The Future

The Future

The technological future of our world is scary but necessary for the advancement of mankind.  Never the less when our future is the topic of discussion, controversy begins to take root.  There are some scientists who believe that robots and super humans are in our near future. There are those who support moving ahead with the cloning of human beings and stem cell research.  Some of these researchers believe we may even be ready to try for a better race. They claim that technology will soon rid the world of the many ailments that are afflicting societies worldwide.  One could hardly argue when there are so many people suffering from cancer and other serious diseases.  Critics of these advancements would argue that humans would be tampering with Nature. (Toffler, 1970)  We must ask ourselves two questions. What would be the ramifications if we did and what would they be if we didn’t?  To the mother whose child has cancer, can we ignore her and the child’s constant struggle?  Of course the answer depends on who is being asked?  I’m presently straddling the fence in regards to this topic.  My faith conflicts with most of these proposed advancements. I personally believe that we should leave creation to the Creator however another part of me wonders if had not been for the boldness of scientists many of today’s treatable diseases wouldn’t have cures.

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The Mind

The Mind

If one were to really think about the mind, more than a few questions would come to the surface.  What role does our mind play in our daily life?  What happens to the mind when we get older?  Can we trust our mind?  I believe it’s our mind that directs our rational thought process. We have had the concept of our mind since birth.  It gets us through the majority of life’s moments.   As an infant our mind helps us process new things such as baby food, potty training, and play dates.  When we get older our mind helps us process the first crush, peer pressure, even the possibilities of trying out for cheerleading or football.  Later in life some of our minds start to fade. We forget what we did for a living, what our kid’s names are and even our dates of birth.  As a nursing assistant I have seen firsthand how the mind can deteriorate as age sets in. This is why I trust my mind to a certain extent but if all else fails I know I can trust my brain and my heart.

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Hip-Hop

Hip- Hop

According to Jeff Chang, the younger members of today’s society have come to view hip-hop as a way to live.  Some people would argue that modern hip-hop has no substance.  They assert that it only encourages violence and the degradation of women.  On the other hand there are people who feel like hip-hop is still a way of expression.  I, like many others believe that there are still some creative artists out there that won’t sell themselves and their beliefs short to fit in with the industry image.  By this I mean expressing themselves even when society doesn’t care about or respect their message.  Their method of doing so isn’t derogatory.  The artist Lyfe Jennings had a hit song titled S.E.X.  Many people may have assumed that the song was vulgar judging by the name.  On the contrary it was about young girls refraining from having sex until they reached maturity. Eve, a female rapper had a hit song that focused on women and domestic violence.  Her song encouraged me to confront my own turbulent relationship.  I can agree with Chang that, hip-hop has become one of the more conventional styles of music.  It’s evident in the amount of people all around the world who see hip-hop as a movement; a way to introduce the voices of generations to come.

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Foucalt and Prisons

Foucault’s and Prison

According to Michel Foucault, the prison system is a failure.  He claims that prison produces delinquents as well as recidivists. There are many people who agree with him.  Yet there are more prisons now than ever before.  I believe the reason for this is because officials feel like there aren’t any other favorable forms of punishment available. I also think that society plays a key role in keeping prisons around.  Society may fear becoming victim to violence, if prisoners are released from their facilities.  In addition the crimes that criminals commit have become more violent which may be in response to the increase in weapons production.  The prison system is a vicious cycle.  Prisoners go to jail but when they get out communities are too afraid to hire them.  Yet employment is sometimes a requirement of release.   Also punishments such as probation and parole don’t necessarily work because the rules are so strict that the smallest mistake might land offenders back in jail.  Given my personal history with prison, I’m not sure if I can be totally objective.  Let me explain, my brother was sentenced to two life sentences eight years ago.  Yet there is no real sense that he’s incarcerated.  You see, my brother calls me every day all day from his own personal cell phone.  He describes the prison he’s at as a huge dorm room, complete with drugs, card games and women (the correctional officers).  In fact he claims the only difference from the inside (as he calls it) and out here is that we have access to fast food and they have access to junk food.  Incredulously my brother says that fast food is the single thing that they can’t get in prison.  For this reason I honestly question whether prisons can ever truly rehabilitate offenders.

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Environment

 Environmental Awareness

Sometimes it’s hard to see earth’s true beauty underneath all of the trash and debris covering its surface.  Landfills and pollution are the major contributors to this problem.  New stations around the world report the effects of global warming.  Many of us wonder what this means.   For me it’s a reminder that the resources we have won’t always be around.  Not only are our resources in jeopardy, but so are some of the beloved animals that we share this earth with.  Landing clearing and increased population are factors in the destruction of their habitat.  It is time for societies worldwide to pay attention to the damage we are causing.  Granted there have been major advances in environmental precautions.  The current trend has everyone is going green, there are electric cars, solar lighting and major recycling efforts.  There’s definitely a sense of urgency to save the environment, people are finally taking a stand and making an effort to change.   In my own home, I struggle with every day decisions on how to do my part in reserving earth’s beauty.  After grocery shopping I decline the plastic bags whenever possible.  I battle with the decision of buying paper plates and garbage bags; the guilt is overwhelming when I do give in to these seemingly small pleasures.  Yet I feel that the bigger picture reveals that even something as small as the household goods that I can’t always refuse will someday be detrimental to our environment.

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War Stories

War Stories

The Medals and Other Stories

After reading an excerpt from the book, The Medals and Other Stories, titled War my feelings remain the same as they always have.  War causes death and destruction.  Mothers and fathers lose their sons and daughters.  In the same war children lose their parents.  I have never been a strong supporter of any war and I’m definitely not in favor of drafts.  Be that as it may this short story did have some interesting points.  For instance, one of the characters in the story had lost his son in the war.  In an effort to reason with the other parents whose children were entering into the war he states “If a Country is a natural necessity like bread of which each of us of must eat in order not to die of hunger, somebody must go to defend it.” (Luigi, 1939).  His theory is very compelling.  No one wants to lose their family member to violence, but in war that’s a sad reality and a price that sometimes must be paid. Thankfully our country is stable enough so we’re not at a point where we have to consider drafting our citizens. Anyone who is forced to participate in something he/she does not want to do or does not believe in cannot possibly be beneficial the defense of our country.  My feelings on war remain the same, war is horrific, people die and countries are destroyed.  Yet in some cases there must be war to have peace.  For the most part our soldiers are fighting for that peace and for that we must salute them.

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Love and Hate

Love and Hate

There’s a song called a “There’s a Thin Line Between Love and Hate.”  There is no truer statement in regards to the emotion we all know as love.  Watching the news one evening I saw my seventeen year old cousin’s face pop up on the screen. He and his mother had been murdered by his stepdad.  His mom was in the process of moving her things out of the family residence.  She was leaving her husband, so her oldest son (my cousin) went with her to help gather their things. That turned out to be a fatal mistake.  Rather than see her walk out of his life, her husband shot them both.  That had to be one of the hardest things I ever had to endure, and it left me very confused?   Did he love hers so much that he would rather see her dead than with someone else or what?  As a survivor of domestic violence I’m glad I now realize that love doesn’t hurt at least not to that extent.   To be sure, it’s not all peaches and cream either.  Love will have its up and downs just like everything else in life but there is definitely a thin line between love and hate.

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