Volunteering

So over the weekend I did my volunteer hours. It was really quite an experience for me. I worked with an animal shelter through Petsmart and took part in taking care of cats and dogs that were either strays or were abandon. I also helped several dogs and cats get adopted by several different people I have a very soft spot in my heart for animals, I use to have a dog but unfortunatly she was hit by a car about a year ago, so now I only have my two cats whom I absolutly adore. Living with animals is so benefical for people. Anyone who has a pet or who has previously owned one knows how much joy and happiness they bring you. I wanted to give something back to the cats and dogs but helping them each find a home. Working at the Safe Harbor animal shelter really made me feel good about myself. Not only did I help dogs and cats get adopted, but it just made me feel good taking care of them. There was one puppy in particular that just broke my heart because she got hit by a car and lost her leg. However, I found a family who was intrested in adopting her and are suppose to come back and tell me if they got her. I think that anybody who likes animals should volunteer at a shelter. It is one of the best feeling just knowing that you made a difference in their lives.

Thankful

After listening to Mr. Laroza speak about the school that he teaches at it really made me think how greatful I am to go to such a great school. He told us about how kids don't put effort into school like they should. He mentioned how there is a fight in the school and how he has witnessed drug deals and how people use profane language and mistreat their peers. Just listening to him tell his life story about how he grew up with his siblings and how his mother was juggling 3 jobs while at the same time taking care of her children. Not only did life seem hard for Mr. Laroza but I can't imagin how hard it must have been for his mother, being an immigrant from Sicily, having three jobs, and taking care of her children. I takew where I live and where I go to school for granted. Sometimes I think why does this school have to be so hard it's not fair when in reality there are a handful of kids in this world who are striving just to get an education. I think that everyone should realize how lucky we have it and be thankful for the opportunities we have.

Rich and Poor

Why do people strive to be rich why can't we all just be happy where we are? If you are financially stable why would you want to change your social class. In the video that we watched today they showed people that lived in Morgantown, Kentucky. These people were not considered to be wealthy however they did have money and were happy were they were. Some people donh't even like to accept the fact that they have money. Instead of showing it off like some people do they prefer to drive around in old beat up cars or wear clothes that came from a thrift store. Americans pay so much attention to being rich and wanting that feeling of prestige. The American dream is all about working till you get to the top or until you succeed. But is the American Dream really everything? I believe that everyone deserves to be well off however, I think that we should make do with what we have. I think instead of going out and buying a lamborghini or a ferrari we should get something a little less expensive and donate some of it to people who actually need money. The best types of people are the one's who have money but they are unpretentious about it.

Inmates

After watching "30 Days" it really changed my perspective on what jail was like. In the movies they make jail seem like hell when in reality jail isn't as bad as it seems. Yes you associate yourself with some crazy people but there are pleanty of police officers there to protect and watch each inmate. And even though these men and women spend days upon days being stuck inside they serve their time in a constuctive humanly way. A lot of these people want to turn their lives around, they want to become better people and live like normal people. In the movie they showed each of the men having a group discussion about how they deal with their problems and what they can do to help themselves. Watching this movie changed my perspective on the inmates. I was always intimidated by the thought of inmates but I believe it is a social misconception. I think that people just automatically think that these people are low lives and they will never have a chance in the real world. I however disagree. One of the inmates Travis was addicted to heroine for 10 years and he finally tried turning his life around by going to rehabe, he even planned on getting a job after he got out of jail. I believe everyone deserves a second chance to turn their life around, and I thoroughly believe that inmates are misunderstood by others.

Drugs

So on Friday we did the whole activity where we ranked where drugs should be and where they should be placed in our society. I was kind of surprised when I saw where people ranked certain types of drugs. For instance caffeine was ranked as a 4 meaning it was classified as one of the worst illegal drugs. As oppose to marijuana which was classified as a 2 meaning it should be an over the counter drug. Now clearly I don't agree with caffeine being a 4 considering there is caffeine in a lot of good products such as soft drinks and coffee. I however think that marijuana should not be illegal. I think they should legalize it for medicinal purposes and for those who choose to smoke it. I think it should be treated like alcohol. If you choose to do it at least be smart about it. I am not a marijuana user but I am for legalizing it I believe people should be allowed to purchase it at age 21 but only in certain amounts. As for other drugs like heroine, meth, cocaine, pcp, and extacy I believe that all of those drugs should be banned and should never be legalized just because of the effect it has on people. Like the inmate Travis from the video, he was going through withdraw from heroine and it really messed his life up.

Is age equal to society

So in class the other day we were talking about how in our society you have to be of a certain age in order to do certain things. For instance you have to be 16 to drive a car 18 to vote, buy cigarettes, go into a bar, ect and you have to be 21 to drink. I just think that our society is rediculas in this aspect. At 18 you are a legal adult. You can go off to war, you can live on your own but you can't have an alcholic drink. In Germany you are allowed to buy alcohol at age 16. I feel like if we changed our rules people wouldn't get in as much trouble. For instance if we changed the drinking age to 18 people would not get into as much trouble because they have access to what they want at an appropriate age. 18 is the age you are a legal adult not 21. Since the drinking age is 21 more and more teens are illegally drinking. Point being they are doing anything they can to get their hands on alcohol. By the time they are 21 they will be so happy that they can finally access alcohol legally that they will abuse their privileges and drink uncontrolably. This could result in severe consequences or even death. This is why I believe that we should be able to drink at 18,because by the time we are 21 we would already have experienced what alcohol is and what it can do to you.

the media destroying our culure

I couldn't believe my eyes after watching that Dove video about the model who got a complete digital makeover. It didn't even remotely look like the same person. They changed her complextion, stretched her neck to look longer, made her lips look more full, widened her eyes, arched her eyebrows higher, and thinned her face out. And we wonder why our perspective of beauty is distorted. America has a very superficial view on what beautiful is. In the media's eyes beauty means looking very thin while at the same time having curves. Women go to jurastic measures to look what as they view beautiful. They have breast implants, they get botox surgery, pretty much women will go under the knife just to look good. It is at a very crucial stage because now girls as young as age 9 are noticing all these models in the media and are wanting to look like them. Because of the media more and more girls are developing an eating disorder such as bolemia, or anorexia. I like the Dove ads because it shows everyone what a normal women look like. I believe that the Dove commericals raise girls and womens self-esteem and helps them accept who they are. Back in the 1940's Marilyn Manroe was considered a sex icon and beautiful. In today's standards Marilyn Manroe would be considered fat because she was a size 11-12. And for males they are always pushed to look fit and look masculen. It's a lot of pressure on males because they feel like they need to constently be working out to get girls to like them. The media wants young males to think that their body is the key to get girls. If you're not buff like Brad Pitt then you won't get a girl which is not true at all. I just think that it's absolutley rediculous that the media gets away with showing these kind of things on T.V. People should love who they are no matter what they look like.