Over the years, the United States citizens have been torn over the subject of gun control. Much of the confusion within this topic results from a lack of education pertaining to firearms. Within deliberation of accurate information comes positive reformation. Therefore, American citizens and legislation must be thoroughly informed in the complex subject of firearms.

Classifications of Firearms

The most basic classification of firearms is the machine gun classification. A machine gun is any fully-automatic weapon that may be either portable or mounted. Machine guns were outlawed in 1986, which made the sale or transfer of such firearms illegal under federal law.

Machine guns are then organized further as submachine guns, battle rifles, assault rifles, autocannons, automatic shotguns, and confusingly enough, assault weapons.

Assault rifles are classified as firearms capable of selective fire, utilizing an intermediate cartridge with a detachable magazine operating at an effective range of at least 110 feet. An intermediate cartridge is a bullet casing less powerful than battle rifle cartridges while a detachable magazine is an ammunition storage system and feeding apparatus attached to the rifle. Any firearm that fails to meet these requirements will not qualify as an assault rifle.

Differences Between Assault Weapons and Assault Rifles & Federal Assault Weapons Ban

The classification of Assault Weapons was created by legislation to expand the category of assault rifles. Assault weapons are classified as semi-automatic, rifle-style firearms that incorporate weapon modifications commonly affiliated militaristic weaponry. Assault weapons are required to accept a detachable magazine, and two of the following: a pistol grip beneath the weapon’s action, bayonet mount, folding/telescoping stock, suppressor/ suppressor capability, or a grenade launcher.

Assault rifles are authorized for military-use only. On September 13th, 1994, President Bill Clinton enacted the Federal Assault Weapons Ban. The bill was signed into action with the purpose to prohibit the manufacturing and civilian transfer, possession, and use of assault weapons, to expire in 10 years.

The National Rifle Association (NRA), stubbornly opposed the ban, reasoning, “Assault weapons are used in only one percent of all crimes,” which was then proven to be true by the 1999 crime statistics resourced by the Department of Justice. Further, the ban punished the transfer of possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices. In the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, large capacity ammunition feeding devices are defined as, “any magazine, belt, drum, feed strip, or similar device manufactured after [September 13, 1994] that has the capacity of, or that can be readily restored or converted to accept, more than ten rounds of ammunition,” this creates frustration in gun owners because most magazines carry more than 10 rounds. However, the Federal Assault Weapons Ban utilized a grandfather clause which allowed the possession or transfer of weapons, or ammunition, that was possessed lawfully before September 13, 1994. As a result of the grandfather clause, the same amount of weapons remained on our streets in the hands of others, capable of abuse.

The AR-15 “assault weapon” lacks the capability of selective fire. This forces the rifle to shoot semi-automatically, that is, one bullet per pull of the trigger. This fact alone proves the AR-15’s fire rate to be much lower than the M4A1 assault rifle, which is fully automatic and fires much faster than the AR-15’s maximum of 45 fired bullets per minute. David Kopel, a writer for The Wallstreet Journal expresses, “What some people call ‘assault weapons’ function like every other normal firearm- they fire only one bullet each time the trigger is pressed… Some of these guns look like machine guns, but they do not function like machine guns.” Here, Kopel asserts that firearms like the AR-15 function just as normally as a standard hunting rifle does. These firearms lack the capability to cause the havoc an assault rifle is capable of.

Assault weapons operate identically to all other firearms, such as a hunting rifle, shotgun, ranch guns, even pistols. However, it is the startling appearance of these firearms that affect the perceptions of the uneducated. For this reason, large publics within our social sphere insight a stigma around the object. According to a report released in 1998 by the Violence Policy Center, “The weapon’s menacing looks, coupled with the public’s confusion over fully automatic machine guns versus semi-automatic assault weapons- anything that looks like a machine gun is assumed to be a machine gun- this can only increase the chance of public support for restrictions on these weapons.” A fair portion of our society lacks in-depth knowledge towards the subject of firearms. These individuals can not recognize the difference between a “menacing” AR-15 and any machine gun.

Assault Weapons do not differ in any way from their semiautomatic counterparts. Aesthetically, these weapons are very intimidating, especially when compared to other firearms on the market. However, this does not mean they function differently. Any pistol holds almost the same capability for destruction that any assault weapon has. To claim assault weapons are just as dangerous as assault rifles is an illogical assertion.

In 1989, suspect Patrick Purdy entered the Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton California and proceeded to fire 106 rounds from his AR-15 in 180 seconds, wounding 32 and leaving 5 children dead. Following, Purdy took his own life with a handgun. In comparison, assault rifles hold the ability to fire 300-1800 bullets in one minute. Clearly, the situation could have been seriously worsened had the firearm been a fully automatic assault rifle. Theoretically, the entire situation could be avoided completely if both categories of guns were criminalized. However, this argument serves to analyze the major differences between the two classifications, rather than question the legality of the firearms.

Legal

It is often forgotten that official legislation of a law does not hinder one’s ability to commit a crime. The law allows governmental consequence if the individual is caught committing the crime and is later found guilty in a court of law. A perfect example to illustrate this point is the enactment of the War on Drugs. The War on Drugs was enacted by the Nixon administration and it ultimately focused on ending addiction by prohibiting the manufacturing, use, and distribution of illegal narcotics. As a result of this prohibition, 48.6 percent of all incarcerated inmates are serving time for drug-related offenses, addiction rates are at an all-time high, and crime rates rose perilously. As a result, our nation is now the global leader in the amount of incarcerated inmates. Although we had legislative policies designed to end the use of drugs, a large portion of society chose to do them. Applying this logic to the topic of gun control would cause American families to forfeit their natural right of self defense, ultimately resulting vulnerable targets. It seems counterintuitive that a plan geared towards an anti-violence movement could have the capability for such terroristic acts.

International Security

Terroristic threats are a credible fear and a real possibility, contrary to popular belief.

Right now, the Mexican Drug Cartel operates on large portions of the Mexican border. The cartel has littered our borders with underground tunnels, used as pathways for smuggling unregistered weapons and narcotics across our borders. Currently, the border that is shared between America and Mexico is not secure enough for such revolutionary regulation. The cartel forwards a constant flow of machine guns, pistols, assault rifles, and even grenades into our country. All of which, are untraceable- unable to be routed back to the original owner. If there were a nationwide-gun sweep that could theoretically eliminate all guns from our streets, these illegal weapons will still flood into our neighborhoods. As a result, criminals will be equipped with their firearms, while law-abiding citizens have no leg to stand on.

Further, studies have found that Americans use guns 1.3 million times annually to protect themselves from an intruder, rapist, or mugger. Without defensive firearms, there would have been roughly 1.3 million extra fatalities each year. Also, the possession of a firearm in a house can give the family a feeling of excess security. The situation is comparable to life insurance, as it serves as a social benefit even if the owner of the policy does not die. The family still has the overall feeling of safety.

Problems Arising From Gun Regulation

In order for gun control to be deemed a possibility, our government would be required to enact a nation-wide firearm collection program, attempting to remove all guns from all American houses. This expectation is ridiculous upon realization that there are over 300 million guns belonging to over 324 million gun-toting citizens. Some of which live in desolate, urban areas, out-of-reach and out-of-mind for our government to collect from. Further, the assumption that our 1.1 million law enforcement officers would be able to eradicate such a large amount of firearms within such a large, diverse land is an unreasonable expectation. In the unlikely scenario this nation-wide collection was imposed, the ritual would leave many guns behind; a danger for the defenseless families.

The stripping of firearms from American families would leave weapons in the hands of only two type of people: law enforcement and criminals. Whilst in possession of their illegally-obtained firearm, criminals will continue to commit their crimes against society. As the crime is being carried out, all individuals incorporated in the situation are unable to defend themselves. Law enforcement officers, the victim’s only form of defense, will then take an average of 7 minutes to arrive at the scene of the crime. Many dark events could take place within these 7 dire minutes. Especially upon realization that a fully automatic machine gun could fire up to 12,600 rounds within that timeframe. This is a perfectly reasonable situation that could become a reality following gun regulation.

Ethical Reasoning

The nullification of our second amendment cannot be warranted if there are actual uses for a firearm in a civil society.

For reasons regarding the survival of Alaskan families, the topic of gun control becomes an ethical dilemma. Most Alaskan citizens are gun owners who utilize their firearms for food and defense. Alaska is a largely untouched area of land, as a result, it is of great trouble to navigate, poses many dangers, and lacks a food commonplace. This means that Alaskans are subject to danger that the average American is privileged enough to never encounter, and these families must hunt and prepare their own food for survival. Without their firearms, the family will starve to death. To seize these family’s right to a gun when they have no other option for food is inhumane. Hypothetically, if gun regulation included a clause allowing the use of firearms within Alaskan families, this would open up buying locations for criminals to then transport their guns across the country.

According to philosopher, John Locke, no individual requires a democratic constitution to grant them the right to defend themselves or their families. This has been granted a natural right, as it is a right given to us by nature.

Lastly, our founding fathers granted us the second amendment not with self-defense or food in mind, but to protect our right to political dissent. The United States of America was originated by an American Revolution in which the citizens of the original 13 colonies formed a militia and fought against their tyrannical government to eventually form the advanced society of today. The original writers of the constitution wanted the American citizens to hold the same right to overthrow the United State’s tyrannical government if the situation ever arises. To give up the right to political dissent is to repeat history.

Works Cited

“Locke ‘N Load: John Locke d YOUR Second Amendment Rights.” Intro to Political Theory Blog. Sabalaba, 24 Nov. 2009. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.

Ghost Guns. Perf. Anonymous Performers. Underworld Inc. National Geographic Network, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016. 

“Assault Weapon Truth: The Facts about Assault Weapons.” Assaultweapontruth. Assault Weapon Truth, n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2016. <http://www.assaultweapontruth.com>.

Lott, John R., Jr. More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws. Chicago, and London: U of Chicago, 2010. Print.

Lott, John R., Jr. The Bias Against Guns: Why Almost Everything You’ve Heard About Gun Control Is Wrong. Washington DC: Regnery, 2003. Print.

Jacobs, James B. “The Value of Firearms.” Can Gun Control Work? Oxford: Oxford U, 2002. 14-16. Print.

The Battle of Rock ‘n’ Roll

Rock ‘n’ roll is often misunderstood due to how it is commonly portrayed in our society. This genre of music is almost always associated with dark forces and the occult, which in reality, is a prime example of “judging a book by its cover”.  As an unknown writer once said, “We live in a very superficial society. It is very easy to fall into the trap of looking only at the surface of people, things, and ideas without taking the time and effort to delve deeper into them.” A seemingly unrelated topic that works nicely as an analogy for this misjudgment is the treatment of Blacks throughout history.  At its surface, Rock ‘n’ roll does show signs of being solely based around darkness. However, underneath that surface is a wide collection of songs pertaining to the most eclectic of topics. Black people are judged because of their skin color, even though they are human beings just like everyone else. Until people open their minds (or their ears), and truly pay attention to who Black people are as individuals and what Rock ‘n’ roll truly signifies, they are left with demeaning and unfair images that are nowhere near the actuality.

An in depth look into Rock ‘n’ roll shows a melting pot of widely unrelated topics, most having nothing to do with dark forces and the occult. The anti-war and anti-violence sentiment of the 60’s can be heard through songs like Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son”, which attacked militant patriotic behavior and the individuals who supported the fight without getting their own hands dirty, and Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U. S. A.”, which addresses the harmful effects that the Vietnam War had on Americans. Rock ‘n’ roll also has quite few songs about love, some coming from bands that would not normally be associated with the theme- including “Forever” by Kiss (which details a man’s realization that his love for a certain girl will last forever), and “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses (which was inspired by a poem band mate Axl Rose wrote about his girlfriend at the time). And one of the best proofs that Rock ‘n’ roll was not centered on darkness is a little song by Jimmy Buffet called, “Cheeseburger in Paradise”. This song has no double meaning, and is entirely about a man’s love for cheeseburgers. There is absolutely nothing dark forces in it, which can be said for a majority of Rock ‘n’ roll songs.

The misunderstanding of Rock ‘n’ roll can be paralleled with the unfair treatment of Blacks throughout history.  Opinion on them is commonly based on their skin color instead of who they are as a person. Take Solomon Northup, the free African- American who had to endure twelve years as a slave. As a few writers from the Encyclopedia Britannica have said, “Solomon received some education and worked on his family’s farm as a child. He married Anne Hampton in 1828. In 1834, after selling their farm, the couple moved to Saratoga Springs, New York, where they worked odd jobs to support their three children. Northup also established a reputation as a talented fiddler.” Contrary to the popular belief of the time that African-Americans were savages and naturally inferior to White Americans, Solomon Northup was a hard worker who was able to create a mostly stable lifestyle for his family, and even became a renown musician. Unfortunately, he was lured by two men who judged him based off of his skin to travel to Washington DC, where he was drugged and sold into slavery. For the next twelve years he worked as a slave for different masters, who did not believe that he was a free and educated African-American. He was being judged by his skin, not his true self. After finally securing his freedom, Northup ended up writing his memoir, which revealed to the world his side of the story. Another Black individual who was much more than he appeared to be on the outside was Thomas-Alexandre Dumas. The father of famed writer Alexandre Dumas, Thomas-Alexandre Dumas defied expectations and led an adventure of a life. As Tom Reiss, author of The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal and the Real Count of Monte Cristo, says in an  interview with NPR’s Scott Simon , “He’s a black man, born into slavery, and then he rises higher than any black man rose in a white society before our own time,” and that, “He became a four-star general and challenges Napoleon, and he did it all 200 years ago, at the height of slavery.” In a time when Blacks were commonly found to be slaves, this one man was able to break expectations by becoming a respected general for the French army. And although his life story ended in an unfortunate manner, thanks in part to a ploy by Napoleon (who disliked Dumas for being successful and the opposite of him physically) to get rid of him, Dumas’ influence lived on, especially through some of his son’s most popular characters, such as Edmond Dantès and the musketeer d’Artagnan. Both Solomon Northup and Thomas-Alexandre Dumas highlight the “judging of a book by its cover” that took place in history,  which in turn mirrors the misunderstanding of Rock ‘n’ roll.

And yet, people still view Rock ‘n’ Roll as a type of music that highlights the worst qualities in human beings. When they think of it, these people picture scenes involving blood, darkness, satanic rituals, and vulgar movements. These beliefs are the effects of preachers’ efforts to denounce Rock ‘n’ Roll.  Why these religious individuals are acting against the popular form of music, and influencing people’s view of it, unsurprisingly involves more than one overlapping cause.

The most immediate cause of this attack on Rock ‘n’ roll is, of course, that the music genre highlights themes that are greatly looked down upon in religious groups. As two devoutly religious men by the names of Alan Yusko and Ed Prior have said, “The term ‘rock and roll’ means fornication. It is a street name for sexual immorality. It has wrecked the lives of many teenagers through suicide, drug abuse, immorality, perversion, satanism, etc.” These actions conflict entirely with the morals commonly taught in churches- including love, purity, morality, and respectfulness to the Lord. So, in the eyes of preachers, it would seem only logical to denounce the source of all this blasphemy.

Contributing to this cause is the way the media supports this portrayal Rock ‘n’ roll. It is no secret that the media will twist the truth and choose sides to produce eye catching news. Rem Rieder of USA Today once said, “Life is packed with nuances and subtleties and shades of gray. But the news media are often uncomfortable in such murky terrain. They prefer straightforward narratives, with good guys and bad guys, heroes, and villains. Those tales are much easier for readers and viewers to relate to.” Therefore, in this matter, it makes sense that God’s most devout followers are portrayed as the heroes. And it also makes sense that Rock ‘n’ Roll is portrayed as the villain, since it invokes dark forces and the Devil, as countless preachers have claim. The more interesting news story is not that Rock ‘n’ Roll has the power to make people’s lives better, but that it is a way for people to let their malevolent natures free. And through computers, TVs, tablets, and cell phones, the media is now always present in people’s lives. Our society is brainwashed into believing everything that appears news worthy, and rarely takes the time to search for the truth.

The most remote cause for preachers to denounce Rock ‘n’ Roll is the diminishing number of people attending church. According to Dr. Richard J. Krejcir of churchleadership.org, “Most of the statistics tell us that nearly 50% of Americans have no church home. In the 1980s, membership in the church had dropped almost 10%; then, in the 1990s, it worsened by another 12% drop-some denominations reporting a 40% drop in their membership. And now, over half way through the first decade of the 21st century, we are seeing the figures drop even more!” Each subsequent generation slowly drifted away from church. Many preachers, witnessing this loss of followers, decided to lay the blame on Rock ‘n’ Roll, using it as a scapegoat. They claimed that the music was connected to the blasphemous values of sex, drugs, and irresponsibility, which in turn would attract young people who were not educated enough to make the right decision. Their denouncement of Rock ‘n’ Roll would be publicized in the media, which would influence society’s view of the music, and which in turn they hoped would bring people back to church as protection.

There is a precipitating cause included, however. When Rock ‘n’ Roll truly hit the music scene and took the world by storm, it actually seduced the preachers. They had grown up in conservative lifestyles with very “tame” music, and with the emergence of Rock, they experienced types of sounds unlike any they had ever heard before. Eventually, the preachers realized that they had become attracted to something other than God, which they considered to be a great sin. They had fallen into temptation and did not want the public to find out. So, like their ancestral religious brothers did when confronted by the emergence of the scientifically-proven theories of evolution and the heliocentric system, they denounced it as the work of the Devil. And since new preachers were taught by those that came before, this thought process was passed down through the generations.

Even with all of these causes trying to prove otherwise however, Rock ‘n’ roll is not the music of Satan. Rock musicians do not have dark forces in their intentions. Many of their songs highlight positive values, life lessons, and random events. Performers like Jimmy Buffett, the Beatles, and Bruce Springsteen would never be thought of as linked with the devil. But like every debatable topic, there is always a rebuttal argument (which can be rebutted with the right evidence as well). In this case, the main rebuttal argument is that seemingly harmless Rock stars, including the ones listed above, have actually been involved with dark forces.

Yes, these singers do mostly sing about happy situations. But they have also dabbled with influences of Satan. Uncovering this truth will prove that Rock ‘n’ Roll has darkness running entirely through it, even in the areas that appear the brightest. For example, Jimmy Buffett, the founder of Margaritaville, is beloved by fans for singing songs about relaxation, maritime life, and cheeseburgers in paradise. However, he does have one song that mocks God and promotes blasphemous behavior- “Too Drunk to Karaoke”.  As David J. Stewart explains, “Toby Keith and Jimmy Buffet encourage booze drinkers to drink, drink, drink… until you’re ‘TOO DRUNK TO KARAOKE.’ The video is a disgrace, encouraging alcoholism and irresponsible behavior.”Jimmy Buffett, with this one song, has gone against all that he is known for.

The same thing can be said for the not-so- Fab Four. John, Paul, George, and Ringo are known as the pioneers of the British Invasion. Millions of fans loved them, especially attracting the attention of girls as the four cute guys from Liverpool. But the quartet was not the innocent boy band that they appeared to be. The most blatant proof of this can be seen (and heard) in their infamous album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.  The front cover of this album features the four Beatles surrounded by controversial figures from history- including Marilyn Monroe, Karl Marx, and Bob Dylan. The most unsettling figure included however is Aleister Crowley, a well-known English occultist. His inclusion is a clear sign that the Beatles were fans of occult rituals. Another indication that these men were not the most perfect of guys is the meaning of the song, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”. A close analysis shows that the Beatles in this song are glorifying the effects of taking a drug- LSD. These seemingly innocent men could not resist highlighting the influences of the Devil.

Unfortunately, New Jersey’s The Boss, whose music is loved by people of all ages, could not resist the sweet temptation either. This resulted in an unanticipated action by a popular coffee shop chain. As reporter Dave Lifton mentions,”Starbucks banned his latest album, Devils & Dust, from its stores, in part due to explicit lyrics in one of the songs.” To really hit this point home, here are some lyrics from the track in question- “She slipped me out of her mouth/’You’re ready,’ she said/She took off her bra and panties/Wet her fingers, slipped it inside her/And crawled over me on the bed.” This song unabashedly promotes sex, one of Satan’s favorite values. Starbucks can’t have this song play in its shops, and it should not be play anywhere else either.

Even Rock ‘n’ Roll’s brightest individuals have been motivated by darkness.

Now is the time to shoot this rebuttal argument down. Jimmy Buffett’s song “Too Drunk to Karaoke” is an attempt by him to connect to a younger audience, one that likes to listen to songs about “hardcore” partying. He enlisted the help of Toby Keith to write the song, as his music is known to promote wild behavior. So technically, the song is actually Toby Keith’s, with Jimmy Buffett’s name receiving top billing. Plus, the song is very much Country (Keith’s main genre), making it an entirely different beast than those of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Moving on to the Beatles, it must be recognized that they are just rebellious young adults. They used controversial figures including Aleister Crowley in order to set themselves apart from other bands, and because they found these individuals to be memorable in history, which is what they wanted to become.Concerning the song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”, there shouldn’t be any attempts at over-analyzing. As the website Shmoop explains,”John Lennon said in many different interviews that the song title was simply inspired by a drawing that his four-year-old son, Julian, brought home from school.”A little boy’s drawing inspired the song, not drug use.

With Bruce Springsteen’s song “Reno”, there is a similar situation as Jimmy Buffett’s “Too Drunk to Karaoke”- it is not Rock ‘n’ Roll. The Boss’s whole album, Devils & Dust, was his attempt at being a Country star. And his song is not promoting sex with a prostitute. The final lyrics are “She brought me another whisky/Said ‘Here’s to the best you ever had’/We laughed and made a toast/It wasn’t the best I ever had/Not even close.” Springsteen is saying that his experience with this woman of the night was not that great.

A common thread in all of these rebuttals is that they all focus on only one song or album from each specific artist.  This means that the opposition has only been able to find only one instance that they could twist to their advantage in each performer(s)’ career. The opposition is in fact unintentionally endorsing the music of Jimmy Buffett, the Beatles, and Bruce Springsteen as being wholesome and not objectionable by only finding single questionable “faults”.

As a side note, it should be mentioned that a popular offshoot of Rock ‘n’ Roll is Christian Rock. This form of music centers on songs related to promoting faith and good lessons in a contemporary fashion. Many of these tunes are even used in churches today to liven up the crowds. If the rebuttal argument was true, then even Satan has tainted the supposedly harmless Christian Rock performers. And that revelation will make the church institutions look like hypocrites. And sure enough, there are a couple of scandals involving these performers. In  January of 2015, George Perdikis, a founding member of the popular Aussie gospel rock band Newsboys (which was notably featured in the film God’s Not Dead), came out as an atheist on a faith discussion website. Plus, as reported by Asher Bayot of Inquisitr.com, Perdikis went on to write that,“The Christian music scene is populated by many people who act as though they have a direct hotline to a God who supplies them with the answers to the Universe. There seems to be more ego and narcissism amongst Christian musicians than their secular counterparts.” Another notable scandal involves As I Lay Dying, a Christian death metal band ( an extreme subgenre of heavy metal, which is a prominent genre of Rock music). As Molly Lambert of Grantland.com has written, “Tim Lambesis, currently incarcerated lead singer of … As I Lay Dying, has admitted that the band had faked being Christian.” The band pretended to be Christian in order to make more money. One of Lambesis’ ex-bandmates, Nick Hipa echoed George Perdikis’ statement about Christian musicians by calling the former lead singer a “sociopathic narcissist”. Lambesis’ scandal also provoked talk about an industry wide issue- “How do you prove someone is really dedicated to Christianity and not just the lucrative record sales of the Christian market?”

The solution to this question is admitting the craziness in trying to hold Rock to an unattainable purity level. Not one single performer in Rock ‘n’ Roll is pure. This transcends all forms of the popular genre, including Christian Rock. It’s called being human, and Rock ‘n’ Roll should not be unfairly attacked for it.

Works Cited

Bayot, Asher. “Founding Member Of ‘God’s Not Dead’ Band Newsboys Comes Out As An Atheist.” The Inquisitr News. N.p., 24 Jan. 2015. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

Cole, Rachel, David Fiske, Rachel Seligman, and Clifford Brown. “Solomon Northup | American farmer and writer” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.

Krejcir, Richard J., Ph.D. “Statistics and Reasons for Church Decline” Churchleadership.org. N.p., 2007. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

Lambert, Molly. “Pray for Pay: Jailed Christian Rocker Tim Lambesis Faked His Religion.” Grantland. N.p., 23 June 2014. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

Lifton, Dave. “Why Starbucks Banned Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Devils and Dust’” Ultimate Classic Rock. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.

Rieder, Rem. “Media got Zimmerman story wrong from start ” USA Today. Gannett, 14 July 2013. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

Shmoop. “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds Meaning ” Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.

Simon, Scott, and Tom Reiss. “‘The Black Count,’ A Hero On The Field, And The Page” NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.

Springsteen, Bruce. “BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN LYRICS – Reno” Azlyrics.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.

Stewart, David J. “Too Drunk To Karaoke”: Hit Song Mocks God. N.p., Aug. 2013. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.

Unknown. “Don’t Judge a Book By Its Cover” Modern Day Adages. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

Yusco, Alan, and Ed Prior. “RELIGIOUS ROCK… The music of devils in the CHURCH” RELIGIOUS ROCK… The Music of Devils in the CHURCH. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

No Helmets In Football!

Over the years, the NFL has been under fire after the public has learned the consequences for NFL players during or after their careers. As a result, some parents are scared to put their children into a sport that could lead to brain disease. I have found that if football players tackle just like rugby players, safer tackling could cause fewer concussions for football, in general. However, tackling differently will only be effective if the NFL gets rid of the helmets. Football players think that since they have helmets and pads they are invincible, however, they can still get injury even with the helmets and pads on. Football helmets don’t help the players’ neck from being rotated if the football player was hit a certain way that can cause a player to break their neck. Players should play some of the drills in practice without helmets because that will force them to protect their head. Some players tend to lean into a tackle head first and by doing so they have a higher risk of concussions just because of poor tackling. Football player have been taught to lean in with their shoulder, however, if a player tries to lean in with their shoulder, the helmet will get in the way and cause the helmet to hit the other players’ pads first before the shoulder even makes contact with the other players’ body.

On Quora, Ryan Quirk answers the question, “Why does football have a much bigger concussion problem than rugby even though rugby players wear far less protection?” by saying “I think the helmets worn in American Football do more harm then [sic] good. The player relies on it to protect him instead of correctly positioning his head when tackling.” Football players have put their bodies on the lines because they have a misconception that when they have pads on they are safe from all hits that come their ways big or small. Their not because the helmets and pads don’t prevent concussions. Having no helmets will have players be more cautious of the way they tackle because it will be easier for them to receive a concussion if they use their head and cause a player to change the way they tackle. The NFL would probably have fewer concussion if the players just were very mindful of the body.

Rugby uses a different tackling method that causes fewer concussions than the NFL. People may think that Rugby having few concussions than football is weird because the NFL uses helmets and the Rugby does not. A football player is taught to us this shoulders to make a correct tackle but it is hard for the player to get around to using their shoulders when they have a huge helmet on their head. However, the way rugby players tackle is completely different because they have to lean in with their shoulder and put their head to the opposite side of the ball-carriers, wrap their arms around the other player and drive forward to make the tackle. Rugby players make an legal tackle by not wrapping their arms around the ball-carrier first before they drive them to the ground. Rugby players cannot hit a player from his side; that is an illegal tackle. Unlike rugby the NFL blind-side hits are legal. Blind side hits are the leading type of tackles which can cause concussions.  In the video, on A7FL website they talked how football players hit their helmet on every play even when they are not tackle someone. I read that players hit another players’ padding more than 1,000 times a season and adding a players’ average amount of years they play by the time they retire their brain is damaged.

American 7s football league (A7FL for short ) that doesn’t have their players wearing helmets. The number of players on the field is also a factor because the amount of players getting hit every play. The A7FL only allows 7 players on the field for each team, whereas, the NFL allows 11 players on the field. The A7FL has players tackle differently because they don’t use helmets. A defensive player has to wrap his arms around a players body before making a tackle.

Some people may think that if the NFL gets rid of helmets it would be like watching Rugby and their is no point in watching American football anymore. The NFL may be like watching Rugby but there will be similarities and differences just like other sports. For example, A7FL and the national football league. They have the same concept of score a touchdown, however, they are different because A7FL allow players to wear helmets and the NFL does so the way they tackle is different. The NFL may look like Rugby but their will also be differences, such as, The NFL will still have pads and the same number of players on the field as usually but the only thing that will change is that the NFL will be tackling the same as Rugby. The NFL may look like Rugby, but the football players would be less likely to receive concussions if they tackle the correct way like Rugby does. Rugby will still have the same rules as they do now.

A helmet is lined with thick padding all around the helmet. Helmet industries thought they solved the problem by adding padding inside the helmets. A helmets main responsibility (if not its only) is to protect the head from skull fractures, but head injuries do still happen. Even with all of the padding in a helmet concussions come from within the brain. While the padding protects from skull fractures, the brain is still moving around in our head banging against our skull and the more hits to the brain the worse it gets. Continuous hits that are making the brain hit against the skull cause the brain to function less.

People may think that I am crazy and begin to think of different ways to lessen the amount of concussions that the NFL has and also keep helmets in the game of football. Having players get rid of their helmet in a sport that is mainly about physical contact on every play is outrageous. Changing the way players tackle is the biggest factor because if a player is trying to tackle someone without a helmet the same way as NFL players tackle wouldn’t be effective.

Even now with how much padding a player has it is very hard for a player to tackle another player without hitting his head on any part of the opponents body at least once in a game. Adding more padding can cause the helmet to become bigger and harder for the player to avoid tackling without hitting the helmet of the other players’ body. Having a bigger helmets will cause a players’ to add pressure to his neck. The bigger the helmet the more the person could be vulnerable. Even the way the helmet is designed now it is hard for the player to avoid not getting his helmet to not hit the other players’ pads.

Another option, is to tackling differently but still have helmets on. That could do the trick, however, the best way to make a rugby tackle is to have the helmets off because the way Rugby players tackle is to lean in with their shoulder and the arms are the first to make contact to the other players’ body. If someone adds the same football helmet as American football has today and includes the same kind of Rugby tackling it wouldn’t work as effectively because the football helmet would be in the way of the player that is trying to tackle the opposing player. For instance, If a player leans his head to the side and wraps his arms around the player he would have almost got the tackle right but the only thing that is in the way is having the helmet on which can cause the defensive player to hit their head against the offensive players’ body.

In Dr. Warren King’s statement in the article by Alex Goff, “Concussions: Rugby Can Help Football” Dr. King states that “We’ve learning more and more that these small concussions over time in a variety of sports can have a serious, lasting effect later in life.” The multiple times a player gets hit in the helmet from a simple tackle can add up and become a very serious issue. Having their brain hit against their skull is very dangerous because the brain is the powerhouse of our body and getting hit every time a player is on the field can be very dangerous down the road in his life after his football career.

The brain is the most vital part of everyone’s body because it houses our neurons which allows us to walk, talk, and move. A single hard hit, or a series of smaller hits, can cause players’ to receive concussions, or a player being paralysis, or worse. Football is a sport that players can go into a game and after one very hard helmet-to-helmet hit it can cause them to end their career early. A collection of hard hit versus a one big hard hit can out weigh a hard hit because it can hurt a player later in his life. In the NFL, most of the players are getting hit in the head region every down because they have a big helmet that can get in the way of them trying to block their opponents from getting to their quarterback. In football, players with more than 1 concussion can be detrimental to their brain because their brain is getting worse, and worse with every hit to the head. Some players don’t tell their coaches that they have a concussion, but players should definitely let their coaches know because not letting anyone know can cause more harm than good. For example, what if the concussion is worse than what the player thought it would be. Sometimes a player doesn’t notify his coach when they have a concussion because they don’t want to be taken out of the game. A players’ brain may get worse over time and cause him to be mental rehabilitated. Thomas Drysdale talks about how football players suffer from Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). He shows how doctors say that this disease can be caused by the repeated hits to the head and how this disease can lead to a football players’ death. He gave two examples of linebacker Junior Seau and Chicago Bears’ star safety Dave Duerson both suffered from CTE and need up ending their own lives.

Back then, players families sued the NFL for their negligence for a football players’ health. Over the years, NFL has taken better care of their players’ ever since the stories about the injuries that can occur after being in the NFL. For example, Junior Seau was one of the best linebackers in the league during his time in the NFL. He made headlines when the world found out that he shot himself in the chest at the age of 43. His family was devastated and sued the NFL after they found out about Junior Seau’s brain report . Studies showed that Junior Seau had “‘a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head hits and brain trauma.” Junior Seau’s family won the case and ever since that came out people believe that the NFL has been trying to help make the game safer for the players.

Steven Laurey is Belgian neurologist who went on Ted talks to speak about the dangers of having hits taken to the head. Throughout his speech he uses Muhammad Ali (The greatest boxer of all time) as an example of what happen to a person that spend years in a sport that has athletes taking punches to the head and face. His main concept is that athletes that get hits taken repeatedly to their head can cause the nerves in their brain to stop working over time because of how many time the brain has hit against the wall of the skull. He shows the audience that after getting hit in the head some many times an athletes can form an abnormal prudent that is toxic to the brain and over time it gets worse and worse causing the athlete to slowly turn into an insane person. He states that there isn’t a cure for the disease. Our brain just continues to get smaller and smaller over time and causes for more diseases to occur.

Some people may think about the technology that doctors use today that study on the brains activity during football games. Doctors have come up with technology that shows the brain activity within the brain. Even with this study it doesn’t prevent the players from receiving concussions, rather, it just shows the doctors the measure of the impact, where the brain made contact with the skull, and how hard it hit the skull. The University of New Hampshire studied this technology. In Jenny Vrentas article, “Helmetless Football? It’s the New Practice at New Hampshire” she states that “at first the University of New Hampshire football players were skeptical when they started practicing without helmets, but this technique is not only making them more cautious about their heads, it is also helping them improve their game.” After having this research done their is a great number of teams that are having some practice drill without helmets. It makes the players rethink the ways they use to tackle another player to the ground.

If the NFL changes the way football players tackle and get rid of helmets it will lessen the concussion rate because players will be more cautious of their head. Tackling like rugby players do will decrease the number of times that the players hits their face against the other players’ pads. Studies will shows that players aren’t receiving any diseases after their years of football. Throughout my research, I was surprised that some people were on board to get rid of helmets in practice. Having players tackle without helmets will definitely change the game of football in a better and more safer way.

Work Cited:

A7FL. “Safety – A7FL.” A7FL. A7FL, n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2016

Brain Concussion – Shake It and You Break It | Steven Laureys | TEDxLiège. Dir. Dr. Steven     Laureys. Perf. Steven Laureys. YouTube. YouTube, 2 May 2016. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

“Concussion: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention.” WebMD. ebMD, n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.

Dawson, Peter. “Rugby Tries – How and Where You Score Tries in Rugby.” RugbyHow. RugbyHow, n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.

Drysdale, Thomas A. “Journal of Legal Medicine.” Helmet-to-Helmet Contact: Avoiding a Lifetime Penalty. Taylor And Francis Online, 13 Dec. 2013. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

Fawcett, Robert. “Pads and Helmets: Rugby vs. Gridiron.” Pads and Helmets: Rugby vs. Gridiron. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.

Goff, Alex. “Concussions: Rugby Can Help Football.” The Post Game. RugbyMAG, 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 4 Dec. 2015.

Haislop, Tadd. “Football Helmets Are Creating More Problems than They Solve.” Sporting News. Sporting News, 28 May 2015. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.

Lemco, Tyler. Lemco: Why Football Needs Less Pads. Computer software. CBS Local Sports. CBS, 3 July 2015. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.

Quirk, Ryan, Jason McDonald, Meehawl Mofiodh, PJ Coward, Cameron Rudderham, Simon McCormack, and Gary Snook. “Re: Why Does Football Have a Much Bigger Concussion Problem than Rugby Even Though Rugby Players Wear Far Less Protection?” Blog comment. Quora. Quora, 13 July 2015. Web. 4 Dec. 2016.

Vrentas, Jenny. “Helmetless Football? It’s the New Practice at New Hampshire.” The MMQB. Muscles and Medicine, 4 Dec. 2014. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.

A Lower Sales Tax is Not Necessary for NJ

The current seven percent sales tax in New Jersey is a fair and non-regressive tax. The sales tax rate should not be lowered at all because it is a fair tax. According to Samantha Mactus, author of the article, N.J. Gas Tax Hike Deal: Christie Demanded a Sales Tax Cut, but Will You Notice It?, Marcus said that on the first of January in 2016 the sales tax will be lowered from seven percent to six point  eight seven five percent. This is an unnecessary reduction in the tax because this is a non-regressive tax. According to the New Jersey Sales Tax Guide, grocery items are exempt, prescription medication is exempt, luxury items are taxed, clothing is exempt, and there are ways to  avoid paying this tax. A regressive tax is a tax that disproportionately taxes people with a lower income more than those with a higher income. While one may say that people with lower incomes may feel that they pay more of their income towards this tax, they can choose to not pay this tax all together. If a tax can be made optional for some people, then they have the choice not to pay for it. Since essential items are not taxed, then this is not a regressive tax on the poor. If someone with a low income chooses to buy a McDonald’s milkshake, then they choose to pay the tax. People with lower incomes have to buy grocery items which are not taxed. If any tax should be lowered, it should be a tax that helps those with lower incomes because they are in need of a tax cut. Lowering a luxury tax on items that some people with lower incomes may not be able to afford does not help those with lower incomes.

In New Jersey groceries are not subject to the sales tax. The tax rate on grocery items is zero. All people need to buy groceries because they are essential to survive. While people obviously choose when to buy groceries, people have to eat to live. Those who do not make a lot of money or use EBT cards do not have to pay a tax on their grocery items. The  people with low incomes have to really budget their money and paying a tax on groceries is not something they have to do in New Jersey. Some States do have regressive sales taxes that tax grocery items. According to the article, State by State:Are Grocery Items Taxable, some examples of States that tax groceries are Kansas, Alabama, and Mississippi. It would be regressive to tax groceries because everyone needs to buy groceries and those with lower incomes would pay a higher percentage of their income towards the sales tax on groceries. Since New Jersey does not tax groceries people with lower incomes do not have to pay a higher percentage of their income on the sales tax towards groceries.  While prepared meal from restaurants are taxed, raw items are not. Some examples of exempt items are: milk, water,  juices with at least fifty percent juice, eggs, bread, raw or frozen vegetables, canned food, deli meat, and cheese. There are many other kinds of tax free food sold in stores, but by not taxing these essential items, there is no extra tax burden to buy essential items. People will do not have to pay any extra tax to buy their weekly groceries.

Everybody needs to have clothing. Clothing is clearly something that is essential for everyone to have and to wear. The winters in New Jersey can get very cold, so people have to especially buy heavy winter coats. These winter coats fall under the clothing category of the sales tax law, so they are exempt. People can buy tax free clothing in New Jersey. It is important to note that some winter coats can be expensive so this tax exempt item saves people money. This is clearly an example of a non regressive sales tax because  an essential item is not taxed. Clothing is something that everybody has to wear and lowering the sales tax will not make clothing cheaper since it does not tax clothing at all. 

While one may believe that sugary drinks or cigarettes are essential to some them, nobody can say that prescription drugs are not essential. At some point in their life, everybody has needed to buy a prescription medication. Another example of a tax exempt essential item is prescription medication. There is no tax on prescription medication because these medications can be life saving to people. Prescription drugs can be life saving in some situations, making the case that they are essential. It would be horrible if someone could not afford their medication because they had to pay a tax on it. If essential medications were taxed, then yes it would be regressive because those people with low incomes would have to pay even more for their medication. Since this is not the case in New Jersey, the tax is not regressive because people do not have pay sales tax on their prescription medication.  The tax would be regressive if prescription medication was taxed because people with low incomes would have to pay a higher percentage of their income and people with a higher  income would pay a lower percentage of their income on prescription medication if it was taxed. This is not the case in New Jersey since prescription medication is exempt from the sales tax.

The sales tax does apply to luxury items and non essential items that people buy out of luxury or convenience. Prepared meals at restaurants and fast food restaurants always charge the sales tax. Cigarettes and alcohol are clearly non essential items.  One can live their life without buying either, so if someone can not afford cigarettes or alcohol due to taxes, then they will just have to do without them.  Some other taxable items that are non-essential are: balloons, soda,cigars, dog food, and Halloween masks. These are all examples of taxed items that are non-essential to survive. The same cannot be said about grocery items or prescription medication. If someone chooses to go to a restaurant then they are choosing to pay that tax. This is clearly acceptable because people choose to go out to eat, but people have to buy grocery items. People with low incomes choose to pay this tax when they go out to eat, but they do not have to pay this tax if they only buy groceries, which are tax free. The fact that people have the option, regardless of their income, to avoid paying the tax makes it non regressive. 

The sales tax can also be avoided if people take certain measures. One example of how a person can avoid paying the sales tax is to make their own sandwiches instead of buying them prepared or made to order at deli’s. In New Jersey deli meat, bread, and vegetables are tax free. If someone went to a deli and ordered a ham and cheese sandwich, that sandwich would be taxed. A way one can avoid paying for the tax would be to buy a loaf of bread,ham, and cheese from the deli and then make the sandwich at home. Another example of a way one can avoid paying the sales tax would be buy home insurance to cover costs for labor if damages occur. Labor is taxed in New Jersey,  according to a letter written by the Division of Taxation-S&U Tax: Home Improvements. So if someone needs repairs due to damages the cost of labor is taxed. If someone has home insurance then the insurance company pays for the cost of labor and one can avoid the sales tax. A third way for someone to avoid paying the sales tax at a restaurant or convenience store would be to for somebody to buy coffee beans and brew their own coffee instead of going to a convenience store to buy already brewed coffee, which is taxed. The fact that this tax can be avoided means that people who may not be able to afford to pay the tax can avoid paying the tax altogether.

The sales tax does apply to luxury items that are non essential. Some taxable items are: cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, and prepared meals. On a chart posted by the New Jersey Department of Taxation, there is a list of the minimum price cigarettes can be sold at. On top of the minimum price, cigarettes are subject to the sales tax. Since cigarettes are not an essential item it is not a regressive to have a high tax on cigarettes. Though nicotine gum is tax exempt to try to help people quit smoking. There is a clear difference in taxing luxury items and taxing essential items. People can choose not to pay this tax at all because in a way it is an optional tax.

Let’s say someone makes three hundred dollars a week and they need to pay for groceries, rent, insurance, and clothing. None of the items they need to survive are taxed at all. Buying only bare minimum essentials means that one does not spend their money going out to eat, buying fast food, buy alcohol or tobacco, or anything that is not essential to stay alive. A person with a low income can buy everything they need to stay alive without paying the sales tax. A tax on anything for the working poor adds up quickly and can cause people to go into debt to afford thing they need to survive. People do not have to pay this tax on items they require just to get by and live.

The current sales tax rate of seven percent is currently acceptable and a fair tax. What makes the tax fair is that it is a convenience and luxury tax that people pay. This is not a  regressive tax at all because there are exemptions and ways to avoid paying the tax. The sales tax does not disproportionately tax a higher percentage of someone’s income, unless that person chooses to pay the tax out of their own convenience. I believe that this tax should not be lowered because it is a fair tax that brings in a lot of revenue to the State of New Jersey. Lowering this tax will not be a tax cut on the working poor. Tax cuts are meant to help people keep more of the money that they earn. There are likely other ways to cut taxes that would be a better solution for those with low incomes, instead of cutting a tax on luxury items. In brief, out of all the taxes the government imposes, the sales tax is one that is not a regressive tax and should be left at it’s current rate.

Works Cited

“New Jersey Sales Tax Guide.” (n.d.): Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

“Sales Tax By State: Are Grocery Items Taxable?” TaxJar Sales Tax Blog. N.p., 30 Aug. 2016. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

NEW JERSEY DIVISION OF TAXATION MINIMUM LEGAL PRICES ON CIGARETTES AS OF AUGUST 2, 2016  (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.

“NJ Division of Taxation-S&U Tax: Home Improvements” NJ Division of Taxation – S & U Tax: Home Improvements. N.p., 20 Oct. 2014. Web. 13 Nov. 2016. b. 13 Nov. 2016.

Samantha Marcus. “N.J. Gas Tax Hike Deal: Christie Demanded a Sales Tax Cut, but Will You Notice It?” NJ.com. N.p., 29 Oct. 2016. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

Blue Lives Matter

Officer Darren Wilson was proud to pin the badge of the Ferguson Police Department to his dress blues, but since he discharged his Sig P229 pistol on August 9, 2014, the badge reminds him that he mortally wounded a teenager in the line of duty. A nationwide study conducted from 2008-2012 by Pamela Kulbarsh, a psychiatric nurse for over 25 years and a member of San Diego’s Psychiatric Emergency Response Team, found that nearly 150,000 officers have experienced symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, not to mention the officers who, because of the stigma of appearing weak, have yet to come forward with their symptoms. But when police officers decide to confront their physiological troubles, Kulbarsh found that the men in blue are being deprived of a stable support system to help guide them in the right direction. For years, we have ignored the calls for help from the guardians of our safety who have pledged to protect our nation.

Police whose lives are often at risk may fear for their safety even from suspects whose guns are unloaded or who brandish what looks like a weapon. The fact that they were not in mortal danger in no way diminishes their reasonable fear. Are police officer’s wrong to shoot “an unarmed suspect” or are they within their rights to neutralize a suspect whose intention was to harm? On the night of August 9, 2014, police officer Darren Wilson of the Ferguson Police Department was on patrol when he received a call about a robbery and physical dispute between an 18 year old male and a Ferguson Market clerk. A nationwide study conducted in 2013 by USA.com found that the average crime rate in Ferguson, Missouri, is 2,6885.38, which trumps the Missouri crime rate of 1,858.24 and the national average crime rate of 1,669.05. Officer Wilson spotted Michael Brown walking down the street wearing a hoodie, a red hat and yellow socks that matched the offenders description. Michael Brown’s hands were in his pockets, which perhaps gave the illusion (from a police officer’s perspective) that he could be holstering a weapon. The high crime rate alone was enough to justify officer Wilson’s feelings of uneasiness. Officer Wilson had to acknowledge that there was already a physical altercation with the Ferguson Market Clerk, so his defensiveness is valid. When officer Darren Wilson confronted Brown, Brown reached through the window of the police car, disrespecting the barrier that separates Brown from officer Wilson. Darren Wilson pleads that Michael Brown reached for his hosteled weapon forcing him to fire through Brown’s hand, which signifies the heightened severity of the situation. Because Brown’s physical gesture posed a direct threat to the safety of Darren Wilson, officer Wilson got out of his car to pursue Brown and shot him six times. While six shots seems inexcusable, we can relate to his heightened sense of perceived danger. Officer Wilson shot Michael Brown because Brown appeared to have an apparent intent to cause harm. The fact that he may not have a weapon in no way diminishes officer Wilson’s fear for his life. One of the central questions in the case of Michael Brown that was argued is whether officer Darren Wilson’s response to a situation that calls for instantaneous reactions could hold him accountable. The decision made by officer Wilson reflects an officer’s moral instinct to protect the public at any time and place that the peace is threatened.

As we learn from Chris Mooney in “The Science of Why Cops Shoot Young Black Men,” we are not “born with racial prejudices. We may never even have been taught them. Rather, prejudice draws on many of the same tools that help our minds figure out what’s good and what’s bad. In evolutionary terms, it’s efficient to quickly classify a grizzly bear as dangerous. The trouble comes when the brain uses similar processes to form negative views about groups of people.” A study conducted by Lewis Loflin, a former U.S. Army and military officer , in 2012 found that of the total 2,029 arrests made in Ferguson, Missouri, 558 were white/hispanic and 1,471 were black. It is entirely possible that officer Wilson reacted to many cues in addition to the race of Michael Brown. It has been argued that the six shots to Michael Brown’s body was both excessive and unnecessary. Perhaps police officers learn to be suspicious of individuals that the general public do not fear. Officer Wilson could have developed reflexes that we don’t have, causing him to react faster or with more force than we would.

Police officers lives are often threatened. They have an obligation to respect the rights of suspects. They also have a (sometimes conflicting) right to defend themselves against mortal danger. Under the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights, American law enforcement personnel is partially protected from investigation and prosecution arising from conduct during official performance of their duties, and provides them with privileges based on due process additional to those normally provided to other citizens. But police officers are not fully protected. This leaves them vulnerable to due process for a natural instinct. The stress from a shooting is sometimes overwhelming as an officer may feel betrayed by the department he/she serves. In addition, an officer faces administrative and legal proceeding which could result in termination, criminal charges or even being sued. Michael Brown posed a threat to officer Wilson by neglecting to respect the barrier that separates the inside of the car from the outside of the car, while attempting to retrieve officer Wilson’s gun. As we learned from Sunil Dutta, an advocate for police safety and 17-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, in “Column defending cops in Ferguson sparks online fury,” people should  “not challenge law enforcement — save that for lodging a complaint later. Do what the officer tells you to and it will end safely for both of you.” We need to acknowledge that police officers are well trained to recognize threats and are also experts at defusing them or avoiding confrontations that might turn deadly or dangerous. If people simply cooperated with police officers, there would be fewer arrests and less violence as a result.

A study conducted by Police One showing the reaction time of a police officer when faced with different scenarios. The test subjects were 24 male volunteers recruited from an active-shooter training class at a regional SWAT conference. Each officer, equipped with a Glock training pistol, was to progress through 10 rooms in an abandoned school where an officer was to confront a suspect with a similar pistol at a distance of 10 feet. According to prior instruction, one-fifth of the suspects followed the officer’s order to surrender peacefully, whereas the rest, designated as attackers, were told to try to shoot the officer at any time they chose. Analysis showed that the suspects on average were able to fire in just 0.38 second after initial movement of their gun. Officers fired back in an average of 0.39 second after the suspect’s movement began. The officer and suspect effectively shot at similar times. Why should an officer be held responsible for a natural instinct? These numbers validate police officer’s rights to react in the way they do to certain situations. Officer Wilson shot Michael Brown’s hand out of pure response to the altercation. While the next six shots seems inexcusable, we can understand officer Wilson’s perceived sense of danger and excessive reaction to a potential violent situation. Effectively, it is either kill or be killed.

Police officers, as a highly scrutinized group, should not be held responsible for a potential threat to their well-being and others around them. The burden we place on police officers, to protect the safety of everyone they encounter, is incompatible with their human instinct to protect themselves from danger. When we scrutinize their actions without considering how often they place themselves in danger on our behalf, we impose an unjust burden on them. The threats they recognize, that we might not, are mitigating circumstances.

On May 30, 1991, John Balcerzak, a police officer of the Milwaukee Police Department, discovered Konerak Sinthasomphone, a 14-year-old, wandering the street naked and bleeding from his rectum. Jeffery Dahmer, an unknown serial killer at the time, told police that Sinthasomphone was his 19-year-old boyfriend, and that they had an argument while drinking. Dahmer acted embarrassed about the situation and insisted that the child return home with him. Officer Balcerzak willingly handed over the child and escorted them back to Dahmer’s apartment, while neglecting to take the child’s wounds into consideration. When they arrived back at the apartment, Dahmer showed the officers two polaroid photos that he had taken of Konerak in his underwear. Once officer Balcerzak saw proof that they were lovers, he told Dahmer to take good care of him. Later that night, Dahmer killed and dismembered Sinthasomphone, keeping his skull as a souvenir. Not only did Officer Balcerzak witness the suffering of a child, he let the criminal walk away. Police officers lives are constantly threatened, but to watch a victim visibly suffer and then watch the criminal get off must have been psychologically unbearable. Officer Balcerzak did not receive the necessary counseling for the guilt he must have felt from handing over a boy to his torturer and executioner. Employee Assistance Programs have been developed to defuse high levels of stress in law enforcement. But the truth is, police officers whose lives are under constant stress do not receive the necessary assistance to help them cope with their physiological complications. A study conducted in 2002 by David Klinger, a professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and Senior Fellow at the Police Foundation in Washington, DC., surveyed 80 police officers who’ve dealt with 10 or more murder cases throughout their careers. Of the 80 police officers surveyed, 48% still experience trouble sleeping and an outstanding 83% have recurrent thoughts or feelings. An unhealthy mindset as a police officer has an adverse effect on behavior, emotion and performance.  The lack of counseling in law enforcement has directly impeded efficiency levels in law enforcement.

The pressures of law enforcement have led to high blood pressure, insomnia, increased levels of destructive stress hormones, heart problems, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and suicide. A study conducted by Badge of Life in 2016 found that there are about 17 suicides per 100,000 officers who graduate from the academy compared to a mere 7.5 per 100,000 suicides among 4-year college students whose lives are impacted by astronomical college tuitions and societal pressures to acquire a degree. Support and therapy could help mitigate the mental health damage caused by this type of trauma. Police officers deserve all the help we can give them to regain their original selves. Officers are constantly exposed to dangerous situations by virtue of their job, but the system to help police officers cope with their stress is woefully inadequate. It is inexcusable how many lives have been damaged and/or taken from the lack of support for people who sacrifice their lives on a day-to-day basis to keep us safe.

The common problem lies in the lack of trust that police officers have in their Employee Assistance Programs. Police officers do not feel a personal connection with their therapists; they would rather talk to someone in their line of duty. The attitude seems to be related to past experience and concern about not being understood by a superior when stress-related behaviors develop. Gary Allmers, a detective in the Bergen County Prosecutors Office, said, “There is a lack of understanding in these programs to help officers cope with their problems. We do not want to sit down and talk to a therapist who cannot relate to our situation. We need to talk to someone, perhaps a retired officer, about the common stressors in law enforcement. There is good intention, but we need someone who has been in our shoes before. I feel alone most of the time, which scares me quite frankly.” To a civilian, it may seem that officers would be more comfortable confessing their anxieties and second-guessing to a civilian, not another uniform. How can bruised officers receive counseling from other officers who were indoctrinated into the same “suck it up” culture? But the truth is, police officers become less macho when they retire. Employee Assistance Programs should consist of retired officers who have dealt with similar problems in their line of duty. Police officers, the guardians of our safety, should never feel alone. We need to meet police officers half way and stop supplying them with mediocre support systems. If one cop is saying a therapist is not enough, imagine the officer’s who have yet to come forward about their symptoms.

Employee Assistance Programs in law enforcement are also not mandatory. Police officers are given the option to seek help. But the truth is, the largest barrier to effective treatments and support systems is the culture that exists among police officers. There is an imposed willpower in law enforcement that requires officers to restrain from their emotions and feelings of pain. Police officers commonly face internal stressors, such as administrative stress, that include long hours, lack of support, overtime, no room for advancement, and family complications. External stressors are correlated with outside factors such as the attitude of the general public, daily exposure to trauma, negativity, and uneasiness when dealing with challenging and dangerous situations. Yet, police officers are expected to make that emotional switch and focus on another case, regardless of what they may be experiencing at the time. In a predominantly male culture emphasizing toughness and a shrug-it-off, suck-it-up mentality, officers are forced to keep their feelings to themselves and resort to unhealthy methods of coping, which result in negative outcomes (such as alcohol abuse, risk-taking behaviors, etc.).  Police officers, who do not come forward because of the stigma of appearing weak, are putting themselves at risk for serious physiological complications. These programs are seemingly noneffective if they are not mandated in police departments.

Cops that suppress their natural instincts during conflict and “deal with the consequences” later only makes sense that there’s a benefit to the suppression in the first place. Law enforcement is both physically and mentally demanding, but sloppy emotions like empathy, understanding, sharing in, and caring about someone’s emotions can get in the way of effective emergency policing. In 2014, officer Joe Winters, a deputy in the King County Sheriff’s Office, was called in response to a woman’s behavior, which residents deemed disruptive, in a city park in western Washington. When he arrived, officer Winters noticed a woman, who appeared to be homeless, laying on a bench shivering in thirty degree weather. The woman claimed that she purchased the bench and refused to leave. Officer Winters did not give into her false claims, but felt an underlying sense of compassion for the woman. Instead of forcibly removing her from the park, he gave her a blanket and sat with her for hours. Officer Winters inability to restrain from his emotions prevented him from performing his duty. Therefore, cops, unlike officer Winters, are rewarded for being able to distance themselves from their feelings.

Police officers are also more at risk for alcohol abuse than the general public, as a result of their stress levels. When police officer’s actually accumulate astronomical amounts of pressure in their field of duty, alcohol seems like a reasonable solution to their problems. The most remote cause for alcohol abuse in law enforcement lies in alcohol’s ability to alter levels of neurotransmitters in the brain that take officers away from their line of duty and into a mindless bliss. Why not drink alcohol as a temporary relief to help cope with a murder case? Vicki Lindsay, a professor of Criminology and Penology at the University of Southern Mississippi, conducted a study of police officer’s in urban communities and found that of the 375 officers surveyed, 11% of male officers and 16% of female officers reported alcohol use levels deemed “at-risk” by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism as opposed to a mere 4.7% alcohol use, ages 18-64, in educational services. Alcohol provides an outlet for police officers because they refuse to seek treatment for their anxieties or symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Problems that develop (such as alcohol dependency) are usually the result of a police officer’s, because of the stigma of appearing weak, reluctance to seek help. Mike Violette, an executive director of the Colorado State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police, emphasized that it was “difficult enough to have officer’s come forward who have this problem. There is an ‘I can handle it’ attitude that cops have.” A way to minimize the help police officers are offered, they quickly and completely indulge in a night of binge drinking that allow for them to drown the nagging memories months of talk therapy only dull.

Unhealthy coping mechanisms pave the way for additional stressors such as murderous hours, rank stagnation and managerial apathy. Lethargy is dangerous in law enforcement because it eats away at the productivity, ethics and effectiveness of an officer. Police officers become no longer willing to uphold the duties entrusted to them when they took the oath. Mark Bond, professor of Criminal Justice at American Military University, said,” What many officers might not be aware of is the long-term effects of chronic fatigue and the relationship between stress and fatigue. Not getting enough rest and not eating properly in order to fuel the body can increase the effects of fatigue. Being fatigued on-duty causes many issues, such as poor decision making and other cognitive task difficulties.” The lack of counseling in law enforcement directly impacts a police officer’s performance and effectiveness in their field of duty. Police officers need and deserve our help to regain their mental health.

Law enforcement needs to eliminate the stigma surrounding the culture of law enforcement regarding the harsh judgment of police officers who seek professional help for mental health concerns. The problem is completely internal to the department. It is critical that officers learn healthy coping strategies to minimize stress on a regular basis, rather than attempt to mask stress with alcohol or other unhealthy behaviors. We cannot limit our efforts to educate the protectors of our well-being. We must provide contemporaneous trauma support.

Works Cited

Aamodt, Michael G., and Nicole A. Stalnaker. “Police Officer Suicide: Frequency and officer profiles.” PoliceOne. 20 June 2006. Web. 11 Nov. 2016.

Allmers, Gary. “Employee Assistance Programs.” Personal interview. 11 Nov. 2016.

Bond, Mark. “The Impact of Stress and Fatigue on Law Enforcement Officers and Ways to Control It.” In Public Safety. American Military University, 01 Dec. 2015. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.

Cassell, Paul. “Officer Wilson under Missouri law.” The Washington Post. 26 Nov. 2014. Web. 28 Oct. 2016.

Gustafson, Timi. “Keeping Your Emotions Bottled Up Could Kill You.” Huffpost Living. 31 Mar. 2014. Web. 4 Nov. 2016.

Klinger, David. “Police Responses to Officer-Involved Shootings.” National Institute of Justice. National Institute of Justice, 1 Feb. 2002. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.

Levs, Josh. “Column defending cops in Ferguson sparks online fury.” CNN. Josh Levs. 20 Aug 2014. 28 Oct. 2016.

Lewinski, Bill. “New reaction-time study.” Police one. 26 May. 2011. 28 Oct. 2016.

McGhee, Tom. “Police Officers Struggle with PTSD.” The Denver Post. 18 Jun. 2014. Web. 4 Nov. 2016.

Mooney, Chris. “The Science of Why Cops Shoot Young Black Men.” Mother Jones. 1 Dec. 2014. Web. 28 Oct. 2016.

Willman, Elizabeth A. “Alcohol Use Among Law Enforcement.” The Journal of Law Enforcement. 2.3 (2008) 1-4. Print.

“Ferguson, MO Crime Rate.” USA.com. 1 Jan. 2016. 9 Nov. 2016.

Sports Injuries

Everyone knows that sports are dangerous but that doesn’t stop them from playing them. The thrill of the sport is worth the potential risk for injury. Contact sports need to be regulated stricter and become all around safer to keep our favorite athletes safe no matter how young or old. No sport is worth affecting your health for the rest of your life.

Sprains and strains in ankles, shoulders, and knees are the most common injuries in sports. When athletes get injured it is extremely difficult for them to sit out and rest until they get healthy enough to play. For this reason, it is common for athletes to play while injured which makes the injury much worse, potentially season or even career ending. The Washington Post explains to us the different types of sports injuries, classified into two categories. The first category is traumatic injuries. These injuries are sustained by sudden changes in movement, and sudden high levels of stress on the body throughout impact. An example of this would be getting hit in a football game where a perfectly healthy body part get abruptly abused and causes an injury. The other category of an injury is an overuse injury. This sounds pretty self explanatory. It is sustained over a long or short period of time due to continuous use of body parts without enough time for recovery. For some reason, people are much more attracted to the dangerous sports such as hockey and football. It must be the thrill of the risk of injury that keeps people hooked and coming back for more. Football has the highest risk of injury with hockey following closely behind. The top five most strenuous sports are: starting at number five is lacrosse, then rugby, followed by hockey, after that comes football and the most strenuous sport of them all is MMA wrestling.

A lot of time and money is invested to creating the safest sporting equipment possible. The pads are made to work when they fit properly. Athletes should be taught how to choose the correctly sized equipment. If they are using pads too big or too small, the pads will be covering the wrong areas which can result in serious injury. When worn the correct way, the pads will absorb majority of the physical blow and leave you unharmed. Players wearing the wrong sized equipment should be banned and regulated closer.

The rate of career ending injuries is on the rise so finally the heads of different leagues are putting stricter penalties for vicious hits that are known to cause harm to an individual. For example in hockey, the leading cause of concussions is due to a hit from behind into the boards.

The USA Hockey Rulebook clearly states that a major penalty plus a game misconduct penalty, or match penalty, must be called in the following instances:

(1)    In every instance where a player forcefully checks an opponent who is standing along the boards (back toward the middle of the ice).

(2)    In every instance where a player is thrust head first into the boards or goal frame.

(3)    In every instance where injury results from a check from behind, regardless of whether or not board contact is made.

A match penalty must be assessed in all instances when a player clearly checks an opponent from behind with excessive force while the opponent is in a vulnerable position. Checking from behind is senseless and extremely dangerous. On-Ice Officials must be sensitive to all checks from behind that occur within the “danger zone,” which is the area approximately ten feet out from the boards. Players who are checked from behind in this area and who then crash into the boards may be at high risk of receiving a serious and possibly life altering injury.

A very interesting article written by the Virginia pilot explains a case of a recent hockey player from South Jersey named Anthony Calabrese. He is a Gloucester Catholic High school alumni playing for the Norfolk Admirals of Virginia in the ECHL professional league. From behind, Murovich, a veteran with the Atlanta Gladiators, pushes Calabrese in the lower back with a stick. Calabrese buckles backward, then forward, falls and almost explodes headfirst into the boards. Murovich was initially fined and suspended indefinitely by the ECHL for boarding. O n Thursday, that was elevated to a 12-game suspension for careless and reckless play resulting in an injury to an opponent. Calabrese will suffer from a broken vertebrae were C7 (cervical), at the base of the neck, and T1 (thoracic), at the top of the back. A broken neck and broken back. Luckily he will make a full recovery. The rehabilitation will be lengthy but in reality Anthony is lucky to be alive. Hockey is a dangerous sport and sometimes people do not realize how dangerous is actually is. Anthony was just playing the sport he loves, just like he has for his entire life. Because of one little hit, his life will be changed forever. This story explains exactly why these new rules need to be in place to help prevent these types of incidents in the future.

Similar rules have been put into place in football as well. The helmet to helmet, often referred to as targeting, hits are often life altering so the NFL had to do something about this epidemic. A large fine is given to the guilty player as well as a game misconduct. This is just one of many rule changes the NFL has passed in 2016. A few other new rules posted on NFL.com are:

• Make all chop blocks illegal.
• Expand the horse collar rule
• A player who is penalized twice in one game for certain types of unsportsmanlike conduct fouls will be disqualified.
• Eliminate the five-yard penalty for when an eligible receiver illegally touches a forward pass after being out of bounds and re-establishing himself inbounds. The owners voted to make it a loss of down.

These rules are all imposed to help lower the injury rate to these athletes and make the sport all around safer without losing the interest from the audience.

The Washington Post elaborates on the crisis claiming that, more than 40 percent of retired National Football League players had signs of traumatic brain injury based on sensitive MRI scans called diffusion tensor imaging, according to a press release from the AAN. The researchers studied 165 deceased people who had played the sport in high school, college or professionally, and found evidence of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) in 131 of them.

Out of all of the players affected by the constant blows to the head, I found one case to be very interesting. It is an older player who had recently passed away. During his time playing in the NFL, the medical technology was not as advanced as it is today. Therefore, much of the brain trauma from this era went undetected.

An article from ESPN explains to us how Lew Carpenter never had any concussions — or at least none that his family knew about back in the 1950s and ’60s, when he played for the Lions, Browns and Packers and there wasn’t as much concern over them as there is now. Still, when he began having trouble late in his life finding the right word, keeping things organized, remembering why he was going to the doctor or controlling his temper, relatives grew concerned. After he died last year at the age of 78, they agreed to donate his brain to researchers studying a degenerative disease increasingly found in football players and other athletes who have absorbed repeated blows to the head. This week the results came in: Carpenter had an advanced form of Chronic Traumatic Encephelopathy.

A major cause of concussions is because players are not using safe protective equipment. In this day and age the technology in sports equipment is state of the art. While the training is getting more advanced, players are getting bigger and stronger. Therefore, the equipment technology is getting more advanced as well.  The problem with it is that it is bulky and ugly. Players don’t want to wear big bulky helmets due to the fact that they are not the best looking . Players like to use their older style helmets that they think have good style and that they are used to. This old technology in helmets is outdated and plays a huge role in concussion numbers. Another similar example of this is shoulder pads. Athletes like the smaller lighter style pads so they are more agile. The downfall of this is when they do make contact with a 200 pound opponent it causes serious shoulder trauma. The number two most common injury in contact sports are acromioclavicular (AC) joint separations. This could easily be prevented with the proper use of protective equipment. Athletes are just too stubborn to adapt to the new style. An AC joint separation or AC joint sprain is an injury to the ligament that holds the acromioclavicular joint together at the top of the shoulder. It is usually caused by fall or blow onto an outstretched arm. The Sports Injury Clinic explains to us that AC joint sprains range from very mild to a severe injury. Early treatment and support through taping is important to avoid long term problems or shoulder deformity. Symptoms of this type of injury include pain right at the end of the collar bone on the top of the shoulder. The pain may be widespread throughout the shoulder initially but later on more localized to a bony point on the top of the shoulder. Pain will be worse when trying to move the arm overhead and there is often swelling and depending on the extent of the injury a deformity may be seen in the form of an obvious lump on top of the shoulder joint. Acromioclavicular joint separations are graded one to six with grade one being mild with only minor ligament damage and no separation of the bones while grade 6 is a severe injury with complete ruptures of the ligaments and visible deformity. In most cases this is treated solely by resting the shoulder for six to eight weeks. “Sudden Onset” explains the injury in depth. The problem is that players would rather fight through the pain of the injury and continue to play. This causes big problems later down the road. There should be more strict regulations on the return time of known injured players. It should be left to a higher authority to clear them, allowing the Injured player to return playing full contact. If the injury does not heal correctly, a serious surgery is required to fix the damaged ligaments. Similar to the ACL tear, there is an extreme physical therapy treatment required to rehabilitate the shoulder.

Along with the concussion issue, I can also relate to the AC joint separation dilemma. In my years of ice hockey, I have suffered from two AC joint separations in both of my shoulders. This constant beating on my abused shoulders is what ultimately ended my hockey career. All of my coaches and scouts had big plans for me after collegiate hockey but unfortunately due to the neglect to my injured body parts, my career came to an abrupt ending. All of my dreams went down the tubes. I cannot stress enough how important it is to take care of your injuries in the proper manner and not rush right back into the game. Doctors get paid a high salary to figure out what the necessary precautions are for your injury, you should listen to them before you lose your chance at the game you love.

A concussion is when the head receives a blow causing the brain to shake inside of the skull and strike the inside of the skull. In a sense, it creates a contusion on the brain affecting some cognitive abilities.

Symptoms of a grade 1 concussion include being dazed and an inability to follow directions or think clearly, states Brain Injury Association of America. With a grade 2 concussion, the individual experiences similar symptoms that last longer and may also suffer amnesia. With a grade 3 concussion, the person losses consciousness and experiences more serious symptoms such as a noticeable change in brain function, behavior and cognition.In addition to the cognitive symptoms, concussions may also cause a person to feel nauseous, dizzy or tired, notes WebMD. People with concussions may experience blurred vision, difficulty balancing and sensitivity to light. Changes in sleeping patterns or mood may also occur.

Most people fully recover from a mild concussion with rest, according to WebMD. Even if symptoms disappear quickly after a mild concussion, the brain is still healing and is more prone to injury. Repeated concussions may cause permanent damage and inhibit a person’s ability to learn, speak or move.

Playing competitive ice hockey for the past 15 years has given me a broad insight to the damage that is associated with concussions. I personally have had 6 concussions. Some mild, and some severe. After a few concussions you really start to notice the long term side affects. standing up too quickly makes you black out, exerting too much energy too quickly without warming up makes you dizzy, and concentrating for long periods of time gives you migraines. I can personally say that concussions have a huge impact on your everyday life if not treated properly. I was young and dumb and did not use the proper healing procedure. I refused to sit out for the required time period because all I wanted to do was play. I had all of my coaches and teammates pushing me to get back on the ice. I gave in before I was cleared and now I am suffering the consequences. I should have listed to the doctors and trainers but I was naive and just wanted to play. Now a few pointless hockey games are going to affect me for the rest of my life.

Next on the list of popular sports injuries are ligament strains and tears. Each sport has different common injuries. For example, in baseball a common injury is called Tommy John syndrome. The Tommy John surgery repairs an injured elbow ligament. It’s most commonly done on college and pro athletes, especially baseball pitchers. It’s sometimes done on younger players as well. WebMd explains to us how the surgery is named after former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tommy John. In 1974, he underwent the first surgery of this type.Tommy John surgery is also called UCL reconstruction. UCL is short for ulnar collateral ligament.During Tommy John surgery, a surgeon replaces the injured UCL with a tendon taken from somewhere else in the patient’s body.

Now in more physical contact sports other injuries to ligaments are more common. ACL and MCL tears are very common in sports such as football and soccer. Both ligaments are located in the leg and the injuries frequently occur simultaneously. A Medical Collateral Ligament (MCL) injury can cause knee pain and instability, forcing you to take time off from your usual activities. While resting the knee will help prevent further damage, rest alone won’t speed up the healing process. If you want to heal your MCL as quickly as possible, you need to relieve the pain and stimulate blood flow in the soft tissue deep beneath the skin as stated by King Brand. Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tears are usually much more serious than a MCL injury and almost always requires surgery. If it is in fact a tear and not just a strain, surgery is required if you ever want to properly walk again let alone play again. The surgery is the first step but the rehabilitation is the most important part. It is very long, tedious and honestly painful. You have to try and get all of your flexibility back because your tendon is going to be extremely tight after the surgery. You need to re-teach yourself how to walk all over again.

works cited:

HodgesCorrespondent, Jim. “Admirals’ Calabrese Glad to Be Alive after Vicious Hit Broke His Neck, Spine.” Virginian-Pilot. N.p., 06 Dec. 2016. Web. 09 Dec. 2016.

“Evidence of CTE Found in Lew Carpenter’s Brain.” ESPN.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

National Institutes of Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2016.

“Tommy John Surgery (UCL Reconstruction) and Recovery.” WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2016. 

“What Is a Mild Concussion?” Reference. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2016. 

“2016 Rules Changes and Points of Emphasis.” 2016 Rules Changes and Points of Emphasis | NFL Football Operations. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.

Casebook.” USA Hockey Officiating Rulebook Mobile Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2016. 

“forty Percent of Former NFL Players Suffer from Brain Injuries, New Study Shows.” The Washington Post. WP Company, n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.

Core Value I. My work demonstrates that I used a variety of social and interactive practices that involve recursive stages of exploration, discovery, conceptualization, and development.

When researching a topic Professor Hodges made it clear that research ends when the entry is due.  In my White Paper, it’s evident my original argument was changed around and helped develop my final research paper argument.  I made sure not only to explore various different types of sources but not to limit my research just to scholarly sources.  I realized that my work constantly could get better.  I began to feel as if I never would be satisfied and honestly when I turn my work in I’m going to be upset I could not get additional feedback or at least one more revision in before publishing my portfolio.  Writing is understanding that your paper will always be considered a draft as it can always be made better.  I developed into a better writer when I learned how to accept criticism and utilize it to make my overall argument stronger.

Core Value II. My work demonstrates that I placed texts into conversation with one another to create meaning by synthesizing ideas from various discourse communities. 

By posting on the blog I was subject to judgement and feedback whether it was criticism from my professor all the way trickled down to my fellow classmates.  This was a very interesting year and approach to this class as I never knew what to expect or correct.

Core Value III. My work demonstrates that I rhetorically analyzed the purpose, audience, and contexts of my own writing and other texts and visual arguments.

In my Research paper, I provided readers of the blog with unbiased and accurate feedback. Nowadays, it’s hard to get that.  I took full advantage when asking for feedback with my peers.  This left me open just as they made their paper vulnerable to criticism.

Core Value IV: My work demonstrates that I have met the expectations of academic writing by locating, evaluating, and incorporating illustrations and evidence to support my own ideas and interpretations.

I tried to make my paper come off as unbiased but it was obvious there was a definite argument being presented.  Without speaking from complete first person I gave experts the spotlight to help bolster my argument.  My annotated bibliography is a direct representation of this.

Core Value V. My work demonstrates that I respect my ethical responsibility to represent complex ideas fairly and to the sources of my information with appropriate citation. 

I made sure after going over it time after time again that citing was important.   In m Annotated bibliography, My professor emphasized the importance of using good citation techniques and making sure it was placed in MLA format so I went back and fixed all my mistakes regarding format errors.  My annotated bibliography shows my knowledge in citing.