Final: Part 1

                   When my parents and I were on our way to the pick up my brother from school, we got into a car accident.

                    It was only my parents and I in the truck. It was around 5:30 p.m., so the sun was barely setting. My brother at that time went to Emerson Middle school in Century City. We were about 5 minutes away from the school when the accident occurred. 

                   

                    The lady who hit us missed a stop sign, and crashed the back of my dad's truck. No one in my dad's truck was injured, but I was really scared.

                    

                    The lady who hit us had a three-year old boy in the car. The boy had a few cuts and bruises, but his mom was severely injured. The lady was bleeding from her head, and had cuts and bruises. The ambulance had to come to take the lady to the hospital.

                     

                     I remember hearing the little boy cry. The police would try to calm him down, but it wouldn't work. The boy calmed down when father showed up too the scene.

                    While my parents and I were on our way home, I was just thinking about the boy. I put myself in his shoes, and I imagined my parents being taken away by the ambulance. This accident was probably really traumatizing for the boy. The accident for me wasn't as traumatizing. I just felt really bad that someone was injured. 

Virtual Selves

   
      In “What You Say Online Could Haunt You” by Janet Kornblum and Marybeth Marklein it talks about how people are getting fired from a job, kicked out of a school, or not getting into a college because of the things they post online. I think the only time a school, work place, or college should check someone’s online profile is when they think a crime is being committed. Checking someone’s online profile just too if the person has inappropriate pictures or if they posted something about their boss or school is unnecessary. 

Micheal Guinn was a student attending John Brown University, a Christian college in Siloam, Ark. Micheal Guinn posted a picture on his online profile of himself dressed in drag. The administration at John Brown University saw the post. He was kicked out of the university. “Guinn’s activities were in violation of campus conduct codes stating that behavior must be affirm and honor Scripture.” Micheal Guinn did not harm anyone by posting the picture of him. Getting kicked out of the university because of the picture is unfair.

Another incident where almost the same thing occurred was in Louisiana. “Two Louisiana state swimmers were kicked off the team last spring for criticizing their coaches on Facebook”.  It’s wrong to criticize people but the swimmers were just expressing how they feel about their coaches. For them to get kicked out of the team is not right.

There are times when you should check someone’s online profile like for example safety reasons. In Costa Mesa, Ca. twenty students participated in a MySpace group where one student threatened to kill another. “Students were suspended last month from TeWinkle Middle School for two days for participating in a MySpace group where one student alleged threatened to kill another”. In this case it was good that the school got too access the profile before it was too late. “The student accused of making the threat could face criminal charges and expulsion, says Bob Metz assistant superintendent of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District”. These are the times where a student should get kicked out of school.

Another example is the 16 year old boy in Colorado. He was arrested after he took pictures with a weapon in his hands. “Police subsequently found the same weapon in his home says Jim Shires of the Jefferson County”. A teenager in possession with a weapon can be dangerous. “The boy has been charged with three misdemeanors for being a juvenile in possession of a handgun”. Guns are weapons, not toys. 

In some ways schools looking through your online profiles can be a good thing but it can also be not so good. It depends on the situation.

EPT Essay

Sue Jozui’s argument talks about how advertisers use the testimony of a celebrity to support a claim. She also talks about how celebrities promote car brands, soap brands, coffee brands, and cereal brands. Jozui says that these types of advertisements should be boycotted. I agree with Jozui, these advertisements should be boycotted. When a celebrity advertises an item I feel that it’s offensive. It’s offensive because when they advertise a product they’re giving us their approval to buy it.

          Sue Jozui also says that “this kind of marketing is misleading and insults the intelligence of the audience”.  This is true. When the celebrity does the ad it confuses us. It’s confusing because most of the products celebrities advertise they've never used them before. Celebrities just do these ads for money or to boost their career. Advertisers don’t really care if the celebrity has used the product because they know just by using a celebrity in the advertisement the product is going to sell.

          Advertisements with celebrities should be boycotted. Most of the things said in those ads are lies. These advertisements are confusing people and offending people. These ads are just to boost the celebrities’ career and to make a lot of money for the advertiser.

What Is American?

                        An American is someone who is privileged. To be an American you must be born in the United States or take citizenship test. An American can be any gender, race, and religion.

            An American is privileged because they can do things other people might not be able to do like for example traveling. Their voices are heard and they can speak their mind. They can be whatever they want to be, believe in what they want to believe in, and say what they want to say. Americans have freedom.

            Americans have benefits and resources. For example Americans with low income can have health care with no or little cost. They can go to public schools for free or can get a scholarship to attend a private school. If they decide to go to college they can receive financial aid.

  To be an American is to be privileged. Americans have the opportunity to do things people in other countries can’t do. Americans have help if they need it for example, benefits and resources. Americans have freedom of speech.

Autobiographical Narrative

            I live in the Mid-City area. My neighborhood is pretty calm. There can be times when people get in loud arguments or fights but that doesn't happen often. One day there was a car accident. I was only 14 years old when this happened. The scene was horrifying. The car went into flames. My mom was the first one outside to see what happen. She said that the accident was traumatizing because she heard the man in car scream for help and she couldn't do anything but call the police. The man died in the accident. The man was only 25 years old. He had a daughter. Every year where that accident occur his family leaves him letters, candles, and balloons. It’s sad to hear when someone with a son/daughter dies because the child is not going to make any more memories with that figure. This accident has made me realize that life is too really short.