Women in the Military

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/24/us/military-women/index.html?hpt=hp_inthenews

A major event occurred this week in how our nation's military is run. Women will now be able to be in the front lines of battle. General Martin Dempsey signed a directive on Thursday, along with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, that will open up almost 200,000 posts on the front line. This is a major feat for the United States. We have been preaching for some time now that we need to make men and women equal in the workplace, and this is one way to get to that goal. I think it's ridiculous that women haven't been equal with men in the military up until this point. I mean, I know that there may be some concerns with this, but I think it had to be done.
Many people might be angry with this, or have worries and concerns. But honestly, I don't see anything wrong with it. There are certain requirements in order to fill positions on the front line, mainly physical, such as lifting a certain amount of weight. I think that these are necessary, because you have to be able to do certain things while on the front line. And if a woman can fulfill these requirements just as well as a man, than they deserve to serve along side each other. People in the military, whether man or woman, do it because they love our country and are fighting to protect it. So why has it been that only men can do close combat, when many women are willing to?  I do not think it's right to not provide certain opportunities to someone based on gender. I think that the opportunities we get should be decided on what we can do and if we can do the job right, male or female.

Sandy Hook Conspiracy Theories

The Sandy Hook shooting has been prevalent on every news station around the country for the past month. This event, the killing of over 25 people, 20 of those being children, has opened Americans eyes to the plethora of guns that are available, and how that has a major effect on everybody's safety. Many people argue that it's the holder of the gun, not the gun itself. But what if that holder was the American government? There have been many conspiracy theories hitting the news lately that claims that the government enacted the massacre in order to control guns. It is said that the government needed a sparking gun in order to start the control of firearms, and this was it. But do you honestly believe that the American government could be the controlling hand in the massacre of 20 children?
I think it's a crazy and irrational statement to make that the government is behind this all. I have watched the video over it, and their information seams faulty. It also seems as if they took bits and pieces of the whole event, and made it seem as if something wasn't right. I think what's dangerous about this video is that viewers might believe what they see. You can throw a little video together and shed something in the completely wrong light, and this is what happened. But would gun control really be a bad thing anyways? I don't see the need for an average citizen to have a semiautomatic weapon that can shoot many bullets a second. I'm aware that it's what the person does that causes violence, not the weapon, but you cannot take people out of the equation. It's impossible. So you must take guns out. In reality, there will never be a ban on firearms. There will only be steps to reduce violence, such as making it harder to get a weapon through things like background checks. But to say that the government had a hand in what started this "revolution" is absurd. It demeans the United States, and also the victims of the shooting. I think change is necessary, and making up theories and excuses in order to try and keep things the same is idiotic and childish.

http://theweek.com/article/index/239012/the-disturbing-rise-of-sandy-hook-conspiracy-theories

About Me

My name is John Barrett. I am a sophomore in high school that attends Creighton Preparatory School. I attended grade school at St. Robert Bellarmine for ten years. At Prep, I am on the service committee in the Campus Ministry Advisory Board (CMAB). I’m a member of the speech and debate team, and I also shoot trap. I also coach middle school speech at St. Robert’s. One thing that most people know about me is that I eat all the time. One look at me and you can tell that I love to. Chinese food is my absolute favorite. I know it sounds weird, but McDonald’s is probably my second home. I also play the piano, and have been for nine years, which is something people don’t know about me. Also, people don’t really know that I’m on the trap shooting team at Prep, and I try to keep that a secret. I’m not a hunter or anything like that, I just think competing is fun.