Writers in this Category

Stephanie

Marco

Amanda

Tlnelson

Qchen

Odin

The Failure of American Politics: Youth Participation Rates and the Need for Change

The most important issue that America faces has nothing to do with a war on terror or a search for weapons of mass destruction. The most important issue that America faces right now revolves around Americans themselves and strikes much closer to home. It is an unintentional attack on United States soil that cannot be stopped by military might or a suspension of privacy rights. It is an issue of civic involvement and social awareness. In America especially, there is an epidemic of political apathy. People seem to not care about who runs their country and who sets their tax rates and who actually represents them on a more global stage. It is distinctly American phenomenon to complain about the political landscape when no changed has been attempted or affected. While political participation is not mandatory in this country and most likely never will be, the voting rates should be much higher. Everyone should vote, yet so few people do. What is even more disturbing is the fact that a large portion of today’s young people who will be running the country within thirty five years do not vote at all. Among the total American population, the rate of voting is astoundingly low, but among eighteen to twenty four year olds in the modern day and age, the rate is even lower. These young people have no concept of civic involvement and frankly, it is not their fault. It is the fault of the system itself and of their parents and mentors who distill that same sense of overall disgust and apathetic disregard for the American political system directly into the bloodstreams of their young because they themselves neglect to vote. This trend continues and worsens as time passes and unfortunately, it can only lead to an even greater lack of political participation. The young voters of America are being let down a system that does not encourage and foster political participation. This problem cannot be shaded as anything less than it is and it needs to be treated as the epidemic that it has become.

Full Text of Marco's Paper

A System of Regulation for Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Potential to save lives and potential to kill lives? The two statements in this question would seem to represent two different subjects, but ironically, they both characterize the research of embryonic stem cells. This research has become one of the most controversial issues in modern society. Although there are federal laws that seem to regulate the research in moderation, there are many loop-holes--that companies and scientists are determined to find. At a glance, people marvel at the advances that scientists claim embryonic stem cell research will allow, but never question the process of obtaining the cells or who is researching them. Those who do question the process find themselves against a world blind to the scientific reality of embryonic stem cell research and optimistic about the idea of a disease-free world. But where are these embryonic stem cells derived from, to whom are the cells available, and what are the potential risks of furthering embryonic stem cell research? A new system of regulation, both federal and state, should be implemented to moderate these exact questions.

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Eating Away

Eating disorders; eating away at our Western cultural images? Or are our own Western cultural images eating its way into self destruction? It is said, as well as understood, that Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa are the most common eating disorders developed in human beings. Anorexia Nervosa is a disorder characterized by a large weight loss, fear of weight gain, and faulty eating patterns. (Paul R. Robbins pg. 25) Statistics show that people with Anorexia are usually adolescents, and nine times out of ten, the victims to this disease are females. Bulimia Nervosa is characterized by compulsive overeating and is usually followed by self-induced vomiting as well as laxative or diuretic abuse. (Paul R. Robbins pg. 43) Binge-purge eaters consist mostly of women in their late teens or early twenties. People with Bulimia are said to eat in spurts similar to the way alcoholics drink alcohol. Now, curiosity comes into play; why is it that women are more susceptible to an eating disorder than men? Are eating disorders genetically induced, is there a chemical imbalance in the brain, or is it developed from environmental factors? Maybe the fact that abnormally thin supermodels are every young girls’ dream? Perhaps family background? Or even because of faulty advertisements for diet pills along with the claimed next best workout machine? What makes a young girls mind tick; what makes a girls mind yearn to be thin and do whatever it takes to get there? What makes a young girl with Anorexia still feel fat and remain obsessed with losing weight? Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa among young women makes it seem that eating disorders are becoming the new cancer; rapidly widespread and nevertheless deadly. But, unlike cancer, eating disorders can be prevented; so shouldn’t we try to prevent them? Eating disorders don’t just harm the human body, but they can sometimes lead to death. So shouldn't we put this problem to an end before we let eating disorders and our Western cultural image eat its way into self destruction?

Full Text of Tlnelson's Paper

Gay Rights

Over a span of a few hundred years, our country has progressed greatly. In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln and his congress abolished slavery with the passing of the13th amendment. During the 1950’s and 1960’s a civil rights movement took place, granting equal rights for all African Americans. Women are also considered “equal” in the eyes of Americans. In 1920 women received the right to vote with the help of Susan B Anthony and are now capable of accomplishing anything a man can. We even have a hate crime law which punishes anyone who victimizes a person do to their race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, or political affiliation. It is these beliefs of equality that make the United States the powerful country it is today. That is the reason why is it so perplexing to me why homosexuals, in America, are not given the same freedoms as heterosexual individuals.

Full Text of AmandaS's Paper

One Child Policy

One Child Policy China is a place with over population, does it means a bad thing of a place is being over populated? During mid-1970, the nation’s population exploded. The one child policy wasn’t adopted by China until 1979, since the introduction of the one-child policy in 1979, there has been no large drop in fertility. Later one child-policy has adopted and successful during mid-1970. But at same time there are more than 500,000 “missing” girl phenomenon is caused by infanticide. From the explanation is that Chinese couples systematically fail to report the birth of girls. So should we change the future to end one child policy?

Full Text of Qchen's Paper

The Fulfillment of Fermentation

Alcohol is one of man’s crowning achievements. It is also paradoxically our greatest weakness. Every country in world brews alcoholic beverages utilizing their natural resources to produce unique drinks. The Russians made Vodka from potatoes, the Caribbean produces rum from sugar cane, France make wine from their vineyards, Norwegians brew mead, Germans and Irish brew beer from every type of grain, even in the Mexican desert cactus is distilled into tequila. It seems to be an obsession, or is it a necessity? When looking at this obvious trend, I question whether alcohol fulfills a human need. Why else would alcohol be a multi-hundred billion dollar industry. The industry is driven by the consumers and the consumers don’t stop consuming.

Full Text of Odin's Paper