1. I don't think students should be allowed to carry concealed weapons, personally, because I don't trust college kids with guns. I agree with the whole "substance abuse" issue because it's something that concerns me the most. If you think about how many out-of-control parties there are in college, and add guns to that equation, the result is not something pretty.
2. I'm not entirely sure. I don't think guns should be allowed at all. And if there were 'criteria'...what would those criteria be? How the hell can you judge a person to see if they're capable of carrying a gun and only using it for their personal portection? The definition of 'self-defense' is different for every person.
3. CNN stated that some students began carrying concealed weapons after the incident at VA Tech. I guess that means students want a gun in case some crazy student pulls a gun on them. That seems to me to be the strongest reason to carry a concealed weapon. On the other hand, though, I think that's also the weakest reason. Because, honestly, there's no guarantee that you can protect yourself from someone who's pointing a gun at you just because you've got one yourself. What if you can't pull it out in time? A gunshot fires in a split-second...that's not much time for "self-defense", if you ask me.
4. On News Net, an article titled Students Protest Concealed-weapon Law explained that not everyone at Utah University is in support of the bill that may be passed to allow students to carry concealed weapons on campus: "President of Students Against Violence, Ryan Keller, 22, a junior from Salt Lake City majoring in philosophy, said that he and others are just trying to make the government represent what the people want." There are many groups collecting signatures that will be sent to the Mayor in hopes that he will veto the bill. Keller also said, "If you have a gun in your sight, you always have the ability to kill someone else in an instant, so I assume that someone sitting next to me will always act rationally, but in a sense my life is in his hands and every person that is around me." (Students Protest).
[http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/02/20/cnnu.guns/index.html#cnnSTCText]
I think he makes a valid point: how are we supposed to trust everyone? Why would we want to put our lives in the hands of someone else - someone we don't even know?
5. I don't think ANYONE should be allowed to carry a gun except trained proffesionals.
6. A Critical Guide to the Second Amendment states: "Before addressing the body of Second Amendment scholarship, it is worth taking a moment to put it into the context of the popular debate over gun controls and the right to bear arms. Although it would be something of an oversimplification, it is probably fair to say that those who support gun control have generally tended either to ignore the Second Amendment entirely or to adopt an interpretation that leaves it essentially without effect. Those opposed to gun control, on the other hand, have naturally tended to adopt rather strong interpretations of the Second Amendment."
[http://www.guncite.com/journals/reycrit.html]
I agree with this, and in my opinion, the second amendment was meant only for trained professionals. But, then again, I support gun control, so my opinion is going to be bias. I just don't think anyone in Utah - as long as they are 21, have no criminal record, and are "mentally stable" - should be able to carry a gun. What does "mentally stable" even mean? How can you be sure if a person is mentally stable?
7. No, I don't think the second amendment is sufficient, mainly due to the fact that giving someone a gun gives them too much power, too much control. Well, if, according to the second amendment, "people" have the "right to bear arms", everyone should carry a gun, right? I mean, if I have to put my trust in someone I don't know just because the government says they're capable, or trustworthy...that's not fair to me. And, what about accidents? I know guns don't kill people, people kill people...but guns help and otherwise ill-equipped person to kill another person, whether that be on accident or on purpose. I don't think the answer to the problem of violence is...more violence.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
My CD
Songs from the album Genuinely Nineteen:
1. Free Me
- soft rock
- this song is about imprisonment of the poor, helpless animals that are trapped in cages in factory farms across the US. These animals can feel pain, just like humans, and we should understand that there's no need to torture an animal just because "it's going to end up dead anyways".
2. Gone
- soft rock
- this song tells two individual stories, one about a girl, one about a boy, who both ran away from home. They each have their own reasons for leaving home, their school, their friends, never to return again. But the song is meant to reflect on the large number of children that are homeless and dig deeper to see why that number really is so high. Most kids "run away" at some point or another during their childhood, but the ones that never come back...well, there's usually a reason for that.
3. The American Dream
- soft rock
- "Welcome to the 21st-century: the American Dream". This song pokes fun at America, and everything it has become. We try to portray America as a place where dreams come true, but with so many people without health insurance, the over-population, polution, corruption, and crime-rates...America isn't really something I'd like to dream about. Would you?
4. Hollywood
- soft rock
- This song is about a girl who wants nothing more than to be famous, drive a bright red car, get that second glance. Sure, everyone wants to be famous, but why? What can really make the human heart happy? Is it how many "things" we have or how popular we are? Or is it what we do that defines us as people and, more importantly, that what we're doing is ethical and noble. Does being a famous singer really help anyone? What about joining the Peace-Corps, where no one knows who you are or even speaks your native language?
5. Automoton
- punk rock
- This song is written from a teenager's perspective. Sometimes we (teenagers) feel like we are living someone else's life - or living our lives for someone else. It's almost as if we are programmed: wake up, go to school, do homework, repeat. If I want to leave home when I'm 16 to go join a band and follow my dreams, why can't I? If I would rather take 7 hours of ballet 5 days-a-week, why can't I quit school and become a dancer? Why do we always just do what we're told? What about the things that WE want?
6. Better Half
- soft rock
- A story about a man who loves his wife, his soul-mate, his life partner, this song explores the mysteries of the human heart. Do humans truly "mate" for life? This song proves that some can.
7. Here With Me
- soft rock
- This is a song about death. It's hard to believe that emotional problems can take hold of a person's life and even harder to believe that emotional pain can suddenly turn into physical pain, but all of this can happen. And it does. The concept of loss is a complicated one, and this song tells about the pain of losing a loved one and the phases of greif, all ending in acceptance.
8. A Day at the Beach
- soft rock
- This song is mainly about stress, caused by anything in our hechtic daily lives. Most of us are too busy and in over our heads when all we really need to do is take life one day at a time, stop and soak up the sunshine or feel the breeze, enjoy the simple pleasures in life.
Lyrics: A Day at the Beach
I say life is like a day at the beach (day at the beach)
Plenty of sun, and warm sand (and warm sand)
Test the water before you jump in (you jump in)
The land strip of life can be so long (be so long)
Chorus:
And even though the sound of the ocean breeze
It turns you on
Sand gets in your eyes, it's hard to see.
The waves crash over
You fight for air, you fight to breathe.
You're in over your head too deep.
Album Cover:
My album, which is titled Genuinely Nineteen, would be a streaky grey background where you can just make out old buildings, leaf-less trees, streets, etc. Everything looks the same. You can also see bold black figures walking along the streets; each figure is facing a different direction and everyone looks disoriented. This image symbolyzes the age 19, and the fact that this is the time when we feel like we don't really know who we are, and we are all just trying to discover ourselves, our purpose, and what truly excites us in this world of monotony.
Obviously, the text for the title of the album would be in bold red, so it would stand out against all the blacks and greys. This is to signify that music is my passion, what truly excites me, and that this album is something extraordinary.
1. Free Me
- soft rock
- this song is about imprisonment of the poor, helpless animals that are trapped in cages in factory farms across the US. These animals can feel pain, just like humans, and we should understand that there's no need to torture an animal just because "it's going to end up dead anyways".
2. Gone
- soft rock
- this song tells two individual stories, one about a girl, one about a boy, who both ran away from home. They each have their own reasons for leaving home, their school, their friends, never to return again. But the song is meant to reflect on the large number of children that are homeless and dig deeper to see why that number really is so high. Most kids "run away" at some point or another during their childhood, but the ones that never come back...well, there's usually a reason for that.
3. The American Dream
- soft rock
- "Welcome to the 21st-century: the American Dream". This song pokes fun at America, and everything it has become. We try to portray America as a place where dreams come true, but with so many people without health insurance, the over-population, polution, corruption, and crime-rates...America isn't really something I'd like to dream about. Would you?
4. Hollywood
- soft rock
- This song is about a girl who wants nothing more than to be famous, drive a bright red car, get that second glance. Sure, everyone wants to be famous, but why? What can really make the human heart happy? Is it how many "things" we have or how popular we are? Or is it what we do that defines us as people and, more importantly, that what we're doing is ethical and noble. Does being a famous singer really help anyone? What about joining the Peace-Corps, where no one knows who you are or even speaks your native language?
5. Automoton
- punk rock
- This song is written from a teenager's perspective. Sometimes we (teenagers) feel like we are living someone else's life - or living our lives for someone else. It's almost as if we are programmed: wake up, go to school, do homework, repeat. If I want to leave home when I'm 16 to go join a band and follow my dreams, why can't I? If I would rather take 7 hours of ballet 5 days-a-week, why can't I quit school and become a dancer? Why do we always just do what we're told? What about the things that WE want?
6. Better Half
- soft rock
- A story about a man who loves his wife, his soul-mate, his life partner, this song explores the mysteries of the human heart. Do humans truly "mate" for life? This song proves that some can.
7. Here With Me
- soft rock
- This is a song about death. It's hard to believe that emotional problems can take hold of a person's life and even harder to believe that emotional pain can suddenly turn into physical pain, but all of this can happen. And it does. The concept of loss is a complicated one, and this song tells about the pain of losing a loved one and the phases of greif, all ending in acceptance.
8. A Day at the Beach
- soft rock
- This song is mainly about stress, caused by anything in our hechtic daily lives. Most of us are too busy and in over our heads when all we really need to do is take life one day at a time, stop and soak up the sunshine or feel the breeze, enjoy the simple pleasures in life.
Lyrics: A Day at the Beach
I say life is like a day at the beach (day at the beach)
Plenty of sun, and warm sand (and warm sand)
Test the water before you jump in (you jump in)
The land strip of life can be so long (be so long)
Chorus:
And even though the sound of the ocean breeze
It turns you on
Sand gets in your eyes, it's hard to see.
The waves crash over
You fight for air, you fight to breathe.
You're in over your head too deep.
Album Cover:
My album, which is titled Genuinely Nineteen, would be a streaky grey background where you can just make out old buildings, leaf-less trees, streets, etc. Everything looks the same. You can also see bold black figures walking along the streets; each figure is facing a different direction and everyone looks disoriented. This image symbolyzes the age 19, and the fact that this is the time when we feel like we don't really know who we are, and we are all just trying to discover ourselves, our purpose, and what truly excites us in this world of monotony.
Obviously, the text for the title of the album would be in bold red, so it would stand out against all the blacks and greys. This is to signify that music is my passion, what truly excites me, and that this album is something extraordinary.
Monday, March 3, 2008
"Running On Faith"
1. My initial reaction is that I am shocked that they would disqualify her, essentially, because of her religion. I think it's rediculous. That is why we have freedom of religion in the USA, and I don't see how the hood was giving her any unfair advantages over her competetors either.
2. I agree that kelly's disqualification constitiutes religious descrimination, and the discualification of other athletes for other reasons do not apply. Most athletes are disqualified because of steroids or something that gives them an unfair advantage. In Kelly's case, this is not so.
3. Well, I'd need to look up all the specific rules of the track league concerning appropriate competing attire and also different aspects of the Muslim faith.
4. I'm sure Roger had more reasons behind his opinion (or to back up his opinion) in his actual article, which I'm sure was pretty long. I can see where he's coming from; sports do have certain rules that probably are not meant to discriminate. But it's not right to deny someone the right to participate because they cannot dress properly due to their religious beliefs.
5. The only solution I can see is to re-do the rule book because I don't agree with this particular rule.
6. Well, yes and no. The judges have the capability of hiring more judges for more opinions (two sets of eyes are better than one), and they could even hire a film crew to tape the results. I don't think that the solid color rule, solely implemented for the purpose of telling who won the race, is the best it could be. I think the judges could do better and amend that rule.
2. I agree that kelly's disqualification constitiutes religious descrimination, and the discualification of other athletes for other reasons do not apply. Most athletes are disqualified because of steroids or something that gives them an unfair advantage. In Kelly's case, this is not so.
3. Well, I'd need to look up all the specific rules of the track league concerning appropriate competing attire and also different aspects of the Muslim faith.
4. I'm sure Roger had more reasons behind his opinion (or to back up his opinion) in his actual article, which I'm sure was pretty long. I can see where he's coming from; sports do have certain rules that probably are not meant to discriminate. But it's not right to deny someone the right to participate because they cannot dress properly due to their religious beliefs.
5. The only solution I can see is to re-do the rule book because I don't agree with this particular rule.
6. Well, yes and no. The judges have the capability of hiring more judges for more opinions (two sets of eyes are better than one), and they could even hire a film crew to tape the results. I don't think that the solid color rule, solely implemented for the purpose of telling who won the race, is the best it could be. I think the judges could do better and amend that rule.
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