Liberals Show How They Really Feel

This column by Larry was a bit shocking for me. Of course, I knew that Liberal didn' t really care for Conservatives, but I was not aware that their dislike for us was so strong. Elder presented this column using plenty of "they say" arguments/statements. This really helps to authenticate his main point, because it provides evidence. If Elder had simply complained about how mean and one-sided liberals were without any concrete quotes or proof, I'm not entirely sure I would have believed him. Almost all of his quotes are from liberals, and not conservatives. This also helps to prove his point because liberals can't say that he's just making all of this up. Larry uses specific situations throughout the column where liberals speak much too harshly regarding conservatives. One specifc example of him using the "they say" argument is when he's getting his hair cut and the barber starts degrading the Bush Administration. The barber belived with his whole heart that Bush was a "puppet" and that he was behind 9/11 and it was all his fault. This shows how very one-sided liberals are, and Elder presents this information using quotes from an actual liberal, rather than a conservative. No matter what happens, liberals seem to blame conservatives, and overlook mistakes that their own party has made.

What Americans Really Vote For

This cartoonist is attemtping to depict the attitude of most Americans towards the presidential election. The woman could obviously care less about voting; the only voting she will be doing is for American Idol. I think this is a very good portrayal of how the importance of media has surpassed the importance of our government. The cartoonist strategically places the cell phone in the woman's hand to support the point that he's trying to make. That is, people care more about their TV shows than who will be running this country. The cartoonist is making a very bold statement, but in my opinion, a rather accurate one as well. The contrast in the characters' facial expressions also reflects where their values in life are. The man looks all giddy and excited because he gets a chance to make a difference in who will be elected. The woman, on the other hand, has an almost annoyed look to her. It seems that she would rather be talking to her friend on the phone about the latest episode of "The Desperate Housewives" than conversing with this young man about who who will become president.

Potential Presidents?

This is the link to my column: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080116/COL33/801160439/1203

This columnist is going over the results of the Michigan primary that took place on Tuesday. Henderson addresses both Romney's and Hillary's struggles that they still have to overcome if they want a chance in winning the election. Even though Hillary won the democratic vote, Henderson believes that most democrats would rather vote for a republican than to elect Hillary as President. On the other hand, he thinks Mitt Romney faces problems of his own. He says that Mitt needs to work on his credibility and gain more republicans' votes if he wants to win. I agree with this column. Although I have no desire for Hillary to become our President, I'm not sure how i feel about Mitt. I also agree with the fact that if both candidates want to win presidency, they have a lot of work to do.

This column was intended for readers of 18 years and older, with an good education and high interest in politics. If it was designed for a kindergarten class to read, I would make a great deal of changes. I would definately have to start the column with a more "catching" introduction. Five-year olds don't usually have that great of an attention span. The topic in and of itself would be hard to convey to little kids, but there would need to be less statistics and such. I would display the information in the simplest way possible. Kids of that age don't really understand percentages and fractions, so using them would lose their interest. Also, the vocabulary used would need to be toned down a bit. Kindergartners wouldn't be able to comprehend much of the language used in this column. There would have to be more backround about the candidates given, as young children usually don't follow or have any interest in politics.

The REAL Meaning of Christmas

The point of this cartoon is to show how corrupt the meaning of Christmas has become. The Grinch is saying in the quote that Christmas isn't just about presents or things from a store. The customer is requesting this quote on a present that she wants to buy and in the process completely contradicting what the Grinch was saying. People today are so focused on buying things and giving to others that they are oblivious to the true meaning of Christmas. I agree completely with this cartoonist. There are so many Americans who obsess over buying the right gifts and making sure they get something for everyone on their list. They overlook what CHRISTmas is about. I don't think that the Grinch was talking specifically about Jesus' birth in that quote, but it's the same idea.

The customer's stupid grin supports the cartoon's point because it helps to demonstrate the ignorance and lack of common sense that people have today. She's all giddy because she just thought of a great present for someone, but she doesn't even realize what she's doing in the process. She is a symbol of the majority of Americans during Christmastime. Another visual element is the store owner's expression. He has a serious look on his face and his hands together like he means business. It shows that he is just trying to make as much money as possible. I bet he's thinking that if this lady is stupid enough to want that quote on a Christmas present, at least I'll get some money out of it. Storeowners are trying to lure customers into buying their products in whatever way possible, and by doing so, they lead people away from the real meaning of Christmas.

Sean Taylor's Death

This column is centered around the death of Sean Taylor. Though it is not all about him, I believe that Sean Taylor's death is the cause for writing this article. The author, Jason Whitlock, argues that the reason behind Taylor's murder is because he was a victim of black violence in the U.S. today. I agree with what Whitlock is saying about our society today. People are just setting aside the fact that the majority of African Americans killed today are murdered not by caucasians, but by fellow African Americans. A strong parallel that i found is this: "If you saw a fat man fall to the ground clutching his chest, you'd assume a heart attack, and you'd know, no matter what the cause, the man needed to lose weight. Well when shots are heard and a black man hits the pavement, there's every statistical reason to believe another black man pulled the trigger." This parallel associates the reasoning behind assuming that a murdered black man was killed by another black man and assuming that a fat man who died clutching his heart died from a heart attack. It also parallels the fact that if a fat man died from a heart attack, one would know that he needed to lose weight if he didn't want to die. In the same way, if a black man died from being murdered by another black man, then one would assume that there is an evident problem there that needed to be fixed. This helps to support the article because it clarifies Whitlock's reasoning behind what he is saying. It also provides more insight as to why this is such a problem in our society today.

Response to Inappropriate Teen Dancing

In summary, this column addresses a somewhat controversial problem in the secular world. However, this problem should not even need to be discussed in the eyes of a Christian. Betsy Hart takes the stand as a concerned parent and doesn't in the least bit encourage or advocate "freak dancing". She then goes on to address others' views on this topic, including those who "support" it and those who don't. The author's point in writing this article is to illuminate what she believes to be a growing problem in schools around the nation. Many parents are probably unaware of the type of dancing that goes on at high school dances. Meanwhile, teenagers are engaging in "foreplay" at, of all places, school events. I agree with this column for the most part, and I do think that it is a very prominent issue in high schools around the nation today, even at a high school such as ours. Teens should be able to dance in God-pleasing ways, yet I don't think that it is all our fault. The types of music and other influences, such as TV, also play a part in this suggestive dancing. However, the strategies that Betsy presents to stop this dancing I do not agree with. It's common knowledge that teenagers are rebellious. I know from experience that when chaperones at dances try to prohibit such dancing by turning on the lights or playing twenty-year old music, students rebel.

One rhetorical question that i found asks, "If the "$400 dress girl" had been sexually assaulted in the parking lot after the festivities because the dance wasn't a "dud," would her mom be happy, or suing the school?" This helps to support Betsy's point because it's implying that improper dancing leads to other things later on, specifically rape and sexual assault. The author uses this to help support the fact that she needs to go to all of her kids' school dances. She wants to show how "dangerous" dirty dancing can be later on in the night. Betsy may be a little far out on this statement. This type of dancing may not lead to such extremes, but I still think that teens should not be dancing in such ways.

Brandon Brodowsky is Love

Brandon Brodowsky is the love of my life. His Grandma wants me to date him, and i think we would be perfect aswell. Girls, step off!