1. December 2009 by student.

We human beings are taking the Florida Panthers habitat over.  There are an estimate of only 80-100 left in Florida.  We are building roads where these animals use to live.  In 2007 alone there was 15 panthers killed by cars.  This is up to at least 15% of all that is left.  A male panther needs at least 120 square miles of land and a female half that, because these animals are so territorial.  Some of the places that have the available land for the panthers do not even have any panthers in it.  1960 was the last time man was aloud to hunt the panther.  The state has put up fences all around major roads in the habitat of the panther to protect them.  There is still construction going on and so many people moving to Florida that we are taking over there habitat.  Many soon believe that the only place you will be able to see these animals is in a zoo.  I hope that they will make a strong comeback like the alligators did.

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1. December 2009 by student.

Woman should be allowed to make their own choices, but before making their decision they should be a little more informed on what they are actually getting themselves into. Parents who have children should inform their kids or talk more to their kids about safe sex. And kids should also go to their parents and talk to them before deciding to have sex. Each side is very different, but by choosing one side of the argument, you are not seeing the whole picture of this issue.          When a woman accidently gets pregnant and is unable to   have the baby, and she does not want to have the baby adopted or keep it, the woman may undergoes a procedure, to have the baby removed from her body. This is called having an abortion.    In order for you get to the whole picture of abortion, you must understand what each side of debate’s values might be , or what they mean  before you choose.

Pro life is when someone is against abortion, and does not believe that a woman should have her own choice of whether or not to keep her own baby. “Pro-life people are diverse in economic status, race, religion, and education. Yet, they are unified by the concept that all humans, especially the innocent unborn, have an inherent right to life Pro life people base their opinions on their moral beliefs, religion, and personal philosophy. “They believe that an unborn child is human, life begins at conception, abortion is not safe, and also that abortion is a war on the unborn” Someone who is pro life might be against abortion as of right now, but what happens when they are in the situation, and they are ones dealing with the decision?  Someone might say,  “well, if more people were having more protected sex these days, then the percentage of abortions would be going down, and more and more people wouldn’t have to be killing babies.”  However, then again, how do you not know it was an accident or if they were having protected sex but the condom broke, people don’t realize this until afterwards, because when you are in the “heat of the moment”, you’re not going to be worried about “Oh my God, did it just break?”  When having sex, you’re not going to think of all the “what if’s”, and maybe we should educate our young now, to think of them, but you can’t just force someone to have protected sex, that’s not up for you to decide.People who are Pro life , try to force those who are going through the decision process of what to do  with the baby , it’s like they try to make them not haven abortion and you can’t really make anyone  not have one,  like I said before that’s not up for you to decide.  There is thing in life called “free- Will”, and this means you can’t make anyone do anything without their permission. The one we want for people to do in life is to love us , and like I said that goes along with the “free –will” part, like love and making decisions, that’s not up to you tell someone, that is their choice. You can give your facts and you’re opinions, but the one thing in life you can’t do is take away someone’s “free-will”. I am not saying that someone who decides to be pro life is a bad person or anything like, because I am not here to stereo type anyone, I am just giving you insight on what a Pro life person might strongly believe about the issue of abortion.

On the other hand, someone who is Pro choice is the total opposite of someone who is pro life. Pro choice is when someone believes the decision about what to do with the baby it should be up to the woman.   Her options might be to one, have an abortion, two, have the baby adopted, and three, just keep the baby. When going through the decision making process there is a lot to think about. You have to think about the person’s age, for someone who is between the ages of fifteen- eighteen, an abortion might be a big decision because some who is between these ages, they aren’t going to want to have a baby and worry about someone else’s life in their hands, teenagers between these ages are just worried about either fitting in high school, getting through high school, and doing what is needed to graduate high school, get a diploma, and go on life in college.  Someone who is going on to a life in college may not be able to have a baby at the time, they might be too worried about getting the credits done that is needed for their degree, or just want to have a normal college experience, they are not going to want to go home and say, I can’t hang out tonight I have to home and take care of the kid or kid. I am not saying  that all people who  go onto a life of college are like that ,  because there are people in this world who do  go  onto college ,  and still can manage having a child. What  I am saying is that  majority of teenagers who  do become college  students , are really worried about  like I said before “ The normal college experience”.   The reason I sate these specific ages is because this represents the majority of people who do have unprotected sex, and who are the ones most likely to have an accidental pregnancy.  I would like to think that by the age of 22 and higher, you would know whether or not, you were ready to have a baby and develop a family.   Another factor to be considered when going through the decision process is money.  What I mean by this, is not everyone in this world has the ability to go out and spend a lot of money to get a procedure done. There is no set price on how much an abortion costs because you have to take in the factors, how far are you in the pregnancy because if you are too far then you would not be able to get an abortion.  It also depends on the length of your procedure, the type of procedure used, and the type of anesthesia used.  Some abortions may cost as low as several hundred dollars, while others may cost up to several thousand dollars.  One more factor you might want to consider when going through the decision process, is before you actually make the decision of getting an abortion you might want to think about the complications that come with getting an abortion, are you willing take the risk, knowing that there might be complications in the end? Here are just some things to think about before deciding on getting an abortion, you have to think about you’re options because there are ways around it.  I believe if you are Pro choice, it is not just about  letting the woman make her own decision but also about telling her what her options before she comes to her final resolution of getting an abortion.  I also believe no one should be forced to do anything when it comes to bearing a child because; sometimes the woman isn’t very lucky and will have to face all the consequences on her own, when in reality she didn’t make the baby alone.   Why should the woman be responsible for everything when the man is the one who got her pregnant?

The story of Roe vs. Wade is about a pregnant single woman brought a class action challenging the constitutionality of the Texas criminal abortion laws. “The Roe v. Wade decision held that a woman, with her doctor, could choose abortion in earlier months of pregnancy without restriction, and with restrictions in later months, based on the right to privacy.” (womenhistory.about.com).   Roe vs. Wade   was decided based on the Ninth amendment   of the United States constitution.  The Ninth Amendment states that there are certain rights listed in the Constitution, but that does not mean that there aren’t other rights that the people have that are not listed. The effect   of Roe vs. Wade was that “all state laws limiting women’s access to abortions during the first trimester of pregnancy were invalidated. State  laws limiting  such access during second trimester  were upheld  only when  the  restrictions were for the  purpose of protecting  the health  of the pregnant woman.  Roe Vs. Wade legalized  abortion in the United States , which was not legal at all in many states and was limited by law in others”.

                           Abortion is also mentioned in the media.   There are many shows about   teaching teenagers not to have unprotected sex, and these medias want to spread the word , so more  of our youth , will start having more protected sex.  Some of these TV shows are,   The Secret Life Of The American Teenager,   This show is about a 15 year old girl who goes one summer to band camp and this boy gets her pregnant by not having protected sex, and so when she gets home from summer and has to go back to school, she suddenly finds out she is pregnant.  And she had to decide  whether or not to keep the baby , because the baby is  not her boyfriend’s baby   who she is dating at the time, it was another guy’s baby  , the guy from band camp , who didn’t want  have anything to do with the baby. In the end, she ends up keeping the baby and now she has more responsibilities then she expected and she can’t all the normal teenage   stuff.  There is one more show that represents unprotected sex and  show you what can happen if you end up  getting pregnant and telling your parents.  The show is called GLEE,   in this show there is a girl who gets pregnant by one man, but she chooses her boyfriend at the time to be the father because she believes he would be a better father then the other guy. And one night she invites the guy who she wants to be the father over for dinner with her parents and the guy ends up telling her parents she is pregnant with his baby. The parents end up evicting her out of the own house. This might be another reason to teach kids to have more protected sex, because not everybody has understanding parents and so if you do end up having a baby, some parents might be okay with it but not every parent is going to be.  So I guess what I am to trying  insist is that more kids have more protected sex because you may think everything is going to be okay but, it’s not worth taking that risk of having another human being’s life in you’re hands. I want to encourage parents and kids to talk about sex and what can happen if you don’t have protected sex. And kids, just because your parents are not talking to you about sex does not mean they don’t care. Parents, just because you’re kid or kids are not talking to you about sex does not mean they are having sex, so if you want them to be more protected , talk to them!

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1. December 2009 by student.

Teenage Pregnancy Programs-

Claim-Would you rather keep spending in upwards of seven million dollars a year to pay for teen pregnancy, or decrease that amount by implementing new sex education classes?

Every year millions dollars is spent due to teen pregnancy to take care of the new mother and child.  And being that the United States has the highest rates in teenage pregnancy, this amount looks to stay for years to come. One third of all teenage girls become pregnant during their teenage years, that’s about 750,000 girls that we are having to pay to take care of.  Although teen births have dropped in the past decade, more needs to be done to lower the numbers.  New sex education classes need to be added to school curriculum.  With these numbers preaching abstinence is obviously not working because sex has pretty much become a part of everyday life.  More has to be done not only to decrease the amount of teen pregnancy, but also keep kids in school and allow them to receive a diploma.  New sex education classes need to be added to middle and high school curriculum.  These programs have already shown good results.  Although like before if these programs become out-of-date they will no longer work. Talking to the kids can also help in informing the students and improving the programs.  Even with good sex ed classes there will still be teen pregnancies.    

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 3 Comments »

1. December 2009 by student.

Teen violence is very common in this nation and people don’t know how to deal with it. I think teens commit these crimes out of anger, jealous, or they do it to fit in. kids need to probably murder or steal to be accepted into gang. Tragically violence is taking its roll of our nations young people. During the past two decades the homicide rate has doubled and the suicide rate has tripled among 10-14 years olds. At present 75% of deaths occurring among 10-19 years old are the result of violence and injury. Among African America’s 15-19 years old, homicide is leading cause of death (Wodarski 1993). Also teens how live in aggressive, destructive, hostile, brutal and cruel home often follow the footsteps of another who acts in that manners.

However when teen violence occur teen either go to jail, juvenal, or boot camp. Which in my opinion is not the solution to this problem. Because I think these kids need help. They need someone to talk to. Counseling in my opinion is the best thing for them. Instead of being in jail with other criminals who encourage them to do greater violence, and brain wash their minds with filth from the streets. Counseling helps with the teens inner emotions. Therefore, Teen violence needs to be reduced by the adults who can help and care for every teens.

However, according to Focus Adolescent Services

Research studies have shown that violent behavior can be decreased or even prevented if these risk factors are significantly reduced or eliminated:

Being the victim of physical abuse and/or sexual abuse Exposure to violence in the home and/or community

Use of drugs and/or alcohol Presence of firearms in home

Combination of stressful family socioeconomic factors (poverty, severe deprivation, marital breakup, single parenting, unemployment, loss of support from extended family) Also, parents should watch for Warning Signs

1. December 2009 by student.

Mexican drug cartels are causing alot of problems in their country, but some of those issues tranfer here to the United States and its a really big issue for our country considering all the war and drugs they are passing through. The Mexican Drug Cartels now dominate the whole sale of drug market in the United States. In recent years the arrest of really key cartels leaders of the Tijuana and Gulf cartels led to increasing the drug violence becuase of the remaining cartels are now fighting for the control of the trafficking routes that como into the United States. Mexico itself is a major producer and transit country. It is now the main foreign supplier of marijuana to the USA. It is also a major supplier of methamphetamine to this country. And although Mexico is only accounted for a small share of the worlwide heroin it still supplies a large share to the United States. The Unites States is now estimating that 90 percent of the cocaine entering the country transits  Mexico-colombia which is the largets cocaine producer. The Mexican Army has severely curtailed  Mexican drug cartels to move cocaine inside U.S.A. and Canada, this increases the violence. Due to the Mexican cartels the The U.S. Justice Department considers the Mexican drug cartels as the greatest organized crime threat to the United States. Really there most be a certain way the USA can control this issue, if not Mexican Drug cartels are going to keep being a major social problem, and there will be more drugs coming in, and it will cause a whole lot of trouble to the USA.

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1. December 2009 by student.

The game of soccer has been associated with violence since its beginnings in 13th century England. Soccer a worldwide sport has its bad side like everything in life. Violence in soccer is normal in almost every part of the world. There are many reasons of why we see violence in this sport. Some examples are the different historical, social, economic, political and cultural factors and also alcohol which is always associated with violence. In Italy, most violence acts occur because of religion issues  Neapolitans harbour more rancour for northern Italians than they do for anyone in the wider world. In Spain, issues from the civil war still reverberate around fixtures between Real Madrid and Athletico Bilbao (two professional soccer clubs). As you can see in some parts of the world soccer is much more than just a sport, its a way of life. Sadly, thousands of people in the world end up going to the emergency rooms or even die because of this problem

In my opinion, this is a really big social problem which I think it will never stop. Ignorance plays a big role in this social problem. Hopefully, one day we can at least reduce the violence and don’t make a beautiful sport in a street battle.

Posted in Social Problems, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

1. December 2009 by student.

There has been quite a bit of coverage on the issue of human trafficking. However, much of the coverage in the media portrays sex trafficking as something that takes places overseas, misleading many in to believing that this is not a growing problem in the United States.

In this article, a woman named Theresa Flores spoke about her encounter with sex trafficking when she was just a teenager: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29181173/

Her story tells about how she was trafficked a couple of nights a week right out of her home, without her parents even knowing. She is quoted saying “just because you make $100,000 a year and live in a fancy house doesn’t mean it won’t happen to your kids”, and then goes on to talk about how common trafficking really is.

A similar story is told by Shauna Newell in this article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27098993/

She tells about how she was abducted and forced in to trafficking when she thought she was just going to have a simple sleepover with her friend.

So with these horrific stories surfacing, why is it still difficult for many to think of trafficking as a problem in America? First of all, the term human trafficking is a poor definition within itself. It literally means to transport, or recruit a person through use of force, coercion, or other means for the purpose of exploitation. So, this leads many to falsely believe that most sex slaves are being shipped here, or to other countries. In fact, in another article written by legal commentator Robin Sax, it was reported that “sex trade is a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide”, and that “The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that there are 200,000 U.S. citizens yearly, who are at high risk of being trafficked throughout the U.S. for sexual purposes.”

There is obviously a lack of awareness when it comes to this issue. Many people also don’t realize that prostitution is a form of trafficking, and that many of the women involved in prostitution are actually forced in to that lifestyle. And as long as forced prostitution is existing in America, human sex trafficking will be directly linked to it. So how do we fix this problem? Instead of criminalizing prostitutes, law enforcement should make more of an effort to arrest the johns and pimps involved.The media needs to step up their part in bringing this issue to light for what it really is.

Reports of trafficking in the U.S. should be highly broadcasted in the media, and individual cases should be treated as more than just sexual acts of violence. Therefore, the public can get a better understanding of how real trafficking is in America.

Additional Works Cited:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robin-sax/human-trafficking-a-probl_b_264789.htmlhttp://www.prostitutionresearch.com/faq/000175.html

Posted in Social Problems | 2 Comments »

1. December 2009 by student.

Facebook.  My favorite.  I met a random person and they asked me if I had a facebook.  With a joking answer I responded no.  She accused me of not being American.  Unreal.  I know.  Someone threatened my citizenship due to a webpage.  I feel that this website is doing a horrible thing when used in excess mannor.  It has become an obcession for many.  Valuable hours pf life spent undating statuses, and joining groups.  I think it is good to be social but how mnay people have lost jobs due to this site.  I have also heard of people being persued by the law because they are dumb enough to have EVIDENCE on their facebook pages trying to look cool.  I am asking for a social change.  Before it gets to bad.  This is threatening the social stability and that is the issue being addressed.  I honestly have lost more friends to their facebook addiction’s then drug addictions.  I do see the other side of the argument with being able to keep in touch with people all around the world, but i thought we solved that issue with cell phones.  I mean, a lot of people’s friends on facebook arn’t even friends at all.  They are just aquantences and people just want to show off pictures of themselves.  I just think its getting out of hand and if someone sends me another request to join a ninja group I might loose it. 

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1. December 2009 by student.

So there are a lot of obese kids running, or I should say walking around these days.  Why might you ask?  Its the food company’s fault right?  Like most parents say its hard for their kids to eat healthy because there is nothing healthy to eat around.  That is BS.  So then what causes it.  How about the fact that we have a holiday that is specifically designed to stuff your face till you cannot move and have to rolled away from the table.  Thats right people, I am talking about Thanksgiving.  Yes, it is an American tradition.  And, yes, Americans are the most obese people in the world.  Make sense?  Yup, just about as much as 2 +2 =4.  Or 4 times bigger after this greta holiday.  Sure, I am a fan of Thanksgiving.  Giving thanks for what we have and the people around us.   But do you think the pilgrims ate till they exploded?  Nope, probably not.  They were breaking bread not belts.  So, I say we give thanks not fats.  I understand that by eating harty it is giving thanks for the food you have and how lucky you are to not be starving, but lets be real.  this is holiday where you are encouraged to eat till you are blue.  Normal kids can take this and run with it.  They love holidays, why not celebrate everyday at lunch by eating this way, or everyday at dinner!  Boom…you have a fat kid.  This is our culture and this is what I am addressing.  Fat is our culture.  OUR…meaning our fault.  So lets do something about it.  How about giving thanks for being able to eat like a king and giving some to the hungry and starving?  I think thats better than having a contest with Uncle Remus to see who eats the most pie this year.  Enjoy your family, not your calorie intake.   

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1. December 2009 by student.

By the time a student enrolls in college, he/she has likely encountered alcohol and its effects, many times, from observing casual, social drinking by adults to his/her own overindulgence with friends.  Through three semesters of college, I have repeatedly witnessed both the immediate and longer term effects of college drinking on fellow students.  Grade suffrage, alcohol dependency, and poor ethical decisions are all associated problems.  In fact, roughly twenty-five percent of college students attribute academic consequences, such as missing or failing a class, to alcohol (College Drinking - Changing the Culture). College drinking greatly affects social stability; the results from such activity, especially excessively, can inhibit an individual from performing to the best of his/her ability.  Students, who routinely drink in college, will most likely endure negative consequences, not only for themselves but for society at large. Typically, thirty-one percent of college students show signs of alcohol abuse, while six percent are alcohol dependent (College Drinking - Changing the Culture). 

Underage students choosing not to consume alcohol unknowingly create struggles between the student classes.  The problem becomes evident in that, the non-drinking student will set him/herself apart from his drinking friends by having a greater school focus, thus achieving higher academic standards.  It is this difference between drinking and non-drinking students that broadens the space between these sectors of college society.   Furthermore, the effects of college drinking can be witnessed on an everyday basis.  Most college students today have already encountered an incoherent, drunken peer, stumbling somewhere, either on or off campus, or perhaps, even been one.  For those not attending college, newspapers and television are filled with details of alcohol-related deaths and crises. Anti-drinking and driving campaigns flood the media yet celebrity rehab attendance is glorified as glamorous.  With society constantly addressing these concerns, young adults fail to receive a clear-cut message of right and wrong.  College students, in particular, are quite prone to succumbing to this, regardless of their social standing.  Easily influenced by their peers, college students drink alcohol to seem “cool” and/or popular.  Each student’s social stratification is virtually non-present in college as all are supposedly there for the same purpose.

“College Drinking - Changing the Culture” <http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/StatsSummaries/snapshot.aspx>.

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 2 Comments »