Twitter Censorship

This week’s article is similar to the article that I chose to use for my paper 1. I am not really sure what stand the author of this article is taking. I just know that freedom of speech is one of our  American Amendments. If we truly have freedom of speech then why are our thoughts and words being blocked on websites such as twitter? I don’t understand why they would block our tweets. I also don’t understand why the information that we post on twitter would be censored in different countries. I think that if you are going to post something on twitter then you are exercising your freedom of speech and it should have the ability to be read throughout the world if that is something that you want. The article states that there is a code that can prevent your tweets from being censored. What is the point in blocking tweets if all you need to do is insert a code and you can avoid it from being blocked? The whole thing just seems pointless to me then. I can’t believe that people would actually go to court to challenge their tweet that was being blocked. I just don’t think it is that serious.  

Glamorizing Teen Pregnancy

Teen pregnancy is a very hard thing to go through. When you are having a child when you are so young you are sure to face a ton of struggles. I find it ridiculous that these girls that got pregnant so young have TV shows and are put on the cover of magazines. When this happens it makes it seem like teen pregnancy is ok. I definitely agree with everything that the writer of this article said. I feel like it puts the thought in young girls mind that I am young, if I have a baby then I can be on a TV show and then get paid a lot of money and become famous.  When they have shows like 16 and pregnant it sends out the wrong message. It may be an interesting show to watch whenever you’re bored and have absolutely nothing else to do. However, teen pregnancy is not glamorous. It is a lot of hard work. Especially for the teenage mothers who aren’t getting paid for it. I do not understand why teenage mothers need a television show about them and their baby. Why is it that you get a show because you are 16 when there are millions of people giving birth every day? This is just one of those things that I don’t get.

Legalizing Marijuana

It took me a couple of times to read this article before I really grasped what the author was trying to say. In the beginning I was a little unsure. I am not really sure how I stand on the legalizing marijuana issue. The author of this article clearly wants marijuana to be legal. The author was saying that 80 year olds should have their licenses taken away and give them marijuana. I disagree with that only because I feel like most 80 year olds are so out of it as it is and are possibly already taking every medication out there. I think that marijuana is definitely not something that 80 year olds need. The author brought up some great points about how much money the government spends on marijuana related things. The article says that 47.5% of drug arrests are marijuana related. I personally think that too many people are smoking marijuana and the ages of people smoking are getting younger and younger.  Like I said earlier, I am unsure of my standing on this issue. All I can say is that if marijuana was legalized then it would cut down on a lot of arrests and costs. However, the downfall is that people won’t be in the right state of mind.

New Technologies

Well, I would just like to start off by saying that the author of this article seems extremely upset and is completely against new technology. I can see where the writer is coming from when he talks about all of the different kinds of new technology. What I don’t understand is why he is so angry about it. The main thing that he seems to be against is the kindle. Many people in my family own kindles and they all love it. They all say that it is so great that you don’t have to go to the library and rent a book and then have to return it. It is so much easier to read a book and not have the actual book in your hand. I am just not sure why this person is so upset by it. Having and developing new technologies is a good thing and people love it. If you happen to be extremely against it like the writer is, then you simply don’t need to buy it. You can still go to the library every time you want to read a book. But don’t forget, you are going to have to return it on time.  No one is forcing you to change with the new technologies.

Standardized Testing

This article was about what happens when adults take the mandatory state provided standardized testing. I found this article to be very interesting. I find it ridiculous how these tests can prevent you from going to college. It is amazing to me that this guy who wrote the article is so well educated with a bachelor degree, two masters’ degrees and some on his way for a doctorate, yet he can’t get a decent grade on the standardized test. This says something to me. I am convinced that these tests are unnecessary. Does one test like this really determine how smart you are? Should a test like this determine what class level you should be placed in? Some people, including myself, are just not the best test takers. So basically, it doesn’t matter what kind of grades you got throughout the year in tenth grade. If you do poorly on this test, then all your hard work was basically a waste. I agree with what the writer says that the information that is asked on the test is nothing that you will need to know for a career. So I ask myself, what really is the point of standardized testing?

Hazing

After reading the editorial: A new approach on hazing needed, I have come to the conclusion that I completely agree. The article states that hazing is a crime; however, it is such a common thing that happens. Why is it that people have to engage and participate in hazing? Do they not realize that people are dying because of this? I guess people just see it as being fun, and like the article said, it creates a challenge. Well like the old saying goes, “it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt”. Is it really that important to “belong” to potentially put your life at risk? Apparently to some it is. The article is full of examples of people who have died because of hazing. Providing all of the examples is good because it really convinces you that hazing is wrong and that they do need a new approach on hazing. I feel like as much as you try to put a stop to hazing, it is always going to be around somewhere. Hopefully, they will be able to figure out something to stop it because it is sad and unfortunate that people have to lose their lives this way.