Should adoption records be open rather than sealed?

This subject hits close to home for me, since I have been adopted. To answer this question plainly, yes records should be opened. My reasoning for this is because of medical reasons. It is often hard to get a clear cut background when these court cases are sealed. I understand the reasoning behind sealing the records however it is just my personal thought that these records should be kept open for at the very least, medical reasons.

To what extent should advertising aimed at children be regulated by law?

I think that any product that can harm a child should be regulated. This idea is on the same lines of regulation of TV, were it is important not to expose the hazards of life at too young of an age. Take for example, cigarettes, which in the last two years has changed from marketing to children, to more regulations towards what type of ads children may or may not see. This can be observed in the new law, where advertising cannot be within so many feet of a school. Ads may also not have color which evokes emotion from a younger crowd and makes them more likely to buy these products. This is exactly the type of regulation that is needed to keep children safe.

Should sex and violence on television or in the movies be restricted?

The simple answer is yes. The more complex answer is also yes. It has been shown over and over that violence and sex on TV has only lead to more sex and more violence. We have here, in the United States, a pretty good system in dealing with these topics. I think that this system which regulates what we Americans watch is a good one, however, there are shows and topics that I wished were censored more. However, this body which governs our TV, is for the most part fair. In the end, fairness is the only thing one could expect from such a group.

On a lighter note...

On a lighter note, and in a more perfect world, this cartoon should be of the utmost importance. In this more perfect world, I wouldn't have to watch political campaign ad attack another candidate about the most ridiculous topics. I saw an ad the other day on the TV, it went something along the lines of:

Single mom, one-on-one interview, talking about how Tom Emmer has a DWI, and how he should not run for governor. It had this real serious feel to it, almost like unsolved mysteries. It even stated that Emmer voted to raise the penalty on DWI. Don't Vote for Emmer was the message.

Okay, first of all, the fact that Emmer voted to up the penalty is a good thing, and I don't even like the guy! Secondly, how much did this ad cost? the cost of these ads is what is really troubling. Candidate spends millions on ads, which is just thrown away to bash another mans name. (Again, he is not who I will vote for, but this is part of my rant) 

Okay, this brings me to my cartoon. Image the only thing that candidates spent money on was positive ads like this one above with there face painted across it. It sends a clear message of what they want to do when in office, this shows how they are willing to help us, and we can hold them accountable for their actions. Just think how cheap this ad would be since I just made up the idea in five seconds. Again, I must snap to, and realize that this is not that more perfect world. I can't wait for the elections to be over. GO VOTE AND DO YOUR PART.....

What is one to make of this???

I don't know how many people watch the news or read the news paper but I, myself, like to do both several times daily. This has been a practice of mine for several years now, so it can be safe to assume that I have my opinion on the war(s) in the Middle East. I usually try to keep my opinion to myself, knowing that we might not see eye and I want to respect that other person's opinion. I do this because I know that as an American citizen I can make a difference by voting, which is a given right. Granted, sometimes it might feel like my vote doesn't count but it still is my right to do so. This brings me to this cartoon above. Here we have the president of Afghanistan having peace talks with what appears to be a Taliban  leader of sorts.
Even though this cartoon has light colors and is meant be funny, at least that how I took it at first, but now, how can we be sure that this isn't what behind these "peace talks"? Food for thought

Should animal experimentation be permitted?

I think that if we can do experiments on humans in the name of good medicine then yes animals are a good source to learn from. I know that there are places and groups out there that would would want to get into a verbal or even physical altercation because of that statement, but I really don't care. If lets say that a cancer medicine, that in theory could cure cancer, was ready to be tested. Now we are unaware of the side effects that may occur. Well it seems that we have ran into a problem, how can we prove that this medicine actually works without harming a human life. The answer is easy, use animals.
Although I understand that these are also Gods creatures and that they should be harmed, but come on we are at the top of the food chain, testing experiments on animals, to within reason( I know that could go either way).

Smoking Bans

My topic for this essay is all about smoking bans. I am currently trying to stop smoking which is one of the hardest things I have tried to do. Now I think that smoking bans in public places are a good idea. I also think that we could enforce a better public policy  which would in turn lead people away from smoking tobacco products. These habits which cost everyone from the tax payer, to the unborn child who could have problems if their mother is a smoker. These problems are something that needs to be handled.