Blog #7

Gender Inequality in the US workforce is an ongoing issue that is becoming more and more evident each day. The unfairness of wages between men and women is so evident that many organizations have risen in order to help change the issue. Women in the workforce are the main target affected by these wage gaps. The Pew Research Center states, “Among women across all races and ethnicities, hourly earnings lag behind those of white men and men in their own racial or ethnic group” (Patten). Therefore, every woman in the United States is affected whether they realize it or not. Many women even claim that they believe that their pay is equal to the pay of men, but ultimately no industry offers equal pay for equal work and even some high-skilled jobs have the worst pay gaps. 

This ongoing social injustice is continually affecting not only women, but families of the women that depend on their pay to maintain a stable lifestyle. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, pay gap between men and women exists in nearly every spectrum of the United States. Women are paid less than men in every state and a majority of all work industries. New York leads all states with the smallest wage gap. Men earn an average of $52,124 and women earn an average of $46,208, which puts the gap at 11%. On average, men earn $10,470 more than women across all states in America. In specialist job’s, such as a surgeon, the earning-ratio between men and women is 64%. The reasons for this gap are still unknown, but the statistics are evident that women earn significantly less than men in most all industries. 

       Different news articles show definite inequality in the workforce, and I couldn't believe that people could actually state that this fully apparent inequality is right and just. According to The Huffington Post “women in the United States make 79 cents for every dollar a man earns” giving us tangible facts that this is truly a problem (Pearson). It is evident that people are blindly denying the fact that women are being mistreated in the workforce. It is very important to implement equal pay into our laws today so that in the future, the wage gap between men and women can become infinitesimal. I believe that this ongoing issue should not be brushed aside any longer, and we should take a stand to end gender inequality in the United States workforce. When looking at the bigger picture of life, women should not have to CHOOSE between being a mother or pursuing a career due to fear of financial stability. What if women finally had the opportunity to pursue what we were passionate about, knowing that we will rightfully receive equal pay to men?

      How should we go about solving this evident issue? My first guess would be by grabbing hold of it from the very beginning. After researching, I found a list of six ways to crush this ongoing unfairness. I believe that if these initiatives are taken from the start, then the inequality will decrease at a very fast rate. However, hiring forces for companies and workplaces have to be equal and on board as well. World Economic Forum states as number one, “Rethink job interviews.” Instead of asking men and women in their interview, “What do you think your salary should be?” they should, “provide a fair and transparent salary range and ask applicants to position themselves within it” (Trachsel). This in turn will take a more-broad question and make it more-narrow, considering women typically ask for less than men. The second way is by “Making gender quality part of training and education” (Trachsel). I could not agree more with this because after researching I was amazed to see how many men AND women were so unaware of what was really going on. Third, “Be proactive about welcoming women” (Trachsel). This statement to me means more than greeting women in the hallways as you’re crossing paths, this means respecting their presence and never underestimating their ability. Along with the fact that all “salaries and promotions should be monitored and evaluated on a regular basis to ensure equal treatment” (Trachsel). If this means hiring more people to the job specifically complete this task, then it should be done no question. This leads into the fourth point which is, “making flexibility and work-life balance a part of the wider community college” (Trachsel). This one is probably the hardest because it’s focusing on people that work part time or at home, which in some cases cannot be helped. Similar to four, the fifth point is, “Don’t limit your talent pool” (Trachsel). Work should have a comfortable feel to it for both men and women. Ultimately the workplace would be more united and really strive to work for its goal from day to day. Lastly, “Use the power of networking” (Trachsel). I love this suggestion because it empowers women to build strength in themselves and share the ways that they can best enhance their careers. I really do feel, that if these six easy tasks are implemented we will begin to see a FAST decrease in inequality in the workforce and women will truly start to feel equal to men. 

References:
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2014/10/six-ways-fix-gender-inequality-workplace/
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/07/01/racial-gender-wage-gaps-persist-in-u-s-despite-some-progress/
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/no-the-gender-pay-gap-isnt-a-myth-and-heres-why_us_5703cb8de4b0a06d5806e03f
https://www.aauw.org/resource/gender-pay-gap-by-state-and-congressional-district/

Blog #6

After reading my fellow classmate Rabi's Blog Post about separating families, I have to say there were a lot thing things mentioned that I agree with. Truthfully, a very intentional post that she shared about his care for children that are unwillingly separated from their parents. I agree completely with Rabi in that I do not think immigrant families should be torn apart, but she really didn't have much information to back up his points. However, since this is such a relevant and sensitive topic, I was hooked while reading Rabi's opposition.

Rabi mentioned in her work that once these illegal immigrants have children who ultimately have citizenship, they should not be deported. This issue draws very near to me right now, considering I have a friend who is experiencing this exact issue. This friend of mine has a step dad who gave her mother residency, but is in jail right now and without him she could easily be deported. Of course, my dear friend is facing the consequences and struggling with the fact that there's a strong chance of her mother leaving, her little brother being put in a foster home, and her having no power to control any of it since she is not 21. Considering the statistics, "As of 2014, there were 12.1 million immigrants living in the US, making up 3.5-3.8% of the US population" (Robertson), millions of people are struggling with similar issues. The fear that sets immigrants apart from everyone else in our country. I would agree with Rabi, children who are ripped away from their parents because of this issue, are most likely prone to rebellion. However, I think that speaks volumes toward our country that we have people willing to open their homes to kids and providing for them in any way they can. The root of their help should ultimately come from love and care for the children, but I can see where the conflict would lie. For example, foster parents not truly caring for the children and not helping them initiate a normal lifestyle that they deserve.

I could not have said it better than Rabi, when she mentioned "For kids safety, for not destroying the love between families, and for the economy of a great nation, we should all take action to help stop families separations in the United States of America." It is our duty as citizens to help in any way we can, whether that's giving money to help support or even so much as to opening up our homes to best care for each other.

Source:
https://www.factcheck.org/2018/06/illegal-immigration-statistics/

Blog #5

Gender Inequality in the US workforce is an ongoing issue that is becoming more and more evident each day. The unfairness of wages between men and women is so evident that many organizations have risen in order to help change the issue. Women in the workforce are the main target affected by these wage gaps. The Pew Research Center states, “Among women across all races and ethnicities, hourly earnings lag behind those of white men and men in their own racial or ethnic group” (Patten). Therefore, every woman in the United States is affected whether they realize it or not. Many women even claim that they believe that their pay is equal to the pay of men, but ultimately no industry offers equal pay for equal work and even some high-skilled jobs have the worst pay gaps.

This ongoing social injustice is continually affecting not only women, but families of the women that depend on their pay to maintain a stable lifestyle. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, pay gap between men and women exists in nearly every spectrum of the United States. Women are paid less than men in every state and a majority of all work industries. New York leads all states with the smallest wage gap. Men earn an average of $52,124 and women earn an average of $46,208, which puts the gap at 11%. On average, men earn $10,470 more than women across all states in America. In specialist job’s, such as a surgeon, the earning-ratio between men and women is 64%. The reasons for this gap are still unknown, but the statistics are evident that women earn significantly less than men in most all industries.

       Different news articles show definite inequality in the workforce, and I couldn't believe that people could actually state that this fully apparent inequality is right and just. According to The Huffington Post “women in the United States make 79 cents for every dollar a man earns” giving us tangible facts that this is truly a problem (Pearson). It is evident that people are blindly denying the fact that women are being mistreated in the workforce. It is very important to implement equal pay into our laws today so that in the future, the wage gap between men and women can become infinitesimal. I believe that this ongoing issue should not be brushed aside any longer, and we should take a stand to end gender inequality in the United States workforce. When looking at the bigger picture of life, women should not have to CHOOSE between being a mother or pursuing a career due to fear of financial stability. What if women finally had the opportunity to pursue what we were passionate about, knowing that we will rightfully receive equal pay to men?

References:
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/07/01/racial-gender-wage-gaps-persist-in-u-s-despite-some-progress/

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/no-the-gender-pay-gap-isnt-a-myth-and-heres-why_us_5703cb8de4b0a06d5806e03f
https://www.aauw.org/resource/gender-pay-gap-by-state-and-congressional-district/

Blog #4

     For this blog, I decided to check out a left leaning source called Crooks and Liars. The article that peaked my interest was one that involved Trump's actions at a MAGA Rally yesterday in Montana. The title is, "At His Later MAGA Rally, Trump Jokes Around About A Reporter Being Assaulted." My first thought was "Oh no, what did he say now?" Which seems to be a recurring questions when reading about Trump's actions and latest stories.
     First, I'll evaluate the situation that Trump was discussing. Last year at a meet and greet event for Greg Gianforte (a GOP candidate for Montana), a reporter for "The Guardian" named Ben Jacobs was simply doing his job and asking Gianforte a question that would only take a few minutes of his time. Also, typical for a meet and greet to be asked political questions that he should be expected to answer. However, Gianforte took matters into his own hands and decided it would be best to body slam this poor man to the ground. Let me say that again.... body slam him. Something's not right here. Granted, Gianforte was preparing for a television interview at the time of the question, but I don't think that would have been my first instinct post frustration with a man clearly doing his job. The article focused on Trump's reaction was what had everyone in shock though. After reading the article, I would agree that Trump was in no way helping the situation and the people that it effected. For example, him stating, "Any guy who can do a body slam ... he's my guy" (Paragraph 2) was truly unecessary and offended so many. I feel as if he was just laughing at the situation, rather than ridiculing Gianforte's behavior. Trump could have stood up there and said what really needed to be said about Greg Gianforte, but I truly think he already made as much of a fool out of himself as he could without the words of Trump.
     Lastly, I'm going to evaluate the author, the article, and it's claim. I thought that the author could have done a better job getting his thoughts in order throughout the article. I understood that he was appalled by Trump's view, but in the middle of the article he started rambling about another past situation where Trump did something similar without informing the audience that he was no longer talking about Gianforte. He wrote a final sentence about the crowd cheering for Trump at the MAGA rally and then I read, "This grotesque and depraved spectacle comes as the administration scrambles to determine what happened (they know) to Jamal Khashoggi (a Washington Post columnist that Trump doesn't care about) and determine how to respond (ignore) and what to do to MBS and Saudia Arabia (how to help them cover it up)"  (Paragraph 4). He certainly could have done a better job about informing the audience where he was going with his point. The audience for this article was directed toward Liberals who also cannot stand Trump and his views. At the very end of the article, the author boldly claims that everyone who attended the rally and anyone affiliated with "MAGA mob" is an animal and assumes, "Trump could call a reporter on stage and shoot them in the head and the crowd would chant and jeer and clap while Trump wiped the blood on his shirt. These animals are vile, infested, repulsive" (Paragraph 9). A pretty shameful comment if you ask me.

Blog #3

       On October 3^rd, the Editorial Board for the Washington Post released an article called, “Trump makes a mockery – of himself.” This is a heated and opinionated article that has the public in shock right now due to Trump's mockery toward Christine Bailey Ford's accusation of being “sexually assaulted” by Brett M. Kavanaugh. This article expresses resentment toward Trump specifically for his inconsiderate assumption of Ms. Ford being foolish throughout the night, rather than truly respecting her accusation of this possibly occurring. Another issue in the article, would be the confusion that lies due to Trump’s character. Only a week ago during Ms. Ford’s testimony on the matter, he believed her statement on the issue was “‘very compelling’” (Paragraph 1) and then yesterday, it just does not seem to be too compelling to him anymore...Apparently it didn’t take too long for his opinion to change.
      The article discusses that Trump wasn’t there for what happened between Mr. Kavanaugh and Ms. Ford, and has no idea what Ms. Ford could have possibly gone through physically and emotionally. Therefore, Trump was consciously taking Mr. Kavanaugh’s side and not necessarily being considerate of the fact that Ms. Ford has a voice and deserves to be heard at the very least. This entire article was specifically written for voters to see the flaws of our president, his character, and his decisions. For example, nominating possible sex offenders into the Supreme Court to represent our country and the general public. I truly agree that this article is disheartening when it comes to viewing the leadership that “holds the United States in place.” I also could not agree with the last paragraph in the article where it emphasizes that “Mr. Trump’s mockery serve[s] to set back the nation’s progress in understanding this kind of crime and will discourage victims from coming forward” (Paragraph 7). The last thing this country needs is for its people to feel as if their voice is not heard or that there cannot be anything done for them in a time of distress. Especially with an issue as serious as sexual assault.

Blog #2

Exactly a year ago today, Hurricane Maria devastated the lives of residents and visitors in Puerto Rico. The storm was so severe that many deaths were reported and the majority of homes were in ruins. New York Times published a very informative article for the anniversary of the hurricane to let all readers become aware of the devastation that is still occurring today. As well as expressing the emphasis of this major setback for Puerto Ricans. The article, "On Hurricane Maria Anniversary, Puerto Rico Is Still In Ruins," is written by Frances Robles and Jugal K. Patel.

I strongly suggest reading this article, as it will open your eyes to the pain and suffering of these poor people that are forced to cling to the graciousness of non-profit organizations and donators that ultimately provide their monthly income. Along with, their frustration and lack of trust in the United States' Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). 

Blog #1

Hello fellow colleagues!