Friday, December 10, 2010

The Dream Act Review


Sovana Dangols’ editorial is a good piece about the current immigration status in America. I agree that the dream act is a perfect way for immigrants to get integrated into the country. If someone shows that they are fully determined to strive forward in life and they show it in their school work and community service, there is no reason to deny them of educational rights. 
The dream act should be enacted now, so that it will set an example for other minorities in our country and show them that with determination anyone can get ahead in life, regardless of their financial status. America needs change now more than ever and with the ever growing number of immigrants in our country there needs to be a law that allows those who are immigrants to be able to succeed just like anyone else.

Friday, December 3, 2010

The Touchy Issue of the TSA


How much more paranoid can America get? Well this is certainly one way to show off how scared the country is of terrorist. The Transportation Security Administration or (TSA) has gone way too far now with the methods they are using to sniff out threats to our country. They have implemented a new procedure in which they have to do a screening procedure on anyone who goes to through an airport, just to make sure that they aren’t a terrorist.
In a way it’s a virtual strip search because they have to scan people with an advance imaging technology that searches your whole body and transfers the image to a computer where they see if you have anything that can be considered a threat. This machine has been proven to contain dangerous amounts of radiation for a person if they are frequently exposed to it and some pilots have filed lawsuits against these procedures because of unknown radiation risks.
            The TSA also involves pat downs in which they search people from head to toe and they can do this to anyone who is deemed suspicious. There was one incident in which a young boy was thoroughly searched and was made to take his shirt off in front of everyone standing around the airport. I think these measures are too extreme and violate our privacy and should not be implanted so exceedingly. I get that the government is concerned about the safety of the nation, but when a nation has to almost strip search everyone who goes through an airport is just too paranoid and should calm down.     

Friday, November 12, 2010

Profit or Fatness: Overview


Robin Dao’s blog entry on obesity in America, "Profit or Fatness" is well thought out and structured, but is not carried out as professionally as it should be. Your second paragraph doesn’t stay on topic with your thesis statement. The use of texting dialogue “ZOMG” is not adequate in a blog in which you are critiquing the article. In your second paragraph you could have focused more on facts and how the government is involved in fast food restaurants and not so much on your opinion of the obesity issue. 
You have good logic on the subject and yes we as Americans have to do something about obesity instead of just being lazy and not eating healthy. I liked how you closed your entry by implying ways in which our tax dollars could be spent. Overall is was entertaining, but you could have used a more serious tone on it and examine the issue more and how it is bad for our country.

Friday, October 29, 2010

National Wrong Doing

     Are we heading in the wrong direction? Many Americans like to think that the government is an almighty deity that will fix whatever problems arise. They think that by leaving things like immigration and our tax money spending on the government that everything will turn out all right. Well this couldn't be further from the truth and our debt to other countries and our resources slowly dwindling away America is not in the same shape it use to be.
     In order for things to change people have to start getting more knowledgeable about our current crisis and demand change. We are fighting wars overseas, which are wasting billions of our dollars and while there are people protesting against this, the people that don't see the negative aspect in this need to wake up and look at what is happening to our economy. Unemployment rate is still as low as last year and while Obama's stimulus may look like it has giving more jobs, it has really wasted more of our tax money. With the bailout of companies like General Motors and Bank of America, its no wonder why we are increasingly going much deeper into debt.
     Certain issues, such as those of immigration and Health Care are leading us away from what is really important, a stable economy. I think that the rich need to get loose with their money and help out the nation. I know that this is a far cry from what is going to happen, but if someone starts doing it, other might follow too. People need to learn that not everything good will last and that sooner or later if this keeps going on our economy is going to take an alarming turn for the worse.
     

Friday, October 15, 2010

U.S lending Mexican Journalists a Hand

      In the article "An ally against Mexico's terror", the author's main claim was that Mexico is growing more dangerous each and every day and Mexican journalists are at risk more than ever with all the drug cartel violence. The U.S government is starting to give political asylum, such as the case with Luis Aguirre, who started receiving death threats. His support is that Mexico's free press is now in danger and many have fallen at the hands of these criminals. Mexico is not in the list of countries who's freedom of press is in danger, such as Cuba, and Russia but it sure deserves too. The author also says that this year U.S immigration has recommended twice the amount of applications for political asylum which means they acknowledge that journalists and the like are in danger.

     His talk of the U.S acknowledging that Mexico is in grave danger, makes his argument more valid, rather than just saying that he thinks people are in danger and something should be done. This gives him more credibility and adds logic to what he is talking about. I agree with him and think that the general population of Mexico that are in grave danger from these drug cartels should also be helped by the U.S immigration if just until everything returns to normal.The author's overall conclusion on the subject is legitimize because it is a serious situation affecting Mexicans this very day and the Mexican government should also start to do something about it. When you can't even trust your own government you know something has to be done for the better of the people.

source: http://www.statesman.com/opinion/an-ally-against-mexicos-terror-947508.html     

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Messing with Religion


     I recently read an article in the L.A times that talked about how the Texas state board of education was planning to limit references to Islam in the history books. The author was arguing about how that was unjust because Texas is trying to make it look like Christianity is the one and only true religion. He also talked about how history books have been dumbed down and it’s no wonder why so many students are so uninterested in history. I agree with him because I also don't think that a type of religion is something that should be restricted from learning about. If someone wants to learn more about it then why not let them right? I believe that in modern times like these, the government should stop trying to censor what we learn. 

     We should start to educate ourselves more and more, so that we won’t have to keep repeating mistakes that we have done. If someone wants to learn about a subject then let them I mean we are free to express religion and the government should not try to make one superior. He makes a good claim about how students will need to be mature about these changes and deal with them in work in civic life. He backs that up by talking about Thomas Jefferson and how he talked of separation of church and state. Now the board of education wants to follow in his footsteps in a way. If we want to limit religion, then why not stop talking about it all together and let people start making their own decisions?

Texas messing with Islam

Friday, September 17, 2010

Tea party activists are 'pawns' to corporate interests, Clinton says

   Former president Bill Clinton tells democrats to not worry about their own government. He says that fixing the economic crisis we are going through is going to take some time and that not even republicans could do it in 2 years. We need patience if we want to see any change and just 2 years will be enough to show that we are going in the right direction. He says that this uneasiness has drawn many to the tea party movement, which has helped republicans look good. The people in charge of the tea party are only trying to weaken the government, so that they can step in and have unaccountable private power.


   Basically of we want any of this economic mess to end we must trust in our president and believe that he will make the right choices. The government has spent billions, which in turn improved the lives of 220 million people in more than 170 countries. Things like this will help out our economy and our government as a whole. So don't stop believing and keep your head up high.

L.A. Times