Response to The Politics of Rescue

I totally agree with this article when it states that no one wants to see the United States become the world’s policeman and that morally and politically, a division of labor is better. I also agree with the article when it says that the best use of American power would be to press other countries to do their share of the work. As a world leader, it is very hard for the United States to not get involved in the business of other countries. I think one of the hardest decisions we face is the decision of when to intervene and when not to. I feel that as a nation we find ourselves stuck between a rock and a hard place on many occasions. I believe we should do our best to pick and choose which battles we are willing to get involved in, with the American people’s well being in mind. With that said, I’d also like to quote a sentence from the article that stated, “Whenever the filthy work of tyrants can be stopped, it should be stopped.”

Response to Our Moral Duty In Iraq

Personally, I do not believe that we owe anything to Iraq or its people. Perhaps I am being ignorant, but I disagree with the article when it states that our duties in Iraq include combating terrorist groups, training and equipping Iraqi security forces, providing reconstruction assistance, take more Iraqi refugees, protecting the Kurds, and deterring Iranian aggression or regional instability. I have heard many times that we are in Iraq so that we can better protect our homes from terrorist’s attacks. I don’t think we should be doing any of the above mentioned duties unless it will bring us closer to our goals of providing safety for ourselves. In a perfect world, it would be nice if we could go to Iraq and just fix every little problem it has until it is stable, but I think it is important that we take a step back and watch out for ourselves before we go saving the world.

response to global warming reading

As the United States being the largest consumer of energy and the largest producer of carbon emissions, it is an absolute disgrace that we as a nation have just recently put caps on our carbon emissions. With the melting of the polar ice caps and the heating of the earth’s atmosphere, there is no way that you can put your political ideologies in comparison to scientific research. Reading this summary has only solidified my belief that global warming is in fact real and is occurring in our lifetime. By making more energy efficient appliances and reducing our carbon footprint, I believe that we can prevent more damage to our atmosphere. Some people may not think that the whole idea of global warming is a big deal because its effects happen slowly and over a long period of time. I feel that this is what makes the whole situation so dangerous. I believe that we have a serious problem on our hands and there are too small of a number of people involved in the efforts to make a change. I feel that if we as, not only a nation, but as a planet, do not do something to change our toxic and earth polluting ways, we will be condemning our earth as well as our future generation’s earth to certain destruction.

Response to: DNA Test Gives Students Ethnic Shocks

The article talks about how a few different people had their DNA tested to determine their ethnic backgrounds. The people they mentioned typically were surprised by the results of the tests, but a few of them mentioned that they would not let the results of the tests change who they are. I think it would be fun and interesting to have my DNA tested and find out exactly what my ethnic background is, simply due to the fact that I am curious. Like the people in the article, I would not let the results of my test change who I was or the way I acted. I do not think something like a DNA test should change the way you view people, who you associate with, or the way you act. With that said, I would also like to say that I think it is important to realize where you come from and to be proud of your heritage. I just think it is sad that some people believe that because they are a certain skin color or have a certain ethnic background, that they should only associate with people the same as them. I think that it is important to find the balance between the two.

Response to Your Gamete, Myself

As I read the Your Gamete, Myself article, I realized that I have many mixed emotions on the topics of things like sperm and egg donation as well adoption. I feel as if adoption is the healthiest and most logical choice for couples who are looking to become parents but are unable to do so on their own. I also feel that by adopting children, everyone involved in the situation wins. The adoptees get the child they always wanted or longed for but maybe were unable to have, and a needy child gets a home with loving parents who will raise and care for them. I feel that conceiving children artificially, in the long run only benefits the parents. The parents may get the child they have wanted or longed for but at what cost. Yes, it does cost a lot of money, but I am talking about an even greater cost. The donor of the egg is asked to take drugs whose side effects could require hospitalization and even in extremely rare instances, be fatal. For me, the whole idea of an egg donor just seems too unnatural. Another thing to consider is if and/or when to tell the child about how they were conceived. What if the child wants to meet their real mother or father and who gets to decide if they should be able to or not? I just think that the idea of having children artificially has the potential to create a lot of problems for not only the children but for the donor and recipients as well.

Facebook: Why I Love It Response

Matthew Greer

As I read the essay, Facebook: Why I Love It, I couldn’t help but find myself agreeing with most of, if not all of the things the author had to say about Facebook. While I understand why many skeptics of the site say too many people waste valuable time surfing around the site when they could be doing things like school work or exercising, I do see why many people value the conveniences the site has to offer. Facebook really allows for its users to catch up on and maintain their social lives without having to go and experience the hassles of things like awkward lunches and missed phone calls. With the click of a button, users can find and stay in touch with their long lost classmates and friends. Facebook also makes communication in long distance relationships much cheaper than previous means of communication. Now, users can Facebook instant message their friends, send them an inbox message, or post things on their walls, rather than having to pay a fee for something like a long distance phone call. Communicating in this way may seem less personal for some, but Facebook is simply offering us more options for means of communication.