NadiaTelfort's Blog

Haiti: Dead Zone

nadiatelfort — Mon, 03 May 2010 15:19:23 +0000

Numerous accounts of the devastation that followed the earthquake that struck Haiti, cloud the atmosphere in the small room. The room was rented by Haitian community leader Jean Paul, a minister of Purity Baptist Church. For him, the details of these horrid stories are a constant reminder of his family, lost beneath the rubble of what used to be, not much, of anything. Haiti was his home, as well as his families. A family he left behind to come and live in the United States, where he attended school, completed community college and school of ministry. His wife stayed behind against his will he preached. She did not want her children growing up in the United States under false hopes. She’d liked the schools in Haiti, and preferred the luxuries of a somewhat understated wealth in Jacmel Haiti. Jean Paul, visited Haiti often, an in the months leading up to the earthquake visited every two weeks. He’d missed his wife and children so much, but had been torn between the life he’d lived residing in Orlando Florida and the life he left behind in Haiti. They were well off in Haiti and very stable financially. She, Marguerite, and their five children, never wanted for anything. Though with the benefit of being well off, the Paul’s were generous and would often travel to Port-au-prince Haiti, the poorest part of the country and lend a hand to distant family members and friends with food and supplies. She never had a chance, he recalled. As I sat in the crowded room, fogged with sounds of screeching and sobbing, my head bowed out of pure empathy. When he began speaking, his deep breaths and sighs silenced the room. Through sniffles he recounted the call he’d received from a labor worker at his home in Haiti. Jean Paul hadn’t watched the news that day; he’d been praying all morning and went for a Doctors appointment. When he reached his Orlando home, it was in chaos. His brother had collapsed into another family member arms and ambulance had been called to the home. It was then he got the call. He stepped outside he recounted. He could not feel his knees. The bible beneath his arm had carried him to the door, he felt as light as a feather. “Tell me like God sent Moses to spread his word, do not spare me a detail.” The labor man began weeping. Marguerite had traveled to Port-au-prince three nights after Jean Paul had left Haiti. He’d warned her about traveling back and forth between the cities to avoid bandits and rebel groups. She traveled with money, food and supply and he was sure she’d attract the wrong crowd. She never traveled with the children before. The day of the earthquake she traveled with all five. The Paul’s oldest son Junior, and his four daughters, Michelle, Caroline, Cynthia and Pascal had all perished in the seven second catastrophe along with Marguerites closest relatives. She however had been in an intensive care camp, with all four broken limbs. A major artery in her leg had been punctured but she’d been stable. Due to the blocked flights, and misinformation as to where his family had been relocated, he flew to Haiti three weeks later he remembered. He’d spent the three weeks in sheer agony and when he arrived in Port-au-prince Haiti, his families’ burial sight was wiped clean but the bodies had been taken to a makeshift morgue. His children, Marguerites mother, father and three brothers were located and taken to another burial ground on the northern outskirts of Haiti. By the time Jean Paul reached his wife, it was too late she’d passed hours before. He later found out that his wife, oldest boy and grandfather would have lived had rescuers and a medical team got to the scene early enough. They’d reached Jean Paul’s family just one week before he arrived.

A Global Reform;Healthcare around the world (Five Part Post)

nadiatelfort — Sun, 02 May 2010 23:55:49 +0000

If there is one moral powerhouse global countries around the world can all agree upon it’s the urgency for healthcare. They might also agree that an abundance or lack there of healthcare will be as a result of the mishandling of healthcare policies by government officials and leaders. Some say, the key to healthcare balance is equal and fair treatment to all citizens of a given region no matter the cost. However, with cost and economic turnout being at the forefront of a capitalist economy, this idea of equality in healthcare hardly rings as a remote possibility. With the competition of big businesses, pharmaceutical companies and privatized insurance corporations making the market in healthcare exclusive, the gap between rich and poor is expanding even wider. Take the US for example, with a larger portion of its population being middle class to poor the likely hood of healthcare policies being in favor of the greater public is unlikely. The tea party in Washington complained, even resorted to racial slurring when President Obama and the Democrats fought to promote the bill to the American people. They argued that the bill would “expand the government health plan for the poor, impose new taxes on the rich and bar what are seen as insurance industry abuses, such as refusing to cover people with pre-existing medical conditions.” When really all it will be doing, is minimizing and shifting the power of currency among the rich and their advocating big spending business. Admittedly so, these changes come at a very big cost. Hospitals will need to improve on many areas in their departments, especially patient care. An area in health care guaranteed to beg the question of how a life should be valued. Medical treatment in many other countries seems to cost less and is usually easily obtainable. Perhaps this is because in other countries, there is no value on life. The disvalue is for the individual rather than the life. Here in the states, the individual is valued more than the life. Darwin of Darwin’s finance asks “In my article on how to value life for a terminal patient, does it make sense to spend six figures to extend someone’s life by a few months? If it’s your family member, you’d probably say yes – especially if you’re not paying for it. If you are paying for it, you may still say yes primarily from an emotional standpoint. If you’re analyzing the situation from an objective unemotional standpoint (someone sitting in Washington making this decision for you) and see just how unsustainable this model is, you’d certainly question it.”

Honesty

nadiatelfort — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 20:39:37 +0000

A group member and I decided to work together on an assignment outside of our assigned group. Instead of acknowledging disagreement with our decision to do so, another group member decided to sabotage our project by making up a lie to the professor, saying that we hadn’t participated in the process of completing our assignment. When this group member realized what he’d done, it was too late. The damage had been done. Not only did he lie on my group member and me, but he was certain he did the right thing. Once everything was cleared up and settled he expressed his apology and defended his actions. We forgave him, but his attitude changed the next group assignment. He became paranoid, waiting for our approval on everything. He began acting nice and seemed to walk on egg shells around us. It was then I realized that the truth shall set us all free. It turns out this troubled group member was had been left with all the responsibilities in a previous group assignment. That experience taught me that the secret to leading an honest life is to be honest with yourself. Honesty is the catalyst to areas in our lives, to which we experience conflict. Without it, we are likely to act rash on very important issues. Whether it is work, school or domestic life, we have an integral duty to ourselves and others to tell the truth on a moral and ethical standpoint. Practicing honesty in your life will eventually have a more positive affect on your life. A more honest approach to life will liberate you. To deliberately hurt and offend other people is a choice just as the choice to be honest is too. To begin the practice of honesty to ones self, I had to draw a razor sharp line between fact, fiction, self-absorption, and apathy. This distinction will offer comfort and change; of course the change will not occur over night. This newfound characteristic comes with practice, and the will to be an honest person. Keep in mind that it is important to start now, on your quest to truth, for it is quite difficult learning a whole new language as an adult who is set in their ways of handling things “their way” in life. Lying will only split your identity in half and create room for additional shady personality flaws. Know your self and face all of the negative and positive things your capable of, and trust yourself to recycle the good and dispose of all the bad. START NOW.

The universe in its mimed verbalization…what is it telling us?

nadiatelfort — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:24:33 +0000

As a collegiate professional I am learning that information is everything. The source of our information is even more vital to making our lives as parents, professional and citizens easier. But in the past decade we have witness a decline in the quality of not only political, news and health information, but the we’ve also seen a decline in the quality of so called leaders, candidates and institutions that we value and trust most. However, is a reform underway? Better questioned, which philosophy and or method of social order will be held responsible for elevating the behaviors, and life styles of the human race? Will the wage of holy wars, set a platform for peace in the Middle East in the coming future? Or will our ever changing governmental laws and policies (the very foundation of our social beliefs) fix us all? Are church and state in two separate categories? Conservative and liberals argue on the defense of either institution, imbedding such opinions in the history of social politics, such as church & state are that of, an objective ruling on ones lively hood, and not realistic representations of what methods of reform will entail. Church in the 21st century is thought to be a franchise and an arguably controversial institution, as the formal standards that were set before have broadened, especially in the likes of catholic churches today, who have faced scrutiny in the last years or so. As have the government. With poor political strategies to market their plans to run an entire body of people, handle third world conflicts, global issues such as world hunger, and health devastation, natural disasters, being unequipped to sustain security, and poor leaders. Id say the government is a far cry from bringing a common ground to settling the battle of change in our country. Instinctively, do they favor this change anyway? Are they compromising the better judgment of our futures for power? More importantly, Will this change be forced upon us (the human race), with the lashings and whippings of the all mighty itself? Must we rely on the entity of Christ, and his word of deliverance for guidance? For in times like these, times of tragedy, the messiah once revealed that the end is near. Those who believe in the man made institutions and conformities of the church and state will find them selves in the crossed paths of just that. Do not be misled by the conforms of our world today or you will never see the path ahead. It is but a mere illusion, or disillusion rather. Let’s be fully aware of what we are up against, because THE WAR has truly begun. Starting with our country first. Awareness has become a thing of the past. Information is now being filtered through second and third hand implausible sources. Who do we trust?

The Walcott Experience

nadiatelfort — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:43:41 +0000

Prolific writer Derek Walcott said, “Break a vase, and the love that reassembles the fragments is stronger than that love which took its symmetry for granted when it was whole.”As I recited his words back to him, he paused, still as a statue where he sat. Then he said, looking straight into my eyes, “everyone googles that quote of mine.” The auditorium erupted with laughter and I stood at the podium embarrassed but with slight relief that I’d been called out. Instead of wallowing in self pity, I made peace with the point he was trying to make. There I was, in an auditorium filled with one hundred fifty followers for one the most profound literary writers, at the Miami International Book Fair, with thee Derek Walcott himself as a guest speaker, and all I’d done to celebrate his achievements was Google a famous quote. I had asked to be a presenter during the assembly but I had done no background research on his life and up until weeks before his showcase, hadn’t read his books. I had not only been unprepared for the presentation, I compromised my dependability as well as the schools credibility. As he wrapped up his mesmerizing speech, he ended it with a reminder of how important it was to create goals, life meaning and shape purposes that we as individuals truly believe in. Today, I am finding that trusting ones self, natural instincts and true hearts desires are the most conflicting and difficult tasks people are faced with day to day. So many things, people and influences along our paths, contradict and challenge those instincts, desires and sense of self. How do we create balance between it all and not lose our selves? This was my question to Mr. Walcott, who at the end of the lecture apologized for having made fun of me. I told him I didn’t take it personally and that I understood why he did it. He reminded me there was a lesson in every challenge or highlight in our lives. Those who seized the opportunity to learn from them never repeat the same mistake twice. So that day I walked away knowing that my education, my professional goals and relationships were important to me. They were important to nurture and build upon. Never again, would I treat them as second or even third hand priority. My Last minute decision to prepare for my presentation late only benefited my fear truly applying my whole self. I wanted to get it over with knowing I wouldn’t enjoy myself or be pleased with the outcome of my presentation. In the end, I concluded that I just should have put in the time, worked on it early and perfected it. After all, he’d written such beautiful literature and the least I could have done was give him the respectable introduction. For me, that lesson still rings true today. Preparation is key to a smoother outcome no matter what situation. If things don’t go as planned, the rest will take care of itself.

To decide, is to decide ones fate

nadiatelfort — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:45:45 +0000

Asking someone whether or not they are pro-life or pro-choice as it relates the topic of abortion is equivalent to asking someone whether or not they believe in God, right before you pull the trigger of the gun that takes their life. I believe this style of rhetoric, used to promote these subjects in politics and public policy is a technique. A form of questioning that is designed to build tension and a sense of urgency to get the person to say yes or no in exchange for life or death. I felt the same sense of urgency and tension when I was approached today by a member of the Genocide movement near the Marshall Center. He is from South Africa and witnessed the Apartheid era. The Apartheid was a civil and political upheaval of injustice, segregation and social inequality. The question posed to me was posed to me in a guilt evoking tone. I could tell he was sensitive to the topic of Genocide as South Africa saw the deaths of thousands during the Apartheid era. I also realized that he could not view such a topic objectively.

This begs the question: Is aborting a child genocide? There are so many contributing factors leading up to the decision to abort a child. From the moment of conception to the possibilities explored by parties involved in the conception of the child. The time period in which women decide to abort a child is short but can extend to the babies full development. The facts on abortion are clear. Why abortion is the more favorable option and solution, is not. To have had an abortion in today’s society is like wearing a Scarlett letter on your forehead, admitting the guilt of sin to the world. This is why, in addition to enduring public scrutiny and shame, and being casted away by society, women tend to keep their pregnancy and plan to abort a secret. I understood that this movement wants to help show women facing this situation the right thing to do, but they’re not necessarily doing the right thing either. Contacting a help hotline is not an alternative or option to not aborting a baby; it is simply a small step in the lengthy process of raising a child alone as a single mother, rape victim, teen mother or mother who simply cannot provide for their child. Abortions or adoptions seem to be the only options buzzed about in our communities, schools, churches, clinics and public offices. All this proves is that awareness is abundant and resources are scarce. The topic of abortion and the genocide movement are insensitive to the realities and factors that women in this predicament face. Meanwhile, Feminist groups, government, and public figures are all using this topic for social and political gain to drive their own agendas. The people who are really being affected have no voice in this matter. Instead of providing resources that would present better options for women facing these circumstances, opposers would rather judge them on top of the existing disadvantages to aborting a baby like the guilt, remorse and physically damaging procedures. Ultimately, the brunt of the responsibility is left up to women. There needs to be a different approach or else nothing will be resolved or revolutionized. There is so much to discuss, evaluate and fix when it comes to abortion. Individual communities, states, federal programs, policies, legislation and practices can do more to monitor and rectify this phenomenon starting with implementing better, more informative sex education, creating better opportunities for young mothers, not glamorizing teen pregnancy, opening up the topic and not normalizing the decision to abort. Opposing abortion leaders have made women highly defensive, sensitive and unresponsive to their messages about pro-choice vs. pro-life. The judging and blaming must stop. I feel this problem is being handled in a poor manner and will further objectify women’s roles in society.

A changing…

nadiatelfort — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 23:08:39 +0000

In a world where one of the poorest countries was struck by a catastrophic earthquake and two unjustified wars are taking place, I can understand why the faith of those who believe in a greater good is quietly dwindling like the dimming light of a single candle drenched by the weight of a heavy rain. What I don’t understand is why we as a nation, are stripping the symbols of our faith out of our already corrupted institutions. The use of “under God” in the United States is slowly but surely making its way out of official US documents, traditions and conventionalities. These documents represent beliefs that our founding fathers founded and shaped our countries morals and societal values are becoming obsolete. Perhaps the births of new age technology or emerging conceptually based religions are to blame for the faithless. Or maybe the evolution of man kind has prompted a new awareness in order for us to survive. Still, a little faith goes a long way and like often described accounts of miracle believers; faith is what gets some of the most hopeless people, in the most helpless circumstances get by. Stories about extreme faith are not uncommon. Doctors often give accounts of seriously ill patients, near death recovering just by the sheer will to survive, an attitude about life that cannot be propelled by support of loved ones alone. The placebo affect as countless accounts of similar outcomes based on the ideas of faith. The idea of believing in something that cannot be seen has always been tied to religion because the argument of not having the physical association with a higher source has worked well in contrast with those who believe in a higher being. I simply think that pessimism is the way of the world today, and where cynicism meets world order gone awry, faith meets all the other stuff that’s gone out of style in today’s world. It’s not about the words “under God” more than it is about what those words represent. How can we be of service to one another for centuries to come, if we do not believe in the power of our connection with one another? What will be our purpose on this earth if we have no faith? How can our minds wrap around the idea of existing on such an abundant planet if we don’t “believe” anymore? Sure there is science, but is science the solution? And can it explain everything?

There is never enough time and too little opportunity!

nadiatelfort — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 07:35:07 +0000

I would like to accomplish one thing in my life. That is to be of service to my loved ones and others. I find it dutiful and honorable to find fulfillment in helping others. I know now that life is what I make of it despite the obstacles put before me. I find that societal dysfunctions like inefficient healthcare systems are likely to happen to any group or members of society. But the answers to solving these problems aren’t clear because we as a human race have not mastered the skills of time management and seizing the opportunities when they present themselves. This is why I believe that a career in health is the ideal job. I want to contribute to building a better healthcare system for low income families. Well what am I waiting for? I ask myself this question every time I pass the career services building. I have to start somewhere, I tell myself as I stroll past the dozens of memos for volunteer opportunities tacked on the boards. Whether it be through volunteering, interning or simply through on campus activities I have got to be in an environment where I can become familiar with a position in health. I know this, yet every opportunity to begin my practical experience is excused with other activities. By the time I make time for a career advancement event the opportunity has already passed. So what am I to do? I have rediscovered three simple words that have done the trick: Just do it! Like Nike suggests. Putting the action behind the goal has never been more fulfilling. Time management, preparedness and setting goals have become conscious tasks in mind. I feel alert to opportunities because I stopped making excuses. When in doubt, Just do it!

A Soaring Crime Rate

nadiatelfort — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:44:29 +0000

In America, African American women make up more than half of the number of women battling diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease among a plethora of deadly diseases. Yet the number of African American women dying from these deadly diseases almost doubles the number of women affected by them. Many studies have supported these statics with contributing factors. One of the main factors is lack of medical treatment. The gaps in medical awareness and treatment for African American women are wide in comparison to their Caucasian counterparts or any other race. Why is this so, when in modern society, medical resources, advancements in medical technology, information, facilities, non-profit medical organizations and programs are abundant in the United States? Unfortunately, between the battle with health care on capital hill and the war with health care on the home front, one might conclude that the sight of improvement in the heath care system is far from the horizon, making it that much more difficult for minorities. But is it a question of the falling weak versus survival, awareness versus ignorance or class versus humanity? Or is there simply a severe difference in sensibility? Do black women simply not care about the state of their well being? Some feel many other taboo reasons are discrimination, poor quality of living and cultural differences, an idea that worries me because it suggests that Black women do not value or appreciate a better way of life. Perhaps the presence of more people of color is needed in the healthcare industry. More people like myself and others who aspire to make a difference in communities of women and men and future generations that will benefit from the diversity in the health care industry. This I’m afraid is not a black and white issue, it is a global issue. How one chooses to live has very little to do with the natural right to live freely and healthily.

We The Hens

nadiatelfort — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:26:06 +0000

One can imagine how writer Judith Drake’s An Essay in Defense of the Female Sex became one of the key pieces in establishing the ideas of double standards. In it Drake discusses ideas about the differentiation between sexes and disputes the argument which suggests that women were created solely to procreate in order for the continuance of mankind. In modern society women’s roles have changed considerably from the roles of wives, caregivers and home makers. Today, 55 percent of all successfully ran businesses are run by women. Women can earn up to if not more than a man in the work place. Women hold executive positions, important titles and are as widespread in the professional world as men. So why isn’t American culture and media spreading the word? Perhaps the greatest example of such ignorance was displayed in the midst of one of America’s most ground-breaking elections, during which a black male was running for president, the female presidential and vice presidential candidates were shamefully overlooked and unacknowledged. Today Hilary Clinton is one of the most powerful and influential female political leaders in the world. This kind of limitation women experience date back hundreds of years. In 1870, the fifteenth amendment granted black men the right to vote long before women’s voting rights were considered during the women’s suffrage era. Although the issue of gender equality continues to be a taboo topic of discussion in our society, many people, generations and public figures like Oprah Winifrey have kept it alive. Fortunately, along with the open discussion about this topic come the natural progressions of female empowerment and success.