America’s Everyday Heroes
By Katherine E. P
YC/Staff
Jan. 2, 2009
Editor’s Note: The following article was written by a 15-year old, while she was giving a speech at her school.
All Americans should read her words of wisdom as we face an upcoming year of possible New Depression being brought on by Obama’s financial policies.
What follows is the relevant excerpt from her speech.
We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com
“Our generation has had no great war, no Great Depression. Our war is spiritual. Our depression is our lives. Author Chuck Palahniuk makes this grim observation of younger generations in his book Fight Club.
We are sometimes referred to as “Generation Me” – those of us born in the 80’s and 90’s. We have the best education, technology and conveniences available to us.
“So what makes us different from our grandparents and great-grandparents? All the books and movies portray that group of people born just before the Great Depression as heroes; strong men and women who never complained about almost unbelievable ordeals of the Great Depression and WWII.
In his best selling book, Tom Brokaw names them ‘The Greatest Generation.’ These ordinary men and women, people like my grandparents, have amazing stories full of sacrifice and a sense of purpose.”
“Grandad saved up enough money to start college with one pair of pants, two shirts and a jacket. A year later he was drafted out of college. Grandad never talked much about the war.
He stepped on a landmine and was blown against a tree and filled full of shrapnel. The next four months he spent in army hospital, lucky to have both arms and legs. For this he was awarded the purple heart.”
“GranMary illustrated the quality of Depression era off-base housing: ‘Two walls of the so-called garage apartment were cement blocks. The others were cardboard boxes stapled together.
The place had a rusty iron bed, a cracked mirror, a little table, and a two burner gas stove. A light bulb hung from a wire from the ceiling and the water came from a spigot outside.
In those days people were used to their lives being temporary and uncertain and we didn’t know what else there was.
We sure didn’t expect anyone to take care of us – we just did what we had to do to survive.’ ”
“This generation of veterans and survivors of the Depression and WWII is dying. Every day we lose over 1000 of these great men and women; these everyday heroes.
They have stories we could be learning from that are going unheard.
President Ronald Reagan said ‘Each generation goes further than the generation preceding it because it stands on the shoulders of that generation.’
My generation needs to listen and learn quickly before these people are gone. We could learn their humility, their loyalty, their responsibility, their frugality and their hard work. All the things that make them the greatest generation.”
Holiday Fun Quiz!
January 2, 2010 by Dan
Filed under Human Interest
By Alexander
Jan. 2, 2009
This is the season to stay safe. Let’s help you prepare for the holiday season with this multiple choice quiz.
1. If you see a table full of goodies at a party, the first thing you should do is:
A) Try one of those decorated cookies
b) Ask a trusted adult which foods are safe for you
c) Grab a brownie
2. All the kids in the neighborhood are playing with new presents they received for the holidays.
Sarah was just eating peanut butter and you saw her get on her sled without going inside to wash her hands.
Then you notice the handle of the sled has peanut butter smeared on it. You are allergic to peanuts. What do you do when she invites you to try out her new sled?
a) Say, “no thanks.”
b) Hop right on after wiping the sled off with your hands.
c) Make sure the peanut butter is cleaned off the sled (ask an adult to help) and enjoy the ride.
3. You’re going to see your grandparents for the holidays. They want to plan a day of baking lots of goodies with you, but you are allergic to several foods.
What do you do?
a) Start baking right away
b) Tell them you don’t want to bake, but you’ll try whatever they make
c) Talk to your mom and dad about helping your grandparents understand how to read labels so that the ingredients used are safe for you, and share your favorite safe recipes with them.
4. You are on vacation for the holidays from school and are just going to a friend’s house down the street.
What do you take with you?
a) Your allergy medicine (such as Benadryl® and your epinephrine auto-injector, if prescribed)
b) A safe snack
c) All of the above
Answers: b, c, c, c
Source: Food Allergy
Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com
Kids Here is Some Tips for Grown-Ups
By Sparky
Jan. 1, 2010
Here are some safety tips that you kids can get your parents to follow, to help protect your family:
Burn Notice
- Remind grown-ups to keep hot foods and liquids away from tables and counter edges so they cannot be pulled or knocked over.
- Grown-ups should always be careful when using things that get hot such as curling irons, oven, irons, lamps, heaters.
- Hot things can hurt you. Stay away from hot things.
Just Right?
- Remind grown-ups to test the water before placing children or themselves in the tub.
Cool a Burn
- Treat a burn right away. Put it in cool water for 3-5 minutes. Cover with a clean, dry cloth.
- Remind grown-ups that if the burn is bigger than your fist, or if you have any questions, to get medical help right away.
Safety in the Kitchen
- Remind grown-ups to stay in the kitchen when cooking. Keep things that can burn (potholders, towels, and paper) away from the stove.
- Stay three feet away from the stove when a grown-up is cooking.
Electrical check-up
- Help grown-ups check electrical cords to make sure they are not damaged.
Heating Reminders
- Remind grown-ups to keep space heaters 3 feet from anything that can burn.
- Grown-ups should always turn off space heaters every time they leave the room and before going to bed.
- Remind grown-ups never to use an oven to heat your home.
Match and Lighter Safety
- Tell a grown-up if you find matches or lighters
- Grown-ups should keep matches and lighters up high in a locked cabinet.
Candle Caution
- Remind grown-ups to put out lit candles when they leave a room.
- Stay three feet away from burning candles.
Safety Smart Grown-up Reminders
- Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside each bedroom and outside each sleeping area.
- Test smoke alarms once a month.
- Replace smoke alarms every 10 years.
- Make a home fire escape plan with your family.
- Find two ways out of every room and an outside meeting place.
- Know the emergency number for your fire department.
- Practice your escape plan twice a year.
- When the smoke alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside!
You kids have done a great Job! Visit my site to play games and have a lot of fun.
Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com
Memorable Stories of 2009
By Sean Price
Jan. 1, 2009
To mark the close of a history-making year, join Scholastic News in taking a look back at some of the most notable news stories of 2009.
A Historic Inauguration
On January 20, Barack Obama became the 44th U.S. President—and the country’s first African-American chief executive. Obama’s swearing-in ceremony drew a record crowd of 1.8 million people.
That made it the biggest event ever held in Washington, D.C. The crowd stood for hours in freezing cold temperatures to witness the event. “We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord,” the new President told the nation.
A New Justice
In May, President Obama chose Judge Sonia Soto mayor as his nominee to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court, the most powerful court in the land. Soto mayor replaced retiring Justice David Souter and became the first Hispanic, and the third woman, to sit on the high court.
There are only nine Supreme Court justices. All of them serve for as long as they’d like. Together, their decisions carry the weight of law. So Obama’s choice of Sotomayor could affect U.S. laws for decades to come.
The U.S. Senate confirmed Obama’s choice, and she was sworn into office on August 8.
Moon Walk’s 40th Anniversary
On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the moon. “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind,” he said. About 600 million people worldwide watched on television. Putting men on the moon was a huge accomplishment for the United States.
The success of Apollo 11—and later Apollo flights—increased our knowledge of the moon, the sun, and Earth. NASA, the U.S. government space agency, observed the 40th anniversary of this event by discussing plans for future exploration. They include setting up a base on the moon and making a journey to Mars.
Tough Times at Home
For all of 2009, the U.S. economy has been in a recession, or sharp downturn. Millions of Americans lost their jobs. More than 1 million families lost their homes because they were unable to make their monthly payments on loans. President Obama moved to reverse this downturn.
In February, he signed into law what he called “the most sweeping economic recovery package in our [nation’s] history.” The law pumped hundreds of billions of dollars into the U.S. economy over several months.
It was intended to help create jobs, help companies stay in business, and lower taxes for the middle class—but many people thought the money spent was too much. Unemployment was beginning to ease just a bit by the end of the year.
At the same time, Obama and Congress went to work on improving the country’s ailing health-care system.
The President and many members of Congress are trying to create new laws that will reduce health-care costs and allow more people to get health insurance. No law has yet been passed.
First Pup
As Sasha and Malia Obama waited for their dad, the President, to keep his promise of a getting them a puppy, a nation of pet lovers waited with them.
In April, both the girls and the American people were rewarded for their patience when the new First Pet, a Portuguese water dog named Bo, moved into the White House.
A Scare from the New Flu
This year’s seasonal flu bug came with an unwelcome friend—a new strain of flu that scientists call H1N1. H1N1’s rapid spread in several countries last spring caused fears of a massive outbreak.
A vaccine for H1N1 is now available. Health officials have also stressed that prevention is key: Cough and sneeze into a tissue or the bend of your arm, they advise, and wash your hands often.
Conflicts Overseas
The first decade of the new century has been a time of war for Americans. The U.S. has been fighting in Afghanistan since 2001 and in Iraq since 2003. This year, with violence decreasing in Iraq, President Obama announced plans to pull out all U.S. troops from that country by the end of 2011.
In Afghanistan, where violence is on the rise, the President plans to send an additional 30,000 troops.
The goal there is to defeat the Taliban, an extreme group that has supported Osama bin Laden and his terrorist group, Al Qaeda. Bin Laden and Al Qaeda are responsible for the terrorist attacks against the U.S. in 2001.
World Series Wins, Big and Little
The New York Yankees won the World Series for the first time since 2000, beating last year’s champions, the Philadelphia Phillies. Victory was especially sweet for the Yankees and their fans because 2009 marked the team’s first season in the new Yankee Stadium.
And in the Little League World Series, California’s Chula Vista team won the championship, coming from behind to beat the Chinese Taipei team from Tao Yuan, Taiwan.
Source: Scholastic News Online
Editor’s Note: Photos, clockwise from top left: Judge Sonia Soto mayor during the Senate hearing to confirm her appointment as Supreme Court Justice; Sasha and Malia Obama’s puppy, Bo; the H1N1 virus; astronaut Buzz Aldrin, during his moon walk with Neil Armstrong in July, 1969; U.S. troops in Afghanistan; Barack Obama takes the oath of office, becoming the 44th President of the United States; Chula Vista celebrates after winning the Little League World series championship in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
The year in review: scroll to the end of the story for photo captions. Photo credits, clockwise from top left: Christy Bowe/Corbis; AP Images; Visuals Unlimited/Corbis; NASA; Peter Byrne/PA Wire; Reuters/Jim Bourg/Landov; Gene J. Puskar/AP Images.
We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com