GL 350 Blog 5

The way that Italians view leisure in my opinion is much different than that of the way Americans view leisure. I think that overall, Italians are much more active than Americans are and they tend to be out and about much more as well. Americans like to spend time in their homes with family and friends where as Italians spend time with family and friends at the piazzas around the large cities, or simply at one of the cities main landmarks like the Santa Maria del Fiore or the Coliseum for example. He two countries also (for the most part) enjoy different things to spend their time with. Italians watch soccer, whereas Americans watch football. However, Italians get crazy for soccer. The way Americans enjoy football doesn’t even come close. In America people paint up their bodies to support their team and get a little loud and that is the extent of it. Italians however will light smoke bombs, blow up real bombs, jump the gates to get in fights over which team is better and so on. The soccer game we went to was a completely different world to us.

            In the book, The Italians, Barzini states in chapter 10 that, “They know a man should not be kicked if he is old, if he is strong and can immediately kick back, if he can later avenge himself, if he has powerful friends or relatives, if he could be useful someday in any way, or if a policeman is watching.  But why not when he is down?” (Barzini, pg. 183). In America, it is a general rule to never kick a man when he is down, but in Italy, according to Barzini, this is the best time. Just like their way of life is different, their overall behavior is different. In Italy, there is so much history that you could spend a lifetime here and still not see it all. In America, we have a couple hundred years of it. The Italians have different views on leisure because of this. They enjoy totally different things than Americans do. They enjoy art, we enjoy movies. They enjoy spending their days out and about with family and friends and we prefer to do this in the comfort of our own homes. They enjoy soccer while Americans enjoy football, basketball and baseball. Finally, Americans like to get drunk (much more so than Italians). Danilo told some of us that Italians simply do not get drunk. They enjoy alcohol (like wine) but not like Americans enjoy beer.

            Overall, the way in which Americans and Italians view leisure is completely different. I think this is because the overall way of life is completely different too. In the book titled The Smiles of Rome, Muriel Spark states, “If you live in central Rome, you have only to walk down the street and you come to a fountain by Bernini in which children are playing or a Michelangelo embassy or some fine fifteenth-century building with today’s washing hanging out.” (Spark, pg. 231). The life of Italians is very different from the life of Americans. In America if you walk down the street you would be lucky to see almost anything with as much history as anything in Rome.

Is our health something we can control?

This past summer, after numerous failed attempts, I told myself I would finally lose weight. In the past, I would start out doing very well, then I would see that I had not made any progress so I would give up. This past summer I told myself that no matter what I would do all I could to lose weight. I was up to almost 270 pounds, eating a horrible diet, and was unable to do things I loved, like playing basketball, as well as I used to because I got tired very easily. At the end of summer, I had lost 40 pounds, but I was determined to keep going. I ended up losing 65 pounds before this trip, and I plan to keep going after the trip as well. But is my health completely in my control?
Even though I have lost all of this weight and I am living a much healthier lifestyle who is to say that I can't get sick with some kind of genetic illness, or even something totally out of the blue down the road like cancer? My point is that even though I am healthier now, there are some things you simply cannot control. Our health in general is not in our control because of these things. In Universal Health Care, John Goodman states that, "These differences are thought to reflect such lifestyle choices as diet, exercise, and smoking." (Goodman, pg. 128). These things are in our control. I was able to change my diet and exercise through willpower and the determination to keep going, and the same goes for the thousands of smokers who quit every year. However, he later states, "It makes far more sense to look at the diseases and conditions to which we know medical science can make a real difference-cancer, diabetes, and hypertension for example." (Goodman, pg. 129).
It makes sense that people who are against universal health care to look at the obese, drug, and alcohol addicted people, but like so many things, there is another side to the story that they are not telling. That side of the story is that unfortunate things can happen to anyone at any time and you can't only look t diet and exercise as your deciding factors. Even though I lost weight, there is no reason for me to say that I couldn't get sick at any time. I am not trying to bark up my own tree, I am just using myself as an example. In Gaudiem et Spes, it states, "If one is in extreme necessity, he has the right to procure for himself what he needs out of the riches of others" (Gaudium st Spes, Chapter 3, Section 2).
In the end, I do not think that our health is something that we can control completely because there are some things that happen out of nowhere that are out of our control. It is unfortunate but true. While our diet, exercise and bad habits are something that we can control, other things like cancer happen out of nowhere and we cannot help it. I think that no amount of exercise and grilled chicken can keep certain diseases away from you, and harm you in some way. While people who do exercise and eat well may not ever have anything happen to them, others are not so lucky.

GL 350 Blog 4

Prompt: How does the piazza provide a lens toward Italian culture?

I think that her win Rome (along with Florence and Venice) the lifestyle is completely different than it is back home. One thing that is very different to me is how Italians here tend to walk almost everywhere, whereas Americans walk very little when the two are compared side by side. The piazzas here in Rome are always full of people meeting up, seeing the sites, and going about their days. It is here where you can see people meeting up for lunch or simply chatting or walking around in groups. I think that the piazzas act as meeting places or just hangout spots for people.

This is interesting because when you think about these places back home, the places that come to mind would be someone's house. People in America (as it was brought up in class the other day) almost always spend their time with family and friends in their own homes. Houses back home tend to be bigger, and can be better used as place for gatherings and meeting places, whereas the homes here are much smaller and most often cannot be used as such. I also think that this has a lot to do with the lifestyles of the two countries. Here in Italy, or more specifically Rome, people are always walking around. Even the second day we were here, Professor Mustafaga pointed out to me that one thing you will notice when you look at the children here is that almost none of them are overweight, while back in America, it is almost the opposite, where the majority of kids will be overweight. People here do not sound their time indoors, they are always active and walking around. I still have yet to see any obese Italians, and I don't think I will.

Another thing you would notice about the piazzas are the shops. The roadside vendors that seem to be everywhere around areas like the Coliseum, and the large churches like San Giovanni. They all will try to give you a "special price", and as if you have been friends your entire life, they will answer the question "How much?" with "50 Euros, but for you, 40." They will do anything to sell what they have in their shops. They also seem like they can never be trusted. I remember the second day we were here in Rome and we were split up into two groups, some of us went to the Spanish Steps, and the others (including myself) went to the Coliseum. While we were there, we noticed a stand selling Rosaries, and Brandi wanted to buy one. After a while of talking to the shop owner, he tried to get Brandi to buy a Rosary for 10 Euros, she said that we would be back tomorrow and she would think about it. He said he would not be there tomorrow, he was going somewhere else. As we were walking away, he stopped her one last time and said, "5 Euros for you!" and she bought it. We went back the next day and sure enough he was indeed there, contrary to what he had told us.

In the book, The Italians, Barzini says, "But he is lying not for himself. He is lying for you.He wants you to feel at peace until Thursday at least, warmed by the hope that your shoes will arrive." (Barzini, pg. 78). This reminds me of the story Professor told us in class about his dry cleaning and how he was told it would be done by a certain day, but hen he went he was met with the phrase "that is not possible". This brings to mind the quote by Barzini which states, "How many impossible things become probable here." (Barzini, pg. 80).When I think of the piazzas, I also tend to think about the people begging for money and I always think to myself if they actually need the money, or of they are just trying to get more. Barzini states, "Is the hungry beggar in the street real or a good imitation?" (Barzini, pg. 88).

I have also noticed that the Piazzas are very common here, they are everywhere and they are where everyone seems to go. In the book, The Smiles of Rome, in the short story "Twin Beds in Rome", John Updike says, "They stood looking at the Palazzo Venezia until they imagined Mussolini frowning from a window, climbed the many steps of Piazza del Campidoglio, and came to the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius on the pedestal by Michelangelo." (Updike, pg. 216). It just seems to me that the Piazzas are the main attractions, and even in smiles, they seem to mention many of them (some of which we have been to). Overall, when I think of the piazzas, I think of life of Italians. To me, the piazzas are where people tend to spend most of their time, whereas in America, people tend to hang out at the homes of friends and family. I also think of the shopkeepers telling their "kind lies" and the beggars (real or not).

Why do so many people come to the US for treatment?

There are many factors, I think, that need to be considered when you talk about why so many people come to America for treatment yet for some reason we have a high mortality rate. One reason that I feel cannot be ignored is the diet and lifestyle of Americans compared to other countries like Italy. Americans (overall) tend to consume much more fast food than Italians, and they also do much less exercise. Italians are always out walking about, while Americans tend to sit around more. I think that has to be considered when you talk about why we are ranked so low in life expectancy and infant mortality rate. The lifestyle of Americans is nowhere near as healthy as Italians. In the Universal Health Care book, Ben Furnas states that, "Obesity rates, a key indicator of chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes, have risen steadily since 1994 too." (Furnas, pg. 28).
Another thing to look at is the cost of healthcare in America. America may have one of the best healthcare systems in the world, however, the numbers get skewed when you look at how expensive it is. This is because there are many people who cannot afford healthcare. So when people cannot afford the healthcare they do not get the help they need until they have to go to the ER, which at this point is sometimes too late. I think that America definitely has one of the best, if not the bet healthcare systems, and the best technology, but if people can't afford it, then our rank in life expectancy and infant mortality rates do not reflect on that fact. Furnas also states that, "Since 1994, the cost per person of American health care has more than doubled." (Furnas, pg. 23).
I also think that our rank is where it is now because there are people who choose not to have insurance. In the book, Sally Pipes states that, "Known in the health care trade as the "invincibles"-because they are so sure they won't get sick- these young singles would rather keep their money than shell out for expensive monthly insurance premiums because of the many mandates and regulations place on insurers by the states." (Pipes, pg. 43). While some of these people may not get sick, some do, and then they may not be able to afford the hefty bills that follow and end up losing their lives. It is a risky move to say the least, but it happens all the time.
Overall, i think that if the cost for our healthcare would go down, I think that our rank would go up in terms of life expectancy and infant mortality rates. The current cost is simply too much for many people. Also, I think that many Americans could make a lifestyle change in terms of diet and exercise. Many people always say they do not have the time, but sometimes all it takes is 5-10 minutes a day to live a healthier life. Also, many people choose to go uninsured, and while it works well for some, there are also people who are not so lucky. It is for these reasons that I think our health care is ranked so high, yet our life expectancy rate and infant mortality rates are so low.

GL 350 Blog 3

Walking the streets of Rome, Florence, and Venice has been completely different from walking the streets of Ohio. Rome has much more history behind it than area in America. Because of this, there are buildings throughout Rome that have some sort of significance, even if they are not well-known at all. The architecture is special in Rome. All the buildings are huge when you think about how old they are, and how they have been able to stay standing for so long.
This especially holds true for the churches throughout Rome, Florence, and Venice. Around just about every corner there is another church. Almost all of them are absolutely stunning to look at on the outside. When they are not stunning on the outside then they are on the inside. When you look at all of these churches like San Pietro in Vaticano, San Giovanni di Laterano, Santa Maria del Fiore, San Clemente, and San Marco Basilica in Venice, you cannot help but stare in awe (both on the inside and the outside). We were able to have mass inside Santa Maria, or the "Dome of Florence" and it was an unbelievable experience. We were talking in class about how even if you are not Catholic or even Christian you cannot help but feel moved during the mass because of the beauty of it. We couldn't even follow the language (because it was in Latin) and we all still felt that it was one of the best experiences of the trip so far. That is saying a lot.
Along with this, many of the churches have significant pieces of history. an Giovanni has both a piece of the Last Supper Table and a relic of Saint Peter's communion table. All of the churches in Rome are home to the graves of countless Popes, and other figures. Even the Holy Steps (Scala Santa) are said to be the steps that Jesus Christ walked up to meet Pontius Pilate, and were transported from Jerusalem by Saint Helena. Because of all of this, I think that the past bolsters or improves faith. There is just so much to see here and every where you go there is another church. So, when you walk by a church you find yourself saying, "I wonder what is in that church" or, "Man, I really want to go in there to see what it is like". These are not things you would tell yourself, normally, when you walk by a church back home in Ohio. The history of Rome has made me wonder more than I ever have about each and every Saint, and all of the relics that reside in the churches.
In the book, The Smiles of Rome, one of the stories we read was by the author Margaret Visser. She describes the church as being similar to the theater. She ays that people go to both to be moved by a performance. "The closest relative of a church is a theatre, where people also come together to witness a scripted performance. There is a stage in a church, and seats for the audience; in both theatre and church, people come in order to live through a trajectory of the soul." (Visser, pg. 93). I agree with this statement to a certain extent. In the theater, there is no crowd participation like there is in church. Sure people clap at the end, but that doesn't quite count. In church, people follow in both song and prayer, accept the body and blood of Christ and give each other a sign of peace. None of this happens in the theater. This is a special thing when you can do all of these things even when you are listening to a mass in a different language but you can still follow along with everything that is happening, and doing this in a church like Santa Maria del Fiore makes it all the more special.
Overall, I think that the history of Venice, Florence, and especially Rome, has bolstered my faith. Seeing all of the colossal churches, and what they have inside, has made me wonder more and more about what all of the other churches have to offer in terms of the relics. With things like a piece of the Last Supper table, the graves of all of the Popes, a relic of Saint Peter's communion table, and much much more, it is hard to not have your faith improved, in my opinion. The sheer size of some of the churches is enough to bring you to your knees. In the book The Italians, Barzini says this about San Pietro in Vaticano; "One begins to understand, at a certain point, that it is not only a great basilica, a place of worship, the seat of the Holy Roman Church, but also a dramatic representation of all this." (Barzini, pg. 88).

Opposing My Opinion On The First Healthcare Blog

In my first Healthcare blog, I argued that I did not believe that Healthcare was a right, but instead I thought it was a privilege. In this blog post, I will be arguing why I think that Healthcare is a right and why everyone deserves it. In my first blog, I was one of the people that ended up siding more with one side than the other, but still feeling that both sides had their positives and negatives. This time, I will side completely with one side.
 One reason why everyone deserves Healthcare is because things that are unexpected (whether they are good or bad) happen. People get cancer, and even if they have a job, sometimes they still can't pay for it. Just because people have jobs doesn't mean that they can pay for these kinds of accidents. Along with things like cancer, there are also people who have mental illnesses and disabilities. In the book titled, Universal Health Care, Helen Redmond says that, "People with serious mental illness encounter stigma, discrimination, and difficulty accessing treatment. Millions of adults and children suffer from a variety of treatable mental health problems..." (Redmond, pg. 76). She also goes on to say that the reason for this is because the treatments are very expensive and are long-term, meaning these people go untreated for long periods of time.
Another reason that Healthcare is a right is because when people have access to Healthcare, it allows to get rid of the problem before it gets too bad to treat. When people have access to Healthcare, they have the ability to take care of problems before they get out of control. Along with this, there is also the fact that just because people have jobs does not mean they can pay for medical help. Some jobs honestly do not pay that well and some people end up working multiple jobs to help pay for it, or keeping jobs they don't want that give them medical insurance. Helen Redmond says in the book, ""Have you overstayed in a job that you hated because of the health insurance and [because] you or a family member had a health condition that required frequent doctor visits, labs, and expensive medication? It's called job lock." This means that people are keeping the jobs they do not want because of the benefits they are receiving.
In the book, Leonard Peikoff says, "You have a right to work, not to rob others of the fruits of their work..." (Peikoff, pg. 89). I do not agree with this. Just because people have jobs doesn't mean that people can pay for treatments of mental disabilities or cancer. These things are expensive, and some jobs simply cannot pay for the expenses. Along with this, there is the statement from the book from Gary Dorrien, who says, "When wealthy and middle-class people have to rely on the same health system as the poor, as they do throughout Europe, they use their political power to make sure it's a decent system." (Dorrien, pg. 100). I agree with this because if the rich and middle-class have to rely on the same system as the poor, it would make sense that they would try to make sure the system runs well.
Overall, I think that Healthcare is a right because of many reasons. One reason is because unexpected things happen. People get cancer and need help. Also, just because people have jobs does not mean that they have the ability to pay for the help they need. Another reason that Healthcare is a right is because it allows people to treat problems before they get too bad to treat. Finally, if all people (rich, middle-class. poor) are on the same system, the rich and middle-class people would (you would think) at least try to make sure that the system runs well.

350 Blog 2

Rome, so far, has been an incredible experience.I think I speak for just about everyone in the group when I say this. So far we have been to the Spanish Steps, San Giovanni, the Coliseum, Aventine Hill, the Roman Baths, and much more. In class we discussed what things about Rome we have found to be exhilarating and what things we may have found to be oppressive.  there have been some things about the trip that have not been so good or some things that have been unexpected, while other things have been amazing and just as i thought it would be. As with any trip or vacation there are always things we love about them and things we hate. The same holds true for this trip to Rome.
One thing that I have found to be oppressive is the amount of time we spend on public transportation. The train ride everyday to the city is okay with me because I have never been on any trains and the sights are cool to see. However, the subway is what I do not like. There are always too many people crowding the bus back to Termini. Along with this there always people looking to pickpocket you or ask for money after playing their instruments. Another thing that has been oppressive has been the cars. We have, as a group, been in vans for our first trip here to Castel Gondolfo and then from Castel to the airport to got to Venice and back. The people here drive with no order. One lane roads become two lane roads, and two lane roads become three lane roads. I vividly remember our ride to the airport to go to Venice after watching our driver seemingly almost kill its multiple times. I was able to tell (after a few of these instances) that we were okay. Not because just a few people drive like this, but it is everyone. They are all so used to it that driving like crazy is just natural.
Another thing that has been oppressive has been the infinite number of Selfie-Stick salesmen. Or the same people that also sell roses. These are not normal salesmen. They do not take no for an answer. I have seen a countless number of Selfie-Stick salesmen. Weldon and I went on a short walk during our last day in Venice, and just by San Marco we counted 9 of them. However, the people selling roses are just as bad if not worse. I have seen many of them as well. They do not simply show you the rose, they stick them in your face as if you have never smelled a rose before. It simply gets to be annoying. They never seem to go away until you end up lying to all of them saying that you do not have any Euros to give them.
One thing that I have found to be exhilarating is the food. Every sandwich I have had here or every piece of pizza or plate of pasta has been much better than any of the same things I had in the United states. A simple road side stand here that sells pizza blows Pizza Hut or Papa John's out of the water. The same goes for the pasta or the sandwiches. Also the gelato here is better than any ice cream back home. What i found intriguing about the book was when Barzini said, "But food and wines, it must be admitted, are not quite as good as in France." (Barzini, pg. 52). I found this interesting because after I read this, I overheard Chris asking Danilo if he agreed with this and Danilo was adamant in saying that Italy had better food today. However, I don't know if this is true or Danilo being biased.
Another exhilarating thing has been the people here in Castel Gondolfo, Albano, Rome and Venice. The shopkeepers and owners are always happy to see us and have been very friendly with us. Like Barzini said in the book, "They are all works of art, the 'great art of being happy' and of making other people happy, an art which embraces and inspires all others in Italy..." (Barzini, pg. 56). Finally, my home away from home has been very exhilarating. The professors and guides we have are excellent people and fun and engaging teachers that make "class" in Castel Gondolfo or Rome very fun. Not only the professors but the other students as well. We all seem  to get along pretty well and no matter who we are with if we get split up we can make the most out of it and have a good time. This makes the trip that much more enjoyable because I know that I can have an engaging conversation with any of them.

Health Care Post

To start things off simply, the Declaration of Independence clearly says that we have an unalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The right to life, in my opinion, does not mean that other people should have to make you food, or provide you with clothing and shelter. "The right to the pursuit of happiness is precisely that: the right, to the pursuit" (Peikoff, pg. 86). Anyone can pursue the life they want, but it should not be handed to them. Everyone in the nation starts with the opportunity to make their life the way they want it to be. If they want to make the most of it, great. If they don't, why should someone have to be there to make it better for them? Now, I understand that many people need healthcare because they may get cancer and they need help because they can't pay for it. But this is not always the case.
I understand that things like cancer happen, and many of these people are innocent. However, people who may have been addicted to drugs or alcohol, in my opinion, are not innocent. They have put themselves in this position. Because of this, healthcare cannot be a right. There is too much of a gray area. Innocent people need help, sure, but people who are not innocent want help. Why should they receive it? They (more often than not) put themselves in the position they are in. However, why should the innocent people not get the help they need? It is because of this confusion that I have to say that healthcare should not be a right, because I do not think that it should be made free to those who do not deserve it. As Peikoff said in Chapter 2 of the reading, "Observe that all legitimate rights have one thing in common: they are rights to action, not to rewards from other people." (Peikoff, pg. 85).
One way that has been proven to work rather well, in order to help pay for things that people want or need, is to try and make an income to help pay your own way to get the help you need, not to sit around and wait. People have been coming to America for ages, pursuing the American Dream. I think that people who do not try and take things into their own hands and work to make things better for themselves are taking this amazing freedom we have in America for granted. Why is it that there are people here in America that wish that the government would take the well earned money from people who have rightfully earned it and give it to people who may actually deserve it or may not? It makes no sense to me.
There are people in America today who deserve healthcare because of unexpected controversies like cancer for example. However, do drugs or drink alcohol until they realize they need help. Sorry, but to those people I simply say, no. You do not deserve healthcare as a right. I have to say healthcare should not be a right because it sickens me to think people like that should be able to receive help without paying their own way. The money instead comes from the middle class who have earned the money themselves through the jobs they have rightfully received. "Certainly people can afford it. Where do you think the money is coming from right now to pay for it all..." (Peikoff, pg. 89).
Overall, I find it hard to say that healthcare in America should be a right. I can't stomach the thought that people who simply do not deserve it are getting it. However it is also hard to think that those who do deserve it are not getting it. But that is exactly why it can't be a right. There is too much confusion. If people need medical care then they need to earn it, it can't be given to them. People who are not working or people who have doing drugs and drinking alcohol their entire lives simply cannot be given this privilege.