Steven Schroeder's 2nd Post

Taliban Peace Talks

High-ranking Taliban leaders have agreed that they will discuss terms of peace at the Persian Gulf state of Qatar. This occurring after the Taliban have repeatedly showed public denial of these peace talks to end its insurgency in Afghanistan. There really are no cons right now because the peace talks haven’t happened yet, but once they commence it should only go uphill from there. As of right now only the U.S. and Taliban representatives have discussed ending the 10 years’ war. Further debate has arisen, since before this the Taliban have viewed Hamid Karzai’s government as a puppet regime but in peace talks they must include Karzai’s views and notice the legitimate government of Afghanistan. One problem that could possibly threaten the negotiations is the Pakistani government which houses the Haqqani network that launched assaults on the Afghan capital of Kabul. The relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan is reportedly at an all-time low and furthermore the U.S.’s drawback to leave only 100,000 troops from Afghan borders has tried to arrange having a long-term plan to have a permanent presence over there to push Taliban into talks with Karzai representatives. Events have occurred where NATO forces have had to bomb Pakistani soldiers because of the Haqqani forces having been assaulting Afghan. Although now since the Taliban are becoming an ever decreasing force, since Bin Laden and other major advisors have fallen, they may have finally come to their senses.  So hopefully in future months there will be peace among these governmental forces and radical groups.

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/t/taliban/index.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45854937

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/03/world/asia/afghanistan-taliban-talks/index.html?hpt=wo_c1

Shannen McKelvey's 2nd Post

2012 THE END?????

Is 2012 the last year to live? I don’t think so. Think about this: the Mayans were most likely invaded when they made that calendar, or they could have easily decided not to finish it. “The Maya, who lived in Central America between A.D. 250 and 900, had a cyclical calendar that ran approximately one human lifetime, or 52 years (life was shorter back then). To account for events more than 52 years away, they devised another calendar, one that ran 5,126 years, and apparently began in the year 3114 B.C. Do a little math: 5,126 minus 3,114 equals 2,012.” http://abcnews.go.com.   Another thing is how do you know the calendar is true? You have no proof that it is actually, truly accurate.  “The beginning of 2012 has brought a new flurry of reassurances that the Maya never did predict anything would go wrong this year, and that even if they had, we're probably misreading their calendar anyhow” (http://abcnews.go.com).  This quote says it all. You never know if you are reading it right unless you have a true Mayan telling you how to read it. If you could make a time machine, I say use it to see if the world is going to end! Also you don’t have proof that the calendar shows that something is going to happen on that day. The Mayans could have been predicting a meteor shower on that day for all you know. I say when you can show proof that the world is going to end then maybe I would believe you, but until then I say it is not going to happen. I stand for that the world is not going to end!

Nathan Hagemeyer's 2nd Post

What is Christmas really about?

“For my family it’s about giving and being grateful, and let’s not forget to spread the love”-Scarlet Holvenstot.  “Christmas is about getting together with my family and having a good time”-Mr.Fritsch.  We have lost the true meaning of Christmas.  Christmas should be about giving rather than Santa Claus and presents, and these people realize what it is really about, but not everyone knows that.  Whether you are religious or not, Christmas must be important to you.  I believe that it should be about being thankful for what you have.  We should be grateful for what we have and give to those in need.  That is the true meaning of Christmas.  Why are we so focused on receiving gifts?  We are so selfish.  I know that I have fallen subject to this before.  But now as I have grown older I realize that we should be grateful and think about all the things we have rather than the things we need.   Charles Dickins says this about Christmas, “I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.”  Remember what you’re grateful for.

Albert Evarts' 2nd Post

    I stand for the proper treatment of animals. Animal abuse has been a problem in the world for a long time. Yet as the global populace becomes more educated, they learn how to better care for their pets and sometimes even forego having pets. Animal abuse is in no way justifiable as it is detrimental to both the animal and the person abusing the animal. Animals that have been abused develop a complex in which all people are mean and become aggressive; even when compassionate people attempt to take care of them and nurture them back to health. Often, animals become so aggressive that they have to be euthanized.

    Arguably, the effects on people are more severe. People who abuse animals are often violent and unpredictable. They can present a danger to the people around them and themselves. These people have problems and need to be taken care of, much the same as the animals they abuse. This is why I stand for the proper treatment of animals.

Scarlet Holvenstot's 2nd Post

The truth about water bottles

I stand for the use of reusable water bottles. Bottled water is expensive, bottles create garbage and drinking out of plastic is proven bad for you. Most people get the satisfaction of twisting off the sealed cap. The sound of taking off the top makes people feel assured they are drinking something healthy and fresh. In reality 70% of bottled water never crosses state lines to be sold. The FDA has no over sight on the product being sold. Most bottled water is no better than regular tap water found at home.

                The amount of garbage produced by the consumption of bottled water is outrageous. Bottled water produces 1.5 million tons of plastic every year. 47 million gallons of oil are used every year to produce the trillions of bottles of water. Most people are under the impressions that these bottles are being recycled. The facts prove only 20% of the plastic bottles are recycled, the rest are thrown away. 

                The solution to all this bottle madness? Buy a reusable water bottle. You can get an aluminum thermos or a reusable plastic bottle such as a Nalgene. Quit spending money on corrupt businesses that just pollute our world and satisfy our materialist illusions. Start conserving earth’s natural resources and save yourself from the unhealthy toxins within plastic. This quick change is important to ensure our world does not become a wasteland of plastic for future generations.

http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/5-reasons-not-to-drink-bottled-water

Grace Benesutti's 2nd Post

NTSB Recommended Cell Phone Ban

                When there was a deadly crash in Missouri last year, The National Transportation Safety Board decided they wanted to recommend the ban of talking on your cell phone while driving. Distractions from cell phones and other electronics cause a lot of the major car crashes in the world and hurt many people. Deborah Hersman, NTSB chairman, states, “No call, no text, no update is worth a human life.”  Although the NTSB can’t make decisions, they can make recommendations to states in order to pass laws of safety. Some states have laws that talking or texting on your phone while driving is illegal, yet they do not enforce many of these laws. Hand-held devices may be banned, but it is said that devices already installed in the car may be allowed.

                The use of these electronics while driving has resulted in many accidents, resulting in injuries, even in fatality. The recommendation of the ban of using hand-held electronics while driving will hopefully have an impact on many states in the U.S. Lives will continue to be at risk while driving if people continue to be allowed to drive and talk on their phone. I stand for no talking on the phone or using electronics while driving. When people drive and use electronics it only causes a distraction. If the use of a cell phone is needed in an emergency, then exceptions can be made. However, during normal driving situations, as a driver, you should not be risking lives of other people, or even yourself.