It's YOUR Duty….

I will not be able to vote this upcoming election, but for the first time, some of my peers will be able to vote. I hate it when I hear the excuses. "I don't know where to go." "I don't care." "My vote won't make a difference." And the worst, "I'm too busy." Excuse me, did I just hear you say you were too busy to vote? It happens once every four years. It's not a commitment that you have to make over time. It's an obligation that all Americans have. Even if you don't have an opinion, I think you should go vote for someone who does have an opinion. Voting is the easiest way to make a big difference.

Ze Frank!

Here are my two views on the VP and Presedential debates from a YouTuber named Ze Frank

VP Debate:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM6XVk01lgQ&list=UUVpankR4HtoAVtYnFDUieYA&index=4&feature=plcp

Presedential Debate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKRz6640B04&feature=channel&list=UL

Gay Marriage and the Election

In class, we have been researching various issues that appear in the upcoming presidential election. I don't have any pressing opinions on medicare, taxes, oil, or the economy. But I do have an opinion when it comes to rights. I believe that all people should have the right to marry a person of the same or opposite gender.
Mitt Romney has firmly stated that marriage is between a man and a woman. President Obama believes that marriage should be between two people who are in love and wish to be married. In the beginning of Obama's presidency, he did not think this way. He thought that marriage must be between a man and woman. He said that after a while, he saw that there's nothing wrong with same-sex parents or couples, and they deserve the right to be married. I agree with Obama's current view on the issue.
I wonder, if Romney gets elected president, will his views sway like Obama's? I'm not sure. I think it will not because Romney's religion has strictly raised him otherwise.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

I am not an avid reader. I haven't read a book cover-to-cover for my own enjoyment in years. But, in my english class, we are reading Khaled Hosseini's novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns. Many of my friends had said the book was good. I didn't expect it to be anything special. Boy, was I wrong! The novel takes a look at the treatment of women in Afghanistan.
Before reading, I didn't know anything about Afghanistan, the Middle East, Pakistan, or the injustices that were being committed there. I knew that there was a war in the Middle East. The Taliban was just a word to me; it had no significance. This book has opened my eyes to the modern atrocities of man. I cannot believe what these women were being put through. The book partially takes place during my lifetime; I think that's what gets me the most. Stories of people being persecuted in foreign countries is supposed to be separated from me. History is supposed to be something that my grandparents lived through. But I was alive when these women were being abused, beaten, and bloodied!
A Thousand Splendid Suns reminds me that there is a world beyond the north-suburban Chicago area. It reminds me that not everybody is the same. But we all feel the same things.
I cannot speak highly enough about A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Is college worth it?

Today, a college education is a lot of time and a lot of money.  Some jobs do not require college but they are usually lower paying. Granted, there are exceptions to every rule. As I see it, most jobs today require a college education. 

At Indiana University, an Indiana resident would pay around $10,000 per year. If you are not a resident, you would pay around $30,000 a year. With college loans, interest, and all things considered, a college education may be around $140,000 total. Along with that $140,000, a ton of time has been spent writing papers, studying, taking classes, and partying. Is the opportunity cost worth it? 

I know that college is in fact worth it. College is not only an educational place. It is not strictly for learning material. College is a place to gain independence and freedom. College is where you learn to become an individual. As I talk to some of my friends who are freshmen in college they will remark on how "the laundry doesn't do itself." College is where not only you get an education, but an education in life. While the ridiculous price tag may not be worth its face value, college is worth it.