Clark: Ebola? Where?

Nurse Kaci Hickox was recently placed in quarantine for Ebola after leaving Sierra Leone checking into New Jersey Airport It started by being questioned by officials and later being placed in an isolation tent. Hickox wants to file lawsuit because she feels her limitations as a citizen has been violated. By not having any symptoms or tested positive, her incarceration created a lot of questions for civil liberties.

According to her lawyer Norman Siegel, a civil rights lawyer stated, “We’re not going to dispute that the government has, under certain circumstances, the right to issue a quarantine, but the policy is overly broad when applied to her.” Mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio also heard how nurses were being brutalized by the city such as people refusing to serve them food. Illinois is even on board of placing quarantines. Anthony Fauci, director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases stated,

“The best way to protect us is to stop the epidemic in Africa, and we need those health care workers so we do not want to put them in a position where it makes it very, very uncomfortable for them to even volunteer to go.”

Ebola has killed 10,000 people diagnosed in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea despite the numbers could be higher.

Nurse Hickox fear care workers will be identified as prisoners other than people who are just trying to help.

In my opinion, I believe the spread of Ebola is getting out of control due to news media. Between the stories reported about the disease and how the media delivers the information to the audience I can see why states are being very protective. However it is no excuse to look over the actual facts and way of receiving the disease. It is similar to how most people feel about someone they know who have AIDS but are not familiar with the facts. Therefore we place isolation much like quarantines just to be safe. I believe Kaci Hickox has a fair case on her hands and I’m curious to know how it turns out.

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/10/26/ebola-power-fauci.html

Belvin: Young Girl Raped

Summary:  This is a case where a 10 year old girl was raped by a cleric.  It took place in Afghanistan where most women are still targets of violence.  You can see the cruelty that children have to go through on a everyday basis over in Afghanistan from this case.  In the case an unusual thing happened, the victim had enough courage to step forward.  It occurred in the girl’s village in Kunduz, in northern Afghanistan in May.  Mullah Mohammad Amin, the perpetrator, taught the girls about their religion until one day he asked three girls to clean the Mosque.  After they cleaned it he told the victim to stay with him, and he took advantage of her and raped her.  Later that day she went home and was checked by a doctor. The doctor confirmed it and the police arrested the perpetrator.  In this country they passed a law called the Elimination of Violence against Women law and it has never really been forced.  It was also unusual to seek justice for these type of cases because most women don’t want their families or themselves to be ashamed.  This time around that all changed because the victim of this case had the courage to do so and now it makes people believe and trust the justice system in the country.  The judge sentenced him to 20 years in prison with a $30,000 fine.   “The case is being hailed by women’s rights groups and activists as a watershed moment.”

Opinion:  From reading and taking a closer look at this case, I can really say this may be the first huge step for women in Afghanistan because now other women that are being raped can have the courage to step up for themselves.  This young girl may have inspired a lot of women to do so and can be the turning point for women in this country.  Women can also start trusting the justice system now because this case has been very successful in seeking justice for the young girl.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/26/world/asia/afghan-girl-rape/index.html?iref=allsearch

Guillaume: Women’s rights groups hail conviction of Afghan cleric for girl’s rape

A 10-year-old girl that was cruelly raped, confronts her attacker in court.  The rape case happened early this year in May in the victim’s village in Kunduz, which is in northern Afghanistan.  The culprit, Mullah Mohammad Amin, was a native mullah who was an educator for girls religious studies.  One day in May, the mullah asked three girls to stay after classes to help clean the mosque.  When the girls were about to leave the school, he asked the victim to stay behind. He attacked the girl, tied her hands behind her back, taped her mouth and raped her.  She went home and was later inspected by a doctor, who confirmed the rape incident.  Mohammad Amin tried to pass it off the crime as “consensual sex,” but the police were informed and the mullah was arrested, and a judge sentenced Amin to 20 years and close to $30,000 in fines.  In addition, Amin was prosecuted under the Elimination of Violence against Women law, passed in 2009.

The case is being addressed by women’s rights groups and activists as a defining moment moment, in a country where women are still the targets of violence.  Quoted by Naheed Samadi Bahram, program director for Women for Afghan Women, “What’s unusual about this case is that the victim had the courage to step forward.  A little young girl from a far province gets justice for herself, this is amazing. This is a success for human rights in the country.”  The trial began on October 25 with the mullah’s defense attorneys reading his statement given to police after his arrest, in which Amin confessed to having sex with the girl. The lawyers tried to convince the court that the sex was “consensual” and that he should be given 100 lashes as a sentence.  The judge, Sulaiman Rasouli, overruled that statement because it would mean the victim would receive a lashing, and treat her as an adulterer rather than a rape victim.  When Amin was speaking on his own defense, he stated that the victim had seduced him, the girl reacted powerfully.  “You are a liar… I never loved you… you forced me to do this, you ruined my life… God will hate you for what you did to me, he will punish you.”  After the trial, the girl is still traumatized, very emotionally unstable, and cries every time she talks about the rape incident.

In my opinion, the case is very heartbreaking to read about.  Why would a grown man rape a child for his own sexual desires, and then try to blame the child for “seducing” him and trying to pled that it is “consensual sex.”  Even though this story was extremely horrible, it showed an act of bravery among women.  In a country like Afghanistan, where women do not speak out and do not have a mind of their own, a 10 year old girl had the strength to speak about her rape case, and also took it to prodigious lengths, and confronted and lashed out on her attacker in court as well.  This young girl is such a remarkable representation of hope to other rape victims in Afghanistan to not be afraid and speak out about their attacks.

Ross: Mom asks to amend the RAVE act

Summary:

This article starts off talking about how Dominique Vletter remembers how she and her friend Shelley Goldsmith both attended a rave and how at one point the night was great and then suddenly things got very real. Shelley Goldsmith was hospitalized for dehydration and died later due to MDMA intoxication. MDMA also known as ecstasy, Molly or etc. is the euphoria-inducing club drug that has gone hand in hand with raves/ festivals since the 1980’s. Dede Goldsmith the mother of the late Shelley said that drugs weren’t the only cause of her daughters death that “The critical thing in Shelley’s case is that it was used in an environment that was unsafe,” “MDMA has been shown to cause hypothermia in overcrowded, hot environments.”’ The article continues on to discuss how promoters do want to make the environment safer by including free water and cool-down areas at events but due to the RAVE act they cant because they don’t want to seem as though they encourage drug use. In August Goldsmith launched the Amend the RAVE Act campaign which calls for the protection of the music promoter. The Act was modified and merged with the Illicit Drug Anti-Proliferation law which makes it unlawful for promoters to host events where they know drugs will be sold or used and goes as far as if someone is caught with drugs on the property they property owner and the user both face consequences, of fines as much as 500,000 to 20 years in prison.

Opinion:

My opinion of this article is that is doesn’t really say to much in relation to women its just simply telling a story about a mother whos daughter died but doesn’t go into to much detail about them. I do think that what Goldsmith is doing  is very good, the Illicit Drug Anti-Proliferation law seems to not be fair and as stated in the article Joe Biden who helped create this law says this isn’t how its supposed to work. People are dying each year due to drug use at raves and for the party promoters to be punished for making safer measures for fellow party goers in unfair.

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/10/25/amend-the-rave-actcampaigndedegoldsmith.html

Okeke: Mistreated Nurse

Kaci Hickox is an epidemiologist who has helped treat patients with Ebola in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Soon after she was placed under a mandatory quarantine that was located in New Jersey. It was assumed that Hickox most likely will have Ebola because she was exposed to it. The accusations were wrong she was tested twice and both times the test the test came out negative. Kaci is highly upset and hurt because she felt like she was mistreated while she was under quarantine. She stated during the quarantine “She’s not allowed to have her luggage and was given paper scrubs to wear. She has no shower, no flushable toilet and the hospital gave her no television or any reading material. Mostly, she says, she stares at the walls”. Governor Chris Christie could not make her feel any worse by making mean statements. Christie has described her as ill, he also voiced his opinion on how he feels like a voluntary quarantine is not reliable.

Hickox was being treated terribly in quarantine as if she was not human basically like an animal being tested. Governor Chris Christie was belittling Hickox as a woman stating that she was “ Obviously ill” and “”I’m sorry if in any way she was inconvenienced, but inconvenience that could occur from having folks that are symptomatic and ill out amongst the public is a much, much greater concern of mine. I hope she recovers quickly.“ The words he used simply indicated that he felt that she was ignorant and insubstantial. She was stereotyped as a woman who is silly. The Health Department in New Jersey communications director also reported to CNN State of the Union that certain statements were not true. Making her appear as if she was a liar.

The York Times article had more detail of what she said and how she felt. CNN focused on a little of how she felt but more so on the dispute between her and Gov. Chris Christie. CNN also pointed out how The New Jersey Health Department felt as well about the incident. The New York Times had a lot more direct quotes from her and Gov. Christie. Both  sources covered the article from different angles not just on her but they covered the story on other people that was involved in the story.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/26/health/new-jersey-quarantined-nurse/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Walton: Women Making Decisions

This article discusses the need for women in to assume positions of power. Cognitive Neuroscientists across the nation have conducted experiments using both women and men in circumstances where they have to gamble in order to win a prize.Studies showed that in stressful situations men were more likely to risk more than women. Since men experience a larger release of cortisol when stressed, that factor contributes for their risk taking, in comparison to women, who release lower levels of cortisol when in stressful situations. This article also specifically went into describing decision making skills that women and men have. For example, an experiment was conducted where the women and men had to speak to an audience and at the same time be judged on their speaking abilities. However before that they had to play a gambling game. The closer the time got for when the women had to speak, the better decisions they made in the game. In contrast, the closer it got time for the men to speak, the more risks they took.

My interpretation of this article is that it was very informing. It was not at all bias in this person’s factual findings, especially considering that there was so much comparing and contrasting between men and women. There were no overly excess use of words to describe women or men in a stereotypical way. For the most part this article followed all Associated Press Style Book guidelines.

http://www.fastcoexist.com/1681690/women-have-better-decision-making-abilities-than-men-make-better-corporate-leaders

In comparison to the last article I analyzed, this article goes into more depth with society considering to allow women in powerful positions. I read that in a political atmosphere, women considered all stakeholders positions and beliefs while making decisions on things. Studies also proved that women may be good decision makers based on a higher percentage of return capital, return on equity and returns on sales in comparison to men.

Goden: Prostitutes prove easy prey

Summary- This article talks about the arrest of Darren Deon Vann, who is 43 years old, he was taken into custody for the disappearance of 19 year old Afrika Hardy. It was while in custody that Vann spilled his guts about other numerous murders, these murders mainly including prostitutes or call girls, it was from this confession that the police discovered the bodies of seven women, mostly prostitutes in Indiana .According to criminologist Kenna Quinet of Indiana University, one third of repeat killers have included prostitutes among their prey. The high rate of prostitutes being killed is also partially due to their easy accessibility. Sexual predators can browse the streets of the city or online ads, it doesn’t matter because if money or drugs is offered, the prostitute will jump at a chance of getting those things, which results in that prostitute falling yet to being another victim on the hunters list. Vann as well as many other Hunters have tried to justify their killings by saying that prostitutes are the lowest level of human society, that they are scum and that the earth and mankind are better off without them, they say this as if their victims aren’t even human at all. Call girls, sex workers are people too, as said in the article they are someone’s daughter, mother, sister and they too do matter.

My opinion-  It should not matter ones stance in society, every person in America is just as important as the next, if someone is killed, it should matter. Having a high stance in society or a low stance in society should not depict whether or not the case is taken seriously. Every one in the eyes of justice should be handled with care and taken seriously, the better the justice system the better off everything else will be.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/10/23/james-alan-fox-indiana-prostitute-killings/17726177/

Okeke: Condoleezza Rice

November 14, 1954 in Birmingham, Alabama Condoleezza Rica was born. She was an only child. Her mother Angelena Rice was a teacher also a church organist and her father John Wesley Jr. was a Presbyterian Minister, High School Football Coach and Guidance Counselor. During the 1950’s racism was still a very big issue. But that didn’t stop Ms. Rice from focusing on what she wanted to do and be in life. Condoleezza graduated from high to only continue on with higher education. She attended the University of Denver and received her bachelor’s degree in political science in 1974. Right after she graduated from undergrad she decided to further her education in grad school where she received her master’s degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1975. Then she went on to get her Ph.D. from the University of Denver’s Graduate School of International Studies in 1981. Immediately after she graduated she became a political science professor. She has made her mission to become the first African-American woman to be the first at more than one only political position. Rice was the first black woman to serve as a provost of Stanford University. And she managed to keep that position for six years. In 1980 she worked as an international affairs fellow attached to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Several years later this helped her become director of Soviet and East European affairs with the National Security Council, and special assistant to President George H.W. Bush during the dissolution of the Soviet Union and German reunification. In the late 1990’s she severed on the Federal Committee on Gender-Integrated Training in the military. She made history again in 2001 Rice was appointed national security adviser by President George W. Bush, being the first black woman and second woman to be appointed in that position. Then she made history for a third time being the first black woman to serve as the U.S. Secretary of State. She served for 4 years in that position (2004-2009). Rice had also wrote four books over the course of the years No Higher Honor, Extraordinary, Ordinary People, Condoleezza Rice, and The Soviet Union and the Czechoslovak Army. In 2012 she again made history for the women of all race she became the first woman to become a member of a National Golf Club located in August, Georgia infamously known for its all-male club and never excepting women and denying their request for a membership.

What I love about Condoleezza Rice is that she was the first black woman to make history in the white house but not only for one thing. She made history for other multiple things as I stated in the text above. She showed the world that powerful educated black women does exist and can make a mark in this world. She finished high school at the age of 15 which is absolutely amazing and extremely intelligent this was very rare back in her time of growing up especially for black women. I also admire that she wasn’t all hard work she had a talented side as well. Rice love to play the piano and was very good at it. She played the piano for years while she was growing up. Also football was something that she loved to watch and wish she could have played. Condoleezza understood football and loved how they strategize and thought out their plays before putting them into action she used this technique in her career which was very creative. Rice would be stereotyped as the woman who is very successful but has no one to share it with. She isn’t married but overly accomplished so men would be very intimated by her. Her image would be seen as a masculine woman. She does everything on her own. Condoleezza Rice images and stereotypes of her has not changed at all.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/08/us/condoleezza-rice-fast-facts/

http://www.notablebiographies.com/news/Ow-Sh/Rice-Condoleezza.html

Okeke: Condaleeza Rice

Elizabeth Blackwell: Foster

In 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell become the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States. Elizabeth became a leading health activist during her lifetime. She moved to the United States at the age of eleven years old. She later created a medical school just for women in the late 1860’s, then moved back to England as she got established. Elizabeth Blackwell studied independently with a doctor before she got accepted into the Geneva Medical College in New York. This caused so much uproar, just because a women was admitted into a college for the first time in history. She still continued to work hard, and later got the respect she deserved by her fellow peers; Blackwell later graduated. I can relate to Elizabeth Blackwell because she was faced by adversity by men who didn’t feel like she fit the position at hand. I believe the stereotype that women in general are lazy and not hard workers. This is completely false, because in my opinion, women are some the hardest working human on this Earth. Elizabeth Blackwell believed in maintaining sanitary conditions was huge part of health. She taught the women this at her Medical College of New York Infirmary. Soon after establishing the college, Elizabeth Blackwell returned to England. She set up a private practice in London and served as a lecturer at the London School of Medicine for Women. She retired in 1877 and moved to Hastings. Elizabeth Blackwell died at her home there on May 31, 1910.

I chose Elizabeth Blackwell because she is unique to me in a way. I can relate to her because i feel that we both have to prove ourselves to individuals who might think we can’t prosper. She went far and beyond what other women were doing; she stepped outside of the box. I feel that she does things even if she doesn’t like it at all. Blackwell stated in her self written book Pioneer Work in Opening the Medical Profession to Women, that she hated everything that had to do with the human body and that she could not bear the sight of another medical book. I remember playing a sport in high school and i really didn’t like it, but i stuck to it because I did not want to be looked at as a failure.

http://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/biography/biographies/elizabeth-blackwell/