Don't have more babies

There are MILLIONS of orphane babies who need a home, I think a "baby producer" is a waste of a career, and a burdon on society. If a mother is desperate for a child, she can adopt a baby who doesn't already have a home. Like Dani and Charis already said, a mother shouldn't wait for somebody else to have their baby when there are millions of other babies who NEED a home. I can't believe in India, this occurence is happening--India is already the 3rd most populated country in the world, and i guarentee they have plenty of babies that need to be adotped. The world is already over-populated, a "Baby producer" is the last thing the world needs.

stranger babies

This whole having strange peoples babies and getting paid for it reminds me of the book The Giver, and I think that its way to wierd. I have no problem when a relative or somebody close to the family carries a baby, in fact I find those stories to be heart warming because its so generous of somebody to give up their body to help a friend or family member but to do it for a stranger is totally different. These poor women have no other choice but to subject their bodies to make some money, and if I were one of the mothers who was going to raise the child, I dont know if i would want to trust a stranger with for example, how healthy they are during pregnancy. This also takes aways from adopting when there are so many orphans who need good homes in countries like India. I just dont think that its a very good idea, if the government is trying to come up with more jobs for women, I think they can do a little better.

paid to have babies?

I'm not sure what to think about this topic. I guess if a woman really needs money, the idea of having a baby could make sense, but it seems desperate. There are many orphanages that hold many young children that need homes. If women think that having babies for other people who can't is a quick way to make some money, they are doing it for the wrong reason. The only reason I would find this idea okay is if the woman has a child for a close friend or relative who requests it, because they are not able to have a child.

Career: Baby Producer

I think that having a job that makes you have babies is kinda weird. But i guess it does help people who want to have families and children who are not physically able to have children. I think this is a career that isn't really needed in today's world to due to the extensive of our world's population. I think that if people want babies they should just order them from places where there are numerous amounts being generated. All in all, I think this is a weird career and I don't think it will be a career that survives very long.

India Pregos

yess! thanks linds new topic. well i think it's weird that they are classifying it as a "job" but i dont see it any different as if they were being seragent mothers. I prety much think of it as the same. It's just like phoebe on friends having her nieces and nephews. I think it's good that they are "donating" thier body for other woman who can't have children, but in a way i already think it's a worldwide thing for woman to have others' children.

A Change of Topic

So I think I was on MSNBC and I guess in India it is a job now to give birth!! Women are donating there bodies to have children for other women!! This is crazy. I don't know how I feel about this, I guess it's a good thing. These women are helping out less fortunate women who can't have children. Do you think this will become a widespread career??

And I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas or whatever holiday you may celebrate and I hope everyone has a great New Year!!!

SaD

That is really sad about what happened in Pakistan. I think that whoever attacked her was very selfish and did an awful thing. I feel like I've commented so many times on this blog on different subjects that have to do with murder or other terrible things in our world. It's just sad to hear about all of these things occurring constantly. It is a terrible situation and it definitely will have brought more rage and confusion over in Pakistan.

Benazir Bhutto

She was a very strong person and cared very much for her country. But before she returned to Pakistan, she was warmed that something like this could happen. This just shows her drive and determination to help the people of Pakistan.

Well I'm a little ballerina and don't know a lot about football but I think an undefeated season is more important. The Super Bowl is one game, don't get me wrong I love watching it, but it's one game. Granted it's a HARD game, but I still think an undefeated season is more important. They have obviously shown that they are an incredible team and should be awarded for it.

New England Patriots

I just wanted to start a discussion about the current season that the New England Patriots are having. For those of you who don't know, the Patriots are currently 15-0 and have a very realistic chance of finishing the season at 19-0 and winning the Super Bowl. The only other team to go through the entire season undefeated was the 1972 Miami Dolphins and they went 17-0. Do you think that the Patriots will go undefeated? Is going undefeated in the regular season worth it or is winning the Super Bowl more important? Are the Patriots the greatest team of all time?

I think that the Patriots will go undefeated. Ever since the whole 'SpyGate" scandal in week 1, the entire team has had a chip on their shoulder because so many people have accused them of cheating. I think that they will go undefeated, win the Super Bowl, and their legendary coach will call it quits because he has done everything a coach could possibly do. I think that if it comes down to it, the Patriots will rest their starters at some point during week 17 because going 16-0 and then having Tom Brady break a leg still means they won't win the Super Bowl. Winning the biggest game of all is so much more important than undefeated. Any team in the playoffs can win a championship and the Patriots already clinched a playoff berth so they just need to focus on winning a championship.

Finally, I think that the Patriots are one of the best teams in NFL history but saying that they are the greatest is ridiculous. The best team in NFL history has to be the 1985. They revolutionized the game with the 46 defense and their were some games where they flat-out dominated from start to finish. They ended the season at 18-1 but they could beat the 2007 Patriots in my opinion.

Benazir Bhutto

It is very sad to hear of the death of Benazir Bhutto and the effect it has had on her followers and all of Pakistan. It is terrible that she had to die the way that she did and it is a shame that happened. Furthermore, the documentary showing how she was forced to live just shows that she was a powerful person and her death is going to make her cause strong and her followers will continue to ride out what she believed in.

Benazir Bhutto

It was very sad to hear about the death of Benazir Bhutto as the result of a suicide bombing in Pakistan. I remember the current events piece that we watched about her in class and it was horrible how she was forced to live. The group that she was a part of was doing all that they could to make things better in Pakistan and now their leader is gone.

I think that this group will use the death as motivation to continue with their efforts. Benazir Bhutto was a great person that everyone in Pakistan and around the world will remember for a long time. Her followers will continue making progress and they will continue to fight for what she believed in.

Pakistan

It is very sad that people feel the need to inflict violence on someone like Benazir Bhutto. I am just wondering what will happen with her supporters since she lead them, and motivated them. A lot of time people who are leading a big group help keep that group unified with main ideas that they all fight for. I just hope that the death of Benazir Bhutto doesn't separate the group and cause them to be disorganized. If I hope a new person could lead the group, and that there will not be controversy over who might take that power.

Benazir Bhutto

I just watched the news today and found out that Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan was killed. I remember we did a current events on the former prime minister of Pakistan in class. The attacker struck just minutes after Bhutto addressed a rally of thousands of supporters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, 8 miles south of Islamabad. She was shot in the neck and chest by the attacker, who then blew himself up. That's pretty awful. Now there's even more unrest in Pakistan because Butto's supporters are outraged.
I think it's sad that she was not able to get her place and role back. She seemed like a fighter and her supporters were extremely brave.

Spears

As i read through some of these comments i agree with some of them but some i have to disagree with. Yes, brit was definitely a role model for Jamie Lynn, but if you think about it Jamie had so much more going for her than brit did at her age. I look up to all my sisters but i dont think that if they got pregnant at the wrong time i would think that was okay. Jamie can make decisions for herself and if she didnt intend on having a child right now she still did actions that would lead up to it. We all think that just becuase she's on the hit Zoey 101 in Nickelodeon that she's a good kid...but like kate said, you can't judge a book by its cover. She could be turning into britney with her actions, but at least she's not ashamed to admit everything that she did and she seems to be pretty proud of what she did, so let her live her life and be happy with what she did.

Pregnant

I also agree with Nicole that it is sad that the role models for teens and younger people are ruining the image that children should get. Pregnancy is not something that pre-teens and teens should be worrying about at this point in their lives and role models like Jamie Lynn Spears are putting that in their heads. Whether they try to hide the fact of Jamie's pregnancy or not its going to be known to all who looked at Jamie as a role model. And now that they have that image in their brains they are going to think its ok. All in all, Jamie;s pregnancy is probabely not good for anybody right now including herself.

pregnant

I just think its so sad that there are role models like her for little girls. Jaime Lyne Spears used to be on the disney channel, and I'm sure tons of little girls looked up to her and idolized her becuase they thought she was cool. When a celebrety gets pregant it is written about in tons of magazines, talked about on tons of TV shows, and gossiped about by everyone. I really wish other current event issues were just as intriguing as the lives of celebreties. There is so much going on in the world that people are not aware of, but everyone seems to hear about scandelous celebreties.

PrEgO

It's not really a shock once I think about it that she is pregnant. At first when I signed on to read my email, I saw it on the news scroll and I had to double take. It's just what that family needs right now, is to be put in the negative spot light one more time. At least she's keeping the baby... well thats what I read. I think it's good that she takes responsiblilty for everything, but I would hope should would becuase there is not much room to blame other people. Sucks for her, but it's her fault. Plus the fact that her boyfriend is 18 is kind of funny. There is no excuse for him to say he wasn't doing anything wrong, becuase now theres proof.

Jamie Lynn Spears

I wasn't too shocked by the news either.
I mean, her sister is Britney Spears, and I don't think her past behavior is a very good example.
I read an article on the internet, and their mother was surprised by Jamie Lynn's pregnancy.
She said that Jamie Lynn followed her curfew and stuff.
Obviously, she was not aware that she was doing other things. Or maybe she didn't really care.
I don't know, but it's too bad that she's pregnant at such a young age.
I hope she's smarter than her sister, even if her actions were definitely stupid.

Let's get real here. Is everyone really that surprised that she's pregnant??? Yes, I know she's not Britney, but still. Her mom obviously doesn't care that her older daughter acts like a slut so why would it be any different for her little sister. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that either of them are, but Britney's behavior is slutish and she hasn't set a good example for her little sister. I feel sorry for the both of them, and especially th baby.

at first, i didnt believe it when i heard that jamie lynn spears was pregnant, but apparently its true. it really sucks because she had alot going for her and i think alot of people were hoping she wouldnt turn out like britney, but the way things are going now... who knows. you have to sorta feel sympathetic towards them, they were both really young when they became famous... and history's proved that most times childstars adult lives are a mess. i think its just sad. and i duno i would prolly flip through the book mrs spears wrote just to see how she explains why her kids ended up like they did.

Jamie Lynn

When I first heard about Jamie Lynn Spears being pregnant, I immediately thought that her career is going down the tubes like Britney's did. I mean, this girl is like our age and now the whole world finds out that she is 12 weeks pregnant. I know that teenagers get pregnant but usually it is not come of the most famous actresses that little kids who watch her show look up to.

She has been famous for what she has done on Nick for a few years now and what was once a promising career looks to be over before it really started. The fact that she will be keeping the baby means that she can't do her television show for probably a year. I don't think that Nickelodeon will even want someone like this to be a top star on one of their TV shows. She will probably have a black mark on her name for the rest of her career. This just proves how fast one bad mistake can end a celebrity's career.

Spears

When I first found out that Jaimie Lynn was pregnant I couldn't believe it. Even though many teenager do get pregnant at that age in reality but as for celebrities they usually are so busy they get pregnant around in their thrities when their careers are more steady. However for Jaimie this is almost like a career failure. As Britney's career was falling apart Jaimie's was just beginning and now it's going down. As for Britney, she is just a terrible role model for her little sister. Obviously Jaimie looked up to her for her popularity but Britney gave her nothing in return. The idea of Britney's mom writing a parenting book is just ridiculous in my opinion. I mean if your kids are struggling and you are not there to even help them, how can you think you are able to write a parenting book when you aren't parenting your kids? Does she want to look like an idiot or just publish a book that no one will buy?

First I want to start off by agreeing with everyone who said that football was becoming increasingly popular. Personally I'm a football fan because it's so much more interesting. I've never really liked watching baseball because it was kinda boring. Football on he other hand is definitely more fast-paced and exciting, plus I think it's becoming more popular because they don't play for long. Actually I wouldn't mind if someday America was all about football.
As for the SPear's family, I feel sad for them. I also had hope for Jamie and i thought she would actually turn out differently than her sister but I guess not. I also think it's funny that Britney's mom is writing a parenting book. If I were a parent I wouldn't want to read it. I mean as a parent shouldn't she be paying more attention to her children especially after everything that happened to Britney? How can she can let her 16 year old daughter become pregnant?? If you ask me I think that it's the mom's, Britney's, AND Jamie's fault. First the mother because as a mother she should've been more aware of her daughter, Britney because she's like a bad role model for Jamie and Jamie for getting pregnant at her age. It's just nuts.

I would say that I feel bad for the Spears family, but it seems as though they are getting themselves into all of these messes. I don't even understand why Mrs. Spears would start writing a book on parenting after how screwed up Britany became. I actually had hope for her little sister Jamie because she seems so innocent on t.v.. I guess you really can't judge a book by its cover. I wonder how Britany reacted to the news. Do you think she was horrified or proud? Does anyone even know who got her pregnant?

aright well since i dont know anything about football or have no comments on the slavery issue i'm gonna change the topic to the exciting news that jamie lynn spears has to share. How do we all feel about that one? I always used to think that she was the one who was the nice and innocent one, although she was younger, britney was kind of compared to her. do you think that britney could have had an influence on her about having kids? sucks for her mom about that book, it probably wouldnt have sold anyway. the spears family is just falling apart!!

re: to Football

Yes Football is not played as much another contras, if any! But even if they did! The U.S. would still dominate that’s why I think other country’s don’t play it! They know they can’t win! US has the largest people size ways compared to other country’s! And in Football the bigger, stronger, faster you are!! the less skill you need! The QB is the only one how needs skill the most! Line man technique, linebacker’s anticipation!

football

Yeah, I have to also agree that football has become "America's Favorite Pasttime." People go crazy over football. I myself am a basefall person though. I guess football has become so popular because basically America is the only country that really plays it. I mean other countries do play it, but not as seriously as America. Baseball is a worldly sport. Football in most countries is considered as soccer, which is most popular in many foreign countries.

Yes to football!

I definitely enjoy playing & watching football more than any other sport! its actually the only sport I watch anymore!! Football is definitely the new and true definition of "America's favorite pastime" I'm in total agreement! For example the Super Bowl is the sport event of the year!! every one even people how don't like sports or football knows how won or lost after that game!! Baseball cant say when its even on anymore; do they play during this time of year! I don't know? All I know is that I want a statue of Urlacher in front of the school, so that I can bow to it!

Football

I'm going to have to agree with Pat on the fact that football is taking over the title of "America's pasttime". I also agree witht the fact that football is more popular and more closely watched than baseball due to its intensity and miniumal games played. Furthermore, football seems to be increasingly popular among fans, for example fans go tailgating and deck out in sports gear. As for baseball yea sure there will be some people that will wear the team jerseys and what not but football fans are way more involved in supporting their favorite team and do it in much crazier ways. Also football is a lot more intense to watch as opposed to baseball, football is pure conatct and very fast paced. All in all, football is going to become a widely recongizable sport all over pretty soon.

Football (Because I don't know much about Slavery)

I think that football has now taken the place of baseball when we say "America's Pastime." For the past decade, football has been more talked about and probably viewed much more when compared to baseball.

I think that the main reason that so many more people tune into football games is because there are not as many of them. A regular college football season has about 13 games and the most games an NFL team can play is 20. Major League Baseball has a 162-game schedule and then as many as 19 playoff games. I think that around the All-Star break, people get tired of baseball because they play so many games.

College football games are probably the craziest to attend because you have all of the loyal fans and then the entire student section that is going crazy for all 60 minutes. NFL games are also great because of the high stakes that each game holds. Because of the recent steroid scandal, people now look down on baseball and this has paved the way for football to become the most loved sport in the U.S.A.

Slavery

I think that this kind of treatment towards other people is discusting. According to the article the husband and wife enslaved two Indonesian women they brought to their mansion to work as housekeepers. It is hard to believe that two people could actually treat other like this. Like Danny said, these people were millionares who could afford anything they wanted and definitely did not need to keep two innocent people as slaves. When you hear about something like this it makes you wonder what else is going on in the world and how many other people are being enslaved and forced to do things against their will.

Slavery still happening

Allegations of abuse included beatings with brooms and umbrellas, slashings with knives, being made to repeatedly climb stairs and take freezing cold showers as punishment for misdeeds that included sleeping late or stealing food from trash bins because they were poorly fed.---this was from the AOL news and when i read this article about this husband and wife i thought they should be in prison for life instead of 40 years. they were millionaires and they brought two people over and made them their slaves when they could have just afforded a butler. one of the ladies who ran away in may said that she was made to eat a dozen of chili peppers then had to eat her own vomit for not digesting the peppers well. what was going on with these two people did they not care about others or did they forget that slavery is over with and it has been over with for a long time. this makes me think that there is still slavery going on somewhere in the U.S. that we don't know about and it is wrong. what is your opinion on this subject of these two millionaires who had slaves?

Football...the new American Pastime?

I was talking about this at lunch a few days ago. Personally, I never got into the sport of baseball. I've always loved watching football, and so when the Mitchell Report came on, I asked myself... How are fans going to react to this? If the athletes we root for and look up to are only that good because of steroids, then are they really truely part of the American culture? Or are they plainly cheating the system and the American people? If I was a baseball fan then I would really consider not being one anymore because the trust isn't existant.

And I know that not every athlete takes enhancing drugs. But that does not relieve the tension. Even is someone was to take steroids once or take them for a year and quit, then their records or their batting average would be under question always even if they were or were not taking steroids at that general time. And if they never did, they know someone who has. Even a teammate, and that ruins the sportsmanship and the team effort to win games. Because then people ask themselves, if he wasn't taking steroids would they, as a team, have won?

Baseball is growing into a sad phenomenon. From becoming an American past-time to a tabloid exploitation, it is not something anyone is proud of. Including me.
Of course, then there are 33% of American Pro-Football players that have criminal records. Which one is less hurtful to fans? (I don't like baseball.)

In any way whey is a steroid illegal for professional athletes? Steroids are bad beyond belief for their long-term health! There fine after a while but then one day a hip snaps and an artery blows, they mast up for life! So whey bother arresting them? Their career and health is gone!
The think steroids should be looked at like alcohol they have to be an adult (21-25) and warning labels should be shown like cigarettes! (Too many kids are taking them in schools and it made me sad when I realized this)
-Bob

Initiatives...

Elliot has a point. As long as the temptation is there, how are we supposed to expect pro. athletes to rely on their own natural abilities. They aso have an initiative of earning more money than other players because of their unnatural speed and strength. So, when you think about it, these cheating athletes don't really have an initiative to stop. But, what initiative could we give to them to stop?

steroids

A lot of people break under pressure, especially in a sport, one mistake can make or break the game... People who have weak wills, or just think they can cheat without getting caught would probably try and take the easy way. I honestly don't know what i would do in their situation, as i stand now i would say i wouldn't do it, but if millions of dollars are on the line, paying for your bills, not to mention this sport is a pro career, fans watching, the team counting on you, and whatever personal problems they may be facing all come into account for their use of this drug. Yes, it is breaking the rules, and No, they shouldn't take them, but since their human, i believe temptations are inevitable, and people will always sway-- EX) Cheating off a test, or copying homework... should not be done, but it is-- because the temptation is there, and we don't think we will get caught...

dunno something to think about!

steroids are for cheaters

It's sad that some athletes use steroids. Most of time, if they are professional athletes, most likely it will be discovered that they used steroids. And what are the results and aftermath of using steroids, short-lived fame that will end up going down the drain and the whole career is ruined. I respect those atheletes who use their natural talents to succeed, not having to use drugs or performance enhancers to be the best. That's just not fair nor right. It's wrong and they are cheaters and liars. Who likes cheaters and liars? No one does!

Yea i can see why steroids can be tempting with all the benefits of fame and money but is it really worth it? i mean sure you'll get what you want out of it but will you really risk your dignity for fame and money? i just don't think it's right to cheat your way into being the ultimate best. If you're already in the NFL, NBA, or MLB then you're technically better than everyone else to have been accepted to play don't you think? i don't know. i just don't think it's right even if you do gain fame and money because in the end someone's bound to get caught. Why can't athletes nowadays have some intergrity and play the right way?
i think that if the athletes took their time practicing each and everyday instead of taking steroids they'll bound to become better athletes in the end. in my opinion it's just the mentality of thinking everyone's better than you.

Roids & Temptation

I can understand why all of these MLB players took steroids. Taking steroids made Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens two of the best baseball players ever. I believe these steroids made players famous who otherwise would have been deprived of fame. By taking steroids, baseball players have earned MILLIONS more than they would have if they stayed clean.

Steroids have given these baseball players FAME and MONEY. Who wouldn't want that? It's easy to say that steroids are a disgrace and question why anybody would ever take them, but there is a huge payoff--fame and money. I can certainly see why players would be tempted by steroids. It only takes a few injections into your ass, and your body changes completely. I personally think steroids have ruined baseball and are unhealthy, but i can see why the temptation is there for some.

Pumping Roids

I was not incredibly shocked with the Mitchell Report when I read the big names that were in it. The majority of the big names (Eric Gagne and Miguel Tejada) used the steroids when they needed to recover from injury, something many baseball players do. Clemens was the most shocking name when I first saw it because he is such an icon in the past 20 years. But then when you look at his stats, you realize that his stats rapidly improve after he turned 35 years old. This is when players should be declining, not winning Cy Young awards. I am actually writing my research paper about my how steroids aren't the only reason for an increase in steroids, so this is really helping my research.

Back to the topic, I think that this report is only the tip of the iceberg in what will ruin Major League Baseball in the coming year. These were only the players who were involved with Balco, the Yankees trainer, and the Mets clubhouse worker. There are so many more players who can be a part of this scandal who haven't even been named yet. While everyone knew that many players do steroids, it really looks bad when they prove that some of our favorite players have been cheating for many years.

steriods

i think if professional athletes use steriods then they should be banned from playing the sport they play. the whole reason they are professional atheletes are because they are close to the best of the best so to use something to make yourself better is just unfair. not only is it unfair for the fans to watch as their favorite players do steriods but it is unfair for the other athletes who dont use steriods. the ones who follow the rules suffer and lose their job as a starter because of someone who was bad that used steriods and became good. so again i think thatif you are caught with steiod us, then you should be banned for life because it is just not ethical.

I also have to say that I believe steroids are for wimps. It all starts out in college when everyone is competeing to get on teams or ther professional leagues. The pressure to be the best makes them turn to steroids and the thought that other player probably use them too adds to their decision. Every player has the desire to be the best and that also causes them to start taking steroids which have a bold result. Fair players will rely on practice and skill to get better at what they do while the cheaters will turn to drugs to enhance their performance. THEY ARE CHEATERS AND WIMPS. In addition to that, steroids will cause many health problems even cancers and tumors but those will start showing up after years of steroid usage. They are definately an easy way out and can change a good player's reputation if they are caught using steroids.

Steroids

I Agree with everyone who believes that steroids are an easy way out. I think that steroids are just as illegal as any other drug on today's black market. When I think about professional athlete I think about how if I were to become the biggest and most important things about that job is the fans that are behind and cheering you on no matter how good or bad you do. But when an athlete resorts to drugs to make them look better and maybe hit harder, or run faster, or whatever it is they want to do, it just makes me thing so little of them and even not look up to them as an athlete anymore. Steriods are for body builders and most body builders are disgusting looking, so if an athlete wants to look like that, best of luck, but I will no longer think of them as professional or as an athlete.

Don't take the short-cut...

It seems as though many athletes today have to rely on steroids to make it in their specific sport. I believe that if a person has to use performance-enhancing drugs, they are not fit to be called pro-athletes. Those who try their best and improve at the sport deserve the game time, rather than the ones who just swallow a pill. I realize that many athletes will always rely on steroids because of the pressure not only from their coach and team, but also from their fans. I bet they would have a lot less fans if the public knew how they got to be so good. Lastly, athletes who use steroids are setting a lazy example for the future athletes in America, but how can this be changed?

Steroids are for wimps. In my opinion, a real guy or girl, would never take them. It's taking the easy way out. Plus, why would you want to be extra hairy and other unpleasant consequences. I think it's disgusting. I get that the competition is cut-throat, but really, do we stoop so low as to cheat?

Mitchell Report

I am sorry but I do not know enough about the U.N. to write a blog about it so I am going to change the subject to news that is going on today. George Mitchell of Major League Baseball has come out with a report listing over 50 MLB baseball players active and/or retired that he knows used steroids. This number is not surprising to me. I am sure that a sport that the athletes get paid 100's of millions of dollars to play, there will be a lot of cheating going on. I think that almost all athletes use performing enhancing drug to get that edge. Money is the ruot to all evil and this holds true in this situation. Barry Bonds is the most famous name on this list and the most obvious. He entered the leage at 165 pounds and 6 feet 3inches tall. He was a great hitter but not a hom run hitter. You can tell when he started taking steroids because now he is 6 feet 1.5 inches tall and 235 pounds and also the greatest home run hitter of all time. Those numbers tell you why people take steroids because it made this skinny man into the best player of all time.

U.N.

The U.N. does amazing things for the world and the U.S. is a major part of it. It brings together different countries and is a sign of peace and unity. Since the U.S. has many enemies, the U.N. would be a target for attacks. This might sound somewhat redundant, but I believe we'll always see some form of terrorism. It's so sad, but there's always gonna be unhappy people who don't have other ways to express their anger, but to destroy and hurt other people. That's why we should always have tight security and always be on the lookout no matter when and what is going on.

Terrorism

I agree with what Chris said, we can never completely stop terrorism, only prevent it for a short time. Obviously the last major terror attack on the US was 911 but there have been so many attacks around the world since then, mainly in Middle Eastern country. I think that it is only a matter of time before someone attacks or tries to attack the United States again. The US is the most hated and despised country in the world and numerous countries would like to hurt us. I think that this is something that Bush is trying to prevent but it is nearly impossible when an attack could come at any moment. 911 was horrible and I don't know what else could happen in the future but I think we need to be ready for anything because so much can change in one attack.

Terror

Terrorism will never stop. As much as we want it to, there will always be someone wanting to destroy this country and hurt it citizens. We can make a difference though. Be more viligant, become involved with the community watch and things of that nature. Hey even join the armed services. I cant even explain how much I wanted to join. The unit im in is engineering. They were over in Iraq two years ago and all they told me was how they helped improve the local communities. We help over there and here as well. Units of the National Guard helped out in the major ice storms in the mid-west this week. It just goes to show you that you can help anywhere at any time

Algeria... poor Algeria

I was reading BBC news yesterday and I heard about the U.N attacks in Algeria. Dozens are dead, including 10 U.N. members. This brings huge problems for Algeria that has been pretty removed from these sorts of things in the past.
What do you think will happen now? The U.N was directly targeted, and they aren't completely sure why the attack happened there and then.

What does this mean for the U.N? Algeria? It seems like violence is escalating. School shootings, mall rampages, terrorist attacks... will it stop?

Any opinions how this should be held? What the U.N has or hasn't been doing?

This might tic' some of you!

lets reflect this for a second! number one! Why are we talking about how bad this guys decision's are and what he could have don different! that fact is that! he did do what he did! whey talk about how wrong it was; we know it was bad, he has no excuse good inof blah blah blah i think this and that! If your going to preach about stuff them make sure that something productive comes out of it! like what is it that society can do to stop this in the future! Could it have been the parents babied him to much and he cant dill with crap! so do we offer more parenting books to the public. I'm talking about having decisions that have meaning and making solutions. Not just having words flying out her and there and having practically no arguments! I'll put it this way!!
I think he did what he thought it was right to make him feel good!! so he did it!
has any one of you???? ever did anything that hurt some one but it was something you thought you needed to do!!?

Now we all have and if you say no..... its just because you don't remember! it could be small if you don't want to admit anything!

The incident at Omaha really is a tragedy that could've been prevented. Sure losing a job and breaking up with someone can be hard and devestating but you can always find another job and meet someone 10 times better. It's not worth walking into a mall, shooting innocent holiday shoppers, and then killing yourself cuz you felt guilty. It's ridiculous that he would kill 9 innocent civilians and then go killing himself. The problems and issues he had of not having a home to go to, getting fired from his job, and losing his girlfriend isnt' just going to disappear. He might think it does because he wouldn't be alive, facing these problems but in reality his problems move on and become problems and burdens for the innocent victims' families. Their family has to live day to day knowing that their son/daughter/mother/father/sister/brother/friend could've had something going on for them in their future. It's tragic to have someone taken away from you especially by someone who simply didn't think straight about his actions.
And although it is the shooter's fault for killling the lives of 9 innocent people, if only the people he may have lived with for awhile could've realized the potential signs and done something to help prevent him from walking into that mall and from killing people. I agree with rita, people nowadays are so consumed in themselves and with their own problems that they fail to recognize the potential signs and the crying out of someone that might be going through some tough times.

Suicide is not enough...

Why can't people just be nice anymore? It is never enough anymore. Obviously, Hawkins felt betrayed by the people around him so he killed nine innocent people who happened to be near him. It makes me feel so sick to my stomach that things like that still and will always happen. The first major incident of a victim of bullies and emotional instability that I remember was Columbine. But more and more I am noticing a trend of suicide/homicides. Because like stated in earlier blog statements, we do not take enough time to notice others hurting.
We are so intertwined in our own dramas, we forget to to notice those around us that are most likely hurting.
I cannot believe that he shot random people in the mall before killing himself. But I also cannot believe that we still aren't noticing these things before they occur.
Can't people just be nice?

Nebraska Kid

I heard on the news that the kid who did the shooting in Omaha was kicked out of his home when he was like 17 and then he bounced around from different homes. It was also said that he and his girlfriend also broke up s few days before he went on his rampage. I understand how people can have sympathy for him but, he was obviously was mentally unstable. It should be up to the people around him to help him. I heard that he was staying with a woman and she said that he had been acting strangely. People need to be more aware of others peoples behavoirs and report them so further tragedies are prevented.

omaha shooting

i hate the fact that it always seems like innocent people in this world are being killed. shooting like these are so devistating for everyone involved, the families of the shooter and those who have been killed and the surrounding people that have to watch and run for cover as it happened. i don't understand how people can hate their lives so much that it leads to physically harming others that you have never met before in their life time. if it is true that he was upset about loosing a job from McDonalds and his girlfriend. both things can be replaced. it was no reason to go on shooting innocent people. and let's be honest hear, if he was working at McDonalds(assuming he was just a cook in the back and not someone high on the managing scale) he didn't have much going for him anyways.

on that movie the elephant, where did you hear about that? i haven't heard anything about that movie ever. is it a new film?

BANG BANG

The thing is we always hear about shootings of innocent people dying while the shooter kills themself in the end. If you really think about it the majority of the shooters are usually male, at least from what I've heard of the shootings. This kid though must have been treated that horribly to go into a public place and shoot people who he might not even know. It seems as if it happens all the time and that's not really a good thing at all. There is actally a really good movie that's out in rentals and it's called Elephant. It shows the different views of everyone involved including victoms, the shooters, and even survivors. I can't say its false but i can't really say if it is based on a true story either. It's a little of both. We can help stop these shooting by not being so judgemental to our peers and accept people for who they are no matter how weird they are.

Omaha Shooting

The Omaha shooting is a devasting thing, its sad that someone would go into a mall and just unleash his fury upon people whom he has never met and didn't do anything wrong. Killing innocent people is going to get attention if thats what the guy wanted, but all its going to do is make him look like a pyschopath who doesn't know how to control his anger and he deserves to be dead. Now that many peoples lives have been taken due to a guy just wanting attention shows how some people in this world are just crazy and dont care about anything but themselves. All in all, this massacre is just a tradegy and shouldn't have happened.

Omaha shooting

The shooting by a man in an Omaha Mall is completely devistating. It is hard to believe that a man can kill nine innocent people without caring for them or what their families have to go through. On top of that, the man killed himself after he was done with the innocent shoppers. What bothers me the most is the suicide note he left and how he felt he needed to leave one to be remembered and to get attention. Why would anyone what to be remembered like that? I think it is disturbing how someone can do something like that and not feel any guilt.

Nebraska

First, i have not really heard much about the Nebraska shooting, like many people. I basically know that a guy who was messed up in the head shot 8 people and then killed himself. I heard he lost his job at McDonalds and lost his girlfriend which made him go on this rampage. Come on. Your first job is always crap, you just get it to have spending money. And losing girlfriends is pretty common, and when you are a teenager, its even more common so it should not have been that big of a deal to him. Now suicide is the most cowardly thing you can do. Basically, he ran away from his punishment. He is making 8 families go through hell with the loss of a loved one and he couldnt deal with that, so he killed himself. I really hate it how people want to commit suicide, but kill more people just so that they are remembered and not just another person that commited suicide.


Now on the moment of silence, i think that it is breaking the law. The law says that religon and state must be kept seperate. State is schools and religon is the moment of silence, by law they must be seperated. And for the people that dont believe that the moment of silence is religious, open your eyes, and tell me what non-religious value it has to anyone.

mall shooting in Nebraska

I haven't seen that much about the mall shooting in Nebraska. I only saw a short segment on chanel 5, which claimed that a man with a rifle opened fire at a busy shopping mall on Wednesday, killing eight people before taking his own life. Five more people were critically injured as well. Something else about President Bush being in town at Omaha but had left about an hour before the shooting. It's such a sad thing to have happen, and in my opinion I think suicude is such a selfish act. Especially when you're taking other people's lives with you. And I know that everybody says that everything happens for a reason and that sometimes some people's lives have to be sacrificed but I'm not sure that I completely agree with that. In committing suicide, you may think that you're taking care of your problems by killing yourself, but in fact you're making your problems your families. And now its something dramatically emotional that they have to deal with. Such a depressing thing to have happen, but that's my personal opinion.

Mall Shooting

I heard about the mall shooting in Nebraska and it was very disturbing. I don't understand the murderers, like this kid, who feel that they need to kill random people before killing themselves. Why end the lives of innocent people before ending your own?

This kid was not significant in the way that he wanted to be, he was significant because of the nine lives that he ended for no reason. This proves that we need more people who can reach out to these types of kids and get to the bottom of their problems before they do something like this. If this ever happened at Woodfield, it would be the worst thing to happen so close to us at Fremd, that it would leave the community in disarray. Lets just hope that people who are unstable or depressed can get the help they need so we can prevent stuff like this is the future.

Mall shooting

I'm not sure if everyone has been watching the news but in Omaha a man took a gun into the elevator and went to the top floor and started shooting people. Nine people died, and I think two are in the hospital now in critical condition. After killing people he decided to kill himself. He left a suicide note, and talked about how he wanted to be remembered and feel significant. I think it is absurd that in order to feel significant, and like he really mattered in the world he needed to kill people. You can make an impact in the world, and be significant by doing good things and making a difference in people's lives through helping them. Because holidays are happening tons of people are crowding into the malls and I am really scared to know how many people would die if something like that happend at Woodfield.

I don't pray in class, you shouldn't either?

Like Kaitin stated, she prays in school during those fifteen seconds, should I? Fifteen seconds of reflection seems like nothing, right? But what about the fact that its a state law? And people are praying in public schools, but religion isn't supposed to present in schools. So, what's going on? Personally, I don't think it is a big deal. But, I do however, disagree with the law. The principal of it seems to be outside the limitations a school can impose. But in reality, it's fifteen seconds and I don't use it, so why not let others.

I just feel like the whole idea of the fifteen seconds is religious, and public schools aren't supposed to be empeding these sorts of laws. So once again, why now? And why Illinois? Anyone have those answers...

Moment of Silence

I have to disagree completly! The moment of Silence isn't a waste of time it's good because it gives people a chance to pray or even finish their homework. I use it to pray and i actually wish that it was more than 15 seconds and more like a minute. It doesn't hurt to have a minute or a couple seconds of silence either. It's a good thing to have in the morning to just be able to take a breathe before school starts. It's kinda like a short break before you're hammerd with loads of homework and new things to learn.

Moment of Silence

I definitely agree the moment of silence is a waste of time. I mean, it takes up time before class just as the morning announcements used to do. And as I recall, they were considered a "waste of time" by the administration. So, 45 seconds to sleep is more important than hearing about recent events, students achieving high levels of excellence in and out of the classroom, or just getting basic info, like where to pick up senior t-shirts among other things. It's just a matter of time before this is deemed "a waste of time" as well.

moment of silence?

About this moment of silence, i really dont think that it's that big of a deal.. i mean yeah, i think its pretty pointless and could maybe be seen as pushing the limit with religion in school, but honestly... its 15 seconds. Its not like a huge time-consuming inconvenience and youre not asked to do anything but sit there. Its not enforced too strictly (in most classes) so if you have something that youre dying to say right then go ahead and whisper it to your friend or whatever. I wouldnt care either way whether we kept it or not, i dont use it to pray or reflect or anything, usually im digging through my purse, looking for last nights homework, or just walking in the door during that time. I just think its kind of an odd request for the state to require students to "reflect on their days" everyday at 7 30 am.

Hey, this is my first post all year. The last I saw Lindsay made a comment about the silence moment in the morning? I partially agree with her in the fact that we can have time to pray outside of school and we do not need designated time in school. But I was talking to another teacher who said it wasn't about praying, it was a moment of reflecting our thoughts in the morning and collecting ourselves. Although, since it's its so early in the morning, I don't really have many thoughts that I need to reflect on. But I do think it's a good thing if you don't have time and you do want to say quick prayer for someone or something. I don't know, there are split points about it. Okay, that's all I have to say right now, I hope I did this right.

I think the moment of silence is completely stupid. I'm a Christian and I pray, but I don't need designated time in school to do it. I think it's silly and is just a waste of time. They should bring the morning announcements back if we have the moment of silence. They both just take up time and no one listens or pays attention to them. Well, I listened to the morning announcements sometimes, but anyways.

15 SeCoNdS

Seriously, what is 15 seconds going to do? I don't mind it at all because it's 15 seconds, but at the same time how necassary is it? By the time my class gets quiet and I realize it is the moment of scilence it is over for anyone to pray or do anything anyways. I don't know, it just seems really usless becuase if people pray, they most likely do it on their own time and not in class for 15 seconds. Half the people in my class talk during it and my teacher even laughs or makes comments during it. I have no problem with it I guess becuase it's not hurting anyone, I just queston how useful it is.

15 seconds

I have yet to experience the 15 seconds of silence in the morning. I have first period off so I will never experience it. However, when I heard that our school was doing that I was shocked. I thought it was that one day that they had to do it and I was confused on what had happened it the world. Had another 9/11 type incident happen and I didn't even know? But then I realized that there was a moment of silence every day so I had no idea what was going on. Why were people doing this? Even though they say it isn't for praying, it is implied that it is. Our world is becoming way too literal with all religions and I think we should go back to the good old days where christmas spirit is all around and people kept their praying to themselves.

15 seconds

moment of silence/anouncements

Well I think the moment of silence isn't that bad. Although some may say it's pointless, it is nice to take a break in the morning to reflect, pray, or even just to sit there and take a breather from our busy hectic life. I have nothing against the moment of silence. The only thing that i guess is 'bad' in a sense is the time. 15 seconds, to me, isn't enough to reflect about my day/life, pray, or even take a breather. I agree the moment of silence should either be longer or they shouldn't even have it at all because just 15 seconds is pointless.
I also agree that they should say the morning announcements over the intercome because not everyone is going to have time to stop in the middle of the hallway and stare, maybe even wait for a specific announcement to come up on the tv screen and get updated with everything. For me it is a hassle to stop and read and have to wait to read all the announcements. Instead of putting the morning announcements on the screens and spending money on worthless/unnecessary items such as the flat screen tvs in the hallways, they should announce the announcements and spend the money they could've saved from the tvs on stuff we actually need.

15 Seconds of Silence

I, just like the majority of the people who have already posted, don't think the moment of silence is a very good idea. I don't like how schools are required to do it when hardly anyone uses the time to truly reflect. There may be a few kids who pray silently but that seems to be the only reason we have the moment of silence. I never heard anyone complain because they didn't have enough "quiet" time during school to reflect. We are better off without these 15 seconds of silence because no one agrees with the reasoning behind it.

On a separate note, does anyone else think it was stupid that they don't do the announcement over the P.A. system anymore? I never have time during the day to check on the computer for the announcements because they don't post them until around 9. Also, the big video screens around the school are pointless because if you miss the announcement that you want to see, you need to wait another ten minutes to see it again. 3rd period teachers can't take 5 minutes out of their day to let the announcements be heard? I don't think that is too much to ask, do you?

fifteen seconds won't hurt...

I like the moment of silence because it gives me a chance to get my homework out, or turn my computer on in english. I know that I could do this anyways, but it is nice when the teacher does not start talking right away. It would be nice if everyone respected the moment of silence for those who actually use it to reflect, or something. I don't really benefit from these short fifteen second, but it is only fifteen seconds. I have heard many students say that it is a waste of time. What would you be doing during those first fifteen seconds anyways, probably nothing important, so why complain?

I see the upside to this moment of silence but i also see the downside to it. Let me start off by saying i have to agree that 15sec is just way to short. I am late for class most of the time and while i am in the halls in the morning during the 15sec of silence most of the time it seems like all i hear is teachers trying to keep their classes quiet. I think that many students are disrespectful to their peers and some people take it more serious then others, and everyone needs to be respected. I Think its a good idea because with how crazy everyones lives are especially in the morning! We could all use just a moment to stop and just sit and think sometimes but like i said earlier 15sec is just too short they need to extend it.

moment of silence

I actually like the moment of silence a lot. Even if I think it would be nice to have more than 15 seconds, it's not that bad. If you actually sit still for 15 seconds, it could be long enough to reflect. I think they made it to be 15 seconds because some people aren't going to take part in the moment of silence. I really see the 15 seconds a valuable time for me. Being a high school senior and all, I feel that I have no time of my own. I'm always busy and doing so. Sadly, I've come to accept that I have no choice, so I fall into a trap of busy life. Having the 15 seconds to myself so that I can pray or reflect is a nice addition to my busy life. Also, I know I'm not really supposed to talk about religion and stuff, but being a Christian is important to me. I feel reassured and safe to go to school knowning that kids and adults may be praying for me, the school, and our safety. I always pray that the day would be smooth and I pray for everyone else. Suprisingly, 15 seconds is plenty of time to do so. Sometimes, I get annoyed because many people in my class don't respect this time. I just wish that even if they don't agree with it, they can show respect towards other classmates who may need that 15 seconds of silence.

What about time?

Does any one ells think that school should start later 8:15am and end at around 3:30pm Its not that far off and it give us more time to get to the school! Plus it take’s care of other problems that come about! I personally like it because I can sleep more! But the subject has come up with a lot of kids! Many say “oh!!! No school would be so long!!” I hear kids teachers complain about it on a daily basses, even when the ones how are agents this idea did it a few times they just don’t realize it.
During the winter when there’s snow 7:30am is a little hard for kids that live far. In general it’s not all that far off.! It seemed like one of those things that people know is in the way of their day. But it’s always been that way so why bother?

I would like some feedback just to see what people have to say

15

I also agree with everyone that 15 seconds is way too short. First of all when I first heard of this idea I thought it was the stupidest thing ever but then I realized it is kind of cool although who can reflect on their life/school day at 7 in the morning in such a short time frame. Yes I guess it is preparing us since we are so fast paced today but then again I think this time to reflect should be more relaxing and a time to just think. But if we want to relax and calmly think about our day we will definitely need at least 3 minutes. 15 seconds barely gets you started on reflecting when your mind is still probably on being late to class or whatever happened the night before. Also in my opinion I feel if this was time extended it would be great because no one knows what goes on in our lives outside of school, whether we work full time and try to keep up with school, family arguments, taking care of younger siblings, or just trying to get through the day, a 3 minute reflection in the morning before class can help take all that pressure off and be relieved for a fresh new day at school. BUT like Elliot said, EXTEND IT OR END IT!

i hate the moment of silence

okay i agree that the moment of silence is totally lame. 15 seconds, seriously not even worth it and i definitely think that its too closely tied to Christianity. i think that we should get rid of the moment of silence, all it does is delay the start of our day and give students the chance to be disrespectful by talking the entire time. And because in my opinion, the moment of silence was designed to give students a time to pray which is disrespectful people who dont practice a religion in which they pray silently or to people who dont practice religion at all we should get rid of it. Speaking of religion, its the holiday season and i think that we need to spend more time learing about other religions rather keeping silent for the first 15 seconds of our day.

silence

I'm going to have to agree with a little bit of everything here. Elliot i understand where you are coming from when you say we're gonna have to learn to deal with things in different situations. But to be honest, my teacher doesnt even take it seriously. When you see an adult not taking it seriously, it kind of just throws you off. I dont really think of it as religious because how many students do you think are actually taking the time to pray? I mean if you are, that's great, but did the person who made this rule really think that it was going to be made out where everyone was so silent for 15 seconds? For some people it's all a joke, which is fine, you take it the way you want to, i just think it's ridiculous that it even comes up. Somedays, i seriously think that it's not even 15 seconds, i feel like it's seriously 10 and they just cut it short becuase they dont even know what to think about!

Silence

I agree with most people on the fact that the moment of silence is merely too short to be of any use for people. I think it is a great idea but 15 seconds passes in a heartbeat and just doesn't give you any time to breathe or think about anything. This would be of great use if there was some time to just conjure our thoughts and think about our lives in general or practice whatever it is you wish to practice. Furthermore, I also think that it would be easier to self-reflect if teachers took the moment of silence seriously as opposed to just blowing it off and starting class right away or talking to students about whatever. All in all, the moment of silence would be grealy effective to most people if they actually had some time to reflect.

15

I actually like the idea of the moment of silence, though 15 seconds is too short.... I think setting time aside to reflect on our day, or our lives in general is awesome. Our lives are so fast paced that we often forget the smaller,finer things in life. Or people we should be caring for, or people we are neglecting. If they set it aside for a longer interval, i think a lot of students can use it to their benefit. However, sadly, yea some people won't like it, and some would love it. I think it all depends on your perspective. Also concentrating indifferent environments may seem hard (for the moment of silence) but its an essential life skill were going to have to have (being able to work/concentrate in a variety of situations). You can use this time to practice it (if they extend the time), i personally like this new idea, however it is too short to be of any use. Also the fact that a lot of students don't take it seriously because its so out of the norm (not widely accepted) may result in the negative view on it. (also the fact that some teachers don't take it seriously contributes to the students view of it). Also the fact that it has a religious connotation, or anything close to it, is gonna cause a lot of controversy. Yeah, i can see how it is associated with "prayer" but it doesn't have to be. Like i said, its all a matter of perspective, such as taking the time to be silent on veteran's day to reflect on what they did, that doesn't mean we are praying or not. People set time aside all the time (Self-reflect books out) even the 7-essential habits for effective teens highly recommend it, why? i think the title speaks for itself. School's are meant to teach students about the real world, a lotof what we learn, is irrelevant for our careers... But something like self reflection is a good thing to learn how to utilize.
But, everyone has their own views, and i respect that, but bassicaly for my own view, i like this idea but...15 seconds is basically to short, extend it, or end it..

Silence

I compleatly agree with Rita and Nicole about the moment of silence thing in the morning. Fifteen seconds is definitely not long enough to reflect on your day. It is stupid to think that you can accomplish everything in only fifteen seconds. Reflecting on your day is important, but it shouldn't be done in a classroom. Schools should not require their students to have a moment of silence if students don't want it. If they do, they can do it on their own time outside of school.

15 seconds

I don't feel the fifteen seconds after the pledge can really be utilized in an effective way, or is serving the purpose that was intended for it. With only fifteen seconds, even if i wanted to, I couldn't reflect on things becuase once I begun to think it would be over and class would start. At 7:30 in the morning I am not fully awake and ready to think on a higher level to really contemplate life and reflect on it. My intrests during those fifteen seconds are what will be dicussed or taught in class, and getting my homework out. I love having time to reflect on life, but I do that on my own time by going for a walk, or doing other things where i can spend time alone and just think. If reflecting is a priority or beneficial in people lives I think it is much more effective for them to have more time to reflect, and it would be easier to reflect in a more comfortable setting rather than sitting in a classroom with twenty or thirty other people watching you.

I'm a Jew

You would think that I would be the first to be anti-christmas, but contrary to what one girl said in my french class "You do not like christmas music because you're jewish, I do enjoy the holiday season and I think Christmas can be fun. However, I really do not like the fifteen seconds of silence. Who are they to tell me that I need to reflect every morning? And what does fifteen seconds really accomplish? Am I supposed to understand the life around me and what life's purpose is after fifteen seconds. It's an unneccesary annoyance. And I think the act is overstepping the boundries that public schools have. And this "ho ho ho" business just seems to me like some people are bored with their own lives, they find it absolutely necessary to impose some rules on society that is irrelevant.
However, sometimes I feel a bit left out because of my religious ideals are in the minority at Fremd. But really, I do not take it to offense. I understand that most people here celebrate Christmas, and I accept that. Sometimes, though, the fact that many people know little or nothing about other religions and holidays kind of shocks me. But maybe that's a problem because religion is not discussed openly at schools. But we can still have fifteen seconds to pray, I mean reflect...

Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas to all!

holidays

even though its kind of a bummer, i can understand why we shouldnt talk about our own religious holidays in school... there are some that could take offense to it even if its just a couple people. i dunno, personally, ive never taken offense to others talking about their holidays, i think its pretty interesting. if you think about it, all cultures have holidays... times where they slow down their daily lives to be with family and celebrate. we may not all celebrate for the same reason, but the basic idea behind holidays is the same thing. there shouldnt be anything wrong with that, but like julie said, i think alot of parents think that kids at school are influencing their kids to believe a different thing.

Holidays

I can understand why the holidays are not talked about in school. It is a religious topic. But I still don't understand the moment of silence. That in it self seems like a religious act to me. In my first hour class, we just start talking after the pledge is over with. If you want practice religion, go to a private school. I'm all for learning about other religions and cultures, but practicing is a different story.

HoLiDaYs!!!

i'm going to have to agree with D. Itami on this one. Although the holidays are so exciting and i'm so pumped for christmas to be coming, it's not that big of a deal that we aren't allowed to focus on it in our classes. We have 2 weeks to talk about christmas and all the things that go along with it. Going with what Rooney said, yea it would be really cool to talk about other holidays, i think that i would be interesting for us to all learn about different cultures' holidays. Although, I do have to say, i'm pretty upset about the whole santa business as everyone else has already said. With the way things are going right now, i feel like kids arent even going to question if santa is real or not becuase there's probably not going to be a santa in the next 10 years!!!!

Holidays Feel Different

I think that it is so stupid that people have found something wrong with everything that people love about the holidays. Santa can't say "Ho, ho, ho" anymore? Just because the definition of the word "ho" now a days, doesn't mean that Santa should not be allowed to say it. Taking down the huge sign at Woodfield is ridiculous also. Woodfield is one of the coolest places to go during the holidays and I love the feel of Christmas in there. People need to lighten up and just enjoy the holidays instead of finding problems with every little detail.

My mom also told me that a military person said that he thinks that Santa's "big and jolly" image is setting a bad example for children. Is this guy really serious? He wants Santa to lose some weight so that kids don't want to be like him. I'm pretty sure kids know that they shouldn't eat 1 million cookies in one nights. I don't undertand why we can't just enjoy the holidays.

HoLiDaYs

I am soo excited for the holidays! It is such a fun time of year. I think it is sad that we can't learn about all of the traditions each culture has to offer and spend some time celebrating each holiday for what it is. I agree with the last couple posts, how if all of the hoidays were adressed and not favored over another, it would be fine to discuss and celebrate them in school. I think it is so ridiculous that some Santa's are banned from saying "Ho, Ho, Ho". Who ever complained about that needs to get a life and shop being paranoid that they are being offended. I think that these days people are sucking the fun out of the holidays by limiting people how, where and when they celebrate these special occasions. It is sad that we cannot even decorate the malls or schools with Christmas trees or anything becuase other people are offended. I think if we put up other symbols of other holidays it would be okay. I don't see whay it would be that hard to please everyone and add a few extra decorations. Either way I'm still excited to be on break and enjoy the holiday seasons in the next few weeks!

Holidays

i am not really against about not being able to talk about holidays in school. ya its a drag that you cant come back from winter break and talk about it and share stories in class but i can see why. someone who doesnt celebrate christmas isnt gonig to want to hear about other people talking about their christmas just like how i woudlnt want to hear people talking about how they celebrate their jewish holidays, im not saying anythign is wrong with jewish holidays but i just woudlnt want to hear about the stories and im sure they woudlnt want to hear about our christmas stories so i feel it is not that big of deal that you cant talk about holidays in school. if you really feel that you need to talk about it then you should talk to your friends who u know wouldnt be offended by it.

no more holidays...what??

Okay. So I had no clue that we aren't allowed to talk about holidays in school.
That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard yet.
How can they take away holidays from school like that?
Holidays are what brings people together and they are what brings joy to many people. Holidays are considered the time of giving and it's a perfect chance for people to give and serve to the community and love others.
Yet, we're not allowed to celebrate in school?
I also agree that these rules are being set by selfish people.
Even non-religious people celebrate Christmas with their families and it's a tradition for most Americans. It's their choice to make Christmas a religious holiday or not. But it's wrong when some selfish people are forbidding others to celebrate it at school because it's too religious. That's definitely going too far.

Christmas -- No Fun Anymore

Everybody is right about how Christmas has taken a down-fall the past few years. Jory is right, it's sad and pathetic how Woodfield Mall took away the giant X-mas and the Santa. Enforced this year, many santa's are prohibited from saying "Ho,ho,ho" and now have to say "Ha, ha, ha." Somebody was actually offended by santa saying, "Ho." How the hell does that happen!?

I'm dissapointed in the religious minorities and immigrants in this country who have tried to take away Christmas spirit. Most people in the U.S celebrate Christmas and are accepting towards others' religious decorations/celebrations. It's unfair for other religious groups to take away Christmas spirit from this country which has celebrated Christmas for centuries. Christmas is America's most celebrated holiday. This is like if Americans went to Israel and tried to take away the spirit of Hanukkah--completely unacceptable.

I feel sorry for the future generations who will never get to experience the exciting Christmas spirit that our parents and our generations got to experience.

Holidays

I agree with Brian in that we should learn about all other cultures and i think it would be cool to learn and "celebrate" the holidays in class or something. If the administration doesnt want us to talk about holidays because they think it is religious, then i have to ask them what they think the moment of silence is. When we first started it, Dr. Scott read what it was and at the end she had to say something like, "this is not a religious moment in any way." She had to say this because it is a religous thing but if they just say its not they think nobody will notice.

Another thing, an old story when the indian mom got mad at the school for calling the 2 week break Christmas Break, that is ridicolous. She goes to a public school where 90% of the kids celebrate christmas and she has a tantrum because her ONE kid doesnt celebrate it. She made a big deal out of nothing because she was selfish. She would not stop until it was called winter break because SHE wanted it and if SHE didnt get what SHE wanted, she would probably cry.

Holiday

Well i agree that the holidays should be celebrated and I don't think that there is any harm in simply celebrating one's tradition/religion. To me it seems kind of silly to not allow the celebration of one's traditional holiday or one's religious views in schools. What's wrong with expressing ourselves? I also heard that in some states, now, Santa Clauses aren't allowed to say 'hohoho' anymore instead they have to say 'hahaha?' It just doesn't sound right.
What happened to the good old traditional way of the holidays (Christmas)?

Holidays

I actually get very angry at this subject because of what is going on at woodfeild. When I was little my favorite passed time was going to the mall to see Santa and that giant Christmas tree. I used to love telling him what I wanted for Christmas and sitting on his lap. When I got older I couldnt wait to bring my kids their to do the same thing. But now I can't do that. Why, you ask?
Because there is no Santa or giant Christmas tree! It is a stupid little snow globe. I mean why take away the Christmas spirit? I know it is a huge religous debate and I understand the whole other side believe me. But I'm sure they also enjoyed the winter time when it was snowing and red and green decorations everywhere with rendeers, elves, and a lot of other Christmas things. It was just what made me actually be happy when it was cold and terrible outside. Why can't we all just enjoy the Holiday spirit like the good old days. I don't think Santa hurt anyone. Why take him away?

Holidays

Some would argue that celebrating holidays in school goes hand-in-hand with the "no religion in public schools" argument. But, as long as each holiday is given a little time, and one is not favored over the other I see no problem with it as a student. Also, it would be fun, in my opinion, to learn some traditions of other holidays (IE: Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, etc.)

Holidays!!

What do you think of celebrating holidays in schools?

I hate how we aren't supposed to talk about holidays in school. I think that people should be able to celebrate their holidays. Since msot of the people in our schools are christians or celebrate christmas. The sad part is is that the kids don't usually care, its the parents that are stupid. Also, if we are trying to teach equality, how is not allowing anyone to talk about their religions or anything creating an understanding of other religions.

walmart

All the facts about Walmart makes me sick. I remember earlier this year, I was doing a project and I ran into a site bashing Walmart. I got sorta freaked out by it and I wasn't sure why they would go that far to make a site bashing it. Now, after watching the movie, I decided to type in "walmart" on google, and there is not only one site bashing Walmart, but numerous sites doing so. This really shows how the problems from Walmart are coming to national attention. Sadly,
even if Walmart is an awful business organization, I have to still admit that I can't forbid myself from not shopping at Walmart. There are some things that my family needs to buy at Walmart and Walmart is cheaper in some cases. I'll feel guilty about shopping there, but I honestly don't think I can totally not shop at Walmart.

Pat has a cooler title

I think it is rediculous that a lot of schools where shut down because they didn't get enough money becuase wal*mart was being built or needed it. Maybe wal*mart should have used all that money for security on the outside instead of pay people across the country $.16 each day (or hour?) can you say REDICULOUS?! i cannot believe how many accidents have happened outside a wal*mart especially with the girl who was kidnapped from there and murdered. We even have a shady wal*mart in palatine by baldwin. right off balwin are the kings not saying they will or will not do anything but still that doesn't make the wal*mart there any safer than the wal*mart in texas where that lady got raped.

and Rite do mess with target ( t is silent ) it is a lot more organized and deffinitly isn't a nest for satan at all.

Wal-Mart

Hearing that Wal-Mart, nationwide, had billions of dollars in subsidies, and small businesses get none is horrible. For small businesses and stores to be put out of businesses by Wal-Mart makes me feel like our government should try and do more to control what is happening. For so many people those small stores were more than just a place to shop, they had emotional attachements to the place and created memories there. It is sad to see how Wal-Mart not only affected the lives of people who owned businesses in small towns, but also people in China and Bangledesh. The living conditions of the factory workers seems so unfair. They are struggling to make enough to survive, and dealing with unsanitary conditions daily in order to make things for people in America who want to buy things for cheaper. Overall, things really need to change and the only way I believe that can happen is when people stop being ignorant to our problems and start realizing how greedy people can be.

Wal Mart

Sorry Rita I don't know too much about some of the other big companies here in America but after hearing so much about Wal Mart I wouldn't be surprised if they were operated in similar ways. But the thing that disgusts me so much about Wal Mart is that the Walton family cares so little about the company and everybody that it effects. Hearing all the statistics about how they donate such small amounts of money when so many employees are suffering. I just can't imagine how they could let the company spiral out of control, especially when their name is attached to it. If I were the namesake of such a huge company I wouldn't want to recieve such a bad reputation. I just think that its disgusting how all any of these people care about is money.

Wal-Mart

I was thinking about writing my letter to the richest family in the world that only gave $6000 to help the employees when they are having a hardship. That is just total bull. They make over 60 billion dollars as a combined family and the whole family manages to donate $6000 while all the employees that they hire for minimum wage put a combined $5 million in the fund. $5 million would be chump change for them, $50 million would be chump change too. Honestly, what can some people do with that much money. I mean, it would be nice as hell to have that much money, but i would give to charity a lot more and help people out rather than make their lives miserable so i get even more money. After comparing this family to Bill Gates alone, and how Bill Gates donates over 50% of his money to charity, the family looks like a bunch of greedy fools. And to end it, having a bunker in case of some hydrogen bomb or something is hillarious.

Wal-Mart, the only one?

I fought with Mrs. Richards on this, standing my ground that Walmart is Satan's love nest. But is it the only one? I do not know much about other corporations like Target, K-Mart, and others of that nature as much as I should. Obviously, Wal-Mart takes the cake for horrendous working conditions, neglecting their employees and customers, and downright lying. However, are they the only ones?
I would hate to find out that a lot of the large corporations are practicing an awful work ethic, by promoting their company through means of hypocrisy and trying to hide the truth to the public. I won't support a company that does this, because it strips away the core of the American dream into a distortion of what the American lifestyle standard should be. Like it said on the video, Wal-Mart sets the standard for other corporations. Which other ones? And what's going on? Anyone want to enlighten me...

Walmart stinks.

W-A-L-SQUIGGLY-M-A-R-T

I agree with Nate also. I never knew until watching the video how horrible Wal~Mart really was. I knew that they did outsourcing and they made companies sell them products for less money but what they do to their employees is just horrendous. Do they seriously feel that they are a great business when half of the employees are on welfare. Maybe if they cared a little bit more about their employees, things would not be so horrible for them. The part about not letting women or African Americans move up in the company was a huge discrimination and I don't understand how they are able to get away with it. The story about the sweatshops in China is awful, especially since they made the workers lie in order to cover up what they really do, saying they work 6 days a week instead of all 7, and also only paying the factory workers about $0.17 an hour was ridiculous.

But the part that really made me mad was the fact that the Walton's have so much money and are worth so much yet they refuse to give any of that money back to community or even the very company that was created in their family. The fact that they donate less than 1% of their income to charity, as compared to 58% by Bill Gates, is horrible. All five of those family members is worth over 18 billion dollars. Do they seriously need all of that money for themselves? And the fact that the Walton family only put 6,000 dollars into the fund for other workers, as compared to 5 million dollars by Wal~Mart workers all over the world just proves that the people high up in the Wal~Mart company don't care what happens to the every day workers.

There's no stop to it!

I was shocked to see just how hurt the employees, and small businesses were. I did not understand why Mr. Spoor was so against Wal~Mart, but I am clear now. Wal~Mart is destroying the lives of decent store owners accross the U.S.. It is unfortunate that everyone can't watch this video. Maybe more people would protest againt the further developement of Wal~Mart. The Company is so big that there is not much we could do, but after seeing the china sweat shops, I believe that everyone should try.

What disappointed me the most was the little amount of money that the Walton family actually gave to the employees, who really needed it. They only gave about 1% of what they have, which is pathetic. I never shop at Wal~Mart already, but I wil make it a point to avoid that store until it improves, which sadly, will probably never happen.

Wal-Mart

i agree with nate. people are going to continully go to wal-mart because of the low prices. i know if i was shopping and i had a whole list of thigns to buy i would want to go to wal-mart cause i know i will get everything cheaper and i would only have to go to one store, so even tho wal-mart is a very bad company it is always goign to be there because of the demand of low prices by consumers. it is very unfair about the wages and benifits that the employees get becasue wal-mart is saying they made trillions of dollars each quarter. i know when sam walton started wal-mart he did not want it to turn out to what it is today. not the part of being very successful but the part of screwing the employees

Wal-Mart is unstoppable

We can talk talk about how terrible Wal-Mart is all day long and it won't mean anything to their success. Justyna is right, the bottom line is they offer products for CHEAP, and people will buy them. Wal-Mart is evil, but it takes stress out of people's days and lives by offering stellar deals. With taxes being rediculous, and daily fees for everything increasing as the year goes by, who the hell wouldn't want low prices that Wal-Mart has to offer??? Wal-Mart is a one stop shop for EVERYTHING. You can buy anything at Wal-Mart and it's stuningly convenient for those lazy one-stop shoppers. I think Wal-Mart is evil, but nobody will stop their tremendous success.

WalMart

okay first of all I shop Walmart A LOT just because my mom makes me go get all her cleaning supplies for the house....who wouldn't it's cheap! Prices are going up everywhere for everything except our pay checks and Walmart is always staying low. Our lives are so busy now even if everyone agreed with this video that Walmart is bad for the economy, no one would care because if would take more time and be an inconvenience to shop at 4 different stores, spend more money to get what you need when you can make one stop at walmart and get everything you need for cheaper but the same quality. Another thing is their employees. Walmart has EVERYTHING. If you were an employee that is struggling to put food on the table getting paid minimum wage at Walmart and being persuaded to use medicaid and food stamps, would you really take the time and effort to learn where EVERYTHING is in the store let alone help customers find it? I know I wouldn't. I feel bad for all those workers but what can they do?

Wal-Mart

I think I'm in a agreement with everyone else about the Wal-Mart thing. I definitely never saw any of these problems within Wal-Mart from the outside. It's crazy to think how they shortchange their "associates" in so many different areas of their company. Everywhere from healthcare to shaving hours. The whole thing is crazy to me, but how can it be stopped?

Wal*Mart

Im going to have to agree with Kaitlyn on this one and say that Wal Mart truely is Satan's Love nest. I also went into to Walmart to find a dvd and i asked someone and they were absolutely clueless and not to mention nothing was even organized. I was trying to look for it myself but it was impossible so I just left. Also it would be helpful if the cashiers knew how to speak English because it is really hard to understand when there isn't a universal lauguage anymore. All in all, Wal Mart should be kicked off the planet because they ruin lives and are just in it for the money.

May I change?

I don't know who Dr. Adams is...=/

I think wal*mart is shitty! they are porlly organized, or at least the one in palatine is. I went in to get wrist bands for my grips for gymnastics and the ladies where clueless and seemed to not even know what wrist bands even are. I actually eneded up finding them without their help too. I went in this weekend to get new tires and hub caps for my car and they didn't even know what to do with it at all so i just left but i think they are starting to hire people who have no experiance in a) the language of English and or b) in what they are even selling or doing in general. It really is horrible there and i feel bad for the people have to stoop so low to even work there and it must really really SUCK! I bet Jewel is better to work at.

Dr. Adams Interview

I agree. I think that he walked off because he was upset and didn't have anything else to say about it. I think either way it was kind of rude to just walk out of the show like that. He shouldn't have even bothered to come on the show and waste Larry King's time if that was all he was going to say. There are other ways that it could have been handled. Personally, I don't think Dr. Adams meant to kill her and is innocent. He is put in a really tough spot right now though. If he is found guilty I think that the punishment would be pretty severe.

Here's my thinking...

If he had meant to kill her...he left the stage to be rude. But, if he truly cares about the family, then he walked off because he was upset and didn't want to reveal anything. I couldn't imagine being a doctor and having a patient die on you, I would feel like a murderer, even if it wasn't. If Dr. Adams is a good person, we shouldn't rip on him, because I'm sure that feeling is punishment itself.

athlete deaths

Since I don't really know much about Dr. Adams or what not, I'll talk about Sean Taylor because that's a tragic news. I think the reason why his death brought so much publicity is because people like him can make more difference. He's famous and well-known so people can learn from his tragedy. We can learn that we must always be cautious and be well-protected at all times. Also, I think it's really sad that Sean Taylor was at the wrong place at the wrong time. It's just a bad misfortune and so unfortunate.

Dr. Adams

Before Doctor Adams walked off the stage he made it very clear that the West family was extremely important to him. It seems to me that part of the reason he was so brief is becuase he believed the family did not want him to elaborate on the details of the situation. I'm not really sure if he is guilty or not, but I think he is put in a very difficult situation. I don't think he walked off the stage to be rude, I just think that he felt the situation was a private matter. He also probably left becuase he wouldn't have wanted to say something on public television that he would later regret or could be manipulated into him being a murderer or a bad doctor. I'm not sure what his punishment should be if he is charged guilty becuase I don't think that his intent was for her to die, but i could never know unless he told me.