Changing the systems

I found today's change.org topics to be great ones as usual, but at least today I have time to write about them. The first one is about justice in the prison system. A couple of excerpts I found particularly good:

"What significance did 20 years have? From my perspective, we need to reevaluate this misguided concept of justice that only recognizes time. Ours is a society that strives toward enlightenment, yet we incarcerate more people per capita than any other nation."

"I propose that we stop relying upon the turning of calendar pages to measure justice. A far more effective corrections system would measure justice by the efforts an offender makes to reconcile with society. Such a system would require a fundamental reform."

"Warehousing humanity doesn’t reduce crime. Education reduces crime."

And here's a video by Tony, a homeless veteran who describes why he panhandles and how he makes ends meet:


Tony from invisible people on Vimeo.

Thankfully, I can be proud of my Representative, John Hall, who yesterday got President Obama to approve the veterans programs he's been supporting since coming to Congress. Read more about it here.

This doesn't mean we should continue to ignore the people on the streets (as we're all guilty of doing more often than not, I'm sure), but it least the video of Tony gives us some insight into their lives so we can understand where they're coming from. Let's help prevent this from happening by improving the education system and the prison system, and help get these guys off the streets and into jobs, such as these green-collar jobs discussed by Van Jones.

Connect with legislators through social media

I took this from an email from the American Heart Association. I think there are some great tips. Yay for social media connecting the world!


Congress Does Social Media

Have you heard? More and more legislators are using social networking tools to communicate and stay connected with constituents! An unofficial count had nearly 400 members of Congress using Facebook, and we know that many are twittering, and also using YouTube to communicate as well. Are yours?

We’re encouraging you to reach out to your legislators and see what they are up to in the social networking world. If you belong to Facebook, you can search for your legislator and send them a friend request or become a fan of their page. This will help you stay connected to them and will allow you to share the issues you care about. You can post things on their walls or share your story!

Twitter has also become very common for legislators to keep followers up to date on what they are working on and what’s happening in the halls of Congress. Maybe they are about to vote on a bill you care about or back in your district holding a town hall meeting. Find them on Twitter and follow their updates!

YouTube is another social medium that legislators are using. Again, by doing a search on their name you can watch, rate, and share the videos with family and friends to keep everyone informed on what your legislators’ positions are on issues you care about.

Epigenetics and Health Disparities

Ever consider the connection between genetics and health disparities? Well, me being a science nerd and being fascinated by genetics ever since high school and all, I'd like to share this posting with you: Epigenetics and Health Disparities. I see this as an intersection of nutritional genomics and public health genomics. Looking at the food environment the fetus is exposed to before it's born, and how this shapes the new individual's later ability to metabolize food. In other words, how the "effects of discrimination on maternal stress physiology" ultimately contribute to health disparities (read: chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease). Fascinating, and a great cutting-edge topic for future exploration...

Here's a more lay-audience friendly description of epigenetics.

changetheworlditis

Hello fellow foodies and activists alike! I inaugurate my participation with this blog (and oh so fabulous Kelly) with one single site:

This is Why You're Fat.

New blogger - welcome Mercy!

I'd like to introduce Mercy Bell as my new co-author to this blog. I met Mercy through Oxfam Action Corps NYC, as we both attended the "End Poverty in My Name" campaign at the UN back in September 2008. She's an awesome friend, foodie, activist, musician, and a truly great person. I am excited for what this blog can be when we put our forces together! Welcome Mercy :)