Animal Cruelty Must Stop

Animal abuse can come in different forms, for example from the tip of a needle to the hand of your father. There are over 100 million animals abused every year in the US alone. Mice, birds, rabbits, cats, and dogs are amongst the most common animals to be tested on in the cosmetics community and there is no federal cruelty law when it comes to animals in most countries. Because abuse towards animals does not comply with the federal laws in most countries, it is extremely difficult to determine just how common they are.

Animal testing is often abrupt to dismiss. People generally hear the term “animal testing” and assume makeup companies are just conducting tests on animals that just involves, applying shampoo to rabbits fur or putting lipstick on monkeys and often think that it’s doing little if not no harm to the animal. History shows animal testing is much more than that and regularly results in animals being deformed, poisoned, burned or even killed.  

Animals are often kept and bred in captivity. Over 6,000 fur farms can be found across the European Union alone. In these fur farms animals are frequently forced to huddle together and build burros for warmth as they are left exposed to the chilled air to encourage the animals to grow thicker coats. If an animal died of hypothermia it’s fur coat can still be used and sold.

A person who purposely abuses an animal has more than likely faced some form of violence in their earlier or current life. During that period of violence that person would’ve felt helpless and defenseless at one point or another. These people often grow up taking their anger out on things that to are weak and helpless. Unintentional animal abuse is too surprisingly high with people, for example, forgetting to wind the windows down in vehicles and leaving their dogs exposed to the heat for too long, or forgetting to provide water or food to the animal for up to days on end.

I believe that the defense against animal abuse is not often taken charge.This can affect the population and welfare the of animals if it continues, as well as the mental state of the people who are abusing animals due to their past. Reporting animal abuse and speaking up can help provide the animal with proper shelter and a calm environment for them to thrive in rather than be beaten or used for scientific purposes.

Reading Log - School Uniform

"Wearing a school doesn't help us learn" by Emma Jacobs is a article about her opinion on whether school uniforms are a yes or no.

In the article Emma states "more than 200 Bradford secondary school pupils were sent home from school this week" for simple "uniform infringements" then asks if it "is it OK to deprive someone of a day of education just because they don’t look smart enough". To me this raises some excellent points about wither or not a school uniform should stand or not in our schools. "Teachers spend time and energy policing uniform, handing out detentions and quibbling over hair dye when they could presumably be teaching us" is yet another instance where it makes you contemplate wither a school uniform is overall worth the hassle.

Though she also clarifies that "the rational uniform is to create a level playing field" and that it's "so rich kids don’t lord it over poorer ones with their flashy jumpers and no one is teased for not following the latest trends" I still strongly think that school uniforms can be better seen as more then just a way of making things about equality or a form of 

Reading Log- The One You Fear

The One You Fear written by Paul Pilkington is a novella about Emma Holden and her friends trying to move on with life after her fiance, Dan's recent kidnapping.

Throughout the novel Emma had a small group of close friends that are seen to be there for one another whenever times got rough, and everything in between. For instance Lizzy, Emma's best friend was with her through thick and thin constantly saying supportive things like "it's okay Em, we're all in this together" as was Dan, Emma's fiance who was always asking her "if she needed to talk" he was there for her and just making sure everyone involved were all well supported. I think that Emma was extremely fortunate to have that foundation of friends and family to support her while a crazy 'dead' man was threatening her from beyond the grave.

From the beginning to the end of the text Emma always appeared to be putting everyone's well being before hers and just over all stayed pretty positive about the situation. Towards the end of the book Dan repeatedly offord to accompany Emma to meet her potential stalker however Emma politely declined everytime saying she "didn't want Dan to miss work", as he was near getting fired. This shows that she was putting others before her. Personally this got to me because they all had a huntch someone was messing with Emma and they had all this evidence to support their theory but they choose to keep there options open as to what was happening.

Reading Log - Film Forrest Gump

Forest Gump directed by Robert Zemeckis, is a film about a brainless young man named Forrest Gump and events that took place throughout his life. Despite Forrest being on the dimer side he managed to live life a that was anything but boring.

On Forrest's first day of school as soon as he stood on the school bus everyone said to him "can't sit here" or "seats taken", everyone expect for a girl named Jenny. Jenny had a abusive childhood, we know this because Forrest talked about how Jenny's father "was a very loving man, he was always kissing and touching her and her sisters". That day Forrest went to her house to see her, they ran into the crops and she asked Forrest to pray with her, in their prey she asked "make me a bird so I can fly far, far away from here" which reinforced the idea that Jenny had been sexually abused in her home and wanted to leave. Forrest's unconditional love towards Jenny made her feel like she didn't deserve him which ended in her repeatedly running away and turning to a trail of abusive boyfriends or drug usage. Some years later Jenny invited Forrest around to her house so he could meet their child. Jenny later told Forrest she was getting sick and asked Forrest to marry her, he said "of course" and well they got married.

Since the beginning of the film Forrest showed that he was always willing to help out and protect his friends and family. For example once Forrest graduated a army man approached him and suggested he apply to the army, to which he ended up meeting this best friend Bubba there. Bubba "knew everything there was to know about shrimping" and later asked Forrest "how'd you like to go into the shrimping business with me?" to which Forrest said "okay" to. Forrest kept his promise to his best friend and started a shrimping company. After a few failures a storm started brewing, Forrest and his friend Lieutenant Dan battled the storm and survived unlike all the other shrimping company's. They turned out very successful so Forrest went and gave Bubba's family his share of the money since it was his "fine idea" and "his mom didn't have to work in the kitchen after that" thus showing how far Forest was willing to help out his loved ones.

Throughout the film you often come across the saying "life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what your gonna get". Personally I think this quote is highly iconic because it speaks to everyone in more then one way. For instance hearing that for the first time, one could immediately think "oh yeah okay" and shrug it off as if it were nothing but if you were to really think about it you could get more in-depth with it and even apply it to your own life. I do agree with that quote because life is a box of chocolates, you could be on a winning streak getting all your favorites then you'll get that one you instantly regret picking up.

Reading Log - Novel Mountain Wolf

Mountain Wolf by Rosanne Hawke is about a series of events that happened to a young 14 year old boy, initially set in a small village surrounded by mountains in Pakistan. The story of the young boy named Razaq and the events that follow all started with a natural disaster.

Throughout the novel Razaq was always willing to put the lives he cared about before his. For instance at the beginning of the story an earthquake hit his village killing everyone in his family expect for him. Despite Razaq finding and burying the corps of his dead father he was able to find shelter at his "aunts" house, in return he protected, feed, and supplied for the old whito. During this time a man by the name of Ikram approached Mrs Daud and offered a deal she couldn't refuse. The deal was to give Mrs Daud three hundred rupees, take Razaq away to give him a job and send money home for the old witto until he made enough for her to live on then return. But Razaq refused to leave her because "there was nothing for him there" and he "brought her food", however Mrs dauds wishes was for Razaq to make more money so he did as she asked and left his village. This proves that Razaq was willing to go the extra mile for those he cared about as he went against his own feelings to help this old lady.

From that point forward Razaq was relocated more then once and sold into slavery repeatedly. He was tought to give massages to customers and if ever asked "what else do you do" to always reply with "whatever you want" or else be punished. Considering the position Razaq was in I don't think what he was made to do was wrong at all. Razaq was forced into trafficking and slavery. All was not bad as he meet the love of his life in their, she too was taken and forced into it, just as they all had been. At one stage Razaq even said "the police say we are criminals" followed by "but it isn't our choice", this made me feel empathetic towards Razaq and every other boy and girl that was some how forced into that position especially how the police, the people that you turn to when you need their help and safety go out and call you a criminal for something you arnt in control of.

When Mrs Mumtaz, the brains behind his freedom was pleased with the work he had done he would get rewarded by getting to "eat very well" if he kept it up and having the privilege he wouldn't usually receive that was to be getting to "feel the fresh air". That was what Mrs Mumtaz referred to as "going way too easy". However if and when Razaq did act out and refuse he would be punished by getting locked in his little room for twenty four hours, seven days a week, only seeing light when there were customers or he had a fortune of eating. Razaq told his old friend, Danyal "do not let them take your whole self" because they had "given us these feelings of dirt and shame". This showed me how rough they must have had it, to be pushed to that level of self doubt that your only advice for someone being forcibly shoved into your position was to "not let them brake you".

Reading Log - film Clueless

Movie Name: Clueless

Clueless, a movie directed by Amy Heckerling is about a young girl named Cher, who is both popular and rich during High School. Growing up with just her father, he re-married a few times and she found herself with a step-brother, named Josh. Throughout the film Josh would tell her how misguided she was and she ended up falling for him.

During the film Cher thought of herself as a cleaver and cunning individual who could talk her way through her high school grades. I think Cher is very cleaver when it comes to the arts of persuading, for instance after her dad confronted her about her low grades she merely insisted that it was just the begging then set out to argue her way though her grades. In one occasion her English teacher refused to change her C+, but after matchmaking him to another fellow teacher he began falling helplessly in love and started handing out higher grades. We know she was successful because her father repeated himself by saying "you mean to tell me you argued your way through a C+ to a A-?!".

Throughout the film Cher showed that she is more then just a pretty face with shopping skills. For example Cher and her best friend Dee, befriended a new girl named Tia on her first day by asking her if she "wanted to hang". Despite the fact that they originally only asked her because she was "so adorably clueless" Cher still insisted that they "used their popularity for a good cause" and make Tia one of them. To me this both frustrated and stood out to me because Cher was basically making Tia her personal project and being kind at the same time, for instance if you felt empathetic towards Tia for being the new girl you'd feel ecstatic to know that you have the two most popular girls in the school as friends.

At the beginning of the film Cher's step brother Josh, mentions how "misguided" and "stupid" she was but throughout the film they grew a stronger bond. We know they grew closer together because at the end of the film Josh says how Cher "knows she's gorgeous" and "isn't just a pretty face with shopping skills". This language feature was used to show how they are caring towards each other in more then just a ex-sibling sort of way. I think many people can learn from this film, as when Cher and Josh put their hatred aside they ended up realizing how kind and charming they both are.

I think this speaks to everyone by saying don't judge a book by its cover. This is a heart warming film showing how people can change if they meet the right people and could end up alternating your life.

The Milgram Experiment

In the short story The Milgram Experiment by Saul McLeod a man named Stanley Milgram conducted an experiment focusing on conflict between authority and personal conscience, he did so by drawing straws to determine their roles. The roles were already fixed so the volunteer would automatically be the teacher and the experimenters would pretend to be a leaner. They told the 'teachers' to release volts of electricity into a electric chair every time the leaner got a question wrong to see how far the teacher would go because an authority told them too.

Most 'ordinary' people would obey an authority and risk an innocent persons life. We know this because it stated this by saying "people are likely to follow orders given by an authority to the extent of killing an innocent human being." I think this is accurate yet despicable at the same time because if you know your hurting someone why would you continue but if someones standing over you I guess you feel that pressure a lot more.

I think its "normal" that ordinary people are more likely to follow an authority figure, because if you were told to do an action that you may not 100% agree with its still easier to continue what you've been told to do rather then stand up and make a fuss about your opinion. We know that more people obeyed the authority because it said "65% of participants continues to the highest level volts".

I don't think that it was necessarily wrong and or "evil" of the participant to continue the course and obey the authority because even if they did hesitate to shock a innocent person the exterminator would read a series of "prods" to ensure they'd continue. For instance they would say " please continue" then " the experiment requires you to continue" and that "it was essential you continued" because "you have no other choice but to continue", thus putting more and more pressure on the teacher to administer a shock.

This physiological experiment made me think about how people act on their own verse's when they have a bigger authority and or a bigger group of people to follow along. It also made me annoyed to think how easy it is to just do what your told because you feel its just easier to do as your told then make a fuss over something that's potentially a minor issue just because their in a higher position then you.