back on track and prepare them to get and keep jobs when their temporary assistance ends. Taxpayers deserve to know that their hard-earned dollars are wisely used and not funding a drug user's next hit.”( 5. Kimberly Yee).
The overall effect of welfare reform could be positive. It gives States wide latitude to design programs to help low-income people attain self-sufficiency and has increased interest in developing innovative programming for hard-to-employ welfare populations, including those with substance use disorders. This interest could lead to increased funding for treatment, new services such as screening, better integration of needed ancillary services (i.e., medical care, child care, help with housing and transportation), and more accountability for outcomes on the part of programs and government systems. Conversely, welfare reform may have a negative impact on low-income people with substance use disorders and the programs that serve them. The policy of sanctioning welfare recipients for failure to comply with new welfare regulations and a punitive atmosphere at welfare offices may drastically reduce the number of low-income Americans with substance use disorders who receive public aid, and treatment programs dependent on public funds may face a resulting loss of revenue.” (4. Jon Morgentstern).
I can see why this topic cause a lot of tension. Rather you are for or against drug testing for welfare applicants it’s easy to pick out what is wrong or what could go wrong. Hopefully this helped clear up some confusion about the foundation and certain aspects of welfare.
Annotated Bibliography
1. Bloom,Rachel. “Poor People have Rights Too.” Aclu, October 12, 2011. Web. https://www.aclu.org/blog/criminal-law-reform-racial-justice/poor-people-have-rights-too
Poor people have rights too. It is unconstitutional to force people to take drug tests to receive help. It states that people feel insulted when they are assumed to be taking drugs just because they need a little help financially.
2. Federal. “Welfare Information.” Web. Copyright 2014. www.welfareinfo.org
Informing people on what welfare is, how to apply, types of welfare, and eligibility requirements. This is a federal website, so it can be trusted.
3. http://www.welfareinfo.org . “Welfare Reform-Social Welfare Change.” Copyright 2014. Web. http://www.welfareinfo.org/reform/.
“Welfare reform is generally described as a government's attempt to change the social welfare policy of the country. A main goal of these reforms is to reduce the number of individuals or families dependent on government assistance and to assist the recipients in their efforts to become self-sufficient. There is a common consensus that the initial welfare programs created in response to the economic conditions faced by the country during the Great Depression are actually counterproductive to the goals of welfare help. Many feel these outdated welfare programs not only propagate indigence but also fosters dependency on the government for financial assistance and services. Because welfare in the United States will never fully meet every need of every low income or underprivileged individual or family, reforms to the existing welfare programs are necessary.”
4. Jon Morgenstern, Ph.D. Kimberly A. Blanchard, Ph.D.“Welfare Reform and Substance Abuse treatment for Welfare Recipients.” http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh291/63-67.htm. Web.
This gives information on the Welfare reform and the substance abuse throughout the nation. It gives statistics and other references as well. It talks about the prevalence of substance abuse in welfare populations and ways to address substance abuse.
5. Kimberly Yee. USA Today. “Opposing view: No Drug Test, No welfare.”http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/opinion/story/2012-03-18/drug-tests-welfare-Yee/53620412/1. Web. March 18, 2014.
“States have an obligation to hold those on public assistance accountable for their actions. Receiving a public benefit is a privilege, not a right. The debate on drug testing welfare recipients is simply about the responsible use of tax dollars.”
6. National Conference of State Legislators. “Drug Testing and Public Assistance”. March 6, 2014. Web. http://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/drug-testing-and-public-assistance.aspx
At least nine states have passed legislation regarding drug testing or screening for public assistance applicants or recipients (Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah.) Some apply to all applicants; others include specific language that there is a reason to believe the person is engaging in illegal drug activity or has a substance use disorder; others require a specific screening process.
Essentially, the goals in 2003 were to provide assistance to individuals and families in achieving financial independence from the government. Protecting children and strengthening families were important aspects of this reform measure, and state and local governments were asked to assist these individuals and families in gaining this independent status. It is vital to the health and economy of the nation for individuals to have the ability to support themselves and meet the needs of their family without economic assistance from the government. These reforms were an effort to make a way for this to happen. But, in 2004, the Welfare-to-Work program ended, but during the time this program was active millions of Americans lives were changed for the better.”
Through all of this, there are certain qualifications needed in order to receive welfare. Much people are confused about what these are. “Eligibility for a Welfare program depends on numerous factors. Eligibility is determined using gross and net income, size of the family, and any crisis situation such as medical emergencies, pregnancy, homelessness or unemployment. A case worker is assigned to those applying for aid. They will gather all the necessary information to determine the amount and type of benefits that an individual is eligible for.” (2.welfareinfo.org) with this comes the controversy of drug testing.
States have started passing laws requiring applicants to take drug tests. They make them pay for the test, if it comes back negative the welfare program reimburses the person, if it’s positive the applicant is in charge of paying the bill. “These laws are wrong. They are flat-out unconstitutional , shortsighted and will end up costing the state more than any possible savings . But even putting all of that aside, let's stop for a moment and ask ourselves the bigger question of why. Why are we drug testing anyone who isn’t flying an airplane? Why poor people in particular? Some might argue it’s because we can’t have people spending money from the federal government on drugs. But I haven’t heard of any plan to start drug testing students at Harvard who get federal student loans. These laws deliberately separate poor people from the rest of society, asserting that they have less of a right to privacy simply because they are having trouble making ends meet.”
Since the 1996 welfare reform the federal rules have permitted drug testing, but as of recent years many states have proposed drug testing for screening welfare applicants. Since these laws have been proposed, 10 states have passed this law. (6. National Conference of State Legislation). In the states that have passed this law have had pro’s and con’s. One of the benefits is saving the states money. According to Utah’s Deseret News the state has saved over $450,000. “Salt Lake City — A new state program requiring drug screening for welfare applicants has saved more than $450,000 in its first year, officials said.
According to Kim Yee with the USA Times, “Opponents of drug testing welfare recipients believe that denying benefits to drug users unjustly punishes families and takes money away from children. In fact, drug users deny their own children a healthy lifestyle and positive example. Instead, we should get drug abusers back on track and prepare them to get and keep jobs when their temporary assistance ends. Taxpayers deserve to know that their hard-earned dollars are wisely used and not funding a drug user's next hit.”( 5. Kimberly Yee).
The overall effect of welfare reform could be positive. It gives States wide latitude to design programs to help low-income people attain self-sufficiency and has increased interest in developing innovative programming for hard-to-employ welfare populations, including those with substance use disorders. This interest could lead to increased funding for treatment, new services such as screening, better integration of needed ancillary services (i.e., medical care, child care, help with housing and transportation), and more accountability for outcomes on the part of programs and government systems. Conversely, welfare reform may have a negative impact on low-income people with substance use disorders and the programs that serve them. The policy of sanctioning welfare recipients for failure to comply with new welfare regulations and a punitive atmosphere at welfare offices may drastically reduce the number of low-income Americans with substance use disorders who receive public aid, and treatment programs dependent on public funds may face a resulting loss of revenue.” (4. Jon Morgentstern).
I can see why this topic cause a lot of tension. Rather you are for or against drug testing for welfare applicants it’s easy to pick out what is wrong or what could go wrong. Hopefully this helped clear up some confusion about the foundation and certain aspects of welfare.
Annotated Bibliography
1. Bloom,Rachel. “Poor People have Rights Too.” Aclu, October 12, 2011. Web. https://www.aclu.org/blog/criminal-law-reform-racial-justice/poor-people-have-rights-too
Poor people have rights too. It is unconstitutional to force people to take drug tests to receive help. It states that people feel insulted when they are assumed to be taking drugs just because they need a little help financially.
2. Federal. “Welfare Information.” Web. Copyright 2014. www.welfareinfo.org
Informing people on what welfare is, how to apply, types of welfare, and eligibility requirements. This is a federal website, so it can be trusted.
3. http://www.welfareinfo.org . “Welfare Reform-Social Welfare Change.” Copyright 2014. Web. http://www.welfareinfo.org/reform/.
“Welfare reform is generally described as a government's attempt to change the social welfare policy of the country. A main goal of these reforms is to reduce the number of individuals or families dependent on government assistance and to assist the recipients in their efforts to become self-sufficient. There is a common consensus that the initial welfare programs created in response to the economic conditions faced by the country during the Great Depression are actually counterproductive to the goals of welfare help. Many feel these outdated welfare programs not only propagate indigence but also fosters dependency on the government for financial assistance and services. Because welfare in the United States will never fully meet every need of every low income or underprivileged individual or family, reforms to the existing welfare programs are necessary.”
4. Jon Morgenstern, Ph.D. Kimberly A. Blanchard, Ph.D.“Welfare Reform and Substance Abuse treatment for Welfare Recipients.” http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh291/63-67.htm. Web.
This gives information on the Welfare reform and the substance abuse throughout the nation. It gives statistics and other references as well. It talks about the prevalence of substance abuse in welfare populations and ways to address substance abuse.
5. Kimberly Yee. USA Today. “Opposing view: No Drug Test, No welfare.”http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/opinion/story/2012-03-18/drug-tests-welfare-Yee/53620412/1. Web. March 18, 2014.
“States have an obligation to hold those on public assistance accountable for their actions. Receiving a public benefit is a privilege, not a right. The debate on drug testing welfare recipients is simply about the responsible use of tax dollars.”
6. National Conference of State Legislators. “Drug Testing and Public Assistance”. March 6, 2014. Web. http://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/drug-testing-and-public-assistance.aspx
At least nine states have passed legislation regarding drug testing or screening for public assistance applicants or recipients (Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah.) Some apply to all applicants; others include specific language that there is a reason to believe the person is engaging in illegal drug activity or has a substance use disorder; others require a specific screening process.
Rhetorical Rationale
1. Who is the target audience in each of the 3 revised pieces?
Reflective essay is written for anyone who would like to know my background story coming to U.S. In the second paper, my targeted audience was any parent. I matched the audience I felt the image was targeted to. Rhetorical essay is targeting to general public specially parents who are interested in another way to learn, such as English and Mathematics, because they are closely linked to music education.
2. What do you hope to accomplish (what is your purpose) in each of the 3 revised pieces?
Reflective essay’s main purpose is sharing my experience with people so people feel how hard it is being in foreign country. In the second paper I wanted to persuade teens against pregnancy such as additional added responsibilities, and in the case of this particular ad, stating a higher risk of not graduating high school for children stemming from teen pregnancies. Rhetorical essay is inform the general public, as well as educators about the changes to education, and how everyone is affected by removing programs due to budget cuts. Describe the revisions you made from first to final drafts and why you made those revisions.
3. Describe your engagement in peer review.
Reviewing native’s writing as a foreigner was very challenging but interesting. I was supposed to give advises on their writing but I rather learn from their draft and fixed mine. It was very great experience to see how people write their essay. Also, getting review from people was very helpful on revising my draft as well.
4. Discuss anything else you would like readers of your portfolio to know about your writing or about yourself as a writer.
As a foreigner, writing in English was very challenging, however, going through peer review and revising according to review helped me a lot to improve myself. I thank everyone who helped me on this class. This class helped me a lot in some writing style.
Reflective essay is written for anyone who would like to know my background story coming to U.S. In the second paper, my targeted audience was any parent. I matched the audience I felt the image was targeted to. Rhetorical essay is targeting to general public specially parents who are interested in another way to learn, such as English and Mathematics, because they are closely linked to music education.
2. What do you hope to accomplish (what is your purpose) in each of the 3 revised pieces?
Reflective essay’s main purpose is sharing my experience with people so people feel how hard it is being in foreign country. In the second paper I wanted to persuade teens against pregnancy such as additional added responsibilities, and in the case of this particular ad, stating a higher risk of not graduating high school for children stemming from teen pregnancies. Rhetorical essay is inform the general public, as well as educators about the changes to education, and how everyone is affected by removing programs due to budget cuts. Describe the revisions you made from first to final drafts and why you made those revisions.
3. Describe your engagement in peer review.
Reviewing native’s writing as a foreigner was very challenging but interesting. I was supposed to give advises on their writing but I rather learn from their draft and fixed mine. It was very great experience to see how people write their essay. Also, getting review from people was very helpful on revising my draft as well.
4. Discuss anything else you would like readers of your portfolio to know about your writing or about yourself as a writer.
As a foreigner, writing in English was very challenging, however, going through peer review and revising according to review helped me a lot to improve myself. I thank everyone who helped me on this class. This class helped me a lot in some writing style.