News of the real
July, 2005
News of the Cowardly - Task force to fight fat
Courageous News - School District Renounces Responsibility
Mayor Begich has proposed the creation of a task force to fight fat. This could reduce government costs, since obesity causes health problems, which ultimately results in greater public expense.
According to an Anchorage Edition correspondent, “Part of the mayor’s job description is cheerleader.....He has to rally the troops from time to time.”
Another journalist opposed the plan. “The mayor should find something else to do than set up a fat farm. I just don’t think it’s going to work.. This is not the city’s job or responsibility. I don’t know what the city thinks it could do. The school district could go into the schools and say, ‘No more junk in here and no more soda drink. But the school district makes money from that, so they’re not going to do it.”
Anchorage Edition, Saturday, June 25
Superficial news - Positive survey results about Anchorage life
Deep News - Alaskans are self-satisfied
According to a UAA Justice study, most people in Anchorage have a good opinion of their community. Generally we’re pretty satisfied. Eighty-two percent approve of the police department. Seventy-two percent say their neighbors would be willing to help them. Most people don’t think that youth violence is a very big problem in Anchorage.
“This community has always held the police and fire departments in very high esteem.”
There are some areas, such as Mountain View, where people refused to answer the survey. The study “establishes great baseline data,” but it will have to go on for several years before meaningful results are obtained.
Alaska Edition, Saturday, June 25, 2005
External news - Proposal for mandatory helmet law
News of Causes - Cultural Decay Necessitates Government Dominance
The new proposal for a mandatory helmet law for minors who ride their bikes was supported by one Anchorage Edition speaker. “Studies show that if you require helmets, children tend to be safer.”
Another journalist pointed out that the law is necessary because of deteriorating cultural life. “This should be left to parents. But parents are not what they used to be. A lot of people don’t know how to be parents anymore. Something has to be encouraged....[This law] will help parents, who apparently have no backbone at all.”
Anchorage Edition, Saturday, June 25
Silent news
Humanity News - 720,000 people died of hunger
720,000 people died of hunger in June, 2005.
According to the United Nations World Food Program, 24,000 people die every day of hunger or hunger-related illnesses. Every 2.43 seconds a person dies of starvation. Of these, about 855 are children.
More than 800 million people in the world are malnourished. Of these, 777 million are from the developing world. 177 of them are children.
The United Nations Development Program calculates that the essential nutrition needs of the world’s poorest people could be met for an additional $13 billion a year. The United States budgeted for 2005 is two trillion, one hundred and thirty billion dollars. Of this, military expenditures are $643 billion, includng estimated supplemental appropriations.
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