Challenges of the 21st Century

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Challenges of the 21st Century

Citizens of the world look on with anticipation as our society moves into the twenty-first century. Although the world has not accomplished the wild ideas presented in science fiction, we have made a huge amount of progress in technology. However, many hurdles still need to be faced. Numerous critical problems will face both America and the world as a whole in this new millennium. Three problems confronting the United States are hate crimes, teen drug use, and education. The world will face issues as well, including terrorism, wars, and health care.

In America, hate crimes are a rising problem. Statistics show that a hate crime is committed every hour. A cross is burned every week. Eight blacks, three whites, three gays, three Jews, and one Latino become victims every day. Today, America prides itself on being a tolerant country. Through legislation including affirmative action and movements against racism, we see ourselves as a country offering equal opportunities to all. This statement, however, is slightly biased. Contrary to popular belief, everything is not wonderful in the land of the free and home of the brave. Many live in fear of being persecuted because of who they are naturally. The United States needs to find a way to combat these crimes, mainly through introducing tougher laws regarding hate crimes.

Another problem is use of illegal drugs by teenagers and young adults. As usage of drugs such as ecstasy and marijuana become more popular on "underground" scenes, people seem to find it acceptable to engage in casual drug use. Many young people do not realize the harmful effects of these substances until it is too late. The lives of America's y...

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... diseases such as AIDS are also becoming a problem in places like Africa. Knowledge of how to prevent these diseases is not widely known, so an increasing number of people are infected. More attention needs to be placed on adequate health care and technology in these countries. While these third world societies may not have the resources with which to implement these changes, more advanced societies certainly do.

All of these issues are pressing concerns for America and for the world. Changes, however, will not begin to take place until the government and other appropriate authorities see that the public has a strong interest in correcting these problems. With enough attention brought to the issues by letter-writing campaigns, petitions, and peaceful protests, perhaps some of these issues can be solved during this new millennium.

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