ES 201- Abortion 11/28/07

Abortion is a very touchy subject for many people. But i'm not sure why the government is so consumed with trying to stop it when the government has so many more issues that it should be taking care of. I think that everyone says what they feel but until they are in the situation they honestly dont know what they would do. People claim that adoption is something that you can do however, i see tons of kids everyday in foster homes that havent found families yet. So I ask my self is it fair to do that to a child?

ES 201- Drug & Alcohol Control and Drug Legalization 11/28/07

I think that the legal drinking age should be lowered to 18, because if you are old enough to fight for our country you should be old enough to drink alcohol. Alcohol is consumed everyday by people that are under age. Its not the alcohol that kills people its the lack of responsibility. People may not be able to function properly while drinking, however adult and teens basically function the same way. I mean an adult can hurt someone just as much as a teen can. I think adults have more of responsibilities because often times they have kids.

I think that drugs should be legal because legal or not they will always be abused. So insted of having lots of crime why not just let these people be able to buy it like at a pharmacy. It seems that at least this way the government will have a little bit of control over drugs.

ES 201- Stem Cell Research 11/28/07

I believe that the U.S. should fund more money for research on stem cells. Because I believe that they can save peoples lives. The U.S. does not want to fund money on it because they think that it will be unsuccessful, but what they really don't know is that it may be really successful! The amount of research that has already been done cannot support wheather or not it will be a successful because of the limited availability. I believe that in the case of Christopher Reeves that he could have been saved if there was more information on stem cells!

ES 201- Performance-Enhancing Drugs 11/28/07

“Florence Griffith Joyner ("Flo-Jo") died, aged 38, from heart seizure in September 1998. Even before her untimely death, the shadow of suspicion hung over her glorious two gold medals and one silver at the Seoul Olympics in 1988: with her muscular form and husky voice typical of steroid users, and with her retirement announced abruptly in 1989, when mandatory random testing for drugs was introduced, there were whispers that Flo-Jo had used performance-enhancing drugs (Barnard).”

Performance enhancing drugs should not be legalized because they can cause serious health risks, such as in “Flo-Jo’s” case when she had a seizure, which they believe were after affects of the drugs that she was illegally using; and with the end result she died. We also see the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports today, for instance; “In early September 1998, another athlete was etching his name into the record books. The US baseball player Mark McGwire hit the most home runs ever in a single season, America's most prestigious sporting record. He is the first athlete in history to break a record while publicly admitting his use of performance-enhancing drugs (Barnard).” Is this something that we as American’s should be proud; of is this what we want our children looking up to? "There [are] a lot of kids out there who think that if the home run king is doing it, then I should be doing it, (Johnson)” and who is to tell them what they are seeing is false. I do not believe that schools give kids the information that they need on these drugs. I think that is kids were more educated on these drugs then it would cut down on a lot of the illegal use.
These professional athletes are going public but what they don’t realize is the impact they have on the people of America; people see these people playing better and harder and they think that is all because of these illegal drugs, when in reality they are just playing the same. When people think of performance-enhancing drugs they see professional athletes and they also think that they are OK.
“Harold Connolly, a former Olympic hammer-thrower and world record-holder who used steroids in the 1960's before coming out against their use[, said] The line between what is effective and legal and what is effective and illegal is fading—it's not clear anymore because the people who are making these other substances are getting very good and they are finding ways to dim the line (Johnson).” By hearing an athlete say this the general public looks at this statement and thinks that it will not harm them either.
So what are the professional sports teams doing to try to stop the use of performance-enhancing drugs? They are beginning to drug test regularly. Also by being broadcasted in the media it becomes an embarrassment for the athletes, and then hopefully they will realize the impact that they are having on children in the world.
I think that this quote by Tom Murray pretty much sums up the idea of illegal drugs in sports. "I think this taps some pretty deep roots about what sport means to us—because it's baseball and baseball has a special place in the American psyche," said Tom Murray, the director of the Center for Biomedical Ethics at Case Western Reserve University and a member of the anti-doping committee of the United States Olympic Committee. "Ultimately, this is a question about values. I think people are really struggling with it (Johnson)."

I do realize that this is the paper that I turned in, however, I believe that it states my feeling and beliefs on Performance-Enhancing Drugs.

Sources:
Barnard, Matt. "Athletes Will Never Stop Using Performance-Enhancing Drugs." At Issue: Performance-Enhancing Drugs. Ed. James Haley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2003. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. Bridgewater College. 28 Oct. 2007 .

Johnson, Kirk. "Performance-Enhancing Substances Raise Serious Ethical Questions for Athletes." At Issue: Drugs and Sports. Ed. William Dudley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2001. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. Bridgewater College. 28 Oct. 2007 .

ES 201- Socialized Health Care 11/28/07

I believe that all Ameircans shoudl be entitled to health care. Just because someone doesn't have enough money to pay for it doesn't mean they shouldn't have it. Because often times if they don't have it they are going to go to the hospital anyways and get the services for free. I think that there should be a standard form of health care that everyone should have and then if you want more or better you can elect to pay more to get it! Our government can spend countless amounts of dollars on health care for people that are in jail why can't they spend it on people who are trying to make a difference?!

ES 201 Capital Punishment 10/8/07

Capital punishment should be used for certain reasons, reasons such as if someone murders someone we should not put them in jail that is not teaching them a lesson, they should be given the death penality no questions asked. In the old times the law was "an eye for an eye" and I believe that is should still be this way. I think that it is a waste of money to have these people sitting in prison cells, i mean they dont even have to do anything, because they are considered too dangerous to be let out to do community service or work for the highway patrol.

ES 201 Assisted Suicide

Assisted suicide should only be allowed in certain cases such as if a person is dying of cancer or another terminal disease; so that they don't have to suffer. Assisted suicide should only be attempted by a doctor, so that they person will go peacefully. I support doctor assisted suicide only for the right reasons and none other.

ES 201 Gay Marriage

I feel that gay marriage should be allowed. Because everyone is entitled to their own lives, and they can make their own decisions. I believe that gay PDA is just as bad as straight PDA...please tell me that you enjoy seeing a man and woman making out and feeling on each other going down the sidewalk...i don't think so. People are entitled to be and act how they want and American or its government should not tell these people how to live their lives. We are our own people we can make our own lives.

ES201 Immigration 10/8/07

Today American border patrol is facing a huge challenge; this is because lots of people want to come to America and work. Because they see what we call "the American Dream", they see a life of luxury, and one that is carefree. I believe that borders should be controlled because by letting in these immigrants it is making the cost of living go up for the people that already lie here. Not to mention these people who aren't American citizens don't pay taxes on their monies that they earn. So basically they are living here and working for free. I also think that if they are illegal that instead of shipping them back right away they should be made to work and have to pay their way back across the borders.

ES201 Gun Control 9/6/07

I think that the biggest problem in todays society are people that are getting ahold of guns that dont need them. I think that if a person has a history of a mental disease or phisological problems that they should be banned from buying guns. I do understand that we live in a country where we are free to do and buy what we want, however, by letting these people buy guns is putting us all at risk, because what if they forget to take their medicine or what if they go out of control?? I do not want to die or have one of my family members or friends die because someone goes crazy with a gun.

I also think that if a person has children it would be a wise decision to keep all guns locked away UNLOADED. Too many children get killed each year because parents leave loaded guns within arms reach. How can we have a future if our kids are running around with guns...

I also think that the process to get a gun is too easy, it needs to be harder, the government should have to approve people buying guns.

Too many innocent people are getting shot everyday and this could be stopped if people were more responsible with guns.