Dear, Parents of SLV High School Students
In America drug and alcohol abuse is of epidemic proportion. Many children in the United States are as young as 12 and 13 years old when they start experimenting with illicit drugs or alcohol. A shocking aspect of this issue is that many parents condone the use of these substances. This is a problem because substance abuse makes people compromise their integrity and lose sight of the priorities in their life. When someone starts to drink alcohol or experiment with drugs it can seem to be a really fun thing to do. My concern is that often times what seems to be harmless experimentation becomes a serious habit. If teenagers knew the risks they are taking when trying drugs and alcohol I believe they would be less likely to try them in the first place.
It is my opinion that many people start experimenting with drugs and alcohol because of the influences in their life. Who you are hanging out with, the music you listen to, the kind of TV you watch. All these things play are part in the person you become. The issue is that drugs and alcohol are so prevelant as well as glorified in every aspect of our society. It seems like one in five commercials is a beer or liquour add that has a beautiful women, and the guy holding a 'budlight' ends up with her. Is that reality though? I have had a bud light, and that sure didn't happen to me. Or when you turn on the radio and the artist is singing about being high 'up in da club' and he/she makes it sound like the best time in his/her life. These are not the realities of drug use though. These are the brief moments of euphoria that occur in the early stages of drug use. My experience is that at some point the individual becomes dependant on the substance and it starts to have a negative impact in their life, and it becomes progressively worse. This is a problem that is tough to address because it almost seems that the youth glorifies this rough road that a person who uses drugs endures. It seems that in todays society the more messed up you are the cooler you are.
I personally didn't feel like there was much of an attempt in my teenage years to help me understand the risks of using drugs or alcohol. Every now and again there would be an educational video shown in my middle school, and all I really remember is the video showing photos of car crashes and statistics on fatalities due to drugs and alcohol. To me this seems like a feeble attempt for such a serious and widespread issue in our country. It was even as if I myself wanted to start experimenting because I knew so little about it, and that their was this mystery of what it was like. Now i'm 23 and I have watched many friends who at one time had every intention and opportunity to live a happy life, either die or have thier life crumble to pieces from drugs and alcohol. It's really sad, and part of me believes that with better guidance and influence that might not be the case.
The accessibility of drugs and alcohol plays a role in why its such a widespread issue. Today a teenager can simply ask 'google' "what medicines get you high?" and find out that his or her medicine cabinet is a drug dealer. It is easy for them to find a friend who his or her parents have a large supply of liquor that they can easily tap into to. It seems to me that this is an overlooked issue in most homes and most parents take little precautionary action to prevent experimentation of drugs and alcohol in a childs life. I also believe that some don't see the severity of this issue. If there was anything in the way of a solution to this serious problem in our society it would be to better educate the youth in America of the real life consequences of using drugs and alcohol. Not to just tell a teenager every now and again "drugs are bad", but to educate them throughout the process of their teenage to young adult life.
Drug and alcohol abuse in America is an issue that is overlooked. It is normal to us that everywhere in our lives there is shameless promotion of drug and alcohol use. Then it is puzzling to so many a parent how their kid is the one that is hooked. I'm not sure there is a solution to eradicate the issue of substance abuse, but I do believe there is hope for harm reduction. If our society worked towards better educating the youth of the risks of experimenting with drugs and alcohol. If the parents of America oversaw the influences in a childs life, and explained the reality of using drugs and alcohol. Above all else, we as a nation start to recognize that this is a problem that needs immediate attention.
Monday, May 27, 2013
dear john letter rough
Dear, Parents of SLV High School Students
In America drug and alcohol abuse is of epidemic proportion. Many children in the United States are as young as 12 and 13 years old when they start experimenting with illicit drugs or alcohol. A shocking aspect of this issue is that many parents condone the use of these substances. This is a problem because substance abuse makes people compromise their integrity and lose sight of the priorities in their life. When someone starts to drink alcohol or experiment with drugs it can seem to be a really fun thing to do. My concern is that often times what seems to be harmless experimentation becomes a serious habit. If teenagers knew the risks they are taking when trying drugs and alcohol I believe they would be less likely to try them in the first place.
It is my opinion that many people start experimenting with drugs and alcohol because of the influences in their life. Who you are hanging out with, the music you listen to, the kind of TV you watch. All these things play are part in the person you become. The issue is that drugs and alcohol are so prevelant as well as glorified in every aspect of our society. It seems like one in five commercials is a beer or liquour add that has a beautiful women, and the guy holding a 'budlight' ends up with her. Is that reality though? I have had a bud light, and that sure didn't happen to me. Or when you turn on the radio and the artist is singing about being high 'up in da club' and he/she makes it sound like the best time in his/her life. These are not the realities of drug use though. These are the brief moments of euphoria that occur in the early stages of drug use. My experience is that at some point the individual becomes dependant on the substance and it starts to have a negative impact in their life, and it becomes progressively worse.
The accessibility of drugs and alcohol plays a role in why its such a widespread issue. Today a teenager can simply ask 'google' "what medicines get you high?" and find out that his or her medicine cabinet is a drug dealer. It is easy for them to find a friend who his or her parents have a large supply of liquor that they can easily tap into to. It seems to me that this is an overlooked issue in most homes and most parents take little precautionary action to prevent experimentation of drugs and alcohol in their childs life, or maybe they themselves don't see the severity of this issue. If there was anything in the way of a solution to this serious issue it would be to better educate the youth in America of the real life consequences of using drugs and alcohol.
Drug and alcohol abuse in America is an issue that is overlooked. It is normal to us that everywhere in our lives there is shameless promotion of drug and alcohol use. It is then puzzling to so many a parent how their kid is the one that is hooked. I'm not sure there is a solution to eradicate the issue of substance abuse, but I do believe there is hope for harm reduction. If our society worked towards better educating the youth of the risks of experimenting with drugs and alcohol. If the parents of America oversaw the influences in a childs life, and explained the reality of using drugs and alcohol. Above all else, we as a nation start to recognize that this is an issue that needs to be addressed.
In America drug and alcohol abuse is of epidemic proportion. Many children in the United States are as young as 12 and 13 years old when they start experimenting with illicit drugs or alcohol. A shocking aspect of this issue is that many parents condone the use of these substances. This is a problem because substance abuse makes people compromise their integrity and lose sight of the priorities in their life. When someone starts to drink alcohol or experiment with drugs it can seem to be a really fun thing to do. My concern is that often times what seems to be harmless experimentation becomes a serious habit. If teenagers knew the risks they are taking when trying drugs and alcohol I believe they would be less likely to try them in the first place.
It is my opinion that many people start experimenting with drugs and alcohol because of the influences in their life. Who you are hanging out with, the music you listen to, the kind of TV you watch. All these things play are part in the person you become. The issue is that drugs and alcohol are so prevelant as well as glorified in every aspect of our society. It seems like one in five commercials is a beer or liquour add that has a beautiful women, and the guy holding a 'budlight' ends up with her. Is that reality though? I have had a bud light, and that sure didn't happen to me. Or when you turn on the radio and the artist is singing about being high 'up in da club' and he/she makes it sound like the best time in his/her life. These are not the realities of drug use though. These are the brief moments of euphoria that occur in the early stages of drug use. My experience is that at some point the individual becomes dependant on the substance and it starts to have a negative impact in their life, and it becomes progressively worse.
The accessibility of drugs and alcohol plays a role in why its such a widespread issue. Today a teenager can simply ask 'google' "what medicines get you high?" and find out that his or her medicine cabinet is a drug dealer. It is easy for them to find a friend who his or her parents have a large supply of liquor that they can easily tap into to. It seems to me that this is an overlooked issue in most homes and most parents take little precautionary action to prevent experimentation of drugs and alcohol in their childs life, or maybe they themselves don't see the severity of this issue. If there was anything in the way of a solution to this serious issue it would be to better educate the youth in America of the real life consequences of using drugs and alcohol.
Drug and alcohol abuse in America is an issue that is overlooked. It is normal to us that everywhere in our lives there is shameless promotion of drug and alcohol use. It is then puzzling to so many a parent how their kid is the one that is hooked. I'm not sure there is a solution to eradicate the issue of substance abuse, but I do believe there is hope for harm reduction. If our society worked towards better educating the youth of the risks of experimenting with drugs and alcohol. If the parents of America oversaw the influences in a childs life, and explained the reality of using drugs and alcohol. Above all else, we as a nation start to recognize that this is an issue that needs to be addressed.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
annotated bibliography
Sheff, David. "Solving the Prescription Drug Misuse Tragedy." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 08 May 2013. Web. 08 May 2013.
In this article written by David Sheff, he discusses the severity of the prescription drug abuse problem among college students in America. He talks about how many young adults are under the impression that prescription drugs is a form of harm reduction, and that because they are coming from a doctor that they are not as bad as other illicit drugs such as heroin, methamphetamine, or cocaine. Sheff uses bold examples and statistics to argue that these prescription drugs are just as dangerous and deadly as the kind you buy on a street corner. In some cases, once an individual is addicted to say 'oxycontin' (a prescription pill that is an opiate) it can become hard to find these drugs and many resort to harder street drugs such as heroin. In the article Sheff goes on to present the light at the end of the tunnel. He shares that the Clinton Foundation is taking a pledge to combat this issue through their 'Health Matters Foundation' and that their is hope for a solution to this problem.
Monday, April 29, 2013
RA: Killer Culture
James Cone
Instructor Stacy Knapp
English 1A
May 10, 2013
In "Killer Culture" written by David Kupelian, he attempts to sway the minds of parents in America and asks them to take head of the dangerous world that awaits out their childs front door. Kupelian is a man in his sixties who has written many books such as "How Evil Works", and "The Marketing of Evil". The tone of this text is pious and self righteous. He uses this aggressive style of writing to almost scare people into what he thinks they should do about this killer sub-culture. I would say that his main audience would be parents of traditional American Judeo-Christian beliefs. The audience that reads this and doesn't subscribe to Kupelians' opinion would probably see him as paranoid.
In this text Kupelian uses lots of evidence to support his claim. He uses examples such as hip hop music and how it has cultivated what he calls a 'gangsta nation'. That this type of music has corrupted our children into adopting black inner-city mentalities. The language he uses is strong and grabs the reader. He states, "Today's culture is a child molestor". The use of this language is Kupelians way of persuading the audience into believing that this is a serious issue that needs attention. Using such terminology and examples is his attempt to warn the reader of the horrendous world that awaits the youth of today. That the music they listen to, the tv shows they watch, and the world about them is the promotion of sex, drugs, and violence.
Kupelian formats this text in a way that makes it easy for the reader to believe that if they do not shelter their children that they will be the next victim of 'killer culture'. It is very persuasive. His use of evidence and strong and bold language builds suspense for the reader. He does a good job in displaying his opinion and supporting it with thorough research and evidence. He then calmly provides the reader with a solution to the problem, in hopes to convert his reader. I believe that Kupelian really believes in what he is writing about, and I think that is his job. Therefore, I may not believe in his opinion to the extent he does, but I appreciate his ability to get me thinking about this topic.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Change
James Cone
Instructor Stacy Knapp
English 1A
April 21, 2013
In America drug and alcohol abuse is of epidemic proportion. Many children in the United States are as young as 12 and 13 years old when they start experimenting with illicit drugs or alcohol. A shocking aspect of this issue is that many parents condone the use of these substances. This is a problem because substance abuse makes people compromise their integrity and lose sight of the priorities in their life. When someone starts to drink alcohol or experiment with drugs it can seem to be a really fun thing to do. My concern is that often times what seems to be harmless experimentation becomes a serious habit. If teenagers knew the risks they are taking when trying drugs and alcohol I believe they would be less likely to try them in the first place.
It is my opinion that many people start experimenting with drugs and alcohol because of the influences in their life. Who you are hanging out with, the music you listen to, the kind of TV you watch. All these things play are part in the person you become. The issue is that drugs and alcohol are so prevelant as well as glorified in every aspect of our society. It seems like one in five commercials is a beer or liquour add that has a beautiful women, and the guy holding a 'budlight' ends up with her. Is that reality though? I have had a bud light, and that sure didn't happen to me. Or when you turn on the radio and the artist is singing about being high 'up in da club' and makes it sound like the best time in his life. These are not the realities of drug use. These are the brief moments of euphoria that occur in the early stages of drug use. My experience is that at some point the individual becomes dependant on the substance and it starts to have a negative impact in their life, and it becomes progressively worse.
The accessibility of drugs and alcohol plays a role in why its such a widespread issue. Today a teenager can simply ask 'google' "what medicines get you high?" and find out that his or her medicine cabinet is a drug dealer. It is easy for them to find a friend who his or her parents have a large supply of liquor that they can easily tap into to. It seems to me that this is an overlooked issue in most homes and most parents take little precautionary action to prevent experimentation of drugs and alcohol in their childs life, or maybe they themselves don't see the severity of this issue.
Drug and alcohol abuse in America is an issue that is overlooked. It is normal to us that everywhere in our lives there is shameless promotion of drug and alcohol use. It is then puzzling to so many a parent how their kid is hooked. I'm not sure there is a solution to eradicate the issue of substance abuse, but I do believe there is hope for harm reduction. If our society worked towards better educating the youth of the risks of experimenting with drugs and alcohol. If the parents of America oversaw the influences in a childs life, and explained the reality of using drugs and alcohol. Above all else, we as a nation start to recognize that this is an issue that needs to be addressed.
Instructor Stacy Knapp
English 1A
April 21, 2013
In America drug and alcohol abuse is of epidemic proportion. Many children in the United States are as young as 12 and 13 years old when they start experimenting with illicit drugs or alcohol. A shocking aspect of this issue is that many parents condone the use of these substances. This is a problem because substance abuse makes people compromise their integrity and lose sight of the priorities in their life. When someone starts to drink alcohol or experiment with drugs it can seem to be a really fun thing to do. My concern is that often times what seems to be harmless experimentation becomes a serious habit. If teenagers knew the risks they are taking when trying drugs and alcohol I believe they would be less likely to try them in the first place.
It is my opinion that many people start experimenting with drugs and alcohol because of the influences in their life. Who you are hanging out with, the music you listen to, the kind of TV you watch. All these things play are part in the person you become. The issue is that drugs and alcohol are so prevelant as well as glorified in every aspect of our society. It seems like one in five commercials is a beer or liquour add that has a beautiful women, and the guy holding a 'budlight' ends up with her. Is that reality though? I have had a bud light, and that sure didn't happen to me. Or when you turn on the radio and the artist is singing about being high 'up in da club' and makes it sound like the best time in his life. These are not the realities of drug use. These are the brief moments of euphoria that occur in the early stages of drug use. My experience is that at some point the individual becomes dependant on the substance and it starts to have a negative impact in their life, and it becomes progressively worse.
The accessibility of drugs and alcohol plays a role in why its such a widespread issue. Today a teenager can simply ask 'google' "what medicines get you high?" and find out that his or her medicine cabinet is a drug dealer. It is easy for them to find a friend who his or her parents have a large supply of liquor that they can easily tap into to. It seems to me that this is an overlooked issue in most homes and most parents take little precautionary action to prevent experimentation of drugs and alcohol in their childs life, or maybe they themselves don't see the severity of this issue.
Drug and alcohol abuse in America is an issue that is overlooked. It is normal to us that everywhere in our lives there is shameless promotion of drug and alcohol use. It is then puzzling to so many a parent how their kid is hooked. I'm not sure there is a solution to eradicate the issue of substance abuse, but I do believe there is hope for harm reduction. If our society worked towards better educating the youth of the risks of experimenting with drugs and alcohol. If the parents of America oversaw the influences in a childs life, and explained the reality of using drugs and alcohol. Above all else, we as a nation start to recognize that this is an issue that needs to be addressed.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Reader Response #3: Killer Culture
James Cone
Instructor Stacy Knapp
English 1A
May 09, 2013
After reading "Killer Culture" by David Kupelian I was confronted with the question of, how healthy are the influences on the youth of America? He emphasizes how children of adolescent age are easily influenced. Kupelian writes, "so todays adolescents have co-opted inner-city black street style as the authentic way to be. To act black is to be strong, confrontational, and a little scary"(649). Kupelian goes on to say, "[t]his is a result of hip hop--a million dollar industry has captivated an entire generation with drama of the ghetto and its daily struggle for survival." I agree with what Kuplelian is saying. That the major influences on the youth of today are negative and growing more towards a place of darkness. This is what he calls a 'killer culture'. Kupelians' best idea to combat this issue is to home school your children and protect them from todays subculture. I don't agree. This issue can only be counteracted with positive influence, and positive direction from the authority figures in a childs life, not to be sheltered from the world around them.
Kupelian writes about the five major corporations that dominate the mass influence of society: Newscorp, Disney, Viacom, Universal Vivendi, and AOL/Time Warner (650). These companies spend large amounts of money researching and studying the kids in society today, and how they can best market their product to them. It seems that the only thing that matters to these corporations is how they are going to make money, and not what is in the best interest of our society.
Kupelians' solution for our 'killer culture' is to shelter your children from the horrendous world which awaits out your front door. I cannot subscribe to this at all. How do we learn without making decisions for our self? That doesn't mean I think a parent should give a child the right to make every decision for him or herself. When I take my dog to the dogpark I don't keep her on a leash, but I also don't take her off the leash and go run errands. I simply let my dog off the leash and allow her to enjoy being a dog. I watch and make sure that she is safe and not getting into trouble and if she does I take the necessary action to prevent it going on any further.
There are things that Kupelian believes that I find to be true. It is evident to me that there is an underworld of negative influences on our radios, magazines, internet, etc. But for the most part I believe that the major influences in a childs life are the people within his or her environment. Its the responsibility of the parent, sibling, teacher etc. to be a role model, and to discuss the dangers within our society today with a child. If we were to try and protect the youth from the world they live in we would be depriving them of the very nature of childhood. Healthy guidance and direction is a way to combat this issue without having to live in fear of the world we live in.
Monday, April 8, 2013
The World of MLA Format
James Cone
Instructor, Stacy Knapp
English 1A
April 7, 2013
My experience with using MLA format is pre-pubescent at best, but I have acquired more knowledge this semester in my English 1A class. It boils down to structure and format, and then the appropriate use of attribution (to avoid plagiarism). There are also little things like proper punctuation that become more fine tuned as you continue practicing MLA style writing. For me, it seemed complicating at first, having to learn an entirely new structure for writing. As I continue practicing MLA though, it becomes more easy.
I was given an assignment in my English 1A class that asked me to research a specific topic, and be sure to attribute sources, and cite them properly. My assignment was to summarize and article given to me by my instructor, that talked about the relationship between Iraq and America. My source of research fell solely on this printed article, and when it came to creating a work sited all I had to do was go to easybib.com and type in the URL link at the bottom of the printed article.
When it came to attributing my source, it was key for me to find key points in the article that supported my essay. It helped me convey to my audience what my essay was about, but I could not just take the information from the article and not cite the source. In Stacy Knapp's personal blog she states, "So I cut and paste the information onto my blog. If I don't attribute this source correctly, I have just plagiarized. For a writer, plagiarism is the equivalent of stealing." In the world of academia I am responsible for cultivating my own information, but that doesn't mean I can't use other peoples research and ideas to support my own. Attribution is the proper way to use someones work to support your own, while properly accrediting the original source of the information.
When it came to using attribution in my personal writing it enhanced my ability to create a text that had a clear message. When attribution became a part of my writing it inevitably enhanced my ability to research a topic I was writing about. In my Library 10 class (a co-requisite for English 1A) I learned to use the libraries database of texts of all kinds. This new-found tool has given me the ability to research at length a specific topic and use its sources to support my own writing.
Works Cited
"Instructorknapp." : Using Quotations, Paraphrasing and Summary. N.p., n.d. Web. 08
Apr. 2013.
Instructor, Stacy Knapp
English 1A
April 7, 2013
My experience with using MLA format is pre-pubescent at best, but I have acquired more knowledge this semester in my English 1A class. It boils down to structure and format, and then the appropriate use of attribution (to avoid plagiarism). There are also little things like proper punctuation that become more fine tuned as you continue practicing MLA style writing. For me, it seemed complicating at first, having to learn an entirely new structure for writing. As I continue practicing MLA though, it becomes more easy.
I was given an assignment in my English 1A class that asked me to research a specific topic, and be sure to attribute sources, and cite them properly. My assignment was to summarize and article given to me by my instructor, that talked about the relationship between Iraq and America. My source of research fell solely on this printed article, and when it came to creating a work sited all I had to do was go to easybib.com and type in the URL link at the bottom of the printed article.
When it came to attributing my source, it was key for me to find key points in the article that supported my essay. It helped me convey to my audience what my essay was about, but I could not just take the information from the article and not cite the source. In Stacy Knapp's personal blog she states, "So I cut and paste the information onto my blog. If I don't attribute this source correctly, I have just plagiarized. For a writer, plagiarism is the equivalent of stealing." In the world of academia I am responsible for cultivating my own information, but that doesn't mean I can't use other peoples research and ideas to support my own. Attribution is the proper way to use someones work to support your own, while properly accrediting the original source of the information.
When it came to using attribution in my personal writing it enhanced my ability to create a text that had a clear message. When attribution became a part of my writing it inevitably enhanced my ability to research a topic I was writing about. In my Library 10 class (a co-requisite for English 1A) I learned to use the libraries database of texts of all kinds. This new-found tool has given me the ability to research at length a specific topic and use its sources to support my own writing.
Works Cited
"Instructorknapp." : Using Quotations, Paraphrasing and Summary. N.p., n.d. Web. 08
Apr. 2013.
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