Are first impressions always accurate?

The very first day of this course set off a few undesirable thoughts. I actually considered and contemplated the thought of transferring this course once I discovered that our assignments required blogging and 1 final analysis paper. By the second day of class, I decided to stay and continue attending this course. I soon realized that this was one of the wisest decisions that I've made this semester. Blogging was an experience that was worth every post and comment. This course was not your typical, boring, everyday English class.

Blogging is certainly not for everyone but I'd strongly advise those first time bloggers, such as myself, to stick it out and gain the opportunity to unleash your thoughts, ideas, and opinions. In addition, you also get to express your comments to other bloggers in the classroom as well as seeking outer blogging communities that share your subject of discussion.

My first impression proved to be inaccurate because my first thought was this class was going to be a nightmare. Not only have I never blogged before but I also needed a topic/subject that I'd be able to post a blog on for the next 8 weeks. In reality, it was wake-up call that allowed me to discover other ways of writing. Blogging seems to be quite popular these days and I never attempted to seek out the likes/dislikes of this new style of writing until now.

With the requirements of this course, I also gained the knowledge of my classmates writing ability and was allowed to offer them my opinion and suggestions. For example, one suggestion I made to a classmate was to read her blog out loud so that she could see that there were a few words missing and misspelled words.

I'd highly recommend this course to future students but don't take my word for it, why don't you see for yourself? Good luck, hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Animal Rights

Our country is one that holds many rights in which some have been presented in my previous blogs. One right that still holds current debate is animal rights. Some laws are established to prevent animal cruelty, but not all laws defend animals. One thing is for certain; all pets should be protected from harm and danger.

The thought of someone intentionally putting animals in danger is a complete and absolute outrage. For obvious reasons there does exist some exceptions to the rule. For example, hunting is considered a sport that helps to control over population of certain animals such as deer and bears.

On another note, endangering and mistreating pets, such as dogs and cats is unacceptable. Let's take in consideration puppy mills. This is a place where dogs are caged up and forced to breed over and over without proper medical care and nutrition. These dogs suffer through the scorching hot sun or freezing cold weather in cages with no concern of their physical and mental condition.

Apparently, Pennsylvania is considered to be the capitol of puppy mills of the east coast. According to the provided website, the dog cages are stacked upon one another which means that the dogs occupying the cages below are "defecated and urinated" upon. The photos are horrific to bear another look. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania isn't the only puppy mill state. Other states include: Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. In my opinion, these mills must be stopped from this sort of animal cruelty. Not only are they putting these dogs at risk but they are also putting the families that purchase these puppies at risk. These puppies run the risk of having diseases or other medical problems that could be costly. Bottom line, puppies should not be purchased in pet stores and pet stores should be boycotted.

The Animal Welfare Act "establishes certain laws, policies and guidelines for treatment of animals" for example in laboratories. However, this act is not always enforced by law. Some states, such as Florida, have established there own Association to enforce cruelty to animals. The Florida Animal Control Association will not hesitate to prosecute those found guilty of such cruelty.

Being a dog lover, I found it very difficult but important to write this blog. Reading about the puppy mills literally made me cry. If I was financially and physically capable, I'd rescue as many of those dogs as possible. I'm sure it would be complicated and is obviously not within my reach but for now, all I can do is refuse to buy pets from the pet stores and try to convince as many people as I know to do the same and hope that they to will spread the word.

No Smoking Allowed

Everyone has the right and choice to smoke or not to smoke. Just like drinking, smoking is legal. Some issues do arise with both smoking and drinking but smoking impacts the quality of air for all. Smoking in public places has been a long and complex issue. Thanks to a recent bill, we no longer have to be forced to deal with such pollution.

I was ecstatic about the recent bill that was signed by Virginia Governor Tim Kaine. Based on the signed legislation, which took affect on December 1, 2009, "smoking is prohibited in public restaurants that are open to the public with a few exceptions." What this means for you and I is that all restaurants have smoking restrictions that must be enforced. All businesses that operate and handle food must have separate rooms with proper ventilation for smoking. However, certain private clubs are exempt from abiding by this legislation. Such clubs are the VFW's. Being a non-smoker and having a child with asthma, I most certainly appreciate the clean air in a public place and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Before this legislation took effect, I experienced several issues with smoking being permitted in restaurants. One issue is dealing with the smoke lingering into the non-smoking section. The odor would often irritate not only me but my children as well, especially my son. The smoke would cause headaches, watery eyes and difficulty breathing. We usually would try to rush eating so that we could go outside and breathe the fresh air. I recall going to a public sports bar with my boyfriend to watch the Steelers vs. Vikings game. We sat in an empty location; well at least it was empty for the first hour. By half time, all surrounding tables were full and needless to say, the smoking began. Shortly after, my head began to pound as if I just attended a Heavy Metal concert with the music blasting in my ears. In order to prevent my headache from getting worse, I held napkins up to my nose so I wouldn't inhale this pollution. This brings me to my second issue, which is having your hair, clothing and coat smell like smoke after your departure. There were times I'd intentionally leave my coat in the car to avoid the scent of smoke on it later. Third, just knowing that second hand smoke is just as bad as smoking is not surprisingly another issue of mine. One might ask why I wouldn't avoid such exposure, well; the truth of the matter is that going out to eat shouldn't be a health hazard to anyone, especially minors. I've seen children not old enough to walk or talk being exposed to smoke in restaurants. Smoking in public places is problematic.

Smoking in public places, other then those exceptions should have been banned and/or restricted a long time ago. This legislation now allows everyone including children to avoid this unhealthy exposure.

Analysis Paper

The topic of my analysis paper will be our rights. I will provide infromation from the past to the present on how our rights have changed over time and what issues we currently face regarding these rights. In order for me to inform and expand my audience, I will be using sources like: history books/websites, newspaper or magazines, and finally, internet blogs that are part of the rights community.

I don't anticipate to struggle with much of my research for this final paper because issues and struggles regarding our rights has been ongoing for many decades. Some of our rights are being debated upon today such as gay marriage, but as time passes us by, our rights will continue to be a movement for all to see, for no one knows what lies in our future. I truly believe that one day gay marriages will be legal in all states.

The Right to Discipline Your Child

The idea of writing about a parent's right to discipline their child came from Tameka's blog on Sex Trafficking. Tameka states in her blog about Shaniya Davis, "How many times have you seen a mother verbally abuse a child in public or a father who grabs a little too hard at his son's arm. What did you do?" I would never condone verbal abuse but what about her question regarding the dad grabbing his son's arm? I think that incidents may occur where handling your child roughly may be in order.

I'd like to offer you a personal experience that occurred within my family that might have someone reconsider the idea of handling a child to rough. I have 8 sisters, 2 brothers, 21 nieces/nephews, 13 great nieces/nephews. One of my petite sisters standing at 5'0" and weighing 90 lbs. had a 13-year-old son who weighed 115 lbs and stood at 5'1". Throughout the entire 13 years of her son's life, she was always afraid to discipline my nephew simply because a few family members of mine think of discipline as mistreating a child. I think wrong! Needless to say, my 13-year-old nephew soon began to control my sister by monitoring her phone calls and email. When my nephew would get upset, he would throw things at her like a ream of paper, hot chocolate or his plate of food if he didn't like what they were having for dinner. Whenever they visited anyone's house, he'd tell my sister where to sit and believe it or not, she would listen to him. He began to miss a lot of school and when my sister would force him to go; he would throw a tantrum like a 2-year-old. His behavior got worse and soon became more physical. My sister now feared being alone at home with her own son. Now, I ask you this, does this give my sister the right to grab my nephew's arm to hard?

Want to hear more shocking news? My entire family did nothing but talk to him about his behavior including my brother and sister-in-law. As for me, I wasn't aware of this until a week prior to my nephew coming down to visit with my brother, sister in-law and their kids. My brother and sister-in-law felt that my sister could use a break and asked that I speak and put the fear in him. I allowed everyone to enjoy their week of vacation and gathered my thoughts and frustrations in order to determine the best way to handle him. Two days prior to them leaving, I called our troubled nephew up to my room and slowly closed the door. I demanded in an angry tone for him to sit down. I began my discussion by telling him that I love him just as much as I love my sister. I expressed my feelings about his behavior and put the fear in him just as my drill instructors did to me during Marine Corps boot camp. I told him that if he laid another finger on my sister, I'd personally fly down to Illinois and take custody of him. I also informed him that once I received custody, I'd become his worst nightmare.

By no means did I ever threaten to hit him but rest assure, I did reiterate to him that if he attempted to get physical with me, I'd have no problem practicing self defense as all Marines are taught. I warned my nephew that by law, I'm required to provide him shelter, clothing, and food. I then proceeded to tell him that his shelter would be my tent set up in the backyard; his clothing would be worn for 5 days before I'd allow him to change, and as for food, I told him that he'd get my leftovers. At the end of our conversation, I asked him if he understood what I said. His response was: "Yes ma'am."

We both walked downstairs and he sat quietly on the couch for the remainder of the day. My brother and sister-in-law approached me because they noticed a change in our nephew's behavior. I just reassured them that our sister should no longer have an issue and if she does, then I best get an immediate phone call from someone. They both hugged me a thanked me for getting involved. My response, "That's what family is for."

Two weeks after my brother returned home with our nephew and the rest of his family, I received a phone call from our sister with our troubled nephew asking if he could come live with me for awhile. Without hesitation, I agreed and a week later he was living in my home. Surprisingly to all family members but me, my nephew made the A/B honor roll and received perfect attendance his 8th grade year at Ni River Middle School. Today, he is living back in Illinois with another another older sibling and continues to struggle with maintaining his grades and attendance. Being that he is a sophomore now, I'm really contemplating on bringing him back to Virginia so that I can ensure that he graduates and doesn't drop out like some of my other nieces/nephews.

My nephew never knew his father because he left after my sister told him she was pregnant. My brother attempted to help my sister from time to time by stepping in as a father figure but he had a family of his own and they lived in different towns.

Discipline is a critical aspect of raising a child but one extreme for one child maybe different then that of another child. Every child is different and some actually do need some sense knocked into them but it all depends on their personality and behavior.

Freedom of Religion

Our freedom of religion is in a way tied up with our freedom of speech for both rights are listed under the 1st amendment in the Bill of Rights. I will similarly discuss the Constitutional meaning and state some historical facts as done so in my previous blog. Likewise, I'll provide some examples of how this right is a benefit as well as a privilege for every American.

The US Constitution states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." In my own words, this gives us the freedom to practice, worship and preach any religion of our choice in private or public. The "Establishment Clause" emphasizes that the federal government may not establish a church or become overly involved in a religion that one can view as favoring one religion over another. This right is one that we should all be thankful for because we are not forced to belief in a religion and are given the right to choose a religion or not.

There are many religious beliefs out there such as Jewish, Baptist, Catholic, Protestant and many others that we can practice. I absolutely disagree in any religion that practices in arranged marriages such as Muslim and Mormon. An arranged marriage is where the bride and groom have no voice in their marriage because it was previously arranged by their parents. In the Muslim culture, the men view themselves as the dominant family member and are willing to kill their daughter(s) or wife if they are presumed to have dishonored the family name. In January of 2008, a Texas man had killed his 16 and 18 year old daughters for dating non-Muslim boys. As for the Mormon religion, I think it's insane for any woman to allow their daughter to marry a man who has multiple wives. This religion believes that only men who marry, at a minimum, 3 women or more will have the right to enter into heaven.

Could you imagine if our country forced us into a religion? We'd have many more issues and debates then ever before. Freedom of religion is one of several rights that benefit every American.

Feedom of Speech

Freedom of Speech is 1 of several rights that each and every American is afforded. As an American it is important to understand the Constitutional meaning of this right and some historical facts. In addition, I will provide examples of how this right is a benefit and privilege to all.

Let's start from the beginning. The Constitution, written in 1787, was established as a blueprint for the US government. The US Constitution includes the "Bill of Rights" or the first 10 amendments. The Bill of Rights was created back in the late 1700's to prevent the Government from misuse or abuse of its powers. According to our First Amendment, "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech or of the press;..." Freedom of speech is the right to freely express oneself using information, thoughts, ideas, or simply opinions. However, there are some limitations to our freedom of speech that all must abide by. One such limitation is set during wartime. Military personnel are subject to government limits known as "sedition or speech that incites disloyalty or hatred to the government." Other limitations include: child pornography, hate speeches or slandering.

Our freedom of speech right is a privilege for several reasons. First, it allows protesting and speaking out our beliefs, opinions or ideas. For example; bringing back some topics from my previous blogs, people have continuously protested against and for abortions as well as gay marriages. Both topics are significantly different but somehow related because people feel strongly about these issues. It is issues such as these that are used for political purposes such as election. Second, this right gives Americans the right to speak loudly and freely against our very own government as long as there is no potential harm or danger. Let's take a recent protest that occurred on September 12, 2009 against President Obama's health care plan. People claim that he is misspending public funds. In my opinion, he wouldn't be the first or last President accused of unwisely spending. By no means am I saying that this justifies him, I was only trying to express that the misuse of public funds is on-going. Another privilege and probably the most important of having this right is that it permits and grants all of us including the minority to express their own ideas and beliefs that are different then that of the majority. In doing so, all Americans can speak out without the fear of punishment and this truly is a benefit.

People utilize their freedom of speech everyday. It may be done in a silent manner, for example putting a bumper sticker on their vehicle promoting gay marriage, or a more vocal manner, such as protesting on Capitol Hill. Despite the choice of expression or topic of an issue, we, the American people, have that right.

Child Molesters Have Rights? Part 2

Sexual abuse is defined as "any sexual behavior with a child to meet the adult's sexual needs or interest," according to the Stop It Now website. This behavior includes any touching, forcing, penetrating, showing or even looking.

It is true that sex offenders are mandated by law to register information such as name, residency address and employment after release from a psychiatric facility or even prison with their local law enforcement in order to make people aware and inform them of this potential safety risk. This law is also known as Megan's Law. The law was named after Megan Kanka, a 7 year old, who was murdered and had unnecessarily suffered both sexual abuse and rape simply because the parents didn't know that the person living across from them had a past record of sex offenses.

Some concerns of this law include "fear of vigilantism and discouragement of sex offenders complying with the registry law." Another concern is that some registered sex offenders may not pose an immediate threat. For example, let's take in consideration 'statutory rape.' There are cases where sex is consensual between couples who are close in age but one just happens to be a minor or 17 and under, while the other person is 18 or slightly older. This would be the only case that I'd be somewhat lenient towards especially if both parties were sexually active and dating prior to one of the individuals reaching 18. However, the other 2 concerns should not be of any concern for the child molester for it was their choice to commit the crime.

Legally, sex offenders can be released from prison and live in communities near you and I, putting our families at risk. They don't deserve that right, do they? Personally, I feel that sex offenders should be confined to their homes and places of employment. They should be forced to wear electronic monitoring devices on their ankles for the remainder of their existence. In addition, they should be forced to pay for the device instead of using tax dollars. Sex offenders should not be permitted to any civil rights such as the right to privacy. They've given up their rights the very minute they stripped that young child's rights away. After all, how safe would you feel living next to a convicted child molester?

Unfortunately, these offenders exist everywhere from schools, work, churches, neighborhoods, family, friends and any where else you can think of. Are children really safe? My answer: No child will ever be 100% safe for these molesters are not detectable. The only solution is to stay informed, remain alert and report any suspicious behavior.

Child Molesters Have Rights? Part 1

It is no secret that each of us are entitled and privileged to have rights also known as our Civil Rights. The concept that I'm unable to grasp is the simple fact that rights are still given to child molesters and rapists.

This topic will have 2 parts. Part 1, I'm going to be providing you 2 detailed examples of how close to home child molesters can be. Part 2 will explain some of the existing laws and the molester/rapist rights.

Example 1:

I lived in a Stafford neighborhood with my 2 kids and my babysitter who just happened to be my mom. We lived down 610 from 1998 - 2004 in a warm cozy townhouse. On one side of us, we had a neighbor who never seemed to be home and her grass was just about as tall as our 6ft fence. On the other side, we had some friendly neighbors a couple and their children which consisted of 1 female and 2 male. Their youngest child was male and attended high school. He was a well known kid around the neighborhood. He played well with other children on nearly a daily basis. Strangely though, he was always shy around adults but there was no doubt in most of the adults mind that he'd be the perfect babysitter, simply because he got along with all the kids including mine.

One evening, a couple in the neighborhood had permitted this teenager to watch their children ages 5 and 7. No problem with that, right? Wrong! A few hours into babysitting sirens were sounding off, police cars surrounded the end unit town home and practically the entire neighborhood frantically watched and wondered what was going on. Were the kids O.K.? Soon, cops began to interview everyone, asking questions about this teenager. Being that we lived next door to them, the police officers were knocking at my door. We co-operated the best we could and answered every question but still, we really didn't know much about this kid.

We politely asked the police officer the purpose of his questioning and there it came, the shocking news that this kid had attempted to molest one of those children. He told us that the older child had walked in the bedroom with the teenager inappropriately touching the younger child. The cop also told us, that this was the teenagers 2nd offense! The cops had confiscated sheets and clothing as evidence. The following day, the entire family immediately moved out of the neighborhood and they were never heard from again.

Example 2:

Who would ever expect to work with a child molester? Well, sadly enough, I can truthfully say that I had that experience in 2007. He appeared normal and seemed credible; after all, he was retired from the Armed Services. He had a wife who was confined to a wheelchair along with 3 children: 1 boy and 2 girls. No one ever met his family; however, his cubicle had plenty of family pictures. The family appeared to be very happy. He often spoke about some of the trips and concerts the family attended. One specific story I remember him telling was when he took his wife to an Aerosmith concert for their 10th anniversary. The surprise was front row tickets because of her handicap. I specifically recall telling him that I was jealous and laughing about it.

After working with the company for almost a year, he came to work one day and informed the team that his wife had asked for a divorce. The entire was shocked and tried giving him support by assisting him with his tasks and just trying to help him through it, especially those team members who had been through a divorce themselves, including me. It was during this time that I too was separating from my spouse as well. The team just couldn't comprehend why his wife wouldn't allow him to see his daughters but only his son. He told everyone that his daughters wouldn't speak to him. One team member went so far and offered him a temporary place to stay in her basement. No one knew his dark secret.

A few months had passed by and his divorce was almost final. For some strange reason he had stopped coming to work. He didn't even bother calling anyone to let us know if he were sick or simply taking the day off. Almost a week passed by before the police showed up at the work place and confiscating his work computer. Still, no one knew what was going on until the next day. A team member came to work with the Fredericksburg newspaper and his name written in it. On March 28, 2008, this 42 year old man was charged with 21 counts aggravated sexual battery and 10 counts object sexual penetration. He committed these crimes on his daughters!


How is it that in both my examples, everyone seemed to be fooled by these disgusting and obviously sick people? I'm sure story's like these shamefully happen everyday.

The Death Penalty

Today marked another day of execution by lethal injection. John Allen Muhammad, also known as the DC sniper, was put to death for the crimes he committed. The harshest punishment was given to him for gunning down a total of 10 innocent people during a 3 week period around the VA area. His accomplice, Malvo, received a life in prison sentence because he apparently was to young for the death penalty.

Capital punishment is legal in 38 out of 50 states; however, the "crimes punishable by the death penalty" varies from state to state. Personally, I think that the death penalty should be legal in all 50 states. Each state should have the right to punish those found guilty of pre-meditated murder. This political debate should continue to exist despite the pros and cons. The victims who suffer and continue to suffer for their loss should have the right to help determine the sentencing and the law should ensure that the victim's recommendation is suitable for the crime committed.

It is unbearable to think of losing a family member due to a reckless murder. For those who are against the death penalty for the simple reason that killing is wrong, well isn't that a little ironic that capital punishment is killing a murderer? It's almost like an "eye for an eye." People who violently kill someone other then self defense should not have the right to live.

Do people have the right to keep and bear arms?

According to the US Constitution people have the right to keep and bear arms under the Bill of Rights. To be honest with you, I don't know where I actually stand in this issue. There exist pros and cons to both sides of this on-going debate. This political debate will be determined by voters such as you and I.

I'll start with my thoughts on the cons first. I think by allowing people to bear arms, the risk of gun shootings rises because more people will own them. Now I'm not trying to imply that all shootings are malicious and intentional. There could be an accidental shooting. Wait a minute that just doesn't sound right, "accidental shooting." For anyone who owns a deadly weapon, they should have proper training and storage to prevent "accidental shooting." However, we all know that is not the case. It's been over the news and close to home. We all know about the school shootings that have taken place throughout the past years. It's extremely sad to think about or fathom the situation. Unfortunately no one could have prevented this from happening or could they? If the right to bear arms was completely taken away from the people, would the rates of gun violence significantly decrease? I'd have to think so but that doesn't include the gun violence that takes place with criminals who don't abide by the law. It's criminals who illegally own these deadly weapons without any regard for human life. They don't take into consideration any life when it comes to robbing, protecting themselves, drugs, gangs or simply their pride. Hence; this leads me to the other portion of this debate.

On the flip side of this debate, I think that people do have the right to protect themselves against criminals or the enemy. For example: just as the criminal would want to protect themselves or their gang members, I'd want to protect myself and my family. If my home was to be invaded and my kids were in harms way, I'd want to protect them as any parent would. What are your chances of surviving if the criminal has a gun and you don't? Again, most criminals don't have concern for your life, so I'd have to say that you have a slim chance of surviving.

The only conclusion that I can think of is to make weapons safer and laws harsher. Illegal weapons should not be taken lightly for any circumstance. People who wish to become a gun owner should have to register there weapon every year as we do vehicles. There should be little tolerance for any weapon not properly stowed away from children. In addition, all weapons should be sold by the states as alcohol is sold in Virginia through the ABC stores. There should and needs to be more control over deadly weapons such as guns.

The Right to Wed? Really?

One of the on going issues and debates today is regarding Gay Marriages. Should it be legal for same sex marriages? Some states have already passed laws that permit gay marriages. These states include: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa and Vermont. Beginning, January 1, 2010, New Hampshire will soon be acknowledging such marriages. Currently, Washington D.C. and states such as New York, California, Rhode Island and New Mexico will recognize gay marriages that have been performed in the legalized states. In the meantime, the other states are debating, have debated or will debate on this issue.

In my opinion, it's only a matter of time before all states recognize and legalize gay marriage. Again that is my own opinion.

The most recent debate loss was Maine which occurred on October 27, 2009. Maine was to legalize same sex marriages based on "a law passed by the Maine Legislature last spring." However, there was a petition signed by the Maine residents that would "drive to repeal it in a referendum." The outcome: voters successfully won the battle to "reject" the law; therefore, gay marriages are not legal in this state.

Do you have the right to marry who you want? Well then, why does the same right NOT apply to gay people? What is so wrong with same sex marriages?

WARNING: Please do NOT mention the Bible because you are violating another right, and that is in the first amendment: the right to religion, which will be discussed in a future post.

To Abort or Not to Abort....

Abortion will always be a topic of debate in the US. However, the fact is that it is legal in the United States. There is one stipulation for minors under the age of 18 and that is, they need parental consent with the exception of California.

Abortion is a right based on the infamous case of Roe v Wade. Jane Roe, a single pregnant woman, filed a complaint against Texas stating that Texas law on abortion was violating her right. At that time, the states law only permitted abortions to women at risk of losing their life, which must be done on medical advice. Henry Wade, District Attorney of Dallas County, unsuccessfully had to convince the jury that the law was not a violation of constitutional rights.

People have options from aborting, adopting and keeping their child. All 3 choices are tough decisions but only 1 can be made. I'm pro-choice as long as the termination is within the first trimester or if a woman's life is at risk. As for adoption, I understand people's arguments about putting the child up for adoption; however, can these people guarantee a safe place for these children? Take for example this case in Springfield, Ohio where not 1 or 2 but 5 adopted children were abused by their adoptive parents. These children were "beaten with sticks, belts, shoes, fists and hammers," and that's just naming a few unthinkable accounts of abuse. Now for those who are pro-life, can you still tell me and guarantee me that this is the best option for both parent and child besides abortion. Let's not discuss the fact that adoption agencies and social service workers are heavily loaded with cases of mistreated children. If you're pro-life, then are you willing to adopt one of those children?

It seems so simple to me and here is my own personal thought: if you don't believe in abortion then DON'T have one. For those who are pro-choice, well, I hope for the sake of you and your future health that a lesson is learned and that is to get on birth control. Abortion shouldn't be a form of contraceptive especially when you have a variety of options including over the counter items.

References cited

About.com (1973). Roe v Wade Supreme Court Decision: 410 U.S. 113. About.com Women's History.
http://womenshistory.about.com/library/etext/gov/bl_roe_a.htm

Lough, Valerie (2009). Woman accused of abusing 5 adopted children to go on trial Tuesday.
http://poundpuplegacy.org/node/19996

You have the Right to....

After yet another opportunity to deliberate my thoughts, I've decided to change the topic of my blog about family to discuss yet another hot topic, YOUR RIGHTS!

This blog will discuss major issues about YOUR rights such as: Abortion, Gay Marriages, Right to Bear Arms, Death Penalty, Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, and many other problems within our country.

I often wonder, "Who am I or you to tell someone or deny someone their rights?" Whatever happened to the Constitution written by our founding fathers? Who has the greater power of your decision?

Why do we create issues, when we need to solve them? We can start by allowing people to keep their rights!