Ryan Velarde

Period 4

9-13-05

Poverty

Today, throughout the world there are many unresolved problems such as freedom, aids, terrorism, racism, war, and many others. I believe that the world’s single greatest problem is poverty. Today many people live in poverty, without the proper food, housing, or clothing. Many people die and suffer each year because they live in poverty.

People that live in poverty also do not have medicine because they cannot afford it nor can they access it. Since they do not eat the right food, have proper shelter, or clothing they often get sick and get diseases which can not be treated properly or in a timely manor because they do not have medication or any type of doctors. Because people living in poverty often get diseases and cannot treat them, the diseases spread quickly spread throughout a village or group of people and cause many people to die.

Right now in Niger about 3.6 people face malnutrition and about 20% of those people are children. It is even worse for children under 30 months of age with about 33% being malnourished. Tens of thousands of children are estimated to be treated this year because of malnutrition. Many of those children and others will die of malnutrition. People living in poverty is the reason so many people lack the right food and nutrients, and the reason so many people die.

The world cannot stop poverty, but they could certainly help more people get out of poverty. When something like malnutrition occurs, such as in Niger, the help is almost always late and does no good by the time it arrives there, if it ever arrives at all because many people will have died and suffered already. The world needs to do more for people living in poverty. People should go to places with a high poverty level and build houses, supply them with clothes, and give them food. It does not have to be a lot because anything that poor people receive will be better than what they had before. People could also raise and collect money, even if it is only a little bit. People could also donate clothes and food. The world cannot stop poverty, but it can certainly help prevent it.

Terrorism

I agree with Dan Kelchner that a big problem in the world today is terrorism. Terrorism is violence or destruction of something or of people and I believe that is wrong. There are many people and groups around the world that practice terrorism and they need to be stopped.

When people think of terrorists or terrorism attacks they connect it with the Middle East and Middle Eastern people. Dan is right in the fact that Middle Eastern people are not the only terrorists in the world. Although 9/11 happened and the terrorists involved in that were from the Middle East there have been many other terrorists that are of a different race and from a different part of the country. In Ireland there is an extremist group of Catholics that practice terrorism because they want the good land in Ireland back from the British. The British will not let the Catholics have it back so the Catholics commit acts of terrorism to prove a point. There was also the Oklahoma City bombing which was committed by a white Caucasian male named Timothy McVeigh. These are just some of the many cultures and people that practice terrorism.

There are some different reasons why people, groups of people, and cultures practice terrorism. Some people practice terrorism because they believe it is their duty to someone. Some practice terrorism because they have to; either because they are born into it or because someone makes them. Some, such as the Irish Catholics practice it because they want to prove a point and make the British suffer. Some people practice it simply because they want to. It is hard to imagine that people think it is alright to kill harmless people for no reason. Terrorism cannot be stopped right away, but it could certainly be limited by not responding to someone’s attack and by loving your neighbor.