The Top Five Things to Help People of the Future

When it comes to the topic of people of the future, most of us will readily agree that it seems a bit dismal. Where this agreement usually ends, however is on the question of what are the things that I can do to help the people of the future. Whereas some are convinced that there is nothing that they can do for the future, others maintain that there are possible solutions to help people of the future. The possible solutions are investing more in local foods, recycle on a regular basis, carpool to work, use clean energy, and actively participate in the community in which one resides.

Let’s start with local food markets and how they are beneficial to the people of the future. Having local food markets creates better commerce for the people of a particular community. Because food production, processing, distribution, and consumption are done within the community it creates sustainability within an area. When a community adapts to local foods they cut out the middlemen and the quality of the food becomes better. There is a relationship between the producer and the consumer and then there is an ability to discuss how the product is created. If people started investing in a local food movement now the future would be a close community working together for a better future.

In addition to local foods there is the idea of recycling to help the people of the future. It seems as if we have been hearing about recycling for the last hundred years, but it needs to be done aggressively. Our landfills are over flowing with recyclable trash and causing contaminates to go into the environment. There should be recycle bins all over the community and not just at home or at the local grocery store. According to the Container Recycling Institute, 215 billion plastic, glass, and aluminum beverage bottles and cans sold in the United States in 2006; Sixty-six percent were not recycled. That means over half the bottles we used as a nation was not disposed of properly. Recycling starts at a community level, and as citizens of the community we need to be involved. One idea that could possibly be implemented is starting a community clean up one day a week. In addition to the community clean up while a person is walking within the neighborhood pick up trash that is visible.

Furthermore, carpooling to work would help reduce the harmful gases within the environment. We have so many cars in the United States and everybody wants to drive their own cars to work. A possible plan to alleviate this problem could be for employers to adapt a program within their business to pair up individuals who live within the same neighborhood so they could commute together. Likewise, the government could possibly build more high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes so that people would have more of an option to use these types of roads. If people started commuting to work together there would be more of a connection with other people in their community rather than a connection with one’s self. In today’s society few people truly connect with their neighbors, and this plan would aide in reconnecting the community.

Along the same lines using clean energy would help reduce the pollutants within the environment. Clean energy means using geothermal (energy from within the earth), wind, solar power, and hydroelectric to create energy rather than gas, coal, and other pollutants. To enact clean energy throughout the nation there would have to be a large movement in order for this to happen. There would have to be lobbyist in Washington D.C. endorsing this idea. Clean energy is a pertinent issue because of the total energy consumed in America, about thirty-nine percent of it is used for electricity. Currently half our energy is acquired by coal which is causing toxins to be released into the atmosphere. Clean energy is a more suitable way to receive energy and causes less harmful effects on the environment.

Moreover, actively participating in one’s community will promote a better future. Americans navigate through society with an individualistic attitude. If we acted as a collective society then we would help each other on a daily basis instead of in times of emergency. To enact this plan the idea of each day should be how we can help the fellow man and the community in which we live in. If the focus is taken off of ourselves and put on the community then the feeling of taking care of the community is no longer a burden it is an activity that is done by all on a daily basis.
Starting this idea on a community level will eventually lead to a movement on a national level.

Therefore if we can all pitch in and do a little it will go a long way. As a society we should help take care of each other and the environment. The five ideas explained above are suggestions and nobody has to participate. But if there were participation what would be the harm in doing so? Local food markets, recycling, carpooling, using clean energy, and working together as a community are positive ideas for the future. I would like to know that when I die that my children and grand children are not paying for my mistakes in the future. Wouldn’t you like to know the same?

Illegal Aliens Do We Need Them

This is a picture of illegal immigrants being smuggled into America in order to find a better way of life. If these people are willing to come into this country in this particular manner who are we to deny them? If the situations were flipped would you leave your family to come to a foreign land? Most people assume that we do not need illegal immigrants, but I believe we do. They are hard working group of people that afford Americans with good service, and cheap food. "Somebody has to do the dirty work" and illegal immigrants do exactly that for this country. Some people get upset because they feel illegal immigrants take advantage of the system. These people are not living in a mansion with a swimming pool, and wearing diamonds. They are living in a one to two bedroom apartment with six other people trying to pay the bills here and then send money back to their country.

In addition to the criticism from people illegal immigrants have to work in grueling conditions and long hours just to make minimum wage. If illegal immigrants were not allowed to come back in the country then Americans would have to take over the jobs. These low paying jobs attract low skilled workers and therefore it would not be beneficial for everyone. Many businesses would go out of business because they could not afford labor. The economy in these other countries where these immigrants live would not be stimulated causing crisis.

In the end illegal immigrants provide us with services that many people would not want to do even if they were paid enough to do it. Illegal immigrants are people just like anybody else, and deserve to live a happy life. If they are working and providing services why should we send them back. They are not a burden they are an asset to our society and should not be punished.

Proposition Hate (8)!

While perusing through magazines online I found a article that caught my eye. The article was on proposition 8, and how with new technology a person could track where most of the contributions came from for the supporters of proposition 8. This infamous proposition was created to put a halt to gay marriages in the state of California. As the article went on it gave specific areas where donations came from which were high income areas in California. This was of no surprise to me because in order to get anything changed there needs to be some type of financial backing.

However, this poses a problem in my opinion. This is such a controversial topic is it safe to have this kind of information floating freely in cyber space. There are angry people out there who are waiting for an opportunity to attack someone because they feel like their rights are being stripped from them. The Internet is a wonderful tool that should be used to create and share knowledge. Is it important for people to know which cities these contributions came from. If it were the other way around and the amendment did not get passed would people be interested in who gave donations to support that side.

In the big picture, of this whole argument who are we as a society to tell anyone who they can be married to! Law makers either impose religious beliefs in their laws or they impose what is "normal". To many people being heterosexual is normal, to others being homosexual is normal. Proposition 8 has left many gay marriages in the air, there are same sex couples out there who do not even know what is going to happen to their marriage. Our law makers just need to let people live their lives.

America Wake Up!!!!

Americans assume that today's society is in good shape. Even though, there is a Economic slump people are content because they have jobs, and all of their belongings are place. Members of our society have no clue what is going on around them. This week I learned a few fascinating pieces of information that I believe should be shared.


Firstly, Law makers are trying to enact a bill so that when people take pictures with there cell phone there has to be shutter sound so that others can know that there picture is being taken. How preposterous is this? They say that this is to cut down on people who are taking inappropriate pictures. I am for certain that enacting this law is not going to cut down on people taking pictures when they are not suppose to.

In addition, to that particular law being passed the victims of Katrina are still at war with finding a place to lay their head. Due to our "wonderful and thriving" economy the public housing projects that needed to be built for the victims can not be built because of funding issues.

"New Orleans is frighteningly close to another calamity, but this time, it’s not the result of a breached levee or corrupt politics. This potential disaster has to do with the economy: Without a recovery of the credit market, the city could be unable to complete the redevelopment of four desperately-needed public housing projects torn down after Hurricane Katrina. "

The victims of Katrina have displaced for three years, and they would like a home to go to. Our federal government is bailing out car companies, but to give people a home seems to be difficult. The people in New Orleans can only hope that perhaps the economic stimulus package can help them get on their feet.

Lastly, Obama requested 200 million dollars for the national mall to have it renovated. I voted for Obama personally and when I saw that request disappointment set in. Along with that request he asked for 30 million for the roads in our country. So the roads we drive on is not as important as the mall we shop in. The Jefferson monument is close by the mall and that needs renovation, and nothing has been brought up about that.

America needs help, bu it seems like everyone has their own agenda. How is the mall more important than roads? Why are victims from a natural disaster still misplaced. In order to correct these problems there needs to be a collective effort from government officials and the community or else we will be in this situation for a long time.

My Interpretation of my Community

You would think that New Tampa is a beautiful community with it's impeccable landscaping and beautiful shops, but to me it is a disaster. As a person studying people and their communities New Tampa faces many challenges as a new development. In order to get in and out of this community their is one main road, little public transportation, and no recreation for teenagers. Many people assume that this how it should be because it was built that way. This thought is untrue and as a community if change needs to be done then people have to go out and voice their issues, and create change.

A New Outlook

Until a couple weeks ago I really thought blogging was for people who really had a lot of time on their hands. Now I have realized that blogging is a way for information to be created and shared. Throughout this semester it is my goal to find new and innovative blogs to help me in the field of Sociology and Urban Planning. These are two fields which I am deeply interested in and would like to see what professionals or non professionals have to say. The communities in which we live in today's society needs vast improvements. Hopefully by studying Sociology I can help make improvements.

As a child I was raised in Brooklyn, New York and then my family moved to North Port, Florida. Upon moving I realized that moving from the city to a small suburb was going to be a big change. This transition in my life sparked an interest in me to understand why people do the things that they do, or why people live in the places they live in. Upon entering college I took up Sociology and began my academic career as a Sociologists doing what I call "investigations" into people and their surroundings.

So let's fast forward to now! I am twenty-six year old graduate student who is trying to attain my Master's degree in Sociology. After completing this degree I would like to get my PhD in Urban and Regional Planning in order to help community sustainability. I know life never goes how it is planned so I will work on Master's for now, and worry about the rest later.