I have a hard time agreeing with Stark and his opinion on the death penalty. The death penalty is the one topic that flusters me the most in life. I’m completely against it because who are we to decide whether someone lives or dies? What gives us the wisdom to discern whether or not a felon has committed a crime equivalent to punishment by death? Many people say it is a waste of money to keep these criminals alive and well in prison. I find that reasoning absolutely ludicrous! Are we so stingy that we can’t all shell out some extra cash to keep someone alive? In my opinion, criminals are no different than you and me. They are living and breathing human beings, but have done something extremely wrong in the eyes of man. Is it really necessary to treat them like dirt because they’ve messed up?
I definitely respect Stark’s opinion; it’s just hard to fathom how people can be content with the death penalty. For quite some time now I’ve found myself fighting against the death penalty. In my US history class this past year I dug myself into about a 40 minute heated debate regarding the death penalty. My rival and I were literally yelling across the room to one another and I became so fed up with her stubbornness that I almost left in the middle of class. I wish people could understand why it’s wrong to murder people because it’s the same thing we are condemning them for. So, wouldn’t it make sense to sentence that person to death as well? If we don’t we’d be considered hypocrites.
As for sentencing an innocent person to death, that fact also plays a huge role towards my opposition of the death penalty. Imprisoning innocent people happens quite often and we’ve killed many innocent people because we support the death penalty. It’s a risky punishment and I don’t think it’s worth it at all. Whether the criminal is innocent or not, you are still taking away someone’s life. You’re taking them away from their friends and family. Their death causes many trials and tribulations for all the people that were connected to that person. You’re not just punishing the criminal for their wrong doings but you’re punishing any human that is remotely connected to them and that isn’t right.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
There's Always Room For Improvement
In all honesty, whether you support or reject our current form of government or the way things are run, it is a fair and accurate claim that our government works tremendously hard and does a plethora of duties for our beloved country. Though that statement may be plausible, the government still contains its imperfections; there’s always going to be room for improvement. There could potentially be significant adjustments to health care, such as creating a universal health care plan for the nation. The government could also invest more time in helping decrease homelessness in America.
Health care is imperative to the well being of our entire society. I feel the need to fight for a universal health care plan because there are too many Americans that aren’t able to get the proper medical, dental or mental attention they need because they can’t afford it or they don’t have the proper insurance. It’s not right to penalize citizens because they aren’t as wealthy as the person next door. In fact, it’s simply inhumane to not allow any American proper health care due to their financial/personal issues. Implementing a universal health care plan would only benefit a multitude of people and save millions of lives that are lost due to lack of health care. I believe that if Americans saw all the incredible benefits this plan has to offer then many people would convert and begin to support this universal health care plan.
Now for homelessness, homelessness in America is a crisis that society typically takes lightly. The American population needs to be concerned of their fellow Americans and that can only take place if they become more aware of the severity of what’s happening. The government also needs a wake up call; they need to set the example for Americans and become active in striving to solve this dilemma. There have been efforts to help mend the homelessness in America but not enough national efforts. A National Alliance to End Homelessness Annual Conference was held in Washington DC, but that’s not enough! More conferences and actions such as this need to take place nationally, not just in the area of the world where our government is prominent. Secretary Donovan spoke at the conference in Washington DC and stated, "We have proven we can house anyone. Our job now is to house everyone - to prevent and end homelessness. All homelessness." This should be the mission statement that Americans follow. I propose that we educate Americans by discussing homelessness frequently on the news, create support groups for the homeless and form more conferences and groups that will continue to think of new ways to reduce homelessness.
The United States is a family and families stick together through thick and thin. We can’t abandon our family members when they’re in trouble therefore we can’t disregard the American people when they are struggling to survive. It’s our job as a community to support one another and it’s the government’s job to lead the way.
Health care is imperative to the well being of our entire society. I feel the need to fight for a universal health care plan because there are too many Americans that aren’t able to get the proper medical, dental or mental attention they need because they can’t afford it or they don’t have the proper insurance. It’s not right to penalize citizens because they aren’t as wealthy as the person next door. In fact, it’s simply inhumane to not allow any American proper health care due to their financial/personal issues. Implementing a universal health care plan would only benefit a multitude of people and save millions of lives that are lost due to lack of health care. I believe that if Americans saw all the incredible benefits this plan has to offer then many people would convert and begin to support this universal health care plan.
Now for homelessness, homelessness in America is a crisis that society typically takes lightly. The American population needs to be concerned of their fellow Americans and that can only take place if they become more aware of the severity of what’s happening. The government also needs a wake up call; they need to set the example for Americans and become active in striving to solve this dilemma. There have been efforts to help mend the homelessness in America but not enough national efforts. A National Alliance to End Homelessness Annual Conference was held in Washington DC, but that’s not enough! More conferences and actions such as this need to take place nationally, not just in the area of the world where our government is prominent. Secretary Donovan spoke at the conference in Washington DC and stated, "We have proven we can house anyone. Our job now is to house everyone - to prevent and end homelessness. All homelessness." This should be the mission statement that Americans follow. I propose that we educate Americans by discussing homelessness frequently on the news, create support groups for the homeless and form more conferences and groups that will continue to think of new ways to reduce homelessness.
The United States is a family and families stick together through thick and thin. We can’t abandon our family members when they’re in trouble therefore we can’t disregard the American people when they are struggling to survive. It’s our job as a community to support one another and it’s the government’s job to lead the way.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Texting and Driving
I definitely see eye to eye with Hwong and his take on texting while driving. I’ll be honest and say that it’s unfortunate that I’m the one who’s actually doing the texting and driving. Even being the one to fall into this habit, I think it’s fantastic that Senators are pressing for a bill to ban texting while driving. It’s a far fetched plan, but it would be time well spent to push towards this goal because it would reduce the number of accidents and even deaths.
Every teen or even adult needs a slap on the wrist because this isn’t a good habit and it’s not something that can easily be broken. Even knowing how dangerous this act can be I still find it nearly impossible to stop texting, it’s now second nature to pick up my phone every time I hear it buzz. The whole texting and driving thing is definitely a phenomenon; no one can really explain why it’s such an addicting habit. It really isn’t that big of a deal to go a day without texting your buddy and yet a good majority of people flip out, including myself when their phones dies or the person they’re texting doesn’t immediately text back.
People are way too caught up in the whole idea of constantly keeping in contact with their peers and I’m guilty as well. I strongly hope that this new effort to punish people for texting while they are driving becomes effective fast because many people die or become severely injured because of this ridiculous habit. It won’t be easy by any means to get people, especially teens off their cell phones but it’s a good goal. Personally, if I was more educated about the dangers and other statistics of texting while driving it would be more encouraging to stop. Other than that, I’m not sure there is much we can do to prevent it because the use of your cell phone can easily be hidden by keeping it beneath the window and wearing a pair of sunglasses. None the less, texting and driving should be banned unquestionably. It’s a safety hazard not only to the ones texting but to all fellow drivers.
Every teen or even adult needs a slap on the wrist because this isn’t a good habit and it’s not something that can easily be broken. Even knowing how dangerous this act can be I still find it nearly impossible to stop texting, it’s now second nature to pick up my phone every time I hear it buzz. The whole texting and driving thing is definitely a phenomenon; no one can really explain why it’s such an addicting habit. It really isn’t that big of a deal to go a day without texting your buddy and yet a good majority of people flip out, including myself when their phones dies or the person they’re texting doesn’t immediately text back.
People are way too caught up in the whole idea of constantly keeping in contact with their peers and I’m guilty as well. I strongly hope that this new effort to punish people for texting while they are driving becomes effective fast because many people die or become severely injured because of this ridiculous habit. It won’t be easy by any means to get people, especially teens off their cell phones but it’s a good goal. Personally, if I was more educated about the dangers and other statistics of texting while driving it would be more encouraging to stop. Other than that, I’m not sure there is much we can do to prevent it because the use of your cell phone can easily be hidden by keeping it beneath the window and wearing a pair of sunglasses. None the less, texting and driving should be banned unquestionably. It’s a safety hazard not only to the ones texting but to all fellow drivers.
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