Rebuttal – gooferious

Posted on November 2, 2020 by gooferious

My Way is the High Way

The thought of therapy alone scares some individuals, I cannot comprehend why as it is a successful method in helping those with certain issues such as trauma, how to handle fear and worry, learn ways to relax, find ways that help to improve coping and problem solving skills and even how to control perspective in situations. Many historical figures and celebrities have open up about how beneficial therapy has been for them. Take Gwyneth Paltrow for example, the Iron-Man co-star discussed with Buzzfeed her time in therapy due to postpartum depression. She explained how she felt “…like a zombie. I couldn’t access my heart. I couldn’t access my emotions. I couldn’t connect…”. Paltrow claims that therapy aided her in getting control back of her life and that postpartum depression should be discussed openly more with women; she wouldn’t have been able to come to this realization should she have not gone to therapy.

The reality of the world well at least in the United States, shows that anxiety and depression are nothing new to any generation. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), over forty million adults suffer from anxiety every year! Anxiety is one disorder that is completely treatable should the individual take the first step that is getting into therapy. While many say that therapy is not the solution for them, that they prefer other methods such as yoga, home remedies and/or meditation; what many people don’t realize is that these activities and strategies are a form of therapy just not the one-on-one approach. Avoiding any type of therapy is the last thing one wants to do as it can lead to disastrous effects. I propose the idea of mandatory therapy for those diagnosed with any mental health issue. I understand that it is not the most moral decision but it will ultimately bring out the best in people in the grandest majority.

Therapy has many advantages that one may not be aware of. Take for example a child who was sexually abused. It’s not hard to conclude that this child will have certain behavior patterns that are deemed rebellious and non-orderly. If therapy is given to the child as early as possible, the effects of the trauma while most likely will still occur they will certainly not extend to a high degree of rebellion and internal pain. Therapy can help the child learn how to cope and find ways that best suit them to deal with the daily struggles of having to carry such a disturbing burden. Hans-Ulrich Wehler wrote an article titled Psychoanalysis and History in said article, Wehler goes on to discuss how therapy can help uncover the unconscious motives of why people act the way they act. In the case of the sexually abused child, therapy could help the victim acknowledge what happened to them and understand that they had no fault in the situation, that they were merely at the hands of a predator who most likely experienced the same tragedy and said predator most likely also did not attend therapy. Wehler also goes on to talk about how therapy can help victims understand the problems in their lives that occurred due to trauma and to help find methods that can best reduce their inner demons and make the ‘reality distorting’ effects bearable to live with. (Pgs. 7 & 8 of Article)

In a separate article, various authors wrote The Role of a Prescription in Anxiety Medication Use, Abuse, and Dependence. This article emphasizes the role that medication has on those who suffer from anxiety. While medication is a form of treatment for anxiety and other mental health problems, it is also a gateway into other forms of treatment, the bad side of prescription drugs. By that we are discussing non-prescript drugs that have been stolen, illicit illegal drugs, alcohol, etc. The article explains that these prescription drugs that are meant to help individuals with anxiety are being used in non-medical ways, by that we mean that these drugs are being sold to people who do not need them but are using them to either get high or buying to distribute to other people. Face-to-face surveys of about 35,000 people resulted that many individuals who use these medications either for good or bad intentions are becoming dependent on these drugs. One would agree that the last thing any of us want is to be dependent on a little pill to get us through the day. Therapy can eliminate the this way of coping as individuals will learn how to express their feelings and know the safe, non-prescription methods. Most people who take these drugs want to numb their pain so they don’t have to live with and face their emotions, this route however usually leads to drug dependency or even worse, drug addiction.

Emphasizing the idea that therapy is indeed a solution should be the main takeaway from this. Undoubtedly we cannot predict the future but what we do have control over are the decisions we make right now. Don’t waste anymore time giving a thought about what others may think or trying to hide from your emotions. We are all human and deserve a chance at happiness. The way with the highest probability of that outcome for those who suffer from any form of trauma is therapy.

References

Facts & Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 02, 2020, from https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics

Fenton, M. C., Keyes, K. M., Martins, S. S., & Hasin, D. S. (2010, October 01). The Role of a Prescription in Anxiety Medication Use, Abuse, and Dependence. Retrieved November 02, 2020, from https://ajp-psychiatryonline-org.ezproxy.rowan.edu/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ajp.2010.09081132

Wehler, H. (n.d.). Psychoanalysis and History. Retrieved November 02, 2020, from https://bit.ly/2UcohFJ

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Rebuttal—goldin92

Posted on October 29, 2020 by goldin92

Rebuttal

            When faced with the opportunity to purchase a car, most people think of leasing or getting a new car off the lot. It is the classic American gift, a semblance of the American dream to own a sleek mode of transportation. That new car smell is second to none, except for the feeling of sole ownership. However, there are dozens of typically overlooked options when looking for a car, like renting, buying a used car, or car share services, that pose more cost-effective alternatives for select opportunity costs. With the exponential growth of technology, a new vehicle now can look like a thing from the past just a year later. Although purchasing or leasing a new car can feel exciting, technological innovation, vehicle depreciation, and overabundance of supply of older cars present stronger arguments to not invest in new cars for personal use.

            Owning a new car poses great initial risks with depreciation and how that might affect the ownership experience. On average, a car loses 30% of its value the moment it is driven off of the lot, and so does the new owner. That means that if the owner decides to sell the car even right away, they will have to sacrifice a significant sum of money. Additionally, the car owner is fully responsible for the vehicle and will have to incur any and all costs to maintain it, and when paired with the already depreciated value of a car, it makes it difficult to justify fixes or upkeep that exceed the lowered value of the car. For example, if a car is worth $20,000, and it’s drive-off value is $12,000, any repairs that could be over $6000 would already infringe on over half of the car’s value. Leasing a car offers some levity, as most deals come with dealership perks to cover upkeep. However, at the end of the lease, you are returning a car having borrowed it for a few years, paying a significant amount of money and leaving in the same place you were a few years back. Both options are not the most financially savvy because of the lack of control customers have over the economics of their vehicle ownership.

            Buying a used car typically comes without much depreciative value, as most used cars are 3-4 year old models that have experienced most of the brunt of depreciation. For example, a Mercedes S550 can depreciate up to 50% in the first 4 years, and only 20% more in the next 4 years. Generally referred to as a reliable car for over a decade, it would make sense to pay less than half of the car’s value for the reliability after just a few years of it being on the market. Additionally, companies have been starting in the past few years to help customers actually lease used cars, which is a relatively new concept. Companies like shift.com are making it easier for customers to analyze the depreciation trends of cars they are interested in, and finding a better fit for their economic capabilities than the traditional leasing market. By understanding the monolithic structure of buying and leasing new cars, companies like Shift are able to introduce sustainability into the auto market by finding ways to destigmatize used cars.

            It is clear that technology overall improves every year, in style and functionality. Every year, the new iteration of a car model will be multitudes ahead of the previous year, and this contributes to the depreciation of the older models all the while inflating new car prices. Up-cycled technology like the fully-recycled BMW i3 are proving to be more cost effective and economically sustainable every year. Tesla was able to increase the car battery range from 200 to almost 400 miles per charge in a matter of years, which would make their older models effectively obsolete. With ever-growing automotive tech, cars are no longer future-proof and better models are going to supersede them. After a year or two of owning a new car, it would feel like owning a used car of 5 or 6 years, making it difficult to justify purchasing a new car.

            While owning a new car might feel nice, there are countless costs and decisions to be made when trying to find the right fit. It might be the correct option for some, but because of how technology is changing and the world is moving towards more innovative models for car ownership, there are far more decisions to take into account.

Consumer Reports, “Leasing vs. Buying a New Car.” 19 Sept. 2017. https://www.consumerreports.org/buying-a-car/leasing-vs-buying-a-new-car/.

Car and Driver Research, “New vs. Used Car: Everything You Need to Know.” https://www.caranddriver.com/research/a31520182/new-vs-used-car/.

Mims, Christopher, “How Electric Cars Could End Car Ownership As We Know It.” 15 Jan. 2017. https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-electric-vehicles-could-end-car-ownership-as-we-know-it-1484488803

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Visual Rhetoric—Goldin92

Posted on October 29, 2020 by goldin92

Mask Up America

The ad begins with empty spaces, much like the emptiness we can imagine businesses, venues, parks, and the like are experiencing during the pandemic. By displaying these spaces as empty, we can understand the juxtaposition without the people occupying them. These spaces are not meant to be empty, and our response to the virus made them just that.

From the get-go, it is clear that the ad is intended to bolster overall morale to mask up. The ad supposes that by masking up, we can come closer to getting back these places we know and love. The first few seconds are shots of empty concert venues, live theater, baseball games, etc. All of these shots art relatively still and the camera pans over, as if we are taking in the grandiose emptiness of these locations. By doing so, the ad reels in an ethos, allowing people to emotionally connect with the venues they love and have a reason to listen in on the ad. The ad effectively produces a mixture of nostalgia and guilt towards not having these things we love in the future. The nostalgia comes from the audience reminiscing that yes, these are things we love. The guilt comes from the audience realizing that yes, these are things we cannot actively love right now. 

To amplify the stakes of COVID, the wide outdoor shots are met with indoor ones. The emptiness here is just as empty as the emptiness in the previous shots. There is no one, just the viewer stuck in the void. Not only are these venues inaccessible, but so are all of the small, quaint spaces. This introduction shows the desolation caused by COVID universally, appealing to audience members by showing the drastic emptiness from small to large, indoor to outdoor, that COVID has caused.

The midpoint of the ad introduces the solution to problem by giving the audience a semblance of hope: a hand holding out a cup of coffee, the way coffee is meant to be served in a friendly, non-stressful manner. This image brings in a human hand, finally adding energy and humanity to the commercial.

Immediately afterwards, we see shots of people looking optimistic while masked up. The narrator says that we need to mask up in order to get back to the things we love. We see people from various parts of the spectrum – white, black, female, male, friends, families, all united under their masks. Their composition is important, as they are all focused on with a shallow depth of field, standing center, allowing the viewer to see them unadulterated. These people face directly at the camera as if to look directly at the audience. Maybe it is to mirror the viewer’s image of what one could look like masked-up.

After this series of shots we see shots of people at those venues, gathered before the pandemic, to bring the message home that if we mask up, we can soon become this society again. The ad ends with the logo of “Mask Up America”, bringing the ad full circle.

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Definition—Goldin92

Posted on October 29, 2020 by goldin92

Definition

            Today’s sneaker game is saturated with swooshes, stripes, and brand names that demand price tags higher than ever before. With the growth of demand for hype, technological, collaborative, and luxury footwear, we must ask the question: what is it that defines the value of the shoe?

            The shoe that arguably spurred the resale market is Kanye West’s Yeezy V2. For a few years, Kanye had been working with Nike on rare, select models of his first two iterations of the yeezy. They were sold in random pop-ups, prompting sneakerheads to race to stores during class or lunch breaks to get their hands on a coveted pair. After 3 years, Kanye split his relationship with Nike and moved over to Adidas, where he took the Yeezy brand to mass-production levels with the V2 line. Understanding the inherent value of his shoe, Adidas and Kanye marked up the typical $140-180 high tech shoe to a $220 price tag. Initially releasing a select quantity, the demand for the shoe was drastically larger than the supply, creating a void to be fixed by secondary re-sellers who sold the same shoe for upwards of $1000. This created a resell market and trends for other sneaker manufacturers to follow in order to generate hype and oversaturated demand for their products.

            Nike saw the opportunity for budding artists like Travis Scott. For Travis, Nike recombined the iconic Jordan silhouette with a reversed swoosh that initially confused sneakerheads. But when Travis himself was spotted sporting the rare pairs, the market swelled. From 2016 and onward, Nike released limited quantities of the shoe that never met the demand, which resulted in price inflation to allow the demand to equilibrate with the supply. Effectively, Nike managed to recombine its vision with that of the artist’s by changing up a classic silhouette altogether and treating it like a work of functional art rather than a shoe. This separated the shoe from the rest, creating an artistic value for the shoe that spiked it’s overall value. Similar trends were followed by Adidas when it collaborated with Pharrell to create the HUMAN NMD line, subverting the traditional NMD designs for Pharrell’s more sleek versions, propelling the shoe as artwork. These kinds of shoes are rarely seen being worn in the street due to their artistic value, as owners choose to typically house the shoe and keep it clean like a museum would treat an artifact. 

            Kobe Bryant has consistently proven to be a tenacious athlete, so Nike crafted a line of shoes for him that he would use to win championships. His success, combined with the appearance of the shoe while he was achieving it, created an image that anyone wearing the shoe could be a part of this success story. However, because Nike chose to mass-produce the shoes and price them relatively high ($160) for a new line, Kobe’s sneaker did not take off into the resell market like Kanye or Travis’s iterations did. For years, Kobe sneakers stocked the shelves of Footlockers and the like, rather than sit in sneakerhead collections. This all changed after Kobe’s unfortunate death at the beginning of the year. His martyrdom spurred the Kobe line into a value inflation. Some of his shoes, like the Kobe Summer Pack 11’s, had never seen a price cap higher than their retail value of $160, but after February, their average re-sell value increased to over $500. Effectively, the cessation of production, in this case due to an athlete’s death, increased the value of shoes. This can be seen for many other shoes that ceased production. Lebron James also holds a line at Nike, and every year the line ceases to produce the previous year’s iteration of the shoe as a policy. The Lebron 8, which he wore to win the NBA championship for Miami, increased in value dramatically in the year its production ceased. Additionally, Kanye West’s first Yeezy iterations with Nike increased in value by thousands of dollars in the years after his deal with Nike ended and there were no longer shoes in production.

            Collaborations with brands in order to create awareness, improve technology, or generate a heightened sense of luxury also proves to be directly related to sneaker valuation. Earlier this year, Nike partnered with luxury line Dior to fuse the Air Diors, a new Jordan 1 silhouette. Though the retail price matched Dior’s already established luxury price tags at $2000 per pair, the re-sell market recognized the over-demand and the price tag eventually raised to over $12,000 per pair. The brands limited production and distributed pairs to celebrities and influencers, making customers covet the shoes as crowned jewels. In a different direction, Nike partnered with brands like tech-wear Acronym, A Cold Wall, and Supreme to create more sustainable materials and designs for shoes while heightening their fashion value. Time and time again, the supply of these shoes was far lower than the demand for innovative tech-wear, and the overall value of the shoes increased due to their technological ingenuity. Brands like Adidas partnered with green initiatives to create inventive shoes out of recycled materials, shoes with designs promoting progressive movements like BLM and LGBTQ+ rights, and shoes celebrating multinational cultures, most of which found success in re-sell markets due to their display of a growing vision for the companies and those sporting the shoes.

            Although there are various examples that explain the growth of sneaker values, overall trends cannot be drawn out from specific cases. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, also NBA MVPs with a Nike deals, have not found that their shoes are reaching the level of success like Lebron James is – perhaps they entered the game too late or there is more attention to other silhouettes. And even though Kanye West has become the article of negative attention recently, sneakerheads still see an increasing value with shoes that come from his fashion label. While trends cannot be explained using just a few metrics, it is clear that the value of a shoe is linked with the artists that work on it, the innovation of the gear, and how the companies initially manipulate demand through pricing, supply, and representation.

References:

Elder, Adam, “Why Are Sneakers So Fucking Expensive?” MEL Magazine, 5 Nov. 2019, melmagazine.com/en-us/story/why-are-sneakers-so-expensive

Cain, Áine, “Shoppers are now willing to drop hundreds of dollars on sneakers — and they might need to spend even more in the future” Business Insider, 29, July. 2019, https://www.businessinsider.com/sneaker-prices-costs-expensive-shoes-footwear-2019-7

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Causal—Goldin92

Posted on October 29, 2020 by goldin92

Casual Argument

The University of Michigan’s Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity chapter recently made news as the chapter entered a legal dispute with the national chapter for admitting women and gender non-binary persons into the organization. The national branch alleges that this addition causes harm to the trademark of the organization, including its image, identity, and goodwill. For all intents and purposes, fraternities on college campuses are groups of people who wish to bond over social gatherings like parties, tailgates, and the like. After college, the fraternities serve as a recognition net for alumni, allowing members from various generations to connect over their mutual experiences in the fraternity. By inducting new members, the Michigan chapter aims to side with progressive ideals of inclusion and disbarring antiquated ideals of gender norms, while the national chapter wishes to instill them.

Inclusion of women and gender non-binary persons into the organization that is historically male can seem like it is undermining the history of the fraternity, but in reality it is redefining the brand and values of the fraternity in a modern day context. In the 1960’s, fraternities nationwide were experiencing similar overhaul as more people of color were joining the historically white organizations. Over the years, it became less and less acceptable for fraternities to outright discriminate against men of color, but over time and with more inclusion, the fraternities were able to grow to be more accepting of people of color as members. Because race is an identity factor, and fraternities were (for the most part) able to overcome it as a factor for acceptance into the organization, the same can be argued for identity-based gendering of applicants. If fraternities were able to change their inclusion based on identity, then they can do it once more, only this time towards gender.

The national chapter filed an injunction on the basis that the Michigan chapter is besmirching the national fraternity by not living up to its standards and causes harm to its trademark. They claim that the Michigan’s chapters response is “inflammatory, unfounded, and legally meritless.” However, inclusion of women and gender non-binary persons does exactly the opposite of that for the chapter, as it is an opportunity for the chapter to rebrand in a more progressive direction. While the national chapter views the change as an attack on the core of the male-dominated organization, it invites non-males to become a part of the future of the organization. This will help with making gender-based decisions for the fraternity’s events. Parties have the opportunity to be run while taking into account the desires of not just men, alumni can have inter-gender connections rather than relying on male-to-male connection. Fraternities nationwide have been held under a great spotlight due to sexual misconduct and gender-based incidents, so by showing initiative and working to de-gender the fraternity, the Michigan chapter can have the opportunity to critically analyze the negative output of fraternity life and improve them with inclusive action.

In short, the national chapter is infuriated that the Michigan chapter is attempting to redefine its set-in-stone vision for an all-male society. But the Michigan chapter is looking past that, seeing a fraternity for what it is meant to be, a group of people sharing common interests regardless of sex or gender.

Source:

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2020/10/university-of-michigan-fraternity-in-legal-dispute-after-admitting-women-non-binary-members.html

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Rebuttal Argument-oaktree1234

Posted on October 29, 2020 by oaktree1234

Children with educated parents would naturally be more successful in school and the workplace, right? This is simply not true. Although education may be emphasized by these parents, the child has to be motivated on their own inorder to see results. As we’ve observed, children in less supportive environments, where education is not a priority, tend to be more self-motivated. This “grit” is not displayed by the children of college alumni. Likewise, many parents who have attended college believe sending their child to private school will set them up for success. This actually has the opposite effect. Receiving a private education can hinder the child’s ability to adapt to the real world.

It’s very hard to succeed in school or work without grit. There is much disagreement regarding which students have grit and which ones do not. Some believe that second generation college students are more driven than disadvantaged students, whose parents never had the option of attending college. This belief stems from the idea that students who grow up in a household with educated caregivers will be influenced to go on and pursue a career. In some cases, this holds true but is surely not a rule of thumb. A study done on students at Curtin University attempted to demonstrate that students who were not the first in their family to go to college displayed more grit. “In qualitative responses, students were most commonly motivated by a desire for personal development, career aspirations, and family. Grit was found to positively correlate to parents’ educational attainment, and to students who were not first in the family to attend university”, Cathay Cupitt with Semantic Scholar explains. It’s important to acknowledge that the student stating they are motivated is very different than actually demonstrating this motivation in the real world. Surely these students were motivated to attend college, but not for the same reason as the disadvantaged students. In many financially stable areas, attending college is a social must. These second generation students are often attending college solely because that’s what’s expected of them. Considering this, it makes sense that these students’ grit was seen to correlate to their parents’ educational achievements. 

On the other hand, the first generation college students from less stable backgrounds are going to college with hope of turning around their situation. They’ve already witnessed what poverty and lack of support can do to a family. These students will not let the challenges they face hinder their educational career because they’ve already overcome so many. Meanwhile, the second generation students do not have the same motives. Special awards and scholarships are given to “legacies” or students who attend a college or university after their family member. This makes it more likely that these second generation students will continue their education, not because they have grit, but because they’re predispositioned to. Essentially, being a second generation college student isn’t a true indication of grit, until proven otherwise. The only thing this status demonstrates is that the individual most likely had a less challenging, more supported upbringing. 

Commonly, parents who have graduated college and value education send their children to private schools. They believe this exclusive education will guide them down the right path for entering college. Unfortunately, enrolling students in private school most oftenly has an adverse effect. Many private school students will graduate without obtaining any “real world” experience and lacking skills that will aid them in college and beyond. 

When exploring the effects of a private versus public education, the findings of the WISE program cannot be ignored. WISE was designed as an experiential learning experience for high school students to get exposure to STEM. Initially, the program was only offered to private school students in Virginia. Later, they opened this opportunity up to public school students, as well. Right off the bat, there were big differences in the experience that the public and private school students had. For example, the private schools implementing WISE had more specialized staff members available to help. Also, public schools were not able to provide summer research opportunities since the majority of students held part-time jobs. Despite the obvious advantages the private school students had, both groups were equally successful at the end of the course.

How does this demonstrate that a public education can be more beneficial than a private one? The answer lies in the drastic difference in opportunity. Private school WISE participants were given more aid throughout the corresponding weeks than the public school students. Despite this, they were able to be just as successful within the program as the private school participants. The WISE program emulates the biggest issue with private education. The private students were given every chance to soar above the public students,  and they did not. “At the private school, the students are enrolled in a research course and participate in WISE as a cohort with a teacher who provides feedback on the students’ presentations, reviews their journals weekly, visits the students in their research lab and intervenes if necessary to resolve issues between a mentor and student or faculty and student,” the several authors of “Realities of Mentoring High School Students from Inner City Public Schools vs. Private Schools in STEM Research at an R1 University” explain. Over time, private school students become used to having these privileges and fail to use them to their advantage.   Perhaps the public school students had to work harder and more diligently to make this program fit into their lifestyle, considering they did not receive the same aid. 

It’s very counterintuitive to think that well educated parents and a private education can hurt a child’s chances of success. It’s not the direct effect of these two factors, rather the second hand effects that are so detrimental. Students growing up in what may be seen as an unfavorable environment may experience positive long term effects.

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Not Because- oaktree1234

Posted on October 29, 2020 by oaktree1234

1. Coats was fired for using marijuana and violating a workplace policy, despite the fact had had a prescription for the legal drug.

2. It is unethical to fire a person who has anxiety when they are taking the correct medication to deal with the issue.

3. In Colorado, where marijuana is legal, the drug still holds a stigma, unlike alcohol.

4. The reason for Coat’s job termination was unjust since he was treating a serious medical condition.

5. By firing him solely on the basis that he used marijuana to treat his condition is discriminating against those with mental illness.

6. At no point in time was coats ever under the influence of marijuana at work, only on his own time.

BACKGROUND FOR 7-10: The director of the Secret Service ordered an internal review of its security procedures around the White House after a man armed with a knife who jumped the fence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on Friday night managed to make his way through the front door of President Obama’s home before being stopped, officials said Saturday.

7. Secret service agents were able to stop Omar Gonzalez before he could get much past the front door.

8. Government officials are looking into how this breach occurred.

9. Secret Service chief, Julia Pierson, won’t be fired because of her testimony before Congress yesterday, rather her incompetence.

10. The armed intruder made it impossible for agents to use deadly force against him.

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Causal—612119d

Posted on October 29, 2020 by 612119d

A mandatory Mass program in the United States would have a positive effect on saving human lives while doing great things for the economy. It would  prevent another massive shutdown locally and federally.  Americans’ health should be the primary goal in this war against the virus.

                                                           America First

The economy is a major or the major issue for many americas. Many americas like myself like to put the economy before anything since we believe it is the backbone of the country. In an article published  from Ohio economics,  suggesting having a mask mandate would help the economy, since it would cause less uncertainty. It makes sense because having another shutdown which would lead to massive closure again.  The hardest hit by the first shutdown was the middle and lower class. They can’t afford another shut down and could not only leave some families hungry but some potentially without a house. Wearing a mask could prevent this. On top of that they are very relaltic for every american to wear since the price of them is very affordable. A government economics KIP VISCUSI has said “One human life is worth about US $10 million.’’ Having a mask only saving  a few lives with this would not only save families trauma but be extremely beneficial for the economy outlook. Having a mandate would help prevent another shut down . “In a survey published by Scioto Analysis this morning, 38 out of 40 Ohio economists said that the economic benefits of mask mandates outweighed the economic costs.” This makes sense because having this policy would reduce the odds of another government shutdown and keep everything open. While masks might be uncomfortable and look funny it could potentially save the US economy.

 Americans need to look at the Coronavirus as our world war and we need everyone’s help to win. In world war 2, some of the women needed to go to work since men were sent off to fight. Everyone contributed to the fight and american won. While we aren’t fighting a war like that, we are fighting a microbe war in which America needs everyone again.  A Goldman Sachs study estimated that a nationwide mask mandate would save America $1 trillion, or 5% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.1 trillion dollars at stake, Americans need to look back and at least listen to the experts  that could be saved. When you break it down person by person it would approximately save the average american  $3,000 per person if the mask mandate was followed.  The amount of money the government gave out was in the trillions already; they can’t afford to lose more money because at the end of the day the people will end up paying for it.

If a mask policy was put into place it could potentially save more than 100,000 lives by this February alone. According to Dr. George Hansen article  Together we Can Make a Huge Difference”research is clear: individuals with COVID-19 can be symptom free for up to five days, not realize they are carrying the virus and spread it to others more at risk than themselves. These infected people are the biggest problem since they don’t know they even know they carry it . We don’t have a cure or a vaccine against this virus so we don’t know how different people will react if they become infected. The states that had a strict mask mandate where the  numbers have started to go down which proved that masked mandates worked. The numbers are already high and could get even higher if a mask mandate isn’t regulated. 

Preventing sucide is a major concern with the direct link by the virus but the economic side as well. Oxford researchers “compared suicide data from before  2007 with the years of the crisis and found more than 10,000 “economic suicides” associated with the recession across the U.S., Canada and Europe”Melanie Haiken . If the country  shuts down again, a 2.0 of this event could be an unfortunate side effect of the lock down. People can get really stressed out when it comes to their financial futures. Having another lockdown would mean job loss would sky rocket again. “The soaring unemployment rate and stock market losses caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, combined with millions of people quarantining at home alone creates the “perfect storm” for an increased risk of suicide for many people, according to the JAMA article.”As the cases continue to rise across our country again during this fall season and into the dreaded flu season, there is a significant fear the suicide rate will definitely up if the shutdown occurs again. This needs to be stressed since something on this scale has happened before and we felt the effects. Mental health is a big issue in this country , “I wish we could take social distancing out of our dictionary. Because we are social beings. We can’t socially distance. We are social beings. We can physically distance. Which I like better,” said Steen in an article. These lives are not directly affected by covid-19, but would be saved if wearing a mask was common people could get back to their social connections and not be worried about their next paycheck. Cases are on  the rise in the US , we need to find a solution before it’s too late and we can’t go back.

 We need to consider this as our best option at the current moment .We don’t have many options and this one seems like it could have a lot of positives and few drawbacks. When you look at the economic benefits of wearing a mask versus not wearing a mask compounded with the countless Lives that won’t become infected it seems like it’s at least worth a shot.

This is why a  Mask program in the United States would be extremely beneficial for not only the health of the citizens but for the economy. Having massive human life lost would have a direct correlation with the economy. Not only would it prevent a massive shut down again it would prevent another stock market crash. Covid is a major uncertainty which  is ideal for the market. If we wanna prevent another massive shutdown in our  local and national government we need to seriously consider a mask mandate.  Having such a mandate looks to be the only solution that keeps everyone healthy and business open.

Sources

https://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2014/06/12/more-than-10000-suicides-tied-to-economic-crisis-study-says/?sh=2552f4ba7ae2

Experts worry that suicide rates could increase in CT amid pandemic

Wearing a mask is not only important, it’s life-saving. | Lincoln, NE

Everyone wearing face masks could save America from a $1 trillion GDP loss

How Government Agencies Determine The Dollar Value Of Human Life

38 out of 40 Ohio Economists Say Mask Mandate Benefits Outweigh Costs

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Causal Argument – bluntwriting88

Posted on October 28, 2020 by bluntwriting88

Ionizing Threats

If an electromagnetic pulse were to detonate over the middle of America, all the population’s means of communication, power, refrigeration, economy, and society would be at full mercy to the ionization of the particles in the air. Similarly, but not as destructively, a massive major storm taking out power to an entire swathe of the U.S. has the capability of leaving thousands without electricity for multiple weeks. These are few of the greatest threats and challenge the electrical infrastructure in America. Despite the development of physical understanding and technologies, America is in this energetically vulnerable position due to lack of investment in improved energy transport infrastructure, specifically the electric power grid. There is much physics and engineering which allows for electromagnetic shielding, and there is also much literature and work done on improving operational procedures regarding our electrical power system. The only question is whether the U.S. government is prepared to being a serious and sophisticated analysis, reevaluation, monetary investment, and improvement upon the current existing infrastructure. America has never been in such an unstable and vulnerable position ever before in its history due to this general lack of interest and funding from the U.S. government with regards to the power grid.

In the specific case of an EMP attack on American soil, America has almost zero defensive and counter-threat infrastructure in the circumstance of EMP’s. As mentioned, all electromagnetic devices can be rendered useless from such attacks. Much of American society can be fragmented and destroyed from this, as electronic devices operate and run the U.S. economy which supports the whole of the societal structure for America. If a foreign power has nuclear weapons, then creating an EMP over America is a real and ever-increasing threat. There is quite simply not much else to do other than to be as cleverly prepared and defensive such that if such an EMP attack were to take place, few power plants, substations, lines, devices, etc. would be severely affected or damaged at all. The colloquial idea of investing in one’s future is heard and observed commonly in America. As years have gone and gone by, America has rejected investment in its power systems, which as expected, has left behind such power systems in the sands of time only to be wholly obscured by EMP devices possessed by hostile foreign nations, superior foreign energy transmission, protection, and economics. Now more than ever the problem and its causation (and thus a potential solution) are clear to scientists, engineers, the rest of the world, and America.

When one steps outside in America to examine the powerlines, it is hard to find any significant change at all since they were first erected. The only time we ever hardly see anything different or a replacement is during power outages. The antiquated delivery systems for electricity are only one such example of lack of interest and investment from the government. Powerlines, most of which are 30 years old, have not received investment since their inception

Many power plants were created during the post war boom following WWII. Yet, while WWII veterans become increasingly hard to come by, it is without scarcity to find a power plant dating to the 1940’s. so much so that the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the entire energy infrastructure a barely passing grade of D+ for all the United States. That is truly astounding considering electricity and its delivery is the literal powerhouse of our modern industrialized society. The U.S. government’s lack of interest, improvement, and investment in the power grid means that the state of our power systems has equivalently become a deteriorated and dilapidated relic with an increasing number of yearly problems.

As a matter of fact, America’s vulnerability and lacking in the energy sector currently ends up costing more money to supply electricity to millions of homes. If only investment would be made in changing or improving upon the power grid, then the investment would have a very good justification. So here a new vulnerability for America is created from the disinterest of change and funding: the vulnerability of American energy on the world market.  Americans paying more for outdated power delivery simply because the infrastructure has not been maintained or updated properly hurts the American economy, but most importantly and principally, Americans which are paying for electricity at the ‘archaic’ price level.

Americans are still living in the shadow of development and technological progress while utilizing dilapidated and unprotected electric devices and power transmission. As is usually the case, lack of money is the issue. A lack of interest for investment in  such a large and indispensable component of the American Machine is extremely dangerous, as all of the unshielded circuits which are abstracted away from us but inside everything we use are one short circuit away from complete inutility which implies the worst for America.
               

References

Cohen, A. (2019, April 05). Trump Moves To Protect America From Electromagnetic Pulse Attack. Retrieved October 29, 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/arielcohen/2019/04/05/whitehouse-prepares-to-face-emp-threat/

Joshua D. Rhodes Postdoctoral Researcher of Energy. (2020, March 20). The old, dirty, creaky US electric grid would cost $5 trillion to replace. Where should infrastructure spending go? Retrieved October 29, 2020, from https://theconversation.com/the-old-dirty-creaky-us-electric-grid-would-cost-5-trillion-to-replace-where-should-infrastructure-spending-go-68290

Our Outdated Grid. (n.d.). Retrieved October 29, 2020, from https://cleanenergygrid.org/our-outdated-grid/

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Casual argument- corinnebuck1219

Posted on October 28, 2020 by corinnebuck1219

 Breeding for looks, not Health. 

As a certain standard for breeds become more specific, it is evident that some breeders may abuse their powers to make the perfect dog. In all seriousness, these dogs are far from perfect and suffer from many conditions. This is due to the new norm, petface.These unprecedented standards have recently been set by the American Kennel Club. Petface is the youthful puppy features that breeders intentionally breed for. These traits include big bulging eyes, smushed faces, and larger than average heads. The breeds that are commonly bred for this are Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, Pugs, and the Boston Terrier.  Unfortunately, due to petface, these breeds tend to have odd shaped ears, wide and flat skulls, wrinkles over the nose, many other wrinkles on the face, resulting in the dogs inability to exercise, withstand heat, stress, and the dogs ability to breathe to decrease. 

A tactic breeders commonly use to get the perfect dog is inbreeding direct relatives, such as a father and a daughter. This then results in the exact traits they want, but with many problems. For example, the bulldog is commonly inbreed, and tends to suffer from a certain squat with shortened legs, and large heads with a flat muzzle. Bulldogs typically undergo artificial insemination, which could just lead to the breed’s demise. Another poorly bred dog is the pug, who also has to undergo artificial insemination. Pugs also suffer from exposed eyes, which are very vulnerable to sustain injuries. An investigation concluded that the genetic variation in these breeds showed very little diversity on the mothers and fathers side. 

Another problem with these breeds is that the mothers cannot give natural birth. Due to the size of the pups heads, mothers tend to give birth by C- sections. The Boston Terrier, also known as the American Gentleman, is most known for this, since they are bred purposely for a deformed structure. Out of 675 Boston liters, 86% were a C- section, sadly 9% will die at birth, and 14% will be born with birth defects. Another survey found out that out of 109 Boston pups, only 9 died of old age. These statistics are horrible for such a popular breed.

Another troubled breed is the French Bulldog. This breed is perfect for city life, since they barely require any exercise due to their breathing problems. This breed happens to be one of the most common breeds, yet one of the most problematic breeds. Frenchies have such trouble breathing, most airlines have them banned from flying in cargo. This relatively new breed has one of the lowest life expectancy, where their median age was 1.3 years, where most dogs are typically 4.5 years. Out of 300 vet clinics, and 2228 Frenchies, 72% have disorders. Some disorders are typical diarrhea and ear infections, while others are mostly wrinkle infections, corneal ulcers, and upper respiratory disorders. 

To conclude, the impact of this poor breeding results in high populations of dogs in veterinary clinics, more expensive vet bills, and breeders breeding with no concerns for the animals health. Overheating, exercise intolerance, and sleep apnoea are the least of concerns for the Pug, Bulldog, French Bulldog, and Boston. Eye problems, skin problems (rashes between the skin rolls, mostly yeast and bacterial infections ), orthopedic problems, heart diseases, inherited deafness, and upper respiratory conditions are these dogs most prone conditions. In a study, it was found that outbreeding, introducing dogs from outside breeders registers, by breeding back to normal head shape and less excessive skin rolls would help their disease problems. Breeders tend to reject introducing genes outside of their breed though, since they fear their breed will then “be contaminated”, and the breed would lose its character, be introduced to new diseases, and change in temperament. Breeding practices are negatively impacted by the ignorance of these genetic issues, since people see a cute dog and are instantly sold. Breeding these dogs seems to be a double sided sword; the desirable traits that customers want are met, but at a cost of many inherited genetic diseases. 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/evolution-petface-180967987/

Eschner, Kat. “The Evolution of Petface.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 31 Jan. 2018, http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/evolution-petface-180967987/. 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/although-purebred-dogs-can-be-best-in-show-are-they-worst-in-health/

Maldarelli, Claire. “Although Purebred Dogs Can Be Best in Show, Are They Worst in Health?” Scientific American, Scientific American, 21 Feb. 2014, http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/although-purebred-dogs-can-be-best-in-show-are-they-worst-in-health/. 

https://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/health/bostonterriers.html

Welton, Michele. “Boston Terrier Health Problems: Feeding.” Boston Terrier Health Problems | Feeding, http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/health/bostonterriers.html. 

https://theconversation.com/how-to-save-inbred-short-faced-dogs-such-as-pugs-and-bulldogs-from-poor-health-63341

David Sargan Senior Lecturer in Molecular Pathology at the Department of Veterinary Medicine. “How to Save Inbred, Short-Faced Dogs Such as Pugs and Bulldogs from Poor Health.” The Conversation, 20 July 2020, theconversation.com/how-to-save-inbred-short-faced-dogs-such-as-pugs-and-bulldogs-from-poor-health-63341. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2018/05/04/french-bulldogs-cuteness-comes-at-a-steep-cost/

Brulliard, Karin. “French Bulldogs’ Cuteness Comes at a Steep Cost.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 1 Apr. 2019, http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2018/05/04/french-bulldogs-cuteness-comes-at-a-steep-cost/. 

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