Articles by Steven Gilchrist

H omelessness is a complex problem that occurs in cities and towns across the United States.   According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, nearly 700,000 people in the U.S. experience homelessness on any given night.   Furthermore, over 1.5 million Americans use a shelter or transitional housing annually.   There are several factors that cause homelessness including: alcoholism, broken families, drug addiction, mental illness, unemployment, and poverty; however, access to affordable housing is the main reason why people experience homelessness.   Scarce affordable housing is especially prevalent in urban communities.        A goal that the Obama administration has advocated for is to eradicate homelessness among veterans by 2015.   In 2009, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki promised that the administration would eradicate homelessness among veterans by 2015.   This goal is certainly a noble one and in order for ...

T he West African nation of Mali is one of the world’s 25 poorest countries.   Mali is heavily dependent on foreign aid and money sent home from Malians working abroad.   In the middle of the 19 th century, Mali was colonized by France.   In 1960, Mali gained independence from France.   After gaining independence from colonial rule, the people of Mali endured droughts, rebellions, and 23 years of military dictatorship.   In 1992, democratic elections were held.   Mali is a landlocked country with much of its territory covered by the Sahara Desert.   Mali has a population of about 15.5 million people and it is one of Africa’s largest producers of cotton and gold.   A March 2012 military coup in the Malian capital of Bamako led to chaos throughout the country.   As a result of the coup, Malian soldiers gave up towns to insurgent fighters. Last month, France became involved with Malian government affairs once again.   On Friday, Janu...

L ast Sunday night, millions of people around the world watched the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers compete in Super Bowl XLVII.   The game was one of the most exciting championship games in recent memory.   However, beneath the media frenzy, television commercials, and high-energy half-time show, there is an insidious occurrence that takes place at the Super Bowl.   In a February 4, 2013, Huffington Post article by Eleanor Goldberg titled: “Super Bowl is single largest human trafficking incident in U.S.: ‘Attorney General,’” the prevalence of forced prostitution during the annual Super Bowl is detailed.   In 2010, for Super Bowl XLIV which was held in Miami, 10,000 prostitutes were brought to Miami for the event.   “The Super Bowl is the greatest show on Earth, but it also has an ugly underbelly,” said Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott in a 2011 USA Today interview.   Human trafficking is currently the fastest growing criminal industry ...