Should homosexuals be permitted to serve in the armed forces?

I absolutely think that homosexuals should be permitted to serve in the armed forces. Refusing them this right, is like refusing an African American the right to go to school and get an education. If you did not allow them this right, it would be treating them less of a human being. We live in the country where all men are created equal, and all should be allowed to exercise their rights. I think about whether or not I would want to serve in the armed forces, and very quickly I know my response, No. There is no desire inside of me, that wants to serve in the armed forces. So, if someone else wanted to take my place, and they happen to be of a homosexual orientation, go right ahead! This also brings me to ask the question, do we think being homosexual is a disease, or in any way a faulty genetic that might keep someone from performing to their optimum in the service? Our orientation makes no more judgement on our character, than the color of our skin. I also want to ask if this question is directed toward the population that consider themselves lesbian? When did our sexual orientation come to be a judgement of our physical abilities, or whether or not we are worth being allowed to participate in certain activities? This makes me think of a famous quote by Martin Luther King Jr. I feel this quote really resonates with this discussion question.

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
-Martin Luther King Jr.-

Should News Paper Reporters Be Required To Reveal Their Sources?

It's 7:00 in the morning, and you make your way to the kitchen to heat the pot of coffee. Right as you are turning on the stove, the mail man walks by, tossing your daily Newspaper at the base of your front door. You continue your routine and go outside to grab the Newspaper so you have something to read while you eat your breakfast. On the front page, you see the headline of an article that speaks of an amazing new discovery: "Loose Weight Without Working Out!" Taken by the title of the article, you sit down with your cup of coffee and enjoy yourself some light reading. The article goes on to explain how scientists have discovered a new chemical combination, that when ingested, will begin to eat the access fat on your body. You are directed to take the pill daily, and will see results instantly. The best part about this discovery, is the fact that you will not have to work out to see results. The question is: do you quick run out and buy the first bottle of the new pills that you can find, or do you instead do some research to see whether the information is credible, if the source of where the report got her information is someone of significance. I would say, from my aberration of friends and family members taking pills like this, that many people would be in the car, at the store, and in the checkout line, before they even finished the article about the amazing new discovery. This brings to one of my points, that people listen to what they want to hear. The Newspaper is just honoring the laws of supply and demand. What the reader wants, the Newspaper will produce. Do you really think its a coincidence that with a large amount of our population being overweight or obese, and having many health problems, that the Newspapers and Magazines are filled with articles and advertisements promoting new healthy ways of living, or easy ways to loose weight fast? They are giving us what we want. People don't want to read the truth, because the truth most times is too hard to handle. Instead, they tweak the truth to make it sound more appealing to the reader. I believe that until WE start demanding accurate information, or credible information in our Newspapers, then we can trust what we read and not have to worry about whether or not what is in the Newspaper is actually supported by fact.  

The Man With The Golden Voice

I thought the video was a beautiful sight of a mother, Julia,  and son, Ted, reuniting for the first time in 10 years. I really appreciated the fact that his mother wanted to keep him in touch with his faith and help him to revitalize his hope and belief. It truly did pay off and it just goes to show you that with a little hope and faith, Anything can happen! I was pretty disappointed to discover, as I read on, that big name TV shows were intervening with the Julia and Ted's reconnection, just so they could make a big story out of it. I do not know what Julia's intentions were, upon reuniting with her son, but from the video I saw true emotion and happiness in their faces and in their eyes. After all the conflict of the two TV shows wanting to get their hands in on this terrific reconnection, Ted has flourished being given a few commercial gigs, and now having a major airing of a KRAFT mac and cheese commercial. I think that with all that has happened to both Julia and Ted, there shows signs of light being at the end of the tunnel.

Should Pornography Be Restricted By Law?

When I think of pornography, I think of the internet and how it makes pornography very accessible to just about anyone. Anyone who owns a computer, has the option of looking up pornography at any time of the day, for as long they want, on as many sights as they want. I believe pornography can become addicting, and I think people are easily influenced by what they witness on the internet. I think there could be restrictions on it, and I think that might be a healthy thing, but I cant imagine how we would go about restricting it. Being that it is so accessible, how could we begin to set limitations on who can obtain it? It could be restricted in all stores, so that people would no longer be able to purchase it at local gas stations. It could also be banned from movie stores, so that customers could not rent the videos whenever they wanted. This brings me to ask the question: What about the Internet? How could we keep people from viewing pornography on the internet? The internet is something that is free, something that is available at our very fingertips. I have heard that in China and Japan, internet sites such as Google are banned amongst the community. Is it possible that we could do the same to pornographic sites? Although I think it should be restricted, I don't think it ever will be restricted. I believe pornography portrays sex in a superficial way, and can lead people into thinking that what it portrays is real. I support the restriction, and I hope it can become less of a problem amongst our population.