A16

THE NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIALS/LETTERS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2012

THE NEW YORK TIMES OP-ED TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2012

A17

NATHANAEL RUBIN
ARTHUR OCHS SULZBERGER JR., Publisher Founded in 1851 ADOLPH S. OCHS Publisher 1896-1935 ARTHUR HAYS SULZBERGER Publisher 1935-1961 ORVIL E. DRYFOOS Publisher 1961-1963 ARTHUR OCHS SULZBERGER Publisher 1963-1992 The News Sections JILL ABRAMSON, Executive Editor DEAN BAQUET, Managing Editor JOHN M. GEDDED, Managing Editor TOM BODKIN, Deputy Managing Editor WILLIAM E. SCHMIDT, Deputy Managing Editor Assistant Managing Editors RICHARD L. BERKE SUSAN CHIRA GLENN KRAMON MICHELE McNALLY JIM ROBERTS The Business Management SCOTT H. HEEKIN-CANEDY, President, General Manager DENISE F. WARREN, Senior V.P., Chief Advertising Officer, General Manager, NYTimes.com YASMIN NAMINI, Senior V.P., Marketing and Circulation, General Manager, Reader Applications ALEXIS BURYK, Senior V.P., Advertising ROLAND A, CAPUTO, Senior V.P., Chief Financial Officer THOMAS K. CARLEY, Senior V.P., Planning TERRY L. HAYES, Senior V.P., Operations and Labor The New York Times Company ARTHUR OCHS SULZBERGER JR., Chairman, Chief Executive Officer MICHAEL GOLDEN, Vice Chairman JAMES M. FOLLO, Chief Financial Officer R. ANTHONY BENTEN, Senior V.P. ROBERT H. CHRISTIE, Senior, V.P. MARC FRONS, Senior V.P., Chief Information Officer TODD C. McCARTY, Senior V.P. KENNETH A. RICHIERI, Senior V.P., General Counsel LAURENA L. EMHOFF, V.P., Treasurer DIANE BRAYTON, Secretary

ERIC FLEMENS

BROOKE FARRIOR

Hard Work Does Not Pay Off in China

When I was teaching English at Binhai School of Foreign Affairs in Tianjin, China, I introduced the Chinese people with American food in the school cafeteria. One thing that must be known living in China as a foreigner, no matter how hard the words may be to pronounce correctly, an individual must be able to order food for him- or herself. However, if I wanted to communicate anything significant to someone, I would need to take a student with me to translate each word. While I was in China, I noticed that some of the same staff members were there every day serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. They never seemed to have any time off. One day I asked one of my students to translateasking the girl who made my Jian Bing (egg and crispy fried noodle wrap), how many hours she worked each day. She said she works at least sixteen hours a day, seven days a week. I asked her if she ever had any days off, and she said only during summer for one month. Thats eleven months straight of virtual non-stop work. I couldnt bring myself to ask her how much (or rather how little), she was getting paid. Maybe I was just afraid to know. I always thought it was harsh and unfair to overwork someone, especially being that it exemplifies a nineteen year old girl, but the question is: what choice does she have? Number one, she cant afford to leave her job. Her salary is so low that she will probably be living paycheck to paycheck for the rest of her life or starve. Number two, she is from the countryside. In China, people from bigger cities, especially Beijing, have certain societal advantages over those from the countryside. Its called regional discrimination. This is caused by what is now the greatest human migration in recorded history. People are forced to leave their homes in Chinas countryside for urban areas in search of work, despite the lack of official permission from their local government to resettle. The Chinese call them the floating population. If she had been from a comparatively mid-sized town (with a population of approx. 1.4 billion, you can imagine the difference between a town here in America and a town in China), she would have had an entirely new set of challenges. Those new set of challenges include: having to pass the Gao Kao with a score high enough to get into an acceptable university, not being able to choose her own major, having to get through an assigned program which may be an unwanted option, and finding a job after graduation in the ever diluted workforce of the most populated nation in the world where competition is fierce. If she could keep her job, then she would be able to make it and would probably be working overtime every week for the rest of her life for much more money, in a comfortable workplace. As a teacher at a second tier university in China myself, I can say that the majority of my students were generally unmotivated to learn what they were studying. They did not have any incentives. For example, another foreign teacher who had been teaching at my school for years, before I got into the Spanish department told me that if a student fails a class, their parents can pay the school a retesting fee and take an exam administered by the school rather than the professor. Those students are then placed in the next level of the class the following semester, only to fail and retest again all the way to a higher degree in Spanish, without ever having to attend class. The truth isher alternatives are probably worse. She could be doing construction like so many people from the countryside (sometimes even young women like her). For someone with her plight, she is actually not doing too badly. Someone might ask, What can I do to help people like her towards a better life? The answer is, just keep buying the things you need, most of which are made in China anyway. You will consequently be supporting Chinas cheap labor workforce and those who depend directly on it. The more jobs there are, the less demand there will ultimately be for jobs. Therefore, considering Chinas rapid economic growth, the problem will eventually fix itself, although it may take a while for people like the girl who makes my egg and noodle wraps to feel the effects.

A New Side to Country Music

For many music lovers, aficionados, and wannabes, the way one conveys or attempts to convey that one has an eclectic and sophisticated taste for music is by saying, I listen to everything. Except country. I know this because for much of my life, I said those exact words. Country is frequently dismissed as a genre of little to no complexity, substance, or worth. People who listen to country are often stereotyped as hicks with sub-par intelligence, living somewhere in the backwoods, and listening to country, and only country. This negative attitude toward country music is due to the decades of musical development and creation through which weve forgotten our country roots. An important issue to address is the problem of music history. Most people who enjoy listening to music do not take the time to delve into the history of where their music came from. They never see the evolution from the oldies their parents listened to, to the modern music they hear today. Popular bands like Zac Brown Band, Bruce Springsteen, The Dixie Chicks and Taylor Swift are some of the few modern bands that have been able to transcend the negative stigma of country and break into the mainstream. Their fans however, dont realize who these bands were when they started out, and by whom these bands were inspired to create their own music. For example, Buddy Holly, one of the greatest musicians of his era, came out of Lubbock Texas, graduated from high school with my grandmother in his graduating class, and got outa dodge and took his roots with him. His music was a hybrid of the country music he grew up with, and the Rock n Roll he was hearing on the radios. He even took the name of his album from a John Wayne film, crossing country stylism with his crossbreed of country music and rock. Buddys first album hit in the summer of 1957 and became an overnight success. People were listening to Buddy all across America, wanting nothing but more of his revolutionary sound. Buddys life abruptly ended in a freak plane crash during his first tour. Buddys life may have ended, but his music lived on to inspire millions, most notably, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Hollies, Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Elvis Costello, Cliff Richard & the Shadows. Country is often dismissed by many as, way too simple, and perceived to have no depth. This couldnt be further from the truth. Take for example the song, 40 Miles from Denver by Yonder Mountain String Band, released in 1999. There are six key changes in the verse and chorus alone, along with many different harmonies by the lead singer and backup singers. Now take for example the song, Sofi Needs a Ladder by the extremely popular modern electronic artist, DeadMau5. From what I can tell, there isnt even a single chord change. It literally stays on the same chord for the entire song. And when the singer comes in, she alternates between two notes, barely creating something able to be classified as a melody. The latter is played on many iPods and in many clubs in America, and though it may be more popular than the former, no one can claim that the current electronic movement is more complex. Bluegrass, a subset of country music, is one of the most complex and difficult genres to play and to understand. Many Bluegrass fiddle players are former classical violinists who find country more of a challenge and enjoy playing it more. The instruments of country music are in themselves indicative of country musics complexity and breadth. Two of the quintessential country instruments, the violin and the mandolin, both originate from classical music. This shows how far back any genre of music goes. It is important to recognize the heritage of all genres of music so as to get a better understanding of music as a whole.

The Beauty of Solar Power

There are so many advancements in technology in recent years working to better our environment and economy. Solar energy is on the rise. Breaths of fresh air, considering the sources of energy that are used, have been essentially the same for at least a generation. However, the use of this energy is in need of an update. The technology of solar power is improving rapidly as private investing increases, in addition to the government interest in green energy solutions. A reliable, consistent source of energy that is in no danger of ever running out, is exactly what this world needs right now. Other countries have caught on to the benefits of solar power and have been utilizing them. Spain has solar power working at night on a commercial scalea plant there has seven hours of heat storage. Icelands power supply went from being 75% coal, which was imported to 80% hydro and geothermal energy, in thirty years. Portugals electric grid leapt from 15% to 45% renewable resources in the span of only five years. You get the point. It is our turn to give solar energy the chance to live up to its full potential and help us out. Most people either dont realize, or dont care how quickly our coal, oil and natural gas supply is dwindling. It doesnt sound like a pressing issue compared to a lot of whats going on in the world right now but none of those fossil fuels are renewable resources. They arent going to be around forever at this rate of consumption. Without an alternative, society as we know it, especially in regards to energy and transportation, would crumple. With solar energy, if your power goes out, you still have electricity. Resetting your clocks and attempting to restore lost computer information will no longer be an option. Additionally, solar energy is the only form of renewable power that is completely silent and unobtrusive. Even if people arent interested in bettering our world and the environment we live in, who on Earth would be opposed to saving money? After the initial investment of converting to solar power (which is dropping in price as technology is improving and solar energy is becoming more prevalent), your utility bill will be much less costly due to the lack of energy being used. Better yet, convert to solar energy and say Hello to tax breaks! Many incentives are offered for renewable energy by the United States government, including a tax credit of up to $2,000. There has been a lot of media scrutiny over the solar energy company Solyndra failing, which casts a shadow over the cause of the usage of renewable energy but I feel as though it will pass. Also, failure is an inevitable and important part of the process. Solar power is a relatively new concept and, understandably, will take awhile to catch on. I dont think the failure of one solar energy company is a logically inclined reason to write off the cause altogether. Solar power systems can be installed in very remote regions. I saw a picture the other day of a sustainable solar powered sculpture in the middle of the desert. Generating our own source of electricity by powering our homes, heating our water, and fueling our cars with solar power, could possibly enable us to live off grid. Not needing to rely on utility companies to supply power would bring on a new sense of independence to home owners and, in the grander scheme of things, also bring on a new sense of independence in regards to foreign energy sources. People are getting creative with solar energy and using it for a variety of unique purposes. At Coachella last year, there was a giant, beautiful origami crane sculpture with solar powered LED lights. In Taiwan, there is a dragon-shaped arena that seats 50,000 people and generates 100% of its electricity through its 8, 844 solar panels. Solar trash cans have even been designed; they possess built in compactors which allow the trash cans to store more garbage and in turn, lower the impact of trash in cities and reduce operating costs, the use of fuel, and greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%. The capabilities of solar power far extend what is typically being used for today in the United States and I think it will catch on in the near future. eththe future.

The Opinion Pages ANDREW ROSENTHAL, Editorial Page Editor TRISH HALL, Deputy Editorial Page Editor

Malnutrition in the Developing World

Malnutrition in the developing world, particularly in Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, has made it extremely difficult for its residents to live a positive way of life. There are two types of malnutrition that are considered when classifying different cases. Protein-energy malnutrition deals with the lack of protein and energy-enriched foods in an individuals diet. However, micronutrient deficiency deals with the lack of nutrients and vitamins in ones diet. Being that malnutrition is a health burden to these developing areas, it is indefinitely possible for greater risk factors to ensue. Furthermore, malnutrition has become progressively worse, hence, causing pregnant women and young children to be affected as well. Malnutrition has been the cause of about 300,000 child-related deaths per year. Greater risk factors that arise from malnutrition such as bacterial and parasitic diseases can contribute to ones death in the developing world. Along with risk factors being a potential death-related aspect, it is safe to say that infections can be a contribution. In order to regulate the health deficiencies, peoples diet must play a huge role in their daily lives. Being that these people are impoverished, it may be difficult to make those accommodations, however. Measures such as preventative interventions, high immunization coverage, and early and correct management can help maintain a balanced way of life for people living in the developing world. These effective strategies can help alter the negative lifestyles of different families dealing with these sad occurrences. Malnutrition can very well be prevented, let alone regulated. As much as functional health services may need to be made available, in order to address infectious diseases as a cause of protein energy malnutrition it is likewise important to promote breast-feeding, improve the water supply and sanitation, and educate people about hygiene. Malnutrition is evidently a rising issue in the developing world, including those areas of undeniable poverty. It is up to the rest of the world to contribute to the redevelopment of a healthy and stable turn-around for individuals suffering from malnutrition in Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Foods that contain high levels of protein and micronutrients are important for a turnaround to be possible. Diet-based strategies are necessary in this sense as well. Full awareness of this issue may allow a turn-around to be a lot more possible and more feasible to be rectified.

Facebook: A Detriment
TO THE EDITOR:
I really enjoyed the piece that was published regarding the effects of Facebook on society. The author made great points and I agree with just about everything that was written. To expand upon the authors point, I believe that children are the ones being harmed the most by our societys addiction to Facebook. Instead of climbing trees, riding bikes, and as the author suggested, throwing around a football, our children are all huddled over their electronic devices waiting for the next status update. Children learn by example, and I believe we all would benefit by following this articles example and stepping away from Facebook. TO THE EDITOR: I thoroughly enjoyed reading the OP-ED about Facebook and how it is slowly destroying our society and especially our social skills and the way we communicate with one another. This article touched on how it is convenient and takes less effort to simply log into a website and see what your friends are up to, rather than giving them a call or going over to their house. I agree with the author in the sense that Facebook gives a bit too much insight into peoples lives and an invitation for negative habits such as analyzing and criticizing fellow Facebook-ers. I also think When people talk about how bad Facebook has gotten, we tend to laugh it off, but as the article states, the problem is more serious than that. Thank you for allowing this authors message to be heard. JOSEPH LESHO Florida, September 25, 2012

Swimming Lessons Needed

Minorities unable to demonstrate swimming skills according to recent study
A large number of young African Americans do not know how to swim. In a 2010 study by the USA Swimming Foundation & the University of Memphis, it was reported that nearly 70% of African American children do not know how to swim. The question then remains: Why is the problem worse among AfricanAmericans, many of whom, across all economic classes, lack confidence in the water? A large part of that unease is a legacy of slavery and segregation. Unfortunately, because of this issue, African American children are more likely to drown in a swimming accident. Several examples of near-drowning experiences throughout the world have contributed to this dire need for new swimming programs to develop. This country is blessed with a network of community centers like the Y.M.C.A. and the Boys and Girls Clubs that have swimming programs, instructors and pools in place. These centers could take Bostons example and make swimming lessons mandatory, which would benefit their clientele, regardless of its racial makeup. Public schools (and particularly charter schools, many of which have extended their school years into summers heat) could devote part of each summer to shuttling their students to swim programs. The importance of learning how to swim at an early age is especially essential for the safety of children, particularly African American and Hispanic children. For example, the Boys and Girls Club in Boston, Massachusetts made a rule for the Black and Hispanic children to participate in swimming lessons on a mandatory basis. Although the lessons were free of charge, a number of parents were still skeptical aboout allowing their children to participate in the swimming programs. They were afraid of letting them get in the water altogether. This mehod is simply a mandate which will fundamentally uplift the possibilities of producing a life-saving benefit for those who are not able to afford swimming lessons. It is understandable that the United States has more pressing issues to tend to verses distributing free swimming lessons to the needy. However, these issues are death-prone and can be made globally aware to prevent any further casualties. It is not necessary for a mother to receive a phone call about her child losing his/her life due to drowning in a pool. Not knowing how to swim is a serious problem. Essentially, the best way to eliminate the culture of anxiety around swimming is to create thounsands of African-American swimmers who are not afraid of the water.

Facebook can be an outlet for jealousy. This article made me wonder where Facebook is taking us and how we can prevent it from consuming our lives and causing us to be inferior communicators. I liked the suggestions of how to better spend our time rather than going on Facebook for hours on end and actually pay attention to those around us. It makes me wonder if our society is capable of cutting back on social networking and if this phenomenon could possibly get much worse. BROOKE FARRIOR Florida, September 25, 2012

Nokia Cant Keep Up

TO THE EDITOR: After reading the piece on Nokia and its no-longer-prevalent place in society, I realize that I had completely forgotten about my first cell phone and the role it played in my life. I clearly remember my sturdy black phone with light-up buttons and an antenna that pulled out of the top, and how important that piece of technology had been to me. It seems sad that a company that had been once so vital to the world of cellphones is now no longer necessary if only for its patents and technology that is being used by other competitor companies. But along those same lines, it seems as though Nokia has brought it upon themselves, TO THE EDITOR: When I was going through your newspaper last week, I came across an article about how Nokia has not been able to keep up with all the new technology in smart phones. This is hard to believe because Nokia was one of the first and most important cell phone companies in the world. It was sad to learn that companies like Samsung and Apple have overshadowed the mark that Nokia had work so hard to leave. As a twenty-two-year-old apple user, I never owned a Nokia phone with their poor planning and terrible advertising that came with the new Lumia 900 phone. So while I sympathize with Nokia for how-shall I say it- down the drain their company has gone, I also feel no pity for a company that has failed in other aspects, such as the advertising. The article did raise some questions about the future of Nokia, after its disappointing attempt at the new phone. The company really only has no where to go but up, and if it really intends on remaking a name for itself, its going to have to do a lot better in advertising, planning, and production. ALLISON BECKLEY Florida, September 25, 2012 but I remember my sister being really excited about the technologies her new Nokia phone had to offer. The write of the article last week stated that Nokia executives are doing their best to bring new technologies to a competitive market that seems to have forgotten what Nokia did for the cell phone companies. Lets hope that Nokias future products will remain the consumers that they are not only a great company but they are also capable of making history once again. NERI GONZALES Florida, September 25, 2012

Ads and Our Youth

Whether you are watching TV, reading the paper or a magazine, listening to the radio or simply walking down the street, you are exposed to hundreds or maybe even thousands of different advertisements each day. Everywhere you go and everything you do, you are likely to encounter at least one advertisement. In our culture, advertisements are so common that we often do not realize how much they surround us. However, they are everywhere. Advertising agencies especially focus on the elderly and the younger generations, including very young children. The advertisements that the young children are exposed to take advantage of their ignorance and naivety by showing them products that they think they cannot live without. These advertisements also put education, health, and other important values on the back burner. They also glorify things that children should not focus or spend time on. The excessiveness and accessibility of advertisements has turned us into a materialistic consumerist culture and is potentially corrupting our children. Even with his moderate usage, he was still able to answer the majority of the clues. This shows how much advertising our children are being exposed to and the effect and impact the advertisements make on their perception. Furthermore, fast food advertisements are some of the most widely used advertisements and they are one of the reasons why advertising is corrupting our children. Fast food advertise-

By: Lindsey Schnetzler

ments encourage children to eat more fast food rather than maintain healthier, more balanced diets. They entice children with fun prizes in the meals or dessert options or just by highlighting the fact that they have a playground in the restaurant. The advertisements portray children being happy while eating the food from these fast food restaurants in order to lead the children to believe that eating their food will make you feel good, happy and fulfilled. However, these advertisements take advantage of the ignorant and nave nature of children. Their perception is skewed due to the fact that the advertisements are intentionally being deceptive in order to make more money. Advertising agencies take advantage of the fact that children are nave and will believe anything they see or hear. These advertisements show all of the good qualities of different products but fail to mention the drawbacks or complications involved when you partake in the specific merchandise. The sheer number of advertisements our children are exposed to on a daily basis just further shows that the advertising agencies are turning the childrens generations into a very materialistic and consumerist culture, which puts many more important values in last place. We should focus on our childrens education, health and well being before focusing on what society is telling them that they should want and need in order to be happy. Advertising has gone too far and needs to be adjusted before our children are entirely corrupt.

Doping in Sports
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was created in 1999, after major doping scandals hit the world of sports. The organization was created to promote, coordinate, and monitor the fight against doping in sports around the world. As an athlete in todays world, exceptional hard work must be executed in each performance. Doping in sports, however, prevents athletes from proving themselves as genuine hard workers. Doping in sports is not a new phenomenon; athletes have taken performanceenhancing agents since the beginning of time. Doping causes an individuals health to be at stake. According to the World Anti-Doping Agency, anabolic steroids affect cardiovascular and mental health and are associated with an increased risk of neoplasms. Dietary supplements containing ephedra alkaloids have been linked to serious health risks including hypertension, tachycardia, stroke, seizures and death. Although these risks are not common, it does not necessarily mean that the occurrences are impossible depending on the individual. For example, one of Americas best track stars in history, Florence Griffith Joyner, Flo-Jo, and the Cuban runner Chelimo both died from cardiovascular events at 38 years of age. The speculation that rose from their deaths was whether or not each case dealt with natural causes or doping. The causes, until this day, are unknown. Furthermore, the WADA states, accurate data on the prevalence of doping is difficult to control as it is not financially possible to screen all athletes. Selection for doping is usually random. Medal winners, team captains, goal scorers, the number on a shirt or bib, or athletes who show a sudden or unexpected improvement in personal bests are usually those who get tested for doping. The most commonly abused group of drugs is: stimulants, followed by anabolic steroids. Also, alcohol is one of the most widely used drugs in the athletic population as a whole; it is associated in sports injury and poor physiological performance and should be avoided by the serious athlete. As earlier noted, in order for an athlete to demonstrate how great he/she is, it is not through doping methods. It is not necessary use drugs as a scapegoat to make ones athletic ability seem tainted or well-deserving for public acceptance. Natural talent and obvious hard work is more respected. Once doping is involved, it gives an athlete a bad image. Bad images will not reflect a positive influence to aspiring athletes.

In the Voice of a Cow: Same Sex Marriage

TO THE EDITOR: I very much enjoyed the piece written on same-sex marriage from the point of view of a cow at ChickFil-A. In my opinion, the piece was very well written and got its point across very fluidly. It was also an all-together joy to read since it was from the point of view of an animal that most dont think would have an opinion on such topics. I agreed one-hundred percent with the stance that Catherine took on her article. I believe that humans as a species are very com plex in nature and everyone is different. I also agree that two people, regardless of gender, should have the right to be married. Overall, I think that the paper was very well written and that the writer had a strong connection to the piece at hand. The way the topic and argument was conveyed to me as the reader is what I think made it so much fun to read and kept me from losing my interest. ROXANNE GHEZZI Florida, September 25, 2012