17. June 2009 by student.

On January 15, 1929, one of the greatest men to ever live was born to Alberta Williams King and Rev. Martin Luther King, Sr. in
Atlanta, Georgia (“Important” par. 1). Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has changed society with his famous speeches and nonviolent protests, which lead to a world where everyone is equal. He was accepted into Morehouse College where he would go on to earn a BA in Sociology in 1948 (“Important” par.3). Dr. King also wrote five books over during the course of his life.

Dr. King once said “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality” (Martin Luther King Jr.). Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a drive that most people only dream of and because of that his hard work and ability to communicate earned him much respect. Although his house was bombed and he suffered relentless personal attacks on himself and his family, it didn’t stop him from fighting for equality.  

            During the bus boycott, which attracted national attention, Dr. King was elected president of the Montgomery Improvement Association after a woman named Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a
Montgomery city bus. He was then arrested for his nonviolent protest of the bus company’s policy. King’s experience and passion for the cause, and position in the community, gave him the credential to become a leader in the nonviolent protest. The bus boycott lasted for 381 days, and on December 20, 1956, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation on buses was unconstitutional (Important Dates in the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. par. 10). After the victory, he became the face of the civil rights cause and proved that nonviolence protests could yield results. He inspired people through his elegance and fearlessness. Working tiredly to promote the cause he believed in Dr. King held on to his dream until the day he died.

Dr. King was placed in jail on April 12, 1963 for demonstrating sit-ins at eating facilities that blacks weren’t allowed in (“Chronology” par.63). While in
Birmingham jail, he wrote a letter about his concerns and criticism on the pace of justice in civil rights for Black Americans.

            After meeting with President John F. Kennedy on August 28, 1963, Dr. King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in
Washington D.C. There were an estimated 250,000 people who attended both black and white (“Important” par.75). This speech out of all speeches he delivered was the greatest speech ever written. The speeches helped fuel the public outcry that drove the civil act rights of 1964 and the voting rights of 1965. In Olso, Norway on December 10, 1964 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. became the youngest man to ever receive the Nobel Peace Prize (“Chronology” par. 1). 30,000 demonstrators poured into Selma to walk beside King on a five day march from Selma to the state capital
Montgomery.

While in Memphis, Tennessee to lead a protest march defending the rights of striking garbage workers in April of 1968 King delivered an arousing speech titled “I’ve Been to the Mountain Top” which would be his last speech (“Important” par.83). The very next day, which was April 4, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed. While being interviewed Jesse Jackson made a statement that “Dr. King was not killed because of the way he was born, he was killed for the way he lived” (Biography of Martin Luther King video).

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

17. June 2009 by student.

ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a disease that is often reffered to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.  Lou Gehrig was a baseball player for the Yankees in the 1920’s who got ALS, which labeled ALS as his disease for quite some time now.  What happens when people get ALS is the cells in their central nervous system start to become degenerated.  This makes walking, using arms and other voluntary muscles very difficult for the person who has ALS to use.  The stangest thing about ALS is that there is no way for doctors to find out how a patient gets ALS.  In about 5% of ALS cases, there is a distinct hint that it is genetic due to family history.  However, the rest of the cases are total mysteries.  It is so strange that this disease has been know about since at least the 1920’s but there has been no one who has determined how people get it.  Another thing is that there is no cure at all for ALS.  No medication, radiation, blah blah blah- just complication!  The “Robert Packard Center” website suggest nutritional counseling, excercise, devices such as splints… but why can’t we figure this out? Well, one thing about ALS is that is a somewhat of a rare disease.  However, statistics say that about 30,000 people in the U.S. have it and about 5,000 get diagnosed with it every year.  About 50% of patients live at least 3 or more years after their diagnosis.  I understand that ALS may not be as common as cancer, but I feel that it would be a great accomplishment for someone to find a way that determines how people get the disease… that way we may be able to find a cure…. or just figure out a cure.  It will definitley help a portion of our society becuase the patients and families that are affected by ALS will have some peace of mind. 

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

17. June 2009 by student.

Why is teenage pregnancy so common? Is it because all the media seems to portray is love and sex?  Females who get pregnant in their teenage years are more likely to have lower educational levels and higher rates of poverty. A report by Save the Children found that, annually, 13 million children are born to women under age 20 worldwide, more than 90% in developing countries. The teenage birth rate in the
U.S. is the highest in the developed world, and the teenage abortion rate is also high. The teenage pregnancy rate decreased significantly in the 1990s. However, in 2006 the teenage birth rate rose for the first time in fourteen years. In a Kaiser Family Foundation study of US teenagers, 29% of teens reported feeling pressure to have sex, 33% of sexually active teens reported being in a relationship where they felt things were moving too fast sexually, and 24% had done something sexual they didn’t really want to do. Several polls have indicated peer pressure as a factor in encouraging both girls and boys to have sex. More than 80% of teen pregnancies are unintended. Over half of unintended pregnancies were to women not using contraceptives; most of the rest are due to inconsistent or incorrect use. With all of the sex education out there, why are there still so many unwanted pregnancies? Maybe there just isn’t enough education that is being given, or maybe teenagers are too embarrassed to ask about birth control.  

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

17. June 2009 by student.

I recently saw the worst movie ever made. American History starring Edward Norton. I’ve never been one to notice race much, but wow. This movie made me notice skin color, like never before. For those of you who havent seen it…it is about this guy (we’ll call him joe) whos dad is a fireman that is murdered by black people. Joe becomes a white supremecist. Joe has a little brother. One night Joe’s car is getting broken into by three black guys and he goes out and kills them (in the most violent, gruesome, detailed attack I have ever seen). Joe goes to jail. Joes little brother (well call him Jack) looked up to Joe and decides to be a white supremecist too. While in jail, Joe gets raped (in the most violent, gruesome, detailed rape i have ever seen) by his own people and changes his mind about being a white supremecist, too late to save Jacks life. Any ways. Even though this movie makes me sick to think about it, it had some very good points.

One: The people who raped Joe in jail were white supremecists who were compromising their “beliefs” to make money off the hispanics. Obviously these racist ideas were less important to them then making money. What if everyone in society saw this movie ( or a less graphic version of it) and realized that racism gets in the way of more important things?

Two: Joes little brother dies, because of him. (If you ask me) What if society realized the result their actions are having on their loved ones and actually took time to meditate on these things. Do you think they would change?

 Three: In the end Joe realized all he had was his family, but it was too late for his little brother. If society was more family oriented, maybe people would know this ahead of time and wouldnt go around leaning on  the first creep mentor they find.

Finally: In reality there is going to be crime. There is going to be hatred. I choose to walk around in a bubble and pretend this stuff doesnt really happen. Because the reality of it is that, Joe could easily have been one of us. Blaming color for a problem that doesnt originate there. Searching for an answer in a racist society- what do you expect to find?

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

17. June 2009 by student.

Why are women waiting longer to get married?  It seems that more and more women these days are waiting to commit themselves in a marriage.  With the women’s rights movement, women now have more opportunities available to them than they had in the past.  The days of women staying at home and being a stay at home Mom and wife are long gone.  This is still occurring, but women are taking advantage of higher education and are now focused on pursuing a career of their own lives.  I myself am one of those women that are pursuing a career.  I want to feel fulfilled in my days work and feel like I’m contributing to my family in all the ways possible.  Someday though when I have children I hope to be part of the stay at home “Mom’s club”, that is at least until the children start school.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau the marital status, 15 and over (1950 to 2005) population of unmarried women will soon surpass that of married women.  Our society is changing, and it is interesting to watch as a young adult woman.  Another interesting fact is the average age in the United States for men to first marry is 27.7 and the average age for women is 25.6.  This is according to Wikipedia.  I did think that the statistics were low, but they are definitely higher than the statistics given in the in the last century of this country.  In the last 20 years both men and women show a considerable increase in age at marriage.  Men on average are two years older than the average age in 1980, and women on average are three years older today than when they married in 1980.  I believe this has to do with more women entering into the workforce than before.  The doors have opened for women and are now being treated as more of an equal.  Sexism still exists in 2009, but times have changed since the 1950’s.  Times have changed since the 1980’s even.  My mother in law began her career as an Air Traffic Controller in the 1980’s; by the end of her career she rose up the ladder and became a supervisor in the FAA.  The stories she has told me that she has went through in her career are fascinating.  Times have changed, although there is always room for improvement.  I think it is wonderful for women to be able to stay at home and raise their children themselves, but I also think it is equally wonderful for a woman to be able to go to work every day and do something that makes her happy.  So whatever the age woman are deciding to get married, more power to you, because married life is wonderful.  I have only been married for a year and a half, and it has been so incredible.  I feel that in today’s society and today’s marriage values, marriage was made for me. 

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 2 Comments »

17. June 2009 by student.

Marriages of teenagers used to be quite common for economic or political reasons, but now it is frowned upon. Young love is now neither accepted nor encouraged by society. Maybe so many people are against marriage because of this shocking statistic: more than one half of the people who marry in their teenage years will be divorced in fifteen years.  So then why are so many teenagers in a rush to get married? If someone loves you then they should be willing to wait for you. If a teenage girl gets married young, she misses out on so many things. She is more likely to have less schooling, less experience of life and work, and less independence.  

There is another side to the story of teen marriage though. Not every teenage marriage ends up being a divorce statistic. Ask yourself why you want to get married. If some of the reasons are to get away from your parents, pregnancy, or fear of losing each other, then don’t get married. These are not valid reasons to get married. Marriage needs to be a “want to” and not a “have to”. If you think you are ready to get married, try a few of these things before officially tying the knot: attend a premarital education class or an Engaged Encounter weekend, work out together a realistic budget, volunteer together to work with young kids at a homeless shelter for a few months, or volunteer your time at a soup kitchen facility

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

17. June 2009 by student.

:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Text_messaging

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 1 Comment »

17. June 2009 by student.

Text Messaging is the most convenient way of communicating! Text Messaging is straight to the point without the hassle of calling someone and making a conversation. For instance yesterday was my boyfriend’s birthday, and he received 20 text messages of Happy Birthday. This  was very convenient because instead of him getting 20 phone calls of Happy Birthday they all sent him a text, and sent there love that way.

Many companies have claimed to have sent the very first text message, but according to a former employee of NASA, Edward Lantz, the first was sent via a simple Motorola beeper in 1989 by Raina Forteni from New York city, to Melbourne Beach, Florida using upside down numbers that could be read as words and sounds. The first SMS typed on a GSM phone is claimed to have been sent by Riku Pihkonen, an engineer student at Nokia, in 1993 Today text messaging is the most widely used mobile data service, with 35% of all mobile phone users worldwide or 4.2 Million out of 7.3 Million phone subscribers at end of 2003 being active users of the Short Message Service. In countries like Finland, Sweden and Norway over 72% of the population use SMS. The European average is about 85% and North America is rapidly catching up with over 40% active users of SMS by end of 2006. The largest average usage of the service by mobile phone subscribers is in the Philippines with an average of 15 texts sent per day by subscriber. In Singapore the average is 12 and in South Korea 10. Texting is widely popular among the ages of 13–22 years old; it is increasing among adults and business users as well. The age that a child receives their first cell phone has also decreased, making text messaging a very popular way of communication for all ages. According to both the Mobile Marketing Association and Pew Internet & American Life Project Surveys, 80% of US Mobile phone users text. The split by age group is as follows: 13-27’s: 87% text, 15-37’s 73% text, 28-39’s: 44% text, 40-49’s: 18% text. The amount of texts being sent in the United States has gone up over the years as the price has gone down to an average of $0.10 per text sent and received. Many providers also will make unlimited texting available for a lower price.

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 1 Comment »

17. June 2009 by student.

The dictionary.com definition of love is a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person. That is definition number one. However some believe that love is a decision, a choice, within their control. Among society today i have found (through blongs on other websites) that the popular belief is that is a feeling. I agree with this. Although at times you have to make a choice about this feeling, the feeling itself can not be controled.There is a difficult balance that has to be learned between having a feeling, and acting on it. I love this example: A friend jumps up behind you and you get that startled feeling. You don’t know whether to run, or hit him, or what, but then, just as suddenly you choose to laugh and say “You got me, hahahaha”. You have mastery over the feeling. You made a decision on how to act on that feeling, but you had no control over the fact that the feeling was there in the first place.To me, love is like that. When you get that feeling, you then can choose what to do about it. “Meeting you was chance, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you was out of my control”.Love is an emotion based on your perception of what it should be, and thats where the choice comes in.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

17. June 2009 by student.

Many anti-life supporters acclaim the “virtues” of RU-486, the so-called “morning after” pill. They would have women believe that they can consume this pill in personal safety, killing only the unborn child. But apparently, this gullible liberal belief is very far from the truth. When a woman takes RU-486 she experiences severe cramping, nausea, vomiting and bleeding. Lester Hyman, a spokesman for the manufacturer of RU-48, admitted “there is considerable pain with the procedure.” The emotional distress, however, may have even more impact. Rather than being “over with” in a few minutes (as in a surgical abortion), this abortion could last for over a week. When the woman finally does abort, she will expel a tiny dead human being, her baby. There will be no denying what is really aborted! Edouard Sakiz, the former president of Roussel-Uclaf admits that RU-486 abortions involve “an appalling psychological ordeal.” So much for “easy”. In July 1996, an FDA advisory panel heard the testimony of Dr. Mark Louviere, telling of his experience treating a woman who had taken RU-486 for an abortion. She had lost 1/2 to 2/3 of her blood. She is just one of an estimated 15,000 to 30,000 women a year who will suffer complications from this drug. This is based on the anticipated rate of complications by The Population Council, who hold the patent for RU-486. They anticipate a 1% to 2% complication rate, including cardiac arrest, hemorrhage, and incomplete abortions. If this figure is projected on the 1.5 million abortions done in this country each year, that percentage represents an alarming number of women suffering complications every year. “Safe” is dangerous for women. In reality, American women taking RU-486 will be just as much “guinea pigs” as women from the third world countries. Their health and life will be put at risk for a drug that has not been thoroughly tested, has been “fast tracked” through the FDA approval process and is known to bring about life threatening complications. American women are being used as a “springboard” to get this abortion drug into developing countries where it can be easily administered without a woman’s informed consent.

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »