Good evening chairperson, judges, ladies and gentlemen. I am sure you are all aware of the fact that today’s society is becoming increasingly aware of what is considered politically correct, and of the different groups of people who fall victim to discrimination. Unfortunately, one Australian stereotype that has not yet been declared politically incorrect is also the most ridiculous and insulting stereotype ever. The absurd belief, to which I am referring to, is that male dancers are effeminate.
The suggestion that male dancers are effeminate, and the fact that the majority of younger people in today’s supposedly “modern” society would believe such a statement, is not so much an insult to male dancers, as it is to our entire community’s ideologies. Such an idea is not only ignorant, and poorly grounded; it fails to conform with our country’s ideals of equality and acceptance. No man should be made to feel ashamed about the fact that he dances. Anyone who is physically and mentally able to participate in a sport as rigorous and intellectually challenging as dancing deserves nothing but praise! Read more…
If you remember the last time you signed up for a credit card, a sweepstakes, or mailing list, then you automatically know that the first thing you wrote down was your name. By just doing that, you could become a victim of identity theft.
Not many people realize how easy it is to become a victim of this crime. It occurs when someone uses your name, address, social security number, bank or credit card account number, or other identifying information without your knowledge. Identity theft could happen to anyone–to a family member, a close friend, or even you.
According to the Federal Trade Commission in 2000, 19 percent of all victims of identity theft had a personal relationship with the thief. Ten percent of those were family members. The FBI states that identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America. In 1992, TransUnion received 35, 000 calls related to identity theft, but in 2000, they reported there were more than 600,000 reports made. It is stated that every 79 seconds an identity is stolen, and it affects more than 2,000 people worldwide each day. Read more…
The new age is upon us, and with it has come new ideas in areas such as education. Cyberschooling is a new educational option available (R., Barb). Cyber home schooling can hold many benefits to a child that public or private schooling cannot. Although home schooling a child has been around for quite some time, the idea of letting the child learn on his or her own, over the internet, is a rather large accomplishment.
The country’s first online secondary school is not a regular public school, though it is funded by public dollars. It’s not a private school either, though it operates largely outside the realm of state regulations and district polices. Rather, it is a new kind of school, a sort of public/private hybrid known as a charter school. Charter schools are independent, results-oriented, publicly funded schools or choice designed and run by teachers or others under contract with a public sponsor. Read more…
Pets in the United States are treated like surrogate children. I am one of many animal owners who spoil their pets. One thing’s for sure, my two dogs, Ginger and Scout, sure can’t complain about the amount of toys they have, what they eat, or where they sleep. While these are just a few things, the list goes on and on.
Now as far as toys go, I think my dogs have more than I did as a child. Ginger and Scout, along with many other pets in the United States, have their own toy box. This consists of many different things like tennis balls, rubber bones, stuffed cats, or even a toy mailman. Do my dogs pick their toys up and put them back when they’re done playing with them? Yea right! I’m stuck putting them back up, as if I’m cleaning up after a baby sister. They also get a new toy every week because they get tired of playing with the same one. Just because Scout and Ginger, get a new toy every week, don’t think for one second that I can throw away the old one without them acting like it’s their favorite toy again. Read more…
The United States of America would not be the country it is today, or even exist if it wasn’t for the will power of its citizens and the way they recover from their wounds, and move on. There have been many struggles for the people of the U.S. throughout history. The Civil War, World War 1, The Great Depression, World War 2, The Vietnam War, and most recently, September 11th all are prime examples of cataclysmic events the U.S., and its people, had to endure.
The Civil War was one of the worst events in American history. The war pitted the Confederates and the Union against each other (both of which were American). 498,333 people are thought to have died in that war. More than half of them were self-enlisted citizens, not true soldiers. America got through this struggle, but only by violence, and bloodshed. After the war there was a period of reconstruction, where America would heal the damage it did to itself. The first thing that people did was to find and bury the bodies that were left in the battlefields. In order to help the American citizens, the government had to help restart the industries that had spent most of their money and products during the war. America would spend over five years rebuilding the cities, towns, and trust of the people. Read more…
