Postconviction DNA Testing Should Not Be Encouraged By Peter Roff

In this essay the author, Peter Roff, explains to readers that DNA testing should not be encouraged as the sole relying piece of evidence to confim postconviction. He mentions that it is a significant part of the evidence but not all of it. Roff explains that DNA is only just part of all the evidence required to confirm somebodies conviction. He implies that to rely only on DNA testing would be inadequate. He says "The abscence of a particular individual's DNA at a a crime scene is not alone proof of their innoccence"(532). Throughout the essay he continues to refer to the notion that DNA is not the entire part of evidence, and that all the other elements of the evidence are just as acountable.

I found this essay more convincing then the previous one. I think that DNA testing should be highly considered as part of the evidence, but I dont believe its aboslutely everything. If we were to use DNA testing as the sole telling factor of a crime then our justice system would be vulnerable to mistake. We would be vulnerable to make mistakes because criminals could put other peoples DNA at a crime scene that they weren't even involved in. This would cause someone that was perhaps innoccent to be wrongly accused and convicted. It would be smarter to consider all of the telling factors of the evidence and not just one. The essay was well written and I liked how the author stemmed his arguement from the significance of DNA testing for postconviction.

Postconviction DNA Testing Should Be Encouraged By Tim O'Brien

In this essay the author Tim O'Brien explains about the significance of using DNA testing to confirm convicted felons. He uses an example of a specifc person named YoungBlood. O'Brien explains that Youngblood was innoccent, but he fit the image of the crime he was accused of, which was sodomizing a child. He then explain that Youngblood was convicted and put on death row as a result. However Youngblood by the end manages to get his DNA test and he is set free. If they wouldnt had used the DNA testing for Youngblood then an innoccent man would have been killed. The author used this example to clearly establish his oppinion of DNA testing.

I agreed with this essay. DNA testing is a significant factor in evidence. However if we solely rely on DNA, then criminals will start planting others DNA on things and begin framing innoccent people. I think that DNA is only part of the evidence, a bigger part, but not aboslutely everything. The author selected a good example to support his point of the significance of DNA testing.

Illegal Immigration Does Not Threaten America By Richard Raynor

In this essay Richard Raynor addresses the issues of immigration, and leads the reader through a higher understanding of the real definition of immigrant. He explains that America is founded by people from another country, and that the entire nation is one that doesnt have a specific culture but rather multiple cultures. After doing so he address the issues that immigrants from Latin America face when they try to live in America illegally. They face issues such as doing alot of blue-collar jobs and getting charged a much higher rent than those that are living in America legally. He expresses the benefits of having immigrants in California. He explains that the diversity brings about much progress, and that is a significant reason why California is a more developed state than other states that dont have too many immigrants. The diversity brings many different ideas and businesses that contribute to overall progress.

This essay was a well written one. The author used valid points and statistics for the information he provided. His statements were acceptable from my oppinion because I know that California is full of diversity and progress everyday. I am sure of this because I know how advanced California is when I compare it to Frederick Maryland, and even Tehran, Iran. I also feel a deep sympathy for the illegal immigrants and the hardships they face on a day to day average. The fact is that America is founded by immigrants and white people declare the country of America theirs, when in reality the Natives were actually here first, so if anything its their country and their culture. But since they arent so active in society the white people from European descent have taken it upon themselves to call the country theirs. The real difference about America from any other country is that, it isn't anyones country but everyones country. Its been shared with all the people that contribute to the country to make it a better place. America has been shared by the natives, its been shared with middle easterns, and its been shared by Europeans, so why not share it with Latin Americans too?

I'm Not Willing to Settle for Crumbs By Kim Severson

In this essay the Kim Severson addresses the issue of same sex marriage. The author herself is gay which is significant, because it allows her to better convey the existing issues of same sex couples. She addresses certain issues such as very few places in America allow same sex marriage. Severson also details the issue of having to lie by having to legally declare that the move is an act of residency and not just a visit to get married. In addition to that same sex couples also have to face the issue of paying the same amount of federal tax as those people that arent married. Throughout the essay Severson implies that although their has been more tolerance of same sex couples its still a struggling battle for civil equality. Till today their exists work places that don't allow you to work based on your sexual identity, and also even certain religions that cause activists to revolt against same sex couples.

This essay was interesting to say the least. I have almost no information of gay culture since I was living in a country that strongly disagreed with homosexuality. I do have a friend their whom is bi-sexual, but more towards lesbian. This girl is very interesting and I actually love her, she is a punk and she is into directing and music. She influenced my life significantly, and till this day although I did not properly gather enough information about gay culture I greatly respected its strength and passion. It truely does take alot strength and passion to say something that a majority would disagree with and continue forth with your idea despite peoples ignorance.

We Are Training Our Kids to Kill By Dave Grossman

In this essay Grossman explores the different factors that contribute to the increasing murder rate in America. He mainly focuses on one fundamental factor in his essay, which is the effect of the media. He begins by explaining that killing ones own kind is an unnatural response to a conflict. Grossman than compares and contrasts how the people in the military are trained to kill, and how that training is similair to the media's influence of violence. He explains that in the military they are trained to shoot pop up targets resembling human beings and after a time of training, shooting to kill becomes a stimulus response. This tactic is called operant conditioning. The same is with the video games children play. In violent shooting video games produced by the media, children are similairly trained to kill targets that pop up out of no where. This explains how kids that have never handled a gun show remarkable talent in shooting. He also explains the tactic of classical conditioning. This is when people are motivated to perform tasks through reward. He explains how in the japanese military they were trained to kill captive chinese soldiers in terrible ways, and that the japanese soldiers would be rewarded with the pleasures of women and great food. He explains similairly that children are rewarded the pleasure of winning a game when they kill all the people that game requires them too.

I like how insightful this essay was on the tactics that the military uses to train soldiers to kill, and also how much of an influence the media has on gamers. I dont really find it shocking that the government has not taken great action towards this issue. What if the government isn't strictly regulating laws against this because it is raising a nation of super soldiers that instinctively know how to wield weapons of mass destruction. Each country contributes its own specific material of neccessity to the international economy. America is best known for contributing weapons and arms of mass destruction. Therefore, is it so crazy to believe that the government would have a secret agenda to pre-train young minds into a state of total warfare while being able to use the best weapons that the world has to offer? The government's military makes a nice entrance to a soldiers life as soon as they graduate from high school. At this stage of life people are more likely to be interested in games than any other later time in life. They have gone through high school playing games of shooting and killing, most are deeply indulged in the media, and they are fresh out into the real world feeling successful and looking to further prove themselves. All this is a perfect recipe that can sicken a persons ability to distinguish the harms and hidden agenda's of the government and its media propaganda.

How Bingeing Became the New College Sport By Barrette Seaman

In this essay Barrette Seaman argues the different approaches to supress the abuse of alcohol by the undergraduates in college. He establishes the seriousness of the issue by providing the information that 300 deaths occur from alcohol poisoning a year. He also mentions that during the time he was visiting Hamilton college several people were hospitalized from alcohol posioning including a freshman whom had consumed 22 shots of alcohol. He lets the reader know why the children abuse alcohol so much, calling it the "forbidden fruit"(491), and a way of cutting loose. He introduces the reason why the alcohol legal age limit was upped to 21. He says its because of lobbying by the mothers against drunk driving that congress blackmailed states to raise the legal age limit. Seaman shows us two approaches throughout the essay to supress alcohol abuse. The first was the one he argues against, being that laws will play their effective role in supressing undergraduates' urge to binge drink. The other approach he introduces is to reduce the age limit back to 18. He details how the abuse will increase, but only momentarily, till undergraduates treat alcohol like adults. He supports his hypothesis with Montreals Mcguil's University. This university's drinking limit is 18 and although they have the freedom to drink all of the time, around final exams they treat alcohol like adults.

I agree with Seaman's approach to binge drinking. I believe that it would take away alot of the value of alcohol for undergraduates if they can simply have it whenever they want. I've known students that have abused this drug not from just freshman year in college but freshman year in high school. I suppose students may think that it doesnt really matter how old you are when they decide to drink since even a 20 year old is under the age drinking limit. Also, I think another reason for this abuse is to just relieve stress from the pressures of their lives. I think that students should resort to less harmful drugs than alcohol to relieve them of stress. I would rather have students abuse no drugs at all but I dont think this is possible for every single student. Especially when there is so many promotions of different kinds of drugs from the media, and society. I think if the age limit is reduced to 18 for alcohol then this will impact students from the time of high school, since they will know that by the end of high school they will be able to drink. This way, by the time they reach college they will give less value to alcohol and treat it just like adults would. It would also unmotivate younger teenagers in high school to abuse it since they legal age limit would be just a few short years away.

Our Unhealthy Obsession with Sickness by Frank Furedi

In Frank Furedi's essay " Our Unhealthy Obsession with Sickness" he addresses the issues of the health organization, and how its impacted the cultural sphere of America. He points out four specific reasons that we spend an unhealthy amount of time and resources focusing on health and sickness. Furedi first points out the reason of "medicalisation". Medicalisation is used to make sense of extreme human experiences. The issue is that it can be sometimes unsure, and point out useless cures that may be solved in an easier way. The second reason he provides is "a presupposition that illness is as normal as health". Furedi explains that today, the cultural norm is to be ill, and that people who aren't ill are actually considered to be potentiall ill, and not just well. This title of being potentially ill instills the fear of getting sick and implies that wellness is not a normal state of being but rather something to be aspired for and achieved over time. The third reason he says is that "health (is used) to make sense of the human experience". He explains that people use the idea of health to give moral reasoning that is subjective, which can direct peoples understandings and actions. The final issue he arises is the "politicisation of health". Furedi explains that public health initiatives provided by the government are making people spend alot of money and resources that aren't always neccessary so that consumers will spend more money.

The essay was very informative. Although I found it a bit difficult to understand in the begining I soon got a hold of the concept. I could relate to the issues that Furedi arrises in his essay because as a child I had ADHD. When I was a child, a psychiatrist put me on some medication that made me lose my appetite and be reluctant to most fun activity. My older brother described me as being like a zombie. He said he would through pillows at my head while I was watching TV to get a reaction out of me but I would simply look back at him then look back at the TV again, being completely impassive to everything he would do. I would just calmly sit there and watch TV. I had lost some weight while I was on this medication and my brother after having noticed this weight loss and dramatic character change went on a strike and threatned to move out of the house unless my parents stopped feeding me that medication. After my parents agreed to stop, my character and appetite returned gradually and I was back to normal. It makes sense to give people a constant fear of health because it gets people to constantly go for check ups and spend money which goes into the pocket of the government. It makes more sense now than ever since are economy is in a recession, and the government desperately needs money. However, this understanding makes me uncertain about which health threats I should actually be concerned about, and which health threats I should just be aware of.