Article Summary

My article reviewed the controversial comments made by Bill O'Reily while discussing why the poor are poor. O'Reily says "Poor people will never compete, because they are lazy and addicted to drugs" It is this sort of short sighted comment that this piece-of-shit-right-wing-hack has become known for. Poor people are lazy Bill? According to your book you work about 20 hours a week, compared to the 40, 50, and even 60 a week the working class works, and yet you call them lazy? Don't you think that maybe a symptom of being poor is being addicted to drugs, maybe not the other way around. Poor people do what they can to get by.

Podcast Summary

      This podcast from NPR talks about Geoffery Canada and his life's work to help poor, impoverished kids find a better future. Canada's newest project involves using charter schools in Harlem in order to stop the poverty cycle among African Americans. The primary difference between most charitable individuals and Canada, is his willingness to attack the roots of poverty, not try and help the symptoms when it is too late. This charter school most likely has taken some of the kids that would've been on the street and put them in a more positive position, which could make all the difference.

Article Summary

This article chronicals the death of a 13 year old girl from West Baltimore. Monae Turnage was playing with a .22 caliber gun when she was shot in the chest. The body was then dragged a block away, where trash bags were used to cover the body. The next day the body was found and the house that she was shot in was searched; two 13 year old boys were then convicted of the murder after evidence was found in the house. This story begs the question: What could have been done to prevent this tragic crime? What moments in Turnage's life led her to that faithful day? Any one of the kids in that room could have been shot, and a few faithful decisions caused a 13 year old girl to die.

Inquiry Question

Is your environmental history the primary deciding factor in people doing evil deeds?