Reflection

Looking back, I greatly enkoyed the blogging experiance.  At first, I had never written a blog in my life, and through weeks of blogging I have grown immensely with my understanding of them.  I enjoyed writing about interesting, upcoming articles which seemed to “spark” my interest.  Blogging was also away of expression and exercising my thought on political, cultural, and social issues of this time.  I liked how I could put my own thoughts and ideas into my blog without any scrutiny.  Commenting on others blogs was also quite interesting.  I enjoyed reading other students thoughts and ideas about these popular issues.  The experience helped me learn immensely about the “blogging” of today.

My three favorite blogs:

1.)  My blog on “Partial Births” was quite interesting.  It amazed me how with all the controversy with abortions even in the first trimester, that when a baby is fully developed it can be aborted.  This issue of “abortion” is a strong issue for me.  I believe in freedom of choice, but i don’t believe in killing which is what i would consider partial birth.  This subject has many different corners and aspects to talk into account and i found it quite interesting how everyone has a different perspective.

2.)  My blog on the “HPV Controversy” was a very interesting article for me.  I got the HPV shot and believe it to be a ground breaking vaccine.  Many believe it could have negative effects towards society, but we have searched and searched for a cure for cancer.  This is just a beggining and any chance we have to make such a breakthrough should not be overlooked.  I felt very strongly about this idea and expressed my emotions through my blog.

3.)  The final blog i found to be my favorite was about how stereotypical world and how after the VT shooting Asians where looked lowly upon.  I enjoyed this article because it was very recent and about a very large issue that was in the news at that time.  I am very against discrimination and although our country has been through alot after Martin Luther King, we still have these discriminating tendencies.  I felt strongly that race had nothing to do with the shooting.  This man was highly disturbed and no one noticed the warning signs in enough time.  Whether he was Asian or not had nothing to do with his mental illness.

The blog that i could of done better, probobly would of been about spanking being “illegal”.  I could have elaberated much more on the subject of child abuse today and could of used more examples of todays world in the news.

In concusion my blgging experience had been very informative.  Ive learned so much more now about blogging and may continue to blog.  It has sparked my interest and gets my thoughts going.  It is a perfect way to put your ideas on a blog site to show the world.

Partial Births

According to the article, in congress there was an act passed against partial births.  These are abortions which are done passed the first trimester, when the baby is almost fully developed.  Not too long after another act was passed called FOCA, which is “The Freedom of Choice Act”.  This act makes it legal to do these partail birth abortions. The article states, “Supreme Court ruling, explaining in an e-mailed alert that the bill “would legislatively reverse the Court’s damaging decision and will enshrine in federal law our right to safe, legal abortion. . . . Our ultimate success depends on electing a president who will sign the legislation and electing a Congress that can withstand any challenge or filibuster.”

This partial abortions completely wrong.  After the child has a heartbeat and is “partially born” it should not be ripped from the mother and killed.  There should be some line drawn here.  Whats wrong with giving birth then putting that child up for adoption?  We have enough pro life individuals who are against abortions even in the first trimester, let alone almost fully born.  Although it is a woman’s body, it gives her no right to take the life of a human being despite the fact that it lives inside of her.  Whats is next?  We have women who are being put in jail for leaving their babies to die in dumpster; what is the difference between killing a child by taking it from the womb and killing a child by leaving it in a dumpster to die?

A Woman’s Choice

In the article I read, there was a woman charged with illegal abortion due to “shooting herself instead of using coat-hangers.”  This act of “desperation” was responded by the woman being sent to prison instead of helped.  For many this procedure, abortion, is not an option for many poor desperate women of America.

I believe the issue of abortion is a very soar subject.  Many people are strongly for it and others are strongly against it.  In my opinion, it is a woman’s choice.  if she believes she cannot properly raise this child and is incapable of giving it what it properly needs, then an abortion should be one way out.  There is another issue of health coverage and that abortions cost thousands of dollars to those without it.  For a helpless woman what would she do?  Bring another child into this world, and have that child grow up in poverty also?  How will this chain be broken?  Women should be able to go to clinics and get help and have the choice to get abortions; leaving it up to them.

Our Stereoptypical World

In the article I read called “Killer Reflection”, the writer whom was Asian, spoke of Virginia Tech and the new found stereotypes.  He expressed how the Asian society almost feels “guilty” that one of their people would commit such a crime.  As most mass school killings have been white, this stirs up controversy, maybe we are all looking fro something to blame.  The writer states, “I want to think that race is not a factor in the toxic mix of rage and psychological disturbance that is occasionally discharged as this kind of violence” (Jeff Yang).  What could have been going on in his mind to want to kill innocent students and teachers?

I believe race has absolutely nothing to do with a crime even to this extent.  We are all humans, with the same emotions.  An Asian man can be psychotic and unfit for society just as much as a white man can.  We have no right to point a finger at the Asian society, this could have happened to anyone.  Whats we must focus on is what made this boy snap?  Was his life so difficult to bear that he couldn’t take it all anymore?  We spend too much time judging , we should be focusing on whats important; the lives of those who had been taken and how to prevent this from happening again.

Link to above blog

House

Our Unrealistic Media

In the article I read, the writer describes the difference between our beloved television shows and our real life day to day.  Sallie Tisdale is a nurse, and she waches the show “House” in amazement of how unrealistic and fantasized it portrays hospitals, doctors, and nurses.  In this show, the hospital is beautiful with glass doors and large patient rooms.  Not only is the hospital beautiful, but also the doctors who seem to know anything and everything.  There are also rare diseases which can be cured through experimental surgeries that the doctors must do to save the patients lives.  It all seems like a fairy tale of how our hospitals must be like.

Television and media are highly misleading, it grabs our attention but is unrealistic.  A lot of T.V. shows are made like this to catch our interest and popularity.  Is there a fine line between what we believe is real and unreal?  We are almost brainwashed to think shows like House are what the real world is like, but is us far form it.  If there was a T.A. show which showed a normal hospital with everyday people and situations would it become a hit?  We enjoy out of the ordinary, because it is so different .  Will the media and television take over how we think?

Who can you trust?

In the article I read called ” Mommy, is Grandpa going to prison as a sex offender?”, it took an ongoing issue in another perspective.  The woman’s father in law was being sent to prison for a charge of molestation.  But this is not the sweet grandfather that was always around his family and grandaughter.  Not only would he be sent to prison, but he may not ever see his grandaughter again.  The author debates whether or not to tell her children of their grandfathers conviction.  She states, “Whats version of the truth is appropriate to explain she probobly will not see her grandpa again or even recieve cards.”

I beleive that sex offenders should certainly be put in prison for a long time for such a crime.  If this gril’s grandfather committed the crime, he must pay the time and the consequences.  Although he did not touch his grandaughter in any harmful way, there is no telling if he would of it he wasnt sent to prison.  I beleieve sex offenders/ molesters, should be kept away from children and that they need help for their sick and irrational actions.  If this grandfather cared for his family, he should not have been willing to put them through what he had done, because it effects everyone.

Spankings Illegal?

Today, the law does not stand for any type of child abuse; whether it be a spank or a smack.  In the article I read, the author explains how he would witness his brother in law hit his nephews when they were misbehaving.  He debated whether or not this could be abuse or just punishment when all else fails.  He also described being younger and seeing children in class getting hit for misbehaving, and being completely furious.  Should parents be able to hit their children for misbehaving as a punishment?

I can remember being young and on occasion my brother and I being spanked when we were out of line.  I am sure many others my age can recall the same.  In today’s world, this is not at acceptable as it was twenty years ago.  Today, with all the abuse cases and laws, there is no acceptance of hitting your child.  Is spanking grounds fo losing custody of your child?  In the article the writer states, ” I think that we peers ought to intervene on behalf of children in cases where we see them being beaten.”  Jail time is even grounds for hitting your child; whether or not they misbehaved.  In our aggressive world today, hitting or spanking a child becomes an abuse which can effect that child for the rest of their lives.

article

       Matt Baker was a teenager who loved “gangster movies and acting cool.”  One of his best friends, Jared Whaley had been brutally murdered and his body dumped in the Las Vegas desert.  His killer was no stranger; but his best friend Matt Baker.  According to the article, Whaley had been stripped naked, shot twice, and some of his teeth cut out.  His body was discovered in a shallow grave wrapped in plastic trash bags.  Baker was given 35 years in prison.  It was said Baker designed the murder after the movie “Casino.” 

           The level of violence in our country seems to be at its peak.  Everyday we hear of a gruesome murder even more horrifying than the one before.  For a teenager to kill his best friend so disgustingly makes me think twice about our youth in this day and age.  What’s next?  What will our future look like?  According to Baker’s friends, he was a “cool” kid who liked violent movies and idolized these “gangsters.”  Once again this brings to the surface the fact of reality.  There must be something wrong with this teen for him to believe these movies are real and acceptable…let alone do these violent acts to his best friend.

     Whaley  seemed to be kind of an outast, idolizing Baker.  Baker’s ego got the best of him and now he sits in jail to think about his vicious crime.  35 years is nothing close to a lifetime but hopefully it gives Baker enough time to change the road he’s on.

The Rise on Steroids

            In an article I found on the use of illegal steroids, it seems to be an ongoing issue around the United States sports teams.  Not only are the popular player in the media doing it, but as the Albany Times Union stated, “over the Internet even high-school coaches and college athletes are ordering these drugs on-line.”  There have been and will continue to be arrests in the states of Florida, New York, Texas, and Alabama.  This rise on “sports and drugs” seems to be quite popular and on the rise at this time in our country.  Anything can be available over the internet to anyone.  Pharmacies and web sites have made millions of dollars in profit from the illegal selling of these steroid drugs. 

         I believe the use of these drugs to be not only cheating in the field of sports but also very dangerous.  You have no idea who you’re buying these drugs from off the internet and what may be in them.  It seems like as Americans we are always finding an easy way out of everything.  Steroids, is an easy way to gain muscle and become stronger in a very short amount of time and with little difficult exercise.  Steroids are very unhealthy for the body, making many chemical changes and sometimes can be damaging if used too long.  It is also more possible to get injuries because steroids do not make the muscle strong, but larger.  This is all very dangerous and in sports it is grounds for the firing of any team member.  But we still continue to hear of more steroid use and it will still be available online despite the government’s actions to stop it.  Our world wants instant gratification and wants to see instant results but sometimes taking short cuts doesn’t work out in the long run.