change of topic here....

I think that Dr. Adams is being immature about this situation becuase if you watched Larry King Live while this was all occurring he came onto the show and would not discuss anything about the situation. He simply came on and left after about 2 questions. He knows he did something wrong, because previous surgeons denied Donda before.

What kind of penalty do you think that Dr. Adams should face after this mysterious death?

Athlete Loss

I think that the death of Sean Taylor is really sad. But what I also don't understand is how a burgler could get into his house in the firs place.. I mean he's loaded with cash doesn't he have security or at least an alarm system? Scond of all , in addition to previous posts about the fame and attention, I also agree that it is fair to get the attention. He's famous for crying out loud and he played hard to get into that position. He deserves the attention because he spent his life entertaining us and upon his death we are returning that attention. If a bum in the city died why would we give him attention, he didn't do anything to help us and our country. Even thought yes it would be sad and he deserves a proper burial but attention-wise it's just not neccessary. When Anna Nicole Smith died everyone was giving attention too because we know who she was, she gave us something to watch on TV, she gave us things to talk about so of course we gave her attention when she passed away.

Athlete fame

I think that this whole situation is sad as well. I think that this was a tragic incident but the publicity is far to overwhelming to the family and people who knew Sean, and just makes the situation harder for them. I think that this a problem that athletes have to deal with now a days whether they do something good or bad. For instance, if athletes are on steriods and the press finds out, their career is pretty much over and that is what comes with fame. All in all, the Sean incident is very sad and the publicity of the situation is something that i hope i never have to deal with because it would make everything ten times worse.

Sean Taylor

Danny makes a good point. It is natural that an athlete or anyone who is famous would get more attention when they do something. Whether it is good or bad, they will get more press. I feel really bad that Sean Taylor had to die like this, but maybe his death will open people's eyes to what could happen. With his death getting so much attention I think it will help other people realize that they need to be more careful and be extra precautious.

sean taylor

there is so much talk about sean taylor because he is a professional athlete. i dont think it is wrong that a professional athlete gets more attention when they die then a regular person. if you think about it there is way more regular people dying in the US every day then there is a professional athlete. professional athletes are going to get more attention for when they die or when they do something bad so its not like its a win win situation. i bet michael vick wish he didnt get as much attention as he did but he did because he is a professional athelte

Death & Fame

This blog looks a lot better with colorful fonts, in my opinion. Anyway, Bob and Lauren make great points about how so many people care about the death of Sean Taylor more than the average death we hear about in the news. Not everybody gets recognized like this when they die. Sean Taylor's life is a tragic loss, but it's not necessarily worse than other human beings who get killed and don't get half as much publicity. I mean, a freakin tsunami in 2004 killed 225,000 people, and IMO didn't get enough attention.

MuRdEr AnD ThEfT

First of all that is really sad to hear that this incident happened. But I think Booby had a really good point how it's interesting how all of a sudden, because it was a NFL player, that people care. I think it is really important for people to be recognized when they die no matter what they achieved in life. But, going off of the whole murder and theft topic, that is really sad that someone robbed him and he died from loss of blood. That must have been really painful and it sucks to know there are really people out there who commit crimes like this. It just makes it so hard to realize until something personal happens, how serious these situations are. It's such a problem that our world treats each other like crap.

murder

I was not aware of this incident but it is very sad. You can't help but turn on the news every day and hear about so many robberies and deaths. Sometimes it gets overwelming because i wonder what is going wrong in society that we can't prevent these things, and that children are growing up to commit these crimes. Sometimes I feel like if a kid has a bad childhood they start to loose some of the moral thought process that many of us have, and might rebel against others because they feel like they never got anything good back from the world. Maybe they had problems with thier parents and have an inner hatred, and have trouble finding compassion for others. Seeing things like this just make me wonder what happends in a person mind how they can end a life, and if they feel regret or remorse when they do. Tragity and suffering results from death, and I wonder what causes a person to become ignorant of this and kill others anyways.

Burglary and murder?

I don't watch football very often, but just by reading others comments I can Tell that the death of Sean Taylor is a tremendous loss. I feel terrible for his fiance and child. To lose a loved one at such a young age seems so unfair. His team members must be having a hard time with this news. I hope that they catch that burglar/ murderer and lock him away in prison for the rest of his selfish life. It is beyond my comprehension as for why a burglar would attempt to rob the house of a famous NFL player. I don't know what else to say, but if anyone has any more details, I would like to know more about this.

Sean Taylor

I was shocked when I heard that Sean Taylor had been shot inside his home and that he had died early Tuesday. I heard before I went to bed on Monday night that they thought he had made a lot of progress since he squeezed the nurse's hand but after that he never regained consciousness. It is now believed that the squeeze was Sean saying goodbye.

What makes this story so sad is that Sean wasn't even out at a nightclub or driving drunk like the deaths of so many celebrities. He was at home, asleep with his fiancee and their one year old daughter. I mean some guy just came into his home a shot an innocent man. This is by far the saddest death out of the four NFL players that have died this year.

ESPN said that Sean Taylor had some legal troubles early in his career and he also got flagged seven time for unsportsmanlike conduct during his 4 year career. But everyone who knew Sean said that he changed his life completely when his daughter was born. So sad that he had to go at the age of twenty four, just when his life seemed to be on the right track.

R.I.P. Sean Taylor

Murder is never okay and neither is burglary. It is tragic that, that football player died. I just want to know how dumb you can be to kill a NFL player. I mean, it isn't okay to kill anyone, but especially someone who is famous and is in the media constantly. The murderer would have to have known that he would be caught and that he would be in HUGE trouble for killing someone like that. Ridiculous.

Continuing!!?!

Well yes I would like to say something about this man that died as human beings, out of respect for the dead and not just because of them being NFL football players! Some many other people this year from a lot of other objectives like writers, announcers, political candidates, pull out the obituaries and see that ever one of those people did something and had an affect on some one, so don’t be saying "I don’t know whey this is happening. What is this world coming to?" Not the end I'll tell you that much. I've got a friend of mien that I meat right after are class, lost 2 people that she knew and was friends with 3 days ago. They died by a plane crash around the same time I was flying home from Thanksgiving. If that’s not the sickest peace of irony then I don’t know what is! Honor ever one how's died greatly and not just because they were NFL football players.

Bye Bye Foot Ballah! RIP

I don't watch NFL ever becasue i wasn't ever really into and never watched it as a kid but I still think that it is a tragic lose that someone would actually kill someone in the NFL and in general. People in the world have been crazy and it sucks that Sean got shot dead while his house was being robbed. Honestly since he's a football player and has huge muscles i wouldn't expect him to die i would have expected the burgaler(sp?) to die or poops his pants out of fear but at the same time it shows that even the strongest people have an a-kill-es (I don't know how to spell it) Heel and can be brought down by the simplest thing.

Add on:
God bless his sould for a safe travel to hevean and an after life as well.

Sean Taylor

Im sorry to change the subject but I had to talk about Sean Taylor. He was an NFL football this year and for the past couple on the Washington Redskins. Earlier this morning he died of a gunshot wound to the leg. His house was being robbed and the burglar shot him and he died due to loss of blood. Even if he did survive he would have never been able to play again. Losing an NFL star like this is extremely sad. However sad this is, he is not the only death in the NFL this year. Darrent Williams, Damien Nash and Marquise Hill were all active players that have also been killed this year alone! I don't know why this is happening. What is our world coming to? Anyone who would like to comment, should comment even if they dont like football. I think you should out of respect.

DrUnK DrIvInG N' DaNi's PoSt

I'm glad to see that in a couple days a lot of people had a lot to say about my original post of drunk driving. As Nicole was kind of saying, I too have had a family member paralyzed both physically and mentally because of drinking and driving, and I thought that because it was a personal topic to me that I wanted to see what others thought about it. It happens all to often and weekend after weekend I see and hear of people driving drunk and high and it really upsets me that people are that selfish. It's good to hear that at least people think it's wrong, but does anyone do anything about it is the issue. I can say I'm guilty too of not taking enough action. I don't know, I know telling teenagers not to drink and smoke is absolutely never going to work, so its just sad to see that we all talk about how bad it is but nothing ever changes.

And about Dani's post... I think that she has a good point how people should have the right to screen their movie and religious thoughts. Also, my faith aside, it would only be fair to let them show their movie if The Passion of The Christ and other religious movies are shown. Although, the only problem I have is that... it is excepted in our culture that their are religions believing in God and you can choose whether to believe it or not, but when you start to bash other peoples religions that's where the movie is in the wrong. If what Dani was saying is correct, that they kill God in the movie, then that's disrespectful and I can see why it would not be able to be screened. In The Passion of The Christ, although maybe offensive to some people's beliefs, it does not bash anyone elses religion in anyway.

controversy over religious films...

Going off of what Dani wrote, I do believe that the movie should be fine to see, but then again I also don't have a clue of what the main theme of the movie is. I also have not seen the Chronicles of Narnia or The Passion of the Christ, s I don't have support behind my oppinion. I would really like to hear what people know and think about these films.

Drunk Driving

Drunk driving is one of the dumbest things someone can possibly do, especially when you are not even old enough to drink. When about 15 people in my gym class said they have drunk driving tickets, it basically proves what kids are doing these days. Driving drunk will not get you anywhere and people that think drunk driving makes them cool are fools, simple as that. Would you be able to live with yourself knowing that you hurt or killed someone while you were driving drunk? That is the question people should ask themselves before they drive drunk.

new topic- religion in the media

The movie The Golden Compass with Nicole Kidman is coming out soon and there has been a ton of controversy about the movie because they supposedly try and kill God at the end or something like that. There are massive protests against the movie but don’t really know too much about the movie which is based off of a book series. And since all I know is what I have been hearing, all I can say is that if we can have movies like Passion of the Christ and Chronicles of Narnia which promote Christianity than I think that this movie should still be able to play in the theatre just like the others did. My faith aside, I think it’s only fair that any and all religions are given the chance to be promoted or spoken out against in the media. So I was just wondering what peoples thoughts were on any of these movies or others and if they think that it’s fair for them to be criticized just because they may or may not be about religion.

drinking and driving

drinking and driving is a very dumb thing. ive seen it happen to too many people now to do it myself. but not only is drinking and driving putting yourself in danger, you are also putting everyone else on the road in danger. people should have a designated driver if they are going to drink so that nothign bad can come out of it. if the driver is sober then he is not dangering the other people

drunkdriving

I think that the decisions that you make about your body is up to you and you alone, drink if you want to drink, smoke if you want to smoke... but once you decide to drive after drinking, then its not just about you anymore. you are taking other people's lives into your hands, whether it's your best friend in the passanger seat next to you, or someones dad driving home after working the late shift. like sure, not everyone gets in a deadly accident while being drunk behind the wheel, but why would you be willing to take a chance like that? i think that most parents would be atleast a little sympathetic to know that although you were drinking, you had enough sense not to drive home that night.

D&D

Agreed, drinking and driving is not a smart decision at any time. First of all, the best solution is to have a DD in my opinion, or just sleep at a friends. But, if you are forced to drive, DON'T DRINK. Not drinking and driving and drinking and driving are the difference between possibly killing youself, or another person, and just not being able to drink. instead of drinking and driving, call a friend, parent, or even a teacher, anybody but yourself. Because in that situation, you have to choices, just get in trouble, or possibly kill yourself or others.

talk about stupid mistakes.....

Drinking and driving is one of my biggest pet peeves. I can't even begin to understand why someone would do this. How can you be selfish enough to put your own life and EVERYONE around you, not just your friends in the car, in danger. It's practically suicide. It depresses me that people, adults, would even consider to do this. Do they not understand the risk? Do they not understand how they can disable some random person to the point of being paralyzed? They can injure their friends in the car too.
When teens drink and drive it is a whole different scenario. Not only are teens young, and not as experienced drivers, but they don't even have the rights to drink. If you want to drink, that's your choice, but to get behind the wheel and put so many others lives in jeopardy, I just can't believe that people would do that.
One reason that makes it harder for me to understand is that my mom works with a company that helps the victims and the families of victims of drunk driving incidents. I've seen these situations first hand. I've heard stories and seen victims of the most tragic stories. Seeing and hearing these stories makes me terrified of drunk drivers. Maybe if other teens heard these stories, they too would make the choice not to ever drink and drive.

Drinking

Public transportation is a great way to get around for drinking teens, or any other drinking age group. Taking a train/ taxi /bus is the best way to go if you're drunk. With public transportation, you don't have to worry about car accidents or prosecutions brought against you for drunk driving. If the party is very local, one can obviously walk or get a ride from the designated driver. It really isn't that hard to not drink and drive -- There are so many ways around it. I can't even think of how many times i have been told not to drink and drive by my friends, teachers, and family, it should be common sense by now.

Drinking and Driving

Whenever I hear about someone getting killed by a drunk driver, it just makes me wonder what was going through the mind of the drunk person when they got into their car. I mean if you are intoxicated, how could you possibly think that you can successfully drive home after a party? I agree with Charis when she said that it would make more sense not to drink at all, especially for teenagers, because I don't see how drinking makes you "cooler." The sad thing is that usually the drunk drivers are the ones who survive the crash and the sober drivers are the ones who die. Drunk drivers are the same as some murders because of all the lives that are ended prematurely because of these idiots who think that they can drive after drinking a lot.

drinking and driving

I think having control over your decisions and choices is so important. When someone is intoxicated it is hard for them to have control over all of thier choices, and fully comprehend what is going on around them. Drinking and driving is such a scary thing for me becuase the person behind the wheel doesn't have the right mental state to have full control over how they drive. It is not fair that innocent people have to die in car accidents because of a mistake someone made while deciding to drive drunk. I have seen family members get into horrible car accidents becuase of being intoxicated while driving, and I dont people should put themselves in positions where they might not have control over thier own safety.

drinking and driving

I do believe there are other alternatives to get to places instead of driving drunk. What most people fail to do is think of the consequences. Which us as teenagers fail to do a lot, i head somewhere that our Frontal Lobe of our brain (where reasoning and logic takes place) is not fully developed during our adolescent years. Which makes sense because the risk your taking while driving drunk is just not worth it. Besides being in a horrible accident, you can kill people, you can kill yourself, you can damage lives and property. You can get ur license revoked etc. It is just not worth the risks. Do not drink and drive

Drinking and Driving

I think that it really shouldn't be that hard to just not drink and drive. I believe that it isn't that hard to just find a ride home, i mean if worst comes to worst and nobody can pick you up there is always the taxi services, that is why they are there anyway. It really isn't worth the trouble you can get in if you get caught for this especially as everyone is beginning to turn 18 and everything stays on your record now. A DUI can come with dramatic affects, for instance it could be the deciding factor on whether you get that job of your dreams or simply the mortgage for your house. All in all, drinking and drving isn't woth it so either call one of your friends or call a taxi, its not worth the trouble.

Drinking and driving

as a response to the last post i think drinking and driving is ridiculous. I really don't get why teens and even people 21 and up still think it is ok to drive after parties. Is it that hard to give someone a call to pick them up or give them a ride? After all the accidents and deaths from drunk drivers no one cares about that when they are drunk. As a last resort why not just crash at the persons house for the night rather than risking getting a DUI which is crazy trouble or killing someone on the way home possibly including yourself. However even though I am against this, if someone has no more than one drink I personally think it is ok for them drive unless it is a long distance but as for myself I still wouldn't take the wheel , even after a few sips, I just get sacred it might kick in while I'm driving. I always get a des driver before I go to parties or make sure I may spend the night. We all party and we know it...but why can't we still keep it safe before it is too late?

Just don't drink!

Many people complain that drinking and driving is the issue, but the real problem is drinking at all. I do not understand why kids or anyone would willingly destroy their health, just to "look cool." So, once a person is clueless enough to drink, the next worst step would be to drive right afterwords. I hope that no one in our class has attempted this careless act of judgement. I'm not trying to sound parental, but this all seems so obvious. What else is there to say? Don't Drink!

NeW ToPiC (drinking and driving)

I think that there was a lot of comments on the last post topic, so I wanted to change the topic to something a lot of people can relate to. If your not at the parties, you have at least heard about this happening. I want to know what people think about teenagers drinking and driving. I think it is disturbing that there are kids that go to parties and drive, but for some reason still think it is okay to drink. I hate when people do that and I want to know if there is anything else people want to say on the topic because I think it is a big problem with kids. Is there ever a reason why kids should get behind the wheel after drinking? Is there a certain amount that is acceptable to drive after? Why do you think this is such a major issue, and how can it be solved? I guess I want to hear some explanations for why it happens so much if most people are going to see this on the blog and probably say how wrong it is. Just something that has bothered me for a long time and I want to know how other kids from my school feel seeing their friends get behind the wheel intoxicated and let it happen.

I agree with mindy, I'd rather be safe than sorry. I don't have a problem with the government monitoring certain things (like phone calls) as long as it's only in a time of war. Plus, if you have nothing to hide, than I don't see the problem. I think it's great that our government is taking extra precautions. I feel safe and happy to know that I live in such a great country.

national security

If the government has more power during times of war and stuff, then I am fine with that. If it's going to be for our protection, I have no complaint. I feel more comfortable and safe because our government is taking further actions to protect us. If they feel that they need to take further actions that may violate our privacy at some level, then I am fine. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

National Security

This kind of subject seems like it really involves "National Security." So it really got me thinking, should the goverment have more or less power in situations like this? Also, keep in mind what the circumstances are (IE: times of war, etc.).

Eminent Domain

The government can do what ever it wants that it deems fit. We dont always have to like it but if the government thinks it is important, they probably have their reasons that we will never know.

eminent domain

I think when it comes to the top of eminent domain, we should first view each side of the situation. When we look at the side of the citizen whose property is being seized by the government, we will probably say that it is unfair and not right. It could be property that was owned for many generations and passed down. The property could own a house or building that has meaningful family history. However, when we look at the government's point of view, we must take in consider that the eminent domain is for our safety and protection in the long run. The land could be used for army and military purposes or just unsafe to live on. It could be used for the benefit for many citizens, for example the expansion of O'hare airport.
I also just read something on the internet which is interesting:

The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires that property may only be taken for "public use", and upon payment of "just compensation". But the U.S. Supreme Court has diluted the meaning of "public use" to such an extent that virtually anything that a local condemning authority declares to be "public use" will be accepted by the Supreme Court and the lower federal courts. Some state courts disagree and in recent years the courts of Illinois, Michigan, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Pennsylvania have taken the position that the taking of private land for so-called "economic redevelopment" -- i.e., for re conveyance of the taken land to private companies for the construction of private, profit-making enterprises such as shopping malls, factories, office buildings and even gambling casinos does not meet the "public use" limitation under the state Constitution.
Property-rights advocates contend that abuses of the exercise of these powers in the past require substantial additional safeguards to protect the people from having their homes and businesses taken for what are obviously private, not public, uses.

National Security

It doesn't sound like the government HAS to move the house on the border because it is a threat to national security. In my opinion, the government should move that part of the border up a few acres so that these people don't have to move. Why does the government feel that they have to move this house and why do they feel that the border has to be in that exact spot? These people should just be able to live their lives, they are not the ones doing anything wrong, the government is.

eminent domain

I think that the government needs to take every action necessary when it comes to national security but that doesn't meant that they need to cease land that is near the border. The people who will be left in the middle of the two walls will be completely cut off from the world. I think that it would be best to just change the location of the walls to preserve the property of these citizens. Eminent domain in this case is being used to protect us but it will also be ostracizing many contributing members of society so to recap I believe that the location of the wall should be changed.

Eminent Domain

I agree with Brian on this one and have to say that i am opposed to this. I just don't feel that it is right that the government can come and just take your land. Because its hard enough trying to move when you know about it but its probably ten times harder to move when the government is forcing you. Also half the time the government does this to people it isn't absolutely neccesary. All in all, the government taking your land shouldn't be allowed because people work hard to have what they have.

Eminent Domain

Eminent Domain is somnething I would have to be opposed to. I can't agrre with the fact of the goverment being able tto take as they please. Unless it's a matter of national security, I think it should be up to the current owner, as to whether they want to sell or not. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Government property

Emenint domain is a very difficult topic for me to form an opinion on. I think some houses that the govenment wants to take away are just homes to families, but sometimes homes are more than just a place to live for a family. We all have momentos or keep sakes that we keep close to our heart and would never want to loose them becuase they are so important to us. For some families their home may have been passed down through the generations, or may symbolize a place of comfort for them. When the government takes away a home that symbolizes more to a family I find it extremely sad. On the alternative it is necessary for the government to carry out certain plans that they feel would benefit society. I guess in the bigger picture people need to sacrifice things that make them happy so the goverment can try and make our society happier.

on the border

i think it would be really sad for someone to get a call telling them that they have a certain amount of days to get out of their house because its in a newly drawn 'no mans land' border.. like, to some people, its more than a house, its a home where theyve raised their children and lived most of their lives. but still at the same time, there's really not alot the gov't can do, theyre putting up this new border to try and fix a bigger problem and like, its a shame that your house is in the way. But if they have to force someone out of their house, the government should atleast buy the house at market value (or maybe a little more) to make the transition a little easier.

Border and Britney

I know it is not fair how the government is making a family, who has been living in their home for years, just pack up their stuff and move because they are "in the way." But I agree with Linds that if they get a good price then it shouldn't be that big of a problem. The country's border is a bigger issue than one person's house.

As far as the whole Louis Vuitton/Britney Spears thing goes, I think that that is ridiculous. People are just finding stupid things and putting lawsuits against them to get more money.
And seriously, Louis Vuitton already has more money than he knows what to do with.

House In Way of Border

I don't think it's THAT bad that these people are being kicked out of their house, it's certainly no national crisis. Lets remember how important the new border is and the benefits it brings. It will keep out illegal immigrants who raise our taxes and crime rates. America is overpopulated enough right now. I feel sorry for these people who are in the way of the border, and i would hate to be in their situation, but the government has to do what needs to be done for the better cause.

Oh Britney

So I was on CNN.com and I just thought I'd share this little piece of news.

"Luxury goods maker Louis Vuitton has won a lawsuit that alleged a Britney Spears music video violated counterfeiting laws by showcasing a pink Vuitton-upholstered dashboard."

Wow...honestly I get that there is the whole counterfeit law but really, does Louis Vuitton have nothing better to do then pick on a poor little "former" drug addicted pop star?!

I just thought that was funny. And as far as the border issue goes...if those people get a great price, then there should be no complaints, but otherwise...that's ridiculous.

I think that it is ridiculous that the government is making those people move just because they need to tear the house down for the new border. I believe that if the government is going to blatantly "evict" those people, they must pay them well over market value for the house so that this family has enough money to afford a new home. Even if they do get enough money for a new house, I'm sure that it won't even be close to how great it was to live in that first house. I'm so glad that we don't have to worry about the government kicking us out of our homes so that they can use the land.

I think that a lot of us seem to forget how lucky we are. We go to a great school and don't have to worry about having to be kicked out of our houses due to where its located. i think that's just ridiculous!!! They should not have to move just because of where their house is located especially since they have lived there for so long!! We may not all agree with most of the laws here in Illinois but we have to remember how fortunate we really are compared to others.

house on the border...

That was really sad about the house that got in the way of the new border. They had lived there so long and the government is making them move with out a care. They are actually not right on the border, but inbetween the two borders, called the "no zone?", or something like that. I appreciate the safety that our country offers us, but we should not sacrifice a persons home for something that, I would think could be revised.

Them Texans!

So I think it's only okay to shoot someone if they are burularing YOUR house and you are in it or if you are the neighbor and you see the burgurlars attacking someone in the house and use only out of self defense or to save another life(s). Texas is a weird state they have really random rules and saying you can shoot someone if they are burguraling your house can also be a self defense case in maryland or some other state it's like a given. I honestly think making someone move out of their house becuase they are in the way of making the wall to keep the mexicans out is something i would rather discuss.

911

OK, maybe its just me but I think that's a little odd. If someone came in and tried to rob me, as long as they weren't injuring someone i wouldn't even consider shooting them.

1- I wonder if the norms are different in Texas because Illinois i think it would be unacceptable to shoot someone for a stupid reason like that. It could possibly be that i live in the suburbs where owning a gun is not very common.

2-If citizens carried out 'justice' instead of the law, I think many problems could come of this. People could do something ridiculous and say it was an act of justice. You could practically get away with anything. Laws set boundaries for the citizens of our country. the laws make sure that everyone is aware of what is acceptable or unacceptable.

3-I doubt and hope that my neighbors wouldn't do this for me. Since owning a gun in IL is so uncommon and to whip it out and shoot someone for stealing. Also, i wouldn't really want my neighbors to do this for me because if someone was robbing me i think calling the police would be enough. I'm not too worried about my things being stolen, they can be replaced.

4-umm..i think the real question is why wouldn't you call the police?? that's what they're there for. what bad could come from that?

If I were in that neighbor's shoe I would call the police because it's the right thing to do but I'd never shoot anybody. I don't think it's ok to shoot someone for breaking into somebody else's house. Yea it's wrong to break in but I don't think that they deserve to die for that matter. The punishment should be something in the line of jail or something else but definitely not death...unless they killed someone along the process of breaking in.
Allowing citizens to carry out 'justice' in my opinion will lead to more problems, chaos, and violence. For instance the neighbor did the right thing by calling 911 and trying to help out but for him to actually kill the burglar, I think, is a bit too much. Although the burglar was wrong for breaking into the house he didn't deserve to die. When ordinary citizens face danger with a 'bad guy' our first reaction and thought is to kill him. If citizens are asked to carry out justice it'll lead to action before thought, maybe even killing innocent people. And if people did carry out the 'justice' instead of the law how do you know if your neighbors will do the same for you? By letting the law carry out justice will be more fair, smart, and right/just.

Drex in the Morning...

Does anyone listen to Drex in the mornings? I do. This morning he had on a 911 call from Texas where a man called and was watching his neighbors get robbed. He called 911 back, because the police were not getting there fast enough and told 911 that they better hurry up or he was going to have to kill the burglars... moral of the story, he shot both burglars dead. In Texas the law allows you to shoot someone who is burglarizing your house, but it says nothing about neighbors so now he is going on trial... not for murder but for a lessor charge.

Oh yeah, if you want to hear the 911 call you can go to 103.5 website and it is in the list of news stories in the middle of the page. Here's the link... http://www.kiss1035.com/main.html

This scenario presents a couple interesting topics...

1. Is it okay to shoot someone dead for breaking into your house?
2. What problems emerge when we allow citizens to carry out "justice" instead of the law?
3. Would your neighbors do this for you?
4. Would you call the police if you saw something illegal taking place? Why? Why not?

Taxes

I know, trust me, I know that when you see that pay check and look at your gross income and then what you are actually taking home it is a little sad...

However, you should know at this point why that stuff is necessary. Our taxes pay for defense, social programs, public schools (like the one you attend), and numerous other government programs. Without taxes there would be no way to fund these programs. There are some European countries (democratic socialists) where they are paying almost 65% of their income in taxes... at least for us it is only about 20%.

I got my first real job this year, so I know what Jory is talking about. All of the taxes seem like a cover up of all the money that is being taken from us. I like simple and basic situations. The idea of a single larger tax sounds like a good idea. There would be less numbers to deal with, but I would be worried that I would spend too much of my money, and once the big tax comes I wouldn't be able to afford it. So there are up and down sides to this idea, but it might be nice.

No More Myspace

I think that we have heard enough about Myspace and how stupid or cool it is. I want to discuss something that I think we discussed before but me and danny were talking about it earlier. How come we get taxed on so many things in this world? I mean if you have a job and earn a 10 dollars an hour for 7 hours you expect to get 70 dollars right? No when you get your check it is like 62.11 or something weird like that. So Ok you been taxed and that should be it, but it isn't. I want to buy a new pair of shoes for 59.99 but I really pay 65.53. So I should have had enough money to buy it but I don't because I have been taxed 2 times already!! And the government is not done taxing either. If you have a job you know that every year you got to fill out your W-2 forms to get taxed for a third time! Why do we get taxed so much? I want to get taxed 1 time please even if it is a big chunk of chash all at once. It is still better than 3 random times so it is hard to control your money.

myspace/facebook

i agree with dani and rooney on this one. i think dani is right about how you can block your profile from everyone except the people you let see it and you can be smart about having one and it will cause you no trouble. on the other hand though i know many students personally that have gotten caught by pictures on these sites. if i had to pick one i definitely would pick facebook. i find it a lot safer of a program than myspace even though facebook isn't even that safe. to have a myspace or a facebook i think you need to take responsiblity of it and realize that people can see it and do whatever they want with it if you don`t protect or "hide" yourself from those types of people. for kids that take these kind of things way out of hand i don`t think were responsible with them. i mean if you are honestly talking to people that you have never met in person before becoming "friends" with them you are doing something wrong and not safe.

myspace

Even though myspace is known as a community of friends, one fact remains. It is still the internet. and on the internet, anyone w/ a computer can see you and whatever you write on it. So kids need to take that into account before they risk getting in trouble, or I've even heard of people losing scholarships over it (If a school sees a kid smoking weed, drinking, etc.). So, bottom line, be careful how you put yourself out there, because ANYONE can see it.

myspace/facebook not a big deal

So I just read the article about the myspace girl and its a really sad story but I blame it on the stupid mom who made up the fake account. The mom said that she did it so she could learn what people were saying about her own daughter...what a nut job. I know that there are tons of creeps out there but myspace and facebook aren't that big of a deal if you know how to keep your privacy and are smart about it. You can choose who you are "friends" with and set your profile so that only certain people can see it. Other than the fact that these sites make you into complete addicts there is nothing wrong with them if you just act responsibly.

Myspace

Back to the Myspace girl who commited suicide, first off who kills them self over someone they've never met before, thats probabley why they spend so much time on that site. Also I think that parents are very over protective now a days, with that being said parents should not become secret spys to find out information about there kids. Thats just creepy. Any way I think the whole controversy over the girl killing her self is something that is a little extreme. Due to the fact that she killed herself over something that stupid. All in all, myspace is a place for friends and not parents who are going to spy on their children.

Euthanasia

I think it is a persons choice if they wish to live or die. If euthanasia would be legalized, I would expect there to be a few restrictions on it. The only way Euthanasia would be used was if it was an extreme circumstance. Like if the person had terminal cancer or their death would ultimately same the life of others. If a person really wanted to die, it should be their choice. Its like the song "One" by Metallica. A soldier was injured to the point of death in a battle but they kept him alive to do studies. The man knew Morse code and kept saying "kill me, kill me." True story. He should have had the right to his own life.

Wow, what a sad story. This is why nobody should trust myspace or facebook, because of creeps like this. There are thousands of false identities on myspace and facebook who try to entrance other people. As much as i despise these tricky parents, this is the girl's fault. A 13 year old girl should know not to mess around with a random myspace account, especially because she didn't know who this "Josh" was. That being said, those parents who tricked this girl must have absolutely no life.

myspace

I don't have a myspace or facebook, but i have heard a lot of stories about them and have friends with them. I don't agee with the parents for creating a false myspace account because it is very decieving to kids who have myspaces, and don't know who they are really talking to. On the other hand the girl who commited suicide made some mistakes as well. I don't think it is safe or intelligent to talk to people you don't know online, especially through myspace with all of the creepy things that have happend to people as a result of this. It is not a good idea to trust random people you are talking to online if you have never met them, and it was also very risky for this girl to invest emotions into someone she never met and only communicated with online. What the parents did was cruelty becuase they messed with someone's emotions without realizing how insecure and hard it is to be a teenager sometimes. I do think this is a statement though for people to watch out who you are talking to on myspace, and don't trust people you have never met before.

I can't believe PARENTS would do that. I mean, I don't even know any parent that would have time to even create a myspace. Parents are adults, and should be mature, and that was definitely immature. And even more horrible if they wanted this girl to commit suicide. They should be charged for doing this. In a way, its like murder. Hearing that just disgusts me.

Topic Change - Suicide - Online

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/11/17/internet.suicide.ap/index.html
If you go there you will read a story about a young girl the age of 13
who committed suicide because of Myspace harassment. She had Depression
and ADD. Basically she was in contact with a Fake/Imaginary Account named Josh
(created by various parents) and was beginning to build a strong relationship online.
However "Josh" started to tell her that he heard cruel things about her and that he didn't
want to be friends anymore, and that the world would be better off without her. The next day
parents found that she hanged herself in her room. She died the next day. You guys can read the article to find out what happens in full.

I believe that the parents who created the fake id she be prosecuted and charged for some kind of crime, i think its extremely immature and ridiculously that they should do anything like that to a minor. Especially if it led to her ultimate death (even tho they might not have meant for that). I dont know, what are your takes?

choice

I'm okay with euthanasia too because it gives people a right to make their own choice and freedom is what is so great about this country. I think if someone feels that it may be a better choice for themselves and their loved ones, then I think euthanasia is something that we should not take away from them.
I also believe there is a big difference between suicide and euthanasia. Suicide is more of a choice to end his or her life because he or she is depressed, angry, or just plain stupid. Suicide is a selfish act and I feel that when someone commits suicide, that someone is not considering other people or thinking about others. However, the examples that I can come up with for euthanasia is when someone is suffering from a deadly illness and is in the final stage. When someone is in extreme pain and when there's the least possible things to do at that final, I think it's alright to give that person a choice to choose euthanasia. I remember that incident with Terry Schybo (spelling? sorry) and how there was that issue with euthanasia, except she was in a vegetated state and her family were fighting against if she should do euthanasia or not.

Euthanasia

I think that euthanasia is ok to do it if there are no other options to be saved from a terminal illness. Also it helps if you would rather not see a loved one be in agony and slowly die from an illness. Also if someone is alive but not mentally there I think they should have the choice of whether they want to keep on livings or not. Also I think if your alive but you don't enjoy life because you are not mentally or physically able to things you shouldn't be forced to live . All in all, Euthanasia is an option that sounds bad but is probably relieving to the people who don't get to enjoy life as most people do.

Euthanasia

iI think that euthanasia is okay to do it if there are no other options to be saved from a terminal illness. Also it helps if you would rather not see a loved one be in agony and slowly die from an illness. Also if someone is alive but not mentally there I think they should have the choice of whether they want to keep on livings or not. Also I think if your alive but you don't enjoy life because you are not mentally or physically able to things you shouldn't be forced to live . All in all, Euthanasia is an option that sounds bad but is probably relieving to the people who don't get to enjoy life as most people do.

euthanasia

yeah, i think that i also agree with pretty much everyone else that's said that voluntary euthanasia is okay. even through its not exactly a natural process and i dont think taht i would choose to go that way if given the option, i think that people should atleast be given the choice, after all it is their body. but ofcourse it should be offered as a last resort. i think it may also make the process a little easier on the family, it would save them the pain of watching their loved one slowly get worse and worse. i dont know, over all i think that you should be allowed to make your own decisions about your life and your body.

I agree with nicole and everyone else who agreed that euthanasia was not so much of a horrible thing to do. I would think that someone who is in alot of pain wouldn't want to continue living life in agony. Although losing someone is hard if it's that patient's decision and choice to die than i think as their loved ones and their close family members we should by all means carry out their wish-as a family member we should support their decision making. In one of my spanish discussion we talked about this topic, and it shocked me to find out that some family members choose not to follow their sick loved one's wish to die peacefully. As a family member wouldn't you not want your loved one to go through that much pain and agony? I thought that was very surprising to hear. If it were me on the patient bed going through intense unthinkable pain i'd want to pull the plug.

Terri Schiavo

I wanted to go back to a comment that was made about the whole shiavo incident. I agree that people should have the choice of euthinasia becuase we should have control over our own lives. This relates back to the Terri Shiavo case becuase she couldn't live life to its full potential, and although it is controversial it seemed to me that she couldn't comprehend the world around her or gain happiness from things, or have normal human emotions. Maybe her heart was still beating, but she was not living life the way someone should and she was being kept alive by other people's decisions. I can't imagine being a parent and having to watch my child die, but I do think her parents should have taken her best interest into consideration and thought about if she would really want to continue life the way she was.

I can definitely relate to this topic. Six months ago one of my closest friends died of Cystic Fibrosis. She was 14 and was like my little sister. She lived down the block from me and I babysat for her family and her parents are like my parents. For the last eight months of her life she was in a hospital, being treated for a bacteria growing in her lungs. She was always in pain. She told me multiple times that she just wanted to die. You can't imagine how horrible that was to hear from this sweet little 14 year old girl. Finally, they did take her off of life support and helped her pass out of her pain in the comfort of her family. I miss her everyday but it's comforting knowing that she is out of her pain now. It was so hard to let go. So yes, euthanasia is ok when someone is in that kind of pain and suffering. Kristen is my hero, she was so brave.

Pro-Euthanasia

I am definately for euthanasia being done to ill patients who no long want to suffer any more. I know that if I am going to die soon and I am going through so much pain now, I would want to just die. I think that many many people would agree with me. No one wants to experience a painful death and when a disease is causing you to do so then I think you should be able to be 'put to sleep.' Some say that this process is against religion and what not but if I am going through excrutiating pain, then I will explain to the big man upstairs personally why I decided to let a doctor kill me.

Euthanasia

I definitley agree with Rita. A person's choice of how they die is up to them. When a person is suffering it is hard on them and their family and if a person does not want to go through it, then it is their decision. If a person is in pain and is ready to end their life can someone really tell them that they have to stay alive? Euthanasia should not be considered killing someone either because it all they are trying to do is help someone pass away peacefully.

Euthanasia... a sin?

In my opinion, Euthanasia is sometimes necessary especially in cases of terminally ill patients, like everyone has stated earlier. I know that if I was a terminally ill patient, suffering and being tortured by the disease, then I would like people to let me make the decision for myself what I want to do with my life. I should be in charge of my own destiny, and if I would rather die than suffer, then I would like to make that decision. And I would like their to be doctors who are available to perform a humane way of doing it. Illegalizing Euthanasia does not end assisted suicides. If the act is illegal, then it is naive to assume that no one will want to die or will not find a means of being euthanised. I am definitely pro-choice about this, in that I think that if the person wants to die rather than suffer, it should be their choice.

Euthanasia, the practice of ending the life of a human or animal who is incurable in a minimal painful way, is someting is thay okay in situations when the patient is terminally ill, like Nicole said. However, it is unacceptable when there are other ways to help said person instead of just helping them die sooner. In cases like the Terri Schiavo case, I believe that what the family did was wrong and should have let their daughter pass away peacefull without all the feeding tubes etc, that were only preventing the inevitable(sp?).

life over death

Life is a precious thing and when taken away by one's own will, it's tragic and sad. So, when someone's having problems, it is up to the people around them to get them back on track. The only possible way, in my eyes, suicide is acceptable is if it means one is saving the lives of others in the process. Because that is the ultmate sacrifice and the gift of life is most precious in this world.

Mike Royko "When a tragedy' is only vanity"

OK, so Nicole's got something there. Personally I really don't care much about suicides partially because I've never met any one how truly wanted to tack there life. the only suicides I've met were the ones how just say they are for the attention! Which cases a real selfish out look on the people how are! in deep depression and do! need help!
In my English class we were reading an article From Mike Royko titled :(When a tragedy' is only vanity) "if any of you feel very passionate about this subject go and read this article" it's basically stating how today's suicidal teens are attention getting, selfish and spoiled. Which is true for the kids how act like there suicidal but not the ones that really are!! majority of the time when a person commits suicide they just do it! and don't really tell any one!!

suicide

I believe that it depends on the situation. In cases where someone has a terminal illness, and they would rather die then go through the agony of staying alive with the pain of the illness i believe assisted suicide might be benificial. If someone who has a serious illness wants to die, and will not enjoy any of the life left I think it should be their choice on wheather to continue life or not, if they are in the right state of mind. Obviously if they choose not to they would need assistence from others around them to terminate thier life. This relates to the movie million dollar baby when she asked someone else to help her die because she could not see any happiness from the life she had left. On the contrary i believe in other situations where someone who is depressed, or lost hope chooses to die they should not have anyone help them commit suicide, or do it themselves. A terminal illness, and someone who wants to commit suicide becuase of hopelessness are two very different situations.

Yes

To respond to the post below me, yes, not doing anything about a suicide is considered murder. Well at least to me it is. For example, let’s say you knew a killer was going to murder your friend, you knew when, and that he was serious. Yet you chose not to say anything to anyone. Then your friend dies, that is just as bad as you helping the killer, for in fact you did. By not telling anyone you could have prevented something like saving a life. That is why suicide is such a serious topic, and when you hear about a friend considering it, they stress the fact you should tell a parent or an adult for a reason.

I agree that the teachers should get paid more money because I recently heard that the teachers actually use more money than what they receive now as a pay-check on their health insurance. And I don't think it's fair that the teachers, who've been working for most of their lives, pay isn't increasing as it should be. Just like Julie said they do so much for us, they deserve it.
But yea, i think we've talked about this topic long enough. Here's a new topic i thought was interesting. Would a person who helped someone commit suicide be considered as a murderer??

teachers rock!

Oook....so I'm an aspiring teacher and I believe that teachers should get paid more than they do. maybe, I think this because obviously, I will someday be in there position. I think I could go on forever about why they should be paid more..but most importantly, I feel that since teachers shape and practically plan our futures and the futures of America, that they should be paid a great deal more than they are paid. If you think about it, America spends more money on sports and entertainment than they spend on schooling. That is sad. If you're telling me that you think that teachers should be paid less than your favorite football player or baseball player, I can't agree. What do those athletes do? Can you explain to me why so many think they should be paid more? Sometimes, i think teachers are not respected as they should be. Have you ever done lesson plans? have you ever been through all that grading? I am an intern for a second grade class, and I teach roughly every 2 weeks. The preparation for a lesson is very stressful, and I am only teaching second grade. I can't even imagine what teaching high school would be like. Think of all the preparation goes into one PowerPoint. US students complain when we have ONE PowerPoint due. high school teachers can teach multiple in one day. Maybe why some of the students that don't agree with the pay raise is because they don't look to the other side of the story. They have never been in the teachers shoes.

I understand where others are coming from when they said that there are teachers unworthy of a raise, but I don't believe that all of the teachers should be punished in the process. I think that they were all very brave to prepare for a strike. Lindsey was right though about teachers who seem to leave the teaching to their students. I have had experiences like hers. Spoor has a fun teaching technique though, he gets the lesson acrross while having conversations and discussions on current events. So, a lot of teachers do deserve the salary they are paid.

Teachers

I agree with Lindsey when she said that teachers make enough money. In my opinion, teachers make too much money. Seeing teachers that have been working for about 10 years can be making over 6 digits, according to what i have heard. Then, after getting the referendum passed, they ask for more money? I was against the strike all the way because teachers make enough money as it is.

Also for that teacher Lindsey was talking about, i think i know who it is because i had her last year. She was the worst teacher i have had in my life and i honestly dont know how she hasnt gotten fired yet.

money, dinero, pesos...

I agree that the teachers here, for the most part, deserve what they are payed. We as students are so lucky to have the teachers we have. But I do dislike the teacher's union to some extent. My math teacher, who will go unnamed, has been tenured and I would really like it if she wasn't. She's a horrible teacher, she makes her answer keys off of the smartest kid in the class instead of doing it herself, and I don't think she deserves the salary she makes at all. So I guess this whole salary uproar is fine for some, but others, shouldn't be complaining. Hope that all makes sense...I'm just a tish exhausted at the moment.

Teacher Salaries

I think that the teachers at Fremd deserve all of the money that they get for working at our school. First of all, we have so many great teachers in every single department. There are numerous math teachers that everyone seems to love, there are so many English teachers that kids want to have, there are also numerous social studies teachers that are great at what they do. Some of the teachers even have to travel a hour each way just to get to school, and that shows how much they love working at Fremd. I don't ever here kids from other schools saying how great their teachers are but when someone talks about Fremd there are dozens of teachers that kids rave about. I think that the teachers deserve what they make and I don't know why the district would not give them what they wanted because they obviously deserve it. Connecting with so many different kids and teaching so many different classes is difficult and being a teacher has to be one of the most stressful jobs in the world.

Fremd Teachers

I feel that teachers do deserve the money that they make. Like Nate said they do have things going on other then just teaching in front of a class. There are things that go along with the job that we don't get to see. And to agree with Nate again Fremd does have a very high rep and if it was not for our wonderful teachers i don't think we would be where we are today!

Teacher & their salary

The average teacher in district 211 makes 85K, and in the top paying district in Illinois (i forget the district), the average teacher makes 89K (in the Daily Herald last week) . So there's not much of a difference between the two, Fremd teachers are basically the highest paid in the state. I think most teachers deserve what they make. They have to put up with so much crap throughout the day and and it appears to be a very stressful job. They also have a ton of crap to do after school like grading papers or leading extracirricular activities. However, I agree with Mindy that there are some lazy/unmotivated teachers who aren't inclined to teach as much as others, and don't deserve the salary they recieve. This is very unfair to other hard-working teachers and the students, but what can you do.

Teachers Salary

The teachers deserve every cent that they make. The work that they do to make this school what it is and the reputation that Fremd has is worth the money the district pays the teachers. Granted, they do get paid a lot of money, and I would like to see what each individual teacher makes. I'm glad the strike worked out in their favor and I hope they will not have any more issues with the district about a pay increase.

teachers

It's hard to say in a few words if teachers are underpaid or overpaid. First of all, I feel that the system they use to pay teachers is somewhat unfair. I think it's unfair that some old teachers who don't teach and are just plain lazy, get paid more than some of the best teachers that I had. What I can't stand are lazy teachers who don't really teach anything that students can benefit from. I really think that teachers who deserve more pay should be paid more. But the main question is how do we measure if the teacher is good and not lazy?
However, in general, teachers deserve more than they get. I think the quality of teachers is important and in order to do so, it's good to have a fair amount of pay.

You know we are all talking about how much the teachers are getting payed and all but i never really saw or haired of any numbers. Also there are teachers in this school how deserve to get payed more and then there are those how dont. A lot of the teachers in this school put a lot of effort they really dont need to ex:(like helping out with kids and there problems on there schedule) and carringthen there are teachers how just give the lesson and go on with the day not caring how passes or fails.
The Union is something there just so so-that the teachers dont get fired for sum dum reason, like there boss do-sent like the way he or she talks to the students! Thats were the Union comes in handy I know 'm part of one!

I believe that teachers are getting paid enough at the moment with the current contract they recently agreed on with the District. They need to do alot outside of the classroom, like participating in clubs and activites, sporting events and much more I'd imagine, but I cannot see them deserving much more than what they are currently making. Altough teachers only get paid for the 186 school days they work, they still get plenty of "off days" throughout the year. For a 10-month job they currently have, I think they are getting paid just enough.

Teachers

I definitely agree that teachers put up with a lot and should get paid more. Some teachers live far from the school itself and have to get up at 4 in the morning to make it in time for school. Before tests if students need extra help or even after school, a teacher takes their personal time to help that student out. Also grading homework and papers and putting all that in the gradebook takes a lot of time. Preparing lessson plans and class activities is also a priority. Teachers also have to attend meetings after their school day which is even more time. Teachers teach us what we will need in order to survive this world..they teach us the beginning...without them we would not know how to read, problem solve, how to get a job, how to cook, how to write and so on. We wouldn't know how to do anything without them! They should get paid more.

teachers

I agree that they have to deal with a lot. I can't imagine trying to keep students under control all day long, and get them to concentrate on what i want to teach them. I think another big part of teaching that people don't realize is how many hours they put in. Although most people just think that teaching involves 8 periods a day, and then they get to go home that is not quite the case. A lot of teachers are here hours after school coaching a sport or working with one of our clubs. Along with that teachers don't have time to go out and socialize as much because even at home they need to be dedicated to thier job by grading homework, tests, and quizes. Teachers put in a lot more hours than most people realize and deserve more credit for how hard they work.

New Topic!

we have talked about cloning and i feel its time for a new subject and i thought of this subject because of the recent events taht happened in our school. do you the students think the teachers get paid enough, should get paid more, or they are paid too much. wuts ur opinion about this because i think teachers get underpaid for wut they have to deal with.

Cloning

OK, so this whole cloning business is just weird! why would you want to clone yourself. That's just crazy. I mean maybe its just because I have a twin sister, and people get us confused all the time, but why would you want to create a person that is exactly like you. creepy! I guess it can help with medical stuff, but I'm not so sure I would want that. I feel that if doctors can't help you without a clone, then maybe your not meant to live. I'm sure that just sounds terrible, but dying isn't the worst thing that can happen.

Cloning could save millions!

Cloning could be the answer to so many medical problems but like many other things it has the potential to get taken out of hand. I think that it is extremely beneficial in duplicating organs and cells that could save millions of live. By no means do I think that it’s okay to clone just because we can. I remember reading a story a couple of years ago about some crazy lady who dropped like $50,000 to clone her dead cat. That kind of stuff is ridiculous but like just about all new technology, it will only get out of hand if we let it. Cloning is just another moral dilemma; some people just don’t know when to draw the line.

cloning

I agree with pretty much everyone else thats saying cloning is morally wrong and most definately should be illegal. just the fact that we are capable to do something like that is really disturbing. i really dont think that we were put on this earth to mess with stuff like that. cloning someone or something isnt beneficial to science or medicine in any way, its more of like 'oh look what we can do'.. i cant think of one instance where cloning someone would be acceptable. not only is it messed up, but if a human were cloned, think of the psychological issues that it would cause if that person were to ever find out.

cLoNiNg

I think cloning is so wrong. It is messing with nature and life that should never be tampered with. I think Jory is right in saying that it takes God out of the picture and gives people that "God like" power to create a human being. It is so strange too. It's just creepy and I can't see anything good coming from it. Yea, people are saying you could take body parts maybe, but who knows what disfunction the part could have, it's not technically even real or supposed to be real. It's just weird. And just the fact that science thinks they can start changing the way we populate just because they can is wrong. Like I said, it's just one of things you don't mess with!

Totally Unethical

I can't imagine the negative phycological effect a cloned human being would have. Just think if you were a guy, cloned from another guy, where would you say you came from....another guy?! It's completely unjust for a cloned human to be forced to live through life knowing they are practically inhumane. It's also very unethical. Life is too precious to mess around with other people's lives, and it's selfish of scientists to even consider the idea. However, cloning humans will never happen with the immense number of people who oppose this terrible idea.

Cloning Should Be Legal

I agree that cloning should be legal but should also have many limitations. First of all, under no circumstances should humans ever be cloned. This would just be very strange and would cause numerous problems. Do we really need that many more people on earth? I do think that cloning necessary organs for transplants should be legal. These organs would help keep millions alive and would also avoid having someone else in the world lose an organ. I don't know how realistic cloning an organ is at this point in time but I am sure that at some point (probably towards the end of our lifetime) cloning organs will happen and it will help the world greatly.

Cloning

I agree. Cloning should be legal if they can clone an organ or something so that people who need them can get it. There are so many people out there who are waiting for organs that cloning them would mean less deaths. I am still torn between if cloning a full human should be legal or not. I think that it would be awesome to see if scientists could actually manage to clone someone, but I agree that life is too important to start making unnatural births, not to mention that it is really unsafe.

cloning

i think that totally cloning a person should be illegal but i think if someone needs a new body part like a liver or lung or something like that i think that it should be legal for doctors to clone those parts of the body and then do a transplant operation. i highly doubt that doctors can clone just parts of a body but if they can clone a whole person then they should be able to do the transplants for people who need them.

DOUBLE DOUBLE!

I 100% agree that cloning should be illegal. There is already sapposidly someone in the worl who looks just like you whywould you want create one? There hasn't even been a succesful test on animals more or less an actual human beign. It would be just weird to. If you've see the movie the Island, which is a great movie by the way, it does show how cloning can go extremly wrong. Yes they first were using it for some what of good resources like if your sick and need an extra part to save your life, or if you want a baby and not actually have it. They all escaped in the end too and no one can create something that is the same as you are exactly. Cloning should be illigal because it's weird and unsafe.

CLONING

Cloning is just plain WRONG and freaky.
I cant believe that people would consider doing such a thing.
I've heard some excuses that cloning could be useful in making new organs and such, but I think it's very wrong since people are playing with being "GOD".
I also think that cloning is such a failure because cloned animals, like the cloned sheep that was in the news a few years ago, have shown weakness and they get sick and die really quickly. What's the point of going through lots of work to clone something when it dies so quickly?
Cloning is gross and basically a failure.

yes

Cloning shud be illegal... the idea of producing babies like a product is unethical in many ways, life is a natural process and some thing should just not be tampered with, such as life in itself. Plus if you take in God to the picture, this arguement can go on forever, it directly disapproves of written law according to the bible, by taking away the power from God by giving life with our own hands. Which should be left to God alone. This can go on forever, basically in my full opinion i do not believe cloning shud be legal.

New Topic

I am going to change the topic because a bunch of people have been talking about abortion lately and I want help on my research project. My topic for my term paper is that cloning should be illegal. I would like to hear some other people's opinions. I think cloning is wrong because it takes the god you believe in out of the picture. I think that life should be one of the most cherished things on this earth and when we start cloning people it takes that away. Unnatural birth and deciding what your child will look like is now how god intended his world to be. I think that cloning is a sin and shoudln't be done no matter what your religious belief.

Abortions

I agree with people saying that if a woman got raped, she should be able to get an abortion. They should also be able to get an abortion if they got pregnant because they were not smart enough to use protection. Getting an abortion is the choice of the girl and the guy, if they want to get an abortion, who are we to stop them. We dont know their situations so we cant say "dont get an abortion, its wrong." It could be right for them.

Abortion

My view on abortion is that if a woman is either raped or the cause of her pregnancy was incest, they abortion should be allowed. I definitely do not think that women should get them if it wasn't planned. Wear a condom! Its cheap and effective ( more often than not). I just think of the idea of taking the life of an unborn child as being sick and nonhuman. If any one if for abortion, go look up on the Internet and see how it is done. I'm sure you will change your minds

Abortion

Im going to have to go along with all the people that think abortion is bad. Abortions are bad because its pretty much killing a living human, I just don't get why people would chose this option when there are better and more humane options, like adoption. Adoption is one of the better options to choose because the baby gets to live, and if you can't support the baby or just don't want a baby. Adoption also lets the people who are fortunate to have babies have the option to raise one so it helps people too. But im not saying the adoption is the only way to go, you could always keep a baby. But i do think that is wrong to chose abortion before adoption or keeping the baby, because abortion is techinically murder. All in all, abortion is wrong and there are other ways to deal with a baby rather than killing it.

3D Ultrasounds & their capability

3D Ultrasounds can be an incredible tool to use. I never realized that it was actually possible to "build your own baby." How amazing would it be to create your kid and give him/her green eyes and red hair or blue eyes and black hair. You can specify the exact physical traits you wish for your kid to have. It's mind-boggling that technology has come THIS far. I personally wouldn't use this technology on children because i think it's unfair to design their appearence without their permission. However, if it's 100% safe i don't think it's THAT bad to dictate a few of their physical traits.

Hm

Ah abortion and such... i believe we shouldn't do things that put someones life in our hands, and for our decisions for whether they should live or die... their are always adoption clinics, and a wide range of parents who would love to receive and take care of disabled children... sometimes things happen and they seem unfair, but making the best out of a situation can be really fulfilling, even tho their is a thin line, in the long run it will make a difference.

i agree with what everyone has been saying about how new technology is almost a negative influence on babies. i think if you are going to have a child that is disabled in some way, you are meant to have that child. there is some reason that that child was brought into your life. i am also someone that is strongly against abortion. if you were careless enough as a young teen to have unprotected sex or have sex knowing what could happen in no means should to take it out on an innocent being. if you are unable to support the child still have it and put it up for adoption. give the child to a family who would love to be in your shoes but can`t have a child. they will love and take care of them.
i don`t want to change the subject on purpose, but i wanted to congradulate our football team on an outstanding season. the ones of the field and the ones in the stands are the best fremd and the state has ever seen so keep your heads high. to the GBN football team, good game. to their fans, get some class.

technology

I think its awful how parents could do that to their child. I think that if I were to have a disabled child, that I would be disappointed and sad at first, but I know I would grow and learn to accept their disabilities. When parents deal with a disabled child, I think that they learn so much more about parenting. I'm not saying it would be easy to raise a disabled child, but some people need this reality in their lives. With this new technology, parents could dispose of this new child so easily. If they just took the chance and had the baby, I'm sure they would never even think of regretting it.
Also, if the parents found out that their new baby would be disabled in some way, I see it as a type of fate. Its like these parents were destined to raise a disabled child and go through the struggles of a disabled baby. If they got an abortion, it seems like that fate is dissolved. I think if the parents really didn't want a disabled baby that they should think of adoption before abortion. They shouldn't kill a baby just so it works out for them. That would be so selfish.
Overall, I think abortion is wrong in so many ways, and I think that there are other and more better options, even if it means changing your lifestyle.

ultra sound

I agree with rooney that I am completely against finding out if my child has something wrong with them before they are even born. I think that by doing that I would be disappointed in my child before he/she is even born. I know that sounds bad but I think that if I heard my child would be autistic I would be very disappointed before he/she was born. I want to love my child no matter what and the part that is the best in having a kid is seeing it for the first time. I don't want to see my child knowing that it has a disability. I want to see him/her for the first time with complete innocence on its face so I can love it no matter what will happen in their life.

I'm definitely against knowing how your baby will turn out. It seems selfish to me to get rid of a child because of a disability it might have. Also, I think you need to love your children no matter what, technology or not, it shouldn't matter.

new technology...

I could never abort my child because he/she ran the risk of having a mental disability. I don’t understand how a doctor could even offer that as an option. Like what other students wrote, you may not even know just how disabled the child will be. Everyone disserves the right to live, no matter what the case. I also believe that everything happens for a purpose. If a child were to be born missing a right foot, for example, this would be tragic for the parents, but this is no excuse to end a life.

About being able to choose the child’s genes is something that I also disagree with. Just like mentioned before, where’s the surprise in that. Also, everyone would design their children to be “perfect,” and the “natural” children may be discriminated against because they don’t have the socially acceptable traits. I hope that genetics never come to this!

3D Ultrasounds

Personally, I don't think that I would want one of these done to find out if a child is going to be mentally disabled. First off, I don't even want to know if the child is going to be a boy or a girl because I think that is something that should be known at the moment the baby is born because I would want to be surprised because I would be happy with either.

Onto, the topic of whether or not I would want to know if a child is mentally disabled because I think that we should welcome newborns into the world not matter what traits they have. Just because we know beforehand that a child will be mentally disabled, that shouldn't change how much a baby is loved because this is still a human life and should be treated the same as a perfectly healthy baby.

change of topic

Alright well, since the whole strike thing is over… I guess we need a new topic. We sort of talked in class about the advancing technology of 3D ultrasounds and DNA tests that can tell if your baby will be born mentally disabled or not. Would you want to have one of those tests done? What would you do if you found out if your unborn child will be autistic?
Personally I wouldn’t want one of those tests done. I wouldn’t want to be put in the situation where I would have to make a decision on whether or not to keep the baby because it wont be born ‘normal’. The tests cant gauge how disabled the child will be anyways. Sometimes I think that technology can get involved in things that it shouldn’t like manipulating genetics so the kid will be good at sports or have a certain eye color. It’s disturbing to know that one day parents may be able to use this technology to ‘build their baby’. Other opinions??

Heck yes we have school!

A lot of people where getting stoked about there being a strike even though they knew it wasn't going to happen. I personaly am glad there wasn't a strike because winter season just started and we have a meet coming up and need all the practice we can get. Teachers definitly don't want to stand out in the cold weather either and i don't think the superattendent or whatever wants us, the kids of the future, to not be in school. How long would the strike even be? If it's long enough it might screw up our summer or graduation even. (NOt the ceremony but the actual deploma)

we have school...

I just read the post on www.d211.org, and sure enough it's a school day. I think that a lot of the student got worked up for a no-school day, including me. It's better though that the teachers won't have to march around in the cold, just yet. The website said "their proposal was passed by their membership and that the strike is held in abeyance until the Board of Education has the opportunity to review and vote," so there might be a no-school day eventually, but until then, I am not going to make any more assumptions. It would be a good idea though for the teachers to have their meeting today during school, so that they don't have to get home so late, and get only a few hours of sleep, 45 min. in Mr. Spoor's case. This would be benificial for everyone. The teachers could get their meeting done early, and the students wouldn't have to attend school. It's just an idea!

Administration VS. Teachers (Final Round)

I don't know where to begin about how much anxiety this strike has caused.

However, I am with the teachers 100%. In history, we have seen management crush labor and then with certain federal mediation, the rights of laborers increase, especially during the industrial revolution. So why now, after ninety years, has management not realized that if wages and benefits aren't fairly distributed, laborers will stand up for themselves, and this is exactly what the teachers are doing, strike or no strike. They have the right to express their anger with management over certain issues and it would not be a fair representation of american policy to be mad at them for it.

So many students are so fed up with teachers. And others with the administration. I cannot be mad at the teachers, because they are the ones that come in every day and work with us. They're the ones at the heart of the educational system, and to be upset at them for standing up for what they believe in, is to me, a bit like betrayal.

The administration and some students need to realize that the anxiety they are feeling are not from the teachers, but the problems the administration has caused that have forced teachers to, so to speak, "rebel."

It will be fabulous to have a break but it better not extend the school year. I will cry if that happens. That would be so unfair to the seniors. Plus if we don't have school on Friday, a lot of sports are going to be screwed over, like girls swimming. Unlike football, they didn't get the okay to participate if the strike happens. These district employees need to just get their heads out of their you know what's and realize how much poop they are causing.

Although it gets us out of school, the strike nonsense is ridiculous. It's not hard to negotiate Mindy, the board just wants to be brats and not give us what we're fighting for. I think it's stupid that they would want to watch the teachers seriously start a rage. I feel like the board is like excited about it the way they are telling everybody and informing everybody. I mean, i wouldn't mind having a nice long weekend, and of course it'd be GREAT for meg and those crutches, but the board needs to basically cut the crap.

opinion on the strike

What I don't get is... why is it so hard to negotiate?
Like others may have said... Why is the board not giving in? Do they think the teachers are not going to strike? I mean the strike date is set and all and we even got a letter from the district superintendent on the news of the strike and what would happen if the schools would go on strike. Then why is it getting so hard to end this struggle? Having seen some similar experiences, I've always seen that when one side refuses to netotiate, it won't really make a big difference because most of the time in the end, that side is going to have to give in. It's like they can keep wasting their energy and time or just find a way to negotiate.

no good....or good!?

in my belief I think that it will be al right the minute they see that the teachers are actually going on strike they'll stop being so stubborn and let it go!” give the teachers what they disserve" and continue on!
Because the fact is (what I personally think) that its going to cost them whey more money and a lot more work if they don’t; not to mention its going to mess up the kids calendar and a lot of schedules with counselors and college information for seniors is going to be delayed, and or provoked. It s also becoming an eschew with the sports to! (I need no mention in that) but as soon as the board sees that the teachers are serious they'll stop!

Strike

I really don't understand why the board won't give in. Teachers have been attending so many long meetings and nothing gets solved. The board is going to have no choice anyway when teachers begin to strike...why not just give in before hand? However to me it is not upseting if there is a strike because everyone would enjoy the long weekend we'll end up having. It just seems like all these meetings are a waste of time since nothing gets solved. I also hate the fact that students are going to have to continue their work when we have no say or part in the strike, it is between the teachers and the board so why do the students still need to continue their work while teachers stop to strike? We should stop with them!

strike...

i agree. i think it would be awesome for the teachers to strike for thursday and friday and to get out of school and have a nice long weekend. also i wouldn`t have to crutch around the school an extra two days which we all know how much i love doing that. to go against your post MB about the diving season being cancelled if the strike happens. i was a diver on the team and it has been talked about their season being ended because of the strike, but in all honesty, i don`t really think that will happen. that would be the only reason i would be upset if the strike effected their sectionals and state competitions. it makes the teachers look really kind of selfish and the board look really stubborn because they are hurting the kids that they claim they love and the reason they went into teaching. from the looks of it all though, if neither side gives in soon there is going to be a strike.

Strike

I agree that none of the teachers want to go on strike, but I think it will happen because neither side is willing to give in. While I wouldn't mind missing school for a couple days, I think that it is unfair to the students if the teachers strike. Students shouldn't have to deal with it if the teachers and the district can't work it out. Also, it sucks for sports teams, like diving, who have worked all season and have the chance to go to state, but can't because of the strike.

Strike

Well my opinion on the strike is that no teacher really wants to go one strike. Teachers want to be in the classroom continuing with thier lesson plans, but now they are forced into a tough situation. I dont really know enough about each sides argument to fully understand what might happen. Overall I think that people need to listen to eachother and make agreements. A strike wouldn't need to happen if people could compromise and make sure everyone is getting what they were promised and what they needed.

other votes...

Since we're on the subject of voting, Does anyone have any thoughts or predictions on the teacher's union strike vote? Im setting the odds at 5:1 in favor of the strike.

Vote or Die!

I think voting is extremely important thing and is a privalege that should be taken seriously. Honestly, in my opinion, voting is the one time when your voice is heard, it is up to you to decide who is in what position, and what decisions are ultimately made. Even though some feel like they're only one voice among many, that one voice could be the difference, so that one voice really has the power.

Voting

I guess voting is really important so that you have a say in what happens in our country and who gets to lead our country and make decesions for us. Furthermore, voting is important so that we dont have an idiot leading our country and driving our country into bigger debts than know possible. All in all, voting is important and should be done even though your just one person it may be the one vote that leads to a good president or an idiot president.

Vote... or Be Stupid

It's interesting when I ask some teenagers if they are going to vote... because their reply is

"Why bother?" "I don't care" or "I don't make a difference."

Soon the bad habits will continue down the lines, and we'll have twenty percent of our population voting for what they believe in.
It's so important to keep our government running through our views and opinions, not theirs. And through the system of a republic, voting is the only way to do so. We have rights that many other countries do not, why not practice them? Make the most of what we are given her?

Only ninety years ago, women were fighting for their chance to vote. If they knew that ninety years later, teenagers wouldn't be voting, they'd be devasted and then just utterly confused as to why that not voting would ever be an option, and a popular one at that.

Election

I think it is sooooooooo important to vote. All you hear these days is people saying how htye hate the President and everyone else in an elected position. But if more people voted, they could make a difference. We are so lucky to live in a country with such freedom that we should be proud that we can vote. What this all trickles down to is that Americans need more patriotism and we need to do that by voting. I don't know who I will vote for but I really like Barack. If Hillary wins though, I'm moving.

2008 Election

I am definitly going to vote in the 2008 election, but I need to do a lot more reasearch about the candidates and figure out who I like the best before than. I agree with Mindy that it is imporatant to vote, especially the younger generation, so that our ideas can be heard. In a country where everyone has a voice and an opinion, I think that the less people there are who vote, the more likely it will be that we will have a president that we aren't satisfied with. I think Americans sometimes forget how privileged we are to have the right to vote, and don't relize how important it is.

voting for the 2008 election

I think it's very important for Americans to vote. First of all, we are a very fortunate country to have rights for freedom of choice and to vote our leaders. I also strongly feel that it is important for our generation to step up and have our voice heard. A way for us to do this is to vote. I remember how one of my history teachers a few years ago told me that the number of people who vote has decreases by a lot. I think if more people vote, most likely the good president of leader will be chosen. When fewer people vote, it's more likely that the election will be very close and a weaker leader might be elected. It's also important for our generation to vote because we have different ideas, opinions, and beliefs than the older generations. Soon we will be leaders and we need to have our ideas heard.
I plan on voting, but beforehand, I really want t know and be certain with who I'm going to vote for. That's going to take lots of research and patience, but I'm up for it.

Suicide Bombers

Hillary Clinton for president

PrOpS tO mR. SpOoR

I just wanted to bring up the fact that I had a ton of fun playing the "spoor says" game. It was great that you let us fully take charge as a class to figure out what to do and then do it. I was thinking back on when you asked us for suggestions on how to make things more interesting and I think that activity was perfect. It related to the curriculum and got us interacting and having fun and laughing. I just wanted to tell you that I think we all really enjoyed having that freedom and whatnot to learn in a different way! I heard about the other classes and theirs sounded really fun too. I think it also kinda tied into our last unit unexpectedly as well. As a society and common culture we chose stereotypical situations to do. Simon says is a game that is played in our culture and we grew up knowing it. If I'm correct, 5th period played "Gatorade pong" and .... as teenagers of course that's something we would choose, and 6th picked, I think,who could get the most dates from the cafeteria. (that's at least what someone told me) If that doesn't all scream teenagers and Americans these days I don't know what does. I'm sure if you asked the
!Kung (Bag of bones! .. sry Jor) what they would do, the situations would be SOO completely different! Just kind of a little interesting side thought.

eLeCtIoN

I think voting is really important these days. Now that politics is really apart of our everyday lives, we need to be well educated on the subject. Sadly, I am not. I wish I knew more about what exactly is going on and what each candidate has to offer. I know enough about it to know what my views are and what not, but I as well don't know if I will vote. I know were mostly all 18 and are "adults" but personally I don't think I know enough to have my vote go to someone that might not be deserving. After everything we have been through with the war and Bush, I wouldn't want to have a repeat of it all and know I had a part of choosing the president. And about Hilary, I think it's great that a women is getting recognized...but did it really have to be her?! She's a absolute no for me. Idk just my thoughts

2008 Presidential Election

I am not really sure who I will be voting for in the 2008 election. I have never been very interested in politics because I knew that I couldn't vote. I would watch some of the presidential debates and I would watch TV on the night of the election just to see who won and by how much. But now that I am going to be voting in the next year, I need to pay attention more to what is going on in the primaries and everything else that goes into determining the candidates. My parents are very democratic so they will hope that I am too. I'm not sure because half of the time I want the Republican candidate to win and half the time I am leaning towards the Democrat. I will look through some of the posts that others made and that should help me learn about some of the possible candidates. But I am sure that I will have a good idea by the time next November rolls around.

Voting

I have to agree with Kaitlin by saying I really don't know if i will vote this year. I am not huge in politics and i really don't know or understand whats going on. I don't think i should vote for someone because i don't think it would really be fair. I know a little about each person but i don't think i know enough to elect someone to run our country.

First African-American president

I think that i will vote for Brock OBamma because he seems like a good candidate for president of the US. He seems like he has strong leadership skills and would bring the country up. to be continued
have to go the period is over

REGISTRATION

I'm not sure i've i'll register to vote. I know that women have fought their rights to be able to but i'm just not sure if i want to becasue i don't know if want to vote for someone who might spend to much time on the war not on the people and environment or someone who spends to much time on people and the environment and not on the war that's going on. I don't know if i'm republican or democratic but i do know that it would be great to be able to see a women as president, a colored person as president, or even better a colored women as president because it would be a great to be able to see something that has never happened before. Who do you think you'll vote for and why?

2008 Election Canidates

Just so everyone knows, the DEMOCRATIC canidates for the 2008 election are: Clinton, Obama, and Edwards. The REPUBLICAN canidates are: Giuliani, Thompson, and Mccain. Hilary Clinton has the early edge for the democrats and Giuliani is in front for the republicans. I know the democrats are expected to win partly because of Bush's disasterous presidential term. However, there could be an upset by the republicans because i can't see America putting a woman or african American before a white man(Giuliani). I personally don't like Hilary Clinton because she comes across as a cold person and i disagree with many of her political issues. The best website to go to to learn about the canidates is: http://ontheissues.org/default.htm -At the top of the page, you can click on the canidates