Blog Post #5: Outline

Thesis statement: The United States should increase gun control restrictions to reduce fatalities by firearms.

I. Background on gun control
   A. What gun control is
   B. Current laws in the U.S.

II. The Second Amendment
   A. Intended for Militia
   B. What a gun was when the constitution was written

III. Statistics on deaths by guns in U.S.
   A. Total gun deaths in U.S.
   B. How many are intentional/mass shootings
   C. How many are by accident
       1. Household accidents
       2. Police related accidents

IV. Procedure to get a gun
   A. Current Federal Laws on getting a gun
       1. What some states do and don't require
   B.  What is harder to buy than a gun

V.  Loophole
   A. Gun show loophole
   B. Gun Control Act
       1. Private sellers

VI. Opposing argument #1
   A. "Guns are needed for protection"
       1. Response time
       2. A gun doesn't protect
       3. Increased chance of death or injuries by gun

VII. Opposing argument #2
   A. "increased gun control only puts more firearms in the hands of criminals"
       1. More likely to be shot by if you carry a gun
       2. What's happening in other countries
           a. Statistics on gun death in other countries
           b. Black market prices

VIII. Mental health relevance
   A. Irrational outbursts
       1. Statistics on suicide
       2. Mass shootings

IX. Solution
   A. Guns should be harder to purchase or obtain
       1. Required gun safety awareness education
          a. Comparison to a car
       2. Should be a Federal law



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Blog Post #4: Compare & Constrast

For my paper I want to compare and contrast the characteristics of Albus Dumbledore, from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter, and Gandalf from J.R.R. Tolkein's Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. The purpose of my paper is to compare and contrast the qualities of both characters and analyze how they play important roles in the development of each story. Both characters are wizards from popular fantasy fiction stories and can be associated with each other because of their similar themes, characters, and events. I am choosing to compare and contrast these two characters because I think they are important characters in Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit and Harry Potter, and both are stories that I have been raised with and know well, and it sounds enjoyable to compare and contrast two of the main characters.

Comments:
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Blog Post #3: "I Want a Wife" & "Men–It's in Their Nature"

In the article, I Want a Wife by Judy Brady, the speaker discusses the reasons why they want a wife. The main point of the article is to make a wife sound like someone who will take on all the burdens of a husband in addition to their own. The author writes in a way that makes a wife sound like a replaceable object that has no purpose in life other than servicing a husband. The purpose of this article is to emphasize the stereotypes of a wife. It seems that traditionally women are often expected take on some form of the role of a stereotypical wife.  I also think the purpose is to bring to attention how much wives often are expected take on. I think the article is written in a way that also makes it seem like husbands can't take on the chores to care for themselves.

In the article, Men–It's in Their Nature by Christina Hoff Sommers, the author explains the natural instincts of men. The main point of the article is to explain that you can't completely stop boys from being masculine because it is a primitive instinct. The purpose of the article is make people aware that men will naturally be aggressive and take risks. It isn't a bad thing because they are all important qualities in society. Men and women are naturally different and will never be completely equal in a primitive sense.

I am choosing Men–It's in Their Nature to analyze for my essay because I find the topic interesting and I want to examine it further. I also chose this article because I can agree with Sommers' writing more than Brady's. This is because I read it as being less biased than Brady's article. Based on where Brady's article was published and how it was written, I read it like it was from the view of an activist. I read Sommers' article as being written with more observation, which I have an easier time agreeing with because I think it's more reliable.

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Blog Post #2: A Favorite Place

Sitting in the ocean, watching as the waves flow through their cycle: building up and breaking down. I notice as a wave rises to an enormous height and reaches it's peak before curling over and crashing back on itself. I hear a low rumbling roar break through the atmosphere as a great mass of water molecules fall against each other with strong force. 

My gaze travels as I watch the white water rolling towards land and fizzling out onto the sand. As my eyes drift up, I notice how the dark volcanic sandy shore halts at thick line of lush rainforest. Behind the rainforest rises deep green mountains crowned with cool misty clouds. 

The sun sparkles silver off of the blue-green water. There's an overwhelmingly strong taste of salt water in my mouth, making my tongue begin to feel rough like sand paper. I feel the warm saltwater engulfing my legs from the knee down and my thighs beginning to stick to the wax that coats my surfboard. My nose is filled with the salty smell of the ocean and the sweet smell of surf wax. Pulling my hand out of the water, I hear the twinkling sound of water droplets as they each fall against the ocean's surface, like tiny bells being rung.

The white hot sun reflects off of the ocean's mountainous surface, giving me nowhere to hide. Blinded by the bright sun beating down on me, I feel my cheeks begin to warm. I know I should go back to shore before I burn myself too badly, but the addictive feeling of ridding one more wave drives me to stay in the comforts of the ocean. I could stay here for the rest of my life, I feel at home.

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Blog Post #1: "Destroyed" by Peter Martin

Summary:

The use of performance-enhancing drugs is a serious problem that has become too common in many of today's athletes. Sports that used to be made of pure players have now become contaminated with the use of enhancers, leaving one only to guess who's cheating and who's not. Not only are fans enraged that the true skill involved in sports is being abused, but many performance-enhancing drugs are a threat to their users. Although these drugs may seem like the quick answer, the long-term effects are fatal to many athletes at a young age. Now we have to hope that once again competition will be played naturally and lives will be saved.

Paraphrase:

Performance-enhancing drugs are a menace to the original idea of sport. When started long ago by the Greeks, sports were intended to be a test of human skill and ability. It has stayed this way up until recent decades when enhancers were introduced to the game. Not only have enhancers cheated the system, but they have also cheated the athletes and their good health.

Quote:

"They've made their way into almost every professional sport, and even created a new sport in the process. Now we all get to guess who's doping and who's clean" (Martin 582).

This quote stood out to me because it gives awareness that those who are using performace-enhancing drugs should be considered as a whole different type of athlete all together. I think it puts out a strong message that those drug users are no longer equally a real person in the context of sports, which makes the game unfair and unethical.

Works Cited

Martin, Peter. "Destroyed" The Bedford Reader.  X.J. Kennnedy, Dorthy M. Kennedy, 

     and Jane E. Aaron. Eleventh edition. Bedford, 2012. 580 Print.

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