Blog 4

This article, SAT Should Now Be Called SAD by Howie Katz, is just... annoying.  I understand that he is making the point that if these kids did not score high enough, they should not be placed above the kids who scored higher. I get that, but it is all circumstantial. What if the man/woman that is destined to cure cancer grew up in a bad neighborhood with a tough life. Maybe if that person were given the right tools, support and trust, they could accomplish amazing things. People get so upset when they no longer get the privilege. They have been so privileged that they don't realize this is just evening out the playing field to what is fair. So many kids that come from these circumstances have never been given the chance to succeed and don't know what that looks like. Do we punish them more for the way they grew up? We all know it isn't their fault.
I'm not entirely sure who this article is meant for. Maybe to the rich parents of some white kid that didn't get into the university they wanted and wants to complain about affirmative action being the problem. Either way, he comes off lacking empathy for these kids and all they have gone through and doesn't believe that they just deserve a break. They need someone to look out for them and point them in the right direction, otherwise this pattern will just keep repeating.

Blog Stage 8

In Rajvi's Blog 7 post Texas Too Timid for Abortion? , he talks about the laws in place the past several years that banned abortion in Texas. He acknowledges that banning them isn't going to simply stop them from happening. Similar to those abstinence talks they would have in school, telling people not to have sex doesn't mean they're going to stop having sex. Bottom line is people are going to do what they want to do. I like that Rajiv states that sometimes it isn't a good time in the woman's life and that ultimately would not be ideal for any child.

Blog Stage 7

Austin lifting the ban on single-use plastic bags is really unfortunate. It is estimated that this ban reduced the use of almost 200 thousand plastic bans annually, just in Austin. Now, they have lifted this ban and the future seems a little grim to me.

            A common problem with using plastic bags is the littering often associated with them. All too often they end up in water streams and wrapped around plants and can even be a major harm to animals. Plastic bags can also be expensive as the amount of cleanup that is needing to be done in local areas can get pricey and should be an unnecessary expense if we pay attention to what we are doing.

            Many animals, specifically water-dwellers, can easily get wrapped up in plastic bags that will either leave them defenseless or could suffocate them. Consuming plastic bags is pretty fatal for animals as well. It could become tangled up in their bodies or there could be some harsh chemicals that are poisonous to the animal.

            As I have researched, I also learned that plastic bags are made from petroleum and natural gas, which are nonrenewable resources. A nonrenewable resource means there is a limited supply of that resource and once we are out of it, it is gone. WHY ARE WE WASTING THESE PRECIOUS RESOURCES ON SOMETHING SO POINTLESS? (I accidentally hit my caps lock button but it seemed like appropriate timing).

            Apparently, these plastic bags are recyclable, but it isn’t something commonly pushed for as they are very difficult to recycle. Some grocery stores collect used bags for recycling, but it isn’t encouraged and the general public does not really know about this option.

            The simple solution in my mind is to re-ban plastic bags and everyone be responsible for bringing their own reusable bags. If you forget yours and have to carry everything, you won’t forget next time.