Sunday, December 28, 2008

Response essay #10 of "Memo to John Grisham: What's Next-'A Movie Made Me Do It'?"

Popular filmmaker Oliver Stone wrote “Memo to John Grisham” as a response to his article “Unnatural Killers” which was published in the Oxford American. Mr. Stone addressed the criticism laid about his movie Natural Born Killers. He gave his interpretation of Ben and Sarah (the convicted murders from Grisham’s essay) actions without giving the entire story. The entire article is Mr. Stone’s come back, yet he leaves the last half to enumerate different reason why John Grisham was wrong in his attack on Hollywood.

The purpose for Mr. Stone’s writing is not as clear to me as it may seem to others. The most obvious reason seems to be that he got a little teed off and wanted to rant publicly. His writing is filled with fallacies and contradictions. My attention was drawn more to his obvious dislike for Mr. Grisham. Mr. Stone was right to point out a few things though. He comments on how his film is no different from Tom and Jerry or Bugs Bunny cartoons, I agree. He makes the point that if you’re going to pick on one “harmful” industry you have to do the same to others, I agree to a certain degree. He was right to mention the protection given under the First Amendment. I must point out that he shot himself in the foot with the statistics of children and their TV watching. In his explanation he admits that the violence from television shows could contribute to violent acts. That doesn’t help his case much. His last paragraph is what makes his purpose so unclear for me. He writes “Strangle art in its infancy, he suggests, and society will be a better place. One might more persuasively argue that cold-blooded murderers should be strangled in their infancy. Yet as with human infants, can never know the outcome of nascent are, and so both must be protected and nurtured, precisely for society’s sake.” Does he dare compare his murder-film with a child? Is he trying to convince me that no matter how heinous a “human work” is, that it should be nurtured and protected just as a human child? If so, he just may be just a crazy and masochistic as Hitler.

Response essay #9 "Unnatural Killers" by John Grisham

“Unnatural Killers”
Written in the classic John Grisham style, Unnatural Killers begins with a thrilling true tale of two young persons’ coldblooded killing spree. Spun with the skill of his craft, Mr. Grisham argues that the couple’s violent actions were influenced by the movie thriller Natural Born Killers. In his scathing rebuke of the film and others like it, he places the blame on Hollywood and filmmakers. He conveys two options for dealing with the problem: boycott or lawsuit.

I believe that Mr. Grisham wrote an excellent argument. The story was very compelling and the given details were enough to make any mother hold her little ones close. In his attempt to persuade his readers he failed to include details that I think are necessary in forming a decision about the issue. Details such as knowing that the couple were using drugs that would cause hallucinations and knowing that they watched the movie over and over again would help the reader to form a much more informed decision. However, his points are right on in my opinion. Unfortunately, boycotting is the only way that I would, in good conscience, take action on “Hollywood.” Since the writing of this essay, several changes have taken place. Ratings on movies and other entertainment media have become more stringent. The violence has increased though. This point is one to camp out on. The draw of violence cannot be curbed by the letter of the law. On the contrary, the law is the symptom that there is a problem not the cure. The cure must be administered deep in to the heart of man and as far as I know there are no laws that go that far. I champion Mr. Grisham’s efforts and have joined in the fight by being a vigilant fighter for my children's and my mind by being one who actively guards against unwholesome media. No law of the land persuaded or influenced my decision.

Response essay #8 of "The Threat of National ID" by William Safire

William Safire, notably credentialed with being a speech writer for President Nixon, television producer, and reporter for a well known news paper, laid out his argument against the National ID card in this short article. He used the appeal to the draw of modern technology that not only convenience our lives and calm our fear by the use of a chip developed to help locate our lost animals, to begin his argument. Due to the threat of another terrorist attack similar to 9/11, law makers and marketers are eager to use the opportunity to trample the Fourth Amendment he argues. Mr. Safire relates the current misuses of government power to trample that amendment, to support his case. Not leaving imagination to chance, he described the implications of what having a National ID card would lead to, only after explaining the difference between what a State issued license and the federal card are. Lastly, if you had not been convinced by his argument Mr. Safire leads you back to the beginning showing how the information stored on the chip of a small and insignificant card would naturally be replace by a chip being implanted behind your neck.

After reading William Safire’s argument, one could be left thinking that they had read a science fiction story. Sadly the truth is stranger than fiction. All of what Mr. Safire has written is true and modern reality. His purpose of writing is an obvious warning call.Many people believe, not just Americans, that they are marching toward an abyss that has been described by some biblical scholars as the End Times. Though Mr. Safire was not writing from a biblical persuasion, the question that he addresses gets to the very core of liberty. Are you willing to giving up anonymity, privacy, your liberty for convenience and false security? With the use of technology like the Magic Lantern and the Carnivore, our liberties are already in a precarious place. The way that he describes the natural evolution of a devise such as the National ID card is no scare tactic. He desires for the reader to think. The consequences of not thinking and taking action has been devastating for our nation and I fear that twilight has passed and the dawn of a new day for the US and indeed the world may already be here.

Response essay #7 of "Why Fear National ID Cards?" by Alan Dershowitz

Why Fear National ID Cards?
Alan Dershowitz, a self proclaimed civil libertarian, takes a radically non-libertarian stance on the National ID card in his essay.-Why Fear National ID Cards? The essay’s introduction brings readers attention to the modern technology that has made life for travelers easier who use toll booths. His argument begins to center on sacrificing anonymity for security; however by the end of his writing his argument changes to the issue of Americans’ obligation to give up liberty for that security.

The purpose of Mr. Dershowitz’s essay is clearly to persuade and almost mock the citizens not in favor of the National ID card. The trading-privacy-for-convenience argument that he used does not carry the same weight as the real issue at hand. He and others may be comfortable with being totally transparent with their lives but many others are not. To buy a service and tool that would allow drivers to pass through toll booths quickly is a choice that can be accepted or denied by the patron. However, the choice to accept or reject a National ID would be denied if it were to become mandatory. This is a point that he neglects to mention and weakens his argument for me. His attempt to address the possible objections fell with only non-answers such as: Question-“What about fears of identity cards leading to more intrusive measures?” Answer- “We already require photo IDs for many activities, including flying, driving, drinking, and check-cashing.” Doesn’t this National ID card come in the form of “more intrusive measures?” He fails to ask the question if there is anything wrong with giving licenses for those things that he holds up as identification that “we” have accepted. Thinking like Alan Dershowitz does not actually solve problems. I think that his fear of terrorism has blinded him to what he should really fear, and sacrificing his liberty is a symptom of it. His ideas are not uncommon and I fear a change in America unlike any that we have seen before. The people are ready to sacrifice all but there pleasures to be safe.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Just How Far Must a Government Go to Become Despotic? (essay #4)

Word Count 1414

“We shall be carrying out everything according to plan. There is no need to change course. Aziz only needs to tweak a few wires.” A simple email correspondence worded in a similar manner as the fake excerpt above would seize the attention of the newly created Department of Homeland Security. Buzz words and phrases such as; “according to plan”, “change course”, “wires” or even my son’s name “Aziz” would perhaps be enough suspicion to believe me to be involved in terrorism. Legislation passed by the US Congress gives the NSA, FBI, CIA and other government bureaus the right to monitor citizens’ correspondences. Government monitoring of phone calls, personal emails, websites citizens visit, and searches that they perform on Google is an evil practice that does not keep Americans safer, but violates personal liberties.
Scholars and theologians of the 16th century understood the necessity to protect the people’s privacy from their governments. In America’s infancy, opinions were split as to how the country should be governed, yet the majority if not all understood the importance of a safeguard for the people’s liberty. Spelled out in the IV Amendment of the Constitution it reads:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, and against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized.

To conduct unreasonable searches is a form of terrorism in itself. When Germany annexed Austria, the soldiers were ordered to invade the homes of non-Jewish citizens in order to find Jews who would have been evading capture. It is widely known that the Germans, under the reign of Adolf Hitler, practiced eugenics thereby slaughtering millions of undesirables. The Jews were among the undesirables. Austrians feared associating with Jews. It was rare to find them helping one. The Austrians were terrified of the German government. Let it be said that any congressman or women who voted for the unconstitutional search of citizens private effects has not read the Constitution, Declaration of Independence or any of the writings from the time of this country’s founding or worse-they have chosen to ignore them and are perhaps following a fascistic path. The colonists knew of the oppression that came when a government threw out the rule of law. They knew it and many lost their lives to through it off. Obtaining the legal documents, supported by an oath, before a warrant is issued maintains the notion that the people are to be protected from unjust suspicions. However, Mike McConnell, Director of National Intelligence, said, “[Without]…retroactive liability protection, [companies’] general counsels, as an obligation…would tell them not to cooperate with us….The tragedy is it would slow our efforts; it would make us less effective”(qtd. In Mass). Even though “companies’” (such as AT&T) general council would discourage them from cooperating with DHS because of the illegal nature of the job, Mr. McConnell does not seek a warrant for a suspected guilty person, but immunity for companies that would partner with him to spy on every citizen that he deems suspicious.

As hard as it may be to parallel the US government with Nazi Germany, one way to control a population is to keep them in continual fear so as to give the sense of the need to be protected. Therefore, the people would give up liberties willingly. Yet with Legislation such as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) or the Protect America Act (PAA) one would have a fear of what to say or even read not wanting to be suspected of terrorism. As one writer notes and quotes James Madison

“The president… played the al-Qaeda card to full advantage. Now might be a good time to recall the warning once uttered by James Madison: ‘If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.’ Madison’s words alluded to the time-honored principle that a people who normally would guard their freedom jealously, often are willing to sacrifice some of that freedom if they can be convinced that a foreign enemy poses a greater threat.”(Mass)

One proponent of the Patriot Act would think that Mr. Mass’ assessment a bit paranoid. W. E. Jacobs argues that the regular business of running a library; collecting fines, storing patrons information is a matter of government watchfulness. He also contends that using those records to combat terrorism would fall under the same government watchfulness, and shouldn’t be seen as an attack on civil liberties (Jacobs). I am not as confident. Under such ambiguous language as in the aforementioned legislations, just about anyone could be suspected of terrorism. Curiosity and inventiveness would be curbed for fear of suspected motivations and intentions thereby being assumed guilty before proven to be. One example of this would be my internet search for “atom bomb”. Being curious about a statement supposedly made by Albert Einstein regretting his part in building the bomb, I decided to do the search. In the back of my mind I was wondering how many alarms were going off at the NSA. Certainly many Americans are not drawing the same conclusions that I am; however does that warrant the lost of their right to privacy?

If one assumes that our rights are derived from a source other than government, legislators removing the most basic right of privacy reduces a person from a citizen to the property of the State. The architects of this nation would abhor what Washington has done. America’s foundational document states clearly that the people are not the property of its government; “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men…are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights….” Every citizen in the United States is issued a number at birth. Unless one desires to cease being a person residing in the country they will take a number; an action that could otherwise leave one destitute. The slippery slope of marking people has no end in sight. In the summer of 2008 my states governor refused to accept the National ID card. On the horizon, the RFID chip will be implanted in every citizen used for identification commerce and whatever else its servant government would deem necessary for the good of the nation.

The argument for tapping into citizens private effects has been said to be a legitimate way of protecting the people and is only limited to suspects who would seek to harm America. The evidence has shown that the orchestrators and attackers of the 9/11 disaster used telephone, email, websites and even public library facilities to carry out their plan. The same tools that the US government maintains that is needed to continue its work, without interruption are basically the same as were used before the 9/11 attack and in no way prevented it. Lisa Graves and Kate Rhudy from SOUNDING OFF mentions that the FISA bill, passed in the late 1970’s, offered spying tactics designed to defend against terrorism that would, maintain legality, and the rights of the people ensured by the Constitution (Graves). Proponents of measures such as the Patriot Act would content that Americans should be willing to give up a little bit of liberty for security. However the exchange would not be liberty for security but for fear. Americans would fear what to do or say for dread of the State’s eyes and ears condemning them. With all of the talk of protecting America from terrorist, it is strange that the immediate cause of the attacks of September 11th has almost completely been ignored by Washington and most news media on the left and the right of the political spectrum. The CIA has a term, blowback, that explains the acts of terror committed by Middle Eastern people, yet that intelligence has been unnoticed. At the time of its signing the intent of the Protect America Act was to be temporary; however President George W. Bush requested that the measure be extended-indefinitely.

America has embarked on a journey that would take it to a strange new world. As we hurl through time and space with our public-private documents open for administrative scrutiny where might we land? I know that a Pandora’s Box has been opened. What horrors will proceed from it? Only time will tell.





Graves, Lisa, and Kate Rhudy. "Warrantless wiretapping: unconstitutional and unwise.(SOUNDING OFF)." National Voter. 57. 3 (June 2008): 21(1). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Greenville Technical College Library. 6 Nov. 2008 .
Jacobs, W.E. “Point: Access to Library Records is Needed to fight Terrorism.” Point of View: Government Access to Records p2-2 (2007): p1. Points of View Reference Center. Greenville Technical College Library, Greenville, SC. 12 Nov. 2008 .
Mass, Warren. “To Protect America, protect privacy” The New American 23.22 (Oct. 29, 2007): 18(2). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Greenville Technical College Library, Greenville, SC. 6 Nov. 2008http://ezp.gvltec.edu:2069/ovrc/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=OVRC&docId=A17028807&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=gvltec_main&version=1.0>.
United States. “It is Vital that congress Not allow the Core Authorities of the Patriot Act to Expire.” Preserving Life &Liberty. .

Response essay of 'Sico' by Michael Moore

Word count 711

Michael Moore has made a career of producing films that make political statements. Sicko, his latest film was meant to address the health care crisis that is a hot topic in America today. Mr. Moore chose a light-hearted approach peppered with seriousness, sadness and anti-American sentiment. He crossed the globe to make the point that the universal health care system, used in other countries, is a far superior system than what is used in America. Questioning citizens from Canada, Britain, France, and even Cuba, Moore’s objective was to establish that the wait, quality, and cost of health care under those countries’ systems were to be desired and adopted here in the US.

Without much delay Mr. Moore tried to connect with lower class Americans. Identifying the lower class white male without health insurance who severed two of his fingers, Moore explained how the man had to choose which fingers he wanted to save because he was too poor to pay to have both reconnected. If that story does not pull at your heart strings, then the story of the older couple, who had to file bankruptcy and move into the storage room of their unwilling grown daughter, because they lost everything due to medical expenses, will. The assertion that super expensive medical care opposed to free medical care is preferred is almost a nonissue. Unless you understand that nothing is truly free. Socializing medicine is not the only alternative.
In the film we, the viewers, watched as Mr. Moore accompanied a French doctor as he made house calls. What a revolutionary idea! In fact, home visits are not a new idea and would strive better under a free market system rather than a socialist one.

Doctors and patients would have the freedom to determine pay, and demand would keep doctors competitive. This point leads me to an organization that Mr. Moore mentioned in the film- the American Medical Association. This group deserves a little credit for the “health care crisis” that we find ourselves in. What with capping the number of students that medical schools will take makes the ratio of doctor-to-patient unbelievably skewed. No matter how noble doctors are the law of supply and demand works in the medical field just as well as in any other field. Raise your hand if you want to be a doctor. Mr. Moore also documented a conversation where President Nixon seemed to be selling the American people to a greedy business man who started the HMO mess. I don’t cast much doubt on the point that he was making, yet his argument is so laughable. His argument is that the “government” screwed us over so we need more “government” (universal, national, controlled by the government healthcare) to rescue us from the mess that the “government” got us into. I’m a little dizzy trying to stay on that merry-go-round. I will give him credit for pointing out that the government does a crummy job helping people.

It was apparent to me from the beginning of the film that Michael Moore did not share my ideas. I have friends who: sew their own stitches, change their own radiator and toilets, work several jobs, pay for their own health care, and would think it an insult if someone were to tell them that they “should be kicking back on a beach somewhere”-both woman and men, young and old. I would ask my fellow Americans who would desire to go to France so that the government nanny could cook the food and do the laundry, are you truly comfortable with laying your life wide open for the government to look in? A better question would be; would you like an IRS official cleaning your house? Or perhaps having a DSS worker babysitting for you would be more appealing? Unlike others that I know, I am for trading with Cuba, and Moore was right to bring to light how inexpensive medicine is there. Was there a sleight of hand involved? I’m not sure; however I do know that the value of currency plays a big role. To my American friends who would envy the life in Cuba, I would issue a warning. CUBA IS NOT FREE PERIOD.

Making Heads of Migraine Headaches (essay #3)

Word count 942

The Merriam-Webster online Dictionary defines migraine headaches as: a condition marked by [a] recurrent severe headache often with nausea and vomiting ("Migraine"). This definition is known, accepted, and used by doctors and scientists when dealing with the somewhat mysterious disorder. Several factors working in concert together including genetics, neurology and vascular irregularities, are the best known causes of migraine headaches.

Genetics being a remote cause of migraines should not be dismissed out of hand because there are statistical evidence and studies that show a connection in the genes of migraine sufferers and their families. A happy and blessed portion of the world’s population would have no idea of the pain that migraine headaches bring on. Yet another has a natural disposition to migraines that may have been inherited. Without the use of statistics and graphs, it seems to be common knowledge that women are the major recipients of migraines. Late night television or children’s programming proves the comedy in the writers’ pen when the wife says, “not tonight honey, I have a headache.” Data are there and are conclusive in favor to support the woman’s claim to pain. The statistics from “studies conducted in multiple countries have documented the incidence of migraine [sic] as approximately eighteen percent in women and six percent in males.” The author continues, “This striking gender imbalance probably reflects hormonal fluctuations as the difference in prevalence is most apparent during the reproductive years” (McKinnon). Scientific studies have also identified an association in the genes while studying a rare migraine condition. Ross McKinnon states, “The identification of three associated genes that all encode types of ion channels provides valuable insights into the possible pathophysiology of [the] migraine”. The wonder and mystery in this condition however lies in the evasiveness of it. One does not have to fret because they have a family member who suffered with migraines. They could be one of happy persons to never suffer a day with the pain simply by avoiding migraine triggers.

Migraine specialist feels that they have made positive in-roads identifying two immediate neurological causes for migraine headaches. Alpha and beta nerve receptors were found to react abnormally to certain stimuli. These receptors are responsible for the contracting and dilation of blood vessels in the brain, and are influenced by gases and chemicals. (Arehart-Treichel) In being such, CO2, used to dilate blood vessels, would work counterproductive for the migraineur showing an important link in the puzzle. This abnormal activity in the nerves is related to the decrease in pain relieving chemicals in the brain. Joan Arehart-Treichel refers to the research, “What is now known for sure about migraine pain is that enkephailns become depleted at the beginning of the migraine attack but increase to normal levels as the headache subsides.”(qtd. in Arehart-Treichel) Having this valuable information could lead to help in pain relief for migraine suffers.

Closely related to neurological causes of migraines, blood flow or vascular causes are documented to be the most immediate factors. Here in lies the connection between each of the causes. To paraphrase, one expert says, Many things are coming in to play when speaking of migraines. Platelet interaction, serotonin’s functioning, and the change of the blood flow from arteries… to veins through vessels called “anastomoses” which would lead blood away from nutrient loaded capillaries. This would alter the role of trigeminal nerve centers and cranial tissues…stirring up the throbbing of the headache in turn causing the swelling of the blood vessel incurred during the attack. (Matthews. 32) Understanding what happens in the brain is tough; however, we can understand that when vessels widen, they push on surrounding nerves which has painful results as noted before. By the same token, if they tighten, blood flow is hindered which cuts off the dispersion of essential gases. All the while serotonin, a neurotransmitter, sends messages to control blood vessel contraction and dilation. Now we are back to square one. Without the catalyst of triggers to set off the elaborate web of transactions the process may never take place. Triggers are sometimes mistaken to be the true cause of migraine headaches. Identifying and avoiding them would be the sufferer’s best way of getting relief. “Migraine attacks may be triggered by:
· Alcohol
· Bright lights
· Certain odors or perfumes
· Changes in hormone levels (which can occur during a woman’s menstrual cycle or with the use of birth control pills)
· Changes in sleep patterns
· Exercise
· Loud noises
· Missed meals
· Physical or emotional stress
· Smoking or exposure to smoke
Certain foods and preservatives in foods may trigger migraines in some people. Food-related triggers may include:
· Any processed, fermented, pickled, or marinated foods
· Baked goods
· Chocolate
· Dairy products
· Foods containing MSG
· Foods containing tyramine, which includes red wine, aged cheese, smoked fish, chicken livers, figs, and certain beans
· Fruits (avocado, banana, citrus fruit)
· Meats containing nitrates (bacon, hot dogs, salami, cured meats)
· Nuts
· Onion
· Peanut butter
This list may not be all-inclusive.” (Migraine)
With triggers being the most immediate cause of migraines it is recommend keeping a headache journal to identify the triggers affecting each individual.

The immediate and remote causes of migraines each have researchers scratching their heads. Whether finding the genetic connections and why women suffer more than men, solving the mystery of the alpha and beta receptors or finding a way to make blood flow more regular for migraineurs, we can rest assured that scientists will not abandon hope for the all important break through.






Works Cited

Arehart-Treichel, Joan. “Unmasking the Causes.” Science News vol.118 Issue 15 (10/11/1980): 237-38. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. Greenville Tech. Col. Lib. Greenville, South Carolina 22 Oct. 2008 http://ezp/gvltec.edu:2113/host/delivery?vid=5&hid=22&sid=88c5038e-e43a-4df0-b164...
Healthline. Ed. Daniel Hoch PHD,MD et.al. 27 July 2008. Adam Health Illustrated Encyclopedia. 22 Oct. 2008 http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/migraine?print=true
Matthews, Dawn D, ed. Headache Sourcebook. Detroit: Omnigraphic, 2002
Mckinnon, Ross. “Not Tonight Darling: Exploring the role of gender and genetics in Migraines.” Pharmacy News 00.00 (Oct. 23, 2008): 13 General One File. Gale. Greenville Technical College Library. Greenville, South Carolina. 1 Nov. 2008 .
“Migraine.” Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2008. Merriam-Webster Online.4 November 2008