Policies and Governments

We start off our first presentation, done by group 4 in a sense of doing a different rotation to our familiarity. This draws the spotlight on the education system and how it’s integrated a lot with our environment or how it should be structured. We are shown many different ways in how humans play a major role in the destruction of our environment. From water contamination, to air pollution. Mind you I learned that water contamination can happen in schools. Knowing  young students could possibly be drinking different runoff chemicals and toxins is insane. This grows deeper into showing us solutions like implementing different clean acts or policies to help reform our communities and government. This could help majorly especially since many still don’t believe climate change is something that exists or even a struggle as of now. 

We are shown how the education system could play such a major role in our future. Showing young children all throughout their school years how serious these issues are and teaching them how to help could better our future. Shaping the curriculum would mean to reshape the world, and when students and governments are taking these lessons as they are we will understand how bad it can get for us and realize we can make that change. 

The second presentation we are introduced to is group 3. We see the facts and their thoughts on families and healthcare. We are shown how deep the healthcare system runs and all the facts and statistics that go on with it. I believe it was truly amazing to have such an interesting yet interactive interview with a medical professional. He is always a survivor of brain tumors no less. It gives a look into his life and how we truly never know what’s going on with someone. Showing how healthcare affects people is a number one concern. Many, especially in our country are struggling with the healthcare that they are provided. Money is the main source of these problems. It seems as though many are below the poverty threshold and struggle with providing healthcare for their families. It’s a major challenge for the American people. In other countries universal healthcare is something that is used a lot, while heard as stated by Jovanni we spend the most money on our healthcare yet we also obtain the most number of deaths amongst other things. 

Moving on to group 2’s presentation showing us some interesting insights on the economy and how it affects our environment. I feel like this presentation was very informative, we learn a lot about how our governments regulations and policies affect our communities and climate. The state of our climate depends on the amount of money that is being pumped into the different industries and big corporations. The constant supply and demand on oil and fossil fuels. We tend to rely too much on our non renewable resources and forget we have actual renewable energy. This is all because of money, there are ways to make the US a green country, yet that would mean taking money from the big corporations so they tell us things like that are impossible. Other countries are slowly starting to go green which is great, though at the pace we are going I don’t quite believe we will be implementing green policies or ideals. America is all about money and we are shown with different statistics that certain things are just deemed a waste of time because they don’t make too much money to profit from or they are much too expensive and the cheap damaging chemicals are easier to create. I loved how group 2,  gave us a real outlook on our country and how it’s so money hungry. It shows that humanity will always be it’s own savior and greatest enemy. 

Then, finally we move on to group 1’s take on immigration and healthcare while certain things may have made me believe they would be quite similar to the group 3’s presentation that came before them, yet in my mind they stood out the most. Acquiring an interview from a medical professional based in a completely different country is insane. The major comparisons between what we know from the American healthcare system and what we learn about Spain's healthcare system. We see that Spain has universal healthcare that is paid through their taxes and they tend to help many people despite the lack of health insurance or coverage. They speak about something that I deemed important, “Spain views healthcare as a right, not a privilege.” I believe out of everything this statement stuck with me the most. It shows such ignorance that lies in America. While in certain hospitals the doctors can turn you away for not having healthcare, others will treat you especially in cases of emergency and then bill you something you would never be able to afford. Major debts from medical expenses is something families struggle with in America. Then we see an interview from a woman originally from Cuba talking about her experience with the healthcare system, she seems pleased and states it’s much better than her country. I personally believe that many flee Cuba due to a better life and lack of money. No true hope inside it’s walls. So, going from nothing to having something even if it’s not that great can be a major change in life. 

We also touch on how immigrants are the backbone of the workforce especially when it comes to healthcare. Touching on immigration in the UK, as well as the US. We are known for having a large Latino population here. I’d like to believe despite the invisible lines of borders we are all human and this is very important due to the controversy surrounding ICE. Everything that has taken place in our country for the last couple of months is insane. To think these people want a better life and come here to work the jobs no one will and provide for their families only to get treated like dirt in return. It’s disgusting, I hope we can do better.