Happy Holidays?

There was a recent article published in the school paper over saying “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas.”  I was surprised by the reactions people had. There were two reoccurring themes in what people thought of the article. They were either offended or angry over what the writer had to say, or they agreed one-hundred percent.

                I read the article for myself and I thought that this person does have a point. I thought why should it matter what we say and why should we have to mold everything we say to please everybody and everything.  I don’t see what is wrong with saying what you believe in or what you celebrate. If I said “Merry Christmas” to someone and they happened to not celebrate Christmas I would hope that they wouldn’t get offended. In the same way I would not get upset or offended if someone said to me “Happy Hanukah” or “Happy Kwanza” because how are they supposed to know what holiday I celebrate.

                I guess all of this turns into another political correctness argument. As far as I’m concerned no matter what you say about anything someone out there will not be happy with what you have to say. Now by all means I’m not saying that people should be running around saying derogatory terms or phrases, I’m just saying that people make too big of a deal about what other people say or do.  Also, people are getting too offended about what other people say or do. I think that everybody just needs to worry about themselves and then no one gets hurt.

                Which ever you prefer “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas” just makes sure you make the best of the holidays. Spend time with family and loved ones and just try to be nice to other people. I think the holidays are meant to be this way. However, the holidays also bring out the worst in people. I find it all kind of ironic.  

                Either way have a happy holiday which ever holiday you happen to celebrate.  In my case Merry Christmas everyone!

Urban Meyer and Ohio State

                It was recently announced that Urban Meyer will become the new head coach for The Ohio State University football team.  It was rumored in the news prior to Thanksgiving that he would be the next coach. He was originally going to be a telecaster for the Ohio State-Michigan game, but he was removed from the cast when work got out that he would be announced as coach.

                He was officially hired as coach on November 28^th in a press conference in Columbus. He will become one of the highest paid football coaches in the country.  His contract states that he will make close to seven million dollars annually for six years.

                Meyer has been a pretty prominent name in NCAA football for several years. His latest coaching job was as head coach for the University of Florida. However, he “retired” from coaching at the end of the 2010 season. He claimed he was retired for health and family concerns.

                Meyer an Ohio native started his coaching career in Ohio. He originally started coaching at St. Xavier High School near Cincinnati before moving as an assistant coach at Ohio State. From there he held various assistant and head coaching jobs before returning to OSU.  

                At the moment, I do not know what to think about the Buckeyes or Meyer. I have grown up as die-hard Buckeye with both my dad and grandfather being Ohio State Alumni.  I was always a huge Jim Tressel fan and loved watching the Bucks when he was coach. My only problem with Meyer is I associate him with the University of Florida and I don’t like that team or their SEC conference.

                I was shocked (but not necessarily surprised) when the whole tattoo scandal came up in Columbus but I think the university did what it had to do and there is nothing wrong with that. However, I think that they did not give Luke Fickell a chance. I think they just threw him in as coach because they had no one else. Not to mention that he was working essentially with a completely new team because most of the starters were suspended. 

                All I do know is that it will be an interesting year because what I have found is that there is a huge divide in Buckeye fans over Meyer being the coach. Some are extremely enthusiastic while others are turning against the team. I guess its just a matter of time to see what happens and with all Ohio sports “There is always next year.”

Prison

                Yesterday I went to prison. Not literally, but as a field trip for a class. Now when I started taking field trips in elementary school, I would have never guessed that I would ever go inside a prison let alone being toured by prisoners. However, as bad as it may sound it was actually very interesting.

                It started by just a tour of the Grafton Correctional Institute. It is a medium security prison. It isn’t exactly how it is on T.V. where there are a bunch of very angry people locked up behind a big door for twenty hours of their day.  They are somewhat confined during certain parts of the day, but when we were there, most of the inmates were walking around or not locked up.

                Even though the prison is pretty laid back, it still is prison. Our tour guides made it clear that it isn’t fun and that it straight up sucks. Like a majority of the rest of the country, Grafton is also becoming overcrowded. There were a lot of people in a fairly small space. It creates a very distinct smell when you walk into any of the buildings there.  Not to mention it feels pretty sketchy when you have a bunch of inmates either watching you or walking around you the whole time.

                After the tour ended, three or four of the inmates spoke about making good choices, goals, peer pressure, the things that in a way would be expected from an event like this. However, it wasn’t the same exact speech as it usually is. It seemed to have a different tone to it. I don’t know if it was the way they spoke of it or the fact that they actually didn’t follow what they were talking about when they committed their crime(s). 

                Once they were done speaking, the inmates broke us up into smaller groups and had more than less a one-on-one.  I found this the most interesting part of the whole experience. Like how many people you know can claim they sat in between two convicted murderers?  This is when you could really see who these people are.  They honestly seemed like some of the nicest people I have ever met in my life.  

                In the end I’m really glad I got the chance to do this. I think it was a good experience and a thing not to base what your life on.  I don’t know if I would necessarily call it eye opening because some of what I saw was expected but I think it is what I heard from the inmates is what I took away from it.  It wasn’t so much of what they said, but the way they said it and the way they were able to apply it to real life.  

                The moral of the story is don’t do something really stupid and throw your whole life away (that’s basically what it all comes down to).

High School

Have you ever really wondered about High School? Have you ever thought about why you are there and what good it does?

Well unfortunately I have had an epiphany (if you will) about High School. I realized that you are only here for four years of your entire life and that it really isn’t going to make or break you . Well if you let if it can break you.

I realized that a majority of what happens in the four years you spend here really doesn’t matter.  Yeah academics and sometimes athletics determine where you will go to college, but other than maybe a specific college, you’re going to find a college.  Let’s be honest, a college somewhere will accept you because all they want is your money.

All of the other things that go on in High School really don’t matter though. Unless of course you manage to get arrested or expelled or something ridiculous like that then yeah you could screw yourself. What I mean is people in the real world aren’t going to care what you did in High School.

Maybe that is the bigger issue. People don’t seem to have a touch of reality. They don’t understand that there are bigger, more important things in life than what goes on in High School.

Also, have you ever wondered what it is you are supposed to be learning in High School? I have been wondering this for a long time. My typical question is usually “When am I ever going to use this?!” And from what I have been able to perceive is that most of the “stuff” I am learning right now wont matter after college.

It seems to be you learn the most through experience and on the job learning. So why is there such a push to learn all of this stuff that wont matter in six years? I know that the state makes all of these regulations that teachers have to teach. I get that. But then I guess what my other question is then why are some teachers are so bad at teaching?

Now if I really wanted to I could completely rant about a few crummy teachers I have had over the years but I wont do that (Not in this blog anyway).  But really why are some teachers so bad at what they do? The state tells them what to teach and they should be the experts on it all. Also, I thought all people who went into education did it for a reason. For the love of the job maybe?  Well apparently that isn’t always the case.

Now don’t get me wrong I have had some excellent teachers in the three years that I have been here. I just don’t understand why some people are teachers.

Well either way, it is what it is and everybody has to do it. I guess it will just take longer for some people to get it than others. I really don’t know where this rant came from but since it is an “Opinionated Blog” I guess I’m okay than.

Candidates’ Night

Last night I had the luxury of attending the local Candidates’ Night because of my AP Government class.  Much to my surprise I actually found some interesting points in between periods of extreme boredom.  There were only three competitive races and only two of them may directly affect me. Overall I took it all as a good learning experience.

                The night started with all of the candidates running for reelection that didn’t have anybody running against them. They all basically gave the same speeches explain what they do and did over their last term. They also thanked voters for their support. No big deal. At one point in this I did ask myself “well what if no one votes for them? Do they just get the spot anyway?” I am assuming they would but I do think that would be pretty funny if no one did vote for them.

                Following the agenda the school board was next. This was the most interesting part of the event. There are three spots open with seven people running. Two of whom are running for re-election. This race also has some of the more interesting people running in it.

                Running for election are two bankers, two current board members, a retired pediatrician, and two educators. It made for an interesting debate. Overall everyone had similar ideas for the schools except for the doctor and the one banker who is a Tea Party member. All the other candidates were talking about keeping up our good education, introducing technology, and keeping teachers.  There were a couple very good presenters who know how to publicly speak and I personally respect that.  One of the educators was very nervous and it affected her presentation.

                The two most interesting comments came from the Tea Partier and the doctor. The doctors only concern was health and that was it. The Tea Partier was worried only about money and how everything costs too much. He was concerned with that fact that two brand new school busses cost a lot of money (I forget the exact value he said…but it was a lot).  What he failed to mention was that the schools will use that bus for the next twenty years.

                The next debate was for a chair in the city council. I really didn’t pay attention to this because it wasn’t the ward I live in.

                The final debate was between the three candidates running for mayor. The candidates are the current mayor, the former mayor, and the council president.  In my opinion, there were no real surprises in this debate. The former mayor has taken a pretty radical stance on issues, and the current mayor and the council president have similar ideas for the city. This will be the closest race and it will probably cause a run off.

                Overall the biggest thing I learned at this event was don’t run for public office. To me it simply seems to be a bad idea. I honestly have no idea why anyone would want to do that.

Inmate Firefighters

“Inmates could staff fire stations in Ga. County” was an article title that caught my eye today. My instant reaction was “Really?! Are you serious?!”

                Naturally, I clicked on the short article and I read it.  I was amazed by the fact that this county in Georgia is considering placing two to three inmates in fire stations to respond to all emergencies along side the real responders. 

                The sole reason for this proposal is to potentially save 500,000 dollars a year. Now don’t get me wrong I’m all for saving money, but at the expense of the safety of ordinary people?  The inmates that would be eligible for this program are charged with theft and drug related crimes.  I don’t think that people will want these criminals coming into their house when they need help.

                The idea for this program would be that firefighters would be trained on how to handle the inmates since there will be no guards to watch them.  The officials propose that one traditional firefighter will be able to guard and control up to three, trained inmate firefighters. 

                In my personal opinion this is a terrible idea (incase you didn’t pick up on that yet). Why would anyone want to let charged criminals in their house when they need help?  People trust the fire department and shouldn’t be afraid to call for help.  If criminals are responding with the fire department people are going to be reluctant to call for help. In an emergency every second counts on whether someone lives or dies and if they are reluctant to call then they very well may end up in more trouble.

                Also, if these inmates are in prison because of drug charges and theft how can you trust them in an environment where things like drugs and personal property can easily be taken without people knowing of it?  For example ambulances and paramedics have controlled substances with them.  How do we know that these inmates will not take them to use or sell?

                 Also note that If anyone were to be hired as a career firefighter they would have to have a clean record. So how does it make sense to put felons in the same position? Let me know if you would feel safe letting felons into your home to help you.

Click here for a link to the story/video


Prsioner + Firefighter = ?!

Senate Bill 5 aka Issue 2 Commercials

What ever you call it, Issue 2 or Senate Bill 5, it is the same thing. As the law stands right now in the state of Ohio all public employees (firefighters, police officers, teachers etc.) will not allowed to collectively bargain for their benefits. The idea behind this law is that in the long run it will balance the state budget. This law also limits the pay and pensions of public employees. Currently, the law is being petitioned and it is put on referendum for voters to make it official or not. The voting will take place in November.

Now I am sure that there are parts that I am missing but I am trying to make it brief and concise.  However, I do want to point out the fact that it is an all around a terrible idea. I come from a blue collar family where my dad is a firefighter and my mom is a teacher. Both of them will be directly affected in some way.

I also want to point out all of the commercials that are playing right now for or against the Issue. Some are good and others are bad. I feel like the commercials in favor of the bill are very deceptive. For example there is one with John Kasich explaining why the law is a good thing and how it will create jobs in Ohio.  However to me it is hypocritical because he wants to sell prisons in Ohio to out of state, private companies. This takes jobs away from the state. Can anyone explain this to me?!

There is also another commercial where a teacher is explaining why it is good for him that this Issue be passed. I can honestly say that I have not heard of any teacher that is in favor of Issue 2.  

Another commercial I don’t understand is the one with the mayor of Toledo. He was a firefighter for the city before becoming a mayor.  He said that he was laid off as a fireman while on the job and he didn’t think it was fair. However the catch is that he was eventually was hired back and he retired after being promoted to a Captain or Battalion Chief.  

On the other side of the argument I think that the commercials against Issue 2 are very well worded. I feel like they people speaking in them are very honest and they tell it how it is. I think that these commercials are true but I’m sure there are people out there who think that they are lying.

I feel like the Republican Party in this case is trying to cheat the people of the state. I do agree that the budget needs balanced. I just feel like the government is trying to do it in the wrong way. I guess I consider myself a Democrat because of issues like this. I just want the government to do what they can without making public issues private and vice versa. Also, I feel like the government needs to be able to compromise more instead of just bickering.

However, this is my opinion and I usually keep them to myself but in this case I feel like people need to vote to repeal Issue 2.

"I am an Innocent man"

As many of you know almost twenty-four hours ago Troy Davis was executed by the State of Georgia for murdering a police officer twenty-two years ago in Savannah, Georgia.  His execution was delayed by four hours when he applied to appeal his sentence both to the Georgia Supreme Court and the United State Supreme Court.  However both courts ruled against him.  Davis was declared dead at 11:08 pm est. His case has been considerably controversial and many people think the State killed the wrong man.

                When Davis was convicted of murder in 1991 he had nine witnesses testify against him.  In the twenty years since then seven of the nine witnesses have repealed their statements. The police officer he apparently killed was off duty working as a security guard. Officer MacPhail went to assist a homeless man who was being assaulted when he was shot. Some evidence linked Troy Davis to the shooting. However there was some controversial evidence on both sides of the case.  The prosecutors seemed to reach the point of unreasonable doubt that Davis committed the murder.

                However, on the flip side Troy Davis and his attorneys had twenty years to try and prove his innocence so that means that he was not completely innocent. Either way I personally do not know enough information about the case to personally make a choice or have an opinion on whether or not Davis should have been executed.  In my opinion if he really did do it then yeah he deserved his consequence. But if he was innocent then the state and country really has to do some thinking about their process of processing its “criminals”.

All I do know is that there were some very unhappy people around the world because of this execution. There were many people, celebrities, and activist groups who were against the “killing of an innocent man”. These people protested and even petitioned to try and keep Davis alive to prove his innocence. 

Either way, I think that this case will be looked at heavily studied for the years to come and it will make its way into the history books.

NEVER FORGET

As I’m sure all of you know, today marks the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks against America. Even though I was only in first grade when it all happened I still have some details of that day engraved in my mind  and they always will be there; to Never Forget.

The morning of September 11, 2001 is always described as a sunny, cloudless, perfect day. However, this wouldn’t last long.  At 8:46 am American Airlines Flight 11 hits the North Tower of the World Trade Center.  At this point in time not too many realized the significance of this event. Many thought it was simply an accident. When American Airlines Flight 175 slammed into the South Tower everyone knew at that point that this was no accident, it was an attack on America. This was followed by American Airlines Flight 77 hitting the western side of the Pentagon and then Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania.

However, the planes were just the beginning to a horrific day.  Less than an hour after being hit by Flight 175, the South Tower collapses and a half an hour after that the North Tower comes down. This is where a majority of the nearly 3,000 fatalities occurred.

Within all of the death and destruction of that day the fact that hits me the hardest is that 343 FDNY firefighters died. I think that this hits me the hardest because of my dad. He is a firefighter and every time I hear this statistic I always think of him. I can’t even imagine what the families of those heroes have gone through.  On that day then men who died were the true heroes. They climbed up the stairs into the smoke and fire instead of running away even though they knew their fate.

If you get anything out of this post, just remember to Never Forget. Don’t just honor the firemen but honor the policemen and everyone who tried to help someone else on that day. Also, honor Flight 93 because if they didn’t rise up and fight against their hijacker; who knows how many more people would have died. Another thing to remember is that freedom is never free and we can’t always take it for granted.

9/11/01 NEVER FORGET

How Far Should a Student Go In Terms of Education?

In this week’s edition of Another Opinionated Blog the topic of debate is “Is College worth it?” In a recent article in the Sunday edition of the Plain Dealer many studies and prominent educational figures were quoted on whether college is worth it or not for high school students.

The main topic of discussion in this article was the fact that so many students are coming out of a traditional, four year, residential college in a large amount of debt and in today’s economy debt is not a good thing. Also, the article made a point that not everyone, not every career needs a four year degree in order to be successful. They did however state a point that post-secondary education is necessary. Whether it be a certificate, a two year associates degree, or a four year bachelor’s degree.

In my opinion I agree 100% with this article. Why should someone spend four years and thousands of dollars on an education that they don’t necessarily need? An example in the article was a plumber. Plumbers are essential to society but they don’t need a college education and it would be a waste of time and money for a plumber to go to a traditional four year college. Yes, they need extra, post-high school training but they don’t need a four year college education. Plumbers aren’t the only profession essential the society like this.  Firefighters, paramedics, police officers, construction workers, registered nurses etc. don’t need a four year degree to be successful.

I guess it really depends on what you want to do as a career if you need to go to college. Yes some jobs for sure need a lot of education. Its just people need to take into consideration that they may not have to go to a traditional college to be successful in life.