Text Response 6

Should Humans Use Animals to Conduct Tests?

The answer depends on who you ask. You have some people on one side who are completely for testing on animals because they believe it will lead to improvements in medicine, hygiene products, etc. But on the other side you have people who are completely against animal testing because it is morally wrong in their opinions. Today i will be sharing my opinion on the subject.

I was looking through my English book, Argument! earlier today until i came across a photo on page 358 of two people holding up a sign that said, "SAVE HUMAN LIVES TEST ON ANIMALS". These two people were obviously protesting in favor of animal testing, but i'm writing this blog today because i think animal testing is wrong and unnecessary. I understand that animal testing can be useful when conducting research, but i don't think it is absolutely necessary.

I believe there are other ways for scientists to conduct research that don't involve harming animals for testing purposes. For example, a human would make a great test subject when conducting a test for human products. When i say a human, i mean a volunteer who is alive and perfectly happy donating their body to scientists. Why should we use innocent animals when we have volunteers? Most people don't see it the way i do, and they continue to use these animals as testing subjects for their own selfish purposes. 

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but before you pick a side make sure you're picking the side you actually share the belief with and not just the side that is more socially acceptable. 

References:

Messenger, Erica, John Gooch and Dorothy U. Seyler. Argument! United States of America: Mcgraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2011. Print.

Blog 6

Should Teachers Make More Money?

Teachers play an important role for the future generations. They are the ones who teach students how to read, write, add, subtract, critically think, and etc. On average elementary teachers in Illinois only make about $59,270 annually, and high school teachers typically make about 66,020 annually ("How Much Do Teachers Make?"). According to Sierra Black, $75,000 is enough to live happily and comfortably ("How Much is Enough? On Average, About $75,000 Per Year"). This gap shows that teachers don't make enough money to live comfortably without worrying about money all of the time.

In order for them to live comfortably they need a BIG raise.

I believe teachers should make more money because of all the work they do for kids and young adults. Teaching a student takes quite a bit of patience that many people lack or don't have. I know i don't have the patience required to teach children because i would get frustrated with them and most likely just give up and find something fun for us to do instead of teaching them what needs to be taught. Thank goodness there are people (teachers) out there who can handle children and young adults.

Unlike Cameron Diaz in Bad Teacher

Some people might disagree with me and say teachers don't deserve more money because of all the breaks they get during the school year. I understand why someone might disagree with me because teachers do get certain holidays off as well as seasonal breaks; however, don't forget that they are teaching the future generations. They are responsible with filling the future generations minds with knowledge that will help better themselves and possibly the world.

Text Response 5

Male Mothers

"My Daughters Have No Mother" is an article i read today. Max Mutchnick, the author, discusses how gay men need surrogates in order to have children. He then proceeds with saying heterosexuals have it easier than homosexuals because they don't necessarily need surrogates to carry their unborn children (Mutchnick). I will agree with him on the fact that heterosexual couples have a much easier way to produce and carry a child because a heterosexual couple consists of a woman and a man. The man is able to impregnate the woman by delivering his sperm to her egg producing a zygote. For a homosexual couple pregnancy becomes impossible, at least between the two. Pregnancy is impossible for the female couples because they both have eggs, but no sperm to fertilize them and produce the zygote; while the males both have sperm, but no eggs to fertilize. This is why homosexual couples turn to surrogates. The surrogates can sometimes use the egg or sperm of the female or male to inseminate themselves and produce a zygote, which will later develop into a fetus. Max Mutchnick seems quite frustrated that his daughters will never really have a mom since he is with another man, but he realizes that he will love the child regardless of whether or not a surrogate carried it. This is an important way for him to look at things. It means he has a good attitude about things that he can't necessarily control. If more people were like Max, the world would consist of happier and more grateful people.


References:
Mutchnick, Max. "My Daughters Have No Mother." TheHuffingtonPost.com. The Huffington Post, 27 Feb. 2009. Web. 09 Apr. 2014.

Blog 5

AIDS: It is still an issue!

Earlier today I watched the movie, Dallas Buyer's Club. It got me thinking about AIDS, and how deadly it is for us. I believe it is important for all of you to understand what HIV and AIDS is so that you can minimize your risks of developing or spreading the virus.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) occurs after one has become infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (Alcantara). Over time the virus develops into a deadly disease known as AIDS (Alcantara).

In 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that the United States had more than 1.1 million people that were infected with HIV ("HIV in the United States: At A Glance"). 1 out of 6 of those people had no idea that they were infected ("HIV in the United States: At A Glance").

 

HIV is a virus that can be spread through a couple of different ways. One of the more common ways it is spread is through sexual intercourse or any other type of activity that exchanges bodily fluids (Alcantara). The virus attacks your immune system and makes your body more susceptible to developing diseases and eventually leading to the fatal disease we call AIDS (Alcantara).

In order to reduce the chances of developing HIV, you must start taking precautions. For starters, if you're going to be sexually active then be smart about it and wear protection. This doesn't prevent the virus from infecting you, but it does help lower your chances of infection.

 

If you are worried you might be infected with HIV or AIDS, then consult your doctor. He or she will test your blood and give you the diagnosis. If you test positive for HIV or AIDS, there are ways of prolonging your life with the proper medicine, but nothing can necessarily cure it.

 

It is important to contact your previous sexual partners or anybody that you might have exchanged body fluids with so that they are aware of the possibility that they also might have HIV or Aids. This communication is key to keep the virus from spreading and it is also key to survival.

 

 

 

 

 

References

"HIV in the United States: At A Glance." Cdc.gov. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 03 Dec. 2013. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.

Alcantara, Sava Tang. "What Does HIV and AIDS Stand For?" EHow.com. EHow, 27 Nov. 2008. Web. 04 Apr. 2014.

Text Response 4

     Wear What You Want     

Schools should and do have the right to tell us how we can and cannot behave, but i do not think schools should, even though they do, have the right to tell us what we can and cannot wear. Mark Davis is the author of a newspaper column known as, "A Little Civility, Please". He supports the idea of schools having the right to tell students what they can and cannot wear. I disagree with him because clothes are just clothes. Clothes are worn to express one's personality, beliefs, mood, creativity, and sense of humor. I don't understand why schools are so focused on what their students are wearing to school, when they should be focusing on teaching their students how to agree to disagree with other students. 

Davis brings up a good point when he talks about how a classroom that lacks a sense of order will lead to behavioral issues because it is true; however, monitoring what students are wearing will not preserve a sense of order. Instead, the school should allow their students to wear whatever they desire, just as long as they are covering certain areas that need covering. I believe this will expose students to the reality they will be faced with once they graduate from school because in reality you can wear whatever you want, outside of work that is. You will see types of clothing that offend you, but i believe having this sort of exposure during your school years will help you to agree to disagree with their choice of clothing. 

Blog 4

Bring Home a Pet!

Ever since i can remember, my mom and dad always provided me and my siblings with pets. We had dogs, cats, birds, guinea pigs, turtles, fish, and at one point a scorpion. Needless to say, i am all for keeping animals as pets because i love taking care of them and i love the companionship they give me.

Nothing says i love you as well as a dog licking your face.

Many people think it's selfish to own pets because we, the pet owners, take away the animal's rights once we buy or adopt the pet. I'll admit that it is selfish to possess an animal; however, many people who own pets try to give their pet the best life possible. 

This is sadly what happens when a pet ends up in the wrong hands. 

I can't speak for all of the pet owners because there are those pet owners who lack a sense of responsibility, and there are also those who are just plain cruel to their animals. Unfortunately, there is not much to do when you see a pet owner mistreating his or her pet except to report it to animal patrol. So if you ever do witness animals being mistreated please call animal patrol because that poor animal doesn't deserve to be tortured because their owner is too lazy or irresponsible to take care of him or her.

Something to help cheer you up!

Now i'll return to the happier side of owning pets. Caring for an animal is so satisfying in my opinion because you have to feed them, give them water, bath them or clean their cage. All of this work is what makes owning a pet so satisfying. You are responsible for their well-being which gives you, the pet owner, a sense of importance, and it gives your life meaning. 

Guinea pigs make great pets, but be sure to bath them
or else you will find out they can get pretty smelly.

Some people live their entire lives being single, while others eventually find the love of their life and get married. Whatever the case, owning a pet will give both the single person as well as the married couple a sense of companionship. This is what i mean when i say possessing a pet is selfish. We keep them because we love them and we want them to love us in return. I can't imagine coming home and not being greeted by my four dogs. Getting licked and jumped on by my dogs sounds like a nightmare to some people, but to me it shows how much they love and admire me. I know that sounds incredibly selfish, but i also know my family and i give our pets the best lives possible. I truly believe they are better off being kept as pets in my home where i know they are safe, loved, and cared for rather than somewhere else where they might not be safe, loved, or cared for.  

So if you decide you want a pet, just know adoption, in my opinion, is more rewarding then buying a new pet because you are saving a live and providing that pet with a live they never thought was possible for them. Keep in mind before you actually adopt or buy the animal that you'll need a proper income to provide and care for it. If you are certain you make enough money to care for it, then go ahead and bring your new pet home. Make sure you spoil him or her with love and attention because your pet will not only be grateful for it, but he or she will love you in return for taking good care of them.

Text Response 3

The Power a Brand Can Have On Consumers

Have you ever stood in an aisle of a store contemplating about which brand name product to buy? I'm guessing many of you have, including me. After reading Rob Walker's magazine column, "Social Lubricant: How a Marketing Campaign Became the Catalyst for a Societal Debate" i'd have to say that we buy certain brands because we appreciate what that brand represents as well as the message they are sending to their consumers.

Dove beauty products, for example are brand name products primarily selling to women because of the message they are sending to women of all ages, sizes, and colors. In order for Dove to successfully advertise their products they need to photograph models to place on billboards, television commercials, magazine covers, and etc., but not the kind of models you're used to seeing. The Dove Girls being photographed look like everyday women. Some have stretch marks or chubby tummies, while others have wrinkles or tattoos. Dove uses everyday women to portray "real beauty" rather than unrealistic, photo-shopped beauty, and it sells!

I myself use Dove deodorants and Dove body washes for two reasons. The first reason is because i love the smell of it, and the second reason is because i also appreciate the message being sent to their consumers. Rob Walker’s, "Social Lubricant: How a Marketing Company Became the Catalyst for a Societal Debate" discusses the debate between whether or not the advertisements of the Dove Girls are positive for portraying images of real women or negative due to the fact that the women are advertising the brand's products in their underwear.

Throughout the column Walker explains that the images are challenging the stereotype that being thin is beautiful, and further examines the possibility that people will turn to marketers for guidance on how to help get rid of anxiety issues that were placed in their heads by the marketers themselves. Marketers know the power they possess over us, and use it to their advantage. Dove's firming lotion, for example contradicts the message it sends to women. The whole point of the Dove Girls is to portray images of confident women of all colors, ages, and sizes who are comfortable in their own skin, not advertise products such as firming lotion to help tighten up loose skin.

In my opinion, the images are still positive because they are promoting women to have confidence within their own bodies, which is a good start. On the other hand, producing products such as firming lotion contradicts the message Dove is sending to women. Overall, i don't completely blame the brand Dove because they are just meeting the demands of an insecure population. Whatever corporation planted insecurities in to the population's minds is to blame. If there were more corporations like Dove, people would eventually feel less obligated to look a certain way because they would be appreciating the real women Dove is advertising, which would give them reassurance that it’s okay to be have wrinkles, stretch marks, and/or tattoos. Having that reassurance helps women to accept themselves for who they are and their bodies for what they are. This will help them realize that they don’t need firming lotion or anti-aging products to be beautiful, which will then decrease the production and distribution of these products, and lead us to a world where marketing will have less of a say about what should and shouldn't be consider beautiful. 

References

Messenger, Erica, John Gooch, and Dorothy U. Seyler. Argument! United States of America: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2011. Print.