Democracy Comic By: Conner, Tony, and Joe

Works Cited:

Strauss, Stephen. "Is Our Republic Ending? 8 Striking Parallels Between the Fall of Rome and U.S." Alternet. Alternet, 20 Dec. 2012. Web. 28 Sept. 2014.

Beard, Mary. "The Fall of the Roman Republic." BBC News. BBC, 29 Mar. 2011. Web. 27 Sept. 2014.

There has been a lot of controversy in the news relating to gay marriage. We find that the majority of people relate to one side or the other. It is rather hard to have a middle ground in this situation without a major conflict in fundamental beliefs. Since I am from Indiana this article specifically relates directly to me and where I have grown up my entire life. For the longest time Indiana has been strictly against gay marriage. In fact our state ruled that the definition of marriage is between a man and a woman. This all changed when a district judge ruled in a court case that the definition of marriage being between a man and a woman was unconstitutional. As of that point, it opened up the doors for gay marriages and ceremonies to legally take place in the state. Then within a short time from this ruling the Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the judges ruling and the previous definition of gay marriage was reinstated. 

Obviously with this being such a controversial issue, it is very sensitive to some people. I by no means aim to offend anyone by this. I struggle finding a true stance on the issue for multiple reasons. As i was raised Christian, specifically Lutheran, biblically speaking I am obligated to be completely against it. As some of my friends in my life choose to live a homosexual lifestyle, I want them to have what makes them truly happy in life. One way that I can justify this is that the bible says that no sin weighs more than any other(every sin is equally bad/wrong) except for hardening your heart and denying Jesus. In this way one of the most applicable bible verses would be when it roughly says do not look at the spec of dust in your neighbors eye when there is a plank in your own eye. In this, people judge and rebuke that kind of lifestyle but fall short in so many other areas and in most cases are not sorry for it. We as humans lie, cheat, and steal on a normal basis and are not necessarily truly sorry for what we have done. Although I do not support gay marriages, I do believe that people have the right to live the life that they want. Who am i to judge someone on their homosexual lifestyle when I myself fall short in so many other areas. I have no issue with people who choose to live that lifestyle. The only issue I have with any of it is when someone of that lifestyle deems that I should fully support and agree with that lifestyle. 

"Indiana: Waiting for Justices to Rule on Gay Marriage." The New York Times. The New York Times, 15 Sept. 2014. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/16/us/indiana-waiting-for-justices-to-rule-on-gay-marriage.html?_r=0

Class Discussion 9/17

http://www.npr.org/2014/08/13/339888170/smartphone-apps-help-to-battle-campus-sexual-assaults

Article Discussion Questions:

Why do we as teenagers and young adults typically not use the provided blue emergency stations on campus but rather tell our friends?

Do you think that people will be willing to "buy in" to circle of 6?

What flaws do you see with the program?

Is there a privacy issue with the app sending data (i.e. location or live feed from phone) to other people?
     Would there be any abuse with people using this system to get your location without permission?

What happens when the circle of 6 is unavailable to respond to the issue?

Racism in Today's Social Media

Since the end of slavery it would be reasonable to think that racism and racial superiority particularly in the United States are about as alive as the latin language. But just how alive is racism in the world today? Platforms such as social media make expressing racial views easier and easier as the days go by. We as a society no longer have to openly proclaim our views in the town square for everyone to see and hear. In modern times we can just as easily express our views without having to physically say a single word. We can and would much rather hide behind a digital mask remaining anonymous.

So how often does this racial discrimination occur? Studies show that on the popular social media network Twitter alone more than 10,000 tweets are sent per day with racial intent. That means every 45 seconds someone, somewhere in the world, is making racial comments indirectly through social media platforms. 

In an day and age where racism is thought to be extinct and ridiculous, it seems to be a lot more prevalent than we may have initially thought. We as a society seem to be desensitized to the whole idea of racial slander. Because of the hip hop industry it is now widely accepted to use the word “nigga” as if it were an every day word. Because of shows like jersey shore it now widely accepted to use the word “guido” as if it were an every day word. The list goes on and on. We deem these things that were once atrocities used only in the most extreme or hateful circumstances to be socially acceptable and the new norm. 

Hoenig, Chris. "Anti-Social Media: Study Finds Racist Tweets Are Sent

     This Many Times a Day." DiversityInc. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2014.

http://www.diversityinc.com/news/anti-social-media-study-finds-racist-tweets-sent-many-times-day/

My name is Anthony Perugini and I am from Fort Wayne, Indiana. I use the regular school email at aperugini18@jcu.edu . Because I am the third, named after my grandfather, it was always easy just to be called Tony.  I have a great passion for football specifically but in the realm of sports/athletics as well. Dieting and fitness has become a large part of my life partially to enhance my athletic performance but to look and feel great as well. I have always seemed to do very well in the sciences, hence my double major, but have always either struggled or did not enjoy most english courses I took. In the long run I plan on either being a Pediatric Surgeon or become a Biomedical Engineer.

I have always done great working together with people. In those situations, through human interaction, I seem to take from the discussion a lot more than if it were more singular efforts. I am a relatively open and personable person, it does not take a lot for me to strike up a conversation with someone.

The internet has to be the single greatest technological advancement in history. It allows us to be connected in so many different ways. We can now keep up with people even if they are thousands of miles away through social media sites such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. We can locate a plethora of information just through a simple search on google instead of having to go to different libraries to try and find the specific information that we need. We can keep up to date on news or other events that we may have missed. To me social justice means social equality. No person should be treated differently for having a different color skin, a different sex, or come from a different standard of living. Everyone should get an equal opportunity; it is what we do with that opportunity that defines who we really are. Some of the main social justice issues are racism, sexism, and poverty. I have tried my hardest to avoid many of the stereotypes that are related to social injustice. Working a lot in the inner city of Fort Wayne, I had first had experience proving that everyone is the same no matter what situation or financial standings you come from.  Everyone deserves an equal opportunity. We should all be held to the same standards and if we meet those standards then we deserve that opportunity.

Some of the questions I would like to know is where the Professor would like the course to go, specifically what areas he would like to focus in on. Along with that I would like to hear everyone's true opinion on things such as racism and sexism. It would be interesting to see how our views or ideals vary from person to person since we are all coming from different areas across the country.