Writing Topic #2 pg. 1211

Contemplating the subject of suicide reminds me of the saying that suicide is “a permanent solution to a temporary problem”, in other words there is really no situation that justifies suicide and any problem that someone is experiencing will eventually go away, even though it does not feel that way. However, I do feel that suicide is something that is different from Mercy Killings, in which terminally ill people are aided by doctors to humanly end their lives. I think that suicide is not only religiously and morally wrong but also wrong for any and every person. Anyone who has ever been at a point in their lives where they contemplated the idea and action of suicide and its seemingly ease can attest to the fact that later when you look back on that time such thoughts will be proven to have been wrong and wasteful. I say wasteful because when you take such permanent action you will never get out of that tunnel, you will never have the chance to find out that those thoughts can and do go away with enough time, understanding and much needed help and will. By will I mean the will power that someone can have to overcome hard times in their lives. Yet I do not think that every person has such a strong will power and anyone who has such thoughts or even contemplations should seek help because it is not something anyone should be ashamed of or something that anyone should be afraid to speak up about. When some is in such a mindset, where they cannot see anything but their own pain I think that this is then the last moment in which they should contemplate such a permanent act. This permanency in itself is so important and monumental and regardless of its subject , be it suicide or abortion or any similar controversial act, it is not something that I feel anyone should really think about, least of all someone who is in such a dark hopeless space. I say that suicide is also religiously wrong because it seems that many forget that the commandment of “thou shalt not kill” includes the killing of the individual self, if you are the type of person who believes in like after death and Heaven then you know as a general rule that someone who takes their own life ends up somewhere that is definitely not as pleasant as Heaven. Therefore, I feel confident saying that suicide in most cases is the wrong answer, one that will destroy not only the individual’s life but also the lives if all that love that individual. Mercy Killings, once again, through helping someone else end their, seems somewhat acceptable in situations in which that persons is terminally ill and in tremendous pain. I feel that this is one of the saddest ways that anyone’s life can end but there are definitely cases in which prolonging life only serves to make that person suffer worse when they are already terminally ill. So in such cases I do believe that Mercy Killings can indeed be justified, unlike suicide which cannot, in extreme cases. However, I personally think that I could not be a part of Mercy Killing or Suicide and even just writing about it makes me uncomfortable because of the stigma and the sad association with the early ending of a life that each has.

Writing Topic #1 p. 937

Becoming infatuated with someone you do not really know is like waiting on the results of a final that will decide whether or not you pass or fail a really important test. When you do not know someone very well and you are barely getting to know them it seems so nerve wracking because like an important test you are so hopeful that the result will be fantastic and that you will pass but on the other hand you are also terrified that you failed miserably and the doubt and fear of both success and failure eats away at you. Sometimes it seems that the things that are most important or the things that will have the biggest effect on you take the longest time to relate their result. An hour can seem like a year and a day a century, but when it comes to something that you feel you really need, like a great score, the time never goes fast enough. The result of this “test” can seem like the end of the world, or the beginning, depending on your result and how dramatic you are. Many times, after walking out of the situation, once the test is finished it can seem like such a sure thing that you aced it, but I have come to the conclusion that it is usually in these situations that you fail, its like the universe plays this huge joke and lets you think you have won, only to later reveal that you have actually lost. In contrast this, I have learned that in many cases you can walk out after a test and be sure that you just failed miserably and often times when you get your results, you will be shocked to find that you actually passed, either by a decent margin or completely. So often times it is no use what so ever to speculate about the test and whether you passed or failed. Most of the time the only thing to do is wait and see what happens. It can be the hardest thing to do because it is not like you can say “ok mind, stop thinking what your thinking”, but there are a lot of times where you have to forget about some things or lose it. I do not want to sound overly dramatic but im sure there are plenty of people that can attest to the truth behind this. Especially when you are young, when you find someone that completely catches your attention and holds onto it; it can seem that, like that much needed good grade, your happiness hinges on the result. Any form of “love” even infatuation brings numerous problems and worries, no matter your age because everyone always has the highest hopes that they will come out the winner. Even though like that test, you can do all the preparation possible, yet that final grade rests with someone else and their interpretation or opinion. It is the same in relationships, you can only try so hard and out so much effort, the rest is up to the other person.

Writing Topic #2 pg.825

People definitely have types, they do not have to be physical preferences, even though they commonly are, but i think for the most part people prefer certain qualities and attributes over others. For example, I prefer people who are outgoing, adventurous and friendly. While others may prefer people who are shy and quiet. Types are relative and there is no accurate way to define them or judge someone on their “type”. People’s types come from many places, the cane be based on inherent prefreces, religious beliefs or even social influences, for some, they are born with a preference fro certain people and for others, types can be learned through remembered happy experiences. For the most part types do not change in my opinion, this I feel is one aspect of types that is inherent, it is there from the beginning, before we learn what is socially desirable. I have always been drawn to a certain type of person and that has not really changed in all these years. I am the type to be somewhat shy when I first meet someone and as I get to know them and feel comfortable my “true colors” come out. I suppose that is why I like extroverts so much, because I sometimes wish that I was more comfortable being open with people I do not know that well. It seems that in many instances people gravitate to others that exhibit the qualities that they themselves wish they had and so this is also a good example of that fact that types are not definable, they mean something to different to every person. I do believe however that in extreme cases types can indeed change. I think when you get involved with someone who is not exactly right or good for you over and over again that types need to be changed. It is not easy to change them but it has to be done so that a person can lead a happier and more peaceful life. This example is similar to those in which people form preferences based on positive experiences. Something as basic as a memory of a nice, friendly teacher from childhood can cause people to form preferences for similar types with even knowing it. As human beings we constantly try to improve ourselves and by making connections with those that have the very qualities we value or respect can improve out own selves by mere association. Therefore, I think is it quite clear that types do exist and only extreme circumstances can change those types. Many like me, are in a sense born with a preference for certain types of people while others learn this preference. Regardless, though of that I would say that types are one of the most difficult things to distinguish or describe. The can be inherent or learned but they are unique in ever case, like a finger print, no two people look for exactly the same things in a person, whether what they are looking for pertains to a love interest or just a friend, it will always vary.

Writing Topic #3 pg. 794

I turned eighteen the summer of two thousand seven and I was so excited because it just so happened that this birthday came about around the time that the Presidential Election occurred. Now knowing that I felt the need to vote and cast my opinion I registered and had my chance to vote, which I did. That winter, I got a jury summons thanks to the fact that I was registered and of all the people that were called in; I was, in the end, Juror number two. From the beginning I was nervous because I had never been involved in something so official nor had I ever been to court, and if you have ever been you know that there can often be a lot of strange, not so nice people, and that it not even counting the guards. So all in all it was my first real experience with being an “adult”.
The case that I was assigned to turned out not to be something violent or something involving the death penalty or something equally controversial, it happened to be a malpractice suit in which an older man, probably in his sixties, was suing two of his doctors for performing an amputation when he felt that he did not need one. As the case progressed the jury learned about various subjects, such as the man’s medical history, his lifestyle, and the doctors practicing history and interaction with this individual man. We learned that the man was overweight, which we could see, but we also learned that he had numerous health problems, the least of them Diabetes and the worst, blood clots leading to amputation. We learned that the doctors had repeadlty warned him that if he did not change his life style he would end up with the amputation, which he did. Even through all of this information and the validity of it, I still found it hard to be totally unbiased because looking at this man in a wheel chair made me feel really bad for him because he was a human being who could not live life as he was used to living it for so many years. By the end of the case, when we had all the information we would need to make a decision the jury was sent to a back room and given all the time we needed to make that decision. After only a few hours in the room we had come to a unanimous decision in favor of the doctors. The decision was not made as easily as it would seem in the time span, of course our decisions had to be made with no bias but it was still hard to tell that man that he had lost. Looking back I know we made the correct decision because it would not have been fair to let the doctors be blamed for something that was to patient’s decision. The decision made was not, for me, the hardest part however; the hardest part was taking part in a process by which one party would loose and the other win. This “official capacity” that was mine two weeks was difficult to deal with because it went against my inherent belief that I am no one to pass judgment on someone and by deciding against this man I could not help but feel like I was passing judgment on him for not getting or staying healthy. Now im almost twenty-one and to date I would say that this experience is the most serious example that I am able to give concerning a situation in which I had to act in a way that clashed with my personal feelings or beliefs.