Outside Reading Blog Post 2 (Violence in America)

“The evidence from decades of research shows an almost linear relationship between economic deprivation and serious crime” (42). This chapter explains that a person’s socio-economic background will influence their likelihood to commit crimes. The more desperate situation that a person is in, they will do more to get by, that includes stealing, or selling drugs. More often than not, these types of crimes lead to violent cases of assault, or even murder. I order to decrease the amount of crime among minorities, and decrease it overall; the government must help those who live in neighborhoods that suffer from poverty. I believe that more government money should go towards improving desperate neighborhoods, and less money towards wealthy communities. By increasing the effectiveness of the schooling system, people in these poor situations can increase the chances for them to succeed, and stay out of trouble. Also by increasing the amount of security in these areas it deters possible criminals from committing these crimes, and it also increases the chances of bringing criminals to justice. The government must focus on helping those in poor socio-economic in order to prevent crime and violence in America.

Free Reading Post 1 (Violence In America)

"The Criminal Justice System Contributes to Violence"


"Criminals repeatedly slip through our 'criminal justice' system and victimize innocent citizens time and time again" (37, Violence in America). This chapter pointed out the many flaws in the American justice system. It has examples of criminals who have been released from prison within a time span much shorter than their sentence, and shortly after they are released they commit another violent crime.

This chapter raises a good point, which I find myself agreeing with. Many violent criminals are likely to repeat their actions after being released. Criminals are allowed to be let out on bail after they are arrested and they remain free until a jury finds them guilty after their trial date, and it takes a while for the trial to occur. The justice system must make corrections so more violent criminals remain imprisoned for longer periods of time, in order to prevent them from committing these crimes. If the justice system becomes less lenient, criminals are less likely to be released early from prison, and they don't have a chance of committing these crimes again. Also by maintaining a more strict prison sentence, prison will act more as a deterrent to violent crimes, since criminals will know that it is not as easy to slip through the prison system. I believe that the only way to combat the amount of violence in America is to create more deterrents. The way to this is by creating much more strict prison policies, as well as tighter restrictions on criminals with a violent history.

Marketplace of Ideas 5

Today I continued my research about renewable energy sources. I found a very helpful article on "Gale Opposing Viewpoints". It explained the different types of energy that can be used along with their benefits and their flaws. As of now I believe that I will take a stand that involves a combination of renewable energy sources, since it seems that a single source is not possible due to multiple factors like, location, cost, and consistency. I think that I have found enough sources and information where I can start working on my abstract and the rest of the project.

Marketplace of Ideas #4

Today I began looking for sources. So far I have found several articles on "Gale Opposing Viewpoints" and I also found some helpful information on the website for "An Inconvienient Truth". I found tips for the everyday person to get involved and reduce their carbon footprint. I found the different alternative energy sources that I will use. They are wind, solar, hydroelectric, biomass, geothermal, wave-tidal, and nuclear power. I will study each of these energy sources in the next few days and I will choose the source which I think is best for the world to use.

Marketplace of Ideas Post 3

Today I found several sources to use for my project. I also found at least 5 alternative energy sources that I will be studying. This includes wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, and nuclear. I will study each of these five energy sources, and learn about their pros and cons. I will then take a position on which is best based on factors like safety, efficiency, pollution, cost, and others. I will point out the flaws in the current energy system as well. I may also add more energy sources if I come across them.

Marketplace of Ideas Post 2

Today I worked on my proposal form for the Marketplace of Ideas. I chose to research and take a stance on the issue of alternative energy. I will be focusing on alternative energy to fuel homes, offices, schools, and the rest of American society, as opposed to alternative energy that would run cars. I chose this because I found Al Gore’s film An Inconvenient Truth very interesting, and I wanted to learn more about the topic. I will use the film and the book as two of my sources.

Market Place of Ideas, Brainstorming

Today we began working on the Market Place of Ideas. This is a project where each student finds an Issue in America that they find interesting, and that they want to express their opinion about. Today in class we were given the opportunity to search for a topic that we cared about. I began the brainstorming process by looking the recent news articles. I also went to the websites of Frontline and 60 Minutes. While I was at these websites I looked for videos that caught my interest and videos with topics that I wanted to learn more about. I have not made a decision today but I have several topics in mind which I am thinking about using. These topics are alternative energy, marijuana legalization, gun control, drinking age, regenerative medicine and education reform. I am going to continue to search for topics and make a decision by Tuesday.