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. .