GL 350; week Tre

Oh thee beautiful Rome….and Venice.

            Only three weeks into my Rome adventure, well technically four but wow! It still feels like I have been here for months or at least longer than three weeks. This week has been very laid back and kind of relaxing especially after going to Venice, which I will talk about shortly. This week we had our usual readings from our assigned books and not our usual three hours of Italian but four hours! For me, learning or at least being in Italian class is difficult, I cannot seem to understand what is going on and I have never really taken a language before which, I feel sets me back in Italian, but we will see how the rest of the weeks to come go and try to be positive. As for our weekly visits, we went to the St Domitilla catacombs, San Giovanni in Laterano, St. Constantine church and the aqueduct system.

Venice was beautiful and the whole boats as transporting was awesome, especially Boat police cars and ambulances. I loved the place, fell in love with it. Venice and the surrounding islands had open air, the sea, and just the atmosphere of the city. While taking a ferry from island to island was the only option and I do get motion sickness, I did pretty well about not getting sick, I think always being up getting fresh air helped! We also went to the beach, best part of the trip because I have never been to a beach before, amazing! I loved the sand, the sounds of the water and discovering shells, I collected too many of them, I went shell crazy. We went to an original murano glass factory and saw how glass can be molded into all kinds of objects, what we saw was glass being made into a vase and a horse. So, I never realized how much murano glass could cost and it is expensive, 2000 and up for the good stuff. For instance, there was a chandler costing 45,000 Euros! The Sunday before we left we went a beautiful church, Saint Mark’s Basilica, the service was in Italian and Latin, one of the most beautiful services I have ever seen and words cannot describe its beauty. Now, since the service was in Italian I could not understand what was going on, so relating this to the story in “Smiles of Rome” by Margaret Visser, the church service did seem like a play. The service was scripted from the readings of the day, kept my attention and spoke silently to me, just like if you see a good play but this service was able to reach a place much deeper inside me than a play could, into my heart and very soul. In general, the city of Venice is beautiful, just amazing, and someday I hope to go back there, I I will just have to wait and see.

            In our assigned readings this week I read several passages that caught my attention and well, said something that I liked. In “The Smiles of Rome”, of pg 84 a passage says “Love each other as much as brothers should, and have a profound respect for each other. Work for the Lord with untiring effort and with great earnestness of spirit. If you have hope, this will make you cheerful. Do not give up if trials come; and keep on praying…..”, and this “Bless those who persecute you; never curse them, bless them….Never repay evil with evil….Do all you can to live at peace with everyone”. These words stuck with me because they are words I have been trying to follow, being kind to everyone or respecting everyone no matter their personality or lifestyle or how they treat me. These words are quite beautiful because of the beauty following these words gives you. The church or Bible teaches us to see the beauty that God created around us and in every person sometimes it just takes a just a moment or second look to see that beauty and other times it is instant.

For instance, when we walked into St. Constantine church, it was a beautiful church do not get me wrong but it seemed like other churches we have seem until we had the option to climb the sacred steps on our knees. The climb up was difficult, already having bruises on my knees from previous falls and climbing up 28 steps is harder than it sounds. On each step you are suppose to say a pray or meditate, which I did and when you reach the top, your knees or my knees did not hurt anymore, I was very proud of myself for climbing up the sacred steps on my knees. After the climb, I was able to notice more beauty about the church that made it unique and captured my up most attention; so much attention that I did not know the group had left for the next church. The beauty of life, of God, or everything is around us, through the beauty and atmospheres of the church to the dirty alley down the road or the Indian umbrella sellers, a weird beauty I suppose but beautiful in some way. The next church we went to as San Giovanni also known as the Popes church. It was a very big church and what I would consider very modern for a church in Italy. I saw the holy doors which are only open once every 25 years, 2025 is the next year it will be open. The door was beautiful after taking a second look because the hand of Mary and foot of baby Jesus was a color different that the rest, worn away to a pretty gold like color from all the people rubbing it. The paintings inside were beautiful and the church was too big to explore and enjoy in the time that we were given so I plan on going back to revisit it, studying the inside more intently.

The same day as the churches we went to we also went to the St Domitilla catacombs. The catacombs were more than what I thought they would be, an aura indescribably creepy yet beautiful. The history and the structure or the dark immerse and massive maze of graves underneath the ground. Over 150,000 tombs and less than 2,000 still intact, or something along those lines, are still intact because of all the damage done to the catacombs. Our tour guide was the best we have had so far and was easily understandable. The catacombs were something that I have never seem in my life, heard of but never seen, there was so much history, so much hope in the darkness from underneath, a beautiful thing. The end of the week was a tour of the aqueduct system of Rome. So the fact that all the water Rome gets from this system is pretty darn cool and the fact that the water tastes excellent is well an added bonus. We were able to see the structure of the different systems and, a beautiful park, feeling like we were in a farmland, but we were still in Rome. So, I will be truthful, this was kind of boring and it may sound bad but, to me it was boring but the aqueducts in itself was interesting to see up close and being able to touch the stone. This week being in Rome was again Amazing and full of moments and memories for my future memoirs, well, maybe not for the memoirs that I probably will not write that because my memory is horrible and I have yet to write in the “said” journal I wanted to keep while I was here!

Soc 490; week due

                                                          Healthcare; a topic always in the spot light

      Is healthcare a right or a privilege? A debate that will always be a hot topic now since President Barrack Obama is changing the way it works. As for myself I think that it is a privilege but, like a tree at the beginning of a storm, I am beginning to sway from side to side which opposing side is truly the right one. If you are able to understand the view of an opponent’s argument, you can not only be able to better understand your own view but improve what you know about the topic in general. As for healthcare being a privilege these are the reasons why I think that the opponents believe it is a right.

     The Bible, one of the most, if not greatest, influential books in the world, tells us to love thy neighbor and to treat others as our brothers or sisters. Viewing healthcare as a right, follows this way of living by treating everyone the same, giving everyone the right to get healthcare. In “Gaudium et Spes”, it give us many reasons to believe that healthcare is a right and that everyone is entitled to it. On page 23 “God, Who has fatherly concern for everyone, has willed that all men should constitute one family and treat one another in a spirit of brotherhood”, or on page 25, there are reasons everywhere as to why healthcare is a right “the common good”, “general welfare of the entire human family”, or “rights and duties are universal and inviolable….made available to all men everything necessary for leading a life truly human. Such as food, clothing, and shelter; the right to choose a state of life freely and to found a family, the right to education….”. All this tells us clear as the air we breathe that healthcare is a right just like food and clothing or education. Making healthcare universal is the claimed to be the best solution for the common good of America by promoting the general welfare of the human race or as what the opposing side would claim. Also in Gaudium on page 27, “respect and love ought to be extended also to those who think or act differently than we do in social, political and even religious matters”. So giving healthcare to everyone is showing love and respect for people of all backgrounds and lifestyles.

     So since Healthcare being a right is what seems like a probable solution, fair to all and now going to be in full effect by our reelected President Obama, all citizens everywhere will have be given the right to healthcare. Citizens in all counties of Ohio will be able to get healthcare and go to hospitals and get the right treatment. For instance the Cleveland clinic in Cuyahoga County will be able and be made to treat everyone, not only people with insurance. The residents of Cuyahoga County will be able to get the care they need at the Cleveland clinic and promote their well-being, right? Wrong, it is wrong because when giving people access to the best healthcare does not mean they will use it or if a person lives an unhealthy lifestyle, living next to a hospital will not make that person healthy. Living next to one of the best hospitals around does not mean the people around it are healthy; it is all about your lifestyle, economic status and, genetic factors/illnesses. When people do live close to a hospital or live in the county of the best hospital around just means that those people have easier access to it or could reach a hospital faster. The economic factor could be the big issue as to why people in Cuyahoga County are not all healthy and living in range to the Cleveland Clinic. If a person is financially instable, how are they going to afford to pay for healthcare at the Cleveland clinic?

     Healthcare is not free even with Obama’s Universal healthcare plan or Obama care, if the citizens of America are unable to pay insurance premiums, hospital bills, car payments, groceries or anything else how are they going to pay for insurance? Take away from the people who can? Bring the rest of society down instead of raising the other half of society, balancing society. Yes, everyone will have the right to get healthcare, be able to get the care that they need or help they might deserve but that still does not make healthcare free. There is nothing in life that s free except for the air we breathe, Food stamps or government housing, public education or private education, private insurance of government insurance, someone has to pay for it and that someone is the people who can afford only the bare necessities or those who can live comfortably. We are going to be paying insurance for those who cannot pay for it; there is no doubt or question about that fact because we already pay for their government assistance, like food stamps, medical card, government housing or unemployment. Now, the real question is who’s going to pay for us when we, the middle class, can no longer pay for ourselves?

Gl 350; week due

     Ah Rome! A city that is famous for everything; food fashion, art, history and the way it is able to captivate the tourists who come to visit. Now, wait a second, I am not here to only visit but to stay for a while….”I am not a tourist, I live here”, at least for eight weeks and six now. As for this week we went to the Spanish Steps, piazza de Popolo, and the Appia Antia. Going to the Appia Antia was by far the best.

    The Appia Antia, one for the oldest roads in Rome, some parts of huge old chucks of cobblestone and other little small chunks. The big chunks were by far the worst to go over with on a bike, yes, we were on a bike. The bikes were not liking the cobblestone or my butt, but… the views and whole bike riding in Rome was amazing! Now, in our readings for the week in “the Smiles of Rome” Jane Alison’s section “The love artist” talked about a man named Ovid going into exile from the country he loves. He passes by all these places in Rome that belongs to he country like, the circular temple, the Aventine and the city of Ostia Antica. He is traveling down this road through Rome awaiting his exile and he asked an officer “Does that mean I can bring Rome with me”? He says this because Rome is in his heart forever, apart of him and who he is, a Roman. This does not really have anything to go with the Appia Antia except for Ovid traveling on a road to his exile and me traveling a road that could lead me back to home or, campus.

     The charm of Italy, it is true, I have been captivated by it. What captivated me? I think it was the history, the art and the beauty and history of the churches around Rome. The Churches are the biggest part of what has captivated me because of being a new catholic and excited to learn more and see more about the religion I am choosing to follow. In “the Italians”, chapter 3, the author talks about “the fatal charm of Italy”, talks about the Pope, specifically, “The Pope has once again become a great spiritual leader, a symbolic figure, the moral head of all forces of good against evil”. I am so excited to see the Pope at the end of our trip and especially being able to go to the Papal audience. Then, in the chapter it says “Of course, natural beauty and famous views are abundant in Italy. Such things, however, are not unknown elsewhere. Nature is usually more inspiring even in the United States…”. I wondered to myself how could this author possibly compare Italy’s natural beauty to the United States, because I have lived there almost 20 years now and I have not seen beauty that can touch this place. Maybe when I go back to the United States and find a natural beauty that can rival Italy but as for now, Italy has won.

     “The air is in fact filled with so much noise that one must usually talk in a very loud voice to be understood, thereby increasing the total uproar”. On pg 60 in “the Italians”, the author wrote this. I can relate to what the author wrote about the Spanish steps, oh my word were they packed. The steps were occupied with tourists, lots of tourists, more than I have seen so far and just good old Italians waiting on the steps for someone. Since the steps are know to people as a meeting place, everyone really does meet there, it is like a maze trying to walk up those steps to get to the top. The Spanish step or piazza de Spania, was beautiful, but not as what I expected, maybe because I pictured something else in my mind or just because I was not interested in steps, who knows. Then on pg 69 of “the Italians” it says “the fact that everybody, or almost everybody, seems to be doing his job with whole-hearted dedication and enthusiasm is what impresses travelers next”. I believe this passage does not speak for Most of the Italian workers today, from the people I have seem very few are sincere others are just probably to the point of hating tourist and only liking their money, but do they really care about how happy they seem or how hard they work?

     This week I was able to see three beautiful churches; the art work was just gorgeous and amazing. How can someone paint something so big? Also just being in the churches surrounded by a holy presence is just relaxing, calming and peaceful. Just sitting down in a church for a while is something I am trying to do every time I go into one. I know the names of the churches I went into but I just can’t remember at this moment. As for being in Rome this week, it was again amazing, but I have noticed that the waiters and service at restraints suck, they suck and the servers get paid for doing a horrible job. I have not found a good waiter yet, even though I have managed to find a couple who are somewhat cheerful. As for having seven more weeks, I am ready to see more of the City around me and explore the bounty of art and history around me.

Soc 490 week one

                                                Health care, a right or a privilege?
     Rights and Privilege, what do they mean? What is the accepted definition of the two words?  A right is a moral or legal entitlement to have or do something. A privilege is a special right, advantage, or immunity for a particular person. To me, a right is something you are born with, like the right to live life how you want it or do what you want while abiding by the laws or freedom of religion, speech and press. A privilage is something you have to earn or work for, behaving approprietly or following the laws, not just given to you. As society today is growing more and more, people are becoming more and more greedy, lazy or wanting the good things in life handed to them, with no effort on  their part. My health care is given to me from my parents who work hard to have the privalege to be under a good insurence company, it is not given to them becuase they needed it but because they work for it.
     As for the four opinions from the book "Universal Health Care", two said it was a right and the other two said it was a privilage. I agree with Peikoff because of several statements he said in his artical. He state "we are not born with the trip to disneyland, or a meal at McDonalds,...", this is absolutly true, yes we have the freedom to go to Disneyworld but you have to earn money to be able to go and then you can have the privilage to go. Now, sometimes a person may win a trip to the magical kingdom, well that just luck or maybe a parent has a dying child and the make a wish foundation gives the family a trip, that was through a strenous trial of pain and eventually death that a family like that is able to go. Going to disneyland is not a right but a privilage. In Creech's article he uses the bible and what it says as a means to defend universal healthcare being wrong. He states that the bible discourages economic systems that construct dependence or reward sloth. He even quoptes a bible verse backing up his opinion, Thessalonions 3:10. He makes a point that a universal government healthcare system is a form of socialised medicine and destroy professional freedom for medical proffesions and since I am in the medical field, i agree with him.Also with the point he makes about the quality of health care lessen when the government has to make healthcare affordable and mandatory for everyone.
     As for the other two articles I do not agree with them because they make the view of healthcare being affordable for everyone and it is a right. In Redmonds article, she states that people are not free with the healthcare system the way it is today. Like the mentally ill are not free becauss they are unable to get insurence and they end up in jail, or her statement "jails and prisons have become de facto psychiatric treatment facilities for the mentally ill. First of all this is a false statement, where are her facts or research. Jail and prisions are filled with people who either deserve to be in there for a crime they have commited or because they may cause a threat to others or themselves. In American today there are a number of facilities that help the mentally ill and or homeless for free, they just happen to have rules, sometimes strict rules that some choose not to follow. Now, yes some people with mental illnesses do have a mental illness that need help and cannot get it and this is obviuosly a matter needing a solution. as for the other article, by the Interfaith canter on Corporate Responsibility, "a call for accesible and affordable health care for all people in a just and compassionate healthcare system.....faith based investors believe it is in the economic intrest of companies....". Yes, we do need a just healthcare system but because people will take advantage of the system or abuse privilages or stretch the limits of their rights, a just and compassionate system is not a possibility. Healthcare that is affordable and comprehensive for everyone is not in the economys intrest, how is the government going to pay for the lower half of american that cannot afford it? Raise the taxes of the people who can, insurence companies raising premiums and deductiples, thus making healthcare unaffordable for for the higher margin.
     The battle of healthcare will be a struggling battle for the years ahead, there will never be a perfect solution or a plan that makes everyone happy. No matter what is decided on or who think "this will work for everyone" they are all wrong. Making healthcare affordable for everyone or enabling everyone to get coverage is a double edged sword. Now, in my opinion a goverment involved healthcare or government run system is the absolute wrong path to go, the more the government gets theri head up everyone's butt, the less freedom we have as americans, next the government will draw our names out of a hat to decide what job we can have or what house we get to live in or even the food we eat. Healthcare is a privilager for the people who earn it, whether it is a sick or dying child, an elderly man who needs help, a war veteren needing care after fighting for our freedom, or a hard working american not sitting on there butts expecting soemone else to take care of them.

GL 350 week uno

     Italy, the trip of a life time and places  not many people get to see. I get this opportunity and I will keep each moment and each new place we see forever a memory. Studying in Italy for the next two monthes is an opportunity I would have never been able to have and this is going to be an opportunity for me to grow as a person and succeed indepententy. As we get our week one schedual, the main sights are the Coliseum, Roman Forum, Campo de'Fiori, the jewish ghetto and several churches. With our schedule, we also recieved reading assingments to correspond with our daily sight seeing, interwoven into each other.
     The first day we were off to the Coliseum and Roman Forum. The Coliseum was breathtaking, getting right off the subway, walking up a flight of stairs and there right in front of you is the mighty structure. When reading "Who killed Daisy Miller", in "The Smiles of Rome", we were given a little history of the Coliseum and a story about a woman, Daisy, who died from Malaria before seeing the Coliseum because the Coliseum and Roman Forum are bult on a marsh, but no longer that now a days. The Coliseum was bult by Emperor Vaspasion  and ever since it was bult it is the 8th wonder of the world! As for the Roman forum, well for me it was just ruins, rocks and crumbled stone, nothing that caught my interest. There was a quote in "The Smiles of Rome" that I thought about when walking through the Roman Forum and also Palentine hill and most of Rome, "When we contemplate ruins, we contemplate our own future", eventually we all fall eventualy and some of us can leave impressions in the world and others do not. Like the Roman Forum or other famous ruins in Rome, they all fell but leave impressions every day the rumble is still there.
     The rest of that week we were off the the Jewish Ghetto, an area that caught my eye and the history that caught my attention because of my brother being jewish. I was sure to get plenty of pictures of the ghetto to show him an area that can be considered apart of him. In Campo de' Fiori, well shops and merchants were every where, wanting to grab your attention and sell there wares to you. Which in my opinion most of the merchants were selling cheap wares not worth the money. In the Italians chapter 1, it talks about the italian charm, the city Rome in itself has a charm not felt any where else. The famous sights suck you in, draws your attention and when your attention is distracted, well your belongings become a pleasurable sight for the mischevious. "They are the first victims of the famous charm of Italy", this quote from the italians is pointed to tourists and it is far beyond a false statement. When our professors and guides take us to our daily sights, the new unfamilar famous surroundings captures your mind and charms you because these are things you have never seen before or cannot be replicated any where else in the world.
     Towards, the end of the week we were able to visit this beautiful church that is not open to the public and also the baths of Cacacella. This church was historic and looked as if it was right out of a history book about churches. The artwork, paintings surrounding the walls and on the ceilings and just the good old fasion architecture, all marble floors, hand crafted and the atmosphere in general was captivating. The other part of that church was the catacombs that we were able to see, skulls real skulls used as the cross, as the light fiixtures and displayed all around the basement. Now, the Baths of Caracella, the image that came to mind for me was no where near the scale that my eyes saw. There were massive brick walls all around and even origianl mosaic tiles for the flooring still in tact. Thousands of people flocked to this sight in the days of old and it was more that enough space to hold that number of people. After I was able to see the ruins, I really could picture the baths, with pools to bath and excersise. The one thing that made me laugh, is that every time the tour guide would talk about the courts with excerising and activities going on, all I could think about was like a high school gym and a bastektball, which neither they had back then.
     It is amazing to see how well the Italians maintain the beauty and historic atmosphere of the ruins around the city. For a moment you think your just riding a bus going through a city, which you are but then it is like a slap in the face when you ride by a set of ruins or a historic building with a crumbling structure being restored. Italy definetly has a certian charm that captures a toursit but unique to the surroudnings and in my opinion does not compare to going to New York or California. Rome is a beautful city and has a beautiful culture but why is a city reling so much on old ruins or crubling structures or a pretty flat of grass to make it what it is. All great things fall eventually, it is just a matter of time and when some of the famous sttructures fall, what are the Romans going to fall back on, more ruins?