The Morning After Pill

While browsing through my colleges blogs, the other day, I came across Caitlin Bakers, very enlightening, post, The Morning After: Plan B. I strongly support her ideas, as well as, the uses, and over the counter administration of the “morning after pill, Plan B. Caitlin’s article began by describing what the Plan B pill is made off and its effects. “It is made up of a synthetic hormone, levonorgestrel, which is an active ingredient in hormonal contraceptives. When used in time Plan B will prevent an unwanted pregnancy when other methods of birth control have failed or been ignored.” When I came across the part of her post regarding how it is legal for most states’ pharmacists to refuse the dispense of Plan B, I began to doubt the intelligence and stability of our nation government. The Plan B pill is, in no way, an act of terminating a life, it is a form of high dose birth control, used to prevent pregnancy, not end them. I feel that this method of birth control is both efficient and essential for all sexually active women. The National Campaign to prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy states, that "unplanned pregnancies cost $5 billion in direct medical costs in 2002, according to one estimate. This includes only the costs that are associated with the births ($3.9 billion), abortions ($797 million), and miscarriages ($266 million) that result from nearly 3 million unplanned pregnancies each year." This important bit of information makes it clear to see, that the administration of this pill is a very cost efficient method. I don’t see what is so morally wrong about this advanced form of birth control. Caitlin’s post holds an important quote by Dr. Susan Wood, a former FDA employee, who specifically states how this pill “can help a woman whose is in a situation, whether due to rape or problem with contraception.”I feel that the only way to look at this pill is to realize that no one is perfect, and we all make mistakes. This is a pill to just provide security in the importance of the life’s of women, across the world.

The Right to Die

For a doctor the decision of what is right and moral for a patient, who is resting on their death-bed, can be one of the most difficult decisions of their lives. The patient’s body has began to be taken over by cancer and disease, as they look into the doctors eyes and beg them for death. Should the doctor help this person end their life? What would you do? In my opinion, I strongly believe in a terminally ill patents’ right to choose whether are not to seek assistants in ending their lives; this is why I support Organ’s Death with Dignity Act. On October 27, 1997, Oregon enacted this bill, which allows their terminally-ill citizens’ to end their lives through the voluntary self-administration of lethal medications, prescribed by a physician for that purpose. From the passage of this bill to 2008, “401 patients have used this act, 81.8 percent of these patients where suffering from malignant neoplasm.” I know that many people criticize these thoughts, as well as, this bill; but I know that it is moral better to end ones pain then to let someone live a life of pain and sadness. In 2006, Gorge W. Bush challenged this act, in the case of Gonzales v. Oregon; but later the case was upheld by the Supreme Court. In Gonzales v. Oregon, the Supreme Court ruled that the United States Attorney General could not enforce the Controlled Substance Act against physicians prescribing drugs for the assisted suicide of the terminally ill, as permitted by an Oregon law. I feel that the Death with Dignity Act is an efficient and necessary bill. I also believe that the United States government should greatly consider creating a bill very similar to this one.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Death_with_Dignity_Act

Death Penalty

I thought I knew exactly where I stood on the death penalty issue, but after reading Misty Day’s article, “Wrongfull Convictions...Death Penalty?,” I began to rethink my stance on the topic. Before reading this entry, I thought as Misty did, I had no problem with the death penalty. I strongly believed that if one person took the life from another than it is only fitting for the killer to be put to death. I never really thought about the fact that there is a huge possibility that there may have been false evidence presented, at some point, during the investigations, leading the suspect to wrongfully be convicted. As Misty did, I too, researched the case of Todd Willingham, who was executed in 2004 based off faulty evidence. I knew our government was corrupt, but I never knew that Governor Perry was corrupt enough to deliberately replace a chairman of the Texas Forensic Science Commission, because he was going to "expose" what really happened. This is completely wrong! So now we come back to the question of whether or not the death penalty in right? Truly, I am now more confused than when I began my research. All I know is that I want the true murders to be served the death penalty, but only if the convicted has been severed a completely fair trial and there is solid evidence of their wrong doings.

Roe v. Wade

The governmental issue that I decided to write about is a controversy that has honestly arose across our country over in the past few decades, the pro-life pro-choice debate. The history of abortion can be traced all the way back to ancient times, but the first time that the United States truly faced this disagreement, as a nation, was in 1973, with the case of Roe v. Wade. Roe v. Wade was a landmark case where a woman challenged the Texas laws criminalizing abortion. In this case the Supreme Court held that a woman may abort her pregnancy for any reason, up until the point at which the fetus becomes viable. This radical case provoked a national debatethat continues today, over issues including whether and to what extent abortion should be legal, who should decide the legality of abortion, what methods the Supreme Court should use in constitutional adjudication, and what the role should be of religious and moral views in the political sphere. Roe V. Wade lead to a massive spilt of our nation, into pro choice and pro-life factions. I am pro-choice; I believe that every woman has the choice of when they decide to get pregnant and whether or not to conceive a child. I feel that women need to be responsible in doing everything they can to avoid having an unexpected event happen, by being safe and staying protected. With all things aside, I know that mistakes do happen, event in the most protected situations, and that women possess the legal right to their body and whether or not they conceive a child. I think that there needs to be a bill passed that declares that all women are able to receive cheap and accessible birth control. This will decrease the amount of abortions performed as well as the amount of parentless children.

Does the Punishment fit the Crime?

When I came across this article, I have chosen to critique, it completely blew my mind how impeded our school systems are in dealing with punishment for the children, of our nation. The article, I have found in the Austin American Statesman, explains informs the reader of a situation involving a Delaware first-grader, by the name of Zachary Christie. He is a six year-old who attended Downes Elementary School and had “wanted to eat lunch at school with is favorite camping utensil, a combination of folding fork, knife and spoon.” Now, because of Zachary minor poor decision he “now faces forty-five days in the district’s alternative school for troublemakers.” In this school, the Douglass School, the children are to participate in behavior modification programs and receive counseling. Now, in my opinion, really don’t feel like a six year old child, who decided to bring his favorite camping tool to school in order to show his friends, during lunch, really deserves to the sentenced to attend a school, in which he has to partake in behavior modification programs. I mean this situation is completely insane. How can you punish a child for bringing something to lunch that the school provides for the children during lunch, in the first place? I don’t feel a child that ages mind completely understands the concept that they cannot bring such instrument from home. I completely understand that the child should get some sort of minor punishment for bringing the tool to school, but nothing as drastic as sending the child to an alternative school. Even Terry Schooley, State Democratic Rep. and former Christina school board member, stated this about the Douglass School, “If it were my child, I would do everything not to send my child there.” So why have they decided to send Zachary Christie there for this petty crime. http://www.statesman.com/search/content/shared-gen/ap/National/US_Zero_Tolerance_Boy.html

A end to the Sexual Violence

The article I have chosen deals with a huge problem that has occurred countless times during the existence of human beings and it continues to take place throughout our world, sexual violence in war zones. From the beginning of the time men have wrongfully and unjustly dehumanized women and children by sexually harassing and raping them. I strongly agree with this article that it is time to put a stop to the sexual violence that takes place in war zones, as well as everywhere across the world. I believe that these acts of sexual behavior are the most criminal weapons used in ripping apart the lives of, not only, the victim but also the whole community and eventually all of human kind. I strongly agree with Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, that “It is time for all of us to assume our responsibility to go beyond condemning this behavior to taking concrete steps to end it, to make it socially unacceptable, to recognize it is not cultural, it is criminal. We must act now to end this crisis." The fact that both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have both stepped up to voice their opinions, on this topic, and have acknowledge that this is huge problem makes me extremely proud to be a citizen of this country. But, I know to truly put a end to violence in war zones around the world it is time that the leaders of every nation step up to protect the rights women and children across our wonderful planet.
http://www.statesman.com/search/content/shared-gen/ap/US_Presidential_Cabinet/UN_UN_Sexual_Violence.html

What health care reform?

The topic of article in which I chose to read is an enormous dilemma that has taken place in our national government for way too long, our general health care. In our economy it is essential for each citizen to possess an assure, accessible, and inexpensive form of health care and even though our president has promised a health care reform we have yet to see any effective advances. If people where to have a accessible health care plan our nations production would skyrocket because people would spend less time feeling ill and searching for affordable care and more time working. We are practically the only leading nation in which does not possess a sufficient health care plan. I hold this topic very near to my heart; this is why I don’t understand why no one has stepped in and taken care of this dreadful situation.
http://www.statesman.com/opinion/content/editorial/stories/2009/09/16/0916letters_edit.html?COXnetJSessionIDbuild162a_prod=TvlGKwfXyw3H24T48LC8gW6XJ8Fq92MnQ81nSqVyrW0HBhml3L22!-1054380647&UrAuth=`NXNUObNYUbTTUWUXU`UZTZUUUWU_U^UZU\UbUcTYWYWZV&urcm=y