Helmet Laws
By: Ben Spencer
Should helmet laws be motivated by scientific evidence or by groups of people that can pay lobbyist the most money? Some bikers would say it should be personal preference and not laws that make them wear helmets. Most of the scientific studies show that motorcycles in general are a more dangerous form of transportation than cars and trucks. These studies also show that individuals involved in motorcycles accidents had less serious injuries if they wore helmets than those riders not wearing helmets. These facts alone show the importance of wearing helmets. In addition to fewer head injuries, helmets should be required to help decrease cost to anyone involved in paying for healthcare.
Although it is proven that helmets are important in motorcycle safety, there is also proof that individuals wearing seatbelts in automobiles have less of a risk of severe injury and death when involved in an accident. It is the law in most states that everyone in the vehicle is buckled up. It is also the law that small children be buckled up in a car seat that meet state regulations. So why is it that bikers have freedom of choice but those in automobiles are made to “click it or ticket”?
If motorcyclist are given freedom of choice as to whether or not to wear a helmet, should a law enforcing other “riders” of vehicles to wear helmets be enforced? There are studies out that show the number of individuals operating all terrain vehicles wearing helmets have a better outcome when involved in accidents than those that don’t wear helmets.
Motorcycle and bicycle accidents are frequent and often unavoidable. It is often the cyclists are difficult to see when they use busy roadways. When the accidents do occur, head injuries are very likely to occur when there is no protection. Scientific research has been done to prove helmet use minimizes head injuries by as much as 88%. Many cyclists even admit that the use of a helmet “saved their lives” when involved in an accident, but unfortunately when given the choice most cyclist chose not to wear helmets.
Opposition to enforcing helmet laws comes primarily from biker groups and associations. Bikers argue that helmets should be optional and not mandatory. They simply don’t want to be forced to wear them. They also feel wearing helmets is unattractive and “un cool”. More importantly bikers think that helmets are uncomfortable and cause neck pain and injury because of the stress the helmets put o0n their necks due to the weight of the helmet.
Currently there is not a universal law that covers all motorcycle riders in the state of Kentucky. There is a partial law that requires 20 years and younger to wear helmets when riding a motorcycle. Kentucky’s ATV helmet requirement states that riders under 16years old must wear a helmet at al times and riders 16 years of age and older are required to wear helmets on public property. The law also states that motorcycle riders that are 21 years and older can have the choice of wearing no helmet if they can prove they have medical insurance coverage. There are currently no required bicycle helmet laws although it seems that more bicyclist wear helmets than motorcyclist.
Almost 50% of motorcycle crash victims do not have private health insurance coverage so most of their medical bills are paid by medical and other government funds theirs puts a huge drain on healthcare and on state and federal budgets, many times it is not just the cost of medical care immediately following the crash. Traumatic brain injuries are permanent disabilities and require lifelong medical care. If helmets were a requirement rather than a personal choice, there would be fewer head injuries and a decrease in cost to anyone paying for healthcare.
By: Ben Spencer
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Hybrid Cars, Are they really worth it?
As being “green” becomes more and more important to the nation, people are trying various methods to reduce their global impact on the environment. One method that has been popularized by the media is the shift from conventional cars to hybrids. A hybrid car uses a small gas engine that is supplemented by electric motors. These cars produce very low levels of emissions, and in some situations provide a better alternative than a conventional car. But many hybrid owners are finding out that their cars don’t always live up to the claims and expectations associated with hybrid cars. Claims of increased savings from buying less fuel, better mileage, tax breaks, and other incentives of ownership have been well reported by the media and have gained acceptance and considerable interest with the general public, but as time goes on owners find that they are not seeing the proof to back up those claims.
Hybrid cars work by supplementing their small gas engines with electric motors powered by a battery pack. These electric motors help to supplement the smaller gas engine at times when more power is needed such as passing on the highway or starting from a complete stop. When stopped at a red light or stop sign the car’s electronics automatically shut down the gas engine to reduce pollution from idling, and when the driver begins to move again the electric motors start the car off, and after a certain point the gas engine is brought back online. It is because of this system along with the smaller, lighter, engine and better aerodynamic elements that allow these vehicles to achieve the low emission levels and high gas mileage, which are the main selling points of these cars. To most this sounds like the ideal solution to help lessen pollution and ease our demands for fossil fuels, but in most cases I believe that a conventionally powered car is a better option. When on the interstate or local highways, where a driver rarely needs to stop, a small fuel efficient car is better suited. Contrary to popular belief most of the time the hybrid’s gas engine is providing the power to drive the wheels while the electric drive train is dormant. This makes a hybrid no different than any other comparable car in most driving situations. Hybrids do offer better gas mileage, but normally the difference between a hybrid and a conventional car (often the same model but without the hybrid option) is only around two or three mile per gallon. Since most people commute long distances to and from work a hybrid owner would not get the full benefits that the car offers.
On the other hand, if a person lives in or does a majority of their driving in a city, a hybrid would be the better option. When driving in or near a city the most common driving situation that a person would encounter is stop and go traffic. This is where hybrid cars are in their element. With a conventionally powered car city driving is where drivers see the worst efficiency and the most wear and tear on a vehicle. Unlike a hybrid, a conventional car relies solely on its gas engine to get it moving and it is this cycle of starting and stopping that reduces fuel economy and places a lot of stress and wear on the engine and drive train. . Another disadvantage that plagues conventional cars is when they are idling while in traffic or when stopped. This wastes untold gallons of fuel every year and also contributes to wear and tear on the engine, because if the car is not moving the cooling system is not working as efficiently and prolonged idling can and does lead to serious engine problems as the car gets older. In these driving situations a hybrid is the best option. When in traffic or at a stop light the hybrid’s computer automatically shuts down the gas engine which saves fuel and reduces emissions. When the car resumes motion the electric motor starts the car off and once a certain point is reached the gas engine is brought back online to power the car and recharge the batteries. But all these benefits come at a price.
I feel another issue that plagues hybrid cars is the costs associated with them. Obviously, since hybrid cars have more advanced electronics and a second drive train (the electric drive system) those costs are going to be factored into the sticker price. That is a give in, no matter what the product is the more advanced it is the more it is going to cost. The problem lies in the “premium pricing” that many dealers add to the cost of the car above the sticker price on the windshield. This “premium” pricing is brought about by the low number of hybrids being produced, which is directly related to consumer demand. Once hybrid technology can be better utilized and made affordable to the average consumer the demand for these cars will increase, but until the price for these cars can be brought down to the point where it is actually a viable option for the average driver the full benefits that these cars offer, both environmental and monetary, will not be utilized to their full potential. Another way that I feel many consumers have been misled is in the reported savings from buying less gas. Studies have shown that it often takes years for a hybrid owner to see any long term savings in regards to money spent on gas. This is partly because of the high cost of the car offsets the savings on fuel until the car is paid off, and it is at that point where a hybrid owner can begin to see long term savings.
There is no doubt that hybrid cars offer a great opportunity for a person to help reduce the impact that humanity has on the environment, and one will get no argument from the writer on this issue. But what is in question is the true effect that hybrids can have. In many driving situations a conventionally powered fuel efficient car shows only a slight difference in fuel efficiency when compared to a hybrid (Hybrid). So a new car buyer can get a car that has close to the efficiency of a hybrid, but for thousands less. Hybrids have their strong points and areas that they do in fact, surpass conventional cars. Hybrid technology is only in its second generation and as technology improves these cars will be better suited to the average person, which is what is limiting these cars. As the technology improves and becomes more efficient in more than just city driving these cars will be more widely accepted by consumers. Hybrids are a great alternative for some, but for hybrids to be a real benefit to not only the environment but to the average driver, they need to become a viable option for everyone.
By Adam Wilck
Hybrid cars work by supplementing their small gas engines with electric motors powered by a battery pack. These electric motors help to supplement the smaller gas engine at times when more power is needed such as passing on the highway or starting from a complete stop. When stopped at a red light or stop sign the car’s electronics automatically shut down the gas engine to reduce pollution from idling, and when the driver begins to move again the electric motors start the car off, and after a certain point the gas engine is brought back online. It is because of this system along with the smaller, lighter, engine and better aerodynamic elements that allow these vehicles to achieve the low emission levels and high gas mileage, which are the main selling points of these cars. To most this sounds like the ideal solution to help lessen pollution and ease our demands for fossil fuels, but in most cases I believe that a conventionally powered car is a better option. When on the interstate or local highways, where a driver rarely needs to stop, a small fuel efficient car is better suited. Contrary to popular belief most of the time the hybrid’s gas engine is providing the power to drive the wheels while the electric drive train is dormant. This makes a hybrid no different than any other comparable car in most driving situations. Hybrids do offer better gas mileage, but normally the difference between a hybrid and a conventional car (often the same model but without the hybrid option) is only around two or three mile per gallon. Since most people commute long distances to and from work a hybrid owner would not get the full benefits that the car offers.
On the other hand, if a person lives in or does a majority of their driving in a city, a hybrid would be the better option. When driving in or near a city the most common driving situation that a person would encounter is stop and go traffic. This is where hybrid cars are in their element. With a conventionally powered car city driving is where drivers see the worst efficiency and the most wear and tear on a vehicle. Unlike a hybrid, a conventional car relies solely on its gas engine to get it moving and it is this cycle of starting and stopping that reduces fuel economy and places a lot of stress and wear on the engine and drive train. . Another disadvantage that plagues conventional cars is when they are idling while in traffic or when stopped. This wastes untold gallons of fuel every year and also contributes to wear and tear on the engine, because if the car is not moving the cooling system is not working as efficiently and prolonged idling can and does lead to serious engine problems as the car gets older. In these driving situations a hybrid is the best option. When in traffic or at a stop light the hybrid’s computer automatically shuts down the gas engine which saves fuel and reduces emissions. When the car resumes motion the electric motor starts the car off and once a certain point is reached the gas engine is brought back online to power the car and recharge the batteries. But all these benefits come at a price.
I feel another issue that plagues hybrid cars is the costs associated with them. Obviously, since hybrid cars have more advanced electronics and a second drive train (the electric drive system) those costs are going to be factored into the sticker price. That is a give in, no matter what the product is the more advanced it is the more it is going to cost. The problem lies in the “premium pricing” that many dealers add to the cost of the car above the sticker price on the windshield. This “premium” pricing is brought about by the low number of hybrids being produced, which is directly related to consumer demand. Once hybrid technology can be better utilized and made affordable to the average consumer the demand for these cars will increase, but until the price for these cars can be brought down to the point where it is actually a viable option for the average driver the full benefits that these cars offer, both environmental and monetary, will not be utilized to their full potential. Another way that I feel many consumers have been misled is in the reported savings from buying less gas. Studies have shown that it often takes years for a hybrid owner to see any long term savings in regards to money spent on gas. This is partly because of the high cost of the car offsets the savings on fuel until the car is paid off, and it is at that point where a hybrid owner can begin to see long term savings.
There is no doubt that hybrid cars offer a great opportunity for a person to help reduce the impact that humanity has on the environment, and one will get no argument from the writer on this issue. But what is in question is the true effect that hybrids can have. In many driving situations a conventionally powered fuel efficient car shows only a slight difference in fuel efficiency when compared to a hybrid (Hybrid). So a new car buyer can get a car that has close to the efficiency of a hybrid, but for thousands less. Hybrids have their strong points and areas that they do in fact, surpass conventional cars. Hybrid technology is only in its second generation and as technology improves these cars will be better suited to the average person, which is what is limiting these cars. As the technology improves and becomes more efficient in more than just city driving these cars will be more widely accepted by consumers. Hybrids are a great alternative for some, but for hybrids to be a real benefit to not only the environment but to the average driver, they need to become a viable option for everyone.
By Adam Wilck
The Dangers of Tabloids
It is a common act to flip through a tabloid magazine while standing in line at the grocery store. A person will subconsciously look at its pages and ignore every message it is giving through the models in it. Tabloids and magazines have created the false sense that for a woman to be beautiful, she must be thin. This misconception is the reason why today women of all ages have so many insecurities. Therefore, change in the way women are depicted in the media is needed, and there should be efforts made so that women of every size and shape are represented in the pages of magazines rather than only the stick- thin models.
Many magazine editors and Fashion designers would fight this point that what is printed in a magazine is not meant to create chaos to all the women in the world. They would argue that thin models are without many of the curves an average sized woman would have, and therefore, it is much easier for clothes on the runway to be fitted on them. Also many magazine editors would cover up any accusation of harmful propaganda due to dietary supplements being advertised in its pages by saying it’s the advertising business that sells space for a company to use up. Also as a fashion or women’s magazine, they encourage healthy lifestyles which would include reducing the amount of excess fat on a person’s body.
The reason I believe this portrayal of women in media is problematic is because the tabloids show women as skinny Barbie doll “look-alikes”. In the world today this is unrealistic and unfair. It is fine if you are thin, but the world cannot assume all women even have the capability to become that thin even if they wanted to. Human beings grow to be all different shapes and sizes, so it is unrealistic to believe all women must fit a certain standard just to be thought of as beautiful. “An average woman in today’s [society] is 5’4” and [usually] around 130 to 140 pounds” (ParentingTeens). Based on this calculation, it is unfair to declare all average sized women are not beautiful due to their weight in proportion to their height. According to tabloids, a truly beautiful woman looks like a runway model which on “average is 5’11” and about 115 pounds” (ParentingTeens). This would mean only two percent of all women living today could be classified as beautiful because “around ninety-eight percent of women are larger than the average super model” (ParentingTeens).
The second reason the tabloid’s portrayal of women is misleading is because the tabloids create a false sense and definition of what beauty is in modern society. The pages of magazines are full of skeletal-looking models who show off lose fitting clothing and the latest trends. Covers of tabloids and magazines alike criticize celebrities for being either too skinny or too fat. And everywhere a person looks, there is another advertisement on a weight loss supplement or fad diet that is sure to make a person thin and trim in just weeks. This stress put on young women is developing worries of weight in younger and younger girls as the years go on. “Eighty-one percent of ten-year old girls have a fear of becoming fat sometime in their life” (ParentingTeens). There is also a shocking statistic that “ninety-one percent of women college students have tried to lose weight by dieting while living on the college campus” (ParentingTeens). This constant publicity has created a false definition of beauty in a form of a tall thin model. The true definition of the word beauty is “a lovely person or thing” (Merriam-Webster). There was no definition anywhere that stated that beauty was meant to be thin or light weight, so beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.
The third reason I believe women of all shapes and sizes should be represented in the pages of magazines and tabloids is because it will eventually create a new found confidence in women of the modern age, and hopefully encourage a healthier life style in young girls. Women are so easily influenced when looking at a magazine full of stick-thin models. They see that as a sign that this is how the world wants them to look. But if magazines were to ditch the propaganda for diet supplements and exchange them with local gyms and work out facilities in cities, women would realize that being fit and healthy is just as beautiful as being thin. If young girls could look through a fashion magazine and see the glamour that every sized woman can have with the right outfit that would prove to them that you can look beautiful in your own skin. Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder, and all women can represent beauty in different ways. Now all magazines need to do is market this idea that beauty is everywhere and not just on the runway.
The fourth and final reason why I think this change in media is possible is because we are the future leaders of this country and the world. As the upcoming leading generation in our society, we should not only demand change but also form the right to set the standard of beauty for ourselves. Media viewers do not need a magazine telling them how they need to look to be thought of as a beautiful person. No runway model or definition in a dictionary can tell the women of this world what true beauty is, because there is no definition. Human beings were created to be different and look unique from one another. So in theory, it is impossible to categorize all women to look the same. So by representing all the different forms of beauty in the pages of a magazine, no definition ever has to be made.
Some form of change needs to take place as soon as possible to stop this crime from occurring any longer in the society we live in today. Years ago, women embraced curves, and plumpness was a sign of wealth and status. I am not saying we need to make that radical of a change, but magazines do need to start including more well-rounded groups of women on to their pages. Women of all shapes, size, ages, and ethnicities should be in some way honored. If a magazine or tabloid wants to target the female population as its viewers, then those magazines should do the courtesy of representing there viewers in the pages rather than only unrealistic runway models.
Work Cited
“Beauty.” Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2009. Merriam-Webster Online.
2 November 2009
"Eating Disorders Statistics." About.com:Teen. The New York Times Company. Web.
2 Nov. 2009. http://parentingteens.about.com/cs/eatingdisorders/a/eatingdisorder5.htm.
BY: Jordan Turner
Lower the Legal Drinking Age
Even though there is strong objection by law enforcement officers, a movement is being made to lower the legal drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen. The United States is one of the only countries whose legal drinking age is above eighteen. Seventy-eight percent of Americans are against this. However, I believe that lowering the legal drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen would have major positive effects.
One reason I believe the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen is because drinking is seen as “forbidden” among young adults. Therefore, high school kids and college students under the age of twenty-one are more likely to be binge drinkers. Since students don’t know for sure when they’ll be able to drink again, they try to drink as much as they can and get as drunk as possible. Among drinkers, thirty-two percent of under-age compared to twenty-four percent of legal age are heavy drinkers. Among college students, twenty-two percent of all students under twenty-one compared to eighteen percent over twenty-one years old are binge drinkers. According to the Institutes of Medicine, ninety percent of alcohol that is consumed by underage drinkers is during binge drinking. Between 1993 and 2001, eighteen to twenty year olds showed the largest increase in binge drinking episodes among Americans. Statistics clearly show that the twenty-one year old legal drinking age is not working.
The second reason I believe the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen is because a person is considered an adult at the age of eighteen. You can vote, adopt children, serve on a jury, and serve in the military. But despite all of these important responsibilities you are trusted with, you cannot buy or drink alcohol. This fact makes it not very surprising that a huge number of young people choose to drink under the age of twenty-one. If one might risk their life in war, why shouldn’t they be able to enjoy a beer?
Some opposers of the idea claim that the legal drinking age of twenty-one has saved more lives in vehicle fatalities. However, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, safety belts and air bags saved 18,000 lives in 2004, while the legal drinking age saved less than 2,000 lives. If you take a quick glance at the graphs, you will see that there has been a decline in traffic fatalities. However, the decline began in 1982, which is two years before the law changed. In addition, the decline has happened in every age group, not just people within the ages of eighteen and twenty-one. It is very likely that the decline in vehicle fatalities is caused by an increase in seat belt use, airbags, and safer cars.
The third reason I believe the legal drinking age should be lowered to eighteen is because even after 25 years of having a twenty-one year old drinking age, 5,000 young people under the age of twenty-one die of alcohol-related crashes every year. More than sixty percent of those deaths are a result of accidental injury, homicide, and suicide. Clearly, the legal drinking age of twenty-one is not working.
In conclusion, the legal drinking age should be lowered from twenty-one to eighteen because of the fact that minors are more likely to be binge drinkers, one is considered an adult at the age of eighteen, and because of the fact that the legal drinking age isn’t decreasing the number of alcohol-related fatalities. Young people need to be taught about responsible drinking at a younger age so alcohol-related fatalities can be prevented in the future. This can be done by lowering the legal drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen.
By Kelsey Johnson
One reason I believe the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen is because drinking is seen as “forbidden” among young adults. Therefore, high school kids and college students under the age of twenty-one are more likely to be binge drinkers. Since students don’t know for sure when they’ll be able to drink again, they try to drink as much as they can and get as drunk as possible. Among drinkers, thirty-two percent of under-age compared to twenty-four percent of legal age are heavy drinkers. Among college students, twenty-two percent of all students under twenty-one compared to eighteen percent over twenty-one years old are binge drinkers. According to the Institutes of Medicine, ninety percent of alcohol that is consumed by underage drinkers is during binge drinking. Between 1993 and 2001, eighteen to twenty year olds showed the largest increase in binge drinking episodes among Americans. Statistics clearly show that the twenty-one year old legal drinking age is not working.
The second reason I believe the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen is because a person is considered an adult at the age of eighteen. You can vote, adopt children, serve on a jury, and serve in the military. But despite all of these important responsibilities you are trusted with, you cannot buy or drink alcohol. This fact makes it not very surprising that a huge number of young people choose to drink under the age of twenty-one. If one might risk their life in war, why shouldn’t they be able to enjoy a beer?
Some opposers of the idea claim that the legal drinking age of twenty-one has saved more lives in vehicle fatalities. However, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, safety belts and air bags saved 18,000 lives in 2004, while the legal drinking age saved less than 2,000 lives. If you take a quick glance at the graphs, you will see that there has been a decline in traffic fatalities. However, the decline began in 1982, which is two years before the law changed. In addition, the decline has happened in every age group, not just people within the ages of eighteen and twenty-one. It is very likely that the decline in vehicle fatalities is caused by an increase in seat belt use, airbags, and safer cars.
The third reason I believe the legal drinking age should be lowered to eighteen is because even after 25 years of having a twenty-one year old drinking age, 5,000 young people under the age of twenty-one die of alcohol-related crashes every year. More than sixty percent of those deaths are a result of accidental injury, homicide, and suicide. Clearly, the legal drinking age of twenty-one is not working.
In conclusion, the legal drinking age should be lowered from twenty-one to eighteen because of the fact that minors are more likely to be binge drinkers, one is considered an adult at the age of eighteen, and because of the fact that the legal drinking age isn’t decreasing the number of alcohol-related fatalities. Young people need to be taught about responsible drinking at a younger age so alcohol-related fatalities can be prevented in the future. This can be done by lowering the legal drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen.
By Kelsey Johnson
Abortion and pschological effects.
Abortion has taken a head on collision with today’s society. Used to back in the day Abortion was looked down upon and was even illegal. But today it is considered legal and the first thing that is brought to a young girl’s attention when she gets pregnant in high school. Society looks at abortion as just another “thing” that women are using to get out of problems they cannot handle; children. But what these women don’t understand is that having an abortion isn’t going to make everything all better. As a matter a fact it can actually make matters worse. After abortion a minimum of nineteen percent of women have suffered from PTSD, which is a psychological problem. Therefore I disagree with abortion and believe that it should still be considered illegal.
One effect abortion know to have on the mother is suicide. Sixty percent of all women who have had abortions report suicidal intentions. Twenty eight percent actually attempt suicide. Suicidal attempts and thoughts have become more and more common amongst adolescents. They get dangerously depressed and think that what they did was wrong. Young teen girls figure that if they were to ever tell a future man in their lives what they did they would not want them; they feel that they will have no life after, due to the abortion. I believe teens today see abortion as an escape route. They think “oh if I get an abortion I will still be able to go to college and become successful without having to hassle with a baby.” But after the abortion I think most of them wish they wouldn’t have actually gone through with it. That they wish instead of crying themselves to sleep because of guilt they were rocking their crying child to sleep. Most girls think of suicide as a way to reconnect with the child that they killed.
Abortion doesn’t have only have psychological effects on just the mother it also effects the family. My grandmother is evidence of just this. My mom was fifteen when she became pregnant by a man that she hardly even knew. My grandmother was a single mom at the time with two children, barely making it; she wanted the best for her daughters. She wanted them to have everything that she didn’t have as a child herself. So when she found out about my mom being pregnant she forced her to have an abortion, thinking that she would be able to live a normal life and not have to have the burden of being a teen mother. To this very day my grandma tells us all the time that she regrets making this choice. My mom began using drugs at the age of 13, and now my grandma believes that if she would have made her have that child at fifteen she would have grown up and realized her mistakes. So instead of my mom being burdened with teen motherhood, my grandmother is burdened with the guilt of killing her first grandchild. She prays everyday that god will forgive her for the mistake she made.
Another effect abortion has on mothers is it can lead to divorce or relationship problems. After having an abortion many women have a difficult time forming long lasting bonds with people, or even holding onto the bonds they already have. Divorce is very likely to happen since the mother would have a low self esteem, which causes sexual dysfunction; communication goes from talking everyday to not talking at all.
Just the other day I had a conversation with a group of people about abortion leading to depression. One person in the group said “that abortion is a decision that woman make, they know the consequences, they know the risks. How can we tell that their not just “acting” like their depressed just to attention because they want people to feel bad for them?” Honestly this person did have a point. But then again how can you tell if anyone has emotional problems or psychological problems? Abortion is just one of the many leading causes to this psychological problem, many women have reported to regretting what they did after having an abortion. Many have turned to Alcohol to sooth their problems and some have even turned to substance abuse. Just because we can’t see it on the surface does not mean that these women are not hurting inside.
Eleanor Ramsey has written and compiled a series of true stories of post abortion stories. This story stood out the most to me. “Thirteen year old Stacie, came home from school one day, when she met her neighbor on the way, her neighbor told her that her mother was out killing her baby at an abortion clinic. After this Stacie refused to go to school, and refused to listen to her parents. She begged her mom to have another child; her mother was unable to conceive again. Soon Stacie started dating a sixteen year old boy and after that she became pregnant. By having this child and how she had begged and begged for her mother to have another child shows that Stacie grieved for the brother or sister that her mother had killed. She felt that she could get rid of the grief she had by having a child of her own.” (Ramsey) page 33. By reading this story it proved to me more and more that abortion just isn’t worth it. It can affect the mother, and the family. Even after researching the opposing side of my argument I still find no reason why abortion should be considered legal. It leads to many tragic events. Psychological problems are just one of the many events.
One effect abortion know to have on the mother is suicide. Sixty percent of all women who have had abortions report suicidal intentions. Twenty eight percent actually attempt suicide. Suicidal attempts and thoughts have become more and more common amongst adolescents. They get dangerously depressed and think that what they did was wrong. Young teen girls figure that if they were to ever tell a future man in their lives what they did they would not want them; they feel that they will have no life after, due to the abortion. I believe teens today see abortion as an escape route. They think “oh if I get an abortion I will still be able to go to college and become successful without having to hassle with a baby.” But after the abortion I think most of them wish they wouldn’t have actually gone through with it. That they wish instead of crying themselves to sleep because of guilt they were rocking their crying child to sleep. Most girls think of suicide as a way to reconnect with the child that they killed.
Abortion doesn’t have only have psychological effects on just the mother it also effects the family. My grandmother is evidence of just this. My mom was fifteen when she became pregnant by a man that she hardly even knew. My grandmother was a single mom at the time with two children, barely making it; she wanted the best for her daughters. She wanted them to have everything that she didn’t have as a child herself. So when she found out about my mom being pregnant she forced her to have an abortion, thinking that she would be able to live a normal life and not have to have the burden of being a teen mother. To this very day my grandma tells us all the time that she regrets making this choice. My mom began using drugs at the age of 13, and now my grandma believes that if she would have made her have that child at fifteen she would have grown up and realized her mistakes. So instead of my mom being burdened with teen motherhood, my grandmother is burdened with the guilt of killing her first grandchild. She prays everyday that god will forgive her for the mistake she made.
Another effect abortion has on mothers is it can lead to divorce or relationship problems. After having an abortion many women have a difficult time forming long lasting bonds with people, or even holding onto the bonds they already have. Divorce is very likely to happen since the mother would have a low self esteem, which causes sexual dysfunction; communication goes from talking everyday to not talking at all.
Just the other day I had a conversation with a group of people about abortion leading to depression. One person in the group said “that abortion is a decision that woman make, they know the consequences, they know the risks. How can we tell that their not just “acting” like their depressed just to attention because they want people to feel bad for them?” Honestly this person did have a point. But then again how can you tell if anyone has emotional problems or psychological problems? Abortion is just one of the many leading causes to this psychological problem, many women have reported to regretting what they did after having an abortion. Many have turned to Alcohol to sooth their problems and some have even turned to substance abuse. Just because we can’t see it on the surface does not mean that these women are not hurting inside.
Eleanor Ramsey has written and compiled a series of true stories of post abortion stories. This story stood out the most to me. “Thirteen year old Stacie, came home from school one day, when she met her neighbor on the way, her neighbor told her that her mother was out killing her baby at an abortion clinic. After this Stacie refused to go to school, and refused to listen to her parents. She begged her mom to have another child; her mother was unable to conceive again. Soon Stacie started dating a sixteen year old boy and after that she became pregnant. By having this child and how she had begged and begged for her mother to have another child shows that Stacie grieved for the brother or sister that her mother had killed. She felt that she could get rid of the grief she had by having a child of her own.” (Ramsey) page 33. By reading this story it proved to me more and more that abortion just isn’t worth it. It can affect the mother, and the family. Even after researching the opposing side of my argument I still find no reason why abortion should be considered legal. It leads to many tragic events. Psychological problems are just one of the many events.
Who's the Best?
In the world of music many stars rise over the years, to be forever know as legends of what they do. Mozart, Bob Dylan, Eddie Van Halen, Elvis Presley, Neil Peart, all have been considered to be the greatest at what they do at one point in time. But in modern heavy metal music today, a great dispute is out as to who is the best drummer in the industry, with two of the top contenders being Lamb of God’s drummer Chris Adler, and Slipknot’s drummer Joey Jordison. I would argue that the answer is, without a doubt, Chris Adler.
There are many different qualities and characteristics that go into consideration when you’re deciding whom the better of two musicians are. Some of these include sound, performance, skill, technicality, style, and difficulty. With both Adler and Jordison having new albums come out within the last year, it has put a big spotlight on them, and made people wonder just who is better. Many would argue that Joey Jordison’s technical speed throughout Slipknot’s entire songs would make him the number one drummer in the world. It is undeniable, that Jordison does have some very difficult beats to play, due to their complexity and constant double bass drumming mixed with lightning speed. But Adler one-ups Jordison in the fact that, Adler’s drum fills, are near impossible to do. A drum fill is a transitional point in a song (like going from the verse to the chorus for instance) that is based around a drum change. The way that Adler arranges his fills are often beyond belief, throwing in insane patterns between his hands and feet at speeds that demand a second listen every time you hear the songs.
Also, Adler’s style is one that is hard to comprehend even after you see it. One of the biggest reasons that Adler has such a difficult style to match is because he is actually a left handed drummer, who plays on a right handed drum set, something that is rarely seen in the drumming world. Adler’s style truly shines during live performances with the band, in the sense that what you thought you heard on the cd, is actually so more complex than it seemed. It’s almost as if he’s just letting his arms explode from his body, and his feet are programmed to do their job flawlessly. His accuracy live is dead on, playing every beat as if it’s woven into his DNA, which assures you that what you hear on the cd’s is not product of fancy studio magic, it’s the real deal.
A third quality that sets Adler above and beyond many of the top heavy metal drummers of today, is his love for his fans and supporters. Many drummers who know that they’re famous, know they’re a big name musician, loose sight of the reason they became famous… their fans. But Adler never has. His humble personality keeps both his feet on the ground (and on his bass pedals) and his head where it should be. During any live show, if Adler gets a minute in between songs, he runs to the crowd, giving them high five’s and even a drumstick or two to some of the luckier audience members. This not only keeps him on excellent terms with his fans, but also makes the shows for the band he’s in much more interactive, which in turn keeps people wanting to always come back for more. It seems that Adler never turns down an interview, and always has a smile on his face. His personality makes people love him for more than his awesome drumming skills, which can be one of the most important qualities there is when it comes to being know as the “greatest” there is at something. And Adler’s combination of attributes set an even more promising future for him to become know as the best there is.
Every video you watch on YouTube, or on the television that has Adler in it, you get a feeling like you’re there, like you’ve know him all his life. And yet his skills never cease to amaze you as you watch him play. It doesn’t matter if it’s the first time you’ve heard the song, or the hundredth time, Chris Adler’s drumming style and presence has an uncanny effect of making you always want more, which is what makes him the best drummer there is in heavy metal.
Anthony Falcone
There are many different qualities and characteristics that go into consideration when you’re deciding whom the better of two musicians are. Some of these include sound, performance, skill, technicality, style, and difficulty. With both Adler and Jordison having new albums come out within the last year, it has put a big spotlight on them, and made people wonder just who is better. Many would argue that Joey Jordison’s technical speed throughout Slipknot’s entire songs would make him the number one drummer in the world. It is undeniable, that Jordison does have some very difficult beats to play, due to their complexity and constant double bass drumming mixed with lightning speed. But Adler one-ups Jordison in the fact that, Adler’s drum fills, are near impossible to do. A drum fill is a transitional point in a song (like going from the verse to the chorus for instance) that is based around a drum change. The way that Adler arranges his fills are often beyond belief, throwing in insane patterns between his hands and feet at speeds that demand a second listen every time you hear the songs.
Also, Adler’s style is one that is hard to comprehend even after you see it. One of the biggest reasons that Adler has such a difficult style to match is because he is actually a left handed drummer, who plays on a right handed drum set, something that is rarely seen in the drumming world. Adler’s style truly shines during live performances with the band, in the sense that what you thought you heard on the cd, is actually so more complex than it seemed. It’s almost as if he’s just letting his arms explode from his body, and his feet are programmed to do their job flawlessly. His accuracy live is dead on, playing every beat as if it’s woven into his DNA, which assures you that what you hear on the cd’s is not product of fancy studio magic, it’s the real deal.
A third quality that sets Adler above and beyond many of the top heavy metal drummers of today, is his love for his fans and supporters. Many drummers who know that they’re famous, know they’re a big name musician, loose sight of the reason they became famous… their fans. But Adler never has. His humble personality keeps both his feet on the ground (and on his bass pedals) and his head where it should be. During any live show, if Adler gets a minute in between songs, he runs to the crowd, giving them high five’s and even a drumstick or two to some of the luckier audience members. This not only keeps him on excellent terms with his fans, but also makes the shows for the band he’s in much more interactive, which in turn keeps people wanting to always come back for more. It seems that Adler never turns down an interview, and always has a smile on his face. His personality makes people love him for more than his awesome drumming skills, which can be one of the most important qualities there is when it comes to being know as the “greatest” there is at something. And Adler’s combination of attributes set an even more promising future for him to become know as the best there is.
Every video you watch on YouTube, or on the television that has Adler in it, you get a feeling like you’re there, like you’ve know him all his life. And yet his skills never cease to amaze you as you watch him play. It doesn’t matter if it’s the first time you’ve heard the song, or the hundredth time, Chris Adler’s drumming style and presence has an uncanny effect of making you always want more, which is what makes him the best drummer there is in heavy metal.
Anthony Falcone
Don't Blame the Media
It is obvious that the media has changed over the years. From “I Love Lucy” to “South Park”, most would say that it has changed in a harmful way, and that the media negatively influences the young adults in today’s society and therefore is the cause for many teenage problems such as teen pregnancies, teen crimes, teen drug abuse, and depression in teens. However, I do not believe that the change the media has made is to blame for these teen problems.
In today’s society sex appears everywhere—on television, in magazines, and even on the radio (Stossel, 1). In previous years sex it was considered not moral to show the amount of sex shown today. However, even though young people in the present are constantly exposed to sex, according to an article sponsored by ABC News, rates for both rape and teen birthrates have recently fallen (Stossel, 2). Pregnancy rates among teenage girls have also greatly declined (Stern, 1). The Centers for Disease Control confirms that since 1990 teen pregnancies went down forty percent and rates of teens that actually gave birth to a child dropped thirty percent (Sternheimer, 1). Karen Sternheimer, Ph.D. and sociologist at USC says in her article “Don’t Blame Pop Culture for Teen Misbehavior” that pregnancies that occurred in teens that viewed sexual shows on television out of the fifteen hundred teens surveyed was only about thirty-six (3). Rates of rape among young people under eighteen were said by the FBI to have also decreased by fifty-two percent (Sternheimer, 1).
People cannot blame the media for youth crimes either because crimes that are being committed by adolescence in the U.S. has been dropping. According to the FBI “rates of serious violent and property crime among youths under age eighteen plunged forty-nine percent” since 1990 (Sternheimer, 1). Since that 1990 mark, rates for crimes such as murder, serious assault, rape, and robbery committed by adolescence of the same age group have all dropped (Sternheimer, 1). The FBI reported that murder rates when down sixty-six percent, serious assault rates declined twenty-eight percent, rape rates decreased by fifty-two percent, and robbery rates fell thirty-two percent (Sternheimer, 1). Of one-thousand six hundred teens surveyed only thirty them said they both visited violent websites and committed a seriously violent act (Sternheimer, 3).
Television has positive influences on today’s youth (Barbour, 3). Advertisers have attempted to use television to help change the behaviors of young people in a positive way (Barbour, 3). The media has made “efforts to modify behaviors such as smoking, drunken driving, and even poor nutritional habits” through the television, radio, and even in some magazines (Barbour, 3). Attempts to change these behaviors are shown in anti-drug commercials like “Above the Influence”. These commercials are shown on TV, broadcasted on the radio, and are even in magazines such as “Cosmopolitan”. All those who hear or see these ads are told that their voice is the only one that matters and to use that voice to be above the influence of drugs. In television shows such as “16 and Pregnant” and “Sex Rehab” on MTV viewers are shown that there are consequences to sex. “16 and Pregnant” allows viewers to see that having a child at a young age is a very difficult thing to do whether you keep the child or give it up for adoption. “Sex Rehab” shows those who watch the show that sex has not only child bearing consequences but also emotional consequences.
Some might argue that the media allows things such as sex, drug abuse, and crimes to be exposed and because of that youths are shown these things. Marty Klein, Ph.D. and author of “America’s War on Sex” was quoted saying, “The truth is children think about sex whether we want them to or not, children think about sex. [They] don’t need [the media’s] help to think about sex” (Stossel, 2). I feel that this is true. Young adults don’t need the media’s help to think about sex, drugs, or crimes. They will think of these things on their own, so the media cannot be blamed for the actions or misbehaviors of adolescents.
In today’s society sex appears everywhere—on television, in magazines, and even on the radio (Stossel, 1). In previous years sex it was considered not moral to show the amount of sex shown today. However, even though young people in the present are constantly exposed to sex, according to an article sponsored by ABC News, rates for both rape and teen birthrates have recently fallen (Stossel, 2). Pregnancy rates among teenage girls have also greatly declined (Stern, 1). The Centers for Disease Control confirms that since 1990 teen pregnancies went down forty percent and rates of teens that actually gave birth to a child dropped thirty percent (Sternheimer, 1). Karen Sternheimer, Ph.D. and sociologist at USC says in her article “Don’t Blame Pop Culture for Teen Misbehavior” that pregnancies that occurred in teens that viewed sexual shows on television out of the fifteen hundred teens surveyed was only about thirty-six (3). Rates of rape among young people under eighteen were said by the FBI to have also decreased by fifty-two percent (Sternheimer, 1).
People cannot blame the media for youth crimes either because crimes that are being committed by adolescence in the U.S. has been dropping. According to the FBI “rates of serious violent and property crime among youths under age eighteen plunged forty-nine percent” since 1990 (Sternheimer, 1). Since that 1990 mark, rates for crimes such as murder, serious assault, rape, and robbery committed by adolescence of the same age group have all dropped (Sternheimer, 1). The FBI reported that murder rates when down sixty-six percent, serious assault rates declined twenty-eight percent, rape rates decreased by fifty-two percent, and robbery rates fell thirty-two percent (Sternheimer, 1). Of one-thousand six hundred teens surveyed only thirty them said they both visited violent websites and committed a seriously violent act (Sternheimer, 3).
Television has positive influences on today’s youth (Barbour, 3). Advertisers have attempted to use television to help change the behaviors of young people in a positive way (Barbour, 3). The media has made “efforts to modify behaviors such as smoking, drunken driving, and even poor nutritional habits” through the television, radio, and even in some magazines (Barbour, 3). Attempts to change these behaviors are shown in anti-drug commercials like “Above the Influence”. These commercials are shown on TV, broadcasted on the radio, and are even in magazines such as “Cosmopolitan”. All those who hear or see these ads are told that their voice is the only one that matters and to use that voice to be above the influence of drugs. In television shows such as “16 and Pregnant” and “Sex Rehab” on MTV viewers are shown that there are consequences to sex. “16 and Pregnant” allows viewers to see that having a child at a young age is a very difficult thing to do whether you keep the child or give it up for adoption. “Sex Rehab” shows those who watch the show that sex has not only child bearing consequences but also emotional consequences.
Some might argue that the media allows things such as sex, drug abuse, and crimes to be exposed and because of that youths are shown these things. Marty Klein, Ph.D. and author of “America’s War on Sex” was quoted saying, “The truth is children think about sex whether we want them to or not, children think about sex. [They] don’t need [the media’s] help to think about sex” (Stossel, 2). I feel that this is true. Young adults don’t need the media’s help to think about sex, drugs, or crimes. They will think of these things on their own, so the media cannot be blamed for the actions or misbehaviors of adolescents.
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