3. March 2010 by student.

Children are our future. We must work together to protect them and make sure they grow up to be stable, mature & functioning adults.

When children are abused and/or neglected, they are denied of their childhood. They’re forced to deal with situations they shouldn’t have to be thinking about at such a young age. They can develop life long issues due to abuse and/or their parent’s failure to provide them with the appropriate care. These children grow up to lead destructive, unhealthy and dangerous lifestyles. According to <childhelp.org> “Children who experience child abuse & neglect are 59% more likely to be arrested as a juvenile, 28% more likely to be arrested as an adult, and 30% more likely to commit violent crime.” Also, “Eighty percent of young adults who had been abused met the diagnostic criteria for at least 1 psychiatric disorder at the age of 21 (including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, & post-traumatic stress disorder).”

Parents that neglect or abuse their children make a conscience decision to ignore their child’s needs. They simply allow their child to suffer and sometimes even go out of their way to hurt the child. It is very sad when there is any case of abuse or neglect because the child is innocent and did not ask for it. Their parents chose to have a child, as well as chose to not take care of them in a proper way. These parents are selfish and do not realize that it does not only affect them, but the child, the state, and the foster family the state finds for the child.

Child abuse and neglect are senseless crimes and are 100% preventable. I believe people that neglect or abuse their children should be punished to the full extent of the law (longer sentences and higher bails). I also think that it should be harder for them to get their child back. The law should do more to make sure that the parents have changed, and are without a doubt fit to be a good parent. There should also be more money put into public health so that no child will ever get turned away. As well as there needs to be more shelters open to struggling families. Also, all school employees, coaches and child care workers should be trained more thoroughly to look for signs of neglect and abuse. People need to come together to look out for the children that live in their community, and make sure that they have a normal, healthy childhood.

Posted in Social Problems | 1 Comment »

3. March 2010 by student.

Today suicide continues to be a serious problem for our young people. In the U.S. thousands of teenagers commit suicide each year. Suicide is the thrid leading cause of death for 15-to-24 year olds, and sixth leading cause of death for 5-to-14 years old accor5ding to the American Accademy of Child and Adolesent Psychiatry.

Stress, self-doubt , pressure to succeed, finical uncertainty, and other fears that teenagers experince while growing up. For some teenagers the stress of divorsce, multi-families, or moving to a new comminuity can bring on a owerwhelming sense of doubt. For some teens, suicide seems to be the only solution. ti their problems.

  If parents are in doubt wheather their child has a serious problem. An psychaiatric examimation can be helpful. Depression and suicidal feelings are treatable. The teens needs are recoginized and diagnosed.

  Many signs and symptons of suicide feelings are simiular to depression. Parents should be aware of different signs that adolescents may want to kill themselves. A change in eating habits, withdrawl from friends and family, violent behavior, selfmedication, neglect of their personal appearance. A loss of interest that they enjoy.

  If your teen is planning on commiting suicide they may give you a verbal hint, ” I won’t be a problem much longer, nothing matters. Also putting their affairs inorder. For example, giving away belongings and becoming suddenluy cheerful after a long period of derpression. No parent can afford to ignore statements such as, I want to kill myself, or I’m going to kill myself. Always take the statement serious and seek help.

  Sadly now one out of ten teens consider suicide and nearly half of million make an attept each year. Best advise is to listen and take action if you hanve any doubts. 

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3. March 2010 by student.

The 2010 Census is in full circulation this month. The first census was done in 1790. It is mandatory by the constitution of the United States of America, and is to be done every ten years. The census is used to divide and assign seats in the house of representatives. Also, the census is used to distribute federal funds annually. If you refuse to fill out the census government employees will come to your house and demand the information if necessary. If continual refusal you can face up to a 5,000 dollar fine. The census is asking more personal questions this year. The census questions are asking for your race, employment status, the name of everyone in your household, and your telephone number to name a few. There are concern with this years census because of two major changes.  First, ACORN is now involved, becoming a national partner with the 2010 Census. People are having many concerns about giving their personal information, and then handing it off to an ACORN employee. The reason for this concern is because ACORN’s employees have been indited after pleading guilty to voter fraud in the past. In addition to the concern of ACORN’s involvement, the white house announced they are taking control of the census bureau. The reporting authority of the census was  the commerce department,  and now it will report directly to the white house staff. If one political party controls this it may be rigged. The commerce departments rule for census counting is an actual head count. There has been talk about changing the counting rule by using sampling (a mathematical formula) in urban areas and with immigrants, to help count the census more accurately. That could allow the numbers to be screwed, and possibly causing one party to stay in congress longer or getting more political funding.   These concerns are valid. However, the forms must be filled out, regardless of concerns. It has huge effect on politics.  It helps shape our government and future state funding.  Get out your pens and pencils, take part in the 220 year mandatory tradition of the constitution, fill out your census.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

3. March 2010 by student.

  According to the U.S Public Health Service. Smoking Cigarettes is the single most peventable cause of death and diseasse in the U.S. When smoking doesn’t kill, it can result in chronic bronchities, emphysema and heart disease(CDC, 2008). Second-hand smoke affect countless others by smoke related fires and by prenatal expourse to Nicotine.

  Reasearches have also linked Nicotine to usage of other addictive drugs and that nicotine activates the same brain area as cocain. The reported presure are so powefully reinforced( relaxation, increased alertness dimished pain and appetite) that some smokers will continue to smoke even after a cancerous lung is removed.

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2. March 2010 by student.

Teens who become pregnant have a lot to deal with. For decades our society tried hard to break the link between behaviors and consequences. The truth is, we always reap the fruits of our choices. Taking ten minutes out to think before engaging in five minutes of intercourse is always a beneficial idea.

Teen pregnancy results in a variety of consequences affecting the mother, baby, father, family members and society itself.

Statistics frame it well.

What is the future outlook for a pregnant teen? Fewer employment skills. They will be less likely to hold a job for more than six months; only a third will graduate from high school. Their children will also hold a greater chance of becoming pregnant as teenagers, dropping out of school, and living in poverty.
The U.S. has the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in the Western world. Every year around 750,000 teenagers will get pregnant. It costs us about $7 million annually. According to the National Campaign to prevent teen pregnancy, at least 75 percent of teen mothers end up on welfare after their first child.

The good news is that teen births have dropped by a third according to Teenpregnancy.org. With pregnancy prevention programs, this will drop even more in the years to come.

Parents need to be proactive in communication, education, assurance and nurturing love. Teens who feel a sense of self-worth are less likely to sleep with the first boy who says “I love you.”

Posted in Social Problems | 3 Comments »

2. March 2010 by student.

Republican Sen. Jim Bunning of Kentucky has single-handedly blocked a million Americans from receiving unemployment and COBRA health insurence benifits.  “I believe we should pay for it” the senetor said. He continued on saying “I’m trying to make a point to the people of the United States.”  Sen. Bunning wants to find $10.3 billion in spending cuts to pay for the bill.  When his colleagues on the senate floor questioned Sen. Bunning about his actions and told him they thought his possion was wrong, Sen. Bunning replied “tough sh*t.”                                                                        

How noble of Sen. Bunning to make a stand against government spending on the backs of hard working American familys hurting from the current recession.  Where was his stand against excessive government spending when wastful defence bills were passed.  Sen. Bunning has a job. He has healthcare insurense.  Sen. Bunning obviously also has alot of power.  But what about American families that are strapped and are trying to buy grocieres and pay the rent?  How much power do they have?  Americans want to work but when unemployment is at near 10% it is not always possible to find a job.  Unemloyment benifits are a saftey net for Americans when times are tough.  It’s not good enough to say ‘Hey, I have everything I need if you don’t, well then thats just too bad’.  With power comes resposibility.  When circumstances warrant our elected officials have the resposibility to put aside idiogical grandstanding and do what is right for our countries people. 

When reporters approached Sen. Bunning after he left the senate floor and tried to ask him questions he walk toward the elevator and and shot the middle finger over his head.  Sen. Benning I have a point I want to make with you.  Here’s the middle finger right back at ya!

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 2 Comments »

2. March 2010 by student.

Yes, it now has a name, third degree smoking. 

We all know first degree smokers are the ones who actually smoke, kill their lungs, are always coughing, and can barely breath by the time they’re in their 70’s. Also, they can get emphysema,  heart disease, lung disease, and so on.  It can shorten your life by at least 10 years and most of the time even more. And it obviously costs thousands and thousands of dollars.  Even when taxes go up, they’re still willing to pay to get their nicotine fix.

 Secondhand smoke is also known as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) or passive smoke. It is a mixture of 2 forms of smoke that come from burning tobacco: sidestream smoke (smoke that comes from the end of a lighted cigarette, pipe, or cigar) and mainstream smoke (smoke that is exhaled by a smoker).

When non-smokers are exposed to secondhand smoke it is called involuntary smoking or passive smoking. Non-smokers who breathe in secondhand smoke take in nicotine and other toxic chemicals just like smokers do. The more secondhand smoke you are exposed to, the higher the level of these harmful chemicals in your body.

The risks present to those around smokers are not just limited to second hand smoke (passive smoking) but also a less obvious “third hand” smoke residue.

That’s the term being used to describe the invisible yet toxic brew of gases and particles clinging to smokers’ hair and clothing, not to mention cushions and carpeting that lingers long after second-hand smoke has cleared from a room. The residue includes heavy metals, carcinogens and even radioactive materials that young children can get on their hands and ingest, especially if they’re crawling or playing on the floor.

It’s hard to believe that smoking has come to this.  It has a much larger effect on the people and spaces around you than one would think, rather than just being used to simply calm down and relax or to fix to addiction.  I sincerely hope that smoking will eventually come to an end.  I believe it will allow our society and population to live longer and healthier lives and fulfill our dreams to a more realistic time span of achievement.

Works Cited

American Cancer Society

Lampard, John. Dissasociated.com; notedpad to point zero. 7 January 2009. Web. 1 March 2010

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 1 Comment »

2. March 2010 by student.

As you may know Nodar Kumaritashvili was killed training in the beginning of the winter 2010 Olympic games. He was training for his luge event at the time of his death. Nodar was going around a curve and crashed into a pole. There has been much debate about how NBC handled the situation. They showed Nodar’s death during the opening ceremony of the games, without so much as even a graphic warning to viewers. They also showed his crash on their morning news. What gives NBC news the right to show this young man dying?  

The video clip of his death can now be seen even on YouTube. I think that this is a complete outrage. If Nodar was your family member or one of your loved ones, would you want the entire world to see his life come to an end? In my opinion it is extremely disrespectful to Nodar as a person. I also feel that NBC news is only showing his death to try to increase their amount of viewers. Do you feel that NBC put Nodar’s family and friends into consideration before showing this tragic video? Should they have consulted the family for permission first?

Personally I believe that Nodar would want his loved ones to remember all of the great times they shared together and cherish his life. I would not think he would want to be remembered only by his death and the gruesome video. Have you seen the video of his tragic death? How do you feel about all of my concerns?

Rest In Peace Nodar Kumaritashvili

Posted in Social Problems | 1 Comment »

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 | 3 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 »