State of the Union Address

   I do not find politics to be very interesting, although I do know that it is important to stay updated on what is happening in my country. I found President Obama's speech to be very captivating and interesting, but I was also disappointed that I didn't learn much about our country's current situation. Obama seemed to focus a lot about "the future" of America, but didn't do much in addressing the problems that we currently face. It was nice that a sense of hope was shown throughout his entire speech, except I felt like it would have been better to show how and why we are doing these things for the future, rather than just saying he is going to have them happen.
   The one part I enjoyed most about Obama's speech was when he talked about the topic of education. He explained the importance of focusing on a student's education, because there is nothing more important than learning. I completely agree with him; our future is in the hands of the students. We must put all our effort in allowing students to learn and gain knowledge that will help our country grow. Since I plan on being a teacher when I'm older, I really appreciated when Obama showed his respect for the teachers in our country. He made a comment that each and every teacher makes a difference not only in the life of a child, but a difference in the nation as well. This really made me feel even better about my decision to study secondary education in college. I also thought it was really smart when he told the country that we should learn to praise the winners of the science fair, just as much as we cheer for the winners of the Superbowl. Education is an incredibly important part of life that too many people don't care about. Obama made himself perfectly clear that he would spend a lot of time and money fixing up our education system in the United States.
   There were a lot of other topics that Obama talked about, such as the importance of innovation and clean energy sources. Overall, all aspects of his speech focused on the positive. For example, even though our economy still needs a lot of work, Obama chose his words carefully and said "our economy is growing." The main thing I gained from listening to the State of the Union Address was that our country needs to focus on our future, and that we need to have hope and motivation to make a change for the better.

Abortion-What Rights Do Women Have?

  The pro-choice organization argues that anti-choice people use violent actions and dangerous laws in order to get their point across. More importantly, by banning abortion, pro-choice advocates argue that it may jepordize the woman's health and safety. It was interesting that the site also pointed out that they believe even though abortion should be allowed, the need for it should be reduced. They support abortion, but also strongly support improving access to birth control and teaching young students sex education. I believe that it very smart to put on their site because it demonstrates how even though abortion should be allowed, if people make smart decisions, it will not be needed as often. The pro-choice organization also argued a lot against anti-choice supporters. They explained what choice is and how it is unconstitutional to ban women from making the decision to have an abortion.
   The National Right to Life site used a lot of emotions to try and sway individuals. They used facts to explain how abortion may not be very safe. The website also showed a link of "A Diary of an Unborn Baby" to make me relate to the fetus. However, there was not much substantial information that made me want to support this side. I found the pro-choice organization to have much stronger evidence to back up their arguement. It seems to me that the pro-choice movement is winning the debate, because they have the stronger arguement and women have the constitutional right to make their own decisions.
  As both a student and a woman, I am one hundred percent pro-choice. However, I believe that a parent has the right to know if their child under the age of 18 is having an abortion. I do not believe that they need to consent to it, but they should be notified by the abortion clinic. It would be unfair to make a parent consent to the abortion, because the baby is a part of the woman's body and therefore belongs to her. The parent has no control over the situation, but for safety reasons, should be notified that the abortion is happening. If something dangerous happened, the parent has the right to know, and since the child under 18 is still technically not a legal adult, the parent needs to have full information on what is happening to them.
   I also believe that if the identity of the father of the baby is known, than they have the right to be notified of the woman's decision to have an abortion. I think that this notification is important because the baby belongs to him, and it would be unfair for him to not have knowledge of what is happening to his child. However, since the baby is a part of the woman's body, she deserves to be able to make the choice to have an abortion all on her own. It may be unfair for the father to not have the right to consent to the abortion, but it is also not right to make a woman carry around a baby for nine months if she does not feel comfortable having the baby. At least if the father is notified about the woman's choice then he can talk to the woman beforehand. However, the woman must be allowed to have complete control over her the decision about whether or not to have the baby.
    Both the Illinois House and Senate are mixed-choice. For example, Illinois allows abortion before 12 weeks, but the state also restricts insurance coverage of abortion for some indivduals. I agree with both of these laws because as I have stated before, women have the right to make their own choices, and therefore should be allowed to have an abortion if they believe it is the best decision for themselves. However, it is wrong to make some people believe in something that they do not support, so it would make sense for abortion to not be covered by insurance. It doesn't make sense to have anti-choice supporters pay money to help fund people have abortions. By not allowing insurance coverage, each individual is able to support the side they want. Those who do not believe in abortion can choose not to have one and do not have to pay for another person to have one. I also agree with the time limit on the abortion ban. Twelve weeks gives women a substantial amount of time to make their decision, and some facts show that at the three month mark a fetus begins to feel pain. Therefore, it makes sense that an abortion must take place only before twelve weeks after conceiving. Overall, I agree with Illinois' position and I think that it is important for them to be mixed-choice in order to keep in mind both sides of the arguement.

The Help: Final Entry

    I truly enjoyed reading The Help and found it to be a really worthwhile experience. The storyline was fiction, which allowed me to become easily captured into the story, plot, and characters. However, it still contained many facts and the history that was behind the novel allowed be to learn a lot about the time period and what living with discrimination was like. In the last few pages of the novel, I found a quote that I believe fully explains what this novel was about. Miss. Skeeter wonders to herself, "Wasn't that the point of the book? For women to realize, We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought" (418). That is what the story of The Help teaches us. It reminds us that people are people no matter their hair color, eye color, height, weight, or skin color. Blacks are equal to whites, and therefore they should be treated equally and fairly. This book showed me how important it is to remember that we must be aware of how we treat people. Even the smallest things can make a big difference. This story reminded me that the similarities outweigh the differences; even though someone's skin color may be different, each person is a human with a heart and a mind, and everyone is entitled to their own opinion and their individual rights.
    Facing the truth and standing up for what you believe in takes enormous amounts of courage. It makes me wonder what the world would be like if there were more people like Aibileen and Skeeter. The story shared the idea that a difference can only be made if people try to make that difference. Thinking and acting are two very different things. The conditions in Mississippi regarding the unfair treatment of the African American maids was only able to be fixed when someone stood up and said, "This is wrong. Things need to change." We cannot let ourselves become influenced by others, when we know what they are doing is wrong. Miss. Skeeter was strong enough to go against her friends in order to change the lives of many maids.
    Overall, I found The Help to be a really moving story. I was affected by the characters and it allowed me to place this fictional story in a real-life scenario. The story was not exactly the same, but things that happened in the story also happened in Mississippi during the 1960s. At times it was difficult to read what the maids had to go through, but in the end, they prevailed. I believe that the purpose of this novel was to teach and remind readers that it is important to treat everyone equally, but more importantly, we must stand up for what we believe in. Miss. Skeeter knew it was wrong to abuse the black maids, and therefore, she devised a plan to find a way to end this discrimination. I learned a lot about the history during this time period throughout this book, but I was also able to apply the knowledge to my life now. The message Kathryn Stockett taught me, is that despite the outward differences, I must be mindful of others' feelings and remember that all of us are connected in some way or another.

The Help Entry 5: Speak Your Mind

   As I have continued to read more in the book, I have recognized that the main problem is that people are too afraid to stand up for what they believe in. Sure, there are a few individuals who believe that whites are superior to blacks and have the right to treat the maids unfairly. However, there is also a good amount of people who know that what they are doing is wrong, but they are too afraid to do anything about it. At one point, Skeeter's father is talking to an important politician and explains how he is ashamed that in Mississippi so many people hurt their Negro workers. The people in that scene are shocked that he would voice is opinion to this well-known and powerful senator. However, by saying these words, he caused the politician to questions about whether it was the truth. If more people were just willing to speak their minds and stand up for what they believe is moral, then this unfair treatment of the black maids could have been easily prevented.
    I find myself admiring the characters who are able to do what is right, despite the consequences. The maids who contribute to Skeeter's interviews are in constant danger, but they continue to help because they know that they have the power to make a difference. I think it is important to stay true to your own beliefs, which is what Skeeter, Aibileen, Minny, and many others do throughout the book. The more I read, the more I hope that these characters can influence others to do the right thing. By putting their voices and opinions together and not backing down, these interviews have the ability to make a huge difference in Mississippi.