Gun Control

Liberals believe that the government should be able to regulate who can and cannot buy guns (with things like a background check) to prevent felons and criminals from getting them. They think the crime rate will go down and they will be preventing crime when guns are less available and not just anyone can get one. Conservatives, on the other hand, think that the purchasing of guns should not be available. They argue that murders committed with guns have not gone down even with the gun ban in place. They also say that in the Constitution, it states that it is our right to bear arms, so it is unconstitutional to put a ban on guns. Most of the time people use guns to defend themselves, and it is everyone's right to be able to defend themselves. They think that guns aren't the problem, people are the problem.

I can't decided how I feel about this issue...I think there should be some middle ground. I don't believe there should be a complete ban on gun purchases, but there should be background checks and paper work making sure guns do not get into the wrong hands. It is important to be able to defend yourself, but you don't necessarily need guns. I just think the government should come up with a plan that allows people with "good intentions" to purchase guns and not criminals or felons.

Gay Marriage

Now a days, gay marriage is a huge controversy. Conservatives do not believe in gay marriage and think it should be illegal. They think gay marriage is a threat to the idea that marriage is a union between a man and a woman and think it's a direct attack on religion and people of faith. They believe that gay people are manipulative, and think that marriage should only be between a man and a woman because they believe the purpose of marriage is to reproduce, and two people of the same sex can obviously not reproduce. Liberal's believe that gay marriage should be allowed. They think that everyone should have the same rights, reguardless of their sexuality. They relate the prejudice agaisnt homosexuals to the prejudice against blacks that used to be a big problem in our country.

On this topic, I am liberal. I believe that homosexual's should have every right that heterosexuals do. No one should be punished because of their sexuality, that is completely unfair and immoral. I think marriage should be the union of two people that love each other and want to spend the rest of their life together...not necessarily the union between a man and a woman.

Abortion

Liberal's are pro-choice when it comes to abortion. They believe that the government shouldn't have control over a woman's body, and every woman should have the choice to do what they want with their body. If they don't want to have to put their body through the trauma having a living thing growing in their stomach, they shouldn't have to. They also bring up the point that even if abortion is illegal, women will get them anyway and have the risk of dying because illegal abortions are very dangerous and can kill you. This way, with them legal, the woman can be under a professionals care. They also bring up the cases of rape. If a woman is raped and got pregnant, she shouldn't have to carry her rapist's child. Additionally, some people are just not fit to be parents, and if they don't think they can care for the baby, they shouldn't bring one into the world. On the other side of things, conservatives are pro-life. They believe that it is morally wrong to kill a living thing, because no matter how young the fetus is, it is still a living human being. They consider abortion murder because the fetus is getting killed and has no say in the decision...they thing everyone should get a chance of life. They also think you should take responsibilities for your actions. If you're going to be having sex, you have to remember that there is a chance you'll get pregnant, and if you can't deal with the thought of having a baby, you shouldn't have sex. It's unfair to kill a human because of your decisions. They also think there are other options, and if you aren't ready to care for a child, you should give it up for adoption. Lastly, abortion can cause emotional trauma for women which can lead to suicide.

I am personally pro-choice when it comes to abortion. And just because I am pro-choice doesn't mean I necessarily would get an abortion, but I think women should have the choice. I think it's creepy that the goverment could have a say about what you put your body through. Being pregnant, even if you're going to give it up for adoption, is very hard on your body and completely life changing and I woman shouldn't be required to go through that if they don't want to. I think it is important for women to have the option especially in cases of rape. Getting raped is already tragic and horrible enough, the woman shouldn't have to carry her rapists baby. I do think abortion is sad, and its unfortunate that a human didn't get a chance to live, but like I said, I do think women should have control over their body.

Liberal vs. Conservative

Liberal's and conservative's, for the vast majority of issues, have opposing view points. Conservatives seem to have views that correspond to religious views, such as: pro-life, against gay marriage, etc. Liberals, on the other hand, have more of a modern view point since they are pro choice and for gay marriage. Conservatives are also for the war against terror whereas Liberals are more for peace. It is said that most wealthier people are conservative because conservatives believe in keeping the money you earn, even when you are wealthy, but liberals are said to be more for "unwealthy" people because they tax the wealthy and give money to the needy. Liberals are a little more radical, whereas conservatives are kind of "old school".

Teens and Industries

"It's a shame that the people who are listening to you the most are only interested in you because they want you and your peers to buy their product." I believe that it is true that some people are only listening to you because they want you to buy their product, but I don't necessarily think it's a shame. When you're in the business industry and teens are your market, its your job to know what teens like so you can be successful. They need to be able to get into teens heads or else their product wont sell and their companies wont do well. When teens are interviewed, chances are they know the interviewers motivations and wont be offended or upset when they find out the industry isn't really interested in them as a person. Teens want companies to make products that they can use and would like, so I personally don't think it's that big of a deal. We aren't looking to make "friends" with the industries--they gotta do what they gotta do.

The meaning of "Magic"

My favorite song by Colbie Caillat is called "Magic". I think I like this song because I am a hopeless romantic and its a song all about her being in love with a guy. She can't get him off her mind and is talking about a the little things about him that make her need him. She dreams about him, wants to wake up to him, and needs him to be there and just all around loves him. She thinks his touch is magical. The lyrics are pretty straightfoward. I'm a realitively calm and somewhat shy person which drew me to this slow, cute, relaxing song. Actually, part of the reason this was my favorite song was actually because of the cute lyrics that I was able to relate to at one point. It's a song that anyone in love can relate to. http://www.lyricsmania.com/lyrics/colbie_caillat_lyrics_10666/lyrics_33657/magic_lyrics_364165.html

Colbie Caillat

Especially amongst teenage girls, Colbie Caillat has been a huge hit with her CD "Coco". She has a mix of upbeat and slow songs with lyrics that young women, especially, can relate to. Although I don't think her music necessarily represents American culture as a whole, I think it it a good representation of American teenage/college-aged girls. She sings about boys and love and confusion which I'm sure every girl in high school or college can relate to. Her lyrics really show what young American women think and worry about. Her lyrics also show that young women value friendship and relationships, and Colbie's optomism in most of her songs give us hope and inspiration.

Spice up your life!!

My first favoirte group was The Spice Girls when I was about 7 or 8. I really liked all the upbeat songs and me and my friends would make up dances to the songs. I also related myself to Baby Spice because she was small and blonde like I was. I also liked all of their glamorous outfits-the sparkly dresses and huge platform shoes...it made me feel grown up.