Should Animal Testing Be Banned? by Gauri Jere

Should Animal Testing Be Banned?

by Gauri Jere

For thousands of animals a year, death is inevitable through the need for meat for food. But for others, it is sudden and unnecessary – like animal testing to get you some new makeup of cream. The animal activists might have questions for us – what do most humans feel about putting animals through this? An actual fact is that before their deaths, over 40% of these animals (mostly rodents, cats, dogs and fish)  are forced to inhale toxic fumes, are immobilized in restraint devices, have holes drilled into their skulls, and most often have their skins burnt off.

Moreover, over 100 million and more are killed each year only in the USA, and over 15 million are killed in the UK solely for testing. On the other hand, over 9 billion animals are killed every year for meat – what’s 15 million more? That is the idea and principle which is followed by people worldwide when asked about animal testing. I believe that we should save as many lives as possible, regardless of what number are being killed otherwise. And besides, is killing creatures for things like makeup really necessary? And should it really be continued?

Animal testing agreeably, has some positive points on its side – they have somewhat of a similar anatomy to us, and can therefore prevent testing on humans. Yet at the same time, over 30% of the testing of products that are taken place never reach the public – meaning they are often scrapped and forgotten. This means that out of 100 million of animals killed for testing, 30 million that die for a “cause” are killed for something that is never used again. So now not only are these animals often being killed for “developments” which are sometimes not even shown to the world.  You might sincerely believe that many of these animals are useless pests in the household (like rats) but the truth of the matter is that lives are lives, no matter what, and all of these animals do not and should not need to die for us.

Secondly, animal testing is plain cruelty. Imagine living in a locked cage all your life, not deciding to eat what you wish, do what you wish, or even choose whether or not to leave the lights on or off inside the room. Imagine being put through tests that cause burns and rashes to form on your skin.  Imagine wasting away in your cage like a captive, even though you have committed no crime. That is the experience of animal testing.  So the next time you buy a new product, check if they use animal testing to get you the product. And check with yourself if you’re okay with using something that has put an animal through unnecessary pain. As capable and self – dependable creatures, can we humans not resort to other means like artificial skin instead of animal testing to create a better future for ourselves? And can we try treating these animals like actual living organisms? All in all, our behavior currently suggests that humans seem to be incapable of noticing the cruelty animals are put through, which is something that I hope to change.

Lastly, animals and humans do not even have the exact same anatomy – meaning that even after conducting all these countless tests, these products are still not 100% guaranteed to work on humans. That’s the reason as to why on most cosmetics products for sensitive skin (like your face) they ask you to test out some of it on your wrist before using it – this is not because of the animals being incompetent – this exists because we humans have subjected animals to torture and had no problem with it. In the end, we always test these products on our tougher skin first, instead of sensitive skin directly. If we plan on testing on ourselves anyways, then why do we create millions of dead bodies every year over the products? The idea to me seems pretty counterproductive.

A study conducted in 2011 asked three questions to a group of 1009 individuals, and the results were pretty enlightening. The first question was if they considered testing on animals inhumane and unethical, and the results stated that 72% of the people answered in the affirmative.  The second question was along the lines of whether the making of artificial products should be considered important, and over 78% answered yes.  Yet when the final question of whether or not they would buy a product that uses animal testing, only 31% of the people answered that they probably wouldn’t. This shows that even though over 70% of the people agree with stopping testing on animals, only 31% of them wanted to do something about it. I’ll leave that as food for thought.

I would like to conclude by asking you some questions:  do you honestly believe that killing over 1 million fish, and more than 9 million rodents and countless other animals for testing is alright and morally okay with you? Especially since some of the time you cannot even guarantee their loss of lives will prevent dangerous effects that all the products might cause to humans? Obviously, it will take time to convince people, but stopping animal testing is fairly simple – just stop using products that promote it. Join the movement to save thousands of animals a year by stopping animal testing.

Bibliography:

http://www.aboutanimaltesting.co.uk/using-animals-testing-pros-versus-cons.html

http://education.seattlepi.com/animals-share-human-dna-sequences-6693.html

https://www.pcrm.org/research/animaltestalt/cosmetics/americans-oppose-testing-cosmetics-on-animals

http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-experimentation/animal-testing-bad-science/

http://www.neavs.org/research/testing

https://www.crueltyfreeinternational.org/why-we-do-it/facts-and-figures-animal-testing

http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-animal-testing-be-banned

Women in the workforce by Anishka Bhatia

Women in the workforce

By:Anishka Bhatia

Men and women are just two different genders.Both strong,both special and both equally deserving.Yet women are treated differently . For many years ,women are thought to be powerless ,reason being they have never had the chance .As the world is changing,this issue has to be discussed as something critical.Women in the workforce,earning wages or a salary are part of the modern phenomenon.However,women have been challenged by an inequality and to this day,legal and cultural practices combined with long-standing religious and educational conventions restricted women’s entry and participation in the workforce.

To begin with,I feel it unjust that 76% of females work in a low-wage workforce which means that only 24% of the workforce comprises of men.Women are ¾ of the workers in the 10 largest low-wage jobs .The reasons for this are endless ; including religious beliefs ,childcare or lack of education.You may think this is because of the productivity of a woman (especially due to maternity leave etc) nevertheless , it is proven that women are MORE productive than men. In regard to the maternity, It is a necessary break given to care for a newborn and is actually also given to men in the form of paternity leave.

Next,women are said to be weaker or less strong compared to men and therefore, cannot work in occupations such as truck-driving and construction working etc. This is impartial as women have the same potential and the same threshold as well. Furthermore,these fields have a predominantly low female labour force even though it is not obligatory to prohibit these jobs for females.

By doing this, the world is stereotyping the potential or capability of a woman which is discrimination. It is often perceived that women are stronger than women although scientists prove that women ARE stronger than men.

Though they may not be stronger than males physically,it is the common mindset because of which females are not given right set of circumstances to prove themselves in such an environment. It is an improvement that there are more workers in the USA and Europe nonetheless, Asian countries are still to show a notable change because of superstitious activities and a narrow scope for improvement.

Globally (Asian regions),men of the family DO NOT ALLOW women to work, not only because of their ‘incapabilities’ but also because of the fact that it is the thought process that a women earning more than the man of the family results in humiliation and jealousy.Due to various years of discourse , beliefs of the society affect the decision of a family.This is why many families believe that females should take care of the household and men should support the family with their income.

This is true but people need to realize that the typical mob mentality passed on by generations has to be changed and i f a woman is considerate towards her partner earning for the family, a man should have a similar attitude.

Women.Their lack of education,lack of opportunities was all a decision made by someone else. They did not make this choice,the choice to do the laundry or the dishes.It was all SOMEONE ELSE. Various factors had effectively excluded women’s practice of well-paid and high status occupations especially fields such as law and medicine. Many women were denied due to their limited qualifications , even Cambridge university fully validated women in 1947. This is when it was established that there was an inequality.

Globally ,women’s labour force participation rate decreased from 52.4 percent to 48.6 % from 1995 to 2015 .In addition to this, the odds of a women participating in the workforce remain 30% less than that of a man and women now earn what men running 10 years ago .All in all ,many countries are showing a rapid progress and even the economy has changed since women participation increased. To make this a substantial issue, there has to be a common agreement to allow women to display their talent to the world because they should have as many opportunities as men do.

Citations:

Wikipedia contributors. "Women in the workforce." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 1 Dec. 2016. Web. 1 Dec. 2016.

"Women in the Workplace - Wall Street Journal.." The Wall Street Journal & Breaking News, Business, Financial and Economic News, World News and Video. Dow jones & company, Web. 28 Oct 2016. <http://www.wsj.com/specialcoverage/women-in-the-workplace>.

Gender Equality by Riya Koundinya

Gender Equality

Gender Equality. When we think about it, we mostly think of women. Why?? Let me tell

you. This is because men usually have the upper hand or advantages on most

situations. In most of the countries the thousand of gender norms that we humans have

created, result in huge disadvantages for women. Personally i believe that there is a

distinct reason that we have two genders. Each one of them meant to perform different

tasks. But, that does not mean that they are treated differently and mistreated,

especially women. I think that gender equality should be attained worldwide and women

should start being treated and respected the same way that men are.

In many of the rural places, women are treated extremely unfair. They are beaten up,

made to stay at home, look after children, and they can never reach their potential and

what they are meant to do. This is extremely unfair. In Iraq, more than 1 million women

have been taken away from their homes and many more are unable to even buy or pay

for their food. In Pakistan, women are gang raped, and most of the girls are married

before they are 18, not given a proper education. Why?. we will never know. 90% of

women in Pakistan are domestically violated. This is just one of the few things that

happen. What i fail to understand is why the men don’t go through any of this, apart

from the fact that most of the things that women go through ( the rapes, domestic

violence, mistreated, etc) are all caused by the men.

Every year almost 62 million girls are denied an education. Imagine if we give all of

those girls an education, what a difference the world would face. Most of the girls that

are mistreated, don’t have proper education, are married before 18, and have children

at a very young age. Most of them die due to childbirth. Maternal mortality is the

leading cause of death in low-income countries. It is also said that women are 55%

more likely to be HIV positive if they have experienced intimate partner violence.

Another thing is that children learn at a very young age about the distinct expectations

for boys and girls, and they learn how they are different.

Most parents buy their boys trucks, cars, sports equipment and the girls? Well, we are

usually bought dolls, barbie’s, kitchen sets, princesses. It is said that the family is the

most influential during them learning the differences between genders.

If you have ever noticed, during baby showers, and birth clothes, the boys things will be

blue, and the girls color is usually pink. And during the young ages if a boy likes pink it

is considered like a sin. That’s all because of the norms that society has created.

A statement that is said very often is “ boys will be boys”, this is usually said in relation

to when a boy misbehaves, become a bit aggressive, and so on. Although, when a girl

does it, it isn't expected because we girls are mostly taigh to be elegant, behaved,

grounded, full of manners etc. Why? Again, it’s the norms and traditions that society has

created.

A lot of people will disagree by saying that kids choose what they want to play with, and

that things have changed, but this is what i think and i personally feel that although

things have gotten better, it could improve more.

Society, Culture, Tradition. All play a major role in Gender Equality. Society has set

norms that each gender must follow, traditions have made rules against what each must

do and they have to be followed. Certain cultures have also set up restrictions and rules

that must be followed. Most of these norms lead to disadvantages to the girls, such as

not being able to go school so that the girl can learn the way if the house, or learning to

cook instead of going to school. Or having to be at home a certain home because it’s

dark or other stupid things, but on the other hand the boys are given more freedom.

Why, again the same reasons.

Many people will again disagree by saying that it’s for safety reasons and because there

is a time for everything, and again I personally don’t find it fair,

Even today, men typically occupy positions of power within the job economy. Also

experiments have shown us that women earn about 10-30% less than men do just

because they are women. Although there are times when women do more efficient and

more work than a man does. Again all due to the norms.

I hope that one day these norms will be broken and we will live in a world where both

girls and boys are treated the same way and especially women are finally treated with

respect and aren't mistreated. I certainly hope that after reading this essay you join me

along with millions of other in trying to attain gender equality worldwide.

Cyber bullying is worse than face to face bullying by Rosalyn Mathews

 Cyber bullying is worse than face to face bullying

by Rosalyn Mathews

 Close your eyes and try to imagine being humiliated on the internet where everyone can see it. Everyone from different parts of the world. Imagine being criticized and hated because of your looks or grades. People suffer through this everyday but sometimes it’s just too much for them to take. Physically they might not be hurt but mentally they are broken. Just imagine.

Cyberbullying is not harmless and easy to escape from and it is definitely not better than face to face bullying, in fact it is worse.

Firstly on the internet people can disguise themselves very easily mainly by using fake accounts. By using fake accounts bullies can bully their target easier as they are anonymous and can remain that way. Nobody will know who they truly are and they might not face any consequences. Also so on the internet you can connect with people on a global scale bullies can use this to their advantage by bullying someone who lives far away. This would make it harder for people to catch cyberbullies as it makes it harder to trace it back to them.

You may think it is easy to escape from cyberbullies but it is easier to escape from face to face bullies. It is easier to escape from face to face bullies because you know who your bully actually is and you can just moves schools. However escaping from cyberbullies is much harder as you don’t know who your bully is so he or she can make another account and continue bullying you. Another reason why face to face bullying is easier to escape from is that face to face bullying can only happen for a few hours as they are only at school or the playground. However cyber bullying can happen 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Face to face bullying will only last for a while so it will not stick with you for a long time. However cyber bullying can last for a very long time as it is much easier all you have to do is sit in a chair typing out hurtful messages continuously the bully does not need to be physically strong to take their target down.

One thing people seem to forget is that once you put something online it will stay there forever. You can even delete it but it will still be there somehow. People can find these deleted pictures or messages and use them against you. When you browse the internet you leave footprints behind they are not be actual footprints but it seems like it. If people can follow your “footprint” very bad things could happen. People also tend to put a lot of personal information online. Things like their gender, age and sometimes even their address. If this information gets into the wrong hands serious problems can arise.

I would like to conclude by saying cyberbullying is more dangerous compared to face to face bullying. Cyberbullying can cause psychological damage such as anxiety, depression, and other serious stress and emotion related disorders. In some cases cyberbullying has caused young adult suicide and this number is increasing yearly.

Should Children’s Beauty Pageants be Banned? by Sanjana Srinivasan

Should Children’s Beauty Pageants be Banned?

by Sanjana Srinivasan

It’s time. It’s your turn to flaunt your beauty and figure out to the world. At least, that is what your mother told you. Your face feels tight-almost like a gift wrapped in sandpaper-and your heart beats wildly, like a beast against its cage. One step, two steps, then more. In a second, the low hum you once heard turns into an ear-piercing applause. The crowd goes crazy, roaring with what your mother called ‘excitement’. You feel exposed, yet not for who you really are.

For centuries, adult beauty pageants have existed in one form or another. For instance, the medieval British celebrated May Day by picking a May Queen. The first organised proto-child pageant, as a matter of fact, occurred around the same time as the first pageant for adults and was surprisingly more successful! Already, this shows that people have always liked to pick between people and pick one person over another. This is exactly what happens in beauty pageants, and is exactly what I think should not be happening.

To begin with, what is a beauty pageant? Well, it is a beauty contest featuring contestants under 16 years of age. Competition categories range from interviews, various types of clothing for different occasions and sometimes, talent. Hence, kids are obviously caked with tons of makeup on their baby faces to appear more mature and appealing to judges. However, do you know about how this can damage these budding participants?

Generally, makeup is thought of something that makes you pretty, but that is in fact just a ludicrous cover up. All it does to helpless participants is coat their true identity with a mask stocked with chemicals and paint. Excessive appliance of makeup, which is done on every contestant, results in early acne breakouts and can very quickly turn soft, supple skin into rough and patchy ones. Most types of makeup products are highly allergenic and contain several ingredients such as sodium benzoate, propylene glycol and other harsh acids that shouldn’t be put on skin. Since children have sensitive skin, exposure to such products at a young age means expecting their skin to react soon enough through over-exposure. To add on, the back of makeup products show a huge list of unidentifiably ingredients, or no list at all. These lists contain chemicals, parabens and carcinogens that shouldn’t be implemented on anyone.

Moreover, why do pageants require the children to wear makeup? Such competitions should focus on improving internal characteristics or pinpointing talent; all this really does in reality is provide regretful memories for participants as adults, which will be discussed next in the essay.

Furthermore, a very important concern that has been proven to happen to countless people in the past and present is the strong feelings of pain, regret and even insecurities in the future of some child beauty pageants. A research showed that majority of the children were actually only being pushed and controlled by their mothers. At the pageants she observed, tears and temper tantrums were common, with their mums denying them naps or breaks from the gruelling pageant schedules in fear that their appearance may become dishevelled. Even more shockingly, parents were seen feeding their children with caffeinated beverages and pixy stick candies (often referred to as ‘pageant crack’) in order to keep their energy levels high constantly. If feeding raw sugar to children is how desperate their demands have come down to, then parents need to realise the obnoxious mistake they are making. Making kids take part in these pointless beauty pageants is like forcing them to grow up. Plenty of pageants have been through a lot of stress and misery, only to wish that they were never part of something so unjust.

As a perfect example and proof of what damage it causes, here is a real experience of a contestant. Karen, an American citizen, never really thought of it as a disaster that she contested in beauty pageants as a kid. In her case, it was just part of her mom’s obsessive need to show her off. She was put on stage for the first time at the tender age of three- just like how Karen’s grandmother had done with her mom.

During that period, her mother began to literally police what she ate and imposed severely strict and restrictive diets on her as part of her preoccupation of Karen’s weight and appearance.

As a natural extrovert, she obviously had her own share of fun with all the ‘show bizz’ and received plenty of praising for her performances. However, the girl later realised how wrong her opinion was later on and confessed, “But there were darker sides”. She continued by describing the old men that were always present near the performers to stare at them in skimpy outfits, accompanied with the haunting sense that she had no face when it was not made up for the stage. The latent and confusing fear of being looked at sexually continued all through Karen’s adulthood! Now, this is a truly serious and unacceptable feeling that no girl or boy should ever have to feel, especially at such a young age. Keeping in mind that this is just one in a sea of fish, I believe that having pageants around not only serves no purpose, but also de-motivates its participants. It is true that everyone makes their own choices and that it is an individual’s fault for feeling that way, but I am not just talking about one person here. Hundreds of pageants are affected negatively, and importantly, it is the system of the competition that is being blamed. Why are children expected to wear makeup? To dress provocatively? That’s right; because those are the categories involved in them.

Children’s pageants will be an anathema when parents and audiences alike understand that boundaries are necessary for children to attain body ownership and body integrity. 'Sexual'ising them rushes them past important developing stages and prevents them from reaching a healthy adulthood.

Moving on, have you heard about the reality TV series ‘Toddlers in Tiaras’? It is a popular TV series that still airs, where viewers are taken behind the scenes of the shockingly competitive world of child beauty pageants to learn about the wee contestants and their fanatically driven parents. Of course, the show has its own acting crew, but it is fundamentally based off reality.

Entering young women into beauty pageants is wrong and damaging. It can be a severe issue because many parents are actually compromising their daughters’ physical and mental health, all for the sake of ‘Miss Supreme Queen’.

The show ‘Toddlers in Tiaras’ depicts mothers so desperate for their children to win that they force them to undergo UV or spray tans, bikini waxes, and even Botox injections! Unbelievably, most girls featured on the show are below the age of nine. Kerry Campbell, the mother of one of the eight-year-olds displayed on the controversial show explained, “All of this pain and effort will benefit Britney in the end. When she is a superstar earning millions, she’ll always be grateful for what I did when she was so young.” Seriously? Is the mother after her happiness in life or money and fame? Although she is the mother, making a decision for a child and devising one’s future have an immense difference that should be understood and respected.

By all means, pageants claim that boosting self-confidence is their primary goal; they intend on making girls feel confident early on to make obstacles later in life easier to tackle. However, all I understand is that they think that judging young girls is how they become confident. That having unrealistic expectations on appearance is how they become confident. How do they answer to these facts then?

As reported by famous psychologist Phil McGraw, 40% of the children that participated in beauty pageant events had problems psychologically when they grew, and many others were unhappy during the pageants itself. In yet another study, it was come to the conclusion that women who participated in those pageants in the past were more unhappy with their bodies as compared to those who hadn’t. Everybody’s development is determined by events that occur in their childhood. Due to the strong desire to be perfect, many resort to extremes to gain that approval. Horrifyingly, girls even wear ‘flippers’, which are fake teeth to cover up their natural baby ones-a great example of them being forced to grow up.

Judges mainly focus on appearance, attire and perceived ‘cuteness’. As a result, pageant judges suggest to contestants that appearance is the key, and urge them to boast themselves to succeed in the competition. The perceived look and opinion on presentation by other people can lead to grave changes in how one views their body image. Adults and children who participate would feel the pressure to be perfect –on and off stage-and many go through low self-esteem, poor body imagery and thus view themselves negatively.

If children aren’t taught early on that internal beauty is always going to be one’s best value rather than external beauty, they could become more and more absorbed in developing look physically instead of fixating on developing emotionally as a person, which could then lead to several issues.

To conclude, I want to reinforce my point by questioning, how does judging a young kid on their appearance help them in any way? Children should not have to go through the stress and struggle just to be judged by others’ eyes, thus I believe that child beauty pageants should be banned. With so many other simple ways to bring out true talent, it is the sad truth that these pageants occur plainly for the pleasure of viewers, scarily determined parents and the money gotten from these taking place. Therefore, if you believe in trying to put a stop to unjustified beauty contests, please contribute your thoughts on this issue onto www.beautyshouldbehealthy.com . If you can’t personally do something to change things, spread awareness as this itself encourages people to vary their line of thinking and may one day result in the ending of such unacceptable events.

What Has Religion Become ? by Anusha Kumar

WHAT HAS RELIGION BECOME?

by Anusha Kumar

The leaves float around you in the gentle fall breeze that blows by. The rusty, crunchy sounds of the dried flowers under your feet provide a soothing background to your evening walk. As the sun sets behind the beautiful ornate mosque ahead, the evening prayers began to resonate from the tall white pillars and envelope you in a sense of warmth and peace.

Religion can be so beautiful, but the scars on the backs of millions of people say different.

Buddhist monks mummify themselves. Some Muslim men beat themselves with a chain till their back bleeds red to their toes. Some Christians crucify themselves. People put themselves through genital mutilation. Animals are sacrificed. People are sacrificed.

All in the name of god.

What is religion? What has religion become? As you flip to the next page, open your eyes to a new perspective. To the horrors, you never knew existed in the world you call home.

Let’s start simple. There is a Hindu ritual of pouring milk over black granite statues called ‘shivlinga’ to supposedly please the deity Shiva. This is where that milk ends up-

Did you know that 42% of malnourished children in the entire world live in India? The same country where tons of food is made every day to be presented to a 5-foot solid gold statue in temples of every city. What are we doing? We say there is god in every human, but we sure don’t act like it. We offer food and money to temples in the name of god while hundreds of people sit outside starving and struggling to survive. It is simple practices like these that we unwittingly carry out that make no sense and help no one. But this is just the pain we are unknowingly, indirectly inflicting.

Impaling is a ritual practice carried out in India, Thailand and other south Asian countries where the body parts of the participant is pierced with sharp objects like needles, swords, iron rods, spears etc.

self- flagellation is a ritual of religious significance done in the name of atonement of one's sins is practiced widely even today by Christians who believe it will help them achieve a higher place in heaven, and by Muslims of the Shia sect who practice this for self-atonement. This is a ritual involving hitting oneself with a whip or whips of chains with attached blades.

Fire walking is one of the most widely practiced rituals in several countries such as Greece, Bulgaria, Spain, Pakistan, India etc. in this ritual the devotee is made to walk barefoot on a bed of embers or stone that are set on fire and are at an extremely high temperature.

Genital mutilation is practiced in Muslim, Christian and Jewish faith. It is the removal of exterior skin of female and male genital organs and is believed to purify and prevent illicit sexual actions as per the religion.

These are just a few of the hundreds of horrifying rituals that devotees to several religions put themselves through.

Religion means belief in god, it is a way of showing faith and worship towards something you believe will protect you. What has religion become? People are putting themselves through immense pain and torture to please god. It is said that god created us, watches over us, is righteous, generous and almighty. For such a powerful and kind being, what sense does it make to inflict such pain? How would that please a deity of such good nature who is said to protect us?

You may say that this is what they believe in and it is their choice to carry out whichever practice they want to, however this is not the choice of the millions of animals sacrificed every year to appease a deity. It is not the choice of the babies who are thrown off the roofs of Karnataka homes to supposedly bring peace to their culture.it is not the choice of the many humans sacrificed by their own families because they are bad luck. It is not the choice of the new generation of children who don’t want to blindly follow their cultures practices that they don’t believe in. Even for those who chose these practices willingly, the religions never stated for such extreme measures to be taken. If god created us and looks over us, its certain that he/she would never want us torture ourselves in this manner.

Lastly, there is conflict between religions. The crusades and the India- Pakistan separation is just a few of the major conflicts caused by religion that has resulted in the bloodshed of millions. there is no actual proof of any deity therefore all we have is beliefs. The fact that we kill each other over it is ridiculous to me. Why not just respect each other’s beliefs and let religion be as peaceful as it was intended to be?

From all this we see one thing- the meaning and reason for religion is being lost. Somewhere between the crazy rituals, the fighting over beliefs and astounding donations to corrupt temples, the real purpose of religion is being diluted in our minds. Diluted to a fear instead of love, kill instead of protect, ignore instead of help, death instead of life.

I would like to conclude by saying that when you worship and pay offerings to a deity, don’t just think about pleasing your god, keep in mind the starving children who need your help more than a statue you give your donations to. After all there is god in every living thing.

 So, I leave you with this- What has religion become and what can we do about it?

BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://www.reddit.com/r/atheism/comments/33tofh/how_many_people_have_been_killed_in_the_name_of/

http://globalgrind.com/1953770/6-crazy-crimes-committed-in-the-name-religion-list/

http://www.reshareit.com/8-ridiculous-things-people-name-god-oh-god/

http://www.allaboutreligion.org/meaning-of-religion-faq.htm

Death Penalty by Sanjana

Imagine the following scene:

You have been convicted for supposedly taking part in a terrorist organization. Everybody around you- the media, the masses, are convinced of your guilt. But you, and only you know that you re innocent. You were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

All around you, there is outrage. Seething mobs are not content with life imprisonment- they demand something more. The morning on which the jailer comes to your cell is a cold, damp one. As the executioner kicks the stool away from your legs, it begins to pour.

It’s the end of a life that could have been so much more.

Out of the blue, three years later, new evidence is found. The outcome shocks the entire nation, and as they wait by their televisions watching with bated breath, a sinking feeling of shock and remorse dawns upon them. But it’s too late. You’re gone.

This is why I strongly believe that the death penalty should be abolished worldwide. Not only is it an inhumane, degrading and cruel form of punishment, it is a platform on which horrible, irreversible mistakes can happen. All over the world, people with disabilities, or those who belong to a racial minority, are being sent to the gallows. Others who are just as guilty, walk away free. The death penalty is in no way just. It is a biased, corrupt system that has to come to an end.

The first reason why I believe the death penalty is not a fit form of punishment is because it is against fundamental human rights. No matter what kind of terrible, brutal crime a person has committed you are no better if you treat then inhumanely, like an object to be toyed with and discarded. This is exactly what the death penalty does to people.

While some people say that killing is the best form of punishment for a hardened criminal- I believe it isn’t as it gives the person no time to think about their actions or feel any remorse. Murdering a murderer is taking an eye for an eye- it satisfies your thirst for revenge but doesn’t do anything in the long run.

The eight and fourteenth amendments of the United States are violated every time someone is sentenced to death, not to mention countless other human rights laws and policies. We are supposedly modern people living in an evolved society- such acts should be considered beneath us, and yet they are not.

Another reason why I believe the death penalty should be abolished is because it is in no way fair. If you ae African American, Hispanic, poor or disabled, you will have a lesser chance of being let off than if you are none of these things.

Statistics show that although only 13% of the US’s population is African American, over 50% of those on federal death row are of colour. In the last 15 years, two out of 3 people executed have been from racial minorities, and so are the next six executions scheduled to happen.

This is one of the biggest flaws in the death penalty system- that punishments are handed out in a way that favours the rich and racial minorities. The more money you have, the better defense you can get, and a better defence means you have less chance of being sentenced. This is why the death penalty isn’t and will never be a level playing field for everybody.

The final reason why I believe the death penalty should be considered a closed chapter is this - it is a human tendency to make mistakes. Yes, even with the most skilled of juries, irrevocable mistakes could happen. Innocent people could be sentenced for crimes they did not commit.

Since the reinstatement of the modern death penalty, 87 people that have been sentenced were later freed as they were found to be innocent. This brings the error rate to 1 innocent person killed for every 7 correctly accused.

In a civilized society like ours, is it too much to ask for that no innocents should be killed? While prison sentences can be reversed, executions cannot.  Once you are dead, no power in the world can bring you back.

“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”

This statement, made by the father of our country, Mahatma Gandhi, is one that sums up the entire opposition of the death penalty. Imagine you are the mother of a murder victim. Having your child’s killer hanged to death may feel satisfying, even comforting to you. However, it does not bring a sense of closure, nor does it help the other parents worldwide who are going through the same thing you are. Some may say that killing is a way to prevent future crimes from taking place, but the truth is: there is no correlation between the crime and the capital punishment rates. Whatever it may be, the death penalty is no deterrent.

This, along with how biased and unjust the entire system is, are the main reasons why the death penalty should be put away for once and for all. We are responsible citizens of the 21st century. No matter what our problems are, we cannot let death become a solution.

Citations:

http://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=002000

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/

https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/death-penalty/?gclid=CjwKEAiA2OzDBRCdqIyIqYaaqQoSJABeJZdihaUqs-PNkOwLiimnNd9l3QVYGXSzetsuSu8UScKC3hoC6Lbw_wcB

http://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=002000

Water pollution should be stopped By Mallika

Argumentative essay
 Introduction
Did you even think about water before you waste it on petty things like water balloons? We waste so much water and yet complain when the tank is empty. I am convinced that we are polluting our water too quickly. It provides a home to many creatures and corals. If development keeps polluting water, there will be no humans around to try the development, therefore, humans are more important than development.
 I Strongly Feel That We Should Stop Water Pollution
We need to stop water pollution because water gives you a clean source for drinking, bathing, and cooking. If we do care about our environment, then why are we dumping things everywhere? Humans have to think about the other things in the world. We share it, and now loads of animals and humans will suffer for the actions of a few. We have to caring for other species. We rely on them and they on us. Sharks keep the oceans from overflowing with fish. We are supposed to keep the oceans clean. There are still so many things undiscovered about the ocean, and yet we are destroying it so quickly .
 It Provides A Home For Different Animals Many fish, turtles, dolphins, and sharks are dying because of oil spills, radioactive waste, garbage, etc. Soaps and detergents eat away the mucus layer that protect fish from bacteria and diseases. Others may argue that animals aren’t important, but I believe that animals have feelings and family. If you kill one of them, the family would feel like how you would feel if someone you loved died. When a turtle crawls along the beach, it might eat a plastic bag, thinking it’s a jellyfish.
 Humans are more important than development
 If we keep polluting water, then there would be no drinking water, resulting to no humans. Water is the life source of humans, and has been since ancient times, like Mesopotamia being next to the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. Development dumps all it’s garbage in the water just to live there. But what’s the use of development if it cause humans to die out?
Conclusion
These are a few reasons why we should prevent water pollution. Water provides a clean source of drinking and bathing. It provides a home for different sea creatures. Since we need water to survive, development is polluting all the water, we humans will die out. All in all, we should prevent water pollution

Why healthy should be more preferred over junk? by Siddha

Why healthy should be more preferred over junk?

Introduction

I chose this topic because I love healthy food and I realised more people are eating junk food than healthy food. Even my BFF was opposing against healthy food. Also one day in class our teacher had said “no chips allowed “and everyone was saying that they will get what they want. This essay will show us how junk food can harm you.

My mission statement: Think healthy food should be more preferred than junk because,

1. Junk food is bad for you

2. Healthy food will help you

3. Junk food makes you fat

Subtopic 1: Junk food is bad for you.

Chips, candies, pizzas, fries, nuggets etc., are not good for your health.

These types of food are known as junk food. They are foods that are high in calories and low in nutrients and usually contain harmful synthetic chemicals. Most junk foods are processed food that is bad for our health.

Five surprising reasons on how junk food can do the harm to your body!

1.           It can cause memory and learning problems. (It can affect the hippocampus area of the brain which is associated with memory and special recognition.

2.           Increases the risk of dementia. (A study conducted at Brown university shows that too much fatty food and sweets can substantially increase insulin levels in the body). Insulin helps in the transportation of glucose to fuel the body. Insulin also helps in carrying signals between nerve cells and forming memories if our body contains too much insulin we want able to:

Think, recall, and create memories.

3.           Excess consumption of trans fats found in fried foods can send mixed signals to the brain which makes it process what  you have eaten  and how hungry you are is probable why we end up over-eating

4.           It can cause chemical changes that can lead to depression. A study conducted at the University of Montreal on mice showed that they suffered withdrawal symptoms after their regular junk food diet was discontinued. In humans, these withdrawal symptoms can lead to the inability to deal with stress, make you feel depressed and eventually you would turn back to these foods to comfort yourself handle those feelings. Soon, you may be caught in a vicious cycle even before you know it.

5.           It makes you impatient and can cause uncontrollable cravings. (eating a sugary cupcake or doughnut may temporarily spike your blood sugar levels making you feel happy and satisfied but as soon as they return to normal you are left feeling all the more irritable.)

Subtopic 2: How healthy food is good for you

Healthy foods are packed with nutrients; therefore, the foods help you grow and make you very athletic. When you eat lots of junk your body is taking in a lot of calories, but how much ever healthy food you eat you will not become fatter. Did you know even when adults eat lots of junk their arteries or veins get blocked with fat. The blood is not able to flow through your body and therefore you end up in the hospital. Healthy foods carry vitamins, for example -- carrots have vitamin a which is good for your eyes. Energy is needed in the body and healthy foods are mostly the products broken down to fuel the body to work. Sometimes junk gives energy but the artificial products in the junk foods harm you.

Subtopic 3: How junk food can make you fat!

On an average day people gain 3-4 calories. Even in America the people are becoming fatter. From 1940s this problem is hard to overcome, once you start eating junk you never stop. Just like smoking. Junk foods are so horrible that when you become extremely fat you need loads of medication to get better that you can take injections.

Did you know that sumo-wrestlers are so fat that every  month they have to take injections to stay alive!!!

Counter arguments

Counter against why junk food is bad

Sugar is good for you because in the right amount it will give you lots of energy to play sports at any time of the day.

We say pizza is a junk item but it can actually be good for you, because it has bread, cheese and tomato sauce.

Ice cream is tasty as well as delicious. You have milk which is good for growing children.

Blue m&m’s actually reduce damage caused by spine injuries.

Popcorn has very high levels of polyphenols. It also has antioxidants that can protect against heart disease and certain cancers!

Counter examples:

Against why healthy foods can harm you

Examples:

Ø  The white tuna fish

Ø  The light tuna

Ø  Cinnamon

Ø  Nutmeg

Ø  Coffee

Ø  Liver cruciferour vegetables

Ø  Brazil nuts

Subtopic Three Counter

There are few junk foods that can make you thin!

Here are a few examples

Ø  Fruit loops

Ø  Lay’s oven baked

Ø  Desert pepper black bean dip

Ø  Newman-oats biscuits

Ø  Best chocolate candy-mars pretzel m and m’s

Ø  Wrigley life saver gummies

Ø  Bagel bites-best pizza snack

Ø  Dre-ida-best French fries

Ø  Breyer natural vanilla-best ice cream

Ø  Healthy food that makes you fat are:

Ø  The ginger –orange rum cocktail

Ø  Sweet potato pancakes

Ø  Protein pancakes

Ø  Taco salad

Ø  Joe’s novelty breakfast food

My counter-counter argument

(to shoot down the counter arguments)

Counter 1 shoot down

You may think that sugar, pizza, ice cream and other junk foods could be healthy in a few ways but these items are more unhealthy. Examples: Sugar might give you energy but it is bad for health and it causes cancer and Blue M and M’s might reduce your spine injuries but it also causes bad effects to the heart because of the artificial colours and the chocolate makes you fat. You may think ice-cream  is  healthy  because of the milk but you are wrong  because the milk gets mixed with loads of sugar and ice which has no nutrition.

Counter 2 shoot down

Healthy foods like tuna may be bad for your health but only when you eat too much of it. Like almonds are good for you but when you eat to many of them it harms you. Even a little junk can harm you. It can also cause certain diseases or intestine problems. Now think how much junk food you eat in a year, isn’t it way too much, the cavemen ate so much healthy food that they could have survived for 150 years if they did not get killed by wild animals, shouldn’t we eat like them?

Counter 3 shoot down

There are very few junk foods that can make you thin but most of them make you fat. If we eat healthy food in the right quantity, we would never be fat.

Conclusion

The world is changing quickly, everyday people are gaining 3-4 pounds. People should realize this problem before it is too late. Don’t you want people to be thin and slim? Well all you must do is eat more healthy food and live a longer and happier life. So what are you waiting for, go tell people to eat healthy.

Brexit: The referendum that shook the world by Darsh Pant

Brexit: The referendum that shook the world

“It started as a cry for liberty but ended as a rebuke for the British establishment”. Brexit has not only damaged the UK but all of the world. It has sent shivers down the spines of global share and trading markets.  It has shattered trade relations, and due to this UK’s economy is plummeting. Not only that, it has further augmented to the repelling forces that have torn the EU apart, and has further hindered with fragile ties of political stability and diplomatic relations with the EU states; now with its primary policymaker gone the EU is vulnerable to loss of sovereignty in the form of terrorism.  Brexit was fueled by an ambiguous anti- immigrant, anti- social, anti- liberal and fear based propaganda, which was proposed as an act of independence and liberty. Brexit was a horrifying choice

To begin with, the British stock market saw its ever drop since the great recession of the 20^th century, as a result many global stock trading firms wept and leapt back in alarm as the Britain got knocked out on in the financial sector. London which is one of the world’s largest financial centers faced its doomsday as it crumpled against New York, Honk Kong, Tokyo and many more financial centers. “The FTSE 100 index (which is London stock market’s benchmark) has slumped by 7.5 % and the FTSE  250 also lowered and is still below its pre Brexit vote level” – The Guardian. Since the EU provides a common market for trading without tariffs being imposed the share trading market has been plummeting. Although some people were constantly ranting about the millions of pounds that UK was paying the EU, and that if this referendum is passed that money will be used for healthcare, but as usual this was just another brick in the wall of fake and delusional promises; the healthcare is yet abandoned. According to the guardian the pound has fallen sharply against the dollar and the banking shares have been hammered on sector health fears. Another report has reconfirmed hat the sterling has stumbled against the euro. As a result of this referendum the world stock market had plunged into what seemed a pandemonium, as the pound, euro and the sterling faced a steep drop. Not only that the Dow jones fell 611 points in a day!The damage was not specific to UK only as even bigger losses were faced by Paris and Frankfurt which fell more than 10% at a specific time, the EU was extremely concerned since both of them were Eurozone’s main markets.  A report by the “Atlantic”, a reputed press agency reconfirmed that on the 23^rd June approximately $171 billion was lost in the steep fall on the FTSE. The EU allows UK based financial asset managers to sell stocks in other EU countries from London, now tariffs are being imposed and this is causing many. According to the germen MEP “there cannot be pass porting without accepting all the obligations of the common market”, “you can’t grant the city of London, directly or indirectly, market access (without the UK playing by EU rules), he said. “There must be a priority to avoid any bad incentive structure”.” More than 50% of tour exports go to EU states”, commented Sky news, now to trade UK has to pay the same amount of price as any other non EU country, because the integrity of European institutions should be respected. The guardian reported that “The most likely outcome is reduced bilateral trade with EU countries”. The UK has decreased its financial sector .Overall it was just a turmoil on 23^rd June as a financially instable UK trembled and eventually fell, causing many other stock and trading markets to drown with itself.

To add onto that, this referendum has rattled the fragile political ties amongst the EU states; it has multiplied the centrifugal forces that are ripping the EU apart. Since Scotland had strongly voted to remain in the EU, a possible act of Scotland leaving the UK is very much possible; according to Richard Haas (the president of the council on foreign relations) “In five years there will no longer be a United Kingdom. Scotland will be independent and part of Europe”.  UK has lost its negotiating power, and Europe will be now centered around Germany; UK is now secluded politically as it has shut its doors to any diplomatic relations with the EU states. The EU provided a common forum for tackling problems that may concern Europe as a whole and further strengthened the ties between its fellow members, it was perceived as a global institution for prosperity, security, and an epitome of international architecture, but now with its primary policy maker gone the EU more vulnerable to sovereignty threats and with the world enjoying populist movements many countries could possibly also leave the EU. Many global firms may decide to move out of the UK since will be imposed on trade with EU states and 50% of UK’s export go to the EU states, this will result in unemployment and economic instability. If other EU states, follow the Britain then the 60-year-old primary institution of Europe will be in great peril as an already instable Europe will crumble. The UK will lose political authority and power, according to John Mc Laughlin who is a   ‘Brexpert’ “ Germany, which is now the continents  largest and the most influential power, will be poised to dominate economic and political trends”, clearly suggesting that the UK will trail behind; Brexit will lead to a weaker, less confident, unstable and a politically weak UK and EU. The dream of an ‘ever closer union’ is well and truly dead.  A new referendum could be provoked that would lead to Scotland’s independence; the political division will increase and a divided Europe will find it hard to heal itself. According to professional economists a loss of $5000 per annum will be evident for the common public. Though some may believe that this act granted UK liberty and independence, but in reality it has left UK in political seclusion, financial jeopardy and has led to a weaker and an unstable Europe. Britain has hindered with diplomatic ties between the EU, now it has to negotiate its relationship with the EU, since the EU has ties with many superpowers UK will lose the opportunity to globalize with these superpowers. Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia group believes that “There will be some form of disintegration of the United Kingdom”, weakening the geographical and political ties in the time when UK required it the most. Now Europe is to be dominated by the French – German diplomacy, leaving the UK behind. The aim of this referendum was to gain was to gain independence and liberty from the EU, but this had has led to seclusion and political instability and has weakened the UK, but the EU was not invading UK’s sovereignty nor was it threatening its liberty, but it was making UK stronger as a nation, so the entire aim behind this referendum is highly questionable and ambiguous.

“A vote to leave is the gamble of the century. And it would be our children’s future on the table if we were to roll the dice” – David Cameron, UK’s ex-prime minister. It has turned out that Mr. Cameron was right, except it was not just the children’s future on the table but the future of the entire Europe. The biggest question is this, if it was so bad then why did UK vote in favor of this referendum? Brexit was propelled by an anti- immigrant, ant-global, delusion based propaganda, but the opposition termed this as a referendum of independence and liberty, and the consequences are evident. Even a pro Brexit voter is shocked “I am a bit shocked, I am shocked that we voted to leave, I didn’t think it was going to happen” on leave voter told BBC. The consequences were so devastating that David Cameron abdicated from the position, and had lost faith in his country. It came to us as a baton of liberty, which would pass onto to be an act of independence, but scattering light on recent events even the common man is regretting the vote. This same propaganda that propelled and fueled Brexit is now decreasing the liberal parties and is bringing in more conventional, anti-immigrant and anti-global parties, if any other EU state follows the example of Britain then the EU will fall into pandemonium. The opposition promised better healthcare, independence and liberty; but this was just another fake promise, it was a delusion; it was based on nationalism, independence and control over its immigration and democracy, but this turned into seclusion, havoc in the financial sector, and geo – political instability. The vote was passed because UK citizens thought that the promises will be upheld, a promise of a stronger, independent UK but it ended as a rebuke to the establishment. As for the promises, they were never true either, the voters were persuaded or rather manipulated by the opposition into a populism movement which was anti – liberal, because the conservative party wanted victory not for UK but for itself.

To summarize, Brexit was one of the most disastrous decisions of this decade; the earthquake of this referendum was global. On 23th June Brexit or not there were only loss for Europe, as a weak UK trembled and a torn Europe fell with it, not only that there was pandemonium in the stock market as the pound, sterling and the euro faced a steep drop, the trade has plummeted down, causing unemployment and financial loss. But it doesn’t stop there, the fragile diplomatic and political ties were hindered and the UK lost its political power. This referendum put the final nail in the coffin of a truly dead UK and EU. This referendum was based on delusion, “It started as a cry for liberty but ended as a rebuke to the establishment”. This was a start of a populism movement, and if any other EU state follows UK then I am afraid that the EU will see a peace exit. Overall Brexit was a propaganda that shook the world on a global stage, it was an appeal for independence but ended as a rebuke.