Final Decision: Arts Censorship

What have we been studying in class this year?
In class this year, I have been studying short stories, chemistry, and stocks.
Which subjects appeal to me?
Chemistry and English are the classes that appeal to me most in school, but if this included outside of school too, the subject that appeals to me the most is art, specifically illustration.
What are people writing about?
People are writing about what is currently going on in the news, like about police brutality.
What's most interesting to me?
Art is most interesting to me. I find this topic the most interesting to me because I enjoy creating art and viewing art in galleries, which is why I would like to write about the topic of arts censorship. 
Can I find information about that?
Yes, I can find information about art and arts censorship on the internet and in art magazines. 

I am most interested in the topic of arts censorship because I am very passionate about art myself. I am planning on going to college to get my BFA in illustration, so I would be extremely unhappy if my artwork became censored because it could possibly offend someone. I would like to write about this topic so that I could raise awareness of why censoring works of art is something that shouldn't be done. Art is created to display a message and if this message is being censored, then the artist is losing their freedom. 

Access to Contraception: Critical Thinking

Should high schools provide free condoms and birth control pills to its students? Why or why not?

Yes they should, because this would allow more students to practice safe sex, like if they were unable to afford condoms or birth control themselves. Doing this would help greatly to prevent unwanted pregnancies from occurring. 

Do parents have the right to know when their children are using contraceptives? Explain your answer.

I feel that parents do have the right to know when their children are using contraceptives that alter the hormones such as birth control pills, because it is something that could possibly have negative side effects. I don't think that parents need to know if their children are using any other type of contraceptives though unless they ask, but I think that the parents would be glad that their child is practicing safe sex if they are going to at all. 

Arts Censorship: Critical Thinking

Where do you think the line should be drawn on arts censorship? Explain your reasoning.

I don't think that art should be censored unless it is causing danger towards a certain person or group of people. If a piece of artwork is considered to be offensive but is not threatening a person, then it should not be censored. What one person considers to be offensive may not offend another person, and art is meant to cause a reaction by its audience. 

Should the government deny funding to works of art some people might find offensive? Why or why not?

No; just because some people might find a work of art offensive, doesn't mean that everyone does. It would be unfair for the government to fund some works of art and to deny funding to other works, especially if these pieces display an important message. Plus, how could it even be officially determined that a specific work of art is generally offensive?

Provide an example of a government censoring political artwork. Why was it censored? Do you agree or disagree with the government’s decision to censor the art?

An example of a government censoring political artwork is with Ai Weiwei, who had been censored and punished for creating artwork that criticized his Chinese government. I disagree with the government's decision to censor the art because the art had to have been created for some reason, and it should be every person's right to be able to share their opinion on a certain topic, whether it's by speaking or by creating art. 

Should artwork that is not politically correct be censored? Why or why not?

Artwork that is not politically correct shouldn't be censored because what is shown in the artwork will probably be a symbol of a larger concept. Even though it is politically incorrect, the artwork should still be free for anyone to look at, if they choose to. 

Vaccines: Critical Thinking

Are vaccines safe?

Yes, vaccines are generally very safe. Although there may be some health risks involved, these risks have very low chances of occurring. Vaccines are also very safe since they aid in the prevention of serious diseases that could threaten one's life if caught. 

Should parents face penalties for choosing not to vaccinate their children? Why or why not?

Yes, parents should face penalties for choosing to not vaccinate their children because then they are endangering the child's life by making it more likely for them to catch certain diseases, that would otherwise be preventable if the child had gotten a vaccination. Refusing to give your child a vaccine should be considered to be child abuse since the child's life is being endangered in this way. 

Should more studies be conducted on a potential link between vaccines and autism?

Yes, I think that more studies should be conducted on vaccines and autism because many parents are refusing to give their children vaccines because of the risk of autism, but there really isn't enough evidence to prove the fact that vaccines can cause autism in children. 

Do the benefits of vaccines outweigh the potential risks?

Yes, the benefits of vaccines definitely outweigh the potential risks. The benefits outweigh the risks because the risks are very slim compared to the guarantee that a child will not get a specific disease after getting the vaccination. Vaccines are able to increase the life expectancy of a child because it would allow them to be immune to many dangerous diseases, and the actual risks that come with vaccinations are very unlikely to occur. 

Abortion: Critical Thinking

Should abortion continue to be legal as stipulated by Roe v. Wade? Why or why not?

Yes, abortion should continue to be legal. This case was able to show that a woman's body is her own property, and that people should have the right to their own property. 

What are the medical implications of the U.S. Supreme Court decision to uphold the constitutionality of the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act?

The U.S. Supreme Court decided to uphold the constitutionality of the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act because a woman should have the right to her own body. It would be unconstitutional to disallow a woman to have control over her body. Also, there are times when a woman's pregnancy may cause harm to her, so that an abortion would be the best option for the sake of the woman's health. 

Are there any situations in which abortions should be declared illegal or be severely restricted?

Yes, I believe that abortion should only be restricted to allow a woman to have the procedure only for a certain amount of time. I think that after a certain amount of months that the baby is being developed, abortion should not be allowed, unless the fetus is endangering the life of the mother, or if it shows serious abnormalities. 

Which side in the debate has been more successful in making their case on the issue of abortion and why?

I think the side that is more in favor of allowing woman to have abortions was more successful in making their case because they were able to show how a woman's body deserves to be her own property and she should be able to make her own decisions when regarding her body. 

Based upon your understanding of the core beliefs and principles of the major camps in this discussion, is compromise possible? Why or why not?

I do not believe that compromise is possible because no matter what decision is made, there will still be some people that do not approve of the decision. If abortion is legalized to a certain extent, there will still be some people that disapprove and will want it to be completely illegal. 

Animal Cruelty: Critical Thinking

Should animal welfare laws include provisions for animals being used for entertainment purposes?

-Yes, animal welfare laws should include provisions for animals being used for entertainment. Whether the animals are being mistreated at home or for entertainment, it is still cruelty either way and there should be actions taken against it. Forms of entertainment such as circuses, should be watched carefully to make sure that what the company is doing to these animals is ethical. 

Explain why some animal rights activists view horse racing and circuses as cruel to animals.

-Some animal rights activists see horse racing and circuses as cruel because these things put animals into situations that they would not naturally face. Horses probably don't naturally run as much as they do at horse racing tracks, and lions and elephants don't naturally interact with humans and do tricks for people. The animals that are in circuses probably also face harsh living conditions, being unable to ever roam freely in the wild. 

Who should regulate the animal entertainment industry?

-Animal rights organizations should be able to regulate the animal entertainment industry. They should be able to regulate this industry because they know best about how animals need to be treated. They should be able to monitor how these industries are treating animals and should be able to determine whether or not these actions should be legal. 

For and Against Research Topics

1) Animal cruelty.
For- Some people may believe that the use of animals in circuses are beneficial despite the fact that they are cruel. People may be for this because using animals in circuses would probably bring more popularity to it. People may also feel that circuses are not cruel to animals and that what they do in circuses is what they would do naturally
Against- Some people may be against the use of animals in circuses because they are very cruel to animals. Someone might say that circuses are in fact cruel because they are taught to do tricks that they would not naturally do in the wild, and that the way that they are trained to act this way is cruel in itself.

2) Abortion.
For- Some people may be in favor of women using abortion for unwanted pregnancies. They may justify this claim by saying that it is a women's choice because it is her own body, and she should have the responsibility for her own body. People for abortion may also say that it could be helpful if a mother is facing a life-threatening disease as a result of the pregnancy.
Against- Some people may be against women having abortions because they feel that it would be killing a live human being. People may feel that the fetus is a living thing from the time of conception, and that abortion would be taking away the life of this person.

3) Vaccines for kids.
For- Some people may be in favor of giving vaccines to kids because it helps greatly to prevent a child from contracting a disease. Vaccinating a child would lower the risks of a child getting a life-threatening disease, and people would feel that parents should not be allowed to opt their child out for this reason.
Against- Some people may be against giving certain vaccinations to children because there may be certain health risks that are involved. Some people may believe that parents should have the right to opt out their children from getting a certain vaccination for this reason.

4) Arts censorship.
For- Some people may be in favor of censoring certain types of art because it could potentially offend a certain group of people. Some people may feel that art is something that could hurt the feelings of others if it targets a certain race, gender, etc., so not all art should be open to the public.
Against- Some people may be against the censorship of art because art is subjective and will be viewed differently towards every person. What offends one person may not offend another person. Art is also somewhat a form of freedom of speech, and this freedom would be denied if art had been censored.

5) Access to contraception for teens.
For- Some people may be in favor of providing access to contraception to teens because it would help to prevent pregnancies. Some people may disagree that giving this access to teens would promote sex, and they would say that it would only provide benefits.
Against- Some people may be against providing access to contraception to teens because it would promote them to have sex, instead of teaching them abstinence.

Potential Research Topics

1) Animal cruelty.
This topic interests me because animal cruelty occurs all around us without us even knowing. For example, the puppies that people buy from pet stores come from puppy mills which are extremely harmful towards dogs, and the animals that are at circuses and amusement parks, such as Seaworld, are also treated with neglect and disrespect. I would want to write about this topic to raise awareness to people about this cruelty that occurs.

2)Abortion.
This topic interests me because of the controversiality of it. I believe that every woman has the right to choose abortion, as long as it is done early enough. I feel that every woman has this right because it is their own body and it could actually have a negative effect on the child, like if the mother is not mentally prepared for a child or if the mother has a high risk of passing along a life-threatening disease to their child. I find that a lot of people disagree about whether or not abortion is correct, so it would be an interesting topic to write about.

3) Vaccines for kids.
This topic interests me because I've been recently hearing about parents that are refusing to give their children vaccinations because of claims of negative effects that can come from it. I would like to write about this topic to raise awareness of why it is so important that children receive vaccinations, and to explain how many of these negative effects of these claims are not actually true.

4) Arts censorship.
This topic interests me especially because I am very passionate about art. I feel that art should not be censored, because the purpose of many works of art is to display a message, and censoring something would take away the meaning that the artist is trying to express. Also, what one person finds offensive may not be offensive to other people, and art is interpreted differently by everyone.

5) Access to contraception.
This topic interests me because of the pregnancy rates of teens. I feel that it would be very beneficial if contraception was provided more easily to teens because it would probably decrease the pregnancy rate significantly. I feel that teaching teens about contraception, rather than about abstinence, would be more helpful in preventing pregnancies. I would want to write about this topic to raise awareness to adults about how access to contraception would be more helpful than harmful to teens.

Things That Tick Me Off

1) When people buy puppies from pet stores.
This ticks me off because pet stores get their puppies from puppy mills, and these puppy mills are extremely cruel to dogs as they force dogs to mate until they are unable to. There are also many dogs in animal shelters that could use love and care.

2) When people chew with their mouths open.
This ticks me off because I consider it to be rude, and somewhat disgusting. I don't want to be able to see what somebody is chewing, and chewing with your mouth open is also very noisy and annoying to me.

3) When people try to force religion onto others.
It ticks me off when people try to convert others into practicing their religion, especially by using violence and protests. This ticks me off because people should be tolerant and respectful of what others believe in.

4) When people diagnose themselves with mental disorders.
It ticks me off when people say they have a certain mental disorder, such as OCD, when they really don't, because the people who are actually suffering from these disorders are going through a lot more than the person who claims to have this disorder is going through.

5) When parents prevent their children from getting vaccinated.
This ticks me off because there are parents that aren't allowing their child to get vaccines because they feel that it will cause harmful effects, while many of these claimed effects are not even proven. Preventing your child from getting a vaccine could only harm them in the future by making it more likely for them to catch a life-threatening disease.

~Extra Credit~

What did wiki software allow Web users to do that the Mosaic browser did not?

The wiki software allowed web users to edit wiki pages, while those who used the Mosaic browser could not do this. 

What do blogs and wikis have in common?

Blogs and wikis both allow people to add their own information to a website. 

What problem did a young Jimmy Wales find with the World Book Encyclopedia?

Jimmy Wales found that the World Book Encyclopedia didn't contain a lot of information that it should have, but it can't because the book can't just be updated automatically. 

How was Jimmy Wales inspired by the World Book Encyclopedia to create Wikipedia?

Jimmy Wales was inspired by the Encyclopedia to create Wikipedia because Wikipedia is a website that can be updated to contain new information that old encyclopedias can't have. 

How have encyclopedias inspired you in your own life?

Encyclopedias have inspired me in my own life to find more information about certain topics that I may have never heard about beforehand. 

Why did Nupedia fail?

Nupedia failed because it was very stressful to Wales, and he had only created a small amount of articles in a year, making it fairly useless. 

How did wiki software change the ideas behind Nupedia?

The wiki software changed the ideas behind Nupedia because it would allow the general public to edit and add their own information, which would speed up the amount of information on the website that is created. 

What is “crowdsourcing?”

Crowdsourcing is when somebody obtains information by enlisting services on a number of people found usually on the internet. 

What do you think about the concept of “any fool in the world” being able to write articles for Wikipedia?

I think that this concept would be a little risky, because that means that anybody could put any false information that they feel like putting onto a website. I think that this would only cause the information to be very disorganized and false. 

Do agree with the idea that “total idiots” could edit Wikipedia and of that being a good thing? Explain.

I agree somewhat that "total idiots" could edit Wikipedia in a positive way because some of these people might add factual information, but there is still a very high risk of false information being added on purpose (or accidentally). 

Why do you think Wikipedia grew so fast and became so popular in such a short amount of time?

I think that Wikipedia probably grew so fast and became so popular because editing information on a public website would be something entirely knew and interesting to many internet users. 

Do you believe Sanger’s elitist attitude was a good thing or a bad thing for Wikipedia?

I think that Sanger's elitist attitude was a bad thing for Wikipedia because it generally received criticism, and the general public enjoys being able to edit articles. 

What did you learn from the anecdote about the Wikipedia article on Einstein going to Albania for a passport in 1935?

I learned that while some people may be trying to post false information onto Wikipedia, there is actually even more people trying to keep the information factual, and that some people may fight to have their information kept on the Wikipedia page. 

Explain this quote from the article: “I can’t imagine who could have written such detailed guidelines other than a bunch of people working together...It’s common in Wikipedia that we’ll come to a solution that’s really well thought out because so many minds have had a crack at improving it.”

This quote means that even though the people who are writing Wikipedia articles are general people, it still comes out very well written because there are so many people working together to add and fix information in order to improve it. 

The author of the article states that Wikipedia “grew organically.” What does he mean by that?

By this, he means that the rules of Wikipedia came naturally and was created by its users, and that there was nobody who just suddenly set the rules for the website. 

How has Wikipedia “been the greatest collaborative knowledge project in history?” 

Wikipedia has "been the greatest collaborative knowledge project in history" because it has allowed so many people to work together to bring the correct information to the website. 

Based on your own opinion and experience with Wikipedia, do you agree with the above statement or disagree with it? Explain.

I agree with this statement, because it really is many people from all over the world working together on some of the same topics. This is a great collaborative project because many of the articles actually end up being successful and filled with correct information. 

What does the author mean by “wiki-crack?”

The author means by this that posting new information on Wikipedia will make a person become excited, seeing that their information is being published so easily. 

Based on the article, do you believe Wikipedia is a reliable source of information?

Based on the article, I believe that Wikipedia is mostly reliable, because most of the information on the pages contain reliable sources, but it isn't completely reliable because people can still edit in false information if they wanted to, though this false information probably wouldn't last on the page for very long. 

Do you believe its possible for a 16-year-old from New Jersey to write “insightful” Wikipedia articles?

Yes, it is possible for that to happen, because some people are just able to write very well from a young age. 

How do you feel about basing your own research on something a 16-year-old wrote on Wikipedia?

I would feel fine with it, as long as I knew that the information that this person wrote is completely correct, and if I knew that the person has a very high level of education for their age. 

What does Jimmy Wales mean by this mission statement: “Imagine a world in which every single person on the planet is given free access to the sum of all human knowledge?”

Jimmy Wales means that Wikipedia really is a fantastic thing because everybody who has internet access is able to see what people from all over the world has come together to say about a certain topic. 

Do you agree or disagree with this mission statement?

I agree mostly with this statement because it is allowing people to access the knowledge of others, but I don't agree completely because not ever person on the planet is given this access, because not everybody in the world has a computer or internet access. 

Do you think Wikipedia has succeeded in its mission?

I think that Wikipedia has succeeded in its mission since so many people use it today, and many people rely on it in order to find information. 

Do you agree or disagree that ordinary people, people without degrees, can “be part of the process of creating and distributing knowledge?” 

I agree with this, because everyone should have the freedom to say what they want about a topic, no matter how much education you have gotten. 

Based on your reading of the article, would you yourself use Wikipedia for your academic research?

I would not use an actual Wikipedia article for my academic research, but I would use one of the sources that are at the bottom of the Wikipedia articles as long as this source is reputable. 

Would you yourself like to write and/or edit Wikipedia articles in order to be “a part of the process of creating and distributing knowledge?” Why or why not?

I would enjoy writing and editing Wikipedia articles in order to be part of this process, because I find it very interesting that anybody can just post any information that they want. If I ever saw a piece of information that I saw wasn't true or if I saw something that needed to be elaborated on, I would want to edit the Wikipedia article. 

The subject that I enjoy reading about the most is fiction. I enjoy this subject the most because it allows me to be able to read about and imagine something that could never happen in real life. 

My favorite hobby is art, or drawing in general. I enjoy drawing every day and I enjoy drawing people the most. I enjoy drawing both digitally and using paper, and I like to make my art colorful. My dream is to have a career from my hobby in the future.

If I won the lottery, I would probably use the money to take a trip around the world because I love learning about new countries and visiting new places. I want to be able to travel to every continent at least once, so that I could experience many different cultures. 

The type of volunteer activity that I prefer is working in an animal shelter. I would prefer to volunteer in an animal shelter the most because I love taking care of animals and helping them to get a home. I would also enjoy giving the animals love and attention as they probably don't get much of it when living in a shelter.

My favorite school subject has always been English. I really enjoy reading and writing creatively, so I find that English class is the most appealing to me. This is also my favorite subject because I do the best in it. 

If I ran the world, the first thing that I would change would be to establish laws regarding working hours and minimum wage. I feel that it is cruel how many people in some countries are required to work very long hours for very little pay.