What if your child is enrolled at a drug-treatment clinic at Children’s Hospital.What if your child’s name was Ryan and he says he first tried OxyContin at a party when he was 16. Kids would crush up the pills and snort them up their nose, so they could get hit with all the . . . → Read More: Regulate Use of OxyContin]]> Regulate Use of OxyContin

What if your child is enrolled at a drug-treatment clinic at Children’s Hospital.What if your child’s name was Ryan and he says he first tried OxyContin at a party when he was 16. Kids would crush up the pills and snort them up their nose, so they could get hit with all the drug at once. He also says he tried marijuana but it just made him feel unnerved but OxyContin just made him feel good,warm, and relaxed. He says it was easier to get OxyContin than anything else. Almost a week after he started using OxyContin, your child realized that if he didn’t get a pill every day or two, he’d start to feel sick. He says he had no idea how bad he was hooked until the time he tried to stop and looking back on it, he says he didn’t think using OxyContin would be that dangerous because it was a prescription pill and that made it seem safe. He figured since many different kids at his high school were using it that it was okay to use. Now as a parent, you would have to think outside the box and think about who has the control over this drug such as the DEA.

What authority does the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have to regulate the handling of controlled substances, like OxyContin? Is the DEA planning to restrict the prescribing of OxyContin to pain treatment centers or physicians specifically accredited as pain management specialist? What evidence does the DEA have to support accounts that OxyContin is being abused to the extent that has been reported by the media? What steps are currently being taken to address the widespread abuse of OxyContin? Did DEA have any part in Purdue’s decision to “temporarily suspend” distribution of the 160 mg. strength tablet? Is the DEA going to reduce manufacturing quotas for oxycodone, the active ingredient in OxyContin?

The growing number of deaths associated with the inappropriate use of prescription drugs needs to be stopped such as OxyContin, which is a prescription painkiller used for moderate to high pain relief associated with injuries, dislocations, fractures, arthritis, lower back pain, and pain associated with cancer. OxyContin contains oxycodone, which is the most active ingredient in the pills. The drug was introduced in 1996, commonly known as OC, OX, Oxy, Oxycotton, Hillbilly heroin, and kicker. The abuse digression of the pills appeared mainly in the eastern United States, now it has spread to the western United States including Alaska and Hawaii said by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration also known as the D. E. A. A demanding balance must be ward off between abuse of a natural substance such as OxyContin and establish that patience that are suffering from enfeebling pain have access to the drug.
“Efforts to prevent abuse of OxyContin must be strong, aggressive, and transparent but should not have the unintended effect of making opioids including OxyContin, unavailable to persons with persistent, debilitating pain such as individuals with cancer, multiple sclerosis, and severe osteoarthritis or back pain.” I agree with the information and think it will slow down the death rate, but I think all states should start monitoring programs.
OxyContin can be used in different ways. The most popular is known as “doctor shopping.” Doctor shopping is people that might or might not have appropriate illnesses that require a doctor’s prescription for the medication. It’s also the physicians that write out the drugs to the people that abuse the drug.
“According to press reports, D. E. A. has asked OxyContin’ s manufacturer, Purdue Pharma LP, to restrict writing of OxyContin prescriptions to pain specialists” I think the manufacturer should limit the amount they give out to pharmacies that carry the drug to limit the amount of the product theft. The only problem that people might have is that it will brim the medication to the patience that really need it.
Some states have started to slow down the illegal use of OxyContin such as in Louisiana, Maine, Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee have proclaimed legislation to deal with the issue. Some other states such as California, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, and Washington have created prescription monitoring programs.

Since the September 11, 2001 the attack on the world trade towers, we have been at war in the Middle East. We have been debating on whether to send more troops or to bring them home. It’s not even a debatable question of course we should bring them home there is no reason we . . . → Read More: ]]> Our Troops

Since the September 11, 2001 the attack on the world trade towers, we have been at war in the Middle East. We have been debating on whether to send more troops or to bring them home. It’s not even a debatable question of course we should bring them home there is no reason we should still be over there. We have shed enough blood, and parents have lost enough of their children. Some people may say that it was their choice to join the army, but not to lose their lives over nothing.

People say that we should support our troops, but what is it that we are supporting them for seven years. Supporting all the death, bloodshed and separation anxiety for families who may have a parent in the war. People with new born children have been deployed not knowing if they will be able see them again. But we still want to send even more troops to separate more family and cause more death and bloodshed. We should not send more troops there is no reason to. Like U.S. Congressman Joe Baca said “we all been supportive the war at the beginning”. But once they decided that they wanted to send more troops U.S. Congressman Joe Baca opinion quickly changed, and he was against the war.

There have been over twenty-three thousand troops either wounded or disabled, and over three thousand killed. We are now debating on sending over four thousand more troops. Senator Durden Feinstein says that we must back up our word and finish what we stared and send more troops, that we need them for the front line. She is basically saying we should separate more families, and causes then more pain.

The war has become a costly waste of time the money, time and troops. About eight billion dollars of US taxpayers funds have been spent or approved for spending through mid-2009, including seventy-six billion dollars requested by President Obama and approved by Congress. The U.S. Monthly Spending in Iraq 7.3 billion dollars as of Oct 2009. The U.S. was monthly in Iraq twelve billion. It coasts the U.S. three hundred ninety thousand dollars.  Their exactly one twenty-four thousand troops as of September 30. 2009. U.S. Troops casualties consist 4,352 US troops; 98% male, 91% non-officers 82% active duty.  More than troops have lost there to this pointless war over one hundred three Journalists, ninety by murder and 46 by acts of war. Over 9,278 Iraqi Police and Soldiers Killed.

Given those numbers and statistics why continued this pointless war. Not to mention much how much pain emotional and physical that this war as caused. A child growing up not really knowing who daddy really is, asking when is daddy coming home. A Father having to tell their child mommy/daddy not come home, all because of the war that child has to grow up not really knowing who their father really was. The parents of that fallen solider, having to painfully burring their only son. All the army can say is they are sorry for your lost, and that they died for his country. A Father, Husband, and son are gone forever over something that should have been over is never going to returned.

We have tried and tried to help Iraq and settle their county and fix their government. They obviously do not want or need our help, so why are we still trying. Leave to them to their own affairs. That’s what they’ve wanted all along they don’t deserver our help anyway. Let their country destroy its self, why should we sacrifice our own troops for a country that doesn’t want you to. Lets finally end this, and bring our troops home. Not all at once but slowly bring them home there is nothing else we can do.

No more debating, no more arguing, there is not anything else we need to say or do in Iraq. The numbers and statistics are there what else do you need for us to bring our troops home. Do we have to keep lose every troops we have for us to stop fighting a pointless war. So ask your self do you really want this continued? Only you can answer that, after going over the facts and statistics and emotional pain. What side do you support, the choice is obvious bring our troops home and finally end this war.

            The drug commonly known as marijuana was made illegal around the time of 1937 in the United States (concept420.com). But it was first used in China as a seed for the food, and also as medicine in the Chinese hospitals (concept420.com). I believe that making . . . → Read More: It’s not as harmful as you think… Make Marijuana Legal!!!]]> It’s not as harmful as you think… Make Marijuana Legal!!

            The drug commonly known as marijuana was made illegal around the time of 1937 in the United States (concept420.com). But it was first used in China as a seed for the food, and also as medicine in the Chinese hospitals (concept420.com). I believe that making marijuana legal will do wonders for this country. The drug is also known as hemp, weed, ganja, pot, dank, reefer, chronic, cannabis, and etc. There is a lot of controversy on if this drug should be legalized or stay illegal, but why isn’t marijuana legal around this country? It is said by many that marijuana hinders your driving ability, yet alcohol is still sold all over the United States. It is researched that alcohol is much more dangerous and causes more car accidents. People also say that it is a danger to the person that is using it, but on the other hand, it is used for many medical purposes. Another bad effect that people say marijuana have is that it can cause lung cancer to the ones that smoke it. The government knows what kind of effects legalizing marijuana can have. On the other hand, smoking tobacco cigarettes causes a much heavier effect on lung cancer than marijuana.

            When driving, it is neither safe to drive under the influence of marijuana nor alcohol. But statistics show that it is quite safer to drive under the influence of pot than to drive under the influence of alcohol. From the experience that I have had, you can concentrate better when you are stoned than when you are drunk. There were 2,670 deaths from driving drunk in just the third month of 2009 (cognac.com). Just imagine the number of deaths now from driving under the influence of alcohol; the deaths from marijuana use this year is a little higher than zero. So, smoking marijuana affects a person’s driving ability? Well, alcohol is steadily being sold all over this country and it is the leading cause for car accidents across the United States. So, why not legalize something that is less harmful than something like alcohol, which has been legal and killing for decades.

            Yes, there are bad side effects for using marijuana. But isn’t there also bad side effects for anything that is taken for some type of pleasure or healing?  Legalizing weed will also reduce the crime rate. The reason I say that is because it will force some of the dope dealers off of the street because people could just go to the store and buy the product.  Also, marijuana couldn’t be too bad if doctors are prescribing it to people to make them get better. Marijuana is used for arthritis, nausea, cancer chemotherapy, appetite loss, glaucoma, and many other health issues. If a drug is used for this many health problems, there shouldn’t be any questions about it being legal. It is also a drug that someone cannot overdose on. So unlike pills, which are sold over the United States, you can use as much marijuana as you want and all it will do is put you to sleep or be in the place where you can’t move for a while, because you cannot overdose on cannabis (Healthmad.com). The effects of marijuana aren’t even long lasting effects. It is said that marijuana causes long lasting effects, but as a matter of fact, the effect of marijuana only last for a few hours.

            Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world and because of cigarettes the numbers of deaths rise every year. Also, cigarettes are researched to cause a much higher risk of lung cancer than marijuana. About ninety percent of lung cancer victims come from tobacco smoking (medicinenet.com). As a matter of fact, the ingredient that determines how strong marijuana is, Delta-9-Tetrahydrocanabinol (THC), decreases the tumor growth of lung cancer in half. It also heavily deflates the chances of lung cancer to spread (scienceblog.com). Can you tell me why cigarettes are legal if all they are doing is killing the people that are using it? While marijuana is being used to solve many health issues that will help people live there lives a lot easier. To me, it seems that the government should turn the tables around to cigarettes being illegal and marijuana being legal.

The government knows that making this plant legal can do wonders for the U.S.A. It seems as if the government wants the people of this nation to harm themselves. They are so ok with all of the deaths going on from the things that they have legal. Things like alcohol, cigarettes, pills, and other substances which is doing a high percent of damage in this country. Marijuana is not a dangerous drug that will ruin this country. As a distinct fact, making this plant legal will have no other choice but to bless this country’s economic status. By taxing the sales of marijuana, it is believed that this country will get back on track economically. It is said by Ranee Wright that if it is passed, then it will be treated with the same rules as alcohol (associatedcontent.com). So if the government has all of this in mind for this plan, what’s keeping them from going through with it?

In conclusion, I believe that marijuana should be legal in all fifty states in this country. There has been enough research done on the drug for it to be legalized. There is different information that lets us know that marijuana is safe enough for us to use. To make sure that it is being used safely, the government can have a legal limit of marijuana that one person can have at a time. And if a person is caught with more than the amount set, then they can be sentences to jail for a while. A statistical fact is that forty- six percent of the United States vote to legalize marijuana (associatedcontent.com). I believe that if California’s state government can regulate legal marijuana, then this countries government can do the same for this country.

Deforestation

Unbelievably, more than 200,000 acres of rainforest are burned every day. That is more than 150 acres lost every minute of every day, and 78 million acres lost every year(Leslie Taylor)! Our planet’s forest are depleting every day with many species of animals and plants. The Bengal Tiger is severely endangered and with the population . . . → Read More: Deforestation]]>

Deforestation

Unbelievably, more than 200,000 acres of rainforest are burned every day. That is more than 150 acres lost every minute of every day, and 78 million acres lost every year(Leslie Taylor)! Our planet’s forest are depleting every day with many species of animals and plants. The Bengal Tiger is severely endangered and with the population decreasing so fast they may be extinct soon . Today, less than 1,500 are left in the wild, but at the beginning of the 20^th century there were over 50,000. Poaching and loss of habitat are the two major reasons for the decline in numbers. Iguazu, Manu’, Fraser Island, Central Suriname, Salonga, Rio Platano, Cerrado, Amazon, Noel Kempff Mercado and Tasmanian are a few of our earth’s rainforest, they may hold some of the greatest secrets to medicine and cures to diseases that plague us today. Deforestation is increasing at a alarming rate and it needs to be stopped.

Deforestation is the loss of forests due to overcutting of trees. One consequence of deforestation is soil erosion, which results in the loss of protective soil cover and the water-holding capacity of the soil. Deforestation has been going on by humans for thousands of years. Fire was the first tool that made it possible for humans to modify the landscape. The first advidence of deforestation shows up in the Mesolithic period. With the advances of agriculture humans quickly started destroying the trees to create land for their own use. The earliest evidence of plant and animal extinction caused by man (deforestation) goes back some 4,000 years. Of course, as the industrial revolution got underway, deforestation took off in more developed countries to build housing and suburbs. The rate of deforestation in tropical regions of Latin America, Africa, and Asia have been increasing at a alarming in recent decades. This deforestation is driven by the rapid growth in size of the human population of these regions, with the attendant needs to create more agricultural land to provide additional food, and to harvest forest biomass as fuel. In addition, increasing industrialization of the trading economy has caused large areas of tropical forest to be converted to agriculture to grow crops for an export market in wealthier countries.

Deforestation is deteriorating many species of plants and animals that thrive in the rainforest. Nearly half of the world’s species of plants, animals and microorganisms will be destroyed or severely threatened over the next quarter century due to rainforest deforestation. (Leslie Taylor) Deforestation occurs mainly by people clearing forest for land for farming, housing, shopping malls, parking lots, and many more uses. We are the parasite of the planet , we live off the planet (host) and destroy it to survive. Plants and herbs have been found that could very well be the secret treasures and cure to cancer, AIDS, HIV and other diseases that plague use today. “More forest destruction could well deny science the opportunity to discover and develop further potential sources of life-saving medication.”(Dr. Murray Tait, Vice President of Drug Discovery at Cerylid Biosciences.) Not doing anything we are just as guilty as the people that are cutting and burning our forest. We could be letting all these great secrets be destroyed. Our rainforest may control weather we exist on the planet or not. We could be facing a new plague and our only hope will be gone because we couldn’t realize that in these vast jungles lye our only hope that we destroyed. Experts estimate that we are losing 137 plant, animal and insect species every single day due to rainforest deforestation. That equates to 50,000 species a year. As the rainforest species disappear, so do many possible cures for life-threatening diseases. Currently, 121 prescription drugs sold worldwide come from plant-derived sources. While 25% of Western pharmaceuticals are derived from rainforest ingredients, less that 1% of these tropical trees and plants have been tested by scientists.(Leslie Taylor of Raintree Nutrition, Inc.) There is the chance that all these plants and herbs may not be as effective as we presume or hope. In the end is it really worth even throwing away a slight chance of saving a variable of lives that will never be found without the finding of a cure.

More than 50% of the world’s plant and animal species inhabit the 7% of the world that is covered in rainforest. Do we really want to be the cause of extinction of half our worlds species, the questions doesn’t even need to be asked. Also when we cause a single species of animal to become extinct, it is not just that animal that surfers. When a species become extinct it will cause a chain reaction of endangerment or extinction of species that depended on the extinct species niche. “Forest loss and fragmentation is associated with an increasing pressure on lemurs, the most important dung producers in Madagascar. According to the fossil record, 16 large-bodied lemurs have gone extinct since human colonization ca 2300 years ago,” Ilkka Hanski “The long-term and dramatic decline of H. undatus [a species of dung beetle] may be due to high degree of resource specialization.( Ilkka Hanski) Everyone doesn’t want to be the cause of a entire species extinction. There are many factors that play a role in the extinction of animals. A major cause is the loss of habitat, cutting down a tree is like destroying a apartment complex. Also when a species reach a certain amount of population in a variable amount of area the chance of reproduction is decreased and leads to extinction. This theory has been stated in The Theory of Island Biogeography (1967) by Robert H. MacArthur & Edward O. Wilson. At the rate we are going we are going to end up being the only species on the planet. Imagine being the only species on the earth never having a dog, no eggs in the morning, no milk with your breakfast. We are not the only species on this planet and we need to learn to respect that.

I have spoke of humans destroying species of plant and animals, but one that usually is looked over is humans destroying people. Forest loss and fragmentation is associated with an increasing pressure on lemurs, the most. The loss of our forests contributes to approximately 20 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions each year — more than all the world’s trains, planes and automobiles combined. Another jab to humanity is destroying tribes that live in these rainforest. In Brazil alone, European colonists have destroyed more than 90 indigenous tribes since the 1900′s. With these tribes gone centuries of accumulated knowledge of the medical value of rainforest species. As their homelands continue to be destroyed by deforestation, rainforest peoples are also disappearing. (Leslie Taylor) These people that we are destroying their homes and ways of life have been there for thousands upon thousands of years. These people have medical techniques that our doctors can learn about these same plants we are destroying. They could very well have the secret cure for cancer. How we know if we keep destroying their homes and there tribes and ways of lives. If we can’t help save our own species than are we any better than a tree. Actually we are worse because we can do something and we choose not to we are the parasite that cares only about ourselves and not the well being of a whole. If there is a absolute scum of the planet we are it.

Our planets forests are being decimated every day with many species of planets and animal species. We have no right in destroying these plants, animals and most of all our planet’s forest. We are a parasite that is sucking the planets resources and depleting it to a unlivable state for all species including us. Humans are going to end up destroying every species on this planet including ourselves. We need to end this belligerent act of destruction on our forest and start protecting it.

What are the odds of homosexuals raising a well developed child? Many homosexual couples are wanting to adopt children but a lot them have children from previous relationships. State laws vary on gay rights, so not every gay person has the same ability to adopt. It is . . . → Read More: Who says homosexuality Isn’t the Best Environment for a Child to Live In???]]> Who Say’s Homosexuality Isn’t the Best Environment for a Child

What are the odds of homosexuals raising a well developed child? Many homosexual couples are wanting to adopt children but a lot them have children from previous relationships. State laws vary on gay rights, so not every gay person has the same ability to adopt. It is hard for gays to adopt since it is illegal in many states for gay people to marry. Only certain states, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Vermont permit same sex couple adoption. Gays are specifically banned from adoption in Florida. In 1977, a statewide campaign to over-turn Dade County’s gay rights law was led by Anita Bryant. Bryant claimed that gays were child molesters. She convinced state senators to vote for a ban on gay adoptions. Florida courts were arguing that a child should be raised in a heterosexual home.

Homosexuals should be given the same rights as everyone else. Heterosexuals are known to be the ideal married couple but homosexual couples are no different. They just want to show their love to children who are unloved and abandoned. In a study of two hundred and sixty nine cases of child sexual abuse, only two offenders were gay or lesbian. The study concluded that a child’s risk of being molested by his or her relative’s heterosexual partner is over one hundred times greater than by someone who might be identifiable as being homosexuals, lesbians, or bisexual (Political Debate and Poll).  Assumptions are being made every day on gay adoption and what heterosexuals think is best for a child.

There is no difference in a heterosexual home and a homosexual home. There are so many kinds of homes and families in the world. Just because a child grows up in a homosexual home doesn’t mean he/she will be have any social or physical problems. These children function as well as others. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published a statement in the February issue of its journal “Pediatrics.” The statement emphasized data showing how children of gay and lesbian parents function just as well emotionally, cognitively, and socially as children of heterosexual parents.   We have blended families, single parents, while some children are raised by their grandparents. So what’s the difference in a homosexual home? It’s the love the parent shows the child not the sexual preferences of the parent. Children who grow up in a different living environment would probably be  more opened minded.    If a child feels happy in a home, that’s all that matters. “If you have a mother raising her child, this isn’t ant sort of moral travesty. What’s the difference in two sisters raising one child or perhaps two brothers whom one of their wives have passed, there is no difference in the situation,” said by Adam Desautel, who has written several books on gay adoption and marriage. These situations are the exact same as homosexuals raising a child.

Unfortunately, there are so many children in foster homes that homosexuals would be willing to adopt and laws are preventing them from adopting. People expect a child to be raised in a two parent home with a mother and a father, but some children aren’t given the option to choose between a mother and a father.  According to the 2000 census, only twenty four percent of homes were composed of a married mother and father with children living at home. Scientific studies have shown that children are more influenced by their parents, than by their sexual orientation. In 2006, The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute published an article written by Jeanne Howard which states, “Social science research concludes that children reared by gay and lesbian parents fare comparably to those of children raised by heterosexuals on a range of measures of social and psychological adjustment.” Some children are  just as socially and emotionally fit while living in a homosexual home as in a heterosexual home. There is no legal reason why gay couples shouldn’t be able to adopt children. Homosexuals are just as loving and financially stable as heterosexuals. Just because a person lives a different way than others doesn’t mean they should have their rights taken from them. ‘We should forbid people who smoke or drink alcohol from adopting children. Anyone who looks at pornography cannot adopt children,” as said by Desautel. I totally agree. If dating someone of the same sex prevents someone from adopting a child then people who drink or smoke or watch porn shouldn’t either.

Most married couples do not consider adopting a child unless they are unable to have children themselves. The reason for this situation varies. The couple may not be financially stable or they may consider having another biological child. If a married couples doesn’t consider adopting and if they are said to be the ideal couple, shouldn’t homosexuals be given a chance to share their love. A child deserves two loving parents, it doesn’t matter whether they are gay or not.

The people of our society are set in their own ways, if things don’t go the way they think it should go then it’s wrong. Homosexuals deserve to be treated with respect and children need to be loved. Our society should consider letting homosexual couples adopt children in all states. If our society doesn’t give homosexuals a chance, then some children will never have a stable and loving home. They should realize that everything we fear isn’t wrong.

    In 1980, only 1 percent of new passenger vehicles sold in the United States were Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs).  Today that number has increased to 20%.   Their rise in popularity is due to their ability to combine large load hauling with passenger carrying.  Many SUVs are also equipped with features such as towing and off . . . → Read More: Automobile Safety]]>  

    In 1980, only 1 percent of new passenger vehicles sold in the United States were Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs).  Today that number has increased to 20%.   Their rise in popularity is due to their ability to combine large load hauling with passenger carrying.  Many SUVs are also equipped with features such as towing and off road driving.  SUVs  also allow drivers to see the roadways from a higher perspective than the compact passenger cars.

    Many people are attracted to SUVs because larger, heavier vehicles have increased collision protection.  While today’s SUVs vary significantly in size, they are all  approximately 4000 pounds more than compact passenger cars.  Many people think an SUV is safer because it is heavier. A larger vehicle will fare better in a collision.   In addition to the weight disparity, SUVs are built stronger than the ordinary passenger car.  They are built with stiffer frame rails that ride higher off the road than most passenger car chassis.  Smaller compact cars are built today with unibody frames, which means there is a small frame in the front and rear of the vehicle, but no frame in the middle.   SUV frames are built from the front bumper to the rear bumper giving them more stability.

    Sport Utility Vehicles pose a greater threat to smaller compact passenger vehicles during multiple vehicle collisions.     Studies by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety show that passengers and drivers in passenger cars are 25 times more likely to be killed when their vehicles are struck in the side by SUVs than by other passenger cars.

    Many experts feel that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration should enforce some type of standard that would force automakers to make SUVs more compatible with smaller cars.  Some suggestions would be to reduce the weight of the SUVs and lower their chassis.

    General Motors has tried to address the crash compatibility problem by keeping the chassis and bumper systems on their SUVs as low as practicable.  Ford is doing the same thing and has developed a blocker beam to make their SUVs less dangerous to smaller cars.  The blocker beam is a heavy steel beam that extends downward from the front of the chassis and is designed to prevent Ford’s larger vehicles from overriding the energy absorbing frame rails of smaller passenger cars.  This blocker beam helps the larger and smaller vehicles be more crash compatible.

    While the Insurance Institute applauds General Motors and Ford’s efforts to increase crash compatibility between  SUVs and compact cars, they hope that automakers will continue to search for new innovative ideas to increase safety.