Category Archives: Forum

Profiling in airports necessary for America safety

By Eli Bolus
 
For as long as I can remember, going through airport security has taken longer for my family than most.
The last time I went through airport security it was one day before school started.  After I picked up my  bag and handed over the “dangerous” weapons I carried on my person like nail clippers and bottle of hand sanitizer,  I looked over to see Transportation Security Association agents searching a large Middle Eastern looking man for weapons or other illegal paraphernalia.  This man was my father. He is not the first to be “randomly” searched and he certainly will not be the last. My father, like many others that look Middle Eastern or have Middle Eastern names said the “random” searches got especially bad soon after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2011.  Flying was not an option just because of the looks people would give my father;  people universally feared him.

Over the last decade the hostility decreased, but it is definitely still there.  It takes the form of the random searches the T.S.A. performs on a regular basis.

Fifteen years ago my father’s name was just a name, but now it is a brand.  People know that a name with a Middle Eastern root is a warning that this man is dangerous.  T.S.A. agents know to search people with Middle Eastern names like my father because of what stereotypes lead them to believe.  Now my father’s name is more than just a name; it is a curse.

These searches do not bother my father in the least.  He, more than anyone, understands how important they really are.  It actually bothers him more when they search people like my 80-year-old grandma.  They are obviously no threat, so T.S.A. agents are only trying to avoid offending someone.  Acting like you are not profiling may be actually worse than profiling.

Regardless of a person’s “feelings,” safety needs to be our number one priority. This may mean adding an extra 20 minutes to our travel time, but this is for the overall safety of fellow Americans.  So if that means racially profiling must take place in airports among other places, then so be it.

Some would say profiling is ignorant and outdated, but there is no other way to ensure the safety of our country without some form of it.

[polldaddy poll=5526633]

Drugs prohibit future goals

By Blake Dykes

I do not fully understand the reasoning behind people doing drugs.

I have heard all the excuses in the world for why people use them, “Marijuana is not bad for you unless it gets you hooked on other drugs” to “I only do it every once in a while.”

One night I was texting a friend and we got on the topic of drugs.

I, for one, am someone that strongly believes in something and does not change my opinion for anything or anyone.

We got deeper in the topic and he told me that he was smoking marijuana. He claimed that he never did anything but pot, and only once a weekend.

Of course, I voiced my opinion about this. It made me very upset that he was doing this. I understood that he had a rough life, but that is never a reason to turn to drugs.

I recall saying to him, “Don’t you know you’re breaking the law every time you do this?”

His respond was, “Blake, I’m stopping. I’ll never do it again.”

As far as I know he kept his promise; however, he still sometimes hangs around with people who continue to do drugs.

I decided to confront him about this once more.

“Look, I realize you are not doing them, but you are guilty by association. This is still illegal, and every time you even watch your friend, it is killing him. You are watching your best friend slowly die. Are you okay with this?”

I do not exactly remember his words after that. He was rather upset, but he clearly understood the point I was attempting to get across.

In high school many people feel it is a time to party, relax, and just have a good time. Very few people look at high school at the beginning of their future.

You slowly creep to that age. Everyone is partying, drinking, doing drugs. You are no longer living for college, your job, or your future; you are living in the moment.

When you were younger you heard about “peer pressure” and it would scare you. You thought, “I am never going to do that! Drugs are bad”, or “I won’t ever get in a car with a drunken friend, I won’t even have friends like that!”

Unfortunately, not many people stay true to who they are and who they wanted to be. When you were younger your teacher would ask you what wanted to do when you grew up. You would say, “I am going to go away to college and be a doctor.” You never thought to tell people you would drop out of high school and get kicked out of the house due to pot.

It all starts with that one time; people are manipulated into trying it. They say to themselves, “Just one time, never again.” However, the next thing you know, grades are slipping, they are stealing money from their parents just so they can buy themselves their next high. Nothing matters anymore except that they have drugs in their possession.

Besides the fact that weed gets you hooked on other drugs, there are also reasons that factor into why it is so bad.

Often you will see or hear someone say, “I would have never done that if I was sober.” When you are getting high, you are not thinking or doing things that you normally would. This is why.

Marijuana contains a chemical, Tetrahydrocannabionl, or also known as THC. This drug changes how the brain works; it is mind altering.

Some of the side effects include: increases heart rate up to 50 percent, increased risk of heart attack, higher risk of oral cancer, long lasting effects on the brain, lung cancer, and more prone to getting asthma.

Now I am not trying to make this another drug lecture everyone is sick of hearing. I just want people to know; they are not the only people being tempted and turning down drugs. People are often called lame, or excluded because they are not in the party crowd. However, years from now, those people that stayed true to who they were are going to have the life they always dreamed of.

There is a simple way to avoid getting into a situation where you may be tempted to smoke. Do not hang around people that are keeping you from achieving your goals you want in life. I know this is easier said than done, but it is just a suggestion.

Follow your ambitions; do not let anything as stupid as drugs stop you.

Food choices influenced by pricing

By Blake Dykes

Graphic by Summer Haynes.
Walking around the store while my mom picks out fresh fruits that smell like sweet scents from bath and body works, I cannot help but notice all the people around me.

I see the fairly large woman, pushing her cart, out of breath from the two liters and chips weighing her cart down. There is a couple in front of me, debating whether they want powdered sugar or chocolate doughnuts for breakfast the next morning.

I start to wonder, “Don’t these people know what they are putting into their bodies?”

Surely they do, everyone knows doughnuts are bad for you, right? But it is easier to get a dozen for $2.50 rather than spending $4 on a box of Quakers oatmeal.

Could this difference in prices have anything to do with increasing obesity rates in Amercia?

Right now, with the economy, it is hard to find jobs that pay well, let alone a job period. Everyone knows that we need to have money to buy food.

When you are waiting in line to check out of the store, how tempting is it to reach over and grab a $.99 bag of mini muffins, or a $.63 candy bar? You never get into line and say, “Man, a little bag of wheat thins would really hit the spot.” Maybe you do, but who wants to pay $3.50 for something when they could get a bag of chips that holds twice the amount and is half the cost?

I partially blame the grocery stores.

Displays do not promote healthy foods. When I stand in the check out line, all I see are candy bars, gum, and sodas. I never see any fruit or nutritious, healthy food.

Additionally, today’s world can often be influenced by television. I have yet to see a commercial promoting healthy foods. Many of today’s advertisements are promoting junk food.

What could be a solution to this problem? Get coupons, be alert, and when healthy foods go on sale be sure to take advantage of that. We cannot change what the prices on foods are; however we can control what we buy.

Now this is a little far fetched, but if people stopped buying some of the unhealthy food choices such as pop tarts, chips, etc. Do you think that companies would make adjustments and put healthier ingredients into them? Or maybe stop selling the product all together?

Maybe if people boycotted fatty foods the companies producing them would clean up their act and make healthier choices.

No one is going to spend money producing something that no one wants to buy.

Essentially, the cost of healthy foods needs to be lower. If healthy foods were not so expensive, people would make better food choices, and in turn have better eating habits.

Would you agree that maybe people may even feel a twinge of guilt buying something that is fattening and more expensive than something healthy?

It all boils down to, people can not afford to eat healthy.

Music relates to dreams

By Jacob Baumann

On the stage next to Eddie Van Halen is how the dream began.  We both jammed out to the guitar solo in Billie Jean.

With classic 80s hair and attire, an audience of thousands stood and cheered us on waiting for Michael Jackson to come out on stage.

Preparing for bed can be a difficult task, it takes some a glass of milk, a run, or watching a boring TV show.  Music, doesn’t get the credit it deserves.

As I lay in bed, I snatch my ipod and headphones from my nightstand and begin to select a track of music to play.

Depending on my mood from the day, I choose a song.  A bad day would consist of lighter rock music, and a good day would be composed of heavier rock tracks.

When in a bad mood, I would suggest songs by Journey like “Don’t Stop Believin’.”  Any track by Journey will make you calmer.  A few bands I would suggest are Boston, Kansas, Michael Jackson, and Elton John

Although lighter music sounds like a good idea when in a good mood, I prefer the heavier classic rock.  Bands such as Def Leppard and Bad Company are regulars that I listen to.  Some tracks in my library are Photograph, Shooting Star, The Stroke, and Round and Round.

Being able to become an idol for a moment is great, even if it’s just a dream.