User:Gphelan

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Contents 1 ME FOR ME 2 An Ally Indeed 3 What you don't tell the Enemy 4 I Believe: It Doesn't Matter 5 The BIG Paper 6 Art Objects 7 Reflection 1 8 Reflection 2 9 Reflection 3 10 Phelan's Way 11 Final Reflection

[edit] ME FOR ME

Well I think my author would have found me to be a pretty average white boy at first glance but she would’nt come close to what I consider myself at least not without talking to me. Sure I’m a caucasion male from middle class suburbia who attended a normal high school and has a regular family. But I’m much more and saying that I’m only the “norm” would be a terrific understatement. I know that the young lady who interviewed me would have found out that I’m a bit of a party animal and really outgoing, that I’m passionate about Art, and possibly that I can’t spell to save my life and how I’m fine with it. My interviewer would if anything be overwhelmed by what I’d have to say because of how well I know myself and in fact I believe what makes me, me the most is that self awareness my confidence is what defines me. Gphelan 16:17, 20 September 2007 (EDT) I recommend my author uses contexts ( the first one)

[edit] An Ally Indeed

Before I even started reading TJ's introduction he warned me that it would sound like he was a brown nose and he was right it made our professor sound really nice. However I was sure he wasn't trying to suck up after the first few lines because the very thing that I find hardest in this class is what we should all thank Steph for and that is her intense desire to expand our minds. What TJ wrote most about was this work ethic and enthusiasm that Steph brings to the classroom day in and day out and it painted a good picture of who I thought Steph was. Overall I was pleased with TJ's analysis of Steph the paper was straight forward and just long enough to keep me entertained to the end. By the way go to that Istanbul thing and take me with you!

Gphelan 16:42, 25 September 2007 (EDT)

[edit] What you don't tell the Enemy

CLASS:User_talk:Gphelan#feedback:_piecemealing_an_introduction

[edit] I Believe: It Doesn't Matter

Tell you the truth I am always worried about shit happening. My life is one big cycle of worrying about shit happening. However I believe that no matter what kind of shit happens to me, as long as I have breathe in my lungs I will be fine, which if you know me can be a pretty big deal. Now I do not want to make it sound like I live a terrible life and have no fun, instead its quite the opposite I love life and all its wild ups and downs however I have inherited from one of my birth parents a disease called spontaneous phneumo-thorax, which in the real world means I have faulty lungs. Faulty in the sense that they tend to collapse at “spontaneous” times. Life is pretty normal though otherwise but because I have to cut my daily life short from time to time it makes things like GenEd courses and things that I find unnecessary easier to deal with, mainly because shit could be worse. It also makes the drive for my aspirations stronger for example my desire or even obsession with art making it, reading about it, teaching it, everything. I love art in fact I believe that my soul purpose on this planet has everything to do with art. Sometimes I hate having to worry about shit that has to happen outside of my art classes because it means I have to focus less on what I really want to be doing. That is when school shit that happens actually starts to happen. I fall behind because all I want to do is paint or draw or look at other people’s art and before long its December and I am totally unprepared for my other classes, but despite how I fall victim to the relentless pressure at the end of each term it does not matter because I am still breathing. Today it seems like everything is out of my control. That I am not able to do exactly what I want and it is something that does matter to me. People are so eager to fight their way to the top, to put their lives on hold just to find themselves with enough money to retire and live out their days in a home for the elderly while they watch their children repeat the same cycle. I do not want this for myself. I personally believe that life is to short to waste in such a way, we ought to enjoy this time while we have it. I want to travel the world and make my art I never want to work a job I hate I will never be miserable at someone my own expense in fact I will forever attempt to float under the radar of our modern day life style in an attempt to find happiness. Because as long as I have a breathe in these lungs no matter what happens, it does not matter.

[edit] The BIG Paper

Justice is up in smoke. I have not always been pro-choice on the topic of Marijuana legalization there was in fact a time when I was confident that “pot” was one of life’s many evils. Like most people when I was young I believed everything I was told, but much like how Santa and the Tooth Fairy fell short of the truth so has enough of the information I have been told to turn me away from smoking. For as long as Marijuana has been called a dangerous substance fact and fiction have been mixed together by those who opposed its recreational usage and did their best to demonize the herb. Over the years anti-marijuana propaganda has fed off the feeble knowledge of the drug with such films as the 1936 black and white “Reefer Madness”, a classic anti-marijuana propaganda film that depicts high school kids being “turned-on” by adult pushers. Where teens turn into giggling fiends after one puff, a puff that propels them down a road of vice and death. Films such as these seen as jokes today, were taken seriously by parents and adults at the time they were screened, and have managed to skew the truth of marijuana’s dangers and effects. But it is not the lies that I aim to disprove but instead the whole system that I as an American citizen believe it is proper to call into question. It seems ridiculous to me that on so many other legislature laws have been lifted and changed but when it comes to the United States drug policy, the law has been set in stone. I believe that this is dangerous for a democracy, for us all to bow down before our laws and not to rise up against them to push their boundaries. Before hearing from both sides of the argument a history lesson on Marijuana.

Marijuana or Cannabis Sativa “also known as Indian hemp, is a member of the Cannabaceae or hemp family, thought to have originated in the mountainous districts of India, north of the Himalayan mountains…Marijuana is a somewhat weedy plant and may grow as high as 18 feet…”. (Guither, par.3-6) The history of the Cannabis plant is long as it has been used for many different purposes that stretch back to “7000-8000 B.C. where the first woven fabric is believed to be composed of. In Jamestown, Virginia North America’s first successful European settlement a law requiring the growth of Cannabis for its Hemp was passed, and in the seventeen hundreds the United States first President George Washington himself grew the plant as his primary crop at Mount Vernon.” (Guither,par. 7-10) The Plant was useful until powerful people in religion and agriculture altered the public perception. “Some people believe that racial tension toward Mexican Americans were the reason Marijuana was outlawed and race most likely played a major role in the intentions of anti marijuana laws, but the first State to illegalize Cannabis was Utah. Utah is important because it was and remains today to be a predominantly religious State, Mormons who traveled to Mexico in nineteen ten returned to Utah with Marijuana in its drug form which angered the church who then ruled against the drug which in turn led to the first Marijuana prohibition in nineteen fifteen. Other Western States such as Wyoming, Texas, Iowa, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Nevada caught on within the following seven years. The laws passed by these later states targeted the Mexican American population more so than the one passed in Utah. These new laws created a way to decrease the Mexican labor population that provided large farms a great advantage over smaller ones. Marijuana’s reputation only got worse from that point on as fear of minority uprising and violent behavior were added to the plants growing side affects as a newspaper editorialized in 1934," Marijuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men’s shadows, and look twice as white women.” It was also said that, “Mexicans, Blacks, and other foreigners were snaring white children with marijuana. And the historic tale of the Hashashin warriors who consumed vast quantities of the drug before killing their enemies only criminalized the drug even more.” (Guithe, par. 11-22) With Americans now induced to fearing a drug epidemic the government needed a plan and turned to The National Conference of Commissioners on State Laws to get the ball rolling on illegalizing Marijuana with their Uniform State Narcotic Act established in nineteen thirty two. The act recommended all share the same regulations and safeguards towards drug trafficking. By nineteen thirty all member states had some regulation of Cannabis. The Uniform State Act that had recently been passed the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, which was headed by Harry J. Anslinger, would deliver a devastating blow to marijuana’s legality. Anslinger would use marijuana and its evils as his podium. The Marihuana Tax Act of nineteen thirty seven followed, illegalizing the possession and transferring of the plant resulting steep fines to those who disobeyed. By nineteen fifty two mandatory sentencing was enforced in attempt to further swart Marijuana in the United States, “The acts made first time marijuana possession offense a minimum of two to ten years with a fine up to twenty thousand; however, in nineteen seventy, the United States Congress repealed mandatory penalties for marijuana offenses. With a more lenient law drugs became more available once again and due to growing concern Congress accepted Richard Nixon’s “ Reorganization Plan Number Two” “ proposed the creation of a single federal agency to enforce federal drug laws.” Ladies and Gentlemen I give you in perfect harmony the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs and the Office of Drug Abuse Law Enforcement of which we are given the Drug Enforcement Administration or DEA. With Ronald Reagan in the White House mandatory sentencing and strict punishments were reinstated with a “three-strike law, which created mandatory life sentences for repeat drug offenders and allowed the death penalty to be used against “drug Kingpins””. From nineteen seventy to present day the issue is over decriminalization and where we’ll start the main issue are we free? And if so are we living up to our potential as a democratic super power?

Today there are two major anti-marijuana campaigns. There is United States Government influence also known as the DEA, and there is civilian activist government funded organizations such as MADD, DAMMADD, Above The Influence and other prototypes of Nancy Reagan’s Just Say No campaign, that call upon parents and adults to inform the youth of drugs and their dangers. Both groups share very similar facts and rely on one another for support. Also being that in a Democracy the majority rules the people against marijuana and the Government are as one in this argument. The voice of anti-marijuana for the United States Government is the DEA or Drug Enforcement Administration their reason for apposing the drug are based on health issues such as violence, mental illness, and physical illnesses brought on by the consumption or inhalation of the Cannabis plant for recreational purposes. According to their studies “marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States.”(The DEA, par.1) The best example of the Administration’s take on Marijuana legalization is simply put as, “ Legalization of marijuana, no matter how it begins, will come at the expense of our children and public safety. It will create dependency and treatment issues, and open the door to use of other drugs, impaired health, delinquent behavior, and drugged drivers.” ((The DEA, ) The Administration also builds their argument off of drug dependency and a long standing argument that Marijuana is a “gateway drug” stating that adolescents are, “three times more likely than adults to develop dependency…four times more likely to use cocaine or crack cocaine and five times more likely to use hallucinogens such as LSD.” The DEA also warns of health issues such as cancer and other respiratory related illnesses along with a number of mental related illnesses such as short-term memory loss and a more terrorizing side effect schizophrenia or in other words insanity. Horror stories from impaired driving to increased fighting and violence are included to drive home the point, Marijuana is a dangerous elicit drug. Perhaps the most compelling anti- legalization platform would be the rejection of Marijuana when smoked as a legitimate source of medicine. In short the Administration claims that smoked marijuana has not been proved to be helpful under any medical situations, that the Food and Drug Administration along with the American Cancer Society do not condone smoking marijuana and in fact deem it dangerous to do so. As an alternative to the not so interactive based message put across by the DEA, a group promoted by the government, The Anti-Drug Campaign serves as the government’s voice out to the public falling under the civilian activist category. This campaign targets parents using web sites such as Anti-Drug or Above the Influence to encourage children to make healthy decisions until the community is then enthralled by the beliefs of our government that would in theory eradicate drugs and violence. Along with catchy advertisement and ways for parents to communicate with their children the Anti-Drug Campaign provide the same information that the DEA is supplied with, such as smoking (can) lead to significant health, learning, and mental problems…risky decisions during sex… driving…and dares.” “Or one marijuana joint can deliver four times as much cancer causing tar as cigarettes.”(Marijuana, Above the Influence, par.1-3) But what seems to me more interesting on this subject is that with all this worry about cancer and inebriation and poor decision-making effects of THC why are drugs like Alcohol and the horrible chemicals found in tobacco products legal? And wasn’t it Alcohol that was illegal once in this country? In fact between the years of nineteen twenty and nineteen thirty-three alcohol distribution and transportation was illegal, perhaps freedom use marijuana will be fought similarly.

On a College campus and on the Internet there certainly is no lack of pro- marijuana activists. From reasons stretching from new fuels to replace oil, to medicinal purposes, and recreational pastime there are people in the United States of America that would like to see marijuana decriminalized or legalized. A most convincing article supporting pro-marijuana activity fell under the title of, “23 reasons to smoke pot”. The article was numbered one to twenty three and although some where just opinions others served a purpose leading the viewer to other more credible sites such as Webmd.com. The first reason was dedicated to a long-standing myth that I could not disprove, “Nobody has ever died from smoking pot.”( Jonny X,par. 1-20) The second was somewhat surprising due findings by the DEA it stated that depression and marijuana are not related and was backed by an online study, a more credible but equally astounding contrary to beliefs of the government was reason number three, “Marijuana does not cause cancer”. The article on Webmd, an accredited health source, found after an extensive study that even “heavy smokers meaning up to twenty two thousand marijuana cigarettes have not been infected with lung cancer despite chemicals believed to be cancerous. Experts say after cell research and animal testing that THC the active chemical in marijuana may have ant tumor properties.”(Sallyn Boyle) Also being disproved is that marijuana affects the brain more importantly memory and comprehension, according to some the effects of marijuana on the brain is little and “less than what is typically found from using alcohol or other drugs.”(Sid Kirchheimer,Webmd) Still another research article aims to disprove marijuana as the gateway drug, according to this article “those who go on to use harder drugs such as heroin or cocaine would have done so anyways it just so happens that marijuana was the first drug readily available.”(Sid Kirchhiemer, Webmd) The most intelligent argument within the article read; “Approximately 70 million Americans have tried marijuana, and nearly nine out of ten never go on to use cocaine or other drugs, according to federal statistics. So aside from smoking marijuana to get that euphoric state marijuana may have other purposes in store for humanity from rope to paper even a fuel with the ability to compete with oil. Famous American Journalist Hugh Downs on the subject of Cannabis had this to say, “ America has an opportunity to, once and for all, say goodbye to the Exxon Valdez, Saddam Hussein, and a prohibitively expensive brinkmanship in the desert sands of Saudi Arabia.”(Peter McWilliams, par. 1) American writer and sixties Icon Timothy Leary had this to say on the matter,” They’ve outlawed the number one vegetable on the planet…When Rudolph Diesel produced his famous engine in 1896, he assumed that the diesel engine would be powered by a variety of fuels, especially vegetable and seed oils. Rudolph Diesel, like most engineers then, believed vegetable fuels were superior to petroleum. Hemp is the most efficient vegetable.”( Peter McWilliams, par,3). Many believe that marijuana is medicine. Although the FDA does not accept medicinal marijuana, patients seek Marijuana and do so for a reason. CNN posted an article titled “Is marijuana really medicine? Scientists search for answer”, in which they state, “To believers, marijuana's benefits are already beyond discussion: Pot eases pain, settles the stomach, builds weight and steadies spastic muscles. And that's hardly the beginning. They speak of relief from PMS, glaucoma, itching, insomnia, arthritis, depression, childbirth, attention deficit disorder and ringing in the ears. Marijuana is a powerful and needed medicine, they say, tragically withheld by misplaced phobia about drug addiction. However, the drive to legalize medical marijuana is based almost entirely on the testimonials of sick people who swear it makes them feel better. Those stories are not the kind of dispassionate experimentation that drives medical thinking.”(CNN, par. l). Whether or not you believe that Marijuana is in fact medicine or not is not the issue at hand. Personally I do not care about its medicinal value I believe that if a person feels better by using the drug then a person should choose whether or not they want it.

I believe whether a person is using marijuana to just get “high”, to relax, to create a new fuel, to make rope, to paint on, to eat, to worship, to enhance sex, to sleep, to socially interact, or using the drug in order to help oneself medically each American citizen has the right to be free and to express themselves. If sugar pills have done remarkable things and legal drugs like alcohol and cigarettes, which are proven to be deadlier than Marijuana, are in fact legal then I do not agree with the Illegalization of marijuana. It is time to not only decriminalize or re-legalize the impressive plant but also to stand up for ourselves just like we did to overcome the prohibition of alcohol. People deserve to choose for themselves what is and is not healthy, If the American people can smoke tobacco until they ruin their lungs or drink as much alcohol as it takes to destroy their liver why are you not allowed to take your chances with marijuana? Why when no account of a person ever over-dosing on THC or directly dying from the effects of the drug is Marijuana classified in the same group as Heroin or Cocaine? And why after the tons of lives needlessly ruined and money spent on arrests is the possession of marijuana still warranting harsh criminal penalties? It is time for Americans to start questioning the laws again much like how they did in the Twenties and Thirties in accordance to the Prohibition of Alcohol. We should not fear our government.

Works Cited

[edit] Art Objects

Art Is My Language

[edit] Reflection 1

It's All About Me: LAZY Steph particularly liked this sentence.

[edit] Reflection 2

I See No Changes I guess Steph would like this this sentence too!

[edit] Reflection 3

I can be dark and sarcastic even free with my writing as long as it pertains to the guidlines, this sentence is becoming redundant.

[edit] Phelan's Way

Pat is the kind of young man who can easily be misread. He tends to wander into class appearing lost and disorganized, and actually announces his incompetence. Probably this style works well most of the time; people read him as harmless and in need of some guidance. Hence, the amount of effort he needs to expend is kept minimal. Not a bad way to get through life! Once he decides to take on a task, however, his keen perception of context becomes evident. Take, for instance, the assignment to reflect on his own writing, which he titled, "[you don't tell the Enemy]." Of course I, as teacher, will use his insight against him! That's my job. Recognizing the roles and status each of us has in relation to the other is one of Pat's skills.

In writing his [of a classmate], Pat shows how his (mis)perceptions and stereotypes play out in the interview. The candour with which he admits the influence of being "a caucasion male from middle class suburbia who attended a normal high school and has a regular family," demonstrates both self-acceptance and an ease with recognizing that these features of experience do have influence on identity and relationships. In the end, Pat turns out to be the kind of student many teacher's hope for: someone not too taken with the system and therefore willing to experiment with and apply their own intellectual curiosity. Steph^(talk) 11:08, 10 December 2007 (EST)

[edit] Final Reflection

I did not expect to learn anything in College Writing; I even attempted to not lean anything

this sentence is beoming ever blissful in its redundancy