1)

-Death by guns accounts for a great majority of suicides in the United States.

-Gun store owners and doctors have recently been working together to raise awareness and lessen the issue.

-South Africa now has about 12,000 game ranches when there were only 3 in the 1960s. 

-According to the article, game ranches have greatly increased the amount of money circulating in South Africa's economy, while also greatly increasing the biodiversity/# of species in the wild. 

2) In response to the article regarding suicide by firearms, I chose this article because it was something that I hadn’t realized was such an issue and wanted to be more informed. Mid-way through the article, I came to the realization that I myself was greatly affected by this same type of tragedy when I was in middle school. One of our family friend’s through the youth football organization’s son took his dad’s gun when he was not home and shot and killed himself. He was going into 6th grade. It was horrible, and it affected many many people within the community. With that being said, I am definitely an advocate for locking up firearms, raising awareness amongst gun store owners and doctors, and anything that can be done that will help limit these tragedies from occurring. To the second article, regarding game farming and it actually helping bring back endangered species in South Africa and increase their biodiversity- I have mixed feelings. Obviously, anything that can be done to bring back these endangered species in promising numbers so that there is not the threat of them going extinct I am an advocate of. But, at the same time, I am strongly against the game hunting that goes on all throughout African continent and game farming just sounds unethical. Raising animals simply to be hunted down and slaughtered is something that I personally am against no matter what, don’t care what it’s doing for their economy. There has to be another way to bring back wildlife that is humane and natural.

3) My experience was really positive reading both articles. They were relatively easy reads and interesting from start to finish. I liked how I could choose the topic I wanted to read about to ensure it peaked my interests. As I mentioned above, I learned a lot that I didn't know about issues that are happening right now. I've always been an advocate for stricter gun laws and the protection of endangered species; these articles reinforced my feelings all the more.

4) I personally didn't have time at the moment to read any more articles, however I probably will go back to take a look at the section regarding criminal violence here in the U.S. The two articles I chose had summaries that interested me right away so I jumped right into reading the articles fully.

5) I would just say that I think SolutionsU is a really great resource to stay informed on problems that we as a society are facing and it is good to be educated in what is being done to solve these issues.

What are three to six key points or impressions that you will take away from these stories?

Write a 200-word reflection that engages, analyzes, critiques, expands upon, and/or questions what you read or listened to.

Share your reflections on your experience reading, watching or listening to the solutions journalism stories. Did you learn new information; gain new understanding; see things with a different perspective than you had in the past? Did the stories reinforce an idea or thought you'd previously had? Did you meet new people, or learn about opportunities you were previously unaware of? 

Were there other stories this week that you’d like to give an “honorable mention” -- that you enjoyed, but were not your top choice to share?

What else would you like to share?