Censored 2009 Round 1 Comments

1. After reading PROJECT CENSORED, Chapters 3-6, discuss TWO specific observations from EACH chapter that you found interesting, provocative, or compelling in some way, and one specific question you have after reading EACH chapter.

Remember, "my question is..." - and the five second rule applies!

Chapter 3. a. Britney Spears topped the Junk Food list for two years in a row. Through rehab, traffic violations, and other garbage she took the title again. And more media time was given to her custody case than the Bush’s veto of a bipartisan children’s health insurance bill. b. Its ridiculous how much media coverage these “Junk Stories” get compared to real world issues. Stories about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in September of 2007 were overwhelming and they blanketed real issues like Iraqi Children Starved of Childhoods, US Poverty Data Raising Quesitons about the Cost of War, and Government Secrecy Up Despite Exposure of the Issue.
My questions is…How can American’s affect change on the issues reported on in the media?
Chapter 4. a. The author believes that we owe a debt of gratitude to the Bush Administration for, “Their exploits making folly of the pro empire agenda painfully clear and it may have finally forced the global population into a different mode of thinking. This is an interesting perspective, the Bush Administration redirected the thought process of Americans and created a higher awareness level when we are looking at world issues. b. In 2006 Humboldt County, California became the largest jurisdiction to abolish the legal doctrine known as corporate personhood with the passage of local Measure T. The doctrine passed grants the people of this county the right to decide elections but no out of district corporations may have any say in them.
My questions is…there is so much criticism of the Bush Administration throughout the eight years and even after he’s step down as commander and chief, ten maybe fifteen years down the road do you think his administration will be viewed any differently or will there be some positive feelings?
Chapter 5. a. Habeas Corpus protects individuals against unlawful exercises of state power. Its written into the constitution, establishing that it could only be suspended in cases of rebellion or invasion. b. The media doesn’t report enough stories on the Military Commissions Act, only 237 direct quotations regarding the Act, drawn from three major newspapers over a fifteen-month period.
My question is…the author is up in arms about the lack of attention to the MCA, how could the US citizens keep themselves updated on under publicized issues that affect them?
Chapter 6. a. The Institute of Medicine estimates that as many as 18,000 Americans die prematurely each year because they do not have health insurance. The number of Americans without health insurance is increasing- 47 million or some 16 percent of the population at last count. b. Competition among private companies creates waste and duplication. According to a physician advocacy group, “When hospitals compete they often duplicate expensive equipment in order to corner more of the market. They also waste money on advertising and marketing. The preferred scenario has hospitals coordinating services and cooperating to meet the needs of the public.”
My questions is…As a college student where on the list of worries does Health Insurance fall under, and if you are graduating this spring is Health Insurance a key factor to your job search?