Religious Advertisement

Religions should not be using billboards to advertise their faith.  It is a cheap way to attempt to gain followers.  If people are actually swayed by any religious advertisements they see, then they should not be following whatever faith they are.  Religion is supposed to be spread by word of mouth, but instead many churches will use signs to gain mass followers.  In the end it all turns into a money game.  The more people in your congregation, the more money will be raised for the new organ.  I do not fully understand faith, but when I see signs advertising it, it makes me cringe.

What techniques should schools use to strengthen literacy?

Throughout high school I found that most of my writing classes lacked the ideas of self expression and creativity.  Being forced to write about specific topics with specific guidelines only made me want to break out of the shell more.  If classes would become more creative and encourage new ideas more, they would see more improvement from their students.  Writing in itself takes a creative part of the mind to accomplish.  It comes naturally to express ourselves with creative words instead of being forced into writing about "standardized topics".  If all English classes were more like this one, students would be much better off.

Should juveniles be tried as adults?

I feel that children under the age of 18 should not be charged as adults.  When they are charged as kids, there is a much higher chance that they will change their ways earlier on.  Once facing larger, adult charges, kids may be getting in too much trouble to be beneficial.  Whether or not the charge is permissible, juveniles should be able to have a second chance on life.  I am not saying that someone who has killed in their youth is not likely to do so in their future, but many problems that kids have stem from living at home with even worse parents.  Adult punishment is for adults.

Should tobacco companies be responsible?

I do not think tobacco companies should be held responsible for smoking related deaths or illnesses.  People who smoke do so with the understanding that it is not good for them.  The idea that "smoking kills" is imbedded into our minds as children and is continually reiterated throughout our whole lives.  Even the packs of cigarettes themselves have warnings on an entire panel.  Why should a company who warns their potential users of danger be held responsible for it?  Smokers who do not know or fully understand the risks of smoking must be very few.  Congratulations if you made it through your whole life not knowing what is not healthy.

Should homosexuals be permitted to serve in the armed forces?

The idea that homosexuals would not be allowed in the armed forces is crazy.  All men and women should be permitted to serve in the armed forces if they desire, regardless of sexual preference.  Sexual preference is the only thing that I can see different from homosexuals and heterosexuals.  Based on this it seems ridiculous to say that they cannot serve.  What are the requirements of anyone to serve?  It makes as much sense to ban all people from the military as it does just the homosexuals.  If anyone feels uncomfortable about fighting alongside a homosexual, they should seriously reevaluate their morals.

Should English be declared the official language of the United States?

Declaring English as the official language of the United States would be unconstitutional.  Since our country is a country founded primarily based upon individual freedoms, saying that everyone needs to know exactly one language would be unjust.  Immigration has a large part in why they should not as well.  With more and more immigrants coming to the US every year, it is improbable to expect them all to know English fluently.  Hispanic immigrants are a large part of the population so why not declare the official language of the US Spanish?  This may sound outrageous to some, but to others English as a primary language is outrageous.  By having no official language, we eliminate the need to single anyone out based on where they come from.

Should children be forced to stay in school past age 16?

Children at the age of 16 possess underdeveloped thought processes.  For this reason they should not be allowed to drop out of school.  There are many kids who will decide they hate school by the time they are only 16 and then realize later in life (maybe only a few years later) that they regret their decision.  Obviously society would be much better off with more and more high school diplomas, so why not raise the statistics?  If we kept all kids in high school until age 18, then there will be many more people graduating.  There would also be much more regret in the country.

Technology Dependence

As human beings continue inventing new and innovative techniques to make their lives easier, they can become dependent upon it.  Cell phones, computers, and the internet are slowly but surely ruining peoples lives.  The continued use of technologies leaves humans with little or no thought.  Why should someone ever ponder a problem when they could just "google it" instead?  In future generations we may be left without the capability of solving problems.  The human race must stray away from their dependence of technology before they become completely addicted.

Music Piracy

Music piracy may not be as bad for record companies as they think.  While more people are illicitly downloading music than ever before, this has no direct correlation with lost record sales.  Instead, many people use music downloading as a way to test the market.  If they find something that appeals to their specific taste they may go out and buy the physical copy of the track.  The main problem with record companies is that they think every download is a lost sale.  They need to see internet downloading for what it is, a new marketing tool.

Tea Baggers

This cartoon is an accurate depiction of the fairly new political party, the Tea Party.  It shows the Tea Party as a tea pot blowing off a lot of steam.  This mirrors the political party because they have been known to gather in large groups to blow off steam together.  The reporter is telling the audience that the plume of steam could be around for months.  The cartoon shows that while the Tea Party may be a nuisance now, they may run out of steam soon.

Labor Day

This political cartoon depicts two homeless men talking.  One says to the other that Labor Day is no longer important now that they do not have jobs.  Because of the massive loss of jobs in our country, many people are feeling this way.  Should we continue acknowledging Labor Day if a lot of our country doesn't have jobs?

Gender Roles

Women have been making strides in gaining an equal voice in marriage.  Due to higher education, better jobs, and more accepting husbands, they are finally gaining the respect they deserve in a marriage.  Although people still use gender roles to shape their marriages, more people are stepping out of the cultural norms and becoming a more equal partnership marriage.

Should controversial speakers be allowed on college campuses?

I believe that controversial speakers should be allowed on college campuses.  I say this because no matter what topic, or however extreme the topic, people will always have the right to choose whether or not to listen.  At the same time, I feel that students should have the opportunity to witness controversial speakers in order to think more critically about issues in the world.

Should prayer be permitted in public schools?

I believe that mandatory (or voluntary) prayer should not be permitted in public schools.  There is a time and place for everything in life, and this applies for prayer in school as well.  People have the right to choose what to believe, and if a certain religion is what you choose to believe in, then believe in it outside of school.  When students are forced to participate in religious activities in the classroom that they do not believe in, they are no longer in a helpful and healthy classroom environment.

English Class

This is my blog for English.