Keeping Volunteer's Rights in Mind

          In wake of the recent “crisis” our country has had on its hands with the Ebola Virus, some of us have been on edge and hostile towards how the Government is handling things. Yes, Ebola has taken nearly 5000 lives in 2014(1 of which from within the United States), but we need to remember that Africa is far less developed than the United States, and in Liberia specifically, they reportedly have only a few dozen doctors for their population of about 4 million. That is incredibly low, and it is no surprise to me that in such an underdeveloped country Ebola has spread so fast and begun to take so many lives.

           Ever since Ebola has landed in the United States, the media seems to be over blowing its severity and causing a bit of panic in our people and perhaps in our politicians. A nurse was recently quarantined in New Jersey for days after returning from West Africa, during which time she was sealed in a tent in isolation without any evidence of being sick. While I do commend the intentions the state’s governor had with this policy, forcibly quarantining these volunteers is too radical.

          That is exactly why we need the government to create standards for all states to follow, so we can be sure that no person’s rights are at risk. Along with that, any volunteers wishing to give aid should first be subjected to a retraining on the latest guidelines regarding prevention of the virus.

          Ebola is not as infectious as all of the recent commotion suggests it is, but I strongly feel that requiring volunteers to agree to isolate themselves in the comfort of their home for a few weeks after returning would be wise and in everyone’s best interests. This way prevents any state from causing any future outrages, and also ensures that anyone who is unknowingly carrying the virus does not have as large a chance to spread it around.

          I don’t personally believe that there is any vast risk that we will all meet our end because of this, but I would argue that having good measures for prevention set by the government is the next best thing from a cure. 

Should We Really Be Paying This?

I recently found an article on the New York Times website entitled “Paying Afghanistan’s Bills” and I found it to be an extremely interesting read. The author is unfortunately not identified, but considering that it is the New York Times Editorial Board, I would expect that the writer or writers are credible.  It is an editorial from the New York Times and I feel that the author’s target audience in this writing is not only those who oppose our international aid efforts during a time of financial weakness back home, but simply all American tax payers. The author’s purpose is to inform the reader of the great expense that we make as a country to Afghanistan’s reconstruction, and to express a little frustration over how Afghanistan is handling their part. The author does not spare a moment to bring up the “fraud and abuse” of the foreign aid money the United States has sent, however also makes it a point to recognize that pulling out financially could make our war efforts in vain. He or she still suggests that Congress should be fully prepared withdraw if the struggling country does not make better efforts to ensure that our assistance is used properly. I believe the author to be hopeful that the situation will get better with a new president at the helm who seems determined to deter corruption. Even so, with a recent agreement to provide aid until at least 2017, and the country of Afghanistan in poverty, this isn't going to be over soon. I completely agree that things could be handled better and I hope the new president Ashraf Ghani can help show us what our investment is really worth.