Category: Authors FA17

Usernames for Fall 2017 students of Comp II

Annotated Bibliography

Source one: Anderson, Terry H. Movement and the Sixties. Oxford University Press. 1995

Essential context: This source gave insight on the way of the sixties, between black Americans and law enforcement officials.

How I used it: I used this to explain how no matter what black Americans did in the 1960’s there was always rioting, and there was always police brutality going on in some way, shape or form.

Source two:

Little, Becky. “Why the Star-Spangled Banner Is Played At Sporting Events.” Why theStar-
Spangled Banner Is Played At Sporting Events – History in the Headlines. N.p., 25 Sept.
2017. Web. 29 Oct. 2017. .

Essential context: The essential context of this essay was to give the origin of the Star Spangled Banner, and why it has such importance to us as Americans.

How I used it: In my essay, I used this source to explain the importance of the anthem at sporting events, and it also gives background information on how why the anthem is such an important part of our history.

Source three:
http://writing.byu.edu/sites/default/files/writing150contest/opinion_editorial_5.pdf

Essential Context: This article talks about how the protest started, and gave Collin Kaepernicks view and the reasons that he started the protest. It also gives insight on the reasons the protest started.

What it proves: This source gives us more information on what the protest is, and the origin of protesting. This article further explains Collin Kapernicks whole view on it, and why he even started the protest in the first place.

Source four: The song “Proud to be an American” By Lee greenwood
https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/leegreenwood/proudtobeanamerican.html

Essential context: talks about what it means to be an american, and how proud we should be as a nation. It is unspoken that we as Americans have a devoted love to their country, and writing this song was just one of the many ways that we as Americans show our love to the flag and our country.

What it proves: How much pride some people have in the country, that they decided to make a song showing it. The song has lines like “And Ill proudly stand up” talking about standing up and fighting for the country that they love.

Source five: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2017/10/15/nfl-players-protests-national-anthem-kneeling/765957001/

Essential Context: This article talks about the 49ers still protesting, and gives Roger Goodell’s (The NFL commissioner) statement on the matter. Roger Goodell states that he supports the players right to peacefully protest, but he does not want it to effect the attendance at football games.

What it proves: It proves that kneeling has become a big issue dealing with patriotism in the country, and even after statements from the commissioner have been released, players are still doing it because they feel so strongly.

Source Six: http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/article/tony-dungy-speaks-out-nfl-players-kneeling-during-national-anthem

Essential Context: This arctic;e gives insight on what a retired coach in the NFL would have done with the situation. Tony Dungy, a soon to be hall of fame coach, states that he would be okay with his players protesting for a cause, and if they could explain that cause to him he would support them. Dungy states that many NFL players are basically kneeling because others are kneeling, and have no clue the cause they are protesting.

What it proves: This proves to me, that a person that has seen the inner workings of the NFL, and knows player interactions extremely well, is saying that a lot of players are not protesting for the purpose intended in the first place, and that Kaepernick’s intended purpose is still ambiguous.

Source seven: http://www.ushistory.org/us/54d.asp

Essential context: This source explains the peaceful protests that took place during the Civil Rights movement back in the 1960’s. This particular protest was a sit-in, where black americans would go to a whites only diner, and patiently wait to be served. They sat through threats, and racial slurs, and waited for service from the establishment.

What it proves: This proves that Kaepernick’s peaceful protest is not the first time one was used. This is just the first time that someone has done it during a time that everyone should be respectful.

Source eight: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/colin-kaepernick-police-killings-black-americans_us_599c4099e4b04c532f447939

Essential context: This post gives a lot of insight on the issue of Kaepernick’s protest as it relates to police brutality in America. It gives data on the amount of blacks killed compared to other Americans in the United states. The article also states “African-Americans make up roughly 13 percent of the country’s population ― meaning they are far more likely to die at the hands of police than white Americans, even though more white people are killed by law enforcement overall.” 

What it proves: This Source proves that out of 963 people shot and killed by law enforcement officers in 2016, only 233 of them were black Americans. This shows that black Americans do not make up an extremely significant amount of people shot in this country day by day. Even though they have a higher likelihood of being shot, there are still more white people that are killed each year.

Source nine: https://nypost.com/2017/09/26/all-that-kneeling-ignores-the-real-cause-of-soaring-black-homicides/

Essential context: This source gives data on black on black crimes, or causes of deaths of blacks that are not because of police officers or white people.

What it proves: Since the black lives matter protest in the NFL, the number of black Americans being killed by other black Americans has increased by 900 from 2015 to 2016.

Source ten: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/long-painful-history-police-brutality-in-the-us-180964098/

Essential context: This source explains that police brutality has been an ongoing problem in our country for many years now, dating back to at least the 1950’s and 1960’s. This article gives us the example of Philando Castile, and how he was fatally shot by police after telling officers that he had a licensed weapon in the car. The source also gives visuals of signs from the civil rights movement in the 60’s saying “We demand an end to police brutality NOW!”

What it proves: This source proves that police brutality has been an ongoing problem in our country, and sometimes the shootings by police are unwarranted. In Phalando’s case, he was just telling officers that he did have a gun in the car, and did not reach for it (as seen on the cruisers dash cam.)

Source eleven: http://www.apnorc.org/projects/Pages/HTML%20Reports/law-enforcement-and-violence-the-divide-between-black-and-white-americans0803-9759.aspx

Essential context: This source provides a poll, giving American’s opinions on police brutality in America. Both blacks and whites said that “Many Americans, both blacks and whites, say that violence against police is also an extremely or very serious problem in the United States. And half of all Americans, regardless of race, say fear caused by the physical danger that police officers face is a major contributor to aggression against civilians.”

What it proves: This poll shows that police are putting fear in Americans, where the should be there to protect and serve, and not to put fear into people.

Source twelve: “Tony Dungy Speaks Out on NFL Players Kneeling During National Anthem.” Intellectual Takeout, http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/article/tony-dungy-speaks-out-nfl-players-kneeling-during-national-anthem.

Essential context: The essential context of this article gives insight on how an NFL coach, that was around the game and the players for a very long time, would handle the kneeling situation

How I  used it: This article is a great source because Tony Dungey, a retired NFL coach and future Hall-of-Famer, gives his insight on what he would have done with his team in the situation, and implied that some NFL coaches are not handling this situation in the correct manner.

Source thirteen: “Philando Castile Killing: Police Video Sparks Outrage.” Philando Castile Killing: Police Video Sparks Outrage | USA News | Al Jazeera. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2017. .

Essential Context: This source gives the facts about the blatant murder of Philando Castile, who was killed by a police officer.

How I  used it: I used this source as an example of how police brutality is alive and well today. I  gave the details of this source to really depict the fear that some police officers have of black Americans, so much to the point where they will shoot an innocent black man because they felt threatened by the fact the victim explained he had a concealed weapon, and was licensed to carry it.

Source fourteen:“The Lyrics.” NMAH | The Lyrics, amhistory.si.edu/starspangledbanner/the-lyrics.aspx.

Essential context: The lyrics of the Star Spangled banner

How I  used it: I used this source’s lyrics in my essay at the ending of my opening paragraph to bring up a counterintuitive Idea of our country being “the land of the free” and having black Americans living in fear.

Source fifteen: Babwin, Don. “1918 World Series Started the U.S. Love Affair with National Anthem.” Chicagotribune.com, 4 July 2017, http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/ct-wrigley-field-national-anthem-20170703-story.html.

Essential context: This source gives the origin of the National Anthem during sporting events, and how the bombing in Chicago, the city which the world series was being played in, made morale in the city low. The Navy band that attended the game played the Star Spangled banner during the seventh inning stretch and all of america loves this and made it a tradition.

How I used it: I used this source to explain the origin of the Star spangled banner, and to give reasons on why it should be respected.

Source Sixteen: Berr, Jonathan. “NFL National Anthem Protest Denting Ticket Sales.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 29 Sept. 2017, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/nfl-national-anthem-protest-denting-ticket-sales/.

Essential Context: This source provided information from TicPick and TicketCity that NFL ticket sales declined after Kaepernick’s Kneeling.

How I  used it: I  this to show that Ticket sales for two different distributers declined drastically after Kaepernick’s kneeling.

Source seventeen: Personal Interview

Essential context: My father and I  had an interview, talking about the way football used to be, and also why he enjoys watching the games on Sunday.

How I  used it: This source was helpful for m paper because it allowed my to put a personal touch on it, and allow me to incorporate the opinions of a person who is close to me, and also has been around the game for generations.

Source eighteen: Branch, John. “Please Rise for Our National Anthem — If You’Re Not Too Busy.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 1 Oct. 2017, http://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/01/sports/football/nfl-anthem-protest.html.

Essential Context: This NY times article gave the tweet that President Trump released on kneeling before the football games”

How I used it: I used this source to show that the kneeling in the NFL before games for the national anthem got so bad to the point where the president had to get involved, and gave the protest attention.

Source nineteen: Classroom, Physics. “Newton’s Third Law.” The Physics Classroom, http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws/Lesson-4/Newton-s-Third-Law.

Essential Context: This site gives Newton’s third law, which is pretty well known

How I used it: I used this to give an example of cause and effect, and how every action has an equal and opposite reaction

Definition Argument – ChandlerBing

Learning is a complex process in which the learner constantly changes their internal understanding of how the world around them functions. The learner, most of the time, is unable to come to conclusions on their own and they need guidance from an effective instructor. To be an effective teacher, an educator must be open-minded, positive, organized, and resilient. A student that has an ineffective teacher for one year can set the student back up to three years. Traditional teaching styles have a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach in their curricula. The belief that all students learn at the same pace is simply not true. Each individual student has their own needs and understandings. Some students can understand the material with no problem, others need a push to get their gears turning. There are many different types of students that shine through diverse aspects of learning. For example, a student may understand a chapter of Pre-Calculus simply by reading through their textbook’s chapter. However, their peer may attain the material stronger with a visual, or hands-on approach. Each student has different past experiences that have molded how they learn, therefore, educators must throw away the one-size model and adapt to their student’s needs.

Teachers need to challenge the suppositions of their students for them to develop free thinking. In a middle school classroom, a teacher asked students to read a poem and interpret the first two lines of the poem. The first student gave her answer, but the teacher told her that was not what the author meant. When a second student answered, the teacher reminded her that she was only supposed to interpret the first two lines. When the teacher asked if anyone in the class had other ideas, not one raised their hands. This teacher conveyed to the students that there is one answer and one answer only. And only she knew the correct answer. This learning style hinders creativity, and forces students to think in a black and white matter. After the first two students were told they were wrong, the task became to find out what the instructor thought of the poem, ultimately restricting free thinking.

In a more effective environment, a 9th grade teacher asked his students to evaluate the effects of temperature and muscle movement. The students were given buckets of ice water, gauges to measure finger grip strength, and other various items to help them in their experiments. The teacher then asked a few guiding questions and let the students begin. The teacher walked around the class asking different questions to each group depending on the activities that were being performed. Even when the students were correct in their findings, the teacher challenged these suppositions and asked them to elaborate on how they got to their conclusions. The groups shared their findings with the rest of the class and some students requested to come back later that day and complete their experiments. This teacher provided guidance to the students, never giving them the answers and never telling them that they were wrong. These methods used provided the students with a deeper understanding of the material. The student’s interests were high which led them to be more engaged in the lesson and even wanting to return to their experiments at a different time.

The typical American classroom is set up for the teacher to do all the talking. A classroom is no longer revolved around learning and understanding. Moreover, students are restricted to simple memorization, left with no room for creativity or pleasure.  Educators jettison information to students and expect them to memorize key points in the lecture. The lectures are almost always in-line with the textbook used for that class. In these classrooms, students learn only one view to complex issues, inhibiting students to view the issue from all aspects of the spectrum. For example, Christopher Columbus is often taught as a respected explorer in search for a new world. The idea that Columbus enslaved thousands of Natives and eradicated most of them by bringing new diseases over, is rarely taught in the classroom. Educators must provide students with broad concepts to ponder so that they pose their own questions.

Students must take charge in their own learning. When an instructor stands in front of the classroom and lectures for the whole class period, they are essentially giving students the answers without a clear meaning. Allowing the students to interact with one another provides an effective route to the lead objective. As previously stated, all students bring their own experiences with them to the classroom. In one classroom, students were put in groups of five or six to discuss artifacts from Egypt. As the students examined the artifact, they discussed the possibilities of the different functions these objects may possess. The students were understanding the main function of the object because they were all bringing their past experiences to the light. Essentially, these students were teaching each other, working together toward a common goal.

Evaluation of student learning is difficult to measure through pen-and-paper assessments. Some students become anxious during a high-stakes test, fearing that they will fail. On the other hand, simple interaction with a student in the classroom setting is a more effective way to measure what the student understands about the lesson. In the state of New Jersey, students that graduate in the year 2021 and beyond must achieve passing scores on the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) English 10 and Algebra portions to graduate. The teachers must prepare students for these exams, and by doing so they align their curriculum with concepts most likely to appear on the assessments. The students are just memorizing key concepts to increase their test taking skills.

Traditional teaching styles are a method of the past and have proved to be ineffective. Educators must shift their teaching methods to a more effective standard. Students should be encouraged to deeply understand the material instead of memorizing terms. This allows students to apply learned concepts in the classroom to their everyday lives. Their backgrounds form who they are as a learner and educators need to adapt their curriculum to challenge student supposition and promote creativity along with free thinking. As an educator, it is their job to guide them to the answer. A third-grade student wrote to his teacher, “You are like the North Star for the class. You don’t tell us where to go, but you help us find our way.”

 

Works Cited

Brooks, Martin. Brooks, Jacqueline. “The Courage to Be Constructivist.” The Constructivist Classroom. vol. 57, no. 3, 1999, pp. 18-24.

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/nov99/vol57/num03/The-Courage-to-Be-Constructivist.aspx. Accessed 28 Nov. 2017.

 

Brooks, Martin, and Jacqueline Brooks. In Search of Understanding: The Case for Constructivist Classrooms. Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development. 1993. http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/199234/chapters/Honoring-the-Learning-Process.aspx

Annotated Bibliography-Flyerfan1974

  1. Hagel, Brent, and Willem Meeuwisse. “Risk Compensation: A.” LWW.

Background: This article explains a phenomenon called risk compensation and how it prompts humans to act more aggressively when they believe that they are protected. This will result in causing serious injuries to themselves and others. There are also parts on how risk compensation takes place in many other sports.

How I use it?: In my essay I use the information present in the article to introduce risk compensation to the reader. I do not just throw it at them, but I gradually give them information one sentence at a time; using examples from many different sports.

2. McIntosh, A S, and P McCrory. “Effectiveness of Headgear in a Pilot Study of under 15 Rugby Union Football.” British Journal of Sports Medicine, British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine, 1 June 2001.

Background: This article presents a study about risk compensation in rugby. Out of 294 players, only 9 received concussions, and 7 of these 9 were wearing head gear.

How I used it?: In my essay, I use the information found in this article to give hard scientific evidence to prove risk compensation. The data also proves my thesis that headgear causes athletes to cause more damage to themselves. It has not tested in the sport of football, but the next closest thing to it.

3. What is CTE? Concussion Legacy Foundation, 30 Aug. 2017,

Background: This article gives us insight on what CTE is. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is a degenerative disease that affects a persons brain. Proteins called Tau form and destroy brain cells. CTE causes people to develop dementia at an early age, and causes people in most cases to become suicidle.

How I used it?: I used the information in this article to illustrate to the reader what CTE is and what it does to humans. I also wanted to show the tragic events that it causes.

4. “NFL Concussions Fast Facts.” CNN, Cable News Network, 16 Nov. 2017,

Background: This article gives symptoms of concussions, statistics on concussions in the NFL, and a timeline of concussion related instances in the NFL.

How I used it?: This article shows how many concussions are reported in the NFL in past years, and a time line to show what is happening. I used the information to update my reader on what has been happening for years.

5. Emanuel, Daniella. “CTE Found in 99% of Studied Brains from Deceased NFL Players.” CNN, Cable News Network, 26 July 2017, 

Background: The article discusses how CTE has been found in almost all of the brains of deceased players who have played in the NFL.

How I used it?: I used the information present to show how almost every former player is being diagnosed with CTE. This shows how the changes the NFL is making is not helping the battle with brain trauma, and how there is a need for a huge change.

6. Branch, John. “ESPN Football Analyst Walks Away, Disturbed by Brain Trauma on Field.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 30 Aug. 2017,

Background: This article talks about how ESPN football broadcaster Ed Cunningham quit his job because of all the brain trauma in the sports. Cunningham a player himself, tells his story about how he cannot stand to watch players retire early due to health concerns.

How I used it?: I use this example to show how concussions in football is affecting people who are not just playing it right now. Ed Cunningham did play football, but this just adds to his worrying of the dangers of the game.

7. Stinson, Elizabeth. “This Flexible Football Helmet Wants to Save Your Brain.” Wired, Conde Nast, 3 June 2017, 

Background: This article discusses how a company called Vicis developed the Zero 1 helmet. This new state of the arc helmet is more flexible and it absorbs hit, protecting players brains.

How I used it?: I use this example to show how opposing parties feel that football is evolving more safely and how we do not need to take away helmets. I also highlight that since the players will feel more protected, they will hit harder and cause more injury.

8. Loria, Kevin. “Trump Suggested the NFL Is Being Ruined Now That It’s Addressing Brain Injuries – Here’s What Collisions Do to Players.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 26 Sept. 2017, 

Background: This article talks about how President Trump made a comment that assessed penalties for dangerous hits, ruin the game.

How I used it?: I used this as an example to show how people need to stop opposing changing the game of football when peoples lives are on the line.

9.Vinton, Nathaniel. “Concussions up 58% This Season in NFL Regular Season Games.” NY Daily News, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, 29 Jan. 2016,

Background: The NFL has reported a 58% rise in head injuries since 2014.

How I used it: I used this article to show how our efforts are not working since head injuries are increasing these past 3 years.

10. Brad Gagnon Nov 3, 2017 . “NFL 2017 All-Injured Team Is Loaded with Pro Bowl Players at Halfway Point of Season.” CBSSports.com, 3 Nov. 2017,

Background: This article discusses how we could make a whole team with the players that were injured this year.

How I used it: I use this article to show how many injuries happened this year and how we can make a whole team out of them. I also make a point to show that no position is safe from the violence of football.

11. Green, Edward C. “Edward C. Green – Condoms, HIV-AIDS and Africa – The Pope Was Right.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 29 Mar. 2009,

Background: This article discusses how Pope Benedict XVI discussed that condom distribution in Africa was hurting and not helping. Also how risk compensation plays a role in the HIV-AIDS epidemic .

How I used it: I use this article to help my reader with an example of risk compensation outside of sports.

 

2. Annotated Bibliography- Yoshi

  1. Brooks, Rosa. “America’s Police Problem Isn’t Just About Police.” Foreign Policy, Foreign Policy, 5 Jan. 2016, foreignpolicy.com/2016/01/05/americas-police-problem-isnt-just-about-police-guns-violence/.

Background: This article explains how cops are not the problem with America’s police problem. It explained more about how America has a violence problem, and how police are trained to be the way that they are. There was a paragraph that explained America’s police problem, and explained how police treat people the way they do because of their training.

How I Used It: This article provided me with examples of bias police training tactics, and statistics on America’s gun population. I used this to explain why more white people get shot over black people, even though black people are still more mistreated by police.

  1.  Juzwiak R, Chan A., Unarmed people of color killed by police, 1999-2014. Gawker. 2014. Available at: http://gawker.com/unarmed-people-of-color-killed-by-police-1999-2014-1666672349. Accessed March 30, 2015.

Background: This Article summarizes stories of the lives of certain black men that died because of a police encounter. 

How I Used It: This article provided me with specific stories of police encounters with these black men. I used it to give an example of how police mistreat black people. In one incident I used to show how cops use an excessive amount of force is a young boy, Powell. He had stole some energy drinks, and the police were responding to that call. The police claim he was holding a knife with an over hand grip, but in the video Powell was not even close to the officers; nor was he posing a threat of any kind. His hands were by his side and he was walking, the police shot him within 15 seconds of arriving to the scene. 

  1. Adams, Kenneth, Geoffrey P. Alpert, Roger G. Dunham, Use of Force By Police: Overview of National and Local Data Series [Research report]. Washington, DC: U.S. National Institute of Justice.

Background: This article examined the data for evidence of bias police use before shooting.  This article also focused on perception of threats towards police officers.
How I used it: I used this article to explain how the word threat is too broad, and why police officers overuse the word in order to justify their actions.

How I Used It: I used this article to introduce the topic in my paper. I explained how police violence has been a concern for decades now. Some police officers obtain biased attitudes toward minorities. Researchers have demonstrated that less conscious attitudes also influence police behavior.

  1. Black, D. (1976). The behavior of law. New York: Academic Press. Google Scholar. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0734016805275675

Background: This article examined why suspects resist arrest. They found that suspects arrested in police beats characterized by a disproportionate number of calls for service were more likely to resist.

How I used it: I used this article to explain how black people resist arrest in fear that they are going to be killed. White suspects were less likely to resist arrest from Black and Hispanic officers. There is racial sensitivity, White suspects do not resist out of fear. People who reside within the city are more likely to resist than outsiders, but familiarity with the police in a given area could make suspects more comfortable deciding to resist arrest.

  1. Graham, David A. “The Mysterious Death of Freddie Gray.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 22 Apr. 2015, http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/04/the-mysterious-death-of-freddie-gray/391119/.

Background: This explains the unanswered questions about Freddie Gray’s death. Gray died from spinal injuries due to the officers force against him. Once he got to the police station he could not move or talk. Gray did not resist arrest, but he was shouting explaining how his legs hurt. Officers still continued to drag him into a van, and take him to the station. There was no proof of what happened on the way to the station, but officials say the van must have stopped twice before they got to the station. The website also includes a video of the incident.

How I Used It: I used this article to continue to explain how police use an excessive amount of force. Gray did not resist arrest, and he was posing no form of threat. There was also no clear reason as to why Gray was getting arrested, which I also used to my advantage in demonstrating how cops pick out black people when arresting people. His leg was broken, and the officers continued to pull him into the van. Gray has asthma and requested his inhaler, but he was ignored. The broken leg or asthma didn’t kill him an injury to the spinal cord is what killed Freddie Gray.

  1. Klinger DA. On the Problems and Promise of Research on Lethal Police Violence: A Research Note. Homicide Studies. 2012;16(1):78. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1088767911430861

Background: This article showed a little information about how frequently police officers shoot citizens, or are involved in any sort of interaction in which citizens die. Researchers use the data on fatal police violence in different analysis. 

How I Used It: I used this article to show how it isn’t right to count citizens killed by police bullets to show how many citizens were killed by deadly force. This website helped me explain how gun shots are not the only way of deadly force. This website discusses different way to avoid the death of a citizen, and ways for officers to avoid using excessive force. Police are taught to intentionally miss their target, or they shot their target but not intention to kill them. It is obvious when a police intends to use force because they usually shot their target in order to kill them. 

  1. “Police Misconduct: Experience and Perception.” Cato Institute, CATO Institute, www.cato.org/policing-in-america/chapter-3/police-misconduc-experience-and-perception.

Background: This experimental data demonstrated how police physically mistreat minorities. 

How I Used It: I used this to help prove that police do not always feel threatened, they are just more likely to mistreat a black american. A survey conducted found that 57% of Americans thought that citizens’ failure to cooperate with police during a stop was a “major reason” for police use of force. RAI determines if you are going to be rude to an officer or not. If you are nice to police they are nice to you. Black people tend to be mean to police which is why they get killed, this is still an excessive amount of force. Killing someone is not the proper way to end a situation. 

  1. Ekins, Emily. “11 Key Facts about Americans’ Attitudes toward the Police.” Learn Liberty, Emily Ekins. Web.

Background: This article showed and explained eleven key facts about the attitudes of Americans toward police officers, according to the CATO Institute’s research. 

How I Used It: I used this website to counter argue how most police believe Americans are anti-police, and that is why they fear them and use excessive force. There is no anti-police group in America. Most Americans do believe police use too much force, and most Americans actually fear police. Most Americans support that police should be investigated because for the most part they do use too much force. Americans also believe the police think they are above the law, and that they can do anything without getting in any trouble. 

  1. Lowery, Wesley. “Study Finds Police Fatally Shoot Unarmed Black Men at Disproportionate Rates.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 7 Apr. 2016. Web.

Background: This article explains a study that the research into fatal shootings by police has found that unarmed black men were shot and killed last year at disproportionately high rates, and that officers involved may be biased in how they perceive threats.

How I Used It: I used this article to provide examples of how officers are biased when perceiving threats, and how their training leads them to have a bias opinion. I used this to explain how in training some police pick up a bias, which they use to make unfair judgements. This website also helped me explain what a threat is, and how officers throw the word around. The men police have shot were unarmed and not posing any type of threat. 

  1. Makarechi, Kia. “What the Data Really Says About Police and Racial Bias.” The Hive, Vanity Fair, 14 July 2016, http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/07/data-police-racial-bias.

Background: This website shows several different studies that show police receive bias training, and that is what causes them to obtain a bias while working. It separates all the studies by sections. 

How I Used It: I used this to explain how police training is filled with bias opinions, and that is why so many unarmed black men are being killed. There was a section of studies that explains how people decide who to pullover. I used this data to conclude that police do profile people before pulling them over. I also used studies that showed a correlation between the use of force and the race of the victim. 

  1. Pages, The Society. “PATTERNS OF POLICE SHOOTINGS: One Year after Ferguson – Sociology Toolbox.” Sociology Toolbox PATTERNS OF POLICE SHOOTINGS One Year after Ferguson Comments, thesocietypages.org/toolbox/ferguson/.

Background: The article showed the pattern of police shootings after the shooting in Ferguson. This website also explains the death of Michael Brown and what exactly happened. 

How I Used It: I used this article to explain how over the years police have became more bias in their shootings. I also used this to explain incidents where police rely on deadly force when it isn’t necessary. Micheal Brown did not have a weapon on him, he was not a threat. Samuel DuBose did not have a weapon on him, he was not a threat. A Mexican immigrant, Antonio Montes, was not a threat and he was shot. Police use their guns to solve problems way to often, when it is not needed. Not only a gun, Freddie Gray, was killed because of a broken neck by force while he was being detained. All of the victims of these patterns have two things in common; they were killed because of excessive force and they were all minorities. 

  1. Pages, The Society. “POLICE KILLING OF BLACKS: Data for 2015, 2016, 2017 – Sociology Toolbox.” Sociology Toolbox POLICE KILLING OF BLACKS Data for 2015 2016 2017 Comments. Web.

Background: This website included different charts showing the data of police encounters with blacks, hispanics, and whites. It also included certain statistics about killings and concluded everything with sociological theory. 

How I Used It: I used this website to compare the number of whites to blacks harmed by police. I also used this website to explain how race matters when someone is killed by a police. In the data it is evident that whites are killed more frequently than blacks, but when you compare the number with the same proportion blacks are killed more often. If police didn’t victimize black people then we would expect to see the portion of each group equal to the general population. 

14. Swaine, Jon, et al. “The Counted: People Killed by Police in the United States – Interactive.”The Guardian, Guardian News and Media. Web. 

Background: This website shows data on police killings. The website allows you to explore white killings vs black killings. This websites allowed to pick a location, race, age range, etc. in order to find stories of specific incidents where victims were killed because of a police officer. 

How I Used It: I used this article to compare the killings of each individual I researched on, and compared them to a story of a white person that was killed just for my own personal information. I also used this website for certain statistics on killing per year. I went through and researched different people in order to gain information on their stories, and why they were killed. In all, I was attempting to find a correlation between certain killings compared to others. 

 

  1. Al Baker, J. David Goodman And Benjamin Mueller. “Beyond the Chokehold: The Path to Eric Garner’s Death.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 13 June 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/14/nyregion/eric-garner-police-chokehold-staten-island.html.

Background: This article explains how Eric Garner died, and his life story. It explains the incident in detail from the video that was recorded. It also explains the thoughts and words of the sergeants that work with the officer, and the thought of his family members. This website breaks everything that happened that day down into mini sections, and explains and elaborates on each section.  

How I Used It: I used this essay to describe the excessive amount of force officers use. I used this website for the descriptions of Garner and for the back story of his life. This website helped me understand how the police encounter started. Garner was basically set up to get arrested, it wasn’t just a coincidence encounter. It also includes certain words of officer such as, “We have chase him before, what is a warning going to do?” This helped me defend my point about excessive violence. Garner was a peace keeper he never caused harm, and is nothing close to being a threat. Garner was pleading that he could not breathe, but the officer explained how Garner did not seem distressed and that is why he didn’t let go. The owner of the property, where Garner was killed, called the police to attempt to get Garner off his corner. He now says, “he will no longer call the city or the police to complain about the conditions around his building, as he had frequently in the months and years before Mr. Garner died. ‘The last time I called the cops, someone got choked to death,” he said. “Eric got killed because I called.’ ”

16. Dianis, Judith Browne. “What Really Killed Eric Garner Was More than Just a Chokehold.”MSNBC, NBCUniversal News Group, 5 Aug. 2014, http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/what-killed-eric-garner.

Background: This article goes into detail on how Eric Garner was killed, and shows what the witnesses had to say about it. It explains what happened in court and the verdict, it also explains other incidents where the same thing has occurred in New York and what they need to do to stop it. 

How I Used It: I used this article to show police use an excessive amount of force even when there is no threat present. This article explains the life of Eric Garner, and it explains how he made money to support his kids and wife. The article explains the verdict and what happened in the court. It explains how officers are not allowed to use these types of chokeholds to subdue victims. The officer was aware that he was not allowed to use this type of chokehold, but he did anyway. The officer knew he was harming Eric Garner because of Garner claims that he could not breathe. Even though the Officer was in the wrong, the court claimed he was not guilty. 

 

17. nydailynews. “Eric Garner Video – Unedited Version.” YouTube, YouTube, 12 July 2015, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpGxagKOkv8.

Background: This video shows the entire incident of Eric Garner’s death filmed by a witness on the street.

How I Used It: I used this video to have a better understanding of why Garner was killed. I used to to explain how the cops that arrested him were prepared to use force against him. There was three police officers against one man that was accused of selling a loose cigarette, Garner wasn’t even being violent. There wasn’t an intention to harm Garner, but the officers didn’t seem to car about him either. They completely ignored his declarations that he could not breathe. They continued to lay their body weight on him, while he was pushed against the ground, out of breathe, and posing no threat. 

 

18. Press, Associated. “Samuel DuBose Shooting: Second Mistrial Declared in Officer’s Murder Trial.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 23 June 2017, http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/23/samuel-dubose-shooting-ray-tensing-trial-mistrial.

Background: This website demonstrates the story of Officer Tensing killing Samuel DuBose. It includes what was said and the verdict of what happened in court. It also includes other traffic stop incidents where an officer shot an innocent person. It also includes body cam video of what happened.

How I Used It: I used the video to understand what happened to the officer and DuBose in my point of view without the words of other people. I used it to demonstrate how cops react towards black people even when they are not posing a threat. DuBose began to drive away, but there was no need for Officer Tensing to shoot DuBose in the head. He claimed it was to stop his actions, but there could have been many other ways to stop DuBose’s actions without killing him. This video demonstrated preventable force that the officer used that killed DuBose.

 

Rebuttal Argument-Jadden14

The best supplements for natural athletes and bodybuilders include whey protein and creatine. Creatine, sold in powdered form, is commonly supplemented by both athletes and bodybuilders to improve their performance in the gym and on the field, in the case of athletes. However, in the eyes of the public, creatine is considered dangerous and should not be taken by college or high school athletes. So many concerns brought up by recent studies that the NCAA banned coaches from giving it to their athletes.

One of the largest concerns surrounding the creatine supplement is that it can produce more DHT in the body. For those who don’t know, DHT is an androgen that gives males their male characteristics. An excess DHT present in the body can lead to male pattern baldness, making creatine seem a little more harmful than it’s made out to be. In a study done by Stellenbosch University, rugby players were given creatine and had their androgens watched over a period of three weeks. The study astoundingly revealed that the athlete’s DHT levels sat at around 56% after seven days of creatine loading and around 40% above baseline during maintenance. A 56% increase is quite a large jump from when the subjects were not taking creatine, and a scary amount to increase over such a small time period. These results revealed a serious problem as creatine is a widely used supplement by many athletes and bodybuilders. People who have the genetic trait will be affected indefinitely, as there early hair loss will come even sooner. Many young adults who take the supplement could start to bald and it will branch off into other issues, like depression. With a serious condition like male pattern baldness, supplement companies should be warning their users and labeling their products to show this.

Another reason creatine is controversial is that in some studies, researchers found that in large doses it can cause kidney damage. More data from Medline Plus also revealed that in high dosages can lead to diarrhea and severe dehydration. The reason dehydration can occur is due to the fact that creatine forces the body to retain water weight. These problems were found when the user took more than 10 grams a day. On the labels of most creatine brands, it tells consumers not to exceed certain dosages, however, that doesn’t always stop them from doing so. Creatine leads to dehydration also can chain off into muscle cramping, which will greatly hinder your muscular strength and may often need to be massaged. Dehydration can cause dizziness in the gym, and in some cases people can black out from dehydration.  We can’t have our athletes passing out in the field. People will complain, games will have to be halted, and parents will freak out. For the most part dehydration can be avoided if used in normal dosages. Creatine, in a much larger dosage, can also lead to heart issues and liver issues as well. Athletes who do take higher dosages will ultimately be harmed later in life, but early signs of issues such as heart palpitations could be present. These are the types of issues we don’t want our athletes to face, especially with their bodies under the high load from sports.

For those looking to lose weight, creatine may not be the supplement for you. Creatine helps create lean muscle mass, but may add water weight in the process. In a study from the University of Louvain, “A review of the literature reveals a 1.0% to 2.3% increase in body mass, which is attributed to fat-free mass and, more specifically, to skeletal-muscle mass”. Some people will argue that creatine doesn’t affect weight loss or gain at all, but studies in most cases show that creatine adds weight. Creatine in athletes usually only adds about 2-5 pounds of weight varying per individual, but this can be seen as a negative effect for middle aged men and women who have difficulty losing weight, and don’t want to be excessively muscular. For bodybuilders and athletes, this will not be as big of an issue, as slimmer athletes will bulk up. This issue varies individual to individual, as some will care that they gained weight while with others it won’t even phase them. Regardless of what category you fall into, supplement companies make sure to label their products stating that water retention may occur and that you should drink lots of water while taking this supplement.  

Some studies on creatine revealed that some users experienced depression. A study from Examine.com says that creatine slightly decreases serotonin, a neurotransmitter found in the body. Seratonin can be linked to regulating a person’s mood or social behavior. This can really negatively affect athletes as if these symptoms take effect they can greatly hinder the player’s mindset and their performance, ultimately undoing the purpose of creatine altogether. This depression in time can also chain off into many other harmful side effects. Depression overall hinder a person’s willpower, and can lead to athletes losing interest in their sport. Another reason why the NCAA banned creatine from being handed out, as they knew if these symptoms were to occur, there would be no games to watch, just a bunch of sad players in a field.

Creatine as a whole has many good qualities, but after the research was done, also revealed many bad qualities as well. Most of these issues are associated with incorrect dosages, but there are still some side effects present if correctly dosed. Not to mention, there will always be people who will carelessly take it, and think that by “taking more” it will just enhance the effects. Based on the fact that creatine can still be taken by athletes, but not given by coaches, athletes may still take creatine if they think it will help them. As it stands now, I understand that the NCAA had to step in, creatine is a supplement that if taken, must be taken correctly, and carefully.

Works Cited

Examine.com. “Creatine Supplement.” Examine.com, Examine.com, 4 July 2017.

“Creatine.” University of Maryland Medical Center, 1 Jan. 2017.

van, J, et al. “Three Weeks of Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation.” Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine : Official Journal of the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 19 Sept. 2009.

Francaux, M, and J R Poortmans. “Side Effects of Creatine Supplementation in Athletes.”International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Dec. 2006.

Rebuttal- alaska

Depression is often thought to be an easy get over and move on type of deal. People in society see people with depression as attention seekers and that they are just upset and they will get over it in a minute. Depression might be a one-day thing then the next day is great but then it comes back.

For me, I can’t easily get over it. One minute I am fine then the next my mind is telling me all these bad thoughts. I tried talking to one of my friends and she told me to cheer up and she left it at that. She didn’t say anything else. I have sought help and it is hard to own up to it and ask because I felt like people would judge me for it. It was hard to get over all this trauma and my parents saw that I needed help and I saw someone for it. Seeing someone didn’t help me because I am so shy and don’t usually like meeting new people. So, after trying this I became close to my mom and now I go to her whenever I feel it come back up again. My mom helps me so much and I am so thankful for her. My dad is the same way, he helps me no matter what and makes me feel like I’m okay. Parents are great to talk to because they understand and could have gone through the same thing. Some people don’t seek help because either they are scared to be judged and sometimes they don’t know how to ask for help and I understand why it is a scary thing.

In the article “Depression In Teens,” the author gives suggestions to help prevent depression for teens. For example, they can go to therapy or they can take medication that is prescribed to them. If a teen asks for help or say that they are depressed society turns and says they are overreacting. They just are feeling down they will be okay soon. Society shouldn’t turn away and say these things because it makes the teens feel even worse about themselves. If a teen is refused of help or is made fun of for being depressed it can worsen to a point where they can harm themselves. Almost five thousand young people kill themselves each year.

Whenever someone asks for help whether it be a young person or an adult or an elder, we should help. Seeking help isn’t a bad thing and saying that you have a problem isn’t either. Society makes it seem like it is. Society needs to learn to be quiet and keep their opinions to themselves if it can hurt another person. There are many ways to prevent depression from getting out of hand and having anyone of any age kill themselves because they think it’s the only way to solve their problems.

In the article, “Residual symptoms at remission from depression: impact on long-term outcome”, the author states that,
“Patients who remit from depression with residual symptomatology continue to have more depressive symptoms and impaired social functioning long-term and may need more aggressive treatment.”
So, patients that deal with depression and get treated for it, the depression usually comes back. The patients usually need more powerful treatments to help them cope with the powerful depression.

Depression needs to vocalized and recognized that it is there. No one should suffer. No one should kill themselves. People need to know that they is help out there.

 

Works cited

“Depression In Teens.” Mental Health America, 8 Dec. 2016.

 

Rebuttal- Killroy513

The American Prohibition was enacted in the year 1920 and would last until 1933. The eighteenth amendment was enacted to enforce the restriction of alcoholic beverages. This included liquor and beer products. At the time these products were in high demand, since it is a major part of society, its iconic and everyone for the most part enjoys them. This being said, the market would go from legal to illegal very quickly. The black market would supply these products to people who were willing to pay. In the big cities, the alcohol trafficking was done mostly by gangsters. These gangsters would form organizations and create bars and clubs. Being a very lucrative business and highly illegal, the police would step in and shut them done. Eventually the businesses went “underground”. Alcohol trafficking was a great way to make money doing this time, assuming the person would not get caught. Cars were in demand being the new thing. The transportation of goods went from horse and wagon to the automobile. During this time many alcohol products would be brought in by cars or trucks and sold to the public “under the table”. Eventually this would be found out by the police and the transportation of goods this way had to be more crafty. This would lead to the  modification of these automobiles. Having a car or truck that could evade the police for the most part fixed this issue. This, some may say, laid the foundation for the beginning of NASCAR, and modification of cars.

Many aspects contributed to the boost in illegal activity during the Prohibition. At the time people realized that large amounts of profit could be made at the time. Alcohol was in demand, and people did almost everything to get it. The black market at this time was highly lucrative, being that large amounts of money could be made extremely fast. In essence the black market would jump start the illegal activity of many during this era.

The transition from the nineteenth to the twentieth century was widely apparent. Cities grow to record sizes and the people changed for the good and bad. During the roaring twenties, some people acted on this black market, either adding to it or trying to “bust” it. The people who wanted to control this surge of money were primarily the big time gangsters in these huge cities. Cities like Chicago, New York City, Boston, ect. Gangsters back then are nothing like the ones of today. They had class, but also thought on their feet. One of the most famous ones from this time period was Al Capone, working in the mid west. Since the distribution of any alcoholic product was outlawed aside from medical use, it would be harder and harder to sell it. The gangsters of this time thought of extremely clever ways to make money and ensure their customers had what they wanted. The creation of “underground” bars and clubs would begin. Theses types of clubs and bars would be known as speak easy. These clubs would be hidden and passwords would be used for access. People had fun, and the gangsters made money. It was a win win.

With the high demand for the illegal drinks, transportation of the alcohol for sale would evolve from simple transportation to the use of the newly adapted automobile. Cars were a new thing at this time. They were beginning to be widely used and it transformed the transportation system. The American Prohibition helped create NASCAR because the cars used were modified. The cars were made to be faster then the police and made to handle better as well. Eventually the people who illegally transported the alcohol would begin to race the cars they modified. This would lay the foundation for NASCAR, since it is a sport based on racing high performance cars. The engines were modified along with taking out unnecessary weight.

The foundation of NASCAR and other sports like it would be laid during this era. People began modify cars not only to evade the police but to race. This would give birth to a whole new sport that many enjoy. The story goes, that the moonshiners down in the southern states would get together and race their moded cars. After the Prohibition, the races would continue and eventually be recognized as a sport.

Essentially, the prohibition boosted illegal activity within the United States and with that created one of America’s greatest sports.

The American Prohibition helped create NASCAR because the cars used were modified. The cars were made to be faster then the police and made to handle better as well. Eventually the people who illegally transported the alcohol would begin to race the cars they modified. This would lay the foundation for NASCAR, since it is a sport based on racing high performance cars. The engines were modified along with taking out unnecessary weight.

Racing in America went from Horses at the local derby to cars on the race track. After the discovery of car racing, the sport took over the track. Racing started off as Rally Cross, off road racing. This form of racing is widely popular and carried onto Europe where most of the races are held. After Rally Cross, the cars and the sport evolved to road racing, very similar to the Grand Prix. Here the races would only be held on roads that were paved making the races more fast paced. Finally, NASCAR would come into play. The races are held on an oval track. Hard to believe that this iconic American sport evolved from the prohibition. At the time no one really knew that having fun racing cars would evolve to such a big thing. People simply had fun.

BUT, many can argue that the art of racing was around way before the American Prohibition. At the time, especially in Europe, racing cars would be the newest craze. The races would be called the Grand Prix. This originated in France and involved into its own “sport.” Eventually the Grand Prix would become Formula One racing. The roots would begin in the 1920’s but would not be recognized until 1950. For the most part these European races involved gambling on who would win and watching the races unfold. During this time cars in America were used for a completely different purpose. Making money. Eventually, racing would become popular.

NASCAR as a whole is a sport based on the actions of everyday people in the 1920’s. Throughout time, many things were created on accident or because of the effects of an event. At the time, people thought nothing of the racing, but eventually the races would turn into a sport loved by many. The argument stands however that the sport may have been around before the Prohibition.

In the end, a lot of good and bad things came out of the prohibition, the most obvious good thing was the removal of the actual amendment. Getting rid of alcohol made people more creative, and people had fun. An American sport was born, and with that came one of the most expensive hobbies, modifying cars.

Work Cited

“Prohibition in Canada.” Smuggling, Bootlegging and Speakeasies, prohibitionincanada.blogspot.com/p/smuggling-bootegging-and-something.html.

Sandbrook, Dominic. “How Prohibition backfired and gave America an era of gangsters and speakeasies.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 25 Aug. 2012, http://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/aug/26/lawless-prohibition-gangsters-speakeasies.

McElroy, Ryan. “The story of how moonshiners created the performance car.” Car Keys, Car Keys, 31 Oct. 2017, http://www.carkeys.co.uk/news/the-story-of-how-moonshiners-created-the-performance-car.

“History of the Roaring Twenties.” Prohibition and the Speakeasies, theroaringtwentieshistory.blogspot.com/2010/06/prohibition-and-speakeasies.html.

Gambino, Megan. “During Prohibition, Your Doctor Could Write You a Prescription for Booze.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 7 Oct. 2013, http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/during-prohibition-your-doctor-could-write-you-prescription-booze-180947940/.

“Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Dec. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eighteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution.

Untitled Document, http://www.laits.utexas.edu/jaime/cwp4/esg/smugglehistory.html.

“Black market.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Dec. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_market.

Thompson, Neal. Driving with the devil: southern moonshine, Detroit wheels, and the birth of Nascar. Three Rivers Press, 2007.

Okrent, Daniel. Last call: the rise and fall of Prohibition. Scribner, 2011.

Rebuttal- phillygirl

Does foster care decrease the risk of physical harm for children?

The foster care system is a system in which a child (under the age of 18) whose biological parents have abandoned them, or they simply cannot take care of them due to reasons like a financial burden. The child is then placed into private homes, wards, or group homes and when placed in homes with a family who are their “foster parents” that family then sometimes adopts them. Adoption is a complex process and so much goes into trying to get guardianship of a child. While in foster homes, their safety is supposed to be number one, and they’re always in the safest positions. Some children sadly get abused by their foster parents, which then makes these homes unsafe.

In my essay I have come across articles that try to rebut my opinion on the harm of children in foster homes, saying that foster care decreases the risk of physical harm. In an article written by Richard Wexler, on chronicles of change.org, he talks about a story where 2 children were starved by their foster parents and once they notified their caseworkers, it was overlooked even though they physically showed what was happening. Case workers have a huge load of work; therefore, they aren’t able to take on every case which then makes these homes unsafe since nothing is ever done. In terms of the foster care system, it was put in place to ensure the safety of children and to keep them comfortable, but in simpler terms to ensure the wellbeing of children.

In my opinion I think that the case worker is the first part of ensuring safety for a child in foster care. According to the Huffington Post, there is little you can do about a bad social worker. If you come across a social worker who you feel isn’t looking out for the best interest of the child, there isn’t really anything you can do to change that no matter the situation, which truly fails to ensure the wellbeing of the child since they are the ones mostly affected. In that same article, a foster parent spoke about a caseworker getting so angry at a child that they demanded the foster parents to remove the doors from the girl’s bedroom and bathroom. This doesn’t seem like a way to keep a child happy, or comfortable. In fact, this is the total opposite. The Caseworker also told the family that she would not leave the house until her request was put into action, which is another example of how the foster care system doesn’t hold up to the definition of the word well-being. I feel as though that this a huge problem within the system because the Caseworker who is an adult portraying this act of spitefulness towards a child whose life is already unstable isn’t fair at all and it goes to show how much the children of the state are cared for. Which there is none.

I think that abuse in foster homes can be physical, mental, or emotional. Anything someone does affects a child and their well-being. There is no way that anyone could possible say that foster homes decrease the risk of physical harm because we have seen it from time to time with so many cases across America. To fix this problem, we need to one: hire many more case workers so that one case worker doesn’t have an entire caseload of children to look after, and two: begin to believe these children when they say that something has happened to them, they’ve been through enough.

Works Cited:

Teo, Dawn. “The 10 Most Surprising Things About Foster Care.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 15 Apr. 2015. Web. 23 Mar. 2017.Works Cited

“Abuse in Foster Care: The Denial Runs Deep.” The Chronicle of Social Change, 5 Nov. 2017, chronicleofsocialchange.org/blogger-co-op/abuse-foster-care-denial-runs-deep.

Rebuttal Argument – rainbow987

There is an argument that many people agree with, which is that depression is not a legitimate illness. This argument proposes that depression is exaggerated sadness and those who say that they have the disorder are attention-seeking. In addition, proponents for a similar argument say that although the symptoms of depression are real, depression itself is not an illness.

For many, it is difficult to distinguish between those who are exaggerating emotions for the purpose of gaining sympathy and attention from those who are genuinely suffering from chronic negative emotions, which is depression. Therefore, it is a common misconception to believe that those who are chronically depressed are actually just looking for attention.

The idea that depression is not an actual illness is entirely invalid. There is an ample amount of scientific evidence proving that the brain imaging of a person with depression looks different than a person without depression. There is a neurological factor that contributes to depression that cannot be “faked.” Therefore, it is not true that depression is just people exaggerating and seeking attention. However, people with depression have a physical chemical imbalance that impacts their mood. It is true that there are people who exaggerate their emotions for the purpose of gathering sympathy and attention from others. This type of person does not necessarily have depression. Depression is a legitimate mental illness that affects many people of all ages, races, and genders.

Many people suffering from depression are discredited in a variety of ways. People do not understand how they feel. People disrespect the idea of the disease. Therefore, many sufferers refuse to acknowledge their illness or seek treatment. This negative perspective can lead to a worsening of the illness. With aid from this mindset, many negative stigmas about mental illness, specifically depression, have developed.  These negative stigmas imply that it is not acceptable to have a mental illness. According to them, people with mental illnesses are “crazy” or “insane.” The negative thoughts surrounding depression and other mental illnesses lead to people not seeking treatment out of fear of being judged. In turn, the symptoms of mental illness may get worse. Therefore, negative stigmas regarding depression lead to a worsening of overall symptoms of the illness.

A common worry that many people suffering from depression have is that people are not going to believe them. Unfortunately, there is a stigma in place that many believe to be accurate, which is that depression is not a real illness. However, depression is a disease that can be proven through brain imaging neurologically. Depressed people are not looking for attention. Depression needs to recognized for what it is, a legitimate disorder.

In conclusion, it is common in our society to discredit those individuals suffering from depression, while also discrediting the illness itself as a whole. However, this belief is inaccurate. There are major differences between a person that exaggerates in an attempt to gather sympathy and a person that has depression. Depression is caused by a combination of environmental factors and chemical imbalances. The chronic negative emotions and feelings of worthlessness that a person experiences while dealing with depression are debilitating. The person’s experience is genuine. The illness is just as “real” as cancer or diabetes. In turn, it is important that our society begins to understand and respect those with depression. In order to make progressive steps towards a better society, we must be accepting and understanding of the symptoms surrounding depression, as we are with all other illnesses, regardless of whether or not we experience those symptoms ourselves.

Works Cited

Henriques, Gregg. “Anxiety and Depression Are Symptoms, Not Diseases.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 26 Mar. 2016, http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/theory-knowledge/201603/anxiety-and-depression-are-symptoms-not-diseases.

Rebuttal Argument – PlethoraGaming

When we think of esports we think ‘oh its video games,’ and not an actual sport. So is esports actually a sport? The common counterpoint is that esports needs to involve physical work in order for it to be sport. One of the arguments is

Anyone can also be a professional gamer. A good internet connection and decent specs on your computer can make you the next big name in gaming, if there has ever been one. These pro gamers spend nearly 12 hours a day training for the next competition.

But can’t that be said about athletes as well. Anyone can also be a professional athelete, they just need some training and learn some techniques. A person who likes football can pick up a football and start throwing and practicing. To be a pro gamer it is much harder, for example in MOBA games there are constant changes to the game where players have to learn the new meta and strategies of the game.

 

Training in eSports is rather detrimental to your health. Aches and pains in your hands from tapping away at your keyboard could have prolonged effects on your health, and looking at a bright screen for too long can hurt your eyes. Yes, if you were practicing with a teammate for football and get hit in the head too hard you can get a concussion, and that too could have long term effects on your health. But new protective gear could one day erase these injuries. For eSports, however, glasses and gloves would only dull the pain for so long.

Like Gabianelli anyone can get hurt. He makes a remark about how new protective gear help avoid this, but that is also true for video games. We have features with monitors where the lightning is adjusted so it doesnt strain your eye. And with new keyboards with wrist support and other neat features these problems are resolved, you just need the proper equipment for esports; similar in the way you need proper equipment in sports.

 

In a similar way, while eSports has “sports” in the name, it is the furthest thing from any sport we watch or play today.

Hocket is not like foot; but we consider both of them sports, just because we changed how we watch and play, does not mean its not sports. There are several traditional sports like hockey, football, soccer etc… And there are several esport games like League of Legends, Smite, Overwatch. I’m sure we all watch sports and esports the same way, there are bars now that show esports instead of sports, just like a typical bar. People gather around to watch sports; eating food and getting really excited. We do this in esports too, we gather with our friends and watch esports and whenever something cool happens we get really excited. We may not be playing it exactly the same but we are watching it the same for sure.

Works Cited

Formoso, Anthony Gabianelli & Thomas, and The Montclarion. “Point/Counterpoint: Are ESports ‘Real’ Sports?” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 16 Apr. 2017, college.usatoday.com/2017/04/16/pointcounterpoint-are-esports-real-sports/.