T-minus 1 week till Summer Classes

     I've been trying to squeeze some enjoyment out of the weekend, and have been somewhat successful in that regard.  I felt good about playing Bocce Ball.  Not only did I play pretty well as usual, but it was quite the workout.  Today my back has hurt all day, and last night I felt abs and other muscles I haven't used (but probably should have) in quite a while.  Many good ouches.  My Brother Mike who does Insanity, and did P-90X, and has started working big time with his 53 pound Kettelbell also had a sore back, so I know I'm in good company, though I'm not nearly as in shape, not remotely.
     We started 2 more gallons of mead today.  One has 3 sticks of cinnamon and a vanilla bean in it.  It's got way more bubbles than the other batches, but it is bubbling along well right along side the other batches.  Our first 4.5 gallons should be ready to siphon off in a couple of weeks at most into new gallon jugs.  At that time fermentation will be mostly done and it will have its full alchohol content.  From then on it's all about quality and clarity.
     I was here in Excelsior Springs all day, and so was not able to hit the pool.  It's just as well because I needed a day of recovery after six hours of Bocce yesterday.  Tomorrow the pool should be a reasonable temperature, so it will be much more pleasant.  I've been thinking about the amount of time to spend in the pool.  Michael Phelps spends (or spent) six hours a day in the pool.  I was thinking that if I could at least do 2 to 4 hours a day swimming that it would go a long way toward my goal of being in much better shape by the end of Summer.  If finances allow, at that time I will try to join the YMCA or something so that I can continue to swim.  I doubt I'll do a full 4 hours tomorrow as I have many chores to complete that were started previously, but I think overshooting my goal each time should be my state of mind.
     I am also writing my book again.  I went back and did an edit of Chapter 2 because there were problems with levels of Hierarchy that just didn't roll off the tongue nicely.  I was inspired by a friend recently and reminded that people are waiting to read what I have, and are awaiting the next chapter.  That inspiration was perfectly timed, and I'll be working on that when I'm not swimming tomorrow.  Probably late in the evening.
     Tonght I'm having a lovely Chicken Roast dish, and watching Angel with Mike and Jenn before we head home late late tonight.  I hope everyone had a great Holiday weekend so far.

Small Break

I'm kind of disappointed in the 3.0 GPA for this past semester.  I'm going to be doing some spring cleaning this week, and prepping for the new semester.  I want to be ready and even more organized and prepared, and work harder for Summer and Fall classes.  I'll start getting student loans in the fall... I worry about doing it, but things cannot proceed without them without great sacrafice.
Mead making commenced Saturday as I helped my Brother set up the first 4.5 gallons of mead.  Although it will likely be the new year, or this time next year before it's ready, we'll add every 6 weeks give or take so that there won't be any more major waiting after the first batch.  It will be great for bonfires, BBQ's and music that we do from time to time.  It's quite an education, but easier than I imagined, at least so far.
This weekend the swimming pool opens.  It will be the beginning of my earnest effort to get great exercise for my body in addition to what my mind will be getting.  "Pain does not exist in this dojo, fear does not exist in this dojo."
It will be important to NOT consider anything but success and the right behavior.  If I let my mind stray, I am giving myself a chance for failure.  I need a zero percent chance of failure and to not consider anything else.  They asked Alexander the Great why he decided to invade Persia.  They had him outnumbered 10 to 1 and had a HUGE Empire.  The fact was, Alexander never considered not invading, so there was no question when the opportunity presented itself, and he succeeded.  That's the way I want to be about this swimming exercise. 
I appreciate you who read my blog and the encouragement I recieve online and off.  It helps more than you  might imagine.

English as an Official Language - Essay

English: The Tower of Babel Rebuilt

            According to The Bible, the book of Genesis describes the building of the Tower of Babel which was meant to reach Heaven.  God looked down on this feeble attempt as arrogance, and an attempt by man to reach godhood.  He destroyed the Tower of Babel and confused the languages of Men so that they could not cooperate in their arrogance to attempt such a feat again.  We can glean from this story that a common language has power, and that this was the birthplace of all languages that exist or did exist.  Considering the studies of linguists worldwide, this story is as good an explanation as any for the origin of different languages, because language is an unresolved mystery.  English, one could assume, has always been one of the world languages.  It has changed by region, mixed with other languages, been added to, subtracted from, given accent, and new meaning throughout history.  English is a living language, and so what it is today will continue to evolve.  According to Robert McCrum in his book "Globish" Mandarin is spoken by twice as many people as English (McCrum pg. 5), yet the awareness of the English language, and the desire to speak English has spread worldwide.  One could make a logical assumption that since the English language has already accomplished so much, and traveled so far, and has such great importance worldwide, that it is pointless to make English the official language of the country of largest English speaking population in the world.  We should not make English the official language of the United States because it is an outmoded concept, and demonstrates that those who wish to designate English as an official language likely have an ulterior or malevolent motive.

            Many countries around the world have legislated an official language.  In some cases legislation is created to preserve a language, like the official language created in New Zealand for those few who speak the declining Māori language.  In the case of India there were so many languages spoken that the government needed to make many official languages to make sure everyone had equal access to important information, so the mandate was written into their constitution.  Both of these reasons make sense, but are not necessary.  New Zealand could have provided funding and support for a dying or minority language without legislating it as an official language.  By comparison, preservation of Native American languages doesn't seem to be a priority in the United States, but it should be.  India is a larger country, and there is a caste system with many prejudices and divisions, so in some ways making languages official makes some sense, but the support for these languages and ensuring that information is in the right hands might have been done without official declarations in their constitution. 

Legislation of an official language is not always benevolent or beneficial.  "Scratch most nationalist movements and you find a linguistic grievance." (King Pg. 534)  Nationalism is like a teenage girl with a new Stepmother.  The fear is so great that the child will lose their identity and that the new Stepmother will take over their position in the household that they must act out.  Those who attempt to legislate English as an official language in the United States are so afraid of the quick increase in the Hispanic population, and the propagation of the Spanish language, that they feel threatened.  The attempt at national language legislation seems to be an uneducated knee jerk reaction, and an act of Nationalism that has no benevolent or beneficial purpose.

            English is already an international language, so to declare it as an official language in the United States seems redundant.  India, among many other countries, conducts its parliament and writes its  laws in English.  You can find English spoken more or less in over 100 regions and countries worldwide. (Nations Online)  The international financial world is based on the U.S. dollar and therefore much of the world of finance is conducted in the English language. While native languages are used in the U.N. as a matter of national pride, there are very few representatives that need a translator for English speakers.  That is a complete change compared to all of the translators used fifty years ago.  The

World Court

is conducted in English.  Robert McCrum states "The spread of the world's English in sport, advertising, films, tourism and international finance continues to enjoy a supranational momentum."  He points out that there is no translation for brand names, and coined the term "Globish" which refers to things that have the same translation in every language.  English is bleeding into the international community quickly because we are all consumers.  It is the most unprecedented proliferation of language in the history of the world. 

            The desire for the language of English has been great in many places around the world.  It has created trends and commercial opportunities around the world.  You can see some of the failed translations on products at the Engrish.com website.  Engrish refers to those attempts at English that miss the mark in accuracy, but still create some entertaining alternatives and meanings.  It's good to have a sense of humor about mistakes in the English language because even in this country new and interesting ways of using the language have humorous outcome.  The important thing to take away from all of the humor and fun with the language is that despite failed attempts, there is a strong desire for English.  A Japanese boy or girl may buy a shirt with English words on it, not even knowing what it says, just because it is in English.  The language becomes trend, becomes a consumed product, and becomes an icon.  It's this kind of international pop-culture phenomenon that sends a strong message that we need not fear for our language.  English is still growing as a language.  It may eventually combine with many other languages in many different ways, but the basic English we all use, with all of its grammar, punctuation and spelling will always be alive.  In the book Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language, Patricia T. O'Conner said: "The truth is that English is all about change.  It's as absorbent as a sponge, as flexible as a rubber band, and it simply won't stand still - no matter where it's spoken... English is too ungovernable and too, well, democratic.  Rival words and usages are allowed to fight it out."  With such a mutable language that is constantly changing, a law making English the official language may be outdated eventually by virtue of the fact that it may be a different language entirely before this country is a millennium old.

            If we made English the official language of the United States, the growing Spanish speaking community would want us to have two official languages, and they would be justified considering the growing Hispanic population.  Instead of making English the official language, the government could think more about supporting adult education and English as a second language (ESL). Charles Krauthammer in his essay: In Plain English: Let's Make It Official said: "No immigrant presumes to make the demand that the state grant special status to his language.  He may speak it in the street and proudly teach it to his children, but he knows that his future and certainly theirs lie inevitably in learning English as the gateway to American life."  There are so many applicants to work toward a G.E.D. and becoming educated in the English language that the districts nationwide who have these programs are turning people away daily and creating waiting lists.  Instead of increasing funding, or creating more opportunities for people to learn English in this way, the U.S., State, and local governments have cut staff and classrooms.  These Adult Education centers have been forced to take fewer students due to the cuts.  It doesn't take official language legislation to support those trying to learn the language.  It is time for appropriate legislation to support the people who need services related to learning English.

            There is no surprise that the legislative branch of the U.S. Government would waste its time on something as petty as what our official language is.  Legislation has been introduced that is both strange and frivolous.  It's one thing to be a student and introduce pieces of legislation "that legalized state sponsored cannibalism because capitol punishment was too wasteful", or "that would abolish all evil lawn gnomes and their pink flamingo compatriots." (Forensics Online Forum)  Sadly our U.S. government representatives or state governments have not fared much better in many legislative pieces.  There are pieces of state legislation that ban bear wrestling, ban flicking boogers into the wind, and make it illegal to make a false promise.  Some of the funding that the U.S. Government has approved for strange research projects is downright embarrassing.  Making the English language the official language seems just as frivolous as many of State and local examples, but in the wrong hands it could be used as a tool for discrimination or a return to the ideology of Nativism.  Raymond Tatalovich, political science professor at Loyola University of Chicago believed that declaring English as an official language was definitely Nativism.  Ronald H. Baylor spoke about Tatalovich in The Journal of American Ethnic History:  "English is by definition a nativist. Nevertheless, with a few exceptions, he finds no basis either anecdotal or statistical to call today's pro-official English advocates bigots and racists. To do so, he states, requires a leap of faith, especially since their position makes sense to most Americans." 

We speak words in America that come from many different languages.  This is what happens when a living language comes into contact with another living language.  If Singapore is any example, it doesn't matter what language strong governments or rulers try to impose on their people.  Singapore is a hodge-podge mixture of languages.  Despite attempts to force English and Mandarin languages on the population, they primarily use "Singlish" which is a mixture of Mandarin and English, with a few words from other languages thrown in.  (McCrum)

            Some suggest that we could be looking at long term dangers if we do not make English our official language.  They point to the Balkanization in the Shatterbelt.  Countries, and towns whose cultures are separated by language.  Each language spoken in the Balkan region has become a strong and inseparable part of their identity.  This has led to violence, attempted genocide, and the forming and reforming of nations over hundreds of years.    In answer, we can look at the facts in this country, and how all of the different races and languages seen throughout the mass migration to this country have combined into the America we know.  Senator S. I. Hayakawa talked in his essay "The Case for Official English" of the play "The Melting Pot" and quotes from it:  "...in your fifty groups with your fifty languages and histories, and your fifty blood hatreds and rivalries, but you won't be long like that, brothers, for these are the fires of God you've come to... A fig for your feuds and vendettas!  German and Frenchman, Irishman and Englishman, Jews and Russians - into the Crucible with you all!  God is making the American." (Language Loyalties pg. 96)  Evidence 103 years after those words were first spoken on stage, it appears that indeed the peoples mentioned have held on to the roots of their culture, but are inherently American people first.  It is possible that cultures need no longer melt and coalesce on the same level as those early immigrants.  The groundwork has been laid over time to allow predjudices to diminish with each generation.  It is unlikely that what happened in the Balkan region would happen here.

Eventually many languages may be pervasive in this country.  It is easy to imagine Chinese being spoken by as many people as English in the future worldwide.    In the imaginings of Joss Whedon, he visualized a future where we colonized another solar system.  The two primary languages spoken on the colonized worlds of that system were English and Mandarin.  The scripts were written in a way that demonstrated that certain Mandarin words were used mid-sentence while speaking English.  It demonstrates how the two languages mixed over 500 years.  Today that linguistic scenario is completely plausible considering the continued rise of China as a superpower.

            In a recession or any difficult financial time, bilingual language speakers are valuable in the U.S.  We are becoming primarily service oriented as a country, in a consumer driven society.  With the growth of the Hispanic community, most service related companies pay a premium for bilingual workers.  Some writers on the subject suggest that not knowing a second language is socially inefficient.  David E. Bloom and Gilles Grenier in their essay "Economic Perspectives on Language: The Relative Value of Bilingualism in Canada and the United States" said: "Absent other considerations, it would be proper for this type of social inefficiency to be  corrected by the government... regulations designed to encourage... additional language skills..."

One thing is for sure, the English language benefits despite the economy as it continues to spread across the globe.  "Recession may slow the expansion of the global economy, but it will have little or no impact on  the world's linguistic transactions which, facilitated by technology, will continue to expand exponentially.  (McCrum)

            It is difficult to imagine, but with the increase in technology, and the world seeming smaller as we communicate without delay, we may one day trim the fat of all languages, and thousands of years from now, all speak a common language.  People may choose an identity that is common to all men instead of clinging to their deserted language island.  One world language in some far flung future may accomplish things that no country or region of the world could ever achieve on their own.  Many cultures have a lot of catching up to do to make this idea a reality, but it is not beyond imagining. 

            Considering how languages are combining with increasing speed and regularity, it may be more wise to spend our time and money preserving languages that are in danger of extinction for the purposes of cultural heritage, instead of promoting English as an official language.  In the journal: "Language Policy, Language Education, Language Rights: Indigenous, Immigrant, and International Perspectives" Nancy H. Hornberger points out that "The Pan South African Language Board, mandated by the constitution and established in 1996, is charged with the responsibility for promoting multilingualism... (including) development of other languages used by communities in South Africa..."  Something like this could easily be modified to help preserve and appreciate dying or endangered languages.

            The Tower of Babel is being rebuilt word by word.  It is imperative we allow freedom to reign supreme in the world of language so that we are an example to others.  Patricia T. O'Connor said: "Someday the old meanings of 'ironic' and 'unique' and the rest will no doubt be lost forever, mere footnotes in the history of English.  Perhaps in trying to keep them alive, I'm the one who's nurturing myths.  My mind tells me we can't save them, but my heart won't let them go."  We are on a path to new horizons in our language, it has been official for a long time.  Let's be stronger than our fear and put the official language debate to rest.

Bibliography

McCrum, Robert. Globish: How the English Language Became the World's Language. New         York: W.W. Norton &, 2010. Print.

Crawford, James. Language Loyalties: a Source Book on the Official English Controversy.            Chicago: University of Chicago, 1992. Print.

            Hayakawa, S.I. Senator, "The Case for Official Language" 1985, pages 94-100

            Bloom, David E, and Grenier, Gilles "Economic Perspectives on Language: The Relative

            Value of Bilingualism in Canada and the United States" 1992, pages 445-451

Eschholz, Paul A., Alfred F. Rosa, and Virginia P. Clark. Language Awareness. New York, NY: St. Martin's, 1990. Print.

            King, Robert D.: "Should English Be the Law?" pages 529-538

            Krauthammer, Charles: "In Plain English: Let's Make It Official" pages 539-541

O'Conner, Patricia T., and Stewart Kellerman. Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language. New York: Random House, 2009. Print.

Nancy H. Hornberger: Language in Society, Vol. 27, No. 4 (Dec., 1998), pp. 439-458 Published   by: Cambridge University Press; Article Stable URL:            http://www.jstor.org/stable/4168870

Ridge, Martin. "Nativism Reborn? The Official English Language Movement and the American   States." Journal of American Ethnic History 16.n1 (Fall 1996): 99(2). Academic           OneFile. Gale. Metropolitan Community College. 28 Apr. 2011 
            http://165.173.252.121:2279/gtx/start.do?prodId=AONE&userGroupName=morekcmetro            ccpv

Nations Online Project :: A Destination Guide to Countries and Nations of the World. Web. 13      May 2011. <http://www.nationsonline.org/>.

Engrish.com. Web. 13 May 2011. <http://www.engrish.com/>.

ForensicsOnline: Where Youth Have a Voice - Home. Web. 13 May 2011. <http://www.forensicsonline.net/>.

Semester 3, done

My first year of school was 7 years ago.  This semester the classes were either harder, or I was better at being a student 7 years ago.  I finished that year with a 3.74 GPA.  This semester I'll likely end up with two C's, a B, and an A.  Not stellar at all.  I will have to do more this fall.  Summer schedule isn't too bad, two classes to take this Summer.  One is Technology in Teaching.  I'm assuming since I'm somewhat familiar with Technology that it won't be too hard.  The other is Intro to Philosophy, which should be fun.  I'll be driving to Independence two evenings a week to take the Philosophy course.

What I learned this Semester:
I learned quite a bit in Psychology, and our teacher said, that with the notes we had we could easily diagnose someone, and since the class was all about change, I could advise someone on how to change and get out of a situation that is a problem.  That being said, the important lesson is that even though we have the ability to change, few people do.

I learned more about the world in Geography.  Since I do enjoy documentaries, it's good to be a little more familiar with the world so that I'll know more about the locations talked about.  This class combined with my on-the-job education in travel, tours, and travel insurance could make me a halfway decent advisor on travel.

The teaching intro was very informative.  I feel like I understand much more about my chosen career future.  We covered everything from School finances, to Teacher Unions, to Exceptional learners, and transferring to a 4 year program to finish and get a bachelor's degree in teaching.  The class solidified my committment, and helped me to understand that this is the correct path for me.

English was great.  I feel with all of the writing I did, that it has honed my writing skills further.  After taking that class I feel like I was out of practice.  Writing is not even a tiny struggle anymore.  I also was happy with the variety of subjects we wrote about, and have learned a few things about language and society.

June 6th the new semester begins.  After figuring out my credits, I'll have 60 credit hours and qualify to substitute teach after the 2011-2012 school year.  If I pass the CBASE test I could be teaching in Fall 2012.  Very exciting.

On the downhill side

It looks like it's shaping up to be a busy week.  I still need to figure out where to look on the school website to find out where the final exam dates are, but I have plenty of time for that.  This week, I have a test on Wednesday in Psych.  I have many many many pages of notes to review in preparation for that test.  I have a paper due Tuesday on Race in English, and I need to get my Lesson Plan paper done for my Education class.  I also have to finish the map on Eastern Europe for Geography on Wednesday night for a quiz.  Busy busy indeed.
On Thursday I'm going to go to the Park Hill district Board Meeting to prepare a paper in Education on School Boards.  Fun yeah?
If I can make it through this week with real success, and accomplish all the tasks and benchmarks I have set for myself, and stay on schedule, then the rest of the Semester should be a breeze.
I'm going to spend a lot of time at school this week studying, and try to get classmates to study with on the Psych exam.  I always feel bad because it can take away time that I would be spending with the boy when he gets off school, but I know that this is for the greater good, and we'll have plenty of time together.
I think tonight I'll work on that Geography map to free up some extra time during the week.

Educational Vouchers Paper

This is the essay I scored 100% with.  2 perfect papers in a row for Education class.  WOOT!

Educational Vouchers

            I was intrigued to learn the varied methods of applying educational vouchers, and also surprised at all of the reasons that vouchers are desired by different groups of proponents of a voucher program.  Educational vouchers, simply put, allow the freedom of choice for students and their parents to find schools that can give the students the best chance at success in life.  That would be the collective goal.  I believe that educational vouchers are likely inevitable in many places, especially where schools are failing children.  I would hope the threat of vouchers being a necessary alternative would be enough for schools to improve, and to scrutinize their practices, and find more efficient ways to get the best out of their teachers and students.

            In "A Comprehensive Framework for Evaluating Educational Vouchers" there is a great deal said about the freedom of choice of parents on where to send their children for school.  On the other side, the potential educators and schools that would be developed should large scale voucher programs be approved, are going to be concerned with making education a profitable venture.  Supreme court rulings, and lower court rulings have already established some of the legality in regard to religious schools, and also in the case of those students who's families have income well below the poverty line.  These are just a handful of issues facing further approval of more voucher programs.

            In Florida vouchers are already handed to families in poverty who's children are failing in school.  It would seem that this would give great hope to children who otherwise may fall through the cracks.  In addition, Charter schools are already implemented in most districts of cities with large populations.  Charter schools are specialty schools who have been approved, and have a primary focus such as Art, Music, Science, or Business.  While charter schools are a different form of a voucher program, it is a likely model for what a competitive school environment may look like.

            The article also addresses what the "elements of a comprehensive framework" must consider to be successful.  Four main elements will take into consideration what a voucher program on a national basis will look like.  They are; freedom of choice, productive efficiency, equity, and social cohesion.  In addition, the article mentions three very important criteria to consider in a voucher program, they are; finance, regulation, and support services.

            It seems to me that the hardest of the three criteria to enforce would be regulation, especially since shutting down a school, especially a large school, for not meeting standards, could throw hundreds of families into turmoil with displaced students.  Actually any one of the elements of a voucher program, or any one of the criteria, can greatly affect the lives of a great many families.  These problems are outlined, and talk about the difficulty in a plan that takes everything into consideration equally.  Trading off the importance of one or another of these items in a comprehensive plan could make it inequitable, or cause it to collapse completely.

            A final framework for vouchers will be efficient, and effective.  The program would have to prevent going backwards in relation to "tracking" or social inequity.  Vouchers would have to give a real freedom of choice, and shun anything that resembles preference based on income, race, and location.  The program would have to support all students, and help transport them, consider disabilities, and also maintain technical support, and information systems that would allow a school and district to function efficiently.  Also a plan needs to be in place to reverse damage done if in fact programs or schools fail in these programs.

            While the article did enlighten me on many issues I was unaware of concerning vouchers, it seems to me that the entire affair seems sterile.  Especially when taking into consideration the intense failure, fear, and disadvantage being caused by the current system when it comes to academically failing school districts, the dangers in violent schools, and the social inequities that exist in inner city schools and environments.

            When two schools are 15 minutes away from each other, and one school has a dropout rate near 50%, and the other school has a Graduation rate of 95%, the system is clearly not working.  I think it would be common sense to come up with anything that would work better for a school that is only graduating half of its high school students.  If you make a program that requires parents to help make a decision on their child's education, it gives them ownership of that choice.  There is truth to the scenario where one teen is given a car, and the other is forced to earn and purchase their own.  The one who worked for their car will take better care of it and have more pride in it.  I think that this lesson can be applied to education.  Allowing parents to make choices and take an interest in their child's school and education, empowers them to keep making choices, to have more of an interest in the education of their child.  If the teen/child is also a part of the making of that choice, and understands what is happening, even they will take more pride in what they do while at school, and will want to succeed.

            I believe a voucher program may also change the way public school districts operate.  Many administrations are top-heavy as far as administration.  With only so much money to go around, I think it would spur a school district to action to do a better job for their students and teachers.

            School choice across the board could open some schools to more equitable practices as far as enrollment of minorities and children who need more services.  Requiring that a certain basic amount of services be required for exceptional learners, it can improve the current parochial and private schools to do a better job when it comes to those enrolled.

            Standardized testing is only one measurement that should be used to measure success.  While it would create another department for most states or school districts, it seems the best way to regulate a school is to have regulators spend time at different schools for days or weeks at a time to evaluate classrooms, do financial audits, and make sure that schools are complying with regulations and goals.  Probation may be called for on schools that receive funding and vouchers that are not performing.  Schools that consistently do not meet requirements need to have parents notified that the school will be closed, and that they need to make new choices that will ensure their children's success.

            I think that too many times, schools, and districts only react to problems in a school district.  Vouchers could, in actuality, create a proactive approach to education that has been missing in this country for decades.  Good schools should be rewarded with recognition.  Incentives for schools to perform well can be made much more significant with a voucher program.  With funding for large projects like stadiums, upgraded equipment and learning tools, and scholarships, much of the money wasted currently by Administrations throughout the country.  Choices can extend to a more healthy school lunch that does not include processed foods, which would eliminate the lucrative food contracts with schools across the country that encourage poor farming practices.

            The possibilities with the current educational system are endless, but there is no motivation.  Given adequate motivation through action on vouchers, it's amazing what schools could do.  The children are the most important part of the equation, and we must think of them first.  Students are the priority, and they should be in the forefront of the minds of everyone involved when any decision is made.  Only with the children and their future in mind, can you get the best out of each teacher, each administrator, and each parent.

English Foods Essay

Made of Corn

            Corn is a grass plant.  A very large version of the grass plant that grows in the front yard of the average American.  The primary species of corn grown throughout the Midwest is called Yellow Dent.  If you were to go into a field of this corn, and pull a cob off the stalk, take it home and try to eat it, you would be sorely disappointed.  The majority of the corn in the United States cannot be eaten without being processed.  If the average American went to a scientist to have their hair tested (as a record of the makeup of the human body), they would find that the carbon in their bodies comes primarily from corn.  Not from sweet corn grown, cooked, and eaten at home, but from all of the byproducts of the Yellow Dent corn that is grown primarily across America today.  From sweeteners, to the meat we buy from the grocery store, to the oils used to cook in or with, it is mostly derived from corn.  It makes no sense to produce such a large crop of an inedible substance that has not been proven safe, while overusing our most valuable natural resource, farmland.  The food we grow, how we grow it, and how it gets into our bodies has had, and continues to have, a massively negative effect on our health system, and the nutrition intake of an entire generation.

            Crop prices once stayed high by limiting the amount of grain that went to market.  In 1973 the limits were taken away, and instead the farmer was paid with government subsidies, and the price of corn was allowed to go down.  The government pays farmers to grow more and more corn, soybeans, and wheat, all genetically modified, otherwise any farmer would lose money by growing their crops.  On an average acre of land, a farmer can grow four times the amount of corn that they could eighty years ago.  Over the years the corn has been genetically modified to grow closer to the plants around them, so that more plants could be planted per acre.  Additionally all but very few of plants are genetically modified to withstand one specific type of pesticide that would kill any normal plant not genetically modified to withstand it.  In this way, the food source is genetically linked to the pesticide used to kill everything but the food plant.  The result of modern technology is five tons of food from one acre of land.  As technology increased over time, a single farmer could work more and more land, and smaller farms were swallowed up.  Now a single farmer can farm 1,000 acres.

            Tons upon tons of corn sit harvested, but unused over the winter after harvest due to overproduction each year.  If the corn grown was immediately edible, the state of Iowa could produce enough food to feed the entire United States, with two trillion corn plants grown each year.  As it stands now, if an Iowa farmer had to rely on their own crop to feed their family, it could not be done because it is inedible, and if they produced their own crop without government subsidies, they would lose money.  None of this is productive or intuitive, yet it happens year after year.  In this way, genetically modified corn is not only bad for the health of the average American, but bad for the soil, the farmers, and the economy.

            If we used corn just for directly edible food purposes, then we would not need to produce so much corn, and we would not have soil that is so distressed from constant farming.  I learned from the film King Corn: "Of the 10,000 pounds of corn per acre grown, roughly 32% is exported or turned into ethanol. 490 pounds will become sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup, and more than half the crop, a full 5,500 pounds is fed to animals to become meat." 

            Cattle by nature graze, and are fed grass primarily in nature.  As the principle feed for cattle in feed lots, the mass production of corn becomes the mass production of animal protein.  Wet corn gluten feed comes as a by-product of the ethanol industry, and silage is derived from the entire corn plant.  Sixty percent of the feed ration for an average farm animal is made from corn, and these corn by-products.  If feed cattle in a confinement feed lot were not harvested for meat, they would die within months from the feed given to them.  Most cattle being harvested are already suffering from acidosis.  They are given antibiotics to combat illness caused by acidosis.  150 days of feeding of a calf results in a cow ready to be harvested for meat.  We harvest meat from an obese animal who's muscle tissue looks like fat tissue.  According to the film King Corn: "If you harvested meat from grass fed cattle who graze and move on an open range, it would have 1.3 grams of saturated fat in an average t-bone steak, the same steak from cattle in a feed lot would have 9 grams saturated of fat."

            High fructose corn syrup is made with water, sulfuric acid, boiled off starch from corn after the fiber has been separated, enzymes that digest the corn, and involves a massive amount of heat.  It is the dominant sugar in almost every kind of food, even foods you wouldn't think would need any sugar at all.  It is used because it reduces acidity of some foods, adds browning properties to breads, and enhances flavors of spices and fruits.  It has no nutritional value, and is used because it is less expensive than sugar.  HFCS is known to have adverse metabolic effects on the human body and is empty calories contributing to obesity and health issues in the United States.  Look at the ingredients of the products you buy, and there is a good chance that it contains corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup.  Drinking one soda per day doubles your chances of getting Type Two Diabetes. 

            If American's demand something, they will have it.  We are a consumer driven society.  American's however, want cheap food.  There was a time when 30%  to 35% of the income from an average family went to feed them.  Now the average family spends 16% to 17% of their income on food.  If American's demanded better quality food instead of cheaper food, then the farmers would respond by producing what is being demanded.  This requires a person to think about what they are putting into their bodies to process.

            The agriculture of the past is now involved in growing fast, cheap food that lacks the nutrition required for the body to thrive.  The drive for plenty of food in the past 30 years as a result of government involvement  has resulted in a drastic increase in production.  We may be the first generation in history where the abundance in production brings too much.  The price of the decrease in health is too high a price to pay for cheap and easy food.  Realistic expectations are that the lifespan of the average American will decrease in the next few generations due to obesity, and the health problems caused by the poor quality of the food that we consume. 

            There are several nutrients that were in the soil of the past that are not added into the soil now, and the soil is overused.  Potassium, nitrogen and phosphorous are the nutrients put into an otherwise dead soil through fertilizer, and that combination has been used for over a century.  The other nutrients that the soil would have naturally have, has already been leached out.  Natural soil that has not been overused contains fully 52 different minerals.  We are borrowing our future to pay for today by creating deficient, toxic food.  Many farm families are being eliminated as the commodity of corn, and the business of farming becomes part of multinational corporations. 

            We have reached a turning point in our society.  From watching Foodmatters, we learn that every year, approximately 652,486 people die of Heart Disease, 553,888 people die of cancer, and 225,000 people die of adverse reactions from medication and infections they got while in a medical setting.  These deaths, and the effects on our health system have put our society in a burgeoning crisis.  Dr. Linus Pauling who won two unshared Nobel Prizes, and holds forty-eight PhD's was quoted as saying: "Optimum Nutrition is the medicine of tomorrow."

            The food you buy that is considered fresh, produce, meat, etc. is on average one week old.   You lose up to 60% of the nutrition originally in the food by the time you get it home.  Additionally when you cook the food, you lose even more nutrition and many important enzymes in the cooking process.  The food structure is so blasted by what it has been through to get to your table, that it can cause Leukocytosis, basically causing your immune system to produce white blood cells that treat part of what you have eaten as a dangerous foreign body.  50% of protein is also destroyed and damaged by heat in the cooking process.

            All of this information begs the question: What can I eat if I cannot eat what is offered most often?  Super foods, would be one answer.

            Spirulina is the highest protein content vegetable in the world, yet it is not widely available.  Cacao Beans is the highest source of magnesium, chromium, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, and vitamin C.  It can protect us from viruses, DNA damage, and cancer due to its high antioxidant content.  Commercially produced chocolate however has been exposed to heat, and the vitamin C is usually destroyed in the heating process.  Even so, it is considered a super food.  Eating raw foods is another great alternative.  If you eat half of your food raw, there will be a very significant noticeable difference in your personal health.

            Large doses of vitamins, especially in whole food, or natural forms, can cure and correct many ills that we have by helping the body to use the considerable power it has to heal itself.  Myths persist that large quantities of vitamins can be harmful, but there are no studies or examples to support that assumption.  Until very recently, people who are becoming Doctors, and getting their PhD. in Medicine were never trained in nutrition.  Diet and nutrition are usually set aside in favor of pharmaceuticals.  According to Foodmatters: "Less than 6% of graduating physicians in the USA receive any formal training in nutrition."  Giving white bread and popsicles to a patient with cancer is doing a disservice to the patient when nutritional alternatives exist. There are studies that show high doses of Vitamin C, even from the 1940's, used as a treatment for the common cold, and other more serious ailments.  The reason one vitamin can work for many different ailments is that there are only so many vitamins out there, but the human body has thousands of processes.  There are plenty of studies available on high dose vitamin therapy, but they are not recognized by mainstream medicine.

Orthomolecular medicine, the medicine of nutrition, warrants research and study by mainstream medicine.  High dose nutrient therapy, and organic nutrition is still not mainstream, but it could be exactly the divergent brand of medicine called for to change the course of future healthy living.

            If there is a reason not to try alternative therapies for existing ills, then the evidence is hidden away.  In the future we may be using 3000mg of Niacin to treat depression, or 100,000 grams of intravenous Vitamin C every 24 hours to treat cancer.  If these things can work, then there should be research.  The side effects are nothing compared to the suicides from Prozac usage, or the hair loss and compromising the immune system with Chemotherapy. Hippocrates is quoted by every physician who graduates, it was he who said: "Let Thy Food Be Thy Medicine, And Thy Medicine Be Thy Food."

            Most important, we need to let the soil heal itself in the bread basket of our nation, and farm less land.  We need to produce less, and pay more for our food.  We need to make sure that the food we grow is edible raw, and that the animals we rely on for food are eating what nature intended.  Americans should not be looking forward to genetically modified cattle that are immune to acidosis, and can digest corn.   U.S. citizens have a chance for healthy nutritional organic alternatives.  Demand it now, and we can save the next generation from an early death.  As it stands now, we are malnourished, our immune systems are weaker than they are supposed to be, and we are basically made of corn.

Works Cited

Foodmatters. Dir. James Colquhoun and Laurentine Ten Bosch. 2008. DVD.

King Corn: You Are What You Eat. Dir. Aaron Woolf. Perf. Earl L. Butz, Ian Cheney, Curt Ellis. 2007. DVD.