Europeans protest austerity measures

On September 29th, the European Commision initiated austerity measures all over Europe in order to suggest government's deficit budget cuts. European Commision stated that this austerity measure is essential in order to adjust government budgets approperiately towards recessional period that they are facing due to high unemployment rates, debts and so on. The Austerity measure is a policy to cut the government deficit spending budgets by increasing the original tax rate. Deficit spending is government's spending which was financed by borrowing money rather than from taxation.

Soon after the austerity measure was proposed, more than 10,000 of workers all across the E.U.(European Nation) took part in protesting against European government budget cuts and austerity measures at Brussels, Belgium which is much like a capital of European Union. The EUTC (Euroean Trade Union Confederation) stated that additional 100,000+ workers are also protesting against the European government across Europe such as Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and so on. Currently, all across Europe, various public transits, railways, and airports are being disrupted by the strike and chaos. General secretary of EUTC which organized the protest at Brussels criticized European commission. "How is that(austerity measures) going to make the situation better? It is going to make it worse" Moreover, it is reported that the austerity measures backed by Germany is running in to opposition France which wants politicans to come up with approperiate sanctions to satisfy both public and the government rather than adhere to rigid rule (austerity measure) alone.

In my opinion, European Commision's decision of initiating austerity measures wasn't approperiate and ideal. First of all, even I would be very frustrated towards the European Commission as well if I was facing the same situation as the citizens in Europe. World's economy is on its recessional period today and this is not an exception to Europe. Therefore European workers especially those who are in the middle and low class (majority of them) have dissatisfaction towards economical environment and government today. Was it convincing for European Commission to introduce austerity measures to these people at times like this? My answer is no. If I heard that the government will increase taxes to cut back deficit spending budgets , I would be very frustrated as well especially when majority of people are struggling from the recessional economy. Therefore no matter how effective this measure might be, the fact that the European Commission introduced austerity measures wasn't approperiate to convince and satisfy the public suffering from recessional economy.

Secondly, recalling back to general secretary of EUTC, I strongly agree with his point as well. At recessional times with high unemployments and large proportion of citizen's suffering from debts, it would be much more promising and effective if government is increasing the budgets on making more job positions, financial supports and so on. However, increasing taxes to cut deficit budget of government during recessional period doesn't seem effective to me. I know for a fact that more jobs and more services should be created to increase the number consumers and money being spent which will improve our economical conditions. So, how is increasing taxes to cut back on deficit spendings of government more effective than increasing the government's focus and budget towards economical support? I do not find European Commission's idea effective towards improving economical conditions.

Therefore, in my opinion, European Commission should come up with approperiate sanctions as soon as possible to convince the public and to improve the economy in much convincing and effective way as suggested by France. I hope that in the future, the definite solution towards economic improvement will be discovered which will satisfy both government and public preventing anymore conflict between them.

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/09/29/europe-austerity-protest.html

China to continue 1-child policy

China, the largest populated nation in the world, decided to extend the 1-child per family policy for comming decades in order to minimize their population growth and to decrease the population. In the past decades, the 1-child policy had been very effective in minimizing the birthrate of China since it had prevented additional 400 million births. Therefore, despite the policy's problematic side-effects such as too few girls and an aging population, the government decided to initiate the extension. Chinese government believes that massive population and large number of family are significant factors towards causing the cycle of poverty within the nation. Therefore Chinese people are forced to break their traditional large families, for comming decades.


After this news have been informed, the public and the citizens stated strong refutation and objections towards the extention of the 1-child per family policy. Moreover, the conjectures regarding to whether the government will relax the policy soon is also growing among the Chinese media, experts and ordinary citizens. A family planning official from Guangdong, China predicted that the his province would loosen the policy by 2015 and will scrap off the whole policy by 2030. However, according to Li Bin, the head of National Population and Family Planning Commision through China Daily newspaper, no changes will be made to this policy any time soon.


In my opinion, i believe that this 1-child policy should be discarded as soon as possible or at least loosen up its restriction to 2-child. First of all, I believe that it is the individual couples and families personal choice to decide how many children they will have. I think that it is morally wrong for the government to limit the number of child a family could have with law. Secondly, although it is evident that China's birthrate is significantly decreasing, there are obvious problematic side-effects which are very critical towards China's future. For example, because only one child is allowed per family, lots of families will favor a boy in order to maintain their family tree and family name, which decreases the number of girls being born significantly. Moroever, the fact that proportion of younger generations being born currently is extremely small compared to older generations, the future economy and status of the country might be affected negatively. It is because there might not be enough people to maintain the economy and the country approperiately, which might cause and produce even much severe poverty than the situation China is facing today. I believe that Chinese government should reconsider this policy and identify it's possible side-effects , because the policy meant to resolve the poverty might just cause much severe poverty.


How would you like to live in a country struggling from severe poverty with only 1~2 girls for every 10 guys? It would be very bleak and awful considering all of the hardships the people have to deal with. In conclusion, due to the policy's moral issues, disadvantages and possible critical side-effects, i believe that the 1-child policy in China should be discarded or at least loosen up its restrictions of 1-child to 2. Moreover, instead of 1-child policy, the Chinese government should come up with much more promising economic measures to improve the economy and to resolve the poverty.

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/09/27/china-one-child027.html

Medal for hero who died saving child

Woman named Tina Maryann Moores from Newfoundland was awarded with a Carnegie medal for heroism after she had lost her life while saving a child from drowning. On August 15th, 2009, Tina Moore was with her sister in Buchans, located at the centre of the Newfoundland, when she had spotted a young girl named Emily Ivany drowning as she was getting carried into deeper water by off shore current. Immediately after spotting, Moores jumped into the water and swam for about 130 feet and successfully got Emily's head out of the water, however she was in trouble as well. Moore's sister swam immediately towards Emily afterwards and grabbed Emily and they were both rescued by a boat which others brought. However Moore continued to float farther away from the shore and although her husband and other three men were able to pull her into another boat, unfortunately, it was too late.

On the other hand, Emily, the young girl who was saved from drowning, had to be hospitalized for hypothermia however she eventually was able to fully recover. Carnegie Medals are given out towards people throughout United States and Canada who risk their life to an extraordinary degree while saving or attempting to save the lives of others. Moore became among the 19 people named as recipients of the Carnegie Medal for Extraordinary Acts of Civilian Heroism this year.

In my opinion, although, Moore's bravery and goodness from her heart should be praised high, I don't believe that her action was very smart. I think that her action towards rescue was not appropriate regarding to safety. It is because just jumping in the sea with strong currents without any adequate plans and preparations can put both people in much severe danger especially when one is not a professional life guard. I believe that there are various other actions which Moore could've taken in order to secure her own safety as well as saving the girl with safer procedures. For example, she could've thrown buoyant object for the girl to hold on to until professional lifeguard or boat appeared then call for professional help. Moore could've prevented sacrificing her life if she had made better choices. Anyhow, it still is great to see Moore receive rightful recognition from others for her bravery and true heroic quality. Her actions might not have been the best possible way, however it truly was a rightful action to take and the fact that she was the first one to step up to save another person's life, she surely deserves rightful recognition and praise. It sure is tragic and remorseful to hear what happened to Moore afterwards. However i am greatly thankful that there still are wonderful people like Moore out there in the world and they really are the heroes of our society today.

http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/09/23/15447581.html#/news/canada/2010/09/23/pf-15447586.html

Igor prompts states of emergency in Newfoundland

Emergency state have been declared to south eastern regions of Newfoundland in the early morning of September 20th as Hurricane Igor reached Newfoundland from the south with heavy rain and windstorms. Hurricane Igor damaged most of the electric powers, major roads and bridges in Burin peninsula (southeast of Newfoundland) leaving the communities isolated under severe danger. More than 50 families from Clarenville, Marystown and Terrenceville in Burin peninsula were forced to be relocated at local school due to over 200 mm of rain and strong windstorms. Moreover, it is even more devastating as more than 20 000 residents of Burin peninsula are stranded at their homes waiting for boats to come and rescue them because of the flooding.

Sgt. Edgecombe, local police officer stated that it will be impossible for residents to escape Burin peninsula for several days since the only bridge connecting the area to the Trans-Canada Highway has been deteriorated. Police also reported that they cannot guarantee the safety of all civilians due to the lack of supplies and labour efforts. Hurricane Igor is expected to travel north and reach St.John's by the afternoon of September 20th. Mayor of St.John's,O'Keefe , believes that St.John's will be able to endure the hurricane with very little or no life losses and injuries. Mayor O'Keefe said "We are as ready as we possibly can. Every precaution and action that can be taken by city crews in preparation for that storm has been put in place since this morning." On the other hand, Canadian Hurricane Centre and Environment Canada has issued wind and rain warnings for the entire Newfoundland. At the very moment, more rescue and food supplies as well as labour efforts are essential in order to ensure the safety of people stranded at the Burin peninsula.

In my opinion, I find some very bright and positive actions being done in Newfoundland in order to secure the safety of civilians. Such as Mayor and local government of St.John's stepping up and sending precautions as well as setting up city crews to take actions in preparation for the storm. However, it was just frustrating to hear about the conditions at Burin peninsula after the Hurricane Igor has passed by earlier this morning. People had to be relocated to local schools in order to protect themselves and those who couldn't relocate themselves ahead of time were stranded at their homes hopelessly waiting for a rescue boat to come and rescue them. Moreover the fact that most of electric powers, major roads, and bridges being damaged is just horrifying. Out of all the damages, deterioration of the bridge connecting Burin peninsula to Trans-Canada Highway was especially devastating. Due to the deterioration, every civilians in Burin peninsula are now isolated completely for several days.

I strongly believe that this situation could've been prevented or at least could've been better if the communities and local government in Burin peninsula had came up with much more promising plans and initiatives ahead of time. Newfoundland should look out and be cautious towards hurricanes like Igor at all times because of their geological region. What happened to Burin peninsula had already been done and we cannot reverse it. However, what Newfoundland communities and government could do is to make sure that no further significant damages are being done to other regions within the province and to support Burin peninsula with more labour efforts and medical and food supplies. Moreover, every Canadian citizen from other provinces should also support and provide helps in order to repair the damages and to save the people under severe danger as soon as possible. I wish that everyone had learned their lessons through today's incident especially for people in Newfoundland and the Newfoundland's government. It is their job to come up with much more promising plans and actions towards hurricanes and natural disasters like the hurricane Igor in order to prevent further tragic catastrophes.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/World/20100921/igor-newfoundland-100921/

Thousands mark Terry Fox milestone

2010 marks the 30th anniversary of Terry Fox's cross country marathon, "Marathon of Hope" which was tragically cut short. Terry Fox foundation was set up after Terry Fox's death in memory of him and his passion to fight against the cancer. Terry Fox foundation had become one of the largest cancer research foundations in the world today, raising over 500 million dollars over the years.

Every year, millions of people participate in annual Terry Fox run in order to honour Terry and to raise money for cancer researches and this year was no exception. On Sunday 19th, there were 10,000 walkers and runners including Terry's own brother, Fred Fox, crossing the Confederation Bridge from Bayfield, N.B. participating in the annual Terry Fox run. One of the participant said "During the annual run at the Confederation Bridge, everyone was cheering everyone on and it was a very emotional moment as the group from the P.E.I. side met the group that started on the N.B. side." Fred Fox, Terry's brother said that he was amazed by the number of participants wearing Terry's Team T-shirts, signifying that they are cancer survivors. Fred also said that these cancer survivors are testaments to show that cancer researches are working, since people are surviving through cancer and living longer. Annual Terry Fox run will continue to take place across the Canada even after today with millions of participants. This year's annual Terry Fox run is also expected to raise millions of dollars which will be used for further cancer researches. Terry's marathon, which covered 5373 km, still stands as an important feat that has inspired millions around the world.

In my opinion, Terry Fox is a true Canadian hero, inspiration to millions. Moreover, annual Terry Fox run should continue on even after the day we find the definite cure for the cancer in order to continue to recognize Terry's contribution. I don't think that I will be able to do what Terry did if I was facing the situation he had faced. Running more than 20 km each day is challenging enough for a normal person. But, Terry was able to run over 40 km each day with only one real leg and an artificial metal leg in order to raise money to fight against cancer. I have heard that Terry's original goal was to run across the whole Canada which tragically was forced to stop after 143 days at Thunder Bay, ON because of the cancer spreading through Terry's body once again. I believe that although Terry couldn't finish his journey, Canada was able to recognize Terry's contribution, passion and his true goodness from his heart.

Furthermore, I believe that Terry's action has not only influenced Canada but around the world as well. I am not a Canadian, however through my experiences and life in Canada, I was able to recognize and understand Terry's passion and contribution towards cure for cancer. I also agree that cancer research is working as more people are starting to overcome the cancer and live longer and without Terry's contribution this would not have been possible. Terry Fox, the true Canadian hero and inspiration to millions should always be remembered in our hearts and we should continue to fight against the cancer to help those who suffer from it and to accomplish what Terry had started for us. I would personally like to suggest everyone to try participating in annual Terry Fox run. This run will benefit yourself as it will help you to get exercise, benefit those who suffer through cancer as you will be raising money towards the cancer research and lastly benefit everyone as it will help everyone recognize and understand Terry's passion and heart.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/863391--thousands-mark-terry-fox-milestone

Allow cellphones in classrooms: Preem

The current student code of conduct spells out that "Students must turn off their phones and store them away during instructional time or face possible discipline." However, this code of conduct is being debated by many after the Premier Dalton McGuinty's statement had been issued. Premier Dalton McGuinty suggested that letting students use cell phones if used appropriately in classrooms could be very beneficial. Premier believes that rapid advancement in technology opened various different opportunities for students to study and be educated much more efficiently and effectively. For example, cell phones such as blackberries and iphones will allow students to surf internet to research information quickly. Moreover, the keyboards on the cell phones will also allow students to take down notes digitally in to their phones. Due to these reasons, large number of people seems to be supportive towards this idea; in fact, some school boards are already reconsidering to change the rules as suggested by the Premier.

However, the majorities including the head of school boards and teachers are disagreeing towards the Premier's suggestion. They believe that although technology will be substantial to the students in the future, any hand-held electronics including cell phones will provide distractions, temptations and various cheating options. Secondly, they suggested that not everyone can afford a cell phone nor can everyone afford the different levels of service providers as they are very costly.

After Premier Dalton McGuinty had indicated all of the objections and reasons against his new idea, he responded back through his tweeter by saying "If they're used to help kids learn, great. If not, they're a distraction and don't belong."

It is true that the cell phones in classrooms for educational purposes can be beneficial towards the students. However, I still believe that every cell phones as well as every other hand-held electronics should be banned during classes. In my opinion, although there are some definite advantages of using cell phones in classes, realistically there are far more disadvantages. It is factual that students can research information through cell phones by surfing internet and take notes digitally using the attached keyboards. However, cell phone will also provide great deal of distraction to the students as they can do many other things through advanced cell phones such as playing mobile games, texting, surfing non educational websites and so on. Moreover, cell phones will also provide great deal of cheating methods such as by recording important notes to the cell phone ahead of time for tests, texting answers to other classmates during tests, and surfing internet for answers, just to name a few.

Lastly, I believe that every student should be educated equally in same environments and conditions. In my opinion, even if government allows cell phones to be used in classes for educational purposes, not every student will benefit equally through this method. It is because not everyone can afford to have advanced cell phone devices and different levels of services due to its heavy costs. Therefore in order to keep the same environment and equal opportunities to everyone as well as to prevent extra distractions and temptations for students, I believe that cell phones should be banned in classrooms. Our government was successful when giving high quality educations to the students without usage of cell phones for past decades. So why would you support something that will most likely affect the system negatively as an improvement plan? I believe that if something provides more disadvantages and risks than goods and advantages, it isn't feasible to be considered as a benefactor.


http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/09/15/15357441.html

Waiting for Superman: A warning for Canada

Davis Guggenheim, an American film director hopes to send out another significant and powerful message to the world especially towards the developed nations such as U.S. and Canada. Davis Guggenheim, already famous for his previous film "An Inconvenient Truth" with Al Gore, has created another highly influential film called "Waiting for Superman" with many supports all around the world. The film "Waiting for a Superman" addresses severe problems with American and developed nation's education system by following handful of American public school students and their families. Some of the most devastating problems dealt in this film were sky-high high school dropout rates and students failing to even learn the basics. These issues are much more frustrating as they continue to happen despite the decades of promises made by governments stating that no children will be left behind. Moreover, it has been proven through statistics that Canada is starting to face same educational problems like U.S.; therefore Canada should also take the issues dealt through the film seriously as well. The film suggests that everyone should support and give more attention and effort in order to improve the educational system. These improvements are essential in order to make sure every child is granted with fair opportunities and better environment to be educated. The film has already won the audience award for best documentary at the Sundance Film Festival on January and will be open in Toronto on October 1st.

In my opinion, I strongly believe that Davis Guggenheim's film "Waiting for Superman" will bring significant impact towards the education system in developed countries including Canada. I personally believe that the issue of education system's failures and its problems are one of the most concerning problems in the world which should be improved as soon as possible. David Guggenheim has already succeeded to send out significant messages to the world through his previous film "The Inconvenient Truth". Therefore, I believe that his new film "Waiting for Superman" has great potential to effectively send out another significant message to the world. Moreover, I hope that people will pay more attention towards educational crisis that we face today, and will be motivated to come up with solutions for changes through this film. In conclusion, my opinion is that every child is born with equal rights and opportunities to be educated appropriately. It is us, the citizens of the country that should take initiatives in order to fix these problems so that none of the children are left behind, waiting for a superman to appear and rescue them out of the dark pit of hopelessness.

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/tiff/tiffnews/article/859942--waiting-for-superman-a-warning-for-canada