Essay 3.3- do u txt n driv?

My stomach dropped to my feet, I turn to my roommate at lunch around 11:15, “I feel weird; I don’t feel like myself”. “It’s probably something you ate” she said. I blew it off for the rest of the day telling myself she was right, but knowing she was wrong. Around 4:00 my phone starts buzzing, incoming call from Ariel? Ariel has a strange case of phone-phobia, you could say she’s more of a texter, I answer thinking she must have some juicy gossip if it involves a phone call. Before I can even utter my hello, I hear her sobs and hysterical crying. “Ruffin’s dead”!
Ruffin my crazy, invincible, hilarious, charming, outgoing, sweet, beautiful friend. Gone.

My friend, Ruffin Creekmur died in a car accident driving to his community college on February 22, 2010. The accident occurred around 11, which is exactly when I had the feeling that something was terribly wrong. It is not exactly known what the cause of Ruffin’s accident was, but it is safe to assume that is has something to do with carelessness on the road. He overcorrected himself and ran into a tree on the opposite side on the road.

Ruffin was always known as a little bit of a crazy driver. He was always having some kind of problem with his car, hitting a deer, getting a flat, or the car just giving out all together. My friends and I would always laugh at him for having the worst luck…but it never bothered him. To Ruffin he had all the luck in the world.

So many teens today feel just as Ruffin did, they have luck, they would never get in a car accident. But the truth is, it’s easier than you think. One glace away from the road is all it takes for such a tragedy to happen. Ruffin wasn’t necessarily texting at the time of his death but I think it is an important issue that relates to my dear friends accident. As the use of the cell phone is becoming more and more prevalent in our lives today, it is increasing the cause of car accidents more and more as well. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “about 5,870 people died and about 515,000 were injured last year in accidents attributed to distracted driving” and that drivers under the age of 20 had the highest distracted driving fatality rate among all the age groups (Halsey, par. 6). This is due to the fact that teens practically have cell phones glued to their hands at all times, and driving doesn’t stop them. This is a scary fact that can impact anyone’s life on the road whether being the person texting while driving, or risking the life of someone else by contact.

Ruffin was always the kid that would try anything, if you said he wouldn’t do it, he would do anything in his power to prove you wrong. I once challenged him to eat 5 Saltine crackers in less than a minute without water telling him it was nearly impossible, he said “Okay Ray, only if you do it too”. So Ruffin and I tried to choke down 5 Saltine crackers without water, failing at the attempt but laughing the whole way through. Ruffin would do anything you told him to, to me he was invincible. This is something that I loved and admired about Ruffin, he was always up for anything. But it could also be the detriment to his accident. Most teens also believe that they are insuperable and that it is nbd (meaning “no big deal” in texting terms) to text while driving. But “A quarter of U.S. teens ages 16 to 17 who have cell phones say they text while driving, and almost half of Americans ages 12 to 17 say they've been in cars with someone who texted while behind the wheel”(Hasley, par. 2). All my friends’ text and drive, my brother texts and drives, hell, my mom and dad even text and drive. I used to text and drive.

I used to text while I was driving nearly every day. But now that I have experienced the pain of losing someone due to distracted driving, I will never do it again. It is so easy to get distracted while sending a pointless text to a friend…can’t it wait 30 minutes? According to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau Research and Analysis Report of the factors influencing mobile phone use while driving, text messaging while driving results in decreased detection of road signs and poorer response to changing driving conditions, impairing overall driving performance and increasing accident risk (Walsh 2). They also found that “it has been estimated that approximately one quarter of all accidents in the United States result from driver distraction” (Walsh 2). Ruffin was distracted, and now he’s gone. It can never be taken back, but there can be steps taken towards preventing this for others.

Now, 25 states have banned texting while driving ("State Cell Phone Use and Texting While Driving Laws", par. 2). “Two reasons for the legislation: the growing sophistication of cell phones that are increasingly catered to texting and, perhaps more important, the growing number of high-profile accidents—and those always tend to translate into legislation" (Schulte, par 2.). It is a growing concern and more states are taking action. “The reduction in driving performance when using a mobile phone has been compared to driving with a blood alcohol content of over 0.08” (Walsh 2). It is almost as dangerous as driving while under the influence, so there should be punishment for it as well. I used to think that the ban of cell phone use while driving would be an erosion of freedom, but I know have changed my mind completely. My hope is that in the future no one will use a hand held mobile device while driving to prevent accidents on the road.

Ruffin has taught me many things in my life since befriending him in 9th grade of high school, everything from not taking myself so seriously to living life to the fullest as he did. But the last thing Ruffin has taught me is to always be cautious while driving. Driving carefully is something I never took too seriously before. Every time I would leave my house my mom would say “Railey be careful, drive safely, and call me as soon as you get there.” I would always reply “Mom, don’t worry I’ll be fine.” Fine? How did I know I’ll be fine? Accidents happen, no one can predict them, and the only way to try to avoid them is to always be cautious while driving.






Works Cited:

Halsey, Ashley. "U.S. Teens Report 'frightening' Levels of Texting While Driving - Washingtonpost.com." Washingtonpost.com - Nation, World, Technology and Washington Area News and Headlines. 17 Nov. 2009. Web. 20 Apr. 2010. .

Schulte, Bret. "Outlawing Text Messaging While Driving - US News and World Report." US News & World Report - Breaking News, World News, Business News, and America's Best Colleges - USNews.com. 11 Feb. 2008. Web. 05 May 2010. .

"State Cell Phone Use and Texting While Driving Laws." Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). Web. 01 May 2010. .

Walsh, Shari P. "Psychosocial Factors Influencing Mobile Phone Use While Driving." Australian Government/Australian Safety Bureau. ATSB RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS REPORT ROAD SAFETY RESEARCH GRANT REPORT 2007-06, Dec. 2007. Web. 20 Apr. 2010. .

Class Reflection

When signing up for this class I was excited to be taking a writing class. Yes it was an 8am and hard to get out of bed for sometimes, but I found it to be very productive every class and I enjoyed getting so much feedback on my work. I had never really had my paper looked at by so many of my peers but it was so helpful. I learned a lot about writing this course. I have always enjoyed to write, but with this class I pushed myself through writing much more. I began to think outside the box and realized that I want my voice to be heard in my papers. I tried being more creative and going all out on my first drafts and realizing that it's okay to have a "shitty first draft". I always had tried making my first drafts perfect, but what's the point? I liked being able to have 3 drafts for each paper and I will use that in the future even if it is not required. I have changed my mind about writing in some way by realizing it is not as hard as I thought. It can be a way to express myself and I tried to accomplish that in all three of my essays. I am very glad that I had the opportunity to be in this class because I have learned so much, and I have definitely improved my writing. I am almost excited to write papers in the future so I can continue to improve and the people will actually enjoy reading what I have to say. I learned so much from listening to the tone of papers to having sentence variation, and all of it has helped. I enjoyed this class very much and I want to continue to express myself through writing.

3.2 - txtn whl drvin

Ruffin Creekmur; a son, a cousin, a nephew, a grandson, a boyfriend, my friend was killed in a car accident on February 22, 2010. Ruffin was nothing less than an amazing person. He had it all, a wonderful sense of humor, more friends than you could imagine, good looks, and a family that he loved more than anything. He lived life to the fullest, snowboarding, surfing, paintballing, wakeboarding any chance he got; he was always up for anything. I was always ensured to have a blast no matter what if I was in his presence. Ruffin was one of my best friends but he was taken from me, as well as all of his other many friends and family.

I got the call on February 22nd from my friend hardly being able to speak behind her sobs. She managed to utter the words, “Ruffin died in a car accident!” my heart stopped, the blood drained from my face, and all I could think was that it wasn’t real. She must be joking? Why would she say such a horrible thing? I kept repeating no, no, no. This can’t be true. Ruffin. Gone. But it was real. It was one of the worst feelings in the world, losing a close friend.

Ruffin has taught me many things in my life since befriending him in 9th grade of high school, but the last thing he has taught me is to always be cautious while driving. We aren’t sure exactly what Ruffin was doing at the time of his crash, but carelessness was more than likely involved. One glace away from the road is all it takes for such a tragedy to happen. Ruffin wasn’t texting at the time of his death but I think it is an important issue that relates to my dear friends accident. As the use of the cell phone is becoming more and more prevalent in our lives today, it is increasing the cause of car accidents more and more as well.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “about 5,870 people died and about 515,000 were injured last year in accidents attributed to distracted driving” (Halsey, par. 6), and that drivers under the age of 20 had the highest distracted driving fatality rate among all the age groups. This is due to the fact that teens practically have cell phones glued to their hands at all times, and driving doesn’t stop them. This is a scary fact that can impact anyone’s life on the road whether being the person texting while driving, or rising the life of someone else by contact.

“Ray turn up the music! Let’s jam!” Ruffin, who always called me Ray, loved driving around with the windows down, listening to music and being in the car with friends. He lived farther away than the majority of our friends, so it felt like he was constantly driving to meet up with us. He always had some kind of problem with his car, hitting a deer, getting a flat, or the car just giving out all together. We would always laugh at him for having the worst luck…but it never bothered him. To Ruffin he had all the luck in the world.

“A quarter of U.S. teens ages 16 to 17 who have cell phones say they text while driving, and almost half of Americans ages 12 to 17 say they've been in cars with someone who texted while behind the wheel”(Hasley, par. 2). So many teens today feel just as Ruffin did, they have luck, they would never get in a car accident. But the truth is, it’s easier than you think. Studies say that drivers using phones are four times more likely to cause a crash than other drivers (New York Times, par. 1). And who uses cell phones more than any other age group? Teenagers.

Ruffin was always the kid that would try anything, if you said he wouldn’t do it, he would do anything in his power to prove you wrong. I once challenged him to eat 5 Saltine crackers in less than a minute without water telling him it was nearly impossible, and he said “Okay, only if you do it too”. So Ruffin and I tried to choke down 5 Saltine crackers without water, failing at the attempt but laughing the whole way through. Ruffin was invincible, and he stopped at nothing to prove a point.

Now, at least 16 states are considering the legislation that would outlaw or restrict texting while driving. “Two reasons for the proposed legislation: the growing sophistication of cell phones that are increasingly catered to texting and, perhaps more important, the growing number of high-profile accidents—and those always tend to translate into legislation" (Schulte, par2.). It is a growing concern and more states are taking action. It is almost as dangerous as driving while under the influence, so there should be punishment for it as well. They are thinking about placing a fine on those who text and drive, and I think it is a good idea.

Ruffin was such a good friend to me, and I miss him every day. I wish he had been more cautious while he was driving, and maybe if there were more restrictions on careless driving he would have.



Works Cited:

http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/national/2008/02/11/outlawing-text-messaging-while-driving.html


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/16/AR2009111602174.html

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/technology/series/driven_to_distraction/index.html

Refection 3.2

The second draft of my paper doesn't differ from my first one very much. It is hard to write about such an emotional topic and I'm not to sure on what I can improve on in my first draft. I thought it was a good draft but I think I need to incorporate my sources more. I used the style of writing where I wrote a paragraph with a story then a paragraph with statistics. I'm not sure if this is the best way to get my point across but I thought it was a good idea at first. I am thinking about maybe changing it up a bit to make it sound more like a story with just some facts thrown in there. Make the flow more interesting. I still also need a scholarly source which has been hard to find but I am sure I will fid something.

Sentence Variety Exercise

I got the call on February 22nd from my friend, hardly being able to speak behind her sobs.(M)(Compound) She managed to utter the words, “Ruffin died in a car accident!”(M)(Compound) My heart stopped, the blood drained from my face, and all I could think was that it wasn’t real.(M)(Compound) She must be joking?(S)(Simple) Why would she say such a horrible thing?(S)(Simple) I kept repeating no, no, no.(S)(Simple) This can’t be true.(S)(Simple) Ruffin.(S) Gone.(S) But it was real.(S)(Simple) It was one of the worst feelings in the world, losing a close friend.(M)(Compound)

Essay 3.1 - txtn whle drvin

Ruffin Creekmur; a son, a cousin, a nephew, a grandson, a boyfriend, my friend was killed in a car accident on February 22, 2010. Ruffin was nothing less than an amazing person. He had it all, a wonderful sense of humor, more friends than you could imagine, good looks, and a family that he loved more than anything. He lived life to the fullest, snowboarding, surfing, paintballing, wakeboarding any chance he got; he was always up for anything. I was always ensured to have a blast no matter what if I was in his presence. Ruffin was one of my best friends but he was taken from me, as well as all of his other many friends and family.

I got the call on February 22nd from my friend hardly being able to speak behind her sobs. She managed to utter the words, “Ruffin died in a car accident!” my heart stopped, the blood drained from my face, and all I could think was that it wasn’t real. She must be joking? Why would she say such a horrible thing? I kept repeating no, no, no. This can’t be true. Ruffin. Gone. But it was real. It was one of the worst feelings in the world, losing a close friend.

Ruffin has taught me many things in my life since befriending him in 9th grade of high school, but the last thing he has taught me is to always be cautious while driving. We aren’t sure exactly what Ruffin was doing at the time of his crash, but carelessness was more than likely involved. One glace away from the road is all it takes for such a tragedy to happen. Ruffin wasn’t texting at the time of his death but I think it is an important issue that relates to my dear friends accident. As the use of the cell phone is becoming more and more prevalent in our lives today, it is increasing the cause of car accidents more and more as well.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “about 5,870 people died and about 515,000 were injured last year in accidents attributed to distracted driving” (Halsey, par. 6), and that drivers under the age of 20 had the highest distracted driving fatality rate among all the age groups. This is due to the fact that teens practically have cell phones glued to their hands at all times, and driving doesn’t stop them. This is a scary fact that can impact anyone’s life on the road whether being the person texting while driving, or rising the life of someone else by contact.

“Ray turn up the music! Let’s jam!” Ruffin, who always called me Ray, loved driving around with the windows down, listening to music and being in the car with friends. He lived farther away than the majority of our friends, so it felt like he was constantly driving to meet up with us. He always had some kind of problem with his car, hitting a deer, getting a flat, or the car just giving out all together. We would always laugh at him for having the worst luck…but it never bothered him. To Ruffin he had all the luck in the world.

“A quarter of U.S. teens ages 16 to 17 who have cell phones say they text while driving, and almost half of Americans ages 12 to 17 say they've been in cars with someone who texted while behind the wheel”(Hasley, par. 2). So many teens today feel just as Ruffin did, they have luck, they would never get in a car accident. But the truth is, it’s easier than you think. Studies say that drivers using phones are four times more likely to cause a crash than other drivers (New York Times, par. 1). And who uses cell phones more than any other age group? Teenagers.

Ruffin was always the kid that would try anything, if you said he wouldn’t do it, he would do anything in his power to prove you wrong. I once challenged him to eat 5 Saltine crackers in less than a minute without water telling him it was nearly impossible, and he said “Okay, only if you do it too”. So Ruffin and I tried to choke down 5 Saltine crackers without water, failing at the attempt but laughing the whole way through. Ruffin was invincible, and he stopped at nothing to prove a point.

Now, at least 16 states are considering the legislation that would outlaw or restrict texting while driving. “Two reasons for the proposed legislation: the growing sophistication of cell phones that are increasingly catered to texting and, perhaps more important, the growing number of high-profile accidents—and those always tend to translate into legislation" (Schulte, par2.). It is a growing concern and more states are taking action. It is almost as dangerous as driving while under the influence, so there should be punishment for it as well. They are thinking about placing a fine on those who text and drive, and I think it is a good idea.

Ruffin was such a good friend to me, and I miss him every day. I wish he had been more cautious while he was driving, and maybe if there were more restrictions on careless driving he would have.

Reflection 3.3

I was very happy with the final draft of my Rogerian paper. I struggled throughout all 3 drafts but I think I came up with a great last paper. As difficult as it was, it was nice to challenge myself with this essay. It took alot of research and it was very hard to find 2 scolarly sources but it had a great ending. I must say I am glad to see this paper over with because it really isnt my style of writing. I really enjoy telling personal stories but with the topic I chose I really didnt have any stories to tell. I'm excited for our next paper, it is much more my speed.

Essay 2.3- “Legalize it, don’t criticize it”

Say I asked in front of the classroom if I can see a show of hands, how many people have ever smoked Cannabis Sativa, commonly known as marijuana? I bet that I would see that no one raises their hand. Well obviously no one would want to admit to a criminal act in front of a teacher. But why is it that smoking pot is so forbidden in our society?

Numerous famous intellectuals support marijuana. Al Gore is considered to be the leading figure in climate change awareness and environmental preservation, but few people know that Al Gore also supports the legalization of marijuana. The founding father of our nation George Washington once said, “Make the most of the Indian hemp seed, and sow it everywhere!” (Hemp: The World’s Most Beneficial Natural Resource, par. 5). Marijuana is one of the safest medicinal substances on the planet and is even supported by many celebrity role models, such as famous Hollywood actor Johnny Depp who stated, “I’m not a big pothead or anything like that… but weed is much, much less dangerous than alcohol” (Reich, par, 12). With support of some of the greatest thinkers and world leaders of all time it’s a wonder that marijuana is still illegal.

The truth is that marijuana has many benefits to society and, other than the effects of smoke inhalation, has very few negatives. Those opposed to the legalization of marijuana often claim that with legalization of it will cause further problems. Some think that legalization would lead to greater drug use, or that tobacco and alcohol cause enough problems and there is no reason to add a new product into the mix; it causes health problems, or even the broad statement that marijuana will lead to more poverty, crime, and violence.

I understand the basis of all these claims and understand where they come from, but I also think that many people just aren’t educated on the benefits of marijuana. The point is that marijuana is not considered an addictive drug, such as alcohol and tobacco which are legal, and is even in fact used for medicinal purposes. Another benefit is that the taxation of marijuana can provide needed and generous funding of many important criminal justice and social programs. Furthermore, with the legalization of marijuana will save a vast amount of money thrown into our jail systems.

If there is one thing that we can agree on it is the fact that tobacco and alcohol use cause many problems in our society today. But marijuana is not the same as alcohol and tobacco. It is not a lethal drug; it is much safer than those two addictive drugs. Like any substance marijuana can be abused, but it is impossible to overdose on. The most common problem associated with marijuana abuse is lethargic behavior, whereas overuse of alcohol will result in an inability to walk, stand, or even death. It is as the famous reggae singer, Bob Marley, once said, “Herb is the healing of the nation, alcohol is the destruction” (thinkexist, par.1).

Cigarettes are another legal substance that is far more dangerous than marijuana. Smoking cigarettes is the leading cause of lung cancer in America (Linddell and Armstrong, par. 3). Tobacco cigarettes are filled with harmful chemicals such as nicotine, rat poison, formaldehyde, ammonia, and arsenic (Liddell and Armstrong, par. 8). Both cigarettes and alcohol are very addictive trends that lead to serious health problems, mostly cancer, and ultimately death. Marijuana is even used for medicinal purposes to actually improve health. The New York Times, Sheryl Stolberg writes in “Government Study of Marijuana Sees Medical Benefits”, that “the active ingredients in marijuana appear to be useful for treating pain, nausea and the severe weight loss associated with AIDS”(Stolberg, par. 1). Marijuana is considered by many to be a dangerous substance but in reality many of our legal drugs are far more hazardous.

Not only is marijuana a safe drug with medical benefits but it could quickly stimulate our failing economy. At its current rate of production legal marijuana generates thirty-five billion dollars per year (Beckett and Herbet 15), these profits from marijuana exceed that of corn and wheat combined. And that’s just the legal profits of legal marijuana. Revenue from illegal marijuana is considered to be around sixty billion dollars a year (Beckett and Herbert 16). That’s a total of ninety-five billion dollars each year. Marijuana is considered by many economists to already be our nation’s number one cash crop. It’s already the number one cash crop in twelve states including California, Alaska, and Hawaii (Beckett and Herbert 20). Even Thomas Jefferson once said, “Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth and protection of the country”. Economists estimate that if marijuana were legalized annual tax returns would be 6.2 billion dollars (Beckett and Herbert 20). That’s over six billion dollars in the hands of the federal government rather than in the hands of so called drug criminals. This money could be spent on combating the flow of hard, more serious drugs onto our streets.

If the fact that legalizing marijuana will gain enormous sums of money isn’t enough, it is also shown that it will save enormous amounts of money in the jail systems. Approximately 7.7 billion dollars is spent annually due to the overall cost of enforcement of marijuana charges (Austin and Fabelo 5). Legalizing marijuana would eliminate all of these costs. Another taxpayer expense that would be reduced is prison expenses. A Federal Bureau of Investigation statistic shows that one marijuana smoker is arrested around every forty-five seconds (Austin and Fabelo 7), so that means by the time you finish reading this paper more than twenty people will have been incarcerated on marijuana related offenses. Also “two million of people in jail are there due to marijuana offenses” (Austin and Fabelo 10), in the case that marijuana is legalized that number will be reduced to 440,000 people, quite a large decline (Austin and Fabelo 10). The lack of operating prisons would also diminish dramatically. The cost of operating prisons comes directly out of taxpayers’ pockets. Currently a forty billion dollar per year expenses would be cut back to 8.8 billion dollars, still a lot but much less than what it was (Austin and Fabelo 12). With this amount of savings and profits I find it amazing that our society hasn’t already demanded the legalization of pot.

If there is one detriment to the legalization to pot, it is the negative benefits of the smoke inhalation itself. There have been studies that say marijuana smoke can even more toxic than tobacco smoke, and can cause cancer, lung damage and complications during pregnancy. It is true that the actual smoke of marijuana is toxic but, “the true benefits of marijuana would only be realized when alternative methods, like capsules, patches and bronchial inhalers, were developed to deliver its active components, called cannabinoids, to the body without the harmful effects of smoke” (Stolberg, par. 7). There are clearly ways to avoid the actual inhalation of pot, making it even safer to the human body.

The way to compromise the two views would to be to set an age limit on the possession of marijuana, like there is on alcohol and tobacco. They are both considered drugs as well, so why wouldn’t it be the same rules? By setting a limit on the age of possessing marijuana, it will make people become more responsible and less likely to end up in jail. I also think that marijuana should only be sold in medical marijuana dispensaries, so they can be controlled. There are already medical marijuana dispensaries around the United States, but they are only allowed to sell to those who possess a medical card, such as a doctor. I believe that as long as there is an age limit set on purchasing marijuana, all you should have to present is your license in the same manor you would to purchase alcohol.

With the compromises I have suggested, I don’t see why marijuana can’t be legal in our society today. You are now provided with the facts and figures of how marijuana can improve our health as well as our economy and society as a whole. It is now up to you to decide whether I have persuaded you enough to believe that the legalization of marijuana is a good thing. But if there is someone who agrees with me it is the famous singer Bob Marley, who has no problem admitting that when it comes to marijuana, “Legalize it, don’t criticize it” (thinkexist, par 3).



Works Cited

Austin, James, and Tony Fabelo. "The Diminishing Returns of Increased Incarceration." The JFA Institute, July 2004. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. .

Beckett, Katherine, and Steve Herbert. "The Consequences and Costs of Marijuana Prohibition." UCLA of Washington. Web. 21 Mar. 2010. .

Bob Marley Quotes. Thinkexist.com. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. .

"Hemp: The Most Beneficial Natural Resource." The Uses of Hemp. Dope-seeds.com. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. .

Liddell, F. K., and B. G. Armstrong. "The Combination of Effects on Lung Cancer of Cigarette Smoking and Exposure." Oxford Journals, 12 Feb. 2001. Web. 21 Mar. 2010. .

Reich, J. "Jonny, Come Blow Your Horn." The Jonny Depp Zone. Reel.com, Mar. 2001. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. .

Stolberg, Sheyl Gay. "Government Study of Marijuana Sees Medical Benefits." The New York Times, 18 Mar. 1999. Web. 21 Mar. 2010. .

Narrative News Pre-writing

I am looking up facts and figures about the dangers of texting while driving. Although it is not really known if my friend Ruffin was texting at the time of his death, we are all pretty sure that he wasn't really paying attention to the road at the time. He could have been looking at his phone or even changing the radio station but I am just going to use his story as an example that it is so terribly easy to loose track of the road by taking your eyes off for a split second. I am mostly going to stick to the dangers of texting while driving because it is a growing concern in the United States today. I have found some facts that driving while texting, DWT, should be treated almost in the same way as a DUI.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/InsureYourCar/ShouldDrivingWhileTextingBeACrime.aspx

This article shows that it should be considered a serious crime to text while driving and all the stats that come with that. It is very serious, and being teenagers we dont think of it that way. But it could have possibly saved my good friend's life.

Narrative Pre-writing

I was thinking about how I am going to approach this paper, and the thing is I'm just not sure. I want to write about my friend Ruffin so badly, I just hope I'm able to write about him in a way that he would appreciate. I am going to write about him in a very positive way and just talk about the dangers of driving and how easily it can be to make a mistake.

Narrative Prewriting

Right when I heard that we were going to write a narrative essay from personal experience I thought of my friend who recently passed away in a car accident. This story is so close to me and I think it should be shared. Its going to be really hard to write about my friend, because it has only been a little over a month and I miss him so much, but I think the emotion that I have is going to show how serious my topic is. Texting while driving is very dangerous, way more dangerous than any of us think. I cant help but want to cry while I am just writing this, so writing this paper is going to show just how hard it is to loose a friend, especially to something like a cell phone.

Non-Emotion

Dear Professor,
As I was looking over my test I decided that the grade I was given was a little undeserving. The topics on the test were very different from what was in the book, which is what we were told to study from. I studied the book, and I could say almost memorized it, yet none of the information related to the topics in the book. I am quite confused about my grade and would like more of an explanation on why it was given to me. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Railey Hiser

Emotion

Dear Professor,
As I was looking at my grade on my last test I couldn’t help but think that I didn’t deserve it. You see, the week before the test my dog died, very tragically I must say. She was swimming in the river and drowned. My sweet, precious, very-loved dog was taken from me and she has been on my mind ever since. Every time I picked up my book to study, I thought about picking up my puppy and how much I missed her. It is very upsetting to receive such a low score on my test because I was simply grieving over the loss of a beloved pet. If you could please consider letting me re-take the test when I am in a better state of mind and can concentrate. Thank you so much for your time.

Sincerely,
Railey Hiser

Reflection 2.2 again

I decided to change up my paper A LOT. I wasn't happy with my other paper, and I pretty much changed the whole thing. I kept some facts, but I just wanted to take it in a little bit of a different direction. I am much happier with this one, but I still have work to do.

Essay 2.2 revision (“Legalize it, don’t criticize it”)

Say I asked in front of the classroom if I can see a show of hands, how many people have ever smoked Cannabis Sativa, commonly known as marijuana? I bet that I would see that no one raises their hand. Well obviously no one would want to admit to a criminal act in front of a teacher. But why is it that smoking pot is so forbidden in our society?

Numerous famous intellectuals support marijuana. Al Gore is considered to be the leading figure in awareness of climate change and the environment, but few people know that Al Gore also supports the legalization of marijuana. Our founding father George Washington once said, “Make the most of the Indian hemp seed, and sow it everywhere!” (Hemp: The World’s Most Beneficial Natural Resource, par. 5). Marijuana is one of the safest medicinal substances on the planet and is even supported by many celebrity role models, such as famous Hollywood actor Johnny Depp who stated, “I’m not a big pothead or anything like that… but weed is much, much less dangerous than alcohol” (Reich, par, 12). With the support of some of the greatest thinkers and world leaders of all time it doesn't make sense that marijuana is still illegal.

The truth is that marijuana has many benefits to society and, other than the effects of smoke inhalation, has very few negatives. Those opposed to the legalization of marijuana often claim that with legalization of it will come further problems. Some think that legalization would lead to greater drug use, or that tobacco and alcohol cause enough problems and there is no reason to add a new product into the mix, it causes health problems, or even the broad statement that marijuana will lead to more poverty, crime, and violence.

I understand the basis of all these claims and understand where they come from, but I also think that many people just aren’t educated on the benefits of marijuana. The point is that marijuana is not considered an addictive drug, such as alcohol and tobacco which are legal, and is even in fact used for medicinal purposes. Another benefit is that the taxation of marijuana can provide needed and generous funding of many important criminal justice and social programs. Furthermore, with the legalization of marijuana will save a vast amount of money thrown into our jail systems.

If there is one thing that we can agree on it is the fact that tobacco and alcohol use cause many problems in our society today. But marijuana is not the same as alcohol and tobacco. It is not a lethal drug; it is much safer than those two addictive drugs. Like any substance marijuana can be abused, but it is impossible to overdose on. The most common problem associated with marijuana abuse is lethargic behavior, whereas overuse of alcohol will result in an inability to walk, stand, or even death. It is as the famous reggae singer, Bob Marley, once said, “Herb is the healing of the nation, alcohol is the destruction” (thinkexist, par.1). Cigarettes are another legal substance that is far more dangerous than marijuana. Smoking cigarettes is the leading cause of lung cancer in America (Linddell and Armstrong, par. 3). Tobacco cigarettes are filled with harmful chemicals such as nicotine, rat poison, formaldehyde, ammonia, and arsenic (Liddell and Armstrong, par. 8). Both cigarettes and alcohol are immensely addictive phenomenon’s that lead to very serious health problems, mostly cancer, and ultimately death. Marijuana is considered by many to be a dangerous substance but in reality many of our legal drugs are far more hazardous.

Not only is marijuana a safe drug with medical benefits but it could quickly stimulate our failing economy. At its current rate of production legal marijuana generates 35.8 billion dollars per year (Beckett and Herbet 15), these profits from marijuana exceed that of corn and wheat combined. And that’s just the legal profits of legal marijuana. Revenue from illegal marijuana is considered to be around 60 billion dollars a year (Beckett and Herbert 16). That’s a total of 95.8 billion dollars each year. Many economist already believe that marijuana could be our nation’s number one cash crop. It’s already the number one cash crop in twelve states including California, Alaska, and Hawaii (Beckett and Herbert 20). As Thomas Jefferson said, “Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth and protection of the country”. Economists estimate that if marijuana were legalized annual tax returns would be 6.2 billion dollars (Beckett and Herbert 20). That’s over 6 billion dollars in the hands of the government instead of in the hands of so called drug criminals. This money could be spent on combating more serious drugs onto our streets.

If the fact that legalizing marijuana will gain enormous sums of money isn’t enough, it is also shown that it will save enormous amounts of money in the jail systems. Approximately 7.7 billion dollars is spent annually due to the overall cost of enforcement of marijuana charges (Austin and Fabelo 5). Legalizing marijuana would eliminate all of these costs. Another taxpayer expense that would be reduced is prison expenses. A Federal Bureau of Investigation statistic shows that one marijuana smoker is arrested every 45 seconds (Austin and Fabelo 7), so by the time you finish reading this paper more than 20 people will have been incarcerated on marijuana related offenses alone. Also, 88% of all people in jail, meaning 2 million of them, are there due to marijuana offenses. In the case that marijuana is legalized that number will be reduced to 440,000 people, quite a large decline. The lack of operating prisons would also diminish dramatically. The cost of operating prisons comes directly out of taxpayers’ pockets. Currently a 40 billion dollar per year expenses would be cut back to 8.8 billion dollars, still a huge amount but much, much less than what it was. With this amount of savings and profits I find it amazing that our capitalist society hasn’t already demanded the legalization of pot.

The way to compromise the two views would to be to set an age limit on the possession of marijuana, like there is on alcohol and tobacco. They are both considered drugs as well, so why wouldn’t it be the same rules? By setting a limit on the age of possessing marijuana, it will make people become more responsible and less likely to end up in jail. I also think that there should be a limit on how much you can have at one time. This would limit any problems by not having too much at one time.

-------jail systems paragraph needs citations, need to work on compromise, need conclusion------------

1. http://www.dope-seeds.com/untoldstory/hemp_2.htm
2. http://interview.johnnydepp-zone2.com/2001_03Reel.html
3. http://thinkexist.com/quotation/herb-is-the-healing-of-a-nation-alcohal-is-the/406854.html
4. http://annhyg.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/46/1/5
5. http://www.aclu-wa.org/library_files/BeckettandHerbert.pdf
6. http://www.jfa-associates.com/BlueprintFinal.pdf

Rogerian Reflection

I found my second draft to be a little bit easier than the first. Although it was still difficult for me to see both sides, it was more manageable. The problem for me is I don't know when to write about the other view besides my own. I have so many points to cover just with my own view that I don't know where to begin with the other one. In one of my first couple paragraphs I wrote..If there is one thing we can agree on, it is that alcohol and tobacco are a major concern in today's society. And then I go on to say that marijuana is not the same thing at all. But I don't know if this is enough to agree with the other view because I am hardly agreeing. I need to improve on this in my final draft.

Essay 2.2- The Marijuana Challenge

Under the Federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970, cannabis is classified as a schedule one substance. Schedule one substances are defined as currently having no accepted medical use in the USA and having a high potential for abuse (Ziegler, par.1). Cannabis is the name of the category to which the plant belongs. The preparation made from the stems, buds, and leaves of Cannabis is known as marijuana. The cannabis plant has been the topic of much debate throughout the history of this country. Since the time when marijuana first became illegal it has been grouped with other narcotics as an equivalent. The truth is cannabis has many benefits to society and other than the effects of smoke inhalation has very few negatives. Those opposed to the legalization of the cannabis plant claim that with legalization of cannabis will come further problems. Some think that legalization would lead to greater drug use, or that tobacco and alcohol cause enough problems and there is no reason to add a new product into the mix, or even the broad statement that drugs such as cannabis lead to poverty, crime, and violence.

I understand the basis of all these claims and understand where they come from. But the point is that marijuana is not considered an addictive drug, such as alcohol and tobacco which are legal. Also another benefit of legalizing marijuana is that it would keep less people out of jail. Furthermore the taxation of marijuana can provide needed and generous funding of many important criminal justice and social programs.

If there is one thing that we can agree on it is the fact that tobacco and alcohol use cause many problems in our society today. But cannabis is not the same as alcohol and tobacco. Marijuana is not a lethal drug; it is much safer than those two addictive drugs. It is established scientific fact that “marijuana is not toxic to humans; marijuana overdoses are nearly impossible, and marijuana is not nearly as addictive such as alcohol or tobacco” (Ganeva, par. 4). Today 23 million people are addicted to alcohol, and a whooping 46 million people are addicted to tobacco (Ganeva, par. 7). But in 2004 study, it was shown that only 298,317 people reported marijuana as their primary drug of abuse, and not because they were necessarily “addicted”, but because they just enjoy it. It is unfair and unjust to treat marijuana users more harshly under the law than the users of alcohol or tobacco.

There are so many people in jail today for possessing, using, and selling marijuana. This causes users of marijuana to be more susceptible to punishment by law. It is said that 27,900 inmates are imprisoned solely for marijuana crimes and that 64,000 have some drug conviction linked to marijuana which represents 4% of the US prisoner population (Austin 3).
That doesn’t seem like much but it would save billions of dollars in prison systems. Further, legalizing marijuana would actually stimulate the economy since it would be the number one cash crop. By placing a tax on the drug would create much revenue and more jobs. Medicinal marijuana is legal in California and that is responsible for $14 billion a year in sales. One economist even estimated the state would also save about $1 billion per year by not arresting and imprisoning those caught with small amounts of marijuana (Austin 7). There are many benefits to the economy that comes with the legalization of marijuana. It is something to really think about.

The way to compromise the two views would to be to set an age limit on the possession of marijuana, like there is on alcohol and tobacco. They are both considered drugs as well, so why wouldn’t it be the same rules? By setting a limit on the age of possessing marijuana, it will make people become more responsible and less likely to end up in jail. I also think that there should be a limit on how much you can have at one time. This would limit any problems by not having too much at one time.


Works Cited:


http://www.jstor.org/stable/3487894?seq=5

http://www.druglibrary.org/medicalmj/positive_effects_of_marijuana_.htm

http://norml.org/pdf_files/NORML_Rethinking_Decriminalizing_Marijuana.pdf

Reflection 2.1

In the first draft of my Rogerian Argument paper, I found it very hard to write. I didn’t realize how difficult it is to argue “nicely”. I found myself having to go back and make my words sound more kind. My topic was on legalizing the use of marijuana, there is so much to write about on this topic. I narrowed it down a bit by talking about how it would keep less people out of jail, it’s not an addictive drug such as alcohol which is legal, and how taxation of marijuana can provide needed and generous funding of many important criminal justice and social programs. All of these points support the legalization of marijuana. It was easy for me to do that, the hard part was trying to incorporate how it would be bad. My opinion is that it should be legalized so how am I supposed to talk about the other view too? It was difficult. So I still need to work on that part of my paper a lot. Making a compromise wasn’t as hard as I thought though. My compromise was to set an age limit on being able to purchase marijuana like alcohol. I also compromised by saying that there could be a limit on how much you have at one time like how they already made that legal in California. I still have a lot of work to do on my paper, but I believe that I have a good start.

Essay 2.1

Under the Federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970, cannabis is classified as a schedule one substance. Schedule one substances are defined as currently having no accepted medical use in the USA and having a high potential for abuse (Ziegler, par.1). Cannabis is the name of the category to which the plant belongs. The preparation made from the stems, buds, and leaves of Cannabis is known as marijuana. The cannabis plant has been the topic of much debate throughout the history of this country. Since the time when marijuana first became illegal it has been grouped with other narcotics as an equivalent. The truth is cannabis has many benefits to society and other than the effects of smoke inhalation has very few negatives. Those opposed to the legalization of the cannabis plant claim that with legalization of cannabis will come further problems. Some think that legalization would lead to greater drug use, or that tobacco and alcohol cause enough problems and there is no reason to add a new product into the mix, or even the broad statement that drugs such as cannabis lead to poverty, crime, and violence. I understand the basis of all these claims and understand where they come from. But the point is that legalizing marijuana would keep less people out of jail. Also marijuana is not considered an addictive drug, such as alcohol which is legal. Furthermore the taxation of marijuana can provide needed and generous funding of many important criminal justice and social programs.

If there is one thing that we can agree on it is the fact that tobacco and alcohol use cause many problems in our society today. But cannabis is not the same as alcohol and tobacco. Marijuana is not a lethal drug; it is much safer than those two addictive drugs. It is established scientific fact that “marijuana is not toxic to humans; marijuana overdoses are nearly impossible, and marijuana is not nearly as addictive such as alcohol or tobacco” (Ganeva, par. 4). Today 23 million people are addicted to alcohol, and a whooping 46 million people are addicted to tobacco (Ganeva, par. 7). But in 2004 study, it was shown that only 298,317 people reported marijuana as their primary drug of abuse, and not because they were necessarily “addicted”, but because they just enjoy it. It is unfair and unjust to treat marijuana users more harshly under the law than the users of alcohol or tobacco.

There are so many people in jail today for possessing, using, and selling marijuana. This causes users of marijuana to be more susceptible to punishment by law. It is said that 27,900 inmates are imprisoned solely for marijuana crimes and that 64,000 have some drug conviction linked to marijuana which represents 4% of the US prisoner population (Austin 3). That doesn’t seem like much but it would save billions of dollars in prison systems. Further, legalizing marijuana would actually stimulate the economy since it would be the number one cash crop. By placing a tax on the drug would create much revenue and more jobs. Medicinal marijuana is legal in California and that is responsible for $14 billion a year in sales. One economist even estimated the state would also save about $1 billion per year by not arresting and imprisoning those caught with small amounts of marijuana (Austin 7). There are many benefits to the economy that comes with the legalization of marijuana. It is something to really think about.

The way to compromise the two views would to be to set an age limit on the possession of marijuana, like there is on alcohol and tobacco. They are both considered drugs as well, so why wouldn’t it be the same rules? By setting a limit on the age of possessing marijuana, it will make people become more responsible and less likely to end up in jail. I also think that there should be a limit on how much you can have at one time. This would limit any problems by not having too much at one time.

Works Cited:


http://www.jstor.org/stable/3487894?seq=5

http://www.druglibrary.org/medicalmj/positive_effects_of_marijuana_.htm

http://norml.org/pdf_files/NORML_Rethinking_Decriminalizing_Marijuana.pdf

Pre-writing Essay 2

I'm not sure what I want to write my Rogerian argument about yet. But I have several ideas. Making marijuana legal, rasing the driving age, abortion, legal drinking age lowered, or global warming. There is just so much that could be talked about with any of these subjects. I want to write something I take an interest in, but it also has to be something that I can see two opposing sides to. If it is something that I have a very strong opinion about and I am not going to be able to see the other point of view, then I should't be doing a Rogerian argument on it. It needs to be something that I can truthfully see both sides, because that will make my paper stronger.