28. July 2010 by Mr. Andoscia.

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28. July 2010 by student.

Texting for some peope can be very expensive, but it’s understandable why people find it useful. Texting allows people to “say” things when they can’t talk- while the advantages of this are obvious we are saying things we probably shouldn’t say, to people we probably shouldn’t say it to and at the time should probably be doing something else. People-teens in particular- are even texting and driving, giving rise to car accidents because of this distarction. (Oprah Winfrey has been raising awareness on thisissue through her “No Phone Zone” campaign.

NBC News has reported that about 1/3 of teens send more than 100 texts per day-and this is the primaryway that teens communicate (via phone calls, texting, emails, personally, and social networking). Why is texting so popular? Is it because it makes it seem as though we are really communicating even when we are not? A text message can give false reality or an illusion that we’re communicating even when we are not.

I personally wonder why someone would send me a text rather than calling or even visiting. Visits may not be as convenient or sometimes even appropriate as other ways of communication, but given that texts are inconvenient to type (for some people) and that there is only a percentage limit to which you can type, a text message provides a limited form of communication. It kind of makes sense when you think that texts are technically a “short message service” and not full conversation. Among other means of communication, texts are fine but if used to often it gives the appearance of communication and by nature unable to support a essential conversation. Texts can’t convey emotion to the extent that an audible voice can which is why sensitive conversations are not suitable for this device. When you think about how often people are texting while attending to other tasks, how engaged can they really be with the person they are texting or with the people around them?

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28. July 2010 by student.

Spanking has been one of many controversial discipline methods for the past ten years or more. Twenty years ago spanking a child was never an issue. It was the form of discipline used when the first few warnings didn’t work. Twenty years later by many it’s considered abuse. Every parent should have the right to discipline their child as they see fit (to an extent), so why is it that people think when you spanki your child you’re abusing them? One one side of this debate there are parents who believe it’s okay to spank their children & on the other side their are those who think a child should not be spanked because it’s abuse. In between are the parent’s who believe spanking should be used in certain instances (such as running in the street). The American National College of Pediatrics stated, “Spankinh is oksy when used properly.” So what’s the problem?

The problem is that many parents have gotten out of control when it comes to disciplining their children so much to the point that the government has to tell us how we are “allowed” to discipline our kids. For example The Baby Grace tragedy that occurred in 2007 where a 2yr old toddler was beaten to death because her stepfather was trying to teach her manners. Because of incidents like this, The Department of Children and Families (our child welfare system) has the right to remove children who are in determined to be in imminent danger.

According to the Florida Status (civil code) 415.503, harm to a child’s health or welfare can occur when the parent or any person responsible for that child inflicts, or allows to be inflicted upon the child’s physical, mental, or emotional injury. Factors that must be considered in evaluating any injury to name a few are: prior history of injury, location of injury, multiplicity, and type of trauma. Such injuries include but are not limited to “willful acts” that produce the following injuries. Sprains, dislocations, cartilage damage, bone or skull fractures, burns or scalding, intra cranial hemorrhage or injury to other internal organs suffocation or drowning.

Anyone can listen or visualize this, willingly admit that those definitions are indeed abuse and decipher the difference between that and spanking. Webster’s dictionary of spanking is to hit on the buttocks with an open hand and in my opinion, a nice wooden spoon will do the trick. Overall, spanking depends on how it is applied and when it is being administered in a reasonable manner is not abuse. So why then is it that when you spank your child it’s considered abuse? Because some parent’s are really out of control and abuse their children with the intent of harm. That is child abuse however, it does not justify doing away with spanking children if it is done properly and for the right reasons.

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28. July 2010 by student.

Many people ask, “What causes foreclosures?”  First the economy and jobless rate-people are losing more and more jobs to overseas. Also if we are behind on insurance or mortgage payments, we can bet that we will be a candidate for foreclosure. There are other ways to get in debt such as back child support, and not paying your bills on time. It is very easy to slip into the black hole of financial troubles and it can be extremely difficult to dig the way up and out of it. People need to stay informed and understand what causes home foreclosures. A determination to live within your means is the surest way to prevent financial trouble. We can sometimes do something to earn a little extra income, but it is more important to control your spending. It helps if we make a budget and stick to it. Start a savings account, paying something into it each pay period and don’t touch it unless you absolutely need to. Pay attention to financial responsibilities, wasting money on things  wanted rather than things needed. Using common sense when it comes to our bills and finances will help us stay out of the red and hence out of a home foreclosure.  

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28. July 2010 by student.

Binge drinking has become a major public health issue. It is an ever-growing problem as more adults and adolescents take part in it and social groups have embraced it as a common drinking habit. Bar owners severely influence this with their ‘all-you-can-drink’ deals and ‘2-4-1’s’. Inventions such as the beer bong and beer luge, and drinking games such as beer pong, and flippy cup encourage this practice and give it an appealing “fun factor” to draw more people in to participate.

Statistics show that:
* Binge drinking is most common between ages 18 and 22.
* 42% of college students report binge drinking.
* One in five college students is a frequent (weekly) binge drinker.
* Half of all students who binge drink do so more than once a week.
* Two-thirds of alcohol consumed by college students is consumed by binge drinkers.
* 60% of all problems with the police on college campuses (such as injuries, vandalism, etc.)         involve binge drinkers.

Here are some proposed ways that our society deal with this problem:
* Reduce access to alcohol on college campus by having fewer stores selling alcohol nearby.
* Education by high schools and colleges about the dangers of binge drinking.
* Physician screening, counseling, and referral for treatment of alcohol problems.

Having fewer stores selling alcohol in the area of college campus is stupid. If a store closes, people aren’t going to think to themselves, “That sucks,….I guess I’ll have to stop drinking now.” They are going to go to the few stores left in the area. If there are 10 stores in the area and 5 close, that means business doubles for the other five. Education on the dangers of binge drinking are going to have the same results as education on smoking. I do not see this being effective. Physician screening - who actually listens to their physician? Counseling and treatment is, at a very small percentage, effective. Especially with the relapse rate being at, according to relapseprevention.org, approximately 90%. The majority of relapses are triggered by three situations: anger/frustration, temptation, and social pressure. These methods do not prove fruitful in the big picture of things.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, binge drinkers are 14 times more likely to drive drunk than non-binge drinkers and approximately 1700 college students die each year from binge drinking related deaths. We need to quit promoting this as an acceptable way of drinking in our society.

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28. July 2010 by student.

U.S. Supreme Court case Murray v. Curlett helped to end, at least in theory, the practice of bible and prayer recitation in the public schools. Since then, that legal case and the woman behind it, Madalyn Murray, have been blamed for rising teen pregnancy rates, crime, drug use, violence and youth-related problems. But what social problems does prayer in school really effect? One side wants religious freedom and the other side wants freedom from religion, which is in fact, freedom OF religion. Since 1947, the U.S. Supreme Court has quoted a separation between church and state. Public schools are state-funded which poses a conflict of interest. Schools are supposed to be institutions of teaching in areas of science, math, and history.

According to American Atheists, public schools must remain “religion free zones.” School administrators and teachers have no business in promoting religious beliefs or ceremonies; such a practice violates the basic liberties of millions of school children (and parents) who have no religious ideology. And official prayer in schools also ignores the growing pluralism in American culture over which religion is “right.”

A public school would not be able to simply just pick a religion and invoke the prayers into the curriculum. It wold violate the rights of all students who were of a different affiliation or of none at all.

Take a look at what a prayer actually is. “The wording is usually arranged in such a way as to express unworthiness, emptiness, or being lost. One must also willingly submit to the idea that the uncertainties of life are so overwhelming, so devastating, that the need for assistance from this imaginary being twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week is positively and absolutely necessary. The simple act of existence is in itself dependent on this being’s willful and conscious intent,” states Ronald J. Barrier, American Atheists National Media Coordinator.

Prayers also consist of a fair amount of pre-request flattery. This flattery consists of demonstrating one’s willing servitude to this being, its majesty, power, and control - that we are in debt to this being for the simple act of breathing. Following this disgusting display of self-debasement is the usual request for guidance, inspiration, and the direct involvement of this being in the supplicant’s personal situation or its intervention in someone else’s personal life according to the preferences of the supplicant.

Some of us do not want our kids to feel like they are guilty for having a life. Some people make it seem that if public schools do not have prayer, that all religion will be lost. Teach religion at home. Take your kids to church or Sunday school and have them learn there. There are other, less objectionable and less controversial ways to get religion to your kids.

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