Vaccines: The Ease of Disease (SSR)

With the multitude of  fatal diseases and infections that plague all corners of the earth, it may seem that we must simply accept our imminent death. These highly contagious illnesses would surely induce constant fear within every individual, as they would live a life attempting to avoid contracting one of these lethal injections. However, as we live in the twenty first century, with technology that provides a great expanse of possibilities, we no longer are engulfed by fear of death. We are saved by our hero, our knight in shinning armor, the light at the end of the tunnel: vaccines. These medical treatments have been constructed in laboratories, and slowly perfected over the years. They offer individuals an escape to a life engulfed by fear, and assurance that they will be protected from some of the most contagious infections. However, even with theses benefits in mind some individuals refuse to receive vaccines, as the fear of the side effects hinders their decision.

Those individuals who refuse to receive vaccines often obtain views that are obstructed by the opinions of the people who surround them. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Emmy-award winning chief medical correspondent explains in a CNN report that, "science often loses the zeal argument to ideology". People hear by word of mouth that a vaccination could potentially have adverse effects and this fear becomes greater than the benefits these medical innovations could offer. Gupta explains that most of these fears are not based off of fact, but on assumption. Many individuals have not personally witnessed a vaccine produce an adverse effect, but have heard of a friend of a friend who has possibly had a reaction to the vaccine. Gupta urges readers to take vaccines not as a matter of opinion,but as a matter of fact. To support this claim, Gupta explains through several statistics that vaccines are not as harmful as people may conceive; in reference to the measles vaccine he explains,"that you are 100 times more likely to be struck by lightning than to have a serious allergic to the vaccine". Gupta claims that if more individuals were genuinely educated on the facts concerning vaccines, they will be more apt to receive them and acquire their benefits.

Gupta further explains that individuals should not fear vaccines simply due to the potential stories of adverse effects. He expands upon his views through a quote from David Katz, a representative from Yale School of Public Health, who states, "it makes no more sense to rant against vaccines because you heard of someone who might have had an adverse reaction than to stop walking because you heard about a pedestrian struck by a car". People should not fear the unknown simply due to fears of possible faults. The advantages to vaccines offer benefits that exceed any adverse effects that may occur. With any situation, there will be some sort of fear of failure, however,we know that, in reference to the quote, that it is far more practical to keep walking, as there is little chance that most individuals who walk will be struck by a car. In the same way, there is little chance that vaccines will fail to serve their purpose, therefore individuals should keep in mind the benefits they produce.

In the United States, every citizen has the freedom to choose whether they wish to receive a vaccine or not. Those who choose not to receive vaccines must think of the people their choice is affecting as well. Their children, their co-workers, their family, the people they come in contact with daily could all become victims of their freedom of choice. If this individual happens to contact the disease, they put their loved ones at risk of contracting the disease as well, leading to possible death and and outbreak of the disease. Vaccines are an innovative technology that allow people to avoid contracting possibly lethal diseases that would be otherwise incurable. If we have the ability to reduce the chance of death caused by illness, why shouldn't we utilize it? Taking into consideration the facts and benefits concerning vaccines, it would be a logical decision for individuals to support the administration of vaccines to protect their lives and the lives of their loved ones.

The Remedy to Wanderlust (PB)

With a population consisting of just over seven thousand people, Cortland, Ohio is a minuscule dot when viewed from the perspective of the Earth as a whole. When analyzed, not much consists of this small town with it's highlights being Mosquito Lake and Sparkle Market. However, this is not to say that Cortland is a terrible town to live in; we must take into consideration that we were ranked as one of the best cities to retire in. Despite this honorable recognition, Small Town Blues is a disease that plagues at least one of every ten of the city's inhabitants. When students graduate from high school, many of them yearn for something more, something bigger than what they've been confined to for their childhood. They migrate to cities that offer more excitement, more opportunities, more adventure. The wandering spirit within them knows that there is vast world to discover.

Living in Cortland has limited how we view the rest of the world and the cultures that reside within it. We say that the sunsets at Mosquito Lake are the most astounding sunsets we have ever seen, until we are able to view the sunsets at the ocean on the shores of the Bahamas. We say that the Mexican food at El Torero is the best Mexican food we have ever tasted until we are able to taste the rejuvenating flavors of the cuisines prepared in Cozumel, Mexico. We are confined to the meager experiences that this town has to offer until we are able to discover the wonders that the world has to offer. Until we travel and encounter the multitude of cultures in the world, how can we know which one is our favorite? Traveling allows our souls to connect with the diversity of the world. Our wandering spirit chooses a place that satisfies it once it comes in contact with a new culture, and that becomes it's home for the moment. Then we travel once again and our wandering spirit is able to find a new location to rest it's love in.

The world currently upholds a population of 7.31 billion people. That means that for every person in Cortland there are over a million people to represent them on a global scale. The people in this small town only offer a narrow perspective of the individuals across the world. There must be thousands of people who we would become best friends with if we had the opportunity to meet them; however, we are confined to the people we come in contact with in our short lifespan on Earth. Within this town, we become distraught because we feel as if no one is able to relate and empathize with the situations we endure. We are naive to the fact that with the billions of people on Earth, there must be others who feel the exact same way, we just have not come in contact with them yet.

It is improbable that one will have the opportunity to visit every country and meet every individual that resides in the world. However, with the eighty, ninety, or one hundred or so years that we are allotted to complete our life, it is crucial that we travel and experience all that we are able to. We must allow our wandering spirit to quench it's desire to discover more, to experience more. These new experiences will allow our perspectives to shift off our small, minuscule town on the lake and onto the boundless entities of the world.

Embracing the Present (SSR/PB)

We watch the clock tick, hour by hour, day by day, waiting. Waiting for the school day to be over, for the weekend to come, for summer to arrive. It seems as though we are never satisfied with our life in the moment, that there must be something better that we should look forward to. Once the school day is over, we want the weekend to come. Once the weekend is here, we want summer to arrive. Once summer is here we long for fall breezes and and the sounds of the Friday night football games. How can we long to obtain something that we never truly embrace?  Surly we allow these awaited gifts of the future to appease our want for excitement for something new for just a moment; but then the allure of something better floods our thoughts and we begin the waiting process once again. In order to enjoy the diverse aspects of life, we must indulge in the present.

As my senior year approaches, I've begun to reminisce on the almost thirteen years that I've spent gaining my education. Looking through old pictures and thinking about my favorite teachers from my youth, I am left in disbelief on how quickly this period in my life has actually happened. When I was in middle school it seemed as if my last year of high school would have never arrived. However, here I am, ready to embark on my senior year filled with college applications and perspectives for the future. When I think back on the countless school days I have completed over the years, I begin to question myself, did I sincerely enjoy my youth? From the latter years of my education, I can most prominently recall how much I dreaded waking up early every morning or how much I loathed the amount of homework I received. I believe that since I spent my adolescence waiting, and searching for something greater than what I was currently experiencing, I surrendered the opportunity to appreciate the age of my innocence that will soon be consumed by the responsibilities of adulthood.

Throughout this last year of high school, I want to make it a goal to thoroughly relish in my current experiences; to let the complaining cease and focus my perspective on my daily activities. Truthfully, after this era of education, speaking for the approaching seniors, our daily life as we currently know it conclude. We won't see the same people for eight hours a day, nine months a year. A new routine will be upon us and we will only carry the memories of the past with us. So let us create memories that we can look back on and cherish rather than memories tainted by complaints and wants of the future. We have the future to live the future and the present to live the present. Instead of being constrained by the phantom of time, we should surrender ourselves to our current adventure and embrace the present aspects of life. Best put into words by Marjorie Pay Hinckley, "The trick is to enjoy life. Don't wish away your days, waiting for better ones ahead."  

Eliminate the Hate (SSR)

Scrolling through my Twitter feed, it is not uncommon that I come across an article that displays a before and after picture of a woman who lost weight due to the new "miracle diet". Watching t.v., again I'm bombarded by weight-loss ads, ensuring me that if I use their program I am guaranteed to drop thirty pounds in five days or less. Even simply going on the internet has become an outlet for weight loss promotion, with websites saturated with ads begging for costumers to buy their life-improving product. Our current generation has become obsessed with loosing weight and obtaining the perfect bikini body; however, where does obtaining a healthy life-style play into this situation? We are so concerned with loosing weight and having a fit appearance that we forget that the underlying goal of having a nice body is living fit as well. 

This body obsession has promoted not only unhealthy weight loss diets, but also the movement towards negative body image. Because weight loss ads have not focused their advertisements to promote healthy living, rather than perfect body results, more individuals focus the faults in their body appearance rather than the faults in their way of living. Often, when the topic of weight is discussed within a group of people, it is not long before someone says "I'm so fat" or "I hate my (insert body part)". We have become accustomed to exert negative comments about ourselves rather than visualize the improvement that healthy living could produce. This self-hatred has extended not just to adults and teenagers, but is promoted among the new generation of children as well. A story produced by the Huffington Post discussed the controversy that has arisen over a onesie sold in an New York University bookstore that reads, "I hate my thighs". Although the producers of the baby clothing claimed that the onesie was simply a joke, many individuals believe we should take notice to the hidden issue; self hatred and unhealthy living have become more important than improving an unhealthy lifestyle. 

We each receive one life, and one body to execute that life. So why should we spend our life hating the only body we have? Instead of self hatred, we should promote self love. Learning to except the body you have is an important life principle that all individuals should acquire. It teaches people that their personal characteristics are what define them rather than their outward appearance. Yes, one may focus on self improvement, but in a healthy and prosperous way. In fact, why must we feel obligated to loose weight and obtain the perfect body? Individuals should focus on being content with the way they look rather than trying to amend every flaw they have. Having the perfect body is not a requirement for living a healthy and happy life. Let us learn to be satisfied with ourselves and love the body we live in rather than promote self hatred  that will only lead to an abyss of unhealthy decisions and unsolved problems. 

The American Brainwash (CRR)

Cemented into the brains of naive children from the very moment they embark on their educational career, The Pledge of Allegiance supposedly serves to establish a sense of patriotism within the student bodies of schools across the United States. Everyday, for thirteen years students are forced to repeat the same thirty one words; however, do these words still retain the same principles that the authors originally proposed? The Pledge ends with the phrase, "with liberty and justice for all", but if one truly analyzes the state of America, they will find that this statement does not align with the practices of the government. Black citizens are still discriminated against. Homosexual rights are still being withheld. How can we pronounce freedom for all citizens when the rights of groups of individuals are continuously restrained? Adults,who are not required to recite the pledge, are able to understand these corruptions within the government. Conversely, children who have little understanding of the corporations that run their country are brainwashed into believing that the American government works solely for the well being of all citizens. These children simply comply with the orders of their teachers who assist them in memorizing the Pledge until they are able to recite it fluently. In addition, why are children required to memorize and repeat the Pledge everyday? It is probable that most of them do not even comprehend the words they emit, however, they simply recite the meaningless words in order to satisfy the authority figures who oversee them. In my opinion, it is of no use to require children to recite the Pledge; instead, all adults should recite the Pledge every morning. Maybe then we will realize the lies infused in this reiterated speech and save our youth from becoming brainwashed by the corrupt American government.

Thoreau successfully discusses the evils of the American government through his essay, "Civil Disobedience". He describes how too often, American citizens comply with the decisions of the government regardless whether the decisions are made for our benefit. Thoreau urges his audience to realize the immorality the self centered government operates under, and not allow these actions to persist, but take a stand so that justice for all may prevail. Thoreau then stresses the need for one to use their conscience rather than surrender their will to think freely to the government. In the same aspect, why should children continue to monotonously recite a speech that has no meaning to them? Should they too surrender their conscience to the seemingly flawless system? Thoreau continues by explaining his personal act of civil disobedience, in which he refused to pay the pole tax in order to vote. Although he was sent to jail for a short period of time, he was able to prove his point that defending the right to individual freedom is far more profitable than the consequences that follow. So, as Thoreau did, should we too show our own civil disobedience? By refusing to say the pledge, although disapproving stares may accompany this act, the movement may encourage others to do the same, and fight for equal rights for all American citizens. Let us not revert to become indifferent robots who comply with whatever the government instructs us to do, but may we be open minded philosophers who defend their right to live freely.