My Response to GiGi

Hello GiGi!

I found your response very informative and may have giggled at your closing statement. Your explanation of the Trump impeachment was thorough and clear in its attempt to tell how this proceeding came to light. Trump’s attempts to dodge the claims that he used his powers in office to give him a leg up in the upcoming election are pointless and ridiculous. The information that has been exposed regarding the phone calls between the President and Zelenski should be more than enough evidence against Trump and his allies’ biased defense. The fact that information was withheld from the people and unable to be used in the proceeding was unjust and only brought more suspicion upon Trump’s accusations. I, along with many of our classmates can agree that Trump has proceeded to prove that he does not plan on uniting the nation any time soon and leads in a different manner than most presidents of the past. I also think that his impeachment has been long-awaited by many and the fact that it has taken this long to do so is appalling.

The Importance of Universal Health Care

The powerful argument made in the Opinion essay by Shinzo Abe and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, titled “All nations should have universal health care” is essentially what you’d expect; more nations should invest in universal health care. The two authors behind this article are major advocates for this topic, as well as important figures in the world of politics. Shinzo Abe is prime minister of Japan and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is the director-general of the World Health Organization The article was published to The Washington Post, which comes with its own credibility for scholarly arguments proposed by credible authors.

In the essay, the authors discuss how Japan subsidized the idea of universal health care following WWII and the benefits that have come from it. Abe specifically mentions the improvement of their life expectancy and the prospering economy of Japan. According to the authors, “Investing in health at an early stage of a country’s economic development can create the fundamental infrastructure for sustainable and comprehensive economic growth and social development” (Abe and Adhanom). It is mentioned that other countries have also tested universal coverage, such as Egypt, South Africa, and the Philippines. The authors continuously stress the importance of health care for all, no matter their financial sittuation. They claim that if we focus on the basic health needs such as nutrition, water, and sanitation, we can reduce the issue on the strenuous expenses for hospital bills and visits.

I believe that the authors do not have a target audience for this article, but they are addressing the world’s population. I cannot help but agree with their stance on the lack of attention regarding human health, especially with the threats that humanity is facing today: climate change, infectious diseases, mass migration and widening economic inequality.

An Important Government Reform Today

The Teenage Vaping Epidemic

In the article “This is what the Trump administration should do on vaping”, published by The Washington Post, Scott Gottlieb proposes a plan that he believes will solve the epidemic of teens using e-cigarettes. Whenever the obvious solution to ban e-cigs all together is proposed, it is most commonly joined with the rebuttal by adult vapers saying that this would take away their method used to quit smoking. Gottlieb also mentions another problem that may arise regarding smaller vape shops and their business. However, he also claims that the smaller shops are not the victims of these restrictions, but the culprits, as a study found that they are selling double the amount of vaping products to teens than gas stations.

While there has been a recent ban on JUUL’s most popular flavor with kids, the mint pod, Gottlieb suggests that the government must do more regarding the issue. He proposes that they get rid of the more easily concealed, cartridge-based e-cigs from the market and require companies to file an FDA application if they want to relaunch their products. These applications would need to prove that they provide a net public-health benefit. 

Another important factor with the industry of vaping is the lack of age restrictions being enforced in the stores selling these products. Most of the smaller shops depend on the business of younger individuals who are not of age, therefore giving them more of a reason to ease up on checking IDs. Gottlieb also suggests the FDA requires that the adults-only vape shops must prove that they are effectively enforcing age restrictions. In addition to his concerns toward the smaller smoke shops, the author advises that the FDA helps these shops with the process of completing the applications by allowing some of the vape shops to combine their applications with stores of similar manufacturing, in order for them to be able to compete with big tobacco companies.

Legalization

One of the most controversial topics of conversation in recent years has been the legalization of marijuana in the United States. In my opinion, it is kind of mind-blowing that this is still a question. Since the 1970’s the war on drugs has cost the United States and its taxpayers billions of dollars and has lead to the arrest of thousands. 

Yet according to the CDC, research has proven that alcohol, tobacco, and prescription drugs have a far worse "societal impact" than cannabis. Just look at the opium problems in Chicago, Ohio, etc. With that said, there still needs to be more research done to measure the positive and negative effects it can have medically. The problem is, as long as it is listed as a class A drug, researchers can't get FDC or federal support to conduct their research.

There is also a deeper concern that stems from the war on drugs. This domestic/foreign "policy" has created a huge market for illegal drugs and put enormous amounts of money in the pockets of criminal organizations. When looking at crime (homicides in particular) statistics in Mexico starting in the 1950s, it is evident that this is still a relevant issue. That is why I call it a foreign policy as well as a domestic policy. It has had incredibly detrimental side effects in South American countries like Colombia, Mexico, Bolivia, and Brazil.

The most prominent reason to legalize is the taxing benefit that would transpire. The government needs to realize at some point that legal or not, people are still smoking weed on a daily basis. Instead of fighting this strenuous battle, they should instead take advantage of the issue that will lead to buoyant tax revenues. In addition to this economic benefit, the industry for marijuana will lead to thousands of job opportunities, much like it has in the legal states such as California and Nevada. 

Cited Sources:

Krishna, Mrinalini. “The Economic Benefits of Legalizing Weed.” Investopedia, Investopedia, 18 Nov. 2019, https://www.investopedia.com/articles/insights/110916/economic-benefits-legalizing-weed.asp.

Commentary on Colleague's Editorial

I really enjoyed your take on today’s efficiency of our government. You made some very valid points while clearly stating your thesis. By touching on the advances that the country has made over the past centuries, you can easily convey the point that we are still not where we need to be.

The counterargument you made was also very helpful in indicating that the hype over the “groundbreaking” things that Trump has done is just that: overhyped. As you stated that many presidents in the past have made similar moves support the argument that we must not compare ourselves to other countries, but instead we should focus on uniting our country.

Well done in using an efficient structure for the editorial and restating your thesis in your closing paragraph. Overall, the commentary did a good job of conveying your argument and keeping the reader’s attention.

Editorial Link: https://chuk2143.blogspot.com/2019/11/something-different.html

Every woman, beginning from their early teenage years, faces the inconvenience of having their menstrual cycle once a month. With this comes the necessity of buying feminine products on a regular basis. According to USA TODAY, the average woman spends $150- $300 a year on feminine products. In recent years, the issue regarding the “tampon tax” has been brought to attention with people arguing for the reform of taxes put on feminine products that are deemed necessary.

I believe that taxes put on feminine products should be exempt for all women. Some may argue that the tax exemption should only be offered to those with Medicaid or food stamps, however seeing as the average cost per year is exceptionally high and only women are faced with the inconvenience, I strongly disagree. A recent survey conducted in a populated U.S. city found that almost two thirds of low income women struggle to afford feminine products needed each month. Seeing as the majority of those in office who deal with revenue are men, it is difficult for them to see the perspective of a woman on this issue, therefore making it an important task to bring attention to the matter.

We’re in a new age of government where variety in ethnicity and gender is accepted and encouraged. In “Celebrate the diverse 2020 Democratic candidates and don't fret about 'electability'”, an article in USA Today, the current diversity of the upcoming presidential nominees is evaluated. Jill Lawrence begins by advising voters not to judge the candidates based on their looks, but rather their stances. The article puts the democratic nominees in a personal perspective by not holding back when questioning their flaws. However, Lawrence doesn’t ease up there, as she continues to carefully examine the republican candidate as well. Without hesitation, the article takes a turn to discuss the current president and the standard that he has set for future presidents. While the author tends to present strong opinions towards many specific candidates, there is not one specific audience that this article was written for. Lawrence maintains a relatively unbiased representation of the nominees on both the democratic and republican side.

Link to the article: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/09/10/diverse-2020-democrats-reason-pride-not-electability-worries-column/2213905001/

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