Stand Together Forever

Terrorism and tragedies seem to have a recurring presence in the news now-a-days, dominating all recent news headlines, but it's hazardous effect holds a root to global unity. This issue was addressed in "Unity in the Midst of Crisis" by The U.S. Scoop. The author makes significant points about the varying loyalty and support of other countries depending on their current circumstances and brings up an extremely thought provoking question: Why is the universal support temporary?

In this article, the author explicitly states several instances of disaster: the bombing in Paris, terrorist attacks in Belgium and shootings in Orlando, Florida; where these horrific events brought forth the humanity of people around the world and willingness to unite and send prayers to the areas suffering. One thing I found particularly interesting about this article was her sympathetic tone when expressing her own feelings and experience hearing the stories and I think that is what makes this article so effective. She uses factual statistics to illustrate the events, then gains credibility in building a support group for global unity and encouraging effort towards it by relating the necessity for change to humane characteristics like peace, security, and strength in numbers.

The only thing that I think would have aided her argument would have been ideas as to how the countries could unite outside of tragedies, like times of success. The Olympics would have been a great illustration of unity among countries competing and congratulating each other. Overall, I loved the pictures in this article and thought the argument was well written and motivating. The national government should definitely place more significance on the issue.

S.A.T's are B.A.D.

While trying to figure out what to write about for this assignment, a news story popped up on my television about a woman complaining about her son being held back a grade level due to the fact he couldn’t pass his standardized testing. This issue provokes many thoughts like why do we have standardized tests when no person falls under a standard categorization of intelligence? More importantly, why does national government require it when you’ve proven your knowledge passing the class all year? Standardized tests qualify your intelligence on a subject based on one exam and impede individualistic understanding, the national government would do right to get rid of them.

Students spend approximately nine months of the year sitting in a classroom learning about the subjects they are required to take. That’s not to say those subjects are irrelevant; they all benefit your knowledge and experiences in the world to some degree, but STARR tests, ACTs, and SATs are all ways to account for what information you obtained throughout school. For example, in an article entitled, “SAT vs. GPA”, Colleges goes on and on about the importance of SAT scores saying that standardized tests help compare your knowledge to students around the world. The problem is students themselves are all individuals with strengths and weaknesses that seem to be disregarded in these tests. Some students crack under pressure and thus are inaccurately analyzed when doing standardized testing. Furthermore, school districts send out criteria that students enrolled in classes should master by the end of the session, so if the student’s grades in those classes demonstrate understanding and various teachers’ or different teaching strategies can contest to it, what more can the tests prove? A well-rounded learning experience is sufficient information about the knowledge and credibility of the student which should be promoted by the government.

People will argue things like favoritism among students and teachers or insufficiently educated teachers grading, but in truth every person has at least one teacher they but heads with. If you can still pass their class when it is evident favoritism isn’t the reason you made the grade. Additionally, standardized tests promote conformity, a value Americans undermine in the presence of freedom. These tests often exemplify mastery of only so many units of study, otherwise the tests would take years, the years you spent in school learning the material. Standardized tests also inhibit those with learning disabilities from doing the best they can which promotes incompetence and encourages judgement. The list of negatives goes on and on.

Overall, standardized tests are means of categorizing intelligence of students, a unnecessary in analyzing information obtained and devalue all non-standard forms of understanding. The national government needs to take them away.

Classmate Critique

          Going through the different blogs of my fellow classmates, among the various blogs on who should be the next president, I was glad to find someone who decided to take the opportunity to speak out about climate change like me. This is issue is one I am particularly passionate about and when reading The Texas Politics: Fighting Global Climate Change I was captivated with the respectable nature of the argument; stating the necessity for more government involvement to promote change that will have a long-lasting positive effect on the environment versus the downfall climate is experiencing due to humanity global warming. Additionally, The Texas Politics primarily uses dignified facts to establish credibility in his stance, and illustrations like graphs and photos to enhance visual appeal. 

          All the evidence of steps national government has taken in protecting the environment demonstrated significant insight on the topic and the writing has a powerful tone; engaging those who don't see the issue as the most pressing. I only wished the section speaking about necessity for education and what monumental changes need to occur had been more in depth. That being said I thoroughly enjoyed this article and definitely will use some of the methods I found effective in this blog post in my own blog. 

Climate Change Takes Precedence

          In today's news you will often find sources exploding with headlines like; Which Political Candidate Should Be Our Next President? or What Scandals Have Erupted Among Politicians?, while other matters of significance that ought to be a priority among the national government takes the back seat. The main matter I'm referring to is Climate Change. Climate change directly affects the world we live in for the rest of our lives, pertaining to all the non renewal resources we survive on and preservation of the environment to avoid extinction. Climate change should take precedence in the national government because it affects everyone and all people can work together to make a difference before it too late to undo.
           As the U.S. and the world continues to industrialize and populate, resources are beginning to run low as people consume them and distribute waste back into the environment. For example, NASA uses extensive data to illustrate the extreme increase of pollutants like carbon dioxide and the effects it's having on heat of the atmosphere in an attempt to monitor climate change. With increasing levels of Carbon Dioxide,  the Earth continues to generate a thicker atmosphere that preserves heat, also known as Global Warming. Statistical data like those provided by scientific sources should come from our national government; if the government used power of media to exploit issues involving the physical surroundings of our world, people would be more likely to work together and work more proficiently to fix them. With climate change comes sea levels dropping, organisms dying, usable air reduction, over-industrialization, and lack of resources overall.
          Another significant effect on the national government promoting and fixing climate change is that wildlife, systems of niches within ecosystems, as well as diversity of life is maintained. For example, the National Wildlife Federation analyzes the impact climate change has on animals; showcasing the birthrate levels and evolution and extinction of species. Animals hold a profound place in our lives, and if, like predicted, precautions keep being neglected people will no longer see Arctic animals which will fluctuate the populations of other species and create resource strain; the same goes for plants.
          In conclusion, climate change is relevant to everyone, and that's not to say presidency is not important but there is only so much that can change in four years with someone in office, whereas four years of conservation of energy, lower pollution, preserving wildlife, restoring water sources and recycling can all greatly increase our supply in the United States and create a better future where everyone can have a sense of unity in that we all live on this world and we all need to take action to make a difference.

Gun Control Editorial Critique

          In a recent editorial, "Concealed carry, California and the 9th Circuit's misrepresentation of the facts" John R. Lott analyzes the efforts Democrats are pursuing to counteract Supreme Court ruling in favor of concealed carry, justifying the actions as threats to safety; as the right to carry guns is beneficial to all groups of people.
          Lott stands in favor of concealed carry, and finds ban rulings in California unjustifiable; revealing that the only people requesting gun permits are police officials who are required to possess weapons to limit crime. For example, Lott provides logistics from a survey among officers to convey the necessity, "Ninety one percent of respondents expressed support for relatively liberal concealed handgun laws." By providing this evidence, Lott establishes credibility in his position as he uses highly respected authority figures input to back his claim, and since humans trust police officers to keep us safe, support from them sways the opinion of those disagreeing towards Lott. Additionally, by showcasing the limited amount requesting gun permits, approximately 0.0005 percent of the adult population, Lott establishes gun bans as not the most pressing issue in California considering the limited amount of people the bans would apply to.
          Another way Lott emphasizes necessity for concealed guns is by listing off the pros of carrying guns. For example, as a result of carrying guns, "Some criminals have stopped committing crimes. Some have moved to commit crime where permitted concealed handguns weren't yet allowed. Some criminals switched out of crimes like robberies where there was direct contact between victims and criminals and into crimes like larceny where victims aren't directly threatened." By indicating these benefits, readers see instances of bettering society through change which in turn associates gun concealment with important American values like safety, liberty and unity among equals; which individuals will be less likely to question as they are the basis of moral belief in the U.S.
          Based on Lott's rhetorical strategies and evidence, it is evident the intended audience is the Democrats arguing against gun concealment because all of his points counteract the claims asserted as reasons to ban guns. Lott's intelligence and point of view is one I am in agreeance with simply because I believe guns provide a sense of security and independence values that initiated the formation of the United States from the beginning.

Healthcare Provisions Up-and-Coming

Upon opening the Austin American Statesman I came across this article "AP FACT CHECK:Trumped-up charge on 'Obamacare' premiums."
http://www.statesman.com/ap/ap/business/ap-fact-check-trumped-up-charge-on-obamacare-premi/nrY9x/
This article analyzes the drastic premium increases said to be put into place in the fall.

This year 12.7 million signed up for Obamacare, and the Affordable Care Act doesn't have the financial means to account for them, therefore numerous requests are being sent in for bigger premium increases; their is a plan in progress now promoting raising rates by 60%. Because of these expenses, Trump is expected to gain significant backing, as the released dates for all the increases come out prior to the upcoming election and his plans are to get rid of Obamacare. I recommend reading this article because it provides important information about economic statistics as well as calls attention to provisions in healthcare that are relevant to a lot of people; affecting everyone's income status one way or another. It also provokes thought about what plans of action will fix these problems in the upcoming election.

Hello friends!