Craigslist Murder Round Two

Sixteen-year-old Brogan Rafferty will be charged as an adult in Noble County Juvenile Court in Caldwell, Ohio after robbing and eventually murdering David Pauley, Timothy Kern, and Ralph Geiger. All were shot after having been lured into a fake job posted on Craigslist. Rafferty had an accomplice, 52-year-old Richard Beasley. Apparently Beasley has acted like a mentor towards Rafferty, showing him the do’s and don’t’s of pulling off a good murder. I guess Beasley isn’t as good as he thinks he is considering both of them are now facing charges up to life in prison. It is sickening that when the charges were read in court, Rafferty had no emotion and no response to what he had done. How can someone have no remorse? The innocent people he killed were brothers, fathers, sons, friends, cousins, etc.

The author of this article started by introducing the subject by describing that a teenager would be accused for a robbery and murder as an adult. He did not say who the teenager was or exactly what age he/she was. I think that author did this so that the reader would begin to make his or her own assumptions prior to reading the article. The author provided the background necessary to do this without going overboard. The author also provided information about Beasley, the older “mentor”. This helped to form opinions on the man. Overall, this was an informative article.

Click here to read the article! 

Overruling of FDA's Decision Will Only Bring More Unplanned Pregnancies

           Wow. I am shocked by the news that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius overruled the Food and Drug Administration’s decision to make emergency contraception available over the counter for all women at any age. Research shows that Plan B One-Step is safe and effective. If she had not overruled this decision, Plan B One-Step, condoms, and pregnancy tests would have become available on the shelves of pharmacies, grocery stores, etc. and would have given women of all ages a chance to prevent an unintended pregnancy. This overruling means that women under the age of 17 will have to get a prescription for Plan B One-Step, which then brings in the issue of dealing with parents, humiliation, and timing. Plan B One-Step can be taken up to three days after unprotected sex, but the percentage of protection decreased by 25% everyday you wait. Time is of the essence and if a teen has to get a prescription, the chances of that being done in time are slim. As it is already, the US has the highest rate of unplanned pregnancies and abortions than any other country in the developed world. This needs to be addressed, not pushed aside or overruled.

            The author of this article is Sharon Camp, who is the president and CEO of the Guttmacher Institute, which is a nonprofit organization that works to advance sexual and reproductive health. Camp is clearly upset about the issue and is not shy to say so. She states, “The only groups opposing the FDA's decision were self-styled "pro-family" groups that oppose emergency contraception -- and most other methods of modern contraception – outright”, “To invoke 11-year-olds was not only inflammatory, but diversionary”, and “The entirely science-based decision by the FDA to make emergency contraception more easily available was a chance to take an important step forward for women and for our society. Instead we've taken a huge step back” (cnn.com). As you can see, she is very angry about this overruling, as am I. In the article, Camp used statistics like fewer than 1% of 11-year-old girls have had sexual intercourse and close to half of girls have had sex by their 17^th birthday. As she explains, these statistics are real and have effects on the teens that have unplanned pregnancies. Camp does a great job of persuading her readers and making a point about this issue.

Click here to read this great article!

Daddy Boot Camp Is A Huge Hit!

           Worried about fatherhood? Don't! You can now join over 300,000 other expecting-daddies at "Daddy Boot Camp". Started at a Marine base in California in 1990, these boot camps now take place all over the country... even at a prison in Ohio! This three house class teaches fathers "troubleshooting and diagnostics" such as swaddling and soothing a crying baby, changing a diaper, and dealing with the mother during and after pregnancy. The owner says, "The biggest challenge the dad has is establishing enough credibility so that mom will relinquish control," he said. "If you don't have the hands-on skills, and you don't have knowledge of the (baby's) cues ... it will be very hard to come to any kind of arrangement and have any kind of credibility. Those who don't have those skills tend to get treated as secondary parents. They'll feel sort of left out" (cnn.com). It is cool to think that so many men are trying to become better fathers!
           The author of this article used many techniques in his writing. For starters, he began by introducing the topic though the description of Steve Venable, a boot camp veteran. The author also introduced Stephen Goodnough and said that he had "arrived 20 minutes early, admittedly tense. His baby girl is due in less than a month" (cnn.com). It is interesting that the author chose to start the article off this way. It was a good technique to bring in the reader and hold their attention. The author also used statistics and quotes to add logos to the article. 


Click here to read the article! 

Bless Me, Ultima Reader Response Journal

           So far I am enjoying the book. At first I was worried that I would not like it because of all the Spanish words and references, but I think that is what makes this novel kind of special. I do, however, wish that Rudolfo Anaya translated the Spanish words in footnotes or in parenthesis or something! I want to know what they are saying! It is funny because the way the novel is written, it makes it seem like Antonio is at least in middle school... but he is just starting 1st grade! His thought process is very mature and he is very brave for a first grader. When his father goes out to the river to deal with Lupido, I could not believe that Antonio followed! When I was in first grade I would not dare to go outside by myself let alone hide in a bush when there was a possibility of being shot! I was so nervous reading that scene and was hoping that Antonio did not get shot by accident. I am still unsure of my feeling about Luptido. Was it the right thing to do to kill him? I am not sure. He killed an innocent sheriff without reason, so he should be punished. But if he is crazy because of the war he might have been able to be helped out of his state of mind. I feel bad that Antonio is struggling to understand if his father is now going to go to Hell or Heaven. He participated in the murder of a man, whether he was the one who pulled the trigger or not. Ultima says he did not pull the trigger, but isn't it just as bad to have not stopped it from being pulled than pulling it himself? 

           It made me chuckle when I read, "Why two people as opposite as my father and my mother had married I do not know. Their blood and their ways had kept them at odds, and yet for all this, we were happy" (Anaya, 29), because the entire time I was wondering how they came to marry. His mother is always talking about how bad the Marez his and his father is always ranting about the Luna. I wonder how the met...

           While reading I also wondered what war his brothers were fighting in. Does anyone know?

           Anyway, I am really enjoying this book so far and look forward to reading the next five chapters. Ultima is very mysterious and makes for a great character. I predict that there will be some drama at school regarding Antonio and the kids who laugh at him. I think one of the best quotes of the chapters is, "We banded together and in our union we found strength. We found a few others who were like us, different in language and custom, and a part of our loneliness was gone... although many a meal was eaten in complete silence, we felt we belonged" (Anaya, 59). It made me happy to see that Antonio found some other students like himself. I predict that they will become closer friends and stick up for each other as school progresses. 

Driving = Higher Likelihood of Premarital Sex? I'm not sure about that...

There is much dilemma and controversy surrounding a report given to a high-level advisory group in Saudi Arabia claiming that allowing women to drive could encourage premarital sex. Apparently, the report claims that allowing women to drive will threaten the country’s traditions of virgin brides. How is this possible? I do not know. But they are suggesting that driving will allow for a greater mixing of genders, and therefore would promote intercourse. It seems like a big stretch to me. I drive because I need to get places. It is unfair to think that women in Saudi Arabia have nowhere to be. They are just as busy as everyone else and deserve the right to drive.

The author of this article seems to have a slight bias and might agree with me that women should have the right to vote. He/she claims that this is an “ultraconservative stance”, which I agree with. The writer also uses some background information on the ruling of Saudi Arabia to try to inform his/her readers of the types of policy reforms that have been occurring. He/she also uses quotes to add validity to his/her article.

"Saudi Arabia: Women Driving Will Have Sex, Report Says." Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. N.p., 3 Dec. 2011. Web. 4 Dec. 2011. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/03/saudi-arabia-women-driving_n_1127021.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl3%7Csec1_lnk2%7C117577>. 

Crotchless Panties For Toddlers.. Are They Serious?

            I’m not sure about you guys, but I would NEVER buy crotchless panties for my daughter. At a store called Kids N Teen in Greeley, Colorado, Erin French found crotchless thongs displayed near kids’ merchandise. Captured by a cellphone camera, French showed a video of the panties to the news station. They are pink with leopard print, lacy, and without a crotch. Clearly these undergarments are promoting sex. It is obvious. So why would a store sell these undergarments to children?! Seriously, the world needs a reality check. A writer for the Heckler Spray blog wrote, “The owner of Kids N Teen says that 25% of her merchandise is actually for teens, which explains the whole crotchless knickers thing, right? Wait. Are they saying that it is okay for minors to buy crotchless knickers? Is that what's going on here?" This is seriously disgusting and disturbing. Its no wonder why children are having sex earlier and the rate of teenage pregnancies is rising. UGH!!!

            The author of this article has a clear and obvious bias. The author writes, “We definitely agree; it's hard to argue that adult products like this should be displayed on the counter for teens to purchase at the mall” and “Crotchless panties at a children's store? Nope, we're not kidding…” (cnn.com). The writer uses quotes from Erin French, the woman who found the crotchless underwear and included the video she took. This was a factual and interesting article but it is unfortunate that it had to be about this kind of subject matter.

 "Crotchless Panties Sold At 'Kids N Teen' Store Upsets Colorado Parent (VIDEO)." Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. N.p., 4 Dec. 2011. Web. 4 Dec. 2011. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/15/crotchless-panties-kids-store_n_1095184.html>.

Law & Order Excuse? Hm..

Police are still on the quest to find Sky Metalwala, the missing 2-year-old boy from Washington. It was announced Saturday that the police discovered several “items of interest” in a park in Kirkland, Washington. The police called their CIA investigators who looked at the items. Fox News says that the items have been sent to a forensic lab for further analysis and that there will hopefully be some conclusion soon. Julia Biryukova, Sky’s mother, is still refusing to talk with officials. Police continue to say that her story does not add up. Interestingly enough, the night before Sky went missing “Law & Order: SVU” aired a somewhat similar case. Could she have murdered (or planned for the murder of) Sky and used the story of Law & Order: SVU’s episode as a cover-up? Hopefully we will all find out soon.

         The author of this article, Ankita Mehta, only provided a brief summary of the story. I think this is okay because this case was presented many weeks ago and it is sort of hard to catch up now. It is more important to report on the current events than to keep summarizing the past. In this article, Mehta uses quotes and a picture to bring pathos, ethos, and logos to the scene.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Mehta, Ankita. "Sky Metalwala: Police Find Items of Interest in Search for Missing Toddler." International Business News, Financial News, Market News, Politics, Forex, Commodities - International Business Times - IBTimes.com. N.p., 26 Nov. 2011. Web. 27 Nov. 2011. <http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/256336/20111126/sky-metalwala-police-items-search-missing-toddler.htm>.