I was most surprised by how many foreign aid programs that the U.S. has and funds.

However, after looking more closely, I found that it is necessary to have these many programs.
Each program is focused on a problem that I know to be serious and relevant (through news and
other media sources). As such a big country that prides itself on being a world leader, we must
help other countries in a worse situation. Thus, the U.S. should be putting this much effort, or
even more, into their foreign aid programs. Although there are some criticisms towards spending
this much on foreign aid, I believe the pros far outweigh the cons. I believe that private
organizations are also equally important in foreign aid. It is good to see that the more fortunate
are doing their part to increase global welfare. These programs have just as much of a positive
effect on the lives of those in third-world countries.
The food aid that the U.S. provides for other countries is also very important. It's not
necessarily only for those in low-income countries, as any country can be hit with a natural
disaster that makes it hard for the country to produce its own food. Or, conflicts and climate
change could also make it hard for countries to produce their own food. Thus, US Food Aid is
extremely important as it helps all people regardless of economic status. Hopefully, with the
push for more sustainable farming practices, countries won’t rely as heavily on US Food Aid.
When looking at reproductive health, I can clearly see the importance of Title X. It
provides low-income people access to essential reproductive health services at little or no cost.
Although I understand why the Gag Rule is in place, I think it is a little too extreme. Many
facilities that mainly focus on preventative actions rather than abortions get their funding cut as
well. Maybe only facilities that purely or mainly focus on abortions or abortion services should
get their funding cut from the Gag Rule. This way, those in low-income countries still have
access to preventative action and family planning services through US funding/aid. I also think
that this would make the Gag Rule less controversial to implement and have more people
approve or agree with it.
Lastly, I had never considered how poor our sex education was until it was brought up in
the last class. I had just thought “this is how it is” and never gave a second thought about it.
However, now, I am much more aware of preventative actions and all the different methods for
them. Additionally, after this class, I truly understood the controversy behind abortions and why
it is such a big deal in presidential elections. Not only do our elections affect the future of our
country, but all the other countries that receive funding from us as well. Thus, through this class,
I found out how much my sex education is lacking. I also realized the importance of proper sex
education for students.