Obama Immigration Reform Essay Example for Free

Obama Immigration Reform Essay Currently, 11 million illegal immigrants inhabit the United States. This number will continue to augment without proper regulation of these aliens. Ever since his first inauguration, it has been President Barack Obama’s mission to improve America’s mediocre immigration system. Since Obama’s reelection for his second term, he has constantly stressed the fact that the new ideas for immigration reform are on the top of his list. Not only will these new reclaims help both the legal and illegal immigrants, and American citizens, but also they will benefit the US economy. It has been a controversial argument whether Obama’s reform ideas will either positively or negatively affect the US economy, but according to the bipartisan group of democrats and republicans, it is agreed that the positives greatly outweigh the negatives. After the bipartisan meeting on January 28th, 2013, in which both parties’ principles were announced for comprehensive immigration reform (CNN Political Unit, CNN. com), Obama presented a speech on January 29th, 2013, which consisted of numerous solutions to the troubled immigration system presently used in the United States. This speech not only contained these ideas, but also his plan of action to pursue them during his next four years in office. Obama proved to America that he would attempt to fulfill these reforms as soon as possible by saying, â€Å"It is time to fix the system that has been broken for way too long,† (CNN Political Unit, CNN. com). The first, and arguably the most imperative, immigrant reform plan is to strengthen the US-Mexico border’s security, strictly correlating with illegal immigrant crossings. Since Obama has been in office, the number of illegal crossings has shrunk down to about 80% from their peak in 2000 (CNN Political Unit, CNN. com). Some specific methods that are considered being used to strengthen the US-Mexico border are: increase protection and number of border patrol agents, add 350 miles of fencing, add 290 miles of vehicle barriers, invest in more cameras and radar towers, and finally, end the â€Å"Catch Release† Policy (USA Immigration Reform, USAimmigrationreform. org). Secondly, Obama desires to increase the enforcement efforts on illegal immigrant criminals who endanger the country’s communities. Thankfully, with Obama in office, the deportation of undocumented criminals is at its highest level than it has ever been before (CNN Political Unit, CNN. com). The third angle for this project is to reinforce the already-formed DREAM Act, which stands for â€Å"Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors. † The main purpose of this addition to the bill of reforms is so the minors that travelled with their parents or guardians over the border (in this case, they are not responsible for being an illegal alien) are ensured opportunity, safety, and equal rights (Zuckerman-Bernstein, policymic. om). Providing conditional permanent residency to certain illegal minors of good moral character who graduate from high schools in the United States is the platform of this act (CNN Political Unit, CNN. com). The fourth contribution in Obama’s speech discussed worksite enforcement. It is strongly suggested that we implement a new national system that enables businesses to rapidly and accurately verify one’s employment status, and even more emphasized, heighten and ramp up the penalties deserved by the businesses that still hire illegally (CNN Political Unit, CNN. om). Actions to be accounted for in this effort are: moderating the number of documents accepted to verify identity and work eligibility, ensuring that all workers must hold legal status in the United States, increasing the fines and consequences for those continually hiring illegal workers, and lastly, to surge investigation of these employers (USA Immigration Reform, USAimmigrationreform. org). This topic is a bit more accentuated because the employment of illegal workers generates an unbalanced and unfair workplace for American citizens. The companies that hire illegally create a battlefield for companies that do proceed to follow the law and pay decent wages, causing those of which to suffer. Not only are these loyal companies and businesses affected, but also is a majority of general working Americans. Their wages and working conditions are threatened, but Obama demands to protect each worker’s rights and clarifies this motion by stating,† We will make sure that every worker and business in America is playing the same set of rules,† (CNN Political Unit, CNN. com). The fifth input could hold the most considerable amount of influence on illegal immigrants currently living in America, and for those who wish to come to America legally but unfortunately have a hard time doing so. Obama’s idea of laying out a pathway to citizenship has caught the eyes and ears of many. This pathway consists of various forms of tests and agreements that attain to both present illegal immigrants and legal ones wishing to move, such as: a background check, paying taxes, learning English, paying a penalty upon illegal entry and getting in back of the line behind the people who have waited to arrive legally (illegals only). Obama claims this is only fair (CNN Political Unit, CNN. com). There will be a revised naturalization test, with a focus on American democracy, US history, and what is expected of a US citizen. Also, a rise of immigrant coach training will help applicants through the immigration process. Finally, it’s planned to enhance the development of web-based learning tools to increase English language skills (USA Immigration Reform, USAimmigrationreform. org). Congress stresses that this pathway to citizenship is mainly focused on the 11 million undocumented aliens in America, but it is equally vital to deal with future immigrants, as well, or the country may find itself housing more illegals and not progressing to a better America (Fox News, The Associated Press, foxnews. com). Lastly, Obama’s final aspiration is to break our old fashioned system and bring it to the 21st century. The president’s opinion about visa card laws was that they are â€Å"outdated† and â€Å"make no sense,† (Fox News, The Associated Press, foxnews. com). He hopes to join family members with those who have come to earn a living already and to avoid the prolonged wait of future immigrants. Having to wait years before being able to send one’s family to America is absurd to the President and surely to a majority of others (CNN Political Unit, CNN. com). These plans, ideas, and desires for a higher quality national immigration system will be assorted into a bill. Witnesses largely appealed to congress’ disposition to pass the bill because not only will this bill ameliorate the lives of immigrants and their families, but also the US economy (Fox News, The Associated Press, foxnews. om). Correspondingly, there is a plethora of reasons why a substantial immigration reform would positively impact the US economy. To begin, immigrants start businesses. The Small Business Administration says immigrants are 30% more likely to start a business compared to a native, and 18% of small business owners today are immigrants (Gray, Furman, thewhitehouse. gov). In addition, this reform would create an annual increase of 0. 8% points to the economic growth rate, presently stuck at a frustrating 2% (CBN News, CBN. com). Additional boosts to the economic growth could potentially come from rising wages for newly legalized workers and higher productivity levels from the arrival of new, highly-skilled workers from abroad (Krudy, NBCnews. com). To even further express the benefit of immigration reform, just in 2008, the Congressional Budget Office projected an acquired $48 billion in revenue from 2008-2017, simply caused by a more efficient, modernized national immigration system (Krudy, NBCnews. com). Continuing on from the point above, immigrant-owned businesses create jobs for Americans. The Fiscal Policy Institute stated that small businesses owned by immigrants employed about 4. 7 million people in 2007. These businesses generated over $776 billion annually. With this statistic, it only makes sense to assume that this ratio will continually grow in the future since more businesses will be started. Also, the Center of American Progress affirmed that comprehensive immigration reform would create jobs 900,000 people got jobs within 3 years from the increase of immigrant consumer spending (Gray, Furman, thewhitehouse. ov). Yes, immigrants will aid the US in creating jobs for its native citizens, but it is also true that immigrants are more likely to create their own jobs as well. The Department of Labor claimed that 7. 5% of foreign born people in the United States are self-employed, while only 6. 6% of native born are self-employed (Gray, Furman, thewhitehouse. gov). Immigrants are also a great contributor to the economy because they have and probably will continue t o create cutting-edge technology and companies. Big businesses like Google, Yahoo, Intel and eBay were all produced with the help of immigrants, and 25% of public US companies were started by them (Gray, Furman, thewhitehouse. gov). Alone, these booming businesses create an influx of earnings for the American economy. The earnings developed from these businesses wouldn’t reach their full potential without the help of immigrants. Between 1990 and 2004, an accession of immigration correlated with increased earnings of about 0. 7% annually, recorded from studies at University of California (Gray, Furman, thewhitehouse. ov). Oddly enough, it is proven that immigrants earn greater degrees than non-immigrants. Surprisingly, with all of America’s exceptional education programs, only 16% of the resident population holds a bachelor’s degree. Immigrants represent 33% of America’s engineers, 27% of mathematicians, statisticians, and computer scientists, and 34% of physical scientists (Gray, Furman, thewhitehouse. gov). Another reason to implement this bill immediately is because reform legislation would reduce the deficit. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says that if the 2010 version of the DREAM Act was used, the federal deficit would be abated $2. 2 trillion over a course of 10 years because of accumulated tax revenues (Gray, Furman, thewhitehouse. gov). The consensus among economists said the new reform would maximize housing demand, encourage entrepreneurship, and raise tax revenues, which in total would sufficiently aid the budget deficit (CBN News, CBNnews. com). So basically, the consensus among economists has determined immigration reform as a net benefit. Economist Giovanni Peri plans to utilize a â€Å"cap-and-trade† visa system, which would induce a profit of $1. 2 billion a year (Krudy, NBCnews. com). Finally, immigration reform would increase America’s gross domestic product. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office asserted that even under low investment assumptions, immigration reform would raise the GDP by 0. 8%-1. 3% from 2012-2016 (Gray, Furman, thewhitehouse. gov). As one can see, President Barack Obama has put forth a much needed effort in the mission to create a noteworthy national immigration system. With all of these fair and effective plans and ideas, not one foreigner should have to think twice about becoming an American citizen, considering it is for the benefit of themselves, their family, the United States and its economy. The National Council of La Raza, the League of United Latin American Citizens, and the International Secretary of the Service Employees International Union, all of these tied in with immigration policies, issued a joint statement saying â€Å"The time to act is now,† (Zuckerman-Bernstein, policymic. com).

Misleading Fitness and Health Commercials :: Fitness and Health Scams

Some people do not know all that much about exercise and dieting. They do not know healthy ways to eat, and they don’t realize that one can’t get the â€Å"Perfect Body† in just a few days. These people are possibly victims of Fitness Myths. â€Å"In 2002, the Federal Trade Commission released a report that shared a review of 300 weight-loss ads promoting 218 different products. They found the rampant use of false or misleading claims† (FTC, 2003) Misleading fitness products can be particularly damaging. If one is mislead into purchasing a product and the product doesn’t work as it was advertised, not only have you wasted your money, but also the product may have physically hurt your body. FTC chairman Timothy Muris talks about the advertising and promotion tactics of the fitness industry â€Å"ads that make claims and promises that are clearly implausible and patently false run in all forms of media, with the notable exception of network TV† (FTC, 2003). Misleading advertisements are common among all forms of media. Although TV commercials may be more powerful in their persuasion, an obvious reason for this is that TV advertisements show more misleading commercials. A technique frequently used in commercials to make them seem credible is that â€Å"many deceptive ads run in highly respected publications and they are perceived to be credible†(FTC, 2003). Therefore if the TV program you are watching, while the commercial is being played, seems credible, consumers tend to believe that the products advertised during the episode are also trustworthy. One such misleading advertisement was for a product called Skinny Pill for Kids. This diet pill was targeting kids ranging from age 6 to 12. The pill was supposed to help kids lose weight and provide essential daily vitamins, minerals and herbs. â€Å"The marketer of the supplement said her company had not done safety tests on children† (CNN, 2002). It turned out that the product being advertised as a â€Å"miracle† to help children loose weight contained herbs that are diuretics. â€Å"Uva ursi, juniper berry, and buchu leaf all cause the body to lose water. A doctors’ guide to drugs and alternative remedies, states the uva ursi should not be given to children under age 12† (CNN, 2002).

Quiz About the Great Gatsby Essay

1. Who is â€Å"The Great Gatsby† narrated by? What do you know about his family background, and why does he com e to New York? What business is he in? Nick Carraway, the novel’s narrator, comes from a well-to-do Minnesota family. He travels to New York to learn the band business; there he becomes involved with both Gatsby and the Buchanas. 2. What is the difference between East Egg and West Egg? East Egg: East Egg is the fashionable group of social elite, also known as â€Å"old money† or people who have always had money. Tom and Daisy represent the â€Å"old establishment†, having lived the wealthy upper class for most of their lives. West Egg: West Eggers are the newly rich. The people who have worked hard and earned their money in a short period of time, sometimes by bootlegging (Gatsby). 3. Describe Tom Buchanan. How old is he? What was he famous for at college? How do you know that he is a racist? Tom Buchanan is 30 years old and he’s a former Yale football player who comes from an immensely wealthy Midwestern family. His racism and sexism are symptomatic of his deep insecurity about his elevated social position. He tried to interest others in a book called â€Å"The Rise of the Coloured Empiresâ€Å". 4. Where did Nick first meet Tom? How does Nick meet Gatsby? Tom Buchanan: Nick first met Tom at Yale University, and when Nick heads over to East Egg to have dinner with Daisy, his second cousin, he meets Tom again. Gatsby: Nick goes to his first party at Jay Gatsby’s after receiving an invitation via Gatsby’s chauffer. Suddenly a man tells Nick that he has to come with him. The man brings Nick to Gatsby, in his house during the party. 5. Where did Daisy first meet Gatsby? Why didn’t she wait for him and marry Tom instead? Gatsby and Daisy meet themselves for the first time in Louisville, where he was stationed at Camp Taylor as a young officer before being shipped overseas during World War I. Gatsby had to go to war and left Daisy at home. She once told him that the reason she didn’t wait for him is because â€Å"rich girls don’t marry poor boys†. Daisy was flattered by Tom’s generous gifts. 6. How do you know that Daisy and Tom’s marriage is troubled? She and Tom were in love at one point as well, and he also had the money to provide her with the lifestyle she was  accustomed to. Tom cheated on Daisy by having an affair with Myrthle. Tom hasn’t been faithful from the very beginning. 7. What are Daisy’s ambitions for her daughter? Why? Daisy hopes that her daughter once will be a little fool, because then she will never have to suffer the harsh realities of the real world. 8. What kind of background does Gatsby come from? How did he acquire his riches? He was born in North Dakota to an impoverished farming family. Gatsby made his fortune through criminal activity. Gatsby had a mentor from whom he learned the things that rich people do, how the live. Gatsby was a bootlegger and sold illegal alcohol. 9. Give reasons why Daisy doesn’t just leave Tom and break up her marriage. Daisy has a child with Tom and they also had a pleasant and wealthy life. Tom buys Daisy a lot of jewellery. Tom is also a Bully, so Daisy fears Tom. Above all, Daisy fears a scandal. Daisy doesn’t love Gatsby as much as he loves her. To Daisy, Gatsby is an affair. 10. Give reasons why Gatsby’s dream to get Daisy back doesn’t work. Daisy loved him, but she wanted to live with Tom. She didn’t want to leave him. It would be a scandal for Daisy’s family if they knew how Jay earns his money. 11. Explain what the â€Å"green light† at the end of Daisy’s dock symbolizes to Gatsby. The green light is a symbol for the hope and promise of the future. It’s like a guiding light to Daisy. 12. What does Mr. Klipspringer represent? He’s not a true friend, he is a shiftless freeloader who almost lives at Gatsby’s mansion. Though he takes advantage of Gatsby’s wealth and generosity, he fails to attend his funeral. 13. Why does Nick return to the Midwest at the end of the novel? After his friend Gatsby died, Nick wanted to return to the Midwest. He was disgusted at the behaviour of the East Eggers. To Nick the people of the Midwest are more honest and down-to-earth. 14. Explain the symbolism of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg. It’s a symbol of God seeing everything, even Myrtle’s affair. It is a metaphor for God.

Sylvia Pankhurst Political Radical, Suffrage Activist

Known for: militant suffrage activist in English suffrage movement, daughter of Emmeline Pankhurst and sister of Christabel Pankhurst. Sister Adela is less known but was an active socialist. Dates: May 5, 1882 – September 27, 1960Occupation: activist, especially for women’s suffrage, women’s rights and peaceAlso known as: Estelle Sylvia Pankhurst, E. Sylvia Pankhurst Sylvia Pankhurst Biography Sylvia Pankhurst was the second-born of the five children of Emmeline Pankhurst and Dr. Richard Marsden Pankhurst. Her sister Christabel was the first of the five children, and remained her mother’s favorite, while Sylvia was especially close to her father.   Adela, another sister, and Frank and Harry were the younger siblings; Frank and Harry both died in childhood. During her childhood, her family was involved in both socialist and radical politics around London, where they moved from Manchester in 1885, and women’s rights.   Her parents helped found the Women’s Franchise League when Sylvia was 7 years old. She was educated mostly at home, with brief years in school including the Manchester high school. She also frequently attended the political meetings of her parents. She was devastated when her father died in 1898, when she was just 16. She went to work to help her mother pay her father’s debts. From 1898 to 1903, Sylvia studied art, winning a scholarship to study mosaic art in Venice and another to study at the  Royal College of Art in London. She worked on the interior of the Pankhurst Hall in Manchester, honoring her father.   During this period she developed what would be a life-long close friendship with Keir Hardie, an MP and leader of the ILP (Independent Labour Party). Activism Sylvia became involved in the ILP herself, and then in the Women’s Social and Political Union (WPSU), founded by Emmeline and Christabel in 1903. By 1906, she had abandoned her art career to work full time for women’s rights.   She was first arrested as part of the suffrage demonstrations in 1906, sentenced to two weeks in prison.   That the demonstration worked to gain some progress inspired her to continue her activism. She was arrested many times, and participated in hunger and thirst strikes. She was subjected to forced feeding. She never was as close to her mother as was her sister, Christabel, in the suffrage movement. Sylvia maintained her close ties to the labor movement even as Emmeline pulled away from such associations, and emphasized with Christabel the presence of upper class women in the suffrage movement.   Sylvia and Adela were more interested in the participation of working class women. She was left behind when her mother went to America in 1909 to speak on suffrage, caring for her brother Henry who was striken with polio.   Henry died in 1910.   When her sister, Christabel, went to Paris to escape arrest, she refused to appoint Sylvia in her place in the WPSU leadership. East End of London Sylvia saw opportunities for bringing working class women into the movement in her suffrage activism in the East End of London. Again emphasizing militant tactics, Sylvia was repeatedly arrested, participated in hunger strikes, and was periodically released from prison to recover her health after hunger strikes. Sylvia also worked in support of a Dublin strike, and this led to further distance from Emmeline and Christabel.   Peace She joined the pacifists in 1914 when war came, as Emmeline and Christabel took another stance, supporting the war effort.   Her work with the Women’s International League and with unions and the labor movement opposing the draft and the war earned her a reputation as a leading anti-war activist. As World War I progressed, Sylvia became more involved in socialist activism, helping to found the British Communist Party, from which she was soon expelled for not toeing the party line.   She supported the Russian Revolution, thinking that it would bring an earlier end to the war. She went on a lecture tour to the United States, and this and her writing helped support her financially. In 1911 she had published The Suffragette as a history of the movement to that time, centrally featuring her sister Christabel. She published The Suffragette Movement in 1931, a key primary document on the early militant struggle. Motherhood After World War I, Sylvia and Silvio Erasmus Corio began a relationship.   They opened a cafà © in London, then moved to Essex.   In 1927, when Sylvia was 45, she gave birth to their child, Richard Keir Pethick. She refused to give in to cultural pressure – including from her sister Christabel -- and marry, and did not publicly acknowledge who the father of the child was.   The scandal rocked Emmeline Pankhurst’s run for Parliament, and her mother died the next year, some crediting the stress of the scandal as contributing to that death. Anti-Fascism In the 1930s, Sylvia became more active in working against fascism, including helping Jews fleeing from the Nazis and supporting the republican side in the Spanish civil war.   She became especially interested in Ethiopia and its independence after the Italian fascists took over Ethiopia in 1936. She advocated for Ethiopia’s independence, including publishing New Times and Ethiopian News which she kept up for two decades. Later Years While Sylvia had maintained ties with Adela, she had become distanced from Christabel, but began communicating with her sister again in her last years.   When Corio died in 1954, Sylvia Pankhurst moved to Ethiopia, where her son was on the faculty of the university in Addis Ababa.   In 1956, she stopped publishing the New Times and Ethiopian News and began a new publication, the Ethiopian Observer. In 1960, she died in Addis Ababa, and the emperor arranged for her to have a state funeral in honor of her long support of Ethiopia’s freedom. She is buried there. She was awarded the Queen of Sheba medal in 1944.