Jacob Walsh
Brandon Wallace
Abstract: Overpopulation
As time has passed and technology has advanced, there has been opportunity for the population of the world to become very large. Since 1950, the population of the earth has gone from 2.5 billion to 6.7 billion, and by 2050 the population is projected to reach 9.5 billion. This means that in the past 58 years the population has risen by more than 4.2 billion people. Also, this signifies that the difference between the population in 1950 and 2008 is greater by twofold than the number of people in 1958. At first, this sounds unlike a problem. Modern advancements have allowed the prosperity of our species. The problem is that all signs point to that prosperity being short lived. Simply put, there are not enough resources available to sustain what the population is projected to become. In other words, modern advancements in technology have made it possible for us to reach an unsustainable number of people on the planet. If people are not educated about this issue, and we as a species continue on this path, the consequences could be devastating. This is because there is not enough land to sustain a population as large as it is projected to be in the future. Only 13.31 % of the Earth's land area can be used for farming and food production, and of that 13.31% only 4.71 is suited to continuous farming. At present 1.3×10^7 km² of land is being used for crops, and 3.4×10^7 km² of land is being used for pasture land. That makes a total of 4.7×10^7 km² of land being used for food production. If the above population projections are accurate this signifies that within the next 40 years agricultural land space will have to be more than doubled, coming to a total of 66 million square kilometers of land used exclusively for food production. Currently little is being done internationally to address this issue, and nothing is being done domestically. The only country that is currently making an effort to curb the dangerous effects of overpopulation is China with its “one child policy”. The objective of the policy is self explanatory; the goal being to limit each couple to having one child, except in the cases of people who live in rural areas, or who have already had a child with a very severe illness. The problem with this policy is that it is very draconian, and not always uniformly enforced. Violators are subject to anything from fines to forced abortions. It is for these reasons that a new solution is needed, and this solution should not just be for China, but implementable across the globe.
To solve this problem, we propose that an educational campaign is organized, with the goal to teach the public about the reality and the dangers of overpopulation. Also, the program will attempt to make it easier for people to obtain family planning resources. This educational campaign would be implemented through the multifaceted use of public service announcements, informational posters in public areas, and expert speakers who would make presentations in schools and universities. The challenge is to overcome the cultural taboos that surround family planning and education.
Dear Editor:I have noticed that surprisingly few people are aware of the present situation regarding overpopulation and its imminent negative effects.. For those of you who do not know in the past 50 or so years our population has more than doubled, and is currently growing at an exponential rate. By 2050 (a mere 40 years, so within most of our lifetimes) the UN predicts that the population will reach an unprecedented size of almost 10 billion. The earth, with only 4.71% of its land capable of continuous farming, simply does not have enough agricultural land to produce enough food to support this many people.The most concerning thing is that currently almost nothing is being done to address the problem. Other than China's unnecessarily draconian"one child policy", in which couples are only allowed to have one child, there are no attempts being made by any governments to keep the population from reaching unsustainable levels.The best way to solve this problem is to educate the general public about the dangers of overpopulation, and about proper family planning. This is the ideal solution because once people are educated about overpopulation, and they understand the cause of it, they will implement the solution themselves. No one wants to create an unsustainable situation for themselves, so if they are given the facts that they need through various public channels, overpopulation will be prevented. All of this is much better than the alternative, which is the government instituting laws that force people to have fewer children.
Dear Editor:With troubled times some problems go unnoticed. I have found the troubling emergence of a problem that is happening on a global scale. This problem has been countered with stricter immigration and one-child policies. Overpopulation is beginning to show itself all over the globe. In the past 50 or so years our population has doubled, and is currently growing at an exponential rate. By 2050 (a mere 40 years, so within most of our lifetimes) the UN predicts that the population will reach almost 10 billion.But what does this mean? Our leaders are clearly turning away from the issue based on the mass ignorance of it. Our citizens, and the citizens of the world need to realize that space, food, and water are not resources that can keep up with a rising population. We are expanding too quickly and the environmental impact of this is too great to go unnoticed. The solution lies in educating the public of this problem. Without their understanding of the issue, the solution will never present itself. This is a solution that comes after the realization that forcing families to have one child leads to a sex imbalance. This is a dire situation that needs to be acknowledged sooner rather than later.
The Honorable Brian Bilbray
2348 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Senator Bilbray:My name is Brandon Wallace and I am a student in San Diego. I am writing because of my concern for the sustainability of the earth's population. I believe, as do many others, this is a very important issue which is consistently being neglected and avoided in today's society.
As I am sure you already know, population is growing exponentially, and the earth can only support so many people. By 2050 the UN predicts that the population will reach almost 10 billion people. This explosive growth can primarily be attributed to substantial advancement in agricultural science and technology in the past century. The problem with this is a result of dependence on fossil fuels, the imminence of global warming, a fixed amount of land on the planet, and the current lack of reliable alternative energies. As a result the projected population growth within our lifetimes will not be able to be supported by the agricultural system.It is for these reasons, and to ensure future prosperity of both the nation and the world, that I believe it is extremely important that a solution to this issue be implemented. The remedy is to educate both current and future generations about the dangers of overpopulation and the importance of sustainability with regards to family planning and population. With this in mind, I urge you to support any legislation or funding that promotes family planning and population sustainability education in schools, clinics, and media. In spite of the current economic issues, funding and support for these programs is still a high priority if we are to maintain our quality of life.I appreciate your consideration and understanding of this issue.
Sincerely,
Brandon Wallace
4677 Orten St.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Problem
How will people react to happily dancing teens in public places? What key variables may affect peoples’ reactions to the silent rave? The purpose of this research is exploratory.
Operation
The variables are:
• Intensity of the dancing
• Venue (private enterprise or public area)
• Crowd density
• Age of bystanders
• Whether the music is audible to the public
The study could have been more informative if the ravers had been older—perhaps near middle aged. Still, the concept of this experiment has remained constant.
Hypothesis
We have agreed that most bystanders will feel uncomfortable and confused. The primary variables in this hypothesis are crowd density and general crowd age. Some may laugh or smile, and there is a slim possibility that someone will join the dancing. We framed our hypothesis around the assumption that when people do something that is not unorthodox but in an unorthodox setting, bystanders generally express passive interest or confusion. If the dancers seem friendly rather than aggressive, people may feel inclined to try to be humorous and join the silent rave. We have no prior experience with research like this, so this is a self-developed hypothesis.
Research Design
• Mode of Observation
We used participant observation to determine our results. We may have been able to gather more hard evidence if we had surveyed the people who saw our rave.
• Sample
The entire population of elements was used in this study. The bystanders consisted primarily of younger and middle aged people. Another setting of this experiment was conducted by a school where there were predominantly middle and high school aged teenagers. It is fairly likely that other studies would arrive at similar results.FindingsAll of the tested adults, with one exception, were aggravated by our dancing. One man working in a restaurant accepted our enthusiastic dancing without anger. A man behind the liquor counter of Trader Joe’s market said harshly and simply, “Guys, get out!!” however, during our rave down the street in front of a middle school/high school, most of the some hundred kids eating lunch yelled in excited support. Two or three joined the dancing for a few moments. Therefore, age makes a crucial difference in response to taking a rave out of a dance club and into the public eye.
Conclusions
People do not like teenagers behaving abnormally in public. Our findings would have changed had we been in a designated place to rave—then we would not be deviating from the norm. Our findings mostly confirmed our hypothesis. This study is an example that people resent other people drawing attention to themselves. Were we to conduct further research, we might pose the question, what would the results be if our music was audible? Still, people prefer to keep dancing in its place of designation.
See the video on Danielle Nisan's blog: http://dnisan.blogspot.com/2009/04/social-experiment-videos.html
How will people react to happily dancing teens in public places? What key variables may affect peoples’ reactions to the silent rave? The purpose of this research is exploratory.
Operation
The variables are:
• Intensity of the dancing
• Venue (private enterprise or public area)
• Crowd density
• Age of bystanders
• Whether the music is audible to the public
The study could have been more informative if the ravers had been older—perhaps near middle aged. Still, the concept of this experiment has remained constant.
Hypothesis
We have agreed that most bystanders will feel uncomfortable and confused. The primary variables in this hypothesis are crowd density and general crowd age. Some may laugh or smile, and there is a slim possibility that someone will join the dancing. We framed our hypothesis around the assumption that when people do something that is not unorthodox but in an unorthodox setting, bystanders generally express passive interest or confusion. If the dancers seem friendly rather than aggressive, people may feel inclined to try to be humorous and join the silent rave. We have no prior experience with research like this, so this is a self-developed hypothesis.
Research Design
• Mode of Observation
We used participant observation to determine our results. We may have been able to gather more hard evidence if we had surveyed the people who saw our rave.
• Sample
The entire population of elements was used in this study. The bystanders consisted primarily of younger and middle aged people. Another setting of this experiment was conducted by a school where there were predominantly middle and high school aged teenagers. It is fairly likely that other studies would arrive at similar results.FindingsAll of the tested adults, with one exception, were aggravated by our dancing. One man working in a restaurant accepted our enthusiastic dancing without anger. A man behind the liquor counter of Trader Joe’s market said harshly and simply, “Guys, get out!!” however, during our rave down the street in front of a middle school/high school, most of the some hundred kids eating lunch yelled in excited support. Two or three joined the dancing for a few moments. Therefore, age makes a crucial difference in response to taking a rave out of a dance club and into the public eye.
Conclusions
People do not like teenagers behaving abnormally in public. Our findings would have changed had we been in a designated place to rave—then we would not be deviating from the norm. Our findings mostly confirmed our hypothesis. This study is an example that people resent other people drawing attention to themselves. Were we to conduct further research, we might pose the question, what would the results be if our music was audible? Still, people prefer to keep dancing in its place of designation.
See the video on Danielle Nisan's blog: http://dnisan.blogspot.com/2009/04/social-experiment-videos.html
Friday, April 24, 2009
The Drug Story
Quite A View
By Jacob Walsh
Young Jacob Christopher was at the ripe age of twenty three when his life changed in a way that no one could have predicted. This wasn’t a change that was caused by and effect of any sort – no. Jacob Christopher had been waiting to change for a very, very long time indeed. So it should be no surprise, mind you, that when he did change, he was quite happy. Or at least he seemed happy at the time. You see, young Jacob Christopher wasn’t a very expressive person – and this caused a deep disconnect between him and everyone who surrounded him, regardless of acquaintance. Even still, he was revered as a gentleman who treated everyone he spoke to with the utmost kindness and respect.
We find Jacob standing on the edge of a cliff looking out towards a sunrise. He is holding his hands up in front of him as if he was typing on a keyboard. He was visualizing his suicide note – if he was to ever commit suicide – and it began and ended with ‘Young Jacob Christopher was at the ripe age of twenty three when his life changed in a way that no one could have predicted.’ He waved his hand through the now hovering paragraph, and the paragraph slowly dripped letters into the wind until it had all disappeared. Young Jacob Christopher was not going to commit suicide today. Jacob knew this based on the sunrise – which was quite marvelous. The sun had just risen – blasting a myriad of colors over the distant frozen mountains. As Jacob watched the brilliance of the sky he was engulfed by the magnificence of the surrounding clouds. He sat there with his mouth askew and just watched. And as he marveled and philosophized he reached into his backpack and pulled out a large plastic bag that was filled half full with small round pills. He proceeds to take four of these pills out and swallowed them without second thought.
And there young Jacob Christopher stood. He knew that in thirty minutes he wouldn’t be the same person that he was now. Knowing this Jacob Christopher decided to reflect on the individual that manifested itself in his flesh – the same being that was self-aware. He would refer to himself in the third person – all of course to evaluate as a neutral and un-biased observer. He drew a significant breath and with the exhale, dreamed up the evaluation and test of his soul.
“But do I even believe in a soul?”
Jacob Christopher paused at the arrival of this question, but after a short moment of deep though, continued observing. He was in a dark wooded room. Complete with an endless height with a ceiling that wasn’t to be seen. Covering each wall hung dark red velvet tapestry that covered two perpendicular walls in contrast to Jacob Christopher. This room appeared to be a makeshift courthouse, if anything familiar at all. The tables were made of a slick shadowed wood that reflected the integrity of the room. And it was cold, unbearably cold. Jacob Christopher was observing the room, but could see his breath and feel like cold bite at him as if he had a physical presence in the room. He paused, floating aimlessly above the room, and created a being to represent him for the trial. This being wasn't alive, rather, Jacob created a male mannequin complete with liberty spikes, and conservative clothing. The mannequin – though not an organic object – had what appeared to be cracked skin on its surface. Its eyes glowed multiple colors that continued to fade in and out of each other. Its hands lay before it as if it were preaching to the judges. Jacob smiled at his creation.
“And now the trial shall begin” he said.
A loud CRACK! Thundered across the chamber, echoing without deteriorating. It ended abruptly as one of the judges stood to speak. The judge opened his mouth, and though sound did boom from within him, his lips did not move:
“MDMA (3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine)* is a synthetic, psychoactive drug that is chemically similar to the stimulant methamphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline. It produces an energizing effect as well as feelings of euphoria, emotional warmth, and distortions in time perception and tactile experiences.”
Another loud CRACK! Echoed throughout the chamber. Jacob Christopher, now incredibly bored with the trial, pulled out his iPod. As a shallow thump began to grow, the trial continued.
“Do you know who we are? Do you know why you are even here? These questions torment me, Jacob, because you do not know the answer to them. What also torments me is your naive representation of us, the judges, who you so generously created. No one but yourself can truly judge your character, Jacob. Consider us, then, as your most trusted ally! Consider us, then, your ego.”
Jacob, watching silently as his ego that was manifested as a British judge ruled over mannequin, laughed. Jacob Christopher loved this idea of self-judgment. He was aware of what was right and what was wrong in this life and his only crime was being unhappy.
The mannequin stared blankly into space.
“Good.” The judge said, sitting back down. “Let us, then, proceed to the real trial. We have become aware of your drug habits, Jacob, we have become aware of your self-destructive behavior. And we want you to know that those two 'sinister' traits are not the reason for this collaboration. We are all here for the doubt that you carry about your happiness.”
Jacob Christopher, now ignoring the judges, cranked the music on his iPod to blasting. The quite beating of bass now hammered throughout his consciousness. The music engulfed him.
“Jacob, you called this trial because you are here to KILL yourself, listen to yourse-”
He didn't care about this silly trial anymore. All he wanted to experience was the noise. The judge’s last comment was shrugged off without second though.
UNSSS UNSSS UNSSS UNSSS UNSSS UNSSS UNSSS UNSSS UNSSS UNSSS UNSSS
Jacob Christopher laid there on that cliff for hours listening to his music. He had packed large quantities of snack foods and water to hold him over. Once he realized he was hungry, he also realized that he was coming down from the high he was on. This was unacceptable. Once he finished a PBJ and drenched himself in water (He knew that the effects of E are dehydration), he reached into his backpack again and pulled out another tablet of E with the addition of LSD. He proceeded to take both.
Jacob Christopher became a vegetable. His eyes were fixated on the horizon. As the colors of the darkening sky began to vibrate, he remembered his childhood, more-so, he remembered his parents. His childhood was filled with the love given to him by his foster parents. And, although he had never truly known his real mother and father, he wouldn't trade the adults who raised him for anyone else. He remembered his home in the middle of a suburban neighborhood in Philadelphia. The grass was green there. The air was refreshing.
As he walked through his old hallways, to his dismay, the walls began to melt. He heard a powerful hissing noise as everything he once adored turned into liquid. Suddenly, he was back on the cliff's edge. He stared, once again, into the horizon.
“I could build a swing set here”, he said.
And he did. Jacob turned to the ground left of him and imagined a tree sprouting violently from the ground, twisting as it grew taller and taller. He caught onto a branch and was carried upward. A rope emerged from the bark and slid down, forming with a plank near the bottom – creating a swing. Jacob climbed to the seat, and began to sway back and forth above a horrifying height. Jacob didn't notice the height, though, for he was in a trance – fixed upon the pulsating sky. He noticed that it had become dark. He turned to see where he had sat before, and once he did the imagined swing set vanished, leaving Jacob to smack his head on the rough rocks next to where he had been sitting the entire time. He lost consciousness.
When he awoke, his entire body ached. His body ached from the wound, and from the fallout from the drugs that he had taken. He turned over to vomit.
Spitting, Jacob pushed himself off of the ground. What time was it? He thought to himself. He turned towards the horizon. He gasped. Before him was the most beautiful sunrise he had ever seen. Sun rays were shooting across meadows he hadn't noticed before, the sky was awash with a myriad of colors, and all the pain he had felt evaporated.
“This... this is it” Jacob said.
Smiling, he walked off of the cliff.
With his last breath, he gazed into the sun rising to a new day – without him.
Young Jacob Christopher was at the ripe age of twenty three when his life changed in a way that no one could have predicted. This wasn’t a change that was caused by and effect of any sort – no. Jacob Christopher had been waiting to change for a very, very long time indeed. So it should be no surprise, mind you, that when he did change, he was quite happy.
Happiness, he found, wasn't in the amount of money you had in your bank, it wasn't in those you loved or who loved you, it wasn't in how popular you were. Happiness, Jacob found, was being content with who you are regardless of how others perceive you. Because no one can truly judge your character but yourself.
By Jacob Walsh
Young Jacob Christopher was at the ripe age of twenty three when his life changed in a way that no one could have predicted. This wasn’t a change that was caused by and effect of any sort – no. Jacob Christopher had been waiting to change for a very, very long time indeed. So it should be no surprise, mind you, that when he did change, he was quite happy. Or at least he seemed happy at the time. You see, young Jacob Christopher wasn’t a very expressive person – and this caused a deep disconnect between him and everyone who surrounded him, regardless of acquaintance. Even still, he was revered as a gentleman who treated everyone he spoke to with the utmost kindness and respect.
We find Jacob standing on the edge of a cliff looking out towards a sunrise. He is holding his hands up in front of him as if he was typing on a keyboard. He was visualizing his suicide note – if he was to ever commit suicide – and it began and ended with ‘Young Jacob Christopher was at the ripe age of twenty three when his life changed in a way that no one could have predicted.’ He waved his hand through the now hovering paragraph, and the paragraph slowly dripped letters into the wind until it had all disappeared. Young Jacob Christopher was not going to commit suicide today. Jacob knew this based on the sunrise – which was quite marvelous. The sun had just risen – blasting a myriad of colors over the distant frozen mountains. As Jacob watched the brilliance of the sky he was engulfed by the magnificence of the surrounding clouds. He sat there with his mouth askew and just watched. And as he marveled and philosophized he reached into his backpack and pulled out a large plastic bag that was filled half full with small round pills. He proceeds to take four of these pills out and swallowed them without second thought.
And there young Jacob Christopher stood. He knew that in thirty minutes he wouldn’t be the same person that he was now. Knowing this Jacob Christopher decided to reflect on the individual that manifested itself in his flesh – the same being that was self-aware. He would refer to himself in the third person – all of course to evaluate as a neutral and un-biased observer. He drew a significant breath and with the exhale, dreamed up the evaluation and test of his soul.
“But do I even believe in a soul?”
Jacob Christopher paused at the arrival of this question, but after a short moment of deep though, continued observing. He was in a dark wooded room. Complete with an endless height with a ceiling that wasn’t to be seen. Covering each wall hung dark red velvet tapestry that covered two perpendicular walls in contrast to Jacob Christopher. This room appeared to be a makeshift courthouse, if anything familiar at all. The tables were made of a slick shadowed wood that reflected the integrity of the room. And it was cold, unbearably cold. Jacob Christopher was observing the room, but could see his breath and feel like cold bite at him as if he had a physical presence in the room. He paused, floating aimlessly above the room, and created a being to represent him for the trial. This being wasn't alive, rather, Jacob created a male mannequin complete with liberty spikes, and conservative clothing. The mannequin – though not an organic object – had what appeared to be cracked skin on its surface. Its eyes glowed multiple colors that continued to fade in and out of each other. Its hands lay before it as if it were preaching to the judges. Jacob smiled at his creation.
“And now the trial shall begin” he said.
A loud CRACK! Thundered across the chamber, echoing without deteriorating. It ended abruptly as one of the judges stood to speak. The judge opened his mouth, and though sound did boom from within him, his lips did not move:
“MDMA (3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine)* is a synthetic, psychoactive drug that is chemically similar to the stimulant methamphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline. It produces an energizing effect as well as feelings of euphoria, emotional warmth, and distortions in time perception and tactile experiences.”
Another loud CRACK! Echoed throughout the chamber. Jacob Christopher, now incredibly bored with the trial, pulled out his iPod. As a shallow thump began to grow, the trial continued.
“Do you know who we are? Do you know why you are even here? These questions torment me, Jacob, because you do not know the answer to them. What also torments me is your naive representation of us, the judges, who you so generously created. No one but yourself can truly judge your character, Jacob. Consider us, then, as your most trusted ally! Consider us, then, your ego.”
Jacob, watching silently as his ego that was manifested as a British judge ruled over mannequin, laughed. Jacob Christopher loved this idea of self-judgment. He was aware of what was right and what was wrong in this life and his only crime was being unhappy.
The mannequin stared blankly into space.
“Good.” The judge said, sitting back down. “Let us, then, proceed to the real trial. We have become aware of your drug habits, Jacob, we have become aware of your self-destructive behavior. And we want you to know that those two 'sinister' traits are not the reason for this collaboration. We are all here for the doubt that you carry about your happiness.”
Jacob Christopher, now ignoring the judges, cranked the music on his iPod to blasting. The quite beating of bass now hammered throughout his consciousness. The music engulfed him.
“Jacob, you called this trial because you are here to KILL yourself, listen to yourse-”
He didn't care about this silly trial anymore. All he wanted to experience was the noise. The judge’s last comment was shrugged off without second though.
UNSSS UNSSS UNSSS UNSSS UNSSS UNSSS UNSSS UNSSS UNSSS UNSSS UNSSS
Jacob Christopher laid there on that cliff for hours listening to his music. He had packed large quantities of snack foods and water to hold him over. Once he realized he was hungry, he also realized that he was coming down from the high he was on. This was unacceptable. Once he finished a PBJ and drenched himself in water (He knew that the effects of E are dehydration), he reached into his backpack again and pulled out another tablet of E with the addition of LSD. He proceeded to take both.
Jacob Christopher became a vegetable. His eyes were fixated on the horizon. As the colors of the darkening sky began to vibrate, he remembered his childhood, more-so, he remembered his parents. His childhood was filled with the love given to him by his foster parents. And, although he had never truly known his real mother and father, he wouldn't trade the adults who raised him for anyone else. He remembered his home in the middle of a suburban neighborhood in Philadelphia. The grass was green there. The air was refreshing.
As he walked through his old hallways, to his dismay, the walls began to melt. He heard a powerful hissing noise as everything he once adored turned into liquid. Suddenly, he was back on the cliff's edge. He stared, once again, into the horizon.
“I could build a swing set here”, he said.
And he did. Jacob turned to the ground left of him and imagined a tree sprouting violently from the ground, twisting as it grew taller and taller. He caught onto a branch and was carried upward. A rope emerged from the bark and slid down, forming with a plank near the bottom – creating a swing. Jacob climbed to the seat, and began to sway back and forth above a horrifying height. Jacob didn't notice the height, though, for he was in a trance – fixed upon the pulsating sky. He noticed that it had become dark. He turned to see where he had sat before, and once he did the imagined swing set vanished, leaving Jacob to smack his head on the rough rocks next to where he had been sitting the entire time. He lost consciousness.
When he awoke, his entire body ached. His body ached from the wound, and from the fallout from the drugs that he had taken. He turned over to vomit.
Spitting, Jacob pushed himself off of the ground. What time was it? He thought to himself. He turned towards the horizon. He gasped. Before him was the most beautiful sunrise he had ever seen. Sun rays were shooting across meadows he hadn't noticed before, the sky was awash with a myriad of colors, and all the pain he had felt evaporated.
“This... this is it” Jacob said.
Smiling, he walked off of the cliff.
With his last breath, he gazed into the sun rising to a new day – without him.
Young Jacob Christopher was at the ripe age of twenty three when his life changed in a way that no one could have predicted. This wasn’t a change that was caused by and effect of any sort – no. Jacob Christopher had been waiting to change for a very, very long time indeed. So it should be no surprise, mind you, that when he did change, he was quite happy.
Happiness, he found, wasn't in the amount of money you had in your bank, it wasn't in those you loved or who loved you, it wasn't in how popular you were. Happiness, Jacob found, was being content with who you are regardless of how others perceive you. Because no one can truly judge your character but yourself.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
water shutoff - feild trip
Last Friday my class experienced a water shortage at my school. Our core teachers and Dean announced that the budget cuts at our school were so dire that it was necessary to cut off water for hours at a time. They added after this announcement that the school would be receiving portable lavitories by the next week. Now, my class acted as expected and became somewhat concerned immediately. I turned to one of my friends and asked them how it all came to this scenario. To our comfort, we were informed it was just a demonstration of how some schools in other countries have to deal with water shortages on a weekly bases.
My reactions weren't created by my sudden reaction. I have been watching the looming drought over San Diego county for a very long time and have heard rumors about an inevitable war for purified water. I was not surprised by this pretend scenario, but this isn't saying I wasn't frustrated by it.
After this introduction to the looming water crisis, we participated in a feild trip that toured an example mini-refuguee camp created by the organization Doctors Without Borders. Everything was cliche, however I was concerned with the safety of the volunteers who are placed inside these dangerous countrys. I had discussed a privatised security force with a peer of mine, but the discussion lead to the thought of ultimately purging and industrializing Africa.
My reactions weren't created by my sudden reaction. I have been watching the looming drought over San Diego county for a very long time and have heard rumors about an inevitable war for purified water. I was not surprised by this pretend scenario, but this isn't saying I wasn't frustrated by it.
After this introduction to the looming water crisis, we participated in a feild trip that toured an example mini-refuguee camp created by the organization Doctors Without Borders. Everything was cliche, however I was concerned with the safety of the volunteers who are placed inside these dangerous countrys. I had discussed a privatised security force with a peer of mine, but the discussion lead to the thought of ultimately purging and industrializing Africa.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
If I was 18.
I would push for a national political test that determines whether or not a citizen even has an understanding of key issues, that based on results, could ban that person from voting in an election.
My political understanding is more potent than most of America. I would have voted for a third party candidate regardless of this, though. I predicted Obama's win, but I didn't expect a fallout of the third party candidates. The more political platforms our country has, the more informed the masses become.
Obama was literally forced down our throats.
And yet there are people who still call this country free. What they do not understand is the vice grip these two parties (Republican and Democrat) have over our country. News networks bow to them. There is no alternative. You are either for or against, and no in between.
My political understanding is more potent than most of America. I would have voted for a third party candidate regardless of this, though. I predicted Obama's win, but I didn't expect a fallout of the third party candidates. The more political platforms our country has, the more informed the masses become.
Obama was literally forced down our throats.
And yet there are people who still call this country free. What they do not understand is the vice grip these two parties (Republican and Democrat) have over our country. News networks bow to them. There is no alternative. You are either for or against, and no in between.
The One PSA that stood out.
None. I am not convinced to vote by their simple immature ramblings.
Rather, we should be offended that they see us at such a low level. If America doesn't see the purpose of voting we should ban any sort of democratic election. If the masses don't care, why should the elite? These normal Americans serve as the fodder for the politicians, without a slight realization that their purpose is the will of another man.
Shame on Americans. Shame on the politicians who don't exploit them.
Rather, we should be offended that they see us at such a low level. If America doesn't see the purpose of voting we should ban any sort of democratic election. If the masses don't care, why should the elite? These normal Americans serve as the fodder for the politicians, without a slight realization that their purpose is the will of another man.
Shame on Americans. Shame on the politicians who don't exploit them.
If I could Register for any party (old)
I wouldn't. I simply refuse to obey this system of two party domination. We as intellectuals deserve far more in the political landscape. We need a party that ignores moral issues and instead focuses on the more important crises at hand. Consider a campaign that gave attention to the daunting questions of Sept. 11, 2008, the location of Osama Bin Laden, the Economy, etc. We don't have time to care about abortion or animal rights anymore. This country has become unstable and the masses refuse to acknowledge the elephant's and donkeys in the room who are truly the one's to blame.
Remember; Freedom is not free. Sacrifice is needed for success. Everything you know true about politics is probably a lie.
Remember; Freedom is not free. Sacrifice is needed for success. Everything you know true about politics is probably a lie.
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