Bullshit by a Teenager

Existence:(7/15/2005)
What is existence? Is it reality as one knows it? is it limited to our perception of reality? does each individual have a vastly different view of how life itself is lived?,portrayed?........is each individual reality absolute, or is there but one? or are all realities....what occurs when these realities and counter realities interact, cross over, and/or go into flux? do past,present, and future tense collide?....or become warped beyond on's own imagination? what one does not know  does not exist, until one is cast headlong into one's own destiny.............

A general sense of contempt:(1/11/2006)

I don’t kill people.

   Perhaps it's just another inhibition to do away with. Perhaps not. There’s really no way of telling. It’s possible I’ve just never been able to well up so much interest in any person to care enough to end their life. I’d much rather avoid them altogether. Most of them. It’s night, the sky is beautiful. Up and away from this room and this bed and this oppressive inevitability of sleep. I hate sleep. But sleep always comes (that or madness). Fighting off heavy eyelids gets lonely. But spending time this way does allow you some insight on certain things, though perhaps trivial, as most things tend to be. You begin to get very familiar with mortal compilations and you begin to resent those who turn their things into laughable theatrics, and twist it into yet another fashion. It’s not skull-buckle boots, or white makeup put on bad skin. It all loses its significance once you cheapen it by making into a style thing. But with all these irritations present I still maintain my stupendously sunny deposition. Having predominantly unpleasant thought is just another thing to accept normality, and eventually becomes part of the blood that fuels you. It’s all very amusing. But. In no way does it render you invulnerable to the effects of a bad day. But I’ve managed this nicely. I mean, well I still haven’t killed anyone.

Human Relations: (1/11/2006)
I can’t say I hate very many people specifically: so few seem real enough to deserve that level of attention. Certainly, though, there are soon good people out there, somewhere. It’s just that, here, in a world of patterns, it’s so rare to really feel anything from anyone. Connections are difficult. There’s an irritation in being among people who’ve found there connection, and finding that those left who haven’t are undesirable as the void they would be replacing. The numbing mind-ream of knowing your alone not because people wont accept you, but because you find so little worth accepting. An imposed solitude is better than simply tolerating your company in waiting for something better. So loneliness is not such a terrible thing when you consider that the alternative to thought provoking solace is to be surrounded only reminders of why that solitude is preferable. I’d take film and music over blurry mass of faces i've encountered. People begin to look like mere fleshy reaction machines: passionless and dead. But this is all in my own head; I can’t claim to be arrogant enough to be certain of any particular perception. After all, reality is what we make it. It’s just unfortunate that the general population has made it so unpleasant. I’m meandering. 

Answer to life: (2/16/2006)

You people aren’t worth my Knowledge of the things right before you face. So oblivious is the world, wrapped up in there own pain to not see others. I know the meaning of life. There isn’t one. We are here by the chances of being in the right place and time of the universe. Religion is our own creation used to give people the easy answers before philosophy and science was discovered. Hope of a better world if you play by the rules of a false belief. The world needs religion to keep it alive, to make it thrive in existence. Those who fight against it are the fools, you can’t change people from thousand-year-old paths carved into minds passing from one to another through childish influence. Don’t pity those who embrace the truth of no meaning to this existence. Families disowning their children to this day. Minds so poisoned with lies and over elaboration of life after death. Let the beliefs stand, death will elude us. These things I have told you many ears cant decipher for people need a reason and a god to live and fester.

The Research Paper on Redheads

Some people look at red hair and just see it as a hair color. For a redhead, there is a whole story most people don’t know. Redheads are told to never, NEVER go out into the sun without sun block. Also, they are told how beautiful their hair is at all ages. Most of all, redheads see how rare it is to pass one another. For each of these there is a long history of studies and experiments which can explain things redheads have already noticed. In the following, questions will be answered and the whole science and history will be unveiled.

Many facts have been discovered to explain the red hair phenomenon. From ancient redheads to genetic composition, scientists have explained many questions about red hair.

Some Neanderthals may have had red hair and pale skin according to a new genetic study. The traits were common in European Neanderthals. The studies lead author Carles Lalueza-Fox, of the University of Barcelona discovered the amazing fact. In the cases of both Neanderthals and modern Europeans, he said, the gene mutation that caused fairer complexions spread only after the respective populations migrated from Africa. From intact DNA from 230,000 to 30,000 years ago, Lalueza-Fox and his colleagues were able to study two separate samples unearthed in Italy and Spain.  While studying Neanderthal DNA samples, Lalueza-Fox's team found an unknown mutation in a key gene called MC1R. Red hair only appears with people of two copies of the same mutation on the gene. MC1R protein is found in the skin and eyes instead of a darker melanin. The mutation is a recessive gene located of chromosome 4. MC1R is also the key to all colors of every human. The official name is melanocortin 1 receptor or a stimulating hormone receptor. It provides instructions for making pigmentation in hair ,skin ,and eyes. MC1R can be found in the retina also effecting vision. There are two forms of this gene which cause lighter or darker colors. People with red hair have a higher amount of pheomelanin which causes skin to not tan. The advantages and disadvantages of MC1R will be explained later.

It is so rare to become a red head, but there are even fewer who become famous. There are famous redheads all through history that many people didn’t even realize had red hair! Here are a few red heads that you would recognize: Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, Vincent van Gogh, Lucille Ball. I would assume that you knew they all had red hair. Paintings or black and white photos has washed away some you could not have guessed ere redheads. Here are a few more surprising discoveries: James Joyce, William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Napoleon Boneparte, Cleopatra, Christopher Columbus, Oliver Cromwell, General Custer, Emily Dickinson, Judas Iscariot, Florence Nightingale, Dwight Eisenhower, Ulysses S. Grant, Andrew Jackson, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, King David, Henry VIII, Queen Victoria, William the Conqueror. Redheads made many foot prints in history. There are facts still unknown about redheads through out the world though. The sale of at home red dye kits has gone up seventeen percent since the year two thousand hit. There is a belief that redheads are prone to industrial deafness. Adults have about 120,000 hairs on their head; redheads have fewer. The country name of Russia means "land of reds" in honor of a redheaded Viking by the name of Rurik. In the late 16th century, the fat of a redheaded man was an essential ingredient for poison. The Romans kept red haired slaves, and at a higher price. By now it is obvious that so many things effect redheads over the years. So how many redheads are there and where could they all be? There are about 2% of the human population with red hair. In northern Europe it occurs frequently so about 6% of their population are redheaded. Scotland has the highest population with Ireland following it. Some scientists have speculated that this rarity indicated an extinction of redheads. Over 30% of people carry the traits to create more redheads, thus keeping the population level.

Red hair just isn’t a hair color. What causes red hair can effect the whole body and health or even the future of its host. Scientists of today has pin pointed its advantages and disadvantages along with what is being done to help people of other hair colors.

Geneticists Jeffrey Mogil of McGill University studies in the pain laboratory uncovered some advantages of red hair. Withstanding 25% more pain that others, redheads express a natural pain reducer. Less pain killers are needed for red headed women during child birth. This is caused by the mutated MC1R gene interacting with pain senors through the skin. Because MC1R also caused the skins paleness it collects more vitamin D in low sun environments. Chemistry professor John Simon at Duke university discovered this can also cause DNA damage. Redheads skin requires less energy to start a chemical reaction producing free radicals. It can be linked to skin cancer, which many red heads suffer from. Also sunburns can be extremely painful and easy to get on red haired people. Through these advantages and disadvantages scientists are finding ways to help people through these Gene mutations. Along with more effective sunblock for redheads, they are discovering new ways to replicate their natural pain killers. Geneticist Ian Jackson of the United Kingdom Medical Research Council plans to study redheads. Jackson says," We thought that MC1R was involved only in hair color."

Redheads know they are special. Either it be a mutated gene or thousands of years of natural selection, redheads will always feel a since of pride to be like they are. From “land of the reds” Russia to Florida, USA, red hair will continue to be apart of human history. No matter how many times scientist say they will go extinct, a new generation is sure to come.  From advantages to health risks or rumors to facts, redheads will never run out things to say about just how cool they are. But don’t be discouraged, all other hair colors, there is a reason for you too.

v4641 Sagittarii

Black Holes

A black hole is a region of space that has so much mass concentrated in it that there is no way for a nearby object to escape its gravitational pull. There is no limit in principle to how much or how little mass a black hole can have. A typical mass for a  black hole would be about 10 times the mass of the Sun. They weigh about a million times as much as the Sun. You can't see a black hole directly so we have to rely on indirect evidence that black holes exist. This is the topic of my research paper.

Lets begin by explaining what a Quasar is. These objects are the very bright centers of some distant galaxies, where some sort of energetic action is occurring, most probably due to the presence of a super massive black hole at the center of that galaxy. The electrons near the center of the quasar can be accelerated to speeds near the speed of light. They emit radio waves. There are no nearby quasars. This is all relevant to my topic.

Now, we will touch on microquasars. A microquasar consists of a binary system in which a normal star orbits around, and loses matter to, a nearby compact object, either a black hole or a neutron star. A dozen or so microquasars have been found in the Milky Way Galaxy. Microquasars are a substantial source of high-energy particles and radiation in the Galaxy. The closest known microquasar and black hole to Earth is V4641 Sagittarii, which lies only about 1,500 light-years away. Now we are to the subject of my topic.

I chose v4641 Sagittarii as an example of a black hole. V4641 was discovered September 15, 1999 by Australian astronomer Ron Stubbings. V4641 Sgr underwent a very strong but very short outburst. Radio observations revealed relativistic jets associated with this outburst.  Is it roughly 3 to 10 times the mass of the Sun and a Diameter roughly 11-37 miles. V4641 Sgr is classified as a microquasar. It is in the constellation Sagittarius with a normal star named V4641 Sgr. It has orbital period of 2.8 days and at quiescence has an apparent magnitude of 13.8. It has a very turbulent magnetic field. That is all I could find about v4641 Sgr.

(REview) Mrs. Evers Boys

What are the ethical considerations seen in the film?

The ethical considerations that Mrs. Evers boys proposed were at the cost of study, how far could the government take it.  The Tuskegee project used human guini pigs and disguised it as a way to benefit the African American cause. They also preyed on the uneducated men, within very important information, and did not fully get their consent to what was going on. The lifelong damage they inflected for the sake of study was inhumane and unethical.

What was the research method used?

The method of research they chose was the placebo effect. They were given no form of actual treatment. Instead, the men were given vitamins and salve that had no purpose.

Do you agree or disagree with the research?

I disagree with the research. They believed it was important for the country to recognize African Americans reacted no differently to syphilis than a white person. It was a completely unnecessary experiment as any doctor at the time could determine physiologically there aren’t any differences.

Do you think the research was beneficial in anyway.

There were no benefits towards the African American cause or the medical cause. It did seem like a convincing argument that in the end of the study it would prove that black and white were no different. But it was the cost of these mens lives. Over 400 men and just 100 left from a preventable and curable deasies. The worst was that the nurse and doctor perpetuated the ignorance of their condition. 

(REview Literature)Irony in “The Cask of Amontillado”

Edgar Allan Poe’s short story The Cask of Amontillado is riddled with all three types of ironies. Verbal irony is the interchangeable nature between what words are being spoken and what it actually applies. Situation irony is when the situation or event begins one way to become something entirely different as the story progresses. Lastly, dramatic irony is when a character believes something else than what the reader has been hinted too. Fortunato is the unfortunate named man who the narrator, Montresor creates all types of ironies for.

The first example of dramatic irony is prominent in the first paragraph of the story. Montresor, the narrator of the story is explaining his mind is set on revenge. Verbal irony is show through the man Fortunato, who the narrator seeks revenge against. Montresor does not show any hint of malice toward Fortunato which has created a perfect scenario to enact revenge without suspicion. Montresor already knows Fortunato’s weakness for wine, so he will use this to bait Fortunato into to a trap.

The scene is a festive party at dusk where drunkenness is already prevalent. The narrator runs into his friend who is in a ridiculous clown garb and has already drank too much. Here he tells Fortunato that he has found a wine cask of a rare wine called the Amontillado. Of course this intrigues Fortunato who is curious of the authenticity of the wine, so the narrator persuades Fortunato to join him. Montresor explains that they must go to the vaults, but Fortunato is hesitant because he is weary of the cold and tight atmosphere of a vault. Never the less Fortunato follows the narrator to his palazzo, which he has already ensured will be unoccupied. They take torches and descend into vaults which lead into the narrators family catacombs. Dramatic irony is again present because Fortunato has followed Montresor who is seeking revenge into a dark hidden place.

Fortunato begins to cough at the musky air. Montresor uses verbal irony in saying “your health is precious; you are rich, respected, admired, and beloved; you are happy, as I once was”. He hands him more wine so he won’t sober up and to keep him going. Still, because of his cough Montresor keeps insisting for Fortunato to return to the surface. At which point it is apparent that Fortunato and his arrogance creates the illusion that he is the one that is has made the choice to follow Montresor no matter what to taste the Amontillado wine. All the while Montresor is feeding him more alcohol to keep him drunk. 

Fortunato is lead to an empty space into the wall of the catacomb. He must go into the dark, and with the hint of situational irony, wraps chain links around his waist as to not get lost. Here the narrator secures a padlock while the drunken Fortunato is stumbling in the dark. Uncovering hidden mortar and stone near the niche the narrator is keeping him excited by the promise of the wine. He begins closing up the wall and inside Fortunato has still not realized his fate.

            A laugh is heard from the depths of the darkness. Fortunato isn’t convinced that he is in trouble nor is he aware of Montresor’s ill intention. Ironically, Fortunato says “We will laugh richly about this back at the party when we are drinking our wine. Let us leave.” At this point Montresor is nearly done sealing the wall, he merely responds with “yes.” Now Fortunato has sobered and probably even realized what is happening.  He shouts “For the love of god, Montresor!” Montresor drops in his torch and seals the last brick. His revenge is complete and leaves, glad to be away from the damp catacombs. 

(REview) A Beautiful Mind

In Princeton University Fall of 1947, in a classroom sat John Nash. Professor Helinger sets off  with a speech. Mathematicians won World War II by creating the bombs, the communications codes, and cracking the ones used by the enemy. This is to tell the new students entering into the Math Department of Princeton they has potential to be important. After class, a recreation is set up for students to mingle. It is apparent that John is gifted by his ability to take linear reflections from glass to apply it mathematically to the design of a fellow students tie. Here is where he meets Neilson, the man who helped crack Japanese codes during his time in the military. Bender, who was talking with Neilson introduces himself as Richard Sol walks up to talk to them. Before John has a chance to introduce himself a man interrupts them and coyly asks John for a refill, as if he is a waiter. John recognizes Martin Hanson, a published writer for his theories. John calls him out on how the whole premise of his book is incorrect and walks away. We learn that both Hanson and Nash were rewarded the Carnegie Scholarship to Princeton and John is known as the West Virginian Genius.

In his room John begins to unpack and rearrange his furniture, putting his desk near the window. A tall gangly man stumbles in proudly announcing he is his roommate. Instead of confessing he drunk, he goes on about explaining how a hangover to the brain is the same as lacking water. John isn’t amused and goes back to his things. His roommate jumps in front of him on his desk and introduces himself as Charles Herman. Taking out a bottle of alcohol from his coat jacket he invites John to the roof to break the ice by getting loosened up. On the roof, John lets Charles know he doesn’t like people much because they don’t like him. Only mathematics is what makes him matter. He thinks going to classes and learning from textbooks is beneath him and students are lesser mortals. Charles lets him know that Mathematics won’t lead him to truth. They laugh together and look out over the campus.

John stopped going to classes and it’s been noticed by Neilson, Sender, Martin, and Sol. Martin tells John he is afraid to compete against him. They settle it over a game, which John loses despite his calculations. Upset and confused, he runs away to do his work. For two days he pours over books in the library. He can’t come up with a topic for his doctorate theorem or an original idea. Charles, seeing it’s time to rescue him, takes John to the bar to loosen up.  Later that week he is meeting with Professor Helinger. Because of his lack of attendance and no papers to grade he is close to losing everything. Martin has completed two more papers and is close to receiving recognition. Scared, he returns back to his dorm to try and figure something out. He furiously writes and draws, so panicked he hits his head causing him to bleed. Charles fights him trying to get John out to find inspiration, that the desk is the problem. Charles pushes it out the window, and they go to the bar. There he finds inspiration by applying a Mathematical theory called Adam Smith, using it to get himself and his friends dates for the night. Afterwards H=he goes to his dorm and works over a whole season proving the Adam Smith Theory as incorrect, challenging 150 years of economic theory. It’s accepted and he is offered a job at Wheeler Labs. He chooses Sol and Bender to be with him on his team.

            In 1953 Dr. John Nash enters into the Pentagon. The military has intercepted radio transmissions from Russia. John looks at the wall of  numbers and decodes latitude and longitude coordinates along a map that crosses the US Border. Above the Lab in a viewing area, he first spots FBI Agent William Parcher, who is unnoticed by other personnel. John leaves to return to Wheeler defense labs MIT campus, where he, Sol, and Bender have offices. John has been making covers of magazines such as Fortune since his time at Princeton. Preoccupied by his own studies and ego, he has forgotten his job as a teacher for MIT. The textbook he must use isn’t his taste, and on entering his classroom he throws it away as garbage. John then writes a complicated math equation on the board proclaiming few or none will ever solve it in their life time and it is where they will begin. At the end of John’s day, he leaves the college building to run into William Parcher again. Here begins the elaborate new job he always knew he was meant for. He did not know the purpose of the coordinates he found for the Pentigon, but Parcher explains. He is lead to a warehouse on campus that was previously thought to be abandoned. There he discovers the FBI have set up computers and scientists to use it as a temporary base of operations. John is now told he now must spy for America and decode hidden messages within the media and then report his findings dropping them off at a secure location. A scientist then proceeds to tattoos his arm with UV numbers which Parcher explains will change to reveal the entrance codes to the drop off area.

            The next day, John is eagerly working on magazine clippings when he is interrupted by a knock at his office door. A student of his, Alicia Larde wants to tell him she solved his equation. With a look over, he says it’s incorrect and expects her to leave. Instead she asks him for a date, as she is attracted to him. This romance blossoms and they marry soon after dating. They move to Cambridge, MA to begin their life. Unfortunately John has told Parcher he needs out of the job, which has left him paranoid about being caught by the Russians. This paranoia causes him to snap at his wife telling her they aren’t safe. This leads to her secretly making a call with urgency in her voice..

            Later John Nash is giving a lecture at the Harvard University National Mathematic Conference. There he runs into his old roommate Charles and Charles’ niece, Marcee. John wants to seek advice from Charles about William Parcher, but it’s his time to go into the lecture. During the lecture, John looks past the crowd to see men in trench coats walking towards him. Scared, he flees the hall and is chased by the men. He is cornered, then approached by psychiatrist Dr. Rosen who tells him they must leave. John refuses to leave lashing out so they are forced give him a tranquilizer and put him in the car. He wakes to find himself handcuffed to a chair. From John’s perspective, he thinks he has been kidnapped by Russian Spies who know about his work with William Parcher. Dr. Rosen explains John has been admitted to the Mac Author Psychiatric Hospital. He isn’t listening, but instead sees his old roommate Charles sitting in the corner shaking his head. John calls out to Charles thinking he was a spy all along who turned him in. Dr. Rosen says there isn’t anyone there and then knocks him out with another tranquilizer.

John Nash is diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. His wife, Alecia, finds the work he’s done untouched left at an old abandon house, the same house that John believed was a drop point. He never was a spy for the FBI, it was all in his head. Sol and Bender knew of his strange behavior and ignored it since John would be hostile if they asked about his classified project. Charles never existed, and at Princeton, John lived alone in his dorm. At the Psychiatric hospital, they begin an electro-treatment and put him on medication. Alicia breaks the news that Charles, William Parcher, and Marcee do not exist and his job was fake. Angry he storms away in disbelief. That night a nurse finds that he has clawed his arm trying to find the tattoo with the numbers to prove that he wasn’t crazy. John now realizes that his whole existence has to be questioned now and it’s hard process for him.

After a year of treatment and recovery John is released from the hospital. He starts working on another theorem to try to get his old job back and his life on track again; however, the medication starts clouding his thoughts and he secretly stops taking it. In April 1956, his visions return and tell him Alicia is a threat to his important work.  William Parcher returns and tries to get John to kill her. Alicia seeing John is once again being irrational calls Dr. Rosen. John sees Marcee playing and makes a realization that she can’t be real because she hasn’t aged. John decides he will try to control the visions without medication and Alicia loving him, decides to stay with him. In June, he stops by Princeton to meet with his old rival Martin Hansen. He is the new headmaster and has taken old Heligers office. John asks for a small job in the Library and to attend classes. Martin cautiously gives John a chance. Later on in the hall his hallucinations show up again. He sees Marcee, Charles, and Parcher, there he promises them that he will never acknowledge them again.

It’s 1978, and an aged John Nash is in the Princeton University Library. On the windows he has drawn and solved the unsolvable equation, Reimanns. A student recognizing John and his work and asks if he would like to join him and his friends for tutoring help. He reads over the student’s equations and gives them advice. This sparks his passion to teach again, later asks Martin if he could be a teacher again. In March of 1994, John has been teaching successfully for many years. As he is dismissing his class a man by the name of Thomas King is waiting outside, and with all new introductions John confirms he is real by asking a student if she can see him. King is a coordinator for the Nobel Peace prize committee. John learns he has been nominated for the Peace Prize.

The Nobel Prize Ceremony is held in Stockholm Sweden on December 1994. John Nash gives a warm speech marking the point he returned from self-destruction. He ends the speech by thanking his wife for staying with him during his purge of medication. Nash’s theories have influenced global trade negotiations, national labor relations, and even brought breakthroughs in evolutionary biology. To this day he keeps regular office hours in the mathematics department at Princeton and walks from his home every day.

(REview)Sociology within Little Miss Sunshine

Little Miss Sunshine

Within Little Miss Sunshine there are sociological messages to explore. We are following an estranged family who are taking a trip to make little girls dreams come true.  Essentially everyone was out too complete some kind of dream. The Hoover family is comprised of Olive Hoover, Dwayne Hoover, Richard Hoover, Edward Hoover, Sheryl Hoover, and Frank Ginsberg.  Olive is a little girl who competed in a pageant and since then made it her dream. It reveals the social pressures revolving around beauty. Dwayne, her older brother, has taken a vow of silence until his 18^th birthday to become an Air Force pilot. It’s a look into the dedication some have to the military. Richard Hoover, their Father, aspires to be a motivational speaker for those who feel like losers. Many before him had thought they found the secrets to make people happy. His dad Edward recently returned home from the retirement home where he was kicked out for drug use. His age and the demographic he represents are important to the quality of life in the country. Sheryl, Richards’s wife, is trying to be the glue and is stressed. Her brother Frank comes in at a time where he just attempted suicide after a series of bad events.  The things which he says made him lose his value of life are things anyone could have experienced.  I will look at each character to explore in depth they’re part in sociology.

First we are introduced to Olive Hoover. She is admiring Mrs. Louisiana     on the television.   Olive Mimics the pageant queens happiness during the moment of winning.  Her Aunt or Sheryl the mother’s sister took Olive to a pageant and let her compete in California. They were called The Little Miss Sunshine regionals, the pre-qualifying pageant.  There are obstacles Olive must face and the first one is her father. It is hinted at that Olive is an overweight girl and she is the last person to know. Olives father used an opportunity to criticize her weight by explain ice-cream creates fat.  Suddenly he asks   are the Miss American pageant queens fat or skinny. He attempts to teacher Olive winners are only skinny and she will be fat. This pressure on a young girl is the societal norm. It creates eating disorders and devalues of self-worth among alarming rates of teen.  Olive has a chance to ask Mrs. California herself if she eats ice cream, and she does. Proving to Olive that a woman can be both skinny and beautiful and not be afraid of what they eat. We see more society pressures and the standard of beauty during the Little Miss sunshine competition. When other children are spray tanned, and showing as much skin as possible to impress the judges, Olive states true to her style. For the Bathing suit, it was a one piece modest outfit and for the formal dress it wasn’t as situating the hips. The largest controversy was during the talent portion. Olives grandpa choreographs and extremely sexual and inappropriate song. It was blatantly honest and highlighted the fact that there isn't outrage toward dressing a child as a sex object.  Pageants are made to explode and elaborate on changing a young girl into the sexy women they want to immolate. After a tussle on stage to let his daughter perform the father dances her routine with her in support.  A sweet bonding of this strange family happened and it resulted being banned from competing ever again. Olive won by leaving the ordeal unjudged and unchanged from her.

Next we look at Richard Hoover. He is an aspiring motivational speaker who wants to changes large groups of people’s lives for the better. From the turnout at his speech it seems to not be going well. We come into his story while wanting book deal.  It is about his motivational 9 steps to stop being a loser. His character is driven to only be a winner. When news of Olive’s pageant comes it’s at a crucial point of waiting on his publisher to sell his books. Part of the decision to that the road trip to California is when he Tells olive to not even try if she’s not going to win. Because she believes in herself, he believes they are going to win Little Miss sunshine. Along the way, it’s clear his work affects his family negatively. Because he believes he has the best way to not be a loser then he is insensitive. He insults olive about her weight, point out Franks flaws, and condescends his son’s efforts.  Suddenly Richard Loses the book deal. This puts him back in his place where maybe he is the loser all along. He begins to see what the pageant is and how this judging is wrong. Richard is scared for olive and doesn’t want her to compete.  Now a new man he does the unthinkable during olives show. To show support in his daughter he begins dancing with her first. Richard doesn’t have the answers to fixing societies problems. Learning that he was flawed also changed how he’ll treat the people he cares about.

 The third character to analyze is Dwayne. He is 15 years old with died black hair and typical angst posters. What makes him interesting is his vow of silence for 9 months. Whenever he has a chance he is working out.  The driving force of this life direction is the Counting down to being 18 to join the air force.  He feels he is surrounded by idiots and Hates everyone. He loves his little sister the most and continues the road trip just for her. With her help by showing him a simple eye test it was revealed he is color blind. His months of devotion to joining the air force were wasted. Now that he can speak, his options begin spilling out in the same colorful way their grandpa spoke. He doesn’t like society or the pageant. By pointing out the hypocrisies of the whole organization he proves he’s got good intentions of wanting Olive to not compete anymore. With his family, as they danced in spite of the disruption, they took back little of the morality. Dwayne’s commitment to forcing the armed forces built his character to be resilient.

Next Grandpa Edwin Hoover the drug addict. He was kicked out of the retirement home.  Edwin Believes being old is the reason why to do drugs.  When Richard losing his book deals he shows he is a good father. He’s proud of him trying to get a book deal. When olive is being insulted by her father he tells her that she beautiful. He calmed olive down when she fears she’ll be a loser and her father wouldn’t like her. Shortly after Edwin dies from drug over dose in the hotel bathroom. The hospital wouldn’t release the body so they stole it and traveled with it. Richard decides it’s not right anymore and calls California’s merge. He left behind good lessons though he was crass. His advice resonated with what every character needed to hear.

Finally Frank Ginsberg, Sheryl’s brother had the most effective character in my opinion. He attempted suicide after losing his boyfriend and job and his home.  He grew the most, developing to be a part of this family. The scene of his sprinting to register olive in showed he loves her. The trip gave him vitality back into his life. Even after running into his ex it didn’t send him spiraling. He showed allot how in America the struggles we face affect all kinds.

We all have our own obstacles and goals and this family highlights sociology in the dynamic. For Olive she wasn’t one of the countless girls sent down a dangerous path of conformed beauty. Richard learned from his mistakes that a mass of people aren’t a one size fit deal, it takes all kinds. Dwayne’s reproach the dilemmas teens face about what they’ll do when they grow up taught him life is about experiences. Edwin was a hidden part of the retirement age no one gets to see. Frank got the bad end of allot and it showed the pressure someone can be under because of societal norms. All together this large family solved a few flaws but like there wasn’t a real happy ending. Learning about sociology is about observing the big picture and accepting humanity in all its different shades.

Nature Vrs. Nurture

There is a debate going on in this country that uses nature versus nurture  as an argument. It is the front runner of some of the most conservative opinions. From this place it is easy to then start misrepresenting exactly what nature is and what nurture is. It’s actually a biology versus psychology essentially.  In terms of human development, it could apply to transgender individuals,  homosexuality or even masculine and feminine attributes. From the nature perspective, there are theories that human nature and the chemical processes of the mind is what ultimately controls life style choices. We are driven by the genetic programing that took millions of years to create. Alternatively the is the nurture approach to how humans behave, and the choices we make. To some the way some of those have been raised effect the kind of adult they are meant to be. I’d like to look at both sides of these arguments and see which I most agree with.  

When speaking about nature and sociology we’ve got to look at it subjectively. There are researchers who’ve came up with multiple ways to explain how humans behave. We are mammals with instincts and primal urges, essentially. Things we do naturally such as communicate with body language, react to certain stimuli, and detect pheromones is involuntary. When applying this to everyday social interaction there that every nuance expected is some form of natural human behavior.

Fall 2009 Journal Entry

I stared at my fingers trying to find the words to write this journal entry. Then it hits me, chapter 1 of “A guide to Writing” was made for this moment. Each section had things to say which is made to be read by a beginning writer. A long with gloating about it’s own greatness it fits in an up to day perception. By teaching the basics like why writing is important all the way to how writing is learned they cover any doubts you could have. Writing gives you more opportunity to succeed in college or a career. It helps you organize what you read into important keys. Writing even helps you grow as an individual and reach out to your peers. Over all, it gives you the chance to do well in nearly everything. The best thing to know is that all writers need to work at their writing. Professional writers read to learn how others write. This is how writers recognize genres. They follow general patterns which are predictable that most readers can catch. The Concise Guide to Writing provided  its own examples of genres, those cheeky bastards.

            “You would learn very little in this world if you were not allowed to imitate. And to repeat your imitations until some solid grounding…was achieved an the slight but wonderful difference-that made you and no one else-could assert itself.”  That was a quote by Mary Oliver. I can relate to what she was saying from any point of view. Whether is be writing or drawing your first picture, we need that wide set of examples to produce original ideas. Everything that we have done follows a pattern we had learn from something previous. In writing, you take what you have read before to recognize it’s pattern then you see its possibilities for innovation. You can see this in your body language. You know you learned that annoyed tapping of the foot or the huff of frustration from someone.

Papa Bo: A Biography on for my grandfather.

Daniel Harrell Carelock was born in El Dorado, Arkansas on November 1930 25^{th ,}  1930. His mother is Alpha Leister Carelock and Father, William Carelock, had 6 children together. Twins, Julius and Jimmy, were the youngest, then Rosie, Daniel was the middle child and the oldest boys were Ralph and Orland. Daniel had to help take care of his younger siblings when he was near 7 years old. They lived in a rural area and had livestock and a vegetable garden to take care of. Daniel had a cow to milk each morning, as did Rosie. They also had to collect fire wood. Daniel, to his family, was only called Bo. He knew is grandfather well. Myers Carelock traveled from North Carolina by Wagon to El Dorado and raised his children alone since his wife died when Daniels father was only 8. He settled the Carelock Family in the same land for the next few generation.

            Daniel went to a small school near old south field road for only a few years. In 5^th grade he began school at Parkers Chapel. His mother was a school teacher. Around the time of World war 2, his mother traveled to schools who were lacking teachers around Arkansas. The first President he really remembered was Franklin Roosevelt in 1944, then Harry Truman after the war. He had two really good childhood friends name Grimm and Kenneth. Past times that they enjoyed were riding there bicycles. Daniel had horses they would ride also. Kenneth had a couple of cousins that had a house with a lake near it. On summer days they would go swimming.  At around 9, his family got their first radio. Everyday at 5pm they listened to the Uncle Moe show on K01D. He listened to gospel, country, and a little of rock and roll. When he turned 16 he got his first job working for his grandfather, his mothers father. He drove gravel trucks to construction sites. In High School his favorite teachers were an Algebra Teacher name Mrs. Hamm and his History teacher Mr. Latemer. After school, he was done with academics.

            He wanted to get rich and him and a few of his buddies packed up for California. For a summer they got a job picking grapes at a California vineyard. It became a hard life and they didn't get paid well enough to live on. Eventually they had to move back to El Dorado. At 19, he got his first salary job. It was for the Monsanto Chemical company. When he was 20 he met Mary Alice Jackson at his church at Bethal Baptist. They sang together in the choir. In 1950, they got married. Her father and his were the only guests to the outside service. For their honey moon they went to Mississippi. In 1951, their first child was born, Danny Carelock. The first house they called their own was a small 1 story in Smackover. They lived there for 2 years before David was born at Warren Hospital. They then moved back to El Dorado for a short year and went on to Parkers Chapel. He bought a small hamburger restaurant called bamboos. Mary and him co-owned it and ran the business on a small lot on Hillsboro. It owned one of the most revolutionary record players. It began to lose money so he sold it and worked back with Monsanto Chemical until 1956.

            He then began working in car dealership. He found his niche on a week where he was taking care of his friends dealership while he was away on business. By the end of the week, Daniel had sold every one of the cars. He once traded a car for a house in Fordyce. When he began his first car lot there were two good friends of his that helped him out allot. One man was a mechanic who looked at the vehicles that came in and another was a body shop owner who repaired good running cars. Simultaneously he bought, renovated, and sold homes around El Dorado. In 1964 he had a near fatal car wreck . It was raining and a car carrying Dr. Rammy, his wife, son and son's girlfriend hydroplaned in-front of his vehicle. Daniel was the only survivor against all odd. The arriving paramedics thought he was already dead at the scene and did not tend to him. His 3^rd son, Glenn was born. All 3 boys went to Parkers Chapel until high school when they went to El Dorado High School. Mary became a missionary and traveled around the world. When David was in 8^th grade he was on the school counsel. Mary and Daniel divorced, remarried, then divorced again when all sons had left home. Mary moved away and lived near her sister in Arizona. Daniel find a girlfriend at his church named Harriet. In 1984 his first grandson, named Jeremy, was born  to Glenn and his wife. 2 years later his second grandson, John was born. He owned the car dealer ship Carelocks Car lot. His son Danny began working with him.  In 1990, David has a daughter, Marcie. David was working in New York at the time and before he came back to El Dorado Daniel found out and offered to help out her Mother.

Remembering the Earthquake

He was a father. He was a son. He was a wrestler. His name was John Anthony Tenta. His

life began on June 22nd, 1963 in Surrey, British Colombia. Born at over 11 pounds, it wasn't

surprising he grew into a large man. He became a wrestler and a football player for LSU after high

school. Later, he moved onto sumo wrestling. He traveled to Japan and that is where he meets his

wife. Back in the states, John began his career in American wrestling. For over 10 years, he

dedicated himself to wrestling. His family was growing alongside his career. He proved himself to

be a family man along with championship holding wrestler.

The life of the young John Tenta was as normal as any Canadian child. In talking to his

son I learned John Tenta Sr., John's father, was a logger. It was one of the riskiest jobs he could

have chosen. His mother, Irene, was a caterer. She knew hundreds of recipes and was a trusted

planner. John was the youngest of three children. He had two older sisters, Brenda and Iorna.

Being the only boy and his father an outdoors kind of man it could be assumed he saw some labor.

Little John at 6 years old soon learned his calling when instead of Saturday cartoons, his dad

switched the channels over to wrestling. He learned freestyle wrestling at North Surrey Secondary

and he became a junior champion by 1981. He was barely over 18 when he had won over 17 junior

Canada championships. John described himself as a clumsy boy that got himself hurt often. Much

of it became lost history since he did not get a chance to tell his son the crazier parts of his

childhood.

There weren't many things that could be found about before his college years. After high

school he moved on to Louisiana. Wikipedia states, he received a scholarship to LSU for NCAA-
level CollegiateWrestling. LSU had to drop the wresting team, forcing John to pick a new sport.

He then played of the Junior Varsity football team. With his huge build he quickly got the

nickname, “Big John.” A few of his buddies recall him lifting two guys and carrying them beneath

his arms. On weekends, he was the bouncer of the local college bar. He became so well liked they

called him “The Bengal”. His reputation only grew as a nice guy.

During a trip to Vancouver, he meets a former Yokozuna, a high ranking sumo wrestler.

Through him, he was recruited to Japan to pursue Sumo Wrestling. In October 1985, he joined a

sumo stable run by Kotozakura Masakatsu.(Wikipedia.com) This is where he got his first Alias in

his wrestling career. He was called “Kototenta” which means “Tenta the Harp”. Soon he proved

that he could be a great sumo wrestler. In just 6 months he won 17 ranked matches. His name was

promptly beefed up to “Heavenly Mountain Harp” or “Kototenzan”. He was the third western

sumo wrestler in the world. He was given media coverage over his achievements and was

nicknamed the “Canadian Comet” by the people of America.

John signed a big contract with All Japan Pro Wrestling, which was run by the legendary

Giant Baba, also a sumo wrestler. Soon, it had to come to an end though. He decided to quit when

he felt to harm it was doing to his body. Along with that, he could not achieve a higher rank

because of his large tattoo of a tiger from college. In Japan, tattoos were associated with gangsters

and were dishonorable. John Jr was told that before saying goodbye to Japan his dad found a one

of a kind keepsake, his mother Josephine. John Tenta and Josephine meet at a Japanese bar. She

was a beautiful Filipino singer who was a part of a band that played there.

Josephine came back with John to marry him in the United States. Not long after he

returned, wrestling promoters were seeking him. Many of them had followed his stories. He briefly

began wrestling under his own name, John Tenta, in March of 1989. He participated in what was

called “dark matches”. These were fights fought with the cameras off to warm up the crowd. He

was testing his talents under the radar. He signed with WWF, World Wrestling Federation on the

November of 1989. His first ever match with his new alias was in September of that year. He was

then to be known as “Earthquake Evans.”

Obsessedwithwrestling.com says that during Johns first televised show he was staged as a

random audience member to be brought into the ring. He was to sit on Bravo's back as he did a set

of push­ups. Instead, he did a jumping sit and claimed his signature move for the rest of his career

as Earthquake. At the height of his fame he was paired with no other than Hulk Hogan. It was

coined a feud between them during May of 1990. A feud in wrestling was a staged rivalry between

multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. After a series of matches Hogan was named the

winner. John then became the winner of WrestleMania. Earthquake was then paired to feud Jake

"The Snake" Roberts which lasted all summer of 1991.

When the feud ended finally, John joined a team with his friend Fred Ottman who became

the Typhoon. Together they made the team The Natural Disasters. They fought for tag team titles

but were eventually sold out by their manager for another team. John left the WWF in January

1993 after losing to Bam Bam Bigelow the night after the Royal Rumble. He returned in January

1994 when he assisted Bret Hart in a match with Shawn Michaels by countering Diesel's

interference. Personal money troubles made John contact Hulk Hogan who lobbied to have John

come in WCW, World Championship Wrestling. John broke his WWF contract to join WCW. He

then changed his name to the Avalanche, but WWF sued since it resembled his past title. He was

then called “The Shark” when he joined a team Dungeon of Doom. This all happened in just a 3

year span between 1994 and 1997.

Another feud began between Big Bubba Rogers, one of his own team mates. This lead to

him leaving WCW to join WWF, again. He had lost weight during his absence so he had to choose

a more fitting name. He joined the team The Oddities and was given a name and persona to him.

He was now Golga which wore a leather mask and carried a Cartman plushy from southpark.

During this same time he ran a wrestling school out of Sanford, Florida.

(obsessedwithwresiling.com) The oddities disappeared in late 1999 though and John was on his

own again. He returned to WWF in 2001 as Earthquake. By 2004 he retired upon learning about

the appearance of cancer in his bladder and a lung tumor.

Throughout his wrestling career, he was also a family man. John’s family remembers he

could not be active in his family life due to his career. Josephine and he had three children

together. First was Jeff Tenta. He has his father’s stoutness and his mother’s complexion. He was

born around John's early 1980 career. Next was his daughter Joanna. She was born near the end of

the 80's. Last, but not least, was his youngest son, John Tenta Jr. He was born in 1992 around the

time of The Natural Disasters had. All three children got a glimpse of their father’s active life.

John Jr. recalled, “I remember him traveling a whole lot and being gone for several weeks at a

time. My family and I would tune in whenever he would be on TV and cheer him on. He and I also

watched a lot of his old tapes where my mom recorded him on TV. “As for backstage this was

where all the magic happened. John Jr. can describe his first taste of the prep before big wrestling

matches. “You need to stretch and get yourself ready for the match. With wrestling, it's also a very

personal type thing... As in the people get to know how the wrestlers act with all of those

interviews you see before matches.” He learned young that his father was putting on a show and

knew he really wasn't getting hurt. He traveled a lot and was always gone long periods of time.

When John was home, he was a great husband and a father. His family’s home was full of

laughter most of the time. Either it be a bouncy ball war in the living room or a heart filled talk at

the dinner table, it was a loving home. Tragic news hit the family hard one summer of 2004. John

Tenta developed bladder cancer near the end of his wrestling career. His family and friends

supported him and prayed for him to get well. His home became dark and solemn. John's family

was devout catholic followers. John Jr. could still remember their prayers. “We would pray the

Rosary every day and my dad would be blessed several times by our priest throughout his battle

...” He soon began to seek treatment and was put on chemo. John was active in keeping his fans up

to date. In November of 2004, he announced in an interview with Raw magazine that the chemo

failed and tumors had spread to his lungs. Johns family made the trip to Houston, Texas where

they could be close to his treatment. They decided to move there. John Jr. was just entering 6th

grade at the time.

They spent weeks in hotel rooms until they secured a house to live in. They found a place

just a few miles out of the busy city and close to the kid’s new schools. John was optimistic

throughout and kept his faith in God. The family went on as normal. If there were conflicts

between siblings or financial stress, he always handled them calmly. He thanked God for his life

and for his beautiful family. He traveled the world and was at peace was his life. Years went by

and he kept every one informed about his health. He involved himself with fans via internet

forums. He regularly was interviewed by magazines and radio stations. His oldest, Jeff was

engaged and his daughter was preparing for college. Soon though, the cancer began wearing down

his body. He kept his family calm and he let them be prepared for this moment. He did not want

them to blame God or themselves. He loved all of them and they were beside him always. In the

early morning of June 7th, 2006, John Anthony Tenta passed away. His family was with him and

he felt their love and sadness.

Now, in 2009, the Tenta family still moving on with the hint of their fathers love always

surrounding them.. Jeff Tenta has a son now and is happily married. They are going to visit

everyone in Christmas. Joanna is in her second year of college. She comes around every month.

John Jr. is a junior in high school and on the varsity football team. He lives with his mother

Josephine and developed the average teenage son/mother relationship. Its tougher now then it used

to be. Moneys tight and things were downsized to fit the family. They moved from their home to

an apartment. They still get support from the wrestling community. John friends he made during

his career kept in touch with them. John's sisters and parents call the kids and make sure

everything is going good. John's youngest, John Jr., wanted to add his own story and feelings. “I

would come home from school and walk into his room every day to find him working on a

crossword puzzle. When I walked in, he would set it down and we would talk until dinner time. He

ALWAYS had time for family within reason of his job, of course. It's ridiculous how much my

family is based off of love, which is heavily influenced by my dad. Even when he was wheelchair

bound, he would come out to watch me play football for my school, even though we had a losing

record of 0­8. As famous as my dad was, he was never one to hold that above his head. He was the

most humble, down to earth person I knew, even though he had every reason to be full of himself.

I knew John's family because I met John Jr. over the internet over 6 years ago. The family

knew me and I was acquainted with them through voice chat and web cam. John’s dad was a great

guy, but I never had the chance to meet the family. As much as I went through along with them, I

feel close as them as neighbors. John Tenta should be recognized as the man he was remembered.

(REview)Lars and the Real Girl

I had seen Lars and the Real Girl when it first came out. I am always looking for the next indie

psychological film. What reminded me of this was from the list of movies off of PsychMajors.com. I

wanted to see this because I think it is absolutely fascinating how Lars connected to this life size replica

of a woman. The manifestation which became Bianca in his eyes was a reflection of his inner self. He

made her a story, a life, even down to the reason she was in a wheel chair. I think this would be

categorized as a delusion somehow. In the text book I could not find anything about inanimate objects

being addressed as living things. On page 248, there is the topic on delusions and hallucinations. I really

do not think this book would have covered it. I did learn from research is that when objects or animals

are given human characteristics it would be called Anthropomorphism. Not many people have studied the

human psyche in relation to loving and caring for an object has a human being. I actually have begun to

taking steps begin this as a thesis while I progress in psychology.

So far the studies on anthropomorphism have been the personification of pets. An article by

Tanya L. Chartrand, Gráinne M. Fitzsimons, and Gavan J. Fitzsimons, is about how anthropomorphism

activate associated concepts and automatically influence behavior. In Lars and the Real girl, the people

who cared for Lars treated Bianca as he did. For him to give her a name and call her feminine nouns

I think it definitely encouraged the people around him to also do so. For humans to relate human

characteristics to human like objects is not at all uncommon. Though it is not normally a grown man to a

woman figure, we can see it in other places. Children for example adore dolls and talk to them and groom

them like they are real. The difference from a baby and a baby doll to a young child could simply be

someone encouraging gentleness to the real baby.

Before watching Lars and the Real Girl, I knew these dolls were out there. I won’t say that I

learned something like, “There are people who love inanimate objects.” I want to say that I learned from

the movie was that the kindness of people weaned Lars off this crutch. It was a movie though, and to

believe that it could happen could be inaccurate. To watch a movie and learn something about it would

have to be something you never heard of before and you have that realization that the same situation

is out there in real life. I was impressed with the therapist though. I would like to be like her one day.

Something that I could take from this was the indirect approach to therapy. From the article is where I

learned many things. The experiment was a study of people who perceive dogs or cats as loyal. Loyal is

this context is the human characteristic associated of the dog. None said that a cat was more loyal than a

dog. Cartoons, books, and movies, all represent dogs as loyal and cats as snobs. It makes me think, why

should the word “loyal” be for both man and dog?

Gay Marriage for America

Imagine a world where a country, which claims to offer freedom to all it citizens, still

oppresses its people. Even after a civil war was fought in 1861-1865 to free the slaves and even

after women were given the 9th

have been made against them and even to this day these laws have yet to be broken.

Homosexuals are still oppressed by the United States of America which contradicts the rights

given to us in the U.S. constitution by our fore fathers. Given, there have been improvements

over the last 30 years or so, including sexual orientation being added to discrimination laws, and

that gay men and woman are not allowed to be open about their sexual orientation when they

apply for jobs or vote. However, there is one last thing though that drastically alienates this

minority, gay Americans are not allowed to marry each other in certain parts of our “free”

country. How can America be so hypocritical?

As you can tell, I am an advocate for same-sex marriage. Gay Americans should be

allowed to marry their partners and achieve the same benefits as everyone else does. Our

country was founded on religious freedom and escape from the injustice. But, religion does not

have a place in American politics that advocate a separation between church and state. The

benefits for married couples in this country are essential for the American dream. Same-sex

couples deserve to be a part of this dream as well. In all actuality, this is a form of punishing gay

people for being gay in the first place. All throughout nature there are examples of

homosexuality in animals, and it is perfectly natural to be found in humans. whether it be

Christians or homophobics, there is no reason to not allow there Americans the freedoms of

their country.

Basically, laws for gay Americans will never be good enough until the United States

allow same-sex marriage across the country. As of November 2009 there are only nine states

out of fifty-one that will allow and honor a same-sex marriage.(gaylife.about.com) Every state in

this country has gay couples who would like more than anything to become married. President

Obama does not have this on his agenda and probably never will if he holds onto his values. He

believes marriage is between a man and a woman and would like to live it up to the states. He

has made one promise to the homosexual population, which is to end the “don’t ask, don’t tell”

policy in the US Army. This policy is to discourage homosexuality expressed in the military, they

do not ask if a soldier is gay and the soldier will never confess. Right now, the benefits to get

married under the U.S. government are quite numerable, medical benefits to give the spouse

authority over the other, the government benefits for Medicare or social security income, the tax

benefits which reduce taxes, and employment benefits that allow a spouses days to care for a

spouse. All of these, especially in this economy, would be equally as beneficial for a same-sex

marriage as to a opposite-sex marriage. This is an unfair burden placed on homosexuals in the

United States. The rights, or entitlements given to American citizens, have been ripped away

from these people the moment they showed their sexual orientation. Until same-sex marriage is

legalized for the whole country, they will not be treated as equals.

Similarly, Religion has always been the wall between the people and the law. Christian

faith should subside when our political leaders are appointed to implement the countries laws.

When bills for same-sex marriage are rejected, what other excuses could they use besides

saying it is “morally wrong?” There aren’t many things people can use to try to justify denying

rights to homosexuals. One of our founding fathers Thomas Jefferson once said, "Make no

law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,(Library of

congress, Th Jefferson, 1802.)” By having To use the bible or the word of religious leaders

as the basis of their argument, these politicians are showing their lack of credibility and of

substantial evidence.

As well as, the legal benefits of getting married in the United States is a major factor in

many couples decision to do so. If I were to get married, the US governments grant me several

advantages of living in America. From Nolo, legal encyclopedia, tax benefits, estate planning

benefits, government benefits, employment benefits, medical benefits, death benefits, housing

benefits, and consumer benefits. Same-sex marriages that are in legal states cannot receive

these benefits since the US Government does not recognize it as a marriage because it is not a

nations law.

When I was young I heard of a story about a gay couple where one of them was in

the hospital. They have been partners for many years when suddenly illness interrupted their

lives. He was admitted to a hospital and he became worse. His partner was not allowed to see

him since he was neither a spouse or family member. The man died alone in a hospital bed

without a single trace of love in the room. I could not understand what being gay meant, but I

could understand the pain of the man died alone without his loving partner by his side. I would

imagine that if his family did not come to see him, there wasn’t anyone to take his things thus

they were discarded.

During my research, I found there were multiple cases of this happening across

the country. The story of Janice and Lisa, a lesbian couple of Florida, was similar to this

but involved 3 children that they had raised together. Along with medical benefits such as

hospital visits, marriage also brings along a higher rate of financial stability to the couple. Tax

deductibles and government assistance help balance a households income. Employment

benefits guaranty days off if a spouse is sick or able to jointly use employment insurance.(nolo)

How could it be justified to exclude the same-sex couples majority from these opportunities?

Marriage benefits along with love are a fundamental part of getting married in the United States.

Gay Americans deserve this same opportunity.

 Furthermore, homosexuality is not a new concept of this century. There have been

hundreds of documented cases of homosexual couples since humans could put drawing

utensils on a surface. In 12000bc and 5000bc there were cave drawings in Europe of homo

eroticism.(aaronsgayinfo.com, queer facts) Many people view same-sex marriage as unnatural.

When marriage was invented it was a union to combine families under contract with god.

According to the common-law of the bible, this is where it states “marriage is a union between

a man and a woman.” Our country attached benefits to marriages so that couples could thrive

in the modern world. To say gay marriage isn’t natural because they are a couple who cannot

reproduce is like saying a sterile husband or wife is equally unnatural.

Norwegian Natural History Museum of the University of Oslo calculated in over 1500

species on this planet there has be observable cases of homosexuality. Animals such as

dolphins and penguins have had long lasting same-sex partnerships or practice gay sex. This

did not hurt the population nor did it make an irreversible impact on the animals around them.

Petter Boeckman, who is the academic advisor for the "Against Nature's Order?" exhibition

said, "One fundamental premise in social debates has been that homosexuality is unnatural.

This premise is wrong. Homosexuality is both common and highly essential in the lives of a

number of species."(news-medical.net, Oct 2006) The United States has the capabilities to

allow these marriages of same-sex couples, but continue to deny homosexuals are human

being just as heterosexuals.

The majority of those who oppose gay marriage would be Christian Americans.

Since the Christian reformation organized by the catholic church in Europe, gay people were

considered to be sinners because of their pursuit of the same-sex that to reproduce. In the

bible, many use the story of Sodom and Gomorrah as justification that God disapproves

of homosexuality. This is found quite early on in Genesis. Moses also added laws which

addressed homosexuality which Christians related to all gay people. But later, in the New

Testament, Jesus did not mention anything wrong with same-sex couples. In the book of

“Samuel”, David and Jonathan where an open gay couple. They proclaimed their love and even

the bible describes an intimate moment together.(rainbowallowanceofopenfaith.com) American

politics should not be decided on one religious faith though. Our founding father, Thomas

Jefferson, extremely disapproved of churches making laws in their areas of the country. As he

learned from history, I’m sure, a country dominated by Christianity is only to cause chaos.

Same-sex marriage will remain an issue until ignorance end and people become more

educated about the issue. Americans should learn from the mistakes of others throughout

history. Though Christianity is the dominate religion in the United States, it should not be

used to decided thousands of Americans future. Our country made marriage to be more

than a combination of two families to make the next generation. They gave permissions and

opportunities to strictly heterosexuals. We have come a long way from keeping ethnic minorities

to be discriminated against. This view of the supposed abnormalities surrounding homosexuals

has made the United States of America into a hypercritic nation. I would like to see same-sex

marriage legalized for the whole country in my life time. We need gay and straight gay marriage

supports to go directly to the source. We must all pressure state politicians and let them know

that this is not fair.