Why English Class is Not a Bore

This is very hard to explain, but I will try my hardest. What I want to say is that often my friends say that English class is a bore, it is not something that they look forward to during the day. In a time where math and science rule the world, it is really hard to blame them for that. There is a lot of pressure to go into math or science as a profession and that is fine but it really bothers me when people say that English is useless. Granted, the time of the philosopher may be gone, but I think that there is still hope for literature, if the correct precautions are taken. Personally, I have had two great English teachers throughout high school, and they have literally changed my life. Every time I enter English class I get excited, its like I am entering another world. However when I enter math class I become slow, groggy and I just don't want to be there. The importance is really in the importance of the teacher. If you have a great teacher, you are most likely going to enjoy your class much more than with an average teacher. We really, really, really desperately need teachers who can challenge the minds of the youth. We are so smart here and we need more teachers like the ones that I have had who can push us to the very brink of our potential. Math and science may be taking over, but happiness is not based on money. I see a happy man every day, and he studies English with his life, so I cannot ever argue that English class is a bore.

Abortion Confusion

When it comes to the topic of abortion, I am very conflicted. When we first started talking about it in class I was sure I was pro-choice. I mean, how can you tell a woman what to do with her body? it should be her choice no matter what. But as we watch this movie many ideas have been brought to my head that are starting to help me understand the argument of the pro-lifers. of course there is the, "what if you abort the next president of the U.S.? or a boy who will eventually cure cancer?" Well that is quite an idea but the quote that popped out to me most was, "why should we punish the child for the crimes of his father?" This holds very true to me. The child that is being killed has done nothing wrong, in fact it is being wronged by being killed. Then again, it is only the crimes of the father if the baby was conceived as a result of wrongful rape. So the more I think about this quote the more specific it becomes. I am still pro-choice and will stick by that. For me, as a man, it is hard to tell a woman what she can and cant do with her body. I just don't feel that I have that right and I certainly don't have that responsibility.

America The Beautiful?

It is easy to criticize America for the mistakes it has made. We are a very large target for worldwide criticism from just about every single country. Over the summer i spent a few weeks with Europeans from all over the different countries and areas of Europe and they all had the same basic thoughts, they thought we were a ridiculous people. Part of it was childish joking, of course, but there had to be a serious motive behind it. They saw the headlines of the shootings, the bombings, and all of the tragedy that happens in America and it gave them an impression. A false impression at that.

Yes, America makes mistakes. The president does, the government does, and the people of this country do every day. But often our greatness is overlooked. As a world super power, i would argue that we are a very responsible and charitable country. With this Typhoon in the Philippines, or previous tragedies like the Tsunami, America's greatness is on full display. The amount of aid our military provides is ridiculous, and the images prove it. While its easy to jump to conclusions about our country and our intentions i think that we should slow down and really look at what we are doing to help around the world.

Legalization in My Nation (Recreational Marijuana)

I don't think that marijuana can cure cancer. I don't think that marijuana can heal a broken leg. I don't think that marijuana can end chronic migraines. I think that there is one thing that marijuana is proven to do, and that is it makes the person ingesting it feel better. The sheer ability for something to make a person feel better regardless of his or her current state is something that should be treasured. While I do not believe that marijuana has countless medical positives, I firmly believe that it has other countless positives.

On the show "Weed Wars" the viewer follows one of the nations biggest medical marijuana dispensary.  
The show is so interesting because it shows me a side of this drug that most people would never expect to see, it is truly a beautiful place. Countless jobs have been created thanks to Harborside. It is a fully functioning system. Not only that, but the passion that the workers have is truly remarkable. They love their job and want to do everything they can to spread the healing that their product supplies. Passion is something that is missing in the workplace these days, it is hard to come by.

Heres my point, if alcohol is legal, why is marijuana not? In my mind it does not make sense, I think that it has a lot to do with fear and misconceptions about the plant in general.

How Many Clues?

How many clues? How many clues do the american people and our government need before we make a change in regards to gun control. Last Friday at LAX (Los Angeles's airport) there was another shooting. Another crazed man somehow found another gun and killed more people, and injured more families in the process. This leaves me with questions. I am left with many more questions than answers.

How does somebody get ahold of a .223-caliber assault rifle. This is not a gun that one would use for hunting, or for self protection either. This is an assault rifle, the world assault really describes the whole thing. It is a military-clad weapon that should never be in the hand of any civilian, there is simply no need for it. There is no need for it in big game hunting, and no need in the means of self protection either. The sheer ability to unload rounds without stopping is a horrific factor, and it is one that we have seen in other scenarios such as Columbine.

How do we prevent this from happening again? Well, thats a tough question to answer, because there are really few answers. I don't think we can keep the crazies off the streets, or keep them in check at all. But what we can do is this: limit the ability to purchase heavy arms without significant mental testing and approval. There must be more regulation, much more regulation, in order for us to secure a safer state in this nation.

How many clues before we change our failing ways?

Death Penalty Class Questions

What aspects of the stages in a capital case are designed to protect the rights of the accused? Do you believe that this system is sufficient to guarantee that only the guilty are convicted?

For one, even though each state goes through a seperate judgment of the accused, each trial is conducted in the same fashion. This protects the rights of the accused effectively and I believe helps to prevent any sorts of premeditated bias. Also, and a very important part, is that each juror on the case is rigorously examined. Each juror must prove to be, “death qualified,” i.e., questioned about their ability to consider both aggravating and mitigating evidence and to render a death sentence in an appropriate case. This is extremely important to the overall fairness of the trial and the overall right conservation of the accused. Finally, some states allow for clemency in which after a trial has been completed and the accused has been punished the state's governor or the President can reduce the penalties of the accused. Clearly it is not sufficient to gaurantee that only the guilty are convicted because innocent men have been put on death row and innocent men have been executed.

Which of these (if any) are the most humane? Should any be considered “cruel and unusual” according to the 8th Amendment? If so which? Why?

It is very hard to call any humane but I would have to argue that the lethal injection strategy would make the most sense. What I like about this strategy is that it is not up to one person to execute the accused. This is similiar to the firing range. The conscious of killing a fellow man is not thrown upon one person and pushed onto the remainder of their lives. This is similiar with the firing squad, but withe the firing squad I really do not think it is okay that the chance for a slow, painful death is extremely eminent. The chance of missing the heart and hitting a different vital organ or really anything si very large. "Bleeding to death slowly," does not seem to be an "ethical" way to kill a human being. Though the gas chamber method was ruled Cruel and Unusual Punishment as of March 3, 1999, I believe that all of these methods are both cruel and unusual. The death penalty should be simply letting someone die, because everybody dies eventually. So let him sit in a room alone with his haunting thoughts until he stops breathing, that is closer to justice.

What sorts of conclusions can you draw from this data? What does the state by state data tell us about how the death penalty is used? What regional or other trends do you see? What might this data tell us about issues of equality, arbitrariness,and justice?

The first conclusion drawn from this data is a general and simple one, but often overlooked, the majority of states supports the death penalty. This is against my belief, and it is a bit disappointing for me to see that my view is clearly in the minority. Another interesting set of data is that the majority of sentenced death row prisoners are black. This is where the conversation gets touchy because we do not want to be called racists, which I pride myself on not being, but this is still interesting. I think that racism will always exist, and there is virtually nothing we can do to eliminate it completely. So yes, I would have to feel that there is some sort of racism in the justice system, there must be. Along with this idea is the male versus female ratio. Significantly more men are sentenced to the death penalty, but I think that this is just human nature. Men have violent tendencies that many women do not. Then again there are many women sentenced to the death penalty which turn that whole question around entirely. One interesting thing I noticed is how the sentences are distributed generally across the nation. Each coast is heavy with sentences but the center of the land does not seem to be nearly as heavy. Im not completely sure what to make of this but it strikes me as intriguing. 

How many aggravating factors are listed that might have led to the death penalty?  What do you think of them? ? Should the crimes listed have death as a potential punishment? Why or why not? Go to the state by state data and click on Illinois to see more about the current status of the death penalty in Illinois. Does the data tell you anything about why the Illinois death penalty is no longer in effect? If not, make an inference.

There are 21 aggravating factors that are listed in the statute. Some of them are a little bit out there and ridiculous but I believe they are necessary in solidifying the fairness and justice of the death penalty. No crime should have death as the penalty though. To me it is not right, and it is even a bit medieval. It is not the right way to deal with society's problems and it is a waste of a human life. 
The website does not tell why Illinois has stopped with the death penalty I would have to infer that it is because 20 innocent persons have been freed from death row in the past. This is troubling to think that that many people could be falsely sentenced to death, gosh. 

How does the information here influence your previous responses? What does this data say about the economics of the death penalty? What does the data say about the influence of race on the death penalty? What does the data say about public opinion for the death penalty? What does the data say about innocence?  About deterrence?  Looking at the information overall, what point of view would you say that the Death Penalty Information center has? Is it convincing? Why or why not? What additional information would you like?

The death penalty is not an economically sound way of conducting justice. Millions of dollars are put into cases and that is simply ridiculous to me. The data regarding race actually contradicts some of popular belief. More whites have been executed, and more whites are sentenced to death currently, this is intriguing. This seems to be a punch to the gut against any racist against blacks. The most striking part is the first graph, showing the generally steady decline of executions. This proves the overall decrease in approval and actually going through with the executions. Only 33% of the population said that the death penalty was the best way to eliminate crime, which I am glad to see. It is refreshing to see how many people share a similar view to mine, though it may not be exactly the same that is okay. Going back to the issue of innocence, this data claims that 130 inmates have been pardoned from execution due to being innocent. This is the part that is hard for me to grasp. I just cant imagine being on the cusp of death, saying my goodbyes and then being told im pardoned. Its not fair. I think overall this website has a pretty negative and critical view on the death penalty. To me it is extremely convincing and all of the charts make perfect sense, but that may just be my bias. I would like to see more public surveys and collected information regarding the overall opinion of the country on the death penalty. I have seen which states support it but I want to know about the average Joe and how it strikes him.

Technology In the Classroom: An Epic Failure

In the 21st century speed is everything. We strive to be the first, the best, but most of all the fastest. Each time a new iPhone comes out what does it claim? To be faster than the previous phone. We, as a society, want to get where we are going as fast as possible, without any speed bumps along the way. This is why having "Smart-Boards" and iPads' in the classroom was initially a good idea. It is a great way to get kids involved in the otherwise boring information such as Trigonometry. It puts a "fun" spin on learning subjects that the majority of seniors in high school would never call fun.

Heres the problem: the teachers do not know how to use the stupid things. Ever since 7th grade pre Algebra I can clearly remember having a teacher who was so committed to her Smart-Board, but she did not know how to use it. She would spend a significant chunk of each day assuring herself that it was completely necessary for her teaching, which it certainly was not. That time was wasted. It could have been spent in a productive way, like maybe actually teaching her students the material as she had the previous 20 or so years without the board. Even as a senior in high school my math teacher thinks that using this board will get us involved. Im sorry, but a bunch of seniors in Trig and Related Topics are not going to be excited by some program on the Smart-Board in which we can drag the side of a triangle and see how the angle measure changes with the side. It was initially a good idea, a great one even, but it has been executed poorly. And don't even start me on the new calculator.

The Modern Guillotine

They take you from your jail cell at a scheduled time, it is time to die. You walk past the people you have been living with for years, awaiting this day. You take the long drive from your prison to the Death House; a building especially for executions. While there is no guillotine, the death penalty is just as barbaric and wrong as it was during the days of the Salem Witch Trials. This may be because of my trying to give everybody a second chance, or my seeing the good in people, but I do not believe that the death penalty should be legal anywhere. I mean really, who has the right to sentence somebody to death?

Nobody, thats my answer. I do not see who anybody can decide who lives and who dies, the whole things comes off as inappropriate to me. This is such a hard topic to discuss thought. I have never been directly affected by the death penalty but when we watch the, "Clifford Bogges," video in class my heart skips a beat. It's sad, its confusing, and its not right. Here the real complication. If somebody were to ask me, "So you don't think that Hitler deserved to die?" Im not exactly sure what i would say. Yes, of course he deserved to die, a painful death at that, but is the death penalty the right answer? I say no. Instead, lets let them rot in prison until they die, and bury them in the prison graveyard. It sounds cruel, and it is, but i think it is a much better option then just killing away our problems. Also, what kind of an example do we make as people when we punish killing by killing. Does that really make any sense? No parts of the death penalty make sense to me, and that is why I am in complete opposition with it's entirety.

Miley Cyrus: Underbelly Devil or Hidden Angel

It is impossible to watch the news or basically any TV without coming across a Miley Cyrus. I listen to teachers and peers critiquing her on a daily basis. But personally, I believe that what she is doing is fine. When people call her talentless that bugs me, this is because we are still talking about what she did months ago, we talk about her non-stop. I don't think she is either an underbelly devil or a hidden angel, she is her own definition, she is Miley. It is impossible to call her either of the two because she is doing exactly what she wants, and using her own. That is something that little girls can look up to, and admire with Miley.

People say that she is a bad influence on the youth. After all, she does publically endorse smoking, drinking, and having sex. In "23" Miley sings over and over, "I'm in the club high off purp with some shades on/ Tatted up, mini skirt with my J's on." This is by no means the correct message to be sending to these children with such great potential. This is why I am so conflicted over her. She sends 2 very opposing messages. 1) It is okay to smoke or do drugs. 2) It is okay to be yourself, and do as you please. Overall, I have this sort of shameful respect for her. What she is doing is very hard, she takes criticism from almost everybody around her and ignores it. This shows how morally strong she must be. Granted, she would be so much easier to respect if she just kept her tongue in her mouth and put some clothes on.

Precaution Trumps Prevention

At an unnamed High school, my student body was receiving the "7 Reasons To Leave A Party" attack. We were being told something that we have heard over and over since the 4th grade. To quote the great Mr. Mackey, from the TV show South Park, "Drugs are bad, mkay." As silly as this sounds, it is ridiculous how much we have to hear about this. I understand its importance, but naturally resist its presentation. A friend made a fantastic point to me: Health class originally taught abstinence but soon realized that kids would never start having sex. So, they did something start and started teaching safe sex. They have admitted defeat in some way, but are still fighting just as much. They should take the same precautions with drugs, marijuana and alcohol in particular. Given our opportunities, the youth will always partake in these activities. So lets not try to achieve the unachievable. Educate how to handle an emergency, or how to take care of friends in danger. This is the best response, education, not a ridiculous attempt at prevention.

Another thing happened: A student was removed for voicing his opinion. The presentation was over, and the entire presentation was open to questioning. The presenter made this choice. So, a respectable peer said, "I want to thank you guys for taking time out of your day and educating us on our functioning legal system," or something along those lines. This immediately made me think about Evan Earl, and his group voicing there opinions at school. I drew pretty clear connections. But there were differences as well. The student here was called on, he was not by any means interrupting the presentation. And more importantly, what we was saying was in a completely stoic voice. There was no sarcasm in his voice, but it could have been argued that there was sarcasm in his answer. He was removed immediately and given a detention. Now, were they right to remove him? Yes I would say. But did he deserve any imposing punishment after? NO. By the school interpreting his answer in a sarcastic way, they are placing him and his personality inside of a box. I see this is as profiling and that is a serious topic that the school needs to take a long, deep, serious look at. It is only fair to the students.

Iowa Restricted Speach

Even though The University of Iowa is marked with the scary, red light, of speech restriction, I believe that the restrictions are for the overall welfare of the student body. The Iowa codes says, "Personal conduct perceived as threatening or harassing is considered a violation of the Code of Student Life under a reasonable person standard even if the student did not intend to discomfort the party who felt threatened or harassed," This is of course for the best. It is simple code, and it should be the regulation for every public University. The University defines sexual harassment as: "Talks about their sexual experiences. Asks you to talk about yours. Tells sexual jokes, innuendoes, and stories, or comments (about your clothes or body, or someone else’s)." This grinds my gears a bit. I believe that anybody should actually be able to talk about there sexual experiences, it is more so an act of when, where, and the consent of the listener. I believe that these various speech codes are necessary overall, and actually contribute to the University. Iowa would not allow for the events that I witnessed in the video. They "Breech the Learning Environment," and "Represent the School In a Detrimental Way." Two clear obstructions within the Iowa guidelines. 

FIRE is basically an organization that fights to defend the free speech of students at America's colleges and universities. Their mission statement is very well thought out, it sums up the organization quite nicely. "The mission of FIRE is to defend and sustain individual rights at America's colleges and universities. These rights include freedom of speech, legal equality, due process, religious liberty, and sanctity of conscience — the essential qualities of individual liberty and dignity. FIRE's core mission is to protect the unprotected and to educate the public and communities of concerned Americans about the threats to these rights on our campuses and about the means to preserve them." They bring justice, protecting those who do not know how to protect themselves. They are promoting the core values of liberty, which is indeed admirable in this day and age. I agree wholeheartedly with there outlook on speech, and the values we must carry.

Speech is a blessing, it is something that we often take for granted. Many people around the world do not have the luck we do. But, we must not abuse it. We must remember that each person has a different set of core values, and ours often conflict with theirs. So yes, speak your mind. But also, remember the circumstances: time, place, and the emotion of the people. 

GTA V: Is It Really That Bad?

Grand Theft Auto 5 broke many records in its first days after release. 2 days after it has already made over 1 Billion dollars! While I did not take part in the craze, and buy the game, many of my friends did. I have played the game, and all of the other GTA's, and understand why people are so against it. After all, in the game you often find yourself killing prostitutes and doing meth. But hey, there is clearly a, For Mature Audiences Only, sticker on the disk, so who am I to judge?

People say that playing these violent video-games has a direct influence on a persons personality. This can be true for many people, but it is not always the case. Many recent tragedies of recent have been executed by people who played games like Grand Theft Auto V regularly. However, I do not think that it is fair to make such a drastic claim on the effects of the game as a whole. Using myself as a personal example, i was often found playing Call of Duty, Halo, or any other violent video-game. But I can honestly say that as I have grown, even playing these games, they have flew over my head. They have not played into the person I am today, at all. Although, i can see how some people should not be allowed to play them. Some people cannot handle the graphic violence, and they are often the same people who cannot decide if they can play the games or not. So yes, the games are full of violence and crude images, but no, they are not always directly influencing the player.

Are you "Syriaous": The Truth Behind Syria

There are many events that have significantly changed the way this this nation works. Events such as Columbine, and the Newtown tragedy immediately come to mind. However, none have more influence on us today than 9/11. Domestically, we see the effects of 9/11 all around us. Even here at DHS, we see improved security. People are taking precautions, so that we will not have to wait for a tragedy to happen, and it will not be too late. Also, as we saw in the video, the American Flag has become more symbolic than ever. It has become a statement, a message, a means of expressing our love for our nation. International relations were also greatly changed from 9/11. Many people, who are in my opinion racists, look at Muslims in a different way. They immediately generalize all Muslims as one certain stereotype, when this is certainly not the case. As well, the relationship that America has with many middle eastern countries has been put into jeopardy. Thus, oil and other valuable resources have also been put in jeopardy, a risk that I do not believe we can afford to push.

Personally, I believe that some sort of action MUST be taken in Syria. However, direct, boots on the ground, military enforcement is not the answer. As President Obama said in regards to Syria, "No one disputes that chemical weapons were used in Syria. The world saw thousands of videos, cell phone pictures, and social media accounts from the attack, and humanitarian organizations told stories of hospitals packed with people who had symptoms of poison gas." This is a fact, we cannot ignore it, we must respond adequately. So, we cannot ignore it, what now? Lets take action. In the Internet age we live in, lets campaign. Take our ideas to the Internet, make this into the biggest story the news has ever seen. Every channel will be glaring with the headline, "Syria." In Syria the people have no power, no potential for change. We take that power for granted in America, it is a magnificent thing. The power that we have is remarkable, and it has been displayed a lot recently. Especially with the recent movment, Occupy Wall Street, which was run via the internet. The 99%, "regular" people from all over the United States posted videos of them protesting. And thanks to the power of the internet, this movment led to change. A great model to follow.

Syria: A War Worth Fighting?

This topic should be on the top of every American's mind. While Syria seems extremely far away, even here in suburban Chicago we see the effect this country is having. My father's co-worker is Syrian and has had to evacuate his family from there home in Syria. This is a tragic time for those poor citizens. There are many hard decisions that come with the problem Syria is facing. For my dad's co-worker, he had to choose to remove his family from their home. For our president, he has to choose if he should stand back and watch, or intervene. John McCain went as far to say, "If Obama puts boots on the ground in Syria, we'll impeach him." I do not envy our president at this time. While it is easy to say, "we have to intervene", the results could be detrimental to some of our allied countries. This makes the situation very difficult to deal with. I agree that it is impossible to sit back and watch as this man gases his own people, but I do not believe an immediate military strike is the answer. Yes, as a country we must take some sort of action. I think one way to start is by showing some sort of strong, welcoming, hopeful presence on the internet. We have seen the power of the internet via Occupy Wall street and other internet-based campaigns. In fact, the internet has already brought much awareness to the topic of Syria as a whole. In general, direct military action is not the answer to this problem, it will only bring more death and suffering.

50th Aniversary of the March On Washington

I would love to have been amongst the souls standing with Dr. King during his "I Have A Dream" speech. I would love to feel the rush, the justice, and the power erupting from that man. Between that day in 1963, and today, I believe much has changed in the arena of Civil Rights, America has improved greatly. What was once a land in which minorities were shunned, powerless servants is now a place in which a person of any race can achieve any feat. We have CEO's, businessmen, judges, lawyers, doctors, and even a president, who associate with a minority race. Some, like Michelle Norris of Time Magazine, would argue that America has actually surpassed the goals Dr. King set. "Fifty years after King delivered his speech, another black man will stand at the Lincoln Memorial to address the masses--this time at a lectern embellished with a presidential seal. And the crowd assembled to hear Barack Obama will include women, minorities and immigrants who have climbed a ladder of upward mobility that simply did not exist five decades ago." Norris argues that in 50 years our country's mindset has changed. This ladder exists, it is a ladder that anybody can climb, no matter how they look. This is ladder has many ways up, many strategies to climb it. Even though America now has a black president, which is obviously an enormous milestone in our growth, racism will always exist. Unfortunately, it is completely impossible to cure the earth of racism, hate, or elitism. So yes, America has made enormous jumps and bounds, but due to the constant and overwhelming racism there is a glass ceiling that American society can never surpass. This country is damned to a future of hate, violence, and injustice. However, I believe that the election, and the re-election specifically, suggest that America is heading down a great path. The majority of the country did not allow race to completely compel their vote. However, some did, walking around any city you are bound to see these people. Some are hidden behind their suits and ties, some are asking the world to see. While this is extremely sad and disappointing, it is the truth. Racism is the house fly that is always buzzing around, you can try to hit it, but odds are you will miss.

Horror movies galore

Just saw The Conjuring with @YouOnlyBlogOnce. Woah, never been so scared. @YouOnlyBlogOnce totally grabbed my legs during the pop out scenes. All and all, it was a solid time, no lie. Cant wait till Insidious 2, you dig? Horror movies are a great time and anybody who refuses to watch them should seriously rethink their lives.