Jonni Hoskins Eng

2007-07-08T18:50:00.001-07:00

The Endless War: America Cannot End Terrorism

prompt: "Why are We at War?"

President Bush's presidential reign has been centered around the "War Against Terrorism." The years have passed by, causing loss of American dollars and lives. The way I feel about terrorism is that it cannot be ended in the manner our president projects. Americans are being misled to the belief that if our military catches the "bad guy", then terrorism will end and our beautiful country can once again be care free. America has never been a care-free county, just vain.
Norman Mailer points out that since "a terrorist cannot triumph, he cannot cease to be a terrorist," a statement which defines the truth about the motive of a terrorist. Terrorists are not out to win a war, but to express a particular point or belief, be it at most, misguided. The "War Against Terrorism" should be nicknamed the "Never-ending Story" simply because of what it is... never-ending.
The only reason why we are aware of this war is because of the events of September 11. The American government could no longer hide terrorism from the citizens. The attack was of such grand scale. It was no longer an isolated event at a public place like a subway or school that would go unreported. There was no way to divert attention by making up a quick cover-up excuse, such as a bomb threat. The news media began providing us with so much information, that our presidents had to find a way to personify something that has been going on in America (to a lesser scale) probably since its establishment hundreds of years ago. Terrorism has been around for a long time. There is no "bad guy" or some overzealous religious group to capture to put bring forth a final end.
Although there are measures to be taken to lessen casualties and prevent attacks, trying to end terrorism is like trying to stop gravity. The Bush Administration is almost done and members of Congress have identified the folly in the "War Against Terrorism". Whether we send more troops away or bring them out will not change the fact that it is a pointless war. I think that the attention is more damaging than good simply because it encourages other anti-Americans to aspire for the same attention.

The Alligator River Story

2007-06-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

prompt: The Alligator River Story

The Ratings of Character

The Alligator River Story is an example of how people often confuse love and lust. The reason why Abigale was rejected by Gregory is because she truly did not love him. On a scale of 1 to 5, the characters are rated as follows:

Ivan wanted nothing to do with the situation. It had nothing to do with him and he played the part of a wise man. Abigale was wrong to approach him with her dilemma, but she trusted him as a friend. He could have at least convinced her that she could wait to see Gregory. His character is rated at 2.

Slug could have been defending the honor of a friend, but did not think of what could have provoked the situation. He beat someone brutally without justification, but the satisfaction of getting rid or the competition. He was no better than Abigale. His characters is rated at 4.

Gregory really did not have any control in the matter. He may have loved Abigale truly, but she had intercourse with another man. There was no longer the feelings of love once the story came out. The woman who supposedly loved him, had intercourse with another man just before visiting him- its digusting. He had nothing to do with the events that unfolded, he only reacted to the truth. His character is rated at 1.

Abigale was the one who caused all the drama. In all, there were three other people included in the situation, when all she could have done was waited. If the love for Gregory was true, she would have waited for the next day off from work to plan a visit. She also could have called the one she loved, or sent letters until a new bridge was constructed. The act of sleeping with the boat captain was not naive, it was a lack of respect to her love of Gregory. To make it even worst, she got another man to beat someone she "loved". Her acts were heartless and trifling. Her character is rated at 5.

The boat captain just wanted some action. Its not determined that he would have accepted another form of payment if asked. He may have reconsidered his request if Abigale would have offered friendship or money. It was a lewd request, but he did not have the intention of hurting anyone or Gregory for that matter. He is rated at 3.

Love is about respect for the "love". Abigale did not care for Gregory. She only had lust for him. Other people should not have been involved in the situation. There would have been a new bridge or another day off. The bit of absence would have made the hearts grow fonder, but the rush only turned the love to hatred.

Human Rights v. Majority Rule

2007-06-10T16:37:00.001-07:00

prompt: Human Rights v. Majority Rule

The Job Fitting the Person, Not Human Rights

The point is: Who cares? Its no one's business when it comes to individual sexual preferences. It is the same as if a heterosexual person constantly talks about their dating adventures. Straight or gay should not come up at all. If it is college level, it may slip out, but to otherwise discontinue hiding it from our children makes me want to rant. Children go to school to learn how to be successful. The purpose is to learn math, science, english, and history- not heterosexuality vs. homosexuality. There is also a danger to what children learn and process. Kids are cruel, and those who may be inclined to homosexuality will be alienated. We do not like to consider every route of the road, but what about endangering the academic prosperity of a child?

In retrospect to human rights, this issue does not apply. It is inappropriate. Straight people have to consciously hide their sexual inclination as well, because elementary schools are full of innocent minds. Kids should be studying, not influenced, straight or gay. If a homosexual person is so, what is there really to hide? No one is asking in the classroom, so do not answer an unasked question. The information does not need to be volunteered. The only way a person can admit to being either heterosexual or homosexual is to make a verbal statement in the classroom. Otherwise, students would just assume nothing or generally would not care. The thought would come up and rumors would just were themselves thin.

Sex education is pushing the limit, but it does teaches children things that they may need to know. No, you did not miss it in your class as a child- nothing was spoken on individual sexual preferences. Birds and bees, bees and bees, or birds and birds are all learned outside of the classroom. That responsibility remains with the parent and the child's surroundings. It is the teacher's responsibility to teach students the things they need to know and protect them until they are ready (old enough) to know. If teachers can not handle their responsibility, then get another job. Keep it like the military, "Don't ask, don't tell." Its the student's responsibility to learn from their books, not to decipher the morality of straight and gay.

Hijacked!

2007-06-10T16:37:00.000-07:00

prompt: Hijack!

Hijacked! At the End of Fate's Tail

The world is stunned as the news plays. It is the replay of a message from terrorists who have hijacked a commercial passenger airliner. There are hundreds of passengers who are at the end of fate's tail. Terrorism cannot win; with hope we pray that many of the potential victims already know the truth. If I am the person making the decision, the plane must go down. It matters not who is on the plane, even if it was a sibling.

I see the situation many ways. The terrorists are psychologically incorrigible. To weigh the lives of a few over so many is heartless. Even if we were to release the criminals, the probability that the terrorists will kill the passengers of the plane is still high. Their demand is that we release a handful of criminals, or they will blow up the plane. No! To give in to this will cause it to happen again. Our country must maintain respect and dignity as we battle the war against terror. Never pay ransoms or make deals. The duty of my government defense is to protect the country at all costs. Should we lose the lives of every passenger at least we will let other terrorists know that this stunt is not effective. America is not a country of weakness. We do not bargain. Do what you do, and in the meantime, we will investigate the matter. If the criminals themselves gave the instruction to commit the terrorist act, then we will execute justice accordingly.

Jets will be deployed to escort the plane. It will be the decision of the terrorists to blow up the plane, but do not think about parachuting to safety. Everything within our country's power would be done to save the passengers. Now that it is difficult to smuggle enough supplies to build a bomb through airport security, the only way to blow it up is to crash it into something else. We cannot afford the plane exploding by crashing into a building, bridge, stadium or any other structure populated with civilians. My option to the terrorists onboard is the following: Land the plane or we will shoot it down.

Right or Wrong

2007-06-05T20:59:00.000-07:00

Prompt: Right or Wrong

A Self-Defined Absolutist

Since we all have our own definitions of wrong and right, moral absolutist or moral relativist may not be a clear cut choice. For myself, I am more, or mostly absolutist. There are things that I see as right and I want them to remain so but the definition of what is wrong in this world today can be jaded. There is so much hype given to issues that are neither right or wrong that being an absolutist, it should matter. What ever happened to love and friendship? Today we focus so much on "is it the same, or is it right?" That we have forgotten the true meaning is lost, which is the bond of love. My absolute moral standing on the matter is that nothing should interfere with love. Not even the prejudice of others based on dated views of our cultures.

Moral absolutism accepts the wrong, but will not always agree to it. It is more tailored to viewpoints per issue. Take progression vs. preservation. Though some may think that it’s relative, both sides are moral absolute. The time has come to make changes in residential areas of Macon due to population growth and safety. The city will widen Forest Hill Road and the trees in Forest Hill are marked to be cut down. There is a campaign to save Forest Hill. It is wrong to cut down such beautiful trees, but it is equally wrong to deny safe travel and endanger citizens and homeowners. Absolutism is more likely to lead to a reasonable compromise, despite that it is absolute, due to the attention given to the issue.

Moral relativists in my opinion are somewhat nonchalant. There are so many things happening in the world both good and wrong. There is not enough effort applied to understand the truth of life. We are not the same. There is not justification for cruel and unusual punishment, genocide, and other social injustices simply because we do not understand the culture. What I hate about moral relativism is that it tries to relate right and wrong actions through cultural comparisons. Its like saying the Holocaust was okay because the Nazi's did not know what they were doing, but we must respect their rights. What about the right of the victims?! I will not comment on the relativist view of other issues. Wrong is wrong, but right is right and that is what I stand for. The type of person I am- absolutist with an understanding that times change.

Perception

2007-06-04T15:20:00.000-07:00

Prompt: Perception

Identify Distorted Data- Act Accordingly

Perception is the translation of events and information within our own mental states. It dictates so many aspects of our character. Behavior, emotions, actions, and the ability to reason are elements. These elements alter and influence perception. Many elements we learn as children and later alter as we become aging adults. The influence of environment, beliefs, and experiences forges perception which also controls the projection of reality. The most important contribution to perception is the response to events. I can agree with Socrates that through knowledge of the self and knowing where we are most likely to distort data, we can come to perceiving what is truth. So gaining control over your perceptions, means controlling your own universe. I control my perceptions based on previous experiences and events of my life and add knowledge to come to reasonable truths. I’m the type of person who seeks balance and learning how to discover “distorted data” within myself, allows me to make the changes to promote positive perception.

Life occurs in events and memories are based on that information. When the brain stores the fears, joys, and other emotions, it is in response to the event. For example, attending school- The perception of school and social interaction is created based on the experiences. Examine a student who as a child, actively participated, had friends, and fond memories. This child most likely became and adult of confidence. The perception of social interaction was positive and contributes the current reality. On the other hand, a child who had very little interaction, bullied, or just did not get along with others, would most likely have a negative perception of social interaction as an adult.

I was a reserved child. It took years (aging) for me to learn that it was okay. The key word is “okay”. Being a reserved person, I communicated only when necessary. Many good things came from this behavior such as responsibility and refinement. It did not hinder my life, but my level of confidence needed much work. My perception of interacting with others was that once I received the attention, it was too much. The backlash is that I tried too hard for acceptance when it was unnecessary. The distorted data was not what I received, but it was what I created. Learning that things are “okay” is something that many people never notice. It’s “okay” to have an opinion. It’s “okay” if you make a mistake. It’s “okay” if you are not perfect. The key to getting over it was to alter my perception. Making this change came from within by paying attention to what was on the inside. I came to the conclusion, that I had become reserved from myself.

The time comes (or will eventually come) when you look inside and start exploring yourself- the universe within. In truth, you cannot define a universe if you never give it notice. There are so many that we do not notice in our lives which control the way we perceive life. A hot summer day, a mistake made, going out with friends, or landing a great job. Almost anything fathomed. Balance is achieved by identifying the distorted data and applying the changes accordingly. Although there will be some negative perceptions, by knowing your universe within, the overall perception of life will be a good one.

Introduction to Jonni

2007-05-30T15:16:00.000-07:00

My name is Jonni Hoskins. This is the first night of class and my first time attending Macon State College. The decision to return to school was based on my willingness to exceed beyond my expectations. Business falls into the category closest to my personality and job. I am the catering coordinator for the trendy bakery-cafe, Panera Bread. I am financially stable and would like to move into publishing. For years, I have worked as a freelance graphic designer while working a steady job.
"Why a business degree, and not a degree in design?" Well it just makes more sense. A business degree is more useful. A degree is not always necessary for art, it is more of a matter of skill. I am very good with both marketing and presentation and to have a degree that can back it up is necessary. Eventually, I'd like to move into publishing as a small business. Business management skills are what I need from Macon State College.