Rayns' post

I argee with dennis that people do not become violent overnight by vidiogames. vidiogames are gust that. they are a sorce of entertainment. A way for people to not care what is going around them at all. If some one does do something that is in a vidiogame then they have a problem. they are then not able to tell the difference between real and fake. so they sould not play vidiogames at all then. there was a story long ago of a kid nearly drowning himself because he thought spongbob was real. in that fact i say the kid need to have a bit of a reality check. that not everything on tv is real. That should happen to the people that do dumb stuff thatt they do in vidiogames. It not like a person can throw a frag granade jump over it when it explodes and not get hurt.
in short. The person must be a moron to not tell the difference between real and fake. if thats so dont let them play games at all. and dont let them see anything on tv. unless it is biblical, then it is mostly okay then.

Dennis' Post

I don't think violent video games like these are really the cause of children to be violent. Violent video games may have some effect on how people behave but I doubt that this effect is very big. If an average student played a violent video game like this, I doubt he would have a feeling to all of a sudden kill someone or go fight someone. I used to play shooting games like Halo and Counter Strike but that was more for fun and something I did in my free time, but when I used to play these games I didn't think about getting a gun and shooting someone or anything violent like that. I think the violence mainly comes from the type of home someone grows up in, like if they have abusive parents or something. Also, its likely that abusive parents don't care what their kids do, so the kids may be playing a lot of killing games which is why people might make the connection of violent video games causes violence.

The Nitti Beat's Post

Halo 3, GTA(Grand Thieft Auto), and Ranbow 6, I play them all and enjoy to play them very much. My mom never told me what games i could or couldn't play, but I made my own desisions. I also would never get the idea of stealing a car or become a contract killer just by playing these games. However, when i play games like NCAA football or racing games, i take them more seriously because i do both activities in my spare time. When playing games in general i just want to get away from the day and just relax and have fun with my friends when playing online. Overall, if people think that a game is to "violent" then they shouldn't let their kids play it, but don't ruin it for the rest of the kids and adults who enjoy them.

PS: Anyone with XBOX Live hit me up, my gamer tag is NortownAuto64

Manhunt 2

So, I was reading the posts about technology and it got me thinking of a news story I read earlier today... here is the link... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21535818/

Basically, it is talking about how the violence in a new video game "Manhunt 2" is too real, and child advocates are angry. What do you think? I am a little torn on this issue... I am support people's right to create and share whatever they want, but I also know that not all parents really do their job when it comes to censoring what their children have access to... Don't get me wrong... I am not blaming video games for violence, but you can't deny that they are a piece of the puzzle. I mean that violent video games are simply one factor, that when put together with a series of others can be really dangerous. This topic has intrigued me for a long time now, especially as it relates to gender and the links between masculinity and violence.

advancment in games

how many people (that consently play vidio game "gamers") like the way on how games advance? on how back in the day you had simple 8-bit games were fun, but now on how the games on done in real time and next-gen?

Lauren's Post

I definitely can't imagine not having all the technology that we do. A couple of years ago when I was in Jr. High, I remember trying to go one week without using the tv, computer, the phone, or any source of electricity. and i definitely didn't last for more that about three days... :/ Our world has become so used to having these things here that they are a necessity for living. Can you imagine having to send everything through regular mail? It would take businesses and people such a long time to get things done because they'd have to wait longer.

Technology

For me, technology is a necessity. It makes everyday life easier. I can't even imagine how it would be without a cell phone, tv and computer!

About the wildfires..

My brother lives in San Diego and can't get to his house so he has to stay with his mom for right now and that sucks..... so does sara mclaghlan or however you spell it haha

teccchhh =]

i agree with shannon. i dont think i can ever survive day to day without a computer or my cell phone. i think technology has increased our standard for instant gratification, so we get impatience with the "old time" stuff because it usually takes longer to use. i do agree tho that we should take a break from the world of technology we live in once in a while =D

Shannon's Response

In response to Ryan's technology question, I agree. If any of you had Fritz last year we were asked to avoid technology for a few weeks and write about its' affect on our lives. That project was oddly difficult for most people. Nobody seems to realize it, but we've come to depend on technology. Even right now, I'm earning a grade for survey by posting this on a computer. We have come so far with technology that everything is computerized and everyone talks on their cell phones, and nobody thinks about how life used to be. I agree that sometimes you just need to step back and relax. I think everyone should experience at least a week with none, or minimal modern technology just to get a break and to appreciate what we have.

Technology

Do you think that Technology is controling our lives? do you think that every once in a while we should just take a step back from Technology and use that "old time" stuff like lanterns, tents, and stoves?
I can tell you it is very nice to do that every once in a while. what do you think about it?

religion hatred

Why is ther people that hate other religons other than their own? in old days the people that were not of christian or cathlic religion were considered pagons or whitches. they got burned at the stake.
Why is it that there is so much hatred for others religion. they bielive in a god or a higher being right? so why hurt or kill them for it?

Ryans response

I do believe that people that are homosexual should be allowed to adopt kids. It is in thier rights. They are just llike normal people. They eat, breath, and can if want to reproduce. They should be able to adopt kids for another reason. There are not enough childen being adopted. Some just grow up in the orphenarium untill they are adalds or die. So i say let the homosexual people adopt childen.

Jamie's response

I think gays and lesbians should without a doubt be allowed to adopt.
If any of you have heard of the poet Jamie Kilstein, he performed at a Poetry Slam at Durty Nellie's this year and was amazing. This quote is from one of his pieces and really describes what I think of this topic, "These are people who will raise a child for a better reason than 'the condom broke.'" and, "Do you know how many hetero parents shouldn't have children, go to a movie theatre or an IHOP on a Saturday"
I think that picture paints a pretty clear image...

adoption?

i agree with shannon. homosexual people are STILL PEOPLE. theyre just like you and me, just different sexual preference. they should be able to adopt by all means. they have all the means to support and raise a perfectly normal child.

Shannon's Response

I think that gay/lesbians should be able to adopt by all means. Who's to say that they won't be as able of parents than a heterosexual couple? I don't understand how people can be so against homosexual rights, what's it to them if they're allowed to marry? I think everyone should mind their own business and allow homosexuals to have the same marriage and adoption rights as heterosexuals. We're all humans, our sexual preference should not limit our rights.

The People of Manu

What do you guys think of the movie that we watched the last two days? I think it is so amazing how people live like that. Alot of us arnt happy with what we have here and just think they love their lives! They are so close and use the resources around them..... If we lived like that maybe the global warming would'nt be such a big problem and we would'nt be so greedy! I think that we can learn so much from them. They dont have vaccines and stuff made up in a lab they have stuff grown in the rain forest. I dont think you can get much better than that!

But I love how they snort tobacco :) and how the old woman and man were so FUNNY!

Yay music

and by the way Heather.. Sarah Mclaughlin is amazing. lets talk about it.

so how do you all feel about gays/lesbians being able to adopt?

Shannon's Response

I agree with Jamie, the fires spreading is crazy and really scary,I hope it stops. I don't know anyone in that area, but i still don't want it to continue.

I also agree with Sean, I definitely agree that I think when people start to care about the environment it will be too late. We should definitely stop hurting the environment now, our generation needs to take a firmer stand in protecting our planet.

As for the book, I read Doing our Own Thing as well and I found it very difficult to read. It started out pretty interesting but I was bored by page 50, and it kept going downhill from there. I hope my book for next quarter is more enjoyable.

Jamie's Response

Fires: I think it's really scary that these fires are spreading so fast. My really good friend lives in LA and I heard that the fire was coming towards her county. She didn't have school all this week so far, but she said that they did get the fire by her extinguished. Also, my brother lives in Santa Barbara, and I hope that he'll be ok and won't have to evacuate.

Book review: I also had a hard time actually sitting down and writing it, but in the end I guess it went ok. I think the next one should be a little easier because now we know what to expect. Sean did you like that book? I read it for summer reading and I thought it was the worst book I've ever read in my entire life...

Sarah McLachlan: Heather, I haven't really heard any of her songs. But if you say it's a good song I'm gonna have to download it. Yay for illegally downloading music!

Sean's Response to Josh....

Yeah, this being the first "official" (not a summary) book review that I have done, it was kind of a challenge but for the most part once I started writing.... it was a little bit easier... the hardest part I found was taking time out to sit down and actually do some work on it....

The Book I ended up reading was, Doing Our Own Thing.

Sean Talks about the Wildfires...and Global Warming

Yeah, Dennis.... Those Wildfires are pretty crazy... They have displaced almost 1.000.000 people and doesn't show really any signs of stopping... I'm not sure if this has any relation to global warming.. but we are def. screwing up our enviorment. Many people aren't worrying about the world's climate and I'm afraid that, the only time people will start caring is once things become irreversible! But going back to the wildfires... I hope that there will be a break in the winds and hopefully stop all the destruction....

Many people in Cali. are also reporting Fire Tornadoes!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_whirl

Josh Buesching

So what did you guys think about the book review. i thought it was kinda of hard. what are some of the good books you guys read.

Love Me Some Sarah McLachlan

So uh let's talk about how I love her music.

It's pretty much amazing. Her lyrics are so meaningful. And her voice is so chill to listen to.

World on Fire is a terrific song with a good moral

"The more we take, the less we become
A fortune of one that means less for some"

That line of the song pretty much sums it up.

Watch this video. it's amazing what we think is so little, but to others, it's their whole lives......
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8702628888272565676&q=Sarah+Mclachlan+Music+Video&total=752&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=3

Dumbledore being gay.. i dont think its such a bad thing. i think since the harry potter fanbase has a lot of kids, its a good opportunity to teach them that homosexuality is not a bad thing.

messed up

hmm for some reason the website got messed up. Here it is again

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071023/ap_on_re_us/california_
wildfires_188;_ylt=AlO7qnwlJA1zDHEscv91c3XU03oV

Dennis' Post

Anyone else hear about the fires in California

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071023/ap_on_re_us/california_wildfires_188;_ylt=AlO7qnwlJA1zDHEscv91c3XU03oV

Crazy that the weather can cause so much destruction.

Pretty weird that here in Illinois that we have to wear sweatshirts when we go outside while in California, fires are starting because how hot and dry it is there.

Harry Potter: Dumbledore is Gay

JK Rowling admitted to fans that Dumbledore was homosexual and in love with Grindelwald (I guess Harry Potter readers know who that is).
This news brought mix feelings to her fans.

I think its great.
Dumbledore's character is a leader role. People look up to him.

Melissa Anelli, webmaster of the fan site http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org, told The Associated Press. "By dubbing someone so respected, so talented and so kind, as someone who just happens to be also homosexual, she's reinforcing the idea that a person's gayness is not something of which they should be ashamed."

I totally agree with her.

Trish's Responce

First off -- GO CANADA!! I love Canada!!

Second-- When it comes to capital punishment, sometimes it's necessary and sometimes it isn't. The whole idea is both fitting yet demoralizing because it bring up the whole "Eye for an eye makes the whole world blind" thing. For some crimes, like a serial killer, or rapist, yes, they should be put to death. In our society, those are the most horrendous of crimes, but for other things, like petty theft, of course we won't put them to death because they tried to steal an old lady's lamp. I think that, for some cases, we should be aloud to invoke capital punishment but even if someone murdered someone else, it should be a subjective type of judgement, on the court's part, at least.

Liz's response

In response to Bailey and Shannon, I completely agree with the fact that our gun laws are way to lax in this country. It is so easy for anyone wrong person to get a weapon in their hand like guns, knives, bombs…anything….and most of the stuff we sell on the street to convicts is better then what our own law enforcement has to protect ourselves with, which makes it an unfair advantage during attacks. This country is CRAZY!! It is not just our gun laws that are a problem, but basically every law we hold. Our country is just too….too free. It seems as if there are no restrictions or consequences preventing us from doing whatever we want to ourselves and each other. We need to buckle down and put some real order back into society! If you look at the Countries where there are fewer crimes, you’ll see it is because of how strict their laws are AND unlike us, they actually follow through with what they say they are going to do as punishment and not just slap the bad guys on the wrist. One of my favorite rules which I wish was in America, is the one that states, “An eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth”, which mean whatever crime you commit should be the punishment back to you. Yeah, that’s why they have few murders cause who wants to kill someone brutally and then die in the same fashion!? Ummm no one, so let’s enforce that here and maybe it might scare some people enough. I know we have capital punishment and all but we’re so lame about it, most people spend their entire lives waiting to die on death row the actually dieing like they are suppose to. Ehh this country bothers me sometimes….I think I want to move to Canada.



New Question

so what does everyone think about capital punishment anyways?

Ewww...sNAKE (liz)

EWWWWWWWW a SNAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In the potty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree with Tommy....what the H*ll was she eating!!!!!!!!!

I would have FREAK-a-LEEKed if i saw that when I got up!

GROSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!

Liz...

In response to the first question about colleges, I’m planning on going to Harper for two years. College is extremely expensive and since my parents are already trying to provide for my brother at NIU this is a good way to save a little green while getting a lot of the requirements out of the way. As far as where I would like to go after my two years are up is a little tricky. My heart is absolutely set on Loyola or even DePaul (more so Loyola), but due to expenses that might not even be an option anymore. I am a little confused on my major though. For the longest time I had wanted to become a homicide detective, officer, F.B.I and eventually move to S.W.A.T. But as I am going through high school I have found I LOVE psychology and want to incorporate that into my major somehow. I was thinking of become a criminal psychologist and interview serial killers and writing books on that, or even a profiler, but I also really want to be the one at the scene of the crime gather all the evidence and catching the bad guys. Hmm…it’s tough trying to figure out what you want to do with your life when you’re not given much time.

Well I’ sorry for al those who have to write entrance essays. What a bummer…at lest I have another year to worry about that lol.

Shannon's Response

I totally agree with you Bailey, gun laws are way too lax. There should be more prevention laws in place than simply a background check. Obviously something is wrong with our laws, if mass school shootings keep occurring year after year. Compared to other countries, our homicide rates are much higher and we should follow their example. I don't understand how President Bush can allow our country to experience so many tragic shootings, like Virgina Tech, and not take a firmer stand against gun violence. The right to bear arms does not mean that convicted felons should be able to run wild with guns, shooting whoever they please. Even making it slightly more difficult to purchase a gun would help greatly in the long run. I would like to see improvement in the near future.

New Topic...

For my expo. comp. class I have to do a debate on the Brady Laws, which are supposed to make buying a gun more difficult. I think that it is too easy for a person (especially formerly convicted felons) to purchase guns in the United States. What is everyone's opinion on gun violence and prevention?

Jamie's plans

So, I'd really like to go to Columbia College downtown. My dream future career is to be a director, or at least some part of the movie industry. I think if my job was just sweeping floors I wouldn't care, just as long as I could see movie's being made, it think it's really fascinating.
I should get into Columbia no problem, but it's hella expensive, so if I don't end up going there I'm thinking of going to Northeastern Illinois and getting a teaching degree and become a photo teacher. But I'm perfectly content with either job.

Heather's College Plans

So the thought of attending college next year kind of scares me a little bit. I am not sure if I am ready. I mean it's a big step. I know that I get really nervous in new situations. College will definitely take some adjusting for me.

Right now I attend Empire Beauty School. So I am going to finish up my hours there over the summer. And next year I will take business classes or other classes centering around the hair design field. I want to be the best at what I do. I don't want to work at Super Cuts. Nuh uh... I want to be the hair designer for like models in magazines. It' pretty much my dream. I plan on doing whatever it takes to achieve it.

Mandie IS going to college!

Well I'm not allowed to leave the state so i am applying to ISU, Western and Northern. I just gound out i got into Western yesturday yahoo!! Thats where i really want to go. My major is going to most likely be Communicative Disorders/Special Education because i'm really interested in sign language and want to pursue that after college, i would also like to do something in the area of linguistics, literature or journalism.

Scotty B's post

I'm going to go to Harper for 2 years. After that I will decide which school I want to go to. I'll probably do something in the automotive field, but I'm not 100% sure yet.

ewww i would freak out if i saw a snake in the toilet. I dont even understand how it would get in there in the first place unless she put it in the toilet or someone else did as a prank.

7 Foot Python

HAHA Tommy you are crazy! She eats really weird food?! That's ridiculous! I think it is so bizzar to find something like that in your toilet. Now I am going to have to check every time I go... thanks Bailey!!! ;)

Bochat's Response

There was a seven foot python in a womens toilet? thats a little ridiculous.... She must have put it in there... either that or she eats really weird things... I really don't see how that could get in there.

Shannon's Response

In response to Bailey's topic, I think that's absolutely disgusting. I hate snakes and would freak out if there was a seven foot python in my toilet. What's even more revolting is that they don't know how the snake traveled up three stories of piping. I feel so sorry for this lady, that would seriously traumatize me. I wouldn't even know who to call, or what to do if I found a reptile in my toilet.

New Topic...

Did anyone hear about the lady in New York who found a seven foot python in her toilet this week? This lady went to wash her hands and looked over at her toilet and saw the python staring back at her!

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/10/17/2007-10-17_traumatized_by_7foot_python_that_showed_-1.html

What do you think about this?

Shannon's Response

I hate college apps as well. I've been accepted to NIU but I still have yet to send out my other two applications. The essays just take too long. I've had mine written for awhile now, I just don't feel like they're ready to be sent out, but at the same time, I don't have any time to work on them. As for my major, I'm going into elementary education.

janny's response

i haaaaaaaate college applications and essays. seriously, just freaking accept me already! im planning to apply to uiuc, niu, isu, uic. the last 3 are my fallback schools and uiuc is my reach school. i really really really wanna get in uiuc. im trying to maintain my A's in all my classes, but physics is totally kicking my a-hole. =[ so.. yeah. is anybody else stressed with grades, college apps, and all the other crap we have to deal with?

Carrie's Response

As of right now i have no idea where i want to go. i applied to 6 different schools with no first choice. I have a strange variety of TCU (texas Christian University) and Miami of Ohio and then others like U of I and MSU. I am hoping that i will not get into all 6 schools becuase if i do, i will have to end up doing what my sister did the night before her decision was due and flip a coin. I can't even decide on what to major in. either want nutrition and work in a children's hospital or be either a math or history teacher. Too many decisions and still don't think i'm old enough to decide what i should have for dinner everynight.

Bochat's Response

As of right now I am really looking forward to getting out of Fremd. I plan on going to Arizona State University. I really am not sure what i want my major to be in at this point in time. I really should get on that though haha. I no when it gets closer to the end of the year, I wont want to leave. Fremd is so easy and close but its something that must end for everybody.

Keith's Future

I plan on going to one of the in state schools, UIC Eastern or Western, and getting my degree in Secondary Education for Mathematics. I am then going to become a police officer. I am going to get a degree in teaching so if anything ever happens, or I do not enjoy police work, I can fall back on teaching. I think it should work... I hope!

Lauren's Response

Im so excited to get out of here and go to college. I don't know where exactly i want to go yet but I'm keeping my options open and applying to a bunch of different schools like carthage, calvin, ISU, NIU, Marquette and some others. The main fsctors that are going into my college choice are: opportunity for getting a good education degree, location, soccer, and being at a Christian school. I'm pretty sure I want to major in elementary education though. I love kids! =)
Is anyone planning on going far away for college? if yes, do you think it will be hard to adjust to being so far away? because I know for myself that I wouldnt be able to do that.

The Nitti Beat's Post

Purdue in Calumet is the only place I want to go to. I'm going there for three reasons. They have a really good mechanical engineering program, they offer an acceptional business program and its only an hour and a half(an hour the way i drive). I can come home every weekend to race, work, and see my family. I know everybody says that i'm going to want to party, but i never have before and probably never will. I also would rather work and have money for the future and to build my dream car. The other reason i don't want to screw up college is because it's only a back up and i'm just going back to work for my grandfather in the automotive technician industry. They say that's it's the best part of your life, but what sucks is, you have to pay out the ass for a good time.

Trish...a Teacher?

I don't know where I want to go but I know what I wanted to do. I want to be a teacher of some type. I still don't know what grade or anything else but I know I wanted to be. It's a funny story because last year, I was helping one of my Sophmore friends with her math that she was having a hard time with. I remember that I missed a Wed. and she had a test that day, so when I came back on Thurs., she told me that she had a test. It turns out she aced the test and I was excited because I was the one who helped her understand it. Anyways, so if anyone knows of any really good schools for teachers, please lemme know.

Josh Buesching

Every one did a wonderful job. I think that they did the best we could with the time provided. I'm very impressed with what people were doing. Also there was great music being played.

Josh Buesching

Hey everyone, I am kinda of unsure what i want to do. For now i want to go harper and study welding and business. I plan on taking over my dad's welding shop when I get older. If anyone has any info on any good welding school please let me know. Soo what did you guys think about the Meth video that we say. It was really MESSESD up.

Ryans' Post

I am planning on applying to a few colleges. First though I might go to a troditional college. I might go to the Art Institute of Illinois Schamburg, Elgin, and a couple more. I can not think of them at the moment. I would go there for animation a.k.a. vis-com. It is a very competitive area but i think i can make it.
If i cant get into a college for animation i do not know what i would do. That is why I'm going to try to go into a traditional college first. I'm doing that so i can find a major that i can have for a backup.

Hi everybody!

Hi! I hope everyone had a great weekend! I told you all that I would be posting the website for that has the format for the book review... here it is!

This website is much more thorough than the one I showed you in class! I hope it helps you!

http://www.lavc.cc.ca.us/Library/bookreview.htm

Bailey's Response

I agree with Dennis and Bobbo; the hardest part of applying to college is writing the essay. But, the good thing about a college essay is that, unlike the basic application, it really shows who you are as a person. The essay is what sets you apart from all the other kids applying to your school of choice. Overall, I am just excited to be almost done with applications, and I can't wait to go to college.

Bobbo's response

Yeah I agree with dennis on the whole essay thing, I'm applying to quite a few schools too and writing all these essays is kind of annoying. It is worth it though to spend a while writing a good essay and getting into the school you have always wanted to go to. But other than that I'm pumped to go to college. Finally getting out of the house and living on my own is going to be nice.

Dennis' Post

Well, I am going to apply to a couple colleges, most of them being big ten colleges. I wish you didn't have to write essays though, because then applying would be so much easier. I would probably be done if I didn't have to write any essays, but thats just me. But I can't wait until college, I think it would be pretty fun.

This is about the book review we have to do, does anyone know the website that Mr. Spoor showed us on how our book review should look like and what should be in it and all that stuff.

Time for a Subject Change!

I've had enough of subjects that are depressing and bring people down!!!! Let's discuss about something encouraging... like maybe going to college? What are everyone's plans?

Jamie's Response

All of you are saying that reaching out to people isn't realistic. But the smallest things matter, trust me. I've been on both ends of being the one picked on and ostracized and also being the one to sit next to the lonely kid and talk to them. If you know how that feeling of being alone, rejected, and made fun of is then why would you want to put those exact feelings on someone else? I know, you may not be the one doing the damage to them, but if you were in that position wouldn't you want someone to help you feel better?
I'm just sayin, even the smallest things in life can make someone's day. Think of how great it is when someone says "thank you" or "have a great day!" to you. So why not spread the lovin and say "thank you" and "have a nice day" to others. It's really not that hard of a thing to do once you start doing it.

haha, I'm sure you all know how the test make-up lady is a real piece of work, but I said "have a great day" to her once and the look on her face was priceless, I think I actually saw a slight bit of happiness in her face...

School Shootings

Ya school shootings are unfortunate. And there is a way that they can be stopped. Some of you said that they happen because people get picked on at school. So if they happen because of that why do we pick on people? Sure Metal detectors are a good idea and police too but in reality they can really do much because there are so many people in a school to watch for someone could get things by them. The best way is to be nice to people even if you dont like them or just dont talk to them at all or tease them. If they dont do anything to you why should you tease them back. Our world is cruel and some people think its all fun and games until someone gets hurt so why do it to start of with.....

School Shootings

I think school shootings are terrible, but in reality I don't think that there's any way to stop them. School shootings usually happen because a kid gets picked on too much or there's somebody that he really wants revenge on. I don't think school shootings can be prevented because in today's world people are too caught up in their own lives and most likely wouldn't take the time to reach out to somebody who wants the attention. I think the only way schools can even attempt to stop school shootings are to have heightened security systems like metal detectors and more police, but I don't think it would stop the students that really have the determination to make somebody's life miserable.

school shooting

First off, I think it is pathetic that a 14 year old has to resort to something like this to get revenge of a situation.
I think, what really drives these people to do things like shootings is getting the attention they have always wanted. Like Shannon said, aobut Cho and the virginia tech shootings, Cho wanted to be glamorized on T.V. and we did exactly that, and soon as it happened it was all over the television. When the media glamorizes things like that it gives people bad ideas. Same with scary movies, i think it gives people with sick minds good ideas to go out and do something. I also do not think there is a way to stop this from happening. If somebody is crazy enough to bring a gun to school and start shooting people, they are going to find away around the metal detectors and security guards. You never know what is going on in other people's minds, and it's scary.

School Shootings

School shootings are a very unfortunate event and I am not quite sure what sparks them. There are always some kids that most would consider "odd" and they seem to be the kids that are always invovled in a shooting. The previous two points are obvious ones, but what sparks a school schooting? The best thing to do would be to talk to the one who commited it, dig deep into their mind and find out what is going on in their head. However, many times this is impossible because they end up killing themselves after killing others. I never really understood why someone would do that. Maybe they find killing themselves as the easy way out, they will serve no punishment to themselves but do they realize the punishment that they are inflicting upon others? To me it seems selfish. When someone kills themselves all they are considering is themselves. What about their parents, what about the people who care for them?

Schools need to become more invovled with what goes on with students. They are invovled in the sense of drugs, sex, and fights, but they need to be more concerned about what is going through the minds of their students. Schools need to put aside time to have meetings or some kind of group where everyone is invovled. No matter the diversity of the student everyone should feel accepted.

Dennis' post

I heard about the school shooting on the news this morning and I was kind of surprised when I heard a little description of the person that shot people at his school. They said he got in a lot of trouble at school so I kind of thought of him as a "badass" that did a lot of drugs and that kind of stuff and I always think of people that are involved in school shootings as the person you see that sits by himself at lunch and people pick on him. I didn't hear about him getting beat up, but I guess that could have made him shoot people. I think the only way to prevent school shootings is to be nice to everyone and talk to everyone and all that, but in today's world it seems that this is impossible, so until then, I don't think school shootings will ever end and can't really prevent it from happening.

Like Trish mentioned, although reaching out to the odd kid could help, it's not very realistic. People today are too involved in their own lives and typically arn't really concerned for that lonley, often beat up kid, or at least in my experience. Besides stricter gun laws, I think the media could help. When the Virgina Tech massacre occured they showed pictures of Cho wielding his weapons, glamorizing himself. I thought those pictures were inapropriate because he sent them in knowing he would most likely get media coverage. I beleive in one of his videos he was also quoted saying he looked up to Dylan and Eric, the Columbine gunman, and I believe that's why he sent the pictures, so others would look up to him, like he did to Columbine. I don't think those pictures should have been shown and that the media should monitor what they broadcast a little more closley. In a way I feel like because the media showed so many inappropriate pictures of Cho, it could result in more shootings by possible followers.

Stopping the Shooting?

The first question is a little odd to me. We've already put on as many gun-control laws and whatever else that we can while still playing by the rule of the Constitution. People get angry at other people. It's what we do best. It would seem to me that what no-one bothered to ask this kid was why he did what he did. I wonder if anyone ever sat down with this kids and asked him what was wrong. Admittedly, he was carrying a gun and probably wasn't in much of a talkative mood but, I'm talking about before he desided that it was a good idea to bring a gun to school

The second question is a little open-ended because there is no one correct or incorrect answer. You could say that it's the other kids fault for picking on him so they should be dealt with. However, if there was a school counselor, why couldn't he do something about this kid, so maybe it's the school's fault. Maybe the kid was just messed up in the head and there was no help for him. It could be a mixture of all three. I was told once that some people go crazy because no-one will listen to them.

I guess all we really can do is put on stricter gun laws and just keep on with 'Business as Usual'. But, or at least to me, it seems that 'Business as Usual' is what is driving these kids to extreme measures because for them, getting beaten up, picked on, and being ostrasized is 'Business as Usual'. For them, basically not exsisting is the every day norm. I'm not saying that we should start a reach-out program for all the weird or odd kids. All I'm saying is some people need to be heard by people but when they don't really exist, it's kind of hard to be heard. I would say the best way to prevent this is to talk to that one weird kid, or quiet kid you never talk to because you never know if you could be the person who prevents that kid bringing a sawed-off shotgun to school. *shrugs* Sorry if that sounded corny ^_^

SCHOOL SHOOTING

Has anyone heard about the most recent school shooting? In Cleveland Ohio a boy injured two teachers, two students, and shot himself. Fellow students said he was an "odd" kid, and was beaten up a few days prior.

What are every ones thoughts on school shooting?
-How they can be prevented
-What drives them
-What can we do to stop this from happening

meh if no one likes this topic dismiss it, what ever

In response to Heather, I agree that cliques are clear, but they're not crystal clear like in Mean Girls. I don't think we could accurately map out our cafeteria, to an extent maybe, but still not the same. In The Breakfast Club each of the character's stereotype are so clear and definite that I don't think it truely portrays high schoolers today. Occasionally you'll find the person that fits each catergory to the extreme, but for the most part I think our school's cliques are more loose. I think they exist, but they're not as extreme like the movies show.

Heather's Post

In response to Shannon when she said that our cliques aren't clear. That to me isn't too true. Just take a simple walk into the cafeteria and I think you can find distinct cliques. Which is probably a reason why we start to judge people falsely.

Shannon's Response

In response to Jaime's question, I would have to agree with Janny, that The Breakfast Club as well as Mean Girls does an excellent job over exaggerating stereotypes. I think people who are that extreme don't really exist much anymore and our cliques arn't crystal clear like in the movies. I believe everyone is stereotyped, but there are the social butterflies like Janny mentioned, as well as non-defined groups. In response to Melanie's quesiton, I think a better question would be has anyone NOT been stereotyped? People are quick to judge, I know I've judged people and I've been judged in return.

Is Perception Reality?

I agree with Janny, Hollywood did exaggerate the roles of teens in high school in the movie just a little bit. Like when the girl makes a map of the lunch room, the different types of groups mentioned weren't completely relevant. Even though when you walk in the lunch room and you know who is going to sit where most of the time, it isn't always the same. I think that people stereotype others to quickly, that's why I love this movie and the Breakfast Club. It shows that your perception of people isn't always right the first time. I understand that it is human nature to judge by appearance only when you first meet someone, but that doesn't give anyone the right to have a false opinion about them. Has anyone else been stereotyped?

oh and how they talk in that movie, in my opinion, its definitely worse in real life. i have heard a lot of rude greetings as i walk in the hallways. and everybody acts like its ok. some girls i used to be friends with would call me chink, or make racist jokes, and they think that that would be ok just because they have an asian friend (me). its not like it really bothers me anymore, but some people really dont think about what theyre really saying.

So.. i havent seen the breakfast club so dont kill me.

But i have seen Mean Girls. well i saw the majority of the movie. and i think its an attempt at modern day high school. I love how hollywood always exaggerates things. I have cousins my age back in china who've seen the movie and are asking me "are you american high school kids really like that?" and my answer was definitely NOT. i can see a little bit of how that movie is like us now, but it really really REALLY over-exaggerates it. i dont think the cliques at our school are THAT clear. there are some social butterflies who are friends with everybody. and also, not everybody belongs in a specific clique. AND, unless ive been living under a rock, i dont think there's a "most popular" girl of guy at our school. but i do see some similarities in the movie that pertains to our school. as soon as a trend starts, the next day, everybody follows.

Anastasia's aka The Brain response to the breakfast club

Jamie,

I really liked how you changed the subject and mentioned the breakfast club. I think everyone likes that movie. I don't really know which character I relate to most but people tell me that I resemble the brain because I am really quiet and I care a lot about my grades. Although I'd never try killing myself over a grade. I don't think it necessarily portrays high school because nowadays we have diverse cliques. There is a little bit of each character in each person.

American Values

I would like to say people need to change their materialistic ways, but the reality of that happening is not possible. The fact that we are being lead by the fourth branch of the government (AKA the media) does not help our cause. People need to learn that with bravery brings change. The world will never get better if no one is the first to attempt to change it. I love the song "The 4th Branch" by Immortal Technique because it talks about our nations problems so well. How can any of us expect change when all we have is a leader leading us to our ultimate destruction?

The voice of racism preaching the gospel is devilish
A fake church called the prophet Muhammad a terrorist
Forgetting God is not a religion, but a spiritual bond
And Jesus is the most quoted prophet in the Qu'ran
They bombed innocent people, tryin' to murder Saddam
When you gave him those chemical weapons to go to war with Iran
This is the information that they hold back from Peter Jennings
Cause Condoleeza Rice is just a new age Sally Hemmings
I break it down with critical language and spiritual anguish
The Judas I hang with, the guilt of betraying Christ
You murdered and stole his religion, and painting him white
Translated in psychologically tainted philosophy
Conservative political right wing, ideology
Glued together sloppily, the blasphemy of a nation
Got my back to the wall, cause I'm facin' assassination
Guantanamo Bay, federal incarceration
How could this be, the land of the free, home of the brave?
Indigenous holocaust, and the home of the slaves
Corporate America, dancin' offbeat to the rhythm
You really think this country, never sponsored terrorism?
Human rights violations, we continue the saga
El Savador and the contras in Nicaragua
And on top of that, you still wanna take me to prison
Just cause I won't trade humanity for patriotism



The fourth branch of the government AKA the media
Seems to now have a retirement plan for ex-military officials
As if their opinion was at all unbiased
A machine shouldn't speak for men
So shut the F*** up you mindless drone!
And you know it's serious
When these same media outfits are spending millions of dollars on a PR campaign
To try to convince you they're fair and balanced
When they're some of the most ignorant, and racist people
Giving that type of mentality a safe haven
We act like we share in the spoils of war that they do
We die in wars, we don't get the contracts to make money off 'em afterwards!
We don't get weapons contracts, (person)!
We don't get cheap labor for our companies, (person)!
We are cheap labor, (person)!
Turn off the news and read, (person)!
Read... read... read...


This song says our problems so straight forward. Look it up some time if you are ever free.

that last post was Heather's....

oh man.

First off...Breakfast Club is one of my all time favorite movies.

LOVE it.

but yeah John Hughes makes a series of different teen movies.

All of them with a different message.

In the Breakfast Club I think it makes us aware that people in different cliques or in a different so called category are not too different from one another. You don't know the person you most have in common with. It could turn out to be the person you least think. Everyone has their problems. You just don't know everyone's story. A lot of pre-judging goes on in the movie and in real life. You can't judge a person by how they look or present themselves to you each day. They could be putting on an act. An act either to make themselves feel better or for their friends just to keep fitting in. We should learn from this movie. But that's hard because people are so tight with their little group of friends that they aren't going to take the time and sit down and talk with people that are grouped differently than them like they did in the movie.
...
So I really want to watch this movie now.

Bailey's Post

I think that “The Breakfast Club” does an okay job of portraying high school. The movie’s characters tend to be a little too stereotypical, but I think the director/writer of the movie did that on purpose to show people how it is almost impossible to put every person into a distinct social category. I think there is a little bit of each of the characters in everyone and the movie accomplishes what it sets out to do: To make teens think twice about judging people by how they look, and not getting to know them personally.

Jamie's post

As much as these are great discussions, I think this board is in need of a topic that isn't so intense. This may also give people staying out of these arguments a chance to post and not be afraid of people criticizing their opinions..

So I'd like to know what you all think of "The Breakfast Club." Do you think it truly portrays high school? And which character do you think you most resemble?

If you haven't seen this movie, then I suggest checking it out from Blockbuster immediately.

Great Discussion...

So... the death penalty. I have to say there are not many times on this board so far that I have agreed with Keith, but now is one of them. I am absolutely in all circumstances opposed to the death penalty. I see the arguments that people have made, some have been thoughtful and insightful, and some of been radical and in direct violation of the very foundation of the Bill of Rights. I believe in forgiveness and more importantly I do not believe that I am anyone to sit in judgement over another person's life.

Anyway, if anyone wants to discuss something else you could continue our discussion of American values... do you agree with what we discussed in class? Do you think Americans need to reevaluate and change their values? Explain yourself!

Keep up the good work!

Keith's Reflections

MAIN THOUGHT
When did we give the government power to take life?
When did we give the government the power to send people off to their death in war and when did we allow them to kill people on our own soil?
They should never have been able to have that "right"!


In my opinion, the death penalty is never an answer. I will repeat myself alot on this post, and I'm sorry but it's how I feel. FORGIVENESS is the key to everything I am about to say.

But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Matthew 5:44-45

where has all of the forgiveness gone in this world? We want instant gratification and if not, to hell with it. He killed my mother kill him!!! Where the hell do you get the crazy notion that that is an acceptable thought?! Who does anyone who thinks that think they are that they can take someone else life? Does no one read The Bible anymore? The family goes through pain, so why does the person who committed the sin, or "break the law", need to be in pain? Punishment and pain are different here. Here are my responses to every ones posts:

Dennis- So only is someone has killed, then it is acceptable to take their life? But what if it is only one person and in self defense? Do they loose their life because they took one? I do not think it is possible to draw the line. Forgiveness does not mean their does not need to be a punishment.

Janny- An eye for an eye? A life for a life? That is one of the least thought out sayings in the history of man. Wrong doings do not give the victim the authority to commit them back. An eye for an eye and the world goes blind

Carrie- It personally does not make sense to me to give the family of the victim the choice of life and death. Maybe it is just me but i think that that is absolutely crazy. How does the family get the right to take his or her life? The government shouldn't even have that right! And what about people who have not families? Homeless John Doe's who tried to rob a place and got shot? Should the shooter get the death penalty?! In the end a person who has taken a life will get his punishment. God gives the only sentence that matters. We were never given the power to take a life!

Nitti- HOLY CRAP! That is probably the most insensitive atheist thing i have ever heard! They should get their meals because they are HUMAN BEINGS, or has everyone else forgotten about that?! I feel like I am the only person who is fighting for life here! "They should die just as quick as their victims did"? wow! So if they were so wrong as to take someones life in the first place what makes it alright that you take their? I would love to hear and answer on that one because everyone seems to think an eye for an eye, but why is that OK? Nitti man that is one of the saddest opinions I have ever heard but to each his own, I guess.

Kristen- Why is the death penalty justifiable?! I really liked how you said it was a very serious matter, and needs to be thought through before given out. I do not think it is ever justifiable, what are situations you think are?

I think everyone should take a step back for a second, look at this from a different point of view. Do not look at this as victims vs a criminal, but rather a human vs a human. We do not have the right to take each other lives not matter what, even if they had taken someone else's. If it is justifiable to take a life, where do we draw the line?

I simply think that to kill someone is wrong and NEVER justifiable.

Heather's Post

In response to whether I agree with the death penalty, I think it depends on the crime that has been committed. In order for someone to get the death penalty that person would have to have done something terrible. Everyday crimes are not an example. Whether we want to face the truth or not murders happen everyday. So to decide if one of those people that have committed a murder get the death penalty then to me it has to be on large scale.

Kristen's response to the death penalty

The death penalty is one of those topics that sometimes is best to not be brought up because everyone has such conflicting and different view points. In my opinion, in some cases the death penalty is justified. I find it justified in the case of petafiles and rape. People who commit such acts make me sick. What can go through someone's mind that would enable them to think that it is ok to do such a thing? However, sometimes the death penalty is given to those who really do not deserve it. Yes, they do deserve some form of punishment but in many cases not the death penalty. The death penalty is something that should be taken extremely seriously and be given a lot of thought before that punishment is given to someone.

I do not have anything against the death penalty, i believe if you commit a crime, murder somebody, you should be punished for it. One thing is that i think the killers who commit murders and are sentenced to death are almost happy, so they dont have to live everyday locked up. They should just spent the rest of there life in prision, so they can live everyday with what the have done.

The Nitti Beat's Post

Leathal injection or the electric chair, it doesn't matter. The death penalty is needed but not used correctly. When someone committs murder or some other penalty by death and are proven guilty by their peers, they go on death row. Now if death is their punishment then why should they get their meals and live longer on tax payers money. They should die just as quick as their victims died. My real thought is that they should be killed slowly so they feel the angush the victim's family felt. Does anybody know why or have any reasoning to why they go on death row and aren't just excicuted.

Carrie's Response

i agree with dennis completely. Someone in my mom's extened family had a family member who was murdered and although i don't know the details because i was young, i know that the people didn't get the death penalty. I can't imagine what it would be like to know that the person who killed a loved one is still alive in a jail cell. Some people think that they will sit there and regret their actions but i disagree with that. If they are awful enough to comit such a horrible act their not going to sit there and regret it, i can imagine them probably sitting there being like "shit i got caught." Ultimatly i think it should come down to the family whether or not someone gets the death penalty not a judge or jury, becuase obviously everyone has different views.

i think the death penalty is legit. i agree with dennis. if a murderer killed somebody i loved, then i would wish the person dead. its like an eye for an eye. you should be punished with the crime you committed. i know people in general dont agree with the death penalty because its putting somebody to death, even if they committed the most horrible crime.

Dennis' response to death penalty

I think the only time we should use the death penalty is if the person has killed other people. Some people think this is a very harsh punishment but let's say that someone killed one of your family members(hopefully this has never happened or will never happen.) You would most likely want that person to die because he killed someone you know and love. At least this is what I would probably feel because I wouldn't want that person to be alive. Other than that, I don't think the death penalty should be used, instead they should get locked up in jail or something.

Response to death penalty

I am also against the death penalty. Being locked up for their entire lives, isolated, away from society isn't good enough? The death penalty is not humane and a very harsh punishment. What is there to learn from this punishment? I don't think that a person that has commited a huge crime should be punished like that.

Death Penalty

the death penalty is just plain wrong... dont people think about the fact that if you put someone to the death penalty... you are just as guilty for accepting the killing of maybe a killer.... then you become the killer... why don't they think about that???

SOCIAL RANKING

Social Ranking?? I agree with Nitti and Keith... The clothes and the cool cars that kids have are not the reflection of THEIR hard work its the work of their parents... the most important thing to me is responsibility... it doesn't matter the expensive clothes or cars... as long as I know who I am and I don't need to look good in order to fit in.... I'm good....what matters is the person who you are in the inside... my dad always tells me...Don't let the clothes make you,, you....you make the clothes...meaning the way i dress is not who i am...

Response to Shannon about the flag!!!

I know it's ki f late to respond but i hadn't checked the blog... the thing about the flag i understand every single point of view that people have given... but I COMPLETELY disagree w/ Shannon's response... If you paid attention to the video you would've heard that the owner was a WHITE person... In no shape or form were MEXICANS involved in putting up the flag. The owner said that he did that to attract more Mexicans to his establishment. Mexicans are not here to show who is better if one country or another.. But you know who was the person that looked bad NOT a Mexican but an American... So just one thing... MEXICANS DO LOVE THEIR COUNTRY.. but we are not here to disrespect yours....

Scotty B.'s post

In my opinion, there are some cases where the Death Penalty is most definitly justifiable. If we caught Osama Bin Laden, he deserves the death penalty 100%. Same with other notorius criminals throughout history like John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy, and people like that. On the other hand though, in some cases I think it would be better to just keep people locked up forever with no chance of parole, just in case new evidence came out proving them innocent, because there has been cases where people have been put to death and then been discovered to have been innocent. So I'm kind of torn but don't feel strongly one way or the other.

Janelle's Response- Death Penalty

I don't think the death penalty is very necessary. I think that if somebody commits murder they should be left to suffer in jail. I think that giving somebody the death penalty is worthless, because the people who are getting sentenced to the death penalty are obviously crazy and probably would rather just get killed than live in a high security prison for the rest of their lives. I think the death penalty should only be allowed if somebody kills a large number of people and are potentially extremely dangerous to the society. Other than that i think that murderers should be left to suffer in a high security prison in the middle of nowhere.

NEW TOPIC

Spoors 6Th hour class is talking about the...

DEATH PENALTY

Does anyone have some thoughts on it?
Is it just?
Should we do it?
Religious views?

An eye for an eye and the world goes blind!

Social Ranking

I find it very confusing that people weigh their success or "coolness" with other peoples scales. Just because someone has a fast car, big home, or expensive clothes, that does not make them any better than you. In fact, that can make you a little better than them, CAN make you, key word is CAN. People spend all of their life sleeping and wishing they had something else. Instead of spending half of your life sleeping, why don't you do something? Do you think the people doing research on cancer care about Hollister shirts? I don't know maybe they do, but that's not the point. I'm not sure where I was going with this but all I know is that if we weigh ourselves on other peoples scales, we will never measure up to who we can really become. Do not look at something and say man I wish i had that but I don't, so I'm a loser. Instead if you really want that work for it because you want it, not because it will make you looke"cool". At the end of the day when you sit alone with your thoughts, does it bother you you are not as "cool" as everyone else, or are you happy because you know where you stand? Reflection is the greatest gift we have right now, and if the world spent more time to reflect and ask where we are, where we have been, and where we are going, then we would be a lot better off. So try it some time.

REFLECT!

The Nitti Beat's Post

Social Stattus, now a days, is determined by the car you drive and how much money you have. Apparently, at Fremd, this is a bigger deal than it should be. Like I said in class I drive an 1986 Pickup that I worked for and paid for my self. Knowing that not all students can say that gives me a feeling of accomlishment that they will not feel for years to come. I don't know how some of the students in our class are, but for me I also have to pay for my own gas, insurrance, plates, city sticker, etc. Paying for these things suck big time, but by working for them it teaches me certain responseabilities that will be needed to live life and be succesfull at it. Also, I don't understand why parrents buy these cars for their kids, because they wiil probably wind up wrecking them because they are new drivers.

The Nitti Beat's Post

So the guy took down the flag because it was over ours? By now every body should know that i'm not the most pollitically correct person,so here it goes. In my oppinion he was 100% correct and the shop should be written a letter saying why they shouldn't have the other flag over the US's. Isn't there a law or mandate about other flags that give them rank or some type of order. Obviously the vet. could have just put the US flag higher or said something, but he thought that his actions were the best at the time. Seriously though if the media is going to cover a story there are hundreds of other things that are of greater importance, like the possiblility f troops coming home or the presidents veto dealing with the school system. Basically in the over all scheme of things who really will care in five years if the two flags were both taken down.

Response

I agree with what keith said about the american and mexican flag situation. In that situation i would have gotten a little pissed to, knowing that the American falg is always the highest.
And on the student marked with the kkk at a deaf school, i think that is bogus. People really need to start getting over the whole race issue. It is complete crap that someone feels the need to physically do that to somebody just because of the color of their skin. I think the world is everyday getting scarier and scarier to live in, you dont know when some country is going to get pissed enough at the united states and act out in another act of terror.

Janelle's Response to Flag story

I think that the veteran took the whole situation a little too seriously. I understand if he feels strongly about his country, but i think he could of handled the situation differently. Yes, I do realize that we are in the United States, but the owner of the store was a white man, and he didn't mean any harm by flying the Mexican flag above ours, he was just trying to attract more Mexican customers. I think that the veteran could have approached the store owner and told him about his feelings about having the Mexican flag above the American flag, but I think just cutting the flag down would cause more tension and maybe bigger problems between the owner and the veteran. I know I would understand if somebody asked me to take the flag down because it offended them, and I would be a lot more angry if somebody just went and cut it down, without talking to me politely about it first.

Response to Flags

I think the story where a vetern took down a Mexican flag is completley crazy. I understand why he did it, and I don't think it was right for the Mexican flag to be higher than our own, but he could have acted more civil. I agree with him wanting the US flag higher, or just as high, especially considering he defended our country, but there were other ways he could have acted. I also think it's kind of rude to hang another countrys flag higher than your own, I mean if you love Mexico so much, why are you living in the US?

jamie's response

I think that's so disrespectful. Like, it's just bogus to do that to someone in the first place. I couldn't even imagine doing something like that to someone that I absolutely hate. Secondly, it's just so strange to do that in a place for "minorityish" people. These people I'm sure would get really defensive if someone came in and made fun of the deaf students. That's just ridiculous, and really pisses me the hell off. If you know how hurtful it is to make fun of someone and dismiss people, then WHY would you go and physically hurt someone else?

Police: Student marked with 'KKK' at school for deaf

Did you guys hear about the African American student who was pretty much kidnapped? He was held against his will for some time then was released with KKK and swastikas drawn on his body in marker. THAT IS CRAZY!!! It was at a school for the deaf too. This world seems to be falling apart all around us. Does anyone have any opinions or thoughts on where this world, not just the united states but the world is headed?

Keith's FLAG post

I agree with what the veteran did, but i think his actions were a little too much. If I was in a war and saw my friends die, and then was in my home country to see someone else's flag above mine i would have been pissed. I would have done the same thing he did, but not so crazy like, do you know what I mean?
I can defiantly see where the store owner was coming from, but in a country where some people feel so highly against immigrants and are so patriotic, what did he expect?


I don't know, I just saw this on CNN and wanted to know what everyone thought about it.

i guess i could see both their points of views. it could go both ways. they both could be justified. the veteran was just being patriotic, and the owner was just showing his pride of his heritage. and they both could be wrong. the owner should have known that putting the mexican flag over the american was disrespectful. and the veteran didnt have to act like that. i guess i dont really have an opinion about this one because i can see both sides of the issue. i agree with everybody who's posted so far.

I wholeheartedly agree with mel... the vet was completely in the wrong cutting down the mexican flag, but the store should have not put the mexican flag above the american flag. and about the equal rights... There will never be any, because some people always have to put themselves above others so they can feel accomplished at the end of the day.

Flags!!

I agree and disagree... it was wrong for the owner to put the flags in that way but it was even more wrong for the veteran to cut it down... he is the one that is violatin the law by goin into someones property and in some way destroyin it... the owner should have known the flag rules.... but come on the veteran could've gone inside and told the owner and not act that way

Veteran cuts down flags

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2007/10/03/krnv.mex.flag.flap.krnv?iref=videosearch


This is a story about an outraged veteran takes down the flags outside of a Hispanic shop because they put the Mexican flag above the American flag.

Flag rules state:
I.)When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they are to be flown from two separate staffs of the same height. The flags should be of approximately equal size.

II.)International usage forbids the display of one nation above the other in time of peace.



What is your opinion on this?

I Agree with Carrie

It is very outrageous that men can get Viagra through insurance but women can't get things they really do need. But i wonder if for everything men get, do women also get something? maybe men get Viagra but women get something else? I do not know, I was just wondering.

carrie's response

i can see where the insurance companies are getting this theory because a lot of times obese people are not as healthy but not all the time. if they are going to raise the rates of obese people they should also raise the rates of extremely underwieght people because they are suceptable to medical problems as well. Some people are just born overwight and underwieght and they can't help it, it's unfair for them to get high insurance if they didn't do anything to deserve it.

while on the topic of insurance companies, I think insurance companies are crappy beucase they won't cover a lot of things for women but will cover viagra for men. I recently heard that a lot insurance companies don't cover mamagrams for women however if women get breat cancer, they are going to end up paying a lot more in the long run. My insurance company won't pay for me to get the HPV shots or my sister to get prenatal vitamins but man get their viagra covered.

Ones FATnicity

I believe that a person can be overweight but still in good health. My uncle weighs about 250 pounds and is in great shape. He is a great runner is very active, sure is slower, but still does everything with as much effort as everyone else. If insurance companies wants to raise their fees on "obese" people then i think they need to do it on a personal level. They can not just simple place a higher amount on a certain weight and up. It makes no sense to make the assumption that all people who are overweight are out of shape and unhealthy. I can see their point of view and it makes a lot of sense, but I do not agree with it. In the end my opinion is strictly that, my opinion, and it does not really matter. But i HIGHLY disagree with them if they create a higher pay to those of a higher weight.

Obesity & Insurance

I just think that if insurance starts to rise than in that case restaurants should start to do something about the fatty foods they sell.... I agree with who ever said that sometimes its not the peoples fault... some people have diabetes... and thy tend to gain a lot of weight.. not because they eat fatty foods but because of the sickness and even the medicines.. so i really dont think its right.

Dennis' post (Equal Rights)

No one can ever really have equal rights, no matter how hard people try to attain this goal. There will always be discrimination no matter where we go, whether we like it or not. Even though race shouldn't play a factor in getting a job, it does. I read somewhere, I think it was in "Freakonomics," that there were two people, one white, and the other African American. They were both qualified, had the same grades, came from the same background, basically everything was the same except their race. Guess who got the job? The white person. It is obvious that people will never have equal rights, and may not be able to do or get something because of their race or any other difference they may have.

Obese

I do and dont agree that people who are obese should have to pay more for medical insurance. Some people can not help that they are overweight, i believe it has to all do with genetics. But then i also believe it may help Americans to watch what they eat. We live in a world now that is very fast pace, and the trends eating fast food has gone up. Increasing insureance may help set a healthier lifestyle and improve physical health throughout the country.

Danaes Responce

Ok so in responce to Ryans post about the obese people... and the goverment raising taxes on them because they think they will have more medical problems. I honestly think it is a good thing to do that. Because US has a ton of obese people! And when you are you tend to have more problems and with everything that is going on with the food and things it is better to tell them to eat smart and be healthy rather than killing themselfs but they get a discount for being healthy the amount of people would hopefully go down rather then keep going up it would help society. I dont know if that makes sense im kinda sick so I will try and explain it better later

Response to Ryan (Equal Rights)

I disagree with what you said about howpeople claim they don't get a job because of their race... As everyone knows and its pretty obvious im MEXICAN!! I have applied at several jobs and when i fill out the application I never mention my race just to see what happens... so they call and ask for an interview... i obviously go and guess what?? I never get the job but yet i always see some new "white" person on the job...So I then i started to put my race on the application and i never got a response....I think its pretty clear that people do notice your race.... creating assumptions of who you are and what you are capable of doing

Obesity Insurance Question

I have heard that People that are obese will need to pay more on thier insurance because medical specilists say they are more likely to have more medical problems. Do you think it is right for the insurance company to do that? Why or why not?

equal rights

I agree with keith, there are no such thing as equal rights in this country. It may say it in the Bill of Rights but thats not the real world. This is very true if your a differernt race, for example, ever since September 11th people that look muslim have the are suspected automatically at the airport for caring weapons, i have seen it happen when i was going on vacation. I dont believe at anytime everyone will be treated equal, there will always be discrimination against races and one will be favored over the other. I dont think we can ever get everyone treating the people with the same respect they would give to somebody they know, it is just the way we are and i dont think we can change our ways.

Equal Rights responce

There is no such thing as equal rights. If someone is complaining about something because thier "black", "gay", or something. their demanding more rights. Homosexual people are asking for the right to get married. I realy dont care if they do or don't. It think that it should not happen but if they want to go ahead. But i had heard the people that are not able to get a jod they're saying that it's because of thier race. I say they're wrong about that. It could be that the guy just doesn't like you because you were an ass to one of his employers, or you dont meet the cryteria. Those people that dmand something elts and say it's in thier rights. heres my answer, and you can quote me on this. Okay it is part of your rights, what do you want me to do about it. I dislike pepole that try to impose thier rights so others can not go anywere. that's my thoughts on this mater. No one person has equal rights as another person. I (white person) do not have the same rights as a hight or more weather person. In that fact im glade that i don't. Who knows what might happen if i have more rights.

-Ryan out!!!!-

Response to equal rights

In response to Trish's question on whether or not equal rights/equal responsibilities should/do exist I would have to agree with Jamie. I don't think our society will ever be 100% equal to any race or gender at the same time. I think there will always be instances where a certain minority is targeted and a certain one is favored. As for whether or not we should all have equal responsibilities, I would have to say yes. I think everyone should be treated equally and that means equal responsibilites as well. People should expect the same amount from a white student compared to an African American one.

Response to Feminisim

In response to what Keith wrote about feminism and women not jumping at the opportunity to come into power, I must disagree. Yes, men have had power for quite some time, but women havn't simply been sitting around and relaxing. Women have been working to get power positions for quite some time now. For example, women used to not be allowed to vote, but have worked to earn that right as well as others. Jobs that used to be "male jobs" are now being pursued by women, not to mention Hilary Clinton is running for president. I think women have been trying to gain a more powerful position in society and that they will eventually have equal power as men.

Feminism

I do not want to sound like I am against feminism at all but I am just throwing out a different point of view.

Women complain about how they are not being treated fairly, which is true, but what are they all doing about it? I do not mean to sound like an ass I am seriously asking what they are doing about it because I do not know of anything and I would like to be a little more well informed before I jump to conclusions.

Why are women not in power yet? or still struggling to get there? Men have been in charge for a long time, and how did they get in charge in the first place? They took it, at the tip of a sword. Men "stole" the power but now it is theirs (ours but it sounded wrong so theirs). Women need to find something to steal the power back, asking nicely and saying women are more sensitive than men and therefore would make a less rash president is not a very smart approach. Iin my opinion. Because in the end that is all this is, my opinion.

Equal rights?

There is no such thing as equal rights. If you are of a different ethnicity, you will always be criticized and singled out. Stereotyping is a deadly concept. From gang wars to illegal immigrants to 9/11, there will always be reasons to jump to conclusions and some "good" people may get hurt in the way, but that is one of the fights in life. We will never have equal rights in this country or this world because it is not possible. But instead of just complaining, why don't people do something about it?! Nothing will change until someone stands up and fights for them. You take them for granted until you don't have them anymore...

equal rights topic

I remember back sophomore year, I think, when some black girls put a lock in a sock and whipped it around at each other as a weapon. If I'm not mistaken, I think a couple of those girls got expelled, or at least suspended for the rest of the year...
But then last year some white guy took a baseball bat out of his trunk and beat some kid with it. And his punishment was like, suspension for a couple days, maybe a week at the most. I don't know if those are the correct facts, that's just the information that I was informed on. But if my knowledge on that is correct, then that's proof that equal rights don't exist. There are plenty of other reasons that prove that equal rights don't 100% exist, but that's one that I've noticed.

EQUAL RIGHTS

Equal Rights?? No we don't have them.Why? Because people don't care what the Bill of Rights says... What matter is the kind of person you are... For example... I've seen in school and I have personally been in a situation where I'm picked on by the admistrators b/c of the colors I wear. but they dont see that some other white students wearing the same colors are not called out... isn't that violating my right to wear what i would like?? People are just taking advantage of their power to reduce the rights that everyone has....

Response to all

I totally agree w/ Keith... everything that we were taught is based upon ASSUMPTION!!! How can people create the life of a person that has been dead for thousands of years?? Where they there to witness it?? NO!!! So how can they tell us that the LUCY chick died because they hit her head??? Isn't that kind of STUPID!!! honestly i really didn't do good on the test for the reason that I really never payed attention to the whole time we talked about it... So i do agree we should keep out the teachings that rise from Assumptions and not CERTAINTIES!!!!

Response to the New Question

sadly i think no matter how many equal rights laws or rules are made, we can never truly be all eqaul. it honestly i think, has little to do with the government, people are going to treat people the way that they think..meaning if you have someone who feels very superior to others they will most likely not treat others as their equal. its dissapointing but people will always have views, everyone will never agree on one thing no matter how hard you try because different people believe different things. You can tell someone to treat their peers fairfully but in the end its down to that person. even in high school you see a whole social ladder emerging, for whatever reason certain people seem to treated differently than others despite the fact that we all have the same rights. it would be great to have everyone have the mindset we're all equal but unless there is some kind of drastic change in society..its just not going to happen.

THIS IS FOR TRISH

You don't need physical proof for creationism... but what makes you so trusting to the other information? what makes a bunch of theory's put together about bones so true? how could the human body in all its purfect machanics come together in a random series of chances? so you are saying that out of the billions upon billions of planet and stars out there that this specific one(earth) by a random chance first started by a single celled organism? then by random chance, that perfect cell (mind you with no inperfections because how could perfection grow from inperfection right?) randomly mutated and in trillions of years became humans? In the process that random mutations create all of thesde different types of plants and animals? all by chance? So a field of flowers, a mountain, a person, and the sky all happened out of chance? please tell me that there is no maricle there because i would love to hear that!

Evolution VS Religion

Religion taught in school

I would like it if we were taught religion in school. But we aren't... I will not fight for religion being taught in school because all people have the right to believe what they want to believe and a teacher will not teach will full equality to all religions.

I WILL HOWEVER fight to keep false information being taught to children out of the school. it is 100% bull shit to be teaching kids about evolution like it is a fact... it is not... in no way shape or form is evolution a fact or real! (my opinion) we are told it is a theory (maybe) and then get shown a video called walking with cave men and they tell us about "cave men's" everyday life... CRAP!!! all of it... how can they make a video on things they assume... you know what happens when you assume... you make things up. you gather true facts and place them with things that they MIGHT go with... key word there ladies and gentlemen is MIGHT!!! sure it is true that we MAY have come from apes or we MAY have moved out of the trees or even that we MAY have at one time or another grown from a single celled organism... but who knows? I sure as hell don't. and I'm not going to lie and say that i do... so why is our curriculum?

Kepp religion out of the schools all you want... but keep assumptions out as well. because in the end thats all evolution is... a theory or educated guess.

EVOLUTION IS A LIE

This is to the on going EVOLUTION IS BULL concept!

I agree with u in a lot of the areas DENNIS, but i don't feel like u have to answer what you don't think is true. I had a talk with Mr. Spoor about if he would have asked any questions on the test "How are humans still evolving?" i would have handed the test right back to him and said i will not fill these questions in because humans are not evolving, so rewrite the test and i will take it or give me a zero and I will talk to my administrator! Jamie, I see where you are coming from but i disagree a little bit. You don't have to be taught what you do not believe in. You do however need to be taught in what you don't agree with. If I do not agree with the theory of evolution I still may have to learn it but its the fact that it is not true (in my opinion) and we are being taught it!!! Not agreeing and not believing are 2 totaly seperate things. I dont know im lost with my own words sorry.

New Question

In a country where not everyone has equal rights and equal life chances, can we impose equal responsibilities on people or ever really have equal rights? Can we really make people treat other people fairly? If so, how? If not, why?

I'm with Mel

I think that people just push the issue too much and if it was taught in school, some people would feel repressed or that they were wrong. There's physical proof to back up the claims of evolution but I'm still waiting on the proof of Creationism. I asked some of my 4th period classmates what they thought and there was a general consensus that evolution is a science and Creationism is a religion. One of the sophmores said that yea, it could be taught in school if it were opinional but evolution should be treated the same way. In Biology, we are all taught about evolution (In fact, I once heard that a girl stood up in the middle of her Bio class, said 'You all are going to hell!' and left the class) but should Creationism be the same way? Perhaps a new class should arise from this -- Creationism and Evolution: Which is what? -- Just a thought...