PERSPECTIVE

AFFORDABILITY OF PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION – In recent years the cost of a college degree has soared. For many students that means leaving college deep in debt. For others it may mean never even entering the halls of higher education. The fact of the matter is that the cost to attend college is rising faster than inflation, which according to the College Board amounts to 31 percent over the past five years.  One expert says it is important to understand that all of the increase in the cost of tuition comes out of students’ pockets.

THE PROMISE OF AMERICA – The mythical first 100 days of the new presidency have come and gone.    President Barack Obama entered office facing a number of problems: a faltering economy, a questionable education system, millions of Americans without health care, wars on two fronts, the environment, and no energy plan.  But he also entered office with the high hopes of many looking for change from an election that seemed to indicate some kind of corner had been turned in America.  Americans now have to do more than simply hold the new president and other elected officials accountable…Americans must also hold themselves accountable.

THE FLU OUTBREAK (Dated Material - Use Immediately) – The number of those infected with what used to be called the swine flu, but is now the H1N1 influenza A virus, continues to grow.  And they are growing nationwide.  Not only are officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention working with various state health officials, like the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, they are also working with officials in other countries and the World Health Organization.  Both agencies have web sites that not only keep track of the victims of the virus, but also offer information to keep citizens safe.

THE IMPORTANCE OF EVOLUTION – It is interesting that the debate over evolution has continued for so long and been so rancorous.  It is interesting because many of those who find evolution a hard subject to swallow are not religious.  And despite what many may think, the work done by Charles Darwin includes a broad array of subject matter; anatomy, breeding, the fossil record, the distribution of animals, and even plants.  In looking at Darwin’s ideas most scientists consider them, for the most part, correct.  For the most part, because at the time in which he lived, there was no way to know about things like genes or DNA, and their implications.

SAVING ENERGY – According to the U.S. Department of Energy, homes in the United States account for some 21 percent of all energy usage.  That includes 30 percent for heating, 13 percent to heat water, 10 percent for lighting, and almost 5 percent for cooking.  One of the amazing numbers put out by the department concerns what is called standby power.  This is power used by consumer electronics and appliances while they are turned off.  And, believe it or not, it accounts for some 5 to 10 percent of all household electricity consumption.  Overall, the energy usage by our homes and office buildings accounts for almost 40 percent of consumption, while transportation, which invokes most of the concern, only uses about 28 percent of all energy.  One expert says Americans are so accustomed to using as much energy as we want that we forget to do the simple things, like turning things completely off.

THE STATE OF EDUCATION – According to one author and educator, “Schools should be places in which teachers and students work together to answer the essential questions regarding how to develop an environmentally sustainable and socially-just world.  However, recent reforms, such as No Child Left Behind, have undermined student learning and the teaching profession.”  Despite that assessment, when one examines the national assessment of educational progress over the last several decades; there is a closing of the achievement gap between students of color and white students.  In addition there is an increase in the test scores from year to year.

A LACK OF ETHICS – The United States remains in the midst of an economic recession.  However, one author, journalist, commentator, and head of the Institute for Global Ethics says it is not an economic recession as much as an ethics recession.  And it was brought on by corruption, irresponsibility, duplicity, and a broad collapse of ethics.  It is a situation that requires more than a simple infusion of money; it also requires a restructuring of moral values.

NURSING HOME OR NOT – Millions of Americans are living out their final days in a nursing home, which means they often reside in a hospital-style room with curtains between the beds and little or no privacy, where you cannot lock the door or maybe, at times, even close it, and strangers many times wander in and out.  And a recent study says some $115-million is spent each year on nursing home care.  Whether that money goes to provide true care or a detached and regulated place to house those who are often too frail to fend for themselves is entirely up to us.

PARENTS IN A CONSUMER CULTURE – Children, especially in this country, are the constant advertising targets of corporations trying to sell them the latest toy or shoe, electronic device or jacket.  And these relentless campaigns put two groups on a collision course…the kids themselves and their parents.  So how do kids cope in a consumer culture and how do their parents make the decisions they do in response.

HATRED IN AMERICA – The growth in the number of hate groups in the United States has jumped dramatically since the turn of the century.  The Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis, and racist skinheads lead the list, but there are others…and their growth and influence ought to be a concern for all of us.  Unfortunately, many in mainstream America seem to be buying into their ideologies, misinformation, and the hate they engender.

HOSPITALS AND THE ECONOMY – The current economic malaise is hitting industries all across the board, and one that perhaps many had not thought about are the hospitals and healthcare systems.  A new report says that because of the current economic situation hospitals and health systems nationwide are cutting back on both capital spending and unprofitable healthcare services.  And, while most of the cutbacks will be          re-implemented down the road, the implications for individual health, and especially the health of the poor, could be enormous.

OUR ECONOMIC MALAISE – For the second time in this decade, the U-S economy is in trouble.  One economist says the groundwork for much of what we are currently experiencing goes all the way back to the Reagan administration.  In addition, our current meltdown was completely predictable and should have been recognized by more economists and policymakers.

THE ISSUES OF PRIVILEGE AND POWER – For many Americans the election of Barack Obama as the 44^th president of the United States is a milestone…a turning point for our nation and our society.  But what does it ultimately signify?  And does it offer hope for a nation that has long refused to face its history of racism?

SEVERE WEATHER SEASON – Severe weather season is just about here, and if 2009 is anything like last year, awareness and preparation are of the utmost importance. Kansas experienced record-setting years for tornadoes in 2005, 2007 and 2008.  As the state heads into another season of severe weather, the National Weather Service has advice and information that could go a long way toward making all Kansans safer.

STATE CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM – The re-authorization for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as S-CHIP, is working its way through Congress.  The measure is similar to the bill passed with wide bipartisan support back in 2007, but vetoed twice by former President George Bush.  The measure would cover some 4.1 million children, who otherwise would be uninsured.

THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL ACCESS ON DEMOCRACY – The future holds the potential for a truly democratic media system…a system with a wide variety of independent news sources and almost limitless information.  But there is a question whether control of all that content will end up in the hands of many or just a select few.  Powerful communications giants in this country would like to gain control over the Internet and other digital communications channels.

RACIAL PROFILING – Five years ago, Amnesty International-USA released a report on racial profiling.  According to that report, racial profiling is so widespread it has had an impact on nearly 32-milliuon Americans.  The year-long study found that the unlawful use of race in police, immigration, and airport security procedures has expanded since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.  And, the study further found that state laws provide insufficient and inconsistent protection against profiling.  In Kansas; however, there is a determined effort to curb racial profiling…an effort that driven by the Governor’s office.

REFORM IN THE AMERICAN JUSTICE SYSTEM – Time and time again the old axiom is invoked that an innocent man has nothing to fear in the American system of justice.  But, if you are one of the Norfolk four you know that is patently false.  In fact, the murder and rape case of the four sailors seems to be the perfect example of justice gone awry.  It is a story that has a lot to say about our system of justice.

THE AMERICAN PRISON SYSTEM – The United States currently has over two million men and women behind bars…more than any other nation in the world.  And since the 1970s, this country has moved away from a system of rehabilitation toward a system of longer, more severe sentences and ever-increasing violence toward those who are incarcerated.  It is a system that to a certain extent is a reflection of this country’s moral values.

JUSTICE OR VENGEANCE – Justice in America is at times a difficult commodity to come by.  In fact, one author says that justice seems to be, more and more, driven by vengeance.  Americans not only want retribution, they also want moral certainty…and both may be hard to find.

WAGE THEFT IN AMERICA – Every year countless Americans are the target of wage theft…not receiving all or part of what they are due.  While most of this wage theft is illegal, some is completely within the bounds of the law.  Part of the problem is that under deregulation, many employers saw a chance to keep some of the wages that were to go to their employees in their own pockets, and did so.  The current economy has also played a hand in some of that theft.