Categories
Health & Social Policy

The Discrimination Against People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Here and Now

We live in a country that prides itself as being the beacon of equality, but as a people we still tolerate, and at times participate in, the discrimination against people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  While we may be far too reverent to use derogatory language when speaking of religion or race, we rarely find […]

Categories
Health & Social Policy

Is University Gun Policy Making Us Safe or Making Us Victims?

The police responded with lightning speed on Tuesday, Sept. 28, when a masked gunman brought an AK-47 onto campus, terrorized students then killed himself. University police were on the scene within 12 minutes after the shooting started. If 12 minutes sounds like a long time, keep in mind that the Virginia Tech massacre lasted over […]

Categories
Health & Social Policy

Trimming Waistlines … and Expenses

The United States of America: The nation that produced Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Southern fried chicken … and an extraordinarily high prevalence of obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2009 the state with the lowest percentage of obese adults was Colorado – and Colorado still had 18.6 percent prevalence of obesity, defined as […]

Categories
Health & Social Policy

Health’s Deadline: 2015

At the turn of the millennium, world leaders decided the new era should see the end of extreme poverty and other basic development problems. In order to facilitate a worldwide focus on this broad aim, they crafted the Millennium Development Goals to set up detailed goals to be achieved by 2015. Out of the eight […]

Categories
Health & Social Policy

Safe, Affordable and Evidence-Based Maternity Care in the U.S.

As the palliative care and hospice movement figured out long ago, over-medicalizing and dehumanizing a natural human function doesn’t necessarily yield better outcomes or greater patient satisfaction – though it does guarantee that the cost will rise for taxpayers footing the bill. That same lesson may apply to the way that we approach birth in […]

Categories
Health & Social Policy

Why Does a No Excuses Health Policy Lead to No Results in Brazil?

Brazilian poverty is a familiar subject to many of us. Images of the favelas or massive slums surrounding Brazil’s major cities have reached us one way or the other, whether through movies, newspapers or some other route. According to the World Development Indicators, the top 10% of Brazilians hold 43% of the income, while the […]

Categories
Health & Social Policy

Gay or Straight: Respect Military Families

To those who have a heart for military service, those who can handle the ever-changing, ever-demanding lifestyle, and those who can embrace the risks and rewards of today’s U.S. military, we should award respect. In the spirit of this honor and respect, full and equal military benefits should be extended to families of homosexual servicemen and […]

Categories
Health & Social Policy

Snake, Mad Dog and Susie: Transgender Women in Men’s Prisons

When you ask average Americans what they feel are the most important amendments, you will probably receive the same responses. Freedom of speech, due process and protection from illegal searches are usually the first mentioned since we see issues regarding these amendments every day. The 8th amendment, which protects against cruel and unusual punishments, is […]

Categories
Health & Social Policy Multimedia

Dialectica Radio: S2E7 – Health Care Reform

Producer/Host C.P. Smith and Co-Host David Smith explore the present case and future possibilities for health care reform. [soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/114229556%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-4e473″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Categories
Health & Social Policy Multimedia

Dialectica Radio: S2E5 – Poverty in Austin

This week on Dialectica: Producer/Host Margarita Jimenez examines the effect of the economic downturn on those living in poverty in the Austin area. Interview subjects include: Karen Ranus, Director of Outreach Services at St. Austin Catholic Parish; Sharon Bieser, Executive Director of Vincare Services of Austin; and Lacey Strake, from the Austin chapter of Brake […]