There are some games that were found on the Google Play Store which are quite fun to play.
1. Kernel Bust – This is a simple game where you have to destroy all the nuts in the game while avoiding hitting the glass objects. The nuts are on a conveyor and the player uses a hammer to break the shells of the nuts.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Brickcover_Games.Kernel_Bust
2.Glass Break – This arcade game is where the objective of the game to destroy objects in the level. The light blocks are used to hit the ball to break the objects in the level. It is very simple to play.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Brickcover_Games.Glass_Break
For the past thirty years, the student loan debt has been a serious topic in the United States. Many people have been affected by this because many students decide to go to college to get a higher education degree. With the hopes of obtaining a degree, most students today graduate with a degree with debt and no job. This has caused many people to find alternate ways to pay their debt off. Many graduates are now working in fields that have nothing to do with their area of study. As of July 1, 2013, student loans rates have increased from 3.4 to 6.8 percent. There are some problems with this and it has to be covered for the proper reasons.
There are many reasons to why this student loan debt is highly affecting society. These are the reasons:
1) Student Loan Companies – These companies are a business and their main goal is to make profit. They offer money to students on high rates which the average student cannot pay back on time which result in late fees. And when these fees occur, the graduate spends more time trying to pay off the loans then the expected time.
2) Jobs Not Available – A college degree today is significantly not as valuable as it use to be. Being a graduate today isnt worth anything that has huge significance. Because some people have success after college does not speak for the average college student. The people who are not in debt will easily say it is the students’ fault for taking out all that money. But that is not the case with some students. Many students have been told that based on the field they enter, they will have certain career choices and benefits. Every field has it own kind of significance. On college campuses, there many people who will be telling students all the benefits of each career based on the area of study, so students can choose their path. But once they graduate, they realize have been sold a false reality. Either they can’t find jobs in their fields or receive low pay for their job in their area of study. Part of the reason why students cant find work because employers say, “we are looking for experience.” So if a student is working all the time to pass their courses, when will they have time to do internships? Some students do internships during their summer breaks but not many students have free time compared to others based on their schedule. So they obtain a degree with no experience which leaves them out of that field to get a job.
3) High Society Debt – Student loan debt has reached up $1-2 trillion and some people think it is complete ridiculous. The debt comes from the students not being able to find jobs after graduating. When a student cant find a job, they fall behind on payments and high debt starts to evolve.
Many people who make these laws obviously dont care because if they did, the problem could have been solved by now. And now the student loan debt has increased from 3.4 to 6.8 percent shows that education today is just a business. How can a student spend four years to get a degree and not guarantee a job after graduation? If students knew this was going to happen, there is high doubt that many people would even go to college.
Apart from that, part of the blame goes on college employees like the professors and advisers. They are suppose to guide students in their area of study and prepare them for the “real world” as they always put it. There are some professors who put students in the right path as they will be encouraging students to apply for internships while they are taking the certain courses so after they complete them, they can land a job. So there some good ones but the rest of them, it is just a job and they have no obligation to guide students in their path. To how things look, some feel like this, “a student is old enough to make their own decisions.” This is true to some extent. But if the professors and advisers know something that could have an affect on the students future because their job is to guide the students, shouldn’t they give they right information?
At the end of the day, no one cares about a student or what they have done with their time in college. These student loan companies only want their money, colleges make sure students graduate, and people with no student loan debt will say it is the students fault and problem, which makes the graduates on their own. Complaining about the injustices of these student loans will fall on deaf ears since they decided to increase the current rates instead of fixing the current problem already existing with millions of graduates. If there is ever going to be a change, students and graduates need to take a stand against the high rates and repayment options.
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Abortion is a very serious topic in the United States. Many people are split over the topic for many reasons which may be religious, political, or personal. Removing a baby from the woman’s womb is a very big risk and major decision which can effect the woman emotionally, psychologically, or her chance to have children in the future. But deciding on the choice of the woman, it can have a direct effect on the child and the father. It is true that women have the final say since it is her body, but when that choice is going to have a direct effect of the father, he has every right to speak on the issue.
For this article, people have different opinions on abortion but I am going to focus on societal and economical reasons.
This debate on abortion happens usually when women become pregnant from age sixteen and older from a man they had sexual encounters with. From this situation, women are usually put in a tight position which can effect their lives for better or worse. In some situations, this is why some women decide to keep the baby:
1) Relationship – Sometimes, women decide to keep the baby because she is in a relationship with the father. The man and the women may be together at the time and the baby may have most likely not been planned, but the baby may be a way to start a family and the birth of the baby may make them closer.
2) Financial check – Some women keep their baby as a form of financial check they will receive from the child support or government aid programs. When a women is young, usually below the age 23, in most cases they dont have a real stable job or income to take care of themselves which covers their rent, bills, and miscellaneous activities talkless of taking care of a baby. When these problems arise, they can force the father of the child pay child support. In some cases, child support may not be enough, so they will be able to receive government assistance such as Department of Human Services for food stamps, Department of Housing and Urban Development for housing.
Some women may decide not to keep the baby for the following reasons:
1) Single parenthood – Women may get pregnant by a man they love, casual encounters, or a one night stand. When some women tell the guy they slept with is pregnant, they tell the woman they have no interest in parenthood or even never see speak to that person again. So these women may end up depressed because the guy she was with wants nothing to do with her. Also, she may face ridicule and shame depending on the family and neighborhood she grew up in. Some family members may disown the girl for getting pregnant so there is no hope in those people trying to help to rise the baby.
2) Holding Back the Future – Having a baby requires a lot of time and work to rise to provide the basic needs to help them grow and receive love and attention. The woman probably made plans to be successful by completing her college education and being a career woman and having a baby is not in the plan. So she may feel having an abortion may be the best solution.
These decisions are mainly based on the woman and some men are stuck with any decision she makes. This is highly unfair and I understand why some men choose not get involved with a woman when she gets pregnant. When these situations arises, society puts most (usually all) the blame on man no matter what happens. The most common lines I hear is “It takes two to tango” and “He should have known better” basically blaming man. Isn’t that crazy? The woman chooses to have sexual encounters with the man and when she get pregnant, the man is the problem. These double standards is part of the reason why some men choose not to be in relationship with a woman who becomes pregnant because if anything goes wrong, he receives all the blame but when things are good, the woman receives all the praise.
But this is where the real problems come into play when it comes to the baby. From the standpoint of the woman not keeping the baby, sometimes a man may want the baby but the woman does not. The woman may get the abortion without the man’s consent instead of her to respect the man’s choice of wanting the child. This basically denies men abortion rights.
So in the reverse direction when women decide to keep the baby without the man’s choice, men are directly effected since they will be reliable for child support. This directly effects the man because he already made up his mind that he does not want to be a father but because of the woman, he will be forced into parenthood whether he is a supportive father or a deadbeat dad. This is why men become annoyed with the system, a man doesn’t want to be a father, shouldn’t he be given that right? Of course, society will point the blame and say to the guy, “You knew what you were doing when you were with her.” But no one points out that she allowed him to have sex with her knowing he has no plans for long term commitment or having a child. When this situations happen, some guys do the most outrageous things which have an effect on the mother, child, and themselves.
According to the New York Daily News, a Connecticut man named Carlton Bryan,21, was arrested for the murder of his girlfriend Shamari Jenkins, 20, as he allegedly hired his friend, Matthew Allen Hall Davis, to be a hitman and kill his girlfriend in April 2013. The reason for the hitman was because Bryan wanted her to get an abortion and refused.
In another story about abortion, a 28 year old man named James Andrew Welden tricked his ex girlfriend Renee Lee into taking abortion pills. According to the Huffington Post, the couple started dating around the middle of 2012 and she became pregnant in February 2013. Lee wanted to have the baby but Welden was against it. So he basically kept on seeing his ex girlfriend and tricked her into taking abortion pills when she thought was taking Amoxicillin. Lee was six weeks and five days pregnant when she lost the baby. He has been indicted by federal grand jury for product tampering and first-degree murder and faces up life in prison if convicted.
The two stories of Carlton Bryan and Welden are very important to understand. What they did was not acceptable in any way, shape, or form. They committed these crimes because they felt it was the only way out. They both had girlfriends who got pregnant and their girlfriends wanted to keep the baby but they didnt want the baby. They have their own reasons on why they dont want to be parents which they only know the answer. But the main theory that can be seen from these scenarios is that these men do not want to pay child support. Child support is an eighteen year financial commitment which some people are not willing to commit and when men are put into these situations, it makes them go into deep thinking and some cases act irrational due to stress of the possible future. This is the reason why men should be involved in abortion rights.
Let’s look at it from the woman’s perspective. According to the New York Daily News, a woman named Ariel Devonish-Francis ,19, from the Bronx, New York, threw her stillborn baby into a garbage chute in her building. The child was found dead in a garbage bag in the basement. Devonish-Francis was charged with “unlawful disposal of a cadaver.”
This where the problems arise when it comes to abortion. This woman Ariel Devonish-Francis threw her stillborn baby into a garbage chute and faces light charges but James Welden faces life in prison if convicted for killing of an unborn child. This is the problem with abortion rights. A woman can do anything she wants when it comes to the baby but men can’t say anything. If men had a say in the birth of a child, there would be less problems surrounding this issue. Devonish-Francis could have given her baby up for adoption if there was a possibility of child being born alive or report it to the hospital to confirm it was born dead instead of throwing it into the garbage chute but faces light charges. This is where the debate of abortion starts because one party does not have the same legal right as the other and this needs to be fixed or amended so both parties can have the same right.
Abortion has been a serious issue in the United States for the past thirty years ( and longer) as women have the power to determine the life of a baby without the consent of the father but expects the man to accept the choice she makes. Sometimes when a man wants to have the baby and the woman does not want to keep it, she can have an abortion without the mans knowledge or consent. But if the woman wants to keep the baby, she directly forces the man to be responsible for the child and have a financial obligation through child support. To some women, a child is a blessing and something they always wanted, but to others, it is a financial asset. People say, “It takes two to tango” or ” He should have known better” to put the blame and responsibility on the man if anything goes wrong. Men have been thrown in jail for non-child support payments. The decision of the woman to keep the child has an effect the man but society is so quick to throw the man under the bus. Because in this society, men have no rights when it comes to the birth of a child. It takes two to tango but it takes one to make a decision.
There should be a new law that should allow men to have the option to remove himself from any financial obligations of the child if both parents cannot agree on having the child. So if a woman decides to have a child but the man does not want a child, he should not have any financial responsibility and the woman should be solely responsible.
Do you think it is time for men to have abortion rights? and remove himself from any kind of financial obligation if a woman wants to keep the child and the man doesn’t?
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Many people enter relationships for many reasons in order to find the person who they want to be with for long-term and short term relationships. Some relationships may have problems that can easily be fixed while some can’t. If some people are not happy being in a relationship, it is better to walk away than to repair. But ladies, if you have a man and don’t like his behavior, there is a phone app called The Boyfriend Trainer.
The Boyfriend Trainer is an app which focuses on making your boyfriend into the lover the woman wants him to be. In the game, the woman (the player) can physically assault her boyfriend anytime he acts out of line. She can hit him by slapping him or using a weapon like a tennis racket, belt, and other items. If scolding your boyfriend doesn’t work, just use a weapon to put him in line and he will learn to behave better. As of February 4, 2013, the game currently has an average rating of 3.4. The game is for players age four and older. Here is the game description:
No boyfriend is perfect! It’s time you trained him to become one. Crack that whip and teach your guy a thing or two about being the Perfect Boyfriend! When scolding doesn’t work, just zap him, whack him and train him to be your ideal man…… Have fun!
There are many things wrong with this game. First, it encourages women to think its okay to hit men which may increase domestic violence in relationships. Based on the graphics in the game, its looks like a cartoon so people playing the game find it as a source of entertainment and condone the serious issue of violence. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics Crime Data Brief, it states that 85% of women in relationship were domestically abused. But if violence is wrong and a serious topic in America, why would there be an app for entertainment on hitting men?
Domestic violence against men seems to be a source of entertainment. In many films and television shows, it has become a comedic routine to degrade men by physical and verbal abuse. Many male characters in films and television shows (mainly comedies) are always looked down upon by a statement made by another character in some way, shape, or form questioning his manhood. But women (in most cases) are not depicted in the same way as people may not find it as funny. It may be difficult for people to understand how domestic abuse can be funny on one gender and not the other.
Humans are alike, if you hit someone, they are going to feel pain and react. In October 2012, a woman named Shi’dea Lane, entered a bus in Cleveland, Ohio and did not have money to pay and the bus driver, Artis Hughes, told her to she needs to get off the bus at the next stop then they engaged in a verbal altercation. Then Lane went and hit Hughes while he was driving the bus and Hughes stopped and reacted by hitting her back. The whole situation could have been avoided if Lane did not attack Hughes in the first place. For some reason, people think its okay to hit someone and not expect that person to react which is not possible.
Domestic abuse is a serious problem in our society and it needs to be taken with proper caution. Some people tend to find this phone app The Boyfriend Trainer as a source of entertainment as it degrades men by beating them into doing the right thing by the woman. But if there was a game called Slap This Girl into Obedience, there would be a complete protest and petition to get that game banned and never see the light or day. There is nothing funny or entertaining about domestic violence. But if there are games like this showing women to control their boyfriends, how can many people take domestic abuse as a serious topic.
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Politics in the United States has been a controversial topic due to the fact that people have different views. Some people have voiced their opinion on how some leaders are contributing to the problem rather than solving it. Politicians have been questioned over their ethics and behaviors on certain issues involving certain demographics and highly criticized over their foreign policy. The Obama Administration faces scrutiny all the time over their laws and policies affecting society which comes from news analysts, bloggers, and ordinary citizens. Recently, Lupe Fiasco, an American rapper, has received mixed reviews over his comments criticizing Obama and the US Government. He has the right to voice his opinion but where he said it may have been the problem which made people look down on him and not the message he was trying to send.
On January 20, 2013, StartUp RockOn had a celebration for the re-election of President Barack Obama on his second term in office at the Hamilton Live Theater in Washington DC. Lupe Fiasco went on stage and performed an anti-war song title Words I Never Said attacking President Obama. There was a video clip showing Lupe saying some of the lyrics which included, “Limbaugh is a racist, Glenn Beck is a racist, Gaza strip was getting bombed, Obama didn’t say shit, That’s why I ain’t vote for him.” Then some security guards came on and asked the rapper to leave the stage. It looked like the crowd was silent and having mixed feelings over the song. Some people praised Lupe for speaking his mind while some felt it was unnecessary.
If you really wanted to analyze the situation, some people view the actions of Lupe Fiasco as an act of bravery. He spoke out against Obama and how he reacts to politics when it comes to certain situations. Obama has been labelled a terrorist for sending troops overseas for the better interest of the United States which has taken the lives of innocent people. Lupe has a strong fan base who have been giving major praise for his voice speaking out against many political analysts like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck who make foul or improper statement against different minority and ethic groups.
Although he has been praised for his performance, he has also received many backlash for his statements. Some people felt it was very disrespectful for him to make such statements about President Obama. He has no respect for authority for making such statements on an inauguration event dedicated to the re-election of President Obama. He went on stage to perform an anti-war song which he knew the event was in the honor of the President. This is a high level of disrespect. It is by choice to like or dislike President Obama and it is also a choice to perform if you don’t like the event that is being displayed.
After Lupe Fiasco made his statements through his anti-war comments at the inauguration event, can the blame really be placed on him completely? Most cases, yes but in this case, it is partially not his fault. Let’s examine this part thoroughly. Lupe has been making statements against Obama many years before. In June 2011, on a CBS Program called What Happening, Lupe made the following statement about President Obama:
“My fight against terrorism, to me, the biggest terrorist is Obama and the United States of America. I’m trying to fight the terrorism that’s actually causing the other forms of terrorism.”
He made it clear that he does not like President’s Obama and his views on politics and has completely different views on what is being presented in the media. But Lupe had attracted many negative comments when it comes to politics especially during the 2012 Presidential Election between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney when he said he is not going to vote. Actor and comedian DL Hughley made a statement on Hot 973.7/Hartford about Lupe’s decision not to vote by saying, “He’s bright as hell, but dumb in the ways of the world.” DL Hughley is one of many people who don’t agree with his views and actions on politics. Not voting does not help solve the problem and that was part of the point Hughley was trying to make.
After Lupe Fiasco has been making statements about President Obama, the US Government, and making the decision not to vote, who organized the inauguration event that would ask him to perform on stage? It is very clear that Lupe does not agree with the current system of politics and who would decide to ask him to perform? Did they ask him which songs he would perform and songs not to perform? There were speculations that he was thrown off the stage due to his anti-war song while some sources say organizers came and asked him to leave the stage due to the dissatisfaction of the crowd. If people knew his views beforehand, why would he be asked to perform at an inauguration event and why would he agree to do it?
Lupe Fiasco is conscious hip hop artist who has a strong view on politics. It is obvious he wants to enlighten the minds of people in society in hoping that they will be aware and more concerned about politics. But some people feel he is enlightening the minds of people in the wrong way through his actions of not voting and calling the President a terrorist. He has the right to freedom of speech but where he decided to voice his opinion on President Obama was not acceptable. The inauguration event was suppose to celebrate President Obama’s second term in office and he had no right to make anti-war comments that would go against the main point of the event and annoy the supporters of President Obama who attended the event in the process. He has the right to feel and express himself in anyway he chooses but where he did it is the problem. Many fans support him because they are loyal fans. But to some supporters who saw the event, viewed it as disrespectful. Lupe is a well-respected artist but do you think he was right for making an anti-war rant on the inauguration event?
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Facebook is the largest social networking site which allow users to create profiles, upload pictures, send messages, and chat with their friends. According to the Wall Street Journal, Facebook has reached over one billion users in October 2012. Users can register for free with a valid email account but it has often been criticized for its privacy. Facebook has been accused over numerous occasions concerning their privacy of its users to make sure that is it well protected and respected. Users post content on their profile which can be seen by their friends, family, groups, and organizations which can be seen by the world within a couple of minutes. But many users do not know the value of information they post online which can be used for different things depending on the source that intends to use it. If users do not like the public to see their profile, they can set it to private. But does setting it to private mean its really private? There are somethings that makes people to question Facebook’s privacy.
Users can create a free account on Facebook which they can share their information with everyone or certain people online. Many people don’t know that Facebook is a business and how they generate money to keep their site online which allows users to share information. One aspect of Facebook’s revenue is by selling ads. Ads are sorted and promoted by each user depending on the information on the profile. It is sorted by almost everything based on location, relationship status, activities, employment etc. Users are being suggested to new ads almost everyday depending on information on their profile. Advertisers promote ads through keywords that will help them to reach their target market more efficiently. According to a Wall Street Journal article, Facebook Files for IPO, it says that Facebook’s revenue was $3.71 billion in 2011 which 85% of it revenues came from advertising. Selling user information has a very huge profit despite the fact that each user uploads information for self-promotion or for their friends. It is a significant way to generate data without having to do much research as user upload their information voluntarily.
One of Faebook’s valuable features on the site which users have the option to use is uploading pictures. Users upload pictures of themselves they share with their friends or other users and they can leave comments about them and clicking the “Like” button. Users can upload pictures from their cameras and their cell phones which takes about a few minutes. According to statista.com, the average Facebook user uploads around 282 photos in January 2011. If it can be seen by everyone, how secure is it? Many photos are stolen from Facebook daily by other users which may done out of jealousy or misleading other people. There is low security on Facebook relating to user protection that makes it difficult for users to feel their profile is safe. For example, in 2011 a dating site called Lovely-Faces.com was launched starting with 250,000 fake profile pictures extracted from Facebook. The site was highly criticized for stealing pictures from another site and trying to pass them off as if it was legit.
Another example of stolen photos from Facebook happened with group of Facebook users from Massachusetts. In February 2011, seventeen students from Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School had their pictures stolen from Facebook and somehow ended up on a pornographic site. Some of the images were posted with their names and locations and investigators were called to handle the case. Another similar situation happened with a 26 year-old man from Kansas is facing 13 felony charges for stealing photos from Facebook users and posting them on porn sites. What Lovely-Face.com and other individuals from stealing photos from Facebook was wrong but if this happened, why didn’t Facebook take proper measures to make sure that it wouldn’t happen again? A person’s photo can be stolen less than a minute and posted anywhere without being noticed or traced until its too late. How come Facebook does not provide a service or option that prevents images from being stolen or misused by another person? This is a huge security problem that many users have experienced. Posting photos on Facebook comes at a risk that people should be aware and highly informed.
Uploading photos can be a risk due to Facebook’s improper measures of security, but also being ‘tagged’ in a photo can be good as well as annoying. Being ‘tagged’ in a photo is when a user uploads a picture and can include any other Facebook user attached to the photo. This is mainly popular with friends who take pictures and decide to include everyone names in the photo so people who view it can see it. People find this very useful as it shows the photo on the users profile as one their pictures. But there is a downside to this as sometimes a user may not want to be ‘tagged’ in a photo. There is no way to block or prevent anyone from tagging another user. This can be used as a form of spam as some people may upload a picture of anything and tag someone and it will make that user to see the photo. The process of being tagged can be a annoying as each user has to click on the photo and remove their name with each individual picture. There are settings where you can remove tags from appearing on your timeline but it may still be on the photo. So the tag option can be quite disturbing to certain users if they don’t want to appear in certain images and its hard to keep track of all the images a user may be associated with. This is a security flaw with Facebook and there’s no way to prevent at the moment.
Privacy on Facebook is still a problem but users can go to the Private Policy page and change the settings. But is it really that simple to understand? Some users don’t find it easy to understand. Randi Zuckerberg, sister to Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, had a little frustration when she posted a private family photo online and it got tweeted publicly by a person who saw it on Facebook. She was not not happy with the situation and expressed her frustration with Facebook’s privacy breach. There are too many security options and pages which is associated with each user account allowing to adjust their settings and some users may find it easier not to even look at it and hope for the best.
Facebook’s privacy has been a problem for many years and some users choose not to use it. Some countries like Germany, question the Facebook’s privacy policy over data protection. German law allows users to use pseudonyms in order for them to provide protection over user data but Facebook requires users to use their real names. According to RT, German law states that all media services must offer users the ability to use a pseudonym wherever such an option is possible and reasonable. As popular as Facebook is, if it wants to reduce security risk of users, why don’t they allow users to use pseudonyms? It is pretty obvious that many users on the site do not use their real names on their profiles.
After a person logs out of their Facebook profile, their are account is no longer accessible until they log in again. But Facebook can still track the pages you search after you log out, at least according to self proclaimed hacker and entrepreneur Nik Cubrilovic. He claims that Facebook can track a user after they log out of their account. He claims that Facebook does not delete your cookies after you log out but modifies them which allows them to track users. According to the WSJ article, the Chief Technology Officer Bret Taylor says, “We don’t use them for tracking and they’re not intended for tracking.” This statement alone shows that Facebook is tracking users without their consent. In some cases, tracking users may be good in order to increase better user experience. But if it is used for marketing purposes, it is completely unacceptable. It is hard to believe that many people are being tracked without even realizing it.
Upon all the security flaws of Facebook, do people really care? People use Facebook just to communicate with people they know online, hangout, spend sometime, and call it a day. Sometimes people don’t want to be bothered with all the legal or ethical aspect of the site because they trust Facebook to provide quality services and expect them not to use their data for any means without their permission. Many people today don’t know that Facebook uses their information nor do they care as long as they provide a good service. But it is still good to know how the Facebook operates.
Facebook is a social networking site that will be around for a long time. It has generated a large amount of popularity among users which provides a great service for connecting with friends and people around the world. But there is huge security flaws on the site which needs to be fixed or corrected which will provide users with more protection over their data and photos. If the problem is not corrected, it may be worse for users who may have a harder time to protect their identity. Have you noticed any kind of security flaw with Facebook?
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Reality Television is the presenting of people ( instead of actors) in a show or documentary as they actually exist, usually or suppose to appear unscripted. This is usually done with cameras following people around in their personal lives or through a particular setting. Reality shows have a plot, theme, and setting with characters explaining their significant role in the show. Some reality shows tend to be informative, educational, and exciting while some tend to be entertaining and violent. Many shows have been praised for their production while some have been highly criticized for the negativity.
Reality shows became increasing popular in the United States from the 1990s from the show The Real World which was about a group of strangers living together in a house seeing how they react with each other. In the house, there are cameras everywhere which records the behaviors and movements of each member. Due to the popularity of the show, there was a spin-off called Road Rules which is a show that focuses on a group of strangers who travel from location to location. These two shows have been highly praised for it new style of entertainment which opened the doors for many reality shows in the 2000s.
Some reality shows have been petitioned to be off the air due to violence, misleading to people, shallowness, and negative stereotypes. Some of these shows today are all about ratings because it is based on entertainment. For example Flavor of Love, staring Flavor Flav, had a dating reality show where he would try to find love on television. The show was a commercial success which had three seasons consisting of twenty contestants each season where they do certain activities and events to win the heart of Flavor Flav. The show had been highly criticized for negative portrayal of women but it was still on the air. Among all television shows on the air today, should they be petitioned to be off the air or people should just not watch it if they don’t like it?
One of the most popular realities on television is called Keeping up with the Kardashians. Keeping up with the Kardashians is a reality television show which follows the life of the Kardashian family which is based on their private life and daily activities. It stars Kim Kardashian, who is a socialite and business woman, as she spends time with her family and focusing on their family business. The show mainly focuses on female activities like fashion, relationships, and interpersonal relationships. The show had achieved many heights of success as it has been on the air since 2007 having a total number of eight seasons up to 2013. Due to its popularity of the cast members, it had many spin-offs which include Kourtney and Kim Take New York, Kourtney and Kim Take Miami, and Khloe and Lamar. Despite the success of the show, it has received many a high significant backlashes for the shallowness portrayed on the show. Many people are against the Kardashian show based on the claim that they have no talent, no reason for fame, and dating high profile celebrities to update their social status. Many people feel their show is sending the wrong message on young women and not adding any real value to bring a change to a person’s life. Almost everywhere we look in the media, there is always a story about the Kardashians in someway. If the show is not harming anyone, should there be a petition to have the show cancelled?
Another show that has faced high level of criticism is Basketball Wives. Basketball Wives is a reality show which follows the lives of former basketball players’ wives,fiances, and girlfriends which they all do certain activities together. It stars Shaunie O’Neal, former wife of former professional basketball player Shaquille O’Neal, and Evelyn Lozada, former fiance of Antoine Walker. In most of episodes of Basketball Wives, it usually involves someone fighting physically or verbally or some kind of gossip on another cast member. Evelyn is known for her high temper and fighting tactics on other cast members which made her highly well known and popular. One of the most popular moments on the show involves her throwing a wine bottle at another cast member which many viewers found to be very entertaining. Another cast member named Tami Roman, ex-wife of former basketball player Kenny Anderson, is known for being a bully as she engaged in a physical and verbal altercations with some of her cast members. These actions made her popular but it came at a price of making her look like a problem starter. After having four seasons of Basketball Wives on air, there is nothing informative about the show. It portrays women in a negative light as they are constantly fighting, drinking wine with friends, and talking about how hard life is for them without showing any type of significant work they actually do. People consider the show is entertaining as people like to feed off the negativity. There has been petitions to have the show be put off the air due to all the negativity but it had been unsuccessful.
There is another reality show that been recently created in 2013 that sparked controversy titled All My Babies Mamas starring American rapper Shawty Lo. The reality show is about the rapper featuring his family consisting of eleven children with ten different women which he is not married to anyone one of them. The show has been faced with many criticism due to the negative stereotypes of African Americans having multiple kids out of wedlock. The premise of the show is to display how he takes care of his family. There has been multiple petitions to have the show cancelled which includes a petition from the NAACP and users from change.org. People haven’t taken the time to watch the show but they are so quick to judge it. People have the right to their opinion and can protest this show based on what they feel will create a negative image on a group of people.
All My Babies Mamas may a good or bad show and people have started to protest it because it portrays negative stereotypes of African Americans by having multiple women out of wedlock. But what about the show Basketball Wives? It mostly shows women who are doing nothing significant with their time but entering physical altercations with other cast members based on something another person said. Many viewers find it entertaining when they fight each other which resulted in high ratings.
It is important to understand that some reality shows may not be very good to watch or for it to be on the air. If a show is not harming anyone and it is based on a person’s different view, then people who don’t like it should not watch it, no need for a petition. But if a show is completely negative and promoting a negative cultural change, then it should be petitioned by the public to determine if it should stay on the air. If a show is not good to watch, should it be petitioned to be off the air or viewers should just ignore if it doesn’t bother them?
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College (or university) is the higher institution where students go to pursue a four year degree to specialize in a particular career. The university environment is filled with people from different cities and backgrounds all in one area pursuing the same goal which is obtaining a four degree. The university has different departments on campus which students can choose from which usually include Liberal Arts, Mass Communication, Computer Science and Engineering, Music, and Theater Arts. Every degree carries different value depending on the direction and network a person has. As people graduate college, some are very satisfied their with their career choice as they received or obtained a job after graduation while others are quite dissatisfied with massive debt and no job in their career field or underemployment. At times people become so frustrated, they don’t know who to blame for their misinformation concerning their degree choice. People often blame the university because of their lack of guidance for preparing student for the real world. College advisers tell students which class they need to take to graduate with their degree but are they suppose to guide students in their career path?
A college adviser is an adviser who guides students to take certain classes in order for them to graduate with a college degree. These are the people who advise students on certain classes based on their degree requirements that will lead towards their career they decided to pursue. There tends to be a misconception of the job of a college adviser versus the ethics behind their job. Many students feel college advisers are the people who are suppose to make sure they use their full potential to achieve their goals in college. Here are some parts of the job that advisers are suppose to fulfill:
1) Graduation – College advisers are suppose to make sure that every student graduates with a degree of their choice before they leave the school. Each degree has different requirements which are mixed with core courses (courses which are towards their major) and electives (courses which are not towards their major) that is needed to complete the degree requirements.
2) Increase the Number of Graduates – College advisers are suppose to increase the number of graduates in their department. At times, students may struggle with a class or need help to take certain classes and they seek their college adviser to help them solve their problem to pass the class by suggesting certain help groups or tutors to help them to pass the course. They will do anything to help students graduate as soon as possible.
These are some of the main functions of a college adviser. But at times, people may beg to differ as they feel college advisers are suppose to be their moral guide in their career path. Here are some of the moral obligations behind college advisers people feel there should have:
1) Guidance – College advisers tell students which class they need to graduate with but don’t tell them the true value of their degree. It is very frustrating for a person to take advise from someone who knows the value of the job market based on the career path of the student but do not inform on how the market really is at the time. If a student is talking to a college adviser, it is their job or ethical obligation to inform them about their market once they graduate since they trust them will their future while they are in college.
2) Experience – Many college advisers have their Bachelor’s degree and some have their Master’s degree (at least to what I believe). They have already been through college and know the benefit of having certain degrees and which degrees have no real value. So if this is the case, why would they give advise to students on their career if they know that it will not work out in their best interest? This is where ethics comes into the situation. How can they guide someone without giving them the proper advise especially when they have already experienced it? This can really put a damage into someone career and not to trust anyone with their future if the person who is suppose to advise them doesn’t display the correct information that will benefit them at the end.
There is a thin line between job description and ethics. On one hand, college advisers are to suppose to make sure each student graduates from the university. But on the other hand, if they are advising students and have already gone through the college experience, why can’t they give students advise about the true value of their degree and job market they tend to enter?
By the time students realize they made a mistake in their career choice, it may be too late. Some students graduate with a degree that may not help them get a decent job in their career. According to a CNN article, Average Student Loan Debt Nears $27,000, it says that “Two-thirds of the class of 2011 held student loans upon graduation, and the average borrower owed $26,600.” Many people today who graduate with degrees in Computer Science, Engineering, Pre-med, and Pharmacy tend to experience a high employment rate after graduation. While some people with a degree Psychology, Liberal Arts, Sociology, Anthropology, Arts and Humanities, and Social Sciences have low employment rates according to a Forbes article, The 10 Worst College Majors. But there are some people who have a network with friends or family or they become self-employed after college, so their degree has no real benefit for them other than saying, “I graduated college.”
At the end of the day, people can blame their college advisers, family, or themselves but they are the ones still with the problem. Some people are misinformed on about college and their degree they are trying to pursue. College advisers are suppose to help students to graduate but do not tell them about the true meaning behind the job market in the career they are about to enter. It may be lead a person astray which may be hard for them to succeed. After graduation, many people move back home with no job skills, experience underemployment, or go back for a second bachelors or Master’s degree in huge amount of debt. Once you graduate, you are on your own. Should college advisers be held accountable for the advise they give students?
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Films today tend to be very popular for various reasons which some may include: content, significant message, humor, aesthetics, and quotes. These are some of the necessary things that makes a film to be remembered. But there are some additional scenes in films that have no significant value or correlations to the film. Some additional scenes in films are not necessary but there in some cases to attract a bigger market. In most cases, sex scenes (or sex in films or television) are pointless in most films and television shows.
Sex is a very important aspect of life and it is considered a beautiful thing which humans feel or express with their partner. But when it is being seen everywhere in the media, it tends to change the way people feel about it. In the media today, almost every direction we look, sex is everywhere from films and television to magazines and posters. Like the old saying goes, “sex sells” , which is true in most cases. But at times, depending on the product, it can be unnecessary.
Before sex in films became popular, nudity in films started in the early 1900s during the silent film era. The first US film to show nude scenes was Inspiration in 1915 staring Audrey Munson. At this point in history, it was considered controversial because nudity in public was not acceptable. In 1963, actress Jayne Mansfield was the first mainstream actress to appear completely nude in a sex comedy film titled Promises! Promises!. It was banned in some cities in the United States but it was still a commercial success. By the 1960s, films started to show non-pornographic scenes which actors and actresses were considered to have sex but it was not shown, the camera would turn away. One popular film titled Midnight Cowboy had a comedy sex scene which only showed their facial expression. This was just the beginning of sex in films as it tended to grow over the years.
With the growth and nudity in films, there are some benefits in behind sex scenes. One benefit from sex in films was money. Some old sayings are true and never change, “Sex sells” and many film actors and directors capitalized on it. Sex in films tended to make more profit from sex scenes which some people may watch a film for that only reason.
Another benefit for sex scenes is for attention. Sometimes a film may not seem interesting to some people based on the advertising they may have seen. But when a sex scene may be in a film, it may be a reason to attract some viewers into watching the film and may enjoy the film and forget about the sex scene after they watch it.
But in contrast, there are some disadvantages in sex scenes. One disadvantage of sex scenes is that it is a waste of time. Some sex scenes have nothing to do with the film and it tends to make a film longer than it has to be.
Another disadvantage of sex scenes is that it may have no significant value to contribute to the story. Some scenes may be interesting to look at depending on the viewer but at times, a sex scene can take a film in a different direction confusing the viewer. 
If we look at history in television, you will see that sex was hardly seen or mentioned by actors. Most of the time, actors and actresses hardly kissed or focused on any kind physical contact to get the audience attention. For example some of the most popular television shows from the 1960s-1990s that did not include sex scenes were The Jeffersons, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, All in the Family, Family Matters, The Steve Harvey Show, Boy meets World, and The King of Queens. These television shows were based on pure comedy. On the other hand, most television shows from 2000s have some sex scenes to draw a larger audience which some include Entourage, Hung, True Blood, The Game, Scandal etc. Sometimes a sex scene can last from one to five minutes depending on the show.
Apart from television, many films today tend to have large amount of sex involved. Some sex scenes in films may occur multiple times varying from three to eight minutes on average per scene. Most films that win awards usually have sex scenes present but that may not be the reason why they actually win an award. For example, the film Monster Ball staring Halle Berry, who is a well-known actress, won many awards for her performance in the film. Although the film has been praised and received many positive reviews, it is still remembered for the sex scene between Halle Berry and Billy Bob Thornton. The scene did not really have much to do with the film except to show their physical attraction for each other. Apart from that film, many films that have been nominated had sex scenes which include The Watchmen, The Lucky One, Twilight, 300, Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall etc. Whether some sex encounters in films tend to be real or fake is debatable. Due to the popularity of sex scenes, it has a separate award category depending on the award show.
At the end of the day, people may have different feelings about sex scenes as some may like it and some may not. Everything is based on marketing and sex in films tend to increase the number of sales. I understand that things change as society evolves but some scenes are just not necessary. Before in the early twentieth century, nudity was seen as art to give a film more of a prominent artistic view. But films today tend to have sex scenes to attract more viewers which in most cases has directly nothing to do with the film or television show which makes it longer in length than it has to be. Depending on the person, it may increase or decrease the value of the viewer’s attention in the film.
Do you think sex scenes are pointless in films and television?
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Child support is the financial payment or duty of a parent for a child from a relationship that no longer exist. Parents who have children have a financial obligation to take care of the children’s primary needs until a certain, usually age eighteen, when they can fend for themselves.
Child support started from the end result of the break down of marriages (divorce) when the husband and wife decided to no longer live together. During the nineteenth century, women had a lot of problems supporting the family because their primary job was being a homemaker. Women weren’t allow to work in public places based on cultural practices of America during that time and they were taught that taking care of the home was their primary duty. Most of the time after a divorce, the man would leave the family and woman would have primary custody of the children. Since the man was the primary breadwinner and sole provider of the family, he would become richer while the mother lives in poverty as she has to provides the expenses for her children. This created a division on socio-economic class between men and women. When women had to find a job, they wouldn’t be able to obtain certain jobs based on lack of education and work skills which was primary based at the home. Sometimes when women did obtain certain jobs, they weren’t being paid on the same level as men. This created a problem for single mothers who found it hard to provide for their children.
In the mid-twentieth century, the poverty level of single mothers started to have an effect on society creating a division in the socio-economic class. According to the CATO Institute, the first federal aid program was Aid to Dependent Children (ADC) created by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935 to help and provide families with support where the father was deceased, absent, or unable to work. This was suppose to help out single mothers in their financial situations which benefited more than 600,000 families by 1956. The ADC tended to be successful as the number of families receiving support increased from 4.3 million in 1965 to 10 million in 1972. As the years continued, the number of welfare participants continued to increase.
Despite the success of the ADC, child support needed to have its own division. By 1975, Child Support Enforcement was a national program established by Congress where both parents must provide for their child best to their ability. Non-custodial parents were determined to provide financial support for their children regardless of their income status. But as time went on, some people didn’t pay or refuse to pay the child support, so the Deadbeat Parent Punishment Act was established in 1998 which individuals may face federal prosecution. Through these laws, many parents have had their credit score ruined and faced time in jail for non-payment of child support. Since 2000, child support in the United States has been highly criticized for its practices and ethical issues.
Child support is a controversial topic in the United States as people have mixed feeling about it. But before we can make a final decision on child support, we have to examine the pros and cons.
One benefit of child support is financial support for the child. Many times a single parent may not have enough money or resources to provide all the necessary needs of the child. So receiving child support may be used to help provide the basic upkeep for the child needs.
The negative effect of child support is there no record to show how the money is being used by the custodial parent. Sometimes a non-custodial parent may be forced by a court order to pay child support but the custodial parent does not have to show how much they spend each month on the child needs which make people to become skeptical of making payments.
Another negative aspect of child support is non-visitation rights. In some cases, some non-custodial parents may be denied visitation rights despite the fact they are making monthly child support payments which may make a parent decide not to complete payments.
According to a CNN article titled Deadbeat Parent Cost Taxpayers $53 Billion, it states that in 2009, over $100 billion is owed in unpaid child support and nearly half of that to taxpayers supporting their children on public assistance. When custodial parents don’t receive child support payments, they end up receiving public assistance. This cost the government around $53 billion. 82 percent of the custodial parents were women. Child support is an economic burden for the country and most public assistance do not want to be responsible for it.
For example a man named Desmond Hatchett, a Tennessee native, has twenty four children with eleven different women. He has be incarcerated since December 2009 for non-payment of child support. In the state of Tennessee, child support cannot be collected more than 50 percent of a person’s income. In Hatchett’s case, each child receives approximately $1.49 per month which can’t do very much. So the mothers will most likely have to receive public assistance for support.
Another case of child support is from William Marotta, a Kansas resident, who donated his sperm to a lesbian couple giving birth to a girl in 2009 . They had an agreement that he will not have any financial obligation for the child. The couple separated and one of the women applied for public assistance and the state contacted Marotta. According to Kansas Department for Children and Families, any agreement would not be valid because a physician was not present to perform the insemination. So according to Kansas law, Marotta is the father so he owes a financial obligation to the child. But if you really want to question it, why should he pay if both parties in the contract agreed Marotta would have no financial obligation for the child? Is it really based on ethics or finances?
Many people don’t understand that non-payment of child support is a criminal offence. Child support is a debt and if it is not paid on time, the non-custodial parent may be subjected to a collection agency and/or face jail time. Sometimes a non-custodial parent may lose their job and not be able to keep up with payments but still required to make payments and if they fail to make payments, they may go to jail. In some cases, if a parent is thrown in jail, they may not be able make payments and when they do get out, they may have a criminal record on their file which may prevent them from obtaining certain jobs despite their qualification. So throwing a parent in jail for non-payment of child support may not be the best option.
Every person who brings a child into this world has an obligation to make sure that the child is well taken care of their basic needs. But clearly, there are some problems with child support as the custodial parents does not have to show records on how they spend the money on the child. Sometimes a parent may be thrown in jail if they are not able to complete their monthly payments. It is a major problem in our society today which is a financial burden. Do you think it is time for a child support reform?
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Guns have been a huge topic in the United States in 2012. There has been major mass shootings in the country which made gun use a debate since major mass shootings such as Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting (December 2012), Aurora Shooting (July 2012), Clackamas Town Center Shooting (December 2012), and Seattle Restaurant shooting (May 2012) . These shootings have occurred in public places taking the lives of innocent people and the shooter taking the life of himself at the end. Many people are conflicted over the views of gun control stating there should be tighter gun laws while others feel everyone should have one in case of any emergency that may occur.
The Second Amendment protects the “right to keep and bear arms.” People have the right to have guns in order to protect themselves in any given situation. There are some negative outcomes with having guns which one may include robbery. If a person has a gun and decides to use it for their own personal gain, it may lead to crime, injury, or death. Another negative aspect of guns is accidental shootings. According to the Survivors Club, it states, “In 2008 there were 680 accidental shooting deaths in the United States, with more than 15,500 shooting injuries. Most disturbing, perhaps, is the number of children involved in accidental shootings. Each year approximately 100 people are injured or killed while cleaning a firearm and failing to exercise proper caution.” Accidental shooting is a risk especially for young children who may be inexperienced causing risk in their homes and people around them.
But in contrast, there are some benefits behind guns. One of the benefits of guns is self-defense. Many times a person may find themselves in a tight situation which they may not be able to defend themselves and calling for help may not be enough for example, if someone is about to be robbed at night. If the victim had a gun in their possession, they would be able to protect themselves. If people had guns in their possessions, many public shootings could have been prevented and less dangerous. An off-duty officer, Sergeant Lisa Cuello Castellano, recently shot a gunman, Jesus Manuel Garcia, at a South Side Theater in San Antonio in December 2012. It is reported that one person was shot by Garcia but before more harm could have been done. Castellano shot Garcia and taken to the hospital where he is in stable condition. He is now charged in attempted capital murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The most interesting part of the story is that it was not covered in the mass media to show the benefit of having guns.
Most crimes that involves gun shootings usually happens in metropolitan areas. This happens usually based on the socio-economic status due to poverty. In the city of Seattle, there has been major violent crimes which includes homicides, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. According to the Seattle.gov, total number of violent crimes in 2011 was 3,347 and 3,492 in 2012 which increased by 4%. If people had guns in their possession at the time of the violent crimes, many of them could have been prevented and the perpetrator would have been arrested. Metropolitan areas are more subjected to crime based on population and socio-economic situation of people living in the area.
But in many rural areas, crime does not seem to be as high. Many country people tend to be more trained when it comes to gun use as gun ownership is higher in those areas. In the state of Montana, the state constitutional provision states, “The right of any person to keep or bear arms in defense of his own home, person, and property, or in aid of the civil power when thereto legally summoned, shall not be called in question, but nothing herein contained shall be held to permit the carrying of concealed weapons.” All minors must be at the age of 14 years to carry a firearm in public accompanied with the parent or guardian. Many people in the state are trained from a young age to use guns as a form of protection and cultural practice in terms of hunting. Many people carry their guns with them as they go in public areas which can make the area more secure if anything should go wrong. Gun laws tend to be loose in Montana and 90% of homes in the state have guns. A lot of people feel safe in Montana because they have guns in their possession. Montana is also known for having one of the lowest burglary rates in the country. Montana is an example on how guns can be used in a positive aspect. At the end, Montana is one of the safest stated to live in the United States.
Guns are a sensitive topic because many people have been hurt by gun use either physically or mentally, directly or indirectly. There are many different views on the pros and cons of guns. Despite the different peoples’ views, do you think people should know how to use a gun?
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On November 6, 2012, Washington became one of the first states to legalize marijuana which became active on December 6, 2012. This would allow individuals to purchase marijuana which will be sold from marijuana-only operated stores from private Washington businesses and licensed and regulated by the state. According to the Initiative 502 Marijuana sales will have a 25% sales tax and 40% of the sales revenue will go towards general state fund and local budgets, substance-abuse prevention, research, education, and health-care.
Marijuana is a plant that has multiple uses which includes production mainly known for it medical benefits such as treating migraines, slowing down tumor growth, and treating glaucoma. It has been used for many years for health benefits but has also been used by individuals for personal and recreational use. In 1937, there was a law that was passed called the Marijuana Tax Act 1937 which states, “It shall be unlawful for any person, whether or not required to pay a special tax and register under section 2, to transfer marihuana, except in pursuance of a written order of the person to whom such marihuana is transferred, on a form to be issued in blank for that purpose by the Secretary.” Harry J. Anslinger, who was the Commission of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics from 1930 to 1962, started his campaign on Marijuana Prohibition in 1937. He testified on marijuana use and said, “Marihuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality, and death.” This statement was supported through propaganda in films and mass media creating fear for people not to use marijuana which helped to support their claim. But there was no evidence to show that marijuana was harmful in any high effect as the American Medical Association, which is group of physicians, made its claim that nothing is dangerous with the drug.
Since marijuana was banned in 1937, people looked for an alternative substance to use that was legal and it was cigarettes. Cigarettes come from the tobacco plant which had high production rate in the United States. By the 1940s, smoking skyrocketed as it was seen in almost everywhere which included films, commercials, and posters which some included celebrities such as actress Helen Hayes. Some people had different reasons for smoking which included recreational and social use mainly after work or hanging out with friends. Cigarettes had been highly accepted from society compared to marijuana and later became a multi-billion industry.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, cigarettes companies spent $8.5 billion in 2010 on advertising and promotions. Cigarette companies spent money on advertising at public entertainment events including sponsorship in night bars and concerts totalling to 138.9 millions dollars.
Companies were making a huge profit on the sales of cigarettes but it often came a high price. With the rise of cigarette use, it also came with the high risk of lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, and lung diseases. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarettes causes which leads to 443,000 deaths per year, and an estimated 49,400 of these smoking-related deaths are the result of secondhand smoke exposure. In the state of Washington, 7,600 people die each year from smoking. So when a person smoke cigarettes, it brings harm to themselves as well as the people around them as secondhand smoke is more harmful than first hand smoke. Cigarette smoking comes at a price which cost Washington taxpayers around $1.95 billion in health care expenditure and resident state and federal burden from cost around $615 per household.
In contrast, marijuana does not have that much health effects compared to cigarettes. The known health effects on marijuana which some include increased risk of heart attack, short-term memory, and potential hallucination. These health effects are minor and not life-threatening compared to cigarettes which cost billions in dollars to treat and people losing their lives.
As Washington becomes one of the first states to legalize marijuana, it tends to have lot of benefits which include:
1. State budgets – According to the Initiative 502, 40% revenue made from marijuana sales will goes towards state general fund and local budgets, and the remainder dedicated to substance-abuse prevention, research, education and health care. This will help cover funding in important sectors in the state that needs proper financing to cover their expenses.
2. Less Criminal Charges – According to crime data analysis, it on record that 241,000 people have been arrested in the state of Washington for marijuana charges. Marijuana possession goes a person’s criminal record which prevents them from obtaining certain jobs and creates barriers for education like receiving government aid.
3. Money from the state – When a person is arrested, they go to trial for the charge which includes the police, court, prosecutor, defense expense which cost around $1000-$2000. According to the criminal data analysis, the arrest for marijuana possession has cost around $300 million from 1986 to 2010.
Legalizing marijuana in the state of Washington has more benefits than harm as it will increase state funding for government programs, less criminal charges, and saves money from the state which can be used for other important priorities.
Many historians believe marijuana was banned due to racism since most people who used the drug were mainly Mexicans and black jazz musicians when the United States was in the era of segregation. At this time, there was racial tension in America and promotion of minority groups were limited in terms of culture and jazz came from African Americans and marijuana came from Mexicans. Some people had their belief that jazz was satanic music and marijuana was a narcotic drug. Harry Anslinger expressed his views by saying, “There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing, result from marijuana use.” This statement alone shows that there was a cultural intolerance at the time and marijuana was considered dangerous with no evidence to support its claim.
There was another fact about the reason why marijuana became illegal because of media mogul William Randolph Hearst had invested in timber industry which would be used in the printing for newspapers. Hemp fiber ( which comes from Cannabis sativa) threatened the the production of timber and Hearst had to protect his interest. So he started yellow journalism about hemp and made racist comments about Mexicans and lied about marijuana to fear into people not to use it.
Hemp was banned in 1937 despite the fact that hemp was more durable than any other industrial crop which is used for paper, textiles, ropes, and building materials. Despite the economic benefit of hemp, it was banned for political reason which would favor private individuals.
Washington State became one of the first states to legalize marijuana on November 6, 2012, which became effective on December 6, 2012. This would allow individuals above the age twenty-one to purchase and have possession of marijuana. Marijuana was banned in the United States in 1937 through the Marijuana Tax Act which was believed to be a dangerous drug and rise of cigarettes increased from that point. But also the negative outcome of cigarettes came at a price which caused in the increase in lung cancer and deaths costing billions in dollars in taxpayers money and health care expenditures. If marijuana can be properly regulated by the state, it will not be a problem.
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