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.