Fighting never solved anything

My opinion

I do think it is important that American’s take responsibility for the power we have and help stand up for Libya. The question is, how much? How much, how often and how far will we and or should we go in order to help?

Though I think it is important to help others, meeting violence with violence never works. When someone hits us and say “we will just hit them back harder” who does that help? No one.

The people in Libya do need our help and I think we are doing a good job of trying to protect the people right now. I don’t think we need to get involved in another war we cannot afford, a fight we may not be able to solve.

Fighting, as we are told when we are children, is never the answer. I still agree, fighting won’t solve our problems and in most cases it will make the problem worse. If everyone just remembered what their mother taught them, the world would be a better place.

Opinion 2

According to CNN.com:

Western policy has shown a disconnect between the political goals espoused by its leaders and the military actions allowed by U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973. The resolution authorizes a no-fly zone and other actions designed to protect civilian lives. It does not support actions to oust Gadhafi, and imposes serious restrictions on the coalition's ability to assist the rebels and achieve broader political goals.

The rebels are a ragtag force. They are poorly equipped and lack experienced professional leadership. Without more active Western support it is not clear that they have the wherewithal to capture Tripoli and overthrow Gadhafi. If the rebel counteroffensive stalls, the Western-led coalition could face a protracted military stalemate, which could last for months -- perhaps longer -- and leave Gadhafi in control of much of western Libya.

Dora moves with her audience

My Opinion

Many of the TV shows for younger girls have started a trend: short skirts and revealing tops. From tinker bell to the new troll show, the girls are shown with revealing clothing and coy smiles. Though I do think that this could be a bad thing and that parents should be careful about what they let their children watch, there is one show that has been successful at moving with the growing audience while keeping the character modest.

Dora the explorer.

Dora has evolved from a very pudgy box like girl with short bobbed hair to a longer leaner teen with long hair and more accessories.

Dora has grown with her audience but she has kept a girlish figure instead of taking on a curvaceous hourglass shape. Dora does not have that shape because her audience does not have that shape yet. Dora’s audience is the girl who is coming to realize what style and clothes are all about. She is beginning to match things and put outfits together.

Good job Dora!

Opinion 2

By Farrah Aldjufrie

Growing up, I have always been surrounded by girls. With three little sisters and almost all female cousins, it would be an understatement to say that I stumble upon the color pink from time to time. In fact, I constantly find myself in a sea of the cheery hue: magenta dresses, cotton-candy blankets, and dolls with rosy red cheeks fill my sisters’ bedrooms. Most would agree that this is normal for little girls; however, as society becomes increasingly liberal, we have seen a public outcry concerning the topic of gender shaping.

A handful of parents are trying to steer away from the stereotypes that we have fallen victim to, usually by avoiding gender-specific colors (like pink and blue) and opting for more neutral colors (like yellow) when purchasing items for their children. They similarly turn to figures that they believe to be empowering, like “Dora the Explorer,” a cartoon girl who, according to the Morning Sentinel, is known for her “insatiable interest in science, cartography, adventure and problem solving.” However, in recent news, Dora has unfortunately traded in her shorts and sneakers for jewelry and a frilly dress complete with delicate ballet slippers, as seen in the image above right.

Infuriated parents are arguing that her new mature look is a downright mistake, as it goes against the very nature of Dora. Blogger Amy Jussel (Shaping Youth) claims, “it cues girls to an even worse message by conveying that girls can start out as unique, brave, active, indie spirits, but behaviorally, by the time they edge into tweenage years, they’d better march like lemmings into the beauty biz.”

You Can't Escape Consequences

My opinion

No one should be able to escape the consequences of his or her actions, no matter what his or her background or childhood was like.

Every action or choice comes with a consequence to match, you can’t escape it and no one should take it away. According to msnbc.com,

"A juvenile court judge deciding if four teenage boys should be tried as adults in the gang rape of an 11-year-old girl who was lured into a Southern California park bathroom ordered the Probation Department on Monday to prepare reports on the suspects.

Riverside County Judge Robert J. McIntyre said he wants the reports by April 25 as he considers the case against the defendants, whose ages range from 15 to 17.

The teens appeared one by one at the hearing in orange jumpsuits with their ankles and wrists bound in handcuffs.

The charges against each teen include rape, sodomy and committing the crimes to benefit a criminal gang. Three denied all of the charges through their attorneys, the equivalent of a not guilty plea in juvenile court. The fourth teen will be arraigned April 15."

These boys according to many should be put in prison for life, according to others the parents of these boys should have to stand before the judge also. However, there are some who are willing to say that these boys probably come from difficult homes and should be psych evaluated.

Though I do agree that there are probably varied reasons for the boy’s actions, they were still actions that they chose to commit. Those boys chose to rape an 11-year-old-girl. I don’t care what the circumstances were or the reasons they have, or the excuses they give; those boys need to be brought to a realization of the real hard-hitting consequences that come with actions such as this.

Consequences, whether they are good or bad, can be life changing. Those boys should feel the full force of the consequences of their actions… they should be life changing. People learn from the consequences of actions. A child learns the concept ‘hot’ when he or she touches a stove burner after being told not to touch. The consequence of that action is that the child has a stinging burn. You can’t immediately rewind the clock and act like it never happened: if you did then the child wouldn’t learn anything. The child learns the consequence of touching something hot by dealing with the pain.

The scenario is no different here; those boys cannot be lightly slapped on the hand with a ruler and be expected to never again repeat the act. Why wouldn’t they? The first time went by with no consequence so why not do it a second time?

Consequences teach.

And sometimes hard lessons need to be learned.

With great power comes great responsibility

My opinion

To quote the movie Spiderman, “with great power comes great responsibility.” Though it is a cliché, this phrase means a lot to me, and I think it should mean a lot to all American’s.

America is so many things. It is wealthy, it is advanced, it is growing and most of all; it is powerful. We American’s are powerful, and as with all great power, it comes with a responsibility. We American’s have a responsibility and a duty to fend for those who are not as strong, to give aid where it is needed and to stand up for those who cannot fight alone.

I think we have a responsibility to help the people in Libya.

Opinion 2

According to ABC news the President of the United States said, “To brush aside America’s responsibility as a leader and –more profoundly- our responsibilities to our fellow human beings under such circumstances would have been a betrayal of who we are. Some nations may be able to turn a blind eye to atrocities in other countries. The United States of America is different. And as president, I refused to wait for the images of slaughter and mass graves before taking action.”

Opinion 3

According to ABC news, critics have said that America going into Libya is a bad idea. Some say that the United States should not use military intervention or “police the world”.

Indecisive President leads to indecisive country leads to indecisive people

My opinion

According to the New York Times our President had to be convinced that the United States had to act and do something about Libya.

The president did make a decision though; he gave the ok for American’s to join in with Europeans and Arabs in fighting against the Libyan government.

However, A senior White House official recalled the President saying, “The American involvement in military action in Libya should be limited – no ground troops – and finite. ‘Days, not weeks,” According to the New York Times.

Why is the President being so indecisive? You can’t help someone halfway. The President is basically saying “here Libya, give me your hand and I will help you stand up; but only half way.”

Are we going to help or not? Are we going to go in and do something about what is going on? Or are we going to sit out? Right now I don’t have a strong enough opinion on which one I would rather but I would like a firm decision from our President.

Opinion 2

The startribune.com said, “The former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, came down hard on the President,” saying that he was, “Mocking him as a stuttering weakling when it come to Libya. He declared that Obama has displayed the worst presidential decision making on foreign policy he’s ever seen.”