Death Penalty

The death penalty is one of those topics that is very controversial when brought up and sometimes is never brought up because of the varying beliefs on the subject.  It is like one of those topics that you do not want to bring up at a dinner party because it will start a fight or argument like when some people talk about abortion or religion.  Though there are a lot of different views of whether the death penalty is wrong or right, when compared to what the Jesus’ teachings in the Bible you would be able to see that he was against it.  In his teachings, he always showed that he was a strong advocate against violence.  He did not even use violence when he himself was being persecuted.  He would even say that we should turn the other cheek when someone does harm to us.  Since the death penalty is causing harm to others and you would not be turning the other cheek, you would be able to conclude that Jesus would be against the death penalty. 

The Truth Will Set You Free

I think that what Sherlock Holmes meant when he told Watson “when it comes to the art of reasoning, many people rely on opinion and unsupported assumptions. The difficulty, he maintains, is to detach the framework of undeniable fact from the embellishments of hearsay and reports”, is that many people now a days do not know how to keep their own opinions out of the way of making the best logical decision.  It seems that many people now a days think with their hearts instead of using their brain and coming up with the best decision.  They do not listen to the truth or facts.  When people let their own opinions and feelings get in the way of making the best decision, they tend to not accept the truth and will try to turn something that is bad into something that could be acceptable and make it okay in their own mind.  Sometimes people will let their emotions or own opinion become the leading factor of all the decisions of their life. 

For example, this reminds me of one of my friends who thought that his girlfriend was truly the one for him.  He would do anything for her even transfer to her school. Despite all of the fighting, arguing, and lying that he had put up with her, he still decided to transfer to his girlfriend’s school.  But, a month after he transferred to her school she had broken up with him saying that she did not want to be in a relationship and was missing out on the college experience.  This goes to show how you should not let your own feelings or personal opinions cloud your judgment when making decisions because they can lead you to make an illogical decision. If he had just listened to all of us when we told him it was a bad decision, he could have still been at the school he had been dreaming of since he was young but instead he gave up his dreams to follow his supposed "true love"

Evaluating Arguments

In chapter 6 of the Boss text, she talked about evaluating an argument.  She had pointed out the 5 of the main criteria for evaluating arguments:

1.     Clarity: Is the argument clear and ambiguous?

The argument needs to be able to be understood by everyone. At the point where you would not need to ask any questions to clearly understand what someone was trying to argue.

2.    Credibility: Are the premises supported by evidence?

She pointed out that most people tend to pass off assumptions as facts. They forget that they need to back up their premises.

3.    Relevance: Are the premises relevant to the conclusion?

The premises should show convincing evidence as to why someone should believe the conclusion.

4.    Completeness: Are there any unstated premises and conclusions?

She tells of how sometimes premises are so obvious that they do not need to be stated.

5.    Soundness: Are the premises true and do they support the conclusion?

She focused on saying that reasoning is an important aspect in making a sound argument. The premise should be true and support the conclusion. She also made a good point that sometimes if you cannot prove something through the use of argumentation does not necessarily mean that it is not true.

Standing Up For What Is Right

Back in High School I was faced with dealing with one of my closest friends coming out and saying she was bisexual.  I had heard rumors around school that she was bisexual but I did not believe it because if you had really know her you would think it was crazy for her to like girls along with boys.  I am not trying to call my friend a slut but lets just say that she did not have trouble finding guys.  But, when she finally told me over lunch; I was shocked to find out that those rumors around school were indeed true. At first, I was in denial in the fact that she now liked girls along with boys.  It was just so baffling to me but when she told me she was nervous to finally come out to everyone else. I knew that as a good friend I needed to be there for her and accept who she had become. I just had wished that some of our other friends were just as accepting as I was.

When she had finally told everyone that she was bi, some of our friends stopped talking to her and would begin to talk about her behind her back.  You could tell that they now looked at her in a different light.  They did not just look at her with judgment but they also began to look at me in a different light.  They thought that I was so dumb for still being her friend and that I would turn into her but I told them that I was disappointed in them. That I was now seeing what type of friends they truly were. I told them that just because she like both boys and girls did not truly change who she was.  It wasn’t going to change her personality or give you a disease or something stupid.  I explained that she was still going to be our close friend from 6^th grade. The friend that had been there for us when we going through a hard time or crack a funny joke here and there.  Just because she had changed her sexual orientation did not mean she was changing who she was as a person.  But, it didn't matter what I said to try and convince them because they had their minds set in not just being her friend but not being my friend either.  Even though it was hard to lose some of my close friends, I am glad that I stood up for what I thought was right. 

Obama & Same-Sex Marriage

Though President Barack Obama opposes the legalizing of same-sex marriage on a federal level, he is still able to keep a state of open mindedness towards the subject.  I remember reading somewhere that his views on gay marriage were even evolving.  Even though Obama stands strongly behind his Christian beliefs, he is still able to keep some awareness and consideration on the topic of same sex marriage.  His opposition towards legalizing gay marriage on the federal level does not stop him from still supporting his beliefs in equal rights and opportunities for all people.  Obama does not let the sexual orientation get in the way of his belief of equal rights.  By supporting same-sex couples' civil unions and equal rights, he is showing that even homosexuals should still be guaranteed the same rights.  Overall showing that he is staying true/consistent with his overall beliefs in equal rights for all people.

A possible response that Obama would give to Nava and Dawidoff's argument, about how prohibiting same-sex marriage is a denial of the basic rights of gays and lesbians who wish to marry, would consist of some type of agreement and support.  He would probably have the same views on the matter because of his strong belief in that everyone should have the same equal rights no matter what the sexual orientation.

Introductory Post

Hey everyone,

I am from San Jose. My favorite color is fuchsia. I am currently a sophomore here at SJSU trying to pursue a Biology major. I love turtles and monkeys. I love to hangout with my friends and stay active. I like to stay active by playing soccer or going to the gym. I love to play and watch sports.

When it comes to communicating now a days I feel like the best way to do that is through the use of technology. I like to keep my connection through the use of websites like facebook, tumblr, and twitter. I am ready to further my communication background through this class.