NURSING HOMES

My great grandmother, Jewel, was 84 when she died. The years leading up to her passing were hard. She was constantly in poor health and increasingly hard to please. The last 4 years of her life she lived in a nursing home that smelt like death. We all felt obligated to pay her regular visits, but walking through heavy doors only to be met by white walls and blank stares was anything but easy.

For a long time I didn’t understand why my great grandmother was in such an awful place. We had the money to house her anywhere, but we put her in such a dump. Why? She was such a kind-hearted woman and had been so good to all of us. I thought that it was insulting that we let her spend her last years in such a place. It wasn’t until after she passed away that I found out why. My grandmother had visited the nursing home every day that my great grandmother lived there. Every single day she spent at least an hour by her side, talking, watching t.v., or playing cards. She had picked this place not because it was nice and pleasing for visitors, but because it was less than 5 minutes from her house, and she wanted to be able to spend as much time as possible with her mother.

I used to think that America treated their elderly in such an outrageous way. Pushing them into nursing homes where they were left to die. But after seeing how my grandmother handled her mother, my opinions have changed. Keeping an elderly relative in your home is quite physically and emotionally draining. And many elderly people realize this. I think that what my grandma did worked out perfectly. My great grandma wasn’t in her house, but she was close enough so that my grandma could be there in the drop of a hat. I respect the cultures that take in the grandparents when they can no longer take care of themselves. It is bold and a ton of responsibility, but I just don’t think it is realistic for everyone. What do you think? Is it cold to leave your grandparents in a nursing home? Do you want to live in a nursing home??

ONLINE RELATIONSHIPS

As technology continues to advance, more and more of our lives are becoming digital. Through blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and countless other social media we interface with hundreds of people, some of which we may have never met in person. Are these virtual relationships as good as those developed in person? Bloggers Regina Lynn and Harold Johnson comment on the validity of online relationships.

In her post, Don’tDismiss Online Relationships as Fantasy, Regina Lynn staunchly defends online relationships. She acknowledges several recent articles describing online relationships that have gone awry in real life, but suggests that there may have been more going on than what meets the eye. Throughout her description of the articles, Lynn uses short interjectory sentences that voice her opinion of the matter. Right after introducing the fact that some articles suggests that online relationships are “just fantasy”, Lynn states, “They aren’t.”. Her use of short sentences gives the piece a more conversational feel and also leaves no doubt about Lynn’s opinions. Later in the post, Lynn tugs at the emotions of readers using the word “we” when discussing relationship problems that many people struggle with. By using pathos, Lynn convinces readers to see how similar online and offline relationships are.

Harold Johnson wrote a post entitled How Real Are Internet Relationships? in which he explores the positive and negative to online relationships. The post begins with a personal anecdote describing Johnson’s various types of relationships, both online and off. By beginning with a personal story, Johnson uses ethos and reveals that he has a personal connection to the topic. Johnson uses many rhetorical questions throughout his post, encouraging readers to think for themselves and form their own opinions. When discussing the aspect of meeting people online, Johnson puts the words “meeting”, “friends”, and “rooms” all in quotations. By offsetting these key words, one is led to believe that Johnson questions the validity of interactions done online. In the end, Johnson concludes that his opinion of online relationships is still a “work in progress”.

Fostering relationships online is a topic that is often debated. Both Regina Lynn and Harold Johnson use similar literary techniques including anecdotes and strong diction to voice their opinion, but each piece has a different tone and uses unique sentence structures. Through their use of rhetorical devices, both Lynn and Johnson are able to connect with the reader and successfully communicate their individual opinions.

GOVERNMENT FUNDING

I used to be obsessed with my cousin Jessica. Absolutely head over heels. At family reunions, she was the only person I wanted to see. Something about her confidence and spunk caused me to be quite infatuated with her. As I grew older, I began to admire her strong Christian values and leadership skills. I knew one she would one day be the epitome of a dedicated mother and loving wife.

One event changed everything.

She had a baby. She wasn’t married and she had a baby. Then she refused to get married because she said the government would give her more money if she was a single mother. The entire family was stunned. Of all people, Jessica was the last person anyone thought would pull this.

Pre-marital sex has quickly shifted from a disgrace to a fad in America’s society. Hollywood portrays sex as an enjoyable hobby available to everyone, yet fails to include the damaging effects that follow. Many young girls are left pregnant with no one to turn to. Their boyfriend disappears and their parents are enraged, forcing the girls to rely on the government for support.

I think that the government is doing more harm than good by funding this behavior. Girls are assured that they will be taken care of if they happen to get pregnant - giving them no reason not to. Instead the government focus needs to be on educating students of the many obstacles that come along with raising a child by themselves.

What do you think, is this something the government should be funding?