Changes vs. Improvements :: Social Issues Government Essays

Changes vs. Improvements Intolerance, war, inequality and poverty - these are just a few of the issues found in the texts that we have read this semester. Even though some of them were written hundreds of years ago, the same problems still exist in our world today. Many things have changed over time, but they have not necessarily improved. Today, we are still involved in wars and violence with our continued presence in Iraq, Afghanistan and other foreign countries. We still persecute the poor by raising taxes and cutting funds to the programs like Medicaid and Welfare, while making it easier on the upper classes. We are very intolerant of the practices and beliefs of others whether it is homosexuality, different religious beliefs or opinions on abortion. Most of these issues have been problems in the past, and unless we do something to change them, they will continue to be problems in the future. There is no better place to find examples of today’s social problems than the newspaper. In the April 15 issue of the Creightonian, the April 14 and April 18 issues of the Omaha World Herald there were an abundance of articles about problems today. Despite the fact that writers and other artists were dealing with them hundreds of years ago, these problems are still on the forefront in today’s society. In the Omaha World Herald, there were many articles related to war. They were primarily about the involvement of the United States in Iraq. In one, it referred to a kidnapped American man and how he was videotaped at gunpoint, holding his passport to his chest and apparently pleading the U.S. to withdraw its troops from Iraq. In response, President George Bush’s spokesman said, â€Å"Our position is well-known when it comes to negotiating.† This seems to be a prime example of the idea of â€Å"One man, or many?† meaning it is better to sacrifice the life of this one man rather than risk the lives of many. This makes the Bush administration seem cold and heartless and shows our stubbornness when it comes to leaving Iraq. Instances like this reaffirm that it will undoubtedly take a major event for us to exit their country. Another article from the Omaha World Herald was about keeping U.S. troops in Afghanistan.