Republican Debate

The technology of our society today has made it possible for all the people of this country to get a better idea of who each presidential candidate is and what they stand for. I was watching the Republican debate on television a couple nights ago and was pleasantly surprised to enjoy it as much as I did. The event was sponsored by CNN and youtube and the setup was very high-tech and fun to watch. Through youtube people sent in videos expressing their questions and concerns. What better way to get to know the candidates and their political positions than to ask yourself! I thought this was a very good way to connect to the people and it made it more entertaining to watch. In the past, people would have to listen on the radio to catch a live presidential debate, and if they missed it too bad. Now we have all sorts of ways to learn about our presidential candidates and get to know them as people before the election. Perhaps most importantly, by making a traditional event lilke a political debate more modern with youtube videos, it gets the younger generation more involved with the campaigning and with the election.


<<http://mashable.com/2007/08/13/republican-youtube-cnn-debate/>>

Gap Violates Labour Laws

In May of 2004, it was brought to the public's attention that the popular clothing line, Gap, had admittingly been found violating child labor laws in other countries. "Contracts were terminated with 42 plants in China, another 42 in south-east Asia, 31 on the Indian subcontinent and nine in Europe" (The Guardian). What's even more disturbing than the story itself is the fact that this incident somehow managed to stay mostly under raps. I briefly heard about it, but I don't think this situation got nearly the repurcussions it should have. The company obviously was forced to cutt off all ties with factories that were abusing child labor laws. It seems like not too many people are concerned with these violations because people think that child labor don't really concern us in the U.S. Unfortunately, they do concern us. By allowing our clothing lines to support this, we are in a sense supporting it as well. Gap should not have only ended their business with these plants, but they should have been severely penalized as well. It makes me wonder how many other companies have done the same thing and not been caught. It's too bad that child labor still exists but the reality is... it does! So we need to identify it and put an end to it. No company should get away with it that easily.

<<http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2004/may/13/7>>

Romney

If church and state really should be completely separate, then the beliefs of the president should be his private life and his private life only. But when it comes down to it, is that really possible? To completely separate church and state? Looking back to the Constitution, it is clear that the foundation of this country is based on Christian beliefs and morals. However, our Constitution is also based on liberty and freedom and included in those freedoms is the freedom of religion. Is our country being old-fashioned and even hypocrytical if we say that we respect everyone's religious views, and yet a perfectly qualified individual may have no chance to presidency because of his religious practices? "Liberals tend to argue that all theological beliefs, including Mormonism, are fundamentally private and dangerously coercive as the basis of public policy. Some religious conservatives are concerned that this particular theology is too eccentric to be welcomed at the White House" (Washington Post's Michael Gerson). We must also take into consideration the fact that many politicians are not quite the religious saints they seem to be while campaigning. Would the citizens in this country prefer a fake Christian or an honest Mormon? I'm curious to see how next year's election reveals this matter.

<<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/02/AR2007080202024.html>>

Prison Issues

An issue that is often overlooked by society today is the overcrowding of jails and prisons in America. Overcrowding is the result of several different factors including low budget, poor design, and sometimes an increase in crime in a particular area may be a factor as well. An overcrowded prison has many effects on the inmates-- mentally, physically and emotionally. For example, studies show that individuals in crowded prsions are prone to anti-social behavior. They also often develop the absence of personal control and idleness. Space is limited to only was is absolutley necessary to keep the inmates alive. Direct resources are all they get. There are few opportunities for the inmates to participate in self-improving activities and rehabilitation programs. Library books, washrooms, kitchens, lounging and recreation is extremely limited to each inmate. The confined space and lack of activities in a jail cell takes a toll on the human brain. Also, crowding creates added stress and fear. This can lead to aggression and violence among the inmates. Sexual frustration is common also and can be taken out on other inmates, even of the same sex. This results in more aggression, competition, less cooperation and more social withdrawal. This can also spread illness and STD's. As you can gather, inmates serving time in prison do not leave better people, instead they build up resentment and anger towards society. That is why studies have proven that most individuals who serve prison time will most likely serve time again.

<<http://www.johnhoward.ab.ca/PUB/C42.htm>>

Same Sex Marriages

Marriage is a sacred bond between two people who love each other. As “people” being the operative word, who's to judge same sex marriages? Marragie is a human right and a personal choice based on feelings of love and happiness. Does being homosexual change those feelings and make them any less “real”? Gay couples that love each other, have passions for each other just like a male/female couples do; some maybe even moreso than heterosexual couples. Take Britney Spears for example. She gets drunk in Vegas one night and decides to get married. Then she gets it annulled the very next day. If you ask me, that's not showing a whole lot of respect to the sanctity of marriage. Those are the marragies, if any, that should be judged. And instead homosexual couples who actually do care about one another are discriminated by our society. It is not up to us to judge other peoples' feelings about each other. Judgment day should be left to God, and God only. In my opinion there are many larger issues than trying to keep loving couples apart. "Each individual's journey through life is unique. Some will make this journey alone, others in loving relationships - maybe in marriage or other forms of commitment. We need to ponder our own choices and try to understand the choices of others. Love has many shapes and colors and is not finite. It can not be measured or defined in terms of sexual orientation." From the Statement of Affirmation and Reconciliation

<<http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_marr.htm>>

Religion in Schools

The controversial topic dealing with religion in public schools has been an ongoing on for many years now. Whether or not Bibles should be permitted in the classroom, whether praying is allowed or not allowed, if religious or anti-religious T-shirts should be acceptable, all those sorts of things. When prayer was outlawed in public classrooms a few years back, it compromised the rights found in the first amendment of the Constitution. Since this incident, state and school officials seem to have come to the consensus that the facts and practices of various religions may be taught just as any other subject. Teachers must keep this discussion strictly factual though to avoid any sort of preaching or testimonial. Religious gatherings and small groups are to be treated just as any other extracarricular activity so long as none of the school staff encourages or discourages the behavior. "Public schools can neither foster religion nor preclude it. Our public schools must treat religion with fairness and respect and vigorously protect religious expression as well as the freedom of conscience of all other students. In so doing our public schools reaffirm the First Amendment and enrich the lives of their students" says Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley.

<<http://www.adherents.com/misc/fed_guidelines.html>>

Politicians Using Religion

In one man's exploration to discover the correlation between church and state throughout various cultures and societies, he found a recurring theme in how religion is often brought into politics for the wrong reasons. This man traveled the world analyzing different cultures and traditions. It is not surprising that campaigning politicians around the globe were found using "local religious themes and symbols as sources of legitimacy." What was not expected in this study was the common trend of governmental regimes and their officials to try and keep a tight grip on religion. Religion is used to gain power, but one power has been secured, political figures often turn the tables and religion is pushed away, viewed as a constraint. <<http://www.crosscurrents.org/Demerath.htm>>

Iraq

The war in Iraq was obviously based on good intentions, however, President Bush has quickly become one of the most unpopular presidents of all times as a result of this war. I unfortuantely have a friend who's brother was killed in an accident in Iraq. I also know a current soldier fighting there now and so I am very sensitive to our troops and to this war. Most people think we need to get out of there as soon as possible, and others think it will just make things worse to not finish what we started. "Obama calls the Bush administration's Iraq policies "tragically misguided" and advocates a phased withdrawal of U.S. combat forces, to be completed by next March. Romney notes that there is "no guarantee" that the administration's current strategy will succeed but says that "the stakes are too high and the potential fallout too great to deny our military leaders and troops on the ground the resources and the time needed to give it an opportunity." I don't want to get too much into my personal beliefs and opinions on the matter, but I will say that no matter your position on the war, those soldiers who are away from their families right now fighting for this country deserve our utmost respect and our constant prayers. Our armed forces are the true heroes of this country, and they are putting their lives on the line for America and for each one of us.

<<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/30/AR2007053002302.html>>

R.I.P Cole Larsen http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.iraqwarheroes.com/photos16/cole_larsen01.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.iraqwarheroes.com/larsenc.htm&h=225&w=150&sz=15&hl=en&start=10&um=1&tbnid=MFFfmESIFIY-xM:&tbnh=108&tbnw=72&prev=

Agnosticism

What is agnosticism? I have heard the word many times and I have a general idea of what it means, but I have found that there are many misconceptions that follow the term. The word agnosticism is separate from Atheism and is used primarily for one single issue: does a god or do any gods exist? Those who openly admit to not having any answers or any specific faith and who often believe the ability to have answers in this topic is impossible are labeled as agnostics. It's too bad that so many people make assumption about this label and about this belief because whether agnosticism is seen as a philosophy or just as a scapegoat, it is reasonable and deserves the same respect as others beliefs and faiths. So, back to the original question-- what is the actual definition of this belief? Some say that agnosticism provides an alternative to atheism, but those are often the same people who confine atheism to merely not believing in God and in a sense being "anti-God". As stated by researcher and journalist Austine Cline, "Strictly speaking, agnosticism is about knowledge, and knowledge is a related but separate issue from belief, the domain of theism and atheism" (http://atheism.about.com/).

<<http://atheism.about.com/od/aboutagnosticism/a/what.htm>>

More on the Death Penalty

In 1984, Earl Washington was found guilty in trial after admitting to the rape and murder of a woman from the state of Virginia. Washington was convicted and sentenced to death. It wasn't until sixteen years later that DNA tests were able to prove his innocence. Earl Washington was mentally retarded and police had convinced Earl Washington to make a statement admitting to the crime. Luckily, the evidence was found in time to keep Earl from being innocently killed by our country. It is cases like these that should make us think twice about the death penalty. What if the evidence had not been found in time, or not at all? Then America would have lost two innocent lives rather than one. It would be bad enough if this was the only case of this nature, but it most definitely is not, and many of the others did not end as well as this one. <<http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?did=176&scid=>>

Taking the Day Off

It seems in our country that Christianity is put on a pedestal. The best example of this is holidays and days off. Every Christian holiday is viewed as a national holiday and most people are permitted to take the day off from work. But with every other religion and its holidays this is not the case. Granted there would be a lot of days off of work if our nation celebrated every single beliefs system's holidays, but if not all the religions are respected and celebrated, should none be? Many argue again that this country was founded on Christian ideals. This excuse seems to be covering a lot of ground in my opinion. And yes, the majority of our country does claim to be some branch of Christianity or Catholicism. So that gives us reason to forget everyone else? As recent U.S. government poll expressed similar feelings saying, "Given that the laws of the USA decree that there is freedom of religion, why do we have Christian holidays (i.e., Easter and Christmas) observered by the schools, banks, government, post office, etc. but not any other religion's holidays, unless you count New Year's Day a religious holiday. Halloween may be pagan but no institution takes the day off" (SodaHead.com). Should offices and companies need to respect the beliefs of their workers and grant them the day off for the religion they practice and celebrate?

<<http://www.sodahead.com/poll/701/>>

Inconsistant?

With an upcoming presidential election right around the corner, candidates are presenting their positions on the same controversial matters that are always disputed. War in Iraq, abortion, death penalty, you know, those topics. Conservative Republicans usually take the usual stances-- no on abortion, yes on the death penalty, yes on pu- wait a minute. Does that sound a little funny to anyone else? No on abortion, but yes on the death penalty? Don't kill one person, but ya kill that other one...? Granted unborn children are innocent.... but in actuality, so are a shocking number of people on death row. Too many people who have been put to death for crimes they did not commit. I understand there are some crimes too sick for most of us to even imagine, but in my opinion, death is the easy way out for those people. If I did something awful enough to be on death row, I would rather die than sit alone and think about what I did everyday. Further, it is proven that it does not cost any more money to keep someone in prison than to execute them. I think a lot of people need to do more research on this topic. You may be surprised. <<http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/>>

Hate Crimes Against Muslim Americans

Since the attack on 9/11, the number of hate crimes against Muslim American citizens has dramatically increased. "Two polls found that almost half of the public has a negative perception of Islam and that one in four citizens holds “extreme’ anti-Muslim views" (Washington Post). Obviously these innocent people are not responsible for the pain and grief caused in the terrorist attacks, and it seems extremely naiive to resort to hate-crimes against our own people here in the states. "Complaints of discrimination, harassment and violence against Muslims jumped over 30 percent in 2005 from the previous year, according to a report released Sept. 18 by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim organization." Nearly 2,000 hate-crimes were reported in the year 2005, a sickening number that is by far the highest number since the CAIR organization began keeping track in 1995. The number of anti-Muslim hate-crimes has more than doubled in the last few years as a repurcussion of 9/11. The hate-crimes obviously need to be stopped, but I think equally important is getting the American public to understand and differentiate between American Islamic citizens and terrorists. There is obviously a huge difference and these people need to feel safe again in the United States, not threatened and unwelcomed.

<<http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=127fe2880e48951b564ac2f3e171242e>>

In the Name Of God

Life Site News published an article in 2006 of a high school valedictorian who was giving her speech at graduation when her microphone was abruptly cut off. The student was about to thank God. School officials, “who knew it was coming, cut off the microphone before they or anyone else could hear it” (www.LifeSiteNews.com). The controversy is whether the action taken by the school denied the student of her civil rights, or, because it was a school-sponsored event if they had the right and maybe even the duty to do so in order to avoid offending anyone. On one hand, an audience of diverse families and friends came to this graduation to celebrate academic achievements, not to hear about God. On the other hand, let’s take a look at the Grammy’s, the Oscar’s, and any other “big-time” award show. How many times have you heard actors and singers “thank God” for where they are in their lives? And think about how much bigger that audience is than the audience that attended the Foothill High 2006 graduation that day. Again in this article, the writer appears to take a slight bias. More quotes arguing why this act denied the valedictorian her right to freedom of speech suggest that the writer is also in opposition of the school’s cutting off the girl’s speech.

<http://www.lifesit.net/ldn/2006/jun/0602022.html%3E

AIDS in Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa is the most HIV and AIDS infected region on the map. About 22.5 million people are living with HIV and approximately 1.7 million additional peole were infected with HIV during the year 2007. The AIDS epidemic in Africa has taken the lives of about 1.6 million people. Eleven million children have been diagnosed with AIDS as well. Treatment for the infected is non-existant, therefore the death-toll in Africa is unfortunately rising. Africa contains more than 10% of the worlds population and it is important that greater efforts are taken to care for these people. AIDS is spreading throughout the continent like a wild fire. To make matters worse, the people of Africa have been shying away from the topic making it extremely difficult to create the first step in getting a handle on this disease-- awareness. Just now are the people becoming aware of the extent to which AIDS is overpowering the nation. The more Africans learn about the disease, the better they can protect themselves. Many people find it frustrating that while our president sees it fit to fight a war in Iraq to improve the Iraqi quality of life, so little is being done in Africa where hundreds and hundreds of people are dying every single day from this dominating disease.

Hypersensitive Holidays

In another news story published in November of 2005, the city of Boston officially changed the name of a giant spruce tree in Boston Common to a “holiday tree” rather than a “Christmas tree.” The modification created an uproar in the community and there was a great deal of controversy all based around the label of this tree. Some believed that the attempt to “secularize holiday displays” was an effort to reach a wider range of beliefs and their corresponding holiday celebrations (www.thecrimson.com). If changing the tree’s label addresses more holidays and reaches a greater audience, why not call it a holiday tree? But others thought the change was ridiculous and believed that things should be called what they are. Should we call a dreidel a “holiday dreidel” even though the icon is obviously associated with the Jewish holiday, Hanukkah? No. And therefore many believed that a “Christmas tree” should be called just that. In any case, the name change for the most part did not go over well in the community, and many people were not happy. Looking at the way in which this article was written, it seems as though the writer had a slight bias against the term “holiday tree” as well. The number of quotes in opposition of the “holiday tree” compared to the number of quotes in favor of the new title was seven to two. The article appears to be leaning towards calling a Christmas tree a Christmas tree.

<">http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=510132 >

Are We Ready?

With the presidential election right around the corner, many people are asking the question-- Is America ready for a female president? "When the first widely known woman candidate for president, Victoria Woodhull, declared her intention to run in 1870, the newspapers noted: 'She is rather in advance of her time. The public mind is not yet educated to the pitch of universal woman's rights.'" But that was over one hundred years ago. Is this even a matter of "being ready" at this point in time or is it just a matter of crossing that barrier and actually making it a reality. There are still areas in our modern time where sexism is present, and I can't say that I really understand why, but especially in this particular case, I think a woman president would be perfectly fine. There is nothing the president must do that a woman is not capable of. I would be a proud citizen of a country represented by a strong female leader. Many people don't feel the same way but I until I hear a good reason why a woman would not make a good president my views will remain the same.

<<http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2294/is_54/ai_n18764295>>

Funding the War

"The Iraq war could eventually cost two trillion dollars," according to a new study co-authored by Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph E. Stiglitz and Linda J. Bilmes, "who previously presented the conservative estimate." Where is the money coming from? Well our pockets of course. 124 billion dollars of that money comes directly from the average American citizen. When should Bush draw the line? Or when should he have? Well I'm not sure there is any right answer for that, but I do know that he's not going to. President Bush continues to stand by his war until he leaves office, which is now right around the corner. But what about after he is out of office? What do the American people want the new president to do about it? Some politicians and even some citizens are saying that the United States looks weak by not completing the job they took on. However, it's far more important to most people right now to bring our men back into safety and not to sacrifice any more innocent lives then have alreasdy been consumed by this war, both American people and Iraqi people. I think this take priority over our nation looking "tough" and being "in control".



<<http://www.house.gov/paul/tst/tst2007/tst032607.htm>>

Does My Vote Count?

Using the electoral college as a way of electing our president has always been a bit confusing to me. I'm not sure I understand how an electoral vote can override a popular vote, and why we would use this system. It is said that the two are usually in aggreement, but if that's the case, then why not just use a popular vote to elect the president? My next question is if my vote even matters. The state of California, if I remember correctly, tends to vote in favor of the Democratic party. So let's say I always vote for Republicans, is there any point to even voting? Government officials say yes. They assure that "the individual citizen's vote is important to the outcome of each State election". I hope that is the case. But if it's not, then I'm afraid quite a few American citizens may be misunderstood. I believe a lot of people don't vote for the very reason that they don't think their vote will make an impact as long as we use the Electoral College System.

<<http://thinkexist.com/quotes/like/one_of_the_most_meaningful_things_that-s_happened/339870/>>

Blood Diamonds

Women love diamonds. They can mean a lot of different things; love, committment, or it can just be a fashion trend. But to a child in any of several underdeveloped countries, a diamond means something completely different; a diamond means exhaustion, work, and ill-treatment. India has over 20,000 children working in diamond processing. India is said to be the worlds biggest diamond and gemstone cutting center in the world. The industry can thank their growth to the little children that slave away to find them. An example of a child's day of work may consist of polishing diamonds for up to 16 hours. These children suffer from damaged finger tips, blisters, malnutrition and Maleria, to name a few. Ever since the popular movie “Blood Diamond” was released in December of 2006, a public response has emerged. After seeing the movie, I look at diamonds in a whole different way. Although they are beautiful and valuable, each one tells the hidden story of a child in some country without food and care. The small gem is now a haunting symbol of the pain children endure every day to meet our materialistic needs. Diamonds are a luxury. And now, we can order them from countries who have a legitimate way of finding them.

<<http://www.stopblooddiamonds.org/web/soc142/team7/gross.jpg>>

Priest Marriage

I have never understood why Catholics still enforce the "rule" saying that priests may not get married. Some say it gives them more time with God, but I believe a person will spend as much time with God as they want whether or not they are married. Marriage should not be seen as a distraction for a priest but maybe it could instead be seen as a way to help them in their walk with Christ. I also wonder if their is a direct connection between priests not being able to get married and the current abuse sex scandals. Don't get me wrong, child molestors are sick people, and there is absolutely no excuse for that. But I can't help wondering if priests could marry if some or most of these incidents could have been avoided.

Walk Out

A more recent rebellion against the pledge of allegiance caused about a dozen high school students not only to leave the room during the pledge of allegiance, but also to revise their own version of the pledge. In a peaceful protest at Boulder High, students took a stand for what they said was “about a separation of church and state” (http://www.rockeymountainnews.com/). The principal of the school said “We’re proud of the kids… if they don’t like something, they’re following a democratic process of telling the community that they don’t like it” (www. RockyMountainNews.com). Perhaps this story show the progress our nation is making towards becoming a more tolerant and more open-minded society. The beginning of the article showed the students argument and their reasoning for protesting the pledge, and the end of the article offered a contrary viewpoint of one of the other students from Boulder. The writer chose to keep this news story relatively short. This may have been in hopes of avoiding a heated debate and in order to keep their own opinions from surfacing, or possibly the writer didn’t have a strong opinion in the matter.

<http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/1209487253798.html%20%3E

In China

How many times have you turned over a device, article of clothing, or some object and found the words “Made in China” engraved on the back? These items are often beautifully handcrafted by the people of China. But not just anyone... these objects are usually made by the small hands of young chinese children. The child labour in China is a huge problem and evidence shows that it is actually getting worse rather than improving. Research shows that about 250 million children in underdeveloped countries, between the ages 5 and 14, are working in factories and sweatshops. Sweatshops are workplaces with extreme exploitation, including no wages or benefits. They also incude dangerous living conditions, and often physical and verbal abuse. The children are forced to work up to 12-hour days with no breaks. This is obviously a huge problem, and yet there is nothing being done to change them in any way. It seems as though the Chinese Government is hesitant to enforce child labor laws because they want to save money. Slave labor exists in our world today. China is just one of the countries permitting slave labor. There are children all over the world that need our help.

<<http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/01908/800/chinarussia.htm>>

Iraq vs. Afghanistan

While the War in Iraq continues to spark debate and controversy, the War in Afghanistan seems to be "overwhelmingly supported by the American people, the international community and the people of Afghanistan." The two are very contrary situations and the American people appear to have clearly understood and distinguished their differences. The most important factor separating each war is the desire for help. The Afghan people are widely in favor of an international troop presence and reconstruction efforts in their country. U.S. citizens seem to be extremely supportive of funding a war that sees long-term success. With the people of both country in support, the war in Afghanistan undoubtedly sees victory. <http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.disaggregate30nov30,0,7993414.story>

Pledge Not Taken

In a 1998 article, a California student, MaryKait Durkee, refused to participate in reciting the pledge of allegiance. The high school sophomore did not believe in God and chose to sit quietly while the rest of the class performed this daily ritual. Her teacher responded by singling her and telling her to stand and say the pledge on her own, but the girl refused. The incident quickly became a political issue involving school officials and lawyers. Many believed that the actions taken by Durkee showed a great deal of disrespect for our country and our country’s principles. But what are those principles? Are they not individuality and liberty? This article, while presenting both sides of the issue, seemed to be in favor of Durkee. Those quoted in the article included Durkee’s mother, her attorney, a law expert, and Durkee herself. Also quoted to end the article was founding father, Thomas Jefferson, and what the author thinks he would have thought about the situation. Each of these individuals helped the writer in establishing the idea that no matter who is offended and whether you agree with her position or not, Durkee, along with every other American citizen, reserves the right to freedom of speech and expression.



<<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1998/06/29/MN85749.DTL>

Government in the Classroom

In high school I took a U.S. government class. I learned more in this class than I have in any other class in my life. I remember there was a student in that class from Lebanon. It was so interesting to me the first day of class when this new student from another country new more about our country than most of us did. It seems as though the rest of world actually learns about their government and knows everything that is going on in their country. It seems that the majority of American students know very little about what is going on in our political system. Maybe it's because we take advantage of how good we have it in this country, or maybe our schools should address political issues more. I think it's a little bit of both. I think that even at the elementy and junior high levels, students should be more aware of the political issues going on around us. However, there are activists saying the exact opposite. David Horowitz for example is a professor and author who is working to keep politics out of schools because he believes teachers become "political partisans". But I disagree. Even if teachers are presenting a biased opinion, at least children are learning about the different aspects and the discussions are thought provoking. Children should be aware of political issues and learn different opinions and positions so that they can come to their own conclusions about various matters.

<<http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4057/is_200504/ai_n13642048>>

Public vs. Private

Many parents feel more comfortable sending their children to religious private school over public school. Even non-religious parents tend to believe that these schools will keep their little angels out of trouble. In actuality, studies have proven that there is absolutley no correlation between attending a particular school and participating in risky behaviors. There are so many various factors that effect adolescents' behaviors, and it appears as though attending a private school versus a public school has no bearing on the decisions a student will make.I thought this was very interesting, because a number of religious private schools are single gendered and it seems like that might limit a child's risky behaviors.

Political Sex Scandals

In 2004, Republican Senator Mike DeWine, was forced to fire his secretary when her private life became extremely publicized. Online web pages and her personal blogs left 24-year-old Jessica Cutler with no way out. She didn't seem to ashamed or even embarassed by the uncovering of her personal life. My first thoughts on this situation were back to Bill Clinton. A scholarly man, and arguably one of the best president's to ever lead this country. I often wonder if his personal life should have gotten in the way as much as it did. I understand that people want a morally sound person to represent our nation, but at the same time I feel like he was indeed getting his job done and getting it done well. I wonder if the same is true for Miss Jessica Cutler. This young lady must have been qualified and very well-educated to recieve a position as the Senator's aide. So if she was getting her job done, should her personal choices and life outside of work be ignored? Or being in her position was it her responsibility to represent her boss (Senator Mike DeWine) and in failing to do so in a positive manner should she lose her job? There is no real answer to these questions but I think our country has made it clear what the general concensus is on the issue as we saw in the Clinton scandal.

Water We Thinking

The coastal commission has denied non profit companies from turning power plants into desalinisation treatment plants along the coast. By doing this, the commission would dramatically decrease pollution and increase the production of purified water with existing structures. At no cost to tax payers, this would turn salt water into drinking water for free. The governor should definitely allow this project and see where it goes. According to scientists "an estimated 7 million Americans become sick from contaminated tap water every year, which can also be lethal." The clean water project seems to be relatively risk-free and along with improving the health of the people in America, it may even give us the opportunity in America to help with the growing problem of unhealthy water in third world countries. We would be able to cheaply produce clean water and then send it overseas.

<<http://www.nrdc.org/water/default.asp>>

Islamic Paradise

I am no expert on the religion of Islam. I am well aware of that. And I completely respect the religion and think it has some fascinating aspects. But from what I have learned, I understand that Allah promises the "fulfillment" of multiple wives in paradise to men that honor him. As for women, I understand Allah assures that he will cleanse their hearts from all jealousy so that their husband's other wives will not be an issue. If I practiced this religion, being a female, this passage would really bother me. A similar issue came up in class when one of the speakers was discussing her religion. In response to this issue she kept saying "it's hard to explain", "there are exceptions" and "when you learn everything about the religion it makes more sense." So I guess I need to learn more before I'll understand this one. But it seems sexist to me and I don't quite understand it.

Immigration

Immigration has been rapidly growing in the United States throughout the last decade. I think in some ways that is a testament to our country because people obviously want the same freedoms and security we all have being citizens of this country. But at the same time, could this be revealing some issues in America? More than 10 million aliens are currently living here without legal documentation. And that number grows an astonishing 700,000 more per year. Although their presence makes America diverse, it suggests that our border patrol might not be as strong as it needs to be. Usually, these people come to America to find better jobs, which benefits our economy. However, they take away its value by exposing the weakenesses in our national security. Roughly three out of 100 people in the United States are undocumented which suggests flaws in our national security. But the increased immigration has "brought in 18 million new citizens, diversified U.S. society and gave us the enduring analogy of the 'melting pot'" which is what this country is really all about-- equal opportunity and freedom for all.

<< http://www.publicagenda.org/issues/frontdoor.cfm?issue_type=immigration>>

The Passion

In 2004, the Mel Gibson film, The Passion, was released in theaters. Film creaters and producers were not sure how the public would respond to the intensity and gore of this movie. But the production made quite the uproar remaining number one in box offices for three consecutive weeks. The film became the biggest religious film of all times.About The Passion, Mel Gibson said, "I want to show the humanity of Christ as well as the divine aspect. It's a rendering that for me is very realistic and as close as possible to what I perceive the truth to be." Many people admired and respected Mel Gibson for the creation of this movie. Then, two years later he was arrested for drunk driving. How do his actions effect the public's view of religion? I don't really know. Does this event make his religious stances any less respectable? <http://www.hollywoodjesus.com/thepassion.html%3E

Won't Stand for Pledge

In a 1998 article, a California student, MaryKait Durkee, refused to participate in reciting the pledge of allegiance. The high school sophomore did not believe in God and chose to sit quietly while the rest of the class performed this daily ritual. Her teacher responded by singling her and telling her to stand and say the pledge on her own, but the girl refused. The incident quickly became a political issue involving school officials and lawyers. Many believed that the actions taken by Durkee showed a great deal of disrespect for our country and our country’s principles. But what are those principles? Are they not individuality and liberty? This article, while presenting both sides of the issue, seemed to be in favor of Durkee. Those quoted in the article included Durkee’s mother, her attorney, a law expert, and Durkee herself. Also quoted to end the article was founding father, Thomas Jefferson, and what the author thinks he would have thought about the situation. Each of these individuals helped the writer in establishing the idea that no matter who is offended and whether you agree with her position or not, Durkee, along with every other American citizen, reserves the right to freedom of speech and expression.



<<www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1998/06/29/MN85749.DTL>>

Gay Rights

An arrest that took place in September of 1998 in Texas sparked a controversial debate as two adult males were arrested for participating in what was defined as "illegal sexual intercourse." Gay rights activists argued not only that this was an invasion of privacy of these two individuals, but also that they were being treated like criminals for being who they were. After a long drawn out trial, the court decided that these men must be treated like every other American citizen and ended up rewriting the Texas law on gay rights. The event was a huge turning point in the battle for gay rights. The closing lines of the article described the scene in the courtroom that afternoon. '"The petitioners are entitled to respect for their private lives," Kennedy wrote simply. "The State cannot demean their existence or control their destiny by making their private sexual conduct a crime." The people who had devoted their lives to that cause understood precisely what had happened, which was why, to a degree unprecedented in the court's history, the benches were full of men and women sobbing with joy' (http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/10/04/toobin.excerpt3/index.html?iref=newssearch).

Religious Variations

There are many different reasons why someone begins to practice a particular religion. But it seems to me that the most common reason for one's religious beliefs is because of their upbringing. Many people adopt the religious practices of their parents. From there, most don't explore outside of that belief system in order to not be offensive or dishonoring. I think that it would be good for our society to establish more religion classes in our public schooling system even if it's just to better understand one another. Instead schools shy away from the topic all together and in most public elementry, junior high, and high school classes it is forbidden for teachers or anyone else to even discuss the topic. It's interesting that it has become this way. I know that at my public high school I learned all about evolution and the big bang theory and Darwin, but never heard anything about different religious beliefs. Religions are all technically "theories" also, so it seems strange that public schools would address only evolution and not creation.

Religions of the World

I thought this video was really interesting. It shows the spread of world religions over thousands of years. It also gives the major events of a religion along with its location so you can see why why certain areas adopted a particular religion. The video is short and to the point but gives a pretty good demonstration of the historical spread of various religions throughout the world. It also gave me a better idea of the popularity of other beliefs outside of the United States. The end of the video provides where wars have occurred. You can see that the dividing point between two contradicting religious areas were the places where there have been wars.

<<http://youtube.com/watch?v=Bd5hvXgI_bQ>>

Jungles of Peru

The pastor of the church I grew up in, Greg Garman, was the son of two missionary parents. As a result, Greg grew up in the jungles of Peru. Groups from our church now take an annual trip into the jungle. My dad had the opportunity of going on this trip one year and I was shocked by the pictures and descriptions he returned with. Their life is so simple. Compared to the U.S. they are an extremely underdeveloped country and it was weird to think that living in the same world but being hundreds of miles apart, two societies can be that different. What does this have to do with religion you may ask, well in the Christian faith the Bible says that to go to Heaven you must accept the Lord as your saviour. But my question is, what about people like this? Some may believe in a higher power, but there are no books or religious classes or anything like that, and most of them have never heard the name Jesus or God in their lives. I guess I believe people will only be judged based on what they know. They can't be faulted for not having that information, can they? I just thought it was an interesting thing to think about.

Street Preaching

You know those guys that stand on the side of the street with signs about God? They are called street preachers. I understand that they are making a stand for what they believe, and I respect that, but I'm not sure what their objective is. I wonder how many people have been driving along and saw a man at the corner of the street with a sign and decided right then to accept the Lord. According to the Bible, Jesus said, "Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled." Luke 14:23. I'm not sure that this proclomation was literal. If it was, things are so different now that I'm not sure it is having the intended affect. Also, sometimes what the signs say (like in this picture) the preaching is having the opposite effect and turning people away from God. This poster against homosexual marriages is very offensive to many people. I think these instant attacks are more of a turn off than a promotion.

Target Boycott

In an attempt to reach a wide range of people with various beliefs and celebrations, Target changed their greeting signs and advertisements to "happy holidays" rather than a more specific "Merry Christmas." People went crazy! There were boycotts and protests to try and revive the use of "Merry Christmas." To me, trying to address all holidays and religious beliefs should only be a good thing. I myself celebrate Christmas, but why would I be offended by addressing all holidays? When I hear happy holidays, to me that means Merry Christmas. When my friend Chelsea hears happy holidays it means "Happy Hanukkah". I don't see any problem at all with generalizing the greeting and it's too bad that they had to change it back because people were so "hurt" by the modification.

Growing Up in the Church

I was raised in a Christian family. The four of us would go to church every single Sunday and growing up, I definitely thought I had all the answers. I have no regrets about my childhood and I am so grateful for my parents and my family, but my sister and I often talk about how growing up in the Church effected our view of the world. We were both pretty sheltered, and so public high school was a pretty rude awakening. It took a while for me to be able to separate bad people from bad habits or decisions. I must have memorized a thousand Bible verses as a kid, but I have learned so much about myself and about faith just over the past few years. Getting out into the real world taught me more than church and Sunday school ever did. Fortunately, my parents also taught my sister and I to think for ourselves. I have kept my faith and I still definitely believe in God, but there are certain things that I disagree with. Questioning and learning not to just take in information but to actually come to my own conclusions has been the best thing I've ever learned. I think sometimes Church can be too sheltering of an environment for kids, and they go to jr. high and high school unprepared for the obstacles they will face. I think that religious practices should provide children with the beliefs of that particular religion, but also encourage children to think for themselves and learn about various religions so they can come to their own conclusions.