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Covoid-19 Vs Louisiana Vs US Health Care Systems.

The USA is now the top worst affected country by Covoid-19 with the death toll reaching over 18,000 nationwide. While Trump has been reluctant to put the country in lock down, are the states doing anything individually to protect their communities?

Louisiana is amongst the top worst affected states now facing over 19,000 cases and 755 deaths.

One of the state’s biggest obstacles now is the lack of medical resources in ratio to the number of cases.

In an Interview with the Guardian CEO of St James parish hospital, Mary Ellen Pratt said, ‘’Previously battered by hurricanes and a flood, the hospital is used to more than its fair share of disasters… Now, communities nationwide have to fight their own battles, leaving St James parish hospital to make do with limited staffing, testing, personal protective gear and mechanical equipment. Although working with limited resources is something rural hospitals know how to do well, Pratt said, this is something entirely different’’.

Staff members in the Covid-19 unit are working at all hours in enhanced roles – techs who normally assist with surgery work as aides. Photograph: Courtesy of St James Parish hospital 

State governor John Bell Edwards shared his concerns on this issue ‘’What makes this one so hard… is that after Katrina, we had the full attention of the federal government, of all of the sister states. We received so many resources that was very generously directed to us. In this emergency, every state is in the same condition’’.

President Trump has donated 150 ventilators from the nation stockpile, but this will only cover a small percentage of what is needed.

With the upcoming elections, it will be interesting to see how the 2020 presidential candidates address the current state of the health care systems and what the response will be from voters come November. Taxes for health care or a broken system where only the wealthy can afford to be healthy?

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What is More Important Age or Policy?

The 2020 presidential candidates include five runners of which four of them are over 70, but does age really matter? With old age can come a decline in one’s health. However, with age also comes wisdom and experience. The decision that voters must make is what is more important?

The States has faced many presidents in the past who kept their health struggles under the raider but performed well in office becoming some of the most popular. Franklin Roosevelt was able to keep his polio a secret for a large portion of his presidency. Kennedy suffered chronic back pain and Lyndon Johnson depression and mania.

CNN reports that this will be the most "ableist" presidential election in at least modern US history. With People more concerned about the candidates age are their policies being overshadowed?

Candidate Bernie Sanders convincingly made his age a strength to his campaign during a rally in Iowa back in January. When discussing that voters can see he has a long track record for standing by his current policies. 

While Sanders promotes the advantages of his age, Trump addressed the issue to reporters on the lawn of the White House as he leaves for a conference in April last year. When asked how old is too old to be president he shares he feels like a young man, then going on to suggest that his competitors are in fact too old despite being just five years between himself and the oldest candidate. ‘’I would never say anyone is too old, but I know they’re all making me look very young, both in terms of age and I think in terms of energy’’.

Does America want a president who wins by selling his policies appropriately to the nation and defending himself or a president who wins by bashing the other candidates?

It’s hard to call what voters will decide, but it’s important to remember vice presidents exist for a reason.

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BILLIE EILISH, FEMINIST ICON OF HER GENERATION, SHOWING GIRLS THEY CAN BE THE ‘BAD GUY’ WITH GRAMMY TAKE OVER.

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At just 18 years young Billie Eilish is taking over the music industry  as she wins 5 Grammys  for her alternative pop music, including best new artist, winning against the likes of New Orleans Louisiana group, Tank and the Bangas, making her the youngest person ever to receive the ‘Big Four’

The young superstar and her brother Finneas came to fame with their homemade music when their single Ocean Eyes was released to sound cloud and went viral overnight. Now the talented duo has racked up over an impressive 15 billion Spotify streams.

When talking with the Rolling  Stones the pair discuss how they take inspiration from everything and everything including the noises made by crosswalks which were used in the Bad Guy Chorus, showing people of all types of social and economic backgrounds that you don’t need to have expensive equipment or a lot of money to make iconic music.

Billie is paving the way for the new generation of women musicians by showing young girls that they can be recognised purely for their talents. In an interview with Australian Vogue Billie discuss her choice of baggy clothes as a way to prevent judgment from people and the media. She wants any attention that is on her to be focused on her talent and not allow space for the media to scrutinise her body and take away the focus on her talent like many women experience.

Eilish’s success at the Grammys is solid proof to all the wallflowers that originality is the key to success. In a world so focused around social media and the pressures that come with it, Billie brings a refreshing and much-needed attitude to generations of new and old.

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Mental Health Illness Does Not Exist in Prison.

Cells are freezing, food lacks nutrition, inmates are put to work for a wage slip of an average of $13 a month, sexual abuse is not uncommon, racism is a huge problem and the lack of medical care and mental health support is the most disturbing. Its 2020 and the United States prison system is currently experiencing a huge crisis despite its huge $7 billion budget in 2019 one of the largest in the world

43-year-old Ashoor Rasho has spent the past 27 years of his life as an inmate in solitary confinement or restrictive housing units meaning he has spent most of his life with very little social interaction. Originally arrested for Burglary and robbery Rasho’s sentence has been extended several times after violent outbursts as a result of triggers caused by untreated mental health disorders.

Rasho who has been medically diagnosed with numerous mental health illnesses including borderline personality disorder, severe depression, and schizophrenia, has been serving his time in an Illinois prison cell which is so small he can touch both sides of the cell at the same time. He shares that he spends between 22 and 24 hours a day in these conditions. I’m sure we can agree that is enough to make anyone feel crazy after just one day.

Dr Stuart Grassian, a psychiatrist who has studied the harmful effects of solitary confinement for 25 years at Harvard spoke out on the treatment of the mentally ill in prison and described them not as the ‘’ worst of the worst’’ but the ‘’sickest of the sick; the wretched of the Earth. Maybe they were not even that bad before they got in and they just got worse and worse…immoral to see that happen to people’’. Rasho explained that "Even if they would label us schizophrenic or bipolar, we would still be considered behavioural problems," Rasho says. "So, the only best thing for them to do was keep us isolated. Or they heavily medicate you."

The American prison system seems to have become the new version of psychiatric institutions since they closed down in the 1950s, rather than replacing them with a more suitable and appropriate approach of care. America has very little provisions in place to support those who break the law because of mental illness rather they get sent into solitary confinement which escalates the issue which is what happened to Rasho.

The inadequate treatment of mentally ill inmates led to Ashoor Rasho 12,000 others in similar situations suing the Illinois Department of Corrections in 2007 for supposedly punishing inmates with mental health disorders rather than treating them appropriately. In 2016 a settlement was made that agreed to improve the care and provide better treatment of these convicts.

Ashoor Rasho was not alone in his fight. Young African American Anthony Gay entered Illinois department of corrections in 1994 after he got into a scrap  with another young boy who told the police that Gay took his hat and one dollar, he was supposed to serve three and a half years. However, a fight with another inmate led to Gays first experience in solitary confinement  which led him into a downward spiral that landed him 22 years of isolation. As a result, shortly after he entered solitary his mental health took a turn for the worst, he started cutting himself and even multiple attempts of suicide. But why did he do this? Gay knew that every time he would harm himself by cutting his legs, neck, genitals etc that he would for at least  short period of time, have human contact with nurses who would rush to his aid and psychiatrist who would support him. Gay described these experiences by explaining that “It’s kind of like being locked in the basement, and then emerging from the basement and being put on the centre stage,” he said. “It made me feel alive.”

In 2016 the American Correctional Association issued new standards which limits restricted housing and bans prisoners with mental illness from solitary confinement for an extended period. Although these standards have been put into place a study by Yale Law school in 2018 found that in fact still more than 4000 mentally unwell prisoners are still being held under these conditions and are kept in isolation for up to 22 hours a day for 15 continuous days or more. The big issue here is why are the United States throwing its inmates into tiny cells and allowing them to be driven to a point of insanity and ignoring the provisions being put int place rather than providing support for rehabilitation to learn from their mistakes and do better next time?

The US holds just five percent of the world’s population but a quarter of the worlds prison population. What is concerning to see is the statistics of those suffering with mental health. At least half of US prisoners have mental health concerns while around 10% to 25% of US prisoners suffer with serious mental health disorders such as schizophrenia. Something that s also interesting to see is how mental health is affecting people by gender in prison 55 percent of male inmates in state prisons are mentally ill, but 73 percent of female inmates are. What is the reason for this? Is there harsher discipline longer time in isolation, more sexual abuse against women than men? Craig Hany, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of California at Santa Cruz reports that it can be difficult to offer quality mental health treatment in correction facilities as ‘’prisoners are reluctant to open up in environments where they do not feel physically or psychologically safe’’.

                 Types of Mental Issues Among State and Federal Inmates

 But surely Hanley has answered the question of how to improve this situation. By creating a safer calmer prison environment America can reduce their cost of treatment for inmates such as Anthony Gay who go to such extremes just to have some human contact? Perhaps the issue also lies within the numbers of people who are in prison. The US court system should be considering what they are locking people up for. In the case of Anthony Gay is 22 years in prison in solitary confinement necessary for someone who took a hat and a one-dollar bill?

But how can we expect a change in the treatment of those suffering with mental health issues in prison when the stigma is still strong against the people who stay on the right side of the law? Maybe there needs to be changed on the outside before change can be made on the inside. Providing better mental health facilities for people before they get into disputes with the law could save the United States a lot of time and prevent many people from re-offending.

A change needs to be made and it needs to start now.

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Another Day Another Shooting: Ten Victims in New Orleans French Quarter Attack.

                    Police on the scene shortly after the attack.

December 1st saw another fatal shooting for the USA near French Quarters in New Orleans.  The incident took place on Canal St at 9.20 GMT.

Paramedics arrived at the scene where 10 victims were confirmed to have been shot. Two of the victims are now in hospital under critical condition after one being shot in the torso and the other in the chest.

A source who wished to stay anonymousness told CNN news that he ’heard a verbal altercation and ‘’at least’’ five or six gunshots…because of the crowd he could not see where the shots came from…(people) were in such a panic that they were tripping and falling on each other’.

No police were among the injured.

The shooting took place after the annual Bayou classis football game between historically black universities.

The New York Times reports that this is the ‘third shooting during the weekend of the Bayou Classic in the past five years.

The New Orleans police department took to Twitter to warn that an individual had been detained near the scene, but their involvement is still undergoing investigation and no arrests had been made.

A $5000 reward is on offer for anyone who can detail any information to the NOPD that leads to an arrest.

 Superintendent Shaun Ferguson did report that violent crimes in New Orleans however, have been dropping for the past four years.

Although this does not mean the people of Louisiana cannot be complaisant to the risk in the area.

Do we have the right to ask if this is another heartless attack on race or just another ‘accident’ by a US citizen who is entitled to the rights of the second amendment?

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Kylie Jenner Sells Beauty Empire of the Century for $600 Million.

Kylie Jenner, the youngest of the Kardashian clan, signed a $600 million deal to sell 51% of her stakes to beauty company Coty. 

2015 saw the launch of what would become one of the biggest business empires in the beauty industry of the 21st century.

Kylie faced criticism in 2018 when Forbes labeled her the youngest ‘self-made’  billionaire after Kylie Cosmetics made a staggering $360 million in 2018 alone.

Jenner defended the statement made by Forbes in an interview with Paper Magazine by acknowledging the hit reality show Keeping up with the Kardashians gave her a platform to advertise from, however, said that "the self-made thing is true... (her parents) cut her off at the age of 15.. I needed to make my own money.’’

The success came after she moved her exclusively online business into the US chain store, Ulta. This increased her sales revenue by 9% in one year.

Jenner’s success is a perfect example of economic scarcity in supply and demand. She makes her products seem more valuable by selling a limited amount of stock where demand exceeds supply. By limiting the quantity it puts status onto ownership of her products meaning shoppers are willing to pay high-end prices, thus increasing her sales revenue.

Not only does she have a big presence in American Business but she has also built a huge online community with over 151 million Instagram followers.

 The BBC reported that her online influence is so powerful that she reduced Snapchat's stock market value by $1.3bn by tweeting that she doesn’t use the app anymore.

We could argue that the 21-year-old CEO, is positively paving the way for future generations, inspiring young women to be THE BOSS rather than be bossed.

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The Death of  a Congressman...

Congressman John Conyers served 50 years to Congress before passing away on October 27th earlier this year. The longest-serving African American dedicated 53 years of his life to racial social justice and economic equality. The congressman fought for issues such a ‘‘seeking reparation for the descendants of African-American slaves…defending assaults on the Voting Rights Act…and calling for investigations into police brutality of African-American men’’.

 In a statement provided to The Guardian a spokeswomen said ‘’ the city of Detroit, the United States and the world [had] lost a fearless civil rights leader and hero…was a devoted father and husband and his world revolved around securing justice against racial and economic discrimination … his legacy and advocacy for human rights will live on forever.”

 Conyers's legacy started before his political career begun when he served in the Korean War as an engineer for the National Guard supervising aircraft repairs. It was in 1965 that Conyers entered congress for the first time winning his first congressional election by just 108 votes. It was from that moment he became known for ‘championing the civil rights movement and pushed liberal legislation’

 His Career came to a swift end in 2017 when he resigned after a number of sexual assault allegations were made against him. The New York Times reported that ‘’ His lawyers denied the accusations, but both Paul Ryan, a Republican and then the speaker of the House, and Nancy Pelosi, the House Democratic leader at the time and the current speaker, found the complaints credible and demanded that he step down’’

Should we celebrate his legacy to American politics, or will his name live on in a shadow of unconfirmed accusations? A question that will live in America's political history forever.

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Is ‘Rumours of War’ the hopeful future of America?

NBC News best describes Kehinde Wiley as an artist better known for his work of ‘regal portraits of minorities, which reclaim a privilege long reserved for white aristocrats…his work a remedy for the historical invisibility of black men and women’’.  On September 27th Wiley unveiled his latest piece of artwork, ‘Rumours of War’, in Times Square New York, a bronze statue of a confederate African American man with dreadlocks, Nike shoes and casual modern clothing on the back of a horse.

The New York Post reveals the sculpture is ‘’ part of a series by Wiley that features confederate generals on horses, leading their troops into war’’. It’s likely the sculpture is about a war on race as Wiley told the crowds of New York ‘’the inspiration for Rumours of War is engagement of violence. It attempts to use the language of equestrian portraiture to both embrace and subsume the fetishization of state violence’’.

Confederate figures were once a symbol of white privilege and racial hierarchy, now an inspiration for a more inclusive and modernized America. Wiley declares ‘’Today we say yes to something that looks like us’’. White privilege can no longer be the makeup of America

The artwork is representative that America is no longer what it used to be. There is still room for growth, change, and acceptance of a new world.  Although America is more accepting there is still a long way to go to break down the barriers between races.

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US Diplomat Granted a free pass for MANSLAUGHTER

A young man, Harry Dunn, 18, Tragically lost his life on the 27th of August in Northamptonshire following a fatal car crash involving US Diplomates wife Anne Sacoolas. The victim lost his life to careless driving as Sacoolas was driving on the wrong side of the road for 400 yards.

Anne Sacoolas was quick to flee the UK after cooperating with local police insisting that she would corporate and had no plans to leave. The suspect left the UK in hopes of being granted diplomatic immunity and not having to face any charges through the UK court system and face the consequences of our laws.

Unsurprisingly  President Trump granted diplomatic immunity to Sacoolas, describing the incident as a ‘’terrible accident’’ and that "The woman was driving on the wrong side of the road, and that can happen… I won’t say it ever happened to me, but it did’’. No doubt the presidents' pardon raises a concern about how far government officials can be involved in crime before they must take responsibility.

In contrast to Trump, Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke out about the decision made by Sacoolas to flee the country by urging Trump to reconsider the immunity granted to the suspect so that she can ‘’return to the UK, cooperate with police and allow Harry’s family to receive justice’’.

. As the investigation continues Harry's parents hope to find comfort in eventual justice realising a statement promising they will find out why the US is so desperate to protect Sacoolas and that they will not let up in their search for Harrys’ justice.

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Learning Contract.

Contemporary America in context module opens an opportunity to develop and enhance both journalistic and analytical skills. Keeping up to date with daily news articles on modern-day America will provide an opportunity to become more consciously aware of the language and writing style that journalists use to capture their readers attention and entice them to come back for more content. The importance of these skills is prominent in my interest in a career in publishing or journalism. By reading a range of different styles of writing and language it will enhance my knowledge of how different types of writing are successful in attracting different types of people in different ways.

Engaging in my peers' work and reading their take on current news and topical issues will allow us to become more open minded to other people’s views and opinions on particular topics. Thus, allowing us to create debate and discussion over the period of the module.

Unlike other forms of academic assessment, our blogs will allow us to interact with each other’s work allowing us to leave constructive criticism and positive feedback. This will give us the chance to develop our skills further by being aware of how a bigger group of people interacted with our post and what they found engaging and perhaps what was less stimulating.