Drug Legalization

Today in English class Professor Red Ink finally dispensed with the MLA nonsense and got down to the real deal.

That's right folks. We talked drugs today.

Because drugs are apparently number one on the prof's agenda, he laid out his plan for fixing the system.  First, legalize drugs across the board.  But only make them available in government regulated stores, similar to the ABC liquor stores.  Physicians would work with the government to decide how much of any given drug would be safe to sell at a time and boom.  You've got a relatively drug-free nation. Now this was not a divisive issue among my classmates.  Really, the class was divided in half between those who supported heavier enforcement of our current drug policy and those who supported legalizing so called 'softer' drugs like marijuana. And then the professor, who forced us to argue his policy.

Someone raised their hand and said that many drugs are extremely dangerous and addictive and therefore should not ever be legalized.  He called that government propaganda and then read us 'the best' statistics available about people who become addicted to drugs.  From an ambiguous number of people surveyed, he quoted the percentage of those people who had tried a given drug (ex. 10% of people surveyed had tried marijuana, 3% had tried crack cocaine) and then gave us the percentages of those who actually became addicted to the drug (ex. 2% became addicted to marijuana, 0.01% became addicted to crack cocaine).  The problem was that the second set of relatively small percentages he took from the whole population, not from the sample.  So he claimed that 2% of the whole population became addicted to cocaine, instead of giving the more realistic (and less misleading) statistic that 65% of people who had tried cocaine, became addicted.  Imagine what would happen if you completely legalized all drugs.  More people would have access to them and more people would become addicted.

All of the statistics above are just for example, but you get the gist.  There were many, many more holes in his argument, which I will address later.

Library Adventures

Excluding church, my weekends during the semester are almost completely consumed by homework.  I get up at 8 in the morning, head downtown for a McDonald's breakfast (OJ and an Egg McMuffin) and then go straight to the local university library.  I'll generally stay in the learning commons with my laptop for 3 to 4 hours, unless it's the weekend before a big paper is due or I have test.  If I have to do research I'll list all the books and journals I need and head up and down the many stories of the library on a veritable treasure hunt.  This is exactly what I did yesterday in order to prepare for my Argument Based Research paper.

Looking for books at the library is always a very enjoyable experience, but it is tinged through and through with a healthy dose of horror.  I get in a claustrophobic, creaky elevator and go up to the floor where my chosen book is supposedly located, stepping out into this impossibly quiet world.  Most of the floors look the same, they're all equally hushed, and it's books as far as the eye can see so you really don't know who's up there with you.  I really don't feel at ease until I see or hear one or two other people rustling about.  It's better if there are three or more, since I'm always terrified that that if there's only one person up there with me he is going to be an axe murderer or rapist or animal-rights activist or something horrible like that.

Or if there are only two people, I think they might be in cahoots, like they just murdered someone and hid the body in the bathroom and are the type of people not averse to doing the same to any possible witnesses.

That's the other thing, library bathrooms. They are not dissimilar to airplane lavatories, really. They are claustrophobic, their decor reminiscent of 1970's basements - which is never, ever a good thing - and there are always creepy, crypytic things scratched into the walls.  The actual experience of relieving oneself and washing up is unsettling as well. The sound of the toilet flush is identical to the scream of a dying Ringwraith, the running water in the sink drowns out any cries for help, Bloody Mary herself could come leaping out of the mirrors at any second, and the doors are much, much too heavy.  If you are ever looking for a good place to dump a corpse, seriously.  Try the university library bathrooms.

Unfortunately, if it's late morning and you find yourself in the upper reaches of the university library after you've had a tall glass of Mickey D's OJ for breakfast and a strong mug of coffee for after-breakfast, you are surely doomed to use the university library bathrooms.  Be aware.

The library is not all terror, however.  It has beanbags and couches strewn all around in random places.  There are cozy desks with ergonomic chairs next to windows overlooking the courtyard on the south wing.  Large open dictionaries on pedestals contain new words ripe for the plucking (I chose 'latudinous' this weekend). There is no need to fear murderers if you find a studious group of nonthreatening nerds to keep you company.  And oh the triumphant feeling of finally finding an obscure text in the dusty depths of the stacks!  Nothing better.  Also, keep an eye out for traces of the dedicated all-nighter. Even at the beginning of the semester they are not as rare as you may think.  If you're lucky, you may spot more than one!

Traits of the All-Nighter include : snoring, arrangement of beanbags as beds, feet sticking out from under desks, empty cans of RedBull.

Alas, all good adventures must come to an end.  After collecting all of my resources I trudged back to the creaky elevator (trying hard the whole time to not to think of horror movie trailers involving haunted elevators) and went back to the shiny learning commons to read.  'Twas a good Saturday indeed.

History

Note : This post was written before 9/11/2011. I was away all weekend and unable to post it.

It's been almost a decade since 9/11.  I was young when it happened, living all the way across the country, so New York was a distant fantasy-land as far as I knew.  Mom woke my brother and I up early in the morning.  I didn't understand what was going on, but it was a really big deal so I grabbed a butter knife and a granola bar in order to be prepared.  It was exciting.  School that day was not very memorable.  I don't remember the teacher explaining the situation very well, but she was very serious and very sad.  When I arrived home later that afternoon the grandparents Dad had dropped off at the airport early in the morning were there, their flight home having been canceled.  That awful day was just the opposite for me. It was a day full of childish joy.

The following days and weeks brought new ideas into my world.  The seriousness of 9/11 and the realities of a post 9/11 began to sink in, whether or not I was aware of it.  My brother and I added a morbid new drawing to our repertoire. Two rectangles, with crude smoke and fire coming out the top. Osama bin Laden became both a vague concept and the embodiment of evil for my generation.  The magazines racks at the Barnes and Noble had rows of covers with the same burning image.  I began to pay more and more attention to current events. Years passed. March 19th, 2003 was the day of my school birthday party.  After the party was over my grandpa brought over a TV and I stayed up way past my bedtime to watch as the US invaded Iraq.   Huddled up on the couch I scribbled history down on the first page of the new diary I had been given as a present.  History from a child's eyes, given all the gravity a little girl can give.

Important things happened, each event given it's own post in the diary.  My brother and I learned how to draw John Kerry, which was really a waste since Bush was elected again.  Saddam Hussein was found, then executed.  A tsunami happened, then a hurricane, then another election. Osama Bin Laden was killed.  New unfamiliar names came up in politics and I learned more and more about our government, our history and the world.

I seriously doubt that I would have learned so much or have been as interested in politics as a child had 9-11 not happened.  I believe that it is a fundamental part of my own history and greatly influenced my decision to study journalism.  Of course I am not glad that it happened. I am thankful, however, that America became more united and more patriotic through the tragedy.  Though I cannot hope to ever match the bravery of the men and women of September 11, I would like to continue in that kind of selfless spirit and bring good out of every situation.

Science Fiction Tales

Unexpectedly, Science Fiction class has become this semester's treasure chest of interesting experiences and provocative conversations.  There is a European woman who sits to my left and is commendably outspoken in class, though she always says things that I vehemently disagree with.  Friday's class was no exception. The in-class conversation had been monotonous and predictable. I had failed to keep up an interest until the last two minutes, when someone brought up God.  I don't remember specifically what God was in reference to, but we inevitably began discussing religion, and religion led to talk of Christianity.  The European woman made the assertion that people with faith are immature because they follow God.  When children are children, she said, they see their parents as all knowing and all powerful. However, when those children grow up, they recognize that their parents are flawed. Instead of maturing and accepting that everything is imperfect, these grown-up children turn to a perfect loving God and thus are delusional and stagnating in immaturity.  She said that because 'true believers' admit that they need something in their lives, they are not fully developed.  By the time she finished explaining her idea, class was over, so the professor and the woman and myself headed out into the hallway and discussed the matter for 20 more minutes.

She has a very distinctive look. Much more fun to draw than Professor X.

Professor X debated her on her definition of a true believer.  He said that since everyone is different she couldn't create a blanket definition of a true believer.  He debated her on her assertion that true believers need God or religion to complete their lives, telling a story about a friend of his who feels complete all by himself, but is religious because he wants to be.  I didn't get too involved in the conversation but I did disagreed with her negative view of 'neediness'.  Just because religious people need God does not make them immature or inferior.  In fact, I believe that the difficulty of closing one's mind to the world and being able to admit a great need is something that is elevating and liberating, not naive or restrictive.  I also believe that one can only recognize this need through personal revelation from God, so it was pretty hard to argue with her.  In the end we all disagreed. But it was a great learning experience.

Really, whenever I get into these conversations, I always feel extremely incapable of defending my beliefs, even though I often know why the opposing party's views are wrong.  I'm hoping that quietly listening to these conversations for a while will allow me to sharpen my own arguments and prevent me from making bad arguments based on emotion.

Another thing: What's wrong with being one-sided? I keep hearing that I need to keep an open-mind, but when you know what's right, why would you be open to anything else? I don't mean that people should be inflexible or closed to good arguments, but I think having an open mind to everything at all times prevents one from really understanding what they believe.  Something to think about.

Rick Perry Understands

I ran across this infographic today.  I enjoyed it very much and recommend taking a few minutes to read it.  It was really a positive way for me to remember the 10th anniversary of 9-11, especially since I had been dwelling on the morbid realities and details of that day for the past week or so.  The fact that America has found ways to bring hope and positivity out of an event so terrible is very reassuring to me.  I hope that spirit continues.

***

Quick sketch of Rick Perry

Rick Perry is going to go ahead and debate tomorrow! I am very excited to hear what he has to say and see how he looks against all the other candidates.  Honestly, after watching Obama speak today I was left with the simple desire to vote for a stronger leader. I think America wants this too, and I think Rick Perry just may fit the bill. He radiates a stability and security that contrasts greatly with Obama's compromising ways.  The best part is that Perry's apparent objectivity does not seem to compromise his ability to understand the nuances of certain issues, like illegal immigration.  The fact that he does seem to understand this issue at a deeper level is one of the things that makes him seem so stable and secure. Because of experience I think he knows why he believes what he believes, which in my opinion, makes him much less likely to waver.  I only hope that the rest of the right can be educated on this issue.  I'm sure that if true compassionate conservatives, especially Christians, understood the reality of the matter, they would be much less likely to protest Perry's seemingly liberal views.  I don't think Hispanics will be complaining though.  I certainly am not.

The other major asset that Perry brings to the table in a general election is immigration. The Republican nominee’s ability to connect with Hispanic voters, concentrated in battleground states like Nevada, Colorado, and Florida, is critical to winning the White House in 2012 and beyond. Perry brings a track record of Hispanic outreach in Texas, and he carried 38 percent of the Hispanic vote in 2010 against Democrat Bill White, in line with George W. Bush’s performance as governor.

More notably, while campaigning to win the conservative Republican base, he has carefully avoided the strident anti-immigration rhetoric that often characterizes the party’s loudest voices. He came out against a border fence—virtual heresy among elements of the right—and didn’t back down from his support of allowing illegal immigrants to receive in-state tuition in his state. Perry’s team is playing long ball, and it recognizes the importance of the Hispanic vote and his unique ability to win enough of them over.
Pair Perry on the presidential ticket with an up-and-coming Hispanic running mate such as Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida or New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, and the Hispanic vote is squarely in play. Gallup found Obama’s approval among Hispanics down to 44 percent. If Obama can’t win over a clear majority of Hispanics, ball game’s over.

 -Josh Kraushaar of the National Journal via Freep

There is no Truth

Science Fiction class was interesting again. We read Isaac Asimov's 'Liar' for class and discussed it afterward.  We did not really discuss the story itself. We discussed the psychological and philosophical elements behind it. It was all very vague.  Professor X started talking about Truth. Truth with a capital 'T', objective truth, the one and only Truth, and that's one of my favorite topics
It was difficult to understand what the point of his long explanation was, but I believe the gist of the whole thing was that there is no Truth. That was his own personal belief anyway.

I couldn't contain myself. It was perfect. It was too perfect. So perfect that I doubted myself the second after I blurted "THAT'S A FALLACY PROFESSOR X!" He cocked his head in the same manner as he did during the Lord of the Rings conversation and I vibrated and spluttered about trying to explain myself.

"I'm sure you've heard of it. I mean, obviously you've heard of it. You've heard of it, right?"

Who hasn't heard of it? How can anyone declare that there is no truth, when that declaration is supposed to be considered a truth in itself.  I mean that's super tight logic. It's the easiest argument.  Professors of literature, be they community college teachers or tenured Harvard academics, have heard of it.  That's why I felt silly telling him straight out. It felt like I was stating the obvious.

The fact that he even made the absurd statement should have assuaged the doubts I had about my argument.  The only problem was that I never really heard him say that there is no truth.  He covered this definite objective statement in a tangle of vague ideas and theory jargon.  He chuckled when I asked him if he believed that there was no truth and then he tried to explain how it was all bigger than just one statement since everyone filters things differently (is that not an objective statement?). Then he started explaining how this relativity applied to stem cell research.  The whole class nodded along.  I felt like the only objective person in the room.  That, of course is not true, since each student holds his or her own objective beliefs.

Lord of the Rings is NOT spineless, unlike someone else.

My Science Fiction teacher and the entire class thinks that the Lord of the Rings is boring, books and film trilogy. There's too little action. There's too much walking and talking!

Perhaps ten years time has fogged their memories. I think this is weak reasoning since it is inconceivable that anyone, let alone an entire class, could forget the epic scene that is the Battle of Helms Deep in only a decade. They are, therefore, philistines.

In English class we talked for just a little bit about the recent kerfuffle over the timing of the president's speech. Now, instead of competing with the Republican debate, it is competing with the start of the new NFL season. Now, this. John Boehner lifts a finger and Obama backs down. Red-blooded males of America lift their voices and Obama backs down. Everyone has to be happy. Now if I were a good Republican president and there was a chance to eat into the Dem's TV ratings, I would take it. I would stand my ground. And then I would schedule another important speech for the start of the new NFL season, because football is boring. In fact, I would probably schedule speeches for the starts of basketball, baseball, and hockey seasons, then pass a bill that would require all the networks to air the entire extended-version of Lord of the Rings for a week starting on New Years.

Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks this way : "Spineless Obama" via Free Republic