Animal Abuse

Animal abuse. This is what has lead me to my career goal, to become an Animal Lawyer. I want to be able to protect animals from the people who torture and abuse animals for fun, such as those who do pitbull fighting. There are all sorts of animal abuse, ranging from abuse of house hold pets, abuse of animals in slaughterhouses, and to animals being used for research. Animals are not able to speak for themselves, and it seems that some people take this to their advantage.

It seems that governments and law force agencies aren't doing enough to stop the abuse of animals, as there are still so many cases everyday. One thing that really upsets me is the punishment given to people who were found guilty of animal abuse. Their sentencing usually is only a fine, and with some severe cases a couple months to two years in jail. Even when they have murdered an innocent creature, they seem to get off easy, but if found guilty of murdering a human they are incarcerated for life. How is murdering a human being much different from murdering an animal? They have the same feelings as humans, most have given to our community in some way or another, or at least their ancestors have.

Eating meat is a part of our American culture, but the way animals are treated in slaughterhouses before being lead to their death is unethical. You can see video's of chickens being jammed packed in wire cages, horses and cattle being beaten, swine being crammed in cages unable to turn around and be comfortable. How can humans treat anything with a living soul this way, is it good to feel in control of something?

Animals deserve the same rights as any human. Obviously they cannot do some of the same things as us, but that is no excuse for any of them to be treated badly. They deserve respect, and if someone cannot give that, then they have no right to even be near an animal. I hope to one day be able to speak for those that cannot speak for themselves, give them a voice in this world that seems to be letting them down.

Internet Predators and Internet safety

The internet is what I believe to be a second, diverse universe, with millions of databases filled with information. Everyone uses the internet someway or another, practically everyday. It seems that our world, especially America, rely on the internet to do everyday things, such as keeping in contact with friends or researching information. Since everyone is able to use internet resources, such as social networking sites, it is always possible that you can come across a criminal or predator. With all this freedom, it is hard to know when you are actually safe from predators on certain websites.

Social networking is a major part of today's culture, especially on teenagers and young adults. Myspace and Facebook are the two main social network sites that you will find with the most people. They are used to connect with old friends, as well as to find and make new ones. When creating account you have to give your information, such as your name and age, as well as signing an agreement. Since there is no real security on who is signing up on these websites, it is easy for predators to use fake information allowing them onto the site. It also allows for young teens to be able to use these websites as well, who may not know all of the risks that come with using the internet.

These networking sites have such a huge impact on young teens, it almost seems as if everyone has one that they use frequently. With so many people on these sites, it is hard to monitor the people on it, and some people may fall for schemes. For example a young teenage girl met a young adult male on Myspace, whom she eventually met with face to face. After they met he ended up raping her, through no fault of her own for meeting a stranger whom she met on the internet. These are the types of predators that all people using social networking sites need to be aware of, especially parents of teenagers who use one of those types of sites.

Social networking sites are fun, and are a good way to communicate with friends, but it also can be dangerous if you are not careful with the people you come in contact with. It is good in keeping in touch with old friends from high school and college, especially when you don't live near them. When having young teenagers using it, it is always good if the parent's keep an eye on the people that their children are becoming friends with, and if they talk to them about predators. I also believe that social networking sites should try and secure their sites more from predators with my security precautions, such as what myspace is working on with finding sexual predators and deleting them off the site. Besides that, I believe it is safe to use these sites with caution.

You cannot see what you are not looking for! -Kristen

If I was to create a bumber sticker that modeled my philosphy on life, it would be this lyric I got from a song, "You cannot see what you are not looking for." When I heard this lyric during the song, it really caught my attention. I had never put much thought into what it had meant before, not until I heard it on that one day that was not going right.
What this lyric means to me is that life is so full of new experiences, most that you cannot see if you are not looking for it. If you are not open to going out with friends and having a good time, then you are not looking for what fun might come out of it. I realize now things that I missed out on because I was only looking for one certain thing, and since I could not find it I moped around instead of truly doing something about it.
Everyone is looking for something or another throughout life, whether it be happiness, romance, thrills, or something. Some people get so focused on looking for that one thing in only one way. They need to learn to open up and see that being open to new experiences and people could eventually bring along exactly what they are looking for. This was true for me before, but now I have realized to let things just happen, and that what I am looking for will come around in it's own time. I am no longer looking, I am living my life.