Spotlight on Current Events: Essays on Contemporary World Issues

Cover
Title
Copyright
Contents
Introduction
	Politics and Government
	Gender and Sexuality
	Environment and Science
	Technology and Industry
	Law and Crime
	Health and Wellness
	Economics and Finance
	Drugs and Alcohol
	Life and Death
How to Use This Book
Chapter 1: Politics and Government
	Introduction
	Should the United States Enact Tougher Laws to Stem Illegal Immigration?
		References
	Resolving the Issue of Illegal Immigration: A Question of Balance
		Illegal Immigration as a Contemporary Social Issue
		Geographic and Demographic Considerations
		Constitutional Considerations
		Enhanced Federal Strategies for the Control of Illegal Immigration
		Foreign Nationals Database
		Amnesty
		References
	Homeland Insecurity, Personal Security, and Constitutional Safeguards
	Structural Barriers or Impediments to Third-Party Candidates
		Single-Member Districts
		The Electoral College
		Ballot Access
		Additional Barriers
		Conclusion
		References
	Party Identification and Core Political Principles
		References
	The Roots of Roe: Not Liberty, but Privacy
		Reference
		For Further Exploration
	Going Beyond “Flying While Arab”: Islamophobic Profiling in the Era of Homeland Security
		References
	Why Mixing Religion and Political Activity Leads to a Poisoned Chalice: Ending Compelled Taxpayer Support for Religious Political Activity
		Hands Off and Eyes Closed
		Why Render unto Caesar?
		One Person’s Tax Exemption Is Another Person’s Compelled Subsidy
		References
Chapter 2: Gender and Sexuality
	Introduction
	Gender Equality in Sport: (Un)Awareness, Education, and Resolve
		Hegemonic Masculinity
		Aspirations and Career Path
		Living the Divide and Finding Our Way
		References
	Breaking the Gender Binary in Sport: Female-to-Male Recreational Athlete
		References
	Feminisms Coming and Going
		References
	Intersex: Beyond the Sex Binary
		References
	Living with Gender Dysphoria
		References
	Substance Abuse and Transgender Youth
		References
	Exploring Victimization in the Digital Age: Perspectives on Social Media and Sexual Assault
		References
Chapter 3: Environment and Science
	Introduction
	The Politics of Human Embryonic Stem Cells
	The U.S. Government Should Not Require GM Food Labels
		Mandatory GM Food Labels Would Incorrectly Indicate a Risk
		Mandatory GM Food Labels Would Increase the Cost of Food
		Consumer Choice Does Not Justify Mandatory Gm Food Labeling
		References
	A Growing World Demands New Food Technology
		References
	Desalination and Reuse: Facing a Global Water Crisis with Alternative Technologies
		Desalination
		Greywater Treatment
		References
	Why Fracking Is Beneficial
		References
	Fracking and the Future of Fresh Water
		References
	Dams, Rivers, and Fish: A Continuing Conundrum
		Reference
	The Moral Dilemma of Animal Research
		References
Chapter 4: Technology and Industry
	Introduction
	Why Wind Energy Is Good for the United States and the World
		Reference
	Wind Turbine Syndrome: Health Effects of Noise from Large Wind Turbines
		References
	Current Limitations in Solar Energy and Solutions for the Future
		References
	Safety, Human Fallibility, and Nuclear Power
		Reference
	A Brave New World for CRISPR/Cas9: Scientific Limitations and Ethical Considerations
		Introduction
		CRISPR/Cas9: A Brief Scientific Overview
		Scientific Limitations and Ethical Considerations
		Recommendations
		References
	The Relationship between Space and Cyber Assets
		References
	Waging E-Jihad
		References
Chapter 5: Law and Crime
	Introduction
	Is There More School Violence Today? A Veteran Educator Says No
	Criminal Behavioral Profiling: A Critical Perspective
		References
	Media Influence on Perceived Offender-Victim Relationship
		References
	Mass Injustice: The War on Drugs, Institutional Discrimination, and the Impact on U.S. Prisons
		The Who: Racial and Ethnic Minorities
		For What: Drug Offenses
		How We Got Here: Institutional Discrimination and the “The War on Drugs”
		The Pendulum Begins to Swing, Perhaps
		References
	Community Restorative Justice Hub: A Model of Hospitality and Accompaniment
		A Brief Overview of the Restorative Justice Hub Model
	Punish Crime, Not Thought Crime
		References
	The Law vs. Violent Bigotry: The Case for Strong Hate-Crime Laws in the United States
		Punishing Bias-Motivated Violence: The Policy Frame for Hate-Crime Laws
		The Constitutional Frame for Hate-Crime Laws: First Amendment Protections
		Expanding Federal Hate-Crime Protection: The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA)
	Campus Victim Advocacy and Its Role in Supporting Survivors of Interpersonal Violence
		Emotional Support
		Resource Education and Accompaniment
		Developing Trauma-Specific Coping Skills
		Conclusion
Chapter 6: Health and Wellness
	Introduction
	Stigma and STIs
	Universal Health Coverage: The How and the Why
		How Do They Do It?
		Why Do They Do It?
	Why U.S.-Style Health Reform Does Not Work and What to Do about It
		The Story of Teresa
		Health Policy Hypes and (False) Hopes
		What Is Single Payer?
		But, Isn’t Single Payer “Un-American”?
		The Way Forward
		References
	Vaccines Are the Key to Preventing Global Disease Pandemics
		The Cost of Vaccination Programs
		Access to Vaccination Programs
		Awareness of the Seriousness of Communicable Diseases and the Need for the Vaccines That Prevent Them
		Acceptance of the Safety, Efficacy, and Necessity of Vaccines
		Vaccines Are the Key to Preventing Global Disease Pandemics
		References
	HPV Vaccine for All
		HPV Diseases
		Other Benefits
	How Fishy Is It? Risk Communication and Perceptions of Genetically Engineered Salmon
		References
	Pros and Cons of Dietary Supplements for Weight Management
		Dietary Supplement Labeling
		What Are the Risks of Taking Supplements for Weight Management?
		How to Choose a Quality Supplement
		Where to Learn More about Supplements
		References
Chapter 7: Economics and Finance
	Introduction
	Student Debt: How Did We Get Here and Why Should We Worry?
		Student Debt: Why Worry?
		Conclusion
		References
	Minimum Wages and Living Wages
		Living-Wage Research
		References
	Policymakers Should Exercise Maximum Caution on the Minimum Wage
	Raising the Minimum Wage Would Help, Not Hurt, Our Economy
		References
	Consumers as Data Profiles: What Companies See in the Social You
		References
	The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Youth Unemployment
		References
Chapter 8: Drugs and Alcohol
	Introduction
	Marijuana Use and Intelligence
		References
	Psychiatric Disorders and Substance Abuse: Comorbidity, Correlation, and Causation
		References
	E-cigarette Vapor versus Cigarette Smoke: Is Vapor Really Safer?
		References
	The Myth of the Drug Habit: Defining Addiction as a Disease
		References
	Drug Testing High School Athletes and Fitness Trainers
		References
	A Perfect Storm for Prescription Drug Misuse
		References
	Rationale for Cannabis-Based Interventions in the Opioid Overdose Crisis
		References
	Marijuana Is Not Safe and Is Not Medicine
		References
Chapter 9: Life and Death
	Introduction
	Who Should or Should Not Be Born? The Collision between Reproductive Rights and Disability Rights
		References
	Religious Choice in Medicine: When Cancer Patients Have Religious Objections to Life-Saving Blood Transfusions
	Is There a Right to Die?
	Why Disability Rights Advocates Oppose Assisted Suicide
		References
	The Death Penalty Should Be Abolished—for Very Practical Reasons
		Risks of Wrongful Executions
		Costs of Capital Punishment
		Why Is the Death Penalty So Expensive?
		Political Influence
		Arbitrariness
		Race
		Conclusion
	Capital Punishment Should Not Be Abolished in the United States
		The Death Penalty Is Constitutional
		Some Offenders Deserve the Death Penalty
		The Death Penalty Deters Crime
		Conclusion
	Gender and Capital Punishment
	What Should We Do with Juvenile Murderers?
		References
Index
About the Editor