The Bird Flu Crisis

Over a million people dead? Travel bans? Americans sick and unable to get help at hospitals? The thoughts overwhelm us; it seems impossible. This is America, not a third world country. Pandemics causing our family and friends to drop dead around us - that's something that happened in Europe a long time ago and might happen in some really poor countries today. Right?!?
As average Americans, we are conditioned to an easy lifestyle of free travel, good health, and advanced medical help at doctors offices and hospitals when we need it. So the idea of a devastating bird flu epidemic is almost beyond our comprehension. But it's not beyond a possible reality.
On their website dedicated to this issue (www.pandemicflu.gov), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says, “If a pandemic influenza virus with similar virulence to the 1918 strain emerged today, in the absence of intervention, it is estimated that 1.9 million Americans could die and almost 10 million could be hospitalized over the course of the pandemic, which may evolve over a year or more.”
H5N1 avian influenza has been found recently in birds in Asia, all across Europe, and possibly in Canada. The flu, which doesn't spread easily from human-to human, has killed 62 people and infected at least 122 worldwide since 2003. While these numbers don't seem alarming, the real worry is that the flu could mutate into a form that spreads easily between humans. If this happens, a global pandemic could occur with incalculable impact.
With such a dire outlook, it is vital that the United States prepare for this possible pandemic. On Tuesday, November 1st, President Bush announced a plan to fight this possible flu outbreak. To execute the plan he requests $7.1 billion from Congress in emergency funding.
The first goal of the plan is early detection of outbreaks anywhere in the world. President Bush compared the situation to a forest fire – catch it early and you may be able to prevent major damage, let it burn for a while and it can become too huge to control.
The second goal of this plan is to stockpile medication, seek a better vaccine for the strain of flu that could cause a pandemic, and improve our ability to rapidly produce vaccines. Scientists are testing a vaccine for the current strain of bird flu. While this may not perfectly protect people against the strain of the flu that might cause a pandemic, it is still worth using. President Bush asked Congress to give the Department of Heath and Human Services money to buy enough of this vaccine to cover 20 million people. Additionally, the plan calls for scientists to continue research with the hope that a vaccine will be created for the particular strain that could hit the United States. However, scientists need a sample of this strain in order to produce a vaccine. Thus, it may be impossible to have a vaccine ready when a pandemic hits. The hope is that there could be enough vaccine to cover all Americans within 6 months of the outbreak of a pandemic.
Finally, this plan calls for officials on the federal, state, and local levels to work with all involved to prepare for an outbreak. This work must involve many people from members of Congress, to doctors in local clinics.
We see the danger. We are preparing to combat it. But when we consider what could happen right here at home, it still seems so impossible. What will happen if our way of life is upset by tragedy on this level? Where are our lives grounded? How sure are our foundations?

Additional Reporting from CNN and Reuters.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/conditions/11/01/us.flu.plan/
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticleSearch.aspx?storyID=293627+03-Nov-2005+RTRS&srch=bird+flu

The Credo Chronicler is now being published each week. In the first few weeks of our Journalism class, Mrs. Anderson taught us some basic journalistic tools and principles. Now she and Mr. Hall (our assistant teacher) are helping us practice them and expand our knowledge as we publish the Credo Chronicler each week. Our newspaper is published at our school and also on-line. Check it out at http://credochronicler.blogspot.com

Bloom Where You're Planted

Endless school work, chaotic schedules, conflict, worry – the problems of life often overwhelm us. As we face these problems in our families, we can begin to think that when we have our own families everything will be fine and life will be blissful. We lose sight of the many good things we are enjoying in our present lives and gain an unrealistic view of the future. If we allow this to happen, we can waste the precious time now dreaming about an unrealistic future life that will never be our own. This leads to discontentment, ungratefulness, and a sinful attitude.
God has given us this time for a purpose. We are to use it to serve Him in the best way possible. Plan for the future, but don't let your plans blind you from your present tasks. Be content, seeing the many blessings in life and trusting God to provide in the areas you feel are lacking. Seize opportunities to serve where God has placed you.
In the past few weeks I have personally been reminded that our current circumstances will change. We may feel that life will always consist of living with our parents and siblings, doing school, helping with housework, and going to the same activities with the same people, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. But that's not the case. Change will come, often when we least expect it. And a few years from now we may find ourselves living out some of those dreams we so recently entertained (just not so perfectly as we had imagined those things in life would be) and wishing we could go back to a house of noisy siblings and endless school work.
So be content where you are in life right now. Serve and make the most of the time now. When it is God's will for you to enter a new phase of life, He will bring the changes. Trust Him to do it in His timing!

Responding to Disaster

In the past year the world has seen several major disasters claim tens of thousands of lives, and turn the world of millions of survivors upside down. Most of the victims died in the powerful tsunamis that devastated South Asia last December.
In the past several weeks, natural disasters have again plagued the world, including right in our own nation. Hurricane Katrina – everyone knew it was coming, but no one knew exactly where it would hit or how powerful it would be. Thousands with the means of transportation fled New Orleans as the fury approached. Thousands of others stayed - some by choice, some because they had no means of leaving. When the storm hit, lashing its monstrous winds on the low-lying city, levees broke, water poured in, and soon 80% of a once bustling city of nearly 500,000 people lay under water. While the U.S. observed a national day of prayer and remembrance for the victims, the acknowledgment of God hardly extended beyond that.
With the city and its residents in the early stages of recovery, meteorologists saw the horrifying evidence of yet another hurricane heading for the Gulf Coast. As Hurricane Rita approached, millions fled Houston, New Orleans, Galveston, and other nearby areas. While newly patched levees again gave way in New Orleans, the damage was much less than residents of the Gulf Coast had feared. In His mercy, God spared the United States from much further destruction.
Our response as Americans to these two disasters should be one of grief, repentance, and thankfulness (among other things)– grief over our nation's great sins against God, repentance in turning from our sin to follow God, and thankfulness for His great mercy, even in His display of wrath. While the federal government is not likely to call for national sorrow for sin, repentance, and thankfulness to God, we as Christians can set an example in these things. In love, we can demonstrate the proper response to disasters. 2 Chronicles 7:14 reads, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Yet another catastrophe – the earthquake in Pakistan – has just killed over 30,000 people. How will Christians respond?

Vote NO on Ref. C - the Colorado Tax Increase

With the major publicity received by Referendum C, appearing on Colorado ballots this year, most Coloradoans are familiar with at least the title of this highly controversial ballot initiative. Democrats, and some Republicans, hail Ref. C as a great means of helping the state recover from recession and funding important transportation, education, and health care projects, without raising taxes.

But don't be fooled by the endorsement this referendum has received from Governor Owens and other Republican leaders. Ref. C withholds about $3.7 billion in tax refunds due to taxpayers over the next five years as a result of TABOR (Taxpayers' Bill of Rights). Thus, taxes are raised by about $3,200 for a family of four, even more for many large homeschooling families. While proponents claim the money is essential for important government projects, in reality, none of the money is tagged for any specific project. Government officials can claim that Ref. C will allow them to complete scores of important projects (costing many billions of dollars), without any guarantee that any of the money would actually go to that project, or that there would be any money available for it and all the other projects proponents of the referendum tout. In other words, proponents claim that Ref. C would allow them to complete many projects which in reality would likely cost far and away above the $3.7 billion given to the state if Ref. C passes. The CO state government has consistently grown each year, with a $15.2 billion budget for 2005-06. Money is not the need of the legislature, spending restraint is.

What can you do to help defeat this harmful ballot proposal? Write letters to the editor explaining the harms of it. Share the information in this issue of the Chronicler with friends, so that they know the truth about Ref. C. Get involved in the Vote NO on Ref. C campaign by visiting http://www.freedomworks.org/ or contacting campaign coordinator Cameron Sholty at csholty@freedomworks.org and 303-434-8718. Thank you for fighting for freedom and justice in Colorado.

One of the main projects of our Journalism class this year is publishing the Credo Chronicler. At our class last week, we worked on plans for the paper. For details on our plans, see Allegra's post on her blog.
Here is my editorial for this week's edition of the Chronicler.

Our Time as Youth is Preparation for Adult Life – Use it Well

Where do you see yourself being in 5 years? 10 years? 25 years? What are you doing right now to prepare yourself for life 5, 10, and 25 years from now? Are your activities now just providing temporary satisfaction and pleasure, or are they building you up, bringing glory to God, and preparing you for a life of service to Him? Do you take the time to think about these things, or are you so busy with the stress and rush of day-to-day life that you haven't had time recently to pause and consider these things?
As we rush from one task to another, it is easy for us to focus just on the next assignment to turn in, or the next chore to complete, and not look at the big picture of how our current activities will affect our lives in the future. But in Scripture we see that we are to be redeeming the time, using it in the best way we can. “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”- Ephesians 5:15-17 (NASB) Sadly, the world often represents the teen years as a time when we rebel, goof off, and just enjoy ourselves. But Scripture does not tell us to redeem the time only after we turn 18. Throughout all of our lives, no matter what our current age, we are to be redeeming the time.
In this new school year, as we choose activities and decide how to use our time, let us remember that we are commanded to use it well. Use it in ways that will glorify God, edify you, and help prepare you for the future. We can be tempted to take it easy and enjoy ourselves, but let us remember that God has called us to do our best with our time. There is much to be done in this world. May we be faithful, ready, on the watch, serving God. May God see in us a ready servant who says, “Here am I, send me.”

One of our assignments right now is to write a feature article. We'll each write one feature article a month, and they will be published in the "Credo Chronicler". Right now I am working on a feature article (or possibly a series of articles) on young women after graduation from homeschool high school. Should young women pursue college and a career, or should they stay at home with their families and prepare for marriage and motherhood? This is a controversial issue, but an important one for all Christian young women. I am hoping to interview homeschool graduates and share what they have done since graduation and what their views are on this subject. The homeschool movement has reached a point where there are lots of graduates. I hope and pray that I may share the stories of some of these young women and encourage other young women as they consider God's call on their lives.

Note: The assignment this week is to write a hard news story about something happening at Credo Academy.

Journalism Class Preparing for Publication of “Credo Chronicler”

Credo Academy's Journalism class is laying the groundwork to begin publishing the Credo Chronicler. Each week the Chronicler will bring the Credo community the latest on the school and also share outside news about items of interest.
In an interview, Journalism student Susanna remarked, “From important deadlines and events, to the latest on Credo students, and the inside scoop, Credo Chronicler will be the place to turn.”
During the past few weeks, the class has been learning real world journalistic principles. Susanna added, “Mrs. Anderson has been teaching us journalism skills that will help us in publishing the newspaper.”
During class last week, many exciting ideas were shared. The Chronicler promises to be an enjoyable read, filled with all the latest announcements, class news, photos, quotes, and much more!
The Chronicler will be staffed by the Credo Journalism class - Mrs. Anderson (teacher) and students Allegra, Joanna (myself), Susanna, and William. Mrs. Anderson will supervise work and each student will be responsible for a particular section of the paper.
A new edition will be published weekly and available in both paper format and on-line. All students will receive the Chronicler free of charge.
Currently, the Chronicler is two pages in length. However, the staff is looking to expand the size if funds are available. Advertising possibilities are under discussion at this time.
Suggestions, comments, and requests are welcome. Please post them here or talk with any of the Journalism class members.

New Orleans' Residents Returning to Changed City

Nearly three weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in one of the worst disasters in American history, the city of New Orleans is beginning to re-open. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin is allowing some business owners to return and be a part of the effort to rebuild the city. BBC News reports that within 10 days up to 200,000 people may be granted permission to return to the deserted city.
However, Vice Adm. Thad Allen, the federal official in charge of the recovery efforts sees danger in re-opening the city. According to Reuters, Allen stated, “As the city of New Orleans begins its re-entry program this morning, there are continued concerns that the damaged electricity, water, sewage and safety systems are not restored to a level that can meet the basic needs of the businesses and residents who return.” He added, “I urge all residents returning to use extreme caution if they return and to consider delaying their return until safer and more livable conditions are established”.
For those who do return, they will come home to a changed city, one much different from the safe, open, and free cities Americans take for granted. They will return to a New Orleans with military checkpoints, food and water shortages, many uninhabitable areas, corpses still being discovered, and a night time curfew in place to curb looters.
Meanwhile, back in Washington, the White House estimates that the recovery program could cost $200 billion. President Bush has stated that he will not raise taxes to account for this money, but says that spending on other programs may need to be cut.
As the city of New Orleans reopens, residents of that city, and all Americans, must face the fact that our prosperous cities of safety, freedom, and abundance can be drastically changed very quickly.

Note: This week we are learning about the different styles used by the Biblical Jeremiah and Obadiah. Jeremiah spoke to a Christian audience, while Obadiah spoke to a pagan one. Though both were Christians, the way they spoke depended on their audience. Below I have taken two different news articles, one from BBC and one from the AP, and re-written them as one article for a Christian audience. In my next post I will re-write news articles in an Obadiah style, writing them for a secular audience.

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National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for Katrina Victims; Miracle Story Shows God's Hand at Work

Friday, September 16, was declared a National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the Gulf Coast region nearly 3 weeks ago. Speaking at a service in Washington D.C., President Bush noted that we are prayerful, thankful, and mindful of the work ahead. “In a wounded region, so many placed their faith in a God who hears and helps. And so many are bringing their grief to a Savior acquainted with grief”, the President noted. We are thankful, he said, for the many who put others first and helped those in need. The President remarked, “Many stories of heroism and rescue will never be told because they are known to God alone.” Finally, the President called for the nation to use this unique time of rebuilding to help those who were already suffering poverty due to the years of segregation and inequality.
BBC News reported that the day of prayer was opposed by some, however, including Rev. Reginald Jackson, president of the Black Ministers Council of New Jersey, who felt that the President was late in holding a day of prayer, and the Rev. Enoch Fuzz, president of the Interdenominational Ministers Fellowship, who said that prayer in the form of action was what the nation needed most now.
On the ground in New Orleans, a miraculous story showed God's hand at work. The Associated Press reported that a 76-year-old man was found alive, having been trapped in his home for 18 days with no food and a mere gallon and a half of water. Though weak, the man was in good spirits and was remarkably resilient. "He was weak, very tired, but he was able to speak, able to stand," Fernandez [a FEMA spokesman] said. "He was very relieved. He was very thirsty. He was in good spirits."
Stories such as this show us that God is working. Amidst disaster and chaos, a sovereign God still reigns above it all and is directing everything, working out His good will.