Giving the gift of food for Mother's Day

Treating mothers to breakfast in bed or a family dinner may seem to be logical and loving gifts.

But for mothers struggling to put any sort of food on the table, these meals would come as a luxury.

On Sunday, people across the United States will celebrate Mother's Day to honor the women in their lives that have left an impact.

And this time, there is an opportunity for the gifts that mothers are given, to impact more than one person.

In an effort to fight world hunger, the World Food Progamme is providing ecards, or electronic Mother's Day cards, in honor of a mother.  Those wishing to participate can select a card from the list and make a donation in honor of their mother.

The proceeds will go toward defeating worldwide hunger.

Gun Show Loophole: No background checks for assault weapons

Purchasing a gun comes with responsibility and takes time.  


Unless that purchase is made at a gun show.

Obtaining these weapons without undergoing a background check still exists at gun shows across the United States and, oddly enough, is not illegal.

Known as the gun show "loophole," these unchecked purchases are legally acceptable because private sellers are not required to perform background checks on the buyer.

On the east coast alone, 65 percent of gun related deaths are the result of gun shows in the state of Virginia.

And the numbers get shockingly larger.

In a two hour time span, 12 members of the Central Intelligence Agency purchased 5,000 fire arms at gun shows without an I.D. or background check, while those involved with the Columbine High School shootings purchased their guns at gun shows in Colorado.

Currently, democratic members of Congress have sent letters to the House of Representatives to support a bill that would change this policy.


 www.nra.org
www.stopviolence.com

World Food Programme calls for heroes to fight hunger

In June, 2009, the Food and Agricultural Organization reported that there are more than one billion people, worldwide, suffering from hunger and malnutrition.

Luckily, the World Food Programme (WFP) based out of the United Nations, is working to provide food to those suffering, with the intent of decreasing this number.

Now, the organization is searching for heroes to aid in their efforts.

Before April 20, the WFP aims to have at least 100 people that donate at least $15 to the cause.

Because the Haitian hurricane season is strengthening, and food supplies in Niger are becoming scares, the WFP needs the help of all individuals.

For just one $15 donation, three children can be feed school meals for an entire year, while a $100 contribution could provide clean drinking water for thousands of children.

Through the WFP, becoming a hero and saving a life is easy.

It just takes $15.

Bus tour teaches gang life

Walking in the shoes of another person provides insight to what that person is like.

What types of activities they do.

And perhaps, their goals and dreams. 

But when it is impossible to physically fit into the shoes of another person, it is possible to fit on one of the 56 seats on a Los Angeles bus.

On January 16, 2010 The New York Times reported on a new concept that teaches outsiders what life is like inside of a gang-populated neighborhood, for just $65 per person.

Through, what is called, the LA Gang Tours, tourists can literally travel into gang culture to see what that lifestyle is like, first-hand. 

Tourists sign consent forms to take the tour, but at the same time, gang members in the neighborhood have been contacted to limit violence during tour hours.

The goal of the bus tour is to educate and increase awareness about this culture, putting a face to what people often fear.  Once the culture becomes real, solutions can begin to be developed to help gang members.  

Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M81WtBGhO8 for a deeper look into the tour.

Artists struggle to truly reach audience

Being an artist isn't easy.

It requires inspiration, a message and a talent.

It involves taking something that has meaning to one person, and trying to make that same message applicable to a widespread audience.

And then having to respond to critiques from those that couldn't truly understand this form of personal expression.

Poet, Shane Koyczan exemplifies the difficulty artists face in trying to be perfect for their audiences, through his poem, "Beethoven."

This single piece of art demonstrates the struggle one of the world's most popular and prominent composers faced when creating music that had both meaning to the artist, and the audience.

It is through this struggle of self-sacrifice and self-destruction that artists attempt to reach both goals.

Circumcision cosmetic process

Plastic surgery in the United States is not only increasing in popularity, but is reaching a different type of audience.

Baby boys.

Specifically through the form of male circumcision.

In 2010 the American Academy of Pediatrics declared male circumcision a purely cosmetic process arguing that the medical benefits do not outweigh the costs.

During the process, doctors believed babies entered a euphoric state, making the process painless to the child. This process, however, does provoke pain for the child and typically sends the baby into a state of shock.

Despite this pain, the push for circumcision is provoked by economical benefits to doctors instead of medical benefits to the patients, thus urging parents to research all options before taking action, simply because it is the norm.

Feminism isn't a dirty word

With man-hating, aggressive, pro-choice stereotypes it's easy to understand why being a feminist receives negative responses.

But not all feminists fall into these categories.

In fact, few do.

For most, being a feminist means fighting for equality, not only between men and women, but all groups of people.

It's about ending oppression and breaking down stereotypes.

Stereotypes that women must fulfill domestic duties, be second in command to men, and always be beautiful.

Allen Brown, former instructor at Harvard Medical School, argues that the goal of feminism is not to make men adopt female characteristics, but instead, to accept all genders as equal human beings.

This, in turn, will allow society to live in a more unified and progressive place.