1. March 2010 by student.

Last Wednesday at Sea World in Orlando Florida Dawn Brancheau was killed. She was the trainer and performer who worked with Shamu, the killer whale for the performances. Dawn Brancheau was putting on one of her acts when the orca grabbed her by her ponytail and dragged her under the water. This horrible incident occurred in front of her live audience at Sea World. “Shamu”, held her under the water for over forty minutes and played with her body as if it was a toy.

When I think of all the children and adults in the audience who witnessed this I feel sick. It will be a horrible memory that many of them will never forget as long as they live. Although “Shamu” brings in a lot of revenue for Sea World I strongly feel that the whale show needs to come to an end. The whale that killed Dawn has also killed two others before her. How many people must die before this is put to an end?

I don’t feel that whales should be kept in tanks and “trained” as if they are a harmless pet. First of all, no one can guarantee safety to the people who are working with these animals. It is not worth risking the lives of individuals for mere entertainment purposes. Secondly these animals should be left alone to live their life in peace in the ocean. When you put a wild animal in a tank they loose their ability to thrive in the wild. Another concern that I feel needs to be addressed is the fact that these orcas are being taken out of their natural habitat just for entertainment. What gives us this right? Would you want to be taken from your natural habitat and put on display?

Posted in Social Problems | 4 Comments »

1. March 2010 by student.

Recently, a trainer at Sea World in Orlando named Dawn Brancheau was attacked by the killer whale she was about to do an act with. While she began the show, the whale began circling in the tank angrily, and Dawn jumped in the water to begin the trick. Instead of performing the trick, the whale began attacking her. The whale that society viewed as sweet “Shamu” began jumping and landing on the trainer, then proceeded to drag her by the head around the tank, and she drowned. I was seriously shocked when I heard this news. Society believes the Killer Whale at Seaworld named Shamu is a friendly whale that just did some cool tricks with trainers. I remember going to Seaworld and watching a similar show of the show that would have been performed that day, if the accident did not occur. I was even more shocked to find out that, that particular whale had also killed two other trainers! Why had they not put the whale down?  Is a killer whale exactly that: A killer? These are questions that the media are raising, as well as society. This accident has changed our view on how we see Seaworld. This also makes us question how these animals that are kept in captivity are treated. Is keeping them seperate from the wild and making them train for our own amusment really ethical? And could it get someone seriously injured or killed?

I think this accident has caused a serious amount of dysfunction in our society. Who knows, maybe one day they will eliminate Seaworld and theme parks that keep animals captive altogether? Because if you think about it, is it really ethical to keep an animal away from the wild and keep it in a cage? It just doesn’t seem fair.

 If you watch the video of the accident, you would understand why I am so shocked that this happened. To think of all of those children witnessing this, and watching the poor woman getting attacked, it is sickening. It should make society question all theme parks in general. Do we think it was just that particular whale who is violent and dangerous, or is it all whales in general? Was it the way the theme park works the animals to death that made the whale attack, or is a killer whale just a killer?

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-seaworld-orlando-shamu-injury-20100224,0,6350085.story

 Media footage of the attack: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Af67qv5Dzg

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 1 Comment »

1. March 2010 by student.

There are 70,000 product liability law suits in America every year!  The following are real warning labels on products:A push chair carried the following warning: “Remove child before folding.”A sleeping pill prescription read: “Warning: May cause drowsiness.”An iron carried the following warning: “Never iron clothes while they are being worn.”A unique wind-proof beach towel told users: “This towel has been tested to withstand significantly strong winds. But please be advised that during a hurricane this product should not be used to secure yourself or anything of value.”A hair dryer warned users: “Never use while sleeping.”A bathroom heater company covered itself by saying: “This product is not to be used in bathrooms.”An under-arm deodorant container had printed on it: “Caution: Do not spray in eyes.”A toilet that uses recycled flush water had the following warning: “Recycled flush water - Unsafe for drinking.”A novelty rock garden set comes with the warning: “Eating rocks may lead to broken teeth.”A warning on an electric DIY drill cautions: “This product is not intended for use as a dental drill.”A set of cyclist’s shin pads carried the following warning: “Shin pads cannot protect any part of the body that they do not cover.” (www.mundayweb.com).

I think it is in some part the fault of the greedy plaintiffs and lawyers, and judges who cannot or most likely will not distinguish between a legitimate case and frivolous one. In most cases a large amount of the blame can be placed on state legislators that continue to protect their interests and pass laws that hinder the honest but provide loopholes for the greedy.  It seems like we have all heard stories of legitimate cases that were lost or took years to fight.  Most of you know the story of the “Love Canal”.  These people were dying because of their neighborhood being built on top of toxic waste. Their cases got thrown out of court time and time again. Some states, especially in medical malpractice cases make it next to impossible to sue.  In Indiana if you want to sue your doctor you must take your case before 3 doctors.  Those three peers must approve your lawsuit or you cannot take your lawsuit any further.  This is like the police policing the police.   Yet a woman can spill a cup of coffee ON HERSELF and sue McDonald’s for several millions.     

Munday, N. (n.d.). American useless facts. Retrieved from http://www.mundayweb.com/uselessfacts/american.php

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

1. March 2010 by student.

Depressed people have been around since the beginning of time. Most religious text, including the Bible, refer to individuals that went on mountain tops to pray or rest because of deep depression.

This is a real disease. It is most of the time an invisible snake. If remained untreated it often leads to suicide. It does not respect one’s color, gender or age. Just this week, a well known celebrity’s son becomes victim of this invisible serpent. Why are people so judgmental about individuals with this mental illness? Could it be ignorance? Many say things like: “get out and have some fun “or “be a man/ woman” and “snap out of it”. Well, I am not a doctor but I know from experience that it’s not so simple.
Would one expect someone with a broken leg to start running? Depression is a mental illness that needs treatment just like any other ailment.

Posted in Social Problems | 1 Comment »

1. March 2010 by student.

Everyone agrees on one dominant social problem: crime. Crime can be defined as any act or omission of an act which the state can apply sanctions. This topic is very relevant to me; I’ve been a victim of crime. By following the media on a daily basis, one would admit that it is an epidemic. Most people carry guns to protect themselves.

Most sociologists would tell you that crimes exist in the four corners of the world. The results are devastating. The trends in most cities are increasingly higher than what our forefathers witnessed. Law enforcement agencies exhaust every tactic known to men to resolve this epidemic each and every day. Many ask: “What is wrong with our society?” I believe most offenders do not serve enough time in prison for their crimes. As a result of this, we have a society that is not afraid of the law or authorities.

In contrast, according to Steve Gorman (Global Good News) “U.S. law enforcement agencies are reporting a surprising drop in crime last year, with homicide rates in some major cities plunging to levels not seen in four decades, despite deep and prolonged recession, 4.4 percent decline in violent crime led by a 10 percent drop in murders.” He continued to say: “Last year turned out to be the safest on record in New York City. The lowest since 1960. Crime overall was down last year about 11 percent in New York, 12 percent in Chicago and 18 percent in Los Angeles. The number of murders in Dallas is the lowest since 1967.”

The fact is, our streets are much safer then they used to be in spite of what the media reports.
Whose report will you believe?

Posted in Social Problems | 2 Comments »