Pinker vs. Chapman March 5, 2008

Steven Pinker believes there are understandable reasons for todays women to kill their newborns, or neonates.  He has less of a problem with hunter gatherer women committing the same act.  His beleifs are that everyone should stop to understand what would lead a woman to do such a thing and it’s okay to understand the facts, but not necessarily forgive.  For example,  poor health of the baby or not being bothered to ass another child to her presents pack of children.  Pinker is very open minded however, on the other hand, the doctors reasons are so negative.  The authors ending statements are asking about what a full personhood really is.  There would be no real answer for that.  All you have are you opinions when it comes to the statement.

Aurthor Bruce Chapman was very angry with the article “Why they Kill Their Newborns” and it’s author Steven Pinker.  Chapman was upset with the approach Pinker was trying to give off.  He claims the changing of negative words try and change readers opinions without them even realizing it.  The major reason why Chapman despised Pinkers article is that Pinker mostly put the blame of neoniticides on the hunter gatherer ancestors.  Chapman does not believe women who kill their babies are just obeying their instints.  No way did they learn that from their ancestors.  Chapman does have his judgements when it comes to killing newborns.  He thinks it’s evil and breaking of the religious moral code. 

 These articles have changed the little views I did have about the situation.  I do really believe that the women who do this are sick in some way.  They snap into this certain person who can do this to a newborn child and completely snap out of it. 

I believe February 29, 2008

I believe that people are highly stressed due to being overworked.

I believe that society is way too judgemental

I believe that government has more potential

I believe that justice always makes a difference

I believe that knowledge is the most valuable key to success

I believe that science is constantly evolving

I believe that reality can be overwhelming

I believe that life is amazing in all aspects

I believe that happiness is held within

I believe that goodness will payoff

I believe that death is shocking

I believe that God is everything

I believe that happiness is held within.  Happiness is held within your heart and soul.  No one can make you happier than yourself.  It is not other people or things that surround you that make you feel sad, angry, or even happy.  It is you yourself.  Only you can put yourself in a situation to make you feel unhappy.  If you are not satisfied with how you feel, you have the ability to change that.  You can be perfectly happy alone.  People belive that you always need to be surrounded by other people to be happy.  If you are not satisfied with yourself, you will never be satisfied.  I used to always feel bored when I was alone.  I was never content with being by myself.  A friend to me, “If you can’t be happy with yourself, how do you ever expect someone else to be happy with you.”  Now, i’m a little older and I have realized I don’t need other people to make me happy.  My friend was right!  I’m actually much happier now that I don’t surround myself with certain people that I don’t need to be involved with.

Many peole may feel different.  They may feel like they cannot be alone.  The same way I used to feel.   

What Triggers People to Steal February 20, 2008

What Triggers People Steal? I am sure somewhere down the road, everyone has stolen something from somewhere or someone. I want to know what motivates people to steal valuable possessions. What urges a thief to break into another persons securely locked home and steal their hard earned belongings. I believe that thieves feel desperate and empty inside, like they have nothing. They want to fill that emptiness with something. I think that emptiness triggers the thought to break and enter, and then on the stealing. Recently, I experienced such shocking events while I was fortunately not home. A man struggled to climb in a tall window on the front of my apartment. He quickly ruined what he left in the apartment, searching for money and whatever looked worth stealing to him. I was hard at work when this happened, working for money, to pay for that small apartment. Maybe where the robber should have been spending his worthless time. Instead of being rewarded for all of my dedication, I was robbed and left heartbroken and terrified. What kind of heartless person would have the nerve to do hurt me so badly? Does he have no conscious? I became frightened to sleep and relax at the place I called home. I wondered if he would come back to steal more, or break into someone else’s home the way he did mine. Now, I want to know why people decide to steal. Poverty is a big deal in triggering a thief. As poverty increases, I am sure that robberies increase also. I would assume that people with no money, always struggling, would want, want, and want. That is when they begin to take from others. If a person has no job, no income, and they are always broke, they will soon become envious of what others have. They start to feel depressed and feel the need to go out and get what they want the quick and easy way. Instead of finding a job to work for hard earned money to spend, it is easier to simply steal what they want. If they need nice, new, expensive clothes or possessions that they see on someone else, it is quicker to grab it and run or hop through a window. Gang members often steal as part of the deal. They may not steal only because of their personal urge, but because they want to portray a certain image. They may be trying to appear “hard” or cool in front of their friends. Stealing could be part of an initiation to become a gang member. A person wanting to be expected may have to rob a person to get in. They feel better about themselves to know that they can get what they want, and to make others feel intimidated. Stealing could possibly make a gang member feel confident and happy with himself or herself. Thieves do not only steal possessions! They also steal identities from other people. A person may find happiness on acting like another person and living a totally secret twisted life. This is taking the next step past breaking down a door of a house, or grabbing clothes from the local mall, or even stealing land. Why would a person take that chance of ruining another person’s life to have everything they want? I would never feel near the satisfaction to know that someone else is suffering due to my own actions. Identity theft is constantly happening everyday. Maybe, because it is so easily done and a thief may never come in contact with the person they are stealing from. It must be a horrible feeling to know that you are deeply in debt thousands of dollars, while some slacker with no future is living the good life across the country. Drug addicts often turn into thieves to support their disgusting habit. Once the drugs take over a life and the addict runs out, they start to crave more. That is when they start to steal to get money and more drugs. A drug addict would go as far as stealing valuable possessions and selling them to receive money. Even wealthy people steal. They have everything that they have ever dreamed of, and more money than they can handle, but still something drives them to take instead of buy. Are they being greedy with the money earned? Wealthy people steal for the accomplishment. It must make them feel proud that they got away with the pointless crime. They are very bold to not have any quilt, or fear of being caught. I think stealing can be a mental issue in some cases. A person may get so excited and wrapped up that they do not even realize what is going on in their head, or who they have turned into. A Thief becomes numb to feelings. There is no guilt, no sorrow, and no hurt. Only satisfaction! Stealing is not worth it. Stealing is something a lazy person would consider. The clothes and shoes will not fit forever. The money will fade away before you know it.