AOW # 4 - Do We Have the Courage to Stop This?

Gun MASSACRE

In Friday December 14, 2012, about 20 children and 6 adults were shot dead in a Connecticut elementary school. They were shot by a man with guns. In the United States it is very easy to purchase a gun in any gun or weapon store. Also, there are many gun dealers throughout the country. After reading the article “Do we have the Courage to stop this?” the author Nicholas D. Kristof argues that why can’t the United States regulate gun laws like the country regulates other things like cars and anything school related. For example, car regulations are very high in the United States. To be able to drive a car you need a valid license, required seat belts, air bags, safe child seats, and crash safety standards. Another example is the regulations at any school. School children are protected by building codes that govern the stairways and windows. All School buses must meet the safety standards. All bus drivers need to pass bus driving tests. All cafeteria food is regulated for safety. The author says that the only thing they seem to not pay attention to are the things that are most likely to kill like all types of weapons. Another example is the regulations of ladders. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration have five pages of regulations about ladders and they lack the regulations on guns. Statistics show that around 300 Americans a year die because of ladder accidents, but guns kill about 30,000 Americans a year. They should have better regulations to the most deadly objects. It is said that guns take a life every 20 minutes. The author says that if the gun regulations don’t get better or that people don’t treat guns and all types of firearms in a serious way, some of you and some of your children will die because of the lack of regulations. After reading the article and its examples, I think that gun laws and regulations should be revamped and strengthened in the United States to make gun ownership less accessible because the United States doesn't need any more shooting massacres then it has already had.
Word Count: 358

Related Article:

• Connecticut school massacre renews gun-control debate
• Children and adults gunned down in Connecticut school massacre

Related Video:

• Connecticut school shooting
• Gunman's mother owned weapons used in Connecticut school massacre

AOW # 3 - Animals For Entertainment

Why Would Anyone Torture Elephants?

Elephants are large and delicate mammals and they usually live in the dessert and mountains. They love traveling in different parts of the world with their families and search for food and water. Usually animals are free they could do anything they want, but some people think animals would be more better if people could take care of them and put them in much better area and place, But is that always true? Sometimes people are the ones that hurt them by using them for entertainment and fun. But what makes it more violent it people treat animals like a prison by also putting them in Circus and carnivals. They use them for entertaining and amusing people usually for the kids.  However, Elephants and other animals should be treated fairly like people; they have their own lives too. They should never been feel abuse by anyone. People should start thinking about the feeling of animals, they maybe animals but they have feeling too and people should consider that. So do you still think elephants need people to take care of them? Or can they take care of themselves?

Not just the elephants are in these kinds of situation. Horses are being use too by racing and it is consider entertainment and people have bet in which horses they want. They don’t care if they will be hurt or something they just care about if they’re going to win and their own happiness. It makes me sad whenever I think about it, because not all the people are thinking very well sometimes they think about their selfishness. Animals have the rights to live their life free and they can protect themselves without people guiding them. Animals weren’t there to entertain us. Sometimes they were the one that’s helping us, for example the dog. The Dogs live with us and take care of us sometimes. All the animals should feel that they were being take care and love.

Word Count: 326

Related Articles:

• Baby elephant tortured into submission before illegal smuggling from Burma to Thailand
• Elephants

Related Video:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cdt-RBbmiyE
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-20464605

AOW #2- Miles of Aisles of Sexism (Hofmann)

Sexism Toys

Do you ever notice how your child always picks toys by the gender? Do you ever notice how in commercial the toys are meant for a certain gender? For example, toy guns are for males/boys and dolls are for females/girls. These toys tell the children their place and what to play with. For example popular toys such as “My Sweet Home” doll set, “Baby Born” doll, “My Little Helper Stove," "2-in-1 Vacuum Set," and the popular "Elegant Tea Set," young girls learn that their roles take place at home. They learn that their duties are household chores and nurturing children. However, what the stores don’t tell these young girls is that they can be or do anything they want like go into the work world, or travel the world. The descriptions on many of the packages tell the child the importance of their "roles."

Young girls toys show that they must stay home and play quietly with themselves. On the other hand, boys learn that they can’t play with Barbie dolls or any type of dolls, they can’t dissent upon the society or they will be corrected by their parents or whoever is with them. Young boys tend to choose more masculine and gender-neutral toys. Most masculine toys encourage competitive and aggressive behavior, but are also more constructive. Some of these toys reflect negativity because they send a message that violence can solve problems. They learn that they must be strong and warrior like in order to be accepted a man. Some companies divide toys into a blue section for boys and a pink section for girls. But there are other companies  that don’t have sexism occurring through children toys such as "Sesame Street," and "Fisher Price," they manufacture gender-neutral toys to children who are younger than four years of age. I have to agree that that an uneven message has been sent about young children in our society. I think parents should encourage cross gender and gender-neutral play in children at an early age to prevent the separation from girls playing with boy toys and boys playing with girl toys.

Word Count: 351

Relate article:

• Not So Pretty in Pink: Are Girls' Toys Too Girly?
• When kids play across gender lines

Related Video:

• Girl's rant targets gender roles, toys
• Gender-Specific Toys?

AoW 1 - High School Dropout Crisis

School Dropouts Disaster

Background on the Issue:

There are about 3.8 millions of students who would start high school. About one-third of that, which is about 1.3 million of high school students will drops out each year, that's about 7,000 students per day. There are many reasons why students would drop out of their school. Some reasons would be how they would be struggle in their class and eventually give up trying to understand, students would be, miss a lot of school days, teen pregnancy, gang related, getting involve with violence things, or fail many of their requirement subjects. The students that are more likely not going to walk with all their classmates are usually the African-American, Hispanic and/or American Indian teenagers. Asian/Pacific Islander and White are highly have the lowest percentage of students dropping out.
The dropout crisis is dreadful to our society. Furthermore students who dropout are more likely to become involved with crime. Economically, dropouts cost taxpayers billions in public assistances, which could go to education. However many dropouts do eventually earn a diploma or a GED but the benefit of a GED is limited. Dropouts today have minimal skills to function in today’s complex society and will suffer greatly from it. Also a high school diploma is a minimum requirement for most jobs. The result will most likely be students living in poverty.

Students who drop out are more likely would end up being addicted to drugs and alcohol, work in a fast food, can never stay with their job, or end up in behind bars. Many students who drop out always end up having a difficult time trying to find or stay in a job. For most school drop outs, they need a job, especially to the females who got a family to take care of.
Count Word: 302

Related Links:

• School Graduation Rates
• US High School Graduations

Related Video:

• Graduation Rates 2011