Social Issues

Chocolate bars have a dark, often untold story of human trafficking and child slavery. Cocoa plantations on the Ivory Coast use unpaid child labor to harvest the cocoa beans, often employing tactics such as physical abuse by overseers on plantations in West Africa.

Welcome the world of the "lifelong customer" where babies are taught from infancy to memorize brand logos and jingles. Do any of us stand a chance? How did this happen?

Working class white people are dying far sooner than they should, apparently because of despair at their life circumstances. But the experience of African Americans provides hope.

This is basically my breakup letter to feminism. For many years, I was a feminist, but not a radical one. But radicals took over, sanity has left the building, and I am not a feminist anymore.

This article summarizes the history and misdeeds of the Mexican drug cartels. The scope of this international problem is discussed as well, emphasizing its impact on the United States, perhaps the only country powerful enough to stop them.

There have been five mass extinctions; we are now in the beginning of the sixth mass extinction. How is global warming threatening all life on earth and what can we do about it?

Are pets and zoo animals slaves or prisoners? Projecting the human emotional state upon animals is not necessarily in line with optimal animal welfare.

Referring to “people first” and then their disability is supposed to focus attention on the person and not their condition. If that is true, why aren’t more people and the media using it?

The computer revolution that began in the second half of the twentieth century has brought many benefits, but also some downsides. I look at the advantages and disadvantages of the internet.

One of the reasons for rising health insurance costs is because doctors and patients allow our healthcare system to focus on managing disease (illness care) rather than prevention and wellness (true health care).

Not all of the acrimonious behavior that white people exhibit towards racial controversy is attributable to white fragility. Some of it is our arrogance.

A formula for bad results.

Should people have the right to die? Euthanasia is a hotly debated topic. In my euthanasia pros and cons, I have attempted to summarise the main arguments for and against.

This article lists the advantages and disadvantages of school uniforms.

Many claim homelessness is caused by (and only caused by) making stupid, destructive , and completely avoidable choices. This page examines some of those poor choices. Have you ever made any of them?

One of the most significant controversies which has emerged in education has to do with cell phones. More specifically…should cell phones be allowed in school? There are pros and cons to both sides.

Facts about water pollution and the environment. How to avoid polluting our waterways and prevent the harm that comes from damaging them.

If you're homeless and trying to figure out how to spend a small amount of money to best effect, this list may help. It has also proven useful to charities creating care packages for homeless people.

For every second in David Rockefeller's long life, he's been one of the wealthiest human beings on the planet. But this isn't the only fact that makes it easy to dislike him....

Is Homosexuality Genetic? - A combination of genetic and environmental factors could explain how homosexuality manifests. The sexually antagonistic selection theory can solve the paradox of how homosexuality survives natural selection.

The law is not a basis for justice or morality. Neither can enforcing the law be considered to be just or moral.

The health risks of meat production today can no longer be brushed under the carpet. Find out exactly what you put into your mouth.

Have you ever wondered why people become homeless? This article explains just a few of the most common causes of home loss for people living in the United States. Some of them may surprise you.

This hub briefly summarizes and analyzes a few aspects of the healthcare system and its achievements in Vietnam.

If those searching for the truth don't trust mainline media outlets, where should they go? This article explains media consolidation in the United States and gives alternative sources to the MSM.

Think tanks have an enormous effect on public opinion and policy. Most think tanks promote themselves as being unbiased - but are they?

Many atheists claim to live by a high standard of personal morality. But can morality really exist without reference to God? This article shows why atheism destroys the very concept of morality.

Without change, our dependence on petroleum and coal for power could someday lead to society's demise. But why wait for the inevitable when we can enact change now? With a multitude of viable energy sources at our finger tips, we are on the brink of a paradigm shift. Here are nine sources of renewable energy that could potentially change how we power our future.

Journalists can focus better on their reader's interests with online news services. However, many small-town newspapers still fill a niche that Internet websites can't touch due to lack of broadband to rural homes.

Poverty kills more people every year than any other cause and contributes to even more deaths. Why doesn't anybody care?

Many people already realize the importance that recycling has on our society and way of life. However, if you still need more convincing, here are five big reasons why you need to start recycling today.

Six ideas to help end homelessness and an invitation to share your solutions to the problem of so many Americans being homeless. So many are veterans, children, elders, and disabled people.

Lots of people have believed for decades that men are the better drivers over women, but do the facts support that belief? Or is it a myth of machismo?

Bullied children across America suffer needlessly. The number and severity of attacks by bullies continue to increase exponentially with the availability of social media sites and texting capabilities. States, desperate to get a handle on it, impose fines or jail parents of bullies. Is this fair?

This article discusses potential negative effects of social networking. Porter's Five Forces Model is explored as it relates to these effects and recommendations regarding accountability are made.

I am often asked why I don't believe in God. It seems shocking to some, and an immediate condemnation of being evil usually follows. The simple answer is no God has ever answered my prayers...

Who doesn’t like cute widdle wabbits hoping about the landscape? Twenty-three million Australians for a start.

America is passionately divided on the issue of gun control and the 2nd Amendment, and some, it seems, will go to extreme lengths to counter any changes in the law. This is the reason for this article

This series of articles is meant to break a complicated subject into easier segments. Each part will focus on one topic within a much larger idea. This part focuses on what a gun is and what it's not.

We can create happy neighborhoods, beginning with personal effort to become good neighbors. The following habits form the foundation for good next door neighbors.

With climate change and increase in the use of toxic pesticides, honey bees are disappearing. Colony collapse disorder causing their deaths will affect humans, honey bees vanishing is not a good sign.

Some semesters back, the Honors Program at the George Washington University in Washington, DC held a symposium on religion and conflict in the 21st century.  In this symposium, we heard from several speakers, then broke into case study groups in...

This article suggests a list of the 10 most polluted rivers in the world. Included in the story are what countries are doing to cleanse these filthy waterways.

Support homosexuality or leave! Those were the choices Christian counseling student Julea Ward faced when her faculty demanded she approve same-sex relationships when counseling homosexuals.

Why are so many young adults depressed nowadays? 5 reasons that might help explain this phenomenon.

Education reform in America is focusing on bad teachers, teacher's unions and merit pay. But are teachers the main cause of educational failure in America?

Highlighting differences between UK and USA housing, to show some of the social and cultural differences between Britain and American homes; based on my personal knowledge and perceptions of America.

Do you speak English? If so, then the chances are very very high that the nation you live within faces big problems due to wild boar or wild pig overpopulation. You should do something about it too.

While numerous people have felt deep conflicts between their physiological and psychological structures, gender reassignment has been slow to emerge as a pathway to freedom

It's no secret there's bias in the mainstream media, but when you're hunting for a good news source, these are a few things to watch for.

Among the many methods people have talked about for protecting our children from guns, gun owners are saying “arm our teachers.” But is this a good idea?

The technological revolution of recent years has brought with it many positives, but also quite a few negatives. I look at the advantages and disadvantages of technology.

Imagine if all the oil yet to be extracted from the ground suddenly disappeared, never to reappear again. How would we cope without the raw material that made the modern world possible. Would be able to find a suitable alternative fuel. Part one looks at what an oil-less world would like during the first year.

The truth of the matter is tobacco kills, but quitting the nasty habit also carries a series of long term side effects. If you don’t like being lied to, this is a must read.

The new Nat Geo Wild program features an exotic pet vet in Deerfield Beach who regularly derides exotic pet owners while collecting checks from them. Florida exotic pet owners, find a new vet.

A listing of ways just one person can help protect endangered species. Learn ways you can help by starting right in your own backyard or make a difference for animals around the world!

Understand what the scientific community is reporting about the side effects of eating genetically modified foods. Studies show links to obesity, diabetes, food allergies, cancer, and fertility problems.

We use a huge amount of plastic today. Most of it takes a very long time to degrade and can harm marine life. Some bacteria are able to break down plastic.

The hippie movement was a catalyst for a great deal of change. What came of these changes and is there a lasting effect today? What came of the hippies themselves?

What can be done to change people's minds about tossing trash in the streets or industrial waste in our rivers? We can start by looking at our own behavior and asking ourselves some key questions.

This article explores the issues regarding the question of whether or not cigarettes should be banned, with themain arguments that are used for and against making cigarettes illegal listed.

Have you wondered about the earth's floating patches of garbage? This article explains how these garbage patches got into our oceans and what's being done to reduce or eliminate them.

Do you struggle to determine whether or not you should give money to homeless people? I did until I had this experience.

Plastic pollution can be dangerous for marine life. Microplastic particles are tiny pieces of debris that may be harmful for animals and for humans as well.

Opinions matter, especially since this agenda is being promoted by the United Nations which clearly expects the idea to have international appeal. Learn about the CEDAW treaty and share your opinion.

The Keystone XL Pipeline is a hot button issue these days. Sorting fact from fiction shows that it's not the panacea that many believe it to be.

The history, cultural impact, and lasting consequences of the birth control pill.

Modern farming methods rely heavily on the European Honey Bee for pollination, but the honey bee population is in peril and the cause of the problem is not well understood. Modern farming methods do not currently support adequate pollination by native species of bees.

Political correctness is a contentious issue in American culture. It is, at the same time, a reminder of the U.S.' despicable racism, and the desire to transcend this country's odious unjust past.

Did you know the United States holds many of the world's records for school shootings? Or that our first school shooting took place in 1764? Learn this and much more with this in depth article.

We all want murder rates to come down, but is gun control effective? Statistics and facts on gun crime and gun controls vs crime. You decide.

Standardized tests which are used to evaluate the psychological aspects of individuals are subjected to strong bias. Many people of different cultures are misdiagnosed due to these errors.

This is an exploration of the many reasons why people choose not to have children.

There is a lot of controversy surrounding virtual relationships, with many deeming them as superficial and dishonest. However, some argue that our online selves encourage stronger relationships and can help those who struggle with shyness.

I am not a celebrity. I am simply a writer with my own ideas, opinions and creative pursuits. Behind my words, you cannot see me, except for a small profile picture in the corner of the screen. If you saw me in the street, you would not recognise...

The water crisis is foreseeable, but technology to solve the impending problem is already in the works. Here are three ways of using technology to save us from a water crisis.

Social networking is so widespread nowadays few people question its value. This article lists the downsides of using social media.

More and more people are leaving the church that they once were actively involved in. This article provides some reasons that active members are leaving the church.

Will you know what to do when society collapses and civil disorder reigns? Find out what supplies you will need and where you need to go if and when the apocalypse happens.

Why do people put down wild animals in captivity while being perfectly fine with domesticated animals in human control? Are domesticated animals really that different from exotic animals?

Why do homeless people seem to avoid using emergency housing shelters? Here are some of the reasons.

Imagine growing up in a town so poisonous - so radioactive - that the Environmental Protection Agency had to destroy it. That is exactly what the EPA did to my friend's childhood home in New Mexico.

How can you tell if someone is homeless? There's no sure way but there are a lot of clues that may add up to homelessness when taken together. Knowing them can keep people living on the street safer.

Ethics and morality are two different things. A lack of morality may or may not harm some people, but a lack of ethics always will.

This article gives the essential arguments for and against gun control laws, listing the main pros and cons that people use in the debate.

Often lumped together, this article attempts to discern how chewing tobacco and cigarette addictions are different.

Radioactive Waste in the Ocean. Radioactive waste storage in the oceans. The pros and cons of long term radioactive storage of waste.

This article looks at the pros and cons of a US amnesty for illegal immigrants and lists the arguments used by both sides in the debate.

Arguments for Gun Control – International murder rates and crime rates show why arguments against gun control are difficult to support. A novel use of statistics is employed to extract the key gun control argument.

The symbolism of the Confederate flag is defined by its repellent history, not the belief of its supporters that it has nothing to do with racism, but symbolizes the best in Southern heritage.

Sociological research demonstrates that when whites are exposed to the Confederate flag, it causes them to react more negatively toward blacks.

Sadly, echoes of the bitter segregationists are still heard today even among those who seek high office.

Is there really a war against Christmas? If so, how can we put a stop to it? Here’s a modest proposal for doing just that.

Is there a God? Atheism argues there’s no scientific proof that God exists. In reality, atheists willfully blind themselves to a profusion of compelling evidence that God does exist.

While the denial of justice for those murdered by police is the standard, there is another way that it can be attained for those lives taken unjustly by the state without relying on the very system that caused the injustice.

Simply put, when the Europeans came to America - the Native Americans discovered that Europeans were savages.

Learn some of the most common stereotypes, myths, and misconceptions about homeless people in America. Weigh in with your opinions in the comments.

The argument for and against the installation of metal detectors in schools is growing. This article shares both sides and takes a look at the school environment around this issue.

Religion has its good points, but does it do more harm than good? This essay does a cost-benefit analysis and discusses the good, the bad, and the ugly of religion in modern times.

Learn who the homeless people in this country are and how much our public assistance programs cost. The truth may surprise you.