Gun Control?

Ignited by the recent horrific event, gun control and public safety in general seems to be on the forefront of many people minds. Let's imagine a world where there are no guns whatsoever. What would this look like? Would there be an alternative of harm? These are hard questions to answer, although it is relevant to look into the harm such weapons have allowed for and how humanity has simply morphed around it as if there has been no other option but to continue the use of such weapons.

In an average year, over 35 thousand people (all ages) just in the US die from gun violence in addition to over 81 thousand surviving from gun related violence (n.a., 2014). This number has also been an increasing trend over the past decade due to the easy accessibility to such weapons as well as many increasing economical and social stresses throughout the world (Crifasi, 2017). Throughout history, gun control in the US has been managed very poorly and has largely been based around the 2nd amendment generated in 1791. There has been attempts at regulations and limitations to this militias habit of feeling as though we need gun rights within our boarders, but there has not been enough change to invoke a safer and less gruesome outcome from these seemingly needed rights. Much of society almost seems numb to gun violence through the so frequently news, media and video gaming that is centered around the common occurrence of tragedy around guns. Violence abroad is also enhanced when a militia gets more war time machinery thus increasing violence world wide. We see this through the genocides discussed in class (Rwanda and Syria) where in Rwanda, over 80% of genocide victims are killed by gun violence (n.a., 2011).

One aspect I continuously can't get past is the lenience the US has on guns and how very correlated it always has been to homicides. The graphic below is a good visual representation of the US gun related homicide rates in comparison to those of other developed countries. It's one thing to compare gun violence to less governed developing countries in that on all other playing fields the US is not similar. Although if you compare the US to similar governed and highly regarded developed countries it becomes painfully apparent how critical gun violence is within the US. The homicide rate in the US is 7 times of that to the next closest developed country's rate. That right there should raise everyone's concern as to what liberties we should be giving anyone and everyone in the US in relation to any concealed weapon.

https://everytownresearch.org/gun-violence-by-the-numbers/#America

                     
Spending most of my time on a large populated college campus, I've recently found myself more and more concerned about this topic. Gun violence is present in everyone's life around the world and has proven to be an increasingly horrific part of many people's lives. What are some measure you think the government or the people should take to limit such actions? What part of our society do you feel it affects the most/most often?


Crifasi C., McGinty B., Webster D., Vernick J. (2017). Five Myths About Gun Violence. The Washington Post. Retrieved March 4, 2018 from 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/five-myths/five-myths-about-gun-violence/2017/10/06/c4536e44-a9ed-11e7-b3aa-c0e2e1d41e38_story.html?utm_term=.cae004f850a2

(n.a).(2014). Key Gun Violence Statistics. Brady Campaign. Retrieved March 4, 2018 from
http://www.bradycampaign.org/key-gun-violence-statistics

(n.a). (2011). Rwanda: How the Genocide Happened. BBC. Retreived March 4, 2018 from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13431486

What is the True Cost?

With our global and ever-expanding consumption needs, blindness to what we're so easily consuming seems to be trending. Throughout the last couple weeks we've been able to really dive into what it means for our world to become globalized and the aches and pains that come with that. One of the easiest consumption factors to think about in our western world is where, down to the first step of the production line, each and every item we consume comes from AND who it is affected by such consumption. In order to explore this idea, lets go through an entire supply chain of coffee, from seed to entering your system as a daily consumption.

In its simplest form, coffee production consists of growing harvesting, hulling, drying and packing, bulking, blending and roasting (Severins, 2015). Harvesting is most commonly in very specific climates usually consisting of humidity and a stable temperature. This means the most common places to harvest are Brazil, Vietnam, Columbia and Peru where workers typically hand pick and monitor the berries/beans (Severins, 2015). These berries require a lot of by hand cleaning and maintenance by workers where then after they are set to dry out. After properly drying out, the beans are packed into bags roughly containing 60kg of beans for export (Severins, 2015). These large coffee bean bags are put into large shipping containers to then be exported throughout the world. Smaller roasters then buy specific beans to roast at their own expense where they can then blend and sell (Infographics, 2018).

Below is a excellent graphic further illustrating all the steps it takes to get to that morning cup of coffee most of us enjoy on a daily basis.

https://coffeebyproxy.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/bps-coffee-steps.jpg

There are even finer tuned details within this supply chain for such a seemingly simple good that is consumed by over 200 million Americans everyday (Kroll, 2017). When you contribute to the consumption of such a product do you think its of support of this prosperous chain or do you think your more contribution to the growing misunderstanding of consumption? In other words, do you consider your place in this supply chain as a benefit or drawback to the industry as a whole? 

 

One major factor to consider before answering these questions are the measures each part of the supply chain takes for each aspect, worker, equipment, environmentally safe products etc., for the prosperity of its product within our globalized economy. One common standard, which was discussed in class, is Certified Fair Trade Products. Certified as Fair Trade serves as a way to monitor each step of a product along its supply chain. It gives security to the consumer and firm that the product being sold has served as more of a beneficiary to all of society rather than just the side of consumption. B-Corps are another certification type process that adheres to similar principles thus helping the world of consumption grow into a healthier environment on all ends. 

I believe once you educate yourself, even the slightest, on how products are carried through their life of consumption, you as a consumer will begin to question some of the decisions you make hopefully bettering your choices for the global wellbeing. 

Severins, J. (2015). The Amazing Supply Chain of Your Morning Coffee. All Things Supply Chain. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
https://www.allthingssupplychain.com/the-amazing-supply-chain-of-your-morning-coffee/

Infographics. (2018). The supply chain behind your morning cup of coffee. GT Nexus. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
http://www.gtnexus.com/resources/infographics/supply-chain-behind-your-morning-cup-coffee

https://coffeebyproxy.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/bps-coffee-steps.jpg

Kroll, M.K. (2017). Spilling the Beans on the Coffee Supply Chain. Inbound logistics. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
http://www.inboundlogistics.com/cms/article/spilling-the-beans-on-the-coffee-supply-chain/

America First?

As we've delved into time and time again throughout class, globalization is inevitable. The United States was essentially built off of the idea of globalization in the sense that humanity expanded westward to discover the ever-so-prosperous North American lands. America is structured through a melting pot of innovation and outside influence. Although many Americans stand around individualism and patriotism of our seemingly flourishing country, our entire bubble of the US comes from different cultures and is very much supported through other county's recourses. We see this in almost every industry. From fast fashion to electronics to agriculture, we as Americans rely on our relations with other countries to supply us with cheap goods in an efficient manner. 

Workers at a Chinese Solar Panel Manufacturing Company
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-42784380

On January 22nd of this year, a 30% tariff was imposed on all solar panel and washing machine imports into the US under Trump's administration (Gonzales, 2018). The tariff will decrease each year for the next four years in proposition to improve the growth of corporations as well as employment opportunities within the US. In addition to this "slapped" on tariff, Trump's administration also cut the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% in regards to major corporations within the US (Keating, 2018). This tax cut is huge for all the S&P 500 companies that previously paid millions if not more in taxes. The hope with these tariffs and cuts is that money will be circulated more within the US pulling our international production and off shore money wells back onto American soil. 

Their is a lot of blindness to how these sort of changes effect the US internally as well as externally. As stated previously, the US is built on globalization. If we start cutting out external players, such as the Chinese solar panel market, it will most likely act as a negative domino effect of losing relations, harming country's economies and possibly causing harmful feuds between the US and previously communal countries. There has already been a fairly notable uproar on how many jobs will be lost within the US. This happens from jobs within the US being part of the importation and production side of international countries who are already losing business and market share to solely US made companies. All of these changes are part of Trump's initial promise to put 'America First', introduced during his presidential campaign in 2016. Are we truly putting America First if it leads to the instability of global relations? Maintaining strong international relationships is where the US needs to stand and focus on. 

According to The New York Times, much of these seemingly economically boosting moves set in place by our republican cabinet are majorly benefitting the corporate elite in the US (The Editorial Board, 2018). How are these regulations so broadly supported when such a small percentage of our country actually benefits from them? Yes, it is true that the largest corporations such as Apple will pour over $38 billion back into the US economy to build US manufacturing plants and several new Apple campuses, although what does that do to manufacturing plants that helped develop the economy of third world villages? Pulling economically boosting plants from these developing countries and pouring the jobs and money back into the US could make the inequality of wealth throughout the globe even greater. The unequal distribution of wealth is a threat to our global economy and leads to civil inequality that is seemingly irreversible in many places. 

The US needs to show its global roots and instead of pushing other countries out of our economy, introduce ways to work together. Educating our next generation to become global citizens is the most beneficial way we can grow as a globe. 


References
Gonzales, R. (2018). Trump Slaps Tariffs on Imported Solar Panels and Washing Machines. Northwest Public Broadcasting. Retrieved January 28, 2018. 
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/01/22/579848409/trump-slaps-tariffs-on-imported-solar-panels-and-washing-machines

Keating, D. (2018). Donald Trump isn't the only Solar Power Protectionist. Deutsche Welle. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
http://www.dw.com/en/donald-trump-isnt-the-only-solar-power-protectionist/a-42322107

The Editorial Board. (2018). Are Corporate Tax Cuts Raising pay? Yes, For Bosses. The New York Times. Retrieved 28, 2018. 

(2018). US Slaps 'America First' Tariffs on Washing Machines and Solar Panels. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved January 25, 2018. 
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-42784380