at this rate, SeaWorld is a better option

I completely agree with my peers post, "Whales or Wells?" in The Politics of Freedom blog. In her post, she states that the oil and petroleum industry have been contemplating the action of advanced testing in the Atlantic Ocean. The requirement of seismic testing could result in so many problems for sea creatures. From "stress and behavioral changes" to "underwater communication" these creatures lives could be ruined by America's greed.

In an article I read from Oceana, the animals may endure "temporary and permanent hearing loss, abandonment of habitat, disruption of mating and feeding, beach strandings and even death". Temporary or not, that is not something that should happen just because of America's selfish desire for more oil, even when gas prices probably wouldn't go down in the first place. 

Just like my peer stated, this is is a predicament that once starts, will not stop. It would take a certain number of years, and we always, truthfully, want more. Sea life should not be a victim to our wants and the environment isn't something to mess with. 

DON'T show me the money!

In President Barack Obama's State of the Union Address, he said he would single-handedly increase the minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $10.10 an hour, hoping that this action would help the "income gap" in America. There are many pros and cons to this proposal.

Antagonists against this proposal have estimated the employment would reduce by about 500,000 jobs. The promoters on the other hand are saying that this increase in minimum wage could help citizens rise above the poverty line and bump up weekly earnings for employees.

In my opinion, I think we should just leave the minimum wage where it is. Studies have shown that although some states have increased their minimum wage above the federal level between the years 2003 and 2007, poverty has not decreased at all. Which is the reason they decided to to that in the first place, right? Also, if you think about it, there would be a decrease in the less skilled and experienced. In other words, it would be more expensive for a restaurant owner to keep some employees so they would lose their job.

Think about it this way, we all started with minimum wage, and slowly but surely, over time we got raises and promotions from experience. If we don't have jobs to learn from, we can't make money, and if we don't make money... we're back right where we started.

oops.

In a recent blog post I read from Michelle Malkin, I came to the conclusion that Obama regrets his actions when it comes to ObamaCare. The post written by Doug Powers gives two cites from Barack Obama himself discussing his opinion on ObamaCare. In the first one, you will read a quote of Obama stating "it certainly wasn't the smart 'political' thing!". And it goes on stating that he hope in the months to come they can work out all of the problems it has made. Followed by the second, which was stated less than two months ago, it as in the "Affordable Care Act" is "here to stay".
Between the two quotes from Obama, you can inspect how his perspective has changed from these past couples months on what is largely known as ObamaCare.

This is one of the smartest things I have ever heard Obama say. ObamaCare is not what some people think it to be. In my opinion, ObamaCare is a further intrusion of the government in the lives of individuals and takes away our freedoms. The Affordable Care Act compels everyone to have health insurance and states that no one can be declined for health insurance. Every policy has to have certain features stated in the Act. As a result, signature prices increase for coverage of health insurance for everyone. It gives the government access to information that is absolutely NOT needed and they have no right to have it. In other words, it gives more power to the state over the individual. So basically, our freedom is taken away. Which I am not a fan of.

Illegal Immigrants aka Invading Army

On February 4th, 2014 USA Today published an editorial titled, "GOP immigration plan makes sense: Our view". The article covers House Speaker, John Boehner's, new immigration plan. Boehner's plan "would improve the nation's legal immigration system, strengthen efforts to thwart illegal immigration, and allow many of the 11 million or so undocumented workers to remain in this country lawfully." The House Republican leaders are willing to do their part, they just need President Obama and the immigrants to do theirs. The main points made by the Republicans were: that the immigrants were to pass a background test, pay fines and taxes, learn English and studies of citizenship, and prove they can support themselves without any help from the government before being eligible to legally work and live in the country.

I completely disagree with Boehner's plan. We are going to have immigration in this country, regardless how hard we try to control the situation. As a country, we could always improve on our security around the border. Developments that could be made are: the Border Patrol could have more security personnel and be deployed more effectively, and more fences and protective walls could be put up. Since these problems are not being resolved, illegal immigration is a problem in this country. It's a given. Boehner's plan is trying to find a way for these undocumented immigrants to remain in this country legally. WHY? The role of the government is to protect the sovereignty of society and enforce those laws. Boehner's  proposal ignores those responsibilities because they fail to secure the border and they grant rights and privileges to those who have broken the law to come here. The United States government should commit to securing borders. 9/11 is a perfect example of what could happen if we don't. Securing borders means regulating both legal immigration and stopping illegal immigration. There should be consequences for people who break the law by moving here illegally.

Failing on these two issues means the government is failing its citizens on two of its most basic responsibilities: protecting the country from foreign invasion and maintaing society based on rule of law.

Misfiring on Gun Control

Tuesday night, January 28th, 2014, during President Obama's State of the Union speech, we heard a more muted and subtle address on the topic of gun control. Last year's speech was considerably more emotional and impactful than this year's for obvious reasons. For the country went through the hardship of the shootings in Aurora, Colorado and Newtown, Connecticut. Though this year's proclamation on gun control was more low-key than the last, Obama made it clear that it is still an issue. Today, I came across an article from Fox News stating just that. With just a few sentences, Obama made it clear that he is willing to take executive action outside of the constitutional process to pass laws.

Although gun control advocates, liberals and President Obama favor limiting gun rights, the majority of Americans strongly support the Second Amendment and a person's right to keep and bear arms. The evidence shows that gun and ammunition sales are rising throughout the country as Americans rush to  increase their equipment before any restrictions are put into action. Also, a growing number of Americans have applied for concealed carry permits. Some states have even simplified the requirements. Last, but not least, there has been recall of politicians that have supported gun rights. Despite that fact that President Obama will go to any lengths when it comes to gun control, there are still plenty of Americans out there that think differently, I being one of them. 

What Do I Believe?

Growing up, I never put much thought into what my sight on politics was. The fact that my views mattered in this world never phased me. And to be honest, I'm still learning. Scared to think differently, I always agreed with what my parents believed. They seemed to know what they were saying, and heck, I didn't have any arguments. During the holidays in past years, while sitting around the dinner table conversing with family about Obama Care, it hit me that my opinion matters. I learned that just like my parents, I am more conservative than liberal. I still have a lot to learn, and my opinion on certain topics is bound to change. I'm ready to learn how I can make my views known and see where this takes my future. The future does depend on my generation. Maybe I could even run for president :)