Critical Thinking Analysis JRN 131

                                                               Critical Thinking Self Analysis

    I have to admit that I do carry biases as most people do, however I would like to focus on changing and developing the following Intellectual Perseverance and Confidence in Reasoning both of which are necessary within critical thinking. Working through biases when they are different from my own and working through complexities and not just giving up. Learning that I don’t always have to win the argument and allowing others to give their opinions whether right, wrong or indifferent. Although I do like challenges I have found it hard at times to get through it without losing my patience. Although I have made improvements with my critical thinking since I have been in college it is something that needs constant revaluation in order to dismiss all my own biases and look at things through other perspectives which is not always easy. I am hoping to put a strong emphasis on critical thinking this semester it is a requirement in three of my courses and I also need it for real life application. There seems too many resources in this class geared towards it and I plan on using them to the fullest extent. Let’s hope I can get in through my head and put my own biases aside. I think that many of the biases I have acquired growing up and in my early adulthood, these can be some of the hardest to change or reverse but can be changed never the less. 

Homes for the Homeless

A Heart for Homeless

I woke up this morning grumpy and groggy as usual, stumbled into the kitchen turned on the so-called automatic coffee pot sat down and got on my fancy little IPad as I do every morning. I opened my CNN app and read "Family living in shed find a home" this caught my attention, I continued to read the article about this family of seven who had been living in a metal storage unit for about six months because of the families lack of money. I was crushed to hear that people let alone children were living in such conditions, I mean this is the U.S. not some third world country where we are conditioned to seeing this type of thing right?  It made me stop and ponder how this could happen here in such a rich country? I continued to scroll through the story trying to grasp how a family of this size could end up living in a small tin can, literally.

Seems dad had lost his job at local bottling plant and had ran out of resources to pay the rent and the family was forced to either move into the 10x20 storage shed or live on the streets. After they had been living in the small shed  few months it was brought to the attention of CPS by a local food stamp case worker. The children were removed until the family could provide a safe home for them. It breaks my heart to hear stories like this when we live in a country full of empty and abandoned homes.My first thought was how to bridge the gap between the homeless and the homes? On my block alone there are at least four boarded up homes that have signs saying "Banked Owned" and I know this is not even a drop in the bucket compared to the homes in foreclosure nationwide. There must be a way to help families in need get into these homes in one way or another. Some states have programs in place that help low income families qualify for financing, but what about those who have very little if no income? Where is the other side of the rainbow for them  wondered?

I began to do some research and dig around a little. I found that there are shelters set up and rental placement services for families but the waiting lists were years out. I also found that shelters for whole families were few and far between. Many families had to be separated or even  turned away due to lack of bed space, another heart breaker I man how can you separate children from their parents? I understand that with the economy the way it is that funding is down but in this case the funding is not necessarily the issue, it is that there are not many facilities that will take families in and ones that are usually fill up quickly. I can understand that housing an entire family can be more complex and it is much easier to take in individuals rather than a father, mother and child which brings me back to the issue of opening empty homes to families in need and how to bridge the gap between the two.

Shelters are great for temporary fixes and can help individuals tremendously but they are not enough to get a family off the street for good. There is much more to it than not having a home to live in, the question is what got the person there in the first place? Loss of job, income or is there drug addiction, alcoholism or mental illness involved? These are questions that must be addressed in order to get to the root of the problem. Identifying the cause will help determine if the family can be helped and put into permanent housing. This has often been a hard subject to address in families who's heads have addiction issues because many are not willing to admit that their drug problems have led them to a life of living on the streets and unfortunately children are the ones who suffer the most from the displacement. Once the issue has been dealt with these parents can get the help they need and the gap between the two begins to close.

Now what about the issue of empty and abandoned homes and how to get needy families into them. This has been the most frustrating thing to understand. I mean I'm not talking about just taking bums and placing them in mansions in the suburbs, I am talking about giving families who qualify a chance to get their children into permanent housing so that they can thrive and not just have to survive or worry about where they are gong to rest their heads at night. I actually took the time to contact some of the banks (which I won't mention names) that owned the abandoned places and I got everything from being laughed at to being hung up on. One bank actually referred me to a local shelter and another told me that they were a business not a charity and asked me not to contact them again. Needless to say I was back at square one until a friend had mentioned Habitat for Humanity a non-profit organization that helps place homeless family into homes. This was just the type of help organization I was looking for. I had heard about Habitat for Humanity before but I was not aware of just how much they do for the community as well. I was ecstatic to say the least and I wanted to be a part of what they were doing to help people.

I decided to contact the local chapter and set up an appointment to meet with someone so I could share my vision and get more information on volunteer opportunities. I met with Alice the volunteer coordinator, a wonderful lady who took the time to share how she got involved with Habitat over seven years ago. She told me that she and her three children had been living in a abuse shelter in downtown Phoenix for almost a year, she began to tear up as she continued to share how she would pray for a home for her and her children everyday. Her caseworker at the women shelter recommended her for the Habitat program and she was accepted and although it took almost six months for them to move in they were blessed with a brand new home built by volunteers form the ground up! The smile on her face said it all. She then went on to explain that she committed form that point on to helping displaced families find homes and she now volunteers along side her children every other weekend helping build or repair homes. I was so inspired by her story, here was a woman that shared the same vision as me. I was ready to commit and get my hands dirty!

Lending a hand is so easy, especially when I'm surrounded by others who have the same heart for people. I was able to find a way to bridge the gap and help families find homes and although the homes may not be empty and abandoned, most are built from the ground up. The faces on the children who now have a place to call home are priceless to me....


                                                                Works Cited
Habitat for Humanity Int'l. Web. 26 July 2011. <http://www.habitat.org/>.

Blog 3 Revised

The Last Word     

              I am The Bible the only living book, the last book in our sole existence. I am the very last copy. I am more than just a book, I am a manual for life. All that read me will know and understand the meaning of life. I am full of drama and adventure of romance and love of tragedy and hope. Some would say I am fiction and that my stories are merely metaphors for life, but I am much more than a metaphor, more than a book and more than words on paper.
Inspired by God written by man.
         

           Genesis to Revelation, sixty six books within me compiled by forty writers from Kings to peasants, philosophers to fishermen, priest and prophets all with the same message of Gods love. I was transcribed in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. I am The Bible... I have been translated into 2454 languages. Many will seek to find me now...At one time you could find me almost anywhere from hotel rooms to the your local book stores, but now I am the only one. The last of my kind.

          Many have found me not only interesting but also insightful, while others refuse to open me up and I sit for years collecting dust on a shelf. There are some who take what they want from me and discard the rest, however I am a package deal and must be taken as a whole or nothing at all. A puzzle and riddle I am not...Though a mystery at times. I unveil the truth but it is up to you to understand what the words I convey, listen with your your heart and you will know that the words speak for themselves therefore let the pages come alive and you will see that the message is clear no need to fret for my words you will not forget.

       I have to admit I never thought that I would be the only one of my kind, but here I am alone the last of millions. I'm not sure what happened and why I am the only one but never the less here I am and I can only hope that people will hold my words in their memory and possibly put it back onto paper and I will multiply and no longer be an army of one.
          I am the bible the most sought after book in the world, however now I am almost extinct. Please be kind to me and treat me with care for I am the most important book you will ever read and now I must be shared and passed on to the next person. I hope that you will read and understand me, I am the last in the world treat me with care.

           I am the bible the most sought after book in the world, however now I am almost extinct. Please be kind to me and treat me with care for I am the most important book you will ever read and now I must be shared and passed on to the next person. I hope that you will read and understand me because many never will. I cannot explain all that is within me only you can truly know and though they be many thee's, thou's and thuses there are different versions that can help you comprehend.

     The living word is not dead and will live on forever, so cherish the last book of mankind and treat it as gold for one day it may help to save your soul.

                                                   www.thebible.com

Blog #2 Hum 101

                                  Thinking about Thinking

    

     I have never really been one to think about what I'm actually thinking, if this makes any sense? Being a type "A" personality I have always been somewhat impatient, and very time-conscience which speeds up my thought process and allows me to move on to my next task swiftly, so it was no surprise that when I began reading the text Critical Thinking by Alec Fisher for my Humanities class I was terrified because I knew nothing on the subject.

     This week's reading in particular was very enlightening to me for the fact that in order to understand the reasoning and thought process of evaluating arguments I must recognize and distinguish the differences between claims. Whether they be factual or not. A huge task for someone who is used to taking people and what they claim at face value. This meant that I had to actually look beyond what people claim and consider the source, looking beyond the biases, beyond opinion and beyond beliefs. For example, take our first question...

     "Those who know how, work for those who know why" What does this phrase mean and how is it related to critical thinking? This is a good question and one that provokes a bit of thought and is a nugget of wisdom. In my opinion I think this phrase makes the  statement that separates the "doers" from the "thinkers" or the bigger question is knowing the why behind the big picture, take for example a director who makes films, he engages in making the film happen, possibly as a creative outlet, however it is the industry executives that know the why behind the making of the film, the so-called bigger picture, which in this case is that if the film is successful it will bring in money as well as notoriety and much more and in way the executives are the critical thinkers that need to know the why behind the how. I found this video on youtube and thought it summed up some things about critical thinking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuC3Vd7YBDk

     Why are so many people uncomfortable with the idea that many problems don't have a single solution? I can only answer this question from my own perspective, but I think that many people including myself want to solve things and when there is more than one solution it complicates things in a sense. There can be many approaches to problem solving, depending on the actual nature of the problem itself. Clarifying, analyzing and identifying are key elements to understanding and solving a problem. 

     The current issue of immigration is a great example of the difference in opinions and wide spectrum of solutions people have toward the issue. For example Tony Kondaks a writer for Americanthinker.com Say's "The solution is easy and immediate...and it lies in the hands of  the Democrat-controlled U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives and the Democratic President: Repeal Section" which basically reads that every alien eighteen years and older must possess at all times their alien registration certificate and any alien that does not carry this certificate be guilty of a misdemeanor and could face penalty and possibly jail. My question would be, does this law help bring a solution to illegal immigration? Absolutely not! Although Tony makes a good argument and although a repeal may stop racial profiling for a time it does not solve the problem at hand which is an overflow of illegal immigrants in the United States.   

     Nathan Thornburgh the senior editor of Time magazine believes that "Amnesty: is the solution to immigration debate, he argues that "what are the alternatives to letting illegals stay? Deporting millions? Devising other punishments? Doing nothing at all? Amnesty is a good thing for Arizona, and many agree with Nathan, such as Senator John Kerry and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Whether or not amnesty is the true solution to the immigration problem is left to be seen, one thing is for certain...The issue has caused a lot of controversy for both sides.

                                                           
                                        
     Should reasoning skills be taught in primary school?
Yes, I believe that children should be taught from a young age for many reasons, first it enables them to transfer information to and from long term memory. Secondly, it helps them with the problem solving process and thirdly, it helps them with their composing skills, both written and oral. Overall it enables a child to hone in on their critical thinking skills from an early age. In an article in the New York Times
Dr. Gareth Matthews says "Young children very often engage in reasoning that professional philosophers can recognize as philosophical, but typically their parents or teachers don't react in a way that encourages them." Dr. Matthews makes a good point, and some would say "that's cute" but don't go any further than that, thus not putting much more into the idea that children can learn and benefit from the critical thinking process from a young age.     

     In conclusion I have to say that critical thinking and reasoning skills play a huge role in the decision-making process and combining information that helps one to decide the most appealing choice and ultimately making the best choice in any given situation and helping the process of problem solving.

  

                                           Works Cited

 

Kondaks, Tony. "American Thinker Blog: The Solution to Arizona's Immigration Law Lies in Democrats' Hands." American Thinker. 03 May 2010. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/05/the_solution_to_arizonas_immig.html.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/education/edlife/18philosophy-t.html

http://immigration.procon.org/    

    

     


   

Help!

Hello Everyone!

Ok I thought I had this entire blog thing down but I guess not! I can't seem to find my first blog assignment....eeeek I must have posted it in the wrong place. So please forgive me until I find it...

Shiela

First Blog Assignment

1. Given the U.S. economy is based on consumer spending, is it patriotic to shop?
I believe that given the current state of the economy consumer spending is vital to the United States for two major reasons, first because if there is no spending then we could end up in a recession, although some would say we are already in a recession, I think not, people are still spending only very little and we must continue to be patrons at a local and national level. It is part of our duty as citizens to help do our part even if it is small spending, it helps businesses to stay open, it helps people to keep their jobs and so on. I’m not talking about wasting money, spending it or unnecessarily or getting into debt. If there is no spending there would be less of demand and therefore less productivity and this could lead to a serious recession like that of the 1920’s depression and possibly worse.
So back to the question is it patriotic to shop? Yes, another reason I believe “we” as citizens of the United States should spend is because it is our duty as Americans to help stimulate the economy at a local not by spending more but by supporting our local businesses. The recent down fall in our economy has especially hit our small towns very hard, leaving many businesses no other option but to shut down.
Just think of how many “mom & pop shops” that have been effected by the sudden slow down in spending. A sad sight to see vacant buildings and empty shelves. How can this be avoided you might ask? By supporting our local shops, bakeries, second hand stores and so on. There are so many ways we can stimulate the economy even those on a budget can. There will always be a need for goods and services and for every dollar we spend at the local café we help in a not enjoy a cup of java but we help the community in which we live.

I understand that not everyone has money for the extras in times like these when many are struggling just to pay the bills, but it is those who are able to spend that have to power to help men and women stay employed.

I will conclude with this final thought... America was established as a the land of opportunity and plenty and we can all help to keep this true to life by wise consumer spending without putting each other in debt. Patriotism is defined as: Love for or devotion to ones country. Therefore if we love our country we will continue to stimulate and drive our economy by shopping wisely and putting money back into our local community.

Blog #1 Hum 101

1. Given the U.S. economy is based on consumer spending, is it patriotic to shop?
I believe that given the current state of the economy consumer spending is vital to the United States for two major reasons, first because if there is no spending then we could end up in a recession, although some would say we are already in a recession, I think not, people are still spending only very little and we must continue to be patrons at a local and national level. It is part of our duty as citizens to help do our part even if it is small spending, it helps businesses to stay open, it helps people to keep their jobs and so on. I’m not talking about wasting money, spending it or unnecessarily or getting into debt. If there is no spending there would be less of demand and therefore less productivity and this could lead to a serious recession like that of the 1920’s depression and possibly worse.
So back to the question is it patriotic to shop? Yes, another reason I believe “we” as citizens of the United States should spend is because it is our duty as Americans to help stimulate the economy at a local not by spending more but by supporting our local businesses. The recent down fall in our economy has especially hit our small towns very hard, leaving many businesses no other option but to shut down.
Just think of how many “mom & pop shops” that have been effected by the sudden slow down in spending. A sad sight to see vacant buildings and empty shelves. How can this be avoided you might ask? By supporting our local shops, bakeries, second hand stores and so on. There are so many ways we can stimulate the economy even those on a budget can. There will always be a need for goods and services and for every dollar we spend at the local café we help in a not enjoy a cup of java but we help the community in which we live.

I understand that not everyone has money for the extras in times like these when many are struggling just to pay the bills, but it is those who are able to spend that have to power to help men and women stay employed.

I will conclude with this final thought... America was established as a the land of opportunity and plenty and we can all help to keep this true to life by wise consumer spending without putting each other in debt. Patriotism is defined as: Love for or devotion to ones country. Therefore if we love our country we will continue to stimulate and drive our economy by shopping wisely and putting money back into our local community.