Then,Now,Forever

Taking AP Language was one of the best choices I made this year. This course allowed me to accomplish things that wouldn’t be possible with an average class. It has also changed a few habits that I have picked up over time. For, instance I have learned how to manage my time and the consequences of being disorganized.AP Language was a course that was very enlightening and helped my intellectual development. This class, the lessons and my teacher were absolutely perfect and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. It was nice to have a class with a teacher who engages with the students instead of ignoring their existence. I was allowed to push myself and not let the rumors I heard about the class scare me. Actually, it wasn’t as bad as people made it seem; because it’s all about perseverance and dedication. . I think that I did well in this class overall and worked really hard. This class was a great experience for me and installed lessons that will last a life time.

It Can't Be That Bad?

Many people are familiar with Henna tattoos since they are common at carnivals festivals etc. but many are not familiar with the dangers that can come with getting Henna. People would like to believe that it is a safe and temporary but Henna artist are being sneaky and using black Henna instead of genuine traditional Henna. By using Black Henna which contains PPD, para-phenylenediaime it can cause skin to blister, swell and become highly irritated. 100% pure henna stains skin in some color between orange, red, burgundy, brown or coffee. The FDA classifies 100% pure henna as so safe for hair that it is exempt from regulation. These are a few ways to identify black henna:

PPD paste is jet black.
Ask how long it takes to stain and how long it lasts. If the answers are "just an hour or two" and "a week or more", its PPD.
Ask what color it will give. If the answer is "pure black", it's PPD.
Ask to see an ingredients list. If the artist can't supply one, or you don't like what you see, walk away.

Additional information about genuine Henna:

Artists often add essential oils such as Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Cajeput and others to henna paste to "terp" them, and make the stain quicker and darker. If these are from aromatherapy grade essential oils containing monoterpene alcohols, this is a safe and effective way to make henna very dark. Many of these give wonderful results are fragrant and harmless.  Some may cause minor skin irritation.

Before people get Henna they should make sure it is natural and not Black Henna or else they will suffer the consequences. Henna tattoos are pretty awesome beside the fact of Black Henna and people should do research before getting one.

It's So Easy!

Lately gun control has been a major issue in society and this picture is a perfect depiction of why it needs to be enforced. It is clear to see how easy it was for the criminals to access the guns and once the people get a hold of the guns they will be able to do just as much damage as the characters in the cartoon. As you can see from the captions the customers assumed they wouldn’t pass a background check because of their terrible history but yet the worst of all people were allowed to get guns anyway. This cartoon is an exact replica of what occurs in real life and it upsets me how easily guns land in the wrong hands.

If society enforces a stricter gun control the world will see a decrease in violence. Since the 2000’s homicides and mass murders have been on a rise. For example, the shooting that occurred at Virginia Tech University, which can be considered the worst shooting that the U.S. has seen so far, killed 32 people died on April 2007.Speaking of America it is in the top list of the number of people killed from guns and homicides which is proof that gun control is needed and it is easy for people with bad intentions to get weapons.

I really agree with the message the cartoon is sending and hopefully the world will do a better job with gun control. It saddens me every time I tune into TV and it is broadcasting another murder. Too much violence has already occurred and hopefully laws will be tightened so there will not be much more.

Human Trafficking: A Road to Destruction

 Did you know that January is National Human Trafficking month?  Few are aware that the month let alone the problem exists however “Every year, up to 800,000 people worldwide – mostly girls and women – become the victims of human trafficking.”(ABC news) This really bothers me because I’ve seen numerous documentaries and heard many stories about it and its really messed up that people have to endure a lifestyle as such. It really sickens me to know that people would take others and hold them hostage or make them sex slaves. How could people do such a thing? The saddest part of it all is that people are minimally aware of sex/human trafficking and as a result the victims are not receiving the amount of help they could have possibly had.

“Human trafficking endangers the lives of millions of people around the world, and it is a crime that knows no borders,” according to the presidential proclamation. “Trafficking networks operate both domestically and transnationally, and although abuses disproportionally affect women and girls, the victims of this ongoing global tragedy are men, women, and children of all ages.” All of this is very true about human trafficking and is why it needs to be abolished, prevented, and brought to the public’s attention.

Here are the facts about sex trafficking: Most often the victims are females between the ages of five and twenty-five with the average age range being twelve to fourteen.” (Crisis Aid) "There is no one profile that encapsulates the "typical" client. Men who purchase women are both rich and poor, Eastern and Western. Often they are married and have children, and in some cases such as was reported the New York Times men have sex with trafficked girls instead of abusing their own young children."(Slavery's New Face) All of this information is very scary to me because so many people are enslaved and it is hard to determine who are the victims and victimizers. Also, if they victims are to be freed they will be emotionally unstable and mentally disturbed. They will also be haunted with daily reminders of what their life was once like and possible turn back into what they once were.

Human trafficking is a major problem and thankfully there are ways you can raise awareness such as:  Organize a fundraiser and donate the proceeds to an anti-trafficking organization. Volunteer to do victim outreach or offer your professional services to a local anti-trafficking organization. Write a letter to the editor of your local paper about human trafficking in your community. Join or establish a university or secondary school club to raise awareness about human trafficking and initiate action throughout your local community. Consider doing one of your research papers on a topic concerning human trafficking. Meet with and/or write to your local, state, and federal government representatives to let them know that you care about combating human trafficking in your community, and ask what they are doing to address human trafficking in your area. Taking these small steps can lead to a big change.

Women on the Rise

For this blog I would like to highlight some historical events that concern women.These events are important because women have went through so much to get where they are today and if it wasn't for some of these events we would still live in a world where we are inferior to men.I am really glad that women stood up for their rights and knew to “Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt If women let continued to let males bronchitis that took away their voice we would still live in times where women were nothing more than housewives.Now I would like to introduce a few feats in women's history.

• 1867 The London Society for Women’s Suffrage is formed to campaign for female suffrage.--If this didn't occur it would still be impossible for women in London to vote and help make a difference in their nation
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• 1870 The Married Women’s Property Act allows married women to own their own property. Previously, when women married, their property transferred to their husbands. Divorce heavily favoured men, allowing property to remain in their possession. This act allows women to keep their property, married, divorced, single or widowed.---It's a good thing this occurred because it is entirely unjust for women to be left with nothing. 
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• 1907 Under the Qualification of Women Act, women can be elected onto borough and county councils and can also be elected mayor.---Now women can finally have a chance to have a say in how the politics are handled.
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• 1918 Constance Markiewicz becomes the first woman elected to Westminster, representing Sinn Féin. She became involved in radical politics through the suffragette and Irish national movement. She is elected for constituency of Dublin St. Patrick’s as one of 73 Sinn Féin MPs, but, following the line of Sinn Féin politics, declines the position while in prison. 
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• 1928 All women in Britain gain equal voting rights with men.--women in Britain are now equal to the men. 

Thanks to these events women have been able to escape the shadow that men hid them in.We are now able to vote, own and buy property as well as take part in politics. We are now more than birth givers and housewives, we are an equal part of the world along side men. I am very glad that those women stepped up and said enough is enough and fought for our rights.

Works Cited: http://frank.mtsu.edu/~kmiddlet/history/women/time/wh-1800.html

Where's the Harm?

  Recently, Colorado 64 amendment passed, as well as Initiative 502 in Washington. Both legalized the possession of marijuana for adults age 21 and older. Many people believe that it should be prohibited and find it dangerous when honestly it does more harm than good. Prohibition is becoming a thing of the past and we see how well the alcohol prohibition worked out. People are most likely against Marijuana because they don’t know or understand the facts about it. If they were more enlightened their perspective would possibly change.

 To begin with “marijuana prohibition enforcement costs the government 13.7 billion dollars annually, and puts well over 500,000 people in jail every year “This is wasting money that could be used to benefit America rather than burden it. The Colorado 64 is a perfect example of how marijuana can be a great benefit to America. For example, “Marijuana legalization would produce hundreds of new jobs, raise millions for the construction of Colorado public schools and raise around $60 million annually in combined savings and revenue for Colorado's budget” Where is the harm in that? America is already in debt and going through a recession so what good is it to turn down an opportunity to help us escape from the firm grasp of debt. It’s entirely illogical to refuse the help marijuana provides America.


In addition, “Every objective study on marijuana has concluded that it is far safer than alcohol and cigarettes for the consumer and the surrounding community.” So it’s not like it’s any worse than the drugs that are already legal. As a matter of fact “Alcohol and tobacco are more toxic, more addictive, and more harmful to the body than marijuana” and are also “more likely to result in injuries and lead to interpersonal violence.” Also, I doubt if you’re having health issues I doubt they will hand you a pack a cigarettes and a case of beer to cure you.

As the generation moves on I believe we should get rid of old ways and open up to new ideas. New ideas lead to new possibility but that will never be accomplished if marijuana continues to remain illegal.

The Cost of Beauty

Today's society is now more shallow than it has ever been,numerous people are trying to live up to the medias perception of how they should look and they don't care about the cost they have to pay.Americans spend around 10 billion on cosmetic procedures a year!What ever happend to "Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical." (Loren) People don't appreciate inner beauty anymore its all about the physical appearence and half of the time they change their physical appearence to please others  & not for themselves.The most woebegone fact of it all is when people go to the extreme of getting bootleg plastic surgery which has many fatal risk.
They dont care how its being injected,sawed punctured or stitched as long as they get the job done;a body is an temple and they treat it like a dumpster.

I wish that people wouldn't go to extremes like plastic surgery or black market surgery,because in most cases it isnt needed.They do it for the wrong reasons and risk their lives.some of the risk include

excessive or unexpected bleeding (hemorrhage or hematoma)

blood clots

tissue death

delayed healing

anesthesia risks (including shock, respiratory failure, drug or allergic reactions, cardiac arrest, coma, death)

pneumonia

loss or change of sensation

paralysis or less severe nerve damage (http://plasticsurgery.about.com/od/historyofplasticsurgery/a/risks_rewards.htm)

Also what happens if you dont acheive the results you want,then your left with an irrevocable procedure and in most cases when you try to fix damged procedures it makes the problem worse.People should be happy with who they are and shouldn't change for shallow reasons.