1. I am trying to learn about marijuana’s negative side effects
2. I am trying to learn about marijuana’s negative side effects because I want to find out whether or not it is dangerous
3. I am doing this in order to consolidate a plethora of existing research in a single paper about marijuana’s negative side effects without talking about legalization or regulation.
Who hasn’t heard about the Penn State scandal? I feel I little confused about how to feel about this. It is my first year at Penn State and a scandal of this magnitude had to erupt. How it will affect my future employment opportunities is still unclear. The scandal boils down to sexual misconduct by Sandusky, a Penn State coach. He supposedly sexually abused young boys from a youth charity. Although Sandusky is the main perpetrator in the scandal, he is hardly the center of attention. Most of the media is focusing on the legendary Penn State football coach, Joe Paterno.
Joe Paterno has been given a bad reputation in the media. Many people claim that Paterno is culpable. Others believe that he is innocent. Both sides have legitimate perspectives. Legally, Paterno did what was required by rules and regulations. Some believe that he should have gone beyond the rules and regulations to follow up. Either way, Joe Paterno was not the child molester, but the media sees his role in the scandal as more important than Sandusky’s.
One inconsistency is that until today, McQueary was going to be the coach on Saturday’s game. The irony in that is that McQueary saw the sexual abuse first hand. What brought it upon the trustees to fire Joe Paterno, a legend, and keep McQueary? I feel that this is a grave inconsistency that shows an inappropriate reaction. As of now, McQueary is not going to coach Saturday’s game due to death threats that he received.
One result of the administration’s failure to empathize with the students was the riot Wednesday night. As a result of the riot, a WTAJ van was flipped, light posts were pulled out, and vehicles were attempted to be lit on fire. Anybody could have seen this coming when the trustees fired a legendary coach. For the trustees to not consider the backlash from firing a Penn State tradition is beyond comprehension. Joe Paterno had one more game to coach, and was not legally guilty as a trial had not been conducted.
One of the results of recent events is Penn State’s image being harmed. This is the largest university-level scandal to have evolved in recent years. How it will affect the university’s standings, both academic and sports, is still unknown. Many media outlets speculate that it will certainly harm both. This is of great concern to students and faculty alike. Through personal experience, my friends on facebook are reconsidering going to this university just because of this scandal. Also, some athletes decided to not play here next year because of this scandal. There are many backlashes, and the administration is doing everything they can to handle this situation poorly. Their responses are merely preventative and their decisions are not supported with evidence or explanation. This scandal has yet to come to full fruition as the trials and statements have not yet been conducted. Also, with a new administration and a new coaching staff, Penn State may become a new university altogether. Who knows what the future holds?
Original:
Marijuana is an herb that is used both medicinally and recreationally. It has been used by humans for thousands of years for such purposes. In the 20th century, many countries banned the drug. Recently, there has been an emergent movement to legalize it in the United States. Marijuana was banned in the United States with the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970. Under this act, marijuana is a schedule I drug (the most dangerous of the five schedules), along with heroine, ecstasy, magic mushrooms, and LSD. The surge started in 2010 with Proposition 19. This ballot referendum would have legalized possession and growth of marijuana in California. It didn’t pass, but it showed the growing movement to legalize pot. Recently, a revolutionary poll by Gallup showed that a plurality of Americans support the legalization of marijuana (Newport). Ironically, this consensus is not represented in Congress, with no congressmen coming out in support of marijuana. Even more biting, the President of the United States has admitted to smoking marijuana (Seelye). There is a stark contrast in the will of the American people and their representation in congress (Eckholm).
Martin Luther King Jr. said that “One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” That is just what millions have done; they have disobeyed a marijuana laws that are unjust and unconstitutional. Marijuana has been used by humans for thousands of years. In the 20th century, many countries banned the drug. Recently, there has been an emergent movement to legalize it in the United States. Marijuana is an herb that is used both medicinally and recreationally. It was banned in the United States with the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970. Under this act, marijuana is a schedule I drug (the most dangerous of the five schedules), along with heroine, ecstasy, magic mushrooms, and LSD. The surge started in 2010 with Proposition 19. This ballot referendum would have legalized possession and growth of marijuana in California. It didn’t pass, but it showed the growing movement to legalize pot. Recently, a revolutionary poll by Gallup showed that a plurality of Americans support the legalization of marijuana (Newport). Ironically, this consensus is not represented in Congress, with no congressmen coming out in support of marijuana. Even more biting, the President of the United States has admitted to smoking marijuana (Seelye). There is a stark contrast in the will of the American people and their representation in congress (Eckholm).
My argument paper is supporting the legalization of marijuana on the federal level. To that extent, it would probably be posted on NORML’s website. NORML is a group whose goal is to end marijuana prohibition. It is the largest and most well-known group in support of the position. They have been in the news recently for having the most voted-upon petition at the White House’s petition site, We The People. The petition was in support of marijuana legalization.
The article I chose is called “Real World Ramifications of Cannabis Legalization and Decriminalization.” The article is about what would happen if marijuana were decriminalized and the insufficiencies of marijuana prohibition. The author first makes the statement that marijuana prohibition is an absolute failure. He claims that regulation gives the government control over marijuana. With prohibition, they are removing any regulation from marijuana, making it more dangerous. These dangers include gang violence, and an easy gateway to harder drugs. After that, the author uses several examples of marijuana being legal in other countries. For example, in India, one UN statement claimed that the legalization of marijuana deterred crime. Lastly, the author makes the point that the legalization of marijuana will not increase its use.
The author is clearly in support of the legalization of marijuana. He takes this stance very carefully, suggesting more practical proposals than full-on legalization. This is a very clever way to support a radical position. The article is organized into sections by issue. This is very convenient and easy to read. On top of that, the main points are highlighted in bold. This makes the piece very good for both reading and skimming. I agree with the writer on some points and not on others. The evidence that he used to make his points is sometimes very shady and warrants investigation. Otherwise, the author does use a lot of ethos in his article, giving him a lot of authority on the subject. I like what the writer did in his piece. He uses some very interesting references, organized his article in a very convenient matter, and makes an intriguing point. One thing I would have liked to see the author do differently is remove a little of the bias. Sometimes he hides it well, but other times when he uses a quote from a discussion as ethos to prove that an entire movement was successful, it makes me question his legitimacy. This is a very minor factor in the article, and it is otherwise well written.
This piece has many techniques I can incorporate into my own writing. For one, it does a great job at organization. It separates the questions that it answers into sections. On top of that, it separates its references into sections as well, making the read very simple. The main points are highlighted, which made it even easier to read. Lastly, the author uses many studies, facts, and quotes, some of which I can incorporate into my paper. The article was very well written, and gave me many ideas for my paper.
http://norml.org/marijuana/personal/item/real-world-ramifications-of-cannabis-legalization-and-decriminalization-2?category_id=729
The first article is about abortion statistics. It shows a decreasing rate of abortions, and gives many statistics about how many women seek abortions. The article says that women normally give three reasons for choosing an abortion: "about three quarters say that having a baby would interfere with their work, school, or other responsibilities; about two thirds say they cannot afford a child; about one-half say they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner."
Abortion is a hot-topic issue in America and I support it. The government should not be able to control a woman's body, keeping it illegal or unattainable would increase "back alley" abortions, and it will decrease children growing up in poor and neglected environments. In addition, some studies suggest that legal abortion leads to decreased crime rate.
The second article is about the perception of marijuana in American culture. Marijuana is a highly illegal, claimed dangerous drug that gives users a high. It was made illegal in 1970. Since that time, a good percentage of Americans supported its legalization. There are studies that claim that marijuana is carcinogenic, addicting, and dangerous. For each of these studies, there is a study claiming that marijuana is safe and non-addicting. In conclusion, it is very difficult to argue marijuana on the basis of scientific studies, but whether or not the government has the right to regulate marijuana is an issue of civil liberties.
I am in favor of legalization. Marijuana isn't more harmful than alcohol or tobacco, legalization would lead to less drug related crimes, it possesses many medical benefits, and it would provide a source of additional tax revenue. The U.S. would greatly benefit from legalizing marijuana.
The third article is about how the Supreme Court declined to reconsider a decision made 13 years ago permitting the juvenile death penalty. This shows how adamant the Supreme Court is about the decision that was made to keep the juvenile death penalty illegal. Juvenile death penalty is capital punishment on those who are under 18 years of age.
I am against the juvenile death penalty. A child who is not old enough to go to war, drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, and even drive cannot make a decision that deems capital punishment. Capital punishment does not ward off other crimes and is ultimately ineffective. A child is not intellectually mature enough to take full responsibility for his actions. This is a legal precedent that lead to juvenile detention facilities. Allowing the juvenile death penalty is the hypocrisy of law and is illegal.
iPhone 4GS
The iPhone 4GS is Apple’s newest smartphone. It was announced on October 4th and just recently started being sold. New features include Siri, increased performance, a better camera, 1080p HD video, iOS 5, iCloud, a retina display, and improved FaceTime. All of these features lead to the explosive sales of Apple’s new phone. It went so far as to save Apple’s stock from dipping below $390 per share. The phone exhibits the characteristic physical perfection of previous apple products: a sleek design that also features utility. The front of the phone shows only a single button: a home button. On the top, there is a sleep button. On the sides there are volume and lock buttons. This is a mystic combination of buttons that creates the greatest utility. The phone fits perfectly in the palm of your hand. Additionally, the screen is within reach of your thumb at all times, but also allows for two handed use if it is preferred. The back of the phone features a camera and the apple logo. All of these features combined create the iPhone 4GS. Apple is expected to come out with sleek products that have minimalistic features. The iPhone 4GS does not disappoint.
Droid Bionic
The Motorola Droid Bionic is iPhone’s latest competitor. It touts improved performance, a large screen, and some unique software. The Bionic, like the 4GS, takes its design from its predecessors. It has very clean cut edges and chrome accents. This makes the device look far more masculine than the iPhone, which appeals to a much smaller group of people. On the top, there is a power button and a headset jack. On the front of the phone Is a camera. On the side there are two ports. These ports make it a challenge to properly hold the phone when plugged in. On the other side of the phone are two volume buttons. On the back is a camera. There is nothing on the bottom of the phone. One thing the droid trumps the iPhone on is it’s absolutely enormous screen. The screen measures 4.3 inches from corner to corner. The Droid line does not appeal to as wide of an audience as the iPhone, but it does offer a unique look. Some people appreciate the look of the Droid more, albeit a primarily male tech-junkie audience.
I am evaluating laptops for college students. This merits evaluation because many college students must buy laptops for college and are unaware of what is truly necessary for a basic laptop. College students use laptops for a plethora of reasons: note taking, organizing, emailing, browsing the web, and various major-specific things. Many students pay too much for laptops and will never fully utilize the computing power of their laptops. Others pay too little and must deal with sluggish performance until they buy a new laptop. Also, computer hardware specifications and prices are constantly changing, so new evaluations are necessary every few months to a year. According to Moore’s law, the number of transistors that can be placed on an integrated circuit doubles every two years. In lay man’s terms, computing power doubles every two years. This creates the need to reevaluate laptops very often. Lastly, essential programs such as Microsoft Office, and Windows Operating System are coming out with new version very often. These programs have different requirements from their previous versions and quickly become essential to own. Therefore, a college laptop merits evaluation.
Laptops for college students would fall under the laptop selection category. I would compare laptops against other laptops to pick a superior laptop. For example, I would compare a Dell to a Gateway using various criteria such as price, power, and appeal.
Considering the many parts to a laptop and many different uses, there would be many criteria. First you must choose an operating system. This will be a standoff between Mac and PC. Although there are many other operating systems, they are only useful to those who already know enough about laptops to not need to read my evaluation. Second, you must choose the proper amount of RAM. RAM is Random-access memory and represents the amount of information your system can retain at once without reduced speeds. Third, you must choose the proper processor. A processor controls the amount of information that can be dealt with at one time. Fourth, you must choose a suitable hard drive. All of your system’s information is stored on a hard drive. Fifth, you must decide on a video card. Video cards process everything you see on the monitor. Sixth, you must decide on a brand. I will be evaluating the most popular brands: Apple, Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, and Sager. Seventh, you must consider the appeal of the laptop. Eighth, the price must be considered. Lastly, you must choose a proper monitor size. All of these criteria are essential for choosing a proper laptop, making choosing a laptop above the pay grade of the average college student. This is my inspiration for writing this evaluation. One of the problems I could run into is the social aspect of laptops and certain preference. Many people have a preference to Apple laptops because of the social influence. Apple computers are far more popular than windows, but far less efficient. That being said, even some knowledged people prefer Apple laptops to their Windows alternative.
