Should the federal government provide health care for all citizens who cannot afford their own?

I absolutely think we are far behind when it comes to health care in this country. I think health care is a basic right and should be available to everyone. I think Obama is wonderfully courageous for tackling this problem and if he achieves his goals will go down as one of the most influential United States presidents. Health care is so outrageously expensive that many people cannot afford it and end up in debt with medical bills. That is not fair to them who out of anyone cannot afford coverage much less medical bills. I  do however feel like there should be restrictions based on smoking and eating habits. I do not like the idea of paying for peoples bad decisions. There should be a program that requires people to take classes based on their poor diet or smoking habits in order to receive full coverage.

Do certain children's toys create social or emotional or other problems?

There are definitely negative effects experienced from kids playing with certain toys. I think that Barbies give little girls superficial standards of success. Violent boys toys nurture their violent tendencies. I do not however feel like this should be restricted by law because it's the parents job to not buy toys like these for their children. I think there is a severe lack of diversity in our toys and magazines also. Growing up as anything other than a white girl with blond hair there is no relating to the way our dolls look. Diversity is something that is starting to emerge more, but we still have a ways to go. There are also some very educational and inspiring toys on the market available for kids that parents should steer towards.

What techniques should the public schools use to strengthen literacy at all grade levels?

I think that the biggest issue with getting kids to read is all the easier more distracting things there are available in our world today. To combat this I think schools need to assign FUN reading for students. I grew up in a family that reads A LOT. When I was a kid I use to read Ramona Quimby, Nancy Drew, Betsy, Tacy and Tibb and many others; I loved every second of it. When I got into school we were assigned books to read that I found rather drab and tended to read my own books when I should have read those. I understand the relevancy of these reading choices now, but at the time hated it. What would be bad about making Harry Potter an assigned read for kids, just to get them into the fun and fantasy of books. Then once their interest is piqued switch off between fun and educational. In the end, parents are and always will be the key to a child loving books though, bottom line.

Should juvenile offenders be tried and punished as adults?

I do not believe that juveniles should be tried as adults because of the simple fact that they are NOT adults. People do not have the same reasoning skills when they are young, nor do they have a concrete idea of consequences. I definitely believe that juveniles should be punished, coached and restricted based on misbehavior, but not held as legally accountable as an adult would for the same scenario. There are a lot of rebellious kids and especially teenagers that turn out just fine once they get older. Once you get in to system it's hard to get out, so if there's an alternative, be it mentoring or counseling, that's the best direction to go.

Should sex and violence on television or in the movies be restricted?

The problem I see with restricting sex and violence in movies and television  is that it restricts everyone whether they want it or not. I think it's a parents job to make sure their kids aren't exposed to things that will harm them. I grew up in a household where we could always watch R rated movies from a very young age and when there was adult content my mother would explain what it was. She believed in not withholding information from her kids. Because of this upbringing I was lucky enough to be informed about the world and make wise decisions because of it. There were many kids who had not the first clue on things in our world and were more vulnerable because they weren't aware of the harm it can do. 

Should children be required to attend school past the age of sixteen?

I absolutely believe that school should be required until you are a legal adult. The prospects for somebody without a high school diploma are grim at best. There are hardly well paying jobs out there for somebody without a Bachelors degree much less somebody without a High school diploma. The average High school dropout makes 10,000 dollars less a year than the average High school graduate. Also take into account the significant spike in crime rates with the uneducated people. We need to develop more assistance for needy families. Even with the cost of the assistance taken into account we would still come out ahead by billions of dollars. I think education is key to any Country, state, city or communities' success.

BP political cartoon

    The problem with apologies is that it doesn't reverse the damages. I think the oil industry should  treat the way they conduct business with as much caution as the medical industry does. When things are done haphazardly it is absolutely devastating to everybody and everything. I felt sick to my stomach every time I saw a picture of a defenseless animal covered in oil; just waiting to die. The whole situation could have been avoided had they bitten the bullet and shut down operation after their inspection results came back with questionable data. This political cartoon epitomizes the corporate philosophy that apologizing makes everything better.

Egypt political cartoon

         The amusing thing about this political cartoon is how well it sums up the stance that our country takes on issues involving other country's political regimes. We covered our asses by not taking a firm stance because of the slim chance that Mubarak would continue on as dictator. We didn't want to burn our bridge with Egypt even though it was obvious that he should step down. Now that they have their democracy we are of course the first to congratulate. Nevertheless, WAY TO GO EGYPT! The social media revolution is upon us!

Do "beauty" contests serve any purpose in society?

First of all, how disturbing is this picture? I think children's beauty pageants have to be the most disturbing thing in the world. I don't think that beauty pageants serve any purpose in society, but are harmless, glitzy fun for people who are into that kind of thing. Children's beauty pageants on the other hand should be illegal. The only people who go to see them are pedophiles and psychotic, obsessive moms who are verging on child abuse. A child should have an environment that is free of sexual objectification and 6 hour salon visits. To take a young impressionable girl in a bikini and teach her how to strut like sexpot is wrong, just plain old wrong.

Should laws regarding minimum wage be revised?

      In the book Fast Food Nation the author discovered while researching McDonald's for his research, that if McDonald's raised the price of their cheeseburgers by ten cents that they could pay their workers a whole dollar more an hour. I think that concept would most likely hold true across the board. Minimum wage is hardly livable. People who make minimum wage don't get vacations, they can't afford to send their kids to college, they don't have a good standard of living at all. The minimum wage has been raised in small increments over the years, but the amount that is is raised always lags behind the amount that would actually remedy the problem. So yes, I do believe that minimum wage laws should be revised!

McDonalds Political cartoon

   The things that pass as food these days! The general enlarging of today's population is due to fast food and processed foods that we have become so accustomed to eating now. Whoever heard of eating fresh fruits and vegetables when you can have fried food and grease-dripping delicacies like the Big Mac? I think eating habits are difficult to change, but once you start eating healthy it's hard to go back to fast food. Healthy food gives you more energy, vibrancy and resilience. Sooner or later that fast food catches up with you in a BIG way, no pun intended. This political cartoon is funny to me because it also represents the cheapening of culture via fast food. This is a historic piece of art reduced to a slob, comparable to the art of cooking nutrient-rich, delicious and flavorful food reduced to cow feed for the masses.

 

Sarah Palin political cartoon

I think this cartoon is hilarious because it epitomizes Sarah Palin's seemingly innocent, sweet chocolate coating with a vicious bitch nougat center. Notorious for ignorance and white favoritism, she is what represents the outdated and blind sect of America. I find it amusing when people worry about her becoming president someday because as loud and annoying as her following is, they are way outnumbered by sane people in this country still.  In the end I think it will all end up being a ploy for attention, why else would you have a reality show if you really valued your political status?

Catholic Church Political Cartoon

The Catholic church has long been known for it's traditional values. The only problem is that values and traditions transition with a changing population. Things cannot and will not be the same forever, people evolve, people change their outlooks based on life experiences. We learn, we grow! This is a good thing! The catholic church system seems to be in the dark ages about SO many things. Women's rights....Phooey, Birth control.....no way! Let's all see how over populated we can make this earth. Let's shame and guilt people for their own human nature! We all need to have a uniform mindset and if you deviate from that it's hell, hell, hell for you! I suppose the wording of this was strong, but it's a political cartoon... it's not a children's book.

Hamas and Israel political cartoon

The bloodbath continues... and continues... when will it end? Nobody knows. Who does any of this benefit? Nobody. Who will give in? Nobody. This is an age old tale of oil and vinegar, vehement hatred for another group of human beings. There is nothing off limits, child slaughter is even considered a necessary evil in this long-standing battle. This is done in the name of God, well I haven't personally met God, but I'd be willing to bet that he would retch at the sight of such savagery. How people justify this kind of behavior within themselves, I do not know, nor will I ever.

Where and how, if at all, should sex education be conducted?

  

   Sexual education is absolutely crucial. I think it should be taught at school and at home. If it's not taught at home at the very least taught in school starting in the pre-teenage years. There are people who think that teaching kids how to have safe sex will encourage them to partake in it. I absolutely disagree with that thought process. We're humans with human urges and if we're interested in sex we're going to find a way to make it happen. Sexual education class in my high school was quite the opposite of alluring. The teacher taught us about all of the risks involved in sex including sexually transmitted diseases and infections and even pregnancy. The bottom line though is that I was educated about how to be safe when and if I decided to have sex. I myself have never been pregnant because I have always exercised safe practices. The kids of the people who are against sexual education in my high school were the ones who were more likely to turn up pregnant at age sixteen and even fifteen in some cases. Statistics show that sexual education reduces the chance of accidental pregnancy . The proof is in the pudding!

Should parents and other interested citizens censor textbooks and other literature for children in schools?

   The big problem with parents and other parties censoring textbooks is the agenda behind it. The facts are the facts, people can teach their children their own opinion on why or how things happened in our history, but the truth needs to stay intact in order for us to learn from our past mistakes. A lot of what I've been hearing about the people who want to implement changes in history textbooks are people who want to all together remove historical milestones in black history or any history that paints the United states in a bad light. That sugarcoated lalaland idea of how we got to where we are now is the very thing that could digress our progress in this country right back to square one! Let our children form their minds and opinions without manipulation and censorship.

Should law or custom regarding American funeral practices be revised?

  The issue with this countries' funeral practices involve issues with available land and attitude. I feel that the practice of getting buried is a waste of space and irrelevant to honoring the memory of a loved one. I like the idea of scattering ashes in a meaningful location of your loved one's choice. With a soaring population, the amount of space and resources we have available to conduct our funerals in this manner will eventually make it a harder choice for people who want a traditional burial. 

  The other issue with the way we honor our departed is with our attitude about death. There are cultures that celebrate the life of their loved ones more than lament the tragedy of the loss. I wish that the norm for funerals in this country would involve singing, dancing, sharing memories and bonding instead of the cold silence of a formal American funeral. Whatever the tradition is though, I just have endless pity for all who have had a loss in their lives, which makes it hard to judge what tradition they follow in order to feel closure.

The impact of automation on American culture and lifestyles

The use of automation in the wave of the future, there is no denying it or fighting it. For every development there are downfalls of course, the increasing laziness and narcissism is a major downfall of our increased availability of technology. For example, nobody cares that you had a ham sandwich for lunch and there is no need to tweet, blog or post that on facebook! The benefit however out outnumbers the downfalls in my opinion. The further we develop automation the more likely that manual labor and grunt work will become obsolete, giving people a chance to put their efforts towards innovation and development of better, cleaner, more environmentally friendly products. Giving everyone the ability to put their brains to use and not have to scrape by on remedial, degrading tasks for a living, leaving the manual labor to automation.

Should newspaper reporters have to reveal their sources?

  I do not believe that journalists are in the position to reveal all of their sources. Part of getting sources requires getting information from an "inside" person revealing things which they would get fired for revealing. That is the job of the journalist to do the research to either back that information up, or debunk that information. Unfortunately in our world there is not as much transparency in our media as there should be and you can never trust what you read due to government interference and facts being manipulated for political reasons. This invisible fence that lies between fact and manipulation is not going to disappear anytime soon. I tend to find multiple sources on anything I read to get a more well-rounded view on the issue. The problem lays with the news sources that prey on people who get brainwashed by everything the media tell them to think *Fox news* cough cough, although there are equally slanted liberal counterparts to that.

Should pornography be restricted by law?

I believe that the only restrictions that should be put on pornography should be when the content is involving somebody underage, somebody being raped or maimed, or any other content that goes against human or animal rights. People very often try and seemingly never succeed to put restrictions on human nature and I feel like the back fire to that is worst than the act itself. There have been many examples of this that I have seen. One scenario that exemplifies this is when a very religious person such as a priest is suppressing his sexuality to such a degree and for such a long time that he RAPES or molests young alter boys. The question you have to ask is, "would him watching consensual sex via pornography or having consensual sex with an adult  really be worse than that?" My answer is absolutely and unequivocally NO.

"The man with the golden voice"

After reading articles and watching videos about Ted Williams The man with the golden voice, I started to think about the power of addiction. This is a very talented man with a seemingly gentle nature who could have been the most successful announcer or radio personality in the industry, but drugs and alcohol took that dream from him. In one of the videos he had gotten a second chance at making a life out of his talent, getting announcing opportunities and publicity .Slowly he succumbed to drugs and alcohol again, but fortunately he chose to get treatment and the saga continues. I do not have struggles with addiction, nor do I know anyone who does and the more i learn about it via this story or shows like Intervention, the more I wish that nobody has to experience that kind of demon. It trumps talent, it trumps family, addiction trumps all.