Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Money

 In the United States Declaration of Independence it states that, “All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Awesome! But what is happiness?

Happiness, according to the New Oxford American Dictionary is, “the state of feeling or showing pleasure or contentment.” Whether it was the first time we learned how to ride a bike, or receiving an “A,” on that ridiculously tough midterm, all of us at one point or another have experienced some form of happiness.

Many of us have heard the term, “Money can’t buy happiness.” However, this statement is not entirely true in the United States. In fact, Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton of Princeton University found that when household incomes in America increase, the level of happiness also increases.

So the more money we have, the happier we will be, right?

Not necessarily. Studies have shown that the amount of happiness individuals experience typically plateaus around $75,000. Essentially what the data is saying is that individuals who have incomes below $75,000 will see a significant increase in happiness because of the ability to fulfill basic needs; compared to individuals who have significantly higher incomes, it will be more difficult for them to “buy” more happiness.

America as a whole is one of the wealthiest nations in the world and therefore is one of the happiest nations in the world. Wrong. America is the fourteenth happiest nation in the world. Yes, while these results are not terrible, many believe that the US should be higher because the United States has the highest GDP in the world. 

So what is the problem? Why are Americans not as happy as they should be?

Despite having the greatest GDP in the world, as of 2016 US GDP per capita was approximately $57,000, making America eighteenth in the world for per capita GDP. This statistic highlights one of the many current social issues that America is attempting to tackle – income inequality. While it takes $75,000 for an individual to obtain happiness, roughly 86% of Americans fall short of this benchmark, making it almost impossible for most Americans to sustain a lifestyle where they can obtain happiness. This would explain why Americans rank fourteenth in happiness.

There are many factors that contribute to income inequality in America. The income gap has been increasing in America due to globalization, the outsourcing of jobs, and technological advancements.

So what can we do to decrease the income inequality in order to increase happiness in America?

Well, that’s where it gets a little complicated. Since individuals have different core values and beliefs, solutions typically vary depending on the person being asked. When Bill Gates was asked how to solve income inequality, he responded by saying, “Shift the American tax code from one that taxes labor to one that taxes consumption.” His argument is that by taxing individuals based on their rate of consumption for goods and services, this will decrease poverty because typically wealthier individuals consume more, increasing the amount of taxes that they have to pay, which is different than our current system that taxes individuals based on their income. Others argue for raising the minimum wage or more accessible opportunities for higher education. On a global scale, countries such as China, Brazil, and India are increasing the skill level of their work force, causing wealth to shift from the US to these countries.

Ultimately, individuals must understand that not everyone has the same opportunities. Americans must challenge its current system and demand change on an institutional level. Only then will the United States witness a decrease in the income gap and an increase in happiness.

            Blackman, Andrew. “Can Money Buy You Happiness?” The Wall Street Journal. April 10, 2014. Accessed March 22, 2017. https://www.wsj.com/articles/can-money-buy-happiness-heres-what-science-has-to-say-1415569538

            John Helliwell, Richard Layard, and Jeffery Sachs. “World Happiness Report 2017.” World Happiness Report 2017. 2017. Accessed March 22, 2017. https://s3.amazonaws.com/sdsn-whr2017/HR17_3-20-17.pdf

            King, James. “If $75K Is Key To Happiness, How Many Americans Are Happy?” Vocativ. April 14, 2015. Accessed March 22, 2017. http://www.vocativ.com/money/the1/if-a-75k-salary-is-key-to-happiness-how-many-americans-are-happy/

            Matthews, Chris. “Bill Gates’ solution to income inequality.” Fortune | Finance. October 15, 2014. Accessed March 22, 2017. http://fortune.com/2014/10/15/bill-gates-income-inequality/

            “Money Can’t Buy Happiness Meme.” Meme Center. January 21, 2014. Accessed March 22, 2017. http://www.memecenter.com/search/money%20can%27t%20buy%20happiness%20because%20money%20is%20happiness

The Legalization of Marijuana and the Push Back it will Receive

The Benefits and Push back that Legal Marijuana Faces

Marijuana legalization has been around since the early 1920's but did not have a high profile in the media until 2012 when Colorado legalized it recreationally. Since the legalization of marijuana, there have been a large increase in tax income from medicinal marijuana companies going to the states. The legalization of marijuana has always been a primarily Democratically backed program with Senators such as Bernie Sanders and Mike Honda. Now with states like California and Massachusetts making medicinal marijuana legal, people hope that more states will follow suit and legalize marijuana as well.

There are many benefits, both medically and financially, that arise from the legalization of medicinal marijuana in the United States. Some of the medical benefits that come from marijuana include help with chemo therapy, pain relief, and help cure some eating disorders. The FDA has approved two types of chemically altered forms of THC. Dronabinol and Naboline have been proven to reduce the effects of nausea related to chemotherapy. Medicinal marijuana is also shown to help reduce the effects of eating disorders. When marijuana is used, a side effect called the “munchies” occurs when causes the user to become hungry. This helps people who have HIV, AIDS, or some form of eating disorder that suppresses their appetite because it “forces” them want to eat something. There are also early tests of marijuana treatment for cancer itself. It has been shown in some trials to reduce the size of some tumors in the brain. Marijuana can also help prevent cancer from spreading throughout the body. A compound of marijuana called CBD has been found to help reduce the spread of marijuana on the body. “Cannabidiol stops cancer by turning off a gene called Id-1”. Cancer cells make copies of this cell instead of cancer cells and it helps to spread it throughout the body.

The legalization of marijuana will also bring massive income to the country. Since the legalization of marijuana in Colorado, the state’s tax income has increased substantially. In 2016, the marijuana industry in Colorado raised $1 billion in tax revenue. As legalization continues in the country, it is expected that the marijuana industry to grow to $20.1 billion by 2021. The marijuana industry has also provided 18,000 jobs in Colorado just last year. There was also $2.4 billion in economic activity which means both income for workers and the state. These numbers are only expected to increase in the years to come.

Since the legalization of marijuana, there has been some push back against its legislation primarily from the Republican party. Most of the Republican party is against the legalization of marijuana. Also, people in the age range of 71 to 88 are against the legalization of marijuana with 59% of the being against it. 66% of Democrats are pro legalization. For example, Sean Spencer has compared the use of marijuana to opioid addiction. "I think that when you see something like the opioid addiction crisis blossoming in so many states around this country, the last thing that we should be doing is encouraging people. There's still a federal law that we need to abide by when it comes to recreational use marijuana and other drugs of that nature.” This is what Sean Spencer had to say on the matter of marijuana use and opioid addiction. Experts say that while there is an opioid epidemic in the country, marijuana really has nothing to do with that. "I reject the idea that America will be a better place if marijuana is sold in every corner store. And I am astonished to hear people suggest that we can solve our heroin crisis by legalizing marijuana—so people can trade one life-wrecking dependency for another that’s only slightly less awful," said Sessions during a session speaking to law enforcement officials. In 2015, there were roughly 50,000 heroin over doses in America. There has never been a recorded overdose of marijuana ever.  

The legalization of marijuana has been proven to have many health benefits along with economic benefits. There are more and more studies being conducted in order to see the effects of medical marijuana on the body. The economy surrounding medicinal marijuana is also expected to grow exponentially over the next 5 to 10 year with thousands of new jobs being formed.

Bibliography:

Ingraham, Christopher. "Meet the Senator and Congressmen Who Support Marjuana Legalization." The Washington Post. WP Company, 29 Sept. 2016 Web. 22 Mar. 2017.

Zimmerman, Kim Ann. "Medical Marijuana: Benefits, Risks & State Laws." LiveScience. Purch, 14 Jan. 2015. Web. 22 Mar. 2017.

Loria, Jennifer Welsh and Kevin. "23 Health Benefits of Marijuana." Business Insider. Business Insider, 20 Apr. 2014. Web. 23. Mar. 2017. 

Ingraham, Christopher. "The Marijuana Industry Created More than 18,00 Jobs in Colorado Last Year." The Washington Post. WP Company, 27 Oct. 2016. Web. 23 Mar. 2017.

Marcin, Tim. "Attorney Jeff Sessions Has Long Been a Marijuana Critic." Newsweek. N.p., 19 Mar. 2017. Web. 23 Mar. 2017. 

Breaking Stereotypes through a Lens

Growing up, I remember hearing a few of my private school friends talking about family. It is something that I will never forget. I was eleven years old at St. Jerome Elementary School. The two friends that I played basketball with every recess were talking about how their parents were talking about how my family was different than theirs. To me, I thought my family was perfect. It was my mom, my younger sister and I. Fast forward to today and I see why it was such a big deal. I was a child of a black single mother.

            Stereotypes towards single black women have been prevalent in society for the last decade or so. As of 2015, single mothers head 49% of black families in America.  Today, being a black single mom has a negative connotation. People look down on these women because they do not have a partner.   Society has branded these women as unsuccessful, lazy, and has a low income.  You hear the stereotypes of “a single black woman cannot raise a child on her own”, or “single black women are the reason to blame for the state of Black America.” In the media today, you always hear about the black kids who are in trouble and from terrible neighborhoods. What is usually always highlighted is that the young man is from troubled area with a lack of male figure in his life.  The young man is a delinquent because he grew up not having a mother.  The main argument that I do not agree with is the media blaming single black mothers as the reason young black me do not strive in society today. My job in this blog post is to show you all that there are pros to being brought up in a single black family. Coming from a single black mother household, I am here to say don’t believe the hype, because not all black single parents are welfare queens who cannot take care of their children.

            So what can possibly be a pro to growing up in this harsh world without a masculine figure in your life? I think the biggest pro that came from being raised by a single mother is that I inherited her strength and courage. She taught me how to lead and not make excuses for myself just because I was a little black boy from the ghetto. I learned what hard work meant and I had to work for everything that I wanted to have. My mother instilled in me that life isn’t easy at an early age and that nothing will be handed to me. At the age of 13, she explained to me my first taste of what institutionalized racism was. Her words were “you have to work that much harder than everyone else because of the color of your skin.” Those core values that I learned at 11 years old have made me who I am today.

            Another pro to being raised by a single mother was that I had to mature a little faster than my friends. Since my mom worked so much, I sometimes had to help out more than the average pre teen around the house would normally do. I ironed the clothes, washed the dishes, washed clothes, and even cleaned the entire house just to help my mom out and make her smile. Today I am thankful for that early maturation process because I know kids in college who still depend on their parents to wash and iron their clothes.

            The last pro of many that I have is the most important one. Being raised by a single mother made me value the concepts of family, love, and sacrifice. Spending quality time with my mom and little sister one-on-one allowed me to develop a bond stronger than what I might have had within a traditional family structure. We went through everything together. My mom was my best friend because we were all that we had growing up. As a boy I understood how much she sacrificed for me to have food, clothes, shoes, video games and all the nice things little boys wanted. She didn’t want me to feel poor or not like my other friends. Rarely does the media show a single black mother whose children can do right nor a single black mother who is not a welfare queen. The negative connotations towards single Black women and their children are very disturbing and misleading. But I am here to say that Nakia Wallace and thousands of other single black mothers have done fabulous jobs raising excellent black young men in this world. The black community hears the stereotype threat that is why we work so hard to prove the media wrong.
Works Cited
Child Trends Calculations. Living Arrangements by Race and Hispanic Origin : 2015. Digital image. Family Structure. Child Trends, 2015. Web. 22 Mar. 2017