child molestation/sexual abuse (MC)

What is child molestation/sexual abuse?

Child molestation/sexual abuse is a form of child abuse that includes sexual activity with a minor typically under the age of 14. When a perpetrator engages with a child this way, they are committing a crime that can have lasting effects on the victim for years. Child sexual abuse does not always include physical contact between a perpetrator and a child.

RESEARCH

In many cases 90% of the time the perpetrators are someone the child or family knows. A perpetrator can have any relationship to the child including an older sibling, family member, a teacher, a coach or instructor, a caretaker, or the parent of another child. According to 1 in 6, “[Child] sexual abuse is the result of abusive behavior that takes advantage of a child’s vulnerability and is in no way related to the sexual orientation of the abusive person.”

-8 percent of males and 12 percent of females experience penetrative child sexual abuse

-16 percent of males and up to 36 percent of females experience non-penetrative child sexual abuse

Victims:

• Females are more at risk than males.
• Children who are victims of other forms of crime, violence and abuse are more at-risk.

Perpetrators:

• Men perpetrate most sexual abuse and sex crimes.
• Sex offenders against children tend to be juveniles or young adults under the age of 30.

Many times perpetrators manipulate into telling the victim “it’s our secret” just so the child/teen can stay quiet. They tend to make their victims believe it’s what they wanted or it’s something they asked for. But most sexual abuse often involves forms of manipulation, in which the child is coerced into believing that the activity is an expression of love.

Why this is important to me?

This issue is important for me because I was a victim of sexual abuse in my teenage years. At the time everything happened I was very confused and didn’t know what was going to happen with myself. As a victim, the best choice I did was not staying quiet. After receiving the correct help I wasn’t and didn’t feel alone. I think it’s very important for victims not to feel alone. It’s very important to not stay quiet and do something about even if its family, friends, acquaintance, etc. Speaking from my experience I feel like this really is an issue within the community because children and teens go through sexual abuse every day. By learning the early warning signs and how to effectively step in and speak up, sexual abuse can be stopped before it starts and a child is harmed. As an adult now I feel like we must take responsibility for preventing child abuse by speaking to our kids and addressing what sexual abuse is and that it doesn’t necessarily need to mean there will always be physical contact. Showing them they will always have our support if they ever need to speak to someone if someone ever makes them uncomfortable. And most importantly let them know that if they already unfortunately went through it, it was NOT their fault! A child cannot consent to any form of sexual activity, period.

Resources

http://www.stopitnow.org/ohc-content/tip-sheet-8

http://www.blueknot.org.au/Resources/General-Information/Types-of-child-abuse

https://www.rainn.org/articles/child-sexual-abuse

Homelessness in the City of Angels (Miguel Monge)

Issue: Homelessness in the City of Angels

Homelessness is one of the biggest social issues that impacts a variety of individuals throughout the United States.Of the major cities in the U.S., Los Angeles has a total homeless population of about 44,000 people, the second largest homeless population in the United States. According to a 2016 study done by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Los Angeles had about 13,000 chronically homeless individuals, the highest population of “chronically homeless” people in the United States. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines chronic homelessness as “an unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition or a family with at least one adult member who has a disabling condition who has either been continuously homeless for a year or more OR has had at least four (4) or more episodes of homelessness in the past three (3) years”. Apart from dealing with housing issues, homeless people are more at risk of being criminalized by police, less likely to be educated, have more health related issues, and find it harder to find work. The criminalization of homeless people in Los Angeles has been a continuous problem for many individuals. Furthermore, in 2016, Los Angeles also lead the nation for the most unaccompanied homeless youth, more than 3,000.
 Many people have a stereotypical perception of what a homeless person is or looks like, but fail to understand that homelessness is not something that can always be identified by judging someone based on their appearance. For example, a 2015 study commissioned by California State University Chancellor Timothy White showed that one in ten California State University students was homeless. We may not be aware that many people that we encounter in our everyday lives, such as students, a family at a park, grocery store clerks, waiters, parking attendants, cooks, mechanics, bartenders, and a variety of other people may be struggling with being homeless.  Going through an unfortunate event and becoming homeless can easily happen to anyone at the blink of an eye. It is important to understand that stereotyping someone based on their appearance leads to people ignoring the issue at hand. It creates a division among people by creating misconceptions of who can and cannot become homeless.

Personal: 
As a child, I would often travel around Los Angeles on the public bus with my grandmother. The people, architecture, and the movement in the city intrigued me and motivated me to want to get to know the city landscape away from my home in Highland Park. Although I was raised by two loving parents, they were always working, and therefore, spent a lot of my time as teen wandering the streets on my own. At about the age of fifteen, I began to skateboard and exploring areas such as Downtown Los Angeles, Korea Town, Mac Arthur Park, and the Mid-Wilshire District. Many of the people that I encountered and genuinely felt comfortable talking to during my skateboarding trips were homeless people that seemed happy to share their stories with me. I enjoyed hearing about different peoples experiences, and felt a connection with them because I was always on the street. Although I wasn't homeless, I understood many people didn't choose to live this lifestyle ,and that myself or someone that I knew could easily go through a life changing experience that could leave them in the same position.

As I got older, I started seeing more homeless people in my community. Why was the homeless population increasing and what was going to be done about? After doing some research, I found that rising rent prices, gentrification, unlawful evictions and foreclosures, and the lack of affordable housing were some of the main reasons that caused homeless to increase in Highland Park and neighboring communities. In order to help combat the issue of homelessness in my community, I began to volunteer at a local church that would feed, shelter, and attempt to find permanent housing for homeless people. It felt great to be a part of the solution, but it also hurt knowing that most of the individuals that would seek help from the church/shelter were longtime residents of Highland Park. Although I haven't volunteered for quite sometime, I feel that this project is going to help shed more light about homelessness in Los Angeles. By creating this blog and communicating the issues of homelessness with the members of my community, I'm hoping that it motivates others to produce positive changes that will help reduce the homeless population. Lastly, I hope that this project will also help change the stereotypes that are associated with homeless populations.

Highland Park Community Members:

Lamo Sanchez

Peter Jones

Mark Montoya
"I didn't know there were so many people who are homeless in the CSU system. Being homeless and a
student is a struggle people shouldn't have to face"

References:

www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/MH/Documents/2015_HopeForTheHomeless.pdf

Guerrero, Erick G., et al. "Service Integration to Reduce Homelessness in Los Angeles County: Multiple Stakeholder perspectives. " Human Service Organizations: Mangaement, Leadership &Governance, vol. 38, no.1, Jan-Mar2014, pp. 44-54, EBSCOhost.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-cal-state-homelessness-20160620-snap-story.html

http://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dmh/197210_1_Housing_Authority_of_the_City_of_Los_Angeles_Special_Programs_and_New_Applicant_Process.pdf

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-chronically-homeless-20161116-story.html

Littering

Research:

Murder, rape and theft are all serious crimes that happen every so often.  Deforestation, global warming, and continued use of fossil fuels are common factors that are deteriorating ecosystems.  We often hear about these causes and their effects on the news and social media outlets.  But what is one problem that has commonalities with crimes and environmental crises?  Although the answer is underwhelming, it is true: littering is both an environmental problem and a crime that has its own harmful effects and must be treated.  In fact, surveyors at the JB Green Team organization found that “94% of people identify litter as a major environmental problem and yet people still litter” (Illegal Dumping & Litter).  The article then touches upon the main reasons for littering: ultimately some people are careless and litter attracts more litter.  The article then proceeds to cover effects of littering.  For instance, “[l]itter discarded in streets and parks can travel through the storm water system to our rivers and creeks, where it can cause harm to wildlife” (Illegal Dumping & Litter).  Further negative impacts include large financial cost required for communities to clean-up litter, litter being a threat to public health, as well as litter ruining the appearance of public spaces.  The last effect caught the attention of the LA Times as they wrote, “‘[t]he Times feels it's performing a civic duty in calling to the attention of its citizens these disgraceful conditions, and hopes as a result that enough civic pride will be engendered to correct this unhealthy state of affairs’" (L.A. has long been told to clean up its act).  Much like the LA Times, I hope to shed some light on this topic as an instance of civic engagement.  Once again, litter may not be as atrocious as murder or deforestation, however, it is a problem that we must treat before it gets out of hand. 

References:

"Illegal Dumping & Litter." JB Green Team. Em-Media Inc, 26 Mar. 2011. Web. 13 Apr. 2017. <http://www.jbgreenteam.org/litter-preventioncollection/>.

"L.A. has long been told to clean up its act." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2014. Web. 13 Apr. 2017. <http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-california-retrospective-20141222-story.html>.

Personal:

While littering isn’t a problem prevalent in the media, it is an issue that plagues societies and communities all over the world.  Personally, the community that I live in isn’t awfully strict on littering, thus, at times it attracts some litter.  During my high school days, I often joined extracurricular activities and groups that handled environmental topics.  Often we had sessions where students, including myself, would head to our local section of the L.A. River, and clean up.  Surprisingly, there was lots of litter and trash spread around the area.  The number of people we had was not enough to clear up everything but we did all that we could in the limited time we had.  However, all of that could have been avoided if people did not carelessly dump trash everywhere.  Specifically, for the L.A. River, the endpoint for all litter would be the ocean where all the trash would wreak havoc on marine life.  All these effects are easily avoidable if we take one extra step; avoid being careless and throw trash away where it belongs.
Community Member Interviewees:

Jesus Castillo

                                                           

Bowie Basaya

                                                           

Ishaq Memon

Dog Abuse

Intro:

      If a dog is chained in a bad living environment, are you willing to give out your helping hands?  Dog abuse is not only a social issue, but also a controversial topic to discuss today. Dog can be a loyal,  lovable and protective house pet only if there is a strong bond build between the owner and the dog. Recently, there are reports on dog abuse and most of them talk about those irresponsible and bad dog owners. Being a responsible and caring dog owner at the same time isn't easy when the dog doesn't obey most of the command from the owner at the first place. A happy dog takes time and caring. In this civic engagement project, I am going to discuss about dog abuse with people nearby my apartment complex and see how they react to this social problem.

Research:
   
“Discipline isn't about showing a dog who's boss; it's about taking responsibility for a living creature you have brought into your world.” ―  Cesar Millan 
    
    Just like the professional dog trainer, Cesar Millan saying with the quote above. Having a pet dog isn't about being a domineering owner. It is more about the amount of time and caring you are willing to spend with your dog by the time you promise to have him or her as your pet as a responsible dog owner. However, some people aren't taking this opportunity properly by the time they have their own pet dogs. According to the article "Dog's Owners watched as her toenails got this long", a British couple were given a suspended sentence of owing any animals in the future with a fine of $370 for not taking their American Bull Dog, Jess properly. She was in a very bad and critical condition when the rescue workers come for the rescue. Jess's ears and skin were brutally infected and the pads on her feet were thickened to a point of growing horns, which made her can barely walk. Like the worker Heidi Cleaver who works for Royal Society for the prevention of Cruelty to Animals said, "I've never seen anything like the growths from pads on her feet, which would have been obvious to anyone." I don't think the British couple should own a dog at the beginning just because they don't give a good care for their dog in a proper manner as a basic requirement of owning a pet.

    Apart from responsibility, training is another important factors that dog owners should take into consideration because this will help to eliminate the chance of getting any unnecessary behavioral problem toward people and other dogs. But, there always exception where some dog owners tend to use a negative and physical command to punish his or her dog when it doesn't obey the rule. On the article "Woman charged after dog's mouth duct-taped shut", Katharine Lemansky, the dog owner was charged for one count of Class 1 Misdemeanor Cruelty to Animals after she posted a photo of her dog muzzled with duct tape for sixty seconds to discipline her dog in city of Cary. The police officer of Cary Police office department, Randall Rhyne has made a firm and convincing statement about this incidence ."Taping the dog's muzzle shut was a terrible decision on Ms.Lemansky's part, and charging her with animal cruelty under North Carolina law was the right thing to do." Although her dog doesn't injure, her act of disciplining her dog in this way is inappropriate.

     After I read up two articles regarding on dog owners who have abused their dogs violently and mentally,  I feel angry and unpleasant about how selfish and ridiculous can these two groups of dog owners can be. They don't take their initiatives to come up with a best solution to deal with their pet dogs and have them suffer. Having a pet is like making a promise and won't regret after. I really hope that there wouldn't be anymore articles on dog abuse because they should be loved unconditionally.   

Personal: 


   As a caring and loving dog owner, I want to make a voice for dogs who are treated unfairly and abuse brutally. The reason behind why I choose to this topic because I feel uncomfortable about this and it catches my attention. Also, I can't stress out enough on how those irresponsible dog owners pet their dogs like nothing. Having a dog as your pet is like a perfect marriage where you are willing to dedicate the time with your life-long companion(your pet dog) until the time comes to an end.

   Community members

Cherry Sin

"The issue of dog abuse is getting even more disturbing. I really hope that the government can does anything about it just because every single dogs should be loved!!"

Heather Hodson

"It hurts my heart to see dogs in abusive situations and I believe we should all do everything we can to prevent this from happening. We need to be their voice because they don't have one, and they have no power over the circumstances in which they are placed in."

WORKS CITED

Cotroneo, Christian. "Woman Charged After Dog's Mouth Duct-Taped Shut." The Dodo, 01 Dec. 2015. Web. 23 Apr. 2017. <https://www.thedodo.com/katie-brown-lemansky-dog-1485251412.html>

Cotroneo, Christian. "Dog's Owners Watched As Her Toenails Got This Long." The Dodo, 15 Dec. 2015. Web. 23 Apr. 2017. <https://www.thedodo.com/dog-nails-jess-consett-1490078651.html>

Political Correctness

Political Correctness

        Politically Correct; now that is a word we all have been hearing a lot lately. We can all agree that being politically correct has a place in society and the reason for its existence has good intentions. However, like anything in life too much of it can be harmful. The rise of political correctness has become more of a censorship ideal. Where anything remotely controversial or even an idea that disagrees with the majority is either censored or frowned upon. This has become a major issue in the online community and even the Csula community. Its grown to the point of impeding others of their right to free speech. Now I am not talking about being able to curse or spew racial adjectives to others without consequence. Those do not belong in a professional or educational environment. I am talking about where honest opinions or ways of life are impeded just because they are different. This difference is then either called being racist or bigoted and thus must be politically incorrect. Deeming everything as racist and choosing not to listen to differing opinions can only lead to more problems than good. 

Research

       Now you may be thinking how can censoring racists and toxic people be a bad thing. The problem lies with what constitutes as racist or bad. We can all have different views and lines and what crosses them. Therefore anything can be viewed as a racial or bigoted undertone. Even having something as simple as having a mascot can be seen under this context. Amherst College had the exact same issue with their mascot "Lord Jeff". Many of the students claimed he promoted white supremacy and that it should be removed in order to not offend anyone. Eventually the college had given in and "lord Jeff" was removed from the school. However, it turns out "Lord Jeff" actually was a real life war veteran and the college had him memorialized as the mascot in order to honor him for his war duties (Kia Sherwin). Lord Jeff was a piece of history, and its removal will certainly cause some controversy. Now here in lies the problem. Instead of opting to re-invent or change "Lord Jeff" to be more of a symbol everyone can relate to, many chose to outright get rid of him. Such a removal of the schools history is disastrous as it removes a part of its culture. Culture is what defines our history and accomplishments. If the school's culture is removed then its identity and history is also removed. Without such an identity many people can feel a loss of their pride for their school. 

         Besides removing culture from schools, one thing political correctness is infamous for is censorship. If one were to have a different opinion on a matter, someone will censor you under the guise of not being "PC". While there are many environments where this occurs, one area it happens quite often is at college campuses. One place in particular is here in our very own home, Cal State Los Angeles. When Ben Shapiro planned to have his speech here at our school, he was met with huge backlash. Protests were created in order to prevent students and Ben from speaking. Young America wrote "The president of CSULA, William Covino, sent an e-mail to CSULA YAF canceling the event because it would be best for our community"(Young America). The school's president even tried to censor Ben because his views were different from the students. Many of the students deemed him politically incorrect and this in lies the problem with PC campuses. Differing views and ideas are seen as toxic while views in the same ideology are praised. Such an ignorance against arguments can only lead students thinking the world will always agree with their opinions. Only when its too late do they realize that reality does not always line up with their views. Without an environemnt were all arguments are accepted and one can think about both sides of an issue then many become ignorant. They become ignorant and hateful towards anything that do not fit their view. This is what an overabundance PC culture creates. 

        I am not saying political correctness is useless or always harmful. PC ideas can have a place in society, allowing one to live life without being targeted for their race and sexuality. However, its only when its being pushed largely that it creates issues. Being too correct can removes ones culture and history. While also creating a false sense of reality to those who live and breath it. There has to be a balance of ideas and controversy in order for a person to truly come up with their own opinions and ideas. 

Personal

        This topic is important to me and not just because of my own personal views. Censorship and political correctness have their place in society however the misuse of these ideas limit my and others opinions. With the rise and censor ship of my ideals, I always feel like I am walking on eggshells. I can never say my true opinion or feelings on a subject due to how my peers or other can perceive them. Always in fear of my own ideas affecting my livelihood. I would not want something i said a couple years ago to affect my working or living conditions just because somebody felt it incorrect. We have blurred the line between verbal consequences and physical ones. Causing many lives of those who do not deserve it to be ruined. I personally do not want to live in a society where our 2nd amendment right can cause our own demise.

Members Affected in Community

Daniel Chavez

"Being PC has a place and a time but being PC all the time has no place."

Christina Galindo

"While I agree with politically correctness at times, I do believe that some people go to far with it and that it sometimes creates an unrealistic expectation of the world."

References

Sherwin, Kai. "Political Correctness: The Effects on Our Generation." The Huffington Post.        
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 02 Apr. 2016. Web. 03 Apr. 2017.

"BREAKING: YAF Files Lawsuit Against CSULA for Censorship of Ben Shapiro Lecture."Young      America's Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.

Homeless Warriors

Introduction

     I would define "Civic Engagement," as a "personal endeavor," to address important issues, that are relevant to our community.  This involves taking a "personal," as well as a "proactive," stance in addressing those issues.  It would include setting aside a certain amount of time, to research, conduct surveys, and interview community members, in order to get an "idea," of the community's attitude regarding the investigated "issue," and how can it be addressed in a "beneficial," manner.
     I do believe that one individual can make a difference, and all it takes is the "willpower," and attitude that "change," can be a positive," outcome by addressing the numerous issues facing our community today, in a more "proactive," manner.

    
HOMELESS WARRIORS BY MARK T. TSUNOKAI

Statistics and Information regarding Homeless Veteran.

     The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) states the our nation's homeless veterans, comprise 11% of our national homeless population.  Two-thirds of these homeless veterans have served in "combat zones," all over the world.

     These veterans have served in World War II, The Korean War, The Cold War, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, The Persian Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq (OEF/OIF), and in the military's anti-drug cultivation efforts in South America.  Nearly half of the homeless veterans are veterans that served during the Vietnam era.

     Based on the findings by the VA in January 2017; "the number of veterans facing homelessness in the U.S. has declined by nearly half since the year 2010, along with the unsheltered homeless population, a decline of 50% in 2010 was apparent.  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Point-In-Time (PIT) Count estimates that on a single night, fewer than 40,000 homeless veterans were experiencing homelessness, while just over 13,000 were unsheltered and living on the streets.

     In addition to the problem of "homelessness," there is an extreme shortage of affordable housing, livable income and access to health care.  Many displaced and at-risk veterans suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse, which is compounded by a lack of family and social support resources.  In addition, many military occupations and training are not always compatible in the civilian workforce, which results in the veterans being at a "disadvantage," when competing for civilian employment.

     The VA had made great strides and continues to do so, in addressing the problem of homeless veterans.  The VA's specialized homeless programs provide health care to almost 150,000 homeless veterans and other services to more than 112,000 veterans.  In addition, more than 40,000 homeless veterans receive compensation or pension benefits each month.

     Since 1987, the VA's programs to address veteran's homeless, has centered on collaboration with other community service providers to expand the scope of assistance to veterans in crisis.  Using its own resources or partnerships with other state resources, the VA has secured nearly 15,000 residential rehabilitative and living quarters and more than 30,000 permanent residences for homeless veterans through out the United States.

The information and statistics listed above were from Housing for Homeless Heroes.  Website www. housing4heroes.org.

City of Los Angeles, California.

     For the City of Los Angeles, veterans make up about 3% of the general population, but comprise up to 11% of the homeless population.  As stated above, the transition from military service to the civilian sector, is sometimes complicated by service related disabilities, which may make it difficult for veterans to find housing.

     Mayor Eric Garcetti is committed to addressing the issue of "homeless veterans," and assisting them in "getting off the streets," as an "urgent priority."  As a result, since January 2014, Los Angeles

has housed more than 11,000 veterans, that amount is more than the combined totals of Salt Lake City, Houston, Phoenix, and New Orleans.  These comments were from a news conference and panel discussion with U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald.

     Despite the past successes, the problems of addressing the issue of "homeless veterans," continues to challenge Mayor Garcetti and the City of Los Angeles.  Concerns such as having a new Presidential Administration, results in the questions of whether "social service," funding will still remain available.  As a result, Mayor Garcetti has refrained from setting a "time table," regarding this issue, but continues to plan for future solutions, regarding "homeless veterans."

     Other issues include a heavy reliance of the use of "rent vouchers," in the City of Los Angeles, which are already in an extremely tight and expensive retail market, which results in veterans looking outside Los Angeles, for affordable housing, which places them farther away from the social services they require, for a successful transition from military to civilian life.  Worst yet, some veterans are unable to keep their housing.

     Hopes of using the VA's 388 acre West Los Angeles campus into a "homeless housing project," has been viewed as a slow planning process, due to the inactions of local and federal officials.  As of part of a 2015 legal settlement, the agency had agreed to turn the Westside's largest underdeveloped property into a "residential village," for 1,200 homeless veterans.  Plans would also include job training, recreational amenities, mental health, and substance abuse treatment facilities, on the proposed housing project.

     Los Angeles is making progress in reducing the number of homeless veterans, said Nan Roman, the President of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, a Washington nonprofit.  VA Secretary McDonald has called Los Angeles' efforts to address "homeless veterans," a national model, despite the delays in locating housing for all veterans.

     "We cannot end veteran homelessness nationally without ending it in Los Angeles," VA Secretary McDonald stated.

The information and statistics listed above were from "Ending Veteran Homelessness."  lamayor.org/ending-veteran-homelessness and "More than 1,200 homeless veterans living on Los Angeles streets still need housing." By Gale Holland.  Los Angeles Times, 2017.  This article is related to: Homelessness, Eric Garcetti, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Ryan Reynolds.

Personal Viewpoint.

    The plight of Homeless Veterans affects me, because I am a "Veteran," and the fact that so many of our military personnel who have served this country, are living out in the streets, is "unacceptable," to me as a veteran and concerned citizen.  I want to make clear, that "homelessness," in general is "unacceptable," to me and I do not differentiate between civilians and veterans.  No one should be homeless and living on the streets.

     I believe that the overall solutions we find and implement, will not only benefit "veterans," but also their "civilian," counterparts.  I have had the opportunity to work with homeless veterans, one of which ended up in the shelter, I was working at, was a fellow soldier, I served with in Iraq, in 2005-2006.  This became a personal issue, now.  I then fully realize that, change was needed, but on an "immense," scale.  We can help as individuals, by supporting legislation that supports all veterans and their families.  It's an incredibly large challenge, but is something that needs to be remedied, as quickly as possible.

     The solutions we find to end "homeless veterans," can also be applied to the overall problem of "homelessness," as well.  In the end, we all win.

     Take care of them first.  Based on "doing their time."  Make them a priority over everyone else.  Our government made them "homeless."  When an event happens in another country, we are there to provide immediate support.

     Force "landowners," to comply with land ownership regulations and agreements, i.e. market values.  Categorize and prioritize veterans versus civilians, for home ownership.  How long will it take?  Why the delay?  James Okumura.

Homeless Veterans.

     American Marine Veteran Karl Marlantes once said, "When the peace treaty is signed, the war isn't over for the veterans, or the family.  It's just starting.  Veterans are essentially retired military whom have either dedicated a portion of their entire lives to protecting their country.  We generally honor efforts from entering basic training to earning military authority to achieving careers to finally completing terms and returning to families.  Returning to civilian life unfortunately is not as spectacular despite enormous honor and respect actives receive.  Many return with mental or physical disabilities.  Some without ligaments.  Others a completely different person then former selves.  Once a hero now a distraction or bother.  Societal views of veterans saddens my heart.  Showing a large ideology of people's views of using others.  These brave men and women put years into such a mentally and physically draining battle in order to keep this country safe.  In return, we force these warriors to wander streets, scavenge for survival, and either adapt or fall. 

     Many homeless Veterans are beaten, locked up, or killed everyday.  People need to band together and promote more programs giving veterans support.  Programs should provide housing to necessities.  Many programs suggested to ex-military in need of support are also offered to general population such as shelters, promoting difficulty for members of our community who devoted time to our country to sleep well at night.  Programs should be implemented specifically for Veterans to allow a mentally or physically wounded person to live remaining years with less wounds then already shown.  Sean Pariser.

     I personally don't know much about the welfare that veterans receive from the government: at the same time I don't know any or have witnessed many homeless veterans in Los Angeles.  However, if our veterans are facing a living crisis then I feel like as citizens of this country we should promote awareness of these type of issues and try to resolve it as soon as possible.  It's not a pretty scene seeing a homeless veteran on the street.  They put their life on the line so that we people (citizens) are able to sleep without worry, eat comfortably, and be able to walk the streets of America in peace.

Daniel Deng.

     The way I feel about homeless veterans is it's a shame that they are homeless.  There should be no reason why our government has not implemented some form of relief for our fallen vets.  These men and women put their lives on the line to commit to our country in making America a safe place to live in.

     Some of our veterans have now been diagnosed with mental health issues, wounded in war and a host of other issues.  This should not be ignored and the problem should be under control by now.  This is not a new issue and has been occurring after the Vietnam War and the wars that followed after that.

     More funding and programs should be available for these individuals because they are entitled to it and have earned it.  Angel Garner.

     Although there are plethora of programs to support veterans after service, why are there so many left homeless?  My standpoint on this issue is that our government fails to properly assist our veterans.  They weren't homeless before they joined the military so they shouldn't be after they have serviced their country.

     These veterans have faced physical, emotional, and psychological trauma.  Some of which are so problematic that the government isn't able to give them proper treatment.  For example, a 65 year old Vietnam war veteran had severe, untreated atherisis and has been in the streets for 20 years only to be found under a bush smelling of urine and covered in life and different mites.

     The money that the government provides isn't enough to cover all expenses including housing.  And the food stamps provided is barely enough to feed a person for a week.

     Our veterans expose themselves to a variety of dangers and fight for our country, only to be given nothing.  Injustice to our veterans is due to the betrayal of our apathetic government.  Ariana Ho.

         

    

    

    

    

    

                                                                                  

Getrification Angelica

Gentrification

 Gentrification is the process of renovation and improvement of whole communities, towns, and even cities that conforms to a middle class lifestyle or as Mumm (2008) "upscale redevelopment threatens to displace established residents..." It is something that not only occurs in the small neighborhoods of California like Echo Park and Atwater but it occurs around the world; for example in Prenzlaur Berg in Berlin Germany. Gentrification usually occurs in neighborhoods or areas that are rundown and are transformed to becoming more urban and hip. A way in which this occurs is by in influx of more affluent residents or new businesses such as coffee shops or clothing stores pop up which attract a wealthier kind of people. Gentrification is a controversial topic because it brings with it both positive and negative impacts to the community and people that are involved. Some negative effects that gentrification brings along is the displacement of local workers who are commonly of low socioeconomic status. Another problem is that gentrification, due to it attracting a more affluent population to an area that normally serves low income families, is that the cost of living goes up and unprecedented rates. When this occurs, it forces out the people and families who originally lived in that community. However, despite the negative effects gentrification has, a positive effect that gentrification brings along is lower crime rates. Population migration, as I touched on a little can be both a good and bad thing.

Gentrification is relevant because it is something that has been happening a lot recently. We hear about all these new restaurants popping up in random little towns and suddenly there are more and are followed by coffee shops and stores, etc. Recently, more than before gentrification is something that has been expanding and thriving. Once a town is gentrified, we never hear about it going back to the way it was, it simply changes and becomes more urban. 

I live in an area known as Echo Park. It is a community between Down Town Los Angeles and Hollywood; with neighboring towns of Frogtown, Elysian Valley, Atwater and Silver Lake. A very long time ago, this used to be a dangerous neighborhood where there were gangs. Echo Park was a 100% hispanic community. It is honestly a little difficult to recall what it was like before gentrification occurred because once the "hipsters" started moving in, the change happened quickly. For example, when I was younger there used to be a lot of gangs that we did not feel safe walking to the store or going to the park late at night. Now, I go out on night walks around my neighborhood all the time, sometimes even until 1 in the morning. Safety and a decrease of criminal activity is a good thing that gentrification has brought to Echo Park. However, I do feel a sense of detachment from my culture. Like i previously mentioned, Echo Park used to be all hispanic and now it is a mixture of hispanic and caucasian. I used to go to the park when I was younger and there would be Spanish music playing and families would throw their children's parties at the park; they'd have pinatas. At every corner of the community, you could find the paletero man (ice cream man) or the elote man (corn guy); you could count on the raspado (shaved ice) guy to be at the park but today it is very hard to find any of them around. There used to be a lot of small businesses owned by hispanics and family run. I remember going into the family owned 99 cent store and the owner was at the cashier and they knew my name, they knew everybody because it was a close knit community of latinos. Where that little 99 cent store used to be has now been replaced by a thrift store, a cuban bakery has now been replaced by a hipster coffee shop. There used to be a tortilla shop owned by a single Mexican mother and her two daughters used to help her out; it is not longer there, they closed down and went out of business. Gentrification has definitely changed my home not only geographically but I can no longer enjoy the simple things I used to when I was younger. 

The people who are being affected the most would be the people who pay rent in the area and small mom and pop businesses. My family immigrated here from Mexico. My father has lived here, in Echo Park for 30 years. My uncle used to live in this building right across from my apartment that was for people with low socioeconomic status. He no longer lives there; the building is now a bougie building of lofts and an art studio/gallery in the basement.

Some of my family was forced out by the increase of rent due to gentrification but other have managed to stay but fear moving. For example, my father has lived in the same apartment for 30 years and because of that, his rent remains relatively low compared to all the surrounding apartments and lofts. He has thought about moving but is afraid to because he knows if he were to leave the apartment he is in now, he could never find something slightly better for an affordable and fair price; everything now accommodates the middle class.   

This is important to me because although I do like and appreciate some of the aspects gentrification has brought along, I do still want to feel like the home and community I grew up in. Echo Park is losing its essence with the brutal force of gentrification. As stated by Combs (2015), gentrification is not meant to be a negative thing, it is meant to improve neighborhoods but at what costs? You cant interrupt a happy home and build and expect people to be okay with that. 

Combs, J. L. (2015). Using Jane Jacobs and Henry George to Tame Gentrification. American Journal of Economics and Sociology.

Mumm, J. (2008). Report from the Field: Redoing Chicago: Gentrification, Race, and Intimate Segregation. North American Dialogue, 11(1), 16-19. doi:10.1111/j.1556-4819.2008.00007.x

Spring Wreck

Spring Breakers Wrecking Havoc on Beaches

As college spring breakers head to the beaches this month, many are taking to twitter to encourage picking up trash to keep the beaches clean. 

Research

According to the Chicago Tribune, nearly all college spring break destinations are at or near a beach. However, it is easy to see why college spring break partying is looked down upon by many people. The trash that is left on beaches (beer cans, liquor bottles, cigarettes, etc) is not only disgusting, but also incredibly dangerous to marine life animals. As soon as the tide rolls in, much of the trash is taken out into the sea where unknowing animals try to feed on the harmful items. Even if the trash does not make it to sea, creatures such as birds and turtles are still effected. 

Project Know studied the most popular spring break locations using the hashtag #SpringBreak. From this study, they learned that popular locations for college spring breakers see an increase in trash left behind. Because of this, many cities have begun to take initiative by creating new laws and regulations to demand the proper care of its beaches. Vice president of litter and affiliate relations at Keep America Beautiful gave a powerful quote, "Students come for the beauty of the beaches and they want it to be like that every year, but they forget that if they leave trash and debris behind, it won't stay that way."

Personal

I did not go to the beach a lot as a kid. Growing up in Sacramento, the nearest beach was about a two hour car ride away, making spontaneous beach trips non existent. When I would see pictures or watch movies about the beach, trash was never seen. My friends who went to the beach on vacation would never come home raving about all the trash they saw. 

Now when I go to the beach, the trash is hard to miss. Even if I'm there during the off season, trash is easily seen. I think the most frustrating is when I see trash NEXT TO the trash can. So close, but oh so far. I've always had a passion for wildlife and marine life, and the thought of any animal dying because someone was too lazy to take an extra step to get to a trash can is very irritating. I think people, especially college students, take the earth for granted. We haven't quite wrapped our heads around how unique the planet we live on is, which is why we don't treat it valuably. 

Hopefully from this post, people will have a better understanding of how crucial keeping the world's beaches clean is. 

Community Members

Cara Gonzales

"People who leave trash on beaches in general are ruining the earth. I think it is hard for people to understand just how sick it makes the animals."

Marissa Chavez

"I think it is selfish for spring breakers to leave their trash all over our beaches. They don't realize how much damage they're doing to the environment since they think of it as a place to party, not where people and animals live."

Jessica Gallagher

"I think spring breakers who leave trash on the beach are entitled students who get everything handed to them. They need to reevaluate the important things in life like our environment and the wildlife that gets affected directly by peoples' inconsiderate and careless actions."

Julius Pekari

"Beaches are only as clean as we keep them. If we all cleaned up after ourselves this wouldn't be an issue."

References

Karp, Gregory. "More than 50 Percent of College Students Plan Warm Spring Break."Chicagotribune.com. N.p., 02 Feb. 2015. Web. 23 Mar. 2017.

Stone, Brianna. "Your Spring Break Partying Could Be Ruining the Beaches." USA Today. Gannett Satellite Information Network, 22 Mar. 2017. Web. 23 Mar. 2017.